《Rough Draft for: Reborn Apocalypse - Volume 3》


 Chapter 1

    Note: Be sure that you finished reading Volume 2 to the end before you read Volume 3''s rough draft here!


    Volume 2 ended with Micheal leaving the First Layer. If you don''t remember that... go read Volume 2 over!


    You can find the edited story live on Amazon here:https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B07RNNJB8K</a>


    For other nations, simply search "Reborn: Apocalypse" in the Amazon search bar and it should pop up.


    -----


    Alone in a sea of green stood a tree. Ancient and proud, stretching upwards towards the sky as if to say even the sun itself was not worthy of making it bow, this tree had stood unbending for centuries. Its bark was withered and grey, but carried within it a strength to last generations more. The leaves on its branches were a dull green, carrying little color but holding on to life nevertheless.


    Around this tree, the sea of grass spread out for hundreds of miles. This lone tree was joined by thousands of others, spread out roughly 5 to 8 meters apart in irregular patterns. Some trees were taller than others, while some were shorter or fatter. This particular tree was set farther apart than all the others, roughly 15 meters away.


    There was nothing particularly special about this tree, apart from its oddly tall, unbreaking posture and its lone stature. It was calm and quiet, still and silent, carrying a presence that was both subtle and overwhelming at the same time.


    Its quiet stillness was destined to come to an abrupt end, as fate would have it.


    A quiet flash of light warped the air around this tall tree. This light fled just a moment later, leaving behind a robed and masked figure.


    The figure stood at an above-average height and wore a set of unassuming green robes. The mask he wore covered his face completely, a simple white mask that revealed a pair of gleaming blue eyes.


    This masked man sat up as soon as he appeared, getting to his feet in an instant. His head snapped to the left and the right as he looked around carefully.


    In the background, many voices could be heard. Some were joyful and excited, while others were worried and confused. If one focused, they would be able to pick out hundreds of distinct voices, coming from all over.


    ¡®Hmm. Well, it looks like I made it to the Spawning Grounds successfully.¡¯ Micheal thought, his eyes narrowing.


    The area looked exactly the same as it had when he arrived here before. Tens of thousands of trees and a huge field, stretching as far as the eye could see.


    This was where every human that came from the First Layer appeared after reaching the ¡®Subway¡¯ exit. There wasn¡¯t any magical trial one had to conquer to leave the ¡®Subway.¡¯ All you had to do was sit on a bench.


    As Micheal finished studying his surroundings, he took a deep breath and then exhaled.


    Just like that, he had made it to the Second Layer.


    After a moment, Micheal frowned beneath his mask as he reached up andtapped on it lightly.


    ¡®Did it mess it up?¡¯ Micheal¡¯s emotions were calm as he tapped on his Spatial Ring, pulling out a small glass mirror.


    He quickly pulled off his white mask and looked into the mirror, keeping his face concealed while he did so.


    After a moment, however, he smiled, storing the mirror away. He didn¡¯t put the mask back on, but instead stored it too, and strapped a longsword to his waist.


    ¡®Good. It stayed.¡¯ Instead of Micheal¡¯s normal smiling visage, a slightly tan, handsome appearance that he had known for most of his life, made slightly more muscular by all the training he¡¯d been through on the First, Micheal¡¯s face had changed.


    His face had grown slightly thinner and far paler, gaining a sort of ethereal quality. His eyes gleamed lightly from the Ki energy in his body, matching a warm smile. The hints of muscle in his face had become slightly more delicate, though still present.


    But the biggest and most obvious change of note was the huge, red splotch that covered 2/3rds of his face, starting on his right side and marring his appearance. A giant, pale red birthmark that, combined with the other changes, made him completely unrecognizable.


    Micheal picked a specific direction to walk in and began to stride forward, leaving his tree immediately. His thoughts focused on these changes, still pleased with what he saw.


    The teleportation between the First Layer and the Second Layer was magical. The process of it would heal any cuts or slashes you had, help set any broken bones or other injuries, even fatal ones. Through the same metric, it would also heal any injuries to the Soul one had.


    This had been particularly important to Micheal because, before he left the First Layer, he had been sure to practically rend his Soul practicing with Master Tier Sword Energy.


    After all, his boosted Soul stat would only last while on the First Layer. After he got to the Second Layer, the boost vanished, the power of his Soul returning to normal.


    The baptism of so much Master Tier Sword Energy, however, was immensely helpful for helping adapt Micheal¡¯s Soul to use the deadly power as early, and with as little energy as possible.


    ¡®That probably saved me at least a month of training.¡¯ He felt at his Soul, feeling its flexibility and resilience. It didn¡¯t increase the power of his Soul, but definitely made progress in adapting it to using Master Tier Sword Energy. He had used a rather voracious amount, such that he was almost sent into a coma.


    However, as he knew, the teleportation between Layers would also heal physical injuries¡­ and that was why Micheal had quickly checked his face when he arrived, and worn a mask beforehand.


    The huge, new birthmark he had on his face was from using a rather simple poison formula that was known to permanently stain one¡¯s flesh. Its effects looked nearly identical to a regular birthmark. The poison itself originated from a rather famous incident in the future.


    It also had the side effect of making his skin paler and having a few ¡®beauty-ifying¡¯ effects, like making his face and body look less muscular.Stolen story; please report.


    Because of the way the birthmark appeared and these changes took place, Micheal hadn¡¯t been sure if it would stay on his face. Thankfully, it seemed like it had. He was also confident that he could get his Life Orbs to not heal the birthmark or revert these changes when he died.


    The Orbs would ¡®heal¡¯ him by restoring him to his normal capacity. As long as his body viewed all of this as ¡®normal,¡¯ it would remain this way. He would only have to convince his body that it wasn¡¯t ¡®normal¡¯ later if he wanted to revert back to normal.


    This was all rough conjecture that needed testing, but Micheal felt like it was an accurate assessment. That said, he should probably stay alive for as long as possible to give his body time to get used to it.


    Thus, he now had an appearance that very few people would recognize.


    ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Micheal surveyed his surroundings as he walked, ignoring the people that popped up all around him.


    It was around the middle of the morning on the Second Layer. Tons of people on the First would be sneaking into Subways to move on to the Second Layer, creating a rather constant supply of people popping up at various Spawning Trees.


    Most of those people would excitedly fall to the ground, hugging the grass and trees. Many would cry or celebrate, jumping for joy at escaping the vile nightmare that was the First Layer. All around, Micheal could hear such cheers and merriment, raw joy and happiness.


    Micheal only sighed when he saw that. He wondered if he had been like that when he first got here.


    If the First Layer was a nightmare, then the Second Layer was hell itself.


    ¡®Not yet, though. Not yet.¡¯ Micheal clenched his fists, emotion cindering in his eyes.


    ¡®I can fix it, like I did the First. And this time, no failures.¡¯ His mouth twisted as he thought about the one huge stain on his record.


    The death of the Godfather, Cameron, a good man he had failed to save.


    He had started a mental list with Cameron''s name at the top, vowing to never forget him, or anyone else he failed.


    Micheal rubbed his forehead, wanting nothing more than to lay down and rest. For him, it had only been a few hours since Cameron died.


    In that time, he had spawned a new Life Orb, written out several long messages for Shin and Sophia, a private message for the Seer, and one for Doctor Isaiah as well. There was much that needed to be done on the First Layer still, but it was now within very reasonable levels. He had laid a powerful enough foundation, especially for the billions of people that had yet to arrive.


    Humanity would have a very real chance this time around.


    The others could finish it up, especially with Shin and Sophia behind to handle those last few tasks. He, in the meantime, needed to move on to the Second Layer. He didn¡¯t have a minute to waste, not if he wanted to stop the Great Disaster. There was much to do before they came up and rejoined him.


    After walking for a few miles, Micheal passed several large crowds of humans standing around a stage. There were hundreds of similar stages set up at various spots within the Spawning Grounds, each one with several speakers talking into a microphone.


    New Chosen that had just reached the Second Layer would naturally congregate there, full of questions and worries. No one that made it to the Second Layer was naive, and many were suspicious. However, the idea of free information on an unknown, and likely dangerous world, was a draw few people could ignore.


    Micheal ignored them completely as he walked directly past several groups, his eyes zeroing in on a small, stone wall in the distance.


    This wall encircled a large ¡®Camp¡¯ or basically a village where new Chosen could stay after they arrived in the Spawning Ground. The wall was well maintained, but only 3 meters tall, making it very clear that it wasn¡¯t a serious defensive wall. It likely only kept out small animals and nuisances.


    The Spawning Grounds were huge, one of the few strongholds of humanity on the Second Layer. There were hundreds of these Camps spread out along the Spawning Grounds, each one able to hold tens of thousands of humans if need be.


    ¡®It¡¯s not enough for the Fourth Wave.¡¯ Micheal frowned when he realized that. Humanity was woefully unprepared to deal with each increasing wave, especially as billions of people began pouring through.


    He had come early compared to most Fourth Wavers, but these facilities would likely reach their maximum capacity in just a few months, perhaps sooner.


    As Micheal kept walking, he began to adjust to the gravity of the Second Layer.


    His body felt heavier, every movement taking more energy and effort for the same result. If the gravity of the First Layer had been roughly equivalent to Earth¡¯s, the gravity of the Second Layer was around 35% stronger.


    It was a very sizable increase for people that weren¡¯t used to such changes. Regular people would likely find it intolerable and develop all sorts of health issues. But as long as you had some physical boosting ability from the Shop, Ki Cultivation being the clear winner, it was bearable.


    This 35% change had to do with the law of gravity itself, and how the math of gravity worked, however, and not with the size of the planet they were on. Scientists had done a great deal of research when it came to this problem, eventually determining that the laws of reality itself had changed.


    They were in a ¡®higher¡¯ reality now, where gravity was naturally more powerful. It was hard to wrap one¡¯s mind around the concept, so Micheal typically just accepted it for what it was. He left the researching to the researchers.


    ¡®The air¡­¡¯ Micheal thought, waving his hands slightly.


    It was rich in energy, decently more so than the First Layer. Here it should be possible to naturally cultivate to the Sky Tier, even if you weren¡¯t an abnormal freak like Director Prime.It still required a lot of talent and was very difficult, practically impossible for most.


    ¡®But it¡¯s not enough. If I recall, the maximum one can normally reach is the Middle of Sky Tier. It¡¯s almost impossible to reach the Late Stage, and essentially impossible to reach the Peak Stage.¡¯ He nodded to himself as memories of the Second Layer rushed over him. It was only on the Third Layer that one could reach the Lord Tier of Ki Cultivation. The Second was still limited to Sky Tier.


    And worse, for many people, was that you couldn¡¯t buy Sky Tier Ki Cultivation here. You actually had to achieve it with your own effort.


    The Points Wall sat at around 500,000 Points, give or take 25,000 Points. Buying Sky Tier Ki Cultivation in the Shop cost 606,500 Points.


    ¡®I wonder what my Points Wall is at?¡¯ With a Soul Quality that reached 3 Stars, the limits of his Points Wall should¡¯ve risen considerably. He didn¡¯t quite understand how it worked, but it seemed that a higher Soul Quality allowed him to ease some of the restrictions reality enforced, letting him raise his Points Wall.


    ¡®Also¡­ will the Champion¡¯s Gift affect my Points Wall?¡¯ He looked down at his leaner body, unsure of how it might transform in the future. He also noted that the poison he¡¯d taken had made all of his muscles look noticeably thinner and leaner, though their strength and power was unaffected.


    While the effects of his Champion¡¯s Gift weren¡¯t usable currently¡­ they would be in the future. And when they did activate¡­ Micheal¡¯s excitement for this ¡®gift¡¯ was one that had reached extreme heights.


    His mind flashed back to the text of these rewards, the details he had gone over so many times already.


    .


    ¡ª-Reward Obtained¡ª-


    Reward: Champion¡¯s Gift


    .


    ¡ª-Champion¡¯s Gift¡ª-


    You have become a hero of ages, a Champion for your race. As a conqueror, you will destroy your enemies while reaping the benefits.


    You may gain the Attribute of any racewhose essence you absorb. (Limited to one use)


    .


    He could only use the reward once, but that didn¡¯t matter to him because of the word ¡®Attribute.¡¯


    This was a very specific word that was only discovered later on in the Seven Layers. It was how the ¡®7 Layers,¡¯ or the being that created the 7 Layers, referred to the unique aspect of each race.


    Humanity had its ¡®Shop¡¯ as its Attribute. Every race had its own Attribute. Many were boring, like low-level unique Physiques, while others were complex systems of magic or sorcery. There were at least as many Attributes as there were races, meaning a veritable font of them.


    And according to this reward, he could gain an entirely new Attribute as long as he could find the ¡®essence¡¯ of another race, which Micheal understood to mean the remnants of, like a corpse.


    To Micheal, this changed everything. His future plans, the powers he might choose, the goals he had set. This was an incredible reward, for one very important reason.


    He could steal the main Attribute that made the 12 Tribes of Deities so overwhelmingly powerful...


    Their precious ¡®Titles¡¯ system.


    And even better than that¡­


    The essence of a Deity¡­ he could find it on the Second Layer.


    For, to its inhabitants, the Second Layer was known by a different name.


    The Ancient World.


    And it just so happened to be a world that one of the Tribes of Deities had inhabited, long ago¡­


    .

 Chapter 2

    Getting the essence of a Deity would take time, especially given where it was located, so that was an idea Micheal tossed to the backburner for now.


    But just the fact that he could achieve it in the first place was already huge.


    As Micheal re-read over the description of the gift, he noticed something that made him frown.


    ¡®Nothing about this ¡®Gift¡¯ is tailored specifically to humanity.¡¯ It was a very general gift that could¡¯ve been given to any race. After all, every single race had its own unique First Layer, full of danger, in preparation to face the other races.


    It was entirely conceivable that every other race had the chance to have someone obtain this same gift. As Micheal went back over his memories of the future, he could pick out monstrous geniuses that humanity had fought against time and time again, suffering miserable losses.


    ¡®No human got this ¡®Gift¡¯ in the first timeline, or any future ¡®Gifts¡¯ if they exist, not that I know about. That probably explains at least some of the heavy losses we took.¡¯ He rubbed his chin at the thought. Humanity had missed out on one of its best rewards in the very beginning. And, in the chaotic 7 Layers where a single individual could have a very big impact, that was a very sore point.


    Micheal could subtly tell that this gift was one-of-a-kind, an innate kind of understanding that came with it. He would never get another option to use it again. He also hadn¡¯t heard of anything similar to this found on other Layers, but he wouldn¡¯t rule anything out. He would need to do a thorough assessment of the Second Layer before he moved on, just to be certain. Perhaps there might be another ¡®Gift¡¯ to be found, but with a different reward.


    Micheal tossed all of these thoughts from his mind as he finally finished traveling through the Spawning Grounds and reached the stone wall of the Camp he¡¯d first spotted in the distance.


    The wall stretched off to the right and left for several hundred meters, weathered and worn away by the trials of time. The top of the wall was covered with spikes of metal, making it dangerous to land on. That said, most people that made it to the Second Layer would have the strength of at least 3 to 4 regular humans, at the weakest, meaning such a wall would do little to stop them.


    Still, Micheal obediently walked up to the wide gate that was situated in the center of the wall, facing the Spawning Grounds.


    The gate was more of a very wide passageway, stretching around 20 meters across and split down the middle. One side was for traffic entering the Camp and the other side was for traffic leaving. It was made up of a large stone archway, built several meters up and higher than the regular wall itself.


    There was a roughly 20 person line waiting out in front of the entrance to the Camp, with the occasional person emerging from the exit. People of all shapes, colors, and sizes waited in line, dressed in a variety of clothes.


    At the gate entrance, an eight-man team of guards stood and talked to everyone that walked up. Seven of them were clearly humans, dressed in military fatigues and armed with guns. Four of them also held clipboards and were marking down information as they talked to people.


    The eighth one looked like a human, a man standing at around 2 meters of height with a tanned, weathered face. He wore a white shirt and a set of grey slacks, standing out from the military-like other guards. At his waist, a long, black blade lay sheathed.


    It was the small, green gem that was set in his forehead, and the unique green glow that emanated from his eyes, that instantly gave away his true origins.


    He was a member of the Byrium Race, or a Byren (pronounced: Beer-in) as they were commonly called. The dominant, and original, species that lived on the Ancient World.


    Micheal joined this line behind a group of men that were dressed in some type of archaic-looking red armor. He kept his presence small as he listened to his surroundings, taking in the chatter.


    ¡°¡­Samantha, I already told you. Vissy Grass gives the best ratio of Alliance Points. The Divine Might Sect put out a standing order to get¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Lu Chong¡¯s left to join the New Blade Sect. It¡¯s only a Small Grade Sect, but apparently their Grand Elder is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you see the size of that Mantis Tiger? I thought we were dead for sure¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Blake said that Baron Rex got in a battle with an Inner Elder from the Ground Demon Sect and forced a draw.¡±


    ¡°An Inner Elder?! Wow! How can¡­¡±


    Micheal¡¯s eyes flashed as he caught one particularly interesting tidbit while moving through the line.


    ¡®Baron Rex, huh¡­¡¯ Memories of the Second Layer swarmed his head.


    Memories of the ostensible ¡®leaders¡¯ of the Human race on the Second Layer.


    The Four Barons.


    Each one of the Four Barons was an extremely powerful expert, rated as the strongest humanity had to offer. They were the equivalent ¡¯S Rankers¡¯ of the Second Layer, monstrously talented humans that had grown extremely powerful over the years that they had spent here, and only continued to grow stronger as time went on.


    The Four Barons were considered the leaders of humanity. Unlike the dozens of split organizations and different Clusters on the First Layer, humanity on the Second Layer largely stayed within the same ¡®organization.¡¯


    The Human Alliance.


    It had a few other names, but it was generally understood to be the main, overseeing organization that humanity stuck to. It had its own internal factions, each one led by its own Baron, and a few other large groups, but none of them would overtly act against the other.


    After experiencing the horror that was the First Layer, people began to realize that everything they were going through here was very real. The concept that they were trapped in a ¡®death game¡¯ where the entire human race would be wiped out if they failed¡­ people began to accept it.


    This realization had the positive effect of helping rally humanity together, to at least some degree.


    ¡®For now, anyway.¡¯ Micheal snorted at the thought. By this point, he had moved halfway up the line, and was making steady progress towards the front gate.


    His eyes flicked behind him, however, as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.


    A group of women had walked up behind him, all dressed in long white robes with several distinct black lines on them. In particular, there were two sets of lines that were overlaid on their chest, a combination of an ¡®x¡¯ and a ¡®+¡¯ laid on top of each other.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    One of the symbols of the Purgatory Church.


    ¡°¡­remember ladies, keep a calm appearance and do your best to soothe the worries of our needy.¡± The leader of this group of women, an elderly matron with long, white hair, was giving a pep talk to the other girls. The ages of the women in the group ranged from 17 or 18 to the late 40s or early 50s, a motley crew that all appeared eager to learn.


    The Four Barons ruled the Human Alliance. But their rule was not absolute, for there was one other, very noticeable power present.


    The Purgatory Church.


    This religion had rapidly grown to power over the past 3 years, spreading faster and faster as time went on. Other religions coexisted alongside it as people tried to reconcile their beliefs with what was happening all around them.


    The religion spread relatively slowly on the First Layer, never grasping on to too sizable a hold. On the later Layers, however, it rapidly picked up steam as more and more humans accepted the changes to reality that went against almost every tenet they held dear.


    The more time passed, the stronger the Church became.


    Micheal could keenly remember the titanic influence it had, as one of the few organizations that grew to span all 6 of the 7 Layers that humanity had fought their way through.


    ¡®The Nirvana Saint should have arrived here before me.¡¯ Micheal frowned as he considered this. That man was an enigma that he absolutely could not ignore, far more so than the Four Barons. Those warriors were all extremely powerful humans, but the charisma and influence that the Nirvana Saint held was dangerous in its own way.


    It was because of him that the Church became such a permanent powerhouse in the future.


    Micheal rubbed his forehead and sighed.


    There was no point in stressing out over everything right when he arrived. He would need to take things one step at a time.


    ¡°Welcome to Camp Maybell, please state your name and business.¡± A gruff voice broke up Micheal¡¯s thoughts as he looked up.


    Micheal had reached the front of the line. The group ahead of him had split off to talk to one of the other guards, sorting their way in on their own.


    The speaker was Caucasian, a man with a balding head of hair and a slightly bulging stomach. His eyes, however, brooked no argument as he looked at Micheal expectantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m a newcomer that just arrived from the First Layer.¡± Micheal smiled politely as he spoke, his voice at a slightly higher pitch than it used to be. It matched his slightly more delicate appearance and added to his disguise. It also wasn¡¯t something he did on purpose. The poison that had stained his skin and altered his appearance had also altered his voice.


    ¡°Oh? Have you been through the New Chosen Walkthrough?¡± The guard perked up slightly, looking at him expectantly again.


    ¡°Yes, I have. I have decided to remain undecided for now. Everything is just so overwhelming.¡± Micheal held up a hand and rubbed his head, showing a hint of the very real exhaustion he felt.


    The guard nodded his head sympathetically. He then reached into a small bag he had attached to his waist and brought out what looked like a small, white poker chip.


    ¡°This is your Identity Token. Do you have the Ki Cultivation Ability?¡± The guard studied Micheal for a moment.


    Micheal let out some of his Earth Tier Ki, the green energy glowing lightly around his body.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The guard¡¯s eyes perked up as he saw this, his voice immediately becoming slightly more respectful.


    ¡°Yes. Well, if you infuse your Ki into this Token, it will leave an imprint that will be recognized as yours. You can use this to enter any of the Free Camps. Since you¡¯ve chosen to remain undecided, be aware that you only have two weeks until you will need to choose a Baron or a subsidiary group to join.¡± The guard¡¯s voice came off very matter of fact, as if he had said this line many times before.


    And, indeed, he probably had.


    The New Chosen Walkthrough referred to the various stages where speakers were set up in the Spawning Ground, telling newcomers about the Second Layer. Micheal had skipped it because he¡¯d already listened to it once before.


    In order to maintain the Human Alliance, and keep the Human race stable while there were so many potential enemies out there, all new arrivals were told they had to join one of the Four Baron¡¯s Syndicates, or one of the subsidiary groups that were allied to one Baron or another.


    Doing so would grant you special privileges and allow you to access certain private Camps, and various other benefits that came with joining each force. You would also be locked down, however, and required to go through some amount of training and do various odd jobs for each group.


    The Ancient World was inhabited with large tracts of ferocious beasts and creatures out of legend. The various humanoid races populated about 70% of this land, but the rest was swarmed with powerful monsters.


    Humanity¡¯s Spawning Grounds had been located in one of the safer areas, within the territory of the Divine Might Sect.


    The ¡®Human Alliance¡¯ system was a relatively stable one that had, thus far, turned out good results for humanity. Life right now was as safe as it ever would be on the Second Layer if you were in one of the four Baron¡¯s Syndicates.


    ¡°Thank you, I understand.¡± Micheal nodded his head and then infused a strand of green Ki into the white token. He watched as the token shivered in his hand, a faint, green imprint forming upon it.


    The guard then proceeded into another spiel, explaining how any act of violence was banned in the city, how theft would be punished extremely seriously, and that guards regularly patrolled the Camp. He managed to convey all of that information in roughly 20 seconds, a record in Micheal¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, sir. You¡¯ll need to make a choice in 14 days!¡± The guard gave him another cursory glance as he pulled out a clipboard.


    "What did you say your name was? It can be a nickname or a title, but it will be bound to your Identity Token." The guard pointed at the poker-chip like object.


    Micheal hesitated for only a split second before replying,


    "Legion. I go by the name Legion." His voice was emotionless.


    The guard gave him one last nod as he wrote that down and then waved Micheal forward, his eyes already trained on the next person in line.


    Micheal moved through the gate immediately, his eyes flicking to the side as he glanced at the Byren guard.


    The humanoid had taken a single glance at Micheal and then ignored him completely, turning his attention to other incoming humans. The man¡¯s gaze had felt a lot like a normal human¡¯s gaze, one that was bored and expecting nothing.


    Seeing a Byren guard here, working with humanity, wasn¡¯t at all unusual. After all, the Four Barons, by this point in time, should¡¯ve formed an official alliance with the Divine Might Sect, a huge organization composed of mostly Byrens. Given that humanity had spawned in their territory, such an alliance had proven vital to secure.


    The Byrium Race wasn¡¯t participating in the death game that was the 7 Layers. As a result, all of the invading races had done their best to seek out allies among the Byrens, clinging to any support they could foster.


    The Byrium Race was a race of powerful warriors that had a natural 3 Star Physique, the Emerald Mind Physique. The natural makeup of their bodies allowed them to have an easier time when cultivating Ki, allowing them to make great strides in power with less effort.


    They also had a few other special powers. One of them was the ability to tell how strong a warrior was with a single glance.


    In actuality, humanity had discovered that the power was linked to the green gem in their foreheads. It gave a Byren the power to lightly scan another creature, gaining a general understanding on how powerful their physical body was.


    By the standards of the Second Layer, Micheal¡¯s physical stats ranked him as a Third Rate Warrior, nothing very special and an all-too-common sight.


    That was exactly how Micheal wanted it, for now. He had no reason to draw attention to himself, yet, though that wasn¡¯t going to last long.


    Micheal walked past the gate and found himself inside a bustling town, full of mostly humans.


    The grounds of the streets were made of paved, grey stone, meandering off into the distance. To either side of this road were a slew of medieval-looking buildings, structures that were only a couple of stories high at most. Most were made out of brown wood, with orange tile rooftops.


    Dozens of people walked back and forth, talking cheerfully. Unlike the First Layer, the streets of this Camp in the Second Layer had an upbeat, cheerful attitude, almost as if one had come back to Earth.


    ¡°Oi, get out of the road!¡± A loud voice interrupted Micheal¡¯s musings, coming from his left.


    In his sweep of the street, and the nostalgia that came with it, Micheal had inadvertently walked into the middle of the paved road.


    He quietly walked out of the road¡¯s center and off to the side where various other humans walked, glancing behind him at the speaker.


    An armored man riding a sleek, black motorcycle had driven to a halt, glaring at Micheal in an annoyed manner. The fighter was wearing a set of black leather armor and had two large guns strapped to his back.


    When he saw Micheal move, he revved his engine and raced forward, moving down the center of the stone road.


    Micheal nodded his head when he saw that. It was possible to get a wide assortment of vehicles now, and actually put them to good use, through the Shop.


    Micheal took a deep breath as he let it really sweep over him.


    The Camps, the Four Barons, the Sects¡­


    He really was back.


    ¡®We can get started on everything tomorrow.¡¯ Micheal made the elective decision instantly as he turned his attention to the various buildings on the side of the road.


    ¡®For now¡­ let¡¯s find an Inn and get some rest.¡¯


    .

 Mass Release-Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

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    Warm sunshine wafted in through a shuttered window, the early gleams of dawn softly breaking the horizon. This light shimmered in the air as if in delight, dancing right next to Micheal.


    ¡°In¡­ out¡­ in¡­ out¡­¡± Micheal muttered a mantra repeatedly, the air around him visibly glowing with Earth Tier Ki.


    He was currently sitting on a plain wooden bed and mattress, tucked up against the side of a small bedroom. A small desk and a drawer were the only other pieces of furniture in the room.


    Unlike the First Layer, which was full of modern amenities, the Second Layer was much more restricted. If you wanted to find anything like a toilet, a car, an air conditioner unit, or more, you had to buy it yourself from the Shop.


    And, given how gravity was 30% heavier, there was no guarantee that the bought objects would last as long or work as efficiently, even if purchased from the Shop.


    Within Micheal¡¯s body, green energy was constantly cascading through his veins. Every time the energy fully circled his body, from his heart to his feet, his body would grow a tiny bit stronger. His bones grew sturdier, his muscles more tensile and durable, and his vision and senses more adept.


    Each ¡®cycle¡¯ brought out only a small amount of change. However, when repeated over and over and over, for days on end, it would gradually strengthen Micheal¡¯s body significantly.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Micheal let out a breath of air, his body shivering as he exhaled a small cloud of green energy. He opened his eyes after that, smiling slightly.


    ¡°Status.¡±


    .


    ¡ª - Status ¡ª -


    Name: Micheal Care


    Points: 75,391


    Race: Human


    Age: 18


    Physique: 1 Star


    Soul Quality: 3 Star


    Strength - 80


    Endurance - 56


    Recovery - 55


    Soul - 36


    Abilities - (5/7)


    Life Orb Master


    Ki Cultivator (Earth Tier - Early)


    Grandmaster Sword Mastery (1/5)


    Impact Release


    Ceaseless Mind


    .


    Apart from the large amount of Points he''d gained from defeating Head Cameron, there was no discernible change from the last time he''d checked his Status. Still, he could still feel the small increase in his cultivation. He could also get a general idea of how fast he was growing.


    At this rate, if he cultivated each day at the maximum he could achieve, he would reach the Middle Stage of Earth Tier in around three weeks.


    By any normal metric, that was insanely quick. It took him more than two and a half months to go from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage in his first life. The huge difference was mostly because of his lack of experience when it came to handling Ki. This time around, every cycle Micheal made was perfect, stretching out his progress to the absolute maximum every day.


    His 1 Star Physique was also helping, slightly, but it wasn¡¯t having as big of an impact. He felt it more in how he could get more stats from each Stage.


    ¡®It¡¯s not bad. But it¡¯s not fast enough. I need to up my Physique again.¡¯ His eternal irritation haunted him either way. He was still too slow.


    His current physical stats placed him as an average Third Rate Warrior here on the Second Layer.


    The ranking system for warriors on the Second Layer wasn¡¯t that different from how humans were rated on the First.


    Micheal mentally went over it as he finished his cultivation, compiling his plans.


    Normal people, and weaker humans, or people of other races, didn¡¯t get any rating at all.


    Third Rate Warriors were the starting line for people that actually held some amount of power. Around 90% of the warriors on the Second Layer were Third Rate Warriors. With a Strength stat of 80, Micheal was strong enough to be rated a Third Rate Warrior.


    Second Rate Warriors were the starting line for the elite. Showing power that surpassed the vast majority of other beings, Second Rate Warriors could be found among the leaders of guards in large cities, dangerous assassins of deadly repute, experts that had trained for many years, and were able to become ¡®Outer Elders¡¯ in any of the Six Great Sects.


    First Rate Warriors were the elite among the elite. Possessing power that could directly change the scale of a battle on their own, First Rate Warriors were deadly forces of war. They were typically only found as ¡®Inner Elders¡¯ in any of the Six Great Sects, or Sect Masters in smaller scale Sects.


    Micheal¡¯s current Soul stat was already at the level of an average First Rate Warrior.


    And after First Rate Warriors came the final normal tier: Supreme Warriors.


    Supreme Warriors were experts that had reached the apex normally achievable on the Second Layer. They were the Sect Masters of the Six Great Sects, and a few rogue experts that existed in hidden organizations or wandered the Second Layer seeking enlightenment. Most people viewed them as practically unstoppable, geniuses that went unrivaled except by each other.


    A First Rate Warrior could be stopped if you threw enough Second Rate Warriors at them. A Supreme Warrior, however¡­ only another Supreme Warrior could face them.


    As of right now, none of the other races openly had a Supreme Warrior expert. Humanity¡¯s Four Barons were all extremely strong ¡®First Rate Warriors¡¯ but they hadn¡¯t quite reached the level of a Supreme Warrior.


    ¡®Well, the Farians have a Supreme Warrior. But no one knows that yet.¡¯ Micheal tossed the thought to the side as he continued to ponder.


    Third Rate, Second Rate, First Rate, and Supreme. These were the four normally achievable tiers of the Second Layer.


    ¡®Normally, that is to say.¡¯ Micheal wrinkled his nose slightly.


    There were two other tiers apart from these four. One that was a step above, and one that was a step to the side.


    A ¡®Master,¡¯ a tier or title given to those warriors that had reached the Master Tier of Sword Mastery, or any other Weapon Mastery Ability. The Second Layer was a world obsessed with martial arts, and while experts that reached the Master Tier were extremely few and far in-between, they still existed, especially among the inhabitants of this world, the Byrens.


    Some Masters were able to use Master Tier Sword Energy to become deadly Supreme Warriors, while others just knew the rudimentary basics and were only very strong First Rate Warriors.


    And other than the Masters¡­


    There were the Six Lords.


    It was a unique name for a tier of experts, namely because the tier itself was unique.


    There were Six Great Sects on the Second Layer. They controlled most of the world and, currently, most were at war with one another.


    And in those Six Great Sects, there were six Lords of inordinate power. They were so monstrously powerful they could not be approached logically for a single reason.


    On the Second Layer, it was physically impossible to cultivate to the Lord Tier of Ki Cultivation. It didn¡¯t matter if you were a genius, it didn¡¯t matter what resources you used, it didn¡¯t matter how special your powers were.


    None of the races here were capable of achieving this feat. Even Director Prime¡­ well, Micheal wasn¡¯t quite sure about anything when it came to that man. But Micheal was well aware that it would be completely impossible for Micheal, himself, to achieve Lord Tier here.


    However, there was a single, or rather, six, exceptions to that rule.


    The Six Lords that backed each of Six Great Sects¡­ not only were all six of them in the Lord Tier of Ki Cultivation, they were also all at the absolute Peak Stage of the Lord Tier of Ki Cultivation.


    How that was possible had much to do with the history of this world.


    ¡®Still, they aren¡¯t my target for now.¡¯ Micheal rubbed his eyes as sighed.


    He looked around his room for a few seconds before he got up and began to prepare for the day. He took off his old clothes and changed into a new set of the same green robe, wrinkling his nose slightly as he looked at them. He didn¡¯t smell horrible, but he definitely wanted to take a bath or shower.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it later.¡± After spawning in and munching down a quick breakfast from the Shop, Micheal left his room and walked down a long, wooden hallway to a small staircase. He followed it downstairs into a small, Inn lobby.


    It had a quaint look to it, with a small couch and some pillows set opposite of a wooden counter. A young man stood behind that counter and gave Micheal a friendly nod as he walked past.


    When it came to the ¡®Camps,¡¯ all of the new arrivals were allowed free use of any of the Inns for the first two weeks they were here. This was one of the few things humanity had gotten partially right, giving the new people an easier chance to get a foothold.


    A large part of this had to do with how the Second Layer worked. The first two weeks that any new Chosen spent here were considered special.


    Unlike the First Layer, if a human killed another human that had only been here for two weeks or less, the killer wouldn¡¯t get any Points from killing that person. It was only after the first two weeks had passed that a human was considered ¡®fully arrived.¡¯


    There were many theories on why this kind of ¡®grace period¡¯ existed. Some researchers thought it had to do with how the Shop, and our Souls, operated. They believed it took time for our Souls to fully unite with the essence of the Second Layer, making it impossible to absorb any Points from someone without a fully integrated Soul.


    This theory was strengthened by the fact that the reverse was not true. A person that was within their first two weeks here could still kill other humans and obtain Points from them. The energy transfer would work one way, but it wouldn¡¯t work the other way.


    Every Layer worked like this, though each adjustment period was different.


    After the two weeks were over, however¡­ that ¡®grace period¡¯ would end and you had to join one of the Syndicates or one of the smaller organizations that were allied to the 4 Barons, or leave the territory of the Human Alliance.


    Micheal looked up and down the street as he casually left his Inn, scanning his surroundings. After he didn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary, he began to head up the street to the north. His Inn, the Jeston Inn, was located in the northern sector of the Camp.


    "The Hanmind Fire Spears are recruiting Ice Ability users to hunt Giant Blaze Lizards!"


    "...Casandra I have had enough lip from you, you can consider yourself removed from the Blue Lily Society-"


    "You''re selling Winter Wolf Fangs? Do you take Alliance Points?"


    The hubbub of life in the Camp serenaded Micheal, various men and women speaking, bartering, and arguing, reminding him a bit of the Open Markets on the First.


    As he moved, he constantly paid attention to his movements and his surroundings, trying to fully adjust to all of the changes he¡¯d been through.


    After his Soul Quality rose to 3 Stars and his Soul stat rose to 36, Micheal¡¯s perception of the world had changed substantially. His 3 Star Soul Quality mostly affected his ¡®talent¡¯ or growth rate, while also boosting the past results of his Ki training, and helping contribute to why his Soul stat rose as much as it did.


    Because of this, his ability to detect the presence of other beings through his Soul had greatly increased. If he focused, he would be able to innately sense the presence of anyone within roughly 23 meters of him, even if they weren¡¯t focused on him. Part of this had to do with his vast experience at detecting enemies around him, but part of it had to do with his upgraded Soul.


    Of course, if someone had a much stronger Soul or special Abilities, they would still be able to hide. But for the majority of foes he might encounter, Micheal was practically immune to a close-range ambush as long as he was careful.


    He would also be able to more easily flood an enemy with his own killing intent, something he could use as a type of mental weapon.


    Apart from that, his perception of time had undergone a period of rapid growth. He could now perceive things at a rate roughly ~26-27% faster than a regular human. His consciousness automatically adjusted for people speaking and most things, but the jarringly fast change was still overtly noticeable.


    It made it easier to dodge attacks, easier to detect enemies, gave him more time to think and focus, and let him react faster. The results of raising his Soul stat so intensely were slowly beginning to show their value.


    While it was something he had experienced a couple of times before, the feeling of such an abrupt change still took time to fully adapt to.


    Micheal quickly crossed through the Camp. He passed by more groups of men and women talking in the streets, comparing weapons, and moving back and forth with purpose. The town was filled with life as people went about their business.


    There were no beggars lining the streets nor were there cripples crying for help. The Camp was a picture of safety, of wealth, of law and order. A veritable utopia.


    ¡®Well, the Camps next to the Spawning Ground are still the same.¡¯ Micheal grimaced as he saw this. No matter how much the timeline of the First morphed, it seemed many things on the Second remained unchanged¡­ including some of the darkness that lay beneath the surface.


    Soon, Micheal reached the northern gate to Camp Maybell. The rather steely presence he gave off prevented anyone in the town from approaching him, making it easy to avoid any interaction. He passed through the gate after a brief discussion with the guards, with a reminder, of course, that he needed to make a choice in 13 days.


    Micheal then found himself in a large, open field of grass. Off to his right, the Spawning Grounds spread out, while a few Camps could be seen in the distance to the North.


    Micheal began to run northward and slightly to the left, loping along at a rapid speed as he put some distance between himself and the Camp. He kept a careful lookout as he ran, though he didn¡¯t feel or see anyone following him.


    There were people traveling between Camps, and he could also make out several large groups of people moving in various directions. The land near the Spawning Grounds was one of the more crowded areas.


    ¡®I¡¯ll need to run for about an hour till I can use my shoes.¡¯ He thought as he glanced down at his Cloud Stepping Shoes. Apart from that, the only other Artifacts he wore were his Mid-Tier Spatial Ring, his Aura Nullification Necklace, and the basic sword he''d strapped to his waist.


    He had no intention of running everywhere, nor did he have any intention of wasting any of his Points on a vehicle. Once he got far enough out of sight, he would break out his Life Orbs and take to the sky with his Cloud Stepping Shoes or just soar along near the ground.


    He needed the practice to help adapt his Soul to the changes it had undergone, and could use the time to think things over. There were so many things he wanted to do, he would need to narrow down the most optimal choices.


    ¡®Alright. The Big Plan: Part 1.¡¯ Micheal took a deep breath as he went over the first couple of plans he¡¯d propped up, based on all the information he had from the future, as well as his own experience and needs of the present.


    ¡®The first two things I need to do¡­¡¯ His eyes gleamed.


    The first was obvious.


    ¡®I need to activate my Champion¡¯s Gift as soon as possible.¡¯ If he could steal the Deity ¡®Title¡¯ System, the chances he had at stopping all of the Vile King¡¯s plots would explode exponentially.


    The second thing was, to him, also obvious.


    ¡®I need to stop Myla Hannis from getting assassinated in 21 days.¡¯ He would also need to get her to agree to help him. Part of the reason he¡¯d been so frantic to leave the First Layer had to do with this incident here.


    Micheal felt rather lucky as he considered this. He could do both of these things in close to the same area. It would save him quite a bit of time, though there was bound to be a huge amount of danger. If things went wrong, the consequences would be devastating.


    In addition to that... there was also one rather significant complication Micheal would need to address.


    Myla Hannis absolutely must not die. She was the key to stopping the Vile King¡¯s Great Disaster, a sequence of events that would devastate the Second Layer and cause hundreds of millions of humans to die.


    However¡­


    Myla Hannis¡­ wasn¡¯t a human.


    She also wasn¡¯t a Byren, the one race Humanity currently had a peace treaty with.


    Instead, she was a Farian.


    A race Humanity was currently fighting a war with.


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    After jogging for roughly 40 minutes, Micheal reached a point where there was no one else in sight. By then, he had crossed away from the Spawning Grounds, but was still in the vast, grassy plain.


    This territory had been mostly unoccupied before humanity arrived. It was nominally the territory of the Divine Might Sect, but in actuality abandoned and left to the wilds.


    This region had a rather special climate that made it difficult for most kinds of crops to grow, rendering much of the land useless. Ferocious beasts didn¡¯t see much value in the land either, making it a sort of safe-haven, but the uselessness of the land itself led to it being abandoned.


    The Spawning Grounds had magically arrived alongside humanity¡¯s presence. Seeing as humans could survive using the Shop, without the need to grow crops of their own, an area like this was a perfect match for humanity. Magic Beasts, a source for Points and rare resources, could be found in several large forests that were located nearby, making this area practically a safe haven for the powerful.


    The Divine Might Sect that owned this land was part of the Six Great Sects. Each of these Sects controlled roughly the same amount of land, around the size of a mid-sized country on Earth. The continent that the Six Great Sects lived on was called the Asora Continent, and was shaped like a large, wobbly circle. These Sects were the ¡®Superpowers¡¯ of this world and each individually held an enormous amount of influence.


    Each Great Sect bordered two to three other Great Sects, and typically housed a number of smaller ones, creating a balance that prevented any Great Sect from going all out and attacking one another. Doing so would leave their home base relatively unguarded and vulnerable, encouraging others to attack them in their moment of weakness.


    The Divine Might Sect was located directly on the East side of the Asora Continent, with the Ground Demon Sect to the South of them, the Silent Sword Sect to the North, and the White Mountain Sect to the West. As for the two other Great Sects, the Heaven Slayer Sect and the Evil Light Sect, the Divine Might Sect didn¡¯t share any borders with them.


    Humanity¡¯s Spawning Ground was located in a Northeastern region of the Divine Might Sect''s territory, tucked up into an unimportant corner. If Micheal had wanted to, he could¡¯ve traveled East for a few dozen miles and hit the Grand Ocean.


    It was currently the middle of Spring, or Winwarm as the Byrens called it, on the Second Layer. That meant it was a decent temperature out, not too hot nor too cold thanks to where Micheal was located. Micheal didn¡¯t care too much about the temperature, but did care about which season it was, largely due to the weather.


    Weather on the Second Layer was known to be rather haphazard, especially during the ¡®Summer¡¯ and ¡®Winter¡¯ months. Spring was slowly drawing to an end around now, meaning Micheal had plenty of time to act before having to deal with any annoying Magic Storms.


    After reaching a place where no one could see him, Micheal had called out his two Life Orbs and jumped upon them. His green robe was long enough that it could cover the Orbs up, though he wasn¡¯t particularly worried about being spotted out here. If he ran into anyone, he would just switch over to his Cloud Stepping Shoes.


    He then began to zoom off on his journey, continued North as he gradually headed towards the end of the land that had been, in part, ceded to humanity by the Divine Might Sect. The air whipped past him as he flew, staying low to the ground as he practiced using his newly strengthened Soul.


    He constantly worked on rotating his Life Orbs, manipulating them in odd turns or abrupt reversals, and all sorts of patterns designed to experiment with his Soul. He needed to adapt quickly to the increased power, knowing that it could make all the difference in battle.


    As he grew more adept with the increase, he could also feel something unique about his Life Orbs.


    They almost felt like they had grown¡­ sturdier, as if they became more durable as his Soul grew stronger. They felt like they could endure more powerful blows, though that was something he wasn¡¯t likely to test, not if he was trying to stay disguised.


    Alongside that, Micheal also vaguely felt as if something else had changed. He couldn¡¯t know for sure, not for a couple of days¡­


    But he had a feeling that the number of Life Orbs he could create, in total, had increased.


    If his guess was right¡­ then he could now store one extra Life Orb, which meant he had an extra life when push came to shove.


    ¡®Man¡­ the power to die and come back to life¡­¡¯ He shook his head slightly at the thought, still incredibly pleased. After his duel with Prime, a thought had become cemented in his mind: This Ability was truly mind-bogglingly powerful. While he now knew it couldn¡¯t heal injuries to the Soul, the fact that he could disregard injuries to the body was already incredible.


    He could really see why users with this power were famed for being unkillable.


    Micheal began testing his Cloud Stepping Shoes as he flew, getting to a point where he was comfortable with his Soul. Unfortunately, he quickly found an issue with them.


    That issue wasn¡¯t something he could solve: the enhanced gravity. His body, as of right now, wasn¡¯t super powerful. Physically, he was on the level of an average Third Rate Warrior, something that wasn¡¯t anything special.


    If he wanted to use his Cloud Stepping Shoes to jump high into the sky, and then use that height to glide long distances, his physical strength currently wasn¡¯t quite enough.


    Just jumping that high, alone, would be extremely exhausting. While his Strength stat was at 80, his Endurance and Recovery stats were only in the mid-50s. His body would grow tired long before he reached anything approaching a decent height.


    Such exhaustion would ruin any potential perks he might gain from being up so high, leaving him vulnerable to attack. His Life Orbs could restore injuries, but they couldn¡¯t restore spent energy. Exhaustion was a poison he would be unable to shed through normal means.


    As a result, he stuck to just soaring along the grass, only half a meter or so above it. He made fast speed and kept up his practice, blazing along steadily.


    The farther from the Spawning Grounds Micheal moved, the more and more rugged the landscape had become. The grassy plains where nothing seemed to grow gradually faded into the raw wilderness. Hills, forests, and a mix of wild territory spread out before him, dotted with wild animals, though he had yet to see any Magic Beasts.


    And it was here that Micheal finally saw his first ¡®Slum.¡¯


    He spotted it in the distance as he flew up one particular hill.


    It was a large, motley collection of tents, houses, and shoddy walls covering an area of several kilometers. Some of the homes seemed well constructed while others were in disrepair and falling apart. Garbage littered the nearby area, some of it half burnt, as if people had attempted to clean up but given up halfway through.


    In this meshed together attempt at a Camp, Micheal could see hundreds of figures resting or moving about. His eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on them, a frown appearing on his face.


    Elderly folks that seemed too brittle to have even made it to the Second Layer, crippled or horribly disfigured warriors that were barely making it by, those of weaker mind or those that had suffered severe shock¡­


    After two weeks, every Chosen had to make a choice to join an organization within the Human Alliance. When you did that, you had to meet certain goals to stay within that organization.


    If you were unable to meet those goals multiple times, you could be expelled and banned from staying in, or near, any of the ¡®Camps¡¯ that protected the ¡®useful¡¯ humans.


    In other words, these people were abandoned. Too sickly, too useless, too injured, too dumb, there were a variety of reasons that someone might be rejected from one organization or another. Very few people would be willing to take care of invalids in this horrible death war with other races.


    Micheal turned and spat to the side, a vile taste filling his mouth as he looked away. He could see people literally collapsed on the sides of the road, begging for anything.


    It cost a few Points a week, at most, to live here on the Second, even in these barren lands. Yet, for someone that shouldn¡¯t have made it here in the first place, or was too injured to care for themselves, that could be an unreasonable burden.


    ¡®It was like this for a while in the beginning.¡¯ In Micheal¡¯s first life, the harsh Slum/Camp system existed in his time as well, many months down the road. This setup was cruel and heartless, and ended up costing countless lives, an unacceptable loss in Micheal¡¯s eyes. It was also stupid, at its core. Humans could only have a limited number of Abilities, it made no sense to just throw people away. There could be so much value in every single person!


    It was actually the Purgatory Church that first made major moves to fix this system, setting up food and care kitchens and hospitals in all of the shanty towns that began to develop, especially as hundreds of millions of people reached the Second Layer. Things got better, but not for a long time.


    As Micheal looked on at this horrifying facet of reality, a feeling of helplessness began to fill him.


    ¡®How would I fix this..?¡¯ As he confronted the issue, he couldn¡¯t help but feel useless.


    He was no genius when it came to management. What he knew best was combat, battle, swordsmanship, and training. He knew how to kill his enemies and develop complex battle plans, to take out anyone that was going against him.


    But he couldn¡¯t stab starvation to death with a sword. He couldn¡¯t heal the injured with a dagger. He couldn¡¯t solve poverty with his fists.


    Micheal sighed and looked away.


    It was an issue that needed work¡­ but it wasn¡¯t his top priority right now. He had a few ideas on how to approach it, but none that could be implemented immediately.


    The First Layer had been handled, especially with the messages he¡¯d sent to his various allies before he left. What he needed to focus on, for now, was handling the things that needed immediate attention here on the Second.


    The Slums could wait a few more weeks.


    Saving the Farian that could stop the Great Disaster could not.


    And to save her, Micheal first needed to reach the territory of the Silent Sword Sect.


    .


    Chapter 5


    <div>


    Micheal passed by the Slum, avoiding any interaction as he continued to soar along the ground. Whenever he saw a party or group in the distance, he made immediate detours and went out of his way to avoid contact. While this corner of the Second Layer wasn¡¯t very populated, bands of humans roaming about were not at all uncommon to see.


    This wilderness abounded with wildlife that was much stronger than that of Earth. Deer, mountain lions, wolves, many of the animals Micheal knew from Earth were common here, but in much stronger forms. They weren¡¯t at the level of a Magic Beast, but were powerful enough to make them difficult for regular humans to hunt.


    As he moved, Micheal was aware that whatever he did here could potentially leave a trace that others could track. His new identity as ¡®Legion¡¯ would need to be completely separate from his identities of ¡®Heron¡¯ or ¡®Micheal.¡¯ At the bare minimum, there would soon be millions of people after his head.


    After all¡­ when word reached the Second Layer that he had killed the Godfather¡­ Well, it wouldn¡¯t be pretty. Even though this was the Second, many people here still appreciated and respected the Godfather Organization of the First. There was a reason no infants or young children had been spotted in the Slums Micheal had seen.


    Very few young humans existed on the Second Layer, and most of those were only from being born here on the Second. Most children lived on the First Layer within the Godfather Organization. Very few people would begrudge someone for taking care of lost siblings or family members, especially as they realized how terrible this reality was.


    The Vile King couldn¡¯t know exactly what happened thanks to Micheal¡¯s efforts in the battle with Cameron. The longer Micheal could prevent him from knowing that he was actively working to stop Constantine¡¯s plans, the bigger Micheal''s advantage would be. Being forced to hide his identity, especially as hundreds of millions of people began to pour through to the Second, was a small price to pay.


    The lands around him continued to return to the wild, the grassy, peaceful plains long forgotten. In this abandoned corner of the Divine Might Sect¡¯s territory, only humanity and Magic Beasts could be found.


    And as Micheal travelled farther northward, he spotted his first roaming Magic Beast.


    Most Magic Beasts lived in mystical looking mountain ranges or blessed forests. Such places were not uncommon on the Second Layer, and were, in fact, almost commonplace. There were tens of thousands of fog-shrouded mountains, faintly glowing forests, or magical lakes, each packed full of magical creatures of varying power.


    In these areas, Magic Herbs or very rare Helion Treasures could be found and eaten, a staple of a Magic Beast¡¯s diet. These magical plants or fruits would reappear after being devoured in an inevitable cycle, one of the special aspects of the Second Layer.


    Still, some of the weaker Magic Beasts might find themselves unable to compete for enough food in their vast enclaves. Creatures like this would take to roaming the outside world, looking for prey to hunt on. Byrens, Humans, or regular beasts, it mattered not to them.


    The first creature of this kind that Micheal spotted was a beast he found roaming only an hour past the Slum.


    A large, one and a half meter¡¯s tall wild dog, with spiked black fur that fluttered faintly in the breeze. Bulging muscles could be seen under its sharp-edged fur, giving it a primal appearance. Its eyes glowed with faint, blue light, while its deadly teeth gleamed white.


    It was a Black Needle Dog, a Low-Tier Magic Beast.


    When Micheal spotted it, he slowed down slightly. He eyed the creature from the air, around 200 meters distant from it. The beast was currently munching on a white deer¡¯s carcass, one of the many normal animals that inhabited the Second Layer.


    Low-Tier Magic Beasts would normally require a team of Third Rate Warriors to take down. Even Low-Tier creatures were ferocious monsters that contained a huge amount of strength.


    However, taking down Magic Beasts came with ample rewards. Their bodies were magical, containing resources that humans could only buy from the Shop, including some materials that couldn¡¯t be purchased at all.


    In addition, every Magic Beast came with a Spirit Crystal embedded within them. The Crystal operated as the ¡®battery¡¯ of a Magic Beast, a type of tough organ that stored their energy. Just like humans, Magic Beasts cultivated a type of energy that was roughly equivalent to Ki.


    When regular Byrens killed a Magic Beast, they would remove this Spirit Crystal. They could then slowly absorb energy from the Crystal to help further their Ki Cultivation. In this aspect, Byrens had an advantage over humans.


    When a human killed a Magic Beast, the energy in that creature¡¯s Spirit Crystal was automatically absorbed and converted into Points. There were few exceptions to this rule, and because of this, it made it very difficult to acquire Spirit Crystals through any means other than trade for humans.


    The drained Spirit Crystal dissipated into dust, becoming mostly worthless. The other materials that a Magic Beast contained, however, were still worthwhile. These were the main tools humans used for trade at this time.


    As Micheal scanned the Black Needle Dog, he roughly gauged its power.


    ¡®It¡¯s stronger than an Abnormal Morenkai, but not on the level of a Monster Class Morenkai.¡¯ He could tell this with a simple glance. Its physical power wasn¡¯t bound to be too high, nor was its physical defense.


    However, when it came to Magic Beasts, raw strength wasn¡¯t everything. Most of them contained weird abilities or powers that set them apart from each other.


    To humans, these marauding Magic Beasts were a plague that took countless lives. After all, if it took a full team of Third Rate Warriors to kill one, then groups of humans that weren¡¯t at that level, or individual Third Rate Warriors that weren¡¯t with a team, were easy prey.


    Micheal hadn¡¯t encountered one of these before, but could remember reading a vague description of the creature thanks to his Ceaseless Mind¡¯s perfect memory. The fact that it was covered in quills and spikes likely meant it had a defensive or close-range offensive power, something the description he¡¯d read confirmed.


    After scanning his surroundings and noting that no one was nearby, Micheal began to approach the Black Needle Dog.


    He didn¡¯t hide his presence nor did he set up any special traps. Instead, he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and simply flew forward.


    It took only a couple of seconds for the Black Needle Dog to notice him.


    The dog had been in the middle of chomping down on a large deer hind leg when it froze, its nose twitching. Its entire body shivered as it turned to look at the fast-approaching Micheal, a low, rumbling growl echoing out.


    Micheal ignored that as he continued to fly forward. He bent his knees slightly as he moved, his gaze calm and steady.


    The wild dog¡¯s growl evolved into a roar as the Magic Beast dropped the deer leg and took several steps towards Micheal. Its fur spiked up even further, making it look painful to touch.


    By this point, Micheal was just a dozen meters away. He had leapt off of his Life Orbs and was sprinting forward, his every movement measured and precise. The tension built up as the roaring wild dog prepared to launch itself at Micheal, its white teeth gleaming.


    Just before the Magic Beast leaped, just before Micheal was about to make contact¡­


    Micheal¡¯s eyes glowed as he stared at the Black Needle Dog and unleashed his full killing intent.


    An invisible wave of emotion, conducted by the power of his Soul, washed forward and encompassed the Black Needle Dog. A feeling of overwhelming bloodlust and intimidation, borne from more than a decade of brutal warfare and combat at the highest level.


    That invisible wave of emotion slammed into the Low-Tier Magic Beast and froze it in its tracks. Its entire body grew still in terror as it felt this pressure land, neutralizing its attack before it could even get started.


    By the time it even tried to recover from that shock, it was already too late.


    In the split second that it stood there frozen, Micheal decapitated it in a single slash. His right arm had struck forward lightning-fast, Advanced Tier Sword Energy coating his blade as he cut through the Black Needle Dog¡¯s tufted fur like it was paper.


    A wash of red blood spattered out as the Magic Beast collapsed, killed instantly.


    .


    ¡ª-Points Obtained¡ª-


    Points: 267


    .


    Micheal flicked the notification to the side as he smoothly spun around, sheathing his sword in a graceful movement. He eyed the Points total, sighing slightly.


    It was a travesty that humanity abandoned so many of their own to various Slums, not when Low-Tier Magical Beasts could provide so many Points. This was enough to provide a basic meal for at least a hundred humans. People''s appetites grew stronger as their bodies became more powerful, but it wasn''t at anything approaching a high level here on the Second.


    After a second, he gazed down at the corpse, wrinkling his nose slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good.¡± He frowned as he stepped forward and grabbed ahold of the wild dog¡¯s body. He picked up the pieces and quickly stored them in his Mid-Tier Spatial Ring, saving it for later.


    Low-Tier Magic Beasts were ferocious, but Micheal¡¯s skill level vastly outweighed his own body¡¯s strength. That, combined with his abnormally strong Soul, meant that no Low-Tier Magic Beast was bound to be a match for him, no matter how powerful or odd their abilities might be.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Advanced Tier Sword Energy, in his hands, was deadly enough to shear through the skin of any Low-Tier Magic Beast with ease. His physical strength was enough to carry him for now, and he could always use the Bracken Enhancement Fluid if he truly needed to, giving him the versatility he needed to handle most situations.


    As well, while he wasn¡¯t at the level where he could use Master Tier Sword Energy without serious injury, his powerful Soul was almost at that point. If he could get just a few more points into his Soul stat, he would be able to freely use the lowest level of Master Tier Sword Energy with minimal injuries.


    With the experience he had as well as the fact that his Soul was already partially adapted to Master Tier Sword Energy, once he reached that point... he wouldn''t be at full strength, but he would pretty easily be a First Rate Warrior.


    These were all huge positives. Unfortunately, one very serious negative existed.


    Micheal¡¯s best method of attack was, of course, with raw swordplay. However¡­


    If he wanted to maintain his disguise, he couldn¡¯t show most of that outstanding sword skill. It would be laughably easy to trace him to ¡®Heron¡¯ of the First if he showed even an inkling of his Sword Mastery prowess.


    Right now, it was very important that he remain undercover. He couldn¡¯t let the Vile King know of his true identity and he especially couldn¡¯t let the man know that Micheal was targeting him. Not yet.


    There was also the problem that if he got discovered, no doubt hordes of angry warriors would come after him because of his actions on the First Layer. It would take a while for the truth to sort itself out down there, and that was something he could not wait for.


    The 12 Tribes of Deities were doubtlessly growing insanely powerful on their own Layers as time went on. Micheal needed to prepare humanity as quickly as possible. He already knew what would happen if he didn¡¯t interfere.


    As these thoughts flashed through his mind, he closed his eyes as he began to ponder what he should do. He needed to find a different weapon to use, and he needed to use a different type of combat style. It had to be something unrecognizable, something no one would see and think of ¡®Heron¡¯ or ¡®Micheal.¡¯


    As he considered this, a memory from his past life popped up into his head.


    Micheal slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his hands, an idea beginning to form¡­


    .


    Chapter 6


    Towering, thick oak trees dominated a large, sprawling forest. These trees were abnormally thick compared to normal oak trees of Earth, stretching five to six meters across in sheer width. They had more in common with the giant redwoods of Earth than the oak trees they appeared to be.


    <div>


    Atop one of the branches in the midst of these towering giants was a green-robed figure slowly strapping on a glove.


    Micheal frowned as he adjusted the black hand cover, making sure it was tucked in tightly. The glove was ornate, with five dull silver lines tracing his fingers on the back, and a grey upside-down triangle on its palm. Small black stones could be seen, woven into the tip of each finger.


    Only a single hour had passed since he killed his first Low-Tier Magic Beast. In that time, he¡¯d made fast progress, rapidly leaving the territory that was inhabited by most normal human groups. The sprawling forest he¡¯d found was one he remembered from his first life, the O¡¯Shack Grove. It was a massive forest, but not a magical one, meaning the strongest Magic Beasts you¡¯d find would be Low-Tier.


    From down below, Micheal faintly heard monstrous growls echo in the air and a few deathly hisses that resounded in his ears. Apparently there was some type of snake infestation nearby, something he noted down absently.


    ¡°There we go.¡± Micheal muttered, a small smile appearing on his face.


    Micheal stretched his right hand and wiggled his fingers, moving each digit precisely. He studied the black glove he had just put on, examining the intricate bindings, the symbols woven into its palm, and the small, black gems set at the tip of each finger.


    This Artifact had cost Micheal a very pretty penny in the Shop, at 55,300 Points. It was a Silk Strider Glove, a powerful tool that had some very specific powers.


    Its durability was rated at a very high level, largely because of its purpose. If Micheal put it to the test, the glove itself would endure even an attack imbued with Advanced Tier Sword Energy for a couple of seconds. Longer than that and it would inevitably be sliced in twain, but just the fact that it could hold at all showed its defensive prowess.


    More importantly, the five magical Spider Gems set at the tip of each finger, imbued and attuned with the glove, showed off the Artifact¡¯s true strength.


    These black gems had the ability to absorb many types of metal. In turn, that metal could later be spat out in the form of thin, but extremely durable, metal threads. The stronger the metal, the more durable and tensile each thread.


    The main uses for this Artifact were to help set traps, to help create temporary shelters using the metal threads to strengthen walls and doors, for use in scaling or climbing dangerous heights, and so on. It was a versatile tool-centered Artifact.


    For Micheal, however¡­ this Artifact reminded him of a routine he had used to train his concentration and manipulation of Sword Energy, many years into the future.


    Micheal never had an official ¡®Master'' to guide and teach him. He attended several speeches and demonstrations given by Master Tier Swordmasters, and even a few by Grandmaster Tier Swordmasters, but had never officially followed someone.


    Most elite warriors required certain things from anyone wishing to learn from them. Some of them required certain magical contracts, others had expensive fees, and still others wanted rare items.


    There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.


    Micheal had been fiercely determined to stay independent in his first life, especially as he went further and further along in the 7 Layers. His trust had been rapidly whittled away as he was betrayed again and again, contributing to that ideal.


    As a result, however, Micheal was forced to cobble together multiple techniques to train himself through his own merit. The fact that he managed to reach the Grandmaster Tier of Sword Mastery entirely on his own, while starting several years later than most of the elite, was a testament to his determination.


    Micheal¡¯s research into training methods didn¡¯t rely solely upon the human race, either. He researched all ways to train his Sword Mastery, ways to increase the power of his Soul, and ways to grow stronger while being unable to change his Physique.


    One of the routines he had discovered that could help with training one¡¯s Sword Mastery was a method used by a race he encountered on the Third Layer. It involved using a tool known as an ¡®Iron Strings Gauntlet.¡¯


    Micheal held out his right hand, focusing on the Silk Strider Glove. In his mind, he could feel an innate connection with the Artifact through his Soul, allowing him to activate it freely.


    Slowly, five thin, titanium strings emerged from the gem tips. Each thread was small, about a third as thick as his finger. They emerged limply, as if waiting to be tied up to something. They slid out for a full meter before Micheal stopped activating the glove.


    Micheal took a deep breath as he looked at the threads. Then, slowly, he began to push out a wave of Advanced Tier Sword Energy.


    The red energy glowed darkly as it spread out along the black glove and then followed the five metal threads, moving all the way up and down the length of each thread. The small width of each thread meant the energy could easily cover the thin lines, creating five, faintly glowing metal strings.


    ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Micheal stared intently at the creation, feeling everything keenly.


    The threads were made from regular titanium from Earth. Unlike the Iron Strings Gauntlet Micheal used on the Third Layer, this glove wasn¡¯t built with extremely rare and powerful metals. The original purpose of this Artifact wasn¡¯t for combat, but for crafting and utility.


    He would¡¯ve preferred to use the Iron Strings Gauntlet he¡¯d used in the past, but that Artifact wasn¡¯t something the Shop sold. Micheal had personally commissioned it on the Third Layer with materials and skills that didn¡¯t exist here on the Second.


    The Silk Strider Glove also needed a huge amount of metal absorbed into it to be useable. After all, it wouldn¡¯t have unlimited metal, and if Micheal ran out in the middle of a battle, it would be rather serious.


    Micheal¡¯s Points total after buying the Silk Strider Glove was just enough to get it a sizable amount of titanium, leaving him with a mere 200 Points left for emergency situations. He would¡¯ve used more powerful metals if he could, but he simply hadn¡¯t had enough Points.


    He hadn¡¯t even been able to buy a second glove to use for his other hand.


    Still, even with all of those issues, Micheal couldn¡¯t help but smile as he wriggled his fingers again.


    Slowly, the metal threads on the ends of each finger began to twitch. His finger movements, combined with the constant manipulation of his Advanced Tier Sword Energy, caused the threads to rise up and shift into the shape of a triangle.


    Micheal twitched his fingers again. The threads morphed and shifted once more, this time taking the shape of a large circle.


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Micheal laughed out loud as he saw how smoothly it was working.


    Advanced Tier Sword Energy couldn¡¯t be manipulated outside of a weapon like Master Tier Sword Energy. However, if he used this Artifact, propped up by his abnormally powerful Soul, he was able to come up with a near-replacement.


    Slowly, Micheal began to lengthen each individual thread. Soon they stretched out to two meters, and then to three, four, five, and six. After several moments, he stretched them out to a full 10 meters in length, covering a huge amount of ground.


    A sheen of sweat covered Micheal¡¯s forehead as he manipulated all five metal threads at ten meters of length. Each thread twisted and rolled in the air like long, living snakes, under his complete control. Micheal could feel their presence with his Soul, allowing him to control each one with a very high level of focus.


    Micheal made the metal threads twist in the air and, with a few small hand movements, abruptly surround the tree he was on. As he did so, he raised and opened his right hand, his eyes gleaming with the Ki Energy inside his body. The threads were constantly pulling and tugging at his body as he moved, meaning he had to carefully control the strength of his body to not get sent flying.


    Then, he clenched his fist.


    The metal threads whipped forward in a cascade, cutting into the huge tree from every single direction. In just a single split second, the tree was cut into more than 20 pieces, literally shredded before Micheal¡¯s very eyes.


    Micheal backflipped off the tree, using his Cloud Stepping Shoes to jump to a second large tree as the first collapsed. Leaves, branches, and split pieces of wood cascaded in the air as the giant oak fell to the ground, smashing down with a rumbling groan.


    ¡°Not bad¡­ not bad at all¡­¡± Micheal muttered as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    The power of the metal threads was considerable, especially when he used all of them. They offered a huge amount of range and versatility, and would be extremely difficult to defend against.


    The only problem with using them was the extreme amount of focus required, as well as the huge strain on his Soul.


    Micheal¡¯s Soul was very powerful for his level, absurdly so for someone that had just been here a few months. Despite that, he already found it strenuous to use Advanced Tier Sword Energy to manipulate just 5 threads at 10 meters. He had made the threads as thin as possible, but could already tell that this style of combat couldn¡¯t be something he drew out. He also might need to shorten the technique¡¯s range by a few meters.


    Advanced Tier Sword Energy simply wasn¡¯t made to be stretched out so far. There was a reason Micheal had used the original Iron Strings Gauntlet for training, and not for combat. It was excellent at splitting his focus between combat and the manipulation of Sword Energy, but the sheer amount of pressure it put on him was monstrous.


    That said¡­ Micheal had a considerable wealth of experience using a similar Artifact, built up over several years. He knew how to actively use it well and, while the focus it required was extreme, Micheal was able to meet that extreme.


    ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± Micheal nodded his head. He had found his alternative combat style, one no one could possibly trace back to his previous identities.


    In the background, the tree Micheal had felled finally finished collapsing. The tree he was now standing on shuddered slightly at the impact of the fallen colossus, slowly returning back to a sense of stillness.


    With this issue finally settled, Micheal returned to his journey. Instead of continuing to travel North, however, he headed deeper into the O¡¯Shack Grove, jumping from treetop to treetop in a blur.


    On his way to the Silent Sword Sect, he was making a small detour.


    The O¡¯Shack Grove was a normal forest. Humanity had done plenty of research on the specifics of the Second Layer, defining everything to a science.


    The worlds of the 7 Layers all had different concentrations of energy propping them up, built upon the stronger laws of reality. The higher up you went, the richer the energy in the air was, allowing one to cultivate to greater heights.


    Official Magic Forests contained naturally higher concentrations of energy, granting an area magical properties. The forests themselves weren¡¯t that magical, but the space the forests occupied was. This was why Magic Herbs and Helion Treasures grew on their own, reappearing over and over.


    As Micheal flitted through the forest, he could feel that this place was normal. He passed by a couple of Low-Tier Magic Beasts, but most of the animals in here were completely ordinary.


    There was nothing special about it.


    Nothing special yet, that was to say. For, there was a reason Micheal had been here before, back in his first life.


    In the future, the O¡¯Shack Grove would become a huge Magic Forest, full of rich energy, Magic Beasts, and rare treasures. It became one of the most popular hunting grounds for humanity, abounding with wealth.


    But Magic Forests didn¡¯t just appear out of nowhere.


    There was a legend related to the O¡¯Shack Grove and how it became such a giant Magic Forest. A legend of a group of bandits and thieves that had made the deepest center of this forest their hideout. A legend of how these thieves had stumbled upon a fantastic treasure ground, using that to grow to power.


    The legend of the Rury Gang, a notable group of outlaws that had grown to infamy in Micheal¡¯s time. Each member of the gang became powerful, gaining a myriad of strong Abilities, rare Artifacts, and accelerated Ki Cultivation.


    The Rury Gang plagued humanity for a long while before their eventual destruction at the hands of the Four Barons. After their defeat, the Four Barons took control of that treasure ground, using it to grow more powerful.


    The leaders of humanity growing more powerful was normally something Micheal would support. However, on the Second Layer, everything was a bit different.


    At least two of the Four Barons were being manipulated by Constantine¡¯s Seeds.


    Micheal wasn¡¯t sure which two. History wasn¡¯t sure about everything that took place down here, the records containing incomplete and unclear information.


    But what Micheal was sure about was the treasure ground the Rury Gang found.


    The bandit gang discovered the location of a Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance.


    .


    Chapter 7


    <div>


    As Micheal quickly traversed the forest, he kept his eyes and senses wide open. He looked for even the slightest sign of habitation, not allowing anything to slip past his gaze. He moved past several small beast colonies, three pits full of snakes, a dozen packs of wolves, and several Low Tier Magic Beasts, ignoring all of them.


    By the time any of those beasts realized he was there, he was already gone, vanishing like the wind.


    His feet rapidly ate up the miles as he jumped from tree to tree. He found this method of movement faster than just soaring with his Life Orbs, letting him rapidly reach an area close to the center of the forest.


    ¡®It should be somewhere near here¡­¡¯ The thought was on his mind as he looked around, after leaping about for around 40 minutes. The forest was huge, but his movement speed was also quite fast. Without any powerful beasts to force him to be careful, the progress he made was immense and unobstructed.


    Micheal took one final jump and landed down atop the branch of a large oak tree. As soon as he landed, however, he ducked back to the side of the tree, his eyes piercing forward as he hid under some cover.


    Roughly 70 meters away from Micheal, he could just barely see two humans casually conversing. Both were male, dressed in rugged leather clothing with blades on their hips. Both of them were young, white males in their early twenties, with scruffy beards and untamed hair.


    Micheal strained his ears as he studied them, his eyes cool.


    His powerful senses spread forward as he zeroed in, just barely allowing him to pick up what they were saying.


    ¡°¡­but the size of that Red Hand Snake, it must¡¯ve been as big as my thigh!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t get why they call it a Red Hand Snake. Red Leg Snake sounds kinda dumb though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fair point.¡±


    Micheal wrinkled his nose as he listened to their conversation.


    ¡®Who are they?¡¯ Meeting a group of humans so deep in the forest, quite close to the location of the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance¡­


    ¡®Oh. Right. The Rury Gang.¡¯ Micheal blinked and then flicked himself in the forehead. Obviously they had to be the Rury Gang.


    But this point in time was well before the Rury Gang rose to their high levels of infamy. After all, they didn¡¯t start to appear until after Micheal first came to the Second Layer. And, in his first life, that time was still many months away.


    From that, Micheal could conclude that this area must¡¯ve been their hideout for a long time. It wasn¡¯t a bad choice, all things considered. The O¡¯Shack Grove was secluded and had few things of interest within it.


    For a group of people that killed other humans to gain large numbers of easy Points, it wasn¡¯t a bad deal at all.


    Micheal¡¯s eyes darkened when he considered that.


    Bandit groups like the Rury Gang were not at all an uncommon sight. While most humans fell in line with the Four Barons, some humans that came to the Second Layer chose to walk their own path. This became vastly more common as hundreds of millions of people swarmed into the Second Layer in the coming months, greatly weakening the control the Four Barons had.


    The Rury Gang was a rather unusual bandit group, given the history that Micheal knew. They were described as an infamous, murderous plague that only the Four Barons had been able to handle, but that infamy, itself, was a rather curious thing in Micheal¡¯s eyes.


    Most bandit groups avoided fame like the plague. After all, one¡¯s survival often depended on how well hidden one¡¯s Abilities were, or how well one covered their strength up, only unveiling it in times of need. The Rury Gang, on the other hand, seemed to have embraced their infamy.


    It was a slightly unusual point that didn¡¯t seem that important. After all, there could be a plethora of reasons that could explain why this was. Most people would¡¯ve just ignored this tidbit, yet Micheal couldn¡¯t help but find it something that stuck out like a sore thumb.


    Micheal crept forward silently as he moved past the two sentries. He stuck to the highest point of the trees, using his Life Orbs to silently glide.


    He didn¡¯t attack the two sentries yet, but instead chose to ignore them. He wouldn¡¯t strike without first being sure this was his target. And, in the off case that there was some type of alert Artifact or Ability active on the two, he might as well play it safe.


    Unlike the First Layer, the Second Layer had a far wider selection of Abilities available. Micheal¡¯s actions from this point forward would need to go under much more scrutiny. He couldn¡¯t charge in with guns blazing like was possible in the First Layer, though he hadn¡¯t done much of that then either.


    From tree to tree, Micheal flitted through the tops of the forest, quickly slipping past two other sentries. In no time at all, he arrived at a large, tucked away base.


    Around three dozen stone buildings dotted a small clearing. A small river ran through the middle of this clearing, next to a large mound of rocks. The rock huts all had slate roofs and looked to be created entirely out of different types of stone.


    Micheal¡¯s eyes glinted when he saw this. One of the people here, likely several, must have the Stone Shaper Ability. It could be used on a mass scale, with the right Artifacts, for the creation of temporary or even long-term shelters.


    Activity dotted the enclosure as various men and women moved about. Off to Micheal¡¯s right, there was an open training area in the clearing, where a dozen warriors were practicing combat. There was a notable gender discrepancy, with about three-fourths of the people present being men.


    Micheal stayed put, hiding atop a tree as he studied everything. His eyes continued to scan the clearing, zeroing in on the large stone mound next to the river.


    After staring at it closely, Micheal could make out what appeared to be a small opening near its base, one that appeared to dive into a dark cave.


    ¡®Is that it¡­?¡¯ He thought, his eyes narrowed. If this was the Rury Gang, the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance grounds should be located in or near their home base.


    After thinking it over for a few seconds, Micheal hid himself slightly more within the leaves of the tall trees and settled in to wait. He assumed a meditative pose, relaxing his body as he blended in with the world around him. He didn¡¯t give off a hint of energy, instead focused on becoming as passive as possible.


    Seconds dripped into minutes, and minutes drizzled into hours. Micheal¡¯s eyes were calm and placid as he remained absolutely still, moving only slightly with the rustling breeze that swept through the O¡¯Shack Grove¡¯s tall trees.


    Beyond just avoiding detection, there was an important reason Micheal decided to wait till nightfall. According to the legends he knew¡­ the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance could only be interacted with after night descended.


    While Micheal was in this meditative pose, he studied his surroundings keenly. He gauged the power of all of the warriors here, gaining a rough understanding of their forces. While he couldn¡¯t detect their Abilities, he could somewhat guess how strong each person was, based on the power of their physical body and Soul.


    ¡®At least 34 unrated humans, 15 Third Rate Warriors, and 1 Second Rate Warrior.¡¯ Micheal¡¯s eyes missed nothing as time flew past, daylight rapidly fading to evening.


    His eyes were that of a predator, hungrily searching out every detail. His ears picked up a great deal of casual conversation, though he didn¡¯t discover anything of note. His targets weren¡¯t so kind as to spout important plans out in the open.


    By the time evening arrived, Micheal had gained more than enough information about the group before him.


    They were, indeed, the Rury Gang.


    After hours and hours of waiting, the proof of that finally lay before him, even now, as his gaze landed upon a woman standing alone in the dying evening light.


    A pale woman with a scarred, disfigured face, long red hair, and a muscular body. She was dressed in a set of tight brown leather armor, with several metal scales covering both of her arms.


    Simone Alto, the ¡®Boss¡¯ of the Rury Gang, the only Second Rate Warrior Micheal had seen thus far. In terms of physical power, she was on the level of one of the stronger Supreme A Rankers from the First Layer. It was more common to find male leaders of gangs or violent organizations, but female warriors could be just as effective.


    By this point, most of the other men and women had retired to their various homes to sleep. Several groups of warding sentries had been sent out, but there was a very relaxed feeling to the camp. No one expected any sort of trouble.


    Micheal took full advantage of that as he slunk up to the edge of his branch. He took several more studied glances around the bandit hideout, tracking where every possible set of eyes and ears were located.


    He found a couple moving off towards an outdoor lavatory in the woods, a few men drunkenly passed out outside of one of the stone huts, and several large dogs tied up to a stone post in the south of the outcropping.


    Apart from the distant sentries, the only person actively outside, in this exact moment, was Simone Alto.


    Micheal¡¯s patient waiting had finally paid off.


    After he reached the edge of the branch, he used his Cloud Stepping Shoes to fling himself in the air. He then brought out his Life Orbs to silently glide downward, controlling his movements extremely precisely. He made not even a hint of noise as he acted, everything completely within his control.


    In the darkness of the dying sun, Micheal descended upon the bandit enclave like a silent god of death.


    .. .. .. .. .. ..


    Simone sighed as she looked out at the first of the Second Layer¡¯s two moons. She never got used to such a sight, the odd juxtaposition of two enormous celestial bodies set so far away.


    Around her, the rest of her gang was retiring into sleep. Today had been an average day for training, but all things considered, that was okay in Simone¡¯s book. Her gang was growing stronger every day, something she felt eternally grateful for.


    The day she began to wage her war for revenge was not long off. It wouldn¡¯t be within weeks, maybe not within several months. But it was going to happen, all thanks to a random cave she¡¯d discovered, just a couple of months ago.


    She turned and glanced over at the rocky opening, just a few meters from her, smiling slightly. She then looked up at the night sky, staring at the unfamiliar stars that dotted the Second Layer.


    After a moment, she frowned.


    Above her, she could see a rather irregular splotch of darkness that appeared to be expanding. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at this curious sight, wondering if it was some type of unfami-


    Her thought process was abruptly frozen as a set of long, metal threads slammed into her.


    Two of them circled her throat, cutting down and circling her tender neck without giving her a chance to resist. Two others lashed down onto each of her arms, circling them several times and forcing them to remain held down. One last thread slammed into her waist, limiting her movements.


    Simone¡¯s eyes grew bloodshot as she prepared to resist, energy rising around her body as she simultaneously prepared to activate several Abilities. She tried to jerk her hands up, doing everything she could to rip off the metal threads.


    Before she could do anything substantial, however, she froze once more, her eyes widening in terror.


    For, those metal threads had suddenly become ferociously sharp. Blood dripped down from her neck as she felt the thread cut into her, causing her hands to tremble. Her breathing became ragged as she felt how delicate of a situation she was in, knowing death was a mere step away.


    Alongside all of that, Simone felt an overwhelming feeling of terror sink into her bones as the splotch of darkness she saw in the air landed next to her. She continued to remain unmoving, her pupils dilating as she felt the horrifying power and intent of the man that now stood next to her.


    If she dared to scream for help, she would die immediately.


    If she dared to fight back, she would die immediately.


    If she dared to even twitch her arms, she would die immediately.


    It wasn¡¯t a question of how fast, nor was it a question of if she could resist. Simone¡¯s experience from the past three years and several months, instincts she had built up over years of battle, told her everything very clearly.


    A single wrong step would lead to her death.


    ¡°Hello, Simone.¡± The darkness spoke to her, his voice as smooth as the devil,


    ¡°It¡¯s time you and I had a talk.¡±


    .


    Chapter 8


    <div>


    ¡°Who are you? What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Simone¡¯s voice was a quiet hiss as she lashed out at Micheal, all while remaining absolutely still.


    Micheal had to hand it to her, the Rury Gang¡¯s Boss was a tough woman. Despite her obvious fear, her voice never trembled as she questioned Micheal.


    ¡°If you¡¯re from him then you might as well kill me now. I¡¯m still too weak.¡± Micheal could practically feel the frost in her tone as she spoke, frigid viciousness mixed with raw anger.


    ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ For a small moment, he didn¡¯t know how to react. This was not at all how he had expected this to go down.


    He quickly recovered just a few seconds later, replying in a calm tone,


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not working with ¡®him.¡¯ But why don¡¯t you tell me about him while we walk down into the entrance of that cave?¡± Micheal¡¯s question was more of a command as he flicked his wrist, causing the metal threads to pull Simone forward. At the same time, his eyes roamed his surroundings, making sure that the coast was still clear.


    The security of this bandit camp was both unexpectedly stringent and a bit lax. They had layers of outer sentries, a rather unusually well-organized sight, but kept a relaxed interior. He couldn¡¯t hear any arguments or fights breaking out, no shouting or anything even remotely disruptive.


    For a random bandit camp, the Rury Gang was unexpectedly well disciplined and orderly. It was all the more confusing, given the history that Micheal knew.


    Simone complied, unsurprisingly. Micheal gave her absolutely no leeway to refuse, knowing that she was currently much more powerful than he was in terms of stats.


    The difference between a Third Rate Warrior and a Second Rate Warrior was extremely significant. In terms of physical power, a normal Second Rate Warrior would be able to handle 10 normal Third Rate Warriors without too much trouble.


    Of course, Micheal was about as far from the definition of a ¡®normal¡¯ Third Rate Warrior as possible. But that didn¡¯t mean he would be careless.


    The two of them left the top of the boulder and quickly moved to the side, where the opening was placed at. Micheal peered into it as they moved, glancing around.


    The inside of the cave was surprisingly spacious. There were a set of stairs that descended a few meters underground, and then a stone passageway that ended in a large grey door. A set of blue, glowing crystals had been installed in the walls, lighting the insides of the cave up.


    ¡®So this is it.¡¯ Micheal thought as he glanced around, his eyes narrowing slightly. He could make out several long strands of symbols on the sides of the walls, and a few ornate symbols on the door in the back.


    As they moved up the passageway towards the door, and out of sight of the main camp, Simone continued to speak.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t with Rex, then what do you want from me?!¡± Her voice was full of exasperation, trembling only slightly.


    ¡°Rex? Baron Rex?¡± Micheal questioned, staring at her intently. He retracted some of his metal threads, leaving only a few up to prevent Simone from doing anything.


    ¡°Yes, the Baron¡­ He¡¯s why I¡¯m here in the first place. Are you really not related to him?!¡± Unfeigned confusion was spread about evenly as she replied, in sheer disbelief.


    ¡®Huh.¡¯ Micheal frowned.


    None of this was matching up with the history he knew.


    Baron Rex was one of the four strongest humans on the Second Layer. As of right now, he was an extremely strong First Rate Warrior that was almost a Supreme Warrior. He was also the leader of his own Syndicate, with a huge army of warriors at his disposal.


    The Rury Gang had, allegedly, sprung up out of nowhere and begun their raids and banditry. They were a violent group that murdered wantonly, a plague upon humanity.


    There shouldn¡¯t have been that much contact between the two groups prior to several months from now.


    ¡®Did history change?¡¯ It couldn¡¯t have altered that much, just by what he did on the First yet. After all, he had raced up here at a breakneck speed.


    ¡®No¡­ it¡¯s not that it changed¡­¡¯ A sudden realization struck him.


    ¡®It¡¯s that the history I know might not entirely be true.¡¯


    Micheal had read about the history of each Layer, records that were recorded in a mix of detail and vagueness. Some Layers had very detailed data and tracking information, while others held history that was fragmented and confusing.


    Information about the Second Layer was one of those fragmented ones, as he very well knew. Micheal had been relying more on his own knowledge about what went down. After the Great Disaster, a great deal of information had been lost.


    And when it came to the Rury Gang and the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance, it appeared that there was more here than meets the eye.


    ¡®History is written by the winners, after all.¡¯ He focused back on the present as he looked at Simone. As he looked at her, he thought about Cameron for a split moment.


    ¡®I can¡¯t mess up again.¡¯ He clenched his fists as he thought of his failure, determination flaring in his eyes,


    ¡®I need to do it perfectly this time. So¡­¡¯ He nodded to himself.


    ¡°Simone¡­ I think you and I may have had a misunderstanding¡­¡±


    .. .. .. .. .. ..


    A short amount of time later, Micheal and Simone sat across from each other inside of a small stone hut. The insides of the hut were far nicer than the crude exterior would imply.


    A comfortable couch, several nice chairs, a marble table, various pieces of furniture that, for any other race, would be an extraordinarily odd sight out in the middle of a huge forest.


    For humans, with their magical Shop and mystical Spatial Rings, such a sight was easily explained.


    Micheal currently had a frown on his face as he looked at Simone. He was sitting on an aged wooden chair, resting his hands together on the table in front of him.


    ¡°And so you¡¯ve been here for the past several months, huh?¡± Micheal spoke aloud, examining Simone¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about it.¡± Simone sighed, looking back at him warily. She respected the clear danger he posed, and as a result, was currently cooperating with him.


    Over the past few minutes, Micheal¡¯s opinion of the Rury Gang had taken a complete 180.


    After realizing something was off, Micheal had quickly defused the situation with an easy explanation.


    He claimed he had been told they were a group of vile bandits, and that he was here to wipe them out, with a promise that there was a great treasure hidden here.


    When Simone heard this, she nearly had a fit out of rage. She then earnestly began to explain what she knew.


    The Rury Gang was not a bandit gang. In fact, they weren¡¯t even a ¡®Gang¡¯ at all.


    They were, officially, the Rury Group, an alliance of warriors and explorers that had teamed up on the First Layer after living in the Main Cluster for a year. All of them were Second Wavers that had arrived in the 7 Layers two years before Micheal.


    The group had been through a great deal together, fighting enemies and forming alliances, gradually building up in strength and might. They became one of the little powers in the Main Cluster, under the Big 3. Simone was considered a very strong A Ranker, and could¡¯ve easily joined any big organization if she so chose.


    Eventually, however, the general consensus of the group changed.


    After growing stronger, many members wanted to leave the First Layer and move on to the next. Not everyone was satisfied living in such a hellish world, many people wanted to seek out something better, to find a new world to live in, a way to return to Earth.


    And so, the Rury Group went up to the Second Layer.


    And it was here that the Rury Group ran into Baron Rex.


    If the S Rankers were the human monsters of the First Layer, then the Barons were the human monsters of the Second.


    All four were geniuses and incredibly skilled. Despite only living in the 7 Layers for a small number of years, they had already grown incredibly strong, comparable to Byren Martial Artists that had trained for hundreds of years.


    And, as time went on, they only grew more and more powerful. While they were considered extremely strong First Rate Warriors right now, Micheal was well aware that they would rise to become Supreme Warriors in the near future.


    Humanity, with their ¡®Shop¡¯ Attribute, was famed for their rapid rise to power. There was a good reason why Micheal and Humanity¡¯s Last Army managed to reach the final, Seventh Layer, even if only for an instant.


    According to Simone, she and her team had arrived at the Starting Grounds around 6 months ago. They teleported in with little fanfare, taking only a single day to fully group up.


    By this point in time, the Syndicates were in full control of humanity, enforcing a rule of order and law. The Human Alliance wasn¡¯t all bad, after all, there were certainly upsides to it.


    Simone and her allies were fiercely independent. As a result, they didn¡¯t join any of the Four Barons and instead went out on their own, intent on creating their own group.


    And as part of that intention, Simone actually drew from something she¡¯d gained on the First Layer. An interaction she had with someone Micheal was very familiar with.


    The Seer.


    Simone had become a strong enough A Ranker on the First that she earned the right to speak to the woman. And the Seer, in turn, told Simone of a vision of her future.


    The vision itself had been unclear, but the general gist was that she would go through a dangerous, inescapable trial where failure meant death.


    Simone, naturally, had been horrified to learn that. The Seer¡¯s visions were famed for their truthfulness, if often paired with vagueness.


    The Seer had offered Simone some consolation, saying that destiny was, ultimately, in her own hands. The Seer¡¯s visions looked at someone¡¯s fate at the current moment in time. That fate could switch or change, based on the knowledge of its impending arrival.


    Nothing was set in stone.


    And alongside that consolation, the Seer mentioned that there was hope for Simone. When the trial came upon her, she needed to search an ancient forest for ¡®That which has been lost but will rise again.¡¯


    Without knowing when or where this trial would take place, Simone refused to live a passive life in fear on the First Layer. Instead, she chose to lead her force to the Second Layer and tackle it head-on.


    And after she arrived, she immediately began to search for ¡®an ancient forest¡¯ that held what she looked for.


    Unfortunately for her, the trial she was ready to fight against was far more overwhelming than she had thought.


    For, just a couple of weeks after her group became independent, they ran afoul of Baron Rex.


    She and her team had been out hunting in a large valley. Since her group wasn¡¯t part of any Syndicate, they were restricted from staying in most areas controlled by the Human Alliance.


    Still, there were plenty of Byrens that were willing to interact, trade, or hire humans for various things, and her group was getting by quite well. The Ancient World was a world dominated by martial power, and Simone¡¯s power put her as a Second Rate Warrior, a personage that couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    In particular, the Artifacts humanity could purchase were rapidly growing in demand, especially Spatial Rings.


    Simone¡¯s Rury Group had been hired to clear out a grove near a large village that had been infected with Winter Wolves, Low-Tier Magic Beasts that could breed prohibitively quickly if ignored. They were to be rewarded with a slew of Spirit Crystals.


    The powerful energy cores contained a fount of energy that was very useful for increasing a human¡¯s, or any race¡¯s, Ki Cultivation. It was almost impossible for a human to hunt one naturally, given that Spirit Crystals were automatically converted to Points when a creature was killed by a human.


    Regular Spirit Crystals couldn¡¯t be converted to Points. It was only ones that were still within a living being that had just been killed that could be automatically absorbed. Humanity¡¯s research into this odd subject ended up concluding that it had something to do with the ¡®Soul¡¯ of a dying beast and how the Shop worked, though they were unable to clarify further.


    When they were in the midst of their hunt, a strange man appeared out of seemingly nowhere. He had applauded them as they hunted the Winter Wolves, giving out pointers and cheering them on, though not helping directly.


    Their fight took a full 2 hours to finish, yet he stayed and watched all of it.


    And then, as it was over, he came down and directly challenged Simone.


    ¡®You have spirit, but you lack strength. Come, all of you. Experience true power and aspire to be better.¡¯ His words were extremely arrogant.


    He then directly attacked while laughing out loud.


    And, as they found out, he was absurdly powerful.


    A simple wave of his hand sent half a dozen warriors flying through the air. A stomp of his foot shattered the earth, throwing up shards of stone and great spears of rock. His movements were incredibly fast, each one full of predatory power, even in a world where gravity was 30% heavier.


    In mere seconds, everyone except Simone had been defeated.


    And, as Simone learned, he hadn¡¯t even been serious.


    Simone possessed the Silver Scaled Snake Type Ability, a strong Limited Type Ability that gave her a plethora of unique powers. She could control some breeds of snakes, her body transformed to become far more limber and stronger than a regular human, and she could partially transform her body into a powerful ¡®Battle State.¡¯


    She went all out as she fought against this irrational human, and was still helpless.


    And then, at the very end of the fight, the Baron revealed his true power.


    His body shook and abruptly blurred, transforming and expanding. In a single, frightening moment, his body distorted and grew to become huge. His arms and legs transformed, his entire body-shape changing.


    Baron Rex transformed into a dinosaur.


    A gargantuan, 8 meters tall predator, with enormous teeth, glistening clawed feet, and bulging muscles. He had scaled, leathery skin that was colored a faded brown, two massive main legs, two much smaller clawed arms, and a giant tail that ended with a spiked ball.


    He looked much like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, but was significantly larger than most breeds from Earth, revealing how he got the ¡®Rex¡¯ part of his title.


    On the First Layer, Transformation Type Abilities were somewhat rare. Even the strongest users typically had Soul stats that were too weak, greatly limiting their power. Apart from Vampire and Werewolf Types, which technically were Transformation Type Abilities, though they weren¡¯t often considered that, very few other Transformation Type Abilities were well known.


    On the Second Layer, however¡­ This was the Layer where Full Transformation Type Abilities shined.


    Baron Rex was a Full Transformation Type Ability user, making him an Adapted Human as they came to be known. His Soul stat was at a high enough point that he could fully draw out a Full Transformation, no longer limited to the Partial Transformations of the First Layer.


    And, with his extremely rare Limited Behemoth Predator Type Ability, he made full use of that power.


    Simone lost the battle miserably.


    However, instead of killing them, Baron Rex spared their lives. In return, he ordered them to grow stronger and more powerful, to use their hatred to fuel their strength to become strong enough to challenge him. He was incredibly outlandish in his demands, and seemed to care little for their feelings as he told them to struggle.


    His speech was one that Micheal found suspiciously similar to the Vile King¡¯s mantra¡­


    The man then left them while still laughing nonchalantly, abandoning them to deal with their injuries on their own.


    That wasn¡¯t the end of it, however.


    After the Baron left, Simone explained, some of his subordinates arrived in turn. And, as Simone and her crew lay unable to defend themselves, she and the rest of the Rury Group were all poisoned by these very subordinates and given an ultimatum.


    The poison was a slow-acting one that magically sealed itself in their bodies, one they were unable to find any cure for. If they wanted to be healed, according to their poisoners, they would need to defeat Baron Rex and demand it by force. Otherwise, they would die within a span of two years.


    And, one thing led to another, and here they were now.


    Simone followed the advice of the Seer, and eventually found her way to this hidden forest, through a mixture of luck and desperate searching. However, she had had no luck so far when it came to getting past the door of this mystical cave, despite being certain she could grow vastly more powerful if she just took a single step forward.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Micheal looked at Simone, resisting the urge to rub his forehead in frustration.


    Something was happening here¡­ but he wasn¡¯t sure what it was.


    He felt like he was missing a key piece of the puzzle, some bigger picture that he was unaware of.


    Baron Rex was a fighting maniac, this was something Micheal was well aware of. But of the Four Barons, he was the least likely one to resort to subterfuge, like poisoning someone. He might be an asshole, but he was a straightforward asshole.


    However, as Micheal reflected, he could definitely see how Rex¡¯s attitude was very similar to someone being influenced by the Vile King. It was entirely conceivable that he was one of the two Barons that Constantine had infected. Perhaps that was why the future played out as it did, so heavily maligning the Rury Gang.


    It was also possible that Simone was lying to him. However, after all she had said, and what Micheal had observed, he was heavily inclined to believe her. He had years of experience working with people, and so much of what she said was genuine and correct, based on the history he knew for certain.


    After a moment, Micheal let out a sigh.


    Whatever the answer was, he would figure it out later. For now, he should just focus on the present. And right now¡­


    His eyes flicked to his left, glancing out a stone window in Simone¡¯s hut. In the background, he could see the dimly lit entrance to the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance.


    ¡°Well, Simone, then I really do have to apologize. I¡¯d like to make up for my mistaken attack on you.¡± Micheal¡¯s gaze returned to zero in on Simone,


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to get past that stone door, right?¡± Micheal made a jerking motion with his hand towards the cave entrance.


    Simone crossed her arms and looked at him gingerly before nodding,


    ¡°Yes. Otherwise, we can only wait for death.¡± Her words were measured as she spoke, giving away nothing.


    Micheal smiled,


    ¡°Then I have some good news for you.¡± His eyes gleamed,


    ¡°I know how to get you past that door. And not only that¡­¡± His voice took on a deep edge,


    ¡°If we manage that, I may know a way to cure the poison you¡¯ve been hit with.¡±


    .


    Chapter 9


    Simone, naturally, was still wary of Micheal. He had, after all, just attacked her. Still, the fact that he called off his attack and explained what he¡¯d been ¡®told¡¯ won him a great deal of credit.


    There was a short back and forth as they talked, with Simone asking pointed questions and Micheal explaining them rather succinctly.


    Instead of holding the information he knew over her head like an ax, refusing to give an inch unless she gave a mile, he decided to be completely open about what he knew.


    ¡°Opening that door is actually rather simple.¡± Micheal explained with a calm nod, trying his best to put her at ease. It was the least he could do, given the past few minutes.


    ¡°How do you know that, or any of this?¡± Simone crossed her arms as she interrupted him with a studying gaze.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, it¡¯s not a secret.¡± Micheal shrugged as he began to lie through his teeth,


    ¡°I first heard of this place from a group of elderly Byrens. Apparently, this place used to be treated like a holy site, long ago. That¡¯s where I heard that a group of bandits had taken control of the area.¡± Micheal waved his hand around, motioning at the camp.


    Simone¡¯s mouth twitched as she smiled wryly,


    ¡°Well¡­ I suppose the men are a bit¡­ anxious, and we probably give off that type of air. We are all slowly dying, after all. They won¡¯t do anything drastic, but it can get pretty heavy around here.¡± Her smile faded halfway through her reply, a dour look appearing on her face.


    ¡°I gathered that.¡± Micheal had picked up on the unusually serious edge that governed the warriors here, but had attributed that to discipline, something that was at odds with the lax security inside the camp.


    The outer layers of sentries were strict, but apart from that, the camp was practically defenseless. The Rury Group was caught between a mix of eager self-defense and despairing acceptance of impending death. It was a confusing place to be in, one that had earned Micheal¡¯s pity.


    They reminded him a bit of himself, when he was younger. Caught again and again between a rock and a hard place, oftentimes the only blades Micheal could use to fight his way out were double-edged, stained with the blood of those he was forced to sacrifice.


    For a brief moment, his eyes flashed red as an image of a beautiful Farian girl appeared in his mind, stabbed in the chest by a long, black sword. An image of this girl lying in his arms, dying as she stared back up at him dully.


    With an almost inhuman display of willpower, Micheal forced the image from his head. Despite that, his heart physically shuddered as emotions threatened to overwhelm him, crashing against barriers he had raised long ago.


    ¡®What the hell is wrong with me?¡¯ For a single moment, shock filled his heart at this lapse of control. Memories tried to swarm up in his mind, feelings he had let go of long ago crashing down on him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Simone¡¯s concurred voice dragged Micheal back to the present, freeing him from the torrent of pain that had risen in his heart. Micheal looked back up, his face returning to its ever-present calmness as he nodded,


    ¡°Ah, yes. My apologies, just a bad memory.¡± Internally, Micheal shoved those memories of pain to the side, grimly regaining control of himself. He would have time to face all of that later, right now, he had a mission to complete.


    He took a deep breath and then let it out.


    ¡°So. Getting past those doors.¡± He motioned at the window, pointing to the entrance to the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance as if nothing had happened,


    ¡°It¡¯s not actually that complex.¡±


    ¡°What do we need to do?¡± Simone re-crossed her arms as he looked at Micheal, unsure.


    ¡°First, the door can only be opened at dawn.¡± Micheal began to explain,


    ¡°And when we do go to open it, the door itself will require a sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°A sacrifice?¡± Simone¡¯s eyes narrowed,


    ¡°Yes. A sacrifice.¡± Micheal nodded,


    ¡°A living sacrifice.¡±


    .. .. .. .. .. ..


    Meanwhile, to the North of the O¡¯Shack Grove, within the territory of the Silent Sword Sect¡­


    .. .. .. .. .. ..


    A thousand mountains spread out into the distance, forming an enormous stone barrier full of vast, jagged pillars pointed high into the sky. The mountains towards the center of this enormous range were covered in meandering swaths of gleaming fog.


    The fog wasn¡¯t ever-present and often moved about in random patterns, leaving most of each mountain exposed to sunlight. Still, a very clear dividing line was visible separating mountains that had the fog, and those that didn¡¯t.


    Two furtive figures could be seen standing on the side of one of the mountains that held no fog. These figures, clad in grey robes and doing their best to remain hidden from sight, were currently talking to each other on a small stone outcropping, behind a set of large boulders. The darkness of night surrounded them, giving them the privacy they desired.


    ¡°Myla, if you can¡¯t find a way to track down these killers soon, my hand will be forced.¡± The first speaker had a deep voice, one that echoed quietly in the air, full of majesty and confidence. The speaker had a lean, but masculine figure, visible even through the robes that hid his appearance.


    ¡°Gregor, you need to give me more time! I told you, they aren¡¯t like normal humans. Most humans aren¡¯t evil!¡± The second speaker¡¯s voice was dainty and pure, despite the anger held within it. Listening to the woman speak was like listening to the fresh, clear tones of a waterfall, uplifting even when she was mad.


    ¡°Some of these killers operate almost in unison across great distances. A few of them seem to be more independent, but all of them are abnormally strong.¡± The woman sighed in frustration.


    ¡°Magic Messaging?¡± The male figure raised a question, though it was more of a statement than anything else.


    The female figure shook her head,


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be possible. The Laws of Reality here are too restrictive, even our highest tier Magic Messaging Systems no longer works beyond a few Denim (~0.6 Kilometers). Maybe they have some of their weird Artifacts helping them.¡±


    The male figure stood there silently, crossing his arms in a stalwart posture that gave away nothing.


    ¡°Has the Silent Sword Sect said anything?¡± The woman added, her voice hopeful.


    The stern male figure shook his robed head.


    ¡°The Byrens value the human¡¯s Artifacts too much. As long as their own don¡¯t start dying, they don¡¯t care about us. The humans are cunning like that, too. They¡¯ve only targeted our own, and maybe the other non-Byren races.¡± The male figure clenched his fist.


    As he did so, the air around him flashed blood red. Raw energy congregated around him in a wild torrent, an Aura of power that caused the ground beneath his feet to crack.


    ¡°Gre-Gregor!¡± The woman gasped out loud, holding up a hand.


    The powerful force of presence abruptly vanished, but the stern figure remained unapologetic as he continued,


    ¡°I won¡¯t wait like this much longer, Myla. If you can¡¯t find a way to track down these killers, then we will have to do things my way.¡±


    ¡°You would drag us into war, Gregor.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was accusatory.


    ¡°They are attacking us, Myla. Do you ask me to let our people die for nothing?¡± The bloody air began to rise again around him as the male figure replied, his words cutting.


    ¡°The Kowalsi Tribe operates beyond your control. Do you think our entire race should be blamed for their actions? It is your duty to seek reason in all things, Lord Justiciar.¡± The woman replied back, her own words equally sharp as she continued,


    ¡°Why should we listen to the decrees of whatever vile creature dragged our people here? Who says we must murder innocents? How dare it try to force that blood onto our hands!¡± Bloody light began to gather around the woman as her voice rose, causing everything she said to boom out loud.


    ¡°That being dragged our entire species here, Myla. I have a responsibility to protect our own.¡± The male figure¡¯s voice turned equal parts dark and grim,


    ¡°If the only way out for our people is to kneel down¡­¡± The man gritted his teeth, his voice trembling as if he could barely control himself,


    ¡°Then I will do what I must to ensure our people survive.¡± The man¡¯s overwhelming Aura returned, bloody light cascading around him like a meteor crashing down into the earth.


    The woman¡¯s face was hidden, but her back stood proud as she weathered that inferno, her voice cool,


    ¡°I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.¡± A weaker, but equally pure Aura of bloody light spread out around her, rebelling against the stronger man¡¯s power.


    The clash of energy caused the ground to split between them, bits of rock and dirt flung up into the air. Several loud creaks and groans echoed out as the earth shifted beneath them, looking as if was bearing an enormous burden.


    The woman began to sway, as if she was about to faint.


    When the man saw this, his Aura immediately vanished and he turned away, exhaling in a long sigh.


    ¡°Just find a way to track down these human killers, Myla. I have a bad feeling about all of this.¡± The man pulled back his robe cover as he looked out into the darkness, revealing a stunningly handsome visage.


    He had warm, light golden skin, green almond-shaped eyes, long blond hair that fell around his shoulders, cascading off his strong neck and square chin. His features could only be described as a thing of beauty by human standards.


    And that was for a good reason.


    As the man spoke, a pair of faint, delicate-looking wings flicked out from two slots in his cloak, appearing on his back. These wings gave off faint particles of light, chasing away the nearby darkness.


    He wasn¡¯t a human.


    He was a Farian.


    ¡°What did you say you called these killers again?¡± Gregor Mantorel, the Lord Justiciar of the Farian Race, asked one last question as he looked back at the female figure, preparing to leave.


    The woman had recovered from her near-fainting spell in a heartbeat, resuming a cool, controlled posture. She replied without hesitation,


    ¡°It was my assistant who came up with the name, not me, and it¡¯s for the ones that all act in unison.¡± The woman paused briefly before continuing,


    ¡°Seeds. She thinks we should start calling them ¡®Seeds.¡¯¡±


    .

 Mass Release-Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16

    Chapter 10


    What exactly was an Inheritance?


    In the simplest of terms: It was a tomb. A grand, majestic tomb, guarded with strange magic and supernatural powers, often filled with esoteric knowledge or rare treasure. An Inheritance was this entire collection of things, from the meekest Inheritances built in mud huts to the grandest, golden castles hidden in the clouds.


    The Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance was not a light matter. Micheal had gleaned several important details about this place through his studies of the past, largely because of how interesting it was.


    This site was a very obscure ruin in that very few people held any knowledge of it currently. There were thousands of similar ruins like this one, with almost all of them being valueless or of little worth. Most of the treasures left behind by the Tribes when they left this world had long since been looted.


    The only ones that remained were ones that were extremely obscure or well hidden.


    And as he had said before, opening up the stone gate that blocked off the entrance to the Inheritance Site required a living sacrifice.


    More specifically, it required a sizable amount of life force, enough to rejuvenate the strange magic that controlled this area, offered in a very specific manner.


    And thus, a couple of hours later, Micheal found himself sitting atop the large boulder that hid the cave-entrance to the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance, looking down at a writhing pit of large snakes.


    ¡°Careful! Slowly back now, slowly back!¡±


    ¡°Steady now, men!¡±


    ¡°Stay alert around the Boss!¡±


    The Rury Group had come awake and alert, even in the middle of the night. They worked and functioned in clear and precise lines, with a group of Third Rate Warriors operating in a ring to protect Simone while she sat down in meditation, using her Silver Scaled Snake Type Ability to control more than 30 different snakes.


    The rest of the warriors had formed a perimeter around the boulder, making sure that none of the snakes Simone was controlling could slip away. Everything was surprisingly orderly.


    He could see some of them activate various tracking Abilities, keeping an eye on specific snakes, while others used physical-boosting Abilities to buff up their stats in preparation for anything going wrong.


    ¡®They aren¡¯t half bad.¡¯ Micheal was suitably impressed by their level of discipline. The warriors didn¡¯t question Simone¡¯s orders and most of them didn¡¯t even question why or who Micheal was.


    The only ones that kept an eye on Micheal were two rather large men dressed in full sets of green and grey armor, with short brown hair and rough faces: Sub Leaders Biff and Thorin, Simone¡¯s two officers. Both warriors were fierce fighters that had the Lesser Werewolf Type Ability and were pretty strong Third Rate Warriors.


    Both of these two Sub Leaders stood right next to Simone, one of them keeping a wary eye on Micheal, while the other was the speaker, directing the group with loud orders. Exactly what they should be doing, in Micheal¡¯s opinion.


    Micheal watched everything unfold before him with keen interest.


    The snakes were slowly piling into the cave entrance. Each one was roughly 3 meters long, but not powerful enough to be a Magic Beast. Hence, Micheal requested 30 of them, just to be safe.


    Once the snakes moved into the cave, they slithered up to the stone door and then curled up and fell into a stupor. They weren¡¯t asleep, but instead frozen, their minds dulled. Each creature was under Simone¡¯s complete control, making this task an easy one.


    Originally, this stone gate required a number of ¡®intelligent¡¯ living sacrifices, an especially cruel requirement. The Inheritance site was one created with harsh demands of any who wished to open it up and seek its rewards, with various magical locks and mechanisms controlling it.


    This wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected, given that this was the Inheritance of Yvvtal the Destroyer.


    Yvvtal¡¯s title was not a common one, nor was he a common Deity. He was a traitor to the Tribes of Deities, the meaning of the term ¡®Fallen Deity,¡¯ and an insane killer that preyed upon thousands of innocents in a mad gambit to seek immortality.


    Even Deities were not immortal. While their bodies were vastly superior to that of a normal human, the chains of time tied down almost all races equally. The Tribes of Deities were no exception.


    Micheal had what he saw as a very rational hatred for the Tribes of Deities. They had slaughtered humanity and caused his kind no end of grief, anger borne out of years of brutality. The arrogance of the leaders of the Deities was legendary, and their cruelty towards ¡®lesser races¡¯ even more so.


    However, he also recognized that, just like how many humans were forced into this death game, even the Deities were forced to climb the Layers. While some lusted for blood, many others did not. He would not blame a random nation¡¯s farmer for the pain inflicted by that nation¡¯s General.


    And thus, even if they were his enemies, he still despised people like Yvvtal, brutal killers that selfishly sought their own ends.


    At least the Vile King was actually trying to help others, in his own mad way. Constantine was scum, but he was scum with standards. Beings like Yvvtal were the lowest of the low in Micheal¡¯s eyes.


    And with that in mind, Micheal made a mental promise to one day wipe Yvvtal¡¯s Inheritance from existence.


    ¡°Alright, Legion! They¡¯re all ready!¡± Simone called out to Micheal, using the name she now knew him by. Her face was covered with a sheen of sweat, but a determined glint could be seen in her eyes.


    By this point, all of the snakes had successfully entered the cave, crammed forward right next to the door entrance. The cave sat ever-still, completely unaffected by the multitude of creatures that were now stacked within it.


    The passage of time had damaged the Yvvtal¡¯s Inheritance site in many ways that weren¡¯t obvious to the naked eye. Some of that damage had affected the ¡®intelligent sacrifice¡¯ requirements.


    In the records Micheal read, it was postulated that the original reason Yvvtal required ¡®intelligent sacrifices¡¯ was to ensure that whoever entered the Inheritance site was desperate for, or lusted after, power, and willing to make such a sacrifice. The designation of ¡®intelligent¡¯ was a bit arbitrary, eventually narrowed down to refer to any creature capable of cognizant communication.


    Yvvtal had also likely left behind some trail of clues or hints that this was what needed to be done. Unfortunately for the Fallen Deity, it seemed those clues had long since been wiped out or some mishap had taken place, leading to no one ever actually opening up his Inheritance until long after the Deities had left this world.


    That period of time ended up being tens of thousands of years long, stretching far beyond what Micheal could conceptualize. After so much time, the magic guiding these ruins had faded in many ways, leading to the situation they were in now.


    The stone gate needed a large release of life force following a faded ritual, but as long as enough life force was used, intelligence or a lack thereof would no longer matter.


    Given that the gate had to be reopened anytime someone wanted to use it, this was a blessing in disguise for any weaker intelligent beings.


    ¡°Alright! Everyone remain where you are.¡± Micheal stood up atop the boulder and tapped on his Spatial Ring. He withdrew a small, black grenade with a red button on its handle.


    He then jumped over to the cave entrance, clutching the grenade in his hand. He peered into it, studying the unmoving snakes.


    They were all sitting still peacefully by the stone entrance, just as planned. He sighed slightly when he saw this, mouthing a silent apology.


    He then pressed the red button on the black grenade and lobbed it forward. An instant after, he flipped away from the entrance till he was back atop the boulder, out of direct line of sight.


    A frigid couple of seconds passed as the various members of the Rury Group shifted about, but otherwise did nothing else.


    Right after¡­


    A quiet ''bang'' rang out as a veil of black liquid splattered over all of the frozen snakes, layering them in viscous, flammable oil. The entire entrance to the cave was covered, staining the pale stone a mix of grey and black.


    ¡°Simone, are you ready?¡± Micheal¡¯s voice was cool as he nodded over at the leader of the Rury Group.


    She nodded stiffly back. Her eyes were centered on the still snakes, her forehead wrinkling in concentration.


    With a bit of focus, she could deaden the nerves of all of these snakes here. This would numb their bodies and minds, preventing them from feeling anything that would happen next.


    Micheal sighed as he stepped forward again. This time, he pulled out a small, red firecracker from his Spatial Ring, a normal firecracker from Earth.


    Yvvtal¡¯s Inheritance only accepted its sacrifices in a very specific way.


    They had to burn to death.


    If the sacrifices were knocked unconscious, no matter how much life force you offered, it would fail to activate the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance. They had to be awake and alive, consciously burning to death.


    Micheal had managed to find a small loophole around that, using Simone¡¯s powers to deaden the nerves of the snakes and send them into a relative stupor. He managed to assuage most of the cruelty of the requirement, though it still left a bad taste in his mouth. Things like this served no purpose.


    Micheal took one last final glance around the hideout, ensuring that everyone was out of distance of the flammable black liquid. He then directly lit the firecracker and threw it, watching it flutter down.


    The various guards all gripped their weapons tightly, some of them glowing as they activated various protective Abilities. Micheal noted all of that with a mild hint of amusement. At least they were proactive.


    The moment the firecracker touched the black oil, a ¡®whoosh¡¯ rang out as it instantly blew up in flames. The fire rapidly sucked itself inside the cave, turning the insides into a glowing inferno. The screams of the blaze wracked the air as the snakes inside were annihilated, melted down to mere ash in a matter of heartbeats.


    A torrent of smoke poured out of the cave entry, staining the already dark sky a shade darker. This smoke carried with it the smell of burnt meat and cracked bones, a pungent smell that made some of the nearby warriors gag. Micheal ignored it as it floated by, his attention focused down below him.


    His powerful Soul stat gave him an edge as it helped him begin to sense what was happening. He was ready to up and flee at a moment¡¯s notice, opting to not place his full faith in all of what history claimed.


    After a tense pause, however, Micheal nodded grimly.


    Shortly after the snakes went up in flames, he began to feel a warm, friendly blip of energy start to spread out. This energy felt incredibly comfortable and welcoming, as if one had been discovered by a long lost family member.


    ¡°Did it work?¡±


    ¡°Do you see anything?¡±


    ¡°Cough-cough¡­ damned smoke.¡±


    ¡°Chan, are you okay? You don¡¯t look so good.¡±


    A multitude of voices echoed out as the curious members of the Rury Group leaned forward or back, depending on the state of their stomach. The explosion hadn¡¯t been very powerful, more of a rapidly-developed fire that appeared and then vanished just as quickly.


    Among the mire of confusion that swarmed the other warriors cut one voice in particular that sounded off clearly.


    ¡°I can see it¡­ it really did change. Wait¡­ can I feel it too?¡± Simone¡¯s voice was awestruck as she looked at the stone gate, and then up to Micheal standing atop it, covered by a thin veneer of smoke. Her eyes seemed to be held tight, as if she was suffering from some sort of backlash due to the deaths of all the snakes she had controlled.


    The smoke from the cave gradually faded and dissipated away, revealing Micheal¡¯s calm figure resting atop the boulder and, below him inside the cave, a cool layer of yellow light shining forth from the stone doorway.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, Simone. The stone door¡¯s been activated, enough to send everything into motion. And now, this whole site¡­¡± Micheal¡¯s voice soared into the air crisply, his every word measured,


    ¡°It will open at dawn.¡±


    Simone stared at him mutely for a few moments. Micheal looked down at her and then smiled slightly,


    "Before we handle all of that, though, I happen to need a small favor from you and your snakes..."


    .. .. .. .. .. ..


    Micheal yawned as he rested in a small room that had been provided to him by Simone. This was one of several spare rooms that had been set aside for storage as it was needed. Spatial Rings were not yet scarce, and wouldn¡¯t be for a while, but there were still things people preferred to store in one place.


    The bed he lay on was top class, as was the mattress. If nothing else, this ¡®bandit camp¡¯ out in the wilderness didn¡¯t skimp on furniture, something Micheal was quite grateful for. A lush, white blanket was wrapped around his body, casting away the cool night air of the forest.


    As he lay there, preparing to sleep for a few hours before dawn arrived, he began to contemplate his future here on the Second.


    Over the past couple of days, he¡¯d gone over all the major points in his head, thinking things through carefully. He¡¯d added up the small things as best he could, and the big things as well. All the clues he had and all the information he¡¯d been able to scrounge up.


    He¡¯d done this before, back on the First Layer, but there was no harm in doing it again, to look over everything he reasonably could.


    And as he had before, he¡¯d reached the same conclusion.


    On the Second Layer, there were three disasters that struck humanity.


    The Darmaton Plague that weakened humanity as a whole, the Tree Conflict that almost caused the collapse of the Human Alliance and created a huge amount of internal discord, and the final Great Disaster where all of the races went to war with one another, causing horrific losses.


    If Micheal could stop each of these incidents, then the future of humanity would almost certainly turn around for the better. With the security and stability of the First Layer virtually assured, Micheal was convinced that as long as he could cement the stability of the Second, the future was certain to change.


    Especially if he could stop the Great Disaster.


    No races were spared from that final battle. Even the Byrium Race, the powerful Byrens that were the clear rulers of this world at the moment, eventually fell, leaving only humanity as the victor.


    Brutal, horrifying, bloody, the Great Disaster was akin to the World Wars of Earth. Wars that lived on in infamy, battles of enormous scale that spread without care.


    While many parts of history were unclear to Micheal, still other parts were abundantly clear.


    And of what he did know¡­ he was going to try to rewrite it, to shift the wheels of fate to a track yet unknown.


    For, after all of his thinking and planning, Micheal had come to realize something.


    No matter how powerful he made humanity¡­ in the end, he simply didn¡¯t have enough time to prepare so many people for war. He could become strong, sure, and he could raise a few strong allies. But he didn¡¯t have the time to get powerful enough to handle entire wars by himself. The sheer losses the human race would suffer if the war ran, even checked as much as possible by him, would be colossal.


    ¡®How can I defeat him? How can I have humanity come out ahead?¡¯ The Vile King seemed omnipresent, with various pawns spread across the entire planet, carrying out his bidding in real-time. Against such an enemy, even armed with knowledge of the future, stopping him seemed like a challenge of titanic proportions.


    As those thoughts had plagued his mind, Micheal had gradually reached an inescapable conclusion.


    The only way to win was to not fight at all.


    He wasn¡¯t going to stop the Great Disaster by making humanity super-ultra-unbeatable. That had been the first idea he came up with, to prepare humanity so well that they couldn¡¯t possibly be defeated. That thought, however¡­ it was simply unfeasible due to the scale and scope of such a mission. He lacked both the time and the resources to handle that.


    No, if he wanted to stop the Great Disaster¡­ he would need to prevent it before it could even take place.


    He, a man who had only known war for the last dozen years, would have to spread peace.


    Micheal raised up his hand and opened it as he looked at the roof above him. He then slowly clenched his hand into a closed fist, doing his best to give off a sense of confidence and stability.


    ¡°One step at a time. And it all starts tomorrow.¡±


    The first step he would take to stop the Great Disaster¡­


    It all began at dawn.


    .


    Chapter 11


    Micheal rested peacefully, using the few hours he had to his advantage. Despite being in unknown territory with unsure, temporary allies, his sleep went perfectly well. He put off cultivation, choosing to focus purely on rest for now.


    Being able to hunker down and maintain one¡¯s body in conditions like this was a skill he¡¯d picked up over the years. In this case, he¡¯d picked out a few small bells from the Shop and set them up in a few spots around the room, creating a protective, and very hard to see, perimeter. Anyone coming in from any visible entrance would inadvertently ring one of these small bells.


    That, combined with his powerful Soul stat that was passively spreading his senses, even in his sleep, made it possible to keep up a basic level of alertness even as his mind rested.


    Waking up had proven simple, something he didn¡¯t even have to plan for.


    As soon as the dawn sunlight cracked the horizon, the world around Micheal had begun to tremble.


    He instantly shot upright, his eyes clearing as he blinked and looked around his small hut. The rooftop above was shaking, as was his bed, the floor, and the walls around him, ringing the bell¡¯s he¡¯d set up. The sturdy build of the hidden camp prevented anything from collapsing, but the miniature earthquake itself lasted a full 20 seconds. Micheal took that time to collect the bells and silence them.


    Micheal skipped over anything like breakfast as he immediately put on a long green robe and left his hut, emerging into the campsite proper. He fit his Silk Strider Glove as he left, making sure it was locked and loaded.


    Very faint morning light was just starting to creep over the horizon, heralding the arrival of dawn. The campsite was just now starting to bustle as everyone woke up, the odd shaking putting everyone on high alert.


    In no time at all, Micheal made his way over to the entrance of the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance. He was the first one to arrive there and promptly began to check the surroundings to see if anything was different.


    From the outside, everything looked identical. The cave was still set in the large boulder, going into the ground. Nothing outside of it looked any different.


    A few seconds after Micheal arrived, a voice caught his attention, calling out from behind him,


    ¡°So this is it, then?¡± Simone¡¯s words were cool and slightly harried as she emerged from a stone house set very close to the cave entrance. She was wearing her customary scale-patterned armor, but this time with a set of black leather gear protecting the rest of her body, leaving no area exposed.


    Behind her, men and women were rapidly forming up into lines, following barked orders by Simone¡¯s two Sub-Leaders. The Rury Group was organizing themselves in a fast, disciplined fashion, as if they had been preparing for this for months.


    Micheal glanced back at her and nodded, his face expressionless as he replied,


    ¡°Look for yourself.¡± He motioned towards the cave entrance.


    Simone eyed him before taking a few steps forward and peering into the stone cave.


    While the outside of the area was relatively unchanged, the insides of the cave had transformed.


    The stone doorway that had been sealed shut was now glowing with white light, giving off an aura of power and might that drew the eye. Motes of light were constantly rising from the floor, glittering in gold and white sparkles. The entire entryway had become a sight that inspired a sense of awe, magical and majestic.


    Micheal hadn¡¯t warned them about this, or about the earthquake, largely because he hadn¡¯t actually known that these things would happen. He knew about a lot of major stuff, but minor details like this weren¡¯t recorded in the Second Layer¡¯s fragmented history, not that he could find.


    Still, as he observed everything, he had to hand it to Yvvtal. The Fallen Deity knew how to impress.


    After a moment, his eyes flicked to the side as he looked at Simone, and then the rest of her group that was gathering behind him.


    Now that they got the entrance open for him, he didn¡¯t particularly need them to do anything else. The main thing he wanted them for was to provide manpower to speed up opening the doorway. With that done, he was largely free.


    Still¡­ he didn¡¯t want to just leave them to deal with Yvvtal¡¯s tomb on their own. They didn¡¯t seem like bad people and, in addition to that, he¡¯d found them to be surprisingly useful. They had extraordinary discipline and coordination, and the potential to be very useful, as long as they were polished suitably.


    ¡®Shin and Sophia won¡¯t be up here for at least a few weeks.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a bad idea at all to put together a small, elite force he could control. He could both save their lives and efficiently work towards saving humanity at the same time.


    Especially so if he could lead them through Yvvtal¡¯s Inheritance. While this group was a bit too weak right now, they could rapidly transform to become much more powerful at this site here, as history had proven.


    ¡°Well then¡­¡± Micheal began, catching Simone¡¯s attention with a casual wave,


    ¡°Let¡¯s head in!¡±


    .. .. .. .. .. ..


    It took only a couple of minutes for Simone and her crew to fully prepare. Her two Sub-Leaders didn¡¯t talk a lot, apart from ordering about the rest of the warriors, but they were reliable and got things done fast.


    When they finally finished preparing, Micheal, Simone, and the Rury Group entered the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance.


    The first thing Micheal felt he walked through the glowing stone doorway was an immeasurable sense of age.


    The room he appeared in was a large entrance hall, with a raised ceiling that was at least 10 meters tall. Grand grey pillars rose off to the side, supporting the arching roof up above. The floor was colored a dark grey, with a faded white carpet that stretched all the way down the hall to a set of three doorways, about 80 meters distant.


    The dimensions of this hall made no sense, given how small the cave and boulder that had hidden the cave had been. But, well, that was magic. It made little sense.


    The hall was lit by several magical symbols inscribed into the pillars, glowing with soft blue light.


    Everything in here felt extremely old. As Micheal looked around, he could see a thick layer of dust coating practically everything, causing several of the warriors behind him to cough with every step.


    Indeed, as he took a step forward on the faded white carpet, it literally dissipated before his very eyes. His single step onto it caused a small chain reaction that destroyed half of the white carpet.


    ¡°Oh my.¡± Simone held a hand up to her mouth at this in surprise. Her two Sub-Leaders stood close behind her and merely grunted, their hands resting on the hilt of a huge axe that each one had strapped to their back. While the two were clearly not brothers, their bulky appearance and rough faces made them look akin in spirit, if not blood.


    They walked down the ancient hall towards the ending pathway, causing the rest of the carpet to dissipate into dust. This area gave off a rather eerie feeling, making everything feel vaguely surreal.


    This was the first truly ¡®mystical¡¯ place Micheal had seen in his second life. The pseudo-modern world of the First Layer and the ¡®Ancient¡¯ world of the Second Layer had two very different setups. This world did, after all, have a deep and rich history behind it.


    Micheal tossed the thought from his mind as he looked at the three doors before them and, more importantly, the symbols carved onto each of the three doors.


    Each door was made of an opaque crystal, with black letters cut into them. The letters were foreign to any known human language, exotic lines and scrawls that looped around in patterns.


    The Shop automatically translated most spoken languages into something that could be understood by the listening human. This particular aspect of the Shop was incredibly useful for communicating with other races, especially because it could be applied in reverse. It didn''t always work, especially if someone was speaking in a secret code, but it was handy most of the time.


    The Shop could transmute what a human said and make the words be understood through their intent, even if the listener didn¡¯t know any human languages. This made humans a prime target for enslavement by some races looking to find ways to communicate with other races.


    However, when it came to ¡®written words¡¯, the Shop only applied this function to most human languages. If something was written down in a human language, the Shop could translate it to almost any other human language, with a few exceptions. If something was written down in any other race¡¯s language, however¡­


    The Shop proved useless in translating those things.


    It could translate almost any human language to any other, and it could convey the meaning of one¡¯s words or understanding the meaning of another person¡¯s words automatically. But that was its limit. Fantastic, but not perfect.


    Fortunately for Micheal, he recognized these symbols.


    It was High Divine, the ¡®formal¡¯ language that Deities wrote in. A rich and complex style of writing that could convey deep meanings with subtleties that were difficult to grasp, and was often used in the magic creation of things meant to last for very long periods of time. Micheal wasn''t sure when the Toren race discovered the language, but that discovery likely helped lead them to ascend and become a true Deity Tribe.


    Micheal was no expert, but in his studies of the past, the future, and the present, he had picked up on how to read a number of alien languages. High Divine was one of the ones he could get by on, enough to understand how to read certain manuals or instructions.


    ¡®Knight, Lord, King.¡¯ Each door had a different distinction on it, one that had a very clear progression in Micheal¡¯s eyes. He nodded his head slightly when he saw this.


    This matched everything he knew about this place from his first life.


    Micheal turned around after spending a moment to study the doors, looking over at Simone again. She was currently talking to her two Sub-Leaders while motioning at the door. A third person had joined her group and was also engaged in the discussion.


    This speaker was a middle-aged man with a rather reedy appearance. He was Asian, with short brown hair and of rather short stature. His face was animated as he pointed from door to door, nodding his head in an excited manner.


    According to Simone, this was Han, a man that possessed the Magic Librarian Type Ability. It was a unique power that allowed Han to glean information from the environment or objects around him, seeing deeper into things than just what was available on the surface.


    According to Simone, his power had proven a great boon in locating this particular forest, and the hidden tomb here within it.


    Micheal began to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    ¡°¡­but I¡¯m not sure if we can safely move through each door.¡± Han had just finished speaking, his eyes wide.


    ¡°So there is a certain level of danger?¡± Simone responded, crossing her arms with a frown.


    ¡°Yes, I can see that. Each door, no matter what, has something dangerous behind it. The moment you try to use the door, you will leave here, somehow. It¡¯s not very clear.¡± Han¡¯s voice as full of frustration.


    Micheal realized, then, a bit how this must¡¯ve gone in the original timeline. Han¡¯s power must¡¯ve eventually clued them in on how to get the door open, perhaps he observed something that took him a while to see. Her Group then must have progressed through the tomb cautiously, focusing on trying to either find a cure or grow strong enough to fight against Baron Rex.


    ¡®They probably wasted a huge amount of time in their first life.¡¯ It did make sense. The Rury Gang didn¡¯t publicly appear for several months from now, if Micheal¡¯s memory was correct. Which it was, given that he had a perfect memory at the moment thanks to his Unceasing Mind Ability. Convenient, that.


    ¡®This time is as good as any.¡¯ Micheal walked up to her and her men.


    The moment he did so, the two Sub-Leaders immediately turned their full attention towards him, shifting slightly as they prepared to attack at a moment¡¯s notice. Simone¡¯s eyes flashed as she noticed this and turned to look at Micheal.


    ¡°I happen to know a little bit about these doors here.¡± Micheal began, talking in a friendly manner. He ignored the two Sub-Leaders and instead nodded over at Han and Simone,


    ¡°They represent 3 different levels of challenges.¡±


    ¡°Challenges?¡± Simone frowned slightly.


    ¡°Yes, something like that. If you can complete one of these challenges, you will get a reward for doing so and can move deeper into this cave. However, you can only complete a single door of the three, and no more.¡± Micheal explained exactly what he knew in clear terms.


    Thousands of years ago, there used to exist magical servants that would explain these doors to anyone that appeared in the tomb. At least, this was what had been surmised through research once the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance gained its infamy.


    However, through the winding sands of time, these servants had eventually broken down and vanished. They were simple energy constructs that couldn¡¯t last such a long period.


    Thus, Simone¡¯s group had likely been forced to test everything manually in Micheal¡¯s first life.


    Simone tactfully didn¡¯t question how Micheal knew this, but instead glanced at Han to see what he thought. The reedy looking man paused quietly after hearing Micheal¡¯s words and seemed to be thinking intensely as he looked at the three doors.


    After a few seconds, Han looked away and nodded.


    ¡°That could make sense. It is something that could match what I see.¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded unsure, but it was better than nothing.


    ¡°And so these challenges, they relate to the cure to our¡­ condition, then?¡± Simone¡¯s voice was pointed as she looked at Micheal, pursing her lips.


    ¡°Yes but also no.¡± Micheal replied with a shrug. He held up a hand as Simone was about to angrily retort back, continuing,


    ¡°I know what poison you are suffering from. It¡¯s called Withering Snow Poison.¡± Micheal actually did recognize this fact.


    The Withering Snow Poison was, originally, a secret weapon created by one of the Inner Elders of the Divine Might Sect used to help control a target and force them to do your bidding. It was incredibly potent and could not be cured by any normal means, nor by most magical means.


    The symptoms Simone and her allies were suffering from were very minimal right now. However, they all felt a sense of impending doom, knowing that they would die in the future, and could physically sense this poison afflicting them.


    This matched what Withering Snow Poison felt like to the exact description.


    Micheal would know¡­ after all, he himself had been poisoned with Withering Snow Poison before. His faced wrinkled slightly for a split second as a memory tried to flare up.


    He quickly suppressed it and continued to speak,


    ¡°This is a very difficult poison to cleanse. However, I can tell you with certainty that the cure to your condition exists within this tomb.¡± He looked back at the three doors and then slowly raised his hand, pointing at the one with the ¡®King¡¯ condition.


    ¡°In fact¡­ it¡¯s bound to be right behind that door.¡± Micheal smiled.


    Simone¡¯s eyes lit up as she turned to look at the door. Before she could do anything, however, Micheal spoke again,


    ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t try it yourself, Simone.¡± His voice held a hint of caution.


    ¡°Watch your tongue, fool, or I¡¯ll take it from you.¡± One of Simone¡¯s Sub-Leaders broke in, his voice full of unrestrained anger as he glared at Micheal.


    ¡°Calm down, Thorin.¡± Simone¡¯s voice was cool as she looked at Micheal,


    ¡°Why not, Legion?¡± She tilted her head back slightly.


    ¡°Because you¡¯ll die. In fact¡­¡± Micheal looked from the two Sub-Leaders to Han to the various members of Simone¡¯s team that were milling about in the back of the hall, waiting for orders. He turned back to face Simone with a casual shrug,


    ¡°Everyone here that tries that door will die. Except me, that is.¡± He wasn¡¯t lying. They really would stand a high chance of perishing if they tried to take on the challenge of the ¡®King¡¯ door. Even if they did manage to escape with their life, there was no chance anyone in the Rury Group could complete it.


    Simone paused, looking rather uncertain as she turned to stare at the door. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she turned to look at her assistant.


    Han wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead as he looked at the third door for several moments. Those moments dragged into longer moments, and then into minutes as Han stood there, silently focusing.


    Micheal remained quiet throughout this, waiting patiently.


    Finally, after nearly 4 minutes, Han looked away from the door his eyes wide. His hands trembled as he gulped and nodded his head repeatedly.


    ¡°Th-th-th,¡± He stuttered a few times before he took a deep breath and continued,


    ¡°The door has something dangerous behind it. Extremely, extremely dangerous!¡± The poor man was even shaking, as if he couldn¡¯t bear remembering what he had seen.


    Simone sighed as she heard that and then rubbed at her forehead. She then grit her teeth and turned to look back over at Micheal.


    Micheal looked back at her with a serious expression, trying his best to convey a sense of honesty. He wanted to look as believable as possible, to gain their trust as quickly as possible.


    Simone studied him for a moment before asking what Micheal wanted to hear.


    ¡°What do you want from us, Legion?¡± Micheal smiled internally.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Micheal began as he pointed at Simone, and then waved his hand at her Rury Group members,


    ¡°I need manpower to work on a project of mine. This project will be somewhat dangerous, but if you follow my orders, you and your men will walk away from it better than how you started.¡± He finished his short speech, studying Simone¡¯s expression to gauge her reaction.


    Simone¡¯s eyes opened a bit wider when she heard what he had to say,


    ¡°You want us to¡­ serve as your subordinates?¡± Her voice held a hint of incredulity.


    ¡°Something like that. And to ensure that it all goes well, I will require you to sign a Contract.¡± Micheal emphasized the last word.


    ¡°A contract?¡± Simone frowned, her forehead wrinkling in confusion.


    ¡°A Magic Contract, something that will bind our Souls and prevent either of us from breaking it. We can get one here.¡± Micheal smiled slightly,


    ¡°In return for saving your lives, you and your men will help me complete a mission. I can assure you that it will involve nothing evil, and will only benefit all of humanity. In fact, you and your men should grow to be much stronger as a result of this mission, becoming true elites.¡±


    Micheal¡¯s words were incredibly convincing. He spoke in a commanding tone, standing tall and raising his head to give off an authoritative air. His gaze held the pride of a lion, giving off a sense of complete confidence.


    Simone bit her lip as she considered this, taking a moment to look back at her team. Her mouth twisted as thoughts flickered through her mind, adding things up and examining the situation.


    Micheal sighed internally as he saw this. He didn¡¯t like using this sort of method. But there was no other way he would be able to form a team of his own on such short notice, and if he wanted to get things done here, he needed people to work with.


    Finally, after thinking for several moments, Simone turned her gaze back to Micheal. She grit her teeth as she looked at him.


    ¡°What would you have us do?¡±


    .


    Chapter 12


    A cool, soothing sensation enveloped Micheal, as if he had just jumped into a pool of slightly chilled water. This feeling washed into his mind, refreshing and relaxing him in a way that was difficult to describe in words. His eyes were closed and he was no longer breathing, yet his body felt healthy and hale.


    <div>


    As Micheal felt all of this, he kept his mind alert, examining each and every detail that he encountered. It was a very strange sensation, as if he was entering into a dream-like state.


    Just moments later, that cool sensation vanished and his breathing came back. The world returned to normal as his feet hit a solid surface, causing him to stumble slightly before catching himself.


    Micheal blinked as he cleared his vision, looking around at where he had landed.


    He was at the base of a mountain. A large, grassy plain spread out around this large mountain, dotted with a few trees on occasion. Warm sunlight beat down overhead, the mid-morning light falling upon Micheal¡¯s eyes.


    The mountain itself was decently large, at least as tall as some of the biggest mountains of Earth. Micheal could see a faint ring of clouds surrounding the top of the mountain, giving it a kind of ethereal quality, as if Gods lived there.


    On this mountain, Micheal could faintly make out a collection of buildings built up into the face of the mountain. A long, straight path of stairs led up to these buildings, scaling halfway up the mountain. Hundreds of figures were currently moving up this stair path in the distance, scurrying upwards in a hurry.


    Just a few minutes before this, Micheal had taken Simone to the side to have an in-depth conversation, one where he explained what he needed of her and how everything would work. Eventually, she¡¯d agreed to his plans, but only on the condition that he cured her and her men of their debilitating condition first.


    It was a reasonable demand. They had only known each other a brief amount of time, gaining anyone¡¯s trust was bound to be difficult in such a short period. In addition, their relationship had started off with Micheal being prepared to kill her if need be, not exactly the best impression.


    Micheal had no reason to deny her demand, and so their agreement was struck.


    It was a relationship based on equal exchange. Unlike Micheal¡¯s friendship with Shin and Sophia, his alliance with Simone was strictly business. Apart from her current misfortune, Simone didn¡¯t have a tragic backstory or a secret past that plagued her. She was calculating, but honest, and made her stance clear to Micheal, with no surprises.


    Now, all Micheal needed to do was find some Contract Seals and find a way to cure the still-secret Withering Snow Poison. After that, with a little bit more guidance from him, he would be well on his way to creating the elite proxy force that he would need later.


    Conveniently enough, and the entire reason Micheal had proposed this plan in the first place, both of those things could be found here in the Fallen Deity''s Inheritance.


    And after that conversation, one thing led to another. Micheal gave Simone and her crew some detailed instructions on what the three doorways meant, and what the challenges behind the ¡®Knight¡¯ door would be. The tips he gave were invaluable, clues picked up from the future that would save Simone and her team an immense amount of time and effort.


    And while the Rury Group was making their preparations to challenge the ¡®Knight¡¯ door in various waves, Micheal moved all the way over past the ¡®Lord¡¯ door to the ¡®King¡¯ door.


    And then, without any dramatic flair, he challenged it immediately. He rested his hand directly on the glowing symbol and injected some of his ¡®Ki¡¯ into it, activating the ancient Inheritance ground.


    And that was how he ended up here.


    ¡°Panho! We gotta hurry!¡± A boy¡¯s voice called out from behind Micheal, catching his attention. Micheal turned around, his eyes narrowing slightly.


    A teenager was jogging over towards Micheal, waving frantically. He looked to be around 15 or 16 years old, a few years younger than Micheal¡¯s physical age. He was wearing a simple leather tunic and a plain shirt, with a longsword strapped to his waist.


    At first glance, he looked very ordinary, like a human from before the modern era, where people fought with swords and not guns. However, when Micheal looked closer¡­


    Golden skin that shined with a bronze hue, silver hair that glowed faintly, a handsome, strong appearance boosted by a naturally muscular body despite his younger age¡­


    As he saw this, Micheal realized something that made his face twitch, involuntary rage forcing its way into his heart.


    This teenager was not a human.


    Nor was he a Farian, a Byren, or any of the other races that inhabited the Second Layer.


    He was a Deity.


    Specifically, a Toren, of the Toren Tribe, one of the 12 Tribes of Deities.


    The 12 Tribes of Deities all looked different, based on which Tribe each Deity was from. The Tribe that had wiped out humanity, in the end, were the blue-skinned Morians that, while humanoid, looked very different compared to a regular human. Torens, on the other hand, looked very similar to normal humans.


    Each Toren was naturally strong, born with strength that vastly surpassed a regular human. Of all of the 12 Tribes, the Torens were the Tribe that was most physically resilient, born with skin that could easily block bullets. Each and every member of the Toren Tribe was basically a superhuman that could live for thousands of years without any training whatsoever.


    As with all of the Tribes, one of the major ¡®downsides¡¯ to their species was the difficulty Torens faced in conceiving offspring. As a result of that, despite their longevity, the population of their race was very limited in scope.


    This was the first Deity Micheal had seen since he came back to the past.


    Killing intent flowed in Micheal¡¯s body and Soul, a colossal wave of pure animosity that threatened to jump out from his body and slam into the teenager in a heartbeat. These feelings were built into the very fiber of his being, borne from the blood shed by those he cared for, offered up at the altar of war in sacrifices to stop the rampage of Gods.


    ¡®Control.¡¯ A single thought reined in Micheal¡¯s overwhelming emotions as he swept back that killing intent with the mastered discipline of a Swordmaster.


    In the meantime, the teenager flinched backwards and almost fell down, his eyes widening in surprisingly realistic shock. After a few seconds, however, he blinked and looked around in confusion, as if he wasn¡¯t quite sure what had happened.


    He quickly recovered as he turned his focus back to Micheal, renewing his earlier speech.


    ¡°The Disciple Selection Test is about to begin! Come on, Panho! I¡¯m going up ahead!¡± The teenager rushed off, his short silver hair ruffling as he began to sprint up the stairs that led up the mountain.


    Micheal watched him go, blinking slowly as he took a couple of seconds to calm down.


    ¡®What is wrong with me?¡¯ He frowned as he began to jog after the teenager, his mouth drawn into a thin line. To show bloodlust to a clearly innocent teenager, even if that boy was a member of a race that had caused him unending pain¡­


    It was very unlike him, even if that teenager was a fake ''dream'' creation.


    His emotions had become more and more volatile ever since he arrived here on the Second Layer. He found it difficult to keep his mental state, feeling as if he wasn¡¯t in complete control of himself. Not to the point where it would result in any serious lapse¡­ but to the point where it was noticeable to him.


    Feelings like this were something he had not felt in a very, very long time.


    He knew the reason, of course. He wasn¡¯t an idiot. Even if he didn¡¯t want to face the issue head-on, the fact that his heart ached told him the truth of the situation.


    It had to be because of her.


    Isabelle Solara.


    She was alive once more.


    He sighed and shook his head, focusing back on the immediate present.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    His arrival at the base of a mountain, the fact that he had been greeted by a young Toren, everything thus far had occurred exactly how Micheal had heard it should. This meant, for certain, that he was successfully taking the King¡¯s Challenge.


    The Knight¡¯s Challenge, the Lord¡¯s Challenge, and the King¡¯s Challenge. Each of these three ¡®Challenges¡¯ were locked behind a different door. Once you completed one challenge, you were never allowed to complete another one.


    In their own way, these Challenges served as the ¡®filters¡¯ that Yvvtal had placed into his Inheritance.


    The Knight¡¯s Challenge was very difficult to complete. Even with the in-depth tips and tricks Micheal gave to Simone, things that practically laid out every hard part of the Challenge, it would take weeks, at the minimum, for her entire group to pass it, and the risk of death was still present.


    Even for Simone, the most talented of her group, it should take her, at the bare minimum, several days and might come out injured. The power she and her group had the potential to gain was great, but the risks, even with Micheal¡¯s help, were still there.


    If they hadn¡¯t had the secrets Micheal knew to make everything easier, it would take her months to complete and many of her warriors would almost certainly die.


    Completing it would provide one with ample rewards, enough to greatly boost an average human''s strength.


    Past the Knight¡¯s Challenge was the Lord¡¯s Challenge.


    The Lord¡¯s Challenge was vastly more difficult than the Knight¡¯s Challenge, and provided vastly better rewards. However, even with Micheal¡¯s guidance and help, he had no confidence that anyone from Simone¡¯s group would be able to complete the Challenge.


    He wasn¡¯t knocking them, not entirely. Simone did seem to be pretty talented and strong-willed, definitely within the upper echelon of humanity.


    However, these Challenges¡­ they weren¡¯t designed for humans.


    They were designed for Deities.


    Taking the Lord¡¯s Challenge would¡¯ve been suicide for Simone.


    And as for the King¡¯s Challenge¡­


    It was unfathomably difficult for a human being to complete.


    In fact, there were only two other humans that Micheal knew of that managed to barely complete the King¡¯s Challenge.


    Part of this was because many of the supremely talented First Wavers had already moved past the Second Layer before the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance appeared. The First Wave was famed for the disproportionate number of super experts found within it. In addition, the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance wasn¡¯t open long enough to allow for billions of humans to try it.


    Still¡­ hundreds of thousands of humans, if not millions, did manage to make the trip here, all in an attempt to pass these infamous Challenges.


    And of those huge swathes of talented warriors, a mere two humans passed the King¡¯s Challenge.


    Baron Fortuna of the Four Barons and the Nirvana Saint of the Purgatory Church.


    No one else.


    Plenty of people died trying to attempt it, eventually leading to the King¡¯s Challenge becoming a taboo that was avoided, until the eventual disappearance of the Fallen Deity¡¯s Inheritance. But other than those two souls, no one else ever passed, not that was publicly known.


    Micheal didn¡¯t find that very surprising. He snorted at the thought as he began to sprint up the stairs, his eyes studying the surroundings.


    The first part of the King¡¯s Challenge was as he¡¯d heard.


    You were transported to a mountain and forced to take part in a Disciple Selection Test. If you managed to complete the Disciple Selection Test, you would be transported to a ¡®Newcomer¡¯s Tournament,¡¯ where you would compete with other new disciples for victory.


    That was the complete ¡®Challenge.¡¯


    All in all, it was a fairly standard occurrence for the Second Layer.


    This was an entire planet dominated by martial arts. Martial art fighting competitions were a dime a dozen, and there were actual ¡®Disciple Selection Tests¡¯ all the time, though they often went by different names.


    Micheal had, thus far, managed to avoid interacting with the mainstream society of the Second Layer. He¡¯d spoke with some humans and had contact with a single Camp, but nothing else beyond that. The only Byren he¡¯d seen was one of the guards stationed to work with (and possibly spy on) humanity.


    As such, his first real welcome to the society of the Second Layer was happening in a place where it wasn¡¯t even real.


    Micheal¡¯s lungs burned as he continued to sprint up the stairs, racing after the Toren. He now moved as quickly as possible behind the teenager, flashing up the stairs in an instant. Each step felt rough beneath his feet, the enhanced gravity of the Second Layer ever-present here, even in this dreamworld Challenge.


    This was all part of the test, according to what he knew. He needed to show an eagerness to take the test, to show a thirst for power, for whatever reasons he might have, and a refusal to give up or show weakness.


    And, given his rather driving mission in this life, it wasn¡¯t hard to come up with all of that.


    As he scaled the mountain, he passed by dozens of figures. He could vaguely make out blips of golden skin or flashes of silver hair, clueing him in to the fact that he was sprinting past dozens of Torens.


    He didn¡¯t let that distract him as he continued to race forward.


    His body, here in the King¡¯s Challenge, was not the exact same as his normal body. There were certainsubtle differences to it, but at the same time, many similarities.


    For example, his Silk Strider Glove was nowhere to be seen. However, his body and face still had the slightly leaner build he¡¯d gained ever since he¡¯d appeared on the Second Layer, showing that his build and body were still the same.


    A sheen of sweat covered his forehead as he continued to struggle upwards. He was about a quarter of the way up the mountain, and roughly halfway to his final destination. If he wanted to, he could bring out his Life Orbs and use them to fly up, still able to sense the connection with those tools.


    Doing that, however, would obviously defeat the purpose of the challenge.


    Thus, Micheal continued to persevere. The pain and exhaustion that tried to sweep past his mind bounced off a stiff wall of determination that even the fiercest cannons could not shatter. Pain like this was nothing to Micheal but a shadow of his own future practice.


    Finally, after several long moments of frantic running, cool mountain air wafted over his body, bringing with it the scents of nature and the woodlands, a refreshing smell that cleared Micheal¡¯s mind. He had almost reached the location of the Disciple Selection Test and the midway point up the mountain, the ¡®Main Courtyard.¡¯


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, Panho! Come on!¡± The nameless teenager needlessly reminded Micheal of what he already knew as he raced up a couple more sets of stairs, just barely leaving Micheal¡¯s sight. No matter how fast Micheal ran, he had been completely unable to pass by the teenager.


    Several stern-looking Toren guards glanced at Micheal, standing watch on the top of the stairs as he emerged. They were dressed in relaxed leather armor and wielded large spears or blades in their hands rather casually.


    Behind them, a set of grand courtyards and large buildings spread out, built into the rocky face of the mountain. Micheal¡¯s eyes flicked up to them, and then back behind him for a split moment as he realized something.


    The groups of Torens moving up and down the stairs below looked more like NPC¡¯s in a video game than anything else, moving rather aimlessly, as if they had just been placed there to fill the space.


    ¡®They probably had, actually.¡¯ Micheal thought, nodding slightly. This entire dreamworld vision was, after all, fabricated with some strange type of magic. Perhaps those groups had been intended to add a feeling of pressure.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate as he followed right after the nameless teenager, headed towards the biggest courtyard in sight. As he followed, he mentally began to prepare himself.


    For what came next, he needed to do everything exactly how he had planned it out in his head. A single mistake could cost him dearly.


    For, Yvvtal¡¯s Inheritance had a singular purpose.


    And it was that singular purpose that Micheal was going to take advantage of and use to absolutely rob the Fallen Deity blind.


    Yvvtal wished to find a new vessel in which to reincarnate his Spirit Body.


    In simpler terms:


    He wanted to come back to life by taking over someone else¡¯s body.


    The fact that he created an entire Inheritance Ground, stocked full of ¡®Challenges¡¯ and valuable rewards, built up over decades of effort, might seem excessive at first. And, indeed it was.


    However, in the time that Yvvtal and the Deities lived on this world, things like Inheritance sites held certain expectations. They were designated areas to train one¡¯s descendants and to pass on one¡¯s teachings, while rewarding those that were talented.


    Yvvtal created this Inheritance site as a backup should he ever perish. It was his last resort, should he ever need to use it.


    With that in mind, he needed to make it extremely convincing. Deities, in his era, were extremely perceptive beings. If his Inheritance site didn¡¯t look and function like a proper Inheritance site, it would get ignored or worse, destroyed.


    Yvvtal could create a convincing Inheritance Grounds while also, at the same time, use that to filter out beings that he couldn¡¯t fully reincarnate into. His standards for a body were both extremely high and unique, meaning not just anyone would do.


    And with that in mind, a glint of determination flashed in Micheal¡¯s eyes as he readied himself.


    He needed to do what even Baron Fortuna and the Nirvana Saint had failed.


    Not only did he need to complete the King¡¯s Challenge¡­


    He needed to complete it perfectly, earning himself several great, and very specific, rewards.


    And then, after all of that effort, he would achieve the final reward for perfect completion of the King¡¯s Challenge.


    Involuntary bodily possession by Yvvtal the Destroyer.


    ¡°Perfect.¡±


    .


    Chapter 13


    .


    ¡®Status.¡¯


    .


    ¡ª - Status ¡ª -


    Name: Micheal Care


    Points: 200


    Race: Human


    Age: 18


    Physique: 1 Star


    Soul Quality: 3 Star


    Strength - 80


    Endurance - 56


    Recovery - 55


    Soul - 36


    Abilities - (5/7)


    Life Orb Master


    Ki Cultivator (Earth Tier - Early)


    Grandmaster Sword Mastery (1/5)


    Impact Release


    Ceaseless Mind


    .


    Micheal checked his status out of habit as he walked into the grand courtyard, noting that all of his stats and Abilities remained identical and that he could still access the Shop. Even his Points total was the same.


    Despite that, he was very aware that this was not the real world.


    As Micheal emerged into the open courtyard, he spotted groups of Torens milling about near the center. They were a mix of ages, some that looked roughly 15 to 16 years old while others that could be in their mid-30s.


    Four older Torens could be seen on the far end of the courtyard talking to each other. These warriors were dressed in long white robes, unlike the leather-garbed guards. In fact, these robes looked very similar to a type of robe Micheal recognized from Earth¡¯s past, a Greek chiton.


    This was the ¡®formal¡¯ wear of the Torens, as Micheal had come to learn. It was the garb of choice when participating in a type of formal state meeting, a formal ceremony, anything of that nature.


    The moment Micheal entered the courtyard, it was as if a switch had been flipped. The four Instructors at the end of the courtyard finished talking among each other and turned their focus over to the milling Torens.


    ¡°Alright, you mongrels!¡± One of the instructors, a heftier Toren with hair that was cut short, yelled out loud, his voice booming. The words he spoke gave off a physical feeling of pressure, even to Micheal who was on the opposite end of the courtyard.


    ¡°Group up by age! Child, Half-Grown, Full-Grown!¡± As he named each age group, he pointed to one of the three other instructors. He gave off a sense that he brooked zero argument and would obliterate anyone who went against him.


    Quickly, the milling Torens began to split up into the different lines. Micheal¡¯s eyes flicked from side to side as he walked towards the group of ¡®Half-Grown¡¯ Torens.


    He recognized these age groups, thankfully, one of the stray facts his perfect memory could recall with ease. The ¡®Child¡¯ group was for those aged 0 to 14, ¡®Half-Grown¡¯ was for those aged 15 to 25, and ¡®Full-Grown¡¯ was for anyone older than 25.


    Torens grew slightly slower than humans, not entering into full maturity till 25. Their longevity, however, even without Ki Cultivation, could exceed hundreds of years.


    In short order, Micheal found himself waiting in the correct line. Every Toren in the group was quiet and tense, facing forward silently as the Instructors watched. Before, there had been a bit of a relaxed feel as everyone waited. Now, however, Micheal could only sense a foreboding nervousness.


    ¡®Probably another purposeful addition.¡¯ Yvvtal¡¯s requirements for his Inheritor really were quite high.


    Time passed by quickly as Micheal¡¯s line moved forward. Despite his powerful body and keen senses, he couldn¡¯t hear any of what each candidate said to the Instructor at the front of the line.


    This was because of the powerful Aura each Instructor was releasing. A physical manifestation of energy that could affect reality itself, Auras came about through either high concentrations of Ki used in a specific way or through unique Physiques.


    As Micheal waited patiently in line, ignoring the pressure and nerve-wracking atmosphere, he mentally reflected on what he knew about the Torens.


    Among the Tribes of Deities, there were some that were born at high levels of Ki Cultivation, given an inherent advantage from the very start. The Toren Tribe, however, never saw such an occurrence take place.


    No matter how prestigious one¡¯s parents, every Toren came into existence starting with no Ki Cultivation at all, unlike humans who could pass on some degree of their Ki Cultivation and powers to their offspring. It was only through constant practice and dedication that they could reach high levels of Ki Cultivation and grow their power significantly.


    Compared to humans, Torens had both an easier and a harder time in their Ki Cultivation. The concept may seem contradictory, and it was at first glance. However, if one dived deeper, everything made sense.


    Most Torens were born with the ¡®Heavenly Gold Physique.¡¯ This gifted them inborn strength and defensive prowess that vastly outstripped normal humans. It also enhanced the gains they made in their ¡®Ki Cultivation¡¯ and allowed them to grow in strength at a rapid speed.


    However, it wasn¡¯t all sunshine and daisies for Torens. They did have a notable disadvantage.


    And that had todo with their ¡®comprehension¡¯ ability.


    The more powerful a being grew, the more important it was for them to be able to grasp certain concepts in order to keep growing. Sword Mastery was a clear example of this.


    It took Micheal constant years of focus to reach where he was, carried forward by his indomitable will to grow stronger and earned talent for Sword Mastery. While Sword Mastery, as a concept, was relatively easy to grasp at lower levels, the higher up you went, the more and more difficult it was to progress.


    It was magical, in its own way. The fact that you just needed to ¡®understand¡¯ something with your mind and Soul in order to use it was a rather miraculous thing. As long as your Soul was able to sense and control the concept, the energy inherent within it, you could use it, to varying degrees of success.


    Torens might be physically powerful monsters, but in terms of comprehension, their Physiques put them at a natural disadvantage.


    If comprehending the Basic Tier of Sword Mastery for a human took 1 point of effort, it might take a Toren 10 points of effort to grasp the same thing. It could be more or less, but it was a certain fact that Torens comprehensive capabilities were rather low.


    They weren¡¯t dumb. Merely, their capacity to sense mystical concepts like ¡®Sword Energy¡¯ was rather low.


    This meant that most Torens relied on physical attacks and martial arts to defend themselves, creating vast schools of warriors all competing with different techniques.


    In fact, the entire society here on the Second Layer was built on what the Torens left behind. Their martial legacies, any and all remnants that they abandoned when they left this world thousands and thousands of years ago.


    The Byrens had been one of the original, intelligent species of the Ancient World. The Torens invaded this planet long ago and took it for themselves, enslaving the Byrium Race. After some years, the Toren race as a whole moved on, seeking out different planets and realms of existence.


    Micheal didn¡¯t know exactly how the Torens left. But it was a fact that many of the Tribes of Deities had the power to ¡®hop¡¯ between worlds, a power that was thankfully greatly hampered in the 7 Layers.


    Still, with their unique Heavenly Gold Physique, even the weakest normal Toren had at least a 5 Star Physique rating, letting them maximize and increase the potential of their body, their natural talent.


    Actually reaching one¡¯s maximum potential became significantly harder as one progressed. While a powerful Physique made it easier to progress in general, what was most sought after were the new limits you could reach.


    Finally, Micheal reached the second spot in line, just one person behind the current testee. From here, he got a decent view of what was happening before him.


    One of the four Instructors, a Toren with curly white hair and a stern expression on his face, was glancing over a much younger Toren, one that appeared to be around Micheal¡¯s age. In the Instructor¡¯s right hand was a large, glowing blue rock. The Instructor was currently waving this rock over the younger Toren¡¯s head.


    He then spoke a few words and waved for the Toren to step a few meters behind him. All of the Torens that had been tested had moved on to these groups and were currently waiting patiently, at the back of the courtyard.


    ¡®It¡¯s still the same.¡¯ Micheal mentally sighed in relief as he saw this.


    This was the first ¡®Test¡¯ Yvvtal had set for those trying to inherit his powers, as well as to weed out his full Inheritor that he would use to reincarnate.


    It was a test that had two parts. One that was obvious, and one that was hidden.


    The obvious part was rather apparent.


    The rock the Instructor was holding was called a ¡®Physique Gauging Stone.¡¯ It would give the Instructor a basic understanding of a being¡¯s Physique through a collection of feelings. Over time, the Torens had streamlined these Gauging Stones to narrow down what each sensation meant.


    It could distinguish between a normal, for a Toren, 5 Star Physique, a weaker 4 Star Physique, or an abnormally powerful 6 Star Physique with ease, helping find any hidden talents among the Toren race.


    The only time it wouldn¡¯t work was if it faced something completely out of the ordinary.


    For example: Micheal¡¯s comparatively much, much weaker Physique.


    Micheal was aware of all of this. He knew that, compared to a Toren, his body held nowhere near as much potential. Some things couldn¡¯t be accounted for simply with normal training. He did know of a way to raise his Physique to 2 Star here on the Second, but he obviously couldn¡¯t do that right now, nor would that make a significant difference.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Next! You there, with the weird hair!¡± The Instructor waved at him, the man¡¯s voice sounding off in Micheal¡¯s ears out of nowhere. Micheal immediately took several steps forward, his eyes gleaming faintly with energy.


    At the end of the day, he wasn¡¯t a Toren.


    However¡­ There was no rule that said Yvvtal wouldn¡¯t be interested in reincarnating into a human.


    After all, in Micheal¡¯s original timeline, Yvvtal eventually reincarnated into a Byren, causing no end of trouble for humanity during the Great Disaster before he found a new host and left the Second Layer. While this particular Byren never recounted how he was chosen, some interested researchers had managed to scry this Byren¡¯s memories after he was abandoned and perished.


    And it was from here that Micheal had based his entire plan, and why he had come here in the first place.


    Yvvtal didn¡¯t care how powerful his host¡¯s body was.


    After all, in the past, the powerful warrior had lived for years and years focused on nothing except growing stronger. Eventually, however, he hit a wall in power that he could not break past. As a result of this, he went on to experiment on thousands and gained his notorious name, killing reprehensible numbers of innocents as he tried to figure out ways to surpass his limits.


    He didn¡¯t desire a physically powerful Physique.


    <div>


    It didn¡¯t matter if they were a Toren, a Farian, or even a human.


    All that mattered is that they met Yvvtal¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Alright, first of all, how old are you?¡± The Instructor looked at Micheal with a slightly bored expression. Despite that, the pressure the Toren gave off was immense, enough to nearly send Micheal to his knees. A sheen of sweat formed on Micheal¡¯s forehead as he resisted it.


    ¡°I am 18 years old.¡± The Torens used a calendar that was close enough in length to humanity¡¯s to mean he was the same age. They only had 4 ¡®months¡¯ but each one was very long.


    He answered honestly for a reason.


    Yvvtal could tell if he was lying.


    This entire test was mired in undercurrents designed to let Yvvtal filter out any unwanted elements. Any time someone lied during one of his tests, Yvvtal would automatically know what they lied about.


    Micheal was well aware of this and plotted his answers out carefully as a result.


    ¡°I see, I see.¡± The Instructor raised the Gauging Stone up above Micheal¡¯s head. The stone slowly began to glow, blue light shimmering off it in waves.


    After a few seconds, the Instructor frowned.


    ¡°Do you have anything unique about your Physique or body type?¡± Like clockwork, the Toren asked exactly the question Micheal had been waiting for.


    When it came to his body, there were still things Micheal wasn¡¯t sure about.


    Micheal still wasn¡¯t entirely certain what all his Soul Quality stat meant. He had a general understanding that it boosted the power of his Abilities and allowed him to enhance his comprehension of them.


    However, his Soul right now was far too weak to handle comprehending Grandmaster Tier Sword Mastery, nor were his other Abilities ones that required any comprehension. He had yet to truly experience the full effects of a 3 Star Soul Quality stat.


    His physical stats were nothing special compared to a Toren, leaving him with a potentially mildly interesting Physique at most. The best he could hope for, given what he had right now, was to be ignored by Yvvtal completely.


    So if his body wasn¡¯t powerful enough and there wasn¡¯t anything he was certain would draw Yvvtal¡¯s attention, then that meant there was only one thing left to do¡­


    And it was what Micheal did best...


    "Yes, there is something unique about my body."


    ...Shamelessly cheat.


    ¡°It has inherited the memories and powers of a man who has killed a Dragon.¡±


    .


    Chapter 14


    <div>There were many dangerous creatures that could be found throughout the 7 Layers. Mythical Phoenixes that burned with overwhelming fire, gargantuan World Apes that ravaged anything in their paths, blinding White Lions that had manes formed from pure light.


    <div>


    However, among all the beasts in all of the 7 Layers, there was one breed that reigned supreme. The legends among the legends, the absolute powers that were hailed as the most powerful non-Humanoids to exist.


    Dragons.


    There were many different breeds of Dragons, from the Colored Species representing various elements, to the Transcendent Dragons that embodied certain concepts, to the extremely rare Colossal variants. One and all, however, were extremely powerful.


    Even the 12 Tribes of Deities trod carefully around Dragons of all kinds, knowing that they were among the fiercest of enemies to make.


    Of all the species that had been forced to compete in this horrific death game, only the humanoid Dragonkin had any natural relations to Dragons. Apart from that, every other species would interact with them only when they couldn¡¯t avoid it. Only humanoid species were competing in the battle of the 7 Layers, despite there being many intelligent non-humanoid species in existence.


    The Toren Tribe that Yvvtal was part of had some history with various breeds of Dragons.


    At the time that the Torens lived on the Ancient World, they weren¡¯t considered a full ¡®Tribe¡¯ in the Tribes of Deities. That title was an earned one based around some very specific and complex requirements, explaining why each Tribe looked so very different.


    Back thousands of years ago, the Ancient World was dominated by three species, back when the Byrens were a quiet, unimportant breed.


    The Torens, a species that came to the Ancient World because of its heavier restrictions and the benefits to those restrictions when it came to physical training.


    The Dark Wraiths, a ghostly natural species that came about from the mystical energy that serenaded the Ancient World. They were very powerful but small in number and, despite their ominous name, mostly herbivorous.


    And finally, the last of the three species¡­


    The Blue Drakes.


    Blue Drakes were a sub-species of the Draconic Race, one that didn¡¯t hold the true power of a full-blooded Dragon.


    Despite that, however, each and every Blue Drake was a leviathan of extreme might here on the Second. Just through their own natural growth, every Blue Drake would reach the Sky Tier of Ki Cultivation naturally, without putting forth any effort at all. This, combined with their 4 meters tall and 13 meters long body turned them into overwhelming killing machines.


    Tough azure scales that easily blocked all kinds of weapons, deadly claws that could shear through most metals, razor-sharp teeth that cut through flesh like it was butter¡­


    They couldn¡¯t breathe out any type of magical flame or energy attack, but just based on the power of their body and natural growth, Blue Drakes were the true rulers of the Ancient World. The only real thing limiting them was their minute numbers. At their prime, there were less than 100 Blue Drakes in existence.


    The history of the Blue Drakes, the Dark Wraiths, and the Torens was a fractured, unclear one. Micheal knew from history that the three races battled very often, instigated over territorial disputes, colonization attempts, border conflicts, and a whole host of issues.


    None of these races were ¡®evil,¡¯ but rather, their own complex political ecosystems divided along various lines.


    What Micheal did know was that, at some point in time, only the Torens were left, of the three dominant species. History never determined what exactly went down, beyond a few vague hints. Micheal had looked into this quite a bit back in his past life, one of the few times he did his own research and theorizing.


    But from what Micheal did know¡­ Yvvtal the Destroyer would have been alive at the time where Blue Drakes still existed. And Yvvtal, as a man obsessed with growing more powerful, would have inadvertently clashed with a Blue Drake before.


    And he would have lost.


    Because, here on the Second, the Torens had yet to step into their full strength that would launch them up to the prestigious title of ¡®Deity.¡¯ And Blue Drakes might only be a sub-species of a Dragon¡­ but they were still part Dragon. It was a qualitative and quantitative difference in strength.


    For Yvvtal who had yet to even fully grasp the Master Tier of Sword Mastery, attempting to defeat a Blue Drake on his own was an exercise in futility.


    The demise of the Blue Drakes on the Ancient World was a mystery, but it wasn¡¯t one that could¡¯ve been resolved through ordinary means.


    The Instructor looked at Micheal with wide eyes. For a brief second, the man¡¯s face went slack and a dazed look flashed within his gaze.


    A microsecond later, that look vanished as if it had never been, everything returning back to a semblance of normalcy as the Instructor looked down at Micheal with a warm smile.


    ¡°Ah, how absolutely beyond the norm¡­ Can you describe that in more detail? The more we can determine about your Physique, the higher your placement.¡± The man¡¯s tone had shifted, ever so slightly. His voice sounded practically identical to how it had before. However, his way of speaking, the casual tilt of his head, the relaxed manner he¡¯d adopted¡­


    All of these were rather minor details that one wouldn¡¯t normally notice changing, not when it was in someone that was a stranger. Micheal, however, noticed each and every one, not a single thing escaping his steady gaze.


    ¡®Oh man.¡¯ His heart rate bumped up ever so slightly as he realized something.


    He was talking to Yvvtal, right here, right now.


    The remnants of the Fallen Deity¡¯s Soul controlled this Inheritance intimately, letting him jump to anywhere within it in an instant.


    Micheal¡¯s original plan was to first gain Yvvtal¡¯s attention and slowly convince the Deity he was a perfect choice. However, he hadn¡¯t fully realized how big a draw the information he¡¯d offered would be to the Fallen Deity.


    Anyone that had the power to kill a Dragon on their own¡­ to Yvvtal, this was likely one of his ultimate goals. The fact that Micheal¡¯s words were ¡®true¡¯ in a sense meant that only two options were left.


    Either he was insane or he actually possessed the memories and powers of a being that had killed a Dragon. Either way, this was something Yvvtal attended to immediately, dropping any and everything else he might have been doing.


    As it clicked in Micheal¡¯s head how important this was to Yvvtal, he slightly adjusted his plans to account for that.


    ¡°Yes, of course, Instructor!¡± Micheal replied slowly. His voice was calm and didn¡¯t betray even a hint of nervousness, as if he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was now talking to Yvvtal the Destroyer. He cupped his fists and bowed slightly as he spoke, following the cultural norms for a Toren. He always found it interesting how these ancient martial arts societies had so many cultural similarities that seemed to transcend species and worlds.


    He shook the stray thought from his mind as he continued,


    ¡°It all started several months ago¡­¡± Micheal began to narrate a vague, but essentially accurate story of how he returned to the past, answering Yvvtal¡¯s questions as they arrived. He also purposefully went by the name Legion, a name he truthfully considered one of his own.


    Just a few months ago, he had been a regular, 18-year-old human, albeit one in the middle of apocalyptic disappearances that were sweeping over the world, month by month.


    The arrival of the Shop, of his memories and the resurgence of his powers, and the gradual rise to strength as his journey began all unfolded from his lips. He kept plenty of things secret or said them in vague enough terms to hide what needed to be hidden, but he never directly lied.


    As such, a completely true tale of someone who¡¯s body gained great power over a very short period of time unfolded.


    If one looked at his life in a vacuum, there was really only a single conclusion that could be drawn when all of the facts were added up.


    His body had undergone an ¡®Awakening¡¯ of some sort and gained powers beyond the extraordinary, powers that took regular beings an enormous amount of effort and time to gain, in mere weeks. There was no other realistic explanation that any reasonable person would draw.


    He was the very picture of a ¡®Blessed Child,¡¯ someone gifted with supernatural abilities far beyond the norm.


    The exact image of what Yvvtal was seeking.


    ¡°What an incredible tale and journey you¡¯ve been through, young warrior. Now that I¡¯ve heard this, I can, indeed, sense something special about your Soul.¡± Yvvtal¡¯s voice took on a musing one as he looked at Micheal, ancient eyes filled with the calmness of a steady sea, sizing him up as Micheal stood under the glowing Physique Gauging Stone.


    Micheal¡¯s body twitched unwillingly as Yvvtal¡¯s gaze swept over him. It was a literally unwilling twitch, a result of some type of electrical energy sweeping through him. It wasn¡¯t harmful, but likely intended to zero in on his powers in more detail.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Yvvtal rubbed his chin, a small frown appearing on the Toren face he now possessed. He gave off a sense of being in deep thought.


    Micheal assumed the man had discovered how physically weak Micheal was in comparison to everyone else present.


    Despite several of these Torens being the same age, Micheal knew he was at least three to five times weaker in terms of physical strength. That was a racial gap that he couldn¡¯t overcome yet, not without a great deal of effort and Physique modification.


    A few moments passed as Micheal waited there patiently.


    Finally, Yvvtal spoke up,


    ¡°I can see the potential you have, young warrior. However, if you want to continue to the Ranking Tournament, you will have to face a certain level of danger.¡± Yvvtal kept up the act of the dreamworld, nodding patiently at Micheal.


    ¡°With your special Physique, you might be able to do well, but your physical power is well below par.¡± He shook his head,


    ¡°It might be best if you take on a few challenges and then retire.¡±


    Micheal¡¯s eyes widened ever so slightly as his opinion of Yvvtal went up a notch.


    The man wasn¡¯t only a prolific murderer, he was also as sly as the devil.


    Yvvtal didn¡¯t give off even a single hint of his horrific true nature. Their entire conversation thus far had been completely genial. There was no evil glint in his eyes or diabolical smirk on his face. Instead, he seemed almost earnest and thoughtful, as if he genuinely cared.


    If Micheal hadn¡¯t known the full history of what happened here, these past few seconds where he formed his first impression might have even convinced him that the Fallen Deity wasn¡¯t that bad.


    ¡°I would like to compete anyway, Instructor.¡± Micheal bowed his head again as he went on,


    ¡°I am confident in my current strength, even compared to those with more powerful bodies.¡± His voice brimmed with confidence, staying true to his words.


    Yvvtal looked at Micheal for a second, a conflicted look appearing in his eyes. He gave off the image of a man struggling with a tough decision before he sighed and nodded his head,


    ¡°Very well, Legion. Prove to me your passion and strength. Show me the full extent of your newly awakened Physique.¡± The Fallen Deity smiled warmly as he reached out and patted Micheal on the shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will have no problems entering into the Sect.¡± The Instructor¡¯s attitude abruptly shifted once more. All of the subtle mannerisms of Yvvtal disappeared in a flash as the Toren returned back to his original state.


    ¡°Congratulations, disciple! You have what it takes to pass the first test. Please wait over there with the other disciples.¡± The Instructor spoke without missing a beat, as if he hadn¡¯t skipped anything despite having his personality temporarily taken over by Yvvtal.


    Upon second thought, Micheal realized this wasn¡¯t abnormal. This entire world was a magical construct and these Torens were all ¡®NPCs¡¯ or perhaps artificial constructs, not actual living beings. They had probably been specifically created in a way to allow for Yvvtal¡¯s manipulations without error.


    ¡°Yes, Instructor!¡± Micheal nodded stiffly and began to walk past the Instructor, heading towards the other Torens. As he walked, he mentally sighed.


    He had failed.


    If he had gained enough of Yvvtal¡¯s interest, he wouldn¡¯t be headed to the second part of this test, the ¡®Ranking Tournament.¡¯ Instead, he¡¯d have been personally ¡®taken in¡¯ as a disciple by the Instructor, and made to go through a series of other tests, including answering many more detailed questions that would dive into his personality.


    ¡®Perhaps my body really looked too weak.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help the racial disadvantages humans had to bear.


    Still, this was about what he had expected.


    The Byren that had caught Yvvtal¡¯s eye had a very abnormal Physique, one that allowed him to project his Soul outside of his body in a way that let him keenly sense the energy of reality around him. It worked in such a manner that vastly boosted his ability to comprehend different concepts, and the energies around those concepts, something that heavily drew Yvvtal¡¯s interest.


    Micheal¡¯s story was a great one, but his body didn¡¯t have anything overtly unique except for his somewhat strong Soul. Without actual proof of his powers, even if he believed he was speaking the truth, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for Yvvtal.


    Micheal took a deep breath as he looked at the various Torens that were standing and waiting. Each and every one gave off a feeling of solid power and natural grace, a sense that they were beings born to be worshipped and to rule. Humanoids destined to become Divine.


    ¡°Attention, disciples! The Ranking Tournament will officially begin in a few more moments. Please take this time to ready yourselves!¡± The four Instructors had finished going through all of the other disciples and returned back over to the waiting groups. The speaker was the heftier Toren, and the original speaker that had greeted the group. None of them had named themselves, forcing Micheal to label them by their body shape.


    He¡¯d talked the talk to Yvvtal as best he could.


    Now it was time to walk the walk.


    ¡®I can see a bit more than 200 Torens here, all of varying strength¡­¡¯ He accurately counted out the total number of disciples-to-be that were present as everyone began to move away from this courtyard into another connecting one.


    At the center of the neighboring courtyard, Micheal could see a large stone stage that had been set up in a rough square, stretching more than 30 meters across and far.


    The group of Toren disciples was a motley collection, some that were only average in strength while there were a few that were overwhelmingly strong. He even recognized the ¡®strongest¡¯ disciple present, one that was recorded by those that had taken this challenge in his past.


    A lean Toren that had completely shaved his head and wore a brown robe, white leather gloves, and thin, black sandals. The Ascetic Morkel, the elite final enemy that everyone that had taken this challenge had failed to overcome.


    ¡®If I can¡¯t get his attention through normal means, we will go with something a little more extreme.¡¯


    In the background, the Instructors explained how the Ranking Tournament worked. This was, ostensibly, to determine who the strongest among this lot of new disciples were, to help organize everyone into the correct classes and instructors they would need to follow to grow stronger.


    The tournament would start off by allowing anyone to go up and challenge other Torens to battle. After each fight, the participants would be treated for any injuries and magically restored to full health. The results of each battle would be recorded and marked down, adding up to a tally for each individual.


    This tournament was a staple of each new batch of disciples, a tradition that held true even for Byrens in the modern era. It was an introduction into the sect, a competition to encourage rivalries between disciples, as well as a test of bravery and decisiveness.


    The Instructors finally finished their explanation after a couple of minutes of going over basic rules, like how one could fight to their heart¡¯s extent and that the Instructors would prevent any deaths from occurring.


    The instant they finished talking, and the first moment they declared the Ranking Tournament had begun, Micheal sprinted and threw himself onto the main stone stage, drawing the eyes of everyone present.


    ¡°I would like to announce my first challenge, Instructors.¡±


    The group of four older Torens seemed slightly taken aback, something Micheal noted with mild amusement. It wasn¡¯t an unexpected look.


    After all, Micheal had just flipped the entire script of how this was supposed to go down.


    In all of the recordings of the King¡¯s Challenge, the people taking it had waited and were swiftly challenged right as the Ranking Tournament began. At first, weaker Torens challenged them, but as time went on, stronger and stronger ones came up to fight. This was the progressive difficulty curve, one that was used to gauge what reward the challengees should receive, if any.


    ¡°Very well, disciple. Take your choice of anyone here and remember: Cowardice is a crime worthy of death! Fight with all of your heart!¡± The hefty Toren¡¯s voice boomed out loud as he went with Micheal¡¯s plan, nodding at him gravely.


    Micheal was the ¡®Main Character¡¯ of this dreamworld. It was only natural for things to follow the route he picked, even if it was an unorthodox one. As long as the challenges still proceeded, everything would still work out.


    Micheal turned his gaze away from the Instructors to scan the crowd of Torens, his gaze piercing. After a few moments, his eyes returned to focus back in on the bulky leading Instructor.


    ¡°I have found my target, Instructor!¡± He cupped his hands together.


    The Instructor nodded and waved for him to continue,


    ¡°Of those present, I, Legion, hereby challenge¡­¡± Micheal raised his right hand and then smiled slightly,


    ¡°Everyone.¡±


    .


    Chapter 15


    The sun beat down on Micheal¡¯s forehead, a sheen of sweat coating it as he looked out at the arena around him. The air was surprisingly warm, considering how high they were up on a mountain. His gaze was calm and steady, not betraying even a hint of nervousness.


    That fact, alone, was bound to impress given that he was currently surrounded by over 200 superhuman warriors, of which even the weakest had a more powerful body than he did.


    After Micheal challenged literally every other disciple, a small hubbub had broken out. Several of the new disciples had thrown a flurry of insults at Micheal, while still others had angrily approached him, fists balled up and ready to throw. It had been a scene on the verge of chaos, just moments from a violent outbreak.


    Before things got too out of hand, however, the Instructors forcibly settled things down.


    Specifically, when Chief Instructor Borbo, Micheal finally learned the hefty Toren¡¯s name, let out a veritable avalanche of pressure, a pulsing energy Aura that froze everyone in their tracks. Even Micheal was forced to stand still, his eyes widening ever so slightly when he felt it.


    That Aura was a strong one indeed. It held enough pressure to give even First Rate Warriors pause and force Second Rate Warriors to freeze up, let alone Micheal whose body was that of a Third Rate Warrior. Not only did it hold the strength of a Sky Tier Ki Cultivator, it was also imbued with the natural power of the Toren Race.


    ¡°As long as I, Borbo, am Chief Instructor of the Mullan Sect, none of you are allowed to attack one another without my approval.¡± The Chief Instructor¡¯s voice was nominally calm, but full of explosive undercurrents as his eyes visibly smoldered. If anyone so much as dared to talk back, it felt like be might even smite that poor fool down, then and there.


    No one dared to speak up or reply, all of the Torens staring at Borbo mutely.


    The tension of the situation vanished, just like that, as the Instructors reasserted control.


    And, as Micheal expected, they accepted his challenge.


    Was it realistic of them to allow something like that?


    Not really.


    This was supposed to be a Ranking Tournament for all of their new disciples, not just Micheal. But, in the end, Micheal was still the ¡®Main Character¡¯ of this dreamworld. Everything worked out, regardless of whether or not it logically made sense. The whole point of this place was to challenge Micheal and allow Yvvtal to see the extent of his talents and Physique, to gauge whether or not he would be a good target.


    What Micheal asked for still fell within the guidelines of the King¡¯s Challenge. He might be pushing the limits, and definitely toeing the line, but it was still within acceptable bounds.


    And thus, here he was now. Standing on a stage that had just been expanded by several dozen meters in all directions, large enough now to accommodate 200+ other warriors.


    ¡°Prepare yourself, warriors! The first battle of the Ranking Tournament shall begin on my mark!¡± Chief Instructor Borbo¡¯s voice boomed out loud as he called out from the sidelines. He and the other instructors had moved off to the four corners of the hastily expanded stage, preparing themselves to stop any fatal injuries, accurately reflecting what would happen in reality.


    Micheal took a deep breath and rolled his wrists. One small wooden sword lay loosely in his right hand while his left hand remained free. The blade weighed a good amount, around 50 pounds, made of some type of ultra-durable wood that Micheal didn¡¯t recognize. In his hands, the heavy blade felt light and flexible, his enhanced muscles wielding them with ease.


    He adopted a posture that held his sword out to the side and his hand palm open. His shoulders relaxed and he leaned forward ever so slightly, hooking his knees down a few inches. He began to regulate his breathing as his eyes grew slightly unfocused, relying on his powerful Soul and all of his senses combined to sense the world around him.


    ¡°Ready!¡± Borbo¡¯s voice echoed out as he continued,


    ¡°3¡­¡±


    The various Toren warriors tensed up as they glared at Micheal, mindless juvenile anger and irritation painted on their faces.


    ¡°2¡­¡±


    Muscles bulged in the veritable army of powerful warriors as all of the ones set close to Micheal readied themselves to charge into an immediate offensive.


    ¡°1¡­¡±


    The tension between Micheal and the Torens reached a peak, a long pregnant pause forming as everyone froze, prepared to leap into motion.


    ¡°FIGHT!¡±


    The Torens attacked.


    The closest fighters to Micheal were all ones close to his age or younger. The Instructors had set the field up so that the first warriors to reach him would be in either the ¡®Child¡¯ or ¡®Half-Grown¡¯ grown stages, a small element of progressive fairness.


    However, despite their relative youth, one and all still possessed the bodies of an eventual Deity-Class race.


    Thus, Micheal opted to hold back nothing as a trio of male Torens that looked to be around 14 to 16 years old reached him.


    ¡°Die!¡± The first Toren shouted a line Micheal had heard all too many times as the fighter lunged forward with a long wooden spear. The attack was filled with explosive power, a very accurate and trained strike for someone so young.


    The second Toren took advantage of that moment to lash out with a heavy broadsword from behind, aimed at Micheal¡¯s back. This attack cut forward quickly and skillfully, with few wasted movements.


    The third Toren wielded two large wooden axes. While the other two Torens were attacking from the front and back, he jumped up into the air and lashed down with the hatchets, aimed directly at Micheal¡¯s head.


    All three had coated their attacks with Basic Tier Sword Energy.


    It was a vicious pincer attack right from the start, aimed at leaving Micheal with no time to plan. For warriors that were so young, they showed ample talent and thoughtful planning.


    ¡®They really aren¡¯t half bad.¡¯ Micheal thought as he took a small step forward and leaned his body ever so slightly to the side. In the same movement, he raised his left hand and reached out towards the ferociously incoming spear.


    The next moment, the impossible seemed to happen.


    Micheal¡¯s hand latched down onto the head of the spear with a vice-like grip. The head of the weapon was mere inches from piercing through his body when he grabbed ahold of it.


    It was common knowledge that Sword Energy was ferociously sharp.


    Torens had bodies that were practically divine, even down here on the Second, meaning they could take a hit from Basic Tier Sword Energy head-on and survive handily.


    This was energy that could boost the sharpness of a sword such that it could cut into and harm Morenkai. Blocking it with one¡¯s body meant one had either insane courage or insane defensive prowess.


    In the case of the Toren Race, it was the latter. In Micheal¡¯s case, however¡­


    It was neither.


    A gleam of red light flashed around Micheal¡¯s fingers as he grasped firmly onto the wooden spearhead¡­


    And then shattered it.


    He obliterated the Basic Tier Sword Energy and the magical wood in a single motion, using his abnormally fine control of his Advanced Tier Sword Energy to empower his hand itself. Splinters of wood shot out into the air from the destroyed spear, coating the ground beneath Micheal in small wooden shavings as they fluttered down.


    Micheal didn¡¯t stop there, however. As soon as he destroyed the spear, he quickly stepped forward, ignoring the shocked expression of the spear-wielder. His unexpected movement brought him directly within range of the first Toren.


    This quick advance also brought him just out of range of the broadsword-wielding Toren¡¯s attack.


    He then jutted his left elbow forward, his entire body aimed precisely as he targeted a specific point on the teenager¡¯s chest. A loud ¡®thud¡¯ echoed out as the blow slammed directly into the Toren.


    And half a second later, the Toren collapsed to the floor, unconscious.


    The Toren Tribe was famed for their extremely powerful bodies. However, that didn¡¯t mean that they had no weaknesses and were invincible.


    Just like humans, Torens had their own unique set of pressure points. These points on a Toren, however, were part of the magical setup of their Physique.


    On the face of it, these pressure points weren¡¯t actually weaknesses at all. In fact, they functioned as a solid wall. Each pressure point had the power to magically resonate with the Ki in a Toren¡¯s body, reinforcing any part of their skin that was severely stressed. This fast-acting reinforcement was a large part of why their natural defenses were so famed.


    Micheal knew all of this extremely well. In fact, he knew a great deal about every single one of the 12 Tribes of Deities. From minor details about their Physiques to major knowledge about their Titles and techniques, Micheal had a vast store of knowledge when it came to any and all enemies the human race faced.


    As a warrior that was constantly trying to catch up to the geniuses that had raced ahead in the First Wave, especially with their multi-year advantage, he had devoted much of his life in the 7 Layers to not only growing more powerful, but also to learning any and everything he could on how to take advantage of his foes.


    And from that store of knowledge, Micheal knew a way to use a Toren¡¯s Physique against them.


    The moment his elbow made contact with the Toren teenager¡¯s chest, Micheal¡¯s entire arm vibrated for a split second. In that moment, he ran a tiny line of Ki Energy through his arm and, at the very end, exploded forth with a very small amount of Advanced Tier Sword Energy in a wave-like pattern.


    The cumulative result was an extremely fine and precise impact. Despite his use of Sword Energy, the blow was not at all sharp. Micheal used the powerful energy to shred the small drop of Ki he sent through his arm, causing it to fracture and explode. The combination of extremely sharp Sword Energy and steady Earth Tier Ki knocked against one of the six ¡®Core¡¯ pressure points a Toren had.


    This concussive ¡®shock¡¯ overloaded the Core pressure point and sent a wave of electrical signals surging in a Toren¡¯s body. For the 14 or 15 year old Toren that had just taken the brunt of that attack, it was like an unstoppable meteor blasting into his brain. He simply wasn¡¯t trained to deal with something like that and was instantly knocked unconscious.


    <div>


    <div>


    It was decently effective against weaker Torens. Against stronger Torens at the Lord or King Tier of Ki Cultivation, such a tactic was an exercise in futility. Their bodies were far too powerful, even considering these ¡®vulnerable¡¯ spots. As for humanity, given that humans didn''t even have a Physique to empower their bodies in the first place, there was little need for Torens to focus on anything other than basic physiology.


    And this weakness was something Micheal intended to take full advantage of.


    In the same movement Micheal used to attack and take the first Toren down, he also swung his right hand upward, pulling the wooden sword he was using up towards the two wooden axes that were hurtling towards his head.


    Instead of blocking them directly, while Micheal was simultaneously elbowing the first Toren, he used his blade to tap on each axe in a rapid-fire motion. Each time he hit one of the weapons, he stabbed into the hatchet with a sliver of Advanced Tier Sword Energy.


    On here, instead of exploding a tidbit of Ki, Micheal simply sheared into the axes and destabilized their movements. As a result, the axe-wielding Toren stumbled as both of his blows swung wide.


    For a single, split second, the axe-wielding Toren froze up at the unexpected result.


    A tiny moment later, he collapsed on the ground face-forward after taking a rapid punch to the chest from Micheal, knocked unconscious just like the first Toren.


    The third and final broadsword-wielding Toren had overextended himself on his missed swing. Micheal¡¯s strikes against the first two Torens had finished so quickly that the last attacker had not yet had time to fully recover.


    By the time the third Toren did manage to pull back his blade, the last thing he saw was a white hand sailing through the air to collide with his chest, and then a flash of white light and a wave of darkness as he fell to the floor, overwhelmed.


    All of this took place in the span of less than two seconds. Three furious attacks, three calm deflections, and three young, fallen Toren warriors, all in a fraction of the time it took to take a single breath.


    There was a startled pause from the rest of the young Toren warriors as they saw Micheal basically one-shot the first attackers with incredible ease. This bought Micheal a couple of seconds of respite, enough time to gauge the reactions of those around him.


    The younger Torens now seemed much more uncertain, while the older ones seemed more cautious. There were several that looked more excited and exuded hints of bravado, while some that seemed to fade almost to the background as they changed their attack plans.


    A veritable army of super-strong attackers stood still for a brief moment, acknowledging Micheal¡¯s strength.


    These warriors were by no means weak. They were powerful, stronger than most humans. Their techniques were well trained and even the youngest had a solid martial arts foundation.


    But as Micheal looked out among them, his blood began to boil. Memories tugged at his consciousness as a feeling of raw excitement flooded his body, one that was no longer heavily constrained by minuscule physical stats. A type of excitement that he hadn¡¯t felt ever since he came back to the past, emotions that filled his heart to the brim.


    It wasn¡¯t just the lure of battle and the draw of the fight.


    It was back to challenging competent warriors, heavily trained fighters that outstripped him in strength. Facing down impossible challenges while surrounded by foes, battling against odds where he could rely on only two things.


    His determination and his own skill.


    The Torens resumed their charge, blocking out his vision as a swarm of mighty enemies blitzed him.


    Micheal¡¯s face lit up as his eyes glowed with energy, gazing upon the world around him. The muscles in his arms and legs bulged as he drew out every iota of strength his body had, pulling forth his full potential.


    He could see it. Feel it. Sense it.


    The flow of battle, dozens of bodies moving in complex patterns, shifting all around him in an ever-changing mire of war. The echoes of combat, the harsh screech of shattered stone, the rippling sensation of exploding energy. The feelings soared through his very Soul itself, a familiar call that had almost become a part of him.


    A call of elegant control, of masterful design, of precise destruction¡­


    An army of future Gods charged forth, bloodlust causing the air itself to tremble as the ground beneath them shattered.


    And before that army stood a single man.


    Alone.


    Unbroken.


    Defiant.


    The world itself seemed to stand still as the Toren warriors crossed the arena, just instants from smashing into Micheal. Their charge cracked the stone floor, sending up shards of shattered stone and coating the air in a grey haze.


    Micheal had returned to his original stance. His right hand held his sword off to the side, while his left hand faced outward, palm open. His body relaxed slightly, the tension within it fading as he leaned forward.


    In the final moment before the first half dozen Torens reached him¡­


    Micheal began to smile.


    And when they finally did reach him...


    He began to dance.


    .


    <div>


    <div>


    It was a veritable slaughter.


    In the first second of the battle¡­


    Micheal dodged a sword slash thrust towards his head by millimeters while simultaneously leaning just out of range of a smashing kick. In the same movement, he reached out and grabbed the back of the second Toren¡¯s knee all while raising his blade in his other hand.


    He twisted the second attacker¡¯s leg in a throwing motion, using the Toren¡¯s momentum against him as he flipped the man forward. In the meanwhile, his wooden sword snaked out and stabbed the first Toren attacker right in the chest, avoiding the man¡¯s sword.


    The first Toren immediately collapsed, his sword flying wide, while the second Toren slammed into two other Torens that had been just about to attack Micheal. Before the second Toren could get up, however, a stabbing pain ran through his chest and his eyes rolled up, falling unconscious as Micheal blasted through one of his pressure points.


    The two Torens that Micheal had downed with the throw suffered similar fates as they tried to get up, both instantly knocked back down without a chance to resist.


    In a single second, already four more enemies had been taken down with incredible ease. To the onrushing Torens, it simply made no sense. Even to the watching Instructor, everything Micheal did defied logic.


    He knew, better than anyone else, that Micheal¡¯s body was not comparable in terms of strength to these attacking Torens. Even more so, the defensive prowess of his body was even worse. Torens had skin so tough they couldtank hits from Advanced Tier Sword Energy and keep going, while a simple touch of that energy would slice through Micheal like butter.


    Lower level Torens had a weak spot, it was true. But that was only in the context of how incredibly tough they were.


    If one compared a human wearing a full suit of nearly impenetrable armor with a human that was naked, the human with the set of nearly impenetrable armor would be vastly more powerful.


    Was the armor perfect? No, it had a couple of very small holes. But compared to the human without armor, the number of weak spots was vastly smaller. Targeting them was no easy feat.


    Add on tons of extra strength, regeneration prowess, and enhanced talent, and that was a good description of the Toren Race.


    But despite all of that, Micheal was handing these attacking Torens like they were children.


    10 more seconds passed.


    The clashes of combat echoed forth, grunts of pain, thuds of weapons off of stone or flesh, cracking stone as powerful beings moved quickly.


    In that time, 30 more Toren bodies were added to the pile, all knocked unconscious near the center of the arena.


    Every movement Micheal made was full of grace. Instructor Borbo was at his wit¡¯s end as he watched this, unable to reconcile what he was seeing.


    Micheal made impossible dodges multiple times a second. He avoided death by the skin of his teeth over and over, causing attacks that seemed sure to hit him miss by a hair. He seemed to swim through the air itself, moving both slowly and quickly at times in fluid movements that could not be stopped.


    His movements were a thing of beauty, delicate and strong in different ways. It was truly a dance, but one of death and destruction, guided forth by his seemingly omnipresent hand.


    He was unstoppable.


    Several times,groups of Toren fighters tried to surround him, attempting to use their overwhelming numbers to take him down in a mad rush.Each time this happened, Micheal would skillfully retreat, sometimes even flipping up through the air as he perfectly slipped through various gaps or creating his own openings with sheer skill. No matter how hard the crowd of Torens tried, theywere unable to successfully keep him pinned down.


    The Torens might be a powerful race, but they, just like the Byrens, were also a race obsessed with honor and the appearance of honor. The inexperience most of these Torens had when it came to group combat targeting a single skilled foe became very clear as the battle progressed. Some of them even seemed to be waiting almost in turn for Micheal to finish fighting each foe, something that caused Micheal to snort half in amusement, half in appreciation.


    As the 40th Toren¡¯s body hit the floor, there was a brief lull in the combat.


    Micheal¡¯s breath was cool and relaxed as he took advantage of this lull to take a closer look at the surrounding Torens, analyzing everything around him. He was exerting himself, especially in such a high-level fight, but his body was strong enough that he could hold his own for now.


    With his powerful Soul and current capabilities, Micheal could innately sense anyone within 23 meters of him. When he zeroed in on his senses, putting his full focus and attention into the fight, that sensation evolved into one that let him sense his immediate surroundings within battle itself.


    Not only could he feel the flow of battle, he also knew exactly where his opponent¡¯s foot would land, he could tell exactly where an axe was going to hit him, where a sword would stab.


    Part of this had to do with his vast experience as a Swordmaster and his own battle experience and talent. Micheal had never considered himself a genius in most regards. He was coldly neutral when it came to gauging his own talents.


    He knew he was at least somewhat exceptional when it came to training his Sword Mastery, especially as he grew to understand it more and more.


    His determination was also definitely exceptional when he compared it to other people, as were a few other quirks of his personality.


    However, if there was one thing he knew he did better than almost anyone else, it would have to be in regards to fighting against many foes at once.


    Facing a single enemy was a unique challenge in its own right. You had to focus purely on their talents, capabilities, Abilities, and the surroundings as you dueled them. In most situations, the end result of the battle would come about based on your individual capabilities versus theirs.


    However, everything was thrown on its head when you fought multiple enemies.


    You had to account for their coordination, you had to account for many different levels of Abilities, of tactics, of differing strengths and weaknesses. The entire feel for a duel against many enemies was completely different from that of a duel against a single foe. They were incomparable.


    In Micheal¡¯s head, however¡­ a vast battle like this transformed into a simple puzzle in his mind, one that merely needed to be solved, step by step.


    A dozen thoughts would flash into his mind every second, each one guided by his instincts built up over the years.


    ¡®If I dodge this attack in this way, I¡¯ll be slightly open here. However, if I use my opponent''s strike to shift my body in this way, I can turn that opening into an attack here. Then I¡¯ll lean forward slightly here and use that attack to strike against my next enemy, and then I can create an opening to knock them unconscious there. But then I¡¯ll need to¡­¡±


    All Micheal needed to do was bring the correct pieces of the puzzle together. Under his guiding hand, each piece fit together snugly, resulting in a masterful, but simplistic, crafting of a complex battle.


    He didn¡¯t pursue the appearance of grace or beauty in his battle movements. What he sought after were cold, logical strikes that achieved exactly what he needed. And it was those strikes that, somehow, ended up giving him this graceful and beautiful combat style, the most optimal route when it came to fighting large groups.


    The lull in the battle vanished.


    The Gods of tomorrow, arrayed in a fighting force that no human could easily match, began their attack anew. The various Toren warriors rushed forward in the dozens fearlessly, letting out blood-curdling battle calls.


    And in the dozens they yet fell, conquered by a single man.


    Micheal¡¯s enemies were ones he placed at various skill levels. Some of them were well-trained beginners, while others were capable of giving him pause for a second or two, able to respond to his well-placed movements.


    None of them, however, were anything close to what he considered an equal.


    Still, a feeling of deep, rich enjoyment serenaded Micheal¡¯s Soul as he fought against so many skilled enemies, enjoying this moment through to the very fabric of his existence.


    100 Toren bodies hit the floor.


    By now, Micheal¡¯s breath had grown ragged. His body was superhumanly strong, but against so many enemies that all held near-divine bodies, even he couldn¡¯t fight forever.


    Still, he continued to fight adeptly, pulling out the maximum potential he could from his knowledge and experience.


    He never directly blocked any attacks, instead preferring to use his enemy¡¯s power against them, letting them throw their own forces into disarray. He danced between foes, knocking them unconscious with the speed of a slithering snake striking down her enemies.


    A few times, some of the Torens had come up with more coordinated assault plans. However, all Micheal needed was a single chink in their planning, a single opening he could take advantage of.


    It was after he took down the 122nd Toren that Micheal ran into the first real challenge of the battle.


    Each wave of Torens was typically a haphazard rush of warriors. While their attacks came in well-disciplined, it was very clear that few of them had trained to fight in large groups, something Micheal took full advantage of. Only so many Torens could attack him at once, after all.


    However, as the numbers were whittled down, one group of Torens rose to the challenge, one that caused Micheal to pause.


    There were six Torens, about the maximum that could realistically attack Micheal at once. All of these Torens were of the ¡®Grown¡¯ age group, or adult Torens that had full mastery of their body.


    These six Torens spread out around Micheal in a close-knit group. Instead of the mad rush that had dominated the last several seconds, these Torens forced those behind them to wait as they stalked forward.


    ¡®Solid coordination.¡¯ Micheal¡¯s breath might be ragged due to strain, but he moved as graceful as he had before, keeping his attention split between all six.


    All six of the Torens wielded two sets of swords, one in each hand. All of them were hunched slightly forward in a wide stance, their knees bent and their arms slightly raised. Their blades were held at perfectly equal heights and turned a little outward. Micheal¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly when he saw this.


    Among the Toren Race, there were three official ¡®Schools¡¯ of Swordsmanship that had earned themselves a certain level of prestige. The Fast Shadow Sword, the Sword Style of the Sun and Moon, and the Wavering Blade Style.


    These six Torens had adopted the first stance of the Sword Style of the Sun and Moon, Rending Earth.


    Micheal had always been a proponent of mixing up various techniques and styles in many different ways. He had never named his own style of swordcraft, because it wasn¡¯t an individual style on its own. It combined hundreds of techniques and was ever-changing, adapting to any situation using his own mind.


    This style of fighting was not the norm. Very few people could do what Micheal did, adapting to every battle in his own way, combining the study of thousands of different techniques and movements altogether in an instant, without hesitation.


    Instead, most martial artists fought by studying a set number of techniques over and over, and incorporating them not only into their muscle memory but also into their mind. They then fell back on these techniques during battle, relying upon them to help counter their enemy and lead them to victory.


    Not all warriors fought like that, but in general, a small number of techniques that a fighter practiced over and over were the bedrock of most warriors'' fighting styles.


    This particular stance was one built on stability, able to overcome a number of threats and react to them quickly. It would be tough to break through directly, especially when approached by six users of it. It was a solid defensive stance.


    However, when Micheal saw this, the small smile on his face grew slightly wider. A feeling of anticipation filled his bones, his eyes alighting.


    ¡®Excellent!¡¯ This was exactly what he had been waiting for.


    Micheal watched as the group steadily approached. The Torens moved step by step, keeping their full, undivided attention on Micheal. Their cautious movements gave Micheal a couple of seconds to catch his breath, something he had no intention of turning down.


    Just moments before they reached him, Micheal let out a small ¡®ah,¡¯ an exclamation, as if he had just undergone a moment of inspiration.


    A moment later¡­


    He adopted the exact same stance, identical in every fashion.


    .

 Chapter Updates

    Hey guys, so I have some stuff to talk about with y''all.


    Don''t worry, I''m still writing. In fact, I''m 85% done with Volume 3 right now.


    However, I''m sure some of you are wondering why I haven''t put up any chapters here (though Patreon is actively updated).


    And that''s a discussion I do need to share, so let''s jump into it.


    I have yet to make any final decision on this topic.


    Over time, I''ve noticed something rather disheartening that''s happened on the main site where I sell my finished, edited, and restructured novels.


    I''ve been receiving negative or critical reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc. for things that do not exist in the Amazon version of the book.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Instead, those reviews are referring to things present only on the Royal Road versions.


    What I post here on Royal Road is my rough draft, lightly edited.


    What I post on Amazon is heavily edited and more polished. The story plots are the same, but I go over the story several times and edit before I put it up on Amazon.


    Now, some of you may be thinking: Wiz, why does that matter? Don''t you take the Royal Road versions down, anyway, once you are done?


    That is correct, I don''t think any of you, my RR readers, are the ones leaving unrepresentative reviews on Amazon.


    However, there is a second, bigger issue that frustrates me...


    Piracy.


    My books are pirated when I post them here.


    There are dozens of piracy sites out that that strip my chapters from Royal Road and host them online.


    When I post something here, it stays up online, forever. A rough draft claiming to be my full story, in all its yet to be heavily edited glory.


    This is incredibly frustrating to me.


    Incredibly.


    I am seriously considering only posting chapter updates to Patreon because of issues like this, and sticking to releasing the polished, edited versions on Amazon after, instead.


    I have yet to make a final decision, but this is where I''m at right now, thinking things over.


    I''d love to hear some of your thoughts! Please, feel free to share :)

 My decision.

    Hey guys, I did some a lot of thinking, read a bunch of your comments, and think I''ve found a decision I''m pleased with.


    I want to be able to take in your feedback and let those that can''t afford to purchase the book on Amazon keep reading the rough draft for free. Several of you raised many good points that made me reconsider this, I don''t want to leave you all hanging halfway through the story.


    So this is what I think I will do.


    I will continue releasing chapters for free.


    However, I will no longer be releasing these chapters on Royal Road, or on WebNovel, but instead only on Patreon. (Again, they would be 100% free and you would not need to pay to read them, though you would still be ~20 chapters behind paying Patreons)This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    I think this will not only make it much harder for pirate sites to simply scoop chapters, but it will also make it easier for me to take your feedback in directly and make live edits and corrections to mistakes/logic errors/fix things that don''t make sense.


    I''d like to hear your thoughts about my decision here, to see if any of y''all have an opinion you''d like to offer.


    For reference, my Patreon (I will set up all the free chapters when I wake up tomorrow, which means, functionally, a large mass release for free readers will happen tomorrow) is https://www.patreon.com/wiz</a>