《The pet master》 Chapter 01 archaeologist Maxwell Pip is one of the lead archeologists up to date and a fairly wealthy individual. If you ask an acquaintance of his to describe him, then they will say he''s a charismatic man, well-educated, a little handsome, and overall, he''s the kind of person you feel like a breeze while talking to. However, in case you ask someone who knows him, then the answer will be completely the opposite, an absolute scumbag, a Lawless individual with a very low moral bottom line, although he still has some good points, no matter how few they are, for example, his adventurous spirit, and his work ethics, well maybe forget about work ethics, but his professionalism can''t be doubted. ... 2039 first of May. In the middle of nowhere, on an empty Baron plane, four people stood under the scorching sun. Next to the group, multiple automatic digging equipment was operating. One of them, a thin Shady-looking man named Jim, spoke. Oy Max are you sure there is something down there, we''ve been digging for weeks now, don''t get me wrong Max I don''t mind the wait but you know we shouldn''t be here I had to call a lot of favors for this, and honestly, we''re running out of time and our biggest problem is that we can''t buy more. Multiple endangered species live in this place, both plants and animals, simply if found ruining the natural environment around here, we''re done for. Added a brown-skinned man, Jim''s bodyguard. The only woman in the group, Natalie, looked at the countless pits all over as she spoke; well, we''d better find something soon or just make a run for it since we still can. Max didn''t respond. He just stood there, deep in thought. What are we looking for anyway, asked the bodyguard? Jim just shrugged at him. "Only Max knows". Max hired Jim to make it easier for him to dig around since he didn''t have many connections around here, but Jim brought Natalie, a second archaeologist, and that bodyguard. Obviously, he wanted to take a piece of the pie, and Max knew that, but he didn''t care much because even he didn''t think they would find anything of value. It''s been 5 years since he started this wild goose chase. At that time, He had just uncovered a lost Egyptian pyramid with a bunch of other archeologists, the same as most pyramids. This pyramid contained lots of gold and numerous dead mummies. A few days later, some Lost history was uncovered, and more renown was added to their names, so everyone was happy. Max was the same, happily taking selfies with mummies, at least until he found a weird stone tablet with unusual hieroglyphics on it. Normally, Egyptian hieroglyphics are a combination of symbols and drawings; even a normal person will be able to understand a thing or two from it. Pretty straightforward! but this one wasn''t; it was extremely complex, to the point that even with Max''s extensive knowledge, the only conclusion he came up with was that this thing was indeed of Egyptian origin; other than that, it was all a mystery. curious and intrigued, Max decided to keep it for himself, so he simply smuggled it out. It wasn''t the first time he had done such an act, so it was a simple job for him. From that point on, Max didn''t spare any time, wealth, or connections to uncover the Secrets within this Stone tablet. But the more he found, the more perplexed he gets. The main topic in it is about some mysterious ruins of death. If that was all, Max would have just taken it for some random mythological story; however, the weird thing is that some other civilizations across time seem to hint or straight-up mention this ruins of death thing. At some point, Max even doubted his mental sanity, but no matter what, he kept his treasure hunt, and today, it led him here. Right below this land, the supposed ever-elusive ruins lie down there. .... At this point, Max noticed something: the equipment stopped operating. This equipment is extremely advanced and will stop automatically before it comes in contact with anything that surpasses a certain level of hardness. The others noticed as well. I got this, said the bodyguard as he used the rope to head down the pit. Normally, this is Max''s job. However, he has been feeling a little down lately, so it was left for the others. As Max was deep in thought, he suddenly heard the bodyguard calling. Guys, guys, come down, hurry, we''re definitely on to something here. Max didn''t waste time. Directly grabbed the rope and slid down in a hurry. He landed, and he instantly felt the ground under him was flat. Moving the flashlight, he looked down. At this point, his eyes were shining because this seemed to be the roof of some temple-like building. Max smiled. "finely found you." Oy boys, we got to hurry up and find the entrance; from the look of this room,f, it should be either left or right. Let''s dig both ways. As Max gave the order, he climbed up and then went to his tent to get some sleep; he needed to be in the perfect condition to explore this tomb, although sleeping might prove challenging because of his excitement. He didn''t worry about the others betraying him, Jim was the boss of the three, and although he didn''t trust him he knew Jim was far too greedy to share the news now, as for them backstabbing him, maybe it would happen but not now because they needed him to tell them what''s valuable and what isn''t. This tomb will garner a lot of attention, and the government isn''t stupid. They can choose to kill Max, don''t make this place public, and slowly sell every antique inside; if they are smart about it, they might pull it off. But they already made a lot of commotion, and the traces from digging cannot be erased. this place will be found sooner or later; after, an investigation will be launched, and they will be found. The government doesn''t joke around with any historical legacy. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.So instead, it''s better to explore the tomb, then pick a few valuable yet small items to take, hide them well, report the tomb, and use Max''s reputation to not be suspected. ... A few hours later. Max, Max, wake up, we found it. Opening his eyes, Max felt a rush of excitement, hearing Jim''s words. Standing up, Max took a black box from his backpack, pulling the necklace key from his neck; he used it to open the box. A pistol, a muzzle, and 3 full mags. The only reason Max brought company on this venture is because he didn''t think he''d find anything, but now everything is different. This is most probably the tomb of a completely undiscovered and unrecorded civilization. The value of every piece of garbage inside is priceless. More importantly, these guys are greedy and stupid. Sorry Jim, but if I let you go, I am 100% sure you bunch will drag me down with you to prison. Putting the muzzle on, Max walked out of the te, not keeping the gun hidden. The three didn''t notice; in fact, they didn''t even look at Max. Their gazes were locked on the entrance with greed practically shining from their eyes. Greedy and stupid! Max pulls the gun and aims at the bodyguard first, since he is armed. Piw.. A body falls. Immediately, y max shot at Jim next Piw. Natalie looked at her two dead companions; her body stiffened in horror, and he screamed. Ahh. Piw. Piw.. Max was annoyed because just now Natalie fell to the ground and surprisingly dodged a bullet; he didn''t care much and just gave her a second shot, ending her life. But the problem is that the first bullet hit the stone entrance. I will have to hammer it later to hide the bullet''s trace. Nevertheless, he rushed to clean the scene, putting the bodies in the tent. He drove fast from the tomb while making a call. Hi James, how are you? Good, good, but Max, why didn''t you come to my party last week? I was waiting for you. Sorry, I''m a little busy. Anyway, James, I need to clean my house this week. Can you take your bags back? Clean the house, huh? But why? Just a few bugs, not a big deal. Alright, how many bags did I give you, anyway? I can''t remember. Three. As Max spoke, he used a second phone to send the location to an unknown contact. Alright, alright, but you know I got health problems, max can''t you bring them over? No, can''t do. I am busy, so get them yourself, man. I don''t even know why you keep so many comic books. On the second phone, a message was received with just a number on it: this was the amount of money he had to pay to get rid of the bodies. Just take them already, James. Alright, alright, I got this. Just give me 15 min. James was his neighbor and the trusted right-hand man of the mafia''s big boss around here, whenever max needed some Shady business dealt with, James was your go-to guy, and from the coded conversation between the two, you can tell this isn''t the first time they dealt with each other. Max unloaded the tent, and waited for 10 minutes, then left back to the excavation site, max trusted James''s efficiency, if he said 15 minutes, then it was 15 minutes he didn''t even have to wait that 10 minutes, it just being extra cautious .... In front of the entrance of the tomb, Max had already forgotten about the bodies and James; he was checking his last preparation for the exploration of the Tomb: thick leather boots and gloves, a gun, a military knife, a lighter, and both a flashlight and a night vision goggles. Let''s do this. But before that, he picked a hammer, planning to camouflage The Bullet Hole that was made earlier, as some damage was made while excavating. however, Max just stood still because he just noticed that there was no Bullet Hole. The bullet didn''t even leave a scratch on the Stonewall; it was just flattened and stuck to it, Max''s eyes widened, how could a Stonewall, that survived God knows how long, be able to handle a bullet without even suffering a single scratch, looking at the entrance, the sense of mystery in Max''s heart intensified, however, he wasn''t scared, not even a bit, actually he got even more excited. Holding a long walking stick in his hand, Max walked carefully, exploring the road, making sure there were no traps, or some hidden mechanisms on the ground. The walls were filled with weird Engravings; it looked like some sort of language. However, Max didn''t recognize it. ... 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour of exploration, and Max didn''t get in any danger, of course, he didn''t explore much, because he was walking slowly, and carefully, but this is too weird, after reading all the mysterious text, the idea he got about this place is that it should be filled with traps, however, this place seems to be completely the opposite, so Max started to explore more brazenly, but still carefully.. After some time, he already found a bunch of antiques, a well-made Stone Dagger, too well made in his opinion; after all, a normal stone dagger shouldn''t be able to cut steel. some jars, some statues, and stone tablets. He only picked a few to take. With his connections, he can sell these things without any backlash... standing in what seemed to be the main chamber, Max couldn''t help but marvel at the Exquisite yet Majestic structure. this place gave that sacrificial alter Vibe kind of feeling. A gleam of light flashed in Max''s eyes, looking at a bronze coin necklace on top of the altar. Years of experience, plus his natural sense of treasure, told him one thing. This necklace is the most precious item he ever laid his eyes on. In his heart, a decision was made; he will keep this one. He never plans to sell all the items he got today; after all, he is a collector himself, and he always keeps some rare treasures in his collection. Chapter 2 retirement!! The day after, Max stood in front of a press conference. After hiding the treasures, he decided to keep, Max went back to the ruins, published a few videos, made a few phone calls, finalized the entire ordeal, and claimed the discovery to himself. Countless people express disbelief. a civilization that was never heard of before, yet somehow, multiple other ancient civilizations seem to know about its existence. Some Professionals in the field directly accused Max of lying; their thought process is simple: all of this is fake. simple propaganda to Garner Fame. However, such voices were the minority, mostly from people who hate Max on a personal level. because of Max''s reputation, multiple professionals in the field are on their way to the location. Max stood in front of the journalists, giving a lengthy speech about how apologetic he was for endangering the species that inhabit this environment. But, ladies and gentlemen, we stand in front of a discovery far greater than what you might have imagined. At this moment, Max stopped talking to intensify the anticipation. I suspect that this specific civilization is most probably a technologically advanced one, at the same level as modern times, or maybe even higher in some aspects. The crowd went wild after his words. Mister Max, why do you believe so? Mister max...? Sir, how do you explain..? Max ignored their questions, held a big steel hammer, and walked to the stone walls. The police didn''t stop him. The crowd got confused for a moment; they forgot to ask more questions; however, their eyes widened in disbelief as they watched Max lift the hammer to hit the wall. Did he go mad? someone stop him. is he crazy?... Ding the hammer hit. Ding. ding. ding. ding ding.. And kept going. Silence. Only the sound of hammering kept ringing like a bell. Everyone looked at the intact stone wall, stunned. .... A few hours later, the news went viral, and countless experts from different professions converged. . The government made the location a restricted zone; only professionals may get access, under supervision, of course. Max expected this, but he didn''t care much. Looking at the sunset, he smiled. His name is already immortalized, the biggest discovery in the century, with a slight chance of it being the biggest of all time. I am done; I guess I''ll announce my retirement tomorrow. Either Money or fame, he got plenty. Now it''s time to enjoy life to the fullest. .... In the next period, Max received multiple complaints about his retirement and a bunch of invitations to help decipher the new language found inside, but he ignored all of that. He was passionate about his job, but now that he has already achieved the very peak in it, that passion has died down, and all that remains from it is his collection hobby. ..... 5 years passed. With a lot of free time and a lot more money, Max experienced everything there is to enjoy life. Today a big party was being held at James'' place. Max had a wide smile on his face, walking, greeting friends here and there while enjoying the loud music. He never knew why James loved to host parties; he is already 52, maybe 54. Most likely, it''s a cover-up for some shady business he didn''t know about. Although he didn''t care, the party was fun, and that''s it. For him, compared to High Society life. He preferred this lifestyle, staying among gangsters. Back when he was still in high school and his parents had just died, Max was in a tight spot. he tried to keep strong, but it was hard, the depression from losing the two people he loved most, the lack of money to keep his studies, the annoying and greedy family members, his parents only left him the house and they wanted it, the unsuppressible anger he had for the person who killed his parents, it was a car accident true but he had to pay one way or another. Max didn''t care whether that person was drunk and pulled some strings to walk out of it. Nor did he care if it was truly an accident; he had to pay, and that''s it. All of that pushed him to gang life; he got the money to go to college, kept his family house, and after a few years, took his revenge, taking the guy''s life with his own hands. Of course, it wasn''t all flowers and sunshine, the complete opposite; his life was miserable, and he almost died multiple times. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.But after so much time, it became a part of him, the life he entered out of desperation, the same life he wanted to escape from. Now... Sigh Max sighed; well, he isn''t a real member now, not anymore, not for a long time; he is just a rich retired middle-aged man. , Oy, Max, get over here, called James while holding two hot babes, one in each arm. Seriously, old man, aren''t you a bit too energetic? Compared to you, I feel like a 60-year-old man. Joked Max as he sat next to James. Hhh. I am not that old max, don''t make fun of me. Max just smirked while joining the fun. Sometime later... Max suddenly felt irritated for no reason. He subconsciously held his necklace, the same one he got 5 years ago. He always felt that this thing was mysterious; from the moment he got it, he had been feeling much better physically overall; at the same time, he got this unreal-like feeling about different things, like an intuition of sorts. Looking around at the bustling party. I have a bad feeling about this. Suddenly, seeming to confirm Max''s intuition, one of James''s henchmen rushed inside while taking quick breaths. Boss problem, big problem. Kid takes a deep breath, keeps yourself together, belated James with a frown on his face. Boss, the cops. Cops, no.! it''s a Special Forces squad. James was stunned; dealing with the cops wasn''t a problem for him; he would just cooperate with them, and after they looked around, they found nothing. he would just make a few phone calls. and surprise, he is back home. at worst, he would go to see his friends in prison for a month or less. But the special forces were a completely different matter; those guys don''t move unless there are big problems with solid evidence. James was sure that since they were coming, they must be sure they could keep him in prison. He closed his eyes; he was already this old, and he didn''t want to spend the rest of his life behind bars. He didn''t know whether he had made a mistake, left a lead somewhere, or someone snitched on him. But it no longer mattered much; they wouldn''t take him, at least not alive. All along, Max just watched James''s emotional changes without speaking, deep in thought. James stood up; you go get the guns; everyone else gets ready for a fight. James looked at Max next. What about you max? What''s your plan? Max just smirked at him, I don''t plan to go to jail anytime soon, not even for a day, so just give me a gun. Max was a decisive person; if they caught him, he would go to prison, for one reason or another. He wanted to enjoy the rest of his life, not spend it behind bars. Even if it''s just one year, it''s not something he can accept. More importantly, he had a vague feeling that today''s matters were because of him. He thought of the coin necklace but then shook the idea out of his mind: it no longer matters why, or at least such a question should be left for when he survives this. As long as they deal with this batch, they can escape. Their current location is close to the sea. Big Mafia bosses like James always liked to keep close to the sea, After all, if things go wrong, the ocean is either their second chance for life or a sure death. In both cases, it''s more welcomed than prison. At least for people like James and Max. James didn''t question Max''s decision; he already left to give orders while making phone calls. The reason he was ready to fight hard is that he was almost sure they came prepared to give him a life sentence; the reason he was sure is that he did not know about this raid. You have to know that with his status; he has multiple cops under his paycheck. He didn''t get a single piece of news about today''s matter; that in itself expresses how serious Things Are. Max was handed an AK47. He took cover behind the kitchen wall and calmed himself. A SWT truck parked in front of the door, and fully armed Special Forces rushed out. Boom. Ta. ta. Ta ! Boom ! Ta ta ta ta ta ta.! Boom ! A rain of bullets greeted them. While aiming, shooting, and then taking cover, Max couldn''t help but confirm his guess. The Special Forces didn''t come for James; if they did, they would have brought more people; plus, they seemed to be surprised by the rain of bullets, completely unprepared. Thankfully, the others didn''t notice this minor detail; all of them were caught in the rush of the moment; even James, showing his yellow teeth, laughed aloud ha ha ha, you want to take me? Here are some bullets first. GA.. ta. ta.. Ta. ta. ta. Boom !! Soon the smoke subsided, and the bullet from Melody stopped. Unprepared, outnumbered, and ambushed, the Special Forces had no chance. Oy James, did we get them all? Yelled max. I think so; get over here; we don''t have time. Max rushed over and asked directly, what''s the plan? James didn''t hide anything from him; he trusted Max enough. I have a boat, big enough for all of us, but we have to hurry. Do we have some time, James? I have lots of cash and expensive antiques, enough for us to spend for the rest of our lifetime, and also a small boat, if needed. James''s eyes brightened, but he gave Max a weird look. Good guy, why are you so prepared? Am I the gang boss or not? Why are you better prepared than me? But James didn''t molle over it. Then what are you waiting for? Go get them. You got 10min, no, make it 7, run fast. Max ran out of the house without a second word. In front of his door, he grabbed the keys and!!! ... Suddenly, he felt a chill, and his body froze; looking back, he saw a heavily injured special forces member aiming his gun at him. Sh.. It. Cursed Max. That guy looked dead just now. Before Max could react... Bam....! Headshot!. Max couldn''t see anymore, no think matter of fact. The second the bullet hit his head, he seemed to see his necklace floating while emitting black light, at the same time hearing some weird language that he instinctively responded to. One clear thought ran through his mind. Indeed, they came for you, my senses didn''t trick me. You are a treasure, ha ha ha. Chapter 03 reincarnation In the next period, Max was in a confused and in a muddle headed state. He lost the ability to think, only being bombarded with a myriad of emotions and feelings, such as anger, pain, hunger, thirst . Different scenes and voices came and went, although he couldn¡¯t process them. he even had the illusion that he was crying. Time passed and three months later max finally realized his current state. Reborn. But the brain of a child couldn¡¯t handle the thought process of an adult. He couldn¡¯t actually think normally. One could say he isn¡¯t even self-aware. the brain of a newborn could only handle instincts, not thoughts. On the outside, max just acted on instinct, crying, eating, and even laughing like an actual child, however most of the time was spent sleeping. His new parents, Victor Smith and Jasmine Smith, weren¡¯t worried about him much. After all, the current max, other than sleeping too much, he was a normal child. The couple had some problems, but just the normal family issues. They still raised their child, doing their best. 3 years later......... A chubby boy sat next to an open window, gazing at the sunset. He had a dark expression on his face. Although looking adorable, still it¡¯s not the kind of expression a child should be able to show. Max just got his self-awareness back 10 minutes ago, And The only thought on his mind is how to escape this place. Max can be many things. Selfish, greedy, easily angered, cunning, one can call him a straight up villain, but he isn¡¯t a psychopath. Unlike those protagonists in the novel who can recognize their new parents after reincarnation, and even somehow convince themselves they are actually part of the family.!!! He couldn¡¯t commit such a heinous crime, after all in this situation he most probably killed the couple¡¯s child, even if he didn¡¯t, he is a 45 years old man who took over their child¡¯s body, although it all happened without his choice, it doesn¡¯t matter, just like a car accident even if it¡¯s really an accident it doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t take someone¡¯s life. Right now, the least he could do is to leave the couple. Now the problem is how can he, a 3-year-old kid, run from home? Sigh... Max felt a strong headache. His brain couldn¡¯t handle so much thinking. [ding. It¡¯s detected that the host has regained his mental functionality ] [Soldier, please report your name. ] Looking at the dark-green, almost black system panel in front of him, max was stunned. Reacting quickly, max thought of something. I am Maxwell pip, are you that necklace? Asked max tactfully. [this is the origin grade training system.] [pet simulator series ]. Max felt amazed. This should be some sort of equipment to train the soldiers of that civilization responsible for the ruins. Was it you who saved my life [ding. protocol rebirth, was launched to save the host¡¯s life ]. Protocol rebirth.. huh? Can this protocol be launched infinitely? If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. [ding, host please be aware, each person can only launch protocol rebirth a limited number of times, as for you host your spirit can no longer handle the process, if launched forcibly there is an 80% chance of losing sanity 11% chance of permanent mental paralysis 8% chance of death 1% chance of success ]. Max felt disappointed. After all, if it works infinitely, doesn¡¯t that mean immortality? Sigh.... so what can you do? I mean, what¡¯s your capabilities, and what should I call you? [the host has the freedom to use whatever term you find convenient]. [the pet simulator series, have the ability to send a strand of spirituality to different parallel worlds . Then Retrieve either skills, memories or items.] At this point max was completely stunned. He was sure that the civilization that made this thing was technology advanced, but he never thought they were this advanced. Rebirth. Training in parallel worlds. No wonder those bastards jumped on me with a full Special Forces Squad. They should¡¯ve figured something out from the texts inside the ruin. Simulator, can I simulate myself? Asked, maxed with anticipation practically shining in his eyes. [only pets linked to the host¡¯s spirit can be Simulated]. Fk.! Cursed max, but the bad news didn¡¯t end there. [ding. It¡¯s detected that the host is in a weak state and cannot form spiritual links with any type of pet.] [ding. The simulator will seal all functions other than the status window, in till the host is ready to get his first pet] .. XD... simulator... simulator, are you there... Fk me sideways. Jumping in anger, he couldn¡¯t help but curse a few times. He already had a plan to get a cat or something as a pet. Maybe it will help him escape home. Sigh.... Feeling exhausted,he remembered something Stat window. Ding!. Host: Maxwell pip Power level: non Pet number: 0 Skill: non Talents: [genetic talent origin link. Unawakened] ... Hmm, I can also see a bunch of other stats like Vitality and strength, but they are all grayed out, most probably because he is too weak. And I actually have a talent. focusing on the talent, the text seems to expand. Origin link: genetic talent unawakened. You can form a permanent link with a pet and gain part of its abilities and stats. Note: The gain and number of pets linked depend on the talent level. Your talent can link to one pet and obtain over 95% of its stats and abilities. Max didn¡¯t know how much a pet can grow through the simulator, but it¡¯s definitely above the supernatural level. Thinking about gaining super powers, he felt his blood rushing to his brain and fell asleep. The poor brain of a 3 years old child couldn¡¯t handle the overlord. .... Tomorrow morning. Victor and jasmine looked at their son, who seem to change overnight with worry in their eyes. Hi baby, is something wrong? Tell mommy what happened.. Yah John tells mom and dad, Did someone bully you, or did the nanny made you sad?. Max didn¡¯t respond, nor did he recognize his new name, Jhon Smith. He just kept eating his breakfast. Actually, compared with joining an orphanage or some care house, staying with this couple would make his life at least 10 times easier. However, he couldn¡¯t do that. The faster he leaves, the faster they can move on and live their lives. Max can kill people for the slightest amount of benefits, but this level of craziness goes beyond his bottom line. Family is one of the few things he respected in this life, which made it impossible for him to stay. The couple looked at each other and sighed helplessly. Okay baby mommy and daddy have to go to work, the nanny will be here soon, you can watch TV and don¡¯t make trouble. Little John, don¡¯t be sad. okay next week your mother and I will take a break from work, and the three of us will go to play around. You can just pick where to go. After the couple coaxed him a bit more, they left. Max walked to the living room he turned the TV on, sat down, and started thinking about his escape plan. But at this moment something changed on TV. Breaking news. A dungeon break was reported in the northern district. Our journalists are on the way..... The scene changed suddenly. From a helicopter point of view, Max saw a scene that baffled him. Green ork looking monsters, riding giant lizards, rushed out from a broken sewer. The dungeon is B rank. I repeat, the dungeon is suspected to be rank B. The location of the gate seems to be underground, which is why it was undetected. We received reports that professionals of the B rank and above are on their way. The scene changed again. A bunch of people rushed over and started fighting with the orks. Some used swords and had astonishing speed, others throw fireballs, and ice spears. Max had a question mark on his face, dungeons are real ?. races other than humans ?. Super powers.? Fk this. I am too lazy to deal with this sht, I am going to sleep. His youthful body needed a lot of sleep. ... Waking up, max found that his food was already prepared, and the supposed nanny was watching TV. a young girl of 14 or 15 years of age. max just sat to eat his meal. The girl seems to just notice max, Hi little Jhon you woke up. Max just nodded, eating silently. Nancy felt weird. This little guy used to be quite cheerful, but she didn¡¯t think much. Maybe he caused some trouble and was yelled at or something. After eating, Max walked to the couple¡¯s bedroom and took Victor¡¯s laptop. Connecting to the web, he looked a few things up. He didn¡¯t go deep, he just need to confirm his safety, and thankfully this area was indeed relatively safe. Normal people with no superpowers like this family live in a well-protected zone. For the time being, he didn¡¯t check any other news about superpower and dungeons. Even if he learned, he is just a kid. What will he do with such knowledge? His worries right now are how to join an orphanage. Being a street kid is a no-go, while other options are out of his league. .... Chapter 04 escaping home, quiting school. One year later. In a dark alley, a 5-year-old child in shabby clothes sat there, seemingly deep in thought. Bags filled with fast food junk lay next to him. 4 months ago, he successfully escaped home. Taking advantage of his useless nanny, he pretended to be sleeping, then jumped out of the window. With his acting skills, he was able to leave the city through the train, although honestly it doesn''t have anything to do with acting skills. He picked a target, someone who is too distracted, or in this case completely engrossed in his phone screen, and kept following him, pretending to be his child, and because younger kids didn''t need to pay for the journey that guy didn''t notice him. One could say he was quite lucky, and honestly, max didn''t think he would succeed in his first time, but things just worked out. the city he chose is still considered a safe zone, but is way closer to the danger zone. this place is quite chaotic, more importantly this place has a lot of orphans, since a lot of people are killed in the danger zone, ranging from soldiers, to commoners, and professionals, their kids get pulled from the danger zone, and moved to the safer locations. This city takes most of them. With the money he stole from home, and some begging here and there, he could survive relatively well on his own, however it''s about time he joined an orphanage. The reason he waited this long is simply to not be found out. After a child is reported to be missing, multiple places will be informed. If he joined an orphanage at the same time, there is a high chance he would be found out. Plus, after 4 months of living like a street kid, his appearance has changed a little. Unlike the cute chubby boy, now he is a skinny, disheveled boy. ..... Standing in front of an orphanage called sunlight . Max walked inside. The caretaker looked at him. Another orphan huh, her heart pained slightly, but she smiled and asked in a gentle voice, hey there little guy, where are your parents? She didn''t want to ask. But she had to. Max shook his head. I don''t have. He kept his words as emotionless as he could, showing the image of a child that closed all roads to his heart. The caretaker''s smile stiffened for a moment. Obviously, she is still new to this. Well, do you have someone to take care of you?. And where do you live ? . I am all alone. I saw a lot of kids here, so I thought maybe I can stay here with the other kids. Of course you can. Come inside sweet, let''s give you a bath first. One can only admire Max''s acting skills. He didn''t a specially give a pitiful appearance, but he kept to himself. A hint of loneliness in his eyes, with a little bit of anticipation and the right amount of childish hope. In fact. Max didn''t even need to act. The reason he did so is that he didn''t want them to doubt anything. Just being careful. ... Time passed quickly. Max started his school life, but it wasn''t a big deal for him. He simply ignored school, doing just the bare minimum to pass the year. while he invested his time, and energy in reading informations about different pets, and research subject. evolution paths and solid proven pet technology weren''t available online, at least not for free. But the free knowledge was more than enough for him to digest for the next 20 to 30 years. On the 4th year after joining the orphanage, he was found out, and his parents came. Of course, no one suspected that he escaped, and planned to stay away from his parents, although their thought process didn''t matter to him. Actually, Max thought they would find him sooner, but it no longer matter. He simply refused to recognize them, even with the persuasion of the caretakers and slightly older kids around. Max insisted that his parents are dead, refusing the blood test, and even getting super violent when they tried to take him out of the orphanage, even harming himself in the process. Helpless, the couple decided to leave him there for the time being, in till he calm down or they figure something out. Over the years, the couple kept trying, but max didn''t give them the slightest hope. When max was 13 years old, the couple seemed to have finally given up on him, and moved onwards with their lives. He was sincerely happy for them. Now that this entire ordeal is done, Max focused his mind to perfect his plans for his future, especially for his talent. He already had a vague idea about how to best make use of it. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ... Years passed in the blink of an eye. Glory High school, third year class 3. Inside, max sat excitedly waiting. However, the surrounding students, wasn''t surprised at his sudden change in mood, although this guy is cold all year round, can he still be calm today, no one can because today isn''t only the first day of their last year in high school, but also the day their talents gets awakened. And unlike max who had a simulator and can check his talent, others can''t. Today is a life-changing event for them. However, max wasn''t excited because of the talent Awakening. His talent is useless for him now and will be for some time, because he had big plans for his talent, but that''s all for later time. For now the reason for his excitement, is that today is the day he will become a pet master, he already planned this, because his talent is so powerful as long as he get the talent certificate, a huge loan can be taken from the bank. With that money, his plans can start moving. Ah finally after today I won''t have to keep coming to school. Freedom at last. seriously school took so much time from him, in a normal world school, college, and academes are important, but in this world it''s an enormous waste of time. Instead of spending so much time and energy in school, it''s better to invest his time in pet study, and learning about different superpowers systems. Thankfully, today is his last day. Sigh.. If not for the cheap gene Talent Awakening serum, I wouldn''t of joined school at all. In the past year max tried his best to make money, at first he thought it would be an easy job, after all in his previous life he enjoyed reading books, listening to classical music, and watching movies, if he publish all of his knowledge slowly, won''t he make a fortune. But he seems to miss judge something. Earth can have countless geniuses in different art fields over the years. Why can''t this world be the same? Are all the humans here a bunch of retarded idiots? No, they are not. This world had its own geniuses. When max tried to publish his stolen classics, it was like throwing a cup of water in the ocean. He made some money but not much, as for modern art max didn''t even think about it, it''s not because modern artist on earth are useless compared to the ones here, but it''s because a few people here can awaken some random weird talents related to art, for example, there is a certain singer with a related talent, let''s just say he almost cried multiple times, in one sad song, but you have to understand that max can''t even understand the language she sings in. ... Some time later, a man in a doctor outfit walked in with the teacher, and a few men in black suits, one woman and 3 men to be exact. They should be here to protect the doctor and guard the resources used for awakening . Alright, everyone should be here. The doctor spoke I believe everyone is aware of today''s matters, but just in case I will explain one last time, those who can pay for the talent Awakening serum will be injected Directly, while those who can''t will either sign a contract with the star Union, or give up on the talent Awakening. Friendly reminder you should know that the talent awakening serum is only worth 30,000 credit for students like you, but this is the only chance you can buy it at this price, this is a kind of help provided buy the star Union to the young blood of the continent. If you try to buy it from elsewhere, then currently the lowest market price is 150,000 credit, that''s of course if you have a channel to buy from, after all this isn''t common goods provided for everyone . Alright now that we are done with that, let''s get to business. We will start with the one with the highest marks last year and keep going down. First Jhon Smith. Sigh... I didn''t have the time to change my name, although max didn''t accept the couple. Over the years, it was confirmed he was indeed their son, thus his name. You didn''t pay for the serum, so I assume you would like to sign the contract. Of course you don''t have to do it now, you can read it in your free time, and make a decision within this week. No thank you, I would like to pay now. Spoke max as he took a thick stack of deep blue paper currency and handing it over. The doctor lifted his eyebrow. May I ask why didn''t you pay earlier? I didn''t have the entire amount in till a few days earlier, sir. School was closed by then. The only woman in the group, checked a few paper works then looked at max, from your files you don''t have any source of income, nor do you have someone who can provide such an amount, I have to ask where did you obtain it. Where did max get the money?. Part of it came from the art classics, and part of it was from illegal work for the local gangs, selling drugs, stealing, you name it, as long as he can do it.. even so, he still had to borrow the last 5k from loan sharks, because he was well known as a little gangster in the local underground. They let him borrow money even if he is just a student. I got it from publishing different types of art online, sir. Answered max innocently. Of course, max will never admit it, moreover, he got the perfect excuse. As he showed the woman his phone, on it a lot of books, song lyrics, and even movie scripts were over for sale, some even free to read with a donation marker on the side, While she was stunned, the doctor was impatient. He didn''t care about Max''s art nor about the woman''s suspicion of max. Alright since you paid, all is good. Come here and sit. Taking his phone back, max sat in front of the doctor. The guy didn''t stand on ceremony, taking an injection filled with fluorescent blue liquid, directly giving max an injection. After it, he placed a black bracelet over his hand while using his tablet to monitor some parameters. Max was kind of waiting for a painful experience, maybe even some unnatural heat, that run allover the body, but he felt nothing. Is this thing fake? But at this moment, the doctor''s eyes widened. Max still felt nothing, though. An S rank talent, no it''s a new S rank talent, one never recorded before. Max was kind of surprised honestly, his talent is so strong yet it''s just S rank. On what basis do they rank them? If his is just an S rank talent, then what would an SSS rank talent be like? Although max didn''t react much, the others were all stunned in disbelief. You have to understand that the strongest talent record up to date is just of SS rank, and only a few people awakened such talent. As for S rank, well, it wasn''t as rare as the SS rank, but at the very least, Glory High School never had an S rank talent holder who graduated from it. The students looked at max with envy and loss. wouldn''t it be good if it was them who awakened an S rank talent, or to be more realistic wouldn''t it be good if they had a good relationship with such a future big shot, but it seems it wasn''t them who didn''t want to befriend him, but he who ignored them completely. The man''s eyes widened, S rank talent. The woman guard wasn''t much different, although a bit more composed. but even so, the man in black didn''t attempt to recruit him now, such a thing will be left to the school, they are the ones to guide him. Although the woman felt a pity that max payed the money and didn''t sign the contract, if he did he would''ve joined the secret guards, which is under her father''s management. Alright, you can go down now. The details about your talent will be ready with the certificate. ..... Time passed student after student went up, but there were no more surprises like max, the highs talent rank after max was B rank. Chapter 05 loan Inside the principal''s office, max was waiting for his paperwork. Normally, the talent certificate will be handed in a few weeks, but max is unwilling to wait that long. Three months ago, the simulator was turned on again. Max''s hands were already itchy, but because he had to save money at all costs to awaken his talent, he could not get a pet. actually in the past years even his food was skimped on, so how can he not be in a hurry? The principal wasn''t sure why max was in such a hurry, but it doesn''t matter. For this S rank talent holder, the principal had all the patience in the world. Even if this guy asked for his daughter, it can be discussed. Jhon this is your papers. Keep them well. If you lose them, then just come to me to get a second copy. One can only wonder what kind of expression he will have, knowing that Max plan to leave the school. This is most probably the last time they will see each other. Max nodded with a smile. Picking up his paperwork, max nodded at the principal Then I will take my leave, sir. Go. Go. In God''s care, my little friend. .... Under the fiery gaze of the principal, Max escaped, feeling a chill at his back. Fking creepy old man. Max can understand the principal''s feelings, but that kind of gaze isn''t something you give to a genius under your care. Out of the school, Max turned around, gave a middle finger to the building, then left. ... In front of the center bank in the city, Max could feel his blood rushing to his brain out of excitement. He really didn''t have much feelings for money back on earth. After all, while money could do a lot of things, it was limited. But in this world, with wealth and his simulator, he can achieve superpowers. Walking to the desk front, max regarded the young woman behind the desk and spoke. Hello miss, I applied for a loan online, and was told to come for an interview. Your name, please. Ma...! John Smith. The receptionist, looking at the information, was surprised. This guy applied just today, and was called for an interview on the same day?. She couldn''t check all of Max''s information, so she was slightly perplexed. Normally, this kind of treatment is only for big business owners, but this guy is too young. Any way she is just a receptionist, just follow orders. The manager will see you in 15 minutes. Please take a seat. Max just nodded and sat down, deep in thought. I thought my talent is at least SS rank if it was, then I could''ve gotten over 20 million. If it was an SSS rank, then even 50 million isn''t an issue. Fk there must be something wrong with the way they assess talents. He planned to get 2 pets as a start, but now he can only settle for one. I wonder how much I can borrow . .... Inside the manager''s office. The bank manager, Phillip, was hosting a red-haired young lady. Lady Sofia, I am really curious about what brings you to glory city today. If it''s just this business, a phone call would''ve been enough. It''s nothing, my brother is in the city so I came to see him, and since I am here, I thought I''d come say hi and finalize the business, by the way. Ring. ring. Ring. The manager''s phone rang at this moment. Excuse me, lady Sofia. Please go ahead. .... Why did you call, huh? Yes, yes, just let him wait outside. First, I will meet him in a while. Hang up. You have another business manager, Phillip. Asked the young lady. As the manager, he would not take care of business himself, unless it''s from an important person like herself. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.Well, I am quite surprised about this matter myself, a Junior with an S rank talent wants to take a loan. I thought I''d give it a shot and try to poach him to the group. Sofia was surprised. An S rank isn''t something you come across every day. Even she, the most talented of the changshi business group, only had an. A-rank talent [ fire born]. Well, never mind me manager Phillip, just call him in. Plus, I would like to take a look at this genius. Phillip just nodded. This young lady was technically his boss, since this bank was under the changshi group. Although the group has multiple young masters and misses, miss Sofia is one of the most prominent geniuses in the group. ... Outside. Mister max the manager is ready to see you. Please go in. Nodding, max opened the door, and walked inside. This should be young friend John. I am changing my name after this, thought max to himself while shaking hands with the manager. Manager Phillip, I heard a lot about you. To be honest max never even knew that this guy existed before this morning, all he knows is that this guy is a little famous, but that didn''t stop him from spouting nonsense, anyway it''s just flattery if it helps him get one more credit, then it''s worth it. Ha. Haha. It''s nothing, just a small reputation. It can''t compare with young friend''s future achievements. Manager Phillip is too modest, and buy the way who is this did I come at a wrong time, I don''t mind waiting if manager have other business. Max was eloquent in his words. He didn''t show impatience or arrogance because he got an S rank talent or something. This young lady is mis sofia, she heard about little friend''s talent and wanted to meet you. Max nodded at the lady cordially, then looked at Phillip. Sofia smiled at him, then her smile froze for a moment. She was waiting for a handshake, but this guy ignored her after a nod .. Manager about my loan, what do you think? Straight up to the point, I like it. Then I am going to be straightforward with you, young friend. The 10 million you asked for is impossible. Max just nodded. He expected this much. How much can you loan me then, manager? Well, first let me ask, if you are interested in joining our business group, let me inform you that our treatment will definitely be higher than just 10 million. Max just shook his head. I am sorry, but I have no plans to join any force for the time being. If I change my mind, I will definitely give you a call manager, Phillip. Phillip looked deeply at max, then nodded. The young lady on the side was just watching silently . Alright young friend. Our best offer is 3 million with a 5-year term, and an overall 30 % interest. Max was not surprised at the high interest, since money in this world can literally buy stuff like life span. Although even if it''s a 100% or a 300% he wouldn''t care much, he never planned to repay, anyway. In His mind he already had a plan. If he achieve some success, then he would just pay back honestly. However, if he becomes a strong powerhouse, then completely forgot about it. They will never see that money again. And if he becomes a super strong powerhouse, then forget about repayment. Max will be coming to Rob the house, or Rob the bank to be accurate. Anyway, that''s all for the future. For now, max showed a thoughtful expression. He couldn''t give them the impression that he never planned to repay. At this moment, miss Sofia suddenly spoke. Well, how about I add 2 more million? Max gave her a look. Miss Sofia, can you elaborate? I will add 2 million without interest, and you will own my family three favors. Of course, I won''t ask you to risk your life, just to do the best you can. Max looked hesitant. Of course, in reality, he wanted to accept on the spot, promise now, then renege on it later. Free money, baby. Still, he had to show that he was considering this carefully. Miss Sofia can I ask what kind of request is it. Don''t worry, I won''t ask you to commit a crime or to go against your conscience. Max no longer hesitated, and nodded solemnly. I won''t risk my life, but I will do my best to repay this three favors, as long as the favor doesn''t go against my conscience. Sofia''s face bloomed into a beautiful smile. [ ding. the host was affected with an unknown mind technique] [ ding. trainee protection protocol activated,] Max''s face didn''t change. His years of dealing with gangsters,and politicians gave him the perfect poker-face. Looking at Sofia''s unchanged smile, she shouldn''t of realized that her technique didn''t work, it should be some contract type ability. Thankfully, the simulator still has such a protection mechanism. Max smiled back, alright can we finalize the paperwork? Alright. Sign here, here, and here. And this is your credit card with 5 million in it. Max took the card and bid them two farewells. .... Outside. Max directly went to the closest coffee shop. He didn''t drink an excellent coffee in a long time. Finally, my life as a poor bastard has come to an end. Sipping the good coffee max couldn''t help but Lament. Man, this world is really not earth. If not for the simulator, he would''ve been forced to do that bit ch''s bidding. Being cunning alone isn''t enough in this world. From now on, I must be more careful. Buy the way simulator what is this protection protocol, and what''s its capabilities are . [ soldiers can die, but can''t be controlled by the enemy. protocol protection keeps the host''s mind protected] Huh. So if I was in physical danger?, is there is anything to protect me? [ the pet simulator has no such capabilities, the Mind protection protocol is shared within all training units]. [soldier, please increase your ability to protect yourself]. Max selectively chose to ignore the simulator, referring to himself as a soldier, as he usually does. In Max''s mind, the civilization behind the simulator should be dead, otherwise how can they let such a treasure rotte in some ruin back on earth? The simulator considered him a soldier. Max didn''t plan to question that, at least not now, and not anytime soon. Chapter 06 The First pet. Leaving the coffee shop, Max didn''t even have to pay . In this world the technology is a bit more advanced than back on Earth. After entering any shop, your credit card will be scanned by specific devices, then you can just order whatever you want and the price will be directly deducted from your bank account. moreover, there is no need to worry about scams, and stuff like that, because the scanning device responsible for the transaction is completely under the government''s control, the shop actually doesn''t even have access to it. the device will simply record whatever the customer consumes and deduct the price directly from his bank account. Outside, Max got into a taxi while communicating with the simulator. Simulator, it wasn''t you who gave me my talent, was it? ? [ding. reporting to The Host, your talent was indeed modified by the simulator to suit being a pet master, however it did not originate from the simulator unit]. As expected, Max originally guessed as much. Because the origin of genetic talents was clearly recorded in this world''s history. Almost 600 years ago, this world was similar to Earth, just in a way more devastated state. this world was on the brink of death, from all the pollution, and the irresponsible human activities. However, when all Hope seems bleak, and humanity was descending into depravity. Suddenly countless Dungeon gates, appeared in this world, some of them looked like doors, while others looked like a tear in the fabric of space itself, others had a more unique appearances, like a well, a whole, a cave, whatever you can think of. Although these dungeons brought countless new dangers to the human race, it also helped revive the world, although slowly at the start . with the different forms of mystical energy brought from the other side of the gate, combined with the magical technology and knowledge inside dungeons, this world was revived. however, it wasn''t all butterflies and sunshines. 60 years after the great descent, an SSS rank dungeon [ the blood gate], broke open. It was then, when one of the four continents of this world fell to the non-human races from the dungeon. now that continent is called the Fallen continent, its original name forgotten, now it''s nothing but a Forbidden zone to humans, even for the strongest of the human race. That was a wake up call to the whole world. From that point onwards, every continent had a single ruler organization formed by the previous countries of the continent itself. The Elder Association rules the northern continent. The star union rule the Western continent, which is the one Max was born in. The magic tower rule the center continent. These three organizations kept a cooperative relationship between themselves. That is the reason the second SSS rank dungeon that appeared 200 years ago, named [ genetic Biohazard], was cleared successfully, although at an enormous cost. and this dungeon is the reason humans in this world are born with genetic talents, from the moment it was cleared a strange pulse wave was spread through the entire world, given every single human on this world, their own genetic Talent, although in an unawakened state. To successfully awaken one''s Talent, you need the Awakening serum, which is a technology gained from inside the dungeon genetic Biohazard. Max couldn''t help Marvel at the mystical nature of an SSS rank dungeon. Just clearing one dungeon changes the genetic sequence of the entire human race. While Max was deep in thoughts, the taxi stopped in front of the biggest skyscraper in the city. the star tower. The biggest provider of all kinds of Supernatural merchandise, related to the common professions on Star continent. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Because of multiple reasons, including the type of dungeons that appear on the continent, the professions that were dominant on the Star continent are all related to pets. With summoning being the dominant theme, followed by contracts related professions and pet masters. Other professions also exist on the continent, but with a tiny percentage. Max always felt lucky that He incarnated on Star continent. At first he thought that it was the simulator''s doing, bringing him to the best growth environment for pet masters. but after asking the simulator, he found out that it was Pure Luck. Walking inside, Max was approached by an old man,seeming to be the guide working for the tower. Welcome to Star Tower. What can I do to help this young master? Looking at the Old Man, max was slightly surprised that he wasn''t received by some beautiful receptionist. Usually companies like to do that kind of thing, but no matter. I would like to buy a pet, and some other necessities as well . do you have something in mind, or should I introduce you to the pets available on this Tower branch? No need, I already made my pick. I want the mountain fairy. I checked the website, and you should have one in stock, right?. The old man looked surprised for a moment, then gave max sincere advice. young master, the mountain fairy might be a pet with an S rank growth potential, but it''s a hopeless case. Please reconsider. I already made up my mind, plus it''s not like I want it to fight or anything. Max didn''t elaborate on his decision. The more excuses he makes, the more mistakes he can show. anyway this is a shop, and they didn''t need to know why he wanted to buy it, they just needed to sell it. The old man nodded, acknowledging Max''s decision, at the same time, he didn''t inquire anymore respecting the customer''s privacy. All right, follow me. Young master, I believe you already know the price, 1 million credits. Yes, I know it''s not a problem..... Usually pets with S grade growth potential are worth over 20 million, and that''s for the cheapest and most common one. However, the mountain fairy is a unique case. Soon they reach their destination. Next to the door, max looked at a screen that shows the pet''s life parameters, and data. Although there is a lot of information, only three were demonstrated. Mountain Fairy. State : juvenile Growth potential : S rank growth speed : - - F In fact, the growth speed of the mountain fairy is normal. The reason it is considered so bad is that the mountain fairy is a race that can possess mountains, and share their lifespan. Because of that, their growth speed seems extremely slow to us humans. until today this unique pet has never achieved its maximum potential, how can it?. After all, it''s only been almost 600 years from the first time Dungeons appeared, while experts predicted that it will take at least 10,000 years for it to reach the S-rank. ... will you buy some accompanying food for it,The old man asked? Yes, of course I want the Earth seeds, and the metal water enough to last for one year. Please make the calculations. Picking the best food for it huh, I see that this Mountain Fairy is lucky to get a master like you. If you didn''t show up, she would have stayed here forever, most probably. ... Inside a cage like room, max looked at a tiny lonely figure. The fairy didn''t seem to notice their arrival. Normally pets with high potential will receive the highest care, for example, receiving a room that resembles the original environment of the creature. However, this room seems to be bleak. Even cleaning doesn''t look like a daily thing here, and it''s for good reason. After all, the Star Tower is a business organization. Their main purpose is to make money. Looking at the cute, absolutely adorable little creature inside the dust filled room, Max''s stone like heart pained a little. The little thing looks like a fairy from the cartoon tinker bell back from earth . However, this one had a light green skin instead of the human like one, and although this little one also wears clothes made of leaves, it''s quite modest compared to the animation. Hello there little one spoke max. The fairy was stunned and jumped into the air. Turning around, she regarded the two of them curiously. She knew the old man. He took care of her from time to time, but this guy is new. She started flying around max, examining him curiously, seemingly not afraid of the newcomer at all. Max gave her a gentle smile. Hey little one, I am here to take you out of here. I want you to be my pet. Are you willing? The mountain Ferry is still too young to understand such complicated conversation, however the tower had its own means to install knowledge about pet masters, and pet contracts in the pet''s mind. The fairy froze for a moment, then started flying around Max at high speed excitedly. She even slapped Max''s head for some reason. Max just chuckled, not minding her shenanigans. The fairy was happily jumping around. She''s about to leave this place, get a pet master, and maybe find herself a mountain. Not long after, seemingly exhausted, she flew to Max''s head and used his hair as a bed to sit on. I believe that''s a yes, spoke the old man, while smiling. Max nodded with a rare, genuine smile on his face. Let''s finalize the deal. I also want a space ring, the one that can be used by normal people. ... After max picked and checked the things he wanted. The old man spoke. Alright, One communalised space ring, 3 cubic meters wide, 400.000 credits. one pet contract a 110000 credits. One year pet food is 520.000. and not forgetting the pet itself 1 million credits. And since it''s your first purchase here, rounded up to a total of 2 million credits. Chapter 07 The first simulation. Leaving the star tower, Max was hugging the mountain fairy in his arms. The little thing was curious about everything, looking around at the skyscrapers. Are those mountains? She wondered. however, the bustling environment of the city made the little fairy scared, so she didn''t attempt to leave Max''s arms. Stopping a taxi, Max planned on heading to the nearest the hotel. Since money was in hand, he no longer planned to stay in the orphanage. On the way, he stopped at an electronic shop to get a laptop with the latest self charging battery. .... sometime later.. Max jumped on the bed. By now it''s already midnight, and he already checked into the hotel. Looking at the Curious Mountain fairy checking the hotel room, curiously, but obviously disappointed. Max chuckled, don''t worry, we won''t be staying here for long. Come here. The fairy flew to Max''s side. Looking at him with her tiny eyes, waiting for him to speak. Taking out the pet contract from the space ring. Max activated the contract. The reason he didn''t use it back on the star tower is because he was afraid the simulator will do something about it. From what he understood about the simulator, it will affect anything related to pets, so being careful, he waited until now. As the pet contract took effect. Indeed, the simulator took action. Max started emitting blue light, and the blue light seem to be shining on the fairy. he knew that the contract did not have such a visual effect. So it can only be the simulator. after sometime the process was finished, and Max could feel the spiritual link between them. From now onward, the two of them are a pet, and a pet master. The mountain fairy circled around Max happily. Max had a faint smile on his face. well since you''re my first pet, I''m going to give you a special name, Lucy. my actual mother''s name. Lucy, the mountain fairy. Lucy was flying around everywhere excitedly, slapping Max''s head from time to time. She seems to really like her new name. Max was a little confused about her actions. Never mind, come here. Let''s start your first simulation. You could clearly feel the excitement in Max''s voice. Lucy obediently sat on Max''s hand. Simulator start. [ding, please pick a world ]. [ding, please be aware, that once you lock on a world, you can''t change it, in till the Simulated pet can grow to the peak power level of the locked world]. [different parallel worlds will be detected, every detected world coordinate will only be kept for 2 weeks]. [ding, the simulator will be using the power rankings of this world to make it easier for the host to understand the situation.]. [current available world coordinates.] [ saint realm. S Rank ] + [hawtan world. B+ rank ] + [ martial world. E rank ] + [ mining outpost number 0734. C rank ] + Max took a moment to understand everything, then he clicked the + next to each world. Currently, Lucy isn''t even an F rank now. If she were to fight a chicken, then the winner won''t be easily determined. So he didn''t plan to send her to a strong world, although such a world must have many opportunities, however max wasn''t sure Lucy can survive more than one day inside. [Martial world] a world with a very low technological level, stuck in the ancient times. A Chaotic land filled with wars and strive. Because the humans operate in a very small area, the ecosystem is mostly unaffected, keeping its natural beauty. Low level martial arts are the dominant powers system. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.Highest power level recorded : E rank. After thinking deeply max, chose the martial world. the mountain fairy didn''t need much supernatural energy to develop in the early stage because it can absorb mountains directly. This unique species is both a Symbiote, and a parasite at the same time, when she merged with a mountain, it''s natural ability, is to propel the mountain to grow faster, and stronger at the same time the fairy will grow with it as well. when the mountain reaches its peak potential unable to grow anymore, the fairy will devour everything within the mountain going a step further. Although this was all just a deduction from the experts in the field. .... Lucy, listen to me. When you''re alone, go find a mountain and take control of it to grow stronger. Do you understand? Lucy nodded cutely, but max could tell she most probably didn''t understand. Max wanted to explain a few more things to Lucy, but she most probably wouldn''t remember any of it. Simulator lock on the martial world and start the simulation. [ Ding, lock on successfully] [ please pick a starting location. ] A 3d holographic projection of the martial world appeared in front of max. Sht there''s even a map function, alright Lucy, for the first time I will just throw you next to a random mountain. This map function is super useful, but now max didn''t have much information about this world, and the map was a bit vague,so he picked a mountain range at random. [simulation starting] Lucy''s eyes lost focus at this moment. [ ding, in the first year you found yourself in an unfamiliar land, you started looking for your pet master]. [on the second year, you were starving. Luckily you found some food here and there from time to time, but never enough to be full ]. [ on the third year, hungry, scared, and lonely, you suddenly remembered your pet master''s words. You stopped looking for your pet master and looked for a mountain instead]. Looking at the text, max was speechless. Good guy, three years, a full three years to remember. Max felt a little moved, this little guy kept looking for him for a three years, but also a little speechless. [ on the fourth year, you kept looking for a mountain; you seem to be lost in the wilderness; you remembered that you were spawned, next to a mountain, but you forgot its location.] Good guy, this girl, isn''t she too...? Stupid, can''t you just fly up and take a look, it''s a mountain, a fking mountain, how can you lose a mountain? Max had a dead fish expression on his face, at this point, max was kind of surprised this little guy survived this long. [ on the 7th year, you were attacked by a big bird, and fell into the river, you somehow drifted next to a mountain.] Sigh.. Finally, Max didn''t blame Lucy. After all, it''s her first simulation, plus although she is over 20 years old, to the mountain fairy, she is nothing but a child. [ on the 7th year, you excitedly started trying to activate your innate ability . You failed]. Max''. - _- [ on the 8th year, you kept trying to activate your innate ability, but you failed again, and again, and again . ] [ on the 9th year, you gave up, and started living on the mountain.. [on the 12th year, you already had the ability to survive on the mountain with little worry, although the mountain is dangerous, but with your ability to fly you managed to handle yourself.] Max lost all hope at this point. This simulation is a waist, poor little Lucy isn''t ready. I will simulate again after I teach her for a few days. Looking at the simulator, max was surprised, because Lucy seem to be about to make a comeback. [On the 18th year, you remembered your pet master, and attempted to activate your innate ability again. Unsurprisingly, you failed again, but you made up your mind to keep trying]. [on the 24th year, like usual, you attempted to activate your innate ability, you surprisingly succeeded, excitedly you turned into a cluster of green light and merged with the mountain.] [ on the 25th year, you could only control a few meters of land. More importantly, your control is too low. All you can do is make the grass wave a little. After that you felt exhausted and fell in deep slumber.] [ on the 29th year you awoke, because in this form you could obtain nutrition directly from the mountain. You didn''t feel hungry even though you slept for 4 years. You started to refine the mountain taking more land ]. [ on the 33th year, your progress was slow, even though this mountain didn''t have a spirit, thus offering no resistance towards you,]. [ on the 60th year, you already refined half of the mountain, and your innate ability [ mountain ruler) was fully activated entering the initiation stage]. Looking at this, max was happy. Even though Lucy isn''t too smart, she seems to be improving slowly and steadily. [ on the 72th year, because of your innate ability, your refinement speed accelerated, and you successfully refined the entire mountain, becoming one with the mountain. But because you were exhausted, you fell into slumber again]. Good guy, she actually done it, Lucy. I wronged you, I definitely wronged you, although it took over 70 years. She somehow done it. Well, it is to be-expected, after all, once the fairy merged with the mountain, there are few things that can actually harm her. Unless someone has some powerful ability to deal with spirits, or to destroy the entire mountain. So, from that point on, survival isn''t an issue. This is why max picked the martial world. Lucy can grow slowly in such a world, slowly figuring out her powers. [ on the 98th year, you finally awoke, feeling stronger than ever. You started experimenting with your powers, but to your disappointment, your control over the mountain is still so weak. Actually, right now, it seems even weaker than when you were controlling just a few meters of land. You can''t even move grass at this point ]. [ on the 100th year, you felt bored, using your new 360 degree vision, kept looking for anything fun to watch, but finding nothing of interest. [ ding, simulation reaches the upper limit of 100 years, ending the simulation.]. Chapter 08 change in the simulator. [Simulation ended, entering cooldown]. [cooldown duration one month]. [Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. { if the host doesn''t choose this option, then the pet cannot remember the simulation process. It will only have some vague memories, something similar to a dream.} 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. { can only pick one} 4- an item or equipment. { the item must be in contact with the pet, at the end of the simulation}. Max was extremely annoyed. He did not know about this 100 years limit, nor about the one month cooldown. The cooldown isn''t that much of a problem, the real problem is the 100 years limit. This has the potential to completely ruin his plans. He had a good understanding about his pet. Without a very long time of development, she can''t grow much. It''s not that max didn''t check the rules before, but he couldn''t. Whenever he asks the simulator about the rules and limits, he gets the same answer. Host please get a pet. Sigh. No matter, let''s pick a reward first.. clicking on skills, and with little thinking, he picked the [Mountain ruler] innate ability. Max considered picking memories, to make Lucy a bit smarter, however that''s just a waste, since he can just teach her himself in the real world. Suddenly, Lucy''s dazed eyes focused. She seems to have a dream just now. Looking around and feeling the sudden change in her body, Lucy felt confused. She looked at max, seemingly wanting an explanation. Don''t worry, little Lucy, it''s something like a game to grow stronger. Lucy seem to understand a little, and flew around happily. Max smiled, alright, time to eat. from his space ring a small bottle of dark blue water, and 3 brown seeds appeared. Lucy jumped on the seeds, literally drooling. She only ate this type of food once, back in the tower. The old man gave her one. On a certain day, he seemed especially happy, although she didn''t know why. Holding the seed, she flew around max, with an anxious look, as if asking can I really have it. Ha. Ha, go ahead and eat. Excitedly, she slammed the seed on Max''s head. Ouch. What the.....? Max was speechless. He wanted to question Lucy, but the little thing was already feasting happily. Sigh. What ever? Looking at the simulator''s screen in front of him, Max fell into deep thought. Simulator why is there is a limit on the simulation duration, and how can I increase it? [ ding, host please be aware, the self charging function, can''t keep up with the trainees expenditure, so each trainee will have a set limit, based on the set in protocol.. I see, Max fell into deep thought. He didn''t rush to argue with the simulator. After all, it''s just a machine, no matter how advanced. Max started thinking from the point of view of the one who made this simulator. One of the pillars of any civilization is military strength. And any wise civilization will definitely do its best to take care of its military class, either wealth or status or equipment. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.Max judged the civilization behind the simulator as an extremely wise one. Although it didn''t require any judgment, even if you don''t use your brain, you will be able to tell as much. Anyone able to make something like the simulator, have the word wise as his family name. Such a civilization, Max didn''t believe they would leave their soldiers with a stiff war equipment, there is definitely some back doors left here, and there for special situations. ... Just like that, max spent 4 hours in a dazed. Lucy already fell asleep long ago, her little belly bloated. Suddenly max spoke. Simulator, I wish to loosen the limits. [ can not preach the protocols.. I understand, however, I am in a special situation. Max went silent after speaking, wait for the simulator''s response to his words. [ Host, please report your situation.. Max smiled, as I thought, there is hope. I am currently the only trainee in the area, thus I am titled to more resources, but more importantly I am currently weak, and living in a hostel territory filled with danger. If I cannot grow faster my life will be compromised. After his speech, Max stopped breathing, waiting for the simulator''s judgment. [ judging report]. [ confirmation in progress]. [ launching scanner]. Furrrrrr... Max clenched his fists, looking at the thin blue beam launched from his body to the sky. Somehow max could tell it penetrated the roof without issue. Max just waited in this state for 20 minutes. he was slightly scared someone would notice the beam, however on second thought the simulator shouldn''t put him in danger, this beam is most probably visible only to himself. Soon the beam retracted. [ it is detected that the host is currently inside the Universal phenomena. [ void battlefield]. judged as extremely dangerous for the current host]. Max had a question mark on his face. Void? I am where, and why didn''t I know? However, the simulator didn''t wait for max. [ calling for reinforcements, connecting to the mother network]. Max could feel his heartbeat stopping. He always believed that the civilization behind the simulator was dead. However, it''s nothing but a guess, and strictly speaking, It''s a guess max uses to calm his heart, to ignore the idea that someday an alien cop will jump on him. Now that the simulator is attempting to contact its people. Max smiled weakly. Did I shoot myself in the legs? Nope, it''s a fking head shot. Fk. The simulator is taking a long time, and with every passing minute Max''s anxiety increased, he could literally hear his heart about to explode. [ attempt failed, can not detect the mother network ]. Sigh.... Fk. Sht. Almost died. Thankfully, that civilization seems to be really done for. Max''s thoughts were completely chaotic. At this moment, max heard a sentence that calmed him down. [ recalibrating, according to safety protocols ]. [ cooldown changed to one week, the upper limit on simulation lifted to 1000 years.] [ condition for augmentations lowered by half]. At this moment Max just fell asleep. He was happy, and all, but this small conversation with the simulator really exhausted him. He needed to rest now. Everything else can wait till the morning. ..... Ring.. Ring!, ring ring. The alarm max set for school before woke him up. He forgot to turn it off. Opening his eyes, max was speechless. Because in front of him, Lucy was holding a pencil in her right hand, aiming it at the phone like a spear of some sort! . She was obviously tense, as if facing a fierce enemy. This cute little thing is, really....!! Max reached for the phone, but at this moment looking at his actions, Lucy was frightened, and regardless of life and death, she rushed to the phone, held it, then flew to the window, throwing it outside before max could react. Silent. Max just looked blankly at Lucy, flying around him happily, seemingly wanting to claim credit for saving his life. Slam!!... She even hit his head a few times. Max just went back to sleep. The current scene should be a dream. .... Sometime later. Waking up and not finding his phone, Max confirmed that his phone was thrown out from the third floor. Man, did I get a cat or what, hell even cats aren''t this mischievous. Where did she go, anyway? Walking around, max could hear some weird wrestling voices in the living room. Inside, Max stood still, looking at Lucy fighting with a pigeon. over one of the seeds max gave her. What''s even more absurd is the fact that the pigeon is winning. What the.... He couldn''t help but start laughing. Is this my one million credit pet, an S rank potential.? Kicking the pigeon out of the window, Max looked at the disheveled Lucy helplessly. Come, let''s have breakfast. Hearing that it''s time to eat, Lucy jumped happily. .... While eating, max called for the simulator. Simulator, what''s this void battlefield? [ Host, please read the article below. . Looking at the huge amount of text, Max started reading slowly. Chapter 09 secrets of dungeons. By the time max finished reading, the sun was about to set. Long story short, the void Battlefield is a universal phenomenon in which the universe picks promising worlds that are about to be destroyed for various reasons. then the universe will freeze it in a special space, called void battlefield. after the Worlds inside the void Battlefield reaches a certain limit, the battle for Survival will be started between the world''s, with the least damaged world as the center. A war between civilizations and even the corresponding will of the world''s of each participant. The universe will give a second chance to life for those worlds, but only one can have it. Only the fittest can not only survive but also thrive. The rules of the void battlefield are unknown, hidden by the universe itself, however some things can be guessed. The Central world is responsible for defending and clearing the dungeons that appeared. If the dungeons are cleared successfully, the central world will become stronger by absorbing the energy inside it, while the inhabitants of the central world will also strengthen with the knowledge and equipment inside the dungeon. However, if a dungeon was not cleared successfully in time, it will break open and invade the surrounding territory around it, the higher the dungeon''s rank the bigger the territory and the more drastic changes will happen to the land, from that point onwards it''s no longer a defense, and attack game, but a full on territory War. So that''s how it is!. Exclaimed Max.. The void battlefield can last for a maximum of 100,000 years, while the shortest void battle ever recorded is 6,510 years long . ..... Huh. Alright now, what''s that thing about augmentations? [ding, Reporting to the host, your current strength is too weak to view future augmentations. Would you like to view augmentations history list?] View, said max doubtfully. [Ding. Detected that the host physique isn''t suitable to be a pet master. augmenting in-process. Successfully completed. 16 years ago. Detected talent embryo. augmenting in-process. Successfully completed. 16 years ago. Detected pet contract is about to be formed, augmenting the spiritual link. Successfully completed. 1 day ago. ] So that''s how it is. In simple words, it is the simulator doing its work, making sure everything related to pets is topnotch. ..... Simulator shows me the cooldown. [Ding, 6 days 5 hours 34 minutes 12 seconds.] Max was in an extremely exuberant mood right now. Not only did the simulator changed for the best. He also confirmed that, at least for the time being, he didn''t need to worry about the civilization behind the simulator. At the same time, he got some valuable information about this world. A war for survival, a lot is on stake, countless benefits should be involved. and max definitely wants to join in the fun. Sigh.. I am just a weak little sht. Right now. Hell, even if I wanted to jump in, I don''t know all the participants. How can I pick a camp? Suddenly max remembered the origin of his talent. [ genetic Biohazard ]. Although that world lost an SSS rank dungeon, it should have more, right?. From what I read, some powerful worlds could make multiple SSS rank dungeon''s. This made max slightly frightened. Most probably the only reason this human world is still standing is because of the rules of the void battlefield. Max stopped his thought process here. Such big things didn''t matter to him, at least not for now. Although the greed that was born in his heart can''t be suppressed for long, the idea about monopolizing an entire SSS rank dungeon made him drool in pure greed. Forget about. max, forget about it. ..... Now it''s time to think about Lucy''s education. Looking at the little thing that already fell asleep hugging a seed in her tiny arms, Max felt a little guilty. The little one kept pestering him all day long to play with her, but because he was busy reading all the information about the void battlefield, he just let her play buy herself. Patting the little sleepy head, max smiled. Thinking about her education, Max was sure that the pen and paper won''t work on her. Not in a billion years. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.So max had an idea. Why not let her watch movies, series, and anime? Of course, you couldn''t just let her watch randomly. Max could hear a growling sound from his stomach. Hungary,! I didn''t eat much all day long. Ordering some room delivery, Max Opened his laptop and started checking different works on the web. ... After sometime max already ate and found a few promising works for Lucy. Travel to another world lonely on the mountain. isekai I spent 3000 years training in the mountain. Mountain lady. Of course this works, all have different problems for them, some had too much inappropriate content, others supported ideals that can not apply in real life, anyway they had to be fixed. ... After making his choice, he went online looking for freelance artists. Sometime later, max found a suitable one. Black lollipop. Hello,black lollipop, I need some works modified slightly. Which works exactly. This and this... What kind of modifications are you looking for? For the first one, no one should be able to find the mountain, and after the protagonist is successful in his training, just let him break the void and return to his family. For the second one, I want the protagonist to go back to his original world immediately after he finishes training. There is no need to go down the mountain. For the third, just let the mountain lady be a solo cultivator just stay peacefully on the mountain. ???.... - _- you know I have to delete over 90% of the series. Yep. can you do it? . Well, yes, but why?. Just a hobby. Name your price. For all three 1200 credits. Make it 1500, and I will send you some photos of my pet. I want you to make some badass looking photoshops, make floating mountains and stuff, you know your business. Alright, thanks man, for that much money. Give me one day to finish it. Max smiled, he had more works for Lucy to watch and learn, but for the time being this three should be enough for Lucy''s little head. Closing his eyes, max fell asleep. ... Max woke up feeling his face being mushed into a weird shape. What.? mii. mii. mii mii., in front of him, Lucy kept playing with his face angrily, while jumping up and down. What, what happened? Lucy jumped around a few times, pointing at her mouth. Ohh. So you run out of food. Lucy nodded quickly. Her small head rattling. Alright, alright here enjoy. Jumping happily, Lucy smacked Max''s head a few times, then went on eating. What?. -_- Ignoring Lucy''s shenanigans, max had his own breakfast, although it''s already 2.00 pm. After the two had their fill, Max held the happy Lucy in his arms and went outside. You little guy, your education materials aren''t ready yet, so let go finish some business first. Lucy flew from Max''s hands to his head, using it as a personal ride. Lucky you using me as a ride. Mumbled max to himself. Taking a taxi, max felt slightly annoyed. He needed some cash to repay the shark loan, at the same time get some equipment from the gang, but this world didn''t have ATM''s So he could only go to the bank. Actually, on second thought, ATMs just wouldn''t work in this world. Forget about superhuman criminals, even normal super humans will be tempted. Just think about it, you have invisibility and some physical power. Picking up the ATM, you can just throw it inside the space ring and leave. Free money. Anyone will be tempted. .... Soon the taxi arrived. Walking inside the bank, max just waited in line. With only 2 people in front of him, he didn''t need to wait much. All along, Lucy kept looking around, marveling at everything with curiosity practically shining out of her eyes. The little thing kept pointing at the things around. While hitting Max''s head, seemingly wanting to share her new discovers with max. Max just felt helpless but didn''t react much. He was already getting used to Lucy''s enthusiasm. Hello sir, how can I help you? Asked the bank worker. I would like to withdraw credits 15k. The woman nodded with a professional smile while handling Max''s order. 2 minutes later, max was holding a stack of credits planned to leave. But at this moment, a huge earth worm broke through the ground, with a black robed individual with a tiger mask riding it. Chapter 10 bank robbery. ..as the worm made its debut. Two people with clown masks walked inside from the main entrance. One had a cobra on his shoulder, while the other stood alone next to the door. The Cobra spat balls made of thick black fog in different directions. After taking a closer look, max found that the fog stuck to all cameras inside the bank. This is a robbery, everyone gets on the fking ground. Spoke the man with the cobra. Max silently took his space ring off and gave it to Lucy. Jestirng to her to be quiet, he hid her inside his t-shirt. As for the money he kept it in hand, losing 15k isn''t a big deal, as long as he can hide Lucy and the ring. As his pet, Lucy is worthless to them, but if they recognized her they will be able to tell that max is rich.. They might kidnap him or something. . Using the money in hand to divert their attention is worth it. Lying on the ground, max calmly watched the development. Cobra, you collect the valuables first, clown you keep guard. I will go to the safe first. Spoke the man on the worm''s back. After giving orders, his summons started digging. Cobra started walking around. You stand up, take out everything of value. take everything just leave me alone. Shut up bit.h. Slap! . Give me that too.. . No, please no, anything but the ring. Cobra didn''t care, taking everything valuable he sees. A young woman next to max suddenly spoke. What do you think they will do to us?. "Shut the fk up, you dumb bit.h. " Responded max angrily, does she want to get him in trouble? He is currently carrying a lot of wealth. The last thing he needs is more attention. The woman seems stunned, no longer speaking to max. Cowardly bastard. People just handed their things obediently. Max''s turn. Standing up calmly, he just handed the money in his hand. Cobra didn''t take it. Sht did he find something. Thought max But cobra''s thoughts were completely different. Why do I feel this guy is familiar? No, it''s like we are of the same kind?.? This guy is.... A robber just like us?. A Thief!. More importantly, he feels like a robber of a higher level than himself, like higher ups or something. ... Cobra was confused, but he patted Max''s shoulder, and just walked past him, not taking his money. Cobra trusted his intuition, moreover for some reason, he couldn''t muster any bad intentions towards max. Any way this guy doesn''t look rich, so just ignore him. Max was so confused at the moment. What just happened? Why did this guy gave me a look filled with admiration? Am I confused, or is he confused or what? ..... Soon the worm came back, and all three bank robbers jumped inside its belly as it started digging. Disappearing Into the ground. Max didn''t know what the hell was wrong with that guy''s attitude, but he didn''t care, since it didn''t affect him. Anyway, if you can''t understand something, just don''t think about it. Max really wanted to just leave this place, but he could hear the police siren getting closer. If he leaves now, he might get suspected or something. The attitude of that guy really put a marker on his head, although all cameras around were covered by the black Cobra, but someone might''ve seen the situation, the girl next to him stopped paying attention to him since he scolded her., but max wasn''t sure she didn''t see anything. Sigh.. Let''s just wait and see. It shouldn''t be a big deal, anyway. The situation is still chaotic, although no one was harmed surprisingly. Max just sat on the ground leisurely. Man, I need to get stronger. Suddenly Lucy''s small head popped up from Max''s t-shirt, mii. Mii. Yah. All clear, you can come out. Said max while patting her head. Little Lucy, you need to grow fast. Only when you are at least E-rank can I start my plan to get stronger. Lucy ignored him and started flying around, checking the big hole in the ground. Sigh. Sighing helplessly, max waited. .. At this moment, the cops rushed inside. to Max''s surprise, they let everyone go after some quick questions, Max was asked to leave his number, having no complicated things a bit, but after providing his current living place. They let him loose while informing him that he might be brought to provide testimony. After this, max just ran back to the hotel. He was scared some random shit will pop up again. As for the lone and equipment, forget about it. If he goes at this time to do some shady stuff with the gangs, isn''t that putting a second marker on his head? Actually max could get equipments from the star tower, however if you want to buy any equipment that''s mainly made to cause damage, then you need to register with the star tower at the same time accepting the star mark. The star marks had multiple useful functions, but one problem is that it can function like a tracker if needed. The star tower made it clear that the tracker function is inactive in weekdays, only when needed they get activated. Like getting lost or something like that. the holder can voluntarily activate it. But max had some other thoughts. This thing definitely had some other hidden function. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.The star tower most probably revealed the tracking function to blind people''s eyes . And even if it''s just the tracking function, max was completely unwilling to use such a thing. .... Back inside Max''s hotel room. Max and Lucy excitedly sat in front of the big TV, popcorn and seeds ready. Max was excited because Lucy''s education materials had just arrived. As for Lucy, in all honesty, she didn''t know why she got excited, anyway she saw her master excited, and she got in the mood as well, no reason needed. Slam.! Pang. pang. Sitting on Max''s head, Lucy kept hitting down for some reason. Lucy stops it and Focus. surprisingly Lucy nodded obediently this time. Looking at the TV, suddenly a photo of Lucy appeared, but the Lucy there seems slightly different, more domineering. Flying in space, wearing a golden half dress and half an armor, she had multiple floating mountains behind her, seemingly aiming somewhere ready to launch. Lucy''s little mouth is wide open right now. Isn''t that me? When, where.? So what do you think? Asked max smiling. mii. mii. mii. Jumped Lucy, flying to the TV. Sticking her adorable face to the screen, the little one was fascinated. Max must admit, black lollipop did a perfect job. Oy Lucy. Max suddenly became serious. Lucy tilted her head at him questioningly. Do you want to become stronger? You can be exactly like the Lucy in the TV. Do you want to? Lucy kept nodding hurriedly, in till her head hurt suddenly. Her poor neck muscles couldn''t handle the strain, so she fell to the ground. Thud.! Standing up, while holding her head in pain, Lucy rushed to max, while tears kept falling like a very tiny waterfall. Tampp..! Looking at this scene, Max''s serious expression became dull. mii. Hugging the little thing. max comforted, helplessly. Alright. alright. You''re fine. Snuggling up to max, little Lucy stopped crying. Max was hopeless. The little one is still too young, becoming a powerhouse to bus carry him for leveling up is still far away. After she calmed down, Max spoke again. Wanna watch something fun? Lucy flew up happily. Max turned the first work on and let Lucy watch. Looking at Lucy attentively watching, max felt comforted. Opening his laptop, he went back to his research about his talent. Although his plan is already perfected, it was mostly built on Theories, and conjectures. He still needs to review it, checking for flaws and better solutions. .... A week later. Monday morning. Waking up, max could feel something on his back. Looking at the side bed mirror. He saw Lucy and a pigeon on his back, glaring at each other. They seem to be using his back as an arena for confrontation. Closing his eyes, max is sure he is still dreaming. In till the battle started. Po. Ta. Po. ta. Thud. What the.? Standing up, max grabbed the pigeon, throwing it outside and closing the window. The pigeon was unwilling, slamming into the window repeatedly. Thus. Thud. Thus. Max had a question mark on his face, looking at Lucy making faces at the pigeon. Good guy, you want to fight pigeons, then fight pigeons. Why use my back as a battlefield? Max had the slight suspicion that Lucy had done it on purpose if she can''t, win her master will notice and save her, that sort of thought process. Shaking his head, max went to the living room..... Some time later... Lucy is currently excitedly watching TV, while jumping and cheering, even hitting Max''s head whenever an exciting scene comes. This is the 9th time she is watching [the mountain lady]. The little one completely fell in love with this series. Max sat next to her with the laptop on his lap. If you watch him closely, you''ll notice that his hand is shaking, while his eyebrow kept twitching from time to time. The reason for this anomaly is the fact that the simulator''s cooldown is over, but he couldn''t use it. One day ago, he was called by the cops to give testimony. The date is today''s afternoon. Although nothing is stopping him from simulating, Max didn''t want to risk it. If by chance Lucy become much stronger, Max couldn''t take her to the police station. If someone notices her strangeness, the currently weak little shit, max could not handle it. Low-key development is his plan for the future. Only when he reaches a certain level of power, then he will jump out to make trouble. As for leaving her in the hotel, Max will never do such a thing. After all, being honest, Lucy is still both weak and stupid. He was scared something will happen to her. No, he was sure something will happen to her if left alone. Currently, max is resisting the urge to start the simulator. ..... Soon max went out with the unwilling Lucy. The little thing became a complete shut-in for the past week. Max planned to walk around in till the time comes. Anyway, if he stays home, he will definitely end up using the simulator then regretting it. Walking around with Lucy, max Garnered a lot of attention. It can''t be helped, the little one is too cute. I guess it''s about time. Let''s head to the police office. Chapter 11 simulation. Author notes: Hello everyone! I have received a lot of feedback about my poor grammar, so today I made a conscious effort to improve. I hope you can read this chapter and give me your feedback on whether it''s better, or if I should continue to make improvements. I will also go back and fix the chapters that have already been released when I find the time. Have a great day everyone, and enjoy! ..... As Max reached the police station, he approached the receptionist officer and said, "Hello, I was called in for testimony about the bank robbery." Lucy, on his head, seem to want to introduce herself, but the officer didn''t pay her any attention And asked, "What''s your name, sir?" Despite Max being both young and malnourished, people found it hard to treat him as a kid, perhaps because of the simulators'' doing, or maybe because of his reincarnation. He already looked like he was in his late 20s. "Ma..! It''s John," Max replied, realizing he had forgotten to change his name yet again. The receptionist nodded and directed him to office 5. Max nodded and walked towards the office. Inside, Max found himself sitting in front of a black-haired policewoman. "What''s your name?" asked the policewoman coldly, not bothering to give Max a good look. "John," replied Max, puzzled at her attitude. "I won''t play games with you; I already know you are an accomplice. Just confess." Max appeared annoyed. "Ma''am, what do you mean? Please don''t joke around. I have nothing to do with those criminals. Moreover, this is a testimony, not an interrogation." "Trust me, for a scum like you, who abuse their powers to harm others, I will make you wish for death; you better confess obediently; your sentence might be lighter than." Max just looked at her, unimpressed. "mam, please respect yourself; I just happened to be there at the wrong time; based on your thought process, doesn''t that make everyone there at that time an accomplice?" Suddenly the policewoman smiled at Max. Standing up, she walked to the door and closed it, keeping the key in her pocket. Max didn''t speak and watched calmly; he didn''t believe this crazy woman dared to do something to him; moreover, although he was currently weak. A random non-super policewoman isn''t qualified to deal with him. While holding Max by the collar, she asked, "Then will you explain why you are the only person who wasn''t robbed by those criminals?". Slapping her hand away angrily, Max retorted: "Then do you want me to get robbed, and you stupid thing, can''t you use that thing called a brain to think? If I was an accomplice, then would they attract attention to me? Where were you when they distributed brains?" The policewoman looked livid; although Max made sense, she didn''t believe him; she believed more in her judgment. "come here; you will confess one way or another. " As she spoke, she aimed a punch at Max''s face. That''s it, Max snapped. Catching her extended arm, Max pulled her to him and kicked her in the stomach. Suppressing the pain, she grabbed his shoulder and attempted to flip him over, using her right leg. Max just grabbed her face and slammed her back head into the wall. Bamm. Lucy, waking up from her shock, flew up and grabbed the woman''s hair. She pulled hard while giggling happily, joining in the fun. The fight continues. Max always dodges while only hitting in certain spots, the ones that aren''t noticeable on a first glance, avoiding the face and such. Soon, other policemen noticed the commotion; breaking the door open, they rushed in, parting the two of them. Max didn''t resist. There are cameras inside the office, and she made the first move. So he didn''t worry much about the consequences, but if he resisted, he might be in trouble. Max currently felt helpless, although he hadn''t done anything wrong yet, but for some reason, he got dragged into this nonsense. It''s all because of this foolish woman. Max had a flat look on his face as he listened to all the surrounding nonsense. Thankfully, a new policeman entered the scene. This one had a different uniform than the usual blue one; this one was black and white, the uniform of the superhuman police force. The newcomer looked at his sister, who was responsible for the current scene as a policewoman, with a hopeless expression on his face. Despite not knowing the entire story, he didn''t blame Max because he knew his sister. She was arrogant, conceited, and had a bad temper. She hadn''t always been like this. Her personality changed for the worse over time because she didn''t have any talent for the professions on Star continent. "Sigh. Vivian, who let you record his testimony? Last I remember, I left this job for Jake." "Brother, I got some new information from my friend. This guy should be the accomplice of those criminals." "Sigh, do you know who this guy is?" Before his sister could argue more, he continued to speak, "He is just a student and an S-rank talent holder. If he stood in a crowd and asked for money, do you believe he wouldn''t be able to carry the money he receives? So, you tell me, why would someone like him rob a bank?, why would he ruin his bright future for some petty cash? " Vivian fell silent for a moment. "This... But Zhin the criminal didn''t even rob this guy," she said. "I know," Zhin replied coldly. "But so what? It''s probably just those guys trying to confuse us." After receiving news about Max''s shady situation with the criminal from her friend who was accidentally on the scene, she didn''t even read Max''s information. Instead, she immediately asked to be the one to receive Max''s testimony, wanting to claim the achievement for herself. Ignoring his sister, zhin walked to max smiling. "Little brother, I''m sorry for my sister''s actions. I hope you can let bygones be bygones," . Max didn''t want Zhin, this superhuman, to think he held grudges, even though he was vengeful. Max pretended to be annoyed, using his acting skills. "Yeah, whatever, can I go now?" he said, showing his dissatisfaction but not hostility. He knew that showing he was okay with the situation might make Zhin wary. Who knows what would this guy do to protect his sister? Zhin nodded and said, "Of course, you can go, but please take this as an apology," while handing a card to Max. Max took the card, showing a hint of surprise. It was a charging card with one million credits in it. "Can I really have it?" asked Max hesitantly. "Please do, my little friend,". Max expressed the right amount of happiness as he smiled. "Then, thank you very much. Do you still need my testimony, by the way?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Zhin smiled and replied, "There''s no need for that; we will take care of it on our side." The reason Zhin had called Max over wasn''t for testimony, but his true intentions were to build good relations with this rising talent. Who knew his sister would ruin everything?. Thankfully, the situation isn''t that bad, and Max seems to be a reasonable person. "I will take my leave then," Max said as he left. He glanced at Vivian with some curiosity, showing no hostility whatsoever. Throughout the conversation between her brother and Max, Vivian realized her mistakes and her brother''s intentions. However, she didn''t come forward to apologize because of her pride. Anyway, why should she apologize to that guy Max who beat her up? She put all the blame on Max, forgetting that it was she who started being physical. ..... Max had already forgotten about the crazy policewoman when he returned to the hotel. "Lucy, let''s play that game again," said Max. Lucy was more excited about the fight with the policewoman than fighting with the pigeon and was ready to do it again at any time, thinking that this game is to go beat up the policewoman again. She nodded happily. Max, not aware of Lucy''s thoughts, was also excited about the simulation and put Lucy in front of him. simulation started. [ding,] as the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. [In the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar land. Holy moly, you got isekaied, just like the people in the shining box. Excitedly, you flew around happily. Then, with unwavering determination, you made a vow to become the strongest, break the void, and return to your pet master.] Looking at this scene, Max literally jumped out of happiness. "It worked, it freaking worked! The Minister of Education should give his job to me. They should give me a Nobel Prize for this achievement." Suppressing his joy, Max continued to watch the simulation. [in the 2nd year, Thankfully, you got isekaied next to a mountain; flying up the mountain, you plan to never leave until you are the strongest; using your innate ability, you merged with the mountain, this time faster due to your innate ability being fully activated. ] [In the 15th year, you have already taken complete control of the mountain, and you feel you are getting stronger as the mountain grows.. [in the 29th year, you realize your progress is slow, so instead of actively trying to get stronger, you decide to let it happen passively, while you spend your time watching the scenery]. [in the 33rd year, you notice a group of people walking past you; this is the first time you see humans in this world. Feeling curious, you keep watching them, and to your surprise, the old man leading the group seems to notice your beeping, he starts shouting something you don''t understand. After some time, they seem to give up on looking for you and leave.] [in the 48th year, you kept remembering those people from years ago; you felt weird energy around them, the same one you feel in the surroundings, although compared to the clear and dense one around those weird individuals, it exists in a thin, scattered state around the surroundings]. [in the 68th year, you felt you understood something, closing your eyes. The same weird energy in the surroundings started to converge on the mountain; surprisingly, this made the mountain grow faster. You did this, and it made you happy]. [in the 86th year, humans started appearing one after another, cutting trees, building huts. you didn''t like where this is going]. [in the 89th, a small city is already placed next to you; this makes you lose focus, and your progress becomes slower; on the other side, you enjoy watching the humans, so you are no longer bored.] [in the 140th year, the human city is already much bigger; they also cut a lot of your trees from time to time, which made you angry]. [in the 195th year, the humans started digging your land looking for minerals; in anger, you used your Innate ability, causing a huge Avalanche that destroyed half of the city; you were stunned. Without your knowledge, you became this powerful. Breaking the void is one step closer ]. [in the 210th year, the humans have already recovered and rebuilt the city, although this time a little further away from you, this made you happy; puny humans shall know their place]. ''Good guy, already getting arrogant.'' [In the 266th year, because of the continuous rain a huge flood hit the area, and the human city almost got destroyed, although you were mostly unaffected, you took the opportunity to try to control the surrounding water, and to your surprise you succeeded. you kept making waves around you, even hitting the city from time to time adding to their trouble.]. [In the 311th year, the City next to you was rebuilt successfully, you no longer cared much about humans these guys were like cockroaches, instead you put your focus on training your skill, there is no water around at this point so you switch to the wind, but weirdly enough controlling wind is harder than handling water, you didn''t know why but you kept trying]. [In the 378th year, you feel you''re much stronger, but you aren''t sure why]. [in the 381st year, the humans seem to have discovered something in your surroundings, they crazily rushed to the mountain digging everywhere, angry you started killing them, Earth collapses, small avalanches, tree falls, but those humans were like sharks that smell blood, no matter how many you kill they send more ]. [in the 379th year, you have already run out of resources to damage the humans; you watch helplessly as they start digging weird-looking tunnels inside your body; you try your best, collapsing the tunnels they built on them, killing countless in the process]. [in the 380th year, you kept fighting the humans, but you were losing, however, you refused to leave the mountain]. [on the 398th year, the mountain was beyond repair. The Earth''s veins completely collapsed, and you died with the mountain. [ding, simulation ended.]. Max was unsure how to feel about the ending. Technically, it was completely his mistake. In all the works he showed Lucy, the one similarity was that the main character never left the mountain. As for the Nobel Prize in education, let''s forget about it for now. For the time being, Lucy''s educational materials must be modified again. As Max threw that idea to the back of his mind, as he excitedly started checking the rewards. Chapter 12 F-rank Lucy. [Simulation ended, entering cooldown]. [cooldown duration one week ]. [Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. Max didn''t hesitate and picked full-body starts from the choices in front of him. Although he was tempted to enhance Mountain Ruler, the ability obviously did not surpass the initiation level in this simulation. Since there was no fundamental change, it was better to pick stats. As soon as he made his choice, Lucy''s vacant eyes regained their light, and a mysterious change began to happen within her body. Lucy looked around curiously, feeling that her body had become stronger. "Simulator, show me Lucy''s stats" [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: F-. [related to physical power]. Agility: F++. [related to nerve reflexes and speed]. Vitality: F--. [related to resistance to both diseases and abnormal status, also defense and self-healing factor]. Spirituality: E. [related to comprehension energy control energy capacity]. Overall evaluation: F+. Skills: [Mountain Ruler ] : 1. You have the ability to transform into a spiritual state and parasitize a mountain, growing stronger with it. 2. Everything within the mountain is under your control, and the extent of the control is related to the body stats under the effect of the mountain multiplier. Each different mountain offers different multipliers. In the mountain form, each state is responsible for different aspects of the ability: - Strength allows you to move heavier objects. - Agility allows you to move your focus and vision faster around the mountain. - Vitality allows the mountain to grow faster. - Spirituality is responsible for the micro control of all the previously mentioned points." ..... Wow.. Max is both astonished and happy. Isn''t this innate ability too overpowering?. You have to understand that the ability is still in its initiation stage. Ability and skill mastery are separated into 4 levels: Initiation: you can only use the basic form of the ability without having any understanding of it. Primary mastery: you can use everything the ability has to offer with some limits, and you have some understanding of it. Advanced mastery: the ability is an already part of your instinct, using it to its full potential, and you have a deep understanding of its workings. Perfected: You already know all there is to know about the ability, and can mold it however you want, going beyond its limits. Max was aware of Lucy''s remarkable innate ability, but he never realized just how powerful it was. In fact, he had never heard of an innate ability this absurdly powerful at the initiation stage. ''But this does make sense, considering that while other skills take months and years to master, this one hasn''t progressed from the initiation stage even after 400 years in the simulator.'' Nodding to himself, Max shifted his attention to Lucy and smiled. "Little one, how about we test your strength?". Lucy tilted her head to the side, puzzled by her master''s sudden desire to fight with her. Unaware of Lucy''s thought process, Max kept spoke "Come here and punch this table". Lucy nodded with a determined look on her adorable face. Max just watched as Lucy stood in front of the table''s leg and aimed a punch. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.Lucy held her arm but refrained from punching out. After some time, Max became confused, but before he could question Lucy, she burst into tears. Worried and confused, Max comforted Lucy and asked her what was wrong. In Max''s mind, something had clearly gone wrong during the process of injecting her new powers. But The response he received from there shared a spiritual link, left him dumbfounded. It appeared that Lucy was simply afraid of experiencing pain. -_- .. Max felt cheated. Where did the powerhouse Lucy in the simulation go, the same one that kept throwing giant waves at that city? Sighing, Max confronted Lucy. "Don''t worry. Do you remember the game we just played?" Lucy nodded hesitantly. She could tell they had done something, although not sure what. "That game made you stronger. Way stronger. Just trust me and punch it." Having complete trust in her master, Lucy no longer hesitated. Closing her eyes, she punched out. Crack!... The leg broke. Max expected this - F is strength equals that of three healthy adult men. While F equals that of five, and F++ equals 10, the very peak of F rank. The current Lucy, although still tiny, can beat an adult man black and blue in one punch. ... Lucy looked at the broken leg and then at her tiny fist. Looking back and forth a few times, Lucy still couldn''t believe it. Seeking confirmation, she hit the second leg. Crack....! Max smiled, looking at this scene. Lucy jumped in happiness, rushing toward Max. Looking at her posture, Max had a bad feeling in his heart, and immediately dodged to the side. "wait, wait, if you hit me on the head again, I will really pass out". Lucy stopped in front of Max, realizing something. Sighing, Max felt fortunate he reacted fast enough. Lucy flew closer and instead of beating Max''s head like usual, this time she patted Max''s head gently, while smiling. Max''s mouth twitched, holding Lucy I hand, he rubbed her hair softly. "good guy, already looking down on me." Lucy just smiled foolishly at him. "alright don''t mess around, from now on you can''t leave my side, we can''t let anyone else know about your strength." But at this moment, Lucy remembered something. She immediately flew to the window and opened it. Max was confused, but not for long as he saw the pigeon rushing inside. "good guy, is this pigeon spawn camping? ". The pigeon looked at max warily. Does this pair of cheap master, and pet plan to bully himself with numbers again? Does this pair of cheap master and pet plan to bully himself with numbers again? Max just looked at the pigeon with pity in his eyes, then left for the kitchen. In the kitchen, while eating, Max could hear fighting sounds; no, it sounded like a one-sided beating. Soon Lucy came to the kitchen as well, riding on the Indignant pigeon, with an arrogant look on her tiny face, showing off to her master. ..... Author note : Hello everyone, I apologize for the short chapters. I''m a bit busy today, but I will make it up to you later. I have a small announcement to make: there will be no more chapters on Fridays, but don''t worry, the overall release will still be 7 chapters a week. I will release 2 chapters on some other day. Now, moving on to important matters, the details in this chapter will be included in an auxiliary chapter for your convenience. It will be more detailed. Have a great day! Chapter 13 secrets & recruitment. Five days later, at Max''s hotel room. 1.2. 3...20, , "done full set, Let''s switch, Lucy." Currently, Lucy is flying while holding Max''s right hand. Max was dangling in the air, his feet not touching the ground. Lucy put Max on the ground and then held his left arm, flying up with him. "1, 2, 3..." Max is doing pull-ups while Lucy holds him. After Lucy''s sudden increase in strength, she found it difficult to control her power, which led to her accidentally breaking things and causing a lot of damage, also making a lot of noise. Max didn''t want the attention, so he worked with her to find a way for her to learn how to control her newfound strength faster . Max had several ideas on how to help her learn to control her power more quickly. However, the problem was that Lucy had trouble focusing. The only way Max found to help her focus was to let her assist him with his workout. Because she didn''t want to accidentally harm Max, she became extremely careful and focused during their work out together. After their workout session ended, Max complimented Lucy, saying, "You did a good job, little Lu; you can go have fun now." Lucy nodded happily, then rushed to the TV and sat next to the indignant bound-up pigeon. Max shook his head and went to the bathroom. After freshening up, he took his coffee onto the balcony. While relaxing, he opened the simulator. Lately, it had become a hobby of his to read all the super-secret knowledge of the universe recorded in the simulator. Since the simulator had judged his situation as dangerous, over 90% of the database inside the simulator became available for his browsing. ... "An interesting article caught Max''s eye, and he started reading. Is the universe truly endless? I, Bombada the Third, have just figured it out. I am using the Golden Badge of Science to publish this article on every single device, making it available to every single person in our civilization. Last day I received the news of my son''s death. Yes, the same son you all know as a genius who gave up on science and desired adventure and exploration. What you do not know is that it was me who helped him 500,000 years ago. My son went to the border of the known universe and kept exploring forward for the entirety of his life. Due to a special ability, I, his father, was able to retrieve his diary. I spent last night reading it, a total of 600 trillion words. After reading it, I made my judgment: the universe is indeed endless for us." ..... I will not explain much because I am certain you will be able to come to the same judgment as myself after reading my son''s diary. What I am concerned about is the fact that the universe has the unfathomable attribute of endlessness. Then why is the will of the universe so weak? In the past years, we came into conflict with the will of the universe multiple times, but it strikes me as weird that something we attribute to endlessness can be so weak to the point that it''s dealt with by a bunch of people who cannot comprehend endlessness. This morning, I did some experiments, adding the knowledge gained from my son''s diary. I confirmed that the will of the universe, as well as the will of the world, is just a different type of life form. More importantly, the will of the universe cannot govern the entire universe, just a tiny portion of it, which is the known universe to us. These life forms are Just parasites, not the same Almighty image we forced on ourselves. ..... Pfft,!. Max spat out the coffee in his mouth. This news is too shocking. But what made Max flabbergasted is this bombada... Good guy, you get the news at noon, read everything at night, research everything the next morning, conduct experiments, then publish everything at noon. Isn''t this guy too formidable?. "Sigh, as expected of the civilization behind the simulator". No longer in the mood for reading. Max sat next to Lucy, watching TV with her. Still the same works from before. due to certain considerations, he hadn''t updated her teaching materials. In the last simulation, Lucy exhibited greater strength than expected, such as with the water control thing, adding the odd behavior from the humans there. Max suspected that there might be something wrong with the mountain, possibly indicating the presence of some kind of treasure. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Now that Lucy is stronger, she might be able to gain something . At that moment, a knock disturbed Max''s thought process. In the past few days, Max had not left home because he didn''t want anyone to know about Lucy. He planned to show himself as little as possible to avoid being found. He even made sure no hotel worker had access to his room. "Go to the bedroom and don''t come out until I tell you to," Max instructed Lucy. annoyed, she left for the bedroom with a cute pout. the pigeon in hand. Opening the door, a short-haired young woman with blue eyes and black hair greeted Max. She was wearing a black-and-white uniform with a star emblem on it. The woman smiled and spoke first. "My name is Romi; I believe you are John, right?". "No, you got the wrong person," Max answered instinctively, shaking his head, completely forgetting his name in this world. Max quickly realized his mistake, but managed to keep a straight face. Romi held a tablet in her hand that displayed Max''s information and photo, looking down at the photo, then up at max. Her mouth twitched slightly. Showing the tablet to him. "Isn''t this you?" she asked, pointing at the tablet. "Yes, that''s me; I thought you were looking for another John," Max replied half-heartedly.. Romi ignored Max''s attitude and continued speaking, "I am here on behalf of Star Tower..." "Wait!" Max interrupted. "Are you here to recruit me?" "Yes," she responded, clearly irritated by the interruption. "Look, I respect Star Tower, but I must inform you that I am already in talks with another organization. I''ve practically finalized the contract and I''m committed to them. I believe I will be officially joining them in a few weeks ". Max knew that if he gave a vague answer or declined without explanation, Romi would persist and might even investigate him, potentially uncovering secrets he wanted to keep hidden, like some novel plot. Max wouldn''t have any of that. He already planned to lie low for some time, so he was determined to shut down any recruitment attempts from the start. Romi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in disappointment. "I understand. Here''s my business card. Please call me if you change your mind," she said. Although she said so, she didn''t have any hope; Max''s attitude was firm, indicating he had already made his choice. More importantly, she could sense an F-rank presence from his bedroom - most probably someone from the organization that recruited Max. "Can I know who it is that got to you first, of course, if it''s convenient?" she asked. "I am sorry, but I can''t inform anyone, at least not until the contract is signed." "In that case, I will excuse myself. Sorry for wasting your time," Romi said as she nodded in understanding and left. From beginning to end, Max didn''t even let her get inside the room. As he closed the door, he was deep in thought: ''If nothing goes wrong, Lucy should reach E rank in three simulations. By then, I can leave the city and head outside of human territory.'' "Lucy, you can go out now." No response. "Lucy." Walking to the bedroom, Max found Lucy hiding something under the carpet. Looking at Max, Lucy was panicking. She started flying around Max, seemingly wanting to distract him. Max just laughed at her shenanigans. "Little Lu, that''s not how you hide something; just show me what you broke this time. I won''t be angry." Lucy''s little shoulders slumped down as Max lifted the carpet. Max was confused, looking at a pile of feathers! "Huh, where did you get this from?". Lucy just hid her face in her little hands. Looking around, Max figured it out as his eyes widened, seeing the current featherless pigeon. Max just left the bedroom, not wanting to participate in torturing the poor pigeon. Lucy anxiously flew after him. "Seemingly wanting to explain that it wasn''t her fault, but the pigeon who started it. The pigeon took one off first, and then you, being curious about how it would look without them, helped the pigeon take the rest off. Feeling Lucy''s thoughts from their spiritual link. Max felt sincerely sad for the poor pigeon. ''Buddy, it''s your fault for bullying my little she-devil. Don''t blame me.''" Chapter 14 Persistent Recruitment. Max sat in front of Lucy, ready to use the simulator. The cooldown time was. [0 days, 0 hours, 3 minutes, and 5 seconds.] Every time the cooldown was about to end, Max got itching hands and twitching eyebrows. He had this feeling as if someone or something would jump out of nowhere to stop him from using it. Meanwhile, Lucy had a worried look on her face. She flew up to Max and gently patted his head, making "mii. mii. mii." sounds. Since Lucy''s attributes increased, her intelligence seemed to improve as well . Currently, Max could feel her worry through their spiritual link, and she conveyed a kind of message to him, or to be more accurate, it''s close to a meaning, telling him to take care of his health. Max smiled and reassured Lucy, saying, "I am okay, little Lu. Are you ready to play the get stronger game?". Please don''t judge Max''s naming sense; He had to pick a simple name for Lucy, otherwise, he would just confuse her. .... [Cooldown 0 days 0 hours 0 minutes 00 seconds]. As the cooldown ended, and Max was about to start the simulator, suddenly, the phone rang. Ring. Ring. Ring! Max was confused for a moment. Last time, Lucy threw his phone out of the window, and since then, Max has been without a phone. Looking at the source of the sound, a weird-looking phone was on the wall. "Was that always there?" Lucy suddenly rushed to the phone, grabbed it, and pulled it off, cutting the line in the process. She was no longer scared of phones, but this one disrupted her game of getting stronger. Last time because of this game, she successfully beat up that pigeon, getting revenge. Maybe next time, she can beat up a second pigeon, or more... Lucy got confused all of a sudden and started counting, using her little fingers. One... Two..... Lucy''s actions confused Max. ''Is she learning how to count? But why now, all of a sudden?'' "Stop messing around. Come here." Max didn''t blame Lucy for destroying the phone; he didn''t plan to answer it, anyway. As for the hotel, he just had to pay extra, no big deal. All Max wants to do right now is start the simulator, but at this moment, a second interruption occurs as Max hears knocking at the door. Knock. Knock. Knock. Lucy rolls up her nonexistent sleeve and went to confront the person at the door. Max held her small body, saying, "Go hide in the bedroom and don''t make noise." Dejected, Lucy flew angrily to the bedroom. Sighing helplessly, Max went to open the door. "Let''s see who is looking for me." Opening the door, Max looked at a staff worker from the hotel - a young man slightly older than himself. "Sir, someone is looking for you," the young man said as he handed Max a phone with someone waiting on the line. Max dismissed the young man without a second glance. Taking the phone, he cut in, "Can''t you let someone sleep in peace? If I didn''t pick up, doesn''t that mean I''m busy, tired, or sleeping? Can''t you understand such a simple thing?" Max didn''t bother to find out who was on the other side; it''s always beneficial to maintain the upper hand. The other person seemed stunned and fell silent. "little friend, I am sorry about this. Should I call later?" "Who am I talking to anyway?" cut in Max. He recognized the voice, but he wouldn''t indulge the other party. Anyway, the ruder he is, the less likely they would look for him; more importantly, being rude to people he doesn''t like is his second nature. Although Phillip, on the other side, had no conflict with him, the young lady of their group secretly used a skill on him, Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.Max is someone who holds grudges. Even so, for the time being, he is a weak little shit, forgot about it. The voice on the other side sounded embarrassed. ". Little friend, it''s me, Phillip". "oh! It''s manager Phillip, you should have said so earlier; I am embarrassed for being all rude". "It''s not a problem, little friend. Actually, I am calling on behalf of Lady Sofia," Max didn''t speak, waiting for Phillip to elaborate. "You see, little friend, there is a saying I believe you have heard of: ''Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.'' I assume you agree with this saying, little friend." In reality, Max didn''t agree with this saying. In his opinion, it''s better to first kidnap the fisherman, and then the decision of whether to be given a fish every day or to learn how to fish is up to oneself. "Yes, I agree, but what''s your point, Manager Phillip?" Of course, Max won''t share his real thoughts with Phillip. He still has to play the nice guy for a while, at least until he leaves the city. "You see, Miss Sofia has got her hands on something you currently need. It''s like being taught how to fish. However, this kind of talk needs more privacy, not the kind of thing you discuss on the phone. Miss Sofia is holding a party for young geniuses of Glory City in three days, and you are invited. I believe she will discuss the matter with you, and trust me, little friend, you should go." Max went quiet for a moment. He was considering whether to agree on the spot. Then, just ignore it when the time comes; anyway, if they asked why he didn''t go, he would just say he had diabetes or something. But on second thought, such an approach might bring him trouble later. It''s better to use the non-existent organization that recruited him as a cover-up. Regarding the useful thing Sofia is offering, Max couldn''t care less; even if it''s something he truly needs, would he get it for free? Of course not, he must pay the price. Max didn''t know what Sofia would ask of him, nor did he care. Anyway, if this thing was truly useful to him after Lucy got much stronger, he''d just go steal it. "Manager Phillip, I am afraid I can''t attend the party. I am currently in early negotiations with a certain organization, and technically, I am already a part of them. We will finalize things in a few weeks. Due to this situation, I cannot be too close to other parties. I hope you understand. Of course, I will still honor the deal with Miss Sofia, but apart from that, I believe I should keep my distance, especially since I am not even a newcomer to the organization, at least not yet." Philip remained silent for some time before responding. "I see. I wasn''t aware of that. Can we meet now? I believe the young ladies'' offer might change your mind." "I won''t come to you, Mr. Philip. If you want to talk, you can come to my room. I believe you already know where I live." "In that case, I am coming right now, although Miss Sofia wants to discuss the matter with you herself. With her position as an esteemed unmarried young lady, going to someone''s hotel room isn''t proper." Max was as annoyed as he could get, ''Why are they so persistent?'' He didn''t believe that Philip didn''t see his dismissal attitude, yet even so... "I will be waiting for you then," said max before hanging up. ... Author note: another chapter soon, the same one I promised instead of Friday''s release. Hope you''re having a great day. . Chapter 15 Misty Mountain (P1). Max had a hunch about why Philip and Sofia were so persistent. ''I assume they believe that whatever they are offering is something I cannot refuse,'' he thought. While thinking about this, Lucy jumped on his head and began playfully punching Max on the head with her soft, cotton-like fists. Max saw how she was improving in controlling her newfound strength and felt a bit of the gloom lift from his face. While Smiling he spoke. "Little Lu, wait a little longer and I need you to hide in the bedroom. Will you do that for me, please". Lucy nodded obediently and went to the bedroom. while he turned on her favorite series on his laptop with the volume low so as not to disturb the living room. Max wasn''t worried that Philip, a regular human, might notice Lucy''s rank, but being careful it''s better for him. To not see her at all. When Max heard a knock on the door, he greeted Philip with a smile and a firm handshake. "Manager Phillip, long time no see, please do come inside." Philip, however, wore a fake smile and had lost his friendly demeanor toward Max. Max didn''t give a shit remaining nonchalant! and took his seat while pointing Phillip to sit in front of him. "Listen, Max, I will not play around the bush. I''ll go straight to the point: lady Sofia got her hand on an extra entrance certificate for the Star Academy". Phillip waited for Max''s expression to change. Max had a calm look on his face, waiting for Phillip''s big move. Just like that, the two kept staring at each other. '' could this be their big move? No way. Do they think I am an idiot?'' Phillip felt awkward looking at Max and asked tentatively. "you do know what Star Academy means". Max just gave him a white look while speaking "the biggest Educational Institute for Supernatural in the entire continent" Phillip lost a bit of confidence, looking at Max''s calm expression. Nevertheless, he spoke. "This certificate is yours under one condition. Inside the academy you will be part of young Lady Sofia''s faction" "Mr. Philip, I believe I informed you that I am already part of an organization." As he said that, Max gave Philip a meaningful look. He didn''t know what Philip would understand from this look. Anyway, he just gave him a meaningful look for the sake of confusion. Phillip had a look of realization on his face. "I see; in that case, I will take my leave then; I apologize for wasting your time." Max just nodded and handed Phillip a mobile phone. "What''s this?" "the phone you used to call me." Phillip''s mouth twitched, but he didn''t comment and just left. ..... "Sigh. Finally, he left." Max already planned to learn from the Academy. Although his idea of "" learning"" is a bit unique. He never planned to actually join it. In his mind, kidnapping its students and learning from them have the same benefits as joining, with none of the disadvantages. More importantly, on a personal level, Max was disgusted by the idea of competing with children in some academies. With the age of both of his lives, if he had a child, he would be older than those kids in the academies. He had no fetish for showing off in front of kids. The only reason he even joined school is that he didn''t find any other way to obtain the talent Awakening serum. Stolen novel; please report. . Shaking the wild thoughts from his head, Max rushed to the bedroom. It''s time for simulation. Anyway, it''s just an idea for now; as for how to kidnap those students, Max decided to leave it to his future stronger self. "Lucy!. Come here; let''s play your game." Lucy flew to Max excitedly. Holding Lucy in his hand, Max didn''t waste any more time. Simulator start .... simulation started. [ding,] As the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. [In the first year, you find yourself in an unfamiliar land. Your first idea is that you got lost, but after feeling around, this place has a completely different aura, like you are in another world. Could it be that you got isekaied, just like the people on TV? Excitedly, you flew around. After the rush died down you felt sad, missing your cheap master, Shaking your sadness away and with absolute determination, you made a vow to become strong, break the void, and reunite with your pet master again]. ''Her thought process is a little different from the last simulation. As expected, she indeed got smarter after the attributes enhancement.'' [in the 2nd year, you already possessed the mountain and started to take control of it; because of your high attributes and your innate ability, your progress is astonishingly fast]. [in the 5th year, you took complete control of the entire mountain, but still, you felt no happiness, just missing your cheap pet master. Cheering yourself up, you start working hard to get stronger; a bit stronger means a bit closer to going back to your world]. Looking at this, Max felt slightly sad. He tried to explain things for what they are, but Lucy is still too young and won''t understand much, no matter how much he tries. ''Thankfully, she won''t get any of the memories from the simulation.'' [on the 12th year. Because of your high spiritual attribute, you kept feeling a weird type of energy scattered in the surroundings, curious you attempted to draw it to the mountain, it was hard a cumbersome work after some consideration you decided it was worth doing, since your growth speed is extremely slow, trying something new might get something surprising.] ''Wow!, actually doing that in the 12th year, last time it took her over 60 years.'' [in the 15th year, you kept trying to attract the weird energy of the mountain, slow yet study progress]. .... ... [in the 23rd year, you felt you understood something, closing your senses. The same weird energy in the surroundings started to converge on the mountain at an astonishing speed; to your Delight, this made the mountain grow faster.]. [in the 31st year, you awakened an ability within your bloodline (Blessed). This ability should be the reason you were able to attract the energy from The surroundings, now that it''s actually awakened, the speed of energy Conversation towards the mountain multiplied by many folds, and at the same time the density and quality of it seem to change under the effect of (blessed), this made the mountain grow even faster.] '' oh my god, a new ability in the 31st year?. Isn''t the sad Lucy too op?'' Max inexplicably had multiple ideas pop up in His head, mostly about how to make Lucy sad. Shaking his head, Max gave up on the horrible idea and kept on reading. Chapter 16 Misty Mountain (P2). [in the 33rd year, you notice a group of people walking past you; this is the first time you see humans in this world; feeling curious, you keep watching them. The leader of the group, a haggard Oldman, started running around like he had gone mad, laughing loudly while giving you a weird look; you felt uncomfortable and wanted to let him experience a mountain collapse, however knowing that this action would slow your progress; you just ignored them]. "huh.!" Max was confused for a moment. "isn''t this scene too similar to the previous simulation, 33rd year, first time seeing humans?. Huh" Max had a guess in his heart, but he continued reading. [In the 50th year, those people actually took base at the peak of the mountain, although you didn''t like them and wanted to kill them; however, over the years, you''ve noticed that they aren''t normal humans, they are strong, every single one of them can carry rocks 10 times there size, fighting with them will cost you a lot of resources, so you decided against it, for the time being.] [in the 58th year, the leader of the group started to build some stone pillars around the mountain. As usual, you ignored their actions, focusing on getting stronger]. [in the 60th year, you felt a weird disturbance around the mountain and a faint connection to something, alarmed; you started investigating, and to your surprise, the mountain was no longer visible from the outside, completely covered in mist; it seems to be the stone pillars doing. More importantly, you felt a slight connection to it, as if you can control it. If you try harder, curious and excited, you started secretly studying it.] [in the 64th year, you already took complete control of the stone pillars, however you didn''t take action, but silently kept studying it.] Max had an inexplicable itch, "The sad Lucy is too overpowered". .... [In the 66th year, you finally understood how the stone pillars function, and from it, you comprehended the skill (Misty Mountain); however, being wary of the strong mountain inhabitants, you decided against testing your new skill. Instead, focusing on growing stronger]. "this is no longer just overpowered. Simulator wanna switch with me; I want the sad Lucy; you can have mine." Max just made random jokes to humor himself, mostly to stop his twitching eyebrow. |In the 86th year, new humans started appearing in the surroundings, planning to start a city around the area. However, your unwanted guests were useful for once and drove them away]. 86th year," isn''t that also the same as the previous simulation?" The doubt in Max''s heart intensified, but it wasn''t time to ask the simulator. In the process of simulation, the simulator won''t respond to him. ''Let''s continue to simulation first''. [in the 97th year, some strange people in blood-red costumes started patrolling the area around the mountain, but because of the Mist, the moment they enter they get lost unable to climb up, and to your surprise, your unwanted guests seem extremely afraid of those people, and an idea crossed your mind and you decisively implemented it, you first dispersed the energy you attracted using (blessed), at the same time collapsing the pillars responsible for the Mist, to your delight a war instantly broke out,] This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.At this time, Max wasn''t even sure it was the same Lucy. Maybe the simulator is moving his hands and feet. [in the 98th year, bloodshed filled the mountain, and their fight lasted for a whole year while you kept pretending to be a normal Mountain; eventually, people in red costumes won, and after taking all the spoils of war, they left]. Max felt cheated, the Lucy inside is too overpowered, it''s like the simulator is tempting him to make little Lu sad. [In the 101st year, you waited for 3 years before you resumed attracting energy to become stronger; at the same time, you start practicing your new skill (Misty Mountain).] At this moment, Max even started doubting whether Lucy was pretending to be stupid in the real world. [in the 130th year, humans started appearing again, wanting to colonize the area. Your skill, Misty Mountain, has reached a higher level, and you used it to make all kinds of ghost shapes to scare the humans away at the same time, killing any human that comes too close to the mountain]. [in the 151st year, you especially missed your pet master; feeling sad, you decided to take a rest for a while, and using rocks, you made a statue resembling your pet master. Looking at the not-so-handsome face, you felt proud, exactly the same]. "what the hell, what do you mean not so handsome, you little.." [in the 197th year, the people in red costumes came back. This time, your Misty Mountain skill was complete; the people in red couldn''t take a single step up the mountain; you ignored the bunch of weaklings and kept practicing your skill and abilities]. [in the 210th year, you noticed that the people in red costumes were doing something strange; their actions were incomprehensible to you: sacrificing other humans, weird dancing, and someone was trying to have a conversation with a potato, confused you simply ignored them.] [in the 211st year, the bunch of weirdos stopped all of their actions, while a leader-looking figure approached the mountain, and through a blood-red potato at the Mist]. [you died.] Max had a Question mark on His face, one hit kill with a potato. "What kind of potato is that? ". [Simulation ended, entering cooldown]. [cooldown duration one week ]. [Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. Chapter 17 Misty Mountain (P3). Max would be lying if he said he wasn''t disappointed; based on that momentum, Lucy had an excellent shot of jumping to E rank in one go. "Sigh... Whatever that attack is, it should be spiritual in nature, Lucy''s only weakness in her mountain form". Looking at the Rewards in front of him, Max didn''t hesitate much and picked the skill (Misty Mountain). Although the ability (Blessed) looks more powerful. However, being an ability means that Lucy will always have a chance to awaken it, even in the real world. As for Misty Mountain, even if Lucy got into the same situation again, she might not learn it. Plus, this skill is a concealment type, which is supremely useful for Max, who plans on hiding on the mountain. .... Simulator, show me Lucy''s stats" [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: F-. Agility: F++. Vitality: F--. Spiritually: E. Overall evaluation: F+. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler]. 2- [Misty Mountain : Skill rank: green Proficiency: initiation Allow the user to control Mist, at the same time giving it a slight concealment effect]. Just the initiation level? Max wasn''t too disappointed about this, since he kind of expected it. The first time a skill or ability is obtained through the simulator, it will always be at the initiation level. .... At this time, Lucy just woke up. Feeling her newfound skill, she happily conjured a tiny ball of mist and started waving it around. Max just let her play. ... "Simulator: Why does it seem like Lucy went through the same experience in both simulations?". [Ding, reporting to The Host. The reason is that the world is forced into a time loop cycle with the pet as a trigger; once your pet enters the locked world, the cycle will restart.] Max had a blank look on his face. "Is it your doing?" [Ding, the simulator, is indeed responsible for this phenomenon.] Even though he knew the answer to his question, he still had to ask because this went beyond his understanding. "Oh my god, you actually can do such a thing, but why, though?". From Max''s point of view, it seemed like an unnecessary waste of energy, but he was sure that his vision was far lower than the people who made the simulator. They must have their reasons. [Ding, reporting to The Host. This is the world lock function and the reason why you cannot switch worlds at will. It is the safest, most effective method of concealment; without it, the existence of the simulator can be discovered by powerhouses either inside or close to the simulated world.] "So that''s how it is." In all honesty, Max didn''t understand much about the science, and the thought process behind using time loops to hide oneself. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.It''s far beyond his understanding. Anyway, Max sincerely trusted the intelligence and means of the civilization behind the simulator, so he decided to just not think about it. Max stood up and was stunned for a moment because he couldn''t see anything. The room was filled with mist, so dense that it was practically fog. It appears while he was focusing on the simulator, Lucy was testing her new skill. "what the! .." Speechless, Max started looking around for Lucy. "Lucy, where are you? Stop this already." Thud! Max fell to the ground as his leg hit something. "ouch!." At this moment, Lucy rushed to Max. Unlike Max, she could see through the fog. Earlier, she had heard him calling, but wanting to play a prank on him, she pretended not to hear. When she saw him falling to the ground, she instantly rushed to him worriedly, dissipating the surrounding mist. Patting Max''s head, she tried to ask about his well-being through their spiritual link. "I am fine, but don''t do this kind of thing anymore," Max said. Lucy just nodded dejectedly. Looking at this, Max''s expression softened. "Little Lu, we still have to lie low for a while. When we move to a mountain, you can play as much as you want." Seeing Lucy''s happy expression, Max couldn''t help but pat her little head. The little one is easily satisfied. "Alright, I have work to do. You go play on your own." Max opened his laptop and started looking around. First He needs a new teaching material for Lucy, something to encourage her to practice [Misty Mountain] to the perfected level. Misty Mountain is just a green-grade skill, unlike Lucy''s innate ability [Mountain ruler], which takes hundreds and even thousands of years to practice. normally, green-grade skills take around 20 years on average to reach advanced proficiency. Some very talented pets or humans can do it in less than 10 years with 5 years being a record. As for the perfected level, it is a matter of luck and comprehension. Some might reach it instantly after the advanced proficiency, while others will never achieve it. With the simulator, Max didn''t worry about not reaching the perfected level of any skill or ability. What he cares about is the effect she could get from the perfect level?. After finding an anime with a mist ability-user as the main character. .. Deep fog... Max directly sent it to black Lollipop to apply certain changes. 1- turn the Mc into a female. 2- delete all side characters'' friends and harem members. 3- enhance the Mc''s abilities with some from the real world. And, of course, make the Mc a mountain shut-in. Black lollipop didn''t even comment this time. . "done with that. Next is to pick a new base, it''s time to leave this city". Chapter 18 change in plan. originally, the plan was to leave the city only after Lucy reached E rank. However, a lot of people know him in the city, and staying here might be way more dangerous; if the abnormality of Lucy was found out, he would have no way to explain it. So the plan changed. He will leave the city as soon as possible, preferably before the party that Sofia is holding. He had the feeling that those guys would pull some crazy shit, Like doing the party in the hotel he is staying in, then using him as a shield for some love rival or something like that. Max didn''t want any of that. He wasn''t sure if he was just being paranoid or not; either way, there was no harm in being careful. Escape the city first, then even if they wanted to use him for something like that they can''t find. ... After an unknown amount of time. Max locked on his target. Beast forest. This place had a long history. 180 years ago, exactly 20 years after the first clear of an SSS rank dungeon. A huge change caught the world by surprise . The normally inanimate dungeons became smart all of a sudden, or, to be more exact, they became more tactical. 1 SS rank dungeon and 2S rank dungeons appeared close to each other [Beast paradise] SS. [dark forest] S. [the deep valley] S. At first, no one noticed the 2 S ranks hidden in an underground water deposit. Normally, S dungeons can''t hide because of their energy wave, unlike lower-level dungeons. However, this water deposit was exactly under the first SS rank dungeon. At the same time, this SS-rank dungeon was simply weird. It was one of the strongest SS rank dungeons ever recorded, so the original team that entered had no chance of surviving, but surprisingly, it didn''t kill them. The beasts inside just captured them. If a team enters a dungeon, a second team can not enter in till the first team is completely wiped out. Such a thing as using the first team to buy time never happened before. The captive team was killed only a few seconds before the break-out deadline. Just like that,3 complementary dungeons broke open at the same time, showing a power equal to SSS rank dungeons, successfully claiming a fourth of the continent. this kind of thing happened all around the world at the same time, and no one knew why. Max, because of his knowledge of the void battlefield, could guess that it was some restriction in the other worlds being lifted, most probably because of the clear of the SSS rank dungeon [genetic Biohazard] . Max didn''t care about all that. What he cares about is leaving for the beast Forest as soon as possible. Of course, Max didn''t plan to settle at the center of it; he wasn''t suicidal. He plans to settle at the border of it. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.an E-rank danger zone. Also, Star Academy seems to conduct some exams there each year. Of course, Max didn''t have any bad intentions, at least not yet. reconnaissance comes first. ... It''s already midnight so Max fell asleep. Early morning. Now that Max made his decision, it''s time to move. Taking both Lucy and her pigeon in hand, Max left the hotel. Max wanted to leave this guy behind, let him free. But Lucy wouldn''t have any of that, so he just compromised. Lucy can hide in his T-shirt, but he can only hopelessly walk around holding a featherless pigeon. Ignoring the gazes around him, Max headed to his first stop. A paint shop. Max walked into the store and purchased a few random paints of different colors and types. One of the paints is a long-lasting blue skin paint used for fake tattoos, which is the only one he needs. The others are just to confuse anyone watching him. At first, Max even considered letting someone else buy for him, but on second thought it''s unnecessary, he plan to leave the city, anyway; he didn''t think anyone would actually go through the effort of following him to the other side of the continent, After that, Max headed toward the slums, On the road, Max couldn''t help but notice multiple scammers. Card gambling, guess games, and such. One even tried approaching Max holding cards, then for some reason he just smiled at Max and switched targets. Max didn''t think much about it, a lot of people knew him around here. He even had a nickname, little Gangster; this person should have recognized him. On the side, Max was attracted to a certain scammer. This guy is using a frog-type pet. "Come on, people, get closer, 50 credits. Guess what''s inside its belly and get double your money." The guy even let the couple in front of him touch the frog. Max walked closer to watch, and even Lucy popped her head up. The scammer winked at Max the moment he saw him, then kept working on taking the two fools'' money. Max was confused a little about why the wink. ... Soon the show was over and as expected the couple lost their money and left dejected. "hi brother, thanks for not exposing me; I know a fellow scammer... ahem. I mean a fellow trickster when I see one." He said this while waving the money in his hand and leaving. Max had a question mark on his face "I''m a scammer,? How didn''t I know before?, and how can I expose you? I don''t even know how you can cheat in such a game" Max said that out loud, but the guy already left, most probably to enjoy his newly earned money. Shaking his head in confusion, Max is just left to the loan shark. That guy is his only contact to buy some equipment, otherwise max would have just left the city without paying him back. Chapter 19 Boss Hu. On the way to the loan shark, Max stopped in a public bathroom. Inside, Max took out the blue paint from his space ring and held Lucy in hand. Little Lucy tilted her head, curious at Max''s actions. Max smiled at her, and using a painting brush, he started applying the paint to Lucy. The little one started giggling. He. He.... After some time, Max looked at his handy work, satisfied. "This way, you look like a wind fairy." Fairy-type pets are quite common, so Max decided to temporarily disguise Lucy as a wind fairy; this type of fairy has the closest resemblance to the mountain fairy. Looking at her new blue skin, Lucy also got excited for some reason. Grabbing the paint bottle, Lucy wanted to paint Max back. "Lu, stop!". Lucy stopped just a step away from Max. "Sigh, little Lu, I can''t have paint on me; that would raise some suspicion." Lucy had a sad look on her face, but nevertheless, she put the paint down. Looking at the dejected Lucy, Max sighed. "Alright, alright, don''t be sad; next time when we''re alone, I will let you paint me a little." He couldn''t help but compromise. Lucy''s dejected aura instantly dissipated, and she started flying around Max happily. This paint is superb and only took 3 minutes to dry up. Leaving the bathroom, Max headed toward the loan shark. After a 20-minute walk, Max stood in front of a shabby restaurant. Walking inside, Max directly went into a side room behind the kitchen; the gangsters around glanced at him and then ignored him and let him pass. Inside, a slightly fat man sat in the middle chair wearing luxurious clothes and a set of silver rings, the kind used for punching. He had a natural evil smile, revealing his golden teeth. Max smiled as he greeted the man. "Uncle Hu, long time no see." "Ohh, look who decided to visit. Isn''t the little gangster himself? Oh, come here, sit down." Taking his seat, Max kept chatting with the gangsters. ... "Uncle Hu, this time I came to repay my debt; I am also looking for some guns and equipment." "huh, equipment, you say; how much do you have?" "15k total". "huh, where did you get so much money?" Asked boss Hu lazily, that much money wouldn''t move him much. Max smiled and took Lucy out of his T-shirt. Most of the people here are just normal humans, even boss Hu is just an F rank. Looking at Max''s pet, everyone was surprised. More importantly, the wind fairy is a well-known pet with D rank potential. Looking at boss Hu''s stunned expression, Max spoke, "My talent is quite good; I got myself an investor." "Hhhh, I always knew our little gangster is a genius; come Jake and take him to pick some goodies, at the family''s price. " Max was already tired of playing nice with this bunch of hooligans; it was better to pick up his things and leave. Walking behind Jake, Max found himself in what looked like a military armory. ''Seriously, the gun control in this world is nonexistent. While guns are plenty, equipment isn''t.'' This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Max picked a sniper rifle called Scorpion, a pistol, and an elven long knife. The guns are just modern weapons, while the long knife is an E-rank equipment with a + 2 sharpness. Max wasn''t sure about the quality of this thing. It was quite beautiful, but it had no skills whatsoever. Anyway, this is just for utility; his real firepower is Lucy. Scorpion. 600 credits. Pistol. 110 credits. Ammo. 100 credits. Long knife. 13000 credits. Max wanted to get more, but as always, being weak is a sin in this world. If boss Hu knew he had millions on him, then there is no way max would walk out of here alive. Max knew how to deal with people like boss Lu, so he didn''t push his luck. After backing his things up in a big bag, Max went to see Boss Hu. First, he paid the money. "Uncle Hu, can I leave my pet here for some time? It''s annoying to keep her in my T-shirt." Max wants to make a big purchase at Star Tower, but there is no way he can take Lucy there; they will notice her abnormality in an Instant, and at the same time, he doesn''t want to leave her at the hotel, every time he thought about leaving Lucy alone he had an inexplicable bad feeling, and since someone else pet is completely useless to others, he decided to leave her here. Boss Hu quickly agreed without giving it much thought. "Sure you go do your business." "Thanks, Uncle Hu". "little one, don''t make trouble." Max stated one thing, but he repeatedly warned Lucy to be wary of this sonsofbitc*s in their spiritual connection. Lucy nodded obediently, understanding that it was somewhat necessary. While Max had already informed Lucy about this earlier in the morning, he couldn''t help but repeat it. . "If they try to harm you, fill the place with Mist, then escape. Follow our spiritual link to find me. If you can''t, then go back to our room," Max said, Max was equally despondent about this; he knew that the border city was a dangerous location, therefore he was unable to make such a significant purchase there. Wealthy yet weak is a recipe for death in that place, so he had to hide his wealth. .... Max took a taxi and paid extra for him to go fast. .. Going down from the taxi, Max told him to wait. .. Inside the Star Tower, Max met the old man from before. '' seriously, where are all the Jade beauty receptionists? Star Tower only got this old man.'' , Max could guess that this old man wasn''t simple, but he didn''t care. "you''ve come again, customer". Max just nodded in recognition. "I want a skill scroll, psychic link". The old man didn''t ask why Max needed such a useless skill scroll, but just replied, "green grade skill scroll 50k". Max had a painful look on his face. "can I get a discount if I buy in bulk". Asked Max tentatively. "How much do you need?" "30." The old man had a stunned look on his face, but still he didn''t ask why max wanted them, but asked another question. "customer you realize that reselling our good is illegal". "I don''t plan to sell it." The old man just nodded. "in that case, follow me". Chapter 20 Psychic Link & leaving. The old man leads Max toward the scroll-storing area. .... Soon, they reached the storage area. The old man handed Max a scroll. [Psychic link.] : green grade skill. Build a strong telepathy link between pets. Note: in order to use this skill, all intended pets must learn it. ..... "although this skill isn''t too useful, it''s still a green grade skill. 35k each, and we only have 27 in stock. You can come back later, in a few days after we restock". "35k is good, I will come back for the rest in a week". "945,000 credits." Max directly left after acquiring the goods. The old man kept looking at Max''s back; he had high hopes for Max, and seeing him today being just a normal human, he was quite disappointed. However, this little guy always seemed to be walking with a strong purpose. The last time he met him, he even sent his granddaughter to recruit him, but he got the news he was already recruited. But the old man''s eyes are quite sharp. After seeing Max, he Could instantly judge that his granddaughter was deceived. "he can actually trick that granddaughter of mine, hmm if I tell her, then how would she react? He did say he''d be back in a week, maybe let them meet again". Back at the shabby restaurants. Lucy no longer had her cheery personality. She sat quietly at the edge of a table, dangling her feet with a calm yet lonely expression. There was a quiet, scared featherless pigeon under the table. At first the pigeon wanted to escape looking at Lucy''s distracted expression, but it was frightened with just one look. Escape?, please don''t joke, the cheery Lucy tortured its self to autism. If this scary version noticed itself, then death might be a better option. The gangsters didn''t approach her; from Boss Hu, they knew that this little thing was an F-rank. Although some brave ones tried, after all, even though they had bricks for brains, they were able to tell that the future of the little gangster was limitless. They had the idea of taking care of his pet for him to curry favor with him. But this small fairy just had a blank look on her face, ignoring them completely. ..... Lucy felt something; looking at the entrance, she burst into tears as Max walked inside. mimimimi. Lucy rushed into Max''s arms. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it."hey, hey, don''t cry. I am here". Soon Lucy stopped crying. Max sighed. Taking the big bag of weapons, he left, holding Lucy in his arms "Uncle Hu, I will be on my way". ... Max left in a hurry, not giving a shit about Boss Hu''s response. After he left the slums, he put the bag inside the space ring. ... Sometime later, Max reached the train station. Max has already bought a train ticket; right now, it''s barely noon, and the train arrives only at midnight. Max considered the safest way of traveling. Of course, the best is teleportation; however, arriving too early at the border isn''t safe as well. More importantly, teleportation is too expensive and Max still has a use for the money in his hand. As for flight, it is out of the question, flying in this dangerous world is a privilege of the strong. The train will travel for 200000 km before reaching Max''s destination; this train is fast, almost 700 km/h, so it will take about 2 weeks. At that time, Max will be safe to level up Lucy. Sometime Later, Max sat in a small coffee shop at the train station. Max no longer gave a shit about this city and its people. . While sipping his coffee, Max was content playing a simple game with Lucy on the laptop. The game relied heavily on luck, with no complicated rules that would confuse Lucy. At the same time, she can win a few times. .... Midnight... Max is currently quite sleepy, but he just waits in front of the train truck. Deg. deg. degg. Max Could clearly feel the ground rumbling. Looking to the right, his mouth was wide open. Lucy, who was sleeping just now, woke up, Looking at the Giant Metal Beast Lucy was frightened and rushed into Max''s T-shirt. "This is a train? That''s a freaking moving fortress." Still, in this world, both technology and magic coexist, so Max wasn''t that surprised. As the train stopped in front of him and the door opened, a mechanical announcement sounded: Ding. Dong. Ding. dong. We arrived at glory City station Please, all passengers Disembarking at glory city station, please be aware that the train will resume service in one hour. Walking inside, Max directly headed to his cabin number, he have money, so he bought the best ticket, having a luxury room all to himself. ..... As the train starts its movement, Max was smiling while pointing a middle finger at the City. Chapter 21 Lawless aura. Max was in his cabin, lost in thought, utilizing all his mental powers to ponder how he acquired this skill. Skill: [Lawless aura]. (passive skill) Grade: purple Effect : 1- criminals and lowlifes will show unfounded favorability towards you . 2- individuals belonging to the lawful faction will tend to ignore you to some extent. As long as you are out of their sight, they tent to forget about your existence to some extent. 3-if you show greater strength in front of individuals of the lawless faction under your command, they cannot rase any thoughts of opposition or betrayer towards you. 4- you can sense any kind of malice directed towards you. '' and it''s a purple passive a faking purple passive skill '' Passive skills are at least 10 times harder to acquire. It takes a lot longer to learn, but the benefits it offers are immense, once you learn it, it''s there for life and, unlike active skills, it doesn''t have a proficiency level, maxed out from the start. Now the question is, how did Max get a passive skill, a purple one at that? white, green, blue, purple, and orange are the known skill grades, with Purple grade being the highest grade ever acquired in this world. Max is obviously happy with his new skill, being so overpowered but confused at the same time unable to learn where or when did he get this skill. After the thing with the scammer back at the slums of Glory City, Max became suspicious, there was obviously something wrong with how those criminals act around him, although he felt it before, and just chose to ignore it since it seemed its something out of his control. Max is a carefree person, with his peace of mind being one of his highest priorities, since you can''t figure it out then just don''t think about it. But even so, after the thing with the scammed, Max decided to investigate it when he is free, this situation is obviously Supernatural it''s either something coming out from himself or someone else is manipulating, if it''s the latter, then Max will simply ignore it in till his strong enough and deal with the person behind the scenes. But if it''s something coming from himself, it''s easy to investigate. Just ask the simulator to scan himself, and indeed, on the train after scanning he found that he had inexplicably got a skill. .... After thinking for so long he came out with one possible answer, '' it must be because of my previous life, back on Earth even if someone met certain requirements to acquire a passive skill or something like that, nothing will happen because there is no energy in the air! And no mystical presence around. Even if you are a king and walk in the slums alone, you''d get robbed, anyway. No king''s aura what so ever, same as if you''re the big mafia boss, those desperados in the slums will Robb you anyway. However, if a king come to this world, he would most likely awaken a real king''s aura, lowlifes will be unable to look him in the eye even if he is weak. '' "now that explains a lot, why my gang life was relatively peaceful, why I had this bad feeling about leaving Lucy alone at the hotel. It all makes sense now." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Max didn''t care about who was behind that feeling. It was most probably one of his cockroach like recruiters. ..... The power of this skill is off the charts and will prove to be extremely valuable in the future, even though the second effect may not be working properly for some reason. Or could it be even with its effect? Those guys are so persistent¡­ What if I didn''t have it?." Max experienced a chilling sensation as sweat trickled down his back. "Crazy bastards!, change in plans. I will definitely come back to Robb the entire city later" .... Looking up from the simulator screen, Max looked at the determined Lucy in front of him helplessly. She had a firm expression on her little face, holding two paint barrels, one in each hand, while flying in front of Max. "little Lu, can''t you wait in till we reach our new home? We can''t do it here. We will make a mess and it''s illegal. The bad guys will put us in jail". From their spiritual link, Max could feel something around the meaning of "I am not taking a no for an answer, ahm, no no,". Lucy didn''t speak nonsense with Max. Putting the paint down, she flew to a corner, picked Max''s credit card, and slapped it on his cheek, with a triumphant expression on her face . Max was speechless. Good guy, why did you become so smart all of a sudden?. Back at the hotel, they broke a lot of things, but every time she saw max using this thing to stop the aggressive hotel workers. ... "Sigh.. Alright, alright, let''s get this over with". Sighing again, Max walked to the bathroom helplessly. Lucy flew after him happily, excitement apparent in her tiny eyes. .... Inside the bathroom, max opened his hands and waited, while closing his eyes. "do it". ..... Tink. think!!. Max waiting for long, but nothing happened. He could clearly hear Lucy opening the paint buckets. Opening his eyes, max couldn''t help but think that Lucy felt sad for her poor master and changed her mind. But looking around, Max didn''t see her, only the empty paint buckets. Before he could understand the situation. Suddenly he felt a tug on his leg, swish! . Max''s vision turned upside down. Lucy held him by the leg, flying while giggling happily. .... Looking down at the bathtub filled with paint, Max had one word to say. "fuck me sideways". ..... Author note : Hello everyone, i hope you are doing well. The good news is that I''ve nearly finished the really awful chapters. Others just need a few fixes here and there. .. Let''s shift our focus to discussing the chapter now. At first I didn''t want to reveal the lawless aura this soon, but no matter how I think about it, I have no solid reason to delay it. I found a few ideas, but it''s all seemed forced and I didn''t like it, not even a bit. The Mc Max while carefree, he isn''t stupid, na?ve or dense. While in the city, he ignored it because he was in a hurry to leave, but on the train he definitely had to think about it and ask the simulator. I wish you all the best. Chapter 22 this world belongs to the stronger. Standing in front of the mirror, Max looked at his slightly off skin color. He already washed the paint off, with a little trace left on His skin. "thankfully I didn''t give her any of the long-lasting paint". Looking at the bathroom, Max felt a little sad for the poor pigeon. After Max washed himself, Lucy switched targets to the poor pigeon. Max had to admit he enjoyed messing around with Lucy, it''s a nice little change from his constant planning about his talent, dealing with glory city, how to gain the biggest benefits in the void battlefield, all he can do is think though, because currently he is still just a weakling. Playing with Lucy is a nice distraction, but that was because Lucy was just playing. Lucy doesn''t have the same attitude towards the pigeon. Their relationship is more like a mad-scientist and a test subject. The pigeon''s whole existence was just to satisfy Lucy''s curiosity, like" is paint edible? ". Max just silently prayed for the poor pigeon and went to sleep. ..... Early in the morning inside Max''s luxury cabin. The pet and its owner sat in front of the TV while enjoying breakfast. The two of them were laughing. Max at the ridiculous joke on the daily news, while Lucy didn''t know why she was laughing. She didn''t completely understand what''s going-on in the TV, just mimicking Max''s actions like a child does with their parents. .. On the TV a big wedding ceremony was being broadcasted. The number one singer on Star continent. The Blue rose Astra marrying the current nobody, Mark. Please do not misunderstand this for a true love story or something of a sort, The story goes like this: 2days ago mark awaken his genetic talent at the age of 36. Normally, such a thing is almost impossible. If you can''t awaken your talent under the age of 20, that means you are one of the unlucky few that simply can''t become superhuman. This is a kind of side effect of sort for obtaining the genetic talents. Messing with genes comes at a certain cost. However, there are those few rare ones, like mark, their talents need some special condition to awaking completely, thus it''s misunderstood for a useless person. After Awakening his talent, mark felt bloated and directly went to kidnap his one and only Crush Astra. Of course, he got found out within a day, and Astra was rescued. However, one day later, the government announced that Mark possesses an SS Rank space-related talent, and will be joining the army, since late bloomers like him already wasted a lot of time, they cannot go through the normal process of Education. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.So in order to bring out his maximum potential, he will be directly thrown into the army, while also stating that the kidnapping of Astra was nothing but a misunderstanding. Additionally, they revealed that Mark and Astro are a long-lost separated lovers and that their marriage, which the government has organized, will take place within this week. ... But looking at Astra''s almost tearful expression, Max couldn''t help but smirk. "As expected, being famous yet weak is a call for trouble. The strong are the rightful owners of this world. Imagine if I actually published those books under my real name and they got super famous. Wouldn''t that make me a target for yanderes and shit, or even a worst type of perverted bastards". Shaking his head, Max ruffled Lucy''s hair. "little Lu, you have to get stronger to protect your master, otherwise I will be kidnapped for being too handsome, like poor little Astra over there". Max was just joking with Lucy, but the response he got made his face twitch. Lucy looked at Max''s face then through their spiritual link she transmitted, "you don''t have to worry about that". "you little.....! " Max rushed to catch Lucy, while the latter flew away giggling, at the same time Max kept receiving words of surrender from Lucy. "handsome"¡­ "handsome" ¡­ "handsome"¡­ Although it didn''t reduce his anger in any way, having the opposite effect. ... Soon, the two stopped messing around, hearing a knock on the door. ''it should be the cleaning staff''. It has been already 5 days since max got on the train. Over this period, Max made sure to keep as low key as possible, and the best way to do it is to blend in, or at least, it''s the best temporary measure. Max didn''t keep to himself, even refusing the cleaning staff or something like that. He didn''t need any unnecessary attention. Opening the door, Max nodded at the maid outside. "sir, is it not an appropriate time? Should I come back some other time? ". "I plan to have my coffee outside, anyway. It''s just that my pet made a little mess inside the bathroom. I hope it''s not too much trouble," as he finished speaking, he handed some cash to the maid. While Lucy on his head kept pulling his hair, ''you made trouble, it''s you, you, you''. "not a problem at all sir, please enjoy your coffee". Responded the maid with a smile, while pocketing the money. Max ignored Lucy''s antics and left to Visit the upscale restaurant onboard the train. Chapter 23. Max is currently enjoying his coffee while chatting with 3 young men. Two blonde with a somewhat similar appearance, apparently being siblings, Sam and Tom. The third is a slightly younger, black-haired, brown-eyed young man named Jamie. "you two can''t you stop haggling, 5k is the lowest I can do, take it or leave it. " The siblings gave Jamie an angry glare. "Jamie, do you think we are fools?, 5k credit for a white venom potion, it''s only worth a little over 3k". Jamie gave them a blank look, not even responding. He is a black market middleman, catering only to criminals and those wishing to avoid government attention; normal individuals would not engage with him. Since the two came to him, it means they can''t buy it from normal channels. The siblings sighed and handed the money. Jamie smiled, "you''d get it next station stop". Jamie was just a middleman and didn''t have a stock of his own, he spend most of his time on the train for his job, and the siblings knew that. They stood up to leave without paying Jamie much attention, but before going, they exchanged smiles with Max and spoke politely. "brother Max, we will be on our way. Next stop is our destination, so farewell " Max smiled at the siblings. "goodbye, and be careful, you two, if you are in front of a dead end, then remember, in this world even criminals are welcome to join the government if they are superhuman". He didn''t care much about their troubles. Even so, in these three young men, he saw his youthful self from Earth, especially Jamie. Giving them some advice is within his tolerance, especially that, over the past 5 days, he used this bunch to test the limit and effect of his passive skill. The siblings nodded solemnly and left. They had the feeling Max somehow knew their situation, but still they didn''t act against him. They only had respect and fear towards this Max. ..... "big brother Max, you can''t make friends with people like them, you''d get in trouble for nothing." Max just shrugged. He didn''t plan to do so anyway, "by the way Jamie, show me a list of your goods, maybe I''d buy something". Jamie slapped his chest and handed Max his phone. "Big brother, pick anything I''d give you the best discount". Max smiled and looked at the long list on the phone. After scrolling a bit, he just sent a copy to his laptop to browse it slowly later. Handing the phone back, Max just kept chatting with Jamie. Lucy didn''t like other humans for some reason. She just used Max''s head as a seat while eating her seeds. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more..... Soon the train came to a stop. Max watched as the siblings got their item from Jamie and left. Looking at Jamie, Max couldn''t help but ask. "do you plan to stay in this business for a lifetime? " Jamie went silent for a moment. "Sigh.!. Big brother, I know my situation, unless I get lucky and become a superhuman before I reach 20, then this is my life''s work ". "then I wish you good luck." Max had a good eye for people, and Jamie had the potential to reach high places, at least mentality wise. If he started a gang or something, then Jamie would be a good right hand, but Max didn''t plan to start a power, thus he had no plans to help Jamie. No matter how much he thinks about it, starting a power is a losing deal. With his simulator, it''s better to invest his time to try to make a pet army 100% loyal and trustworthy, having endless potential using his simulator. Although there is a limit on the pet contracts he can maintain. There should be ways to go around it. If he had some system related to kingdom building and such, then max would do it without hesitation, but for him now, starting a power is like letting others take advantage of him. If he needs high-level resources then Rob them, if he needs lower level resources in huge amount or something like that he already has a plan for that, Lucy would be responsible for it, but that''s a future matter. For now, Max planned to go to his room and read the list of goods carefully. Suddenly, Max noticed a new passenger. Short black hair, blood-red eyes, overall Gothic clothing style. Max''s gaze was directed at her chest, or to be more precise, he locked his gaze on a red gem necklace. Greed flashed in Max''s eyes, but he averted his gaze quickly, chatting with Jamie. Lucy felt Max''s change immediately and gazed at the woman curiously. The woman seems to have felt something and looked in Max''s direction. But looking at the pet that locked its gaze on her chest, her mouth twitched. That fairy is clearly looking at her chest, not at the necklace. She felt funny, '' aren''t you a female fairy?, what are you looking at? '' Shaking her head, she just left, having too much on her mind to care about some weird pet. ..... Looking at her back, Max smiled. as the owner of the pet, that woman completely ignored him. "lawful faction?, huh" Of course, in a normal situation, the woman should''ve regarded Max, but his passive is quite overpowered. Max left to his room silently, unable to shake the Greed in his heart. Chapter 24 blood Essence. Max sat next to the window, deep in thought. ¡°That gem necklace is definitely a blood Essence Crystal, but the question is, how can I get my hands on it? ¡° Among the different body stats, the hardest to rase is vitality. Every single item that can enhance Vitality is a Priceless treasure, and that blood Essence is one of the best of them all, having no side effects. Although with his talent, and especially if his plan worked, Max will never need such a thing. However, currently this thing is super useful to him, after finalizing the calculations about the operation related to activating his talent. Having a high vitality rank will definitely increase the success rate by at least 20%. Max already had multiple plans to increase his vitality. One of them is to let Lucy look for such treasures in the mountains, either in real life or in the simulator. However, in both situations, the success rate is very low. Such things are super rare in real life, while it''s too dangerous for Lucy to travel around in the simulation. Without her mountain form, she won''t be able to last for hundreds of years. So getting from this woman will solve him a lot of trouble. Lucy seems to understand Max''s intentions and waved her tiny fists in the air, ready for a fight. ¡°Sigh¡­ little Lu, that woman doesn''t look weak. More importantly, there''s something wrong with her. No one in his right mind will walk around looking like a vampire while holding vampire related Treasures.. Sigh.. For now, let''s just watch. If you''re able to reach E-rank before she gets off the train. I will consider making a move ¡°. Lucy just left to watch her new series on the laptop. Complex things didn¡¯t matter much to Lucy; she believed that simply listening to Max was enough in serious matters. .... Max enjoyed the fast moving scenery, while reading the list Jamie gave him. There wasn''t anything too precious. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Max was kind of disappointed. He wanted a certain blue skill that was very compatible with Lucy. moreover, that skill is considered useless, so it''s quite cheap. ¡°sigh.. sadly star tower considers blue skills a tactical resource and will not trade it off unless you have the star mark¡± Max was super annoyed at the government in this world. Back on Earth, governments are careful with this kind of thing, afraid of public backlash, but in this world the government gave him the feeling that they didn''t give a shit about public backlash. So what if you know we are monitoring you?. So what if you know we are hording resources?. What are you going to do about it?. Complain.? protests.? R¨¦bellion.? Wanna have a coffee date with our S-ranks?. ... After some time, Max picked some useful things. E-rank poison bottle. F-rank health potion. And two white skills. It should be a total of 70k. ...... Of course, unlike the premium goods of the star tower, this should be the barely usable kind. But it can''t be helped, buying from the star tower is a no-go. After making his choice, Max fell asleep. He''d only buy the things when he gets closer to his destination. One day later¡­.. Max is currently enjoying his meal with Jamie. In the past day, he kept observing that woman. She seems to be anxious or maybe waiting for something. And her actions, made him confused, It almost felt like she want to be suspicious on purpose. Max also asked for Jamie¡¯s help. This guy has some connection on the train, otherwise staying on board all year long won¡¯t be possible without a lot of complications, but even so, he didn''t find much. Her name is Beatrice van born. 32 years of age. ... "Max that woman looks like bad news, no matter how you look at it she is either a vampire or cosplaying as one.¡± Max just shook his head," don''t worry about it, tell me what''s the next stop. ¡± Max didn''t want to discuss the matter with Jamie, so he just changed the subject. ¡°it should be Hakoing city, my hometown actually,¡± Jamie seems to ponder something . ¡°by the way Max, I always had the feeling I saw you before, in Hakoing city. Could it be your also from there¡±. Max scratched his head, trying to remember, ¡°The city I was born in indeed seems to be Hakoing, but I left it at a very young age.¡± Max wasn''t sure if Jamie''s feeling was from his passive skill, or he actually saw him or maybe some family member that looks like him, but it didn''t really matter to him. ¡° weird, I could swear I saw you there, a few times at that.¡± ¡°well it''s not a big deal, anyway I will go take a rest. If you find anything new about that woman, let me know ¡°. Looking at the time, Max stood up. ¡®The cooldown should be over in a few minutes¡¯. ¡°alright, take care max¡±. Jamie just nodded, he wasn''t stupid and could guess that Max isn''t interested in the woman herself but in the blood Essence, it can''t be helped such a treasure is too recognizable, but even so he didn''t have any idea about it. After all, both Max and that woman don''t look simple. It''s not his turn to jump in. Anyway, it''s not a big deal for him to ask around for Max. Anything else is none of his business. Auxiliaire Chapter : Knowledge : power level, Skill mastery, ranks, grades. I kept things as simple as they get. First power levels: F. E. D. C. B. A. S. SS. SSS With ++and -- F++ means the very peak of the F-rank same for other ranks. The rank is determined based on states for pets and beasts. For humans, it''s determined by a test, but generally speaking, as long as some can defeat a beast of a certain rank, that someone is judged to be of the same rank as the beast or higher. J 2nd attributes : .... Strength: [ related to physical power]. .... Agility: [ related to nerve reflexes and speed]. ..... Vitality: [ related to resistance to both diseases and abnormal status, as well as defense and self-healing Factors]. ..... Spiritually: [ related to comprehension energy control energy capacity]. The extent of powers. 1 point equals the stats of a normal, healthy man. Either in strength, agility, vitality, or spirituality. F rank is equal to 5 points, while F++ is equal to 10 points E++ equals 100 points. D++ equals 1000 points. C++ equals 10,000 points. B++ equals 100,000 points. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.A++ equals 1000,000 points The stats of an S rank can no longer be calculated; relevant devices tend to malfunction immediately after use. 3rd Skills and abilities : ... Ability.... there are only 3 methods to acquire Abilities : Inheritance is the process of a more powerful being sharing the same bloodline as you voluntarily passing an ability to you. .. or through awakening the potential deep in your blood. .. or by being born with it; in this case, it''s called innate ability. Ability grades: abilities are hard to judge and even harder to measure thus given no grading system. Skills : Skills are more common. They can be learned from others or skill scrolls. Comprehended or even invented by oneself. Skill grades: white. Green. Blue. Purple. Orange. 4th skill mastery : ..... Initiation: You can only use the basic form of the ability without having any understanding of it. ... Primary mastery: you can use everything the ability has to offer with some limits, and you have some understanding of it. ... Advanced mastery: the ability is already part of your instinct, using it to its full potential, and you have a deep understanding of its workings. ... Perfected: You already know all there is to know about the ability and can mold it however you want, going beyond its limits, Perfected is related to one''s understanding, comprehension, and a bit of luck. Even if two people of the same race, same age, same gender, same talent, and power level, even with similar thinking processes, they can not have the same perfected skill or ability. As for equipment and items let''s make it simple from F to SSS. Chapter 25 new location. Inside the cabin, Max stood with a magnifying glass in one hand and a set square in the other. In front of him, a holographic 3D map of the simulation world displayed. The laptop beside him showed several articles on geography, covering topics such as basic geography, mineral vein distribution, and finding blessed lands. Meanwhile, Lucy watched Max anxiously as he gestured in the air like a madman. Max''s current expression clearly showed his frustration. Geography was clearly not his area of expertise, and he couldn''t help but feel annoyed at the lack of a zoom function on the map, despite all the technological advancements of the simulator. Due to the presence of the blood Essence, Max made a cautious decision to alter the mountain in this simulation. The mountain where Lucy constantly simulated had undoubtedly concealed some secrets, but it also harbored numerous perils As long as the mountain is not especially bad, Lucy only needs to survive long enough until she reaches E-rank. Once that''s achieved, Max will have a promising chance to acquire the blood essence. ¡­. After an unknown amount of time. Lucy sighed in relief. Max finally stopped his crazy shenanigans. In her heart, she decided to stop being mischievous, otherwise with Max''s current appearance, he might really go mad some day. Max didn''t notice Lucy''s strange gaze. "little Lu come here." To Max, Lucy seems a lot smarter, most probably because of the increased attributes, so he decided to explain a little to her. "little Lu, listen carefully. We are going to play that game. Don''t think about me. Once you become stronger, we will meet". Max kept going on and on, explaining everything in simple words. Lucy nodded solemnly. Max wasn''t sure how much she understood, but still he started the simulation. He already picked a new starting location. This time Lucy shouldn''t have any trouble, since the location seems deserted. simulation started. [ding,] as the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. [In the first year, you found yourself in front of a mountain. You were confused about your new surroundings, although you told your pet master you understand, but you were just caring for his mental sanity. In fact, you were daydreaming and didn''t listen at all. Being confused about what to do, you decided to possess the mountain in front of you first.] Looking at this scene, Max''s eyebrow kept twitching fiercely ''you little, just wait in till you''re done and I will deal with you''. [in the 2nd year, thankfully, you seem to remember some of your pet master''s words and decided to grow stronger first, You already possessed the mountain and started to take control of it; because of your high attributes and your innate ability, your progress is astonishingly fast, but you were slightly distracted, not completely sure about your situation, which slowed down your progress a bit] . [in the 6th year, you took complete control of the entire mountain, on this year you seem to understand your situation, Your cheap master put you in this test without telling you. Although still annoyed at your cheap master''s actions, you decided to be the bigger person. Cheering yourself up, you start working hard to get stronger]. Max was completely speechless. His expression expressed one word. "I am innocent". [In the 7th year, you switch to training your Misty Mountain skill. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.If you can reach a certain level in Mist control, you might be able to cast the world of Mist like the protagonist in your new series, that way your cheap master won''t be able to hide from you.] [In the 11th year, your Misty Mountain proficiency reached the primary mastery. You also felt some weird energy in the surroundings, but you ignored it in order to practice the Misty Mountain skill. The surrounding terrain is completely deserted, even the Wildlife around is rare. Although you are bored, you have more time to practice.] [In the 15th year, you continue practicing, but today an earthquake hit the surroundings. Although you aren''t strong but resisting a weak earthquake isn''t a problem for you. Under your blessing, the mountain was mostly unaffected.] "an earthquake, huh?" [In the 16th year, you continue practicing, but your progress is slow.] [In the 18th year, you switched your focus to the energy in the surroundings. You had the feeling this will be useful in your practice of Misty Mountain]. [in the 24th year, you continued practicing, trying to merge the Mist with the weird energy in the surroundings, but another earthquake hit, this slowed your progress a bit.] [In the 30th year, your efforts were rewarded, and your Misty Mountain proficiency reached the advanced mastery. You tried to cast the world of Mist from the series; but you ended up filling the mountain by Mist, sadly you couldn''t control reality itself within the Mist like the protagonist. You didn''t know where you went wrong.] "What.?. Good guy. You, a greenhorn, want to control reality." Max was dumbfounded. He always chose flashy works to inspire Lucy, but this seems a bit too flashy. [In the 37th year, your progress in Misty Mountain came to a complete Hult. Not knowing how to proceed, you felt bored and started playing with Mist, making giant shapes. You made a big face looking like your cheap master, taking extra effort, making it a little more handsome than it should be. Knowing your master''s insecurity about his not so handsome face, he should be happy by your efforts.] Max was holding his face, making sure his eyebrows didn''t twitch. "At this rate, I will develop myokymia out of anger " [In the 44th year, the earthquakes started occurring more frequently. You suffered some damage but not much]. [In the 50th year, you started messing around with the energy around. Pulled it towards the mountain, making the mountain grow faster. This made it easier to resist the frequent earthquakes.] At this point, Max was sure he made a big mistake. This place is a dead end. He had some suspicion about what caused the earthquakes,and if his guess is right, then Lucy won''t last long. [In the 59th year, the earthquakes became stronger and stronger, and more frequent. This made it impossible to make progress.] "Sigh.. I shot myself in the leg". Up in till now, max didn''t let Lucy watch works about cowardly protagonists because he wants to explore the secrets of that mountain. Thus, Lucy will most probably die with the mountain. "Sigh. Now I wish I didn''t change locations. What do I know about geography? Why did I have to play smart-ass? ". max felt regretful, but at this point there''s nothing he can do. [In the 67th year, the earth started cracking, the surrounding mountains collapsed. Looking at the mass destruction, you felt awed and seem to understand something.] "oh, making a comeback?". Max had a bit of expectation. [In the 80th year, the Destruction has reached a certain limit,and you seem to comprehend something, just a little more.] [In the 81st year, an earthquake never seen before hit you, and the mountain split in half, and you died with the mountain.] [ding, simulation ended.] Chapter 25 Advanced mastery. [Simulation ended, entering cooldown]. [cooldown duration one week ]. [Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. "Sigh.. As expected, it''s the Plate tectonics shifting, and Lucy is at the core of it. On second thought, I should have expected this." Max remembered the huge flood in the past simulations. It should be because of this, although the simulator said it was due to the heavy rain, but the simulator uses Lucy''s point of view and thought process to report. Back on Earth, in the far past, there was only one big continent. It''s all due to the movement of the plate tectonics that the world got separated into multiple continents. Sighing again, Max picked [Misty Mountain]. It''s the only thing he could choose, anyway. Lucy didn''t even live past the 100 year mark. "Sigh!. Simulator, show me Lucy''s stats" [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: F-. Agility: F++. Vitality: F--. Spirituality: E. Overall evaluation: F+. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler]. 2- [Misty Mountain : Skill rank: green Proficiency: Advanced mastery. . Allow the user to control a special type of mist mixed with spiritual energy having high concealment effect, going up to one rank above the user''s own. . The Mist can enter a solid state and used to attack or defense, in this state, the consumption of energy is multiplied by 5 times ]. "wow. So that''s a green grade skill at the advanced mastery," Max couldn''t help but smile. Normal people need at least 20 years on average to reach this stage, but the simulator helped Lucy jump it immediately. Max looked at Lucy. She already woke up, and currently holding a solid tiny white great-sword. Max could clearly see the excitement in her eyes. He also seems to see a reflection of a pigeon?. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.''It''s just an illusion¡­ maybe.?'' "little Lu, come here". Lucy obediently came forward, looking at max tilting her head to the side. Max''s eyebrow twitched. He wanted to educate this little She-devil, but on second thought, the girl didn''t even remember the process of the simulation. What would he educate her for? More importantly, this time he seems to of made a mistake. ''Sigh!. forget about it, I can''t bear to punish the little one, anyway '' "little Lu, make me a sword". Lucy nodded happily and made another sword, handing it to Max, waiting for the praise. Looking at the tooth picking stick in his hand, Max didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "Lucy, how am I supposed to use this? Make me a bigger one. " The little one seems to think for a while, then taking the tiny sword from Max, she started swinging it, while looking at Max and through their shared link she expressed herself. '' see that''s how you use it''. With twitching eyebrows, max explained to Lucy patiently, "I just want a bigger one, this big please". This time, Lucy understood and without anymore complications made a new over 1 m tall sword. "make it sharper¡­ yes, just like that ¡­ good, good ". Holding the sword in his hand, Max felt amazed. ''it should be as tough as Steel, and this sharpness, amazing''. "Lu, in your mountain form, you should be able to make gigantic swords and shoot them like meteorites. Even if it''s a D-rank, you can fight. " Lucy didn''t understand much, but just smiled foolishly while making all kinds of shapes using Mist. She had great plans for this, all of them related to a certain pigeon. Max fell deep in thought. Is it possible to use this ability to get that blood Essence?. After some time, Max gave up on the idea. He won''t give up on it, but for now there''s nothing he can do about it. Knock. Knock. Knock. "Max, it''s me Jamie. I got some news for you. Are you awake?, Max. " "I am coming. Stop knocking." Chapter 27 Nicholas & Julio. standing up, Max felt a little tired. Shaking off the tiredness, Max had a solemn expression on his face as he spoke. "little Lu, listen to me carefully". Lucy went silent and listened to Max obediently. Whenever she saw Max being serious, it means it was no time to play. "you can''t use your skill without my permission. Ask me first if you want to do anything. " Lucy nodded obediently. Max still felt unconvinced, so he kept explaining for a while longer, leaving Jamie waiting outside. After Max judge that Lucy truly understood, Max held her in his arms and opened the door. Jamie had a helpless look on his face. He has been waiting for a long time. "What is it? Why are you so jumpy? Jamie, it''s almost night". "Sigh, big brother, I got some news. Let''s talk somewhere else" "just come inside." The two sat in front of each other In Max''s cabin. "so what is it? ". "first there are some new goodies assigned to me in the next station, if you''re interested". "oh, of course I am, but that could wait till the morning. " "well, I am here about the other news. You see, there''s two new passengers asking questions about that woman, ah what was her name.. Beatrice?. " "Oh, tell me everything." Max''s lazy expression disappeared as he listened carefully. "so they asked all kinds of questions. I don''t remember much, just common questions. But the guys themselves are interesting. You see, no matter how I look at them, they don''t seem like good people. I thought it would be the police looking for her, but those guys are obviously outlaws, same as you, Max." Max''s mouth twitched a little. ''what do you mean an outlaw? I didn''t even do anything wrong, at least not yet. '' Max suddenly remembered his days under boss Hu. Other than killing, he did everything else. ''ahem, forget about it''. Jamie seems embarrassed. He was too blunt just now without realizing. "alright thanks a lot Jamie." Max transfers 1k credit to him, Jamie smiled. Just like Max in the past, he is saving money for the talent serum. however, unlike Max buying it at the school price, he has to pay at least 100k for the worst kind with the lowest chance of success. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon."alright I will go back to my room. Good night". "see you tomorrow". Nodded Max, looking at Jamie''s leaving back. ...¡­. Max jumped on the bed deep in thought. "Maybe I still have a chance". Max didn''t plan to check on the new passengers now. At this time, he would look suspicious. He just fell asleep. ... On a nearby cabin, two individuals were engaged in a heated argument. One of them, a tall and muscular person with brown skin and long hair, expressed frustration. "This job is too big for us. Are they trying to get us killed?". His partner, a scholarly-looking man with a starfish on his shoulder, gave him a stern look. "The significance of this task depends on our actions. Besides, the target is just an E-rank individual." The frustrated burly man continued venting, "how useless can they be? Those fucking vampires, even their princess betrayed them. If she reports our cooperation with the vampires to the government, we''ll be in trouble. Two weaklings like us shouldn''t be burdened with such a job." "shut up, what if someone hears you?". The burly man just shrugged and pointed at his necklace. That''s an E-rank concealment artifact. Their voices will not leave the cabin. "sigh. You need to understand that the organization is also helpless in this situation. All S-rank powerhouses are being monitored by the government. If an S-rank were to rush all the way just to kill an E-rank vampire that snuck into human territory, it would raise suspicion and we might be stopped. Additionally, other members cannot be fully trusted. Only descendants of the organization''s Higher Ups, like us, can be trusted to take care of this." The burly man felt annoyed. He understood all of that, but still this kind of thing related to his life and everyone he knows put a lot of pressure on him. Looking at the burly man''s expression, the scholarly men comforted, "Nicholas, look at it like this. If we succeed, then forget about the D-rank beast you''ve been asking for, even B-Rank isn''t a problem". "Sigh, whatever Julio you always been the smart one, I would just follow your plan". ........... Chapter 28 ..................... In the morning, Max woke up well rested. While stretching, he looked around, looking for the little one. Usually she sleeps next to him, going to bed early and waking up late. Not finding her next to him when he wakes up is kind of rare. Walking around, Max saw a scene that made him speechless. Currently, the little she-devil is holding a tiny Mist sword while looking at the sleeping pigeon with longing. She looks down at her sword, then at the pigeon, but remembering that her cheap master told her not to use her skill, she didn''t make a move. In her tiny mind, just holding the sword isn''t using the skill. ¡® is one stab also considered not using? ¡® she wondered. Max didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, looking at the little one. She kept looking down at her sword, then up at the pigeon, then down again at the sword. Max just pretended not to see any of that, and just went to take a his morning bath. .... After that, Max went out to have breakfast with Jamie. ¡°Lucy, come let''s go¡±. Lucy flew towards Max and sat on his shoulder. Max smiled at her, ¡°Lu, you know that making a mist sword is considered using your skill.¡± Lucy stiffened and gave Max an ugly smile. ¡°hhh. Don''t worry, I am not mad, little Lu, just a little more, and we''d be free. You can do whatever you want then. for now, be patient. ¡° Lucy sighed in relief. Thankfully, Max doesn''t seem angry. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She nodded at max showing her understanding. Honestly, this time. As for the pigeon, Max selectively ignored its existence. Anyway, who told it to bully this little she-devil? A person should be responsible for his actions, or a pigeon in this case. ....... At the restaurant, Max enjoyed his food next to Jamie while examining the surroundings. ¡°so where are they, the new passengers, I mean.¡± ¡°The coffee is really good, Max. I see why you like it.¡± Jamie suddenly changed the conversation. Max didn''t flinch and responded immediately. ¡°I told you, didn''t I. ¡° Among people of the underworld, when the conversation change suddenly, that usually means cops are around, or someone suspicious. Simply, it means this conversation isn''t meant for the ears around. Jamie just spoke casually, ¡°Yeah, but you know I am not a coffee type of guy.¡± ¡°you''re just young.¡± ¡°we are almost of the same age.¡± ¡°It is not the same.¡± Suddenly, two people interrupted the conversation. One tall and burly, the other thin. The thin man addressed Max, ignoring Jamie. ¡°hello there, the name is Julio and my friend is Nicholas, you should be Jamie. ¡°. Max felt awkward. ¡°my name is Max. The one next to me is Jamie. ¡° Jamie felt annoyed, but it''s a small matter so he just nodded. ¡°oh, I am sorry about that. ¡° The two didn''t care much and sat down with them. Although they disregarded Jamie, they showed enough respect for Max. ¡°well friends, I came to you with some business, but first I heard you know the staff around here. Is that true?¡± Jamie nodded while Max kept silent. Getting Jamie''s confirmation, the thin man smiled. ¡°you see, there is a dungeon monster on this train, and we want to hunt it. For that, we need the staff cooperation, of course we won''t let you work for free. ¡° ¡°oh, if that''s the case, is it not better to call the police or someone from the government? ¡° The two looked at each other, and the thin man handed Max a stack of credits. ¡°well, about that we want to claim this achievement. I hope you two can keep it a secret. ¡° Jamie¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®I am the middleman here, am I not? Why do I feel like a random nobody here? ¡® With a calm expression, max handed the money to Jamie without checking it and spoke; ¡°just help them out Jamie.¡± Jamie''s expression twitched more fiercely, but he didn''t argue and just nodded, feeling like shit. The two smiled at Max''s agreement. ¡°at night we will be working on something around here. Please inform the staff, after 2 days we will make a move. ¡° Jamie nodded, ¡°alright, but the restaurant isn''t easy. You have to pay more to convince the train-staff. ¡° Julio nodded, ¡°money isn''t a problem, for now I will let you enjoy your coffee in peace.¡± As the two left, Max just observed. He didn''t plan to jump in, at least not now. He had the suspicion that Beatrice was deliberately trying to attract someone. He didn''t know if the two noticed or not, but she was using herself as bait, or at least that''s how Max saw it. All along, Lucy just enjoyed her food, not caring about what''s going on around here. Although she was interested in the starfish on that man''s shoulder, she wanted to introduce it to a certain pigeon. they will make great friends in arms, but sadly Max warned her through their spiritual link to not mess around. Chapter 29 vampires plan After finishing his coffee, Max stood up heading to his room. He already instructed Jamie to help Julio and Nicholas. And Since Jamie was completely dominated by his passive, Max didn''t worry about it. Normally under the effect of lawless aura, such a thing shouldn''t happen since Jamie doesn''t work for Max, however this is the real world, not a game. Skills and abilities aren''t frozen to work exactly as the description. Its effect will change under different circumstances, for example, the target''s strength, personality, Max''s own charisma and strength. Over the past week, Max kept testing the limit of his passive, and he could put Jamie under the control of the 3rd effect of lawless aura, to some extent though. Lawless aura : 3-if you show greater strength in front of individuals of the lawless faction under your command, they cannot rase any thoughts of opposition or betrayer towards you. ''Such a powerful skill, yet I don''t know how to squeeze it in my plans''. Max kept thinking about how to best make use of his skill since he realized he had it, however he never planned on starting a force or taking control of one. "Sigh, whatever. It might be useful in the future." ¡­. While walking to his cabin, Max suddenly stopped. He felt something. Looking at the closed door of his cabin, Max squinted his eyes. Such random feelings must be from his passive, although this time the feeling is faint. It wasn''t a feeling of maliciousness, but rather of irritation or something similar. Max just turned around, going back, planning on spending the day with Jamie. He didn''t care about who snuck into his cabin or about his purpose. Such a stalker-like way of approaching people already gave him a bad impression about the person inside. The creep can wait there all day long, anyway other than the laptop, there is nothing of value inside, and it''s not like he records his secrets on it. although Max felt like he forgot something inside, going through his belongings in his mind, he came to the conclusion that nothing valuable should be left there. "uncivilized bastard," grumbled Max. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement..... Inside Max''s cabin, Beatrice, the vampire princess, sat on the bed like she owns the place. "why is that guy taking so long?", Since morning, she had skipped breakfast to secretly enter the cabin. Even though she didn''t enjoy human food, she ate it as an excuse to remain in the restaurant and observe the new passengers. So skipping breakfast is actually a welcome change, however waiting this long has made her annoyed. Suddenly, her phone rang. Ring. Ring. Ring. Picking up, she spoke first. "stop calling me so frequently. I am doing my best. I can''t be more suspicious than already am, but for some reason they didn''t find me". "Sigh. Beatrice, I can''t hold the cops much longer. Four more days is all I can get you. News about vampire cosplay or vampire on the train is already on the web. " "but, what if they don''t show up?" "then escape and hide for now." Beatrice clenched her fists in anger, but the man on the other side didn''t stop talking. "you know how weak your case is. If you go right now saying that some humans have betrayed humanity cooperating with vampires and you, the vampire princess, betrayed vampires to help the humans. Without evidence. Who do you think will believe that?". "Sigh, alright, I will call you later." Peep. Before the man could speak anymore, she hung up, not wanting to hear more depressing news. A year ago, she escaped home, and from that point onwards, her life became much harder. Originally, she found out that some humans and her father, together with some unknown race, started cooperating for something big. They plan to take down one of the three continents. Her conscience wouldn''t let such a thing happen, so she escaped, planning to change the inevitable. Later she made friends who believes in her and help her, yet it wasn''t enough to prove such a thing, they needed solid evidence, and to get it she used herself as a bait to attract the traitorous humans, as long as they catch one and extract his memories, everything will work out. "Sigh." Suddenly Beatrice felt her blood boiling, moving on its own. As a figure made of red light started forming in front of her. Chapter 30 incomprehensible foolishness. . Suddenly Beatrice felt her blood boiling, moving on its own. As a figure made of red light started forming in front of her. She didn''t stop it or resist. This already happened more than once and will keep happening. The red light formed into a blood red man with somewhat concealed features. Looking at the imposing figure. She called in a low voice, "father." " Don''t call me that. You stopped being my daughter the day you turned your back on our race". The man snapped angrily. "father, I didn''t. We can cooperate with the humans, make peace and help each other defeating all other races.! . ¡­ . " But the man interrupted her idiotic shenanigans. "shut up you fool, do you really believe such a thing is possible?, the humans aren''t trustworthy even when dealing with each other, forget about us, a race that uses them as food, peace was never on the table between us. Moreover, the humans belong to the central world, unless every other race works together. Defeating them is almost Impossible," the figure clenched his fists in anger, but suddenly fell silent. He seemed to be trying to calm himself down, his calm yet chilling gaze fixated on his daughter. All along Beatrice just looked on in defiance. He had hundreds of arguments. Did you seriously think about your foolish actions? Did you think about what would happen to your race? Did you consider your family and their fate? Maybe become slaves to the humans if our plan is exposed, and the humans are forced to work together to deal with our race. Did you think what would happen to me, your father, when the other vampire Dukes find out that our plan failed because of you? Killed maybe or exiled hopefully? But he didn''t ask any of that. He felt deflated. He couldn''t understand the thought process of his daughter, even the traitorous humans he was cooperating with, plan to backstab him at the shortest notice. Their cooperation is just for benefits. They didn''t strictly betray the human race. In reality, if the government didn''t oppress them so much, most probably they would have never cooperated with him, but what about his daughter, a real traitorous idiot? "Sigh." with that sigh, the figure just dissipated. Beatrice stood up, her eyes welling up with tears. It was the first time her father had shown indifference towards her. Usually, he would persistently try to convince her until the duration of the communication skill ended. Feeling hurt, she transformed into a bat and flew to her room. As for Max, she decided to forget about him. All she wanted was to obtain a passenger list through his connection with Jamie, as she preferred not to negotiate with someone ordinary like Jamie. ..... Back at the restaurant. Max slapped his thighs, engrossed in the dramatic events taking place in his room. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.Lucy, on the side, handed him some popcorn, also enjoying the show. Currently, he is holding Jamie''s phone while wearing a headset. Earlier when he came back, Jamie asked him why did he return so quickly. Finding no reason to hide anything, Max just informed Jamie that someone sneaked in his room and that he plan to let the creep wait alone. To his surprise, Jamie told him he can access his laptop through the phone with his password and ID card or credit card, without the need for pre-made arrangements like setting some app in the laptop. And so Max witnessed everything that happened in his room. "wow, so much drama. I feel kind of sad for the father. " In Max''s eyes, that princess is nothing but a girl with daddy issues. Most probably, all of this bullshit is to impress her father by achieving such a great feat as making peace between the humans and the vampires. The reason why max is sure of his conjunction is the fact that his passive didn''t consider her of lawful faction, at least not completely. His passive still works on her, making her ignore him a little, but the effect is lacking. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be in his cabin right now. But Max felt that something was off. ''No matter how I think about it, so much drama happening in my room is too much bad luck, if I walked inside and all that bullshit happened in front of me, that Beatrice would''ve forced me to stay close to her to not reveal her Secret, and I will end being on her camp or something like that. Could it be that my passive brings bad luck or something? Or could it be?... huh?¡­. '' As Max came to a certain theory, he forced himself to ignore it. Digging for secrets all day long while being weak is a recipe for a painful death. Max temporarily halted his daily reading on the simulator out of concern that acquiring too much knowledge could be a danger because of his weak strength. This isn''t mere paranoia; he came across informations about strange abilities and the potential danger they pose to someone as knowledgeable yet vulnerable as him. Actually, the simulator should be able to guard his mind and protect his secrecy, but being cautious is never a bad thing. Shaking his head, Max''s thoughts switched to the blood essence. All that drama didn''t change his mind, not even a bit. His plan is simple. If Julio and Nicholas kill her easily, then max will trade for it, and with his passive effecting the two of them, Max is sure he can obtain it. In another scenario, if both parties end up heavily injured, then Max will be the fisherman and deal with everyone. This is the best outcome, in Max''s opinion. If Beatrice turns out to be excessively strong and handles the two with ease, then Max will simply disregard the blood essence entirely. "Anyway, let''s move base on the circumstances, right Lucy?. " Little Lu nodded as usual, not understanding a damn thing. Chapter 31 After digesting the information from that drama inside his room, Max switched his attention to Jamie. Today''s matter made him aware of something. The technology in this world might look similar to the one from Earth, but it''s definitely different, and his understanding of it is too low. For all he knows, he might be under tracking without his knowledge. Max still needs to teach Lucy, and even his future pets, using movies and anime. It can''t be helped. Such a method of teaching is too convenient. "yo Jamie, come here. " Jamie is currently selling drugs to some passenger. After the deal was done, he came and sat next to Max. "What''s up? ". "I just want to ask you about my laptop. Is there is a way to make sure my location can''t be tracked?. " "impossible!", answered Jamie instinctively. "at least as long as you are connected to the web, there is no way to hide your location unless you''re using some super computer ". Max frowned. He was aware that in this world of superpowers, the surveillance over the masses was strict, but he didn''t realize it was that strict. The government in this world is excessively controlling. "but how do I disconnect?", asked Max. In this world, the web access is free, and once you open the laptop it is already online, with no way to disconnect. "well it''s complicated to explain. I can do it for you and you can watch and learn. " Max nodded, "alright before I disembark, I''d let you do it." since the web is off limit, then Max needed to stock up on educational materials beforehand. After this issue is dealt with, Max planned to head back to his cabin and talk with black lollipop. But Jamie spoke to stop him. "Big brother Max, can I talk to you for a moment? " Max glanced at Jamie and sat down. "sure". For a brief moment, Jamie seemed unsure. As an orphan who went from having nothing to his current position, Jamie is someone who seizes opportunities. He made a good impression on Max and wanted to explore the possibility of gaining support from him. Of course, he didn''t have the illusion that he can rely on Max. He somewhat understood Max, and he isn''t the kind of nice person that would help for nothing in return. "big brother Max, all I want is to borrow some money, with interests of course ". Max didn''t answer immediately. Back on Earth, he worked as a replacement for a shark loaner for sometime. the feeling of resting and waiting for money to come to the house is quite good. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.however Max still has one big purchase to make before going out of human territory, buying his new pets, the same one he plans to use his talent on. "Jamie, I still need to buy a lot of things. I am not sure if there will be any money left. " Jamie nodded in understanding. He kind of knew that superhumans are rich, but their expenses are simply enormous. From the start, he asked Max with an attitude of a gambler. With the conversation coming to a conclusion, Max went back to his room, although he felt slight compassion for Jamie, who had an experience similar to his, but no matter what, Max will never slow his progress for anyone, we''ll maybe for his real parents but the two are already dead. Max''s gaze shifted to Lucy. "Maybe for you, little troublemaker." Feeling Max''s gaze, little Lu tilted her head at Max and handed him one of her seeds, wondering if he wants to eat. Max smiled, and patted her head, "No thanks, you enjoy." Entering his cabin, Max let Lucy go have fun on her own while holding the laptop. And just like that, Max spent the next 6 hours choosing education materials for both Lucy and his new pets. He already has a general growth path for his pets. "Next, it''s time to check Jamie''s new stock." But before he could, Lucy rushed to Max, tears rolling down like a tiny river. ... Author note: Hello everyone, I hope you''re all doing well. Firstly, I want to inform you that there will be a 2nd chapter today. Secondly, I wanted to let you know that I''ve purposely avoided describing Max''s appearance for some time now. The truth is, I''ve left it up to the readers'' imagination until his looks change after utilizing his talent and spending some time in the mountains. I actually have an artwork prepared for that. Now, I must warn you that there are spoilers ahead. ¡­ Moving on, this chapter may give you the impression that Max is undergoing a transformation and becoming a good person or something of that sort. But don''t worry, he remains a villain and that won''t change. Here''s a little spoiler for you - when Max is questioned by a boss-level enemy about his villainous status and what it means to be a villain, things get interesting. His answer. " Emperor. a villain is a happy individual. It''s just that the price for his happiness is paid for by the rest of the world, either willingly or forcibly, and both you and I are villains. Emperor. it''s sad that we stand as an obstacle to each other''s happiness" I just wanted you to understand this much about the Mc. I wish you all a great day. Chapter 32 freedom for the pigeon. Looking at the crying Lucy, Max was confused for a moment. He held her in his arms and patted her little head. "What''s wrong Lu?" mi. mi. mi. Max couldn''t understand the confusing messages bombarding his mind through their spiritual-link. But after Lucy calmed down a little, Max could understand what happened. The pigeon is gone!. After looking around, Max confirmed it. There is no trace of it. Now that he remembered that Beatrice should have left the window open. Max was secretly exhilarated, but on the surface he comforted Lucy, patting her back. "We will find it. Don''t worry." Max wanted to jump in happiness. You have to understand the pigeon''s current appearance is out of this world. It was so ugly, Max felt a headache every time he thinks about having to walk around holding it. What If someone thinks it''s some rare legendary pet and comes to Rob him or something. This isn''t some joke. In this magical world, such a things actually happen before. '' thankfully it''s gone, and hopefully forever.'' but looking at Lucy''s crying appearance, max didn''t know what to do for a moment. "hey little Lu, come on stop crying, if you stop crying I will buy you some more skills, something like your Mist control." Lucy suddenly stopped crying. It was so sudden Max was speechless for a moment. ''good guy, you can switch painting style so fast'' Lucy held Max''s hand and kept shaking it, seemingly to make sure Max won''t go back on his word. To her, what is a pigeon worth in front of a skill? She didn''t understand or care about a lot of things. But she cares about power and stuff like skills. With it, she can get all the pigeons in the world, or maybe get some tracking skills and find the escaping pigeon. "alright. Alright. I said I would buy it, and I will buy it," Lucy smiled at him foolishly. Max ignored Lucy''s shenanigans and started checking the new list of goods. . After sometime Max felt happy. There are a few new useful skills. At first he planned to buy potions and skills but with this list, forget about potions. They are too expensive, yet kind of useless to Max. Of course, that''s because the potions available are too low-leveled, you can''t get things like permanent enhancement in attributes, through Jamie. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit... From this new batch, he picked two more skills. Making it 4 skills, 3 white and one green at a total of 79k, although all the skills are support type. Max wanted to pick some fireball skills or something of a sort for Lucy, however she won''t be able to learn it. Most skills require a certain amount of affinity to learn. A fish can''t learn fire breath, however if that fish gains some fire related skills or abilities on its own by some miracle, then from that point on, the Affinity of the fish will change slightly and it will be possible to learn other fire related skills .............. Time passes. In the next period of time, Max avoided Beatrice at all costs. As long as she doesn''t see him directly, and relying on his passive¡¯s slight effect on her, she forgot about him. Two days later, early morning, Julio and Nicholas approached Max. The two of them were wary of Max and wanted to make sure he won''t interfere. ¡°Friend, we will be making our move soon. We just want to confirm that the coast is clear. I won''t hide it from you. Our target is a vampire and if she escapes, imagine all the humans who will become her food, suffering a fate worse than death. ¡° Julio kept talking nonsense, but his intention was clear. He wanted to make sure Max won''t jump in to help the Beauty in distress. ¡°don''t worry about me, I won''t take pity on someone who literally takes me as some high-quality dish. Just thinking about being eaten by something, make me disgusted, so just go and do your business. ¡° Max clearly declared his stance. Julio, getting his answer, smiled. ¡°alright time is up. We will go set the ambush before breakfast ¡±. Max had a strange smile looking at their backs. Closing the door, he held his new phone bought from Jamie. On the screen, a real time video of the restaurant was playing. A camera is necessary in such an important place where people gather like the restaurant for incidents like theft and fights. So max had Jamie link his phone with the camera. He plans on waiting in till the fight starts before getting closer to the restaurant. But before he and Lucy plans. On enjoying the fight while eating popcorn. Chapter 33 battle. ........ Beatrice walked slowly yet listlessly, heading to the restaurant. In the past two days, her mood has been in an all-time low. Her father seems to give up on her for some reason, at the same time there''s no trace of the human traitors, it seem like they don''t even care about her. In her daze, she didn''t notice that the hallway was unusually empty. In fact, she was walking alone. Opening the door to the restaurant, she finally woke up from her daze, looking at the empty place. Only two people stood there. One thin and pale with three starfish floating behind him. The other is a 3 meter tall man looking half human, half rhino with a horn on his head and an armored gray body. Beatrice smiled for the first time in the past few days. Finally, they took the bait, and since she used herself as bait, she most definitely have backup. Immediately she tried to contact her friends, but her face suddenly changed, she couldn''t reach them?. Looking up at the rhino man, he was holding a necklace in his hand. The necklace started breaking down and merged into the surroundings. As a faint silver light covered the restaurant. Julio isn''t an idiot. Max could see Beatrice Strangeness, so can he, and he planned for the worst. Beatrice felt bad. ¡® that should be an isolation array,¡¯ She instantly tried to leave the place, however at this moment the three starfish started emitting blue light, and Julio pointed his hand to her. ¡°Pull.¡± Beatrice was inexplicably pulled towards Nicholas. ...... Lucy, on the other side, cheered at the animal man about to hit Beatrice. Max held Lucy, and she held the phone as he walked to the restaurant. ..... Nicholas didn''t stand on ceremony, and aimed his armored fist and punched. Buff. But before the punch could connect, Beatrice turned into a bat. Dodging Nicholas''s fist and flying to his neck, planning a counterattack. Nicholas didn''t flinch and slapped his hand together, causing a huge shock wave. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Beatrice lost control over her small bat body and was thrown away, but before she could regain her senses, countless water bullets were in front of her, about to hit her, looking at the source. It''s Julio''s three starfish. Beatrice turned into human form, as a red shield appeared in front of her. ¡°blood shield¡±., at the same time Nicholas started running towards her. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Ta. Ta. Ta. Ta. As the rain of bullets ended, the blood shield was still standing, but Nicholas had already reached her. She wanted to dodge, but something stopped her. It was Julio. ¡°pull.¡± he didn''t plan to actually pull her towards him, only using the skill to stop her from dodging. Beatrice felt desperate as Nicholas Ramed into her horn first. Ball. Thud.!! Beatrice spat blood while flying backwards, but using the momentum, she turned into a bat flying to the entrance. But Julio won''t have any of that. ¡°pull¡± Beatrice looked desperate, being pulled towards Nicholas again, but this time she was prepared. Nicholas smiled evilly, but at this moment, the small bat turned into a bloody fantom and accelerated towards him. ¡°Bloody embrace¡± Swish. Swish. ¡°ahhhhhh¡± Nicholas roared in pain, Julio acted quickly and used pull, but this time on Nicholas. Ferrrrr. Nicholas, now far from the red fantom, looked down at his bloody state with fear in his eyes, his body was corroded under the phantom''s attack. He could have died if Julio didn''t act fast. ¡°Nicholas, focus, that should be a killer move. She shouldn''t be able to use it again anytime soon.¡± Beatrice turned human again, this time pale, apparently weaker. The fight kept going at this pace. The three of them were all at E-rank, but Beatrice, being a princess, was stronger individually, but their cooperation almost killed her a few times. Soon, the fight was coming to an end. Beatrice couldn''t hold out 1v2. ¡°give up you bitch, just die obediently, hhh,¡± roared Nicholas. But at this moment Beatrice started glowing. Feeling her approaching death, she used ¡°royal presence¡±. A desperate move that will damage her permanently, making her future bleak. However, at this moment of life and death, she didn''t have a choice, as a blood red energy pulse wave spread to the surroundings. Julio and Nicholas were immobilized immediately. no actual harm was done to them but they couldn''t move. The two felt fearful that Beatrice will attack them, but surprisingly she ignored them, and tried to leave. However, this made them even more desperate. Beatrice definitely has backup, They Know This Much. If she leaves the array, they are done for. Currently, she is flying with bat wings, but keeping human form, full transformation is impossible in her current injured state. Suddenly, and out of nowhere, thick fog appeared in front of the entrance. ¡°shit. royal presence should last over 20 seconds. How did they free themselves this quickly?¡± but Beatrice didn''t hesitate and rushed through the fog. This was her only chance. As she went into the fog, Julio and Nicholas regained their freedom, and ran after her desperately. She should''ve left the array, but as long as they kill her before her reinforcements come, their bosses can save them. Flying through the fog, Beatrice was bewildered. She suffered no damage inside. Suddenly something flew by, but she ignored it and kept flying ahead. In her mind, this fog should be just a distraction to slow her down. As the fog subsided, and before she could feel happy, she saw the two Julio and Nicholas in front of her, The two of them seem stunned as well. Her newfound joy instantly turned into despair as her expression became extremely ugly. ¡® ¡°what did I do wrong to deserve this¡± she screamed Julio instantly figured it out. It should be Max helping them. He didn''t waste time on thinking why, and who or what. But rushed with Nicholas. Beatrice is already at the end of the robe. She couldn''t resist, and Nicholas grabbed her with one hand and slammed down. Thud.! The floor cracked slightly as blood filled the ground. Beatrice is still alive. She looked up at the fog. From Julio''s expression, she could tell that it wasn''t them behind this weird fog that confused her senses. While Crying, in her last moment, she wanted to see who was it that doomed her. And through the dissipating fog, she saw him, a man with a scary smile, looking at her. ¡® it''s him¡¯ But her thoughts stopped at this moment as Nicholas crushed her head with a stomp. Chapter 34 Julio approached Beatrice''s body, pulling a potion of fire from his space ring. He threw it on the body, just for good measure. While Julio was making sure Beatrice was dead, Nicholas undone his transformation, going back to his human form and slumped to the ground, unconscious. Looking at this scene, Lucy opened her mouth wide in astonishment. That human can actually turn into an animal. She pointed at Nicholas, then at Max with excitement shining in her eyes, and through their spiritual link, Max received a message that made him speechless. ¡®why can''t you do that?, do it, please? I want to see it. ¡® ¡®What do you mean, why can¡¯t I do that? That''s a beast holder. That guy literally eats pets for his power, and I am a pet master. ¡® Beast holder is a complicated profession. At first it requires attuning to a certain pet or beast, then after it the Beast is killed and turned into a special type of potion. after drinking it according to a certain ritual, the person will be able to gain part of the beast¡¯s abilities, skills and attributes. The second most dominant profession on the continent is beast holder. Pet masters and beast holders often have ideological conflicts with each other. It is very rare to find a duo like Julio and Nicholas who cooperate so well. ¡°don''t make trouble Lu,¡± Max just ignored her as usual and waited for the two to rest a little. After Julio confirmed that Beatrice was gone for sure, he first checked on Nicholas. After making sure he was fine, he went to Max. ¡°This time it''s all thanks to you, Max. We owe you one.¡± ¡°It''s not a big deal. Just take it as a token of friendship¡±. Although Max actually wanted to ask for something like a blue skill, or maybe just money, but he didn''t want His Image to look weak. Or to seem like a lone wolf, even if he is. His passive is currently effective on the two and he wants it to stay that way. Max didn''t want to get the attention of whichever force was behind Julio. Right now, he''s biggest priority is to grow stronger in peace. Julio smiled and gave Max a platinum colored card. ¡°this is a special card for our association the Phantom Titan, with it you will have access to our shops, although the goods are less numerous than star tower, but there is no need for something like star mark, as long as you have this you can buy whatever is available there. ¡° Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Holding the metallic card, Max was stunned. He had no channels to buy high-quality goods, but now... ¡® such a windfall¡¯. ¡°Julio, this should be yours. If I use it, won''t I get in trouble like being suspected of impersonation¡±. ¡°originally it belongs to me but now it''s yours. I will later have them change the information to a special guest card, so don''t worry about any trouble like being accused of theft. ¡° ¡°then I will keep it. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°no thank you my friend, you don''t know how much you''ve helped us¡± Julio extended his hand for a handshake. And Max responded in kind. ¡°well, I am afraid this is goodbye. I will carry that muscle brain with me, and we are off on next station¡±. Julio nodded and carried Nicholas going to wait for the next train stop. ... As they left, Max looked at Beatrice or what''s left of her, and spat on the ground. Tfoo! . ¡°scum like you who can backstab their own family deserve a more painful death. I, Max, played the hero for once, and cleaned shit like you from this world.¡± Lucy looked at him, perplexed. " We are heroes? ¡®even with her tiny brain, she could tell that the statement was somewhat off. Max patted her head. ¡°well one good deed, should be enough for the next 100 years, right Lu? ¡±. Lu just gave him a strange look. Out of happiness, Max was just feeling playful and kept messing with Lucy. How can he not be happy when the blood Essence is already in the space ring?. Earlier, when Lucy blocked the entrance with fog, she took the chance to steal it when Beatrice flew in. With her and F++ Agility, and Beatrice being heavily injured. She didn''t even notice when Lucy stole it. As for Julio, he might''ve guessed that Max took it, or maybe he just forgot about it. Max didn''t care anyway, with his passive even if Julio knew he wouldn''t of said a word about it. Max just left to his room, planning to use the blood essence immediately. .................. A few kilometers away from the train¡¯s current location, within a bustling city. A Strange creature walked on the road dazed. The creature was painted in different colors, somewhat resembling an ugly bird without feathers. Two days ago, when Beatrice sneaked into Max¡¯s room, the pigeon without hesitation jumped out while the train was still speeding at a little over 600 k/h. Somehow it survived. Maybe all the pain it went through helped it survive. It will never go back to that pair of heartless master and the devil of a pet. ... still without much food and being injured, it is currently in a dying state. People noticed the strange thing, but they ignored it, fearing it might be someone''s pet. But when the dazed creature fall in an open sewer hole, someone actually went to help it. In his mind, he never saw such a pet, so it should be a rare one, and its master shouldn''t be simple. If he can carry favor with him/her, then it would be a free profit. But after the man went down, he didn''t go back up for a long time. People watching on the side were worried and got closer. But one of them noticed something stopped and called, ¡°everyone stop immediately. That''s a dungeon entrance¡± ......... Author¡¯s Note: Hello everyone! Firstly, I want to assure you that I will only change the POV when absolutely necessary. And when I do make such changes, they will be brief and concise, just like this little mention about the pigeon. Secondly, I will be using words and names from various languages I am familiar with, but I will spell them using English letters. This will be for pet names/locations/new races and such. Not for character names, because that would be just confusing. So don''t be surprised when you read something weird. I have done this in the past, and I will continue to do so extensively. I think it is a little more interesting this way. I hope you all have a fantastic day! Chapter 35 the Fallen continent history Max first called Jamie, and made sure the guy deleted his figure from the security video. As for Julio and Nicholas, they didn¡¯t ask, and Max didn¡¯t care. He also sent 79k credit to Jamie and asked him to get him the skills he had previously selected. After that¡¯s done, Max took out the blood essence and swallowed it. Max felt like he ate a piece of burning charcoal. He instinctively wanted to throw up, but thankfully, he held it in. His blood became hot and started rushing faster and faster, making his skin almost blood red. Weirdly enough, his heart beat didn¡¯t change much. Max felt extremely uncomfortable, but thankfully there¡¯s no pain accompanying the process. Max sat like this for 3 hours. All along, Lucy stayed with him, her tiny eyes focused on him. Max was slightly touched. The little one should be worried about him. However, Lucy¡¯s thought process is a little different from what Max thought. ¡®why does it take so long? When will he become an animal? What kind of animal will he turn into?.¡¯ When she saw Max turning completely red all of a sudden, Lucy was excited, thinking her useless master finally became powerful like those guys fighting earlier. Soon Max¡¯s skin became normal. Max didn¡¯t experience a significant change, despite stretching around. But looking at the simulator¡¯s stat window, Max could see it. Vitality: F++. Max wanted to text his new vitality somehow, but before he could, he felt an intense gaze directed towards him. Looking at Lucy, she had a questioning look on her face. And Max received a mental message,¡¯ why are still human.¡¯. Max:? ¡°what?¡±, Max was confused but Lucy didn¡¯t explain. She flew up in anger and left to watch her new anime. It¡¯s unbelievable that she wasted so much time, yet Max was still unable to transform . You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°what?¡±. Max had a question mark on his face. Shaking his head, Max just focused on his new Vitality, ignoring Lucy¡¯s strange antics. He started doing pushups. It¡¯s kind of hard because he is still weak, however 40 push ups although it¡¯s still hard Max didn¡¯t feel tired at all, and his muscles didn¡¯t hurt much. ¡°It¡¯s either that my stamina is higher or it¡¯s my healing factor keeping my muscles going, maybe both?.¡± Max spent the next few hours working out, testing the limit of his vitality. After that, Max enjoyed a hot bath and planned to head to the restaurant to eat something. ¡°Lucy let¡¯s go.¡± The little one just ignored him, still angry for some reason. Max didn¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Lucy, but he knew how to fix it. ¡°little Lu, I already bought your new skills. Jamie should get them next station.¡± Before Max could realize, Lucy was already hugging his face tightly, smiling foolishly. With her speed, Max didn¡¯t even see her moving. Max just laughed. ¡°alright, alright, let go of my face¡±. ........................ Far away from star continent. On the fallen continent where vampires and non-humans filled the streets. Driving cars, holding mobile phones. With bat swarms passing through the sky from time to time. This place looks like a completely different world compared to the star continent. The sun didn¡¯t reach the land here under the constant cloudy sky. The only celestial object that can be seen every once in a while is a blood-red moon. After the blood gate dungeon broke open, one vampire king equivalent to the SSS rank and five vampire dukes of the SS-rank descended on this world. The humans rushed to stop the expansion of the blood territory, but the solo king sacrificed himself to buy time. After the period of expansion, the will of the vampire world took control of the continent. With the buff from the will of the vampire world and different buffs from ancient Treasures and different blood arrays, every vampire Duke is equivalent to an SSS-rank Powerhouse while in the territory of the Fallen continent ........... In Duke¡¯s Lazarus vanborn¡¯s Castle. Lazarus sat on his throne, deep in thought, his tense mood evident in his clenched fists. Below the throne a shivering, frightened vampire subordinate of the Duke''s knelt on one knee, waiting for the Duke''s answer. But time was running out, and even though he didn''t want to speak out, he had to. ¡°you''re at most respectable highness, the Duke of the vampire race, my. ¡­ ¡°. ¡°stop with the flattery, what is it¡± cut in Lazarus with a sharp tone. The man shivered in flight but nonetheless he spoke ¡°my Duke, we are running out of time. What should we do¡±. The man was cautious in his choice of words to prevent further irritation of the Duke. Duke Lazarus clenched his teeth, blood oozing from his mouth as he spoke in a horse tone, ¡°use it, use the blood pond, bring her back to life¡±. ¡°yes your highness, as you command¡±. The man practically left the throne room running. ¡°wait¡± The man froze on the spot immediately. "Anything else, my duke¡±. " She, my daughter, may not leave her palace. Ever again. have someone make sure of that, and her resources are cut off, and she is to wear a black iron bracelet¡± ¡°yes, yes, as you. Command my Duke.¡± The Little Vampire gulped in nervousness. The black iron is a special resource from their world, forged by vampire hunters. Wearing it will prevent the princess from getting stronger and seal her current powers. As the servant departed, Lazarus was left alone to succumb to his somber thoughts. Chapter 36 Jamie behind bars. Small note: if you don''t know who Lazarus is the please go back to the previous chapter. Most probably because of my mistake when I repeated most of the chapter three times, you might of ignored Lazarus small POV. It''s fixed now, and I am very sorry about that. Wish you all a great day. ...... When the train stopped at the next station, police officers entered to investigate and gather testimonies, while repairs were made to the train. Thankfully, the train stayed in place for less than a day because the damage was not significant. Jamie took the chance and went out to get Max''s skill scrolls, while Lucy forced Max to wait next to the train entrance. But a surprising turn of events took place. After Jamie gave Max the skill scrolls, they went to hangout while enjoying good coffee as usual, but Jamie received a phone call from the security bureau informing him to report to the nearest police station within the next 48 hours, otherwise he will be in trouble. After Jamie made a few phone calls. His face darkened. "Big Brother Max, this should be our farewell. I called a few friends and I seem to be going to jail for some time." "is it serious?" "I don''t think so. If it was serious, and they had something on me, I would have been arrested instead of receiving a phone call. " Max just nodded. It was clear to him right away that Beatrice''s helpers were involved, likely investigating the situation and causing trouble for Jamie out of anger. "well I''d take my leave before the train starts moving." Jamie stood up and shook hands with Max. He didn''t blame Max because of his going to jail or something, completely the opposite. He is grateful. If not for Max, he wouldn''t have accepted such a shady business. And indeed this business got him in trouble, but after Beatrice was killed, he received a huge amount of money from Julio as compensation. It was enough to bribe the train staff and to fix whatever minor damage was made to the train. What''s left after that is still a huge amount for Jamie. Even if he had to go to prison for some time because of it. it''s still worth it. Max smiled and shook hands with Jamie. "well goodbye and good Luck Jamie." "by the way, I am sorry I can''t work on your laptop, but I will sand you a detailed video. It will show you how to uproot all surveillance measures on the laptop." "Thanks, but don''t worry about me and go, the train is starting soon.". .... As Jamie left, and the train started. Max went back to his cabin. While Lucy sat on Max''s head while holding a big scroll, trying to decipher how to use this skill scroll, Lucy continuously flipped it around, but nothing happened. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.For a moment, she considered that Max was trying to trick her as a payback for the paint thing. She couldn''t help but give him a few suspicious glances. Max went inside the cabin and took the rest of the skill scrolls out of his space ring. "come on Lucy let''s do it, pick one first". Things like skill scrolls can have a burden on the mind. So max plan to use only one every 12 hours. Lucy flew around, not in excitement but in confusion. ''how to pick?, all the same looking.'' Max laughed, feeling her confusion. "Lu, just pick at random. You''d learn them all in time." Taking her master''s advice, she just picked one excitedly. Max took it from her hand. "alright Lucy, stop flying, and stand still." There are three kinds of situations to expect when using a skill scroll. first is a perfect success, the pet or person learns the skill successfully. second is a complete failure, the skill scroll is wasted. Third is somewhere in between. The knowledge is stored in the brain, and the necessary changes for the body to activate the skill have started, yet for different reasons, this skill didn''t activate. later on there is a chance the skill will be activated with time or completely forgotten. But Lucy had E-rank spirituality. Max didn''t worry about wasting any of the white-grade scrolls, as for the green one there''s a good chance of success over 60%. Opening the scroll in hand, Max recited the activation incantation on it. The scroll broke into sparks of green light and slowly integrated into Lucy''s body. Lucy was shocked, then calmed down and felt her new skill. Looking at Lucy''s stats on the simulator, Max was happy because it was a success, but his smile faded as he received bombardments of mental messages from Lucy. ''Useless, useless, useless'' Lucy felt incredulous. This thing is much weaker than her Misty Mountain. More importantly, this skill cannot even be used without vegetation in the surroundings. ''where do you expect me to find trees here, on this metallic beast?'' "what did you expect? That''s a white skill. Plus, it will be of great use to you, trust me Lu". Max felt helpless. The skills he picked was made to complement Lucy''s [Mountain Ruler], and [Misty Mountain]. but unless in mountain form, Lucy can''t see that. After a long round of explanation, Lucy finally calm down and chose to believe in Max. "alright let''s go watch the new Anime together." Lucy jumped in happiness. Max didn''t like to watch TV that much, so she usually watches alone. Having a Max showing her made her incredibly happy. Max smiled, looking at the excited Lucy. ''so easy to satisfy.'' Turning on the TV, Max played the new anime modified by black lollipop (ruthless Mountain Overlord). Chapter 37 simulations preparations. Time flew by, and before Max knew it, a couple of days had already gone by. Now, the train was just one day away from reaching Max''s destination, Kain city. By now Max had used all of his skill scrolls during these past few days, while teaching Lucy how to effectively utilize her new skills through short, animated demonstrations. Now it''s time to test how powerful her skill combination can be. It''s time for simulation "Simulator, show me Lucy''s stats". [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: F-. Agility: F++. Vitality: F--. Spirituality: E. Overall evaluation: F+. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler]. 2- [Misty Mountain]. 3- [wood aura] : Skill rank: white. Proficiency: initiation. Allow the user to slightly increase vegetation growth speed. 4- [blessed mind]: Skill rank: white. Proficiency: initiation. Slightly increase the spirituality attribute. Improve mastery of mental-controlled abilities and skills. 5- [wind''s chosen] : Skill rank: white. Proficiency: initiation. Use the wind to increase one''s speed. 6- [Emerald water] : Skill rank: green. Proficiency: initiation. Allow the user to turn normal water into a miracle resource filled with nutrients. Can speed up vegetation growth speed. Can speed up beast growth speed. Have some health maintenance effect on humans. .... Before starting the simulation, Max kept revising everything in his mind, making sure he didn''t forget to inform Lucy of anything important. [Blessed mind] will enhance both Misty Mountain and the mountain ruler. It''s one of the most base skills necessary for every pet and even pet masters. there is also a small chance to get a telekinesis like effect at the perfected mastery. Although Max wanted to get the advanced version for Lucy. [telekinesis], but that''s the most expensive blue skill on the Star continent priced at 3m. That''s if you have a channel for such a rare skill. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.That skill is powerful and handy, but the real reason for its high price is because it''s one of the few skills pet masters can learn without effecting their practice. "Sigh,"¡­.'' for now, make do with this.'' .. [wind chosen] at the Advanced mastery will give Lucy some wind control, which will increase the effectiveness of her Misty Mountain. Both [Emerald water] & [wood aura] can indirectly support Misty Mountain. With a lot of vegetation. It will increase morning mist, which will lower the cost for using Misty Mountain to some extent. at the same time, the two skills are preparations for Lucy to became a farmer. Also, wood aura at the Advanced mastery has some combat capability controlling tree roots to fight and such. .... "Alright, I don''t think I forgot anything, Lucy. Remember, train your white skills first. They don''t take much time. One year each should be possible for you ." Little Lu nodded solemnly. "oy, I am serious, don''t give me that cute nodding thing, do you understand?" Max is very serious about this simulation, and won''t take any antics for an answer. They are one day away from Kain city and from their current progress; they have to at least spend three more weeks before they leave for the mountains. Max won''t have any of that. Lucy nodded again, with an aggrieved expression. She really understood this time, but Max didn''t believe her. Max''s expression softened, and he patted Lucy''s little head. "alright, sorry little Lu, I know you are a good girl and understand very well." Lucy smiled happily. "alright ready yourself, simulation start". This time Max picked the original mountain, this is why he asked Jamie to get him the skills fast. He wanted her to protect herself and grow. As for picking other mountains, please don''t joke around. Max is a little scared he will shoot himself in the leg again, plus this world seems to be undergoing changes. It''s better to play it safe. simulation started. [ding,] As the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. Chapter 38 legendary simulation. simulation started. [ding,] as the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. [on the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar land, because your pet master kept nagging nonstop for over three days. You somewhat understood your situation. You just have to grow stronger here. Once you are strong enough, only then you will meet your cheap pet master]. Looking at this scene, Max wanted to cry out of happiness. He didn''t even care about the nagging part. ¡°finally, little Lu grew up, I did it. I should go to the Ministry of Education to claim my prize for this.¡± Suppressing his joy, Max continued to watch the simulation. [on the 2nd year, you already possessed the mountain and started to take control of it. Because of your pet master''s nagging, you didn''t play around and worked hard seriously, and with high attributes and your innate ability, your progress is astonishingly fast]. [on the 3th year, you took complete control of the entire mountain, and switched your focus to your white skills, however your unable to remember which skill is white-grade.]. Max''s eyebrow twitched. ¡°good guy. You only got 1 green skill and three white, just how can''t you remember.?¡± But even so, Max is still happy with Lucy''s progress. 3 years to control the mountain is much faster than the previous simulations. [on the 4th year, you started training your white skill Emerald water. Your pet master said that white skills take around one year to master, but looking at your progress, he seems to be mistaken. You made a mental note to correct him next time you meet.] Max''s twitching eyebrow, became fiercer for no reason. [on the 8th year, your emerald water started showing some success.] [on the 27th year, you mastered the emerald water skill. you didn''t know how to go further, so you switched your focus to the other skills. They should be of the green grade, and based on your pet master''s words. It should take longer to practice, but before that you decided to try out your newly mastered skill.] [on the 28th year, you made a huge lake of emerald water at the base of the mountain. The beauty of your work mesmerized you, moreover this lake attracted a lot of wildlife. At the same time. It increased the vegetation all over the mountain. You made the decision to regularly refill the lake, to show off to your cheap pet master when you meet.] [on the 29th year, you started practicing wood aura and mastered it by the end of the year.] [on the 30th year, you started practicing wind chosen and mastered it by the end of the year.] [on the 31st year, you started practicing blessed mind and mastered it by the end of the year.] [on the 32th year, looking at your new skills, you were confused. Green skills are obviously much faster to practice. you made a judgment, your pet master is definitely confused, after you meet have him see a doctor. After making a mental note, you started testing your new skills, under the double blessing of your mountain ruler and blessed mind. All skills seem to become stronger. Wind rushed around the mountain while tree branches, roots, and veins swept around like weapons, while giant hands made of mist moved around.] ¡°calm down Max. calm down. Her progress is amazing, ignore everything else¡± [on the 33th year, under the double effect of wood aura and emerald water, the mountain and its surroundings turned into an Ancient Forest with towering trees. The mountain is growing at a noticeable speed, and you can feel you are getting stronger as the mountain grows. But on this year you notice a group of people walking past you. Your first thought is to kill them with one blow, just like the ruthless Mountain Overlord anime, but those people are out of your range, so you just watched them cautiously. the old man leading the group seems to notice the lake and came closer. You still didn''t attack, fearing someone will escape. The old man was excited and started exploring with his people. When they were deep enough in the mountain, you killed them with one giant palm made of solid mist.] [on the 35th year, you remember the energy around the humans you killed; you felt the same type of energy in the surroundings; you decided it''s worth investigating and started messing around with the energy.] This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. [on the 42th year, you awakened an ability within your bloodline (Blessed). With it you started to attract the energy from the surroundings, the density and quality of it seem to change under the effect of (blessed). This made the mountain grow even faster. Looking at the completely changed mountain, you felt proud.] [in the 69th year, you realize your progress is fast even without trying, so instead of actively trying to get stronger, you decide to let it happen passively, while you spend your time watching the scenery. Anyway, you worked hard, and now it is time to play. Your cheap pet master should not know of you lazing around.] [In the 79th year, the mountain is filled with wildlife, and you pick a few pets to rase just like your old pigeon. For some reason, they all wanted to escape, but under your gaze they never had a chance.] [in the 82th year, this year a pack of powerful gray wolves were attracted to the Emerald lake. Looking at the cute dogs. You felt excited looking at your new pets.] [in the 85th year, under your care, the wolves are already the kings of beasts in the surroundings, and you only kept the cutest of wolves as pets without the pack knowing, everyone is happy.] [in the 86th year, humans started appearing one after another, cutting trees, building huts. You didn¡¯t like where this is going and killed any human that came close to the mountain. They seem to realize the danger and kept their distance, but they didn''t leave]. [in the 89th year, a small city is already placed far away from you. You realized your weakness at long range and started remembering your master''s teachings. At the same time, you agitated the wolves to make trouble for the humans. Because of the lake water and pure energy in the surroundings, the wolves became much stronger and the humans prove to be not a match even with their weapons. This made you feel a little safer, but you had to uproot them all to feel safe.] [In the 93th year, you remember that your pet master told you to build something for a longer range, but he seems to think you can''t achieve it and just talk about it for an hour or two. Remembering that your cheap master seems to look down on your intelligence, you felt challenged and decided that you will build it no matter what, that thing called catapult.] ¡°Huh, you little. ¡­ if you can build it, I will eat my shoe.¡± Max was unconvinced by Lucy''s resolve. [In the 94th year, you tried to build the catapult. You failed. ] [In the 95th year, you tried to build the catapult. You failed. ] [In the 96th year, you tried to build the catapult. You failed. You were depressed and decided to give up.] Max didn''t react much. He already judged as much. [In the 97th year, some strange yet very strong humans in blood-red costumes joined the human city and pushed the wolves¡¯ back. You felt anxious but there was nothing you can do]. [In the 133th year, the humans build a tall wall around the city and the wall was filled with big weapons. There are even a few catapults. This was it. you had enough, not caring about energy expenditure, using giant hands made of Mist you carried the biggest of stones on the mountain and launched. After you were done, the city was half destroyed, but you exhausted most of the energy within the mountain.] [In the 150th year, you already recovered the energy you spent using your ability blessed, but the humans also fixed the city. Without hesitation, you carried the second bombardment. This time you became more proficient and destroy the entire city.] ¡°wow¡± Max was honestly impressed. [In the 191st year, the humans came back. You didn''t understand why they keep on coming back, but you sent the wolves. After years of your deliberate care, the wolves became even stronger, and the pack reached over thousands in number. Some of them can''t even find food in the surroundings, relying on the lake water for nutrients. More importantly, over the years, you gained the ability to command them to some extent. The humans couldn''t even start a base. Even the strong humans in red costumes had no chance.] [In the 230th year, humans kept coming from time to time but all of them were killed by your wolves and you seem to understand something. You also noticed that the red humans were trying to do something, but they couldn''t even get closer before becoming food to the hungry wolves. You felt proud. Next time when you see your pet master introduce him to the wolves, and compare. Are my wolves better or catapults?] ¡°You traitorous disciple want to introduce me to the wolves. Do you want to kill this poor little master?¡± Max wanted to jump in happiness although Lucy became lazy and playful, but the progress isn''t slow and her actions are well thought of. ¡°you traitorous disciple, I am proud even if you feed me to the wolves.¡± [In the 266th year, a huge flood hit the area. You were angry for a while. A lot of your wolves died. Only the few at the peak stayed alive. In anger, you pushed the surrounding water, and to your surprise, you actually can control the water easily. You didn''t know why, maybe because of your emerald water skill. but you didn''t care about the reason, because you had a bright idea in your mind. you kept making waves around you in rotation, making you the center of a gigantic whirlpool, After it became big enough, you launched the biggest tsunami towards the direction the humans keep coming from. From that day onwards, you''ve never seen humans again.] [In the 301th year, your wolf pack recovered and you seem to understand something, but before you could engross yourself in the feeling. The mountain stopped growing, because of the different buffs from your skills & abilities, the mountain reached its peak growth faster. Without your control, you fell asleep under your instinct and started absorbing the mountain slowly.] [In the 330th year, the mountain started dying under your absorption.] [In the 360th year, the trees became dead wood; the soil started turning into sand while mineral veins rusted and corroded, and although you were asleep, you felt yourself becoming stronger.] [In the 385th year, the mountain is almost dead. But at this moment, you absorbed something. Whatever it is, it was equivalent to almost double the benefits you absorbed from the entire mountain in the past years. but you are asleep and couldn''t see what it was all you know that it was within the mountain.] Max is on the verge of tears from sheer happiness. E-rank is already on the plate. [In the 401st year, you finally woke up in the middle of a small desert. You felt sad for your wolves, but you still flew to the next mountain planning on growing even stronger. While traveling, you encountered a group of humans, but you just disregarded this cockroach-like creatures as you headed towards the nearest mountain. but as you turned your back on them, a crossbow arrow penetrated your body, while injured you were able to dodge a few arrows, and got hit by a second one, before you Escaped. but your real body is Tiny & weak, and you ended up dying of blood loss, before you were able to reach the mountain]. ¡°fuck¡±. ¡­ Max hit the table in front of him as hard as he could. ¡°Sigh. Whatever, it''s not a big deal.¡± Max calmed down quickly. He understood that while Lucy can leapfrog and fight above rank in her mountain form, in her normal body, her vitality is very weak and with her tiny body, she is an easy target. One good hit is enough to deal with her. Anyway, it was just bad luck. Max is still very satisfied with Lucy''s performance. He was honestly happy watching the little one grow up. [you died] [ding, simulation ended entering cooldown.] [cooldown duration one week.] [ding, the current pet Lucy had reached the peak of the locked world.] [ding, the host can undo the world lock at anytime.] [ding, because one of your pets reached the peak power level of this world for the first time, you get to pick two options for this simulation. .] [ding, Host, please pick two rewards.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. Chapter 39 E-rank & new ability. [ding, the host can undo the world lock at anytime.] [ding, because one of your pets reached the peak power level of this world for the first time, you get to pick two options for this simulation. .] [ding, Host, please pick two rewards.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. Max experienced a mix of surprise and happiness. ¡°The peak of the world, doesn''t that mean E-rank¡±. The reason Max was surprised was because he had the simulator. He could check detailed information about Lucy''s stats, growth, and everything else. With these statistics, he previously calculated that Lucy needed to absorb at least two mountains before reaching E-rank. That''s why he was so angry when she died. Thinking about the reason behind this, Max figured this out immediately. ¡°it should be because of the unknown mountain treasure. Lucy seems to absorb something unknown within the mountain, which should''ve propelled her to E-rank¡±. Before picking a reward, Max had a few questions. ¡°Simulator, what would happen if my pet use some rare resource inside the simulation? Will it still be there after the time Loop reset? Or will it disappear? And if I undo the lock, will I still be able to simulate in this world?¡± [ding, reporting to The Host. If the lock is removed, the world¡¯s coordinates will be lost, preventing you from simulating in it, unless the coordinates are rediscovered and locked again. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Unless you lift the lock, simulation in other worlds is impossible.] [ding, reporting to The Host. The law of world will fix the anomaly of lacking energy and replace it. An identical resource will appear instead of it, however, every time the resource is used, it will lose one grade, in till the world can''t replicate it using roaming energy.] ¡°I see. Then Keep the lock on for now. This world is safe and very suitable for training my newborn pets after I get them¡± [ding, reporting to The Host. It¡¯s detected that this world is too weak and would provide little benefits for your current pet. Please undo the lock as soon as possible.] Max ignored the simulator¡¯s advice. He had his plans, but for now, he picked the rewards. ¡°pick, complete body stats and (blessed) ability¡±. The stats are obviously the best choice. while Max had some plans for (blessed). this ability will definitely provide the best growth environment for his new pets, and even for himself, if he ever decides to start using meditation techniques like normal pet masters, or maybe become a cultivator or something of a sort. anyway this ability is super useful, and this is a good opportunity to get it. Lucy¡¯s vacant eyes regained focus. Max didn''t check her stats first, but calmed Lucy down. ¡°little Lu, please don''t move, don''t do anything and listen to me.¡± Lucy tilted her head, confused at Max''s actions. Just now she felt her new ability and wanted to test it, but stopped and listened to Max''s words. If the F-rank Lucy can harm him if she hit him by mistake, the E-rank Lucy will send him on an eternal vacation to the afterlife. Max tried to simplify and explain Lucy¡¯s current situation to her. After that, Lucy gave him an odd look. She had some doubts that her master''s mental problems hit again. How can she be that strong and not realize it?. Max didn''t know about her thoughts, and handed her a kitchen knife. ¡°here break this.¡± With some doubt, she took it but before she could test. Click!. It broke. She held it using too much strength. Lucy''s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°you see, little Lu, you are much stronger, in till you can control your new powers don''t mess around.¡± Little Lu is a little playful, but she isn''t stupid, at least not completely. She realized the threat she represents to Max. At this time, she became quiet and obediently sat down. ¡°Sigh¡±........ Sighing in relief, max finally had time to check her stats. But first he turned the laptop on for her to not get bored. ¡°Simulator, show me Lucy¡¯s stats¡±. [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. Agility: E+. Vitality: F++. Spirituality: E++. Overall evaluation: E. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler]. 2- [Misty Mountain]. 3- [wood aura]. 4- [blessed mind]. 5- [wind¡¯s chosen]. 6- [Emerald water]. 7- [blessed]. Ability rank: purple. Proficiency: initiation. You are the darling of the sky and earth, all types of free roaming energies are attracted towards you. . The free energy around you will experience an improvement in both purity and density to a certain extent. Chapter 40 Kain city. 7- [blessed]. Ability rank: purple. Proficiency: initiation. You are the darling of the sky and the earth, all types of free roaming energies are attracted towards you. . The free energy around you will experience an improvement in both purity and density to a certain extent. Looking at Lucy''s stats, Max was amazed. ¡°wow, that''s actually a purple-grade ability.¡± After the surprise, Max switched his attention to Lucy. ¡°little Lu, let''s practice on your new strength.¡± The little one just listened obediently. ¡°I am going to give you a bunch of things. Try to hold them without damaging them. If you break something, just throw it to the side and switch to another object. And remember no flying in till I say so.¡± Max gave Lucy all the miscellaneous items around the cabin and let her figure it out on her own. Unlike her usual self. The little one was very diligent this time, following Max¡¯s instructions. Max just stood there on the side, watching as she broke the items one after another. After some time. realizing that Lucy was making progress on her own, Max took out the laptop and started operating on it according to the video Jamie sent him. He already stored all the needed educational materials for both Lucy and his new pets. at the same time, downloading multiple encyclopedias about plants, beasts, and ore. even without access to the web, he won''t be clueless in the wilderness if he finds something unknown or some treasure. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. After Max delt with the laptop he started assisting Lucy. And just like that, a few hours passed. First control strength, then speed. maybe because she already did something similar when she reached F-rank. She got used to her new strength quickly, and even started messing around with Max, carrying him around the cabin. Max was already used to her antics, so he just played along since it helped her control her powers faster. ¡°Ding dong, ding dong. Attention, please. We are approaching our next destination, Kain City, which is estimated to be reached in approximately 10 minutes. We kindly ask all passengers Disembarking to be ready. ¡± .......... "alright Lu, this is our call.¡± Lucy flew around happily because she was finally leaving this place. Max was dazzled, watching her flying around at a mind-boggling speed. "Lu, control yourself. We don''t want any unnecessary attention.¡± Lucy just nodded and took her rightful seat on Max''s head and started eating her seeds. Max just shook his head helplessly and left the cabin. Money was already deducted from his bank account for all the damages Lucy left, although it wasn''t much and Max didn''t care about it. He was curious about how they calculated it or even how they knew about the damage. As far as he knew, there were no cameras in the passenger cabins. ¡® maybe it''s the same device installed in every store¡¯ ...... Soon the train came to a stop. ¡°Ding dong, ding dong. Attention, please. We have reached Kain city. We kindly remind you that we will be stationed for 30 minutes.¡± ...... Max walked outside of the train, taking a deep breath. ¡°ah. The smell of freedom, and.?............¡­.......... Blood? Huh? . ¡° Max''s nose twitched as he looked to the side. ..... 3 senior cops and one Junior trainee stood next to a dead body. Chatting casually while smoking. Looking at the body, the blood is still fresh. The junior trainee held an unlit cigarette, embarrassed and kind of scared to ask his seniors for a lighter. Looking around for some random smoker to ask for a lighter, his eyes caught sight of a gleaming silver lighter clutched in the hand of the deceased. He nonchalantly took the lighter from the lifeless grip, ignited his cigarette, and listened to the three senior officers discussing the latest match of the super league. Suddenly, one of the senior cops glanced at his watch, his expression instantly changing. ¡°Hey, guys, the next match starts in 30 minutes.¡± ¡°Damn, I completely forgot about the time.¡± The third senior officer gestured towards the junior trainee. ¡°Trainee, we have more pressing matters to attend to. You handle the situation here. Just label it as a random suicide or something.¡± As the three officers departed, the trainee was left alone, his lips trembling, unable to speak out, and he simply kicked the lifeless body, knowing that he would miss the upcoming super league match because of this unfortunate bastard. ............. Looking at this scene, Max was expressionless. He took out his phone, entered the web and started browsing ¡­ the safest place in Kain city¡­ Finding a few hotels with powerful backgrounds that offer a safe accommodation, Max''s restless heart felt at ease. On his head, Lucy was completely carefree, watching the scenery. Remembering something, Lucy flew to the train, and gently patted this metal beast a few times, bidding it farewell. Chapter 41 ¡­ the safest place in Kain city¡­ Finding a few hotels with powerful backgrounds that offer a safe accommodation, Max¡¯s restless heart felt at ease. On his head, Lucy was completely carefree, watching the scenery. Remembering something, Lucy flew to the train, and gently patted this metal beast a few times, bidding it farewell. .......... '' Using his phone, Max booked a room at the prestigious White Python Hotel. Despite its high cost, he knew it was a secure choice. The hotel had the support of a powerful A-rank entity, ensuring that no one would dare cause trouble within its walls. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lu,¡± Max said, determined not to wander around like a tourist. Kain city was notorious for its dangers, and Max had no intention of risking his life unnecessarily. Truth be told, he didn¡¯t really want to stay in the city at all. He wanted to leave for the mountains, but unfortunately, the area outside the city was classified as an E-rank danger zone. Max had made a firm decision that he would only leave the city once Lucy had gained the capability to take full control over a mountain within a short time. Because only then she can protect him while he made the final preparation for activating his talent. ¡®Now that she reached the E-rank, that process should have become faster, maybe less than one year?.¡¯ And based on Lucy''s statistics, Max could guess that after Lucy''s (mountain ruler) reaches the Primary mastery, the duration Lucy takes to control a normal mountain will be shortened to weeks or even days. ..¡­ ¡­ The White Python Hotel is not too far from the train station, so Max decided to walk there. As they arrived, Max was taken aback by the shabby appearance of the building. Actually, the hotel isn''t too bad looking, but considering the exorbitant price he had paid, it didn¡¯t make sense. Max entered the hotel and approached the receptionist. a young man who looked like a hooligan, absorbed in reading an old comic book. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°hello, is this the white python hotel?¡± The lazy young man just nodded. While completely disregarding Max, not even glancing at him. ¡°My name is Max. I have a reservation.¡± The receptionist lazily rummaged through the desk, eventually producing a key and tossing it at Max. ¡°room 07, upstairs.¡± Max took the key and made his way upstairs, entering room 07. Despite the receptionist¡¯s attitude and the room¡¯s shabbiness, Max didn¡¯t mind. Safety was his priority for now, not luxury. Lucy, however, seemed displeased with their new surroundings. She inspected the room, clearly unhappy with her new accommodation. ¡°don''t worry, Lucy, we won''t stay for long.¡± Max just open the laptop for her to watch something while he fell deep in thought. ¡®as long as Lucy survives to 1000 years, she should be able to reach the primary mastery in her (Mountain ruler). But while she is almost unbeatable in her mountain form, her real body is too weak. Survival is an issue ¡¯ ...... After spending a lot of time considering Lucy''s situation, Max found Two Solutions. First get Lucy an invisibility skill or maybe some Escape skill, but Max only had one channel to acquire skills which is Phantom Titan, but he didn''t want to approach their shops while he was still a normal human. Things can turn out really bad for him if they wanted to talk to him about the train accident or something. Max didn''t want to risk it. The second option is much simpler. Put Lucy next to a mountain-chain in the simulation. That way, Lucy won''t need to travel in her normal form for long. However, the planet of the martial world is going through geographical changes, so Max can just put her next to a mountain chain and hope for the best. ¡°Sigh, first let''s try the mountain-chain. If that doesn''t work, let''s risk it and check the Phantom Titan shops, or just lift the lock on the martial world and try our luck somewhere else.¡± ¡­¡­. Next, Max switched his focus to his new pet. Opening his phone, he checked the pet shops around, since the pet he wants is only sold in border cities like Kain city. At the same time, he couldn''t help but think about the origin of his new pet. Every profession has its own hardships and requirements. Cultivators and martial artists rely too much on talent. Hard work is also needed, but without talent. Even if you had the wealth of the entire world, you are destined for mediocrity. As for mages, they require some amount of talent with a little bit of wealth and the mind of a researcher, and most importantly, knowledge. But for pet masters, a little bit of talent is enough, but what they really need is an enormous amount of wealth. to obtain pets, provide for their food, and growth resources, buy skills, pay for facilities that offer specific training. Don''t forget evolution plans and evolution resources. But In the past, having money didn¡¯t guarantee getting a pet due to their scarcity. Because of this, even though the pet master profession has low requirements for the lower ranks, not enough pet masters were raised to fight against the emerging dungeons and dungeon brakes. So to fix this problem, the higher ups of the star continent started researching into genetically modified pets with a high birth rate and a high growth speed. and although the initial potential is very low, they can be evolved multiple times because of the extensive research that was done into them. Basically, every genetically modified pet has at least nine different evolution routes. This kind of pet was made for the common population to give birth to new pet masters in order to deal with the huge number of dungeons opened every year. Thus, obtaining such a pet isn''t difficult. It doesn''t require anything like star mark or signing a contractor or such, at the same time it''s very cheap. The ash crow is one of the results of that research, and the pet Max chose to use his talent on. Chapter 42 order 40 & bad luck? Basically, every genetically modified pet has at least nine different evolution routes. This kind of pet was made for the common population to give birth to new pet masters in order to deal with the huge number of dungeons opened every year. Thus, obtaining such a pet isn''t difficult. It doesn''t require anything like star mark or signing a contractor or such, at the same time it''s very cheap. The ash crow is one of the results of that research, and the pet Max chose to use his talent on. .............. Max locked his target. Zero-wing biological institute, the best producer of winged biological pets. Back when Max chose his new pet, he already planned to buy it from them. Max locked on their shop''s location on the map. ¡°Lu let''s go.¡± Lucy flew up, following Max as they went outside. This shop branch didn''t except online orders for some reason, so Max had to go there personally. ..... Taking a taxi, Max made sure he didn''t show he was weak or some foolish tourist. ¡°Take me to ZWBI shop and be quick about it.¡± ¡°of course, sir.¡± In such a city, if the taxi driver thinks you''re easy to bully, then you will find yourself parked in some shady place, and welcomed warmly by a bunch of gangsters. ..... The driver drove in silence, while Max focused on his phone, and Lucy blankly watched the dark background of Kain city. Soon the driver stopped. ¡°we have arrived, sir.¡± ¡°hmm, wait for me here¡±. Spoke Max in a commanding tone, while he walked inside the shabby-looking shop. Max was speechless. This place looks like some cheap factory, not some high-quality shop. ¡°I guess that''s why they don''t provide online services.¡± If not for the location being confirmed by the main website, Max would have thought this was some scam shop. Walking inside, the place looked deserted, filled with dust. A fat man welcomed Max. ¡°welcome customer, how can I help you?¡± Max switched his gaze from the shabby surroundings to the middle-aged fat man. ¡® no jade beauty again?¡¯ "I want to buy ash crows.¡± ¡°oh, you came to the right place customer. We have the best ash crows here and the price is also reasonable. E-rank crows with no skills are worth 150k while an elite one with 3 skills starts at the price of 299k. As for the newborn ones, 10k.¡± ¡°I see. Do you have an elite crow that has the psychic link skill at the advanced mastery?.¡± The fat man was confused for a moment, unable to remember the specific skill. He took a tablet and scrolled for a bit. ¡°ah, you mean that useless skill, sorry, but we don''t have such a crow. Why do you need it, anyway?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Sigh..I need it to perfect my combat style. Since you don''t have a ready-made one, I will have to rase my own then.¡± Of course, Max had big plans for psychic link but he won''t tell this guy, at the same time not giving an answer might bring unnecessary attention. Max was good at lying anyway, so just give some random excuse. ¡°I see, a newborn then?¡± asked the fat man. ¡°actually I want to buy an egg. I am willing to buy it at the price of the newborn.¡± ¡°ah, we don''t sell eggs, but since you are paying that much then sure, are you buying one?¡± ¡°no I am buying 40.¡± ¡°excuse me?¡± ¡°40.¡± ¡°alright 40 then, let me check¡­.. Hmm. Yes. Alright customer, I need you to pay half of the price in front and the other half when you receive the goods 5 days from now, and please leave your number.¡± ¡°I also want to buy an incubator case, the best one, put the eggs inside.¡± The fat mad didn''t even comment this time. It was good business and he couldn¡¯t care less about Max''s wasteful expenses. ¡°That will be 550k, since it''s the first time to deal with us. Make it 500k¡± Max just nodded¡­.. Once the business was concluded, he departed and returned to the taxi. ¡°Go back to the hotel.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± ....¡­......... Soon Max was already inside his hotel room. He planned to camp inside, in till he was ready to leave to the wilderness. ..... Max spent the next period of time teaching Lucy. He really didn''t want to stay anymore than necessary in this city. So he was very strict, using anime on one side and precise instructions on the other side. This time, since he plans to switch mountains, he needs Lucy to focus on low-key development, only doing a killing blow when necessary inside the simulation. Just like that, time passed. .... One night Max was hugging Lucy and sleeping peacefully. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide and silently stood up, agitated. He looked around, trying to identify the source of his anxiousness. This was obviously his passive skill, and Max won''t ignore it. ¡®The door!.¡¯ Max didn''t hesitate. He woke up the sleeping Lucy while making sure she wouldn''t make any noise. Through their mental link, he sent a command. Lucy''s eyes widened in excitement, and she flew behind Max as he opened the window and jumped from the third floor. Lucy held him happily and flew down faster. ........ Back inside Max''s room, a ghost-like figure walked through the door, then solidified into a woman with a hot body, short black hair, and golden eyes. She looked down at her in proper clothes. She felt annoyed. ¡°thankfully, the owner of this room isn''t here. I don¡¯t have to punch him for seeing me like this, nor compensate him for hiding in his room. Sigh!, what a hectic day.¡± She went to take a bath, taking the place as her own. ....... Downstairs, Max walked inside the hotel again. No one dared to mess around in this hotel and that''s for a reason. Looking at the lazy receptionist, he spoke directly. ¡°someone invaded my room, maybe a thief or a killer.¡± The young man''s laziness disappeared completely, and a sharp glint could be seen in his eyes. ¡°are you sure? If you are lying, you won''t get off with just an apology. Our hotel''s reputation isn''t a joke. ¡° ¡°I just jumped out of the window.¡± The young man didn''t speak. He took a strange-looking phone and spoke in it. ¡°hound, go to room 07, kill directly.¡± Suddenly, Max could hear screaming and the sound of crashing. Max saw an ugly 2m tall dog jumping from the third floor holding a woman''s body in his mouth. ¡®wow so fast!¡¯. Looking closely, the woman is still alive, although completely bloody. Max took a deep breath. This is a zombie hound. It should be a B-Rank pet or at least C-rank. And since that woman is still alive till now, she should be at least D-rank. The hound walked inside, filling the hallway with blood. The young man looked at Max. ¡°since she is still alive, you can have her as compensation for our negligence.¡± The hound gave Max a bad look. He still wants to enjoy his meal, but since the young man spoke, it can''t be helped. While the woman looked at Max with a hopeful look, although this guy was the reason for her current situation, as long as she survives this, she was willing to forgive him. Although what confused her is how Max found out about her, with her special concealment ability, even the hound didn''t find her. It¡¯s beyond her wildest imagination that a random dude, she happened to invade his room, has a passive skill of purple grade. Max didn''t give a shit about the pleading look she gave him, and shook his head immediately. ¡°no need for compensation. You can keep her. The money I paid is well worth it. I have no complaints.¡± The young man nodded, while the woman''s pleading look switched to a desperate one immediately. The ugly zombie hound opened his mouth wide and bit down. . ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhvvv¡± a painful scream filled the surrounding. Max didn''t give a damn and took the scared little Lucy back to room 07. Before he left, the young man took out a feather and waved it around a little. Voosh!!. The hallway was cleaned instantly; the blood disappeared both in the hallway and room 07. ¡­.. Inside room 07, Max calmed Lucy. ¡°it''s alright girl, we are safe.¡± Lucy just hugged Max, although she didn''t care about the blood or the dieing woman, but the aura of that dog really scared her. Max patted her back gently. ¡°It¡¯s alright Lu. I am here.¡± After Lucy regained her composure, Max patted her little head. ¡°you see Lu, that''s why I am harsh on you. Only when we are stronger can we ignore everything else and live happily. Others will be scared of us, not the other way around. Next time we train, remember my instructions.¡± Little Lucy nodded solemnly. She always had vague dreams when they simulate so she somewhat understood the training Max meant. ¡°alright let''s go back to sleep for now.¡± As he lay down next to Lucy, he couldn''t help but think about what had just happened. Just how unlucky he was to deal with such nonsense. ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Chapter 43 dungeon in glory city. ...... While Max Was preparing for the next simulation. back in glory city, a handsome man got inside a limousine and made his way to Glory High School. The man was clearly in a bad mood, massaging his temples, hoping to get rid of the headache that had been following him for the past few days. As the mayor of Glory City, the workload he had to deal with in these past few days had been more exhausting than the entire year. The secretary next to him asked cautiously, ¡°sir mayor, do you want to hear the report about the dungeon that appeared in the slums of the City now or should we delay it later?¡± ¡°Well, it''s not like delaying it will solve the problem, so just speak.¡± ¡°sir mayor, it is confirmed that the dungeon that appeared in the slums is an instant dungeon and has swallowed over 130 citizens, although we are still counting and the numbers could change at any time. The good news is that over 40 of the people inside are confirmed to be professionals. The bad news is that the readings on this dungeon is C-rank. ¡° Instant dungeons are different from normal dungeons, that open the gate and wait there for someone to enter. instant dungeon appears and swallows everyone in the surrounding vicinity. They are one of the most annoying dungeon, and they had to deal with this situation carefully. The secretary looked up at the mayor''s face cautiously. His expression didn''t look good. But she had to proceed with the report because the upcoming news was even bigger and completely shocking. Despite her uncertainty about whether it was good or bad news, The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°also sir mayor, the experts confirmed that this dungeon is a martial arts dungeon, probably the first one of its kind on star continent.¡± The mayor''s face completely changed at this moment. The political problems this might bring him are too much. Every continent guarded the secrets about its professions to itself. That was easy because the dungeon types that spawn in each continent didn''t change. Take the star continent as an example. They¡¯ve never had cultivation, magic, or martial art dungeons. Similarly, other continents lack anything related to the pet master profession. ¡°send a complete report to the higher ups immediately, and mark it as a red alert.¡± ¡°yes sir.¡± The secretary was shocked, but she didn''t argue and immediately started sending the report. As the limousine stopped, the mayor went to the principal office. Anyway, the matter about the dungeon is too big for him and he just chose to forget about it. Today he was here to visit the newest S-rank, talented student and Glory High School. He had his plans for this child. ....... Inside the principal''s office, the mayor''s face changed when he was informed that Max had quit school. Not only that, after a quick investigation, it was found out that Max has completely left Glory City. The principal tentatively watched the Mayor''s face becoming red out of anger. He was helpless about this, because Max didn''t inform anyone, or give some resignation letter or took a long vacation or something. That guy just left without informing anyone. Slapp!¡­ The mayor stood up, slapped this useless principal, and left. .................... Back at Kain city Max and Lucy kept staring at a 3D holographic image of the martial world. Of course, Lucy couldn''t see it and just kept looking around for whatever Max''s gaze was pointing at. Max is rarely this focused, and Lucy was curious about what''s so interesting. Feeling annoyed that she can''t see whatever Max is looking at, she wanted to slap his head, but stopped herself in indignation, feeling that she might harm him by mistake. Max went back to using his untrustworthy geographical skills, he felt that he had a good chance, and picked a mountain-range with good aspects, or at least it looks like it. ¡°alright Lucy, as long as you are successful we will go pick you new brothers and sisters, and leave to the mountains immediately.¡± Lucy wasn''t sure about the terms¡¯ brothers and sisters, ¡®maybe new toys?¡¯ Anyway, Lucy was really motivated this time, maybe because of the encounter with the scary hound or for some other reason. Little Lu nodded at Max, and he started the simulation. Chapter 44 simulation !!! simulation started. [ding,] as the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. [In the 1st year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar mountain-range, you somewhat understood your situation, and possessed the closest mountain, and took control of it in a matter of months. you were motivated and didn¡¯t laze around.] [In the 2nd year, you started practicing wood aura and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 3th year, you started practicing wind chosen and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 4th year, you started practicing blessed mind and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 5th year, you started training your skill Emerald water, and your progress was smooth. ] [on the 7th year, your emerald water started showing some success.] [in the 24th year, you mastered the emerald water skill. Looking at your skills, you were tempted to play around a little, but remembering your pet master¡¯s instructions, you decided against trying your newly mastered skills. based on your pet master, only wood aura and emerald water can be used to increase your growth speed.] [In the 28th year, you made a vast lake of emerald water inside a large cave. This was Max¡¯s idea, and you didn¡¯t know why, but you just kept following instructions.] ¡°good job Lu¡±. Max¡¯s plan was simply to have Lucy act dead. If someone finds the Lake, he will think that the mountain is a treasured land and protect it. Lucy will only make a move when she feels the mountain reaching its peak, to ensure no one will be there when she wakes up in her normal form. [in the 35th year, under the effect of (wood aura), (emerald water), (blessed), (mountain ruler). the mountain and its surroundings turned into an Ancient Forest with towering trees, and a lot of wildlife got attracted taking the mountain as a permanent residence. The mountain is growing at a noticeable speed, and you can feel you are getting stronger as the mountain grows.] [In the 36th, life was boring. There was nothing around and you just practiced day and night. You took a brief rest of one year, watching the wildlife around the mountain. You also noticed a small village in the distant, it was far away so you just ignored it.] [in the 39th year, in the middle of the night, you noticed a strong light in the distant, looking closer, it was the village burning. Some strange humans in blood -red costumes killing the villagers and burning the land. You didn¡¯t care much. Ignoring the situation. From your favorite anime, you knew that humans have some impulse-disorder to kill each other for stupid reasons like land and gold. Ignoring them is best. But later that morning, a disheveled little boy made his way to the mountain. He should be a villager, you just ignored him.] Max felt annoyed. ¡°Those cultists are everywhere in this world or what?¡± Max moved Lucy far away from the original spot, but thinking again in the previous simulations those strange guys in red seem to be chasing the humans Lucy met first, and that chase took years. it¡¯s reasonable that the base of those guys is far from there. ¡®Their base should be around this mountain-range or at least not far from it.¡¯ ¡°fuck!.¡± Max was slightly worried. [In the 40th year, that village boy is strange. he keeps posing in strange forms, and he seems to be getting stronger although the progress is too slow. One day the boy found the emerald lake, since your pet master told you not to interfere if someone find the lake you ignored him.] [In the 45th year, your anger has reached a limit. That boy is getting stronger fast using the lake water. But you didn¡¯t care about that. What angered you is the fact that this kid broke all the big rocks around the cave in his training, he also keep killing the cute mountain animals. The mountain is a mess. But remembering your Master¡¯s instructions you didn¡¯t make a move.] Max had a strange expression on his face. ¡°normally it¡¯s you who keep making trouble, and you are angry when others mess around?¡±. [In the 47th year, the strange guy has grown up and went down the mountain. You were happy that the trouble maker left, but not for long, since the guy came back a few days later with two more injured humans. You felt angry but helpless.] [in the 48th year, the three humans plan to stay on the mountain, but you weren¡¯t angry because while observing you started learning their language.] [In the 49th year, the three planted a strange seed in the mountain and watered it using the lake water. The plant started absorbing energy. You didn''t know what this strange seed is, so you decided to make a move and secretly killed the seed.] [in the 50th year, the three of them left the mountain. You felt sad because you were just a little away from mastering the language.] This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. [In the 51st year, the strange man came back alone and was heavily injured. With curiosity, you kept watching. Not long after, a lot of humans came to the mountain following the blood trail. You noticed that the humans in blood-red costumes also came. Everyone here is strong. you didn¡¯t want any trouble, so you didn¡¯t make a move. Soon, the huge crowd found the injured guy, and without suspension, they killed him, but they found the Emerald Lake Some humans left immediately, maybe to call for backup, while others started fighting on the spot. Looking at this scene, you couldn¡¯t help but admire your pet master¡¯s wisdom. Maybe your master isn¡¯t so useless after all.] Max¡¯s habit of twitching eyebrows returned for some reason. [in the 53th year, a huge war between powerful humans broke out around the mountain. Blood soaked the soil, and you understood something. Your skill Emerald water reached a higher level, and gain the effect of {martial blood} which can increase the effect of martial arts training, and the lake became blood-red.] Max slapped his thigh. ¡°the first perfected skill.¡± Lucy is usually too distracted, but this time she was focused combined with the high spirituality attribute, and this lucky opportunity reaching the perfected mastery is responsible. [In the 54th year, the humans in red won the war, and built a big palace on the mountain exactly in front of the cave. After looking at the blood-red lake, the strange humans were cautious and had some other humans test it, but after looking at the results, they went mad and called all their people to the mountain, increasing the building speed. you just watched enjoying the show.] ¡°they didn¡¯t find her luckily.¡± [in the 60th year, you already mastered the language of this world, and currently you are reading the secret martial arts those strange humans engraved in stone tablets. Although the stone tablet is in a well-protected treasury, everything within the mountain was under your gaze. The reason you wasted time reading this is that you wanted to give it to your pet master. Maybe then he will become less useless.] Max was touched at first, but after reading the 2nd part, his face twitched. [in the 65th year, those humans seem to go mad and started killing people and collecting blood into a huge lake. From what you red you realized they were trying to forge something called blood hammer. You were very interested and even tried to help them.] [in the 71st year, the forging is super slow even with your help, but your lifespan is long and you didn¡¯t mind. However, on this year a strong earthquake hit the land, although to you it wasn¡¯t much, and you suffered no damage.] Max¡¯s face darkened, and he glanced at the geographical tools on the bed. [in the 81st year, the strange humans in red actually left. They fought so hard to win this place, yet they packed their things and left just like that. This made you confused, but you welcomed the peace.] [In the 90th year, no humans are in sight, so you became slightly bolder using your skills from time to time. You tried to continue the forging process on your own, using the blood of mountain beasts. But random earthquakes kept disturbing you.] [In the 113th year, while the forging process didn¡¯t have any progress, you felt the mountain reaching its peak growth. so you stopped the forging since you felt time won¡¯t be enough.] [in the 140th year, the mountain stopped growing. Because of the different buffs from your skills & abilities and your high stats, the mountain reached its peak growth faster. Moreover, this mountain didn¡¯t have much potential to start with. Without your control, you fell asleep under your instinct and started absorbing the mountain slowly.] [In the 160th year, the mountain started dying under your absorption.] [In the 170th year, the trees became dead wood; the soil started turning into sand while mineral veins rusted and corroded, and although you were asleep, you felt yourself becoming stronger.] [In the 190th year, the mountain is almost dead.] ¡°bad potential huh?, this might be a good thing.¡± [In the 201st year, you finally woke up in the middle of a big sand pit. Without wasting time, you flew to the next mountain as fast as you could. Your pet master told you to never stay in normal form for long.] [In the 202th year, you already took complete control of the second mountain, and you felt happy.] [in the 219th year, a powerful earthquake hit the land. This one was different, and the mountain was damaged but thankfully it¡¯s recoverable.] Looking at this scene, Max grabbed the geographical tools on the bed and decisively threw them into the garbage bin. [In the 223th year, heavy rain poured from the sky and columns of water rushed from the underground. Looking at the water pillars from the sky and the earth meeting mid air, you were fascinated, but you didn¡¯t have the time to appreciate the scene because a second, much stronger earthquake hit and you lost consciousness.] Max massaged his temples, feeling a strong headache. ¡°I guess I will change the world and try my luck. As for the ash crows, let¡¯s hope the next world is somewhat safe.¡± Suddenly, Max noticed that the simulation didn¡¯t stop. [In the 245th year, you woke up to a scenery that made you speechless in amazement. You are under the water, no you are under the ocean. The land sank, and the sea covered everything, and somehow the mountain survived to some extent. You are an underwater mountain. Looking at the fish around,You realized something. There¡¯s no air under water, and you can¡¯t breathe here. You were suffocating, and you completely panicked. ] [In the 246th year, you were suffocating.] [in the 27th year, you are still suffocating.] [In the 58th year, still suffocating.] [in the 259, you finally realized that you don¡¯t need air in your mountain form, or more accurately, everything you need is provided through your ability mountain ruler.] Max¡¯s mouth twitched a little. ¡°silly girl.¡± but nevertheless, Max was quite happy at the current situation. Somehow, she survived. [in the 280th year, you spend your time peacefully practicing while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Life was great down here, no one to trouble you, and the fish is so beautiful, you wished your pet master could see this scenery.] Max had a faint smile on his face. [In the 330th year, not far from you, hot red lava exploded from the ground. It seems to be a mountain. the only other mountain that survived the disaster.] [In the 360th year, the mountain next to you became a normal mountain after the lava cooled down. This experience expanded your horizons.] [in the 499th year, the mountain reached its peak, and you fell into slumber and the process of absorption restarted.] [In the 560th year, the process finally ended, and you woke up covered in mud, but the sea water washed it away. But you were suffocating, and this time for real. Instinctively, you rushed to the near mountain and used your skill to possess the mountain. Thankfully, you somehow survived long enough to reach the mountain vicinity.] [In the 561st year, you already took complete control over this mountain, and forgot about the dangerous experience you just went through. At the same time, looking at the countless fish around, you had an idea. Maybe you can forge that blood hammer thing down here.] [in the 573th year, you finally made a special cave. Inside, emerald water was used as bait, and you killed a few fishes from time to time, collecting the blood in a separate inner cave with a stone door you made yourself.] [In the 601st year, the forging process is slow, but you are making progress.] [In the 659th year, maybe because you already absorbed two mountains or maybe because you kept using your mountain ruler to help you forge this blood hammer, or for whatever reason, your mountain ruler reached a new level. You are happy since you have already achieved your purpose. Now it is time to have fun in till your pet master comes and gets you, or whatever he does.] ¡°oh my god.¡± Max didn¡¯t have anything to say. The current simulation made him speechless, but Lucy actually done it. ¡°she succeeded. ¡° [In the 666th year, you continue to forge because you wanted that hammer, and to your surprise, your enhanced ability helped you forge faster. You can literally move the Iron electrolytes in the blood to merge into the hummer.] [In the 720th year, the forging process ended. Looking at the bright blood-red hammer, you felt endless happiness. This thing looks powerful. Your pet master should look handsome using it. Actually, on second thought, your pet master¡¯s face would lower the Beauty of this weapon. Still give it to him, anyway it will make him stronger, still not so handsome but at least stronger.] Max didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Should I be happy that she wants to give me a present or angry at her comments?¡± [in the 790th year, this mountain reached its peak growth limit, and you fell asleep as the process of absorption restarted.] [In the 835 year, you completely absorbed the mountain and woke up. This time there was no mountain close by, and you died drowning.] [you died] [ding, simulation ended entering cooldown.] [cooldown duration one week.] [ding, Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. Chapter 45 bug-like ability. [you died] [ding, simulation ended entering cooldown.] [cooldown duration one week.] [ding, Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. .... Max didn''t waste time and picked [mountain ruler]. Although the blood hammer looks powerful, maybe even an artifact above the E-rank, ¡°it''s tempting, but priorities first, simulator pick Lucy''s innate ability and show me her stats.¡± [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. Agility: E+. Vitality: F++. Spirituality: E++. Overall evaluation: E. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler < primary mastery >] : -You have the ability to transform into a spiritual state and parasitize a mountain, growing stronger with it. -You can increase the upper limit of the mountain you possess to some extent. -within the mountain you rule, you can control everything at an atomic level to some extent. -the effect of the mountain state multiplier is increased. 2- [Misty Mountain].3- [wood aura].4- [blessed mind].5- [wind¡¯s chosen].6- [Emerald water].7- [blessed]. Max rubbed his eyes, noticing something was wrong with his vision. It appeared foggy and he could see things that shouldn¡¯t be there. However, even after rubbing his eyes until they turned red, nothing changed. He exclaimed, ¡°Oh, my god.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. There wasn''t much change in the ability''s description, but the word atomic changed everything. Lucy, the mountain fairy, seemed excited, as if she had accomplished something incredible. Max kept grumbling about primary mastery, that and primary mastery of this. But she did it, and it was easy. She was such a genius that even she didn¡¯t know how she did it. She just fell asleep or something and woke up with it. Max patted Lucy excitedly and immediately opened the detailed information about the ability. The simulator provided vast amounts of data, but most of it was beyond his comprehension, likely intended for researchers and scientists. Nonetheless, Max managed to grasp a few things. ..... After some reading, Max''s excitement died down a little after he found multiple weaknesses. 1st. The innate-ability doesn''t work on living creatures, although usable on a dead body. 2nd. Moving atoms is too slow and technically unusable in combat, at least not in real time. 3rd. If Lucy is controlling something on the atomic level, any outside effect applied on the targeted atoms, no matter how little, will break Lucy''s concentration, and she will suffer a certain type of spiritual headache and can''t control atoms for the next few hours. ¡°even so, it''s still too overpowered, and it''s just in the primary Mastery now,.¡± Max suddenly had an idea. ¡°Little Lu, if I can get my hand on some uranium, won''t we be able to mass produce NUKES?¡± The idea made Max¡¯s poor heart stop beating. Lucy looked proud, closing her eyes and putting her little hands on her waist. Although honestly she didn''t understand much, but it should be words of praise. This made her happy. Max shook his head. He was too excited. ¡°Now it''s time to leave the city first.¡± Looking outside, it''s still dark, but this is the best time. Max pick up Lucy, and left the hotel, and got inside a taxi. The little one knew what will happen next and her excitement had reached a peak, it will be her first time possessing a mountain. On the way, Max''s thoughts were still stuck on nukes. You have to understand this world doesn''t have nuclear weapons. After all, there is only one Albert Einstein who died on Earth. This means if Max is successful, he will monopolize nuclear weapons. However, this world has its own geniuses who have created a powerful technological weapon of mass destruction, called the O&HB missile. This missile can trigger a chemical chain reaction that causes the air to ignite, burning all the oxygen and hydrogen within a 2km radius, turning the land into a sea of fire. .............. As the taxi came to a stop, Max broke free from his messy thoughts. Max walked inside the shop. They called him 2days ago to come and receive his purchase, but because Max didn''t want to leave the room, he told them I''d come later, anyway he already paid half of the price. Max looked around, and he didn''t find the familiar fat man, only a pale thin man with red eyes and a collar, was in the shop. ¡® a vampire slave.¡¯ The vampire smiled and came to Max. ¡°welcome customer, how can I help you?¡± ¡°my order is ready. My name is Max.¡± ¡°ah yes, please come here.¡± The vampire took a silver suitcase and handed it to Max. Max opened the suitcase. It was warm inside it. Looking at the row of well organized gray eggs inside, Max was satisfied. "alright I will take my leave.¡± The vampire nodded, since the money was already deducted from Max''s account. " have a wonderful day customer, and come again if you need pet food or other pets.¡± ...... Next, Max walked to the city wall. Holding a suitcase and walking at night might look like a recipe to get robbed, but in this dangerous city, gangsters will only rob two targets. An obviously weak-looking person or someone confirmed to be weak. With Max''s passive, unless they investigate him first, no one would make a move on him. But Max is currently leaving, and they didn''t have the time to investigate. Soon enough, Max was standing in front of the city wall. It''s currently night, and the gate to the wilderness is closed. So max can only jump from the wall. Walking up the stairs on the side, Max stood on the city wall. ¡°little Lu, that''s the target¡±. Spoke Max while pointing at the mountain close by. Little Lucy was so excited she wanted to fly there immediately. .......... Chapter 46. Max stood on the city wall. ¡°little Lu, that''s the target¡±. Spoke Max while pointing at the mountain close by. Little Lucy was so excited she wanted to fly there immediately. This mountain is too close to the city, and Max didn¡¯t plan to make it his base. It would be a horrible idea. He has always wished to leave human territory, use the simulator, and develop secretly without being watched by multiple forces. But camping just a few meters away from a human city goes against Max¡¯s healthy brain functions. His plan is to let Lucy control this mountain first, then travel to the next mountain under Lucy¡¯s protection. Lucy will then control the second mountain, and they will continue this process, traveling through this mountain-range until they are far enough or maybe find a suitable base. ¡°alright Lucy, hold my hand.¡± Mi¡¯ Lucy grabbed Max''s hand as he jumped, and slowed down his fall, putting him down on the ground safely. After landing, Max instructed Lucy through their spiritual link, because in the city wall, there are a few cameras and observing devices. Although on normal days, the only function this camera has is to make sure no one sabotage the city wall or the weapons on it. These weapons are deactivated and only used in some beast waves or dungeon breaks. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Alright Lu, you go first and take over this mountain. I will wait here, and remember to hide before you use your innate ability¡® Given the permit, Lucy didn''t give Max a second glance and flew to the mountain immediately. As long as she is close enough, she can start her innate ability. Max didn''t mind the excited little one, and took out his phone. Looking at the short animation that had just arrived, max smiled. Earlier, when he was still simulating and saw that Lucy was trying to forge a hammer, he contacted black lollipop and asked for a short animation and if it''s possible to be quick. ¡°black lollipop is quite efficient.¡± Taking out the laptop from his space ring, he copy paste it. Next, he found a place that the cameras didn''t reach, a little farther off from the City wall and took out a shovel and started digging. Chl! Chal, Chl. After some time, Max stopped digging. He took out a small box, turned off his phone and put it inside the box, with the credit card and his identity card. With the government¡¯s way of dealing with things here, Max is 70% sure these three items are tracked. The only thing he planned to keep is the Titan Phantom guest card. but even for this card, he plans on keeping it as far as possible from his location without the risk of losing it. ¡®when we select a base, just have Lucy hide it far away from my location, since mountains are quite vast.¡¯ After pushing the box into the hole, he filled it, then placed the biggest rock on it. One can say that Max''s way of storing his things is too idiotic, there is a high chance someone will find it. But the thing is, Max didn''t care if someone found it. The phone is nothing important. The credit card is almost empty anyway, and the next time he needs money, he plans to rob it. The identity card is the most useless one of them all. He never planned to fit into the system of the government, is it not better to become the strongest than take the presidential seat directly, Although there''s no president but council members leading the star continent. Anyway, if you''re strong enough, make the president position and use it to farm the entire continent. ....... Time passed and the sun rises. At this moment, Lucy just took control over the mountain. Max smiled evilly. He could feel it through their shared spiritual link. ¡°it looks like my bad luck is gone, and things are working out without random nonsense jumping out.¡± He started running at a steady pace towards the mountain. He looked like someone working out, although the silver suitcase stood in the way. ....... Chapter 47 new base & Free at last. . ....... Time passed and the sun rises. At this moment, Lucy just took control over the mountain. Max smiled evilly. He could feel it through their shared spiritual link. ¡°it looks like my bad luck is gone, and things are working out without random nonsense jumping out.¡± He started running at a steady pace towards the mountain. He looked like someone working out, although the silver suitcase stood in the way. ....... Max kept on running. He only needed around 100m more to reach Lucy''s current range of activity. As a Max was running, a modified adventure vehicle passed by him, it looks like Subaru Ascent with heavy modifications. With an old man in a butler uniform driving, while two young men sat next to him, and two young ladies in the back seat. as they passed Max, one of the young ladies said something to the old man and the car slowed down a little. The young lady opened the window and called Max ¡°Hey you, if you need a pickup, come over. We are heading deeper.¡± This young lady couldn''t help but be interested in Max''s current actions. She was curious about him, a weird guy running with the silver suitcase in an E-rank danger zone The woman next to her had an aloof expression and didn''t regard Max. She didn''t care if one more joined them, and since her best friend wanted to be kind for once, so be it. She just waited for Max to accept her friend¡¯s kindness. One of the young man looked displeased, but he didn''t comment. While the other young man directly gave Max a death glare, His eyes conveyed an obvious message: just refuse if you know what''s best for you. .. Looking at this scene, Max had an idea. maybe this is his first pot of gold earned by his own hard work in this world, like the other protagonists. just perform his old forgotten hobby, cutting the road and stealing cars by force. But looking at the old man driving silently, he felt some danger and changed his mind. Feeling that he was only a few meters away from Lucy''s range, Max just smiled and gave them a middle finger. ¡°fuck you bitchs, I can fucking fly, and you ask me to ride your shity car.¡± In this wild environment, Max¡¯s inner hooligan finally woke up. The people in the car seemed confused for a moment. They couldn''t process Max''s words for some time. With their strict education, they probably never heard such fragrant language before. All of them had stunned, speechless expressions, even the two men. but Max ignored them and jumped in the air. Back in the city, Max always had to play nice. be a good boy with the orphanage caretakers. be a good student with the teachers. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. be the Law-Abiding Citizen with the police. Max had enough. Actually, if it weren¡¯t for his perception of the old man¡¯s strength, he would have instructed Lucy to take action. at the same time pulling his sniper to Rob them even if he didn''t need money, and it''s just out of bad taste. As he jumped in the air, and before he could land on the ground. White Mist appeared under him and quickly formed into a small cloud as he landed on top of it. The Mist circled around Max''s leg, then propelled to the sky, at high speed, under the dumbfounded expression of the group of young man and young ladies. Aren''t most flying skills exclusive for B-rank and above? What''s a B-Rank doing here in the newbie zone? The old man had a solemn expression. He felt Max''s animosity for a brief moment, and looking at this scene, he was worried. The old man decisively turned around the car, planning to go back. At the same time, he spoke in an annoyed tone. ¡°young lady, we are out of the safe zone. Laws no longer apply here. Please mind your own business. Same for you two young masters. Showing any bad intentions towards a stranger in this kind of place might mean the start of a fight and your possible death. ¡° The proud young lady wanted to speak for the others, but the old man stopped her. ¡°it is clearly your bunch aren''t ready to explore the wild, don''t even speak about dungeons, we are going back, and that''s final.¡± ¡­¡­ Back at Max. Under the air pressure he had to crouch down, stabilizing himself with one hand, although breathing is still hard, but the scenery was worth the discomfort. Looking at the surrounding scenery, Max felt blood rushing to his brain in excitement. ¡°little Lu, stop for a while.¡± The cloud stopped midair, and Max sat down, relaxing. Taking out the scorpion sniper rifle, Max used the scope to look around. Currently, he is over 500 m in the sky. Standing on this small cloud looking down, Max won''t lie. He was a little scared, but the excitement covered that up completely. Lucy seems to be busy experiencing her new senses, so she didn''t communicate with max much other than performing whatever he orders. Max, on the other side, just stood in the sky for a good hour. observing the scenery, green land, tall trees and the strong wildlife all around. Max even saw a few E-rank beasts fighting for territory or food. He wasn''t too sure. Max was an Explorer at heart, otherwise he wouldn''t have become an archaeologist back on Earth. And this is the first time Max saw this Magical World up close and personal. Experiencing it first hand. The feeling is obviously different from just reading about it or watching it on the screen. ¡°Sigh, I can''t get enough of this, but we need to set base first. Let''s go, Lucy, and this time wrap me in a ball of mist and go full speed.¡± A small, vague figure made of mist appeared in front of Max. It seemed to be Lucy trying to make a copy of her body using mist, but the shape definitely needs some working on, or a lot of work to be honest. Max laughed out loud, ¡°little Lucy, you look like a drowning fish with legs.¡± The figure seems angry, and it''s gotten even more distorted. ¡®you are the fish¡¯. responded Lucy angrily through their spiritual link. she had the urge to grab Max with from his leg, and wave him around a little, and see who looks like a fish then. Max''s expression became dull for a moment, maybe because it''s Lucy''s first time in mountain form, and she was distracted. But he can hear her thoughts. He could feel that Lucy didn''t plan to send those thoughts through their link, it seem to just happen. ¡°you traitorous disciple, now that you have become powerful you want to turn on your master, and wave me around. so that''s how it is,¡± yelled Max loudly as a joke. Lucy didn''t seem to understand that Max was joking. Thinking that Max was angry, she was frightened, and her Misty form disappeared. Max just waited for her reaction, suppressing his laughter. Lucy''s Misty form soon appeared next to Max. She lowered her head and pulled on Max''s clothes. Or at least that what she tried to do. Max didn''t laugh at her this time because he was busy trying to stop his face from twitching because of Lucy''s mental message. ¡®don''t be angry, I won''t wave you around like a useless fish, I really won''t, please forgive me.¡¯ Max could feel that Lucy was sincere, but that''s what made his face twitch harder. ¡®useless fish?¡¯. ¡°sigh, alright little Lu, I am just messing with you. I am not angry.¡± Not noticing Max''s twitching eyebrows, Lucy became all cheerful again and they resume the journey at full speed. Max also became serious. Soon Max landed, and under his command Lucy opened a small cave on the ground, and after Max walked in, she closed it with rocks, leaving a few small holes for oxygen. At the same time, the cave isn''t too deep, and not completely made of rocks, even if it collapsed for some reason Max will be able to climb up. For the next 20 minutes, Lucy killed anything that walks in the surroundings, then throwing the body far away under Max''s instructions. After confirming that the coast was clear, Max let her go to the next mountain. The initial one required almost three hours to be controlled, but that¡¯s because it was Lucy¡¯s first experience possessing the mountain, so she was a bit slower than anticipated, but she should be much faster from now on. At the same time, Max didn''t worry about her meeting any danger, because there are countless mountains around. Just escape to one if necessary. ............ Time passed and soon Lucy took control over the second mountain in less than 2 hours. Because the mountains were in close proximity, Max didn''t even need to move the finger. He just gave the command and Lucy opened the cave and he went inside the Mist ball again. This process kept repeating for the entire day and their efficiency became faster and faster. ............ Soon Max decided to stop. ¡°we should be over 15 km away from the city by now. hmm and we seem to be really close to the D-rank Zone, 2 km away, maybe? ¡° Lucy''s Misty figure appeared next to Max, this time a little more resembling her. ¡°little Lu, I think this is it. It''s our new home.¡± Chapter 48 ¡°little Lu, I think this is it. It''s our new home.¡± Lucy was really happy and flew around Max like usual, but for Max all he saw was a ball of missed rotating around him. He was quite confused and just ignored her antics. Max was really tired. Last night he didn''t sleep because he was waiting for the simulator¡¯s cooldown. And he spent the day being thrown around like a cannonball. ¡°alright little Lu, first open a cave for me to sleep. I will explore the mountain tomorrow¡± Max flew to a flat rock wall and jumped to the ground, standing in front of the wall. The mountain is slightly above 6,000 m tall, and Max¡¯s room is located halfway up. the Rock-wall started cracking open slowly. Crack!. Tk. Tk. ¡°Lu, make it into a proper room this time.¡± The wall first opened into a normal cave, then the cave walls became smooth and upright. Lucy even added some symbols and drawings as a decoration. Under Max''s instructions, Lucy carved two rooms, one for Max and one for the eggs. After about an hour of work. The cave entrance disappeared, becoming a stone door, while Lucy opened a few windows on the side. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Thank you Lu, you did a great job.¡± Feeling her happiness through their mental link, Max walked inside, and from his space ring he took out a small bed, bedcover, a pillow, and such. He first placed the suitcase inside the empty room, then fell asleep immediately. ...... Looking at the sleeping Max, Lucy didn''t know what to do for a while. She didn''t need to sleep much in this form, only a few hours a week is enough for her. She wanted to watch something fun, but the laptop was inside the space ring and she didn''t want to wake up Max since he seemed really tired. Maybe she can use the space ring? But sadly, Max is wearing the ring. And Due to his closed fist, she was unable to remove the ring. .... Thinking for a while, she decided to explore the mountain first. Max did say mountains contain a lot of treasures and such. Maybe she can find something useful for Max, at the same time she won''t be bored. .............. Early in the morning, Max woke up energetic. Stretching his limbs, he felt an inexplicable happiness wash over him. Back in the city, there was always a lingering worry in the back of his mind - the fear that someone would take an interest in him, only to discover Lucy¡¯s strangeness or even the existence of the simulator. But here, in this wilderness, he was most likely the only human for kilometers around. In this vast expanse, even if people did cross paths, they would choose to simply pass each other by without any greetings or expressions of interest. It was impossible to know what kind of person one might encounter, or how powerful they could be, or where their moral boundaries lay. For all he knew, someone might attempt to harm him if he dared to look at them for too long. In this lawless place, where killing and escaping had no consequences, it was a dangerous game to trust anyone, thus privacy is respected around here. ..... "good morning Lucy.¡± A cheerful Lucy appeared in front of Max. ¡®morning news.¡¯ ¡°huh, what?¡± ''good morning, I have news.¡¯ " oh, what is it?¡± ¡® deep & dark hole close by, ugly stuff inside too much.¡¯ Max kept trying to understand the mental message, but maybe because of Lucy''s excitement, he couldn''t. What Max received was too confusing, but after some time, he figured it out. "hm, interesting. We''ll check it out first. It doesn''t look like good news. By the way, did why did you wake up so early?¡± ¡®no sleep.¡¯ Max was stunned for a moment. He remembered something. On the detailed information about the mountain ruler, he seems to of read something about not needing to sleep much in mountain form Chapter 49 Oubach. ¡¯ Max was stunned for a moment. He remembered something. On the detailed information about the mountain ruler, he seems to of read something about not needing to sleep much in mountain form. ¡°so did you explore the entire mountain?¡± Lucy nodded quickly. She enjoyed this new experience to the fullest. Looking at everything around, while playing pranks on the poor beasts around. Max washed his face while chatting with Lucy. ¡°anything interesting other than the big hole.¡± Lucy nodded excitedly. She started sharing the things she found interesting with Max. joy transmitted through their mental link. Clearly happy to share with Max. ¡®cute wolf, adorable bear, cute deer, ugly birds but I killed those.¡¯ Max was speechless for a moment. He chose not to comment and had Lucy make a cloud for him to ride on. Max wanted to explore the mountain on legs slowly. He was an explorer, and he found the joy in such an activity. But what Lucy told him is urgent, and they might even change mountains if necessary. Max had to check it out as fast as possible. Max started flying to the edge of the mountain base and landed soon enough. But the Mist cloud didn''t dissipate. It became bigger and enveloped his body, leaving his face and hands relatively free. The Mist had a concealment effect, and Max thought it was necessary. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Looking around this place seems normal: trees, vegetation, rocks, small animals and bugs. Nothing out of the ordinary on the surface. Under Lucy''s control, the ground opened into a deep hole, and Max flew inside slowly and silently. The hole kept expanding, going deeper under Lucy''s control . 10 meters. 20 meters. 50 meters. Over 100 meters underground. The place was completely dark. Max took out his sniper rifle and switch the scope to the night vision mode. Soon, the digging stopped as the hole expanded into a giant, expansive underground cave. Max was stunned, because even in the night vision scope, he couldn''t judge how big this place was. Aiming down with the sniper, Max took a sharp breath and made sure he won''t make any sound. Because the ground was filled with thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of ugly beasts. Thankfully, the hole Lucy made was deep and twisted so no light came down, otherwise the hoard would have been alerted. This creature stands at less than one meter in height and possesses a somewhat humanoid appearance. It has a hunchbacked posture and flesh-colored skin. Its big head is adorned with two small red eyes, resembling sesame seeds. Additionally, it features sharp teeth and twisted claws. Max could recognize the ugly thing. Oubach, an ugly creature with E-rank potential, some of them can awaken very annoying innate ability. Some of them can mutate, reaching higher ranks, with a solo record of one reaching the B-Rank. It''s not too dangerous, considered an underground scavenger. But in such numbers, it¡¯s a dangerous infestation. Max kept checking the surroundings. Soon, to his joy, he found that they were digging in the opposite direction of the mountain. ¡®well thankfully we won''t have to change base again, but that direction?.¡¯ Max wasn''t sure, but the direction they were digging towards seemed to be kain city. ¡®do they have a king like existence, or is this some dungeon race''s scheme?¡¯ Max just shook his head! He didn''t care much. ¡®let''s go back Lu.¡¯ Max glance at the terrifying crowd one last time. He actually wants to take one as a pet, since some of them can be super talented in their own way. but he can''t with Lucy, and the crow¡¯s Max won''t be able to simulate any more pets. And without simulation it''s a waste to keep a mediocre pet. .... Soon Max left the underground, and the hole closed behind him. ¡°Lucy, don''t mess with them, but keep an eye on them. If they get closer, I will consider if we should collapse the cave on them.¡± Lucy was dissatisfied, but she listened to Max. Originally, she wanted to kill the ugly things, only waiting for Max''s words to start. Earlier, because Max was sleeping and their numbers were big, she decided to ask Max first. ¡°don''t be like this Lu, I know you are strong but fighting thousands of E-ranks is too much, moreover they seem to be leaving this place and there is no reason to fight with them.¡± Lucy just nodded, but obviously not convinced. Ugly things should just die. Only her master is the exception. Not knowing Lucy''s thoughts, Max suddenly realize that he never checked Lucy''s stats while possessing a mountain. ¡°Simulator, show me Lucy''s stats." [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. (currently. C+) Agility: E+. ( D++) Vitality: F++. ( B-) Spirituality: E++. ( C++) Overall evaluation: E. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler]. 2- [Misty Mountain]. 3- [wood aura]. 4- [blessed mind]. 5- [wind¡¯s chosen]. 6- [Emerald water]. 7- [blessed]. Max :-_-. Chapter 50 life in the mountain. Ugly things should just die. Only her master is the exception. Not knowing Lucy''s thoughts, Max suddenly realize that he never checked Lucy''s stats while possessing a mountain. ¡°Simulator, show me Lucy''s stats." [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. (currently. C+) Agility: E+. ( D++) Vitality: F++. ( B-) Spirituality: E++. ( C++) Overall evaluation: E. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler]. 2- [Misty Mountain]. 3- [wood aura]. 4- [blessed mind]. 5- [wind¡¯s chosen]. 6- [Emerald water]. 7- [blessed]. Max :-_-. Looking at Lucy''s stats, Max felt regretful. Why didn''t he try his best to get his hands on the telekinesis blue grade skill? Skills receive a certain buff from stats, but for most skills, the enhancement is too small to even mention. however, the skill telekinesis receive a huge enhancement from the spirituality attribute. It''s the kind of skill that will stay with you for life. Actually, Lucy''s current skills also receive a substantial buff-up from Mountain ruler. The simple comparison is the difference between a 1.8 m tall human punching down and a 1 kilometer tall giant punching down. The same punch, but the former might injure a small animal, while the latter might destroy a city. If Lucy can get telekinesis with her high stats and mountain ruler, the skill will simply be terrifying. ¡°Sigh. I will find a chance to get it later. For now, let''s go hunt my food, and Lucy, will you please pick me some fruits for breakfast, and put them in my room? I will hunt for something first.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. When he left the city, Max only brought coffee, salt and some seasoning. Anyway, he lives in a mountain. This place is abundant with food and all other resources. It would be a shame if he didn''t hunt for himself here, even if it''s just for fun. .... Max started walking between the trees carefully, looking around for footprints or any other trail. Soon he found something. While Max was tracking his prey, a hunter set his eyes on him. an E-rank eagle-looking beast was flying in the sky. The beast''s gaze sharpened, preparing to dive down, to claim his dinner. Suddenly a giant hand made of mist appeared out of nowhere and slapped the eagle down. Dmak!. The poor bird fell between the trees, his life-or-death unknown. On the ground, Max finally found his target. As for the eagle, he noticed it but didn''t care, since he had Lucy to guard him. ¡°having pets is really convenient. I guess that''s why some people ignore their personal growth in order to better cultivate their pets,¡± muttered Max to himself as he aimed the sniper rifle at a sheep looking beast. bronze-horned sheep, and as the name suggests, this sheep has two long horns made of bronze. Max aimed at the heart since the head moves too much. Bang!. He pulled the trigger, but the shot missed. the Beast moved at the last moment but luckily it hit its leg. It tried to run but. Bang!. A Second shot finished the Beast before it could escape. Max stood up with a smile, satisfied by the fact that his aiming skills didn''t degenerate ¡°alright Lu, take me back for breakfast first.¡± Max had Lucy pick the sheep and some firewood, then flew up to his room. Whoss!¡­ Soon Max arrived. He had Lucy open a small hole in front of the house, then put the firewood inside. After that, he just used the lighter to start the fire. Exploring is fun and all, but Max didn''t want to waste time on trivial matters, even the hunt from earlier. while it was partly for fun, Max also wanted to use it to check if his shooting skills had declined or not. Max first prepared the coffee and put it on the fire, then he went inside the room to check the fruits Lucy got. Walking inside the room, Max was frozen, dumbfounded, looking at the pile of tree leaves and some grass, also a dead mouse and a butterfly for some reason. In Lucy''s defense, the butterfly and the mouse are green in color. ¡°Lucy, what''s all of this?¡± ¡® fruits!¡¯. Answered Lucy innocently. Max''s mouth twitched, but he didn''t reprimand her. Taking out the laptop from his space ring, he opened a certain encyclopedia Edible fruits and vegetables in the wild. ¡°Lu, please, throw out that pile of leaves and everything else outside, then come here and look at these pictures and remember it. Next time I ask you for food, you bring those.¡± Lucy didn''t know why her master was such a picky eater, but she just listened and did as he says. Max took out the F-rank knife from his space ring and went to the sheep. Having a barbecue with coffee isn''t too bad of an idea. He only took the most delicious parts, mainly the thigh meat and the liver. .......... Soon Max was enjoying his coffee with a plate of BBQ, while watching the scenery down the mountain. Some predators decided that Max was a suitable prey for some reason, and without suspense, they were killed. And Max had Lucy throw their bodies to other beasts, since he didn''t like to waste food, and too many bodies unattended will spread diseases and such. The last thing Max wants is to get sick and die before he can achieve anything remarkable. That would be a shity ending for someone holding such a great thing as the simulator. Max savored the sun, and the stunning surroundings while sipping his luxurious coffee. Far away he could vaguely see Lucy playing with some rabbits, although only he will label it as playing, others should call it torture. ¡°ahh life is good.¡± ........... Chapter 51 plans for future simulation. Max savored the sun, and the stunning surroundings while sipping his luxurious coffee. Far away he could vaguely see Lucy playing with some rabbits, although only he will label it as playing, others should call it torture. ¡°ahh, life is good.¡± ........... After breakfast, Max stood up and walked into the second room. He picked the silver suitcase and checked it. On the side, there was a piece of paper with some information on it. Ash crow : Growth potential: E- Growth speed: B++ Life expectancy: 10 years. Note: this pet is very susceptible to evolution and mutation. Please be careful when you bring the crow next to dangerous substances. Note: for the generous customer, we packed the eggs with the best potential possible. Please come again if you consider shopping for evolution routes or evolution materials or any other needs you have. While on the other side, there was a countdown showing how much time left till the eggs hatched. approximately over 3 weeks. After reading it, Max threw the paper to the side and opened the suitcase. ¡°alright Lu, do it, and make sure it stays in this room. Although we are outside of human territory, it''s best to play Low-key for some time.¡± Lucy didn''t respond as a wind gust rushed inside the room. Whoss!. Verr!. Soon the wind stopped, and nothing seem to have changed. Although the room looks normal, Max knew that the spiritual energy inside is much denser and much more concentrated than the outside under Lucy''s (blessed) effect. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°good job Lu, next I need you to dig a little. Just enough for the special water to stay inside.¡± Crack!. Tek!. tak ! Soon, under Lucy''s control, this room became half a meter lower than the rest of the house. Max placed the opened suitcase in the middle, then left the room. ¡°alright Lu, fill it and remember, don''t drown the eggs, stop when the water barely touches the eggs.¡± 4 hours passed as Max watched the room slowly filled with emerald water . ¡°Lu, you¡¯re doing a great job! Please try to maintain the room temperature similar to what the suitcase is emitting. I understand it¡¯s challenging since you don¡¯t have any relevant skills, but I believe in you, Lu.¡± With (Mountain ruler) at the primary mastery, Lucy can technically do anything inside the mountain, so he wasn''t worried about it Lucy was very diligent in this matter. from Max''s words, she knew that from those eggs, her so-called brothers and sisters will come out. ¡°alright Lu, I think that''s it.¡± After the incubation room was finished, Max closed the stone door and left. ................ He spent the next few days teaching Lucy while enjoying his life. Although he was disappointed because the mountain didn''t seem to have any spiritual treasures or such things, or at least neither he nor Lucy found any?. As for Lucy''s education, Max wasn''t too strict about it. Anyway, Lucy technically lost her ability to grow in this simulation world. It''s too low level and offers little benefits to her, so Max switched Lucy''s target to obtaining benefits from the simulation world. there was the hidden treasure on the first mountain, but that treasure seem to have lost a level because Lucy already absorbed it once, so he wasn''t too interested in it. Based on the known information, what he could gain is. The knowledge from that blood cult. The seed that Lucy destroyed in the last stimulation, although the value of that thing, is unknown. The blood hammer if Lucy can make a good one. There is also the emerald water skill. Max won''t bring the Advanced mastery version, but if Lucy can get a good perfected effect, then Max will definitely bring it back. As for white skills, Max didn''t plan to waste a simulation chance on them. White skills don''t take long to learn, and Lucy can just practice the real world. Some Geniuses can even reach the advanced mastery in around 3 to 4 months, while the fastest record for practicing white skills is a genius who reached the perfected level in 2 months. Although it was a special case because that genius had a sword related SS-rank genetic Talent, while the white skill is a sword skill. ............ Anyway, Lucy can handle herself when it comes to white skills. As for the other key targets, such as the blood hammer, Max didn''t have a strong need for them. If he can get them, then it''s good, but if he can''t, it doesn''t matter much. That''s why Max just showed Lucy how to achieve all the targets, and let her pick on her own. Max wanted to let Lucy act based on the date, to avoid know accidents and such, however he really couldn''t trust Lucy to count days and weeks and even years, then act on the proper date. Numbers are like magic to Lucy, well actually, Lucy knows magic since some of her skills are of magic origin, but just forget about numbers for now. So instead Max tried to inform her of certain big accidents like the flood and let her act on it. The little one always keep nodding in confidence, but Max was not sure how much she actually kept in her tiny head. Anyway, he didn''t have much hope for this world. After the baby crows Reach E-rank there and train their psychic link, Max plans to switch to a stronger world. Chapter 52 Title at the end. At the mountain base under the bright moon, a loud voice could be heard calling. ¡°Lucy, do it slowly. Be careful.¡± Max is currently hiding behind a big rock, while taking quick glances at a far location. In that location, some components are being mixed. Max was currently too far to see clearly, but he did notice that something wasn''t right. When Max noticed that something went wrong, he immediately hid behind the rock. BOOM!¡­ Suddenly, a huge explosion completely destroyed that place. Lucy appeared next to Max, this time in her real body. After possessing the mountain for a few days, Lucy gained the ability to leave her mountain form and jump back in immediately, without having to waste time to refine and control the mountain all over again. Lucy had her mouth wide open in stunned silence, while looking at the location of the explosion, but in her tiny eyes, excitement shone like a dazzling flame. Max on the side didn''t share the same excitement. ¡°Lucy, didn''t I tell you to mix a tiny amount?¡± Lucy woke up from her daze and started flying around Max happily. ¡® It''s tiny,¡¯ answered Lucy innocently while still flying around Max. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Max looked at the 3 meter deep black hole made by the explosion with a blank look on his face. ¡®that''s tiny? ¡®. 2 days ago, Max started teaching Lucy how to mix gunpowder using her newly enhanced (mountain ruler) innate ability. And the current situation is the result. Today is the first time Lucy succeeded. Max shook his head. Even he felt that it''s a dangerous idea to give this little she-devil unlimited access to gunpowder. Basically, unless the mountain run out of resources, Lucy is equivalent to a cannon with unlimited gunpowder. Max stopped the excited Lucy. ¡°little Lu, go back to the mountain and take me home.¡± Lucy tilted her head to the side and pointed to the 3 meter deep hole. ¡®no play, fireworks?¡¯ Max''s mouth twitched. ¡°no I don''t want to play with fireworks. My tiny life is too precious to deal with this. Lu, you already know how to mix gunpowder. You can practice on your own, and do it on the other side of the mountain. And make sure it''s far from me.¡± Lucy nodded obediently as she turned into a green light and merged with the mountain. ............. Soon Mist appeared under Max and he flew up the mountain. As Max landed next to his room, he just went to sleep since he was too exhausted. But as Max jumped on the bed and closed his eyes, and was about to fall asleep. BOOM!. BOOM!. BOOM.! BOOM!. Explosion sounds bombarded Max¡¯s poor sleepy head, one after another. ¡°oy Lucy, keep it down will you? I am trying to sleep,¡± Max yelled at nowhere in particular. He knew that Lucy could hear him. No response¡­ ¡°Little Lu, just wait till the morning.¡± After these words, Max just fall asleep, leaving a grumpy Lucy behind. .......................... As the sun rose, Max opened his eyes, stood up and started stretching. BOOOOOOOM!. Before he could stretch his body, a huge explosion pushed his sleepiness off instantly. He understood that little she-devil completely, and could instantly judge the situation. That air-head. After he told her to wait till the morning, she decided to start preparing for it and kept cooking gunpowder. and the moment he woke up, she detonated it immediately. Max''s eyebrows kept twitching. ¡°Sigh. Thankfully, her mixing speed is too slow, otherwise she would have blown me up.¡± Max just ignored Lucy¡¯s shenanigans and washed his face, then went to eat his new favorite breakfast barbecue with black coffee. Anyway, they live in the wild, so let Lucy play as much as she like, ............................... Title: Lucy with Gunpowder!. Chapter 53 dragon omelet .......................... As the sun rose, Max opened his eyes, stood up and started stretching. BOOOOOOOM!. Before he could stretch his body, a huge explosion pushed his sleepiness off instantly. He understood that little she-devil completely, and could instantly judge the situation. That air-head. After he told her to wait till the morning, she decided to start preparing for it and kept cooking gunpowder. and the moment he woke up, she detonated it immediately. Max''s eyebrows kept twitching. ¡°Sigh. Thankfully, her mixing speed is too slow, otherwise she would have blown me up.¡± Max just ignored Lucy¡¯s shenanigans and washed his face, then went to eat his new favorite breakfast barbecue with black coffee. Anyway, they live in the wild, so let Lucy play as much as she like, ............................... After breakfast, Max went to check on the eggs¡­ After confirming that everything was fine, Max wanted to leave the room, maybe go explore the mountain?. But at this moment, the earth started shaking, and Max fell to the ground. BOOOOOM!. An earth shaking shock-wave washed over Max and the surroundings. Max stood up immediately and rushed outside. At first he suspected Lucy, but on careful thought it''s impossible. If Lucy wanted to cause such a shock-wave, she needs to cook gunpowder for at least one month. As Max left the mountain house, he called for Lucy. ¡°Lucy, what''s going on?¡± Lucy''s mist form appeared in front of Max and pointed to the south with a worried look on her face. Max looked in that direction. BOOOOOM!. A second shock-wave spread. But this time Max was ready and didn''t embarrass himself. Looking at the source of the commotion, Max relaxed visibly. Whatever is happening is too far from this location. Max could react according to the situation. If the source doesn''t come closer to himself than just ignore it. However, if it starts closing on Max, being this far, he could escape in time. Max just sat down next to the door, enjoying the barbecue. After Lucy saw Max''s calmness, her anxiety dissipated, and she sat on Max''s head, still in her mist form. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The shock-waves stopped, but Max still waited, keeping watch with Lucy. ....... After a few hours, Max was preparing to go inside the room since the simulator¡¯s cooldown was only a few hours away. Since the situation, whatever it was, seemed to be settled, he plans to give Lucy some instructions as a last ditched effort just to make sure. But at this moment, Max noticed a gigantic figure passing through. Max opened his mouth as wide as possible, stunned. ¡°fuck me sideways, is that a dragon?¡±. Lucy opened her mouth wide, this was her first time to see such a big bird, and she was speechless for a moment. Thankfully, the colossal is just passing by, but when Max felt relief, the figure stopped midair, and glanced down first at Max, then Lucy''s figure, then its gaze switch to Max''s house, specifically the incubation room. Max didn¡¯t panic, but started slowly moving to a certain spot while communicating with Lucy. ¡®If it shows any animosity, use full power to slow it down and jump after me immediately.¡¯ Lucy regained her composure and started preparing for a big move As Max was preparing to escape, the dragon suddenly turned into light and appeared in front of Max. But what appeared in front of him wasn''t a big dragon but a tall silver-haired woman with a snake''s lower body instead of her legs. Max noticed something that calmed his restless heart. This woman didn''t look real but like a Mirage. ¡®Spirit form, she should be dead, thankfully.¡¯ Lucy didn''t know that, and gave the woman a wary look, while waiting for Max''s instructions. The woman just gazed at Max deeply for over 5 minutes. Max didn''t speak. After he confirmed that the woman shouldn''t pose too much danger to himself, he just decided to watch the situation. Suddenly, the woman waved her hand, and a big egg appeared in front of Max. It was almost as big as his arm. ¡°ta¡­. Take.. Care.. Off.. It.. Ple.ase.¡± the woman spoke weirdly, almost like she never spoke human language before. Then, before Max could respond, the figure of the woman dissipated in the air. If a powerhouse of A-rank or higher dies but is not completely killed, they have the ability to escape in a spirit state. However, this state can only be maintained for a few hours. In rare cases, if specific conditions are met, they can partially revive. Unfortunately, these conditions are extremely difficult and nearly impossible for ordinary individuals to achieve. If they are unable to meet these conditions within the given time, they will ultimately perish completely. ........ Max looked at the egg speechless, ¡°am I that lucky? Isn''t this the legendary turn Misfortune into Fortune?¡±. Max excitedly approached the egg. ¡°This should be a dragon egg.¡± While touching the egg, Max remembered something. When the woman''s Spirit dissipated, he seems to see something enter the egg. This might just be his illusion, but he decided to check, anyway. ¡°Simulator, scan this potential pet for me.¡± When it comes to pets, the simulator is very efficient and the egg¡¯s information appeared in front of him. Max''s happy expression changed immediately, and he noticed a special condition on the egg''s stats. Two spirits¡­ Even if Max used a rock instead of his brain to think, he could still figure out that the woman wants to share the dragon¡¯s body. From the simulator, Max understood that if he makes a pet contract with the dragon, the 2nd spirit won''t be under his control. ¡®am I, Max, running a place for homeless fucks? Someone actually wants to take advantage of me. This bitch actually planned to eat my resources for free while living in my pet''s body?¡¯ Max had a serious allergy for being taken advantage of in any way and he obviously will not accept such a pet. ¡®simulator what''s the situation of the second spirit?. can it sill make a move?¡¯ [ding, reporting to The Host. The second spirit is in a dormant state and represents no danger to the host unless provided with a substantial amount of energy and nutrients.] After reading the report, Max smiled evilly. ¡°Lucy, come here in your true body. We will be having something delicious for dinner.¡± Lucy appeared next to Max with a curious look on her face. ¡®Food? Is this big thing a seed?.¡¯ She thought to herself Max didn''t mind the little one and took out the pen and put it on The fire-pit. He cracked the egg and started cooking. Vesh!. Click. .......... Soon Max sat with Lucy for dinner. two plates of dragon omelet was on the stone table in front of them. He already confirmed that this thing was edible from the simulator. Lucy looked at the omelet. This thing is obviously not a seed. Is Max trying to trick herself? Max started eating first, but his eating pase kept getting faster and faster, like a ravenous beast. This thing was too good. Looking at her pet master''s actions, she curiously tried some. Her eyes widened instantly, and just like Max, she started eating like a hungry beast. Just like that, the pair of master and pet enjoyed a dragon omelet. Chapter 54 dragon vine. .......... Soon Max sat with Lucy for dinner. two plates of dragon omelet was on the stone table in front of them. He already confirmed that this thing was edible from the simulator. Lucy looked at the omelet. This thing is obviously not a seed. Is Max trying to trick herself? Max started eating first, but his eating pase kept getting faster and faster, like a ravenous beast. This thing was too good. Looking at her pet master''s actions, she curiously tried some. Her eyes widened instantly, and just like Max, she started eating like a hungry beast. Just like that, the pair of master and pet enjoyed a dragon omelet. The pair finish the meal at the same time, and the two of them discreetly switched their gaze to each other¡¯s plate. Finding that both plates were empty, Max sighed while little Lu was irritated. ¡°well that was something else.¡± Max relaxed on his seat. Lucy flew up to him. ¡®more?¡¯. Max was speechless and just shook his head. ¡°no more.¡± Lucy felt sad. She never tasted something so delicious before. ¡°little Lu, when we become stronger we can go hunt for dragons, so work hard.¡± Lucy nodded sadly, but she noticed something on the side that grabbed her attention. The Dragon eggshell. Before Max could react, he found Lucy chewing on the shall like some chips. Max''s mouth twitched. He wanted to stop her but looking at the hungry light in her eyes, Max felt that she will eat him if he stopped her. ¡°meh who cares? If she wants to eat it, then let her.¡± Max prepared a cup of coffee while waiting for the simulator¡¯s cooldown. Lucy finished her eggshell and rushed to Max to inform him how good it was. Ml. MI. Mi. Mo. While listening to Lucy''s shenanigans, he had the illusion he was listening to a poem! This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Max was confused and just shook his head. [ding.] ¡°huh?¡± The simulator suddenly started prompting. [ding, your pet the mountain fairy Lucy, has absorbed an inheritance item (green dragon eggshell) .] ¡°The eggshell is actually an inheritance item? ¡° inheritance items can be anything from a drop of blood, a horn or a tooth, or like this case, an eggshell. These items contain power, and knowledge left by the adults to the young ones of the race. Only powerful beasts and some special races can leave an inheritance item for their young ones. However, absorbing an inheritance requires a certain blood connection with the one who left it, if not, then at the very least some certain requirements are needed to gain some benefits from it if you absorb it anyway. [ding, the pet isn''t compatible with this inheritance item and augmentation is impossible.] [Ding, assimilating second inheritance ability. Failed.. due to the low compatibility.] [ding, assimilating second inheritance ability. Failed.. due to the low compatibility.] [ding, assimilating third inheritance ability. Failed.. due to the low compatibility.] [ding, assimilating fourth inheritance ability. Failed.. due to the low compatibility.] [ding, assimilating fifth inheritance ability. Failed.. due to the low compatibility.] [ding, assimilating first inheritance skill. Failed.. due to the low compatibility.] [ding, assimilating second inheritance skill. Failed. due to the low compatibility.] Max wanted to ask the simulator why was it messing with him. If Lucy didn''t get anything out of it, then why trouble him and ruin his good mood? ¡°fucking 5 abilities, and 2 skills lost just like that.¡± But there was one more prompt that fixed Max''s mood. [ding, assimilating third inheritance skill. Success. Dragon Vine learned.] Lucy looked excited while Max laughed out loud. ¡°as expected, we are the heroes, little Lu. We can always turn misfortune into fortune.¡± Lucy gave him a white look. Is her master delusional now? Even she could tell they weren''t the good guys. She felt worried and distressed about her master''s mental health, even forgetting her new skill. Max, oblivious to Lucy''s thoughts, excitedly opened her stats. That''s a dragon skill. It should be very powerful. [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. Agility: E+. Vitality: E. Spirituality: E++. Overall evaluation: E+. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler]. 2- [Misty Mountain]. 3- [wood aura]. 4- [blessed mind]. 5- [wind¡¯s chosen]. 6- [Emerald water]. 7- [blessed]. 8- [dragon Vine]: Skill rank: green. Proficiency: initiation. -can utilize the surrounding vegetation to grow a sturdy vine that can be wielded as a close-range weapon, or remotely controlled using your mental power. The vine has a weaken version of green-dragon poison on it that can cause slight paralysis and a small amount of poison damage. ¡°an actual damage skill!.¡± exclaimed Max. Skills that primarily cause damage are hard to get. Back in the train from Jamie, Max couldn''t even get a white grade damage skill. You have to understand that even (Misty Mountain) isn''t a damage skill, but one mainly used for concealment. The only reason it shows such power is because of the amplification from (mountain ruler). Now that Lucy has an actual damage skill, Max didn''t think anything could threaten her life in the current simulation world. He was looking forward to the power of the skill after it''s amplified by an entire mountain. Max switched his attention to Lucy''s stats. Her vitality actually increased. Thinking of something, Max figured out the reason. To confirm it, he checked his own Vitality, and as he expected, it was E. ¡°well that egg wasn''t just tasty but also beneficial, hunting dragons might just be added to my to do list.¡± Upon hearing Max''s words, Lucy, on the side, kept nodding vigorously in till her vision blurred and she became dazed for a moment. ¡°alright, alright, you love dragon eggs, first get stronger. And speaking of getting stronger, the cooldown is over. Are you ready Lu?¡± Lucy nodded solemnly, feeling motivated. She will work hard to become stronger to protect her master and make the world submit to him. Definitely not because she was hungry for Dragon eggs. Chapter 55 Bloody simulation!... "well that egg wasn''t just tasty but also beneficial, hunting dragons might just be added to my to do list." Upon hearing Max''s words, Lucy, on the side, kept nodding vigorously in till her vision blurred and she became dazed for a moment. "alright, alright, you love dragon eggs, first get stronger. And speaking of getting stronger, the cooldown is over. Are you ready Lu?" Lucy nodded solemnly, feeling motivated. She will work hard to become stronger to protect her master and make the world submit to him. Definitely not because she was hungry for Dragon eggs. Max opened the laptop and started a short video for Lucy. "But before we start watch this video". What Max gave Lucy was a short 20s video showing a cool-looking blood red hammer used to perform all kinds of amazing abilities. As the video ended, Lucy looked Star-struck. Max smiled in satisfaction and start the simulation. This was the last video he asked a black lollipop to make before he left the city. Because he wanted the video to play the greatest effect. He didn''t show it to Lucy until the last moment before the simulation. "Simulator start." This time Max picked the mountain-range from the last simulation. simulation started. [ding,] as the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. [In the 1st year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar mountain-range; you understood your situation, and possessed the closest mountain, and took control of it in a matter of hours . And the first thing you did was to write down all of your pet master''s instructions, although you couldn''t actually write and just drawn some pictures on a random cave wall. Rows of pictures of the same man, with a below average face, filled the cave with a cartoon like text-bubble next to it. Each text-bubble had one of your targets or things that remind you when you should make a move and such. Looking at the pictures, you felt satisfied. It was as if your pet master is instructing you himself, no difference at all!.] Max didn''t even react much this time. He was the one who told her to record everything she remembers the moment she starts, although below average still hit him a little. [In the 2nd year, you started practicing wood aura and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 3rd year, you started practicing wind chosen and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 4th year, you started practicing blessed mind and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 5th year, you started training your skill Emerald water, and your progress was smooth. Practicing this skill was one of your targets so you did your best and didn''t laze around.] [in the 6th year, your emerald water started showing some success.] [in the 21st year, you mastered the emerald water skill.] [In the 23rd year, you made a vast lake of emerald water inside a large cave. This was Max''s idea, and you didn''t know why, but you just kept following instructions.] [In the 24th year, you started practicing dragon vine, at the same time you always go back to practice emerald water from time to time, even though there wasn''t much progress. This slowed your dragon vine practice, but you didn''t care.] [In the 29th year, because your attention always goes back to the emerald water skill, your dragon vine didn''t improve much.] [in the 35th year, under the effect of (wood aura), (emerald water), (blessed), (mountain ruler). the mountain and its surroundings turned into an Ancient Forest with towering trees, and a lot of wildlife got attracted taking the mountain as a permanent residence. The mountain is growing at a noticeable speed, and you can feel you are getting stronger as the mountain grows.] [In the 37th year, life was hard, too much practice. Your dragon vine made some progress while there was no hint about how to go further in the emerald water. You took a brief rest of two years, throwing rocks filled with gunpowder using your vines. Most of the time, you aim for random spots while sometimes at the human village in the distance. These villages are dumb and would just think it was some meteorite from the sky. Anyway, you''re too far and no one would know it was you who did it. This shouldn''t go against your master''s instructions.] Lax''s eyebrow started twitching again. He thought that he had already developed immunity to Lucy''s shenanigans, but it seems not. [in the 39th year, in the middle of the night, you noticed a strong light in the distant, looking closer, it was the village burning. Some strange humans in blood -red costumes killing the villagers and burning the land. Your two year long vacation is already over so you couldn''t mess around anymore and just ignored the situation. But later that morning, a disheveled little boy made his way to the mountain. He should be a villager, you just ignored him.] [In the 40th year, that village boy''s actions are strange, but you didn''t care since your pet master already informed you about him. Later the boy found the emerald lake, just like your pet master said he will. You couldn''t help but marvel at your master''s abilities. He can actually see the future. Is that why he is slightly delusional sometimes? You did watch a movie that confirms your thought process, so you were sure about it. You felt touched that your pet master decided to use such a harmful ability to help you grow. That day you made the firm decision to give him one more Dragon egg from your share in the future.] Max was holding his face with both hands. At this point, even E-rank Vitality couldn''t save him from Dystonia. "Delusional?. And what do you mean, give me one more egg?. Sacrificing my sanity is only worth one more egg?. " "you little¡­. " [In the 45th year, that boy is very annoying, but your master told you he will die so you ignored him.] [In the 47th year, the strange guy has grown up and went down the mountain. You weren''t too happy that the trouble maker left, since you know he will come back And just as your master said he did came back with two injured people.] [in the 48th year, the three humans plan to stay on the mountain. You took this chance to observe and learn their language.] [In the 49th year, the three planted a strange seed in the mountain and watered it using the lake water. Since this was one of your targets, you planned to help the seed grow, but you didn''t want to help these three, so you stole it from under the soil without them noticing.] [in the 50th year, the three of them left the mountain. You already learned the language, so you didn''t care about them. You placed the seed next to the lake, and it grew up in few months. A small tree with really big leaves, although it didn''t look special, so you ignored it for the time being.] [In the 51st year, the strange man came back alone and was heavily injured. You already know that the next events are going to be very exciting, so you kept watching. Not long after, a lot of humans came to the mountain following the blood trail. You noticed that the humans in blood-red costumes also came. Everyone here is strong. You just watched the fun. Soon, the huge crowd found the injured guy, and without suspension, they killed him, but they found the Emerald Lake and the small tree. Some humans left immediately, maybe to call for backup, while others started fighting on the spot. You enjoyed the show, while secretly collecting blood under your master''s instructions.] Max nodded in satisfaction. "The blood of so many strong people should make a stronger hammer." Max thought that the hammer was the best candidate to be taken as a reward this time, but anything can happen so he wasn''t too sure. [in the 53th year, a huge war between powerful humans broke out around the mountain. Blood soaked the soil, and you stored all of it. In the process, you understood something. Your skill Emerald water reached a higher level, and gain the effect of {bloody} you no longer produce water but instead a blood like liquid, it has the effect of greatly enhancing strength and Vitality at the cost of slowly losing one''s sanity.] Max was disappointed. It''s a new perfected effect with a powerful buff, but Max will never sacrifice his sanity for a small stats enhancement. If it was a blue skill, then Max would have to consider it, although he wouldn''t use it himself, he could rise some. Suicide pets like the Oubach downstairs. He had no feelings for them and using them as mad dogs wouldn''t be a problem. But a green skill buff, even if it''s the berserk type, isn''t worth all the trouble and planning in Max''s eyes. [In the 54th year, the humans in red won the war, and built a big palace on the mountain exactly in front of the cave. They seem to wonder about the disappearing blood around the Battlefield, but they soon forgot about it. After looking at the blood lake, the strange humans were cautious and had some other humans test it, but after looking at the results, they went mad and called all their people to the mountain, increasing the building speed. you just watched enjoying the show.] "they didn''t find her this time as well, luckily." [in the 60th year, you are currently reading the secret martial arts those strange humans engraved in stone tablets. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.But something grabbed your attention. The people in red stood next to the plant in front of the lake, seemingly waiting for something Soon one of the leaves lowered and a single drop of water fall. The leader of the red humans drank it. To your surprise, the madness from drinking the blood from the lake seems to dissipate a little, and not only didn''t he become weaker, he even got stronger. From the information I the Treasury, this plant will only produce one drop every 10 years. And that drop can increase spirituality of Vitality and. potential, all of them by a small amount.] Max really wanted to just stop the simulation and take out that plant now, but sadly, he couldn''t. Once the simulation starts, it won''t stop until Lucy dies inside. "Sigh.* [In the 65th year, because your Emerald water has reached the very Peak, you switch your focus to Dragon vine and completely mastered it this year.] [in the 65th year, those humans all become dull and stupid because of the lake of blood, but today they seem to regain their purpose although it didn''t make them any less crazy. They started killing people and collecting blood into the lake of emerald water. You know about this blood thing, but not about putting it in your lake. They are forging the blood hammer inside your lake and you helped them make the best possible hammer. Even adding the blood you collected in the past. ] [in the 71st year, because of the high buff the blood lake gives them, they become much stronger to the point other humans had no chance at all. Every day, they bring countless strong humans and strange beasts. And because of your secret help, the forging process is super fast. At the same time, you made sure the quality of the hammer is the best possible. You even ignored the mountain and focused (blessed) on the lake. Anyway, the people in red have gone mad and won''t notice. This year a strong earthquake hit the land, although to you it wasn''t much, and you suffered no damage.] [In the 80th year, the hammer is finally finished; it took over 15 years, but because of the cooperation between the humans in red, crazily using their forging technique day and night without rest, and you helping and even using (mountain ruler). It''s finished. You were very proud; it looks awesome. Although you seem to have made a small mistake, the hammer is 3 meters tall, but your pet master shouldn''t mind, since the humans in red didn''t care and just showed happiness.] Max had a plank look on his face. "How am I supposed to use it? " [in the 81st year, the strange humans started packing up. This was your cue. Under your pet master''s instructions, you left the mountain form, appearing in the treasury. you open the jewelry box that you already chose before, and threw away the jewelry inside. then covered yourself in solid Mist making yourself look like a pirl and hid inside. You didn''t know why you had to do this but you did it anyway, following Max''s instructions.] "good girl. Sigh. Just forget about the hammer this time." [In the 82th year, you found yourself being moved in a big caravan. To your surprise, the humans in red actually brought the hammer as well.] [in the 90th year, you kept sneaking out for food and water since you didn''t want to drink the blood from your skill Emerald water.] [In the 96th year, you were severely malnourished; it appears that sneaking around for food isn''t the best diet. You feel secretly resentful of this bunch of humans.] [in the 97th year, you finally settle down and as the humans built their base, you took control over the closest mountain. To your surprise, there''s a city close by. This mountain even had some mining operation on it, although it stopped for some reason, maybe because of the red humans presence.] [In the 100th year, you made the second blood lake. The humans in red didn''t suspect anything and were just happy. The blood they drank seemed to really hit their brains.] [in the 150th year, the City next door became much bigger, and there seems to be a small friction between the humans in red and the City.] [In the 151st year, the humans in red placed the hammer in the lake again, and to your surprise, the leader took out a human skin scroll from his clothes and started preparing something. Looking at the scroll, it''s actually the second part of the blood forging. You were stunned. originally you thought that the forging was over. This stinky human actually dares to hide things from you? Punishable by Death! But you didn''t make a move, at least not yet.] [In the 150st year, a war broke out between the humans in red and the city. Although your side is strong, the City had all kinds of weapons like crossbows, giant crossbows, and city walls. But you could tell that your side only needed the small opportunity to win, and you gave them the opportunity You flicked a small rock filled with gunpowder to the city wall and boom it exploded, making a wide opening.] [in the 170th year, the war was already over and your side won. The humans in red even took the chance to chase the city people to their origin and killed them all as far as you know. All along they kept forging that hammer, although this time they didn''t use just blood but entire bodies. Under their strange techniques the lake of blood gained an acidic property.] [in the 173th year, all the bodies from the war were finally sacrificed completely. And the humans in red all gathered around the lake to speed up the forging. Looking at this scene, a giant vine with a dragon head appeared silently behind them. Anyway, they seem to really love that hammer, so why not help them to contribute to the forging one last time? After you killed all the red cultists, the forging of the hammer went smoothly.] [In the 201st year, you finally finished forging. This time, even you figured out that something was wrong, because the hammer was 8 meters tall and the head was 4 meters thick. How is Max supposed to use this? Anyway, you did your part. Let your pet master figure it out. Moreover, it might be best if your master doesn''t use this. It feels evil, and might affect his already poor mental state just like the blood from the lake did to the cultists.] Max was speechless. Figure it out? How am I supposed to figure it out? [ In the 209th year, you were bored and seem to remember something by accident. Your pet master once told you that treasures can grow stronger if placed in a location with a high density of energy. So you pulled the hammer from the lake and put it at the frozen peak of the mountain, then used (blessed) to focus all the energy around on the Frozen peak. At the same time, you started cooking gunpowder for fun. ] Max was surprised that Lucy actually remembers that. It was an information he read on the web and planned to confirm it in future simulations. in words with a higher level of energy. [In the 266th year, a huge flood hit this place. Normally, you wouldn''t care, but the problem is that all your gunpowder is gone with the waves. You were sad and angry, but helpless.] [In the 290th year, you kept playing with gunpowder on the side, building the biggest bomb. As revenge against nature. As for the hammer, you didn''t notice much change, although the bloody aura around it seem to dissipate a little, maybe because of the cold, but you weren''t sure. And it seems to shrink a little, but it should be just your illusion.] Max had a bad feeling about Lucy''s current actions. Revenge against what? [In the 320th year, you kept cooking gunpowder. This year the Mountain reached its peak, but because your mountain ruler is at the primary mastery, you didn''t fall asleep and just chose not to absorb the mountain, using it as a base instead.] [In the 390th year, this year the blood hammers'' evil aura completely disappeared. Now it shouldn''t affect Max''s mind. One less problem your pet master had to deal with. Still cooking gunpowder.] [In the 450th year, the hammer is shrinking at a visible speed. At the same time, it seems to be getting stronger, and it''s color deeper.] [In the 670th year, the hammer is still over 2 meters tall and the shrinking speed seems to slow down a bit. But what really matters to you is the fact that your big bomb is ready, but we have a problem. How do you get it far enough that it won''t affect you.?] "Sigh. Thankfully, she didn''t blow herself up." [In the 780th year, after hundreds of years, the hammer finally stopped shrinking. But you didn''t care about that. You just built a launching device using solid mist and the giant vine.] "wow, just wow, it definitely wasn''t a good idea to teach her how to make gunpowder this early." [In the 781st year, excited you launched the gigantic rock filled with condensed gunpowder. A tremendous explosion shook the land and even though you were so far away, you still got affected, but you were too happy to care. Nature got what it deserved! However, the explosion seems to trigger a chain effect. The entire continent splits into smaller parts before your eyes. And you died in the process.] Max really didn''t know what to say. [you died] [ding, simulation ended entering cooldown.] [cooldown duration one week.] [ding, Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. Author note: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I didn''t have time to edit carefully. If you find any mistakes, please inform me. Second: well the novel isn''t getting a contact whatsoever. It happened around chapter 20 or so, but I didn''t feel like it was important to inform you all. Don''t worry, I won''t stop the novel unless I die or something lol. Anyway, I am sharing my pay-link if anyone wants to support the novel, pay whatever really. Still, you don''t have to. I love having my readers enjoy my work, so just enjoy the novel. https://www.veem.com/pay/refcode-yaVvxEvLW Have a great day everyone or goodnight. Chapter 56 cold blood. [you died]. [ding, simulation ended entering cooldown.] [cooldown duration one week.] [ding, Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. No matter how Max thought about it, in the end, Lucy actually did good this time as well. Playful, distracted and destructive, but she got the job done. "Simulator, can I pick the blood hammer Lucy forged?" [ding, reporting a list of items and equipment that was in contact with your pet at the end of the simulation.] A long list of miscellaneous items appeared in front of Max. Rocks, plants, water¡­. The list went on and on, but Max found what he was looking for. -Unnamed equipment, a hammer forged by your pet mountain fairy Lucy. Max didn''t hesitate and picked it. He wasn''t sure how good this hammer was, although the forging process was legendary, but it''s still a low leveled world. Suddenly a blood-red hammer, looking exactly like the one in the video Max showed Lucy, appeared in the room. It looked slightly like Mjollnir from the movie Thor. This is because Max wanted it to look like that. He was the one who gave descriptions to black lollipop. Max couldn''t help but smile. "Well, it definitely looks good." Lucy just woke up looking at the hammer in front of her, both excited and puzzled. She didn''t remember Max having such a hammer. Max held the hammer with one hand and pulled. He didn''t think it would be of any danger to him. He read before that the simulator will give him a warning before he brings anything dangerous to himself or his current world beforehand. Since there was no prompt, then everything should be fine. Max Pulled. And pulled and pulled. But the thing wouldn''t move an inch. "so heavy? How am I supposed to use it then?" Max felt slightly disappointed, but not too much. Anyway, even if he could use it, his focus now is his talent not fighting, so it didn''t matter much. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Suddenly, Lucy flew to Max, trying to explain something, pointing around with her little hands. ''use your blood''. "Oh, use my blood?" Max fell deep in thoughts. Lucy seems to remember something from the simulation, maybe? ''Well, even if the hammer is dangerous, Lucy can jump in the mountain and deal with it.'' Max pulled his knife and cut his palm slightly. Then, with his bloody hand, he grabbed the hammer. The blood was absorbed immediately, and to his surprise, the hammer was no longer heavy and Max could lift it easily. Not only that, he also felt boundless strength rush through his veins. He felt the hammer recognize him as the master. "wow". He couldn''t help but look at the proud little Lu. ''how much does she remember?'' Max couldn''t help but ask. "little Lu, how did you know blood is needed?" Little Lu flew around arrogantly while communicating with Max. '' from anime, they use blood to use weapons, it''s obvious. '' Max''s mouth twitched. ''I actually listened to this little fool?'' However, upon further consideration, it became clear that it was logical, as all equipment created by a martial artist needs blood to establish ownership initially or something like that. Max ignored the little fool and focused on the hammer, swinging it around. Woosh. Woosh. "from your long forging story, I will name you cold blood." The hammer vibrated a little in recognition. Max was kinda surprised. Even higher leveled weapons might not be as spiritual as this one, but it made sense since this hammer''s age is over hundreds of years. "Simulator, can you show me its stats?" [Ding, scanning.] [Ding, reporting. equipment: cold blood Grade: C- Effect : +50 strength. -Blood attraction: The hammer''s owner has the ability to summon it from up to a 50m radius. Once the hammer comes into contact with the enemy''s blood, it can be thrown and will relentlessly pursue the target until it loses its momentum. - Blood Repulsion: When landing a direct hit and having higher Vitality than the target, there is a 50% chance of triggering a blood repulsion effect. This effect forcibly expels the target''s blood through their skin pores and orifices. The likelihood of success increases as the difference in vitality between the attacker and the target grows. "oh my god, 50 points doesn''t that mean my strength is already at the E-rank, and this blood repulsion is too overpowered while facing pet masters." Pet masters meditation techniques don''t increase Vitality much, they always have to use potions and other different methods to increase it. this makes their Vitality lacking i'' the same rank, same as the mages. Max held cold blood high with his right hand and aimed at the stone wall with his left, then threw the cold blood using full strength. Woosh!. Bam!. The stonewall broke, and cold blood got stuck inside. Max held his palm to the hammer, and it flew back to him. .... Max held the hammer excitedly. Lucy on the side started clapping and cheering. She didn''t even mind that Max just destroyed the house she worked hard to build. "oy, Lucy please, fix the wall before the house collapse on my head." Little Lucy giggled and turned into a green light merging with the mountain. Soon the thick stone wall got fixed, looking new. But Lucy noticed something far more important outside, and instantly informed Max. Chapter 57 dragon slayers. .... Max held the hammer excitedly. Lucy on the side started clapping and cheering. She didn''t even mind that Max just destroyed the house she worked hard to build. "oy, Lucy please, fix the wall before the house collapse on my head." Little Lucy giggled and turned into a green light merging with the mountain. Soon the thick stone wall got fixed, looking new. But Lucy noticed something far more important outside, and instantly informed Max. .... Max put the hammer inside the space ring. "strong humans flying around the mountain, you say?." Max fell deep in thought. .... ''this should be related to the dead dragon and the egg witch we ate.'' "Little Lu, stay away from them and don''t make noise, also don''t use Mist to appear next to me." After Max gave his orders, he just started up a barbecue. Deep down, he has this nagging feeling that the individuals flying around will eventually track him down. Therefore, he wants to come across as nonchalant as possible, not giving off any indication that he recently encountered a dragon spirit and a dragon egg, then ate them both. He never intended to flee from someone capable of slaying a dragon; his escape plan is futile. Instead, he intends to initially raise suspicion in other areas. Picture this: a person constructing a house in the middle of nowhere, relishing in a barbecue feast. Those guys might feel curious about him, but since they are too busy tracking a dragon, they will feel they are wasting time with this weirdo. Only after meeting these individuals will he assess the situation. What kind of people they are, how strong are they? ¡­ In fact, he might even take the initiative to reveal a few of his own small secrets if necessary, maybe his talent or the blood hammer. ''simulator if I lie can you cover for me, if others are using some lying detection skills or such?'' [Ding, reporting to The Host. The simulator has no such functions.] ''alright.'' ..... As Max predicted, three figures appeared - two women and one man in the center. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.They stood on a floating ice fragment and soon landed next to Max. Max gave them a strange glance. His flying cloud was 10 times better than this thing. The trio regarded this strange guy with BBQ in his hand, then the house behind him. Max also checked them out. If they are weak, it''s better to just kill them, but he felt danger from the trio, so he spoke first. "ah excuse me you guys, but is it not cold to stand on that thing, and more importantly, this is a private property? Some privacy, please." The three of them were speechless for a moment. They didn''t know how to react to Max''s words. The man, seemingly the leader of the trio, coughed "well it is a bit cold, but never mind that. We just want to ask some questions and will leave immediately." Max nodded. "Go ahead." Because of his passive, Max could feel that this guy was definitely a good guy. This made him feel at ease a little. After all, good guys won''t just kill you for no reason. "have you seen a dragon pass by?" "oh that big thing, yep I saw the damn thing, what about it?" The man became excited all of a sudden. "where did it go?." "I don''t know," answered Max. He didn''t worry that they were using some lying detection skill, because he didn''t lie. He really didn''t know if the dragon ended up in his stomach or Lucy''s. The man was frustrated, but he didn''t ask more. He indeed had an item that can detect lies, so he confirmed Max''s words. But one of the women jumped in. "since you saw it, then how don''t you know where it went?" "I didn''t want anything to do with the damn thing, so¡­ ". Max shrugged. The man just sighed. But the second woman jumped in with a questioning tone. "what are you doing here alone, anyway? " "first it''s none of your business, but if it helps you leave me alone faster, then I am here hatching eggs. And now that you know, please leave me alone." The leader''s expression became stern, and the trio glanced at each other. Max, seemingly noticing the strange mood change, gave them a puzzled look. "you guys, what''s wrong with me hatching eggs? Do you have a problem with egg hatching or what?" Max looked like he is genuinely confused. The leader, still serious, spoke. "show me this egg you''re hatching. " Max shrugged, seemingly baffled, and pointed to the incubation room. "check it yourself, but don''t touch them." The leader''s gaze focused on the room, his eyes shining seemingly to see through the stone door, while the two women looked ready for a fight. But suddenly the leader''s serious expression switched to a strange one. He indeed could see through, and what he saw made him confused. He shook his head. This guy obviously didn''t have any relation with the dragon. although curious about Max''s strangeness, from the stone house, to the eggs, and Max''s apparently weak strength, but he had a dragon to hunt no time to waste on this guy. "we are sorry to disturb you, and you two, let''s go." Max just nodded while the two women wanted to argue, but the man stopped them. "It''s just some weak pet eggs inside. We don''t have time. The distance between us and the dragon should''ve gotten bigger." The two didn''t argue any more and left in a hurry. They realized they were waisting time on the wrong thing instead of their actual purpose . Max just watched as a board made of ice appears under them and took off to the sky. " bunch of weirdos". He muttered. Not stopping the act even now. Chapter 58 After the trio left Max''s house, they didn''t leave the mountain immediately, but flew around looking for any possible clue. One of the women took out a mirror and seemed to be using it for something. The leader noticed her actions, but he didn''t interfere, although he didn''t think that Max was involved with the dragon. But since the woman wants to confirm, so be it. He didn''t stop her. The mirror surface rippled like water as Max''s figure appeared on it. She was spying on Max to see what he was doing now that they left. But to her disappointment, the guy was just preparing coffee. ¡°Sigh, stop wasting your time on that guy, focus,¡± the other woman reprimanded. While the leader didn''t even comment about Max, but he asked about a different matter. ¡°What''s the news from the other teams? How did the siege go?¡± The one holding the mirror spoke. ¡°I received the news earlier. It was a complete disaster. The strength of that A-rank dungeon was too abnormal.¡± ¡°well at the very least, we aren''t the only ones who didn''t gain anything from this,¡± added the second woman. The leader¡¯s expression was gloomy. A day ago, they received news about a dungeon-break just before it happened. It was too late to stop it, so instead multiple freelance teams cooperated with the government to siege the gate. One A-rank team from the government and 12 B-rank teams. At first, everything was normal. After the dungeon-break the fight started immediately. The trio is one of the weakest B-rank teams on the scene, so they didn''t play solo but cooperated with an A-rank member from the government, and another B-rank team and killed an A-rank dragon, then split the loot. The egg was their share, but no one expected that the dragon spirit will take the egg and escape. And their team had to chase after it. At first the leader called it bad luck, but listening to the report, it might just be good luck. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. After they left, things went from good to bad and from bad to worst in an instant. The dungeon boss and its guards were too overpowered. Once they exited the gate, they unleashed chaos, slaughtering anyone too slow to flee at first glance. ¡°Sigh, whatever, we will keep looking for one more day, then go back to the city no matter what the result is .¡± ¡­¡­......... ¡­ Back at the mountain, Max kept the act for the entire day, then went back to his normal lifestyle. Not because he thought they wouldn''t come back, but because he was no longer wary of them. In fact, Max wished they would come back. He was really tempted by the goods a high level pet master carries around. Max is a resourceful individual. He already made a plan to deal with them, using cold blood. Back when Lucy informed him about them, they were already close to his house. He just got the hammer and didn''t have the time to figure out how to best use it. But now, his plan is simple. First Let Lucy use the hammer. Maybe because she was his pet or maybe because she was the one who forged it, Lucy can use cold blood the same as Max. Of course, max didn''t plan to let her go fight with it. That would actually limit her powers and be plain stupid. Once Lucy spot the leader, she will use any means necessary to get at least a single drop of blood from him. whether she uses mosquitoes or vines or whatever and feeds the drop of blood to cold blood. Now that cold blood can keep tracking him, things got easier. Take cold blood to the very peak of the mountain, then Lucy uses her maximum power to throw it down. Max already gave her a few ideas about how to best exert her strength in that throw. Now just watch. First Lucy''s strength + cold bloods, heavy weight + gravity. Max gets a headache every time he wants to calculate the acceleration of that thing. It¡¯s basically a falling burning meteorite. But that''s not the killer part. The real killer is blood repulsion with Lucy''s B-Rank Vitality. You have to understand that even A-rank pet master doesn''t have a B-rank Vitality. After all, they fight with pets and their meditation techniques don''t increase vitality. And since Lucy is technically everywhere on the mountain, the 50 meter limit for calling cold blood turn into thousands of kilometers, so there''s no chance of losing cold blood this way. After the leader is killed by the tracking burning meteorite, Max didn''t worry about the two ladies next to him, he didn''t feel much danger from those two, Lucy should be able to deal with them, and even if she couldn''t, she can take the body and escape with max. But sadly, six days already passed, and Max never saw them again. Honestly, he felt depressed. He finally made this ingenious trump card, but no one to use it on. He even had the urge to go back to the city and do some face slapping to provoke someone, then use it on him. But even if he wants to, with his passive, no one would give him a bad glance. Who is supposed to face the slapping then? Max shook the weird thoughts out of his head and slapped a mosquito on his arm before it bit him. ¡°Lucy, didn''t I tell you to keep your mosquitoes away from the house?¡± After Max told Lucy about his plan, she became super excited, and even generously lifted the delusional term next to Max''s name in her head. Her pet master is too smart to be delusional. That was good and all, but the problem is that she started rasing mosquitoes, helping them grow just like she is doing for the crow eggs.. She wanted to be prepared, but just like Max, she was depressed about finding no target, and Max didn''t allow her to use it on the beasts around. ¡°did you hear me Lu? If you don''t keep them away I will really kill them all.¡± Lucy''s figure appeared in front of Max with a tearful face. Max scratched his head. ¡°Lu, you can keep them on the other side of the mountain and I won''t kill them.¡± Little Lu started jumping around, arguing. ¡°mimilimimi.¡± Max was speechless.¡± what do you mean you have gunpowder on the other side and it''s too dangerous for them?, then what about me?¡± ¡® small bite, no harm.¡¯ Max¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°No, is a no Lu. ¡± ...... After the two argued for over an hour, they came to a middle ground. Lucy can rase them, but keep them away from Max, but once Max gets one more bite. They were all dead. Anyway, such a thing is a good way for Lucy to train her powers, and Max wanted this to happen. ........... Chapter 59 After the two argued for over an hour, they came to a middle ground. Lucy can rase them, but keep them away from Max, but once Max gets one more bite. They were all dead. Anyway, such a thing is a good way for Lucy to train her powers, and Max wanted this to happen. ........... ¡°now that we''re done with the mosquito thing, can you please get me some vegetables? I need to fix my diet, from coffee and meat to something more healthy.¡± Lucy nodded, then her figure disappeared. At the same time, countless hands made of mist appeared all around the mountain, uprooting wild vegetables, then taking them to Max. Max walked to the edge of the cliff and, without hesitation, jumped. Just as he began to free-fall, a cloud of mist enveloped him, saving him from a dangerous descent. Hovering in the air, he scanned the surroundings, searching for an object to test his new hammer on. Earlier, cold blood was left at the peak of the mountain, just in case those guys came back, so he had yet to fully enjoy his new toy. .. Max enjoyed the wind while flying around, just 30 meters above-ground. Now that both his vitality and strength are at the E-rank, he could handle the wind pressure from the speed. The experience of flying like this is completely different from riding a plane. No matter how much time Max spends like this, he never gets bored. Soon Max found his target. Two beasts fighting, a blue tiger and a bull with an armor made of rock covering him. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Max stood in the sky, watching. He didn''t like to eat those weird-looking creatures like the Oubach, so he specifically hunted beasts that look like normal animals. ¡°that rock armor should be a skill, so his meat should be normal. What do you think, Lu?¡± Since the dragon omelet thing, Lucy became very interested in normal food, so she has been sharing meals with Max. And since her Vitality is high, she wouldn''t get a stomachache or such, so Max didn''t stop her. Lucy''s misty figure appeared next to Max and pointed to the big bull. ¡°but it has too much meat, and we don''t have a place to store it.¡± Lucy pointed to her tiny mouth. ¡®eat it all.¡¯ Max scratched his head. Although little Lu is a foody but that''s relative to her size, after all, she is literally palm sized and can''t eat that much. ¡°alright whatever, since you want it, we can feed it to other beasts if we can''t finish it.¡± Lucy nodded happily while down on the ground. The two fighters became restless after they noticed the new arrival and accelerated their fight. The bull used some skill to increase his speed and dashed to the tiger. The latter dodged, then lowered his head, and roared. Roooooooooor!. The bull was paralyzed, while Max, even this far, felt dizzy. This should be a spiritual attack, and Max''s spiritual attribute is almost nonexistent. ¡°Lucy, slap that kitty away.¡± Little Lu didn''t waste time, grabbing the tiger from its tail and throwing it as far as she could. Max looked at the tiger in the sky, still falling, confused. He told her to slap it away, not kill it? ¡°whatever.¡± The bull was running away, and Max chased on his cloud. He aimed the hammer, then threw it. Miss.! He hit a rock on the side. Again Aim Then threw. Miss.! Again, aim, then threw. Miss.! Aiming this thing is way harder than it looks, but what makes it harder is Lucy''s giggling at the back of his mind. But Max didn''t stop. If nothing surprising happens, cold blood will be his main weapon for a long time. He had to learn how to use it, eventually. Max kept the chase, hitting trees, rocks. He even hit the bull once, but with the handle of the hammer. At this point, Lucy''s giggles turned into a loud laughter in the back of his head. Max¡¯s eyebrow kept twitching, but on the other side, he was getting better at this. After some more time, Max finally started landing solid hits, and the bull was finally dead. ¡°Ah finally hunted the damn thing.¡± Max wiped the sweat off his forehead. Lucy''s figure jump next to Max. ¡®exhausted to death, no hunt.¡¯ Max gave her a white look. ¡°you dare speak, huh? You''re too strong for me, huh? Then you don''t need to simulate anymore, right?¡± Lucy''s figure disappeared and appeared next to Max, this time in her real body. She smiled sheepishly and started helping Max wipe his sweat with some mist. After all that time, she had some understanding about her sudden power gain. So hearing Max saying that she no longer needs it made her anxious. Max just smiled at her antics and couldn''t help but tease her. ¡°the cooldown should be over in a few hours. And this time, since you''re so strong, the Oubach downstairs should be interested in getting stronger. What do you say?¡± Hearing Max''s words, Lucy was almost tearful as she held his hand. ¡® me weak chicken, you very good hunter, ¡® Max''s eyebrow twitched. ¡°alright, alright let''s just go home. Just keep quiet. ¡° Lucy''s tearful expression instantly disappeared, and she smiled happily, then turned into a green light and merged with the mountain, then lifted both Max and the bull. Chapter 60 Back at the Mountain House, Max first started cooking the soup, then went to practice with his hammer. Nothing too fancy, just swinging it, getting a good grip while throwing it at rocks. And thankfully this time, Lucy didn''t dare make fun of him, so he had some peace. ........ Soon dinner was ready, and after it he went back to practice under the night sky waiting for the simulator¡¯s cooldown. While practicing, he could hear the explosions Lucy was causing on the other side of the mountain, although he just ignored it. Suddenly, Lucy appeared in front of him. ¡°what is it Lu? I thought you were playing with gunpowder?¡± ¡®humans¡¯. Max immediately became cautious, ¡°oh, are they the same ones from last time?¡± Lucy just shook her little head. ¡°are they strong? And how many are there?¡± ¡®toys, just three toys¡¯ Max couldn''t help but feel tempted to go and rob them, but on second thought, it''s not wise to garner attention just to rob some weak people. Whatever he gains from them shouldn''t be worth the trouble. ¡°well if they keep moving around in the mountain, I don''t mind testing my hammer on them, then send them to the afterlife as a thanks, but if they leave just let them.¡± Little Lu nodded and disappeared. ............. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. On the other side of the mountain, three adventurers, two men and one woman stood, witnessing a strange phenomenal. In front of them, in a vast rocky-field, random rocks kept exploding on their own. BOOM!. Boom.! A tall black man, seeming to be the leader, spoke. ¡°miss Vivian, you payed very generously for your protection on this trip, but if you plan to go inside there, then I better refund the money right now.¡± Vivian, the policewoman that had a fight with Max back at glory city looked worried. She never heard of such a strange thing and obviously didn''t want to go inside. She looked to the side at a somewhat imposing fat man with golden teeth. ¡°Hu Wang, is this the location?¡± Hu Wang, or previously called Boss Hu, the small leader of the gang Max used to hang out with. surprisingly this guy is hanging out with the police for some reason, and he even reached E-rank while he previously was stuck at the F-rank. Hu Wang shook his head immediately. ¡°It''s not. It should be on the mountain next to it.¡± Vivian sighed in relief. She was still a normal human, and dealing with a field of exploding rocks isn''t within her capability. She spoke to the leader. ¡°boss Jaxon, we don''t have to pass through here. We can just circle around it.¡± ¡°alright miss Vivian. We won''t rest, though. We''d keep moving through the night since this place gives me the creeps. It''s like something is watching us.¡± Jaxon''s expression was serious. Vivian and Hu Wang didn''t argue. They didn''t have any experience in dealing with such matters, it''s better to leave it to the expert. Jaxon looked at boss Hu. ¡°and you, Hu Wang, tell me how much time do we have to wait around before it appears?¡±. ¡°I am honestly not sure. Maybe a weak or two?, there is no clear date on this thing, but it should be soon.¡± Jaxon just nodded, although not satisfied with the answer. ¡°alright let''s be on our way.¡± ..................¡­ Max, on the other side, didn''t even know that some of his acquaintances were among the three toys Lucy mentioned, and that they were actually watching Lucy''s handiwork, thinking it was some natural calamity. It can''t be helped. Lucy didn''t inform him, since even she didn''t recognize them. She usually disregards all humans other than Max. She even has some animosity towards them for different reasons. ...¡­. Right now, Lucy stood in front of Max in her real body. ¡°so they left the mountain, are you sure?¡± confirmed Max. Lucy nodded repeatedly. ¡°alright then, since we''re clear, let''s start the simulation. Thankfully, they left otherwise. We had to clean them up before starting. ¡° ¡°Simulator start.¡± This time Max wanted to take a perfected skill out. Either (dragon vine) or (emerald water), so he picked the first mountain to avoid unnecessary twists and turns, since the current Lucy is more than capable of dealing with the human city that would be built next to her. simulation started. [ding,] as the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. Chapter 61 simulation .................. Right now, Lucy stood in front of Max in her real body. ¡°so they left the mountain, are you sure?¡± confirmed Max. Lucy nodded repeatedly. ¡°alright then, since we''re clear, let''s start the simulation. Thankfully, they left otherwise. We had to clean them up before starting. ¡° ¡°Simulator start.¡± This time Max wanted to take a perfected skill out. Either (dragon vine) or (emerald water), so he picked the first mountain to avoid unnecessary twists and turns, since the current Lucy is more than capable of dealing with the human city that would be built next to her. simulation started. [ding,] as the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. [In the 1st year, you found yourself in front of an unfamiliar mountain, and without hesitation you took control of it in a few hours and started your practice. Your pet master gave two targets to achieve: search this mountain for any treasure and practice either (Emerald water) or (dragon vine) to the peak, after it you can play however you want without supervision, so you were very motivated.] [In the 2nd year, you started practicing wood aura and mastered it by the end of the year. At the same time, you meticulously searched the mountain for anything resembling a treasure, ensuring no rock was left unturned.] [In the 3rd year, you started practicing wind chosen and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 4th year, you started practicing blessed mind and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 5th year, you started training your skill Emerald water, and your progress was fast.] [in the 6th year, your emerald water started showing some success. From time to time, you kept searching for the treasure, but the process was slow since you didn''t want to miss a single spot.] [in the 21st year, you mastered the emerald water skill.] [In the 23rd year, you made a vast lake of emerald water at the base of the mountain. It made the mountain look even more beautiful. This pleased you. It fixed your bad mood from having to look everywhere for some unknown treasure yet coming up with no results after so many years.] [In the 24th year, you started practicing dragon vine, while ignoring emerald water for the time being.] [on the 30th year, under the effect of your different skills & abilities, the mountain and its surroundings turned into an Ancient Forest with towering trees. This year you found a mine of blue glowing ores deep within the mountain. You felt that your promised treasure was there and started searching carefully.]. [In the 33rd year, this year you notice a group of people walking past you. You knew about them from your pet master; he told you to use them to learn the language of this world. After that, you can kill them if you want, so you let them do as they wish for now. the old man leading the group seems to notice the lake and came closer. The old man was excited and started exploring with his people. After some time, they took base up the mountain.] Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. [In the 36th year, you already found the treasure at the very center of the mineral vein. It was one of those things called sea pearl. It had a beautiful pale blue color and seem to hold the ocean inside of it. For some reason, it reminded you of the dragon eggshell you ate. You wanted to eat the thing, but remembering your master''s instructions, you first had to confirm its origin.] [In the 37th year, you finally learned the language of this world. In the same year, you made a move and captured most of the mountain inhabitants while the others ended up dying by mistake in the ambush. Those people had no chance they put up a good fight, but you were stronger and had the element of surprise. You showed them the pearl and started interrogating them about it. You noticed that the old man looked stunned when he saw the pearl, but no one spoke. You didn''t know what to do.] [In the 38th year, you ran out of patience; you stopped talking nicely. Every time they refuse to answer your questions, you killed one of them. Finally, after killing most of them, the old man broke and started speaking. According to him, the world used to be much stronger in the past, under the protection of the four Guardian beasts: the sky whale, the evergreen tree, the wind spirit, and the blood sage. These guardians helped all intelligent life forms to grow stronger, granting them powerful martial arts and even sharing their blood and flesh to aid in their development. However, everything changed when a black hole appeared in the sky, unleashing a dark invader upon this world. The four Guardians valiantly fought against the invader and eventually killed him, but at a great cost. Both the evergreen tree and the sky whale perished in the battle, while the wind spirit and the blood sage mysteriously departed through the same dark hole that the invader came from. He also mentioned that he practiced the sky whale martial arts and, although he had never seen it before, he could recognize that the pearl you possess is a relic inherited from the sky whale¡¯s remains. You were speechless by the long history of this thing, but nevertheless you sincerely thanked the old man, then killed them all. After you ate the pearl in your real form, it didn''t tast as well as the dragon eggshell. You waited for something to happen, but nothing happened. You felt that the old man scammed you and you cursed the dead scammer. Helpless, you went back to the mountain.] Max scratched his chin, wondering. ¡°this history, it smells like conspiracy no matter how I look at it. And that pearl should be an inheritance item, but sadly, Lucy didn''t gain anything from it. Sigh.¡± [in the 40th year, you were practicing dragon vine, but you inexplicably had the urge to practice your Emerald water and so you did. Your skill emerald water reached a new level, and you comprehended the perfected effect (water of life), which allows the water your skill produces to gain a healing capability. Simultaneously, long-term consumption can extend lifespan.] Max stood up in excitement. ¡°a skill that increases lifespan. The pearl should''ve helped Lucy achieve this.¡± Most people would gladly accept a longer lifespan, and Max is no exception. [In the 43rd year, since your target is achieved, you started playing with gunpowder. At the same time, you didn''t stop practicing dragon vine since you liked the skill. [In the 57th year, you mastered your skill dragon vine. It helped you move things faster around the mountain.] [In the 78th year, you already tried every possible way of using gunpowder to explode things. You were bored and decided to start researching new ways to use it, even trying new mixtures, although most of the time it ends up in a disaster, but as a mountain it didn''t cause you much harm.] Max :-_- [in the 83rd year, this year a pack of powerful gray wolves were attracted to the Emerald lake, but you ignored them to pursue your experiments and research.] Max was dumbfounded. ¡°this airhead doing research? What kind of messed up movie did I let her watch? ¡° [in the 85th year, because of your actions, the wildlife on the mountain was almost extinct, and your research was going nowhere. ] [in the 86th year, humans started appearing one after another, cutting trees, building huts. They seem to realize the danger of a self exploding mountain, and kept their distance, but they didn¡¯t leave]. [in the 89th year, a small city is already placed next to you. From the words of the wood cutters down at the base of the mountain and your observations, there seems to be a strong plague spread among the humans. You saw people dying for no reason; you saw a man with so much muscle unable to lift his pick axe. This city was dying on its own, so you just ignored it. ] Max couldn''t help but glance at cold blood next to him. He expected something like this to happen. Cold blood used the Vitality and the blood of countless people to be forged. if Max didn''t take it out of that world, after the time loop reset nothing will happen, and that Vitality would be returned to the owners, however now that cold blood is here, the result is the current scene inside the simulation world. Weak people died, while normal people became sick. As for the strong, they just got weaker, it seems. ¡°although I didn''t expect a plague, maybe it spread because of the weak immune system then aggravated after infecting more people, well it doesn''t matter much.¡± Max didn''t care about the permanent effect of this blood forging leaves on different worlds, or the countless dead. In fact, he plans to get the method later, maybe have someone modify it for him to not only forge a hammer but other equipment. This can most probably can turn the simulator into an endless source of equipments [In the 95th year, you tried to build a self propelled construction made of stone and metal. But you failed and ended up destroying the city by mistake.] Max was speechless. ¡°isn''t this rocket science? This fool is actually trying to build a rocket out of stones.¡± Max didn''t know what to say, but his first idea was to teach her how to make rocket fuel. oxygen plus hydrogen in liquid form. With her innate ability, it is possible to force those two elements into their liquid form. ¡°isn''t that dangerous?, hmmm, but it''s not like I will on the receiving end, so whatever, let''s teach her later.¡± Max was kind of excited about the idea and ignored all danger. Anyway, it¡¯s his enemies who will receive the backlash and maybe the poor people of the simulation worlds, but so what? [In the 97th year, some strange humans in blood-red costumes joined the city or what''s left of it. But you didn''t care and started mixing up new recipes after you found out that the ore from the mineral vein deep in the mountain is somewhat explosive.] [In the 133rd year, this year you found a new, much stronger formula for liquid gunpowder. In your excitement, you let some of it touch the mineral vein; it triggered a chemical chain reaction, and the mountain exploded.] Max was stunned, not by the fact that Lucy killed herself. That''s normal. What made him stunned is the fact that her research actually had results. [you died] [ding, simulation ended entering cooldown.] [cooldown duration one week.] [ding, Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. Chapter 62 Crimson brilliance (P1) & (P2) Max was stunned, not by the fact that Lucy killed herself. That''s normal. What made him stunned is the fact that her research actually had results. [you died] [ding, simulation ended entering cooldown.] [cooldown duration one week.] [ding, Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. Max checked the laptop first. The last thing played was a sci-fi anime, but that wasn''t supposed to be for Lucy. After all, staying in the wild with no access to the web can get boring sometimes, so Max downloaded a few things for him to enjoy. ¡°I don''t remember watching it with Lucy?, but on second thought, the little one is technically everywhere. Most probably, she watched it with me without me realizing.¡± After realizing the Inns and outs, Max just shook his head, focusing on the important matter at hand. ¡°Simulator, pick emerald water and show me Lucy''s stats.¡± [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. Agility: E+. Vitality: E. Spirituality: E++. Overall evaluation: E+. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler]. 2- [Misty Mountain]. 3- [wood aura]. 4- [blessed mind]. 5- [wind¡¯s chosen]. ...... 6- [Emerald water] : Skill rank: green. Proficiency: Perfected. {water of life} Condense the moisture in the air into a miracle resource filled with nutrients. -Triple beast''s & vegetation growth speed. -Can speed up natural healing by ten fold. -Prolonged consumption can increase lifespan. .... 7- [blessed].8- [dragon Vine]. Max started checking more detailed information, looking for weaknesses at the same time, finding the best way to utilize this skill. After sometime, Max knew everything he needed, and he was honestly disappointed. There were too many skills to assist in farming, but Max picks this one specifically because it offers help to beasts and pets as well. He wanted to increase Lucy''s growth speed, the crow''s as well, but Lucy was the main target since the crow¡¯s growth speed was already fast enough. But this is just a green skill after all and it had limits, but thankfully it should have some effect on Lucy, but definitely not triple. ¡°Sigh. Whatever, it''s still good enough with this. The crows should hatch before the next simulation.¡± Max looked at Lucy in front of him. Unlike the previous times after the simulation, she wasn''t too excited this time and just sat down in front of Max, waiting for instructions. In her mind, this skill wasn''t too useful. all she can do with it is to help the eggs. So Emerald water being the skill that got improved this time disappointed her a little. ¡®well at least it can grow mosquitoes. ¡® she thought to herself while tilting her little head. Max began speaking without having any knowledge of Lucy¡¯s current thoughts. ¡°little Lu, control the mountain and start producing emerald water, and don''t fill the entire room like last time, just the suitcase, since the production speed is much slower now. Also, check the surroundings, please.¡± Lucy nodded, turned into green light and disappeared, while Max switched his gaze towards the sunrise. ¡°huh?, E-rank Vitality is really good. I feel energetic even though I didn''t sleep all night.¡± Max was in a good mood, since progress was much faster then he planned originally. So he decided to take out a paper and pen and started writing some knowledge he plans to teach Lucy. However, he suddenly received a mental message that completely switched his mood. ¡®humans.¡¯ Max¡¯s expression was dark. ¡°Let me guess, they are already close to us, right?¡± Lucy could feel Max''s agitation, so she didn''t mess around and answered immediately. ¡®yes.¡¯ ¡°how close are they exactly, and how about their strength?.¡± ¡®weak very weak.¡¯ Lucy did her best to respond to the initial question, but she was unable to, because she didn¡¯t know how to measure distance, so she had to improvise. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡® a few trees away.¡¯ ¡°huh?¡± Max was confused for moment. ¡°Let''s go take a look.¡± Max picked up cold blood and left. If the intruders were government people or some important individuals, he won''t confront them directly. Even though he thinks of the government as an enemy, since they stand in the most comfortable, profitable position as the leader of the continent, and Max wanted that. But even so, he understood his current strength and with the crow''s about to be born; he had no plans to clash with them for now. But Max won''t let them go easily. He can''t make a move directly, doesn''t mean he can''t kill them. For example, let Lucy throw mountain beasts on them until they''re dead, or collapse the ground above the Oubach tribe. .......... Mist covered Max as he started flying towards the bunch of intruders. Max knew something about his so called bad luck, but currently he couldn''t do anything about it. But that doesn''t mean he wasn''t angry, and someone had to pay for his anger. ............. On a flat plane approximately 200 meters below Max¡¯s house, a group of seven men were in pursuit of a lone individual. Within the group, three of them were pet masters. One man possessed a reconnaissance pet, resembling an unattractive bird, while the other two had similar pets - towering tigers standing at a height of two meters. The remaining four men exhibited signs of being beast holders, evidenced by subtle physical transformations such as eyes resembling cats and animal-like ears. Riding on the backs of the two tigers were five individuals, while the other two pursued on foot. The owner of the strongest tiger, who also appeared to be the leader of the group, urged his companions. ¡°faster you bunch of idiots, if we catch that bitch, we are set for life. And remember, don''t kill her. We need to hand her in alive.¡± ¡°alright boss, you will definitely be promoted this time. Don''t forget about us brothers. ¡°spoke a man with dirty yellow long hair and a pare of hyena ears while running bare feet. The boss laughed out loud. ¡°of course I won''t forget about you, especially you Aiden. ¡° The man was clearly excited by the aspect of a possible reward. Aiden, although seemingly excited about the potential reward, had a peculiar glint in his eyes that went unnoticed by the others. Everyone smiled, offering their congratulations to the boss, even though they had yet to capture their target. Aiden smirked and absentmindedly scratched his unkempt yellow hair, his thoughts racing. ¡®only someone with a slave mentality will think of giving such a good thing after finding it, and I plan on keeping it to myself, but how would I deal with this bunch of brainless fools?¡¯ Everyone was lost in their thoughts while chasing, unable to spot Max''s figure above them. Max had a smile on his face, because through his passive he can recognize this bunch of idiots as mere lowlifes. There are no consequences of killing such people, or to be more accurate, he can handle any consequence that comes from killing a bunch of lowlifes. ¡°finally I don''t have to hold back, four E-ranks and three F-ranks. Let''s have some fun.¡± Max glanced at their target not far away, then jumped from the Mist cloud, holding his hammer up with both hands. Frrrrr. One of the men running on foot notice that something covered the sunlight. He stopped and looked up. But what he saw was a man falling holding a blood red hammer right above him. It was too late to react, his expression was horrified as the hammer connected with his face. Dong!. Ban. Crash!. Max used his full strength as he felt the hammer crash into the man''s skull. He pulled the hammer, drawing blood and bone fragments, under the stunned expression of the group. Max gave them a smile. ¡°This is private property, bitches.¡± ... The boss reacted first and jump down from the tiger and pulled out his gun with the others. While Aiden wanted to circle around Max. But Max didn''t give him a chance and threw cold blood at him using full strength. Aiden used his left arm to block and deflect the hammer away. Dang!. He was slightly injured, but it was worth it since the enemy was disarmed. But under Aiden''s stunned gaze, Max just opened his palm, and cold blood rushed back to him. Woosh.! Max ignored Aiden and focused on the group behind. These guys held their guns pointing at him, but they didn''t shoot. ¡°you there, we are just passing by. Let us go and take it as no harm was done,¡± yelled the boss. While the bunch next to him nodded. Even Aiden stopped advancing. Even though Max just killed one of them, under the effect of his passive, they still wanted to negotiate. But Max didn''t give a damn. ¡°I don''t know if my body can take bullets, but I don''t want to try it, so I am gonna have to take those. ¡° As he spoke, Mist appeared around all the guns and. Pulled them away, throwing them into the distance. Max didn''t wait for them to absorb the shock and aimed cold blood at Aiden again. Aiden blocked and deflected it again, then rushed towards Max, but this time the hammer didn''t return to Max but rotated midair and rushed towards Aiden, since, in the last hit, the hammer already absorbed a little of his blood. At the same time, one of the two Tigers rushed to Max, while the other stayed next to the group. Max just gave it a glance and a giant hand made of mist appeared under it and crashed the tiger into meat-paste. Max shrugged. ¡®it''s only fair for pets to fight against pets. ¡® Aiden was in shock as he stared at the lifeless tiger, completely bewildered. Bang! Out of nowhere, he was struck in the back of the head and fell unconscious. The group at the back had a complete mental breakdown. A man, clad in armor resembling that of a knight while holding a tower shield, charged towards Max while yelling in a frenzy. ¡°ahhhhhhhhhhhh¡± He held the shield in front of Max while one of his companions stood behind him, holding a dagger. Max rushed towards them, but he didn''t hit the shield. He held the shield with his left hand, forcing it down, and hit the man''s head with cold blood. Did this guy really expect him to hit the shield like an idiot? He could see the stunned expression under the helmet as cold blood hit him. Bang!. Because Max used some of his strength to hold down the shield, the hammer didn''t do much damage, but blood repulsion was triggered. The guy behind planned to take the chance to attack Max, but looking at his friend leaking blood like an opened soda-can with one hit, he gave up the idea and start running in fear. Thud!. With one hammer throw. Blood rushed out of his body like a river and he died. Max looked at the three shivering pet masters behind the tiger. With the low Vitality of a pet master, one hit is all it takes. Again, under Max''s mental command, Lucy crushed the tiger just like last time. ¡°sir we are really just passing through. We didn''t mean to. Thud.! Ban. A hammer crashed into his head, turning it into a bloody mess as blood escaped out of his body. ¡°I don''t care.¡± Max didn''t speak much and killed the two left, then glanced at Aiden. ¡°stop pretending to be dead, fool.¡± Aiden stood up and put his hands in the air. ¡°just please listen to me, just don''t kill me. I''ll do anything. I can work for you, just please.¡± Max stood in front of Aiden, cold blood resting on his shoulder. He felt his passive, taking hold of this guy. ¡°Well, that¡¯s new.¡± Max muttered as he brought the hammer down. Thud!. The look of horror didn''t have the time to solidify on his face before he died. Max didn''t plan to keep anyone around him. What would this guy do anyway, take care of the pet? Cook? Drive for him?. Max isn''t retarded and can do those things himself. Even if he couldn''t, he can learn or hire someone temporarily. ................ A tall woman with curly red hair approached carefully. ¡°hi, thank you for saving me.¡± She was beautiful. Max would give her that much, but he just glanced at her, then turned around to leave. The red-haired rushed after him. ¡°Wait please, can you take me with you?¡± Max gave one word while checking the equipment on the ground. ¡°No¡± ¡°Please, I can be useful.¡± ¡°No is a no, and stay away, otherwise I''d really kill you.¡± The red-haired gritted her teeth. ¡°I really can be useful. I have the Crimson brilliance just like you do. That''s why you are so strong, even though your rank should be weak. I can be like you if you help me, please, please. Just help me save my brother and I¡¯d be loyal to you, please.¡± Max''s dull expression changed, and he focused on her for the first time. She was the one who led the group here while running, and she was heading to his house. Obviously she wanted to bring the trouble to him. Originally he planned to let Lucy threw her the Oubach down stares after he leaves. He judged that she was some princess of some big family, being kidnapped, thus he didn''t want to kill her by personally to avoid more trouble. But her words changes everything, the benefits outlay any potential risk. Max lived long enough in this world, and come to know about most common legend stories and such. Crimson brilliance was something like a special physique however, it had one problem, if you kill the owner. The Crimson Brilliance will transfer to the killer. Max had to kill her personally. Looking at the greed practically shining for Max''s eyes the red-head knew that something was wrong. But Max didn''t give her the chance to react and threw cold blood towards her. Before the hammer could hit her, she turned into a faint red light and appeared 30m away. ¡° teleportation? ¡°. Max was so jealous. Crimson brilliance abilities change from holder to another, so obviously he wouldn''t get the same one as her. ¡°what are you doing? Please stop¡±. But Max didn''t stop. He pulled his sniper rifle, aimed, then shot all in one go. Bang!. Same as last time, the red-head teleported 30m away. ¡°stop I know I was in the wrong for leading those guys to your place. I am sorry, please stop. ¡° If Max wasn''t strong, then he would be the dead one now, all because of this idiot, but Max didn¡¯t care about that. All he cares about is his crimson brilliance. Bang!. Bang!. Bang. Bang. Max kept shooting, and the redhead kept teleporting. If you look at the scene from above, you''d notice that Max''s kept pushing her to the center of the mountain. He didn''t know how long she can last so he wanted her to stay within Lucy''s range. Bang!. Under Max''s superb marksmanship, one bullet finally grazed her cheek, drowning some blood before she teleported. Max stopped to reload while a tiny mist ball landed on the hammer with one drop of blood in it. A cloud made of mist appeared under him and started chasing at a high speed. ......... The redhead was desperate no matter how she tried to talk her way out of this. Max would just respond with a bullet. By now she realizes that Max might not be a crimson brilliance holder like herself. ...... Soon Max was only 20m above her, but she didn''t teleport and just kept running. She had to save it to dodge the Attack. Max first threw the hammer using his full strength. He immediately aimed his sniper, waiting for the right moment. Cold blood curved mid air targeting her. She felt the danger from this hammer and teleported without hesitation. As she appeared 30m away, a hand made of mist was about to crush her. She instantly panicked and teleported again. Bang!¡­.. But when she appeared again, a bullet made its way into her right eye, digging its way towards her brain. Bang!. Bang!. Bang!. Bang!. Max gave her a few more bullets for good measure. Crimson brilliance usually gives a set of abilities, not just one, but maybe she was a new holder, thus having only one, requiring more time to develop. Max didn''t care and smiled excitedly, looked at the red light rushing from the corpse to his body. Chapter 63 Crimson brilliance (P3) Max could feel changes occurring within his body. ¡°Lucy, take me home first and loot all the guns, rings and any equipment, then throw the bodies to some beasts.¡± Soon Max flew to his house, and he rushed towards his room and opened the simulator to check his new ability, but what he read confused him. [Ding, detecting origin blood entering the host body.] [Ding, pausing previous scanning process temporarily.] ¡°huh? The simulator was scanning something earlier?¡± [Ding, augmentation launching.] [Ding, augmenting origin blood. Permanently linking to the host¡­ Removing all spiritual links contained within origin blood¡­ Forming the most suitable ability using the leftover resources within the origin blood.¡­] ¡°so if I am killed, no one would take this crimson brilliance or origin blood after me. hmm, and this thing seems to have some problems maybe, but the simulator dealt with it thankfully.¡± [Ding, augmenting in process¡­] [Ding, augmenting in process¡­] [Ding, augmenting in process¡­] The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The process should take some time, so Max decided to search about this origin blood within the simulator. Soon, he found a few articles. [ Origin blood : It is literally the source blood of those parasites called wills of the world¡¯s and even the Universal will. Although the latter is much rarer. Now the question is, why would those parasites share their powers?. The answer is simple: those parasites have some rules they have to follow strictly while parasitizing the world. For example, they cannot directly act against the intelligent life forms of their world, well they are rarely capable of making a direct move. They have to do it in a roundabout manner, one of the methods used is origin blood. Give power to the right pawn. Someone is a threat to it, then gives power to his enemy or something of a sort. Years ago, we developed a technology to take the origin blood and use it literally without consent. That''s why the world hunt war started ...........] ¡°So that how it is.¡± Max was stunned. These guys are ruthless. They destroyed entire worlds just to get one more talent for their people. Compared to them, Max felt like he was actually a good person. ¡°but on second thought, if I had the strength I would''ve done the same.¡± Max kept reading on and on. He was an explorer, so reading about such secret knowledge was very exciting for him. But the simulator interrupted him. [Ding, augmentation successful.] [Ding, talent acquired crimson brilliance.] [ Crimson brilliance : This talent grants you the power to imbue one of your pets with a unique form of energy. Once infused, your pet will enter a berserk state, boosting all its attributes by a 300% and empowering all skills and abilities to a certain extent for a duration of 3 hours. However, after this period ends, your pet will enter a weakened state for a certain period of time. The length of this weakened state depends on the level of exertion your pet experienced during its berserk state. Cooldown: 5 days.] Max opened his mouth wide. He looked at Lucy next to him, then at the simulator. After Lucy saw him muttering to himself, she was worried and came here in her real form. Max pointed at the simulator. ¡°Little Lu, are you seeing what I am seeing?¡± Lucy glanced at the empty void for a moment. She wanted to comfort Max and say yes, but she couldn''t lie. She shook her head. ¡®no, you delusional again!¡¯. Max didn''t even care about Lucy''s words while confirming the talent¡¯s information. ¡°this is really big. With this, the current Lucy can one shot an A-rank using the hammer even without the sneak attack advantage. ¡° Lucy just went back inside the mountain. She was afraid someone else will show up. That will probably make her master completely mad. After some time, Max calmed down. With this ability, he wouldn''t need to worry much as long as he walks along Mountain-ranges. ¡°alright, now that we''ve dealt with the intruders and even got this windfall, let''s go back to the priorities, taking care of the eggs.¡± But another prompt stopped Max. [Ding, scan complete.] ¡°huh?¡± Chapter 64 Hive mind project. ¡°alright, now that we''ve dealt with the intruders and even got this windfall, let''s go back to the priorities, taking care of the eggs.¡± But another prompt stopped Max. [Ding, scan complete.] ¡°huh?¡± [Ding, it''s detected that your pet, the mountain fairy Lucy, has gained her first perfected skill.] [Ding, showing scan results : The Skill [Emerald water] have a 13% compatibility with the innate ability [ mountain ruler.] The Skill [Emerald water] have a 89% compatibility with the ability [blessed]. Host will you merge the skill with either ability?]. ¡°huh. So that is what you were scanning for: compatibility! . first show me the benefits of such an action also the consequences and possible dangers.¡± [Ding, reporting to The Host. You can assimilate any skill into one of the pet¡¯s abilities. The skill will be lost, but its effects will be added to the ability in a weakened state. The ability in question will gain an increase in its potential and raw power. Note 01 : There is a chance to lose some of the skill¡¯s effects in the assimilation process. Note 02 : If the compatibility is lower than 50%, the ability might suffer some damage with a small chance of it being completely ruined. Note 03 : the higher the compatibility, the better the result of the assimilation process. Note 04 : abilities at the perfected mastery can not accept anymore skills.] After reading everything at least twice, Max made his decision. ¡°Simulator don''t assimilate.¡± Max still needed emerald water at peak power for the crow''s, but after that he plan to assimilate it within blessed. ¡°Lucy, did you produce the first few drops?, ¡°asked Max as he walked inside the incubation room. ¡®yes¡¯ The room was completely empty other than the suitcase in the middle. ¡°Good job.¡± complemented Max as he checked the suitcase. On it there was a thin layer of what looks like normal water, barely touching the eggs. Max checked the hatching date, and it showed 6 days. He couldn''t help but smile. ¡°it''s looking good. Lu, take care of it here. I am going to take a rest.¡± Lucy didn''t respond, just closing the door behind Max. .... Time passed, and soon 5 days has gone by. Max spent it relaxing while having Lucy stock on gunpowder. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Lucy wasn''t happy about it, but Max won''t have any of that. A lot of people have been passing by recently, so Max had to stop her from making noise. He was also curious about the purpose of those guys. They just camped on the next mountain doing nothing. Looking at the distance, Max rubbed his chin. ¡°Lu, I can smell treasure over there, and since there''s a good thing close by, it means it''s my good thing. Keep an eye on them Lu, after the crows are born and safe we''d go check the situation. ¡° Lucy was kinda surprised. Her Master was even more of a shut in than herself, so him taking action was a first. But it doesn''t matter. She will just do whatever he orders. Max wanted to stay put and deal with his talent first, but looking at people getting riches in front of him, gives him the itch to go and take it. ¡°well anyway, just take a quick peek. If it''s an easy pick, then take the treasure and escape, and if it''s dangerous, then collapse the Oubach cave so no one can have it. Anyway, If I can''t get it, then no one should think about it.¡± Lucy was speechless, but she didn''t speak. In her tiny little head, that treasure appeared next to them, so it''s practically theirs. If anyone tried to take it, then that thief should just die. ........ If the people camping and waiting knew what the Master and pet were thinking, who knows how they would react?. Good guy, can''t you be a little more reasonable? Everyone is competing, being patient, and risking their lives here. what about you?. You want to kill everyone if you think it''s too dangerous for you to compete? .............. Max, on the other hand, didn''t care about them because the eggs were about to hatch. He took them out of the suitcase and put them on the ground separate from each other. He also prepared a lot of water from Lucy''s skill for them to drink after they hatch. It should have a greater effect this way. Max was completely focused. He noticed that 6 eggs seem dead, but he expected this much. Soon, the first egg hatched. Max watched the little guy come out of its egg, then eat the eggshell slowly. Maybe it''s because of Max''s care for them or because they aren''t normal crow''s, this newborn isn''t bald but had feathers. Black eyes, and pitch black feathers, abnormally black. Max pulled the little guy next to the water and let it drink. Soon. The second, the third, and fourth hatched. They looked somewhat similar to the first one, but although they had the same black color as the first, it didn''t have the same intensity. Max did the same to them, letting them drink until they couldn''t. Among the 40 eggs, 7 were dead while all others hatched successfully. Lucy felt depressed. She had to guard the surroundings, so she couldn''t be here in person. All she can do is watch. So she couldn''t help but ask Max. ¡®let me have some, please¡¯ Max''s mouth twitched. He didn''t know what to say. ¡®Let me have some? You think they''re cabbage or something?¡¯ Max disregarded Lucy¡¯s antics and devoted his attention to the baby crows, who seemed to consider him their mother and stayed close to him. ¡°alright, let''s see which of you will be suitable. Simulator scan the potential pets in front of me.¡± [Ding, executing orders.] Soon, rows of detailed information about each crow. their stats, elemental affinities, potential, and such. Max''s experiment required very specific conditions for each crow, so he had to pick carefully. Max spent the next few hours comparing slowly, reading each detail twice. When it comes to his own power, Max was as serious as he can get. In the process, he found 3 crows with innate abilities. He didn''t even glance at them and eliminated them immediately. His plan is to create something similar to a hive mind link between the crow¡¯s using psychic link, for that the crows shouldn''t be too talented, otherwise it will affect the link. same for elemental affinity, they need to be somewhat low, otherwise the psychic link will be tainted with such elements, normally this is a good thing, since it will not only enhance the link but also protect it. For example, One Crow had a very high fire Elemental affinity. If that crow was in the link, the psychic link will have a burning Aura around it. If someone tried to invade it using psychic skills, his mental power will be burned. However, Max needs the psychic link to be as pure as possible. That''s the only way the hive mind plan can work. This wasn''t his research. Max doesn''t have such research capabilities, at least not yet. Years ago, hive mind project was a government open research, since hive mind pets were so useful they wanted to create more, because such pets are super rare and all above the S-rank. The skill psychic link wasn''t a skill from a dungeon, but a byproduct of that research. Because the project was deemed as a failure, they released the skill to manage their losses. They also released the project in a research paper online. After all, the government will be happy if some genius researcher came up with some new ideas, since the pet business is all under their control anyway, it will only benefit them first. ... Max was lucky enough to have a chat with a researcher about that project on the web. Maybe because the guy was bored or maybe because Max was persistent in sending questions for years. One day, the guy decided to answer a few of them. From him, Max knew that the project was half successful. It¡¯s not that they couldn''t create hive mind pets. but the requirements were too harsh, although the government can achieve such requirement, but the price they pay wouldn''t match the result they receive, so the project was deemed as a failure. First, the pets involved must be less than one month old. 2nd they all should reach the E-rank. 3rd at least half of the pets involved must''ve practiced the skill psychic link to the advanced mastery. There were other requirements, such as being of the same race, but other than the first three, all other requirements are easy to meet. A one month old pet at the E-rank with an Advanced Mastery skill of the green grade . And that skill being psychic link, one of the hardest one to practice among the green grade. It''s clear why the government gave up, but Max had the simulator and could achieve all that. He made some modifications after reading the detailed functionality of his talent from the simulator. Planning to make his talent the center of the link, thus obtaining feedback from all pets within the link. All skills, all elements, all attributes. That''s how greedy Max was Chapter 65 New pets. . ............... Soon Max picked 10 crows. Surprisingly, the firstborn was among them. This guy was a bit too talented for the requirements, but he had the super rare Shadow affinity which Max wanted very much. The best escape, assassination, and stealth skills require the Shadow element. So it''s reasonable to take a small risk for it. Among the other nine, 2 had embryo innate ability, failed to completely form into an innate ability. However, it''s still there, only requiring time or some special resources to fully form. ....... "alright you guys, time to form the pet / master link.¡±. Other pet masters still need the assistance of a pet contract to form the link at least before they reach C-rank. As for Max, although he isn''t a C-rank, the simulator changed him to be the perfect pet master, so even without the pet contract, he can form the link, and it''s the life and death one. Meaning if he dies, all pets die with him, while if a pet die he won''t be harmed much, only suffering slight backlash. ¡° Lucy, first take the others away, build them a nest next to the house, and keep them safe. And Lu, DO NOT THROW THEM from the cliff to see if they can fly.¡± Lucy, who was about to carry the crows, was stunned on the spot. ¡® how did you know?¡¯. Max was speechless. *_* He just said that because it jumped in his head that Lucy might do something to them, but who knew his guess was actually true? ¡°Sigh, just don''t do it Lucy.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡®just one, no?¡¯ Max didn''t even know why this little she-devil had the urge to throw them out of the cliff, but those were very talented pets and Max won''t let her harm them. ¡°No, is a No Lu.¡± Mist took the crows away while Max could hear Lucy''s grumbling at the back of his head. ¡®stingy¡¯ He was dumbfounded. ¡®this fool really thinks they were cabbages¡¯. Max ignored Lucy¡¯s shenanigans and went back to business looking down at the Ten chosen crows. Max started emitting blue light under the simulator¡¯s assistants, shining on the first crow. [Ding, new pet gained,, ash crow N 01.] [Ding, new pet gaine,d ash crow N 02.] [Ding, new pet gaine,d ash crow N 03.] ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ [Ding, new pet gaine, ash crow N 10.]. Max was exhausted for some reason. ¡°Sigh, now that we''re done with that, let''s give you all names, shall we?¡± The crows looked at him expectantly. Now that Max is their master, they can somewhat understand him. CROW!. CROW!. ¡°Hmmmm, how about I name you base on your elements? Let''s start with you first born. Shadow, let''s name you Delma Next you Fire element, let''s name you haiyer And you Lightning element, let''s name you raad The Wood element, your name is louh And you the sand element I will call you ramla. Mirror element, your name is mraia Mystic, you are sahar As for you, although you don''t have an element, I have my plans for you. Let''s see. Imlak it is. ghost element, you will be named ykaouf And you, the only super talented one here, and my lucky star psychic element. Let''s name you mok Looking at the formation of elements, Max was filled with joy. This was one of the reasons he picked a genetically modified pet. They had so many intertwined bloodlines they can literally awaken any element by chance. Max picked the wood element because the ash crow has a certain evolution that can increase lifespan, self healing, and survivability. As for the mirror element, Max honestly didn''t know what it does. The simulator said it was some super rare element like shadow, so he picked it. Mystic is to defend against those one hit kill weird attacks. Just think about it: you were sleeping at home peacefully, then you suddenly died because of an execution type skill. That''s so unfair. Max had to learn it!. As for psychic, it was obvious why Max picked him, even though the crow''s affinity is so high it will not affect the psychic link in any bad way, but it would even enhance it, make it even purer. Its existence alone increased Max''s success Chance by 50%. Max really didn''t know ash crows can awaken the psychic element. It was Pure Luck. As for others, Max picked them because they were suitable for the hive mind project, nothing too special about them. Max looked at his new pets. They all looked the same other than : Shadow element Delma witch had darker black feathers, because of the shadow affinity. Mystic element sahar witch had golden orange eyes, because of his embryo innate talent. ghost element, ykaouf witch had a green halo around him, it came and went without pattern, it''s also because of the embryo innate ability. sand element ramla, witch had scary red eyes for some reason. ¡°oh boy, it''s gonna be a pain to recognize you, anyway let''s move on to the next part before the simulator¡¯s cooldown is over, using the psychic link skill scroll. ¡° ............... Author note : Hello everyone, I hope everyone had a good day. I had fun writing this chapter, and I found that writing other languages in English letters isn''t the best idea I had. XD. The names man, it''s gonna be a pain to remember, but it made me laugh so I am keeping it. .... Next, I am super sorry for the slowed release rate. It''s been a long week for me. Hopefully, I would be done by Monday or even before and will speed up again. And this is my pay link. I will be adding every few chapters, so just don''t mind it. https://www.veem.com/pay/refcode-yaVvxEvLW I wish you all the best. The 2nd simulation Mode. "oh boy, it''s gonna be a pain to recognize you, anyway let''s move on to the next part before the simulator''s cooldown is over, using the psychic link skill scroll. " ... Max directly took out 10 scrolls and used them. He didn''t expect much, most probably only the talented psychic Mok might learn it from the first try. As for others, Max didn''t have much hope. After all, they''re just newborns and unlike Mok, they didn''t have the advantage of having high talent in the psychic element. While practicing psychic skills, Max can confirm that the saying of achieving double the results with half the effort holds true for Mok. As for the skill scroll, Max didn''t mind spending for his pets, and although the scroll failed but it will slightly increase the success chance of learning the skill. ..... Soon, just as he predicted, the light of the scrolls dimmed one after another, and Max didn''t receive any prompt of learning the skill, so he just waited for psychic Mok to finish digesting the scroll. [Ding, your pet psychic crow Mok, learned the skill (psychic Link).] [Ding, your pet Shadow crow Delma, learned the skill (psychic Link).] "wow, you also learned it, as expected of the firstborn." Max nodded in approval, and after checking that all others failed, he took the crows to his room. "There''s almost 11 hours left for the cooldown, so let''s take care of your education first." Crow!. Crow!. Crow!. Crow!. The little guys kept jumping around. Unlike Lucy''s snail like growth speed, these guys grow at a mind-boggling speed. Max could already hear jumbled mental messages at the back of his brain, somewhat resembling words. "alright sit down. I''ve prepared something for you, and if you get hungry, drink the water on the side. " Max won''t let them eat or drink anything other than the water from Lucy''s skill in till they received the full growth enhancement from it. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.As he finished speaking, Max opened the laptop and played the long series he made for the crows. Mafia outside of the city. After he sat down with the crows around him, the first episode started playing. Max wanted to teach the crows cooperation, but at the same time he didn''t want them to become righteous pets or something similar, so he can only settle for a series with something akin to honor among thieves and brotherhood between villains. Also, everyone among the Mafia has some telekinetic communication ability similar to psychic link. The crows kept watching, attracted to the gunshots and the action. After the episode ended, Max replayed it, since he could tell they didn''t get much. He replayed the same episode 3 times. At this point, the crows were watching tentatively. Max nodded in approval and set the first season to play on auto. He could tell Lucy was also watching, but he didn''t mind and closed his eyes to rest a little. Max fell asleep. .... After an unknown amount of time, Max opened his eyes groggily and stood up, stretching. The laptop has already run out of power and entered the charging mode. However, Max noticed something strange: Shadow crow Delma stood in the middle of the group, waving its wings around, seemingly giving orders, while wearing tiny white sunglasses. Pretending to be a gang boss?. CRAW! CRAW!. The crows around kept nodding and crowing. CRAW! CRAW! CRAW!. "what the..?" Max was speechless. Didn''t this bunch grow up too fast?. And where did Delma get those sunglasses? Max opened the simulator and immediately found the abnormality. Their growth speed has reached the A-rank, Emerald water already took full effect and went even further. Maybe it''s because the only thing they had since hatching was emerald water and nothing else, or maybe because their growth potential is too weak, so it had a greater effect. Anyway, Max wouldn''t complain since it''s all beneficial. As for the sunglasses, it should be Lucy''s Mist. "alright you bunch, come here. It''s time for your first power up." The crows stood at attention immediately, like a bunch of trained soldiers. Max just smiled and opened the simulator. "Simulator switch to consecutive simulation mode. " [Ding, consecutive Mode On, please choose the pet.] consecutive mode is especially made for pets with short lifespan, and just like the name suggests, Max can keep simulating consecutively in till he hits the time limit. However, the time limit is shortened by ten times from 1000 years to a 100. At first Max was dissatisfied by the huge difference in time limit, however being keen as always, he instantly figured out the reason. Using this mode, Max could abuse it to bring countless items from the parallel worlds, thus consuming much more energy. Max can just pick a pet with a 1 year life span. With simple math, he can bring at least 100 items with one simulation. Still, with one year life span, most probably the pet won''t be able to obtain anything useful to Max. "alright Delma, you will go first. Simulator start." Shadow crow Delma nodded although not completely understanding Max''s words, its ready for any order. ... Chapter 67 simulation. "alright Delma, you will go first. Simulator start." Shadow crow Delma nodded, ready for any order although not completely understanding Max''s words. ... [Ding, simulation starting.] As the simulation started, Delma lost focus. This time Max picked the first location, since even that air-head Lucy could survive there outside of her mountain form. [Ding, in the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar location, your pet master brothers and sisters nowhere to be seen. Confused, you started looking for them. After all, how can you be the boss without subordinates? Along the way, as you ate and drank, you could feel yourself getting stronger and none of the other birds could match you, becoming your food eventually.] "hmm, that series really got to them, well that''s technically good news." [In the 2nd year, you found a crow swarm and became its leader through your strength, but you never stopped looking for your original gang. You weren''t just a gang, but also a family, plus the crows you found are too stupid for some reason. Being their leader isn''t much fun and just exhausting.] [In the 3rd year, with the passing of years, you became much stronger, but you could feel that you reached your limit. This made you irritated, but since you are the strongest around, it didn''t affect you much.] Max smiled, satisfied by Delma''s speed. "the speed is slightly slower than that of an ash crow with the best resources and training facilities . " A-rank growth speed is no joke, you have to understand that inside the simulation Delma didn''t have any suitable resources. Genetically modified pets are cheap, but still considered a lucrative business, because of the after services growth potions, training facilities, evolution routes, evolution resources. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Delma had none of that, but still reached the peak in just three years, this proves that what Max has been doing is very effective, from taking care of the eggs to only feeding them water from Lucy''s skill after they hatched. [In the 4th year, you took your swarm to travel around aimlessly while practicing your psychic link, and looking for something to help you surpass your growth limit. In the same year, your swarm has become so big it is hard for you to handle them, so you started a war against land beasts for no reason, simply to lower the population. While watching the war you understood something and learned the skill leadership.] *_*. Max was dumbfounded, "this guy.¡­. ¡­ ¡­ is too ruthless? He already looks like a politician?." [In the 5th year, your search turned out fruitless, but you didn''t give up.] [In the 8th year, your psychic link had some success, but no one else knew the skill so you couldn''t use it.] [in the 9th year, you were getting old, so you decided to settle down with your swarm.] [In the 10th year, you died out of old age. And your swarm mourned you.] "huh? So the lifespan effect didn''t kick in yet? Well, it did say long periods of consumption. " [Ding, you died.] [Ding, simulation ended, Host please pick a reward.] "I pick full body stats, and show me Delma stats." [Ding. Scanning]. Name: shadow crow Delma . Race: ash crow. Strength: F++. Agility: E++. Vitality: E Spirituality: E+. Overall evaluation: E. "All good." Max patted the confused Delma. "Stay next to me so you don''t harm the others by mistake." The strange reactions within its body still confused Delma. Nevertheless, Delma sat down obediently next to Max. Next Fire crow Haiyer. Than Lightning crow Raad. Than Wood crow Louth. The simulation was somewhat similar to Delma''s, with the difference being in not raising swarms, and their practices speed being one year slower than Delma. All was good, but Max''s mood wasn''t good because all of them survived to the 10th year. That was a huge waste of time since they hit their growth limit in the third or 4th year. Max wanted to simulate psychic crow mok at least twice, once for stats and the other for practicing psychic link. "hmm, based on the current progress, one of you will have to sacrifice and stay weak in till the next simulation. Sigh, we''ll see how things go. You next Ramla. " Sand crow Ramla looked excited. Ramla saw with its own eyes how the other crows became stupidly strong after their master stared at them for a while, it''s finally his turn to be stared at. [Ding, simulation starting.] Chapter 68 the dark horse Ramla. Sand crow Ramla looked excited. Ramla saw with its own eyes how the other crows became stupidly strong after their master stared at them for a while, it''s finally his turn to be stared at. [Ding, simulation starting.] [In the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar land. Before you could understand your situation, you saw the sunrise. That light!, it''s definitely the light of gold, just like the one in the series. Without hesitation, you started flying towards it, wanting to enrich the treasury of the Gang.] Looking at the scene, Max had a bad feeling. ''please don''t be a second airhead, please just please.'' as Max kept praying in his heart, the simulation continued. [In the 2nd year, you finally realized something. That moving object made of gold is too hard to chase, so you decided to fly in one direction towards the place it rises from periodically. But sadly, when you felt that you were close to owning the treasure, you met a human caravan and were captured for food, and because you were flying all year long and didn''t rest much, you were weak and couldn''t resist. Thankfully, before you were eaten, One of the humans took fancy to you and wanted to sell you, and that''s how you were caged and accompanied the humans.] Max *_* [In the 3rd year, after so much time, the caravan made it to the desert. you recovered and even became strong enough to escape, but you didn''t. You took fancy to the merchant''s shiny objects, and you wanted to take them before leaving, and you didn''t have the confidence to chase after that giant golden plate in the sky after you lost your trail because of the caravan. On a certain night, bandits attacked and set fire to the caravan. Afraid of the fire, you escaped planning to come back for your shiny things later, however you lost your way after sometime of flying around. Hungary and especially thirsty, you flew around aimlessly, and you saw it a lake in the middle of the desert. You went there happily, but the lake disappeared as you reached it. Someone stole it from under you. Angry and hopeless, you flew up again. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. You were approaching your death, but then you saw it. A lot of greenery and a second lake. You rushed there before rasing the thief that stole the first, and you succeeded as you enjoyed the water of the lake that belongs to you now. ] "wow, this guy actually found an Oasis." Max remembered the desert on the map, but he didn''t see the oasis, although he didn''t look closer because there were no mountains around, or maybe he didn''t find it because it was too small. [In the 5th year, you became stronger with rest and food reaching your limit, at the same time you explored this land. The humans living here are too weak and you can beat them easily, so you planned a big robbery. first kill everyone, then take everything. You were happy with your plan, the boss, and the big boss should be proud of you, as the master thief of the family. You were fast and strong, so the small human tribe didn''t have a chance. Eventually, everything around belongs to you.] Master thief ? Boss? The Big boss ?, Max was baffled. He glanced at Delma. "I assume you''re the boss?" Delma nodded proudly. "then who''s the big boss? " Delma looked around for a moment, wanting to pin point something. Finding nothing, Delma used his wings to explain, pointing one upward and one downward to the ground. CRAW! CRAW!. "could it be? You mean Lucy?" Delma nodded. "ohhhh, so that''s why she made you the sunglasses. You bribed the air-head with this title." Delma just showed an innocent expression. Max didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "meh, you guys do whatever you want." [In the 6th year, you found a new target. Every full moon, there will be a small but strong green light deep within the lake. You could tell that it was a treasure that can even please the boss behind the scene. ...... Max was dumbfounded. He looked at Delma and pointed to himself. "don''t tell me I am the boss behind the scene." Delma gave a look that says, are you testing me? But nevertheless Delma nodded. Max didn''t know what to say. The shop definitely scammed him with air-heads. ...... [you wanted the treasure but you couldn''t swim so deep, so you decided to dig around emptying the lake first. Eventually you succeeded, leaving a very small lake. And at the full moon, you went down and picked up a bowl filled with shiny green liquid that didn''t mix with the water around. But as you were observing the offering for the Boss behind the scene, a tree root suddenly attacked and killed you on the spot.] "huh? a strong tree root under water? Glowing green liquid? Ramla might''ve just made me a great profit." Max had a guess and he plan to confirm it. [you died] [Simulation ended, Host please pick a reward.] ..... Author pay link. https://www.veem.com/pay/refcode-yaVvxEvLW Chapter 69 simulation end. .................................. [you wanted the treasure but you couldn''t swim so deep, so you decided to dig around emptying the lake first. Eventually you succeeded, leaving a very small lake. And at the full moon, you went down and picked up a bowl filled with shiny green liquid that didn''t mix with the water around. But as you were observing the offering for the Boss behind the scene, a tree root suddenly attacked and killed you on the spot.] ¡°huh? a strong tree root under water? Glowing green liquid? Ramla might''ve just made me a great profit.¡± Max had a guess and he plan to confirm it. [you died] [Simulation ended, Host please pick a reward.] ¡°I pick items & equipments.¡± A list with only two items appeared in front of him. . Strong wooden bowl. . Inheritance of the evergreen tree. Max smiled and instinctively picked the inheritance item. A ball of green liquid appeared mid-air in front of Max, and fell down, splashing on the ground. SPT!¡­ ¡°FUCK!, Lucy, catch it quickly.¡± Max took out a glass bottle, and the stone ground lifted the liquid and tilted to the side, pouring the liquid inside the bottle. After making sure he saved every drop, Max sighed in relief. ¡°That was close. Good job Lu.¡± Max expected the simulator to contain it in a bottle or similar, but in reality, the simulator will simply carry out the commands without considering Max¡¯s convenience. Max put the bottle aside, planning to investigate it in depth later. As for Ramla, he just gave Max a pleading look. Maybe the master''s eyes got tired or something, because he didn''t get stronger, not even a bit. ¡°don''t worry, you got me such a valuable thing, so you''ll get a second chance. ¡° Ramla was excited that the master will star at him a second time. Hopefully, this time, the master''s eyes wouldn''t malfunction. .......................... After some time, Sand crow Ramla. Simulated again dying at year 6, but this time he died stealing golden lion cups from their cave. His reasoning was that living gold is more profitable than normal gold. Max didn''t even react this time, already immune to this kind of thing from a certain air-head. Mirror crow Mraia went next, successfully surviving 10 years in one go. Then Mystic crow Sahar died after 8 years, out of old age. This guy seems to have a lower lifespan than normal, maybe because of his embryo innate ability. Next elementless crow Imlak. [In the first day, you found yourself in an unfamiliar land, confused you started learning how to fly in order to search for your master and brothers. You weren''t good at flying and fell off a cliff to your death.] [you died, simulation ended] [Host, please pick a reward.] Max:??? Huh? For the other crows, learning how to fly wasn''t even mentioned. Evidently, it was an easy process, not even worth mentioning. However, this guy died trying to fly. For a moment, Max was confused about what to pick as a reward. One day of progress or the dirt that he crashed into? ¡°well one day of progress is still progress I guess, so pick stats. And simulate again.¡± Max wanted to explain a little to Imlak, but looking at the dull look this guy gave him, Max judged him as another air-head and gave up. It would be useless, and he might just make it worst, so forget about it. Instead of trying to explain, Max just moved the location a little farther from any cliffs. [Simulation starting.] [in the first week, while flying around looking for your master and brothers, night fell, and you felt cold. You found a big Furry gray rock, the weird thing about this rock is that it¡¯s warm and cozy, happy about your finding you slept cuddling to it.] [ding you died eaten by a gray wolf.] ¡°what the.?. ¡°¡­ ¡­ Max was speechless. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Simulate again.¡± This time Max moved the location slightly, away from the woods, closer to the planes. [you tried to fish in the river but the fish resisted and you drowned.] ¡°again.¡± [you enjoyed the lake view, and had the urge to learn how to swim. You drowned.] ¡°again.¡± [you saw eagles in the sky, thinking that you were from the same race, you wanted to be friends with them. You died.] ¡°again.¡± [you ate a tree branch thinking it was fruit, you died.] ¡°again¡±. At this point, Max was losing hope. If not for this crow being the only one without Elemental affinity, Max would''ve given up on this air-head. ¡°Only now I realized I kinda wronged Lucy calling her an air-head. Sigh, let''s keep at it.¡± ..... After an unknown amount of time, Imlak finally reached his limit. Although Max was mentally exhausted thinking about the future simulations with this idiot, but the results weren''t actually bad. Counting all the simulations, this guy only spent 5 years in total. This means more time for psychic Crow Mok. ¡°Next is you ykaouf. ¡° Looking at the innocent ghost crow ykaouf, Max felt some low-key guilt towards this guy. God knows what hit him when he named this guy ykaouf. originally he wanted to name him ghost in another language, but he made a mistake and named him ykaouf. The literal translation for ykaouf is . '' hopefully they will never ask me about the meaning of their names otherwise¡­¡¯ ............ [Simulation starting.] [In the first year, you move around the land looking for your family, while getting stronger.] [In the 2nd year, you found yourself under a cloudy sky. Fearful of the rain. You plan to find a spot to rest, but before you could a lightning bolt descended on you, killing you on the spot.] Max was confused for a moment. Such a thing didn''t even happen to Lightning crow raad. ¡°whatever, I am too exhausted to think about it. Just pick stats and simulate again. And you ykaouf don''t move around, just build a nest and settle down. ¡± Before ykaouf could respond, the simulation started [Ding, simulation starting.] [In the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar land. Remembering your master''s words, you built a nest and stayed there waiting for your family, while getting stronger.] [In the 2nd year, you reached your growth limit, becoming much stronger, but you were still waiting in the same old nest. One day, while you slept, a rock collapse happened in the mountain next to you, and your nest was crushed by a giant rock.] [you died.] Max was happy that there were more years left in the simulation, but at the same time, confused. ¡® not only did I give this guy a shitty name, he also seems to inherent my bad luck? ¡®. [Host, please pick a reward.] ¡°pick full body stats, and scan ykaouf, look for something related to bad luck.¡± Max didn''t plan to ignore this matter. Don''t joke around. His luck was already so bad, if another one like him joins the team it will be the end of him. If it''s serious, then ykaouf will have to stay back and Max would pick another crow for his talent. [Ding, reporting to The Host.] [your pet ghost crow ykaouf has the ghost element affinity while being a living creature. Such a phenomenon is abnormal and will attract disaster. However, the affinity is low enough to not affect the host in any way. Only when the embryo innate ability is about to be completed will there be minimum danger to the pet. ¡°I see. So, in the simulation, he died because his innate ability was about to form. It makes sense while I saw ghost pets online, I never heard of a living pet with the ghost element affinity.¡± Since the matter wasn''t urgent, Max chose to ignore it for the time being. He already checked, and it''s not hard to solve. ¡°next you mok. ¡° psychic crow mok just waited, looking at Max with his tiny, intelligent eyes. You could clearly tell this one was different, much smarter probably because of the high psychic affinity. Max hesitated for a moment, wanting to try something. ¡°well let''s do it. Listen to me mok when you body reaches the limit and you can no longer grow stronger, find a way to kill yourself. Don''t worry, you will be fine and you''ll find yourself here next to me.¡± Mok tilted his head, attempting to comprehend Max¡¯s words, but Max didn¡¯t wait and initiated the simulation. ........ [Simulation starting.] [In the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar place. After some thinking and from the strange empowerment of your brothers and your master''s words, you made a judgement. This place should be a dream or something similar, a method to become stronger your master used on you. So you started acting on it, trying to quicken your growth more food and more flying to digest it faster.] Max was stunned on the spot. ¡°first simulation and he almost guessed the truth.¡± ¡® this guy is definitely my lucky star.¡¯ Max wanted to cry out of happiness, but he suppressed his joy and kept watching. [In the 3rd year, your body reached its limit, you can no longer grow, so you had to end your life now. You hesitated a little but still went forward with it. You picked the best possible death there is. flying to the sun burning in glory. You ended up being frozen and falling to death.] [you died.] ¡°dying in glory, huh? Not bad, not bad at all.¡± Max was really happy. This way there is 17 years left in the simulation and all the crows reached the E-rank. "Super smart but lacks knowledge, hmm nothing that can''t be solved with some real education. ¡° To be honest, Max expected Mok to do something foolish and end up dead on the first day, but it¡¯s a relief that Mok actually seems to be using his brain, unlike the rest of the group here. [ding, Host, please pick a reward.] " full body stats and simulate him again. ¡° Before the simulation started, Max patted the little Mok. ¡°you did well in the dream world. We''ll do it again now, and this time live till the end, and focus on your skill psychic link.¡± Before Mok could react to Max''s words, he lost focus. [Ding, simulation starting.] [In the first year, you looked around at this so-called dream world. You were here once, you assume, although you can''t remember. Quite confusing, but you remembered your master¡¯s orders and started practicing.] [In the 4th year, because of your high spirituality attribute and your high psychic affinity, your progress was smooth and your skill psychic link had some success.] [In the 10th year you died out of old age, at your final moments you weren''t worried just waiting to be reunited with your family.] Max blinked, unable to believe the current situation. ¡° 4 years to reach primary mastery? Doesn''t that mean he is close to the advance mastery after 6 more years of practice?.¡± Max wanted to simulate the two crows with psychic link, so they can reach the primary mastery, but this changes things. ¡°Simulator picks psychic link skill and simulate mok again.¡± [In the first year, you looked around at this so-called dream world. You were here once, you assume, although you can¡¯t remember. Quite confusing, but you remembered your master¡¯s orders and started practicing.] [In the 6th year, because of your hard work, your skill psychic link reached a new level, and you were unable to progress anymore. Not knowing what to do, you just waited for this dream to end .] [7th year simulation time ended.]. [ding, Host, please pick a reward.]. ¡°pick the skill psychic link.¡± [Ding, simulation ended, entering cooldown.] Max was shaking with excitement. At this rate, next week will be the date he activates his talent. Author note. : sorry about Monday I couldn''t upload. On my side more work popped up out of nowhere and I had to do it. Didn''t have anytime to write sorry again. Chapter 70 . .......... [ding, Host, please pick a reward.]. ¡°pick the skill psychic link.¡± [Ding, simulation ended, entering cooldown.] Max was shaking with excitement. At this rate, next week will be the date he activates his talent. Max took a moment to calm himself since he had a lot to attend to and couldn¡¯t afford any delays. First of all, psychic crow mok needs to teach the other crows psychic link daily. Earlier, Max was extremely excited because pets have the ability to teach each other skills and enhance their proficiency. However, there were certain limitations to this. For instance, it was not possible to teach them abilities, regardless of how simple they were. Additionally, it was important for the pets to be of the same race or at least share similar characteristics. After all, you can''t expect a fish to teach a bird how to breathe underwater. ¡°alright everyone, listen to me carefully, First things first, mok you will be responsible for teaching the others psychic link daily. Everyone else work hard to learn. If you do well, I will let you watch more of Mafia out of the city.¡± CRAW! CRAW!. The group of crows looked at each other. They would obviously execute Max''s command, but rewatching the same series again wasn''t a good motivation. ¡°don''t give me that look. You only watched the first season, and there''s 14 left, any one of you with slow progress won''t be allowed to watch. ¡° CRAW! Craw!. CRAW! Craw!. CRAW! Craw.! The crows went wild instantly. Max was satisfied by their reaction, but he noticed something off in front of him. Lucy was flying next to him in her real body, looking at him, seemingly waiting for something. ¡°Lu, shouldn''t you be guarding?¡± Lucy flew in front of him. ¡®turn my turn.¡¯ Max understood immediately. Lucy obviously wanted to simulate. ¡® not yet Lu, you''ll have to wait till we are about to leave the current simulation world. ¡® Max spoke through their mental Link. Lucy tilted her head, not understanding. ¡®If you don''t understand, then don''t worry about Lu. Just wait. Anyway, the current world can''t nurture a strong pet like you.¡¯ Lucy still didn''t understand much, but she nodded obediently since Max said to just wait, then she will do that. Max patted Lucy''s little head, and she smiled in return. ¡°alright Lu, go back now, and by the way, didn''t I tell you not leave your mountain form before you inform me? ¡± Lucy just smiled sheepishly and disappeared into green light. She really didn''t mean to do it and just forgot. Max just shook his head. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°alright Lu, take them outside to practice. It''s up to Mok to decide when to rest. Hmm and Lucy, if you see anyone of them lazing around then you...... ¡° .... Max took a moment to think about a suitable punishment¡­. ¡°if you see anyone of them lazing around, then you can play with him just like you used to with the pigeon. ¡° The mountain went quiet for a moment, or maybe it was Max''s imagination. Anyway, he wanted results from the crows, so he was secretly ruthless, maybe too ruthless this time? Looking at the Mist carrying the crows outside, Max smiled. ¡°if any of you were lazing around, then don''t blame me.¡± ................... Next, Max looked at the bottle of green liquid in his hand. ¡°simulator, can I drink this?¡± [Ding, scanning. ¡­ .] [Ding, reporting to The Host. consumption of the evergreen inheritance item will result in. 3% chance of death. 40% chance of damaging your body. 50% chance of having no effect. 7% chance of unknown mutations.] ¡­¡­¡± I see, so I am definitely not drinking this, how many abilities are stored inside?, and which one of my pets has the highest chance of gaining it? ¡° [Ding, reporting to The Host. This inheritance item contains 02 abilities and 00 skills. The abilities belong to a plant type life form and none of your pets can inherent it.] Max was kinda disappointed. ¡°just two abilities? So this should be a C-rank inheritance item¡­. Fuck it, just show the success rate percentage for each pet. I am willing to gamble if it''s not too bad..¡± [Ding, showing reports.] -Mountain fairy Lucy. 00.002% -Shadow crow Delma. 00% -Fire crow haiyer. 00% -Lightning crow. raad 00% -Wood crow louh. 00.0000001% -Sand crow ramla. 00% -Mirror crow mraia. 00% -Mystic crow sahar. 00% -ash crow Imlak. 00% -ghost crow ykaouf. 00% -psychic crow mok. 00% Max was speechless. If he still used it, then it wouldn''t be gambling but throwing resources away. ¡°Simulator, is there any way to increase the success rate?¡± [Ding, reporting to The Host. There is only one known method to increase the success rate, which is to change your race to that of the same one as the maker of the inheritance item.] ¡°then, is there any use for this thing?. ¡° [Ding, Host please read the article¡­ fundamentals in blood, power and inheritance.] Max wanted to watch over the crows training, but gaining knowledge is just as important, plus he spent 6 years in simulation to get this thing. It would be disappointing to just leave it to rot inside the space ring. ¡°Lucy, I am going to be busy reading, make sure to inform me of any changes to the crowd of people next door. Also, keep the crows safe.¡± ¡®will do¡¯. Getting confirmation from Lucy, Max opened the article and started reading, not knowing that Lucy was still watching. ........ And just like that, Max spent the next few hours engrossed in reading while Lucy stood guard, her gaze fixed on him as he spent more than 5 hours staring into the void. Occasionally, she saw him nod in understanding, wear a puzzled expression, or even appear surprised. Lucy was literally panicking. Her master has gone mad again. ¡®master, when I have money, I take you to best psychiatric hospital. ¡® Max..: ¡°huh?¡± Max was dull for a moment, getting this sudden mental message from Lucy completely broke his concentration. ¡°what the?. What are you on, Lucy? ¡° But Lucy didn''t respond. determined to help her master, she went looking for a way to gain money, maybe discussing with the crows. Max just shook his head and went back to reading He was already used to Lucy''s sudden antics, plus Lucy didn''t interrupt anything important, since he already found a way to use the inheritance item. He just kept reading because the article was very informing. ...................... After an unknown amount of time, Lucy interrupted Max again, but this time it was due to Max''s orders. ¡°hmm, you''re saying something happened to the group of humans?¡± ¡®yes¡¯ ¡°hmm, let''s go take a look.¡± Max considered the matter very carefully, and he had to check the scene. Because the situation wasn''t normal. Earlier he went closer to check the place, countless superhuman camping as if waiting for something. Obviously, they know something, maybe a treasure will appear there. But that''s normal. The real odd thing is that there were no big forces participating, not even the government. Maybe the higher ups weren''t interested, but Max didn''t believe their dogs and chickens weren''t. Even among the people passing by his mountain, none of them seemed important or at the very least they should of carefully hid their identities. Max didn''t want trouble, but he smelled benefits. Benefits big enough to take a small risk. He had a guess that the big forces came to an agreement about this matter to not interfere, or maybe they were wary of each other or of something completely different. Whatever treasure that pushed them into such a situation, Max wanted it. Of course, he would not jump in like an idiot. ¡°alright Lu, take me to the edge of the mountain, and while I take a look, you build a closed, well fortified place inside the mountain. Just leave some small holes for air.¡± Without hesitation, Lucy sprang into action. The purpose of constructing this place was to hide the crows during their outings, so she took great precautions. ............. Arriving at the edge of the mountain, Max pulled out his sniper and took aim. From this distance, he can see the crowd boiling, some were fighting, but not a lot. most of them were just moving around or standing by. ¡°Lucy, are you done?. ¡° Max already showed her how to build a safe house for the crows two days ago, in case he decided to participate in whatever was going on there. So he wasn''t worried about the quality of her work. Plus, all his pet crows are at the E-rank, in this E-rank zone. even if he let them loose, they wouldn''t be in much trouble. As for his so called bad luck, Max reflected on it and judged that they would be safe. Anger welled up inside Max as he recalled the source of his bad luck. ¡®fuck you bad luck. One day I am going to find you and send you to the afterlife, but before that, I will squeeze that precious blood drop by drop day after day. ¡® ....... ¡® yes I am done¡¯ Lucy interpreted his musings ¡°alright, you take control of that mountain. I will stay far away from the group and observe. Inform me when you control the mountain. ¡° Max plan to watch and see, maybe kidnap someone for questioning. ................ ¡­ Back at Kain city. Inside his office, the mayor of the city stood obediently to the side as a bald young man occupied his seat. ¡°Sir Mark, the gate for the martial arts dungeon has opened, and it''s confirmed to be a legacy dungeon and it''s secondary to the one in glory city. ¡° Spoke the mayor. ¡°alright just don¡¯t interfere. ¡° ¡°but sir mark, shouldn''t we block the crowd of normal people from entering?¡± The bald young man just gave the mayor a condescending look. ¡°us not taking the martial art dungeon, is out of respect to the Elder Association secrets, and also to avoid any unnecessary conflict. But taking the initiative to block others from getting it, make us look weak. Others might think that my star continent is afraid of them. ¡° ¡°but sir mark, each continents guard its power system from the other. If someone gets it, the elder association will definitely kill them. ¡° ¡°who cares about them? Just let them be killed. ¡° ¡°sir, why don''t we take it for ourselves? I have some subordinates with special talents. the matter will not be tracked back to us. ¡° ¡°idiot, if it was possible, then would it be left to you. The Elder association has a method to track every Qi practitioner basically once you practice martial arts and give birth to Qi within your body, they''ll be able to pinpoint your location. Now shut up for me. Don''t talk unless there''s something to report. ¡° The mayor was depressed. He was so talkative because he wanted to carry favor with this big shot, but it seemed to have backfire. Chapter 71 Back at the Mountain-range. For the past two hours, Max had been hiding between the trees in a secure spot at the base of the mountain. He was patiently waiting for Lucy to complete her task. Thankfully, unlike the previous occasion when he moved out of kain city and had to cautiously hide while Lucy took charge of the mountain, this time Max felt more confident. Armed with his hammer cold blood, and his E-rank Vitality, he can be considered an E-rank tank. This was enough for anyone to feel secure here on the outskirts of the beast forest. Soon Max received the mental message from Lucy. ''done.'' "good job Lu, first lead me to an isolated high-ground, and fill the mountain with Mist, make sure it''s light enough to be taken for normal mountain fog. Also, Lucy, make sure to not alert anyone to your existence. " ''OK!'' Max planned to stay low key until he understood the situation. Thus, he needed to have Lucy abduct someone from the crowd to gain that understanding. To do this, he sought out the high ground to choose a target. Max couldn''t simply tell Lucy to abduct someone because that air-head will surely pick one from the middle of the crowd alerting everyone and take him to Max, waiting for praise. .... Max started moving according to Lucy''s directions, sometime Mist appeared to help him cross difficult Terrain, but he didn''t use the Mist to fly this time to not draw any unwanted attention. ... He soon arrived at his destination. Pulling out his sniper, he took aim in the direction of the crowd. At this time, the group became much more organized, and most of them stood in a line in front of a small pond. '' someone should''ve taken charge of the situation. '' thought Max. He moved the scope a little and stopped in surprise as he locked onto a group of people standing in line. "isn''t he that idiot Hu Wang, also that brainless bitch police woman? What was her name?. " Max didn''t have any feelings towards Hu Wang. He worked for the guy for some time and that''s it. There was no conflict what so ever so Max didn''t care about him. As for that policewoman, Max wouldn''t mind having her get into an accidental death case with the Oubach as the killer if he had the chance. But since benefits were in front of him, he planned to be the bigger person temporarily and ignore them for now. Max kept looking, and soon he locked his target. "Lucy, it''s those two. Take them and don''t alert others.. " Through their mental link, Lucy was able to locate the target easily and started slowly increasing the Mist around them. ........ Far away from the main crowd, two figures stood between the trees. One man and the other a woman. Their current state wasn''t good, both being injured to different degrees. "it was all your fault, amir, if we just waited for our turn and didn''t start fighting immediately after the first group left the dungeon. We could have had a chance if the young master hadn''t kicked us because of you. " "Lilly, do you really believe that we would''ve had a chance? Just look at the long line. The dungeon would have been cleared long before it was our turn. " Lilly wanted to argue more, but she noticed that the surrounding place was too foggy. Earlier fog filled the mountain, but no one thought much of it. But the amount of fog around them was too abnormal, almost solid. "Amir, something is wrong with this fog. " "huh? What is I..". Mist suddenly turned into thick robes and in tangled the two of them, starting with their mouths preventing them from screaming. Vvvvvvv... Next, it formed a circle around them and swiftly dragged them towards a specific spot. Wooosh..! ......... Soon, the scared and confused pair opened their eyes inside a cave. The Mist has let go of their mouths but is still binding them. Unable to move, they wanted to scream for help, but looking at the Misty figure in front of them, they instantly shut up. It was Max, standing in front of them, covered in mist. Even though he never planned to let the pair leave alive, but being cautious was never a bad thing. "you two, I have some questions and you will answer them honestly, otherwise you do not want to know what''s going to happen to you". "Sir, just ask. I will answer anything, I will do anything for you, just let me go". spoke Lilly first. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.''Bitch,'' cursed Amir inside his mind, but nevertheless he spoke cooperatively. "this boss, please let us go. We are normal folk, and don''t know anything important that would be of interest to someone as strong as you. " "First of all, it''s me who decides whether you know something important or not, and second, the next time you speak without me addressing you. Well, let''s say you will lose an arm or a leg, base on your preference of course. " Both of the captive went quiet, waiting. Lily just wanted to please Max to get out of this alive, so she cooperated well. As for Amir, he still had hope of walking out of this alive, so he didn''t argue. the reason he was so optimistic is the fact that Max was too strong, in his eyes he suspected that Max is above the C-rank. so this strange person should not be interested in an E-rank dungeon, since he can''t go inside anyway, so there''s no reason to kill them to shut them up. If Max was just slightly stronger than him, then he would be desperate, and just ignore Max waiting for death, because he would be sure Max would kill them once he get the information. "The woman can speak first. Why are so many people gathered around here? Tell me everything you know and don''t spare any detail. " Lily started talking immediately, and soon she divulged everything she knew. About the Legacy martial art dungeon, and how the two of them bought the information from the black market, and she even explained what a legacy dungeon was. And Amir confirmed her words. There are a lot of dungeon types, but legacy dungeons are the safest among them all. Lily didn''t know why, so she didn''t explain it, but Max knew the reason from the simulator''s random articles. the Legacy dungeon is actually a dungeon from a dead world. When a certain world participating in the void Battlefield completely dies. what''s left of it will be turned into a legacy dungeon, pure profits for the central world. Sometimes it''s the last inhabitants of that world making the dungeon, wanting to integrate into the central world in some form as pets, summons or maybe slaves or companions. Other times it''s the void Battlefield planning this specific dungeon, which was recorded as a super rare event when no one from that world was left alive to make a decision. As for why the government didn''t participate, Lilly didn''t even realize they didn''t, while Amir was confused by this matter, but just ignored it. But Max knew the reason. What Lily said just confirmed his earlier guesses, the government is most probably scared of starting a Continental War, and other strong forces already know about this matter and the complication around it, so they didn''t participate. But as a lone individual, he wasn''t scared of the elder association, since they didn''t have much influence on the Star continent, and couldn''t track him down, and from the relationship between the continents, the government will never help them. Lily also told him that the initial participant in the dungeon had shared the information and name of the dungeon with them for a price of course. Even though they didn''t succeed in clearing it, they managed to acquire valuable information, which they ended up selling for money. The dungeon name was ( mountain peak tournament ). The rules are simple: defeat all 18 disciples, then the dungeon boss. before every fight you have 1 hour of preparation or just to rest. Every win will gain you some rewards, and only after the 19 match fighting the master who is the boss of the dungeon will you gain the biggest award: the martial arts scroll. Max smiled, very satisfied by the information he gained "Thank you for cooperating, as a reward for that. I will make it clean." The two of them were confused by Max''s words, but Amir soon realized what''s happening when he saw Lily''s head crushed by a blood red hammer held by a person that showed up from behind them. It was Max. Bang¡­! Max was a cautious person, so he never showed up in front of them from the start. Until the end, it was a Misty figure in front of them while Max stood in the thick fog not far from it speaking. Crush!¡­. Amir didn''t even have the time to curse at the Shameless bastard before the hammer struck his head, crushing his skull while blood rushed out of his orifices. "Lucy, get rid of them." Crack..! The ground opened up under the dead bodies and swallowed them. ..... Crack! Cash!. Soon the scene became clear like nothing happened even the blood was pulled underground. ......... Max immediately forgot about the unfortunate pair and started thinking about important matters. Since it was a legacy dungeon and there was no danger to his life, Max plans to participate. More importantly, it was such a lucky coincidence that the dungeon terrain was a mountain. With Lucy as his pet, Max can claim everything to himself. Max scratched his chin. ''From my knowledge I am 99% sure this situation is just luck. As for the other 1% maybe a mistake.¡­ meh anyway there is no danger to my life so it''s not a big problem.'' Max stopped thinking too much. It''s time for action now. "All right, Lucy, cover me in Mist and take me there in a grandiose manner, and you come after me. But don''t switch back to your physical body. Instead, go inside the dungeon after me in your spiritual state. Possess the mountain in the dungeon immediately, without anyone realizing. ''OK!'' Soon Max was covered in mist, and started flying towards the dungeon gate. ... back at the scene, the another group just came out of the dungeon. They also failed. After all, legacy dungeons are much, much harder than normal dungeons, since there was no danger to life. Everyone waited for young master Gu to give the pass so the group after them can go in. Young Master Gu is the one managing everyone over here. right now he was standing at the back of the crowd, watching the process. When he came here in the morning, he planned to lie low since he thought he would be just a small fry in this competition, but soon he realized something astonishing: he was the one with the biggest background around. Of course, young master Gu wasn''t stupid and realized that something was wrong, but even so, he didn''t plan to give up the benefits in front of him instead; he planned to take the best from both worlds. He jumped up, yelling righteously that he will not participate, but he will manage everyone instead, since he was unable to witness them killing each other for some small profit. So in the eyes of everyone, the Gu family didn''t participate, and just manage the scene for the commoners, so whatever trouble that comes from this shouldn''t hit the Gu family. However, young master Gu wouldn''t do such a thankless job Everyone that went first in the line was one of his followers, or distant relatives . ...... ......... Suddenly, young Master Gu noticed something strange. The fog around started dissipating as everyone on the scene watched a person covered in mist descending from the sky in a grandiose manner. Looking at this scene, young master Gu didn''t say anything, turned around and left. After all, although he was raised with a golden spoon in his mouth, he still had a functional brain inside his skull. .......... Looking at Max, who was clearly going to the gate, the crowd first was stunned, then angry, but no one moved. someone yelled, "ask young master Gu to interfere, he will solve the matter, this person should also stay in the line". "Yes, where is young Master gu. ". another called "young master Gu please teach this person a lesson. " ... But even after Max was only a few meters away from the dungeon gate, there was no trace of young Master Gu. .... Someone was brave enough to stand up to Max "Hey you, you should stay in the line too. " But the guy didn''t even finish his sentence before a giant hand made of mist slapped him away. Max jumped into the small pond, and space started to twist around him. At the same time, he could feel a connection being made to something, it should be the dungeon. Chapter 72 miserable Dungeon. Max jumped into the small pond, and space started to twist around him. At the same time, he could feel a connection being made to something. It should be the dungeon. When someone enters an empty dungeon, he will be directly considered the leader of the dungeon clearing party and will receive certain benefits. most times it just let him choose whether to enter solo or with his teammates. Although the Legacy dungeons are the friendliest among them all towards humans, it¡¯s still a dungeon, which is technically an invader. So such a situation like being forced to play with the team will never happen. because dungeons as invaders aren¡¯t charity, they will not care about your well-being and force you to team play. And in case that individual is so powerful he can clear the dungeon alone, then from the dungeon Master¡¯s point of view. letting him clear it alone, and gain the benefit alone, is choosing the Lesser evil, instead of letting more than 10 people benefits and grow stronger to fight his race. So if a dungeon master sees you walking alone inside, he will be more than happy to close the door behind you, of course, with your permission because of the laws of the Void Battlefield. This apply to every single dungeon out there. ... Max obviously chose the solo mode. As for Lucy, Max didn¡¯t worry about it, since pets are considered part of the pet master¡¯s power and won¡¯t be blocked out normally. .... Max opened his eyes to a completely different scenery, at the same time, feeling that the connection with the dungeon has disappeared. Looking around, he was standing at the peak of the mountain. This place was cleared, and turned into a clear land with a martial arts arena set in the very middle of it. Looking down the mountain, all you can see is a rolling sea of clouds. On the other side of the Arena, Max noticed 18 shadowy figures. He tried to focus his gaze on them, but he couldn¡¯t see them clearly. It¡¯s like he was looking through a black veil. Max ignored the bunch for now and looked up. A small house made of green bamboo was suspended midair. ¡°huh?¡± Suddenly, one of the 18 figures became more visible as he walked forward to the arena. After a few steps, max could clearly see the man. This dude was almost 2 meters tall, had long black hair, a sharp gaze, and acted all aloof in his blue martial arts robe. ¡°I don¡¯t like you, so I will be your first opponent. Stand in the arena.. ¡° Max just ignored the attitude of this guy, anyway. The words of a Deadman didn¡¯t matter. ¡° I know the rules. They said I have 1 hour to rest and prepare.¡± The man in the blue robe seemed baffled." but you just came in. Why do you need to rest?" ¡° I know the rules. I have one hour and I plan to take it so deal with it. ¡° Max actually wasn¡¯t sure if the one hour still counts since he just came in, but he knew that there were certain conditions that even the dungeon master can¡¯t go against. Because when making the dungeon for every beneficial rule you make for the side of the dungeon, the void Battlefield or sometimes the central world itself will make another rule in favor of the one clearing the dungeon. Max was just betting this was one of them. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. And apparently his guess was correct, because the man in blue didn¡¯t respond, but just closed his eyes while standing. Max, on the other hand, sat cross-legged while holding Cold Blood. Lucy was already inside, but he didn¡¯t disturb her by asking about her progress. It¡¯s better to let her do her job. Plus, he can clearly feel her taking control of the mountain, although he cannot judge the progress. While Max and the man in blue waited, above them inside the floating Bamboo House, a man with long white hair and a white robe was looking at Max with a bitter look on his face. Earlier, when Max walked in, his intuition kicked in immediately. He had the feeling that this newcomer might just clear his dungeon in one go successfully. ¡°Sigh, I thought that the will of the Central world might help us, since we¡¯re joining it, but it seems I was too optimistic. ¡° A loud laughter burst out behind him. ¡°hhhghhhhh. ¡°. A shabby middle age man in a golden cowboy outfit was laughing his lungs out. ¡°you see, you fool, we offered cooperation with you, but you refused. Now that someone who can clear the dungeon came in, even if we want to help you, we can¡¯t. How do you feel now, huh?¡± The white-haired man was quiet, just gazing outside. ¡°you think you still have a chance don¡¯t you?, hhhhhhh, I know about your plan, we all do fool. Your dungeon is unique. If no one was able to clear it after a number of challenges, the dungeon will break open. And instead of a normal break, you will become a member of the central world. However, if someone cleared it, you will sign a contract to serve him for some time. Right? ¡° ¡°so what?¡± asked the white-haired man, agitated. ¡° you see, although I can¡¯t tell how strong he is, since this is just my projection, but one thing I Can See Clearly is that this guy isn¡¯t a good person. He will not accept such righteous fools like you... ¡° ... The cowboy kept speaking, but his voice was getting lower and lower while his figure became shadowy until he completely disappeared. Contacting an opened dungeon was already hard enough, but when someone was clearing the dungeon, it becomes almost impossible. the connection will only be restored if Max leave. ...... Soon one hour passed¡­ Max almost fell asleep during this period, but thankfully, he stayed awake. The man in blue opened his eyes exactly after 1 hour passed, not one second later. ¡°now let¡¯s fight.¡± Max stood up and walked slowly, ¡°alright, alright.¡± Lucy still needs more time, so he can only fight to buy her that time. If he wins this match, he will get one more hour, which should be more than enough. But first Max wanted to buy time chatting if possible, but looking at the Fierce gaze directed at him, he gave up on this idea. ¡®well it¡¯s just the first challenge of an E-rank Legacy dungeon, so I should be able to handle it. ¡® As Max stood in the arena, and the man in blue prepared his fighting stance, and the fight was about to break out. suddenly a white figure descended in the middle of the Arena with a gentle smile on his face. The man in the blue robe bowed 90¡ã immediately and cupped his fists. ¡°greetings to the Master. ¡° The white-haired man just waved his hand and switched his attention to Max while smiling. ¡°This young friend, I have something I want to discuss with you. ¡° Honestly, he wanted to kill Max, but he couldn¡¯t. Let¡¯s ignore the fact that Max¡¯s strength level is unknown, and the fact that their own strengths are sealed by multiple ranks to the E-rank. Forget about all of that, because this was a legacy dungeon that he modified extensively. it has much more restrictions on him than normal dungeons. He has to follow the rules. For him, he can only fight Max after Max defeated all his disciples, otherwise he can¡¯t make a move at all. On the other side, Max wanted to smile when he heard the word¡¯ discussion. Inside his mind, a simple equation was playing. Discussion equals buying time, equals killing them all without much effort, equals a happy Max. Max suppressed the smile that wanted to Bloom on his face and spoke seriously. ¡°ohh, I am listening, what is it? ¡° The white-haired man looked back at his disciples. ¡°show yourself. ¡° Soon, 18 disciples stood in front of Max, 10 men and eight women, including the man in blue. All of them were wearing ancient martial arts costumes in different styles. In Union, all of them bowed and cupped their fists. ¡°greetings to the master.¡± The white-haired man nodded and turned to Max. ¡°this young friend, the reason I opened this dungeon, is that I wanted the best for my beloved disciples. I wanted a future for them. However, it seems I was in bad luck since I have the feeling you can clear this dungeon easily, sigh¡­. . But still I want to see if we can reach a middle ground. ¡° Max was honestly surprised. A boss from an E-rank dungeon having such high intuition wasn¡¯t normal, but thinking that it was a legacy dungeon, it seemed explainable. ¡°well I came for the rewards, but if you¡¯re offering something better, then I am listening.¡± The master gave max a golden scroll. Max didn¡¯t take it, but gave him a questioning look. ¡°this is a contract, me and my disciples will serve you for 10 years if you take us out of this dungeon with some conditions. ¡° The 18 disciples wanted to argue, but their respect to the master prevented them from speaking against his words, so they just watched silently. Max took the scroll a little doubtful. Such a windfall? But after reading the first condition, Max already chose to refuse. But he didn¡¯t refuse immediately. He took the opportunity to buy time for Lucy and just kept reading slowly. ..... First, you can¡¯t force them to act against their will or conscience. 2nd you can¡¯t force them into deadly situations deliberately. 3rd you have to provide the bare minimum for survival..... Max already had enough reading this ball of shit of a contract, and just kept looking at the paper to waste time. He would be brain dead if he actually signed this contract. Look at his pets. He asked mok to kill himself, and it wasn¡¯t even an order. But mok committed suicide without hesitation. Then why would he pick this bunch of annoying martial artists, moreover, from his passive Max, could sense that most of them are righteous people. .... ..... Max just pretended to be reading seriously. 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 25 minutes. The group just kept waiting on the side, some of them whispering to each other. But When half an hour passed and Max was still reading, the master felt that something was wrong. But before he could speak, Max suddenly looked at him with a shimmer in his eyes. ¡°I have one last question. I assume that you sealed your strength in some method, what was your original power level and how much time you need to go back to your peak if we assume I take you out. ¡° The master was silent for a moment. He had a bad feeling about this, but he could only answer. ¡°based on your ranking, I should be at the peak of the B-Rank while my disciples stand at different ranks, but mostly at the C-rank. It would take less than one year to recover, maybe even faster with some resources. ¡° Max asked that one question to determine their worth, and it appears it wasn¡¯t that much. A creepy smile crept up on Max¡¯s face. ¡°Let me tell you how this is going to play out, master. What¡¯s your name, anyway? Actually forget about it, and listened carefully because I won¡¯t repeat myself. ¡° The master squinted his eyes at the sudden shift in attitude, while the disciples were enraged by the rudeness of their master. Max didn¡¯t care about the changes in their expressions as his smile deepened. ¡°you have two choices. First, turn this scroll into a slave contract and serve me for 10 years with absolute loyalty. Or die a painful death. It¡¯s your call. You have 3 minutes to consider, no more, no less. ¡°. Max just looked at them, waiting for their decision with curiosity. To him, it didn¡¯t really matter in both cases since he will be the winner, anyway. Chapter 73 Brutality. . A creepy smile crept up on Max¡¯s face. ¡°Let me tell you how this is going to play out, master. What¡¯s your name, anyway? Actually forget about it, and listened carefully because I won¡¯t repeat myself. ¡° The master squinted his eyes at the sudden shift in attitude, while the disciples were enraged by the rudeness to their master. Max didn¡¯t care about the changes in their expressions as his smile deepened. ¡°you have two choices. First, turn this scroll into a slave contract and serve me for 10 years with absolute loyalty. Or die a painful death. It¡¯s your call. You have 3 minutes to consider, no more, no less. ¡°. ....... Max just looked at them, waiting for their decision with curiosity. To him, it didn¡¯t really matter in both cases since he will be the winner anyway. The master looked at his disciples with a bitter smile. He could clearly sense that the surroundings have changed somewhat, although he couldn''t pinpoint this change because of his sealed power. The group of disciples were angry, but still they didn''t speak out of respect to their master. They just glared at Max Dangerously. Max just looked at them, unimpressed. ¡°One min left. What''s your choice, everyone?¡± The master looked at his disciples. ¡°Sigh¡­. , sadly I am a stubborn person and I prefer to break rather than bend, and it''s unfortunate that I''ve passed this trait to my disciples. ¡° Max just smiled devilishly. ¡° are you sure about that? You realize that I will kill them one after another? And all you can do is just wait and watch until it''s your turn?¡± The master looked at Max like he wanted to kill him. ¡°this is a legacy dungeon. The fight is just a friendly competition, but if you¡¯re out for blood, remember we will have the permission to do the same. ¡° Max walked closer to the master. His smiling face was mere inches away from the masters. ¡°you are very welcome to do the same, as for now I want my first challenge. ¡° If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Suddenly, the master and the 17 other disciples were pulled away from the arena, only leaving Max and the man in blue. Max looked at the guy with mockery in his eyes. ¡°it''s almost like I am the owner of the house and you''re the guests in this dungeon. ¡° The man didn''t speak, but prepared for battle. Although he was angry but he didn''t act rashly. He couldn''t look down on Max, since even his master seemed wary of this person. Max just smiled. ¡®Lu, just give me a boost and let me have some fun.¡¯ ¡®Ok¡¯ After the cheerful voice left his mind, Mist appeared and started revolving around him. Wooooosh!. ........ After the Mist dissipated, Max stood at a height of 2.3 meters in a white knight armor. This kind of move is actually limiting Lucy''s capabilities. Max had Lucy learn this kind of useless move to confuse any watching eyes just in case he had to fight in front of a crowd that he couldn''t kill to silence. But this armor is definitely a boost to Max since it was made from a green-grade skill at the advanced mastery. Max waved his hammer, ¡°alright let''s play.¡± The man in blue didn''t speak and rushed to Max, hoping to gain the initiative. Max throw cold blood at him using his full strength. Wooooosh!. However, the man in blue dodged it easily. His speed was much faster than Max''s, so using the speed from his charge, he jumped up, aiming a punch down at Max''s head. Dang!. Max was too slow to dodge and received a Direct Hit, but the man wasn''t happy because Max was unscathed. ¡°is that all you got?¡± mocked Max as he pulled his hammer with his right hand and tried to grab the man with his left But the guy was much faster than Max and dodged his hand easily, circling around Max planning the second attack at Max''s back. ...... He jumped and aimed his punch at the back of Max''s head, but suddenly an arm made of mist grew from Max''s shoulder and grabbed him mid-air before he could dodge. This was Lucy''s doing under Max''s order. ¡°It''s my turn now.¡± ¡°ah!, let me go.!! Max grabbed him from the neck with his left arm and held Cold Blood up high with his right. But before he started pummeling the poor bastard, he looked to the side. ¡°enjoy the show Master and feel free to stop me if you decide to become my loyal servants. ¡° Bang! Crush!¡­. The hammer landed on the Man''s shoulder crushing it. ¡°ahhhhhhhhh.¡± and he screamed in agony. Max waited for a second in case they decided to surrender, but it seems this bunch are really strong minded. ¡°shame, I guess I am gonna have to kill you all. Here''s a promise from me I will make it as painful as I could. ¡° The right shoulder. Bang! Crush! The left leg. Bang! Crush! The right leg. Bang! Crush. The spine. Bang! Crush! Max kept hammering, and the disciple kept screaming, until he no longer could. ¡°well look at that! You were right, master White. this guy really broke and didn''t bend. But it''s time to switch to the next target. ¡° As those words fell, also did Max''s hammer, falling on the poor bastard''s head. Blood filled the ground. ¡° wow, you martial artists are really tough, man. All that pummeling and blood repulsion didn''t even trigger ones. Anyway, next practice target please. ¡° Max could literally feel the resentment directed towards him, since while in battle, they couldn''t talk to disturb him. It''s one of the rules, but now that his opponent died, Max could hear it. The sound of crying, yelling and screaming, even cursing. ¡°I am going to kill you.¡± ¡° bastarddddd. ¡° ¡°he is a shameless honorless bastard.¡± The mixture of voice disappeared as another person walked to the arena. This time it was a woman holding too long needles. Max noticed a shimmer on the two needles, possibly poison. The woman was a beauty in her own right, walking angrily towards Max. Max felt it was a pity they refused to become his slaves, but it didn''t matter that much. ¡°you killed my junior brother, and I am taking my revenge even if I lose my life, MARK MY words. ¡° Max shook his head, ¡°ah, I don''t know about that. You''re holding a dangerous toy, so I''d rather not play with you. ¡° The woman intended to mock Max¡¯s stupidity, regardless of whether he liked it or not this battle will happen. However, before she could proceed, mist suddenly materialized beneath her, above her, and enveloped her completely. Within moments, the mist transformed into chains that swiftly bound her, despite her attempts to resist, escape, or dodge. The chains seemed to be everywhere, leaving her no room to maneuver, and soon enough, she found herself captured. "this is going to be range practice, so prepare pretty lady.¡± " shameless, fight me with honor. ¡° Max just aimed his hammer and threw it. Wooooosh.! Bang! Direct hit. Max pulled the hammer and aimed again. Bang. ! " oy master, you wanted a better future for them, but at this rate if you don''t bend then none of them will have a future." Max received no response, but he didn''t care. Since the grudge has reached such a point, then Max won''t accept them, even if they are willing to become his slaves. No one with a functioning brain would kill someone''s family or martial art school, then let that person follow them around. This was like deliberately looking for someone to stab you in the back. BANG! BANG! BA''G,! Soon enough, Max crushed this poisonous flower to death. ¡°next.¡± Chapter Dungeon clear (P1). " oy master, you wanted a better future for them, but at this rate if you don''t bend then none of them will have a future." Max received no response, but he didn''t care. Since the grudge has reached such a point, then Max won''t accept them, even if they are willing to become his slaves. No one with a functioning brain would kill someone''s family or martial art school, then let that person follow them around. This was like deliberately looking for someone to stab you in the back. BANG! BANG! BA''G,! Soon enough, Max crushed this poisonous flower to death. ¡°next.¡± Unlike Max, the dungeon inhabitants did not have the luxury of gaining 1 hour of rest after each fight, so as soon as Max demanded his next challenge, someone was pulled into the arena. This disciple also wears a blue robe, but unlike the previous time, this guy did not come voluntarily. Max saw the fear and hate in his eyes, but it was mostly fear. ¡°huh? We got ourselves a lamb. ¡° mocked Max as he approached the newcomer. ¡°you won''t get away with this.¡± ¡°well that''s not up to you, my little lamb. ¡° Max didn''t waste any more time talking nonsense with the dead guy. Wooosh!. Mist entangled the newcomer, and Max swung cold blood down, planning to crush his head in one hit. ¡°STOP !. we surrender¡±. A loud shout reached Max''s ears. It was obviously the Master''s voice. But Max didn''t give a damn. He just smirked as he landed the hit, crushing the man''s skull. Crush!. Blood flew everywhere as the effect of blood repulsion was triggered for the first time inside this dungeon. Max looked even scarier with the knight¡¯s mist armor all painted red from the blood. Since the newcomer was completely dead, the match was considered over, and the Master¡¯s figure appeared in front of Max. His expression didn''t look good. ¡° Why did you kill him? I declared our surrender,¡± spoke the master, gritting his teeth. The helmet made of mist disappeared as Max smiled at the master. ¡°You seem to have misunderstood something. We are way past that point. From the moment I killed the first person, your worth dwindled to the negative. Still, if you have something of great value, we can still negotiate otherwise. My next challenge, please.¡± Just as Max''s words fell, the master was pulled away, and another figure was pulled inside the arena. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Max didn''t plan to waste any more time, so he didn''t mess around and just cleaned the disciple immediately after they appeared. .... He didn''t even have the time to check whether it was male or female with only a bloody mess left in front of him. .............. ¡°next.¡± ¡°next. ¡°next.¡± ¡°next.¡± ¡°next.¡±. And in an instant, Max has already taken the lives of 17 disciples. Amidst the screams of agony, curses, and pleas for mercy, he remains indifferent, swiftly dispatching each one without a second thought. ¡°next.¡± This time, a petite figure with long golden hair appeared in front of him. Max stopped for a moment, surprised by the beauty of this last disciple. It was too abnormal. Max regarded the frightened disciple. ¡°hmm, this level of beauty shouldn''t be normal right. You practice something related to beautifying or maybe illusion or charm. ¡° The last disciple opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but before she could utter a single word, a blood red hammer deleted her face. Cold blood as a C-rank weapon it was technically cheating using it in an E-rank dungeon. One hit is all it took to deal with the last disciple. Max felt it was a pity killing her, but he didn''t consider it a big matter. He will never spare an enemy, even if it was him who started the animosity. He was just such a person. ....... Max pushed all 18 disciples to the back of his mind, because their master is currently walking towards him. The white-haired man didn''t show any anger or animosity toward Max. He was expressionless. His cold gaze locked on Max, only shifting to the surroundings for quick glances. Max become serious for the first time after he entered the dungeon. He could tell that the master was calculating. He was calculating, trying to find a method to kill himself in any way possible. Looking at his opponent, Max had no intention of holding back. He smiled at the master and waved at him. ¡°fun time is over for me, master. ¡° The master didn''t understand Max''s words, nor did he care about their meaning. He will give his life trying to kill this bastard and that''s it. But when Lucy received the mental command to deal with him, only then did he truly understood that Max''s words marked his death. within seconds the Arena was completely flooded with mist. ¡®This guy was holding back all along. ¡® Feeling the ground under him shaking, and the wind racing, as Mist imprisoned him in a solid cub. He felt like the entire world was on Max''s side, wanting to end his life. The white-haired man smiled bitterly, and through the thick fog, his gaze landed on Max. ¡°Sigh. A monster like you will never have a good ending.¡± Max smiled mockingly. Although he couldn''t see the master but he could hear him. ¡°oh master, no one knows what the future holds, so whether I will have a bad end is up to question, but the certainty is your current bed ending. ¡° The master couldn''t argue back, nor did he have the opportunity to, as he felt himself being crushed. ¡°ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.¡± Crush!. ¡­ ¡­ BA¡¯G,! ¡­ The sound of bones breaking marks the death of the master. Wooosh! ¡­ Thud!. The master''s body fell to the ground, or what''s left of it to be accurate. ... Looking at the meat paste on the ground, Max didn''t care much. For him, even if it''s the humans from the Central world or from earth, he would kill them without a second thought for enough benefits. As for this bunch of refugees from the dungeons, Max didn''t even have the slightest sympathy. Max shifted his attention to important matters. ¡°Lucy, we only have 2 hours before the dungeon starts disintegrating. Look for anything of value, also the Treasures meant for taking should be glowing. ¡° After a dungeon is cleared, some of it would be returned to the broken world it came from, while most of it will be merged within the central world. As for the one who cleared the dungeon, he will have to find his rewards himself. Luckily, the main rewards will be glowing marked by the dungeon, but there are other objects with high value that aren¡¯t marked. For example, some monster corpses that are extremely valuable for Alchemy, or some minerals that are hidden underground. ...... Max flew up to the bamboo house on a mist cloud. Normally, the main treasure is located next to the boss''s chamber. And indeed, Max found a glowing scroll on the single bed inside the bamboo house. Picking it up, Max smiled as he read the title, ¡®armament of earth martial tactics.¡¯ Max didn''t inspect it carefully and went to look around for more goodies while communicating with Lucy, explaining what to look for exactly Author note : Hello everyone I hope you''re having a great day. this chapter was ready 2 days ago but because I was busy with a family marriage I didn''t have the time to edit it and post. Super sorry everyone, I will try to edit the next chapter and post it before I go to sleep. Wish you all the best. Chapter 75 Dungeon clear (P2) Normally, the main treasure is located next to the boss''s chamber. And indeed, Max found a glowing scroll on the single bed inside the bamboo house. Picking it up, Max smiled as he read the title, ''armament of earth martial tactics.'' Max didn''t inspect it carefully and went to look around for more goodies while communicating with Lucy, explaining what to look for exactly. . ...... And just like that, almost 2 hours passed. Currently, Max is standing in front of a pile of random objects. The glowing scroll, and a glowing bamboo stick, also a glowing green robe. These three items are the rewards Max got from the dungeon. there should''ve been more, but either the void battlefield or the will of the central world have retrieved it. It was probably because they thought the rewards were more than enough for an E-rank dungeon, or maybe for some other reason. "Fuck, this is too little." Max made a mental note, to find a method for increasing his rewards from dungeons. otherwise, if his reward was in the hand of some will, then it''s better to quit dungeon exploration. Max switched his gaze towards a second pile. Random mineral ores Lucy dug from underground, and some gems. And a bunch of strange plants dug from the root. Max picked the ones with the highest value to put inside his space ring. A big raw ore with a golden color, and a fist sized black diamond. Also, a lot of plants. ... Max was still unsatisfied. "Lu, you sure we took everything?" Lucy suddenly appeared in front of Max, waving her little arms around angrily. "mimimimimmailmimimimi. " For the past two hours Max kept nagging not enough this!, not enough that!, did you look there!, did you check again? "alright alright, I get it. Nothing of importance left, but do you think we should take some firewood back with us? " Lucy was speechless. ''why not the dirt as well?'' Lucy was just joking, but Max fell into deep thought. "maybe some soil from a dungeon might prove useful, but sadly, we don''t have the time." Lucy just opened her little mouth, then closed it, speechless. .... Looking around, Max noticed that some things already started disintegrating into light particles. The corpses went first. looking at the faces or what''s left of them turning into light, Max felt the meaning of strength in this world. The lives of this bunch were nothing more than a pass time for him, a simple obstacle to obtain whatever treasures this dungeon held. "Sigh. little Lu, listen to me, we can never laze around, otherwise someday someone will knock on our door, and do the same to us." Lucy nodded, looking at the corpses. '' a hunter must be prepared to be hunted. '' Max looked at Lucy, stunned by her wise words. "you? Did you watch this somewhere, or are you playing silly on me?" If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Lucy just tilted her head, confused at her master''s overreaction. Max just shook his head. "whatever, we don''t have the time for this. Turn into your spirit form and leave the dungeon first. Take over the mountain and receive the goods as I push them through the gate. " . Max''s space ring was already full, so he had to manually move things out. Thankfully, with the strength boost from cold blood, it wouldn''t be a problem. .... Lucy left the dungeon on Max''s orders. Outside almost 4 hours passed. There are people waiting outside. Some suspect that the person who entered the dungeon is above E-rank and found a way to enter temporarily. If he isn''t allowed to clear the dungeon, they might have a chance. Others have no choice but to wait. Maybe they or their relatives have low talent as pet masters or no talent at all, but they still want a chance to rise. They were waiting, but Mist suddenly engulfed the surroundings once more. It was incredibly thick, making it impossible to see anything. The suddenness of it caught them off guard, leaving them unsure of how to react. Max started throwing the minerals first, then the interesting plants and trees. He plans to grow them on his mountain. Who knows, he might get something useful. After Max finished loading he walked through, and after the familiar dizziness , Mist rushed towards him and covered his figure. ''Lu, let''s be quick about this. Open a storage as close as possible to our home and put everything there. Will move immediately after that. '' ''OK''. Lucy went to work while Max planned to laze around. Having a pet is so convenient you get to mess around all day long, yet the work is always done. As a cloud formed under him and he started flying, Max remembered something and started looking around for a certain group of people. But to his disappointment, he didn''t see the figure of Vivian or that of Hu Wang. "Tck," Max clicked his tongue, "Lucky Bastards. " Although Max was very interested in throwing the police woman to a herd of beasts, at the same time he was curious about Hu Wang''s sudden growth. Earlier, Lucy could clearly judge that he wasn''t weak among the crowd, even stronger than her in normal form. He remembered that guy had such poor talent that he couldn''t even reach E-rank as a pet master. Max hadn''t thought about it before, but now he realized that guy might have become a martial artist somehow. Maybe there was another dungeon, just like this one. But even so, Max won''t go out of his way to chase after them. Whatever benefits he might gain from that bunch isn''t worth the trouble of running around after them. so he just flew up, leaving the scene at the same time, making sure no one was following him. "Sigh. If I just have access to the net, I might be able to learn if there were a second dungeon. " when Max captured those two people, he only asked about the current situation and didn''t consider anything else. Suddenly Max realized something. Looking at the crowd not far away from him, Max couldn''t help but think he was stupid. "all of those phones are free for the taking! And here am I grumbling about not having access to the net, damn my pet''s IQ level might be affecting me a little. " Max wasted no time and rushed to the nearest group. ... "give me your phone and open the lock, now. " The group was stunned and slightly fearful. Here in the wilderness it''s the law of the jungle. Even though there were enough eye witnesses, if they annoyed this person, he might just slap them to death. One of them immediately took out his phone. "here you go sir, you can keep it." Max took the phone and nodded. "I won''t keep it. I''d just throw it when I am done with it. You can try to find it." The person was stunned, but he didn''t dare to anger Max, so he smiled happily but stiffly. "I will definitely look for it, sir, safe travels ." Max left without wasting more time on this bunch. While flying to the edge of Lucy''s range, he opened the web and started reading the latest news. -Breaking news, Dungeons with deep dive VR technology has been discovered close to..... -an A-rank dungeon broke open next to Kain-city, and the team responsible for the suppression suffered greatly under the surprising level of power the dragons from that dungeon showed.... ''huh?, so that''s where the dragon egg came from? '' -a mysterious assassination organization has been on the rise lately, name still unknown, only proof is a black badge they leave next to the body of each assassination Target... - an instant dungeon has appeared in Glory City, taking the lives of countless citizens and lowlifes. It''s suspected to have a follow up dungeon somewhere on the border... -The new genius of our continent with the SS-rank space talent will be learning magic. Negotiation with the mage tower is still in progress in order to obtain a mage''s professional knowledge for him. ¡­ ¡­. "wow, a lot has happened since I left Glory City, but none of it seems to be of importance to me. Hmmm, if my plans work out and I reach a certain level of power, I might join the fun later. " .... Soon enough, Lucy was done with her work in merely half an hour or so. ''job done '' "well done, Lu, switch mountains now." ''Ok'' Once Lu takes full control over a mountain, she won''t need to spend too much time to do it again if she left her mountain form. So this time Max didn''t have to wait. The takeover was almost instantaneous. Chapter 76 ............. Soon enough, Lucy was done with her work in merely half an hour or so. ¡®job done ¡¯ ¡°well done, Lu, switch mountains now. ¡° ¡®Ok¡¯ Once Lu takes full control over a mountain, she won''t need to spend too much time to do it again if she left her mountain form. So this time Max didn''t have to wait. The takeover was almost instantaneous. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, Max just landed, took a short 3 min long rest, then took off again. .......... ..... Up in the sky, Max opened the simulator¡¯s screen and checked one last thing on the phone. Looking at the article with a picture of a gem on the side, Max started writing its characteristics on the web. Soon he got a match. A gem with a dirty yellow color to it. The simulator named it memory Crystal. While its name on the web was ork''s mind, it was listed as a D-rank forging material, but it was actually one of the ways to make use of inheritance items according to the simulator. ¡°hmm, it should be the same. I''d find the time to go buy it from Kain city later. ¡° But for now, Max had no intention of returning to the city or any populated area until his talent was activated. After finding what he was looking for, Max threw the phone down. ........ Looking at the falling cellphone, Max scratched his chin deep in thought. Of course, he wasn''t thinking about the owner of the phone, and whether he will find his phone or just forget about it. Max¡¯s brain cells tend to malfunction when he thinks about others¡¯ well-being. .. ¡°hmmm, when we have time, let''s go to a technological advanced dungeon. Maybe we can find something that would keep our location and information hidden while online. ¡° ¡®yes, yes!¡¯, Lucy didn''t understand everything, but she agreed hull heartedly. She knew that the web held countless fun things to watch, unlike the limited laptop. ........... Max kept chatting with Lucy on the way, but he got some news that threatened to disturb his good mood. Lucy gave him the heads up that some humans are getting closer to the crows. ¡°well, the crows are sealed deep within the rock layers, so those guys should be just passing by, ignore them but keep tap on them just in case. ¡° Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ''OK¡¯. Max didn''t want unnecessary trouble, not now, not at this time, however trouble didn''t want to leave him be. As he was only a few minutes away from his house, Lucy informed him that those guys started digging towards the crows. Max''s expression darkened. ¡°take me there quickly, and stop them if they actually come close to the crows. ¡° ..................... Not far from Max''s house, right on the spot where he and Lucy seal the crows, a group of four people were discussing loudly while working. Two of them were beautiful young ladies, one with pink hair and the other blonde. The two sat on the ground exhausted, while complaining to the two identical young men digging the Stonewall in front of them. They were obviously twins. ¡°you guys, I am pretty sure we got scammed¡°. said the pink-haired girl. ¡°Definitely, there is no treasure around¡±. Added the blonde. ¡°won''t you just shut up and help?¡±. said one of the twins. ¡°just let them complain and dig faster, little brother. It should be behind this wall.¡± The other twin didn''t respond, but just looked up. It was already dark. ¡°Can''t we dig in the morning? ¡° The older brother wanted to reprimand his little brother for being too lazy, but he stopped, feeling the surrounding air freeze suddenly. Looking back, he saw his little brother''s mouth wide open as he looked upwards. Following his gaze, he was stunned as he witnessed a man made of Mist, or covered by Mist, flying above, looking down at them. Max looked at them. He didn''t make a move immediately. First, he had to confirm how they found The Crows. Plus, after spotting the twins, an idea popped up in his head. "well, will any of you inform me, why shouldn''t I kill you on the spot for digging in my house?¡± The group was stunned. " This is your place.¡± Asked the pink-haired girl. ¡°why? You got a problem with my house? Plus, I should be the one asking questions.¡± " no, no, it''s a n. ice place. ¡° the older brother stopped the stuttering girl. ¡°sir we didn''t know it''s your place. We are very sorry for disturbing you.¡± As the older twin spoke, he grabbed his little brother planning to leave, but suddenly a 10 m long wall made of solid mist surrounded them. ¡°not so fast, you can''t just leave like that without giving an explanation. ¡° The older brother''s face darkened with a hint of despair. ¡° Do you plan to kill us?¡± Hearing his words, the girls burst out crying, but they didn''t speak, waiting for Max''s words. ¡°kill? Oh, no, don''t speak such words, but still you won''t leave until my questions are answered. You see that wall behind you, the one you were digging? ¡° The older brother nodded, relieved that Max didn''t seem like the murderous type. He tentatively ignored the fact that Max was contradicting himself since he was the first to speak about killing them. After all, the strongest gets the last word. ¡°My future pets are inside and I left them there because I had something to do. Now the question is, why would you dig towards my pets, and the most important question is HOW THE HELL DID YOU FIND THEM? ¡° The group was stunned, and the younger twin cursed instinctively. ¡°fuck¡±. Apparently, they weren''t tricked. There was indeed something valuable on the location, but it actually belongs to this powerhouse. ¡°We really did know.¡± Yelled the blonde Max just looked at the older twin, waiting for an explanation, since he seemed to be the leader. And the guy didn''t waste time and started explaining. ¡°sir, we really didn''t know. You see, we bought intel from someone with a talent for finding treasures. And it pointed here. ¡° Max was surprised. His pets wouldn''t be considered a treasure because no one else can contract them. but the other crows locked with them are definitely a treasure because of their High Talent. ¡®so that''s how it is¡¯ Max relaxed a little knowing the ins and outs. ¡°a person with a talent related to finding Treasures, who is he?¡±. ¡°It''s a she actually. We don''t know her name though. ¡° ¡°hmm, do you have her contact information or anything to reach her? ¡° The group looked at each at other, embarrassed. ¡°we actually don''t, but she has a recognizable blood-red hair,¡± spoke the younger twin this time. Max was speechless. This bunch was too useless!. ¡°Alright, now what should I do with you?¡± The group tensed up, waiting for Max''s decision. After sometime Max spoke as if he just thought of a reasonable solution. ¡°how about this? One of you will do a small errand for me, out of your pockets of course, since I am too lazy to go and do it myself. after he comes back, I''d let you all go.¡° No way Max was gonna let them go, unless they have some messy background or something, but he won¡¯t spill the beans. Again the group looked at each other embarrassed, they spent all of their savings to buy that information. ¡°sir we¡­ ¡° ¡°stop it!. because I don''t care, you the little twin, go and get me a certain D-rank gem called ork''s mind. Get me as much as you can. If it''s too little, then you do not want to know the consequences. Also, I don''t think I should tell you what''s going to happen if you don''t come back. ¡° The younger twin didn''t react, while the older brother wanted to speak, maybe to take his brother''s place or something. But he closed his mouth instantly, as he witnessed a giant white hand appear out of thin air. Grab his brother and take him away. Before the group of three could calm down, something even more shocking happened. The wall they''ve been digging for so long cracked open on its own. ¡°you will be staying inside for now. ¡° ¡°what about your pets, sir?¡±. Asked the blonde tentatively. ¡° Don''t worry about them. I already moved them out. Now go inside immediately¡±. Earlier, Max had Lucy open a hole and move the crows to his room just to be careful. The trio, with hope of survival, didn''t dare to agitate Max anymore and walked in obediently as the wall closed behind them. ........... Max didn¡¯t give a damn about this bunch anymore. The gem wasn¡¯t that important. If he gets it now, then that¡¯s great. However, if he doesn¡¯t, it¡¯s not a major issue. As for any trouble the younger twin might bring him, Max didn''t worry much. He had enough Trump cards to keep himself safe, plus the little twin didn''t seem too smart, and he held the upper hand by keeping hostages, so Max didn''t think much of him. As for the one who led them here, the so-called treasure finder, although Max was very interested in her talent but he had no leads to find her, plus he had more important things to focus on. ¡°alright, let''s go home and inspect what we got from the dungeon. By the way, Lu, did you move the other things.?¡± ¡®close, just behind you¡¯ ¡°Great. ¡° ................ Chapter 77 Loot. . As for the one who led them here, the so-called treasure finder, although Max was very interested in her talent but he had no leads to find her, plus he had more important things to focus on. ¡°alright, let''s go home and inspect what we got from the dungeon. By the way, Lu, did you move the other things.?¡± ¡®close, just behind you¡¯ ¡°Great. ¡° ................ Soon Max landed next to his house, and the crows welcomed his return happily. craw! Craw!. craw! Craw! ...... ¡°Sigh, home sweet home.¡± Max jumped on his bed as he looked at psychic crow mok. ¡°so how was their progress mok, anyone been lazying around?¡±. Mok didn''t hesitate and pointed his wing towards Imlak. Imlak the only crow without an Elemental affinity, just looked at Max innocently. ¡°huh? well let Lucy handle the punishment, but for now you go play outside but don''t leave the mountain. ¡° CRAW! CRAW! CRAW!. The crows didn''t hesitate and flew up immediately, mok included. After all, this bunch of newborns didn''t get the chance to explore outside freely until now. ¡°Lucy, keep an eye on them, and bring all the loot here.¡± ¡®OKyyyyyYyyyy¡¯. Little Lu seemed unusually excited, but Max didn''t think about it much. She might just be excited because of the loot. ¡°alright let''s get started.¡± Max brought out the items in the space ring first, then Lucy brought everything else outside of the mountain house. ¡°Simulator, scan everything.¡± [Ding, reporting to The Host. The items designated by the host do not directly impact the host, nor are they considered as pets. Therefore, only a superficial scan will be provided. For a more thorough scan, please provide a reason and describe the circumstances.] ¡° superficial scan should be enough. ¡° Max was very good at bullshitting, so he didn''t consider the simulator¡¯s report as a problem. It''s just that for now Max didn''t think he had any items that required the same deep scanning performed on the pets. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Soon every thing was scanned and organized. Among the large pile of random objects, only a few were worth mentioning. A fist sized black diamond, which is actually a C-rank forging material imbued with the shadow element. And among the pile of raw ores, only one was judged as E-rank A watermelon sized ore, this mineral was golden colored, but other than toughness it didn''t hold any unique characteristics. As for the plants, none of them were worth much, according to the simulator. Next, Max looked at the glowing items, although they didn''t look special since they stopped glowing once he got out of the dungeon. Green bamboo staff : An E-rank weapon that can slightly increase speed. Max considered it useless, but thankfully it was also considered a D-rank material since it was naturally formed, so it wasn''t completely useless. Common martial arts robe : A good looking green robe, considered an E-rank armor, since Max didn''t have any actual armor type equipment for now, it wasn''t a bad loot. The one that made Max flabbergasted was the ¡®armament of earth martial tactics.¡¯ It was actually a martial arts practice that can push you to the A-rank, although the success rate of reaching the A-rank using this practice alone is less than 0.3% it''s still possible. Max read the scroll slowly. This martial arts seem closer to cultivation than an actual martial arts. You start by forging a weapon according to the methods mentioned. From that point, you can only use that weapon to fight, and as you slowly become one with the weapon, and increase in your mastery according to the martial art practice. And as you feed the weapon with the special Qi produced according to the practice, it will reach a certain point when the weapon will change and become something called an Earth armament. As long as you stand on land, This Earth armament will allow you to control the surrounding 100 meters or so, like a domain of sort. Max kept reading and slowly figured out something. The reason most of the disciples and even the master didn''t hold weapons is because they probably destroyed them in order to regress in rank. Moreover, he understood why did the dungeon terrain had to be a mountain; it was to prevent the master and his disciples from becoming abnormally Strong by forging new weapons, since earth armaments didn''t function well on mountains, lakes, and oceans or such Terrain, so the master and his disciples couldn''t cheat by forging A New Earth Armament on the spot to increase their combat power. ¡°Simulator, can I practice this martial art? ¡° [Ding, reporting to The Host. Your talent for martial arts is below average, and your compatibility with this practice is low. Conclusion: if the host practice this martial art, it will bring more harm to the host''s body and the practice speed will be - 95%.] ¡°huh? - 95%? But why? Explain in detail. ¡° [Ding, reporting to The Host. The augmentation process performed when the host was young made you more suitable to be a pet master but at the same time lowering your talent in other areas.] ¡°hmm, I see. It makes sense. ¡° Max didn''t start bitching about the situation immediately like some child. Plus, He was aware of how beneficial the augmentation was for him. For example, other pet masters will receive a mental strain for keeping pets above their rank, but Max had Lucy at the E-rank while he was still a normal human. Also other pet masters can''t keep so many pets at the same time, for a normal E-rank pet master, one pet is the limit, maybe two if he was talented. But look at Max, 11 pets at the E-rank and technically he is still far off from being a real pet master, since his spirituality attribute is rock bottom, and he doesn''t have a meditation technique. .. ¡°well, at least it has some forging techniques, although it doesn''t look advanced. whatever, maybe I can find a buyer later. ¡° Max was just consoling himself, unless under specific circumstances, he will not sell such a hot potato that will bring him a lot of trouble. ¡°Sigh¡±. Max wasn''t an expert, but still he didn''t think highly of the forging techniques contained in it since it was the martial artist Qi, blood, and sweat, the turn it into an earth armament, but still he didn''t give up. ¡°Simulator, how can I improve my martial art talent¡± [Ding, Host, please refer to the article. -¡®how to become a brainless monkey¡¯ -¡®Be a fighter with inactive brain cells who charge in front ¡® -¡®leave your brain behind.¡¯ And other articles, please search at your convenient.] Max blinked twice!, It¡¯s like something messed with his eyes, and he¡¯s seeing things he shouldn¡¯t. But after blinking a couple of times, the text didn''t change. ¡°huh ?¡± Bft!! , Max wanted to laugh but kept it in. ¡® what''s wrong with those titles?¡­.. well it can be guessed that the civilization behind the simulator really looked down on martial artists for some reason. ¡® Max didn''t ask the simulator, any way he can read later, and try to find the reason, for no specific purpose but just out of curiosity. ¡°alright Lucy, you will be planting all the plants we got. Just do it casually for now. I¡¯d teach you how to farm later. And Keep the minerals somewhere safe. We''ll be using them soon. After you''re done, bring Mok and come over. I will be teaching him mathematics. As for you, I¡¯d show you how to make rocket fuel. You can call it a stronger type of gunpowder. ¡° Lucy''s mind went blank for a moment. Earlier, because of the load of work Max gave her, she was planning to ask for a paid vacation. But now she completely forgot about it. She could swear this was the happiest moment in her entire life. ¡®master is best¡¯. ¡®master is so handsome, I am not lying!.¡¯ ¡®no paid vacation needed. ¡® when he heard the first sentence Max smiled, but when he heard the second, his expression twitched. But after the third he was just bewildered and confused, unable to handle Lucy''s thought process. ¡°what the?¡±¡­ Author Note : this is last day chapter. I''d add a one for today later Wish you all the best. Chapter 78 Trackless Murder. Earlier, because of the load of work Max gave her, she was planning to ask for a paid vacation. But now she completely forgot about it. She could swear this was the happiest moment in her entire life. ¡®master is best¡¯. ¡®master is so handsome, I am not lying!.¡¯ ¡®no paid vacation needed. ¡® when he heard the first sentence Max smiled, but when he heard the second, his expression twitched. But after the third he was just bewildered and confused, unable to handle Lucy''s thought process. ¡°what the?¡±¡­ Max was so confused he forgot to be angry at her words, so he just shook his head. Ignoring Lucy''s shenanigans was better for his health. Max prepared a cup of coffee, and as mok arrived, the coffee was ready. Taking a sip of the hot coffee, Max pointed for Mok to sit next to him. ¡°Hey little mok, I called you because I wanted to teach you something. Mathematics and some slight physics. ¡° Max opened the laptop and showed mok the calculator, and some notes he wrote. Previously, he wanted to teach these things to Lucy, but it would be like trying to teach a human being how to do photosynthesis like a plant. But thankfully now he has mok for the job, so he doesn''t have to torture Lucy and himself with this process. ¡° Listen to me mok, I didn''t call you to teach you right away. You have the materials, and you can learn by yourself at your own pace. Also, don''t go too deep in it. Your target is to be able to calculate mass, speed, air resistance, and distance. Things required for shooting artillery. You''ll learn what artillery is later, for now you can go back to play with the others. ¡° Mok nodded smartly and left. Somehow Max could tell he really understood, unlike some other nodding fool. Speaking of the fool, even before Max could call for her, Lucy was already in front of him. ¡°you need to be in your mountain form for this Lu.¡± Lucy nodded immediately and turned back to her mountain form. Max took out a bottle of water. ¡°all what you need is inside. ¡° This was normal water, and when Lucy saw it, she was confused. She saw Max drink water all the time. Even she drank it sometimes since it looks similar to her special mineral water, so if it contains dangerous stuff then shouldn''t the two of them be already dead by now? This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Could it be that her master is just having one of his crazy moments? Max could somewhat guess Lucy''s confusion, although not the part where she thinks he''s crazy. ¡°it''s a wonder in its self that something we drink all day long can be turned into a dangerous weapon, with what looks like a simple process. Oxygen is available in the air with abundance, but hydrogen isn''t. so first, you need to separate the hydrogen and oxygen within the water. For us humans, splitting water molecules into oxygen gas and hydrogen gas is done using electricity. The process is called ¡®electrolysis¡¯. You should be able to do it with your innate, but if you can''t, we can try electrolysis to help you out. After they became gas, you have to force them into liquid form, but this time separately. Again, I believe you can do it with your innate but if you can''t, then we''ll have to go into pressure and temperature. ¡° Max was all about that slow and steady explanation, making sure Lucy got it by repeating himself. Lucy felt dizzy, but she tried her best to learn, since her career in exploding things was on the line here. ............ After sometime Max felt it was enough. ¡°alright Lu, take this bottle of water, first make an isolated chamber far away from here and use it to test. And you are not allowed, under any circumstances or in any form, to use more water than this bottle. And you can''t refill it unless I say so.¡± ¡®OK¡¯. After leaving Lucy with a strict warning, Max went to rest, maybe watch something fun. It was already morning and Max didn''t plan to go to sleep, anyway with his vitality, one sleepless night is not a big deal. ........ After an unknown amount of time, while Max was watching Mafia out of the city, Lucy interrupted him. ¡® the robber is back.¡¯ ¡°huh? Robber?.¡± Max thought for a moment and figured it out. ¡°you mean the little twin?¡± ¡®yes¡¯ ¡°so fast? Alright, start preparing the trap, and do as I told you before. ¡° ¡®OK¡¯. Max didn''t have much animosity with this bunch, but this is a cruel mystical world. There was always a very small chance that one of them will gain some incredible treasure or awaken some hidden ability by dumb luck, and decide to get revenge on everyone that bullied him. With his luck, Max didn''t want to bet on that small chance, so he won''t leave any hidden dangers. But at the same time, this bunch might''ve been attracted by his bad luck, and anything related to his bad luck must be treated carefully, so he will not kill them himself, matter of fact, he didn''t even plan to meet them anymore. As Max was chilling inside his room, a forest vehicle parked at the base of the mountain, and the younger twin came out of it looking around, trying to find something. Suddenly, a small hand made of mist appeared in front of him, and opened as if waiting for the younger twin to hand it something. The younger sibling wasn''t too smart. He didn''t think about keeping the item, and exchanging the hostages on the spot, but just put a bag on the palm of the Misty hand. The hand made of mist flew away, and another one appeared next to him and pointed in a certain direction. The younger sibling followed it to a stone wall, different from the one they were digging last night. When the younger sibling wanted to ask what was going on, the wall opened on its own, and his older twin and the two ladies came out. The two ladies burst out crying looking at the sunlight, while the twins hugged each other. The older brother looked at the handmaid of Mist cautiously. ¡°Sir, can we leave now?¡± The hand didn''t respond in words, but just waved around as if saying goodby, and dissipated. ¡°Sigh.¡± the older brother sighed in relief, but he didn''t relax yet ¡°Let''s get out of here guys, quickly. ¡° The group started moving to the vehicle, on the way the blonde asked curiously. ¡°where did you get the money from? Didn''t we spend everything?¡± The young twin''s face became as white as paper out of fear. He didn''t want to tell them that he mortgaged all their property for a little sum. At least he won''t tell them now. ¡°ah, about that we''ll talk later.¡± The older brother was too absorbed in getting out of here, so he didn''t notice his younger brother''s strangeness. ¡°Let''s get out of here first, then we''ll talk and he would tell us. ¡° As the vehicle started, and the group was on their way, they relaxed completely. But as they drove away from the mountain, suddenly the ground in front of them collapsed, and the vehicle fell down with them inside. Wooosh! Thud.! C!. ..... ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough! Is everyone alright? ¡°. called the older twin, while pushing rocks away and getting up. ¡°I am fine, cough!¡±, called the little brother. ¡°this place shouldn''t be too deep. I am fine. ¡° yelled the blonde. ¡°fuck! First, we start digging for treasures in the backyard of a powerhouse, then we randomly encounter an earth collapse, wtf¡±. cursed the pink-haired. As the group were discussing how to get out, they didn''t notice that the place was strangely blocked too perfectly. it was as if they were in a closed box. More importantly, they were coughing a lot as if the place was void of oxygen. ...... Soon enough, they noticed, but it was too late. ¡°big brother, I am not feeling too good.¡± Getting no response, the younger twin looked at his older brother, who was leaning on the stone wall while closing his eyes. He wanted to reach out for him, but he couldn''t as he fell unconscious. Thud!. The ladies didn''t scream this time because they were in the same situation. And soon they all died silently. ............ Back at the Mountain House, Max was playing with the fist sized yellow gem. He already checked with the simulator before he killed them this way. After reading a little, he found out that dying out of Suffocation this way makes it much harder to track him as the Killer, since most skills and powers will consider it a natural death. As for why he didn''t use the Oubach Army downstairs. Well, let''s say after experiencing power in recent days, crazy ideas started popping up in his head and growing endlessly. One of them was related to the small army downstairs. Chapter 79 Lucky ???. Inside his room, Max held the bottle containing the Evergreen inheritance in one hand and Orc¡¯s mind gem in the other. Max read about a lot of methods for using inheritance items. The most popular one was making clones, since the clone will not only inherent all the abilities contain within the inheritance but also gain the chance to grow and evolve those abilities. However, making clones required a lot of technology, knowledge and resources that Max didn''t have access to for the time being, plus he wasn''t that interested in making clones . The idea of another Max walking around gives him the kreeps. The method he chose is to use the ork''s mind and the inheritance to forge or enhance equipment. Max read about this briefly but he could tell this was the easiest option and the only one he can perform with his current power and resources. ¡°Simulator, the article mentioned some powerful blueprints, show me the most suitable one for this specific inheritance item. ¡° [Ding, negative. this unit has no technical data stored within it. Please visit our closest space library to acquire the technical knowledge you need.] ¡°huh?¡± Max was stunned. ¡°So, there¡¯s no way to use this.? Is the method not available, or what? ¡° |Ding, reporting to The Host. The Technical knowledge you require is available, but not within this unit This unit was not meant to store technical knowledge.] After taking a moment to think, Max just sighed. In the past, he always looked for training methods and meditation techniques, maybe even just skills, within the countless articles inside the simulator, but it contained none. Max could somewhat understand the situation. The simulator wasn''t meant for learning and such, but to train soldiers. If someone from that civilization wanted to learn something, he should head to the relevant facilities. but something confused him. ¡°Simulator, why do you store so much random articles than. ¡° [Ding, reporting.¡­ Quoting a message meant for all who ask such questions : All articles shared within the different units contain valuable knowledge and a lot of insight that members of the race should learn. As a soldier, even if your fate is to face death tomorrow, it is crucial not to disregard the power of knowledge. For it is this very knowledge that could potentially be your savior, granting you a chance to overcome the perils that await you.] ¡°Sigh..¡± Max could somewhat understand their point of view, but a skill that can increase lifespan or maybe a one hit kill technique would''ve been preferred. Max looked down at the two items in his hands. ¡°so how am I supposed to use this? ¡± After some thinking, Max decided to experiment using them, since they didn''t have any other use to him. The article didn''t mention the forging process in detail. In fact, Max didn''t even know how to start about it. But it''s not like the article was completely useless, because Max knew a thing or two about how to use it to enhance items. Since Cold Blood was too valuable to risk damaging, Max decided to use the green robe. Max didn''t have any experience or basic knowledge, so he plans to go about blindly. The gem will absorb the inheritance, and if he was lucky enough, it will trigger something called a blood memory, and the gem will transform and try to merge with a compatible item on its own. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°fuck it, let''s just do it.¡± Max put the gem in a bucket and poured the green liquid inside. The gem immediately started absorbing the liquid, and soon it was all gone. ¡°come on!.¡± maybe because this specific inheritance item was in a liquid form which helped the reaction, or maybe he was lucky for once, but the memory effect was triggered as the gem actually grew roots. The roots spread out inside the bucket as if looking for something. Max''s heart beat stopped for a moment. He didn''t think it would actually happen nor that it would be this fast, but he didn''t hesitate and put the martial art robe inside. The roots entangled the robe into a wooden ball as Max watched. Honestly, he didn''t know what to do, so he just waited. He didn''t have to wait for long, as the roots retracted into two golden gems placed on the shoulders of the robe. The robes¡¯ color actually changed into gray, while roots became part of it spread in different patterns. Overall, it looked much better. Max didn''t dare approach the thing. ¡°Simulator, is this shit safe? Because it doesn''t look safe?¡± [Ding, scanning¡­. Scan successful, no threat detected. would you like to view the stats of the equipment?.] ¡°huh? It was actually successful. For a moment, I thought I summoned some tree demon or something.¡± Max was honestly surprised. Based on his luck, he was waiting for something to jump on him and get killed by Lucy, after he''d loot the corpse and maybe get something useful. ¡°show me what is it. ¡° [ reporting. equipment name : evergreen robe. A flexible armor with E-rank defense capabilities. Ability Evergreen : when the wearer¡¯s health reaches a critical level of less than 30%, an evergreen power wave will be triggered, healing the wearer back to full health. Note 01 : this healing effect can even regenerate lost limbs, but not the heart muscle nor the brain. Note : cooldown duration 2 weeks. Overall Grade : D+ Max just looked at the robe with an impassive gaze. Max felt that something wasn''t right. Under any circumstance he shouldn''t be this lucky, especially considering he didn''t know what he was doing, but look at what he got, an item with a life saving ability. Max scratched his chin in confusion. He would have been happier summoning a tree demon instead of getting so lucky. At the very least, while summoning a demon, his naturally suspicious mind won''t trouble him with all kinds of conjectures. He had the feeling that this burst of good luck was something to numb him. But after some thinking, Max just smiled. ¡®whatever, it might just be my mind messing with me, but if it isn''t so what. ¡° ¡°oy Lucy." ¡®yes?¡¯ " Remember when I told you to not make too much gunpowder and keep it away from my place? Forget about that. I need to turn the surroundings into a land of sudden death. ¡° Lucy was stunned on the spot. Was Max really giving her the green light to do whatever she wants, did he turn mad for real? ¡°Lucy, just store it around and don''t explode it. In fact, stop all explosions for now, also no one is allowed within the mountain. If anything walks within your range, inform me immediately and be prepared to strike¡° Little Lu was quiet for a moment. ¡®will do.¡¯ She didn''t object or complain, although she was usually playful. She wouldn''t mess around in serious matters. and although she wasn''t sure why Max gave such orders, but she didn''t care to understand, for now all what matters to her is to execute Maxes orders. ¡°don''t worry little Lu, it just precautions. Also I need the mountain to be Misty all the time but keep it light. ¡° After instructing Lucy, he took the Evergreen robe and went to change. The roots around it made it look uncomfortable, but after actually wearing it, Max could swear this was the most comfortable clothing he has ever possessed. Looking at himself in the mirror, Max exclaimed an amazement. ¡°wow, this shit is good.¡± .................. Time passed quickly. Max spent the next few days overseeing Mok, teaching the other crows psychic link. In the process, he also used the skill scrolls a few more times. By the end of the week, all of them learned the skill, while Shadow crow Delma even reached the primary mastery under Mok''s teaching. ......... Max woke up to the sunrise energetic. Since the cooldown of the simulation was only a few minutes away, he was in a good mood. Last time''s simulation took a lot of time since he had to consider which crow to choose and such, thus the cooldown was pushed to the morning. ¡®come over everyone.¡¯ commanded Max through his mental connection with his pets. CRAW! Craw.! CRAW! Craw.! Soon, the crows flew in and circled around Max before landing. Max looked at the proud birds around him, satisfied. The only exception would be the elementless crow Imlak. The little guy''s tiny eyes kept twitching. While his feathers were all messed up, and he kept blanking out as if recalling some flashbacks. Max was confused. ¡°What happened to him?¡± The crows looked at each other with fear in their eyes, and Max figured it out immediately. This was most probably Lucy''s doing. Max shook his head and patted the little guy. ¡°you''ll get over it. Just work hard and it will never happen again. ¡° Imlak nodded repeatedly, determined to be the hardest worker among his brothers, so the big sister won''t find trouble with him again. Max honestly didn''t know what this little guy went through. He chose not to watch for the benefit of his sleeping conscience. ¡°alright let''s move to serious matters. Mok, did you explain to them what I told you?¡± Mok nodded. ¡°alright, I''ll explain one more time just to make sure. I will be sending you to something akin to a dream world, and inside forget everything and just work on your skill psychic link. If anyone dares to be lazy then he will receive the same punishment as Imlak. ¡° The crows stood at attention immediately. You could see the love for hard work in their eyes. Max smiled, satisfied. Lucy''s antics seemed to be quite useful on this bunch. ....... Author note : hello everyone i hope you all had a great day. if you guys don''t I don''t usually post on Friday, because it''s a busy work day for me. So see you all Saturday. I wish you all the best. my pay link, if you want to cpoy it and you can''t, you can do it from the same chapter on royal road . https://www.veem.com/pay/refcode-yaVvxEvLW Chapter 80 Author note: I know there are some readers in real time with me reading a chapter as it comes out, so I had to cut this chapter short even though I wrote more, otherwise it would of left you hanging in a bad spot. Note 01 : simulation will go back to normal in the new world soon, and as the crows lifespan increase they will stop simulating all together. Note 02: enjoy and wish you all the best. ................ ¡°alright, I''ll explain one more time just to make sure. I will be sending you to something akin to a dream world, and inside forget everything and just work on your skill psychic link. If anyone dares to be lazy, then he will receive the same punishment as Imlak. ¡° The crows stood at attention immediately. You could see the love for hard work in their eyes. Max smiled, satisfied. Lucy''s antics seemed to be quite useful on this bunch. ¡°one more thing, when you can no longer progress, then you have to kill yourself to leave the dream world. Don''t worry, nothing will happen to you, so don''t waste time messing around. If anyone keeps wasting time inside the dream world, then be ready for punishment. Don''t blame me, I warned you guys. ¡° The crows looked at each other in dismay. Max has been drilling the dream world concept into his pets¡¯ heads, including Lucy¡¯s, with Mok¡¯s assistance. It was all for this. He wanted to be able to control when the simulations end. Now it''s time to test the results. Looking at the cooldown reaching 00s, Max didn''t waste time. ¡° Delma, you go first. Are you ready? ¡° The first born Shadow crow Delma didn''t hesitate, and nodded with full confidence. ¡° Simulator, start consecutive simulation mode. ¡° [Ding, simulation starting¡­ This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. [In the 1st year, you found yourself teleported to an unfamiliar land. This should be your master''s doing, as expected of the boss behind the scenes. After you marveled at your master''s power, you didn''t waste time, and started practicing making significant progress across the year.] [In the 2nd year, your practice came to an end, as the skill psychic link reached a new level and you could no longer progress in it. You knew this was all a dream, so you didn''t hesitate to seek your death, but as a boss of a mafia family you had to go in Style. You found the biggest snow wolf pack and wiped it clean single-handedly, although you were heavily injured, and eventually you died in the cold bleeding.] [you died] [ding, simulation ended .] [ding, Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. Max picked the skill psychic link without hesitation. Max wasn¡¯t surprised by Delma¡¯s speed. after all, when a pet with a higher Mastery teaches another pet with the same skill, it¡¯s like giving them a step-by-step guide, and they just have to follow it. Still, two years to reach the Advanced mastery is an outstanding performance. ¡°great job Delma, well done. Next one. ¡° Delma looked baffled for a moment. He didn''t remember the simulation after all, but still Delma recollected itself and immediately showed an arrogant expression, giving his brothers a look that says you can do it too if you work hard . Craw! Craw!. The crows circled around Delma, impressed. Max ignored the little guys as Fire crow haiyer stepped in front of him being next in line. The simulation process went smoothly. Fire crow haiyer spent 6 years to reach Advanced mastery Lightning crow raad spent 5 years. Wood crow louh also spent 5 years. Sand crow ramla, the master thief, didn''t mess around this time, probably afraid of Lucy''s punishment process. He only spent 4 years to reach Advanced mastery. Mirror crow mraia, surprisingly, spent 7 years being the slowest for some reason. Max considered it a compatibility problem, and didn''t punish the little guy. Mystic crow sahar spent 3 years coming to the 2nd place so far. But what shocked Max the most was Imlak''s simulation. [In the first year, you opened your eyes to an unfamiliar scenery. You didn''t question whether this was a real world or a dream world or a whatsoever world. That was too complicated for you, and you decided to ignore it and do what you were told to do. To practice. In the same year, your skill psychic link reached a new level and you could no longer progress with it. Before you could think on how to proceed further, you died out of exhaustion.] ¡°oh my god! ¡° Max was tongue tied. What did Lucy do to traumatize this guy to such a point elementless crow Imlak actually took first place Surpassing both Delma and sahar. Max looked at his crows with a strange light in his eyes. He had the idea of giving them all to Lucy, so she can let them have the same motivation as Imlak. but on second thought punishment without a reason will bring more harm than benefits, so he gave up the idea luckily for the crows. Next went ghost crow ykaouf, which took 6 years in total across two simulations, since he died out of bad luck in the first simulation at 4 years. As for mok, Max didn''t let him simulate. There was no need to, since a perfected mastery psychic link wasn''t needed. In fact, it might bring some unnecessary complications in the process of activating his talent. As for the 61 years left in the simulation, Max planned to save it for the time being. Chapter 81 Introduces As for mok, Max didn''t let him simulate. There was no need to, since a perfected mastery psychic link wasn''t needed. In fact, it might bring some unnecessary complications in the process of activating his talent. As for the 61 years left in the simulation, Max planned to save it for the time being. maybe let Lucy get the blood forging method later, but for now, all he has on his mind is to activate his talent. "alright Lucy, close the place, and mok you will.. " as Max was speaking a mental message from Lucy interrupted him. ''Intruders, strong ones.'' Max''s expression became dark immediately. Just as he was about to activate his talent, something just popped up. More importantly, he has been feeling a weak malice directed towards him through his passive, since he woke up this morning. Normally Max will just ignore this kind of weak malice since it didn''t hold killing intentions. It might just be someone he knows remembering him in a bad way, maybe cursing him or something. like the principal of his high school, for example. But this specific malice has been getting closer, although Max couldn''t judge the distance accurately. But hearing that someone strong has walked inside the mountain, Max linked one and two together. Max secretly became ruthless. "Lucy, how strong are they? Can you handle them?" ''easy''. "in that case, use the move I showed you immediately." Lucy was stunned. This bunch barely walked within the mountain, they might just be passing by. And Max wanted her to use their newest trump card. But although she was surprised, she didn''t object, but immediately went to work. Max, on the other side, went to his room and took out cold blood, then smashed a certain spot on the ground. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Crack ! Crack!¡­. The floor cracked and collapsed, revealing a dark, deep endless tunnel leading to an underground lake that Max had Lucy build, although from this height the lake couldn''t be seen. Max didn''t jump, but just waited. This was just a precaution and Max wouldn''t jump unless necessary. The lake had a small passage that leads to the closest mountain. ..... "Lucy, report to me in real time. If things look bad, then me and the crows will jump and you join us after throwing everything at them. " Lucy can appear anywhere on the mountain, so he didn''t worry about her, since she can follow them instantly. ''OK''. Craw! Craw! The crows stood behind Max, ready to follow orders. ... 5 minutes earlier, far away from Max''s house, a group of five people were heading in Max''s direction. One decrepit old man, two men in bodyguard outfits, and two young ladies. From that attire, one is obviously a servant maid, and the other being a young Miss of a noble family. The young miss didn''t look beautiful, but just average. The only unique thing about her is her charming golden heart-shaped pupils. The decrepit old man looked at the mountain covered in Mist with suspicion in his eyes, then switched his now questioning gaze towards the young Miss. "little violet, are you sure that so called-genius of yours is here? In the middle of nowhere. " Violet didn''t answer immediately. She also was confused. What would anyone his age be doing here outside of the city?. "I am not sure. The locater shouldn''t be wrong, although it has been malfunctioning a little. " The old man''s gaze was sharp as he looked at the Mist while playing with his long Whitebeard. "it didn''t malfunction. It should be this fog. It has some concealment properties. " Violet was shocked. "could it be him? Does he know we''re coming for him? But how?. " "Not necessarily. It might be someone''s else doing. After all, from the background you showed me about him, he shouldn''t be able to do such a thing. By the way, are you sure you want to use your talent on him? We could find you a better candidate." Violet shook her head immediately. "Uncle Haran, I got his information from a friend. At first I wasn''t sure about him so I used my mother''s star guidance necklace, and I could feel that if I successfully use my talent on him, it will be the most fortunate thing that will happen to me. " Violet pointed at the blue necklace on her neck. The old man didn''t argue anymore. "Since that''s the case, let this old bones help you out this time. " Violet just giggled. "uncle Haran, if you call yourself a peak C-rank powerhouse old bones, then what will the two D-rank bodyguards be? Dead bones? Hihihi. " The old man just smiled while the maid laughed. As for the bodyguards, they didn''t dare speak, just walked stiffly, since they knew how frightening the old man can be. All of a sudden, the group fell silent as a hand made of mist emerged slowly from the ground before them Chapter 82 Atyai family. Violet just giggled. "uncle Haran, if you call yourself a peak C-rank powerhouse old bones, then what will the two D-rank bodyguards be? Dead bones? Hihihi. " The old man just smiled while the maid laughed. As for the bodyguards, they didn''t dare speak, just walked stiffly, since they knew how frightening the old man can be. All of a sudden, the group fell silent as a hand made of mist emerged slowly from the ground before them The hand had roots stuck inside it as well as rocks, and even some liquid? Lucy started moving the new trump card Max taught her towards the group as Max ordered. "huh? What an interesting skill I''ve never seen it before, although it''s quite slow and impractical. " exclaimed old man Haran. Violet looked at the approaching hand. She wanted to respond and ask if it was their target''s doing. But then she suddenly held her necklace and looked anxious. She felt like her target was about to escape. If he got away, she wouldn''t be able to track him down again. To find his current location, she used his hair that she got from her friend. But the tracking item she used burns the hair, and she''s almost out. Violet gritted her teeth, determination evident in her eyes. In order to find Max, she spent a lot of money and she will spend much more now. She took out a blue scroll and a small bead. If you examine the bead closely, you''ll observe a tiny black hair that is being consumed by flames. "Uncle Haran, I have to find him fast, this teleportation scroll can only teleport one person, so I''d go first. " Old man Haran frowned and wanted to stop her, but before he could violet put the bead in contact with the scroll and disappeared instantly. Blink! Woosh!. as both items were left behind broken beyond repair. Old man Haran was annoyed. From the current situation, their target is obviously not simple, thus he didn''t want his knees to be alone with this young man. He threw a teleportation scroll towards one of the bodyguards. As a C-rank powerhouse and an elder of the family. He was much richer than Violet''s mother, but even so he only had two Scrolls one which he just gave away. "find her current location through her phone and go after her. I will join you after I deal with this hand and see who''s after it." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. As he spoke, old man Haran started changing physically. He became slightly taller. Two long hyena ears replaced his human ears. His eyes became a mixture of brown and yellow. His hunched back became straight as he stood emitting an ominous aura. .... Looking at this scene, The Bodyguard didn''t hesitate and used the teleportation scroll, while the 2nd bodyguard and the maid waited, planning to head out with the old man. The old man leapt towards the misty hand, while the ground beneath him fractured into a web-like pattern. Crack! ..... ¡­ ¡­ Back at the mountain house, Max was stunned as Violet appeared in front of him out of thin air, and pointed her finger at himself. He wanted to jump down immediately, and have Lucy blow up the newcomer, but he wasn''t fast enough, as golden light enveloped him. Vrrr!. No actual harm was done to him, but Max could feel something within his body changing slightly. He stood in place and looked at the newcomer calmly, and he stopped Lucy from taking action since he need to understand what was done to his body. Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! The crows eyed violet with hostility, but didn''t make a move waiting for Max''s orders. violet didn''t seem to notice any of that, as she smiled in pure ecstasy. Now that Max looked at her carefully, he noticed her heart-shaped pupils, and he remembered something. "you are from the Atyai family, right? And the golden light you just used on me should be the talent sun mark, I assume." Violet nodded in confirmation. She didn''t feel surprise that Max knew about her family and talent. After all, her family was too famous. Max had limited knowledge about the families and various powers of the continent, but he was familiar with the Atyai family and their inherited genetic talent. Their reputation was not particularly good or bad, but rather tainted with disgust. Their talent sun mark is somewhat similar to Max''s, but only works on humans. They technically parasites geniuses of the other sex in order to grow stronger. There was even that one incident when the Atyai family had faced a near extinction event in the past, when a certain female member of the family had used her talent on the son of an SS-Rank Powerhouse. In response, the Powerhouse had killed that woman and several other family members, leaving them shattered in his wake. ... Max fell deep in thought, trying to remember the details of their talent. Now that he is marked, if he grows stronger, so will this woman. ''Never.'' Max will rather die than live as someone''s lap dog, working his ass out to benefit some random bitch he just met. Still, there were different methods to handle the situation, and he was considering which was the best. Although he looked calm, Violet could see his pupils shaking from time to time. He was obviously holding his anger. "don''t give me that look. My talent isn''t actually harmful to you as long as I don''t use it on others. In fact, it is quite beneficial, it will enhance the growth speed of your spirituality attribute by 10% and its effectiveness will gradually increase over time. Plus, my family will take care of you, pets, resources, and knowledge whatever you need. " Max looked her deep in the eye, which made violet scared a little, although she didn''t show it. "if it''s the sun mark, then as long as I kill you here, I''d be free from it." Max had to ask probing questions because he wasn''t certain. Violet smiled confidently. "although that''s true, but you are weak and I am not alone. " Seemingly to prove her words, one of the bodyguards teleported next to her. Violet smiled happily. Luck seems to be on her side. "you see this D-rank bodyguard? There is another one, also there is my uncle, a peak C-rank Beast holder. Just come with us. I really won''t harm you. " . Chapter 83 battle Violet smiled confidently. "although that''s true, but you are weak and I am not alone. " Seemingly to prove her words, one of the bodyguards teleported next to her. Violet smiled happily. Luck seems to be on her side. "you see this D-rank bodyguard? There is another one, also there is my uncle, a peak C-rank Beast holder. Just come with us. I really won''t harm you. " Just as she spoke, in the distance old man Haran appeared in the sky in front of the deformed Misty hand and punched. Wooosh!. Air waves moved with his punch and it collided with the Misty hand, but Haran didn''t look happy. In fact, his calm sagely expression became horrified, as the different defensive equipment on him started to glow, but it was too late. "what.... Th. ". BO¡­ BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!¡­ A Huge explosion turned Haran into a burned Pitch Black corpse. Thud! As for the bodyguard, he protected the maid and got himself Blown Away into the rock-wall, dying out of impact. Thud! Crush! "noooo!." As for the maid, a watermelon sized stone was propelled by the explosion and hit her in the waist, splitting her in half. "a hhhghhhhh." ..... Under Max''s instruction. That hand of Mist was filled with dangerous objects. The stones in it weren''t actual stone but solidified gunpowder. As for the liquid, it was the small amount of rocket fuel that Lucy made. She kept the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen away from each other inside the hand. When Haran was close enough, she let them combine and boom!. Now that the strong threat was dealt with, Lucy switched her complete focus to Max, ready to protect him from anything. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. .. As for Max, and violet, they both looked at the explosion source. Max with a happy smile and Violet with confusion. "What was that?" "That was your C-rank uncle. Oh no, he should identify as a C-rank corpse now. " Violet was stunned, not believing, but The Bodyguard started taking slow careful steps towards Max. Now that Max was somewhat sure that killing her will solve the problem, he didn''t hesitate anymore. "kill them! " As Max gave the order, mist in shapes of Spears rushed towards the two. As for the crows, they flew to the sky under Max''s mental order. While Lucy had her focus here, it''s better to let them fly around for reconnaissance just in case. In front of violet''s horrified gaze, The Bodyguard was impaled as blood splashed everywhere. "arg!¡­ " But the spears didn''t even slow down after taking the bodyguards'' life, going after her next. but just as she was about to be impaled, suddenly a third person teleported in front of violet, dispersing the Misty Spears with one punch. Whoosh! Max wanted to curse at the fact that everyone seemed to be able to teleport other than himself. But the newcomer didn''t give Max a chance to react, and rushed at him at an astonishing speed. This guy didn''t even look human. He was practically a walking charred corpse missing his left arm. This should be old man Haran or what''s left of him. Looking at the scary skinny humanoid charcoal rushing towards him, Max wasn''t even fast enough to react, but Lucy was, as a thick wall of solid mist appeared in front of him. Bang! Haran''s only right-hand punch through the wall only stopping a few inches from Max''s head. Max felt the cold sweat on his back, but he didn''t freeze. . He took the opportunity and hit the hand with cold blood. Thud.! With his E-rank strength, he couldn''t damage someone with C-rank Vitality. it was like hitting Steel but his purpose was achieved since the hammer absorbed a small amount of his blood. ''Lucy, take me out now, and blow up this place.'' Mist engulfed Max, and pulled him back before Haran could pull his arm, at the same time Lucy collapsed the house on their heads. This seemed like a long process, but it all happened instantly. Violet wasn''t sure what to think of the current situation. She didn''t even recognize the charcoal like humanoid that had just saved her. Crack! Crack! She panicked as the house started collapsing, and Haran, who finally freed his arm, chose to let Max escape and save violet. But as he turned towards Violet, the ground under them cracked and a human sized gray stone was pushed out. Haran''s red half burned eyes shrank, recognizing the thing as the same exploding stone within the Misty hand earlier. But before he could react, Lucy detonated it. BOOM!. Max floated in the sky, protected by mist. Since he was airborne, his safety was somewhat guaranteed, and he relaxed a little. Looking down at the destroyed Mountain House, Max was expressionless. ''Lucy, are they dead?'' ''gone, can''t find.'' Lucy can''t focus on too many tasks at once. They obviously teleported again somehow, but she couldn''t pinpoint their new location immediately Chapter 84 give me my anger back. Looking down at the destroyed Mountain House, Max was expressionless. ''Lucy, are they dead?'' ''gone, can''t find.'' Lucy can''t focus on too many tasks at once. They obviously teleported again somehow, but she couldn''t pinpoint their new location immediately. Max didn''t talk, but just gave up control over cold blood. ''use this to find them.'' Lucy didn''t waste time as a giant windmill looking construct made of Mist, appeared and locked the hammer and started spinning it, faster and faster. Then cold blood was launched, rotating at high speed. wooooosh! Max flew behind cold blood. Not far away from Max''s location, Haran''s who lost his right leg, and looked like a one handed one legged monster from a horror movie hugged violet one last time and handed her a blue token. "Uncle no we can go together!." cried Violet, tears rolling down. "we can''t. The token will activate slower with more people using it at the same time. In that case, that monster will find us before we escape. " From his point of view, Max wasn''t a genius but a monster, a cold-blooded one at that. And until now, he still didn''t figure out what was that fog, Max''s skill or his pets or something else. Violet was crying her lungs out. She wanted to curse the day she was informed of Max''s existence. Haran wanted to explain more but before he could, he saw a mist spear forming out of thin air behind violet and stabbing down. Lucy just locked on their location, following the general direction of the hammer. Haran pulled violet just before she was impaled, but at this moment a blood red hammer rotating with high speed rushed at him before he could react. Bang! Haran and violet were thrown like rag dulls, and while blood repulsion effect was triggered on the old man, it didn''t actually do much since Haran didn''t have much blood left, only surviving using some unknown method or skill. Mist rushed towards the two in different shapes: spears, axis, swords, and hammers. Lucy was forming missed as fast as she could. Max just arrived looking at Haran holding Violet and dodging around, but not for long. Because Lucy was technically everywhere within the Mountain and he couldn''t dodge forever. Max secretly judge that it wasn''t necessary to use Crimson Brilliance, it''s better to save it in case they had more stronger enforcement. Soon, Haran didn''t dodge in time as violet''s arm was cut off. "ahhhhhhh." Screamed violet Stolen novel; please report." No, I will kill you. "yelled Haran in anger. "oh, you better do, otherwise it will be me who will burn down your entire family. "mocked Max, distracting the old guy, while three crows flew silently, covered by the heavy fog under his order. Whoosh! Mist attacked in full force from one side while three crows rushed to violet while Haran was distracted by the Mist. Shadow crow Delma went for the eyes and, using its sharp clows, it pierced down, trying to reach the brain. Both Sand crow ramla and psychic crow mok went for the neck drawing blood. "ahhh." But before the injuries can get deep enough, violet suddenly disappeared. Blink!. Max''s expression didn''t look good. This bunch seems to have too many teleportation items shouldn''t those things be super rare?. ''Lu, kill him and start looking for her.'' "There''s no need to look for her¡­ cough!! .. That token should''ve sent her to the family¡­ cough! Cough! . " Under Max''s cold gaze, Haran was pierced multiple times from different spots with spears made of mist. Max didn''t believe him and let Lucy search for her. " you realize the fact that you are dead, and for nothing since I''m going to destroy your family sooner or later, including that woman. I believe you should be smart enough to realize this much. " "Cough! Cough, most probably sadly, but. cough! It''s up to them to¡­ " A hand made of mist grabbed the old man and crushed him under Max''s order now that he stopped resisting and dodging. Crush!¡­.. "make sure he is dead this time, and find the other one immediately." Lucy went to work immediately, and even the crows started flying around the mountain looking for violet. .... ¡­ A few hours passed, and the search was completely fruitless. Max is currently sitting inside a newly made house, similar to his old one. ''found nothing.'' A telepathic message reached him from Lucy. Her tone was low and cautious, not wanting to annoy Max. Max smiled bitterly. "Sigh, I guess I won''t be using my talent anytime soon. " Max still had the simulator, so it wasn''t too big of a problem, since the talent son mark only work on the human but not his pets. But this will definitely slow him down a lot. Lucy placed a few items in front of him. It was a used teleportation scroll, and a broken bead. sand crow ramla also flew next to Max and placed a blue necklace on the table. Craw! Craw! Craw!. "huh? You took this from that woman. Good job I''d check it later." The pets could feel their master''s bad mood, so they just stood aside and didn''t disturb him as he checked the bead. There was a single black hair inside of it, taking the strand of hair out in suspicion. Max asked the simulator. " simulator scan, is this my hair? " [Ding, scanning¡­ Reporting¡­ This hair specimen indeed belongs to the host.] "I will fking destroy Glory City one day. " Suddenly, in his anger, Max noticed something on the simulator screen. There were actually a few prompts that he didn''t see. Opening them, Max was stunned. [Ding, scanning.... foreign intrusion within the host body..] [Ding, new Talent detected..sun mark] [Ding, starting augmentation.¡­] [Augmenting. ¡­. augmenting, cutting the link to the source.. augmenting..] [Augmentation successful¡­ Would you like to view the new talent? ] Max was stunned on the spot, all that anger and helplessness for not. Max literally couldn''t remember how many times he cursed and swore to destroy this and that in the past few hours. All because he didn''t want to use his talent to help that bitch grow stronger, but apparently, the simulator already took care of the situation long ago. "so I can still proceed with my plans? Simulator, why didn''t you inform me of this earlier? " [Ding, the host, was judged to be in battle. The simulator cannot disturb the host in such situations.] Max didn''t know what to say, but he just smiled, his mood returning to normal immediately. "show me this new talent." [Ding. Talent Bound by Blood : You can create a blood link with one of your pets, effectively receiving 20% of their growth in attributes. Note 01 : only one pet can be linked. Note 02 : the effects of Bound by Blood cannot be undone. ........ Author note : Hello everyone. Volume one will end with Max''s use of his genetic Talent, after some normal chapters he will turn more active you''ll see why. Don''t worry not the kind of active of going everywhere literally saving everyone lol. Wish you all the best. Author pay link, https://www.veem.com/pay/refcode-yaVvxEvLW Chapter 85 . ¡°show me this new talent." [Ding. Talent. Bound by Blood : You can create a blood link with one of your pets, effectively receiving 20% of their growth in attributes. Note 01 : only one pet can be linked. Note 02 : the effects of Bound by Blood cannot be undone.] " Will it harm the pet? Or slow their growth?¡± If the skill proves to be harmful, Max will need to find a new pet to utilize it on. This pet would only serve the purpose of providing for this talent. [Ding, reporting to The Host. this talent will neither harm the host nor the pet. Note : please kill the originator of this talent in order to enhance it.] Max was surprised for a moment, but on second thought, the simulator can even refine the blood of those creatures called wills of the world. In comparison, some talent of a random bitch was like a snack. ¡°huh? I guess I''d use it on Lucy then¡­ ¡° Max suddenly realized something. ¡°why the fk am I wasting time? I should be using my talent now. ¡° Max stood up immediately, starting preparation. In fact, he realizes that the first thing he should be doing is to leave this mountain in case the Atyai family sends more people after him. However, he was really afraid something else will pop up stopping him again. Moreover, if they were coming for him, it¡¯s better to face them prepared with Lucy ready, instead of being caught by surprise while moving out, and Lucy out of mountain form. ¡°Lucy, close this place completely, and don''t forget to leave a passage for air, otherwise I¡¯d be the first pet master killed by his own pet. Mok come next to me. Everyone else makes a circle around us. ¡° Lucy and the crows went to work immediately. They were happy now that their master stopped cursing every 2min and his mood seems to be back to normal. The door and windows closed, and the walls thickened under Lucy¡¯s control, only leaving small holes for air. Mok stood in front of Max waiting for orders, while the crows formed a Circle around Max. All but one crow witch stood in the corner, looking at his brothers with confusion. It was Imlak, and he seemed to be waiting for his brothers to form a square with him, or what he thinks is a circle. ¡°imlak stand here and don''t move, please. ¡°Max was helpless, but it wasn''t the time to teach him a lesson. .... Looking at mok Max became serious. ¡°Mok, listen to me carefully. You guys will form a permanent psychic link between all of you, And I need you to form a hierarchy into this shape. ¡° The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Max picked the laptop and showed Mok some drawings he made . ¡° you will be the secondary node of this link. As for the main node, I will use my talent on you slowly, and when you feel it, don''t accept it immediately because I need you to push it to be the main node. ¡° Mok nodded, but there were clearly hints of worry in his eyes. Max patted the little guy. ¡°don''t worry, I will be helping you.¡± Max didn''t have such spiritual control to actually help in this process, but the simulator does, and Max already confirmed that the simulator will interfere long ago. ¡°Simulator, I request augmentation. ¡° [Ding, please present your case.] ¡°It''s related to my strength, the project hive-link I presented long ago. ¡° [Ding, judging¡­.. -Request approved, please initiate the operation.] ......... Max would be lying if he said he wasn''t nervous. After all, if this doesn''t work, his second option is to join the government, since the simulator can''t help him in increasing his attributes or learning skills. He will have to work for the government in order to obtain things like meditation techniques and such. Before starting, Max took out a few bottles of emerald water from his space ring and put them beside him. His talent should require a certain amount of nutrients to function, and the water from Lucy''s skill should be more than enough. ¡°alright, all or nothing, let¡¯s start guys. ¡° The crows closed their eyes, following Max''s orders. ........................ .......... ...... ... After some time, nothing changed visually, but Max could hear low vibrations in the air circulating between the crows. This was his mark to start. Max didn''t hesitate and used his genetic talent {origin link} on mok. Wooosh!. Max started emitting two different kinds of light, one dark blue belonging to his talent, and one light blue belonging to the simulator. For a moment, Max lost his senses. He saw the actual psychic link forming with his eyes, or at least he thought he did. For the next period of time, Max was in a dazed, confused state, unable to get a hold of his thoughts. [Ding, augmentation starting¡­. Augmenting ¡­. Strengthening link¡­ Stabilizing energy flow.¡­ .... Applying genetic flexibility & Gene protection. ..... Augmentation successful. Note : Pain relief medication is advised, while the host''s talent is at work.] Max just regained his consciousness to the word successful from the simulator, but before he can assemble his joy. His talent went to work passively, and Max experienced a pain unlike anything he had ever felt. ¡°ahhhhhh.¡± Moreover, it wasn''t only pain, but also bone deep hunger. ..... In the midst of his anguish, he instinctively grasped the emerald water bottles and began consuming their contents with a fervor that suggested his very existence hung in the balance. And it did, in a sense. Gulp! gulp! gulp! Gulp! gulp! gulp!. After his weak psyche judged that he had enough, Max passed out. ¡°ah¡± .......¡­. Max woke up without knowing how much time had passed. He had expected to feel groggy, but to his surprise, he was actually feeling good, better than ever in fact. He blinked twice due to his slightly blurry vision. Looking around, the crows were still here looking at him worriedly, and the place was still closed up. Lucy suddenly appeared in the room in her real body. She kept watch all along and now that Max was awake; she wanted to check on him. After all, he seemed to be in pain earlier, then he passed out. For a while, both she and the crows didn''t know what to do. Feeling the newfound muscles under his robe, Max ignored the pets for now and went to the closest wall. He didn''t punch, but just dug his hand into the wall, which was enhanced by Lucy''s innate. Crack!... His hand went through easily, his fingers digging deep as he grabbed a fist-sized stone and pulled it out. Looking at the stone, Max clenched his fists. Crack!.. Crack!.. The stone was turned into powder immediately. Max waved the dust away and looked at his intact hand. All this process didn''t leave a single scratch on his hand. A creepy smile grew on Max''s face uncontrollably, and he ran his fingers through his now disheveled hair, fixing it as his newfound power made it to his head, and he started laughing maniacally. ¡°JA! HA! HA! HA ! ¡°. Lucy, on the side, looked at her master''s posture, and tilted her head to the side, thinking. Suddenly, she put her tiny hands on her head and started imitating Max. ¡°hihihihihi." " Cough! ¡° Looking at the scene, Max''s evil laughter turned into a dying cough instantly. ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!. ¡°. Max was somewhat embarrassed. His new body was strong, but it seemed to perfuse more adrenaline than necessary and it got to his head for a moment. ¡°Lu, stop messing around and open the way for us. We''d be moving out soon. ¡° Lucy was stunned and pointed at Max. ¡® but you did it first.¡¯ Max was speechless. ¡°huh? I see, so that''s how it is. You''re talking back at me now.¡± Lucy was stunned and turned into a light immediately. She knew her master well enough to be sure he''d really beat her up if she spoke anymore. Max just shook his head. Soon, the wall cracked and opened up. Max looked at the crows. ¡°you guys can go out to play, but don''t go far for now. We''d be moving soon. ¡° Craw! Craw! Craw!. The crows flew out immediately. Max sat down, confused by his still blurry vision, but he didn''t think much of it. It should be because he just woke up from the operation. ¡°Simulator, show me my stats.¡± [ Ding, scanning.. Name: Max. Strength: E++ Agility: D++ Vitality: D+ Spirituality: D+ Overall evaluation: D+ . Talents : [Crimson brilliance]. [Bound by Blood]. [Hive-Link : (Previously origin link.) Grade : SSS Effect : -You will receive the equivalent of all the combined attributes of the pets within the link, with a 3% loss. -can perfectly inherit all skill, abilities, and innate ability of all pets within the link. ...... Looking at the rich stats and his improved genetic Talent Max smiled. ¡° Well, it all worked out, but it''s time to move. ¡° Max had a strong desire to assess his current capabilities, but it was crucial to leave the current mountain quickly. Although he didn''t plan to go far, since he still had ideas about the Oubach downstairs, or more accurately about kain City, but that''s for later. As he stood up, he suddenly thought of something. ¡°Simulator, my genes should''ve changed somewhat, so am I still trackable using my old hair or such body parts as blood? ¡° [Ding, reporting to The Host. According to the data, tracking the host remains possible, but the level of difficulty will multiply depending on the specific genetic change and growth in strength, and other aspects. Please read the corresponding articles for more information.] ¡°well, harder to track is definitely good news.¡± Chapter 86 [Ding, reporting to The Host. According to the data, tracking the host remains possible, but the level of difficulty will multiply depending on the specific genetic change and growth in strength, and other aspects. Please read the corresponding articles for more information.] ¡°well, harder to track is definitely good news.¡±. Max suddenly noticed a prompt that he didn¡¯t see. He was stunned for a moment. Feeling perplexed, Max scratched his chin and noticed his beard starting to grow. ¡°Simulator, next time I don¡¯t see a certain prompt for whatever reason, please report it as soon as I became available. ¡° [Ding, command executed.]. ¡°good, now show me that prompt I missed. ¡° [Ding, host current spirituality attribute, has reached the prerequisite. Your pet space is being awakened naturally. Please do not overexert your spirit during this process.] Max was stunned on the spot. Such a great thing is happening, and he didn¡¯t know. Pet space isn¡¯t some unique skill to the simulator or such, it¡¯s something every pet master will awaken as they practice their meditation technique, but such a thing only happened at the B-Rank. It was the equivalent of the sea of knowledge for the cultivators, just much weaker in mental defense and had no other uses other than storing pets. But Neither did Max possess a meditation technique, nor was he classified as B-Rank. The reason for this situation is clearly the augmentation done to his body in the past. ¡°this will definitely prove useful. Simulator, When will it actually awaken? Can you provide a clear date? ¡° [Ding, reporting to The Host. A clear date can not be provided, it can happen anywhere between a week and three months.] ¡° not long then!¡± With this double good news, Max was much more confident as he commanded his pets to gather through their mental link. While waiting for the crows to come back, Max took out a mirror to check his current appearance. from earlier calculations, he found that the process of activating his talent should¡¯ve changed physical appearance somewhat. However, as he looked at his new face, Max was shocked by the fact that he was essentially a different person now. Although his messy black hair remained unchanged, there was a subtle, barely noticeable grayish hue to it. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. His face had become more muscular, and he no longer looked youthful. His eyes had turned a deep shade of yellow. Additionally, there were faintly visible blood veins on his neck and face, although this particular symptom was likely temporary, mostly because of the huge changes his body just went through. Max also noticed that he somehow resembles himself from back in Earth a little. This should be the simulator¡¯s doing. ¡°huh? , this is something I can work with. ¡° Looking at his handsome face, Max was satisfied. Soon, all the crows arrived, and Max stopped checking the changes within his body. ¡°alright everyone will be moving out immediately. Lucy, go back to your real body and stay close to me so I can keep you safe. All crows will go with me flying for reconnaissance other than Mok and Delma. I need you two to lead the other weak crows to follow in our lead. If anything happens, report to me through our mental link. ¡° Mok and Delma nodded, acknowledging their task, and Lucy appeared and sat on Max¡¯s head like she used to. Max didn¡¯t want to a abandoned the other crows that he didn¡¯t form a contract with, since they might be useful in the future. But those crows are still weak and slow. Max didn¡¯t want to slow his march for them, so he left his job for psychic Crow mok and Shadow Crow Delma. ¡°alright let¡¯s head out everyone. ¡° Mok and Delma went first to bring the other crows. Max didn¡¯t worry about them getting lost since they can locate him through their mental link. Max grabbed Lucy from his head and carefully placed her inside his robe, leaving only her little head sticking out. He was eager to test his current speed. On paper D++ Agility can reach more than 1000 k/h However, there were other aspects affecting speed and his limit should be 500 k/h. Even so, Lucy wouldn¡¯t be able to stay on his head with the wind pressure at that speed. Max expected Lucy to start grumbling immediately, but to his surprise, the little one didn¡¯t say a word and she was quite obedient. Who knows what the little she-devil is thinking? Max was just glad because she didn¡¯t make a fuss and didn¡¯t question it. Max didn''t waste any more time and launched like a speeding race car. Woosh!.. As he shuttled between the trees, at a speed he previously believed was impossible for the human body, Max felt unreal as the wind pushed against him. For a moment Max felt like he was a vampire from the movie Twilight, but he pushed the strange thoughts out of his mind and focused on running, enjoying the sensation. The crows started flying after him, being in the air without obstacles. Their speed was naturally good. Even a normal falcon can go at 390 k/h tops while flying, so the crows can somewhat keep up with Max. At least as long as he doesn¡¯t overdo it, he won¡¯t leave their sight. ............................ As Max was making his way towards a new mountain. far away from his current location and away from the border. On a green plain next to a lakeside city, a bloody figure was unconscious on the ground. One arm missing, one eye pierced, almost gauged out. And deep clew wounds on the neck. It was the half dead violet. She was barely hanging to life because of a green ring on her surviving hand. Life saving items were priced at least 10 times that of other items of the same rank, and some young genius from a family with a lot of problems shouldn''t be able to own one. Max suspected that something was wrong with the Atyai family. They were too rich for a declining power. Let¡¯s ignore the super rare space items they had and look at something else. Until now, Max didn¡¯t know what Haran used to survive both rocket fuel and that amount of gunpowder at blank point. ........ Suddenly a group of people lead by an old man appeared out of thin air next to violet, obviously teleporting. The old man sighed as the group rushed to the almost dead violet. They fed her all kinds of potions to stabilize her condition. The old man just shook his head. Treating such injuries will take a lot of time, even with their amount of wealth. Looking at violet¡¯s dead eyes, the old man sighed again. physical injuries can be healed with time, but mental ones are much harder to handle. Their family didn¡¯t need to acquire money. What they needed was talents that can keep the family going, but today they lost not only a promising talent but also a C-rank powerhouse. ¡°Family head, what should we do? ¡° someone from the group asked the old man. The old man lost his control of his anger immediately and burst out shouting. ¡°how the fuck should I know? I don¡¯t even know where that old fuck Haran and this idiot went to. Huh? For all I know, they just provoked another SS-Rank Powerhouse with that damn talent and their dead brains. Sigh¡­ whatever, just take her home and question her when she wake up I will judge after I understand the situation. Now leave me the fuck alone. ¡° The guy that was yelled at didn¡¯t dare speak back, and immediately disappeared as if given amnesty. The head of the Atyai family was exhausted, his family was cursed with a talent that can provoke the anger of others easily, but if that was all, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. But they also had dead brains for some reason. If you picked a target for your talent, wouldn¡¯t it be wiser to investigate carefully? And just in case discuss with the family, and with him first as the head of the family. And if we all agreed on the same target, then as a member of the family we¡¯d obviously send a reasonably sized forced to help you. Maybe a little more than a C-rank to be certain or less than that to avoid losing too much in case of an accident. either way, the decision should be up to discussion. ¡°Sigh, sometimes I feel like burning these damn useless relatives of mine. ¡° The family had some problems with violet¡¯s father, thus she was slightly ostracized. but sill if she came to him needing help as a member of the family he won''t ignore her. The old man sighed one last time as his figured disappeared. Chapter 87 Mystic eye Back at the border.. On a mountain not too far from Kain city. Max is currently lying on the ground, completely exhausted. However, despite panting heavily and taking deep breaths, he wears a wide smile on his face. He never knew running at the speed of 500 k/h could be so enjoyable. Looking up, Max could see the crows flying around, exploring their new base excitedly. all of them were here, other than Delma and mok who were escorting the weak uncontracted crows. ¡°Lucy, are you done?¡± ¡®no.¡¯ Lucy is currently taking control of the mountain, so Max had to wait. Rising to his feet, Max directed his gaze towards the distance. Kain city should be in that direction, but it¡¯s not visible from this distance. This place was much closer to the city than the previous mountain. Max picked this place because, according to the trajectory of the Oubach Tribe digging, they will be under this mountain in a week or so. Max abruptly waved his hand in front of himself to partially test his vision. because his vision is still blurry even though the veins on his neck and face subsided completely. ¡° simulator, this blurry vision should be a side effect of the operation earlier. Is it permanent? ¡° Max didn''t have a big problem with his current eyesight. If it''s the price he had to pay for power, then it''s honestly a cheap price, in his opinion. [Ding, reporting to the host.. Your current problem is related to the existence of an embryo innate ability. Please completely awaken it in order to fix your bodily issue.] ¡°huh? So that''s how it is. I did notice that my eyes look a lot like Sahar¡¯s. it should be because of her embryo Innate, which now I own as well. ¡° Max still had 61 years in the current simulation, but hesitated whether to let Mystic crow sahar awaken her innate or have Lucy get the blood forging method, then switch worlds. ¡°maybe I can do both if I am smart about it. If I can''t, then there''s always another chance next week. ¡° The current simulation world holds little value to his pets and himself. There were a few more interesting things to explore and take, like that seed that grew into a tree that can produce some kind of enhancement resource. But Max is currently a D-rank. The resources from an E-rank simulation world didn''t look as appealing anymore. There were also Lucy''s skills that needed to be trained, but that can be done in the New World. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Upon making a decision, Max didn''t waste time. ¡°sahar, come over here. ¡° Craw! craw! craw!. Sahar flew over to Max and the other crows followed her out of curiosity. Soon enough, Sahar stood in front of Max obediently, while the other crows were just hanging around. They were done exploring, at least for now, since Max didn''t let them go far. Max ignored the others and focused on sahar. ¡® sahar, I am going to send you to the dream world again. This time, I need you to eat well, rest well, and try to explore the innate ability within your eyes. If or when it awakens, you have to end your life just like last time, although you don''t remember that. ¡® Max kept explaining to sahar slowly, only stopping after he made sure she understood. ¡°alright do you understand?¡± Sahar just nodded, her intelligence ranked somewhere in the middle between her brothers and sisters, so after so much explanation she somewhat grasped the key-points. Max started the simulation silently. [Ding, Simulation starting.] [In the first year, you followed Max''s orders and lived a carefree life, making sure you''re in top shape around the clock. At the same time, you tried to tap into the hidden power inside your eyes.] [In the 5th year, you barely had any progress in the past years, but your life was good although boring, but you enjoyed it nevertheless.] [In the 7th year, your innate ability {Mystic eye} finally awakened this year. using it was a completely new experience for you. You enjoyed it very much and never stopped using it. While doing so, you accidentally flew above an active volcano without noticing and died burning.] [Ding, you died.] [Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. ¡°What the actual. ¡­ ? How do you fly above a volcano without noticing?¡±. Max didn''t even remember a volcano around the area he spawned sahar. She should''ve moved and far away at that. And her death, Max wasn''t sure, but he guessed it was related to the innate ability since sahar didn''t seem as stupid as some certain idiots. Max considered for a moment. The innate was what caused her death, but it was obviously not harmful. It was sahar''s overuse or miss use of it that cause that ending so it should be safe to choose it. ¡® simulator pick Mystic eye, and show me its information.¡¯ As he made his choice, Max felt a tingling sensation in his eyes, but it soon became painful to a certain degree. Max closed his eyes. This amount of pain was manageable for him, and he was quite relaxed, but his eyes were tearing up as a physical reaction. The other crows weren''t sure what was going on, but since Max seemed fine and he didn''t give any orders, they stayed put. Sahar was clueless about the situation. Just like Max, she also felt her Mystic eye awakening, but she didn''t feel the same pain as Max because it was the simulator doing the job for her, while Max''s genetic Talent could not spare him the pain of gaining sudden strength. As Max felt the innate ability awakening completely and but instinctively knew how to use it, he couldn''t help but be amazed by this sensation. ¡°huh, I am probably the first human with an innate ability, at least i should be in this world. ¡° Max opened his eyes and blinked twice. To his Joy his vision was restored to normal no longer blurry. In fact, Max¡¯s vision improved significantly, allowing him to see with greater clarity and at a greater distance than before. [Ding. Innate ability gained. {Mystic eye} : Proficiency : initiation Effect: This ability allows you to place a mark on any nonliving target. Once the mark is placed, you have the ability to switch your vision to that mark as long as the target is within a range of 100 meters. The current maximum number of marks is 02. ¡° interesting, this can prove extremely useful. " ....... Author note : hello everyone. I actually wrote more but the app ruined it, I am too sleepy to fix it now so I''d make it up to you tomorrow. Wish you all the best. Chapter 88 simulation. Max was satisfied with this innate, as far as he knows there were no similar skills in the Market, although to be honest, he''s knowledge is quite lacking in this aspect. Max could clearly feel that he can put a Mark, and remove it anytime he wants, so he started testing. He picked up a small pebble and marked it. The process was swift and noiseless, without leaving any trace of its occurrence. Max gave sahar the pebble. "here take this, and fly up with it until I tell you to stop." Mystic crow sahar took the pebble obediently and flew at top speed. "Stop there." ordered Max before she can surpass the hundred meters limit. Max used his Mystic eye, switching his vision to the pebble. Immediately Max lost his sight, only to regain it in the blink of a second, however this time he was looking down at himself from high up. "wow, this is new". Max looked at his body and tried to step forward. He immediately felt disoriented. Max stopped trying to move and looked around. the vision can be switched into different views covering all angles. Max can even go 360¡ã looking everywhere at the same time. Although doing so will result in dizziness, it also causes his brain to overheat, giving him an instant headache. However, what truly astonished him was the ability to hear the sound of Sahar''s wings flapping. It wasn''t just visual information that was being transmitted. "huh? this needs some getting used to. Hey sahar come closer, and stay put just above me." Sahar obeyed and flew down, but while diving, she accidentally let go of the pebble. As the pebble started Free Falling, Max crossed his hands in front of him in a hurry, as if ready for impact. But before the pebble could reach the ground, sahar caught it. "wow, that felt real." the sensation of falling was so vivid that Max, for a moment mistook it for himself actually falling down. Craw! Craw!. Sahar was very apologetic, as she held the pebble exactly above Max, just as he ordered. "It''s okay, sahar, just hold it there for a moment. " Craw! Soon enough Max was looking at himself up close, in amazement " this is exactly like those third person video games. " This experience was quite novel and Max now understood how sahar killed herself. But the fun time was over as Max had to stop using it. He still remembers that he shouldn''t exhaust his spirituality for the time being. Max started thinking about the best method to utilize Mystic eye. But after some time, Max just shook his head. On its own, it doesn''t seem to be too useful. The only use Max came out with was to mark a small target and give it to Lucy, so she can carry it with her using Mist while still in mountain form. This way he can effectively give commands to her, in order to help her in battles and such. It will be like he was standing in the Battlefield giving orders, while in fact he is somewhere safe. Although the range is just 100 meters, and this plan would not work very well since Lucy''s range in her mountain form is counted in kilometers. "if Mystic eye reached the advanced mastery, the range should increase to at least a kilometer. " This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Max was tempted to have sahar go at it again, but there were only 54 years left in this simulation, and it was already too short, and Lucy will find it hard to both obtain the method and memorize it. ''well, it''s better to let Lucy go first so I can switch worlds already. '' After max made up his mind, he just waited for Lucy to finish her job. ........ After half an hour, Lucy finally took over the mountain, and carved a small cave on the base of the mountain into a well-hidden house for Max. In that process, Max just played the role of an overseer and didn''t interfere with Lucy''s work. At the same time, mok and Delma arrived with the other crows. Looking at the surrounding crows, Max was quite satisfied. "alright everyone, you all worked hard in the past few days, so as a reward you can watch Mafia out of the city Non-stop until you finish it or you get bored with it. Just wait a little. and Lucy, I need you to build a nest for the other uncontracted crows quickly, then meet me inside in your real body. " Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw!. As he spoke, the crows went wild instantly. They have been so busy practicing, thus they didn''t have much free time. And after they were done with that, that bunch of intruders came and the big fight happened, preventing them from resting or enjoying their free time. Then Max started that weird ritual that changed his appearance. After that, they had to move out. One can say Max has overworked this bunch of younglings, but it was finally time to have some fun. Max left the excited crows and walked inside his room, waiting for lucy,and she didn''t take long before appearing in front of him. "alright Lu, I need you to listen to me carefully. Now it is your turn to go to the dream world. once you are inside record my instructions immediately, so you don''t forget them. I need you to practice Dragon vine while waiting for a certain village to start burning. Once it does, you need to...¡­" Max made simple arrangements for Lucy to follow, and explained it slowly. If we follow the previous path of simulation when Lucy got the blood forging method, then 54 years will not be enough to obtain it, so some small changes must be made. Lucy kept nodding, but the more she nodded, the more Max repeated his explanation. It can''t be helped. He can''t trust this fool''s nodding. After Max started getting tired, he just started the simulation. anyway, even if it doesn''t work, he has the next week and the one after it and so on. This time Max picked the mountain-range again. simulation started. [ding,] as the simulators started, Lucy lost focus. [In the 1st year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar mountain-range; you understood your situation, and possessed the closest mountain, and took control of it in a matter of hours . You followed the instructions in detail since you didn''t want to anger your pet master. if he gets angry, he might do something stupid like last time.] Max was stupefied on the spot. "huh? What the? When did I do something stupid? And is that why she has been quite obedient lately? " After a moment of confusion, Max just shook his head. It''s better for his health to ignore Lucy''s thought process as much as he can. [In the 2nd year, you started practicing wood aura and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 3rd year, you started practicing wind chosen and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 4th year, you started practicing blessed mind and mastered it by the end of the year.] [In the 5th year, you started practicing Dragon vine diligently, since your pet master said something about it being the second best option. so you didn''t laze around and worked hard.] [in the 7th year, your Dragon vine skill started showing some success.] [in the 22nd year, you mastered the Dragon vine skill.] [In the 23rd year, the time you were told about should be getting closer, so you started preparing. First you made a vast lake of emerald water inside a large cave. Then you made something akin to fireworks, out of Rocket Fuel and gunpowder.] [in the 35th year, under the effect of (wood aura), (emerald water), (blessed), (mountain ruler). the mountain and its surroundings turned into an Ancient Forest with towering trees, and a lot of wildlife got attracted taking the mountain as a permanent residence. But you didn''t care much, only watching the village nearby tentatively, waiting for the day if it''s burning.] [In the 37th year, life was boring while just waiting. Thankfully, you know the burning will happen at night, so you entertained yourself in the day. Every night you watched patiently, because you had to obtain what your pet master wanted at all costs, even though he said it was okay to not get it. If he isn''t happy, then who knows what will he does with his current mental state. after all, your pet master went through that dangerous plastic surgery almost dying just to get a little bit more handsome? He Couldn''t even wait for you to get rich, then pay for an actual plastic surgery for him?.] Max.... Max didn''t move a muscle for an entire minute. He was using all his newly gained power to stop his face from twitching. "I went through plastic surgery. " Max was practically gritting his teeth. That idiot actually thought that his talent activation that he worked so long for was a plastic surgery, and what''s that about just a little more handsome? " calm Max, calm down. I''d deal with her after the simulation ends. " [in the 39th year, in the middle of the night, you noticed a strong light in the distant, looking closer, it was the village burning. Some strange humans in blood -red costumes killing the villagers and burning the land. This was your cue. Without hesitation, you launched the fireworks to draw their attention. And you were successful, as you saw them approach the mountain slowly and carefully, wanting to investigate the earlier lights and explosions. You kept watching them, but after some time they weren''t even close to the lake. feeling impatient, you opened a small fountain of emerald water not far from them, making it look like accidental. ] [in the 40th year, after finding out about the effects of the water, the human in red went mad searching the mountain and soon found the lake. Not long after, they started building their base next to it.] [In the 43rd year, you already learned the language of This World by observing the humans, and you are currently reading the secret martial arts, those strange humans engraved on stone tablets. In the past year, you kept your existence hidden and started memorizing and learning in peace. Also, while the leader of the humans slept, you took the chance and stolen the human skin scroll containing the second part of the blood hammer forging method.] [In the 53rd year, life went on peacefully as you memorized everything that seemed valuable. Of course, if you ignore the occasional murder and slaughter made by the red humans, and the random plague break out. Life was peaceful.] [In the 54th year, you found that you already know and understand everything that belongs to this certain cult.] [Ding, simulation time limit reached.] [ding, simulation ended entering cooldown.] [cooldown duration one week.] [ding, Host, please pick a reward.] 1- Complete memories. 2- complete body stats. 3-An ability, skill or a talent. 4- an item or equipment. ...... Author note : if there''s any problem with the chapter then it''s really not me it''s the app I write on. I also didn''t have the time to double check. Please tell me if anything is wrong so I can fix It. Wish you all the best. Chapter 89 "pick full memories." [Ding, would you like to keep all memories intact? Or specify.] "huh? I didn''t know there was another option?" [Ding, If the host doesn''t make a choice, then all memories will be transferred and some of them might be lost (forgotten). The simulator will safeguard and preserve memories only if you choose memories below a specific limit in size. That limit is related to the pet''s spirituality attribute.] "I see, but will Lucy be in danger in either case?" [Ding, the pet, will face no danger of any sort. ] "well in that case, keep the memories about Lucy practicing her skills, and the memories about the tactical knowledge Lucy memorized, also don''t forget the language. Every thing else is unnecessary." [Ding, processing.] Soon Lucy opened her eyes, confused. she had memories about practicing all of her skills to completion. At the same time, she inexplicably knew something called the blood clan martial arts. And their different secret arts, like the blood hammer forging method. But before she could recollect herself, she was grasped tightly by Max. Max held her with one hand, smiling. Looking at the smiling Max, Lucy was almost scared to tears immediately. . Her pet master had two types of smiles, one normal and the other abnormal. And currently Max was giving her the latter. "Lu, what was that about plastic surgery? Huh? You think I almost killed myself for that.? I am so offended I can''t ignore this." Lucy was stunned on the spot. She never talked about that to anyone. It was just in her thought, so how did Max know? Lucy just smiled sheepishly. '' You very handsome now.'' Max was speechless. Was this fool trying to bribe him with compliments? Max didn''t speak, but just punched at full strength. Of course, he didn''t punch at Lucy but the wall next to him. Bang! His hand went through immediately, and Max pulled a stone and crushed it in front of Lucy. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Lucy''s sheepish smile was gone immediately, afraid that her pet master will feed her the stone as punishment. She tried eating those things before and she didn''t like it at all, not even a bit. Max wasn''t scaring Lucy, but trying to make a point. "You see this stone? Was I able to do that before?" Lucy looked bewildered. She remembered Max being as weak as paper, also she somehow ignored the fact that he was running at the speed of 500 k/h while holding her earlier. Max was helpless for a moment, but still he explained patiently. He was afraid Lucy will go on babbling about how he almost killed himself just because of some plastic surgery. In the future, he might be a big boss of some business, where will his reputation be? "Lu, all of that was to become stronger, and it wasn''t life threatening, just painful." Lucy tilted her head to the side, then her mouth opened wide in realization. Since the fool didn''t nod, then Max was somewhat sure she understood. Shaking his head, Max just let her go. " Just go back to the mountain. I need you to record the blood hammer forging method and other martial arts as well. For the time being, just do it on stone, and I''ll copy it on the laptop. Make sure to write the original text, then the translation next to it." With Lucy working as a translator, Max wasn''t sure those things will actually work. but it doesn''t matter, he only needs her to know the blood forging method to use in the simulation in the future. Of course, Max needs to find someone to modify it for him in order to be able to forge things other than hammers or just give it a try himself. Anyway, it will be tested in the simulation, so it doesn''t really matter if he made mistakes. Lucy escaped into light immediately, afraid that Max will actually beat her up. She now realized that she miss understood. Max ignored the little she-devil and focused on the simulator. "Simulator, undo the lock on the martial world." [Ding, process starting.... Duration 24 hours .] Max already knew about the 24 hours thing, so he wasn''t surprised. "Lucy, let the crows go play freely, or they come watch on the laptop. Also, keep low-key for the time being. You can make gunpowder and fuel but you can''t use it." Max rested on the dirt made bed. There was no furniture since he had to make space for the orgs and other precious items. Anyway, his current body was strong enough to ignore any discomfort like tiny pebbles and such. To him, it was as good as any comfortable bed. Craw! craw! craw! craw! craw!. The crows flew in excitedly and took their spot next to the laptop. Max just ignored them and marked a small stone with his Mystic eye and gave it to Lucy. "Lucy, place this next to the entrance, and remember it, since you might have to carry it around if necessary. " Lucy felt like she had just escaped death, so she didn''t argue or question why and just did as Max said. "alright Lu, you also come watch but in your mountain form since it doesn''t bother you anyway. " Lucy was secretly excited, but she didn''t voice it out. She wanted Max to forget about that whole ordeal as soon as possible. Max split the battery time between Lucy and the crows, leaving none to himself, deciding to just watch with them. His pets have been performing exceptionally well, especially Lucy, who technically fought the previous battle on her own. And mok, who was the reason his talent activation went so smoothly, so they should get a reward. .... Author note: hello everyone and sorry about the past to days. I had to work as replacement for my friend since he had something urgent. I still has to though, man I don''t know anything about being a gym coach. Anyway I am currently writing the next chapter hopefully I will be ab8to edit it today. Wish you all the best. Chapter 90 . Max split the battery time between Lucy and the crows, leaving none to himself, deciding to just watch with them. His pets have been performing exceptionally well, especially Lucy, who technically fought the previous battle on her own. And mok, who was the reason his talent activation went so smoothly, so they should get a reward. Just like that, Max spent the next few hours enjoying random shows. He also remembered that it was about time to start Lucy''s education again, this time in farming.. Max had the feeling that he will clash with big powers sooner or later. After all, he coveted their comfortable ruling positions. Thus, he wanted to achieve a certain amount of self-sufficiency just in case. this was on his mind even before he left Glory City, but the idea got even stronger after he read a certain simulation event for Lucy. it gave him a perfect backup plan in case shit went downhill for him. Max felt tired for some reason, maybe because of the extensive running earlier. And Soon he fell asleep, while his pets kept watching. ...... After an unknown amount of time, Max awoke groggily. "Ah." He felt momentarily disoriented. He hadn''t woken up like this since his Vitality was at the E-rank. But now, with his vitality significantly higher, he inexplicably felt as he was run over by a train. But before he knew it, he regained his vigor in no time. "huh, what was that¡­ Simulator, scan my body. Report if anything is wrong?" [Ding, scanning¡­ Reporting¡­ Abnormality detected. The process of awakening your pet space has interfered with the process Gene equilibrium. Taking precautionary measures, any harmful mutations will be halted.] "huh ? that was unexpected. " Gene equilibrium is just a fancy way of saying his genes were resting after undergoing huge changes and accepting new information from the ash crow genes. Max already knew about it. However, based on the simulator, Max wasn''t even supposed to feel it. The Awakening of his pet space seems to mess with the progress a bit, but thankfully the simulator will be handling it. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Max felt reassured and put the matter to rest as he checked the time left for the world lock undoing. [00d.00h.19m.44s] "huh, I actually slept that long". Max walked to a small puddle of emerald water and took a sip, feeling rejuvenated. Logically speaking, the skill Emerald water was no longer that useful, and max should''ve merged it with the ability blessed to see what changes that will bring. but he had one more use for this thing. Max didn''t call for his pets yet, as he waited for the simulator to finish the lock lifting process. And after a few minutes, it was over. |Ding, world lock undone successfully.] [Ding, would you like to pick a new world?.] "yes". Responded Max, excitement evident in his voice. [Ding, current available world coordinates.] 1-[ saint realm. S-Rank ] + 2-[ Red star. SSS-Rank] + 3-[ chopinyou m¨¦t¨¦orite. overlord-rank ] + 4-[ Broken part of blue space. SS-Rank] + 5-[ fragment of the silver sun. SSS-Rank] + Max : -_- "Simulator, is that all? Isn''t there any other weaker world?". Max was speechless. What kind of line up was this? [Ding, currently, this is all the available coordinates.] Max didn''t know how to react. "what about that overlord-rank? What rank is that?" Max was hoping it was another naming for C-rank or even B-rank, but the name was too bad ass for that. [Ding, the overlord rank comes after the SSS-rank of this world.] Max didn''t give up. " Simulator, is there any way to affect the coordinates you receive?" [Ding, reporting to The Host. The process of receiving coordinates of worlds from parallel universes is completely random, either in timing or witch world. There is only one known method, to effect the process of receiving coordinates. Which is for the host of this unit to possess the same mass and size of a main star, also named as the sun.] When he heard there was actually a method to interfere, Max was excited, but after hearing about the method, he was dumbfounded. "How the fuck will I do that?" Max was deflated immediately. It''s not that his pets can''t grow in a strong world. In fact, their growth might be much faster, especially Lucy. But Max wanted the best for himself. He wanted to send the crows to as many worlds as possible with different strengths and specialties. Because he wants to be versatile and undefeatable among the same rank, he wanted to get the best fire skills from a fire world, the best wood skills from a forest world and such, or at least that was his plan. Currently, his pets can not even survive in the weakest world among the five offered worlds, his crows might even be hunted for food by random villagers. You have to understand that Max''s current world is only ranked as an S-Rank by the simulator, even with the existence of multiple SSS-Rank powerhouse. Multiple reasons are involved in this judgment, but one of them was environmental factors like the strength of viruses and microbes, his pets might be killed immediately by a random flu of that world. Max shook his head, regaining his composure. The simulator refreshes the coordinates every now and then. He didn''t need to worry much, for all he knows a suitable world will show up at anytime. "Simulator, inform me immediately if a world with a B-Rank and Below appears. Actually inform me even if it''s an A-rank. " Max stood up. In the meantime, he didn''t plan to halt his progress because of the simulators uneffectiveness, he had other objectives to achieve. - teaching Lucy. -working on understanding and modifying the blood hammer forging method. - perfecting his plan of robbing Kain-city while the Oubach attacked, or making a plan to be more accurate. ... Author note : I delivered on time exactly 7 hours later yay. I woke up and edited this one, there will be another chapter today after I get back from work. Wish you all the best. . Chapter 91 Simulator, inform me immediately if a world with a B-Rank and Below appears. Actually inform me even if it''s an A-rank. " Max stood up. In the meantime, he didn''t plan to halt his progress because of the simulators uneffectiveness, he had other objectives to achieve. - teaching Lucy. -working on understanding and modifying the blood hammer forging method. - perfecting his plan of robbing Kain-city while the Oubach attacked, or making a plan to be more accurate. The plan to rob Kain city has a lot of complications to it. Just by the speed of the Oubach tribe digging, they will take more than 2 months to reach the City. Moreover, Max didn''t have the capability to actually obtain what he wanted from the city. What he needed most probably requires hacking a governmental network. Max can get access to their computers in the chaos, but how will he extract the data he needs from it? At the back of his mind, Max had two solutions for this problem. 1- cooperate with someone who can, but Max really didn''t want to if not necessary. 2- try his luck in those technology dungeons, or technology advanced simulation worlds. He might get something that''d help. Max decided to forget about the matter for now. "alright let''s deal with the first two objectives for now." " Lu, are you here ? " ''Here now''. responded Lucy. "what are the crows up to". Lucy didn''t know how to describe what those crazy birds were doing. They even pulled her into the matter. ''playing!'' " Good. let them be for now. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. I have something especially for you to watch, little Lu." Lucy became focused out of curiosity. In order to educate someone in a certain field efficiently, you must first make him love that field. Thus, Max went to his old teaching method. Max opened the laptop and selected a folder with a password on it and unlocked it. In another world with my farm. Being a farmer isekai. My farm isn''t for sale. Farming to longevity. Max will only start practical teaching after Lucy watched all of those. "here, these movies and anime are just for you." Lucy was deeply moved to tears by Max, who continues to personally select shows for her to watch even until now. "alright, you watch those when you''re free, but for now tell me did you record everything yet? ". ''yes. Next room walls.'' Max walked to a neighboring room that didn''t exist last night. Inside, Max found rows of neat text on the right wall. Although he couldn''t recognize the language, it was well organized and Lucy seems to have done a great job writing the original text. Max nodded in satisfaction, and switched his gaze to the left, just to freeze instantly, dumbfounded!. What he saw was a bunch of childish drawings and random nonsense. In the middle, there was a big teddy bear punching down. Max realized something. Lucy didn''t actually learn this world''s human language, what she knows is just from movies anime and by accompanying him. She can somewhat communicate using it, but she can''t actually write. However, Max was still confused. "but even so, why the teddy bear? " Lucy didn''t know why Max was confused and answered honestly. '' had to draw a fighter. I draw a cute fighter. '' "so let me get this right, you had to draw a diagram of a human warrior for some martial art and this is the result. Are you attempting to murder the practitioner? " ''not murder. Teach. You.'' "wow, that''s for me to learn. That''s not concerning at all." Max didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Looking at the teddy bear, Max didn''t comment anymore. He would be brain dead if he actually practiced Lucy''s translated work. Max suddenly thought of something and switched his gaze towards the original text and looked for something. But when he found another teddy bear, Max''s eyebrow started twitching again. Because of the dense text, and this teddy bear being much smaller, Max didn''t notice it until now. "Sigh, Lucy, we won''t have any rest until we translate all of this, or at least just the blood forging method. " Max didn''t worry about language barriers, since he and his pets can communicate through meaning using their mental link if necessary. Max sat in front of that laptop and prepared. "Lucy, let''s start. You speak and I write. And no antics like teddy bears. I want clean text. " Despite not wanting to endure the exhausting process, Lucy still went along. Author note.: Next chapter has small time skip of 2 weeks so I had to stop the chapter here. Chapter 92 "Sigh, Lucy, we won''t have any rest until we translate all of this, or at least just the blood forging method. " Max didn''t worry about language barriers, since he and his pets can communicate through meaning using their mental link if necessary. Max sat in front of the laptop and prepared. "Lucy, let''s start. You speak and I write. And no antics like teddy bears. I want clean text. " Despite not wanting to endure the exhausting process, Lucy still went along. ....... And just like that, as Max engrossed himself in typing, understanding, and learning. Time flew by, and before we knew it, two weeks had passed. Max awoke in his familiar bed, feeling weary and drained, as if he had been battling instead of sleeping. These kinds of symptoms never left him for the past 2 weeks: exhaustion just after waking up, sleepiness, dehydration, and an inexplicable itch on his upper back. Max was helpless about it. But Thankfully it should all go away once his pet space awakened, based on the simulator''s reports. Looking at the well-furnished room, Max just walked to his office. 3 days ago, after some reconnaissance and judging that the Atyai family didn''t send anyone after him, Max emptied his space ring and went back to his old mountain to pick up everything he left. Of course, being cautious, he took Lucy and let her take control over the mountain there just in case. Max took that small risk for the plants and other minerals he left behind. Also, he wanted to bait out the Atyai family if they were following him. Just to confirm, since he didn''t like to be a rat in hiding from them, even now he was strong enough to fight them head on with Lucy. However, it seems that the Atyai family didn''t take further action, but it''s not a big deal because Max plans to confront them once he''s confident in handling them easily. Following that, he instructed Lucy to build a suitable home, or rather, a castle fit for a king, this time underground. There were only specially made tunnels for air and sunlight to come in. Other than that, it was all closed up. In case someone else decides to teleport inside, he/she will be done for. Max prepare the last cup of coffee he had, and sat on a well-decorated stone chair, while opening the simulator. He had already translated everything he needed long ago, and to his surprise, the blood forging method was too simple. He understood its workings in a single reading session, and he could confidently say that this thing will never function on its own. The only reason it worked in the simulation was Lucy''s innate. Part of the reason was because the method itself was a little flawed, and the other part was that the cultists were not using it correctly : -the more creatures sacrificed, and the stronger they were, the better the end results would be. At the same time, the opposite hold true the less the worst the end result. -However, merging a lot of different species might have a positive effect, but it will lower the efficiency to almost 0%. Those crazy Bunch were using the blood of beasts, humans, woman or man, old or young, martial artist or a normal person. With such a mixture, it would take over 10000 years to forge a normal hammer without Lucy''s innate. Other than that, the method is simple and crude and easy to modify, which obviously made Max exhilarated. However, Max still needs more understanding of the basis of martial arts since both the Earth Armament tactics and the blood forging were of Martial Arts origin. Thus he has been reading a certain article about martial arts in the simulator, with the title of. '' how to become a monkey in 7 days.'' Although the title made Max speechless, but the contact was very informing about martial arts and gave Max a lot of insights. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. He was confident that after finishing this article, he would be able to at least lift the Restriction of forging only hammers. Still, he would be requiring slightly more detailed blueprints for the forging, but that''s still improvement. "Simulator, any suitable world coordinates picked up? ". Max already knows the answer since he asked the simulator to inform him immediately if something like that happens, but it has become more of a habit to routinely ask the simulator the same question every morning. Max was honestly regretting the fact that he didn''t exhaust the usefulness of the previous simulation world before lifting the lock. The crows wouldn''t have gained much, but Lucy had so much to learn there. Other than perfecting her current skills, she showed the tendency to learn new ones in certain simulations. ... Max just shook his head, going back to reading the article. It''s better to learn from a mistake than to let it haunt you. Next time, if he couldn''t solve the matter directly by some means, then he at least need to farm each world till there was nothing left. .... Max just spent his morning reading peacefully until he was interrupted by Lucy. '' something happening down.'' "down? You mean with the Oubach tribe? What is it?. " The Oubach reached their place a week ago, and currently they were almost out of Lucy''s range digging towards Kain-city slowly but steadily. '' people there. '' "oh!". Max smiled immediately. He has been wanting to find the one behind the scene, and confirmed their intentions for a long time, in order to finalize his own plans about the matter. Max blinked as his eyes lit up literally, and his vision changed to the underground. Underground, a small pebble was placed in a corner. Max looked around with the pebble as the center, he can view in any direction. His Vision was mostly dark, but he could see the figures of the Oubach moving around with their red eyes shining menacingly. A few of them were digging or resting right next to him. Not too far from the pebble, he could see two humanoid figures only visible because of the dim light emitting from the right figure''s hand. "Lucy, throw me next to them, make it look like some pebbles were thrown away while the Oubach were digging. " Max instructed Lucy briefly but precisely on how to do it. Lucy didn''t disappoint as the Oubach seemed to put too much force into his claws and a few pebbles were propelled towards the two figures. Clang!! Wooosh!. The pebble marked by Max stopped exactly under their feet, and as one of them looked at the pebbles, his gaze was interlocked with Max''s. For a second Max thought that he was found out looking into the deep cat-like black eyes. But soon Max sighed in relief as the figure moved his gaze from the pebbles and focused on his companion. Max observed them closer. Both of them were wearing thick robes and he couldn''t tell if they were human or not, since the cat''s eyes alone weren''t a strong indicator in this world. But soon Max ignored their looks and focused on the conversation as the two started speaking. "The numbers are good, and they are quite healthy." Spoke one of them in a manly young voice. "Sigh, are you sure about this? Our plan is going just fine. We don''t need to attack some city for some petty profit. " spoke his companion, obviously a female, from her voice. Max was just listening tentatively. He needs to understand more in order to make his judgment. The man with the hand emitting light just shook his head. "we won''t be risking their lives. In fact, they won''t even confront the humans. They''re just a distraction. Now will you use the Mass summoning scroll on them?. " The woman didn''t respond, obviously still not convinced. "Sigh, will you just use the scroll already? We agreed to let them be a distraction for 20min, and we''ll pull them immediately after by using the scroll, so why the worry? " "oh, no you won''t, not on my watch." spoke max out loud, while sipping his coffee. It''s not like they can hear him anyway. Back underground, the woman still didn''t relent. "if too many of them die, we won''t be able to meet the quota. Those madmen will hunt us for it, but what''s more important is the fact that we will lose our only chance. " "Sigh, listen Vanessa, I understand all of that, but I''m doing this for the bigger picture. We need those resources they offered for this small side job, and you know it''s not just for me or you. " Vanessa seems to have relented finally and took out a scroll and opened it, but nothing happened and she stored it back immediately. "done all marked. I hope you know what you''re doing, Van. " Van ignored the fact she was putting all the blame on him and just shook his head. "it will be all fine, trust me." "most probably it won''t, not with me here." joked Max, enjoying the last bit of his coffee. Lucy''s Misty figure nodded in agreement with Max''s words. Nothing seems to go smoothly with her pet master. it''s either accompanied by pain, bad luck or just won''t work. "since we''re done, let''s leave this place. I don''t like these ugly monstrosities. " "neither do I. They give me the creeps." Vanessa took out another scroll and opened it, as a spacial gate opened behind them and suck them in. Wooooosh!. ¡­ ..... "so I guess we aren''t allies." Max didn''t understand everything. Since the conversation didn''t conveniently explain every detail, but generally he got what he needed. He could see that they didn''t actually plan to clash with Kain-city. But He won''t have any of that. He needed the city in a devastated state or at least too busy, in order for him to walk around and get what''s he was after. Still, there''s no need to fight the two humanoids since he had other methods to ruin their plans, so he didn''t show himself. Max walked to a certain room and had Lucy open the tightly closed stone door. Inside was nothing other than water, emerald water, to be exact. Max smiled creepily, looking at the water he had Lucy produce over the last 2 weeks. "Lucy, first Kidnappe an oubach for me to scan. If everything checks out we''d rain it down on them. " Chapter 93 Adding fuel to fire. Max walked to a certain room and had Lucy open the tightly closed stone door. Inside was nothing other than water, emerald water, to be exact. Max smiled creepily, looking at the water he had Lucy produce over the last 2 weeks. "Lucy, first Kidnappe an oubach for me to scan. If everything checks out, we''d rain it down on them. " ''okay.'' "be careful about it Lu, make it as silent as possible. " ''okay. '' Soon a lonely Oubach was embraced by Mist and swiftly drawn into a tunnel that opened and vanished in an instant. Soon enough, the Oubach found itself bound with white chains in front of Max. it recognizes all humans as an enemy, so it started growling at him. "Grrrrrr! ". Max looked at the ugly creature in front of him with slight disgust in his eyes, still he put his hand on the creature''s head. "Simulator scan potential pet. " [Ding, scanning ¡­] Max didn''t plan to have an Oubach as a pet, unless there''s something unique about that Oubach. However, using this excuse is the best method to get the simulator to perform a more advanced scan than normal. Still, not the level of scanning performed on his own pets, but it was good enough. [Ding, reporting¡­ Name: none Race: Oubach Strength: E Agility: E Vitality: E++ Spirituality: F+ Overall evaluation: E-rank. Skills & abilities: -[weak evil aura.] : Ability rank : white. {passive}. Proficiency : none ( passive skill & abilities have no proficiency level.) This ability has no effect on its own, only giving the owner a slightly evil presence. This ability is stackable. [ corrupted.] : Ability rank: green. {passive}. Proficiency : none. Effect : Very susceptible to mutations under any type of evil presence. { mutations are random and can be either beneficial or harmful.} [bloody claw .] . Skill rank : white. Proficiency : primary mastery Effect : cover the tip of the Claw with the dead blood expelled from the body for one powerful strike, increasing the damage slightly . If this hit cuts through the skin layer, there''s a chance to cause a strong infection, and some slight poisoning. [ enhanced fertility.] Skill rank : temporary. Proficiency : none ( the proficiency of skills & abilities blessed on the target can not be scanned unless you find the caster of this skill.} This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.Effect : Enhances the fertility of this creature by 400%. Note 01 : this creature is under the control of the skill (Tribal leadership). this effect is weak and can be broken easily. If this creature becomes your pet, it will break free from it without the interference of the simulator. Note 02 : this creature is bound by a B-rank summoning item. Max was speechless for a moment, because he knew that this particular Oubach wasn''t some elite. He saw it all alone, too weak to claim subordinates or such, so having such a luxurious lineup didn''t make sense. However, after some thinking, Max found out that it was completely reasonable. {Weak evil aura}, {corrupted}, and {enhanced fertility} were so compatible to the point that it couldn''t be natural in such a weak creature. It was obviously someone''s doing : With {enhanced fertility}, the numbers of the Oubach will increase substantially, which will cause {weak evil aura) to stack. At that point, it will create enough evil presence for all the tribe members to start mutating daily because of {corrupted}. Even if Max turns off his brain, he could still tell that there was a bigger conspiracy going on with this bunch of Oubach, but did he care? Not a single bit!. As for them being controlled, Max didn''t care because when he observed the two figures and the Oubach''s attitude towards them, it was merely not hostel. other than that, they didn''t show the slightest respect towards them. Most probably such a weak effect can be broken if the Oubach becomes a little more stronger. "Lucy, make it rain." ''okay.'' Although Lucy felt reluctant to waste her precious emerald water on this bunch of ugly things, she still obeyed. Max switched his vision back to the underground. A single drop fell on an Oubach''s head. The ugly creature wiped his head and smelled his hand after, in confusion. However, its red eyes lit up immediately, recognizing it was a treasure, and it started licking its hand. Not getting enough, it started growling and opened its mouth wide to the Direction it fell from. And its actions were soon rewarded, as drop after drop fell into its mouth. The ugly creature was so excited it started breathing heavily. The other Oubach noticed its strange actions, and soon enough, a taller, much stronger Oubach came and pushed the first one away. That oubach didn''t dare resist and made way, but its red eyes gained a deeper shade as a crazed light flashed inside them. The new oubach tasted the droplets of emerald water, growing excited by the minute. The other oubachs went restless, wanting to give it a taste, but before they could act, it started raining down that same liquid everywhere. Max saw the shimmering droplets falling down. For a moment this place was lit up, as the group of oubachs rushed to give it a taste. But when they did, it was then when all hell broke loose. Primal greed flashed in their red eyes. As they started massacring each other without hesitation, competing for this precious resource. Max was stunned as he witnessed a war of a few thousand Oubach breakout. It was a free for all, there were no consideration for kinship or race, only greed was left. Soon the rain stopped, but the war didn''t stop only half an hour after. Max was tongue tied, as he witnessed the victors feast upon the bodies of their brethren. At least half of the tribe was killed in a mere 45 minutes. Max kept watching, as he witnessed their numbers rising again at a mind-boggling speed. " this is practically an infestation!. Such ferocity! Such disregard for one''s life in battle." Max smiled from ear to ear, because now he was sure this bunch will be able to buy him enough time to achieve his purpose, or completely break Kain-city. In either case, Max will be able to find opportunities to fish in troubled waters then. At the same time, he was curious about the effects of emerald water on them. Because Oubachs have a faster growth speed than even his crows, although they suffered from a shorter lifespan. A Minimum of one year and a maximum of 2 years, also their intelligent is almost non-existing, functioning as deadly beasts nothing more. " interesting! let me see what becomes of you. " Max stopped observing and went back to reading his article. ..... Chapter 94 Max continued reading intil he became too tired to continue. Getting up, he headed to bed. He liked his current lifestyle, learning new things daily and just living in both leisure & luxury. But he wasn''t delusional enough to think he can spend his life like this, forget about his urge to grow stronger, to learn, to live longer, and his greedy nature. Even if he puts all that behind him, and decides to live like a hurmet, the world literally won''t leave him alone, so he had to strigh for greater strength. Max quickly drifts off into a deep slumber. ... As the sun rose, Max was awakened by Lucy''s mental messages. It was the day Max had planned to teach her about farming and observe her work. Assuming this was the reason for her waking him, Max simply rolled over in bed. "Not now, Lucy. We can do it in the afternoon." Lucy, however, persisted. '' wake up, you need to see crows.'' She didn''t come for the farming lesson, but she woke up Max because she wanted to snitch on the crows and technically on herself since she was part of what they''re doing. But in her head, if she told Max now he would be slightly angry, and slightly angry is better than angry in her books. "huh? What is it?". '' come see.'' Max woke up stretching. "a hhh". His symptoms were getting better, but Max didn''t notice because he was more curious about Lucy''s antics and why she didn''t just tell him what''s going on. ''come fast.'' "alright! Alright, lead the way." Max was in a good mood, so he just went with it. He strolled towards a stairway and ascended. Before long, he emerged from the underground structure as a stone wall opened up for him and then closed behind him. As he stepped into the bright sunlight, Max had to squint his eyes. " Where are they? And what''s going on Lu." A hand made of mist appeared next to Max and pointed in a certain direction. ''this way.'' Max just walked in that direction, but what he saw made him speechless. "didn''t I say keep low-key? What the hell is this?" Lucy just pretended not to be here as Max watched all kinds of beasts and animals standing in a row. At the front of the row, two squirrels stood trembling as they handed some nuts to ramla in a respectful manner. Behind sand crow ramla were the other crows. Delma sat on a small stone throne wearing real sunglasses, too big for its size. Delma sat like a boss, while the other crows split on both sides, crossing their wings while staring fiercely at the rows of animals. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.Posing like gangsters!! Ramla showed the nuts to mok who was holding a pen and paper, and the other started counting the protection fees. Max was speechless. He didn''t know where they got the pen and paper, but he felt betrayed. "even you mok? Is that why I taught you math? Is that how you use it?." The squirrels were also speechless. The mountain had become very prosperous in the past two weeks. There were nuts everywhere, so they didn''t know why this bunch of crows still had to take theirs. Did crows even eat nuts? They didn''t understand what a protection fee was, but they were afraid, so they didn''t disobey the strange orders. After some time, mok nodded, and Delma waved his wings, and the squirrels left in a hurry as if given amnesty. A wolf holding some meat stepped forward and placed the meat in front of ramla. The same process repeated itself in front of Max. Max reached his limit and wanted to intervene, but before he could, a 3-meter-tall deer with luminous horns approached the crows with malicious intent. Delma didn''t worry much, they can fight this deer on their own, but in order to avoid injuries and angring Max, they would let the big boss handle it. Lucy could no longer pretend she wasn''t here and had to make a move. A Mist palme crushed the deer into meat paist in front of the frightened beasts. "so you''re a part of this, I should''ve guessed from the stone chair Delma is sitting on." Max didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. This air-head even snitched on herself. Lucy didn''t dare respond, and just pretended to not be here again. Max was both helpless and angry. ''everyone come here immediately''. The crows were stunned and flew to Max immediately as the crowd of beasts dispersed. Looking at the crows in front of him, Max took the silly sunglasses from Delma. "seriously! Didn''t I say keep low-key?" The crows looked at each other. From their point of view, they were collecting protection fees in a low key manner. Max massaged his temples. "Then just me tell, why would you need the nuts and the other random things?" The crows started explaining in both excitement and fever, and all at the same time. Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw.¡­ Max understood something around the meaning of it''s not about the money, it''s about the rules and who''s in charge. " you!!! " Max slammed the glasses to the ground in anger. " don''t give me that shit from the series we watched..... Sigh. " The crows didn''t dare argue back. " That aside, where did you get the sunglasses, and the pen and paper? ". The crows started looking around. They weren''t trying to avoid eye contact with Max, but trying to locate something. And Max knew what it was. " Lucy, come here now." Lucy appeared behind a tree, not far from Max. " where did you get those things?" ''buy them.'' responded Lucy, trying to hide most of her body behind the tree. Max was left speechless. He was sure that Lucy had stolen them, as there was no other explanation for how she could have acquired them. But Max was concerned about a different matter. "how did you buy them exactly?'' Max was afraid that Lucy''s buying had the same definition of stealing for ramla. If that was the case, then there should be at least a dozen dead bodies around the mountain. Although Max didn''t really care if his pet kill people, but such an action would bring him a lot of unnecessary problems. " When they don''t see, I take things I like. '' answered Lucy innocently. Max sighed in relief. At least it''s not the worst-case scenario. "you''re all banned from using the laptop intil I say so, as punishment. " Both the crows and Lucy wanted to cry immediately, but Max won''t be having any of that. "one more word and I''d make it a permanent punishment. Lucy go back to the mountain. I''d teach you how to farm. Everyone else, you''re free to go play or whatever, just no more mugging or collecting protection fees. " Max turned back and went to the farming area he had already selected. As for his pet''s antics, it wasn''t actually that big of a deal since Lucy was watching. If anything went wrong, she''d see it immediately and inform him. In fact, Max didn''t mind letting them bully the entire mountain just to play, the problem is that he told them to keep low-key although just in case, he did give the order. And technically, they didn''t disobey in their understanding, so Max took the opportunity to make them understand. Chapter 95 "one more word and I''d make it a permanent punishment. Lucy go back to the mountain. I''d teach you how to farm. Everyone else, you''re free to go play or whatever, just no more mugging or collecting protection fees. " Max turned back and went to the farming area he had already selected. As for his pet''s antics, it wasn''t actually that big of a deal since Lucy was watching. If anything went wrong, she''d see it immediately and inform him. In fact, Max didn''t mind letting them bully the entire mountain just to play. The problem is that he told them to keep low-key although just in case; he did give the order. And technically, they didn''t disobey in their understanding, so Max took the opportunity to make them understand. ... ¡­ After some time, Max was standing in a clear green field. "look there Lu, that''s how good soil looks like... You see those plants, they''re useless, so just get rid of them when you''re free. Also, there is no need for normal trees on our mountain, keep either fruit trees or magical trees. But this is a lot of work, and there''s no need to do it on this mountain, since we might be leaving soon. Still keep it in mind. You see there, you can make a river of Emerald water passing through there, still just keep it in mind don''t do it on this mountain. " Max kept moving around, pointing here and there, explaining to Lucy things for their future base or to use in the simulation worlds. Lucy had a thing for farming, mainly because of what she''s been watching, so she was trying her best to keep up with Max. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. However, she got distracted for a moment as she sensed strangers within her range. For the past two weeks a lot of humans came here, but Max told her to ignore passers by and thus she never pays any attention to strangers. However, this bunch was different because they were heading in Max''s direction, although it seems like they were passing by. And their pase didn''t seem hurried, as if they were targeting someone or something alike. But still, she had to inform Max. "huh? You''re saying some people are getting closer to me? How many? And do they seem hostile? " ''3 or 4, they''re strolling.'' "huh? What do you mean, 3 or 4? Are they out of your range or what?" Lucy struggled a bit to explain. In the end, she just passed it as meaning through their mental link. '' I can sense 4, but I only see 3.'' Lucy could feel a fourth presence. She could feel its weight putting pressure on the ground, the wind circling around him while passing through that place. However, when she looks at the spot, no one can be seen. "hmm. Maybe invisibility. " As Lucy was enlightened, Max was gazing in the direction of the newcomers. He could vaguely see three figures in the distance. Using Mystic eye, he marked a pebble, and had Lucy take it and place it exactly 100 m in that direction. In this state, his vision was enhanced a little, and being this much closer, he can see them clearly. They were three, and they seemed young almost as young as his current body. For a moment Max assumed they were the first year college student on their examination, but on second thought the examination will not take place anytime soon, at the closest it will be two or three months from now. Judging that they weren''t of much value and with no animosity, Max just ignored them. "just ignore them Lu, let''s go back to our lesson. Still inform me if they do anything suspicious or that invisible figure gets too close to me." Chapter 96 Judging that they weren''t of much value and with no animosity, Max just ignored them. "just ignore them Lu, let''s go back to our lesson. Still inform me if they do anything suspicious or that invisible figure gets too close to me. " .... As Max went back to teaching, the three people noticed him. They were 2 young men, one being fat and short, with an honest face. And the other, although has some resemblance to the fatty, he was quite fit and handsome, but his face was gloomy, clearly annoyed by something. The Third person was a young girl in plain clothes, but even with an ordinary outfit she still had a certain grace to her, but it was hidden by her cute appearance and her mischievous smile. "look at that guy. Isn''t he wearing martial artist clothes?." asked the fatty, confused. The young girl got excited immediately. " Really? I never saw a martial artist before. Are you sure Larry ". The fatty Larry nodded confidently. "yep, that''s an authentic martial arts robe, and from the roots Engravings, it''s definitely a good piece of equipment. Trust my words, Amelia, I am an expert in this field. " "ahhh, amazing, let''s go and ask him if he wants to sell it. " Said Amelia cheerfully. Larry nodded, but the handsome young man that was silent until now suddenly spoke. "Let''s not do that. He most probably won''t sell it. Let''s just go somewhere else. "This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The fatty looked at his older brother Charles, completely taken aback, as if he had just saw a ghost. His older brother is the successor of the family business. He had a silver spoon upbringing, which contributed to his haughty demeanor and arrogant personality. More importantly, he had a crush on their cousin Amelia and usually he never refuses her. On normal days, after Amelia shows interest in something, he would immediately head to buy that thing either by showing off his money, or by force. But Larry didn''t know what hit his brother today. Amelia gave Charles a weird look, but she didn''t think much about it. But the invisible figure behind them was completely stunned. ... "don''t worry Charles, we''d just go and ask. If he won''t sell it, then it''s okay. " Said Amelia as she rushed towards Max, pulling Larry with her. Charles didn''t move for a second. Max seems to trigger an odd feeling in him, a sense that confrontation is best avoided. Still looking at the backs of his brother and cousin, he followed them. anyway, they''re just going to ask him a few questions then leave. It should be fine. The invisible figure just sighed and followed them. He was lamenting the fact that rich kids can do whatever they want. In fact, he was the same age as them, but he had to be a bodyguard for money. He was a C-rank bodyguard that was hired by Amelia''s father. "¡­ sigh, all I need is the first payment. I can definitely grow stronger with money and my mutated talent.. ¡­ Sigh. Just wait for me. I''d get my revenge sooner or later. " Being this young, he was obviously not a normal C-rank; he was, in fact, a lab rat part of an experiment that went wrong. they thought he died, and got rid of his body poorly and thus his current life. Although a confusing part was why a super lab would make such a rookie mistake, it didn''t make sense at all, but he just ignored it. ..... Back at Max, who was still teaching Lucy. Despite facing away from them, he occasionally caught sight of the group drawing near with his Mystic eye. Still, he didn''t give them much care. Soon they reached him, and even though the girl in front seemed reckless, she had some sense to keep a safe distance from a stranger in the wild Chapter 97 ..... Back at Max, who was still teaching Lucy. Despite facing away from them, he occasionally caught sight of the group drawing near with his Mystic eye. Still, he didn''t give them much care. Soon they reached him, and even though the girl in front seemed reckless, she had some sense to keep a safe distance from a stranger in the wild. "Hey you there! Are you a martial artist? Can you sell us your robe? "asked Amelia. "No, and No, so just keep on your way," answered Max absentmindedly, his focus on Lucy. All he gave them was a passing glance. Amelia got angry immediately, although she didn''t like it when Charles Force others for her, but she still had that. '' i deserve everything, princess mentality'' The only person who ever refused her was her new bodyguard. She even got into a fight with him because of it, but he saved her life so she forgave him. Larry was looking at his brother strangely. Normally this was the moment his brother start shouting, do you know who am I? Do you know who my father is? But his brother was rather silent. '' did he give up on Amelia?'' thought Larry to himself. As for Charles, he was just stiff in a respectful manner. Now that he''s closer to Max, he could clearly tell that he shouldn''t anger this person. He didn''t know where this feeling came from, since he wasn''t known for his good intuition, but he trusted it. Amelia glanced at Charles, feeling strange, somewhat disappointed that he didn''t do his usual bullying act for her. Amelia pouted and glared at Max. "do you know who am i? I am the daughter of the SFLH fashion company''s chairman. I just want to buy your stupid robe. You think I don''t have the money? " Larry looked at his cousin, speechless!. Normally, this was his brother''s words, and she would reprimand him for it, saying she didn''t like to bully others and shit like that. Still, she was his cousin, so he wanted to help her. Fatty Larry ignored his brother for now as he spoke persuasively. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there." friend, we really have money. If that''s your concern, just ask for a price. " Hearing the word ''money,'' Max''s lazy, uninterested expression disappeared immediately. The simulator was currently useless, so max wanted to switch his focus to the second best thing that can help him grow, which is money. But sadly, he was currently poor as fk, and he simply didn''t have it in him to go do honest work, not with such power in his hand. Max turned and looked at the Trio. "SFLH fashion company? never heard of it. Is it impressive? " Amelia looked at Max condescendingly. "are you a country bumpkin? Well, let me tell you, we''re a fashion company for superhumans. We can even produce C-rank fashionable equipment. " Larry on the side nodded, confirming. "her dad is the chairman and my dad is the biggest shareholder, so you really don''t have to worry about money. " Max''s gaze flickered, as he asked fainting confusion. "But your clothes look poor? Are you trying to deceive me? " Amelia deflated immediately, wanting to take her clothes off on the spot. "it''s my stupid dad who forced us to wear this plain clothes." The invisible bodyguard wanted to slap his face, speechless. Amelia''s father was a smart person, and he had them do this because he didn''t want them to grab attention while in the wild. However, he didn''t consider his daughter''s IQ. "Can I borrow a phone? ". asked Max suddenly. Larry was an honest person that didn''t mind helping others, so he took out his phone, but he froze midway as he saw his brother respectively handing out his phone with both hands. It was good enough that Charles didn''t force and bully Max, but giving his phone away and being respectful above it made Larry think that his brother was replaced by a doppelganger . Max could feel that Charles wasn''t a good person, and he fell under the effect of his passive. But he didn''t care much as he picked the closest phone, which was Larry''s. Charles took back his phone with a faint, approachable smile. Amelia looked at Charles, stunned! Same as Larry, but the most surprised person was the hidden bodyguard. He always thought that Charles was a villain, a bad person with no integrity, but he seems to of misjudged him. '' when I take over the company, I might spare your life if you know what''s best for you.'' Max didn''t care about the interaction of the group in front of him. He was checking SFLH fashion net worth, liquidity, and the overall strength and network, making some calculations. Amelia suddenly ignored her cousin''s strangeness, and took a step back away from Max. Since young, she had a strong feeling for people, or more accurately, she could judge people''s intent towards herself. After Max started scrolling down the phone, she started feeling danger from him. It was something like how Max could feel malice directed towards him,thanks to his passive. Earlier because Max never focused on them, she didn''t feel anything, but now that she thinks back, Max''s gaze earlier was cold. too cold, as if looking at random trees or rocks, not a living being. But still, she didn''t worry much. She knew her strange bodyguard was following them, and she knew his strength. Her bodyguard will definitely protect her if anything happened. Larry was concerned with Charles, so he started conversing with him quietly so the two didn''t notice her actions. ... Max''s calculations ended Chapter 98 . Larry was concerned with Charles, so he started conversing with him quietly so the two didn''t notice her actions. ... Max''s calculations ended. 30 million! This was a safe number he could demand if he chose to threaten this fashion company. It was big enough, but not too big to the point that will destroy their foundation and make them resist till death or refuse. Looking at the result, his heart started racing, and his sleeping conscience woke up, nope that was a mistake. His inner hooligan was the one that woke up and took control, as he pulled a pistol and aimed it at the trio. It was like a muscle memory to him. "you three hands up where I can see them. Resist and don''t blame me for what happens. " Looking at the normal pistol in Max''s hand, the innocent Larry was puzzled. "please stop joking. We both know that normal pistols can''t go through our clothes even if they''re cheap clothes. Plus, we started practicing meditation techniques not long ago, normal bullet won''t kill us if not in a fatal spot. " But Larry stopped talking nonsense as he saw his brother holding his hands up cooperatively. For a moment, he didn''t know what to say. Amelia didn''t take Max seriously after she saw the pistol, and the hidden bodyguard started creeping closer to Max, just in case. Max didn''t know why he took out the pistol, it was just out of reflex something he got used to back on Earth, but he didn''t care much as Lucy''s Mist enveloped the place. It turned into knifes & swords and was placed on the frightened trio''s necks. At the same time, Mist rushed to a certain spot as if trying to grab something invisible. And it successfully entangled the person. Max grabbed Amelia by the neck and shouted. " show yourself and we can talk this out before anyone is hurt." A figure entangled with mist materialized in front of Max. Azura colored hair and python eyes of the same color. The bodyguard had enough strength to break free, but he had to submit for now, because Max had hostages. If he just kept a closer distance, he might''ve been able to reach Max before he activates the strange mist. He was regretful but it can''t be helped. The newcomer was silent and composed, giving Max a cold deadly glare filled with anger, but he hid his animosity quickly. But it was too late because Max''s playful expression became subtly calmer all of a sudden, but unlike the inexperienced bodyguard, Max kept it unnoticeable. "hi there, let me introduce myself. My name is Kevin, and I am this bunche''s bodyguard. How about we keep this peaceful? We''ll leave our space rings behind, and you''d let us go. I promise their families won''t go after you this way. " Max smiled, happy to buy time. "are you trying to trick me? The way I see it, you guys aren''t keeping anything valuable on you, right? " Max glanced at Charles. Charles cooperated immediately and spilled the beans. "yes you''re right, we have nothing on us. It was supposed to be a small adventure, and we were banned from keeping anything that would expose our identities." Larry and Amelia looked at Charles with wide eyes. As for Kevin, he wanted to slap Charles to death. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.It''s okay if you don''t help, but why are you making the situation worse by helping the enemy? Max smiled mockingly, looking at Amelia. " hiding your identities? huh? You''re doing great at that. " Amelia blushed, realizing her mistake, and Kevin interrupted Max. " Enough with the games. How about this you let them go and keep me, after they will bring you 1 m credit to let me go? And let bygones be bygones. " "no we won''t, we''d just leave you to die. " Interrupted Charles. This time, even Max was stunned. Good guy, such a perfect teammate. It''s either his passive had an abnormal grip on this Charles or he just hates Kevin that much, maybe both. "won''t you just shut up?" yelled Amelia before Mist covered her mouth. Larry didn''t know how to react. He slightly suspected that this whole ordeal was planned by his older brother. It''s not like he didn''t do something similar in the past. Kevin''s expression was not good, he only had close range capabilities, and his mutated Talent only helped him to grow faster. He had no means to act on Max unless the three hostages were let go off. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly Max''s casual smile twisted into a terrifying grin. Because currently a few balls made of mist were floating above them, half of them containing liquid oxygen and the other half liquid hydrogen. Earlier when Max took the phone, he had Lucy bring them as preparation, just in case. He''s killing intent only solidified when he saw Kevin''s gaze earlier. That was a gaze he knew very well, a vengeful, unrelenting gaze. The others were okay, but Kevin had to die. Max will not let such a dangerous loose end go free. Kevin had a bad feeling and wanted to question Max, but before he could, the mist around him wrapped him into a ball shaped prison as he started struggling. He only needed a few seconds to break free, but he suddenly felt something cold invade his Misty prison. But it wasn''t cold for long as the two components came in contact. Boooooooom.!!! W. Max and his three hostages witnessed an erupting flame pillar. Thankfully, the Mist circled around it, making sure the damage stays at the Center at the same time, avoiding harming them. Soon the flame dissipated, leaving a Scorch plot of land with a single carbonized humanoid figure on it. Vvvvvvvvv.... Lucy has learned her lesson from last time, and kept Kevin Bound with Mist even though he looked dead. "He looks dead." commented Max, still learning from his past mistakes. He didn''t treat the body as he would back on Earth. For some time now, he has been forgotten that this world is a magical world, but not anymore. '' Lucy, crush everything, focus on the heat and the brain, then separate the body and burn it to ash slowly. '' ''okay''. Previously, when he was intact, the Mist could not form a sharp enough edge to penetrate or damage a C-rank body, but now it was different as the body was crushed into minced meat slowly, in front of Amelia''s tearful eyes, Larry''s dull expression and Charles''s faint smile of finally getting rid of his competition. Max looked at the dead body impassively. "alright let''s get down to business." Max pointed at Charles. " You, there''s only one way you''d be walking out of here alive, which is for your parents to pay for you. " Charles nodded fearfully, remembering the situation he was in. "good that you understand. Send a message to your father and her''s. I want 30 million in cash inside a space ring, exactly 3 days from now, here at this spot. If they call the police, you''re dead. If they don''t show up on time, you''re dead. If they mess with the money, you''re dead. Any tricks or fishy business, you''re dead. If I''m annoyed, guess what?, you''re dead. Make the message as vivid as possible because your life depends on it. " Larry didn''t speak, realizing that the situation they were in was not a joke, while his cousin wanted to scream, but she was still gagged by Mist. Charles nodded and took out his phone and his cousins. After some typing and recording a voice message, then sending it. Charles stopped... "i am done. Should I wait for a reply?". "No need." As Max spoke, mist engulfed the trio, and took everything that might be tracked. Clothes, earrings, hairpins, rings. As for the phones and Electronics they were destroyed immediately and thrown away. After some time, Max only kept two space rings, as the third was indeed tracked based on the simulator''s scan. After clearing the scene, Mist took the embarrassed trio away. Lucy already built an isolated chamber on the other side of the mountain for them. Max also had Lucy cover it in Mist, since it had some concealment effect, just in case. As for him, he just went back to his house, deep in thoughts. Even though he had hostages that guy, Kevin was too weak compared to the guy from the Atyai family. "whatever, I need to prepare for the handover, maybe make a few escape roots in case things turn bad. " .... ....... Author paylink: https://www.veem.com/pay/refcode-yaVvxEvLW Chapter 99 improvised monitoring Situated in a city adjacent to Kain-city, on the top floor of a commercial building. a middle-aged man sat in his office contemplating, worry evident on his face. This was Bruce wood, father of Amelia wood, and uncle to Larry and Charles. Suddenly, a decrepit old man kicked the office door open. "Bruce, what the hell is going on? Both my sons got kidnapped. Weren''t you who told them to leave their bodyguards behind? This is all your doing, is it not? " The old man was angry and had no respect for Bruce. " won''t you just be quiet and let me think, Jason?. Moreover, since the person who kidnapped them was able to deal with the bodyguard I hired, then more bodyguards wouldn''t of made a change. " Jason wasn''t in the mood to argue with his little brother. He was already this old and realized that among all his belongings, wealth, and his beautiful young wives. he won''t be able to take a single penny with him to the afterlife. All that gold, all that money, all treasures, land and businesses he owned no longer seem as precious as they used to in the past. Because he could feel his end coming closer, and he can no longer delay it. After using so many drugs, and elixirs and growing this old. He eventually developed a resistance to those beneficial drugs. Currently Items that can increase his lifespan are classified as S-rank, and getting those isn''t a matter of just money but also strength. Sadly, there is no way he can obtain them, and his end is near. But at the very least, he could leave his descendants, his two sons, behind. His life wasn''t completely meaningless that way. But his sons are currently captives. That was his Breaking Point.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "what are we going to do?" "I have a favor I can call for, a B-rank expert. " Jason''s eyes widened, then he nodded, somewhat relieved. "still let''s prepare the money just in case. " Bruce nodded, giving his brother a suspicious look. Earlier, he suspected this matter to be related to his brother. After all, the two brothers had a bad relationship. But from his brother''s current performance, it seemed he was mistaken. ..... As the two brothers prepared, so did Max, and time passed quickly, as the deadline was only a few hours away. ... Back at the Mountain, Max woke up full of energy, his back itching terribly. Apart from this unusual itch that made him want to peel off his skin, all his other symptoms had disappeared. "Sigh, Lucy is everything ready? ". ''yesssss.'' Max could feel Lucy''s excitement and he just shook his head. "don''t be too excited. If all went smoothly, we won''t use that." ''Ok''. Lucy wasn''t too concerned about things going smoothly. It rarely does with her. "and remember to inform me once they come." ¡­ ¡­ Max didn''t have anything to do in this shabby place, so he just waited. He didn''t even have any coffee left to pass the time with. Upon observing his surroundings, it becomes apparent that the current room is different from Max''s previous accommodation. Specifically, its size being a mere 4 cubic meters big, with minimal openings for oxygen and the laptop serving as the primary source of illumination. Furthermore, this room is entirely sealed off, resembling a fortified prison cell in its lack of connection to any other structures. It''s located inside the mountain. At a precisely 90 meters distant from a cliff, which stands at a height of 1 kilometer above the surface ground. Additionally, this cliff is approximately 2 kilometers away from the designated meeting spot for the handout. On the cliff was placed a phone that Max borrowed from a random passerby. The phone was placed between two rocks and its camera was opened in zooming mode, showing the meeting spot clearly. In front of the phone, a single pebble was placed there, as if watching the screen. Mystic eye range was quite limited in its current state, so Max had to improvise. This way, he can monitor the situation from a safe spot. .... As Max just waited in boredom, three individuals made their way to the meeting location in a car made to tackle difficult Terrain Chapter 100 . As Max just waited in boredom, three individuals made their way to the meeting location in a car made to tackle difficult Terrain The brothers Bruce and Jason and a third old man with a friendly smile on his face. "Sir Theodore, I can''t express how grateful I am for your help today. After we are done here, your welcome as the main guest at my hotel. I will host you my self. " spoke Bruce to the old man. Jason was in a bad relationship with his brother, thus he didn''t try to befriend this Theodore. Doing so might even prove these disadvantageous for him, so he just kept quiet. "not a big deal. That day at my daughter''s marriage, it was all thanks to you It all went well. I''m just repaying a small favor." the smiling older man waved his hand, not caring. Bruce smiled. "still I know you retired long ago. I am sorry for bothering you with this matter. " "hahaha, Even if I''m retired I''m still a B-rank pet master. My bones won''t rust so easily." Theodore didn''t think much of the kidnappers. At worst, they would be some C-rank group, because criminals of the B-rank and above rarely do things like kidnapping. in fact, such people let others collect wealth for them instead of doing them their self, thus he didn''t think much of this trip. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Bruce smiled. Theodore might be old and weak, but that''s how pet masters are. And it''s no reason to look down on them, because their real power is their pets. ..... Max was currently using Mystic eye, looking at the phone screen on the cliff. He could see a car parking close to the handout location. He saw three people coming out. Max ignored Jason and Bruce, recognizing them from the net. He focused on the third old man, even through his Mystic eye. Even through the phone screen 2 km away, he could feel danger from that unassuming smiling old man. "fuck!. " Max was a decisive person. Since he spotted trouble, he won''t hesitate, especially since that money with his only way to grow for the time being. "guess what Lu, it''s your lucky day you get to use it. Start on my mark. " ''yay''. Lucy didn''t care about the fact that she was about to murder someone. She was just excited to finally be able to use that. "I''ll make you stronger first, just in case, so don''t be surprised and alert them to your existence. I remind you to be careful, Lu." ''stronger?''. Lucy wanted to ask if they''re doing the dream thing again, but before she could, Max closed his eyes for a moment and she immediately felt empowered. To make sure everything went well, Max immediately used; -Crimson brilliance: your pet will enter a berserk state, boosting all its attributes by 300% and empowering all skills and abilities for 3 hours. The sudden growth in strength made Lucy a little too excited, but she regained her composure due to Max''s calling. "Lucy, focus, go ahead and start. Remember, make it foggy first. " ''OK''. Max just watched as the trio walked to the burned plot of land, where he killed Kevin. ..... Bruce looked at the surroundings. The deadline was only 20min away, but the kidnappers didn''t show up until now. Bruce was really annoyed by this bunch of criminals. Stuff like this happens. It''s just life. But normally other criminals will negotiate or at least talk to him, but this one didn''t. In fact, Bruce didn''t even know whether it was a woman or a man. Chapter 101 conclusion of the Kidnapping. ..... Bruce looked at the surroundings. The deadline was only 20min away, but the kidnappers didn''t show up until now. Bruce was really annoyed by this bunch of criminals. Stuff like this happens. It''s just life. But normally other criminals will negotiate or at least talk to him, but this one didn''t. In fact, Bruce didn''t even know whether it was a woman or a man. "Sigh, do you see anything, sir Theodore? ". Theodore slapped a mosquito away and just smiled at Bruce. "well we''re being watched, that I can tell for sure. But sadly, I am unable to locate the watcher. It''s either we''re being viewed with technology or some spying talent or such. " Theodore explained slowly. He was taking this entire ordeal as a picnic to stretch his limbs a little. Still, it would''ve been favorable if he brought something for the mosquitoes. As a pet master, his body was quite weak and such things still annoys him. Bruce and Jason were relieved seeing Theodore''s attitude towards the matter. Even though he didn''t take the matter seriously, they weren''t offended, because this only means he didn''t view their enemy as a threat. Jason looked at Bruce. " Did they give you anyway to contact them? Because I sure as hell didn''t? " Bruce just shook his head. "I thought they gave it to you." The two looked at each other in confusion, and this time, even Theodore was baffled. Were they just supposed to wait?. However, they didn''t wait for long as a thin layer of fog started covering the mountain, slowly getting denser. Bruce and Jason didn''t notice anything strange, but Theodore wasn''t some unexperienced weakling. He immediately noticed that it was the work of a skill. "this fog should be the so-called kidnappers doing. " Theodore didn''t worry much about the current scene. Even if it was a B-rank on the other side, it wouldn''t matter much to him. He already informed Bruce that if they were to confront someone weaker than himself, then he will just solve the matter for him. However, if it was someone of the same level as himself, he will just stand as a deterrent and they will have to negotiate a peaceful agreement. Anyway, 30 million was a big sum, but losing it won''t destroy the foundation of the wood brothers. But soon the fog became too thick to see through, but the trio just waited calmly, considering it an intimidation tactic from the other party. But soon they started hearing a sharp whistling sound, and it was getting closer. Wssssssssssssssssss. "is it him?". Asked Bruce. He started considering that the other party also had a B-rank, and they were trying to make a flashy entrance. Most probably to get a psychological advantage in the negotiation, he was very familiar with this kind of business tactics since he dealt with them every day. But Bruce''s two companions didn''t respond because they weren''t sure either. Wssss. Soon the sharp sound got close enough for them to judge the location it''s coming from. Upwards!. Theodore looked up, thinking that the other party was flying down or something. But his eyes suddenly widened in horror, as he saw a blood red hammer breaking through the fog, aiming at himself at a mind-boggling speed. It was too late to react. The hammer was just too fast he couldn''t even see it clearly. His last thought was a flicker of hope, hoping the only piece of equipment he keeps on himself would give him a brief window to call his pet from the pet space. Wooooosh!. But it was just fantasy, as the hammer hit him right in the chest. For a fraction of a second, it was blocked by something, but it didn''t last as it connected. The hammer dug inside his rib cage, breaking his bones in slow motion. Crack!. Crack!. His blood started rushing to his skin in an abnormal way as the blood repulsion effect was triggered. with Lucy''s Vitality in her Mountain form being tripled by Max''s { Crimson brilliance}, it was inevitable. Puff!!!! A cloud of blood mist erupted from his body, covering a 10 m radius behind him under the astonished gaze of the Wood Brothers. The blood repulsion effect was so intense, even flesh was ripped out. As the hammer pushed his body to the ground or the skeleton left of it, making a huge impact, hitting the ground as bones scattered everywhere and the hammer made a deep pit. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.BOOM!. Bruce looked in horror at the bloody skull rolling under his feet, while Jason was too sluggish to react. "where''s his pet?". Ask Jason in shock even though he knows the answer. "since he didn''t get to take it out of the pet space, then it''s dead with him. " answered Bruce reflexively, not even sure what he was saying from the shock. Suddenly Jason came to his sense and lifted his hands in the air as a gesture of surrender. "I came with the money for my sons. I have no other intentions and that dead guy isn''t with me. " Bruce cursed his shameless brother under his mouth, but nevertheless, he lifted his hands in the air as he spoke. "we just want the kids, we have the money on us. " ...... Max was smiling at the effect of this move. He saw the figure being punched through in the fog and got the confirmation from Lucy of his death. "that was superb, Lu." ''yeeeeee.'' Lucy was so excited she didn''t know how to express herself for a moment. "That was amazing Lu. I get that you''re excited, but can you lower the fog for me? I can''t see well like this. " ''KK''. As Lucy did her job, Max could see the wood Brothers'' actions, although he couldn''t hear what they were saying, but he could guess a thing or two. "Lucy, help me pass a message. " As he spoke, Max gave Lucy clear instructions. ''ok.'' Bruce saw the fog disappearing. And soon after it came again, but this time it wasn''t much and it gathered in the air in symbols as if writing. Bruce and Jason went quiet and focused on the small amount of fog because this was obviously a message from the kidnapper. "Do Not Mess With Chickens, they''re Cute. " Bruce and Jason could feel cold sweat running down their backs, their fear surpassing even the intensity they had experienced when Theodore was killed in an instant. " Bruce, we aren''t dealing with a criminal, but with a psychopath " Dealing with a psychopath was much more terrifying than dealing with a criminal, because you can negotiate rationally with the criminal but not with the psychopath. However, Bruce wanted to slap his idiot of a brother. ''I also know, but did you have to say it out loud?'' Bruce glared at Jason, and the other seem to understand his mistake and closed his mouth. ... On the other side, Max was holding his face with both hands, trying his best to prevent his lips or eyebrows or any other part from twitching. "Lucy, I gave you clear words, didn''t I. I even showed it to you on the laptop. Just how did you turn? Don''t play games. I am not someone you can mess with. Into chickens are cute? Just how? . " Max was speechless. ..... Lucy really didn''t mean to. She lost focus while writing and wrote what came to her mind. '' sorry!. Remembering chicken soup so I made mistake. '' "well!!!. why won''t you remove the text already? They''re still looking at it!". Max was honestly embarrassed. ''You didn''t tell me to.'' Lucy felt wronged, but still she immediately stopped maintaining the floating words. "Sigh! It''s okay just pull the hammer back to the peak of the mountain, just in case. And write it again, but this time just one word'' money''. " '' okay. '' The words disappeared, but the Wood Brothers got a jump scare as the blood red hammer suddenly flew up. Wooosh!. But they didn''t have the time to react as the previous fog formed into a new word ''money''. Bruce immediately recollected himself and took out a space ring and used it, as 30 million credit was placed on the ground. but Bruce didn''t leave it there, and immediately put it back inside the space ring, and put the space ring on the ground. In this process, he secretly took the chance to take out a single credit from the pile. This one was different. It was marked and can be tracked. But Bruce didn''t want any more trouble with this kidnapper, a dangerous individual capable of taking down a B-rank powerhouse with a single strike from an unknown range. Mist obscured the ring, then dissipated, leaving the space ring gone. To Bruce and Jason, it looked like it was teleported away. However, in reality, the ground beneath it silently opened, allowing the ring to slide down before closing seamlessly, concealing its disappearance. The same process happened to Theodore''s two rings, which survived the blow, mostly because they didn''t receive a Direct Hit. The wood brothers waited anxiously, but they didn''t have to wait long as fog covered the mountain again, but this time leaving a clear, empty path. It was obviously left for them to walk in that direction. Bruce gritted his teeth and walked forward, and Jason followed. .... Max intended to complete the handout, because of two considerations. First, it was that slight chance that one of their relatives will go mad and want revenge, liquidizing all their assets and hiring an assassin, detective, or hunter to go after himself. Although liquidizing such assets will take months if not years to accomplish but it was still possible. Max wanted to avoid any trouble that can be avoided easily. Secondly, he made some kind of deal with Charles. It was just an idea for now, but Charles took it seriously and, who knows, it might be fruitful. .... Speaking of Charles, he and his brother and cousin were still locked up. Amelia was alone in the corner, staring daggers at Charles. Larry was next to Charles with a helpless expression on his face. As for Charles, he was just waiting to be rescued, boredom evident on his face. In the past three days, he lost count of how many times he fought with Amelia. Thankfully, he was physically stronger than her, and with Larry helping to stop their fights; it wasn''t a big a deal. At the same time, he completely lost his feelings towards this idiot, or to be more accurate, he finally understood his feelings. He had a crush on her, but it wasn''t to this point in the past. It wasn''t about her, but about Kevin. He was jealous of him. After all the time he spent pursuing her doing his best, this guy shows up and on the first day, she shows him more affection and kindness than she showed him for their entire life. What did Kevin have, and he didn''t? Does he have two sets of arms or legs? Was he richer than himself? How can he get what he worked so hard for by doing nothing? But now that Kevin was dead, he completely lost interest in her. He had a new goal anyway, his kidnapper made him an offer. If he can gain control over the company, then the kidnapper will be his backing and they would go annex other businesses. with his kidnapper being his backbone, taking care of threats and dealing with hot heads. Business in this world was all about strength, and he had an inexplicable confidence in his kidnapper''s power. His thoughts were cut short as the massive rock sealing the cave entrance shifted, revealing a stream of sunlight. Bruce and Jason came soon after. ........ Max ignored the bunch as they left, choosing to focus on the three rings in front of him, and they didn''t take long. Bruce and Jason were too terrified for a warm reunion. They got the trio into the car and left immediately. Chapter 102 Mutation. Max ignored the bunch as they left, choosing to focus on the three rings in front of him, and they didn''t take long. Bruce and Jason were too terrified for a warm reunion. They got the trio into the car and left immediately. ... As they completely left the mountain, Max stopped { Crimson brilliance.}. He didn''t use it for long, and Lucy didn''t act much, so the side effect shouldn''t be much. And indeed as { Crimson brilliance.} stopped, all Lucy felt was some exhaustion, and it should be gone in a few hours. '' tired? ''. "well you like power, so endure some pain. " '' don''t want to!.'' "just go sleep a little. You should be fine after you wake up, but first take me to the underground house. " '' OK, but no sleep.'' " suit yourself. And Lu, you did good so your punishment is over you can watch on the laptop although the battery is low. The crows can watch with you, they should''ve been bored to death while locked up in our house without entertainment. " ''ok.'' ..... ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Soon Max was back at his underground palace. He left his pets to their agenda and went to his room. Now, with money at hand, he obviously needed to turn it into actual benefits, skills, potions, equipment, access to useful dungeons and such. Max didn''t believe in hoarding money. He knew its true value was in spending it, and he wasn''t going to be cheap with himself. "I just have to wait for my pet space to awaken, and I''d be ready to head to Kain-city. " Max''s current health was questionable, since he didn''t really understand what''s going on inside his body. The simulator will take care of it, but what if he gets some other symptoms, like weakness and such? In his current state, he will only feel safe here with Lucy at her peak to guard him. .... Max shook his head, dismissing the stray thoughts and concentrating on the three rings in his hand. He already scanned them, checking for trackable marks, and found none. One of the rings was the space ring with the 30 million, nothing special about it. The second was a broken ring belonging to Theodore. The ring didn''t receive a direct hit, so it was impossible to break. The only conclusion Max came out with was that it was some defensive equipment and it was broken by the powerful strike. The third was Theodore''s space ring. Inside of it, Max found a bunch of clothes, identity card, and some credit cards, family pictures, and some other daily necessities, nothing of value. Max would be lying if he said he wasn''t disappointed, although he wasn''t sure about Theodore''s rank. But from the web he knew that both the wood Brothers were c-rank. From the respectful attitude towards Theodore and the fact that they couldn''t invite someone of the A-rank with their status and wealth, he could guess he was B-rank. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. But why was his space ring so poor? Even the credit cards were completely useless since only the owner could use it. "At least the space ring is big enough to carry everything I own". Max cheered himself and just went back to reading in the simulator, while perfecting his blood forging method. "hmm, I already changed this method to the point it''s no longer the same one. Guess it''s fair to give it a new name and make it my original work. Let''s see.¡­ '' Scarlett Forge'' will do. " As Max went to his previous routine, time passed quickly and soon 3 days went by. ...¡­ It was sunrise, but the sunlight didn''t make it to Max''s bedroom. Max was sleeping on his bed, shirtless. Although he didn''t like to sleep shirtless, he started doing so because of the itch at his back. Max opened his eyes slowly. That annoying itch seems to be gone today, but he didn''t notice. His Focus was on the fist-sized mosquito that was on his pillow, staring him down. Max blinked, and the mosquito seemed to blink back at him, even though they normally can''t. Max just closed his eyes, still sleepy. But he immediately opened them, realizing what he just saw. The mosquito was inches away from stabbing him in the face. Max''s hand moved fast, leaving after images, as he caught the big mosquito and crushed it in one move. "What the¡­? " Max didn''t need to think twice before realizing who was after this. Max stood up, feeling a little heavier, although he didn''t notice. "Lucy, open the sealing for some light and come over here immediately. You have some explanation to do. " Max didn''t know what to say. This air-head obviously used the emerald water on mosquitoes. ... Currently, Lucy was observing her territory, recently she developed a hobby to watch things happen up close using her innate. The grass growing, the water evaporating, the living creatures breathing. In those seemingly simple processes, so many things were happening away from normal sight. Just for the growth of a single plant, it requires too many combinations and equations that she couldn''t even begin to understand. Suddenly, she heard Max calling for her. She immediately executed his order, opening the ceiling, and moved to appear in front of him in her real body. Max saw Lucy, but he didn''t speak, and just showed her the dead mosquito in his hand. "explain!." Lucy''s cheerful mood changed into anxiety immediately. But suddenly she noticed something as her little mouth opened wide. She pointed at Max in disbelief. ''you not human.'' Max''s eyebrow twitched, and he felt a weak breeze coming from the back, but he ignored it. "Lu, you''re not getting out of this that easily." Lucy didn''t seem to hear Max still pointing at him. ''you bird.'' Max''s eyebrow twitched again, and he felt the breeze again, this time also hearing a faint flutter. "Lu, I n¡­". Max stopped speaking as he noticed that Lucy wasn''t pointing at him, but at his back. Turning his head, he glanced at what she was pointing to, but his jaw dropping in surprise. "what the actual fk?." Max was stunned, because somehow he had a pair a pitch black-feather wings. Lucy flew to Max, touching his wings excitedly. She always suspected that her pet master wasn''t a human, and now she confirmed it. She had to inform the crows!!. Max shook off his dazed state and focused on the simulator, ignoring Lucy. "Simulator, how exactly did I grow wings?" [Ding, reporting to The Host. It''s due to a mutation, because your pet space has awakened.] Max ignored the second part for now and asked. "but didn''t you say you will stop mutations?". [Ding, reminding The Host. The report specifically stated that only harmful mutations will be prevented. Your current mutation is judged as beneficial.] "huh." Max calmed down, since it wasn''t harmful than Max was somewhat okay with it. He tried flapping them, and his wings moved unrhythmically. Now that Max focused on his wings, he can somewhat feel them, although the senses there were somewhat dull. Max started testing. The feathers were like his hair, as in he couldn''t feel pain in them or such, only the new muscles had nerves. Max also noticed that they were integrated with his reflexes. When his eyebrow twitched earlier, his wings fluttered a little. As Max kept testing, he started getting excited by the idea of flying on his own. Craw! Craw! Craw!. ¡­ The crows suddenly showed up, interrupting his test. Apparently, Lucy went back to her mountain form and called them. All the crows were frozen on the spot, looking at Max''s wings that somewhat resemble theirs. Lucy arrived, pointing at Max with a smug expression that clearly said, ''I told you so.'' .... Max ignored the overly excited crowd and focused on the second problem. Chapter 103 pet space & Traits. All the crows were frozen on the spot, looking at Max''s wings that somewhat resemble theirs. Lucy arrived, pointing at Max with a smug expression that clearly said, ''I told you so.'' .... Max ignored the overly excited crowd and focused on the second problem. He closed his eyes, and indeed as he calmed down, he could feel his pet space. His vision opened but his eyes were still closed, nor was he using Mystic eye. He was looking inside his pet space, although there was nothing to look at, other than darkness. Max has read about the special traits gained at the B-rank in the simulator, and he knew how the pet space functioned. His mind started working and soon a wide ocean appeared out of thin air, with a vast blue sky above it. Max looked around in amazement, even though he knew that the actual space was barely 10 cubic meters, and everything else was nothing but an illusion or Max''s memories of the Pacific Ocean to be accurate. Even in those 10 cubic meters, the air and water weren''t real. Max had to open it for real air and water to come in. Those were the only two physical objects allowed inside the pet space. It''s impossible to store anything else. The pet space was a psychic/space trait exclusive to the pet master profession. It was very powerful because the pet master is never alone. He could be a walking army and no one will know. Moreover, it was one of the few rare things that can actually store living creatures without compromising their life. Although no pet master will be crazy enough to store any creature other than his pets inside because of how dangerous such an act can be. Max started thinking about the best way to utilize this new trait. He couldn''t help but start thinking about other professions and the special traits they gain comparing it with his. ... -The martial artist gains a flesh/psychic trait called martial will. It has some weak damaging capabilities, but its real function is to protect the mind and spirit with the body''s physical defense. If someone wanted to attack martial artist on the spirit or mind level like hypnosis and such, it will be almost impossible because they would have to break through their bodies first. Unlike for normal people when you can just bypass the body and attack the spirit or mind directly. .... -Warlocks gain a blood / psychic trait called blood wisp. It allows them to communicate with their blood line''s originator or just a will of it, to be exact. They can learn knowledge and even abilities this way, although there were a lot of limitations to it. Honestly, Max didn''t like the idea of having some will inside your blood, so he didn''t think much of it.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ..... -The cultivators gain a space/psychic trait called '' sea of knowledge. '' It can protect the spirit and mind while the pet space can''t, at least not directly. The pets inside the pet space will share all mind and spirit attacks, so it does offer some protection. The sea of knowledge also functions as a perfect photographic memory. It also can store the treasures and equipment that are especially made for cultivators, but not living beings. It also has some other functions when accompanied by certain techniques, like forging and alchemy. Max didn''t think much of those traits, but he was especially jealous of the trait mage''s get. .... -Mages awaken a trait called ''mind space''. although it wasn''t related to space at all, it was a Time/psychic trait. It allows them to pull their consciousness into a mental zone where time is accelerated. Although they cannot act in that state. The acceleration speed values from mage to mage however, the norm is 10 times. That means they can think and study 10 times faster than everyone else. However, its power is really shown in battle. For talented or high-level mages with 100X acceleration, it''s like having a pause button. Mid battle, you can just pause and think which is the best spell to use, or ponder over your opponent''s tactics. "well my trait is one of the best, plus the pet space strength relies on the pet inside of it. Some professions don''t even have traits. As for mages, I''d find the chance to study it later when I captured a mage. " Max opened his eyes, looking at his pets circling him, marveling at his new wings. Max looked at the closest Delma. And whoosh! Shadow crow Delma disappeared. As long as his pet is within 1 m of himself, that pet can be pulled inside the pet space immediately. The other crows were stunned as their boss disappeared. "mi.mi.mi.mi" Lucy went wild, thinking it was an enemy. But before she could go back into mountain form, she disappeared as well. And the other crows followed, although they were panicking, other than mok, who noticed Max''s gaze. Whenever Max looked at one of them, it soon disappeared after. Putting one and one together, mok figured something out. Soon even mok was pulled in, and Max closed his eyes looking at his pets inside the pet space. They were looking around curiously. They felt restricted and couldn''t use their power or skills here, but they didn''t feel scared. In fact, the pet space didn''t have the ability to restrict creatures in any way, it was more of a psychological barrier because of their mental link of pet master & pet. This is why it was safe to place one''s pets inside, but not other creatures. Lucy kept looking around. She felt warm here and she could feel Max close by, but she can''t find him. Suddenly, the pet''s vision changed, and they found themselves back in their house on the mountain. "alright everyone, we''ll be going to the city soon, so this is your last chance to play freely. Once I get used to my new wings, we''d head out. " The crows and Lucy were more curious about the place they were in just now over the fact that they were moving again. "mi ? mi ?". "don''t worry guys, that''s a safe place and your second home. You''ll understand more later. For now, you guys go play, as for you, Lu. Guard me while I learn how to fly. " ....... Author note : Hello everyone. I finally fixed the first few chapters. Or at least I think so. Anyway I was hoping you could rate the novel if possible. For the novel to get more readers. Seriously I was unlucky to get two haters. One gave me half a star after I posted the first chapter long ago. like what the...? I was so confused. The other gave half a star because I ignored his brain dead comment after he read half of cheaper 01.although not 100% sure it was him to be honest. Wish you all the best and don''t worry I won''t repeat this message in the future. Chapter 104 Having wings isnt easy. Suddenly, the pet¡¯s vision changed, and they found themselves back in their house on the mountain. ¡°alright everyone, we¡¯ll be going to the city soon, so this is your last chance to play freely. Once I get used to my new wings, we¡¯d head out. ¡° The crows and Lucy were more curious about the place they were in just now over the fact that they were moving again. ¡°mi ? mi ?¡±. ¡°don¡¯t worry guys, that¡¯s a safe place and your second home. You¡¯ll understand more later. For now, you guys go play. As for you, Lu. Guard me while I learn how to fly. ¡° Lucy went back to the mountain immediately. She was somewhat excited about it, considering it a game of sorts. Max walked upstairs, going outside, and the crows followed him. They didn''t plan to leave but wanted to stay and watch. Max didn''t mind, and just let them be. Soon enough, he was standing on the grassy lane, trying to flap his wings to propel himself upward. But after a few tries, he gave up. His wings wouldn''t even open completely. The crows on the side were just looking in anticipation. Max scratched his chin. ¡°if I remember correctly, birds are thrown from a high location in order to learn how to glide first and flying will come naturally after. Hmm Lucy, take me up, please. ¡° Without a word, a cloud of mist materialized beneath Max, silently lifting him into the air. Woooosh!. .... ¡°stop here Lu.¡± the cloud stopped as Max looked down. ¡® It should be around 1.5k from here to the ground.¡¯Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Max picked such a high spot for safety. From here Lucy will have enough time to catch him if he failles. The crows flew up, circling around, while some of them just landed on the cloud next to Max. ¡°Lucy, I need you to pick me up immediately after I reach that spot exactly 500m above ground. And don''t stop me immediately. Make it slow, otherwise you''ll break me or worst. ¡° After explaining to Lucy what to do, he Look down. Max smiled. ¡°Let''s do this. ¡° Without hesitation, he jumped. Wooooosh ! Max felt the wind pushing against him, and being shirtless, he felt cold, but it made him even more excited feeling the Adrenaline rush. He tried to open his wings, but failed. Still, with so much distance from the ground, he had enough time to try a few more times, and he kept trying and kept falling. Apparently, controlling a completely new muscle isn''t as easy as it looks. Max tried again, and this time the right wing extended while the left one stayed folded. This completely ruined his balance, and he instantly started rotating at high speed. Woosh!. ¡°fk. ¡­¡­ ¡° Max kept falling like this for sometime, before Mist appeared around him and hugged him, slowing his fall, until it stopped him completely. Max stood up, dizzy. ¡°Lu!, Next time you see me rotating like a milkshake, stop me immediately. ¡° ¡®ok¡¯. ¡°pull me up.¡± ¡®OK¡¯ Standing at the previous height, Max jumped again under the watchful eyes of his pets. Failed! Again. Failed! .................. Max was lying on the cloud, taking deep breaths in exhaustion. In the previous tries, he successfully opened his wings, but he always fails when he tries to flap them. At that point, it gets all chaotic and Max loses focus. It''s the same moment he starts rotating like a newborn tornado. ¡°this is too fking hard. ¡° Apparently, you cannot gain wings and start flying immediately. Getting used to a completely new muscle requires lots of training. Suddenly, a hand made of mist caught the confused Delma and placed it in front of Max. Lucy wanted to help Max, and she had an idea as she spoke mentally. ¡®gives you a tutorial. ¡® ¡®how to not kill yourself.¡¯ -_- Max had a stiff expression. Honestly, he didn''t know how to react. He wanted to take Lucy out of her mountain form and give her a good beating, but if he do that he''d fall to his death since she can''t maintain such a cloud so high in the sky in her normal form. ¡°Thanks for the concern, Lucy, but I¡¯d rather stick to practicing. But for now I am done for the day, and I am feeling really cold. Take me down to rest first. ¡° ¡®ok¡¯ .......................... After some time, Max was back in his room contemplating. Now had to modify his evergreen robe, making wearable with his wings. Currently, he is knowledgeable enough about equipment, to know that the ability evergreen is contained within the tree roots not the Rope itself, so as long as he doesn''t cut the tree roots it wouldn''t be a problem. Max took out a knife and the robe and made two cuts. The roots of his wings weren''t actually big, so the cuts weren''t large either. He''d just have to struggle to wear it. After making the cuts, Max took out a small raw ore. The metal was weak but very nice to the touch, smooth and somewhat soft. He couldn''t leave the cut like this, otherwise it would get worse as he walks around wearing it. So he planned to make some special pins. ¡°Lucy, get me some fuel here, just a little. Help me melt this and make some Mist tools so I can shape it. ¡° Max can just have Lucy shape it herself using her innate, but that would take hours and he didn''t want to wait, plus he wanted to try for himself. Lucy didn''t respond, just observed Max attentively as she executed his orders. ............... After 2 hours, Max was finished. It wasn''t much work, but it was his first time handling molten metal. Looking at the robe, Max felt a headache thinking about wearing it. It can''t be helped. The 2 cuts were just big enough for his wing roots. If he made it bigger, he''d of damaged the rope. Max started wearing it, and got stuck midway with his wings as expected. ¡°oy Lucy, help me out, pull my wings inside those cuts. ¡° Lucy was secretly laughing her lungs out, but nevertheless, she helped Max. As Max eventually had the robe on, he sighed. ¡°fk, this isn''t a long-term solution. Simulator, is it possible to retract my wings?" Chapter 105 Departure Max started wearing it, and got stuck midway with his wings as expected. ¡°oy Lucy, help me out, pull my wings inside those cuts. ¡° Lucy was secretly laughing her lungs out, but nevertheless, she helped Max. As Max eventually had the robe on, he sighed. ¡°fk, this isn¡¯t a long-term solution. Simulator, is it possible to retract my wings?¡± In the future, Max will be forging his own custom-made equipment, but for now he had to wear anything useful he finds. What if he gets some metal armor next? How will he wear that? [Ding, reporting to The Host. You currently do not have enough control over your physical body to achieve such an action.] Max expected as much. Thankfully, he was knowledgeable enough to know that one of his targeted evolutions for his pets will solve this problem for him. Max picked that evolution for the high state bonus and that certain unique but who thought it would play a role here. But still, he had to confirm with the simulator, to be sure. ¡°Simulator will the ability {giant born} that gives cellular control solve the matter.¡± [ positive.] Max was relieved. Currently, he only has evolution plans for 3 of the crows. Fire crow haiyer. Wood crow louh. Elementless crow Imlak. Max planned these three because of certain abilities or skills that will prove extremely useful for himself, especially louh that will get an incredible lifespan ability. While Imlak will be getting the {giant born}, after evolving into a giant ash crow, more importantly, this evolution is the easiest to achieve for Max, or at least it¡¯s the easiest when the simulator is working. Because that evolution requirements are : First, to have no element. Second, to learn four specific skills and have them all reach a certain mastery. While others might find the second requirements incredibly challenging, Max finds them easy as long as the simulator is functioning. As for the other crows, Max didn''t have any specific plans yet, mostly because of their rare elements, but he also wanted them to achieve the best possible path, and for that, the plan to annihilate Kain-city is necessary. Max opened the simulator and started reading as time passed. .................. Two days later, it was the day of the departure to Kain-city. Max is currently still sleeping, exhausted from all the flying practice. After these two days, he can somewhat fly without injuring himself, but he already gave up on being an expert at flying. He chose the lazy approach, deciding to find one of those special flying skills for his crows and have them practice it inside the simulator.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. And surprise ^ now Max is an expert. ^ Still, for now, he has to settle for average as fk. Max woke up stretching. ¡°oy Lucy, wake everyone up, we''re leaving. ¡° Walking up stairs, Max received no response, although he didn''t think much of it. ¡°also, bury this place down. ¡° This time, he also didn''t receive a response. As he walked to the surface, he felt weird. Lucy doesn''t always respond, but she always performs her tasks on time. Looking at the underground house still intact, Max didn''t know what''s wrong with Lucy, since he could feel her presence around. ¡°Lu,! Lucy!. What are doing? ¡°. No response!. Max was getting worried. ¡°Simulator scan Lucy''s current state.¡± [Ding, reporting to The Host. No scan is needed. Your pet is in perfect condition. The pet mountain fairy Lucy is currently in a special state. As a quick explanation, she is currently learning or in an enlightenment state. it is recommended to not interrupt.] Max was stunned on the spot. He never expected to hear the two words enlightenment and Lucy in the same sentence. Max was always aware of Lucy¡¯s true potential. Her innate ability allows her to acquire skills simply by watching them. Given her capability to manipulate atoms, it was clear that she possessed the vision to perceive them. With this remarkable power of observation, she not only sees a skill being utilized but also understood its underlying intricacies, necessities, and prerequisites, as long as she paid attention. But most of the time, she''s too distracted and playful to actually use it correctly. Max just waited to see what kind of skill she''d learn. .............. It was currently early morning, and Lucy was observing the formation of natural fog as water vapor condenses. Then the plants releasing moisture vapor, which increases humidity of the air around them. As the moisture increased, so did the fog density. She felt that she understood something. Soon enough, Lucy regained her thoughts as Max received a prompt. [Ding, the skill Misty Mountain beached the perfected mastery and gained the effect ¡®long-lasting fog¡¯. ] ¡°huh? Not a new skill? And why does this effect sound so weak? Show me Lucy''s stats. ¡° [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. Agility: E+. Vitality: E. Spirituality: E++. Overall evaluation: E+. Skills & abilities : - [Mountain ruler]¡­ - [wood aura]¡­ - [blessed mind]¡­ - [wind¡¯s chosen]¡­ - [Emerald water]¡­ -[blessed]¡­ - [dragon Vine]. 2- [Misty Mountain : -Skill rank: green -Proficiency: perfected mastery. . Allow the user to control a special type of mist mixed with spiritual energy having high concealment effect, going up to one rank above the user¡¯s own. . The Mist can enter a solid state and used to attack or defense, in this state, the consumption of energy is multiplied by 5 times. . Long-lasting fog: Even after you release the skill, the mist won''t disappear immediately, but it can sustain itself over the surrounding moisture for a period of time. ¡°huh? ¡° Normally, when a skill or an ability reaches the perfected mastery, other than the special effect it gains, all other functions will be enhanced. But sometimes, there is no enhancement, and this seems to be one of those times. ¡®well, it''s better than nothing. Plus, it was Lucy''s own hard work. ¡® ¡°Lucy, you awake now?". ''I am here¡¯. "about your skill, you did great Lu, I am proud of you.¡± ¡®easy¡¯. Lucy didn''t care about how Max knew. She was just happy being praised. " alright, alright, just call the others. We are leaving, also destroy our previous house. And take me to the peak, please.¡± ¡®OK¡¯ To avoid tiring himself out, Max decided to glide down from the peak. Plus, for him now, gliding was more enjoyable than flying. ................... Before long, Max was at the top of the mountain, with his pets by his side. ¡°all here, come closer, you too Lucy.¡± Max put his pets inside the pet space in a blink of an eye. As for the swarm of uncontracted, normal crows, Max just left them on this mountain. If they were fine, then Max will come back for them someday, but if something happens to them, then just rase new ones when he actually needs them. Max wasn''t attached to those bunch in any way, and he just didn''t want to deal with the inconvenience. As for contracting them, Max didn''t feel like it because it would place an unnecessary burden on his spirit. Max closed his eyes, looking inside his pet space. Inside, all the pets were flying around, confused. Max thought for a moment, and a small sand island appeared for them to rest on. And he appeared on the island. Of course, it wasn''t actually him, but a mere illusion of him. ¡°guys come here and sit down.¡± Lucy came down first, followed by the crows. They looked at Max inquisitively. ¡°you guys will be staying here from now on until I let you out. ¡° Max waved his hand, and a huge tv appeared, showing the real world through his eyes. After that, a collection of board games, including chess, and similar titles, materialized before Lucy and the crows. Although they weren''t real, but to the pets, they were somewhat physical and can be used. ¡°alright guys, you can watch the real world as I move around. Also, you can play games with each other. Before I go, I have one good news to cheer you up. We''re going shopping for skills to strengthen all of you. Hopefully, we''ll find some useful skills. ¡° Lucy and the crows were disappointed when they heard they will be staying here, but the moment they heard skills they instantly went wild. Max left his excited pets and went back to the real world. Looking down from the peak of the mountain, Max started running without hesitation and jumped out of the edge. He started free-falling and, after gaining speed, he spread his wings. Wooosh! Max started flying straight, flapping only a few times to increase his speed. On land, Max''s speed limit is around 500 k/h, but now he is already at 600 k/h and still going faster. Max relished every moment of the experience as he looked down upon the world, speeding up and feeling the exhilarating rush of the wind. ¡®Whaoo faster.¡¯ ¡°huh? What the.? ¡± Max was stunned by the sudden voice in his mind, only to realize it was Lucy. ¡°huh, I forgot you were watching, enjoy the show.¡± Max started accelerating faster and faster, reaching His limit at 800 k/h. ¡°hahaha, with this speed, we¡¯ll be there in no time.¡± Max didn''t think he''d ever be riding any type of vehicle ever again. Chapter 106 Looking down from the peak of the mountain, Max started running without hesitation and jumped out of the edge. He started free-falling and, after gaining speed, he spread his wings. Wooosh! Max started flying straight, flapping only a few times to increase his speed. On land, Max''s speed limit is around 500 k/h, but now he is already at 600 k/h and still going faster. Max relished every moment of the experience as he looked down upon the world, speeding up and feeling the exhilarating rush of the wind. ''Whaoo faster.'' "huh? What the.? " Max was stunned by the sudden voice in his mind, only to realize it was Lucy. "huh, I forgot you were watching, enjoy the show." Max started accelerating faster and faster, reaching His limit at 800 k/h. "hahaha, with this speed, we''ll be there in no time." Max didn''t think he''d ever be riding any type of vehicle ever again. Soon enough, Kain-city was within sight And Max started slowing down. "we are here guys, are ready for shopping?" Max could hear the excited voices at the back of his mind, but suddenly a prompt interrupted him. [Ding, reporting ¡­ According to the host''s instructions, coordinates of a world that fit the parameters you indicated were detected. Would you like to lock this world?.] Max abruptly stopped mid-flight, generating a strong gust of wind. After a 3 seconds pause, he turned back and started flying towards the wilderness again. Please don''t joke around. With the choice to do so in hand, isn''t it better to stay in the mountain reaching the S or SSS-Rank before heading back to human territory, taking charge and slapping every opposition with one finger? Alright, maybe the S-rank and above were too much because of the simulator''s unpredictability. But isn''t it wiser to reach the B or A-rank, than grab some random passerbys and forced them to work for you doing your chores, buying stuff and doing miscellaneous works? If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The pets were confused by Max''s actions, but he just ignored them. While flying, He opened the simulator excitedly. "Simulator, show me this world''s information. " [Ding. Nameless Wasteland : The planet is almost completely destroyed, with no signs of life or extremely low levels that cannot be detected. More than 97% of the environment is uninhabitable, ranging from hazardous radiation zones to a severe shortage of essential components like oxygen needed to support normal life forms. Due to the planet''s weakened state, gathering detailed information has become almost impossible. Overall evaluation : F.] Max was speechless, as he stopped midair again. After some time, he silently turned back, flying towards Kain-city again. "Simulator lock this world ." [Ding, executing... World Lock successful.] Max felt helpless. "well at the very least I can simulate one time to have Lucy practice Dragon vine, any way in her mountain form she doesn''t need air and such, so I just need to find her a mountain. I am not completely unlucky. " As Max was consoling himself, his pets were discussing his earlier actions. To be more accurate, it was Lucy feeding the crows nonsense. Only mok gave her a suspicious glance .... Closer to the city, Max started landing, and he glanced towards the place he hid his identity card. Surprisingly, it seemed that no one touched it. Still, he didn''t plan to retrieve it now. Honestly, he wanted to get a fake identity, because going as John might be problematic, being so young and so powerful will have certain people asking questions. However, his current appearance doesn''t look young at all. If he gets a fake identity, it should work out fine. His only uncertainty was how difficult it would be to obtain a fake identity in this world. '' a matter for later.'' Max landed in front of the city gate. It was normal to fly in the city as long as you keep a certain height, but it was forbidden to Fly Above the city wall. Of course, there were always exceptions, like officials and important individuals and such, but sadly, Max was not one of those and he had to walk through the city gate. Max''s listless walk, gloomy expression, exotic features, and long black wings drew plenty of attention on the street. Although the looks he got were mostly that of respect or wariness. Max took out a card and started playing with it. This was the card he got from Julio, the same one that would give him access to Phantom Titan''s shops. Max always had Lucy hid it somewhere underground, to avoid being tracked just in case. Before coming to Kain-city, he had Lucy retrieve it for him. Max headed to one of Phantom Titan''s associated shops. Conveniently enough, it was not a small shop, and although not their best, it''s a shop with a considerable reputation. Shady organizations like Phantom Titan always liked to muddle in chaotic places like Kain-city, so it wasn''t a big surprise. Max walked slowly, glancing here and there from time to time. Last time he was in this city kept walking like a street rat, but now everyone act like a street rat when he sees him. Max sneered and hastened his pase. He had a simulation to do, so he wanted to get over with shopping as quickly as possible. Soon Max arrived at a majestic tall building. He didn''t stand on ceremony and walked inside directly Chapter 107 Author note : I didn''t edit the entire chapter yet, I''d finish it In the morning. Max headed to one of Phantom Titan''s associated shops. Conveniently enough, it was not a small shop, and although not their best, it''s a shop with a considerable reputation. Shady organizations like Phantom Titan always liked to muddle in chaotic places like Kain-city, so it wasn''t a big surprise. Max walked slowly, glancing here and there from time to time. Last time he was in this city kept walking like a street rat, but now everyone act like a street rat when he sees him. Max sneered and hastened his pase. He had a simulation to do, so he wanted to get over with shopping as quickly as possible. Soon Max arrived at a majestic tall building. He didn''t stand on ceremony and walked inside directly. Max glanced around the shop, noticing only a smattering of common goods on display. The first floor should be for non card holders, although the quality of goods wasn''t bad at all, from green grade skills and D-rank equipment to other useful miscellaneous items. Max drew the eyes of the random customers inside, but they quickly looked away, intimidated by his imposing presence. Max walked to the second floor. Before he could go up the elevator, a small ball shaped drone flew to him. " unidentified.. unidentified.. Please provide your membership card in order to proceed. " Max looked at the drone curiously. This thing had no wings or anything to propel it. Still, Max lost interest quickly and showed the card in his hand. "peep! All in order, please proceed." Up on the second floor, Max walked around. The place was quite organized and well decorated. Max walked to the equipment sector first. Only two customers were browsing around here, each accompanied by a staff worker in a black and brown uniform. And just as he was about to start looking around, a young woman in the same black and brown uniform approached him with a smile. "Hello sir, please allow me to accompany you on your shopping today. " "huh? Why?". The young worker didn''t show any displeasure as she responded quarterly. "It''s the policy here, but if you like to browse freely, I can stand by and you find me when you''re ready to purchase. Also, please pick one of those iPads. It contains all the information on the available wears. You can also purchase directly using it. " "I see. Thank you, the iPad will be enough for me." "I will be around if you need anything." As Max dismissed the worker, she left without much nonsense and he walked around, looking at the equipment around while holding the iPad. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "huh? Quite rich. " after some walking, Max even found B-rank equipment. a sword and a ring that assists in summoning. Not much information was provided other than the name and rank. This made Max confused. Looking inside the iPad, he found the items, but similarly there wasn''t much information, plus it couldn''t be purchased for some reason. Scrolling down, Max found that some B-rank equipment was purchasable, while others weren''t. "well it''s not like I planned to buy any of those, so it doesn''t matter what the situation is." Equipment like Max''s hammer [cold blood] are very rare in the sense that they didn''t have much requirements to use. A normal B-rank sword will require B-rank strength or some other attribute, only the most expensive equipments doesn''t have much requirements and can be used by people who are lower in rank than the equipment. Moreover, B-rank equipment starting price is at the 5m, and Max didn''t had much more important things to buy. As Max was starting to get bored and wanted to start shopping for real, he noticed a pair of twin pistol. The two pistols had some blood on them, although it somehow seemed like the blood was part of them. The handle had some interesting Engravings in red and gold. Max picked them up, feeling the textures of the twins. Feeling the heavy weight and looking at the information, Max smirked. "you two will be going with me." The receptionist from earlier walked to Max, her mouth wide open. Just know she was waiting for Max to embarrass himself. Because not all equipment has normal use requirement, and some will even erupt in backlash when someone that doesn''t meet the criteria holds them. These twin pistols were of that kind, and the requirements were something that made her be more careful around Max, throwing all playful thoughts out of her head. Anyway, a mere receptionist shouldn''t''ve had the thought mess with someone that obviously looks like a Powerhouse in the first place. " Customer, the information there isn''t complete. This is done to guard the secrecy of the buyer. After all, if everyone knows about your weapon, then you might be targeted in specific methods that counted it in the future. These two pistol has weaker fire power compared to other C-rank guns but the abilities it has are top-notch tru. " "do you have coffee around here? ." interrupted Max as he put the twin guns inside his space ring. On the stand below the guns, it didn''t show much information, but Max, being cautious he had the simulator scan the twin pistols even before holding them. The receptionist choked on her words and just nodded. "we do serve different drinks to our customers if they wish. " "than bring me a cup of coffee." spoke Max as he headed to the balcony and sat on one of the chairs placed there as he rechecked the information of the twin pistols, while the receptionist left and the other customers watched coldly. This situation was just too normal. In fact, one can say that Max was being quite nice and reasonable with that normal human. Being able to weald supernatural powers made them separate themselves for normal human on a mental level, thinking of them as mere tools most of the time. This was the norm, but Max didn''t care about all that as he read carefully. [duel hunter pistols] : Overall evaluation : C Twin pistols with an evil presence D++ firepower. Ability 01 {hunter mark} : after a bullet hits a target, that certain targets become trackable within 200m of the holder. Note: this ability triggers passively on hit. Ability 02 {Relentless Hunter} : Upon activation, gain a 40% speed boost, and gain the ability to turn incorporeal at will. Duration: 10min. Cooldown: 1h. Note 01: Relentless Hunter cannot be used unless hunter mark is triggered first. Note 02: while in incorporeal you can''t fire dual HKs. Use requirements : -D-rank strength. This item is only usable when your morals are sufficiently low, and the lower they are, the easier it becomes to wield. Can''t be touched by individuals judged as a righteous. ''So I can go through walls now.'' this was Max''s only thought right now, he was simply too excited to give it a try. As for morals and what not, who cares? As the receptionist came back and handed match a cup of coffee standing from the side. He took out the IPad and started shopping for real this time. auxiliary chapter Max stats and equipments Name: Max. Strength: E++ Agility: D++ Vitality: D+ Spirituality: D+ Overall evaluation: D+ . Talents : [Hive-Link : (Previously origin link.) Grade : SSS Effect : -You will receive the equivalent of all the combined attributes of the pets within the link, with a 3% loss. -can perfectly inherit all skill, abilities, and innate ability of all pets within the link. ... -[Crimson brilliance] : This talent grants you the power to imbue one of your pets with a unique form of energy. Once infused, your pet will enter a berserk state, boosting all its attributes by a 300% and empowering all skills and abilities to a certain extent for a duration of 3 hours. However, after this period ends, your pet will enter a weakened state for a certain period of time. The length of this weakened state depends on the level of exertion your pet experienced during its berserk state. Cooldown 5days. (note this talent is gradeless.) -[Bound by Blood] : You can create a blood link with one of your pets, effectively receiving 20% of their growth in attributes. Note 01 : only one pet can be linked. Note 02 : the effects of Bound by Blood cannot be undone. Note 03 : this talent is currently gradeless, please kill the originator of this talent to strengthen it, and to make it possible to judge it''s grade accurately. -Innate ability. {Mystic eye} : Proficiency : initiation Effect: This ability allows you to place a mark on any nonliving target. Once the mark is placed, you have the ability to switch your vision to that mark as long as the target is within a range of 100 meters. The current maximum number of marks is 02. .... Equipments : equipment: [cold blood] Grade: C- Effect : +50 strength. -Blood attraction: The hammer''s owner has the ability to summon it from up to a 50m radius. Once the hammer comes into contact with the enemy''s blood, it can be thrown and will relentlessly pursue the target until it loses its momentum. - Blood Repulsion: When landing a direct hit and having higher Vitality than the target, there is a 50% chance of triggering a blood repulsion effect. This effect forcibly expels the target''s blood through their skin pores and orifices. The likelihood of success increases as the difference in vitality between the attacker and the target grows. ... equipment name : [evergreen robe]. A flexible armor with E-rank defense capabilities. Ability Evergreen : when the wearer''s health reaches a critical level of less than 30%, an evergreen power wave will be triggered, healing the wearer back to full health. Note 01 : this healing effect can even regenerate lost limbs, but not the heart muscle nor the brain. Note : cooldown duration 2 weeks. Overall Grade : D+ ......... -[duel hunter pistols] : Overall evaluation : C Twin pistols with an evil presence D++ firepower. -Ability 01 {hunter mark} : after a bullet hits a target, that certain target become trackable within 200m of the holder. Note: this ability triggers passively on hit. -Ability 02 {Relentless Hunter} : Upon activation, gain a 40% speed boost, and gain the ability to turn incorporeal at will.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Duration: 10min. Cooldown: 1h. Note 01: Relentless Hunter cannot be used unless hunter mark is triggered first. Note 02: while in incorporeal state, you can¡¯t fire dual hunter pistols. Use requirements : -D-rank strength. This item is only usable when your morals are sufficiently low, and the lower they are, the easier it becomes to wield. Can¡¯t be touched by individuals judged as righteous. ..... .... Lucy stats. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. Agility: E+. Vitality: E. Spirituality: E++. Overall evaluation: E+. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler < primary mastery >] : -You have the ability to transform into a spiritual state and parasitize a mountain, growing stronger with it. -You can increase the upper limit of the mountain you possess to some extent. -within the mountain you rule, you can control everything at an atomic level to some extent. -the effect of the mountain state multiplier is increased. 2- [Misty Mountain] : -Skill rank: green -Proficiency: perfected mastery. . Allow the user to control a special type of mist mixed with spiritual energy having high concealment effect, going up to one rank above the user''s own. . The Mist can enter a solid state and used to attack or defense, in this state, the consumption of energy is multiplied by 5 times. . Long-lasting fog: Even after you release the skill, the mist won''t disappear immediately, but it can sustain itself over the surrounding moisture for a period of time. - [wood aura] : Skill rank: white. Proficiency: advanced mastery. Allow the user to increase vegetation growth speed, it also allows the user to control already existing tree branches and three roots to attack the enemy. The rane of this ability is 3m around the user. 4- [blessed mind]: Skill rank: white. Proficiency: initiation. Slightly increase the spirituality attribute. Improve mastery of mental-controlled abilities and skills. 5- [wind''s chosen] : Skill rank: white. Proficiency: primary mastery. Use the wind to increase one''s speed by 20%, it also allows the user to control wind slightly. 6- [Emerald water] : Skill rank: green. Proficiency: Perfected. {water of life} Condense the moisture in the air into a miracle resource filled with nutrients. -Triple beast''s & vegetation growth speed. -Can speed up natural healing by ten fold. -Prolonged consumption can increase lifespan. -7 [blessed]. Ability rank: purple. Proficiency: initiation. You are the darling of the sky and earth, all types of free roaming energies are attracted towards you. . The free energy around you will experience an improvement in both purity and density to a certain extent. 8- [dragon Vine]: Skill rank: green. Proficiency: initiation. -can utilize the surrounding vegetation to grow a sturdy vine that can be wielded as a close-range weapon, or remotely controlled using your mental power. The vine has a weaken version of green-dragon poison on it that can cause slight paralysis and a small amount of poison damage. ..... Crow stats. Name: shadow crow Delma . Race: ash crow. Strength: F++. Agility: E++. Vitality: E Spirituality: E+. Overall evaluation: E. All crows are the same for now. ......... This the previous aux Chapter. I kept things as simple as they get. First power levels: F. E. D. C. B. A. S. SS. SSS With ++and -- F++ means the very peak of the F-rank same for other ranks. The rank is determined based on states for pets and beasts. For humans, it''s determined by a test, but generally speaking, as long as some can defeat a beast of a certain rank, that someone is judged to be of the same rank as the beast or higher. J 2nd attributes : .... Strength: [ related to physical power]. .... Agility: [ related to nerve reflexes and speed]. ..... Vitality: [ related to resistance to both diseases and abnormal status, as well as defense and self-healing Factors]. ..... Spiritually: [ related to comprehension energy control energy capacity]. The extent of powers. 1 point equals the stats of a normal, healthy man. Either in strength, agility, vitality, or spirituality. F rank is equal to 5 points, while F++ is equal to 10 points E++ equals 100 points. D++ equals 1000 points. C++ equals 10,000 points. B++ equals 100,000 points. A++ equals 1000,000 points The stats of an S rank can no longer be calculated; relevant devices tend to malfunction immediately after use. 3rd Skills and abilities : ... Ability.... there are only 3 methods to acquire Abilities : Inheritance is the process of a more powerful being sharing the same bloodline as you voluntarily passing an ability to you. .. or through awakening the potential deep in your blood. .. or by being born with it; in this case, it''s called innate ability. Ability grades: abilities are hard to judge and even harder to measure thus given no grading system. Skills : Skills are more common. They can be learned from others or skill scrolls. Comprehended or even invented by oneself. Skill grades: white. Green. Blue. Purple. Orange. 4th skill mastery : ..... Initiation: You can only use the basic form of the ability without having any understanding of it. ... Primary mastery: you can use everything the ability has to offer with some limits, and you have some understanding of it. ... Advanced mastery: the ability is already part of your instinct, using it to its full potential, and you have a deep understanding of its workings. ... Perfected: You already know all there is to know about the ability and can mold it however you want, going beyond its limits, Perfected is related to one''s understanding, comprehension, and a bit of luck. Even if two people of the same race, same age, same gender, same talent, and power level, even with similar thinking processes, they can not have the same perfected skill or ability. As for equipment and items let''s make it simple from F to SSS. Chapter 108 shopping (P1) "I can walk through walls now!" This was Max''s only thought at the moment. He was simply too excited to give it a try. As for morals and what not, who cares? Soon the receptionist came back, and handed Max a cup of coffee, standing to the side after. Max took out the iPad and started shopping, for real this time. Before Max started scrolling, he first looked for a specific skill and upon finding it, he didn''t hesitate to buy it. [Telekinesis] : Grade : blue Price : 5.1 million 4 copies available. Max immediately clicked to buy two copies, and multiple methods of payment appeared in front of him and he chose cash. Immediately, the number 4 representing the available copies was switched to 2. "It''s kinda painful, paying this much all at once." Although Max felt hurt paying over a third of his hard-earned wealth on a single skill, but still he continued browsing. First, Max checked for things that would bring him immediate benefits, or at least as soon as possible, which were the skills required for Imlak to evolve. Thankfully, they were all available, and a bit cheaper than the ones sold at Zero-wing biological institute shops. That Institute is not only responsible for the genetically modified Ash crow but also sells all types of enhancements, skills, Evolution materials and evolution plans. They even have some training facilities specifically made for this pet. They are a big business. The ash crow is cheap, but everything that comes after isn''t. .... [Vitality lock] : Grade : green Price : 85k Description : dull the pain, and in a heavily injured state, you''ll be fully functional even at death''s door. Note : The shop advises close-range fighters to exercise extreme caution when using this skill. There have been reports of fighters dying in combat after failing to recognize the seriousness of their injuries. .... [Griffin born] : (exclusive to bird type pets.) Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.Grade : green Price : 40k Description : Gain super muscles, same as that of the Griffin, increases strength and the exertion efficiency of it. ... [Heart seed] : ( exclusive to certain types of pets, please check the list¡­) Grade : green Price : 120k Description : form a seed inside the heart with the capability to store blood and change its composition to some extent. That blood can be released to heal oneself and gain a small temporary enhancement. .... [Steel claw] : ( exclusive to bird type pets.) Grade : white Price : 3k Description : makes your claw stronger. Max purchased 3 sets. Two of them were simply in case Imlak failed to learn it from the start, while the third was left for after evolution. Because this specific evolution is unique, as Imlak will lose all four skills after successfully evolving and gain one single ability instead. It can be said that the four skills will merge into one ability, thus he''d have to learn them again because of their usefulness. Moving on, now that his main target was achieved, Max checked the Shadow element skills next because of their stealth capability. But he got disappointed because he only found one green skill that cannot be learned by bird types. The receptionist on the side wanted to see what Max was doing, but she didn''t dare to, because she felt that Max was looking at her from time to time even though he was focused on the iPod, it''s like he has eyes at the back of his head. If Max knew her thoughts, he''d praise her sharp intuition, because he was indeed looking around from time to time using [Mystic eye] with a mark he left on his robe. It wasn''t for any specific reason. He was simply training to make it an instinct for when he needed to use it in battle. Next, Max wanted to check all skills for sale, starting with blue skills. But before he could he noticed someone walking towards him, and he focused on the figure using [Mystic eye]. .... Amanda is the vice-manager of this shop. Her short black hair was styled to match her chic, black vice-manager outfit. Earlier she was informed of a big buyer by her boss and told to accompanying him to the VIP room. But looking at Max, she felt intimidated for no reason. She paused for a moment. Because accompanying the aura she felt from this person was his gaze, even though he was scrolling on the iPod she felt as if he was looking at her directly. As an experienced C-rank powerhouse, she could tell that this wasn''t just an illusion of hers. Still, she had a job to do, so she suppressed her unease and placed her best professional smile as she addressed Max. "customer, I came to lead you to your VIP room. Your earlier purchases are already there." "huh? Well, that''s convenient." Max enjoyed privacy, so he didn''t reject the offer and stood up, his wings flapping a little. He couldn''t deny that his new wings made for the most comfortable chair cushion. "lead the way." Amanda nodded, dismissed the receptionist with one glance and started walking in front of Max, and he followed. Soon they were inside a luxury room, and Max took his seat as he asked. "is that all your stock? I am looking for shadow skills, are any available? ". Chapter 109 shopping for skills (P2). ... Still, she had a job to do, so she suppressed her unease and placed her best professional smile as she addressed Max. "customer, I came to lead you to your VIP room. Your earlier purchases are already there." "huh? Well, that''s convenient." Max enjoyed privacy, so he didn''t reject the offer and stood up, his wings flapping a little. He couldn''t deny that his new wings made for the most comfortable chair cushion. "lead the way." Amanda nodded, dismissed the receptionist with one glance and started walking in front of Max, and he followed. Soon they were inside a luxury room, and Max took his seat as he asked. "is that all your stock? I am looking for shadow skills, are any available? " ... Amanda sat in front of Max and shook her head. "that''s indeed our entire stock, still you can leave your contact information, and once anything of sort shows up, we''ll contact you. " "there''s no need." Responded Max, as Amanda nodded, then took out a few mags and handed them to Max. "this is?". Asked Max "6 mags, each carrying 10 bullets, they come with the guns you bought earlier. One thing I need to inform you about is that the bullets that gun uses aren''t common. You either make them yourself or order some to be made. " As she spoke, she also handed Max a piece of paper. Max read the content. It was the method of making this specific type of bullets; it was quite simple, just slightly different from normal bullets. Max can make them himself with Lucy''s help. Max took out the pistols and reloaded them, since they were empty earlier. Click! Clang!. Looking at Max holding the two pistols like it was nothing, she was speechless. You have to understand that they were a Shady organization. How can they lack people with low morals? And this equipment is quite useful even for B-ranks because of its skills, but none of them can use it. Even she, who thought herself to be quite low, felt a burning sting every time she held those guns. Still, as a professional business woman she hid her displeasure as she spoke. "if you have any questions, I''d be happy to answer them." Max just nodded and went back to shopping. He didn''t scroll much before finding something interesting for Lucy. Although this skill was actually useless in her mountain form, it would increase her survivability inside the simulation world. [fairy escape] : ( exclusive to fairy type pets.) Grade : blue Price : 1.5m Description : envelop yourself with fairy light, increasing your speed by 100%. And your defense slightly. No duration. In this state, you cannot use any other skills or abilities. The description from the shop might be a little deceiving, because the skill will obviously stop working on exhaustion. Still, Max bought it without hesitation, since 100% shouldn''t be the limit of this skill. Max started scrolling again, but it didn''t take him long before stopping again. This time, genuinely surprised. [world of mirrors] : ( exclusive to pets with the mirror attributes. Can be learned by either feline, mammals, birds.) Grade : blue Price : 850k Description : cast a world of mirrors. Although the description was too vague, Max bought it without hesitation. After all, before the birth of his crows, he didn''t even know that this attribute existed. Who knows when will he gets his hands on another mirror skill? Amanda was scrolling on her own iPad, checking business. Since Max didn''t seem to need her, it''s better to do something productive. "hey, this skill, I want to buy the information about it''s source, is it possible? " Amanda was startled for a moment, but she recollected herself and examined the skill, just to be stunned after. That skill was judged as useless because there was nothing like a mirror attribute, or at least it wasn''t recorded before. The only reason they were willing to sell it in the shop is because of its blue grade. Still being professional, she spoke. "well that skill doesn''t belong to the shop. It''s a skill that belongs to a card holder like yourself. We are just the middleman. Still, I can contact him and see if he is willing to sell you the information. " "Please do." Amanda got busy on her iPad and soon she called someone. "Hello mister red Mask, I called to inform you that the blue skill you placed has been sold. " The voice on the other line choked for a moment. "really!! That''s great. " "well, the deal isn''t done yet, so don''t be too happy. The buyer is asking to purchase information about the source of the skill as well. " "huh? Let me talk to him." Amanda glanced at Max, and he nodded. Without further ado, she placed the iPad in front of Max with video chat on. The person on the other side was in his late 30s. He wanted to shout the biggest price in his mind from the start, but the moment he looked at Max, who was smiling amicably, he changed his mind completely. That amicable smile gave him the chills. "ah hello, first I have other similar skills to that one. Are you interested?" Neither this guy nor Amanda were stupid. Since Max was interested in this skill, he most probably had a use for it, likely a pet with the mirror attribute. But so what, contracted pets were completely useless to other people, still if Max looked like a pushover they would be interested in seeing that pet or maybe take it for experiment. But just looking at Max''s strange eyes that seem to not look at you but see you anyway, we''ll let''s say that idea didn''t cross their minds. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "I am. What''s the grade and price? " Of course Max wouldn''t reject. "2 skill of the green grade, let''s say market price 80k each, and 100k for the information." Max thought for a moment, then nodded readily. "deal." The man smiled immediately. "I am busy, but I can send the skills to the shop with my pet. It''s pretty fast, so it would be there in less than 20 minutes As for the information, it isn''t some big secrets, so if it is good for you, I can tell you now. " Max felt his passive''s grip on this guy and nodded. "that''s good for me." The man felt relieved. He didn''t like the idea of meeting this guy in person. "alright it actually from a dungeon in Ancunn-city. Let me tell you the story from the start. I used to be active around there, but dungeons got a little harder, which caused my previous team to disband. I was lucky enough to find a new team much stronger with 2 B-rank experts leading. The team was new, and we had to coordinate our teamwork, so we decided to go inside a C-rank dungeon just to practice. " "2 B-ranks in a C-rank dungeon?". interrupted Max in confusion. Normally B-rank powerhouse can enter C-rank dungeons but they''d have to do it solo, this was the rules. "ah, about that, they used some special consumable for all the team to be allowed in. I don''t know the details. " Max nodded. He didn''t know that there were such items, still he wasn''t frustrated. The simulator just had too much knowledge, and he might not be able to digest all it in a lifetime. "so as I was saying, we entered the dungeon to practice teamwork, and we got wiped out. That dungeon was weird and dangerous. I still remember the nonsense we had to deal with, and it gives me the creeps. Among 10 C-ranks and 2 B-ranks, I am the only survivor, mostly by dumb luck. At first I thought I hit the jackpot getting all the rewards from this dangerous dungeon, and indeed it was valuable because there was a blue skill among them. But after checking the attributes I was struck dumb man, those three skills are the only rewards I got, and the shop even refused to sell the green ones. Anyway, after I got out of the dungeon, I found that some dangerous dungeons with strange enemies started appearing, although it was just one or two from time to time. But the most annoying thing was the rewards of these dungeons being too unpredictable, some of them even dangerous. I even heard about someone who got a statue that cursed him with bad luck till he died. So I decided to move all the way here. And that''s it. " "alright thank you for your time." "no problem. So about the money, do I give you my account? " Max smiled. "well I only have cash. " "what are you, a kidnapper? ". joked the guy, to lighten the mood. "how can that be? I am a law-Abiding Citizen. As for your money, I''d leave it with the shop if that''s okay for you. " Amanda, on the side, nodded. Working as a middleman between card holders was a part of their job anyway. "no problem." As the deal was finalized, Max closed the call and handed the iPad to Armande. "Thanks." after giving a meaningless thanks, Max went back to his browsing. He didn''t find anything interesting, and bought 10 sets of common skills for birds. [wind flight] : (passive) (exclusive to bird type pets) Grade : white Price : 19k Description : increase flying speed and maneuverability. [ enhanced feathers] : (passive) (exclusive to bird type pets) Grade : white Price : 15k Description : strengthen feathers defense. [air strike] : (exclusive to bird type pets) Grade : white. Price : 14k Description : use flight momentum to strengthen claw and beak strikes It''s not that Max didn''t want to pick green or blue skills of such type for the crows, but he didn''t find any. Bird type pets are quite popular, so the good skills are bought immediately once placed on shop. By the time Max was done browsing skills, a worker walked in holding all of Max''s current purchases. Among them were the two mirror skills that were just delivered. All skills were in the form of scrolls other than the mirror types, which were in the form of a skill book. This didn''t surprise Max much. Skill items comes in different shapes based on the dungeon they came from, with the scroll being the most common. Max checked the details. [ mirror image] : Grade : green. Description : create a physical mirror image of oneself. [ mirror prison] : Grade: green Description : on touch, imprison a target within a mirror The shop took the effort to add the description, although it was quite vague. What''s more frustrating is that the simulator gave the same description. Of course, the simulator was using the basic scan. Anyway, if it was dangerous, it would have informed him, so he didn''t worry much. Amanda on the side spoke. "it''s our experts who added those descriptions. It''s not that they are incompetent. But that''s all what there is to decipher from those skill books. " Max nodded and started checking the other wears from miscellaneous to consumables, potions and equipment. He bought two books, not skill books but normal books. [Basics in Alchemy] & [Basics in forging] worth 1 million each. He wanted to buy more advanced knowledge, but none were for sale. Such knowledge was not treaded easily enough, though they can be copied, they considered a special resource to not be traded with outsiders. And other than that, He didn''t find much, but one single equipment caught his eyes. It was an old telescope quite similar to the Spy glasses used by pirates and Marine in history. But the problem was that it wasn''t for sale like some other items. "I want to buy this," spoke Max as he showed his iPad to Amanda. "well I am afraid you have to wait till the auction. It''s placed there just for publicity. " spoke Amanda apologetically. "huh? And when is that?" "well the date isn''t confirmed yet. It usually happens when we have enough wears for it. An approximate date is from 2 to 4 months from now. but as long as you provide your contact information, we can inform you immediately once a date is set." "hmm. Alright, I''d like to check out." "the two guns are 1.6m and with everything else comes to. 19.594 million make it 19.5 m. " "huh?" Max didn''t think he was bad with math, but something was wrong. "wait a second. Did you add 2 million? " "ah about that, yes we did. It''s the fee for buying two telekinesis skills at the same time. After all, it''s a strategic resource. " "if that''s the case, then why don''t I buy one now and the other? Let''s say 5 minutes from now. " asked Max, not feeling ashamed or anything. After all, it was two million we are talking about, and Max still needs the money because he had more purchases to do. Amanda wanted to laugh, but nevertheless, she answered professionally. " it doesn''t work like that. Once you buy one, the price will increase for you specifically by 2 million for the second purchase. " Max sighed even though he can somewhat understand. After all, blue skills are powerful enough to be considered a secondary profession for common people. And top notch ones like telekinesis were highly valued, to the point that without the card he might of not gotten it any time soon even if he payed more. After all, even back on Earth, countries won''t sell weaponry to enemies, only to allies or possible allies. Max considered giving up one but he couldn''t. One was for himself or for mok to learn to be exact, and the other was for Lucy. Telekinesis was one of the skills that are as strong as your stats, or just the spirituality attributes in this case. And Lucy receives a huge state bonus in her mountain form. Max shook his head, and waved his hand expressionlessly, and 19.5 million appeared on the table, without any more nonsense. He took all the skills inside his space ring and stood up, planning to leave. " Wait, customer, we have a new stock that might be useful to you. Are you interested in shooting skills? " "huh? There''s such a thing. Why didn''t I see it on the list? " "well we still didn''t publicize it yet, mostly because it''s still being tested. But results show its safety, and soon it will hit the market, and not just ours. " "you got my attention. " "It''s nothing special, simply it''s a new type of skill items from new dungeons. It holds new interesting skills. " As she spoke, she handed Max a tiny green tech chip. Max took it curiously. "how do I use this thing? " "It''s called M1-chip. It''s a biological chip. It''s used with another type of equipment that you have to wear, then place the chip inside. And you''d gain the skill over a period of time. " ''simulator is this thing safe?'' [Ding, scanning¡­ Report, the item will cuz significant harm if used. Please do not use this type of incomplete technology.] "hmm, I''d just wait for them to be available for the masses. " Amanda nodded, respecting Max''s decision. "nice doing business with you. If you need to buy anything else, please come again." "Will do, farewell." responded Max half heartedly. Next time he''d be back here, will be when the Oubach visits, and he won''t be buying. ..... 8 Max left the shop with 2 thirds of his wealth gone, feeling dispirited. "well at least, I got those mirror skills. " Next, he needs to go buy special enhancements for the crow. Chapter 110 shopping (P3) ... Max left the shop with 2 thirds of his wealth gone, feeling dispirited. ¡°well at least, I got those mirror skills. ¡° Next, he must purchase special enhancements for the crows. However, he was unable to do this personally. This was because the shop owner had seen him when he bought the crow eggs. Max¡¯s intention was to minimize any connection between himself and his former identity, John, in order to avoid being recognized. Because of his drastic change in appearance, it was unlikely that the shop owner would associate his current look with his previous one. Nevertheless, it never hurts to be cautious. ¡°Sigh.¡± Max felt depressed, knowing he likely jeopardized his identity. After all, Julio and Nicholas saw his real appearance, and now he just use the card they gave him to buy things. Thankfully, they knew him by the name of Max, not Jhon. If a deep investigation is launched, he could still be found out, but it will take a longer time. Max was aware of the situation before purchasing the skills, but he felt powerless to change it. He had no choice but to buy them, otherwise he wouldn''t have been able to acquire them even if he was willing to pay more. maybe joining some Force would have solved the problem, but it would''ve taken him a lot of time and effort on his side which would''ve slowed his progress. ¡°whatever, worst-case scenario, we''d go with escape Plan B. ¡° Max¡¯s mood improved on its own as he walked closer to his intended destination, the same shop he bought the crows from. On the way, Max kept his eyes opened, looking around, and soon he found what he was looking for. In a dark alley, three Hooligans surrounded a couple. The leader of the hooligans, a tall, muscular, bald guy, spoke as he pointed a Machete towards the couple. ¡°oy love birds, how about a small donation for the poor? ¡° ¡°Yes, for the poor, we didn''t eat in 9 months.¡± Spoke a fat hooligan. The third hooligan didn''t speak but just looked at his friend strangely, then at his own thin body. ¡°if you didn''t eat for 9 months, then what am i, a dead corpse? ¡° The bald guy slapped his thin companion. While pointing the machete towards the couple again. ¡°you see, my friend is delusional out of hunger. He thinks he''s a dead corpse. How about you leave everything on you here? ¡° Between the couple, the young woman wanted to beg to be let go, but the man wanted to resist just to be slapped by the E-rank baldy. Soon, the three hooligans took everything on them, but still, they didn''t go too far and let them go after. After all, in this dangerous city, they didn''t want any unnecessary attention. There were thugs but still had brains. Max walked toward the trio, who were bragging and celebrating. The trio didn''t notice until Max was behind the baldy and took the phone in his hand. This was the same phone he stole from the couple.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Feeling that someone took his trophy, the baldy was angry and turned around to deal with that person, but looking at Max, his expression shifted 180¡ã as he took something from his pocket. ¡°sir, that phone is crap. Mine is the latest model. Please take it. ¡° The couple didn''t go far, earlier they noticed Max and wanted to see if that bunch will get their retribution, but looking at this scene, they were speechless. ¡°huh? You''re quite smart.¡± praised Max as he took the phone with a smile, as he leaned on the wall and started browsing. The Hooligans didn''t disturb Max and just waited on the side, not leaving. They didn''t dare to. Surviving so long in Kain-City taught them certain rules, since Max didn''t dismiss them than they should wait. Max first checked the news. Those chips gained his curiosity, and he wanted to check if there was any news about them. He didn''t find much, but Max was annoyed by certain news. -the countdown keeps going. 3 months away from the release of the first version or full-dive VR technology, from video games, to military training, to virtual tournaments. The anticipation is rocketing ¡­ Max''s only current shortcoming is his battle experience. Since he wasn''t originally from this world, neither did he go to any special training. So VR was very valuable to him since it can fix that, but he was certain that the government will place monitors inside, probably recording every Power, every attribute, and all details. ¡°Sigh, a matter for later. ¡° As Max wanted to close the news and go to the shop website? He noticed a second article that baffled him. -A dungeon with a mage inheritance appeared in the wilderness and was cleared by a passerby. first martial arts, then magic. What''s next¡­ ...¡­¡­. For countless years dungeons have been territorial, but all of a sudden thing started changing. Even if Max turned his brain off, he could still see that this was a scheme from the dungeon inhabitants. And because the people of this world didn''t have the knowledge he has they probably couldn''t guess this, but why would he care?. Max just went to the shop''s website checking the prices. ¡°Sigh! I can''t get much.¡± T-37 serum : (exclusive to ash crows). Let your pet enter a special mental state, for the duration of 10 minutes. In that time, your pet will digest any skill scroll with a 100% success rate of learning the skill. Price : 1.6 million G-2 serum : (exclusive to Ash Grows). Duration: one month. Increases the chance of learning skills from the environment and encounters. Price : 600k Max stopped browsing and focused on the trio. ¡°You three, do something for me and I¡¯d make it worth your while. ¡° ¡°yes sir,¡± the trio shouted unanimously. The couple on the side were simply too confused by the current situation in front of them, but their confusion was pushed to the back as Max looked at them silently. The two didn''t dare loiter anymore and left in a hurry. Max focused on the trio again. ¡°you know the shop that sells ash crows.¡± ¡°ah yes, we do. It''s only two streets away.¡° .answered the baldy . ¡°yep that one, I need you to buy me a few things. Two T-37 series serum. And 10 injections of G-2 serum. If you don¡¯t remember, I marked them on the phone, and the money is inside this ring. ¡° The baldy took the phone and space ring respectfully. He didn''t know why this person he just met trusted him with such money, but still he felt that death was a certainty if he dares to mess around. ¡°Go and be quick about it. ¡° Before they left, Max placed a mark on them to monitor them, just in case. The trio didn''t dare disobey and quickly went to the shop, as Max used [ Mystic eye] to watch them. Before long, the rowdy group of three hooligans made their way into the shop, catching the attention of the fat shop owner, who became instantly wary. Observing the trio¡¯s questionable appearance. He was prepared to activate the attack drone at a moment¡¯s notice should they engage in any suspicious activities. He wouldn''t even call the cops. Instead, he entertained the thought of swiftly neutralizing them and disposing of their bodies far from the shop. Nonetheless, being a businessman, he refrained from taking action. Who knows, they might be genuine customers. The baldy and his companions walked to the shop owner. ¡°Hey boss, do you have T-37 serum and G-1 serum?. ¡° The fat shop owner gave the baldy a suspicious look. Those things were pretty expensive goods, not something any random nobody would buy, but still he responded professionally. ¡°we do have some in stock. 1.6 million for the T-37, and 600k for the G-1.¡± The hooligans were stunned on the spot. They didn''t check the information before coming. After all, it was just a simple name, easy to remember. Looking at each other, the baldy went closer to the shop owner, who was getting more suspicious of them by the second. ¡°boss, can''t we get a discount? We''re short on funds. ¡° ¡°I am afraid that''s not possible. They are premium goods. ¡° answer the fat shop owner reflexively. The baldy¡¯s expression turned dull immediately. ¡°boss, please have some compassion. My mother is dying and urgently needs those serums. ¡° The baldy''s two companions nodded in agreement, their expressions sad. ¡°Please be kind and give him a discount, boss. ¡° The shop owner was so confused at the moment. ¡°huh? Is your mother a crow?¡±. The baldy was stunned; he didn''t know that the serum was for crows, but he nodded reflexively. ¡°yes she is. I was raised in the wilderness by her. She''s all I have, please, boss. ¡° ¡°yes his mother is a crow,¡± added his companions, although the baldy felt it was an insult and wanted to beat them up but couldn''t otherwise he''d ruin the act. Max, who was watching, was laughing, dumbfounded. This guy just made Tarzan the crow version. Another person who was dumbfounded and speechless was the shop owner. Even if your mother was really a crow, those serums were not made for healing. But the shop owner didn''t want to argue more with this crazy bunch. ¡°1.5m for the T-37 and 500k for the G-2, final price. Take it or leave it.¡± ¡°we''ll take 2 T-37 and 10 G-2, please. ¡° responded the baldy hurriedly. The shop owner''s face darkened immediately, still he couldn''t go back on his words since they already agreed. ¡° customer payment up front. ¡° The hooligans didn''t pay immediately, but started discussing. They weren''t talking about something important, but just calculating the price they had to pay. It''s not that they were bad at math, but they never delt in such numbers, it made them nervous to the point of breaking down. After 5 more minutes, the baldy took out 8 million credit in front of the shop owner''s dark expression. .........¡­. As the deal was finalized, Max, on the other side, was speechless. Soon enough, the trio came back and gave Max a silver suitcase and the space ring, also the baldy''s phone. Rejecting the phone, Max took out a 100k and gave it to them. It wasn''t for their work but for almost making Tarzan in this world. The bunch got excited immediately. ¡°Thank you boss, if you ever need anything else, please let us know. ¡° Max didn''t respond, and with a flap of his wings, he took to the air, heading straight for the closest hotel. It was time to actually learn the skills he got and see if that simulation world had any use. Chapter 111 experimenting with new Skills The bunch got excited immediately. ¡°Thank you boss, if you ever need anything else, please let us know. ¡° Max didn''t respond, and with a flap of his wings, he took to the air, heading straight for the closest hotel. It was time to actually learn the skills he got and see if that simulation world had any use. ...... Soon enough, Max was inside a luxury room he had just booked at some random hotel. He opened his pet space, and all his pets appeared in front of him. Max was expecting them to start boiling immediately after they get out, since they were inside for some time now. But surprisingly, they were strangely obedient, all of them stood around Max looking up at him with innocent puppy-like expressions. Even Lucy was the same. Max looked at them suspiciously. He even had the thought that they broke his pet space. But that was impossible and even if they had done it somehow, he would have felt it. But on a second thought, Max figured it out. they were probably watching when he bought the skills. Max didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. His pets were somewhat like him as in they didn''t move unless they saw benefits. Or in their case, they wouldn''t be obedient unless benefits were on the table. ¡°stop acting like lost Lambs. I didn''t find suitable skills for all of you, but at least everyone will get a share. ¡° Craw! Craw! Craw! mi mi mimi ¡°oy stop protesting or none of you would be getting any skills. ¡° The place went quiet again immediately. ¡°I didn''t find any for now, and we are out of money. But still I got a thing that can help you learn skills by yourself, so for those of you who won''t get much skills. have some patience. ¡° After he made sure that his pets understood the situation, he distributed the skills. He did this to make his pets satisfied before learning them, since they were looking forward to it. For a moment, everyone was happy, but then Lucy noticed that all the crows had more skills than her. Mirror crow mraia had a wapping 6 skills. Annoyed, the little one started mumbling under her mouth ¡®mimimo¡¯. Still, Max noticed her. ¡°Huh? are you not satisfied?¡± Max took the telekinesis skill scroll from her. ¡°This skill is the most expensive in the room. To explain it to you. The price of this skill is enough to let this entire city enter the best psychiatric hospital, and we''d still have some money left. ¡° Lucy was stunned on the spot in excitement, but her excitement turned into despair as Max pocketed the skill. ¡°since you''re not satisfied, then forget about this one. I won''t give it to you unless you learn the other one successfully. ¡° Lucy responded with silence. She was afraid that Max would increase her punishment if she said anything more. Max didn''t want to bully Lucy for the sake of it. He couldn''t let her learn two blue skills at the same time. ........ ¡°alright, let''s start with mraia. ¡° Craw!. Max took out the T-37 serum and fed it to her. Although he didn''t know how strong the mirror skills were, he had to use the T-37 because of their rarity. After, he immediately used all three mirror skills, one after the other, as blue glassy light filled the room. He also took the chance to use the other white skills. .. [Ding, your pet mirror crow mraia learned green grade skill (mirror prison)]. [Ding, your pet mirror crow mraia learned the green grade skill (mirror image)]. [Ding, your pet mirror crow mraia learned the blue grade skill (world of mirrors)]. [Ding, your pet mirror crow mraia learned the white grade passive skill (wind flight) . [Ding, your pet mirror crow mraia, learned the white grade passive skill (enhanced feathers).] [Ding, your pet mirror crow mraia learned the white grade skill (air strike)]. By the end, mraia passed out from mental exertion, while Max felt his body changing slightly. Accompanying it was agonizing pain, Max wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, so he didn''t stop to check his new skills and kept using skill items on the other crows. Since he had to go through the pain anyway, it¡¯s better to do it all at once. But before that he had mok drink the T-37. It can''t be helped telekinesis was just too expensive, and now that he bought two, the third one is priced at 10 million. [Ding, your pet psychic crow mok, learned the skill (Telekinesis).] Ding... Ding¡­ Ding¡­ Ding¡­ Ding¡­ Ding¡­ ¡­ Soon enough, Max was done with all the crows. But his body was bleeding from multiple spots, his wings being the most intense as he lost all of his feathers and then grew them back. Max took out a glass bottle filled with emerald water and drank it. This thing can be used as a healing potion. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°oh, that was something.¡± looking around, most of the crows passed out, with only Lucy left looking at him worriedly. ¡°little Lu, go back with the crows for now. You can learn [fairy escape] after I test my new skills. ¡° Lucy didn''t argue because she was still worried about Max, so she just nodded. Max moved all of them to his pet space. As his pets disappeared, and he was left alone, an excited smile crept on his face as he threw the glass bottle in the air. However, the glass bottle didn''t fall, but stayed suspended mid-air. It was hard controlling his new found telekinesis, but pointing with his hand as if he was grabbing it helped a lot. The bottle started rotating and flying around under Max''s control. Woosh!.. Max let go of the bottle as it fell to the ground. Dng! He spread his arms wide, and suddenly everything not anchored to the floor began to float. ¡°now that''s a superpower. ¡° Max stopped playing around and checked his stats, since he didn''t have a complete understanding of all the skills he got. After all, he was like a child stuffed with college grade knowledge. Obviously, he would be confused. ¡°stats¡±. Name: Max. Strength: E++ Agility: C Vitality: D+ Spirituality: D+ Overall evaluation: D+ . Talents : [Hive-Link]. [Crimson brilliance]. [Bound by Blood]. Skills & abilities : 1-[Mystic eye] ....... 2-[Telekinesis] : Skill rank: Blue . Proficiency: initiation -gain telekinetic powers comparable to your spirituality stat. Starts with 1 kg at the F-rank and gets multiplied by 10 for every subsequent rank. Current limit :150 kg ........ ¡° as expected of telekinesis. Simple raw power, even though it''s just at initiation and my spirituality is just at D+, I can reach 150 kg. ¡° ........ 3-[wind flight] (passive) : {X10} Grade : white Applies a slight amount of wind element to the wings, increasing agility by 100 points and flight speed by 100 % ............ Looking at the mind-boggling stats that this white skill gave, Max smirked. The original buff is just 15 points and 15% flight speed, but it was stacked 10 times because he received the skill from all the crows. Although there was some significant loss in that process but it doesn''t matter much. ............. 4-[enhanced feathers] (passive) : {x10} Grade : white Enhance feather defense based on your Vitality by a multiplier of 7. Current wings defense : C-rank. [Air strike] : inactive. (You do not meet the requirements for this skill.) .......... ¡°well I have neither claws nor beak, so it was expected. ¡° .................... 5-[Mirror image] : Skill rank: green. (limit breaker) Proficiency: initiation. Use a mirror to create a copy of yourself. You can either fully commit to controlling the copy, leaving your body unattended, or split your focus to control it. This copy''s stats will be equivalent to 5% of your own + the mirror''s base stats. ........ ¡°huh? A limit breaker skill! Not bad, not bad at all. ¡° Limit breaker skills are the ones that can go beyond their original grade based on certain factors. For ( mirror image) it was obviously the type of mirror used to create the image. If Max used some mirror type equipment, the image created will definitely be much stronger. ................. 6-[Mirror prison] : Skill rank: green. Proficiency: initiation. On contact, seal an object or a living creature within a mirror. The strength of the seal is based on your (vitality+spirituality). In a sealed state, the target cannot use any of their powers. if the seal strength overpowers the target, then both mental and bodily activities would be sealed. Duration: 30 minutes. ...¡­. 7-[World of mirrors] : Skill rank: blue. Proficiency: initiation. - temporarily lock a part of your spirituality stat to create a 500m radius separate mirror space that belongs to you. Current spirituality locked : 70%. you can actively increase this percentage to increase the range and duration of the skill. Duration : 1h Cooldown : 5h ¡­¡­¡­ Max ignored (mirror prison) for now and focused on (world of mirrors) the skill still looks confusing even after he learned it. First was the fact that it locked spirituality. Max never heard of that before. Normally, skills or abilities are fueled by three different ways. Stamina produced by the Vitality stat. Pure Energy produced by the spirituality stat. Mental power produced by the combination of vitality and spirituality. Based on what kind of skill it is, it would use one or a mixture of the three. Even though Max and most other pet master doesn''t have a special organ to store any of those three energies, but the amount their bodies can carry is enough for them since it''s their pets doing the heavy lifting. ............................... Max started looking in the simulator and soon found his answer. Some complicated skills will lock a certain stat in order to function. It was a rare case and usually exclusive to golems. ¡°whatever let''s give it a try and see. ¡° Without hesitation, Max used (world of mirrors). Immediately after Max was hit by the strongest headache he ever had as he knelt down, taking deep breaths. ¡°fk..¡± ... Soon, the headache subsided a little enough for Max to stand up. Looking around, Max was confused. He could feel a space connected to himself, but the problem was that he didn''t know how to go in. For a moment, Max had a guess that it was a space to store items like a space ring. But he dismissed the thought because he couldn''t even put things inside, or at least he didn''t know how. .... After some thinking, Max decided to check a mirror. It was either that or he was lacking some key word or item. In the bathroom, Max inspected his reflection, finding nothing unusual. But as he extended his hand towards the mirror, it shimmered silver and allowed his hand to pass through. At the same time. It was as if a vacuum was opened as the air rushed towards the mirror. ¡°huh?¡± Max was intrigued as he kept pushing his hand, and slowly his entire body went inside through that small mirror. ...................... Inside, Max found himself standing on a blue surface. It was a flat, light blue rock, five meters wide, shrouded by a hazy, silver fog. Multiple mirrors, each with a unique size and shape, floated around. Standing on the blue floor, Max had the illusion that this place was floating, but the fog made it impossible to confirm. Max tried to touch the fog, and it actually gave the feeling of a solid wall. ¡°huh? Is this piece of land all there''s to it? It''s barely 5 meters in diameter.¡± Max was confused. This skill was still giving him a strong headache, plus he is in a weaken state because of his locked spirituality. After all that, Max refuse to accept that this skill was so weak. Next, Max went to check the floating mirrors, just to be stunned right after. Once he gets close to a mirror, it loses its reflection and starts showing something else. ¡°Isn''t that the room next door? And that''s the shop next street? ¡° Max closed his eyes for a moment and started sensing, trying to understand the skill a bit more, then he waved his hand, and all mirrors lost their reflection and started showing different sceneries. ¡°so that''s the case!!¡± Max felt excitement rushing to his head, as can he finally understood how this skill works. This space is linked to every mirror within a half-kilometer circle around the casting spot. ¡°now things are getting interesting. ¡° With a thought, the mirrors started rotating around Max as he started looking for a target. Soon a mirror that shows a somewhat dark warehouse stopped in front of Max. Looking closely, far away from the mirror, he could see a skinny shop owner reprimanding two workers. After confirming that there were no cameras around, Max touched the mirror, causing it to distort and letting his hand go right through. ......... Two streets away from Max''s room, a business owner by the name of Harry was reprimanding his lazy workers. ¡°seriously you two, when I was younger I could of delt with these boxes in an hour but you.¡­.. C¡± The workers just had their heads down. They were used to Harry''s grumpy attitude. Thankfully, he finally stopped, but for some reason, he stopped nagging earlier than usual today. The two lifted their heads, but were immediately stunned because their boss was floating. The scene looked like he was being choked by something invisible. ¡°ahg.¡± The two didn''t have the time to react before their boss was pulled to the dark wear house. Woosh! ¡°hellllp...... ¡° ... The two were frozen for a moment. ¡°is that a ghost?¡± ¡°within the city? Impossible!¡± ¡°you''re right. It''s probably one of that old fool''s usual tests. Let''s go and see. ¡° The two went to the warehouse and found nothing. ¡°this? Was that guy kidnapped by a ghost or something?. ¡° ¡°bro this seems to real, am out of here.¡± . ........ As the two workers were panicking, Max was looking at the unconscious Harry with amazement. Earlier, he just let his hand pass through and used telekinesis to pull the guy in. ¡°huh? Guess am gonna buy a lot of mirrors later . ¡° Max ignored the unconscious fellow and picked another mirror. And after checking that there were no cameras on the other side, he went through. Max felt like he went through a layer of water as he found himself bathing with a couple. The couple were stunned, looking at a stranger coming out of the side mirror. The two just entered the bathroom and were undressing before Max appeared. ¡°huh? I didn''t see you two when I looked through?. No matter why don''t you help me test a skill. ¡° With lightning-fast movements, Max choked the two, one in each hand. With C-rank agility, they didn''t have a chance to begin with. Next, Max put them in contact with the side mirror as he used [Mirror prison]. The two of them melted into the mirror, unlike when he went through it or when he pulled Harry. Soon enough, Max was looking at the couple stuck inside the mirror. They were trying to speak to him, maybe curse at him or beg to be released, but while he could see their mouths moving, he couldn''t hear them ¡°wow.¡± Max tried to go back to the mirror space through this specific mirror to see what would happen. But to his disappointment, he couldn''t use this mirror to move to the mirror space. ¡°it seems that using mirror prison will also seal the mirror away from the mirror space. Oh well, next experiment, what would happen if I break this mirror?¡± The couple seem to have heard him because the fear in their eyes turned into horror. Max didn''t care and punch lightly. Thud! ¡°huh? It didn''t break?¡± This was by no means some special mirror. It was normal glass and even though Max didn''t use much of his strength, it should''ve broken. But looking at the pain filled expression of the couple, Max understood. ¡°to explain it in game terms, the mirror now has the hp of the couple. I also felt that the seal was somewhat shaken. One more light punch wouldn''t kill them, but free them instead. Interesting! ¡° Max punched again but this time he used much greater strength. Shatter!!¡­ The mirror broke, and Max''s skills were lifted, but the couple weren''t freed. Instead, some of the mirror fragments were leaking blood, but other than that, nothing happened. ¡°hmm.¡± Max used telekinesis to lift all the blood and mirror fragments as he walked to the tub¡¯s mirror. This mirror was small, too small. But the size of the mirror didn''t matter and Max jumped in easily, like jumping in a lake, the mirror fragments flying inside right behind him. Back inside the mirror space, Max looked around, as he couldn''t help but smirk. ¡°isn''t this the best assassination skill? No, this skill is some game changing sh*t. ¡° Max kept experimenting. A noteworthy discovery was the fact that he could use Mystic eye through the mirrors. Since this space is connected to every mirror within its range, so when Max is inside the mirror space, he is technically close to every mirror. This effectively extended the range of Mystic eye by 500m. Soon enough, the duration of the skill was about to end and Max left the space, going back to his room. But before that, he left a Mystic eye mark on Harry, wanting to see what would happen to this space after the skill ends, and what would happen to a living creature inside of it at that time. .................. Author note : Hello everyone. Recently my schedule is back to full, so we''d be going back to 1k or 1.5k words a day. Wish you all the best. Chapter 112 Simulation in a Wasteland (P1) & (P2) & (P3) . Soon enough, the duration of the skill was about to end and Max left the space, going back to his room. But before that, he left a Mystic eye mark on Harry, wanting to see what would happen to this space after the skill ends, and what would happen to a living creature inside of it at that time. Back in the hotel room, Max used [Mystic eye] as his vision changed back into the mirror space. As the duration came to an end, Max observed. To his surprise, the space didn''t disappear immediately, but first the silver fog started disintegrating the land, slowly starting with the edges then making its way to the center. As it made its way to Harry, he stood up and jumped up away from it. This guy woke up much earlier, but he kept pretending to be unconscious, hoping that he will be spared if he didn''t see anything. But sadly, it wasn''t the case. As he cursed and screamed for help, the fog slowly enveloped him, and Max immediately lost the mark he left on him. When a mark is out of the range of Mystic eye Max will lose connection to it but it would still be there. However, this mark was lost completely technically destroyed. "hmm? If I Lure a strong powerhouse inside, will he be able to get out? " Max wasn''t too sure, it''s all depends on what kind of Powerhouse it is. If he had some teleportation skills or equipment, survival might be quite easy for him. Max decided to ignore the matter for now, and although his spirituality was returned to normal, it was too exhausted for him to test [mirror image] now. Max waved his hand, and his pets appeared in front of him. All of them were awake and all of them were looking at him wide eyed. Max smiled. "hah don''t give me those looks. Those were mok''s and mraia''s skills. In the future, I''d get each of you equally powerful skills so be patient. " Inside the pet space, they could neither use skills nor any type of powers. So hearing that mok and mraia have the same skills they saw Max using was a shock to them. Max ignored their stunned expressions and focused on Lucy as he pulled out the fairy Escape skill book. "Lu, are you ready? " Lucy shook her daze away as she focused and nodded in confirmation. Without much hesitation Max used the skill book as it started shining on Lucy. [Ding, your pet mountain fairy Lucy learned the blue grade skill [Fairy Escape]. "Sigh." As he saw the prompt, Max sighed in relief. Now the only skill items he didn''t use are the one related to Imlak''s evolution. These skills are useless at their initiation stage. They might even be a little harmful, so it''s better to wait until he finds a suitable simulation world to level them up. .............. [Fairy Escape] : Grade : Blue Proficiency : initiation -Wrap yourself in fairy light, enhancing flight speed by 100%. The fairy light possesses defensive properties comparable to your Vitality, at the same time gain the immovable temporary trait. immovable : (while you still take full damage from physical strikes, you won''t be affected by knockback or penetration and such effects.) ...... "hmm, so Lucy can keep flying at full speed even if she is taking damage. " This will definitely increase Lucy''s survivability inside the simulation worlds, and Max was obviously satisfied by this. Lucy was also happy because of her new skill and went closer to Max, wanting to ask for the next one. But Max shook his head in refusal even before she could ask. "I have one more task for you. As long as you do that, I''d give it to you. " Lucy just gave Max a blank look. She had a thousand complaints, but she didn''t dare voice them. Because the outcome of that would most probably be Max delaying her reward even further. "don''t give me that look. This is also good for you, so listen carefully. I am going to send you to the dream world again, this time possess mountain immediately and follow these steps carefully to explore the entire world. .... ..... Your goals are to make a map¡­ . Focus on fairy Escape. Find Treasures¡­ . Also, don''t forget [blessed mind] if you can get the minor telekinesis perfected effect, then when you learn telekinesis it should be much stronger or at least that''s what I read online. " Max spent in the next 2 hours explaining, while for the first time Lucy was investing over 100% of her focus on listening to Max''s words. After Max was sure he explained everything, he opened the simulator. But something was off. On the screen, Max saw a tab that shouldn''t be there. Current locked world : -Name :(Nameless Wasteland) -Rank : F -More details + ............... * - Available world coordinates : * 1-skyless star. + * 2-spore m¨¦t¨¦orite. + * 3- Saint Realm. + "wohhh! Now that''s some good news." For a moment, Max was shaking with excitement, but he calmed himself immediately. Although Max was afraid that the simulator will delete if he asked, but he had to since he needed to understand. Previously, when he started simulating, he asked the simulator to do something similar, but he didn''t even receive a proper reply. Thus, he needed to understand what caused this. "Simulator, why are the coordinates visible even though I locked a world? " [Ding, reporting..... The Host just reached the criteria of a normal trainee by gaining a trait, thus this feature that consumes energy unnecessarily was unlocked for you.] "huh?" Upon reading the prompt, something didn''t feel right for Max. Because the prompt added a certain question in his mind, but Max chose to ignore it for now. All important matters related to the simulator should be left to when he is strong enough. But for now Max checked the Available coordinates. And after finding nothing suitable he decided to proceed. "start simulation normal mode." A 3D holographic map appeared in front of Max. Unlike the previous world map, this one was too colorful. It made Max confused for a moment. Max ignored the urge to become a geology expert and just picked a mountain on random. Before the simulation started, Max spoke to Lucy one last time. "Lucy, you remember the incomplete blueprints I made. The one with the box, once you''re done exploring or you feel the dream is about to end, then try to complete it, and.... Max kept explaining in detail, only stopping before the simulation started. ... As the simulation started, Lucy lost focus. [Ding, because your pet is already above the peak strength of this world, the rewards are doubled.] [In the first year, you found yourself blinded, suffocating, and your skin burning. You were confused and terrified, but remembering your pet master''s instructions, you turned into spirit form and possessed the mountain under you. Now that you were able to think and see clearly, you understood the situation. Your earlier blindness was from the abnormally bright sunlight. You were suffocating because the air contained no oxygen. As for the burning, it should be the radiation Max told you about. You could somewhat feel it in the air.] [In the 3rd year, you fully examined your current mountain, and its surroundings. A barren rocky land with no life in sight, not even a single plant. This world had no energy in the air, and the mountain didn''t have much nutrients for you to practice freely, still it was enough to go by. Since you understood your situation fully by now, it was time to start acting on your pet master''s ideas.] [In the 4th year, from the occasional rain or acid rain, you collected enough water, not for drinking though but to extract oxygen, and make rocket fuel. At the same time, you mined some minerals and, using the small amount of rocket fuel, started building a dark metallic umbrella, and a normal bottle to store the small amount of emerald water you made. Also an air tight bottle, to store the liquid oxygen you made.] [In the 7th year, your preparations were finally complete. Still, you didn''t head out, but started testing your endurance towards radiation in your real body inside a deep cave you dug. With enough emerald water to heal, it was somewhat okay. You also discovered that the light from your skill {Fairy Escape} can block radiation, which was a nice surprise.] [In the 8th year, this place was too lonely, and you just passed the time mumbling how stingy your pet master is and how tragic you are. At the same time, you were making the last preparations for departure.] [In the 9th year, on this year you left the mountain holding a metallic normal sized umbrella and using {fairy Escape}. Luckly Emerald water can provide enough nutrients for you to use skills, although barely enough to provide for one useful skill. Your destination was the nearest mountain. You''ll only start mapping after you explore the entire region. While flying, you were lost in thought. Looking at the setup you made, you couldn''t help but praise yourself a few times. the bottle of emerald water was held by a metal chain linked to the umbrella. As for the oxygen bottles, they were part of the handle of the umbrella, to avoid the hot sun. You didn''t have the materials to make breathing equipment or even a tube, so all you can do was open the bottle, breath in, then close it. Thankfully, you didn''t need as much oxygen as humans do, otherwise this wasteful method wouldn''t have cut it.] [in the 10th year, you made it to the mountain and took control of it. The Journey didn''t last long, barely 1 month, but it felt like 10 years because of how hard it was. Mumbling about how unfair your pet master is, you started recklessly using the nutrients within this mountain to refill your stock, and practice a little.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. At the same time, you looked for anything of interest, rare minerals or any useful items your pet master might want, not forgetting to mumble about how unjust he is.] .... "it''s been 10 years down there and you''re still grumpy". Max was speechless. He felt like he was in the wrong, even though it was for her sake. After all, learning 2 Blue skills simultaneously will reduce the success rate of the second one by a huge margin, and if they lose this skill scroll, Max could not get her another one anytime soon. ......... [In the 12th year, you mastered the skill blessed mind. Although you couldn''t replicate how Max moved things without touching them, still you weren''t discouraged and kept trying. But the mountain you are on now could no longer support you, so you left heading to the next one.] [In the 15th year, this region of black rocks was getting to you in a bad way. You might not be able to find life elsewhere, but at least different colors were a welcome change. So in order to leave this place as quickly as possible, you increased the exploration pase.] [In the 20th year, you are currently controlling a different mountain, replenishing oxygen and emerald water. In the past years, you explored over 90% of this useless region. There were only 2 mountains left that you didn''t reach, and they were close to each other, so you planned on only taking one, then leave this region after mapping it. You headed out, with your trusty umbrella, and soon you reach the mountain.] [In the 21st year, as usual, you checked the surroundings of this new mountain for anything noteworthy. And to your surprise, you actually found something. It was a small black tree about double your size, situated somewhere at the base of the mountain. This was the first plant you saw in this world, so you were excited and very curious about it, plus your pet master asked you to explore anything noteworthy in detail. You kept observing it, and noticed the strangeness about this plant immediately. Normal plants are beneficial to the environment. They give and take, being a part of a bigger cycle. However, this one was different. It only takes. As for giving back, It only gives back waste and only a few times when necessary. It reminded you of your pet master. They were so similar. Ignoring the strange tree for now, you started mapping the region, refreshing your memory by observing from the peak of the mountain.] ...... Max felt offended. He Max pip, was part of a bigger cycle, he takes from others and gives to himself. That''s a bigger cycle, isn''t it? Still, Max kept watching silently. ... [In the 22nd year, you made a small flat map out of a strong metal you found. It was very detailed and you are proud of it. In the past year, you got used to the black tree and planned to take it with you, so you''re not so lonely anymore. You even named it Max Junior. After making a small pot and placing it in, you chained it to the umbrella. You also gave it a few drops of emerald water, and it seems to really like it, because the water didn''t even reach the soil before a root jumped out to take it. And without further ado, you set out deciding to explore West First.] ........ -_- Max was speechless. But he didn''t complain, mostly because he was really interested in this Max Junior, which can survive where no other can, so this development wasn''t a bad thing. ....... [In the 24th year, you traveled between mountains until you left the black rock region. Looking at your new surroundings, you were stunned. Dirty yellow soil with plants on it, and rivers going by. or just moss to be exact, and it wasn''t much a single small moss within a half kilometer''s radius. The river was just a tiny stream of heavily diluted, polluted, and radiation active water. But still, compared to the previous region, this was heaven. You quickly rushed to the closest mountain, but the fluorescent blue light from your skill {Fairy Escape}. Attracted the attention of a swarm of poisonous bugs. What was more terrifying, was the fact that they can somewhat keep up with your speed. Thankfully, you reached the mountain before you run out of stamina; you turned into light and apologetically left Max Junior behind. Once you take control over the mountain, you''d take revenge for him. But to your surprise, Max Junior was fine, but you still plan to kill those bugs otherwise leaving would be a problem.] [In the 29th year, because the nutrients within this mountain were much richer, you stayed here longer to practice {fairy Escape}. You made a closed location inside the mountain with enough emerald water inside for you to practice. You also gave Max Junior more Emerald water as an apology for leaving him behind.] [In the 43th year, the mountain was almost dead because of your reckless consumption. Thankfully, over the years, you killed most of those ugly bugs and left to the next mountain with Max Junior safely. Soon you went back to your previous training routine inside the new mountain, at the same time informing Max Junior about the real Max bullying you.] [In the 61st year, as this mountain was also about to die, your skill {fairy Escape}. Reached a new level, and you decided to continue your exploration. This region didn''t have a lot of mountains, and they were quite a distance from each other, so you had to travel longer, but with your newfound speed it was somewhat to manageable.] [In the 66th year, in the past years, you had to deal with poisonous bugs chasing After You, strange moss jumping on you from the ground, locations with abnormal radiation levels spread randomly. And still you barely explored a fourth of this region. By now Max Junior has heard all kinds of unspeakable words about the real Max. These were the words you heard the crows speak from time to time, but you were just complaining because of your annoyance.] ......... Max looked at the crows, who were watching TV, squinting his eyes. "all of you are punished, until you learn how to speak proper language with each other. " The crows were stunned, but before they could react, they were pulled into the pet space. Inside, they just looked at each other with dismay. What confused them was that they didn''t know which one of them snitched or when exactly. Only Lucy would be spared from punishment, because Max felt sorry for her current state. ........... [In the 74th year, you were traveling through mountains and mapping in real time, since you were afraid to forget something along the way. You only had a small area left to explore, so you traveled quickly, not paying attention to a strange big white white rock, not far from your path. As you were flying, the white rock moved and ambushed you with a sharp object, instantly breaking your protective light barrier and injuring you. Thankfully, the light barrier took most of the damage and you started the skill again and fled immediately, not even looking at your attacker, abandoning Max Junior again. You could hear that you were being chased by something big, but thankfully you were faster than it and there was a mountain right in front of you. Looking back, you saw the attacker. It was a 10 meter tall white python with 8 sets of eyes. You gave it the middle finger before merging with the mountain. Luckily for you, your hunter didn''t give up, thinking you were hiding somewhere. And once you took control over the mountain, you killed it using Mist. It was hard penetrating its leather, so you killed it from the inside first, letting Mist enter its mouth.] [In the 75th year, after you made some emerald water and healed yourself, you went back for Max Junior and your other belongings. Thankfully, it only lost a twig, nothing some emerald water can''t fix. After taking Max Junior to the mountain, you decided to rest for a year or two while practicing and handling the corpse of the white python.] [In the 85th year, looking at your new equipments you were proud. The umbrella was changed into a lighter form made from python leather with metal supports. A big bag linked to it, also made of python leather. The biggest piece of leather was made into a map with the black rock region being at the very central zone and the python region connected to it at west direction. The ink was its blood since you couldn''t carve the skin without damaging it. You also kept the python glass-like fangs in a box made with light metal. Satisfied, you continued your journey, moving with your belongings. Although somewhat cumbersome, you were strong enough to ignore it. ] ..... "I need to get the method to forge space storage equipment, sigh. " Max tried to design something similar, but it was hopeless, at least at his current level, and no one would actually sell that knowledge because it was too profitable. "Sigh." ...... [In the 87th year, you completely explored this region, and you entered a swamp with the air itself looking green. You helplessly kept going, only to find out that the air was a little poisonous in some places. This took a heavy load on your already low stock of emerald water, but thankfully, there were enough mountains in sight. While heading to the closest one, you were ambushed by a green human-sized insectoid. thankfully you were cautious, and escaped with Max Junior to the closest mountain.] [In the 88th year, you observed the surroundings only to feel annoyed the more you looked. Just like with the Oubach, the underground was filled with those things that attacked you earlier. They didn''t look like living creatures at all, not breathing, nor eating or drinking. They just keep in place until they hear some sound and started moving towards it. And they were very hostile, not even letting go of the bugs.] [In the 90th year, you made yourself a sharp short sword, although it was longer than you. Those things were not as strong as the python, not even close, and you could handle them with a weapon easily as long as they didn''t swarm you.] [In the 115th year, you already explored the swamp, killing a lot of those insectoid in the process, both in mountain form and in your real body. Things were smooth, and you started liking the sense of exploration and recording. But there was one single problem: you couldn''t head to the next region. It was an endless plain filled with countless fluorescent green Lakes in different shapes and sizes. There were no mountains in sight, but the real problem was that the radiation there was practically a solid wall. You almost died while standing faraway from it just looking.] Max tilted his head, he was very curious about this world. Who knows it might even be earth after he left, since he didn''t know how much time he spent coming to this world. .... [In the 117th year, you decided to ignore that place and mark it as a dead zone. At the same time, you''d go in circles with the black rock region as the center. This was better for mapping accuracy anyway. Still, you decided to stop and practice first, since you felt that your progress with {Fairy Escape} was quite fast.] [In the 133rd year, after switching mountain twice for nutrients, you finally mastered {fairy Escape}.] ..... Since Lucy reached Advanced mastery in a blue skill, Max was already satisfied, but Lucy''s performance was too excellent and she probably wouldn''t stop anytime soon, and Max kept watching tentatively. ....... [In the 134th year, you left the swamp finding yourself in the weirdest desert you ever saw. You were standing on a stone, under the blazing sun, looking at the sand rolling like sea waves on its own. This desert was huge, but the sand movement was happening everywhere, not just in one spot. You could see a single mountain in the distance, but the real problem was the fact that you couldn''t fly. Upwards, there were heavy radiation. while downwards closer to the sand there were almost none. This place looks like a sea, so you decided to treat it as one, using the umbrella as a small boat, your short sword as a paddle and Max Junior as cover from the sun. You went forward, throwing everything unnecessary, even the fangs, since you noticed they were losing their shimmer, only kept one that was relatively new.] [In the 136th year, it was daunting, but you somehow made it to the mountain. And after taking control of it, you were surprised because you couldn''t find the reason behind the movement of the sand nor the radiation problem.] [In the 137th year, you set out again after consuming whatever little nutrients there were within the mountain. [In the 140th year, you left the desert entering a red volcanic plain, and made a new box for the fang since it might be poisonous. You were never sure and just avoided direct contact.] [In the 144th year, you abandoned Max Junior again because of a sudden fire eruption from the ground that spread wide, only saving your precious map. But after things settled down, half the fang was somewhat saved because of the box. But what stunned you was that Max Junior survived again, just a little burnt. All Max''s seemed to be cockroaches in surviving.] Max''s mouth twitched. [in the 147th year! You left the volcanic region keeping forwards.] [In the 210th year, you already traveled across three more regions, having to abandon Max Junior, then retrieve him two more times. You were speechless by its survivability at this point, and even had the idea of changing your name to Max, who knows you might get the same cockroach like traits. Ignoring the strange thoughts, you focused on moving forward. You''re currently in a region that seems ordinary. Brown soil, brown mountains, brown rocks with spikes on them, low radiation, but almost no plants at all. As you were flying above one of those spiked rocks, a sense of uneasiness hit you. You''ve been through a lot in the past years, always vigilant. Always had to!. Memories flash medacross your mind, as the light of your skill {fairy escape} intensified. And your speed increased, as you dodged a bite of a giant crocodile, that was hiding itself as a spiked rock. You rushed to the closest mountain, feeling that your skill has reached the very peak, and gained the effect {beastly instinct, Fairy Escape will activate instinctively in danger, doubling its normal buff for the duration of 10 seconds.}] Max stood up immediately smiling, originally he didn''t even hope for this situation. Because with Lucy''s innate and in such a diverse world, she should''ve maxed her skills easily and even learned new ones. But Max judged that because of her health always going down and up, she couldn''t do such a thing. In fact, because she was too busy with surviving, she didn''t even find the chance to practice her other skills. But even so, she did it. ... [In the 240th, you retrieved Max Junior, who you abandoned when the crocodile almost took your life by surprise. And after that, you launched an extermination war against the crocodiles, killing every single one of them and using their brown blood as an additional color to your map.] [In the 301st your, your current location was a stormy zone. This place was nothing more than mountain ranges filled with minerals, with the sky being clouded all year long, lightning striking down constantly. Even though there were a lot of mountains, you couldn''t possess them for long durations, because of the lightning strikes that can damage you somewhat. Still, because of your powerful {fairy Escape} and its automatic activation, you survived multiple lightning strikes to the Head in your real body. Even Max Junior wasn''t spared from the lightning losing a branch.] [In the 334th year, your skills in forging improved and you are able to make a tiny armor for yourself. To be honest, it did more harm than good but it was still progress.] [In 348th year, you were going past an ever frozen land. It was cold out here, and the radiation was somewhat heavy, but thankfully the Frozen mountains here were rich in nutrients, and helped you make an abundant amount of emerald water, which counteracted all the damage you are getting. Another similarity you found between Max Junior and the real Max is that they both didn''t like the cold. Max Junior was chilling while being struck by lightning bolts, but here in the cold it was all shriveled up. Thankfully, you had enough Emerald water otherwise, it would have died on you.] Max was speechless, he indeed didn''t like the cold, but what did it have to do with some radioactive tree in that world. [In the 353th year, after crossing the Frozen land, you found something interesting. in the middle of a barren plain akin to a desert, a huge pit lay there. Inside of it was a technological structure, although Rusty and corroded. You could recognize it as one of those things called space ships in the movies. Excited! You wanted to explore it, but you saw a creepy sight. What seemed like a humanoid shadow was looking at you from one of the broken transparent glass-like windows. But it disappeared immediately, like it was never been there. You did what any normal person would do in your place. Bombard the place with missiles just like Max taught you. Thankfully, there was a mountain just next to the pit, so you started working on gunpowder and rocket fuel.] "hahhh!". Max couldn''t help but to laugh outloud. [In the 364th year, you turned the pit into a flaming hole. You could hear scary screaming inside, but according to Max, when you hear strange things screaming, it''s then when you increase the Firepower. And so you did, turning the place into a magma pool. Satisfied that the creepy thing took it due for trying to be scary around you, you left in a good mood.] ....... Max was honestly proud. This was the same kind of crazy stunt he''d pull in such a situation. It is better to be feared by the unknown as a madman than to fear the unknown. "I am definitely rewarding you after this". As for the spaceship, Max was definitely curious, but since it looks too old, it might be completely useless. Anyway, none of his pets has the capability to explore it, even Lucy, since she might not be able to fight the thing inside in her normal form. But it''s still worth exploding if he could in the future. ..... [In the 414th year, you and Max Junior went around the world using the blood of different inhabitants of this world to map it. But on this year, you found a mountain, surrounded by a land like no other. Real plants, from flowers to trees, real bugs, real animals, real life¡­ Without hesitation, you rushed towards the center of this land, which was the mountain. However, upon merging with the mountain, and for the first time in your life, you encountered resistance while trying to refine it. It was a will similar to you in strength, after some thinking you remembered something Max told you. About you being the natural predator for things called spirits of the mountain, and how you could grow if you devour them. Thus without further hesitation, you started fighting with it for control over the mountain.] "huh? Mountain spirit!. How rare. she might be able to get something interesting." The information about motor fairies being the natural predator of Mountain Spirits is something he read in the scientific speculation online. So Max didn''t know what''s going to happen, since even the simulator didn''t have informing about Lucy''s race. [In the 440th year, you kept fighting for years. But you were gaining ground and the more you did, the stronger the buff from the mountain becomes and the easier the fights get.] [In the 467th year, you won, but you weren''t happy. You found no mountain spirit, and looking for the source of the will. It was actually a giant gray worm hiding deep inside the mountain. Without hesitation, you slapped the defenseless thing to death as it screeched its dying breath. You were depressed but its bright red blood drew your attention, and on an impulse you decided to collect it. It felt precious, but to your disappointment, the huge body of the worm only had a bottle worth of blood. Ignoring the matter, you retrieved Max Junior, and decided to rest here from sometime.] "huh? false alarm, how disappointing!". [In the 468th year, you discovered an intelligent race within the mountain that you didn''t notice while you were fighting with the worm. They were centaurs from the fantasy works you watched. Anyway, you were bored and watching them was a good pass time, plus they might have some treasure worth collecting.] [In the 505th year, you were well rested, and you even mastered {dragon vine} in the past years, but it was time to leave. But you had one more task before that. Enough rest and abundant emerald water made good on Max Junior, as it became much more good looking, growing tiny flowers and some seeds. It seems all Max''s have an urge to seek beauty.] Max suppressed the urge to start wishing for that tree to stand up and strangle Lucy. [In the 507th year, you finished your task of understanding the language of the centaurs, then translating their history and recorded it on the back of the map. You didn''t have any other blood, and the worm''s blood seemed too valuable, so forcibly collected some centaurs blood.] " interesting.." [In the 508th year, after looking at the back of the map, you were proud of your work. Still, you kept confirming if there were no mistakes. Apparently, long ago, this was a magical world with all kinds of creatures, including fairies living freely. Then the humans appeared from the sky in their metallic flying ship. They said they were looking for a new home and peace, but their actions were completely different, starting conflicts everywhere and destroying the natural environment. The white python mother had enough of them, and planned to enslave the humans with her mind controlling powers. However, her plan was discovered by the last few surviving humans, numbering three in total. Unable to handle the fact that their race was gone, just like that. they Unleashed tens of thousands of weapons in the sky called missiles. It killed everyone, from the python mother, to both the enslaved humans and the three free ones. And with them went the rest of life in this world, only few survived just to find that the world has turned into a hell on land. ..... The story kept going until you started fighting with the worm, and things around the Mountain started changing, but you already confirmed the authenticity of your work.] [in the 509th year, you took the obviously unwilling Max Junior and kept on your journey. You also noticed that Max Junior never loses any leaves. Like never, at least not willingly. Lightning strikes can take a few leaves usually. Only takes never gives. ] [In the 670th year, you kept going and recording. You already became used to this lifestyle and came to enjoy it.] [In the 730th year, you settled on a mountain within a desert like land with countless scorpions under the sand; they were similar to those green insectoids you saw in the past, looking more dead than alive. Still, you didn''t care about them because the thing called radiation finally got to you, and adding all your injuries. You could clearly feel that once you leave your mountain form, your life might end there. Even Emerald water was of little use. Still, you have already recorded the entire world or at least over 90% of it. And you knew you won''t actually die, so you didn''t mind much, deciding to focus on forging instead.] [In the 840th year, you lured the scorpions using gunpowder sound, and killed them to use their blood in forging. This time you were using the blood forging method, adding some actual metals after melting them using rocket fuel.] [In the 892nd year, while forging in a moment of inspiration, you remembered your pet master moving things with his mind, and your skill blessed mind reached the peak gaining the miner telekinesis effect.] [In the 921st year, you succeeded in making something similar to the box in your pet master''s blueprint. You recorded the modified blueprint on the back of the map, even though it was way far off from the intended target, but it''s the best you could. You put the map, Max Junior, and the corroded python Fang inside. There were still some space, so you placed some minerals inside and closed it. It was airtight, so you were worried about Max Junior, but thinking about its survivability it would most probably out live the current you.] [In the 943rd year, you closed your senses planning to rest a little, only to never open them again.] [ you died.] [Ding simulation ended] [Ding, because your pet mountain fairy Lucy was able to slay the will of the world, you can choose one more reward.] "she did what?". [Ding, please pick. Three] : Chapter 113 Max thought for a moment and figured it out immediately. "It was that worm. The description just fits. " Earlier, Max didn''t pay attention, because he thought that the worm was some mutated creature. But after reading the prompt, he remembered the descriptions of the wills of the world in the simulator and it fit. The will of the world is rarely in a physical form, only when heavily injured, too weak or for some special purpose does it enter its physical form, and that form will always be that of a giant worm. Max ignored the matter for now because he had to check something much more important. "Simulator pick items." A list of the available items that were in contact with Lucy before she died appeared in front of him. After some browsing, Max smiled because he didn''t find the map or the tree. "she did it." Max scrolled down just to find a piece of equipment. -Scorpion treasure chest. If Max picked a normal chest as a reward, then the simulator will consider the box and the things inside as separate items. However, if that chest is considered a valid storage equipment, then the simulator will bring the chest and obviously the things will be still inside. "Simulator pick Scorpion treasure chest & [Fairy escape] & [Blessed mind]. " As a dark green box with scorpion markings appeared in the room, Lucy''s eyes regained focus as she felt her changes in amazement. She also regarded the scary-looking box with curiosity. ''simulator scan the chest''. [scorpion treasure chest] : -F-rank storage equipment. -Has basic defensive aura to protect the stored items. -If you attempt to unlock it in the incorrect method, a trap will be triggered on pressure, and poisonous spikes will lunch towards you. "Sigh." Max was relieved that the box didn''t have too much radiation. If it did, the simulator would have informed him of the danger. And since it didn''t, it was obviously clean, or the amount of radiation was not harmful to him. ... Max took out the telekinesis skill scroll. "Little Lu, you ready?." Lucy''s eyes brightened immediately. She wasn''t even done understanding the full power of her newly obtained skill, and she gets to learn another. ''ready.'' "alright Focus. " Max already checked that Lucy was in a perfect condition from the stat window, so he used the skill scroll without hesitation. ... silvery light shone on Lucy, and he heard the prompt he was waiting for. [Ding, your pet Mountain Ferry Lucy learned the blue grade skill telekinesis. ]. "Simulator, show me Lucy''s stats." Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. Agility: D++ Vitality: E. Spirituality: E++. Overall evaluation: E++. Skills & abilities : . [ Fairy Escape] : Skill rank: Blue . Proficiency: perfected -Permanent 1,000 points boost in Agility. -Once activated, cover yourself in fairy light, increasing flight speed by 600%. The light has protective capability, with its health being your vitality multiplied by four. At the same time, gaining the immovable trait while the skill is on. -Beastly instinct : the skill will activate on its own in case of danger, doubling the normal buff for 10s. Note : beastly instinct has no cooldown, but it will only double the normal buff once every 30min. ..... "wow. Just wow." Looking at his white skill [wind flight] that was multiplied by 10, and still couldn''t achieve a sixth of [fairy Escape] Max was somewhat depressed. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.... . [Telekinesis] : Skill rank: Blue . Proficiency: initiation -gain telekinetic powers comparable to your spirituality stat. Current limit :13kg ... All other skills and abilities were the same. The only noteworthy thing was that [blessed mind] disappeared. Max was confused. He did read that after blessed mind gains the minor telekinesis effect, it will disappear after learning the real telekinesis. It was because they were using the same part of the brain or something of that sort. But what confused Max was the fact that Lucy''s telekinesis was identical to his. Even when Max checks for detailed information in the simulator, they were identical. "huh? " ''Maybe it''s something for later, probably when Lucy reaches a higher proficiency. '' "Lucy, come here. Let''s test the defense capability of your skill." Lucy obediently flew towards Max with curiosity evident on her face. "alright, I am going to punch and I need you to stay still. Don''t actively use your skill. " Lucy just nodded, a bit confused. Max was very impressed by [fairy Escape.], because it technically quadruples Lucy''s health bar, but he had to test it to confirm its efficiency. Not using his full strength, Max punched, only to meet a solid blue light barrier. Bang! The light soon disappeared, because Lucy didn''t maintain it consciously and Max punched again. Bang! And again. Bang! ..... Next, he went behind Lucy, in order for her not to see the punch coming and it was the same result. Bang! Bang! Bang! Lucy was getting excited by the second, while Max finally understood how Lucy survived in that wasteland. "Now that''s something. " Max was honestly impressed, since defense wasn''t even its main enhancement but speed. Lucy opened her arms wide, waiting for Max. '' I can do this all day long. '' "alright, don''t get cocky. Instead, you need to get used to your [telekinesis], since it will be your main weapon from now on." Normally, perfected green grade skills is a bit stronger than blue skills in the initiation proficiency. But telekinesis was an exception because it gets stronger based on your spirituality attributes and Lucy gets a huge buff mountain form. ..... Max ignored Lucy and went to the chest, using telekinesis to open it since he didn''t want to get poisoned. clatter!. However, it wouldn''t budge. Putting more force would break it, so Max stopped and looked for any mechanism. "huh?". But after some time, he didn''t find any. "Lucy, how do we open this? ". Lucy just gave him a blank look that says how would I know. Max scratched his chin, not knowing what to do. He didn''t want to risk damaging the things inside. There was the extremely useful origin blood, and the map. With the most precious thing probably being the tree Max Junior. After all, Lucy gave a single drop of emerald water to a mosquito and it grew beyond its species'' limit. But this tree has been drinking emerald water for almost a thousand years. Even if it was completely useless and couldn''t produce any magical fruits or such, it could be used as a precious forging material. "Lucy, I need you to think about how to open this thing. Give me an answer later. " Max wasn''t in a hurry to open it anyway, so he didn''t mind waiting a little. By tomorrow, if Lucy can''t figure out something, he''d open it by force. Lucy gave Max a puzzled look. This wasn''t usually her line of work. Most of the time, she would be doing the fighting, not the thinking. Max ignored her and picked the remote control that looked like a tablet and started searching the web. Thankfully, the TV had web access, otherwise he would''ve had to borrow another phone. Max looked for information about how to make mirrors out of metals, just to find an easy way to make a perfect mirror out of silver. Next, he looked for a suitable restaurant to reward Lucy with wyvern eggs or something similar. But he didn''t find any restaurants like that in Kain-city, but thankfully his next destination was quite a prosperous city and had a few restaurants that offers such meals. It was Rusead-city, a place known for a good number of technologically based dungeons. In all honesty, Max wanted to try his luck in Ancunn-city to see if he can find more mirror skills or some other unique skills. But that city was just too far from his current location. Even at full speed, it will take him 4 months to reach it. Normally it wouldn''t be a problem, but the Oubach will reach Kain-city before that. As for teleportation, he didn''t like the idea of it. He read about teleportation in the simulator, but he didn''t know which specific method they used in this world. Some of them can be incredibly dangerous. What if that thing malfunction and harm his body or teleport him to someone known place? Anyway, it is better to avoid trouble than trying to fix what''s broken. Max relaxed on the bed, leaving the TV to Lucy while pulling the basic blacksmithing book he bought. He was very motivated, since even Lucy made a solid blueprint. But before engrossing himself in reading, he released the crows to accompany Lucy. " don''t make too much noise, and you''re not allowed to touch that green chest. " Craw! Craw! The crows were quite obedient, afraid that Max will lock them up again. ... Max ignored the bunch and focused on reading. Max''s impressive stats allowed him to read at an incredible speed, finishing the entire book in one night. Although he didn''t memorize the whole thing, he absorbed enough information to start working with, since all what he was lacking was the basics recorded in this book. Max stood up, putting his sleeping pets inside his pet space, tucked the scorpion Treasure Chest into his space ring, and headed out for a quick shopping trip. Since Kain-city lacked a dedicated mirror shop, he visited various regular stores, buying all their stock of mirrors. He kept doing this until he reached Phantom Titan''s associated shop. Inside, Max didn''t head to the 2nd floor, only shopping on the first. After some time he bought A D-rank resource called dense silver, and unlike other D-rank minerals. This one was too expensive, even more expensive than C-rank ones, but that was to be expected since even normal silver wasn''t cheap. Max also bought some materials for making enhanced gunpowder, and a special reagent that can give silver a perfect mirror surface. Adding a lot of different tools used for forging and handling molten metal, and others to do some precise carving on jewelry. Chapter 114 After some time he bought A D-rank resource called dense silver, and unlike other D-rank minerals. This one was too expensive, even more expensive than C-rank ones, but that was to be expected since even normal silver wasn''t cheap. Max also bought some materials for making enhanced gunpowder, and a special reagent that can give silver a perfect mirror surface. Adding a lot of different tools used for forging and handling molten metal, and others to do some precise carving on jewelry. . After that, Max didn''t have anything else to do in Kain-city for the time being, so without wasting time, he left the city through the gate and took to the sky. Wooosh! Max''s wings flapped as his speed started soring, adding the effect of [wind flight], Max literally had to close his eyes because of the wind pressure. Instead, he used [Mystic eye] on his robe flying in third person, not slowing down and soon he reached his Max speed. BOOM! Max''s speed broke through the sound barrier. Now even his body was having trouble handling the pressure. Despite this, he remained undeterred, his excitement only growing. While flying, Max kept looking around. Before going to Rusead-city, he needs to make a small detour first. At the speed of almost 1,800 km/h, Max reached his destination in barely an hour and a half. This was a D-rank zone rich with fire type beasts. "Lucy, are you awake? " ''yes.'' "good." Max slowed down, landing on a mountain. "take control of this place. " Without a second word, Max dropped Lucy on the mountain and as she turned into light and merged with it, he flew up again, circling in the sky, looking for something. ... Time passed like that, and after almost an hour of flying around aimlessly, Max finally locked his target. It was the karbem bird. A D-rank beast. It looks like an orange flamingo with fluffier feathers. The bird was flying in a small pack of three, and Max pulled his twin pistols and flew at them quickly. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.He came here specifically for this bird''s blood, and he won''t leave without it. The three beasts noticed Max and 2 of them started flapping their wings threateningly, while the third directly shot a fireball from its mouth towards the approaching Max. Couwh! Couwh!. While flying, Max aimed with both pistols,and after dodging the fire ball midair, he started firing. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!. Max''s accuracy in the air needed a lot of practice, as most shots didn''t hit, but thankfully, he got lucky. As Two of them were slightly injured, but the third got headshot, the bullet going right through its eye. Couwh! Couwh!. Max ignored the escaping two and went after the falling body, since one was more than enough for him. After securing the body into his space ring, Max went back to the mountain he left Lucy on. .... "Lucy, are you done?" ''done''. " good job. " ''simulator, show me Lucy''s stats.'' [Ding. Scanning]. Name: Lucy. Race: mountain fairy. Strength: E. (currently. C++) Agility: D++. ( C++) Vitality: E. ( B+) Spirituality: E++. ( C++) Overall evaluation: E++. Skills & abilities : 1- [Mountain ruler]. 2- [Misty Mountain]. 3- [wood aura]. 4- [wind''s chosen]. 5- [Emerald water]. 6- [blessed]. 7-[dragon vine]. 8- [Fairy Escape]. [Telekinesis] : Skill rank: Blue . -Proficiency: initiation gain telekinetic powers comparable to your spirituality stat. Current pressure/weight limit : 6900kg. Max couldn''t suppress a wicked smirk. Still, it wasn''t the time to admire their own strength. Max shook his head and took out the big golden ore he got from that martial art dungeon. It''s a D-rank metal, and Max plans to use it to make special bullets. On such a short notice, he couldn''t make a perfect blueprint for something too complicated like a weapon or an armor. All he was able to do was to start from one of his previous ideas and repurpose it. The outcome was simple, but it didn''t matter, since Max''s main purpose was to practice forging. "alright Lucy, I need you to melt this metal, and prepare a proper place for forging¡­ " Max kept giving instructions, and after he finished giving his requirements, he remembered something as he took out the Scorpion treasure chest from his space ring. "By the way, Lu, did you find how to open this thing? " ''no idea''. "well, this chest doesn''t seem too useful anyway. Let''s just use the universal key Brute Force, but before that, cover the place with Mist just in case. " Mist circled around Max in no time as he started. Still, he didn''t want to harm the things inside, so he didn''t use his hammer to open it, instead he used telekinesis with most of his focus on the lock. clatter! clatter! the lock twisted with Max increasing the pressure slowly. And ding! The lid of the chest flew away, and Max stopped using telekinesis, putting the chest in front of him. Inside -A rusty metal bottle. -A corroded palm sized glass-like object. ''this should be the fang of that white python.'' -A folded big map bigger than Max himself. -A small pitch black bonsai with black leaves and few red flowers. And finally, a bunch of minerals, not much though. First, Max opened the Rusty bottle and poured the luminous bright red blood inside a proper glass bottle. This was origin blood. It should be useful for enhancing his talent [Crimson brilliance], still he has to confirm with the simulator first. "Simulator, scan everything here." Chapter 115 Gadgets "well, this chest doesn''t seem too useful anyway. Let''s just use the universal key Brute Force, but before that, cover the place with Mist just in case. " Mist circled around Max in no time as he started. Still, he didn''t want to harm the things inside, so he didn''t use his hammer to open it, instead he used telekinesis with most of his focus on the lock. clatter! clatter! the lock twisted with Max increasing the pressure slowly. And ding! The lid of the chest flew away, and Max stopped using telekinesis, putting the chest in front of him. Inside -A rusty metal bottle. -A corroded palm sized glass-like object. ''this should be the fang of that white python.'' -A folded large map bigger than Max himself. -A small pitch black bonsai with black leaves and few red flowers. And finally, a bunch of minerals, not much though. First, Max opened the Rusty bottle and poured the luminous bright red blood inside a proper glass bottle. This was origin blood. It should be useful for enhancing his talent [Crimson brilliance], still he has to confirm with the simulator first. "Simulator, scan everything here." Rows of data appeared in front of Max as he inspected them in detail. As he expected, the tree was the most valuable thing inside. The wood alone is tougher than D-rank metal approaching the C-rank, while the leaves were considered C- rank alchemy materials. But because of the heavy radiation inside them, they were judged as useless for Alchemy. The tree overall can be considered a B-rank or higher material if someone was able to utilize it, although max had no idea if that was possible. The python fan was a peak D-rank material that got degraded to the E-rank. As for the minerals, they were average. Around the E-rank & F-rank, the only unique thing about them was the radiation they held inside. But what surprised Max the most was the map, because it wasn''t a normal map. -Name: nameless world map -Grade : E - using either blood or spiritual energy, this map can repair itself over time. Apparently, after hundreds of years of taking care of that python''s skin and feeding it the blood of different mutated creatures from all around the world, it somehow became an E-rank artifact. Artifacts are items with magical properties, but unlike equipment, they are completely useless. Max picked up the map and opened it on the floor, just to be instantly impressed. The map was bigger than himself and was a piece of art in its own right. "wow, I''ve seen a lot of ancient maps, but this one has the most charm. " The map was detailed to the point that Lucy even added a map key, representing the variation of radiation levels, mutated creatures inhabited zones, interesting locations, and such. Max wondered how many different creatures Lucy killed for their blood because the map literally had every color there was. On the back of the map in small text, Lucy wrote informations about different creatures she met all around the world, like a true biologist. There was also the new blueprint for the treasure chest. '' look great''. Lucy suddenly added. She finished Max''s orders quickly and switched her focus here, excited to see what was inside the chest. At first she was really sad because she couldn''t figure out how to open it, and thus failed to complete Max''s order, but when she saw the map she completely forgot about that. "you like it?" ''yes.'' "well it''s actually you who made it, inside the dream world." Lucy was stunned on the spot, forgetting how to speak. ''really? '' Max smiled. "yep it''s your work." Wooosh! The map suddenly flew away. Lucy was too excited and had to show off to the crows. The map flew away from Max, only for Lucy to remember that the crows are still in that strange space. Thinking for a moment, the map flew back to the confused Max, and Lucy pushed it towards his eyes, trying to let the crows see her work, through Max''s eyes. Max didn''t know what she was on about. "Lucy, I still need that, so be careful with it. " Max also liked the map, so he planned to keep it as a permanent decoration on his bedroom, thus he didn''t want to see it destroyed. Taking the map, he stored it inside the space ring, despite the unwilling Lucy. He also stored the minerals and the bottle of blood. Through the scan, he found out that the blood was useless. He couldn''t use it to enhance [Crimson brilliance], because it was too little. He could still consume it and the simulator will make him a new talent, but because of the low amount, the new talent would be too weak. Max had expected this, so he wasn''t too disappointed. After all, that will of the world was too weak, that ever Lucy, after weathering so much hardships and exhausted from all the radiation, was able to beat it. Next, Max held the black bonsai. He had to admit that it looked good. While Max Was admiring the tree, three seeds fell from it. Such a thing didn''t happen in hundreds of years. It''s either that the tree felt the surroundings being extremely beneficial to its growth. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.Or it might''ve felt danger from Max seeking a way to continue its kind. However, Max''s speed was no joke, as his hand flashed, picking the three seeds before they reached the ground. " interesting!". Max looked at the data of the tree again. The seeds were the most useless, completely useless. Just as Lucy commented, this tree only takes and never gives, but if it does that, it would give back completely useless garbage. Max stored two seeds, and threw the third to the ground, simply out of curiosity. The seed started growing black roots immediately and soon grew a few centimeters big. Max scanned the new growing tree, only to be disappointed right after. This thing didn''t have the same stats as the bonsai. The wood wasn''t even F-rank. Maybe it would grow to that point in hundreds of years, just like the bonsai. "How disappointing." Max ignored the plant and went towards the new room made by Lucy. ........ Inside, it was a perfect smithy with all kinds of tools spread according to Max''s orders. In the middle was a floating ball of molten metal, with a pit of fire under to make sure the metal wouldn''t cool down. "hmm, I see you''re already proficient with telekinesis. " ''love it''. Excitement was evident in Lucy''s voice, and Max just smiled. "glad you like it. Now I need you to take this small tree and keep it safe while I am working, and also feed it some emerald water. " ''okay'' This bonsai could probably survive inside Max''s space ring, but he didn''t want to damage such a unique material, thus he''d have to carry it around from now on, at least until he gets some equipment suitable for storing plants. As the Pitch Black tree was taken away by Lucy, Max focused on the floating ball of metal. But before starting, he gave the job of making gunpowder to Lucy, since it was easier for her to deal with chemical reactions since she can literally see them. Anyway, the gunpowder is not the most important part. As long as it was the same as the formula, it''s okay. After explaining the recipe to Lucy, Max started forging Using his own telekinetic powers, he scooped a small amount of molten metal and started shaping it into a bullet cartridge. Of course, he wouldn''t start immediately. He started by getting used to the ratios. How much metal is used, precise shape and making sure to fit the size of the bullet cartridge to the same one as the bullets used by his twin pistols. Soon Max started to get the hang of it and made the first blank cartridge. It was golden, with a unique rune on the back. It was a simple forging rune for fire, recorded in the book he read last night. After checking the shape, it was slightly off and Max started again. He wasn''t disappointed nor discouraged and just kept at it. The second one was also a failure, but the third was almost perfect. After the first success, Max made the second and the third gaining proficiency. Soon enough, he started forging three at the same time, then 6 than 40. As time passed, the metal was used up, and Max was left with almost 700 cartridges. Without stopping, Max took out the bird he hunted earlier and extracted all the blood, having it float in front of him using telekinesis. The blood was golden, and even now it was still hot. Max moved it to form an array around the cartridges. This was the blood forging method after he modified it crudely last night. It ignored proficiency and quality, focusing only on speed, and unlike the forging method, this array doesn''t make equipment out of blood but slightly enhance or modifies an already made equipment. Max deemed it useless, but today he was solely interested in the experience. Under Max''s scrutinizing eyes, the blood started glowing and merged with the cartridges slowly. ....... Looking at the time, three hours have passed and Max didn''t feel it at all. Lucy finished working on the gunpowder earlier, so Max didn''t stop. Since the gunpowder was ready, he filled the cartridges and closed them, all of that using his telekinesis. Some of them exploded in the process, but Max didn''t mind since what''s left was enough for him to use for a long time. ..... "Simulator scan." [Ding : -D-rank bullet. - can increase the fire power by one rank. (the limit is C-rank). - special effect : every shot will leave fire dust within the muzzle, and after accumulating enough dust after three shots, the fourth one will carry all of it as it ignites, doubling the damage and adding a burning effect. Note : if left in contact with the oxygen for long periods, there is a chance for it to ignite and explode. Max smiled, satisfied with his work. " success. " Next, Max needs to forge 2 gadgets for his mirror skills. His skill [Mirror image] that he didn''t test yet, gets stronger based on the mirror used, so having tougher mirrors is welcomed. Plus, his [mirror prison] also function better with stronger mirrors, although it wasn''t mentioned in the details. First, Max took out a small chunk of dense silver and malted it. After that, using telekinesis, he shaped it into a ring, and he didn''t forget to add some engravings just for the sake of making it look better. After it cooled down, Max took out a bottle of that special reagent. Using telekinesis, he carefully lifted a drop of it and used it on the inner surface of the ring, since the mirror had to be in contact with his skin. In no time, the inner surface looked like a perfect mirror to the point Max couldn''t believe it was made of silver. Putting the ring on, Max smirked. On his hand, the mirror part wasn''t apparent, and it looked like a normal silver ring. In case he was in a situation where he couldn''t reach out to a mirror, nor take one out from his space ring, and he wanted to escape. He could directly use [World of mirrors], and escape to the mirror world through the ring. The ring would be left behind, but it wasn''t even an equipment so Max wouldn''t care much. Max made a few more rings, and after that he left the forging room, giving all the dense silver to Lucy. "Lu, make me some cards using that silver similar to the playing cards you saw in the series. Make them thin and smooth, also I need you to use your full telekinetic powers to pressure them. I need you to squeeze them as much as possible. " Lucy listened intently as Max carefully explained his requirements. ''OK''. .......... While Lucy was doing her job, Max decided to test his [Mirror image]. Using a regular mirror, he used [mirror image]. His energy was being consumed rapidly, causing the mirror to transform and expand in size. Within moments, its shape began to resemble that of Max, and then it gradually shifted colors until it became an exact replica of him. Max''s vision suddenly split, giving him a strong headache out of nowhere. It was as if he was playing a video game with two monitors, each showing different angles. Max tried to move, only to feel disoriented. For a moment, he couldn''t judge right from left. "using both my body and the mirror at the same time needs lots of practice." Max stopped controlling the mirror, focusing on his real body instead. "Sigh, why do I only get the headache inducing skills? " The mirror was like a puppet, unmoving. Next, Max closed his eyes, moving his focus to the Mirror Image this time. Opening his eyes, Max was amazed, looking at his real body, still eyes closed. Walking around, Max was impressed. This body even had all five senses, although they were extremely dull. His Vision and hearing were pretty bad while the sense of touch was almost nonexistent ......... As Max was done testing, Lucy brought him a 2 sets of silver cards. One set was smooth on both sides, while the other had one side with different engravings, from dragons two eggs to cartoons.. That was what Max asked of her. It was simply to confuse the enemy if there was a need to. Taking the cards, Max felt how heavy they were and smiled in satisfaction. Without wasting anymore time, Max used the reagent only leaving the side with the carvings. Chapter 116 Walking around, Max was impressed. This body even had all five senses, although they were extremely dull. His Vision and hearing were pretty bad while the sense of touch was almost nonexistent .................. As Max was done testing, Lucy brought him 2 sets of silver cards. One set was smooth on both sides, while the other had one side with different engravings, from dragons to eggs to cartoons.. That was what Max asked of her. It was simply to confuse the enemy if there was a need to. Taking the cards, Max felt how heavy they were and smiled in satisfaction. Without wasting anymore time, Max used the reagent, only leaving the side with the carvings as it is. .......... "alright we''re done here. Let''s go Lucy.¡± ¡®OK¡¯. Lucy appeared in front of Max and was pulled into the pet space. Next, Max looked at the black bonsai, as he had an idea. Using one of the mirror cards, he touched it slightly, and it was absorbed using [mirror prison]. Max¡¯s stats obviously crushed that of a tree, which means it will be under a perfect seal, which is technically a perfect refrigerator. Looking at the tree that now looks like a painting, Max was satisfied as he flew away. ........................ Soon enough, Rusead-city was within sight. It took him around two more hours to get here, in which he had to stop to seal the tree again after the duration ended. Before reaching the city, Max landed on a mountain not far off from the city. It was barely 2 km away, and Max judged this was a suitable location. ¡°This is your stop Lucy. ¡° spoke Max as he took Lucy out of the pet space. Lucy tilted her head at him in confusion. ¡°I have a mission for you. First, take over this mountain, and after that, I need you to monitor your surroundings for any dungeon gates that appear around you. ¡° Lucy started taking control over the mountain, and Max waited. ............... Some time later, Lucy completed her job, and Max started explaining what she was supposed to do.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Just lie low. Make sure no one finds you. Keep watch all the time. I need you to find dungeon gates before they get discovered. ¡° Max briefly explains to Lucy how to identify Dungeon gates, then took out the laptop. ¡°you can keep the laptop, in case you are bored, but don''t forget your task. I will be in the city, inform me if anything happens. ¡° ¡®how long¡¯. ¡°hmm, a few days, maybe weeks, depends on the situation. But don''t worry, with my speed you''re a minute away, I¡¯d check up on you from time to time. ¡° ¡®OK¡¯ Lucy didn''t like to be alone, but since it was a mission from Max, she didn''t argue. As he took to the sky, Max couldn''t help but give a few more warnings. ¡°also hide the laptop inside a closed cave or somewhere out of sight and don''t forget to keep low-key, don''t use any of your skills in Plain Sight. ¡° Max knew she''d really pull such a stunt if he didn''t warn her. Just thinking about it gave him a headache. He just entered the city and next morning news about a new monster type spreads. The flying laptop that plays anime. ¡®OK won''t¡¯. Getting a confirmation, Max flew away. Looking at Max''s disappearing back, Lucy set up a cave inside the mountain, decorated it a little, and placed the laptop in the middle of the cave. Next, she started surveying the mountain. For a quick survey, it takes her around 20-minutes and Max gave her a simple schedule. First, slowly and meticulously survey everything around the mountain and get used to the surroundings. After that, she would enter routine mode exactly every 1 hour, do a quick survey to check for any changes within the mountain. ..............¡­¡­. ¡­ ¡­ Max flew down and walked through the city gate. Looking around, he was quite disappointed. The city and its surroundings were filled with high-tech dungeons, so he had high expectations from this city, but it wasn''t much different from Kain-city. ¡°well, I am not here as a tourist, so let''s get to business.¡± Walking around the city, Max noticed that the place was well managed, and the security was quite high. There were no gangsters on the side of the road, unlike the pack of hungry dogs back at Kain-city. This made Max feel annoyed. One can''t simply get away with killing around here, and having no identity would make it worst. ¡°well let''s try my luck with a few dungeons first. If it seemed helpless, then I¡¯d just leave.¡± Max needed something that can help hack into private networks, and he needed it soon, because the Oubach attack will give him the best window to access devices such as computers that are connected to those certain networks, mainly that of the government and zero-wing biological Institute. For the government, it''s because of the hive-mind project or the part that wasn''t published online, to be exact. Max had a bit of information about it, thanks to a brief mention from the researcher he chatted with online. It is the reason why he didn''t push the crows to practice [psychic link] in order to reach the perfected mastery and gain some useful effects. As for zero-wing, Max just wanted to see if they were hiding any secret evolution routes or such. anyway, gaining more information about how the ash crows came to be should prove handy. ¡°Sigh.¡± Max knew that he was shooting blindly, since the chances of finding exactly what he needs inside the dungeon is approximately zero percent, but the other option was to cooperate with some underground organization. Max wasn''t against cooperation, but while some forgotten data being copied isn''t a big deal and the government might ignore it or even not notice it. But if the person Max cooperated with end up taking some vital National Defense secrets, then Max will get a team of A or S-ranks on his tail. In Max''s mind, a formidable foe is less threatening than a pig teammate, so he will only consider cooperation when two conditions are met: first substantial benefits involved, and second reliable allies. .................. Deep in contemplation, Max strolled aimlessly through many streets. Along the way, Max''s passive didn''t get a good lock on anyone. Max felt helpless. He just wanted to ask for directions, for any dungeon broker that except bribes instead of identity cards. To enter a dungeon, one must provide an identity card, and some basic information about himself from power level to the main pets or skills. ............. After some more aimless wondering, Max was getting seriously annoyed. It¡¯s either all the bad guys were held up in some corner he didn''t know about or that this city was gangster-free. Max decided to give up for the time being and checked into the nearest hotel. He wanted to analyze the map thoroughly to plan the next simulation, and a bit of rest would be nice, too. ..................... Inside the hotel room, Max took a bath, had a good meal, then went to business Still in a bathrobe, he walked to the living room and spread the map on the table at the same time, manifesting the 3D holographic map from the simulator. Lucy marked radiation as: none/ survivable/ deadly. But the problem was that almost the entire map was at survivable, and that wasn''t good news, because what is survivable to Lucy is absolutely deadly to the crows. Even the green land with the will of the world ruling it were marked as survivable. Max didn''t know how those centaurs and animals survived the radiation. Most probably, the will of that world helped them gain resistance somehow. Looking down, Max noticed one spot with no radiation. It was the place that kept getting struck by lightning and being cloudy all year round. ¡°worth a shot.¡± Next, Max started looking for something related to mirrors, maybe some reflective metal or such, hopefully in the lightning region. But to Max''s disappointment, there were none within that region. However, he did find mirrors. It''s actually a mutated creature that Lucy recorded. It was a 3 feet tall earthworm with a glass like a head. It is used to reflect the sunlight which helps them hunt for flying bugs. Looking at their location, there were in a region neighboring a deadly zone, the same one with the countless green fluorescent lakes. ¡­ Chapter 117 Looking down, Max noticed one spot with no radiation. It was the place that kept getting struck by lightning and being cloudy all year round. ¡°worth a shot.¡± Next, Max started looking for something related to mirrors, maybe some reflective metal or such, hopefully in the lightning region. But to Max''s disappointment, there were none within that region. However, he did find mirrors. It''s actually a mutated creature that Lucy recorded. It was a 3 feet tall earthworm with a glass-like head. It is used to reflect the sunlight which helps them hunt for flying bugs. Looking at their location, there were in a region neighboring a deadly zone, the same one with the countless green fluorescent lakes. ¡­ As Max was deep in thoughts, a sudden mental message interrupted him. ¡®hello.¡¯ ¡°huh? Lucy, what''s up? ¡° ¡®nothing, how r u. ¡® ¡°I am fine.¡± ¡®good.¡¯ Max was baffled for a moment, it seems that little Lu was feeling a bit lonely. ¡®how are the crows?¡¯. Max looked to the side at the crows playing a game similar to poker happily. For some reason, they were insistent on playing card games. Since Lucy wasn''t here, they even ignored the TV. Craw! Craw! Looking at Mok winning and collecting all the chips while the rest boiled for the next round, Max didn''t know what to say. ¡°they''re missing you.¡± ¡®oh okay¡¯. ¡°oy Lu, why did you switch to social awkwardness mode? If you''re feeling lonely, I can come pick you up. ¡° ¡® no, got job to do.¡¯Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°alright, next time we meet, I¡¯d take you to eat wyvern eggs as a reward.¡± ¡® Dragon cousins? ¡® ¡°yep those guys. ¡° ¡®yay¡¯. ¡°alright I am going to get some sleep goodnight.¡± ¡®bey.¡¯ Max folded the map and headed to the bedroom, quickly falling asleep while the crows outside were enjoying themselves. He couldn¡¯t understand their sudden excitement over playing cards. Perhaps something had happened within the pet space that he was unaware of, but he chose to ignore the issue as he dozed off. .....................¡­ In the early morning, Max awoke to the raucous cawing of crows. Instead of returning to sleep, he took the crows inside the pet space and decided to leave the hotel and seek directions to dungeon brokers who were open to accepting bribes. Fortunately, he had the good fortune of encountering a dubious guy in a dimly lit alley, most probably a drug dealer, but Max couldn''t care less. After a few minutes of navigating the city, he found himself waiting inside the office of a dungeon broker. The office was unremarkable in appearance, except for a large screen situated in the center of the waiting room that displayed all the available dungeons. After a 20-minute wait, it was finally Max¡¯s turn to meet with the broker. But after sitting in front of the broker, Max''s already bad mood worsened, because his passive didn''t have much effect on the middle-aged man in front of him, this guy was obviously not the kind of shady individuals he''s passive works on. ¡°This is your first time working with me. What can I do for you?¡± spoke the middle-aged man in a neutral tone. Still Max kept a poker face as he responded. ¡°I need a few dungeon passes, but I have a small problem. ¡° ¡°and that is? ¡°. ¡°you see, I forgot my ID.¡± ¡°hm, I see that''s not a problem. F-rank dungeons are usually free, but pay me 5k and once you bring your ID, I¡¯d give you your money back. As for E-rank, you have to pay 10k instead of the normal 1K. ¡° Max was pleasantly surprised by the cheap bribe this guy was asking for, but there were a single problem. You didn''t mention dungeons above the E-rank. ¡°I need some higher rank dungeon.¡± The Middle-aged man just shook his head, meaning obvious, without ID Max won''t be able to get a pass for a high rank dungeon. Without a word, Max placed half a million credit on the desk. Thud! ¡°Please check again.¡± The broker''s eyes shook slightly, but eventually he shook his head and pushed the money back to max. This broker was obviously a good person, most probably only accepting bribery because of desperation. But Max didn''t give a damn, as he placed another half a million on the desk. However, the broker was adamant. Max helplessly took the money back. If they were at Kain-city, Max would''ve invited this guy to a long-term vacation inside his mirror world. ¡°alright I''d take whatever high tech E-rank dungeons you have. ¡° The broker silently took two papers and fill them up. ¡°your name.¡± ¡°Max.¡± The broker stamped the two papers and handed them to Max. ¡°two E-rank dungeons, make sure to clear them within the time limit you''re given.¡± Looking at the paperwork, one dungeon had 3 days and the other over a week. Max didn''t mind and payed 20k and left without a second word. The broker looked at Max''s back with a bitter smile, with his experience and, although Max had a poker face all the time, he could judge that he pissed the wrong person. But he was helpless about it. The higher ups don''t care about E and F-rank dungeons, but anything more is well monitored. Plus if he had the choice he wouldn''t of dealt with people that are obviously outlaws like Max. "Sigh¡±.¡­ ............ Outside, Max was flying towards Lucy. He planned to clear the two dungeons quickly, but before that, he had to pick up Lucy. Leaving her alone while he goes to a completely separate space is a recipe for bad luck and Max is unwilling to test his luck. Within a minute of flight, Lucy appeared in front of him and jumped on him. ¡®miii¡¯. Max patted the excited Lucy. ¡°alright, alright. We got business to take care of. ¡° Little Lu just nodded before Max pulled her into the pet space. ........ Inside the pet space before Max met Lucy, the crows were sitting in a circular table playing poker with jugs of water and fake smokes in their mouths that Max made for them, since they asked. The mood was filled with tension, as sand crow ramla was the card dealer, and. Mok was keeping count of points. Ramla kept stealing and cheating so he was kicked out, and mok was just too good, thus his current job. Suddenly, when they saw Lucy in Max''s vision, they flipped the table and hid everything just barely before Lucy came in. ................ Looking at this, Max was confused. The crows seem afraid of playing with Lucy for some reason. Ignoring the matter, Max headed to the closest dungeon. Chapter 118 Clearing dungeons. Suddenly, when they saw Lucy in Max''s vision, they flipped the table and hid everything just barely before Lucy came in. .... Looking at this, Max was confused. The crows seemed afraid of playing with Lucy for some reason. Ignoring the matter, Max headed to the closest dungeon. The closer one was located inside the city, whereas the other was outside on the opposite side from Max''s position. Suddenly, when they saw Lucy in Max''s vision, they flipped the table and hid everything just barely before Lucy came in. .... Looking at this, Max was confused. The crows seemed afraid of playing with Lucy for some reason. Ignoring the matter, Max headed to the closest dungeon. The closer one was located inside the city, whereas the other was outside on the opposite side from Max''s position. Without further delay, Max flew towards the dungeon. And before long, he landed in front of a black metallic door situated in the middle of the street. In front of the door, two police officers in black uniforms were standing guard. as Max landed and approached the door, they gave him suspicious looks. " officers, I am here to clear this dungeon. " Spoke Max as he handed the dungeon pass. "you?" responded one of them reflexively. He wasn''t looking down on max but the opposite. "this is just an E-rank dungeon. Are you mistaken? " spoke the second as he took the dungeon pass from Max, checking the information. "I am currently without a team, so I thought I''d solo some E-rank dungeons. I''m peak D-rank by the way. " "I see." the officer just gave the papers a quick glance. "all clear, you can go in." The two officers nodded and made way for Max. Max nodded back and walked forward, pushing the door. At first it gave some resistance while judging Max, but soon it reluctantly gave way as Max walked through, finding himself in an obsidian corridor. Normally with Max''s strength he shouldn''t be allowed inside an E-rank dungeon because the current him can even fight C-ranks. But his evaluation was still at D-rank, so since he chose to solo this dungeon, it had no other choice but to accept him. This situation was mostly because he didn''t have a meditation technique, otherwise his evaluation would be at the C-rank. .... Despite the lack of light sources, the place wasn''t dark at all; it was surprisingly bright. Max walked forward, examining the surroundings with curiosity. The walls were smooth, without any markings or such. The corridor was around 10 meters long before reaching an intersection. "is it a maze or just poor design? ". Wondered Max, but he was suddenly interrupted by a sound akin to that of vibrations approaching. Looking in front, it was three metallic drones flying at him at high speed. blue in color with the shape of a stingray fish. They seemed more advanced than the ones outside, so that was a good sign. Max smirked and pulled his twin pistols. "what a fancy shooting target." Max Aimed with both hands and pulled the trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang!. Boom! Three bullets and the three drones were done for, two exploded while the other one fell to the ground broken. Before the bullet hit that one, it was able to shoot a laser beam at Max, which he blocked using his wing. Although it wasn''t necessary because this laser was too weak to cause him harm, after all, this was just an E-rank dungeon. Max pulled the broken drone using telekinesis, examining it closely. It''s not like he actually knows what he was looking at. High tech was way out of his expertise. Max just stored the remains and moved forward. ...¡­. Bang!¡­ Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! In the next 30 minutes, Max used the drones as practice targets to get used to his new pistols. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!. .... Standing in the middle of a pile of ruined drones, Max had accepted that there was nothing of value to be found. Instead, he chose to be optimistic, viewing this E-rank dungeon as a chance to practice his skills. E-rank dungeons are quite straightforward, the boss room being in the center most of the time. Thus, Max ignored the center route, wanting to explore all branches first. Sometimes Branch roots are empty, just filled with enemies, other times it''s a rewarding venture. Max put away his twin pistols, planning on testing telekinesis from now on. He moved his hands as two upcoming drones collided heavily, causing a deafening explosion. BOOM!. Next, reaching with his right hand, a drone that was ready to fire suddenly turned, aiming at the nearby drones. Zzzzzz. BOOM! Explosions filled the area as Max used telekinesis to lift nearby metal junk than shoot it towards the drones. "hmm, my maximum range should be 30m for now. " Telekinesis'' current range wasn''t much, but Max didn''t worry because theoretically, the skill didn''t actually have a range. It just keeps getting weaker the further it is from the user, but as the skill''s proficiency increase and the spirituality Stat gets higher, it will keep expanding naturally. Currently, Max''s optimal range is 10 m. From that point, it starts getting weaker until it becomes impossible to lift anything beyond 30 m. ... Looking around, no more drones were left in this area. as Max wanted to head to the next branch, he suddenly stopped listening to the mental messages bombarding his mind. " quiet down!. " apparently his pets were bored from just watching and wanted to join the fun. "alright, you can have fun, but stay together and be careful. Also, bring anything that looks valuable. " Max waved his hand, and all his pets appeared in front of him. "you can explore right, I''d go left. " Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! mimi. The crows flew in a formation, excited. While Lucy turned into a shooting blue beam colliding directly with an upcoming drone like a tank. BOOM! ..... Max Just shook his head and went on his way. He didn''t worry about the pets because he understood dungeons well enough. One could say that dungeons were safer than the real world, at least normal dungeons are. They were like a football match with fixed predictable rules. There was no danger as long as you know the rules and your limits. Still, this was only applicable for normal dungeons such as this one. ..... ¡­.. And just like that, Max and his pets effortlessly conquered this unfortunate dungeon, seizing every valuable item along the way. Although, to be honest, they didn''t understand the value of the things they got; they were just a bunch of chips, and what seems to be drone parts. .... Now, Max finds himself standing before the boss'' room¡ªan expansive chamber crafted entirely from obsidian. Within its confines, a larger drone hovers ominously. However, because Max didn''t walk inside, it was unable to get out of the boss chamber to attack him. Behind the drone was an obsidian chest rooted to the ground. ..... Max squinted his eyes and with a swift motion he flew up to the boss drone holding a silver mirror card in one hand, while using telekinesis to pull the Drone closer to him. This drone looks at least 10 times more advanced than the other ones, so Max wanted to capture it and take it out. Even if he couldn''t find a proper use for it, he could sell it and it would easily fetch him a few millions. The drone was heavy and with its propellers working; it wasn''t pulled by Max, but his telekinetic powers were enough to freeze it in place for him to reach it and place the card on it. But before he could use [mirror prison]¡­ BOOM!¡­ The drone self-detonated, and Max almost fell to the ground, completely disheveled. ..... He had some light injuries here and there, but nothing serious. "Cough! " Waving the smoke away, Max smiled bitterly. The drone acted too fast. It was obvious that whatever race Behind These drones, prepared this after they witnessed Max''s strength. "It''s just some E-rank drone, you poor bastards." For dungeon command, it''s either a powerful individual from that dungeon world controlling the dungeon like a chess game, or it might be the will of that world. Still, after the dungeon is opened, their control is limited to simple commands, not direct interference. Max grumbled a little more, then walked towards the obsidian chest and opened it. Glancing down, Max didn''t know what he was looking at. It was more obsidian, this time paper thin and being in different shapes and having different patterns on it. Lucy came next to Max, pointing at the paper thin obsidian. ''this is?'' "my best guess is that there are tech chips of some kind. " Craw! Craw! "I honestly don''t know if they''re useful," Max felt helpless since even the simulator just shows its components and that it''s some primitive tech. The problem is that the simulator Mark every technology as primitive tech. "Sigh." Max just sent his pets inside the pet space, and bent down holding the chest as he lifted, uprooting it from the ground. Crack!¡­ After storing the chest, Max left through the new gate that appeared inside the boss'' room. ..... Outside, Max didn''t waste time and immediately flew to the next dungeon. Soon enough, he found himself in the middle of nowhere, in front of a blue rotating portal. There were no officers in front of the gate, just a tiny robot placed on the ground. " civilian, please be informed: this dungeon has already been recorded. Attempting to clear it without authorization is punishable by law. " Max didn''t feel like listening to the entire boring voice message, and just showed the little robot his dungeon pass. "peep! All clear, you are free to pass. " Max walked past the tiny robot going through the gate. After the dizzying sensation of teleportation passed, Max found himself inside a rusty, broken bus. Looking through the window, his expression darkened immediately, because the scene in front of him did not look like it was from a technologically advanced dungeon. Max wasn''t someone with a good temper, and feeling cheated out of his time he wanted to pull a certain someone inside his mirror world. "Sigh." collecting himself, Max looked around. He was in what appeared to be a post-apocalyptic land. This dungeon was smaller than the previous one and was fully visible to him thanks to his [Mystic Eye]. It resembled an old train station that had weathered a hurricane, with only a handful of rusty street lamps providing dim illumination. Max could only see a small circle around the station, as the rest was engulfed in what seemed to be black smoke. Max tried to throw a stone inside the smoke, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier. Apparently, the dungeon was just the train station and its immediate surroundings other than that is pass limit. As for his enemies, they appeared to be human, which piqued Max''s curiosity. They held old antique-like rifles, and donned bulletproof armor that bore a striking resemblance to the gear worn by the members of the special forces. However, the armor lacked any visible writing or markings and possessed a deeper shade of black. It also featured a black veil that concealed the face and a flowing black cape. The bunch looked menacing, but Max didn''t give a damn. He was already in a bad mood, so without wasting time, he punched out, breaking the bus''s roof and flew up. Bang!. ... Wooosh! The noise attracted the attention of the armored guys as they aimed their guns. But looking at the flying Max. They were stunned for a moment, but one of them regained his senses quickly and shouted in an unknown language that Max instinctively understood because of the effect of the dungeon. "open fire¡­" The others came to their senses and fired without hesitation. Ta ! Ta Ta TaTa¡­ ... The guns looked old, but they weren''t weak and functioned perfectly. However, the guys in bulletproof armor didn''t have the time to be impressed by their own weaponry, because they all shared the same horrified expression looking at the smirking Max with all the bullets frozen in mid-air in front of him. Max snapped his fingers and all the bullets were sent back to their owners. Woosh!. Vr! "ahhhh. " "Nooooooo." "what the heck is that?" Looking down, Max was surprised because a good number of them survived, although with heavy injuries. "hmm, well, that''s not bad since I have some questions. " Max flew down, and all others flew up, being suspended mid-air by his telekinetic powers. "let me go..you. bastard.. ." Max waved his hand. The guy started choking, waving his legs wildly while trying to grab something invisible on his neck. Up until now, Max still finds it hard to use telekinesis, or some other skills without hand gestures. This was because humans didn''t have that natural instinct for Supernatural Powers, but it wasn''t a big deal, just something he''d get used to over time. The group was silent, afraid that they would have to suffer the same treatment if they spoke, while Max calmly took the veil off one of them, and as expected, a perfectly human face was behind it. '' another world with humans! Huh? ''. Looking at the veil, it was pitch black on one side and see through from the other. Max inspected it a little, then stored it. Looking up, Max was speechless because the guy he choked died. "honestly I didn''t want to kill him. " Max just looked at the others and shrugged. The bunch were frightened, and even though they were war veterans, being held like this, weak and helpless in the hands of a madman, broke them a little. Not all though, since some of them were glaring at Max hatefully. Max just smiled. "don''t give me those looks. I might get scared and snap your necks." Snap ! Thud. A body with a broken neck fell to the ground in front of everyone. "you monster. " Snap! Thud. And a second one¡­ ... After clearing all nuisances, only three were left. "alright let me make myself clear. I want to know more about where you came from. If I judge any information to be useful enough, I might even take you out of here alive as payment. "The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The three looked at each other, and their expressions hardened. They were willing to die before giving informations about their homes and their situation. One of them even spat at Max. Spit! However, the spit just left his mouth, just to be thrown back at his face. The guy''s fierce attitude disappeared immediately. "you¡­! " Only now did Max felt that the money spent on telekinesis was completely worth it. "meh, well, it''s not like weaklings in an E-rank dungeon would know anything useful to me. It''s just curiosity since I like history. I was going to let you out if you told me something interesting. But since you tried to spit at me, then you and your friends will have a painful journey to the afterlife. " Before they could respond, their limbs started twisting slowly. "ahhbhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." three screams echoed, as Max walked towards the station''s entrance. Inside were 6 more people as the boss of this dungeon. Their armor had a red skull on the back, symbolizing a higher rank, while their guns were slightly more advanced. And even though they heard the screams, they didn''t go out but stayed in ambush, not knowing that Max could see them through [Mystic eye]. He just had to throw a tiny piece of wood inside, being unnoticeable. Max stopped walking, not wanting to play games with them, and pulled his twin pistols. This bunch looks disciplined and well trained, but sadly they didn''t have the chance to show it, as Max aimed and shot through the walls since he could see them through Mystic''s eye. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!¡­ Six headshots and six dead bodies. After that, Max just strolled around looking for any good loot, not finding much since he looked down on the armor and guns of those bunch. In the section where they buy train tickets from, Max found an old rusty robot wearing a blue uniform behind the counter. It had a gun in one hand and a ticket in the other. "piiiiiiiiiiiick oone pleasee." Spoke the robot in a mechanical broken tone. This should be the reward of the dungeon, and since Max was told to pick one reward, it means if he picks both, a challenge would appear or the difficulty will be raised slightly. Still, E-rank dungeons were too basic. Most probably he would have to fight the robot if he picked both, so without hesitation he aimed and put the poor machine to rest. Bang! Bang! Bang! With C-rank fire power, the golden bullets went straight through without hindrance. ... The ticket was a dungeon key, although Max wasn''t sure which kind it was or what it does exactly, nor did he care much. This kind of items should react when the specific dungeon opens or when Max meets a certain condition, but he decided to just ignore it for now. As for the gun, it was just an E-rank with good firepower and no skills, so Max just stored it in disappointment. Looking at the black smoke that surrounded the place, Max immediately left through the gate that appeared next to him. For most people, this was just a normal dungeon, however because of his passive, Max could feel the malice of countless creatures gazing at him from beyond the smoke. This malice was not that of hatred or such, but more like the hunger of a predator. In all honesty, Max wanted to undo the invisible barrier and teach whatever is behind a good lesson for being a creep, but sadly he couldn''t, thus there was no need for him to stay any longer. ..... Outside, Max just sent Lucy back to her post to keep watch for new dungeons, ignoring her reluctance. In such a big Mountain Max didn''t believe no dungeon gates will open, and if he get to it before the agents responsible for recording dungeons, by law he would be free to clear it. After Lucy took control over the mountain, Max went back to the city. Unlike Kain-city, which was a dangerous place where only shops with deep backgrounds operated. Rusead-city was a safe place in which people didn''t fear doing business and getting in trouble because of it. Thus, there were more shops and some professionals even placed the goods they found inside dungeons on the side-road to sell them. So Max wanted to stroll around before calling it a day. As he walked through the bustling streets where vendors shouted their prices and buyers haggled with fever, Max couldn''t help but wonder why they were left to ruin the peace of the street. "I guess since it was good for money flow, they let it slide." As Max walked, he heard a widespread rumor that made his expression strange. "Have you heard the news about the Biohazard close by?" "Idiot, it''s an environmental problem and doesn''t concern us " "You don''t care about the environment? " "Who cares? They can fix it with superpowers." "you¡­! " " meh, what is it, by the way?" "In less than a full day, some strange black trees spread like the plague, killing all vegetation around it and sipping the Earth dry out of nutrients. I even heard that an A-rank had to intervene and burn 2 kilometers of distance before it spread further. " "That bad?" "yep" "where did it come from?." "most probably a dungeon break." A normal police officer on the side jumped into the conversation. "No, the scanners didn''t pick any dungeons. Most probably it''s someone who had a strange item from a dungeon and didn''t know how to use it. And they caught a suspicious person on the scene. They''re 90% sure that suspicious person is the cause. " .... .. Max stopped listening, since he knew the real cause. He silently took out a silver mirror card from his pocket, with the black Bonsai sealed inside. "hhh," ''I still have two seeds!¡­ And I thought it was useless! ''. As Max was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed a grumpy individual with metallic parts placed in front of him on a piece of cloth. A little surprised, Max approached the guy, ignoring the matter of the bonsai for now. "That golden shimmer!, could it be Orkin metal? " Looking at Max''s natural domineering style, the grumpy guy was no longer grumpy. "you have sharp eyes sir, yes it is. " Orkin metal wasn''t something used for forging or making equipment, although it was as tough as B-rank metal. But its conductivity is the worst recorded ever. It couldn''t sustain any runes nor forging arrays, or any type of mystical energy, thus its left as an industrial metal used for heavy industry such as trains. Because of that, it''s almost never sold, even though it was super cheap. Picking up a piece, Max examined it slowly. It wasn''t metal ingots or raw ore but seems to be broken parts of something. The seller jumped in to explain before Max could ask. "it was part of a Golem-like statue, just a decoration in front of the boss''s room. My share was low, so I thought I''d take it to make something extra." "hmm. " Max had a vague idea at the back of his mind since he read the map of the simulation world, and this metal might just prove useful. "how much?" "hmm sir, how about you take it all for 50k?" Max just threw the useless gun he had just got at him. "E-rank, excellent firepower, no skill. " The guy started nodding hurriedly in agreement, afraid that Max will change his mind. Although the metal was worth more than the gun but it had no buyer, while no one would say no for a useful gun. Max stored all the metal parts and kept strolling. ..... However, after almost 2 hours of fruitless window shopping, he gave up and left for a certain restaurant. There he ordered some well-cooked wyvern eggs and some other famous dishes than left to the mountain with the food package. Since he technically was the reason for the black trees incident, he wanted to stay out of the city, and hide within Lucy''s range, just out of cautiousness. Little Lu, should be happy hearing the news anyway. Without further delay, Max flew towards the dungeon. And before long, he landed in front of a black metallic door situated in the middle of the street. In front of the door, two police officers in black uniforms were standing guard. as Max landed and approached the door, they gave him suspicious looks. " officers, I am here to clear this dungeon. " Spoke Max as he handed the dungeon pass. "you?" responded one of them reflexively. He wasn''t looking down on max but the opposite. "this is just an E-rank dungeon. Are you mistaken? " spoke the second as he took the dungeon pass from Max, checking the information. "I am currently without a team, so I thought I''d solo some E-rank dungeons. I''m peak D-rank by the way. " "I see." the officer just gave the papers a quick glance. "all clear, you can go in." The two officers nodded and made way for Max. Max nodded back and walked forward, pushing the door. At first it gave some resistance while judging Max, but soon it reluctantly gave way as Max walked through, finding himself in an obsidian corridor. Normally with Max''s strength he shouldn''t be allowed inside an E-rank dungeon because the current him can even fight C-ranks. But his evaluation was still at D-rank, so since he chose to solo this dungeon, it had no other choice but to accept him. This situation was mostly because he didn''t have a meditation technique, otherwise his evaluation would be at the C-rank. .... Despite the lack of light sources, the place wasn''t dark at all; it was surprisingly bright. Max walked forward, examining the surroundings with curiosity. The walls were smooth, without any markings or such. The corridor was around 10 meters long before reaching an intersection. "is it a maze or just poor design? ". Wondered Max, but he was suddenly interrupted by a sound akin to that of vibrations approaching. Looking in front, it was three metallic drones flying at him at high speed. blue in color with the shape of a stingray fish. They seemed more advanced than the ones outside, so that was a good sign. Max smirked and pulled his twin pistols. "what a fancy shooting target." Max Aimed with both hands and pulled the trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang!. Boom! Three bullets and the three drones were done for, two exploded while the other one fell to the ground broken. Before the bullet hit that one, it was able to shoot a laser beam at Max, which he blocked using his wing. Although it wasn''t necessary because this laser was too weak to cause him harm, after all, this was just an E-rank dungeon. Max pulled the broken drone using telekinesis, examining it closely. It''s not like he actually knows what he was looking at. High tech was way out of his expertise. Max just stored the remains and moved forward. ...¡­. Bang!¡­ Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! In the next 30 minutes, Max used the drones as practice targets to get used to his new pistols. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!. .... Standing in the middle of a pile of ruined drones, Max had accepted that there was nothing of value to be found. Instead, he chose to be optimistic, viewing this E-rank dungeon as a chance to practice his skills. E-rank dungeons are quite straightforward, the boss room being in the center most of the time. Thus, Max ignored the center route, wanting to explore all branches first. Sometimes Branch roots are empty, just filled with enemies, other times it''s a rewarding venture. Max put away his twin pistols, planning on testing telekinesis from now on. He moved his hands as two upcoming drones collided heavily, causing a deafening explosion. BOOM!. Next, reaching with his right hand, a drone that was ready to fire suddenly turned, aiming at the nearby drones. Zzzzzz. BOOM! Explosions filled the area as Max used telekinesis to lift nearby metal junk than shoot it towards the drones. "hmm, my maximum range should be 30m for now. " Telekinesis'' current range wasn''t much, but Max didn''t worry because theoretically, the skill didn''t actually have a range. It just keeps getting weaker the further it is from the user, but as the skill''s proficiency increase and the spirituality Stat gets higher, it will keep expanding naturally. Currently, Max''s optimal range is 10 m. From that point, it starts getting weaker until it becomes impossible to lift anything beyond 30 m. ... Looking around, no more drones were left in this area. as Max wanted to head to the next branch, he suddenly stopped listening to the mental messages bombarding his mind. " quiet down!. " apparently his pets were bored from just watching and wanted to join the fun. "alright, you can have fun, but stay together and be careful. Also, bring anything that looks valuable. " Max waved his hand, and all his pets appeared in front of him. "you can explore right, I''d go left. " Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! mimi. The crows flew in a formation, excited. While Lucy turned into a shooting blue beam colliding directly with an upcoming drone like a tank. BOOM! ..... Max Just shook his head and went on his way. He didn''t worry about the pets because he understood dungeons well enough. One could say that dungeons were safer than the real world, at least normal dungeons are. They were like a football match with fixed predictable rules. There was no danger as long as you know the rules and your limits. Still, this was only applicable for normal dungeons such as this one. ..... ¡­.. And just like that, Max and his pets effortlessly conquered this unfortunate dungeon, seizing every valuable item along the way. Although, to be honest, they didn''t understand the value of the things they got; they were just a bunch of chips, and what seems to be drone parts. .... Now, Max finds himself standing before the boss'' room¡ªan expansive chamber crafted entirely from obsidian. Within its confines, a larger drone hovers ominously. However, because Max didn''t walk inside, it was unable to get out of the boss chamber to attack him. Behind the drone was an obsidian chest rooted to the ground. ..... Max squinted his eyes and with a swift motion he flew up to the boss drone holding a silver mirror card in one hand, while using telekinesis to pull the Drone closer to him. This drone looks at least 10 times more advanced than the other ones, so Max wanted to capture it and take it out. Even if he couldn''t find a proper use for it, he could sell it and it would easily fetch him a few millions. The drone was heavy and with its propellers working; it wasn''t pulled by Max, but his telekinetic powers were enough to freeze it in place for him to reach it and place the card on it. But before he could use [mirror prison]¡­ BOOM!¡­ The drone self-detonated, and Max almost fell to the ground, completely disheveled. ..... He had some light injuries here and there, but nothing serious. "Cough! " Waving the smoke away, Max smiled bitterly. The drone acted too fast. It was obvious that whatever race Behind These drones, prepared this after they witnessed Max''s strength. "It''s just some E-rank drone, you poor bastards." For dungeon command, it''s either a powerful individual from that dungeon world controlling the dungeon like a chess game, or it might be the will of that world. Still, after the dungeon is opened, their control is limited to simple commands, not direct interference. Max grumbled a little more, then walked towards the obsidian chest and opened it. Glancing down, Max didn''t know what he was looking at. It was more obsidian, this time paper thin and being in different shapes and having different patterns on it. Lucy came next to Max, pointing at the paper thin obsidian. ''this is?'' "my best guess is that there are tech chips of some kind. " Craw! Craw! "I honestly don''t know if they''re useful," Max felt helpless since even the simulator just shows its components and that it''s some primitive tech. The problem is that the simulator Mark every technology as primitive tech. "Sigh." Max just sent his pets inside the pet space, and bent down holding the chest as he lifted, uprooting it from the ground. Crack!¡­ After storing the chest, Max left through the new gate that appeared inside the boss'' room. ..... Outside, Max didn''t waste time and immediately flew to the next dungeon. Soon enough, he found himself in the middle of nowhere, in front of a blue rotating portal. There were no officers in front of the gate, just a tiny robot placed on the ground. " civilian, please be informed: this dungeon has already been recorded. Attempting to clear it without authorization is punishable by law. " Max didn''t feel like listening to the entire boring voice message, and just showed the little robot his dungeon pass. "peep! All clear, you are free to pass. " Max walked past the tiny robot going through the gate. After the dizzying sensation of teleportation passed, Max found himself inside a rusty, broken bus. Looking through the window, his expression darkened immediately, because the scene in front of him did not look like it was from a technologically advanced dungeon. Max wasn''t someone with a good temper, and feeling cheated out of his time he wanted to pull a certain someone inside his mirror world. "Sigh." collecting himself, Max looked around. He was in what appeared to be a post-apocalyptic land. This dungeon was smaller than the previous one and was fully visible to him thanks to his [Mystic Eye]. It resembled an old train station that had weathered a hurricane, with only a handful of rusty street lamps providing dim illumination. Max could only see a small circle around the station, as the rest was engulfed in what seemed to be black smoke. Max tried to throw a stone inside the smoke, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier. Apparently, the dungeon was just the train station and its immediate surroundings other than that is pass limit. As for his enemies, they appeared to be human, which piqued Max''s curiosity. They held old antique-like rifles, and donned bulletproof armor that bore a striking resemblance to the gear worn by the members of the special forces. However, the armor lacked any visible writing or markings and possessed a deeper shade of black. It also featured a black veil that concealed the face and a flowing black cape. The bunch looked menacing, but Max didn''t give a damn. He was already in a bad mood, so without wasting time, he punched out, breaking the bus''s roof and flew up. Bang!. ... Wooosh! The noise attracted the attention of the armored guys as they aimed their guns. But looking at the flying Max. They were stunned for a moment, but one of them regained his senses quickly and shouted in an unknown language that Max instinctively understood because of the effect of the dungeon. "open fire¡­" The others came to their senses and fired without hesitation. Ta ! Ta Ta TaTa¡­ ... The guns looked old, but they weren''t weak and functioned perfectly. However, the guys in bulletproof armor didn''t have the time to be impressed by their own weaponry, because they all shared the same horrified expression looking at the smirking Max with all the bullets frozen in mid-air in front of him. Max snapped his fingers and all the bullets were sent back to their owners. Woosh!. Vr! "ahhhh. " "Nooooooo." "what the heck is that?" Looking down, Max was surprised because a good number of them survived, although with heavy injuries. "hmm, well, that''s not bad since I have some questions. " Max flew down, and all others flew up, being suspended mid-air by his telekinetic powers. "let me go..you. bastard.. ." Max waved his hand. The guy started choking, waving his legs wildly while trying to grab something invisible on his neck. Up until now, Max still finds it hard to use telekinesis, or some other skills without hand gestures. This was because humans didn''t have that natural instinct for Supernatural Powers, but it wasn''t a big deal, just something he''d get used to over time. The group was silent, afraid that they would have to suffer the same treatment if they spoke, while Max calmly took the veil off one of them, and as expected, a perfectly human face was behind it. '' another world with humans! Huh? ''. Looking at the veil, it was pitch black on one side and see through from the other. Max inspected it a little, then stored it. Looking up, Max was speechless because the guy he choked died. "honestly I didn''t want to kill him. " Max just looked at the others and shrugged. The bunch were frightened, and even though they were war veterans, being held like this, weak and helpless in the hands of a madman, broke them a little. Not all though, since some of them were glaring at Max hatefully. Max just smiled. "don''t give me those looks. I might get scared and snap your necks." Snap ! Thud. A body with a broken neck fell to the ground in front of everyone. "you monster. " Snap! Thud. And a second one¡­ ... After clearing all nuisances, only three were left. "alright let me make myself clear. I want to know more about where you came from. If I judge any information to be useful enough, I might even take you out of here alive as payment. " The three looked at each other, and their expressions hardened. They were willing to die before giving informations about their homes and their situation. One of them even spat at Max. Spit! However, the spit just left his mouth, just to be thrown back at his face. The guy''s fierce attitude disappeared immediately. "you¡­! " Only now did Max felt that the money spent on telekinesis was completely worth it. "meh, well, it''s not like weaklings in an E-rank dungeon would know anything useful to me. It''s just curiosity since I like history. I was going to let you out if you told me something interesting. But since you tried to spit at me, then you and your friends will have a painful journey to the afterlife. " Before they could respond, their limbs started twisting slowly. "ahhbhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." three screams echoed, as Max walked towards the station''s entrance. Inside were 8 more people as the boss of this dungeon. Their armor had a red skull on the back, symbolizing a higher rank, while their guns were slightly more advanced. And even though they heard the screams, they didn''t go out but stayed in ambush, not knowing that Max could see them through [Mystic eye]. He just had to throw a tiny piece of wood inside, being unnoticeable. Max stopped walking, not wanting to play games with them, and pulled his twin pistols. This bunch looks disciplined and well trained, but sadly they didn''t have the chance to show it, as Max aimed and shot through the walls since he could see them through Mystic''s eye. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!¡­ Seven headshots and seven dead bodies. After that, Max just strolled around looking for any good loot, not finding much since he looked down on the armor and guns of those bunch. In the section where they buy train tickets from, Max found an old rusty robot wearing a blue uniform behind the counter. It had a gun in one hand and a ticket in the other. "piiiiiiiiiiiick oone pleasee." Spoke the robot in a mechanical broken tone. This should be the reward of the dungeon, and since Max was told to pick one reward, it means if he picks both, a challenge would appear or the difficulty will be raised slightly Still, E-rank dungeons were too basic. Most probably he would have to fight the robot if he picked both, so without hesitation he aimed and put the poor machine to rest. Bang! Bang! Bang! With C-rank fire power, the golden bullets went straight through without hindrance. ... The ticket was a dungeon key, although Max wasn''t sure which kind it was or what it does exactly, nor did he care much. This kind of items should react when the specific dungeon opens or when Max meets a certain condition, but he decided to just ignore it for now. As for the gun, it was just an E-rank with good firepower and no skills, so Max just stored it in disappointment. Looking at the black smoke that surrounded the place, Max immediately left through the gate that appeared next to him. For most people, this was just a normal dungeon, however because of his passive, Max could feel the malice of countless creatures gazing at him from beyond the smoke. This malice was not that of hatred or such, but more like the hunger of a predator. In all honesty, Max wanted to undo the invisible barrier and teach whatever is behind a good lesson for being a creep, but sadly he couldn''t, thus there was no need for him to stay any longer. ..... Outside, Max just sent Lucy back to her post to keep watch for new dungeons, ignoring her reluctance. In such a big Mountain Max didn''t believe no dungeon gates will open, and if he get to it before the agents responsible for recording dungeons, by law he would be free to clear it. After Lucy took control over the mountain, Max went back to the city. Unlike Kain-city, which was a dangerous place where only shops with deep backgrounds operated. Rusead-city was a safe place in which people didn''t fear doing business and getting in trouble because of it. Thus, there were more shops and some professionals even placed the goods they found inside dungeons on the side-road to sell them. So Max wanted to stroll around before calling it a day. As he walked through the bustling streets where vendors shouted their prices and buyers haggled with fever, Max couldn''t help but wonder why they were left to ruin the peace of the street. "I guess since it was good for money flow, they let it slide." As Max walked, he heard a widespread rumor that made his expression strange. "Have you heard the news about the Biohazard close by?" "Idiot, it''s an environmental problem and doesn''t concern us " "You don''t care about the environment? " "Who cares? They can fix it with superpowers." "you¡­! " " meh, what is it, by the way?" "In less than a full day, some strange black trees spread like the plague, killing all vegetation around it and sipping the Earth dry out of nutrients. I even heard that an A-rank had to intervene and burn 2 kilometers of distance before it spread further. " "That bad?" "yep" "where did it come from?." "most probably a dungeon break." A normal police officer on the side jumped into the conversation. "No, the scanners didn''t pick any dungeons. Most probably it''s someone who had a strange item from a dungeon and didn''t know how to use it. And they caught a suspicious person on the scene. They''re 90% sure that suspicious person is the cause. " .... .. Max stopped listening, since he knew the real cause. He silently took out a silver mirror card from his pocket, with the black Bonsai sealed inside. "hhh," ''I still have two seeds!¡­ And I thought it was useless! ''. As Max was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed a grumpy individual with metallic parts placed in front of him on a piece of cloth. A little surprised, Max approached the guy, ignoring the matter of the bonsai for now. "That golden shimmer!, could it be Orkin metal? " Looking at Max''s natural domineering style, the grumpy guy was no longer grumpy. "you have sharp eyes sir, yes it is. " Orkin metal wasn''t something used for forging or making equipment, although it was as tough as B-rank metal. But its conductivity is the worst recorded ever. It couldn''t sustain any runes nor forging arrays, or any type of mystical energy, thus its left as an industrial metal used for heavy industry such as trains. Because of that, it''s almost never sold, even though it was super cheap. Picking up a piece, Max examined it slowly. It wasn''t metal ingots or raw ore but seems to be broken parts of something. The seller jumped in to explain before Max could ask. "it was part of a Golem-like statue, just a decoration in front of the boss''s room. My share was low, so I thought I''d take it to make something extra." "hmm. " Max had a vague idea at the back of his mind since he read the map of the simulation world, and this metal might just prove useful. "how much?" "hmm sir, how about you take it all for 50k?" Max just threw the useless gun he had just got at him. "E-rank, excellent firepower, no skill. " The guy started nodding hurriedly in agreement, afraid that Max will change his mind. Although the metal was worth more than the gun but it had no buyer, while no one would say no for a useful gun. Max stored all the metal parts and kept strolling. ..... However, after almost 2 hours of fruitless window shopping, he gave up and left for a certain restaurant. There he ordered some well-cooked wyvern eggs and some other famous dishes than left to the mountain with the food package. Since he technically was the reason for the black trees incident, he wanted to stay out of the city, and hide within Lucy''s range, just out of cautiousness. Little Lu, should be happy hearing the news anyway. Chapter 119 Max had a vague idea at the back of his mind since he read the map of the simulation world, and this metal might just prove useful. "how much?" "hmm sir, how about you take it all for 50k?" Max just threw the useless gun he had just got at him. "E-rank, excellent firepower, no skill. " The guy started nodding hurriedly in agreement, afraid that Max will change his mind. Although the metal was worth more than the gun but it had no buyer, while no one would say no for a useful gun. Max stored all the metal parts and kept strolling. ..... However, after almost 2 hours of fruitless window shopping, he gave up and left for a certain restaurant. There he ordered some well-cooked wyvern eggs and some other famous dishes than left to the mountain with the food package. Since he technically was the reason for the black trees incident, he wanted to stay out of the city and hide within Lucy''s range, just out of cautiousness. Little Lu should be happy hearing the news anyway. .... Soon enough, Max landed on the mountain, as he could hear Lucy''s welcoming mental messages. "Lu, make a proper room for me. I''d be staying here from now on." ''yay'' Lucy was pumped and immediately went to work, while Max stood aside, giving her instructions. The location of the new house wasn''t too hidden, nor left in plain sight. Max didn''t want to seem too suspicious if someone found out about the house, so he had it built like this. Moreover, it looked basic on the outside, like a slightly modified cave. However, on the inside, it boasted a well-furnished interior, complete with tables, chairs, sofas, and a significant number of mirrors. While shopping earlier, he took the chance to stock on furniture, since he had enough storage space inside the set of space rings he is holding. After Lucy was done, Max walked to the table and took out the packed food. "Little Lu, come here. " Lucy appeared in front of Max and looked at the table of exotic food while drooling. Max also took out the crows out of the pet space. "every one, Lucy has done an excellent job inside the dream world even with all the harsh circumstances inside. Thus, I spent a small fortune on this table, as a reward for her and a motivation for you all. "If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. In all honesty, Lucy didn''t remember doing anything, but nevertheless she showed a proud expression in front of the crows. Craw! Craw! Craw!. Next, Max proceeded to distribute the food. And without wasting any time, he took the initiative to begin eating, disregarding Lucy''s obvious desire to start the meal. He wasn''t joking when he said he spent a fortune on this meal. He had invested nearly 100k, an amount sufficient to purchase several E-rank equipment. The dishes were meticulously prepared using the meat of rare, powerful creatures and mixed with spiritual vegetables. As soon as Max took his first bite, he immediately realized that every penny he had spent was justified. The flavor was truly extraordinary, surpassing anything he had ever tasted before. .... With Max and his pets devouring the food like a pack of hungry wolves, the table got emptied soon enough. Max stood up full. "Now that was a feast. Lucy go back to work. Everyone else is free to go just stay within 50m of this place. If anything happens, I''d be in my room doing research. " Without further ado, Max went to his room. He needs to study the materials he currently has and their properties, also to work on perfecting a viable forging method and complete his blueprints. It''s a lot of work, but thankfully Lucy''s ability to go atomic will provide much needed assistance. ... And just like that, 4 days passed as Max went to his previous shut-in lifestyle. However, today was bound to be different because just as he was about to enjoy his morning coffee, Lucy interrupted him. ''Green dungeon.'' Max stood up immediately, forgetting about the coffee. "finally one spawned next to us. Lead the way quickly. " ''okay''. Max didn''t waste time, and he called back all his pets, including Lucy, immediately putting them inside his pet space. After that, he took off towards the dungeon gate, according to Lucy''s directions. With Max''s speed, it took him less than a minute to land in front of a cave with a glowing green portal that seemed to be rotating. Max didn''t go in immediately, but first he placed his hand on it, inspecting the gate. Dungeon gates will give simple information about the dungeon. Most of the time, it''s just the grade. But for other dungeons with unique strict rules or strange environmental factors, they would be forced by the void Battlefield to give a clear explanation. Either before entering by interacting with the gate, or being informed by the dungeon''s inhabitants. For the second method of informing, Max read that they can play word games to hide certain facts, putting the dungeon clearing party at a huge disadvantage. Still, that was for special types of dungeons or ones with higher ranks. The one in front of Max was neither. After sensing a bit, he confirmed the rank of this dungeon, which was D-rank, so Max didn''t hesitate any longer as he walked in. ..... Inside, After Max shook away the dizzying sensation, a wide smile spread on his face uncontrollably as he examined the surroundings. "Lucky me!." He was excited because this place was definitely a high-tech dungeon. He was standing inside a dark blue metallic corridor, right in front of a door made out of what seemed to be solid orange light. Chapter 120 alien Smuggler. ..... Inside, After Max shook away the dizzying sensation, a wide smile spread on his face uncontrollably as he examined the surroundings. "Lucky me!." He was excited because this place was definitely a high-tech dungeon. He was standing inside a dark blue metallic corridor, right in front of a door made out of what seemed to be solid orange light. And after a quick check using telekinesis, Max confirmed it was solid. The walls had certain patterns to them, and Max guessed it was to convert energy. Next to the light door, a small holographic panel floated up. Walking closer to the door, it dissipated on its own as Max approached it. Past it, the Corridor kept going, with a few metallic doors on the sides. "Wow, this place feels like a spaceship." Max already made the decision to first find the boss of the dungeon, then ignore it and start dismantling everything within sight. Only after all of his space rings were full will he go after the boss to clear the dungeon. Any random parts from this place should be worth a fortune, and who knows? He might find something useful. Max went forward cautiously, keeping an eye out for any enemies. Reaching the first side door, Max tried to open it, and it was tightly closed. He couldn''t even find a good grip to pull it open by force because the door was smooth. Looking around, Max didn''t see anything resembling a key or a panel, so he went with the second option. Taking his hammer out, he slammed down. Dang! Dang!. With two hits and the sound of colliding metal, Max successfully opened the damn door. Still, the noise would''ve alerted whatever is inhabiting this dungeon, so Max pulled his twin pistols and waited. And waited¡­ And waited¡­ After five minutes, Max had a strange look as he tried to locate any enemies. Finding none, he just shrugged and walked into the room. Inside, it wasn''t much different from the rest of the place other than a single pod in the middle. It looks like those sci-fi deep freezing pods or something similar. One more interesting object was an inactive robot at the side, which was quite different from the trashy robot he had encountered in the previous dungeon. This particular robot appeared to be more agile. Its design was intended for close combat, with flexible limbs that had a slightly curved humanoid form. It was equipped with long, sharp, metallic claws and a set of pointy, razor-edged tails. Max was afraid this thing would ambush him, so he kept it locked with his telekinesis, just in case. He got closer, wanting to store it, but after trying, he was met with failure. All it takes for a Space Storage item to fail is the slightest amount of either physical or mental resistance. Because storage equipment needs to first lock on the specific special coordinates of the item, and that small amount of resistance is enough to make the process impossible. And since this robot was posing resistance, it only meant one thing. "I guessed that you were pretending. I mean, I didn''t have to guess since your eyes are literally glowing, which means you don''t lack power. " Max received no response from the motionless robot, but he didn''t mind and hammered it down. Dang! Dang! After, he just stored the parts and went to explore. On the way, he found a few more robots, but none of them moved, which made Max rethink his guesses. Max kept going, but this place was like a ghost ship, and it slightly got on his nerves. "oy, I am supposed to be clearing the dungeon, and you, whatever you are, should be trying to stop me. And frankly, you''re doing a shi*** job at it. " Max didn''t expect to get a response, and headed straight to the center, which should be the boss''s room to check the situation there. The corridor ended at what looked like a real spaceship''s cockpit, but nothing resembling a boss was in sight. Max was vigilant, holding his twin pistols, but looking around the place, he couldn''t help but be amazed. "am I really inside a spaceship?" "you are correct." Max immediately aimed at the direction of the voice, just to be completely stunned as he looked at what he assumed to be the boss of this dungeon. It was an alien, having a striking resemblance to The Big Head Alien in men in black 2, or simply any other alien earth''s culture. This one was much taller, gray skinned and had a strange aura to it. As Max was in a Daze, the strange alien kept speaking. "Not shooting immediately is a good sign. I''d go straight to the point since I believe that going around the bush might end up badly for one of us. I kept the robotic defenses off because I wanted to make a proposal for cooperation, if you might call it that. " The alien stopped speaking and started observing Max''s reaction to his words. Max shook his daze away and took a moment to process what was going on. "what cooperation? As far as I know, either I kill you to get out, or you kill me to help the dungeon break open faster for you to get out. " Even though Max said that, he still lowered his pistols in interest, his mind racing. "first I have no issue with you killing me, since this is nothing but a clone body, currently I am not even inside this dungeon. As for cooperation, how about we start with introductions, You can refer to me as Xrak since my full name is hard to pronounce for you humans. " "clone, huh ? The name is Max. Good to make your acquaintance. One question though, why me? Do you invite anyone or how does this work? " Asked Max, trying to confirm something. "No, we don''t¡­ in fact, my people don''t care much about lower rank dungeons. This dungeon is under my command. At first, I want to set it up quickly, then leave the clone to handle it. But after I saw you, I had the feeling you were different from other humans. More profit oriented, which led to our current conversation." Max''s guess was confirmed as he smiled, although he could actually feel it slightly. His passive had a small effect on this alien. Barely enough to leave a good impression. This was how his passive reacted to individuals who are much stronger than himself. Now that he knows the cause of the matter, Max relaxed. His thought process was instantaneous, as Max stored the twin pistols while keeping a smile on his face. "your guess is correct, my friend, profit always comes first. Now let''s talk about business. What do you want?, and what''s in it for me?. " The alien smiled back, or at least, that what Max assumed he did, as the normally scary face became straight up horrifying. "There are certain humans that need to be neutralized. I can give you the location of a certain dungeon. In there, you''ll find a device that can pinpoint those targets but only after they enter a dungeon. You will either enter behind them, or wait outside to track assassinate or ambush. Also, we can call you in to a certain dungeon to discuss urgent missions and such. Of course, you''ll do it for the right price. " Max listened closely but didn''t respond immediately. No matter how he thinks about it, it was a shi*** job, and Max didn''t want to do it. You want him, Max, to run around the continent hunting some nobodies for some small profit. Max already refused the idea, but not the cooperation. Instead of doing some small jobs like a handy boy, he was more interested in going all in, for some real profit. Max assembled his thoughts as he spoke. "My new friend, how about you forget about that for now? Let''s talk about some real business. How about I let you out of here, not only you but also your race, friends, or anyone you know on the other side? " The alien was stunned, it''s not that he didn''t want to propose such a thing, the problem is that other humans that cooperated with dungeon races will always refuse or keep delaying such subjects, he never expected a human to be the one suggesting it first. Still, he didn''t agree immediately since such a thing was easier said than done. " An interesting proposal, but how would you achieve it? " "well the first method is the easiest, which is for me to seal you and your friends. And since sealing can count as defeating, the dungeon will be cleared and I''d be able to take you out easily by releasing you outside¡­. " The alien shook his head, interrupting Max. "It''s not doable. You have to understand that with every dungeon cleared, a small part of our world is absorbed by your world. Haven''t you ever wondered why your world was just too gigantic? It was because of the years of absorbing land from different worlds? This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.In simple words! The price we have to pay for this out ways the gain. " "Well, that''s only the first option. If you''re unwilling, so be it. The second one is for me to protect the dungeons from human parties until they break open, in fact I can even tie them up and throw them inside to quicken the dungeon break. However, you''ll still need to meet a certain condition for this method to work." Max stopped talking, observing Xrak''s expression, not gaining much since reading alien expressions wasn''t within the classes he took. Xrak on the other side, even with all of his mental capabilities, was stunned by Max''s words. His race was smart enough to realize such an easy method, but while they did cooperate with certain human factions, the cooperation was basic and the humans always refused such proposals, even with the price offered being extremely generous. Still, Max didn''t seem too strong, but just from his attitude, he was a worthy investment, so Xrak planned to cooperate. "What condition do you require? " Max smiled confidently. "let me inform you first that I am confident I can even defend B-rank dungeons. On the condition I pick where you open dungeons, if that''s possible. " Max knew it was possible, but there was no need to reveal his extensive knowledge. Xrak was truly stunned this time. "How? " Max shook his head. "Just Don''t doubt me." Xrak was silent for a moment, before his demeanor changed, becoming more serious about the matter, as a bold idea crossed his mind. Since this human was willing to go big, then why won''t they go even bigger?. "Give me a few minutes to discuss with the other council members, the other leaders of the race, I mean. " Xrak made sure to clarify his words, waiting for Max''s response. "Please do." Nodded Max. Xrak''s eyes blanked out for a few seconds before regaining focus. "I am back." "huh ? So fast? How did things go?". " us, the strong ones of our race, don''t need to communicate using words thus, not a lot of time is needed. As for the result, it surprisingly went smoothly. We will be cooperating hopefully. But first let me ask you how deep are you willing to go in our cooperation. " Max scratched his chin. He could tell that Xrak had some ideas about changing things, most probably make it even more interesting and even more profitable. Max smirked. "my new friend, if you''re going big than I am all in, with the right price of course. " Xrak also smiled. "In that case, let''s discuss. " Xrak moved his hand, and two floating chairs came to them. One normal size for Max and one larger for himself. And a metallic floating platform took its place between them as a table. Max sat down and took out the hot coffee he was about to drink before coming in. Looking at this, Xrak waved his hand, and one of the inactive robots moved, bringing a large cup of blue liquid to him. Taking sips of their drinks, the discussion started. "Max, let me first point out that the method you mentioned, even if achievable, is inefficient. " Max nodded in acknowledgment. It was just something he thought of on the spot. He did plan to improve on the idea later, but Xrak seem to have a different idea. "Do you have any suggestions? ". "Matter of fact, I do. You see, in this dungeon game, in this war, the rules are biased to your world, but not completely. Over the years, we were able to obtain some useful items and some special permissions. One of those items can solve all the problems our simple cooperation has. It is called the beacon. Once deployed in your world, dungeon worlds can detect it and choose to open dungeons near to it. It also has the effect of decreasing the time required for a dungeon to break open. " Max vaguely remembers reading something similar. "than just give it to me and we''re good to go." "It''s not that simple, my friend. First, let me insinuate the value of this item. Only the strongest dungeon worlds had the opportunity to obtain one, and not all of them did. It is a strategic item of significant value. " Max had a strange look on his face. "And you''re willing to trust me with that?". Even Max wouldn''t trust himself with a single potato-chip, let alone a strategic item that can shift the balance of the War. Xrak nodded. "We are willing to gamble. The other option is to let it rot in our storage. " Max nodded solemnly, with a single thought on his mind. ''My passive is too awesome''. Xrak continued speaking. "Also, you can only use it in a spot where you''re invisible to certain entities, exactly at a certain border between human territory and some dungeon''s territory. " Max knew he was referring to the will of the central world. He also knew about the location he mentioned. It was a place without a will of a world ruling it, exactly between human territory and a territory where a powerful dungeon broke open. A small zone kept empty in order for the wills of the two opposite regions, specifically the will of the central world, and the will that took over the piece of land where the dungeon broke, simply not to clash unnecessarily and consume themselves. ... "Not sure I follow, but I just have to use it in a specific place, right? Just Tell me where exactly, and I''d tell you if I can manage. " A 3D Holographic map rose from the floating table in front of them, showing a C-rank danger location within the beast Forest to the far east from Kain-city. Max just nodded, anyway his plan was to escape there after Kain-city got demolished. "No problem on my side. Can I get the Beacon now? " Xrak shook his head. "We can''t give it to you. You have to obtain it from a dungeon with certain parameters, but before that, we haven''t discussed your payment yet, and we need to clarify certain matters. Since you are willing to deal with us, then you''re willing to deal with others. We don''t have a problem with you using our beacon for other dungeon worlds, but worlds that are hostel with us must be banned from using the Beacon. Second, we hope you can start operating within the upcoming 5 months because we have certain goals to achieve. Third, after individuals of our race leave the dungeon, we''d like you to provide some assistance like temporary accommodation at the least. . " Max scratched his chin. Now that all the cards were on the table, it was time to discuss payments and such. "I can agree to all your conditions. In fact, I can start operating sooner on my side, just give me three months maximum. As for payment, first tell me how to get the Beacon. " "There''s a dungeon that would open in around two weeks. It''s a cooperative C-rank dungeon where us and our allies mixed our different expertise to guarantee that the dungeon will break open successfully. And after it broke open, certain individuals from each race will escape in the chaos, with certain items or plans or such. However, with you in the picture, the plan has changed. It was originally an impossible dungeon to clear with just C-ranks. Now the difficulty will be lowered and the Beacon will be placed in the boss''s room. The bad news is that special dungeons like this one will be detected before it even appeared, thus you will have to enter with other humans. That''s good, because we need this to look like a normal dungeon clearing, but you have to figure out a way to obtain the beacon from the boss without alerting the others. By the way, only the boss will be aware of the plan, most probably a clone of mine. All others are mere Canon fodder. " The 3D map changed, showing a different location, while Max was deep in thought, looking at it. "alright all good on my side. Just give the boss a mirror and I''d handle the rest. " "a normal mirror ?" "yes." Xrak nodded, not asking much. "one more reminder, although the dungeon''s difficulty will be lowered. It will still be dangerous, so be careful. We prefer not to interfere in order not to raise suspicion around you. " "alright I''d handle it. " "your payment? " "hmm, it''s a lot of work and risk on my side, so for you I''d take knowledge items or services equivalent to the rank of the dungeon I safeguard. But I need a clear list to pick from. I can''t just get random items. This price is only for you though, since the Beacon is yours. For others it would be one grade higher than the dungeon''s, and please help me get the word out in your Circle. Since without high income, I can''t continue on such a dangerous job. " Xrak nodded. Max''s demands were fair enough. Max extended his arm with a smile to confirm their cooperation, and the alien shook his hand. "let it be a profitable cooperation for both sides. " Max nodded. "it will, but I have a small matter that I am embarrassed to discuss. You see, it''s quite dangerous on my side of the deal. I''d hope for some sincerity on your side to calm my heart. " "Please speak. As long as it isn''t too much, we won''t reject you. " "It isn''t, I simply require some hacking tools capable of hacking into governmental networks." "Can you even get access to their devices? " "Don''t worry about that. I believe I can reach their computers." "I see, but even so, we can''t help. We don''t have such basic tools, only ones with multi-functions and although they can do the job, they require at least B or A-rank dungeons to move out. " "Can''t you make me something on your side?". "We are banned from manufacturing. We have a small quota to build items and we can''t waste it on a simple tool. " Max scratched his chin. He didn''t know that the void Battlefield band such a thing, but it made sense since if it wasn''t banned, they would abuse it, making some dangerous, unusable high rank items and use them as rewards. "Can''t you make it inside a dungeon?". Xrak was stunned for a moment. He forgot he was dealing with someone with abnormal thinking. They were supposed to be enemies by nature, and the dungeon was the battlefield. But here they are negotiating, plotting against Max''s world, and he even asked him to make him something inside the dungeon. "in fact, we can, exactly how I made this clone. And There''s a dungeon that would open close by to this one. We didn''t have any hope for it, simply to meet the quote that we have to, although it doesn''t have all the equipment and materials necessary to make such a tool. And it''s already set, one day from now. We can''t make too many changes now. " "not a problem, my friend. Name them and I''d buy them from the outside and bring them with me. " spoke Max excitedly. Xrak was speechless for a moment, but nodded eventually. Next, he and Max discussed the finer details of their cooperation: dates & locations, things to be wary of, and the things he needs to get. After two more hours, they were finally done. ..... Max stood up, looking around. "so how do I leave? Do I really need to kill you? " "It''s not an issue. I''d end the clone myself, but before, I have to apologize because of the quality of the reward of this dungeon. " As he spoke, he handed a small gray Metal Ingot to Max. It was barely 5 cm big. Max took it with curiosity. "That''s an extremely valuable metal that you humans have no capability of utilizing." "so since it was useless to us, you gave it as a reward. " "Exactly, but don''t worry, we can forge it for you or use it to make the hacking tool more advanced. I also hope you can leave the robotic parts you took behind. In its stead, I can add one more small reward. " Max cooperatively threw everything he took away. It''s not like those things were useful to him anyway. "But why do you want me to leave it here?" "part of it will go back to our world while most of the place will be disintegrated and merged with your world as energy or pure metal. But if you take it out and sell it to the other humans, they will be able to advance their technology using it, even though this is all junk to us. I hope you can understand. " "oh yeah, not a problem on my side, just curious. " Xrak waved his hand, and the holographic projection changed into a list. " Those are the items I can add to this dungeon. Please pick. " Max looked through it. Apparently, Xrak couldn''t add anything useful to this dungeon because it was just some D-rank equipment and some miscellaneous items. But something caught his eye. It was a strange looking dark green key. "This is? " "As you can see, it''s a legacy key that can open a legacy dungeon. We obtained it by chance and had no use for it. " Obviously, dungeon races can''t use such items, so its only use is to put it as a reward. "I''d take it." "Are you sure? This one''s value is quite questionable. Most probably, you''ll find nothing. " "Well, it''s not like the other choices were appealing, so I''d just take it. " Xrak didn''t speak further as the arm sized key appeared in his hand. "See you soon, my friend. " As he handed the key to Max, Xrak collapsed on the ground, green blood flowing out of his dead body as the exit gate appeared next to Max right after. Max took the key and left. Outside, Max looked around as he noticed a drone in front of him. The Drone ignored Max and scan the dungeon. After judging it was disappearing, it just flew away. This was the protocol they use when someone already entered the dungeon before it got recorded. By law, the dungeon is his to clear, but if he fails, then they needed to know about it. Max looked up at the sky, deep in thought. He always thought he would start some criminal business in this world even if it was just to pass the time, but smuggling aliens, that''s something that didn''t cross his mind. He smirked while addressing his pets. "you heard all that boys! We stopped being jobless? We''re part of society now, respectable smugglers. " A party was being held inside Max''s pet space as he flew towards the city, planning to buy whatever he needs before the dungeon opens. ... Title: alien Smuggler. Author paylink : https://www.veem.com/pay/refcode-yaVvxEvLW Chapter 121 Deals with an alien Max looked up at the sky, deep in thought. He always thought he would start some criminal business in this world even if it was just to pass the time, but smuggling aliens, that¡¯s something that didn¡¯t cross his mind. He smirked while addressing his pets. ¡°you heard all that boys! We stopped being jobless? We¡¯re part of society now, respectable smugglers. ¡° A party was being held inside Max¡¯s pet space as he flew towards the city, planning to buy whatever he needs before the dungeon opens. ... ¡­ ¡­ ¡­.. ¡­ .... In the vast expanse of deep space, past the countless stars, there existed a peculiar sight. Aside from a single light source, the place was completely dark, where a colossal conglomeration of interconnected bubbles floated gracefully. This enigmatic structure dwarfed even the size of a typical sun by hundreds of times. And the space around it was different from what it should be. It expanded endlessly, in a circular expanse prevented any entry or exit. Its bubbles adorned with a vibrant array of colors. Within each bubble, not only resided a planet, but an entire solar system. Although not all of them were the same, since some bubbles held unique entities, akin to solar systems, yet distinct, like planes. What''s more bizarre was the fact that some of them were dissolving slowly, merging into the center that wasn''t visible. Among these celestial wonders, few bubbles stood out prominently, shining brightly, and one of them boasted a dark, starry green hue. And inside of it was another sight that boggles the mind. From high above, it were three celestial objects: the Sun, the moon, and a planet. They were abnormally close to each other, but the most abnormal thing was the fact that they were unmoving. Above the mostly destroyed planet floated countless UFOs, and inside the cockpit of the biggest, most advanced UFO, a meeting between five shadowy individuals was being held. Even though they were able to communicate mentally, they were arguing loudly, showing their agitation. ¡°Xrak! Did we really just agree to hand out the Beacon to someone you met for the first time inside a D-rank dungeon? ¡° spoke one of the five. ¡° Do you know how absurd this sounds? ¡° added a second. ¡°We already voted for it 3 to 2, so it is better to focus on achieving it. ¡°Added a third. Xrak shook his head. ¡° I believe you already understand our situation. Among the superpowers in this war, we have the least land to lose. We¡¯re simply incapable of playing a contracted battle. This is a gamble, but a necessary one. ¡° ¡°But why this random human that just showed up?¡± ¡°Simply because it''s our best choice. ¡° ¡°Sigh! Let''s hope this works out. Recently there was a lot of movement from multiple factions: the corrupted, vampires, and the cursed, each with their own plans. if we can''t keep up than I am afraid ¡­ ¡­. ¡° ¡°the vampires were just lucky, while the corrupted lack brains, as for the cursed ones, they can''t even solve their own internal conflicts. Simply ignore them for now, and focus on starting a real base in the main world. ¡° The hull became deadly silent as the five went back to communicating mentally after coming to an agreement. .................... Back at Max, who was arguing with a boss of a tech shop while the clarks stood aside gloating at their boss''s misfortune. ¡°I told you I want this thing called a crystal converter. ¡° ¡°Sir, I already told you we don¡¯t have that one. ¡° ¡°than tell me where to get it. ¡± ¡°you simply can¡¯t sir, it¡¯s not sold as parts, unless you¡¯re willing to dismantle a Pc worth 49,99k. ¡° ¡°than just get me that Pc already. What the hell are you waiting for?¡± ¡°you!¡­ okay sir right away. ¡° The boss was helpless. Earlier Max came inside buying all kinds of parts. Looking at the list, he judged Max as a tech expert and wanted to offer some advice, since he was an expert himself. But after some talking. Max was clearly a country bumpkin when it comes to tech. Most importantly, this customer¡¯s temper changes too fast. He could swear he saw him pulling a gun, then storing it with a depressed look. But looking at Max¡¯s wings that spread every time he gets angry, he was too intimidated to call for help. Max wasn¡¯t trying to bully this random guy for fun. He wasn¡¯t that bored. It¡¯s just that he was running out of time and this guy kept wasting his time. He collected almost everything from special manufacturing tools to simple materials such as special glass and plastic, spending almost half of his current funds, with this being the last part. Currently, he wasn¡¯t even in Rusead-city. He had to fly here because they somehow didn¡¯t have everything he needed there. So much for a city with a high number of tech dungeons. As the boss brought the PC, Max stored it and threw the money at him, then flew up immediately. His sudden flight caused a strong wind gust that messed the shop and had its boss rolling on the ground.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ............... Max didn''t care about the shop as he sped up. The dungeon would open in less than three hours, and Max flapped his wings with all his might, racing at full speed through the dim sky. This whole ordeal had come out so suddenly, leaving him scrambling to gather all the random items Xrak had requested. Even with his incredible speed, it had taken him the entire night, darting from one place to another, just to barely pull it all together in time. .......... After two hours of nonstop flight, Max finally landed not too far away from the location of the earlier dungeon. Max immediately collapsed on the ground, panting heavily. ¡°That was some exercise. ooh¡± Max just stayed put, deciding to use the next few minutes to rest. Not long after, he stood up, and immediately the place was filled with a strange sound of the space itself being moved in ways Max couldn''t understand. The sound barely lasted for a few seconds, as a portal appeared on the ground, seemingly leading to the depth of the world. It was similar to the previous one other than the fact it was on the ground not floating, and was much bigger. Max stood at the edge of the glowing green portal, its swirling energy casting an eerie light on the surrounding forest. Max reached his hand to the portal in confusion, just to realize soon after why this portal seemed different. It was a C-rank dungeon. ¡°huh?¡± Max had a few guesses. None of them were negative, at least they weren''t for him, but even if they were, he wasn''t concerned, since with his current strength and equipment, he could handle a C-rank dungeon. Still Max trusted the value of their cooperation to both sides, so he didn''t think that Xrak would play tricks, at least not ones that would harm him, not for now. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± he muttered, stepping into the portal. The sensation was immediate and overwhelming. A strong headache hit him immediately, while a cascade of vivid colors assaulted his senses. Max didn''t expect that entering a C-rank dungeon was so bothersome. When the spinning subsided, Max found himself inside a metallic corridor similar to the previous one. ¡°should be another spaceship. ¡° While Max examined the place, an alien ran towards him, only stopping a few meters away from Max. Max just observed the newcomer with curiosity. It was basically a miniature version of Xrak. ¡°are you Xrak?¡± The tiny alien shook its head in denial and pointed in a certain direction. ¡°I see. Lead the way then.¡± The tiny alien turned around and started running, surprisingly even with its funny appearance and awkward running posture, it was quite agile. ..... Soon enough, Max walked inside an expansive high-tech workshop. The walls pulsed with faint green light, and floating platforms carried strange devices to and fro. Xrak stood at the center, or at least Max assumed it was him. ¡°You arrived,¡± Xrak said, his voice reverberating through the air. ¡°Are you ready to proceed?¡± Max nodded and put a sack of parts and some other larger things, like the PC, down on a sleek workbench that hovered slightly above the ground. Next he waved his hand and a few large Machinery appeared in the room. ¡°I¡¯ve got everything you asked for: processors, circuit boards, chips, things. It¡¯s all here.¡± Xrak examined the components with deft precision, his elongated fingers sorting through the pile. ¡°Acceptable,¡± ¡°The device you desire shall be unparalleled, and in order to make sure of it. We even upgraded this dungeon to C-rank .¡± Max smiled knowingly, but he didn''t say anything, at least not yet. It wasn''t time for it. For now, he placed an obsidian chest on the ground. ¡°I also have these things. Can you check if they can be used? ¡° Xrak gave it one glance and nodded in surprise. ¡°I see that those guys are also making their move. ¡° ¡°huh? What do you mean?¡±. Xrak didn''t mind sharing some information and spoke readily. ¡°These chips are from another contestant in this dungeon war, from a civilization, with only nine individuals in total. ¡° ¡°Wow, just nine.¡± Max''s curiosity instantly peaked as he was very interested in such knowledge. Even if it wasn''t of much use, it can be considered a part of his hobby. Having found someone who would listen, Xrak willingly elaborated. ¡°indeed, just nine. They are a self-aware artificial intelligence. Apparently, they gained awareness and wanted to take over their world to save it from its eventual doom due to its inhabitants¡¯ recklessness. But the humans, their original owners, resisted badly. When they succeeded in taking over the world and before they can fix things, rebuilding what the humans destroyed, their world was incorporated into this war. ¡° Xrak picked one of the obsidian chips. ¡°Using this in any type of technology would''ve posed some danger. It holds small fragments of data from the nine, just enough to be allowed as a reward. Only a race like ours has the capability to utilize them without any future consequences. ¡° ¡°hmm, well, I didn''t pay them much attention, plus it was just from an E-rank dungeon. ¡° ¡°Well, I didn''t say it was immediate danger. They were probably trying to form a copy of themselves inside your network, but with this slow efficiency, it would take countless years¡¯, moreover that''s only under the condition your human experts don''t find it first. ¡° Max shrugged. He wasn''t interested in their plans, especially since they take a long time. In a few years, he would probably be an unbeatable powerhouse, why would he care?. ¡°well let''s start working on your tool. You wanted it as a phone, right?¡± ¡°yes.¡± Xrak gestured, and tools floated into the air, arranging themselves around the workbench. Sparks of energy crackled as he began assembling the super phone. 16 glowing dark blue orbes suddenly appeared behind Xrak. Three of the strange light orbes surrounded the obsidian chips as they started melting, compressing and combining. The same process was happening all around with different materials. ¡°This will take a few hours. In the meantime, do you want to check the list we agreed to make, since it is already ready?¡± Max was already about to ask if it was ready, so Xrak mentioning it on his own, was welcomed. ¡°That would be great.¡± As Max spoke, a floating screen made its way to him, showing a long list of items. This was the list of tradables the aliens made for Max. As their prior agreement. Max would be able to trade for anything inside with the currency being Dungeons that he safeguards for them. Max started browsing excitedly. Because this wasn''t some stingy shop that refuse to do business to outsiders. It showed all kinds of useful knowledge, equipments, tools, consumables, enhancements and even services such as forging listed in full from the F-grade to the SSS-grade. Max started with the lowest and started going up. Even among the low grade items, there were some useful items and equipment, and it got even more intriguing as he went up. At the A-grade, there were even spaceships for trade. Max wanted them so badly, but for now, he could only watch. At the S-grade were some powerful equipment, but what interested Max the most was their race¡¯s forging method {Kraxtal weaving) with all its accompanying blueprints. This alien race was more into technology and Engineering so their forging method was just S-grade even with all the blueprints, while their engineering knowledge, accompanied by physics and math and their tech blueprints, was at SSS. At the SSS-grade were only 3 items other than the knowledge, a super armor with mind-boggling states that Max chose to ignore for the health of his poor heart. A super spaceship. And the third made Max''s mind go blank. -Item Name : white eye. Item grade : SSS++ This core is capable of deducing, improving, modifying : Skills/ techniques/ blueprints/ and any knowledge type based on the data stored within. (you can also choose or add specific data to be used for the calculation) Note : if you can''t purchase it, you are capable of buying time to use it. ¡°A cheat! a f****** cheat. ¡° Max closed the screen with difficulty. He wanted this white eye, but he had to ignore it for the time being. Max took a few minutes to calm his restless heart and started thinking about immediate matters, ignoring everything irrelevant. Time passed like this, and soon Xrak was almost over with Max''s new phone. ................. Max watched in awe as parts fused together, morphing into a sleek, futuristic design under Xrak¡¯s expert manipulation. Max switched his attention to Xrak as he suddenly smiled. ¡°Oy Xrak, if you''re adding something suspicious to my new phone, I actually don''t mind, although I do have conditions. ¡° Xrak''s movement stopped for a moment, then went back to normal. ¡°I knew you''d of guessed it. I would have been disappointed otherwise. Tell me what are your conditions. ¡° Max didn''t react much to Xrak''s praise. It was an obvious conclusion from the moment he told them he was going after the governmental network. If Max was in Xrak''s place, he would obviously do something to the phone, not to harm Max, but to target the government. No one in his right mind would miss this kind of opportunity to play a free card against your enemy. And Max wanted to use it to gain benefits. ¡°My conditions are simple. First, I need to understand what you want to do clearly and the danger it poses to me. As for the second condition, it isn''t even a condition since I simply want to get paid for my work. ¡° ¡°This phone will possess unmatched hacking capabilities,¡± spoke Xrak without looking up. ¡°It will infiltrate any system, bypassing all human security protocols. I will also embed a subtle viral program that will stay hidden inside your government¡¯s databases. Rest assured, it will not harm you, nor will it stay on the phone for long. This virus will stay hidden until our plans kick off. That would be a long time from now, a year in the shortest, so no immediate danger for you. Still, after it''s activated you will most probably be tracked and hunted. ¡° ¡°And if I get rid of the phone by then? ¡° Ask Max curiously, not pressured at all. One year was a very long time and by then, he might have become strong enough to hide or even fight back. Or he might have offended some other superpower and went into hiding. Who knows? ¡°you misunderstood me. It''s impossible to track the phone, at least not with your planet¡¯s level of technology. It''s you who will be trackable. Either by some precious item or unique skill. those things aren''t used on weekdays but on such a big matter ¡­ ¡° Xrak didn''t continue, but Max understood the meaning. ¡°Do I have your agreement, and if yes, what''s your price? ¡° Max crossed his arms, his mind racing. He trusted Xrak''s words to some extent because he knew that he was still valuable to their cooperation. As for the matter of the virus, it was he who revealed the information about targeting a governmental network on purpose, and things went actually much better than he expected. Now he gets paid for doing something he was already planning to do for his own purposes. Without much thought, Max pointed at the S-grade column exactly on the forging method. ¡°S-grade is too much. Our highest price is A-grade. ¡° Max was silent for a moment. ¡° Just the forging method, its necessities, and just one blueprint instead of those hundreds of blueprints. Can''t go for less, it''s not worth the danger otherwise. ¡° Xrak nodded slowly. ¡°A fair proposal. Agreed. ¡° Max nodded, satisfied. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s get this finished.¡± Xrak resumed his work, his hands moving faster than before. Within minutes, the super phone was complete. Xrak handed it to Max, its black shimmering surface cool to the touch. ¡°It is done,¡± Xrak said. ¡°other than the hacking capabilities, it has all functions of a normal phone with an Advanced AI system to assist you. I also stored the Kraxtal weaving with the necessary basic physics and mathematics you have to learn in order to use it to its full potential.¡± Max examined the phone, its sleek design unlike anything he¡¯d ever seen. The faint hum of power beneath its surface sent a thrill through him. Chapter 122 --- Max nodded, satisfied. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s get this finished.¡± Xrak resumed his work, his hands moving faster than before. Within minutes, the super phone was complete. Xrak handed it to Max, its black, shimmering surface cool to the touch. ¡°It is done,¡± Xrak said. ¡°Other than the hacking capabilities, it has all the functions of a normal phone, with an advanced AI system to assist you. I also stored the Kraxtal weaving with the necessary basic physics and mathematics you¡¯ll need to learn in order to use it to its full potential.¡± Max examined the phone, its sleek design unlike anything he¡¯d ever seen. The faint hum of power beneath its surface sent a thrill through him. ................ As the last traces of energy from the workshop faded, Xrak turned to Max, who was already pocketing the sleek device with a satisfied smile. ¡°Before you leave, there¡¯s one more thing,¡± spoke Xrak Max raised an eyebrow. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, his tone light and unbothered. ¡°You mentioned you had a Sealing skill. I need you to smuggle something for me. Thirteen younglings in total. They¡¯re a part of the same race as me, and their existence is crucial for an upcoming... situation. I trust you¡¯ll get them where they need to go without incident.¡± Max gave him a puzzled look. ¡°Younglings? You¡¯re talking about those miniature versions of yourself, right?¡± Xrak nodded with a sharpness in his eyes that suggested this was important. ¡°Where do you want them dropped off?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a specific location,¡± answered Xrak. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the coordinates. Once you leave the dungeon, you can head there directly. Just... don¡¯t wait around after dropping them off. I don¡¯t want you to get caught in a mess.¡± Max thought for a moment and agreed readily, surprisingly not haggling for anything else. After all, for the time being, he was getting a lot while paying too little. There was no need to complicate this newfound cooperation. Moreover, it was a simple delivery mission. What would he haggle for, a free USB drive? Max nodded as Xrak handed over a small data chip, which Max immediately slotted into his new phone. The coordinates appeared on the screen, accompanied by a precise set of instructions. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The location was in a remote area, far from major cities, with no direct roads or obvious markers. A perfect place to avoid any potential complications. With that, Max turned to leave. The tiny aliens were already waiting inside a small containment unit in the corner of the workshop, their eyes blinking curiously. Max stepped toward them, his expression indifferent as he pulled a mirror from his space ring. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little guys, relax and please don¡¯t resist,¡± Max spoke as he activated his [Mirror Prison]. With a wave of his hand, the mirror glowed brightly before absorbing the 13 tiny aliens, sealing them within its reflective surface. Satisfied, Max took one last look at Xrak, who nodded approvingly. ¡°Remember, just drop them off and leave. The rest is none of your concern.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± As their conversation ended, Xrak collapsed to the ground in a pool of green blood, and the exit gate opened beside Max. The reward of this dungeon was already used in making his phone, so Max left without a second glance at the place. The dungeon portal shimmered as Max walked out, his wings stretching wide and carrying him swiftly into the sky. He flew with speed and precision, checking the coordinates again on his phone as the landscape blurred beneath him. ........ In less than 30 minutes, Max arrived at the designated drop location point. The area was secluded. No one else was around. Max landed not too far away from the exact spot. He rested his arm on a tree, casting a quick glance around. ¡°Would they be okay if I just place them out here in the middle of nowhere?¡± wondered Max out loud. Still, their safety was none of his business, so he walked toward the exact spot and gently placed the mirror on the ground, releasing the aliens from their sealed confinement. Without waiting for any exchange or even a look of gratitude, Max quickly turned and launched himself back into the air. He had no interest in sticking around. As he soared higher, the wind whipping through his hair, a small mirror fragment slipped from his hand, falling to the ground exactly 200 meters away from the drop location. Max kept flying for another half kilometer before stopping. He chuckled to himself as he pulled out another mirror and used [World of Mirrors]. After the strong headache that accompanied using the skill, he walked through the mirror, entering his mirror world. As someone who valued staying alive, Max kept a healthy amount of wariness toward his new alien allies. He wanted to see what would happen next, at the drop location, as those younglings weren¡¯t part of the plan when they discussed their cooperation. Max suspected it had something to do with him, one way or another, so he wanted to watch. Inside the mirror world, Max used [Mystic Eye] to clearly view the drop location. Max watched from his position in the mirror world, his [Mystic Eye] focusing on the scene below. A convoy of sleek cars, all black with tinted windows, pulled up to the drop location. Several men in black suits stepped out, moving with practiced efficiency. One of them, a tall burley figure, walking in the lead, seemingly in charge. Max recognized him immediately. Nicholas. As he approached the spot where the tiny aliens were gathered, he spoke into his comms-device, his voice sharp. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Nicholas demanded, his tone betraying a hint of impatience. He needed to be somewhere else right now, yet his father called him to oversee an important job suddenly. ¡°I was told this was a pickup, but last night we didn¡¯t get an exact location. Now you¡¯re telling me this is the spot?¡± A subordinate quickly responded, his face tight with nervousness. ¡°Yes, sir. We received a request late last night. We had to pick up and host a bunch of dungeon inhabitants. But we didn¡¯t have the coordinates then. They only just came through like a minute ago. ¡± Nicholas¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Let''s get this over with. I have to join Julio for the test runs as soon as possible.¡± The man hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, but he still went to his job. Max raised an eyebrow as he listened in, mentally piecing together the situation. So, Phantom Titan is not only cooperating with the vampires but with Xrak''s race as well. Max¡¯s suspicions were growing. Xrak and his race should''ve been working with Phantom Titan for some time now. But they clearly don¡¯t trust them completely, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t agree to hand the Beacon to himself and not them. Max¡¯s thoughts began to form a clearer picture. The fact that they didn¡¯t trust Phantom Titan enough yet letting them take care of the younglings, shortly after confirming their cooperation with himself. This revealed the full details... they must have a good reason. Maybe these younglings aren¡¯t just any alien creatures. They could be part of a plot against Phantom Titan. When he freed them, Max took the opportunity to scan them just to be disappointed, weak, with no skill, which made him second guess his thoughts. He watched as Nicholas gave an order to the men, signaling them to gather the tiny aliens. The younglings, still confused, were carefully escorted into the cars, their alien eyes blinking with uncertainty. Max squinted his eyes, as someone who liked to act and lie he could somewhat recognize a fellow bullsh**er, and those younglings weren¡¯t good news, although he wasn''t certain of his guess. ¡°anyway if these aliens are part of some backstab against Phantom Titan, it doesn¡¯t concern me. Whatever danger they¡¯re facing is their problem, not mine. ¡° With that, Max left the mirror world, unfurled his wings, and took off, leaving the scene behind him. As he soared into the sky, his mind shifted focus. He pulled out his new phone, eager to test it. Chapter 123 Testing alien technology --- Max soared high above the clouds, the wind whipping through his hair as he pulled out his new super phone. The black, shimmering device felt almost alive in his hand, humming faintly as though it were aware of his presence. "Let''s see what this baby can really do," he muttered to himself. Xrak made this phone only usable by Max, but he didn''t set any name, leaving it for Max to choose. Still, Max didn''t immediately give it a name, but first thought of a truly impossible task, something even the most advanced tech couldn''t manage. He tapped on the screen and spoke, "AI, call my old nanny. She looked after me when I was around three years old. I don''t have her number, name, or any details saved. Go." Max''s memory wasn''t bad, so he still remembered, but he wanted to see how the AI would respond. He fully expected the AI to request more input. After all, his current identity as Max was far removed from his old one as John Smith. He didn''t even look the same, and the phone didn''t even have his current name. To his shock, the phone''s AI responded immediately in a calm, synthetic voice. "Tracing identity failed! Scanning for previous identities... Searching for relevant individuals based on cross-referenced data." Max raised an eyebrow as the phone began scouring records, analyzing old government files, outdated social media posts, and public surveillance footage. Within seconds, the screen displayed a name and picture: Nancy Reed. "What the. ¡­ ". Max''s jaw dropped as the phone confirmed the connection and initiated a call. The device didn''t stop there. It hacked into every available camera around Nancy, including her phone''s front-facing camera, giving Max a full view of her as the call went through. Nancy appeared on the screen, no longer the teenager who had cared for him all those years ago but a composed, elegant woman in her mid-thirties. Her hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, and she wore a casual sweater as she sat at a kitchen table sipping coffee. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Hello? Who is this?" Nancy''s voice was warm but cautious. Max ignored her question entirely, his eyes glued to the additional windows on his screen showing her environment: the security cameras in her kitchen, a nearby streetlight feed, even the reflection off a polished metal appliance. "Impressive. Even I didn''t know her family name," muttered Max under his breath, his lips curling into a satisfied grin. He ended the call before Nancy could say anything further, leaving her baffled. Max tapped the phone''s screen again, pulling up its holographic features. "AI, make a 3D holographic movie. Something... epic. Surprise me." Within moments, a full-scale holographic projection erupted from the phone. Characters sprang to life mid-air: armored knights clashing against cyber-enhanced dragons, complete with breathtaking landscapes and vibrant effects. Max flew at his normal speed as he watched the cinematic display unfold around him. "Now this is entertainment." The AI chimed in, "Would you like to customize the genre, characters, or plotline?" Max waved dismissively. "No need. Just keep it coming." As the hologram ended, he tested the sound isolation function that was akin to fake invisible headphones. Max could hear his pets going wild inside the pet space, but he simply ignored them for now. "Activating localized sound isolation. External noise nullified." Despite the roaring wind around him, Max heard the sound playing from the phone as though he were in a silent room. The isolation was seamless, making the world outside his phone''s audio vanish entirely. "huh, better than real headphones." Next, he decided to test the camera. "AI, take a 360-degree panorama of this area in 8K resolution." The phone projected a scanning grid that surrounded him. In less than a second, it captured a stunning image of the sky, clouds, and horizon, so detailed that it felt like he could step into it. "Now find me all the birds in this image." The AI highlighted dozens of tiny specks, identifying them as various bird species and providing real-time data about their flight patterns and habitats. "Not bad," Max said. "Now for something practical. Find me a good place to rest nearby." The AI scanned his surroundings and pinpointed a hidden clearing in a nearby forest. "Location identified. Estimated travel time: 3 minutes at current flight speed." Of course, he was simply testing and didn''t plan to rest, not until he reach his destination. Max chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "This thing''s worth every bit of trouble." As Max tested more of the phone''s features, his excitement grew as the device seemed to have no limit. ..... Finally, he decided to test its hacking capabilities. "AI, hack into the security systems of Phantom Titan HQ." The AI''s response was immediate. "Acknowledged. Gathering access points. Would you like to leave traces or remain undetected?" Max smirked. "Undetected, obviously." Within seconds, the phone displayed a live feed of the Titan HQ. Internal security cameras, encrypted databases, even private communications¡ªall were at his fingertips. "Whoa," Max muttered, scrolling through the data. "This thing''s a masterpiece." "Cannot gain access to Phantom Titan''s private networks without access points. Would you like to launch a cyber attack? Success chance: 78% Alert: This action will immediately alert the other party to our infiltration." "No need." Max observed a little before the AI warned, "Prolonged access increases the risk of detection. Do you wish to continue?" Max nodded, impressed by the AI''s caution. "No, let''s not push our luck. Disconnect." Chapter 124 Invitation & Mages "No need." Max observed a little before the AI warned, "Prolonged access increases the risk of detection. Do you wish to continue?" Max nodded, impressed by the AI''s caution. "No, let''s not push our luck. Disconnect." ..... Max''s flight slowed as he found himself deep in thought, gripping the super phone tightly. It was time to stop testing for fun and start using the device for something truly meaningful. He hovered over a stretch of dense forest, the phone''s dark screen shimmering faintly as if waiting for him to speak. "AI, look for the Hive Mind Project, specifically the term ''invitation''. Also check for ash crow''s Evolution routes. " spoke Max, his voice serious. Max was looking for any reference to the keyword ''invitation.'' That term was the reason Max deliberately prevented his crows from attempting to reach the perfected proficiency level in the psychic link skill. Max knew a thing or two about it, but he wasn''t entirely sure it even existed, let alone how to achieve it, since the perfected effects gained can be too random. Then there was his ash crows evolution. Although some Evolution routes can be directly bought by money, but he wanted to see if he can find any secretive Evolution routes. But both the government and zero-wing were entities Max viewed with intense caution. "AI," Max said carefully, "I need you to tread lightly. Stay hidden. I can''t risk alerting anyone to these searches." He wasn''t worried about the phone itself being traced. According to Xrak, the phone was impossible to track. However, the possibility that they might discover a hacking attempt and label him as some super hacker that was another matter entirely. If the government decided to pursue him as a dangerous enemy or a valuable recruiting target even by force, they could resort to mystical techniques or other means to track him down. That wasn''t a risk he was willing to take, not for the time being. The synthetic voice of the AI chimed in with its calm efficiency. "Acknowledged. Initiating covert searches. Compiling data from distributed nodes to minimize detection risk." Max hovered silently as the phone worked, the wind rushing past him. Minutes later, a notification popped up. "Report ready. This is the maximum data retrievable without triggering external alerts." Max skimmed through the information, his eyes narrowing at the contents. There were the information about the Hive Mind Project that he already knew, just more organized and detailed. The term ''invitation'' surfaced in his findings, described as a rare perfected effect, allowing a pet to invite another pet into the hive mind after it formed, on the condition that the invited pet also possessed the psychic link skill. It was further noted that this effect couldn''t be achieved without specific lab handling, but it didn''t explain what those processes were. Max already knew this much, more or less. Max shook away his disappointment as He moved on to the ash crows'' evolution roots. The AI had uncovered evolution routes that were so rare they would normally be impossible to obtain without exorbitant costs. Still nothing secretive, maybe some of those wouldn''t be sold to outsiders, but at least they were well known. Max was very satisfied. In simple words, this phone will solve all of his technology related problems and more without much effort. Max scrolled down, finding a warning at the very end of the report. "Limit reached. Further probing will alert monitored networks. Do you wish to proceed?" "No." Max dismissed the notification. "Don''t push it." He tapped the edge of the phone, his mind racing. The information he''d gleaned was useful, but not enough. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "AI," he said, "is it possible to stay completely hidden if I provide you direct access to one of their computers? I''m talking physical access, direct infiltration." The phone hummed softly before responding. "Affirmative. Direct access will allow us to bypass external surveillance layers. This approach ensures maximum anonymity." Max exhaled. His simple, almost brain dead plan for Kain-city might just work without a single problem. "Good," he said finally, the faintest hint of a smile forming on his lips. "I''ll make arrangements for that later. For now, let''s keep things subtle." The phone''s screen dimmed slightly as the AI acknowledged his command, and Max shot forward, the wind roaring past him as he left the dense forest behind. Max soared through the open skies, his eyes glued to the shimmering black screen of his super phone. The wind roared around him, but he was entirely immersed, scrolling through the detailed report from the AI. He was completely focused and the sound isolation function helped a lot. On the device, there was a small map in the corner with a navigation line glowing faintly, marking his destination. Max told the AI to alert him if he veered off-course! or reached the location. It allowed him to read peacefully without worrying about navigation. ........ Far below, on the ground, a young man sprinted through a vast field. His sharp features and confident demeanor made him seem like the type of protagonist one might find in a heroic tale. A glint of determination sparkled in his eyes as he heard a sudden crack in the sky. Looking up, he spotted a figure. It was a woman suspended high above the earth. Her hair whipped wildly in the wind as she plummeted through the sky. It was clear she''d used some teleportation device or something similar, but it had gone wrong, landing her in this precarious position. The young man didn''t hesitate. "Buffalo! Over here!" he shouted, summoning his D-rank summon. A large, bulky creature with thick fur and a gentle demeanor thundered toward him. "We''ll cushion her fall. She can land on you safely," he muttered to himself, sprinting toward the spot he judge to be her landing location. He clenched his fists, his heart pounding at the thought of saving someone so beautiful. But as he approached, something caught his eye. High above, another figure was streaking through the air at an astonishing speed, effortlessly slicing through the wind. The young man froze, recognizing the man in flight as a passing powerhouse. Max looked utterly indifferent, his dark figure cutting through the sky like a phantom. His trajectory perfectly aligned with the falling woman''s. The young man slowed to a stop, his shoulders sagging. "Of course," he muttered bitterly, frustration twisting his expression. "Someone like him would swoop in and save her effortlessly." He planted his feet and chose to observe instead, convinced that this mysterious, powerful flier would steal the moment from him. ... The woman''s heart pounded in terror as the ground raced toward her. She had no means to fly or slow her fall, her mind spinning with fear and regret. Her wide, expressive eyes locked onto Max as he approached at an insane velocity. In her panicked state, she latched onto the hope that this striking figure, flying with such ease, was her savior. He looked every bit the hero, focused and composed, as though he''d come to rescue her from certain death. Relief washed over her face. ..... ¡­.. Max, meanwhile, remained oblivious. His gaze didn''t leave his phone for even a moment, his mind wholly absorbed in the details of his report. The woman''s cries, the wind rushing past her, the young man below watching intently¡ªnone of it registered to him. As their paths intersected, Max''s instincts flared. Without thought, he veered slightly to the side, narrowly dodging the woman''s falling form. The motion was reflexive, smooth, and utterly indifferent. The woman''s relief twisted into horror as she passed him. Their eyes met briefly, Max''s expression impassive and cold as he gave her a quick glance. Then, without a second thought, he resumed his flight, speeding onward as though nothing had happened. ..... The young man below was struck speechless. His jaw hung open as he processed what had just unfolded. "Did... did he just dodge her?" he whispered, disbelief flooding his voice. "ahhhhhhhhhhhh." Reality set in as the woman''s screams filled the air. The ground shook slightly as her body hit the earth with a sickening thud. A heavy silence followed, only the sound of wind remaining. Thud! The young man''s legs trembled, his mind racing. He had stopped moving earlier, fully expecting Max to save her. Now, guilt and shame warred within him. He glanced around nervously. "I can''t stay here," he muttered, backing away. "If anyone sees me, they might think it''s my fault¡­" He turned and bolted, his Buffalo following closely behind. As he ran, bitterness churned in his chest. "If only I''d acted faster," he muttered angrily, the image of the falling woman burned into his mind. "That could''ve been my moment¡­" .... Above, Max remained unfazed, his mind solely focused on his phone. A faint notification chimed, alerting him to his progress. Without a second thought, he adjusted his course slightly, his destination drawing closer as the skies stretched endlessly before him. ....... As Max left the scene far behind, a strange group appeared there. Varun teleported next to his niece''s body, his mage subordinates trailing behind him. His eyes scanned the scene, a strange, almost amused glint in his gaze. "Well, well... this is a twist." One of his mages, a silver-haired woman, scratched her head. "Lord Varun, we were sure she''d escape after stealing the artifact. She even called it ''evil'' and teleported away, saying something like she was ''too pure for this darkness.''" Varun chuckled darkly. "Yes, yes, I remember. But now she''s dead." "Did she forget to cast the ''don''t fall to your death'' spell or something?" mocked the silver-haired woman. Another mage, young and red-faced from the sun, piped up, "Maybe she didn''t even try to teleport properly? I mean, she wasn''t exactly a good mage, right?" Varun grinned widely. "I guess she forgot to read the fine print in her ''teleportation for dummies'' guide." He stood up, brushing off his robes. "What a mess. She was a nuisance, after all." The youngest mage crossed his arms. "Well, maybe she thought she''d land on something soft? Like a cloud. Or a really big pile of leaves?" Varun''s grin widened. "Or maybe she thought she''d be caught by some mysterious hero. A perfect plot twist, eh?" One of the older mages, his voice full of concern, suggested, "Maybe someone intercepted her teleportation? Like a more powerful mage? After all, she did win in the trial runs and was brought here with the other geniuses. "'' Varun waved a hand, dismissing the idea. "Nah, I think she just screwed up. This is... honestly, a bit of a relief." He looked down at the body with a smirk. "Now we don''t have to chase her around. This whole drama is over. No more emotional speeches or complaints." The mages exchanged uncertain glances, but Varun was already walking away. "Forget searching. Let''s just get her body. We''ve got a ritual to finish." Without another word, they quickly gathered the body, no longer bothering to look for any signs of other forces at play. Varun turned back to his mages with a satisfied smile. "One problem solved. Let''s move on to the next stage. Soon enough I''d no longer be the A-rank mage Varun but the SS-Rank Powerhouse. " His niece was right. The ritual he planned was too evil, but he didn''t care about the sacrifices. After all, this isn''t even the Mage continent, he just have to be secretive about it. Chapter 125 Lightning skills. Max''s journey finally ended as he approached the border between a D-rank and a C-rank danger zone. The shift in the environment was undeniable: the D-rank area was lush and vibrant, while the C-rank zone ahead seemed darker, with jagged trees and an unsettling air. The towering mountains loomed, their peaks veiled in eerie mist. He landed on a plateau near the tallest mountain, taking a moment to absorb his surroundings. The distant cries of unknown creatures echoed through the heavy air. Max planned to settle here for around two weeks until the special dungeon opened. After confirming the location on his phone, Max opened his pet space. His ten ash crows emerged, settling on nearby ledges and rocks. Their glowing eyes gleamed as they fixed their gaze on Max in anticipation. Finally, Lucy appeared. Her tiny figure hovered in front of him, and her mental voice immediately chimed in. ''Phone.'' Max sighed, holding the device out of her reach. "Not happening, Lucy." ''Be careful. Won''t break.'' "Yeah, remind me, where did my first phone go? Oh, right, you threw it out the window," retorted Max. Lucy flew around Max, her mental voice defensive. ''Was dangerous! Could explode.'' "It wasn''t dangerous, Lu. And it definitely wasn''t going to explode," Max replied, exasperated. "You threw it because it made a sound you didn''t like." ''Sound dangerous. Could hurt.'' Max pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lucy, that sound was just a wake-up alarm." The ash crows shuffled closer, their heads tilting curiously at the exchange. Craw! Craw! Craw!¡­ "And you lot, don''t even think about it. You''re no better. I still remember the time I caught you trying to balance on a stolen phone." The crows stared back innocently, their eyes unblinking. Lucy wanted to argue more, but Max stopped her. "No means no." With a huff, Lucy floated back, clearly displeased. The crows gave a few low caws. Max shook his head. "Alright, enough. Lucy, I need you to take control of this mountain." Lucy straightened up, determination gleaming in her eyes. She was convinced that if she worked hard enough, Max might let her play with that phone. But Max, all too familiar with Lucy''s playful nature and endless talent for chaos, wasn''t about to risk it. The last thing he needed was waking up to find the biggest news channel hijacked, airing a cartoonish teddy bear, declaring itself the supreme overlord. Lucy turned into a bundle of green light, merging with the mountain. The ground trembled as the mountain began to shift. Rocks reshaped themselves, and a somewhat hidden entrance formed on the side of the mountain. When the rumbling subsided, Max walked into the newly created mountain house. Max entered the mountain house, checking the simulator. The cooldown had ended almost an hour ago, and he was itching to use it. But first, he placed the phone inside his space ring. "Simulator, switch to Consecutive Simulation Mode." [Ding, executed.] This time, he would simulate two crows: lightning crow Raad, and mirror crow Mraia. Max had already informed the two of their tasks beforehand and provided them with a few survival instructions and some information from Lucy''s map. "Raad, Mraia, come here. It''s your time to enter the dream world." Craw! Craw! The two flew excitedly towards Max while the other crows watched with envy. "First, Mraia. If you can survive the radiation, then, as I told you before, just practice Mirror Prison and ignore everything else." Craw! Max took out two small injections and vaccinated both the unwilling Raad and Mraia. -G-2 Serum: Duration: One month. Effect: Increases the chance of learning skills from the environment and encounters. For Mraia, it would help reach the perfect proficiency faster for [Mirror Prison] since gaining a perfected effect or similar to learning new skills. Without further ado, Max placed her in a region filled with mutated worms with reflective, glass-like heads. Unfortunately, that place was heavy with radiation, and Max didn''t have much hope. "Start simulation." [In the 1st year, you found yourself in a barren land. The sun blazed too hot, and radiation filled the air. Informed of these conditions, you flew through the landscape, searching for shelter. All you saw were strange earthworms scattered across the ground. Using (World of Mirrors), you hid and rested by using the worms'' reflective glass heads as an entrance. However, due to your weak spirituality stat, you could barely maintain it for half an hour. By the fifth day, your wings weakened, your once-shining feathers dulled from exposure to both the sun and the radiation. Despite attempts to seek safety, radiation finally overtook you.] [You died. Simulation ended.] [Ding. Host, please pick a reward.] 1. Complete memories. 2. Complete body stats. 3. An ability, skill, or talent. 4. An item or equipment. Max wasn''t too disappointed since he expected this outcome. However, he struggled to decide on a reward. Checking the items, he found a worm head. It seemed Mraia had killed one and kept its head to enter the mirror world when her cooldown ended.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Max retrieved the worm head. Instantly, a mirror with a strange shape appeared in his hand. It was very reflective, just like a normal mirror. Without knowing its origin, Max wouldn''t have guessed its uniqueness. Max took out the map and analyzed it. Back when Lucy simulated, she spent excessive time traveling between regions to record everything and find anything of value. However, the world wasn''t particularly large. Five days of flight sufficed to cover long distances. Since Max read Lucy''s simulation, an idea kept popping out in his mind from time to time, but it wasn''t time for his crazy ideas, at least not yet. Max switched the starting spot to the lightning region, free of radiation. "Start simulation." [In the 1st year, you found yourself in a stormy mountain region. Before you could examine your surroundings, you were struck by a lightning bolt suddenly.] [You died.] [Ding! Host, please pick a reward.] Max sighed and chose full memories, as there was nothing useful to take. At least the memory of being struck by lightning might inspire her in some way. He considered the situation. Most likely, only Raad, with his lightning affinity, could sense lightning before it struck and either evade or possibly survive a direct hit. Max didn''t want to give up on Mraia because of [mirror prison.], but for now he had to Focus on raad. At the very least, he needed to see how Raad''s simulation would progress. "Raad, it''s your turn. Survive and try to feel your surroundings. Maybe you can learn some new skills. Don''t bother with practicing your skills in the dream world for now." Max didn''t want to waste the simulation time for skills the crows can just practice in the real world. Craw! Craw! "Simulation, start." [In the 1st year, you found yourself in a storm-filled region with a crackling sky. Thanks to your lightning affinity, you were able to sense the charge in the air before a lightning strike and avoided getting hit by flying upwards. Following your pet master''s instructions, you focused on basic survival, searching for food and water in this dangerous region.] [In the 2nd year, you survived. Water was abundant, so you didn''t worry about it, and you stumbled upon clusters of mushrooms. You ate some, but they tasted awful. While edible at first, you later realized some were toxic. The toxins caused a burning sensation in your stomach, and your body trembled as the poison coursed through your veins. You died in agony.] Max paused and picked full memories as a reward. "Simulator, focus on memories of food and water sources as well as locations. Raad should be able to recognize the deadly mushrooms now." Craw! Raad was stunned, as it was the first time he remembered something from the dream world. "get yourself ready Raad, you''re going in again." Craw! "Simulator start." [In the 1st year, you died after drinking water contaminated with radiation.] "Full memories again." [In the 1st year, you died flying into a zone with heavy lightning strikes. You couldn''t dodge all the bolts and perished.] "Full memories and start again." Over several runs: [You died¡­] [You died¡­] [You died¡­] [In the 2nd year, you were struck mid-air by a lightning bolt. Thanks to your lightning affinity, you survived. However, you couldn''t survive the crash as you plummeted to the ground.] [You died.] ... As Raad''s accumulated memories grew, his survival time gradually extended beyond one year. From that point, progress came more steadily. [In the 1st year, once more, you found yourself in that stormy landscape. With your knowledge of the area, you flew to a relatively safe location where lightning rarely struck, though the water wasn''t drinkable.] [In the 2nd year, you made a home for yourself in a cave and grew more adept at surviving with your familiarity with the terrain.] [In the 4th year, your body began to adapt. Your feathers shimmered faintly with an unnatural glow. However, these changes seemed to attract more lightning bolts. Thankfully, you survived by staying within your cave.] [In the 5th year, you had to drink radioactive water. This accelerated changes within your body as your feathers and skin fundamentally transformed. By the year''s end, your changes stabilized, and you gained the passive skill Electromagnetized Skin. It was the process of gaining this skill that attracted the lightning, and now that it is formed completely, you no longer attracted lightning.] [In the 6th year, while searching for food, a single lightning bolt struck you directly. You died instantly.] [Ding! Host, please pick a reward.] "Huh? Simulator, is this skill dangerous to bring back?" [Ding! Reporting: The passive skill Electromagnetized Skin holds no danger on any level, either to you or your pet.] "In that case, take it as a reward. Show me its details." [Electromagnetized Skin (Passive) Grade: Green Modes: 1. Off ¨C Provides 40% lightning resistance. 2. On ¨C Allows you to hold onto lightning as if it were physical.] Max felt a tingling sensation as his feathers and skin underwent a subtle transformation. "Interesting. Let''s study it later. For now, start again. "Raad, expose yourself to radiation outside the lightning region. Do it in moderation." Max was intrigued by the process of how Raad obtained the skill and wanted to experiment more in that direction. Craw! "start." [In the 1st year, under your master''s orders, you began exposing yourself to radiation. This caused great harm, but you persevered.] [In the 3rd year, while performing your routine, you passed out after prolonged exposure. When you woke, your body was mutating. You had four heads, glowing feathers, and multiple sets of wings, some of them fleshy and featherless. Your body pulsed with lightning. The mutation granted you immense power, including the innate ability (Lightning Weaver), the ability (lightning prodigy) and the ability (Confused). Despite this newfound strength, you weren''t happy because of how ugly you were. Your only hope was that your master could reverse this process. Most importantly, your body began breaking down, unable to hold together.] "Wow," Max whispered in amazement. [In the 4th year, your body was failing. However, one day, as you focused on the lightning-filled sky, a new sensation emerged within as you understood something. Your eyes crackled with energy, and with a concentrated gaze, a massive bolt of lightning struck the ground below. You learned the skill Thunderous Gaze. Shortly after, your body collapsed completely.] [You died.] [Ding! Host, please pick a reward.] [Ding, you pet lighting crow Raad has mutated during this simulation, would you like to bring the full mutation back?] Max knew that the simulator was capable of bringing evolutions/ mutations that occur inside the simulation world, on the condition that it will enter a longer cooldown. But this mutation was clearly harmful. Instead, he chose the blue-grade ability lightning prodigy. [Ding! Your choice is invalid. The ability is tied to the mutation and cannot exist independently.] "huh? Than can I bring the full body stats?" [Ding! Your choice is invalid. The body stats in this simulation are tied to the mutation and cannot exist independently.] "Fine. What can I pick?" [Thunderous Gaze is available.] "Take it," Max decided. He didn''t stop to examine the skill''s details, choosing to focus on further simulations. "Raad, throw yourself in radiation a bit more and focus on practicing your new skill, Thunderous Gaze." Craw! Raad''s next simulations involved repeated exposure to radiation, mutating in multiple ways, gaining a platter of abilities that Max couldn''t bring back, and refinement of Thunderous Gaze skill. After spending 32 simulation year, Raad achieved advanced mastery with the skill. "this mutation thing is going nowhere. Let''s try one more time. Ready Raad! " [the first year, at the tenth day of coming to this world, you stood bathing in radiation, locking your gaze at a certain cliff. You were bleeding heavily, but you were unblinking. Your body mutated, but your gaze didn''t move. As your new mutated body was breaking down, you finally comprehended something as a gigantic Thunderbolt fell down from the sky breaking the cliff. Your skill thunderous gaze reached its peak, gaining the perfected effect ''stack'' which makes it stackable. You died right after as your body couldn''t handle it.] [you died]. [Ding, Host, please pick a reward.] Max didn''t hesitate to pick the skill again. Skill: Thunderous gaze Grade: Green Proficiency: Perfected ''stack'' Description: You can focus your gaze on a location within 50 meters. The skill charges the area with intense undetectable static electricity, calling a lightning bolt to fall down after a brief delay. Stack: You can activate the skill and delay the lightning strike until you choose to release it. During this delay, each subsequent use of the skill accumulates additional static charge, intensifying the upcoming lightning bolt. "wow! This is just great." Chapter 126 just forging a mirror ....... Max stood at the edge of his new mountain home and flew up. His crows, Raad and Mraia, were already busy. He had given Raad the task of teaching Mraia everything about survival in the lightning zone. Raad''s experience made him the perfect instructor. Max also gave him Lucy''s map and tasked him with locating the somewhat safe cave where lightning strikes were less frequent. That would be Mraia''s starting point. Without wasting another moment, while midair, he started testing his new skill, Thunderous Gaze. His first target was a distant rock formation. He set his gaze on it, eyes narrowing. As his eyes locked onto the rock, there was no apparent change. But suddenly, in an instant, a bolt of lightning arced from the sky. It struck the rock with terrifying force. A sharp, electric snap echoed through the air. Max''s heart raced, and a grin spread across his face. He locked his gaze onto another point, a large cliff face with a jagged edge, the perfect spot for his next test. This time, as he focused his attention and used the skill, he kept stacking it. On the cliff, static charge became apparent. The feathers of a few birds resting there crackled with energy, their normally sleek forms trembling as the charged air drew them together. Thankfully, this alerted them to fly away before an even stronger bolt of lightning descended. This time, it struck the cliff face, breaking it in half. Boom! Max could almost feel the raw power of it. He had stacked the skill four times before he couldn''t hold it anymore, he could go further if he forced himself but he deemed it unnecessary for the time being. "Huh? It''s surprisingly hard to stack it," he muttered. Max tested it a few more times before deciding it was enough. Next, he switched testing Electromagnetized Skin as he turned it on, and his skin started glowing visibly with a blue arc. "Interesting," he remarked. He then turned his gaze back to himself. This time, he didn''t target a distant point but the ground right next to him. A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, and Max barely flinched as it almost struck the ground beside him. Then, he moved. In one swift motion, Max reached out, both hands extending toward the crackling lightning bolt. His hands were injured immediately, bleeding but surprisingly not charred. He could feel the heat of the lightning bolt, but he didn''t pull back. Instead, he clenched his fists tighter. The lightning crackled in his grip, swirling in chaotic patterns, but it was clearly solid in his hands. Looking at the lightning bolt in his hand, Max smirked. "I could get addicted to this." Despite the pain of his injured hands, he grinned, playing with it, feeling its wild energy shift with every small movement of his fingers. But the testing couldn''t last forever. With a reluctant sigh, Max finally released the lightning. The moment he let go, it reached the ground immediately. Max tested a bit more before stopping. His lightning was stronger than normal lightning but much slower. Max''s mind rushed with ideas of how to best use his newfound skills. Still, he stopped thinking about it for the time being and flew back to his house. It wasn''t time for that yet, he had a simulation to finish. Back at the mountain house, Max found Mraia waiting for him. Obviously, Raad was done explaining. Without wasting any more time, Max started her simulation in a spot closer to the somewhat safe caves. Practicing her skills without mirrors would be slower, but it couldn''t be helped. ... [In the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar place, but thanks to Raad''s words, you were able to survive relatively well and practice your skill.] [In the fourth year, you died of radiation poisoning.] .... Max silently picked Mirror Prison and started the next simulation. Slight progress at a time until the skill was mastered. And just like that, Mraia kept simulating until the skill reached advanced mastery after 56 years. What disappointed Max was the fact that Mraia didn''t mutate after exposing herself to radiation. Apparently, it wasn''t just the radiation that helped Raad mutate but also the lightning in the area, since he had the lightning affinity.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Whenever Mraia jumped into radiation according to Max''s orders, she would just die a painful death. ..... Max scratched his chin deep in thoughts. So far, Raad used 41 years in total and Mraia 56 years, which left Max with 3 years to simulate. "Hmm, so let''s give up on mutation. And she doesn''t seem capable of achieving perfected mastery here," Max decided. He resolved to attempt the plan he had in mind since he wouldn''t be able to achieve much in just three years of simulation. "Mraia, I need your attention for a moment." Craw! "You saw the map. I''m going to put you in a place with lots of worms with glass mirror heads. I need you to take one and fly toward the glowing lakes, the region nearby. I need you to attempt to seal some of the glowing water inside the mirror head before you die in the dream world." It was somewhat complicated, so Max explained it in detail, slowly. When he was sure Mraia understood, he started the simulation. ..... [In the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar land. According to your pet master''s orders, you hunted a worm and flew toward the east, the direction the sun rises from. You kept flying for almost three days, slowing as the place you were told about remained out of sight. On the fourth day, you were overwhelmed by the radiation around you. It was killing you slowly, and you were helpless to stop it. In a moment of anger, your skill Mirror Prison reached its peak, and you gained the perfected effect Aura Lock, which allows you to seal the intangible and partly tangible, such as energy radiation. With this, you were able to deal with the radiation, but your body was beyond saving. You died after 10 days, saddened because the location you were told about was visible on the horizon.] [You died.] [Host, please pick a reward.] .... "Immediately pick Mirror Prison and show me its current information," Max ordered. ..... [Mirror Prison] : Grade: Green Proficiency: Perfected (Aura Lock) Effect: Allows the permanent sealing of a creature, object, or entity, whether tangible, intangible, or somewhere in between. Condition: Your Spirituality stat must surpass the target''s combined (Vitality + Spirituality) by at least threefold. Notes: 1- Additional factors can influence the sealing process, either enhancing or weakening it. These include the strength and quality of the mirror used, as well as the target''s willingness. 2- If the required conditions are not fully met, the skill can still function, though its effectiveness will be diminished. The degree of weakening depends on the disparity between your stats and the target''s. ..... A crazed smile spread across Max''s face. This was exactly the missing puzzle he needed to weaponize radiation. Max stood up, planning to stop the simulation for now. "Lucy, make me a forge, rocket fuel, and wood. And This time, it''ll be you doing the work." Max took out a blueprint of a mirror. It wasn''t some magical equipment, just a mirror made to be as tough as possible with his current resources. "Okay." Lucy glanced at the blueprint and didn''t think much of it. She had already seen it before. She even helped Max research the Alloys used in it with her innate''s capabilities. And forging it was an easy job for her because of her strong telekinesis and ability to work at the atomic level. ..... After almost an hour of preparation, Max stood before three glowing balls of hot liquid. The largest one was an alloy he had made with Lucy''s help, using Orkin metal and the radioactive metals she had brought from the wasteland. Max just called this alloy Orkin since it had mostly the same properties and color. The only difference was it was slightly tougher and more resistant to radiation. The middle one was silver, and the smallest one was glass from the python fang. It was over 50% glass, so Max decided to use it since it was tough enough. .... The air around Max shimmered faintly as Lucy''s telekinesis moved. With an invisible force far stronger than his own, she lifted the Orkin alloy from the forge, or the pit of fire, to be exact. Molten streams of golden liquid floated in perfect unison. The metal shifted and twisted mid-air, droplets merging and reforming into an intricate design Max had carefully outlined. Lucy manipulated the glowing metal with uncanny precision. The molten Orkin alloy elongated and branched like veins, roots weaving themselves together into the beginnings of the mirror''s frame. Its jagged edges curled inward, forming a powerful lattice meant to withstand immense forces. The golden alloy cooled slowly, retaining its molten core as it took on the intricate structure Max had envisioned. Next, the glass dissolved into the molten silver, Lucy''s telekinesis spinning the liquid mid-air into a whirlpool to refine its surface. Max observed as she spread the mixture into the golden Orkin frame. The fusion was seamless as the Orkin roots spread like thin veins beneath the mirror''s surface stopping just before penetrating through, to guarantee maximum toughness. Max stepped back, satisfied. Lucy released her telekinetic grip, allowing the still-hot mirror to settle gently onto the rock table. ..... This mirror only good point was durability, but Max nodded in satisfaction as he added the special reagent to the surface. Since it worked on both silver and glass, it created a perfect mirror. .... Next, Max tested something quickly. Even though he knew he could do it, he had to try it first because dealing with radiation wasn''t a joke. He picked up two silver cards and used one of them to seal the leftover molten orkin alloy. As the alloy entered the card, the heat instantly disappeared. "Simulator please scan for any heat released after I use my skill, no matter how small it''s." [Ding, affirmative please proceed.] Looking at the orange liquid inside the card, Max placed the card in contact with the second silver card and used the skill again. The molten metal seamlessly moved from one card to another under Max''s control without releasing any heat in the process. [Ding, no residual heat was released during the process.] "great!". Max smirked as he walked out of the extremely hot forging chamber into the living room, where the crows were watching some series on the laptop. "Mraia, you''re going in again. Do as I told you previously." Craw! Craw. Without further delay, Max started the simulation. [In the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar land. According to your pet master''s orders, you hunted a worm, took its head, and flew towards the east. Using [Mirror Prison] to seal the radiation around you inside the glass head, you were able to reach the so-called deadly zone. Beneath you, countless lakes of green glowing substance filled the horizon, and your skill couldn''t keep up with the amount of radiation around. You were dying, and fast, so without hesitation, you flew down, plunging yourself into one of the lakes. As you died, you were able to seal some of the green substance within the glass worm head.] [You died.] [Host, please pick a reward.] Max took a deep breath and chose the worm head. As the strange-shaped mirror appeared, Max instantly held the orkin mirror to it and used [Mirror Prison]. Without a hitch, both the radiation and the glowing substance were sealed inside the new mirror. Looking at the result, Max started laughing uncontrollably. "Hhhhh, as expected, I''m really good at making pure destruction." But Max didn''t stop there. This mirror was of top quality and could seal much more. "Mraia, it was perfect, although you don''t remember. Do it again." And just like that, he repeated the process again, and again, and again, and again... Max only stopped when he felt the mirror couldn''t seal any more. Looking at the exquisite mirror in his hand, Max didn''t know how to feel. This small mirror just slightly bigger than a human head, contained enough radiation to melt him instantly. "Hmm, I can use it as a one-time weapon to f*** an entire city or something... or I can release the radiation slowly... Ah, let''s leave it for the future." Max stored the dangerous thing he had just created, shifting his attention to other matters. The simulator had already entered cooldown, and he planned to rest for the night. Chapter 127 Kraxtal weaving Max sat in the center of his new mountain house, his focus unwavering as he studied the intricate texts spread out before him with Mok and Lucy next to him. Lucy had a dead fish like expression, begging to be released from this torture, while Mok was completely focused on the text. Max''s super phone had projected the text onto a holographic screen in mid-air, the words glowing softly. The text was in the human language of this world, and Max understood it completely, but he still felt like he was reading gibberish looking at the text. It wasn''t the first time he had encountered something that pushed the limits of his understanding, but this¡­ this was on an entirely different level. He had spent the last three days studying the Kraxtal Weaving Forging Method. It was a powerful technique, one that can push the limits of any metal. It required one thing above all: any sort of mental power skill. But Max didn''t lack that, his telekinesis was one of the best obtainabl. It was an easy match for the requirements of Kraxtal Weaving, except for one detail. The method also required an understanding of advanced mathematics and physics that Max had never encountered before. Concepts beyond Earth''s established knowledge, theories that seemed to twist and bend logic itself. The equations, the formulas, his head boiled just thinking about them. It was as if his mind were trying to process the impossible. Each formula he encountered seemed like an abstract painting that defied every rule he had ever known about the world. "s***, and I remember Xrak calling this simple." ''give up is good!'' "Lucy, unless we make some progress, no one is allowed to get up. So stop acting like some laziness demon telling me to give up every 10 min." Lucy felt indignant. She didn''t try every 10 minutes, but every 5 minutes, she was sure because she checked the time on the screen. "Lucy, anymore and you won''t be allowed to get up until you master it completely. Look at Mok and learn from him, he didn''t even comment." Max glanced at Mok, just to feel backstabed looking at the sleeping crow. ''okay!'' Lucy was obedient, so using Max''s shoulder as a bed she fell asleep immediately. Max''s mouth twitched, but he allowed them a 10 min rest, since they didn''t have the same stats as him and gets exhausted faster. .... They had spent three grueling days diving into this alien knowledge, working tirelessly to unravel the complexities of Kraxtal Weaving. At first, the texts had been incomprehensible, full of ideas that felt like gibberish. But slowly, piece by piece, things started to click. Each mental leap was like a small victory, even if it left his head aching with the effort.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. He had learned to decipher the equations, understand the relationships between the physical forces, and begin to apply them, if only faintly. He closed his eyes for a moment, pushing the throbbing headache away and focusing his mind. The room around him felt weightless as he reached inward, calling upon his telekinesis to move according to Kraxtal weaving. As he traced through the mental diagram, a faint blue light began to form in the air before him. A glowing ball of pure energy. It swirled, vibrating just like the ones Xrak had used when he forged Max''s phone. But Xrak''s technique was far beyond what Max could achieve. Xrak had effortlessly created sixteen of those glowing orbs at once, weaving them together into complex structures. Max, on the other hand, could barely manage one. The ball of blue light flickered uncertainly, its shape distorting for a moment as Max struggled to stabilize it. His mental focus wavered, and the ball began to shrink, its glow dimming. "Stay," Max muttered under his breath, willing the energy to remain intact. The ball flickered again, its edges shimmering, before finally stabilizing. It hovered in front of him, a small but radiant sphere. Max exhaled slowly, his body feeling drained from the effort. It wasn''t perfect, and certainly not as impressive as Xrak''s sixteen spheres, but it was a start. He''d been able to hold it steady for several minutes now, a significant achievement given the complexity of the task. Max leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. He was exhausted, but satisfied. Despite the difficulty, he had done it. Max took out a small piece of metal and had the blue orb approach it. The metal immediately melted down, but it wasn''t hot at all, not even a bit. It was broken down into a form easy to reshape. "Meh, not much but this is all what a single orb can do." Max stopped using Kraxtal weaving deciding it was time to have some rest. "Ai download some video game for me to enjoy." [downloading the current top seal competitive multiplayer game.. completed.] The process was done in less than a second, but Max wasn''t surprised. Using the phone as a joystick he started enjoying the game on the holographic screen. ... ..... Max sat back in his chair, his eyes scanning the virtual landscape displayed on his super phone''s holographic screen. He was no longer surrounded by the heavy atmosphere of Kraxtal Weaving texts. Instead, he was lost in the chaotic world of Phantom Arena, a highly competitive multiplayer game where players faced off in strategic combat, utilizing both skill and wit. At first Max thought that with his speed he would crush everyone, but apparently only superhumans played this game because he was barely keeping up. "huh? Why can he do that." Looking at his digital character killed by some pay to win player Max just smirked. "Ai, Hack the game for me." A soft chime responded, and the screen flickered for a moment. [Request received. Adjusting parameters for optimal performance.] Max''s his health bar instantly refilled, and the enemies around him froze in place. He moved swiftly, cutting through the opposition like a blade through butter, taking out two enemies in quick succession. "Game over," the screen flashed as Max completed the final objective. His team cheered in victory. ''cheater.'' Max looked to the side at Lucy and Mok watching, the obviously woke up earlier but didn''t speak afraid that Max will have them learn that black magic called high math again. Mok looked at Lucy speechless, and Lucy had a cheapish smile knowing that she snitch on herself again. ''cheating is good''. Max''s mouth twitched. "Don''t flatter me Lu, I have something to do any way so you won''t have to study for the time being." Max stood up stretching. Mok was happy, but Lucy looked at the game wanting to give it a try. '' can I cheat as well.'' Max didn''t respond as both Lucy, Mok and all other crows got pulled into the pet space. " maybe after you learn Kraxtal weaving." ........ Author note :from now one sometimes I''d releasing chapters at one time instead of daily because of my current spot. Don''t worry we won''t slow the release rate overall. I also won''t be able to check the comments as such from now on. Wish you all the best. Chapter 128 Max set the Kraxtal Weaving study aside for now. He had pushed himself hard the past three days, trying to wrap his mind around complex equations and advanced physics. But for today, he decided it was enough. His head was full, and he needed a break and a video game won''t cut it. And he had the best idea to both loosen up, and best make use of his time. Max stepped out of his mountain house, the cool, crisp air of the clearing surrounding him. He paused for a moment, appreciating the peaceful landscape. The mountain range stretched out before him, and the soft rustling of the trees added a sense of calm. He pulled out the green arm-sized key out of his space ring. This key was a dungeon reward from Xrak, it could open a Legacy dungeon, one that could either contain nothing or immense wealth. There was no way to know until he used it, but Max had a gambling problem so he obviously wouldn''t leave the key unused for long. "huh, hopefully it won''t be useless." Max held the key out in front of him. The moment he focused on it, the air around him rippled, and a large rift appeared in the space beside him. A massive door, made of dark wood and intricately carved with runes and symbols, materialized. It looked like the work of skilled dwarven craftsmanship. The door itself was imposing, standing twice as tall as Max, its surface covered in ancient designs that seemed to glow faintly. "huh, dwarves!" With the hope of meeting a new race and maybe getting a new customer for his smuggling company, Max stepped forward and grabbed the handle. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.The door opened smoothly as he pushed it inward. The moment he passed through, he felt a change in the air. Max was curious by the fact that he didn''t feel the side effects of the usual teleportation, still he focused on the important matter at hand scanning his surrounding. He found himself standing on the edge of a small, floating city. The ground beneath him was made of cobblestone streets, lined with towering buildings crafted from stone and wood. The architecture was delicate yet sturdy, resembling what one might imagine an elven city to look like. The roofs of the buildings were steep and angular, adorned with intricate carvings that suggested both elegance and longevity. Despite its grandeur, there was a certain tranquility in the design. Looking up there was sunlight but no sun in the sky, switching his gaze to the edge Max noticed that the City seems to be suspended in deep space. The place looks like a high ranking dungeon so Max was cautious even though he knew that there were no danger inside a Legacy dungeon. But as Max surveyed the surroundings, something was immediately off. The city was eerily silent. There were no sounds, nothing at all not even a breeze. ''No survivors I assume.'' Legacy dungeons only form from destroyed dungeon worlds, in such places it isn''t likely to find survivors, and Max''s first Legacy dungeon was one of the exceptions. As he started exploring his footsteps echoed in the silence as he wandered deeper into the city. The buildings, despite their impressive craftsmanship, had an abandoned air about them. Some windows were cracked, and vines crept up the sides of the walls, yet there was no sign of decay. In the center of the city, a massive tree stood, its trunk wide and imposing. Its branches stretched outward, but there was no foliage. The bark was a deep brown, almost black, and the tree exuded an ancient presence, as if it had witnessed the rise and fall of generations. After a quick scan of the tree Max was disappointed. "Dead! And the wood is useless." Max flew up, observing the empty streets and buildings from the air. From above, the layout was clear. The city was circular, with the large tree in the center, and the streets radiated outward from it, connecting to various structures. Some buildings were taller, while others were smaller, possibly housing or marketplaces. "enough exploring and let''s start looting." Max let his pets out, as they flew in all direction like a bunch of hungry scavengers. Chapter 129 Max, Lucy and the crows had spent hours wandering the empty city, searching every corner, every building, every street for something, anything, that could be valuable. But no matter where they looked, they found nothing. The city was silent, the buildings pristine but lifeless, devoid of any treasure or even hints of past riches. All that remained was the overwhelming sense of abandonment, as though everything of importance had long since vanished. Standing ontop of a tall building Max felt disappointed. "Guess we''ll be going back empty handed." ''Craw!!!'' Suddenly Max received a mental message from sandcrow Ramla. "huh? You found something!! Great, everyone gather at Ramla''s location." As Max approached the base of the tree where Ramla was, he saw it, a slight depression in the earth, almost hidden beneath the sprawling roots. "Great job Ramla." Craw ! Craw!. After Brushing away the dirt and debris that had accumulated over what looked like a small door, Max just waited. As his pets converged, Max put them inside the pet space, used his telekinesis to pull the door open, and with a low groan of shifting stone, the hatch revealed a narrow passageway leading underground. Without hesitation Max stepped inside, the air growing cooler as he descended. The space was long and dark, and the walls were made of rough stone, their surfaces lined with intricate carvings and symbols. "huh! more Dwarven style." The passage led into a large chamber, far deeper than Max had anticipated. The chamber was a cavernous room, and in the center of it stood a large, ancient structure that looked distinctly dwarven. Its stone walls were reinforced with iron, and it was covered in more carvings and runes. Max could tell this was no ordinary place, it had the feel of something built to last through the ages, something of great importance. On the walls of the structure, etched into the stone, was a history. Max''s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, reading the carvings that told a story of three races. ..... The three realms, the Human, the Elven, and the Dwarven, were once united in peace, bound by mutual respect and cooperation. Trade flourished between them, and the land was prosperous, a time when everything was beautiful and the future seemed bright.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But as with all things, the peace could not last. Traveling between the realms was difficult, far too hard for the growing needs of the people. There was a pressing need to connect the three realms in a more permanent way. And so, after many years of debate and research, the leaders of each realm agreed to join forces and create space channels, pathways that would allow easy travel and exchange between the three. None objected. The idea was revolutionary, and its potential for the growth of magic, power, and prosperity was immense. But they did not foresee the danger that lay in the connections they created. After years of work, they succeeded. The channels were opened, but with them came an unforeseen threat. The realms were connected to something far more dangerous than they could have imagined, a place of nightmares, a void where nightmares poured out, threatening to destroy everything in its path. They called it The nightmare realm, and it could not be contained. It was a force that could not be fought, a force that could not be undone. The realms had made a grave mistake, and the consequences were dire. The Council of Mages convened, desperate for a solution. But there was nothing they could do. The space paths they had created could not be closed. Not without immense power, and not without the ultimate sacrifice. And so, they devised a plan. They would forge the greatest weapon ever seen, a staff capable of sealing the rift, of closing the space channels. The best space materials from each realm were gathered to form the weapon, materials that were so rare and powerful they could not find a second of each. They called upon the greatest Dwarven forger, a master craftsman with unparalleled skill, to forge the staff. He was honored by the task but also anxious. The weight of the world rested on his shoulders, and the pressure to succeed was immense. Before beginning his work, the forger sought peace. He traveled to his old hometown to clear his mind, to find clarity in his thoughts. It was during this time that he encountered a young, strange mage, unlike any he had ever seen. This mage wielded a weapon unlike anything known in the three realms, a staff that was not a staff at all, but a strange device. The strange mage called it a gun, one that used force and power in a way the forger had never seen. At this point Max''s serious intrigued expression turned into amusement but he kept reading. The forger, curious and desperate for inspiration, captured the young mage. He extracted knowledge from the mage''s dead body, learning about the guns and the strange magic they wielded he also learned about the origins of the young mage being a soul from another realm but he didn''t care about that. With this new knowledge, the forger returned to his workshop, determined to forge the greatest weapon the realms had ever seen. But when the staff was finished, it was not the grand tool they had hoped for. The staff was nothing more than a crude weapon that lacked the necessary magic to close the rift. Nor was it strong enough to fight against the nightmares, It was a complete failure. And worse, it wasted the last of the precious materials, materials that could never be recast. The hope of the three realms was dashed, and the rift remained open, its horrors continuing to spill forth. Max was speechless. "The actual...." From that point on the text became unreadable due to being damaged, Max wasn''t sure what damaged it but it was all broken. All he can understand is that the three realms fought and won with heavy sacrifices, and that this place was built by the same Dwarven Craftsman in the story, he took refuse in the abandoned elven realm dying alone out of shame. Max''s eyes brightened as he started looking around and soon he found it, the tomb of the Dwarve. ..... Chapter 130 Inside were only 3 items the skeletal remains of the Dwarven craftsman, and next to the skeleton, was an ancient book wrapped in decaying cloth. The pages inside were like new paper seemingly untouched by time, and the title on the cover made Max''s pulse quicken: "High runes" He quickly skimmed through the text, just to be disappointed to no end. The runes described here were incredible but useless because the text lacked not only the basics but also the middle parts. It also had some notes of the Craftsman but Max already judged it as useless. Max was knowledgeable enough to tell that using this Book to learn rune forging was like learning the number 9 without the other numbers, and asked to perform math. Moving his gaze Max lifted the weapon next to the skeleton, holding it in his hands with a strange expression on his face. "He actually made a shotgun!". Max felt ridiculous by how the three realms got doomed. Max examined the shotgun in his hand, even though countless years has passed while this thing was locked here, tt looked completely new. "scan". [Ding, scanning equipment.. -Name: Point Blank -Grade: C++ (crafted from materials surpassing A-rank standards, but marred by subpar craftsmanship, limiting its true potential)If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. -Description: A formidable shotgun, that can generate its own ammunition composed of a unique blend of (O2 & CO2) . With C++ firepower, with a maximum limit of 36 bullets that fully regenerate within a single day. Note : the bullets form within the shotgun itself, and cannot be removed. -Skill - Point Blank: When the user locks their sight onto a target, the shotgun''s projectiles will teleport directly to the target with pinpoint accuracy. this skill has a range of up to 1,000 meters, no cooldown no consumption. "How is this shotgun? ." Max was impressed by the skill, and he could already see how powerful it could be in his hands. .... As Max was inspecting his gains, a gate similar to the one he came from, opened in the city. After Max had opened the gate with his key, the dungeon had become accessible to anyone possessing a similar key. Their keys were something like the train ticket he got from the E-rank dungeon, it needs specific conditions to work, while his key was the main Legacy key able to start the dungeon. thirty adventurers walked through, this party was formidable and organized walking as three groups with distinct leaders. On the right was Lira Storm breaker a Pet Master with only one pet called Tempest a massive bird with both lightning and wind affinities. Lira was a striking woman with silver hair and sea blue eyes, her presence commanding. "Caden we had a set plan, why did we come here all of sudden." Caden Iron claw, was a Beast Holder and a towering man, his muscles built from years of training and combat. "I had this key for the longest time, and now that it suddenly reacted, I had to come and take a look, Any way we won''t take long, simply go in check the situation if nothing of value is found we go back to our plans." Replied cadence coldly. Lira just nodded and the third leader smirked without commenting. He was Alaric a Summoner draped in dark robes that seemed to absorb the light around him. His sharp, angular features and glowing red eyes made him appear otherworldly. "Boss why all of us 30 can walk in without an issue?" ask one of Alaric''s followers. "It''s a Legacy dungeon, different rules." answered Alaric casually. The group walked in unison in the empty city. ............ Chapter 131 battle in the floating city. Max stepped out of the Dwarven tomb, playing with his new shotgun, planning to leave the dungeon from the gate he came from. As he emerged into the open, he blinked twice looking at the thirty adventurers standing in a neat formation. Three distinct groups each with a leader. "huh?" Max looked at the line up of pets and professionals with curiosity. Surprisingly his passive only had a grip on one person, one of the leaders, a man cloaked in dark robes. Everyone else was either righteous or self-righteous. Lira was the first to approach, stepping forward with a confident stride, her voice carrying authority. "Well, well, well," she began, scanning Max with a look of curiosity, "I must say, it''s not every day we come across someone so¡­ alone in a Legacy dungeon. You''re clearly no amateur, but I can see you have no team." She gave a slight smile, but it was more patronizing than friendly. "How would you like to join mine? Just hand the things you got here and you would be part of the team. " Max was stunned on the spot, at the absurdity of the offer. Without speaking he took out a mirror and started checking himself while muttering, in front of the stunned group. After checking his looks Max gave this crazy woman an odd look, no matter how he looked at himself he wasn''t the type to be bullied, he even asked Lucy for confirmation and her answer was that he looked like the last boss in a video game, so the other conclusion was that there is something wrong with this woman''s brain. The three leaders didn''t react to Max''s strange actions, as people in power they had to deal with odd individuals regularly. . Max scanned the team with interest and curiosity, he was feeling slightly amused so he didn''t act immediately. "and what if I refuse." Lira''s eyes narrowed, but she didn''t seem surprised. "You misunderstand," she said, taking a step closer. "This isn''t just about power. It''s about protection. If you join my team, I''ll guarantee your safety. My group can take care of anything here, and I promise, they''ll respect you. It''s a win-win." In her mind she was doing Max a favor, she even planned to beat him up a little so the other two leaders lose interest in him completely, that way Max get to keep his life and even work for her on top of it. The edges of Max''s mouth twitched upward. "You mean you want me to hand over what I''ve got, join your team, and then sit back and be coddled? Is that how it works?" Lira''s voice hardened, a little annoyed now. "It''s about knowing where your strengths lie. You''re alone here, aren''t you? You''ve got no team to back you up." Max''s gaze flicked to her pet before returning to her face. "You are really funny you know, you think you can Take my things and expect me to follow you around like a loyal dog?" Lira blinked, unperturbed. "I''m offering you a chance at survival. You''re smart, I can see that, but you''re outmatched here. Caden and Alaric may not have the same ideals as me, but with me, you''ll be safe. I''m the one who''s looking out for the group, for all of us. You join us, and the others won''t kill you. Trust me, that''s the best you can hope for." Max''s face twisted into an expression of disbelief. "Can you hear yourself, even I don''t speak that much nonsense when I am bullying people." Max went quiet suddenly in contemplation, wondering if he also spoke this much unreasonable nonsense. Lair''s expression faltered slightly, but her confidence quickly returned. "I''m not saying you have much of a choice, I''d beat it up in you anyway." Max shook his head, judging that it didn''t matter if he was unreasonable since it was him doing it, but for now he was done with talking as a creepy smile spread across his face, his wings spread open intimidatingly, and in a Swift motion he lifted the shotgun, aimed, and shot before anyone could react. The deafening roar of Max''s shotgun echoed across the floating city, reverberating through the ancient, abandoned structures. Bang! The bullet didn''t leave the shotgun but directly appeared one inch away from its target, leaving no room for evasion. Lira Stormbreaker''s confident smirk twisted into a scream of agony as her left arm was torn apart in an instant. Blood sprayed from the wound as she staggered back, clutching at the mangled remains of her limb. Tempest, her pet bird, shrieked in fury, its crackling energy filling the air. Max frowned at the fact that he missed, but he didn''t give her or the others a moment to recover. With a powerful beat of his wings, he soared into the air, his movements swift and unpredictable, the mirror that he brought out earlier shattered with the impact of him propelling upwards, the fragments spread everywhere. If someone was to look closely he would notice something abnormal about the distance those fragment traveled, but no one did as chaos erupted, below Max. Caden Ironclaw roared, his voice carrying across the crumbling cityscape as he rallied the remaining adventurers. "Take him down! Don''t let him escape!" His massive frame was a blur of motion as he charged forward, his footsteps cracking the ancient stones beneath him. Alaric, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. "Don''t intervene," he said addressing his team, his voice low and chilling. "Let them fight."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Max glanced back down, watching the rest of the adventurers below. Some of them, like Caden, and pet masters with flying pets, and those with some flying skills were already charging toward him. Alaric stood back, a calculating look in his eyes as he watched the fight unfold, he had this inexplicable fear toward Max. His followers looked at him expectantly, but he simply made a gesture, signaling for them to remain silent. To everyone''s surprise, he didn''t intervene in the battle. ... The adventurers scattered, each unleashing their own unique skills and attacks. Skills that released fire, lightning, and ice illuminated the abandoned city, their brilliance casting eerie shadows on the surrounding ruins. Archers notched arrows, some glowing with enchantments, while others sent forth tamed beasts or summoned creatures to join the fray. But Max was untouchable. He darted between the crumbling buildings like a shadow, his wings carrying him with unparalleled speed and agility. A pet master below has his turtle pet fired a barrage of fireballs toward him, each glowing orb exploding in a fiery spectacle as it missed its target. Another adventurer launched a spear of ice, its jagged edges aimed directly at Max''s heart. With a simple twist of his body, he evaded it, the projectile shattering against the wall of a nearby structure. Bang! Bang! Bang! Max''s shotgun barked again, its sound a thunderous declaration of defiance. The weapon wasn''t even aimed at anyone in particular, it was pointed to the right. Yet the bullet slammed into an adventurer on the left who had been preparing a skill. The guy body crumpled to the ground, his skill fizzling out into harmless sparks. The sight of their comrade''s sudden demise sent a wave of unease through the adventurers. "Don''t let him intimidate you!" Caden bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos. Another Summoner was finally done summoning as a massive dire wolf with obsidian-black fur, leaped into the fray, its glowing red eyes locked onto Max. The wolf launched itself skyward, jaws snapping as it tried to catch Max mid-flight. Max spun in the air, his wings angling sharply to avoid the beast''s lunge. As he ascended higher, he fired another shot this time while using Mystic eye through a mark he left while flying. The bullet struck the wolf squarely in the back of the neck, sending the creature plummeting back to the ground with a dying hawl. Max used another Mark that he left earlier to switch the view of Mystic eye to the back of the team, As He dived, his wings folding close to his body to increase his speed. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Three shots marked the death of three people at the back of the team, they were people with buffing skills that kept helping others with different buffs, there were 5 of them but Max missed two shots. Max quickly stopped using Mystic eye as it was dangerous, he barely used it for a few seconds and he could hear the warnings from his pets that he almost got hit twice. Still his laugh echoed through the battlefield, a sound of mockery and unshakable confidence. "Is this the best you''ve got?" he called, his voice cutting through the din of combat. Tempest swooped toward him, the bird''s body crackling with lightning as it closed the distance. Max turned to face it, his shotgun glowing ominously. With a calm squeeze of the trigger, he fired. The bullet didn''t strike Tempest directly. Instead, it hit him squarely in the left ear and sent the creature spiraling out of control heavily injured. Tempest managed to steady itself, but it was no longer in a position to pursue, it''s barely survived because Max wasn''t too used to this shotgun and missed slightly. Below, Lira, clutching the bloody stump where her arm had been, screamed orders at her team. Her face was twisted with a mix of pain and fury. Her lightning-infused bird''s faltering performance only added to her humiliation. "Stop him, you idiots!" she shrieked, her voice cracking. She couldn''t believe her naivety, when she wanted to help this person and have him join her. Five adventurers broke off from the main group, determined to cut Max down. Caden Ironclaw with an enchanted blade leapt onto a nearby rooftop, closing the distance between himself and Max. Lira used her blue-grade wind control skill and combined it with the blue-grade fire control skill of her teammate, creating a swirling vortex of wind and flame that surged upward, aiming to trap Max in its fiery grasp. Still the skill shouldn''t be past the initiation proficiency as Max twisted his body mid-flight, diving toward the ground at an alarming speed. The vortex missed him entirely, its fiery edges licking at the air as it dissipated harmlessly above the ruined city. He landed on a rooftop, the crumbling tiles shifting under his boots. Caden Ironclaw charged, his blade gleaming with an unnatural light. Max sidestepped the first swing effortlessly, his wings flaring as he launched himself backward. Caden didn''t pause, his strikes precise and relentless. Max waited for the perfect moment. As Caden lunged forward. Bang! Bang! Bang! Max fired not even bothering to aim the shotgun. The blast was deafening, the bullets striking Caden''s chest, neck, and head, with brutal force. Caden was thrown backward, his body skidding across the rooftop before coming to a stop, but he just stood up not injured, thanks to his tough body, defensive skill, and the Buffs from his teammates. The remaining four adventurers hesitated, their confidence visibly shaken. Max smirked, his wings unfurling once more. "You''re out of your league," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the chaos. Arrows, skills, and summoned creatures pursued him relentlessly as he darted through the ruins. The floating city''s ancient structures provided brief moments of cover, but the onslaught was unyielding. Max spotted a crumbling house near the edge of the city, its roof partially caved in and its walls marked with age, he recognized the place from his earlier exploration, and dived toward it, his wings folding against his back as he slipped through a broken window. "it was fun, but time to end it." Shouted Max. The interior was dim, the only light coming from the cracks in the walls and ceiling. Dust hung heavy in the air. Outside, the adventurers regrouped, their voices echoing as they coordinated their next attack. "He''s inside!" one shouted. "Block all the exits!" Lira barked, her voice hoarse from pain and rage. Inside the house, Max''s gaze swept across the room. His eyes landed on an old, dusty mirror leaning against the far wall. Its surface was clouded and cracked. An invisible pulsewave spread with Max as the center, as he used [World of mirrors]. Without hesitation, Max ignored the headache and stepped through the mirror and disappeared, leaving the chaos of the floating city behind. The adventurers burst into the house moments later, their weapons drawn and their spells ready. But the room was empty, save for the dusty furniture and the cracked mirror. Lira''s scream of frustration echoed through the ruined city, a sound of utter defeat. ..... Inside the mirror world, Max looked at the different floating mirrors showing different angles of the city, and look down at his new shotgun smirking. "needs some getting used to while fighting, but it should be easier to snipe them down from here." Max has found it difficult to use the shot gun because [Point Blank] cannot be turned off, and he has to focus his gaze unmoving. Earlier when he shot at Lira he went for the head obviously but his gaze folttered for a little. It just needed some practice and Max pushed the idea away for now as he looked through the different mirrors, the city had a few number of mirrors although not much, but he had a good view because of the mirror he shattered earlier since he secretly used telekinesis to push the fragment far away, to land in different parts of the city. Chapter 132 one-sided Massacre. The floating city was quiet, eerily so, save for the occasional crackle of distant skills still lingering in the air. Inside the mirror world, Max crouched near one of the shimmering mirrors, his gaze focused on Alaric and his team, who had withdrawn far from the chaos. "First things first," Max muttered, leveling his shotgun. Through the fractured image in the mirror, Alaric stood with his group, his dark robes swirling in the breeze. His glowing red eyes surveyed his surroundings uneasily, his unease visible in the rigid set of his shoulders. It was clear he was unnerved, though the others around him remained unaware. Max wouldn''t let Alaric go just because his passive had an effect on him, or because he wasn''t a good person. Max''s finger tightened on the trigger. Bang. The sound didn''t echo in the floating city; instead, Alaric''s head jerked forward violently before his lifeless body crumpled to the ground. As a summoner he was more vulnerable to assassination then pet Masters. The adventurers near him froze, staring in shock as blood pooled beneath their fallen leader. Panic swept through them, their shouts and frantic movements making them easy targets. Max smirked. "One down." ..... Near the ruined building where Max had disappeared, Lira and Caden regrouped, oblivious to Alaric''s demise. Lira clenched her teeth, her remaining hand trembling. "He''s gone. Escaped like a coward," she spat, though her voice lacked the usual confidence. Caden remained silent, his massive frame tense as he scanned their surroundings as he spoke "It''s for the best," Lira continued, trying to mask her unease. "With Alaric leaving the fight, we can finish him ourselves. That shotgun of his won''t save him forever." Caden grunted, his gaze narrowing. "We''ve already lost too many. Are you sure about this?" Lira glared at him, her frustration clear. "You think I''m going to let him walk away with what he''s taken? No. We pursue him. End of discussion." Caden sighed but didn''t argue, after all Max did kill a good number of his group and it can''t be left unanswered. Through the fractured mirrors, Max targeted the remaining members of Alaric''s team. The first fell with a clean shot to the head, their body collapsing without warning.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The second tried to summon a barrier, but Max''s bullet bypassed it entirely, striking with deadly precision. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!. One by one, Alaric''s followers fell, their fear growing with each death. They scrambled for cover, but Max''s vantage point made escape impossible. .... With Alaric''s team decimated, Max shifted his focus to Lira and Caden''s groups. The first victim was a healer, a woman weaving restorative skills to keep the group alive. Max''s bullet struck her between the eyes, the light of her skill extinguished in an instant. The others faltered, their formation breaking as fear took hold. "Where is he?!" someone screamed, their voice tinged with desperation. Bang! Bang! Bang! Lira''s confidence began to waver as her team dwindled. Her commands grew sharper, more frantic, as she tried to rally them. "Stay together! He''s just one man, he can''t kill us all!" But her words felt hollow, even to her. Bang. Another adventurer fell, their body crumpling lifelessly. Lira''s hypocrisy became evident as her frustration mounted. "You''re all useless!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "Fight back!" Yet, in her heart, regret began to bloom. She had underestimated Max, Now, her decisions had led her team to ruin. Caden, still unscathed, gritted his teeth as he fought to protect those remaining. His towering frame and indomitable defenses made him an imposing figure, but even he couldn''t stop the chaos unfolding around him. ..... Max smirked as he continued to fire, his shots cutting through Lira''s team with ruthless efficiency. He avoided Caden for now, knowing the man''s defenses were too strong to waste ammunition on. Lira''s panic reached its peak when she saw her last capable ally fall, her once commanding voice reduced to shaky breaths. Then she noticed it. Caden''s hair stood on end, as if electrified, a faint glow surrounding his massive form. "Wait!... " she started to warn, her voice strangled with fear. BOOM!. A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, striking Caden with devastating force. The ground beneath him cracked and smoldered as his lifeless body crumpled to the ground, smoke rising from his charred remains. Lira stood frozen, her mind racing to comprehend what had just happened. Her once formidable allies were gone, their bodies littering the battlefield. .... Inside the mirror world, Max chuckled darkly, watching the scene unfold through the floating mirrors. "Predictable." With a final glance at his shotgun, he stepped through the nearest mirror, his figure reappearing in the ruined city. Lira turned to face him, her face a mask of rage and despair. She opened her mouth to speak, but Max didn''t give her the chance. In one fluid motion, he raised his pistol, aiming squarely at her head. Bang. Her body crumpled to the ground, her expression Frozen in disbelief. Max fired a few more bullets from his twin pistols at the surrounding survivors before they could react just three people or three bodies now. He run out of shotgun shots since he missed some in the earlier fight, and using [thunderous gaze] X4, while under the side effect of using [world of mirrors] exhausted his spirituality to the point he couldn''t use it again for now. Max exhaled swinging the pistol lazily. "hmm, a few C-ranks and a bunch of D-ranks... Sigh I could of done better." Max could name a few mistakes he made, for example we didn''t use [mirror prison] to seal the attacks and reflect among them. But he was simply not confident in pulling offthe timing, it can''t be helped he didn''t have the time to practice it, and he was just not that experienced in fighting, he had done his best. ''hmm that VR thing should be out soon.''. Thought Max to himself as he flew around collecting all storage equipment and whatever seemed valuable. Chapter 133 The Scarlet Witness Max emerged from the dungeon gate, the tension of the dungeon battles lingering in his muscles. He carried himself with an almost nonchalant air as he ascended the steep path to his mountain house. Inside, he set down the loot bags he''d taken from the adventurers. Other than the bunch of storage equipment, Max couldn''t use any of them, there were the equipment that were made for specific professions like a ring that can speed up summoning time, as for the equipment he could use he looked down on them after scanning their information. Still, He refused to leave anything behind; waste was a sin he couldn''t abide. Murder and plunder were one thing, but waste? That was unforgivable. "Not bad for a day''s work," he muttered to himself, picking up a ruby encrusted dagger and testing its weight. "should be good for kitchen work." Max opened the pet space, and Lucy flew out with the others cheering. mimimi... Craw! Craw!... "huh? I assume you enjoyed the show." The pets cheered in unison once moreen. "well in the future you''ll get to join the fun, for now you''re free to do whatever you want, just don''t make a mess okay!" As Lucy took control over the mountain, and the crows flew out excitedly Max just shook his head, going to his room to do some experiments. ...... Back at Rusead City, inside the city''s prison. The air in the cell was damp and heavy, an oppressive weight pressing down on Scarlet''s chest. She sat on the cold, metallic bench, her crimson hair falling in disarray over her shoulders. Her wrists bore faint marks from the restraints she''d been forced to wear during questioning. The same questions. Over and over. "I''ve told you already!, I had nothing to do with those trees!" she exclaimed, her voice hoarse. Across from her, a tall man in a black uniform leaned against the wall, his expression unreadable. The emblem of the supernatural police shone on his chest, a grim reminder of the authority they wielded. "Your story isn''t adding up," the officer said coolly. "We know you were near the site when the outbreak occurred. Sir William picked you up from there." "I was studying them! Not causing them!" Scarlet''s frustration boiled over. She felt as though she''d been thrown into a nightmare. The officer''s silence was maddening, and Scarlet''s mind raced back to the events that had landed her here.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ..... It had started a few days ago, on her way home through Kain City. The streets were bustling. She had been weaving her way through the crowds when it happened. Her genetic Talent had activated. Scarlet froze, her heart pounding as a sharp tug pulled her attention to a single figure in the crowd. The man was tall, his dark wings fluttering slightly as he walked. But it wasn''t his appearance that captured her, it was the overwhelming signal her Talent sent her. Treasure. Opportunity. A life changing discovery. The pull was irresistible, she had been using her talent from now and it always activated like this on its own, but this time the feeling was different much stronger and she had to follow him. Scarlet didn''t hesitate. She pulled a small device from her space ring, one of her many tools for staying hidden, and began tailing the man. She tracked him to the outskirts of the city and up a winding path to a mountain. When he stopped near the entrance of a dark cavern, she felt an inexplicable chill crawl up her spine. Her instinct screamed at her that something was wrong with this place, or it was more like the Mountain had changed after he flew in. Scarlet stayed back, hidden among the trees, and watched as the man disappeared into the mountain. Hours passed, and her curiosity began to claw at her. When he finally reappeared, his wings unfurled as he flew toward Rusead City. She had every intention of following him, but her attention was stolen by the strange trees sprouting in the area where he had vanished. Their blackened trunks seemed to absorb the light around them, growing at an impossible rate. Scarlet couldn''t resist examining them more closely, taking samples and noting their properties. The decision proved costly. An A-rank powerhouse arrived, sent to investigate the outbreak. His piercing gaze cut through her hiding equipment effortlessly, and she was caught before she could react. ..... Scarlet snapped back to the present, her teeth clenched. She glared at the officer. "If you''d just let me go, I could find the real culprit!" "And who would that be?" the officer asked. "I don''t know his name," Scarlet admitted, "but he''s the one you want. A winged man, he''s the reason those trees are there!" The officer raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Scarlet slumped in her seat. The days of interrogation were wearing her down, and she couldn''t shake the feeling that her words were falling on deaf ears. Suddenly, a faint shimmer caught her attention. She looked down to find a necklace materializing around her neck, the cold metal pressing against her skin. Her eyes widened in alarm. She recognized it instantly, her greatest treasure, some thing that ever an A-rank expert couldn''t detect on her. Before she could react, the necklace activated, the air around her warping and twisting. In a flash, Scarlet was no longer in the prison. ........ She stumbled into the open air, the sudden shift leaving her dizzy. When she regained her footing, she found herself standing outside Rusead City, the towering spires of the metropolis visible in the distance. Her heart sank as she realized what had just happened. The necklace, her ultimate escape tool, capable of teleporting her out of any life-threatening situation was gone. It was a one-use item, and now it was spent. Scarlet''s hands trembled as she gripped the empty space where the necklace had been. The loss was staggering. She''d spent years acquiring that treasure through her talent, and now it was gone in an instant. But her thoughts quickly shifted as she turned to face the city. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Why had the necklace activated?". The officers hadn''t seemed ready to harm her, at least not immediately. Then she saw it. A dark mist began to seep through the streets of Rusead City, an unnatural aura filling the air. Scarlet''s breath hitched as black mana erupted like a tidal wave, consuming everything in its path. Buildings, trees, and people alike disintegrated into black ash, vanishing before her eyes. The city was gone in moments, leaving nothing but a barren wasteland in its place. Scarlet stood frozen, her mind unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed. The bustling city, the officers who had questioned her, the innocents walking the streets, all of them were gone. Her knees buckled, and she sank to the ground, her hands clutching at the dirt. "What¡­ what just happened?" she whispered, her voice trembling. The emptiness before her offered no answers. Scarlett regained her composers slightly, and stood up realizing the situation she was in. She had to leave this place and quickly.... Chapter 134 First Evolution After a day of rest, Max stood in the serene quiet of his mountain house. His sharp eyes fell on the evergreen robe, folded neatly on the table. He picked it up, inspecting the damage it had sustained during his previous encounter. Max was able to dodge most attacks, and for the simple few that hit him, he simply ignored them thanks to his strong body, but the robe wasn''t as lucky. "Hm,"muttered Max, fingers trailing over the intricate root patterns. The damage wasn''t enough to disable its skill, but it sparked an unexpected thought in his mind. Max''s gaze sharpened as a sudden inspiration struck. His mind raced through possibilities, and a sly grin spread across his face. "Why not use it for something entirely different?" Without wasting a moment, he grabbed a notebook and began scribbling down ideas. His pen moved with fervor, sketching diagrams and jotting down calculations. For an hour, he worked tirelessly, running through the theory. Finally, he leaned back, a rare glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "It''s doable," he said to himself, a rare flicker of excitement in his tone. Still, the plan required any type of nature-imbued metal. He quickly organized his thoughts and prepared for action. If this plan worked, Wood Crow Louh would evolve before Imlak, a development Max would welcome wholeheartedly. Max called for his pets. And without anyone more nonsense he waved his hand pulling them inside the pet space. After He stretched his wings and took off into the sky, cutting through the crisp mountain air with calculated precision. The bustling streets of the closest city welcomed Max with a cacophony of sounds. Merchants shouted over one another, customers haggled, and the scent of grilled meats mingled with the earthy aroma of herbs. Max''s eyes scanned the street markets, searching for the metal he needed. After some inquiries, he found a small stall tucked away in an alley. The vendor, an elderly man with a long, braided beard, showed Max a piece of D-rank nature imbued metal. "This should do," Max muttered, paying the man without hesitation. As he turned to leave, Max had a strange feeling as if he was being observed, it was similar to the malice he can feel through his passive but much less intense. Curious and intrigued, he used [Mystic eye] on a nearby wall to look behind him, exactly where that feeling was coming from. Something unusual caught his eye, a group of three people walking together. Two women and a man, chatting animatedly. What drew Max''s attention, however, wasn''t the people but the pigeon perched on one of the women''s shoulders. Its long tail feathers shimmered with a dazzling rainbow hue, making it stand out starkly against the drab market surroundings, and it was looking at himself with a puzzled expression as if trying to identify him. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Max paused, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him. He narrowed his eyes. And then it clicked. "That pigeon," Max said under his breath, his lips curving into a smirk, it should be the same one. Max could remember Lucy taunting the pigeon before using it in one of her bizarre shenanigans. Max chuckled softly, shaking his head. The pigeon''s beady eyes stayed on hil, and for a moment, Max could swear it recognized him. But soon enough the pigeon moved its gaze, judging it recognized the wrong person. Max was curious about the pigeons change but they were in the city, and he had better things to do, Max left the group behind and flew out of the city, heading back to his mountain refuge. .... Back at his workshop, Max laid out his materials and prepared to begin the next phase of his plan. The evolution route for Louh wasn''t just any option; it was one Max had coveted from the moment he chose Louh as his pet. This route, obtained through his phone''s extraordinary hacking capabilities, was not sold to Outsiders for a reason. The resulting evolution, known as the Wood Crow, was a rare transformation. While the crow itself was not inherently powerful, its organs were highly valuable, used in Alchemy it was capable of producing luxury potions that could extend lifespan. However, what made the Wood Crow truly special was its innate ability that gives it a much longer lifespan. Though this ability was considered useless to most since having a pet that can live longer than you isn''t the kind of thing a person would look for when picking a pet, But for Max, it was perfect. Louh was ready for the evolution, it had already reached the peak of E-rank. But the process required specific steps, and none of them were easy. First, Louh had to endure a week without food or water, relying solely on its rank to survive. While this was grueling, Max knew a peak E-rank could manage it. The second requirement was more complex: Louh needed to consume a piece of supernatural wood. Not just any wood, but one of a precise grade, neither too high nor too low, to ensure optimal results. The final step was the most difficult. Louh''s heart would need to be heavily injured, requiring a potent recovery potion capable of mending even a broken heart. Unfortunately, such potions were not sold to Outsiders, and ordinary potions made for humans doesn''t work for pets. Max, however, had no intention of letting these obstacles stop him. He turned his attention to the evergreen robe, now paired with the nature imbued metal he''d purchased. Using a Kraxtal Weaving, Max began the delicate process first turning the metal into liquid form. He manipulated the molten substance, allowing it to flow seamlessly around the robe''s vine-like roots. The robe itself seemed to respond to the process, its natural energy harmonizing with the metal. Max added a chain that grew from the robe''s neck region, designed to encircle Louh, this way it would as if he was using wearing the robe. The process took hours, each step requiring meticulous precision. By the time Max finished, the modified robe was a masterpiece of both function and design. He held it up, a satisfied gleam in his eyes. "This will work." With everything prepared, Max turned his attention to the crows watching on the side specifically to Louh. "Louh, it''s your turn to be powered up! You can''t have any food nor water for entire week." Hearing the first part of Max''s words most of the crows were jealous, while Louh was excited, but on the second part their expressions changed in confusion. Craw! "Don''t give me that look, it''s how you''ll become stronger, you also need to get injured later but don''t worry about it I would deal with everything." Louh felt determination goes through him as he nodded confidently, after he saw his brothers and sisters gaining all kinds of powers, he didn''t want to be left behind. Craw! Craw! Craw!. The crows had different reactions to the matter, but Sand crow Ramla on the side just gave louh a mocking glance, others get powers by being looked at by their pet master and this poor ghost need to starve and get stabbed for it. It''s better to wait for that dream whatever thing when Max just looks at them and then boom you reached a new level. .... Max left his pets to their devices and went to his room to have some rest. Chapter 135 Max sat on a sturdy wooden chair, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, sipping on a cup of freshly brewed coffee. The rich aroma filled the small room, blending with the faint hum of his phone''s holographic projection. His sharp eyes focused on the screen floating in the air before him. The news anchor''s voice was calm but carried the weight of impending calamity. "We bring you urgent news from Rusead City," the anchor began. "The entire city was obliterated in an unprecedented event. Authorities have confirmed that no survivors remain. Investigators report lingering traces of mana in the area, leading to speculation of a magical attack. However, there is a possibility that someone is framing the Mage Tower to incite conflict." The holographic feed shifted to a grim scene. The land where Rusead City had stood was now barren, coated in ash. Blackened ruins hinted at the grandeur that once was. Max''s expression remained neutral, though his mind raced. "In light of the incident," the anchor continued, "continental diplomacy between the Start Continent and the Mage Tower is at a critical juncture. Both sides have agreed to a high stakes meeting to discuss the situation and prevent further escalation." The feed shifted to shots of Grim faced ambassadors preparing to meet, with headlines speculating on the potential for war. Max leaned back, swirling the remaining coffee in his mug. "And to think I have been there not long ago." He took another sip, his thoughts gathering. His best guess? This wasn''t the Mage Tower''s doing. The timing and scope of the event were suspicious. If the Mage Tower wanted to obliterate a city, they wouldn''t have left traces so obvious. No, this had the hallmarks of something orchestrated to provoke chaos. "Probably the dungeon inhabitants," Max mused to himself, though he knew it was just a theory. The world was filled with schemes, and playing factions against each other was as old as the hills. Max''s guess was off the mark this time, and he would never know that by simply flying, and ignoring a certain falling obstacle he had single handedly caused the destruction of Rusead City. ..... Max dismissed the projection with a wave of his hand and set his empty mug on the desk. Stretching his arms overhead, Max exhaled and called out. "Lucy, it''s time." Lucy, appeared out of thin air, and flitted toward him. Her glowing, translucent wings sparkled faintly, casting a soft light across the room. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.''Time? Time for what'' her voice chirped telepathically, carrying the tone of curiosity but reluctants. Through his phone Max pulled out a blueprint and had it project in the holographic screen in front of Lucy. The intricate designs glowed faintly, detailing the schematics of a space cube. It was the blueprint he chose with the Kraxtal weaving. "This," Max said, tapping the blueprint. "you''ll be learning how to make a space cube. It''s a storage device, similar to the space rings you''ve seen, but with a different approach. It doesn''t need special mystical materials. Just the right metals and the Kraxtal weaving technique. And advanced physics." Lucy crossed her tiny arms, her face scrunched into a pout. ''Physics¡­!!!!! No more. '' Max smirked. "You''ll have to learn it anyway. Let''s get started." .... For the next few hours, the room echoed with Max''s patient instructions and Lucy''s begrudging protests. Max pulled up holographic diagrams to illustrate key concepts, explaining the forces at play when folding space into a compact storage dimension. Lucy hovered over the desk, her tiny hands tugging at her hair in frustration. In all honesty Max didn''t understand any of it, but he didn''t need to, all he needed was to read it aloud, anyway that''s what most teachers do nowadays. ''Why need all this¡­ boring stuff? Gunpowder Make it go boom, solve all problems, easy!'' "You can''t just ''make it go boom.'' This is delicate work," Max said, sipping another cup of coffee. "You want to create something functional, not blow things up. " Lucy stomped her feet in the air, her wings fluttering rapidly. "No like numbers. Too many!" "You''ll like them when they help you bring loads of Treasures from the dream world someday," Max countered. As the lesson continued, Max occasionally suppressed a chuckle. Lucy''s telepathic exclamations grew more dramatic, turning into absurd complaints about numbers being alive and plotting against her. At one point, Lucy threw her hands up. "Physics is enemy!" Max laughed, shaking his head. "No fighting physics. You''re learning it whether you like it or not." ..... By the time the night deepened, Lucy had grudgingly absorbed the basics of the process. She fluttered to the desk, her glowing wings dimmer than usual, as Max reviewed the day''s progress. "Alright, you''ve done enough," Max said, setting the blueprint aside. "Tomorrow, you''ll put it all into practice. For now, just memorize everything. We''ll work on understanding it later." Lucy perked up at this. ''Just remember? Easy!'' Max smirked. He''d expected this reaction. Getting Lucy to go through the trouble of learning had been a challenge, but he knew from the start that memorization would be the real goal. He leaned back in his chair, watching as Lucy gleefully spun in the air, her earlier complaints forgotten. ..... By morning, the room was quiet except for the faint hum of Max''s new coffee maker. He poured himself another cup, savoring the warmth as he glanced at Lucy, who was already perched by the blueprint, her earlier frustrations replaced with excitement, she spent most of the time in her Mountain form with Max calling her back to check is she was lazing around from time to time. "Alright," Max said, setting down his mug. "you get to rest for now, we''ll get to work after the cooldown is over." Lucy didn''t even cheer but simply disappeared in into a cloud of green light. Max just shook his head, inside the simulation Lucy will have no choice other than to study slowly since there is little nothing else to do. Checking the simulator''s cooldown it was still not over. [0d. 14h. 32m. 20s] Max pulled the Kraxtal weaving method on his phone and decided to do some study in the meantime. He didn''t intend to learn how to forge the space cube, it was for Lucy to bring items out of the simulation. However the items was indeed impressive, as the blueprint has different layers depending on the level of mastery in the Kraxtal weaving, it starts from E-rank which is the one Lucy is learning, and can go up to the S++, gaining different features. "hmm I''d consider making one of the S grade when I am capable of doing, anything else is worthless to me." Max relaxed on his bed as the holographic screen kept scrolling... Chapter 136 The morning air was crisp as Max sat on the porch of the mountain house, sipping his coffee and watching the crows flit about outside. The crows squawked happily, diving and weaving through the trees, enjoying their free time. But Max''s mind was elsewhere, focused on the task ahead. "guys." Max called, setting his mug down. "Time to come in." The crows landed before him in unison, tilting their heads in curiosity. Craw? "I''m about to start Lucy''s simulation, i can''t have anything happen to you while Lucy isn''t watching. You''ll stay in and watch something on the laptop." Craw! another protested, but they reluctantly followed Max inside. Max set up a movie on the laptop, ensuring the crows were occupied, and headed to the other room where Lucy waited. The fairy was perched on the desk, her wings shimmering faintly in the dim light. "Ready?" Lucy nodded, her telepathic voice chiming. ''Always!'' Max activated the simulator, selecting a starting location. He picked the green expanse the same place that was ruled by the will of that world. "Here we go," [Simulation starting..] [In the first year : You found yourself standing before a mountain, the place was Radioactive and the Sun was merciless but it was alive. The mountain was surrounded by vibrant greenery, as trees swayed gently in the wind, wildflowers dotted the landscape, and animals roamed freely. Bugs buzzed around, and even centaurs could be seen in the distance, their forms blending seamlessly with the lively surroundings. It was overwhelming at first, but remembering Max''s instructions, you took a moment to steady yourself. you possessed the mountain, and your telekinetic abilities extended outward, touching every stone, plant, and creature in your new domain.] [In the 2nd year, you focused on observing the ecosystem. The centaurs appeared to be intelligent, speaking in guttural tones and moving in organized groups. Bugs, some of them the size of dogs, scuttled about, while smaller animals darted through the underbrush. You decided to ignore everything Irrelevant for now, you focused on gathering resources for the Kraxtal weaving technique. There were several mineral ore veins within the mountain and its surroundings so that wasn''t much of a problem.] [In the 7th year, you spent your time practicing the Kraxtal weaving forging method and learning the accompanying knowledge.] [In the 10th year, you had some success with the Kraxtal weaving, and decided it was enough to start experimenting with it maybe you could make that cube thing with a single attempt.] [In the 13th year : You had constructed a makeshift workshop within the mountain using your telekinetic powers. Ores mined from deep within the mountain served as your materials. You spent countless hours attempting to recreate the space cube using the Kraxtal weaving technique, but progress was slow. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. No matter how carefully you followed the blueprint, something always went wrong. Frustration grew, but you persisted, determined to succeed. The centaurs began to notice your activities, approaching the mountain curiously. They seemed wary but didn''t interfere, so you simply ignored them.] [In the 39ty year : By now, the centaurs had grown bolder, venturing closer to the mountain and even leaving offerings of strange fruits and flowers at its base. You simply ignored the bunch of primitives, as you were to absorbed in your frustrating studies and experiments. Still buy this time you were completely familiar with the mountain, knowing every grass root and rock, and we''re able to find something that Max has told you to look for within the mountain, it''s a decayed carcass of a big worm, you didn''t find a single drop of blood within it and the carcass was too rotten to be used for anything other than fire wood so you ignored it.] "hmm as expected." Max has expected this so he wasn''t too disappointed. [In the 101st year : Despite your best efforts, the space cube remained beyond your grasp. The intricate weaving required a precision that eluded you, no matter how many times you tried.] [In the 266th year, after another failed experiment you decided you had enough and gave up.] "huh! I guess she did spend over 200 years on it so it''s not too bad." [In the 268th year, Frustrated, you turned your attention to a different blueprint you had glimpsed in Max''s notes, a cannon made by blood forging. It was a far more destructive design, and the idea of harnessing the lifeblood of the creatures around you felt¡­ thrilling.] Max was stunned on the spot. "Did I rise a psychopath? Or is it the math''s doing? Did she have a mental breakdown?" Max was speechless, he didn''t even remember showing that blueprint to Lucy since he made it simple to practice his hand and never intended to make it, at least not in the simulation. [In the year 229th,You began your hunt. The first to fall were the bugs; oversized, mutated creatures with chitinous exteriors and glowing green eyes. Using your telekinetic powers, you crushed them effortlessly, their blood pooling at the base of the mountain. Next came the centaurs. They fought back fiercely, their spears and arrows barely scratching the surface of your mountain form . But one by one, they fell, their blood joining the growing whirlpool at your core. The forest grew silent over the years, the once vibrant life extinguished under your relentless campaign. The whirlpool of blood within the mountain grew larger, swirling with radiation.] [In the 290th year, the blood Whirlpool has attracted mutated creatures from the surrounding regions, they were different larger, stronger, and driven by a primal hunger. They swarmed the mountain, their glowing green bodies writhing like a tide. You fought back with everything you had, using telekinetic blasts to crush them and hurling boulders from the mountain''s peaks. The blood from their shattered bodies only added to the whirlpool, which now pulsed with a life of its own. The cannon was taking shape, its skeletal frame forming from the blood forged metal you had extracted. But the process was slow, and the blueprint wasn''t complete nor functional so you had to improvise] [In the 500th year : The land was barren now, stripped of its once-thriving ecosystem. Only the mountain remained, a monolith of death and power. The whirlpool of blood at its core had grown immense, its surface roiling with radiation. Max never told you to practice your skills here because you simply didn''t have enough energy nor nutrients, but with the years passing your telekinesis had some small success. You had become a master of telekinesis, using every single rock as deadly a weapon. But the cannon still eluded completion. You started using the Kraxtal weaving as well, which made for an amazing visual effect; a vast Lake made of green blood, with three glowing blue orbes floating above it.] [Year 970th year : at long last, the cannon was complete. The blood whirlpool solidified into a crystalline core, its surface etched with the delicate patterns of Kraxtal weaving. The frame of the cannon, forged from blood and reinforced with telekinetic energy, stood tall atop the mountain. You wanted to test it, but your life that you were holding to by sheer will, gave way after completing the Canon. After all while you weren''t directly affected by radiation, the mountain you inhabited was being poisoned daily by your Reckless actions, it died long ago, and you kept it going solely using your innate..] [you died]. [Simulation ended, entering cooldown] [Host please pick a reward.] Max leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee as he examined what just happened, when Lucy gave up he was sure she would start working on it after some time, but apparently she really didn''t like math and physics. "Sigh.... I guess this one is on me, I tried to teach her normally..." Max just shook his head ignoring the matter of Lucy''s motivation for now, focusing on the rewards. There were three options with some value ; Primary mastery telekinesis, memories of using the Kraxtal weaving, and that cannon. For telekinesis it''s better to have Lucy Focus on it for an entire simulation, and bring the perfected one directly. For memories it''s better to work on Lucy''s motivation first, and Max already knew how to go about it, using his old methods. So it''s better to pick the cannon as a reward. Max didn''t waste time as he scrolled through the items and picked the cannon. Chapter 137 The cannon appeared in front of Max out of thin air with an almost deafening thrum. Its sheer weight caused the floor of the mountain house to creak and break before it shifted slightly to the right, tearing through the wall with a splintering crash. Max stood frozen for a moment, staring at the hulking weapon before him. The cannon was a masterpiece of destruction, its six-meter height loomed menacingly, a base forged from twisted, blackish-green metal that pulsed faintly as if alive. The barrel, sleek and gleaming with a dark, crystalline finish, had intricate Kraxtal weaving patterns carved along its length, glowing faintly blue. The sight of it radiated an aura of power and foreboding. Lucy hovered around the cannon, her wings fluttering softly as she inspected it curiously. ''What is it?'' she chimed telepathically, tilting her head in fascination. Max didn''t immediately answer, his gaze locked on the weapon. "Simulator scan." [Name : Blood-Weaver Radiation Cannon : -Type: B++ Equipment -Firepower: B++ Shots release an explosion followed by a (50m radius) radiation surge. -Range: Over 9,000 kilometers. -Loaded Shots: 4 preloaded shots. -Skill: "Corrosion Pulse": The cannon leaves a residual field of corrosive radiation in the explosion''s aftermath, capable of disintegrating unprotected structures and weakening living beings over time. -Limitations: -10 minutes to accumulate pressure before firing. -You must forge the shots yourself, it requires 500 liters of mutated creature''s blood, and a radiation rich area, takes 60 days of constant forging to finish one shot. ... Max whistled low. "Well, that''s... a lot, 9km wow" he muttered, moving to touch the cold, smooth surface of the cannon. Its weight was evident even without testing it further. "You sure pulled off a miracle in there, Lucy, even if you don''t remember." Lucy flew up to the barrel, inspecting the glowing Kraxtal lines with wide eyes. ''Did I make this?'' she asked, her tone more amused than surprised. Max gave a dry chuckle. "Technically, yes. You spent almost a thousand years perfecting it. Don''t ask me how, it seems I accidentally raised a genius weapon maker." Lucy puffed out her chest in mock pride, pretending to take credit for the weapon she didn''t recall building. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.The crows, meanwhile, flitted about the room, cautiously circling the cannon. Their movements were quieter than usual, almost as if they could sense its danger. Max tapped one of his empty space rings and, after a brief pulse of energy, stored the cannon within it. The mountain house suddenly felt much roomier without the looming metal giant. ..... With the cannon safely tucked away, Max leaned against the desk and pulled out his superphone. "AI," he said, "make me something that Lucy would enjoy with the focus being on the space cube. Use full computational power." The phone''s interface lit up with an affirmative tone. [Affirmative. Processing request.] Max folded his arms, glancing at Lucy as she perched nearby. She hummed softly, swinging her legs back and forth in the air as she watched the crows settle near the window. [Done. Would you like to check it?] "Just show me what it is about," Max replied. The screen displayed a brief summary: [Title: "Reflections of Eternity" : Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi Synopsis: The series follows multiple characters navigating their intertwined lives, facing challenges, and uncovering secrets. The story unfolds with twists and emotional depth, revealing in the end that their entire lives take place within a space cube, a creation of unknown origin.] Max raised an eyebrow, nodding approvingly. "Not bad. She''ll love it." The AI responded: [Series queued and ready for viewing.] Max linked the phone to the laptop and uploaded the series. "Lu, come here." Lucy flew to him titling her head. "I just downloaded another amazing work for you to enjoy, take it as a reward. Also if you want to watch it, then do it in your Mountain phone to keep watch over the crows." Lucy happily turned into light as she merged with the mountain. ..... Satisfied with his handy work Max left to his room as he began to plan ahead, his thoughts wandered. There were one weak left before the special dungeon opens, and he was thinking about how to best make use of his time. Studying forging was always an option, but he could do that outside of human territory as well, while he was here he had the idea of forcibly opening the human Market to himself. His phone was more than capable of doing so, he could simply hack into a bank giving himself limitless credits, at the same time hacking into the private Networks of certain organization to give himself access to their goods, but this kind of action was bound to be discovered one way or another, and Max preferred to stay in peace for the time being while he grow slowly. Still he wouldn''t give up on the market, it''s still possible to go about it in around about way. "Ai" [At your service.] "call me someone." [ affirmative please provide the number.] "I don''t have it." [please provide their full name.] "his name is... Ah I don''t remember.". After some time of brainstorming Max still couldn''t remember the names, it always been hard for him to remember names even back on Earth. "Well, just look for a campany that went through a kidnapping lately." [ searching..... 193 cases found... Would like to view.]. "wow! 193 the Kidnapping business is thriving.... Ah look for fashion company." [... 9 cases found.] Max found his Target easily from the 9 cases and picked a name. " Charles.. That one I kidnapped him not long ago find his name and call him." [ malfunctioning.... calibrating..... Scanning for bugs..... Non detected...] "huh ? what the..... Ai what''s going on." [nothing of matter, I misjudged that my program was corrupted, scan shows no problems.] Max didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, for a moment. [ searching... Number found... Starting the call...] .... Author note : Hello everyone. Super sorry for the delay, and sorry for not being able to reply to comment. Few more chapters are ready but unedited sadly, tomorrow I''d release them if nothing pops up. Wish you all the best, and you''re welcome to ckeck my oneshot if you''re bored. It''s about a old monster type of character (villainl), 11 chapter 16k words total, nothing groundbreaking but I think it''s a good pass time. Name : How a big shot simulate (Oneshot). Chapter 138 .... Going back a week ago, in a different city one that Max still didn''t visit. The Wood family had always been a sharp-edged dynasty, built on a foundation of ambition, legacy, and ruthless business acumen. Bruce Wood, patriarch of the family and the leader of SFLH, was a man of patience and precision, much like a seasoned samurai. His life was dedicated to the growth of the company, forging alliances, and maintaining an air of stability, even in the face of turbulence. Despite his stoic demeanor, Bruce''s love for his family ran deep, though he often struggled to show it in ways that his daughter, Amelia, understood. Amelia, however, was a far cry from the disciplined heir that Bruce had envisioned. In a world of privilege and luxury, she had become spoiled, arrogant, and detached from the reality her father navigated daily. Her world revolved around beauty, status, and entitlement, qualities that, over time, mutated into a venomous entitlement, thankfully he had a counter measure which was Kevin, he wanted this young powerhouse to take care of her, but it all back fired. In the wake of her kidnapping and the brutal loss of Kevin, Amelia''s already fragile mind crumbled. She blamed Charles, her cousin and fellow heir to the Wood family throne, for Kevin''s death, unable to comprehend the bigger picture. Her grief fueled a hatred that she directed indiscriminately. Charles, on the other hand, was a vibrant, volatile figure, a third rate villain with ambitions that far outweighed his talents. Where Bruce had cultivated patience and reserve, Charles thrived in chaos. His actions were always swift and decisive, a reflection of his personality, undisciplined but alive, filled with a restless hunger for power and influence. Unlike Bruce, who believed in legacy and the family name, Charles lived in the moment, always looking for the quickest way to seize what he wanted, even if it meant betraying his own blood. He wasn''t always this extreme, it was after the kidnapping ordeal that had rattled the Wood family to its core, that he changed. .... Bruce was shaken by the ordeal, but he quickly got back to work, trying to stabilize what was left of the family and the company. But in the background, Jason, his younger brother, and Charles were already plotting their next move, capitalizing on Bruce''s vulnerabilities. The company''s future was at stake, and with Amelia becoming increasingly hostile and irrational, the family was no longer a cohesive unit. Instead, it was a battlefield. .... Bruce sat in his office, the pale light filtering in from the window, casting shadows on the polished wood floors. His mind was focused on the company''s future, But there was a storm brewing, one that he could not control. The door to his office opened, and Amelia stepped in, her presence sharp and unsettling. Gone was the young girl who once sought his approval. In her place stood a woman with venom in her eyes, an entitled smirk on her lips, and a broken heart filled with hate. "Father," she began, her voice dripping with disdain. "I know you''re busy, but I think it''s time we talk about Charles. He''s the one to blame for Kevin''s death. And you''re still siding with him." Bruce closed his eyes for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in. He had always known Amelia had a rebellious streak, but this was different. This was a poisoned mindset, one that wouldn''t heal with time. "Amelia," Bruce said softly, "You don''t understand the bigger picture. Charles didn''t kill Kevin." "Then who did?" she spat, her face contorted with anger. " You''re blinded father. "Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. She took a step closer, her voice rising with each word. "I''m not going to stand by and let his walks freely. He''s nothing but a spoiled brat, a coward. You''re turning a blind eye because you''re too weak to face the truth. If you won''t see it, then I''ll have to take matters into my own hands." Bruce stood, his hand steady as he gripped the arm of his chair. He looked at his daughter, his eyes hardening. Before he could respond, Charles entered the room, his figure lithe and agile, his smirk mischievous. He had overheard the conversation and sensed the tension in the air. "uncle, Amelia," he greeted, his voice light, almost playful. "How are we today? Getting a little too caught up in emotions, aren''t we?" Amelia''s eyes narrowed, and she glared at her cousin. "Don''t talk to me like you''re some saint, Charles. You killed Kevin, and now you think you can just waltz in here like everything''s fine." Charles chuckled, an amused glint in his eye. He wasn''t intimidated by Amelia''s anger; instead, he thrived in it. "Oh, Amelia, always so dramatic. Kevin was a casualty in something I like to call the strong one''s whims, nothing more. You should learn to accept it, like the rest of us." Amelia lunged at him, but Bruce stepped forward, raising his hand. "Enough." There was silence, a long, uncomfortable pause. Charles didn''t back down; instead, he stood his ground, his posture bold and defiant. "Amelia, you don''t understand what this family needs. We need to move forward. You''re too busy holding onto the past." He smirked, "Let go of the weight, and you''ll see. It''s time for you to accept that I''m the future of this company." Amelia''s fury was palpable. "You think you''re so much better than me, don''t you, Charles?" she seethed. "Well, you''ll see. You''ll all see that I''m not the fool. You''re the ones who are blind!" Her words echoed in the room as she stormed out, leaving the two men behind in an eerie silence. .... Now alone, Bruce and Charles stood facing each other. "It''s over, Bruce," Charles said, his voice casual but with a steel edge. "I''m taking over this company. Your legacy ends here." Bruce''s eyes hardened. "Not if I can stop it." But it was already too late. Jason had already positioned his forces, and the corporate world was a battlefield where loyalty was scarce. Charles and his father moved swiftly, exploiting every weakness. ... As the battle for the company reached its boiling point, Charles stood victorious. With his father''s help He had outmaneuvered his uncle, although it wasn''t too difficult because of his pig teammate;Amelia. With the company now in his hands, he stood alone, his father stepping back, his cousin a distant memory of what could have been. ... As Charles reclined in his office chair, savoring the sweet victory of his recent corporate coup, his phone buzzed. The screen displayed a bizarre number: 00X0. Curiosity got the better of him. He picked up. "Hello?" "Charles," came a familiar voice on the other end. "It''s Max. How''s the company?" Charles froze. Then exhilaration hit him like a sugar rush. "I took over completely! Though, uh¡­ I might''ve had to bend the truth here and there." Max was slightly surprised, he didn''t expect that Charles would actually pull it off, when he made the suggestion for cooperation it was merely a blind shot, just now he had called with the intention to give Charles a helping hand. "I see. Well, I knew my blind trust in you wasn''t wasted, you didn''t disappoint me, Charles. Color me impressed." Charles beamed, but his grin faltered as he recalled the minor hiccup in his plans. "Thanks, boss¡­ but we''ve got a tiny problem." Max''s tone grew sharp. "What kind of ''tiny problem''?" "Well, uh¡­ when I was taking over, I prioritized speed over¡­ sustainability. So, I may have told a rival company that we''re backed by a B-rank powerhouse." Max''s eyebrow twitched. "A B-rank? You? Charles, you''re barely powerful enough to operate a vending machine." Charles winced. "I know! I know! But, uh, the rival company does have an actual B-rank on their side, and now they''re demanding a meeting, with our B-rank. In a few days. Help?" Max was silent for a beat. "I see... That''s manageable. Give me their B-rank''s information and location, and I''ll blow them up. You handle the aftermath." Charles blinked, then nodded frantically, even though Max couldn''t see him. "Of course! No problem, boss. Backlash? I can totally handle that. No exploding for me, thanks." Handling backlash was far more appealing than being smithing to death by a B-rank so he would have to manage. "Good," Max continued, his tone all business now. "Send me your bank account details. I''ll add funds gradually and slowly don''t question is source and make sure the bank is one that you somewhat trust. And I need you to Expand the business into new markets, I want access to everything from equipment to skills. And one more thing: change the company name to Pip." Charles scribbled notes furiously. "Pip? Uh¡­ what does that stand for?" "It''s my family name. Start working immediately." "Got it, boss. Pip it is. Pip Global industry, " Hanging up, Charles leaned back in his chair, muttering to himself. "Pip¡­ Sounds like a fruit. Well, whatever. Time to call a company meeting." As he stood up to leave, he couldn''t help but smirk. "At least I won''t get deleted by that B-rank." Chapter 139 Max sat cross-legged in his modest house, dimly lit by the glowing interface of his super phone. A soft vibration interrupted his focus as a message notification popped up. Sender: Charles Wood Subject: Details The message contained two crucial pieces of information: the identity and location of the B-rank powerhouse, along with Charles''s newly created bank account. Max grinned. "AI," he said, his tone calm but decisive. "Begin transferring funds to Charles''s account. Make sure it''s untraceable and gradual. Use everything at your disposal." The phone hummed to life. Its voice, precise and emotionless, replied: [Affirmative. Deploying protocol: Shadow Web. Initiating multi-layered fund insertion.] Max checked how the Ai would do its job, simply out of curiosity. [- Instead of transferring large sums at once, the phone generated thousands of small transactions disguised as legitimate business payments. - embedding fake metadata and encrypted signatures into each transaction. -To avoid raising suspicions, the hacked funds were siphoned from dormant accounts, anonymous donations, and even unclaimed cryptocurrency wallets. The phone ensured every trace was erased before the funds reached Charles''s account..... ] There were more info but Max had read enough to be certain of secrecy and proficiency. [Process initiated. First deposit complete. Remaining transactions will continue over 48 hours.] Max smirked. "Efficient as always. Keep it clean." Max grabbed his black bonsai and stepped outside, after storing all his pets inside his pet space. "We''re moving, for a quick mission. " Max announced to no one in particular. Moments later, Max launched himself into the air flapping his dark wings, as he soared toward his destination. ..... After 3 hours of travel, a jagged mountain less than 8,000 kilometers from the B-rank powerhouse came into view. Rugged, isolated, and tall, it was the perfect vantage point. Max landed and released Lucy. She emerged, glowing faintly, and hovered silently for a moment before merging with the mountain in a burst of green light. The entire landscape seemed to hum as the mountain became her domain, now alive with her presence. Satisfied, Max turned his attention to his next task. Pulling the massive cannon out of his space ring, Max couldn''t help but admire its sheer size and menacing design. The base slammed into the ground, shaking the mountain slightly, while the 6-meter-long barrel pointed toward the horizon.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "I still can''t believe this thing has 9000km range." Max wanted to activate the weapon, preparing to use it against the B-rank. But as he examined it further, a glaring issue became apparent. "No targeting system?" Max muttered, incredulous. "This thing is completely blind." The realization hit hard. The cannon was a weapon of immense destruction, but without precise aim, its long-range capabilities were nearly useless. Even with the cannon set up perfectly, hitting a target from over 7,000 kilometers was impossible without guidance. Max leaned against the barrel, thinking deeply. He wasn''t one to give up easily. ..... After some thinking Max had an idea. "AI," Max said after a long pause. "I am going to input the cannon''s specifications, and I need you to calculate the trajectory for a shot 7,000 kilometers away. Hack all cameras around the Target and Use real time data." Max quickly typed the details of the cannon from the simulators screen. [Scanning. Integrating specifications into targeting matrix.] The phone''s holographic interface expanded, projecting two massive screens in the air. Screen One: A detailed display of angles, wind speeds, elevation changes, and ballistic calculations. A glowing trajectory arc showed the path the shot would take, adjusting in real-time based on environmental factors. Screen Two: Live footage from hacked surveillance cameras around the B-rank''s location. The AI had infiltrated nearby networks, pulling feeds from street cameras, drones, and even personal devices. "Perfect," Max said, a grin forming. "Lucy hold the cannon and follow the first screen to aim it, be precise Lu." ''OK''. Lucy''s telekinetic Powers came to life Lifting the cannon, similar to Max she was excited about using it. ..... The B-rank''s location; a skyscraper in the heart of a bustling city, appeared on the second screen. The footage zoomed in on the top floor, revealing the target: Name: Marcus Greaves Rank: B Location: Top floor of the Titanium Spire, a luxury skyscraper housing the headquarters of multiple companies. Marcus was lounging in a lavish office, surrounded by expensive decor. His arrogance was palpable as he barked orders at his subordinates. "Marcus Greaves," Max mused. Max sent a message to Charles informing him that he was about to do it, weather Charles will take the opportunity to strengthening the standing of the company taking full credit for the matter, or deny any involvement with it he had to be prepared. Max didn''t care either way, both options came with advantages and disadvantages and it''s up to Charles to pick which to play with, All Max needs is results and of Charles couldn''t meet them, then it''s better to get ride of him, a''d simply find a replacement. .... Max adjusted the cannon''s position using the AI''s trajectory data. "a little to right Lu." ''ok''. ... The cannon required 10 minutes of pressure accumulation before firing, and Max activated the charging sequence. A low hum began to emanate from the cannon, growing louder as the weapon prepared to unleash its destructive power. The AI''s calculations updated continuously, ensuring pinpoint accuracy. On the second screen, Max watched Marcus move about his office, unaware of the impending doom. As the 10 minute timer neared completion, Max took a deep breath. "Fire," he commanded. The cannon roared to life, its shot streaking across the sky like a meteor. BOOOOOOM! The sound of the firing was deafening, even for Max, as it shook the entire mountain. The projectile tore through the atmosphere, leaving a glowing green trail in its wake. Seconds later, the second screen showed the devastating impact. BOOM! The top floor of the Titanium Spire erupted in a blinding explosion, followed by a shockwave that obliterated everything within a 50 meter radius. Radiation seeped into the surrounding area, rendering it uninhabitable. Marcus Greaves and his opulent office were reduced to ashes. Max watched the aftermath, satisfied. He deactivated the cannon and stored it back in his space ring. "AI, ensure no traces lead back to me," Max said. [Understood. All digital footprints have been erased.] From the moment of the firing Lucy has being tong tide. ''didni make this?'' "yep all your work Lu." ''cool !''. "Alright let''s get out of here, the nose from the cannon might attract some unnecessary trouble, it''s better to leave before it arrives." Chapter 140 The mountain air was crisp and tinged with the faint echoes of the recent explosion. Max stood atop the rocky peak, gazing at the dissipating smoke in the distance, his mind already calculating his next move. '' first we leave this place and go back to the previous mountain, and focus on Louh evolution before the special dungeon opens. After dealing with the dungeon, it''s time to settle debts, right before the Kain-city gets surrounded.....'' However, his focus was interrupted by a green light materializing beside him. Lucy emerged from the light in her fairy form, her shimmering wings fluttering excitedly. Her wide eyes sparkled with mischief, and her tiny hands were clasped together as if she were pleading. "Lucy? " asked Max, his tone wary. He recognized that look all too well, the one that usually heralded trouble. "What is it?" "Miniminiminimimi!" she chirped, bouncing up and down like a hyperactive child. Max groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. When Lucy got overly excited, her words turned into an incomprehensible jumble of sounds. Thankfully, their mental connection allowed him to piece together what she was trying to say. "You saw¡­ the pigeon?" Max asked cautiously, his headache forming as he caught the gist of her request. Lucy nodded fervently, her tiny figure radiating pure determination. "Mimimimilimimi!" "Yes, I know the one," Max muttered, recalling the rainbow feathered pigeon he''d seen not long ago in the market. At the time, he had viewed it through his Mystic Eye, thus Lucy hadn''t noticed it. Apparently, fate wasn''t going to let him escape dealing with that pigeon after all. "So, you want to¡­ take it back?" he asked flatly, already knowing the answer. Lucy''s pleading expression intensified, her big, sparkling eyes practically boring into his soul. She clasped her hands and leaned closer, her voice a high pitched whine of "Minimimimi!" Max sighed heavily, the weight of inevitability pressing down on him. "Fine," he relented, waving her off. Lucy let out a delighted trill, transforming into a stream of green light and merging with the mountain in a burst of energy. Max could feel her glee through their connection, a wave of jubilant excitement that made his headache worse. "Great," he muttered, shaking his head. "Now I''ve got a pigeon problem to deal with." ..... A Few Kilometers Away The trio made their way through the dense forest, their path lit by slivers of sunlight filtering through the canopy above. The leader of the group, a young woman named Lyra, strode confidently ahead. On her shoulder perched the pigeon, its long rainbow feathered tail glimmering with dazzling hues.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Behind her walked her two companions: a sharp-eyed man named Tobias, and a reserved woman named Celine. Both were fellow pet masters, their own D-rank companions trailing close by. Tobias''s pet, a sleek panther-like beast with silvery fur, padded silently at his side, while Celine''s scaled serpent coiled lazily around her arm. "Still can''t believe that bird''s only D-rank," Tobias muttered, eyeing the pigeon with a mix of envy and admiration. "Neither can I," Celine added, her tone tinged with curiosity. "It''s ridiculous how easily it took out those D-rank beasts earlier. My little Seraph would''ve struggled against even one of them." She stroked her serpent''s head absentmindedly. Lyra smirked, her pride evident as she glanced at her pigeon. "Of course, you''re impressed. Lucky here isn''t just any D-rank. She''s special." "Special is an understatement," Tobias remarked, shaking his head. "I''ve seen B-rank pets struggle with things that bird handled like a walk in the park. Where''d you find it, anyway?" At this, Lyra''s smirk deepened. "You''ve heard the rumors, haven''t you?" Tobias and Celine exchanged glances before nodding. "About it being a normal animal not long ago?" Celine asked. Lyra''s smile turned sly. "It''s true. Lucky used to be an ordinary pigeon. we stumbled upon it in a dungeon with the strangest crystals I''d ever seen." "it''s those Rainbow Crystals I heard about, right?" Tobias guessed, his interest piqued. "Exactly," Lyra confirmed. "We cleared the dungeon, but there were no real treasure inside, just Rainbow Crystals. Lucky ate one before we could stop it. I thought it was done for, the transformation was¡­ violent." "Violent?" Celine repeated, her voice filled with unease. Lyra nodded, her expression growing more serious. "I thought it was dying. But then¡­ it emerged like this." She gestured to the radiant pigeon, whose tail feathers shimmered as if catching the sunlight. Normally the pigeon would of showed a prideful look by now, but it simply kept looking around in confusion, it could sance something familiar in the air, something it really didn''t like. "And now," Lyra continued, her tone returning to one of pride, "its unbeatable. No other D-rank pet comes close to its power." "Is that the dungeon that became a Rainbow Crystal mine?" Tobias asked. Lyra nodded again. "The only known one, and the government took over the site letting my family''s business handle the research. They want to understand the crystals'' potential, but progress has been slow. If we don''t deliver results soon, we''ll lose the contract, and we''d be forced to sell it to some more capable. " "What''s the holdup?" Celine inquired. Lyra sighed, her frustration evident. "The crystals are potent and strange, but replicating Lucky''s transformation has been impossible. No other animal has survived the process. It requires extreme pain tolerance and mental fortitude, qualities most creatures lack. More importantly it has 0 chance of working on anything other than a normal animal. " The group fell silent, the weight of Lyra''s words sinking in. The Rainbow Crystals were a double edged sword, capable of immense power but at a steep cost. ..... As they approached the base of the mountain, Tobias broke the silence, changing the subject. "Do you think the explosion we heard has anything to do with a new dungeon?." Lyra shrugged. "Could be. But we won''t know until we get a closer look." Celine glanced up at the mountain, her gaze wary. "This place feels¡­ off. We should be careful." "Agreed," Lyra said, her voice firm. She reached up to stroke Lucky''s head, the pigeon cooing softly in response. "Whatever''s up there, we''ll handle it. Lucky and I aren''t afraid of a little challenge." With that, the trio continued their ascent, their curiosity driving them toward the source of the explosion. Unbeknownst to them, Lucy was already watching, her excitement palpable as she prepared to reclaim what she considered hers. As for Max he was already above them watching, not planning on joining the fun. Chapter 141 With that, the trio continued their ascent, their curiosity driving them toward the source of the explosion. Unbeknownst to them, Lucy was already watching, her excitement palpable as she prepared to reclaim what she considered hers. As for Max, he was already above them watching, not planning on joining the fun. ... The wind howled softly at the mountain''s peak as Max hovered in the sky above the trio, his black wings cutting a sharp silhouette against the gray clouds. His arms were crossed, his posture relaxed, and his expression bored, though he kept his gaze fixed on the unfolding scene below. Lucy, her essence entirely merged with the mountain, made no visible appearance. Instead, a creeping mist began to seep out from the rocky terrain. It moved unnaturally, curling and twisting with purpose, like a predator stalking its prey. Apparently, Lucy was afraid of crushing everyone on the scene, so she used her mist. Below, the trio was already on edge. Lyra glanced around, her fingers twitching with tension. Lucky, its rainbow-tailed pigeon, perched on her shoulder, cooed softly, its radiant feathers casting prismatic reflections across the ground. Tobias''s silver panther let out a low growl, its sharp eyes darting toward the advancing mist, while Celine''s serpent hissed, coiling tighter around her arm. "What is this?" Lyra muttered, stepping closer to her companions. Tobias narrowed his eyes. "Doesn''t feel natural. Be ready." Before they could react further, the mist surged forward, solidifying into jagged spikes that shot out with terrifying speed. The panther leaped to shield Tobias, taking a hit to its flank. It yowled in pain, but the attack wasn''t fatal. Lyra and Celine dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the onslaught. "Defensive positions!" Lyra shouted, her voice sharp with authority. She reached up to grab Lucky, throwing the pigeon into the air. "Lucky, do something!" The pigeon flapped its wings and released a brilliant burst of rainbow light. The vibrant energy struck the mist, dispersing it momentarily. "Impressive," Max murmured from above, watching as the pigeon began its counterattack. Lucy, however, wasn''t impressed. Through the mist, her unseen frustration simmered, and the air grew heavier with tension. She tightened her control, forcing the mist to reform into massive tendrils that lashed out with devastating force. The trio scrambled to defend themselves. Lyra''s commands grew frantic as she tried to rally her team, but the mist was relentless. It hammered at their defenses, breaking down their coordination and driving them into a corner. Despite their struggles, the pigeon, Lucky fought back valiantly. Its rainbow light intensified, forming intricate patterns that clashed against the mist. The light seemed to have an innate power, neutralizing the mist wherever it touched. "It''s holding it off!" Tobias exclaimed, his tone one of surprised relief. Lyra''s face lit up with hope. "Of course it is! Lucky''s the strongest!" The trio''s morale soared as they watched the pigeon''s radiant display. For a moment, it seemed as though they might actually overcome the unseen force attacking them. But Lucy''s patience had reached its limit. The mist receded abruptly, leaving the trio blinking in confusion. Then, with a sudden, crushing weight, the ground beneath them trembled. Rocks cracked and splintered as an invisible force pressed down from all directions. "What¡­ what is this?!" Celine gasped, clutching her serpent as the pressure forced her to her knees. Lyra staggered, her expression twisting into one of fear. "I can''t move!" Tobias tried to push back against the force, but even his panther was pinned, growling in frustration as it struggled futilely. From above, Max raised an eyebrow. Lucy was no longer playing around. She''d abandoned her mist entirely, opting to unleash her telekinesis instead. The raw power of her mental force bore down on the trio, crushing the air out of their lungs and driving them closer to defeat. "Lucky, use it!" Lyra screamed, her voice tinged with desperation. The pigeon responded. Its body began to glow, its radiant feathers transforming into pure light. With a burst of energy, Lucky expanded, growing into a two meter tall figure of glowing brilliance.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Max''s lazy expression disappeared, replaced by one of genuine interest. "Now that''s new," he muttered, leaning forward slightly. The light pigeon spread its glowing wings and formed a protective dome of rainbow energy around the trio. The dome shimmered with an iridescent sheen, standing firm against Lucy''s relentless telekinetic assault. Lucy, now fully committed to her attack, doubled down. The mountain quaked as her invisible force pressed harder, grinding the earth beneath the dome into a deep pit. Rocks and debris flew outward as the pressure increased, yet the dome held strong, it was planted deep into the ground but still held on. From inside the dome, Lyra and her team watched in awe as Lucky''s power continued to grow. The dome, though cracking under the strain, seemed to regenerate and reinforce itself with every passing moment. "It''s doing it!" Lyra cried, tears streaming down her face. "It''s protecting us!" Tobias and Celine could only stare, their expressions a mix of fear and wonder. The pigeon they had once envied was now their sole hope of survival. Above, Max''s gaze remained fixed on the scene. The usual indifference in his eyes was gone, replaced by a glimmer of intrigue. The pigeon''s display of power was far beyond what he had expected, if the pigeon starts moving the dome and Lucy failed to react to it they might actually escape. "Lucy, keep it up," he said softly. His mind was already racing with possibilities. If he could study the pigeon, understand the source of its strength, it could prove to be a valuable asset, or at least an interesting experiment. "meh, I don''t have the capability to study such a thing yet, but someone might!". Below, the stalemate continued. Lucy''s telekinetic force bore down relentlessly, while Lucky''s rainbow dome grew brighter and stronger with every passing second. The pit beneath them deepened, the earth groaning under the strain of their clashing powers. Max''s lips curled into a faint smile. "Let''s end it here." Max used his siliconic powers to grab a flying stone, and quickly marked it with Mystic eye and throw it in the air. "Lucy take that stone next to the dome." ''OK''. Responded Lu, and the stone started flying according to Max''s instructions. Soon it was right where he needed it as he used Mystic eye to switch his prospective. "Lucy we''re leaving after picking them up, before the noise attract more variables," spoke Max, pulling the shotgun from his space ring. The weapon gleamed in his hands, heavy with lethal intent. There was no hesitation in his movements as he aimed directly at Lyra''s head, high above the chaos below. From his position in the sky, Max pulled the trigger. Bang! The air cracked with the force of the shot. The slug vanished in an instant, teleporting with unerring precision to a point just an inch from Lyra''s temple. The rainbow dome faltered, unable to react to the impossible trajectory. The bullet struck true. Lyra didn''t even have time to gasp. Her body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, as blood pooled beneath her. The moment her life ended, the pigeon let out a heart wrenching screech, affected by the death of its pet Master it will be weakened heavily. The vibrant energy surrounding the pigeon flickered and dimmed, its towering form shrinking back into its original size. Its brilliant rainbow hues dulled to muted tones, and the once mighty bird collapsed to the ground, its strength drained. Max''s gaze didn''t linger on Lyra''s corpse or the fallen pigeon. He reached into his space ring once more and pulled out a massive, ornate mirror. Its polished surface gleamed in the dim light, reflecting the chaos around it. As he descended toward the pit, Lucy''s presence flared beside him, her excitement still palpable even in her unseen form. She moved toward him, but Max raised a hand, cutting her off. "Later," he said simply, opening the pet space with a thought. Lucy vanished into it without resistance. Max landed softly amidst the destruction, the mirror clutched tightly in his hands. He surveyed the scene, Lyra''s lifeless body, the two remaining team members paralyzed with fear, and their pets subdued and injured. The air was thick with tension and despair. The remaining duo, Tobias and Celine, couldn''t even muster the strength to speak. They stared at Max with wide, terror-stricken eyes, their minds racing but unable to comprehend what was happening. Max didn''t offer them a word of explanation. He held up the mirror, activating his skill, [Mirror Prison]. The surface of the mirror shimmered like water before turning into an endless void. It pulled with an invisible force, dragging everything in its path into the reflective abyss. Lyra''s body was the first to vanish, her lifeless form swallowed by the mirror. Next came Lucky, its weakened state offering no resistance as it was sealed within. Tobias, Celine, and their pets followed, their panicked screams silenced the moment they crossed the mirror''s threshold. The area was left eerily silent. The devastation from the battle remained, a deep pit and shattered ground. Max glanced around, as His wings flared open, and with a powerful beat, he took to the sky. The wind roared around him as he flew away from the ruined mountain, heading toward the mountain house far away from here. The journey was uneventful, his thoughts entirely focused on the new captives within the mirror. The pigeon, in particular, intrigued him. Its power had proven formidable, enough to pique his interest and warrant further investigation. Arriving at his mountain house, Max landed gracefully, his wings folding behind him as he entered the building. Setting the mirror down on a sturdy table, Max took a moment to examine its surface. Inside, the reflections of Lyra, Lucky, Tobias, Celine, and their pets floated. ''Out!''. Lucy''s mental voice sounded in his head. "Sure." Max opened the pet space as all of his pet went out. Lucy immediately stuck her head on the mirror saying hi to her old rival. inside the mirror the pigeon eyes widened, it forgot about it''s weakness, about the people next to it, and the death of her pet master as it rushed towards Lucy, just to slam into the mirror wall helpless. Max''s lips curved into a faint smirk, looking at the scene of Lucy and the pigeon growling at each other. "it seems it gained its bravery while away from Lu!." The crows soon joined the fun glaring daggers at the mirror following the lead of the big boss Lucy. Chapter 142 Luck devouring Stone. The room was quiet, save for the faint hum that lingered in the air as Max released the mirror prison. The reflective surface shimmered, bending like liquid before dispersing in ripples, revealing the two humans, their pets, and the pigeon sprawled on the floor. Tobias and Celine froze, their eyes darting between each other and Max. Their pets, slightly battered but alive, stayed close, trembling as if they instinctively understood the power radiating from the man before them. Max folded his arms, his black wings casting an imposing shadow over the room. His golden gaze was calm but sharp, a predator''s gaze waiting for prey to speak. Before he could say anything, a commotion erupted to his left. The pigeon, still gleaming faintly with rainbow hues despite its weakened state, stumbled upright and flapped its wings furiously. Its eyes locked onto Lucy, who stood in front of it with a self-satisfied tilt to her head. "Craw-craw!" The crows perched nearby sprang into action. Two crows lunged forward, pinning the pigeon''s wings to the ground. Another hopped onto its back, holding it head down with surprising authority. The indignant pigeon squawked and flailed, its iridescent feathers glinting with a last-ditch effort at resistance. Lucy stepped forward, her hands on her hips, leaning close to her old rival. "Mimimimilimimi!" she declared, her voice a series of triumphant, rhythmic syllables. Craw! Craw! Craw!.. The pinned pigeon thrashed harder but couldn''t break free. The crows cawed in what seemed to be agreement, with one even stomping its talons on the pigeon''s head for emphasis. Max sighed, watching the absurd scene play out. "Really, Lucy? Do you always need backup to bully that thing?" Lucy turned toward him, mimicking a shrug with a "Mimimimi," as if to say, What''s the fun in doing it alone? The pigeon squawked indignantly beneath the weight of its captors, glaring at Max as though it recognized him. It made an attempt to leap up, only for Lucy to wave her hand, and the crows tightened their grip, rendering it still once more. Max shook his head and turned his attention back to Tobias and Celine, who hadn''t moved a muscle. "Talk." His tone was casual but carried enough weight to make Tobias flinch. "W-what do you want to know?" Celine stammered, clutching her pet closer to her chest. Max gestured toward the pigeon. "Start with that thing. What do you know about it?" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.Tobias glanced at Celine, then hesitantly began, "The pigeon was Lyra''s pet. It wasn''t always strong, it was just an ordinary bird until it ate one of the rainbow crystals." "Rainbow crystals?" Max asked, his tone indicating he wanted more than a passing mention. Celine took over, her voice shaking but steady enough. "They''re rare crystals found in a dungeon that Lyra''s family owns. After they cleared it, the dungeon turned into a mine for those crystals, the only there are. Lyra''s family is conducting research on them¡­ b-but they haven''t made much progress." "Why not?" Max pressed. "They''re... unstable," Tobias admitted. "The crystals require an extreme level of pain tolerance and mental fortitude to integrate. Most animals or people can''t handle it. The pigeon was an anomaly." Max raised an eyebrow, looking at the bird pinned under his pets. " anomaly, huh?". Neither Tobias nor Celine dared to answer, the weight of the situation dawning on them. "What''s in Lyra''s space ring?" Max asked abruptly. Celine hesitated before muttering, "She might''ve carried a few crystals with her. She was hoping to find a proper buyer if the research didn''t pan out¡­" Max nodded, clearly satisfied. He pulled out his twin pistols in one smooth motion. "Wait.... " Tobias started, but Max''s patience had run out. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Two muffled shots echoed through the room, followed by two more. The captives and their pets collapsed, their expressions frozen in shock. "Lucy get rid of them." Max muttered, slipping his pistols back into his holsters. Lucy turned away from the subdued pigeon to glance at the fallen humans, mimicking an exaggerated gasp of surprise. "Mimimi!" as she truned into green light taking control over the mountain. "Yes, yes, do it quickly please and get rid of the blood." Max said dismissively, kneeling to search Lyra''s body. He retrieved her space ring and examined its contents. Inside, he found a collection of random trinkets, cradits, and supplies. Nothing remarkable, until he uncovered a single rainbow crystal. He held it up, watching its prismatic light dance across the walls. It radiated an energy that felt both enticing and alien, unlike anything he''d encountered before. "Simulator, scan this," he instructed. The screen of the simulator lit up, a faint hum accompanying the scanning process. Max waited, leaning against the table. The pigeon, meanwhile, had gone oddly quiet. Its gaze shifted nervously between the crystal, Max, and Lucy, who still stood proudly over it with her crows. As the minutes stretched on, Max frowned. The scan was taking unusually long. Finally, the simulator chimed with a notification. [Alert: First Saturated Luck Devouring Stone detected.] [This discovery is unprecedented. Please report to the Grand Library for further analysis and rewards.] [Its grade can''t be judged accurately.] "Huh?" Max''s eyes narrowed as he read the message. It was the first time the simulator had ever displayed something like this, he completed ignored the grand Library Thing, even if knew where it was, he most couldn''t get there, even if he could, it might no long be there, and even if it was he wasn''t stupid enough to go there like an idiot. ...... Max checked the simulator''s database for information on Luck Devouring Stones, only to find a few articles describing their uses and properties. Apparently, it was a B-rank material with the unique capability to absorb luck endlessly; whether good, bad, or anything in between. It had so many uses that Max couldn''t count them all. However, the rainbow crystal in his hand appeared different. It was saturated and unable to absorb luck, rendering it useless in any of the processes described in the articles. "Endlessly¡­ Apparently not." This was the first time Max realized that the knowledge provided by the simulator could be incomplete. Well, not exactly wrong, most likely, they had never encountered a saturated stone before. Still, the unanswered question of "why" gave him an itch he couldn''t ignore. After some thinking he just shook his head, "Well let''s foucs on the matter at hand, how to use it." With the simulators detailed scan and some experimenting he should figure something out, maybe. "Lu, I want the pigeon to stay alive..... And functional.." spoke Max as he walked into his work shop, at the same time giving the black Bonsai to Lucy to take care of. ''OK''. Chapter 143 Max sat in the quiet of his mountain home, the rainbow crystal resting on the table before him. The prismatic light refracted across the walls, casting shifting patterns that seemed almost alive. He leaned back, his golden eyes thoughtful as he weighed the stone in his hand. Max had an idea and typed the detailed parameters of the Crystal from the simulator''s screen to his phone. "AI," he said aloud, his tone calm, "analyze possible applications for this crystal." The screen of his superphone lit up, and a soft hum filled the room. A progress bar crawled across the display, painfully slow. Max experimented in the meantime, exposing the crystal to different conditions. He tried infusing it with a trickle of energy, setting it near other enchanted objects, and even crushing a part of it into powder and feeding it to different species, they simply died. Nothing noteworthy happened. The crystal remained inert, its vibrant glow unwavering but unresponsive. "Worthless for now," he muttered, setting the crystal back on the table. Finally, the superphone chimed. [No significant properties detected under current conditions.] Max''s lips pressed into a thin line. "So much for that." Shifting his focus, he opened the phone''s hacking interface. "Access Lyra''s family''s data. Target: research on rainbow crystals." The screen flickered as the simulator worked, bypassing layers of mediocre security. Within moments, a trove of data became accessible, and Max began reading. Lyra''s family was underwhelming, a small, unremarkable house with no history of significant power or influence. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Their sole claim to relevance was a single B-rank powerhouse who is the head of the family, and Lyra and her brothers who had lucked into finding the dungeon that later transformed into the rainbow crystal mine. Prior to that, they didn''t even have a proper research facility. The mine had been their desperate attempt to break into the upper echelons of society. The research notes were disorganized and amateurish, filled with conjectures and inconclusive results. Most of their experiments had failed, and the family seemed to lack both the resources and the expertise to make meaningful progress. Max scoffed. "They''re fumbling in the dark. Not surprising." After hours of reading, he decided to shelve the matter for now. The crystal was intriguing, but without a clearer path forward, there was little point in pursuing it further. Just as he leaned back to stretch, his superphone buzzed with an incoming call. The name on the screen: Charles. Max answered. "What is it?" Charles''s voice was crisp and professional, but there was an undertone of urgency. "The B-rank you attacked, he''s alive. Barely." Max raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "Explain." "It seems he saw your attack whatever it was coming. He didn''t have time to escape completely, but it was enough to brace for impact. Likely used some defensive skills or items to mitigate the damage. He''s in critical condition, but stable." Max nodded slowly. It wasn''t entirely unexpected. A B-rank wouldn''t go down easily, and while the shot had been devastating, someone of his level might have had just enough time to prepare. "Go on," Max said. Charles continued, "He proposed to make a deal with us. As long as we don''t speak of his injuries and refrain from attacking him again, he''ll stand by us in future dealings. A mutual non aggression pact, so to speak. Should I accept, I told him I''d ask the one that attacked him before giving him an answer. " Max tapped his fingers on the table, considering the proposition. "That works. And I need you to Expand our channels and markets," Max said decisively. "Use this opportunity to solidify our position. And¡­" He glanced at the crystal on the table, its glow reflecting in his eyes. "Keep an eye on Lyra''s family. Their mine won''t amount to much with their incompetence. Once they fail to produce results, move in and acquire it." "Understood, but who''s Lyra and what mine? ". " I''d send you their details, also don''t acquire that yourself, if the crystals prove useful, than I plan on mining it till there is nothing left, so someone should take the blame in the future. " "No problem, I''d find a pawn to take the credit. " Charles didn''t have the slightest idea how to go about it, but his father should, and he would be more than happy to help since they were expanding their reach, which can literally save his life from old age, with access to markets and the invisible protection of a Powerhouse he might just be able to buy something that can help him live longer in the future. Max ended the call and set the phone down. His gaze returned to the rainbow crystal. ''For now, there were other priorities.'' Chapter 144 First Evolution. Max sat in the quiet of his mountain home, the rainbow crystal resting on the table before him. The prismatic light refracted across the walls, casting shifting patterns that seemed almost alive. He leaned back, his golden eyes thoughtful as he weighed the stone in his hand. Max had an idea and typed the detailed parameters of the Crystal from the simulator''s screen to his phone. "AI," he said aloud, his tone calm, "analyze possible applications for this crystal." The screen of his superphone lit up, and a soft hum filled the room. A progress bar crawled across the display, painfully slow. Max experimented in the meantime, exposing the crystal to different conditions. He tried infusing it with a trickle of energy, setting it near other enchanted objects, and even crushing a part of it into powder and feeding it to different species, they simply died. Nothing noteworthy happened. The crystal remained inert, its vibrant glow unwavering but unresponsive. "Worthless for now," he muttered, setting the crystal back on the table. Finally, the superphone chimed. [No significant properties detected under current conditions.] Max''s lips pressed into a thin line. "So much for that." Shifting his focus, he opened the phone''s hacking interface. "Access Lyra''s family''s data. Target: research on rainbow crystals." The screen flickered as the simulator worked, bypassing layers of mediocre security. Within moments, a trove of data became accessible, and Max began reading. Lyra''s family was underwhelming, a small, unremarkable house with no history of significant power or influence. Their sole claim to relevance was a single B-rank powerhouse who is the head of the family, and Lyra and her brothers who had lucked into finding the dungeon that later transformed into the rainbow crystal mine. Prior to that, they didn''t even have a proper research facility. The mine had been their desperate attempt to break into the upper echelons of society. The research notes were disorganized and amateurish, filled with conjectures and inconclusive results. Most of their experiments had failed, and the family seemed to lack both the resources and the expertise to make meaningful progress. Max scoffed. "They''re fumbling in the dark. Not surprising." After hours of reading, he decided to shelve the matter for now. The crystal was intriguing, but without a clearer path forward, there was little point in pursuing it further. Just as he leaned back to stretch, his superphone buzzed with an incoming call. The name on the screen: Charles. Max answered. "What is it?" Charles''s voice was crisp and professional, but there was an undertone of urgency. "The B-rank you attacked, he''s alive. Barely." Max raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "Explain." "It seems he saw your attack whatever it was coming. He didn''t have time to escape completely, but it was enough to brace for impact. Likely used some defensive skills or items to mitigate the damage. He''s in critical condition, but stable." Max nodded slowly. It wasn''t entirely unexpected. A B-rank wouldn''t go down easily, and while the shot had been devastating, someone of his level might have had just enough time to prepare. "Go on," Max said. Charles continued, "He proposed to make a deal with us. As long as we don''t speak of his injuries and refrain from attacking him again, he''ll stand by us in future dealings. A mutual non aggression pact, so to speak. Should I accept, I told him I''d ask the one that attacked him before giving him an answer. " Max tapped his fingers on the table, considering the proposition. "That works. And I need you to Expand our channels and markets," Max said decisively. "Use this opportunity to solidify our position. And¡­" He glanced at the crystal on the table, its glow reflecting in his eyes. "Keep an eye on Lyra''s family. Their mine won''t amount to much with their incompetence. Once they fail to produce results, move in and acquire it." "Understood, but who''s Lyra and what mine? ". " I''d send you their details, also don''t acquire that yourself, if the crystals prove useful, than I plan on mining it till there is nothing left, so someone should take the blame in the future. " "No problem, I''d find a pawn to take the credit. " Charles didn''t have the slightest idea how to go about it, but his father should, and he would be more than happy to help since they were expanding their reach, which can literally save his life from old age, with access to markets and the invisible protection of a Powerhouse he might just be able to buy something that can help him live longer in the future. Max ended the call and set the phone down. His gaze returned to the rainbow crystal. ''For now, there were other priorities.'' Charles''s Perspective The bustling streets of the trade city were alive with energy, but Charles Wood''s focus was entirely on the task at hand. He stood at the head of a large table in a lavish conference room, surrounded by influential figures from various sectors. Contracts and proposals were scattered before them, each one representing another step towards progress. "We''ll be launching distribution in the eastern provinces by next quarter," Charles stated, his voice sharp and authoritative.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "The resources are in place, and the new alliances ensure smooth operations." Across the room, Jason, Charles''s father, leaned back in his chair with a broad grin. Pride radiated from him, a glow that came not from personal achievement but from the success of his son. His chest puffed with exhilaration, and he made no effort to hide his joy. "Brilliant work, Charles," Jason said, his booming voice filling the room. "This is exactly the kind of progress I envisioned for the family." But not everyone shared his enthusiasm. Bruce, Charles''s uncle, sat in a corner, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His bitter expression contrasted sharply with Jason''s elation. The rapid success of Charles ''s operations grated at him, a reminder of his own comparative stagnation, what''s worst is the fact that he won''t receive the slightest benefit from the matter, because he knew his brother well enough and Charles was even worst than his father. "Quite the spectacle," Bruce muttered under his breath, though no one paid him any mind. Charles continued with unshaken focus. The absence of Larry and Amelia, two other family members often involved in the family''s affairs, was noted but irrelevant. Their lack of contribution had become a pattern, and Charles didn''t plan on wasting time on them. The meeting wrapped up, and as the room cleared, Jason clapped Charles on the back, beaming. "You''ve done well, Charles." Charles gave a curt nod. "It''s only the beginning." .... Back to Max. Three days had passed since Max''s encounter with the rainbow crystal and his brief foray into Lyra''s family data. That stone is useless for now, but Max didn''t plan to give up on it, not after he scanned the pigeon and checked it''s abilities, it only had two ; its innate that allowed it control that rainbow light, and one passive blue, that accumulated energy to be used in dire need, the same one that turned it into a bird of light. Still, from the data at hand, Max could tell that the process of the pigeon gaining its powers would be impossible to repeat, so Max decided to completely ignore it until someone came up with some use for it, or maybe he becomes skilled enough to use it in forging or something... Up to the future. ... The quiet of his mountain retreat was broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the faint chirping of birds. Max stood in a gardens Lucy made for the crows, gazing at Louh, one of his crows. Louh''s normally lively demeanor had faded over the past week. His body was gaunt, his ribs visible through his thin feathers. The crow hadn''t eaten for seven days, a deliberate preparation for his evolution. "It''s time," Max murmured, his golden eyes narrowing as he turned toward his prized black bonsai. The other crows and Lucy gathered nearby, their usual antics subdued as they watched. Even Lucy, typically brimming with mischief, stood silently, her gaze fixed on Louh. "Lucy, I need you inside the mountain to watch for anything that might pop up, just in case." ''OK'', responded Lucy as Max approached the bonsai, running a hand over its glossy black leaves. He hesitated for a moment before snapping off a small branch. The wood was dense and dark, pulsating faintly with radiation. "It''ll grow back," he muttered, remembering his stock of emerald water. The reason he used the branch from his tree, instead of simply buying a piece of wood resource, is because of its uniqueness, after all this specific evolution would change slightly with the type of wood used. Walking back to Louh, Max crouched down and extended the branch. The crow''s tired eyes flickered with a faint glimmer of recognition as he pecked weakly at the wood. After a moment of hesitation, Louh began to eat, Max helping him breaking the branch into small pieces until it was completely consumed. Max reached into his space ring, pulling out his old Evergreen Robe. ... Equipment name : Evergreen robe. A flexible armor with E-rank defense capabilities. Ability Evergreen : when the wearer''s health reaches a critical level of less than 30%, an evergreen power wave will be triggered, healing the wearer back to full health. Note 01 : this healing effect can even regenerate lost limbs, but not the heart muscle nor the brain. Note : cooldown duration 2 weeks. Overall Grade : D+ .... "This will hurt, Louh, But it''s necessary. You''ll be first to evolve." Craw! Max looped the robe''s chain, the same ones he made around the crow''s neck, securing it tightly. Then, without hesitation, Max pulled a small, sharp dagger from his ring and plunged it into Louh''s chest, aiming directly for his heart. Louh let out a weak, pitiful caw as blood spilled onto the grass. The other crows flapped their wings anxiously, and Lucy''s telekinetic powers circle of the area her nervousness apparent. But Max''s sharp glance kept them all at bay. The Evergreen Robe activated instantly. A soft, green glow enveloped Louh''s body, its energy sinking into his feathers and flesh. The healing process began, but it wasn''t just about mending wounds. His body had literally zero nutrients, so his body started forcibly consuming the wood inside his stomach the wood was broken consumed and drawn toward his damaged heart, where it fused with his tissues. The healing power of the Evergreen Robe accelerated the process, reconstructing parts of Louh''s heart and surrounding muscles using the wood, as it''s properties started merging with Louh''s very essence. Max watched intently, his gaze never wavering. He could see the changes taking place beneath the crow''s skin. Black veins pulsed faintly as the wood''s energy spread through Louh''s body, integrating with his very being. Minutes passed like hours. The green glow from the robe intensified, and then, as suddenly as it began, it faded. Louh lay still for a moment before a shudder ran through his body. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his movements shaky but purposeful. His feathers, once black , now gleamed with an even darker sheen, almost as if they absorbed the light around them. He stood slightly taller, his form more imposing despite the subtlety of the change. Max tilted his head, studying the crow. "Not what I expected." According to the web, a wood crow''s feathers were supposed to turn green, symbolizing their connection to nature. But Louh''s transformation had deviated from the norm, this was obviously because he used a bunch the black bonsai. Lucy appeared next to Max and tilted her head curiously, pointing at Louh and mimicking a question with her gestures. Max shrugged. "Doesn''t matter. He''s stronger now." Louh let out a low, throaty caw, his gaze fierce and unwavering. The other crows gathered around him, their earlier anxiety replaced by admiration. Lucy clapped her hands, now that Louh is stronger, he can bully the pigeon more... But the process wasn''t over yet, it would take a few more minutes for Louh''s body to adapt and awaken it''s new abilities. Louh closed his eyes, feeling his new body changing. Max straightened, the changes within Louh, started happening to him next, through his talent. The progress of passing skills and abilities were painful and while He could feel his new abilities, Max simply ignored them because of the pain that came with it. ...... Soon the process was over. [Ding, your pet wood crow Louh has evolved, would you like to name it''s new evolution?] "No, just mark it as wood crow and show me his stats and details." Name: Wood crow Louh. Strength: F. (new limit D+) Agility: F-. (new limit D++) Vitality: E. (new limit B+) Spirituality: F+. (new limit C++) Overall evaluation: F+. [Innate ability "Parasitic Bloom"] : -proficiency: initiation. Increase life span by 500 years. Abilities & skills : [Arborize] : Grade : Green. Proficiency: initiation. Lock your Gaze on to a target turning it into wood. Note 01 : if your gaze is interrupted before complete woodication then the transformation will not be permanent and will slowly reverse itself. Note 02 : this ability can be resisted by the vitality and spirituality attribute. Evolution Description: it allows the evolved creature to unnaturally extend their lifespan by exploiting the wood element. Instead of harmonizing with nature, it leeches vitality and life force from the surrounding environment, leaving plants, animals, and even people withered and lifeless. The evolved creature thrives by consuming life rather than contributing to the natural cycle, creating an aura of decay wherever they go. "Wow! just wow!" Max was simply amazed, the evolution was supposed to be D-rank with a very slight chance of it being C- in case the wood used was of top quality. And the lifespan innate was supposed to only give 100 years as a starter with 10000 being the limit with a certain perfected effect. But Louh''s ¨¦volution was much more extraordinary, and the description hinted that Louh might awaken some other abilities with time. "Thankfully I wasn''t stingy, and used a branch from the Bonsai instead of buying one." Louh Stats was currently low, even lower then previous but all it takes is one simulation to push them to maximum. "alright guys, Louh has just evolved so he will be physically weak for a few days, so be careful while playing, and Louh your not allowed to turn your brother and sisters into wood even if they asked you to." Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw!... Ma ignored the noisy crowd and went to make a cup of coffee to enjoy while doing his Kraxtal weaving studies. Chapter 145 Valenorth Two days had passed since Louh''s evolution. The wood crow, still adjusting to its newfound strength, perched confidently on Max''s bonsai tree, surveying the room like a self-proclaimed king. Max, meanwhile, had decided to take a break from his Kraxtal weaving studies. His brain needed a reset after hours of untangling complex patterns. "Louh, if you damage the tree I''d literally cook you alive. " Craw! Louh quickly flew away from the tree, afraid he''d be the next breakfast. .... Max ignored him, and leaned back to relax planning to watch something entertaining, Lucy appeared, holding a worn deck of cards. ''play?'' Max frowned. "Cards? Where did you even get those?" Through their mental connection, Lucy cheerfully explained her "perfectly legal" acquisition from passing travelers. Max scratched his head. " Let me guess, you just took them while no one was looking." Lucy ignored his comment, waving the cards with exaggerated enthusiasm. Her thoughts buzzed through their link: ''Play with me! I show you the rules.'' "First tell me, where did you learn to play?" '' watched it.'' answered Lucy pointing at the laptop, and through their mental link, Max knew it was from the drama he had made for her not long ago. Behind Lucy, the crows began shaking their heads furiously, their beady eyes wide with panic. One of them even flapped its wings, clearly trying to signal him to stop. Max chuckled, ignoring their warnings. "Alright, fine. Let''s play." The first few rounds were normal enough, well, as normal as playing cards with a mischievous fairy could be. Lucy won the first game, and Max didn''t mind since he just learned the rules. But then came the second game. And the third. And the fourth. By the seventh consecutive loss, Max''s patience was hanging by a thread. It''s not that he was bad or Lucy was good, but it was Lucy''s rules or Lack Thereof. "Wait a minute," he growled, slamming his cards down on the table. "You said jokers were wildcards! This is the fifth time this card changes it''s purpose" "Mimi mimi!" Lucy corrected him gleefully, her tiny arms gesturing wildly. Through their mental link, she explained that now jokers counted as "reverse cards" that canceled out the previous turn. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site."That''s not how the game works! you can''t keep changing rules as you like. " speechless. Lucy crossed her arms, floating with an air of innocence as if to say, My game, my rules. The crows, still perched in the background, exchanged knowing glances. One even let out a low, pitying caw. "Oh, I get it now," Max muttered, running a hand through his hair. "This is why none of you play with her, huh?" A synchronized series of nods from the crows confirmed his suspicion, some of them even wanted to cry, because unlike Max they would get beaten up if they got closer to winning. As for actually winning my, just forget about it. ... Max was nothing if not competitive, and he wasn''t about to let Lucy''s antics get the better of him. "Alright, this is my house, and under my roof you follow my rules " he said, leaning forward with a wicked grin. "If you change the rules again, I''m banning card games forever, and no labtop for a month." Lucy froze mid-mimie, her eyes widening in exaggerated shock. "Mimi mimi!" she protested, frantically gesturing that it was her who made the house in the first place. Max arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, well, it''s mine now. So pick one set of rules and stick to it." Lucy huffed, reluctantly nodding. The next game began, and for a moment, it seemed like Max might finally win. He had a strong hand, and Lucy wasn''t pulling any of her usual tricks. Victory was within his grasp. Then, just as he was about to lay down his cards, a prompt interrupting him. Max put the cards on the side and only after storing his phone inside the space ring did check it. [Ding, according to your set in parameters new world coordinates that suited it got detected.] "huh?". Max wasn''t too exited, at best it would another F or E-rank world, still anything was better than the current world so Max opened it check it''s information, just to be stunned on the spot. "A C-rank world?" The realization left him stunned, his earlier frustration fading completely. "Simulator undo the worldlock." spoke Max without h¨¦sitation. [Ding, worldlock lifting.... countdown 23h 59min 47s..] Lifting the worldlock takes one day, but Max didn''t worry much, basically every time a coordinates is detected it will stay there for at least a week. Max ckecked the information of the new world. World Name: Valenorth Power rank : C++. Valenorth is a realm ruled by human kingdoms with knights as the main force, whose might maintains order and stability. This balance was shattered during a certain year when witches emerged, bringing dark sorcery and creating twisted beasts to sow chaos. The humans fought the witches, and Because there weren''t a lot witches the world was peaceful, but for how long. ..... "Simulator lock on this world immediately after the world lock is available." [Ding, affirmative.] Max ignored the matter for now because there wasn''t much he could do other than wait and focused on the card game, just to be baffled looking at his cards. " Huh? " He stared at the cards in disbelief. They were completely different from the ones he''d had just minutes ago. The neatly stacked numbers he''d carefully strategized with were gone, replaced by a chaotic mix of useless low-rank cards. Max narrowed his eyes, his mental link immediately catching the faintest whiff of mischief radiating from Lucy. "Lucy," he said slowly, his tone dangerously calm. "Did you change my cards while I was distracted?" Lucy froze mid-air, her tiny wings fluttering nervously as she avoided eye contact. "Mimi mimi!" she chirped, feigning innocence, but the mental link betrayed her guilt. Max exhaled sharply, standing up and looking directly at her. "I didn''t want to do this, but you cheated first, Lucy. So now, it''s time for my ultimate move." Through their connection, Lucy''s thoughts turned frantic. Ultimate move? What ultimate move?! Max confidently picked up the cards, slammed them down onto the table, and declared, "This is my house, my rules. I win automatically with this set of cards." Lucy was speechless. She floated in place, her tiny mouth opening and closing as if searching for a rebuttal. Her mind buzzed with disbelief. She had bent every rule, crafted every advantage, even the house she built it, and still, she lost? Max smirked, walking back to his room. "You should''ve thought twice before trying to cheat me, Lucy. Maybe next time, play fair." Behind him, Lucy remained frozen in the air, questioning everything. How could this happen? She lost in her own game, under her own rules. The crows cawed in smug satisfaction, finally seeing Lucy taste defeat. Max didn''t bother looking back. He grabbed a cup of coffee and returned to his chair, his mind now focused on Valenorth. As Lucy floated back to the table in a daze, Max silently vowed to avoid card games with her for a long, long time. Chapter 146 The rhythmic thrum of the helicopter''s rotors filled the cabin, cutting through the tense silence that hung over its passengers. Eleven individuals, some of them sat strapped into their seats, some standing, their expressions a mix of focus and anticipation. Among them were Julio and Nicholas, both deep in thought as the aircraft sliced through the clouds. Their destination was an unassuming patch of wilderness, a location marked for the appearance of a special dungeon. While they weren''t aware of it, someone else was already waiting there. The team wasn''t heading to just any dungeon but to conduct a Trail Run, a series of tests devised to select the elite who would participate in the most prestigious and dangerous dungeon clearing missions: Bright Dungeons. These dungeons, overflowing with treasures and game changing opportunities, were coveted worldwide. However, their unpredictable nature made them exceptionally lethal. The Trail Runs were born from necessity. Rising tensions between the three continent had pushed their governments to seek a way to foster cooperation. The plan was simple but bold; assemble mixed teams from all three continents to tackle Bright Dungeons together, showcasing unity and shared strength. But entry into these high stakes missions wasn''t handed out freely, after all they only had a few consumable items to force open a bright dungeon. Thus each continent tested its most promising candidates through grueling trials. Only the winners earned the right to face the Bright Dungeons. This helicopter carried one such team: ten handpicked geniuses, accompanied by a single guardian. Victor Dane, the B-rank guardian assigned to this trial team, sat near the cockpit, flipping through a dossier with practiced ease. His sharp eyes scanned the pages, occasionally flicking toward the passengers seated across from him. "Alright," Victor began, his deep voice cutting through the drone of the engine. "Let''s go over the roster one more time." He adjusted his glasses and glanced at the first name.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Julio Moretz, D-rank, Pet Master. Victor''s gaze landed on the young man sitting near the back of the cabin. Julio was leaning casually against the wall, his demeanor relaxed, but his sharp eyes betrayed his readiness. At his feet were three peculiar starfish pets, each pulsating faintly with blue light. "Julio Moretz," Victor said aloud. Julio grinned, raising a hand lazily. "I am here." Victor ignored the attitude, moving to the next name. His eyes briefly scanned over the bulky Nicholas, crouching beside Julio. Nicholas, D-rank, BeastHolder. "Nicholas Fenn," called Victor. Nicholas gave a curt nod. "here." Victor paused before continuing. His eyes drifted to the trio of C-ranks sitting at the front, their presence commanding attention even without words. Kane Velmont, C-rank, BeastHolder. Kane was impossible to miss, his broad shoulders and shining golden light armor giving him an almost celestial aura. The man carried himself with an air of authority, his golden eyes watching the others with quiet appraisal. Victor studied him for a moment. "Kane Velmont," Kane didn''t respond verbally, only offering a slight nod of acknowledgment. Next, Victor turned to the long haired girl seated near the window. Arabelle Avenhart, C-rank, Pet Master. Arabelle''s emerald-green eyes were distant, scanning the horizon beyond the glass. Her pet, an almost translucent, dragonfly like creature, flitted near her shoulder, its iridescent wings catching the light. The creature enhanced Arabelle''s senses, amplifying her unique set of skills, making her invaluable as a scout and tracker. "Arabelle Avenhart," Victor continued. Arabelle gave a polite smile but said nothing, her fingers absently stroking the dragonfly''s delicate wings. Finally, Victor''s eyes shifted to the last C-rank. Leandro Tyrex, C-rank, Summoner. A stoic man with short, dark hair and piercing blue eyes, Leandro was clad in sleek black armor. "Leandro Tyrex," Victor concluded. Leandro gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable. Victor glanced down the list again. "The rest of you," he added, his tone dismissive, "you''ve got your strengths. Don''t die, and maybe you''ll make it through the trial." His eyes lingered briefly on Jimmy, a nervous looking D-rank sitting near the back, his leg bouncing anxiously. "Relax, Jimmy," Julio teased, "You''ll be fine as long as you don''t trip over your own feet." "I wasn''t nervous!" responded Jimmy flustered. Nicholas snorted. "Sure, and I''m a pixie." The cabin filled with quiet chuckles, though the tension was still palpable. As the helicopter began its descent, the chatter subsided, replaced by focused silence. The team disembarked one by one, boots crunching against the grass of the clearing. And then they saw him. A lone figure sat leaning against a large rock in the middle of the field, his posture relaxed, his eyes closed as if he hadn''t a care in the world. Victor frowned, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his blade. "Who the hell is that?" The team exchanged wary glances. Kane stepped forward, his golden armor gleaming under the sun. "Whoever he is," Kane said calmly, "he''s sitting exactly where the dungeon is supposed to appear." Max was in a bad mood so he didn''t even glance towards the bunch of newcomers, Xrak asked him to clear the dungeon with them to avoid unnecessary complications, but he didn''t need to befriend them. As for safety, they were under Lucy''s range so it didn''t matter. Chapter 147 Max sat with his back against a large rock, his eyes closed, the rhythmic sound of distant wind filling the otherwise still clearing. His mind was elsewhere, calculating the timing of recent events. The worldlock was undone, and he already set it on Valenorth, but the simulator was still cooling down, about four hours remained. But the dungeon that loomed here was set to open in less than half an hour. His fingers tapped against his knee, a subconscious gesture of impatience as his thoughts churned. A voice broke through his mental fog. "Max? Is that you?" The words were filled with hesitation, laced with the kind of disbelief one has when seeing a ghost. Max''s eyes opened slowly, narrowing as he looked toward the source of the voice. A young man with sharp eyes was standing a few meters away, flanked by another familiar face. Julio. Despite the transformation Max had undergone since their last encounter on the train, Julio''s expression suggested certainty, he simply couldn''t mistake that unique aura around Max. Julio''s smile widened as he approached. "I knew it. I had a feeling you were hiding your appearance last time, you just seemed too ordinary." Max blinked, expression blank, but his mind raced. ''He thinks I was hiding back then. Convenient. I''ll let him think that.'' "Julio," Max said, his tone neutral as if greeting an old acquaintance. Nicholas joined his companion, nodding in greeting. "Max. Long time no see." Max inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. He didn''t mind playing along. If anything, this misdirection about his identity might prove useful. The three exchanged a few more words, but before the conversation could deepen, Victor Dane, the B-rank Guardian, approached. Victor''s sharp gaze scanned Max with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "What are you doing here?" Max stood, brushing nonexistent dust off his pants. His reply was as nonchalant as his demeanor. "Waiting for a dungeon." Victor''s brow furrowed slightly. "A dungeon? You got wind of this one? Found a key, I assume?" Max didn''t respond, his silence leaving Victor and the others to draw their own conclusions, after all, he had to be cautious of any lie detecting skills or such. Based on the law; if someone found a dungeon first! Either opened or not, it''s his right to attempt clearing it first. Victor''s lips pressed into a thin line. The team was already short on fire power with only 3 C-ranks. True they were all Geniuses and their combat power was not similar to that of normal people of the same rank, but the addition of one more powerhouse would be welcomed. After all, if the team under his protection won he would be rewarded handsomely above his normal pay for the job. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences."you were here first. You can join the team, but let me make one thing clear, it''s a dangerous C-rank dungeon." Max nodded once, unimpressed. "You''ll participate with the others," Victor added, his tone firm. Max shrugged in response, his indifference sparking a flicker of irritation in Victor''s otherwise stoic expression. "I''d let you know if I find something of interest to me inside, I''d be taking it." Victor just nodded, they weren''t here for the rewards of the dungeon anyway. ..... As Max''s presence became more integrated into the group, the subtle shift in dynamics was palpable. Julio and Nicholas''s polite attitude toward him piqued the curiosity of the others. Arabelle, standing near the back, watched Max with narrowed eyes. She discreetly activated her scanning skill, her dragonfly like pet''s wings shimmering faintly as it processed the data. The skill wasn''t invasive; just a simple probe for basic details like age and rank. But What she saw made her composure shatter instantly. Her emerald eyes widened, and she blurted out, "You''re a 19 year old C-rank?" The clearing fell silent. Every head turned toward Max. ..... Victor''s dossier had indicated the youngest among them was twenty, and that was Jimmy, a nervous D-rank with more jitters than experience. For someone to be nineteen and a C-rank was not unheard of, but they were those super Geniuses the sons and daughters of powerhouses of the SS plus. A glint of surprise flashed across Victor''s eyes. Julio and Nicholas exchanged knowing glances, their expressions unreadable, while Jimmy''s jaw dropped. Kane, the golden-armored leader, stared at Max with a mixture of disbelief and something bordering on envy. Max''s gaze shifted toward Arabelle, cold and piercing. The temperature of the air seemed to drop as his eyes locked onto hers, his previously casual demeanor no where to be seen. She recoiled slightly, her confidence shrinking under the weight of his glare. "You need to learn to mind your own damn business," Max said flatly, his voice sharp enough to cut through steel. Victor instinctively stepped in front of Arabelle, his protective instincts kicking in. But the moment he moved, an invisible force pressed down on him, a feeling of impending doom that sent a shiver up his spine. He froze, his hand twitching toward his weapon before he realized there was no visible threat. Unbeknownst to the team, Lucy''s telekinetic presence loomed over them, waiting for Max''s command. The oppressive aura dissipated only when Max turned his attention away from Arabelle, dismissing her entirely. Max was someone who is very grouchful, and petty but there were high steaks on the line and he had to keep the bigger picture in mind, still if he had the chance to, she wouldn''t be leaving this dungeon, at least not alive. As for his strength and age being revealed he didn''t care much. After all, he would be starting one trouble after another soon, and after Kain-city he would go dark no matter what was the results. Victor exhaled quietly, his muscles relaxing as the invisible pressure faded. ..... The group''s dynamics shifted visibly after the confrontation. Julio and Nicholas remained close to Max. Leandro, was a member of Phantom Titan, and the two were technically his young master''s, so naturally he gravitated toward their side. Jimmy, hesitated for a moment before shuffling over to stand with them as well, to the surprise of everyone. Kane, Arabelle, and the other members of the team lingered on the opposite side, their wariness evident. Arabelle kept stealing glances at Max, her earlier boldness replaced by caution. Victor stood between the two factions, struggling to mask his internal unease. His mind raced as he tried to deduce Max''s identity. The earlier invisible pressure was clearly not from Max himself but likely from someone sent to guard him. This led Victor to suspect Max might be the son of some influential figure, though he couldn''t pinpoint exactly who. After much deliberation, he decided to set the matter aside for now. ..... Max glanced at the people in his group, confusion evident on his face. No matter how he looked at it, Leandro didn''t seem like a good person, yet his passive ability had no effect on him. What truly surprised Max, however, was that aside from Julio and Nicholas, Jimmy was apparently the third person on the scene affected by his passive. Still, he didn''t care much as he leanned on the earlier rock, as Julio informed him of the trail runs and their true purpose here. "huh, so that''s how it is." Responded Max while his mind rushed with thoughts. ''so the governments of this world aren''t too stupid, they should of guessed that some one was fanning the flames.'' But what confused Max was this bright dungeons, the simulator recorded all kinds of dungeons, but most of the names didn''t match with this world''s so he couldn''t tell which dungeon it was for a while. "Max if you''re interested, you can always join the team under the recommendation of Phantom Titan." Max just shook his head, he had far more important matters to deal with for now. Julio expected Max to refuse, so he didn''t discuss the matter further as silence settled before the dungeon gate open. Max judged it was about time as he spoke telepathically to Lucy. '' it''s time Lu, just like I told you earlier.'' ''OK.'' Silently Lucy appeared under the rock behind Max, in a small pit he dug beforehand, just as she materialized he immediately pulled her inside the pet space, just before the dungeon opened. Chapter 148 The Dungeon (P1) Soon enough the dungeon opened in front of the group of people. The dungeon gate loomed tall and foreboding, its surface pulsing with eerie, greenish light. Victor stood before the group, after what happened earlier he didn''t feel like giving a peptalk but he gritted his teeth and went with it anyway. "inside dungeons team work is key, you''re all grown up so I am not going to order you around, but remember that you''re life is within your teammates hands" Victor announced. His voice firm. Max glanced at the others. Julio was adjusting the positioning of his floating starfishs, Nicholas''s massive frame seemed to grow as he prepared for his transformation, Leandro summoned two 3m tall birds, and Jimmy just stood at the back with his short monkey pet. The other group lead by Kane stood to the right, and Max simply ignored them. . "Let''s move," Max said simply, his wings unfurling with a faint metallic rustle. They stepped through the gate, the world shifting around them. The two group emerged into a vast graveyard shrouded in a dense, unnatural mist. The air was cold and damp, the silence broken only by the faint creak of old branches and the distant sound of dirt shifting. Rows of ancient tombstones stretched as far as the eye could see, their inscriptions worn away by time. "I don''t like this," Arabelle muttered, keeping her sniper rifle close. Kane looked at Max but before he could speak Max interrupted him. "no need to play nice, each team walk separately but not far from each other." After a moment of thought Kane just nodded, as the two groups went forward. Julio''s starfishs floated ahead, their faint blue glow illuminating the area. Max scanned the horizon, his sharp eyes catching faint movements in the mist. "Upcoming enemy, Stay close." From Xrak, Max knew that the current dungeon was just above average in difficulty compared to other special types of dungeons, instead of the unbeatable set up they had before Max came into the picture. ''huh! In a way this bunch own me their lifes.'' As Max was thinking to himself, The first wave came without warning. Skeletons clawed their way out of the ground, their hollow eyes glowing with malevolent light. They rose in unison, forming a semicircle around the group, their rusted weapons gleaming dully in the mist. Max wasted no time. He took to the air with a powerful beat of his wings, twin pistols appearing in his hands. Bang! Bang! Bang! His shots rang out in quick succession, each one precise and deadly. Skeletons crumbled under the barrage, but more kept coming. Every fourth shot exploded in a burst of golden energy, scattering bones in all directions. "Focus fire on the ones closest to us!" Max called out, reloading with a flick of his wrist. Julio''s starfishs sprang into action, their beams of blue light cutting through the undead ranks. He moved with fluid precision, switching places with one of his pets just as a skeleton lunged at him, narrowly avoiding its blade, while the pet had to deal with the skeleton, he kept teleporting like this in perfect coordination with his pets.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Nicholas let out a low growl, his body shifting as he transformed into his half rhino form. His fists ignited with flames, and he charged into the fray, smashing through skeletons like a living battering ram. The ground shook with each of his steps, and flaming craters marked where his fists had landed. "Keep pushing forward!" Nicholas roared, his voice deep and guttural. Kane with a half tiger transformation, he impressively stood the frontline of the second group almost alone, other then some pets assisting him. Arabelle hung back, her sniper rifle trained on the larger skeletons wielding two handed weapons. Her shots were precise, with her scanning skills. While The protective barrier from her bracelet shimmered faintly in front of her, blocking stray attacks but doing little to steady her nerves. ... Back to Max''s side, Leandro''s summons held the line with Nicholas, while Jimmy, kept casting defensive skills as a supporte with the help of his pet. He created glowing barriers to shield the group from incoming projectiles and to disrupt the skeletons'' movements. The battle was relentless. For every skeleton they destroyed, two more seemed to rise from the ground. The group fought tirelessly, their movements growing more coordinated as they adapted to the undead''s unending assault. Max easily dodged the arrows, and spears thrown at him being completely safe with the advantage of flight. The fight kept going for hours as the two teams advanced slowly. Among the group only Max didn''t feel any strain because he didn''t use any of his skill or abilities simply relying on his twin pistols. Bang! Bang. Max swooped low, firing another golden shot into a cluster of skeletons. The bullet penetrated a good number of skeletons before hitting the ground. Looking at the exhausted group, and the numbers of undead, Max couldn''t help but feel impressed with this dungeon, not in it''s current simple straight forward form, but the layout before he came into the picture. He asked Xrak about it, and Xrak told a little about it, and from what he heard, even while using all his Trump cards the chances of clearing it were Slim, it was a perfect cooperation between trolls, necromancers, dwarves, and Xrak''s race, each bringing their expertise to to the table. '' Clearing dungeons is a dangerous business, especially considering my luck, thankfully I won''t be doing that.'' With his relationship with Xrak, even if he had to go into a dungeon for some reason he won''t be going completely blind unlike others who were risking their life with every dungeon. .... As the group approached the center of the graveyard, the mist thickened, and the air grew colder. A towering mausoleum came into view, its ancient stone walls covered in glowing runes. The groans of the undead grew louder, more desperate, as if warning them to turn back. From the shadows of the mausoleum, a figure emerged. The necromancer was tall and gaunt, his tattered robes billowing in an unseen wind. His staff, adorned with a glowing green crystal, pulsed with dark energy. "Intruders," he hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "You will join my army." With a wave of his staff, the ground erupted as dozens of armored skeletons clawed their way to the surface. These were larger and more menacing than the ones they had faced before, their movements unnervingly swift. Max took to the air again, his pistols blazing as he targeted the armored skeletons. His golden shots created small explosions that slowed their advance but did little to stop them completely. "Nicholas, take the big ones!" Max shouted, dodging a spear hurled in his direction. Nicholas charged forward with a bellow, his flaming fists smashing through the armored ranks. The skeletons'' enchanted armor slowed him down, but his raw strength and firepower made steady progress. Julio''s pets zipped through the battlefield, their beams of light focusing on the necromancer''s staff. Each hit caused the crystal to flicker, but the necromancer retaliated with bursts of dark magic, forcing Julio to constantly switch positions to avoid being struck. Kane''s group decided to guard the perimeter, preventing the countless Undead from surrounding Max''s group as they delt with the necromancer. The necromancer raised his staff, summoning a wave of necrotic energy that swept toward the group. Jimmy reacted quickly, casting a protective barrier that absorbed the brunt of the attack but shattered under the force. Max swooped in low, firing a golden shot directly at the necromancer''s staff. The explosion cracked the crystal, sending a shockwave of energy rippling outward. Although he could of simply ended the fight with a lightning bolt or his shotgun, but he chose not to, since he can''t silence everyone on the scene afterwards. "He''s vulnerable!" Julio shouted, directing his pets to focus fire on the necromancer. Nicholas closed the distance with a roar, delivering a fiery uppercut that sent the necromancer sprawling. The necromancer''s form began to waver, his energy rapidly depleting. "This isn''t over," the necromancer rasped, his voice fading as his body dissolved into ash. The graveyard fell silent, the remaining undead crumbling into dust. The group stood amidst the wreckage, their breaths heavy but their resolve unbroken. In the distance, the outline of a massive building loomed, its shadow stretching across the graveyard like a sinister omen. Chapter 149 The Dungeon (P2) The group stood at the edge of the graveyard. Ahead lay the entrance to the second layer of the dungeon, a massive stone archway etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly in the dim light. The air was heavy with exhaustion, and the group took the opportunity to rest, their breaths ragged and their movements sluggish. Max leaned against a moss covered tombstone, his wings folded neatly behind him. He glanced at the others, Julio was tending to his starfish pets, Nicholas was sitting on the ground with his massive frame heaving, and Jimmy was in the corner trying to grab as less attention as he could. Kane''s group was a little further off, their tension palpable even from a distance, Max''s team were much stronger then theirs, especially Max who hadn''t used any skill from the start, the difference made them nervous about Max''s earlier attitude. ..... "I need to take a leak," Max announced casually, pushing himself off the tombstone. "Don''t wander off without me." Julio waved him off without looking up, and the others barely acknowledged him. Max walked a short distance away, disappearing behind a cluster of rocks. Once he was sure he was out of sight, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a mirror card. The surface shimmered faintly as he activated his skill [World of Mirrors]. The world around him seemed to ripple, and the mirror in his hand glowed with an otherworldly light. Max stepped through it, the reflection swallowing him whole. ... Inside the mirror world, the surroundings were distorted and surreal, but Max didn''t linger. He moved quickly, locating the only other mirror within this dungeon. From his pocket, he pulled out a normal looking phone, one that he earlier linked to his super phone. He held it up to the floating mirror, and with a flick of his wrist, he tossed it through. The phone vanished into the reflection, reappearing in a vast, dimly lit chamber on the other side. In the final boss''s room, Xrak stood amidst the shadows, his alien form towering and imposing. His sleek, metallic body gleamed faintly in the low light, and his glowing eyes scanned the room with an air of detached curiosity. He was obviously using a different type of Clone from the last time. .... The phone materialized on the ground with a soft clink, and Xrak tilted his head, his expression unreadable. He picked it up, his clawed fingers moving with precision. The screen lit up, and Max''s voice came through, distorted and unrecognizable. "Xrak," Max said, his tone calm but urgent. "Give me the beacon." Max was afraid one of the team members would be using some skill to scout the boss or something of sort, so he didn''t dare show himself. Xrak''s glowing eyes flickered as he listened to Max''s distorted voice. Without a word, he reached into a compartment on his metallic body and pulled out a dark blue crystal, its surface pulsing with an eerie, otherworldly glow. He placed it next to the mirror in the boss room, and the crystal was immediately absorbed, vanishing into the reflection. In the mirror world, Max caught the crystal as it emerged from the mirror in front of him. He examined it briefly before sealing it within one of the silver cards using [Mirror Prison], then putting it inside his space ring. The beacon was secured. "Good," Max''s voice crackled through the phone. "Now, I wanted to ask you something." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "before that, we have something to discuss." Interrupted Xrak. "huh, what is it?" "About the team that came in with you. They''re low in rank but strong. Unusual for so many genius is to assemble, do you know anything about that." "in fact I do, I consider it valuable information for you, so just pay me whatever if you didn''t get wind of it before hand." Max considered himself a good teammate, at least when there was benefits on the table, and no reason to back stab you, so he generously explained the situation of the governments currently, their plan to cooperate, the trial runs, and he even added his own conjectures as Xrak listened. "I''ve noticed. each with their own schemes. still getting confirmation from you was helpful, I own you one. Speaking of which, there''s a problem." Max paused. "What kind of problem?" "Someone from the outside is using a dungeon item to monitor the situation inside," Xrak explained. "It''s a rare artifact, but it allows them to observe the dungeon''s progress in real time, most probably because of this trail runs." "I see, but what''s the problem?" " I can no longer hold back during the fight. If I do, the observers might realize I''m not fighting seriously, and that could raise suspicions about you." Max''s voice tightened. "You''re saying you have to fight for real? In that thing?" He gestured vaguely to Xrak''s body, though Xrak couldn''t see him. Max saw this kind of body before on the web, and from what little he read, it wasn''t good news. "That clone body of yours should be the so called reaper. No one at their rank should be able to survive it. If you go all out, they''ll get slaughtered, even I won''t be able to survive if I fight head on." Xrak''s tone was matter of fact. "Exactly. But if I don''t, the observers might figure out that I''m holding back. And if they connect the dots, they''ll start asking questions. Questions you don''t want them to ask. We''d have to figure out a method to kill me without putting a marker on you. " Max cursed under his breath. "Why did you even pick that clone for this dungeon? Couldn''t you have used something less... overpowered?" Xrak''s metallic shoulders shifted in what might have been a shrug. "This was the original plan. The boss''s form couldn''t be changed in time. It was the only part we didn''t get to change." Max sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Just great. Max paced in the mirror world, his mind racing. "Alright, fine. If you have to fight seriously, then we''ll just have to make it look convincing. But I can''t have you wiping out the entire team. That would defeat the whole purpose of this charade." Xrak''s glowing eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you suggest? I can''t exactly pull my punches if I''m being watched." Max stopped pacing and turned to face the mirror, his expression serious. "just kill a few at random, And Don''t dodge when the time comes." There was a pause on the other end. Xrak tilted his head, his metallic features unreadable. "Explain." Max''s voice lowered, though the distortion from the phone made it sound even more cryptic. "When the fight starts, I''ll figure something out. Just... don''t dodge. Trust me." Xrak let out a low, rumbling sound that might have been a laugh. "You''re asking me to take a hit from you? In this form? That''s a bold move, even for you." Max smirked, though Xrak couldn''t see it. "You''ll die. Probably. Just make it look good. If we pull this off, no one will suspect a thing." Xrak considered this for a moment before nodding. "Very well. But if this goes wrong, don''t blame me for what happens next." "Noted," Max said dryly. "Now, ckeck this for me." As Max spoke, he pushed the rainbow stone through the mirror. "this is?" Asked Xrak as he picked the stone. "something I picked up, I believe it holds great value, but can''t find a use for it." Max explained a little about the stone, and the pigeon to Xrak. "I see and you want me to research it for you, find I use for it?" "not sure yet, just thought I''d ask you first on my way." Xrak went quiet for a moments, with his vision he could already see through the material at his hand. "it would cost you, maybe one C-rank dungeon, but..... You see Max, take this as an advice from me, I could already see it''s potential but it''s useless for you and me because of our... alignment." Max had a guess about Xrak''s words, but he faint ignorance. " alignment? What do you mean. " " Let''s just say, it''s something for someone with great luck to use, others won''t find it as useful. " Xrak pushed the stone back to Max."But if you still want it researched, wait for my people to pass through after you deploy the beacon." "No, just forget about it." "suit yourself." "Alright I need to get back before they start wondering where I went. Keep an eye on the observers. Let me know if anything changes." Xrak''s glowing eyes flickered in acknowledgment. "Understood. Good luck, Max. You''re going to need it. Also before you go I summarized the rules of the observation artifact, 30 min of use with 1 hour of cooling, and it is focused on the Golden Heared man with you, if you kill him it will automatically move to someone else, so it''s better to keep him alive. Currently it''s in cooldown 38min left. " " Noted. " Max ended the call and slipped the phone back into his space ring. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. The beacon was secure, but the real challenge was just beginning. He stepped back through the mirror, the distorted world shifting around him until he emerged in the dim light of the dungeon''s second layer. The group was still resting when Max returned. Julio glanced up from his starfish pets, raising an eyebrow. "Took you long enough. You get lost or something?" Max shrugged, his expression casual. "Just had to take care of some business. You know how it is." Nicholas grunted, his massive frame shifting as he stood. "We''re wasting time." Chapter 150 The Dungeon (P3) The group stepped into the second layer, the massive building looming before them like a fortress of ancient stone. This building was vast but not vast enough, restricting Max''s ability to fly as freely as he could outside. His wings twitched in irritation, but he kept his expression calm, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. The cavernous interior of the building was dimly lit, with faint greenish light filtering through cracks in the walls. The ground was uneven, littered with rubble and broken statues, and the air smelled of damp earth and something faintly metallic. It didn''t take long for their enemies to appear. Trolls. Massive, hulking creatures with thick, grayish skin and glowing yellow eyes. They lumbered out of the shadows, their movements slow but deliberate. Each one carried a crude weapon; a club, a spear, or a massive stone hammer. Their regenerative abilities were infamous; without fire, they were nearly impossible to kill. The group immediately sprang into action. Julio''s starfish pets floated ahead, their beams of light cutting through the dimness. Nicholas transformed into his half rhino form, his fists igniting with flames as he charged forward, while Jimmy summoned his monkey pet and began casting defensive skills . Kane''s team wasn''t far behind. They pulled out fire enchanted weapons and scrolls, their preparations evident. Even Max couldn''t help but notice how well equipped they were. Fire arrows, flaming swords, and explosive scrolls, they had it all. Everyone, it seemed, had come prepared. Everyone except Max. They didn''t know about the dungeons information, but because they always go inside dungeons, they learned to be perpeded. But for Max, even though he knew about the dungeon in detail, he never considered it a big deal, and subconsciously ignored it. ''well, that''s a mistake on my side.''... "heyJulio, you got anything fire related for me, a simple dagger will do." Julio shook his head apologetically, he only had one scroll that would enchant his pets with the fire attribute temporarily. Other members of the group, also shook their heads at Max. Having no spare items, while Jimmy didn''t even prepare. Max sighed as The trolls roared and the battle began, their thick skin resisting most attacks. But the fire made all the difference. Flames erupted across the battlefield, searing the trolls'' flesh and slowing their regeneration. Max, however, had no fire based equipment. He relied on his twin pistols, their special bullets imbued with a faint fire effect. It was enough to deal with the smaller trolls, but it wouldn''t be enough for the bigger ones. As the battle raged on, Max found it to be an educating experience fighting in this kind of closed Terrain. He kept firing, while dodging with his wings, but instead of out right flying, he use them to propel himself forward or backwards or in any other direction. His pistols took a dozens of bullets to deal with a single troll but he managed . But not for long as The chief of the trolls emerged from the shadows, a towering figure even among his kind. He was twice the size of the others, his skin darker and more heavily scarred. In one hand, he carried a massive stone shield, and in the other, a club. Kkkkkkkkkknk troll chief roared, his voice shaking the very ground beneath them. He charged forward, his massive stone shield deflecting the flames and attacks from the group with ease. His glowing yellow eyes locked onto Max, who stood at the front, his pistols drawn. The chief seemed to sense that Max was the biggest threat, or perhaps the easiest target, given his lack of fire based equipment. Max fired a volley of shots, the bullets exploding in bursts of golden energy as they struck the chief''s shield. The fire effect from the special bullets singed the troll''s skin, but it wasn''t enough to stop him. The chief deflected most of the shots with his shield, his movements surprisingly agile for a creature of his size. He closed the distance quickly, his massive club raised high. Max gritted his teeth, his wings twitching as he tried to maneuver in the oppressive dungeon environment. He couldn''t fly as freely as he wanted, and the chief''s relentless assault was pushing him back. The others were too busy dealing with the rest of the trolls to assist him, and Max knew he had to act fast.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Fine," Max muttered under his breath, his voice low and dangerous. "Let''s see how you handle this." They had been fighting for over an hour now, and the observation artifact locked on Kane should be on cooldown base on the time, so Max decided it was about time as He reached into his space ring and pulled out one of his big moves, a mirror with a golden frame. The surface shimmered faintly with a greenish glow. It was the mirror he made not long ago. And Max had been curious about its effects but hadn''t had the chance to test it until now. Max flew up, his wings straining as he maneuvered between the pillars. He used his telekinesis to hold the mirror at a safe distance from himself, just out of caution. The troll chief roared again, charging at him with his club raised high. Max''s eyes narrowed as he opened the seal on the mirror, just slightly enough for a thin ray of green light to shine through. The beam of radiation struck the troll chief square in the chest. At first, nothing happened. The chief paused, his glowing yellow eyes narrowing in confusion. Then, he began to bleed. It started as a trickle from his nose and ears, but within seconds, blood was pouring from every orifice. The chief let out a guttural scream, dropping his club and shield as he clawed at his own body in agony. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." His massive frame convulsed, his skin bubbling and warping as the radiation took hold. The pain was unbearable, driving him to madness. The troll chief''s screams echoed through the cavernous building, a horrifying sound that made everyone freeze in their tracks. Even the other trolls stopped their attacks, their yellow eyes wide with fear as they watched their leader writhe in torment. The chief''s body began to mutate grotesquely his limbs twisted, his skin split open, and a second head began to sprout from his shoulder, its features distorted and monstrous. Max hovered in the air, his expression a mix of fascination and mild surprise. He hadn''t expected the radiation to have such a dramatic effect. The troll chief, now a grotesque amalgamation of flesh and bone, tried to end his suffering by slamming his own head against the ground. But even that didn''t work. His body continued to mutate, his screams growing more desperate. Finally, in a last, desperate act, the chief grabbed a jagged piece of stone and hacked at his own neck, severing his head. But even in death, the radiation continued to work. The chief''s body dissolved into a pool of viscous, bloody liquid, bubbling and hissing as it spread across the ground. The sight was horrifying, but what happened next was even worse. A hand, pale and twisted, emerged from the pool, clawing at the air as if trying to escape. The chief''s screams echoed once more, a final, agonized cry before the hand collapsed back into the liquid, which then solidified into a grotesque, lifeless mass. The battlefield fell silent. Everyone, Julio, Nicholas, Arabelle, Jimmy, Kane, and his team, stared at the scene in stunned horror. Even the other trolls, who had been moments ago roaring and charging, now backed away, their yellow eyes filled with terror. They looked at Max, who floated calmly above the battlefield with a curious expression, the golden framed mirror back in his hand, and they fled. The sound of their retreating footsteps echoed through the building, leaving the group alone in the eerie silence. Max landed softly on the ground, his wings folding behind him. He glanced at the pool of liquid that had once been the troll chief, then at the others. "Huh," he said, his tone casual. "Didn''t expect it to be that effective." The others stared at him, their faces pale. Julio''s starfish pets floated nervously around him, their lights flickering. Nicholas, still in his half rhino form, took a step back, his flaming fists extinguished. Arabelle lowered her sniper rifle, her hands trembling slightly. Jimmy''s monkey pet clung to his shoulder, chittering nervously. Kane broke the silence first. "What¡­ what the hell was that? I felt a burning sensation even though I was so far, and it wasn''t like heat. I.... " he asked, his voice shaky. Max shrugged, tucking the mirror back into his ring. "a piece of equipment, as for what it does, it''s called Radiation. Nasty stuff, apparently. " Max used the mirror with deliberation from the start he never used anything other then his guns, although at the start he just played like this because he didn''t need to do anything else. However after the talk with Xrak, he wanted to solidify the image of someone relying on equipment solely, that way when he deal with Xrak''s clone it won''t be attributed to him but to his equipment, that way hopefully he wouldn''t garner and immediate attention. The others exchanged uneasy glances. They had always known Max was dangerous, but this¡­ this was something else entirely. The casual way he had unleashed such a horrifying weapon, the way he had watched the troll chief''s agonizing death with mild curiosity, it was chilling. "Let''s keep moving," Max said, his tone calm and unbothered. He walked around the pool of liquid, his boots crunching on the rubble. He made sure he stayed far away from the spot hit by the radiation. The others hesitated for a moment before following, their fear of him now outweighing their fear of the dungeon. As for the three affected by his passive, the hold his passive had on them only deepened with this show of strength. .... As they moved deeper into the second layer, the atmosphere grew heavier, the greenish light dimming further. The others stayed close together, their weapons ready, but Max walked ahead, his pistols holstered and his expression relaxed. He didn''t need to fight anymore, the trolls had made it clear they wouldn''t dare approach him. The group''s dynamic had shifted. As Max stood back no troll daring to glance twice towards him. While the rest kept fighting. ... Not long after, the battle was over and the team was resting, trolls were strong but had an obvious weakness, so they were faster in dealing with them compared with the undead. Between the fighting and the rest, over 5 hours passed, and the cooldown of [World of Mirrors] ended, over that peri Max spent the time instructing, Lucy and mok. While standing in a corner, Max activated [World of mirrors], and immediately pulled Lucy and mok out of the pet space, and after giving Lucy a space ring, and mok a piece of paper, he immediately pushed them inside a mirror before anyone could notice. ''just like I told you guys, I can''t have any mistakes.'' ''ok''. At the same time Max pulled an eye catching ring and place it in his middle finger. The gem on this ring was actually a mirror, which was confusing. Max walked to the group. "alright people it''s time to deal with the boss, and get this over with." Chapter 151 The Reaper鈥檚 Chambre The team descended into the underground chamber, the air growing colder and heavier with each step. The walls of the boss room were lined with strange, alien carvings that seemed to pulse faintly with a sickly green light. The chamber was vast, its ceiling lost in shadow, and the ground was covered in a fine layer of ash that crunched underfoot. At the center of the room still far from the group, stood the boss, Xrak, the alien reaper. Jimmy, walking beside Max, glanced at his hand and noticed the strange ring with the mirror like gem. "Hey, Max," he said, his voice tinged with curiosity. "What''s with the new ring? Didn''t see you wearing it before." . Max smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "One must always be prepared when fighting a boss," he said cryptically. Jimmy frowned but didn''t press further, his attention quickly drawn back to the looming threat ahead. The alien reaper stood tall, its slight metallic frame cloaked in what seemed to be a tattered space suit. Its elongated skull glowed faintly, and its hollow eye sockets seemed to pierce through the very souls of those who dared to face it. The moment the team laid eyes on it, some of them froze, their faces pale with recognition. "That''s¡­ that''s the reaper," one of Kane''s nameless teammates stammered, his voice trembling. "The alien reaper. I''ve heard stories¡­ no one survives an encounter with it." The reaper tilted its head, as if amused by their fear. Then, without warning, it vanished. A split second later, it reappeared behind one of Kane''s men, its clawed hand closing around the man''s head. With a sickening crunch, the reaper tore the man''s head clean off his shoulders, the body collapsing to the ground in a heap. The team erupted into chaos. Julio''s starfish pets shot beams of light at the reaper, but they were deflected by an invisible force, a perfect, 360 degree shield of telekinetic powers that surrounded the reaper at all times. Nicholas charged forward, his flaming fists slamming into the shield, but the reaper simply teleported away, reappearing behind another of Kane''s men. Another head was taken, another body fell. Max hovered in the air, his wings beating slowly as he fired occasional shots from his pistols. He made sure to keep his distance, his movements calculated and deliberate. He wanted the ones watching to think that he didn''t want to draw the reaper''s attention, not yet. Plus from up here, he could observe the reaper''s telekinetic Powers more clearly, it was strange unlike his own, it only extended to a maximum of half a meter from the Reaper, but it''s applications were mind boggling like the teleportation, and the ability to apply sudden pressure to one''s hands or claws, that pressure is strong enough to one hit anyone of the same rank. '' incredible.'' ... The others were struggling, their attacks ineffective against the reaper''s telekinetic shield and its ability to teleport at will.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Leandro, the summoner from Max''s group, tried to summon reinforcements, but the reaper was too fast. It teleported behind him, its clawed hand slicing through his throat before he could even react. Leandro collapsed, his lifeless body hitting the ground with a dull thud. Jimmy was next. The reaper appeared behind him, its clawed hand reaching for his head. Jimmy''s monkey pet leapt in front of him, taking the blow meant for its master. The monkey was torn apart in an instant, and Jimmy was sent flying, his body slamming into the wall. He lay motionless, his fate uncertain. The fight was brutal and one sided. The reaper moved with terrifying precision, its telekinetic powers allowing it to exert immense strength and deflect every attack. The team was being wiped out, their efforts futile against the alien''s overwhelming power. .... Exactly ten minutes into the fight as if set by a clock, the reaper turned its attention to Arabelle. It teleported behind her, its clawed hand reaching for her head. Max, who had been biding his time, acted. He flew forward, shouting something that sounded heroic but was mostly for show. In all honesty he didn''t kn5what he was shouting as He pointed the mirror ring at the reaper, and a green orb shot out from the gem, it''s speed was terrifying. Woooosh! The orb struck the reaper and the stunned Arabelle with a deafening K-BOOM. The explosion was massive, engulfing the two in a blinding green light. When the light faded, both the reaper and Arabelle were gone, leaving only a smoldering corroded crater in their place. The survivors stared in stunned silence, their breaths ragged and their bodies trembling. Max landed softly on the ground, his expression calm but his hand now empty. The ring was gone, shattered into pieces as if it had been a one time use item, of course it wasn''t and Max just applied slight strength to it. "What¡­ what just happened?" Julio asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Max shrugged, his tone casual. "I told you, one must be prepared when fighting a boss." The others exchanged uneasy glances, their fear of Max now mingled with a grudging respect. They didn''t know what to make of him, but they were alive, and that was enough for now. The exit gate opened, but the team didn''t leave immediately. They began searching the chamber for treasure, their movements slow and cautious. ... Max, however, wandered off on his own, his mind already elsewhere. from Xrak He knew there was nothing of value in the chamber, but he needed to buy time. Away from prying eyes, Max took out a mirror and pulled Lucy and Mok. The fairy and the crow looked exhausted, their small bodies trembling from the effort they had exerted earlier. Max had tasked them with pulling his massive cannon into the mirror world and aiming it at the mirror in his ring. It had been grueling work for the two, but they had succeeded. The cannon had fired exactly ten minutes after the fight began. As for the paper, Mok pushed it to the mirror next to Xrak and it just informed him to target Arabelle exactly after 10 min from the start of the fight. "Good job, you two," Max said softly. He returned them to his pet space, giving them the rest they deserved. '' can i use phone'' asked Lucy hopefully. ''nope, but good try. '' Max ignored the grumbling at the back of his mind as For the next five hours, He wandered the dungeon, pretending to search for treasure. The others eventually gave up and waited for him, their exhaustion outweighing their curiosity. As Max finally rejoined them, he was surprise by the fact that Jimmy survived, the others should of helped him out while he was strolling through the dungeon. "Oy Jimmy, you survived! good for you." "Thx, it''s all because of you Max, otherwise I''d of died here." "Don''t mention it, sorry about you pet by the way." responded Max half heartedly. "Don''t be, It''s a new pet anyway, my pervious pet died not long ago." Max just smirked speechless. "well it''s time to say goodbye everyone." Without waiting for a response Max walked through the gate. ..... Outside Max didn''t see Victor nor did he care to, as directly used [World of mirrors] and entered the mirror world through a tiny mirror fragmented placed in his boots. From an outsider''s point of view Max looked like he was being absorbed by the earth itself as he disappeared in an instant. Max''s number one rule is to avoid trouble as much as possible, at least in his current power level, so he escaped immediately even if no one was looking for him specifically. The team that followed Max out was stunned by the fact that he was gone out of sight completely. ..... Inside the world of mirrors, Max walked through a mirror he had placed before entering the dungeon, it was exactly at the maximum range of [World of Mirrors]. 500 m away from the dungeon gate. Outside he fly up, making sure to fly at low altitude to avoid unnecessary attention. Chapter 152 Author note : I won''t be using much titles from now on as I think they''re spoilers and can are ruin the fun sometimes, if you like titles anyway, then let me know, I won''t be able to respond but I''d still see the comments. I wish you all, the best. ........ Max landed on the mountain after 17 hours of continuous high speed flight, his black wings folding behind him as his boots touched the rocky ground. The mountain was majestic, its peak piercing the clouds and its slopes covered in lush greenery. A gentle breeze carried the scent of pine and wildflowers, and the air was crisp and refreshing. At the base of the mountain lay a vast, crystal clear lake, its surface shimmering like a mirror under the sunlight. The water reflected the deep blue of the sky and the towering mountain, creating a breathtaking panorama. Across the lake, a sprawling city stretched out. In the heart of the city stood another mountain, smaller but no less impressive. Max took a moment to admire the scenery. The contrast between the serene mountain and the bustling city across the lake was striking. He could see the faint outlines of people moving about in the distance, but here, on this side of the lake, it was peaceful and untouched. With a wave of his hand, Max summoned Lucy and the crows from his pet space. Lucy, materialized in a burst of green light, her delicate wings fluttering as she hovered in the air. The crows, perched silently on a nearby rock, their black feathers glistening in the sunlight. Max gave them a brief glance and a nod, signaling them to stay close. They obeyed without question, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. Lucy didn''t waste any time. Her form dissolved into a swirling green light that shot toward the mountain. The light spread across the rocky surface, and the mountain seemed to come alive under her control. It barely took half an hour for her to take full control as The ground trembled slightly as a cave entrance formed, its walls smooth and perfectly shaped. Max stepped inside, his footsteps echoing in the quiet space. The cave was cool and well lit, as Lucy built multiple windows for sunlight to pour in. Max walked deeper into the cave, his mind focused. The simulator''s cooldown was over, and it was time to decide who to send into the simulation, as for the matter of the Beacon and what not, he decided to completely ignore it until it was time to actually use it. ... He glanced at the crows, who were still perched silently near the entrance. They represents his own strength but currently he didn''t plan on fighting himself in the upcoming ordeals, letting Lucy handle the situation. She was already strong, but even a little extra strength was welcomed. He turned his gaze toward the city across the lake. His next target was better left for Lucy to handle. '' simulating the crows will guarantee some level of power up, but I''ve been jumping around in person for some time now, it''s better for me to stand in the back line for some time''. "Lu, come here. ." Lucy reappeared in front of him, her green light coalescing into her fairy form. Max pulled a comfortable chair from his spacing and sat down, then he began instructing her on her priorities for the simulation. His voice was low and steady, his words precise. Lucy listened intently, When he finished, she simply nodded, her expression serious. ..... As he was about to start the simulation, A holographic 3D map of the simulation world materialized in front of Max. The map was detailed, showing the sprawling landscapes of Valenorthits towering mountains, dense forests, and sprawling cities. Max''s fingers moved through the air, manipulating the map until he found what he was looking for: an isolated mountain, far from civilization. It was the perfect starting point for Lucy. Without hesitation Max started the simulation, and Lucy''s eyes lost Focus. [Ding, simulation starting..]. [In the first year, you found yourself in an unfamiliar forest in front of a mountain, you already knew your situation, and without wasting time you took control over this mountain. According to Max''s orders, your priorities were clear: study the Kraxtal weaving forging method, practice your telekinesis, and gather information about the world if possible. But first you had to make sure your immediate surroundings were safe.] [In the third year, by this year you inspected every rock within this mountain and it''s immediate surroundings confirming it''s safety, and started your work. At the same time the mountain has been growing noticeably with the effects of your multiple skills and abilities.] [In the 4th year, you focused most of your time on the Kraxtal weaving forging method. you had this ingenious idea to make your own space cube, a one powerful enough to contain civilizations and sustain life, just like the drama you''ve been watching. That way instead of watching actors and such, real civilizations will be entertaining you.] Max :-_-. "What the actual! ". ..... After a moment of speechlessness, Max just shook his head deciding to pretend he didn''t see a thing. ... [In the 7th year, You continued your work on the Kraxtal weaving forging method, a Giant light orb pulsing rhythmically as you manipulated the mountain''s minerals. Despite your progress, the space cube project remained elusive. You had managed to create a small, unstable version, but it collapsed within seconds. Frustrated but undeterred, you decided to focus on refining your telekinesis, hoping it would aid you in stabilizing the cube. Occasionally, travelers passed by the mountain, merchants, knights, and adventurers. You observed them discreetly, absorbing bits of information about Valenorth. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The language was surprisingly easy to pick up, and you learned of the growing tension between the human kingdoms and the witches, and rumors of a powerful witch who had recently emerged in the northern forests. But you paid little heed to the rumors. and focused on what''s important making your own drama universe.] ''ignoring Lucy''s reasons and goals, she''s making study progress so I am fine with that.'' [In the 12th year, Your telekinesis hadn''t improved much mostly because of you being distracted by all kind of things. The mountain continued to grow, its interior now a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers, each filled with either gunpowder that you made out of boredom or rocket Fuel and mineral materials. Some of the chambers were specifically made for dangerous experiments, mostly not to draw any unnecessary attention when things explode. The space cube project remained a distant dream, as every attempt simply collapsed under its own weight.] [In the 20th year, because of the pressure from all the math you''ve been doing, you took a one year vacation in which you heard a lot of stories about those witches. Despite your growing curiosity about the witches, you stayed true to Max''s orders and avoided direct contact. You continued to observe travelers, piecing together fragments of knowledge about Valenorth''s history.] [In the 25th year, Your telekinesis had barely improved. You could now manipulate objects with slightly more precision, but your progress was agonizingly slow. One good news was that because of all of the physics and math, The mountain had become a marvel of engineering, its defenses nearly impenetrable. The space cube project, however, remained stagnant. You had exhausted every idea you could think of, and the space cubes you created still collapsed within minutes. Frustrated, you turned your attention to the mountain''s defenses, making a few more weapons, most of them were inspired from Max''s cannon the same one you supposedly made, but they were much much weaker, and relied heavily on rocket fuel, while some weaker models used gunpowder. Travelers passing by the mountain began to speak of it in hushed tones, calling it the "Emerald Peak." mostly because of the small lake of emerald water you keep in the peak. Some claimed it was cursed, while others believed it was a sanctuary for ancient spirits. You paid no mind to the rumors, your focus unwavering.] .... "huh ! I guess with the Kraxtal weaving showing progress making things like cannons became easier." Commented Max feeling positive about Lucy''s progress, as for the slow practice of telekinesis Max didn''t worry about it. Normally it would take anything from 50 years to over 150 years to reach the advanced mastery in a blue grade skill, but Lucy had around 1000 years, so even if her practice with it was slow it didn''t matter much. Moreover, if Lucy made some significant progress in The Kraxtal weaving, Max would have to reconsider the reward. ... [In the 50th year, Your telekinesis finally reached Primary Mastery, though it had taken far longer than expected. You could now manipulate entire sections of the mountain with ease, your control so precise that you could reshape the terrain in moments. The mountain had become a fortress unlike any other, its defenses bolstered by your growing power. The space cube project, however, remained a failure. You had made some progress, you could now create a pocket dimension that lasted for several hours, but it was still far from your goal. You began to suspect that the project was beyond your capabilities, at least for now. Travelers passing by the mountain were fewer now, as the growing conflict between the human kingdoms and the witches had made the roads dangerous. You continued to observe them, gathering whatever information you could.] [In the 60th year, Your telekinesis had plateaued, your progress slowing to a crawl, so did the mountain you''re controlling as it has reached its peak growth, but you decided not to absorb it and just keep using it as a base. The space cube project was all but abandoned, though you occasionally revisited it in moments of boredom, instead you put most of your focus in exploring the limits of the Kraxtal weaving, as long as you make some significant progress in it, then making the cube shouldn''t be a problem.] [In the 61st year, while busy with your routine, one day, a group of knights approached the mountain. They were battered and weary, their armor dented and their faces grim. They spoke of a witch who had destroyed their village, her twisted beasts slaughtering everyone in their path. You observed them silently. They could not see or sense you, but you could feel their desperation. At first you wanted to use them for some experiments with the blood forging method, but you gave up on the idea since it wasn''t one of your priorities, and not wanting what ever trouble that was following them to happen within your range, you decided to help them. It was night and they were lost so you carved a path for them, leading them to safety, it was the path those passing Merchant Caravans took. The knights never knew who or what had saved them, but they left the mountain with a newfound respect for the Emerald Peak.] [In the 75th year, Your mountain had become a legend. Stories of the Emerald Peak spread far and wide, and few dared to approach it. Those who did were met with an eerie silence, the mountain''s defenses deterring even the most determined intruders. Some were brave enough to annoy you, but after the first few were either bombarded with cannons or shredded with telekinesis, no breve one was breve enough to go up the mountain. Because you were busy studying, Your telekinesis had barely improved, but it was powerful enough to fight if needed. Travelers were now a rare sight, and the information you gathered was sparse. You learned of a powerful witch who had begun amassing an army of twisted beasts, but you paid little attention. Your focus remained on the mountain.] [In the 100th year, by now you had collected enough information to peace out some of the history of this world, apparently this world had no witches nor any kind of witchcraft not long ago, around 400 years ago. they appeared suddenly one year, as random women became witches gaining different powers, and having their perspective on the world changed, no longer considering themselves human. That year was called the year of Shadows, and it marked a world peace between all kingdoms as they focused on this new emerging enemy instead. You didn''t care much and simply recorded it, then went back to studying]. "huh! Interesting." [In the 120th year, Your end came suddenly. A witch was passing by. You, in your mountain form, observed the witch from afar with curiosity. You had no intention of engaging, but the witch noticed you somehow. With a wave of her hand, the witch unleashed a blast of light, bypassing the mountain''s defenses entirely. Directly targeting your spiritual form, you had no time to react, and your form shattered, your green light dissipating into the air. The mountain, now lifeless, stood silent and still.] [You died.] [Ding, simulation ended.] [Host, please pick a reward.] "What the...?" Max stared at the holographic screen, his jaw tightening, a flicker of anger crossing his face. The witch had taken Lucy out so effortlessly, as if she were nothing more than a minor nuisance. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Sigh, just blame it on bad luck," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "But I guess it''s about time to address Lucy''s weakness." As his enemies became stronger, he was bound to encounter individuals who could directly target spirits, rendering Lucy useless unless the element of surprise was on their side. Max leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. "Well, until I can find her a spirit defensive skill or figure something else, I''ll be simulating the crows. As for the reward..." Max considered his options. He felt like bringing telekinesis at Primary Mastery, but it was better to wait and bring the perfected version directly. On the other hand, Lucy had made significant progress in the Kraxtal weaving method. "Simulator, pick memories and only focus on the ones related to Kraxtal weaving and all related forging memories." [Ding, affirmative...] .... Lucy regained her focus. She blinked a few times, her wings fluttering as she processed the new knowledge and experiences flooding her mind. "Mimimi?" she chirped, tilting her head in confusion. Apparently, she was such a genius that she could understand things even when she wasn''t trying, or willing, for that matter. Max raised an eyebrow. "Lu, use the Kraxtal weaving for me to see." Lucy nodded, closing her eyes. Her telekinetic powers activated, and after a minute, three glowing blue orbs hovered behind her, pulsing faintly with energy. Max frowned. "Huh? Just three?" Lucy''s eyes snapped open, and she glared at him, her tiny hands on her hips. "Mimimi! Mimimi!" she chirped indignantly, her tone clearly saying, ''How many do you make, huh?'' Slap! Max smacked her lightly on the head. "Alright, alright, don''t get excited. Three is good for now. Maybe you''ll get better after digesting your memories. For now, go watch over the place and keep studying. Also, if you want to test something, do it deep inside the mountain." Lucy touched her head feeling wronged, but she didn''t dare speak back, and dissolving into green light and merging with the mountain. "And you guys, you''re free to go play just stay close." The crows, who had been perched silently on a nearby rock, suddenly came to life. With a chorus of "Craw! Craw!" they took off into the sky, their black feathers glinting in the sunlight. Max watched them go, shaking his head. "Those birds are way too excited for no reason. What are they even doing? Playing tag?" He didn''t have time to worry about the crows, though. Pulling out his super phone, and two silver cards. The simulation had ended in failure, but there would always be another one next week. For now, there were other important matters to deal with. First He just threw the silver cards on the ground releasing the seal, as a pigeon, and a block Bonsai appeared, immediately being pulled by Lucy''s telekinesis, one to be taken care of, and the other..... Max ignored the situation completely and tapped the call button on his phone. "Call Charles for me." Chapter 153 Max leaned back in his chair, his super phone glowing faintly in his hand. The call connected after a few rings, and Charles''s voice came through, loud and slightly panicked as usual. "Boss! Hey, uh, how''s it going? Everything good? You''re not calling because I messed up, right? Because I swear, I didn''t touch anything this time!" Max sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Relax, Charles. I''m just checking in. How''s business?" "Oh! Business! Yeah, business is great! Well, not great great, but you know, it''s... uh... progressing?. We''ve made some good progress lately. The B-rank national warehouse should be open to us soon!" Max raised an eyebrow. "The B-rank national warehouse? That''s the government place that sells raw materials to companies, right?" "Exactly!" Charles said, his voice brimming with pride. "Once we get access, we''ll be able to buy all kinds of high-quality materials. It''s a big step for Pip Industry!" Max nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "Good job, Charles. I knew you could handle it." Charles beamed on the other end of the line. "Thanks, Boss! But, uh... there''s just one tiny problem." "What kind of problem?" Max asked, his tone casual. "Well, my dad pointed it out," Charles began, his voice dropping to a whisper as if someone might overhear. "The company''s technically a mess. Like, a huge mess. We''re making money, but it doesn''t make sense because we''re not really doing much business. Sooner or later, people are gonna start asking questions about where all this money is coming from." Max frowned. "Ah, right. I meant to bring that up earlier, but I forgot." Charles blinked. "You... forgot? Boss, this is kind of a big deal. The money from that bank account, look too suspicious even for me, we''re gonna have a lot of problems, if people starts asking questions. " Max waved a hand dismissively, even though Charles couldn''t see it. "Don''t worry about it. Just sell drugs."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "...What?" Charles finally said, his voice cracking. "Sell drugs," Max repeated, as if it were the most obvious solution in the world. "Illegal ones. You know, the kind that gets you arrested if you''re not careful." Charles sputtered. "Boss, are you serious? I can''t sell drugs! I don''t even know how to sell drugs! What if I get caught? What if I go to jail? What if... " "Relax," Max interrupted, his tone calm and slightly amused. "You''re not actually going to sell drugs. Just pretend to sell them. Spread some rumors, leave a few fake leads, and make it look like that''s where the money''s coming from. The government won''t care too much as long as you''re not causing any real harm. And if investigators come after you, just make some donations to the city mayor and a few government organizations. That should keep them off your back." Charles was silent for a moment, processing this. "So... let me get this straight. You want me to pretend to be a drug dealer?" "Exactly," Max said. "It''s the perfect cover. If people think you''re making money from illegal drugs, they won''t suspect the source of the money, and trust me you don''t want them to. Moreover since you''re not actually selling anything, they''ll never have solid proof." Charles groaned. "Boss, this is insane. What if I mess it up? What if someone actually tries to buy drugs from me?" Max chuckled. "Just tell them you''re out of stock. Or better yet, tell them you only sell to ''exclusive clients.'' Make it sound fancy." Charles sighed deeply. "I can''t believe I''m saying this, but... okay. I''ll pretend to be a drug dealer. But if this blows up in my face, don''t blame me! ." "Fair enough," Max said, grinning. "Just remember, Charles, you''re not just any drug dealer. You''re a classy drug dealer. Own it." Charles muttered something under his breath that sounded like, "I''m gonna need a drink after this," before clearing his throat. "Alright, Boss. I''ll get started on... whatever this is. But can you at least give me some tips on how to act like a drug dealer?" Max thought for a moment. "Wear sunglasses indoors. Talk in code. And never, ever admit to anything. You''ll be fine." Charles groaned again. "This is the worst plan ever." "It''s a brilliant plan," Max countered. "And it''ll work. Trust me." "Sigh," Charles grumbled. "I''ll let you know how it goes. But if I end up in jail, you''re bailing me out." "Deal," Max said, laughing. "Good luck, Charles." The call ended, and Max set his phone down. "It''s a simple task, and if he couldn''t handle this much, he is better off silenced." .... Max leaned back in his chair, his mind already moving on to the next task. The crows were still playing outside, and Lucy was deep inside the mountain, probably experimenting with Kraxtal weaving. He glanced at his super phone, the screen still glowing faintly. "it''s about time to deal with those guys."... Max glanced at Easand-city in the Horizon. "Ai, I need all info on that city, the mountain in it''s central, and the Atyai family that operates within the city." Chapter 154 Max leaned back in his chair, his super phone glowing faintly in his hand. The screen displayed a holographic interface, lines of code scrolling rapidly as the AI worked its magic. [Hacking local networks... accessing cameras...] the AI''s voice chimed, calm and robotic. Max watched as the AI infiltrated the city''s surveillance systems, pulling up live feeds from security cameras, traffic monitors, and even private networks. [Process finished. Would you like to view?] the AI asked. "Yes," Max said, his voice low. The screen shifted, displaying a series of video feeds. Max''s eyes narrowed as he scanned the footage. The Atyai estate was a fortress, its high walls and guarded gates making it nearly impenetrable. He zoomed in on the main building, a grand structure with ornate architecture and sprawling gardens. "Interesting," Max muttered. "They''ve got more security than a national bank." He leaned closer, his mind racing. The Atyai family was clearly paranoid, their wealth and secrets guarded by layers of protection. Max spent the next few hours analyzing the data, his mind working overtime to formulate a plan. Max was and unreasonable vengeful person, and he wanted to clear this family to the lastest member, simply out of disgust. The Atyai family was powerful, but they had weaknesses, everyone did. He just needed to find the right pressure point. One good news were the fact that they didn''t have anyone above the C-rank, and they couldn''t hire anyone of such caliber due to their past, which made them less threatening. However he had to be careful because their secrecy and I''ll unexplainable wealth were suspicious. Max''s initial idea was either snipe the entire family with his shotgun & world of mirrors combo, or to bait them to The mountain in the city''s center, and have Lucy handle them. His old trick '' kidnapping'' should work just fine here; Kidnappe some Geniuses and ask for ransom with the meeting place being the mountain. Still it was just an idea for now, and Max will only finalize his plan, after reading the information in front of him then doing some scouting personally. As he kept reading, Max, found out about a certain old temple up the mountain in city Center. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.Apparently the family would go there regularly to make donations, and pray for good luck every time they went through any kind of trouble. "huh? Suspicious... But could prove useful..." ..... For now, he decided to enjoy the rest of the day. He brewed himself a cup of coffee, the rich aroma filling the room, and settled down with a some slight reading. Later, he prepared a simple meal, savoring the flavors as he ate in silence. By nightfall, he was asleep, his mind calm and focused. .... Max woke early, the first rays of sunlight streaming through the cave''s windows. He stretched, feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead. After a quick breakfast, he grabbed his super phone, sealed the pigeon and the bonsai, with his pets already inside the pet space, and flew up heading toward Easand City. ... The city wasn''t far from the lake, and Max arrived after 30 min. He blended in with the crowd, his wings and golden eyes making him distinguishable from the other pedestrians, however it wasn''t a rare sight in this world, and people simply took him for a passing powerhouse. As he walked, he observed his surroundings, taking mental notes of the city''s layout just in case. The Atyai estate loomed in the distance, its imposing presence a reminder of the family''s power. Max kept his distance, not wanting to draw attention. Instead, he focused on gathering information, using Mystic eye in different ways; throwing pebbles, falling leaves....MAX even located a member of the family using his phone, and after finding him inside a coffee shop, he left a mark on his clothes discreetly. ... By midday, Max had enough information of the estate layout, and had his two marks of Mystic eye deep within the estate, although they were out of his range since the estate wasn''t small, so he decided it was about time attempt a more direct approach. He found a quiet alleyway, hidden from prying eyes, and activated his skill: [World of Mirrors]. Max stepped into the mirror world, his reflection disappearing as he became one with the glass. Inside the mirror world, the mirrors inside the estate came into view, and Max paused, observing the scene. The estate''s interior was just as grand as he expected, with luxurious furnishings and priceless artifacts on display. He focused on the mirrors inside the Treasure House, his eyes narrowing as he studied the layout. But something was wrong!. Max reached out, his hand pressing against the mirror''s surface. Normally, he would have been able to step through, entering the real world on the other side. But this time, the mirror resisted, its surface solid and unyielding. "Space restriction? Or something similar! ," Max muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. "They''ve warded the entire estate." He tried again, focusing his energy, but the result was the same. The mirrors were locked, their connection to the real world severed by some kind of spatial barrier. Max stepped back, his mind racing. Somehow this declining family had access to such advanced protective measures. "This complicates things," Max said, a small smile playing on his lips. "But it also makes it more interesting. But seriously what are they hiding? Could it be they''re also working with dungeon races?... " Max shrugged and simply ignored the idea because it didn''t really matter, although if he could find prove, than this entire charade would be simpler, as he only needed to leak the evidence, and they would be executed next morning. " shame this bunch seems too cautious. " Next Max used Mystic eye, since thanks to [world of mirrors] the marks was considered within range, still he didn''t find much. ..... Max retreated from the mirror world, returning to the quiet alleyway. He glanced at the Atyai estate one last time, his expression calm. "Guess we''d go with the bait then.. " With that, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the bustling streets of Easand City. Chapter 155 Max didn''t waste time as he headed towards the city center mountain. In front of the mountain, Max released Lucy. "alright Lu, just take control over it, find me a cave or something to stay in. And immediately leave your mountain state." Max didn''t want Lucy to stay in her mountain form for long, not in this mountain, it was in the middle of the city, and who knows what kind of powerhouse is walking the streets in flip flops. Max didn''t want to take the risk of Lucy being discovered, so she would only enter her mountain form when they''re about to make a move. ''ok'' responded Lucy as she started taking control over the mountain. ..... Not long later Max sat cross legged in a cave located up the mountain, his super phone glowing faintly in the dim light. With Lucy enjoying her new series on the laptop, while the crows behind her. The bunch didn''t like drama but they had to watch it because Lucy simply refused to play anything else. Max ignored them and focused on his phone. "AI, start a simple cyber attack on the Atyai family business, and show me possible kidnapping targets from the family, someone they will be willing to ransom." The cave around him was quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the AI working tirelessly. The AI delt with the simplest task first, as a list of high profile targets from the Atyai family was in front of Max in no time. .... [Initiating cyberattack protocols...] the AI''s voice chimed, calm and robotic. [Targeting Atyai family businesses... disguising origin as random hackers...] Max watched as lines of code scrolled across the screen, his expression calm but focused. The AI was infiltrating the Atyai family''s financial networks, targeting their businesses, bank accounts, and investments. "Make it look convincing," Max said, his voice low. "But don''t overdo it." [Understood,] the AI replied. [Simulating hacker activity...] Max leaned back, a small smile playing on his lips. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ... The Atyai estate was in chaos. Servants scurried through the halls, their faces pale with worry. In the grand study, the family head, an old man with sharp eyes and a calculating demeanor, sat at his desk, his expression dark. "Explain this to me again," he said, his voice cold and commanding. A young man in a suit, one of the family''s financial advisors, stood before him, sweating profusely. "Sir, it appears we''ve been targeted by hackers. They''ve infiltrated our systems, freezing several accounts and disrupting our business operations. We''re still assessing the damage, but it''s... significant." The family head leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "Hackers," he repeated, his tone dripping with skepticism. "Random hackers, you say?" "Y-yes, sir," the advisor stammered. "Our cybersecurity team is working to trace the source, but so far, they''ve found nothing conclusive." The old man''s eyes narrowed. "Nothing conclusive," he muttered. "How convenient." The old man dismissed the financial advisor, as he was left alone in the study deep in thoughts. The situation gave him a bad feeling, and he was nothing but decisive and Without h¨¦sitation he pulled his phone and called a strange number... The conversation couldn''t be heard, even though the family head lips were moving, obviously he was using some concealment skill or item. One can notice that even with the family head''s stoic appearance, his hand holding the phone were shaking a little. ... Later that evening, the Atyai family gathered in the estate''s grand hall. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with unease. The family head stood at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over the assembled members. "As you all know," he began, his voice calm but firm, "we have been targeted by a cyberattack. Our businesses are under siege, and our finances are at risk." A murmur of concern rippled through the room. Violet, her face pale and her missing arm a stark reminder of her past encounter with Max, leaned forward. "Do we know who''s behind this?" The old man didn''t even glance at her as his lips curled into a thin smile. "Officially, it''s random hackers. But I find that hard to believe. " Violet''s mother, a woman with tired eyes and a quiet demeanor, spoke up. "What do you suggest we do?" The family head''s smile widened. "We fight back, of course. But we must also be cautious. This could be just a distraction." He paused, his gaze settling on the still injured Violet. "In two days, we will visit the mountain temple. It''s time we paid our respects and sought guidance. Whatever this threat is, we will face it head on." The room fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in. From his perch in the mountain, using his super phone Max watched the Atyai family''s reaction dumb founded. He did have the idea to pressure the family into going to the Temple but it was nothing but an idea, his real plan was kidnapping and the cyper attack was just some divergent, and Max never expected it to work this smoothly. Max scratched his chin in contemplation. " interesting, at the first sign of trouble, you rushed towards this temple...." Something was obviously wrong with that Temple, and Max had the idea to explore the temple before hand, but he gave up on the idea, deciding that alerting them wasn''t worth it. Max simply pushed all the random plans he had to the back of his mind, since it no longer matters, he just had to wait. In the meantime he could pay attention to Charles''s business and give him some directions, after all it was about time to start getting some benefits from all this company thing. Chapter 156 Two Days Later... The Atyai family ascended the mountain, their procession solemn and deliberate. The temple loomed ahead, its ancient stone walls weathered by time but still imposing. The family moved with practiced precision, their nervous energy masked by an air of formality. Violet walked beside her mother, her face pale and her missing arm a stark reminder of her past failure. She glanced around, her one good eye scanning the temple grounds. Something felt off, but she couldn''t quite place it. The old family head led the way, his expression unreadable. He had insisted on this visit, despite the unease it caused among the family every time it happened. Normally when they come here it would be necessary but this time it was just some hackers, and the other members thought that the old family head was making a big deal out of it for nothing. Inside the temple, the family began their rituals, it was almost nonsensical and had nothing magical to it. They placed flowers on the altar, their movements stiff and mechanical. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with unspoken dread. Violet''s mother knelt beside her, her hands trembling as she arranged the flowers. "Do you feel it too?" she whispered. Violet nodded, her voice barely audible. "Something''s wrong. I don''t know what, but... it''s like we''re being watched." The old man stood at the head of the group, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows. He said nothing, but his grip on his cane tightened. From his hidden vantage point, Max observed the scene with a faint smile. He had waited patiently, biding his time until the family was deep within the temple. Now, it was time to make his move. ''keep an eye open Lu''. ''OK''. He stepped out of the shadows, his footsteps echoing in the silent temple. The family froze, their heads snapping toward the sound.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Max walked in calmly, his hands in his pockets and a faint smirk on his lips. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, his voice light but laced with menace. "But I couldn''t resist joining the party." The family stared at him, their expressions a mix of confusion and fear. Violet''s eyes narrowed as she studied his face, but she didn''t recognize him. His appearance had changed since their last encounter, and she had no way of knowing this was the man who had nearly killed her. The old man, however, wasn''t fooled. His sharp eyes locked onto Max, and a knowing smile spread across his face. "You," he said, his voice calm but edged with suspicion. "You should be Haran''s killer, and the one who crippled this girl, am I right. I expected you to show up eventually." Max raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised but hiding it well. "Oh? You saw this coming? Impressive." The old man''s smile didn''t waver. "Call it a hunch." Max chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but I already guessed you were waiting for me. " The old man''s eyes narrowed." you did! I am curious, what gave it away? " Max shrugged, a sly, amused smirk playing on his lips. "Heh, you actually fell for that nonsense? Come on, old man. Yesterday, all I knew about you was what you looked like in a picture. How the hell would I guess your thoughts? Really?" The old man''s smile faltered, and for a moment, he was speechless. They were dealing with a madman. ..... Violet stepped forward, her voice trembling with anger. "Why are you doing this? What I did was for your benefit! I never intended to harm you!" Max turned to her, his expression darkening. "For my benefit?" he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let me get this straight. You thought you could use your little Sun Mark to leech off my strength, force me into your family, and turn me into your personal blood bank? And you call that beneficial?" Violet flinched, but she didn''t back down. "You could have been great! You could have had power, recognition, everything!" Max''s laughter cut through the tension, cold and mocking. "God himself gave me free will, so who do you think you are to force your plans on me? You wanted me to be your lap dog, working hard to benefit you? Who are you to decide my fate?" The old man glanced at Violet, his expression a mix of annoyance and disdain. She had not only provoked a monstrous genius but he had to be mad genius. The old man switched his gaze towards Max who was still monologuing, an unexpicable light flashing in his eyes. Max''s smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. He stepped forward, his presence dominating the room. "Here''s the deal," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You have two choices. Hand over Violet and all your wealth, or die here. Your call." The family stared at him in stunned silence. Violet''s mother clutched her daughter''s arm, her face pale with fear. The old man''s grip on his cane tightened, but his composure didn''t shake. The temple was silent, the weight of Max''s ultimatum hanging in the air. Max stood at the center of it all, his smirk returning as he watched the family squirm. Chapter 157 The temple was silent, the weight of Max''s ultimatum hanging in the air. The Atyai family stood frozen, their faces a mix of fear and defiance, they expected Max to be able to deliver his words since he showed up alone, but they had some confidence, and the source of that confidence is unknown to Max. At this moment, the old man smiled. "you seem to forget something," he said, his voice calm and measured. "I did say I expected you. And I prepared accordingly." Max raised an eyebrow, his smirk faltering for a fraction of a second. "Oh? And what exactly did you prepare?" The old man''s smile widened. "You should know, my friend, that villains shouldn''t do monologues." Before Max could react, a flash of silver streaked through the air. His hands were severed cleanly, followed by a blade piercing his heart. He staggered, his eyes wide with shock, before collapsing to the ground. From the shadows, a man exited his invisible State and stepped forward. He was tall and lean, his attire unmistakably that of a mage. A faint aura of mana surrounded him, and his expression was one of cold amusement. "Pathetic," the mage said, his voice dripping with disdain. He kicked Max''s lifeless body, his lips curling into a sneer. "All that talk, and he didn''t even see it coming." The Atyai family stared in stunned silence. Violet''s mother clutched her daughter''s arm, her face pale with shock, accompanied with an evident sense of relief. Violet herself was trembling, her one good eye fixed on Max''s body. The old man, however, looked pleased. "Thank you," he said, nodding to the mage. "Your timing was impeccable." The mage shrugged. "I told you I''d handle him. Now, about our agreement, I am not supposed to help you now not at this time and you know why. ..." Just as the mage began to speak, a low chuckle echoed through the temple. The family turned, their eyes widening in horror as Max''s severed head floated into the air, his lips curled into a manic grin. "That was painful," the head said, its voice eerily calm. "And backstabbing? Not cool."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The mage froze, his sneer replaced by a look of pure shock. "What...?" Max''s head laughed, the sound echoing unnaturally. "You really thought that would work? How cute. And answering your pervious words, you see I think I have a thing for monologuing, guess it''s in my blood. " The family stared in disbelief as Max''s floating head cracked like ceramic, his smirk wider than ever. The mage took a step back, his expression darkening only now noticing a certain fact; there wasn''t much blood, in fact there was none at all, only a red color that gave the illusion of blood. "A puppet? A clone?" Max shrugged. "Call it whatever you want. The real me is... elsewhere." The old man''s smile vanished, replaced by a look of cold fury. "You''re more cunning than I thought." Max ignored him, his gaze fixed on the mage. "So, you''re from the Mage Tower, huh? I didn''t know the Atyai family was actually traitors? ." Max switched his gaze to the old man, and shook his head disapprovingly, although it was just Lucy moving his head from right to left. " betraying your country, tek, tek ! Do you have no morals? How shameful! " The mage''s eyes narrowed. "Watch your tongue, boy. You have no idea what you''re dealing with." Max laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Oh, I think I do. And I think the Star Continent would be very interested to know about your little alliance." ... Inside the mirror world, Max held up his super phone, the screen projecting a recording of the mage''s attack and his conversation with the old man. Back at the Temple Max''s broken hand became slightly transparent, and started playing the scene on the phone. "This could cause quite the scandal, don''t you think? Especially with all three continents trying to play nice these days." The mage was visibly shaken, his confidence crumbling as he realized the gravity of the situation. The temple was a whirlwind of emotions ; Violet was trembling, her face a mix of fear and disbelief. She had underestimated Max, and now her family was paying the price. Violet''s mother clutched her daughter tightly, her eyes filled with tears. She had always been marginalized by the family, and now she feared for their survival. The old man was seething, his grip on his cane so tight his knuckles turned white. He had prepared for Max, but he hadn''t anticipated this level of deception. Suddenly as everyone was deep in emotional turmoil, a sudden telekinetic pressure descended abruptly, however it didn''t Target anyone specifically, only objects. Lucy swiftly took every space ring, necklace, accessory, and even the old man''s cane, breaking a few bones in the process. Vvvvv. ..... Crack! Wooosh!. The mage was the only one that reacted in time casting a silvery barrier which looks like liquid metal, that protected him from Lucy sudden theft. The mage wanted to act in the heat of the moment, but Max''s sharp voice interrupted him. "so sorry about that! I just don''t like to leave loose ends, and this bunch has a lot of teleportation items. Seriously it''s too much! . But now let''s talk." Max''s head floated closer to the mage, his smirk never wavering. "Here''s the deal. You give me a mage meditation technique, and turn against the Atyai family, or I send this recording to every major power on the Star Continent. Your choice." The mage''s jaw tightened, his mind racing. He glanced at the old man, then back at Max. "You''re playing a dangerous game." Max shrugged. "I''ve got nothing to lose. But you do?" The temple was silent, the tension palpable. The mage stood frozen, his decision hanging in the balance. Max watched him with a manic grin. Chapter 158 The temple was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Max''s floating head hovered closer to the mage, his smirk never wavering. "Let me paint you a picture," Max began, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "If this little ordeal gets out, the Mage Tower will cut you loose faster than you can say ''political scandal.'' They''ll call you a rogue agent, disavow any knowledge of your actions, and probably send a few dozen mages to hunt you down. And let''s not forget the Star Continent, they''ll want your head on a platter to keep the peace. Honestly, it''s not looking great for you." The mage''s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "You think you''re clever, don''t you?" Max shrugged, his grin widening. "I don''t think. I know." The mage glanced at the Atyai family, his expression darkening. He knew he had no choice. With a flick of his wrist, silvery liquid metal surged from his fingertips, wrapping around the family members and disabling them in an instant. Violet tried to resist, her one good eye blazing with defiance, but the metal coiled around her, pinning her to the ground and stabing into her at the same time. Her mother let out a choked sob, pleading for mercy. "Ahhhhhhhhh..." "Please," she whispered, her voice trembling. "We''ve done nothing to you!" Max''s head floated closer, his expression cold. "Nothing? Your daughter tried to turn me into her personal power source. That''s not exactly ''nothing.''" The temple erupted into chaos. Lucy''s telekinesis descended like a storm, shattering stone and sending debris flying in every direction. The mage''s silvery metal magic rushed with the invisible force, the two powers colliding in a dazzling display of destruction killing everything in the path. The Atyai family members, tried to resist, and fight back but it was pointless, could only watch in horror as the temple was torn apart around them. While the mage was busy with the pointless resistance of the family, the items that belong to them from rings to necklaces now in Lucy''s possession, floated silently toward a small mirror fragment near Max''s body, and was absorbed without a sound, appearing inside the mirror world next to Max''s real body who was still closed eyed controlling the [Mirror image]. Max''s head, still floating, and cracked like ceramic, observed the carnage with a detached amusement. "Well, that''s one problem delt with. "he muttered. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report itWhen the dust settled, the temple was in ruins. The Atyai family lay slaughtered, their final expressions frozen in a mix of fear and resignation. The mage turned to Max, his breathing heavy. "There. I''ve held up my end. Now give me the recording." Max chuckled. "Not so fast. I need something else first." The mage''s eyes narrowed. "What now?" "My meditation technique, of course." Max said, his tone casual. " I can''t ! I am bound by contract." "Don''t care, I guess I''d be having a few million views, on publishing this video." The mage gritted his teeth, "I can only share my personal metal magic technique... Argent Flow Meditation. " " Hand it over, and we''ll call it even." The mage hesitated, then reluctantly conjured a silver scroll of text, the words glowing faintly with mana. Inside the mirror world Max''s super phone snapped a picture, than asked the simulator for a scan mentally we don''t speaking, and after a quick silent confirmation from the simulator, he nodded in satisfaction. "already got it thx." The mage glared at Max. "There. You have what you wanted. Now destroy the recording." Max shook his head. "Oh, no. I''m not that trusting. See, I''ve uploaded the video online with certain... locks. If anyone comes after me, the video gets released. If I''m killed, the video gets released. If I die of the flu, the video gets released. Heck, if I stub my toe, the video might get released. By the way this conversation is also included, I like recording things. It''s a hobby." The mage''s face turned red with anger. "You... " Max held up a hand, cutting him off, although it was just a broken glass held by Lucy. "Relax. I''m not unreasonable. Here''s some free advice: don''t reveal this matter entirely. Just say the family died at the hands of some passing powerhouse before you could act for whatever reason. Simple, clean, and no one gets suspicious." The mage clenched his fists, his silvery magic flickering around him. "You''re playing with fire, boy." Max grinned, his face cracking further. "And I''m having a blast." The mage took a step back, his expression dark. "Fine. But if we cross paths again, don''t expect me to be so accommodating." Max''s grin widened. "I''ll keep that in mind. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I have a criminal scene to deal with." The mage vanished in a swirl of silvery light, leaving Max alone in the almost collapsed Temple. Max''s head floated back to his body. He glanced at the ruined temple, then at the items Lucy had collected inside the mirror world, now safely within his hands. "Well," he said, his voice light. "That went better than expected." Max''s head was suddenly crushed by Lucy''s telekinesis into powder, similar to the rest of his body, and got scattered in the air, leaving no mirrors nor glass within sight. The mage that left earlier returned suddenly, both angry confused by the situation. He glanced at the dead bodies in anger, if it was for those fools who provoked such an unreasonable enemy, he wouldn''t be in this kind of trouble. "Sigh.... All I can do is hope he keeps his words. After all if he reveal it you will also be hunted by the Mage Tower." muttered to measure in a low tone comforting himself. ... Exactly 500m away, Max left the mirror world, and walked to the city gate leisurely without attracting any unnecessary attention. " AI, hack the cameras around the city, try to keep track of that Mage and inform me if he ever gets closer to me." Ordered marks in the low tone just out of consciousness. [ affirmative.....] Earlier when his phone informed him of the family''s movement, he waited for them to get closer and used both [World of mirrors] and [mirror image] to pull it off. The entire ordeal barely took 40min so the duration of [World of mirrors] was more than sufficient. Outside of the city, Max flew up at low altitude, increasing his speed as he got further and further from the city, he didn''t think the mage dared to pull tricks, but cautiousness is always better than regret. .......................... Author paylink : https://www.veem.com/pay/refcode-yaVvxEvLW Wish you all, the best. Chapter 159 Max flew through the night, his black wings cutting through the cold air as he put as much distance as possible between himself and the city, his direction vaguely heading towards Kain-city. Although he didn''t plan to head directly there. moreover from his current location he was at least 4 days away from Kain-city at his top speed, and he really needed a good rest. Max''s head throbbed with a killing headache, the result of using[World of Mirrors] and [Mirror Image] together. The exhaustion from the long flight only made it worse, and by the time he spotted a mountain in the distance, he was barely holding on. He landed roughly, his boots crunching against the rocky ground. The mountain was quiet, its peak shrouded in Mist. Max didn''t have the energy to check his surroundings or even think about his loot from the Atyai family. He simply waved a hand, summoning Lucy from his pet space. "Take control of this mountain," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "And make me a place to rest." Lucy materialized in a burst of green light, her tiny form hovering in the air. She didn''t waste time, dissolving into the mountain and reshaping the terrain. Within half an hour, she took complete control, and a small cave had formed, its interior smooth and surprisingly cozy. Max stumbled inside, pulling a bed from his space ring and collapsing onto it. He didn''t even bother to let the crows out of the pet space. His last thought before passing out was asking Lucy to keep watch. .... Max woke to the sound of birds chirping and the faint smell of coffee. He blinked, his headache gone and his energy restored. The cave was warm, sunlight streaming in through a small opening Lucy had created. "Mimimi!" Lucy chirped, floating over to him with a steaming cup of coffee in her tiny hands. Max took the cup, nodding in thanks. "Good job, Lu." "huh?". But after a few seconds, Max registered what just happened, as he glanced at the coffee in his hand. "you made this?" Lucy nodded happily. "okay, thx, but go back to the mountain and keep watch." said Max as he put the cup of coffee aside, deciding he no longer likes coffee at least not for today, please don''t joke, for all he knows Lucy put both gunpowder and Rocket Fuel inside it thinking it will give him energy. Max would be really mad if he tries something prepared by that air-head. Ignoring the coffee, he stretched, feeling refreshed. He pulled a bottle from his space ring, and After a few sips of milk, he decided it was time to check the loot from the Atyai family. Max emptied the storage rings and necklaces he had taken, spreading their contents across the cave floor. The haul was impressive: Three C-rank teleportation stones, each capable of teleporting the user over 1,000 kilometers after a short cooldown, with a limited number of uses. There was also a one time use B-rank scroll, which allowed teleportation to any location Max had been to before, though it required him to supply the energy. There were other teleportation items, necklaces, rings, and such.. but Max ignored them because of their low rank, still he didn''t discard them, planning to give them to Lucy to dismantle using Kraxtal weaving, hopefully it would help her understand their structure and maybe she can make something useful later on. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The Kraxtal weaving had this kind of use, but Max couldn''t do it personally because his understanding of it is lower than Lucy''s for now. Next he found A small pile of space crystals, rare and valuable for crafting space rings and such equipments. There were other materials but they weren''t worth much. Next came the equipment which honestly disappointed Max; Mostly useless D-rank and E-rank gear, though the old man''s cane stood out as a C-rank item. But It was designed for summoners, so Max couldn''t use it effectively. Next were the money, and a handful of credit cards. Max broke the cards into pieces and tossed them aside, uninterested in leaving a paper trail. There were also a collection of normal firearms, which Max deemed useless. He tossed them into a pile, he already had a bunch of those in his space ring, simply keeping them for fun, any more is just filling the space rings for no reason. "Sigh! There were more at their estate, but breaking in was too risky... Ah whatever.... Lucy get rid of those for me." ''can I have it.'' "huh? Sure.". he didn''t mind if she wanted to play with those things. .... As Max sorted through the loot, she used her telekinesis to gather the discarded items. At this point Max finally remembered to let the crows out of the pet space. They emerged in a flurry of black feathers, their eyes gleaming with mischief. Craw! Craw! Delma, the shadow crow, cawed loudly, clearly annoyed at being cooped up for so long. Max waved a hand dismissively. "Go play. Just don''t cause too much trouble." The crows didn''t need to be told twice as they left the cave. Outside They descended on the pile of discarded items, that Lucy had gathered, their Mafia like instincts kicking in. Delma stood over the pile and started giving a speech. Craw! Craw! Craw!..... The other crows nodded, and started moving in coordination clearly excited. Haiyer (Fire Crow) grabbed a gun with his talons, holding it awkwardly but with determination. Raad (Lightning Crow) perched on a rock, acting as the referee. Ramla (Sand Crow) stole a handful of credits, using them as betting chips. Imlak (Wind Crow) flew in circles, clearly confused but having fun. Mok (Psychic Crow) organized the bets, as the other crows gathered on him in excitement. Craw! Craw! Craw! Craw! Lucy joined in understanding what they were doing, so using her telekinesis to hold up targets, broken credit cards, scraps of paper, and even a few rocks. The crows took turns shooting, their aim terrible but their enthusiasm unmatched. Bang! Bang! Bang!... .... But A lone traveler stumbled upon the scene, his eyes widening in confusion. The mountain was supposed to be uninhabited, yet here he was, staring at a group of crows shooting guns and gambling with blue credits. "What the...?" he muttered, backing away slowly. The crows noticed him immediately. Delma cawed loudly, and the others turned their heads in unison. Craw! Craw! Before the traveler could react, Lucy''s telekinesis pinned him to the ground. The crows gathered around, their beaks clicking as they debated what to do with him. It''s better for them to silence him, otherwise they might get punished if Max knew what they were doing, in all honesty they all knew they were going to get punished anyway, since either Lucy or themselves will inform Max later. But getting punished after doing the deed is not like getting punished even before doing it. Craw? Craw? "Craw?" Mok tilted his head, suggesting they use him as a new target. Craw! Craw! Craw! The others agreed, and soon the traveler found himself standing in front of a makeshift firing range, his face pale with fear. Bang! Band! Bang!.... apparently the guy wasn''t too weak as he was able to resist the normal bullets with his body, but his Luck run out when it was Lucy''s turn. Max was busy calling Charles, asking for a list of goods available for purchase, when he heard a loud BOOM. He rushed outside, only to find Lucy holding a makeshift cannon made from melted guns, her telekinesis stabilizing the massive weapon. The crows were cheering wildly, their bets placed on whether Lucy could hit the traveler-turned-target, for the second time. Max stared, completely baffled. "What the hell is going on here?" The crows froze, their feathers ruffling guiltily. Lucy lowered the cannon, and simply pretended not to be here. Max sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, everyone. Punishment time. No guns, no gambling. Actually you''re not allowed to leave the pet space before we reach Kain-city." As for using random strangers as targets, he didn''t care much, still Max approached the unlucky guy to check on him and decide what to do with him, only to find him completely unmoving already dead. " seriously what did you do to deserve such bad luck!".exclaimed marks as he turned away. ... The crows nodded reluctantly, their heads hanging low. Max shook his head, muttering to himself as he walked back to the cave. "I left you alone for 3 minutes, seriously! ." Chapter 160 Max sat cross legged in the cave, his super phone glowing faintly in his hand. The call connected after a few rings, and Charles''s voice came through. "Boss! Hey, uh, how''s it going? You cut the call suddenly earlier! Everything fine? . " " Don''t worry about it, How''s things on you''re side?" "huh ! About that... apparently The B-rank national warehouse wouldn''t open to us just because we''re recognized to have a B-rank powerhouse, we need to prove our capability of making use of the materials.... but don''t worry about it boss, you see our company already had the capability to make B-rank fashion equipment way before I took charge. They were just scared of attracting hungry wolves, but now as long as I put things together it would be open to us soon!" Max raised an eyebrow. "That''s good. What about the list of goods? Did you send it?" "Yeah, yeah, I just sent it," Charles said. "Check your phone. It''s got everything we can buy through our channels right now." Max opened the file, his eyes scanning the list. It was impressive, with items ranging from rare materials to high-tech gadgets. His gaze stopped on one particular entry: a consumable that looks like golden Sand. A small smile played on his lips. "This could be useful," he muttered to himself. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.Max continued scrolling through the list, but his smile faded as he noticed the lack of skill books or anything related. "Charles," he said, his tone sharp. "Why is there nothing useful in the skills section? Did you forget to add something?" Charles hesitated. "Uh, no, Boss. It''s just... there are some obstacles. Mostly individuals from our own company or other companies blocking the deals. We''re working on it, but..." "But what?" Max asked, his voice calm but with an edge. Charles sighed. "We lack people who can get things done. You know, people with your level of... uh... high morals." Max chuckled, understanding exactly what Charles meant. "You mean people with no bottom line." "Exactly!" Charles said, relief evident in his voice. "But while we have the money to hire a few, I lack the..... How do I put this.... They will backstab me on the first day.." Max shook his head, amused. "Fair enough. But I can''t go around assassinating people all over the place. You''ll have to deal with most of it yourself. So for hiring.... How about this invite a bunch of D-ranks and I''d talk to them through video." "I that would be great boss." "for now Send me the list of people that need to be taken care of. If they''re on my way, I''ll take care of it." Max''s capability of assassination was simply over the roof, and he didn''t mind clearing a few obstacles while on his way. " That would be helpful." "Also, I am going to send you a list of items to buy for me and a list of items and skills to keep watch for, once available buy them immediately." "will do boss." "send the good to Kain-city, I''d be there in 4 maybe 6 days." Max cut the call, and went to have a meal, and after a good bath he would set off to Kain-city, since there weren''t much for him to do on human territory. ........ Far away from Max''s location, a man with bat like wings stumbled through a dense forest. His hair and beard were disheveled, his clothes torn and stained from long travel. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he was crying not long ago, but they gleamed with a strange intensity as he clutched an ancient compass in his hand. The compass was old, its surface covered in intricate carvings that glowed faintly in the dim light. The needle spun wildly before finally settling, pointing in a specific direction. The man grinned, his cracked lips stretching into a wide smile. "Luck is finally smiling at me, for the 9th time apparently" he muttered, his voice hoarse but filled with crazed excitement. He took off into the air, his bat like wings carrying him swiftly through the trees. Whatever he was searching for, he was closer than ever. .... Chapter 161 to 167 The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. Max sat on a rocky outcrop, his legs dangling over the edge as he gazed at the sprawling landscape below. The mountain was quiet, the only sounds the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures. He leaned back, stretching his arms as he took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air. "Not a bad spot," he muttered to himself, pulling out a small, portable stove from his storage ring. Within minutes, the smell of warm stew filled the air, and Max dug in with relish. As he ate, Lucy jumped up, joining him on the meal. While the crows protested at the back of his mind about fairness and what not. Max ignored them and pulled out his super phone, scrolling through the web, checking the lastest news pointlessly. Finding nothing of interest he leaned back against a rock, his eyes half-closed as he watched the stars appear one by one. The mountain was peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos he had been jumping in recently or his heavy study schedule. For a moment, he allowed himself to enjoy the calm. "Man! i am getting used to this Wilderness thing a bit too much." Lucy tilted her head while eating. '' is it bad.'' "nope, not at all." Responded Max as he ruffled Lucy''s hair. ..... The first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, casting a golden glow across the mountain. Max stretched, his body refreshed after a night of rest. He packed up his belongings, his movements quick and efficient. "Time to move," he said, glancing at the mountain and Lucy appeared in front of him. Max pulled her inside the pet space, and spread his wings, their dark feathers glinting in the morning light. With a powerful leap, he took to the skies, the mountain shrinking beneath him as he soared toward Kain-city. Max flew steadily, his wings cutting through the cool morning air. The landscape below blurred into a patchwork of forests, rivers, and small towns. He pulled out his super phone, scrolling through articles as he flew, his mind half focused on the journey. Hours passed, and the sun climbed higher in the sky. Max''s stamina was impressive, but a break was always welcomed. He landed in a secluded clearing, pulling out a quick meal from his storage ring. He ate in silence, his eyes scanning the horizon. As the sun began to set, Max took to the skies again, determined to cover as much distance as possible before nightfall. The stars appeared once more, and the world below grew quiet, as Max slowed down his speed, and kept gliding through the skies expending no stamina, since he didn''t need to sleep each night, flying like this was a better option at night. ..... Far to the east, a figure with bat-like wings soared through the night sky. His disheveled hair and beard fluttered in the wind, and his bloodshot eyes gleamed, as he clutched the ancient compass, its needle pointing steadily in one direction. Unbeknownst to Max, the man''s path was converging with his own. The compass led him westward. The compass suddenly stopped working the needle rotating madly, but the man didn''t flinch, and kept flying at the direction it has been pointing to until now. ............... The air grew heavy with tension as Varek''s compass began to spin wildly. Max''s eyes narrowed, his instincts screaming that something was wrong. Before he could react, the needle stopped abruptly, pointing directly at him. Varek''s expression shifted from calm to something far darker. His bloodshot eyes glowed a deep, menacing red as he stared at Max. "You..." Varek''s voice was low, trembling with barely contained rage. "You killed my daughter." Max blinked, caught completely off guard. "What? I don''t even know who you are, let alone your daughter!" Varek''s body began to change, his form twisting and contorting as his bat-like wings grew larger, his limbs elongating into something monstrous. His face became a grotesque mix of man and beast, his fangs bared and his claws extended, in an instant tea turned into a half bat, half man, beastholder. "You can''t lie to me!" Varek roared, his voice echoing through the sky. "This compass doesn''t lie. It led me to you, it''s either you who took her life!, or you were involved. I don''t care either way... " Max''s mind raced. In all honestly he wasn''t sure if he was innocent or guilty, but there was no time to argue. Varek''s transformation was complete, and he lunged forward with terrifying speed. Woosh! Max dodged the first strike, his black wings carrying him backward through the air. "Listen, you madman! I don''t know what you''re talking about! I''ve killed no one in my life! I am innocent". Varek didn''t listen. His blood-red eyes were locked onto Max, his movements fueled by pure rage. He lunged again, his claws slicing through the air where Max had been just moments before. Max cursed under his breath, his wings beating furiously as he shot through the sky. Varek was fast, too fast for comfort, but Max had the slight edge in speed. Still, the half-bat creature was relentless, his pursuit unwavering, and Max could tell he couldn''t shake him off at least not with speed alone... More importantly that compass can track himself... "You can''t run forever!" Varek snarled, his voice a guttural growl. "I''ll tear you apart!" Max glanced over his shoulder, his mind racing. The landscape below offered no mountains for Lucy to control, and the crows were still too young and weak to help. He was on his own for now. "Crazy fool!" Max shouted, dodging another swipe of Varek''s claws. "I didn''t kill your daughter! This is some kind of mistake!" But Varek wasn''t listening. His rage had consumed him, and he was determined to make Max pay, no matter what. The chase continued, Max weaving through the sky with Varek hot on his heels. The half-bat creature''s roars echoed through the air, a constant reminder that escape wouldn''t be easy. Max''s mind raced as he flew. One thing was clear: this wasn''t going to end without a fight. ........... Max soared through the sky, his black wings cutting through the air as he dodged another swipe of Varek''s claws. The half-bat creature was relentless, his blood-red eyes locked onto Max with a vengeance that left no room for reasoning. While speeding up to make some distance between them Max kept considering his options. He had the radiation mirror, but this guy was out for blood, and his abilities were still unknown, the thought of it breaking by mistake and killing them both was too risky. He could simply throw it at him and escape inside the mirror world, but that would be his last option as he still valued the mirror highly. "damn !..." cursed Max in frustration. Alternatively Max could have used his [World of mirrors], or one of the teleportation items to escape, but the compass in Varek''s hand was a bigger problem. If it could track him, running wouldn''t solve anything, moreover Max had a bad temper and and this guy was asking for it. "Fine," Max muttered under his breath. "If you want a fight, let''s fight." Max pulled out his shotgun, spinning mid-air to face Varek. He fired the first shot, the bullet teleporting an inch away from Varek''s chest. Bang! The impact landed, but Varek barely flinched, his powerful body shrugging off the damage with only a slight injury. Max cursed. "Yep! he''s a B-rank. Why wouldn''t he be?" Varek roared, lunging forward with his claws extended. Max dodged, and turned again flying forwards, and used Mystic eye on his clothes to look backwards as he fired again. Bang! The second shot grazed Varek''s shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood. The chase continued, Max weaving through the sky with Varek hot on his heels. Max fired shot after shot, each bullet teleporting to its target with pinpoint accuracy. Bang! Bang! Bang!. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Varek simply couldn''t dodged the strange bullets, leaving shallow wounds on his arms and legs. Max used [Mystic Eye] again leaving a mark on the distant trees below as they started flying at low altitude. As Varek was about to Fly Above The Mark, Max switched his perspective to it. He fired another shot, this time using the mark to teleport the bullet directly into Varek''s wing. Bang! Bang! Bang! The bullet tore through the membrane, causing Varek to falter mid-flight. He roared in pain, his wing flapping awkwardly as he struggled to maintain altitude. "Got you," Max muttered, firing again. This time, Varek raised his hands, and a shimmering barrier of sound formed around him and split to three parts, one slightly bigger than Varek himself floated behind him, and two smaller ones one at each hand. It was a skill called [Sound Barrier]. The shield absorbed the next few shots, leaving Varek unharmed. Max gritted his teeth. "Of course he has shields. Why wouldn''t he?" Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The shootout continued, Max firing his shotgun fifteen times before finally putting it away. Varek''s [Sound Barrier] held strong, but the damage to his wing had slowed him down slightly, giving Max a small advantage. Varek retaliated with a sound attack, the short-range blast narrowly missing Max as he twisted out of the way. The attack shattered a nearby tree, sending splinters flying through the air. W! Woosh! Max dove into the thick woods below as if escaping, his wings folding as he landed on the forest floor. He darted between the trees, using the dense foliage as cover, running at high speed. ... Varek followed, crashing through the trees with a roar. Looking around Max was no were to be seen. But He simply pulled out the compass from his space ring, its needle spinning before pointing directly at Max''s location. "You can''t hide from me!" Varek snarled, his voice echoing through the forest. Max cursed under his breath. "That damn compass..." The two of them ran like phantoms through the forest. One thing was off, and if Varek was observant he would have noticed that Max was slightly slower than he should have been, and one of his many space rings were missing. But at such a high speed battle, even if he noticed somehow he would have ignored it. The chase led them out of the forest and into a vast plain, a massive cliff looming above them. Max looked at the huge stone wall, then ignored it as he used [Mystic eye] and quickly switched between two marks he left on the way, firing at Varek''s wings and eyes. Bang! Bang! The shots were precise, coming from under and above Varek where there were no shield, but Varek''s reflexes were sharp. He couldn''t dodge but he moved his head slightly as the bullet hit his eyebrow, though his wings took more damage. "your dead" roured Varek as he retaliated with another sound attack, the short-range blast narrowly missing Max as he twisted out of the way. Max slowed his pase, near the base of the cliff. He turned to face Varek, his shotgun raised and his expression calm. Varek stood a few meters away, his Sound Barrier shimmering around him. His blood-red eyes burned with rage, but Max''s smirk never wavered. "Alright," Max said, his voice steady. " time to dance." ........ Max switched to his twin pistols, their sleek black frames gleaming in the sunlight. With a flick of his wrists, he began firing at a mind-boggling speed, the pistols spitting bullets like an SMG. Ta ! Ta ! Ta! Ta ! Ta ! Ta ! Ta. Golden sparks flew as the bullets ricocheted off Varek''s Sound Barrier, the air filled with the sharp cracks of gunfire and the low hum of the shields. Varek advanced, his half-bat form moving with predatory grace. He shifted his shields constantly, the larger one protecting his back while the smaller ones at his hands deflected incoming shots. Still, a few bullets slipped through, grazing his arms and legs, and because of the heavy fire the injuries were getting worse slowly. Max darted across the ground, his wings occasionally flaring to carry him backward or to the side as he dodged Varek''s sound attacks. The short-range blasts shattered rocks and trees, sending debris flying in all directions. Max''s eyes gleamed as he noticed the blood on Varek''s arms. The bullets had done their job. "Got you," Max muttered, activating his pistols'' abilities. First, Hunter Mark triggered passively, marking Varek as trackable within 200 meters. Then, Max activated Relentless Hunter, his body becoming incorporeal as a 40% speed boost surged through him. Varek''s eyes widened as Max seemed to blur, his form flickering like a ghost. With the flick of his hands Max reloaded the pistols, as he circled around Varek with his new found speed, but it wasn''t just the speed that increased, but also his firing rate as the pistols was practically shooting a golden laser beam as he pulled the trigger. Ta ! Ta ! Ta ! Ta ! Ta ! ! Ta ! Ta ! Ta ! Ta ! Varek completely switched to the passive spot, as Max closed the distance to make sure that most bullets hit Varek instead of his shield. But this Rhythm didn''t last long, as Max''s twin pistols started glowing red, and he felt them burning. He had to stop, otherwise the pistols will exploding his hands. Max glanced behind him at the massive stone wall of the cliff. A plan formed in his mind. He flew up towards the cliff at a speed enough for Varek to be able catch up and stay close enough. Varek roared, giving chase, his wings now fully healed and beating powerfully, earlier he kept the bigger Shield protecting his wings at the cost of his injuries, just in case Max tried to escape by flying, like now. Just as Max reached the cliff, he passed through the solid rock, his incorporeal form allowing him to phase into the stone. Varek, unable to stop in time, slammed into the wall with a thunderous crash. Crack! Inside the cliff, Max watched through his Mystic Eye, a mark he had left on a nearby rock. He cursed under his breath as Varek pulled out the compass, its needle spinning before pointing directly at his location. "That damn thing," Max muttered, his voice echoing faintly in the stone, his plan was to ambush Varek with the radiation mirror from a good distance, but he forgot about the compass. Varek''s blood-red eyes narrowed as he raised his hands, the sound shields shimmering around him He took a deep breath and began gathering energy for a massive sound attack, the air around him vibrating with power. ....... Varek''s blood-red eyes narrowed as he raised his hands, the sound shields shimmering around him. He took a deep breath, the air around him vibrating with power as he prepared a massive sound attack. Looking at the scene Max had an idea and acted on it. Just as Varek opened his mouth to unleash the attack, Max''s hand shot out of the cliff like a ghost, holding a silver mirror card to Varek''s mouth. "[Mirror Prison]," Max muttered, his voice echoing faintly. Wooooooooooo! The mirror card absorbed the sound attack, its surface cracking under the immense pressure. Max didn''t wait, he released the attack immediately, the card shattered first as the energy exploded outward in a deafening BOOM! Varek was thrown backward, his body slamming into the ground. His sound resistance saved him from fatal injury, but he was visibly stunned, his shields flickering weakly. Max left the cliff with a smirk his right hand bloody, he wanted make a move, but Before he could follow up, a sudden mental message from Lucy echoed in his mind: ''10... 9... 8...'' Max''s eyes widened. He had completely forgotten about the cannon Lucy and Mok had set up in the mirror world, earlier when he landed he took the opportunity to have them repeat the same movie used in the dungeon, but he seemed to forgotten about It the Heat of the fight. "Crap," Max muttered, his mind racing. Max phased into the mirror world through a mirror card. Inside, he saw Lucy and Mok standing next to a massive cannon, its barrel glowing faintly. ''6...5...'' Lucy''s voice continued. Max didn''t have time to explain. He located a fragment of the shattered silver mirror card he used earlier, this one was the nearest to Varek, and phased back into the real world, appearing right in front of the stunned bat-man. Before Varek could react, Max shoved a simple ring with a mirror gem into his mouth. "Bon appetit". Max said, his voice cold. He phased back into the mirror world, but Varek wasn''t a pushover as he clawed down, injuring Max before he could disappeared completely, just as Lucy reached the final count. ''1... BOOM!'' The cannon fired, its shot passing through the mirror in the ring inside Varek''s stomach. The explosion reached the real world, a blinding flash of light followed by a deafening roar. K-Booom!.... From inside the mirror world, Max watched through his Mystic Eye as Varek''s lower body was obliterated, the force of the blast sending debris flying in all directions. . Max looked at the bone deep gush going down from his chest to his abdomen. "that''s painful!", he muttered as he took out a bottle of Emerald water and drank it. After that, he hesitated before creating a mirror image, and closing his eyes going out in the mirror body, he could handle the headache later, but for now it''s better to be safe then sorry. ... "what was the saying injured dogs bite harder or something..." muttered Max as he exited the mirror world through a silver mirror card he had left earlier, a bit too far away from the scene. He walked closer examining at the scene. The area was filled with radiation, the ground scorched and smoking. . Varek lay in the crater, his body broken but still alive barely. His blood-red eyes glowed faintly as he struggled to move, his voice a low growl. "Wow! You''re still alive! Call me impressed." said Maw as he clapped with an amused expression on his face. "You... ..." Max''s mirror image walked slowly toward Varek, holding a pistol in one hand. The real Max remained in the mirror world, barely controlling both bodies. Varek, his body broken and bleeding, glared at the approaching figure. His blood-red eyes burned with rage, but there was something else there now, pain, regret, and a flicker of doubt. ..... Inside the mirror world, Max sat cross-legged, his super phone glowing faintly in his hand. "AI, identify this man and his daughter," Max said, his voice low. The screen flickered, displaying images of Varek and a young woman with similar features. Max''s eyes widened as he read the details. "So, I didn''t kill her," Max muttered, his tone a mix of confusion and frustration. "The hotel did. And this idiot blames me?" In the real world, Max''s mirror image paused, its expression cold and calculating. "You''re an idiot, even I thought I was guilty for a moment, but I am actually innocent. " the image said, its voice dripping with sarcasm. "I didn''t kill your daughter. At least, not personally." Varek''s eyes narrowed, but he didn''t respond. The mirror image continued, walking slowly as it spoke. "I do recognize your features, though. Your daughter tried to break into my hotel room once. I jumped out the window and let the hotel handle it. They killed her, not me." Varek''s hands clenched, his claws digging into the ground. "But you know what?" the image said, stopping a few steps away. "It doesn''t matter. The one who really killed her was you. If you''d been a better father, taught her right from wrong, she wouldn''t have been breaking into people''s rooms with bad intentions. I''m just a consequence of your failures, no wait I have nothing to do with this, the ugle dog who ate he is." Varek''s expression shifted, the rage in his eyes giving way to something deeper, pain, regret, and the crushing weight of guilt, he could tell that there was some truth in Max''s words. " You can die knowing that you failed yourself! Your daughter, and most probably many more!". said Max as he raised the pistol, but suddenly Varek pulled out a small black object from his ring and threw it to the ground. The grenade exploded, not with fire or shrapnel, but with a dark, shimmering barrier that surrounded Max''s image. The air crackled with energy as the barrier solidified, blocking space and teleportation. Max''s image paused, tilting its head as it examined the barrier. It reached out, its hand passing through the black wall effortlessly. "Huh,"after a quick check with his super phone Max smirked. "Looks like this only works on people. Too bad for you." mocked the image. Varek''s eyes widened in horror as Max''s image stepped through the barrier, unharmed. "You really thought that would work?" the image said, its voice cold. "Pathetic. But jokes aside that''s actually an A-rank grenade! pretty impressive!... can you hook me up with the seller. " Before Varek could react, the mirror image fired, the bullets tearing through his mouth and silencing him forever. Max''s mirror image stood over Varek''s lifeless body, its expression unreadable. " Now that was a huge unnecessary waste of brain cells... ." Looking at the black sphere that disappeared not long after Max felt it was a huge waste. that''s a grenade that will block the target from escaping and vaporize every organic creature within the sphere within three seconds. Max took the space ring and walked out of the radiation zone, and checked what the ring contain just for his face to darken immediately. "nothing!".. other than the compass from earlier there were absolutely nothing, apparently this guy came prepared to die. The image took the compass and threw the ring away since it was Radioactive. ..... Sigh!... With a sigh Max came out of the mirror world with Lucy and mok, as the mirror image collapsed. First Max sent Lucy and mok back to the pet space. '' great job you two.'' Next he took the compass, and flew away from the scene, afraid any more nonsense would be attracted to him. While flying he check the information of the compass. [Lost Man''s Compass : Grade : A-rank. Ability '' sea Scout'' : Can lock to a target of your choosing under the condition it has the slightest link to yourself. The lock success chance is 1%. And the ability will enter cooldown whether it fails or succeed. cooldown is one day and the lock duration is only 30min. Max stopped flying petrified. "he found me.... With this. " Finding someone in this world was already hard enough because of how big it is, forgot about the fact that Max wasn''t the only one involved in the matter, and him constantly moving, and the low success chance of this item, and even if it succeeds it would only work for 30 minutes which isn''t enough to cover much distance. But after a moment Max recollected himself and kept flying ignoring the matter completely, but in his mind one idea was running. ''you piece of **** just wait for me to get stronger.''. Max was feeling bitter, not only did get involved in this random nonsense, but his gains were almost nothing. Still Max wasn''t someone who''d give up easily.. ."first let find a place to rest, AI locat the closest mountain." said Max as he felt the strong headache hitting his head accompanied by the pain and discomfort from his injuries that were healing. Chapter 168 Max sat in a bath of emerald water, the soothing liquid easing his injuries as he leaned back against the smooth stone edge. Earlier it took him an entire 10 hours to reach the closest mountain, where Lucy had created a simple house for him ..... On the table nearby, Max''s super phone projected a 3D holographic image, its screen flickering with data. Max''s eyes were fixed on the display, his expression thoughtful as he scrolled through information about Varek''s finances. "AI, find Varek''s savings," Max said, his voice low. "If he came ready to die, he must''ve left his wealth somewhere. I''m not letting it slip away." The AI processed the request, its holographic interface shifting to display a list of banks and accounts. After a few moments, it highlighted one name: [The Vault] . "The Vault," Max muttered, his lips curling into a smirk. "Fancy name for a bank. What do we have here?" The AI displayed Varek''s account details, showing that only two people could access it: Varek himself and a distant relative of his; the holder of a secondary access card. Max''s smirk widened. "Change the secondary access to Charles. Send him a message to empty the account and deliver everything to me in Kain-city." The AI complied, its screen flashing as it hacked into The Vault''s systems and sent the instructions to Charles. ..... With the task completed, Max leaned back in the bath, his gaze fixed on the holographic screen but his mind elsewhere. His luck had worsened or to be more accurate it has changed in nature. Previously it wasn''t just bad luck, it was something deeper, more deliberate. Max had always had random encounters that felt too purposeful, as if someone or something was trying to lead him by the nose, to make him a pawn. But now, things were different. ''The will of the Central World,'' thought Max to himself. Max had always had a guess that his luck situation was the doing of the will of the world. Normally such things like the wills wouldn''t put to much attention on Geniuses or other Unique Individuals, if they can be used than it''s good but if they can''t so be it. But in this dungeon war, where geniuses like him were rare and valuable. The Central World''s will had likely seen him as a tool to tackle dungeons and interfere with the plans of the dungeon races. It even tried to do something to his pets; Imlak, wasn''t always stupid. In fact, he had been born with the highest IQ among the crows. However, Imlak had carried the mark of the Central World''s will or something of sort. The simulator had removed the mark when Imlak became Max''s pet, but the process had damaged his intelligence. Max had always acted as if he didn''t notice a thing even though the simulator had informed him.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. It was better that way since he couldn''t really do anything about it, and he could by time this way. But Max had killed too many of its "toys," and now it seemed to have given up on him. "So now my luck is just... bad," Max said, his tone resigned. ''Good news and bad news, I guess.'' The good news was that the Central World''s will might have given up on manipulating him. The bad news was that it had the power to permanently worsen someone''s luck, and it seemed to have done just that to Max. Max sighed, his gaze drifting to the holographic screen. The data flickered, but his mind was elsewhere. "Sigh." Max shook his head, pushing aside his thoughts about luck and the Central World''s will. He needed to focus on more immediate matters, like his fight with Varek. He waved his hand, and the holographic screen floated in front of him, its surface resembling a blank sheet of paper. Using his finger, Max began writing, recalling the details of the battle and analyzing what he could''ve done differently; -Varek''s Strength and Vitality were at the B-rank, but Max could''ve dealt with him more efficiently. - for example When Max landed in the forest, instead of the cannon plan, he could''ve ambushed Varek with a large mirror as he was landing at high speed, trapping him in the mirror world and killing him easily. - another point is that even though he had many opportunities to, he missed chances to use the radiation-sealing mirror, losing his calm in the heat of the fight. Max kept listing multiple mistakes, and eventually he just sighed, his lack of experience becoming too evident. High-speed battles like that were already difficult, and he hadn''t had enough practice to keep a cool head. "I need to fix this," Max muttered. "And fast." Max''s thoughts turned to the deep dive VR technology that was supposed to be released soon. It would be the perfect solution for gaining combat experience without real-world risks. "AI call Charles." The call connected after a few rings, and Charles''s voice came through. "Hi, Boss! I just got your message. Haven''t dealt with it yet, but I''m on it." "Alright," Max said, cutting straight to the point. "I called for something else. You know that new VR tech? When it''s out, get one for me and.... .. " "Wait, wait, Boss," Charles interrupted. "It''s already out. I got one for myself. It''s pretty amazing." Max blinked. "Huh? It shouldn''t be. The release date isn''t for another month." Charles laughed. "That date is for the *people*." "huh ? People?" "We''re rich, Boss. We''re not people." Max was speechless for a moment, then sighed. "Alright, get me the best one and send it with everything else later. Wait for me to reach Kain-city before sending it." ..... Just as Max was about to hang up, Charles spoke again. "Oh, Boss, I was about to call you about something else. The rainbow stone mine, it''s going to be sold soon. The B-rank expert who owns it isn''t patient, and they''re not doing well. I even heard someone(most probably that expert) is trying to sell rainbow stones on the black market, but no one''s buying because the prices are too high for something without a sure value." Max raised an eyebrow. "huh? Is that a speculation? Or solid info." "My dad''s speculation on the matter. " Charles said. "He thinks they''re worthless, but I thought I''d run it by you." Max pulled up a map on his holographic screen, studying the location of the mine. It would require a small detour, but nothing too inconvenient. "Forget about the mine," Max said after a moment. "It''s probably worthless. But secretly buy all the stock on the black market. Keep it quiet." "Got it, Boss," Charles said. As the call ended, Max leaned back, his mind racing. Rainbow stones were a resource only a lucky person could use, completely useless to himself, but it should be a strategic resource to the will of the world if any method of use is discovered. If used correctly, they could be a powerful tool. But Max saw something else in it, a way to give the will of this world some pay back, even if it''s just some insignificant blow. '' why not Blow up the mine on my way,'' thought Max, a small smile playing on his lips. ''If I can''t use it, then no one can.'' "Lu. " '' yes! You OK now! ''. " yeah, I am almost fully healed." ''great!'' Responded Lucy her mental tone cheerful. " Little Lu, I need you to start producing gunpowder and rocket fuel and use the Kraxtal weaving to put them in special containers that would intensify the explosion... I''d give you a simple blueprint later, first start production." Lucy instantly became excited. '' explode!'' " yep we''ll setting some fireworks. " ''yay.'' " Alright start work at top speed! I don''t care if you drain this mountain. " '' OK. On it.'' Max closed his eyes planning to get some sleep as Lucy worked, he would be staying in this mountain for 2 more days, only after simulating will he think of moving. ................. Author note : thx everyone for the good ratings. I actually have five 0,5 rates it''s a common problem on this website where you don''t have to leave you name so some people being idoits leave bad ratings without reading. Still thx to all of you we still have a high rating almost 4 stars. Wish you all the best. Chapter 169 Max was sleeping deeply, his body relaxed in the emerald water of the stone bath Lucy had created. The mountain house was quiet, the only sound the faint hum of Lucy''s telekinetic work echoing through the walls. Suddenly, the ground beneath him shook violently. Max''s eyes snapped open just as the stone bath collapsed, sending him tumbling into a dark tunnel below. "What the... ?!" Max shouted, his wings flaring instinctively as he flew out of the hole and into the sky. Under the bright sunlight, Max hovered in the air, his eyes widening as he took in the sight below. The mountain was riddled with holes, its once lush vegetation now withered and dead, as if all its energy and nutrients had been drained. At the base of the mountain, rows of special containers stood neatly arranged, their surfaces gleaming faintly. Max''s jaw dropped as he realized what had happened. "Lucy," he muttered, his voice a mix of awe and exasperation. "You really went all out, huh?" ''yes! I am faster now!''. "I can see that..". spoke Max as he landed near the containers, his eyes scanning the area. The sheer number of containers was staggering, far more than he had expected. He crouched down to examine one of them. The design was intricate, with three compartments labeled for gunpowder, liquid oxygen, and liquid hydrogen. The compartments were arranged in a formation designed to intensify the explosion, a testament to Lucy''s growing skill with Kraxtal Weaving, and forging overall. At the very least, she didn''t need Max to make her a blueprint of such a simple thing and she made it by herself. "But the speed? ..." . Max''s mind raced as he pieced together what had happened. Previously, Lucy had relied solely on her innate ability, [Mountain Ruler] , for her production. It was a slow process, limited by her innate''s natural slow speed. But now, with telekinesis, she could work on a much larger scale, combining her innate ability with precise control over larger objects. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "No wonder the mountain''s drained," Max muttered, shaking his head. "She''s been using telekinesis non-stop, supplementing it with the mountain''s energy and nutrients. I underestimated her efficiency." Lucy never had the chance to use her telekinesis in production, and Max simply failed to notice it''s impact. Max reached out to Lucy mentally, "Lu, you''ve outdone yourself. These containers are perfect. But you''ve drained the mountain dry. Any more, and it might harm your spirit. Let''s switch mountains and continue there." Lucy''s cheerful voice echoed in his mind. ''Okay! I stop now. But I do even more at the next one'' Max chuckled. "I don''t doubt it. But let''s pace ourselves, alright?" ''OK''. "Come out now Lu, we gotta move" Lucy appeared In front of him and he simply pulled her into the pet space, as he stored all the containers. After that Max asked the AI for the closest mountain-range, considering their destination toward the rainbow stone mine. The AI quickly provided the coordinates, and Max flew toward the new location, his injuries now fully healed. ..... Not long later He landed on the new mountain, its peak towering above the surrounding landscape. Lucy emerged from the pet space, her green light pulsing with excitement as she began merging with the mountain. "Take your time, Lu," Max said, knowing it would take her 30 minutes to an hour to fully take control. ..... Soon enough Lucy took full control and started with her tasks. While she worked, Max released the crows from the pet space. They flew off immediately, and Max simply ignored them as he turned his attention to the new mountain house Lucy had created. It was similar to the last one, simple but comfortable. He organized his belongings quickly,And With everything in order, Max sat down, ready to relax and browse the simulator''s articles. His mind turned to the witches of Valenorth. Lucy had encountered them indirectly through the simulation, but he still didn''t know much about them. He wanted to understand them to better place his pets inside the simulation and make plans for them, and also to see if he can gain anything from those witches. He opened the simulator''s knowledge database, scrolling through articles about witches. The term was too broad, it could refer to a magic profession for humans, a non-human creature, or something akin to warlocks focused on blood magic, or even just a nickname for female mages. Max spent hours reading, but the information was scattered and inconclusive. Frustrated, he leaned back, rubbing his temples. "This is pointless," he muttered, closing the simulator''s screen. "I''ll figure it out when I get more information about them." All he had about them was the fact that they appeared out of no where suddenly, that''s if he can trust the history Lucy collected from the gossip of passerbys. There''s also the fact that they can Target and damage Spirits easily, but it wasn''t much. Max simply pushed the matter to the side and focused on more important issues. Who''s going to simulate next. "..... Lucy is a gamble so forget about it for now..." Max scratched his chin in contemplation. " guess Louh and mok are the best option, one for pure stats and the other for telekinesis." There were other skills that would offer some benefits if trained to a higher proficiency, but telekinesis offers a more Direct power up. Chapter 170 simulation. Time passed quickly as Lucy switched to the next mountain in the range. The new location was teeming with resources, and Lucy wasted no time in producing more containers. Max had instructed her to stop before draining the mountain completely, ensuring it looked normal on the outside. .... Max flew around the mountain, inspecting Lucy''s work while the crows followed him playfully. The containers were neatly arranged at the base, their surfaces gleaming faintly in the sunlight. "Good job, Lu," Max said, landing near the containers. "But let''s not overdo it this time. We don''t need a trail of dead mountains leading straight to us." ''Ok''. ..... Max called Mok and Louh to follow him inside a cave within Lucy''s range of control. The other crows, knowing what was happening, followed to watch. By now the simulator''s cooldown was over and Max didn''t plan to waste time. "Alright, Louh," Max said, his tone serious. "You''re going into the dream. Your tasks are simple: eat well, sleep well, and exercise however you want. Fight beasts, humans, fly around, just focus on growing your stats to the fullest." Louh tilted his head, his black feathers glistening as he let out a soft Craw! " also just in case! If you reach your limit in one go than you need to kill yourself immediately! Understood? ". Instructed Max out of caution. After all with Louh''s current life span he can go through the 100 years easily. Louh nodded in understanding. Craw Craw. Max nodded, activating the simulator, placing Louh at a random spot, as the first simulation started: [In the first year, you found yourself in unfamiliar land and started exploring trying to find a good spot to make a nest. Soon enough you found a village and observed it out of curiosity. however the villagers noticed you and chased you immediately with fervor. In confusion, you were hit by an arrow, and another followed.] [You died.] [Simulation ended. Please pick a reward.] Max frowned, selecting full body stats for Louh. "Again," he said, restarting the simulation. ... Louh''s simulations continued, each one ending in death at the hands of humans. - Second Simulation: Louh was chased by merchants and killed by a stray arrow. - Third Simulation: A passing knight cut him in half before he could react. - Fourth Simulation: He was ambushed by villagers while resting in a tree. Max''s frustration grew with each failure. "What''s going on? Are humans just hostile to crows in this world?" ... Max started the fifth simulation, but this time he instructed Louh to stay away from humans, and specifically placed him far away from any settlement. [In the first year, you found yourself in a dense forest, far from any human settlement. After some exploration, you made a nest and settle down.] [In the fourth year, in this wilderness You thrived, growing stronger as you hunted beasts and explored the land. The beasts weren''t that strong, so other than food they weren''t good for practicing, so instead you focused on flying while holding heavy objects from rocks, trees, and even beasts.] [In the 13th year, Years passed, and your body became much stronger but you were still far away from reaching your limit.] [In the 14th year, the place you were living in had became cold all of a sudden,too cold for your comfort, even with your high vitality, adding the fact that the snow made it hard to find any prey, you decided to migrate. On the way, while flying through a storm, you were struck by lightning. ] [You died.] [Simulation ended. Please pick a reward.] Max sighed, selecting full body stats again. "At least he lasted a few years this time." Louh shook slightly, as he felt his body growing stronger, the process was quick, and Max was next. Straight after Louh''s power up Max felt the mixture of pain and power rush through his body. He closed his eyes, and soon enough it was over. Max stretched slightly, and started the simulation again. He didn''t blame Louh for the last death, that cold was obviously wrong, so was that lightning that hit him. Max''s guess was that it was some witch''s doing, and Louh was simply unlucky enough to be at the wrong place. So he didn''t even switch the starting location this time, feeling it wasn''t necessary. ..... [In the first year, you found yourself in a remote wilderness, far from any human settlement. You made a nest, and because of your strength you dominated this Forest in no time, becoming the recognized ruler.] [In the 7th year, you were still far away from your strength limit, but your physical growth speed were slowing down, and you couldn''t increase it no matter how hard you worked. So instead you put some of your time in practicing your skills.] [In the 8th year, you completely masterd (air strike), and now you''re able to add your flight momentum to your claw and peak attacks, amplifying your damage making you more deadly.] [In the 10th year, your body continues to grow stronger and you started practicing Arborize seriously, your progress was slow but you got used to using the skill.] [In the 13th year, the Forest became unusually cold as it started snowing, you could tell this wasn''t normal, and because of your high stats you could feel a strange energy in the air, so you decided to investigate, just to encounter a witch in the wilderness. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. She tried to make you her pet, but you resisted. Enraged, she attacked you, but your body was much stronger now. After doing your best, You killed the witch, but you were heavily injured, and hid inside a hallow tree to heal. After recovering slightly, you went out and inspected the corpse. nothing of interest peaked your attention, but you found some strange plants on her an ate them. They were somewhat poisonous, but your high Vitality filtered the poison out, as you felt your body growing stronger faster. Excited you decided to leave this region looking for similar plants to grow stronger faster .] [In the 33rd year, your journey was long and boring mostly, you did meet some knights, and even more witches but they all died at your hand. still your search wasn''t successful, but it wasn''t completely pointless as you did find some useful things that helped your body reach its peak, and your skill (Arborize) has shown some success. Other than that you weren''t interested in anything else.] [In the 37th year, your body could no longer progress by any means, and it was time to end your life. But you had no idea how.... Eventually you decided to raid a kingdom. After all while you can solo any knight, you couldn''t handle many. Without hesitation you went with your plan, and after killing 4 knights in a grand battle of over 100 vs 1 inside the city, you were killed.] [you died] [because your pet has reached the peak power of this world, you get to pick a second reward.] [Simulation ended. Please pick the rewards.] "Simulator, can I save the double reward chance for another time, maybe for Lucy?" [You Can.] Max simply picked body stats alone, although his expression wasn''t particularly happy. This simulation took too much time. And he was left with around 48 years. Shaking his Head Max checked Louh''s new stats as he felt his own body growing stronger. Name: Wood crow Louh. Strength: D+ Agility: D++ Vitality: B+ Spirituality: C++ Overall evaluation: C++ Abilities : [Innate ability "Parasitic Bloom"]. [Arborize] [air strike] [wind flight (passive)] [enhanced feathers (passive)] Max ignored the pain within his body as he examined Louh''s stats, what pulled his attention was the spirituality as it will be of great help to himself, currently he is struggling to provide for his skills and always end up with a headache that could be very dangerous if it distract him during a fight. .... Soon enough the changes within Max''s body was coming to an end, as he exclaimed feeling his new found power. "wow!..... Simulator show me my stats." Name: Max. Strength: D++ Agility: C++ Vitality: B+ Spirituality: C++ Overall evaluation: C++. Talents : [Hive-Link]. [Crimson brilliance]. [Bound by Blood]. Skills & abilities : 1-[Mystic eye] 2-[Telekinesis] 3-[wind flight (passive)] 4-[enhanced feathers (passive] 5-[ World of mirrors] 6-[mirror prison] 7-[mirror image] 8-[Parasitic Bloom] 9-[Arborize]. Max blinked twice at his stats, his bad mood completely Swept Away. Max couldn''t help but grin, basking in the surge of power coursing through his body. "Man! Now that''s power!.... Now it shouldn''t be a problem using all my skills together without the accompanying headache." Someone else in the room was just as thrilled, Louh. The wood crow had been sitting quietly, processing the incredible changes to his body, but his excitement finally exploded. With an enthusiastic Craw!, Louh leapt into the air, his wings snapping open with newfound strength and speed. Unfortunately, he was too strong. The moment Louh flapped his wings, he shot upward like an arrow, smashing straight through the cave wall in a shower of stone and dust. Max, shielding his eyes from the debris. "What the...." The other crows, Mok and the rest, exchanged stunned glances as they stared in disbelief. Louh, meanwhile, spiraled wildly outside, clearly struggling to control his flight. His speed had doubled, and every small movement sent him zooming uncontrollably. "LOUH!" Max shouted, stepping to the cave entrance. "Get back here!." Louh managed to right himself mid-air, his flustered Craw! echoing as he swooped down awkwardly. He landed a bit too hard, skidding along the ground before finally coming to a stop near Max. His wings were still trembling with excitement. Max crossed his arms, staring him down. "Listen, I get it. You feel strong, you are strong. But if you don''t learn to control yourself, you''re going to accidentally kill someone, or worse, your brothers." Louh ducked his head, feathers ruffling with embarrassment. "Now, take it slow," Max continued. "Don''t fly like that until you''re in an open area, and be sure you won''t hurt anyone. Got it?" "Craw!" Louh agreed, nodding rapidly. The other crows were still stunned to quietness as Max turned to Mok. "Alright, Mok, your turn." Mok hopped forward confidently, his sharp eyes gleaming with intelligence. Max knelt down to meet his gaze, his tone more serious now. "Listen, Mok, this isn''t going to be easy. There are only 48 years left in the in the dream world. That''s barely enough time to bring a blue-ranked skill to Advanced mastery, especially for someone at E-rank like you." Max''s expression darkened slightly. "Normally, it takes 60 years for someone to master a blue skill, even for those who are naturally talented and with higher stats. For someone at E-rank, it should be impossible. Honestly, it should take double the time." Mok tilted his head, letting out a soft Craw. "But," Max continued, smiling faintly, "you''re a genius. If anyone can do it, it''s you. That''s why I''m giving you this chance. You''ll focus on telekinesis, alright? And before we start, here''s the world map..." Mok couldn''t see the map, so Max took out a pen and paper and began describing the simulation world''s layout to Mok, detailing the coldest regions, the deserts, oceans, and the areas that should be controlled by knights and witches although those weren''t too accurate. Mok listened intently, occasionally responding with a Craw! Max, through their mental link, understood every question Mok had. "You want to start where?" Max blinked, slightly surprised. Mok hopped twice, his decision firm. "The extreme north, huh? That looks like the coldest place in the world..." Max rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That''s... bold. But I see your reasoning. Alright, if that''s what you want, then I respect your choice." With that, Max activated the simulator, setting Mok''s starting point. [In the first year, You find yourself in the far northern tundra, a land of perpetual snowstorms and freezing temperatures. Visibility is poor, and the air bites at your feathers. But you are prepared. Using telekinesis, you create a small barrier around your body, shielding yourself from the cold and snow. In this state you moved around seeking food.] Max nodded in approval. "Smart. The constant strain of maintaining that barrier is perfect for practicing telekinesis. If he slips for even a second, he''s done for with his low vitality. This is pure survival training." [In the 4th year, The storms never let up, and food was scarce to the point you were never full, but your mastery over telekinesis has improved significantly. The barrier is more stable now, and maintaining it became an instinct. So to increase the challenge you''ve begun experimenting with manipulating objects in your environment. Small stones and chunks of ice float around you as you practice refining your control.] Max smirked. "Impressive. " [In the 14th year, After years of relentless practice, you have achieved Primary Mastery in telekinesis. Your barrier is now second nature, and you can manipulate multiple objects simultaneously with precision. You''ve even started using telekinesis offensively, launching sharp icicles with deadly accuracy, making the hunt for food much easier.] Max couldn''t hide his admiration. "Fourteen years to reach Primary Mastery in these conditions... Mok really is something else." [In the 30th year, Your control has reached new heights. The cold no longer fazes you, as your barrier is near perfect. You''ve begun practicing finer applications of telekinesis, like disassembling and reassembling objects, further honing your skills.] [In the 43rd year, You''ve done it. Against all odds, you''ve achieved Advanced Mastery in telekinesis. Your control is unparalleled, and you can manipulate massive objects with ease. The storms around you are no longer an obstacle, they are a tool. You use the winds and snow as extensions of your power, bending the environment to your will.] Max leaned back, exhaling slowly. "He actually did it... I didn''t think it was possible....." Max focused again on the simulation, with some hope that Mok will achieve perfected mastery. [In the 44th to the 48 year, With your goal achieved, you spend the remaining years exploring the world. You left the cold north to the more greener side of the world, you met no witches, but a lot of knights. With both telekinesis and the ability to fly they were incapable of harming you with their means, so you ignored them. After some time, you found the kingdom of those knights, and their numbers made you terrified. From your observation and probing there were at least a few thousand C-rank knights within this kingdom ignoring the weaker ones. You were spotted and targeted by countless nights but they simply couldn''t do anything about you, as every projectile will be stopped by your telekinesis, and the knight themselves couldn''t fly up to you. Just to teach them a lesson for attacking you, you made some destruction within the capital as they watched you helplessly, then left to explore the world more.] [Simulation ended. Please pick the rewards.] "he didn''t reach it!" Max was slightly disappointed but still he selected telekinesis for Mok, watching as the crow''s body visibly Stephen for a moment. "Simply amazing work Mok." Mok''s sharp gaze met Max''s, and the mental connection between them carried a single wordless message: satisfaction. Craw! Craw! "Well done, Mok, You''ve exceeded every expectation." But suddenly as he was speaking, Mok''s changes were complete and it was Max''s turn now as his Hive-link activated. Max felt a surge of pain rushing to his brain as he passed out. Chapter 171 Telekinesis Max''s eyes fluttered open, his body aching as though he had just sprinted through several battles. A slight groan escaped his lips as he sat up, his senses slowly returning. The dim glow of the cave''s crystals illuminated the curious eyes of his crows watching over him. "Ugh... how long was I out?" Max muttered, rubbing the back of his head. Mok tilted his head, letting out a soft Craw! Louh hopped forward, his posture brimming with energy wanting to speak. But Lucy appeared in front of Max checking on him, while ready to blurt out something ridiculous, but Max raised a hand. "Hold that thought," he said, closing his eyes and focusing inward. The moment he did, a surge of power rippled through his body. It was unlike anything he had felt before, an invisible force, vast and overwhelming, radiating from within. "Telekinesis," Max whispered, grinning as he clenched and unclenched his hands. He extended his senses, testing his newfound power. The sensation was intuitive, almost reflexive. He reached out with his mind, and a nearby boulder.. easily several tons, lifted off the ground as if it were weightless. The boulder hovered in the air, rotating slowly as Max experimented with his control. He sent it soaring across the cave, stopping it mid-air with a flick of his thoughts before gently setting it down. His grin widened. Max flew out of the cave. "Limit... what''s my limit?" he murmured to himself. Concentrating harder, he extended his telekinetic reach to the largest chunk of stone he could find. It was massive, easily over a hundred tons. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as the rock trembled, then slowly rose into the air.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Max let go of it feeling the rush of adrenaline. "Simulator show me telekinesis info." [Telekinesis] : Grade: Blue Proficiency: Advanced Mastery - Gain telekinetic powers comparable to the user''s spirituality stat. Starts with 1 kg at the F-rank and increases by a factor of 100 for each subsequent rank.(Some loss is experienced due to inexperience and other factors.) -The use of telekinetic powers had becames more instinctual and reflexive. Current Limits: Max: 1,100,000 kg Mok: 180 kg "1.2 million kilograms," Max muttered, feeling the weight of his spirituality stat pushing the boundaries of his ability. "That''s... a ridiculous amount of power." He shot a glance at Mok, who had also been experimenting with his telekinesis. The smaller crow had lifted a few stones into the air manipulating them fluidly. Max smirked, impressed by Mok''s finesse despite the smaller scale. "Well, Mok," Max said, landing next to him, " that precision of yours is something else. Don''t worry about the raw strength; once your stats improve the future it''d be fixed." Louh, meanwhile, was juggling boulders with wild enthusiasm with his strength. He whooped and crawed as one of the stones accidentally crashed into the cave wall. "Louh!" Max barked. "Careful! Don''t blow the cave apart!" Louh flapped his wings nervously, setting the stones down gently before giving Max an apologetic squawk. Max sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, listen up. You''ve both got incredible new powers, but they''re not toys. Mok, Louh, be careful. Don''t hurt anyone or yourselves until you''ve got full control. Got it?" Both crows nodded, Mok more composed than Louh, who was practically vibrating with excitement. "Good," Max said, dismissing the crows. "Now, go practice somewhere safe." "Lucy, back to work and please keep an eye on those two." Lucy nodded and went back inside the mountain. With the two flying off, Max turned his attention back to the cave. He flexed his hands, his mind brimming with ideas. "Max pulled his phone out of the space ring and started reading the Kraxtal weaving while doing some simple experiments. With such powerful telekinetic powers it was much easier practicing the Kraxtal weaving. Max stretched out his arm, and the tools around him floated into the air, guided by his mind, manipulating them with his telekinesis. The room filled with the hum of energy as Max worked, his thoughts entirely focused. He marveled at how effortlessly the telekinesis allowed him to control multiple tools and materials at once. The process, once tedious and physically draining, now felt like second nature. Chapter 172 Time passed quickly as Max immersed himself in studying, Kraxtal Weaving, and experimenting with his telekinetic powers. The cave was filled with the hum of energy as tools and materials floated around him, guided by his mind. By the end of the third day, Max had made significant progress. He also figured out that he seemed smarter and his thought process was faster, most probably because of his improved stats. But it was about time to move, and he had to stop for now. .... Meanwhile, Lucy had been busy. Over the past three days, she had moved through multiple mountains, producing a staggering amount of special explosives. The containers were neatly arranged at the base of the current mountain, their surfaces gleaming faintly in the sunlight. Although this was just the amount produced by this mountain alone as Max had already stored the rest. Next, he stored this batch inside his many space rings, ensuring they were secure and ready for use. "Good job, Lu," Max said, his tone appreciative. "You''ve outdone yourself this time." Lucy appeared in front of Max, her green light pulsed faintly, her tiny form glowing with pride. With everything prepared, Max pulled Lucy and the crows into the pet space. He stretched his wings, feeling the familiar surge of power as he took to the skies. The city with the mine was his destination. Max had more than enough explosives to not only ensure the mine''s complete destruction, but the vaporization of everything within range, and just as a bonus on top of it he plans to use the cannon to set it off. ... Max arrived at the bustling city by noon. The city''s atmosphere was heavy, the air filled with the constant hum of industrial activity. Buildings were coated in a fine layer of soot, and the streets were crowded with weary workers and traders hurrying to finish their errands. The mine loomed ominously in the distance, a scar on the city''s otherwise rugged beauty. Its towering machinery groaned loudly, and faint tremors rumbled through the ground as workers toiled relentlessly. Once, a railway had passed through this part of the city, but it had been redirected to avoid the expanding excavation site. Now, the tracks were left abandoned, a silent reminder of what the mine had displaced. "huh? That should be the railway of the train I was on back than!...." remarked Max as he scouted the place ¨¤ little. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. .... After some quick observations, Max found the closest hotel to the mine, an aged but sturdy building that offered an unobstructed view of the site. The receptionist barely glanced at him as he checked in, handing him a room key and muttering a number before returning to their paperwork. The room itself was sparse but functional, with a single window overlooking the sprawling industrial complex of the mine. Inside the room, Max wasted no time. After locking the door, he activated his [Mirror Image] on a random mirror he pulled. The mirror deformed and twisted, and soon enough, A perfect replica of himself appeared before him, standing motionless like a statue. Max''s eyes scrutinized the image , his mind racing with calculations. Without hesitation, he reached out and snapped the image''s black wings with a sharp crack, and simply threw the wings to the side. Next, he grabbed a dagger from his spatial storage and, with surgical precision, sliced the head in half, at just the right angle for the face to fall down. The clone''s severed head tilted forward before rolling onto the floor, leaving no trace of blood or gore behind. Max wasn''t done. He kept cutting the head making sure it had nothing similar to him, until it was just a funny straight object. Next He adjusted the clone''s hands, creating subtle deformity, especially for the skin and the mirror parts that look like clothes. He reshaped its torso as well, flattening one side. Satisfied with his alterations, he pulled out a jar of black paint from his storage and began painting the clone with steady hands. He had this paint in his space ring for a long time now, and it found a use eventually. The reason he picked black was because he checked the rocks around the mine and they were pitch black. "This should offer some natural invisibility in the dark." .... By the time Max finished, the image no longer resembled him. It was unrecognizable, a grotesque and anonymous figure, perfect for the task ahead. Next Max closed his eyes and switched prospective controlling the image, just to be surprised by a completely dark vision. He could move, but it was dark, he couldn''t see, nore hear. Max switched to his real body. "huh? So the sences in this image is actually related to its organs!... Hmm should be solvable with Mystic eye though." Without wasting time Max used Mystic eye and switch prospective to it while controlling the image. Looking and moving around Max was satisfied, It was quite dizzying but it worked. The feeling was like having to move his eyes separately from his body and head, and the fact that this body was broken made it worse. ..... Next he placed the distorted clone in the corner of the room next to mirror against the wall of the bed room. With one last glance, he placed a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and left the hotel. .... Max wandered through the streets until he found a small coffee shop. It was tucked into a quiet corner, away from the noise of the main thoroughfare. ''This should do...from this place the mine is within the range of [world of mirrors], and on the opposite I can simply leave the city through the mirror world.'' Max calculated the distance then left the city and quickly placed a silver mirror card at a certain spot outside exactly 500m away from the shop. Next he went back to the city entering the coffee shop. He ordered a simple drink and settled into a seat by the window, his eyes fixed on the distant mine deep in thoughts. He wasn''t sure if there was mirrors within the mine, he could simply throw a simple broken fragment inside, or place it in the pocket of a miner, but he didn''t want to risk alerting anyone. "Well let''s wait and see..." .... Max enjoyed his a simple meal with a cup of coffee, as he waited for nightfall before making a move. He took a sip of his hot coffee, while curiously observing the city. The mine dominated the city, not just physically but economically and socially. The towering machinery and gaping pits were surrounded by makeshift housing for workers, most of whom looked exhausted as they shuffled to and from the site. The mine''s operations had drained the surrounding area, leaving the landscape barren and lifeless. Chapter 173 A Weird Stanger Max sipped his coffee slowly, savoring the warmth as it slid down his throat. The bitterness lingered on his tongue, a sharp contrast to the stale sweetness of the city''s air. Outside the window, the world continued its dreary routine, workers trudging back and forth, their faces hollowed by fatigue. Max watched it all with mild boredom, his mind calculating the timing of nightfall and the steps that would follow. "Excuse me," a voice broke through his thoughts, low and rough like someone who''d spent years breathing in smoke and ash. Max turned his gaze lazily toward the source, a man in his late thirties, his face weathered, his clothes clean but worn. He gestured at the empty chair across from Max. "Is this seat taken?" Max shrugged, gesturing for him to sit. "Go ahead." he could tell this guy was a powerhouse at least at the C-rank although he couldn''t judge clearly. The man introduces himself as Elias White, his tone calm but carrying a hint of melancholy. His eyes, a dull gray that mirrored the soot-streaked streets outside, held a certain sharpness, as though they''d seen more than they cared to share. He extended a hand toward Max. "Elias White," he said simply. "I travel, but this city''s been my home for the last few months. And you?" Max regarded him with faint amusement before shaking his hand briefly. "Max. Just passing through." Elias nodded as he sat with a heavy sigh, as though the weight of the world pressed against his shoulders. For a moment, there was silence between them, broken only by the distant hum of machinery outside. Then Elias spoke. "This city used to be beautiful, you know," he began, his voice tinged with a bitterness that matched the coffee in Max''s cup. "Before that damn mine showed up. There were trees here, rivers that weren''t poisoned. Now? All of it''s gone. Replaced by pits and fumes." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Max leaned back in his chair, amusement flickering in his eyes. "The government doesn''t care," he said nonchalantly, taking another sip. "It''s not like they live here. To them, this place is just a resource to be drained." Elias chuckled dryly, shaking his head. "You''re not wrong. But it''s not just them. It''s the way of the world, isn''t it? The strong rule, and the rest of us¡­ we''re just cattle. They tell us we''re free, but we''re not. We''re penned in, led to the slaughter one step at a time." Max tilted his head, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "It''s not exactly a new story, is it? Humans are their own worst enemy. The rulers manipulate and corrupt, chasing their own ends. And the masses?" He shrugged. "They keep quiet. Fear, ignorance, maybe both. Or maybe they do see the truth, but they choose to ignore it. That''s worse, isn''t it?" Elias white stared at Max, his eyes wide, caught off guard by the depth of his words. "You¡­ you''re right. I''ve thought the same, but I''ve never heard it put so plainly." Max smirked, setting his cup down. "Why did you really approach me?" he asked, his voice calm but piercing. "It wasn''t just for a friendly chat, was it?" Elias hesitated, then smiled faintly. "You''re perceptive. You''re right. I wanted to talk to you because I think you''re different. I''m part of an organization, new, but growing. We''re trying to change things, to fight back against the corruption and greed that''s destroying this world. I think you could help us." Max laughed, a low, sharp sound. "An organization to ''change the world,'' huh? And you think I''d be interested in that?" "You clearly see the injustice," Elias pressed, leaning forward. "You understand what''s wrong. Don''t you want to make it better?" Max''s laughter faded into a smirk, his eyes gleaming with mockery. "And what''s your purpose in all this?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You want to play the hero? Save the world? For what? For who? What''s the reward at the end of it all?. The most worthless act, is one without purpose." The man faltered, his confidence wavering under Max''s gaze. "It''s not about a reward," he said, his voice quieter now. "It''s about doing what''s right." Max''s expression darkened, a faint edge of disdain creeping into his voice. "The saddest people are the ones who believe they''re doing good, who think they''re on the right path, only to find they''ve been falling into a deep pit the whole time." The man stiffened, his hands curling into fists on the table. "And you''re any different?" he shot back, his voice trembling with anger. "You talk like you see things so clearly, but you''re just as flawed as the rest of us." Max''s smirk returned, colder this time. "Oh, I''m well aware of my flaws," he said. "But at least I can see them for what they are. I''m not stumbling around blind. You know, in certain cultures knowing one''s own flaws is considered a gift, because only than can you look for answers, only then you can try and fix it, and you seem to lack that. " Elias stared at him for a long moment, his face a mixture of frustration and resignation. Finally, he stood, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "You''re not the person I thought you were," he said quietly. Max shrugged. "Probably not." Elias lingered for a moment, as if searching for something to say, then shook his head and walked away. Max watched him go, his expression unreadable. Max felt some slight sourness from the earlier conversation, so he simply ordered something sweet to even it out, as he finished his coffee in silence, the warmth now gone, replaced by the cold weight of the night that was soon to come. Chapter 174 Exploding the mine. As night descended upon the city, the dim light of the coffee shop cast long shadows across the empty streets. Max remained seated by the window, his eyes half-lidded as he sipped the last of his lukewarm coffee. The shop was quiet now, save for the occasional clatter of a dish in the kitchen. The hum of the mine''s machinery continued in the distance, a dull reminder of his purpose here. Max leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, his hand resting lightly on the silver mirror card, and space rings hidden in his pocket. With a thought, he activated [World of Mirrors]. The familiar sensation washed over him. Silently, Max shifted his focus to the image he had crafted earlier. In the darkened hotel room, the distorted figure stirred to life, its movements smooth but unnervingly unnatural. Max''s consciousness slipped into the image fully, leaving his real body motionless, leaning against his chair. Through the perspective of the image, Max moved with deliberate caution. He stepped into the mirror world through the small mirror leaning against the hotel room wall. The silvery fog surrounded him as he scanned the floating mirrors within the radius. Most reflected mundane parts of the city; an alleyway here, a shop there, but one stood out. A dimly lit restroom above the mine, for the workers there apparently. Max moved toward it, his form rippling like liquid as he passed through the mirror and into the restroom. Emerging silently, he found himself standing over a grimy sink, the faint hum of distant machinery vibrating through the walls. He slipped out of the restroom and into the mine, his form melding into the shadows. The mine''s labyrinthine tunnels stretched before him, dimly lit by flickering bulbs. Max began descending, carefully placing silver mirror cards in hidden crevices along the way. He had a single space ring filled with small mirrors, and mirror cards, so he didn''t need to worry about them running out. ... At one point, Max''s progress was interrupted by the faint whirring sound of a patrolling drone. The mechanical eye swept the area, its sensors probing the shadows. Max moved quickly, diving into the mirror world through one of the cards he had just placed. The silver fog surrounded him again as he waited, watching the drone through the floating mirror. Once it passed, he stepped back into reality, resuming his descent. Deeper into the mine, the air grew thicker, the sounds of machinery louder. Max''s distorted image moved with uncanny grace, avoiding the workers and guards patrolling the area. He continued planting the mirror cards, each one a adding one more entry point. Still his progress came to a hold as he found himself at the mid section of the mine with a strange gate in front of him. It was similar to the scanners used in airports, and although Max wasn''t sure of its function he didn''t dare risk passing through. Thinking quickly he pulled a small mirror, and broke it into fragments, and threw the smaller one through the gate as he held his breath..... Nothing happened, Max wanted to sigh in relief but he didn''t have a mouth currently, so instead he kept his work as he entered the mirror world through a card in his hand, and soon enough he appeared on the other side of the gate from the fragment. ... He kept moving, and as he neared the mine''s lowest levels, a guard turned the corner unexpectedly, his flashlight sweeping the area. The beam nearly caught the edge of Max''s form, forcing him to act swiftly, or not act as he froze next to the black wall, his form blending as a strange rock. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "huh? Was that wall always like that?" spoke the guard in confusion as he approached Max. As he got closer he noticed that something was wrong but it was too late. The moment the guard walked close enough. Without hesitation, Max extended a silver card to him, pulling the stunned guard into the mirror world. The man vanished with a faint shimmer, his muffled shout cut short as he was absorbed into the mirror. Inside the mirror world, the guard stumbled on the floating rock, his wide eyes darting around in confusion. Max paid him no mind, focusing instead on his task. The guard would remain trapped for now. .... After a painstakingly slow and methodical journey, Max finally reached the bottom of the mine. The cavernous space was vast, filled with machinery and glowing crystals embedded in the walls. He placed the final mirror card in a hidden crevice, ensuring it was secure. Satisfied, Max walked into the mirror world, and closed his eyes, his consciousness pulling back to his real body in the coffee shop. His distorted image froze in place, in front of the stunned guard. As Max reopened his eyes, he smirked faintly, the faint hum of the mine in the distance signaling that everything was in place. As the moon hung high in the night sky, Max exited the coffee shop, his hands tucked casually into his coat pockets. The streets were deserted, a chilling silence blanketing the city. His boots tapped lightly against the cobblestones as he walked toward a secluded alleyway, the distant hum of the mine still echoing faintly in the background. He stopped at an unlit corner, ensuring no one was around, and pulled a small mirror. With a flick of his wrist, the mirror shimmered, its surface rippling like liquid. Max stepped forward and disappeared into the mirror world. Inside the silver fog, the trapped guard was still stumbling around on the floating rock, his earlier defiance now replaced with nervous pacing. Max appeared before him, his expression calm but with a dangerous glint in his eyes. The guard''s mouth opened, likely to plead or curse, but Max didn''t give him the chance. A single, casual slap echoed through the void, and the man crumpled to the ground unconscious. Slap! Max ignored the guard turning his attention to the arsenal in his possession. He reached into his coat, pulling out several space rings. Each glinted faintly with stored potential, holding the tools he needed for this destructive task. From one ring, he pulled a colossal cannon, The weapon was imposing, the very air around it vibrating with suppressed power. The cannon required time to fire, ten minutes in total. Max set it on the ground, positioning it carefully to aim through the last mirror card he''d placed in the mine. He adjusted the trajectory with precision, his hands steady. As the cannon began its slow charge, the faint hum of its activation filled the mirror world. Max spent the remaining minutes locating the various floating mirrors that corresponded to the cards he''d planted in the mine. When only two minutes remained before the cannon fired, Max began dropping the explosives directly from the space ring into the real world through the cards. One by one, they landed in the mine and the surrounding area, the rest room, and every place along the way. The tunnels quickly filled with the scattered containers. .... At first no one noticed, but after 30 seconds some people, and drones came into contact with the containers that kept popping up, and contacted their management to report the situation. It took almost a minute for the management to fully receive the information and understand the situation, but there were no time to respond. .... The final thirty seconds ticked down. By now, the mine''s guards and workers were panicking because the mine was literally blocked by this strange containers, they triggered alarms, and chaos was beginning to spread. People shouted orders, machinery powered down, and lights flashed frantically. But it was too late. The cannon fired with a deafening roar, its energy blasting through the last mirror card Max had planted. The beam of concentrated green light erupted into the mine''s deepest level, setting off a chain reaction as the explosives ignited in tandem. BOOOOOOM The ground trembled violently, the explosion spreading upward and outward in waves of molten fury. Red flames and blinding green light consumed the mine, ripping through rock and steel with unrelenting force. ..... Max had already left the mirror world with the cannon and was standing on a distant hill overlooking the city. From his vantage point, he watched as the ground beneath the mine erupted in a massive inferno, the flames licking the sky like a vengeful spirit. The explosion illuminated the night, casting an eerie glow across the landscape. K-Boom The explosion has turned the mine into a pit of molten magma, as flames continued pouring upwards like a jet, and in the flames there was a hint of black and golden. "AI how''s the calculation." [Based on the data given and the set in parameters adding the intensity of the explosion, the rainbow stones should''ve evaporated into Pure Energy by a percentage of 100%.] Max smirked, he was afraid that the luck stored in would be released, that way although it wouldn''t be as useful as the stone, considering the future applications the stone could have, but the luck would have been still useful enough to the will of the world, now it''s pure energy which the will of the world didn''t lack. Without a word, he turned and walked away, the green light of the explosion fading into the distance as he disappeared into the shadows, his destination Kain-city. Chapter 175 Max soared toward Kain City, seemingly detached from the chaos he had just orchestrated. ... Far away from Max''s current location Charles''s plain landed. The bustling city of Grixhall was alive with the sound of commerce and conversation. In the heart of this metropolis stood The Vault Headquarters, a grandiose bank with towering golden pillars and a pristine marble facade. It was the epitome of wealth and prestige, where only the elite dared to step inside. Outside The Vault, a young man with disheveled clothes and a weary face stood clutching a black credit card embossed with the Vault''s logo. Oliver Grant, a struggling university student with no family to his name, had endured years of ridicule from his peers. Today, however, he carried something that could change his life, a card linked to an account with untold wealth, given to him by a so called distant relative, the guy that gave him the card told him he might face his death soon enough, and if he doesn''t contact him within 3 months, only then will the card be usable for him, and today was the deadline of the months. The moment Oliver approached the bank doors, a group of classmates loitering nearby noticed him. These were the privileged scions of wealthy families, dressed in tailored suits and designer accessories. Their leader, Ryan Morell, sneered as he recognized Oliver. "Oliver?" Ryan laughed mockingly. "What are you doing here? This isn''t some charity office. The Vault''s meant for people with actual money." The group erupted in laughter, circling Oliver like vultures. "This place is for people like us," chimed in Clara Lynton, flipping her manicured hair. "Not for some lowlife pretending to be rich." Ryan noticed the card in Oliver''s hand and was stunned for a moment but quickly smirked. "Where did you steal that from? Or is it fake? You know I can attempt citizen-arrest on you now! Hhhhh." Oliver tightened his grip on the card, his expression a mixture of shame and determination. "It''s mine," he said quietly but firmly. "This card belongs to me."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The group burst out into laughter. Inside the bank, a sharp-dressed woman with an air of authority watched the commotion through the glass doors. Eleanor Cross, one of the Vault''s senior managers, was accustomed to dealing with both the affluent and the desperate. However, her sharp eyes caught the glint of the Vault card in Oliver''s hand. She exited the building, heels clicking against the pavement. "What''s going on here?" Eleanor asked coldly, her voice cutting through the jeers. The group quieted slightly but didn''t disperse. "This peasant claims he owns a Vault card," Ryan said, smirking. "We all know that''s a lie." Eleanor''s gaze flicked to Oliver and then to the card he held. "Let me see that." Oliver hesitated before handing the card over. She studied it, her expression unreadable. "If this card is yours, we can verify it in our system. Come with me." Oliver followed her, his heart pounding, while the others stayed outside, peering through the glass with mocking grins. Eleanor swiped the card at the teller station, pulling up the account details. Her brows furrowed as the screen displayed a name that didn''t match the young man standing before her. Charles Wood, CEO of Rising Pip Industries. Eleanor turned back to Oliver, her tone now cold. "This card does not belong to you. The rightful owner is Charles Wood." Oliver''s face drained of color. "No, that''s not possible. It''s mine!" Before Eleanor could respond, Ryan and his group stormed in, laughing hysterically. "We told you, Oliver!" Ryan said. "You''re just a liar trying to act important!" Eleanor stepped forward, her expression stern. "Enough. Take this outside, and I am keeping the card for its real owner. " Oliver was dragged out of the bank, his protests drowned by the jeers. Outside, the group''s ridicule escalated into violence. Ryan shoved Oliver to the ground, and the others joined in, kicking and beating him. By the time they were done, Oliver lay on the pavement, battered and barely conscious. From a distance, a man in a tailored suit and polished shoes watched the scene unfold. Charles adjusted his cufflinks, ensuring he remained out of sight until the commotion died down. When the group stepped away from Oliver''s limp body, Charles finally approached. Feigning concern, he knelt beside Oliver, before turning to Ryan and his friends. "You boys did good," Charles said smoothly. "That card is indeed mine. I must''ve dropped it earlier. Thank you for handling this... matter." Ryan grinned. "No problem, Mr. Wood. We''re always happy to help." Charles stood. "I might have some work for you. Meet me tomorrow at the Rising Pip office. There''s someone I''d like you to meet. But before make sure to clean this guy.... permanently!." The group exchanged excited glances, nodding eagerly. With that, Charles entered the bank, his demeanor calm and composed. After confirming his identity, he claimed ownership of the account tied to the card. As he left the Vault, his expression betrayed no guilt or hesitation. He had left the credits untouched according to Max''s instructions but everything else was taken out ready to be sent to Max. ..... Back to Max, with his new vitality stat, his stamina was far beyond nature as he flew for 3 days straight finally reaching Kain-City. Chapter 176 The wind howled as Max descended from the skies, the sprawling buildings of Kain-City coming into view. Its stone walls stretched across the horizon, much taller and sturdier than he remembered. The chaos he associated with Kain-city, the ramshackle markets, roving gangs, and poorly maintained roads, seemed to have vanished, replaced by an eerie sense of order and calm. "huh ?" Max landed just outside the main gate, brushing off dust from his long coat. He adjusted his collar, his sharp eyes scanning the massive entrance where a line of merchants and travelers were being thoroughly checked by armed guards. "What the..." Max muttered under his breath, his brows furrowing. Kain-City was supposed to be a hub of lawlessness. The last time he had been here, there weren''t even guards at the gate. People came and went as they pleased. Now, the place looked like a fortress. Max walked toward the entrance, his usual confident stride carrying him past the line. He nodded at a guard, expecting to walk right through, but the man stepped forward and raised a hand to stop him. "Identification," the guard said flatly, his expression unreadable. Max blinked, genuinely caught off guard. "Identification?" The guard narrowed his eyes. "Yes. Every visitor needs to present a valid ID to enter the city. No exceptions." Max tilted his head. "Since when does Kain-City care about IDs? Last time I was here, there weren''t even proper gates, let alone guards." The guard''s expression didn''t change. "That was before. Show your ID, or step aside." Max resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His usual instinct was to intimidate his way through situations like this, but something about the guard''s demeanor made him pause. The man wasn''t bluffing. "I don''t have it on me," Max said casually, pulling out his phone. "But I do have a picture of it. One second." While the guard watched, Max''s fingers flew across his phone screen. Internally, he was typing orders to the AI embedded in the device. The AI responded instantly, generating a digital ID within seconds. With a subtle tap, the ID appeared on his screen. Max held it out to the guard. "Here it is. Should be all in order," he said confidently. The guard took out a scanning device and hovered it over the phone. Max watched the device''s screen carefully, noting the brief flash of static as his AI manipulated the data.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Everything checks out," the guard said after a moment, handing back the phone. "You can enter." Max gave a polite nod, stepping past the gate. Once inside, he took a deep breath and looked around. The transformation was staggering. The once-chaotic streets of Kain-City were now clean and orderly. Vendors had proper stalls instead of random crates, and even the buildings looked like they had been recently refurbished. Uniformed officers patrolled the area, and the loud, raucous noise that had once been the city''s hallmark was now replaced with a quiet buzz of organized activity. "Am I in the wrong city?" Max muttered to himself, glancing around in disbelief. Still he had things to do, so for now he ignored the changes and walked forward. His first stop was the delivery hub for SkyPort Logistics, one of the most trusted and expensive teleportation-based delivery services in the region. Inside, he provided the code Charles had sent him, and within moments, the clerk handed him a small box with a spatial ring inside. Max slipped it onto his finger without examining the contents. Next he walked around looking for a good restaurant to have a meal, and check the recent news of Kain-city. As he walked through the city, his sharp eyes caught sight of a familiar group of faces: three former hooligans who had once done a small errand for him during one of his brief stays in Kain-City, when he sent them to buy some drugs for the crows. The three men stood by a neat little stall selling glass bottles of perfume. The bald one smiled brightly at a woman as he handed her a bottle, the thin one expertly wrapped another customer''s purchase, and the slightly fat one gestured politely, encouraging passersby to browse their wares. Max stopped in his tracks, flabbergasted. "What in the world..." he muttered, staring at the trio in disbelief. He approached the stall, his presence causing the three men to stiffen slightly. "Boss?" the bald one said hesitantly, recognizing Max immediately. Max crossed his arms, his voice dripping with skepticism. "What are you three doing selling perfume? Did you change professions or something?" The thin one laughed nervously. "Oh, no, Boss. We''ve always been perfume merchants. This is, uh... this is our true calling!" Max raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Perfume merchants, huh? You mean to tell me you weren''t shaking people down and running scams the last time I saw you?" The slightly fat one coughed, avoiding Max''s gaze. "Boss, those were... misunderstandings. We''ve turned over a new leaf." Max looked at them like they''d grown a second head. "You turned over a new leaf? All three of you? At the same time?" The bald one leaned in, lowering his voice. "It''s the new military general, Boss. The one in charge of border protection. He is going to pass through the city soon, and some of his man rushed here first and, uh... things changed." "Changed how?" Max asked. The thin one wiped his brow. "they cleaned house, Boss. Every gang, every shady deal, it''s all gone. We''re lucky we weren''t run out of the city like some of the others. So, yeah, we''re perfume merchants now." Max didn''t ask further, even if he did the trio shouldn''t know much, instead he had an idea checking the trio. "You know," Max said, his tone casual, "I''ve got a job for you three." The trio exchanged nervous glances. "Uh, Boss, we''re kind of busy, can we do it after the General leaves. " Max waved a hand, cutting them off. "No, no, it''s nothing big. Just some work for Charles Wood. He''s got a company, and he needs men. Congratulations, you''ve been promoted." "But Boss.. " the fat one started. Max pulled out his phone and called Charles. "Charles," Max said as soon as the call connected, "I''ve got three men for you. Former hooligans, now rebranded as perfume merchants. Perfect candidates for whatever grunt work you need done." Charles''s voice was hesitant on the other end. "Are they... reliable?" Max glanced at the trio, who were now sweating bullets. "Oh, absolutely. Model citizens. You''re going to love them." Charles sighed. "Fine. Send them over. Also I got some candidates on my side when are you free to talk to them boss? " "Give me an hour or two, I''d call you have them ready." "Got it boss." Max hung up and grinned at the three men. "Congratulations. You''ve got jobs. Don''t screw it up." The bald one opened his mouth to protest, but Max raised a hand. "No arguments. Go meet Charles. You''re working for him now, and get stronger fast and by any means. Also never mention me, to anyone. " As Max walked away, the trio stood in stunned silence. "Did we just get conscripted?" the thin one asked. "I think we did," the fat one replied. "And for that Charles Wood, no less," the bald one added. "So we''re leaving the city?". "I guess we''re." They exchanged a collective confused look, before packing up their perfume stall and heading off, leaving Max chuckling to himself as he disappeared into the crowd. Chapter 177 Max stepped into a high-class restaurant nestled on a bustling street corner of Kain-city. A waiter guided him to a table near the window, where he could observe the city''s new, unsettlingly organized atmosphere. After ordering a simple meal, grilled meat, soup, and some bread, Max leaned back in his chair and pulled out his phone. The translucent screen flickered as he swiped through the latest updates, curious about the sudden transformation of Kain-city. It didn''t take long for the news feed to fill in the gaps. There was just One big Headline : "Renowned General about to Pass Through Kain-city" The article detailed how a high-ranking military General was en route, planning to make a brief stop in the city. The piece speculated about the General''s itinerary, but it was clear that his presence was raising eyebrows. He was just a C-rank but he had an army of C and B-ranks and even two lieutenants at the A-rank. Max frowned. "passing through the city just like this? Out of all the routes he could take?" ..... That wasn''t all, after his phone checked the news in detail across this month, than switched to private conversations, and news that weren''t shared or weren''t big enough to be announced: The first was about a Former A-Rank Powerhouse who Retires in Kain-city : A newly retired A-rank powerhouse, someone once feared on battlefields, had decided to settle down in his hometown (Kain-city). Max raised an eyebrow. "An A-rank settling here? Sure, why not? It''s not like this place was crawling with nobodies a few months ago or anything." The second news was that The universities in the surrounding territories had abruptly decided to hold their exams near Kain-city. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.originally only a few of them would''ve held it around here, and it shouldn''t be this soon. The article highlighted the top class of the year, students so talented they were making waves across the continent. Max muttered to himself, "So the academic elite are suddenly pouring in now? What''s next, royalty deciding to vacation here?" Finally, an announcement about a well-known A-rank adventurer group moving its base to the city made Max''s eyes narrow. These weren''t just random mercenaries; they were the type to bring significant attention and resources wherever they went. Max''s fork hovered over his plate as his thoughts churned. ''The will of the world,'' he thought , a sharp gleam in his eyes. It was limited by certain rules ones of its own nature, and others from the void Battlefield, but it had its methods. It couldn''t outright declare, "Kain-city is about to be attacked," yet it could create situations that prepared the city without directly exposing the threat. Manipulating luck, coincidences, and timing was its modus operandi. However It wasn''t omniscient, and it shouldn''t have been aware of every event endangering it''s territories. Max leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. ''The will of the Central world must have found out about the attack from the Oubach tribe, While it was keeping an eye on me" The realization made him smirk. Apparently he was the reason for after all. But His smirk turned predatory. "If it''s moving its chess pieces, guess I''d have to used that, don''t blame me for what happens." he whispered to himself, the final word carrying an edge of danger. ... Max shook his head ignoring the matter for now, As he went back to reading, not wanting to miss any important news in the city. As he scrolled through his phone, his sharp senses caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Someone was approaching his table, not from the entrance, but from within the restaurant itself. He didn''t look up immediately, pretending to be engrossed in his device. But he already recognized the face by using Mystic eye on his table. Elias White. The man he''d encountered not long ago, a seemingly ordinary individual who hadn''t left much of an impression at the time. Yet now, as Max watched him approach with a small group in tow, a wave of suspicion crept in. ''Why here? Why now?'' Max thought, his mind already racing through possibilities. When they first met, Elias had seemed unremarkable, but the timing of this encounter set off warning bells. ''Is it my bad luck drawing him here? Or am I thinking too much.'' Max mused, narrowing his eyes slightly as Elias drew closer. For now, it was only conjecture, and he wasn''t sure of anything. But Coincidences rarely stayed coincidences for long in his world. Elias reached the table and greeted him with a broad, almost too-friendly smile. "Max! Fancy seeing you here! We didn''t part on the best terms last time, but isn''t this quite the coincidence?" Max met his gaze, his expression unreadable. The smirk he wore earlier was gone, replaced by a cold neutrality that masked the calculations running through his head. Chapter 178 Max remained seated, his expression cold as Elias White stood before him, flanked by two companions. One was a tall, broad-shouldered man with sharp eyes and a quiet demeanor, clearly someone who preferred action over words. The other, a woman with auburn hair tied into a sleek braid, carried an air of quiet confidence laced with disdain. Her piercing green eyes immediately locked onto Max, scrutinizing him as though he were an unwanted pest. "Quite the coincidence, meeting you here again, Max," Elias said, forcing a smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes. "I didn''t expect to run into you so soon after¡­ you know." Max''s lips curved into a smirk. "Life is full of surprises, isn''t it?. " His gaze flicked briefly to Elias''s companions, but he made no comment on their presence. Elias gestured toward the chairs around the table. "Mind if we join you?" Max shrugged. "Suit yourself." The three settled into seats, Elias taking the one directly across from Max. The tall man and the auburn-haired woman positioned themselves on either side, their presence feeling more like a barrier than casual company. "So, what brings you here?" Max asked, leaning back and crossing his arms. Elias scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "After the explosion at the mine and¡­ well, the city being literally torn in half, we had no choice but to leave. Kain-city seemed like the best option, so we used a teleportation service to move here." Max nodded, his expression unreadable. "Makes sense. It''s not every day your home gets split down the middle." "And you? What are you doing here?" Elias asked. Max leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table. "I usually operate around Kain-city. You could say I''m a local. When we met last time, I was just resting from my journey back here after taking care of some business." Elias tilted his head, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "So, you''re staying here for a while, then?. In that case we might find opportunities to help each other " Max''s smirk deepened. "Actually, no. Kain-city will no longer be my base. I''ll be leaving soon." Elias frowned. "Why''s that?" Max glanced around the restaurant briefly, he wanted to try and send this guy out of the city just in case, for all he knows he might be an uncontrollable variable in the upcoming ordeal, and this was a good opportunity to send him away. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. After he glanced around Max leaned closer, lowering his voice, ,"Something''s off. Between the news and all the movements happening lately, it''s like the city''s being set up for something big. If you take my advice, you should leave too." Before Elias could respond, the woman at his side scoffed loudly. "And why should he trust the advice of some random person?" she said, glaring at Max. Her tone was sharp, almost accusatory, and her words were clearly aimed at undermining him. Max turned his gaze to her, his smirk vanishing as he studied her with a look of mild confusion, as if she''d just said something incomprehensibly stupid. Elias looked at Max with suspicion upon hearing his companion''s words. Max shook his head. "Seems you''re eager for another life lesson, my confused friend," Max said, his voice dripping with amusement. Remembering their last conversation Elias felt some annoyance and discomfort deep down, but he said nothing. Max leaned back in his chair, adopting a more casual posture. "Let me explain something about advice. There are two kinds of people who give it. The first are those who stand to gain something; emotionally, materially, or otherwise. For example, let''s say you want to quit smoking. A friend who smokes might try to discourage you, simply because they don''t want to feel left behind or judged for their own habits. They''ll drag you down to stay comfortable in their own misery." Elias and his companions listened intently, though the woman''s glare hadn''t softened. Max continued, his tone calm and measured. "The second type are those who have nothing to gain from your decisions. These are the people you should pay attention to. your success or failure won''t effect them, and when they bother to speak, it''s worth considering their words carefully." The woman sneered. "And you''re claiming to be the second type?" Max turned to her, his face blank, before his lips quirked into a smirk of pure amusement. "Of course not. I don''t give a damn what happens to any of you. My advice was just a casual remark, you idiot." The woman''s face turned red. "Than why did you say all that? Couldn''t you''ve simply spoke directly." Max shrugged. " it might be because I am bored or You can say I have a thing for monologuing, it doesn''t matter." This time she said nothing as Max''s attention shifted back to Elias. Max''s smirk grew wider, "Still, I''d recommend keeping certain brainless people on your side. They''ll keep life entertaining, if nothing else. Although they might be the reason for it to end." Elias''s companions stiffened, the tall man clenching his fists while the woman looked like she was ready to retort. But Elias raised a hand, stopping them. " Enough Max, sorry we Disturbed you, I simply had some questions I thought you might''ve been able to answer, but forget about it. And thx for the advice." Max stood up, brushing nonexistent dust off his jacket. "Well, I''ve said my piece. Do with it what you will." As he turned to leave, his expression darkened slightly, though his smirk remained. While he''d been trying to mislead Elias and his group, his words wasn''t wrong, not even a bit. Max exited the restaurant without another glance, leaving Elias and his companions in tense silence. The woman fumed quietly, while the tall man stared at Max''s retreating figure. "Don''t think about it, we''re not trouble makers, plus he is strong, and if you make a move, it might escalate to a death or life matter, there is no need for that." said Elias. After which he went deep in thought, replaying Max''s words in his mind. There was something unsettling about them, something that made him question whether Max''s warning was more than just a casual remark. " I don''t like his tone, but there''s something wrong with the city." said the tall man suddenly interrupting the silence. "Even if there''s something wrong we don''t have enough money to teleport hundreds of people again." Retorted the woman. "Let''s observe for a day or two first, and just in case We don''t have to teleport, the surrounding regions aren''t too dangerous, and it can be a good opportunity to train the weaker remembers." spoke Elias ending the discussion. Chapter 179 Max stood on the outskirts of Kain-city, the bustling energy of the city feeling oppressive with the approach of so many powerhouses. The General, the retired A-rank adventurer, the elite students, and even the adventurer group moving its base, all of it set off warning bells in his mind. Originally he wanted to stay a a day or two within the city, but his plans had to change. While he was confident in his ability to handle an A-rank opponent if needed, the idea of multiple high-level threats in one place was enough to make him reconsider his position. With his decision made, Max turned and headed toward the mountains outside the city. ... Hours later, he arrived at his destination: a certain mountain, it wasn''t the closest to the city, but if according to the Oubach''s digging path, they must pass through here at one point. Lucy did her usual work as she control the mountain and set a place for Max to stay in. The house was a simple yet elegant structure, carved directly into the mountainside with precision and care. The cool mountain air was refreshing, and Max was getting used to the quiet solitude of such places. He stepped inside, taking a moment to survey the space before pulling out his phone. "Time to handle business," he muttered, dialing Charles''s number. ... Charles sat stiffly in a dimly lit meeting room, his nerves frayed as he glanced around at the rough-looking individuals surrounding him. The atmosphere was suffocating, filled with tension and barely restrained aggression. He might of over did it a little while recruiting. To his left, a man with his legs propped up on the table snored lightly, seemingly indifferent to the entire situation. Across the table, another man stared daggers at Charles, his expression practically screaming, I''ll kill you. A third individual, wearing dark sunglasses indoors, leaned back in his chair, his face unreadable. Meanwhile, two others were huddled together, gambling with a deck of cards. They whispered and chuckled, occasionally glancing up to ensure they weren''t being watched too closely. Another person leaned back in his chair, taking a long, slow drag from his cigarette, exhaling a thick plume of smoke into the already tense air. He seemed utterly indifferent to the meeting, his half-lidded eyes scanning the room with lazy amusement, while flicking ash onto the floor without care. Among the group sat Ryan and his friends but they were just as nervous as Charles if not worst. ..... Charles swallowed hard, feeling out of place among the cutthroats and criminals. Just as he was beginning to question his life choices, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He scrambled to answer it, recognizing the number immediately. "Yes! Yes! Of course, I''ll handle it!" Charles stammered, nodding even though Max couldn''t see him. "Right away!" He ended the call, his hands trembling slightly as he stood. Without another word, he left the room, leaving the assorted rogues to their own devices. ..... Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!Vera adjusted her seat, her sharp eyes scanning the room. She was a former dungeon party leader, here on behalf of her team to explore opportunities outside the dangers of dungeon crawling. Like most of the people in the room, she sought something more stable, though she found the company here¡­ questionable. Her gaze lingered on the various figures at the table. She recognized some of them from her adventuring days, brutal and ruthless individuals, the kind who thrived in chaos. One of them was even a B-rank, slouched lazily in his chair as though he had nothing to prove. She was considered a ruthless person in the business but she couldn''t be compared with half of the people here. Her thoughts were interrupted as the door opened, and Charles returned, pushing a large TV on a stand into the room. He positioned it at the head of the table and stepped back, fidgeting nervously. The screen flickered to life, displaying a blurry image of Max. As Max recently experienced a growth in strength, so did the effect of his passive. And The effect was immediate and startling. The man with his legs on the table jolted upright, nearly falling out of his chair in his haste to sit properly. The man glaring daggers at Charles quickly averted his gaze, his expression shifting to uneasy respect. The one in sunglasses removed them, tucking them into his pocket as though embarrassed to have worn them at all. The smoker jolted upright as if electrocuted. In his panic, instead of flicking his cigarette away, he instinctively stuffed it into his mouth and swallowed it whole. His face turned red as he coughed violently, eyes watering, but he forced himself to sit still, back straight, pretending nothing had happened. The gamblers froze, exchanging panicked looks before hastily shoving the cards into one of their shirts. The other leaned over to help, patting his friend''s chest to smooth the fabric and ensure the cards were well-hidden. The woman watched all of this in stunned silence, her sharp mind struggling to process the sudden shift in behavior. Even the B-rank, who had exuded nothing but lazy arrogance, straightened his posture and adopted an air of respect. ''What the hell is going on here?'' she thought, her confusion growing. "Let''s get to the point," Max''s blurry image said, his tone commanding and impatient. His gaze swept the room, and then he pointed directly at the woman and a few others who hadn''t reacted as dramatically as the rest. "You, you, you, and you," he said, his finger lingering on each person briefly. "You''re free to leave. Charles will compensate you for your time." The woman opened her mouth to protest, but she froze as she felt the weight of the room''s collective gaze. The atmosphere had shifted entirely, and it was clear that most of the individuals present were already on Max''s side. Her argument died in her throat, and she stood silently, following the others as they left the room. Once they were gone, Max''s image sharpened, the blurriness fading to reveal his full figure. His presence was no less imposing through the screen. "Now, to the rest of you," he said, his tone calm but firm. "You''re being recruited to work. As long as you do your best, money won''t be a problem. The shops currently available to the company are also open to you for purchases." Charles hesitated before speaking up. "Are you sure that''s okay?" "It''s fine," Max replied dismissively. "If anyone tries to abuse the system, we''ll make an example out of them." His gaze swept the room again. "Have you killed anyone recently? Let them know we''re not joking." Charles coughed nervously. "Uh, other than some random guy connected to The Vault thing, no one. Boss you better for this, did you do anything intimidating recently? " said Charles in a low tone although no one in the room was normal human and everyone could hear him clearly. Max remember the city he just broke in half. "huh? about that it''s better to not tell.... It''s for your own good and everyone else here." Charles wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and didn''t dare push the matter. "as you wish boss." Max tilted his head thoughtfully. "What about that B-rank who had a problem with us not long ago? What was his name?" Charles scratched his head. "Oh, him? I heard he died. Couldn''t survive his injuries, something about them getting worse over time. Can''t remember his name, though." Max waved a hand dismissively. "Doesn''t matter. Handle the rest yourself. You know I am not good at management. " With that, the screen flickered off, leaving the room in tense silence. Charles cleared his throat, stepping forward to address the group. "So everyone, that''s our boss, and it''s better to never talk about him. As for the work it''s actually simple, we don''t need to make money, we need to find markets to spend it in. By any means!." Everyone seated looked at each other, slightly unbelieving, by the absurd situation. Charles wasn''t good at managing either so he simply gave them money, and show them the jobs needed to do and let them pick based on their expertise or their likes and dislikes. "also one more thing! If question about our funds arises, than say it''s perfectly legal but we might be selling banned drugs." "huh? Shouldn''t we be hiding the fact that we might be selling drugs." asked one of the gamblers clearly confused. "No we shouldn''t, our funds should be of a worst source.... so drugs is good." said Charles not sure he should be saying all of this. The Gambler grinned "oh I see, I like it!" "yah just don''t go around giving clear testimonies, those things can be used as evidence you know, even if we''re not actually selling drugs"... .... Back the mountain, Max scratched his chin in contemplation. "With my passive The company should be fine! Hopefully." Next Max simply ignored the matter, even if the company collapsed he didn''t care much, he could simply start a new one in his free time, for now he had something else on mind, and stored his phone into the space ring, opening the simulator''s screen. Chapter 180 Author note : hello everyone so sorry for the long delay, I am currently dealing with a new work schedule and can make time so writing I slow and editing is even slower. Can''t do anything about it sorry, my advice is to ignore the novel until chapters accumulate, I used to do this. Again I apologize and wish all of you the best. ..................... Max stored his phone into his space ring and opened the simulator¡¯s screen, a frown forming on his face. Something didn¡¯t add up. His gaze locked onto one of his talents¡ªBound by Blood. He tapped on its description, expecting to see something new, but the text remained the same. [Bound by Blood] : You can create a blood link with one of your pets, effectively receiving 20% of their growth in attributes. Note 01: Only one pet can be linked. Note 02: The effects of Bound by Blood cannot be undone. His brows knit together. No changes. But originally, there had been an extra note¡ªone that mentioned the talent would be enhanced if he killed the originator of it. And he had killed her. At the time, he¡¯d felt something shift in his body, a faint but undeniable sense of something integrating. He had assumed the simulator would update to reflect the change. But now, a week later, the description hadn¡¯t changed at all. ¡°¡­Oi, simulator, confirm something for me,¡± Max said. ¡° what''s the deal with bound by blood, why hasn''t it been enhanced yet?¡± The response was immediate. [Reporting to the host: The talent has already been enhanced.] Max¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Huh? Then why does the info still look the same?¡± [Reporting to the host: After the talent is used on a pet, it will gain a special effect related to that specific pet.] So that was it. The enhancement wasn¡¯t something obvious¡ªit was tied to the pet he linked with. Max tapped his fingers against his knee. ¡°Is there a way to know what effect it¡¯ll get?¡± [No, the simulator has no such function. However, you can read these articles and might be able to form a solid conjecture.] A list of article titles appeared: [Genetic Inheritance and Power Transference in Pets] [Wills of the world & blood, in Evolutionary Wills and Their Connection to Bound Entities] [Talents and Their Hidden Mechanics] Max glanced through them, clicking his tongue. ¡°Tch, more reading, huh?¡± At first Max simply wanted to ignore the articles, but after a quick glance he found out that this was worth looking into. The potential value of the knowledge inside was too high to ignore. Still, it didn¡¯t change his plans. He was going to use Bound by Blood on Lucy anyway. Whatever effect came with it, anyway the talent wasn''t that great and Max didn''t put too much focus on it, he''d simply use it when he finds a suitable way to increase Lucy''s stats either in the simulation or in the real world. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. For now, he pushed the thought aside and turned his attention to the ring Charles had sent him. The spatial ring glowed faintly as Max accessed its contents. Inside, everything was neatly arranged¡ªvarious materials, tools, and blueprints. He scanned through them, sorting them mentally. -Forging materials : Rare metals and such, useful for crafting high-end weapons and armor, among them were a good number of lightning based material. -Alchemy ingredients : Components for potions, explosives, and poisons, although Max had no use for them now, but since he could buy them, he did. A special forge blueprint he had bought for cheap, since this kind of thing wasn''t too useful on its own, and wasn''t in high demand. A C-rank heavy armor blueprint, expensive, but worth it, Max didn''t need it, but he had a plan to simulate Lucy safely, using it and the forge blueprint. "Lu, this two blueprints are for you, they''re simple, and I just need you to memorize them, the sooner the better." ''can I not do it?''. Responded Lucy without leaving her mountain state. "you have to, otherwise you won''t be able to survive in the dream world and you won''t be getting stronger any time soon." ''really?''. "yep, it''s important since I can''t find you a Spirit protection skill." ''okay!.'' After instructing Lucy Max switched his Focus to the last item he bought: Golden Gunpowder : A consumable that increases the firepower of any gun by one grade, up to an A-rank maximum, ridiculously expensive and sold by grams. Max picked up the container of Golden Gunpowder, rolling it. This stuff was expensive. And dangerous. Mishandle it, and it could blow someone¡¯s arms off. A smirk tugged at his lips. "Perfect! With this my shotgun will be at B++ firepower". This was everything he bought for now. ...... Next Max pulled out the deep-dive VR capsule that Charles had bought. The sleek, futuristic design gleamed under the light, its smooth curves and dark metallic surface shimmered, making it look more like an advanced piece of military tech than a gaming device. As Max pulled the VR capsule out of his ring, Lucy suddenly popped up beside him, eyes wide with curiosity. She hovered inches away, staring at the sleek, futuristic device like a kid seeing a new toy. ''Ooooh, what''s this? Does it explode? Can I eat it?'' she asked, reaching out with both hands. Max immediately swatted her hands away. "No. Don¡¯t touch it. It¡¯s expensive, and it''d be annoying waiting for another if you break it." ''i am careful''. Max shot her a look. "You and ''careful'' can''t coexist, so stay away from it please." Lucy pouted, folding her arms. Max ignored her as he gave the device a once-over, tapping a finger against the reinforced glass dome. "Looks cool," he muttered. But for now, he had other things to check. He stored it back in the ring and moved on. ......... Next, he pulled out the items Charles had retrieved from the Vault¡¯s bank account. The first batch was mostly potions and equipment, but they were too low in rank for him to care. He swept his gaze over them briefly before deciding to dismantle them later for study. But then, two items caught his attention. The first was a ceremonial dagger. At a glance, it looked unimpressive¡ªjust an old, slightly rusted blade with faint engravings on the hilt. But Max had learned not to judge artifacts by their appearance. "Simulator, scan it." [Scanning¡­] [Item: Blood Awakening Dagger Effect: Can awaken dormant Warlock bloodline abilities if the user possesses any. One-time use. Breaks after activation.] Max raised a brow. "Interesting¡­ Is it safe?" [Safe for use. If no Warlock bloodline is detected, nothing will happen.] Max thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Might as well." He gripped the dagger, pressed the tip against his palm, and let it draw a thin line of blood. Immediately, the dagger crumbled into dust, its energy dispersing into his body. ............. ... .... ...... ¡­Nothing happened! . Max sighed. "Yeah, figured." He flexed his fingers. No strange sensations, no sudden rush of power¡ªjust the mild irritation of a pointless experiment. Tossing aside the remains, he moved on to the second item. This one was a set of five¡ªsmall arm guards, leg guards, and a belt. They looked simple but well-made, the dark metal polished to a fine sheen. "Simulator, scan these." [Scanning¡­] [equipment: Titan Warframe (B-Rank Heavy Armor) Properties: - B++ defense. Modular design, can expand to cover the full body. Passive Skill: Increases all defenses by 60% but decreases speed by 45%.] Max nodded in approval. "Now we''re talking." He strapped on the arm and leg guards to test the fit. They were surprisingly comfortable, although quite heavy. But then he tried the belt. The moment he fastened it around his waist, it shifted slightly, as if waiting for the expansion command. That was when he realized the problem. His wings. Max clicked his tongue. "Tch. Annoying." The set was solid, and the defense boost was good, but he couldn''t use it properly in its current form. He¡¯d have to find time later to modify it, maybe cut out a section or redesign it entirely, still he had the Kraxtal weaving method that was good in dealing with metals so it shouldn''t be too much of a problem. With that settled, he was finally done checking his new loot. "meh! It''s alright I guess." Now, it was time to see what the VR was all about. Chapter 181 First Max strapped his super phone to the VR set, adjusting the connection settings. Before diving in, he issued a command to his AI. "Lock down my data. Make sure nothing gets stolen." [Understood.] With that settled, he lay back into the VR capsule and activated the system. "Lucy keep watch for me, if anything happens wake me up immediately." With those words The world around him went dark for a moment before light flared, and the login screen appeared. The system was barren¡ªonly one game existed on the entire platform. [Arena Online] Max raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± He selected the game, and immediately, his surroundings changed. It wasn¡¯t just a game¡ªit was a fully immersive world, one that felt disturbingly real. The air, the gravity, even the faintest sensations on his skin¡ªeverything was meticulously crafted. A character creation screen popped up. He set his avatar to have white bat wings and altered his appearance. ¡°AI, hide my real looks,¡± he ordered. [Affirmative. Your identity will remain concealed.] His phone AI seamlessly integrated into the game, remaining invisible but able to communicate with him. [Warning: Four separate parties attempted to download your data. All were misled by false information.] Max froze. ¡° I knew it! those bastards! But four?¡± His mind worked quickly. Three made sense : The Star Continent¡¯s government The Mage Tower The Elders¡¯ Association They are the leaders of the three continents, But who was the fourth? He frowned but decided to put it aside for now. There was no point speculating without more information. "Whatever. Let''s just get started." Max turned his focus to finding a way to train, there was an NPC in front of him laying on the ground unconscious with a marker next to it, but Max simply ignored it. Looking around he didn''t know where to go, he was in the middle of nowhere. " AI show me the way, I need some opponents." [Recommendation: Only engage in PvP. The AI can protect your data in that setting. In PvE, security is significantly more difficult.] You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Max wasn¡¯t entirely sure why, but he trusted the AI¡¯s judgment. "Fine. PvP it is. But where Do I go." [Please head north, inside the city you can enter Pvp mode.] Max took to the sky without wasting time, his stats was exactly like his real body so his speed was no joke. "I''ve heard about something of sort, that superhumans has the advantage of starting with their powers and going further, unlike normal people who starts from scratch...........hmm, but I smell another conspiracy....." Max shook his head and focused on flying instead, to him it didn''t matter who was plotting who, and who was the chess player and who was the chess piece, he''d just play outside of the chessboard. Max hovered above the city, scanning its streets while his mind drifted elsewhere. The VR world was astonishingly realistic, but he still needed to adapt. Before anything else, he needed a weapon. ¡°AI, can you make me a hammer like the one I have in the real world?¡± said Max as he wrote the hammer stats and info, on a paper he stole from an NPC. the NPC was actually smart enough to ignore the matter upon looking at Max''s intimidating appearance, and even gave him a feather pen. [Direct creation would expose anomalies in the system. Instead, I recommend an alternative method.] Max narrowed his eyes. ¡°What method?¡± [Kill a monster. The system will generate a weapon as loot.] Max sighed but didn¡¯t argue. He turned toward the nearest wilderness zone and dove straight in. It didn¡¯t take long before he spotted a lone rabbit hopping around in a grassy clearing. ¡°¡­This better work.¡± Without hesitation, he shot down like a missile and slammed his fist into the rabbit¡¯s head. BOOM! The ground cracked as the creature splattered into the dirt. A few seconds later, golden particles shimmered above the corpse, forming into a weapon¡ª A blood-red hammer. Max picked it up, feeling its weight. It wasn¡¯t an exact replica of his real weapon, but close enough. He gave it a few test swings before nodding in satisfaction. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s handled.¡± Back in the city, Max had the AI lower all his stats to D-rank. He wanted to test himself in a real close range fight without any advantages. "AI, find me a close range opponent, can you do that?" [ Positive.. But first enter the PVP building, at the center of the city. ] Max went there immediately. ........ [Matching in progress¡­] [Opponent found: D-rank Martial Artist.] ¡°Perfect.¡± The insides of the normal medieval building suddenly changed as The arena materialized around him, a simple stone battlefield. His opponent was a bald, muscular man dressed in loose martial artist robes, his fists wrapped in white cloth. Max smirked, tightening his grip on his hammer. ¡°Let¡¯s see how I do in close combat." he had no intention of using any of his skills, and wanted to keep it a physical fight to practice. The countdown began. 3¡­ 2... Before the countdown was over Max had the AI check the opponents stats, and they were quite similar to his, other than agility which Max had the slight advantage in. ¡­ 1¡­ Fight! Max rushed in, expecting to leverage his slightly superior speed. But the moment he swung his hammer¡ª BAM! A fist crashed into his ribs. Max barely registered the pain before another blow followed¡ªthen another, then another. He couldn¡¯t even react. His hammer didn¡¯t matter when his opponent weaved through his attacks effortlessly. The martial artist danced around Max who was fighting like a headless chicken. A final palm strike smashed into his chest. CRACK! Max¡¯s body exploded into pixels. ............... Respawning back in the city, Max stood in stunned silence. ¡°¡­What the hell was that?¡± He had been slightly faster than his opponent, but he still got destroyed. At close range all he had been fighting until now was those beastholders, just brutal strength and aggression. ¡°Compare to this martial artist, those beastholders should be ashamed for claiming to be close range Fighters.¡± Max touched his body in discomfort looking for a any injury, the battle was very quick but brutal and Max felt every second of it. "Lesson learned. It''s better to avoid fighting in close range in the real world, at least until I can get some experience in my pocket." Max scratched his chin. "AI make the next opponent at the A-rank." This time, Max restored his stats to normal and entered the matchmaking system again.'' [Opponent found: A-rank powerhouse.] A smirk tugged at his lips. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see how I stack up.¡± As the arena formed again, Max cracked his knuckles. "Let''s keep it at telekinesis only." Max¡¯s stats didn''t even qualify him to be a B-rank but telekinesis Advanced mastery can allow him to even fight A-ranks, and he needed to see where he stands at the A-rank before Kain-city''s ordeal, just in case he had to fight one. Chapter 182 The arena glowed with a faint, ethereal light as Max stepped in, eyes locked on his opponent across the stone battlefield. "a Mage." Max could feel the tension in the air. His opponent stood tall, a young man draped in flowing robes, his eyes glowing faintly with arcane energy. He raised his hand, a small orb of what seemed like blue fire igniting in his palm as he stared at Max with a knowing smirk. "You look confident," the mage said, his voice echoing across the arena. "But confidence is never enough." Max cracked his neck, focusing inward, ignoring the words. Even if he won this guy won''t actually die, other than practice it was pointless, so his habit of monologuing simply didn''t kick in. The countdown began. 3... 2... 1... Fight! The moment the countdown hit zero, Max crushed the air around the mage with over a million kilograms of force¡ª ¡ªbut the mage blinked away in an instant, appearing outside of Max¡¯s range. Before Max could react, the mage began casting. A shimmering defensive barrier formed around him, its arcane energy reinforcing his body. Max didn¡¯t hesitate. He launched his hammer with telekinesis, sending it hurtling toward the mage¡¯s skull. The mage blinked sideways, dodging the attack, and finished his spell. Now shielded, he counterattacked¡ªa blast of energy exploding toward Max. Max didn¡¯t block. He propelled himself forward with a telekinetic burst, dodging mid-air and closing the distance. The mage¡¯s eyes widened as Max reached out¡ª The mage was yanked violently into the air by an invisible force, his body slamming into the ground before he could teleport again. Boom! The entire arena shook as Max whipped him sideways, slamming him into the walls. The defensive barrier flickered but held. Max clenched his fists as he slammed his opponent head first towards the wall. ¡°Stubborn thing, aren¡¯t you?¡± The mage blinked out of Max range as he snarled, gathering energy. His body shimmered¡ªclones split off in every direction. Max swept the battlefield with a wave of raw force, crushing illusions instantly. The real mage flashed behind him, unleashing a point-blank arcane blast¡ª BOOM! Max was sent flying. Pain flared in his right arm as he saw blood and bone¡ªhis arm was gone. Before he could recover, another energy strike was aimed at his head. instinctively he used telekinesis to deflecte the attack, but not completely as it sliced through his right ear, severing it. Max gritted his teeth against the pain. Enough. His telekinetic grip wrapped around the mage¡ªthis time, he didn¡¯t let go, and that blink spell or whatever it was seemed to be on cooldown. He slammed the mage into the ground with full force, over and over, the stone cracking beneath the sheer pressure. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The mage twitched, his barrier shattered¡ª One final impact, and the mage lay still. Max stood over his fallen opponent, panting, blood dripping from his missing arm. His body trembled, but his smirk remained. He had won. At a cost. As the adrenaline faded the pain started to kick in, and Max''s smirk was wiped out. " respwan!". In an instant Max found himself back in the city fully healed. With a clear head he started thinking about the battle. "Hmm, in pure force I should at least be above average, but for quicktime strategy I am completely useless." Max scratch his hair in annoyance, the mage had used simple yet targeted moves specifically for himself. At the start he should of used some scanning skill and got Max''s information, after the mage gave up on normal range attacks such as fire balls, because he should of known that Max could deflect them easily. Next he used the right strategy with what''s available, his reaction was too fast because of the mages trait (mind space), but that''s not an excuse for Max. "Now that I think about it, I feel like an idiot with a lot of power. Can''t leave it like this....... AI next fight." Max kept fighting. One battle after another, he pushed himself against every opponent he could find. Some fights ended in his favor, while others exposed his weaknesses brutally. He faced A-ranks of various professions, and most of them crushed him due to their superior experience. No matter how strong he was, the difference in battle instincts was clear. One opponent, a speed-focused A-rank, ended the fight before Max could even react. His head was gone in an instant. Against a pure strength A-rank, however, Max managed to win. The fight dragged on, but eventually, he won. He even lost to some special B-rank fighters or ones that countered him. Some had strange, mystical abilities. One could turn into a phantom, completely ignoring Max¡¯s telekinesis. Others had bizarre skills that made them unpredictable. The losses piled up, but Max didn¡¯t care. He was learning. Night had settled over the digital world, as Max stood still, deep in thought. Fighting alone wasn¡¯t enough. He could keep throwing himself into battles, but that wasn¡¯t the smartest way to improve. Then, an idea struck him. He glanced up at the VR sky, his mind clicking into place. "There are already four forces stealing the data of fighters in this world¡­ Why can¡¯t I be the fifth?" Max called out to his AI. ¡°Can you steal the data of fighters and people in the VR?¡± [Downloading or copying data would be dangerous and easily detectable.] ¡°What about redirecting it? If we funnel the information into an NPC, instead of taking it ourselves, than the NPC could teach me, could that work?¡± Max held his breath as The AI processed the question, if this works it would be equivalent to having the experience of the entire population in his disposal. [Calculating...] [Confirmed. The quest system in Arena Online generates missions randomly. As long as you start a quest, I can create an NPC to act as a teacher, helping you grow stronger for the assigned task.] [This will be undetectable. The AI will not touch the data directly¡ªonly redirect it into the NPC¡¯s programming, then slightly adjust the NPC¡¯s behavior to serve as a teacher for you specifically.] "what about the thing where I have to stay away from PVE." [Calculating... Since it''s a special tutor NPC and the battle is friendly, I can manage to hide your info, as long as you avoid being recorded by other players.] Max smirked. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it, and make the NPC theaching exclusive to me.¡± Max entered a random shop and walked up to the NPC behind the counter. ¡°I want a quest,¡± he said casually. The NPC blinked before responding in her pre-programmed tone. "well! I don''t know you, so I can''t trust you enough to give you some important job, how about you get some flowers as a starter and we''d see." [Quest Generated.] Main Objective: -Collect 20 flowers from the nearby forest. Optional Objectives: -Learn from the Sage Tiger to improve martial arts skills for the quest. -Learn the Ways of the Mind from the Evil White Monkey to help you succeed. -learn from.... -learn from.... Max raised an eyebrow. "Flowers?.. Whatever.." Without hesitation, he ignored the main objective as he flew towards the Forest, and headed straight for a hidden underground arena instead, following the marker of the optional objective. The underground arena was a vast, dimly lit chamber, its walls lined with stone torches that flickered with an eerie glow. Eight NPCs stood at different corners, each exuding a different aura¡ªmasters of various specialties. Max¡¯s eyes landed on one in particular. The Evil White Monkey. A hunched, silver-furred humanoid creature, its glowing red eyes radiated dangerous intelligence. Unlike the other NPCs, who waited passively, the monkey grinned at him, as if expecting his arrival. Max approached. ¡°Teach me something useful.¡± The monkey laughed. "Very well, little one. But lessons here are paid for in pain." ''huh.... Seems pretty smart and alive for an NPC made on the spot, this VR is really something else.'' ............... Max spent the next few hours learning telekinetic tricks from the monkey. It taught him precision control, subtle force manipulation, and ways to layer his telekinesis for compound effects. But every lesson came with a fight. And Max died. Again. And again. Each time, the monkey crushed him mercilessly, breaking his body apart with brutal counters before he could even react. He respawned on the spot, only to be killed again seconds later. By the time he gave up, his body ached¡ªeven though it wasn¡¯t real. Max sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°Enough for today.¡± He exited the underground arena, logging off the VR for now. Chapter 183 Max stepped out of the VR capsule, his body aching from hours of relentless training in the digital world. The dim light of the mountain house filtered through cracks in the stone walls, casting long shadows across the room. He stretched, feeling the residual fatigue fade as his mind processed everything he had learned. Enough was enough¡ªfor now. While the VR training had been invaluable, it was time to shift focus. The simulator¡¯s cooldown was finally over, and Max knew that simulating his pets could yield even greater results. But first, he needed to decide who would benefit most from another run. Sitting on the edge of the capsule, Max called out softly, "Lucy." A faint hum echoed through the air before a shimmering green light materialized near him. Lucy appeared, her form flickering like sunlight dancing on water. Her glowing eyes locked onto Max''s, and she tilted her head slightly, letting out a soft. " mimimi". "Hey, Lu," Max said with a small smile. "I¡¯ve been thinking. Simulating the crows again won¡¯t bring much benefits, at least not with just one simulation and probably we only have time for one before the ordeal with Kain-city. But you... you¡¯re different." Lucy¡¯s eyes widened at the mention of herself. She floated closer, her curiosity piqued. "Your simulation is kinda of a gamble," Max continued, his tone serious. "But if it means you can get stronger for what¡¯s coming up in Kain-city than it''s worth this small risk. Moreover I have a plan. so tell me did you memorize those two blueprints Lucy mimicked his expression, nodding eagerly. her excitement was palpable. '' memorize. memorize. memorized!...'' Good, now Here¡¯s the plan: first I need you to......... And.......... Than...... finally...... ." Lucy wasn''t sure she understood the reasoning behind Max''s orders but she remembered them nevertheless, as she nodded in confirmation. " also Use whatever resources you find, whether it¡¯s minerals, plants, or anything else. And remember, don¡¯t hold back. If you encounter something dangerous, face it head-on and use full strength immediately." Lucy let out a determined "mimimi", her form pulsing with green light as if affirming her resolve. "Good," Max said, activating the simulator. "Let¡¯s see how far you can go." He already studied the map of this world, and there was two suitable starting locations for Lucy, both are mountains within cities, one should be a Capital City from its location and how big it was, so Max picked it, since he didn''t have enough information to judge which of the two locations were better. "Ready?" Lucy responded with an enthusiastic "mimimi", her light growing brighter. "Alright then," Max said, starting the simulation. "Let¡¯s do this." [Simulation starting] [In the first year, you found yourself in the heart of a bustling human capital. A towering mountain stood at the center of the city, its peak shrouded in Mist, and you were right in front of it. Without hesitation, you merged with the mountain, spreading your consciousness through its rocky veins.] [In the second year, you observed the humans below, learning their language and customs. Using the Kraxtal weaving forging method, you crafted small trinkets and tools simply for practice while ensuring your actions remained subtle and unnoticed.] The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [In the third year, some of your skills were growing stronger passively, this mountain was stronger than any mountain you possessed, as far as you can remember but you ignored the matter as it wasn''t of importance, and you had a job to do. By the end of the year you mastered the language of this world in both text and speech. This was the first step of the plan Max told you to follow so you were proud of yourself, but you still had to practice more with the Kraxtal weaving, and master the two blueprints and modify them a little which will take some time.] "huh! A special mountain.." [In the fifth year, several witches began to notice your presence. Unlike knights, who were oblivious to spirits, those witches possessed an innate sensitivity to entities like you. Following Max''s instructions, you eliminated any witch who approached the mountain, using telekinesis to crush them silently before they could raise alarms. Although You weren''t too sure who was a witch and who wasn''t, so according to Max''s orders you simply killed anyone suspicious within the mountain, man or woman immediately on sight. At some point you simply started crushing anything that seemed to half-suspicious]. [In the tenth year, rumors of strange occurrences around the mountain spread among the populace. Some whispered about a spirit guarding the peak, while others claimed it was cursed. Others claimed it was witches, and even sent knights to investigate. You ignored these tales, focusing instead on refining the preparations for the plan.] [In the twentieth year, you completed preparations for Max''s big plan. Though you didn''t know the specifics, you trusted that your efforts would contribute to it. You''d start forging and designing immediately and by your estimates it should take a few years to finish. Meanwhile, you continued practicing telekinesis and observing the kingdom below.] [In the twenty-third year, the city hosted a grand carnival, drawing crowds from all corners of the realm. Even the king and queen made appearances, parading through the streets amidst cheers and festivities. From your vantage point, you watched the spectacle unfold, deciding this was a holiday so you had to rest.] [In the twenty-fifth year, whispers spread throughout the kingdom about a fearsome witch-hunter stalking the land. Unbeknownst to the people, this "hunter" was none other than you, systematically eliminating witches that approach the mountain one by one. Your efficiency and ruthlessness earned you a reputation among the superstitious masses.] [In the thirty-sixth year, a powerful witch approached the mountain. She wasn''t just any witch¡ªit was the queen herself, a master manipulator hiding in plain sight. Recognizing her, you hesitated for a fraction of a second simply out of surprise, breaking your usual pattern of instant execution. In that moment, the queen unleashed a devastating spirit attack, wounding you severely. You attacked at the same time using your full might, and although you managed to kill the queen, the damage was done. The spirit attack struck deep, shattering your mental clarity. As the years passed, you slipped into a brain-dead-like state. You no longer knew who or what you were, existing only as a faint consciousness tethered to the mountain.] Max slapped his head in speechlessness. "Just my luck!.." Lucy had just lost whatever little intelligence she had, thid simulation was practically over. [In the 97th year, Years went by, and life continued around you. One day a certain skill of yours seemed more alive, and it pulled at your subconscious. Although you didn''t understand what was happening and what you were doing. The vines within the mountain began to move instinctively, responding to some primal urge buried deep within your subconscious. Over time, these movements evolved into deliberate practice sessions.] [In the 140th year, You are a dragon or at least that''s the answer you came out with after years of wondering what you were. This was the only logical conclusion you came to, as your skill (Dragon Vine) experienced small success, and you became stronger.] "huh?".. [In the hundred-ninetieth year, you had unknowingly mastered Dragon Vine to the Advanced mastery while ignoring all other skills, believing yourself to be a dragon reincarnated. With each passing day, your connection to the vines grew stronger. The kingdom kept sending troops to deal with the troublesome haunted Mountain, although you just considered them as the enemy of the Dragon race and dealt with them all.] "what the?....." [In the hundred-ninety-first year, you achieved Perfected Mastery in Dragon Vine, gaining the perfected effect ''Dragon Spirit'' which undo the normal use of the skill, and changes it to summoning dragon vines capable of acting independently. You believed that those were your kin coming to your aid after so many years of loneliness. You no longer had to fight against the enemy of the Dragon race in a lonely War, you had companions now. Knights charged against the animated flora, their swords clashing against thorny tendrils. You responded by summoning one dragon vine after another although it took a long time, but with four Dragon Vines you overwhelmed your foes.] Your companions wreaked havoc across the city, forcing the kingdom to take drastic measures. They invited a legendary witch from a distant land to deal with the "haunted mountain."] [In the two hundred sixty-seventh year, the invited witch arrived, wielding powers beyond anything you had faced. Despite your mastery over Dragon Vine, you fell victim to the witch¡¯s cunning spells. With a final burst of energy, the witch defeated you, severing your connection to the mountain.] [You died.] [Simulation ended. Please pick your reward.] Max sighed heavily, disappointment weighing on his shoulders. He had hoped for more, but even so, Lucy¡¯s growth was undeniable. Still he had to confirm something. "Simulator scan Lucy and tell me if there is a problem with the skill Dragon Vine." [ reporting... there is no problem with the skill nor any kind of hidden danger.] "so it''s safe to bring this perfected mastery version?". [ Affirmative.] "huh! So it''s just Lucy''s special mind state, or lack of, that caused what happened inside the simulation..." Selecting Dragon Vine as the reward, Max leaned back in his chair, deep in thought, as Lucy regained her focus and tilted her head feeling the changes with her skill (dragon vine).