《Etherious- A LitRPG Story》


 Chapter 1- Regrets

    Everything looked wrong- his deformed hands, the disjointed movements he made, the reddish tinge to his vision. It all seemed off. Fake. A parody of reality formed by an addled mind, like the childish description of a toddler''s nightmare.


    But everything felt real.


    So sickeningly, horrifyingly real.


    Arthur watched, a passenger in his own mind, as hands he didn''t recognize expertly handled the weapon he held: a Colt Cobra 2nd Issue .38. Beautiful in design, deadly in execution. A collector''s item coveted by any avid pistol enthusiast, and Arthur was about to sell it. It was almost sad that he was giving up such a fine tool, but money was far more valuable to him. It always had been, always would be; a lesson taught by a harsh reality in a world that didn''t care about the struggles of an older brother taking care of a sibling. Starvation wasn''t something he wanted to face again, and hospital bills didn''t come cheap, even when it was immediately necessary.


    Not in America, the land of the free.


    Arthur watched, horrified, as his hands passed the Colt over the desk to the entity rubbing its hands in glee. A featureless mass of shadow and darkness, it was only vaguely human in appearance, devoid of detail and warmth. Emptiness incarnate. A crack in the world that shouldn''t exist.


    That''s how it always appeared in Arthur¡¯s dreams.


    A caricature of life that had stolen the one most precious to him, his greatest mistake, the demon that would haunt him for the rest of his life, and the reflection that stared back at him every time he looked in the mirror.


    What he had become?


    One final job, more of a favour really. That''s all it had been, all it was supposed to be. But tragedy always had a way of creeping up on you, unexpected and insidious, a passing stranger that left you forever changed and diminished. Arthur screamed, shouted, and raged at himself, trying to reach out and take back the instrument of death.


    DON''T DO IT! DON''T DO IT! DON''T DO IT!


    TAKE BACK THE FUCKING GUN!


    It was an exercise in futility. Arthur had no control here. He was only a passenger, a witness to the crime that would take everything from him. It was depressingly poetic, the punishment he deserved but never received- his guilty conscience made manifest to remind him of the single greatest mistake of his life.


    He could hear it already. The noise that always accompanied his nightmare. The incessant beeping of a ringtone with a backdrop of police sirens getting louder by the second. Barely noticeable at first but rapidly on its way to intolerable levels.


    The anthem of his guilt.


    WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!


    Arthur tried to force himself out of his nightmare to little effect. He didn¡¯t want to see what came next. Didn''t want to answer the call. Didn''t want to feel the anguish of regret. It was futile.


    Arthur watched in abject horror as he picked up the phone. He was no longer sitting behind his desk, but suddenly standing in the middle of a white hallway that stretched into eternity.


    ¡°We need you to come to the hospital.¡±


    A detached, monotonous voice that spelt out his doom.


    ¡°A school shooting took place at Westfield High. We believe the perpetrator was high¡­ "


    ¡°We need you to identify a body¡­¡±


    ¡°Your sister was pronounced dead on the scene¡­¡±


    Arthur woke up in a cold sweat, his eyes watering with unshed tears. He felt sick to his core, and grief gripped him in a vice tighter than any grappling hold he knew. His hands spasmed, and he dropped them to his sides, clenching and unclenching his fists as he took a steadying breath, trying to get his racing heartbeat under control.


    You can¡¯t do anything about it now. She''s not coming back. It''s... it¡¯s not your fault.


    Arthur repeated the words to himself internally, the last thoughts sounding hollow even to him. A lie so loud he could hear it in his dreams and in every waking moment, even if he could rationalise his innocence. He hadn''t truly sold the gun, just passed it on to someone else. That didn''t change the fact that it had found itself in the hands of a school shooter six months later. Right after he''d managed to pay for his sister''s treatment too. It was like a cosmic joke, one that stole away his happiness after he''d finally wrested it from the cruel hands of fate.


    Following one of his therapist''s many pieces of advice, he started to recite the alphabet backwards- something that was sadly becoming far easier lately- until his mind became blessedly quiet. By the time Arthur was ready to face the important day before him, the blood on his palms had already dried up, and the crescent-shaped scars were starting to scab over.


    It was the first time they''d bled in a while. He''d thought the nightmares were behind him now, that he''d finally pulled himself together enough to move forward. Evidently, that wasn''t true. Still, it was the first time he''d dreamed in a month, a vast improvement over the first few days following his sister''s murder. He was getting better.


    Arthur looked at the time.


    7:28


    An hour before his exam. He was going to be late for his USMLE, the first of three tests that would see him qualify as a doctor- something he''d worked so hard for and the one thing that had held his life together.


    He couldn''t find it in himself to care.


    Despite his guilt-ridden state, Arthur had tried to reassemble his life after the crushing loss of his only family. He hadn''t been altogether successful, though he had made some progress. It had been six months since then, and he was finally starting to move on. He felt terrible today but he wouldn''t let a small depressive episode ruin months of study and preparation.


    Arthur rushed into the shower, hastily dried and dressed for the day, and started running toward the train station. Moving meant he didn¡¯t have to think. Keeping himself busy was the best way to escape his thoughts. He¡¯d skipped breakfast, of course, not sure if his nerves would be able to handle a full stomach.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Arthur barely made it in time, the train doors just about to close as he jumped onto the vehicle. He couldn''t be late today. It would break him- just the final nail in the coffin to finish the job. The exam he¡¯d been preparing for wouldn¡¯t take itself, and he didn''t want to invalidate all the hours he¡¯d spent studying by turning up late. Arthur opened up his textbooks, hoping to keep his mind active. Cramming in a few more minutes was just an added bonus.


    The types and usages of anaesthesia in surgery.


    He quickly lost himself in the rambling text detailing the nuances of surgical procedures. The train journey was blessedly uninterrupted by any delays, and he managed to arrive at the university half an hour ahead of time.


    Stepping through the iron gates into the huge premises, Arthur took a deep, steadying breath.


    Come on, you can do this.


    He¡¯d missed several lessons but had more than made up for the lost time with the hours he¡¯d spent outside of class. Late nights agonising over textbooks wouldn''t fail him now. His inner musings were suddenly interrupted by a high-pitched shout.


    ¡°Arthur, Arthur. Hey, Arthur!¡±


    The last call had been directly shouted into his ears, and he winced at the loud noise.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling you for a minute now, Art,'''' Elizabeth grumbled, a frown on her face, her hands firmly planted on her hips.


    Arthur turned around to take in her short but imposing 5-ft-4 frame, smiling as he saw the familiar face of his childhood friend.


    ¡°I''m sorry, I''m sorry,¡± he tried to calm her down, ¡°I''m just so caught up in all this stress.¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s frown quickly faded away and she beamed at him with a dazzling smile.


    ¡°Don''t worry,¡± she teased, ¡°Everyone knows you''re going to come first anyway. With brains like yours, I wonder if you do anything besides studying, actually. Like, how¡¯s it even fair? You weren¡¯t here for half the lessons, and you''re still going to beat me,¡± she complained.


    Unsure of how exactly he should reply to that statement, Arthur didn¡¯t say anything. Taking his silence as a sign she¡¯d said something wrong, Elizabeth quickly went over everything she¡¯d said, and her skin rapidly flushed with guilt.


    ¡°I''m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. That came out wrong,¡± she tried to apologise.


    ¡°I didn''t mean it like that- well, I did- but- urgh, you know what I mean.¡± She mumbled, looking down at the ground, unable to meet Arthur''s gaze.


    Arthur sighed, taking pity on her awkward apology.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Calm down. I¡¯m not a fragile minefield you need to walk around- not anymore, at least,¡± he tried reassuring her.


    ¡°Really? You sure?¡± She replied, looking at him intently, guilt written all over her face.


    Arthur shook his head wearily.


    ¡°Yes, yes. You don''t have to worry anymore; you and Matthew both. I''ve told you so many times already,¡± Arthur sighed, exasperated, ¡°I''m not that little kid you always had to take care of anymore.¡±


    ¡°I''m not so sure about that,¡± Elizabeth replied, a familiar grin returning to her face.


    ¡°You won''t get me out of your life that easily.¡±


    Arthur sighed again. He seemed to be doing that a lot today. Elizabeth suddenly grabbed his coat sleeve and began enthusiastically pulling him toward the university gates.


    ¡°Liz, where are you going? The exam is in half an hour,¡± Arthur protested, half-heartedly trying to escape her grasp.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She called back, carefully enunciating each word. ¡°Half. An. Hour; we¡¯ve got loads of time left.¡±


    ¡°This is why you''ve always been late for everything," Arthur retorted in frustration.


    Elizabeth continued walking, seemingly oblivious to his protestations.


    ¡°Stop being such an old man.¡± She eventually replied, her voice quieter, shaking a little, ¡°There¡¯s this new caf¨¦ I¡¯ve been dying to try out, and I skipped breakfast today.¡±


    Arthur could tell something was wrong from the way Elizabeth was speaking, but he still voiced his annoyance.


    ¡°And what''s that got to do with me?¡± He asked, pulling himself free of her grasp.


    Arthur suddenly shivered. It felt like someone had just walked over his grave, and a cold chill crept down his spine. Almost like he was under the scrutiny of a microscope, every cell and facet of his DNA up for observation. The moment passed as soon as it came, but it left him with an acute sense of discomfort and the world felt colder for its presence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited long enough for you to open up,¡± Elizabeth interrupted his inner musings.


    ¡°You said you¡¯d tell me why you kept blaming yourself for your sister¡¯s death. It''s stupid, you know. It''s not your fault a crazy bastard decided to shoot up a school.¡± She shouted angrily.


    Arthur was a little taken aback by the strength of her response. He did vaguely remember something along the lines of a promised explanation while enamoured in a medication-induced high, but he¡¯d thought that Elizabeth would have forgotten all about that by now. The damn idiot had the best memory for remembering the most useless things.


    ¡°Where¡¯s all this coming from?¡± Arthur eventually replied. ¡°It¡¯s not like it really matters now anyway,¡± he added, instantly regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth.


    Elizabeth was a real stickler when it came to your given word, and she was positively livid that he was being so dismissive about something she obviously considered a big deal. As far as she was concerned, he''d promised her the truth. Arthur sighed again for the umpteenth time that day. Things just weren¡¯t going his way.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur prepared himself to tell Elizabeth about the dark secrets he carried with him. Not all of them, never that, but enough to satiate her curiosity. A lie and a truth, something to take the sting away and keep him out of a jail cell. If she didn¡¯t want to know him anymore after hearing what he was about to say, Arthur couldn¡¯t blame her. Even he was sickened with himself, after all. Preparing himself to lose one of his oldest friends, Arthur looked down at the ground and began to speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the gun he was using¡­¡± he murmured quietly, waiting for the inevitable tirade of questions that would no doubt follow his ambiguous statement.


    Arthur felt the familiar twinge of horror as he recalled the sight of the murder weapon the police had retrieved from the crime scene, broadcasted on the news for the world to see. It wasn¡¯t something Arthur would ever forget. After all, that wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen that particular pistol. Its unique model had a particular charm to it, along with the scuff marks depicting its history. No, that honour belonged to a time six months prior when he had held its cold steel in his hands. For a short time only, he was paid to transport it, but that didn''t change the fact that it had passed his hands.


    Arthur looked up in surprise when the expected questions didn¡¯t arrive. Why wasn¡¯t Liz asking him anything? It was then that Arthur saw a scene that would stay with him for the rest of his life: a huge airliner rapidly losing flight, the horizon around it alight with the smoke of numerous fires.


    Elizabeth couldn¡¯t ask him anything.


    Of course, she couldn''t.


    After all, she was gone, simply disappeared without a trace. Poof. As if she''d never existed in the first place. Before Arthur could even begin to panic at the craziness of what was going on, he went flying through the air, soaring a dozen feet away from where he''d been standing. Arthur didn¡¯t feel anything as he fell back to the concrete with a juddering crunch, the structure of his ribcage now an interconnected mess of flesh, bone, and tissue. He¡¯d lost all feeling long before then, all sensation gone the second the massive truck had crashed into him.


    Delirious and dying, Arthur struggled to keep his eyes open as crimson, hot blood flowed from a particularly nasty gash on his forehead. A concussion was the least of his issues, however, considering the fact that his insides were mixing in a disgusting soup of blood, half-digested food, and excrement, interlaced with a topping of gravely concrete.


    As his vision flickered, Arthur saw a strange blue message suddenly superimpose itself over his eyes. He barely even registered what it said.


    SYSTEM INITIALISING...

 Chapter 2- The System

    The city was silent. The suburbs and streets seemed devoid of life, the usual sounds of traffic and angry drivers completely absent.


    A cat walked across the road, having spotted something interesting on the opposite sidewalk. Hmm, she thought to herself, A delightfully new sensation she was quickly growing to love. The loud metal pests are strangely silent today. As expected, they''re too preoccupied with my feline grace to make any noise whatsoever. She didn''t stop to consider that nothing of the sort had ever occurred before today. After all, she was still just a cat. She approached the strange two-legged creature that had been graced with her attention. The creature was lying in a pool of spreading red liquid, which the cat decided smelled quite delicious. Not as good, perhaps, as the food its other pet two-legs offered as tribute, but good enough to satisfy her refined palate, she decided. Yes, this will do quite nicely¡­


    It was a strange day when you woke up to a cat enthusiastically licking your face, especially when you didn''t own one. It was a terrible day when you woke up in the middle of the street, in a pool of your own blood, and remembered that you''d been hit by a truck. Arthur groggily opened his blood-encrusted eyes and wiped the cat slobber off his face. He groaned. His body felt like it had taken a pummeling from his Muay Thai instructor, and his left hand definitely wasn''t meant to look like that.


    Wait¡­ was it¡­ backwards!?


    He quickly tried to get to his feet, or at least he tried to, but a dizzying wave of pain forced him to sit back down. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Arthur tried to make sense of his situation. He remembered going to university for his medical exam, talking to Liz, the beginnings of his guilty confession, and finally being hit by a truck. No, something''s definitely wrong in that sequence of events. You didn''t survive getting hit by a truck, and it didn''t take his years of studying human biology to know that. That was just plain, common knowledge.


    A sense of vertigo gripped him as he looked up to see a dented vehicle in front of him with an Arthur-shaped imprint on its hood. Arthur took another deep breath. He''d been hit by a truck. Liz had disappeared. And he was still somehow alive! What the hell is going on?


    Arthur thought back to see if he''d taken any drugs earlier that day, but that couldn''t be right. He''d seen the devastating effects they could have on someone firsthand; he would never take them. With those thoughts came the rush of guilt that usually accompanied them, his less-than-stellar past involved in petty crime but he hastily thrust those emotions aside. Now isn''t the time for a mental breakdown.


    He was dead, for God''s sake, or at least supposed to be. Arthur looked around the destroyed street and realised it wasn''t just Elizabeth that had disappeared. Everyone was gone. All the crashed cars were empty as if the whole city had just decided to take a trip somewhere and leave his dead body on the sidewalk.


    Well, maybe not everyone. Arthur smirked as he looked back down at the cat that was still enthusiastically licking his blood off the concrete floor, though it probably came out more as a grimace of pain.


    Bobcat level 2- Happy, hungry


    He blinked, surprised at the blue identification tag that appeared above the cat. He closed his eyes, counted to ten, and looked back at it.


    Bobcat level 3- Happy, tired


    Maybe I did take drugs after all. No other explanation could make sense of what I''m seeing. Wait, it changed, didn''t it? The cat had somehow gained a level.


    Once again, Arthur thought back to the truck that had brought him to this strange situation to see if he had missed something that explained all this craziness. It took him a few moments to find it. Just before Arthur had died- or passed out, as it currently seemed- he had seen a strange message in that same odd blue text. System initialising or something like that. Either he''d been delirious and hallucinating at the time, a very likely possibility, or he''d actually seen the weird hologram. This sounds suspiciously like those strange fantasy books Matthew is always glued to, or maybe it''s a simulation, and I''ve been captured by aliens for experimentation. This is straight out of science fiction, except this was what his new reality now seemed to be.


    Arthur was tired, dead tired, and his left arm was still the wrong way around, which oddly didn¡¯t hurt for some reason, so he couldn''t go to sleep just yet. Am I in shock? Shouldn''t I be screaming in pain? I still have no idea what''s going on. He concentrated and tried to recall the strange message he had seen, feeling extremely foolish as he did so, and suddenly Arthur felt that same cold breeze he¡¯d first felt when talking to Liz before all this crazy had taken a dump in his life as if he''d just been dipped in an ice bath. The sensation was more subdued this time around but still unsettling.


    Something had definitely worked, though, as he saw blue messages rapidly filling his vision. Or maybe he was still hallucinating. The process was so sudden and unexpected that Arthur couldn''t help but swear in fright. This is dangerous, stupid even. Someone could die if these messages appeared at random. What would''ve happened if I''d been driving? He sighed wearily as he set his grievances with the strange messages aside. Now isn''t the time for that. Taking a deep breath, Arthur looked at the first bit of floating text.


    Re-establishing link with host¡­ Error¡­ Insufficient¡­ Error¡­ Recalibrating¡­ Insufficient energy¡­ Link established¡­ 27%... Integrity compromised¡­ Recalling host''s previous logs...


    Arthur stopped reading at that. So I''m not crazy after all. Or maybe I am; I wouldn''t know either way. Either I''ve lost my marbles or there''s now a system governing reality. Or at least mine. One capable of miracles, it seems, if my beating heart is any indication. By all rights, I should be dead, and yet somehow I''m alive.


    And if I''m not dead, then¡­


    Arthur quickly squashed that line of thinking, as well as the budding hope in his chest. There''ll be time for that later. Right now, I need to know what''s going on, what exactly this strange system is, and most importantly, if and how I can exploit it. I mean, that''s how all of Matthew''s stories go, don''t they? Average Joe gets a system and the next thing you know he''s ruling the world.


    Arthur braced himself and began to read the system messages from the beginning.


    System initialising¡­ Teleporting host to tutorial zone¡­ Error¡­ Host deceased...


    So I did die after all.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Introducing host to system¡­ Error, host deceased¡­ Assigning host skill IDENTIFY... Error, host deceased...


    These errors were quickly becoming very annoying.


    Determining the cause of host''s death¡­ Host''s teleportation was delayed due to anomalous circumstances by nine seconds¡­ Possibility of error: 0.00038% Error¡­ Error¡­ Resulted in host''s termination¡­ Rectifying system error¡­ Error¡­ Insufficient energy¡­


    Possibility of revival due to anomalous circumstances: 17%... Nine thousand three hundred and twelve times more likely than control... Passes threshold for revival attempt... Reassigning system energy from normal initiation protocols¡­


    Host revived...


    Arthur once again had to stop reading the system text. Taking deep breaths, he tried to calm his racing heart. The system was capable of reviving the dead. Simple. Just a single line of text, and yet it meant so much more. Something that goes against the fundamental laws of the universe is now apparently possible. I died and was revived by the system.


    Fair enough, I''d only been dead for nine seconds, but still. My body had been a mess. This was completely different from using an AED to get someone''s heart beating again.


    This is bloody magic.


    The first thought to cross his mind in this absurd situation was, of course, his sister and her recently deceased status. He didn''t know how it could be done or if it was even possible at all, but as he sat there dazed on the sidewalk, he considered the possibility of bringing her back.


    A closer read of the system''s message immediately squashed those hopes. Whatever the anomalous circumstance had been that allowed his revival, he doubted it''d be replicable. Not when the chances of it were so low. And Rize''s been dead for six months. I was dead for seconds. He would have despaired, but he hadn''t let his hopes go up in the first place. Now wasn''t the time to worry about these things anyway. reality itself had been fundamentally changed and he needed to figure out where he fit into it.


    He looked back at the system messages.


    Assigning host skill Identify¡­ Skill assigned¡­ Irregular situation detected¡­ Energy below acceptable levels¡­ Integrity compromised¡­ 30%... 29%... 28%... System preparing for failure¡­ System maintenance protocols activated¡­ Error¡­ Formulating a message to ensure host''s continued survival¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Assigning host quest¡­ Ether is required to fix the system¡­ Collect ether to establish a proper system link¡­ 27% integrity¡­ Obtain ether from the extermination of monsters or via any other appropriate method¡­ System activating perseverance protocols¡­


    Collect ether 118/42,000


    The messages seemed to stop there, or at least they had until he''d reconnected with the system, faulty as his connection apparently was when he''d regained consciousness. Arthur took a deep breath as he tried to make sense of all the information he''d just learned, mentally deducing all he could from the fragmented messages. It seemed as if every sapient being on Earth had been initiated into this so-called system and then transported somewhere for a ¡®tutorial.¡¯ Whether humanity was still on the planet, Arthur could only guess, but he¡¯d bet they were no longer here. The tutorial sounded like an entirely different place, separate from Earth based on the system messages. So let''s get this straight. Everyone has gone to a tutorial for an unknown amount of time. I should''ve gone too, except my teleportation was delayed, and I died of all things before I could be transported. Reviving me cost the system the energy it was supposed to use to establish a link with me and so I need to fix it to gain proper access.


    His thoughts just raised more questions rather than answers.


    It seems as if the system runs on a weird energy source called ether. Why was my teleportation delayed? Was it sabotage? What even is ether? And what does it mean to collect it from monsters? What the hell classifies as a monster?


    These questions rapidly flitted through his head and Arthur could feel a migraine coming on. He didn''t want to even start thinking of what happened to people who died of natural causes as the system was initiated. Were they transported to the tutorial dead, left behind, or revived like him? He doubted the latter option considering just how incredibly unlikely his own revival had been. Still, if it happened once, it can happen again. What about a soldier who just got shot right when the system arrived... Arthur''s headache only continued to intensify.


    His quickly devolving mental acuity, however, was suddenly interrupted by a sharp stabbing pain near his ankle. The cat had bitten him! He tried to prise its teeth off his leg, but it had his flesh gripped firmly in its sabre-like teeth.


    Wait, sabre teeth! This is supposed to be a god-damned house cat. Why does it have sabre teeth?¡¯Arthur tried identifying the creature again and got answers to many of his questions.


    Razerfure Bobcat level 5 (Frenzied/chaotic flux)- An indigenous species of Earth, this house cat obtained access to Ether-rich blood and failed to evolve properly. This is the result. Has an extremely resistant hide.


    Chaotic Flux- This creature will possess a strength far beyond its relative level but perish shortly


    Ether content: 92


    Grasping the raging cat by its jaws, Arthur struggled to pull it off his leg with his one working arm. At least now he knew where he had to get his ether from. Animals that had been altered by ether. The Bobcat was nothing like its former self though, and his ineffectual struggles to remove it from his foot did little but enrage the tiny beast. He slammed his fist into its skull but nothing seemed to happen, the force from his knuckles being magically distributed across the entirety of the feline''s body.


    Looking around for a weapon, he gripped a large glass shard from the ground, wincing as it cut into his palm. It wasn''t the best weapon, but beggars couldn''t be choosers and it looked like he was about to lose his leg. Arthur really liked his leg. Hopefully, a sharp enough object would pierce through its tough skin.


    Steeling himself, he thrust the makeshift dagger into the cat''s head, expecting it to swiftly end the small feline''s life. Nothing of the sort happened. The glass shard did no damage whatsoever; only inciting the Bobcat to try and tear into his leg further. The cat''s god-damn fur was stab-proof, or at least it was to his glass dagger.


    Beginning to panic, Arthur realised that this cat could actually pose a threat to his life. It would be the biggest cosmic joke if Arthur got killed by a cat right after coming back from the dead. Like, come on. He¡¯d just got his second chance. Couldn''t fate cut him some slack?


    Fear now fueled his strikes, as he repeatedly bashed his glass weapon into the little monster''s head. Nothing seemed to be working, however, until he suddenly heard a squeaky yelp from the cat glued to his leg. Looking down at its blood-covered face- his blood sadly- Arthur saw that a shard of glass had managed to cut into its eyelid. Realising that the little bastard had a weakness, Arthur redoubled his pathetic efforts. An agonising eternity later, he looked down to see its dead body, its small head a bloody mess of brains, blood and splintered glass. His own state was only a little better, but not by much; it had mangled his ankle into a disgusting mash of flesh and his palm was cut deeply from clenching the jagged piece of glass too hard.


    The pain threatened to make him pass out, but he knew if he went to sleep now, he probably wouldn''t wake up again, system shenanigans be damned. He¡¯d have died from blood loss. Looking around desperately, Arthur tried to locate something, anything, to staunch the bleeding, but couldn''t see an item that would be of any use. An adult human only had around ten pints of blood in them and judging by the rate Arthur was bleeding out, he was quickly approaching the parameters of what would be considered safe.


    Wait! Wasn¡¯t my blood the cause of the cat''s frenzied state? With desperate hope, Arthur identified the pool of blood he¡¯d woken up with around him. He was clutching at straws here, but there was little else he could do in his current predicament.


    Ether-Infused Blood (Rare)- Blood infused with large amounts of Ether of healing and life affinity by the system to revive its host. Contains regenerative properties when ingested. A useful catalyst for many elixirs and alchemical solutions.


    He didn''t stop to consider why the stuff didn''t seem to be working on him when it literally flowed through his veins. Now wasn''t the time for that. Sighing with relief, Arthur tried lapping up his blood from the ground, which had now achieved a gel-like consistency from its time lying in the sun for who knows how long. It was a degrading way to eat, but Arthur would do just about anything to survive right now. Ironic really, considering how much letting go had appealed to him only twenty-four hours ago. Perhaps there was some truth to the old proverb, after all.


    Throw a depressed man into the sea and see just how hard he clings to life.


    Nothing seemed to happen even after he¡¯d drank a single mouthful and so Arthur went for another and- SCREAMED!


    Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. It felt like he had liquid fire in his stomach. Magma was flowing through his veins.


    Arthur tried to retch up the blood he had just ingested but his body just didn''t seem to want to comply with him. With tears in his eyes, Arthur managed to look down at his mangled arm.


    Hey wait, it looks like it''s going back in the right direction. Those were his last thoughts before he passed out.

 Chapter 3- Weapons

    Arthur woke up feeling refreshed, this time without the aid of a cat intent on making a meal of him. He stretched his arms upwards and realised he hadn¡¯t been hallucinating before he passed out; his arms were perfectly fine. Arthur was shocked. He knew the world was now nothing like how it used to be, that magic actually existed, or at least something near to it. Heck, he¡¯d come back from the dead. But it was one thing to wake up to a blue message telling you you¡¯d been revived, and another to actually witness the magical effects of ether on himself.


    A debilitating injury that would have left someone crippled before the system''s arrival had been healed in less than half a day if his scuffed watch face was anything to go by. Speaking of system messages, Arthur checked to see if he had any new notifications. They no longer randomly appeared in his vision since his earlier complaint, but he wasn¡¯t sure if that was due to his request or the system activating its ¡®preserving protocols¡¯ to save energy.


    Bobcat, Level 5, defeated


    147 ether absorbed¡­


    Current progression: 265/43,000


    That wasn''t right. Arthur clearly recalled the cat only possessing 92 ether, yet he had absorbed 55 more from it- 60% more than stated by the system. He didn''t know if that was because his system was defective or if there was something unique about him. So many inconsistencies and so few answers. It was enough to drive him crazy. Perhaps it was tied to why his teleport had been delayed, or maybe he was reading too much into something of little importance. What Arthur did know, though, was that he was in desperate need of a shower. He stank of shit.


    Literally.


    Looking at the pool of blood around him, Arthur noticed that it was now much darker and had a thicker consistency. Identifying it, he realised it had changed state and become Ether-Infused Blood Gel (Rare), though its description remained largely the same, with only a line detailing how it had congealed after time spent under the sun.


    Arthur stood up on his recently mangled foot and tentatively tested to see if any hint of injury remained. Finding it perfect, he quickly made his way to the truck that had caused him so many problems. Years spent on the wrong side of the law had taught him a host of skills, primarily among them the art of breaking into cars, but none of his unique skill set was required to enter this particular vehicle as its door was already unlatched.


    Clambering into the interior, Arthur looked around to see if there was anything of use. His luck seemed to finally be looking up as he spotted a backpack containing water in a metal bottle as well as a packed lunch on the passenger seat. Wolfing down the beef sandwiches, he quickly drank the water to stop himself from choking due to his brisk eating. It tasted like a damp sock left out to dry- wet in the worst way possible and salty enough that he questioned the sanity of its maker. He couldn''t help it, though, as whatever healing that blood had done for him had left him ravenous, as if he hadn''t eaten anything for days. It seemed that extensive ether usage needed to be supplemented with lots of food, at least for a normal human like him.


    Speaking of his blood, the healing aspect it contained would be incredibly important for his survival, as it didn¡¯t take a genius to tell him he¡¯d be getting injured a lot soon enough. Climbing back out of the crashed truck, he made his way back to the scene of his recent demise at the hands of said vehicle, with the liberated backpack in tow. Getting down on his knees, Arthur began to collect all the blood gel into the metal bottle. It was a lot easier than he¡¯d expected it to be, as the blood was no longer as sticky and viscous as it should have been, having taken on the consistency of a jelly-like substance.


    Quickly finishing his task, he looked down at the small feline that had almost killed him. Was every animal going to end up like that? The thought was accompanied by a rush of despair. If a household pet was now able to kill him, Arthur didn¡¯t even want to consider what the future had in store for him. The system wanted him to hunt these creatures down to unlock its full capabilities, whatever they may be. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down. Worrying would get him nowhere, so Arthur decided to be as proactive as possible in these absurd circumstances. That cat fur will be extremely useful if I can do something with it. After all, the fur had stopped a shard of glass swung at full force.


    That meant it was pretty much stab-proof to any mundane mode of attack. Deciding he might as well take the corpse with him, he grabbed it and placed it in his backpack, wincing as its blood dirtied the formerly clean interior. Thankfully, the cat was small enough to fit in with room to spare. Pacing along the sidewalk, Arthur considered his options. He knew he was far out of his depth. Heck, he¡¯d almost been killed by a domesticated cat. If pets could reach such a high threat level with just a little contact with ether, he despaired at what true predators would become in this post-system world. What humans may become? What he couldn¡¯t become because of his ether-hogging system that didn¡¯t seem to be working properly.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur tried to calm himself down. The world wasn¡¯t ending, at least not yet, and he was still very much alive, which was definitely a plus in his book. Shit, Earth isn¡¯t the only planet with sapient life anymore, at least I don¡¯t think so. It was the only conclusion he could come to with the information he had available. The system must have come from somewhere, and it most definitely hadn¡¯t originated on Earth. That meant someone, somewhere in the universe, had created it. He highly doubted it had come about by random chance.


    Arthur was used to being the underdog. Life was never fair or unfair; it simply was, and Arthur would be damned if he didn''t make the most of his situation. He practically had the whole planet to himself- unless someone else had been left behind on Earth too, but he sincerely doubted that. His death and subsequent revival had been caused by an error so rare it was practically impossible to occur naturally. That was certainly food for thought unless he really was an anomaly that sometimes happened when the system integrated itself onto a new planet. Unlucky but within the realm of plausibility.


    Taking stock of his situation, Arthur made a list of goals, both short- and long-term. He needed to discipline himself if he wanted to survive or risk drowning in the bizarreness that was now his life.


    Number 1: Survive. The most simple and important goal.


    Number 2: Unlock the system. Maybe then he too would be able to get stronger like everything else seemed to be.


    Number 3: Take a shower. He stank to high heaven right now.


    Number 4: Get some proper post-apocalypse gear.


    Number 5: Raid the university.


    Number 6: Find out if anyone else is out there.


    Number 7: Learn some sweet ether magic.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Number 8: Look into the viability of resurrection.


    Arthur paused when he looked at the last goal he had written down. He knew it was possible, as he himself had come back from the dead, but he frankly didn¡¯t believe that he would be able to do what the system had done. At least not as he was now.


    Maybe never. I was resurrected seconds after my death. It¡¯s more akin to a defibrillator being used on me than actual resurrection magic.


    Rize''s been dead for six months.


    He sighed wearily. It wasn¡¯t worth worrying about since there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. The sky was beginning to darken, and daylight was waning. Unfortunately, he¡¯d wasted most of it being dead or dying, and he didn¡¯t think himself sufficiently prepared to face whatever came out at night.


    First things first, I need a good weapon. America being the land of firearms, he could probably easily find a suitable gun if he searched hard enough, but Arthur wasn¡¯t quite comfortable with using the very tool that had ended his sister''s life. He wouldn''t let that come between him and survival, though and he put the location of a gun at the top of his list.


    Unfortunately, with the rate of the monsters'' rapid advancements, Arthur feared that such weapons- all weapons on Earth, for that matter- would soon become obsolete. Besides that, Arthur also worried whether or not the system would reward him for a monster he killed using a gun.


    He felt it was highly unlikely that humanity would be allowed to rapidly grow in power using modern tools. It would break whatever scaling the system used. Or maybe I should stop thinking of excuses to stop myself from getting one.


    For now, at least, Arthur had an idea of where he could get his hands on some sweet apocalypse gear. Slowly stripping himself of his blood-soaked jacket, he stood half-naked in the cold evening air, his T-shirt''s torn remnants clinging to his frame. He was about to rob something, and Arthur didn¡¯t want to be identified by anyone on any cameras while committing the crime, lack of people be damned. They¡¯d come back eventually. Soon¡­ hopefully. He reassured himself with that affirmation. Arthur didn¡¯t want to get in trouble when people found out there was a single deranged human running around the city while they were all away. Don''t borrow tomorrow''s troubles when prevention is so easy. Steeling himself, he wrapped the crimson fabric around his face.


    He gagged.


    It smelled of sweat and, well, blood. There was a lot of the stuff on his makeshift mask, after all. The stench was sickly sweet, with the underlying tang of iron, quite unlike anything he¡¯d smelled before.


    As ill-prepared as he was, Arthur began to move quickly through the university campus, carefully navigating around the crashed cars. Walking through the familiar hallways, he felt a pang of sorrow, knowing he would never graduate from the place to which he¡¯d devoted so much of his time. But there was no room for nostalgia now. His immediate focus was survival.


    Arriving at the storage shed, his intended destination, Arthur picked up a large stone from the ground and flung it at the building¡¯s window. A loud alarm screeched as the glass shattered, but he paid it no mind. Careful of the jagged shards; he had just learned firsthand how deadly glass could be, Arthur climbed through the newly made entrance and walked toward the light switches. They flickered for a moment before illuminating the room in all its dirty, cluttered glory.


    As an unused shed, the building had never seen much service or maintenance, and nothing of actual importance was stored there. At least, nothing of importance to a medical university. But for someone like Arthur, who was now desperately in search of tools for survival, it was a treasure trove.


    Finding the object of his desires on a broken shelf, he grasped the small electric handsaw in his hand. "Yes, this''ll be perfect," he muttered.


    Pulling the cat''s carcass from his backpack, Arthur pondered how to skin the damned thing. He wasn¡¯t a wildlife expert and had never butchered an animal in his life, let alone a house cat. But he was one of the most intelligent students at this prestigious institution, and he¡¯d be damned if he let something as trivial as inexperience stop him.


    Turning the electric saw on, he placed the rotating blade on the cat''s soft stomach. Thankfully, with a little pressure, he was able to cut into the furry skin. The magic that had made it so durable in life, at least a portion of it, had been lost in its death. What followed was a messy job that left Arthur¡¯s hands covered in cat guts, but by the end of the arduous process, he held in his hands a small, but serviceable piece of Bobcat skin. Proud of himself, he hoped it would be enough for what he had planned.


    Luckily, it was. Eighteen minutes and three broken staple guns later, Arthur had managed to tightly wrap the stab-proof skin around his throat, securing it with the staples. Looking at his handiwork proudly, he impulsively tried to identify his creation and was both surprised and irritated with the results.


    Coward¡¯s Neck Guard (Common- Poor)- The tragic works of a desperate human somehow resulted in the creation of armour at a lower level than the creature from which the materials came. Its only redeeming quality is said materials. Protects against sharp projectiles. Provides an extremely minor speed buff


    Snarky system messages aside, Arthur was pleased with the result. Moving around to test the speed buff, he found there was no noticeable difference from his usual movement. "Well, it did say extremely minor," he thought. Even so, Arthur was satisfied with his makeshift armour. Now, he just needed a weapon- the main reason he had come here.


    He recalled Professor Jackson''s constant bragging about his recent purchase of a Boar spear, of all things, and his promise to bring it in for the students to see. Arthur could only hope the professor had delivered on his word. "I could always raid a museum, I guess," he mused.


    Walking toward the staffroom, Arthur prayed for his luck to hold out. Upon entering the spacious area, he let out a sigh of relief. Lying there, displayed on a table to strategically showcase all its splendour- courtesy of Professor Jackson''s vain tendencies, no doubt- was a seven-foot tool of deadly design, as beautiful in its ornate workmanship as it was lethal in purpose. An engine of death, a reaper of lives.


    Or at least it would be once Arthur sharpened its dull blade.


    Pulling it free from its mini sheath, Arthur admired its eighteen-inch spike, marvelling at how perfect the weapon''s weight distribution was. If Professor Jackson''s boasting was true, it was a seventeenth-century tool that had been restored by one of his friends interested in LARPing.


    Boar Spear- A weapon restored by modern means without the usage of ether. The resulting weapon is surprisingly deadly


    Arthur began to laugh. With this, his chances of survival had risen astronomically. Now, he could thrive instead of merely surviving in this dangerous world. He could become powerful, unlock his system, dest-


    A deafening wolf howl from the streets quickly brought him back down to earth. He wasn''t ready. Nowhere near ready. The world had dealt him a difficult hand, and he¡¯d be foolish to play this game by its rules. With his access to enhancing himself through ether cut off for the foreseeable future, he would need to rely on his human ingenuity to compensate. Weaker than nearly everything, it would take cunning and a great plan to fill his ether goal of 43,000. With a cat at level 5 giving him around 100 ether, he would need to kill approximately 430 of such animals to unlock his system. And if a fight against a household pet almost proved fatal, he dreaded to think how bleak his future looked.


    But now Arthur could plan and prepare for fights, choose the battlefield, and do everything possible to tilt the odds in his favour.


    And he knew exactly what needed to be done to ensure he came out on top. With a spring in his step, Arthur quickly walked back into the university''s main building and made his way to the surgery department. Entering the familiar room, Arthur took a moment to sit down and take everything in.


    He had woken up that day preparing to take a medical exam, and now he was contemplating the genocide of all animals and how best to go about it. Smiling at the absurdity of the situation, he made his way to a storage room he knew held a lot of surgical supplies.


    Opening it, he laughed at the sight that greeted him.


    Sedatives (Mild)- A solution created to put human patients to sleep prior to surgery


    It was only weak in strength, but it would serve his purposes just fine. He¡¯d like to see how an animal fighting off sleep could hope to fend off his pointy stick. Looking outside the window, he saw how the sun was beginning to set. All his plans would have to be put on hold until dawn tomorrow. He¡¯d need a good night''s rest to wake up energised for the battles ahead. And a gun.


    His dreams, when he finally managed to get to sleep, were filled with visions of stabbing sleeping cats. Mumbling something unintelligible, he rolled over and fell off the couch. Tomorrow, he''d be taking a trip to the zoo.

 Chapter 41- Unstable Strength

    Arthur sat in his kitchen and looked at the purple monster core in front of him. Indecision gripped him and he was unsure as to how exactly he should proceed right now. He didn''t know if there was anything different about elite monster cores compared to rare ones he''d come into contact with, but he didn''t want to waste such a powerful boon by just being hasty and treating it like he had the others.


    In the end, Arthur decided to first peruse his status page and see about investing the stat points he¡¯d gained after killing the Draconic Livertihion, in the hopes that the extra power could help him deal with the fallout if something went wrong with the elixir he was about to make. He had considered giving the ingredients to Mira to let her use her Alchemy skills to concoct a solution to make his elixir more potent, but he had quickly dismissed the idea as foolish.


    Whilst the two were closer now, they were by no means friends, and he didn''t want to risk ostracising her by revealing something that for all he knew was taboo. Maybe there was some sort of council of sapient monsters out there that hunted freaks like himself.


    Looking at his status, Arthur whistled appreciatively. He had gained 21 levels from killing the overgrown lizard which had netted him 168 stat points to allocate with his bonuses from his soul affinity title. As he¡¯d initially thought, the boon was proving its worth over time.


    It was actually a far smaller jump in levels than he had expected from killing the beast, however, but he wasn''t going to complain about the fact he had managed to stick to his goal of remaining under level 100. Perhaps the low levels gained could be attributed to the fact that the monster had reached its strength through unnatural and abnormal means and that it had fought with the strength of half its level.


    Arthur wasn''t sure, he was no genius when it came to magic and all his conjectures thus far were guesswork at best. Worrying about it would give him no meaningful answers and so instead, he carefully considered how to allocate his stat points.


    Surprisingly, his mental attributes had managed to pull ahead of his physical ones, despite his heavy investments into the latter, courtesy of the rodent king¡¯s monster core he had consumed. He almost started salivating thinking about the stats that an elite monster core from a level 200 monster would give him, but he quickly controlled himself.


    There would be time for all that later and figuring out his stat distribution was far more important. Deciding to shore up on any glaring weaknesses he had, he realized that he didn''t have any. Well, he wouldn''t call them weaknesses, just lesser strengths so as to not hurt his ego, but all jokes aside, Arthur was at an impasse as to how exactly to go on from here.


    With 168 stat points to spend in one go, Arthur could decide to take the path of a specialist if he wanted to, bumping one attribute far above the rest. Arthur didn''t really feel like doing that, though. He wasn''t the type of person to put all his eggs in one basket, and he didn''t want to ever face a situation where his chosen specialisation was useless.


    What would he do if he ever faced an enemy he couldn''t use strength on or a foe he couldn''t outrun? He would be out of options and die regretting his stupidity. No, the specialised generalist approach was the path for Arthur, a walking contradiction, even if all the games Mathew babbled on about involved taking extreme routes.


    After all, he¡¯d rather have a versatile skill set instead of one that was only useful under specific circumstances. Anything he could do with magic, he could do better with his body. For now. He''d promised he''d change


    Observing his status, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He really wasn¡¯t fully human anymore, was he? His status just didn¡¯t make any sense. Honestly, I think I''ll save these points for later. See what the monster core gives me first. I''m pretty sure my health is at least enough to let me survive it.


    Arthur Ward


    Level 60


    Unallocated stat points: 168


    Strength- 110 (100)


    Vitality- 160*


    Endurance- 50


    Constitution- 182 (140)


    Agility- 118


    Intelligence- 323


    Willpower- 190


    Charisma- 95


    Health- 2950/3200 (352(160)/hour)


    Ether- 3200/3230 (323/hour)


    Stamina- 497/500 (50/minute)


    Arthur did the maths. He had the total stats of someone who... was pretty high levelled with a common class if he didn¡¯t take his titles into consideration. With them, Arthur was a¡­ Monster. There really was no other word for it.


    As it happened every time he glanced at his status, Arthur became a little afraid of what he may one day become. He didn''t want to reach the end of his goals and no longer recognise the man he was. He¡¯d gone down that route before and it went nowhere pleasant.


    Arthur sighed warily, most of his earlier cheer all but forgotten. Why did he always have to be so melodramatic? There was nothing to be done about his fleeting good mood, however, and all he could do was make sure his fears didn''t come to pass.


    Pulling himself out of his inner monologue, Arthur brought out the large bowl he had used to make his previous elixir of infection. Just as he was about to start the process, Arthur realised he had a serious problem. The last time he had tried this, it had taken him almost five minutes to hurt himself.


    He was a lot stronger now and his constitution had far outpaced his strength, and with it, so had his ability to harm himself. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m really having a problem like this. Trying to think of a solution to his conundrum, Arthur came up with something.


    As most of his plans went, this one too was stupid, and he was glad no one was around to observe his idiocy.


    A mans gotta do what a mans gotta do.


    Closing his left hand into a fist, the absence of light formed a natural pool of dark shadow within its centre. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for what he was about to do. This is really fucking dumb.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Feeling for his now familiar reserves of ether, Arthur called upon them, only a little trickle at first, which quickly widened into a stream until finally, a veritable river of stuff was flowing into his clenched fist.


    10, 20¡­, 30¡­, 70¡­, 150¡­, 200¡­, 240¡­, 300¡­, 320¡­, 375¡­, 400.


    When the amount of ether in his control had neared half a thousand, Arthur stopped drawing on it. As he felt the raging torrent of power trying to struggle out of his grasp, Arthur realised he had made a grave error. This was way too much ether, half of this would have been more than enough to suit his purposes, and yet now that he had drawn the ether out, it had to be put to use. He couldn''t return it to his reserves.


    He briefly considered trying to direct half the energy into another spell but quickly dismissed the idea. The situation was hard enough without him trying to make it worse by dual casting for the first time, something he was sure would end in catastrophic failure.


    He¡¯d already had one bad idea too many for the day and another one might just be enough to kill him. Well, here goes nothing. Directing his ether to serve its original purpose, he started to pour it into the shadow clenched within his fist. His plan was simple: like the time he had first used magic, against the wolves, Arthur was trying to make a shadow bomb. It required no skill, no finesse, just a shit ton of ether and a shadow; two things that Arthur had ample supply of.


    Except this time, he had used so much more ether than before. His concentration and control were being tested to their limits, and he slowly began to pour it into his created shadow, steadily increasing the rate at which he transferred the energy into his clenched fist.


    Beads of sweat began to run down his face, and he clenched his teeth so hard he was surprised that his gums hadn''t started bleeding yet. Well, if he could bleed so easily, he wouldn''t be having this problem right now.


    The ether concentration within the tiny shadow had passed the 300 mark, and it felt as if it had been saturated to near bursting. He couldn¡¯t pour any more into it. Arthur persisted anyway, forcing the stubborn piece of darkness to absorb more energy, force-feeding it like one would an unruly child.


    Something within him changed then, and the whole process seemed to get a whole lot easier. A system notification clamoured for his attention, no doubt containing the reason for his sudden ease in casting his piss-poor excuse for magic, but he blinked it out of his vision. He couldn¡¯t deal with any distractions now.


    Finally, when he felt his last dregs of ether pour into the shadow, Arthur took a deep breath. In his hand, was probably enough power to kill a level 50 monster. Heck, it was probably enough to kill himself if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    Walking slowly towards the garden door, he stepped outside into the outdoors, all the while maintaining an iron control over his spell. Every step was difficult, maintaining control over the bomb contained in his hand akin to a weighted superset of Bulgarian split squats.


    He could feel the pressure within it building and knew that couldn''t hold it back for long. Gracelessly falling to his knees, Arthur punched his hand into the soft mud beneath him. Closing his eyes, he prayed for the best.


    Arthur released his spell.


    He immediately felt a huge wave of destruction travel directly into the Earth and felt the backlash on his own arm. It was only a fraction of the energy the true spell contained, most of it being discharged into the earth, and yet it felt like Arthur had just put his hand in a blender.


    Arthur couldn''t help it, he screamed, trying to muffle the sound by biting down on his t-shirt. The whole ordeal only lasted around 3 seconds, and yet it felt like the time of his suffering had been measured in minutes.


    Carefully opening his eyes, Arthur looked down at the ground, afraid of what he would see. The entire lawn was a ruined mess, the carefully maintained earth now filled with potholes. And yet Arthur knew that the true damage was hidden underground out of his sight.


    He hoped he hadn''t damaged any important water pipes with his reckless use of magic. looking at his hand, he was at first afraid of what he¡¯d see. Surprisingly, it was in much better condition than he had expected. That wasn''t to say it was any good though. Just that it was a mangled mess of flesh and blood with bone visible instead of the complete disintegration Arthur had feared.


    It hurt like a bitch and it took all of Arthur¡¯s self-control to not heal it on the spot.


    Instead, cradling his damaged arm like it was a fragile newborn, Arthur quickly made his way back to the kitchen, careful to not get blood everywhere. Holding his destroyed limb above the metal bowl, it only took seventeen seconds for it to be filled to the brim.


    As fast as possible, Arthur used his uncommon Regeneration skill on himself, wincing in pain as he felt bones pop back into place and flesh knit itself back together. It took a considerable amount of ether to heal the nearly half thousand amount of damage he had managed to do to his health.


    This was definitely the last time he did some crazy magic without taking any safety precautions. He made a firm promise to himself. Picking up the core from where it had rolled off the table onto the floor, Arthur held it above the bowl of his blood. He hoped nothing would go wrong now.


    He was too tired to deal with anything unexpected at the moment. Arthur dropped the orb and quickly ducked down in preparation for any explosion or strange reaction that occurred, utilizing every part of his 118 points of agility to great effect.


    When nothing happened, Arthur sheepishly got back onto his feet. Looking at the bowl, he saw that the volume of his blood seemed to have decreased by a third in the few seconds he¡¯d looked away from it, and the liquid was now a bright purple colour. Arthur casually overlooked the strange phenomenon and identified the fluid in front of him.


    ?? Draconic Elixir (Elite)- Contain the powers of ??? ??? ??? ??? chances of success: 97%..., 96%..., 95%


    Even as Arthur watched, the numbers rapidly dropped lower, and panicking, he did the only thing he could think of. He quickly brought the bowl to his lips, momentarily surprised by the immense weight of the elixir.


    500ml of the stuff must''ve weighed about 10kg, which just straight up ignored the law of conservation of mass. Dismissing the abnormal features the liquid possessed, Arthur began to drink it.


    He didn¡¯t have time to worry about whether or not he was doing the right thing. Every second of delay decreased his chances of success, and Arthur decided to rely on his high health to deal with any fallout his irresponsible consumption of strange liquids might cause.


    Just as he finished consuming the solution, he immediately regretted the decision he had made. He¡¯d almost killed himself of terminal stupidity a few minutes earlier and had now consumed a weird liquid that he had absolutely no information about.


    A stabbing pain in his stomach just a few seconds after his drinking confirmed that once again he hadn¡¯t thought through his actions enough.


    It felt like he¡¯d swallowed a bowl of nails and then some magma to top it off. Falling to his knees, Arthur tried to throw up the liquid he¡¯d just drank, ramming his fingers into his mouth to vomit it up, but his body didn''t seem to respond to his commands, the muscles in his throat locking up.


    It took five agonising minutes for the sensation to pass, in which he felt like he was simultaneously melting and freezing before Arthur felt ready to get back to his feet.


    Stumbling towards the sink, Arthur got himself a glass of water. The elixir didn''t seem to have done much. He felt much the same as he had before, and he checked his system notifications to see exactly how and if the elixir had worked.


    The message that had been clamouring for his attention during his earlier spell-casting was the first to be read.


    You have developed the Incomplete skill Shadow Bomb (common+) ¡­


    The description will become available after the skill is complete.


    Arthur smiled when he saw the skill. It explained why his spell-casting had suddenly become so much easier earlier. This was the first skill he had made himself, and whilst it wasn''t anything groundbreaking, Arthur was proud of what he had created. After all, a journey of a thousand miles started with a single step or something along those lines. Arthur was never one for inspirational quotes.


    Checking his status Arthur realised it was practically the same as before. Well not exactly, but the changes were minimal, only a 10 stat increase on his strength attribute. His endurance however had shot up by 410 points, making it his newest highest stat at 460. That however was almost useless to Arthur as his 50 points in the attribute had been more than enough all this time, though it had often come close to running out. VERY CLOSE. So maybe it wasn¡¯t a waste after all. It just wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d expected from an elite-ranked elixir.


    Just as Arthur began to despair, a new notification appeared in front of his eyes. It took him two re-reads to understand it and it also explained the seemingly minuscule gain in strength he¡¯d received from a monster that specialised in the attribute.


    Arthur smiled. He¡¯d gotten a better boon than anything he could have asked for or even expected.


    New title acquired- Unstable Strength (Survived the poison of an unstable monster core before unlocking a class) Increases strength attribute by 10%

 Chapter 42- The first Teleport

    Arthur grinned as he looked at his latest title. It was a more tremendous boon than anything he could have asked for. Something that would continue to pay dividends far off into the future, way more than a few measly stat points. And it would continue to only grow better with time. Well, 400 points in strength might''ve actually been more welcome, but titles will help me get a greater class. It should pay off in the long run. Right?


    New title acquired-


    Unstable Strength: (Survived the poison of an unstable monster core before unlocking a class) Increases strength attribute by 10%


    A percentage multiplier to an attribute, that made every point he invested into it worth more. Sure it wasn''t going to be one of his statsinks with his planned mage build, but who didn''t like a little extra strength? Arthur called forth his status page and marvelled at the numbers before him.


    Arthur Ward


    Level 60


    Unallocated stat points: 168


    Strength- 120 (100)


    Vitality- 160*


    Endurance- 460


    Constitution- 182 (140)


    Agility- 118


    Intelligence- 323


    Willpower- 190


    Charisma- 95


    Health- 2950/3200 (352(160)/hour)


    Ether- 2820/3230 (323/hour)


    Stamina- 1500/4600 (460/minute)


    It was honestly one of the most beautiful things Arthur had ever seen and looking at the numbers gave him more satisfaction than his bank balance ever had. He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, marvelling at the fluidity with which his body moved. He was like a stream that contained the devastating force of a tsunami. One that would never end, never tire, what with his recent jump in endurance.


    It was so amazing it could make a grown man cry. And that was without mentioning the sheer, untapped potential of ether swimming through him. It saturated his being, filled his marrow, and sang through his blood. The passion of a swooning woman who-


    Fuck, this shit is getting to my head. I better calm down before I start reciting poetry like Shakespeare. What the fuck does a passionate woman even have to do with ether. It''s a source of energy. It has to be gender-neutral, right? Or is my soul affinity trying to tell me something here? Nah, it''s gotta be my libido.


    Arthur laughed out loud and rubbed his temples in exasperation. Anyone looking at him would think he''d lost the plot.


    "Damn, it''s been a long time since I got laid. Seven, eight months, was it?"


    Thankfully, before Arthur could delve into the introspection of the deserts that was his sex life, a notification burst into his vision, its light was an annoying golden instead of the usual blue he''d gotten used to.


    Prompt!


    You have five minutes remaining before your golden ticket will be cashed in. Place it five meters away if you wish to reject this gift. Note: Doing so will result in a loss of the ticket and NO remuneration will be provided.


    The sudden announcement was a reminder that Arthur had very little time remaining. He had almost forgotten about it in his excitement. That didn''t prevent Arthur from cursing the burn it almost gave his retinas though. He was certain someone with less constitution would have been left with a dent in their health pool. When the golden text suddenly popped up again, Arthur couldn''t help but swear out loud.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Fuck, that shit''s so annoying."


    As part of our company policy, all invitees will have their identities protected via a Mask of Mirrors (RARE). It is advised that invitees do not remove these masks if they wish for anonymity. Being one of the ten ticket holders, you are eligible to keep this mask after the event has ended. The zone you will be teleported to is an isolated space where your consciousness will be accelerated to a significant degree. This may result in some nausea post-ticket usage for those lacking in the intelligence attribute.


    Three minutes remaining.


    Arthur grinned when he read the ticket message. He had no idea what a Mask of mirrors was, but he did not doubt that it would be a pretty damn amazing item with a Rare rating attribute to it. And he''d get to keep it for free! What would Mira think if she realised she''d missed out on this?


    Honestly, she probably wouldn''t care. I''m pretty sure she can be as anonymous as she wants with her dominion affinity.


    Still, that didn''t detract from Arthur''s happiness in the slightest. He wasn''t quite sure what the accelerated consciousness meant exactly. Maybe a way for the assembly to be completed in a fraction of the time it would have otherwise taken. He wasn''t entirely sure though.


    Wait, will my soul affinity mean that my teleport is delayed here too? For how long? Will they realise something is off about me?


    Arthur shook his head. Now was not the time to start panicking. The system had delayed his teleport for less than ten seconds. Surely that would just show up as an acceptable margin of error in the Serako company''s ether usage.


    Sixty seconds remaining.


    Brace Yourself.


    Arthur did as asked and settled himself into a comfortable position on the floor. As much as he felt like closing his eyes, he forced himself to keep them open, taking deep centering breaths all the while. It would not be due to be caught unawares as soon as he teleported. No, he needed his eyes open wide and ready.


    Arthur grimaced as he felt an icy sensation grip him. It was reminiscent of how he''d felt during the system''s integration except he knew what it was this time. It had none of the unfeeling static that the prior experience had possessed, however, which was certainly a plus in his book.


    He counted down the seconds of extra delay before he felt the ether work its magic.


    Four, five, six, seven, okay seven seconds only. That''s not too bad. Is it?


    Teleporting was honestly anti-climatic. One moment he was in his house, the next he wasn''t. It was quite disorientating though, and he did feel a little nauseous. Not to the extent, he''d expected rapidly translocating his entire being would cause, however.


    He blinked his eyes quickly, trying to get rid of the dizziness as fast as possible. The first thing he noticed was that he was still seated, no longer on the laminate of his house, but rather on a plush, comfortable pew that looked like it was designed with opulence as its driving imperative. It screamed extravagance in the least subtle way known to man, the trait superseded only by the sheer comfort it provided.


    This must be what sitting on a giant marshmallow feels like.


    Arthur was so taken by his seating arrangement that it took him a few seconds before he could take in the rest of the room. Along with its occupants.


    He was in what appeared to be a massive lecture hall. It was so alike in fact, that it almost gave him deja vu with how uncannily familiar it felt. It was only upon closer inspection that he realised how strange the room really was. One moment it was a lecture hall, the next an auditorium, the next a theatre. It was even a stadium for the briefest of seconds.


    When he stopped focusing, it returned to its initial state, that of a familiar, if extravagant lecture hall. That''s when he started to notice the people. The fact that he hadn''t immediately was a testament to the power of the masks everyone was wearing and he realised with a shocking surprise that one was present on his own face, contoured to fit it perfectly. It didn''t hinder his vision at all and he wouldn''t have realised he even had one on if he hadn''t noticed the people sitting RIGHT next to him!


    The shit was downright creepy.


    People were barely a meter away from him and he didn''t even register their presence unless he stared directly at them, something he found more and more difficult to do the harder he tried. It wasn''t like some powerful force was stopping him. He just didn''t... want to?


    Shit, these masks are fucking weird. It''s like walking through a crowd in the mall dialled up to eleven. You don''t observe everyone closely except the mask makes them become background noise. Even if I want to I can''t focus on it.


    Would I even realise if I hadn''t been told about them in advance?


    Arthur resisted the urge to take his own off, reminding himself that he needed it for his anonymity. That''s why he was so surprised when the person, no woman besides him- the realisation came suddenly- took her own off and turned to look at him.


    "I''m guessing you''re from Earth too right?


    The question was so sudden, so random, that Arthur was stumped for a second. The fact that she had the bluest eyes he''d ever seen didn''t help matters. It was like she was trying to stare into his soul with how wide open they were.


    Before he could reply, he heard a loud clap come from the centre stage, the sound echoing through the auditorium.


    The source of the sound cleared her throat awkwardly. Another human woman. Except she was the highest levelled being he''d seen to date. She cleared her throat again the sound somehow magnified to spread across the entirety of the room.


    "Hello everyone. My name is Erico and I''ll be hosting this assembly for you all. Let''s hope I don''t mess this up."

 Chapter 43- The Serako Assembly

    Arthur was a little confused at first. There was a human on the stage leading what he''d assumed was a program run by an alien corporation. It took him a few seconds to realise that she was not native to the planet.


    From what Arthur had learned so far, he knew that humans were some of the most numerous of all species out in the wider universe. It was hardly surprising that the Serako corporation had some among their employees.


    The woman was perhaps the perfect stereotype for a bookish girl. She was dressed in a lab coat or something that at least looked like an approximation of one. She even had a pair of glasses on. The only thing special about her was her eyes, which glowed with an inner luminescence.


    They chose someone who looks very familiar and approachable to do the job, didn''t they? Wait, I didn''t even use identify on her. How do I know she''s level 231? Did she use a skill to project her level out to everyone?


    Arthur shook his head. Now wasn''t the time for these questions. He was here to learn more about the system and unlock his to level two. Everything else was extra.


    "My name is Erico and I''ve been selected as the host for this assembly. We''ll cover a broad spectrum of topics that are integral for you to flourish within the system after which I''ll do a short Q&A at the end."


    "As the individual selected for this task, I''ve studied the intermediate culture pack for your planet, Earth. From it, I have found a nugget of gold that I believe perfectly represents what I want to teach you today. Look not at its source, but the beauty that is contained within it."


    Everyone waited with bated breath to hear what she would say next.


    "With great power comes great responsibility."


    She paused dramatically to let the words sink in.


    Arthur tried his best not to laugh. The woman beside him, as well as several figures throughout the room, had no such qualms and he could hear the quiet chuckles fill the room. Erico blushed in embarrassment but continued on nonetheless. Arthur had to respect that.


    "As people who have received a ticket to this function, I have no doubt that you will become the future leaders of your people. With the turbulent times ahead, it is your duty, your imperative, that you take the role seriously and lead them to a brighter future. The words of Uncle Ben perfectly sum up this ideal in an eloquence that is reverberating with wisdom."


    Damn, she uses some flowery language. Or is this just the result of cheap translation magic?


    The woman spent the next few minutes introducing herself and her background. She was surprisingly open with her abilities, going so far as to explain the progression and rarity of her class. With her admission that she was a researcher, her lack of secrecy made sense. There was no reason for her to hide her abilities.


    "The initial few months after system integration is by far the most important that you will face in the next decade. You will make or break your future. The foundations you lay will become the bedrock of your potential, pushing you to new heights or crippling you altogether."


    "As such, it is of paramount importance that you understand how and why you''ll build yourself the way I''ll advise you. We humans are what you call a Sajajan race. That means we are not physically imposing like the orcs, nor are we magically gifted like the elves."


    She paused for breath, looking around at her audience. Everyone, Arthur included, was listening with rapt attention.


    "We are Sajajan. We are a middling race, not special. And yet it is our mediocrity that allows us to diversify so much. Sure, we will never have the physical might of lizard kin, nor will we ever wield ether like the ice elves, but it is our establishment in the prosaic that allows us to create the most unique of classes."


    She then went on to explain how important a class was to an individual, the different tiers they fell under, the stat points each provided and finally, how to go about creating a great one.


    "There is a limit of three skills that an individual can possess under each of their ether affinities. To maximise your potential class, these skills should be created before reaching level 100 which is the human formation point of said class. These created skills will then be enhanced and evolve judging by the rarity of the class that you unlock."


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Arthur hoped that he would remember all this information he was hearing, and he cursed that he didn''t bring some paper to write down notes. His phone sadly was on charge in his bedroom so that avenue was closed off to him too.


    Erico went on to explain the harms of not creating these skills on your own and instead relying on the system and your soul potential to generate them at level 100. Sure, they might end up strong, but you gave up the control to mould your class in the way you wanted to.


    "For those with more than one affinity, you can try to create a dual skill. These are skills that are comprised of two affinities but only fall under a single branch of ether and hence, only take up one of your six slots. These skills are without a doubt, far stronger and more versatile than their singular brothers."


    The human alien- damn, I never thought the two words would ever go together- spent the better part of half an hour going into detail on the topic. Some things Arthur already knew from his booklet, but most things were new to him. The most important he mentally listed.


    1-Try and create dual skills. (Maybe Tri or Quad for me)


    2-Make sure your skills, especially those under the same affinity are synergistic so your generated confluence skill ends up more powerful.


    3-Specialise, specialise, specialise (Don''t rush things)


    4-Pray for a powerful pinnacle skill


    5-Plan for your role in life, especially if you''re a fighter.


    6-An ether affinity is only as good as its user


    Erico was currently explaining the fifth mental note he''d made. From what she''d discussed so far, Arthur had clearly identified the role that was perfect for his affinities.


    The CONTROL.


    Someone who... well, controlled the battlefield. They were like a master tactician who stood at the forefront of the fight, making snap decisions and ensuring that everyone stayed alive. They dictated the pace and tempo of a fight, requiring master levels of concentration and mental acumen.


    Except I think I can go one step further. My shadow and soul affinity makes me perfect for a hybrid Striker/Assasin position. I can control a fight perfectly and I don''t need to rely on anyone else to help me end it.


    The only problem was that Erico had made it abundantly clear that monsters, real monsters- not the evolved animals of Earth he''d faced so far- did not grow linearly like the sapient races of the universe. That meant that at higher levels, it was nigh impossible to face a beast of equal level on your own. It almost always required a team.


    "And I believe that now concludes the hour I''ve been given to talk to you. Those who are eligible for a system-level increase but would like to exchange their rewards, please raise your hands."


    No one did.


    Erico nodded her head in satisfaction.


    "It looks like you all listened to me properly at least. You all seem to have realised it''ll take you a long time otherwise to organically unlock it. Working towards a greater class instead of rush levelling will definitely serve you better in the long run and tier 2 system access is far greater than anything else you can receive right now."


    Arthur nodded his head. Judging by what she''d told them, Arthur realised the tier-two system was worth far more than a simple removal of the limiting chains. For one, he''d unlock access to System credits, the most utilised currency in the universe.


    "So, I guess we have come to an end," Erico said, smiling at them all.


    "This was actually my first time doing this, so I apologise for some of the cringeworthy jokes I tried to crack. Because of my inexperience, we are left with very little time for the Q&A session. Just enough for one question really."


    "Perhaps it''s best I should choose the only one amongst you all who saw fit to remove their mask. Do you have a question for me?"


    Everyone in the room turned to face the woman besides Arthur. She didn''t seem to mind the attention. The blue-eyed woman nodded her head and began to speak.


    "Yes, ma''am, I do have a question. One that has been bugging me for quite a while now. You''ve made the system seem like an impersonal arbitrator all this time, so I feel compelled to ask this."


    "What are these chains that have been placed on us? You yourself say that you came from an integrated world. You too feel these chains."


    She paused for breath, her tone cold as ice.


    "What are these chains?"


    Arthur couldn''t help but feel like she''d wasted the opportunity. It was such a useless question. Though he had to admit he was a little curious about the answer Erico could give. Much to his surprise, the woman actually brightened at the inquiry, despite the harsh tone with which it had been delivered.


    "This is actually the fourth most asked question in these assemblies miss. The chains are actually limiters, they..."


    She then went on to explain practically everything that Arthur had already figured out regarding the things, though he did learn a thing or two. Most importantly that they could actually be removed without unlocking a tier-two system. For a fee of course, though it was far cheaper than Arthur would have expected. The equivalent of about 20 monster cores in system credits.


    "So I believe that adequately answers your question, correct?"


    Arthur felt the familiar cold of a teleport spell grip him.


    "It seems our time here has come to an end. For those with golden tickets, your systems are under evolution to tier two. The process will be completed within 96 hours. For everyone else, I hope I was able to fulfil my obligations as your host today, and I hope we can all meet again someday. If you ever find yourself on Marfa, give me a visit. Don''t forget to take care of yours-"


    Arthur blinked and he was back in his house.


    Someone was knocking on his door.


    Tier-2 System Access: 95:59:55

 Chapter 44- Frustration

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    ~Selena Williams~


    Selena was getting frustrated. It had been over forty-eight hours since she¡¯d been tasked by Tatsumi to secure Arthur Ward''s assistance. She¡¯d gotten on the job immediately, checking first on his place of residence. When she hadn''t found him there, she had quickly made her way to the locations that she knew he frequently visited from the investigations that the Zaibatsu had done on him.


    When even that proved futile, she had begun to panic a little bit but reassured herself that she would find him eventually. It had been a day since then, and she was no closer to fulfilling her objective. Selena had asked anyone that even knew the young man a little about his whereabouts, going so far as to track down his old friends to see if they had seen him.


    No one had.


    True to his word, Arthur seemed to have gone on vacation. Either that, or he had disappeared off the face of the Earth. She hoped it was the former as she had no way to track him down if he¡¯d actually gone off-planet as had become the rising trend for Earth¡¯s talented mages.


    Did I read him wrong? I¡¯m sure he was interested in the job, he was just proving a point when he rejected it. Right?


    By this point, Selena had practically dismissed her search as a lost cause, instead now planning on how best to break the news to her boss. Tatsumi was a man who loved power simply for the sake of having it, and despite all the financial capital he had built up, he had a surprisingly fragile ego. He was, in her most biased opinion, fucking man-child. An incredibly intelligent, ruthless and decisive one, but a man-child nonetheless.


    It would hurt him, almost like a physical blow that someone had refused his offer. And a hurt CEO of a huge corporation like Zaibatsu along with all its legally questionable assets was a recipe for disaster. And like every other time Tatsumi lost his cool, it would be others that would pay for his mistakes and Selena Williams was a woman who didn''t want to carry the egomaniac¡¯s burdens when they came crashing down.


    That was why she had decided to check one last time at Arthur''s house to see if he was home. She wasn¡¯t hopeful of success but how much could one last search hurt? She¡¯d wasted so much time already on the task a few more minutes wouldn''t kill her. Would it?


    The traffic, however, seemed to have decided to hinder her every step of the way and her two-seater hatchback was moving at a crawl through the congested roads.


    What the hell happened? Has there been a car crash for god''s sake?


    She didn''t understand how such a mundane problem could cause such a delay in the post-system world. Humans were now long past suffering from the once fatal injuries reckless driving resulted in with their ether-enhanced bodies and a group even at the measly level of thirty should be able to deal with moving a car¡¯s wreckage off the road.


    Selena pulled down her window to see what was going on.


    ¡°What do you mean there''s been some flooding on the road? How the fuck does that happen?¡± An angry man shouted at the police officer that was trying to explain the situation to him. Selena had to agree with the man. There¡¯d been little to no rainfall over the past week.


    Flooding? Is it the result of a water monster appearing, or a misuse of magic? Selena was getting a little excited at the prospect of meeting a powerful monster. The past few days had been a drag on her psyche, and a threatening monster was just what she needed to loosen up.


    She quickly got out of her car after retrieving its keys from the ignition, and after a brief moment of hesitation, began to walk away from it.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± The police officer called after her.


    ¡°You can''t just leave your car here in the middle of nowhere.¡±


    Selena pulled the keys out of her pocket and threw them at the man.


    ¡°Don''t worry, it''s yours now,¡± she replied, not even stopping to look back at her former vehicle.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    It pained her heart a little to give away the expensive car, but in the end, her choice came down to the fact that she just didn''t care enough about a mode of transport she could probably already outrun enough that she could be bothered wasting hours of her time in traffic just to keep it. Especially when it was company property.


    She¡¯d much rather walk, and so she sauntered down the now-familiar street. God knows she¡¯d seen it enough to last a lifetime on her hunt for Arthur Ward. As she approached her destination, she paused for a moment. She had goosebumps on her arms, almost as if the temperature had suddenly dropped, except no one else seemed to have noticed it.


    Actually, that kid over there looks a little nauseous, Selena observed as she noticed a young child clinging to her father¡¯s legs on the sidewalk. Others too seemed to have realised that things weren¡¯t quite right here, but they mostly looked bemused at their own feelings of weary caution.


    Something was definitely wrong.


    Selena sniffed the air once, twice, and then cast a spell using her sonar manipulation skill. With it, she could detect the most subtle of movements from hundreds of meters away and even the more ethereal reverberations caused by ether usage.


    It was what made her such a great scout and a useful asset to the Zaibatsu CEO in the wake of the system¡¯s arrival, in addition to her already formidable analytical skills.


    Sadly, it meant that she was now basically a glorified magic detector, instead of the more dignified position she had held prior to the world¡¯s evolution. It wasn¡¯t all bad though, as it suited her purposes just fine, perhaps better than her previous job had.


    When she received feedback from her skill, the magnitude and nature of the power she detected gave her pause for a moment and she seriously considered turning back. The residual ether she could sense was on par with the after-effects of her boss¡¯s spells. Not as refined maybe, but it was far beyond her abilities to handle.


    That meant that whatever lay ahead of her was above her pay grade.


    An unnecessary risk.


    A liability to her mission.


    Should I carry on going, or turn back now?


    Indecision gripped her and Selena was unsure of what she should do. In the end, though, her decision came down to the realization that if things got too dangerous, she could always run away. After all, her highest stat was agility, by quite a large margin actually, and sat at a sky-high 155.


    Speed was the most important trait for a scout, and that was where her sonar abilities shined best. As she approached the source of ether usage, some of her cautions began to fall away, replaced instead with confusion.


    The effects of a spell that had so much residual ether should be visible from hundreds of meters away and yet the street she was observing looked completely fine.


    What the hell¡¯s going on here, she wondered as she looked at everyone going about their normal lives as if they didn''t have a care in the world, completely unaware of the fact that a dangerous creature was in their vicinity.


    Using her sonar manipulation again, she tried to track the magic to its source, and yet despite all her best efforts, Selena couldn''t pinpoint its location. Perhaps it was the fact that her skills were at such a low level or maybe the magic she was trying to track was very obscure, but the only result she could get was that it came from somewhere underground.


    In all her excitement, she¡¯d almost forgotten her original reason for coming here, and so she made her way to Arthur¡¯s house; a small two-bedroom property that looked completely ordinary.


    Selena prayed that he was in this time as she stood at its entrance.


    Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell.


    It didn''t work.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    It had been twenty minutes since Arthur drank the elixir, according to the clock on his wall, meaning his time in the assembly had been sped up by a factor of three, and he was still trying to learn exactly how the core had affected him. After some quick maths, Arthur realized that the title''s effects were additive instead of multiplicative like he had initially hoped for.


    Still, he had plenty to be happy about. It just meant that he now had a 20% boost to his strength with the addition of his latest titles effects to his already existing underdog title which gave a 10% boost to the attribute.


    Unfortunately, they would not multiplicatively affect each other, but Arthur knew that a 20% permanent increase to even a single attribute was a great boost that people would give an arm for, and he had an even greater one for constitution with a 30% increase from his half-breed status, something that Arthur was still trying to come to terms with. He didn''t like that it suggested he was some sort of animal.


    With this, he had fulfilled one of his goals of acquiring a new title before unlocking a class at level 100, far earlier than he¡¯d expected actually. Now, all he had to do was absorb another monster core or two, evolve at least once and create some powerful magic skills, whilst following Erico''s guidelines of course.


    After that, he would be able to break his self-imposed restraints and start to power-level himself. Okay, maybe he did still have a long way to go, but the journey wasn''t going to be as long as he¡¯d expected.


    Hopefully.


    Just as he was congratulating himself for achieving so much in so little time, he heard a knock on the door, a resounding thud that broke the magic of the moment.


    So she finally decided to come back.


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 Chapter 45- Conceding

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    Arthur wasn''t expecting anyone to come today and his friends were not the type to just spontaneously visit him. Well, Elizabeth had sometimes, but she¡¯d learned to call in beforehand after the countless times she hadn¡¯t found him at home. That left only one person he could think of.


    Walking towards his door, Arthur looked through the peephole and sighed when he recognised the woman in front of him. He knew he¡¯d be seeing her again the last time they¡¯d met, but Arthur had hoped the Zaibatsu corporation would have been able to wait at least another day before they¡¯d come calling for him.


    He hadn''t even started the vacation he had claimed he would be going on in jest, and after his fight with the Draconic Liverthion, he felt that he deserved one. Reluctantly opening the door, Arthur prepared himself to receive his uninvited guest. He carefully observed the stunning young woman in front of him.


    In the intervening two days since he¡¯d last seen her, Selena Williams had managed to level once to reach level 80. If she noticed his own growth in power, she didn''t comment on it, but Arthur saw how her eyes widened in shock for the briefest of moments before quickly returning to normal.


    ¡°It''s nice to see you again,¡± she told him, reaching her hand out to shake his own. This time, she didn''t try to crush it like she had last time and instead tried to smile pleasantly at him. She had, however, been on a wild goose chase for the past two days and some of that frustration seeped into her face despite all her attempts at cordiality, ruining the effect she hoped her joyful appearance would bring.


    ¡°So why did you come here to see me again?¡± Arthur asked despite knowing almost certainly why she was there.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I was quite clear during our last meeting regarding my stance. Right?¡±


    Selena William took in the strange sight that Arthur presented, choosing not to reply to his probing statement yet. His shirt was filled with holes and covered in his blood from the shadow bomb he¡¯d cast earlier and he hadn''t had the time to change into appropriate attire yet. In all honesty, he looked like a homeless man that had just been stabbed with a broken glass bottle. A handsome, mysterious homeless man, but a homeless man nonetheless.


    Deciding to just get this over with, Selena pulled out the monster core she had bought with her, presenting it to Arthur.


    ¡°The Zaibatsu Corporation offers this core as a form of apology for the way we treated you the last time we met,¡± she said, pushing it into Arthur¡¯s surprised hands.


    ¡°I too would like to personally apologise for the way I treated you in our prior meeting. Testing you as I did was uncalled for and unprofessional, and for that, I¡¯d like to ask you for your forgiveness. I am invested on a personal level with the matter the corporation requires your assistance with, and so I couldn¡¯t help but be sceptical of your abilities.¡±


    She bowed her head to him.


    ¡°A feeble excuse I know, but I ask that you don¡¯t take my own shortcomings as a reason for you to antagonise our group.¡±


    Arthur accepted the augmented regeneration core, both confused and amused that the meeting was proceeding much like he had expected it to. Amused at how quickly the woman had come back to him, but also confused at her own genuine apology for what was in all honesty a standard test judging by the information she¡¯d had on him. So maybe she isn¡¯t all that bad, actually. I can only hope that goes the same for those she works for.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that isn''t the only reason why you came here,¡± Arthur stated dryly.


    ¡°Could you not find anyone else for the job?¡±


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    He tried to appear nonchalant and talk politely, but a bit of satisfaction almost crept into his voice as Selena scowled. If he¡¯d known she¡¯d been searching high and low for him for two days now, he wouldn¡¯t have been anywhere near as passive-aggressive as he currently was.


    The look of discontent was gone from her face just as soon as it had appeared, replaced by the business smile the woman always seemed to wear.


    ¡°That is exactly the case, Arthur Ward. As expected of a prodigious medical student, you saw through me straight away. Though we have searched high and low, we couldn''t quite find a healer of your calibre,¡± Selena said, laying it on a little thick. A little flattery never hurt anyone.


    Arthur smirked when he heard her words of praise, ignoring her sarcastic tone completely.


    ¡°That is why I would like to extend to you an offer to request your assistance. I¡¯d like it if-¡±


    ¡°You or your boss,¡± Arthur rudely interrupted.


    ¡°My boss.¡±


    Selena gritted her teeth. There was only so much cheek she would accept from someone younger than herself and Arthur knew she was approaching that limit. He decided to relent and ease up on his bitchiness.


    After all, she was just an underling, not responsible for the callous disregard of Arthur''s wishes that the Zaibatsu corporation had treated him with. Selena took a deep breath before continuing her speech.


    ¡°You''ll be duly compensated for your time. Toshiro Tatsumi for all his strange eccentricities is a very, very generous man. I advise that you make the right decision. It could change your life forever.¡±


    Arthur narrowed his eyes. Her last words had almost seemed like a warning. Maybe even a threat. Arthur knew that there probably would be some sort of backlash if he refused such a powerful individual''s offer for a second time which is why he had decided long ago to accept the offer if it ever came around again.


    And yet by Selena¡¯s tone, it seemed that he would not want to cross Toshiro Tatsumi in the slightest even with his considerable strength which the man¡¯s messenger woman must have come to realise in their brief interactions.


    ¡°So, what do you want my help with, anyway,¡± Arthur finally asked. He was curious; even with all their conversations being centred around the fact that he was a healer, he still had no idea what was wanted from him.


    Selena sighed in relief when she heard the curiosity in Arthur¡¯s voice. It seemed that she''d be successful in recruiting Arthur despite all the struggles of the past few days. He seemed like he¡¯d accept, all these questions were now more a formality than anything else. At least that was what she hoped for.


    ¡°Well, the details can''t be given to you until you formally accept our proposal. All I can tell you is that we need your assistance in killing a particularly troublesome monster. One where your unique healing capabilities may play a pivotal role in ensuring our success,¡± Selena explained.


    She¡¯d told Arthur more than she was supposed to, but she reckoned her superiors wouldn''t mind too much if it would help her secure Arthur¡¯s assistance. The man in question meanwhile, was frowning, eyebrows scrunched in deep thought.


    What kind of monster can a man in charge of the Zaibatsu Corporation not deal with on his own, and why will my healing abilities help against it?


    A beast that was supposed to be far beyond Arthur''s current abilities, of which he was sure. At least if he was going off how strong the group probably assumed he was. Still, despite all the risks and uncertainties surrounding the task, the promised rewards were so tempting given the fact that they had given away a monster core like it was nothing. Even if they couldn¡¯t derive benefits and stats from it as he could, it was still a Rare rated item.


    Arthur took a look at his status, inspecting the numbers it displayed before committing himself to anything. With his current stats, Arthur was positive he could take some, no, a LOT of risks and at least survive the consequences. He didn''t want to live the rest of his life as a cautious hermit and if anything could help him get stronger and better faster, it would be braving the unknown.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur reaffirmed the decision he¡¯d almost made the second he¡¯d laid eyes on the woman, hoping that he wouldn''t come to regret it in the future.


    ¡°So, when do we go meet your boss?¡±


    Arthur Ward


    Level 60


    Unallocated stat points: 168


    Strength- 120 (100)


    Vitality- 160*


    Endurance- 460


    Constitution- 182 (140)


    Agility- 118


    Intelligence- 323


    Willpower- 190


    Charisma- 95


    Health- 3185/3200 (352(160)/hour)


    Ether- 2900/3230 (323/hour)


    Stamina- 4555/4600 (460/minute)


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 Chapter 46- Bestial Recovery

    ~Selena Williams~


    Selena Williams walked through the crowded streets with a wide smile on her face. Arthur had finally agreed to meet with Toshiro Tatsumi. Just ten minutes ago in fact, and the only thing stopping her from taking him there immediately was the fact that she no longer had a car.


    Real smart move, that one. Real fucking smart, she berated herself. Get rid of the only mode of transport I have besides my legs. What the hell was I thinking.


    In her defence, however, she had been otherwise preoccupied at the time with trying to locate the source of the immense ether discharge. Which I still haven''t managed to do. And she hadn¡¯t actually expected Arthur to be at home, only hoped for it. She wouldn¡¯t be facing any issues right now otherwise. If Selena had been alone, she was confident in her ability to make it back home on foot. With Arthur in tow, not so much.


    Right now, however, none of that mattered. She had a job to do, and she¡¯d see it done properly. Still, there was no need to rush as she still had plenty of time.


    But still, I don''t get why he wanted two hours to prepare himself for a simple meeting. Is he that vain or something.


    It seemed that there were a lot of strange quirks to Arthur their investigation hadn¡¯t revealed. Maybe he was gay too, though she was pretty certain that was just her stereotyping.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    Mask of Mirrors (RARE)- A mask that uses Ether of the echo affinity to camouflage your presence by echoing the profiles of those around you.


    Primary mode: Make yourself nondescript and unnoticeable in a crowd. It will be nigh impossible for one to focus on you if they have less than 300 willpower and you will be easily forgotten if the observer has less than 300 intelligence. The mask is still effective when values exceed these ranges and when alone but no longer as an absolute.


    Emblem mode: The mask can be stored as an emblem upon the body [VISIBLE/INVISIBLE]. In this mode, the mask prevents observation skills up to the RARE tier from working on the host.


    Arthur read through the mask''s description for the third time. It was currently in emblem form, a tiny red marking on his inner wrist that looked more like a scar than a tattoo. As a golden ticket holder to the Serako assembly, he''d been allowed to keep it along with his level 2 system unlock.


    Now that he was able to use identify on it, he couldn''t help but feel a little underwhelmed. Sure it was great as an item overall, but he''d expected more from the first Rare item he''d observed.


    Hell, I''ve already surpassed the 300 intelligence boundary. Doesn''t that make the mask a little weak? Or maybe I shouldn''t be using my own inflated stats as the baseline of comparison?


    Arthur shook his head. In the end, it didn''t really matter. The mask was just an added boon to what he''d truly wanted from the assembly. Level 2 access had been his original goal. Anything else was extra. Still, 96 hours was a hell of a long time to wait.


    Still, today was the gift that just kept giving. After all, he''d just received his latest monster core from Selena. And if my suspicions are right, this''ll probably be the most useful one I''ve ever got my hands on. Augmented regeneration core practically screams healing and that''s currently my most advanced affinity. Maybe I can look forward to a new skill.


    Looking down at the green core on his table, Arthur tried to think of the best way to go about his elixir creation. His last attempt had been on the precipice of disaster and he didn¡¯t want a repeat of that experience.


    Still, despite his close call with the Draconic core, Arthur couldn''t keep his excitement under control. If he didn''t manage to release it soon, he¡¯d do something really, really stupid like try and eat the damn thing whole as if it was a piece of candy or a massive jawbreaker, except he¡¯d probably break the entirety of his idiotic face if he went down that route.


    Arthur didn¡¯t really want to see if his body could handle something like that. He¡¯d survived one stupid experiment too many lately and his luck wouldn¡¯t last forever. He¡¯d much rather go with his tried and tested method of using his blood to concoct an elixir, something he still didn¡¯t understand. Luckily, he was soon about to meet a family of blood mages that could probably enlighten him on the matter. Or maybe they¡¯d try to suck his blood like some b-rated vampires from a nineties movie, but Arthur highly doubted that such cliches actually existed in reality.


    Right?


    But still, this core is friggin amazing. Last time, it had taken all his considerable willpower to walk away from it without claiming it as his own, and now fate had delivered it into his hands without him having to raise a finger. Well, at least he hadn¡¯t had to yet.


    Augmented Regeneration Core (Rare)- Taken from a beast that had great regenerative abilities, this core now possesses a portion of that strength. A great treat for any growing monster.


    The green orb synergised so well with his healing affinity and absurd vitality that he almost salivated at the prospect of receiving another healing skill after consuming it. It was practically guaranteed judging by its description.


    Arthur took a deep breath, calming himself down. Don''t count your chickens before they¡¯re hatched. And I need to be careful with my skills. I only have two slots remaining under my healing affinity.


    Sure, he could probably work towards changing and streamlining it before reaching level hundred and unlocking his class but was that an extra burden he was willing to bare. One hundred percent. A monster skill from a rare core''s better than anything I''ll be able to come up with myself. And Erico explicitly said non-humanoids generally possessed stronger, if fewer skills than their two-legged enemies.


    It had something to do with them being more in tune with their souls and Ether as a whole. Today he was going to meet perhaps the most dangerous individual of his life and he¡¯d need to bring his A-game out. Arthur wasn''t naive enough to think the government was done with him yet either. They had their fingers all over this charade and he needed to be ready for the other shoe to drop.


    Arthur had no idea what abilities a blood mage might have, and he had no intention of finding out by using his own body to receive their spells after angering the father-son pair. He¡¯d need to be at his best, and that was why he¡¯d requested that Selena give him two hours to prepare himself for the meeting.


    She¡¯d been bemused at his strange request but appeared oddly relieved that he¡¯d asked for a delay for some reason. Perhaps she, too, didn¡¯t really want to meet her boss. It had already been twenty minutes since the woman had left to who knows where, and Arthur was running out of time to absorb the core.


    He sighed warily.


    Arthur would just have to get this done the traditional way. He pulled out his trusty metal bowl and smiled at its minimalist design. It had been through so much and yet remained the same even after being used for his weird creations.


    With it, he had made most of his elixirs and it had been the vessel that contained those powerful energies during the process. On a whim, Arthur decided to identify it. The results were not at all what he¡¯d expected.


    What the fuck! I knew IKEA had some good products, but this¡­ this is fucking insane.


    His thoughts trailed off as he read the bowl¡¯s strange description.


    Steel Bowl Of IKEA (Growth, Uncommon) Level 17/30- A bowl created with incredible devotion and exquisite skill, it has thrown off the limitations of its creation and gained the ability to grow and evolve. Having been the vessel of many elixir creations, all ingredients placed within it will have a greater chance of successfully merging.


    ¡°What the actual hell!¡±


    This time Arthur vocalised his thoughts, in shock at the item in front of him. Arthur wasn¡¯t too sure about the incredible devotion and exquisite skill part the item¡¯s description contained. He was certain it was just a standard steel bowl, mass-produced by machines, but then again, it was IKEA.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    His mother had always been going on about how magical their products were when she was alive. Maybe they really were just that good. Arthur shook his head in confused exasperation. Whilst the bowl was an unexpected and great boon, he couldn''t keep getting distracted.


    He had a job to do.


    Deciding to go about the process the same way he had last time, he prepared himself to use his newly created skill, shadow bomb. Its description simply stated it was incomplete, but it certainly made the magic more manageable. This time he¡¯d be a lot more careful. Drawing out a much more conservative 250 ether instead of the previous 400 he had used from his reserves, he quickly checked them to see how he was currently holding up. He didn¡¯t want to run out of juice before meeting Toshiro Tatsumi.


    Ether: 2650/3230


    He still had more than 2000 ether left in the tank, hopefully enough if things went sideways. Besides, most of his combat prowess currently didn¡¯t depend on it.


    Arthur was more than a little surprised at how easy it was getting to handle the strange magical energy compared to the first few times he had used it. Heck, maybe now he could attempt to dual-cast the same skill when using small amounts of ether.


    Acting on a whim, he tried to direct his energy into two separate locations and was immediately rewarded with a splitting headache that felt like someone had decided to take a hammer to his head. He quickly stopped. Nope, not even close. He was still a long, long way away from becoming a true badass sorcerer, it seemed.


    Using the 250 ether for its originally intended purpose, Arthur directed it through his shadow bomb skill, smiling at the ease with which he did so. Fuck, the system''s still carrying my shadow affinity. And here I thought I was actually getting better. Clenching his fist, it only took seven seconds for the spell to be ready for usage. This part wasn''t going to be any easier the second time around, though.


    Clenching his teeth, Arthur braced himself for the pain as he unleashed his self-made spell. When it came, however, it felt more like a cut from a bad fall than the meat-blender experience it had been last time. Not one to complain about the pleasant surprise, Arthur quickly placed his hand over the bowl and waited the two minutes it took for it to fill up.


    The steady drip of blood had actually slowed down towards the end as his natural recovery rate combated the shallow injury. Seeing how fast the wound was healing, Arthur decided to let nature work its course instead of wasting ether on Regeneration to deal with it. A bit of pain never harmed anyone.


    Grabbing the green orb, Arthur slowly lowered it into the bowl, anticipation warring with his cautious approach. Like every other elixir he had made using similar ingredients, the monster core began to rapidly dissolve, quickly changing the colour of the solution into a dark green forestry shade.


    I really need to find out what my blood is.


    When the process seemed to be finished, Arthur identified his creation.


    Augmented Healing Elixir (Rare)- An elixir created in the hopes that through its consumption, one can gain a portion of the strength that produced the core that went into its creation. Chances of success 89%.


    Arthur crossed his fingers when he saw the chances of a successful absorption. Whilst 89% was indeed a very high probability, there was still an 11% chance that all his hopes would be dashed and the elixir wasted.


    Praying for the best, Arthur drank the green concoction. He waited for a few seconds, before feeling the familiar rush of power he had felt every previous time he¡¯d done the same save the one elite variant he¡¯d consumed recently. It felt exactly like how he¡¯d imagined drinking from the fabled fountain of youth would be like.


    Almost like he¡¯d drank pure vitality condensed into a liquid form. It gave him the false impression that he was immortal, unkillable. An undying being that would persist throughout all time and even beyond its ending. Those delusions of grandeur quickly vanished when the rush of power ebbed into a tiny trickle, before finally coming to a stop altogether.


    Whilst his high vitality had perhaps expanded his lifespan, he was by no means immortal. If it even worked that way in the first place. Perhaps one day, he truly would be. Opening his eyes- Arthur hadn''t even realised he¡¯d closed them in the first place- he saw that he had a system notification clamouring for his attention.


    With both excitement and trepidation waring inside of him, Arthur began to read.


    You have acquired the skill Bestial Recovery (RARE) [Healing Affinity]


    Bestial Recovery (RARE) level 1- At the cost of 75 ether per minute, increase your natural health regeneration to 1000% of the normal value


    Secondary effect- Can target one individual at a time. At the cost of 1000 Ether, increase target''s natural health regeneration to 300% of the standard value for 3 hours.


    Arthur read the skill a second time and then a third to make sure his brain wasn¡¯t fucking with him still, sure that he was seeing things. What the hell was wrong with this completely absurd ability. It was almost a cheat. No, it was a cheat. With it, he could recover his entire health pool in just an hour instead of ten and that was with the skill at level 1.


    Sure it would cost just over 4000 ether to do so, more than everything he had at this point, to use the skill for that long, but as he gained more intelligence and his ether reserves grew, such an extreme cost would become a minor expenditure. He was also sure that the skill would become more cost-effective to use as it grew in levels and gained more efficiency. Rare skills had a cap at level 30. How high would the percentage multiplier reach by then?


    In essence, with this ability under his belt, Arthur would become practically indestructible against foes his own level. Well, that only went for normal foes. He had no doubt that there were people out there in the multiverse that had similar if not greater advantages than him.


    Heck, there were probably entire species out there that were born stronger at level 1 than he was currently at level 60. Arthur knew that whilst he was beyond the average Joe, there would always be someone stronger than him. Or maybe I''m selling myself short here.


    But Arthur didn''t despair. He had no intention of becoming the strongest individual in existence, only strong enough to achieve his goals. And if becoming the most powerful being in existence was what it took to do that, then that was what he would do.


    He sincerely doubted he¡¯d have to do all that though. After all, the system had brought him back easily enough, and from what he knew about it, its entire purpose was only for safety reasons, not resurrection. Still, Arthur was naturally beginning to worry that he wasn''t progressing fast enough. He had been revived a matter of seconds after his life ended, much like defibrillation, whereas Rize had been dead for the past six and a half months now.


    Arthur tried to temper his idealistic hopes but wasn''t altogether successful.


    Worrying about things he couldn''t control, while completely normal, would get him absolutely nowhere, however. Instead of wallowing in regret and remorse, he had a cause to be happy. Arthur had just learned his most broken skill yet, and he hadn''t even checked just how many stats he had gained from the monster core. Its secondary effect was nothing to scoff at either, but he saw little use in it right now.


    The core was from a monster that had great regenerative capabilities, and that told Arthur that he would most likely be gaining stats in vitality from the core, and if he was lucky, maybe some in constitution as well. Checking his status, Arthur was not disappointed.


    He was well beyond being shocked every time he checked it after absorbing a monster core at this point, but the amount of health he now had scared even him.


    Would he even age anymore? Does it work like that?


    Arthur Ward


    Level 60


    Unallocated Stat points: 168


    Strength- 120(100)


    Vitality- 400*


    Endurance- 460


    Constitution- 260(200)


    Agility- 118


    Intelligence- 323


    Willpower- 190


    Charisma- 95


    Health- 7995/8000 (880(400)/hour)


    Ether- 2652/3230 (323/hour)


    Stamina- 4600/4600 (460/hour)


    He had gained 240 stat points in vitality making it his second-highest stat now. Still don''t know how exactly health works. My total shot up by over four thousand instead of steadily increasing like my ether does after I increase intelligence. As he had hoped for, he had also gained points in constitution, 60 to be exact. It made him wonder just how powerful the monster was that managed to form such a potent core.


    He estimated that it was past the century mark and he wondered just who it was that had managed to bring such a powerful beast down. He suspected it was the ever-elusive son of Toshiro for some reason, although nothing told him why he thought that was the case. Maybe it was because everything Arthur had heard about the reckless young man pointed to this being exactly something he¡¯d do.


    Though killing a beast like that should be easy for the CEO of Zaibatsu Corporations. The guy¡¯s probably got a fucking tank in his garage.


    Arthur had no idea how powerful the man was exactly, but he suspected that he had already unlocked his class from power levelling, without taking into consideration the chances of unlocking a greater one by taking it slow. Most rich folks were going down that very path, after all. Or maybe it was because the man had known that he¡¯d be offered an elite class straight off the bat. Arthur was sure that being a blood mage came with all sorts of insane advantages much like his own special affinity that allowed him to gain three more stat points per level than regular people.


    Looking at his watch, Arthur sighed. He still had around an hour to kill before Selena would return. Perhaps asking for double that time was too much.


    Oh well, a little preparation time never hurt anyone.


    For once, Arthur could actually take things slowly, instead of rushing into things headfirst like he always seemed to do nowadays. Since the system had arrived on Earth around two weeks ago, he hadn''t taken a single break, and looking into the near future showed that he probably wouldn''t be for a long, long time. Still, Arthur wasn''t complaining.


    He woke every day having things he needed to do and went to sleep at night feeling a sense of accomplishment. But as he took a look at himself in the mirror, Arthur realised that perhaps he should really consider taking a day to rest.


    His hair was dishevelled, and it was probably time to cut it again before it got too messy. His usually pale skin seemed to be almost bloodless with how white he had now become. It emphasised the dark black of his hair as well as the bags that were slowly but surely forming under his eyes.


    His t-shirt arm sleeve was completely ripped and the rest of it was riddled with holes and covered in blood.


    How the fuck did I see Selena looking like this and why didn''t she say anything. She must think I¡¯m some sort of murder hobo or something.


    He really needed to take a shower. It was time to do some cleaning up.

 Chapter 47- Running

    ~Selena Williams~


    Selena was a little worried as to how her boss would react when she told him she¡¯d lost her car. She didn''t think he¡¯d be angry, he was one of the most wealthy individuals on the planet after all, but no one could predict Toshiro''s strange moods, least of all a secretary that barely knew him.


    He might just laugh it off, or fire her on the spot. She hoped it was the former.


    Brr, Brr, Brr.


    The sound of ringing in her ears served to further increase her trepidation. ¡®Why''s he taking so long to pick up.¡¯ Finally, on the seventeenth ring, she heard a click as her call was answered and she braced herself to receive an earful of shit. Toshiro began to speak.


    ¡°It took you long enough to call. I¡¯ve been waiting two days now to receive some good news from you.¡±


    His voice was deep, commanding and as always, a little scary to listen to.


    ¡°You know I don''t like waiting, right.¡±


    Selena gulped audibly when she heard, more as a show of fear than actual worry. She knew the man loved to lord power over others, and playing into that ego would serve her wonders. She quickly began to explain why she had been so late in completing her job, trying to emphasise how much effort she had put into trying to locate Arthur.


    Perhaps she exaggerated her struggles a little- she hadn''t actually stayed awake for fifty hours straight- but she¡¯d do anything to gain Toshiro¡¯s sympathy if it helped her keep her job.


    It came with a LOT of benefits after all.


    When Selena finally finished speaking, she wasn''t sure how successful her pity story had been in appealing to her boss''s emotions.


    ¡®Goddamn sociopath that he is, he doesn''t even care about his own son, never mind me.¡¯


    The long silence on the other side of the line was doing nothing to help her already frayed nerves. When the man finally made a noise, he surprised Serena as he had done so many times before. He was bloody laughing. Like a maniac. So much so that it seemed like he¡¯d just been told the funniest joke of his entire life.


    ¡®What the hell is he laughing for? I didn''t say anything remotely fucking funny. How deranged is the psycho.¡¯ Well, at least he was happy, which was something to be thankful for. After thirty seconds of unsettling laughter had passed, Toshiro finally said something.


    ¡°Aha, Miss Williams. A man that caught even my attention would not have a lot of time on his hands. I¡¯m certain that he was fulfilling someone else''s request in the past two days.¡±


    He started to chuckle again when he finished talking. Your certain he was helping someone else? Why? How the fuck would you even know that? Does he think it¡¯s cool being all vague and mysterious?


    Selena simply didn''t understand why Toshiro had come to such a specific conclusion, and frankly, she didn''t believe him. Instead of voicing her opinions, however, she instead tried to agree with her boss.


    ¡°Uh- yeah. Sure. He was helping someone. Yeah. definitely that. I don''t know why I didn''t realize it sooner, Sir.¡±


    She wasn''t the greatest liar and it showed in her voice. Toshiro could of course tell that she wasn''t speaking her mind, a child would probably, no, definitely be able to do the same.


    ¡°You don''t believe me I see.¡±


    His voice sounded amused.


    ¡°Oh well, I cannot expect others to think like me. One of the bitter joys of being so different I suppose.¡± His strange boast fell on deaf ears; Selena was perfectly happy with being born her normal self instead of being cursed with such a freaky brain as Toshiro¡¯s. She actually felt a little sorry for the egocentric man.


    He doesn''t even realize he¡¯s a weirdo, she thought sadly.


    Selena would never voice her thoughts, however, or she¡¯d probably end up dead in a ditch somewhere, and she valued her life too much for that.


    ¡°So, when will the boy be arriving? How far away are you currently?¡±


    Her boss''s question interrupted her meandering thoughts and Selena quickly began to explain the main reason behind her phone call; her lack of a car, this time elaborating to say that it had been lost at the hands of a powerful monster she had come across during her searches at night.


    She would never tell him that she''d just given it away. That was a secret that would follow her to the grave. When she finished speaking, Toshiro surprised her once again, the little bastard that he was.


    ¡°So. I don''t see what the problem is. Just... run.¡±


    The man said the words so calmly that Selena was sure she¡¯d misheard them. When she realized her ears were working perfectly fine, she had to take a deep steadying breath. Hey, calm down Selena, calm down. He¡¯s just joking. He can''t expect me to actually run 220 miles, can he?


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha!¡± She laughed.


    ¡°That''s very funny sir, but you see, Arthur is only at level 60 and he¡¯s a healer to boot. He won''t have the agility or stamina to keep up with me.¡±


    Using Arthur¡¯s lack of speed as her scapegoat was perfect. Once again, Toshiro Tatsumi surprised her with his next words, though this time it wasn''t a pleasant one.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you''ll find a way. Besides, if he can''t keep up with you, then I''ll know he was never meant for the job in the first place.¡±


    His last words were said with a tone of finality.


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    With a click, the phone line went dead as he hung up, leaving Selena standing in awkward silence.


    ¡°Well, that went well,¡± she spoke into the air, not caring that the people walking past gave her odd looks. She cursed loudly.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°What the fuck am I supposed to do now.¡±


    Sighing, she realized that her only options were to either take a taxi for three-plus hours, which she really didn''t want to do, or she could do as her boss had suggested, the crazy fucker, and run all the way. She sighed again, making her decision.


    She hoped Arthur was a fan of long-distance running.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    Arthur sat in his living room, relaxing on his sofa, after having spent half an hour taking a long, hot shower. It had been 20 minutes since then and Selena still hadn¡¯t arrived. She was late. Surprising, but not an impossible occurrence.


    Just as Arthur was beginning to think that she¡¯d forgotten about him, he heard the doorbell ring. Finally, what took her so long? He quickly made his way to the front door. Opening it, he let Selena into his house after a second of hesitation. Observing her briefly, he realized something was wrong; why was she staring at him like that?


    ¡°Is there something on my face, or something?¡±


    She looked startled for a moment at the question, shaking her head as if trying to wake herself up before murmuring something under her breath.


    ¡±No, no, it''s nothing.¡±


    Her voice was oddly quiet, nothing like the authoritative tone she usually adopted when speaking to him. Something was definitely going on with her, but he decided to just let it slide instead of interrogating the woman. Besides, he didn''t really care much if he was being honest. Instead, he asked a question.


    ¡°So when are we going to set off and where exactly is it we¡¯re going?¡±


    His voice seemed to finally pull Selena out of her weird silence, and the familiar smile returned to her face, a little more strained than usual, before she replied.


    ¡°Well Arthur, to answer your second question first, we''ll be going to Toshoro Tatsumi''s private villa.¡±


    She paused for a moment as if deciding how best to essay her next words.


    ¡°The only problem is that it''s 220 miles away, and we don''t have a vehicle. We¡¯ll have to run. Toshiro''s first test to see if you''re capable enough for the job.¡±


    When Arthur didn''t react in any way at all, she repeated her words.


    ¡°Hey, did you hear any of that? We¡¯ll have to run 220 miles!¡±


    Arthur frowned a little at how worked up the woman was getting, deciding to just speak his mind.


    ¡°And I don''t see why you''re getting so worked up?¡±


    His tone was nonchalant, and he really seemed like he didn''t care at all.


    He didn¡¯t.


    ¡°So you think you''re a tough guy, huh,¡± Selena said, before muttering something under her breath, too quiet for Arthur to hear.


    ¡°You know my agility is at 185 right? You¡¯ll have a hard time keeping up.¡±


    Arthur whistled appreciatively when he heard how high her agility was, higher than his in fact even after consuming a shadow Panther core that increased the stat by almost a hundred points. She must have specced heavily into a speed-based build.


    Still, he didn''t think he¡¯d have much trouble keeping up. Whilst she was faster than him, it was only by a little, and Arthur was positive that he had at least three times as much endurance as her. 220 miles was no short distance, and she would no doubt have to stop for a few breaks on the way.


    ¡°Don''t worry,¡± Arthur repeated.


    ¡°I don''t think I¡¯ll have much of a problem keeping up with you.¡±


    Selena looked amused at the words, which quickly changed to surprise when she realized that Arthur wasn''t joking and finally to frustration.


    ¡°Did you put all your states into agility or something? I swear you''re a healer. That¡¯s completely stupid, you need bigger ether reserves, not speed. How have you survived this long, making such moronic decisions.¡±


    Arthur was taken aback by the vehemence of her response before realizing that it made sense from her perspective. After all, no one knew that Arthur¡¯s main source of power was from monster cores, not levels, and yet Arthur would never disclose that piece of information, especially for something as minor as defending his intelligence when it was getting insulted. Instead, he responded gruffly.


    ¡°Hey, my stat distribution is my problem to worry about, not yours.¡±


    Selena just shook her head sadly at the response, muttering under her breath, this time loud enough for him to hear.


    ¡°Not another idiot gamer.¡±


    Arthur just let the insult slide. From her perspective, that was exactly what he was, after all. A fool who was unable to take criticism when he was called out for his stupidity. Arthur just sighed before going outside his house. She¡¯d shut up soon enough when their journey started.


    The sun was bright, and the temperature was hot. It would be a difficult day for running.


    ¡°So, are we going to set off or what?¡± He said to Selena who was slowly making her way out of the house, as if reluctant to start the journey.


    ¡°Don''t worry, this isn¡¯t a race. We¡¯ve got time. Now let''s see if you can back up that confidence of yours,¡±


    She began to run.


    ~Selena Williams~


    It had been fifteen minutes since they had started their journey, and Arthur still hadn''t asked for a break. She respected the man''s determination at least, but it was misplaced. Selena had purposely set a faster pace than was appropriate at the start of the long journey to teach him some humility and even she would need to rest soon. Her endurance wouldn''t be able to keep up with this pace forever.


    Stamina: 304/550


    Slowing down for a moment, she called out ¡°Do you want to rest yet?¡±


    Arthur''s reply came fast, and he didn''t seem to be winded in the slightest.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m good. I can go for a while yet.¡±


    Selena was surprised by his statement. Did he put loads of stat points into endurance too? There¡¯s no way he can be that stupid right? Or maybe he was putting up a strong front whilst dying inside. She sincerely hoped it was the second scenario, as Arthur would be almost useless for their plans if he had no ether reserves to speak of.


    Oh well, we¡¯ll see how long you can keep the brave front up.


    Sadly, she was going to find out in the very near future, that it was far longer than she could.


    ~A meeting between the world''s governments ~


    ¡°I Don''t trust them,¡± the French president retorted angrily, his translator relaying the words in a much more even tone.


    ¡°We shouldn''t let them come to our planet.¡±


    It was probably the twentieth time he had said those words during the meeting; having yet to give an adequate explanation for his strong opinions, and people were starting to see that the rumours of the man''s paranoia actually held some truth. As well as his racism.


    The woman sitting next to him sighed warily. At the tender age of 23 years, she was the youngest individual present in the room by a large margin.


    She was also one of the most powerful.


    Having awakened with three magical affinities, she had quickly risen in power and rank before being appointed by the people of Norway as their de facto leader when she had single-handedly defeated a dimensional incursion, much like the ever-elusive Kazi Alukai.


    Known to have displayed an affinity for ice magic in her battles, the Monika ''Ice Heart'' quickly stuck and became the title by which she was known. It was an apt name, given her stunning Nordish beauty that gave her an air of elegant serenity. She began to speak in her heavily accented English, her voice considerably low given that she was a woman.


    ¡°With all due respect sir, you¡¯ve said the same thing so many times and have yet to give us a reason for your prejudice against aliens. The mercantile organisation that wants to come to Earth is one of such renown, that we were even told of them during the tutorial.¡±


    Mostly everyone present nodded their heads in assent, only a few individuals grimacing in distaste with the French president. That was when a man named Barent decided to speak. All present knew that wasn¡¯t the man''s real name, but little else was known about him.


    Only that his incredibly high level allowed him to be present at this meeting. His voice was so low and quiet, it was difficult to catch what he was saying at first.


    ¡°We all know that if they wanted it, they could destroy this entire planet in a single day. The only reason they even contacted us before coming to trade was out of courtesy, not a necessity. They don''t need our permission to come here and we all know that it¡¯ll only be us that loses out if we don''t let them onto the planet.''''


    Towards the end, his voice had taken on a cynical tone, and everyone could tell that the endless bickering was getting on his nerves. Everyone had uneasy looks on their faces when they heard his casual statement about their own inferiority. They all knew that with the evolution of planet Earth and having finally been put on the galactic map, they were little more than a small ant in a colony of titans that even a single strong individual could crush underfoot.


    And yet it was completely different hearing that truth stated as fact. The discussions continued for a long while yet, but everyone knew in their hearts that the decision had already been made. They would be inviting the alien mercantile organisation onto Earth.


    Despite how much the world had changed, there was one tenant of reality that still held true.


    Everyone wanted to make some money.

 Chapter 48- Toshiro Tatsumi

    Arthur sat inside the spacious room he had been told to wait in, marvelling at the casual display of wealth around him. The couch he was sitting on probably cost as much as he would make working half a year at Julia Addams¡¯ hospitals.


    Looking at his shoes, he saw that they had been worn ragged. Whilst his body could keep up with the incredible speeds they¡¯d run at during the 220-mile journey, his clothing sure couldn¡¯t.


    I should¡¯ve just run barefoot, he thought wryly. His absurd constitution and health meant that he didn¡¯t have to suffer from rocky roads or literally any dangerous terrain at all. Despite running for four hours straight, he hadn¡¯t broken a sweat at all.


    Maybe if Selena maintained the pace she set for the first fifteen minutes of the journey... She had slowed down for some reason. Perhaps she¡¯d thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up.


    Arthur smiled. That hadn¡¯t gone too well. By the time they had arrived here, she was pale and Arthur had noticed that her legs were shaking. Selena had gone off to ¡®inform her boss that she had arrived¡¯ as she had put it, leaving him alone in the guest room.


    He had only seen a single person in the intervening time, some sort of maid or servant who had come in to bring him some tea and biscuits; a very British tradition if Arthur wasn¡¯t mistaken and perhaps a form of Japanese hospitality too.


    Arthur looked at the grandfather clock that took up most of the space above the fireplace. A beautiful piece of work that Arthur was certain was adorned with pieces of real gold instead of just painted. It was quarter past four.


    Fifteen minutes since he¡¯d been left alone in this room. Arthur was getting tired of waiting. Surely it didn¡¯t take this long to tell someone that an EXPECTED visitor had arrived and he was starting to think that Toshiro had some sort of childish power-play thing going on.


    He briefly considered just going off to explore the place on his own but quickly dismissed it as a foolish idea. He wasn¡¯t so impatient that he¡¯d risk antagonising such a powerful man because he was bored.


    Sighing wearily, Arthur began to reminisce about the days when his only worries were whether or not there¡¯d be enough zoos in the city to fulfil his ether collection quest. At least then he didn¡¯t have to worry about other humans; they had after all been the most dangerous creatures on the planet, having almost ruined it mere centuries after the industrial revolution.


    His meandering thoughts were thankfully interrupted by the sound of someone opening the door. Arthur looked up expectantly, to see that Selena had finally returned. She looked much better after the fifteen minutes of rest she¡¯d gotten, but Arthur could still see the odd spasm in her calves as well as the wary look she gave him.


    The Zaibatsu woman finally found her business smile before she announced in a formal voice, quite unlike the crude swearing he had come to expect from her in recent times.


    ¡°I''m very sorry for the delay. Certain delicate issues needed handling. Toshiro is ready to see you now.¡±


    She didn¡¯t wait for his response, and instead just turned around and walked out of the door, making it obvious that she wanted Arthur to follow her. Quickly standing up, Arthur rushed after the woman. She had already made it halfway through the hallway, seemingly having no intention to slow down her pace, only glancing back to see that she was being followed.


    Arthur carefully committed the route they were taking to memory in case he needed the knowledge when making an escape from the villa. He wanted everything to go well and had no intention of partaking in violence of any kind involving the CEO but one could never be too cautious.


    It took them two minutes of walking through long corridors, up winding stairs, and several twists and turns before they arrived at their destination. Selena stopped in front of a large oak door that seemed to radiate its own source of pressure. Arthur was sure it had been infused with some ether skill of some sort to improve its molecular structure.


    Selena too seemed to be able to feel the strange atmosphere around the door as he saw her shoulders tighten with caution and her eyebrows furrow in concentration. She took a deep breath, seemingly preparing herself before opening the door, not announcing their presence in any way.


    But then again, Toshiro probably had some way of knowing where they were at any and all times whilst they were in his residence. Selena glanced back at him beckoning him to enter the room.


    Arthur took a step forward.


    ~Selena Williams~


    Selena tried to calm her racing heartbeat as she saw the two monsters face off at each other. Toshiro, with his silver-grey hair, looked like an old beast far past his prime, yet all the deadlier with his wealth of experiences, whereas Arthur looked like a challenger just coming into his true strength.


    Screw that, he¡¯s already bloody overpowered. What do they feed ''em here in America?


    Selena¡¯s aching legs painfully reminded her of the long journey they had taken to get here. Is he even human? How does he have such high stats whilst at a lower level than me? She asked herself these questions but no answers were forthcoming.


    She was quickly pulled out of her thoughts when Toshiro began to speak. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nice to finally meet you, Arthur Ward. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± The air seemed to almost thrum with power as he spoke, and his voice sounded like it was somehow coming from all directions at once. I still don¡¯t know how the hell he does that. Or why.Still creepy as hell though.


    Arthur¡¯s reply, when he answered, cut through the dominance Toshiro exerted in the room like a knife through butter.


    ¡°It''s a pleasure to be here, sir,¡± he spoke respectfully.


    The little bastard. He never talked like that when he was with me.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~


    Toshiro didn¡¯t say anything for a moment, letting the silence drag out as he steepled his fingers and observed Arthur over them, the classic pose of every villain worth his salt. It seemed he liked what he saw. Whilst Arthur appeared to be a normal, if attractive young man, Toshiro knew he was anything but.


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    His muscles were surging with strength and vitality and his relaxed stance held the promise of tamed violence. Controlled and leashed, but present all the same. His blood also appeared to be quite special, sweet, and intoxicating. It¡¯s like a part of him is diffused throughout it; his stats? Or maybe his soul? Toshiro licked his lips, cutting his tongue on his pointed teeth in the process. The wound healed in a second, not even registering in his mind.


    He¡¯d have to ask the boy if he could sample some of it later. For a price of course. If there was one thing that Toshiro had learned in his long life of business, it was that money could buy everything. You just needed to have enough of it, which he most certainly did.


    Arthur meanwhile was trying to not let his shock show on his face as he stood in the blood mage¡¯s presence. He hadn¡¯t tried to identify him, knowing that the man would most likely have a way to feel the skills usage as his subordinate had done, but just by standing in his vicinity and feeling the pressure he exerted, Arthur knew that this man could do him some serious damage if they came to blows.


    Heck, the man was certainly as strong as the Draconic Liverthion had been. Well, maybe not that much, But Arthur was certain that the man was at least level 140 with an elite class. Strong enough that one day he would rule much of Earth and yet sadly not amount to much more than the planetary domination of a newly evolved world.


    Still, at least for now, Arthur knew the man he was in front of was his better, maybe not in a one and one confrontation, but definitely, with all the resources he had at his disposal. He would treat the situation with caution appropriate to its level of danger.


    Which translated to a shit-ton of the stuff. Considering his actions, Arthur chose his next words carefully.


    ¡°So sir, I''ve come a long way to meet you at your request. I hope I can finally be told what you want from me.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but let a bit of curiosity leak into his voice. Why did such a powerful man need his assistance? Toshiro chuckled for a moment before deigning to reply.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Arthur. You see it was never me who called you here. I have little need for your services if I¡¯m being honest, though that particular opinion of mine is quickly changing now that I¡¯ve met you in person. Your services, however, are required by my foolish son after he made a grave error. It''s at his request that you were brought here, not mine.¡±


    That piece of information threw Arthur for a loop, and he saw that Selena too seemed to be a little worried about that revelation. What did he mean his son called him, and if he did, where the hell was he? Arthur was pretty sure Selena said they needed his help killing a monster. Things weren''t adding up.


    Arthurs already cautious demeanour only intensified further as he realized that things were going on behind the scenes that he just wasn¡¯t privy to. What kind of game are the father-son duo playing and how does Selena tie up in all of this?


    He had absolutely no idea what was going on here but what he did know for sure was that he wanted no part in it. Arthur was quickly realizing that it may have been a mistake even coming here. He¡¯d let greed blind him and now he was pretty sure he was in over his head.


    Looking briefly at Selena, he saw that she now looked nonchalant, with none of the earlier surprise on her face.


    She knows something, but how much? Who¡¯s she supporting here? Toshiro or his son? And if she knows, Who else does? Am I even going to be told?


    Arthur took a deep breath, trying to calm down his racing thoughts. Panic and worry would get him nowhere and he¡¯d somehow allowed the strange situation to almost overwhelm him. He had never been so weak-willed before coming here; heck he had 190 stats in the attribute for god¡¯s sake which lead him to believe that Toshiro was somehow responsible for his strange reaction. And yet he hadn¡¯t felt the usage of a skill of any sort, which meant that Toshiro could somehow bypass his senses or it was something else altogether. Maybe it had something to do with the aura thing Mira had told him about. The ability she claimed her own charm was caused by.


    Arthur¡¯s instincts were telling him that was the case for some reason and he had no reason to distrust them. They hadn¡¯t failed him yet. Arthur mentally took a step back and tried to catalogue everything he had learned so far about the current situation.


    1) Toshiro¡¯s son needs my help, not the man himself, apparently for the ¡®grave mistake¡¯ he made. But something tells me it¡¯s not really his son¡¯s fault.


    2) Selena seems to know more about what is going on than she lets on. Does Toshiro know, or suspect how well-informed she is? Is betrayal in the works?


    3) Toshiro¡¯s bloody strong as hell. Maybe even more than me, with all the cheats I have going for me. He seems to have abilities other than ether skills to draw on and his power seems divergent from the stats mine currently rely upon. Is it the traits Mira unlocked with her evolution?


    His speculation only left him with more questions than answers and told him how little he actually knew about the delicate situation. Arthur would have to rectify that as soon as possible.


    ¡°So Toshiro- I can call you by your name right.¡±


    When the blood mage nodded his head, Arthur continued speaking.


    ¡°What you¡¯re telling me, is that your son somehow messed up and requires my specific skills to help him heal?¡±


    His question was quickly answered by Toshiro. ¡°That is what he has told me, yes.¡±


    Something was wrong with the way the man had phrased his answer, Arthur realised.


    ¡°You don''t really believe him, do you?¡± Arthur probed.


    Toshiro just looked at Arthur with a weary look on his face before sighing.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve seen through me so soon. Perhaps I really am getting too old for this position of mine.¡±


    He had answered his question in a roundabout way and Arthur waited in anticipation for him to continue speaking.


    ¡°You may not know this,¡± Toshiro began. ¡°But I used to have a daughter a few years older than you. I say used to because she decided to leave us a few years before the system''s arrival. She wanted emancipation from this family of hers.¡±


    Toshiro stopped talking, seemingly using the moment to control his emotions, but more likely, Arthur suspected, to collect his thoughts. Arthur had no idea what this had to do with the current problem that was plaguing the CEO¡¯s son but he continued to listen with rapt attention for any details to the puzzle.


    ¡°I tell you this not to bore you with my tales of woe, but rather to help put my next words into context.¡±


    He paused, looking at Arthur, who nodded his head to show he was paying attention. The blood mage continued talking.


    ¡°You see, my son blames me for his sister¡¯s running away, claiming I was too forceful and harsh when raising her. Perhaps he is right, perhaps he is wrong. In any case, it is far too late to do anything as I lost track of her whereabouts a few months before the system''s integration.¡±


    Arthur was getting confused now. Why had the blood mage gone off on a strange tangent to tell his sad story? He was interested nonetheless. It appeared that some of his confusion must have shown on his face, as Toshiro began to chuckle.


    ¡°Ah, you wonder why I tell you this. It is to make sure you understand my next words. You see, I truly have no idea what is going on with Tamo. It¡¯s been years since we¡¯ve had a proper conversation as father and son, and believe me when I say that I have tried. I truly have. He really has told me nothing at all.¡±


    Arthur just stood there, taking in all of the information he had just heard and trying to decide how much of it was true.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even begin to understand how happy I was when Tamo approached me to talk a few days ago, and how my hope came crashing down again when I realized that he only wanted my help and connections locating someone to heal him.¡±


    He paused for a moment as if trying to collect himself and not break down. He¡¯s a pretty decent actor at least, I¡¯ll give him that.


    ¡°It broke my heart, I tell you.¡±


    Toshiro¡¯s anguish was almost a physical manifestation of his words, that¡¯s how strong his grief seemed to be. Arthur didn¡¯t buy it for a moment. The blood mage looked down at his desk before continuing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a poor host it seems, but I can¡¯t help myself. You reminded me much of what my son once used to be like.¡±


    He was silent for a moment, pausing for dramatic effect.


    ¡°Selena will take you to my son¡¯s room. Maybe he will tell you what he didn¡¯t tell me. I only hope you don¡¯t believe all the lies he will speak of me.¡±


    The man made a dismissive gesture with his hand, and Selena grabbed Arthur¡¯s arm, leading him out of the room, leaving behind the grief-stricken CEO of the Zaibatsu corporation.


    Arthur left, with much more questions than he had when walking in, unsure of what to believe from the web of half-truths the blood mage had no doubt wove around him.


    It was time to meet the second spider.

 Chapter 49- Tamo Tatsumi

    ~Toshiro Tatsumi~


    The CEO of the Zaibatsu corporation sat at his desk, brows furrowed in concentration after the young healer had just left his office. Things were not going as he¡¯d expected them to and if there was one thing Toshiro craved above all else, it was control. The healer he¡¯d summoned being such a powerful individual did not factor into his plans.


    Far from it, the blunder had the potential to ruin everything he¡¯d prepared for. It almost made him fear that Tamo would find out about his ploy far too soon, but he reassured himself. No matter how powerful the healer was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to detect the little ¡®gift¡¯ he¡¯d left with his son. Yes, that was exactly the case Toshiro firmly decided, making up his mind.


    Tamo really was in need of healing after that nasty fight that had netted him the Rare Augmented Regeneration core, at least his son had looked like he needed the treatment, and the Arthur boy was just an unfortunate coincidence that had come about when he tasked Selena with finding a strong healer to help his son.


    That woman was too good at her job sometimes.


    What possessed her to bring someone so competent into my home?


    He was certain that he had hinted, quite liberally in fact, that he only wanted someone barely adequate for the job, merely a means to ease his son¡¯s annoying pestering.


    And he¡¯s a fucking great healer, probably, no, definitely one of the best on Earth. And he has special blood too. Is someone trying to sabotage me? Who, why? That Chinese bastard told me he was looking for a special healer too. What the fucks going on?


    These thoughts swirled around Toshiro''s head before he clamped down on his curiosity and shut them up. If he second-guessed himself in every uncertain situation, he¡¯d never have achieved the position he was currently in, albeit his current success was mainly inherited. Whatever the boy represented, was more trouble than it was worth.


    Everything was going fine so far and he wouldn¡¯t let his overly curious nature destroy his carefully laid plans. Even if the boy''s blood smelt like it would taste like dopamine condensed into a beverage. It wouldn¡¯t do to risk antagonising such a promising individual just to satiate his palate.


    No, it was best to wait for the boy to just do his job, and hope that it was done quickly. That way, Arthur would be gone as soon as possible, and the only unstable element in his carefully crafted narrative would be out of the way before doing anything to damage his story.


    Still, Toshiro couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something was wrong here, and his instincts told him that he¡¯d have to be very, very careful in the near future. He¡¯d learned to trust his instincts, enhanced as they had been with the arrival of the system, but it wouldn¡¯t do him well to listen to them too much. He was human, not beast, even if the line between the two had blurred a little over the past few days.


    And besides, he chalked up most of his nervousness to the individual he was currently sharing his office space with.


    ¡°Shade.¡±


    He called the name out into the empty room and waited nervously for something to happen. Toshiro felt cold sweat drip down his back and goosebumps rise across his flesh, as he had every previous time when he saw a pool of shadows gather in the corner of the room before a figure suddenly stepped out of it.


    The strange being looked like its body was made up of liquid darkness and the cold pressure it exerted immediately brought the room¡¯s temperature down by a few degrees. Toshiro tried to keep the fear out of his voice when he next spoke, but he wasn¡¯t altogether successful.


    The shadow mage, if that was what the ethereal creature truly was, unnerved him a lot more than he¡¯d ever admit.


    ¡°You saw the healer right? What do you think of him?¡±


    When the shadow mage replied, its voice was distorted so that he couldn''t tell if it was a man or a woman speaking. Frankly, Toshiro didn¡¯t really care. He just wanted the person gone as soon as possible.


    ¡°He is strong. Beyond that, I cannot really say anything. Perhaps it would do well to invite him into our circle.¡±


    The mage''s voice seemed to be layered with multiple others, creating an annoying buzzing effect when it answered Toshiro¡¯s question, almost like he was conversing with a giant fly rather than a person. If only that was all he was. It would have made his life far simpler. The blood mage waited to see if the shadow mage had anything to add.


    The mysterious bastard didn¡¯t.


    ¡°So, should we leave him be?¡±


    Toshiro couldn''t help but have a little disgust leek into his voice when he asked his question. The shadow mage just nodded its head before once again opening its annoying mouth.


    ¡°Yes, we shall leave him alone, and simply observe.¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±


    With the last ominous line that sounded far less cool in reality than it probably did in the mage¡¯s mind, the shadowy bastard, true to its magical affinity, faded into the darkness beneath his desk, leaving behind a nervous, if slightly amused Toshiro. The office was silent for a moment before he began to chuckle.


    ¡°Well fuck, that¡¯s one creepy bugger alright,¡± he said into the quiet room, ¡°And a cringy one too.¡±


    Toshiro wasn''t sure how strong the shadow mage was. Maybe as powerful as he himself was with all his unique advantages but he knew for certain that he didn''t want to get into a fight with the strange individual. Still, Toshiro had at least received confirmation that his decision was the right one. He would simply wait and leave the healer be, being careful to not risk extending the man''s stay at his place by even a minute.


    And hey, if he¡¯s in a good mood, I can maybe even ask for some of his blood.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    Arthur hurried to keep up with the brisk pace that Selena maintained and was about to speak when the woman turned around and glared at him, putting a finger to her lips. Arthur got the message loud and clear. No talking and certainly no questions, at least not until they got to wherever the woman was taking him.


    Perhaps she didn''t want to be overheard by Toshiro or any listening devices he had set up in the compound, which only reaffirmed Arthur''s suspicions that things were not nearly as simple as they seemed.


    Heck, nothing had been since he arrived at this strange villa, and Arthur asked himself once again if it was the right decision to come here. He shook his head, throwing off his uncertainties. Worrying would get him nowhere and if things got a little too sticky for his liking, he would just jump ship and get the hell out of here.


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    Whilst he wasn''t sure he could beat Toshiro and his corporation in a straight fight, he was certain he could at least escape from them with his life intact easily enough. After all, if there was one thing he had in spades, it was a shit-ton of health and an absurd potential for survival. And I can probably steal a lot of stuff in the process. If they¡¯d given him a monster core so easily, he salivated at what their true treasures were.


    It seemed that they had quite a way to go yet. Selena seemed to have no intention of slowing down and continued at her brisk pace. Once again, Arthur tried to memorise the layout of the house. It didn''t take a genius to tell him that the information might be of use to him in the coming few days.


    And so, Arthur was a little surprised when Selena diverged from their earlier route, opening a door that led outside the villa. He followed her into the cobbled pathway nonetheless. Their destination was now in sight Arthur realised, as he looked up to see a small house in front of him. Actually, calling it a house was an overstatement, it was more a glorified shed that had been remodelled a little.


    It was within the villa''s large shadow and Arthur knew that this was most probably where the unfilial son Tamo lived. Close to his father, and yet as far as possible from the powerful man as he would probably allow. Selena looked back at him and gave him a tense smile that seemed to be filled with anxiety and stress, as well as a little undercurrent of hope.


    She pulled out a large iron key from her purse and placed it into the door''s lock, quickly twisting it and pushing the entrance open. The door swung easily on well-oiled hinges and revealed a small hallway that was covered in shadows. It looked ominous, and Arthur briefly wondered why it wasn''t properly lit given the owner''s obvious wealth.


    Dismissing it as a quirk of the young blood mage, he turned around to look at Selena who was carefully securing the door behind her, re-locking and then bolting it in place with a chain. Arthur saw the security measures as a little extreme as well as useless given the fact that even a determined level 30 individual would be able to get through it easily enough.


    Well, she probably has her reasons.


    None of that was important right now, however, as the woman had a lot of questions that she needed to answer.


    She told me that Tamo needed help killing a monster, which from what his father said was obviously not the case.


    Rather the opposite in fact and Arthur didn''t see any reason as to why the woman had lied to him in the first place. It was the first warning sign he¡¯d been given that the situation in the villa was not as simple as it first appeared.


    Arthur sighed wearily.


    Why did everything have to be so complicated when it came to people? It wasn¡¯t that he was unused to such machinations, only that he¡¯d hoped that for once his expectations would be subverted. Just as he was about to say something Selena interrupted him by raising her hand.


    ¡°I know you must have a lot of questions, no thanks to me, but please, wait a short while longer- at least until you meet Tamo. You¡¯ll get all your answers then.¡±


    Selena''s voice was quiet, more subdued than usual, much like it had been when she''d met him after he¡¯d absorbed the Augmented Regeneration core, and Arthur realised that the woman must have been thinking about Tamo that time as well. Either that or she had some weird personality quirks.


    She seemed to be a lot more invested in the man''s health than an ordinary secretary should be and Arthur filed away that piece of information for later examination. A lover? Human emotion made the simplest of circumstances into cesspools that were nigh impossible to traverse and this was already one fucked up household.


    Arthur nodded his head slowly in answer to the woman''s request, swallowing his curiosity. He could wait a little longer before getting some answers. Selena smiled at him, a real one for once, grateful for his consideration, before walking towards the stairs.


    He climbed up after her, surprised at how shoddy the woodwork was in the house compared to the villa he¡¯d just left. The floorboards actually creaked! They arrived shortly in front of a wooden door and this time Selena knocked before entering the room instead of just waltzing in as she had in Toshiro¡¯s office.


    It seemed that Tamo did not have access to his father¡¯s vast security network and so didn''t know that he had guests in front of his room. Or maybe he just valued politeness. Arthur saw nor heard any response to Selena''s knocking, but that didn''t seem to concern the woman, who pushed her way into the room.


    So maybe he doesn¡¯t.


    Arthur paused at the threshold of the room unsure what exactly to make of the sight in front of him. Like the rest of the house, the room was shrouded in darkness and very dimly lit. What little light there was, however, was enough for Arthur to see the state of the room.


    He didn''t like what he saw.


    Everything was in complete disarray, and Arthur was certain he could see splashes of red that looked suspiciously like blood all over the furniture. And the smell was god-awful. What the hell had happened here? Selena however looked like she was completely at ease, more so than Arthur had seen her anywhere else, in fact.


    She looked back at him and smirked at his hesitation.


    ¡°Don''t worry. There''s no monster in here,¡± she mocked him.


    Arthur frowned for a moment before deciding that since he¡¯d come all the way here, it wouldn''t hurt to take the final few steps, even if it physically hurt him to willingly enter into such filth. He walked into the room and took a moment to take in his surroundings before his eyes settled on the figure resting on the bed.


    Tamo Tatsumi he guessed, except that, unlike his much older father, the young man in front of him looked like he already had a foot in the grave. The only part of his body that was visible below his bandages were his eyes, and they were sunk into his face like hadn''t been sleeping for weeks.


    Arthur winced at the sight.


    This man definitely needed some healing, even a blind person could see that. Or SMELL it. Arthur was surprised that his father hadn¡¯t called in another magician when Arthur went AWOL for two days. And yet despite his otherwise injured body, Arthur could see the fire of life burning brightly in the man''s eyes, to the extent that his pupil actually looked red.


    Or maybe that was just their natural colour. Arthur didn''t really know and he frankly didn''t care. No one seemed to want to say anything, so Arthur broke the awkward silence.


    ¡°So it seems your father spoke the truth,¡± he said directing a pointed glare at Selena.


    ¡°You really do need some healing.¡±


    Selena just looked back at him nonchalantly, not reacting at all to his accusing stare. It was Tamo that eventually spoke, his voice a weak croak that was difficult to listen to and even harder to understand.


    ¡°Yes, it seems my father didn''t lie for once,¡± Tamo confirmed, ¡°But he also didn''t tell you the entirety of the truth like he always enjoys doing. Trust me, that''s so much worse than lies.¡±


    The man began to cough and Selena quickly rushed to him with a bottle of water in her hands. After drinking the liquid, the man continued with his speech.


    ¡°You see, I¡¯m sure you already know that I and my father awakened with the rare blood affinity, right?¡±


    Arthur nodded his head.


    ¡°What he failed to mention, however, is that we both also awakened with an affinity for curse magic.¡±


    Arthur leaned forward to catch the man''s words better, not caring that he hadn¡¯t even introduced himself and he felt his stomach drop at the mention of the other affinity. It was one he had never heard of before, but Arthur could guess where this conversation was going. Even an idiot would figure it out given the hints so far.


    Tamo too observed the changes in Arthur''s stance, now one of wary disposition instead of the curiosity of before.


    He smiled.


    It seemed the healer they¡¯d brought was smarter than he¡¯d expected. It would make his job much easier.


    ¡°I see that you already have an inkling of what I¡¯m about to say,¡± Tamo whispered, the strain of using his voice to speak normally too great.


    ¡°Your suspicions are correct, at least if you¡¯re thinking what I think you are.¡±


    ¡°My father placed a curse on me as soon as the system initiated. At least I think that''s when. Maybe he was afraid I¡¯d abandon him as my sister had and so he tied a curse of compulsion to my blood. I¡¯d always feel like I¡¯d have to listen to him and gradually, even my personality would have changed over time. At least if things had gone according to his plan.¡±


    Arthur wasn''t shocked or even surprised by the revelation. In fact, he¡¯d expected Tamo to say something of the sort as soon as curse magic was mentioned, even if the truth did disgust him a little. He gave voice to the thoughts running through his head.


    ¡°I don''t really want to burst your bubble, but though I am a healer, I have no experience dispelling curse magic of any sort. I don¡¯t think I even can with the healing magic I have to offer.¡±


    Tamo just smiled at Arthur¡¯s words, the movement of his lips barely visible through the bandage that covered them. He might have even chuckled but that could have just as easily been a groan of pain.


    ¡°It seems you''re mistaken about something. I never called you here to deal with the curse. That problem has already been dealt with, though I am still suffering partially from its after-effects, as you can clearly see.¡±


    ¡°No. I called you here for something totally different.¡±


    Tamo looked briefly at Selena, and she took it as her cue to speak.


    ¡°I already told you we needed your help to kill a monster, right.¡± She had an amused smile on her face as she said those ambiguous words. Tamo coughed quietly before elaborating.


    ¡°I want you to help me get back at my bastard father.¡±

 Chapter 50- The Silver Rose

    The room was silent for a long moment after Tamo''s heavy statement and Arthur immediately spoke the first words that came to his head.


    ¡°Nope, no fucking way. Sorry, I¡¯m out. I didn''t sign up for any murder nor will I take part in the killing of any human being. Not now and hopefully I¡¯ll never have to.¡±


    Arthur¡¯s words were perhaps a little forceful and tinged with a little more anger than he actually felt that such a thing had been asked of him. Especially when he knew how naive his thinking was. He was still disgusted though, and his aura that he had unconsciously been repressing ever since he¡¯d first been told about it by Mira, came billowing out; now far stronger than it had been a few days ago courtesy of all the growth he had experienced.


    Selena paled when she felt the intimidating presence, something she¡¯d found out about in her investigations on Arthur yet never believed in.


    Until now.


    What the fuck is that? she panicked, almost hyperventilating. It felt worse than the time she¡¯d helped Tamo bring down the monster with crazy regenerative properties. Just how strong is he? Selena realised she had made a grave mistake in underestimating Arthur. All the signs had been there, his high speed and agility despite being a healer. All the crazy rumours surrounding him.


    Even the casual way he left behind the government''s protection whilst being a healer, yet she had ignored them all. And now she was unsure as to how exactly she should deal with the powerful individual she¡¯d brought into Tamo''s home.


    Selena realised that the room had become much colder and the shadows somehow seemed to be darker. She was shivering and looking at Tamo, she saw that he was similarly affected, unable to even draw breath properly under the pressure of Arthur''s aura in combination with his grievous wounds.


    Shit, why the fuck did Tamo say something stupid like that? Selena knew she had to do something quickly, as Arthur didn''t even seem to be aware of what he was doing. This means he either doesn¡¯t know about aura or has developed his own very recently. Or he''s just a dick. She quickly dismissed the errant thoughts to the back of her mind for later examination. Now wasn¡¯t the time.


    It was a testimony to his strength that he could do damage to them without even intending to. Desperate, Selena tried to diffuse the tension in the room.


    ¡°Hey Tamo, why did you say something so melodramatic? I thought you grew out of your angsty teenager phase already.¡±


    Her words had the desired effect on Arthur, and she felt the aura¡¯s power decrease significantly, though now she was at least aware that it was still around her, just waiting to be used, like the jaws of a beast around her neck. Much more wary now than she had been a few moments ago, Selena chose her next words carefully.


    ¡°Perhaps instead of saying such a loaded statement, Tamo should have started from the beginning.¡±


    Selena observed Arthur''s reaction to her words and saw him visibly relax, the tension easing from his shoulders, though he still had a cautious look on his face. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was all an act, or if the thought of murder really repulsed him so much.


    Arthur was thoroughly tired of the web of mysteries and lies that surrounded the father-son duo and now apparently a missing daughter too. All he wanted to know was what was expected of him on this job, and whether the payment would make it worth his time. And he needed the truth for that.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m tired of all this weird cryptic bullshit you Zaibatsu folk seem to love spouting,¡± Arthur said, both frustration and indifference leaking into his voice.


    ¡°I ran for four hours to get here, and I''ve got better things to do with my time than listen to some family drama,¡± Arthur added, noticing how Selena winced at his harsh words and how Tamo''s eyes narrowed in rage. Arthur knew that he wasn''t being fair to the man in front of him, as he didn''t even know exactly what was going on in this weird narrative, but he felt that his outburst was at least justified, if only for the fact that no one seemed to even want to tell him what his job was properly.


    Tamo didn''t look like he was going to speak anytime soon after being reprimanded by Arthur, so Selena decided to intervene and mediate between the two. Though Tamo was injured, she knew very well just how dangerous he could be when driven to anger and she didn''t want to be caught between the two men if they decided to duke it out.


    Thinking about how to best salvage the situation and gain Arthur''s help, she decided it would be best to just tell him the truth. It would be a violation of her orders, but Selena knew that any repercussions that she would face down the line would be more than made up for if she could secure Arthur¡¯s help. Sighing wearily, Selena began the long explanation of what was going on in the Tatsumi household.


    ¡°Arthur, what I¡¯m about to tell you must never be spoken of when you leave this room until either I or one of my colleagues give you express permission to do so. A lot is at stake here.¡±


    She spoke gravely, looking intently at Arthur to secure his promise of silence. He nodded his head, wary at the conditions that were binding his speech, though curious as to what exactly such a big secret would entail as well as the mention of these so-called ¡®colleagues¡¯ of which he had yet met none. Arthur didn''t voice any of the questions racing through his head though, instead waiting for Selena to continue speaking.


    The woman in question looked very relieved when she saw Arthur¡¯s nod of assent. There would have been little she could say to persuade him to help if he decided to not agree with anything. He could just be lying about staying silent, but Selena was sure from interacting with the man that he was someone of integrity. When he gave his word, he kept it.


    Though her intuition could be far off the mark and Arthur might just tell everyone he met what he was going to find out today willy-nilly. If that was the case, then there was little she could do, but bear the consequences of her actions when they came calling. She hoped her trust paid off.


    ¡°Well, Arthur, you see, I¡¯ve not been exactly honest with you,¡± Selena paused, gauging Arthur¡¯s reaction to her statement. He looked completely normal, nonplussed with the assertion that he¡¯d been lied to and Selena felt a tad bit frustrated. At least act a little surprised. Did you really not believe anything I told you? Well, she was certain even Arthur wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up his nonchalant front when she started dropping her bombshells.


    ¡°My job here as Toshiro¡¯s secretary is just a facade, set up a few years ago under the prerogative of the CIA.¡±


    Wow, I sound sketchy even to myself.


    ¡°You see, for want of a better word, I¡¯m a spy.¡±


    That line, however, got the expected reaction out of Arthur and she felt satisfied with the look of surprise that flashed across his face and then became worried at the suspicious caution that soon followed.


    Oh yeah, that''s right. He isn''t really on friendly terms with us, is he? We should have never trusted that slimy bastard Lieutenant Graves to be his handler. At least miss Adams wasn''t doing too badly.


    Despite the obvious curiosity in Arthur''s eyes, he seemed content to just let her continue speaking, and Selena jumped at the opportunity to move on from the little groundbreaking piece of information she''d just dropped. With another bombshell of course.


    ¡°Long before the systems arrived on Earth, as I¡¯m sure you will already know from the tutorial, ether was already present on the planet.¡±


    ¡°What you probably don''t know, however, was that there were people who already knew it existed, most of the governments of the world included¡± she paused for a moment to let that information sink in. Once again, Arthur didn''t react the way she had expected, seemingly unaffected by the revelation. After all, Arthur had long expected that some people on Earth must have known about the existence of the strange energy. There had been far too many inexplicable phenomena throughout history to chalk it all up to chance.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    To have his suspicions confirmed was gratifying, but he didn''t really care that people were already playing around with ether before the system¡¯s arrival. Instead, he was curious as to why Selena felt she had to tell him this.


    ¡°This is interesting and all, but I don''t see how this is relevant to why I¡¯m here.¡±


    Selena was about to answer his question when Tamo finally decided to rejoin the conversation, interrupting her.


    ¡°You see, my father was one of those people. Both he, and my sister I suspect, knew all about ether long before the system''s arrival on Earth. Something about it being a family secret that was passed down through generations to the eldest child.¡±


    Tamo trailed off, not having the energy to continue speaking. Selena picked up where he left off.


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure you must already know how inexperienced magic looks like when it''s not regulated by the system, right?¡± She asked him.


    Arthur nodded his head. It was one of the first things he¡¯d been warned about by Sir Rufeuss III when he unlocked his system. Erico too had warned about it as one of the key focuses of her assembly. Selena had a grim look on her face, and she took a deep breath before speaking.


    ¡°It''s dangerous, terrifying and most of the time disgusting. At least the stuff we¡¯ve seen so far. You see, a few years ago, the government caught wind of a group of people dabbling in weird practices. Most of them seemed nonsensical, animal slaughterers and strange rituals that bordered on the occult. We would have just overlooked it as some strange quirk of the wealthy people who were found involved in it.¡±


    ¡°That was when we found the locations of sites where human sacrifices had taken place.¡±


    Selena paused for a moment, recalling the disgusting photographs she¡¯d seen of the crime scenes. It made her just as sick now as it had back then. Arthur similarly felt a rising sense of nausea when he heard that. He wasn''t a stranger to violence given his unique experiences, but the murder of human beings always got a rise out of him, especially after it had hit so close to home six months ago. Arthur frowned before he voiced his thoughts.


    ¡°And the reason you called me in, was to help you bring down Toshiro, who I¡¯m guessing is a part of this so-called enigmatic occult group. I¡¯m sorry, but the answer will still have to be no. I don''t want the blood of another human on my hands.¡±


    Arthur sighed wearily after he finished speaking. Perhaps it would be the right thing to do, to bring down a man like Toshiro if what Selena had said was true, but Arthur was not prepared to take that responsibility upon himself. And frankly enough, he wasn¡¯t such a saint that he cared enough about random people to risk his life.


    Selena was saddened to hear Arthur''s choice but didn''t give up hope. Though he hadn''t initially been brought in to subjugate Toshiro, after witnessing his aura first-hand, Selena would have liked to have his power on their side when they took the fight to the blood mage.


    Still, it wasn''t the reason why they had brought Arthur in. After all, before today, he had just been an ordinary if slightly powerful healer in their eyes. She could only hope that Arthur would agree to help Tamo deal with the remnants of his curse like they had initially wanted him to do and use the unique aspect of his regeneration skill that had become all the craze recently. It would make their job a LOT easier. She was about to say as much when Tamo began to talk.


    ¡°You know, one of the experiments my ancestors did, backfired quite a bit, you know,¡± he whispered quietly.


    Arthur looked surprised that the man had decided to speak and Selena just shook her head slowly, knowing already where this conversation would go.


    ¡°It''s the main reason why tales of blood-sucking humans became so popular,¡± Tamo added, pulling off the bandage covering his mouth to reveal slightly pointed teeth. Arthur blanched at the obvious reference to vampires, both shock and curiosity warring within him.


    So they were actually real. Wait, if that''s the case, then does that mean that werewolves and other mythological creatures actually exist.


    These thoughts raced through his head and some of his emotions must have shown on his face because Toshiro smirked.


    ¡°Before you ask, no I¡¯m not a vampire and nor does sunlight damage me. The dim lights are there only because my eyes are sensitive right now. I do however have the ability to gain some stats from powerful monster blood if I ingest it.¡±


    Arthur felt some childish delight at finding out such fantastical creatures exist disappear after hearing Tamoss'' statement. He did however wonder why the man had mentioned such a peculiarity about himself without any prompting. Something he was about to find out shortly it turned out.


    ¡°Your blood is pretty special.¡± Tamo voiced hoarsely. ¡°I can smell it from here, and if I could, then so could my father. I¡¯d be careful in the future if I was you.¡±


    A warning?


    Arthur felt his muscles instinctively tense up at the words that almost seemed to be a threat, and tried to think up what he¡¯d do if Toshiro really did prove hostile down the line. His inner musings were interrupted by Selena, who quickly interjected with some much-needed rationale.


    ¡°You won''t have to worry about any of that.¡± She glared at Tamo whilst she spoke.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be taking Toshiro into custody long before he¡¯ll have any chance at coming after you,¡± she hastily explained.


    Arthur became confused at those words.


    ¡°I thought Tamo said he wanted my help killing his father.¡± He questioned looking between the pair.


    ¡°His sister always used to tell me that Tamo was still such a child. The little bastard should have taken drama classes,¡± Selena muttered under her breath before saying, ¡°I think there''s been some misunderstanding here.¡±


    Selena began to speak, hoping her explanation would clarify things and bring Arthur onto their side.


    ¡°I told you we needed your help killing a monster, and though Toshiro has done many terrible things, he is still indeed human.¡±


    Arthur was both surprised and hopeful when he heard those words. Perhaps he would still be able to take the job without sullying his hands. Something told him that he¡¯d be stupid to turn his back on the government a second time. He highly doubted they''d just let him walk away again.


    ¡°So, what is it you need my help killing,¡± Arthur asked the pair, much more amicable now. Tamo looked briefly at Selena, before deciding to answer the question himself.


    ¡°In the wake of the system''s arrival, a group has been formed. They call themselves the ¡®Silver Rose¡¯ a bunch of people that have been exiled from using the system by doing forbidden unstructured magic without the appropriate power and procedure.¡±


    Tamo began to cough violently and Selena took over the explanation from where he¡¯d left off.


    ¡°Their experimentation involved splicing their genes with those of monsters and a number of other strange practices we don''t quite understand yet.¡±


    Arthur leaned forward to catch every word that was being spoken, heart pounding at the implications of what was going on if Selena was speaking the truth.


    ¡°As you can imagine, their tests were not exactly successful. While the members of the Silver Rose became significantly stronger, it did not come without cost. We¡¯ve already seen the side effects manifesting in some of their members.¡±


    Selena paused for breath here, and Arthur could tell that this was a topic that was difficult to talk about for her.


    ¡°They turned insane.¡± she whispered, her voice shaking a little, ¡°Monsters that massacred thousands before they could be put down. It was horrifying.¡±


    Selena stopped talking, seemingly unable to continue her explanation. Maybe an act, but it looked pretty damn genuine to him. Tamo sighed before picking up the narrative.


    ¡°It''s been difficult to keep all the deaths quiet, but it''s only a matter of time before word gets out. We¡¯ve been lucky that all this happened in isolated locations, but sooner or later, we¡¯ll be faced with a real tragedy. There''s going to be widespread panic when that happens.¡±


    Arthur felt sickened when he heard Tamo¡¯s admission and also a little worried. Whilst he knew that he was strong, he was sure that he wasn''t ready to go toe to toe with people who had thrown off the shackles of the system and started to use unstable magics. That they probably had no idea how to even use properly made them all the more dangerous. At least when he referenced what Ruffeus had told him about ether when not constrained by the system. He paused to think of how many sacrifices must have been made, most probably unwillingly, to allow the Silver Rose members of today to enjoy the baseless successes they were currently thriving on.


    ¡°I don''t understand. How can a healer like me help out,¡± That was all they knew about him as far as he could guess.


    ¡°And who is it that you¡¯ll even be fighting?¡±


    Selena smiled when she heard that. It seemed like he wanted to help at least, which was a start.


    ¡°Don''t worry. You''re a healer. We never really had any intention of having you fight,¡± she said, feeling a bud of hope growing in her chest. At least not before we saw your aura. ¡°It''s your regeneration skill that we are much more interested in. If it works like we think it does from all the stories we¡¯ve heard, then we¡¯ll want you to use the skill to store a bunch of healing ether inside of a selected team before they go in to fight the target. A buffer of sorts.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head when he heard that. It was a little unexpected, but this was a job he felt much more comfortable doing. And his regeneration skill was perfect for it. It would lower the danger of the operation and potential casualties drastically as it was a life-saving measure if a wound was too grievous. A second chance basically.


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll want you to practice with the skill as much as possible before the operation,¡± Selena added, ¡°The more healing ether you can store in our team members, the better. The only problem is our lack of time. Our target is a ticking bomb that''s primed to explode very soon, and he probably doesn¡¯t even know it.¡±


    ¡°I understand that my assistance will be a great boon and all, but I¡¯m sure there are other healers with regeneration skills that have evolved,¡± Arthur questioned.


    Tamo just shook his head slowly before laughing. ¡°It seems you don''t know much about how special your skill is. Despite a few people reaching level ten in their healing skills, none of their new effects are anywhere near as useful as yours when it comes to combat.¡±


    Tamo paused for a moment before concluding ¡°As for the monster we¡¯ll be hunting, he¡¯s a Shadow mage.¡±


    ¡°That suffers from chunibyo syndrome.¡±

 Chapter 51- Regeneration

    Tamo looked at the powerful healer that Selena had brought in. His luck finally seemed to be looking up for him. Arthur was dangerous, that was an undeniable fact as clear as day, and yet when Tamo looked at him, he didn¡¯t see the deadly warrior that Arthur was.


    No, he saw the reflection of the man he himself had been when he was younger. Someone just as idealistic. He winced, remembering how carefree and naive he had once been, and hoped that Arthur¡¯s naivety would not be tested.


    At least he¡¯s not stupid as I once was. He recognised that Arthur was much more mature and intelligent than he let on. It was only a shame that he had not yet realised that it would be better to mask that intelligence in ignorance than let others know just how calculating he actually was.


    Tamo sighed, trying to stop his meandering thoughts and focus on what Selena was saying. It would be important that he and everyone else involved in their operation would be at full focus over the next few days. Sadly, since he had broken his father¡¯s curse of compulsion, he''d found that he could never be truly present in day-to-day life. Not until he threw off the rest of the curse, but he and Selena had both decided it was in their best interests to keep its remnants for as long as possible. To not let Toshiro know that his son was no longer under his control if the old bastard could even tell such things. It would give them the element of surprise, and they¡¯d need every advantage they could get if they wanted to kill the monster they only knew as Shade.


    Tamo had already seen the scenes of the fiend¡¯s battles after they were concluded and judging from the dismembered state of the man''s foes, he knew that he was not yet ready to face the shadow mage in battle. Even with all his unique titles that allowed him to exhibit power far stronger than his level 89 suggested.


    Titles


    -Progenitor of Blood (Possess a Blood Affinity)- Triples health regeneration and ensures that one''s blood is recovered at an extremely enhanced rate.


    - Vampyric prowess (Possess the traits of a vampire)- Gives one the ability to gain stats as well as temporary skills from consuming the blood of powerful and rare monsters [does not work on the same monster/species twice]


    -Curse breaker I (Throw of the curse of a more powerful mage)- Increases willpower by 5%


    Looking at his list of titles, Tamo sighed. Even with all these extra boons, he was unsure of his ability in even tackling the healer in front of him, let alone an individual like Shade who had used forbidden magic to enhance himself.


    Especially in his currently weakened state. Perhaps he had been impatient, using the augmented turtle''s blood to help him throw off the curse when his body was nowhere near ready to handle such volatile energies. And yet he¡¯d wanted to rid himself of the curse as soon as his tutorial sponsor had warned him that one had been placed upon him. He hadn''t even been surprised that his father had done such a thing. It was something he¡¯d come to expect of the man after what he¡¯d done to drive his sister away. Tamo shuddered to think of the mindless slave he would have become if he¡¯d not been informed of the curse so soon, and once again he thanked whatever gods there were that he¡¯d attracted the attention of a powerful benefactor during the tutorial.


    Now if only the bastard had just done me the favour of removing it himself. Fuck all these system laws. What''s the point of power if you can''t break them?


    He was pulled out of his inner musings- he had allowed himself to get distracted again- when Selena spoke.


    ¡°Are you not going to ask what your payment will be for helping us, Arthur?¡±


    Tamo leaned forward in his bed, or at least as much as he could in his weakened state to hear the conversation that was taking place. He too was very curious as to what the government would be offering Arthur in return for his assistance.


    The answer the young healer gave both surprised and amused Tamo, and he felt his opinion of the man rise and plummet at the same time somehow.


    ¡°I¡¯d help regardless of the reward after hearing the situation in detail and besides, I figured the government would compensate me properly in return for my assistance. I¡¯m pretty sure you guys want to maintain an amicable relationship with me.¡± Arthur answered nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned with any materialistic gain.


    Is he just a nice guy that wants to do the right thing, or is he acting? Tamo mused, as he carefully observed the healer in front of him. Oh, he''s realised that he doesn''t really have a choice here and is going along without complaining. He''s acting the fool, isn''t he? Perhaps he was looking too deeply into Arthur''s actions as Selena seemed to be perfectly pleased with Arthur¡¯s answer.


    You''re too gullible for your own good.


    He loved the older woman as much as he had his sister when she had been around but sometimes her naivety frustrated him. But then again, no one had to navigate the minefield that was his life. Maybe he was the weird one for being so cynical. Still, she at least had her head in the right place which was more than he could say for most of the people he had met from the government over the past few weeks.


    ¡°Judging on previous cases, we¡¯ve estimated that we have around four days before Shade loses his mental faculties and goes berserk,¡± Selena informed Arthur, ¡°That¡¯s why to be on the safe side, it''s been decided that the operation to put him down will take place in three.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head in agreement. You could never be too cautious in life, doubly so when it concerned the appearance of a potential mass murderer.


    ¡°So, what''s the plan?¡± Arthur asked, looking first at Selena and then at Tamo, who Arthur observed had been strangely silent for the past few minutes with an almost listless expression on his face. Tamo decided to finally give his own input into the conversation and croaked out in his hoarse voice.


    ¡°Because of a potential leak, all information regarding the operation has been withheld for the moment. I don''t know what we¡¯re planning to do. All we can tell you is that Shade has regularly been spotted near my father over the past few days. For what reasons, we have no idea.¡±


    The blood mage had to stop talking there as his voice failed him, and Selena rushed to give him another water bottle from the stack in the corner of the room. Deciding to finish off the explanation that Tamo had been unable to, she continued the blood mage¡¯s short speech.


    ¡°In the intervening time we have between now and then Arthur, it''s been decided that it would be best if you levelled your regeneration skill as much as possible before the operation. It should be possible with some concentrated effort.¡±


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    ¡°God knows there are too many injured people nowadays to deal with¡± Selena complained, ¡°But first, I think it''s in our best interests to see how much you can do for our own resident blood mage over here,¡± she sighed, giving Tamo a pointed glare that told him to shut the fuck up and do nothing to piss of the healer that was about to attempt to treat him. Arthur, seemingly oblivious to the strange looks between the two, nodded his head and stepped forward.


    He looked down at the bandaged man in front of him and thought about how best to go about treating him. Though he had experience growing back new limbs and even entire organs at this point, he had never tried to treat someone that was struggling to battle off the aftereffects of breaking a curse the wrong way. He didn¡¯t even know if it could be done with his skillset. Especially since the system was no longer carrying his healing.


    He placed a palm on Tamo¡¯s forearm, ignoring the way the man flinched at his touch, and extended a small amount of ether into his regeneration skill. It was such a minuscule amount that it would serve little else but recover the most minor of cuts, but Arthur had another purpose altogether for the now healing affinity ether. Through experimentation, Arthur had learned that the parameters set by his skill were the maximum, not the minimum Ether he could channel through it. That being said, what he was currently attempting really stretched the definition of Regeneration.


    Drawing on his extensive knowledge of anatomy as well as his wealth of experience in using the healing skill, Arthur used his small amount of Ether to try and diagnose what exactly was wrong with the young blood mage. That was always the first step to treatment.


    A diagnosis.


    At first, his scans yielded no results, and Arthur began to doubt that there was even anything wrong with the heir to the Zaibatsu Corporation. His body seemed to be completely fine. There was nothing wrong with it.


    Selena meanwhile, observed the look of concentration on Arthur¡¯s face and hoped that he¡¯d be able to do something for Tamo. Throwing off the curse using such a volatile method as Tamo had suggested had been a big mistake and Selena was surprised that she had allowed Tamo to somehow talk her into it.


    How had she been convinced that destroying 90% of Tamoss'' body and then restoring it with the temporary skill gained from drinking the turtle''s blood was a good idea? Sometimes, she indulged Tamo''s strange plans too much and yet she couldn''t help but dote on the younger man after knowing him for so many years.


    The promises she¡¯d made to his sister didn¡¯t help matters. Selena sighed wearily, recalling the memories. Truly, the siblings were just as bad as each other with the amount of trouble they had given her. Heck, she¡¯d have been promoted a long time ago if she hadn¡¯t spent all her time cleaning up the messes the duo always created.


    Her inner musings were interrupted when she heard a grunt of pain from Arthur, and she looked up to see that blood was running from his nose. His face was scrunched up in pain, and yet Selena made no effort to help him despite wanting to.


    She knew that Arthur could stop the healing process at any time he desired if it got too difficult or dangerous, at least she hoped so and trying to help him would do little but distract him at what could potentially be a critical moment. No, the best option, Selena decided, was to wait and see if the powerful healer could somehow pull off a miracle that no other doctor before him could.


    Arthur meanwhile, was desperately trying to control his racing heartbeat, and the astonishment rising in his chest. How the fuck did he manage to affect his body on a cellular level? Arthur inwardly screamed at himself. When his first diagnosis had failed to turn up any results, Arthur had tried again, this time focussing on a part of Tamo¡¯s body that was more heavily damaged than the rest.


    Instead of using his healing skill to do a surface scan like he normally did, Arthur tried to simply pour it into a concentrated spot on the man¡¯s shoulder. He¡¯d never attempted such an approach before, but it just felt right, like his skill was pushing him in a specific direction. The results of his experimentation were surprising, to say the least.


    It was almost like he was using a microscope to zoom into Tamo¡¯s flesh, except that the experience was somehow less and so much more at the same time. He couldn''t see the subcellular structures like he would have been able to if he had been using the mundane tool and yet he could somehow see the general way in which ether interacted with Tamo¡¯s cells, strengthening and reinforcing them like bands of steel that seemed to be tying them together. The mental imagery had a dream-like quality to it, almost as if it was his brain''s limited capability trying to decode the information his skill provided.


    The bands were a representation of the blood mage''s own strength, he¡¯d probably see something similar, only more potent in his own body, and yet it wasn''t the only ether that was present in the man¡¯s body.


    No, there seemed to be a foreign source of the stuff that seemed to be affecting the blood mage, attacking and weakening his own ether. Arthur blanched when he realised that he recognized the strange ether as the same one that was contained within the augmented regeneration core.


    He must have drunk the monster''s blood or something, similar to my consumption of monster cores Arthur realised as he considered the blood mage''s vampiric roots. Suddenly, he felt a stabbing pain in his head, and he realized that he¡¯d been wrong. His regeneration skill was NOT made to be used this way. He was pushing it to the limits of what it was able to do, forcing it to act as an advanced diagnostics tool instead of the standard magic healing acceleration it was supposed to be.


    Despite the blood he could now feel running down his nose, Arthur persisted and forced himself to keep using the skill. He felt like he was on the verge of a breakthrough and knew that if he stopped now, it would take him a long time to reach this stage of enlightenment again with his regeneration skill.


    His headache intensified, and he felt a drop of liquid begin to make its way down his right eye. He suspected that it was blood, but didn''t open his eyes to check if his guess was correct. Just as Arthur felt that he had reached his absolute limit, he felt his usage of the skill become easier and his microscopic vision become more focussed, as if a distorted lens had been removed from his eyes.


    Dumping as much ether as he could into the regeneration skill, he began to cleanse all the infecting ether he could see, much like he would bacteria, doing his utmost best to not harm Tamo in the process. Despite his best efforts, the injured man tensed up as he felt a stabbing pain in his shoulder and controlled himself to not throw off Arthur¡¯s offending hand.


    The itching pain lasted only a mere three minutes, but the process felt far longer for both of the men. Finally, Arthur opened his eyes. It was done. Selena watched with budding hope, as Arthur began to remove a part of the bandage on Tamo¡¯s shoulder, and almost moved to stop him before controlling herself.


    She was shocked and then elated to see that a tiny patch of skin on the blood mage was now a healthy looking brown like it had used to be instead of the sickly yellow the rest of his body had now become.


    Tamo too seemed similarly excited and yet it appeared that Arthur, the man responsible for this small miracle, was distressed with what he had accomplished.


    The healer sighed when he saw the minuscule handspan of flesh he had managed to cure on the man''s shoulder before looking at his notifications.


    Congratulations. Through the usage of Regeneration in an unconventional way, you have forced the skill to grow. This is a very unstable method of growth and it is advised that you don''t rely on such a path going forward.


    Regeneration (Uncommon) has reached level 2 ¡­


    Regeneration (Uncommon) Level 2- Use healing Ether to regenerate your body at 1.2% of max health total per minute of usage. Efficiency drops by 50% when used on another individual.


    Cost of usage on host: 20 Ether/minute


    Cost of usage on another: 30 Ether/minute


    Secondary Effect: 120 healing affinity Ether may be stored as OVERHEALTH in the target of this ability to be used for recovery when the individual is injured. This stored Ether works under Host-Use efficiency levels. Overhealth cannot be stored in the host.


    NOTE: Uncommon skills cap at level 20


    Arthur couldn''t find himself to be happy when he saw his skill progression as he¡¯d checked his ether reserves just after.


    Ether- 1480/3230


    It had taken over five hundred ether to heal five square centimetres of flesh. He sighed wearily.


    This would be a very, very long process.

 Chapter 52- Responsibility

    Arthur had perhaps the worst headache he¡¯d ever felt in his life, and he was sure that he¡¯d lost around half a litre of blood from his nose. How the hell such a thing was even possible was the least of his concerns right now, though. It wasn''t a problem due to his high vitality, but it still shocked Arthur to think that so much of the stuff had come out of him for no apparent reason. Okay, I guess I was abusing my skill.


    Conscious of the fact that he was probably surrounded by a family of blood drinkers, he¡¯d made sure to not let his blood fall to the floor, and instead collected it on his t-shirt which was now sticky with the drying liquid. Still, he felt that he¡¯d at least accomplished something when he looked down at Tamo. After his first usage of the Regeneration spell that had somehow cost so much, the following attempts had been much more successful, and Tamo''s entire unbandaged arm could attest.


    But still, Arthur had no idea that using up all your ether reserves would feel this bad. He¡¯d been sure he could deal with the effects with his high physical stats but it seemed that they didn''t counter the consequences of overusing his ether sadly. It should have been obvious in hindsight considering the esoteric energy was based on his mental stats. Perhaps a higher amount of willpower was needed to deal with the issue.


    Ether: 27/3230


    After dealing with just a single wounded limb on Tamo''s body, Arthur''s healing skill had gained an entire level, emphasising just how serious the injury had been. The healing process had become much easier in the latter usages of the skill after the gained level but it seemed that continuing to heal Tamo would provide much fewer returns now that he knew exactly how to do it. Arthur actually believed the ease didn''t come from the increase in skill levels but rather the familiarity he''d built with the injury.


    In all honesty, he wasn''t so sure how much skill levels mattered. Sure they got better, but if he was to compare it to its powers at level one, his regeneration skill wasn''t insanely better. Besides the added increase of .2% and 20 ether in the secondary effect, it was practically the same. He''d just gotten better at using it; a very KEY difference from the ability actually improving in and of itself.


    Whilst he may not have been entirely happy with his progress, however, both Selena and Tamo were ecstatic with the result of his twenty minutes of medical administration.


    ¡°I knew you were good Arthur, but this¡­ this is a result far better than anything I could have hoped for,¡± Selena exclaimed, joy brightening her eyes.


    ¡°It would¡¯ve taken weeks for me to heal this naturally but with your help, I can ¡­¡± Tamo trailed off as his body was racked by dry coughs. Selena continued on from where the blood mage had left off.


    "We¡¯d actually not expected you to be able to do anything. After all, none of the healers before you could,¡± Selena paused for a moment, taking in Arthur''s exhausted face and stooping posture.


    ¡°This is beyond anything we could have asked for and now there''s a chance that Tamo might be able to help in the upcoming fight against Shade. We¡¯ll make sure you''re properly compensated for this extra work as soon as you''ve finished healing the blood mage in full. An added bonus on top of your primary job''s payment.¡±


    Selena added the last line as an incentive to get Arthur to heal Tamo as soon as possible. Though she was certain that Arthur would not leave the job unfinished, it wouldn''t hurt to give him a little push in the form of a promised reward. The only problem now was whether or not Tamo would accept full-body healing. Arthur nodded his head wearily, not paying much attention to what the woman had said. The only thing on his mind right now was sleep and he couldn''t care less about anything else right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to burst your bubble, Selena but I don''t think I¡¯ll be able to heal Tamo within three days,¡± Arthur told the woman, noticing the frustration that flashed across her face which was quickly replaced by anger.


    It seemed that she¡¯d gotten the wrong idea from what he¡¯d said. Arthur quickly clarified.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to heal him, of that I''m certain, but my ether reserves just aren''t large enough to do that within the three days you want. Not if I want to be ready to help the rest of the team with my regeneration skill at the same time.¡±


    Arthur was relieved to see that his words had the desired effect and Selena visibly calmed down. She still seemed to be a little agitated but no longer in danger of doing something stupid like attacking him. Selena still looked a little uncertain and she visibly shook her head, as if trying to dispel her paranoia. Arthur would gain nothing by holding out on them, and she¡¯d have to learn to trust him if they wanted any chance of bringing down Shade.


    Tamo too seemed to be giving her a withering glare, telling her to calm down. The woman sighed. It seemed that Selena had been too keyed up lately and her rage was far too close to the surface these days for her to function properly. Her inner musings were interrupted however when Arthur spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go sleep in the living room or something. I can''t even stay standing on my feet right now.¡±


    Selena looked up sharply at Arthur and saw that he kept blinking strangely like he had something in his eyes. His normally white skin had somehow become paler, and sweat was running down his forehead. Selena berated herself when she saw Arthur''s state for not recognising the symptoms of overdrawing ether sooner.


    It was something she had seen many times before since the coming of the system, and Arthur was exhibiting all the signs of an individual who had spent their reserves almost to the last drop.


    He already told me his ether reserves couldn''t keep up with his healing, but being an idiot, you didn''t even believe him, she chastised herself.


    It was honestly amazing that Arthur was somehow still standing, as everyone else who got so low on ether would almost certainly lose consciousness. To still stand meant that he had some incredible investments in willpower. Either that or his physical stats dwarfed his mental ones to the point it could counter the side effects. Selena highly doubted that, however. Arthur was a healer, not a warrior.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not realising it sooner, Arthur.¡± She apologised to his retreating back, as he¡¯d already made it halfway through the door. It was a testament to his exhaustion that he didn''t even wait for their dismissal before leaving.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Arthur meanwhile was promising himself that he¡¯d never again allow his ether reserves to drop below five percent. It felt like shit, almost like he¡¯d stayed awake for three nights straight cramming for an exam and yet somehow even more exhaustive than that. His vision kept flickering, and it was only sheer willpower that kept him moving forward until finally he gracelessly fell onto the sofa.


    The fact that he was currently alone and vulnerable didn''t escape him, but there was little he could do about it now besides hope his hosts didn''t try to take advantage of him.


    Never again.


    His head hadn''t even touched the oiled leather before darkness claimed him.


    ~Tamo Tatsumi~


    Tamo looked at the departing healers back in shocked silence, trying to understand how the man could even move.


    I swear he just spent over 1500 ether right now unless my bloodline is acting up. How the fuck can someone barely past level 50 still walk after doing that. Screw that, how does he even have so much ether in the first place.


    As he tried to get his racing thoughts under control, Selena asked him a question.


    ¡°What''s that look for? It''s like you just saw a ghost or something.¡±


    Her voice was filled with concern and worry though she tried to mask it with the way she phrased her question. Tamo couldn''t help himself. He started to laugh at the words Selena had used.


    A ghost. No, something so much worse. I don''t think the governments yet realised just who it is they¡¯ve contracted. They¡¯ve made a deal with the devil.


    A nice, friendly, human-looking devil, but a devil all the same. Tamo chose not to reveal the full scope of Arthur¡¯s abilities to Selena, thinking it better to leave her in the dark. Whilst he trusted her, he didn¡¯t like the people behind her much and anything he told her would eventually reach them. Plus, he didn¡¯t want their meddling to ruin any friendship he could form with the powerful healer. Arthur was someone Tamo very much wanted on his side if the situation ever arose that he met an enemy he couldn¡¯t deal with himself, and he would do everything he could to stay on friendly terms with him.


    Even if that meant he had to keep some secrets from his closest confidant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how your people found him, but you did a good job bringing him here,¡± he acknowledged to Selena.


    The spy just smirked her infuriating self-satisfied smile.


    ¡°If I couldn¡¯t at least do that much, then I wouldn¡¯t be of much use beyond being your babysitter now, would I? Though my superiors did seem to be a little too eager to make contact with Arthur if I''m honest. Enough that they were willing to give Lieutenant Graves a share in the Zaibatsu corporation to make things go smoothly.¡±


    She laughed at the end and ruffled his hair, which he had told her so many times already not to do, and yet just like his sister, she seemed to have some sort of selective hearing ability. Using his recently healed arm, he marvelled at his unmarked flesh as he used it to push away Selena¡¯s annoying fingers.


    ¡°The journey here was a real bitch, man,¡± she suddenly said, rubbing her calves for some reason.


    Curious, Tamo asked her to explain what she meant. When he received a brief ¡®run¡¯ of events of what had transpired, he started to laugh. Selena had a look of mock outrage on her face before she too started to join in. They were both laughing for very different reasons though and Tamo decided to not tell Selena that little bit of information.


    Tamo was not shocked to hear that Arthur had agility rivalling Selena¡¯s, who had specialised in that stat. No, he was far beyond that emotion right now. What he was feeling was a simple, normal reaction to the news. Much like a man who had found a gold mine, Tamo was just happy with the fact that they had found Arthur and managed to bring him to their side.


    Still, they had an important job to do, and so despite the light-hearted mood, Tamo decided to ruin it by asking the question that was on his mind.


    ¡°So, Selena. Have your people had any breakthroughs on what Silver Rose is planning?¡±


    Selena was instantly serious when the words left Tamo¡¯s mouth, and he saw the guarded look that came over her face. She never told him everything, that much was obvious to Tamo from long ago. After all, he wasn''t an official government agent, more a powerful civilian in the right place at the right time, a consultant of sorts who''d been brought into the fold out of circumstance. Without the sugar coating, a necessary evil given his unique position as the current heir to the Zaibatsu corporation.


    Still, the information he got from her was far from useless, a fact that was about to be reinforced when Selena answered his question.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been observing the movements of a few of their members who have not yet shown signs of insanity. They¡¯ve been strangely quiet.¡±


    Tamo nodded his head, already familiar with the constant monitoring the government agents loved to employ against their potential targets.


    ¡°Their ever-elusive leade Thorn, however, has finally started to move and we suspect that they will be trying to force a dimensional breach to bring over a powerful monster from the other side.¡±


    Tamo blanched at that, imagining the chaos that would ensue. If a monster as powerful as the harpy queen made its way into America, they had no Kazi Alukai to help them deal with a threat of that magnitude.


    Well, there was Arthur, but Tamo''s instincts were telling him that the healer still had a long, long way to go before he was ready to duke it out with monsters like ¡®The Will of Earth.¡¯


    "Our scientists have estimated that Thorn''s strength after doing experiments on himself will be on par with a level 200 beast. At the very least. We have a reason to fear he has the backing of a Prime too."


    "And that''s without taking into account the man''s incredible affinity with void magic.¡±


    Selena trailed off, closely observing Tamo¡¯s face for any reaction at the mention of the man''s strength. The blood mage looked completely fine and yet to someone like Selena, who had known him for years, the signs of quiet rage were easily visible in his slightly faster breathing and momentarily clenched teeth.


    She couldn''t fault him for his reaction, as her blood too began to boil when she spoke the name of the man who was responsible for so much suffering. The man was also the only lead they had on Tulissia''s whereabouts. He was the last person she had been in contact with before disappearing a few months before the system''s arrival.


    I¡¯ll get that bastard if it''s the last thing I do.


    Thorn had a lot of crimes to answer for, and whilst she was not capable of bringing the monster to justice, she would do her part in bringing him down. Tamo tried to calm himself, clenching his single working fist. He wasn''t altogether successful in controlling his rage, but he did manage to steer his thoughts away from revenge to more productive things.


    He¡¯d kill that bitch when he finally got his hands on him.


    Okay, maybe he wasn''t as great at controlling his emotions as he thought. Trying to take his mind off the criminal mastermind, Tamo continued his conversation with Selena.


    ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve managed to find out, or is there anything else you''re not allowed to tell me?¡±


    Selena didn''t say anything for a moment before she suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Well I don''t know if this is good news or not, but it seems like the Silver Rose is going to try and recruit Kazi Alukai.¡±


    Selena started to laugh and Tamo soon joined in. The thought was so outlandish it was amusing. They wanted to recruit the most powerful man on Earth with the offer of a strength that only led to insanity. They¡¯d have a hell of a time waiting for them if they wanted to get that monster on their side.


    After all, the entire American government had been unable to sway the man with promises of riches far beyond anything the Silver Rose could offer and the threats the government had eventually resorted to had backfired epically.


    Kazi Alukai had spared the men that had been sent after him however and Tamo only hoped that he wouldn''t extend the same courtesy to the Silver Rose when they inevitably tried to put him down.


    Kazi Alukai was an enemy that you didn''t want to make, a greater power than any monster that would be found on Earth for the next decade if things were allowed to progress normally.


    You didn''t mess with him, period.


    And it looked like the Silver Rose would be finding out the hard way.

 Chapter 53- To Cross A king

    ~Jabal~


    Jabal knew it had been a bad idea to come to American soil after being invited, and he had advised Kazi Alukai as such. It was inevitable, however, that the most powerful man on Earth would never listen to his warnings and Kazi Alukai had come anyway. While the Will of Earth had many admirable qualities, the ability to listen to advice was not chief amongst them, not even from the man he himself had appointed as an adviser.


    And so when the American government had come bearing gifts as he had expected, Jabal had just sighed wearily and decided to patiently wait for the coming events to transpire. There was only one way they could go and he''d seen it happen too often now for it to surprise him. The predicted threats and assassination attempts that followed after their refusal to cooperate were laughable.


    Literally.


    Jabal could vividly recall just how funny Kazi had found the American''s aggression, and he¡¯d long gotten tired of the lame jokes that the man seemed to love cracking at their expense. That was why Jabal had such a heavy heart when he observed the four cloaked individuals standing in front of them.


    Perhaps they thought their appearances were mysterious and scary to the beholder, but to Jabal, it just looked like they were trying too hard to be something they so obviously weren''t. Maybe he was wrong, though, and the weird group would show him something interesting. That would break through the monotony his life had recently been.


    But Jabal wasn''t going to get his hopes up.


    Though the eerie pressure the individuals in front of him were releasing was strong enough to make it difficult for him to move comfortably, it paled in comparison to the aura of the real monster that stood beside him.


    An aura that was currently masked and repressed with iron control; which was sadly unfortunate for the group that had approached them. They would undoubtedly do something stupid when Kazi Alukai refused every offer they''d make, misleadingly thinking that they actually had a chance against the man. It was just sad to think about and so Jabal stopped employing his brain and prepared himself to enjoy the show.


    ¡°It''s an auspicious night when one is graced with meeting The Will of Earth.¡± A distinctly female voice said as one of the robed figures stepped forward, arm outstretched for a handshake.


    Kazi Alukai didn''t make a move to take it and Jabal was too busy cringing at the strange way that the woman was speaking to care about his king''s breach of decorum.


    Why is she speaking like that? Is she a little slow? What do the Americans call it? Special?


    Jabal simply could not fathom why the woman felt the need to speak like a second-rate antagonist from some bad eighties movie but if the woman wished to look like a fool, he would do nothing to stop her. Perhaps his English wasn''t the best, but even he knew when someone was trying too hard. Kazi Alukai seemed to have no qualms and he began to talk, his voice taking on that strange quality it always did when he used the magical translator he¡¯d gained during the tutorial.


    "I wish I could say the same bitch, but alas my time is a precious resource that cannot be wasted on the likes of yourself,¡± King Kazi responded, his voice filled with quiet mockery.


    Okay, maybe the translation wasn''t quite perfect. Jabal was pretty sure Kazi would not call a woman he had just met a bitch. He¡¯d wait at least a minute before doing so, one of his many rules, a king''s grace he called it- the minute of indulgence. It seemed however that Kazi was not in the best of moods and Jabal hoped that the shit show that would follow his king''s casual disrespect would be over quickly.


    Jabal could see, even through the woman''s dark robes, how her posture turned from one of weariness to one of barely controlled rage.


    ¡°Perhaps you don''t know exactly who it is you''re talking-¡±


    The woman''s sharp voice was interrupted by Kazi Alukai''s dismissive hand.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Your type always seems to think that everyone should know who they are. Pathetic wenches, the lot of you,¡± Kazi scoffed turning from the group and looking at Jabal, ¡°Come, my kingdom cannot govern itself and it''s been too long since I''ve seen my baby princess. She¡¯s probably driving the nanny crazy."


    Ah, his obsession with his daughter. It¡¯s the only thing normal about him.


    "We should hurry. I¡¯ve already entertained one idiot too many in my time here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my king,¡± Jabal responded.


    And whose fault is that? We should''ve never come here in the first place.


    He would never be caught dead saying that aloud, though. Kazi Alukai was an unpredictable man at the best of times and a harsh one at the worst. That was why Jabal was surprised but not shocked by what happened next. The group of cloaked individuals, as if having come to a joint decision, leapt forward as one, their malevolent auras intensifying as they sought to end the lives in front of them.


    It was an admirable, yet futile attempt at restoring their lost honour, if such a thing mattered to such filthy individuals, and they had barely moved a single meter before there was a flash of light, so bright it appeared that the sun had come down to Earth for the briefest of moments. The light vanished as soon as it had appeared, leaving Jabal blinking rapidly to try and get used to the darkness that once again surrounded him.


    Kazi Alukai continued walking forwards and Jabal quickly followed him. He didn''t need to look back to know that the four strangers were already dead, disintegrated into nothingness for daring to attack the man in front of him. He did briefly wonder why his king had not spared these aggressors like he had so many others and quickly received his answer from the man''s low mutterings.


    ¡°Fools, selling their humanity for such measly strength¡­¡±


    The rest of the sentence was spoken too quietly for Jabal to catch and though he was curious about what Kazi was saying, he didn''t let it concern him. He had a kingdom to run after all.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    There was no way he¡¯d be leaving that job in his king''s clumsy hands.


    ~Arthur Ward ~


    As he followed the government official walking in front of him, he took a moment to admire the results of working so hard for the past two days.


    Regeneration (Uncommon) Level 3- Use healing Ether to regenerate your body at 1.4% of max health total per minute of usage. Efficiency drops by 50% when used on another individual.


    Cost of usage on host: 25 Ether/minute


    Cost of usage on another: 35 Ether/minute


    Secondary Effect: 140 healing affinity Ether may be stored as OVERHEALTH in the target of this ability to be used for recovery when the individual is injured. This stored Ether works under Host-Use efficiency levels. Overhealth cannot be stored in the host.


    After his admission that he would be unable to finish healing Tamo by the time the operation would begin, it was decided, though reluctantly on Selena''s part, that his time leading up to his job would be better served in assisting the government in dealing with all the strange wounds and maladies that afflicted their agents during their deployment in dangerous situations. Doing so without arousing Toshiro''s suspicions was perhaps the most difficult part of his job so far.


    It had allowed Arthur to deal with a variety of injuries that he would have never seen if he¡¯d continued working in the hospital which pushed him to stretch the abilities of his regeneration skill to the utmost limits. His growth was a testimony to that and also the main reason he was here.


    With the operation only twenty-four hours away, it was decided that Arthur would stop using ether to heal and instead use the skill''s secondary effect and start storing healing affinity ether in the personnel who would participate in subjugating Shade.


    That had been the initial plan, the reason he''d been selected for the job, and yet when Arthur had told Selena¡¯s superior officer exactly how his regeneration skill worked, he was told that he would use the ability''s primary effect one more time before he started distributing out his healing ether.


    Arthur had no idea who it was he¡¯d be using the skill on, as no one had decided to inform him and that was why he was following the man in front of him through the government facility. Arthur marvelled at the underground bunker he was in, one initially created for use in the event of a nuclear fallout but now modified into a base of sorts since the system''s arrival.


    Looking at its sturdy structure, Arthur could see why. Even a level 150 monster would have trouble getting in here. All this crazy security however begged the question. Who, or what was he being taken towards and why were they stuck here?


    It''s almost like a prison of sorts.


    With a sinking feeling in his chest, Arthur realised that the sturdy walls were perhaps there not to keep things out, but to keep something locked in. Still, the man he was following, Bryan, looked completely at ease and Arthur tried to calm himself down. The government wouldn''t ask him to heal an unstable criminal now, would they?


    Screw that, they totally would.


    Arthur prepared himself to say no if he was either asked or blackmailed into doing something he didn''t want to, though he hoped the government had at least learnt something from that last time they had tried to force his hand. It hadn''t worked well for them then and Arthur would make sure that this would be a repeat event if they tried anything similar this time.


    Still, he hoped he was wrong, and everything would go as well as it had been for the past few days, though Arthur didn''t get his hopes up. He¡¯d been let down one time too many to put his trust in the fickle mistress of fate, and he wasn''t naive enough to think there were any good guys and bad guys in the world, let alone that he was serving a group of the former.


    There were only individuals with different ideals who made the right or wrong choices, and so Arthur hoped that he would continue making the correct ones, or rather, that life allowed him to do so. Bryan suddenly stopped walking as he spotted two figures approaching from the distance. They were still quite far away, but Arthur could see that they seemed to be scientists or researchers of some sort, dressed in white lab coats.


    As they got closer, Arthur saw that they were an elderly man and woman, with silver-grey streaks in their hair though they walked with the vigour of someone half their age, no doubt thanks to investing in strength and vitality. One of the greatest boons of the system''s arrival was that old age no longer resulted in a frail, weak body.


    The elderly pair stopped in front of Bryan, and Arthur was surprised to see the man lower his head slightly as a show of deference, not quite a bow, but halfway there. If Bryan, one of the leaders of the upcoming operation showed respect to these two, then that meant that they weren''t the ordinary scientists that Arthur had first taken them for.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my secretary already called ahead of time to inform you that I¡¯d be making a trip here,¡± Bryan asked the elderly pair.


    ¡°Yes she did, though the girl never said why you¡¯d be wasting our valuable time,¡± the severe-looking woman scoffed, looking down at her wristwatch as if it physically pained her to talk to the younger man.


    Bryan actually looked abashed by the woman''s scornful tone, and Arthur''s perspective of the scientists shot up even higher.


    Do not piss off the nice old couple.


    ¡°Well you see,¡± Bryan started before being interrupted by the woman.


    ¡°No, I don''t see very well, thank you very much, you buffoon.¡±


    Bryan swallowed dryly at the interruption and Arthur almost pitied the man for a moment. He tried to talk again, this time skipping any pleasant manner of speech and going straight to the meat of his dialogue.


    ¡°I have with me a healer that can probably deal with your subjects.¡±


    The reaction to his statement was far more drastic than Arthur had expected as he observed the researcher''s faces cycle rapidly through excitement, joy and curiosity before finally settling on one of weary indifference.


    ¡°What says he won''t be like the rest of the riff-raff you brought in before? She asked, looking at Arthur with disdain.


    It seemed that he wasn''t the first healer that had been called in for this job and it made Arthur a little excited to try and succeed where so many others before had failed. A challenge was always welcome when it didn''t endanger his life. He didn''t let his excitement blind him, however, and kept his cautious outlook. Bryan smiled triumphantly.


    ¡°Because the young man here has evolved his regeneration skill and further levelled it three times.¡±


    Arthur could practically hear the smugness in his voice and he looked in amusement at the looks of disbelief on the old researcher''s face.


    ¡°Are you sure the boy''s not lying? Such high skill levels should be numerically impossible to achieve in such a short amount of time. He''d need to be twice his level to possess the ether for that to make sense.¡±


    The old man''s voice was deep and cracked a little from receiving such little use. His partner now had a look of disgust on her face, unable to understand how Bryan expected her to just accept such bullshit.


    ¡°The boy''s not lying,¡± Bryan argued back, ¡°The kid''s a damn miracle worker. I saw him regrow a man''s lungs in three minutes right in front of me."


    The researchers looked surprised at that and the old man nodded his head slowly.


    ¡°Perhaps we should give him a chance, after all. It wouldn''t hurt to try."


    "Worst case scenario, you¡¯ll just look like a fool, Bryan, for trusting him.¡±


    Arthur was following the conversation with rapt attention, wondering what the hell was going on. The three individuals suddenly turned to him, and Arthur almost took a step back under the pressure of their combined stares.


    ¡°Arthur, we¡¯ve already trusted you with a lot of information, so I¡¯m not going to force you to sign a contract of silence or anything of the sort, okay," Bryan said carefully.


    Arthur nodded his head to say he¡¯d received the message loud and clear. He¡¯d keep his gob shut alright. The woman took over and Arthur could tell she was the more sceptical of the pair. She hadn''t believed a word that had come out of Bryan''s mouth.


    ¡°Boy, you might not believe what I¡¯m about to say, but you¡¯ve already seen what happens when a dimensional breach occurs, right.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head again, not understanding why the woman had brought this up. A question he would soon have answered it turned out. The old woman smiled wickedly as if she knew that her next words would fuck with Arthur''s head.


    ¡°So what happens if it isn¡¯t a monster that comes from the other side?¡±


    She paused for a second, trying to build suspense.


    ¡°What happens if it''s a sapient species?¡±


    "An Alien."

 Chapter 54- Trust?

    Arthur stood in shocked silence as he considered the implications of what the old woman had just said, his brain almost short-circuiting from the number of thoughts running through his head.


    An Alien. A real fucking alien here on Earth.


    Sure, he''d seen Erico at the Serako assembly who was technically an otherworlder, but she was still a human. She hadn''t quite fit the alien bill. Do they look like us or are they Dragonoids or something? The old woman started to laugh at Arthur''s shocked expression.


    "Don''t worry, I think everyone went a little batshit when people came out of the Dimensional breach instead of the standard monsters."


    She chuckled again before muttering something under her breath too quietly for Arthur to hear. Bryan continued where she left off.


    "Of course, everything wasn''t sunshine and rainbows," he clarified. "The two dimensional travellers didn''t come here voluntarily. They were running from monsters and the only hopping dimensions was the only chance they''d had at survival.


    Arthur''s excitement came crashing back down when he heard that and he chastised himself for not realising sooner than no one would actually want to risk jumping into an unstable dimensional breach.


    "So what happened to them?" Arthur eventually asked after taking some time to collect his thoughts. Bryan sighed, rubbing at his temples before he answered.


    "Well, no one knew what to do with them at first. There was a hot debate about whether we should just kill them on the spot or detain them for questioning."


    Arthur blanched at the casual way Bryan had just mentioned the culling of two innocent lifeforms and reminded himself that this man, for all his friendly appearances, was on the government''s payroll.


    Despite them not being human, they were still sapient and should have been treated with the appropriate respect they deserved, but he could also see where the government had been coming from. It would''ve been so much simpler to just kill the two, then let them live and risk so much going wrong.


    Bryan didn''t seem to notice how distraught Arthur was and continued with his explanation.


    "In the end, the fact that one of them was bleeding out and dying helped us make our decision. That, and the fact we didn''t want to deal with a distraught level 150 individual if we ended up killing her younger brother."


    Arthur filed away the information, so the aliens are siblings and the fact that one of the two was considered a child means wherever they were before coming here wasn''t supposed to be a dangerous place.


    After all, Arthur doubted that anyone would ever bring a younger sibling to a place they could get injured severely enough to the point of grave injury. It gave credence to the fact that the two were in fact running from a monster instead of deciding to just investigate what was on the other side of a tear in dimensions.


    Arthur could however be wrong about the dimensional travellers and they could potentially be some carefully disguised scouts of an invading force for all he knew. He highly doubted that though.


    Bryan continued with his story.


    "And there lies the problem. The woman, despite her obvious ability to somehow communicate with us, refuses to tell us anything, instead demanding that we heal her brother before she will consider any negotiations."


    Bryan, looked at the young healer in front of him to see how he was taking everything. What he saw surprised him. Besides the young man''s initial shock at the mention of otherworlders, he listened to the rest of the story as if it was completely ordinary and not such a fantastical tale.


    Bryan realised at that moment that Arthur was much more calculating and intelligent than his casual, carefree persona otherwise indicated.


    "So, I''m guessing you want me to try healing her brother," Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Bryan nodded his head.


    "What I don''t understand, is why you haven''t healed the kid already. I''m sure you must have found a way to help him by now." Arthur confronted, carefully observing the man to see how he reacted to the accusation.


    It was the woman who answered.


    "Boy, don''t you think we''ve tried everything we could? Nothing works. The wounds were inflicted by a poisonous monster we believe to have been at least level 120. It''s taken everything we''ve got just to keep the kid alive," she explained, before looking at her watch.


    Her eyes widened in surprise before she turned around, and quickly walked away.


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    "Hurry up, we''ve got ten minutes before we need to change the filters we''re using. Your healing won''t matter otherwise unless you''re Jesus himself. The kid will already be dead."


    With a sense of urgency, everyone hurried after her. Arthur was led into a room where he was told to wait with Bryan whilst a team of professionals all went through a heavily bolted door. Arthur had no doubt that the child was in that room but he swallowed his curiosity and waited as he had been told. He didn''t want his presence to interfere with the researchers'' jobs and put the boy''s life at risk. It was one of the longest fifteen minutes of his life, second only to the time his sister had finally gotten the surgery that was needed to treat her defective liver.


    During that time, an awkward silence developed between the two men. but Arthur chose not to break it by talking. In the end, Bryan finally spoke.


    "I know this may be a lot to ask of you, but we really need that woman on our side. Especially if we want to take out shade without any casualties. Do everything you can, and I mean everything to make sure you get into her good books. If you can, I''ll make sure to pay you something myself outside of whatever the higher-ups decide to give."


    Arthur nodded his head, not really listening to the man''s words. Bryan sighed, realising that now wasn''t the best time to secure any promises from Arthur.


    "Look, man. From me to you, forget the rest of the people in this facility, all the different agendas and goals everyone has. Those siblings deserve all the help they can get. They don''t deserve what''s happening to them, and I''d be damned if I see them suffer in some old fool''s attempt to desperately try and cling to their power."


    Arthur looked up, surprised at the vehemence in the man''s voice. He hadn''t taken Bryan to be the soft type. The man snorted at the surprise that must have sown on his face.


    "Look, man. I ain''t no saint but I know right from wrong. And I know what side I want to be on in the coming chaos."


    Arthur tried to say something but the man raised his finger to his lips.


    "Don''t say anything. Just listen. I have an item on me that stops anything or anyone I don''t want from picking up my voice. They''re definitely listening in right now. All they''ll hear is silence."


    Arthur nodded his head and didn''t say anything despite his burning curiosity. Just what was going on? Is there a war coming up or something?


    "Good. I know you have a lot of questions but just listen for now. Things are not going well for Earth right now. Something big''s coming and we''re not ready for it. No, we don''t know what it is, only that our divination magic is telling us that a lot of people are going to die."


    "I represent the Murker family. They are a part of a neighbouring tier two world and they''ve been established on Earth for the last six hundred years. I''ve not got time to explain how they went about slipping past the systemic laws in place, but I can tell you they didn''t break them outright."


    "I''m babbling now, aren''t I? This is a warning. Don''t trust anyone here. They''re acting blind right now but your secrets aren''t so secret anymore. They know you didn''t go to the tutorial. You really should have cleaned up after yourself better. At least deleted the footage. Your friend Sarah in the police force tried to cover your tracks but she wasn''t thorough enough. They found out."


    Arthur was left reeling by all the bombshells being dropped on him. They know about my absence from the tutorial. And Sarah tried to cover for me. Is she okay? Did they punish her? What else do they know?


    Bryan seemed to read his mind and answered his question.


    "She''s fine. They didn''t kill her or anything. But they did give her quite the fright."


    A sudden beep went off from within Bryan''s pocket. He looked down at it and cursed.


    "Shit. Miley''s coming. I don''t know if my item will work on her perception abilities properly so I''ll have to cut this short. Once this whole Shade business is done, Maxwell Murker wants to meet you. I''ll give you more details later. Don''t try and ask me anything unless I approach you first."


    "They''re always listening."


    With that ominous line, Bryan shut up and Arthur had to assume that this Myley woman was now within range. He didn''t know what to do, didn''t know what to think. Was Bryan telling him the truth? Could he trust him? What''s this great danger that''s coming to Earth?


    Despite his burning curiosity, Arthur maintained his vigil of silence as instructed by the older man and waited as the seconds ticked by. There was nothing he could do right now. He simply didn''t have enough information to make an informed decision. Being reactive right now will just blow things out of proportion. Arthur took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he tried to calm himself down. It wasn''t the end of the world. Whatever the government might want from him, they were fine with giving him extra time. That was the resource he needed more than anything else right now. Enough time that he''d be untouchable by the time they wanted to deal with him.


    Finally, after nearly twenty minutes of silence had passed, a young woman, perhaps Myley, came in and requested that Arthur come with her.


    When Bryan got up to follow, the woman chimed, "Professor Jhonson only asked for Arthur''s presence I''m afraid."


    Bryan retook his seat, though reluctantly and Arthur could see the brief frown that flashed across his face that the man quickly hid behind a smile of understanding.


    A power play or are they setting something up?


    Arthur tried not to let it concern him and nervously followed the woman who set what would have once been considered an extremely brisk pace. Arthur swallowed the questions he wanted to ask when they reached a metal door in just thirty seconds. The journey had been much faster than he''d expected and he didn''t even have any time to prepare himself as the woman immediately opened the door without announcing their arrival.


    She looked back at him, indicating that he should walk through. Arthur gulped the saliva that had gathered in his throat and entered the old professor''s office. The room was quite cramped, but then again, the underground bunker had not been created with comfort in mind. Arthur briefly took in the minimalistic design of the room, before looking at the man sitting behind the desk.


    Arthur was surprised to see that it was the same old man that he had met first in the facility. He''d realised that the professor had a high position here but not that he was in fact the man in charge of the entire place. Arthur reminded himself to never judge anything at first glance ever again.


    Unsure of what to do, Arthur just stood there, waiting for the professor to speak. He wasn''t held in suspense for long and the old man spoke, his voice now lacking its earlier grouchy tone.


    "Arthur Ward. I think it''s time we see if you''re up to snuff. Let''s go meet Alyssia."

 Chapter 55- Alyssia SilVorken

    ~Alyssia Sil¡¯Vorken~


    Looking down at her pale green skin, Alyssia sighed wearily. Considered a sign of noble birth in her homeland, it had led to her ostracisation in this strange new world she¡¯d found herself in. Everything seemed so wrong about her current residence. From the weird metallic substance that the walls were all made out of, to the harsh white light illuminating everything that irritated her eyes so much.


    It just all seemed so fake, a perversion of the natural world, so far from the earthy forests she once used to roam. These memories brought with them the familiar twinge of anxiety and worry, and she hoped that her family were doing well in her absence. The guilt of failing her younger brother came crashing into her, and she felt tears of fear prickling her eyes. If he doesn''t make it, I''ll kill every... Alyssia quickly shut down that line of thinking and tried to steer her mind towards more productive things. There was nothing she could do for him now besides hope and pray that the humans would be able to heal him.


    ¡°Humans,¡± she spoke the word aloud, her voice containing all the rage and anger she felt towards them, croaking with disuse. She had heard the casual manner in which they had debated whether or not to end her life before they had realised that she could understand them. And the cold indifference they had displayed to a dying child. She clenched her fists. This strange race knew nothing of honour, respect or hospitality. They completely disregarded the rights of Fai, Shan, never mind the universal decency of helping an injured infant.


    Alyssia tried to calm herself down. These people are not Alverin. I cannot expect them to follow our laws and customs, she told herself. But still, it took all her self-control to not lash out against her ''captors,¡¯ and only the fact that she would never be able to save her brother alone kept her from killing the emotionless mongrels.


    At least their food was nice.


    It was the only good thing she liked about this. She opened up the latest packet of her favourite snack. ¡®Potato chips¡¯ they called it and she was as amazed now with the delightful flavour as she had been the first time she''d had it. How does a vegetable achieve such a crispy texture and how do they make it taste like meat, she wondered, placing a handful of it inside her mouth. The packet was sadly finished in a matter of minutes and it took all her willpower to not request another one from the humans.


    They had already taken her freedom, she would never let them have her dignity as well. Well maybe it wouldn''t hurt to ask for another, her subconsciousness betrayed her. Alyssia shook her head, trying to clear it. She briefly suspected that the humans may have spiked her food to elicit such strange emotions from her but just as quickly dismissed it as panic-induced paranoia. There was just so much going on and life didn''t seem to want to slow down to allow her to catch up.


    She felt that if she actually tried to face her current circumstances with a level head, she would drown in the uncertainties of it all and lose herself, adrift in a sea of doubts and worry. That was why her meandering thoughts seemed so sporadic.


    Alyssia was using the techniques taught to her by her friend to use when she was far out of her depth. ¡®Focus only on the little things, not the bigger picture.¡¯ Perhaps it wasn''t the best method to confront the cruel reality she had found herself in, especially considering its questionable source now resided in the belly of a Drake, but it was the only way thing keeping her sane right now.


    Once again, Alyssia cursed herself for not learning any healing arts and felt like killing her previous foolish self that thought such mundane magicians were beneath her. With a high affinity for augmentation, she had foolishly pursued it single-mindedly until she¡¯d managed to achieve the Journeymen tier in it. Whilst it had made her deadly in combat, she was of little use elsewhere, and she had realised that crushing fact when she gazed upon the prone form of her dying brother.


    If she had followed her sister''s advice and taken some lessons in healing magic from the tribe''s druid, perhaps she wouldn''t be in such dire circumstances, completely at the mercy of those weaker than her. Alyssia sighed wearily. Regretting past mistakes would get her nowhere now and did nothing but weaken her already fading resolve. All she could do was make sure that she never made the same mistake in the future if she ever did get a chance to learn the healing arts.


    Instead, it would be a much better use of her time to practice her magic and meditate on the battle that had brought her here.. Being well into the bronze zone of power, she should have easily been able to deal with the venom fang viper that had attacked her, and yet she had somehow allowed it to escape her senses and deal a mortal blow to her younger brother.


    Such a mistake should never have been made, and Alyssia would finally get around to practising the latest channelling exercises she had been taught by her teacher. Being able to better use the ¡®one source¡¯ would ensure she¡¯d never be so helpless ever again.


    Now if only she could figure out what the strange message in front of her eyes was all about. It had filled her vision since she¡¯d travelled through the dimensional breach and offered her a choice. Even after contemplating it for so many hours, she still had no idea what to do. She simply lacked the information to make a proper decision and Alyssia didn''t trust the humans enough to ask them for advice.


    Welcome to dimension 1471Ae5JJn2 Alverin.


    Being a dimensional traveller and possessing substantial prowess with Ether [one source] you have the right to reject the mandatory system integration of this tier 1 planet if you wish to do so. This however ill-advised and may lead to certain complications occurring during your stay here.


    Good luck, young magician.


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    Accept system [YES/NO]


    Alyssia couldn''t make heads or tales of the strange message, and the ominous mention of complications did little but make her wearier of accepting the system. At least she had an inkling of why the humans seemed to have a habit of staring into space all the time as if they were somehow seeing something that she couldn''t. And the one source is called ether in this weird dimension, she mused. The new name seemed so shallow and empty to her, not capturing the essence of what magic truly was but she wouldn''t fault those of this dimension for their terrible naming sense. Perhaps the profound meaning was lost in translation, after all her usage of the true source was far from perfect when it came to attempting to understand other dialects, never mind an entirely new language.


    Alyssia looked at the ¡®clock¡¯ on the wall. Such an ingenious invention though she''d never be caught dead saying it to her captors. It had been a quarter of an hourglass since the nice old man had told her they¡¯d found another healer to try and help her brother. Alyssia almost sorted in contempt at the memory. The second-rate quacks they had lauded as the ¡®best ¡® could barely pass for beginners in healing arts as if they had only been learning them for a week or something.


    Though she did grudgingly accept that their spell casting was flawless. It was just so simple, though, almost as if they had spent their entire lives trying to learn a single word to perfection instead of the language it belonged to. It was a good, albeit difficult way of learning magic, and she had never seen it practised to such an extreme degree before coming here. Shallow but perfect learning.


    It did have its merits though.


    After all, Alyssia knew as well as any other Alverin the results of overly ambitious people using the true source and deviating from the tried and tested methods of channelling. More often than not, disaster would ensue, and the ¡®lost one¡¯ would have to be put down before the corruption of their magic destroyed them. Such battles always resulted in massive loss of life and she''d only had to participate in one such fight to realise that such bloody work was not for her.


    Though her incredible physical prowess was no doubt perfect for such subjugation, she much preferred the security job she¡¯d taken for the tribe. Her inner musings were suddenly interrupted when she felt a threatening presence enter the edge of her sensing range.


    The individual was not particularly strong, in fact barely at the bronze tier and significantly weaker than her, but the barely suppressed aura they possessed was so incredibly dense and potent, it almost felt like it belonged to a baby apocalypse beast. She shivered in fear when she recalled that particular memory, quickly dispelling it from her thoughts. Now wasn''t the time to revisit childhood traumas. No, she needed to learn what was going on.


    The individual was no doubt the child of powerful parents, maybe gold tiers, as nothing else could explain such a rampant aura with such poor control. Alyssia felt a momentary stab of jealousy that she had not been born with such privileges. She quickly squashed that emotion down when she realised that the individual was coming towards her room and quickly tried to make herself look respectable, hastily disposing of the snacks she''d been eating and wiping her palms down.


    Alyssia dreaded the meeting that would take place. Such entitled brats always seemed to think the world revolved around them and she feared that the one approaching her was of that sort, here to inspect the oddity that had come through the dimensions. A brat that had come because he was bored and wanted stimulation.


    She grit her teeth, trying to quell her racing emotions, before trying to smile at the wall she could feel the presence behind. The humans seemed to like it when she did that, and it wouldn''t hurt to make a good first impression even if she had to swallow her pride to do so.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    Arthur looked at the open door, curiosity and anxiety warring within him. For some inexplicable reason, he felt like the coming moments would significantly affect the direction of his life and it was almost as if he was Pandora, with a box of temptations in front of him. Arthur knew how that story had gone, and he hoped that his own wouldn''t end so badly due to any ill-thought decisions he made.


    ¡°I really wouldn''t keep her waiting, if I were you.¡± Professor Jhonson said, his voice pulling Arthur out of his inner turmoil. ¡°It''s a bad decision to test a lady''s patience, especially when she can probably throw you through the wall,¡± he added, trying to use some humour to lighten the grim mood.


    He wasn''t altogether successful, though Arthur did grace him with a smile, appreciative at least of the effort the old man had put in to try and make him feel comfortable. Arthur sighed, finally realising that this wasn''t a simple game where he could let his guard down.


    This could very well end up with a lot of people dead, himself included if things went badly. The chips were already stacked against him without the added risk that his inner nerd geeking out at the prospect of meeting an alien would antagonise the woman before he could even attempt to heal her brother.


    He had an important task in front of him, it could very well determine whether or not they could take down Shade successfully without suffering any casualties.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur psyched himself up, hoping that he wasn''t making a grave mistake as he started to walk forward. Perhaps should have paid more attention to professor Johnson''s warnings. Maybe he really was making a mistake in coming here. These doubts ran through his head, and he knew that his uncertainty was in part probably induced by the pressure that the Alverin woman gave off. It felt like he was a deer caught in the presence of a wolf, and it taught him that for once, he really was outmatched, and not by a small margin. There''s always a bigger fish. He walked into the prisoner''s room.


    The steel door sealed shut behind him with a barely audible hiss, cutting off his route of escape, fat chance he¡¯d even get a moment to run if things actually went shit. He was now locked inside a room with an emotionally distraught Alverin woman, who his fellow humans had considered killing.


    It didn''t take a genius to tell him that the woman hated his guts, and the barely disguised contempt in her eyes really drove that point home. Arthur gulped and hoped that his fear didn''t show on his face. This was a really fucking stupid idea, he yelled inwardly at himself, questioning why he had ever thought meeting someone almost thrice his level would ever be a good idea.


    Arthur''s heart skipped a beat when the woman suddenly got up from her seat, and it took all his considerable willpower to not step back, appearances be damned. What she did next however broke all his expectations and he briefly wondered if his frightened state had finally broken his mind.


    Was he hallucinating?


    The green-skinned woman got down to her knee and lowered her head in respect, kneeling in front of him. She placed her hands together in a strange gesture, almost as if she was praying.


    ¡°Alyssia Sil¡¯Vorken of Arglare tribe greets the great one, ¡° she spoke, her voice filled with deference, a musical sound that made Arthur feel nostalgic for experiences he¡¯d never had. It almost felt like he was one with mother nature, submerged in the comforting embrace of a sun-warmed lake. None of that mattered though, and Arthur was trying to come to terms with the fact that an alien chick was kneeling before him.


    What in the world is going on?

 Chapter 56- Testing The Waters

    Arthur stood dumbfounded, as he looked down at the beautiful Alverin woman kneeling before him. As a level 153 individual from a dimension exempt from the shackles of the system, Arthur knew that this woman had reached this level of power using unstructured magic.


    It meant that she was far, far deadlier than any ordinary level 150 individual would have any right to be, in turn meaning that she could probably kick his ass very easily. It was for those very reasons that Arthur simply couldn¡¯t comprehend why such a being would deem it necessary to give him such respect. Maybe it¡¯s her culture''s manner of greeting, he thought to himself.


    After all, he was certain that the woman had looked at him with contempt just a few seconds ago and no one had mentioned that the Alverin ever greeted others in such strange ways. Professor Jhonson was similarly shocked, as he stood outside the room and observed the pair through the one-way window. Never before had he seen the woman treat another with such deference, and it took all his willpower not to open the door and try and eavesdrop on what she had just said.


    Well, I guess Bryan was right, he thought wryly. This ain''t no ordinary healer, that¡¯s for sure, for a moment, he worried that Arthur was perhaps a spy from a foreign nation, intent on stealing away the woman before he dismissed his fears as the paranoia of an old man in shock. Whilst Arthur seemed to be almost too perfect an individual for the current circumstances his guts were telling him that the boy was here due to a strange chain of coincidences. That however didn¡¯t satiate his desire to know more about the young healer, as well as what was going on in the room. Just why were his superiors so hung up on the kid?


    That was unfortunately impossible though, as the woman seemed to have magic that insured that no listening device of any sort worked within the room. Instead, he decided that he¡¯d simply observe and see what the two were doing. Everything seemed to be going well so far, as the Alverin woman was now seated at the table with Arthur sitting opposite her. She reached out to the teapot between them and poured herself a glass of the beverage before offering it to Arthur, who appeared to decline the drink.


    Professor Jhonson couldn''t be sure what was going on after all without being able to hear anything, but he felt a budding hope build in his chest as he saw the amicable interaction between the pair. Maybe now, they¡¯d finally be able to get some information out of the dimensional traveller.


    Professor Jhonson watched and waited.


    After the initial shock of the alverin woman''s actions had passed, Arthur had somehow managed to find his voice. ¡°Hey, there''s no need for any of that,¡± he protested, equal parts embarrassment and tension leaking into his voice. No one could blame him though. It wasn¡¯t every day that a hot alien chick decided to treat you like you were some sort of royalty, and Arthur told himself that his reaction was perfectly normal. ¡°Alyssia was it,¡± he asked. ¡°How about you get up and we can have our conversation concerning your little brother. I¡¯d feel a little stupid talking to the back of your head after all,¡± he joked nervously, trying to deflect some of his fear into the weak joke.


    After five seconds of awkward silence had passed, the woman finally looked up before getting back to her feet in a single graceful movement that hinted at the experienced movements of a powerful warrior. Arthur could see the amused smile on her face as if she was aware of the discomfort her actions had caused him, though she did still have a strange look in her eyes, now one containing weariness instead of the barely disguised disgust of before. Well, at least it¡¯s an improvement, Arthur reassured himself, though, for the life of him, he couldn¡¯t figure out why the woman seemed to be almost afraid of him. Maybe she''s worried and doesn''t want to ruin her brother''s chances by offending the only healer that has a chance of helping her sibling. The explanation seemed a little weak though and didn¡¯t really explain the overly subservient greeting she had given him. Oh well. No use worrying about it now, he told himself.


    ¡°So, why don¡¯t we both take a seat,¡± Arthur proposed, as he made his way to one of the only available chairs, noticing the way Alyssia tensed as moved closer to her. That at least confirmed that she didn¡¯t like him, the first reaction she''d produced that actually made any sense since he¡¯d entered the room. Alyssia stood still for a moment as if she was unsure of what to do before she let out the breath she¡¯d been holding. Perhaps it hadn¡¯t been the best idea to embarrass the young man before her, but she couldn¡¯t help but taunt the individual who had probably come here to only satisfy his own curiosity. They tended to demand respect and her outright subservience from the get-go was sure to have confused the young man.


    Her mother would probably have a heart attack if she ever saw her daughter treating a powerful individual''s child in such a reckless manner, but she wasn¡¯t here to rebuke Alyssia.


    Still, she''d made a promise to herself that she¡¯d at least try to be polite in their meeting. After all, her situation was already dire enough without inviting upon herself the ire of someone like Arthur and the family behind him. Alyssia sighed wearily, hoping that the young man would make this meeting short as she took her seat opposite him. She poured herself a cup of tea, before offering the beverage to her companion, who respectfully declined. Well, it was his loss. The beverage was positively delicious.


    The near-boiling temperature of the tea, however, did little but provide a pleasant warmth that improved her mood slightly. One that was sadly ruined when the arrogant brat decided to open his mouth and ask a stupid question.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you know why I¡¯m here?¡± Arthur asked, gulping as he saw the flash of rage cross Alyssa¡¯s face when she heard the question. Why the hell was she getting so angry at him? It wasn¡¯t his fault that her brother had been hurt so badly and it was at her request that he was even meeting her in the first place.


    So why the hell was she the one giving him a stink eye?


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    ¡°Yes, I know exactly why you are here,¡± Alyssia eventually replied, her voice frosty and cold, almost like it hurt her to speak to Arthur.


    You come to see me like I¡¯m some sort of kind of caged animal and then have the temerity to ask me if I know why you are here. It took all her self-control to not shout those words to the arrogant bastard''s face though she managed to calm down by reminding herself that whilst she could no doubt kill the man in front of her, it was a very different story when it came to his parents.


    They would certainly come for revenge and she wasn¡¯t prepared to face those consequences. Though it did puzzle her why such a powerful individual had come to this planet. From what she¡¯d learned, the world had only evolved for the first time around two weeks ago and that was nowhere near long enough to birth a young monster like the man in front of her. It could only mean that he was from another world, but that raised the question of why he was even here in the first place. Whilst she knew she must have been a rare sight being a dimensional traveller, it didn¡¯t really warrant someone travelling so far just to see her.


    After all, they weren¡¯t so rare.


    She herself had seen two such individuals in her time back home, and though it had been a novel experience, meeting two ¡®fui¡¯shan¡¯ wasn¡¯t actually really a big deal. They actually became so much more common once a world had evolved at least twice and it was just her shit luck that she¡¯d somehow managed to find herself on a recently evolved planet which was infinitely rarer than the usual kind. She would have thought twice before jumping into a dimensional breech if she knew this would have happened. Thinking back to the panic and fear she¡¯d felt with her dying brother in her arms she quickly revised that opinion. She would have jumped through the gates of hell itself if she¡¯d had even an iota of a chance to save her brother. She was pulled out of her thoughts when the man spoke.


    ¡°The names Arthur by the way. I¡¯m the healer that¡¯s been bought into helping your brother, though you probably already knew that.¡± Arthur said carefully, hoping that the woman would become less angry at the mention of the fact that he was a healer and probably her brother''s greatest chance at recovery. Alyssia did react to his statement, though much different than he had expected, her face cycling first through shock, then amazement and finally setting on hope. I swear professor Johnson said that the healer was a young man from Earth. That''s the name of this planet, right? She thought in disbelief. How the hell is someone so strong after only two weeks of being in contact with the one source?


    Immediately, she thought that the old professor must have been deceived by the young man in some way. There was absolutely no way someone could become so strong in such little time. It was unheard of, impossible even. With how concentrated and paradoxical his aura was, his power wasn''t something he''d grown into himself.


    It was inherited.


    His complete lack of control made no sense otherwise.


    Except that the man before her had no reason whatsoever to lie about his origins in a world that had only recently evolved. She used her magic to take a deeper scan of his aura, making sure she was discreet about it. With how lacking his aura control was, she probably needn''t have bothered but it was better to ere on the side of caution.


    It only took her two seconds to make some pretty horrifying discoveries. And concerning for the man before her. Did he know what he was doing to himself? Was he trying to kill himself? It wasn''t the first time she''d seen a warrior go down the path of self-destruction. Self-punishment, desperation or just simple idiocy?


    So he really is from Earth, she thought to herself, though she tried to not let herself get too excited. Even if the man before her had an incredibly potent aura, that strength didn¡¯t necessarily translate into his healing skills, and she didn¡¯t want to be crushed by disappointment if he failed to heal her brother. Or if he dies before he can even try. Plus, Alyssia still couldn¡¯t believe with one hundred percent certainty that Arthur was actually from Earth. He¡¯d have to be a one-in-a-billion prodigy to have amassed such power so quickly and she didn¡¯t think fate was kind enough to deliver to her the best healer on the planet at her greatest time of need.


    And so it was that Alyssia tried to calm herself down and school her expression. It was unseemly of a trained scout of the Rivertha tribe to wear her heart on her sleeve. Alyssia wouldn¡¯t get excited, couldn¡¯t, at least until she confirmed that Arthur was the man he claimed he was. ¡°Perhaps my question may come across as strange,¡± she began noticing how Arthur leaned forward uncertainly in his seat to catch her words better. It would have probably been endearing if she wasn¡¯t so tense right now.


    ¡°But do you mind telling me which planet you hail from,¡± Alyssia asked the young healer, waiting with bated breath for the answer that would affect the entire course of this meeting. Arthur looked at her in surprise and didn¡¯t say anything for a long moment, to the point that Alyssia feared that her translation spell wasn¡¯t working properly. Had he not understood what she''d said?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what professor Johnson told you, but I¡¯m from planet Earth,¡± Arthur eventually replied, hoping that he wasn¡¯t betraying any of the dangerous woman¡¯s expectations with his words. ¡°You''re the only alien here, I¡¯m afraid to say,¡± Arthur joked, trying to lighten the mood once again. He worried that he had offended the Alverin woman in some way with his pathetic attempt at a joke when he saw the frown that covered her face. Maybe alien was a degenerative term where she came from, and Arthur had no idea what her translation skill had understood from the word. He almost let out an audible sigh of relief when Alyssia smiled widely at him, with genuine happiness in her eyes, the movement of her lips completely transforming her face. It was almost like she was a different person and Arthur could have spent a hot admiring her unique beauty. The magical effect was unfortunately broken when Alyssia stopped smiling, though she surprised him even more when she started laughing. It sounded like the Alverin woman was releasing a lot of stress through the action and Arthur sat awkwardly scratching his head as he waited for the woman to calm down. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d said anything that funny to cause such a strong reaction, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain that the dangerous lady was now in a good mood.


    It took Alyssia almost a minute to calm herself down, a time during which Arthur had absolutely no idea what to do with himself. She eventually looked up at him and wiped a tear away from her eye, mumbling something under her breath as she did so.


    ¡°So, Arthur is it,¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve just told me the best news I¡¯ve heard since coming to this shit hole.¡± She added, smiling jubilantly. Arthur had no idea what she was talking about but just nodded his head in agreement. ¡°So, your fine with me working on your brother,¡± he asked cautiously. Alyssia just shook her head in amazement before replying ¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯d be begging you to if you refused. No, what I want to want to talk to you about is something completely different now.¡±


    Arthur was immediately weary when he heard that open-ended statement. He¡¯d met enough sketchy salesmen to notice their trademark opening pitch.


    ¡°What do you think about making a deal with me?¡± Alyssia asked, smiling sweetly.


    "It could be your only chance at saving your life?"

 Chapter 57- A Pleasant Conversation

    Arthur was out of his depth. What was supposed to be a quick meeting in which his abilities would be assessed had somehow become a shady deal of sorts. Arthur had no idea he had even found himself in this situation, all he had done was tell Alyssia that he was from Earth when asked and he was now being offered to take part in some strange transaction.


    And what was this about him dying?


    Alyssia was no doubt far, far stronger than him and he was certain that he had nothing to offer the enigmatic woman, besides maybe his above-average healing skills. That service was already a given with his presence in the facility, however, which served only to add to Arthur''s rising sense of confusion. What, does she want me to betray the humans or something, he thought wearily as a number of absurd scenarios made their way through his head. Some of his anxiety must have shown on his face, or perhaps it was because of the fact he had remained silent for so long. The lack of reaction from the young healer left her questioning her translation abilities. Was her magic failing to deliver? Was she doing the right thing? Why does a simple conversation have to be so complicated? she thought to herself as she recalled her mother''s constant warnings that she''d one day regret not having practised the spell as much as she had ought to. As usual, her mother''s words had now been proven correct and she felt a tinge of sadness not knowing if and when she¡¯d ever see her family again. Maybe the fact I told him he''s gonna die. Gee, how could that go wrong?


    She shook her head, trying to rid herself of her melancholy, now was not the time to be losing herself in the past and she took a deep breath.


    ¡°I don''t think you understand me correctly Arthur. What I meant was that I need your help with answering a few questions. And hopefully, I can answer a few of yours? I''m sure you''re confused after what I just said.¡± Alysssia asked hopefully, being extremely careful that she was using the one source properly to not botch up the translation skill.


    She had no idea what Arthur would be hearing otherwise and she didn''t want to antagonize him any more than she already had. Seeing Arthur''s frown disappear, Alyssia sighed in relief. Maybe she still had a chance with this meeting.


    ¡°So, that''s what you meant,¡± Arthur replied, trying his best to put on a friendly smile, though how successful he was in doing so was questionable judging by Alyssia who looked taken aback by the visage displayed before her. Hastily continuing with his speech, Arthur tried to put his best foot forward.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure to be of any assistance to you Alyssia. And maybe you could shed some light on my imminent demise.¡±


    That sounded like he was kissing ass too much even for him and had come out far sassier than he''d intended, but it couldn''t hurt to trample on his pride a little to appease the dangerous woman before him.


    It seemed it had worked at least a little as he saw the tension drain out of the Alverin woman''s shoulders. She smiled at him, the expression one of both relief and hope. And a little embarrassment. ¡°I must apologise. I was being a little melodramatic earlier with my tales of doom. I¡¯m sorry to ask you this, but you must understand that none of what I say must leave this room. I promise that I¡¯ll compensate you properly,¡± she requested earnestly, lowering her head in the process until her face was covered in a curtain of her lustrous brown hair.


    Arthur took a moment to consider the woman''s request, curiosity and caution warring within him, but the annoying way both he and she had been treated by the government quickly made the decision for him. It wouldn''t hurt to add some more to the pile of secrets he was already keeping from them and he felt absolutely no lingering sense of loyalty to them, fellow humans be damned.


    ¡°Don''t worry, nothing you say will leave this room, unless I am explicitly given permission from you to do so.¡± Arthur finally spoke, committing himself to the woman''s trust. ¡° If there''s one thing I know the value of, it''s silence.¡±


    Alyssia looked up sharply, meeting Arthur''s eyes with her own predatory gaze, and he felt almost locked up, a deer in headlights, though the effect was broken in seconds. Alyssia was shocked that the human seemed so ready to trust her, and she immediately suspected that he was lying in the hope of finding out a few of her secrets. After looking at him however and using some of her natural instincts and skill augmented with the one source, she realised that the healer had spoken the truth.


    For some reason, he really didn''t seem to care about the people in charge of this facility, for what reason Alyssia knew not, though she counted her lucky stars that was the case. A more cynical part of her told her that Arthur had perhaps experienced a similar relationship with the leadership as she was currently. It wouldn''t really surprise her, what with them being the callous barbarians that they were.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m surprised that you agreed so quickly, though I do thank you for your discretion, Arthur,¡± she eventually said. Arthur just chuckled at that.


    ¡°So what''s your first question, Alyssia?¡± he asked the alverin woman.


    She considered his question for a short while before settling on something suitable.


    ¡°Well, I don''t really understand how you managed to reach such a powerful level of strength with your planet having only evolved a few days ago. Frankly, I find it impossible to believe,¡± Alyssia chimed, deciding that this conundrum was the most important one to be solved before they progressed to more sensitive topics.


    "I have my suspicions but I''d like to hear what you have to say first. You don''t have to tell me everything, or anything at all really if you don''t want to. Afterwards, I''ll tell you what I think is going on and hopefully, it''ll lend credibility to my words and help you trust me. Okay?"


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    Arthur looked worried at the woman''s admission of his surprising power.


    She can tell how I became this powerful. Is it linked to me dying soon? Fuck, I knew monster cores were too good to be true? There just had to be a catch.


    Arthur was silent for a while before he came to a decision. He would tell her his story. Not all of it, just the barebones details. If she could fill in the gaps herself, then, well, he was probably fucked and in serious need of her assistance.


    ¡°Well, I guess I just got really lucky.¡± Arthur finally admitted.


    Alyssia didn''t seem to care about his non-answer and was about to speak before he continued.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure about how ether and all things magic work in your dimension, but in ours, we have something called the system.¡± He explained.


    Perhaps he could attribute some of his speedy growth to the crazy powerful thing and throw her off, see if she was the real deal with her prophecies of doom. Judging by the look of intrigue on the alverin''s face, it looked like she was ready to believe him.


    ¡°You see, as I know it, some people decided that magical usage on newly evolved planets was far too dangerous and volatile,¡± Arthur continued.


    Alyssia had a knowing look on her face, and Arthur was sure she had at least heard of such things if not seen them herself.


    ¡°So how does the system come into all of this,¡± she asked him, curiosity leaking into her voice.


    Arthur smiled when he heard the woman''s question. This, at least, was something he could answer very well, perhaps better than most people on Earth, given the fact that he had met a remnant of Sir Ruffeus III, one of the original creators of the system. And he could hopefully direct most of Alyssias attention to the powerful creation in the process, thus directing her curiosity away from his own secrets.


    Arthur took a deep breath as he prepared himself to give a satisfying explanation to the alverin woman. He looked down at his watch, it showed a quarter past ten. Arthur had a feeling that this would be a very long conversation.


    ~Alysssia Sil¡¯Vorken~


    Alysia listened with rapt attention to the fantastical tale Arthur wove, only interrupting him when her translation skill failed to pick up what he was saying. When he had finished, she was unsure as to whether her ether was working at all or if Arthur was just pulling her leg. The things Arthur had told her about were frankly difficult to believe. How in the world did someone create something like this system? She wondered. Screw that, it''s practically a cheat how easy it is to get stronger with it. There''s almost no risk of becoming a ¡®lost one¡® whilst using it. Well, I guess I can agree with him when he said it''d eventually become a limiter.


    She shuddered to think how stunted people''s control over ''the one source'' would become at higher levels. It practically saddled a person to mediocrity forever.


    Still, she couldn''t deny its uses at earlier stages of one''s growth. It was almost as if power was being handed to people on a silver platter and they didn''t even realise the value of the gift they had been given. She couldn''t blame them really though due to the fact that their entire interactions with the ¡®one source¡¯ had been within the confines of the system.


    The humans of earth had yet to realise just how difficult it would be to ¡®level up'' and ''assign stat points'' without the system''s aid. Alyssia herself could attest to that, with the countless times she had lost sleep due to the incredible pain felt when she hadn''t been able to assign her ¡®stats¡¯ properly after growing stronger. Still, with all this being said, it didn''t explain the incredibly potent aura that surrounded Arthur. After all, if he had reached such a level due to the bounties of the system, it would only make sense that others too would have reached similar levels of power. And yet she hadn''t met anyone that even came close to exhibiting the pressure that Arthur did and she sincerely doubted Arthur''s great strength was the result of aid from the system. A part of it perhaps, but Alyssia refused to believe that just anyone could achieve what Arthur had in two weeks with the system''s assistance.


    No, Arthur was special, and there was a lot that he was keeping from her. So a test then. He wants to see if I can correctly identify his source of power and see if I''m trustworthy or not. I can hardly blame him. I wouldn''t trust me either if I was in his position.


    He wasn''t the naive young man she had initially thought he was and he was most definitely not the arrogant bastard child of a powerful individual. No, the man before her was far more intelligent and deadly than she had given him credit for and not because he had some powerful people behind him.


    The instincts that had always served her so well told her that Arthur was a self made man that had achieved his current strengths with his own two hands. She shuddered to think of the absolute monster he would one day become, no doubt surpassing the apocalypse beasts his aura was currently mimicking. If he could survive that long. This was not someone she wanted to make an enemy of and helping him in his moment of weakness would probably significantly increase her chances of ever making it back home. If I can even help him. His soul is fucked. Can he even use the one source right now?


    ¡°So you see, I''ve actually got an offer to join that system of yours,¡± Alyssia said, noticing the look of relief that passed Arthur''s face when he realised she wasn''t going to pursue the reasons behind his abnormal strength. Yes, she was definitely making the right choice, she told herself.


    ¡°I''ll definitely take that opportunity after hearing what you said. As thanks for answering my questions, how about I give you something. Hopefully, it''ll help you trust my next words more.¡± She smiled at him.


    "As a scout for my tribe, I have to always carry a circuit stone with me. It carries the circuitry for the spell I''m using to communicate with you generally used to facilitate a better conversation with any travellers I meet. Usually, it''s temporary but with the system''s assistance, I suspect it may perhaps become one of those five ''skills'' you can possess outside of your affinities."


    "I''m sure you would have taken a translation spell anyway right. That''s what that Serako lady told you to do right. How''d you feel about getting one from another dimension."


    A system notification flashed before Arthur''s eyes.


    You have been offered the skill Myriad Tongues (Unique-Rare) by Alyssia Sil''Vorken. This skill structure does not fall under the normal circuitry of system skills and may not perform up to standard.


    Do you wish to accept?


    YES/NO


    Arthur clicked yes. He couldn''t help but smile at the description that came up.


    Myriad tongues (Unique-Rare) - A strange yet effective way of using ether has led to the creation of a skill that can be used to both speak and understand most languages. Be warned though, the skill''s circuitry is far from a perfect match with the system.


    Secondary effect: Will help host tell when they are being lied to. This effect scales with Charisma and Willpower.


    Congratulations, you have gained the achievement:


    System Teacher I


    Talking to Alyssia was one of the best decisions he''d made in a while. Now he just needed to prevent his imminent demise and things would be perfect.

 Chapter 58- You should watch what you eat

    Arthur looked over the latest skill he had gained as well as his first-ever achievement. From what he''d learned in the Serako assembly, they were rewards that the system handed out as an impetus for people to do certain things. They could be gained for a variety of reasons, from killing a particularly aggravating being to making inroads in ether usage. It looked like he''d managed to gain his first one.


    He''d been a little hesitant to learn the translation skill from Alyssia. It would take up one of the five skill slots he had for general skills outside of his affinities. Sure they had restrictions and they couldn''t be entirely combat-focused but a general skill was a general skill. They were how mages and warriors rounded out their builds and sacrificing one was painful.


    In the end, it had been Alyssia''s sound reasoning that persuaded him. As she''d mentioned, it was standard procedure across the universe to use one for a translation skill. Getting one that hailed from another dimension was sure to be pretty damn amazing.


    He couldn''t say he was disappointed.


    Myriad tongues (Unique-Rare) - A strange yet effective way of using ether has led to the creation of a skill that can be used to both speak and understand most languages. Be warned though, the skill''s circuitry is far from a perfect match with the system.


    Secondary effect: Will help host tell when they are being lied to. This scales with Charisma and Wisdom.


    Congratulations, you have gained the achievement:


    System Teacher I- Introduce some new information and/or method into the system. Grants host ten Unassigned attribute points.


    Alyssia smiled at the obvious joy on Arthur''s face.


    "I''m not sure what the system is telling you but it looks like it''s pretty great right." She gushed excitedly.


    "Wait, what rarity is it. It''s one of my less proficient magics but I want to see how it ranks here. Is it uncommon? No, better. It''s rare, right? Right?"


    Arthur chuckled at how eager the alverin woman was, finding it hard to compare the bubbly woman to the terrifying individual he''d first thought of her as. He''d learned during the duration of their conversation that was simply not the case. If anything, she reminded him of Elizabeth with how carefree she was.


    Arthur felt a momentary pang of guilt at the thought. It''d been a few days since he''d last checked up on her. She couldn''t be feeling too great with her looming expulsion from the planet.


    "Don''t laugh at me okay," Alyssia complained, blushing a darker shade of green. "You have no idea how revolutionary this system of yours is."


    "I''m sorry for getting so excited."


    Seeing how contrite she was just made Arthur laugh harder and he had to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye. It wasn''t really that funny at all, but the high tension of the situation and the initial fear he''d walked into the room with just made everything seem so silly. Alyssia frowned, her eyebrows scrunching in frustration.


    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t be laughing at you." Arthur apologised shaking his head. "Your skills a Unique-Rare. It''s the first time I''ve seen the unique designation on a skill, but rare''s pretty damn amazing for a translation skill. They tend to be uncommon. I guess that lie detection helped push it to the next tier."


    Alyssia bobbed her head in agreement. She moved so fast her head almost blurred in Arthur''s vision.


    "That''s amazing." She said. "I didn''t expect it to rank so high. That means my pinnacle skill should be Epic at least. Maybe even Legendary."


    Arthur was a little surprised by that. Sure he recognised that Alyssia was strong by virtue of her learning free-form ether manipulation but Legendary? Wasn''t that supposed to be insanely rare? Like high-noble, generational talent rare? His surprise must have shown on his face because Alyssia just smirked knowingly at him.


    "What, shocked you''re not so special." She teased.


    She stuck her chin up in the air mock-imperiously. "I''ll have you know, I was pretty hot shit back home. Three different archmages wanted to take me on as an apprentice. I was the jewel of my tribe. Second-princess of the Rivertha tribe."


    Arthur just shook his head in bemusement. A princess too. This situation was almost starting to feel cliche. Alyssia''s next words quickly put a damper on his good mood.


    "All jokes aside, the main reason I gave you this skill was so you could trust my next words a little more. You are strong. You have experience in the ways of this universe, at least far more than me." She looked down for a moment, seemingly coming to a decision when she looked back up with resolution in her yellow eyes.


    "I need allies. I need a friend. My brother and I are all alone in this new world and I''m not so naive to believe these people will respect my silence for much longer. I need help, people I can trust. In the past half hour, we''ve gotten to know each other a little. I hope that friend can be you." She said.


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    Arthur''s latest skill helped him understand the sincerity of her words. It scaled with charisma and willpower, two attributes he had respectable values for. Of course, being the owner of said skill, Alyssia probably knew of ways it could be deceived, but his gut was telling him she wasn''t trying to deceive him.


    In all honestly, Arthur just didn''t think Alyssia had it in her to try and manipulate him. Unless the past half hour was an elaborate act, she was if he wasn''t feeling charitable, an airhead. There was a reason her parents had pushed her down the role of an imperial scout. It was a job that didn''t require too much social acumen and meant she wouldn''t offend people who were too important.


    "So I guess now is when you tell me why I''m gonna die and all that," Arthur said gravely. He didn''t think she was lying to him, but he couldn''t help but be a little sceptical. Something that Alyssia obviously picked up on.


    "You don''t believe me do you," Alyssia said with a raised eyebrow. "No worries, you''ll have little left to doubt after what I''m about to say. And don''t worry. I''ve warded this room so that old man outside and anyone else can''t listen in. Your secrets are safe here."


    Arthur nodded his head. Professor Jhonson had already complained to him about this apparent ''silence barrier'' of hers.


    "Before you told me about your experiences under the system I was only half-sure I had you figured out. Now I''m certain. And lucky you, I think you have a path to recovery set in your very near future. So near, in fact, it''s almost suspicious. Like someone using high-level divination spells on you and knows what you need."


    Arthur was more than a little unsettled at her cryptic statements and her conspirational tone didn''t help matters. Something she definitely realised going by the knowing smirk she had on her face.


    "As an Imperial scout, I''ve been trained extensively on all things aura related. Hiding mine, reading others, attacking, defending, you name it, I know it. Honestly, you''ll be hard-pressed to find anyone from a tier-three world with my skills." She boasted.


    Seeing the irritated impatience on Arthur''s face, she quickly continued.


    "Anyway, master aura-reader and all that. I don''t even need to be halfway decent to read the story yours tells. Honestly, you''re insanely lucky you''ve not been figured out yet. You''ve been using monster cores haven''t you?"


    The shock on Arthur''s face was answer enough.


    "Honestly, I have no idea how that''s possible. I''ve never heard of it before. But then again, I''ve never heard of a tier one defeating an apocalypse beast either, baby be damned. It''s impossible. Insane. That''s the shadow panther I''m talking about by the way." She said in answer to the puzzlement on Arthur''s face.


    "This whole system is whack for heaven''s sake. For all I know, you probably actually ate the goddamn things."


    "Wait, wait, wait. You''re shitting me right. You actually ate them? She whispered. "Like munched it like a friggin apple ate them. You''re messing with me."


    Arthur didn''t know what gave it away but it looked like she''d figured it out. Maybe it was because his mouth was hanging open in shock. Yep, that''s probably what gave it away. Or the fact that he''d lost the smidgen of control he''d managed to hold over his aura.


    Alyssia massaged her temples mumbling something under her breath.


    "This is crazy. Fucking crazy. You actually ate an apocalypse beast''s core and didn''t die. You''re supposed to make stuff with them, not friggin eat them. Mother help me." She wailed in exasperation.


    "How are you not dead yet. How many have you eaten since."


    Arthur scratched his head sheepishly.


    "Well, after I ate the panthers core, I got a title that says I can gain attributes by eating the things so I guess I just carried on eating them. It''s worked so far." Arthur explained.


    Alyssia just moaned in frustration, pulling at her hair.


    "Don''t they teach you anything here? How can you just trust a title outright like that? That''s the first thing we teach our children. Surely the system must have given you some warning?"


    Arthur nodded his head.


    "Of course, you didn''t listen. Men are the same even across dimensions. Long story short, eating those cores, especially the panthers, has done a real number on your soul shell. It''s the part of you that interacts with the physical, the stuff that makes you who you are. My aura reading tells me it''s at 68% capacity. People tend to go into comas at 55%. They die at 45. It''s a miracle you can even use your skills at this point. Anything mildly intensive should be beyond you."


    Arthur was reeling at the revelations. So many of his questions and fears had been answered in the past minute and he didn''t even know what to say. Was he going to die? Is this why his soul magic didn''t work. How was he going to fix it?


    Taking mercy on the panicked expression on Arthur''s face, Alyssia decided to quickly cut to the chase.


    "Thankfully, instead of imploding, your soul looks like it''s going to undergo some qualitative change. Probably your title working double-time to keep your dumbass alive. It''s up to chance right now. All you need to do is shift the odds in your favour."


    Arthur nodded his head and gulped audibly.


    "What do I need to do?"


    Alyssia smiled wickedly at him.


    "Well, all you''ve gotta do is eat some more. I''ve been scanning this underground bunker constantly since I arrived here. I''ve sensed a beast core so potent, it''s every crafter''s wet dream. I think it might''ve been a dragon hatchlings."


    "I suspect it''s already been planned that you''ll receive it as a reward for your actions in helping take down shade, but no matter what, you need to get your hands on it. It definitely came from a tier-three planet or above. Whoever brought it here, somehow knew you''d need it."


    "Here''s what you''re going to do."


    It was ten past eleven O''clock when Arthur finally left the room; about an entire hour since he had entered it. He felt dizzy with all the crazy amounts of information he had learnt from Alyssia as well as the skill she had given him. She had more than paid him back for his explanation of the system with the wealth of information she had given him about what life was like without it governing reality and how difficult it was to properly use the ¡®one source¡¯ as she called it.


    He shuddered at the memory of the stories of the ¡®lost ones¡¯ she told him about, lifeless abominations that were almost impossible to kill and even harder to forget.


    If Shade was anything like that, he questioned whether or not it was a wise decision to even go after the man in the first place. With Alyssia''s aid, perhaps, though he had yet to ask the woman, thinking it would be much better to wait until he healed her brother before asking her to undertake such a monumental task. He was certain she''d love to join them on the mission and it was only her injured brother that held her back. Heck, it was the only reason she was still imprisoned in this facility.


    Arthur looked up when he heard someone clear their throat. Professor Jhonson was waiting for him and the old man looked like keeping his mouth shut a second longer would probably kill him. He sighed wearily, having already expected the tirade of questions he would have no doubt had to answer after leaving Aliyssia Sil¡¯vorken.


    He had a soul to fix.

 Chapter 59- A little Progress

    Professor Jhonson watched the young healer in front of him with keen eyes as he finally left the room. He¡¯d been waiting for almost an hour for Arthur to finish his meeting with the green alien and his curiosity would probably kill him if he didn''t get some answers soon. ¡®What the hell were they talking about for so long, he thought in wonder.


    He¡¯d almost believed he¡¯d been hallucinating when he first saw the proud alverin woman bend the knee for the young man. She had done nothing of the sort for anyone else, treating the rest of the humans with either indifference or disdain. What''s so different about the healer? Everyone''s so interested in the kid. Even those Murker bastards. Am I missing something? He seems pretty normal so far.


    The woman had bloody been laughing with Arthur for Christ''s sake. Actually laughing, when she seemed ready to kill everyone else every time they talked to her. The meeting was supposed to be about whether or not Arthur could heal her brother and Professor Jhonson was certain it didn''t take an hour to figure that out.


    No, Arthur had definitely learnt some interesting pieces of information and he¡¯d make sure to pry those secrets from the young healer''s hands, forcefully if necessary. Looking at Arthurs piercing gaze once again, he quickly revised that opinion. The kid''s supposed to be special. Hopefully, no force would be necessary.


    A bribe went a long way after all, and he wasn''t ready to antagonise the man that had somehow befriended a level 150 alien. He sighed wearily. Why could nothing ever be easy in his line of work? Well, there was no use waiting. The young man was standing expectantly in front of him as if waiting for the professor to ask some questions.


    Arthur meanwhile was trying to go over as many plausible lies as he could in his head. It couldn''t be anything absurd and unbelievable but neither could he disclose anything that he had been told by Alyssia. He¡¯d given the alverin woman his word and that was something he put a lot of value on.


    Despite all his failings, Arthur tried his best to be a man of integrity. It was the absolute minimum of the already abysmal standard he held himself to.


    ¡°Could you please give me a report of everything that happened whilst you were in the room?¡± Professor Jhonson asked, almost commanding him with his formal tone. So that''s how he¡¯s playing it. Trying to make it seem like I have to explain myself as if I¡¯m some agent that he¡¯s debriefing. I''m not under his command so he''s trying to strong-arm me as if I''m a standard civilian.


    As far as Arthur remembered, he had never agreed to disclose any information whatsoever to the man before him. No, the Professor was simply trying to intimidate him. Perhaps if he had employed such methods an hour ago, Arthur would have acquiesced just to avoid the headache, but after talking to Alyssia for so long, Professor Jhonsson almost looked cute in comparison.


    Like a child playing at being a soldier, desperately clinging to the coattails of an outdated system.


    And so it was that Arthur quickly discarded all his prepared stories. Maybe he should have given the man something but after hearing the professor''s commanding tone, Arthur didn''t want to talk to him. Maybe unnecessary, definitely foolish, but it was what made Arthur happy. So he decided to be true to his desires and speak his mind for the first time in a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to say, sir, that I gave my word to not tell anyone anything. And we both know how bad it would be if I wasn''t a man of my word,¡± Arthur curtly stated, delighting in the look of surprise that came over the old man''s face.


    ¡°Besides, I never agreed to disclose anything to you sir, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn''t try and force me into doing so,¡± he added, realising that he had perhaps spoken a tad too disrespectfully when he saw a brief flicker of disgusted rage come across the man''s face.


    It was gone just as quickly, replaced by a strained smile, but Arthur knew exactly what he had seen. For the briefest of moments, Arthur saw Professor Jhonson for what he truly was, an unfeeling, cold man that cared little for the sanctity of life. After all, it took a special breed of monster to treat a sapient individual like they were a lab rat.


    Arthur shuddered a little in distaste. Associating with the man felt dirty. Perhaps he had made a mistake. He quickly firmed his resolve, reminding himself that once again, the people he was working with were not the good guys. Only the ones whose ideals best matched with his own, and he¡¯d do his best to make sure he didn''t abandon Alyssia to their grasping hands when he was done with his job.


    Though I hardly doubt she needs any help from me. The only thing tieing her hands right now is her injured brother. Hopefully, I can do something about that.


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Professor Jhonson said cheerfully, though he sounded dead to Arthur''s ears.


    ¡°You don''t have to tell me anything, I just let my curiosity get the better of me,¡± he added, with a smile on his face.


    ¡°An old man like me tends to forget those things, you see,¡± the professor tried to joke, attempting to bring some levity to the mood he had created.


    Arthur smiled back at the old man.


    ¡°Just make sure I don''t have to tell you again,¡± he eventually said.


    The professor pursed his lips in obvious displeasure at the warning before nodding his head. He really had been too hasty this time. The old man berated himself internally, looking at the cocky brat in front of him. Perhaps a lighter hand would have served him better here.


    A tirade of obscenities ran through his head as he looked at the cocky brat in front of him though he wisely decided to keep those thoughts to himself.


    He¡¯d asked a few choice questions about Arthur when he¡¯d realised that the healer''s conversation with the alverin woman would take much longer than expected. He couldn''t help his curiosity. Just who was this healer everyone was so interested in?


    The answers he¡¯d received from his superiors painted a very different picture of the young man than the conclusions he had initially come to. The boy was apparently strong and dangerous. And volatile too. Not someone he¡¯d want to antagonize so soon.


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    After all, the young man was an integral part of many of the future plans the government had already laid out, though he wasn''t yet privy to any of them. Too low in the chain of command.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been given the clear from Alyssia to tend to her brother''s wounds,¡± Arthur said, interrupting the professor''s racing thoughts.


    If the old man was surprised by the familiarity Arthur displayed when using the alverin''s name, he didn''t show it.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get that done as soon as possible or I won''t have enough ether to use my regeneration skill on the team in time for the fight against Shade,¡± Arthur added.


    Well maybe he would have enough, but he didn''t want others to know about his outrageous ether supply. He already had enough abnormalities about him without inviting even more attention onto himself by keeping himself in check. Though Bryan''s warning suggests the cat''s already out of the bag.


    Professor Jhonson just nodded his head in agreement.


    ¡°So, does Alyssia wish to be present during the procedure or is she willing to wait for the news,¡± Arthur smiled when the man bought the topic up.


    He¡¯d been wondering how to go about fulfilling Alyssia¡¯s request after the awkward tension that had been created in this conversation.


    ¡°Yes, she asked if it would be possible, though she does understand if you''re not willing to allow her out of her cell,¡± Arthur answered truthfully referring to the woman''s current residence by what it truly was, a prison.


    The old man winced a little- that''s a fake reaction- at the blunt words Arthur spoke before sighing tiredly.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure what Bryan will have to say, this falls under his purview. But I think it¡¯ll be fine letting the woman out for a short while. He should be able to handle security.¡± Johnson replied, rubbing his temples as if trying to help himself with a headache.


    Arthur tried to control his excitement when he heard the old man''s admission. The only thing keeping Alyssia under control was the fact that her brother was completely at the mercy of those in charge of the facility. Something that would be changing very soon, and if the powerful woman was present when her brother was finally healed, Arthur would have to do very little to help her escape.


    He had no doubt that Alyssia would be able to deal with everyone within the facility with an arm tied behind her back. After she accepted the system''s invitation and learnt more about her own skills and class, she''d practically be untouchable by anyone on Earth save perhaps Kazi Alukai. That man was just something else hat with him being a Prime. He would probably solve most of the problems with the Silver Rose group in a single day if he ever took action.


    Still, Arthur couldn''t help but get excited at the prospect of what Alyssia would do when she was freed of her current shackles. He hoped she wouldn''t go overboard in getting revenge for the terrible way she¡¯d been treated as Arthur would have to try and stop her from going on a rampage if that was the case, and he didn''t think he was quite yet ready to do something like that.


    He was actually quite surprised that the professor wasn''t being more cautious until he realised that Alyssia must have controlled her aura a lot around all the humans she¡¯d met so far. They had no idea exactly how much of a monster the alverin woman was and Arthur suspected they¡¯d be in for quite a rude awakening shortly.


    Well, no matter what happened, at least it would be interesting.


    ~Alyssia Sil¡¯Vorken~


    Looking down at her younger brother''s prone frame, she once again felt a piercing stab of guilt in her chest. He looked so small and vulnerable, almost like he was just sleeping, about to wake up if she just called out his name.


    She knew however about the terrible wound festering on his chest, covered under his clothing. If only she had been a little faster, a little more aware of her surroundings, none of this would have happened. If only she¡¯d come into contact with the system earlier, she would have had the foresight to prevent such a tragedy from occurring in the first place. Checking her new status for the umpteenth time, she was still amazed by just how powerful she was, as well as how much of her own strength she''d been failing to apply properly.


    123 stat points to be exact. She had apparently failed to allocate whilst ¡®levelling up¡¯ without the system''s assistance. Whilst the program seemed to hinder a species'' potential growth and control over ether, she couldn''t help but admit that it offered its hosts far more control over their own bodies.


    Without the system''s help, assigning her attributes had been a long process of meditation and wasted time, where she had to use techniques cultivated by her tribe and go by feeling alone. Sure when she''d mastered them, all this untapped potential would have been utilised, but she was perhaps decades away from such proficiency.


    The system let her use it now.


    Sure, she''d keep up with her clan''s technique- assigning strength was far from its only use- but she no longer needed to dedicate so much of her time to master it quickly. She could take things a little slower.


    So much power has gone to waste over the past few years. Well, it''s better late than never, she thought to herself as she imagined just how powerful her tribe''s youth would be with the assistance of the system.


    Heck, her mother would have probably become their first ascendent mage in a thousand years if she''d had the system''s aid in her formative years. Thinking of the equivalent of this new dimension of hers, she estimated that she''d need to upgrade her Legendary class to Pinnacle if she wanted to compare. That was two steps above her current capability and also two below the fabled Transcendent class level that everyone coveted. She had no idea how she''d go about evolving her class as her tier two system access had little to say on the matter but it couldn''t be too hard, could it?


    Now, if only her brother could make a miraculous recovery, everything would be perfectly fine with her life. She was no longer too worried about making her way back home as with the system''s assistance and Arthur''s help, it was only a matter of when instead of previously intangible if she would one day go back home, though if her brother would be accompanying her was still left up to fate.


    After looking at the strange young healer she''d first met today, however, she felt a flood of relief wash over her. Arthur''s healing abilities significantly raised her brother''s chances of recovery and were far greater than anything she had expected to find on the recently evolved planet.


    She could still feel the strong aura he exerted around him, though it was a little more subdued than before after she''d taught him how to control it a little. It was still glaringly obvious in her sight, the difference between a hypernova and a supernova, still fucking bright as day, but the attempt at control was cute enough.


    The fact that he was already a little proficient in doing so after barely an hour had passed was testimony to just how strange an existence the young healer was, and just how dangerous he would one day be. I guess it''s his bestial nature, relying on his significantly stronger instincts to control his magic instead of learning systematically like he¡¯s supposed to, she wondered to herself as she looked at Arthur.


    None of the other people present in the room seemed to realise her conclusions about the young man and seemed perfectly content to just let him work on her brother in peace. Only Professor Jhonson had a dark look on his face as he stood stock still, observing the healer do his work. He looked shifty and a little uncertain for the first time she''d ever seen. Something''s going on there but I can''t find it in me to care.


    You could see the cold calculative eyes with which he gazed at Arthur and Alyssia felt a stab of rage when she remembered how the old man had looked at her with those same eyes. He''s a real monster in this room, she thought angrily to herself. Arthur looked sharply back at her when he felt the alverin''s tight control on her aura slip a little, one eyebrow raised inquisitively at her. It was more an intentional expression of her rage than a lack of control.


    She smiled back at him sweetly, once again bringing her aura to heal as she took a calming breath. After all, she¡¯d have all the time in the world for revenge later.

 Chapter 60- Rank Up!

    Arthur¡¯s prodigious ether reserves were completely full and he¡¯d managed to grow his (uncommon) Regeneration skill to level 3, which was certainly the highest anyone on Earth had managed to level any skill. Sure, certain people had managed to evolve their skills, but it was a very recent occurrence.


    People simply didn''t possess the necessary ether reserves to power level a skill beyond the initial ten levels of system assistance and evolve them and the few that did tend to be fighters. No healer was levelled high enough to just spam their skills like Arthur had done. And they certainly weren''t willing to give up on the system assistance provided at earlier levels by experimenting. Healing was in high demand and was highly regulated by the government and those in power.


    That was the only reason Arthur had been considered for the job of healing the injured alverin kid. He was the only known healer in America to have foolishly rushed through the period of system assistance without taking any time to try and learn anything, albeit he hadn''t known he was being assisted at the time.


    He had rushed ahead and was left with a lowly uncommon skill to pay for his troubles. Perhaps if he''d taken his time and properly analysed the usage of ether in healing, he could have pushed for Rare, but there was no point crying over spilt milk. It wasn''t all terrible, as it was the primary reason he''d been given this opportunity to rub shoulders with the upper echelons of power. It turned out that the system assistance provided in the first ten levels of any ether skill was a double-edged sword. Whilst it provided a great deal of control and power to any spell someone used, it didn''t quite improve it in any way. Sure, it was stronger, but it was like adding the water tank from a fire engine to a Nerf super soaker. Sure you had a massive supply of fuel, but it didn''t change the fact that at the end of the day, you were using a water gun.


    In terms of healing, this assistance translated to a great ability to heal deadly injuries and regrow limbs, even organs for those more talented, but only for humans who hadn''t reinforced their bodies by levelling too high. Individuals with beyond fifty attributes dedicated to a single physical state were far harder to heal.


    The alverin boy thankfully didn''t possess such stats yet. No, his issue was sadly far more difficult to deal with. The injury he''d been dealt had come from a beast over level 150 that specialised in poison. This meant that his wounds would similarly require a far more concentrated healing skill to deal with than the watered-down stuff the system provided.


    Hopefully, Arthur''s uncommon skill would be up for the task.


    And yet, as he looked down at the young Alverin boy before him, he wondered if it would be enough to heal him. Several tubes and wires were connected to the young alien who looked no older than 10 and yet the boy looked like he was simply sleeping in complete comfort, completely unaware of his current state.


    Arthur too would have probably believed that that was the case if not for the gaping wound on the boy''s chest. Around 30% of it was simply missing as if it had never existed in the first place and Arthur could see a weakly pumping heart within the boy''s ribcage. It looked like a simple injury at first glance, something any healer could deal with, but like Tamo''s injury, the presence of an underlying corruption prevented any recovery. The alverins anatomy was thankfully extremely similar to humans and Arthur already had plenty of experience treating them.


    He only hoped that the skill would translate to the procedure he was about to undergo. Arthur was frankly shocked that the kid was even still alive with the fact that half of his right lung simply wasn''t in his body anymore, thereby invalidating the entire use of such an organ. It really drove home just how miraculous the results could be when ether and magic were paired with modern science.


    They were practically bringing someone back from the gates of death and Arthur hoped that one day he¡¯d be able to go a step further and conquer the barrier that was death itself. Heck, he was practically Jesus right now. A second-hand discounted Jesus from Wish but still damn cool nonetheless.


    Arthur took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. Like usual, he felt himself enter the ¡®zone¡¯, a place in which nothing existed besides himself and his patient, the piercing gazes of all the spectators and even Alyssia''s dominating presence all but forgotten.


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    None of that mattered now. No political game, no enemies, no impending threats, no nothing. Just the job he had before him. Placing a hand lightly on the Alverin boy''s chest, who he had come to know as Artemo from his conversation with Alyssia, he drew on his vast reserves of ether. Barely anything at first, only a measly 10% of the precious energy source. Nowhere near enough for the job at hand, but he wasn''t really trying to heal the boy yet.


    Like he had done when treating Tamo for the first time, as well as any other difficult patients he had dealt with since, he was first going to use his regeneration skill to cast a diagnosis on the Alverin boy. The skill wasn''t really made for such a purpose, but Arthur had little difficulty in getting it to do what he wanted. He wasn''t the best healer on Earth for no reason after all and his uncommon rank skill vastly understated his true potential as a healer.


    Alyssia''s sharp intake of breath when she felt him use ether for the first time as well as the excited murmur of all the personnel present was just background noise and didn''t even register in Arthur''s senses. He was in his own world now. A place of wonder and intrigue, where every cell was an entirely new land that needed cultivating and every iota of foreign ether a great beast that needed to be conquered.


    It was much easier to locate the source of Artemo''s problem than it had been Tamos, and yet when Arthur laid eyes on it, he felt his heart plummet. This would be a lot of work, far, far harder than anything he had treated before. The foreign ether felt toxic and poisonous like a clogging serpent of disease and death that continued to grow and evolve, almost like it was a living thing.


    He had never seen an injury of the sort before, having never even known that ether could be used in such an insidious, invasive way. It was completely new territory for him and for a brief moment, Arthur wished he¡¯d had some time to practice on similar cases before the procedure. He quashed that desire quickly.


    There was no point in complaining about his lack of experience, it would get him nowhere, never had, never would. One thing Arthur was certain of, however, was that the monster that had inflicted such a grievous wound was far beyond the estimated level 170 that the government believed.


    190, 200?


    He glanced back at Alyssia. The woman had told him that the beast would have been little trouble if not for the presence of her brother. It truly put into perspective just how vast the gulf in power between them actually was. His ether scan had finally been completed and he didn''t like the results he had learnt from it.


    Not one bit.


    To heal the boy, Arthur realised he would have to use his regeneration skill to somehow battle the foreign ether and he had absolutely no idea how he¡¯d go about doing that. How the hell was he supposed to use a healing skill to do battle, especially when his skill description was so precise and limited? That was something that was supposed to be impossible without an epic heal, perhaps rare with all his unique advantages. Nonetheless, he was nowhere near ready to do it at the moment. Arthur felt the beginnings of a headache start to form behind his eyes and a slight stream of frustration flowed through him as he tried to think of a solution to the conundrum before him.


    After almost 2 minutes of inactivity, the people around him started to realise that there was a problem when there were no changes taking place in Artemo¡¯s condition, though Alyssia still seemed to be perfectly at ease as if the recovery of her brother was already set in stone. Her absolute belief in Arthur¡¯s abilities would have given him a vote of confidence if he noticed it in the first place, though there was little chance of that happening whilst he had his eyes closed and all attention focused inwards.


    Finally, after 7 minutes of absolutely nothing, the tension in the room was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Arthur opened his eyes and smiled. He had done it, he now knew what he needed to do and the blue system message waiting in front of his eyes just widened his grin further.


    Congratulations! Your insight into the meandering pathways of the healing arts has led to a breakthrough.


    Error...


    Host''s aptitude was miscalculated...


    Self-correcting procedures initiated...


    Regeneration (Uncommon)?Overwhelming Regeneration (Rare)


    Skill levels will be maintained.


    Rare skills are far more versatile and can be pushed from their parameters far easier than uncommon skills. Dealing with the remnant ether from attacks has now become mildly easier.


    Overwhelming Regeneration (Rare) Level 3- Use healing Ether to regenerate your body at 1.6% of max health total per minute of usage. Efficiency drops by 40% when used on another individual. Can be supercharged to target foreign energy and poisons present in wounds.


    Cost of usage on host: 25 Ether/minute


    Cost of usage on another: 35 Ether/minute


    Secondary Effect: 160 healing affinity Ether may be stored as OVERHEALTH in the target of this ability to be used for recovery when the individual is injured. This stored Ether works under Host-Use efficiency levels. Overhealth can be stored in host but undergoes a degradation process. Current time limit: 24 hours


    Host''s stored overhealth can be used as a single-use attack that will greatly slow down the target''s natural regeneration rates as well as destroy ether at a 2:1 ratio. Current ether destruction: 80


    Rare skills cap at level 30

 Chapter 61- A Job Finished

    Arthur looked at the system notification clamouring for his attention. It didn''t disappoint.


    Overwhelming Regeneration (Rare) Level 3- Use healing Ether to regenerate your body at 1.6% of max health total per minute of usage. Efficiency drops by 40% when used on another individual. Can be supercharged to target foreign energy and poisons present in wounds.


    Cost of usage on host: 25 Ether/minute


    Cost of usage on another: 35 Ether/minute


    Secondary Effect: 160 healing affinity Ether may be stored as OVERHEALTH in the target of this ability to be used for recovery when the individual is injured. This stored Ether works under Host-Use efficiency levels. Overhealth can be stored in host but undergoes a degradation process. Current time limit: 24 hours


    Host''s stored overhealth can be used as a single-use attack that will greatly slow down the target''s natural regeneration rates as well as destroy ether at a 2:1 ratio. Current ether destruction: 80


    Rare skills cap at level 30


    In all honesty, not much had changed. The percentage increase for healing had gone from 1.4% to 1.6%. It didn''t seem like much at first glance, but it meant that his skill now increased by .3% per level up instead of the previous .2%.


    With the level cap of the Rare skill rising from the uncommon 20 to 30, it meant his final skill would equal out to a whopping 9.7% regeneration of his total health per minute compared to the previous cap of 4.8%. Those totals were of course only estimates he''d made dependent on the assumption the skill would level linearly instead of exponentially. It was honestly a lowball and it was already great enough.


    The other change that had been made to its primary effect was a decrease in ineffectiveness from 50% to 40% when he used it on another individual. As a skill dependent on his own max health pool and not his patients, this skill was honestly perfect for someone like Arthur who had so many titles boosting his vitality to absurd levels.


    The main change to the skill, however, had to go to his newfound ability to store overhealth in himself and weaponise it as some sort of insidious attack. And of course, the primary reason he had managed to rank up his skill, was his inability to properly target the poison affecting Artemo which had unassumingly resulted in only a single line being added to his skill description.


    Can be supercharged to target foreign energy and poisons present in wounds.


    It was quite vague and Arthur could only hope it''d be enough to deal with the job. His gut told him it would.


    In his excitement, he''d almost forgotten the audience he had with him. Judging by the looks he was receiving, especially from Professor Jhonson, they seemed to realise Arthur had progressed somehow. He didn''t let it bother him. Nothing but his patient mattered now.


    In the end, his sudden upgrade to the skill had come from a small experiment he had run. It stemmed from a momentary bout of inspiration and he was honestly a little surprised it had worked out.


    Maybe he didn''t really have to fight off the poisonous ether, after all, it was nigh impossible to do at his current strength, or at least it had been before his skill had evolved. No, it would be so much easier to use the energy already present inside his patient to combat the insidious power afflicting the kid.


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    After all, Artemo¡¯s body had been trying to fight off the poison for so long already, albeit with the assistance of some miraculous magitech, and all he¡¯d have to do was offer him a helping hand.


    Then Artemo''s supercharged ether would do all the work and he would just have to watch and see the miracle in action. He didn''t know how or why it would work, only that it would. Arthur intuitively knew somehow that after the skill had ranked up, it would take around a sixth of the ether required prior to its evolution to heal the young dimensional traveller. That translated to an estimated 700 units of energy instead of the absurd value it should have been. It would have been beyond his total reserves and he was sure the poisonous energy would have recovered somewhat in the time it would have taken him to recuperate, thus resulting in a tiring loop of healing that may or may not have been successful.


    Arthur was glad that the rank-up had come at such an opportune time as despite his 3rd level in the regeneration skill, he was not comfortable in running 4200 ether through it. Because of the poison''s almost living nature, Arthur was also sure that he¡¯d have to deal with the foreign ether in a single decisive blow. He took a deep breath, and drew on his ether reserves, not wanting to delay his medical operation any longer than he already had. He was now aware of the numerous eyes on him, most filled with scepticism and some even with disgust. He made sure not to look at Alyssia, unsure as to how she was reacting to his apparent lack of ability.


    He wasn''t ready to face eyes filled with hopelessness, afraid that he would see his past desperate self within them. Besides, he¡¯d work his miracle yet, and prove everyone wrong. Placing both his palms on Artemo''s chest, Arthur used his considerable 190 points of willpower to direct his ether through the regeneration skill and into the boy''s chest. He braced himself, for what he expected would be his most difficult use of magic since the system''s arrival and wasn''t disappointed.


    Artemo¡¯s ether seemed to reject his own administrations as if the two couldn''t mix like they were oil and water. Arthur didn''t care. He pushed forward, forcing the ambient ether in the young Alverins body to go into a volatile state. This could go very, very wrong now and so Arthur breathed out and calmed his racing heart, directing the boys now violent ether to the foreign energy infecting his body. The results were as expected, the toxic poison disappeared at a visible rate as if it was a tiny lake being drowned in an ocean''s worth of water.


    From there, Arthur found it very easy to regrow the Alverin''s chest, taking careful attention to make sure that the boy¡¯s damaged lung was healed as an exact replica of his whole one. For all the seemingly similar anatomies between humans and Alverins, Arthur did not want to give the boy a defective lung due to his haste.


    The hard part was done and he didn''t want to mess up the easiest part of the procedure. Though it had felt much longer to Arthur, his healing when he had finally gotten down to it had taken all of 50 seconds, and the excited murmurings of individuals watching the miraculous healing taking place right before their eyes were like music to Arthur''s ears.


    Though the entire operation was over in less than a minute, Arthur was drenched in sweat and felt more tired than he had since fighting the Draconic Liverthion. Despite his ether reserves barely being diminished, Arthur just wanted to sleep. Sadly, as he would come to learn in the next few moments, it would be a long time before he could get rest. So subtly, that even he with his inflated stats couldn''t feel it, someone cast a spell in the room. No one could see what the spell did and even Arthur only saw it as a warping of the natural order of the world. He blinked and suddenly Alyssia was in front of him, one hand outstretched to grab her recently healed younger brother.


    He¡¯d almost forgotten about the alverin woman in his euphoric moment of success but it looked like she remembered every slight that had been committed to her by those present in this room, judging by the way she glared at everyone around her save Arthur.


    Looks like patience was never her strong point.


    She couldn''t even wait till her brother woke up to start taking some revenge, and the frightening look on her face showed that she''d be collecting interest. Alyssia released her aura, and Arthur felt it wash over him, chilling him to the bone with the malice and rage he could feel in it. Others weren''t so lucky, some even passing out from the incredible pressure.


    Karma always found a way of finding its target and this time it had found the perfect agent to carry out its work. Alyssia smiled and Arthur just sighed wearily.


    It seemed like the day was far from over.

 Chapter 62-Perception

    ~Alyssia Sil¡¯Vorken~


    Alyssia looked at the humans arrayed before her and saw the telltale signs of terror in the trembling of their feet. She could smell their fear, a sweet, cloying scent that lingered in her nose far longer than it should have. Everyone was frozen in place as if the moment was somehow suspended in motion, only Arthur unaffected by the power of her domineering aura, the fraction of it she was bringing to bear, though she could see that even he was slightly distressed by the pressure she was exerting.


    That almost made her calm down, but she stopped herself. She needed to make a statement.


    Alyssia was a grateful person who always repaid her debts and she didn''t want to hurt the individual who had helped her so much, but her rage was not something that could be quenched so easily. Especially when she looked at Professor Johnson, specifically the shining bracelet hidden under his coat sleeve.


    Is he stupid, did he not think this through, at all?


    Her vision tinged with the filter of anger and it was only the presence of weaker individuals in the room that stopped her from releasing the spell she wanted to. No one save Arthur would survive its devastation. Alyssia tried to take a calming breath but failed to control her seething emotions. Once again, she sent out a pulse of detecting ether, hoping that her suspicions were all false.


    They came back with the same findings they had five minutes ago when she had used the skill to observe Arthur''s healing at work. How? Why? Where did he even get that from? Is he getting set up? Her thoughts furiously screamed at her. Trying and failing once again to calm down, she took a deep breath. ¡°Did you think I wouldn''t notice ?¡± she asked, her voice deadly quiet, in contrast to the volume of her rushing thoughts. Her question was directed to Professor Jhonson and she saw the old man''s wrinkly skin rapidly pale as he took a single half-step backwards. Arthur just looked confused at the question, as did many of the other researchers in the room.


    That eased a little of her tension. At least they weren''t all in it, though it isn''t much consolation. Alyssia reached over to her brother''s sleeping form and grabbed at his wrist where she felt the sister to professor Jhonson¡¯s bracelet resting, all but invisible to everyone else''s vision but unable to escape her superior senses.


    For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, before suddenly with a slight cracking sound like breaking glass, a silver bracelet materialized out of thin air. Alyssia ripped it off Artemo''s wrist before identifying it as having become her habit since accepting the system and unlocking the useful skill.


    Bracelet of casual observation (Uncommon+) - Part of a pair, the wearer of this jewellery will have their actions, emotions and thoughts subtly monitored by the possessor of its other half. Being such crude work, the item is almost entirely useless on even average individuals, though one should still be weary of its powers.


    Secondary enchantment: An unstable rune of Exploding (I-Inferior) has been added to this bracelet, its detonator residing on its sister pair.


    She hadn''t been mistaken when she felt the familiar twinge of disgusting ether after all. One that had become so prevalent in the criminal groups of her homeland. Although slightly different and less insidious, the cruelty of the work was undeniable, and the fact that professor Jhonson had thought to use it on her younger brother, a child who had yet to make it out of boyhood, made her blood boil.


    It didn''t matter how he had got his hands on it, or who it was that had given it to him. All she could think about was that the vile demon had actually tried to take her younger brother''s freedom away from him, irrespective of the fact that the crude tool would do little but annoy the younger Alverin boy and pose little danger to his life. It was the intent behind the deed that mattered. Her inner turmoil was interrupted when Arthur spoke.


    ¡°Hey, I don''t know what''s going on, but maybe there''s been some sort of misunderstanding,¡± he tried to calmly explain to the furious woman.


    He was curious as to what had got her into such a state as although he had expected some form of retribution for her imprisonment from the dimensional traveller, the current levels of rage on the woman''s face was an order of magnitude above his predictions.


    Alyssia just glared at the young healer, before sighing as she felt a little of her anger drain away from her. She thrust the bracelet into Arthur''s hands before picking up her younger brother''s sleeping form, The negligible weight felt familiar in her hands and the last vestiges of her rage finally left her.


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    All that it left in its wake though was a feeling of cold dejection. She saw Arthur''s eyes widen in shock as he read the item''s description before he quickly looked between professor Jhonson and Artemo.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going outside now,¡± Alyssia curtly stated, interrupting Arthur''s racing thoughts. ¡°It''s been far too long since I¡¯ve last felt the sun''s warmth on my skin. I¡¯ll expect this unpleasant situation to have been dealt with by the next time we meet.¡± She finished boldly, before walking out of the deathly silent room, younger brother in tow.


    Arthur seemed to want to say something to her before he stopped himself, wisely choosing to remain silent.


    Why did the government have to fuck everything up, he thought in exasperation, gazing at her retreating back.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    It had been one hour since Alyssia had left the underground bunker and the government had lost track of her in a tenth of that time when she fled into the dense forests surrounding the area. Professor Jhonson was currently in one of the few holding cells within the facility being questioned by the personnel the government had dispatched when they heard of the disastrous situation.


    The talks had been going on for over twenty minutes now, and from the whispered gossip he¡¯d heard from the staff stationed here, things didn''t look good for the old professor. Apparently, he had obtained the bracelet from some sort of black market a week back and the old man had allowed his greed for knowledge and dominance to persuade him to use the evil piece of jewellery on Artemo.


    Arthur had no idea what sort of outcome the old man had expected when he tried to do this and he highly doubted the story he''d been told was even remotely close to the truth, but frankly, he didn''t really care. It didn''t have anything to do with him and he wouldn''t lose any sleep worrying about what would become of the old professor.


    As long as Alyssia was happy with him, then everything would be okay. He¡¯d already done what was asked of him by healing the young Alverin boy and the shit show that occurred afterwards had absolutely nothing to do with him. The payment for rendering such a service had already been delivered to him, a monster core as he had very specifically requested when asked what exactly he wanted.


    This was one of the things Alyssia had strongly advised him on. During their lengthy conversation, he''d been informed about one of the great flaws of the human constitution. It was the primary reason why they didn''t tend to make the greatest physical fighters in the wider multiverse and also why his focus on speed was a dead end.


    Humans lacked perception.


    The attribute that improved the primary senses, allowed one to unlock the more esoteric ones, and even observe the different forms of ether unaided at the higher levels. It was a quintessential attribute that all speedy fighters required too.


    Sure, speccing into agility did allow you a measure of control over said agility, but there did come a point where a person''s perception of reality simply couldn''t keep up with their own speed. Intelligence would help you compute the changes in reality, but perception would allow you to see them.


    There were, of course, a number of ways one could get around this issue, and a myriad of methods of unlocking this stat, but Alyssia had come up with a pretty novel way of unlocking the attribute after finding out his ability to absorb stats from monster cores.


    Her mastery over aura and her insane sensory skills had allowed her to document nearly every useful object in this facility. This was naturally why she knew of the so-called superior core she suspected would be offered to him for helping deal with the Shade issue. It was how she''d been able to tell him of the more mundane monster core that came from a beast specialising in the Perception attribute.


    He''d naturally requested it as his promised reward for healing Artemo.


    If the government seemed suspicious that he was coveting such a seemingly useless item, they didn''t ask any questions. No one would complain that Arthur wanted the most impractical commodity offered from the stores they had available and Bryan seemed almost relieved that it was only a monster core that they had lost in the exchange.


    After all, it seemed very unlikely they¡¯d be able to get into contact with Alyssia soon enough to enlist her assistance in the fight against Shade. The scheduled battle was less than 20 hours away and things weren''t looking too good for the government attack squad. The ever-elusive Shade had made his presence known just a few minutes ago when a string of random murders had suddenly all been reported to the police. No perpetrator had been found, but the investigators dispatched could see the clear, tell-tale signs of a shadow mage''s handiwork. Why the man had decided to do such a thing was anyone''s guess, though most suspected that the man''s mental stability was starting to fail slightly ahead of time.


    It made the upcoming fight more real, instead of it only being the enigmatic event that Arthur had simply heard about. ¡®Heck, I should have probably already started using my regeneration skill to store ether in everyone already.


    The only reason why he hadn¡¯t was due to the fact that it looked like he spent so much of it healing Artemo, despite him having more than ? of his ether remaining after the procedure. The government weren''t privy to the absurd reserves he had at his disposal and he wasn''t too keen on telling them. They believed he was running on fumes after the procedure and hadn''t pushed for his help yet.


    Ether: 2910/3230.


    It was time to get this show on the road.

 Chapter 63- A New Skill

    Ether: 2910/3230.


    It was time to get this show on the road.


    With the fact that he had already regenerated so much of his reserves after the healing operation, he was practically full, though he couldn''t really disclose that piece of information to anyone.


    He wasn''t quite ready to explain his absurd ether supplies to the government yet, especially after the most recent stunt they had pulled with Artemo, irrespective of the fact that it apparently wasn''t a prearranged action. He was sure the bracelet of monitoring aligned with a lot of their agendas and they wouldn¡¯t be so averse to using it if Alyssia hadn¡¯t caught them red-handed. Heck professor Jhonson would probably be getting rewarded right now if that was the case instead of going through the ''interrogation'' he was currently in. Arthur shook his head, trying to clear his mind of all the distracting thoughts racing through them. He wasn''t strong enough to change how the world worked, and people operated however they wanted to. To be honest, he didn¡¯t even want to. His own abilities and skills, however, were things he was very keen on upgrading and that was why he was so excited to use the core in front of him. Bryan had said that it was apparently from a level 140 Water-claw Kingfisher, a rare evolution of the more mundane kingfisher that utilised devastating water and wind magic to bring down their prey from a long range. Such abilities would suit his repertoire very well if his luck netted him any water-based magic skill from consuming the core.


    The primary purpose was, of course, the Perception attribute he dearly hoped the core would net him.


    It only took him 30 seconds to have enough blood prepared within his trusty Ikea bowl that had somehow evolved over the past few days. That tool had some terrifying growth speed apparently. One day, it may even out-level him if he didn''t get his game up.


    Placing the greyish, silver core into the red liquid, he waited the 20 seconds it took to liquefy before identifying the now light blue solution.


    Elixir of the coming tide (Rare) - An elixir created in the hopes that through its consumption, one can gain a portion of the strength that produced the core within it. Chance of success 96%.


    Arthur smiled for a second at the badass-sounding name, before drinking the elixir. The taste honestly amazed him. It was like he was drinking from the purest water he had ever had the blessing to encounter, all other beverages piss-poor in comparison and he felt all his cells energise as if he¡¯d been injected with some high-octane fuel.


    The experience was so amazing that he felt as if the entire world suddenly opened up to him properly like he had been observing it with his eyes half-closed the entire time. Wait, no, he really was seeing things he never had before. He was pretty sure he shouldn''t be able to count the hairs on a fly almost 200 meters away as it was flying through the sky. Even his hearing seemed to have gotten better and the sound of his heartbeat was like a loud drum in his chest, his blood like flowing streams of vitality.


    Arthur felt himself get dizzy and nauseous as he tried to adapt to his heightened senses. Is this what a trip feels like? Did it work? Am I gonna spontaneously explode?


    Nothing of this sort had happened any of the previous times he had consumed a core, and for a brief moment, he thought something had gone terribly wrong. Or terribly right.


    Arthur sat down on a chair and closed his eyes trying to calm himself down as he slowly breathed in and out. It took him 3 minutes before he felt well enough to re-open his eyes, but he had to quickly close them again when his brain was bombarded with a slew of visual stimuli it wasn¡¯t able to handle. It felt like a needle was being driven through his pupils. Arthur¡¯s breathing rapidly intensified as he felt himself begin to panic. Oh shit! Did I fuck up? He thought to himself, mentally reviewing everything he had done while creating the elixir. There were no inconsistencies compared to his prior works and he could see nothing wrong in his methodology.


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    Suddenly, he felt another infusion of energy enter his body, though this one was much more subdued, more a consolidation of energy than an absorption if he was being perfectly honest. Yet it felt like his soul and body had changed at a fundamental level.


    The next time he opened his eyes, Arthur was relieved to find that he had no troubles with his sight besides his absurdly advanced vision. He however had no idea what to make of the system message that lay before him. It explained away his enhanced senses, though he wasn''t sure if that was a good or bad thing. Congratulations! You have absorbed a portion of the Water-Claw Kingfisher¡¯s powers for yourself.


    Error...


    Cannot assign stat points...


    The attribute does not exist...


    Error...


    Detecting changes in the host¡¯s soul. The host''s soul is undergoing significant changes...


    Congratulations!


    You have gained the stat: perception...


    Assigning stat points


    Perception- 92


    Arthur wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to make of the new attribute he had just unlocked. On the one hand, he knew it was useful from what Alyssia had told him, and yet he wasn¡¯t certain exactly how much it would help him.


    Sadly, time constraints hadn¡¯t allowed Alyssia to go into too many details on what exactly perception entailed. He¡¯d gotten the gist of it. It¡¯d help him perceive things better, and absorb sensory data at a rate that honestly broke the laws of physics a little. It¡¯d let him hear sound while travelling faster than it if Alyssia was to be believed.


    The core that he obtained the attribute from was found inside an animal whose entire build must have revolved around that specific attribute, which meant something. It couldn¡¯t be all bad if that was the case, could it? But then again, the creature had died to some relatively weak humans which wasn¡¯t too reassuring.


    Arthur was worried that he now had another sinkhole into which he would have to pour his stats when he levelled up. Whilst the attribute was currently his lowest at 92, he had no doubt that that wouldn¡¯t remain the case when he started to level up and he wasn¡¯t sure if his soul affinity advantages would be able to handle the extra expenditure.


    The new line of growth that Arthur had also opened the door to many new questions. He had no idea just how many different kinds of attributes there were out there and he didn¡¯t want to get stuck with something useless like ¡®likeability¡¯ or ¡®friendliness¡¯ just because he couldn¡¯t control his gluttonous appetite and penchant for strange monster cores.


    Arthur now knew that the number of cores he could consume was limited and he didn¡¯t want to spend his remaining few unlocking attributes that he¡¯d never invest in. It was the fifth so far and Arthur felt that he¡¯d be able to probably stomach one or two more before he had to go for the ¡®superior¡¯ one and fix up his soul.


    Arthur had no idea how he knew any of that, only that it was what his gut was telling him, and he wasn¡¯t one to ignore its warnings. Perhaps it was his soul affinity feeding him this information. He wasn¡¯t too sure.


    Mathematically speaking, it seemed that he could only stomach around one monster core per ten levels that he had and then maybe a little more due to his soul affinity.


    He had no idea and absolutely no way to obtain any information regarding it. Arthur sighed wearily, why did things have to be so complicated in life?


    Now even the simple-seeming diet he was on had to be regulated. Still, Arthur was glad that the new attribute he had unlocked was apparently very useful. It would be a great boon in the future, but as it was currently, it would only help him see and hear things better than before. He wasn¡¯t quite finished though, as Arthur still had another notification to check from the system. He prayed that it was the water skill he had so ardently wished for and wasn¡¯t disappointed when he read the blue message.


    It was just the skill he needed in his arsenal.


    You have gained the skill: Water Bullet (Uncommon+)

 Chapter 64- Preparation

    You have gained the skill water bullet (Uncommon+)- Generate a bullet of water of variable size from ether to strike your enemies from range. Destructive capability increases with skill level. Damage dealt will slow the regeneration and movement speed of the target dependent on the constitution attribute.


    Cost: Variable


    Arthur grinned when he read the skill''s description. Whilst it looked quite simple, there was one key facet of it that Arthur was delighted to find. It said ''generate.''


    All this time, Arthur''s magic had been cast using natural bodies of water or shadows that had already been present in the surroundings. He had started to worry about what he would do if there were no useful sources in his vicinity in future battles. His magic would practically be useless. But all that had been solved with the latest skill he had learnt.


    Now he would be able to conjure water from thin air to use against his foes. Arthur was just about to try out the skill when he stopped himself. He had no idea how much ether the new spell would take with his lacklustre control of the energy source and he still had to use his regeneration skill for the upcoming battle against Shade.


    Arthur quickly checked his status to see if he had lucked out and gained some more intelligence from the monster core though no such good news excited him. There was however a single change that had taken place in his status.


    Arthur Ward Level 60


    Unallocated stat points :168


    Strength-120(100)


    Vitality-400*


    Endurance-460


    Constitution-260(200)


    Agility-118


    Intelligence-323


    Willpower-250


    Charisma -95


    Perception-92


    Health- 7730/8000 (880(400)/hour)


    Ether- 2910/3230(323/hour)


    Endurance- 4580/4600(460/minute)


    He had gained 60 willpower from the kingfisher which put the attribute at a nice round number of 250. Hopefully, it would make handling his large ether reserves much easier. God knows he had enough problems trying to get the energy to do what he wanted these days.


    He still had his 168 unassigned stat points from all his levels, as well as the 10 he''d been gifted for his system teacher I achievement. Maybe saving them for a rainy day wasn''t the best of ideas, but Arthur liked the idea of a little insurance. It did make him wonder what iteration of the achievement Alyssia had gotten when she joined the system. Her ether usage was quite literally otherworldly. Other dimensional? I don''t know if that''s a real word.


    Arthur smiled at the fact that his main problem was his entirely too-large stores of ether. He was sure many would give a limb to have a burden like his as he was certain that most suffered from a lack of magical resources instead of from an abundance of it as he did. Still, the fact that he now had more control was a cause for celebration, and Arthur decided to celebrate by cooking up something nice for the first time in a while.


    The American government, for all their vast resources, produced the most terrible food.


    ~Selena Williams~


    It had only been a little over two days since Selena had seen Arthur and yet the young healer almost seemed like a different person to her. He appeared exactly the same and after identifying him, she saw that he hadn¡¯t gained a level. So just what about him is so different, she questioned herself. When it was her turn to receive some healing affinity ether from Arthur''s Regeneration skill she realised what it was.


    The young man seemed so much more at ease with himself, no longer possessing that same world-weary look he always used to have in his eyes. He actually smiled at her when he took her hands in his own, the slight movements of his lips completely transforming his face. Shit, he doesn''t look half-bad, she thought distractedly before berating herself for being such a weirdo. Arthur was six if not seven years her junior and only the highly tense situation caused her thoughts to meander in such an odd direction.


    After all, her nervous state was understandable. She would be the scout of the main team that had been created to deal with Shade, leaving her in one of the most vulnerable positions. She was also the lowest level member on the squad, despite the extreme power levelling program the government had put her through the past two days, not to mention all the expensive off-world elixirs that''d been pumped into her.


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    At level 109, she was satisfied, if not happy with the rare class she had unlocked upon crossing the century boundary, though she would have no doubt acquired a far better one, perhaps elite if she had taken the time to level at a slower pace. There was no use crying over spilt milk however as there was nothing she could do to change her class now.


    Besides, hastening her growth to better be able to deal with the monster known as Shade was as noble a cause as any and she was happy with her choice. Her wandering thoughts were interrupted when she felt a stream of ether enter her body from her hands that were linked with Arthurs.


    It was warm and soothing akin to the feeling of taking a piping hot shower and the pleasurable experience was over far too soon in her opinion. When she looked at her stats to see the effect of Arthur''s regeneration skill, she let out a gasp of surprise.


    Stored healing ether:160/160


    Effective regeneration rates for self: 819 HP


    With eyes wide with shock, she looked first at her four team members and then back at Arthur, failing to accept the truth before her. Wait, did he really just give out 4000 points of health like it was nothing? He¡¯s only level 60 for Christ¡¯s sake! Is his healing skill an epic rarity? Legendary? she wondered in amazement.


    At almost double that level, she had barely surpassed the ether milestone required to output such outrageous effects herself after unlocking her class and it was literally impossible for someone, at level 60 to have that much ether.


    Unless he¡¯s not human, of course, Selena thought morbidly. She quickly dismissed those thoughts as if it wouldn''t even matter if that was the case, Arthur had never done anything to earn her distrust yet, and she doubted he would any time soon. Instead, it would be much better to focus her attention on the upcoming battle against Shade.


    It would no doubt be the greatest challenge she had ever faced and she knew that she¡¯d need to keep her wits about her if she wanted to come back in one piece. Though Selina was no doubt a good woman, she was not too keen on the whole prospect of self-sacrifice and dying for her country.


    She still had a lot of life left to live and Tamo would no doubt go and get himself killed if she wasn¡¯t there to reign in his crazy tendencies. Maybe I can get Arthur to become friends with him. He should be able to take care of the idiot, she thought to herself. Selena sighed tiredly. Why did her life have to be so complicated? Well, it was her fault, she guessed. She seemed to pick up responsibilities like they were stray cats or something.


    Selena looked down at her wristwatch. It read 10.34 pm, exactly 12 hours before she¡¯d have to fight for her life. It had been decided that the best course of action would be to wait till sunrise tomorrow to tackle the Shadow mage, in the hopes that the light of early morn would eliminate the advantages Shade would possess in darkness. She hoped that the battle plan they had come up with would be enough to deal with that monster, but something told her that they were still far from ready.


    The highest level individual on their team was only at 123 because powerful monsters were so scarce on Earth after it had just evolved. It would probably take a decade or two before anyone would be able to cross the level 250 mark using only the natural resources of the planet and not off-world items as they had. By sacrificing their future potential, they''d gained the power to do what needed to be done.


    That was the main reason why a group of individuals like the silver rose possessed such a great problem. With the usage of unstructured, forbidden rituals, they had rapidly outpaced the rest of humanity with their growth in power. Only real monsters like Kazi Alukai and that frozen princess she had heard about could hope to deal with them.


    The only problem was that no such individual existed on American soil. Well, maybe I''m wrong, Selena thought wryly as she looked at Arthur. Still, at least for now, the American government were on their own and Selena knew that Arthur would never listen to their demands that he power level to better assist them in the future battles against the Silver rose.


    We¡¯ve already fucked up enough with the shit-fest that ensued when we tried to get the dimensional traveller, Selena thought to herself. It would be the height of folly to antagonise the only powerful individual that wanted to work with them and she had said as much when her direct superior had started discussing how best to strong-arm Arthur along for their plans.


    She had instead offered the counter-proposal. Why don¡¯t we just ask him to come along? No force. No threats. Just a request for assistance.


    Selena smirked when she recalled the incredulous looks that her colleagues had given her. It seemed that they couldn¡¯t fathom how something so simple would ever work. After all, no sane person would ever agree to go on such a dangerous mission when asked to do so. Thankfully, Selena was certain that Arthur had at least a few screws loose in his head and she was certain that he¡¯d at least consider their requests. Not that it''d be necessary.


    She''d gotten wind that the Murker siblings were visiting. Whatever they''d end up offering was far better than anything the American government could fork over. She''d heard plenty of rumours regarding the pair, the only confirmed one that they were a tier two planet''s initial foothold into Earthen territory.


    The fruits of evolution the American government had received had been a point of contention amongst all who knew about them. Everyone wanted to get their hands on one of the few items that would allow them to evolve sooner and it had been decided that if Arthur''s assistance could be secured for the fight against the shadow mage a fruit would be offered in recompense on top of whatever the siblings offered.


    After all, the presence of a great healer during the mission would lower their risks of failure greatly and everyone would feel more at ease knowing that an injury would not spell death even if it seemed fatal. A single rare item was worth the well-being of their attack squad as some of America''s greatest fighters were a part of it.


    That was without mentioning the number of resources and items that had been spent making them all stronger, and the government didn¡¯t want to see their investments find their way to an early grave. Selena looked up to see Bryan talking to Arthur, his hands animatedly moving to emphasise what he was saying. Arthur looked like he was incredibly intrigued, his posture straighter than usual and his eyes fixed on Bryan. Selena smiled. It seemed like they¡¯d be bringing their own monster to the party.

 Chapter 65- Miss Murker

    Arthur looked out of the window as the scenery whizzed by. He was sitting in an armoured vehicle with Bryan on the seat beside him. They were currently on their way to meet the Murker siblings, the special duo Bryan had told him he worked for just a few hours ago.


    Arthur also suspected that this was where Alyssia''s predictions would come to fruition. The existence of the superior core she''d detected with her aura, all the coincidences that surrounded his employment as a special healer, his imminent demise and the salvation these people apparently held; it all pointed to the existence of a puppeteer that wanted something from him.


    Now he was on his way to said puppet master, answering the invitation he''d been given. Well, calling it an invitation was a stretch. It was more a demand than a request, his compliance an expectation set in stone, not a variable to be considered in their dealings. A powerplay? Or maybe I''m reading into things too much. I can''t be asked dealing with underhanded bullshit after that catastrophe with Alyssia.


    The car began to slow down, pulling Arthur out of his inner ruminations. Much to his surprise, they''d stopped outside a high-scale restaurant that was open to the public, instead of the secure fortress he''d come to expect from powerful forces. He didn''t waste the brainpower trying to understand why they''d chosen to be so different. It wasn''t worth the time.


    "Arthur, I know you don''t like dealing with authority too much, but the people you''re about to meet weren''t raised under the same values that we consider normal. They''re a little eccentric." Bryan said with a slight grimace on his face.


    Arthur nodded his head. He''d expected as much, though he had hoped they would have subverted them. Sadly, it looked like that wouldn''t be the case.


    "That''s not to say they''re bad people," Bryan quickly added when he saw Arthurs frown. "They just take a little while to get used to. Think of it like a culture clash. they''re good people."


    Except their culture might expect me to kowtow before meeting them or something equally absurd. Arthur tried to reserve judgement until he met the pair but his initial interaction with Alyssia and her misguided attempts at respect gave him very little hope for this encounter.


    "This way please, Mr Ward."


    Upon entry to the upscale establishment, they were immediately waylaid by a waitress dressed in a sharp white dress shirt, though calling the level 63 warrior a mere serving woman was a disservice. Bryan tried to follow but the woman raised her hand to stop him.


    "Miss Murker asked only for Arthur. You will remain here." She said dispassionately.


    Bryan looked affronted at the cold dismissal but swallowed his words, turning towards one of the many empty tables.


    "Remember what I said, Arthur. They''re good people. Strange but good. Cut them some slack." He called out behind him before walking off.


    If the serving woman was annoyed by his rude words, she didn''t show it.


    "They''re waiting for you on the second floor, sir. The last room on the left. You can''t miss it." She offered him a short bow before walking off and returning to her serving duties.


    Arthur just shook his head in amusement at her hasty departure. It looked like she wanted nothing to do with the man who''d garnered her superior''s attention. At least he assumed they were her superiors. Everything so far lead him to believe that the siblings most likely owned this establishment.


    Leaving no room for indecision, Arthur quickly made his way to the stairs. It was blocked by a level 50 guard who let him pass only after he confirmed who he said he was via a quick call to the initial server he''d been welcomed by, who he learned was called Margret, a very old-school name if he did say so himself.


    The woman was not pleased having to interact with him so soon after she''d tried to distance herself from him, though she did an admirable job of hiding it. With all the delays, it took him a few minutes before he arrived at his destination, a large wooden door that practically screamed opulence. It was also drenched in ether, in ways he had never encountered before. A ward? Or is it some other form of defensive magic? Before he could identify it, he was interrupted by a voice coming from within the room. It was clear and loud, seemingly unhindered by the thick wood it had to travel through and distinctly feminine.


    "Come in. And don''t try to inspect the wards. Unless you''ve evolved the basic skill the system''s given you, it''ll give you a raging headache."


    Did she read my thoughts? I swear skills like that are insanely rare. Or was it my aura? But Alyssia said that her reading abilities were highly specialised. Maybe my control is really that shit.


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    "Stop dilly-dallying."


    The same voice interrupted his musings, though it did sound a tad impatient now.


    "And no, I''m not a mind mage or anything. It''s just the last three people that came here were knocked out when they tried the same. You people are far too curious for your own good and you lack the caution knowledge brings."


    The woman''s tirade left Arthur feeling sheepish and he scratched his head in embarrassment.


    "Though, judging from your aura, I''ll say you''d only be left with a mild headache instead," she grumbled.


    "Maybe if you finally come inside, I can explain it to you. I''m sure Sarah here is dying to see you. She''s practically bouncing on her feet."


    The voice was faintly amused now, though the impatience within it couldn''t be made any clearer than if she''d just slapped him in the face. Well, she sorta fits the profile of a spoiled rich kid, I guess, though she seems alright. And why''s that policewoman here? Is she being held hostage? The woman''s words suggested she was fine but Arthur couldn''t be too sure. Still, he tried not to jump to conclusions as he entered the room.


    The first thing that stood out to him, was the young man passed out on a couch, a puddle of drool slipping out of his mouth. Then it was the old man standing behind the young missus who''d obviously been talking to him. He was level 205. And he was glaring at him.


    "Maxwell, can you stop trying to scare our guest."


    As if she had eyes on the back of her head, the young Murker heiress called the old man out. A guard? That left only one more person in the room. Rachel, the police officer he''d met what felt like months ago, rushed up to him and surprisingly hugged him in a crushing embrace. Arthur awkwardly returned the gesture. What''s gotten into her?


    "You can save your theatrics for later, Sarah. I don''t pay you to act like a fool?" Murker interrupted them.


    Arthur let go of the now red-faced woman and took a seat at the table opposite the Arabian woman. At least that''s what Arthur thought. She certainly looked Arabian to him, or at least middle-eastern, but he could be wrong. He doubted it though.


    "You''re probably wondering why I called you here." She began. "My name is Ayesha Murker and that''s my idiot brother sleeping over there. Maxwell here is a bodyguard dispatched by my parents to ensure I don''t come to harm."


    Arthur nodded his head. He''d figured as much out already and her name confirmed that her origins, at least her earthly ones, came from somewhere in the middle east.


    "I''m not one to beat around the bush," Ayesha continued. "So I''ll get right into it. A friend of mine, a dabbling diviner, can read the memories of an object, so lo and behold, after taking a short vacation off-world during the tutorial, I return to discover the corpse of an apocalypse beast in my territory. You can hardly blame me for the investigation I launched into its killer."


    "That leads me to you. Miss Crowfield over here, I picked up along the way, though I must say she did try admirably to cover up your tracks."


    "I was wondering why you were so interested in me. So the dead panther outed me. I really should have cleaned up better." Arthur said with a tired smile on his face.


    This at least answered a few of his questions and Alyssia was apparently right in her suspicions that a diviner had been tracking him. It turned out he still hadn''t learned his lesson of assuming things so fast.


    "No Mr Ward. That is only the tip of the iceberg. Though your ability to kill an apocalypse beast is admirable, you were simply lucky to find a cub so fresh from its mother''s womb. No, what intrigued me, was the discarded flask we found at the scene. One used to create a quality of elixir rare even on my homeworld."


    Arthur felt his hackles rise. This was far worse than he''d expected. Had they figured out his ability to consume monster cores? Were they going to try and detain him? Force him to answer some questions. Thankfully, Ayesha''s next words set him at ease.


    "Do not fear, I am not asking you to reveal your secrets. Judging by the mess that is your aura, I hardly doubt they would be of use to me anyway." She smiled reassuringly at him, but it was anything but.


    "I am not your enemy. We, the Murker family, have nothing to gain by acting against you. Quite the opposite, I have called you here in the hopes of cooperation."


    She pulled out a wooden box from her handbag. Like the door, it was drenched in ether, only dialled up to eleven. Arthur was certainly trying to identify it would give him far more than a headache.


    "Why do you want my help?" His voice sounded gruff, even to him.


    Ayesha chuckled, raising a calloused hand to cover her mouth.


    "Don''t be coy, Mr Ward. It ill-becomes you. We both know just how powerful you will become, perhaps I even more than yourself. I am not looking for obedience, Arthur, not even your employment."


    She paused for a moment.


    "I''m looking for a mercenary. A super-soldier born on this planet that I can call upon when in need. Maxwell here is great. I and my brother are no slouches either, but rules prevent us from acting on this tier-one planet as we wish. Despite our mother''s earthly origins, my father is not from here"


    "As such, we must operate under certain restrictions. Restrictions that do not apply to you as an Earth-born. What do you say?"


    Arthur took a moment to digest what he''d been told. When he spoke, it was with due consideration.


    "I thought you said you didn''t like to beat around the bush. We both know why you''re so confident right now. So why don''t you open that box of yours? Your diviner must have let you know I need that, right?" Arthur said.


    He knew he came off as standoffish, but the look of surprise on the woman''s face was worth it. Guess she didn''t expect me to know so much. Thank you Alyssia. She recovered pretty quickly though, but she did look a little annoyed.


    "I''m guessing that Alverin must have told you something." She said eyes narrowed in suspicion. "No matter, I''ll get around to talking to her eventually. Sorry for the delay, but I was hoping to get to know you a little before getting into the meat of things but it looks like you''re not the most patient of people."


    Arthur chuckled. Damn, she''s sharp.


    "I will not ask why you need this item so badly. Frankly, I''m a little afraid if I''m being entirely honest. This is something rare even on a tier-four planet and I cannot fathom why you''d need something so divine to save your life." Ayesha grumbled whilst shaking her head.


    She opened the box.

 Chapter 66- Miss Murker

    Arthur watched as Ayesha slowly opened the wooden box. This was why he was here. Whatever it contained was apparently the key to saving his life, at least if Alyssia was to be believed. Ayesha''s next words only confirmed that.


    "This is something rare even on a tier-four planet and I cannot fathom why you''d need something so divine to save your life. That wasn''t a question by the way. I''m just a little confused." Ayesha grumbled.


    Her statement revealed two critical pieces of information. First and foremost, Ayesha''s diviner also thought his life was in critical danger and as Alyssia had predicted, the object within the box should solve his problem. She''d also described the item as divine and Arthur was pretty certain she wasn''t trying to make a biblical reference here.


    That and the fact that she''d said it was rare even on tier-4 planets had him literally salivating at the thought. Nope, that''s my half-breed title at work. I''m actually drooling, for Christ''s sake. Is divine a rarity rating? I''ve never heard of it before and it wasn''t mentioned in that introductory booklet that Liz gave me.


    Thankfully, everyone in the room was too focused on the wooden box to notice his surreptitious drool wiping; a box Arthur noticed, that was opening far slower than it was supposed to. It was surrounded by a golden hallow and time almost seemed to flow sluggishly in its direct vicinity. No, time IS flowing slower there. It resulted in a very disconcerting sight and was difficult to look at, two distinct time flows that could be observed in one moment.


    No one else seemed to have trouble observing it. Maybe it''s my new perception attribute at work. I''m somehow seeing things differently from them. It''s just her hand moving slowly compared to the rest of her body, but it''s as if my brain''s struggling to compute something I shouldn''t be able to perceive.


    Arthur knew what was going on in the literal sense but his head was trying to understand it conceptually. That was why he struggled to look at it whilst everyone else was fine. It''s been eight seconds and it''s only halfway open. Is it the magical wards at work or is the core inside time-related?


    Arthur didn''t know and frankly, he didn''t care. Not when the most appetising, mouth-watering, otherworldy scent reached his nose. It hit him like a truck, his senses boosted by his 92 perceptions to an all-new high only enhanced his predatory instincts.


    It took all his self-control to not reach over and just grab the thing. He waited and waited and waited, the temporal zone almost mocking him with its annoying delay. Finally, it was open.


    Ayesha turned the box around so Arthur could take a look inside.


    Resting on a velvet cushion, was a golden core that shone with the luminescence of the sun at its zenith. The ambient temperature of the room had already risen a few degrees in the few seconds it had taken to turn the box around, and it was only getting hotter.


    "This," Ayesha began. "Is a core extracted from a stillborn Fire Dragon. It is the single greatest treasure in my possession, perhaps the greatest that I''ve ever owned."


    Arthurs Identify only confirmed that.


    Fragmented Fire Dragon Core [Mythic-pseudo Divine]- A monster core extracted from a stillborn Fire dragon. It is fragmented due to inherit problems that prevented the creature from fully forming, hence the monster core is a fraction of what it could have been.


    Nonetheless, it makes for an incredible crafting component and has numerous alchemical usages the effects of which will be permanent.


    Warning: Should a beast feast on this core, immediately warn your nearest system authority and engage evacuation protocols. It is highly unlikely that a creature can properly metabolise this potent energy source and thus the resultant monster will most likely fall into madness.


    Threat level- Apocalyptic


    Identify has reached max level...


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    Identify level ten (MAX)- As a system-granted base skill, information that is given to the host is obtained via the system database in accordance with the host''s clearance levels. To make this skill your own, you must specialise it with one of your affinities and build upon its base skill matrix.


    Seek help from a high levelled classer for further details.


    Arthur gulped. Just identifying the thing had maxed out his skill. The directive he''d been given was the last thing on his mind, though. He couldn''t care less about the skill right now.


    Ayesha closed the box before the room could get any hotter. In the time it had taken him to read through those notifications, her wooden desk had already started smoking. His clothes too felt incredibly hot, sticking to skin he''d only just noticed was damp with sweat.


    The core wasn''t really a source of heat. It just made the things in its surroundings get hotter. Okay, I guess it is a heat source. But still, the fabric on my back is just as hot as the side that was closest to the core. An advanced heat generator then. I''ll go with that.


    Ayesha smirked at him.


    "I guess your constitution attribute truly is outstanding. Most people at your level would be far less comfortable after being exposed to a dragon core''s radiation. Especially when it''s exacerbated by its fractured state. You''re only sweating."


    Arthur didn''t say anything, nodding his head in acquiescence.


    "Naturally, you cannot expect me to hand this over without appropriate compensation," Ayesha said.


    "In all honesty, no matter what you offer me, I''ll be taking a loss. This core would win me the undying loyalty of a legion of soldiers far stronger than you and there''s nothing on a tier-one planet of equal value."


    "You wouldn''t be here if you weren''t willing to give it up. Just cut to the chase." Arthur responded curtly.


    At any other time, he may have considered engaging in some wordplay with the noble but he was far too distracted right now. They wouldn''t have shown me the core if they weren''t willing to give it up. Ayesha frowned, displeased that Arthur wasn''t rising to her bait.


    "You would make for a terrible knight, you know that," Ayesha complained. "But your right, we don''t have time to beat around the bush. As you''ve just been introduced into the wider universe, perhaps you don''t quite grasp what''s going on in your world."


    "Tier-one planets make for excellent training grounds and are perfect staging grounds for one to rise to prominence. Add on the fact that everyone likes extra territory, and a newly initiated planet nearly always becomes a contested ground for neighbouring tier-two worlds."


    "That''s not to say I''m here to take over your planet," Ayesha quickly added when she felt a sharp spike in Arthur''s aura.


    "Like everything else in the universe, the system offers a degree of protection for newly integrated planets. A set of laws prevent a hostile takeover by a superior force, at least until that planet has established itself."


    Ayesha paused for breath, noting how Arthur was taking this new piece of information. He didn''t seem to care too much, which meant she hadn''t properly grasped his personality traits. No matter. Everything still fell within her expected parameters.


    "These laws, however, do not prevent tier-two planets from establishing themselves on your world, hence why I am here. And I''m not the only one. As far as my investigations go, there are at least thirteen other groups with designs on Earth, one of them from a rival noble faction from my homeworld."


    Arthur nodded his head.


    "So you want my help establishing yourself here because restrictions prevent you from bringing your full power to bear?" He questioned.


    Ayesha smiled.


    "You catch on quick. Whilst a dragon core, fragmented though it may be, far outways what I''m asking from you, my auxiliary skill is telling me that I''m not making a loss on this deal. With no personal use for the dragon core, and my inability to protect it, holding onto it is just an unnecessary liability. This box prevents it from being tracked but already its enchantments are falling apart. I have a week left at most before it paints a massive target on my back."


    "I got too greedy. I should have left it at home. But my diviner told me to bring it to this world. Despite how vague their skills are, I trust her. She''s led me to some of my greatest successes. And now she''s brought me to you. So, what do you say Arthur Ward? Will I have your support?"


    He took a moment to think over her words. It was obvious she was hiding things and this diviner was a big red flag, but all in all, she wasn''t being exploitative. In all honesty, Arthur was ripping her off here.


    "So you want me to support you, that''s it? Nothing else, no extra strings?" Arthur probed.


    "That''s the gist of it," Ayesha replied. "I want to cultivate a friendly relationship with one of the future powerhouses of Earth. I''m sure Bryan told you of a great looming threat, right? I''ll need your help with that too."


    "But first we''ll need to clean the trash. I have a bad feeling Bryan''s task force won''t cut it against Shade. Could you go with them? Not as a combatant but as a healer. A field medic of sorts to keep them safe."


    Arthur frowned.


    "This is a test, right? You want to see if I''m up to snuff."


    Ayesha nodded.


    "The core will be yours within twenty-four hours, irrespective of whether or not you''re successful. And I''m sure you welcome the chance to see how strong you''ve become against a genuine threat. So how about it, Arthur?"


    "We reconvene in twenty-four hours and you become the new owner of this dragon core. We''ll discuss the future then."


    She smiled at him and stretched out her hand in the symbolic sign of an agreement.


    Arthur took it.

 Chapter 67- Shade

    Arthur hadn¡¯t been able to get a single wink of sleep all night, his mind continuously drifting back to the offer Ayesha had given him and the answer he¡¯d replied with. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had made the right choice and indecision gripped him as he mentally evaluated how his decision would affect him, for perhaps the hundredth time.


    He came to the conclusion, once again, that yes, he had undoubtedly made the right judgement in accepting the powerful woman''s offer. At the end of the day, Arthur needed a way to heal his soul soon before it became an untreatable issue. And that dragon core man. I think my title would try to kill me if I turned it away. With an added Evolution Fruit to sweeten the transaction, it was practically a done deal and the offer to meet the mercantile organisation that was coming to Earth was just the cherry on top.


    He¡¯d had no idea who or what they were when Ayesha had first mentioned them and had said as much to the woman. When he had finally learnt what it was that the group did, he knew that he would have to meet them, if only to find more about the wider universe out there.


    Despite one of his primary goals of researching resurrection magic and whether or not it was even possible, he still had no leads go on even after two and a half weeks of being in contact with Ether. The rational part of his brain told him it was impossible, that by the time he was ready to do something it would already be too late. His sister¡¯s body would have already become the food of insects, gone forever, her soul moved on.


    On the off-chance that resurrection was possible, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think you could bring someone back from nothing, that would be akin to creating an entirely new individual, irrespective of how similar it would appear to an observer. Arthur shut down that part of his mind. He locked it down and shoved it into the farthest recess he could, ignoring a reality he would not believe.


    A reality he COULD not believe.


    He''d ignored it for nearly three weeks already. A little while longer never hurt anybody. My therapist''s probably crying blood right now.


    Arthur sighed wearily when he heard the chirping of a bird, his hearing so incredible now that the tiny squeak sounded like it was coming from within his own room. He had no doubt however that the seemingly innocent animal that produced the noise would easily be able to murder pre-system Arthur.


    Looking at his watch, he saw that it was half-past-six, just a few hours till his big debut as a battle healer. It didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d be getting any more rest and the night was already over. With his absurd stamina, he didn¡¯t really think he even needed sleep so much anymore, it was more just a means to freshen himself up a little. Arthur got out of his bed, checking his ether reserves as he did so.


    2980/3230


    Well, at least they were practically all full. Thanking God for the small mercies in life, Arthur prepared himself for the day.


    ~Selena Williams~


    It was exactly one minute past ten in the morning, twenty-nine minutes until the planned battle against Shade. At least if things went according to plan. Looking at the uncommon item in her hands, she was unsure if that would be the case.


    Dark-attuned monster lure (Uncommon)- A crudely crafted item that attracts monsters of the darkness affinity. Due to its fragile creation, it may not work as the creator initially intended


    Bryan hoped that as Shade''s mental acuity had already degraded so much that his more bestial instincts from his gene splicing would take over his actions. If that was the case, then the monster lure in Selena¡¯s hands would work perfectly to attract his attention if he was within the vicinity, which her extensive usage of scouting mage had told her was exactly the case.


    Though the item''s description didn¡¯t really give her a vote of confidence. What the hell is the damn going to do, if not lure a darkness affinity monster. Is it gonna blow up or something, Selena worried as sweat poured down her back. She was in the tensest situation of her entire life and the fact that she was willingly acting as bait for a monster that could easily end her life in seconds did not help alleviate any of her stress.


    And why the hell did I have to come here alone anyway, her less reasonable inner demons questioned her though she knew full well the answers to that particular conundrum. The other four members of her team as well as Arthur had chosen to hide in the outskirts of the massive clearing she was currently in. After all, their plan had a much greater chance of success if Shade found only a single vulnerable individual waiting for him instead of a team of powerful humans.


    Such a tactic would have never worked if the shadow mage retained even a shred of his thinking capabilities and the entire operation hinged on the fact that the government''s ¡®experts¡¯ were certain the former human had lost those a long time ago. That did indeed seem to be the case if the man¡¯s recent murder spree were anything to go by.


    Still, it would help her nerves a lot if she didn¡¯t feel so isolated in the huge clearing whilst surrounded by the menacing shadow cast by large trees. After seventeen minutes of inactivity had passed and Selena started to feel both frustrated and relieved that the shadow mage hadn¡¯t turned up, something changed in the atmosphere around her.


    It was almost like someone had flicked a switch that drained all colour out of the world and left it a grim picture of black and white. Selena felt her breath catch as she felt a terrifying presence wash over her, unlike anything she had ever felt before. She imagined this was what someone felt as they gazed at the closing jaws of a monster, the sense of despair as one saw an incoming tsunami, utterly powerless to do anything but wait and watch.


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    It felt like death.


    Just as Selena began to hyperventilate, she felt a warm, comforting feeling suffuse through her from a point of contact on her shoulder. Selena looked back to see Arthur''s reassuring figure standing slightly behind her as her other team members made their way out of the trees. There were no pep talks, no words of encouragement to bolster their faltering wills. There was only grim silence of quiet determination as everyone turned to observe the beast that had made its presence known standing before them.


    They had a job to do.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    Arthur gulped dryly when he saw the sickening creature before him. He would never be able to tell that it was once a man if he hadn¡¯t been told prior to seeing it. In fact, he almost doubted if the government had told him the truth. The man, if that was truly what he was seemed to be made more out of flickering shadows than actual flesh and the few parts of his body where that was not the case had taken on a grey, unhealthy hue that made it look like it had started rotting.


    The monster¡¯s hands ended in sharp claws that were carved out of the darkest night sky and trailed along the ground like they were too unwieldy for him to lift properly. Its back was hunched, revealing a spinal cord that had broken skin in places, causing scabbing blisters to form that oozed a gooey-looking fluid that sizzled like acid when it fell onto the ground. Arthur identified the former shadow mage and felt his heart drop.


    [Starved] Shadow ghoul ??? (Evolved Rank E) level 162-


    Ghouls are monsters generally found in locations of concentrated death Ether. Usually formed when steps are taken using illegal magic to pervert nature, they are incredibly dangerous and toxic to the general populous. As an evolved variant of the shadow kind, it is advised that a team of specialists are brought in to handle the threat.


    [Starved]- Ghoul is in a state of starvation due to a lack of Death affinity ether in the area. This results in a far more aggressive opponent that lacks self-preservation instincts


    It was by far the most powerful creature he had ever seen if its aura was to be believed, dwarfing the Draconic Liverthion by a large margin in terms of destructive capabilities despite its lower levels. After all, the former human had not achieved its strength by drinking and abusing some potions like a drug addict. No, what he had done was far worse and the abomination before them was the result of his twisted experiments.


    His max-level identify was showing its worth here and it provided him far more details than he''d expected. None of the extra information was useful here, unfortunately, and they had no life mages on hand to oppose the death-attuned monster.


    The air around Shade was shimmering almost as if reality itself was trying to reject the monster¡¯s presence. Arthur could feel goosebumps rise over his skin and he shivered involuntarily in fear. Looking at what the former human had become, Arthur questioned why the man had even gone through such a crazy experiment in the first place.


    He must have known that the results were not the promised path to power but rather the descent into madness that lay before them. After all, Shade wasn¡¯t the first such individual who had walked down such a dangerous and foolish path, only the latest and most powerful person who had accepted Thorn''s booby-trapped gift of power.


    Arthur couldn¡¯t fathom why anyone would want to become a monster even if it significantly increased their strength. Especially when they had a bright future ahead of them as Shade once had. Still, such questions were not for Arthur to answer and despite his curiosity, he wouldn¡¯t be asking anything.


    Arthur knew what Pandora¡¯s box looked like when he saw it, and he would not get dragged any further into this crazy battle against the Silver Rose just because he couldn¡¯t keep his gob shut. Well, maybe if they made it worth my time, his greed whispered in his ear before he quickly stamped it out. This was not the time to be getting distracted. He was out of his depth travelling into deep waters, and a lapse in concentration could cost him his life and result in the failure of this entire mission.


    Arthur took a deep breath and prepared himself for the upcoming battle.


    ~~~~~~


    Why the fuck did I even come here? Bryan wondered as he stared at the monster before him. It had only taken him a single moment under the pressure of Shade''s aura to know that he and his team were not going to come out of this fight in one piece. I swear, they told us he would only be at level 140 at the most, Bryan inwardly cursed, promising himself he¡¯d have the so-called ¡®experts¡¯ head if he ever managed to make it back home. Shade was over 20 levels higher than they had initially expected and his team was nowhere ready to fight him. But as Bryan looked back at Arthur, the enigmatic healer the Murkers had managed to persuade to come with them, he felt a brief flicker of hope light up in his chest.


    Yes, with his initial team this battle would be tantamount to suicide, but if they had someone like Arthur backing them with constant healing skills, they¡¯d actually have a chance to bring the crazed Ghoul down.


    They¡¯d have to.


    Otherwise, the monster would rapidly outgrow any means they had to take it down save perhaps just bombing the bastard out of existence. They had however been extensively warned against taking such measures during the tutorial. Something about radiation allowing monsters to evolve in extremely dangerous unusual ways, and America was not ready to face the threat of hundreds of mutated monsters.


    Bryan gulped as he felt the pressure of responsibility set itself on his shoulders. He pulled out the item he had been given and hoped that it would be enough to close the gap between themselves and the shadow mage.


    Light orb (Uncommon) - A naturally formed item from a high concentration of ambient Ether of the light affinity, this orb will release a large amount of light affinity Ether when used. Extremely useful against lower levelled monsters that favour darkness and shadows.


    Usages remaining: 2


    From prior testing, Bryan knew that the orb would easily illuminate the 750m circumference of the clearing they had chosen for the site of the battle, thereby eliminating a vast source of Shade''s primary source of magic, shadows. Whether that would be enough to stop the beast, would still be left to fate and at level 162, the crazed abomination could probably circumvent such a crude and simple tactic.


    It was the best chance they¡¯d have though, thirty-two minutes of illuminated time to bring down the shadow mage. Bryan prayed that it would be enough, or that they¡¯d survive long enough to reuse the orb after the half-hour had passed. It had only been a few seconds since the monster had made its presence known, yet it felt so much longer to Bryan. The beast growled and took a step forward.


    Bryan closed his eyes and the world exploded into light.

 Chapter 68- Outclassed

    ~Selena Williams~


    It took Selena a few seconds to get used to the increased brightness as the orb detonated its penultimate usage. For a moment, it was as if someone was shining a flashlight directly into her eyes.


    The starved Ghoul however wasn¡¯t so lucky and she heard an inhumane screech of pain burst forth from its mouth and echo around the empty clearing, the sound somehow bouncing back of empty air. It felt like the sound was coming from every direction at once and Selena was shocked that she actually sustained some damage to her health just from listening to it.


    What the fuck! Did I really just lose 71 points of health, Selena wondered in disbelief as she double-checked her status to make sure. The numbers didn¡¯t lie, and she felt a small trickle of warm liquid make there way down her cheeks. She was bleeding from her ears. When she finally opened her eyes, Selena was thankful to see that only she had been hurt by the beast''s scream of rage, what with her having the lowest constitution of the group. It would''ve been bad if everyone sustained damage from a mere scream. Still, the fact she was hurt already didn''t bode well for the rest of the group. She could already feel Arthur''s stored healing Ether at work dealing with the damage, a warm sensation that she could best describe as the comfort of a campfire.


    The man himself was standing near the back of their motley crew in what they''d all agreed was the safest position. Being a non-combatant at only level 60 it had been a point of contention in the group if the young healer should even be present on the scene and not left outside of the clearing.


    She had of course been vehemently opposed to the idea of leaving him behind knowing from personal experience that his level was far from an accurate representation of his abilities. Bryan had also been on her side and being the head of this expedition, he''d ultimately decided it was safer for everyone involved that Arthur was close at hand.


    Looking at the young man now though, she felt strangely guilty. They would''ve left him further away if I said so. Bryan trusted my judgement too much and now the guy''s in danger. Shit, I know he''s been hyped up and everything, but still, he''s a healer, not a fighter. We shouldn''t have brought him here.


    Selena shook her head, trying to get rid of her wandering thoughts. Now wasn''t the time to get distracted. The shadow monster responsible for the absurd sound was crouched low, with its abnormally long arms covering its head as if it was cowering away from the bright source of light.


    She felt Arthur place his palm on her back as a warm flow of energy entered her, further enhancing the healing Ether already repairing the damage done to her auditory nerves before he went back to his position. The entire process took less than three seconds, almost five times faster than any other healer Selena had observed treating such a specific injury and a testament to why Arthur was present here despite his low level.


    The fact that he didn¡¯t seem to have any problem with the monster''s screech barely even registered to her, a high constitution just another quirk of the abnormal young man. When Shade remained in his strange position for a few more seconds, the team members looked uncertainly at each other. Perhaps they should capitalise on the monster''s apparent weakness, but caution stayed their hand. This was not how they had expected the fight to go and it didn''t fall into their plans. A bloody, drawn-out battle of attrition, yes, but not the eerie and creepy direction the engagement was currently going in.


    Bryan raised a hand into the air, before slightly signalling that Selena should move forward to investigate. Whilst she understood that as a scout with the highest agility, she was the best suited for the job, it irked her that her straightforward build put her in the most dangerous of positions more often than not. Slowly creeping forward, she used her sonar manipulation to make the sound of her footsteps silent and better hear the grunts and groans the abomination was making. When she could finally interpret what shadow-mage was saying, her blood ran cold.


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    ¡°Why? Why? Why? He lied to me, Hahahaha!"


    Shade then mumbled an unintelligible string of words that hurt her head to listen to, often cackling like a devil-possessed abomination before once again muttering quietly.


    ¡°Thon Thorn. Thorn! THORN!"


    Shade suddenly shouted and the air was blasted back around him sending Selena stumbling backwards. Everyone had heard the last shout so she didn¡¯t need to tell them that the crazed ghoul still retained some of its human faculties. It didn¡¯t really matter though.


    Their job still remained the same.


    It had only become a little more difficult, but when a few pebbles were added atop an already unclimbable mountain, it didn¡¯t really mean anything. It was still a peak that couldn¡¯t be reached. Shade finally looked up and seemed to register their presence for the first time. He turned his head to the side as if he was confused and raised an elongated limb to scratch his head. The scene would have looked funny if the abomination didn¡¯t present such a terrifying sight. The monster smiled, revealing blood-stained teeth far too sharp and big to belong to a human before he started chuckling.


    ¡°Hey, mama. Mama, are you listening. We¡¯ve got guests. What should I do?¡± Shade asked.


    He was silent for a moment before he suddenly shouted.


    ¡°WHY AREN¡¯T YOU SAYING ANYTHING!¡±


    The crazed ghoul breathed heavily in and out, clutching his head in both hands as if in great pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t. Please, don''t leave me alone.¡± The man cried, releasing a loud keening moan.


    Selena was dumbfounded by the sight before her, unsure of how exactly she should respond to the strangeness of what was going on. The rest of her team were similarly confused and Bryan raised his hand into the air, no doubt about to signal their next course of action.


    What happened next was so fast that Selena couldn¡¯t even see it, despite her agility having passed the two-hundred mark. That meant that no one else even registered the fact that Shade had moved, not even Bryan whose arm was now clutched in the monster''s hands.


    Her superior looked confused for a moment, looking at the monster feasting on his flesh and then at the bleeding stump where his limb used to be. It took a moment for him to realise what had happened and another few seconds for the pain to reach his shocked brain. With a grunt of pain, Bryan fell to his knees, clutching the severe wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. It was at that moment that Arthur''s planted ether started to work and everyone watched with wide eyes as the limb rapidly regrow in a matter of seconds. Even Shade looked up from his meal to see the fascinating sight.


    After a half minute during which everyone was suspended in motion, Bryan was ready to get back to his feet. Although miraculous healing brought Bryan back to fighting condition, the sight of his injured form was burned into everyone''s mind and Selena felt her heart drop. She realised at that moment that they were out of their depth. It didn¡¯t matter that the abomination wasn¡¯t sane enough to use its magic properly, or that they had eradicated all the shadows in the area. Shade could defeat them all with physical might alone.


    Ghouls, like most undead monsters, were heavily focused in the flesh, beasts of legendary strength and constitution. It was why their team consisted mostly of people specced in the mental department, the antithesis to the ghoul''s power. Fighting the creature at its own game by bringing warriors instead of magicians was a fool''s game and one the current people of Earth had no chance of playing.


    How much agility was that? 250? 300? And its constitution''s supposed to be even higher. Fuck, I know it had us outclassed in body stats but still, isn''t the gap too large. Ghouls were supposed to be susceptible to magical damage, but an insane constitution attribute was just that, insane. Would they be able to get through its defence?


    Still, Selena would not go down without a fight and she drew on her ether reserves to cast her strongest skill, one that she had only gotten after unlocking her class and the combined result of her sonar kinesis and minor speed manipulation Echokinetic deviation.


    Echokinetic deviation (Rare+) [Fusion skill] Level 1- A class skill produced by combining sound and speed magic, it is on the verge of breaking out of the limitations of your (rare) class Sonar mage. Due to weak foundations caused by your haste in levelling, this skill has been knocked down in its potential.


    Reduces the target''s balance by deviating their standard relation to vibrations caused by sound. This is done by echoing sound a fraction of a second after the ear perceives it causing a dissonance in one''s ability to perceive reality. This ability is weakened depending on the target''s constitution and agility.


    Cost: Variable


    Time: Variable


    She hoped it would give them a fighting chance.

 Chapter 69- Eleven Steps

    The past few minutes had been the most intense moments of Arthur''s life. After the fourth time, Arthur had stopped counting how many limbs he¡¯d had to regrow, the injuries his team had suffered at the hands of Shade quickly exhausting the healing affinity ether he had managed to store inside them. After all, eight hundred points of health would only take you so far when you suffered a debilitating wound every other minute.


    Still, each injury had been returned in kind, well- at least partially, and Arthur could see that Shade was beginning to slow down from the numerous bleeding burns and cuts on his body. The only reason that they had even survived this long, let alone got the starved ghoul into this state was due to the spell that Selena had cast at the start of the battle. It was the only reason why they had a fighting chance.


    Arthur had no idea what exactly she had done with her sound manipulation magic, except that she had somehow completely thrown off Shade''s sense of balance. From their debriefing, he knew it had something to do with echoes, but Selena had naturally left the particulars of how her skill worked. She had to keep some secrets.


    Well, judging by how off-kilter Shade looks and how he''s always misjudging the timing of his attacks by split seconds, I guess he might be perceiving sound at an altered rate compared to the rest of us. He mused while healing a nasty-looking wound on his current patient, a mage who used some sort of toxic ether to slow her enemies.


    Using some sort of debuff skill, Anna had played an integral part in closing the gap in abilities between the two opposing sides and it was in Arthur''s best interest to make sure she got back into the fight as soon as possible.


    Overwhelming Regeneration (Rare) has reached level 4


    That was the first time the skill had levelled since evolving, despite the numerous times he had used it to heal people. Perhaps it had something to do with the extremely dangerous circumstances he was currently using it in. The wounds he''d been healing were nothing extraordinary, downright mundane if he was being honest, so it couldn''t be because of that.


    At the end of the day, Arthur didn''t know enough to speculate on anything and now was probably not the best to be pondering about the workings of his skills. His inattention to the environment had almost resulted in the permanent loss of his own limbs once before against the shadow panther and he wasn''t keen to repeat the experience.


    Arthur felt a surge of ether from his left a moment before a torrent of raging flames enveloped the crazed ghoul. The beast screamed in both anger and pain when its wounds were cauterized shut and its flesh started burning. Probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to stop it from bleeding out. It looked like it was doing something, Arthur thought to himself but kept his ideas within the confines of his mind. The last thing his exhausted teammates needed was to hear some demoralising words of advice from him. They all stood in silence as they watched the beast within the inferno, maintaining and enhancing it with flame and wind magic, praying that it would be enough to bring it down.


    They were all low on ether and they knew that they were just one mistake away from disaster. One that thankfully hadn¡¯t been made yet, but it was just a matter of time and the protracted battle had left them fighting on fumes. When the fire spell finally came to an end, Bryan groaned. Though the shadow monster looked like it had sustained a lot of damage, it still stood stubbornly in the realm of the unliving, and the fire of defiance still burned bright in its eyes. Its flesh was charred black and bits of bone were visible where an earlier attack had struck deep. Arthur quickly checked his ether reserves.


    1694/3230


    Just a little over half and hopefully enough to last him through the battle. This is my first fight where my physical attributes just won''t cut it. But my offensive magic is dogshit. Shadow can''t be used in this field of light and my only workable water magic is that bullet spell I got from the kingfisher.


    It was a skill he''d never used before and so, he quickly took the time to observe the spell matrix within himself. It wouldn''t do much but a little familiarity might just save his life if things went wrong. And speak of the devil.


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    Shade''s eyes suddenly locked onto his, and Arthur could feel the seething hatred within them. As well as some worrying traces of intelligence that seemed to blame him for its current predicament. After all, without his healing magic, the fight would have been over in minutes if not seconds. Selena looked like she was fighting off the effects of over-drawing on her ether reserves and Anna didn¡¯t look much better. As battles of attrition went, this one had been going on long enough and the human party would be out of it if it didn¡¯t end soon. Thankfully, Arthur''s absurd endurance attribute meant that he had the stamina to go on but it wasn¡¯t much help in dealing with the mental fatigue caused by being in such a stressful situation.


    Shade hadn¡¯t moved since tanking the fire spell head-on, and the humans welcomed the opportunity to recuperate.


    ¡°You. You are the healer I heard about,¡± Shade suddenly spoke, surprising them all.


    The monster''s eyes were locked on Arthur as it took a step forward. Arthur felt the hairs on his neck raise at the impending danger he could sense coming from all around him. The beast seemed to have deemed Arthur as the primary threat to deal with, having finally realised that it could never win this fight as long as Arthur was using his healing abilities.


    The world seemed to pause for a moment and time was stretched almost to the breaking point. Arthur''s new perception stat was strained to the limit as he tried to catch what the crazed ghoul was about to do. He didn¡¯t see much, only a blur of darkness and he instinctively raised his arms to protect his head. His defensive reflex saved his life and he felt a staggering amount of force strike where his neck would have been. Instead of decapitating him as Shade had no doubt intended. Arthur''s left arm was completely destroyed from the shoulder downwards.


    The pain would probably make him black out if he could have felt it, but it was as if Arthur had never had the limb in the first place. Lowering his right arm, Arthur saw that Shade seemed to have disappeared into thin air and the rest of his team had their eyes peeled to see where he had disappeared to. Only Selena seemed to know what was going on, eyes filled with worry at the sight of his missing arm and she seemed to be gripped with indecision as to what she should be doing. Seemingly coming to a decision she began to move towards him, eyes focused at the point beyond his shoulders.


    Arthur felt a sinking feeling in his chest. All of a sudden, he was a young child again, shocked and confused at the police station being told his parents were dead. He felt helpless, knowing what was about to happen but unable to do anything to prevent it.


    Time seemed to slow down. He pushed his ether into the only offensive skill available to him but it wasn''t enough. It would never be. He wasn''t enough. Too little, too late.


    Selena took the eleven steps it took to reach him, moving so fast she appeared as a blur in his eyes. She would never take another. Faster, faster damn it. Fucking move. Arthur tried to scream out a warning as he felt a gust of wind from behind him push him forwards but his voice didn¡¯t seem to be working properly.


    His throat was partially crushed from weathering the crazed ghoul''s earlier strike, despite defending against it. Arthur''s mind went blank, as he began to turn around, knowing what he''d see but unable to do anything. Bryan too had realised where the former shadow mage was and his eyes widened in horror, mouth parted to shout something. Arthur didn''t hear the words leave his lips.


    He was too late. By the time the sound left his mouth, Selena''s lifeless corpse fell to the ground, a gaping hole where her torso should have been. Arthur watched in disbelief for an eternal second, as his brain tried to come to terms with what had happened in front of him. She''d taken the strike for him. She sacrificed herself. Why? Why! WHY! My health is so fucking high. I would''ve survived that strike. She didn''t need to do anything.


    She- she shouldn''t have done anything.


    Arthur vehemently tried to deny the reality he perceived, ignoring the fallacy his thoughts presented. Her corpse finally fell to the ground, almost folding in on itself without the support of a ribcage. She''d died near instantaneously.


    The government spy, powerful scout, brave warrior but most important, a kind young woman, was dead in front of him, murdered right before his eyes as he watched uselessly from the sidelines.


    Selena was a woman with a strong sense of responsibility, someone who did the jobs no one should ever have to. But more importantly, she was someone Arthur had come to like, dare he say it a friend.


    A white-hot rage gripped him and he felt one of his molars almost crack from how hard he had clenched his jaws. Arthur reached for his ether, all the reserves that he had remaining. He had no idea what he would do, only that the monster in front of him would no longer exist after he was done. A rush of power flew through him as he cast a spell he didn¡¯t even understand. Arthur didn¡¯t care.


    For the first time in his life, Arthur was going to use unstructured magic.

 Chapter 70- Unstructured Magic

    Selena Williams was dead and it was all Arthur''s fault.


    There was no doubt about it. Perhaps at higher levels, such injuries weren''t as fatal, but a freshly classed individual would not survive having their heart destroyed. And Selena had lost far more than that.


    Even now, Arthur could see her broken body lying on the ground, boneless and bloody; a massive hole where her chest used to be. Shade stood over her, looking down as if the deceased woman was some sort of odd curiosity he needed to figure out.


    She''d taken a blow for his intended target, one that he was certain the healer would have survived and one that had killed her. That was why the monster was confused. His innate instincts told him Arthur would have lived through his sudden strike and yet the woman had foolishly thrown herself in the way and gotten herself killed.


    For no reason.


    That was why Arthur felt so terrible, a yawning chasm of guilt drowning him in rage and regret. I would''ve been okay. I have eight thousand fucking health and over 200 constitution. I could''ve tanked that strike and walked it off. Why did she jump in the way? Why!?


    She didn''t know, though did she, his thoughts accused. And that was the crux of the matter. He''d kept his abilities a secret, even the ones that he didn''t truly care about. And now Selena had martyred herself thinking she was saving his life.


    Because I wanted to keep everything a fucking secret, even the stuff people have already started figuring out.


    Well, now it was too late. With Selena''s demise, the magic that had kept Shade off balance all this time had finally worn off and with it, his team''s ability to survive this fight. They were going to die soon and then it''d be only him and this demon left to duke it out.


    Against a ghoul, his physical prowess wasn''t going to be entirely effective, the first of many monsters he''d face that''d be a bad matchup for his current strengths. That left him with magic. Shadow was immediately ruled out. Against a monster whose very existence revolved around the affinity, it would be a waste of time and that was without factoring the light field that made those skills useless right now.


    Soul was still bared off to him as of now and he hadn''t yet found a way to weaponise healing. That left him with his water affinity. A few days ago, that too would have been useless without a readily available source of water nearby, but thankfully, he''d gained the water bullet skill which let him directly convert ether into water to use as a projectile weapon.


    He pushed his ether into the skill matrix, feeling how complex it was as an Uncommon+ ranked skill but also how limited. It was weak. Too restricted to harm Shade, forced to conform to a rigid structure that prevented it from doing too much damage. To his enemies and to himself.


    It was time to change that. Ever since he''d found out about the chains the system placed on level one access from Mira, he''d constantly checked on them, using his soul affinity to observe how they interacted with him on a baser level.


    It hadn''t taught him much if he was being honest, but it had told him one key thing. They were disappearing. Ever since he''d begun his level 2 system unlock, they''d begun to disappear. Now with less than 12 hours left for it, he had a tenth of the original number holding him down.


    It was time to finally break them.


    Arthur poured his ether into the skill, using his new perception attribute to try and figure out how it worked. With it, he was able to identify two key points of the spell. An entry point into which his ether was poured, a gateway that limited how much energy he could utilise and a looping matrix he deduced acted as a safety measure.


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    He felt his head begin to ache as he tried to break the skill down further and blood began to trickle down his nose.


    Shade was starting to look up.


    Half a second had passed.


    It''d take the now unburdened monster ten to kill his teammates.


    He was running out of time.


    His half-breed side started to wake up but he tried to ignore its predatory instincts. He needed to be clinical right now, not an emotional beast. Fuck, breaking a skill is so goddamn hard.


    Thankfully he had an insane ether pool to throw at it. Channelling more than he ever had before, he felt the skill matrix burning up, its pathways seared by the unstable arcane juice pumping through them. It felt like microneedles of magma splitting the strands of his muscle fibre, a pain that was felt more on a conceptual level than a physical one. It didn''t stop him. He poured more energy into the skill and watched as it started to fracture.


    Arthur''s ether was now more a creature of instinct than a simple fuel source, a raging bull he tried to wrestle into submission. He wasn''t altogether successful but his panther side picked up the slack.


    Water bullet, despite its utility, wasn''t going to cut it here, and so he changed the skill. Well, change was too strong a word, more like poking it aggressively and waiting for something to happen.


    Something popped.


    It was the safety parameters.


    Uncommon skills generally had a hard cap of 250 ether. Arthur used four times that amount and more kept pouring out of him with no end in sight. His reserves were running low but he knew that wouldn''t put a damper on his broken skill. He was right. When his ether ran out, his health began to drop at an alarming rate. He pushed through nonetheless.


    Arthur visualised what he wanted to do, the power water held in his eyes. From the vast oceans that contained near-infinite amounts of energy to the pressurised water cutters so sharp they could cut the hardest of rocks. That was the image he was currently after. That deadly penetrating power.


    A second passed, though it felt like an eternity to Arthur. He couldn''t begin to describe what was going on anymore, the magic at play was a tier greater than anything Arthur was ready for. He became the conduit for destruction he couldn''t truly understand.


    The ruinous attack that he eventually released was so much more than even a level 150 human should have been capable of accomplishing. It was catastrophic, deadly and beautiful, all in a chaotic cocktail of liquid death unleashed upon reality; an unmaking of the physical realm.


    She was magnificent.


    Every droplet of sweat and moisture, every bit of water vapour in the vicinity was suddenly locked into place and brought under Arthur''s control.


    It was nowhere near enough.


    Thousands of litres of liquid were rapidly generated, not as a single body of water, but as tiny molecular clusters of H2O far too spread out for the naked eye to see. Arthur Ward drew breath and unleashed his spell onto the world. Millions of water bullets, far too small to register in anyone¡¯s perception were released at once, a feat far greater than the Uncommon skill should be capable of.


    Arthur paid dearly for his spell however as the ether in his reserves was far from enough to supply such a devastating attack, and large portions of his health were rapidly funnelled into the broken skill matrix to maintain it. The entire process was over before anyone could even blink, less than two seconds since Selena¡¯s death, yet the results of Arthur''s unstructured magic were horrifying.


    To all onlookers, it looked like Shade had simply ceased to exist, as the trillions of H20 particles obliterated the monster¡¯s body at a cellular level, leaving behind a space devoid of anything besides the life-giving liquid.


    Such a large concentration of water could not be crammed into such a tiny space without some adverse effects of course, and a split second later, the now pressurised zone exploded outwards with a deafening boom, sending steaming water vapour flying in all directions at such speeds that the gas covered a half-mile radius in seconds. Arthur naturally was not conscious to see the results of his attacks. The price of his arrogant strike had bought his health down by 7200 leaving him at a measly 800.


    Unstructured magic had effectively cost him over 9000 ether, far, far more than was necessary to end a beast-like Shade and arguably anything currently on planet Earth. He''d wasted so much energy. A stream of flickering blue system messages bombarded Arthur¡¯s vision but he didn¡¯t see any of it. After all, he was only a few bumps away from brain death. Arthur''s unconscious body crashed to the ground as he rapidly formed a pool of spreading red around him. I need to stop being so fucking impulsive.

 Chapter 71- Post Fight

    ~Bryan~


    Bryan felt his heart clench in anguish when he saw his subordinate die before his very eyes, her life cut short by the abomination known as Shade. He felt rage grip him and he prepared himself to use his last dregs of ether to strike at the crazed ghoul one last time before his inevitable death.


    As he prepared himself to cast his final spell though, he felt something change in the air around him. His ears popped as he felt the air around him suddenly become denser. Bryan gasped when he felt a massive surge of ether gather behind him and he lost control of his own power that was about to be used. It was there for a second and then gone as if it was a figment of his imagination. The results of the energy, however, remained.


    Bryan merely blinked and suddenly Shade was no longer there, replaced by an orb of water. His eyes widened in both fear and shock as he tried to locate the beast but his search was interrupted when a tectonic boom echoed from the spot Shade had once stood in before he was engulfed in a cloud of steaming water vapour.


    The incredible temperatures of the gas were enough to burn his flesh despite his abnormally high constitution and he winced in pain as he felt his skin rapidly turn red and flake off. Still, he kept his eyes peeled and tried to locate Shade, all thoughts of the massive ether working from before forgotten. His search had only gone for a few seconds before a blue system message superimposed itself over his eyes. Bryan blinked in shock as he read it.


    Your group has defeated [Starved] Shadow Ghoul ??? (Evolved Rank E) level 162...


    You have offered minor contribution...


    You have reached level 131¡­.


    You have reached level 134...


    Shades- Shades dead, Bryan wondered in shock, unable to believe the message before his eyes. How? When- who delivered the final blow? These questions raced through his head before he recalled the massive surge of ether he had felt prior to the steam explosion. Was that responsible for Shade''s demise? He questioned. Who was responsible for the spell?


    His inner musings, however, were interrupted when he heard the frantic voice of a young woman calling to him. Anna never sounds so distressed normally, Bryan worried as he rushed in the direction of the sound.


    Visibility was still low due to the cloud of water vapour, though it was rapidly clearing, and it took Bryan a few precious seconds to locate Anna. When he laid eyes on her, he was shocked to see how much blood she was covered in and then relieved when he realised that it wasn¡¯t hers.


    His stomach once again plummeted when he saw that the blood came from a severely wounded Arthur, who looked like he had been put through a meat grinder with how mangled bits of his body were. Some parts of him actually looked to be missing altogether!


    ¡°What- what happened to him?¡± Bryan anxiously asked his subordinate, though he already had an inkling of suspicion as to why Arthur was in this state.


    If he was responsible for the attack that finished Shade, then such injuries were easily explainable. Bryan wasn¡¯t the best at perceiving magic, but even he could tell that the amount of ether that had been used to create the steam explosion was far beyond anything that even a level 150 individual with an epic class should be capable of, never mind Arthur who was only at a third of that level. He kept his suspicions to himself, however, and waited for Anna to give him an answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure sir, I found him like this when the fight ended,¡± Anna replied, her voice now much more calm and controlled like Bryan had come to expect of the dependable woman.


    It seemed that the presence of her superior had allowed her to regain some of her wits in this entirely too strange situation.


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    ¡°Sir, do you think that Arthur was the one to-¡± Anna began before being cut off by Bryan''s raised hand.


    She raised a puzzled eyebrow at him, and he sighed before explaining.


    ¡°As of this moment, that final stream explosion is believed to be a result of Shade''s destructive final attack.¡± He stated, commandingly.


    ¡°But-But that doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Anna protested.


    ¡°No questions, this is not a time for baseless speculation, only facts. Am I clear?¡± Bryan commanded.


    When he saw that Anna still seemed like she was about to say something, he repeated his words more forcefully. ¡°


    "Am I clear!¡±


    Thankfully, his tone seemed to have finally got through Anna¡¯s curiosity and she remained silent despite her obvious desire to ask some questions.


    ¡°Make sure to stabilise him,¡± Bryan said wearily. ¡°I have no idea how the boy is even alive with so many injuries but he won¡¯t stay that way if you don¡¯t stop the bleeding,¡± He added.


    Bryan looked around the clearing, now able to see a few feet in all directions thanks to the fog clearing as he tried to see how the rest of his team were fairing after taking the superheated steam. Adrien seemed to be the best off of all of them, courtesy of the fact that his affinity with fire magic made him a little more resistant to high temperatures. The woman walking by his side however wasn¡¯t doing so well and most of her visible skin was covered in blood. She was still far better off than Arthur who looked like he had a foot in the grave already, but it really drove home how powerful an attack that final spell was, that even the unintended side effects of it could do so much damage to individuals above 100.


    Bryan sighed in exhaustion when his entire team was gathered. They had been successful in defeating Shade yet it had come at the cost of one of their own. A price that some would say was a reasonable exchange for their victory against such a powerful abomination, yet for those that had known Selena as the bright young woman she had been, the cost left a mark on them that would last forever.


    A funeral would have to be arranged and her body retrieved, at least what remained of it after being in such close proximity to Shade when he was obliterated. Bryan felt a droplet of rainfall on his head, and a sad smile crossed his face when he saw the sombre weather.


    No doubt a result of the crazy water spell, Bryan could at least pretend that the heavens were honouring his fallen comrade with their tears. God knows that the damn woman deserved it. Nonetheless, Bryan dreaded the report he¡¯d have to give when he returned to the underground bunker.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    Arthur woke up feeling like he had been run over by a truck and sadly yes, he did know how that felt from experience. Every part of his body hurt, though he was glad that someone had the decency to at least put him somewhere comfortable. Unfortunately, the return of consciousness brought with it the painful memories of what had transpired just before he passed out.


    That¡¯s right, Selena¡¯s gone, Arthur thought sadly.


    It was funny how you only realised how much someone mattered to you when they were gone forever. If anyone had told Arthur a week ago that he¡¯d be feeling this bad after the woman had died, he would have laughed in their face. It seemed that reality once again proved truly different from his expectations.


    Wearily, Arthur opened his eyes and was surprised that they weren¡¯t dried shut with crusted blood. Well, it made sense that if someone had brought him to this comfortable bed, they would have made sure to at least make sure he wasn¡¯t going to dirty the whole place by bleeding out. That however made Arthur wary. Arthur wasn¡¯t entirely certain, but he was sure that at least Bryan was close enough to have been aware of the final spell he had cast and if that was the case, then that meant he¡¯d have to answer a lot of questions he wasn¡¯t prepared to.


    After all, even he had no idea what it was that he had done and he sure was as hell going to explain away the absurdity of his strength with a web of outlandish lies. Looking around, Arthur saw that he was in the same room that Alyssia had once resided in. That meant that he was in the underground bunker and if Arthur wasn¡¯t being paranoid, that also meant that the government deemed him to be enough of a threat that they were treating him as they had the dimensional traveller.


    Or maybe this was actually just the most comfortable bed they had at hand, but something told Arthur that wasn¡¯t the case here.


    He sighed and sat up, immediately regretting the movement when he felt a dizzying wave of nausea wash over him. He fell back onto the bed, closing his eyes as he took some deep steadying breaths, trying to control his rebelling stomach. Okay, moving is a big no, no, he told himself, well at least until I know what¡¯s wrong with my body. Arthur slowly opened his eyes and finally looked towards the blue system message that had been clamouring for his attention since he woke up. It was very different to what he was used to.


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    Host Arthur Ward has broken one of the primary tenets of system law. Prepare to face the consequences.


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    Well, doesn''t that sound ominous, Arthur thought before he continued reading?

 Chapter 72- Tier 2 System Access

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    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Host Arthur Ward has broken one of the primary tenants of system law. Prepare to face the consequences.</td>


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    The first thing Arthur noticed was how different the system notification looked from the standard blue message he had gotten used to. It was still blue but the message seemed stronger? Arthur wasn''t sure if that was the best way to describe it. It seemed more real like it now existed on a closer plane of reality instead of the former ephemerality it held.


    I''m just confusing myself here, but the messages definitely look different.


    Before he could get to why that was the case- though he already suspected he knew the answer- he needed to go through a LOT of notifications, primary amongst them the warning he''d just been given.


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    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">As you have used unstructured magic prior to achieving a suitable level and gaining Tier Two System access, foregoing proper precautionary procedure, it has been deemed fit that host Arthur Ward should be exiled from the system.</td>


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    Oh shit. I fucked up.


    Before Arthur could panic further, he read the next notification and felt a wave of relief wash over him. The fact that he was still receiving system notifications was indicative that he hadn''t truly been kicked out yet, but it had still quite nearly given him a heart attack.


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    Error...


    Host is in the process of gaining Tier Two System access...


    Time Remaining- 7 Hours 22 Minutes


    Calling System Administer AI 90886-BvJvSSR to judge case...


    Please Stand by...


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    Those messages, according to Arthur''s system logs had been delivered thirteen hours ago, meaning that Arthur had been unconscious for at least that long since Shade''s fight. Hopefully, the fact he was reading these messages meant the administrator had judged in his favour. He knew that battling the misuse of unstructured magic was allegedly the primary reason the system was created in the first place, but still, he''d hardly call what he''d done unstructured magic.


    At worst, it was a very liberal application of structured magic, nothing more, which did technically fit the bill but only very loosely. It is the first step down the slippery slope I guess but what I did wasn''t really hazardous to anyone but myself. Things should be okay. Taking a deep breath, Arthur read the next notification. It was dated four minutes after the last, very fast judging if he did say so himself.


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    Due to the special circumstances surrounding host Arthur Ward, it has been judged that his exile is withheld. Nonetheless, this transgression will be marked down on your file to be reviewed in the event of future cases...


    The system acknowledges your efforts to bring stability to your unstructured spell and so your error shall be overlooked, for now. It shall not happen again. You have been warned, host Arthur Ward...


    Tier Two system Unlock has been Accelerated...


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    Congratulations, Arthur Ward. You have been granted tier-two system access...


    This Boon comes with numerous benefits, primary amongst them being your ability to now practice unstructured magic without facing reparations. This perk does have limitations...


    Unlocking Tier Two system access allows you to view your status page in a more universal format as well as compare your relative ability to judge your ability on higher tier worlds...


    Note: The Universal standard assigns grades to Attribute totals, utilised across the cosmos and generally recognised as an accurate judge of a classer''s ability.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


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    F Grade- This is the grading given to someone who has between 125 and 200 stats in a single attribute. For example, a classer with F rank strength has comparable strength to an adolescent goblin on a tier two world.


    E Grade- This is the grading given to someone who has between 200 and 400 stats in a single attribute. For example, a classer with E grade strength has strength comparable to a hobgoblin on a tier two world.


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    The grades were quite simple and didn''t follow a linear path of progression with D-Grade being between 401 and 1000, C-Grade between 1001 and 1500, B-Grade between 1501 and 3000 and A grade between 3001 and 5000. That left the extremely rare S-Grade, awarded to single attribute totals exceeding 5000, a nigh impossible feat for most people.


    Most people the system informed, peaked with one or two attributes at C-Grade. B-Grade attributes made you a powerhouse and A-Grade a prodigy amongst prodigies. S-Grade was legendary.


    Already, Arthur had most of his stats firmly into the E-grade with a few pushing into D. That was without looking at the gains his most recent fight had brought him and he wasn''t yet even a classer. Heck, at this rate, he might just pull off an S-Grade attribute one day.


    Before he could get to his juicy Stat page, however, he had a number of notifications to get through, first and foremost the levels he''d gained for beating Shade. Thankfully, it hadn''t pushed him too far, though he would have to be more careful in the future to stop accruing so many levels.


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    You have reached level 61...


    You have reached level 62...


    You have reached level 63¡­


    You have reached level 71...


    You have 266 unspent stat points...


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    </table>


    That wasn''t too bad. 11 levels from killing Shade, a monster over level 130.


    His attack, whilst no doubt devastating had struck an already wounded Shade which meant that the experience gained would''ve been split between six of them. Five Arthur reminded himself bitterly, remembering that Selena was no longer with them. He decided he needed to go see how the death would affect Tamo Tatsumi, especially when the man had lost his sister¡¯s whereabouts not so long ago.


    Arthur hoped that the blood mage didn¡¯t decide to blame him for his friend''s death. Thankfully, as Arthur had predicted, he didn¡¯t level too much from killing the crazed ghoul. Hiss self-imposed restrictions still hadn¡¯t been broken. 11 levels were not too bad a result Arthur consoled himself. He still had 29 levels before he reached level hundred and unlocked his class, which gave him plenty of time to make sure he had done as much as he could to unlock a powerful class.


    Arthur wanted the foundations of his strength to be as stable as possible and taking slow but steady steps was the best way to go about achieving that particular goal. There were only two notifications left to go to and Arthur hoped that they contained as much good news as this one had.


    He wasn¡¯t disappointed.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">


    Due to your dangerous use of unstructured magic, the skill water bullet (Uncommn+) has evolved.


    Water bullet (Uncommon+)---> Molecular Water Shot (Elite) level 1- Form bullets of water ranging in size from as large as boulders to as tiny as the grouped molecules that make up the liquid. Molecular Water Shot possesses a piercing ability that bypasses a portion of the target''s natural defence, both physical and magical.


    Cost: Variable


    Damage: Variable


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur whistled when he read the abilities description.The skill somehow evolved from Uncommon to Elite, completely missing out on Rare. The evolution made molecular water bullet his new strongest skill and helped explain to Arthur a little of what he must have done when using unstructured magic. This must have been what the system had meant when it said that it acknowledged his efforts to bring stability to the magic he had cast.


    Arthur must have subconsciously based his spell on the skill he had acquired from the water-claw kingfisher which had forced the ability to evolve and grow in a linear direction. Whatever the case was, Arthur wouldn¡¯t be complaining about the unexpected boon and so with high spirits, he checked his last notification. Arthur had conflicting feelings when he read it. He was grateful for the way it would increase his survivability but also frustrated with himself that he had allowed his rage to almost kill him. Arthur''s reckless usage of magic had netted him a new title, and quite a potent one at that.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">You have acquired a new title: Paid in blood (Use 80% of your health to cast an unstructured spell whilst below level 100) Increases vitality by 30%. Makes the use of health in future spells much easier. Effects natural progression of skills</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He was happy but a little conflicted. Arthur let out a weary sigh. Whilst a 30% increase in his vitality attribute would be an incredible boon, especially with his complimentary twice-lived title, the fact that Arthur had lost 80%of his health to get it didn¡¯t sit right with him. He should by all rights be dead after losing so much health just after having his arm got destroyed and it was no doubt thanks to the administrations of his team members that he was even still alive.


    His recklessness had once again almost killed him and the reward he had received for his recklessness did not make his actions palatable. Arthur would never succeed in anything if he let his emotions rule him instead of his analytical brain and that was a lesson Arthur needed to learn soon, as he¡¯d be too dead to benefit from the teachings.


    Thankfully, all was not lost and he had one more Title to check out.

 Chapter 73- On The Nature Of Titles

    With his most recent acquisition of the Paid in Blood title and the one he had yet to check out, Arthur had gained a grand total of eight titles before reaching level 100 and unlocking his class. Relative to the human population on Earth and even the wider universe, it was a truly ludicrous amount. At least that was what his tier 2 system access was telling him.


    So far, Arthur was impressed with what the tier-two system access had granted him. Its primary purpose was to unlock the shackles that prevented him from using unstructured magic, something Arthur was happy enough about. It wasn''t exactly something to get excited over, though, considering Arthur wasn''t planning on pursuing the darker arts in the first place.


    Nope, the real gift of the system upgrade was the wealth of information it had granted him, a trove he had barely scratched the surface of. Already, he''d learned of the stat grades recognised universally and now he was about to read further on Titles, something the system had barely informed him of when he''d first unlocked it. The Tier-two system upgrade had come with a whole host of new information.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Congratulations! You have gained a grand total of eight titles prior to your Class unlock. In accordance with the latest system review, you are in the 99.97 percent percentile for humans across the universe and the 99.21 percent percentile for all Sapient races registered within the system.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The system congratulating him was nothing new; Arthur had already received many messages in the same vein, but he felt that this was a little less automated than the usual dialogue he received. His suspicions were confirmed very quickly when he got to the next system log.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">After review, it has been decided that you receive the upgraded tier-two system knowledge pack regarding titles. This is a boon that isn''t handed out often and for good reason. Trying to exploit this information is not advised. It has been tried before.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">


    Titles- Titles are the official designation given to the soul scars that an individual accrues on their journey throughout life. Certain souls have been found more receptive to these scars and thus certain individuals find it far easier to accrue them.


    Nonetheless, there is a hard limit on how many titles a person may acquire, though this does differ from person to person. There is only so much surface area on a soul that can scar, after all. To truly understand what a title is, one must first understand the mould upon which they are built. One must learn of the soul.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Okay, this is getting interesting now. What''s it gonna tell me about souls?


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">


    The Principle of Inviolability. It is the governing rule that has been studied since the dawn of the universe and one that has been recognised as unshakable. It is as absolute as reality itself, perhaps more so, hence why it was given its name. A soul is split into four layers. The core, lower middle, upper middle and finally the surface.


    Whilst the first two are subject to external stimuli and can change, the core of a soul is unchanging. No external manipulation can bring about change, good or bad, to it. Even the Order of Soulmancers, in the Third Era at the height of their power, were only able to marginally affect the lower middle layer, and even this is speculated to be an exaggeration.


    Suffice to say, that the Soul Core is the centermost point of your existence, a personification of your existence more defining than DNA. It is also the aspect of yourself you''ll find yourself cultivating when you''ve reached the end of the road for normal systemic progression. Further information will do more harm than good at your current strength and has only been mentioned due to your affinity.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur shook his head. It had to end just when it was getting interesting. He was almost certain someone, somewhere was laughing at him behind a screen, delighting in the futile curiosity they had instilled in him.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    A soul core though. I''m guessing the cultivating bit happens once I reach level 300. That''s where humans stop gaining stats. Still, the fact that this information was given to me must mean something. As a soul mage, would he somehow be able to start that journey earlier than usual? It was definitely something to consider and thankfully, he had the perfect person to ask.


    If Ayesha didn''t want to be forthcoming, Alyssia would certainly help. His employer''s name brought his recent failure to the forefront of his mind and he felt a s flush of regret rush through him. Selena''s death was absolutely meaningless, in every sense of the word and that was why Arthur was so frustrated. If the attack she''d protected him from had truly been deadly, Arthur would''ve felt far better.


    But that''s not the case, is it? With my constitution, I would''ve been fine. A little hurt but I would have walked it off. But they didn''t know about that. That was the crux of the matter. Arthur had kept his secrets close to his chest. With due cause fair enough, but his stat distribution was hardly world-shattering.


    Sure he had more than most people, but there were a number of people like him, individuals with unique evolutions and bodies that boosted their stats much like his own.


    And I''m sure most of the people in the know have figured a lot of it out. It doesn''t take a genius to estimate my stat distribution what with my public display against the Rat King. They probably know about the Liverthion too.


    Arthur shook his head. Regretting it now wouldn''t bring Selena back. He only had to make sure he didn''t withhold important information in future life-and-death fights. Let''s get through the rest of these Title notifications.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">


    Titles are changes to the soul that occurs on the surface and very rarely in the upper middle layer depending on its tier. Titles are known to have a range of effects from increasing stats multiplicatively and additively with certain titles offering unique skills outside of general ether usage.


    Titles can also be detrimental and reduce one''s stats with documented titles being known to cause infertility and memory loss. Certain titles are forbidden in System Territory with possessors being imprisoned and even even executed depending on their unlock conditions.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur gulped. Hopefully, he didn''t have any of those. Half-breed, his most unique one wasn''t too bad. Sure it made him act out at times and the impulses it provided were a little hard to ignore, but all in all, it wasn''t too bad. At least he didn''t think so.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Such Titles, depending on their tier and the decision of a judge can be permanently removed in a process called scouring. This reduces a host''s stats by a given percentage depending on how deeply the original title scarred the soul.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That sounds horrible. And it probably hurts like a bitch. There''s probably a host of skills out there to hide them from your status.


    What followed, was a long list of titles that the system deemed illegal, some of them surprising and others downright disgusting. First on the list was something that certainly raised his eyebrow.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Corpse Lover (Engage in non-consensual sexual relations with the deceased)- Generates the skill Dirty life [Dirty life- A skill activated when engaging in coitus, it inflicts one''s partner with a deadly poison that targets the reproductive organs]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That was far more information than Arthur ever wanted to know about Necrophilia. And what''s that about non-consensual? How would you ever get consent out of the dead? Maybe an Undead?


    Those are a thing, right? Thankfully, the next thing on the list was a lot more normal.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Murderer (Wrongfully ending the life of another sapient)- Decreases Willpower by 3%. May inflict host with status affect Minor insanity</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    From what Arthur knew of titles, these conditions didn''t always unlock them. Two people might do the exact same thing but only one of them would end up with a title. Murderer, for example, was something a psychopath could never unlock. Murder for them would never truly be wrong, just an action with consequences.


    A lifelong pacifist, however, may gain a title along a similar line even if they killed in self-defence against a monster as they''d be going against their personal code in a drastic enough way to scar their soul.


    The list was extensive but Arthur still read through it all, wondering at whoever decided the names of these things. All things considered, Arthur didn''t end up finding any of his own on the list. Whether this was because they were too rare to be placed on this generic index or they weren''t forbidden, Arthur couldn''t say, but he hoped it was the latter. The system notifications were gradually coming to an end now.


    I guess I can finally check out my new status now.

 Chapter 74- Frog In A Well

    The tier-two system upgrade had brought with it a host of extra features that Arthur was pleased with. Considering its primary purpose was removing the bindings that prevented him from using unstructured magic, anything else was just the cherry on top.


    Already, he''d found out a boatload of new information on titles and now he was about to check out his own presented in a more detailed format.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Tier 1 Titles [These are the weakest of titles, barely scratching the surface of the soul and hence count very little towards an individual''s linear progression in power.]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">-Unstable Strength (Survived the poison of an unstable monster core specialised in strength before unlocking a class) Increases strength attribute by 10%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It turned out that from Arthur''s menagerie of titles, only one of them fell under tier 1 status. It was the one he''d gained after drinking the elixir made from the unstable core of the Draconic Liverthion, and it provided a measly ten percent boost to his strength attribute. Sure it would add up over time and yes, he did have other titles that provided a ten percent increase to attributes, but this one was only tier one.


    As the notification stated, it would provide him very little benefit going forward and would contribute almost nothing to his class evolution. In all honesty, he probably would have gained more if the core had just provided a flat-out increase to the Strength stat instead. With his first title being a disappointment, Arthur could only move on and hope the others lived up to his expectations.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Tier 2 Titles [These titles are deep scars on the surface of the soul and thus produce a middling benefit towards the formation of one''s class. They also very marginally shift the direction of one''s skill growth]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Starting off the list of tier-two titles was the final one Arthur had gained. Reading through it, Arthur couldn''t help but smile. Now he knew where he''d be putting his unallocated stats. I knew saving them was a good idea.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">-Paragon of vitality (Possess a vitality of 500 whilst below level 100 as a human being. This is a KNOWN Title, meaning that it is one of the few whose conditions allow an unlock for every member of the human race) Increases vitality by 10%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Sure, this title only provided a ten percent increase like the Unstable Strength Title, but the difference here was that it was tier two. This meant that it would lead his skills down a vitality route and considering how that was his greatest stat by far with all his multipliers, he could hardly complain. And it''s gonna help me unlock a rarer class.


    Arthur was close to hitting 500 on a number of his other attributes and with his 266 points saved, he could directly hit a few immediately. Being a known title, Arthur was almost certain that variations existed for the other stats and he''d be stupid if he missed out on them. Still, he couldn''t help that the unlock conditions were a little harsh. With ordinary humans gaining only 5 stats per level, it would mean they''d have to invest every single one of those into a single stat to gain the Paragon title.


    It''s okay for me what with all the bonuses I have access to but I can''t see how it''d be useful for others when it only gives an extra 10 percent.


    Arthur shook his head. He wasn''t about to complain when the universe was unfair in his favour. It was about damn time.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">-Underdog- (Kill a monster 10 times your level) Increases strength by 10%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Self-explanatory. There was very little to see here. Just a title he''d managed to gain before he unlocked the system when he was technically a level 1.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">


    -Liquid vitality- (Possess extremely regenerative blood with unique properties) Increases health regeneration by 10%


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Now this was a title he''d almost forgotten about. One he''d gained during whatever shenanigans the system got up to so he''d stay alive. It was one of his most useful ones. Ten percent faster health regen didn''t sound like a lot, but once again, it fed into his greatest strength. Any more specialising and he''d feel like a min-maxing gamer. Though I can''t say that''s not the approach everyone should be taking to the new world.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Tier 3 Titles [These are titles that have scarred the upper middle layer of the soul and hence provide a moderate benefit to unlocking and upgrading one''s class. They also shape and guide a person''s skills]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">-Soul Affinity- (Have an affinity for soul magic) Increases the amount of soul {Surface shell} that can possibly be absorbed per level, thereby increasing the number of stat points gained. The increase has been calculated as 60%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This was perhaps the first title Arthur had ever gained simply by virtue of his inherent affinity for soul magic. The system must have recognised it the second it touched his soul. Because of it, he gained 8 stats per level instead of the regular 5, which now that he thought about, was indeed an increase of 60%.


    These were only the effects that he currently knew of. Having a greater soul capacity than the average human would no doubt come to show a whole host of other benefits in the future.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">-Paid in blood (Use 80% of your health to cast an unstructured spell whilst below level 100) Increases vitality by 30%. Makes the use of health in future spells much easier. Affects natural progression of skills</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This was the title he''d gained after his most recent fight and it was also the only one in his arsenal that stated how it''d further affect his progression. Perhaps it meant it simply had a greater impact in that regard than titles of the same tier. He wasn''t certain.


    Once again, it fed into his greatest strength which was vitality. He could never get enough of that stat, especially now that he knew he could use it as a resource to fuel his spells.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Tier 4 Titles [Not much is known about titles of this tier, only that they begin to scratch the surface of the lower middle soul layer. Anything else is just speculation or information you have not been granted access to]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Once again, Arthur was a little surprised to see how personable the system messages had become since getting the upgrade. It must be an upgrade to my personal ai or something of the sort. Arthur didn''t want to consider that someone was out there, behind the screen, monitoring him.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">


    -Half breed- (Successfully absorb a monster core as a human before awakening your magical affinities and levelling up) Raises constitution by 30% and gives one the ability to gain stats from further monster core consumption


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This was definitely Arthur''s greatest title and the source of his explosive growth. It was why he''d become as powerful as he was able to in the post-system world. It was a shame he''d be losing it soon. Well, I guess I''m not really losing it. Alyssia said that fixing my soul problem will most likely change the title, not get rid of it. Hopefully, whatever I end up with won''t be any worse.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">-Twice lived- (Die a True Death and be reborn) Doubles effectiveness of vitality</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    And that was it, the end to his current list of titles. He had no idea what the system meant by a true death and it didn''t seem to be forthcoming with any details. Well, that list is about to get a little longer right now.


    Arthur distributed his unallocated stats between endurance and intelligence, bringing them both up to 500 and unlocking the Paragon title series for both. He now had ten titles, a nice round number and one that was truly unheard of for someone at his level. It had cost him a grand total of 217 stats and he was left sitting with his remaining 49. Taking a look at his status, he couldn''t say he was displeased.


    There was just one final notification to get through before that. Reading through it, Arthur felt that it was perhaps the most important one so far. It truly opened his eyes to how big the universe was. He truly was a frog in a well.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">


    Note: The stats displayed to you are your total stats and also your effective stats whilst on a tier-one planet as you currently are. The stat grade boundaries provided to you operate under the same system with marginal differences.


    However, it must be noted that these are your effective stats ONLY in a tier-one world. On a tier-two planet, due to the heightened ether concentration present there, these stats are lowered in efficiency to 50% and on a tier-3 planet to 16.6%. This is why the constitution requirements to live on such worlds, outside of the children born there to parents of the relevant tier, is set to 1000. Proper gear is required to travel to planets beyond this tier.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Children born on tier-two worlds suffer these restrictions 20% less than those born on tier-one worlds and children on tier-three worlds 40%. Note that these children must come from lineages established on these planets, or rather parents who have reached an appropriate level of power.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well, that was a lot to digest.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">


    Arthur Ward Level 71


    Unallocated stat points: 49


    Strength-120(100) [1.2*]


    Vitality-400--->560* [1.4* or 2.8*]


    Endurance-460---> 550 [1.1*]


    Constitution-260(200)


    Agility-118


    Intelligence-323--->550 [1.1*]


    Willpower-250


    Charisma-95


    Perception-92


    Health- 5100/11,200 (1232(560)/hour)


    Ether- 874/5500(550/hour)


    Endurance- 5485/5500(550/minute)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 75- Experimental Mutagen

    ~Bryan~


    It had been an hour since Bryan had returned to the underground bunker with his team in tow. After giving a brief report on what had transpired during the battle, as well as his suspicions, or rather confirmations regarding what Arthur had managed to do and how powerful the young man was, it was decided that the best course of action would be to let him recuperate within the room that Alyssia had once occupied.


    That way, the young healer could be in relative comfort whilst he recovered and could also be monitored by trained staff during the entire process.


    Arthur had a lot of questions to answer and Bryan¡¯s superiors would do whatever they could to weasel even a little information out of the enigmatic man. Bryan didn¡¯t really think they¡¯d be successful in getting anything out of Aurthur if they only asked him nicely but the government was leery at the prospect of doing anything that might even remotely offend the young man, especially after how badly their relationship with Alyssia had become.


    That meant that they could be nothing but polite when asking questions, even if they were burning with curiosity about what secret the man was hiding. In fact, the staff working at the faculty had been dumbfounded when they saw Arthur''s wounded state, something about his blood being some incredibly potent liquid for who knows what alchemical purpose. Bryan didn¡¯t really care about that though. What he was really concerned about was the fact that even after getting a number of healers to collectively spend over two-thousand ether healing Arthur, the man¡¯s injuries were still in a similar state. ¡®Just how high is his fucking health? Five thousand, ten? No, it''s probably more, Bryan wondered in amazement. Everyone present had been shocked when they had witnessed the healing procedure, and yet Arthur''s absurd health had somehow been forgotten in the flurry of activity that had taken place after the news of Shade''s death reached everyone.


    It turned out that a lot of things had been postponed with the presence of the ticking time bomb and now that the shadow mage had been dealt with many plans that had been waiting in the pipeline were quickly being put into motion.


    For one, Toshiro Tatsumi had been bought in for questioning now that he no longer had a crazy powerful guard dog around him at all times and everyone was eagerly awaiting the new information that would be found out about the Silver Rose group. None of that had anything to do with why Bryan was waiting to meet some of the most powerful people in the entire nation, however.


    Sadly, he was here for an entirely different reason, far more sinister than anything the world was expecting. The discovery of a threat that could put the entirety of the Earth in jeopardy, never mind just America, and it was just Bryan''s luck that evidence of it had been found within the destroyed remnants of Shade''s body.


    That now made him partially responsible for investigating what exactly this so-called threat exactly was, as news of it couldn¡¯t just be dispensed willy-nilly. The fewer people that knew about it, the better as the last thing the world needed to deal with right now was some terrified people doing stupid things. Bryan had no doubt that would be the case if it ever got out that Earth was being treated as some sort of testing ground for alien forces. At least that was what had been inferred when he identified the item that survived Arthur''s devastating magic. Bryan''s identify skill had exploded from level 6 to level 9 in the seconds it took him to read the item''s description, the fastest skill growth he had ever experienced since the arrival of the system.


    Sadly, that was the least of his concerns when he realised what the item''s presence on Earth meant.


    Experimental Mutagen ??? (Unique)[Decaying]-


    A strange catalyst that possesses the potential to significantly enhance an individual''s genetic potential and strength, though it is incredibly unstable.


    ??? ??? ???


    Possesses striking similarities with the incredibly volatile substance xyveros.


    Bryan had instantly realised that the origins of the items could never have been somewhere on Earth. nothing so strange could have naturally developed and the time frame since the systems arrived was far too small for someone to have developed it already.


    No, the Silver Rose''s leader Thorn must have no doubt obtained it in the tutorial from someone. An alien force. It had raised so many questions that Bryan hadn¡¯t reacted with appropriate levels of caution after seeing it.


    At least he hadn''t initially.


    That was when things suddenly turned strange. He''d felt an immense amount of energy suddenly come over him. It felt powerful, near-omnipotent and most importantly, familiar. It had felt like the system. Before Bryan could even begin to guess what was going on, he had received the most personalised message from the system that he had ever seen. It was a warning, not to him but to the people of Earth.


    Forbidden materials were detected on a newly evolved planet. Formulating appropriate responses. Activating higher protocols¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    Host Bryan Dolt, Unfortunately, it seems that some organisation has seen fit to use your planet to test some extremely volatile items. Sadly, I cannot disclose the exact nature of said items and what they can potentially do as your world is far too young to properly handle such information.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    All I can say is that any individual who has bonded with such items must be eliminated with all due haste. Trust that you don¡¯t want to see what will happen if this issue is not put to rest immediately. Those that supplied such items to your planet are far beyond your own abilities to handle, though they shall no doubt cease to interfere any farther with your planet now that they risk discovery. To do so would be to risk exposure to themselves and they wouldn¡¯t want to bring upon themselves the ire of any system law enforcers.


    The damage to your world has been done, however. The dimensional membrane is weakening. Your job is to only deal with those that have bonded with such items. Warn your world, and warn your people.


    Good luck Bryan, and may you prosper.


    Sincerely, System Admin 114832.


    Bryan had just stood in shock for a full minute when he read the message, not quite comprehending what it was saying. A system admin actually messaged me personally. What the fuck is in that mutagen, Bryan had wondered in shock.


    Finally, after almost three minutes had passed and his teammates started worrying about what was going on with him, he finally managed to calm himself down. Schooling his expression, Bryan had maintained a mask of composure until he and his team reached the underground bunker with Arthur¡¯s unconscious form in tow. Thankfully, none of his teammates had seen the strange item or the system message he had received and if they wondered why he was acting so strange, they didn¡¯t comment on it.


    Bryan had wondered why the system assistant hadn¡¯t given any order on what was to be done with the experimental mutagen but upon rechecking the unique item from where he had securely placed it within his bag, he realised why. The mutagen was gone as if it had never existed in the first place and after Bryan had gotten over the panic he¡¯d felt at the thought that he might have just lost such a dangerous thing, he realised that it was probably what had happened to the mutagen. It had simply ceased to exist, probably too unstable to sustain itself when not bonded to an individual.


    Still, Bryan did wonder at what exactly the item had become once it disintegrated. There had been absolutely no traces of it in his bag, no dust, no residual crystals, not even a scent that might have suggested that it had become a gas. Bryan had obviously told his superiors everything that had transpired. All of this had happened an hour ago, however, and now Bryan was waiting outside the room that contained perhaps some of the most powerful people on the planet.


    Thankfully, many of those important individuals and diplomats were still on American soil after the meeting about the Mercantile organisation that had taken place recently and they had immediately rushed to this place when informed that the world itself was in jeopardy.


    Bryan had also had to make all due haste to make his way to the meeting point, a grand building that had existed long before he was even born. Bryan felt a brief spike in someone¡¯s aura from within the room and he involuntarily took a step backwards as his instinct screamed at him to flee. It looked like discussions were getting heated in there, and not for the first time Bryan questioned why he hadn¡¯t told one of his subordinates to disclose the system warning to the government instead of doing it himself. He quickly quietened those dissident emotions.


    Just because he was afraid to meet those terrifying people didn¡¯t mean that his decision to bear the news alone had been the wrong one. Though in hindsight, he should have expected such a strong response from the world¡¯s governments when he told them about a planetary-level threat.


    At first, his superiors had seemed sceptical, though that had quickly changed when Bryan went into detail about the message he had received from the system, something he had immediately written down when he read the gravity of the information it contained. It wouldn¡¯t do well if he forgot all about such an important piece of evidence that backed his story now, would it? Bryan wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that the world would believe his warning, the American government, maybe, but not any of the other world powers.


    They would no doubt think that the entire thing was some elaborate ploy to fulfil a hidden agenda that the Americans had been planning. Their caution was entirely justifiable, however, as the American administration had never been known for their integrity and honesty, quite the opposite actually, and Bryan had no doubt that the spike in aura earlier was from someone who was angrily denying the story he had told. Actually, there are probably a whole lot of angry people in there, Bryan worried, considering what that would mean for him. Whilst he was no doubt one of the strongest individuals in the country, he was under no illusion that remained the case when it came to the rest of the planet and everyone in that room could probably crush him like a bug underfoot, or at least know of someone that could on their behalf.


    Bryan gulped nervously.


    He was about to go into that room and invite all of their attention onto himself. Everyone had obviously wanted to meet the so-called bearer of bad news and it was just Bryan''s terrible luck that the task fell onto his shoulders. I really should have let Anna at least see the mutagen before it disappeared, Bryan chastised himself. That way, he would have had someone corroborate his story and he wouldn¡¯t have to face this situation alone. For once, Bryan''s extremely cautious nature had played against him. He sighed tiredly. There was nothing he could do about that now, except perhaps learn a little from his mistakes and trust his team members more in the future. Bryan looked down at his wristwatch. It showed seventeen minutes past twelve. Exactly one seventy-three minutes since Shade had been laid to rest, the last ten of those having been spent waiting inside this very building.


    If the goal of holding Bryan in suspense was to make him stew like some sort of criminal awaiting trial, then the people in that room had been extremely successful. Bryan was positively terrified about what he was about to do, almost as much as he had been when he was waiting for Shade to emerge. Waiting is the worst part of any situation, Bryan decided, inwardly cursing whoever aura it was that kept spiking up and down like it was some sort of failing heartbeat. Learn to control your fucking aura, Bryan inwardly raged. His already nervous state now made the phenomenon extremely annoying, instead of the terror it had first inspired in him. When the time he had spent waiting approached a half-hour and Bryan''s apprehension had now started to become boredom, something finally happened.


    Every single aura within the room suddenly disappeared, as if they had been snuffed out and the vanishing of what had now become background noise to Bryan had a starling effect on the man. All his meandering thoughts stopped flowing instantly and he felt himself focus to a razer point. The door to the meeting room opened slowly, seemingly without the aid of any individual as no one was present there when he looked at the entrance. The message was clear as day however as Bryan grimly took a step forward.


    He was being summoned.

 Chapter 76- A Harrowing Experience

    Walking into that room made Bryan question every decision he had ever made in his life. He must have gone wrong somewhere, or he never would have ended up in a situation like this. Being under the collective scrutiny of dozens of individuals that controlled the flow of Earth made Bryan feel like he was an exotic creature that was being examined. He¡¯d take fighting another Shade any day over being here in person. Okay, maybe I won''t go that far.


    Bryan quickly observed everyone sitting around the large round table and tried to get a feel for what the atmosphere in the room was like. Some eyes were filled with open hostility, others with curiosity and apprehension and even a few with pity. One man¡¯s glare stood out to him, however, and he quickly recognised him as the French president. Yep, that¡¯s definitely the bastard with aura issues, Bryan thought as he matched the repressed aura signature to the fluctuating pressure he had felt from outside.


    The angry man was renowned for being a prejudiced and fickle individual, and Bryan was now certain that those qualities were definitely more than baseless rumours. The only other person who stood out to him was Natasha Samuels- the frozen princess- though for very different reasons. His heart skipped a beat when she smiled at him, but he quickly schooled his thoughts. Calm down; she¡¯s practically half your age. Bryan chastised himself. Still, the woman was well known for her incredible beauty, being a former model, and Bryan wasn¡¯t altogether successful in ignoring her presence.


    The rest of those in the room were much like he had expected them to be. That is to say that most of them could probably have him dead and buried by the time the day was out. Bryan gulped nervously. Thankfully, his direct superior, and perhaps the strongest man in all of America, rescued him by clearing his throat loudly and bringing everyone¡¯s attention to himself.


    ¡°Now, this is Bryan, the man who brought us this warning.¡± General Bradly spoke, his voice low and commanding, almost like he was ordering you to listen to him. Given the man¡¯s military background, that may have indeed been the case.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything that he told us, but I thought it best that you should all see him for yourself and ask him any questions you may have. Cordially.¡± The general added the last word directed to the French president with a pointed look.


    Bryan was both grateful and exasperated with the old man¡¯s statement. He had at least warned away anyone from just demanding answers from him rudely, but General Bradley had also thrown him to the wolves with his announcement that he was there to satisfy their curiosities. Bryan once again felt everyone¡¯s gaze hone in on him, and he cursed his previous self for getting him into this situation.


    As expected, the first question came from French President Amarone.


    ¡°Why should we believe anything you say?¡±He asked accusingly.


    When Bryan got over the fact that he had somehow understood the man¡¯s French perfectly, despite never learning the language, he took a deep breath and prepared himself. This was a question he had expected long before walking into this room, and he had already explained himself once before.


    ¡°With all due respect, sir,¡± Bryan began, hating the forced politeness in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure how I can prove to you that I¡¯m an honest person.¡±


    Amarone snorted loudly at that, and Bryan quickly continued to speak as if he hadn¡¯t heard the sound of derision in the man¡¯s rude interruption.


    ¡°All I can do is recollect the events that happened today,¡± Bryan said before going into an explanation of how and why they had killed Shade and, finally, the eventual finding of the experimental mutagen. Pulling out a slip of paper from his pocket, Bryan recited the message he had received from the system assistant, making sure he emphasised the final line where he was ordered to ¡®warn his people.¡¯


    When Bryan finished speaking, the room was quiet for an eternally long moment before everyone exploded into chatter. Bryan was a little surprised at the strong reaction as he was certain that General Bradley had already told everyone what he had just said. Unless, of course, the old-fashioned fool thought it was best that the bearer of bad news delivered his message himself, Bryan thought wryly. He wouldn¡¯t put it past the old man to do something like that. It took almost an entire minute for everyone to calm themselves down and regain some semblance of order.


    Bryan observed that a few of the individuals looked far less sceptical now, and some, especially Natasha, for some reason, appeared downright terrified. They all quickly schooled their expressions into ones of calm indifference, and Bryan would have almost believed that he had imagined things. He knew what he had seen, though; there was no doubt about it.


    They had looked afraid.


    Bryan quickly dismissed the strange reactions as something he could better look into later and prepared himself to face the tirade of questions that was no doubt incoming after his tall tales. This time, it was an unfamiliar man that addressed him, and for the life of him, Bryan couldn¡¯t guess who he was, though his accent somehow translated through whatever magical means it was by which he could understand everyone. It sounded decidedly Russian. He could be wrong, however, and the man could be representing the Italians for all he knew.


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    ¡°And what of the experimental mutagens you found? Do you have it with you?¡± the man asked, his voice slightly nasal, like he had a cold or something.


    Bryan quickly reviewed what he had said and realised that he hadn¡¯t mentioned how the unique item had simply disappeared.


    ¡°Well, you see, ¡° he began, already knowing how pathetic his words would sound. ¡°The mutagen is far too unstable to exist in its natural state when not bonded with a human. That''s why it destabilized soon after I took it.¡± Bryan took a deep breath, hoping that the man would believe his next words.


    ¡°It''s gone now.¡±


    The room was silent for a moment as everyone digested Bryans¡¯s claim before the French president scoffed.


    ¡°Well, that''s convenient, isn''t it? Such a dangerous tool just goes poof whilst in the American hands,¡± Amarone sneered. ¡°Just like all those nukes you used to hoard.¡±


    It was General Bradly that responded to the angry man¡¯s accusations.


    ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t believe us,¡± he spoke, his voice deadly quiet in the tense room. ¡°That''s perfectly fine, Amarone. What isn''t is you insinuating that the American government would hide such a dangerous item.¡± A hint of rage had leant a deadly edge to General Bradly''s voice, and the room seemed to have gotten a lot hotter all of a sudden, perhaps due to the old man''s fire and enhancement affinities.


    He almost pitied Amarone with how flushed the man''s skin had gotten. It was surprisingly Natasha Samuels that brought the heated situation to a cool, literally. Living up to her name as the frozen princess, the temperature of the room rapidly cooled and returned to normal as she spoke, her voice icy cold.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we all calm down and stop behaving like children.¡± When General Bradly¡¯s oppressive aura receded, the beautiful woman smiled and stopped releasing her own.


    ¡°Amarone, dear. I¡¯m afraid that Bryan hasn¡¯t spoken a single lie since walking through those doors. I have a skill that tells me as much.¡± Natasha spoke quietly. ¡°As much as I hoped this was all a farce, that sadly isn''t the case.¡±


    Her voice was much louder now as her words were directed to the whole room. Everyone shifted uncomfortably in their seats when they heard the Nordish woman''s claim. To have revealed that she possessed such a useful skill meant that what she was saying was most likely true. Everyone present knew how important it was to keep your magical affinities to yourself nowadays. It was what gave you an edge in a fight, and unless Natasha was lying to everyone, that meant she had actually revealed one of her greatest secrets just so people could believe her. It lead credence to the magnitude of the threat Earth currently faced. Bryan felt touched by the woman''s gesture of goodwill but quickly bought himself under control. She could just be lying to pursue her own agenda. He warned himself. He wasn¡¯t about to let her charming smile distract him from the fact that the woman controlled an entire nation. She¡¯s only 21, and she didn¡¯t get to where she is by being a nice, naive woman, Bryan told himself.


    ¡°That isn''t to say that you¡¯ve told us the entire truth.¡± Natasha asserted, now addressing Bryan directly, thus confirming his suspicions that the woman was after something. I knew she was too perfect to be true, Bryan thought forlornly, though he did wonder what exactly it was he hadn¡¯t said. As far as he could remember, he had given a pretty accurate recollection of the events that had transpired today. Voicing his confusion, he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you''re trying to say. What do you mean I¡¯ve not told you the entire truth?¡±


    Natasha smiled awkwardly at the question, finally doing something that revealed her young age. ¡°Well, you see, that''s the thing. I¡¯m not really sure either, but my skill was acting up a little when you were talking about your fight with Shade,¡± she paused for breath for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s almost like you''re consciously avoiding something about that fight; it doesn¡¯t add up as well. You say that you only just unlocked your class when you fought the crazed ghoul, and you''re the highest levelled member of your team.¡± Bryan felt some of his confusion ebb away as he realised where this conversation was going. ¡°If Shade was really level 162 like you said, how in the world did you manage to bring him down? It should have been impossible with your strength. Who helped you, and why don¡¯t you want to talk about them?¡± Natasha asked.


    Many of the others seated at the table leaned forward in curiosity when they heard her question. Though they hadn¡¯t asked for details, most of those gathered here had wondered how Bryan had managed to survive an encounter with someone as strong as Shade, especially if this so-called experimental mutagen lived up to its hype. Bryan sighed wearily. It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep Arthur¡¯s involvement in the fight against Shade a secret despite his attempts not to mention him at all. Though he didn¡¯t really know the man much, he owed his life to the young healer, and Bryan felt that speaking about Arthur''s abilities to everyone he met willy-nilly would be a poor way to repay that debt.


    Still, it was probably inevitable that he was found out sooner or later, as Bryan was pretty sure that the American government were not done with the healer¡¯s services. Bryan took a deep breath and prepared to explain the enigma that was known as Arthur Ward. The least Bryan could do was present Arthur in a favourable light and make sure that the last spell the healer had used was kept a secret. At least he would try to if Natasha''s skill allowed him to by the time he was done talking.


    ¡°Well, you see.¡± Bryan began. ¡°I didn¡¯t really want to talk about that because the help we received came from someone completely unaffiliated with our government,¡± Bryan paused for a moment to gauge everyone¡¯s reaction to his statement.


    The world leaders were understandably intrigued by the admission that a powerful unaffiliated individual lived on American soil. ¡°As you can guess, I felt that I couldn¡¯t disclose any of his information, but it seems that circumstances don''t really allow me to,¡± Bryan paused for breath. There was no way these people would let him keep quiet after Natasha spoke up. He inwardly cursed the beautiful woman.


    This was going to be a long explanation.


    ¡°We actually contracted a powerful healer for the fight. He¡¯s called Arthur Ward, and I wouldn¡¯t be mistaken in saying that he¡¯s currently the best at what he does on the entire planet. A combat healer that can hold his own.¡±


    Bryan went on to describe the exact nature of Arthur''s abilities and why he was so useful on the battlefield, trying his best to downplay it where he could. It was the least he could do for the young man. At least this way, they would be a little unprepared when they tried to recruit him.


    A few long minutes later, Bryan was finally done, and the room was silent as everyone came to terms with how broken Arthur''s regeneration skill was. Once again, it was Natasha that spoke up first, and the beautiful woman surprised Bryan once again.


    ¡°I want to meet him.¡±

 Chapter 77- A Talk Of The Future

    ~Natasha Samuels~


    When Natasha first heard of the great ¡®threat¡¯ that put the entirety of planet Earth in jeopardy, she was sceptical, to say the least. In the end, she had decided to come to the meeting since she was still on American soil, and it was probably better if she had an idea of what the old fools were planning instead of distancing herself from their machinations.


    After all, it wouldn¡¯t do if she was burnt by fires she could have easily avoided. However, since she had come here, her Foresight skill had acted up not once but twice.


    As always, Natasha decided to trust what the skill was telling her. It hadn¡¯t done her wrong yet, and she doubted the Elite rank skill would any time soon. Maybe I could have handled it better; she thought to herself as she recalled the lie she had told to explain away her feelings on the situation. A truth-detecting skill of all things. Do those even exist? She wondered, thankful that no one had caught out her own flimsy lie, or at least not called her out on it. After all, she was certain that everyone didn''t buy her bullshit, or they wouldn¡¯t have gotten into the positions they were currently in. Still, Natasha would have been much happier if her passive skill didn¡¯t activate the first time.


    It had told her that she would have to do everything she could to make Bryan¡¯s tale more believable. That meant the threat he warned of was very, very real. Thinking on the spot, she had done the first thing that had come to mind and spilt the beans on her ''lie-detection skill''. That meant that the warning Bryan had come with was no doubt something that not only she but everyone else on Earth would have to take heed of, and Natasha dreaded what kind of difficulties would lie in his future.


    Maybe I really should have just left Earth straight away when I had the chance, Natasha wondered before dismissing the feelings of doubt she had. Her decision had been made already, and there was no point crying over spilt milk.


    The second time her foresight skill had activated was far more confusing, and at first, she hadn¡¯t known exactly what it was that was being asked of her. Keeping Bryan talking was perhaps one of the strangest pieces of instruction she had received from it, and so Natasha had inferred that the military man was keeping something to himself. When her suspicions had been confirmed, Natasha wasn¡¯t disappointed, and she hadn''t needed her foresight skill to tell her that she would have to meet the young healer. It seemed that her stay on Earth wouldn¡¯t be boring, at least.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    Arthur Ward Arthur looked at the system notification in front of him and grinned.


    Bestial recovery (Rare) has reached level 2


    Instead of just wasting his time doing nothing but waiting for someone to finally come, Arthur had decided that it would be best to finally use the recovery skill he had gotten from the ''apology core'' he''d received from Selena. God knew how much he had needed a little recovery right now, and Arthur hadn''t been disappointed with the skill''s miraculous effects. Remembering the woman once again sent a stab of guilt through him, but he threw the emotion to the wayside for now.


    With only around 900 ether to spare, Arthur had decided to use 750 of it for the skill. With the absurd cost of seventy-five ether per minute, that meant that Arthur could use it for exactly ten. Quite a small time frame, and yet Arthur had been astounded by the results. He had actually regained exactly 2054 health, the same amount he would have gained naturally over the course of one and a half hours.


    The results had been so staggering that Arthur had reread the skill''s description. Just how absurd an ability was it supposed to be?


    Bestial Recovery (RARE) level 2- At the cost of 80 ether per minute, increase your natural health regeneration to 1050% of the normal value


    Secondary effect- Can target one individual at a time. At the cost of 1000 Ether, increase the target''s natural health regeneration to 300% of the standard value for 3 hours.


    Arthur read and re-read the skill''s description, in complete disbelief at how absurd his skill would one day become. If Arthur wasn''t mistaken, then as the skill level increased, the ether cost would also increase incrementally, but at a value that would be negligible to the benefits he''d reap. Did that mean that at level 30- the max level for rare skills- the skill would literally cost a pittance for a 2500% increase in health regen? Arthur tried not to get his hopes up too much, but the fact didn''t lie. With a regeneration rate of 1232 health per hour, that translated to approximately 20 health regenerated a minute.


    Applying the effects of the skill at level one, he recuperated 205 health a minute, or in other words, a maximum health pool in 50 minutes. If the ability grew in the same direction it currently was, Arthur would one day be able to increase his natural health regeneration by at least twenty-five times, maybe even permanently if he grew his ether pool enough, and that was on top of his already absurd bonuses to vitality from his Twice Lived title along with the more recent additions he''d gotten that boosted the attribute.


    When Arthur remembered that in three days'' time, Mira would also start to teach him her own powerful health regeneration skill, something he''d honestly forgotten, Arthur couldn''t keep the grin off his face. If he was being observed now, the government would no doubt believe that the young healer was a little mentally unstable.


    But Arthur''s excitement was certainly justified. One day that actually wasn''t so far off in the future for once, Arthur''s health regeneration may probably just outpace his actual health- a truly ridiculous sentiment, to say the least, and one that would probably set him apart from any other prodigy across the multiverse.


    Okay, maybe Arthur was getting a little ahead of himself with that last thought, but he was certain that most individuals wouldn''t have as many health-boosting traits as he did.


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    Arthur checked his watch, which had somehow survived the fight with Shade and saw that it had been around twenty minutes since he had woken up, which meant that the monster had been dead for quite a while.


    The fact that no one had come to check on him yet was worrying and added some credence to his theory that the American administration might try to hold him captive. Just as his paranoid thoughts were reaching an all-time high, Arthur heard a loud click and saw a door-shaped portion of the wall move inwards. If he hadn''t already seen it in action when he visited Alyssia, he would no doubt have been amazed. As it was, Arthur was just glad that he hadn''t been forgotten about.


    He observed the two figures that walked through the entrance and was happy to see someone he recognized amongst them. Bryan walked forward and smiled at him, though he looked strangely tense for some reason. When Arthur laid eyes on the figure walking beside him, he didn''t blame the man for his nervous state. The stranger looked like someone had taken a bear and superimposed a human''s appearance on it¡ªthat''s how big the man was.


    Arthur had no doubt that it was all muscle, as the man''s chiselled jawline looked like it had been carved from granite, visible even under the silver-grey stubble that covered his face. If his erect, commanding posture didn''t give away his military background, then the uniform he was wearing certainly did. Arthur briefly considered identifying him but quickly dismissed the notion. He didn''t want to risk annoying the man with his intrusive use of this skill, and Arthur didn''t need his new perception attribute to tell him that the man was strong.


    Very strong.


    The attribute did, however, seem to help him detect the intimidating individual''s repressed aura, something Arthur was certain he wouldn''t have been able to do before, and he could almost smell the man''s magical power¡ªhow he wasn''t entirely sure about. But if he wasn''t mistaken, then the military man was a fire mage and something else that Arthur couldn''t quite put the finger on, though he felt that it would probably make use of the man''s significant mass.


    Once again, Arthur didn''t know how exactly he knew this, but he''d put his money on the fact that the ever-elusive perception attribute was finally showing some of its use. Arthur was actually quite pleased with how useful it was proving itself to be. Maybe one day, he might actually be able to see magic. He was pulled out of his inner reverie when Bryan spoke.


    "I hope you didn''t mind us putting you in this room, Arthur."


    Arthur saw that the man had an apologetic look on his face like he had wronged him in some sort of way. Maybe he''s just guilty that I was put in Alyssia''s prison. Arthur still had no idea what the government was planning to do with him, so he decided to play it safe and act like everything was fine between them. No point in making an issue if there was no problem to be found. At least he hoped there''d be no problems between them.


    "No, not really. The bed''s actually quite comfortable," he eventually said as he shook his head slowly.


    Though he outwardly looked completely fine, he was still around half health, and he was certain now it was regenerating a little slower than it should be, a result of his unstructured magic perhaps, which meant that his muscles were complete noodle soup under his skin. Heck, he doubted he''d even be able to walk until another hour had passed, as it had taken a lot of effort to just sit on the bed he was currently on.


    Bryan felt a wash of relief when he heard Arthur''s answer, having feared the young man would have been angry at his detainment. Thankfully, that didn''t look to be the case, and it would make the next few minutes a lot easier to handle. Gesturing to the towering giant beside him, Bryan introduced him.


    "You''ve not met him before, but this here is General Bradley, the head of all our military operations since before even the system''s arrival and probably the most powerful man in America," Bryan asserted.


    Arthur just nodded his head, having already guessed that the big giant was probably someone important, just not how important. Why the hell is a man like that here to see me? He wondered. It seemed that General Bradley was about to answer that question as he spoke loudly, his voice gruff and deep.


    "So, kid, I''ve heard a lot about you. Apparently, you''re a pretty good healer," General Bradley rumbled. "Amongst other things," he added, directing a pointed look at Bryan. So, I guess Bryan told them about my flashy little piece of magic, Arthur realized with a sinking feeling in his chest.


    "I don''t really like beating around the bush, so I''ll tell you straight. We''ve just found out that the planet''s going to shit. An item found on Shade''s dead body, or at least what was left of it, told us that Earth has been put in the crosshairs of an alien terrorist group of some sort," the military man explained, carefully observing the young healer to see how he would react to the statement.


    He didn''t really like what he saw. Arthur looked indifferent as if he didn''t care in the least that his home planet was being meddled with by some foreign forces. A lack of attachment to the American nation was understandable considering their relations so far, but the entire planet. Bradley felt his opinion of the young man drop a few points, though he made sure it didn''t show on his face.


    "We were actually able to get some information about what was going on from the Farthing Mercantile organization," he continued. "For a price, of course."


    The last words were spoken with a grunt of distaste, and Arthur could immediately tell that the man was not a big fan of the group. He could also tell that he didn''t like the direction the conversation was going, and Arthur didn''t need to be a genius to know that a speech of some foreign threat was always followed by a call to arms. While Arthur didn''t mind helping out here and there, he wasn''t quite ready to tie himself by accepting whatever offer General Bradley would no doubt be presenting. The military man seemed to notice this, and he sighed wearily, rubbing his head as if to ward off a headache.


    "I can already see that you''ll reject whatever proposition I make, so I guess it''s best I don''t waste both of our time," the bear-like man spoke dejectedly. Arthur just smiled apologetically at the General, outwardly calm, but inside, his thoughts were racing a mile a minute. Wait, is he really just going to back off? No offer for riches, no blackmail or guilt-tripping.


    Arthur was surprised to find that he actually felt a little disappointed at that and berated himself for getting a little too big for his boots. He wasn''t so special that everyone would start asking for help, or at least no one yet knew just how special he actually was. Otherwise, Arthur had no doubt that the General wouldn''t stop trying to recruit him so easily.


    When Arthur saw that General Bradley didn''t seem to be in any hurry to leave, he realized that the man probably wouldn''t have come all the way here just to meet and recruit him. No, he definitely had an ulterior motive, and curious, Arthur asked, "So, is that it? I''m sure you didn''t come all the way here just to try and get me on your side. To be honest, it looks like you already knew that I would reject your proposal." The General smirked, and Arthur felt himself flush a little with embarrassment when he realized just how arrogant his words had sounded.


    "Kid, it looks like you''ve got an inflated sense of self-worth. Persuading you was never my job in the first place. I''m sure Miss Murker will have a better time doing that. She''s here to see you, by the way." Bradley chuckled.


    "But you''re right; I didn''t come all this way just to see our own little prodigious magician. No, I came to talk about your rewards for going above and beyond against that shadow fucker." The old man paused for a moment as if to add some dramatic effect to his next words.


    "As well as this," he said, pulling out a vial containing a ruby-red liquid and placing it on the table in front of him. Arthur didn''t need to identify the stuff to know what it was; after all, he had seen it far too often already.


    It was his blood.

 Chapter 78- Trade

    When General Bradley saw the young healer¡¯s eyes go wide with surprise at the sight of the liquid, he knew that Arthur had recognised it. He didn¡¯t blame the kid, though. He''d also been shocked when he found out what the liquid could do when it was presented to the Mercantile organisation after their scientists had gone crazy over it.


    A ''perfect catalyst'' or something of the sort. The technical jargon was far too complex for him to commit to memory. What he did recall was its absurd price. The few hundred millilitres of the stuff he had with him probably cost more than the entire facility around him, albeit it had been created pre-system without ether reinforcing everything.


    Arthur, however, didn¡¯t know that yet, and though keeping the boy in the dark about that little fact would probably make his life a lot easier, something was telling the old General that it''d be in his best interests to build a good relationship with the healer in front of him. Those hunches of his were the only reason why he had lived to see some grey in his beard whilst in a profession where men died young, and Bradley would be a fool to stop trusting them now.


    That was why the General decided to go against all the pieces of advice his colleagues had given him and only speak the truth to Arthur. Taking a deep breath, General Bradley began to speak, ¡° I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already realised what this is. Some of our staff here managed to collect half a litre of the stuff when you were bought here. You wouldn''t stop bleeding. What you don¡¯t know, though, is just how valuable your blood is,¡± Bradley divulged, happy to see that at least now Arthur seemed to be a lot more invested in the conversation.


    Arthur, meanwhile, was a little shocked at the revelation. Sure, he knew that his blood was a little special, what with the fact that it was one of his primary ingredients when making elixirs, but he¡¯d just attributed that to the fact the system had poured so much healing affinity ether into him when he¡¯d first died. It seemed that he¡¯d been giving too little credit to the red catalyst flowing through his veins, and so he asked the first question that came to his mind.


    ¡°How much is it worth then?¡±


    Bryan laughed at his query, surprising Arthur, who had forgotten that the man was even there. He really was too easy to overlook when he was standing beside the giant general. The old military man also seemed to be amused with Arthur''s curiosity and chuckled.


    ¡°Always the same with the young nowadays. Not a word on why we thought it right to take your blood in the first place, just money, money, money. I thought you''d have stronger feelings about that.¡±


    Arthur felt chastised at the older man¡¯s words and smiled sheepishly. ¡°Yes, you''re right, but I don¡¯t really care right now. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that you now know what you do. You can''t unlearn information, and it was my fault in the first place for bleeding out all over the place. I can hardly fault you for realising it was special stuff when you cleaned it up.¡± He replied.


    Bradley just smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll still be saying that when you hear what the Farthing organisation offered to get their hands on it,¡± He explained. ¡°Powerful skills, strange tools of magic, deadly weapons, Rings of Revival and even a few variants of an evolution fruit.¡± Bradley dropped the bombshell.


    Arthur sat on the bed in shock as his brain short-circuited. It took him a moment to realise that he had his mouth open in wonder, and he quickly closed it.


    I can get some new general skills, an actual weapon, and maybe even a rarer evolution fruit than the one the governments are going to give me. I only have four slots left for general skills after the Myriad Tongues Alyssia gave me, but I''m sure a mercantile organisation will have things I''d want.


    Arthur tried to keep the excitement off his face but wasn''t altogether successful.


    And what¡¯s a ring of revival? He didn¡¯t want to get ahead of himself, but the item had the word revival in it, which meant that it probably had something to do with bringing back the dead. It sounded like something miraculous and ran the risk of rekindling the hope of his sister''s revival that he''d managed to almost forget about.


    Wait, wait, you idiot. Don¡¯t start getting ahead of yourself. It could just be a fancy piece of jewellery, for all I know. He warned himself. Arthur wasn¡¯t prepared to swallow the bitter pill of disappointment, so he tried not to get too excited. Instead of satiating his curiosity by asking about the specifics of the item, he instead thanked the old man.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you told me this when you could have just used any blood trade for yourself. God knows it would have been plenty easy."


    Arthur paused for breath as he felt a micro tear in his chest close up. It itched like hell.


    "But that¡¯s exactly what I don¡¯t get. Why are you telling me all this?¡±


    General Bradley didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds before he sighed wearily.


    ¡°You sure don¡¯t beat around the bush, kid,¡± he grumbled. ¡°To be honest, I''m not supposed to tell you any of this, but something tells me it¡¯ll be better if I got you to owe me a favour instead of getting greedy now,¡± General Bradley explained truthfully.


    He wasn¡¯t a man known for his deceit, and it hadn¡¯t sat well with him to withhold information from Arthur when it had first been suggested. Arthur smiled a little bitterly. The General''s explanation was something he could at least understand, but it made him a little sad that the man hadn¡¯t just told him out of the goodness of his heart. Still, it was human nature to do something in one¡¯s best interest, and Arthur couldn¡¯t blame the old man for his intentions.


    A gift with strings attached was something Arthur could deal with, even if it meant he¡¯d owe the general one. After all, everything in life came with a price, something Arthur had to learn the hard way when he¡¯d lost his sister, and he was prepared to pay practically anything if it meant he could avoid making those same mistakes again.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing this is why you didn¡¯t care much about me just rejecting your recruitment offers without hearing them,¡± Arthur tiredly spoke.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    General Bradley chuckled at his words and smiled at him.


    ¡°Like you, I don¡¯t like beating around the bush,¡± Arthur stated. ¡°So what is it that you want me to do?¡±


    It had already occurred to Arthur that he could simply go to the Mercantile organisation himself and trade. He still had plenty of blood flowing through his veins, and he wouldn¡¯t shy away from parting with a few pints of it. The reason why he¡¯d dismissed the notion immediately was because he had no way to get into contact with them, but ultimately, Arthur wasn¡¯t prepared to divulge the fact that he was, in fact, the supplier of such a valuable liquid.


    Who knew what they would do to him? Bradley had also realised this fact, and that was why he was so confident that he¡¯d get Arthur tied to him by the time he left the room. He needed a middle man and the general would fill that position for him. Going by the questions the young healer was asking, General Bradley thought his job was practically done.


    Still doesn¡¯t sit right with me that the kid''s practically a paid mercenary instead of a loyal soldier serving his country, the old man mused. But at the end of the day, beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers, and he knew that the world would desperately need Arthur''s services, especially after what he¡¯d found out from the Farthing Mercantile organisation.


    It was just his terrible luck that it turned out that they would need the help of either a light or purification mage. The only powerful individual with a light affinity that he knew of was Kazi Alukai, and he wasn¡¯t prepared to make a deal with that particular devil. Arthur, on the other hand, was the demon they had already worked with, and they might just have an avenue to work with him. It hadn¡¯t been a hard decision when choosing between the pair.


    There were probably some promising light mages within American territory, but he simply didn¡¯t have the time to find such an individual. They needed someone with the right qualifications, and they needed them fast. Getting Kazi''s help would be the work of other national leaders, not theirs. That was why General Bradley decided to answer Arthur''s questions truthfully.


    ¡°It seems like you''re reconsidering working with us,¡± Bradley spoke before slapping his palms on the table and looking over them. The wooden furniture groaned a little under the pressure it was under, but it held strong. General Bradley continued talking as if nothing was amiss.


    ¡°To be frank, we found out quite a bit from the alien merchants, and it turns out that we¡¯ll need someone with a particular skill set to help deal with the side effects caused by the Silver Rose experiments,¡± he explained.


    Arthur was bewildered for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you already knew this, but I only have the regeneration ability and water manipulation. Unless that¡¯s what you need, I don¡¯t really have the particular skill set you¡¯re looking for,¡± Arthur stated, confusion evident in his voice.


    General Bradley just smiled at him and said,


    ¡°No, your right. You don¡¯t have the skills we¡¯re looking for. At least not yet,¡± he explained.


    Judging from the slight widening of Arthur¡¯s eyes, it seemed that the healer had already started to figure out where this conversation was going. Striking whilst the iron was hot, General Bradley continued.


    ¡°You¡¯ve probably already guessed it, but we¡¯ve used some of your blood to trade for a general skill called Purify that has the prerequisite of the host possessing a light or healing affinity."


    Arthur didn¡¯t miss the fact that the man had said they used his blood, not will use, which meant that if the general had thought he wouldn''t help them, he probably would have never heard about it from the man, and his blood would have been long gone from the Earth. The skill would have most likely gone to someone else, and he''d have never known better.


    Arthur put that little slight behind him, there was no use worrying about it now, and there was nothing he could really do about it. Instead, Arthur decided that it would be best if he got some more information from General Bradley.


    ¡°So what exactly does this purify skill do, and actually, how in the world can you purchase a skill? As far as I know, skills are methods of using ether, not something that has a tangible physical form,¡± Arthur asked.


    He was lying a little, but he really was curious.


    He still didn¡¯t understand how Alyssia had given him the myriad tongues skill. As far as he knew, no system existed in her dimension, which meant that magic skills were manually taught and passed down through the generations without the aid of the system automating the entire process. ¡°Kid, your guess is as good as mine. All I knew is that they somehow crystalise ether into a specific form, which can then be absorbed by an individual if they have the right affinity for the specific skill," General Bradley explained whilst shrugging his shoulders.


    That still didn¡¯t really answer Arthur''s question and didn¡¯t explain how Alyssia had given him a copy of her skill. As far as he could remember, she hadn¡¯t had any crystallised ether on her person or the one source, as she liked to call it. None of those things mattered right now, however, as Arthur was starting to get an idea of what General Bradley wanted from him.


    ¡°So let me get this straight,¡± Arthur said, ¡°You want me to absorb the skill purify, and I guess somehow use it to deal with the residual effects of Silver Rose''s experiments. In return, you¡¯ll let me buy an item of my choice from the aliens.¡± Arthur inquired the military General.


    It was Bryan instead that answered his question.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re asking for. Before any of that, though, we still have to pay you for your help against Shade,¡± he said, indicating the large metal box that was behind him. Arthur had wondered at what the container had inside of it since the men had entered the room, and it looked like he''d finally gotten his answer. It has my payment inside it, Arthur thought greedily as he ogled the box, almost like he would be able to see its contents if he stared hard enough. He did have one slight worry, however, which was quickly put to rest when General Bradley began to speak.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but we took the initiative and used some of your blood to trade for a better evolution fruit instead of just giving you the normal variant we had planned. I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± the old man explained.


    On the contrary, Arthur was extremely pleased with the news as that was exactly what he had been concerned about. He didn¡¯t want to evolve with a normal evolution fruit when he found out that he¡¯d be able to get a rarer one by trading his blood for it. After all, nothing fit Arthur''s principles better than building a solid foundation for his future growth, and he was pretty sure that an individual''s first evolution would be a pivotal factor in how strong they would one day become.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s perfectly fine, almost like you read my mind or something, actually,¡± Arthur acknowledged, with a smile on his face. Bryan sighed as he felt some tension drain out of him when he heard Arthur''s words. It had been his idea to choose new fruit for the healer, and he was glad that his decision hadn¡¯t backfired on them. General Bradley reached behind him and picked up the steel container like it weighed nothing. Arthur guessed that the man¡¯s strength must have been 300 at the least.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear that, kid,¡± he chuckled, placing the box on the table. Arthur had to praise the craftsmanship of the furniture as it somehow managed not to break under the weight of the heavy container. Arthur wondered if it was from Ikea before quickly dismissing the thought. My Ikea bowl is special.


    ¡°We¡¯ve also got your promised monster core here,¡± Bradley told Arthur as he pressed open the metal clasps holding the parcel shut. ¡°It¡¯s from the strongest monster we¡¯ve faced, besides Shade, at level 153, in fact,¡± General Bradley added as he opened the lid. A beautiful, fragrant aroma suddenly suffused the room, which no doubt came from the fruit of evolution that lay within it. Arthur licked his lips hungrily and looked at the items before him.


    He wasn¡¯t disappointed.

 Chapter 79- Waking Up To Reality

    The entire room now smelt incredible, almost like the entirety of nature was condensed into a single fragrant ascent that now suffused every breath he took. This is the stuff Buddhists are talking about when they describe nirvana; Arthur wondered in amazement as he inhaled as deeply as he could.


    There were three items in the box in front of him, lying on a bed of velvety-looking fabric. Two of them Arthur immediately recognised, the monster core instantly obvious from all the previous times he¡¯d seen them and the fruit of evolution from the fact that it was, well, a fruit, obviously. A giant strawberry, in fact, or at least it looked like one if strawberries could ever grow to be the size of a mango. It was also a far darker shade of red than anything he¡¯d seen on the more ordinary fruit, almost purple in fact and instead of being covered in seeds, the skin was completely clear, almost plasticky looking if Arthur was being honest.


    As he continued to observe the fruit, Arthur saw that it seemed to pulse at intervals, almost like it was a beating heart. He identified it.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Fonkey Dypulp (Rare) - A rare fruit that contains the power to hasten one¡¯s evolution. It contains potent energies that can unlock the consumer''s potential in strange esoteric ways.</td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>


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    <td style="width: 98.6014%; text-align: center">Identify has failed to level as it has reached its maximum limits. Specialise it if you wish to continue developing the skill.</td>


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    Arthur frowned when he read the skill prompt he''d received. He¡¯d almost forgotten that the skill even existed with the lackadaisical approach he took to using it, and he was reminded that he needed to evolve it as soon as possible to stop it from stagnating.


    Still, the fact that the skill was supposed to have levelled after using it only once on the fruit raised Arthur''s hopes about what it might be able to do for his evolution once he consumed it. Maybe Arthur was being idealistic, and the only reason Identify had levelled was that it was still abysmally weak. Arthur didn¡¯t let negativity get in the way of his happiness, though; he was too excited to let pessimistic thinking burst his bubble.


    Skipping out on the blue monster core beside the fruit, Arthur instead directed his attention to the one item in the box that he had never seen the likes of before. It looked like a white crystal, and Arthur could feel the density of ether contained within. He had no doubt that the tiny thing contained ether enough to dwarf his own considerable pools twenty times over, and Arthur marvelled at the fact that the item was so stable despite that fact.


    He could feel no volatile fluctuations of the energy within it, and Arthur knew first-hand just how difficult it was to handle such vast concentrations of Ether. It must be made of some miracle material. Otherwise, Arthur didn''t doubt that the item would explode marvellously, and he wasn''t confident in his chances of surviving such an experience. That was why he felt a sense of trepidation as he identified it.


    He was already pretty certain that this was the Purify skill General Bradley had told him about, and he wasn¡¯t disappointed when he saw the results identify gave him.


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    Crystalised Ether Skill Shard (Uncommon): Purify (Rare)- A construct of condensed Ether that one can absorb to gain the skill Purify (Rare).


    Requirements: Have light or healing affinity.


    Note: As this is only an Uncommon skill shard, there may be some slight discrepancies between the skill description and one''s actual usage of it dependent on the strength of their affinity.


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    Arthur was a little surprised at what identify told him about the skill shard. It was almost like the description given of a store-bought item, and Arthur realised a little late that this was exactly what the crystal shard was; a store-bought good.


    Perhaps one could influence item descriptions if they were the ones who created said item, and Arthur was pretty sure he¡¯d have to level identify a lot more before he¡¯d be able to properly examine a manufactured object''s true description instead of just seeing what the creators wanted him to. Still, he knew that the purify crystal was purchased from some sort of huge respectable corporation which helped ease some of the worries he was feeling regarding the skill shard. His inner musings were interrupted when General Bradley spoke.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°As you can see, here are all the rewards we promised you for your help against Shade, as well as the skill that we want you to absorb,¡± General Bradley explained. He waited to see Arthur''s nod of affirmation before continuing.


    ¡°As for the items you might want to purchase with your remaining blood, we have a list of what they are as well as what exactly it is they do,¡± the military man added, handing Arthur a black card that he had pulled out of his pocket. Arthur took the piece of paper and realised with a start that his initial presumptions were completely wrong; it was made out of some sort of metal that he had no doubt never seen before for starters, and it was also far heavier than he had expected.


    So much so that he wasn''t sure he¡¯d have even been able to lift it prior to the arrival of the system on Earth. It was also completely blank, and Arthur wondered why the man had even given it to him when suddenly a line of script appeared on the card.


    [Welcome to the Farthing Mercantile corporation Bradley Tylers. Your current balance is 7,209 merits]


    Arthur blinked at the golden text before looking up at the military man who had handed it to him. Bradley Tylers just smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty neat, isn¡¯t it? Almost like some sort of smartphone, and before you ask, no, we don¡¯t know what it is, and we haven¡¯t even been able to scratch it, never mind find out how it works,¡± Bradley said, putting a damper on Arthur''s curiosity.


    ¡°If you swipe to the left, you can see all the items I¡¯m currently able to purchase, and before you get greedy, you can only choose one thing. I get a ten percent discount on my first few purchases, so I can''t have you using them all. Choose wisely.¡± The man declared sternly.


    Arthur just nodded his head, too excited to bother speaking at the moment. Quickly doing as the General had explained, he was disappointed to see that the man was only eligible to buy eleven items due to him being on a Trial period of some sort. Arthur wasn¡¯t sure if this was because Bradley had too few credits or if it was just standard company procedure when operating on newly evolved planets. Frankly, Arthur didn¡¯t really care at the moment.


    He quickly swiped past all the cool-looking things he could purchase, most of them being weapons of some sort, until he found the item that had captured his attention as soon as he¡¯d first heard mention of it. Taking a deep breath, Arthur tried to bring his racing heartbeat under control. It wouldn¡¯t do to raise his expectations.


    He knew that a ring of revival, despite its name, would never be able to bring his sister back. That was something he''d come to terms with, at least as much as was humanly possible, but he couldn''t help but hope for a miracle.


    He wasn''t going to get one.


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    Ring of Revival (Epic)


    Price: 5000 merits


    Description: A much weaker variant of the more commonly used Ring Of Extended Life, this item, however, does fulfil a similar purpose, though not for oneself.


    It can store the body of any individual below level 200 after their passing, bearing that this is done IMMEDIATELY after one''s life has ended. Maintains the integrity of their soul and body as long as ether is supplied to the ring. A perfect purchase if an upcoming wizard wishes to keep a loved one¡¯s body safe and sound until they are ready to resuscitate them in a safer setting. Note that this ring will not work if True Death has set in or if more than seven minutes have elapsed, the time limit recognised by ALL as the moment total soul destruction occurs.


    DISCLAIMER: The Farthing Corporation is in no way responsible if the customer fails to achieve their goals using this item, and no refunds will be given. Sometimes, you need to let someone go.


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    After reading through the text, Arthur took a deep breath but found it didn''t come easily. Despite possessing over 500 Endurance, he was, for the first time since the system''s arrival, struggling to breathe. Am I about to start hyperventilating?


    Arthur felt strangely detached from his body, the grief and turmoil that gripped his heart a distant feeling, almost like he was a passenger in his own body, viewing the experience but not truly living through it. His therapist would have called it disassociation or something along those lines. Arthur wasn''t entirely sure.


    Those meetings felt so long ago right now, almost as if they''d happened in another timeline. I guess I wasn''t ready to face the truth, no matter how much a realist I always claim to be, Arthur thought wryly. Even if he''d resigned himself to a bleak reality where he''d never see his sister again, it seemed like his heart had always kept an ember of hope lit within it, weathering against the storm his world had become in the wake of this newly evolved Earth.


    And it was at this moment, as Arthur sat there in the government bunker, that he felt that ember finally die out. Rize was gone forever, and with it, the promise he''d made half-delirious when he came back to life what felt like a lifetime ago.


    His sister was dead for good.

 Chapter 80- Purify

    Arthur was a little surprised he wasn''t crying. If he was being honest, he didn''t feel much of anything really, just... empty. He''d lost something he''d desperately hoped for, and yet he''d seen it coming from a mile away. I guess I''m just resigned right now. If mistakes were so easy to fix, there''d be no meaning to life. There are consequences to every action, and they aren''t always reversible.


    Throughout all this, General Bradley had been silent, but now, seeing the melancholy begin to fade from Arthur''s face, he decided to finally say something.


    "Miss Murker warned us against showing you that particular item. And before you get angry, no, she didn''t want to lead you on a wild goose chase to get your sister back."


    Arthur was too emotionally exhausted to care much about the fact that Ayesha may be trying to manipulate him or the fact that the American government was aware of his sister''s demise and perhaps his own role in it. With Ayesha''s underling possessing the ability to read the memories of objects, he wouldn''t put it past her to have already discovered the gun that he''d sold so long ago. It seemed so inconsequential right now.


    "That''s not to say she wouldn''t have told you about it, by the way." Bryan quickly added. "She just thought it was needlessly cruel to give you hope with a name like Ring Of Revival. She would have told you about everything after this little meeting of ours. In fact, it took everything in our power to talk to you first."


    Arthur nodded his head but didn''t say anything. He couldn''t fault Ayesha''s logic. If he was a weaker person, he would''ve been devastated after reading that Item description of Soul Destruction. So seven''s the magic number, I guess, or does it change depending on how strong someone is? It did say the ring was for people under level 200. Arthur dismissed the question. It wasn''t important right now.


    The old general wasn''t a big fan of the gloom and doom surrounding the young healer right now. It wasn''t the first time he''d seen something like this in someone. God knows his soldiers had enough PTSD to distribute it to half of Manhatten.


    "Look, kid," he said gruffly. "We all make mistakes. Hell, mine have killed more people than I can even begin to guess. Bad calls that resulted in deaths that could easily have been avoided. And that''s something I''m going to have to live with."


    "Every time I go to sleep, that shit keeps me awake. Well, at least it did until I realised a lack of sleep would only result in more mistakes. Look, what I''m trying to say, kid, is that sometimes in life, you''ve gotta learn to let go, learn to heal so you don''t end up getting your blood all over people who don''t deserve that sought of mess."


    "I would say I can''t imagine your pain and regret, Arthur, but I''m sure you''ve heard that all before. It doesn''t mean squat, so I won''t offer you my condolences. But we need you to get your shit together. The world''s in for some dark times, and we need all the help we can get."


    General Bradley paused for a moment to let his words sink in.


    "So what do you say? Are you up for the job? Otherwise, I''ll walk through those doors and give this skill shard to someone better suited for the task."


    All of a sudden, a burst of Aura washed over Arthur. It was gone as soon as it appeared, but the strength of it was nothing to scoff at. What was confusing though, was the strange mix of emotions it transmitted, anger, frustration, pity and uncertainty. Alone, he could make sense of each of them but blended together, it hardly made any sense. General Bradley raised an eyebrow.


    "That must be Miss Murker out there. She''s probably getting impatient waiting so we''ll have to wrap this up soon. So what do you say, son? Can we count on you?"


    Arthur sighed and rubbed his temples.


    ¡°So, how do I absorb this thing, then?¡± He asked, indicating to the white crystal. General Bradley broke out into a wide smile when he heard Arthur¡¯s words.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask, kid,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°First things first you¡¯ve got to pick it up,¡± Bradley instructed indicating with his hands that Arthur should do so. Arthur followed his instruction and was surprised that the crystal was warm to the touch, almost like it had been close to a heat source recently.


    It also seemed to release waves of energy around it in pulses intermittently, which Arthur had only realised when the item was in his hands. General Bradley continued his instructions.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure how this next part works exactly, but you¡¯re supposed to run some of your healing affinity ether into the skill shard now,¡± he said, uncertainty clear in his voice. The indecision within Bradley¡¯s voice would''ve been worrying if Arthur had the energy to generate an emotional response right now. He was just too drained right now to care.


    The skill shard came from a reputable source and Arthur wanted to get this entire experience over as soon as possible. Calling on his energy reserves, Arthur directed his ether into his most familiar skill, regeneration, and used it to pour some of his healing affinity energy into the white crystal. For a moment nothing seemed to happen and Arthur worried that he was doing something wrong. He needn¡¯t have concerned himself however as within a few moments, he heard an audible crack resound throughout the room. Arthur only had a brief second to look down at the crystal before the world went white.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Arthur reflexively closed his eyes when the bright light suffused the room, but his eyelids offered very little protection from the shining glare. The brilliant luminosity still reached him, not diminished in the slightest and Arthur was starting to worry that something had gone terribly wrong, the fear that he''d fucked this all up getting through his detachment. Had he just condemned everyone in the facility to death by setting off the crystalised ether? Thankfully, his fears were unfounded.


    Suddenly, the light disappeared. Just as fast as it had arrived, it departed as if it had never existed in the first place. Arthur briefly wondered if he had imagined the entire thing as Bradley and Bryan were still sitting down, completely content on their chairs as if the magical phenomenon hadn¡¯t disturbed them at all. Unfortunately, the experience had been all too real for Arthur and his smarting eyes could attest to that.


    It took him a few seconds to get used to the normal brightness in the room, and in that time, Arthur realised something that gave him quite a shock. The purify skill shard was gone, not dropped or lost as he¡¯d held his hand closed over it tightly ever since he¡¯d first grasped it. No, the crystalised ether had simply ceased to exist. Before Arthur could start panicking, he saw a system message in his vision that explained away the skill shard''s disappearance. It seemed he''d successfully absorbed it.


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    You have assimilated the skill shard: purify (Rank E). This is a general skill and will take up one of your miscellaneous skill slots. As a Human, five are available to you after being assigned Identity during System integration.


    You currently have three not in use. Would you like to learn the skill?


    YES/NO.


    Warning- Choosing to not gain the skill will not reform the skill shard and it shall be wasted.


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    Arthur read the message and then re-read it again. It seemed that the crystallised ether was only a single-use item, which he wasn¡¯t really too surprised about. If such a dense working of ether could reconstitute itself after being absorbed by an individual, then it''d be a tool far greater than anything the American government could get their hands on. Would it have to be Elite? Maybe even epic?


    Arthur dismissed his meandering thoughts and focused back on the task at hand. Taking a deep breath, he mentally clicked yes. The effect was instantaneous, and he felt an incredible amount of energy suffuse into every aspect of his being, before touching on something he instinctively recognised as his soul. There, it seemed to find some sort of resistance and Arthur knew that his soul affinity and thus its stronger than average nature was hindering the process.


    Trying to do something, Arthur imagined opening himself up to the world, and thankfully, his actions, as ill-practised as they were, seemed to have some sort of effect on the process. The ether diffused past the membrane of his spirit and he knew that the process was over. Three seconds later, the system confirmed it for him.


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    Congratulations! You have learnt the skill Purify (Rare) Level 1- Use ether to create an aura of purifying energy around you. Can purge residual Ether, bacteria, poison, filth etc. Aura range increases with skill level.


    Cost: Dependent on the toxicity of the environment


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    The ability was everything Arthur had expected it to be, though it was a little ambiguous on what exactly it could do. For starters, how big exactly was this aura currently, and more importantly, what did the system classify as filth. or was it in fact dependent on his own perception of the stuff? Will I one day be able to use the aura to just purify a monster out of existence, Arthur wondered in amazement. He quickly got off his high horse when he remembered that the skill was only at Rare rank. he would no doubt have to get the ability to undergo some sort of evolution before he could consider using the skill in such a way.


    Arthur looked up to see both General Bradley and Bryan looking expectantly at him and he cleared his throat awkwardly at the attention. ¡°So, did it work? Stop holding out on us kid,¡± General Bradley grumbled loudly, curiosity clear in his voice.


    Arthur nodded his head.


    ¡°I think so, at least the system says I¡¯ve got the skill, ¡° Arthur replied, directing some ether into it. Arthur used a slightly different method than the usual way he manipulated the energy. Instead of drawing out a specific amount of ether and directing it into the skill like he usually did, he decided to skip out his first step and directly channel his ether into the skill from his reserves.


    It felt quite different from usual, and he felt a lot more connected to the magic he was casting. Looking around him, Arthur saw that there was a silvery-white sheen to the air three meters around him. Arthur had no doubt that this was the radius of his new skill and though it was quite small, he wasn¡¯t disappointed. After all, he was only supplying half an ether to the skill per second and the effects were already quite visible. The floor near his bed was noticeably cleaner than the rest of the room, startlingly white compared to the greyish colour of the other tiles, probably the original shade of the ground that no amount of normal cleaning would ever be able to restore.


    Thankfully magic seemed to have no such limitations and Arthur marvelled at how cosy his life would have been if he had this skill before the arrival of the system. He would have no doubt been the world''s best cleaner. General Bradley and Bryan were similarly impressed with the results and the military leader made that clear with the next words.


    ¡°Well. I¡¯ll be damned. It looks like Earth will be safe for a little longer thanks to you,¡± he spoke, with a wide grin on his face. Arthur blanched a little at the old man¡¯s sinister words although he believed they were spoken in jest.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t be too sure about the strange man, and though he had been told that his help would be necessary for combating the Silver Rose, he didn¡¯t exactly know how his new purify skill fit into the equation. For all he knew, he could be getting rid of some crazy alien pathogen that would destroy the world and judging by how lady luck seemed to have a special relationship with him, Arthur was certain that reality would be far worse than he had imagined.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve told me about how pivotal this skill will be in the coming few days, but I still have no idea what I¡¯ll be using it for,¡± Arthur voiced.


    "What exactly do you want me to purify?"

 Chapter 81- Tying Loose Ends

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    Arthur rubbed his eyes. He was more than a little annoyed. General Bradley and Bryan, despite his repeated questionings, hadn''t given him an actual answer. He still didn''t know what he''d be using his latest skill for.


    All he''d managed to get was that there was some sort of dangerous substance the Silver Rose group were experimenting with and he''d be cleaning up the residue of said experiments. At least that was what he''d inferred from the little they''d told him.


    I could be wrong though. I still don''t know what this illegal substance of theirs even is.


    Thankfully, he was about to get some answers now, He''d been let out from his ''prison'' room just over a half hour ago, and he was now seated across from Ayesha Murker. She''d accosted him as soon as he''d been allowed to leave, all but dragging him to her parked vehicle outside.


    She''d been silent for most of the journey, saying only that she''d tell him everything that he wanted to know as soon as they got to a secure location.


    Well, they were here now and the damn woman had yet to speak a word, instead whispering something into the ear of a middle-aged woman beside her. Annoyingly enough, she was using some sort of magic to obscure the sound, so Arthur''s Perception attribute was practically useless.


    And she''s not speaking Korean or English so I can''t even read her lips. He cleared his throat loudly, but if it put her off in any way, it didn''t show on her face. Finally, after another two minutes had passed, the old woman seemed to be done with the conversation, and she left with a huff, muttering something under her breath that Arthur didn''t quite get. At least he didn''t think the woman was saying something about Donkey Kong, but you never knew with these eccentric aliens.


    "So, Bradley didn''t follow my advice did he?" Ayesha finally murmured, more to herself than an actual question.


    She rubbed at her temples, swearing under her breath all the while.


    "This is all going over your head, isn''t it? At long last, she was looking at him and acknowledging his presence. Arthur nodded his head in agreement, though he was almost certain he knew what she''d been talking to the old woman about. Well, I think I''ve got the gist of it at least but there''s no point guessing blindly when she''ll just tell me.


    "I''ve already told you about the Seer that came with me to Earth. She''s my greatest adviser and the one behind every big decision I''ve ever made for the last ten years. She''s the one that told me about the Ring of Revival fiasco that these merchants were trying to pull."


    "I''m certain you are aware of how versatile magical affinities and skills are by now. There''s more skills than there are grains of sand on the planet and Merchants are some of the worst of the bunch when it comes to variability. The bastards have got something for everything." Ayesha ranted.


    She paused for breath. "Long story short, a merchant somewhere up the chain has a skill that lets them know what their clients will be inclined towards. Add on a little mental manipulation skill that makes said items more desirable to a purchaser, and you''ve got a potent skill combination."


    Arthur was getting a little confused now. This wasn''t the direction he''d expected the conversation to go down.


    "That''s not a problem really in the grand scheme of things. Just a little help to make the sale. In all honesty, the aliens aren''t at fault here. No one is. Except for General Bradley, I guess. My Seer Madeline, using her skill saw that your chances of sudden death rose to a whopping 0.6% following the item reveal at that specific time and your chances of significant injury to a more substantial 24%. You can see why I wanted to withhold that item from you for a while, can''t you."


    Now this information was certainly shocking. I could''ve fucking died. HOW? "Are you messing with me here? What you''re saying doesn''t make any sense. How could seeing something early kill me."


    Ayesha laughed at the look of incredulous horror on Arthur''s face. This wasn''t the strangest prediction Madeline''s skill had ever come up with. Far from it actually and she was thankful that for once, they''d been able to figure out why it''d happened.


    "It''s not about the specific time being cursed or something, Arthur, more just the decisions that immediately followed its reveal. Our best guess is that the item''s reveal and your subsequent realisations, whatever they may be, would throw you off enough that something would go drastically wrong during your Purify skill shard absorption."


    Stolen story; please report.


    "The chances are so infinitesimally small, system law doesn''t even make it a requirement to place them in item descriptions, but things have gone to shit before and whatever state you''d have been in at that time would''ve raised the possibility for you. Thankfully, nothing happened but I''m sure you can understand why I didn''t want to take that risk." She explained.


    Well, that was a lot to digest. Absorbing skill shards wasn''t risk-free and General Bradley, for whatever reason, had taken a gamble with his life. Sure, Ayesha may have withheld details from the man, but he hardly doubted she hadn''t given the old man some form of explanation. And he just went and ignored it. Why? He could''ve just shown me the item afterwards and avoided the risk altogether. And damn, I didn''t know I was so emotionally volatile. Fuck him and fuck the government. There''s no point working with bastards that value my life so little.


    "Just when I was starting to think the government wasn''t filled with dicks as well," Arthur grumbled.


    "It''s kind of my fault actually. You got caught up between us. They''ve been wondering about Madeline''s skills all this time and I guess the threat level was low enough for them to use you as a test subject." Ayesha explained.


    "Isn''t that just beautiful? Used as a lab rat right after he hired me. That''s the American dream right there. Every soldier a disposable piece of trash and I''m not even a fucking soldier." Arthur grumbled angrily.


    The sad thing was, he wasn''t truly surprised. An easy way to put Ayesha''s claim to the test must''ve been too great an opportunity to pass up for them. Being a powerful woman the American government had no idea how to deal with, it was understandable that Ayesha had stepped on a lot of toes already and this had been a great chance to test the limits of her abilities.


    Understanding their intentions didn''t mean he forgave them though.


    "On to more important things," Ayesha began. "Resurrection, or at least the resurrection you''re looking for, is truly impossible. Anyone that tells you otherwise is a liar." She grimaced, pinching at the bridge of her nose.


    "This isn''t a conversation I''d like to have with you, but a harsh truth now will save you so much heartbreak in the future. I have high hopes for you, a lot of people do, and I don''t want to see your potential squandered chasing dead ends."


    Arthur wasn''t surprised by the woman''s knowledge of his situation. If Bradley could figure it out, then surely she knew a hell of a lot more with her Seer access. Still, he couldn''t quite accept the absolutes she was speaking in, a little ember of na?ve stubbornness within him refusing to accept reality.


    "How can you be so certain no ones come back before?" He asked. I did- technically. "Out of the billions of galaxies out there, with how vast the universe truly is, what''s to say someone hasn''t figured it out." Even to himself, he sounded like a child.


    She looked at him with pity.


    "I''m sorry Arthur. I really am. People have come back before, and that''s why I''m so certain that it''s impossible for your sister. I mean necromancers exist, there are thousands of different species of undead. People have come back."


    "It''s just that your sisters have been gone for too long. Souls degrade when their bodies die, Arthur. The weaker they are, the faster." She paused for a moment. "Well, degradation isn''t exactly the word I''d use, but they change. I guess it''s a transitioning process into whatever comes next, the unknown on the other side."


    "And no, it doesn''t matter how special her soul may have been," she said with a raised hand, forestalling the question on his lips "She hadn''t even awoken her affinities yet. Her soul was gone the minute she died, Arthur, and it is impossible." She looked up at him as she said the word, really looked at him, eye to eye and repeated herself. "IMPOSSIBLE for someone to come back from that moment on."


    Arthur sighed, raising his head to the ceiling as he sat there digesting her words. He didn''t even know why he''d brought it up. I already knew the truth of it so why punish myself? Am I a masochist that just likes facing the pain of truth again and again? He was being too harsh on himself. He''d just wanted a little explanation, to finally put to rest the little ember of hope he''d somehow kept burning. And now, I can finally let it go out I guess.


    "Thank you for that," he finally said. "You didn''t have to speak about this. We hardly know each other and you''re not responsible to deal with my emotional baggage. So thank you, truly."


    Ayesha looked at him and smiled. "I really must''ve made a terrible first impression on you. It cost me nothing to address your concerns and worries. Doing nothing now, actually, would make me a terrible person. And hey, I''m your employer. We''re not all like your government. I''m an opportunist, not a monster." She joked.


    Arthur smiled, chuckling at her weak attempt at a joke.


    "Anyway, let''s talk business. This is what you''re here for, isn''t it." She said, sliding a familiar-looking box across the table towards him.


    It was the dragon''s core and the cure for his damaged soul. Even sealed as it was, he could still smell its powerful fragrance.


    "Don''t open it here," Ayesha quickly warned when she saw him reach out to it, startling him out of his trance. "The enchantments on the box are degrading faster than I expected." She explained. "Without them, it''s like holding a beacon screaming out your name to the whole world. Except it''s a trillion dollars instead. You''d do well to open it in a secure location and only when you''re ready to use it." She advised.


    Looking down at her wristwatch, she smiled.


    "Don''t worry. You won''t have to wait too long. Remember, I''m close friends with a seer. I tend to know a thing or two."


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 Chapter 82- The Stars align

    It had now been exactly twenty-four hours since Arthur''s participation in the battle against Shade and he had now fully recovered from the injuries he¡¯d suffered during that fight. With him were the spoils he''d gained, the promised monster core that the government had rewarded him and most importantly, the Dragon core he needed to fix up his soul.


    Sadly, he wasn''t quite ready to use it yet as Ayesha had told him. She''d been annoyingly vague with the details, saying that he needed to learn the value of patience. It was even more annoying that she was right. He''d made quite the blunder because of his over-eagerness. In his excitement of gaining tier-two system access, he''d gone and spent over two hundred of his saved-up stat points to unlock the Paragon Series Titles for both Endurance and Intelligence. It wasn''t the worst decision to make, but he''d limited his future options by doing so.


    Alyssia had told him that he needed to consume three more monster cores before trying to have a go at the Dragons. Something about his soul being damaged badly, but not badly enough to let the super core work its magic on healing him. This was apparently one of those cases where you had to get worse before you could get better.


    He was also pretty sure that this was what Ayesha''s Seer had interpreted when she looked into his future and the damnable woman was just pulling his leg trying to act all mysterious with her cryptic remarks of ''soon enough.'' More importantly, however, was that since receiving the Alverin''s instruction, he''d already gone and absorbed the kingfisher''s core as per her advice and gained the Preception attribute. That meant he only had two slots remaining before he had to go for the big one. And I don''t know how my half-breed title will evolve in the wake of that. Will I still be able to gain power from monster cores?


    He didn''t know, and that was the crux of the issue. By spending his stat points prematurely, he''d tied his hands on which monster cores he could absorb for his final selection. Not literally, of course, but at least if he was chasing the optimal path for himself, which he was.


    He had three of the paragon titles already, Endurance, Intelligence and Vitality. With 49 stat points banked for future use, and the 224 he''d gain after reaching level 99, he''d have enough to raise either Constitution or Willpower to the 500-point benchmark and gain another paragon title.


    By investing my stats prematurely, I might end up being wasteful if any of the cores I use give me Endurance or Intelligence. I could''ve saved those stats and maybe gained another Paragon Title. Come on Arthur, you were so stingy with those fucking attributes since the system arrived. Why''d you have to go and spend them like a kid at the candy store?


    He didn''t even want to think about what the Dragon Core would give him. He was annoyed enough with himself already. Thinking about the missed potential any more would give him an aneurysm. Still, all wasn''t lost. As long as he was selective about his core consumption, he could salvage this situation. Not everything of course, a little waste was inevitable now, but it wouldn''t set him back too much.


    In a perfect world, he''d want to get the Paragon titles for every attribute. He was certain there''d be some mega title in store for him if he managed to pull that off, maybe something like Paragon of Humanity, but that was an impossible goal. Yep, Paragon of Humanity has a nice ring to it.


    Unfortunately, reality didn''t cater to his dreams. A normal human, with the five stats they gained per level, would only be able to obtain a SINGLE title from the Paragon chain by investing all 495 points they''d gain before level 100 into a single stat. With said title only giving a ten percent bonus to the attribute, it honestly wasn''t worth it. And that was without taking into consideration the unfeasibility of such a build. Getting to level 100 with such a skewed Status was a suicide mission. It''d take a miracle of epic proportions to achieve it. I guess a year or two of getting carried might get you there.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Still, Arthur was in a unique position where he''d already obtained three of them, two more than was commonly thought possible and it was only due to his special advantages in his increased stat gain per level and monster core consumption. Finding these specific traits in another human would truly be a convergence of fate, a real alignment of the stars.


    Sure, he knew with the vastness of space, and the trillions of humans out there, someone had probably already done the same. Still, something told him they hadn''t done it as good as him. Maybe it was his ego talking, but Arthur had a strong feeling, instinct perhaps, that he was right.


    More than his absurd number of titles, his incredible aptitude for magic, heck, even his ultra-rare soul affinity; his greatest strength was the absolute shit-ton of stats he had. Arthur quickly did the maths. He had 2,595 stats across the board. And he was only level 71.


    Two-thousand-five-hundred and ninety-five stats. Level seventy-one. "Two-thousand-five-hundred and ninety-five stats. Level seventy-one." He had to repeat that a few times to let the absurdity of it sink in. That was 500 stats away from an S-grade attribute, a nearly unheard of feat and he hadn''t even obtained a class yet.


    Humility was great and all, but there came a point where you just had to accept something.


    I''m god-damn amazing!


    Arthur took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. It wouldn''t do to get ahead of himself too soon. Not when he hadn''t even reached the best bit. You see, Arthur had a plan, and for once, it was perfect, divinely inspired even.


    Alright man, that''s enough already. Calm down.


    He wasn''t altogether successful. Ever since Arthur had first laid eyes on the Paragon of Vitality title when he''d first unlocked it, he''d had a grand idea that he just couldn''t get out of his head. What about One-Thousand? What would happen if I reached a thousand in a stat before getting my class?


    It was an impossible feat, quite literally in the sense that humans only got half that number before then. And even if someone, somewhere out there in the universe, had somehow walked this road before him, he had something they didn''t. He was Twice-lived.


    A title he''d gained when the system miraculously brought him back from the dead and one that doubled the effectiveness of Vitality. It was a tier-four title and the number of people with one in a stellar system wasn''t a three-digit number.


    It was Rare.


    And his one, his Twice-lived title. It wasn''t even supposed to exist. Well, at least not for someone under level 100. Ayesha had been very, very clear in stating that. An individual''s soul was simply not stable enough for one to preserve their essence in preparation for a revival before then.


    No, the miracle of cheating death had to be done instantly, perhaps even simultaneously, as Ayesha had told him. Even the system, with its massive reservoirs of energy and access to all types of Ether affinities, operated with a little delay. That was something he''d wondered about, honestly. Surely he wasn''t the only death caused by the system''s arrival, right? Thousands must''ve died when it arrived, maybe even millions.


    So why then was he the only person that it had chosen to revive? Finally, after so long, he''d figured it out. Ayesha had actually been the one that finally connected all the dots for him. Unintentionally, of course. She''d said something that really stuck with him. She''d told him it didn''t matter how special his sister''s soul was, it was gone the moment she''d died. Ayesha had tried to help him face reality but she''d inadvertently confirmed something for him.


    A special soul delayed the degradation process. The system had told him something way back when. It stated that titles were not something that came from it. Nope, the system merely tried to describe them for its host''s viewing. And bar the Paragon series, Titles weren''t something that could be gamed.


    When he''d unlocked the system, his soul affinity title was right there waiting for him. There was one key detail in its description. It said he''d gained it for possessing a Soul affinity. NOT an awakened one. For a long time, he''d been wondering if his rarest affinity was only a result of his brush with death and the system''s subsequent actions of reviving him.


    He had his answer now. The reason why he was alive today was because his soul affinity title increased the size of his soul. It meant that his soul had lingered for that extra second when he''d died. Not a long time by any means, but long enough for the system to revive him despite its minor delays. Titles weren''t always gained by following the same steps. That was something that the system had told humanity early on. Others with the soul affinity may not even possess the same title he did, along with the advantages it gave him. The stars aligning for his revival and then for his twice-lived title acquirement was infinitesimally small.


    At the end of the day though, this was all secondary. He''d gone off on a tangent for long enough. This had all started with the thousand vitality plan. Someone might have done it before him, but no one had done it quite like he would.


    After all, he''d lived twice.

 Chapter 83- Built Like A Tank

    Arthur had come to an important decision. Instead of trying to maximise his potential by pursuing Paragon titles with his core use, he wanted to try and get 1000 points in his Vitality attribute instead. He was certain it would prove far more lucrative benefits.


    That wasn''t to say he wouldn''t try and reach 500 in other attributes too. In fact, if he was extra careful, he may still be able to maximise his potential in that regard too. All he needed, was monster cores that came from beasts that specialised in more than a single attribute. His elixirs weren''t an exact science quite yet, heck, that was why he was having so many problems right now, but he did have enough experience to draw some conclusions from.


    Monster cores always gave him stat points. That was a no-brainer. Usually, it was a standard infusion in whatever stat the monster specialised in. The only exception was the Draconic Liverthion, which had instead granted him a Title increasing Strength, the beast''s primary attribute. The reason being that the infusion of power he''d received there was so great, it had given him a qualitative increase in Strength rather than a linear addition to it.


    Unfortunately for Arthur, his current goals meant that linear additions were what he needed. That meant that he required powerful cores, but not so powerful that they slipped into the Elite category, a condition that was thankfully very easy to fulfil. It''d be bad if his goals were the other way around.


    He''d also received skills in the past, but that was only because the monsters he''d taken them from had very similar affinities to him. That too was something he''d like to avoid going forward. Sure, the skills were powerful, but they were too random to be taking willy-nilly. Not when he was limited to three skills for each of his affinities.


    Arthur had done a little investigation into the monster core he''d been rewarded with. It had come from some sort of buffalo-rhino hybrid and had taken the deployment of eleven magically enhanced tanks and a fighter jet to take out. I wish I could call a strike force to deal with my problems. What would that take; a machine affinity? It definitely exists. Or maybe it''s an affinity for heavy artillery.


    Still, the fact that the beast had tanked the tanks, Arthur snickered at the unintended pun, it meant that the monster had a shit ton of Constitution and Vitality. Both attributes that Arthur wanted very much. He still had a ways to go till he reached the benchmark of 500 in Constitution and he hoped this core would do the trick. Vitality was of course self-explanatory, extra points there would make his goal easier to achieve.


    It had taken all his willpower to not use the monster core or fruit of evolution before his body had healed, but his better judgement had for once come into play and he''d allowed himself to properly recover before taking in such a massive infusion of power.


    Now, after taking a nice night of rest in his own bed for once, he could think of no reason to delay his evolution any further. It was a no-brainer to go for the core first, however. He wanted to maximise whatever evolutionary options the Fonkey Dypulp provided him. Still, there was no use in delaying it till he reached the absolute peak of unclassed potential. After all, the vast majority of initial evolutions provided benefits that worked better the earlier you achieved them. That was why the common philosophy when it came to first evolutions was the earlier, the better. Still, delaying a few minutes to eat a core wouldn''t kill him.


    He pulled out his trusty Ikea bowl from the cupboard and identified it. The results he saw floored him.


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    Steel Bowl Of IKEA (Growth, Uncommon) Level 21/30 [Pseudo-soul???]- A bowl created with incredible devotion and exquisite skill, it has thrown off the limitations of its creation and gained the ability to grow and evolve. Having been the vessel of many elixir creations, all ingredients placed within it will have a greater chance of successfully merging


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    How the hell has it grown 4 levels in just a few days? It didn¡¯t even make sense. And why did the item even have a level next to it? All other items he''d ever identified only had their rarity rankings. Well, it is a growth-type item. So maybe it becomes Rare after maxing out its level meter. The pseudo-soul stuff''s new as well. That wasn''t there before.


    The bowl hadn¡¯t seen any use recently which led Arthur to believe that the item had been growing over time and not just when it was used. He really had no idea, however, and this was all speculation on his part. And the soul part probably came from the fact that every concoction he''d made thus far was with the blood of a bonafide soul mage, albeit a terrible one, himself.


    Still, Arthur was happy nonetheless. A higher leveled vessel only increased his chances of success with an elixir and that was nothing to complain about. Maybe if it grew enough, he¡¯d start to be able to make elite-rank elixirs with greater regularity. Ones that weren''t unstable at least. Do I have to be worried that the friggin bowls gonna out-level me, Arthur wondered in amazement. He pulled out the monster core he¡¯d been rewarded with and identified it. He¡¯d already done so before, but it never hurt to double-check such things.


    This was, after all, bar the dragons, the second strongest core he had seen after the Draconic Liverthions and Arthur was a little worried that something might go wrong. He had only just recently found out that there would be a limit to how many cores he could absorb, and Arthur didn¡¯t want to waste some of his few remaining opportunities by gaining some useless attribute or unlocking a new one. He¡¯d gotten lucky with perception but he wouldn¡¯t count on fate favouring him again a second time. Imagine I got some bs beauty stat or something. Spreading myself too thin will be a legitimate concern in the future. No point in snowballing the issue already.


    That was why Arthur had extensively questioned General Bradley on exactly what type of monster the core had come from. If the military man was curious as to why the young healer had asked such questions he didn¡¯t show it, though Arthur did not doubt that the General would start investigating why such a thing held significance to someone like himself. Arthur didn¡¯t let that concern him though. It would only be a matter of time before people started to get suspicious of why a healer of all things would be so interested in a rare item that no one had any idea what to do with. People were starting to figure it out already.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Reviewing everything that he had heard from the General, Arthur decided that it would be perfectly safe to absorb this core. He doubted that a glorified cow specialising in constitution would have any nasty attribute surprise waiting for him. A fucking tank though. Just how durable was this beast?


    Shaking his head, Arthur tried to clear his mind of such useless thoughts. There was no point in longing after what he could never have and the devastating weapons would probably came with some massive levelling penalty anyway.


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    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">Monster core of Scorched Earth (Rare)- A core formed by a beast that specialised in fire and earth magic.</td>


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    The description was short and sweet and luckily told Arthur that he would be unable to gain a skill from this monster. Their affinities didn¡¯t match and weren''t close enough to risk anything. Arthur took a deep breath and called on his ether, only a hundred of the powerful energy source. It was by far the smallest amount he had used to injure himself compared to previous times but Arthur also knew that if he had tried to feed his only Elite ranked skill any more ether, he could actually risk seriously harming himself. It was, after all, the method through which he had been able to bring down the crazed ghoul and Arthur didn¡¯t have enough faith in his 260 points of constitution to defend him from such an attack.


    Concentrating, Arthur directed his hundred ether into the Molecular water shot skill, deciding that he¡¯d follow the abilities name and summon the tiniest water bullets possible. A single minuscule cluster of H20 molecules. It turned out that with 100 ether, it was only possible to summon around twenty of them, a truly tiny amount considering the cost, but then again, sacrifices would have to be made for a more powerful strike. What was it they say, the motion of the ocean or something, right?


    Clenching his teeth, Arthur shot the water into his wrist. It was almost impossible to see the attack with the naked eye, even with his perception augmenting his senses and Arthur briefly worried that he had somehow missed his target.


    The thought had barely crossed Arthur''s mind when he felt a stabbing pain and he looked down in shock to see that a portion of his flesh had simply disintegrated. He¡¯d already been told that something similar had happened to Shade and yet it was a completely different thing to experience it yourself. Arthur quickly placed his hand over the Ikea bowl and waited the seventeen seconds it took to fill up, looking at the ruby red liquid, he wondered at what strange properties it possessed that made it so valuable.


    He needed to at least know what it was that was flowing through his veins and Arthur added a visit to Tamo the blood mage to his to-do list. He was sure that the Japanese man could at least tell him something, what with him being a blood mage, and besides, Arthur was a little worried about how he was dealing with the loss of Selena.


    If they were even half as close as he had thought, then the man must have been devastated to hear the news. Carefully placing the grey monster core into his blood, he waited for the bowl to do its magic. It took an entire minute for the core to dissolve, a far longer time than any other Arthur had used and he attributed the strange phenomenon to the fact that it came from a monster with an absurdly high constitution. Crossing his fingers, Arthur identified his creation. It was by far the most unappetising looking one he had made and he hoped that it didn¡¯t taste like the gravel it resembled


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    <tbody>


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    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">Elixir of Scorched Earth (Rare)- An elixir created from a monster core containing the magic of flame and earth in hopes that through its consumption, one can gain a portion of the strength that birthed this creation. Chances of success 100%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur smiled when he saw the elixir''s description. It was his first creation that had a 100% success rate and though he was certain that the achievement was caused primarily by the Ikea bowl and not his own efforts, he was nonetheless happy with the results. Perhaps elite-rank elixirs were not as far away as he had thought.


    Bracing himself, Arthur lifted the bowl and brought it to his lips. He grimaced in distaste as soon as he felt the liquid on his tongue. It tasted like dirt and was somehow dry and wet at the same time, bringing back the bitter-sweet memory of when his little sister had tried to cook for him. Thankfully, the elixir wasn¡¯t quite as bad as that ungodly abomination and Arthur was able to stomach the gruel within a few gulps.


    He did marvel at the fact that he had never put too much thought into the fact that he was drinking his blood every time he did this, and for some reason that realisation wasn''t as grotesque as he had expected. Was he a cannibal? It doesn''t count if I''m eating myself, Arthur mused. Maybe he was just a weirdo. Arthur braced himself for the influx of attributes and wasn¡¯t disappointed when he felt an incredible amount of energy suffuse his cells. His bones and flesh seemed to grow denser and Arthur worried if he had actually put on weight. Would he one day become so heavy he¡¯d just sink through the earth he stood on?


    He was pulled out of his inner reverie when he felt a change take place in his soul, quickly followed by another. Arthur assumed that he had probably crossed the 500 stat mark for an attribute. The second feeling he couldn''t quite place. Maybe it was the soul damage he was inflicting on himself. So far, he hadn''t noticed anything physically at least.


    There was no reason to delay any longer. He opened up his status.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 86.8421%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%">


    Arthur Ward Level 71


    Unallocated stat points: 49


    Strength- 120(100) [1.2*]


    Vitality- 700(500)[1.4* or 2.8*] {previously 400}


    Endurance- 550(500) [1.1*]


    Constitution-679(485) [1.4*] {previously 200}


    Agility-118


    Intelligence-550(500) [1.1*]


    Willpower-250


    Charisma-95


    Perception-92


    Health- 11,200/14,000 (1540(700)/hour)


    Ether- 5500/5500(550/hour)


    Endurance- 4580/5500(550/minute)


    You have acquired a new title! Paragon of Constitution (Possess a constitution of 500 when below level 100 as a human being) Increases constitution by 10%


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 84- Branching Pathways

    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 82.9519%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%">


    Arthur Ward Level 71


    Unallocated stat points: 49


    Strength- 120(100) [1.2*]


    Vitality- 700(500)[1.4* or 2.8*]


    Endurance- 550(500) [1.1*]


    Constitution-679(485) [1.4*]


    Agility-118


    Intelligence-550(500) [1.1*]


    Willpower-250


    Charisma-95


    Perception-92


    Health- 11,200/14,000 (1540(700)/hour)


    Ether- 5500/5500(550/hour)


    Endurance- 4580/5500(550/minute)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur took a look at his new status sheet and calculated just how much he''d grown. It looked like his hopes had been fulfilled. The monster core had pushed him to another paragon Title, this time in Constitution, and he''d also received a hundred points in vitality.


    With his titles boosting the stat, it meant he had a health pool of 14,000 total points. It was a number so large, it was about time he started thinking about regen rates in minutes instead of the system-provided hours. He quickly did the math. Twenty-five health a minute. That''s as much as a newly awakened human makes every hour. Arthur shook his head. It was amazing to think of how far he''d come. With a health pool of over ten-thousand points, he probably gave tanks nearing level 200 a run for their money. Well, at least tanks with common and uncommon classes. He wasn''t too sure about those with rare classes and above, but even then, he didn''t think he''d be too far off. Arthur grinned.


    He didn''t have any reason to delay anymore. It was finally time to shake off the shackles of mundanity and evolve, leave this pitiful human form behind. A famous anime quote came to mind. I sound like a villain when I think of it like that.


    The evolution fruit probably had the strangest-sounding name he had ever heard of since the system¡¯s arrival. Fonkey Dypulp seemed almost like someone had taken a random selection of words and meshed them together, though Arthur did not doubt that it must have had some profound meaning in another language. Still, it was one of the few things since the new world came to be that struck him as truly alien.


    His myriad tongues skill gave him absolutely no details when he identified and re-identified the fruit, and Arthur briefly wondered if his skill was acting up. The abilities description did say that the skill wasn''t a perfect match for the system, something about it using ether in strange ways. Maybe that was why it wasn''t working here.


    Arthur shook his head, trying to dismiss the random thoughts from his head. He had never been good at handling situations when he was excited, and his pre-evolving moments were as exciting as any he''d been in. That was the main reason why his thoughts were going all over the place and why he couldn¡¯t focus on the task at hand.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur tried to calm himself down and centre himself on the task at hand. He took a good look at the fruit and realised that he had one slight problem. How in the world do I eat this thing, Arthur wondered. Was it important that he ate it at all in a single bite, which would prove difficult with how large the thing was. Did the fruit even have to be consumed in a single sitting? He briefly considered contacting Mira about what he should do before quickly shutting that idea down.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    That would be opening up the door to a whole lot of temptation and he was struggling with indecision as it was, without worrying about whether or not he should try and enhance the fruit¡¯s properties as the poison mage had done. Arthur had already decided that he wouldn¡¯t risk doing such a thing, he wasn¡¯t sure how strong his resolve would be when he came face to face with the woman who had succeeded in such an endeavour and Arthur didn¡¯t want to test his willpower.


    Arthur sighed. Why the hell didn¡¯t this thing come with an instruction manual? He cursed inwardly. After he thought about it a little, Arthur realised that maybe he was overthinking things. It was just a fruit and eating it couldn¡¯t be that hard. Right? Praying for the best, Arthur picked up the not-strawberry and brought it to his lips.


    Before indecision could claim him, Arthur took a large bite. The fruit tasted like nothing he had ever eaten before and if asked, he wouldn''t quite be able to describe its flavour. It tasted like the nostalgia one felt for something they had never experienced before, like a contradiction given from, nature''s beauty and wrath all contained within a single bite.


    Before Arthur knew it, the fruit was gone and he felt the forlorn emotion of one who had just woken up from a pleasant dream. Had the fruit tasted sweet or was it bitter? Arthur didn¡¯t know. He couldn¡¯t even remember eating it, never mind how it tasted and he cursed himself for not savouring its flavour for longer. Though Arthur knew deep down that nothing he could have done would have changed this particular disappointing outcome in the slightest.


    The entire experience felt underwhelming, or at least that was what Arthur initially thought. He suddenly felt something inside him crack and Arthur fell to his knees as he felt a gut-wrenching pain rush through him. Every fibre of his being felt like it had been lit on fire and Arthur panicked when he realised that he was unable to move. He could only kneel there, in his kitchen, frozen in place, unable to even fall to the ground as his body underwent some sort of metamorphosis.


    Arthur could feel his cells changing, evolving into something more than just human, thousands of years of natural selection condensed down to a few scant moments; a change far more significant than even the hundreds of attributes he had gained over the past few weeks.


    It was in that eternal moment of change that it truly hit Arthur that he was no longer the same man he had been a month ago. He had changed on a fundamental level, and Arthur couldn¡¯t even attribute that to his growth in power. No, Arthur was something more than human now and the future would only bring with it more changes. Sometime later, a few hours, a few days, perhaps a single second - Arthur didn¡¯t know- he suddenly regained control of his body. Flexing his limbs, Arthur realised that though he didn''t feel like he''d gotten any stronger, it didn¡¯t undermine any of the changes he had gone through.


    It was almost as if Arthur had now consolidated all the power he had gained since the system¡¯s arrival, really made it his own instead of it being a few numbers on a status screen he could only see. Now, he really was Arthur Ward, a level 71 magician, and it wasn¡¯t jusst because the system told him that was what he was.


    He closed his eyes and opened them again, marvelling at how different the simple natural bodily process now seemed. Breathing in, Arthur realised that even the oxygen he took in felt charged, like every intake of breath he¡¯d ever taken in the past was filtered through a cotton mask. And yet, despite all these significant changes, Arthur knew that he hadn¡¯t really evolved yet. At least that was what the system message in front of him was telling him.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%">


    Congratulations! After consuming the Fonkey Dypulp (Rare) you have now reached the cusp of evolution and entry into the Rank F of the human species. A choice however lies before you and you must select which path you wish to take in your journey to power.


    Be Aware! The first step is the most important one, and it determines the route of your future evolutions.


    Choose wisely, Arthur Ward.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur stopped reading the system message there as he tried to understand what it was trying to tell him. It seemed that he had a choice before him, something that both Mira and his friend Elizabeth had never mentioned to him, which led him to believe that it was either the fruit that he had consumed that was slightly different or maybe he was just a little special.


    Or they didn¡¯t tell you cos they didn''t have to, Arthur¡¯s rational thinking inserted itself. Whatever the case it seemed that he would only be able to choose one evolution sadly and the system warned that he¡¯d be foregoing the other by doing so. Arthur frowned. He¡¯d have been much happier if he only had one way to evolve as the one thing Arthur didn¡¯t want to be burdened with right now was a difficult choice.


    He knew even before looking at them that this would be one of the hardest decisions he¡¯d ever make and Arthur wasn¡¯t mentally prepared for such a momentous choice right now. Unfortunately, he also worried that delaying such a thing might have adverse effects, and so reluctantly Arthur began to read the lines that would define his future.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%">


    Vital Surge- increase your vitality by 30% (Note-Evolution effects take place on an attribute after all relevant titles do their work, not in conjunction with them)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">Prodigious Title bearer- Increases all title effects by 10%.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Okay, he was wrong. This was one of the easiest decisions he''d ever made. Arthur smiled and made his choice.

 Chapter 85- Evolution

    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">Vital Surge- increase your vitality by 30% (Note-Evolution effects take place on an attribute after all relevant titles do their work, not in conjunction with them)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">Prodigious Title bearer- Increases all title effects by 10%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It wasn''t really much of a decision at the end of the day. The system was a game of numbers, and the math wasn''t hard to figure out. Vital Surge was an amazing evolution and it tied into his goal of a thousand vitality quite nicely. It was honestly better than what most people were offered as an evolutionary option, considering that Elizabeth had only received a minor ether enhancement at hers, and if it was the only one, he would have happily taken it.


    The thing was, it came with a little pitfall trap. Well, it''s not really a trap, but it''s something you could easily miss if you were too excited. The title increased your vitality by 30%, quite a significant amount, and this was after all his other titles did their work first. Except it doesn''t include all titles, does it? The keyword in its description, something he''d almost missed, was the word Relevant


    The evolution worked on the vitality stat, not his total health pool. That meant his greatest asset to vitality, one of his only tier 4 titles, twice lived wasn''t affected by the evolution. Let me do the maths quickly. Say I had 100 points of vitality. With my titles boosting it by 40%, it jumps up to 140. Add on this evolution, and 140 would be enhanced to 182 points. Last but not least, my twice-lived title will give me a final health pool of 3640. Without this evolution, that''d be 2800 so a total increase of 840 health.


    Whilst that didn''t sound like much, that would matter far more with the numbers he was currently playing around with. And now the second evolution. By enhancing all title effects by ten percent, his 40% bonus would become 44%, giving him 144 points in vitality for his imagined 100. By enhancing his twice-lived title on top of that by ten percent, he''d be left with 3168 total health points, just 500 shy of his other evolution, one that specifically focused on vitality to the detriment of everything else. It wasn''t a big enough difference to make it special. And what about enhancing my soul affinity Title by ten percent? It gives me three extra stats per level. If the evolution works retroactively, it''d give me 21 extra stats to work with. That narrows down the lead the first evolution gives me already, just by investing in Vitality. It meant his second evolution option was actually better than his first at the only selling point it provided. Embarrassing, really.


    Enhancing his soul affinity title would mean- Arthur quickly did the math- he¡¯d be gaining nine stat points every third level up instead of his standard eight. And what about all the titles I might gain in the future? That final thought sealed the deal for Arthur, and he quickly choose the second evolutionary path before idiocy could overtake him. Whilst vital surge may give him a larger burst in power more quickly, Arthur felt that the second option would pay greater dividends over time, especially if he continued to gain titles at the rate he was currently.


    As soon as Arthur finalised his choice, he felt an immense amount of energy surge through him that dwarfed the burst a few moments prior. Arthur gasped as he felt himself change irrevocably, and he knew at that moment that he had finally crossed the first threshold of humanity and become a Rank F individual. He blinked a few times, and finding that everything seemed to be working properly, he opened up his status to see exactly how much his evolution had changed him.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 86.7277%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Arthur Ward


    Level 71


    Unallocated stat points: 49--> 70


    Evolved: Rank F- Prodigious title bearer (increase all title effects by 10%)


    Strength- 122(100) [1.2*]


    Vitality- 720(500)[1.4* or 2.8*]


    Endurance- 555(500) [1.1*]


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Constitution- 698(485) [1.4*]


    Agility- 118


    Intelligence- 555(500) [1.1*]


    Willpower-250


    Charisma-95


    Perception-92


    Health- 15,840/15,840 (1758(700)/hour)


    Ether- 5403/5550 (555/hour)


    Endurance- 4580/5550 (555/minute)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur grinned when he saw the difference in his status. In total, he had gained exactly 51 attribute points, 72 if you counted the 21 extra he''d gotten from his soul affinity. If I had one more level, I could say I''d gained a stat for every level. Arthur regretted the lost opportunity. He was certain that had Mathew been here, he''d be saying that this was a sign from the heavens that they were displeased with his choices or some other BS. Shit, I need to go visit him. Without the significant advantages Arthur enjoyed, life was probably far harder for his friend, someone who hadn''t even been blessed with a magical affinity.


    He was just about to start cleaning up when he felt a familiar aura enter his range of awareness, which had increased considerably since he¡¯d gained the perception attribute. Arthur however wasn¡¯t na?ve to think that it would have helped him discover this particular presence at all if the one behind it didn¡¯t want herself to be known.


    He knew without a shadow of a doubt, that he was still far from matching Alyssia Sil¡¯Vorken¡¯s masterful use of ether and her magical abilities, even if he had narrowed the gap in strength between them slightly with his evolution. Still, he had expected the dimensional traveller to wait a little longer before coming to contact him. Leaving the kitchen mess for later, Arthur made his way to the front door. This was probably what Ayesha had meant when she''d said he wouldn''t have to wait long to absorb the Dragon''s core. His strongest associate was here. Hopefully, trouble hadn¡¯t come knocking.


    Arthur opened his door just as Alyssia raised her hand to knock on it. It took him a moment to recognise the Alverin woman, what with the strange getup she was currently in. Despite the summer heat, Alyssia was dressed in an oversized star wars hoodie, which seemed a little ironic to Arthur with her realm-traveller status. Her face was barely visible underneath the absolutely massive sunglasses she had resting on her nose and she had a surgical mask covering her mouth.


    She had no doubt done all this to cover her unique green skin but the image she presented was just so strange that Arthur couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. If Alyssia was offended by Arthur''s reaction, she didn¡¯t show it, instead waiting the twenty seconds it took for him to calm down.


    ¡°Are you done? Finally going to invite me in, or are you just going to stare at me like an idiot,¡± Alyssia snapped, though Arthur detected a hint of amusement in her voice.


    Arthur was quickly brought back into the moment and he realised that he¡¯d been standing there doing nothing but stare at her getup for far longer than was appropriate.


    ¡°Yes, sorry, I was just a little surprised,¡± Arthur replied before moving over so the woman could walk into his house. He did feel a little self-conscious about inviting a stranger into his home. The last person who had visited it was Elizabeth, who''d come along with Mathew what felt like a lifetime ago though was closer to a month in reality. Arthur wasn¡¯t really sure anymore.


    Ever since the system¡¯s arrival, his life had been so busy that every day had felt so much longer than it actually was.


    The third week since the world''s evolution was only just coming to an end and yet in that time Arthur had done more than he had in the entire previous year. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he made his way into the living room, which was probably the cleanest place in the house due to the fact it saw so little use. Taking a seat on a sofa, he waited for Alyssia to do the same.


    ¡°So what¡¯s this visit all about? I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you for a long time given the way you left the underground bunker,¡± Arthur asked, curious as to why the woman had chosen to visit him now of all times. He had a few guesses, but asking was easier.


    Alyssia took a long time to answer, during which she removed her ill-made disguise. When she had finished, she sighed wearily.


    ¡°Always the same with you Arthur. You always like getting straight to the point. How do you know I didn¡¯t just come here for a nice conversation?¡± Alyssia asked, a faint smile on her lips.


    Arthur was a little surprised by the woman¡¯s response. He hadn¡¯t remembered her as being so informal and carefree. But then again, her brother had been on his deathbed the last time he¡¯d spoken to her. Speaking of which, Arthur could see no sign of the little boy anywhere. ¡°Okay, say you did come here just to see me. Where did you leave your brother? Unless you have some crazy cloaking magic, I¡¯m pretty sure Artemo is not with you,¡± Arthur questioned. After everything, the woman had gone through for her little sibling. Arthur didn¡¯t think that she¡¯d just leave him somewhere unattended. At the mention of her younger brother, Alyssia became tenser and more serious. Ah, there¡¯s the Alyssia I know, Arthur thought as he looked at the Alverin woman. All her earlier cheer and humour were gone as if it had all been some sort of act she¡¯d put on. Maybe Arthur was being a little paranoid, but he was certain that the woman wouldn¡¯t just visit him for no reason and he was sure that Alyssia wanted something from him.


    Perhaps he was wrong, but the difficult life of an orphan had left him a little jaded and world-weary and he wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to think that people talked to him simply because they liked his company. Elizabeth and Mathew aside, there were very few people that Arthur could call a friend and he wasn¡¯t quite ready to start adding names to that shortlist when his life was already so complicated.


    ¡°I left Artemo someplace safe,¡± Alyssia answered carefully, not adding any more details. "And I''ve come to pay you back."

 Chapter 86- Brown-Nose

    ¡°I left Artemo someplace safe,¡± Alyssia quietly said, not adding any more details. "And I''ve come to pay you back."


    The first part of Alyssia''s speech, Arthur could understand. The alien woman was very overprotective when it came to her younger brother and it made sense that she wasn''t willing to share details regarding his whereabouts. he was quite literally her reverse scale, the one weakness anyone could exploit to control her. the fact that the American government had done so already meant her paranoia was definitely warranted.


    The second sentence that she''d spoken had Arthur a lot more excited. Whilst he would have healed Artemo regardless of the behest of the researchers at the underground bunker, he''d be lying if he said he''d done so merely out of an altruistic sense of doing the right thing. Sure the young child had reminded him of his sister, and he was happy with how things had played out, he wouldn''t say no to a little reward for his good deeds.


    ¡°So what are you planning to do now that you have your freedom? You are in a whole new dimension now. Are you planning to get back home?¡± Arthur asked, trying to make idle conversation before getting into the meat of matters.


    Alyssia smirked at him.


    "Stop trying to be polite." She chuckled. "I can see that you''re dying to ask a question."


    She shook her head with a wry smile on her face.


    "You humans have very strange communication protocols. It''s amazing the lengths you go to, to make someone happy. What''s the word for it?" She mused. "I saw it on one of your strange shows on a picture box. Aha, that''s it." Alyssia grinned as realisation dawned on her.


    "Ass licker. That''s what you are. An ass licker."


    She seemed so proud of herself, a massive smile on her face as if she''d managed to figure out the nuance of algebraic division, so happy and carefree. Arthur put his head in his hands and rubbed at his temples.


    "Okay, I think we need to censor what content you have access to. TV shows are not an accurate representation of the human race. Well, she isn''t wrong though, a voice whispered in the back of Arthur''s head. You''ve bent over backwards to avoid any conflict you can with people in charge. Sure, he''d done it because it was the smart thing to do, but he''d let a lot of people get away with way too much in recent times.


    Case in point, his latest meeting with the government. General Bradley had literally admitted to stealing his blood and using it as a trade resource. Sure, he''d gotten a new skill out of it, and he''d yet to choose another item, but that was definitely a line the old him wouldn''t let anyone cross. Heck, in retrospect, it was amazing how meek he''d been. They''d stolen his blood, made a killing off of it, and only offered him a selection of scraps to choose from as his compensation. Bradley had the audacity to say they''d offer the purify skill to someone else if I didn''t want to work for the government but they paid for it with my blood in the first place. What the fuck! I need to go slap that cunt in the face.


    "Ah, there''s that look in your eye," Alyssia said, a knowing smirk on her face. "I''m not dumb, Arthur. I know what I said."


    "I meant it. Ever since I''ve met you, you''ve been kissing ass. Bradley''s, Bryan''s, The evil doctors, heck, even mine."


    Arthur didn''t know what to say. Alyssia''s blunt delivery, and the genial smile she''d maintained whilst insulting him, left him at a loss for words. He felt a spark of rage ignite in his chest, only to be snuffed out by his self-control. Now wasn''t a time to get angry.


    "See," Alyssia chirped. "You got angry right now, at least your aura shows you did. It literally screamed at me. But you did nothing. Your aura says you want to slap me, but your face looks as placid as ever. It''s like you''re not in sync with yourself. There''s a word for it in my language. I don''t know how it''ll translate with the myriad tongues, but we used to call Aito."


    She repeated the word when she saw the confusion on his face and this time he got something. Disassociation. That''s the meaning his skill gave him. It wasn''t a perfect reflection of her intent, but it was the best he it currently gave him.


    "What did your skill tell you? It looks like you understood something." She asked.


    Arthur quickly explained what he knew about the condition. He wasn''t a mental health expert by any means, but he did know a little with all his experience with therapy the past half year. Alyssia listened to his explanation carefully, asking questions when she didn''t quite get things. She was, all things considered, one of the best listeners Arthur had ever come across. It was so easy talking to her and he found himself forgetting the fact that she''d started this conversation by calling him a bitch.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Okay. I think I''ve got it. I need to thank Ma for making me carry that annoying skill around all the time. It seems like Myriad Tongues isn''t so useful for you. It wasn''t a perfect translation, but it''s close enough."


    Arthur took a sip from the tea he''d prepared.


    "So is this where you tell me where you get off insulting me?" Arthur asked frostily. he couldn''t help but let a little anger leak its way into his speech.


    This time it was Alyssia''s turn to look confused.


    "What do you mean? Insult you. I merely told you the truth. I thought you''d get angry because you didn''t want to face it, not because you thought I was bringing your character into question."


    Alyssia sighed and mumbled something under her breath.


    "Why would I even insult you?" She asked, stupefied. "The first words I said was that I wanted to help you. And when I called you an ass licker, I did it with a smile on my face. If I was trying to hurt you, I''d have been frowning. Maybe even laughing, but the context wouldn''t work here." Alyssia muttered, waving her hands in the air. She looked quite flustered. It was obvious enough that even he noticed it.


    Arthur raised his hand to get her to stop explaining herself.


    "Okay. I think I get what''s going on here. It''s a cultural difference. Maybe things are different for the Alverin, but humans insult each other with a smile on their faces all the time. Most of the time actually. It annoys a person more." Arthur explained.


    The shock on Alyssia''s face was so cartoonish, Arthur wished he could take a picture. He didn''t think the woman would appreciate that though, so he kept the impulse to himself.


    "You humans are insane," Alyssia whispered. "I''ve seen thousands of interactions already, thousands, where your people said horrendous things whilst smiling. I thought it was all advice." She trailed off, a look of rage coming across her face.


    "You mean all the times that female doctor called me a bumbling idiot, she was insulting me." She asked in a quiet voice.


    "If you''re talking about the old woman in charge of your brother''s care, then yes, Alyssia, I think she was insulting you," Arthur explained placatingly.


    "But she was smiling..." Alyssia whined.


    "Sorry, but that''s not how it works here."


    She looked up at him.


    "I can go kill her, right?"


    It took Arthur five minutes to talk the apoplectic woman out of murder, something he found quite amusing. He could tell it only took three and the last two were just her winding him up. Still, this was one of the first major things that truly showed Alyssia''s alien status, and amazingly enough, it was a simple difference in their cultures approach to insulting someone.


    "I''m sorry," Alyssia said. "I came here to offer you help and I wasted so much time on top of insulting you. I may not have known, but ignorance is not an excuse. I hurt you and for that, I sincerely apologise."


    Alyssia stood up and bowed to him at a ninety-degree angle. This time it was his turn to feel awkward.


    "None of that, please," Arthur said. "You didn''t mean it. There''s nothing to forgive in the first place." When that didn''t get the woman to raise her head, he sighed.


    "For what it''s worth, I offer you my forgiveness," Arthur finally grumbled. It was far too formal, and he felt slimy even saying the words, but it was only after he''d actually offered the woman forgiveness, that she finally raised her head. Alyssia sat back down on the sofa.


    "So, I''m sure you wondering how I can help solve your little Aito problem. Well, it''s not really a little problem, actually," she warned. "I''ve seen it kill people if left untreated and it''s not a pleasant sight. "A person at war with himself, their aura attacking them. No sleep, no peace. Only pain, regret and fear." She smiled at him to take the sting out of her words, but he could tell that it was strained.


    "Okay. that definitely sounds like something I''d want to get treated as soon as possible." Arthur agreed. "So what do I have to do?"


    "Well, that''s where I come in." Alyssia declared, once again as happy as ever. "With my help, we''ll get you sorted in no time. Just a little training in a Locus Of Power and operation ''stop Arthur being a bitch-boy'' will finally be underway."


    She wasn''t smiling when she said that. Not this time.


    Arthur felt his eyebrow twitch. This cunt.


    ~Alyssia Sil¡¯vorken~


    Feeling the wind whip through her hair as she rushed through the woodlands at a brisk run, Alyssia mentally went through the conversation she¡¯d had with Arthur a few minutes ago. I could have handled that a whole lot better, she concluded. Still, Alyssia didn¡¯t really blame herself. It was an honest mistake and Arthur''s presence had a way of unnerving her at the best of times.


    Anyone she knew would have conducted themselves far worse if they saw how much stronger the young healer had become in just a few days. Still, she was twenty-seven years old, far beyond the age where errors in etiquette and decorum could be overlooked and Alyssia resolved that she¡¯d make sure to never allow herself to reveal such an unsightly visage to anyone ever again, especially not her saviour. Besides her little tantrum, however, everything had gone well, or at least she thought so.


    Arthur had been interested in what she¡¯d told him, and now all she needed to do was wait for tomorrow and see if he turned up or not. She''d be a truly wretched person if she let the young man down when she knew how she could solve his problems. Alyssia hadn''t lied to him. If anything she''d understated the matter to keep him from panicking.


    Already, she noticed how separate Arthur was from his aura, almost like they were two distinct beings. Things would only get worse from here.

 Chapter 87- Tragedies Of The Past

    There was something magical about walking through the wilderness at dawn. The faint light of the rising sun lent an eerie atmosphere to everything it touched, a blanket of warmth that made itself known in the chirping of pre-dawn birds.


    It wasn''t too hot yet and the chill of night had just departed, and though the temperature was steadily rising, the world was currently in perfect equilibrium. Arthur took a deep breath of the fresh air, savouring how it tasted, the sweet untamed nature it carried and the revitalising energy it infused him with. He couldn¡¯t keep the smile off his face. It was moments like these as he basked in the serenity of unabashed joy, that Arthur felt truly alive.


    His only qualm was the fact that he had no one to share this experience with, and he felt a slight tingling of regret that he socialised so little. Though Arthur behaved like a one-track machine most of the time, he was still human at the end of the day and so craved companionship. When was the last time I had a girlfriend? Arthur questioned himself. The unnecessary thought quickly popped his bubble of nirvana and the world around him lost a little of the magic that had just been there moments ago. Arthur sighed wearily, knowing that he wouldn''t be able to capture that perfect moment again, no matter how hard he tried.


    Such a thing could never be forced and Arthur tried to comfort himself with the fact that he had at least been able to experience it for a few scant moments. Looking down at his wristwatch, Arthur saw that it was twenty-past-four. He still had ten minutes to reach the destination that Alyssia had given him, though he would need to hurry if he wanted to arrive on time.


    Arthur had overslept for once, probably due to the fact that he had evolved for the first time earlier that day and so, he quickly began to jog instead of continuing to walk at the leisurely pace he had been travelling at prior. His effortless run was done at a fraction of the speed he could actually exhibit and yet it would put most pre-system sprinters to shame. Perks of having over a hundred agility, I guess, Arthur thought as the trees whizzed past him. Thanks to his perception attribute, Arthur was perfectly able to observe the scene around him despite his incredible speed which was something he¡¯d found difficult before. It was a subtle difference and one of the main reasons it was so difficult to find humans specialised in speed. As a species, they lacked access to the perception attribute and instead had to make do with expensive artefacts and potions to make up the difference. Still, it couldn''t hold a candle to the real thing and Arthur reminded himself to thank the Alverin woman for guiding him towards unlocking it. He owed that woman a lot.


    Sure she claimed to be in his debt for healing her brother, but Arthur didn''t think their respective favours equalled out. And judging by yesterday''s conversation, I''m gonna end up owing her more.


    Within three minutes, Arthur arrived at the small clearing that Alyssia had set as the rendezvous point, a clearing in the woodlands one-hundred-and-fifty kilometres away from his house. He¡¯d had to wake up at three to arrive here on time and only the last few minutes of the journey had been relaxing compared to the mad dash he¡¯d had to do for an hour when he realised he wouldn¡¯t make it on time.


    True to her word, Alyssia was standing there, waiting for him and Arthur felt his breath catch when he saw the woman¡¯s alien, ethereal beauty caught in the light. He quickly schooled himself, wondering why his thoughts were taking such strange pathways lately. Don¡¯t tell me that evolving has sent my hormones into whack. Fuck that shit. I don''t have time to deal with that nonsense now. Arthur cursed. He¡¯d already gone through those terrible pubescent years once and Arthur wasn¡¯t in a hurry to repeat that particular experience.


    Taking a deep breath, he began to walk forward. Alyssia had no doubt sensed him from a long way away, curtsey to his crude aura control, though she didn¡¯t turn around to look at him until he was standing right next to her.


    ¡°So you decided to come,¡± Alyssia murmured, almost too low for him to catch despite his enhanced hearing.


    Arthur nodded his head in response, fearing that a spoken word right now would break the calm peace around him. It almost felt like he¡¯d be breaking some unspoken rule if he made a noise. Alyssia finally turned around to look at him and Arthur reciprocated the movement.


    Huh, I never realised how short she was. She always seemed so massive. Larger then life kind of person. Arthur was by no means a giant and yet his 6-foot frame towered a full head over the Alverin woman. It was strange what you noticed at the oddest of moments. Her pale yellow eyes were locked with his, containing the repressed predatory instincts that had first gripped him, though they¡¯d stopped having any impact on him a long time ago.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you a lot about what we¡¯ll be doing today but there are a few things you¡¯ll need to know about Loci of power before we do anything.¡± She stated gravely.


    Arthur once again nodded his head, wondering what it was that Alyssia was about to tell him. She¡¯s practically told me about everything already, he thought in confusion. What else could Alyssia possibly have to say, and more importantly why hadn¡¯t she told him yesterday? Before Arthur''s paranoid nature could invent a multitude of horrible reasons, he quickly gained control over himself.


    The alien woman was about to explain. There was no point worrying about it now. If Alyssia noticed his inner turmoil, she didn¡¯t comment on it, instead refreshing his memory.


    ¡°As I told you yesterday, a locus of power is basically a place of great significance and high ether concentration. They form when a planet evolves.¡± She paused briefly to see if Arthur was paying attention to her despite it being so early in the morning. When she saw that he was, she quickly continued.


    ¡°Due to how fragile the dimensional membrane becomes during such an event, these loci aren¡¯t quite exactly a part of our reality.¡± Arthur nodded his head. This was all information he¡¯d already learnt yesterday.


    ¡°It would normally take a few more months for such places to once again become visible to the people of your planet, but since I came from another dimension altogether, a tier two planet specifically, I took a few liberties and used something to find one of these loci ahead of time,¡± Alyssia said with a slight smirk on her face.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    So that¡¯s how she knew about all this before the government even got a whiff of it, Arthur realised. In hindsight, such a thing should have been immediately obvious. Her worlds evolved twice. Of course she knows about the secret locations. Why humanity hadn''t been informed about it during the tutorial was another question altogether, and one that Alyssia was just about to answer it turned out.


    ¡°You might be wondering why no one else is looking for these places,¡± Alyssia questioned.


    ¡°Yes," Arthur replied. "It doesn¡¯t make any sense. The common people I can understand but I''m sure the people in charge are at least aware of their existence right?¡± Arthur asked, confusion and curiosity evident in his voice. Alyssia smiled briefly at him before replying.


    ¡°Well, it makes perfect sense actually. Only a madman would reveal the existence of loci of power before their due time, the system included. Some people certainly know, but they''ll keep that information close to their chests, especially when they can''t even use it yet,¡± she said the words with such conviction and belief that Arthur was inclined to accept her explanation there and then. Except that it just raised more questions.


    ¡°What do you mean only a madman? Are they really that dangerous,¡± Arthur asked wearily, reconsidering what he had signed up for. Alyssia laughed at the trepidation on his face and shook her head in amusement. Arthur had no idea why she found his reaction so funny and waited patiently for the woman to calm herself down. After ten seconds had passed, Alyssia finally seemed ready to speak.


    ¡°You should have seen your face,¡± she laughed, chuckling once again. ¡°But to answer your question, no they¡¯re not dangerous. Well unless your stupid, that is. No, the only reason why their existence is not revealed, is to protect the world from you,¡± she explained, poking her finger at Arthur¡¯s chest.


    When she noticed the obvious confusion on the healer''s face, she quickly clarified, ¡°Not from you specifically of course. What I was alluding to was the dominant trait that every sapient species, irrespective of who or what they are possesses. Greed. You see, I told you already that you gain some boost in power if you could conquer a locus of power, right? What I didn¡¯t tell you, is that a very special reward awaits the first ones that do so,¡± Alyssia explained. It took a moment for Arthur to understand what the woman was saying but he blanched when he realised the point that Alyssia was trying to make.


    Imagine if every human on Earth suddenly learnt about a limited opportunity to increase their power exponentially. It would be chaos, a rat race where everyone was pitted against each other, slaughter and destruction. And I would probably have been a part of it, Arthur morbidly realised. He now understood what Alyssia had meant when she said that the secrecy was to protect everyone from people like himself as Arthur had no doubt that he wouldn''t have shied away from such an opportunity if it presented itself, consequences be damned.


    Arthur took a moment to digest that information, before asking the question that had been puzzling him since Alyssia¡¯s earlier statements. ¡°And what makes you different from these people? You said there''s no point looking for these Loci yet, but we''re still here, so there''s obviously something to be done,¡± he questioned. If the topic was surrounded by so much secrecy, it didn¡¯t make sense that Alyssia would know so much about it. She was powerful, but she came from a tier-2 world at the end of the day. Most of the people sponsoring Earth were at least that strong. Why would she know more than them?


    ¡°Well, you see, my planet actually evolved for the second time when I was eleven years old,¡± Alyssia said.


    Arthur carefully catalogued that snippet of information for later. Her world had already evolved twice, meaning that ether had been abundant on the planet for hundreds if not thousands of years. Alyssia experiencing that change, however, meant that she had a lot of hands-on experience with the turmoil such changes presented.


    ¡°What should have been a joyous occasion, however, quickly turned into a disaster.¡± Alyssia continued quietly, trailing off as she looked off into the distance.


    Arthur knew that she must be recollecting whatever painful memories had been made all those years ago and so he waited patiently for her to continue her story.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you that they were supposed to be kept quiet about it for no reason. People go crazy for them. It''s always resulted in a bloodbath when not carefully managed and can even weaken the dimensional integrity of a planet if things get out of hand enough."


    "What happened to us was so much worse. You see, it somehow leaked to a nearby galaxy that our world had just evolved. It''s different here with the system present, but my home world is very isolated. At least it was. That was when they came. The Igruls,¡± Alyssia spat out the name with venom in her voice and took a calm steadying breath. Arthur didn¡¯t rush her.


    ¡°They obviously knew about the Loci that had just been generated and they came with their youth to steal our opportunities away from us,¡± Alyssia spoke softly. "They were a peak tier 3 galactic empire, already foraging into tier 4 worlds. We couldn''t do anything."


    Arthur had a little context from yesterday''s conversation to understand what she was saying. She had told him that there was a restriction to how strong you could be to go inside one, and a locus of power on a tier-two world probably had a level restriction of around 250. They were amazing resources meant for a planet''s new generations, a way to jumpstart them to heights their forefathers could never reach.


    Arthur had gotten a gist of what had happened in Alyssia¡¯s world and she didn¡¯t need to tell him anymore. He was certain that the woman had purposely left out details, but Arthur didn¡¯t press for more information. She had told him enough for him to understand her knowledge source, as well as her caution.


    The Alverin must have fought back and then- Arthur didn¡¯t finish that thought. Alyssia¡¯s expression made it clear as day exactly how that must have gone. So I''m guessing these Igruls had the means to find premature Loci, coming from such a powerful background. No one interested in Earth would be so well established. At least I don''t think so. And Alyssia somehow learned that method, I guess. He mused. Nope, it''s not a method. That wouldn''t make any sense, Arthur reasoned. Otherwise, it''d be far more accessible than it is and the strongest on Earth would''ve been told about it.


    A rare item then. Something that can''t be mass-produced, Arthur deduced. One that lets you find these locations prematurely and helps you access them. I''m guessing she managed to steal one somehow.


    Not sure what to do to fill in the awkward silence that had developed between the two, Arthur choose not to say anything. A few minutes later, Alyssia finally started to speak again.


    ¡°Your world is lucky in that regard,¡± she said, smiling at him. ¡°It seems that the system, or maybe the evolved planets around you, prevent such abuses from happening,¡± she explained, before mumbling something under her breath. ¡°None of that matters though anyway,¡± she suddenly announced brightly.


    ¡°At least you know why I wanted you to come so quickly.¡± Arthur nodded his head slowly. He understood perfectly well. Not only was he a powerful healer, but more importantly, Arthur was a native of planet Earth. And judging from everything Alyssia had told him yesterday, that was about to become very critical once they challenged the locus of power. After all, the trials within one were always shaped by the myth and lore that was present on the planet. Why Arthur had no idea. Something about Ether trying to bring order to the chaos it was birthed from. Or at least that was what Alyssia had told him when he¡¯d asked. If Arthur was being honest, he doubted that the dimensional traveller really had a better idea about the phenomenon than him. He shook his head, trying to clear his meandering thoughts.


    They had a discount dungeon to conquer and he needed to learn how to stop kissing ass as Alyssia had so aptly put it.

 Chapter 88- A Locus Of Power

    Alyssia had just smirked when Arthur asked her where the locus of power was. ¡°You still have a lot to learn,¡± she¡¯d told him. That was why Arthur was staring intently at what it was that the alverin woman was doing. Despite his best efforts, however, Alyssia looked like nothing more than a stationary woman daydreaming, her gaze fixed on the empty air in front of her.


    When three minutes of inactivity had passed, Arthur began to think that the woman was probably just pulling his leg but he still refrained from disturbing her. She was doing something nigh impossible after all, judging by everything he''d learned in the past ten minutes.


    Closing his eyes, Arthur once again tried to focus on the magic Alyssia was casting. Unless he was on the completely wrong track, the item she was no doubt using operated on Ether. He tried to do something different this time, however. Instead of trying to focus on the ether Alyssia was releasing-which was absolutely nothing if his prior observations were anything to go by- Arthur tried to detect the ambient ether present in the world around him instead. It had always been there, since the creation of the planet and even before that momentous event, primordial energy as old as time itself.


    Maybe even older.


    Arthur focused and focused till he felt the veins in his forehead begin to throb and a dull ache began to form within his skull. Come on, Ether''s supposed to be everywhere god damn it. It¡¯s the damn building blocks of existence, he cursed as all his efforts proved to still be to no avail. Arthur however was nothing but stubborn and he ferociously endured his growing headache. Maybe he wasn¡¯t so advanced at magic yet that he¡¯d be able to understand the spell that Alyssia was currently casting but for heaven''s sake he should at least be able to see what it was she was doing.


    Redoubling his efforts, Arthur brought his 92 perception to bear and directed all his willpower behind the attribute. Something suddenly clicked inside Arthur and he opened his eyes wide in shock. The world before him was nothing like the one he had closed. His vision presented a sight, unlike anything he had ever seen before. If he was asked to describe what he saw, he would never be able to, unable to even form the words to explain the sight before him. The language hadn¡¯t yet been invented that could do so; at least he didn''t know of any.


    ¡®Let there be light.¡¯ The biblical phrase suddenly came to mind as he surveyed the scene before him and he agreed the words were an apt description for how he was currently feeling. It looked like creation lay before him, in the moments before it had been given form, still a thought or an idea, a phantasm of what would one day be.


    It was the beginning of everything and the ending of all, the ephemeral chaos of energy and emotion, endlessly interacting. Within it lay the entirety of what was present in the infinite spectrum of reality, the source code of existence itself. Arthur tried to look further into its secrets, to see what it was that Alyssia was doing but try as he might, this was as far as his vision would take him.


    With a sudden stab of pain, Arthur felt himself lose consciousness for a split second, or maybe he had blinked, he wasn¡¯t too sure about anything at the moment. What he was sure of, however, was that the world had returned to normal, no longer laid out before him. He had a splitting headache and felt a twinge of nostalgia as if he¡¯d remembered a friend he¡¯d somehow forgotten. Damn, that shit really messed with my head. It was like I was high or something. He couldn''t trust any of the conclusions he''d come to. What even was that?


    Arthur had no idea what exactly he had done, or if he could ever repeat that feat, only that he had a whole new level of respect for the Alverin woman. He knew, at least, that whatever she was currently doing had somehow interacted with the energy within the vision he had just seen and though Arthur hadn¡¯t a clue as to what that was, he was certain that it displayed a level of skill unheard of on tier-two planets. Instead of trying to ¡®see¡¯ again, Arthur chose to wait and recuperate from the throbbing pain in his skull.


    Looking down at his watch, he saw that it was 4:43 am, a full eight minutes since Alyssia had entered her trance-like state. In the end, it turned out that Arthur didn¡¯t have to wait that long as suddenly Alyssia gasped out loud and took a step backwards. Arthur was immediately weary that something must have gone wrong, but he needn¡¯t have worried.


    A shimmering blue portal popped into existence in the place Alyssia had fixed her gaze on as if the woman had somehow torn a hole in reality with her glare alone. Maybe she had: Arthur wasn¡¯t too sure how the magic worked. Deciding to let the obviously exhausted Alyssia rest for a bit instead of bombarding her with questions like he wanted to, Arthur instead chose to identify the blue portal in front of him. At least that was what he thought it was. When he used the skill, he couldn¡¯t keep the grin off his face.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%">


    Gateway to the Locus of Hercules (Unstable)- An entrance to the Locus of the great Hero Hercules. Within lies the trials the demigod once bested. Note: The gate is unstable and will close shortly.


    Level restrictions- 200


    Participants: 1-4


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It seemed Alyssia had been successful in finding and infiltrating the Locus of Power and going by the place''s restriction, they would both be able to challenge it. Arthur was a little surprised at the mention of Hercules however. A famous individual of Greek mythology, Arthur had of course heard of the powerful demigod.


    Despite Alyssia¡¯s warnings that the Locus of power would be based on the lore and legends of Earth, he hadn¡¯t expected her words to be so literal. Still, I know at least a little about his stories- well maybe not so much, Arthur thought worriedly. It was a shame he didn''t have his phone on him, not that there would be any signal this deep in the forest. A quick Google search would help them a lot for the upcoming trials.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Alyssia had already told him that information would make their lives much easier once they went into the Locus and Arthur was pretty sure his knowledge wasn¡¯t quite up to scratch. After a minute of rest, Alyssia seemed to have finally recovered from her ordeal and she straightened up, using some dextrous use of magic to remove the sweat from her brow. Arthur wasn¡¯t as surprised with the great display of skill as he would have been a few days ago- he¡¯d come to expect such things from the dimensional traveller.


    She turned around to look at him. ¡°Look, this is your last chance to turn back. Once we go through that gate, the only way we can come back is by conquering the Locus,¡± Alyssia stated gravely. "We can do your reformation training elsewhere if you wish, though it''ll be far harder to achieve the same results."


    Arthur didn¡¯t take the time to consider her words, lest he start doubting the decision he¡¯d already made. He wasn¡¯t going to turn back now. ¡°No, I already decided to see this through to the end,¡± Arthur replied convincingly. "And I don''t want you to squander this opportunity for my sake.


    Alyssia graced him with a brief smile when she heard his conviction. Though She''d never say it aloud, Alyssia had feared that Arthur might get cold feet when push came to shove and she was heartened that the powerful healer had defied her expectations. Alyssia wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think she was strong enough to challenge a Locus of power alone and this was also the perfect opportunity to find out more about Arthur''s abilities.


    She knew already that he wasn¡¯t a mere healer and her goal first and foremost at this moment in time, even more than the Locus itself, was to understand and get to know Arthur better. Only then would she be able to help him with his problems. It wasn''t all altruism on her part though.


    After all, she was certain that her own growth and power would be significantly increased if she attached herself to Arthur and the man would probably one day become her best chance of finding a way back home.


    Oh shit, I¡¯m doing it again, she cursed herself. Stop being a leech. Just because she was far from home and different from everyone else, it didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t be able to form any worthwhile friendships whilst she was here. That was a far healthier relationship, both for herself and her younger brother and Alyssia didn¡¯t want to repay Arthur''s kindness by abusing it to better her situation.


    He deserved better than that and though the young man always seemed to appear happy and content when around her, Alyssia noticed the burdens he carried, even the ones he himself didn''t acknowledge. Auras didn''t lie, or at least not those as inexperienced as Arthurs own. Her smile became a little tense.


    ¡°This gateway will only hold for another minute or so¡­¡± she said, indicating to the blue portal. She didn''t have to finish the sentence. The meaning was plenty clear enough. Turning around, the alverin woman stepped forward, through the shimmering gateway. There was no fanfare, no incredible moment of magic, she was just gone, disappeared into thin air.


    Arthur swallowed the saliva gathered in his mouth as he felt the wild thrum of his heartbeat. Despite the bravado he¡¯d shown earlier, he was a little scared and took a moment to centre himself. Come on Arthur, this is nothing. Or is Alyssia right? Have you become a bitch? He psyched himself up. Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the portal. It felt like he¡¯d been dipped in freezing water and yet his body was somehow simultaneously burning up. Arthur had no idea how teleportation worked, or if his current mode of transport could even be described as such but if it was, he knew that he¡¯d never be a fan of the magical method of movement.


    His stomach wasn''t happy with him and someone was throwing a party in his guts. It took a few seconds for Arthur to get his bearings, and when he did, he carefully opened his watery eyes to survey his surroundings. A system message greeted him.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">


    Welcome to the Locus of Hercules.


    Number of challengers: 2


    Layer 1 of 3.


    You are currently in the Grasslands of crystal lakes. To advance to the next layer, you must capture the steeds of Diomedes and return them to their rightful stable. You must not bring any harm to them, or there shall be consequences.


    Horses captured 0/9


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur blinked in surprise at the game-like quest he had received. The Locus of power was turning out to be far from his expectations, defying the more fatalistic conventions of the post-system world. I mean, I do remember hearing how Hercules had to do something similar, but do we just have to replicate his feat,¡¯ Arthur wondered in suspicion. It seemed too straightforward and a little too easy if he was being honest.


    Hey, hey- don''t get ahead of yourself, you idiot. The horses could all be level 300 for all I know, he chided himself. Lady Luck had probably heard his vote of confidence loud and clear, however, and she¡¯d probably be putting it to the test shortly. He¡¯d definitely jinked himself right now, and the task before him would be anything but easy. That was something he was almost certain about. Still, Arthur hadn¡¯t expected the Locus of power to work quite like this.


    Whilst the system presented itself as a game-like interface, he was certain that a Locus was something altogether separate from it which was why he was a little confused with the quest-like format it had. Is it a regulatory effect from the system? Arthur shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Now wasn¡¯t the time to try and work out the intricacies of how this place worked, there would be time for that later.


    All he had to do now was conquer the place, however difficult that may prove to be. And get some training done. For the first time, Arthur tried to get a feeling for his surroundings. The system called this layer the Grasslands of Crystal Lakes and looking around, Arthur had to agree that the place was aptly named if a little on the nose. As far as the eye could see- which was quite considerable considering he had nearly a hundred perception- there were rolling hills of the most natural shade of green he had ever seen. It was as if the colour of the grass was what green had always intended to be but never quite managed to achieve.


    It was breathtakingly beautiful and Arthur marvelled at how peaceful and scenic the place appeared. The area was well-lit like it was mid-day but Arthur could see no sign of a sun when he looked up at the sky, leading him to believe that this was the perpetual state of these grasslands, frozen in time. It unnerved Arthur a little and reminded him that no matter what he might see, this place was nothing like the real world.


    Alyssia thankfully had also arrived at the same spot as him and she too was surveying the area. Arthur had worried that they would be transported to different places when they went through the unstable gate and he was grateful that he had been mistaken. You had to appreciate the small mercies in life or you¡¯d never manage to cope with reality when shit hit the fan.


    ¡°Oh shit, this is going to be a lot harder than I thought,¡± Alyssia cursed next to him. She didn¡¯t offer any explanation for her statement and so Arthur followed her gaze to where she was staring at something in the distance. It took him a moment to realise that she was actually looking at one of the horses they¡¯d have to capture. It was practically invisible with how well its green fur camouflaged with the land around it. When he identified the beast, Arthur had to agree.


    This would take a lot of work.

 Chapter 89- Misunderstandings

    ~Alyssia Sil¡¯vorken~


    Alyssia breathed in the fresh air, marvelling at how much ambient ether was present in the atmosphere. This wasn¡¯t her first time in a Locus of power but from the descriptions her older sister had given her, this locus was far more potent than the one she had explored. That wasn¡¯t unexpected though.


    Rakisha had only gotten the opportunity to challenge a locus that had already been conquered after all and so it made sense that it wasn¡¯t quite up to par with the one Alyssia was currently in. I mean, this is probably the first locus on Earth that has been challenged, Alyssia thought and the expected rewards got her heart pumping with excitement. Even the invaders on her planet hadn''t arrived so early after the world''s evolution. If she could get a rare soul-bound item like her sister had received it would make her foray into this strange dimension one of the best decisions she¡¯d ever made, even if she currently had no idea how to get back home.


    The fact that Alyssia had gained access to the system already made the desperate flight to save her brother''s life a great opportunity and all the future adventures she had planned were just the cherries on top. While the system was a crutch for the uneducated and an anchor tying them down, it was incredibly precise in its deductions of its hosts and their powers. With her prior education, that meant the system only provided benefits without the detriments to proper understanding that initiated worlds received.


    Quantifying power as stat points and making them investible at the mere click of a button was honestly revolutionary. She, like everyone back on her home world, had been going by feel all this time, using expensive regents and rituals to enter heightened states of self-reflection just so they could assign the power they received upon levelling up as the system put it.


    It was a far from perfect method and lacked the clinical precision that the system granted the denizens of this dimension. Just by accepting the system, she''d been made aware of the stats she''d failed to assign in her path to power over the years, a grand total of 163 stats. It was frankly, an absurd wastage that had left her reeling when she first saw it. And I get access to way more rituals than the common Alverin. Just how much are we weakening ourselves because our rituals are so inefficient? For her race, with all the Ether theory they already had, the system would honestly be a game changer. All she had to do, was find a way back to her people, a task easier said than done and grant them access to this amazing tool, a privilege she''d been granted due to her unique status as a dimension traveller. She''d been given the ability to grant system access to other sapients.


    I¡¯ll make sure Artemo''s a real monster by the time I take him back home, Alyssia thought happily. Her brother had only just turned 11 and if he¡¯d still been at the village, he would have started to learn some magic from his grandma. Alyssia felt a stab of regret when she remembered how eager he had been to start his education. He wouldn¡¯t be learning the old magics of their tribe any time soon. Alyssia was nowhere near proficient enough in the stuff to start teaching him so she¡¯d just have to make sure he received the system equivalent of a course in ether usage, only enhanced by her own experience and knowledge.


    I¡¯ll make sure he gets at least an epic class, maybe we can even push for legendary if I put him through enough loci, she promised herself. It was the least she could do after failing him so badly and maybe she was doing it as an experiment to satisfy her curiosity a little, but did it really matter? The stronger Artemo became, the easier she¡¯d be able to sleep at night and she couldn¡¯t wait to see her family''s reactions when she introduced them to the powerhouse Artemo would become.


    Rakisha¡¯s gonna lose her shit, she thought in amusement imagining how her older sister would react when she met an Artemo that could wipe the floor with her. None of that future would be possible if she failed to conquer this Locus of power though, Alyssia couldn¡¯t really bring herself to worry over that fact. She was, unfortunately, suffering from the emotion of over-confidence that she had been warned about time and time again and yet no matter how much she told herself to get her head in the game, Alyssia couldn¡¯t really bring herself to worry about the task before her.


    After all, she knew that nothing short of a disaster would keep her from conquering the Locus of Hercules when she had someone with Arthur''s potential on her side. It was a matter of when, not if with him here. Maybe he wasn''t up to snuff yet, but they had plenty of time to sort him out. That was the main reason why she''d chosen a locus to train Arthur in after all.


    The time dilation effect present in these places was potent stuff, and she''d be making sure they got their money''s worth here. The man in question however didn¡¯t seem to reciprocate her feelings and Alyssia smirked when she saw how worried he was. The idiot really needs to learn just how absurd his existence is. At least his aura seems to be brazen enough. Alyssia mused. Too brazen in fact, she thougt as she felt it brush up against her. Otherwise, he¡¯d live his whole life never realising his full potential, permanently in disconnect from his true self. What did that screaming cartoon call it? A training arc, yes?


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ~Arthur Ward~


    Arthur felt his heart drop when he identified the strange-coloured horse. How the hell are we supposed to catch nine of those? He wondered in disbelief.


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    Storm Walker Zephyr (Evolved Rank E) Level 109- A horse that runs like the wind, the sound of its hooves beats herald the coming of a storm. Though not the strongest of creatures, they have been known to easily surpass the speed of sound


    [Due to this beast being a creation of Locus of power in a non-combat floor, the host will gain only a tenth of the levels killing such a beast would gain when done in the real world]


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    Arthur wasn¡¯t too worried about the creature''s high level. He had expected as much even if he had hoped that the horse would be a little weaker. No, what worried him was that the damn creature could consistently run at the speed of sound, a truly absurd pace for an animal that had just passed level one hundred. That must mean the horse has 400, no probably 500 agility, with an insane movement skill to boot. Arthur wondered in despair. Comparatively, he only had 118, a truly pitiful number when he looked at his other attributes. Once his greatest strength in the early days of the system, now it lay forgotten along with charisma.


    It wouldn''t be too big a problem if he was allowed to kill the damn beasts, but the system had rather explicitly warned against that. With his health and Constitution, he was sure he''d at least survive the repercussions, but he wasn''t too sure about Alyssia. From what she''d told him, he knew that she wasn''t exactly a tank. Quite the opposite actually. She was a glass cannon. Maybe a glass nuke''s better. Arthur reconsidered. One that could navigate the battlefield with the speed of a fighter jet. She had voluntarily told him that her highest stat was agility. Being a scout for her tribe meant she had to be fast.


    "Alyssia. You said the time dilation''s pretty strong here, right?" Arthur asked.


    She nodded her head. "It was the main selling point for coming here to train instead of just going off into the jungle or something. You were hesitant up until I told you that."


    She took a seat on the grass and patted the floor in front of her, indicating he should sit down. Looking back up at him, he noticed a strange look in her eye. Was it weariness? Maybe even embarrassment.


    "I know you''re dying to ask questions. Hell, for once your aura seems to be agreeing with you. I''m not my sister. My education focused more on the combat side of things, but I should be able to give you some answers." She laughed self-depreciatingly.


    "Ma always used to say I''d regret not studying properly. I''m the only one left to teach Artemo about everything and I don''t know jack-shit."


    Arthur didn''t quite know what to say to that but didn''t want to create an awkward silence. Forging ahead with his initial question wouldn''t be the worst thing right?


    "So, Alyssia. I don''t know if your status is the exact same as mine, but-"


    "It is." Alyssia interrupted. "It was the first thing I checked out when I left the government facility." She said, smiling at him.


    "Don''t worry. All I did was ask a few humans some select questions." Alyssia quickly added in response to Arthur''s raised eyebrow. "There was no violence involved."


    Arthur didn''t need to be a master aura reader to know she wasn''t telling the truth. Alyssia was a terrible liar, like caught with your hand in the cookie jar and denying it kinds of bad. She visibly wilted under his judging gaze.


    "Okay. maybe a little violence." She finally relented.


    Arthur shook his head, amused. He didn''t really care what the alverin got up to in her spare time. So long as she wasn''t needlessly massacring humans, he didn''t have a problem. Even if she did, he doubted there was much he''d do about it. Dealing with aliens wasn''t his job, after all. That was for the people in charge to handle and they deserved a little chaos for the shit they''d just pulled.


    "I don''t care what you do in your free time," Arthur said, looking at the green woman who was doing her best to look remorseful but was failing spectacularly. Case in point, she immediately looked back up with a massive grin on her face when he said that. She''s like a little kid. What happened to that Amazon warrior from before? He couldn''t deny that this new side of her wasn''t endearing though.


    That same wary look was suddenly back in her eye, only this time, it rapidly hardened into determination.


    "I didn''t want to say this Arthur, and I hope you don''t take it the wrong way," she spoke solemnly, "But I find the human race as attractive as you would a chimpanzee."


    The shift in conversation topic was so bizarre it almost gave him whiplash.  Why would she randomly say that? Where the hell is she going with this?


    "It''s not that I find your people ugly," she continued slowly, as if she was trying to take the sting out of her words. "In fact, you''re quite beautiful. But in the manner I''d find a leopard beautiful or a kitten cute. Like a majestic dragon kind of pretty, not the sort of attraction between lovers."


    With a feeling of exasperation taking over him, Arthur started to realise where this conversation was going. Still, what the fuck. A chimpanzee.


    He wanted to stop Alyssia there, but it was like watching a car crash in slow motion. The words wouldn''t come to his lips.


    "If we weren''t friends, I wouldn''t be having this conversation." She said. "It would be far less pleasant. As flattering as I find your attention, a coupling between us simply cannot be, Arthur."


    Alyssia''s voice was as deadpan as it could possibly be.


    "Fornicating with you interests me as much as sex with a primitive primate would. I am truly sorry, but I must reject your advances now and save you from heartbreak."


    The air was silent for a long while.


    Okay, what bullshit Alverin mating proposal did I unwittingly make?

 Chapter 90- Progress Forward

    Alyssia was stumped. As forthright as she''d been so far, having this conversation wasn''t easy for her. If her sister could see her now, she was certain she''d never hear the end of it. Still, being as terrible at aura control as he is, I can''t really blame him. In all honesty, she''d understood how rude he was being. Anyone else in her situation would''ve come to blows by now.


    Nonetheless, it was best she shut these things down early on. Her relationship with Arthur was complicated enough without throwing in some extra drama. Maybe she could even give him some advice. It would be a real shame if her saviour couldn¡¯t find a mate because he was following this flawed courtship method.


    A tiny part of her, the one that always got her in trouble with her mother, however, couldn''t help but have a little fun at Arthur''s expense.


    ¡°Arthur, I¡¯m flattered. Really, I am. But you¡¯d have to be twice my age at least for me to accept your advances.¡± She lied with a deadpan face.


    It was Arthur''s turn to be stumped. It looked like he''d short-circuited and Alyssia revelled in the evident confusion present on his face. Ha, this is how I feel every time you pull out some new bullshit ability from your arse, she thought. Arthur didn''t know how the conversation had reached this point but he had to bring it back on track. And does she really only date people twice her age? No that doesn¡¯t matter right now. Arthur shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. He quickly looked up when a shadow fell over him to see Alyssia¡¯s amused and expectant face a few centimetres away from his own.


    She had somehow closed the distance between them without him realising, and he could see a faint smirk on her lips. Her predatory yellow eyes were fixed on his own, like he was prey she had cornered and he could feel her warm breath on his face. It made him feel like a deer caught in the headlights.


    Arthur instinctively recoiled backwards when he realised just how close they were, his heart thumping wildly. What the fuck is she doing? The alverin woman started to laugh when she saw Arthur¡¯s reaction and she reached out her hand to pat his head like he was a small child. Arthur slapped it away and it only made her laugh harder.


    ¡°See, Arthur,¡± she said with a wide smile on her face. ¡°You¡¯re still far too young to start looking for a mate. Give it a century or two when you''re more mature. You¡¯re still wet behind the ears. And besides, now is no time to try and woo a woman. Remember, you''re going to die soon. Even our friends over here know better and they''re animals,¡± she chuckled, indicating with her hand to the two Stormwalkers who had approached the strange pair to observe the weird social ritual they were doing.


    Arthur glared at her until she finally calmed down.


    "I''m joking, okay. But still, this is something we need to talk about. I know you''re suffering from a disconnect with your aura right now, but that doesn''t mean it''s a completely separate thing to you. It still reflects who you are and what you''re thinking." She took a deep breath.


    "Since we first met this morning, your aura''s brushed up against me in a very provocative way no less than twelve times. Very, very intimate stuff, usually done between lovers." she deadpanned.


    Arthur was mortified. Sure, he thought Alyssia was pretty, but it didn''t go to that extent. He knew countless people that blew her looks out of the water and he barely even knew her yet. What the fuck is my aura going around doing?


    "The only reason it''s not offensive is because I know of your unique circumstances. Consuming the Shadow Panther''s core affected you in more ways than you know. The system told you you''re a half-breed, right. I think it was being quite literal. A part of you, the more bestial and feral side, demands dominion of everything it deems lesser. Combined with your human tendencies, that means you want to mate with every female humanoid you can see. At least that''s the impression your aura gives. You can understand why I felt it was best to clear the air as soon as possible.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    At first, I thought you were suffering from aito because of soul damage but now I think a part of it''s caused by your strange nature."


    "You are, quite literally not human anymore. And the dissonance in your sense of self is caused because you haven''t quite come to terms with that. It''s a good thing though. It makes the job of sorting you out far easier."


    Arthur took a moment to digest that. It was a conclusion he''d come to a long time ago. He hadn''t cared much about it then, what with everything else going on in his life, but it looked like it had far-reaching consequences. Why couldn''t things just be simple for once?"


    Arthur focused on the good news. It would be easier to sort his personality problem out.


    "I think I have it figured out already. Because my aura issues, the result of my disassociation problem, stems from the fact that I''m part beast, I need to tune it with my human side."


    He pulled the box containing the dragon core out of his backpack and placed it on the floor in front of him.


    "So I''m guessing finally absorbing this thing here will fix that issue meaning I won''t have to waste some time finding inner peace or some BS like that. Right?"


    Alyssia grinned at him.


    "It''s times like these I remember your not an idiot. Really, your aura is doing you NO favours, Arthur. You would''ve sounded a lot smarter if it didn''t feel like a kitten was trying to rub my legs."


    "But yep. You''ve hit it on the head. Since your Aito stems entirely from your broken soul and subsequent monster problem, and not because of the fact that you''re a bit of bitch," she really emphasised that last word for some reason, "Then yes, your right in that eating that core will probably fix up both of those issues."


    She concentrated for a moment, closing her eyes.


    "Since I last checked, you''ve absorbed another two monster cores. The one I recommended to unlock the perception attribute and something else that boosted your life force." Alyssia said, opening her eyes to look at him. "Something like that. What does the system call it? Vitality, right?"


    Arthur nodded his head. Alyssia''s ability to read his aura like an open book never failed to surprise him. Sure, it was something she''d trained in for a decade or two, but he doubted any ordinary person would get to that level of expertise if they put thrice the time in.


    "It''s so unfair, you know." She complained. "I''m not over the fact that you can eat a monster core just like that. It''d take me months of dedicated hunting to get the power boost you gained in just a few days. honestly, the fact that it''s killing you is just the universe balancing itself out."


    Arthur controlled his desires and didn''t open the wooden box. Keeping his hands off it was frankly a near-impossible feat. He wouldn''t be surprised if it pushed his willpower stat up a point or two. He knew that if he opened it and let its fragrant smell out, it''d be game over for him. He hadn''t maximised his core consumption yet and prematurely eating the dragons could potentially lose him out on hundreds of stats. He wasn''t certain how much more damage his soul needed to take though, and Alyssia seemed to read the question on his face.


    "Your soul membrane looks like it can still take another core. After that, it''ll degrade to the point that you won''t need to do anything else for it to implode. That''ll happen all on its own." Alyssia explained.


    "After that, I''m guessing you''ll have an hour, maybe two, where you''ll have to eat that," she looked pointedly at the dragon core with disbelief on her face, "To rebuild your soul and improve it. I''m not sure what it''ll do to you exactly but my money''s on your half-breed title changing in some way. It''ll certainly be an improvement, but I''m not sure if it''ll let you maintain your current dietary plan."


    Arthur nodded his head. This was a conclusion he''d already come to. The path to power would never be so easy. Otherwise, the more intelligent monsters would just hoard cores for their young. It''d take what, forty, maybe fifty powerful cores to create an unbeatable beast, peerless under the heavens. Thankfully, the world didn''t work like that, and it only made sense that the same limitations would apply to him.


    He couldn''t eat his way to the top. But he''d get there, one way or the other.


    A part of him, maybe the panther''s, or a bit of the old Arthur coming back, wouldn''t settle for less.

 Chapter 91- Doomed?

    Talking with Alyssia was an interesting experience, to say the least. The woman could talk for ages, to the point that she''d taken the most chatty person I know award from Elizabeth. I wish I could go back to the person I was ten minutes ago. Alverin mating habits were something he could have gone a lifetime without knowing.


    He and his big mouth. Curiosity killed cats and he was certain the panther in him was quite dead. It''d take a few moments for the human side of him to realise and kick the bucket too. Does she not know the concept of oversharing? And why''s she so good at describing things?


    Sometimes, it was best you didn''t try to learn about your friend''s cultures. The pedestal he''d put Alyssia on had crumbled down and been replaced with the realisation that he was no longer the unluckiest person he knew. That would be whoever the alverin woman finally settled down with.


    ¡°Let''s just forget about all this,¡± Arthur finally said, unable to take it any longer. ¡°It¡¯s not important. Forget I asked. I have better questions that need answering.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. Don¡¯t dismiss this topic so soon. I need to understand you humans better if I want to coexist with your species whilst I¡¯m on this planet. Please. Explain to me what this ¡®dating¡¯ thing you mentioned was.¡±


    Despite all his protestations, Arthur found himself explaining in embarrassing detail the confusing and complex maze of romance and his own meagre experiences getting lost in it.


    When he finished ten minutes later, thanks to how many damn questions the woman had, Alyssia was looking at him with pity on her face.


    ¡°Which retarded creature did your species come from to create such a convoluted mating process. It¡¯s like you''re trying to go extinct, or something.¡±


    Arthur couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Alyssia¡¯s reaction to the human dating process. How would she react if I told her about Tinder?


    ¡°Still, we can¡¯t be that strange, can we? The things you described nearly made me puke and I saw a maggot crawl out of a man''s ass once.¡± Arthur couldn''t help but defend the human species a little.


    Alyssia looked at Arthur with an incredulous expression on her face.


    ¡°You think- you think the process you just described is normal! The only courtship I¡¯ve heard of that¡¯s stranger is the Furgans. And they make most of their decisions by starving themselves.¡± She exclaimed. ¡°In fact, after hearing what you¡¯ve said, I wonder if it¡¯s only we Alverins that have any sense at all. We must be the chosen species or something.¡±


    ¡°Really. I¡¯d like to hear what makes you so great.¡± Arthur challenged, immediately regretting his words when he saw the beaming smile that came across Alyssia¡¯s face. Damn, I fucked up.


    ¡°I was wondering when you¡¯d finally ask.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that we Alverins have perfected our societies through centuries of rigorous change and adaptation.¡± Alyssia boasted.


    ¡°Save it,¡± Arthur said with a deadpan expression on his face. He¡¯d walked into this bullshit conversation with his eyes wide open, and he¡¯d do whatever he could to make sure it was as short as possible.


    ¡°I only want the bare-bone facts. No flowery language exalting your superior race.¡±


    "You take the fun out of everything, you know." Alyssia sighed. "Well, for starters, humans are weak. I thought we Alverin had it bad when I saw we gained only seven stats per level as a classless, but you humans only get five. Add on the extra twenty percent bonus our Dimensional Traveller titles give us, and Artemo''s practically getting twice the attributes your people get already." She exclaimed.


    "That advantage only increases when he finally unlocks a class, which the system already told me is going to be weighted in his favour. Turns out an Alverin''s potential is higher than a human''s. So there. We''re literally a better species. The system practically told me."


    That was certainly a lot to wrap his head around, but he couldn''t deny anything she''d said. Seven stats to an ordinary human''s five meant that an Alverin on the same level as a human would be forty percent stronger. It was an almost unbridgable gap for the average man and he was lucky that his unique titles kept him in the game. Still, life is so unfair. I need to get my hands on that Dimensional Traveller title.


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    "What do you mean the system told you all this?" Arthur asked, confused. The way she''d described it made it almost sound like the system was talking to her but that couldn''t be true.


    "Oh that," Alyssia exclaimed. "Turns out I qualified for my own system AI when I unlocked it. She''s called Lana and she''s about this big." She placed her hands around five inches apart. "She''s sitting on my shoulder right now but you can''t see her. Why, do you want one too?"


    Arthur rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. I didn''t even know those were a thing. And she''s always complaining that I''m the one that pulls shit out of my ass.


    "That sounds like an absolute nightmare," Arthur finally answered. "I''d go crazy if I had my own little personal AI following me around. What about when you take a piss? You''ve got no privacy whatsoever."


    Alyssia shrugged. "It''s not that bad, but to each their own I guess. You humans get squeamish over the weirdest things." She said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve wasted enough time already, and I don¡¯t think those horses will leave us be forever.¡± Arthur indicated to their steadily growing audience of Stormwalkers. Alyssia¡¯s enthusiastic explanation earlier had attracted them for some reason or another. Arthur couldn¡¯t blame the animals. Alyssia was very loud when she got passionate about something.


    ¡°Are you sure you don''t want me to carry on? I''ve barely scratched the surface on alverin kind,¡± Alyssia asked. ¡°Is it because I insulted your species so much.¡± Her voice was tinged with worry and she looked genuinely apologetic. Arthur might have found her reaction cute if he hadn¡¯t just heard her rambling about the perfect Alverin man just five minutes ago. This was a woman with very strange tastes, of that Arthur was certain.


    ¡°No, of course, it¡¯s not because of that.¡± Arthur quickly said. ¡°I can understand your opinions on our species when you compare it to one as ¡®unique¡¯ as your own.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I see, you¡¯ve finally come around.¡± Alyssia smiled, nodding her head excitedly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try changing your species and become one of us? I¡¯ve heard rumours that it''s possible to change species at higher stages of power. It¡¯s a difficult procedure, but no sacrifice is too great if you can become Alverin, right!¡±


    Arthur started to laugh loudly, surprising one of the Stormwalker zephyrs that had approached them. He couldn¡¯t help it. This conversation had successfully secured its spot as the strangest, craziest and frankly most enjoyable talk he¡¯d had in recent times and that included the lengthy discussions he¡¯d had with Mathew regarding how snails had sex. They were hermaphrodites, it turned out, another piece of information he could have gone without knowing.


    ¡°Whilst I¡¯m sure I¡¯d make a dashing Alverin man,¡± Arthur said raising his hand. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly happy with continuing my existence as the flawed human being that I am.¡±


    Alyssia briefly looked like she wanted to continue to persuade him to change his species, but she decided to relent, letting out a dejected sigh. ¡°It¡¯s your loss, you know. Humans are pretty shitty from what I¡¯ve seen so far,¡± she said.


    "Okay, Alyssia. I think you''ve stalled for long enough." Arthur said, looking directly into her eyes, all traces of mirth gone from his face. It was time to get serious and he couldn''t do that if his companion was off in dreamland thinking of the perfect green hunk that''d sweep her off her feet. She sighed.


    "This is what I mean when I say you take the fun out of everything. We would''ve gotten to that stuff eventually. You just had to go and kill the vibe." Alyssia sighed again and shook her head. "I''m guessing Ayesha went and told you something, that meddling woman. She loves to stir the pot too much that one."


    Arthur smiled.


    "Nope, she didn''t tell me anything but thanks for confirming it for me."


    Alyssia looked like a deer in headlights and she mumbled something untranslatable under her breath. Arthur had a feeling she was insulting him. "So, what gave it away," she eventually asked. "Was it something I said?"


    "Not really no," Arthur replied. "But I''m not an idiot. Whilst I don''t know alverin mannerisms perfectly yet, I''d have to be blind to not notice that something weighing on your mind. As much as you care about pubic hair on a man, no sane person would talk about it for three minutes if they weren''t trying to avoid something."


    "Oh yeah. Ayesha kind of dropped a hint too. I don''t know if it was intentional on her part, but the way she talked about you gave the impression she''d met you very recently. I was only guessing here, but you kind of gave it away."


    "So what''s got you in such a twist."


    Alyssia cursed loudly.


    "That''s why you don''t get involved with fucking seers," she spoke to herself. "They''re manipulative little cunts." She added a few more expletives that he wasn''t familiar with before calming down.


    "I guess I need to work on my acting skills a little. I was gonna tell you after teaching you a little about aura management but it looks like that ship has already sailed." Alyssia explained, a look of exhaustion coming over her.


    "You''re right. We did meet, not to make any plans or anything. At least I don''t think so, but in retrospect, she probably knew I was gonna come looking for you."


    "You see, Earth is fucked. A few days ago, a massive ritual circle appeared in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Your planet doesn''t even have the tools to see it, never mind understand it. Only a few people know and Ayesha warned me about it. Said some BS about fellow aliens looking out for each other."


    "It''s a teleportation circle. A big one. Earth''s dimensional membrane''s already weak since the planet just evolved and Silver Rose''s experiments have only made it worse." She laughed helplessly.


    "I took a look at it you know. Whoever''s on the other side didn''t even have a destination. The only reason they''re coming here is just pure shit luck and the greed of a few idiots on your planet."


    "And it''s bad. Very, very bad. Your government thinks you''ve got time before shit hits the fan. The Seer says otherwise. My own senses do and I trust them. Something''s coming. Something so wrong it makes my skin crawl. You''re world has 72 hours left to prepare."


    "I''m gonna make sure you''re combat ready by then."

 Chapter 92- Illusions

    ¡°We call it Kushin in the Alverin tongue. There''s no real equivalent in your language and I¡¯m not proficient enough in myriad tongues to convey the actual meaning. I guess an appropriate translation would be purging, or change through hardship.¡±


    Arthur walked through the grasslands of crystal waters with Alyssia at his side. After the bombshells Alyssia had just dropped on him, they''d decided to get moving. The horses had of course immediately bolted the moment they''d stood up, at speeds that even Arthur''s perception couldn''t track. Now, he was enjoying a semi-leisurely stroll as he mentally catalogued everything he was learning about titles from the Alverin woman.


    They¡¯d decided it would be best to start searching for the stables they needed to complete this layer of the locus hence they were currently walking through the picturesque place. The stormwalkers that had gathered around them earlier were now following them from a distance, which would save them the trouble of finding them later, though Arthur was under no illusions that it would make their job any easier.


    If he didn¡¯t keep glancing at the beasts from time to time, they would literally disappear. Their skin and fur were perfectly camouflaged with the grass they walked on. It meant that searching for the other four horses that weren¡¯t a part of their entourage would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, and the only reason why Arthur wasn¡¯t panicking was because of the time dilation Alyssia had told him about. They had a lot of time. Enough to get started on the mission of this floor and work out a proper training plan for him.


    They literally had all the time in the world since the locus of power hadn¡¯t given them any points on how long they could spend on this layer and their premature entry into it meant that the time dilation was nothing to scoff at. A few days for every hour that passed in the real world if Alyssia was supposed to be believed. Food might be a problem, but Arthur was sure he could go without it for a while without it affecting his performance.


    ¡°The system actually gives a pretty apt definition since all titles don¡¯t benefit someone. I actually knew a man who gained one from killing only weaker monsters. I don¡¯t know exactly what it did since we don¡¯t have this system in our dimension, but it did make him significantly weaker than he was supposed to be and he lacked control over his magic.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like his title decreased his willpower or something along those lines,¡± Arthur suggested, to which Alyssia had readily agreed. After all, willpower was the attribute that determined one''s proficiency with manipulating Ether.


    ¡°So. Are there any well-known titles that everyone can gain? Apart from the Paragon series of course. I already know about those.¡± Arthur asked Alyssia eagerly.


    She laughed at his question, shaking her head no before saying, ¡±If only it were that easy. No matter how great the system is, and I must say, it is truly amazing. A literal divine piece of work if I¡¯m being honest, but it won''t make titles any easier to gain sadly,¡± Alyssia explained.


    ¡°Speaking of the System, whilst it¡¯s an accurate representation of your abilities, it¡¯s not infallible. The numbers on your attributes, the effects of your titles, and maybe even your level might be off by slight margins. I¡¯m sure the system was created to help people handle their powers better, so it makes sense that titles are represented with nice rounded numbers. Mine are too in fact, but reality doesn''t work on multiples of ten sadly.¡±


    Arthur was pulled out of his musing when Alyssia suddenly stopped walking. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that it took him a few seconds to realise that she was no longer beside him.


    ¡°What is it? Why did you stop?¡± He asked, quickly walking back towards her.


    She didn¡¯t answer at first, simply standing there in silence, her gaze fixed at a point in the distance. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, actually,¡± she eventually said, ¡°But I think we¡¯ve been walking in circles.¡±


    ¡°In circles? How? What do you mean?¡± Arthur asked, looking back at the direction they had come from. It looked exactly the same as every other part of this strange landscape, and Arthur realised with a sense of dread that you literally could not tell one hill from another. It all looked the same. With the way his mind had been wandering, it would have probably taken him hours to realise how bad their situation currently was.


    ¡°I meant exactly what I said,¡± Alyssia replied. ¡°We¡¯ve literally been walking in circles. There''s an illusion in this place. So subtle that I¡¯m surprised I even realised it was there. We¡¯ve been trapped inside it since the moment we first arrived here.¡±


    An illusion! Where? Arthur thought to himself, shocked. He hadn¡¯t noticed anything, and for a brief moment, he wondered if Alyssia was pulling his leg. When saw her deadly serious expression, Arthur realised that she¡¯d done no such thing.


    ¡°How do you know we¡¯re trapped inside an illusion?¡± Arthur eventually asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong about this place.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Alyssia said. ¡°There''s nothing out of place here. NOTHING. Everything¡¯s perfect. Flawless.¡±


    Understanding began to dawn on Arthur.


    ¡°Even if the animals here aren¡¯t real and are only creatures of the locus of power, they should still act like real animals. At least a little. They still need to eat and shit.¡±


    ¡°And so far, we haven¡¯t seen a single turd or patch of unkempt grass. With how fast these things move, they''ve probably travelled hundreds of kilometres since we arrived here a few hours ago. We''ve seen no sign of that though.¡± Arthur finished off. ¡°Not even a single hoof point.¡±


    Alyssia suddenly sat on the ground, indicating with her hand that Arthur should join her. It mirrored their exact movements an hour earlier.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Why are we suddenly sitting down?¡± Arthur asked. He was confused and uncertain as to what was currently going on, but he still followed Alyssia¡¯s lead and sat down. She knew what she was doing a lot more than he did. Hopefully.


    ¡°Do you know how to break through an illusion?¡± Alyssia answered his question with one of her own. Arthur shook his head.


    ¡°Well, neither do I.¡± She forestalled his next question with a raised hand. ¡°And before you start panicking, our situation''s not as bad as you might think.¡±


    ¡°How so? It sounds pretty damn fucked to me,¡± Arthur replied. ¡°How do we escape from the illusion? Are the horses we''ve seen so far even real? Actually, can we even escape from it now that we''re already trapped? Screw that, what sort of affinity does illusion magic even fall under.¡±


    Arthur was babbling right now, and he knew it. That didn¡¯t make it any easier to stop his irrational actions though. He knew Alyssia had brought some food with her. She¡¯d informed him as much yesterday and told him not to worry about bringing any supplies. He was worrying now though.


    Whatever magical means the Alverin woman was using to stock their food-and they must have been pretty damn magical because Arthur could see absolutely no storage space on her person- he highly doubted Alyssia had bought enough food to last them forever. Or at least until this illusion naturally dissipated.


    Who knew how long they¡¯d be trapped in this place? Water at least wouldn¡¯t be a problem, what with all the massive deposits of it they had already passed by on their brief journey through the grasslands, but Arthur certainly wasn¡¯t ready to put his ether-enhanced body through the test of starvation.


    For all he knew, all the extra stats Arthur had packed on since the arrival of the system might actually require more nourishment than an ordinary human body. At least, that''s what common sense told him. Arthur really hoped that the system wouldn¡¯t start following such an arbitrary thing now. It never had before.


    ¡°Arthur, Arthur. Hey, Arthur!¡± Alyssia called, waving her hand in front of his face. He looked up to see that she was smiling at him. ¡°Stop worrying so much. I meant what I said. Our current circumstances really aren¡¯t as bad as you might think.¡±


    She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled something out, making sure Arthur could see it properly in detail. It looked like a tiny leather pouch, simple in design, and yet Arthur could see the subtle hints of the masterful ether usage that had gone into its creation. It was obvious that Alyssia was trying to distract him from their predicament with object, but Arthur decided to humour her anyway. He was curious after all.


    ¡°So, what is that?¡± Arthur gave in and asked, almost laughing at the triumphant grin that briefly flashed across the Alverin woman''s face.


    ¡°Oh this,¡± she said, trying to act nonchalant and failing terribly. ¡°This is a storage bag from my village. My grandma made it for me on my nineteenth birthday using the pelt of a Dire wolf I managed to hunt.¡± She tossed it over to him and Arthur almost felt his heart drop.


    It was only a mixture of his high agility and perception that he was able to catch the item that was no doubt a priceless artefact. He identified it.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">Bag of holding (Rare)- A masterful creation limited only by the weak materials that went into its creation. Contains thirty cubic feet of storage space.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur whistled appreciatively when he read the item''s description, some of his earlier worry disappearing. So this was where all their food was.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that the government let you keep something this valuable when they captured you.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have, would they,¡± Alyssia replied. ¡°If they had known about it, which thankfully they didn¡¯t. It¡¯s got a minor concealment enchantment woven into it which makes it invisible when you run ether through it.¡±


    ¡°Try it.¡±


    Arthur did so and was amazed when the small leather bag all but disappeared from his sight. It was like it ceased to exist, and Arthur would have probably thought as much if he couldn¡¯t feel its slight weight resting on his palm.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty nifty if useless enchantment,¡± Alyssia explained. ¡°Anyone with even an average control of ether would be able to see through it. Thankfully, everyone on your planet is abysmal with the one source.¡±


    ¡°I still remember how my grandma reacted when I asked her for that specific enchantment.¡± Alyssia¡¯s voice took on a wistful nostalgic edge, and Arthur could see that she was reliving the fonder memories of her past. After all, he too used to spend so much of his time reminiscing.


    ¡°She called me an idiot. Why have an invisible bag when you could have one that was sturdier and more durable? Especially when the invisibility function was practically obsolete. That''s what my gran was all about. Practically.¡± Alyssia said quietly. ¡°Who would¡¯ve known it would one day be so useful.¡±


    They sat in companionable silence for a while after Alyssia¡¯s statement, the Alverin woman perfectly content to remain silent, Arthur because he had no idea what to say.


    ¡°I guess this solves our food problems, but I still don¡¯t get how we¡¯re supposed to get out of this illusion and complete this layer. Do we have to brute force it or something?¡± Arthur finally asked, unable to reign in his curiosity any longer.


    Alyssia sighed, opening her eyes slowly. She seemed to have started dozing off. ¡°Questions, questions, questions. It¡¯s always questions with you Arthur, isn¡¯t it,¡± she grumbled. ¡°I was just about to get into a meditative state.¡±


    ¡°Think Arthur, use your head. This locus of power is restricted to those under level 200. We are not average people. We''re practically overqualified. That means anything it throws at us should be within our ability to handle.¡±


    She took a deep breath.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m being unfair. I sometimes forget that your planet just evolved with how strong you already are,¡± Alyssia apologised. ¡°I''m sorry. The knowledge I take for granted isn¡¯t yet known in your world. I will not presume things again.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head slowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Really. I should¡¯ve waited for you to wake up before disturbing you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alyssia interjected. ¡°It was a mistake. One I will not make again. I only ask that in the future, you remember that I am not an endless reservoir of information. Some answers, you will have to seek yourself. And I apologise in advance if I get waspish again because of your questions. Seeking knowledge is a noble thing. Don''t let my foul mood stop you from asking about things.


    Arthur once again nodded his head.


    ¡°To answer you, yes, there are ways to break out of an illusion. Brute force being one of them.¡± Alyssia paused for a moment. ¡°That isn¡¯t a method we¡¯re strong enough to try though. Not even you, with the absurd titles you have. The backlash is something that will leave you bedridden for days, and we can''t waste time like that. It''ll be a last resort,¡± she morbidly explained.


    ¡°So what do we do?¡±


    Alyssia smiled at him.


    ¡°You remind me of Artemo. My little brother is always so impatient too. Maybe I should introduce you. He¡¯s been bugging me to no end to meet the healer who saved him lately.¡± she teased.


    When she saw that it didn¡¯t have any effect on Arthur, she looked down and mumbled something under her breath, too fast for him to catch it.


    Alyssia glanced back up at him. ¡°The illusions simple really.¡±


    ¡°We just have to ignore it.¡±


    Damn, that was so helpful.

 Chapter 93- Acknowledging Problems

    ¡°We ignore it¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time Alyssia hadn¡¯t made any sense. ¡°What do you mean ignore it? How the hell do you even ignore an illusion?¡± Not for the first time since meeting the dimensional traveller, Arthur wondered if his myriad tongues skill had mistranslated things.


    ¡°Remember what I said, Arthur. The locus is restricted to those under level 200,¡± Alyssia explained. ¡°That means the illusions on this layer are weak. Almost non-existent actually, like background noise that¡¯s just there,¡± she explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s subtly is what makes it so dangerous in the first place. It''s taken what''s here already and omitted certain details from us. Nothing much. Just the signs of a hoofprint, or a pile of faeces.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head. He was starting to figure out what Alyssia meant when she said they should simply ignore the illusion.


    ¡°So what you''re saying, is basically that since we know that the visual stimulus our brains receive is being tampered with, it will be more difficult for the illusion to affect us,¡± Arthur said as he tried to understand if such a thing would even work.


    It¡¯s probably done using light magic, Arthur thought. If you can control how it reflects and refracts, you can basically control what people see.


    Possibilities and ideas started racing through Arthur''s head. His eyes had been opened to the endless possibilities of using illusions. I mean, using water magic to control how light refracts through it and a bit of shadow magic to affect someone''s perception of depth, I can basically do the same thing that¡¯s going on here, Arthur excitedly realised. It would probably take him a decade or two of work, or maybe a rank up in the respective skills, but it was definitely possible.


    In Arthur''s excitement, he had completely forgotten about Alyssia, who was looking at him with a blank expression on her face.


    ¡°Uhm, yeah. I have no idea what you just said, at least I hope not,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°I was thinking more along the lines of ¡®now that we know it¡¯s here, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time till it ceases to affect us all together,¡± Alyssia explained.


    ¡°I will under no circumstance, start stimulating you to help us break out of this illusion,¡± she said with a stern expression on her face. ¡°Why the hell would you even think having sex will get us out of here.¡±


    Arthur¡¯s face immediately reddened as Alyssia mumbled something under her breath. He couldn¡¯t quite catch all of it, but the little he did was enough for him to want the ground to swallow him. Something along the lines of horny teenagers being too bold nowadays.


    What the fuck is wrong with my myriad tongues skills, he internally complained. First my aura, now this. Its description was definitely misleading. It wasn¡¯t a ¡®little flawed,¡¯ the goddamn skill needed to be broken and completely rebuilt from scratch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you heard,¡± Arthur began, ¡°But I wasn¡¯t suggesting we have sex or anything,¡± he then went on to explain exactly what he had meant, describing in detail the principles on which light operated.


    He had no doubt that most of what he said went right over Alyssia¡¯s head, but Arthur at least wanted to try and clear out the air and settle the misunderstanding a little. It didn¡¯t seem to have worked, however, as Arthur overheard her mumbling under her breath suspiciously loud and clear enough for him to hear, almost like it was intentional.


    ¡°And now he¡¯s trying to deny his earlier advances. Maybe he really is a spineless coward.¡±


    Arthur was just about to give up on the whole affair when Alyssia suddenly looked up at him with a wide smile on her face. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m just pulling your leg. I know you didn¡¯t say anything of the sort.¡± she chuckled. ¡°But really, you should see the expression on your face.¡±


    Arthur sighed wearily, as he felt some tension drain out of him. It seemed like first impressions were definitely the wrong impression. She wasn¡¯t some mature alien babe, she was an annoying little minx. Talking with her was just a disaster waiting to happen.


    Arthur took in a deep breath, and let it back out, closing his eyes to help him relax and calm down. After a minute had passed, he opened them again.


    ¡°So now that we¡¯ve gotten past your little JOKE, can you please tell me how long we¡¯ll have to wait for the illusion to stop affecting us.¡± He asked. ¡°A straight, simple answer, please. Nothing else.¡± He kept his tone as serious as possible.


    Alyssia responded by shrugging her shoulders dismissively.


    ¡°Hmmn.¡± After a few long seconds had passed. ¡°I dunno. Maybe an hour. Maybe ten.¡±


    Arthur felt like strangling her. She was more annoying than his sister had been. Arthur couldn¡¯t remember his sister getting on his nerves this much. Scratch that actually, she totally used to.


    Arthur once again took a calm steadying breath. Don¡¯t lose your shit. She probably gets off on people getting pissed off at her.


    ¡°So, Alyssia. Are you telling me you have absolutely no idea how long this will take,¡± he asked her now resting form. Like a cat, Alyssia had taken the opportunity to stretch out on the beautiful green grass to get some shut-eye as if it was completely normal to fall asleep with level 120 monsters a few meters away from her.


    She groaned something unintelligible in response to his question, stretching her arms out languidly.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°For someone with the aura of an apocalypse beast, you worry way too much Arthur,¡± Alyssia mumbled, turning her head to look at him through a half-lidded gaze. ¡°If I can¡¯t conquer this locus with YOUR help, then face it, no one on this planet can.¡±


    ¡°Well maybe that Kazi Alukai guy I saw through the illusion screens you humans are so fond of, but that man¡¯s a different breed altogether. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s even human actually." She shivered involuntarily despite the hot temperature within the grasslands.


    ¡°In the short time, I¡¯ve known you, Arthur, I¡¯ve come to learn that you underestimate yourself a lot. That''s the first thing we need to sort out about you.¡± Alyssia now had her full attention on him, her predatory yellow eyes reflecting the fake sunlight of the strange realm they were currently in.


    ¡°Whilst caution is a good trait to possess, you have far too much of it.¡±


    She turned over to lay on her side facing away from him.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t reign it in, it¡¯s going to limit your growth. Fear kills far more than arrogance.¡±


    ¡°Get some rest while you can. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have our work cut out for us when we wake up.¡±


    With that final statement, Alyssia became silent, and after a few minutes, the steady sound of her breathing told Arthur that the woman had somehow fallen asleep. It amazed him how carefree the woman could be in such a dangerous and unknown environment, but he couldn¡¯t really pay any attention to it.


    He was preoccupied with the final words she¡¯d told him. ''You¡¯re too cautious. Fear kills far more than arrogance.¡¯ Her words were few, and yet they rang true like a bell. Arthur begrudgingly admitted that Alyssia had a point. No matter how much he might try to deny it, Arthur knew that Alyssia was right.


    He couldn¡¯t defend himself. For want of a better word, since the arrival of the system on Earth almost a month ago, Arthur had been a pussy. Even with all the absurd titles and advantages he knew he had over everyone else, he had shied away from combat and confrontation.


    Like his initial decision to work in the hospital instead of going out and fighting. Sarah had suggested it, and while it sounded great on paper- a perfect opportunity to level his skills to unlock a greater class- Arthur knew deep down that his choice hadn¡¯t been made on such a rational line of thinking.


    There had been so many better ways to use his time if he¡¯d put his mind to it, like training his shadow magic and combat abilities. He could''ve learned healing magic that way too with the injuries he suffered.


    But there was a reason why he hadn¡¯t and there was a reason why he still shied away. Arthur started to introspect, and he recalled the words Alyssia had used to describe his unique aura. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d commented on it, and it probably wouldn¡¯t be the last. Others had also complained about it when he was working at the hospital. The reason why he had such a great advantage over others. The reason why he was so much stronger than he had any right to be.


    An apocalypse beast. The shadow panther.


    It terrified him.


    To this day, every time he thought of that monster, it still scared him shitless. The terror it had inspired inside him was something that no other monster had since, and he doubted that any ever would. It was a special encounter, and only an absurd amount of luck had seen him through it alive.


    It hadn¡¯t just scared him. It still did.


    A nightmare that still haunted him to this day every time he closed his eyes. Arthur¡¯s encounter with the shadow panther had been just that. A simple encounter, and whilst he had neared death during it, it didn¡¯t really explain the irrational sense of fear he still felt for the beast.


    One that had only recently been able to classify.


    An apocalypse.


    Arthur took a steadying breath, a little surprised as to how unnerved he was by just remembering the panther. Almost like¡­


    Wait, is its shadow magic still affecting me? No, Arthur shook his head. He was just making excuses now. No matter how powerful an apocalypse beast may be, the feline that Arthur had killed had only been level 11. Arthur refused to believe that the baby monster had been so powerful. It was impossible.


    No, he was just a coward, through and through. Maybe it was because of the loss of his sister or it was caused by some other form of repressed trauma that Arthur had forgotten, but at the end of the day, all that mattered was that he needed to change.


    Fast. Or else he wouldn''t be able to survive the chaos Earth was to become. Whilst the danger would be great, it also meant that unique opportunities to grow would be present. He had to be ready to make the most of them. Arthur looked over to Alyssia to see that she was still asleep. Judging by her uninterrupted steady breathing, it didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d wake up any time soon.


    The storm walkers that had been following them for so long seemed to have lost interest in the pair now that they were lying down doing nothing, and only two of the beasts remained in the vicinity, the rest having wandered off without Arthur even realising it.


    I guess they don¡¯t run faster than the speed of sound for no reason, he thought wryly. Arthur hadn¡¯t heard anything from the creature''s departure. Not even a sonic boom, which Arthur could only attribute to some magic fuckery. Either that or physics just didn¡¯t work the same way in this place.


    The fake sun was still high in the sky, and yet it had grown steadily dimmer throughout their journey in this place, the shadows cast by the hills slightly longer and the hot temperature a little cooler. It looked like the sun here still followed some rules, whatever they were and it appeared that night wasn¡¯t too far away.


    Maybe Alyssia had the right idea going to sleep, Arthur thought to himself. It seemed like the locus was created with rest in mind for the challengers. Arthur sincerely doubted that anyone could complete all three of its layers without taking a break. Not whilst being below level 200.


    Whilst Arthur didn¡¯t know much about Hercules, the little he did told him that the trials in this place would be anything but easy. Son of Zeus, the master of Olympus, son of God and mortal, Hercules, the hero who defied all conventions. The trendsetter for all who came after him.


    And you''re just Arthur Ward, a man trying to play God, a little voice told him in the back of his head, but he silenced it quickly before it got out of hand. Maybe he couldn¡¯t compare to the real dead. Maybe he was just a fraud.


    But one day, Arthur promised himself, someone would walk into a locus of power and face The Trials of Arthur Ward. He¡¯d become a legend, and if he died trying, then he¡¯d just come back. He already had once, and his twice-lived title seemed to be in need of an upgrade.


    Still, despite all his attempts at hyping himself up, Arthur was still afraid. But he wasn¡¯t terrified, which was a start. To conquer your fears, you had to face them, or at least that was something Arthur had once heard somewhere. Maybe it was Mathew. He always came out with cringy shit like that.


    But Arthur had acknowledged his problem. And he would fix it one step at a time.


    When he finally managed to get to sleep, the stalking panther didn¡¯t haunt him. For the first time in a while, his aura calmed down. It almost became tranquil, only surging here and there occasionally when his dreams took a strange turn.


    A few hours later, Alyssia woke up and looked at the sleeping form of her saviour. He almost looks cute, even though he looks like he¡¯s got a weird skin disease. So pale, like milk from a cow''s tits, she thought to herself. He looked calm, almost happy, and Alyssia observed the changes that had taken place in Arthurs''s aura.


    It still felt bad, like a wounded animal that had curled up into itself, but it had lost its bleeding edge. Not the greatest improvement, but it was a start.


    Alyssia smiled.


    Maybe Dad was right. I¡¯d make a good therapist

 Chapter 94- Bhai Giya

    Arthur woke up to the smell of Alyssia cooking something. The Alverin woman had somehow managed to start a fire, and she was currently using a metal spoon to stir the contents of the wrought iron pot she had roasting over it. At least that''s what Arthur thought the items were made of. Knowing Alyssia, it could have been anything.


    Sitting up, Arthur looked into the cooking pot to see that it contained a strange-looking red soup. It surprisingly smelt appetising, if a little on the spicy side, Arthur''s nose was already smarting from a single whiff.


    ¡°Oh, you''re finally awake. I was wondering when you¡¯d come out of Vishura''s realm. They must have been some nice dreams.¡± She smirked at him. ¡°You kept moaning ¡®stop it,¡¯ but it didn''t sound like you wanted things to stop.¡±


    Artur ignored Alyssia''s teasing. He was gradually getting used to the alien''s annoying sense of humour, even if he ended up being the but of every one of her jokes.


    ¡°What is it you''re cooking?¡± He instead asked. ¡°Don''t tell me that red colour is all from chillies.¡± Arthur was quickly becoming certain that it was indeed the case here, his nose was actually hurting now.


    ¡°Oh, this,¡± Alyssia said with a wide smile on her face. ¡°It''s my little brother''s favourite dish, so I thought you¡¯d enjoy it too being the child you are. I did of course adjust the amount of chillies I normally use so your inferior taste buds could handle it, The tasteless slop you humans eat,¡± she mumbled loud enough for Arthur to hear.


    ¡°And the travesty you call cheese. You¡¯d rather drink milk straight out of a cow''s tits. Is that why you''re so white? Too much rotten milk?¡±


    Arthur once again ignored Alyssia''s insulting comments on the human species. He¡¯d gotten used to it in the short time he¡¯d spent with her. Every third sentence she said seemed to be a barbed comment against humanity, and Arthur wasn¡¯t sure anymore if she actually meant what she said or not. Arthur shivered when he felt a cold wind blow against his skin. It turned out that The Locus of power regulated temperature in the same way Earth''s atmosphere did, and currently, the chill of the night had set in. Even with his absurd 698 points of constitution, the cold was not at all pleasant to endure, even if it¡¯d probably take the minus hundreds before it started to affect him.


    ¡°Oh yeah, the illusions not affecting me anymore by the way. It stopped about an hour ago, so it should probably be the same for you, even though you are half my level. Your attribute totals are probably already higher than mine.¡± Alyssia complained loudly, pulling out two bowls from her storage bag.


    Arthur hadn¡¯t really checked to see how the grasslands of crystal water looked under cover of night, but now that Alyssia had mentioned the failure of the illusion, he glanced around to see if the landscapes had changed. It took his breath away. His perception stat meant that the little amount of light given out by the false moon in the sky was more than enough for Arthur to see everything in perfect clarity.


    It was beautiful.


    The lakes of water that had given their layer of the locus its name were glowing with luminescence as if they contained some ethereal magic, They probably did, and Arthur put bringing some out of this place with him onto his to-do list. He¡¯d probably find some use for it when he finally started learning proper alchemy from Mira. The hilly land looked the same as it had during the day. That was to say that it still looked picturesque and amazing. It was only upon clear inspection, that Arthur saw the effects of the illusions of the uplifting.


    The original magic''s subtlety meant that he almost didn¡¯t notice that it was gone, which was frightening, to say the least. Just how long would it have taken him to realise it, if Alyssia hadn¡¯t pointed it out to him?


    ¡°You can see the horse shit now, can¡¯t you.¡± Alyssa''s blunt words cut through his inner reverie like a hot knife through butter, and the magic of the moment swiftly departed like it was never there to begin with. Arthur sighed in resignation, turning around to accept the hot bowl of soup Alyssia offered him. He wouldn¡¯t be experiencing any magical moments with this battle maniac around, of that he was certain.


    ¡°Gee, who would¡¯ve guessed a horse shat that much,¡± he replied sarcastically.


    The food bowl in his hands was steaming with heat, so he decided to wait for it to cool a little before eating it. Maybe the fact his eyes were already watering from being in close proximity to the soup played a factor in his decision-making too. He wasn¡¯t quite prepared to check whether or not you could lose health from eating absurdly spicy food.


    ¡°Stop being a little girl and just eat it,¡± Alyssia said with a spoon in her mouth. She¡¯d somehow already managed to finish half her bowl. ¡°The lack of spice surprisingly doesn¡¯t detract from the flavour, to be honest, I might actually prefer it like this,¡± she said with her eyes closed, an expression of rapture on her face as she savoured her cooking.


    ¡°You humans might actually be into something with your bland food.¡±


    The look of bliss on the Alverin woman''s face finally persuaded Arthur to have a taste. Tentatively, he raised the wooden spoon to his lips, blowing briefly on the soup before quickly gulping it down. His eyes widened in surprise. What the hell did she put in this? It made the most expensive restaurants he''d eaten at look like garbage in comparison. Alyssia looked appreciatively at him whilst he rapidly wolfed down the rest of the stew, like a starved animal that hadn¡¯t eaten in weeks. Before he¡¯d even finished, Alyssia was ready with a ladle to refill his bowl. It was only when he finished his fourth, that he felt sufficiently satisfied. He couldn¡¯t eat more no matter how much he might want to, his stomach stuffed to full capacity.


    Nothing he¡¯d ever eaten before could even come close to resembling the taste of Alyssia¡¯s cooking, not even his favourite dish from childhood. It was like everything he¡¯d tasted before was fake or his tastebuds hadn¡¯t been working properly his entire life. Alyssia, of course, had a very self-satisfied expression on her face, almost smug, but Arthur couldn¡¯t really say anything.


    She had every right to act any way she wanted after serving up her godly cooking. Just when Arthur thought nothing else could surprise him, he received a notification from the system. It was the first one he¡¯d received in a while and Arthur couldn¡¯t keep the shock off his face when he read it. This is a joke, right? There¡¯s no way. The system must be fucking with me. Her food''s really that good?


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    You have consumed fresh Firefox stew (uncommon) Health, Ether and Stamina regeneration will be enhanced by 5% for the next twenty minutes.


    ¡°You finally received the notification.¡± Alyssia¡¯s voice was literally dripping with self-satisfaction. ¡°Apparently the system says I¡¯ve got a rank Rare general skill for cooking at level 11.¡± Alyssia nodded her head sadly and then ruined it by saying, ¡°I wonder what my grandma would register as. I don¡¯t think the system would even be able to grade it. Her food actually makes you stronger the first time you eat it.¡±


    Arthur was gobsmacked. You could get a skill for cooking! How the hell did you even use ether whilst preparing food though? In all honesty, Arthur shouldn¡¯t have been so surprised, and yet the concept of magic cooking, and more importantly, Alyssia being the chef, seemed too outlandish to be true. He was so shocked in fact, that he ignored the existence of stat-giving food and classified it as something of secondary importance, which of course it was when compared to the fact that the annoying idiot Alyssia was a God of the culinary field.


    It took him a few minutes to calm down from the experience of consuming, to date, the best cuisine of his entire life. After five minutes of silence had passed, Arthur finally addressed the most important issue. ¡°Can you teach me how to cook,¡± He hadn¡¯t even finished phasing his question, when Alyssia interrupted him with a firm, ¡°No, I won''t, can¡¯t teach you how to cook?¡± She spoke without any hesitation, immediately telling Arthur that the secrets to the Firefox stew would remain, just that, secrets.


    Alyssia hadn¡¯t been so adamant in her refusal even when Arthur had asked her more personal questions regarding her family, which meant that cooking was a no-go area for some reason.


    "There are traditions of the Alverin that have existed since the dawn of my species'' creation that even I must honour. This cooking was taught to me by my mother, who was taught by her mother and so on. It''s something that has passed through hundreds of generations, skills and techniques unique to every family.¡± She smiled weakly at him. ¡°No matter how much I may want to teach you, I won¡¯t abandon the traditions of thousands of years just because I¡¯m in another dimension. I really am sorry but-¡±


    Arthur interrupted her with a raised hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, really, it is.¡± He said, ¡°You''re under no obligation to teach me anything, never mind something with so much sentimental value. You''re doing enough for me as it is.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Alyssia looked genuinely surprised. ¡°I thought you would invoke ¡®Tasha¡¯ and demand I teach you as payment for your favours upon me.¡±


    Arthur shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not even going to pretend I understood that,¡± he began, ¡°But human culture is very different to Alverin. I don¡¯t know what this so-called Tasha law is, but you don¡¯t owe me anything Alyssia. Really, you don''t .¡±


    Alyssia looked like she was about to protest his claim, but Arthur powered on and continued speaking.


    ¡°You''ve told me about my shortcomings a lot in the past few days. Thank you for that, but I think it''s time for me to return the favour a little. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ll have to tell you this, but you really don''t owe me anything. I already received compensation from the government for my healing services, and I already feel like I¡¯m taking advantage of you. We''ll never be able to cultivate a healthy relationship if this imagined favour is always hanging over your head.¡± Arthur sighed before continuing.


    "I respect that your culture attaches so much weight to these things. It''s a good trait, great even, but I''m sure even you''ve realised by now that it''ll poison this friendship of ours. It''s always at the back of your mind, tinging every interaction you have with me."


    "So I guess this is a fresh step forward. If it''s truly a big deal, then I formally revoke any rights I may have over you and I won''t hold it against you if you want nothing to do with me after this locus. What do you say, then? Forget the past and let''s move on without it hanging over us."


    Saying these things was incredibly difficult for Arthur. It was quite possibly one of the cringiest conversations he''d ever had but he felt that it had to be done. Alyssia was oddly formal with certain things and if he had to reciprocate that formality for her to take him seriously, it was the least he could do.


    Alyssia looked at him with a serious expression on her face, and there was a glint in her eye that he¡¯d never seen before. She seemed to be having an internal debate on an issue, and Arthur noticed the moment she came to a decision when the lines of tension on her forehead faded away. "Maybe the system isn¡¯t the only good thing that came out of coming to this dimension," she eventually said. ¡°I can¡¯t say much about your species, Arthur, but I¡¯m glad humans are not as hot-blooded as Alverins. I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t want to claim ¡®Tasha¡¯. It isn¡¯t always a pleasant affair.¡± Alyssia shuddered involuntarily.


    Arthur wasn¡¯t sure what this ¡®Tasha¡¯ thing was about, but he inferred that it meant something along the lines of indentured servitude, and Arthur could think up a number of ways such a contract could be abused off the top of his head.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t just let this debt of mine hang between us, no matter what you might say about it,¡± Alyssia said in a tone that brooked no argument. She took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided I want us to become Bhai Giya,¡± Alyssia said the last words like they carried the weight of the world, and she looked at him expectantly as if he was supposed to react in a specific way.


    When Arthur just looked at her in confusion, Alyssia coughed in embarrassment.


    ¡°Oh right, I forgot, you probably have no idea what I¡¯m talking about, do you,¡± she scratched her head, a nervous habit of hers, Arthur had come to realise, and continued speaking, ¡°A loose translation for it would be bosom friends, or maybe brothers in arms, or sisters.¡±


    ¡°Anyway to put it into simple terms, it¡¯s basically another ancient tradition of the Alverin race. A way to form friendships where before, there existed none.¡±


    ¡°And you''re saying¡­ that you want to what¡­ form this Bhai Giya bond with me?¡± Arthur said slowly. ¡°Is it a contract or anything similar,¡± Arthur was obviously wary of anything binding that he didn¡¯t know the exact nature of, especially if it involved ether of any kind. But it didn¡¯t look like Alyssia had any ulterior motives here, and she didn¡¯t seem like the type to scheme and plot.


    Unless of course, everything till now was just an act to get him to lower his guard. His inner musings were stopped when Alyssia began to speak, ¡°No, it''s nothing like that.¡± Alyssia quickly said, ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s actually something usually formed in childhood between friends. Only one can be maintained at a time.¡± She paused for a moment, and looked down in embarrassment, and if Arthur wasn¡¯t mistaken, was she¡­ blushing!


    ¡°And I, you know,¡± she paused to take a deep breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t really have any friends back home,¡± she finally blurted out.


    Arthur couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that. The shy front Alyssia was currently showing was completely on the other side of the spectrum in comparison to her usual domineering personality.


    ¡°What, it¡¯s not funny,¡± she snapped. ¡°I¡¯m doing you a favour here you know. It¡¯s not like you have any friends either.¡± Arthur''s laughter only intensified after hearing that.


    ¡°Fine, if you think it''s hilarious, we don¡¯t have to do it. It''s not like it''ll help you control your ether better or anything, right? Or help you regulate your aura. That''s going swimmingly for you, isn¡¯t it? No need for a Bhai Giya bond to stop you from leaking like an old pot all over the place. I don¡¯t even know why I offered.¡±


    Arthur tried to calm himself down, wiping a tear from his eye.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m sorry. Really, I am.¡± He hastily apologised, ¡°You just reminded me of my past right now. Darker days when I had the EQ of an autistic child with ADHD, not that you¡¯d know what any of that is.¡±


    ¡°So, what is this Bhai Giya thing anyway? It sounds like it doesn''t have to be permanent, with the way you said only one could be maintained at a time.¡±


    "I''m guessing you can get new ones and overwrite the old, right? As long as I have a way out, I''m up for anything really. Especially if it''ll be as useful as you say."

 Chapter 95- Old Magic

    ¡°So, what is this Bhai Giya thingy anyway? It sounds like it doesn''t have to be permanent, with the way you said only one could be maintained at a time.¡± Arthur asked. "I''m guessing you can get new ones and overwrite the old, right? As long as I have a way out, I''m up for anything really. Especially if it''ll be as useful as you say."


    "It''s Bhai Giya. Not Bhai Giya thingy, just Bhai Giya, you insufferable bastard,¡± Alyssia angrily snapped.


    She was mortified. Here, she was, offering a sacred ritual to this strange human, and the first thing he asked about was whether or not he could break it. Did he not realise how rude he was being? No, Alyssia, he doesn''t. He doesn''t understand how significant this ritual was in our culture. She tried to calm herself down. In her bout of rage, she''d almost missed what else Arthur had said. He was up for it!


    ¡°Wait, does that- does that mean you accept,¡± ¡°I mean why wouldn¡¯t you,¡± Alyssia quickly tried to cover her incredulous expression with one of nonchalance but wasn¡¯t altogether successful. Her excitement was as easy to read as a dog wagging its tail at the sight of food. She tried to calm herself down when she saw Arthur¡¯s smirk of amusement. Something about the young man¡¯s smile infuriated her. It resembled those worn by girls who had teased her in her childhood for being so boyish, and yet Alyssia couldn¡¯t detect any malicious intent behind it, almost as if Arthur was treating her JUSTIFIED reactions to his rude laughter as something minor and small.


    Calm down, calm down. Remember, he¡¯s human, she reminded herself once again. He doesn¡¯t understand how rude he¡¯s being right now. Despite her defence of Arthur''s crude behaviour, Alyssia couldn¡¯t quite quell the indignant feelings of embarrassed rage within her. He should be honoured I offered Bhai Giya. People have killed for less, Alyssia shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and focus on the situation at hand.


    ¡°You said I¡¯m leaking aura like an old pot?¡± Arthur asked, a single eyebrow raised in question. I¡¯ve always wanted to do that, Alyssia randomly noted. ¡°And you''re saying this Bhai Giya will help me stop that?¡± Arthur¡¯s voice sounded a little sceptical, almost as if he didn¡¯t believe what she¡¯d told him. Alyssia couldn¡¯t help it. She laughed in his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to tell you this without hurting your feelings Arthur, but frankly, your aura control is worse than a baby Thunder-Ducks.¡±


    ¡°And I once saw one knock itself out with it, which is quite literally impossible by the way. Those little buggers defy all the fundamental laws of reality,¡± she shuddered, ¡°They shouldn¡¯t even exist in the first place, and god help you if you meet one that managed to survive its stupidity till adulthood.¡±


    Arthur was a little confused at the moment, his eyebrow furrowed as he tried to understand the meanings of Alyssia¡¯s words. He was pretty certain his myriad tongues skill had mistranslated what she¡¯d just said. I mean what does my aura have anything to do with overcooked chicken. Or was it pheasant? And why did Alyssia seem so revolted by it? She¡¯s not a vegetarian or anything, or does the prospect of bad cooking really disgust her that much?


    It wouldn¡¯t be the strangest quirk Alyssia possessed. After all, the woman hated cheese, of all things. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna even pretend I understood anything that you just said, except the fact you hate bad food with a passion.¡± He shook his head in exasperation, mumbling under his breath. ¡°How was that even relevant to our conversation.¡±


    "So, about this ritual of yours. How exactly will it help me control my aura? No offence to you, but that monster was something else. I don''t think a bond with will do anything to help." He said.


    "Well, for starters, Bhai Giya brings a stabilising effect onto an individual''s soul," Alyssia answered. "It''s not something people normally take into consideration, but considering the nature of your personal issues, it''ll do you a world of good. People with the bond tend to have better aura control than normal folks. Not always, but enough that it''s been documented in our books. And yes, it doesn''t have to be permanent," She explained.


    ¡°There is something I''ve been curious about though," Alyssia continued. "Nightmares come with a little variation. They have a few subtle differences. I''ve analysed your aura, but I''m still not one hundred percent certain. Did the panther- did it have an aura that made life feel helpless? Like it no longer had any meaning?¡±


    Arthur nodded his head.


    Alyssia breathed out sharply, her heart''s rapid palpitation load and clear in Arthur¡¯s ears, enhanced as they were with 92 points of perception, which still made absolutely no sense to him scientifically. Not that anything had since the system''s arrival. It didn¡¯t really matter right now though, Alyssia looked like she might actually start panicking, for one reason or the other. Or was she just getting frustrated? He couldn''t quite tell. It took her an entire minute to bring her breathing under control, during which Arthur wondered what was so special about that particular aura to get Alyssia in such a twist.


    ¡°Arthur, you''re going to have to bear with me for a moment, but how the FUCK did this world already produce a primordial nightmare- a standard one is insane enough, but just... How?"


    "Actually forget that, You managed to kill it?¡± Her voice was oozing disbelief, the emotion so thick and evident, its presence was almost liquid.


    ¡°That''s impossible- no, I shouldn¡¯t be thinking like that when it comes to you.¡± She rubbed her temples, the muscles flexed in her forearms, the pressure she was exerting on her skull enough to crush a coconut. That must be a killer headache, Arthur thought.


    ¡°So what level was it, again? I can''t remember if you told me.¡±


    ¡°Eleven.¡±


    ¡°And you were?¡±


    ¡°Level one.¡±


    The Alverin woman started to laugh, a low chuckle that quickly developed to hysteric proportions, until Arthur started to wonder if Alyssia would pass out from a lack of oxygen. She wiped tears from her eyes and looked back at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you''re lucky or unlucky. What you did, should frankly be¡­¡± she paused for a moment. ¡°Possible actually, now that I think about it. Extremely unlikely, but definitely within the realms of probability.¡± She sighed in resignation and shook her head in dazed amazement, mumbling something under her breath far too fast for Arthur¡¯s under-levelled myriad tongue skill to translate.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "My initial predictions may have been a little off. Mastering your aura will be far harder than just fixing up your soul. But the rewards you''ll reap when you finally do will be quite the sight to see. Primordial Nightmares are feared across the cosmos for the despair their coming heralds."


    ¡°That being said, it explains why the title you gained is so abnormally strong. You faced a monster most veterans would flee from, and somehow best it in combat. The fact that it was only a baby doesn''t detract from that accomplishment.¡± She smiled, her eyes twinkling. ¡°You should be proud of yourself. You saved the lives of millions by killing the beast before it could grow into It¡¯s a force to be reckoned with, and I¡¯m sure that must have been difficult at level one.¡±


    That¡¯s an understatement Arthur thought to himself, but chose to remain silent. Alyssia¡¯s praise, though Arthur didn¡¯t want to admit it, made him feel a lot better than he had in a long time, and he didn¡¯t want to ruin his few moments of happiness by running his mouth. It gave him a strange sense of pride, that his difficult battle was being acknowledged, not by a human whom his actions had no doubt saved, but by an alien from a land so far away, that the distance couldn¡¯t even be measured.


    He hadn¡¯t had a choice when he fought the shadow panther, or rather, it had been his only choice, but it was something he could be proud of. His reverie was interrupted when Alyssia suddenly knelt on the ground, almost as if she was praying at an altar. She had a solemn expression on her face, one completely at odds with her usual joyful countenance. Arthur didn¡¯t know how, why or even what he was doing, but the the next thing he knew, he too was kneeling in front of Alyssia, his eyes resting on the crown of her head, and then downwards to meet her own gaze. She looked vulnerable.


    ¡°You have many secrets, your powerful aura, your incredible healing skills, your absurd physical capabilities.¡±


    She smirked at him. "Even if I''ve figured most of them out. They were supposed to be secrets.


    ¡°You have many secrets,¡± she repeated, once again solemn. ¡°But so too do I.¡±


    The eyes were the windows of the soul, at least that¡¯s what Arthur had been told, and yet as he looked into Alyssia, he couldn¡¯t think of any falser words that had ever been spoken. They were fathomless, alien¡­ animals. He couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of what the person behind them was thinking. If eyes were indeed the windows to the soul, then Alyssia¡¯s were in need of a spring cleaning with how opaque they were, or maybe it was Arthur who was simply blind.


    She took a deep breath and let it out, centring herself. If she was doing this, she¡¯d do it properly. It was the least Alyssia could do, to honour a tradition as old as the alverin themselves. Maybe older. The origin of Bhai Giya was one lost to time, and if any of the elders in her village knew of it, they kept it to themselves. Alyssia could feel her heart rapidly palpitating in her chest.


    Fear. Confusion. Weariness. Excitement. She took a deep calming breath, entering the meditative state her grandmother had taught her. It wasn¡¯t necessary, but the familiar feeling of ambient ether blanketing her helped her calm down. She closed her eyes for the span of ten heartbeats and then opened them again, to look at the strange man known as Arthur Ward. A man whose presence in her life had changed everything. When Alyssia finally spoke, her voice sounded nothing like her usual self, almost as if she was calling out from within a cave buried within the earth.


    ¡°Arthur Ward, you don¡¯t entirely trust me right now and that feeling is reciprocated. But the little I do know of you tells me that you are an honourable man, and I hope you feel the same about me.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head, though he wasn¡¯t sure how much of it Alyssia saw, what with her eyes glowing with an eerie yellow luminescence. He didn¡¯t know much about Alyssia, but he liked her anyway, which was all that mattered to Arthur Ward.


    ¡°Bhai Giya is not binding in any way. It isn¡¯t much of anything, and yet it is everything.¡± Alyssia laughed. ¡°I¡¯m only repeating what my mother told me. I¡¯m not sure she understood it, and neither do I.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°What I do understand, however, is what Bhai Giya represents. It¡¯s friendship, companionship and trust. It means I have your back in everything, from life and death combat to getting you a suitable mate, and it means I can expect the same from you.¡±


    Her eyes were fixed on his, fixed with determination and resolve, no traces of the earlier vulnerability present.


    ¡°Do you accept?¡±


    Arthur took a while to ponder the question and all the implications it might have, even though he already knew what his answer would be. In the end, it all boiled down to whether or not he wanted Alyssia as a friend. A simple question to which he had a simple answer.


    Yes.


    It didn¡¯t matter if this Bhai Giya pact used Ether to reinforce the bond in some bizarre way or anything and as long as it wasn¡¯t intrusive, then he was perfectly fine with it.


    ¡°Yes, Alyssia. I accept your Bhai Giya.¡±


    Maybe it was a little too formal, but Arthur felt that such a momentous occasion needed at least this much professionalism. Though Alyssia¡¯s low chuckle told him that he¡¯d definitely used the word in the wrong way. She reached out and grasped his forearms in her small hand, her fingers unable to fully circle it.


    ¡°Thank you, Arthur Ward.¡±


    Her voice too, was formal. She began to squeeze his arm, first so softly that Arthur could barely perceive the sensation, and then strong enough that it actually began to hurt, even through his considerable constitution.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Arthur,¡± she whispered.


    Unsure if he was doing the right thing, he copied Alyssia¡¯s actions and clenched her much smaller forearms in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not so weak. Put a little strength into it.¡± Arthur complied and brought his full 122 attributes of strength to bear, pitifully low as it was. That was when everything changed. He was no longer in the locus of power, or anywhere on Earth for that matter. He was in a forest filled with trees of giant magnitude, towering hundreds of meters into the sky. The massive trees instilled a sense of calm in him, and he felt at home under their vast shadows.


    The scenery suddenly changed and he was now in a massive hall. Everything was blurry, the details washed out like he was viewing it through half-lidded eyes. A baby started crying and it took him a moment to realise that the noise was coming from his mouth. The scene changed again, and again, and again, each of them shorter than the last, until he could only feel the emotions they inspired in him, or rather, had inspired in Alyssia.


    Arthur realised he was viewing snippets of the world from her perspective. Happiness. Excitement. Joy. Anger. Frustration. Anticipation. A teenage crush. Anger. Contentment. Loss. And finally, a sense of inadequacy so crushing it left the world enshrouded in darkness, as she could do nothing but wait and watch as her brother wasted away from an injury she should have prevented.


    The Ether within the Locus began to act in strange ways, but neither of its two challengers were proficient enough in its usage to notice. It swirled and twisted through the air, almost as if it was dancing as it bore witness to the ancient tradition taking place.


    The experience was over as soon as it began, though it felt like an eternity had passed. Arthur wasn''t surprised to find tears staining his cheeks, and he couldn''t help but mirror the grin Alyssia was giving him, her own cheeks positively drenched. That tracked. She''d experienced a little of his past too, he was certain. He¡¯d been one hell of a depressed kid.


    The system had no notifications to give either of them, the Bhai Giya a ritual far older and more subtle than anything the system was designed to interpret. The serenity of the moment was of course ruined the moment Alyssia decided to open her mouth.


    "Wipe that grin off your face, you buffoon." She smirked. "You''re family now, and I''ll be damned if I let you leak your secrets all over the place with your terrible aura control."


    "We''ve got plenty of time on this layer since these horses aren''t aggressive. It''s finally time to get this show on the road."

 Chapter 96- Aura Control

    Arthur was taking a break, his feet resting inside one of the crystal lakes that had given this layer its name. The water was both cool and soothing and possessed properties that helped relax the mind. At least that¡¯s what identify had told him, a skill he still needed to upgrade.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">Elysium waters (Uncommon)- Water that has a soothing effect on the mind. Used in many alchemical procedures. Note- This water is only a replica of the real thing.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The item¡¯s description raised so many questions, though Arthur didn¡¯t let it concern him. Knowing whether or not the Greek mythological paradise existed would not help him with his task in any way. He¡¯d been at it for days now and was halfway through his third, yet his progress left a lot to be desired. Alyssia had told him to expect such slow results due to his explosive aura growth and strength, but it didn¡¯t really make him feel any better. Arthur sighed, closing his eyes as he tried to enter the meditative state Alyssia had taught him. It sounded suspiciously like yoga and was the only thing Alyssia had taught him that he¡¯d excelled at.


    The only thing period.


    Something about letting him try things on his own first before she decided to tutor him personally. Apparently aura control was always taught like this in her home world. People came up with unconventional methods when they didn''t know what they were supposed to do. Enough techniques had come out of that, some of them revolutionary, that it had become standard procedure to teach like this.


    Meditation was... well, not bad. He was a professional at ignoring his problems and pretending like they didn¡¯t exist, definitely not the correct way of going about it, but the method worked for Arthur. And if it wasn¡¯t broken, he didn¡¯t need to fix it.


    You''re base existence is as a soul. Strip away all the excess, and that''s what you are. Everything on the system, from your stats and skills to your titles is a numerical intuitive representation of your soul. That¡¯s why you might notice your physical appearance changing with your status, nothing too drastic, but enough that you notice something.


    Arthur mulled over Alyssia¡¯s words for the hundredth time. It was all stuff he''d already figured out, but hearing it put succinctly into words helped confirm things. There was probably so much more to it than Alyssia had told him, or probably even knew herself. If the soul and the body were so intrinsically linked, it reminded Arthur how impossible his dreams had been. Rize had been dead for around seven months now, which meant that decay and decomposition had already started. Even taking True Soul death out of the equation, her soul would have decayed far beyond repair.


    Arthur quickly put a stop to that line of thinking. Breathe. Focus on breathing. In and out, in and out. Nothing but the flow of oxygen into his lungs and through his bloodstream. The release of carbon dioxide. These problems and worries were beyond his scope of control and there was nothing he could do about it now. The issue with Rize¡¯s soul being irrevocably damaged was a non-factor now, in light of the things he now knew, and worrying about it would only serve a self-destructive purpose. Still, I wonder what I can do with my soul affinity. Healing souls should be possible, right? As long as they''re not dead at least. Except that he still hadn¡¯t been able to use a lick of soul magic. I need to fix my soul ASAP.


    In and out. In and out. He tried to picture his troubles falling off of him like leaves during autumn, except it turned out he was more an evergreen than a deciduous tree, his concerns and anxieties stubbornly clinging to him like blood-sucking leeches. His next steps in taking an axe to entire branches of his metaphysical sense of self were decidedly NOT the way to go, and he quickly lost the little bit of serenity he¡¯d managed to gain.


    ¡°For fucks sake!¡± He cursed, smashing his fist into the ground in frustration. His high physical stats in conjunction with the soft soil near the lake meant that his entire arm ended up buried in the mud due to his tantrum which only served to incense him further. Grumbling, he tried to pull his arm free but only ended up submerging his other from where he¡¯d used it to brace himself against the soft earth.


    He controlled himself.


    He breathed in. And out. No matter how much he might want to, destroying the ground he stood upon would do little to assist him with his task of learning to control his aura. One that had been troubling him since forming Bhai Giya with Alyssia 24 hours ago. Or was it 48? He''d lost track of time.


    Mostly due to the fact that Alyssia had been so ambiguous with her description of what he should be doing. Aura; a projection of your soul onto your surroundings, a feat that no one should be capable of until they gained a class unless they were specifically trained in the art like me. That''s what makes your aura so terrifying. If you can master it, one day it¡¯ll become your greatest strength. It sounded like great advice until you realised it told him absolutely nothing.


    That much Arthur could at least understand. Aura was basically a means of dominating your surroundings or more aptly, a way of claiming the space around you as your own. There was probably, no definitely so much more to auras, but this was all Alyssia had seen fit to tell him, asserting once again that telling him too much might hinder his natural training pace with preconceived notions. She had, however, told him that those sufficiently versed in aura usage, could read others and glean information from them and that Arthur was pretty much an open book currently that was being narrated by David Attenborough.


    The assignment Alyssia had tasked him with was apparently the most basic. Or as Alyssia had put it, Even a thunder-duck eventually figures this out. Well, it turned out that Arthur wasn¡¯t as skilled as a thunder-duck. No matter what he tried, he couldn¡¯t condense his aura, his every attempt at it so far resulting in nothing but failure and a throbbing headache.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    It¡¯ll probably take you years to truly master aura control, and we don¡¯t have time for that. That''s why you''re going to have to have to learn to control the distance your aura affects. The smaller and more condensed it is, the more difficult it¡¯ll be to read for others. Like jamming information on a smaller piece of paper. It gets scrambled. If you can bring it down to half a meter, you won''t have to worry much until you meet someone above level 200.


    Simple words and a simple explanation. The one thing it lacked was a description of how to get shit done. Whether by intention or not, Arthur wasn¡¯t too sure, Alyssia had all but disappeared since giving him his target. No matter how much he searched for the Alverin woman, he couldn¡¯t find her, only traces that she¡¯d been in the area in the remains of cookfires and a few footprints. Arthur finally managed to free himself from the earth''s grasp, through a combination of dexterity, technique and trial and error.


    Mostly trial and error, but what did the means matter when you got the result you desired? Arthur really needed to change the way he handled things. He lay down on the ground and closed his eyes, a meditative pose he found suited him far better than the uncomfortable seating position Chinese movies depicted monks meditating in. Sitting with his legs crossed in such a weird fashion was a surefire method to put them fast asleep.


    He opened his eyes and actively released the full potency of his aura, something that had become blessedly easy after the hundredth or so time. His first few attempts had only resulted in a splitting headache. This was something Arthur could at least say he now excelled in, and he marvelled at the nineteen meters his aura now covered, two more than his first successful attempt. Increasing his aura¡¯s coverage sadly, was the exact opposite of what he was trying to accomplish, though he did feel a tinge pride of in his progress.


    Arthur once again closed his eyes and attempted to compress his aura. If he was ever asked how such an experience felt, he¡¯d describe it as trying to reabsorb shit once it left the rectum, quite a colourful description and frankly just as difficult if not more so. It was like trying to fit a few gallons of water in a tiny mug, a literally impossible task without causing spillage to occur, and that was exactly what happened to Arthur''s aura.


    It compressed down to eighteen meters for a mere half second before exploding outwards to reach 20 meters and then returning to its standard 19-meter diameter. Arthur wiped the sweat of his brow with the back of his hand. Though his aura exertions had taken him a half minute, it left him exhausted in a way few physical tasks could. Like spending an all-nighter completing maths homework that contained more letters than numbers. Arthur sighed in exhaustion. This was his nine-hundredth and-thirty eighth attempt. His nine-hundredth-and-thirty-eighth failure, and no matter how positive he might try to be, it grated on him.


    Especially when he remembered Alyssia¡¯s smug face when she described her own prodigious advancement speeds in learning aura usage. She probably had an actual fucking teacher instead of the bullshit advice she left me with, Arthur cursed internally. ''It should feel natural. Just go with the flow,'' did not constitute proper teaching, and it was only the woman''s disappearance that kept him from throttling her. Albeit she hadn''t truly started teaching him yet.


    Arthur sat up and looked around at the scenery. Maybe he was taking too many breaks, but he doubted the missed time would affect his learning speed much. In fact, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get very far even if he dedicated an entire month to learning aura compression. It had reached a point where he was starting to think that Alyssia was messing with him. There was absolutely no way she could expect results from him in three days. Not when he was somehow getting worse as time went on.


    Getting to his feet, Arthur stretched languidly enjoying the blissful sensation of his spine popping into alignment. There were few things in the world as satisfying as cracking your back after a long time spent without movement. He strolled around the lake to get some blood flowing back into his legs as he thought of what he was doing so wrong. He had only one problem with his aura control, a simple one that he just couldn¡¯t work around.


    After so much time trying to master his aura, he had learnt to read it. Nowhere near as proficient of course as Alyssia who had spent years mastering the art, he could barely inspect his own aura, never mind anyone else''s, but he was proficient enough to figure out why he was struggling so much with his aura compression. His aura was a projection of himself. Within it, he could sense his strengths and weaknesses, his ability to manipulate water, his talents in the healing arts, and even his forcefully awakened shadow affinity, which was represented as a skulking trait that lay hidden within his aura¡¯s depths.


    But just as he was still unable to use soul magic, he was unable to sense its presence within his aura. In his sphere of perception, it appeared as a blank spot, an¡­ absence of something that he knew should be there but simply wasn¡¯t no matter how much he might try to find it. Without even being able to sense its presence, affecting it in any plausible way was simply impossible. He couldn¡¯t affect what his brain told him didn¡¯t exist, in spite of all his attempts at persuasion that it WAS indeed there. He couldn¡¯t deceive himself, it seemed, no matter how successful he might have been in doing so in the past.


    Things pertaining to the soul were inviolable in every sense of the word. For now at least. After attempting aura compression another two times, Arthur decided to give it a rest. He was getting nowhere, and his most recent attempt had caused a backlash that left him dizzy and kneeling for minutes. Alyssaia hadn¡¯t told him anything about an injury or permanent harm being a result of his specific training, but Arthur was pretty sure he¡¯d find a way to break all known conventions and somehow cripple himself if he continued any further with aura manipulation today.


    It was much better if Arthur used his time to learn how to use his magic properly, something he¡¯d actually had some success in, instead of continuing down this fruitless pursuit any longer. Sitting on the ground, Arthur clenched his left hand, forming a natural absence of light within its centre, a shadow like the first time he had used magic to inflict himself with an injury, Arthur drew on his ether reserves, and poured the ethereal energy into his shadow bomb skill, 248 to be exact, a number that had been proven through trial and error to be able to get through his absurd investments into constitution and not harm him too badly. Completing that skill was another thing on his to-do list. Arthur released his magic, and a localised shadow bomb exploded within his clenched fist. A blast that could crack concrete in a half-meter radius was only able to cut about a half-inch into his flesh. Wincing, Arthur opened up his hand to see the gory mess his spell had caused. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight, his entire palm crisscrossed with cuts that reached the bone in some places, a grizzly wound that would have probably made him faint from shock before the arrival of the system.


    As things currently were, he barely registered the pain it caused, a mere annoyance that hindered his focus a little. Getting to this point, however, had taken a long, long time. Arthur¡¯s smile was halfway between a grievance of pain and a smirk as he prepared himself once again to use some magic. It was time to do some regeneration. Without the system¡¯s assistance.

 Chapter 97- Ether Manipulation

    The first time Arthur tried to replicate the effects of skill without the system''s assistance hadn¡¯t gone too well, and his seventeenth attempt wasn¡¯t faring much better. That wasn¡¯t to say he hadn¡¯t made any progress at all, however. Unbeknownst to Arthur, his learning speeds, whilst not incredible, were far beyond average and the fact that he was progressing so fast all on his own without the aid of a teacher would annoy the wealthy parents throughout the universe who sent entire earldoms educating their spoilt children to no end.


    At first, Arthur had been a little afraid that the system may exile him for practising what might be considered unstructured magic, but the nigh omniscient creation truly had lifted the limiters since his unlocking of tier-two access. In fact, he was now pretty certain that such activity was encouraged throughout the wider multiverse.


    Concentrating, Arthur poured a tiny trickle of ether into his regeneration skill, barely enough to heal even the slightest of grazes, but healing wasn¡¯t his purpose here. He wasn''t too certain where his skills were located initially and it was only through Alyssia¡¯s description of the soul that he¡¯d realised that that was where the strange system of gifted skills resided.


    It was only after his first actual attempt trying magic without the system''s assistance that he fully appreciated what its creators had done when designing the ¡®safety boots¡¯ as Sir Ruffeus III had called them. Trying magic without them on was like flying a fighter jet when your only experience with vehicles of any kind was loading a truck with stock at your local retail store, an impossible task to say the least.


    Simply changing your ether into the correct affinity, something a skill did so fast and efficiently that Arthur had never thought to even question it, was a difficult undertaking in and of itself and it was the easiest part of the entire process. Arthur used all his perception to introspect and view his regeneration skill''s inner workings. Maybe he was just wasting time, but Arthur didn¡¯t want to stay reliant on the system forever. And more importantly, Arthur ENJOYED learning magic.


    He doubted anyone on Earth wouldn¡¯t.


    It didn¡¯t matter if he was going about learning it in the completely wrong way, it beat the splitting headaches aura manipulation always gifted him with. At least with this, he was getting somewhere. The healing skill that Arthur was trying to master was actually pretty simple. If it was due to the fact that it was a fairly low-rank skill, or because he managed to level it twice to reach the fifth level, Arthur was unsure. He¡¯d been unable to even observe his other skills no matter how much he tried, which was why he believed it was most likely due to his latter reasoning that he was able to do anything at all with his regeneration skill. He understood it a little better than his other skills.


    When put under scrutiny, the healing skill looked like a maze to his inner eye. Except that Arthur had learnt that it was so much more than that. The closest thing he could think of that resembled it was probably a sense of code, or maybe a machine created for a very specific function. Arthur observed his trickle of ether immediately became attuned to the healing element as soon as it entered the skill¡¯s structure.


    How Arthur wasn¡¯t sure, and he had no time to ponder over the conundrum as he observed the now attuned ether rapidly flow through the inner framework of the skill. Every pathway it flowed through changed it in a subtle way, every twist and turn altered its very nature, imparting it with instruction until the ether that left the skill fractal was fundamentally changed from the ether that had entered it. The energy had been given purpose, it was now bound to act in a specific way.


    Arthur directed the healing energy into the ground, wasting the minuscule amounts of ether that had been used for his observations. He took a deep breath and focused himself, entering a pseudo-meditative state as he mentally prepared himself for his latest attempt at unassisted magic. He didn¡¯t immediately draw on his ether reserves, instead taking out some time to isolate and identify the healing potential his ether inherently possessed. Arthur had come to learn that his ether did not come from any specific point within himself. Instead, his entire body, or perhaps his soul if he took into consideration that they were nigh identical mirrors of each other, generated the stuff until his body or rather, his ether reserves were topped off at full. All Arthur had to do, was change it to the relevent affinity without using a skill fractal to do so. He''d found that healing affinity ether was far easier to create than anything else.


    It wasn¡¯t for no reason that he found healing the easiest school of magic to use. His potential in it was followed by water, and then surprisingly soul magic, something he sadly still couldn''t use. Shadow affinity was the hardest to convert to, a completely normal result, given the fact that he had gained the affinity through absorbing a shadow panther¡¯s core. Though Arthur¡¯s eyes were closed, they were starting to hurt a little and he could feel the strain on them building the longer he observed the different ethers within his soul until it threatened to reach the levels of a full-blown headache.


    Arthur pushed through anyway. Grasping at the ether he''d managed to convert, he drew it to the surface, opening his eyes in the process. It wasn¡¯t exactly healing affinity ether yet per se, but it was the closest he could get it. The easy part of the job was done, and Arthur now had around 500 ether of questionable healing affinity to work with. The short task had left his brow drenched in sweat, despite it being the part of the process that required the least effort and Arthur dreaded the next few steps. Taking a deep breath, Arthur looked at the wound on his hand. The cuts were already starting to heal with his absurd health regeneration and any practice he might want had to be done in the next few minutes.


    He mentally catalogued everything that this particular healing would require, picturing a diagram of the anatomy of the human hand in his head. One particularly deep cut had cut halfway into the tendon that allowed the movement of his thumb, an injury that could have potentially been life-altering in the pre-system era. Now it was just annoying. Okay, first the tissue, then a healthy dosage of mitosis to regenerate any lost blood cells and finally some clean healing to make sure I don¡¯t scar.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The process was extremely simple as Arthur didn¡¯t need to worry too much about ACTUAL science with magic on his side and if he could rely on the system¡¯s assistance then the job would be done in a second or two. With his self-imposed restrictions, however, he could potentially be here for days before being ready to deal with the injury. A droplet of sweat made its way into his eyes, the momentary distraction making him lose control of a portion of his ether. He now only had 470 ether to work with, a mere tenth of which would normally be more than enough to deal with his cut palm.


    Okay, intelligence determines how much ether I have to work with and willpower is what helps me control it. A conclusion Arthur had come to a long time ago but never really appreciated until now. Willpower dictated his ability to impart instructions to his ether, or going by his own understanding of unstructured magic, his ability to code his ether to act a specific way.


    Or maybe he had it the wrong way and willpower actually made his ether more malleable and versatile for his ability to control it but he had no one to ask direction from. Arthur hoped he was right. He didn¡¯t want to build all his theories on magic on false preconceptions. Arthur needed to speed things up. Maintaining control over 470 ether without pouring it all into a skill was not an easy task and the strain rose exponentially the longer he forced it to remain inert. The first and most important directive in magic was ensuring your ether was at the right affinity to cast a spell, something Arthur should now be able to accomplish with relative success. Only for healing magic of course, but it was a start.


    Harnessing his considerable willpower, Arthur directed and shaped it into a command. A simple one, and the most important. Become healing affinity. He pictured his first time at the hospital when he¡¯d broken his collarbone as a child, his delight as he saw Rize¡¯s gradual recovery before his very eyes. The amazement and the childlike wonder modern medicine  inspired in him.


    The miracle of life.


    That¡¯s what healing was to him. Arthur centralised those emotions and thoughts with his willpower. It had taken a lot of trial and error to realise he could affect the affinity of ether in this way, all his prior attempts a series of failures that had finally culminated to fruition. Arthur directed his concentrated package of emotion into his ether and watched in amazement, and worry, as it changed the very nature of the ethereal energy. Gone were its destructive tendencies, the dark undercurrent of shadowy potential it possessed subsumed and overwritten with the directives of growth and regeneration.


    It was beautiful sight to see. And, well¡­ magical, to bear witness to magic in its unrefined form. Before gaining his perception stat, Arthur had only been able to see ether as a sort of shimmering in the air. Now, however, when he focused the entirety of his attention on it, it appeared to glow with a green luminescence, a trait unique to healing magic. Shadow showed up as purple and water as a light shade of blue. Soul magic, for obvious reasons he¡¯d been unable to observe. The headache that had begun as a mere annoyance had now grown to rival and exceed those caused by his aura compression, and Arthur knew that this training session was quickly nearing its end.


    Going beyond this point may prove to be dangerous, but Arthur did so anyway. Ignoring all the red flags his brain was sending him, Arthur battled through his headache and pain using his mental stats, which Arthur was rapidly realising was nowhere near enough for his purposes. Unstructured magic should definitely not be this hard, of that Arthur was certain, but he was almost possessed with a need to succeed in this attempt as if his life hung in the balance.


    All thoughts of rationality had left him, the only thing on his mind now was a drive to finally use some proper magic. His vision darkening around the edges, Arthur recollected the winding pathways of regeneration skill fractal, using all his intelligence and perception to analyse exactly how the skill affected his ether.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">Warning! Misuse of Ether and willpower is starting to damage the host. You are now suffering from mage burn.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur ignored the system''s warning that told him he was obviously doing something wrong. He couldn¡¯t react to it at all, having lost coherent thought a long time ago. Arthur was now operating solely on instinct, or rather, the bestial side of him was asserting itself. Arthur was finally going to learn first-hand that his titles meant far more than the surface-deep description the system gave them.


    He was a half-breed, part man and part beast, a hybrid that meshed the best and worst of two worlds. One could not best an apocalypse beast in combat and expect to remain unchanged. Especially after trying to claim its power¡¯s for oneself. The ether he¡¯d gathered startled to take on a purple tinge and the grass around him started to die. The air seemed to be charged with electricity, and flashes of violet light started to form within Arthur¡¯s ether. The massive cloud of ethereal miasma now produced a definite indication that it contained far more ether than the initial 500 Arthur had supplied. Before things could get further out of hand, a pebble-sized rock suddenly tore through the air and struck Arthur on the forehead. It didn¡¯t make any noise, having broken through the sound barrier the second it left Alyssia¡¯s hands half a mile away. The impact did little damage to Arthur, but it did distract him long enough for him to regain his facilities for the shortest of instances. That was long enough.


    With an erath-shaking boom, all of Arthur¡¯s gathered energy was released into his surroundings. Half the lake''s water instantly evaporated when the chaotic energy ran through it, and the earth 20 metres around him looked like Swiss cheese with the number of holes it now had.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">You have learnt the general skill Ether manipulation (common)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur didn¡¯t see the message, his legs giving away as he finally lost consciousness. Before Arthur could hit the ground, a green-skinned hand caught him and lowered him gently onto the now lifeless soil. Alyssia stood there, a look of exasperation on her face as she looked at the unconscious idiot before her.


    ¡±Is he trying to kill himself? How in the world did his aura control get worse¡±? She asked the stormwalker standing next to her. The beast just snorted in response.

 Chapter 98- Mageburn

    Arthur woke up feeling like a black hole had decided to take up residence in his stomach. He was starving, and the fact that he could smell the tantalising aroma of grilled meat didn¡¯t help matters at all. Not when his perception stat dialled up his senses to eleven.


    He could hear the pop and sizzle as fat melted into oil and dripped into an open flame, and the slightly charred exterior of Alyssia¡¯s cooking was so crisp he could somehow pre-emptively hear the crunch it would make when consumed. As if it was some sort of premonition and he was becoming a food God.


    He sure wished the meal was being made as an offering to him.


    Arthur opened his eyes slowly and immediately wished he hadn¡¯t. No one should ever have to look up a horse''s nostrils with 92 perception, and the sight he¡¯d just seen was one that would stay with him for life. The damn Stormwalker had an entire ecosystem going on in there.


    Arthur didn¡¯t question why he hadn¡¯t been able to sense the green beast, or what it was even doing here in the first place. He¡¯d long since learned that the creatures were nigh undetectable to all means, magical and mundane when they wanted to be, and the animals did whatever they pleased be that sleeping for two days straight, or nibbling on his hair like it was a strange shade of grass, which this particular Stormwalker was currently doing.


    Arthur gently pushed it away with his hand and sat up, wincing as his back clicked and realigned itself into place. Just how long had he been sleeping?


    ¡°So, you finally decided to wake up. I was starting to think I might¡¯ve hit you too hard.¡± Alyssia spoke in jest and tried to make light of the situation, but Arthur could hear the worry in her voice. And the alverin woman, Arthur had learned, was not a person who worried easily, which in turn meant that whatever happened to him must have been pretty damn bad.


    Arthur almost groaned when he felt a headache building behind his eyes, it was as if the insidious thing had been waiting for him to regain consciousness before it started to form. He¡¯d been perfectly fine when he¡¯d woken up, at least that was how he¡¯d felt and now the little bastard was striking like a bitch when he could experience it in its full glory.


    ¡°How long was I out for?¡± Arthur asked.


    Alyssia didn¡¯t answer immediately, instead observing him with eyes filled with concern over the open fire she was using to cook. The attention made Arthur feel uncomfortable, and the fact that Alyssia chose to drag out the silence for an awkwardly long amount of time didn¡¯t help matters at all.


    ¡°Twelve glasses or eighteen hours as you humans like to call it. I was a little scared at first when you continued to release ether like a leaking cauldron, but it only lasted for a short while. You slept like a baby the rest of the way. All of last night and half of today.¡±


    Arthur shook his head, half surprised and half relieved. Surprised at the fact that he¡¯d been out for so long, and relieved that his stupidity didn¡¯t have any other far-reaching consequences.


    Yet.


    Just what exactly had he done?


    His memories were a little foggy at the moment, but everything was slowly coming back to him and with it, his headache was steadily intensifying.


    ¡°So, care to explain what the hell it was you were doing? I nearly had a heart attack when I saw you BURNING your ether. Were you trying to kill yourself?¡±


    ¡°Because I know a few better ways to go about it than mageburn.¡±


    Her last few words had started off as a question and ended up as a half-yell, half-exasperated outburst that contained far more emotion than he¡¯d have expected. Arthur could hear the frustration in her voice as genome distress and so he withheld from making the retort that was at the tip of his tongue. He¡¯d be a real dick if he responded to someone''s care by snapping back at them, even if their raised voice caused waves of annoying pain to ricochet through his head.


    He instead graced Alyssia with a tired smile, or at least as close to one as he would manage in his current state. The near instantaneous change of expression from worry to rage on Alyssia¡¯s face told him that perhaps that hadn¡¯t been his brightest idea in recent times and his latest ones had caused him no small amount of pain. This one quickly proved itself to follow the same strain.


    Arthur didn¡¯t see the slap coming. He didn¡¯t even feel it. Well, not at first anyway. One moment he was looking at Alyssia, and the next, the scenery in front of him had completely changed. Instead of a beautiful woman, his vision was filled with an uncensored image of a horses butthole, enhanced by his perception to an other-worldly sense of detail, as if a master artist had spent an entire lifetime sculpting the thing that would haunt Arthur when he closed his eyes at night for the rest of his life.


    That was when he heard the deafening boom of the sound barrier being broken, with his right ear, of course. His left one was currently dripping blood, something that Arthur still hadn¡¯t realised yet. It was actually a testament to his insane constitution that a slap delivered at nearly twice the speed of sound did nothing more than make him bleed a little.


    It still hurt like a bitch, which Arthur finally realised when his motor neurones managed to catch up with reality and send some electrical impulses to his brain. For the second time in less than a minute, Arthur winced in pain. It felt like his face had been scalded with boiling water, or at least what it should¡¯ve felt like if Arthur wasn¡¯t so obsessed with becoming unkillable. Something he was currently very glad for.


    He was sure his neck would¡¯ve broken, or at least fractured if he had anything less than 500 points in constitution.


    ¡°What the fuck was that for!¡± He yelled at Alyssia, who was now standing so close to him he could feel the heat radiating her body.


    She didn¡¯t answer, instead positioning her arm once again to deliver another devastating blow. If she wasn¡¯t projecting her movement so much, Arthur was under no illusions that he could have dodged it. The woman must have invested nearly everything into Agility. As it was, it was very easy to stop the alien woman, Arthur kicked at her ankle. Not with any amount of force, it was practically impossible to generate any from his seated position, and it wasn¡¯t his intent to harm her in the first place.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    What it did manage to do, however, was shift her already terrible stance into an impossible one. Physics did the rest of the work for Arthur and the Alverin woman fell to her side like a sack of bricks when gravity told her that you couldn¡¯t generate any force by attacking one of your legs with the other, no matter how much you might want to make the stupid motion.


    It was at this moment that Arthur would have normally got her into some sort of lock or hold to immobilise her. It wasn''t something he''d trained too much in, but he knew the basics. With his raging headache, however, as well as his general sense of weakness currently, such complex movements were far beyond him. He did the next best thing he could think of.


    ¡°Stop that. Calm the fuck down!¡± He shouted. "I know you''re incredibly angry right now for one reason or the other, but it gives you no right to strike me. The only reason I''m not hitting you right now is because it''ll hurt me more than you right now."


    In hindsight, it probably wasn¡¯t the best thing to say to a raging woman who had physically assaulted him at the speed of a bullet, not when she''d already held back so much. If she wanted to actually hurt him, well, there were better places to strike a man. Nope, she''d just hit him out of rage, with no thought of truly inflicting harm.


    It had been an impulsive decision, not that Arthur would take that as an excuse. Still, if anger was so easy to control, no one would ever lose themselves to fury in the first place and Arthur didn¡¯t even know why Alyssia had reacted so explosively in the first place.


    Surprisingly enough, or perhaps not, she actually listened to him. He should have learned by now that Alyssia was not normal by any measure, be it human or alverin. Arthur was pretty sure by now that she wasn¡¯t normal according to her own people''s standards. The words had a very literal effect on Alyssia and the woman froze in place as if circuits had been cut.


    Arthur, who had been bracing himself for another tussle with Alyssia was relieved but also¡­ disappointed. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why, but he had wanted to know just how strong the dimensional traveller was since he¡¯d first laid eyes on her. Arthur tried to say something but his jaw seemed to be locked in place, too stiff to move with the usual ease he spoke with. Arthur opened and closed his mouth a few times until he heard the audible click of his jaw reasserting itself into its proper place.


    Okay. She''s pretty damn fucking strong. Of that Arthur was certain. Alyssia had almost dislocated his jaw with a single slap. Arthur tried to calculate how much force she must have generated with it to cause so much damage but gave up halfway when a spike of pain reminded him that now probably wasn¡¯t the best time to strain his head.


    It took a grand total of ten seconds for him to regain his hearing and another twenty for all remnants of Alyssia¡¯s rage to disappear from his face as his prodigious health regeneration made itself known. It was only then that he decided to talk to Alyssia. The woman hadn¡¯t moved from where she¡¯d fallen into the ground, only turning to face away from Arthur.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was because of his strange Bhai Giya relationship with the woman, or his perception attribute, but he could read her emotions like an open book. It didn¡¯t matter if it was in a language he couldn¡¯t understand, it was a far cry better than the near non-existent EQ he¡¯d passed when he was younger. Alyssia was angry, frustrated and even afraid for some reason. But mostly, she was just sad.


    Arthur tried to take into account all of her emotions when he chose his next words, even if they didn¡¯t make much sense to him. That was the least he could do for the woman who had probably once again, just saved his ass.


    ¡°Okay, Alyssia, maybe I¡¯m just being ignorant here, or something, but can you tell me what all that was about? Please."


    ¡°I won''t know what I did wrong if you don¡¯t tell me.¡±


    Alyssia didn¡¯t answer for a long time but Arthur didn¡¯t say anything else. Not because he couldn¡¯t, or didn¡¯t know what to say, because he knew that sometimes less was more. Alyssia could answer his question sooner or later, she just needed some time.


    ¡°You were suffering from mageburn.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure at first, but I became certain when I saw the miasma leaking out of you when you were unconscious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do remember the system warning me about that, but I didn¡¯t think it was that serious.¡±


    Arthur saw Alyssia¡¯s shoulders tense.


    ¡°But one of my title effects was clouding my judgement at the time,¡± he hastily added. He only calmed down when he saw the alverin¡¯s muscles relax and he almost breathed out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°So, what is mageburn, anyway? And what''s the big deal if I was suffering from it.¡±


    He didn¡¯t mean to sound so callous and uncaring, but he couldn¡¯t help it when the thing had only caused him a slight headache. He did remember a pebble striking him, Alyssia¡¯s interference no doubt, and the distraction it caused stopping things from progressing further, but he didn¡¯t think this so-called mageburn would have done much to his 15,000 points of health.


    Alyssia finally turned around to look at him, and Arthur was startled to see that the woman¡¯s eyes were wet.


    She was crying!


    ¡°I sometimes forget that your planet only evolved a month ago. It¡¯s easy to when the human I¡¯ve talked to the most is as absurd as you.¡±


    She chuckled mirthlessly.


    ¡°As for mageburn¡­¡±


    She trailed off, looking into the distance as if recalling some particularly vivid memories of her past. Arthur didn¡¯t say anything to hasten her or interrupt. Her reminiscing, gave her time to collect her thoughts. It looked like she needed it. She finally looked back at Arthur, focusing on the half of his face that was supposed to be bruised up. She didn¡¯t even look surprised at the absence of any injury.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hitting you, even if you deserved it.¡±


    Arthur ignored her half-assed apology.


    ¡°I just have some particularly bad experiences with mageburn.¡±


    She didn¡¯t elaborate, and Arthur didn¡¯t ask for an explanation.


    ¡°As for what exactly it is, well¡­, it¡¯s not my field of expertise, but it¡¯s basically when you start burning your ether. It can happen for multiple reasons, but mainly when you try your hand at magic- at magic that¡¯s beyond your level.¡±


    Her voice cracked a little but she continued on anyway.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how or why your world adapted to ether and magic so easily during its first evolution. It¡¯s a good thing I guess, but it also means you humans are treating ether too lightly.¡±


    Her voice hardened.


    ¡°Magic is not a joke and that''s something you need to learn quickly.¡±


    ¡°Before it kills you.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that bad,¡± Arthur asked. He couldn¡¯t help but sound sceptical.


    Alyssia laughed, and it contained so much more spite and bitterness than he would have expected from the usually joyful woman.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not bad at all. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±


    Arthur was a little unnerved to see this side of Alyssia. It didn¡¯t feel like she was addressing these words to Arthur, but rather, to herself. She took a deep breath and looked at him, with those same yellow eyes that had fascinated and scared him so much, except now they contained so much grief and sadness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Arthur. I¡¯m really not myself right now.¡±


    She took another deep breath.


    ¡°Mageburn in itself¡­it-it isn¡¯t so bad. It¡¯s what it leads to. Misusing your ether, burning it¡­that''s a one-track path to soul burn,¡±


    ¡°And that is so, so, so much worse.¡±


    She looked up at the sky and Arthur could see that the tears had returned to her eyes.


    ¡°You could have died,¡± she whispered. ¡°Burnt out to a husk and I could¡¯ve done nothing but watch as you withered away. Your soul''s already severely damaged. If I''d stopped you a few seconds later, it would''ve been too late.¡±


    She looked back at him, her gaze piercing.


    ¡°Or you could have gone supernova. And if that happened, I¡­this entire locus¡­, the forest it¡¯s in  and even the city we came from would have been destroyed.¡±


    ¡°A soul''s explosion, especially one as strange and powerful as yours has devastating effects.¡± she paused, the few seconds of silence only magnifying Arthur''s dread. "It''s like one of those pre-system weapons your world is so proud of. What do you call it? A nuke, yes. Your soul''s detonation would''ve been a magic nuke.


    ¡°And yours¡­ yours would have killed us all.¡±

 Chapter 99- The Final Day Of Rest

    ¡°And yours¡­yours would have killed us all,¡±


    Six words. A single sentence and yet it hit Arthur harder than any punch ever had. If he¡¯d been standing he would have had to sit down. As it was, Arthur relaxed the muscles in his stomach and lower back and allowed gravity to do its work.


    He fell back onto the grass and looked up at the fake sky. If he focused, he could notice the slight inconsistencies in it, the way the light was too bright and unnatural, how the clouds were a little too bloated and puffy, even the grass beneath him felt a little strange, its texture too smooth and flawless. It was fake. Everything in this place and the next layers were fake, and yet it was still beautiful.


    And you almost destroyed it all. I almost killed myself. I would''ve killed Alyssia. Maybe thousands... millions.


    The truth haunted Arthur, and he turned to gaze at Alyssia who had joined him in lying on the ground. Her green skin, Arthur noted, was a shade lighter than the grass she was resting on and he could see the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed in and out. A young woman, strange in so many ways, powerful in her own right but more vulnerable than most. A woman whose company Arthur was beginning to enjoy.


    She''s definitely real, and you almost killed her.


    Arthur didn¡¯t even know how he was supposed to feel right now. He hadn¡¯t had any bad intentions when he¡¯d started experimenting with his skills and yet he¡¯d just found out how catastrophically things could have ended. Was he supposed to feel guilty? Disgusted with himself or just disappointed.


    As he lay there, with the steadily darkening sky above him, Arthur chose to be grateful. Grateful that a disaster hadn¡¯t occurred and grateful that he had learned such an important lesson without paying the appropriate price. Ether was energy more dangerous than uranium when handed improperly and magic was not a game to be approached carelessly.


    It was an art form older than his very planet and far more nuanced than the system portrayed it to be. It had a nigh-omnipotent potential for creation and destruction, a force more primal than nature and just as difficult to control. And most importantly, it was not something Arthur was prepared to face. Not without the aid of a teacher. Maybe he could dabble a little now, but he needed some proper instruction. Fast.


    He would''ve been responsible for so much death and destruction.


    If Arthur had heard the same words a year ago, he probably wouldn¡¯t have handled it so well, but over those 365 days, Arthur had learned that you couldn¡¯t wallow in regret and remorse forever. Especially when his actions had hurt no one but himself for once.


    The two of them lay there in companionable silence, not saying a word. Alyssia¡¯s even breathing told him that she¡¯d bought her emotions under control and calmed down and even the annoying Stormwalker seemed to have read the mood and fucked off somewhere. If Arthur had known that it had stolen his food in the process, he wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near as happy but ignorance was bliss and Arthur was as content as he could be for a short while.


    ¡°So, what were you even doing to get mageburn in the first place?¡± Alyssia asked softly.


    Arthur startled into awareness. He¡¯d thought Alyssia was resting and had almost dozed off himself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if it was a personal endeavour you were attempting or something.¡±


    Arthur chuckled.


    ¡°No, it was nothing dramatic like that. I was just trying to replicate one of my skills effects without the system''s aid. You know, actually channelling the ether instead of pouring it into a skill matrix.¡±


    Silence greeted his words. Alyssia didn¡¯t say anything for a long, long while.


    ¡°Arthur.¡±


    He could hear the astonishment and disbelief in her voice just from the way she said his name.


    ¡°Are you telling me that you got MAGEBURN from trying to replicate one of those terrible system-given skills? They¡¯re so simple a child could do better. Surely you must be joking.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    They''re supposed to be simple. What the hell! If they were considered easy, Arthur dreaded what the future had in store for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I really was trying to do one of those ¡®simple¡¯ spells.¡±


    The word was more than a little difficult to say and it came out sounding strange and accented.


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    He ignored the ill-timed notification. It was as if the system itself was mocking him. Alyssia certainly was with how loud she was laughing. Everyone in the whole bloody grasslands could probably hear her. Arthur let her mockery slide considering how emotional he¡¯d made her, but his patience was tested when she showed no sign of stopping after almost twenty seconds had passed. Arthur turned his gaze away from the sky to look at her.


    She was on her side, in a foetal position, her whole body being wracked with laughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she finally said after calming down. You remind me more and more of a thunder-duck the more I get to know about you. Only a creature that stupid would struggle with such simple magic. I¡¯ve only just realised how many unexplained explosions in the wild can be accounted for. Those little bastards have probably killed so many people by detonating from soul burn.¡±


    She broke into laughter again.


    ¡°Their danger levels should be raised from moderate to apocalypse-grade. Or should it be unique? I don¡¯t even know anymore.¡±


    Arthur couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a little at the vivid image Alyssia had helped create in his mind. He imagined a bunch of fat chickens running around the streets, people all around completely oblivious to the ticking time bombs in their midst. His joy was tempered a little when he remembered that Alyssia had compared him to them.


    ¡°Is it wrong of me to say I¡¯m a little relieved you are so poor at magic? At least now you won''t have so many hyenas circling you like you are a dead carcass. No organisation would want someone that¡¯s so terrible with ether. Or maybe I¡¯m being too harsh. I don''t know what the standards are here in your dimension.¡±


    ¡°Cut me some slack,¡± Arthur protested, ¡°I¡¯ve literally had no experience working with ether.¡±


    ¡°That''s not an excuse for being so shit you get MAGEBURN travelling down an already established path, though. You''re actually pretty talented you know. I don¡¯t think anyone else could be afflicted with it so easily even if they tried.¡±


    Alyssia went on teasing him for a while and Arthur quickly learned that the best way to get her to stop was to just ignore her. Their conversation then steered to much more normal topics and Arthur listened attentively as she recounted some of her experiences from childhood. Maybe the mageburn had affected him a lot more than he¡¯d initially realised because he found himself retelling a particularly embarrassing story from his childhood which may or may have involved him urinating all over one of his kindergarten classmates.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    That particular story set Alyssia off and Arthur couldn¡¯t help but join her in her laughter. It was infectious. Time was strange like that. It made moments that seemed like the end of the world into memories to reminisce upon and look back at with nostalgia. Who knows, maybe ten years from now, Arthur would look back at his foolish first attempts with magic and laugh about them with someone he hadn¡¯t even met yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s gotten late,¡± Alyssia said, ¡°get some sleep and eat what''s left of your rations you packed if you have anything left. Bambam ran away with your meal.¡±


    It took a moment for Arthur to realise that Bambam was in fact the horse that Arthur, unfortunately, knew so intimately and that the meal in question was the food that had teased him with its aroma when he¡¯d awoken. Why''d she name him Bambam? After checking to confirm the truth of Alyssia¡¯s words, a dismayed Arthur opened up his tattered backpack to retrieve the last of his rations, a few dried nuts and leaves that Alyssia claimed were extremely nutritious, but tasted blander than stale bread. Joy and happiness now relics of the past, Arthur began to eat.


    Alyssia laughed at his sullen countenance and her promise of some amazing cooking tomorrow did little to alleviate his gloom.


    ¡°I swear Arthur. Your emotions change faster than the weather.¡± Alyssia chuckled.


    Arthur didn¡¯t deign the insult with a reply, instead retaking his spot on the ground beside her. He¡¯d gotten used to sleeping under the night sky with only the stars and an annoying woman for company. The cold didn¡¯t bother him with his incredible constitution, and the firm ground did wonders for his back. Most of the time at least.


    "I''m sorry, Arthur." Alyssia spoke softly.


    "Why?"


    "As much as I try to deflect with jokes, this was my fault. I should''ve warned you how things could go wrong. Sure, I didn''t expect you to struggle so much with mirroring a system skill, but judging you according to the standards I was held to was too harsh. Not when I received an education people would kill for."


    Arthur didn''t say anything. A few seconds later, she continued.


    "I said I would teach you but so far, I''ve done nothing," she whispered. "I''m not like my mother. Or my sister. They''d know what to do right now. And here I am. Just me and Artemo." She chuckled mirthlessly. "I need to teach him about our people, you know. Teach him magic, teach him fucking everything. He wanted to be an artificer. That''s all he ever used to go on about. And I don''t know WHAT those people even fucking do."


    The conversation had quickly changed from her initial apology to her dumping all her worries on him. Arthur let her go on, though. She told him about her fears, about her worry that Artemo would grow up to resent her when he grew up as nothing but a fighter, forced to travel down a route he didn''t want to because she knew nothing else to teach him. Arthur tried to reassure her but he wasn''t sure if his words were getting through.


    "I can''t do anything right," she mumbled. "Here I am, trying to apologise and it somehow became a therapy session."


    Arthur laughed. "Don''t worry about it. Sure, you''re a dick, but we''ve all had our moments. If my friends had pushed me away when I was being self-destructive, god knows where I would''ve ended up. That''s not to say it''s an excuse for your shitty behaviour. Just that I can understand and tolerate it." He explained. It was important that he drew a few boundaries now. She might have different social norms to humanity, but that didn''t mean he had to accept them wholly. She would learn decorum or they would have problems.


    "That''s fair," Alyssia replied, suitably chastised. "I''m sorry for hitting you too. I wasn''t thinking straight at the time and I went too far. I''ll take responsibility and try to teach you properly but you have to understand. Alverin are big on self-discovery. We let our youth experiment on their own first. With EVERYTHING. It''s how I was taught, how my mother was taught and her grandmother before. It''s how I would''ve taught you. Probably how I still will, just dialled back a little."


    "But I stand by what I''ve said about your race. Objectively speaking, humans are a weak race. Sure, they have outliers like you, but you''re an exception. On my planet, your kind would''ve been subordinated by another race, perhaps even my own." She sighed. "That being said, I''ll try to stop insulting them at every turn. And yourself. Unless you do something stupid. All gloves are off then."


    It was honestly more and less than he''d expected. He''d rate her apology a 6.5/10. The part about humanity being a subordinate race didn''t bode well for his race''s future in the wider universe but Arthur hoped the standards were just higher on Alyssia''s home world.


    ¡°Go to sleep. You¡¯re going to need it for tomorrow. Being unconscious doesn''t count as rest.¡±


    Her words had an ominous undertone to it and almost sounded like a warning.


    ¡°Why?¡± Arthur asked the question, all the while hoping that he already knew the answer. He sure wished his suspicions were right. Alyssia shortly confirmed them.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to start teaching you personally. God knows you won''t get anywhere yourself. Heck, you actually managed to get worse since the last time I saw you. And besides, I need some teaching experience for when Artemo starts bugging me.¡±


    Arthur could literally hear the wicked grin in her voice when she mentioned her brother and he couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for what lay ahead in the young boy''s future. And his own.


    Maybe he shouldn¡¯t be so eager for some proper instruction if whatever Alyssia had planned could even be counted as such. ¡®Be careful what you wish for.¡¯ the age-old adage came to mind and Arthur hoped that the wise words wouldn¡¯t have to be applied to himself. The hope was fleeting, though, and died mere seconds after its conception. Alyssia was a woman of many talents, but Arthur knew that teaching was not among them.


    Despite his misgivings, however, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but feel excited, and it was with those emotions that he eventually managed to fall asleep. He would soon come to regret ever entering the locus of power with Alyssia, but for now, he was happy.


    In accordance with Alyssia¡¯s promise, Arthur woke up the next day to the smell of a delicious breakfast. His headache had now gone and with nothing else stopping him, Arthur immediately set about devouring the dishes Alyssia had prepared for him. That bastard horse would NOT be getting his food today.


    He finished the food in record time, wolfing down an assortment of delicious eggs of strange origin, mushrooms that were definitely not addictive and a golden brown alternative to rice as if he hadn¡¯t eaten for years. Arthur doubted anyone else on Earth would react differently to Alyssia¡¯s cooking.


    The alverin in question was looking at him with eyes filled with satisfaction. Arthur could relate, at least a little. There was nothing better than knowing that your food was appreciated and it was one of the main reasons why he enjoyed cooking, even if he hadn¡¯t practised it to the realms of perfection as Alyssia had.


    Once he¡¯d finished with everything, he used his upgraded water bullet skill to generate some non-lethal H20 in a bowl which he then used to clean himself. Only after doing so did he remember that he had his new purifying skill. It took time to get used to the fact that he now had magic to call upon in his day-to-day life and not just for combat. With a quick blast of purify, everything within a three-meter vicinity was cleaned to perfectionist standards. Or maybe Arthur¡¯s were just really low.


    He turned to look at Alyssia, who was packing away all her stuff into her special storage bag with terrifyingly fast efficiency. Arthur briefly wondered why her ceramic plates weren''t shattering when she grabbed them at speeds faster than a car on the highway but then chalked it up to some magic fuckery. If his flesh could stop a bullet now, who was he to question the integrity of physics laws?


    ¡°Arthur, do you use any weapons when you fight?¡± Alyssia asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± the question came out of the blue, and Arthur answered it honestly. He saw no point in using a weapon, not when he didn''t know how to use one. Maybe knuckle-dusters to enhance hand-to-hand combat, but he doubted there was any out there that could best his bare fists in terms of durability. Until then, Arthur was perfectly fine with the weapons he¡¯d been born with.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Good. I prefer barehanded too. As for why. Well, I don¡¯t want you making excuses when I beat you to a pulp.¡±


    She grinned at him wickedly and Arthur felt a little sweat trickle down his back.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Alyssia smiled.


    ¡°You told me that you had to be done with this place in a day or two, right?¡± she didn¡¯t answer his question, instead asking one of her own. Arthur nodded his head yea.


    ¡°Well, with the time dilation here, we probably have fifteen days to use before things get weird. I want to complete this locus in ten. There are a lot of nasty side effects associated with abusing the time-dilation that loci possess.¡±


    ¡°That leaves us with around a week on this layer to get you into ship-shape. After that, we¡¯ll have to start challenging this place properly.¡±


    ¡°And no matter how great a teacher I may turn out to be, and who knows, I might actually be amazing, it won''t be enough for your magical capabilities to make much of a difference in this place or against the threats waiting outside. Not if you''re still working with those system-given skills. You say you''re a talented combatant. We need to get a baseline for your abilities before I can think about enhancing them with magic.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head. It was a hard truth, but a necessary one to face. Arthur would not become some sort of Dumbledore in a week, no matter how much effort he may put into magic.


    ¡°That means the best thing you have to offer for now is your physical capabilities. At least until I help you enhance it with magic. You''ll be a real powerhouse then.¡±


    ¡°I want to know what you¡¯re made of. I can already tell you have some absurd investments in your physical stats. Even more than me actually.¡± She grinned.


    ¡°Now I just need to see if you can use them.¡±

 Chapter 100- Theres Always A Bigger Fish

    Ever since Arthur had first laid eyes on Alyssia, he¡¯d wanted to spar her. That wasn¡¯t his irrational half-breed title title talking. At least he hoped not. For as long as he could remember, Arthur had always welcomed a challenge.


    That didn¡¯t mean he sought them out. His life was already difficult enough without adding to his troubles. Arthur doubted, however, that fighting Alyssia would add them, and what''s more, it would be fun. There was no point in being modest. It was quite literally statistically impossible that anyone on Earth could match his physical stats. The chance of that happening was probably one in a billion or some other absurdly long number. Kazi Alukai might be an incredible mage, but he didn¡¯t hold a candle to Arthur in physical combat.


    No one on the planet did.


    Which was why fighting an off-worlder, someone from an altogether different dimension like Alyssia was so exciting. Who knew what sort of strange fighting style the Alverin people had created with centuries of experience with ether-enhanced physiques, and how did it compare with the best Earth had to offer. Maybe, no, Arthur was definitely being biased here, but Muay Thai was one of the most complete fighting styles ever developed, at least when it came to striking, honed and perfected into the perfect killing martial art over centuries of refining.


    The stuff Arthur had learned was obviously watered down a lot, but it was still deadly stuff, especially when backed by over 1,500 points invested into physical stats. Still, Arthur was aware now how much it limited him. Muay Thai had been created for human beings and Arthur was far from human now. It held him back, the movements designed for bodies far weaker than his own. His palms were clammy with sweat and he could feel some tinkling down his back. He wasn¡¯t scared per se, just cautious and his body was already sweating in preparation to cool it down in the upcoming fight.


    He breathed in and out. In and out. In. And. Out. Most fights were lost before they even began when someone lost their cool too early. Preparation was key and the correct mindset made all the difference.


    Arthur was basing all of this according to a human''s physical capability prior to the arrival of the system, and whilst some of it might not be applicable any more, he was still human enough and so needed oxygen to operate, 555 endurance be damned. Stamina was the first thing to abandon you in a fight, a mixture of adrenalin, anaerobic respiration and physical exertion made the stuff disappear like water down a drain.


    Arthur stretched upwards as if reaching for the sky and felt a slight strain in his back muscles as they were elongated. He held the pose for thirty seconds and then moved onto a series of more complicated stretches, each of them more challenging and difficult than the last. Cramps may have now become problems of the past but Arthur wasn''t ready to take chances here and nor did he think lactic acid would be any easier to deal with with his inflated stats.


    It stood to reason that if his body had been enhanced in the wake of the system''s arrival, so too had the things it produced. Maybe he was overthinking things, but it made sense. Arthur couldn¡¯t help but grin as he briefly imagined what a sapient with three hundred levels under their belt would look like if they had diarrhoea. Heck, they¡¯d probably need an epic-ranked toilet to deal with the explosive results and the stuff could be sold as the world''s greatest fertiliser. After all, his blood was already so special and he was only at level 71.


    Arthur shook his head as he tried to clear it of the strange thoughts that had come to him unbidden. Sometimes his mind scared even him, its potential to generate vivid imagery was far too great to be unchecked.


    ¡°What''s got you smiling like that?¡±


    Arthur turned to look at Alyssia, who had an inquisitive expression on her face. Like him, she too was preparing herself, though far less thoroughly than himself. Maybe stretches weren¡¯t a thing on the Alverin homeworld or maybe she just didn¡¯t take him seriously. Arthur didn¡¯t care, and he¡¯d find out soon enough if Alyssia had a right to be so confident.


    ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to know. I just thought of something¡­ weird.¡± Arthur said wryly, wisely not going into details.


    Alyssia looked more curious after hearing that, but she didn¡¯t press the matter, instead clenching and unclenching her fists to get some blood circulation going. She hadn¡¯t changed her attire for their sparing match, only removing the baggy t-shirt she normally wore. That however left her clothed only in a tight-fitting vest that exposed more than it covered and left little to the imagination. Arthur tried not to stare too much even if Alyssia didn¡¯t seem to shy about exposing so much skin. She was a beautiful woman, after all.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Arthur nodded his head. They were currently standing in one of the rare flat pieces of land that dotted the locus layer they were in. It had taken them a while to find it, but the 200 square meter area was more than enough to suit their purposes.


    ¡°Remember Arthur, this is only a spar. No matter what happens, I don¡¯t want you losing your cool and letting that weird title of yours take over,¡± Alyssia said gravely, ¡°If you go all animal on me, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety.¡±


    ¡°Or my own.¡±


    The last words were spoken quietly but Arthur picked up on it with his enhanced hearing. It was both heartening and disheartening to see that she at least took him seriously, even if it was for the wrong reasons.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°You remember the rules, right?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes. no magic or skills except your passive ones. No groin shots and no eye gauging. Pull your punches if you strike the throat and we stop as soon as one of us says so.¡±


    Arthur quickly recounted the rules they¡¯d agreed upon. They were simple but necessary. In a real fight, a blow to the groin had the potential to incapacitate, even kill your opponent, and neither of them wanted to find out, especially Arthur, if 700 points in constitution were enough to protect his crown jewels.


    ¡°When the stick touches the ground, we begin,¡± Arthur said, lifting an errant twig to shoulder height. Alyssia merely grinned at him. He took it as a sign of her agreement.


    He dropped the twig and watched as it hit the ground.


    Before he could even get into his stance, his head whiplashed backwards, like he¡¯d just crashed at seventy mph on the highway. One moment he had his eyes trained on the stick, and the next, his gaze was skyward and he was wondering why he¡¯d never realised that there was an ocean above his head at all times.


    Getting hit at twice the speed of sound would do strange things to anyone and it took Arthur a half second to get his bearings back. Just in time, in fact, to start to raise his hands to cover the most valuable parts of his body, his head and throat. Arthur didn¡¯t see anything coming, his eyes had instinctively closed a half second after the first strike to his chin, but he did feel something strike his thigh, a probing shot delivered to weaken his stance. Most probably Alyssia¡¯s lower shin, but nothing was certain right now.


    Seven-tenths of a second.


    That was when his defence was truly put to the test and he felt Alyssia¡¯s intended strike land. An attack that should have hit the side of his neck, a fist or a foot Arthur still couldn¡¯t say, instead struck his raised forearm.


    A Muay Thai fighter¡¯s stance, with hands raised and poised for both attack and defence. One designed to protect the most vulnerable parts of the body.


    Alyssia¡¯s strike should have hit the side of his shoulder and rolled off with little effect. Instead, it had struck the weak muscles of his forearm. Arthur¡¯s delayed movement and unprepared response meant that he bore the full brunt of Alyssia¡¯s power with a stance that looked like it belonged more in a bar fight than the bout he was currently in, all reaction and desperation with no hint of technique or skill.


    Eight-tenths of a second.


    A shit-ton of agility vs seven-hundred constitution. The numbers said that Arthur should have won.


    He didn¡¯t.


    More than a battle of stats, this was a battle of technique and form, and Arthur¡¯s was currently piss-poor. Alyssia¡¯s blow hit with the force of a car, thirty-thousand pounds of power concentrated on an area the size of an apple. It would have disintegrated an ordinary person''s flesh and skeleton. The bones in Arthur¡¯s forearm held.


    His stance didn¡¯t.


    Exactly one second into the fight, Arthur reopened his eyes. Alyssia was crouched low in front of him, her left leg extended out beside her in preparation to strike his lower shin. Intelligence and perception worked in tandem to try and make sense of what was happening in front of him just as his face began to bear the consequences of his lacking defences.


    The thirty thousand pounds of force that struck his forearm had been weakened significantly, which meant that when the laws of physics and inertia did their work, his own fist struck his jaw with only a little over a third of the force of Alyssia¡¯s initial blow. Ten thousand pounds was still an absurd amount. The equivalent of four tons hit Arthur like a truck and he saw stars for the briefest moments.


    Still, Arthur had always had a strong chin, and it had only gotten stronger in the past weeks. A strike that he¡¯d defended, albeit haphazardly, was far from enough to take him down, and yet Arthur¡¯s brain had already told him that he was about to hit the ground.


    Hard.


    He would have smiled if he had the time to, but he didn¡¯t and it would have come out looking more like a bloodied grimace of pain anyway. He¡¯d been outclassed and Arthur couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the beauty of the martial art that Alyssia fought with. A mixture of Brazilian Capoeira and what looked like a variation of Kung fu, deadly-effective even if the critic in him said that it¡¯s movements were far too telegraphed.


    That doesn¡¯t matter if my body can¡¯t even react to them, he thought wryly.


    Alyssia truly didn¡¯t need to use any feints or complex manoeuvres to set up her strikes. Not against him at least. She was simply too fast. Exactly one and a half seconds after the twig touched the floor, Alyssia¡¯s four-move combo came to its conclusion.


    An uppercut delivered before he could react, followed by a kick to his thigh to weaken his legs and then a truly devastating blow to his throat, whether it had been delivered by a fist or a foot Arthur still wasn¡¯t sure. And then the conclusion came, timed to perfection so that Alyssia¡¯s telegraphed kick hit his ankle from the right whilst the remnants of her previous blow, his own fist, struck his jaw from the left.


    Like an axe blow on a dead tree, Arthur¡¯s connection to the ground was cut off and he felt the world tilt sideways. Gravity came into effect, and Arthur hit the ground at over one hundred miles per hour, the impact creating a small crater around him. The wind was knocked out of his chest and he tasted the salty iron taste of blood in his mouth from where his lip had burst.


    Arthur chuckled. Two seconds. That was how long it had taken for him to be knocked down, a whopping five times faster than his previous greatest failure when he¡¯d fought someone nearly twice his weight at age fifteen. That had been an experience Arthur would never forget and he¡¯d been unable to move for ten minutes afterwards. There was a reason why weight classes had existed in the pre-system world, and while things may have changed now, numbers still mattered in a fight.


    Namely, the total number of stats one possessed and if Arthur could say anything about himself, it was that he was truly a stat monster. It only took a moment for the expected words to reach Arthur¡¯s ears.


    ¡°What the fuck is your body made of?!¡±


    Arthur checked his health. 15,710/15,840. Indeed, what the fuck was his body made out of. Even as he lay there on the ground, his health began to tick upwards at a noticeable rate. A regeneration rate of 29 health per minute was truly absurd, and that was without him even using any of his healing-based skills.


    Arthur cracked his neck and started to get back to his feet. Alyssia was cradling her left hand, which Arthur could see was bruised quite heavily at the knuckles.


    A two-second knockdown. A fighting style similar to the Brazilian art of capoeira enhanced by a truly terrifying movement speed. And a woman who loved fighting. Arthur had analysed Alyssia, not enough to profile her or anything, but enough to know her strengths and perhaps a few of her weaknesses.


    Arthur smiled. This wasn¡¯t going to be an easy fight, far from it, actually, and it would take everything he had to win.


    But Arthur didn¡¯t think he would lose.

 Chapter 101- The Standing Grapple

    ¡°Arthur.¡± Alyssia massaged her left hand as she called out his name, wincing as she did so. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how high is your constitution? Hitting you hurts more than an Ironhide boar.¡±


    ¡°698¡±


    Arthur¡¯s reply was curt and straight to the point. He saw no point in hiding that particular piece of information from a woman who already knew so much about him. Not when she could probably read it all from his aura anyway. And seeing the look of astonishment flash across Alyssia¡¯s face definitely didn¡¯t influence his decision at all. Arthur was far too mature to take pleasure in something so childish.


    ¡°How the fuck did you get it that high?!¡± Alyssia asked incredulously, ¡°Or is my identity just not working properly? Cos it says you¡¯re only level 71. These system skills are shit at threat assessment.¡±


    Arthur shook his head.


    ¡°Your skills working perfectly fine. My defence is just absurd for my level,¡± Arthur said wryly, ¡°Which I still don¡¯t get by the way. How the hell does constitution even work?¡±


    He pinched the skin on his forearm.


    ¡°My body still feels the same, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve put on much weight since the system''s arrival. At least not enough to warrant my now near-bulletproof status.¡±


    Alyssia looked at him dully.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± She grumbled ¡°You¡¯re asking the wrong girl here. My study of the esoteric aspects of ether is only skin deep. I focused on the parts that let me hit harder.¡±


    Arthur laughed. For a second he¡¯d forgotten who he was speaking to and went all geek on Alyssia. Of course, something so minor as the fundamental laws of physics didn¡¯t concern the Alverin woman. He doubted she even knew what they were.


    He¡¯d much rather speak of such things with Mathew. The game addict would at least give him an answer to every one of his questions, even if he pulled them  out of his ass.


    Arthur opened and closed his mouth until it started to function smoothly again. His saliva was pink with blood. Arthur could work with that. His worst fights had painted his teeth red and it seemed that his investments into constitution would prevent such things from ever accruing again. At least when he fought people in his weight class.


    This time, Arthur got into a proper stance before doing anything else. Although it wouldn¡¯t do much against someone who moved at twice the speed of sound, it was the main reason why he¡¯d been knocked down in only two seconds. Muay Thai was geared more towards offence than defence, and so Arthur adjusted a little, tucking his chin lower and tightening his arms around his head.


    Arthur now looked a little more like a grappler and he hoped that the slight changes he had made wouldn¡¯t prove to be his undoing. Not that he thought it could make much of a difference but pebbles made mountains and fights were lost on less.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    This time, Alyssia was the one who asked the question. Arthur inclined his head slightly but kept his eyes trained on Alyssia. He wouldn¡¯t make the mistake of inattention again. With his perception nearing 100 and the appropriate intelligence backing it, Arthur was sure he¡¯d be able to at least see Alyssia¡¯s movements.


    Whether he¡¯d be able to do anything about it, however, was a different question altogether. But Arthur was feeling confident. Maybe he was trusting his powers of analysis too much, but Arthur could already tell from the little he¡¯d seen of the alverin fighting style that it was incomplete.


    It was lacking a key component, something Arthur felt was supposed to be there yet had intentionally been left out. Unlike Muay Thai, whatever Alyssia was currently using was created around the usage of ether, the principle that one¡¯s battle strategy should and would revolve around magic. That made sense on a planet where ether augmented everything, but magic had explicitly been restricted for this bout.


    Arthur had no doubt that if that particular condition hadn¡¯t been attached to their spar, the fight really would have ended in the first two seconds. It wasn¡¯t that he was standing because Alyssia lacked a punch, he just wasn¡¯t ready to face it and so magic had been excluded from their fight.


    The green-skinned woman gleamed in the fake sunlight with a thin sheen of sweat and she stood in one of the strangest stances Arthur had ever seen. She leaned forward, almost as if she was a four-legged mammal instead of two. Arthur didn¡¯t question it though. The slight sting that remained on his face had already taught him how effective it was.


    When Alyssia finally made her move, Arthur was ready for it. The way her eyes involuntarily went towards her target, his left sternum. A punch or a kick? The placement of her foot suggested it was the latter. A small indention formed in the ground around her lead leg, as her right swung forward in a devastating arc of destruction.


    With his 92 points in perception, Arthur could fully appreciate the attack, it was the perfect strike, flawless in execution, with no energy wasted in excess and no hesitation in delivery.


    Poetry in motion.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Those were the only words Arthur could think of to describe it, a sonnet that spoke of one''s devotion to violence. And it was directed at him. Could he dodge it? Not a chance.


    He didn¡¯t intend to.


    The full force of Alyssia¡¯s blow struck him, but he¡¯d already learned that his bones could more than handle the stress, so he allowed it to pass unobstructed. The kick that could have felled a birch tree in pre-system times struck Arthur at full force and the sound it produced could be heard all over the grassland.


    Much like he¡¯d expected, Alyssia began to immediately move her attacking limb back towards the ground. That was exactly the issue with her fighting style. For some reason, she never really pushed through with her attacks, almost as if she was more concerned with simply landing one on him than actually doing any damage with them.


    Arthur had always been taught to hit through an opponent, not literally of course, but in such a way that if he ever missed a strike with his leg, his body would follow the momentum and he¡¯d end up rotating a full circle to get back into his stance. It made sure that every one of his blows was delivered with maximum impact.


    Alyssia, however, did no such thing. Her blows were quick and accurate, but nothing more. The only comparison he could make was with a taekwondo competition where one was more concerned with gaining points than actually hurting their opponent.


    All of this information flashed through Arthur¡¯s head even as he stepped forward. He¡¯d started the movement the second he¡¯d seen Alyssia begin to launch her kick, but his underwhelming speed meant that her blow was well and truly delivered before he closed the distance between them.


    He¡¯d expected that.


    And so had Alyssia it seemed. But that didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d be able to do anything about it. Her fate had been sealed the moment she¡¯d launched such a telegraphed strike. Arthur moved his left hand downwards even as he raised his right to attack.


    Not a punch. The thirty centimetres now separating them were nowhere near enough to generate any reasonable amount of force. Instead, he used the most famous blow Muay Thai was known for. A devastating elbow strike.


    Two actions happened simultaneously. His left palm struck the top of Alyssia¡¯s right thigh, which was still airborne from her initial strike and his right elbow rushed forwards at subsonic speeds straight for Alyssia¡¯s head. He¡¯d practised the motion thousands of times on a heavy bag until the movement had become engrained in his muscle memory. He¡¯d trained it to perfection and it showed. His strike was flawless, from the build-up all the way to its delivery.


    If anyone on Earth had been in Alyssia¡¯s place, their skulls would have shattered and their brain matter would have sprayed in a fine pink mist in all directions. They would have died in seconds, anything less than 350 Constitution a paper barrier of impotence. Alyssia, however, was no ordinary woman, nor was she from Earth.


    She had well over 500 agility, and no matter how flawless his technique may be, he might as well have been standing still in her eyes. Alyssia inclined her head slightly to the right, moving it forward an inch, and his elbow flew past harmlessly. His perception meant that he noticed her smirk of amusement as she did so.


    Minimum movement for maximum result. The perfect slip, exquisite and refined to a knife edge with an infinitesimally small margin of error. Alyssia knew her mastery and so she smiled.


    So did Arthur.


    They were so close now, that he could feel the heat of her breath on his shoulder and smell the strange blend of wild grass and sweat she gave off. It was a primal scent, free from chemicals and anything artificial. An honest scent, filled with violence, excitement, battle-lust and tension.


    Arthur¡¯s arm, which was now positioned slightly behind the Alverin''s head began to extend outwards until it looked like he¡¯d actually thrown a right cross instead of an elbow. That''s when he snapped it back, his open palm right into the back of Alyssa¡¯s head.


    Not as an attack, it was nigh impossible from such an angle, but rather as a means to lock her movements in place. ''If you control the head, you control everything.'' His old teacher had given him that piece of advice on numerous occasions, and he¡¯d learned from experience that it was true.


    The second Alyssia felt his palm touch the back of her skull, she tried to duck under and step back. She failed. Arthurs¡¯s earlier push towards Alyssia¡¯s striking foot meant that it had reached the ground a fraction of a second faster than it should have. With a little more force too.


    An error so small would normally mean nothing, but in a fight when the balance was everything, a moment of instability spelt disaster. Arthur¡¯s grin widened when he managed to get his other hand around Alyssa''s head, completing his clinch.


    The standing grapple, where one uses their hands to control the position of a person''s head to limit their range of movement. The moment Arthur¡¯s hands met sealed Alyssia¡¯s fate. She¡¯d be hard-pressed to dodge anything when she couldn¡¯t even move. Alyssia might be strong, but he didn¡¯t think she had the required stats to escape his grasp when he had such a perfect hold on her.


    This fight was as good as over.


    He grinned.


    The fight was not over, in fact. It lasted all of ten minutes, in which Arthur¡¯s body was intimately taught the shape of an Alverin''s fist. Those bastards had some sharp knuckles. Arthur lay sprawled on his back, drenched in sweat with Alyssia in a similar state beside him.


    Unlike him, however, he doubted she had a single bruise on her ribcage. He¡¯d learned the hard way that limiting Alyssia¡¯s movements didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d be able to hit her. The damn woman didn¡¯t have a spine, at least it felt like it. She¡¯d contorted her body in ways that would have broken a human woman''s back, more akin to a snake than a two-legged sapient.


    A lucky blow to her lower shin had put an end to her antics, the only blow Arthur had landed in the entire fight, and Arthur had paid the price for it in a busted lip and an aching jaw. All in all, Arthur had performed far better than he¡¯d expected. He¡¯d even be so generous as to say that he¡¯d won their little bout. Not decisively, but towards the end, he¡¯d definitely gained an edge as Alyssia began to tire.


    She''d been the first to collapse after all. Sure it hadn''t been caused by any damage he''d inflicted, but she''d still fallen to the floor first, unable to get up as her stamina petered out to zero. He''d quite literally tanked his way to victory. It was a hollow win, but Arthur would take it nonetheless.


    If she used any magic, though, I¡¯d have died in seconds. Even a small metal stick. She''d get it through my eye faster than I could blink and my brain would''ve been mush.


    Arthur reminded himself that the only reason he¡¯d even stood a chance in the first place was because of the handicaps Alyssia had granted him. He wasn¡¯t fool enough to think his crappy shadow bomb skill of a few weeks could in any way match the potential of ether arts refined through millennia of work.


    That was what Alyssia was. The product of thousands of years of perfecting and innovating, until a young girl who loved battle had been born and made that fighting style her own.


    She¡¯s been taught by the best, comes from another bloody dimension and is twice my level. And I fought her to a standstill.


    "Damn, I''m good."

 Chapter 102- What am I even doing?

    The advantage of having a perception stat didn¡¯t only include enhanced vision and hearing capabilities. Whilst the two were incredibly useful in a fight that took place at subsonic speeds, Arthur found that he only truly appreciated the stat when he consumed Alyssia¡¯s cooking.


    A dish that was beyond gourmet standards in the pre-system era was enhanced to a sublime, near-godly level of perfection when eaten with 92 perception and no one would ever be able to persuade Arthur that its potential could be put to any better use. Not when he could taste a smell when he put his mind to it, which actually sounded incredibly perverted now that Arthur had thought of it.


    He tried to keep a straight face and put a stop to the meanderings of his imagination. Why oh why did he think of smelling different types of shit when eating delicious food. Damn fucking horses. Can''t take a step without stepping in their crap. Arthur shook his head and busied himself in eating his soup, bringing up a system notification he¡¯d missed to distract himself from the vivid imagery his mind conjured.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">You have learned the general skill Ether manipulation (common)-All sapients eventually learn to control what comes naturally to the ordinary beast. There are better and worse ways to control the ethereal energy of ether. All that matters, however, is that you learn control. The first step is the most difficult, but the path before you is no easier. Congratulations and good luck.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


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    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">Ether manipulation has reached level 2.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was the longest and most personal message he¡¯d ever received from the system in a skill description, but Arthur wasn¡¯t so egotistical as to think that there was any specific reason for it. Only that learning to manipulate ether even amateurishly warranted a little special attention from the system, a sort of acknowledgement that you were on the right track.


    He doubted he was the first to receive it. News broadcasting and social media had already taught him that his control over magic was a little below average. Sure, his spells had a shit ton of power behind them and his mental stats were well above the curve, but he simply lacked the finesse and ease with which others directed ether.


    Magic was dependent on more than just stats, and Arthur was pretty certain he¡¯d need over three times as much willpower to even compare himself to monsters like the Ice Princess or Kazi Alukai. That man wielded ether like he had imbibed with it since his time in the cradle. And the frozen princess matched if not exceeded the Kazakhstan''s control of ether. When he compared himself to them, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but feel mediocre. Sure he could tank a tank, but it just didn¡¯t have the same appeal as a master sorcerer. If Arthur could master even a single one of his affinities, he¡¯d be unstoppable, a powerful magician with physical stats that put warriors to shame, immovable and powerful, a walking fortress of destruction and ruin.


    ¡°Why the hell are you grinning like a weirdo?¡±


    Alyssia¡¯s sharp words sadly cut through his fantasies like a hot knife through butter and Arthur sighed as he felt his dreams slip intangibly through his fingers. They were nice while they lasted. But reality was a far harsher trial and the records of his failures were dotted around the area in signs of singed grass and overturned earth. They were the results of his pitiful attempts at casting shadow bombs without the system''s assistance. According to Alyssia, it should have been far easier than any of his other abilities since it was one of his own creations. Sadly, it seemed like the Alverin woman had over-estimated him and all he had to show for hours of effort was a single measly level in ether manipulation.


    He was actually a little surprised that his pathetic attempts hadn¡¯t affected his shadow bomb skill levels in a negative way. His most recent attempts had reached a whole new level of terrible, almost as if shadows themselves had started to mock his terrible ability. Perhaps his disappointment showed on his face as Alyssia offered some words of encouragement.


    ¡°Hey don¡¯t worry. Your ether control¡¯s not that bad.¡±


    Alyssia was not a good liar, and her voice betrayed the falsehood in her speech.


    Arthur raised an eyebrow in disbelief.


    ¡°Okay, it''s piss-poor. It''s like your willpower stat''s effect is inverted or something. Either your approach to ether is completely wrong or your affinities are terrible.¡±


    Arthur chuckled mirthlessly. While the truth was a necessary medication to swallow, it didn¡¯t make it any less bitter to take.


    ¡°Okay, brakes over,¡± Alyssia said, springing to her feet. ¡°What are your ether reserves at?¡±


    Arthur checked.


    241/5550


    ¡°Less than ten per cent. But it should be enough for one more attempt at shadow bomb.¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t help but let some hope leak into his voice. ¡°Nope, that¡¯s okay." She replied. "I think it¡¯s about time we get back to your aura training. At least we¡¯re seeing some results there.¡±


    Arthur groaned when he heard the expected words. Aura training. The single most uncomfortable experience in his entire life. It was by far the most invasive, embarrassing and irritating teaching he¡¯d ever been through or at least the way Alyssia did it was. As if the entirety of his being was laid bare for examination under a microscope that seared and burned all it saw.


    And the claustrophobia.


    Getting his aura squeezed to a tenth of its natural size in the name of training did not make the trial any less unpleasant. In fact, the very notion that he was willingly subjecting himself to the torture only made it worse, the idea that he could put a stop to it all with a single word always hanging at the edge of his mind like the temptation of the forbidden fruit of Eden.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Arthur slapped himself on the cheeks and got to his feet before he could let indecisiveness plague him further. I have to do this. I can''t just wait for my soul to be fixed and hope my problems just fade away. If it¡¯s so bad already, it¡¯s only going to get worse as I grow stronger. And what then.


    Alyssia had warned him of the disaster an untrained aura could cause. Disturbing stories where weak people had to suffer and pay for the lack of control the strong possessed. One particular story had stuck out to him, where an entire rural village of pacifists had been driven to suicide when a grieving gold ranker had passed by unaware.


    An aura was literally someone imposing their will on the world, a projection of their soul. And Arthur''s soul was abnormally strong for his level. With the addition of his soul affinity, Arthur''s aura would one day reach a truly absurd level of power. And if he couldn¡¯t control it, then¡­.


    Arthur didn¡¯t want to continue down that line of thinking. Fear was a good motivator, but it had been proven time and time again that it lacked the fine touch required for learning. It got you started down a path but didn¡¯t give you the necessary push when the going got tough, just as likely to drive you into the ground as it was to raise you to greater heights.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the best way to help me control my aura?¡±


    Arthur couldn¡¯t help but ask the question despite his resignation with the harsh training. It wasn¡¯t his first time doing so.


    ¡°No, actually,¡± Alyssia answered bluntly as she had every time before. She went on further this time. ¡°My mother would kill me if she ever found out I was training someone like this but we don''t have the time for anything better. This way, your aura will be difficult to read, even for masters at the art like me. It''s a stop-gap measure but this way, you''ll at least be ready for the dangers waiting outside instead of being read like an open book.¡±


    "The normal methods don''t work very well for you." She continued. "At first, I thought your fractured soul was inhibiting you a little. Now though, I think the black panther''s heritage that you claimed requires a special touch to control. I''ll try to look into it but I doubt I''ll find anything."


    "So I can¡¯t use magic properly, my soul''s fucked up and my aura, something that''s supposed to be one of my greatest assets probably requires instruction from apocalypse beasts to be used properly. You know, the ones that are known for destroying entire planets. Have I got that right?"


    Alyssia nodded her head.


    When he laid it out like that, Arthur''s current circumstances sounded a lot direr than they probably were. At least he hoped that was the case.


    ¡°Enough dilly-dallying. Are you ready? Whilst I can''t teach you how to master your aura, I can make you one of the best on this planet.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head, gritting his teeth in preparation for the expected pain of having his aura compressed to a tenth of its size. It came slowly at first, just a mild discomfort that felt like an itch that couldn¡¯t be scratched. It only got worse from there.


    ¡°Hey, Arthur, you''re not trying here. Work with me,¡± Alyssia said quietly, a sheen of perspiration on her forehead as she used her vastly superior aura to compress his own.


    He mentally groaned. C¡¯mon Arthur. What the fuck are you playing at. Stop being a little bitch. Psyching himself up didn¡¯t make the process any easier but it did distract him. There was nothing else for it. Delaying the ordeal only made it worse.


    Arthur let his aura loose.


    It extended to its full twenty-meter radius, a beast given freedom and let loose.


    And it met a predator.


    The second Arthur''s aura met Alyssia¡¯s, he shivered. Not in fear, per se, but that emotion was certainly present. It was just the wrongness about it all. Maybe Arthur didn¡¯t know enough about auras to form an informed opinion but to come into contact with another with his own without raising any defences felt like taboo as if he was exposing himself indecently in public for everyone to see.


    If he had a modicum of control over his aura, perhaps that wouldn¡¯t be the case, but as it was, he¡¯d never get used to the sensation. That¡¯s when Alyssia¡¯s aura began to close in.


    Her training regimen was simple and crude. According to her ¡®professional perspective,'' only the most barbarian methods would work on a dunce like him. In essence, her plan was simple. She¡¯d use her much stronger and more disciplined aura to crush his own like a vice until he either learned the requisite skill to keep it condensed or it adhered to a smaller form.


    Arthur hoped the former occurred first. He didn¡¯t know how long it would take for his aura to be squished into shape. The stuff always seemed to bounce back like a spring the second Alyssia let up.


    At three-quarters of its size, it felt like he was submerged in a pool of water, uncomfortable but bearable. At half, it felt like he was in the depths of an ocean, crushed under thousands of tons of pressure. At a tenth, it felt like he became the water itself, losing all sense of self as he was mixed and dilated with everything around him. Things got weird fast at that point. It reminded him of being high on his medication.


    Time lost all meaning and seconds felt like eternities in which he experienced lifetimes of happiness, sadness, regret and joy. His tongue transformed into a sea serpent that spent aeons wondering the dark waters until one day it leapt forward and soared forward as a dragon now on a conquest to make the skies its own.


    Arthur experienced the briefest flash of clarity among all the madness. Mathew would love this. He quickly let go of his lucidity and welcomed back the insanity. It was far easier to face than a reality of pain and anguish, where his failings were laid bare in an aura that refused taming.


    Another eternity passed, this time one where Arthur spent most of his days crawling on all fours in a box of steel that protected him from everything out there. It was only after the box finally broke that Arthur realised he¡¯d been trapped for millennia. He marshalled his willpower and stepped forward to freedom.


    And spent the next decade falling into an abyss of darkness that looked like it would swallow the world. Those were the few visions he could later recall. The rest were lost and forgotten. The few brief moments of clarity became more common, and slowly he learned to hold on to them, not really knowing why, only that he should.


    Finally, after two hours of aura compression, though it felt far longer to him, he finally received a system notification.


    What am I even doing?


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">


    You have created a UNIQUE variation of the skill Aura compression. Skill has been renamed WhatamIevendoing (Rare)


    Congratulations on creating your first unique skill. The nature of your aura makes the skill too complex and niche to be added to the system archives so you shall not be awarded anything for your efforts.


    </td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">


    WhatamIevendoing (Rare) Level 1- Many wish to expand their auras, to seek out and dominate all those around them. You have sought the opposite, to reign in and isolate yourself from all others. Makes it easier to condense your aura per level of this skill.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Fucking finally. It took long enough, Arthur thought as he vomited the contents of his stomach all over himself.

 Chapter 103- The Results of Training

    Arthur ran through the grasslands, ten tiny orbs of water floating behind him like a line of ducklings following their mother. It made for a strange sight, especially when he constantly stopped and changed direction, seemingly at random. The bizarre movements went on for a while longer until suddenly, Arthur lost balance and sprawled onto the ground, his conjured water bullets harmlessly falling onto the grass beside him.


    ¡°Fuck, how long did I last this time?¡± He cursed, spitting out a mouthful of dirt.


    ¡°You actually did pretty well,¡± Alyssia said, suddenly materialising into existence beside him and taking a seat on the ground. Any ordinary person would probably think she¡¯d been using magic to make herself invisible with how she spontaneously popped into existence. Arthur, however, knew better and the sound of a sonic boom echoed throughout the grasslands, startling Alyssia¡¯s lazy pet Stormwalker into consciousness. The Alverin woman had just arrived at the scene of Arthur¡¯s face-planting absurdly fast, thus creating the illusion that she¡¯d been present all along.


    ¡°Twenty-seven minutes. Six more and you would have beaten your personnel record.¡±


    Arthur groaned as he turned around, his chest heaving in exhaustion and his face covered in a sheen of sweat. Five-hundred-and-fifty-five endurance, it turned out, was not enough to keep up with Alyssia¡¯s hellish training regimen.


    ¡°And how was my aura control?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Practically perfect, actually. You only let it slip twice but your recovery was near instantaneous, considering you had your ether in use constantly, I can confidently say you¡¯ll be able to keep your aura in check even whilst fighting.¡±


    ¡°For only a few days of work, it¡¯s nothing short of a miracle. Especially when taking into account how terrible you were when we started. Just what sort of skill did you create?¡± She asked curiously.


    Arthur chuckled. ¡°Please don¡¯t ask. I¡¯ve told you already I have no idea how it works. The skill doesn¡¯t even utilize any ether at all like my other abilities, it just gives me a headache when I¡¯m using it. Mental acuity? Is that a thing skills can run on?¡±


    Alyssia shook her head. ¡°I have no idea how the system does things. The only thing that matters is that it works I guess. It¡¯s pretty damn neat. Your aura literally becomes a mess of soup when you use the skill making it practically impossible to read anything from it. To be honest, it might actually be better than the more traditional methods of hiding your aura.¡±


    She smiled wryly.


    ¡°Then again, I guess it¡¯s your unique aura that makes it possible. Shrinking my aura may make it denser and harder to read, but it lacks the quality of chaos yours possesses.¡±


    Because I decided to eat a bunch of monster cores without knowing what they¡¯d do to my body or soul. Arthur decided not to voice his thoughts. Complaining about things got you nowhere.


    ¡°So, do you think I¡¯ve progressed enough to finally move on to the next layer?¡± Arthur instead asked, ¡°I know we¡¯ve got two days left before our self-imposed week limit comes to its end, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any point staying on floor one any longer.¡±


    ¡°My aura skills stopped levelling no matter what I do and my other abilities are growing so slowly that the two days won¡¯t make a difference. Unless you have some amazing trick left to teach me, we might as well get finished with this place. Perhaps a change in environment will help me get the spark of progress back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a placebo effect or not, but I¡¯ve started to get headaches randomly. We might want to speed up a little bit.¡±


    Alyssia didn¡¯t say anything for a long while, seemingly taking time to ponder over what he¡¯d said. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know my teaching was so terrible,¡± she eventually said. ¡°But your right. Maybe it¡¯s because this locus of power is so new, but my initial estimations might be a little off.¡±


    ¡°If you''re already experiencing headaches, we have less time than I thought left in here before suffering some lasting harm. Another week. Maybe two if we want to push things.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head. Alyssia had never told him what this harm was exactly, but he¡¯d inferred that it had something to do with a reduction in one mental attributes for a while. With how his own were already not doing so well, Arthur wasn¡¯t too keen to find out what a prolonged stay in this place would do to him.


    ¡°Your teaching¡¯s not bad, by the way.¡± Arthur did not make a convincing liar.


    Alyssia laughed, raising her hand to stop him from talking. ¡°Spare me the sweet talk. I was only joking before but even I know my educational methods leave a lot to be desired.¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I basically used you as a guinea pig to test how effective they''ll be for when I finally get around to teaching Artemo. Speaking off, he should be waking up soon. It¡¯ll probably take him a few hours before he grows enough balls to start looking for me, so yep, a week and a half here it is. Any longer and the idiot might actually get himself in trouble.¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Arthur sighed in exasperation. He really couldn¡¯t understand Alyssia, despite spending over a week in her company. At times she appeared calm and collected, a cool and caring older sister that would give the world for her sibling, and at others, she well- didn¡¯t give a shit. Perhaps it¡¯s a unique trait of the Alverin that causes such drastic changes in their personality, like a mild case of bipolar.


    Or Alyssia¡¯s just really weird.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think it was the latter. ¡°So, do you know how to complete this layer or what? You¡¯ve spent so much time with the horses whilst I¡¯ve been training that you should at least know a little.¡±


    Alyssia waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m way ahead of you on that front. I¡¯ve practically completed the layer already. There was just a weird sort of rodent infection at this stable that needed to be dealt with. Once that was done, the Stormwalkers were happy to return to their homes.¡±


    Arthur listened attentively, knowing that there was a ¡¯but¡¯ coming along very soon. He wasn¡¯t mistaken.


    ¡°But we have one problem,¡± Alyssia said, pointing at the Stormwalker that had grown so attached to her over the past few days. The lazy beast, as always, was snoring away on the grass, somehow managing to already fall asleep after its rude awakening a few minutes earlier.


    ¡°All the Stormwalkers are around Rank F on the evolution spectrum according to the system, which is standard enough for a locus with a level 200 restriction. To be honest, it¡¯s actually on the weaker side.¡±


    ¡°The problem is, Bambam¡¯s girlfriend, or should I say, mate,¡± Alyssia said, once again indicating to the resting horse who she''d named Bambam. ¡°She¡¯s evolved to the next rank.¡± Alyssia let the words sink in for a while as she stared at him silently.


    ¡°A beast¡¯s evolution is a little different to a sapient. They have little to no control over it, meaning that it will usually only enhance their greatest strengths,¡± Alyssia explained, ¡° And the Stormwalkers are fast, very, very fast. It¡¯s their way only redeeming trait, to the extent that with a single extra evolution, Bambam¡¯s mate is faster than me. At least at a dead sprint.¡±


    ¡°Not by a lot, but enough that I can¡¯t reasonably catch her without harming her.¡±


    ¡°Is she really that fast?¡± Arthur asked sceptically. He couldn¡¯t help it. For an animal that probably hadn¡¯t reached level 200 to surpass Alyssia in speed, even after she used ether to enhance herself was simply absurd. To accept that meant that the creature travelled upwards of 600 m/s and as far as Arthur knew, that was impossible without the necessary investments in constitution and strength that would allow the body to keep up without failing.


    Alyssia herself always kept complaining about how her lack of constitution limited her, and that was despite the fact that most of her ether-based skills were geared to support the incredible speeds she could move at.


    ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Alyssia said, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. ¡°How the fuck does the bitch run so fast without disintegrating.¡±


    She took a deep calming breath, ¡°But this is a locus of power, I guess. It doesn¡¯t have to make sense or even follow the lore it¡¯s supposed to be based on. I doubt this Hercules of yours managed to catch a beast that can run circles around even me.¡±


    Arthur smiled wryly, ¡°Just because you can¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean no one can,¡± he teased, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the guy was half-god and all too.¡±


    ¡°Hah, your world¡¯s too young to have gods, useless bastards that they are,¡± Alyssia retorted. ¡°And I never said I can¡¯t catch the bitch, only that it¡¯ll be difficult.¡± It took her a moment to realise that Arthur was only teasing her, and her skin flushed a darker shade of green.


    What the hell did she mean, your planets too young for gods. Lower case g as in powerful beings that rule the planet or capital G God, the creator of everything, an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent being. Context suggests she meant the former.


    Arthur filed away the thought for later analysis as he narrowly dodged the hairbrush Alyssia threw his way. When it landed in a massive pile of horse dung, the thrower followed her projectile in attacking Arthur, who couldn¡¯t control his laughter, which probably wasn¡¯t the wisest decision as it only incensed Alyssia further.


    An aching scalp from where she¡¯d pulled his hair, however, was a minor price to pay to see the woman make a fool of herself and Arthur didn¡¯t regret it. Not when his regeneration made the pain disappear in seconds.


    ¡°Arthur, clean this,¡± she demanded, thrusting the shit-coated hairbrush at his face. Arthur eventually relented, but only after extracting a promise of a month''s free cooking from her. Alyssia made the stupidest of deals at times and it was a wonder that she hadn¡¯t been extorted into slavery or something equally horrible yet.


    Using the tiniest amounts of ether possible, Arthur generated a few water bullets and adeptly manoeuvred them to clean the horse shit away without damaging the hairbrush, a feat that would have been impossible for him a few days ago. It was only after he realised that Alyssia was looking at him like he was a fool that Arthur remembered he had an ability called purify in his arsenal now.


    A quick blast of the aura spell completed what would have otherwise taken him minutes with his previous method. He handed the now clean brush back to a sullen-looking Alyssia who was glowering at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay,¡± he eventually relented and apologised. ¡°But it was your fault for throwing the brush at me.¡±


    Alyssia snorted and turned away, no doubt to go and inspect if he¡¯d done a proper job of cleaning it. Really, is she actually older than me or what? Do Alverin just mature slower than humans?


    Arthur smiled and whistled a tune he couldn¡¯t remember the name of as he channelled some ether into the shadows beneath him. Out of all his affinities, excluding soul, of course, it was the one he had the most difficulty with, though he had improved leaps and bounds with it over the past few days. Enough that he could now do the approximation of a shadow act with ether alone, even if his horses looked like some sort of camel-elephant crossbreed. Snakes came a lot easier to him, no thanks to their simple form.


    An epic tale unfolded between the serpent empire and the earth-shakers, massive monstrous horse-hybrids, as they battled for dominance within the shadowlands. There was only space enough for one nation to survive. The great war came to a climax when the serpents gave birth to a great warrior, whose length spanned the heavens and whose jaws were large enough to eat an earth shaker whole.


    In the end, the serpent empire won, mainly because Arthur could manipulate them far easier, and also because he¡¯d developed an intense dislike for horses after the fourth time stepping in their shit.


    ¡°Are you done playing?¡± Alyssia asked coldly.


    Arthur sighed and got to his feet. "Don¡¯t act like you weren¡¯t staring at my Shadow act all this time." He stretched upwards, rubbing at the patch of hair Alyssia had pulled.


    It was time to find Bambam¡¯s girlfriend.

 Chapter 104- The Perks of Constitution

    ¡°Are you sure this is going to work?¡± Arthur asked for the umpteenth time. The fake sun was high in the sky and sadly the heat it generated was no less real than the actual stuff. Whilst 698 constitution meant it didn¡¯t harm him, it didn¡¯t make it any more pleasant to bear.


    ¡°Shut up. Do you have a better plan?¡± Alyssia snapped back. Being far less durable than Arthur, the temperatures grated on far more. And the fact that Arthur had asked the same question so many times was getting on her nerves. It was her fault for coming up with such a hair-brained scheme.


    He remained silent. Alyssia¡¯s plan whilst it was more than a little far-fetched did seem sound enough and he had nothing better to offer. ''The horny bitch will eventually come looking for her toy boy if we lock him up,'' did contain a lot more rational thinking than one would expect when observing the sentence at face value.


    According to Alyssia, the only reason why Bambam refused to go into his stable was that his girlfriend wasn¡¯t willing to go there and do ¡®horsey¡¯ stuff with him. It stood to reason that the opposite would also prove to be true and the mare would get lonely alone and without company on the grasslands. Apparently, the beasts met multiple times every day to get it on.


    Now that her partner was locked up, she should very quickly realise something was wrong and come to investigate. The main issue, however, was how they would get the stormwalker to enter the stable, which according to Alyssia was literally an impossibility. The mare really hated confined spaces, unlike the rest of her brethren.


    ¡°We¡¯re here now,¡± Alyssia said, stopping so abruptly that Arthur almost walked into her. He looked around, not realising what was so special about the place at first. It took him a moment to realise that they were standing at the entrance of a cave, it was so well camouflaged with the hill it was on.


    He did a double take when he saw it, comprehension dawning when he recognised the particularly scenic lake a few meters away. He¡¯d walked past this place. A number of times. And I never realised this cave was here. Actually, I probably never would have if Alyssia hadn¡¯t pointed it out to me.


    It had taken them ten minutes at a brisk walk from the stable to reach this place. The grasslands of crystal water, Arthur had learned, were nowhere near as big as the rolling hills and monotonous scenery made them out to be. Perhaps it was some sort of magic, no, it definitely was; Arthur highly doubted he was so directionally challenged because no matter how much you walked here, you never reached the edge of this ether-created land.


    Arthur had tried and failed many times to see where this strange dimension ended, always finding his way back to the horse''s stable, the focal point, Alyssia called it, of this layer, the nucleus around which everything in this created world revolved. No matter what you did, you¡¯d eventually find yourself at its doorstep.


    ¡°So what¡¯s in the cave?¡± Arthur asked. Alyssia didn¡¯t answer, choosing to continue with her air of mystery. I swear to god if there¡¯s a massive spider nest or something I''ll put horseshit in her dimensional bag. That was just the sort of prank he¡¯d expect from Alyssia, and she hadn¡¯t yet forgiven him for getting shit all over her hairbrush, conveniently forgetting the fact that it had been entirely her fault.


    ¡°Are you scared of the dark?¡± Alyssia called back to him when she realised that Arthur wasn¡¯t following after her. He swallowed nervously. It couldn¡¯t be that bad, could it? She wouldn''t do anything that bad to get back at him.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m coming,¡± Arthur said, reluctantly following her into the dark. The entrance to the cave was narrow and low enough that Arthur had to bend over to enter it. The walls were covered in the same vibrant green grass that coated everything outside, one of the many inconsistencies that could be found in the locus when it was put under inspection. Moss, at least, Arthur would be able to understand, but grass growing vertically out of the wall was a stretch.


    He didn¡¯t concern himself with it though and followed after Alyssia. How she could see so well in the dark despite investing so little into the perception stat Arthur had no idea, nor did he question it. Alyssia knew how to use ether in ways that he hadn¡¯t even considered, ways that the system didn''t classify as skills. A spell to enhance one''s vision was simple in comparison. Besides she had to have a magical way to enhance her eyes to keep up with her speed.


    The cave angled downwards, not at all surprising because its entrance was placed on a hill so small three steps would have taken one through to the other side. Still, the fact that they hadn¡¯t reached the end of it after even a minute of waking, irrespective of their slow pace was a little unusual, and magical too, considering the fact that the tiny hill they were travelling underneath lacked the structural integrity to maintain it¡¯s shape with such a massive hole inside it.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Stop.¡±


    For once, Alyssia announced their arrival before suddenly stopping, so Arthur thankfully didn¡¯t have to awkwardly apologise after crashing into her back. She took a step forward and Arthur gasped when he saw the sight her small frame had been blocking from him. The narrow cave had finally opened up to what Arthur could only describe as a beautiful piece of heaven.


    It was breathtaking, a small cavern that glowed with a blue luminance, the source of light being the various types of mushrooms and flora that covered the place. Oh shit, it really is breathtaking, Arthur thought when he realised he was having difficulty breathing. He was about to take a step back when Alyssia placed a hand on his shoulder and held him fast in place. She smirked at him.


    ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s just a little bit of poison.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He then felt, rather than saw Alyssia cast a spell over him, a sense he¡¯d spent training with her but not yet mastered. The effects were near instantaneous and his slightly laboured breathing immediately reverted back to normal.


    Health: 15,837/15840.


    Okay, so maybe it wasn¡¯t that dangerous but Arthur would rather be safe than sorry. It¡¯d be a sad day if he somehow died because of a mushroom.


    ¡°Okay, so why are we here?¡± he asked. Arthur already had an inkling as to what Alyssia¡¯s answer would be, but there was one fundamental issue if his suspicions were correct. Alyssia, being the idiot she was had probably forgotten the one warning they¡¯d been given upon entering the locus. ''Do not harm the Stormwalkers.¡¯


    Arthur was pretty certain Alyssia¡¯s plan, whatever it was, definitely involved causing some harm to Bambam''s girlfriend.


    ¡°We¡¯re here for two reasons actually. The first, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already guessed, is so we can poison that upstart bitch. And the second, well we¡¯ll wait and see if the first is plausible before I tell you that.¡± Alyssia said with a mischievous smile on her face.


    Arthur was very quickly learning that the Alverin woman really had a flare for dramatics, always withholding information from him or more often than not, forgetting to mention it altogether. Arthur sighed.


    ¡°I can understand you might hate the mare a lot, but you do remember the one and only warning we were given for the trial, right? Don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Because if you¡¯ve forgotten, I can jog your-¡±


    ¡°Save me the explanation,¡± Alyssia interrupted, raising her palm in a halting motion, ¡°I¡¯m not so stupid as to forget something like that.¡±


    ¡°Just think Arthur, think. How would an ordinary party of five humans under level 200 complete this layer? Locus trials are supposed to be challenging, not impossible and I highly doubt anyone on your planet could beat this layer when even I, someone who specialises in speed, can''t catch that beast. At least not without harming her.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head slowly. What Alyssia said made sense. The same conundrum had plagued him since he¡¯d found out about the troubling horse. The fact of the matter was that Arthur highly doubted there was anyone on Earth better suited to complete this trial than themselves. Or at least Alyssia.


    Sure, they might not be the smartest pair, but most other humans on the planet wouldn''t even be able to see the Stormwalker, nevermind catch it. Not when he struggled with his unlocked perception, and that was without taking into consideration that Alyssia¡¯s entire build revolved around being as fast as possible without killing herself. And Bambam''s girlfriend matched even her.


    The trial was literally impossible to complete, at least when following the no-horse-abuse rule.


    ¡°Okay, I understand what you¡¯re saying, but won¡¯t using these mushrooms violate this layer¡¯s guidelines.¡±


    ¡°Arthur, have you seen any other plants or flora on this stratum besides the grass and trees?¡± She asked.


    Arthur shook his head no. He hadn¡¯t, at least not until now. The only things in the grasslands were the lakes, grass, a few trees, the horses and them. There was no other life here.


    ¡°Exactly. This means these mushrooms are obviously here for a reason. The locus warned us against harming the horses.¡±


    Alyssia smiled wickedly. ¡°It¡¯s not our fault if one of the idiotic brutes eats the stuff we left lying around. Especially when it came from the locus itself. Heck, Bambam''s already stolen so much of our food. I¡¯m sure his mate will do the same.¡±


    Arthur scratched his head. He probably never would have to come to the same conclusion Alyssia had, but the way she explained everything made¡­sense, in a roundabout way at least especially when she sounded so confident in herself. And besides, what¡¯s the worst that could happen if she was wrong?


    Arthur was pulled out of his inner musings when Alyssia thrust one of the blue-capped mushrooms under his nose. It smelt sickly sweet and looked as poisonous as it was colourful.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing with that?¡± Arthur said, pushing her hand away. He didn¡¯t trust Alyssia¡¯s filtration spell that much.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you think I brought you here, to look pretty?¡± Alyssia asked, once again thrusting the mushroom at him.


    Oh shit.


    ¡°You have over three times as much health as me. Of course, we have to check out how potent this mushroom is before feeding it to our good friend. Right?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want the stupid mare dying from an overdose, do we? And the stupid animals probably got under a thousand health with how high her agility must be.¡±


    Arthur reluctantly accepted the poisonous plant from Alyssia¡¯s hands, not because he agreed with her, okay he did slightly, but mainly because he knew Alyssia would insist until he gave in. Heck, she might slip the stuff into his food if he didn¡¯t just comply right now.


    And he was a little curious about how it tasted.


    Hesitantly, he placed the mushroom into his mouth. His tongue immediately went numb and he quickly swallowed the blue candy before he could get any second thoughts. Alyssia watched the entire procedure with glee, eyes filled with anticipation like a child in front of an iPad. Well, she¡¯d be disappointed. Besides the initial numbness, nothing happened.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.627%; text-align: center">You have been afflicted with Blue shroomite poison. You will feel slightly lethargic for the next 20 minutes. May cause stomach issues and diarrhoea.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Okay, so something did happen after all, but Arthur didn¡¯t really have any of the so-called lethargy he was supposed to. Maybe it was his high constitution, or maybe the shroomite was just really weak. He checked his health.


    15790/15840


    Yep, that was looking fine too. When Alyssia saw no change in Arthur, she sighed in resignation.


    ¡°Fucking constitution,¡± she muttered under her breath.


    ¡°The stuff¡¯s safe to use. Three, maybe four should do the trick. Any more and we might do some actual damage.¡±


    Alyssia simply nodded her head and began to collect the purple-blue mushrooms. Significantly more than the four he had suggested. He decided not to dwell on what usages she might find for them, already pretty certain that they¡¯d somehow find their way into his stomach when she used them as experimental ingredients. She''ll call it resistance training or something. Well, they don''t taste bad, just tingly and strange I guess. It''ll make for some interesting meals.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the second reason we came here?¡± He eventually asked.


    Alyssia didn¡¯t answer at first, gathering even more of the poisonous plants. She pointed further into the cave, towards its centre.


    ¡°Identify that.¡±


    Arthur didn¡¯t know what she was talking about at first, but he eventually saw what it was that Alyssia had pointed to. A small blue orb, so tiny and inconspicuous, he¡¯d passed over it three times before realising what it was. Arthur identified the tiny crystal.


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    Challenger stone- Such stones can be found on the first and second layers. Breaking them will significantly increase the difficulty of the following trials. So too shall the rewards be greater.


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    </table>

 Chapter 105- Bambams Girlfriend

    ¡°If I were alone, I never would have considered it,¡± Alyssia said quietly. ¡°This locus seems difficult enough without the extra difficulty. With you, however, I think it might be possible. Heck, it¡¯s probably the only way we¡¯ll actually receive a proper challenge from this place.¡±


    Alyssia didn¡¯t say anything else, giving him the time to consider their options properly. Her words, however, had made it clear what she thought about the matter. Arthur didn¡¯t let her opinions influence him and instead tried to think about the situation from a logical perspective.


    Whilst the locus of power had been a little annoying to deal with so far, it had yet to pose any more danger to them than a large pile of horse faeces. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the wisest decision to base the rest of it only on their experience of the first layer, but Arthur was confident enough in his own abilities to think that they¡¯d be able to deal with it easily enough if it continued down the same strain.


    And better rewards. If Alyssia wasn¡¯t just trying to sell it to me, the stuff this place produces will already be absurd. And we can enhance them. In the end, Arthur¡¯s decision was mainly influenced by greed. An opportunity like this was simply too great to pass up.


    ¡°Break it.¡±


    Alyssia complied and the small blue orb instantly shattered, Arthur¡¯s perception was barely able to keep up with the tiny stone she¡¯d launched from her hand to achieve the result.


    ¡°There''s no going back now," Alyssia warned, ¡°Even if we skip the challenge stone on the next layer, our final trial will be significantly stronger than it¡¯s supposed to be.¡±


    Arthur just nodded his head. He¡¯d made his decision already, and he wouldn¡¯t regret it. With the blue crystal now broken, Arthur noticed that many of the plants surrounding it had lost their former lustre. Not all of it, but enough that he could notice it easily enough.


    Alyssia suddenly turned sharply to the left, the direction in which the stable was located. She raised her hand to her ear as if communicating with some piece of headgear before speaking.


    ¡°It looks like our little mares lost her patience. She¡¯s currently walking around the stable but it looks like she¡¯s too nervous to enter.¡±


    ¡°So, do we wait and see what happens,¡± Arthur asked hopefully.


    Alyssia looked at him with an incredulous expression on her face, as if he was a fool to even suggest such a thing.


    ¡°What! And waste all the treats we came here for. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve realised Arthur, a horse does not have hands. Pray to tell, how in the seven heavens will our little Mrs Bambam get in the stable? She can''t open a door.¡±


    ¡°Or do you expect our magic horse girl to actually shapeshift into a human,¡± Alyssia mocked.


    Arthur ignored her rude tone and scratched his head awkwardly, unsure as to how he should reply. Alyssia had a habit of shutting people down with cold hard logic, the sort of stuff everyone thought of but refused to say out of polite etiquette. Alyssia¡¯s forthrightness was a welcome change, if an annoying one and the only person he could really blame was himself for suggesting stupid things. It kind of reminded him of the person he''d once been.


    Still, after spending so much time in Bambam''s company, Arthur had grown a little attached to the horse. Enough that it felt wrong to harm his mate in such a cruel and callous manner. Yes, Arthur knew he was being a hypocrite. He¡¯d killed his fair share of innocent animals in the wake of the system''s arrival and this was a minor crime in comparison. That didn¡¯t mean he had to like it though. Diarrhoea aint that bad though, is it?


    ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯ve not got all day,¡± Alyssia called back at him. She was already making her way through the tunnel that had led them to this small cave and her voice echoed strangely throughout the place. Arthur sighed wearily and reluctantly followed after her.


    Their journey out of the cave was far quicker than their entry into the narrow crevice, mainly because Alyssia was setting a far faster pace but also because she no longer had to stop so often to double-check if Arthur was following her. Why she had done so the first time was anyone''s guess but Arthur suspected she was a little afraid of small and dark places.


    They made their way outside in under thirty seconds and Arthur squinted at the sudden change in light, his eyes adjusting far quicker than they usually would have in the pre-system era.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go ahead, okay,¡± Alyssia said before darting off in the direction of the stables.


    She was gone from his sight in three seconds, leaving only a trail of upturned earth in her wake. With a top speed at thrice the speed of sound, even if she could only maintain it for a short while, Alyssia was far, far faster than Arthur. It made sense that she go ahead but he couldn¡¯t help but worry that the Alverin woman would do something stupid if she confronted the Stormwalker alone. After all, she¡¯d taken enough mushrooms with her to harm even him, and so Arthur, for the first time in a while, tested his body to its limits.


    He ran. As fast as he could. Within a few seconds, he was cruising along the grasslands at the same speed as a car on the highway, petering out at a top speed of eighty miles per hour. Whilst it wasn¡¯t anywhere near Alyssia¡¯s current march-2 speeds, it was so far beyond the realms of pre-system humanity that Arthur couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the novelty of it all.


    The fake sunlight shone down on him. The beautiful landscape all around, even the wind resistance on his face all combined to create a true sound experience. It was indescribable, nothing at all between him and the ground beside a thin layer of synthetic fibres that remained of his footwear and everything whizzing past so fast it felt like the world''s rotation had been dialled up to eleven. And Arthur''s perception meant that he could capture the beauty of it all in the fall.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Not for the first time, he wondered how creatures without the stat functioned when they began to move at absurd speeds. Perhaps like Alyssia, they used some sort of ether-based skill to do so, or maybe they had a different stat altogether. One thing Arthur had learned in the past few weeks, was that a specialist build was nigh impossible to achieve. Not unless you had hundreds of years of research and development throughout the generations into it.


    Someone like Alyssia, who based everything around her insane speed was exceptionally rare and no one on Earth would be able to replicate that feat. At least not without joining an alien faction of some sort to access their knowledge. In fact, with how many unique skills boosting agility that Alyssia possessed, Arthur estimated that he¡¯d need well over a thousand stats in the attribute to even come close to rivalling her speed.


    All these thoughts raced through Arthur''s mind as he ran towards the stable, praying he wasn¡¯t too late. Even if Alyssia was significantly faster than him, her stamina was dog-shit terrible, meaning he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be too far behind her. Disasters happened in seconds, however, and Arthur hoped he wasn¡¯t about to arrive at the scene of a horse homicide.


    A few minutes later, the stable came into view and Arthur was a little surprised to see that he wasn¡¯t even short of breath. Sure his endurance was almost four times as high as his agility but he¡¯d just run an all-out sprint for five minutes straight, an accomplishment that by all rights have been impossible.


    But impossible had been turned on its head for the past month now and it didn¡¯t look like it¡¯d be getting back on its feet anytime soon. Arthur slowed down to a jog and approached the large wooden stable cautiously. It was designed with some traditional Greek architecture and was far larger and grander than any horse stable had a right to be. It was more a wooden palace than anything else.


    When he neared fifty feet of the building, he heard Alyssia''s voice mumbling something, the sound distorted a little by the wind that carried it to his ears. But it sounded suspiciously like laughter. For fucks sake. Did she really go and kill the dumb horse? Arthur once again increased his pace, but this time he made sure not to make too loud a noise.


    Arthur knew that if he scared the doubly-evolved Stormwalker now, it would be a long time until they saw it again, if ever. Even with 92 perception, the beast only appeared as a blur in his vision. Arthur carefully walked around the stable towards its entrance. Yep, Alyssia was laughing and very, very loudly too. He turned the corner.


    The sight that greeted him was not one he would forget easily, if ever. Alyssia was standing there, doubled over in laughter, her hand repeatedly smacking the side of the building. She was positively hysterical.


    ¡°Oh shit, oh shit! Look at its ass.¡± She cried out.


    The words weren¡¯t directed at him but Arthur complied anyway. He immediately regretted it. Even if he one day lost his vision, the sight he saw would be burned into his memory forever. A horse was standing there, smaller than the other Stormwalkers he had seen and a darker shade of green too. Arthur didn''t doubt that it was Bambam''s girlfriend, the source of all their current troubles.


    That was completely fine with Arthur. It was what the horse had done, was doing, that frightened him so much. Her backside was painted blue, and so was the floor beneath her. It took him a moment to realise what the luminescent stuff was, he couldn¡¯t really deny it when it came spraying out of her ass like a fountain.


    Judging by the amount of shit around her, the mare had been at it for a while. Arthur didn¡¯t really find it funny at first, even a little sad, but he couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud when the beast was actually PROPELLED forward by the force of her excrement. It was only her forelegs digging into the ground that prevented her from crashing face-first into the stable wall. Alyssia couldn''t stop laughing.


    "Haha. I didn''t even have to make a meal for it. The dumb bitch just straight up stole the mushrooms out of my hand. Faster than I could react. I couldn''t have stopped her even if I tried."


    She¡¯s got diarrhoea. She¡¯s actually got magic diarrhoea!


    Arthur would no longer have to wonder what someone at level 300 would look like whilst taking an explosive shit. He highly doubted the results would be any more spectacular than the spectacle before him. He¡¯d only just managed to bring his laughter under control when an especially powerful blast caused the poor mare to execute a perfect front flip in complete defiance of the laws of physics.


    That set him off again and Alyssia¡¯s constant stream of loud jokes really didn¡¯t help matters. The strange exhibition continued for a short while and Arthur would have felt sorry for the mare''s rectum if she didn¡¯t look as high as a kite. The horse was on cloud nine and he doubted she¡¯d remember the last ten minutes when she regained her mental faculties.


    Finally, after an incredibly acrobatic double front flip, Bambam''s girlfriend mercifully passed out. Arthur quickly used a quick blast of purify to clean the area and was a little surprised when the blue shit didn¡¯t immediately disappear. On a whim, he identified the stuff. The result he received was¡­ interesting.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Shroomite shit (Rare)-This strange substance is as uncommon as it is strange. Produced with questionable methods, it has extremely potent narcotic effects and so is well sought after in the upper echelons of society. Possesses little other use.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur didn¡¯t even hesitate. He dialled up purify to consume as much ether as it could take and the Shroomite shit dissolved into nothingness at a speed visible to the naked eye. He¡¯d had enough to do with drugs to last a lifetime and even if it could fetch a pretty sum outside in the real world, he didn¡¯t have any need for financial gain currently, nor did he have the required license to sell the stuff or a method to transport it. He highly doubted Alyssia would be kind enough to use her storage bag to transport shit.


    Alyssia wiped a tear from her eye and looked at the unconscious horse. ¡°I never would have expected we¡¯d finish the layer like this but I¡¯m not complaining.¡± She chuckled again.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, let''s get her reunited with Bambam before she wakes up. Getting her into the stable should complete the requirements for this trial and let us advance onto the next.¡±


    She walked over to the sleeping beast and crawled underneath it. Standing up, Alyssia immediately toppled over without even managing to take a step forward, the weight of the horse far too unevenly placed on her shoulders. Arthur laughed at the sight. Alyssia had completely disappeared under the mare¡¯s baulk, only a single green hand visible. She crawled out from underneath it, her face flushed with embarrassment.


    ¡°Stop laughing and come help me,¡± she huffed loudly.


    Arthur shook his head in amusement at Alyssia¡¯s antics and walked forward.


    122 effective strength. That should be enough to lift a horse.

 Chapter 106- The Greaves Of Achilles

    It took them three attempts to lift the unconscious mare off the ground, not because it was too heavy but rather because the weight distribution on its body was so unusual. The front half of the horse weighed about twice as much as its rear end, some evolution fuckery no doubt to increase its speed and it was why Alyssia had failed soo epically when trying to lift it initially.


    Once they had the unwieldy beast in the air, it only took them a minute and a lot of bumbling about to get it into the stable. Bambam was excitedly prancing about to and fro in his stall and he neighed loudly when he caught sight of his unconscious mate. They gently set the mare down and quickly walked out of his stall, securing the gate in place so the oddball didn''t follow them out. The stormwalkers, particularly Bambam, had gotten extremely attached to Alyssia over the past few days, or maybe it was just her delicious cooking that made her so appealing.


    "So are we done or what? How do we get to the next layer?" Arthur asked.


    "This is my first time in an untested Locus of power too," Alyssia replied, a hint of uncertainty tinging her voice. "All I know about them comes from stories my grandmother told me."


    The words were hardly reassuring and Arthur wouldn''t be surprised if this was the first time Alyssia had considered her lack of information an issue. Putting it politely, the alverin woman was an airhead. Without the sugar-coating, she was- at times- an idiot. Arthur sighed in exasperation and wracked his brain for a solution to their conundrum. Before worry could set in, he was thankfully interrupted by a System notification.


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    Congratulations on completing The Trial Of The Grasslands. The Labours of Hercules trial 1/3 has been completed. The first Challenger completion reward is being generated...


    Reward has been generated...


    Do you wish to accept Achilles Greaves (Soulbound) as your reward?


    YES/NO


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    Arthur quickly read through the message and then re-read it to make sure he hadn''t missed anything. Alyssia seemed to have received a system notification too as her eyes were glued to the air in front of her face. They steadily grew wider and wider in shock until she was expressing the emotion to an almost cartoonish degree.


    "Accept it, Arthur. Now!"


    It wasn''t a request and Arthur could hear the disbelief in Alyssia''s voice even as she ordered him. Damn, she really wants this. Is it that good?


    "Are you sure?" Arthur asked cautiously. "That soulbound stuff sounds kinda sketchy to me."


    Arthur had no idea what it was but he didn''t want to end up in some weird soul binding contract just because he was too impatient to get some details first. Alyssia didn''t answer his question, instead asking one of her own. She looked directly at him, really looked at him, eye to eye with her yellow irises as if she was trying to peer into his soul.


    "Arthur, do you trust me?"


    Five words. A single sentence and yet they carried a mountain of expectation and responsibility. Trust. One word with so much implicit meaning. To believe in and rely on, expect and hope, an obligation arising from responsibility. Arthur thought over everything that had happened over the past week and everything he knew of Alyssia.


    A caring, stubborn, stupid and lovable woman who was a comedy routine rolled into a person. Violent at times but a pacifist in the next. An alverin woman, a dimension away from her home, alone and isolated on a strange planet to such an extent that Arthur wouldn''t be wrong in saying he was currently her one and only friend. And rude as fuck, but she''s working on it.


    Did he trust her?


    Arthur nodded his head.


    "Then hurry up and accept. The reward will change if we don''t accept it soon and I only carry fifty percent voting power here. You won''t regret it, I promise. It''s the best thing we''ll get offered, too good for this locus to be providing, honestly. I''ll explain everything later, but there are NO downsides to this. That I''ll tell you now."


    Arthur chuckled. Alyssia seemed pretty damn desperate here and the fact that she was glaring at him only made it more amusing. Hopefully, she knew what she was talking about. Arthur accepted. The results of his decision-making were... underwhelming, to say the least. At first, nothing happened and when something did, it occurred so fast and subtly that it was over before he realised anything happened.


    There was a flash of light at his ankles and a feeling like he''d swallowed something a little too big and then everything went back to normal. Arthur would''ve thought he''d imagined the whole thing if Alyssia hadn''t suddenly whooped in excitement.


    "Oh shit! Oh Shit! It''s real, it''s actually fucking real!"


    She was jumping about on her feet as if she had springs in her heels and she had an expression of childish delight on her face. If there was one thing that Arthur had learned about Alyssia, it was that her face was extremely expressive. If she was happy, it was very apparent and if she was conspiring something, you''d see it coming a mile away.


    And right now Alyssia looked like a toddler that had just found out they were going to Disneyland. Arthur watched the amusing spectacle for a short while before trying to figure out what the hell the ''reward'' he''d supposedly received even was. As far as he could tell, nothing had happened. He felt no different, nor could he see the so-called ''Greaves Achilles'' on his person.


    Arthur bent down to inspect his calves to see if the flash of light had done something there; as far as he knew, that was where greaves were supposed to go, but there was nothing there except for his usual, albeit pretty damn fine looking calves.


    I''m glad I never skipped leg day.


    Upon closer inspection, Arthur felt that there was ''something'' there, but the feeling was so insignificant that he wasn''t sure if it was just a placebo effect because he expected to see a change. He prodded his legs a few times to see if his physiology had mutated even a little.


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    Nope, still the same old leg.


    "Arthur, what are you doing?" Alyssia asked, confusion evident in her voice.


    Arthur looked up to see that she had calmed down a little, though the occasioned twitch in her leg showed how difficult it was for her to maintain a semblance of control.


    "I''m trying to find out what these greaves are supposed to be," Arthur replied, getting back to his feet. Alyssia shook her head in half exasperation, half amusement.


    "You really have no idea what a soulbound item is, do you? People would give their right hand to be in your position right now and you don''t even know how lucky you are."


    "So, are you going to tell me what it is, or what."


    "Patience, patience patience. Do they not teach the virtues of such things here or are you just ill-bred," Alyssia said in a forced snobbish voice, an air of haughty privilege surrounding her.


    "Alyssia."


    "Yes, Arthur."


    "If you don''t tell me where my Greaves are in the next ten seconds, then god help me, I will make sure you wake up covered in horse shit for the rest of our time in here," he deadpanned. "And I''ll tell Artemo you have a crush on his friend''s older brother."


    Alyssia''s skin rapidly paled.


    "What. How- how do you know that?" She stuttered.


    "You talk in your sleep. Six seconds remaining."


    "Wait, wait, wait, okay. Calm down. I''ll tell you alright. You don''t have to start resorting to such drastic measures."


    She mumbled something under her breath far too fast for his under-levelled Myriad Tongues to keep up with. Arthur didn''t say anything else and just let Alyssia stew in her discomfort for a while. She really needed to learn how to maintain an air of mystery without coming across as an annoying child with a secret and Arthur didn''t mind helping her along in the process.


    "A soulbound item is exactly what it sounds like," Alyssia began. "An item bound to your soul."


    "They are incredibly rare, like literally borderline impossible to acquire. Either as a reward from a locus of power as we''ve just received or as a creation from a master blacksmith who has pushed his craft beyond the realms of mortal achievability."


    She paused for a moment to let the information sink in and smiled when she saw that she had the entirety of Arthur''s attention.


    "Being soulbound, the item will have a lot of unique features. First and foremost amongst them is that the item is solely yours. It cannot be given, nor taken away from you and it will stick by and grow alongside you through every evolution you go through."


    "How it will grow is entirely dependant on yourself so although we received the same item today, a year down the line, they may be completely different. And that is why Soulbound items are so well sought after. They will NEVER become obsolete, no matter how strong you may become and they will only serve to enhance those strengths further."


    For once, Arthur understood everything Alyssia had said. She''d made no strange alverin references, nor had she gone on any diverging tangents as she normally loved to. I really need to blackmail her more in the future. In essence, the way Arthur understood it, a soulbound item was like a title, a part of him that would always be useful instead of something he might one day outgrow. And that was based on everything Alyssia had told him. He didn''t doubt that there was so much more about soulbound items that she didn''t know.


    "So I get that the Greaves are really special and all, but... where are they?"


    Alyssia facepalmed and muttered a few obscenities under her breath.


    "You don''t know where they are. Really? Have you perhaps forgotten that your dimension has one of the biggest cheats I''ve ever seen? Check your Status page!"


    Arthur nodded his head sheepishly. He had indeed forgotten to check if the system had anything for him. In his defence, he would''ve expected a system notification to let him know about such changes if and when they came, but if what Alyssia had said about soulbound item''s rarity, it made sense that the system- a creation made mostly for weak, newly evolved planets- would have trouble identifying them.


    From what Alyssia had said, a Soulbound item was scarcely found on planets that had undergone multiple evolutions. It would do him well to remember that one of the system''s primary objectives was to make ether safer for the uninitiated to use and not a gateway to power as many mistook it for. There were a whole lot of political agendas behind its creation, a method to keep new planets weak and reliant on the more established races, but that was a can of worms he didn''t want to open right now.


    Calling forth his status, Arthur looked through it to see if any additions had been made. Everything was as it should be; his titles, attributes and skills were all on display. He missed it the first time and almost on the second scan too. After all, it was easy to miss. Just a little ? next to his name.


    Arthur focused on it and the characters changed before his very eyes, reflecting his own understanding of what it should be. It took a few seconds before it was complete.


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Soulbound Items 1/?</td>


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    Arthur selected it and the familiar blue of system text flooded his vision.


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    The Greaves of Achilles (Soulbound Rank F)- Increases agility by 5% of the constitution attribute.


    Rank F ability: Once every 24 hours, you become invulnerable to a single attack dealing up to 20,000 points of damage. Unused attempts do not stack. (Hidden state)


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    Arthur read through the item''s description, his grin growing wider and wider.


    "Pretty sweet, isn''t it?"


    Arthur nodded his head dumbly not trusting himself to speak and say something stupid. The soulbound item was frankly insane and would make his trip to the locus worth it all on its own. And they still had two layers left to go. In his own hands, the item was already broken enough at only F rank. For someone like Alyssia who specialised in speed, it was terrifying.


    Being a soulbound item that worked off your strengths, Arthur suspected that Alyssia''s greaves created a symbiotic relationship between agility and constitution opposite to his own. It was the attribute she complained about the most, always going on about how her frail body prevented her from moving faster. With this single item, she''d revolutionised an already overpowered build.


    Generations of effort and research had gone into Alyssia''s current path, and it had been optimised as much as possible. These greaves had come along and added the mother of all catalysts into the mix. Things would just snowball from here, of that Arthur was certain.


    Seeing that the item''s description currently said that they were hidden, Arthur tried to switch it to visible. It took him a moment, to use the system as an intermediary to communicate his commands with the soulbound item, but then it clicked and a pair of skin-tight leather materialised onto his calves. They fit like comfortable gloves as if he''d been wearing them for years already.


    Arthur admired them for a while. They were understandably green- any other colour coming out of this layer would be blasphemous- and they were exquisite in their making and design, a single piece of fabric that flowed like a smooth stream around his legs.


    "Thank you," Arthur mumbled. Alyssia tilted her head to the side in confusion. Arthur tried again. "Thank you for bringing me to this place, Alyssia, and for everything else you''re helping me with.


    Arthur really meant those words. Whatever selfish reasons she may have initially had for bringing him here, they had changed significantly over the past few days. His Bhai Giya pact told him as much. The magic didn''t lie and even if it did, Alyssia never could. At least not convincingly.


    His words had a nearly instantaneous effect on the woman, and her skin flushed the darkest shade of green he''d ever seen on her person. It took her a moment to get back her bearings and say something.


    "Shut up. Don''t get sentimental on me now. We''ve still got two layers left to go."


    Her ears looked like they were seconds away from alighting. Arthur grinned wryly and shook his head in amusement. She was right. They still had a ways to go before they conquered this locus.

 Chapter 107- Gotta Go Fast

    Arthur prodded his greaves a few times, marvelling at its beautiful design. It looked like a cross between a plant, snakeskin and tree-bark, somehow taking the best qualities of each material and mixing them in such a way that only enhanced rather than detracted from the final product. Touching it did, however, raise a few worries.


    "Alyssia, what do I do if I break my greaves? They seem kind of... fragile."


    It was a legitimate concern. No matter how amazing the soulbound item may be, it didn''t change the fact that it was made of leather, which was pretty damn weak in Arthur''s limited understanding of things, literally trash tier in terms of defence when compared to metal variants of medieval armour. Sure, it might be nice and breathable, weigh less than five pounds and not restrict your movements, but it wouldn''t stop an arrow, never mind the stuff Arthur would face. Alyssia stared at him, eyebrows raised in surprise.


    "Didn''t I tell you?"


    "Tell me what."


    "That soulbound items are nigh indestructible, always have self-repair functions and..." she trailed off when she saw the look of annoyance on Arthur''s face. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry okay. I forgot you didn''t know this stuff, honestly."


    "Please don''t tell Artemo about my crush."


    Arthur sighed in exasperation and shook his head. In all honesty, he''d expected Alyssia to forget to mention certain important details about soulbound items, just not one so critical and it was a great reminder, that for all her incredible abilities, the woman was an airhead.


    "Relax, I wasn''t going to tell him anything in the first place." Arthur effortlessly lied. He was starting to feel bad now that he''d seen just how seriously she took his threat. Arthur tried to change the subject.


    "So, how do we get to the next layer? The place at least recognises that we''re done with this one, but we''ve been given no way forward to the next challenge."


    It was a legitimate concern but not one he was too worried about. Arthur was sure they''d find their way eventually and he only said the words as a means to get Alyssia''s mind off his earlier bullying. Like what the hell! Why does she look like I just desecrated her ancestor''s grave or something? Maybe it was a cultural thing and Arthur would have committed some great taboo if he revealed Alyssia''s feelings. The alverin society seemed tribal enough for such a strict tradition. His words at least had the intended effect and he breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw Alyssia roll her eyes.


    "You need to work on your patience," she hypocritically advised. "We''ll get sent to the next layer soon enough. Probably within the next twenty minutes or so going off the stories Nan used to always tell me."


    "In the meantime, you should get used to using your new gear. A large increase in agility is different compared to your other attributes. It''ll take time to get used to and practice now could mean the difference between life and death in the next layer. For all we know, we might get attacked by a horde of monsters the moment we set foot on the next floor."


    Arthur nodded his head in agreement. Alyssia''s warnings made sense and her advice rang true. With his Constitution as high as it was at 698 points, his agility, previously his lowest stat, had increased by a substantial amount. 35 points, the equivalent of seven level-ups for an ordinary human. It was approximately a thirty percent increase in his agility. His speed had been lacking lately, a weakness of his current tanky build that had been made readily apparent in his spars with Alyssia. Hopefully, this new addition to his status would alleviate that problem a little.


    Alyssia was following her own advice and making some strange hopping motions around the spacious stable interior. Some magical shenanigans were definitely involved here as even with his near hundred points of perception, she appeared to flicker from place to place at teleportation-like speeds. It was frankly an absurd rate of movement when you realised she was generating such speed in an instant from a stationary point, a speed so fast in fact that it made her strikes in their little spar almost seem slow. Arthur swallowed thickly.


    If she''d used magic in our spar, I wouldn''t have lasted a second.


    The only chance he''d have had was pouring everything into augmented recovery and praying that his regeneration outpaced her damage output. beyond that, everything else in his arsenal was futile. It was a bitter pill to swallow but Arthur wasn''t one to shy away from his weaknesses. He needed to address a glaring issue he had in his defences. His inability to deal with such speeds.


    Sure, there was no one quite like Alyssia or his planet and there probably never would be for a long time, if ever, but that wasn''t a valid excuse he could feed himself. No incredible ideas presented themselves to him though and so he busied himself in following Alyssia''s advice. Getting used to his increased agility.


    He started with a series of light jumps to get his blood flowing, all the while observing the alverin woman''s training methods. Arthur would never shy away from learning from his betters and Alyssia didn''t seem to mind the attention, only casting an inquisitive glance in his direction when she first noticed him staring. When he didn''t turn away, Alyssia simply continued her rapid movement training.


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    Soon the only sounds within the stables were the pitter-patter of feet on wood as Alyssia moved, now gracefully across the floor like a professional dancer. Even the Stormwalkers had stopped goofing about to witness her stunning performance. Arthur, however, didn''t waste any more time staring and instead got himself into position, placing his left foot in front of his right in a way that felt far too awkward to be natural. Arthur did it anyway.


    So how was it again? Arthur looked back to Alyssia to make sure he was doing everything right. Yep, this looks about right. Arthur nodded to himself in appreciation and prepared to leap forward. There was a very specific method to it and Arthur wanted to replicate Alyssia''s technique down to the letter T. He rotated his ankle outwards a little to the side, only forty degrees or so. It was already uncomfortable enough; any more would probably hinder rather than help him improve his speed.


    Alyssia had caught on to his imitation attempts and so had slowed down significantly to better assist him in his observation. Now he could at least see what she was doing. Before it had been a cheap approximation. Now Arthur looked like he actually knew what he was doing.


    He didn''t.


    Even as he leapt forward, his brain was analysing every flaw there was in Alyssia''s movement, his 555 intelligence working overtime to keep up with his body''s rapid displacement. It didn''t have to work for long, nor did his overall position change much. Oh shit, a human''s joints aren''t supposed to move like this.


    Arthur only had time to curse Alyssia, whose laughter he could hear loud and clear before his ankle popped out of place, the sound like a muffled gunshot in the stable. Dislocating a bone reinforced with nearly seven-hundred constitution turned out to be pretty damn easy, surprisingly, at least when you used all your physical potential to make sure you moved it in the most wrong way possible.


    Arthur keeled forward, faceplanting the ground at highway speeds as all the force that should have pushed him forward suddenly changed its vector. Alyssia''s laughter redoubled as Arthur pushed himself off the ground. His fall hadn''t hurt and his dislocated ankle didn''t trouble him all that much. It was hardly an injury at all and his natural regeneration had the problem solved in the seconds it took him to get back to his feet


    Alyssia was still laughing at him but he didn''t blame her. He probably wouldn''t have been able to help himself either if it had been Alyssia instead in his position. Okay, lesson learned. Humans and alverin have very, very different physiologies, no matter how similar we may look.


    It would do him well to remember that in the future. He''d never really questioned Alyssia''s strange way of moving before, but after having tried it out himself, Arthur now knew why Alyssia ran the way she did. The bone structure of her ankles, and probably a few other parts of her body were completely different to his own. Enough that he may never be able to use her techniques to enhance his movement speed. It simply wasn''t possible when his anatomy meant that he''d be overburdening his joints every time he did so.


    "Okay, you can stop laughing now," Arthur said, to literally no effect.


    He hadn''t expected it to do anything, so he decided to just ignore the woman until she calmed down enough to be civil. It took her an entire minute, which was actually astonishing. The fact that she could force her laughter to go on so long was a talent in and of itself, or maybe her humour was just broken.


    Arthur didn''t concern himself with it and just continued to adapt to his slightly increased agility. It was in all honesty, incredibly easy. So much so that he doubted he''d even needed any time to adjust in the first place. For someone like Alyssia, however, it was a completely different story.


    She specialised in agility and probably had a number of titles and skills boosting the specific attribute. The Greaves of Achilles had a very simple description but that didn''t mean they were weak.


    If only they were for vitality. Or something magic-related like willpower.


    Arthur couldn''t help but regret that the soulbound item wasn''t attuned to an attribute that was better suited for him. Such was the nature of man. You gave them a valley of gold and they asked for a bigger one. Arthur shook his head and continued with his practice.


    There was no point in him running around like Alyssia so instead he started to go over a few shadowboxing drills. He hadn''t practised the techniques in quite a while but they quickly came back to him like a long-lost lover, the movements familiar and intimate. Within a minute, it was as if he had never abandoned the practice in the first place, every motion fluid and exquisite, nothing wasted in excess. It almost looked like a dance, except that every move held the potential to kill and maim. Even Alyssia stopped for a brief while to admire it.


    Arthur lost himself in the moment, it was no longer about adjusting to his increased speed but rather just an appreciation for the fighting style that had taken up so much of his time and effort to learn. There was something meditative about physical exertion, be it running, swimming or sparring, you got lost in your own world, oblivious to everything that transpired around you.


    Enough that when he received a system notification, he almost missed it.


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    Congratulations on completing the first trial of the Locus of Hercules. You may choose to bow out now with your current rewards or choose to advance further. Choose well warrior.


    Advance to the next trial: Yes/No.


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    Arthur quickly read over the message, smirking in amusement at its slightly archaic wording. It was a little cringe, but the eccentricity was appropriate for a place like this. Arthur didn''t hesitate and neither did Alyssia. There was nothing to talk about and he was feeling a little restless with how uneventful the grasslands had been. He wanted a fight.


    Arthur clicked yes and felt the strange energies of the locus surround him as they had done when he''d initially entered this place. He was a different man now than he''d been then, however, his uncertainty and hesitancy were no longer a dominating part of his psyche. He closed his eyes.


    The next time he opened them, he''d be in a different place.

 Chapter 108- An Apocalypse Given Form

    When Arthur opened his eyes, he was in a different place. The wooden walls of the stable no longer surrounded him and he could feel an artificial breeze blowing on his skin, the sort that you usually felt from a fan, not the natural air of the wind.


    "What the fuck is with this second-rate locus." Alyssia cursed loudly from beside him.


    Arthur couldn''t help but agree with her. From the stories she''d told him, a locus was supposed to be a place of adventure and danger, where every trial was situated in a different terrain, sometimes an exotic jungle and at others a scorching desert. The place they were currently in was neither and if Arthur hadn''t seen the system message telling him they''d advanced to the next layer, he would''ve thought they were still stuck in the grasslands of crystal water.


    The land around him looked EXACTLY the same, from the monotonous green grass that coated everything and the occasional lakes that dotted the ground. The only difference was that there were no hills in sight, the entire layer blessedly flat. It did however detract from the charm the previous one possessed, the hills being the main reason why the grasslands hadn''t looked completely artificial. This place looked as fake as a model''s tits and was nowhere near as pleasant to look at.


    Arthur sighed in resignation. He didn''t want the locus to be extremely strange and complex per se, but he did want a little adventure, even if it meant he could only see a few exotic biomes that would never be found on Earth. This locus looked like it wasn''t even trying to surprise them and he found himself agreeing with the continuous stream of filth Alyssia was spouting.


    The tirade continued for an entire minute before the alverin woman managed to control herself. She sighed in disappointment, her shoulders drooping downwards.


    "I guess it''s our fault for barging into this place prematurely."


    "It''s had no time to develop it''s terrain." She sighed again.


    "Still, I didn''t expect my first ever proper locus exploration to be so... dull."


    "Hey, it''s not so bad," Arthur tried cheering her up. "The main thing''s the trials right, and our first one was pretty damn unique."


    Arthur knew that their trip to a locus held so much more significance for Alyssia than it did for him. To her, it was a chance to partake in the wonders of the stories she had grown up with, to create and write her own. It probably felt much like visiting a holiday destination you''d wanted your entire life and finding the experience mediocre.


    Alyssia simply snorted at his words of encouragement, mumbling something under her breath. She did, however, stand straighter, her head no longer lowered towards the ground and her frown of disappointment was no longer so harsh. Arthur shrugged. It would have to do and he knew that Alyssia definitely wouldn''t welcome any coddling from him. Besides, he had a system notification clamouring for his attention.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">Welcome to the grasslands of the Tree of Life!</td>


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    A mediocre name if he''d ever heard one.


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    You have been tasked with the recovery of the Golden Apples of Hesperides which can be found on the tree of life at the centre of this land. Beware its guardian, for its fangs are sharp.


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    Arthur felt his heartbeat quicken when he saw how intrinsically their trial was linked with life and health. Since the previous one had assisted Alyssia''s growth in agility, he hoped that this trial would expand his already absurd health pool. He still needed to reach a thousand vitality, and if he could gain any here, he wouldn''t have to waste the stats from any of his limited level-ups on them.


    Alyssia, however, didn''t seem anywhere near as pleased as he was.


    "What the hell is wrong with your planet? Your stories are so boring. Catch some horses. Retrieve some apples. Retrieve some FUCKING apples!"


    She was getting louder and louder with every word.


    "Why is every trial a bloody errand!"


    Arthur didn''t say anything. He didn''t mind that everything was so straightforward and simple. In fact, he welcomed it. Adventure was all good and fun, but he''d much rather have a manageable task to accomplish than some long-winded quest. Alyssia had warned him about the negative effects of a prolonged stay here, and he didn''t want to test his luck. Not if his headache was anything to go by. It was minor now, but how long would that last? Perhaps it was because of his lower level that he succumbed to the side effects earlier than Alyssia, or maybe she was simply hiding her own issues, but the sooner they completed the trials of Hercules, the happier he''d be. Or maybe it''s just a placebo and nothing''s wrong yet.


    "Calm down Alyssia," Arthur said sharply.


    His words did not affect the woman. He doubted she''d even heard him with how caught up she was in her insulting of Hercules and her vivid description of the sexual partners he must''ve kept amused even him. What buffalos had to do with the demigod, Arthur had no idea, but he didn''t think he''d ever want to hear the explanation of Alyssia''s thought processes.


    "Hey, Alyssia, you never know. Fighting the guardian of the tree might prove to be pretty damn interesting. Who cares if our guest is a little boring."


    This time, his words actually got through to the frustrated alverin woman and he saw her visibly calm down before his very eyes. Yep, she''s definitely got a screw loose. There was no doubt about it now. No one''s emotions switched up so fast and it was highly unlikely that all the alverin people were as hot-headed as Alyssia. No, she was unquestionably strange even by their standards and no one could persuade him otherwise.


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    "C''mon, let''s go and at least see what this guardian looks like. You might get your adventure after all."


    Alyssia shook her head.


    "Don''t try and get my hopes up. The trial never said we were supposed to beat the guardian, only that we should be wary of it."


    "You know what that means right? It''s not supposed to be beatable."


    "Not by people under level 200 at least. We might make a special pair, but we''re not that great. Heck, by my world''s standards, currently you''re only above average. No, I''m not being fair there. You''re a monster, or at least you will be, but your current mediocre ether usage prevents you from being counted amongst the prodigies."


    "In the future, when you grow into your affinities, things will certainly change, but I doubt we''re ready to kill whatever this guardian may be as we are now. The trial would have told us otherwise."


    "You might be right but who knows. We''re pretty damn strong for our levels."


    "No, Arthur, I know I''m right. This Locus would ordinarily be challenged by five people at level 199. But who knows, the locus has been such a letdown it might''ve actually given us a beatable monster. I don''t want to get my hopes up but it won''t hurt us to check."


    She began to walk towards the centre of the land. That was where the system said the tree was located. Arthur had a feeling Alyssia was right, no matter how much he might want to reject it. Her explanation was blunt and did make sense. They weren''t so great that they could challenge a creature that even the trial didn''t ask them to beat.


    Not when it was meant for a party of five whilst there were only two of them. Still, Arthur didn''t want to give up hope quite yet. He still had one core to go before consuming the dragons. It''d been burning a hole in his backpack and controlling his desire to eat it was getting harder and harder. What would a core from a locus boss look like? He had to be selective with what he chose as his final core, but his gut told him he wouldn''t find anything better outside. Not when the monster they were walking towards wasn''t supposed to be beatable by five people just under level 200. Alyssia was dragging her feet, actually moving slower than Arthur for once and her unmotivated walk undermined his confidence a little. They were going towards a fight she didn''t think they could win. Walking at a sedate pace beside her, Arthur took out some time to try and see if there were any differences between this layer and the last. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, he came to the conclusion that there were none.


    Besides the lack of hills, this place was a mirror copy of the previous layer, except that it somehow lacked any charm and looked even more fake. I guess we really did come here too early.


    They had literally forced their way into the locus and judging by the lacklustre design they''d seen so far, the place wasn''t really ready for them. Alyssia hadn''t said anything about receiving lacklustre rewards as a result, however, so Arthur didn''t let it concern him. Life was interesting enough that he wasn''t craving some extra adventure to spike it up.


    "Arthur, stop." Alyssia abruptly shouted.


    The words were said so suddenly he almost missed them, his foot already raised to take another step. The laws of inertia and his own anatomy dictated that he should have moved the half meter forward that he''d intended to, but he suddenly went sprawling backwards. It was only after he looked up that he realised Alyssia had dragged him backwards so fast that his shirt was completely ripped from where she''d grabbed it.


    Alyssia''s eyes were darting from side to side like a prey caught in a trap, and she took short shallow breaths as if she''d just run at a dead sprint and expended the entirety of her stamina pool. The expression on her face wasn''t one Arthur had seen before, not even when her younger brother had been at death''s door. Back then she''d been anxious and worried, now she was scared.


    No. She was terrified.


    It wasn''t an expression he''d ever expected her to make.


    That was when he heard it. To call it a roar would do it a disservice. It was so much more than that. In all honesty, it was hardly a transmission of sound, more a transference of primal emotion and power directly to the very essence of his being. He felt it in his soul. The arrogance and rage of a being so far beyond him it was almost funny in its absurdity.


    The ground itself seemed to almost vibrate in fear but the part of Arthur''s brain still capable of rational thought simply appreciated the volume of the creature''s roar that it caused the very earth to shake. He still struggled to hear it properly, which either meant that his ears were blown to high heaven or the sound was at a frequency he couldn''t entirely register even with his unlocked perception.


    Arthur didn''t know which of his two theories were correct, nor did he care. He had hit upon an epiphany of sorts, the sort of truth that somehow made the world clearer and let you see it with a different lens and it was that he need to GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!


    He was in the process of taking a step back when he felt something stir up from the depths of his soul, the part that had conquered the shadow panther and made its power his own. The animalistic side to him, the defier and the confrontationist. It stopped him from taking a step back. It stopped him from retreating.


    But it didn''t take a step forward.


    That was when Arthur realised what the problem was. Every other time his half-breed title had come into play, he''d barely had any control over it. He''d never truly known what was happening in those moments. It descended over him like a haze of rage that took away all his rational thought. But this time he could feel it and it was so much more subdued than he''d expected it to be. The fact that he could even feel it was a red flag in and of itself and he confirmed it when it only took a trickle of his willpower to control his primal self-destructive urges. The beast within him simply slunk away like a cat with its tail tucked between its legs.


    It was afraid and so was he.


    It was only a minute after the roar had passed that he trusted his legs to move again. Alyssia was still standing in front of him and for a second, he hoped she''d been unaffected by the call of the beast at the centre of the grasslands, that she''d stood unwavering in front of the challenge he''d wanted to run from. The hope died almost as soon as it formed. Alyssia''s legs were rigid, not from control, but from terror. She couldn''t run away even if she''d wanted to.


    Unlike him, Alyssia had no half-breed title. Arthur had no doubt that without it he would have been in a far worse state than Alyssia. As it was, he regained control over his faculties in a minute whilst it took the woman five. He didn''t say anything in the intervening time, simply standing beside her in silence to show that he was still there; that she wasn''t alone. It looked like she needed that sort of support. It was only when her breathing returned to normal that he finally spoke.


    "So, no fighting the guardian, I guess." He joked.


    It was a weak stab at humour, the sort a soldier makes before entering no man''s land. Alyssia didn''t say anything.


    "So what was that then?" He instead asked.


    This time Alyssia responded, quietly at first, but her voice began to regain its original strength and confidence with every word she spoke.


    "That- that was an apocalypse beast. What your shadow panther would''ve become if it''d been given enough time."


    "You just stepped into it''s domain."


    "And your right. We''re not gonna fight that fucker. I''m going to kill it."

 Chapter 109-Road To Recovery

    Arthur sat on the grassy plains across from Alyssia. After their brief encounter with the Guardian''s domain, they''d decided to retreat and better prepare themselves. Their return journey had been a silent affair, Alyssia not answering any of his questions until she was sure the beast wouldn''t be able to observe them.


    Whilst she was certain the animal hadn''t learned true speech, what with it being a Loci construct with no access to no conversation partners, beasts at high enough levels could read the intent behind words. Enough that Alyssia didn''t want to risk alerting the creature to any of their plans.


    "Okay Alyssia," Arthur began. "You were the one that suggested we avoid fighting the guardian in the first place. I''m not entirely against the idea, but you felt that roar right, same as me. Don''t let your fear and anger push you to challenge insurmountable odds."


    Alyssia just smiled at him and shook her head wryly. "No Arthur. We didn''t hear the same roar. Not quite. Remember, I''m a master aura mage. And that roar, well, it was one of the strongest aura strikes I''ve ever encountered."


    Arthur was confused. "And that gave you the grand idea to fight the thing. Why? I thought auras told you how powerful a creature was. I''m not trying to convince you otherwise here. In all honesty, it''s what I wanted to do in the first place, but to be frank, I don''t get it. What brought the change of mind?"


    Alyssia''s grin grew wider, and Arthur recognised it immediately as the one she always wore when she planned to enjoy herself, usually at his expense, with her general flare for the dramatics. She''d tell him everything he wanted to know. Eventually. Arthur had learned from experience, however, that getting that information would be incredibly annoying. Arthur decided to shut her down immediately.


    "Remember Artemo''s friend."


    Watching the impish grin disappear from her face almost made him feel bad but he''d suffered her long-winded explanations one time too many. She glared at him.


    "When you die old, grey and lonely, I''m going to make your grave a public toilet." She muttered.


    Arthur smiled. "I think I can live with that. So, about the guardian. Why the sudden change in mind."


    Alyssia pulled out her comb and started brushing her hair, a habit of hers he''d learned she engaged in when she was explaining things. "Well, Arthur," she began. "Apocalypse beasts come in a wide variety of shapes and forms. They generally possess a trait that elevates them above common beasts, oftentimes more than one. The shadow panther, for example, has a unique aura that''s insanely devastating against most opponents and a grasp of shadow magic that''s near-divine."


    Arthur nodded his head. This was all things he knew.


    "The thing is, these powerful traits are only terrifying if the beasts are given time to grow and evolve. As you yourself experienced, a shadow panther at level 11, whilst powerful, is a manageable foe. It''s their exponential growth that makes apocalypse beasts true nightmares."


    Alyssia smiled.


    "The Guardian''s a Lesser Hydra, and it''s only level 99. One level short of an evolution that would have made it unkillable. I could tell as much from its aura. Its roar was a powerful attack. Too powerful, in fact. I''m certain that it was a weaker variation of Dragon Fear or something along that strain. Honestly, if the attack hadn''t worked so hard trying to make me shit my pants, I wouldn''t have realised something was wrong."


    "The Hydra was worried, Arthur. It was scared." She grinned widely.


    "The roar was its way of telling us to scram, that it wasn''t worth the trouble. If we hadn''t broken the challenger stone in the previous layer, this fight would have been easy. As it is now, it''ll be difficult. Incredibly so, but not impossible."


    Alyssia''s smile made Arthur almost feel sorry for the Guardian. Almost being the keyword. Killing the Hydra would likely increase the rewards they received, and if Arthur was right, the rewards on this layer were just the cherries on top. He had room for one final core to consume, He''d started his journey with an apocalypse beasts. It was only fitting that he ended it with one too. Still, it wouldn''t do to get his hopes too high. He needed to know if it was feasible. Did the Loci monster even have a core in the first place? Thankfully, for once, he had a veritable source of knowledge he could draw from.


    "So, Alyssia. You know how I have one core left to eat before I have to eat the dragons," Arthur began.


    Alyssia''s eyes widened as understanding dawned on her face. He didn''t know it was possible for her grin to get any wider but it somehow did.


    "I told you about my 1000 vitality plan. With my Paid in Blood Title, I can use health to fuel my spells instead of Ether and my healthpools already insane. Hydra''s are known for their absurd regeneration, right? So what do you think.? Will it have a core and can I eat it?"


    "It''s definitely possible, Arthur," Alyssia replied, a tinge of hesitation creeping into her voice. "I don''t want to rain on your parade, but eating that final core will really do a number on your soul. Doubly so if it''s from such a powerful creature. Enough damage that you''ll have to eat the dragon''s core almost immediately after to save yourself from imploding."


    That didn''t sound too good.


    "That''s where the problem lies, though," she continued. "Even if killing the hydra somehow nets you zero levels, the dragon''s core contains enough remnant energy that eating it will shoot you up to level 100. You know what that means, right?"


    Arthur remained silent as he pondered over the implications of her words. Level 100 was an important milestone. It meant he''d have to choose a class, something he''d been delaying all this time. He''d wanted the best possible result out of the misguided notion that with great power, he might be able to reverse his sister''s death, something he now knew had been impossible from the get-go.


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    In the wake of that realisation, his goals had shifted to something more ambiguous. He wasn''t entirely certain what he wanted to do now but he did know one thing. Irrespective of what the future held, he wanted power. There was a reason why he''d started Muay Thai all those years ago. As a young child, it had been one of the only forms of strength he''d had access to, a way he could bring some control into the chaos of his life.


    In light of the System''s arrival, the hierarchy of power had been flipped on its head. Wealth, the power held by massive corporations, none of it mattered anymore, at least not the sort that the people of Earth currently possessed. Since the world''s evolution, everything had now become so much more individualistic. One just had to look at people like Kazi Alukai and the Ice Princess, formerly ordinary individuals who now dictated the course of entire nations.


    And I''ll be better than both of them put together. That wasn''t the arrogance of the shadow panther talking. It was an undeniable truth. With his advantages and Ether affinities, saying otherwise would be disingenuous. And Kazi''s power isn''t even his own. It was granted to him by the planet and so he''s forever tied to it.


    Maybe he''d been infected a little by Alyssia''s recklessness. Ever since forming Bhai Giya with the woman, he''d become aware of her ceaseless drive to become the best. It was a desire rooted in the injustices her people had suffered before her birth, but Arthur knew she would''ve been the same without any fire pushing her forward.


    Alyssia simply wanted to be the strongest. I guess I''ll have to be the back she keeps on chasing. She''ll need someone to keep her humble.


    Initially, Arthur had wanted an Elite class, Epic if he was lucky. In the wake of recent events and the opportunities he''d been blessed with, being the cream of the crop no longer appealed to him. No, he wanted to pave new frontiers altogether, not travel down the established roads. And with the dragon core, the impossible Legendary starter class might not be out of reach. Especially if I get my hands on that Hydra core.


    Alyssia sadly had to put an end to his parade. "You''re grinning like a lecherous old man. Have you forgotten? Think, Arthur, what is it that you''re currently missing before you unlock your class?" She asked.


    Arthur''s joy swiftly departed. He''d overlooked one key detail. He had four magical affinities. That meant twelve potential skills. It was recommended to leave a few spots empty to let your class generate unique ones to help fill any gaps in your skillset. It provided an element of chaos into your final build, a catalyst that created something extraordinary. Arthur had one teeny tiny problem. His broken soul meant he couldn''t access his soul affinity, nor could he gain any skills for it.


    And solving the problem will push me directly to level 100, meaning I''ll be leaving my soul skills up to fate, Arthur realised grimly. My rarest affinity and I have no control over what direction it develops in. Guess that Legendary class just got so much more important. He needed the best possible result he could get. If fate would decide things, he wanted to stack the odds in his favour.


    "So, you finally realised, huh," Alyssia said. "You''ve got your work cut out for you. Your shadow affinity slots are already filled; you just need to evolve your Shadow Manipulation skill to finally stop relying on the system assistance. It''s amazing you still haven''t managed to run 10,000 ether through the skill. What''ve you been doing all this time? Same for your water manipulation. The rest of your skills are fine since it''s advised to leave a slot free for each affinity. The only problem is your soul skills. They''ll depend entirely on the rarity of the class you unlock."


    Arthur grimaced. He''d guessed as much already but hearing it put so bluntly was sobering.


    "It''s not all bad, though, is it," he said with fake cheer. As long as I get a legendary class, I''m sure the skills I gain will end up being better than anything I could have made myself anyway. It''s a good thing actually."


    Alyssia smiled at him but it was a hollow expression that failed to reach her eyes. "Whilst that may be true," she began, "Gaining a legendry class at your first milestone is nigh impossible. My own class, one that has been researched and passed down through seven generations is recognised by the system as an Epic Growth class."


    "I''ve had access to the best of teachers. I''ve been training since I could walk and I''ve been using magic since I first spoke. Despite all that, the earliest I''ll be seeing legendary is at level 200, and that''s only if I fulfil the requisites for my class to evolve. Legendary''s not just difficult. At level 100, it''s impossible."


    Save for the existence of growth classes, this was all information Arthur already knew. There was a reason why the booklet he''d read on the subject stated it was achieved by once-in-a-millennium geniuses only. Maybe he was being obtuse. Maybe he had an over-inflicted ego, but he didn''t think it was out of reach. Quite the opposite, he''d be surprised if eating a Dragon core didn''t get him there.


    "Be that as it may," Arthur said. "I think I can do it. No, I know I can." He took a quick glance at his status page. "I don''t think you realise just how many stats I have." Alyssia looked sceptical.


    "Okay," Arthur said. "How many stats do Rare classes give again," he asked.


    "Between 21 and 30" she answered. "At least those are the parameters your system dictated for humanity. Alverins are 40% higher."


    Arthur quickly did the maths and grinned. "I''m being conservative here. Not even factoring in how vitality, my highest stat is twice as effective. Going off my attributes only at level 71, well..." He paused to build suspense. "I''ve got the equivalent of a Rare classer at level 200.


    "Fuck off."


    Arthur laughed.


    "That-that doesn''t even make sense," Alyssia spluttered. An unclassed soul would implode under so much enhancement."


    "Well, my soul is breaking?" Arthur reasoned. Alyssia shook her head.


    "No, Arthur. That''s a separate issue altogether. Honestly, well...I don''t even know how you''re still working. You should be bedridden at the least."


    So I guess it''s a good thing I didn''t go around revealing my stat total. Who knows how Bradley would''ve reacted?


    "So, what do you say? Think I can get a legendary class? he asked.


    Alyssia frowned for a moment, as she mentally ran through a few ancient texts she''d read. "Well, I don''t want to get your hopes up, but hmm... I''d put your chances at 30% currently. If you consume both the hydra and dragon core successfully, then lowballing it, I''d say your chances rise up to 70%."


    Arthur grinned. "You know what this means right?" He looked at his incomplete Shadow bomb skill. "I need to get all my skills up to par. I have vague ideas for shadow and water manipulation, but shadow bomb''s ready to finally get to the next level," he said.


    "Really, what direction do you want to take it, because I have to say, it''s probably the most, well, I won''t say dumb, but it''s certainly the most unusual use of shadow magic I''ve ever seen."


    Arthur flushed. "Cut me some slack. I had no idea what I was doing back then."


    Alyssia smirked.


    "And that''s changed now, has it?" she teased.


    "Shut up," he grumbled. "I''ve got a grand image prepared. I know how to save this skill."


    "And pray tell, what buffoonery have you managed to come up with?"


    "Well, the ability''s currently called shadow bomb. It''s simple, elementary really."


    Alyssia nodded her head in bemusement.


    "Do you know how many kinds of explosives exist?"


    This time, her grin matched his own.

 Chapter 110- Dark Traps

    Talking to Alyssia was enlightening. It helped him refine the ideas he''d been working with and made them goals he could actually work towards. It turned out he wouldn''t be making magic nukes anytime soon.


    Not that he''d been considering the possibility. Replicating the devastating potential of destabilised Uranium with shadow magic was preposterous, the thoughts of an idiotic child. Nope, he definitely hadn''t been considering it. At the end of the day, he''d fallen back on the things he''d learned at the Serako assembly, the place he''d also received a magic mask he''d all but forgotten about.


    Combatants, or as they were colloquially called in the wider universe, Adventurers, fell into a number of categories. There were the common types, that any human who''d played an RPG game would know; the tank, healers, damage dealers, rouges, and even priests who made contracts with supreme beings or eldritch demons.


    Then there were the more esoteric positions. Fortunately, Arthur''s choice didn''t quite fall into that category. He''d decided he wanted to be the ''CONTROL,'' or as if it was more commonly known, the general, dictators of the battlefield, they made sure everything went smoothly. They filled all roles, whatever was most required at the time. A jack of all trades, master of none. Except I''m gonna master them all.


    It was a grand goal, but to settle for less would be a disservice to himself and the potential he held. "So, according to the little information I''ve had access to," Arthur began. "Shadow ether is mainly used for espionage and assassination. And it''s very well known for its minor teleportation abilities." He summarised.


    Alyssia nodded her head. "With the number of your affinities, leaving a skill slot free for shadow magic will most likely net you some kind of movement ability. Either that or some potent stealth skill. It could go either way. You honestly shot yourself in the foot creating an explosive shadow bomb of all things. There are so many better ways to use shadow magic than making it a physical force." She sighed in resignation.


    "Stop being such a downer. "Arthur replied. "If my plan works, it''ll become my most versatile skill."


    "Yes," Alyssia said, deadpan. "IF it works. I think you believe in your ether manipulation skill a little too much. Taking a simple explosive spell and making it do everything you want it to isn''t as easy as you seem to think it is."


    "That''s why I''ve got you. Master magician, my personal prodigy to help me along," Arthur teased. Alyssia had made it explicitly clear that she lacked in the esoteric department of ether manipulation. Still, she was leagues beyond anyone currently on the planet.


    She looked at him suspiciously, unable to decide if he was making fun of her or not before finally deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt.


    "Being a control mage is difficult, though I guess fighting on your lonesome will negate most of the drawbacks associated with the position. You won''t have to worry about managing anyone but yourself."


    "Yep, that''s the only reason I decided to go the route," Arthur replied. "Though I guess I''m not really taking up the position. Just elements of it I found appealing."


    "And the shadow shtick you have planned. How does that fit in with everything?" She questioned, eyebrows raised.


    "Well," Arthur smiled. "I guess you''d call it the glue that holds everything together. I want to use a mixture of shadow and water magic to create my personal domain. Not actual liquid water, mind you, but something with the element in its vaporous form. Adding some shadow and magic into the mix is sure to create some pretty unique effects."


    "I''m thinking something that tells me where everything is, and I can use my Molecular Water Shot to decimate anything that steps into it using the water in my domain. I''ll be a mobile deathzone."


    "That''s all well and good," Alyssia replied. "But I don''t see how your shadow magic fits in. What part will your bomb spell play here?


    "Well," he said. "I did say that it''d be the glue that binds everything together, didn''t I? If I manage to get a legendary class, my experience gain requirements will be what, two, maybe three times higher than normal people?


    "Ten." Alyssia deadpanned. You''ll need ten times the experience of someone with a Rare class, not a common one. Maybe even an Elite because your soul''s so unusual. That''s on top of all the penalties you''ll face fighting average monsters. So you''re looking at a minimum of thirty, well, closer to forty times the amount of experience required to level as an ordinary person. Maybe even fifty." She explained.


    Well, shit. Arthur hadn''t expected his future to hold so much monster hunting. Forty times as much! That''s insane. Still, it made Arthur''s plans all the more important. He needed to be a veritable killing machine if he wanted any hope of reaching level 200 in the next decade. "That''s a lot more than I was expecting," Arthur finally said.


    Alyssia nodded. "Honestly, save the imminent threat your planets facing, you''re on a fast track to outgrowing your world. To be honest, I shouldn''t be here, either. Killing too many weak monsters from a tier 1 planet will negatively affect my next class selection. Unless you''re a prime like Kazi, this planet''s only going to hold you back."


    "You still haven''t answered though. How does your shadow magic fit into this ''deathzoze'' of yours?" She sounded more than a little sceptical and exasperated. Arthur ignored it and went straight into an explanation.


    "Well, the water part of my domain will help deal with weaker monsters, I''ll use shadow magic to limit my enemy''s visibility and movement. The shadow trap I hope to evolve my bomb skill into will be intermittently placed around me, in all directions. Fighting me will be like walking into a minefield."


    Alyssia nodded her head, the amusement on her face being quickly replaced by seriousness.


    "These traps will deal with stronger enemies, the ones I can''t defeat with my automated water domain. Perhaps I can set them to target monsters above a certain level of strength." Arthur took a deep breath, really enjoying the breakdown of the build he''d been planning. It reminded him a little of creating a perfect RPG character, except this time, he was talking about building himself.


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    "And finally, I''ll use shadow magic to teleport around within my domain to personally fight truly powerful monsters. Things like the Hydra we''ll be facing, the sort of beasts that are out of my weight class. Fighting me will be hell on Earth. I''ll be a NIGHTMARE to face, not the big cat that so many people fear, an apocalypse made manifest."


    As always, Alyssia had to hit him with a reality check. "That''s all if you can get over your poor control of ether, though, isn''t it," she reminded him. "Fixing your soul up will hopefully solve most of the problem but you need it sorted out before getting your class. It''s the only way you''ll be able to take your shadow bomb skill in the right direction in time for your class selection. You''ve got your work cut out for you."


    Turned out Alyssia hit the nail on the head with her statement. The biggest obstacle, really the only obstacle that barred Arthur''s dreams of being a spell-slinging master mage was his terrible control of ether. Not for a lack of trying, though. The past hour had earned him three levels in his ether manipulation skill and it now sat at a grand level 4 skill.


    He''d decided to start with what should''ve been the easiest step; completing his shadow bomb skill. For one, he already had a basis to work with there and he had a clear idea of where he wanted to take the skill. Sadly, he didn''t make for the best of drivers.


    "For fucks sake," Arthur shouted, as his latest attempt blew up in his face. Alyssia, the ever-helpful witch, cackled madly on the side, a plate of roasted vegetables in her hand that she snacked on as she watched him make a fool of himself. He threw a clump of loose soil at her which never had any hope of ever hitting the damn woman. It did at least get her to shut up.


    She''d tried to help him at first, giving him a number of exercises he could run through that would help him control ether better. They were useful, or at least they would be if he had a month or two to work with. As things were, the benefits they provided came too slowly for him to rely on them right now. Still, her advice had helped tremendously, nonetheless, and so he didn''t begrudge her for watching him make a spectacle of himself. Still, how does she find it funny after watching it happen again and again? Seriously, her humour''s broken.


    In essence, what Arthur was trying to do was simple. As an incomplete uncommon skill, a part of the skill''s matrix was in flux. A better word would be malleable, Arthur mused. It was the part of the skill that he could easily edit to make it conform to the image he had in his head. At least it should''ve been easy. Unfortunately, the magic simply refused to conform to his desires.


    "You''ve had your fun," he said, turning to face Alyssia. "Have any more advice that''ll help me along? Your first few tips helped a lot."


    "Useful advice," he added when he saw the alverin woman open her mouth to answer his question. She quickly closed it and he let out a sigh of relief. If she told him the same esoteric bullshit she''d started with now one more time, he''d lose his mind.


    Thankfully, it seemed some of his frustration had gotten through to her, and she mulled over her thoughts before speaking them for once.


    "Okay, your ether manipulation skill''s at level 4 now, right?" She asked, biting her nails. Arthur nodded in ascent.


    "Alright. That should be high enough for what I have in mind." Arthur perked up at that. Finally, there was something different he could try. Banging his head on the wall of failure for so long had thoroughly disabused him of any notion that he was talented at magic, at least as he was now. Even if Alyssia was a terrible teacher, he should''ve gotten some results by now. Humans across the planet had experienced far more success with ether at this point. It''d been all over the news in recent weeks, men and women who''d learned to do some pretty damn amazing things with their original skills. An ascetic monk had apparently managed to create an Epic skill last he''d heard.


    The problem lay in the way Arthur approached the world, or more specifically problems. Whilst he could get overly emotional at times, he liked things to flow logically, that his actions would have reactions he could carefully deliberate upon and thus deduce results. It was why he enjoyed maths so much.


    Sadly, magic didn''t work that way, or at least Arthur''s lack of expertise meant it didn''t. If he''d spent years studying the intricacies of shadow magic, perhaps even months, he could approach the spell with the same mindset he would a particularly difficult algebraic equation. Sadly that wasn''t the case and he had to rely on Alyssia''s cryptic advice.


    "Okay," Alyssia began. "So far you''ve been pouring ether into the skill matrix and manually trying to edit the final portion of the skill, right?" She didn''t wait for him to answer instead carrying on with her explanation. "I think your manipulation skill''s levelled sufficiently enough that you can try something different, though the results you get may not be that great. Unfortunately, your lack of aptitude makes doing things the hard way near impossible, at least in any reasonable frame of time."


    Alyssia''s words, while harsh, were certainly true. He''d need months to perfectly complete the shadow bomb skill and he had less than a week. "So, what do you want me to do?" He asked.


    Alyssia smiled. "Well, it''s easy really." Arthurs''s eyebrow twitched at the word and she smirked. The damn witch knew what she was doing. "Enough that even you can do it your first time." She continued unabated. "You should have a general gist of what each part of the skill matrix  does by now. What you need to do is run your ether through it and forcefully stop it at the point where it''d normally explode. With your manipulation skill where it''s currently at, you should be able to do so long enough to add an element of delay to your skill, and voila, you''ve created a delayed explosion. If you go a step further and manage to control the direction the explosion goes in, the shape even if you''re feeling fortunate, and you could potentially get some sort of trap shenanigans added to it. Say, an explosion of shadow spears or something should do the trick."


    Arthur listened with rapt attention and tried to figure out how he''d implement her advice.


    "What are you waiting for? Get cracking magic-man. Your skill''s not gonna complete itself. I''m curious to see how this turns out too."


    Turns out it wasn''t easy enough to finish in one attempt. Not two either. Much to Arthur''s dismay, it took him till the 87th try before he started seeing some progress, and it was only after his 312th attempt that the job was done. He was lucky failed castings didn''t consume much ether. Still, he couldn''t help but grin as he read through the updated description of his skill.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">Shadow trap (Rare) Incomplete- Use shadow affinity ether to create a range of traps. Traps may be remotely placed and can operate on a timer.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The skill was still incomplete, but this was something he could work with. It had gone up an entire rank, which was nothing to scoff at. The main takeaway, however, was the fact that the skill now had a direction it was going in instead of the vague description it''d previously had. Alyssia put his odds at a successful skill evolution when he unlocked a class at 70% which was honestly higher than he''d expected. If he truly managed to get a legendary class, then he''d see the rare skill rise to elite rarity at the least, maybe even epic. Building off the foundation he''d now built, it''d make a potent trap skill to round out his abilities.


    Alyssia, as always, knew how to dampen his spirits. Quite literally this time, with a pitcher of water that she''d thrown at him.


    "Chop chop, beast boy. Your water manipulation still needs work. You should''ve seen that coming a mile away."


    I swear to God I''m going to kill this woman.

 Chapter 111- To Catch An Explosion

    Upgrading his shadow bomb skill had taken Arthur the better part of the day. That left them a little under a week to finish rounding out the rest of his skills before their self-imposed time limit came to an end. Whether or not he was ready at the end of it, they''d have to finally challenge the hydra at the centre of the layer.


    Delaying any longer than that posed a risk of permanently harming them, in what Alyssia called hollowed soul, a phenomenon which contrary to its name did not damage the soul at all. It did, however, increase the cost of levelling by quite a large margin, hence why those afflicted had been deemed hollow by their incessant need to fight and kill to ''fill'' themselves up.


    For once, Arthur''s foray into magic had gone quite well. Perhaps shadow magic had been so difficult for him due to its intrinsic connection with the panther he''d consumed, a part of him he hadn''t quite managed to come to terms with. Instead of the futile head-smashing-a-brick-wall his attempt at enhancing shadow bomb had been, he''d noticed some visible results a mere hour into his water domain creation. Arthur hoped that the experience he was getting right now working with ether despite having a broken soul would translate to a massive spike in aptitude when he finally fixed the issue.


    It had been slow going, but he''d seen progress. Actual progress. It made him feel validated in his efforts, that he was actually getting somewhere. That feeling of progress made a world of difference when failure became your best friend. Four days into their journey on the second layer, Arthur felt like he was on the cusp of a breakthrough.


    He took a look at what his water manipulation skill had morphed into. Alyssia had been very adamant about the fact that manipulation abilities wasted perfectly good skill slots. They were, in her words, ''a crutch for the blind who had never trained their eyes to see.'' At least that was what his Myriad tongues had translated her expletive complaining as.


    Her advice was sound, unanimously agreed upon, in fact, and matched the general consensus people had reached on forums online in the week leading up to the locus. Skills were supposed to have unique effects that couldn''t be replicated with general ether manipulation and if you truly wanted to master an element, you wouldn''t use skill to do so in the first place.


    Following her advice, he''d finished spending the required ten thousand ether on the skill in very specific ways nineteen hours into his training and the system''s help had quickly departed. It had left him with an evolved skill that whilst not perfect, served as an adequate starting point for his plans.


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    Water manipulation level 10 has become Vapour''s grasp (Rare) [incomplete pseudo-domain]


    Vapour''s grasp (Rare) has reached level 3- Generate a gaseous domain of charged water vapour around you. Size dependent on ethers pool. Slows down all within it by 17%


    Cost 200 ethers/minute


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    The skill was honestly quite powerful for something he hadn''t yet completed. Sure, its only effect was a reduction in his opponent''s speed and it targeted allies and enemies alike, but its true utility lay in the fact that he could use his molecular water shot to weaponize his entire domain and attack from all directions. A little testing with Alyssia had shown that the speed reduction worked on everything, thrown sticks, stones, even the speed of magic. The alverin thought it affected her thinking speed a little too, but that could just be a placebo. They had no way to test it accurately.


    Of course, the problems had of course arrived when he tried to add shadow manipulation into the mix. One of the biggest advantages of having multiple affinities was that you could use them in unison and create skills that possessed the best of both worlds but only used up one skill slot.


    That''s what he''d been trying to do for the past two days. He''d taken breaks only to eat, sleep and piss. Maybe it was his high constitution, but Arthur hadn''t needed to take a shit in quite a while. Or maybe he was just constipated. He hoped not. Fighting a hydra whilst constipated would be quite the experience and not a pleasant one.


    The problem was two-fold, the underlying one being his terrible aptitude for shadow magic, and the second being that he did not quite know what to do. There was no convenient manual he could follow and his personal experience in the field was lacking, to say the least.


    The only thing he''d managed to do was create an explosion, and the passive drain his magic possessed was a skill he''d stolen from the Rodent king by consuming its core. His only other experience with the magic was his observation of the shadow panther''s unique binding abilities. Now that, was definitely a potent ability he wanted to get his hands on. He''d felt its effects on himself and it''d make a fine addition to his water domain, compounding with its seventeen percent reduction in speed.


    Try as he might, though, Arthur had accomplished nothing yet. He''d been extremely careful, using only the smallest increments of ether on the shadow manipulation skill so as to not go over the ten thousand point mark and evolve it. Doing so and creating a separate skill would make it far harder for him to merge it with his pseudo-domain, vapours grasp. His lifeline was running out though, and he only had nine hundred and twenty ether to go before he automatically generated a skill.


    Eyebrows furrowed in frustration, Arthur raised his head and looked up at the bright sky. The fake sun had passed its zenith, and the day was steadily beginning to darken and yet, Arthur felt that for this one magical moment, everything was in perfect equilibrium. Taking a deep breath, Arthur tried to release the tension that had become his closest companion in recent times.


    He wasn''t altogether successful but he managed to get his shoulders to relax a little. It took him a minute to centre himself but he felt much better by the end of it, almost returning to a semblance of normality. Doing so made him realise how tense he''d been, a coiled-up spring just waiting for a release. Thankfully he''d managed to release the tension before he''d done something drastic he''d regret.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    There was a reason why Alyssia wasn''t around to observe him and he was only just realising it now. She''d left a few hours ago, saying that she was looking for this layer''s challenger stone to break and whilst that may be true, she''d just wanted to get away from him for a while, to give him some space. He''d been getting steadily surlier as days passed, his responses more curt and snappish until Alyssia had finally decided he needed some time alone. Damn, I''ve been a dick. I owe her an apology.


    He raised his fingers to his temples and gave them a little massage. He wondered what he needed to do next. What was that quote? doing the same thing a thousand times and expecting a different result was the height of insanity-something like that. He''d already established that his current methods didn''t work. What did he need to do differently? So far, he''d been using small dosages of ether no greater than twenty points of his total pool and running them through the shadow manipulation skill. Doing so produced the usual range of effects, in that he could use the attuned ether to manipulate existing shadows in the vicinity.


    Try as he might, he couldn''t generate any shadow magically out of thin air on his own. Perhaps he could if he poured more ether into the skill but it''d be a waste to do so on what amounted to nothing more than idle curiosity. He didn''t need to learn how to generate any shadows of his own yet. That was something best left for the future when he wasn''t under such a time constraint.


    Arthur''s limitation of the magic was that it remained two-dimensional, it existed only on the surface of other objects, definitionally only the absence of light, an existence dependent on both the presence and absence of photons. It made sense that it existed in only two dimensions. The real surprise was that he managed to give his shadows substance in the first place when overcharging them to create explosions, or as Alyssia put it ''the strangest use of shadow magic she''d ever seen.''


    Sadly in light of his recent enlightenment, he had to agree with her. It was a gross misuse of a magic that was never meant to deal direct damage. It worked though, and fit into his planned build, so he could only hope unlocking his class solved any deficiency it had.


    Come on man, how do I make my shadows blinding? Is it cos I''m using so little ether? No that can''t be it. I should be able to produce at least some effect with minimal ether usage. Just what was he missing? Could he strongarm it again as he had the shadow bomb skill? All he''d done there was halt the explosion and edit its effect a little and that had sufficed for the creation of his trap skill. Would the same hold true here?


    I don''t know what else I can do here. Neither does Alyssia. Should I just risk it? Steeling himself, Arthur ran through some numbers in his head, taking a glance at his ether reserves. 5340/5555 Using so little ether at a time meant he still had most of his energy pool left, his natural regeneration keeping up with his slow expenditure. He only had 920 ether left, however, that he could channel into the skill. The margin for error had gotten smaller and smaller. And I need to reduce it even more if I want any chance of succeeding here.


    He infused a constant stream of ether into the skill matrix and used it to manipulate his growing shadow, nothing special, just a little movement here and there. He kept it up until the total ether he''d run through the skill had reached 9700. He only had 300 left to use. That was a number he could work with, big enough to fulfil his purposes, but small enough that he could exercise full control over it.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur tried to calm his racing heart. This was it. His final chance. If he didn''t succeed now, he''d have to fight the hydra without refining his skill set in the way he wished to. It would weaken whatever class he ended up with, irrespective of whatever rarity he got.


    Closing his eyes, he looked inwardly at where his skills resided. He wasn''t sure if he was truly looking at them, but it always helped him use them better. They were all there, visible to his mind''s eye as stars of varying brilliance suspended in an ocean of darkness. There were his water skills, their light tinged a pale blue. His healing skills presented themselves as deep green and his shadow as a dark purple. His single soul skill produced the most light, colourless, yet it dwarfed the rest with its luminescence.


    And it''s still an unranked skill. Arthur was about to do something he''d never attempted before. If he failed here, he''d have to cut his losses and move on. C''mon, it can''t be that hard. Four skills at once. I can do it. Arthur tried to hype himself up. I should''ve invested more into willpower. He briefly considered using his saved stat points but immediately dismissed it as a foolish idea born of desperation. Those were saved on the off chance he could shoot for another paragon title after fulfilling his goals. This would work or it wouldn''t.


    Opening his eyes, Arthur began to cast.


    He started with his newest skill, paying the initial cost of 200 ether to manifest his pseudo-domain. "Vapour''s grasp." He didn''t know why, but he just whispered its name. It just felt right in the moment. It was easy enough so far, just a constant drain on his resources that remained in the back of his head, a mental strain small enough that he could almost ignore it.


    Next, he called upon his only elite-ranked skill. Molecular water shot could be used to generate water bullets out of thin air. He didn''t use it for that this time though. Huh, this isn''t that difficult. It was hard, certainly; he could feel a headache coming on, but he could maintain this almost indefinitely, or at least until his ether reserves ran dry.


    I just jinxed myself, didn''t I? Forming a large water bullet out of the existing water in his domain instead of materialising one was quite easy. He made it the size of a tennis ball, not too big, but large enough that it produced a small sliver of a shadow on the ground. This was where things were going to get dicey. Maintaining two separate streams of ether was like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time. Adding a third was like doing so after some idiot had decided to set you on fire.


    Arthur''s jaw clenched hard enough that his gums started to bleed, his lifeblood painting rivers down his chin. That''s a lot of blood. Oh, it''s coming out of my nose too. Arthur observed the phenomenon like it was happening to someone else. The pain he felt, however, was very, very personal. A few years ago, he''d read about a serial killer who''d used an ice-pick to off his victims. He imagined this was how they''d felt in their last moments.


    He persisted anyway, creating a shadow trap out of the water orb''s faint shadow. He didn''t use much ether, an amount small enough that its detonation would only maim a pre-system human. Any greater, and it''d be impossible to accomplish what he had planned.


    Arthur''s plan was simple. He wanted to use shadow magic to suspend the ball of water in the air after dispelling his molecular water shot and freeze it in motion as the panther had done to him. To do so, he needed a shadow that existed in the third dimension, one that could affect physical reality. Shadow manipulation could then be used to control it and thus he hoped, to merge it with his domain skill. He only knew one way to create a tangible shadow though.


    Arthur needed to catch an explosion.

 Chapter 112- Dark Vapours Grasp

    Arthur''s entire body was tense, veins bulging at his temples. Rivulets of crimson blood ran down his chin, onto his sweat-soaked shirt. He was currently managing three separate streams of ether, one to maintain vapour''s grasp, another to hold an orb of water at waist height and the final stream powering the timed bomb he¡¯d created out of its faint shadow.


    It was, without doubt, the most mentally taxing endeavour he¡¯d ever undertaken. After his skill evolved into Shadow Trap, Arthur could now place timers on the bombs he created. He could also, to a limited extent, dictate the manner and direction the traps exploded in. So far he¡¯d only used it to create poor approximations of dart and spear traps you¡¯d find in only a good RPG game.


    What he was attempting now was in a different ballpark altogether. He needed the tangible shadows the skill created without the resultant explosion. A slow bomb. Is that even a thing? Regardless, that was what he required right now and he¡¯d make it happen one way or the other.


    Seventeen seconds.


    His timer was starting to run out. Arthur hadn¡¯t invested much ether into the skill, just enough that it wouldn¡¯t end up a dud. The little he had spent would be volatile enough that he¡¯d struggle to control it anyway. Try as he might, he¡¯d yet to create a trap that didn¡¯t operate on explosive force and this was the weakest he could currently go.


    11 seconds.


    Ten.


    Nine.


    In his periphery, Arthur noted that Alyssia had returned, a wide grin on her face. She opened her mouth to speak before wisely realising that this wasn''t the best time to speak. She darted away, moving at sub-sonic speeds and took a seat on the grass two hundred yards away from him, a distance she felt was sufficient to ensure safety from whatever Arthur had planned and close enough to intervene if things went sideways. Pulling out a snack from her dimensional bag, she sat down to enjoy the show.


    Arthur, of course, noticed none of this, only that she''d left the field of his vision. He stood on a razor''s edge, anything less than one hundred percent focus would leave him cut.


    Four seconds.


    Three.


    Two.


    One.


    Two things happened at once. The charged shadow exploded and Arthur released his hold over the orb of water. He had a fraction of a second to act, a margin of time so small it could hardly be differentiated from the moments preceding it. Even with eyes enhanced with 92 Perception Arthur couldn''t track the magic''s detonation.


    He didn''t need to. Halting a skills activation was something Arthur was well versed in now. It was how he''d managed to evolve his Shadow bomb skill in the first place and he''d only gotten better at it over the past few days. He had 300 ether left to use in Shadow manipulation before the system''s assistance left and it evolved into a new form. He''d been 250 of that remaining reserve within the skill''s matrix since he''d begun this risky plan of his, forcefully locked in place before it could complete its circuit.


    Arthur let go of that control now and allowed the newly-affinitied ether flow out of him. He didn''t give it any specific direction, only that it seized control of every shadow within a one-meter vicinity of him.


    All of that took place in the breath of a split second, so fast he doubted even Alyssia with her insane agility understood what was going on.


    The former water bullet, now under the dominion of gravity, began to drop. It didn¡¯t get far. A millimetre into its descent, Arthur¡¯s magic took hold. SEIZE! The exploding shadow bomb froze in place as if it had been dipped in liquid nitrogen, a pool of darkness that hovered in the air, an absence of light that welcomed nothing. Two-thirds of his invested ether immediately disappeared, used up in halting the bomb''s explosive momentum.


    Shit, that was close. He¡¯d almost not had enough. The orb of water had dropped a centimetre now, and it had already started to lose its shape, resembling a very large raindrop now. If Arthur had his way, it wouldn¡¯t get any further. He wasn¡¯t being efficient in his ether usage right now. Speed was the name of the game and being thrifty meant slowing down.


    Alyssia¡¯s eyebrows rose, and her hand paused on its way to her mouth. She dropped the meatball it held back into the bowl and grinned. She¡¯d figured out what he was trying to do. The tangible shadows moved at the speed of thought, powered by the last dregs of his attuned ether and surrounded the drop of water.


    It was a terrible mimicry of what the shadow panther had done to him, a large hammer to the small mallet the beast had employed, with no finesse or skill to it. The result was still the same at the end of the day though. The water bullet froze in place, just as he had all those weeks ago.


    Arthur¡¯s invested ether began to quickly drop. Turned out that manipulating shadows with substance costs a lot more. Cursing, Arthur poured forty more points of ether into the skill and prayed it would be enough.


    In all honesty, it was a long shot. He had no idea if this would work but it was the best idea he could come up with. He¡¯d created a link between shadow manipulation and his domain, vapour''s grasp, using the only method he thought would fit the skill. Fair enough, it was a weak link, using two skills, shadow trap and molecular water shot as an intermediary but the principle of the thing remained the same.


    He¡¯d gotten two skills to interact in a way that facilitated unison. Now he just needed to watch and see if his plan worked. When his invested ether dropped into the single digits, and he had mere seconds left with the skill, he felt a shift occur within him. Arthur grinned and let go of all his skills allowing the water orb to finally splash onto the ground.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The flash of a system notification came a second later.


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    Congratulations! Through adept use of ether manipulation, you have created resonance between two of your skills and allowed them to merge. Shadow Manipulation has been subsumed by Vapour''s grasp to create the New skill. Dark Vapours Grasp.


    Dark Vapours Grasp (Rare+)- Generate a gaseous domain of charged water vapour and shadow around you. Size depends on the ether pool. Slows down all within it by 20% and limits visions. May select targets within the domain and shadow-lock them in place. The strength of the lock is based on the host''s strength attribute.


    Cost of skill: 200 ether/minute. Shadow lock 50 ether/second/target +10 Ether cost for every additional target.


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    ¡°So I guess it finally worked,¡± Alyssia''s voice sounded beside him, her bowl of snacks left forgotten on the ground beside her bag of holding. Arthur wordlessly nodded his head, quickly reading through his new skills description. It was both better and worse than he expected. Dark vapour''s grasp was on the very edge of rare rank, he¡¯d missed elite by a hair''s breadth which was disappointing.


    Shadow lock, however, was everything he¡¯d wanted out of his experiment. The only problem was that its power was based on his strength, one of his weakest stats. It was a deficiency he hadn¡¯t seen coming, but in retrospect, made sense. In essence, the skill locked a target''s motion by directly bringing it into conflict with the hosts and so the victor of said battle would naturally have to possess a higher strength. Why couldn''t scale of vitality or constitution, though? Arthur complained.


    ¡°So what¡¯s it to do?¡± Alyssia bubbled, all but jumping on her feet as she repeatedly poked him in the arm.


    Arthur had learned ignoring her when she got excited like this was a bad idea, especially when she was poking him with the repeated intensity of a sewing machine. ¡°Well,¡± Arthur leaned to face her, a mischievous grin on his face, ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. The system didn¡¯t give a complete description,¡± he lied.


    ¡°How about you help me best it out?¡± He suggested innocently. The green-skinned woman took a step back from him, suspicion colouring her features, healthy caution warning her something was up.


    By now, Arthur knew Alyssia quite well, especially since establishing a bond of Bhai Giya with her. Evolution seemed to have skipped her out when it came to listening to your cautionary instincts. She would walk into a trap eleven times out of ten, even with her supreme aura reading. There was a reason why she¡¯d been the target of so many pranks back in her village. The excited smile quickly returned to her face and he knew he had her then. Damn, I almost feel bad.


    ¡°You''re quite flexible, aren¡¯t you?¡± Arthur asked, randomly. She nodded her head distractedly. ¡°Well, the skill says I need my target to have a good conduit with the earth. Can you touch the floor with your head without bending your legs, it¡¯ll help the energies of shadow and earth to flow through you better.¡±


    Keeping a straight face while spouting so much bullshit was a superpower unto itself. He¡¯d gone too far this time though. Even Alyssia, in her na?ve stupidity, would realise he was pulling her leg now, she could read his aura like an open book. Surely she¡¯d realise something was wrong.


    She didn¡¯t.


    Arthur watched in shock as she followed his instruction, contorting her body like an Olympic gymnast to get into the right position. This isn¡¯t even fun. It''s like stealing candy from a child. I think I can convince her that Earth''s clouds are made of cotton candy at this point.  Arthur could no longer see Alyssia''s face, only the back of her head, covered as it was by her wavy hair. Even with her incredible athleticism, Arthur knew holding that position wasn¡¯t easy. Before she could move, he quickly triggered his latest skill.


    His domain rapidly expanded out around him and he felt his ether reserves rapidly decline to maintain the exorbitant cost of his shadow lock.


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem Alyssia, " Arthur said, false panic tinging his speech.


    ¡°What-what''s wrong.¡± Her voice sounded muffled, contorted as she was.


    So I guess it doesn¡¯t prevent speech then. ¡°The system finally revealed my skills description. I¡¯m really, really sorry. I didn¡¯t know this was going to happen. I wouldn''t have used it on you if I knew.¡±


    By now Alyssia had tried to move and quickly realised that she couldn¡¯t. Her strength was abysmally low. ¡°What''s happening Arthur? I can''t move,¡± she cried out in panic, her struggles redoubling. It sounded like she was going to burst into tears. Arthur steeled his heart and continued the charade.


    "My skill says you''ve been locked in place," he replied, voice heavy with regret and worry. "You''re going to have to stay like that for eight hours."


    Alyssia didn''t say anything, the only sound was her heavy breathing as she questioned all the life choices that had led her to this moment. She tried to move once again but realised it was futile, giving up and resigning herself to her fate. She looked so despondent, a pitiful puppy that had been left out in the rain. Arthur''s heart wasn''t so cold that he could keep this up for any longer and his ether reserves were rapidly approaching rock-bottom.


    "Okay, Alyssia. We''re best friends, aren''t we? We''ve got a whole magical ritual to prove it." Arthur said carefully. "I just want to remind you about that before you do anything hasty." Releasing the skill, Arthur started to run away as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn''t get very far. Three meters and then she was there, standing in front of him, chest heaving in rage, cheeks flushed a deep shade of green. She had tears in her eyes. I fucked up. "Okay Alyssia," Arthur babbled, hands raised outwards like he was dealing with an angry lioness, not that he had any experience in the field. "Let''s talk things over like adults." That hadn''t been the right thing to say.


    He didn''t even see the slap he knew was coming.


    Two hours and a very minor beating later, Alyssia had finally calmed down, though she did send the occasional glare at him over her bowl of steaming soup. Arthur of course, was eating a cold porridge, nursing a swollen cheek that still hadn''t healed yet. His face looked almost cartoonish with how it ballooned upwards to the left.


    The damn woman had slapped poison of all things onto his face, giving him the ultimatum that if he washed it off or used healing magic to counter it, she wouldn''t cook for him for the next year. As threats went, it was an effective one and he did kind of deserve it. Turned out Alyssia was claustrophobic and freezing her had dredged up some unhealed trauma from her childhood. Nasty stuff involving a kidnapping and a dark box far too small for a child to fit in.


    He¡¯d had to apologise for twenty minutes before she¡¯d even deigned to look at him. As pranks went, despite seeming so minor at the time, he''d gone too far, targeting his friend where she was weak. It made him feel like a scumbag, dirty in a way that couldn¡¯t be washed off, and so he bore the stinging pain on his cheek without complaining. He¡¯d wait until she permitted him to wash it off and with his constitution, it was practically a non-issue. Just a little irritation to serve as penance.


    They sat in silence. It was a little awkward at first, but soon returned to the companionable peace they¡¯d come to enjoy so much. Alyssia finally graced him with a sentence.


    ¡°I broke the challenger stone,¡± she said quietly, ¡°You know what that means, right?¡±


    He did. There was nothing else left to do. They were ready to face the hydra.

 Chapter 113-The Progress So Far

    Arthur looked at his distorted reflection in the lake of water, a toothbrush in his mouth. Today was the day they''d decided. Come success or loss, they¡¯d be entering the third layer before nightfall. If things went well, Arthur would be leaving it with a legendary class. If not, well, his chances of achieving it without a second apocalypse core were highly unlikely. He took a look at his status, appreciating how much had changed over the past few days.


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    Status


    Arthur Ward


    Level 71


    Unallocated stat points: 70


    Evolved: Rank F- Prodigious title bearer (increase all title effects by 10%)


    Strength- 122(100) [1.2*]


    Vitality- 720(500)[1.4* or 2.8*]


    Endurance- 555(500) [1.1*]


    Constitution- 698(485) [1.4*]


    Agility- 118 (+35 extra from boots)


    Intelligence- 555(500) [1.1*]


    Willpower-250


    Charisma-95


    Perception-92


    Health- 15,840/15,840 (1758(720)/hour)


    Ether- 5403/5550 (555/hour)


    Stamina- 4580/5550 (555/minute)


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    General Skills:


    1-WhatamIevendoing (Rare) Level 1- Many wish to expand their auras, to seek out and dominate all those around them. You have sought the opposite, to reign in and isolate yourself from all others. Makes it easier to condense your aura per level of this skill.


    2- Purify (Rare) Level 1- Purify (Rare) Level 1- Use ether to create an aura of purifying energy around you. Can purge residual Ether, bacteria, poison, filth etc. Aura range increases with skill level. Cost: Dependent on the toxicity of the environment


    3- Ether Manipulation (Uncommon) Level 4- Increases ease of Ether manipulation


    4- Myriad tonguesMyriad tongues (Unique-Rare) Level 2 - A strange yet effective way of using ether has led to the creation of a skill that can be used to both speak and understand most languages. Be warned though, the skill''s circuitry is far from a perfect match with the system. Secondary effect: Will help host tell when they are being lied to. This scales with Charisma and Wisdom.


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    Soul- An esoteric and unique branch of magic, magicians of this affinity have been known to control hordes of spirits, bringing destruction upon their enemies. Incredibly rare.


    Skills:


    1- Soul infusion level 1- (Infuse a portion of your soul into your strike to deal damage to an individual''s soul)


    2- Undecided


    3-Undecided


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    -Healing- A school of magic skilled in the art of dealing with injuries and making body augmentations. It is as useful as it is common.


    Skills:


    1- Overwhelming Regeneration (Rare) Level 3- Use healing Ether to regenerate your body at 1.6% of max health total per minute of usage. Efficiency drops by 40% when used on another individual. Can be supercharged to target foreign energy and poisons present in wounds.


    Cost of usage on host: 25 Ether/minute


    Cost of usage on another: 35 Ether/minute


    Secondary Effect: 160 healing affinity Ether may be stored as OVERHEALTH in the target of this ability to be used for recovery when the individual is injured. This stored Ether works under Host-Use efficiency levels. Overhealth can be stored in the host but undergoes a degradation process. Current time limit: 24 hours


    Host''s stored overhealth can be used as a single-use attack that will greatly slow down the target''s natural regeneration rates as well as destroy ether at a 2:1 ratio. Current ether destruction: 80


    Rare skills cap at level 30


    2- Bestial Recovery (RARE) level 2- At the cost of 80 ether per minute, increase your natural health regeneration to 1050% of the normal value


    Secondary effect- Can target one individual at a time. At the cost of 1100 Ether, increase the target''s natural health regeneration to 310% of the standard value for 3 hours.


    3- Undecided


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    -Water- A versatile school of magic known for its wide range of uses and utility in battle.


    Skill:


    1- Dark Vapours Grasp (Rare+) Level 2- Generate a gaseous domain of charged water vapour and shadow around you. Size depends on the ether pool. Slows down all within it by 21.5% and limits visions. May select targets within the domain and shadow-lock them in place. The strength of the lock is based on the host''s strength attribute. Cost of skill: 205 ether/minute. Shadow lock 50 ether/second/target +10 Ether cost for every additional target.


    2- Molecular Water Shot (Elite) level 1- Form bullets of water ranging in size from as large as boulders to as tiny as the grouped molecules that make up the liquid. Molecular Water Shot possesses a piercing ability that bypasses a portion of the target''s natural defence, both physical and magical.


    Cost: Variable


    Damage: Variable


    Elite Skills cap at level 35


    3- Undecided


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    -Shadow- A school of magic shrouded in secrecy, little is known about it except that those that possess this affinity, are skilled assassins you don''t want to make enemies of.


    Skill:


    1- Shadow trap (Rare) Incomplete- Use shadow affinity ether to create a range of traps. Traps may be remotely placed and can operate on a timer


    2- Shadow Drain (Passive) [Uncommon] Level 1- Damage inflicted by all Shadow magic drains 0.5% of damage dealt to reconstitute the host''s health and stamina.


    3- Undecided


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    Titles:


    Tier 1 Titles [These are the weakest of titles, barely scratching the surface of the soul and hence count very little towards an individual''s linear progression in power.]


    -Unstable Strength (Survived the poison of an unstable monster core specialised in strength before unlocking a class) Increases strength attribute by 10%


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    Tier 2 Titles [These titles are deep scars on the surface of the soul and thus produce a middling benefit towards the formation of one''s class. They also very marginally shift the direction of one''s skill growth]


    -Paragon of vitality (Possess a vitality of 500 whilst below level 100 as a human being. This is a KNOWN Title, meaning that it is one of the few whose conditions allow an unlock for every member of the human race) Increases vitality by 10%


    -Paragon of Constitution (Possess a constitution of 500 whilst below level 100 as a human being. This is a KNOWN Title, meaning that it is one of the few whose conditions allow an unlock for every member of the human race) Increases Constitution by 10%


    -Paragon of Intelligence (Possess an intelligence of 500 whilst below level 100 as a human being. This is a KNOWN Title, meaning that it is one of the few whose conditions allow an unlock for every member of the human race) Increases Intelligence by 10%


    -Paragon of Endurance (Possess an Endurance of 500 whilst below level 100 as a human being. This is a KNOWN Title, meaning that it is one of the few whose conditions allow an unlock for every member of the human race) Increases Endurance by 10%


    -Underdog- (Kill a monster 10 times your level) Increases strength by 10%


    -Liquid vitality- (Possess extremely regenerative blood with unique properties) Increases health regeneration by 10%


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


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    Tier 3 Titles [These are titles that have scared the upper middle layer of the soul and hence provide a moderate benefit to unlocking and upgrading one''s class. They also shape and guide a person''s skills]


    -Soul Affinity- (Have an affinity for soul magic) Increases the amount of soul {Surface shell} that can possibly be absorbed per level, thereby increasing the number of stat points gained. The increase has been calculated as 60%


    -Paid in blood (Use 80% of your health to cast an unstructured spell whilst below level 100) Increases vitality by 30%. Makes the use of health in future spells much easier. Effects natural progression of skills


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    Tier 4 Titles [Not much is known about titles of this tier, only that they begin to scratch the surface of the lower middle soul layer. Anything else is just speculation or information you have not been granted access to]


    -Half breed- (Successfully absorb a monster core as a human before awakening your magical affinities and levelling up) Raises constitution by 30% and gives one the ability to gain stats from further monster core consumption


    -Twice lived- (Die a True Death and be reborn) Doubles effectiveness of vitality


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    He¡¯d managed to gain a level in Dark Vapours Grasp whilst putting it through a stress test. In essence, it was a simple skill that halted a person''s movement. Against a stationary person, it was a perfect skill with a base cost of 50 ether/second, a price that whilst steep, was well worth it for the effect it produced. There were two significant problems, though that he¡¯d come to learn whilst lightly sparring with Alyssia.


    Firstly, the cost of the skill rose significantly when he tried to use it on a person already in motion, the extra ether being spent to cancel out the resultant forces of their movement. Alyssia at her top speed, being enhanced with all the magic at her disposal and her newest Greaves of Achilles had an effective agility of well over a thousand points. Shadow locking her then had cost a staggering 3100 ether and she¡¯d just been moving her arms. If she¡¯d been running, well, he couldn¡¯t react to what he couldn¡¯t see, never mind the cost of the spell. He suspected it would¡¯ve cost over 10,000 ether.


    It was a very situational spell and he¡¯d have to be careful using it in future fights to avoid ether burnout. The second problem with the ability was that he himself was affected by it slightly when he used it on someone. The skill directly brought their strength attributes into conflict and whilst the skill did run off so ether, it also ran off his strength stat. The stronger the opponent, the slower his own movements became. It wasn¡¯t by much when he used it on only Alyssia, but it didn¡¯t bode well for future battles where he¡¯d be fighting against multiple opponents.


    He could only pray that unlocking a class would fix this particular deficiency. A pleasant aroma wafted into his nose and he quickly finished rinsing his mouth of any lingering toothpaste. His dentist had him not to rinse but Alyssia¡¯s food was worth the little mistake. Honestly, it¡¯d be a crime to eat it with taste buds marred by the minty aftertaste.


    Taking a seat by the campfire, he took his portion of food from Alyssia. She¡¯d really gone all out on today''s breakfast, an omelette cooked to perfection, a slice of some mystery meat glazed in a sauce that glistened in the early dawn light that somehow smelled like the first bite of a cheeseburger, hash browns fried to a golden crispy brown and a glass of hand pressed juice created with fruit from another dimension.


    This was a meal he¡¯d never see the like of ever again. Alyssia¡¯s fruits had run out and she had no way of restocking them. He was honoured that she¡¯d made some for him. The egg too, came from a species of bird native to her homeworld, a delicacy the Alverin were known for throughout their stellar system and something he¡¯d tasted only once before.


    Arthur gulped, the action having little effect on the saliva pooling in his mouth. He didn¡¯t eat yet, though. The first bite of food always went to the host, a lesson taught by his mother that he¡¯d followed for the last decade. Alyssia smiled at him. She¡¯d learned of this little rule of his early on and took great pleasure in making him wait. Thankfully, she was in a merciful mood today and didn¡¯t delay for long.


    It still felt like an eternity. The first thing Arthur went for was a hash brown. He wanted to start the day with a crunch. The flavours that exploded in his mouth were quite literally out of this world and he quickly moved onto the rest of the meal. A weaker man would¡¯ve spent their stat points on perception to better taste the food. Arthurs 250 willpower stayed his hand but it was a close thing.


    Saving the best to last, Arthur washed down his meal with the squeezed juice, sighing in pleasure as it quenched a thirst he didn¡¯t even know he''d had. This meal right here makes all my suffering worth it. Arthur was content. If he died now, he¡¯d do so with a smile on his face. She could use her cooking as an assassination tool. He idly mused. Soften up her targets before striking them dead. Heck, I¡¯d eat this even if it was poisoned. The system notification saying he¡¯d been buffed was of secondary importance to the sublime meal he¡¯d just consumed. It was the greatest he¡¯d tasted from her so far.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">You have consumed Alyssia¡¯s final breakfast [Epic]. Increases all regeneration by 20% for 12 hours. Increase the effectiveness of all stats by 5% for 4 hours. Permanently increases vitality by 10 points. [Note-permanent attribute boosts from foods occur from Epic rank and above. These bonuses only apply to the 1st meal consumed at that meal''s rarity.]</td>


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    ¡°I got a tier 3 title for that meal, you know,¡± Alyssia said, her eyes focused on the air in front of her as she read the notification. She didn¡¯t sound very excited by it. ¡°It¡¯s called the melancholic cook. Makes me ignore the hard rule and gives me a 1 in 500 chance of creating stat-boosting foods that work for anyone at the right rarity.¡± She laughed mirthlessly. ¡°I should be happy. Any other day I would¡¯ve been, but I guess I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed.¡±


    ¡°No matter.¡± She said, clapping her hands on her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s not important. How many stats did you gain? That was my first epic creation, you know.¡±


    Arthur wasn¡¯t sure if brushing over things was the healthiest approach but he didn¡¯t know how to help. The meal had been called Alyssia¡¯s final breakfast which didn¡¯t bode well. He could only hope it was alluding to the fact that she¡¯d run out of certain ingredients as it was the final breakfast she¡¯d be able to create from her homeland. He didn¡¯t want to consider the other possibilities.


    ¡°I gained ten points in vitality,¡± he finally replied. Alyssia¡¯s countenance immediately brightened but for once, it didn¡¯t look real. ¡°That''s amazing.¡± She said. ¡°I think that''s more than my grandma''s cooking gives.¡±


    ¡°Alyssia,¡± Arthur began. ¡°You know..." He searched for the right words but couldn¡¯t find them. He was never good with these things. ¡°You know I¡¯m always here if you want to talk right,¡± he finally finished lamely.


    The Alverin woman threw a stick at him, her accuracy perfect. It hit him bang on the nose but did little else but make him blink in surprise. She''d thrown it incredibly slowly. ¡°Arthur. How about we focus on the hydra?¡± She deadpanned. He nodded his head, uncertain of where to go from here. Life hadn¡¯t prepared him for these awkward conversations.


    She graced him with a small smile, one that didn¡¯t look forced. ¡°Thank you for worrying about me though. But I¡¯m fine. I was feeling a little homesick, nothing else. If I ever get that sad, I¡¯ll talk to you, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Now let''s go kill that overgrown snake, alright.¡±


    They walked through the grasslands, moving towards the centre of the second layer where their foe lay in wait. They¡¯d crossed over into the boundary of its aura about a mile back, a truly absurd distance considering they still had a long way to go and a testament to the power an apocalypse beast held.


    This time, they¡¯d received no welcoming roar. It did little to ease their nerves. They could feel the creature''s eyes on them, not in a literal sense but they knew their presence had been registered and their approach observed. The lack of reaction was unsettling when contrasted with the rage this earlier reaction had incited.


    The terrain had drastically changed a couple of hundred metres into the beast''s aura, so suddenly it practically screamed unnatural magic shenanigans. Or perhaps the jarring shift in biome could be attributed to their early breakage into the locus and it simply hadn¡¯t had time to properly develop itself.


    The reason didn''t matter, only that the boggy marshes they were currently trekking through had a way of wearing on your patience. Every step sank half a foot into the ground, accompanied by the squelching sound of wet mud being displaced, an aggravating sound that made an already difficult trip so much worse.


    The crowning point of their misery, however, had to be given to the bugs that had started to harass them, all manners of flies and mosquitoes that had been enhanced by ether, insects that looked like they belonged more in the Jurassic period rather than the 21st century. Arthur¡¯s constitution meant he was immune to their bites and stings, his skin far too durable for them to get through. That didn¡¯t stop the buggers from trying though, and he was constantly accompanied by a cloud buzzing insectoid vermin. He was far better off than Alyssia, however. She lacked his massive investment into constitution, and so had to maintain constant vigilance against the bugs. She¡¯d learned early on that each carried some potent venoms. Whilst tolerable on their own, compared with their massive numbers, it was a recipe for disaster. Her hands were in constant motion, every step she took accompanied by the death of three creatures who¡¯d come too close for comfort.


    She left a graveyard of desecrated vermin in her wake. The constant motion was getting to her though, and a sheen of perspiration coated her face. Remaining constantly vigilant was as taxing mentally as it was physically and it was starting to take its toll. Arthur had briefly considered using his domain to take the pressure off her but immediately discarded it as a foolish idea. He still hadn¡¯t figured out a way to exclude targets from its effects. Using it now would slow down Alyssia just as much as it would the bugs.


    At 200 ether per minute, the cost was too great to justify wasting energy just to make their trip a little easier. No, she¡¯d have to deal with this on her own. Arthur could only pray that they didn¡¯t have much longer to go. For once, someone seemed to be listening and his prayer was soon answered.


    It started with the gradual disappearance of bugs. Where before, their numbers had been overwhelming, now they approached sporadically in groups of two and three. A minute later, they stopped altogether and he saw Alyssia visibly relax, her shoulders releasing the tension they¡¯d been carrying all this time.


    The second sign they¡¯d arrived came in the form of a system notification and not a pleasant one. One moment, he was walking, and the next, he was hit by a spell of dizziness that had him seek refuge against the trunk of a tree. The sensation passed quickly but a part of it remained with him, a sense of weakness permeating his entire being.


    Alyssia, once again, was hit far worse. Where he had merely staggered, the green woman lost consciousness entirely. It was only for a half-second, and she regained control of herself before falling over, but it didn¡¯t bode well for the battle ahead. Half a second was more than long enough for a fight to be decided at their levels.


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    You have entered the central domain of (lesser) Hydra level 99- You have been afflicted by the debuff [Drunken feet] Your constitution allows you to partially resist its effects.


    [Drunken feet]- The poisoned fumes of the hydra surround you. Once every seven minutes, you are afflicted by a bout of dizziness.


    You will find the earth unsteady beneath your feet. Ongoing damage effect mitigated by constitution.


    Increased ether usage cost mitigated by constitution.


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    Arthur quickly read through the notification as he made his way over to Alyssia, grabbing her by the shoulders and holding her steady until he was certain she wouldn¡¯t just kneel over without his support. She wasn¡¯t looking so good, her normally vibrant green skin pale and clammy with sweat. Her breathing came in short gasps, the ragged sound of a sick man with failing lungs.


    Shit. Her constitution is terrible compared to mine. She uses magic to compensate for her speed, damn it and they''re not always active. How many stats does she have invested in constitution? 100? 50?


    His most idealistic estimations didn¡¯t put the attribute above 200. She was always complaining about how her low constitution held her back and now it was returning with a vengeance to stab her in the back. If it was this bad for him with over 600 constitution, he could only imagine the host of debuffs she¡¯d been hit with. Just as he came to the conclusion that they¡¯d need to turn back, Alyssia reached into her spatial bag. Her hands were shaking and her eyes unfocused, but the grim determination on her face was clear as day.


    Pulling her hand out, Arthur saw that it now tightly grasped a vial of green liquid. Before he could try to identify it, Alyssia had unstoppered and downed the drink in a single gulp. The results were instant. An explosion of energy poured out of her, straightening her spine and easing her breath. Arthur stepped back to give her some room. He highly doubted she was in danger of falling over any time soon right now.


    ¡°For fuck sake,¡± she yelled, throwing the now empty vial at supersonic speeds. It impacted the wet ground and unsurprisingly didn¡¯t shatter, instead sinking a metre or two into the earth. Whatever it had contained was potent stuff. Arthur would be surprised if its packaging was anything but the best.


    ¡°What did you just drink? Did it counteract the debuff?¡± Arthur asked the questions one after the other, not giving Alyssia time to respond to the first. She took it in her stride, though she seemed to have calmed down a little.


    ¡°That was a special elixir. One made specifically for my consumption by my mother. It makes me better at well¡­everything I guess. Faster, stronger, more durable. It removes certain limitations of my current build. My regeneration rates have actually tripled.¡± She paused, a brief plush of sadness crossing her face. ¡°It¡¯s also the last gift I have from her,¡± She added in a sombre tone. She laughed mirthlessly.


    ¡°I guess it was arrogant of me to think I could fight an apocalypse beast without using it.¡±


    ¡°Where on a two-hour timer now. I wanna see how overgrown lizards taste. Maybe it¡¯ll level up my cooking skills."

 Chapter 114- Who Am I?

    ~ Earth¡¯s Moon~


    Larthorn stood on the small grey ball of rock Earth called its moon and looked down on the blue marble his friend Marcell had told him of. He¡¯d done a little reading up on it on the journey here. It was a planet made up primarily of water, with only a single sapient species, humanity.


    He knew humans, at least a little. One of his three men who had died retrieving the dark phoenix guild''s training orb had a human mother. Or perhaps it was a grandmother. He wasn''t entirely sure. They were a weak race, or as one would diplomatically say, on the lower end of average, only gaining a base five stats per level before unlocking classes that tended towards the mediocre.


    The only selling point of the race was how diverse their affinities for ether were, and even then, said affinities were barely entry-level when compared to the more magical races in the cosmos. All this being said, they were given a universal standard Rating (USR) of 3.9/10, which was honestly quite generous in his opinion. Apparently, their rating had gone up by .3 points in the last century in lieu of General Edwards Bladesworn''s contributions on the front lines. Exaggerated as the reports were, he¡¯d apparently fought three crazed apocalypse beasts that had fallen to chaos to a standstill and thus saved the lives of seven stellar systems.


    Hmph. Maybe I should''ve gone to the frontlines instead of starting my excavation squad. Who knows, I might¡¯ve raised the Dothra''s USR a bit.


    The Anunkai had apparently broken a few system laws when it came to Earth and meddled a little too much with its history. The people involved had been sanctioned and used to power a defensive ritual of some sort, at least according to the reports he''d read, but Larthorn knew the nobles behind the debacle walked free.


    They always did.


    The ether density on the moon was barely even tier 1 and he could feel the toll it took on his ether core as it worked overtime to sustain his existence in the energy desert he was currently in. His team members stood behind him, warily silent as he read through the latest notifications he¡¯d received. They¡¯d all received one.


    Attention, you are currently in a tier-4 investigation zone Lord Larthorn. Earth has been locked off from all space visitors. All personnel beyond the level 300 barrier are barred from visitation rights.


    That was the first message he''d gotten, barebones in detail and vague as ever. The second one he¡¯d received was far more personal.


    Sorry for that, Larthorn. Earth''s tutorial was infiltrated by one of the Harvester''s agents. We can feel his influence on seven humans on the planet. We¡¯ve got people monitoring the world to make sure he can¡¯t leave. This is the closest we¡¯ve come to finding the man in the last three decades and we can¡¯t let him get away.


    I¡¯ve heard what you''re trying to do from Marcell, but you¡¯ll have to wait. I really am sorry. I feel bad for the poor bastards though. They¡¯ve got a dimensional incursion on the edge of tier one coming, practically tier two but they¡¯ll receive no extra help. There''s no law stating we have to help them, but still, millions will die.


    Your best friend with benefits, Lady Sleyca.


    PS- Don¡¯t do anything stupid and DON¡¯T try to play hero. We know how that ended last time.


    Larthorn read through the message and grimaced. We don¡¯t want it to end like last time, huh? This was bullshit. He¡¯d spent an earl''s-ransom worth of resources to get here in record time, all at the advice of his best friend and he could¡¯ve avoided it all if he hadn''t put his messages on silent for the transit period. He read through the message that had been made available for viewing immediately as he¡¯d arrived in the solar system for the umpteenth time and felt his eyebrow twitch.


    Don¡¯t blame me for this, it''s your fault for putting DM¡¯s on silent. Earth''s a dead end. Apparently, they found a harvester agent or something there. I¡¯ve already taken my disciples out and left the stellar system pronto, and I advise you to do the same until things cool down. I know you won¡¯t listen to me, but please don¡¯t do something stupid and DON¡¯T try to play hero. You represent the school and you¡¯ve dragged our reputation through the mud enough already.


    Marcell.


    Ps. Don¡¯t ask me to pay you back for the resources you wasted on transit. It¡¯s your fault for not reading your messages on time. You should''ve got this a month ago.


    His eyebrow twitched again. He wanted to punch something, but the weak moon wouldn¡¯t survive any movements he made in rage. Earth had enough to worry about right now without their moon suddenly exploding. Larthorn looked back at his teammates. None of them met his gaze and most of them were struggling not to laugh. Azmius broke first, she started to giggle and set off a chain reaction, until everyone joined in. She¡¯d told him not to turn off his private messages and always warned him that sleeping around with so many women would come back to bite him in his ass. He¡¯d turned off his messages to get away from them for a bit. Less than a fucking month, and it cost him the profits he¡¯d made in the last three years. Why am I always so impatient? I could¡¯ve waited a little bit. Travelled a cheaper way, and saw the sights a little on the way here. Heck, I could¡¯ve just taken the orb somewhere else.


    Was this fate? Nope. His stupid decisions had brought him here, nothing else. Still, he looked back at the planet, specifically at the massive gathering of ether that signalled a ritual dimensional incursion. System law stated that a planet should face them on its own, as long as they were of the relevant tier. Sleyca had said it was pushing the boundary of tier 1, a hair''s breadth away from the second tier.


    She was wrong.


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    Her team had observed the planet using a derivative of divination magic of some sort of the other. No way would they ever physically enter a tier 1 stellar system. He was here in person, and he¡¯d bet his training orb that it wasn¡¯t a tier 1 ritual. Something about it was strange, different in a way that confused the senses. He did know one thing though. The planet was NOT ready for it, especially not with a Harvester''s agent running around, meddling with things.


    ¡°Hey Boe, you¡¯ve got a clone skill right?¡± He called back to his general advisor.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± the man muttered.


    ¡°You can create one below the level 300 mark right?¡± He asked.


    Boe nodded his head, dejectedly. He knew where his captain was going with this and he didn¡¯t like it one bit. Larthorn clapped his hands. ¡°Excellent,¡± he exclaimed. Fuck his friends. He didn¡¯t need their shitty advice. Playing hero. Him? No way. Why do the work when you could send someone else to do the job? And hey, he wasn¡¯t even breaking any law this way. Technically at least.


    ~Mira~


    Mira was going to die.


    She knew it as certainly as she did that the sun would rise tomorrow. As much as Ayesha had told her otherwise, with her fancy divination mage, she knew it was inevitable. She¡¯d known something was wrong for a long, long time. It was why she¡¯d tried so hard to get stronger, sought the help of Arthur Ward and taken so many risks to get a stronger evolution.


    That was something she still felt bad about. They¡¯d gotten off on the wrong foot and she was mature to admit that it was her fault. Their first meeting had gone terribly. She¡¯d seen the pride and dominion of his aura and so steeled herself and put forward a similar front by charming his friends. That hadn¡¯t gone over well, neither had the manipulation she¡¯d tried on him later. Things had ended fine enough, and she¡¯d gotten what she¡¯d wanted at the end of it.


    Tomorrow marked a week since she¡¯d last seen him. According to Ayesha, he¡¯d gone somewhere to train and would return in time for their scheduled payment, where she would teach him her alchemy skills. She wouldn¡¯t live long enough to make it there.


    A choked sob threatened to leave her lips but she stopped herself. Mira had made her choice, she¡¯d created her bed and now she was going to lie in it. It was the best decision she could have made, for better than the alternative. The only choice really. It was better to die herself than live on as a shadow, a fragment of who she was.


    It had started with her memories a few days into the tutorial. She hadn¡¯t realised at first; the novelty of ether and magic was enough to distract her from the missing parts of her history. When she noticed something, she chalked it up to the high stress of the situation making her forget things. That excuse had worked for a while and shattered like fragile glass when she¡¯d forgotten her dead daughter''s name.


    Mira remembered her face, taking her pram for a stroll through the park, the endless nights her crying had kept her awake, the way her face would light up and her cheeks dimple when she smiled, the way she called her mama in her squeaky voice. She remembered everything, every last detail.


    But she¡¯d forgotten her name.


    And then she¡¯d met Arthur and sought out a powerful evolution in the hopes it would heal her failing mind. If anything, it had only made things worse. She¡¯d started to lose her stats, her skills slowly disappearing one by one from her status page. It was maddening, every day she¡¯d wake up less of herself. She¡¯d stopped sleeping after the second time it happened, too afraid that the next time she woke, she¡¯d no longer even remember what she had lost.


    It had been four days since then and she¡¯d been abusing elixirs to keep herself from sleeping. That hadn¡¯t worked either. The problem ailing her wasn¡¯t natural, she¡¯d asked around and consulted healers who specialised in the mind, therapists who worked with trauma patients. Nothing had worked. She¡¯d realised then that she wasn¡¯t losing things. They were being stolen from her.


    The feeling was far more pronounced now, a pervasive insidious invasion on her person that was slowly taking her apart, stealing the things that made her who she was. Her very identity, harvested for the sick pleasure of someone she couldn¡¯t even remember meeting. And so she¡¯d come here today to die as the remnants of who she was before she lost anything else.


    In her hand, she clenched her final creation, an elixir that she hoped would settle the balance a little and maybe, just maybe help her get her revenge. The flask came from Ayesha, created with a crystal known for its nigh-indestructible nature. On it was a spatial enchantment that would teleport the item to Ayesha when it was complete where it would then be saved for Arthur''s return to be given to him.


    The man she hoped would become strong enough to kill whatever had done this to her. Mira looked down at the flask and identified it with the only skill she had remaining, now returned to the base level 1 she¡¯d received it at, free from all the work and enhancements she¡¯d poured into it.


    Mira''s Will (Legendary). The final work of poison Alchemist Mira Merejan, created with the sacrifice of her stats, skills, affinities and a large portion of her life force. Violates several laws placed on Alchemists by the system.


    Effect: Grants the consumer an extra general skill slot and the general skill Poisoned Alchemy (Rare)


    Note: A repetition of this effect will be impossible without an elixir of the Ascendant rank and most souls will be unable to take a second enhancement even then.


    Secondary effect: Generates the title Mira''s Will- (Increases Willpower stat by 10%) This title will only be generated if the consumer is below level 150.


    Side effects: Will cause severe stomach aches and diarrhoea.


    It was her greatest creation, an item worth more to many than the very planet it had originated from. It was also her last. Legendary rank items were as rare as planets with life in the universe and statistics stated it would be the first and last item of such rarity that Earth probably ever generated. If she sold it, she might just find a way to save her life but she¡¯d decided against that. The person who lived that life wouldn¡¯t be the her that existed right now, wouldn¡¯t be the young woman who¡¯d created life and cherished it for the moments she was gifted with its presence. She had few things left to lose now, her name amongst them.


    No, she had decided to die today as Mira Merejan.


    The item in her hand was practically complete and she poured the little lifeforce required to finish it into the elixir. With a quiet pop, the vial disappeared, the teleportation enhancement placed on it activating as she gave it the go-ahead. Her job was done. It¡¯d find its way into the right hands or it wouldn¡¯t. There was nothing she could do about it now. She¡¯d arrived at her destination, a place she could no longer remember. Her notes stated it was where Arthur had power-levelled her a week ago. I guess it''s poetic, the beginning and the end. It started here in this clearing and it¡¯ll finish here too. A low growl pulled her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see a massive deer standing before her, electricity cracking between its antlers. It felt familiar but she couldn¡¯t remember why.


    Maddening.


    Elemental deer level 49


    A beast she would have scoffed at a week ago. Now she stood before it, an ordinary woman, weaker than she¡¯d ever been, near stat-less. She pulled out a large knife from the scabbard at her hip, an item she¡¯d found in her house, a purchase from some inspired craftsman of some sort. It was an impossible fight, hardly a fight at all. A cynical person would call it assisted suicide. Perhaps she too, once would have before she''d forgotten who she was.


    But she would fight.


    And she would lose.


    She smiled.


    She would die as Mira Merejan.

 Chapter 115- Battle Start

    Arthur glanced briefly at his status, going over the temporary additions it had received. First came the debuff he¡¯d been placed under by close proximity to the lesser Hydra. Then came a small subsection denoting the stored healing affinity he¡¯d placed there for himself and Alyssia last night.


    Personally, it wouldn¡¯t do much for him, a mere fraction of his total health pool. Perhaps enough to heal a broken bone or two, which on second thoughts could be the difference between life and death in the upcoming fight. A lot more important than he¡¯d initially given credit for.


    For Alyssia, that life-saving ability was multiplied tenfold. A fraction of his health pool was equivalent to the entirety of hers, it was quite literally enough healing to bring her back from the brink of death. Honestly, the skill was kind of broken, despite it only being at Rare rank. Granting healing based on the host''s total health pool would be pretty terrible for the average healer, being the mages that they were. In his hands though, it provided the regenerative buffs you¡¯d expect from a high-end elite skill on the cusp of epic rank.


    The third and final addition to his status came from the tonic Alyssia had given him to drink. He didn¡¯t know what made it different from a standard potion or elixir but its effects were quite similar to what he¡¯d come to expect of such things.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 86.9467%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Health, Stamina and Ether regeneration Increased by 5% for 57 minutes</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    All things considered, it was a very small boost in power that would only make itself known if the battle dragged on for long enough. Fighting against a hydra, however, meant that a battle of attrition was the exact opposite of what they wanted. Hydras were known for their ability to outlast anyone and everything. No, if they wanted victory today, they¡¯d have to be swift and decisive.


    In mythology, the beasts were killed by sword and fire. Unfortunately, reality presented no such weakness. If they were fighting a water Hydra, then flames would have been a viable form of attack. Sadly that wasn¡¯t the case. Their enemy according to Alyssia¡¯s aura reading skills was a form of poison/swamp variant and fire was something it was very familiar with, as in one of its heads could breathe the damn stuff.


    This was all knowledge that had been relayed to him after Alyssia had scouted the beast. He hadn¡¯t laid eyes on it yet. She¡¯d employed a nifty aura technique that masked her presence and some good old stealth to get a good look at their enemy. The beast already knew they were there and so Alyssia¡¯s aura mask was more something that made her look unthreatening than a complete disappearance that Arthur knew she was capable of.


    Suddenly dropping off the monster''s radar this close to it was a sure way to agitate the beast. Arthur''s job, currently, was to use his own unique aura skill, whatamIevendoing, to minimise his presence as much as possible. It helped a little and Alyssia was working double time to cover any gaps in his skill with her own. It was tiring work and without the infusion of power her elixir had given her, she¡¯d be hard-pressed to maintain it for as long as she had. As enhanced as she was now, it was only a minor inconvenience.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alyssia said in a low whisper. ¡°This fight might be a little easier than expected.¡±


    The words coming out of her mouth sounded strange, and it took Arthur a moment to realise that once again, she was using her aura to make them as stealthy as possible, the sound she produced had a direct conduit to his ears with no leakage into the space around them. It was like he had earphones on and off at the same time, a contradiction that his brain couldn¡¯t quite grasp.


    ¡°The hydra is pregnant. She¡¯s in the process of producing eggs to lay. And no before you ask, I don¡¯t know how hydra procreation works. I¡¯m not even sure if what''s happening in the locus is how things work in the real world.¡± Alyssia shut down his question before he even had a chance to ask it.


    ¡°The locus spawned a pregnant beast to make the task more manageable for its challengers, I guess,¡± she continued. "If we weren''t trying to kill it, I¡¯m sure I could go and get these golden apples in the next sixty seconds. The overgrown lizard is conserving all her energy for the birth. Even fighting it will be a lot easier now. About 25% so if I were to put a number on it. The beast is slower, lacks energy and her movements are severely limited.¡±


    Arthur took the new information in his stride. It didn¡¯t change what they¡¯d planned to do. The monster was a fake imitation and its babies were fake too. Hell, this entire locus was fake. He wanted that core and he¡¯d be damned if he let a little infanticide get in his way, not when he was killing things that didn¡¯t even exist. Even if they left the layer with the hydra unharmed, those children would never be born, the apocalypse beast would simply cease to be, and the energy used in its creation recycled for the next challengers that came through, perhaps repurposed for another beast altogether.


    Okay, maybe I¡¯m feeling a little guilty, trying to justify it so much. It doesn''t change much though. That core, even if it was fake, existed for as long as they were on this layer. If he consumed it whilst on the second floor, he''d make it a permanent addition to his strength and the locus would take a hit to its total energy reserves, an exchange he was more than happy to take part in.


    ¡°So, how are we going to kill it?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°As far as damage dealers go, I''m pretty limited. At least until my soul affinity finally becomes unlocked. Until then, I''m restricted to shadow bombs and water bullets. Shadow doesn''t have any penetrative power and water bullets, at least as small as they''ll need to be to get past the beast''s defences, are far too tiny for a monster as big as the one they were facing. It''ll be like poking it with a needle.¡±


    Alyssa smiled, a look of smug satisfaction coming over her. ¡°Right now, after drinking that elixir I''ve got well over 1500 effective agility. Unencumbered as I am on a tier-one planet, I can move at five times the speed of sound. Probably way faster. I''ve never tried it before.¡± She laughed loudly. ¡°These grieves we got really changed the game for me. It let me free up some of the magic I''d been using to reinforce my body to go even faster. About 30%, maybe 35%.¡±


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    She was on a roll now, extolling the virtues of her build and she''d yet to answer his question. Arthur didn''t interrupt her. She wanted to have her dramatic moment; Arthur would give it to her just this once.


    ¡°The path I''m currently travelling is one notorious for its difficulty. No one has been able to walk down it in the past three centuries. It treads through the realms of the legendary Tamed Lightning that encompasses the heavens themselves. I''ll be the first to take it further, beyond Mythical, to the heights of known power and beyond.¡±


    Arthur couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°Can you get to the point?¡± He deadpanned.


    ¡°You-you bastard. Just let me have my moment,¡± she spluttered, her cheeks flushing in embarrassed rage.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°Continue as you were.¡±


    Alyssia glared at him, a frown on her face. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will,¡± she said. ¡°Suffice to say that when it comes to dealing damage, after eating that elixir, I don¡¯t think even Kazi Alukai, your planet''s current greatest torchbearer, can even come close to me. And he''s a damn prime with the planet behind his back.¡±


    ¡°You noticed the last time we sparred that my strikes lacked true power behind them. I remember you telling me that I needed to strike through my targets. With magic involved, I need to merely touch an opponent to deal resonant damage, it¡¯s a mix of wind and lightning magic that targets the very makeup of my opponents. The more strikes I land, the more potent my attacks become. Right now, I would hit you 27 times before you''d even realise what was happening. Even with your health pool, you¡¯d be dead by the 19th strike.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Arthur interrupted. ¡°You''re saying you can kill me in less than a second?¡±


    Alyssia nodded her head enthusiastically, oblivious to how her words had affected Arthur. Less than a second, as fast as he could blink. He¡¯d thought he was building himself up to be pretty tanky and here she was, telling him he¡¯d die in a heartbeat if they ever fought using magic.


    She¡¯s twice my level but still, what the hell. My health pool is insane even for someone twice my level. Same with my constitution. And what? Does it mean nothing?


    Alyssia finally seemed to realise the implicit meaning within her words. She¡¯d practically told him the current path was useless. ¡°This IS only because of that elixir I drank,¡± she clarified. ¡°The thing was built for me, each and every ingredient used in its creation harvested with my build in mind. The only reason it wasn¡¯t legendary rank was because of how specialised it was,¡± she explained. ¡°Its effects are exponential, lets me ignore certain rules that snowball my damage through the roof.¡±


    ¡°Without it, well-¡± she laughed. ¡°I could still hit you 20 times in a single second, but the cumulative potency of my strikes would be significantly diminished. I¡¯d deal 2,000 damage. Perhaps not even that.¡±


    She paused in thought for a moment. ¡°If I had a big knife, I could still kill you in less than a second though. Chop your head off before you know what hit you,¡± she mused idly. ¡°I¡¯d boot it like a football to make sure you couldn¡¯t attach it back in time too." Alyssia sighed. "I¡¯m sorry Arthur, I was trying to make you feel better.¡± She shook her head sadly. ¡°I guess the path of Tamed Lightning is just too overpowered.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Alyssia,¡± Arthur said in exasperation. ¡°I get it. Your class is very cool. Only the big girls get to-¡±


    ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it,¡± she interrupted him with a massive grin splitting her face, completely oblivious to his mocking tone. Arthur quickly brought the conversation back on track. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± He asked. The smirk that came over Alyssia¡¯s face told him he wouldn¡¯t like it. What did she mean he was probably fireproof by now? And why was she laughing so deviously?


    Arthur was very, very glad the bugs had stopped bothering them a while ago. Otherwise, things would be quite uncomfortable right now. He was standing ten metres away from the sleeping hydra, a massive beast about the size of two school buses stacked on top of each other.


    And he was naked as the day he was born.


    If he went back in time and tracked all the choices he¡¯d ever made, he wondered which decision of his life, decided all those years ago, led to this particular moment, where he stood naked, crown jewels hanging free, before a monster that could swallow him whole.


    I want a damn restart button.


    Being the party''s designated tank meant he¡¯d be facing flames nearly hot enough to melt stone. While he could survive that, at least according to Alyssia, his clothes certainly couldn''t. He¡®d insisted that he at least keep his underwear on but Alyssia had just looked at him like he was stupid. Why waste a perfectly good piece of clothing, she¡¯d asked. It wouldn¡¯t survive the flames any better than the rest of his clothes would.


    In the end, she¡¯d persuaded him by showing him a hidden function his mask of mirrors possessed, the item he¡¯d received from the Serako assembly and all but forgotten about. Turned out it could be used to censor some of his body parts from the casual observer, hence why Arthur currently looked like a video game character, his genitals and ass blurred areas that the eyes couldn¡¯t focus on.


    He could still feel the humid breeze blowing across his balls, a sensation he could have lived his entire life without experiencing. Despite all the moisture in the air, Arthur¡¯s mouth still felt dry. This was it. Here he was, standing across a monster that was feared across the cosmos, an apocalypse that if unleashed on Earth and allowed to grow, would decimate the planet and make it a habitat of poisoned swamps and marshes.


    It would then leave the planet, intelligent enough by that point to use spacial magic and seek out new life. This was according to all the stories Alyssia had heard about such boasts, which would explain why they were called The Lords of Gluttony.


    The overgrown serpent was an imitation of that grand legacy, a fake with seven heads instead of the usual nine it should have at level 99. Arthur took a deep breath and let it out, imagining the tension in his body leaving with the exhaled air. It helped a little.


    Alyssia was somewhere behind him, using her aura to mask his presence and her own. It was time to wake the beast up, preferably in a way that would deal significant damage. He hadn¡¯t deployed his domain yet, and he wouldn¡¯t for the duration of this fight. He wasn¡¯t able to isolate targets for its slowdown effect yet and until he could, he¡¯d be hurting Alyssia far more with the skill than the hydra since speed was her entire shtick.


    Molecular water shot was currently his most damaging skill but they¡¯d decided that in this opening salvo, they were better off using a shadow bomb. There were three reasons for this, primary amongst them being the hydras'' increased resistance to all magics that contained a liquid component. Being a beast that made its home in the swamps and marshes, it felt at home amongst water.


    The other reason he was using his shadow affinity, however, was because of the inherent stealth the magic contained. With Alyssia¡¯s aura manipulations helping things along, the hydra wouldn¡¯t know what hit it until the damage was already done. Arthur poured ether into his domain skill, preparing himself to isolate specific parts of its effects. He didn''t want to deploy his domain, but that didn''t mean it''d be useless for this fight. Compared to what he¡¯d been doing the past few days, it was honestly quite easy.


    Arthur poured in as much ether as his shadow traps could take. 100. 200. 300. At 600, it felt like a balloon that was about to pop. Arthur pushed in a few more points and settled at 638 points.


    He targeted the shadows at the centre of the coiling serpent heads, the point where he could do the most damage to all of them at once. A drop of sweat made its way down his eyebrow. There was a big reason why they''d decided to start with this particular attack. Now he¡¯d just have to wait and see if it worked.


    They were ready.

 Chapter 116- First Round

    Arthur was poised, ready to act. He stood on the edge of the greatest battle of his life waiting for Alyssia¡¯s signal to come. He felt it, a small prod on the back of his head and he unleashed his magic. The shadow bomb exploded- the greatest one he¡¯d ever created- in an entirely ordinary display of power.


    It was quiet, there was no devastating boom accompanying it. A silent explosion that signified the beginning of their fight. The results were deadly. He¡¯d detonated it using the pool of shadows at the centre of the hydra''s coiling heads to deal maximum damage to all of them and he ensured it exploded with a jagged edge, the shadows acting like the shrapnel from a frag grenade.


    Against most beasts, the fight would have ended there. Hydras were tanks of vitality and constitution though and the damage he dealt, deadly as it may appear, was superficial to such a massive beast. One of its seven heads reared up, roaring in outrage. Its sinuous neck was covered in deep lacerations from his opening salvo almost half a foot deep in certain places. Purple blood oozed from the wounds like drops of ink of its pale green flesh.


    The cuts healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, almost as if time had been accelerated for the wounded area. In three seconds, the damage he¡¯d dealt was gone and the creature glared at him, good as new. Its other heads still lay in a heaped pile, deep in slumber. He attributed its apparent laziness to the exhaustion pregnancy brought on the creature.


    ¡°Now,¡± Alyssia cried out behind him.


    Arthur grinned. Shadow magic wasn¡¯t the greatest affinity when it came to dealing damage and the hydra''s immediate recovery made that readily apparent. That was why dealing damage had never been the primary purpose of his first attack. Sure, it was great and all, but any harm done was just the cherry on top.


    No, the main reason why he¡¯d started with the skill, was to magically charge the creature''s shadows with his ether signature. He¡¯d claimed them as his own. Right now, Arthur couldn¡¯t deploy his domain because it would affect Alyssia too, but as he¡¯d already demonstrated, he could still utilise aspects of it.


    Shadow Lock


    The skill cost 50 ether per second to lock a person''s movement by bringing their strength into battle with his own. Against a hydra that weighed more than 10 tons trying to stop its movement with the skill was the height of stupidity. That was why he isolated the single head that had woken up, the primary brain in charge of the hydra''s body and the only one that could breathe fire.


    Alone, it probably weighed upwards of 500 kilograms, an intimidating weight that was nonetheless manageable for a post-system-enhanced Arthur. He felt the skill click into place and 600 ether was immediately drained out of his reservoir. The cost was massive but it fell within their expectations. He staggered and fell to his knees as the beast fought against him.


    With his ether sitting at 4430, he could maintain this for another seven seconds, a short frame of time but more than long enough to suit their purposes. Enhanced as she currently was by her elixir, Alyssia had told him she could hit him 27 times in the span of a second, with 19 of them being enough to deal over 15,000 points of damage and take his life. Her abilities worked exponentially, with every consecutive attack she managed to land without any delay dealing significantly more damage.


    Against a human-sized target like Arthur, she could strike 27 times a second, which she predicted would cause 40,000 points of damage. With a target as big as the hydra, that number shot up. In two seconds she could deal well over 100,000 points of damage. In three, over a million. That was more than enough to kill a lesser hydra and she had just been given seven seconds to work with. As exhausted as the poor creature was, currently the other heads would take at least five seconds to wake up.


    More than enough time to get the job done. The only thing he was worried about was if Alyssia¡¯s stamina and ether reserves would hold up. Her skills were as expensive as they were effective.


    When Alyssia attacked, he saw nothing. Heard nothing, not even a sonic boom. To his senses, she didn¡¯t even exist at all. The woman he¡¯d come to call his close acquaintance, probationary-friend moved faster than she ever had before, faster than the storm walkers of the first layer could ever dream of, the concept of speed made manifest in physical reality.


    The functions of her body worked overtime to keep up with her energy expenditure, her heart racing a mile a minute, lungs buzzing like the wings of a bee as they respired at a rate that managed to noticeably decrease the oxygen content in a twenty-metre radius, one of the numerous spells she¡¯d cast being used to gather the gas from further and further away.


    In the span of a second, it felt like Arthur had been transported to the peak of a mountain, his next breath an uncomfortable but manageable experience in the thinner air. The massive hydra suffered far more. At the heights of power, some could subsist without requiring oxygen. The beast was still far from that point though, and its huge body meant it needed an oxygen-rich environment to live comfortably.


    In the first second of his shadow lock, nothing happened, in the second, the hydra''s green flesh was painted purple with its blood, its flesh spasming as electrical currants ran through it. Certain parts of its body disintegrated at a speed visible to the naked eye as if someone was editing the creature out of existence.


    Arthur''s ears popped as if he was on a plane that had just touched down. He didn¡¯t know the science of it and attributed it to whatever magic Alyssia currently had at play. He kept his eyes peeled on the dying monster not wanting to miss any final attacks the creature might try to throw. It wasn¡¯t every day you got to see an apocalypse beast completely overwhelmed like this.


    The cost of his shadow lock skill suddenly spiked up to 12 hundred points, the third second of the skill costing as much as the first two combined. The damn hydra was trying to set itself on fire. It had managed to open its mouth partially, its throat muscles prepared to breathe its liquid flame onto its own body. Arthur managed to halt the motion in time.


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    Had the creature managed to get the skill off, Alyssia would have been forced to stop her assault and risk losing all the progress she¡¯d already made. Thankfully, things had worked out for once and he felt the tension drain from him. This was the hardest part of the fight, and it looked like they would be successful.


    Nothing else went wrong, and four seconds into the fight, the lesser hydra was vanquished. It took a little longer than they¡¯d predicted but that was expected. A real fight had too many variables to accurately plan for every eventuality and a single second extra was hardly the worst that could happen.


    To his eyes, it looked like the hydra was there one second and then gone the next. All that remained of it was charred chunks of flesh and bits of splintered bone that had survived Alyssia¡¯s devastating attack. Arthur let his shadow lock go and checked his ether reserves. 2709/5555 He had a little less than half left in the tank. Hopefully, it would be enough for what was coming.


    Alyssia appeared next to him, finally standing still or at least trying to. She staggered forward, falling to her knees and vomited onto the muddy ground. Her skin was so pale she appeared bloodless, and she was covered in about two litres of sweat, the liquid steaming off her as it tried and failed to cool her overheated body.


    She tried to speak but failed, coughing phlegm and spittle all over herself and it was only then that Arthur noticed that the skin on her fists and arms had quite literally been burned off, with the rest of her body suffering the same fate in varying degrees. She¡¯s not pale cos she''s feeling nauseous or anything. She burned off a layer of fucking skin and it''s healed.


    Arthur knew the look quite well. He¡¯d worked in the hospital treating injuries for almost an entire week. Magically healed skin always appeared paler than normal. But the burns on her hands weren¡¯t healing. It took a moment for him to realise what had happened before he rushed forward to help her. He¡¯d stored enough healing in her to completely recover her health pool at least once. Except Alyssia wasn¡¯t healing.


    How many bones had she broken in those four seconds and then had healed in the next moment? How many muscles had she torn? Her skin had burned and ripped and then healed for the duration of that short fight in a vicious cycle until now that energy pool of healing he''d given her had bottomed out. Moving at her top speed, she would have quite literally died in under three seconds without the constant supply of healing he''d provided her. She needs to invest in constitution. Her builds practically useless right now. He placed his hands on her arm and used Regeneration on her. She tried to push him away but Arthur didn¡¯t budge. Her wounds took a mere four seconds to heal, the superficial ones at least. Internally, however, she had a lot more damage. Her calf muscles were torn to shreds, her left Achilles heel on the verge of snapping. She¡¯d dislocated her shoulder and micro-fractures ran down the length of her shin-bone. Alyssia¡¯s constitution truly was too low to keep up with her agility.


    Hopefully, as she evolved the Greaves of Achilles and grew stronger herself, she¡¯d be able to counteract the issue better. All in all, despite the extensive damage, Arthur was done in under a minute. Alyssia¡¯s vitality was so low that healing her cost almost nothing. After he was done, he used the skills'' secondary effect and topped off her reserves of healing.


    ¡°You- shouldn¡¯t¡­have done that,¡± she gasped out, breathless.


    His healing, as great as it was, could do nothing for stamina.


    ¡°But I did and it''s done,¡± Arthur replied. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy arguing about it.¡±


    She looked like she was going to protest before realising now wasn¡¯t the best time.


    ¡°Thank you, then,¡± she said. ¡°Even if I think you should¡¯ve saved your energy. My ethers bottomed out completely and will take twenty minutes before I¡¯m ready to do anything again, enhanced as my regeneration is right now.¡±


    ¡°So how much health did the hydra have? The fight took four seconds. You said you could do a million damage in three?¡±


    Alyssia shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t consider how- taxing it would be on my body honestly,¡± she chuckled. ¡°I really should¡¯ve seen that coming. The hydra had 1,001,000 health. Damn locus should¡¯ve just made it an even million.¡± She smiled. ¡°I got a title out of it though and it''s tier 3.¡±


    Her eyes got a weird blank look, the tell-tale sign that someone was reading a system notification. ¡°It''s called Giant''s bane. Requirements, deal over a million damage in under 5 seconds whilst below level 200. How about that? Guess I can¡¯t complain about the locus not using even numbers now. It lets me ignore 5% of my target''s defence.¡±


    She laughed. ¡°You know what that means. Armour, scales, magic barriers, constitution. Any other stat there might be for defences? I get to ignore 5% of it. This is probably better than whatever the reward for this layer is.¡±


    Arthur smiled, though he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little envious. She deserved it though. Earning that title was nigh impossible for someone under level 200. For starters, monsters just didn¡¯t have that much health, besides exceptions like hydras and fighting a real one instead of the weak imitation they were facing was suicide. A normal person would probably have to fight multiple enemies at once and hope they would collectively have a million health to achieve anything similar.


    Finding the right monsters was a difficult task in itself, but actually dealing so much damage in such a small time frame. Well, that was impossible. Arthur was honestly surprised it wasn¡¯t a tier 4 title. Perhaps if she¡¯d done it below level 150? Alyssia brought him out of his inner musings with a question. ¡°So, are you ready to do your part then?¡± She asked, with a wide grin on her face. Arthur sighed. He¡¯d get to fulfill his job as a tank. There was a reason why he¡¯d had to get naked for this fight.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave you to it. Try not to get castrated.¡± Alyssia chuckled as she began to walk away. She moved slowly even if she was fully healed, the memory of the pain dragging her still. He shook his head in amusement, a wry smile on his face. Hopefully, he didn¡¯t get his balls burned off. Turning to the remnants of the hydra''s corpse, he saw that they had disappeared. In their place, floated an orb of pulsating purple the size of a beach ball. Well, calling it a corpse hadn¡¯t exactly been right. After all, they¡¯d yet to receive any levels from killing the beast, nor had they located the monster''s core.


    In mythology, hydras grew two heads when you cut one off. Sadly, in reality, that wasn¡¯t the case, at least the two heads part. They¡¯d grow one back if you gave them a few minutes. No, in the real world, hydras were far more annoying.


    They had multiple lives.


    At the peak of their potential, they were said to have nine lives, with each revival bringing them back to full strength with all their energy reserves replenished and their skill cooldowns brought down to zero. To kill one of them, you had to kill the apocalypse beast nine times in ten hours, before they had a chance to regenerate one of their ¡®spent¡¯ lives. There was a reason why hydras were called unkillable.


    Thankfully the specimen they were fighting was far weaker, barely into its adolescent phase despite its apparent ¡®pregnancy.¡¯ The locus didn¡¯t have to follow the rules of biology. Alyssia had analysed their enemies'' aura thoroughly. The lesser hydra only had three lives. They¡¯d already ended one. The job was ninety percent done. Its second life would only bring it back to 30% of its full power. They had 24 hours before it gained its extra life back and seven days before it regained its full strength.


    Arthur''s job was simple. He had to keep the monster occupied, tank its attacks and keep it from chasing Alyssia until she¡¯d regenerated her ether enough to come and finish this one off. Its first death meant it was now childless and would no longer concern itself with conserving energy by standing still.


    A creature with 300,000 health. He was supposed to wait for Alyssia.


    Arthur was feeling impatient.

 Chapter 117- Snake Rider?

    It turned out the apocalypse beast at 30% strength was still a force to be reckoned with. The fight had started off well enough. A minute after the purple orb had formed, it had expanded rapidly to encompass the space the hydra had initially fled. Only Alyssia¡¯s warnings had kept him from attacking it. Apparently, it was a barrier equivalent to 2,000 constitution, impossible for the current him to even scratch. It was unfortunate, but you couldn¡¯t cheese boss fights in real life.


    Things started to go to shit the moment the orb started to crack. Arthur had wondered why the area within, barely visible through the hairline fractures, was so bright. He realised why a little too late. The damn hydra had filled the orb with fire. Just as he had started their fight with a shadow bomb, the hydra decided to return in kind with an explosion of its own. Except hers was far more deadly.


    With a resounding crack, the orb shattered to pieces and the fire the hydra had spent the past sixty seconds filling the enclosed space with was let loose with an explosive boom. The heat reached him first and he barely managed to close his eyes before he was sent flying backwards. The flames were hot. Enough that if he wasn¡¯t facing them at 30% strength, he would have lost his vision. The fire would¡¯ve burnt straight through his thin eyelids and fried his pupils.


    As things were, he¡¯d compare it to a high-end restaurant stove, not that he knew how hot that was. For all he knew, it could have been nearing a thousand degrees. All he knew was that it was dangerous enough that if he stood in the inferno, he could certainly die. As he¡¯d been blasted back, however, it meant he¡¯d been in contact with it for half a second which was enough to burn off his eyebrows and leave his skin singed but nothing else.


    Oh, and his dick was on fire. Literally.


    Arthur screamed, more from shock than pain as he flew through the air, cursing whatever deodorant he¡¯d decided to use that morning. His crown jewels were only aflame for half a second but it cemented its position as one of the most traumatising events of his life. He was so shocked he barely even realised it when he hit the ground, the once bone-breaking impact barely registering through his 698 constitution.


    It was Alyssia¡¯s laughter that made him snap out of it. She was far away from where he¡¯d landed, which meant she¡¯d used air magic to carry the sound of her laughter to him and let him know how funny she found his predicament, wasting ether she should''ve been recovering just to mock him. Arthur couldn¡¯t find it in himself to blame her. If it had happened to someone else, he would¡¯ve found it funny too.


    Groaning, Arthur got back to his feet. "That''s why you told me I smelt weird this morning. You wanted me to use deodorant knowing this would happen." He called out, knowing that she¡¯d hear him. ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ll get my revenge. You¡¯ll curse the day you met me.¡±


    He was joking. Mostly. He couldn¡¯t just let her get away with this and her redoubled laughter told him that it was indeed intentional. Arthur shook his head. He¡¯d deal with the childish idiot later. Right now, he had a very angry hydra running towards him. It wasn¡¯t very fast, but that hardly mattered when you were the size of four elephants. This was the first good look he¡¯d actually gotten of the creature since all of its heads were awake now instead of resting in a tangled heap. He noted that three of them seemed to be missing, no doubt due to its revival at 30% strength.


    Still, shouldn¡¯t it only have two of the original seven heads? The maths doesn¡¯t add up. Arthur shrugged, dismissing the thought. There was no point worrying about Hydra power mechanics right now. He¡¯d have time for that later. Right now, he had one to kill.


    Arthur checked his status. His health was practically full, the 300 pints of damage the hydra had done had almost fully recovered as his stored healing got to work. His ether reserves, however, weren¡¯t looking so good. His shadow lock and healing Alyssia had left it sitting at just over a thousand points. Enough that he could deploy his domain for five minutes. He needed to stall for twenty. Arthur used it anyway.


    Early into the fight, Arthur had decided to fight this creature with the intention to kill it. To do so, he needed to pile on damage as fast as possible and using his strongest skill was a no-brainer. If he failed, well, he was certain he could keep the creature entertained for the required fifteen minutes expected of him.


    The air grew thick with misty vapour but didn¡¯t affect his vision in the slightest. His domain expanded to its twenty-metre range and then the hydra was upon him. It was a slow creature. Arthur would put its agility at 100 points. Slowed down by his skill, that number dropped down to double digits, practically slow motion compared to some of the things he¡¯d fought.


    Arthur didn¡¯t really even need the speed reduction effect of his domain. He¡¯d summoned it for a different reason altogether. The hydra struck one of its massive heads darting forwards. It was the size of his torso and getting hit by it wasn¡¯t on his to-do list. The hydra was a poisonous creature, and its fetid breath was already costing him some hit points. He didn¡¯t want to learn what its saliva would do to him. With a resounding snap, its jaws clicked shut. On empty air. Arthur had taken a step back angled slightly towards his right.


    What he was about to do was stupid, he knew it. That didn''t stop him from following through with his plan though. Before the hydra could draw its head back, Arthur stepped forward, pivoting off his left leg, right rising rapidly to deliver his strike. Arthur kicked the hydra. A creature that weighed as much as five cars, with a head weighing well over 500 kilograms and he decided to roundhouse kick it in the face.


    Arthur was honestly surprised that it did anything. Relatively speaking, he was tiny. He felt scales crunch beneath his shin, and the next moment, the overgrown lizard head was blasted to the side, directly into the path of a second that was preparing to strike him. The physics of it didn''t make sense and he didn''t understand stats well enough to understand why he¡¯d ended up victorious in the exchange.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    He suspected his high constitution carried most of the weight but it was just speculation on his side. Sadly, his attack, while flashy, did little to no damage. In half a second, the hydras scales were as good as new. Not for the first time, Arthur cursed his locked soul affinity. Soul mages were notorious for their high damage output, they were the ones called in to deal with hydras and their ilk when they got out of control, the few people recognised for their ability to successfully deal with apocalypse beasts.


    If he had access to his, he was certain the hydra would lose their fight. Sure, it might take a few hours, but it would be done. At high enough levels, the damage done by soul mages was known to negate even a hydra''s revival abilities.


    There was no point crying over spilt milk though, and he''d have to work with what he had. For a brief moment, there was a lull in the battle, where the two opponents simply stared at each other, four pairs of eyes to Arthur''s one. The primary head''s fire breath was on to cool down but he didn¡¯t know how long it would last. Arthur made the first move if he could even call it that. It was more of a testing strike.


    Manipulating the vapour in his domain, he spent twenty points of ether on molecular water shot to strike the overgrown lizard. The results were¡­ underwhelming. A mere trickle of blood, more of a drop really; a pinprick of damage on the huge beast. The head he¡¯d kicked looked down at the affected zone and then stared up at Arthur, palpable disbelief apparent in its gaze. It snorted. Arthur¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The damn lizard was mocking him.


    There was nothing else for it. Arthur had one trick left up his sleeve. If this didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d have to call it quits and wait for Alyssia to come finish off the beast. He cancelled his domain skill. He¡¯d only used it for twenty seconds and realised it was a waste for this fight. He didn''t have enough ether to shadow lock it long enough to matter and the monster was slow enough that he didn''t need the 20% speed of reduction to face it.


    Poring 200 ether into his shadow bomb skill matrix, he targeted his own. At first glance, it looked like Arthur had lost his marbles, but he had a plan. Whether or not it was any good still left to be said but he had a good feeling about this. The primary hydra head looked at him cautiously and took a few steps back. It had seen first hand what that spell could do and it wasn''t keen to experience it again. Arthur smirked.


    The first time he¡¯d done this, it had been insanely difficult, but he had been juggling multiple skills at the time. His second attempt at catching the physical shadows produced by his shadow trap was far easier. Five seconds later, he was left with a pool of tangible shadows about a metre wide. It was far more than he needed to fulfill his purposes, so he let half of it go and watched it explode harmlessly against the muddy ground. He had, of course, followed the hydra in wisely stepping away from the explosion.


    Arthur¡¯s shadow manipulation had been subsumed by his domain skill. That didn¡¯t mean he suddenly lost his ability to control them, only that he no longer had a crutch to rely on. Compared to normal mages at his level, Arthur¡¯s willpower stat was exceptional, comparable to people who¡¯d made it their go-to attribute. Its effects were clear here, and he found the shadows relatively easy to manipulate. His first order of business was to slowly release the explosive potential contained in the remaining shadows. Holding them at bay was costing a lot of ether, and he¡¯d run out in a minute if he didn''t do anything.


    This process, from the moment he''d activated the skill till now, had taken all of ten seconds and he was finally ready. Arthur was glad the hydra feared his magic enough to leave him for that amount of time to prepare. The creature''s caution, however, was rapidly disappearing and he could see it building up the nerve to strike again. It didn''t matter, Arthur was ready now.


    The pool of shadows rushed towards him and climbed up his arms and legs, coating them in a black so dark it swallowed light. Shadows enhanced by his trap skill were always far darker than the normal stuff you¡¯d find naturally occurring. A spike formed at the end of each of his clenched fists, about a foot long with tips as sharp as he could make them, with smaller ones farming across the edge of his outer forearm. At his elbow, he manipulated the shadows to create a curved blade that jutted outwards a few inches. A similar spectacle was being replicated across his shins. Arthur grinned.


    He¡¯d made some shadow gauntlets. Arthur knew he looked ridiculous, like some crippled mantis of one kind or the other, but he didn¡¯t need it to look pretty. If he still had his manipulation skill, he was certain he would have gained a level or three. Looking at his status, Arthur couldn''t help but laugh. The upkeep for this was so cheap he could potentially maintain it indefinitely, his regeneration recuperating the energy as it was spent. One ether every eight seconds.


    Arthur was pulled back into the present when he saw the hydra''s primary head open its mouth. Oh, shit! It¡¯s gonna breathe fire. He was in an open area, with nothing to take cover behind. Arthur went to the only place the hydra couldn¡¯t strike. He ran forward, jumping off the ground when he got into range. The beast had already demonstrated that it could set itself on fire, and to great effect too. Arthur had his eyes on a different target.


    His jump launched him straight into the preparing beast¡¯s lower jaw. Its mouth clicked shut, and the prepared flames, with no outlet to leave the creature''s body, ravaged the hydra''s throat. Being a creature that breathed fire, it was highly resistant to high temperatures. That didn''t mean immune, though, and so the hydra suffered. Before gravity could claim him for the ground, Arthur punched the creature''s reeling throat. His shadow spike pierced the creature''s scales with only a hint of resistance and he did the same with his other fist to get a good grip. The monster reared back in pain, dragging Arthur with it. The strain it put on his shoulders was immense, but his high constitution made him immune to such minor g forces.


    Tensing his core, Arthur swung towards his right, his left hand leaving the hydra''s flesh. His momentum pushed him upwards fast enough that his right gauntlet slipped out of the monster too as he flipped sideways through the empty air above the beast.


    The world spun rapidly, his perception struggling to keep up with the changing stimuli his eyes received. He didn''t close his eyes though.


    Arthur''s heart pumped rapidly, not from fear or exertion but from excitement. He¡¯d timed things well. His predictions hadn¡¯t been off. With a jolting start, Arthur landed¡­ on the hydra''s head. He clenched his knees into its sides and plunged his spikes through the creature''s eyes. They popped with a disgusting squelch, and his fists followed through into the monster''s skull. Using its eye sockets as handlebars, Arthur held on tight as the animal screamed in agony, shaking its head in an attempt to dislodge him. It didn''t work.


    The fight had just begun, the hydra a minute into its second life. Arthur would ensure it didn''t survive past ten.

 Chapter 118- Darker Shadows

    Arthur was surrounded in darkness, walls of pulsating flesh surrounding him on each side. His skin bubbled and sizzled, stuck in a regenerative loop of decay and healing as his vitality battled against the caustic blood surrounding him. His blood was in constant motion, his hands cutting and ripping through muscle and tissue as he searched for something vital.


    It had been six minutes since the second round began. Things had gone well at first, or at least he¡¯d thought they were. He¡¯d managed to disable the fire-breathing head by taking out its eyes. Following that was a two-minute struggle where he¡¯d repeatedly pummelled it with the spikes on his legs and hands, something he¡¯d found far easier than he¡¯d expected.


    The beast''s other heads instinctively shied away from truly damaging strikes, fearing that she would damage her leading brain. Or at least she¡¯d cared at first. One-hundred-and-eighty seconds into the fight, Arthur had the thing looking like Swiss cheese with how many holes he''d poked into it, and whilst the hydra was constantly healing, she couldn¡¯t keep up with the damage Arthur piled on, reduced as her abilities were to thirty percent of her former strength.


    That''s when things started to go wrong. Cutting her losses, the hydra suddenly targeted itself, three devastating bites that had completely severed her primary head. The one he¡¯d been sitting on. Gravity was a bitch, and so Arthur had floated there, suspended for a split second in mid-air before it dragged him back to the ground. With no way to manoeuvre or dodge, he was left vulnerable to the beast''s attacks. He would''ve used the severed one to hide behind, but the creature had foreseen that and so tossed it aside the moment she¡¯d cut it.


    Things didn¡¯t go so well after that, with three jaws simultaneously snapping at him, it was hard enough to keep all his limbs attached, never mind launch a counterattack. In the two seconds it had taken for him to fall to the ground, he''d be torn apart. And so Arthur had made a split-second decision. The next time a head came snapping at him, he kicked off its teeth, hard enough to dislodge them from their place.


    The Brief moment his foot had been in contact with its saliva was enough to leave a glistening red mark on his skin and so he mentally congratulated himself for avoiding the stuff till now. It stung like a bitch, but the pain wasn''t representative of how much damage it had actually done to him. Still, it didn''t bode well for his future. After all, he hadn''t used the hydra as a stepping stone to launch himself away from the creature. No, he was heading straight towards it, namely the stump its primary head used to be attached to.


    It was too late to change his course now, and so Arthur braced himself, forcing himself to keep his eyes open against his better judgment. He didn''t want to miss. Like a snooker ball rolling into a pocket, Arthur popped through the remnants of the beast''s gullet with little resistance, his thorny gauntlets doing little to slow him down despite cutting deeply into the monster''s flesh.


    Arthur had realised two things at once; one that he was on a fast track to the creature''s stomach and two the creature was far larger on the inside than it had any night to be. It was like Alyssia''s spatial bag, except the effect was replicated on a living creature and dialled up to eleven. There was a reason why hydras were given the title lords of gluttony. They could eat ten times their body mass easily and Arthur learnt first-hand how that was possible.


    I''m also about to experience it if I can''t slow the fuck down. The thought had passed his panicked mind and so he¡¯d punched out to his sides, glad that his spikes were far more successful in slowing him down now than they had been upon his entry into the beast.


    That had all happened three minutes ago. Now Arthur wandered through the massive creature, somewhere in its intestine that he¡¯d managed to cut himself way into. He was covered in fluids he didn''t want to name and his nose had thankfully shut down a while ago, overwhelmed by the rank smell of the place. Arthur had a plan. He¡¯d become aware earlier on that attacking the creature willy-nilly would never let him win the fight, at least not before Alyssia came to finish it off.


    Even at 30% strength, the creature healed far too fast for him to overwhelm her regeneration, her healing factor on the inside almost double what he¡¯d seen when attacking the exterior. Nope, he needed to hit the creature where it hurt. He needed to find her heart. Arthur wasn''t an expert on hydra biology, but he was pretty sure the organ was placed somewhere above him. Instead of travelling the winding pathway of its intestines, he¡¯d decided to take a shortcut by creating a pathway of his own.


    Arthur didn''t know what the beast was experiencing, but Arthur was certain it didn''t like the walls of its intestines being torn through again and again. That was exactly what Arthur was doing, instead of travelling through the hydra''s intestines, he was literally going ¡®through¡¯ them, tearing and shredding his way upwards.


    The motion was so repetitive, that he was surprised when his shadow claw hit nothing but air. Arthur grinned. It had taken him two minutes, but he¡¯d managed to break through the creature''s digestive organ. Looking back, he saw the hole he¡¯d broken out of already disappearing. The rate the creature held its organs was truly absurd, and it didn''t bode well for his planned heart-breaking.


    He checked his ether reserves. He had a little over 300 points left. Being covered in the hydra''s blood and viscera meant his skin was constantly burning and blistering, his body''s natural regeneration barely able to keep up with the ongoing damage. Thankfully the blood wasn''t as poisonous as the hydra''s saliva, and his constitution kept the damage from going any deeper than his skin.


    The problem came from the shadow constructs. Being exposed by the apocalypse beast''s innards had increased their ether upkeep threefold and he¡¯d be running out of energy soon. There was no light around him, and while he had 92 perception, he couldn''t see in complete darkness yet. All he got was vague impressions of objects being either close up or far away from him, and even then, he''d found himself crashing into things he thought were far away.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Arthur smiled. He didn''t need his eyes to feel the violent reverberations produced by the giant heart floating in the air above him. Judging by the vibrations it produced and the slight distortions in the air, he estimated that it was about a kilometre away. Arthur was again amazed at how big the hydra¡¯s insides truly were. It was for this very reason that the greatest spacial treasures were created using materials from their corpses.


    Alyssia had actually told him about a famous one from her dimension who had created a lucrative galaxy-spanning enterprise selling parts of her own flesh. With a True Hydra¡¯s regeneration on her side, it was quite literally an infinite money glitch. Shaking his head in wry amusement, he tried to dismiss the distracting thoughts. Who knew, if he got his vitality high enough, maybe he could do the same with his own body. Now that was a morbid thought and certainly not something he needed to consider right now.


    Focusing on the area around him he started to notice some hazy details. It was nothing like true vision, but it helped him know his relative location and create a mental map of the area around him. It also let him confirm something. The hydras biology had no rhyme or reason to it whatsoever. For starters, the heart was connected to nothing; it beat powerfully but didn''t appear to pump blood around the body or anything for that matter, no energy, magic, vitality,... nothing. In Arthur''s opinion, it seemed more like a void than the engine that kept the hydra''s body moving.


    Not for the first time, he wished he¡¯d asked Alyssia to cast her vision-enhancing spell on him. Maybe then he¡¯d be able to make sense of things. He was almost certain that the place he was currently in wasn''t exactly a physical reality but this was all a personal hypothesis, one he didn''t know how to test. It''s also not important right now, either, he chastised himself.


    Walking forward slowly, he reached the edge of the cavernous room, a thick wall of flesh that thrummed with vitality and felt hot to the touch. Whilst Arthur was significantly stronger now than he¡¯d ever been, a thousand-metre jump was far beyond him. And so he started to climb. Pushing his shadow spikes into the hydra¡¯s flesh increased his ether expenditure significantly and he estimated he had three minutes remaining before he ran dry, two if he was being cautious.


    Climbing vertically with a half-foot shadow extending out of his shin spikes was incredibly aggravating but he didn''t have the ether to spare to manipulate them into a more manoeuvrable shape. He was like Spider-Man, except he had to keep his feet perpendicular to the wall at all times to avoid getting stuck. As annoying as it was, Arthur had more than enough upper body strength to climb with his arms alone and as he got used to the strange movements, he rapidly improved the speed of his ascent.


    It took him a minute to climb the thousand metres till he was the level with the heart, and another fifteen seconds till he was four hundred metres above it. This was far enough, he decided. Looking down at the pulsating ball of flesh made him feel slightly nauseous. This close, he could see it in far better detail. Turned out, it gave a little glow, so insignificant it couldn''t even be noticed from the ground. It looked like a cancerous tumour that had become a life unto itself and was the size of a large bathtub. Certainly big, but relative to the rest of the creature''s overgrown body, it was tiny.


    A little under a minute left. He didn''t have time for hesitation, no time for indecision. A single moment to ensure he¡¯d gauged the distance properly and then he jumped. 192 points of strength propelled him forward, his intelligence and perception working in tandem to make sure his launch was perfect.


    It wasn''t.


    A half-second free fall, and Arthur realised he¡¯d underestimated the distance, he¡¯d missed by half a metre. He only had a single piece of magic to work with, none of his other affinities would work well here. Spending a third of his precious ether pool, Arthur pushed his shadow spikes from his legs and moved them towards his arms. The magic was fast, near-instantaneous whilst time seemed to slow to a crawl. Arthur watched grimly as his shadow claws grew in length, one and a half feet, two, three.


    That would have to be enough. Arthur stretched his hands forward as far as they would go. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists. With a shuddering crash, time started to flow normally again. If Anything, it was moving faster. Forty-seven seconds till his ether ran out. Everything happened at once. Arthur barely noticed that his shadow spikes had pierced the hydra¡¯s heart; he was already in motion. The shadow spikes reformed around his hands into handles he could grab onto, the cost of such minor manipulation rose exponentially because of the black blood that now coated his weapons.


    Gripping them tightly, Arthur pulled himself forward towards his target. The shadow spears, for that was what they were now, pulled themselves out of the creature¡¯s heart as a result of his exertion even as he was propelled towards it. He idly noted that the holes they''d made healed instantly in the split second it took for him to reach the heart.


    His ether reserves had dropped rapidly and he adjusted his remaining time from forty-six seconds to twenty-five. It would be enough. It had to be. If he wasn''t so focused on the task before him, Arthur would have noticed that the cavern was shaking, as if it had been hit by a massive earthquake, as well as the scream of agony that could be heard even within the strange dimension of the creature¡¯s body.


    Contrary to the creature, Arthur was dead silent. He didn''t roar out in battle fervour or cry out as the hydra''s heart blood burned through his left nostril from where it had splattered on him. The only sound he made was the deep exhale of respiration as he clinically analysed what he had to do.


    His initial plan hasn''t changed. There was only one way he could deal enough damage to fell this beast. Arthur pushed his spears as far as he could into the hydra¡¯s heart until only the handles remained visible. He had 140 ether left.


    135, 129.


    It was rapidly dropping but Arthur grinned anyway. To date, all his shadow bombs had originated from ordinary shadows. They created explosions that manifested physically in reality. And were comparable to a military-grade frag grenade, at least when he didn''t skimp on ether.


    Today, he would do something different. What happened when you primed a tangible shadow, the results of a prior shadow bomb, to explode? Would the results be multiplicative or additive? Would it even work? Arthur didn''t know, but he was about to find out.


    Arthur invested the remaining dregs of his ether pool, every last drop of it, into his shadow spears via Shadow Trap. When his energy ran out, his title Paid in Blood came into play. It made it easier for him to pull on his health pool to fuel his spells. It was a horrendous conversion rate, but he had health to spare.


    Feeling the spell kick into place, Arthur kicked off the hydra''s heart as hard as he could. This would work. He knew it as certainly as he knew his name.


    Arthur smiled and watched as shadow swallowed darkness.

 Chapter 119- Heart breaker

    The moments following Arthur''s dangerous skill use were some of the strangest in his life. Something happened, he knew that but his low perception and intelligence meant that the little he perceived made no sense to him. If he were asked to describe it, the best description he¡¯d be able to give would land him in a mental asylum pre-system era.


    There was the darkness of the cavern and the sudden appearance of a black that seemed to exist in a higher plane of reality. The layering of one above the other created a contradiction that he couldn¡¯t comprehend. The reality of it was far more bland and simple, and it was only a mixture of ether exhaustion, adrenaline and low visibility that made things seem so extraordinary. Put simply, it was just a really fucking big explosion.


    Arthur knew one thing though. The hydra was dead and he¡¯d been the one to kill it. Sure, it had been on its second life, and he¡¯d fought it whilst it was at thirty percent power, but that still amounted to over 300,000 hit points. It was something he¡¯d do well to remember that irrespective of how large your health pool was, a strike to your vulnerable point or something as mundane as a decapitation would still kill you.


    One would wonder then, why Arthur was so keen to get his vitality to 1,000 points. If a massive health pool wasn¡¯t enough to protect you, wouldn¡¯t it be smarter to invest in something like constitution that increased his physical and magical defences? The answer to that question was twofold. Firstly, having a shit ton of health came with a lot of benefits. Alyssia had explained things to him when he¡¯d asked about the difference between vitality and constitution.


    Vitality, she¡¯d said, was how big a mountain was and constitution was how strong the material the mountain was made of. It was a confusing analogy but she¡¯d helped him understand it. No matter how high your constitution was, it wouldn¡¯t mean jack against certain spells and modes of attack. Using her analogy, it would be like dumping a tough rock into the ocean. No matter how strong it was, the rock would not be coming out of it.


    Similarly, if you were a mountain made of sand, all it would take was a little rainfall to completely destroy you. In the end, she¡¯d told him they were more like two halves of a single attribute but still different enough to be separate. Oh, and she¡¯d also told him she didn¡¯t know shit and to take everything she said on the topic with a grain of salt. Arthur made it a priority near the top of his list to get someone to properly explain the difference between the two.


    The main reason, however, why he wanted a large health pool, was because he¡¯d learned it could be used as a fuel source instead of ether during his fight with shade. Heck, he¡¯d just done that a few seconds ago against the Hydra. With all the titles he had boosting his vitality, it made so much more sense to invest in it if he wanted to become a more powerful mage. And that was without taking into account how his primary healing skill scaled off his health pool. If he could replicate that across a few more of his abilities, well¡­ he¡¯d be onto something special.


    That explosion had done quite a number on him. Why else would he recall his conversations with Alyssia so vividly? Right now, he had much more important things to worry about, namely that his ether pool was at a flat zero, half his nose was missing, the flesh on his soles had melted to the point his heel bone was visible and oh, he was on a direct collision course with the flesh caverns wall at seventy miles per hours.


    There was nothing he could do about it, he had no magic to work with and he was fresh out of fucks to give. Sure it would hurt like a bitch, but what was a little more pain on top of the agony he was already in. Closing his eyes, Arthur braced for the impact.


    Three seconds later, when he still hadn¡¯t hit anything, he reopened them to see that he was back in the outside world, in the disgusting swamps the hydra had made her home.


    The hydra had disappeared completely, just as it had the first time Alyssia had killed it, except she¡¯d actually disintegrated the creature''s flesh with her attacks whereas he¡¯d merely killed it, the disappearing here was just a prelude to its final revival at fifteen percent strength. It was honestly a miracle that he hadn¡¯t crashed into anything yet and it took a moment for his exhausted mind to realise the air around him was behaving strangely, cushioning and slowing down his descent at a speed low enough that he could barely feel it.


    He was grateful for this, as a sudden stoppage travelling at the speed he had been would have hurt a lot. Eight seconds later, he was deposited into Alyssia¡¯s waiting arms, where she swiftly but gently lowered him to the floor. She looked at him with concern and something else, a cocktail of emotions far too complex for Arthur to make sense out of. Finally, she seemed to settle on a smile though it did little to mask the true feelings she was trying to hide.


    ¡°Drink this,¡± she ordered, pushing an unstoppered flask into his hands. ¡°It''s a numbing agent, It¡¯ll help with the pain until your regeneration deals with the damage.¡±


    Arthur didn¡¯t say anything, quickly putting the flask to his lips. He couldn''t drink it fast enough. It tasted like brain freeze in a bottle, but Arthur welcomed the cold numbness it brought. The effect was near instantaneous and he could barely feel the missing gap in his nose any more. Even as the seconds passed, Arthur''s prodigious regeneration made fast work of his injuries. Whilst they looked bad and felt worse, he¡¯d barely suffered any damage. Health: 13,981/ 15,840. The number ticked up in real-time. With a regeneration rate of 1758 per hour, he¡¯d be good as new in around fifty minutes.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">You have consumed pickle dew honey- You are numb to physical sensation for the next 31 minutes [effect significantly reduced to constitution] Your agility is dropped by 20% for seven minutes. (Effect reduced due to Constitution)</td>


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    The system notification helpfully let him know just what it was he¡¯d ingested, some strange variant of honey. The reduced effect was intriguing but it made sense, constitution made his body more resistant to external stimuli and foodstuffs fell within those parameters. He was worried if that reduction translated over to beneficial elixir potions but dismissed it out of his mind for now. It wasn¡¯t like he could lower his constitution now and besides, Mira¡¯s elixirs had worked perfectly well on him even though she¡¯d been new to the alchemy business at the time he''d drank her concoctions. Most likely he was worrying over nothing.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Arthur briefly wondered if he could use his health pool to fuel his healing skills. Wouldn¡¯t I end up with an infinite source of energy? Someone had certainly thought of this before him and there was a reason it wasn¡¯t widely publicised. It most likely didn¡¯t work and he wasn¡¯t willing to test it right now. Would the pickle dew honey block the pain of using your healthpool as an energy source? He wasn¡¯t sure if it was classified as a physical sensation.


    ¡°Arthur, I¡¯m seriously-¡± Alyssia began but cut herself off. She took a deep breath before trying again. ¡°I¡¯m glad you''re okay, Arthur,¡± she said, smiling weakly. ¡°I thought you were going to die. Jumping into a Hydras mouth, well, throat actually,¡± she corrected. ¡°It¡¯s insane. They''re some of the most toxic creatures that exist. You''re lucky the locus didn¡¯t use its energy replicating that. It¡¯d be a waste of a finite resource. No one in their right mind would jump into the damn monster. Except you."


    She shook her head and laughed, but it was a morose sound. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t come out in the next minute, I would¡¯ve grabbed those golden apples and prayed you were awake enough to accept the trial''s rewards so we could move on to the next layer. The only reason I didn¡¯t was because the hydra was screaming so much."


    ¡°Don¡¯t do something so risky without talking about it first. Please.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head in agreement. It¡¯d seemed reasonable at the time, but it probably looked downright suicidal from a bystander perspective. What would he have done if he was in Alyssia¡¯s position? The alverin woman was angry. He hadn¡¯t been sure at first but now he was certain.


    Honestly, he was surprised she held her tongue and spoke so reasonably. He wouldn¡¯t have felt any guilt if she had started this conversation screaming at him but now he genuinely felt bad. I guess she took her apology seriously before. She¡¯s started to think before she speaks.


    ¡°You might want to check your status page.¡± Alyssia interrupted his meandering thoughts. ¡°Your auras changed a little, a minor one but still noticeable. Who knows, you might have earned a title of your own.¡±


    Arthur rushed to pull up his notifications, all thoughts of his guilt and worries left on the wayside. Tier two system access came with several benefits, primary amongst them being that it was far easier for him to manipulate. Before, he¡¯d had to consciously reject notifications that popped up in battle whereas now, he could put his system on a do-not-disturb mode and inspect his battle logs later at his leisure.


    Reading through them all, he ignored the ones that informed him of poison debuffs of any kind. Turns out taking a bath in Hydra guts wasn¡¯t good for you. Eventually, he came to the one Alyssia must have been talking about. He smiled widely. She was right, he¡¯d gotten a new title, and what''s more, it was tier-two. As he read through it, though, his smile quickly faded, replaced by a look of confusion.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 93.9841%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Congratulations! You have gained the new Tier-2 title, Heartbreaker


    Heartbreaker (???..???) Enhances the effect of your actions on the hearts of others by 5%.


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    It was the first title he¡¯d received where the system couldn¡¯t tell him about its unlock conditions. He knew it certainly involved his destruction of the hydra''s primary organ in one way or the other, but what was with its affect description? Its name was embarrassing too. Does it increase my damage against my opponent''s heart by 5%? No, that can¡¯t be it. The description would have just said that otherwise.


    With a sinking feeling in his chest, Arthur began to suspect exactly what his latest title entailed. The description was left deliberately vague for a reason. The damn thing worked on everything, sure he¡¯d do more damage, but people would be quicker to hate or love him, and his words would be 5% more effective in swaying people''s hearts in his favour. At least if the system was being metaphorical with its description.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Alyssia said. ¡°The hydra¡¯s about to revive for the final time¡±. I''ve regenerated enough ether to finish it off. I¡¯ll be back in a minute. Be ready for a massive influx in levels."


    Arthur had barely finished nodding his head before she was already off. Thankfully, she¡¯d used a deft manipulation of wind magic to dampen the sound of her sonic boom to a barely audible pop. It was a waste of ether, but Arthur appreciated the kind gesture nonetheless.


    He smiled. Their fight was about to be over and he was about to get his final core. If things went well, he¡¯d be getting a legendary class in the next two hours and reach his 1000 vitality goal. They¡¯d spent a relatively equal amount of time in the first and second layers, but their stay in The grasslands of the Tree of Life felt far shorter to him. Maybe it was because of how much work he¡¯d gotten done here.


    Every moment had been engaged in enhancing his skills and developing his talents, it was a far cry from the near-leisurely training regime on the first floor. Even without the class he was looking forward to, he¡¯d be leaving this layer a changed man. He¡¯d pushed himself hard, harder than he had in a long time and came face to face with his limitations. Some, he¡¯d managed to overcome, and others remained as obstacles in his way.


    For now.


    The presence of his latest title on his status page marred his good mood a little but he tried to ignore it for now. The thing felt slimy, something a manipulator or politician would possess. Sure it had combat applications, but that only scratched the surface of what it was capable of. Five percent wasn¡¯t much, but it was something. He could only hope it wasn¡¯t on the list of restricted titles. Unless he was completely wrong about its effects.


    His musings were instantly brought to an end when felt a sudden influx of power filling his soul. It was so massive, that he briefly feared it would push him directly to level 100 and make his plans for maximum potential futile. Thankfully his fears weren''t realised. Arthur grinned as he read through his latest system notification. Few people would ever get to see one like this.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 90.2384%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Congratulations. You have slain (lesser) swamp hydra. Level 99</td>


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 Chapter 120- Almost There

    Even through the numbing agent, Arthur could feel the massive influx in power killing the hydra had given him. It was without a doubt the biggest windfall he¡¯d received since the system''s arrival, enough experience that it would have pushed him into the high sixties if he¡¯d gotten it at level 1.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 77.185%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Congratulations. You have slain (lesser) swamp hydra- level 99.</td>


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    It was the first time the system had congratulated him for killing a monster and the following prompt provided some much-needed information.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Rouge apocalypse beasts are a scourge to all sapient life. Whilst most have learned to live and coexist with sapient life, you will find the rare few that transgress the limits of civility. Such creatures are marked for death and any to do the deed is significantly rewarded. What you have accomplished, whilst a pale imitation of the true feat is still extraordinary and worthy of reward. It is a mere taste of what you may gain.


    Kind regards, lady Sleyca.


    You have received the award Dawn Bringer I (modified)- Kill a marked apocalypse beast (Destroy a Loci generated apocalypse beast) Rewards- 100 free stat points (Ten stats) Note. This is a repeatable award, though the conditions to earn it multiply by a factor of ten each time. Gaining the modified award does not bar you from the original version.


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    This did not look good. Not one bit. It seemed like killing the hydra raised a few flags somewhere up the pipeline and now he¡¯d gained the attention of this lady Sleyca. He didn¡¯t know who she was, but anyone who could attach their name to a system message was not someone he wanted to know right now. Alyssia probably received the same message right about now. He could only hope that the higher-ups saw their level disparity and concluded that Alyssia had carried him through the fight.


    The problem would arise if they could see just how much his levels had jumped from the fight. It¡¯d be clear as day to anyone with half a brain cell that he¡¯d contributed significantly to the hydra''s extermination. Thankfully he was almost certain that wasn¡¯t the case, the Serako assembly had touched a little on what exactly the system provided a host. Being an addition to one''s soul meant it was near impossible to access someone else''s logs without their express permission as well as highly illegal.


    He wouldn¡¯t trust that one hundred percent though. To do so would make him a fool, and he was sure the higher-ups had found a few workarounds. One thing he was certain of, was that his status page was inviolable. No one could see it unless he allowed them to. It was a modified bit of soul magic that interpreted the inner layers of his soul, and so was placed under their natural defences. Defensive properties that were known to be nigh indestructible unless presented with the direct attack of a powerful soul mage.


    Otherwise, none of the noble families would allow the system to take hold of their offspring. His attempt to keep a low profile on Earth hadn¡¯t been too successful and unfortunately, it looked like that outcome would be replicated on a galactic scale. He could only hope that this lady Sleyca was far away and had more important things to worry about.


    The awarded stat points were a welcome boon, though, even if the gift came with so many strings attached. The vast majority of sapient species stopped gaining stats from levelling at level 300, and he guessed enhancements like the one he¡¯d just received were one of the few ways they could still be gained. It at least confirmed that gaining stats after level 300 was possible, if insanely difficult. He¡¯d have to kill 111 true apocalypse beasts that had been marked for death just to gain a measly 300 stat points. The risk-to-reward disparity was so great it was practically criminal. Are there even 1000 normal apocalypse beasts in the entire Milky Way galaxy? Nah, I''m underestimating how big space really is. There are probably millions.


    Much to Arthur''s delight, the rest of his system notifications contained no unwanted surprises.


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    You have reached level 72¡­


    You have reached level 77¡­


    You have reached level 94¡­


    You have gained 184 unassigned stat points. Prodigious title bearer +7 stat points.


    Total stats gained: 191


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    He couldn¡¯t keep the smile off his face. It was a massive boost in power and his evolution came in clutch granting him nearly an entire level''s worth of extra stats to work with. Sure it wasn''t anything ground-breaking, but it would make all the difference in the world when he finally unlocked a class and startled raking in more stat points, with a 60% increase from his enlarged soul title, enhanced by 10% by his evolutionary path, the numbers would quickly snowball to ridiculous levels. With the 70 stats he¡¯d saved already and the 10 he''d gained from the award, he had exactly 271 stat points to invest. For the first time in a while, Arthur had called up his full status page.


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    Arthur Ward


    Level 94


    Unallocated stat points: 70-->271


    Evolved: Rank F- Prodigious title bearer (increase all title effects by 10%)


    Strength- 122(100) [1.2*]


    Vitality- 734(510)[1.4* or 2.8*]


    Endurance- 555(500) [1.1*]


    Constitution- 698(485) [1.4*]


    Agility- 118 (+35 from boots)


    Intelligence- 555(500) [1.1*]


    Willpower-250


    Charisma-95


    Perception-92


    Health- 15,840/15,840 (1758(720)/hour)


    Ether- 5403/5550 (555/hour)


    Stamina- 4580/5550 (555/minute)


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    <u>Skills</u>


    *Soul- An esoteric and unique branch of magic, magicians of this affinity have been known to control hordes of spirits, bringing destruction upon their enemies. Incredibly rare.


    Skills:


    1-Soul infusion level 1- Infuse a portion of your soul into your strike to deal damage to an individual''s soul


    2-N/A


    3-N/A


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    *Healing- A school of magic skilled in the art of dealing with injuries and making body augmentations. It is as useful as it is common.


    Skill:


    1- Overwhelming Regeneration (Rare) Level 3- Use healing Ether to regenerate your body at 1.6% of max health total per minute of usage. Efficiency drops by 40% when used on another individual. Can be supercharged to target foreign energy and poisons present in wounds.


    Cost of usage on host: 25 Ether/minute


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Cost of usage on another: 35 Ether/minute


    Secondary Effect: 160 healing affinity Ether may be stored as OVERHEALTH in the target of this ability to be used for recovery when the individual is injured. This stored Ether works under Host-Use efficiency levels. Overhealth can be stored in host but undergoes a degradation process. Current time limit: 24 hours


    Host''s stored overhealth can be used as a single-use attack that will greatly slow down the target''s natural regeneration rates as well as destroy ether at a 2:1 ratio. Current ether destruction: 80


    Rare skills cap at level 30


    2- Bestial Recovery (RARE) level 2- At the cost of 80 ether per minute, increase your natural health regeneration to 1050% of the normal value


    Secondary effect- Can target one individual at a time. At the cost of 1100 Ether, increase target''s natural health regeneration to 310% of the standard value for 3 hours


    3-N/A


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    *Water- A versatile school of magic known for its wide range of uses and utility in battle.


    Skills:


    1- Dark Vapours Grasp (Rare+) Level 2- Generate a gaseous domain of charged water vapour and shadow around you. Size depends on the ether pool. Slows down all within it by 21.5% and limits visions. May select targets within the domain and shadow-lock them in place. The strength of the lock is based on the host''s strength attribute. Cost of skill: 205 ether/minute. Shadow lock 50 ether/second/target +10 Ether cost for every additional target.


    2- Molecular Water Shot (Elite) level 1- Form bullets of water ranging in size from as large as boulders to as tiny as the grouped molecules that make up the liquid. Molecular Water Shot possesses a piercing ability that bypasses a portion of the target''s natural defence, both physical and magical.


    Cost: Variable


    Damage: Variable


    3-N/A


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    *Shadow- A school of magic shrouded in secrecy, little is known about it except that those that possess this affinity, are skilled assassins you don''t want to make enemies of.


    Skill:


    1- Shadow trap (Rare) Incomplete- Use shadow affinity ether to create a range of traps. Traps may be remotely placed and can operate on a timer


    2- Shadow Drain (Passive) [Uncommon] Level 1- Damage inflicted by all Shadow magic drains 0.5% of damage dealt to reconstitute the host''s health and stamina.


    3-N/A


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    *General skills


    1-WhatamIevendoing (Rare) Level 1- Many wish to expand their auras, to seek out and dominate all those around them. You have sought the opposite, to reign in and isolate yourself from all others. Makes it easier to condense your aura per level of this skill.


    2- Purify (Rare) Level 1- Purify (Rare) Level 1- Use ether to create an aura of purifying energy around you. Can purge residual Ether, bacteria, poison, filth etc. Aura range increases with skill level. Cost: Dependent on the toxicity of the environment


    3- Ether Manipulation (Uncommon) Level 4- Increases ease of Ether manipulation


    4- Myriad Tongues (Unique-Rare) Level 2 - A strange yet effective way of using ether has led to the creation of a skill that can be used to both speak and understand most languages. Be warned though, the skill''s circuitry is far from a perfect match with the system. Secondary effect: Will help host tell when they are being lied to. This scales with Charisma and Wisdom.


    </td>


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    </table>


    It was frankly absurd to look at it. If Lady Sleyca ever got a good look at his full status page, he was sure she¡¯d follow him to the ends of the galaxy to get her hands on him. Including his unassigned attribute points, he had a grand total of 3525 stats, a number most people would never even see after they¡¯d maxed out their class potential.


    And here he was, without a class, not even level 100 yet and he¡¯d spent enough stats to push a single stat past the 3,000 boundary into the A tier. Investing those unused attributes will push my total even higher after my titles do their work too. Okay, maybe he¡¯d stroked his ego enough already, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. Much of this power felt unearned, a mixture of his soul affinity, unique circumstances and a heavy dose of luck that had thrust him into stardom. An uncivilised person like Alyssia would probably say he¡¯d stumbled arse-backwards into power and honestly, they¡¯d be mostly right. Or at least they wouldn¡¯t be wrong.


    It brought to mind a quote he¡¯d heard long ago. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn¡¯t work hard. Except all the hard work in the world wouldn¡¯t let an ordinary person catch up to Arthur. It was unfair, but that was the reality of things. His soul affinity alone made sure he¡¯d be sixty percent stronger than another human at his level. He didn¡¯t earn that, he was born with it.


    Advantages like that opened the doors to so many more and the effects compounded to produce results that were near exponential. Even his monster core consumption, arguably the thing that made him truly special most likely wouldn¡¯t have been possible without his soul affinity. He would have imploded if he tried to take the shadow panther''s power for himself without the resilience it provided him.


    Arthur shook his head, trying to dislodge the slightly melancholic tinge his thoughts had taken on. It didn¡¯t matter how or why things had happened. It didn¡¯t matter that he didn¡¯t deserve the power he¡¯d gained. The only thing he cared about, the only thing the world would concern itself with, was that HE, Arthur Ward was the man that possessed such power and they would care about what he chose to do with it.


    ¡°Hey Arthur,¡± Alyssia called out. He looked up to see that she was walking towards him and at a leisurely pace, a strange cloth sack clenched in her hand. Unlike her first fight with the hydra, this time she didn¡¯t return with any injuries, just a minor burn along her left forearm that was healing even as he watched. He didn¡¯t need to ask what was in her hands, bits of the sack had already started to burn away to reveal the shimmering green orb within. He could smell it, his mouth already salivating as his baser instincts started to wake up to the delectable scent.


    The hydras core. It was right there within his grasp. The loci hadn¡¯t skimped out on the energy required to produce it. Alyssia handed it over to him and he took it with shaking hands. This was it, the moment he¡¯d been waiting for.


    ¡°You''re insanely lucky, you know that,¡± Alyssia said, grinning widely. ¡°I¡¯m not certain, but I think the core''s around 90% as powerful as one you¡¯d find on the same creature in the real world. It¡¯s honestly amazing really. The core¡¯s stronger than the monster it came from.¡±


    Arthur ran his hands over the dark green orb, ignoring the fact that touching it was blistering his skin. The poisonous nature of the hydra had carried over to the monster''s core. It wouldn¡¯t stop him from eating it though. The thing could be death incarnate and he¡¯d still find a way to wash it down.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you got that message too?¡± Alyssia asked, a pensive look on her face.


    Arthur nodded his head.


    ¡°They know I¡¯m from a different dimension, too. Turns out we¡¯re not that rare. Sleyca wouldn¡¯t have cared a lick about me if I hadn¡¯t killed the lesser hydra. Now she¡¯s interested and I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the sort to take no for an answer.¡±


    Her words painted a dark picture but he knew she was right. Heck, the reality of their situation might be far worse than she¡¯d made it out to be. They could leave the locus only to find that Artemo had already been taken ¡®hostage.¡¯ Sure, they¡¯d call it something else, and put some flowery language on it, but that was what it¡¯d be. Hopefully, he was only being pessimistic, but he didn¡¯t think so.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it when the time comes, one step at a time.¡± Arthur comforted her. ¡°By the time we leave the locus, we¡¯ll be far stronger than we were at the beginning. Far stronger than we are now. Any information they have on us, and any preparations they make, will be outdated and inadequate. And if they try to force us into something, well¡­ I¡¯ve not killed any sapient being yet, but their blood will wash off all the same under a shower.¡±


    It was a bold declaration, one he knew he couldn¡¯t back up against someone as strong as he believed Lady Sleyca to be, but he meant it all the same.


    Alyssia sighed loudly and dropped down to sit next to him. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and they stared off into the distance in companionable silence.


    ¡±I don¡¯t want to rain on your parade,¡± she began quietly, ¡°But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to stop her from doing anything she wants. Lady Sleyca has access to private system information. She sent the message immediately after we killed the Hydra and that''s with the time dilation effect inside the locus. The woman is at the top of the food chain, probably a noble judging by her name. She¡¯s far beyond us as we are now.¡±


    ¡°I can only pray that your dimension is a kinder place than my own where such abuses of power are rare and punished.


    She sat upright suddenly and turned to him, the beginnings of a grin forming on her face. ¡°That''s enough of the depressing talk¡­¡± she poked him in the stomach with her finger too fast for him to stop. Oh yeah. I almost forgot her emotions change faster than the wind.


    "There¡¯s nothing to gain from worrying about things outside our control. I''ve only heard your description of the elixir marking process. I want to see it myself. It''s not every day you get to see someone drink a potion that should, by all rights, make them explode magnificently."


    Arthur couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Alyssia¡¯s poor attempt at humour, at least he thought she was trying to crack a joke. He could never be too certain when it came to Alyssia but he appreciated her attempt at injecting some levity into the morose atmosphere nonetheless.


    Arthur groaned as he got into a cross-legged position. Sure, he couldn¡¯t feel any pain with the numbing agent running through him, but it was the principle of the thing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Alyss, you''ll get your show soon enough,¡± he chuckled.


    She frowned in confusion at the shortening of her name but didn''t say anything which Arthur took as a sign of approval. If she didn¡¯t mind, she would''ve told him straight up.


    ¡°Go and grab my backpack, please. I put it in your spacial bag. It''s got the dragon core and my magic cauldron beside it, and I''ll need both before I get started."


    This time, her frown was one of clear displeasure, but she did not complain, only huffing loudly as she began to walk off. ¡°Thank you,¡± he shouted at her retreating back. She didn¡¯t turn round but put her middle finger up at him, a gesture he¡¯d unfortunately taught the crass woman much to her delight.


    He laughed out loud, this time, he couldn''t help it. It only made it better that he knew Alyssia could hear him. He¡¯d be pretty annoyed if he was in her position too. They¡¯d left their bags outside the hydra¡¯s domain to make sure they didn''t damage them in the swamp. It was also a preventative measure to stop the apocalypse beast from sniffing out the dragon core. The masking spells on its case were on their last legs and starting to fail.


    The only problem was, that the hydra¡¯s domain was almost a mile long which meant that Alyssia had to travel through a bug-infested swamp to retrieve them.


    The perks of being injured and having low agility I guess. Arthur smiled. He''d be getting his class soon.

 Chapter 121- Breaking The Soul

    The Tree of Life was well... larger than life, an existence so large you¡¯d have to stand a kilometre away just to observe it all. Contrary to its name though, it was a barren thing, with no leaves present on its thousand branches, free of any foliage and the usual critters that signalled the presence of life.


    The absence of any greenery, however, served to emphasise the presence of ten tiny objects distributed haphazardly across its expanse. They were the golden apples Arthur and Alyssia had been tasked to retrieve and now, without the presence of the tree¡¯s guardian, the lesser hydra, they could do so at their leisure. The glowing golden fruits, however, were the furthest thing from their minds as they sat beneath the tree''s shade, leaning against its massive trunk.


    Arrayed on the ground in front of them, were three distinct objects, a small steel bowl that almost seemed to glow when observed from a certain angle, a green orb that executed a potent poison that killed the grass around it with little consideration for the massive tree¡¯s healing aura, and finally a wooden box that tried and failed to appear ordinary.


    ¡°I hate you, you know that Arthur,¡± Alyssia said emphatically, pointing accusingly at the bowl he¡¯d purchased from Ikea for four dollars. ¡°You''re telling me all you did was pour some blood in that and, voila, you''re on your way to creating your own personal soulbound item. How- how is that fair,¡± she cried out, waving her hands aggressively. Arthur couldn¡¯t help it anymore. He¡¯d tried to keep it in but he couldn¡¯t take the look of incredulous confusion on Alyssia¡¯s face anymore. He started to laugh, enjoying the moment, or at least he did until she threw a clod of mud directly into his mouth.


    Sputtering, he spat the soil out even as he tried to grab her, a futile endeavour considering the difference in their relative agility stats. It still took him a minute to give up chasing her though, and Alyssia¡¯s smug look of satisfaction made him want to carry on and wipe it off her face. Damn, she¡¯s so childish Arthur thought, conveniently ignoring the fact he¡¯d chased her around for the past sixty seconds with a lump of soil clenched in his fist.


    ¡°Can we be adults, here or do we need to carry on with this foolery?¡± Arthur asked condescendingly, a look of sad disappointment on his face. Alyssia, the damn minx just grinned infuriatingly at him, her cheeks dimpling in joy. ¡°Maybe,¡± she replied. ¡°How about you put that mud down and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Damn, she has an older sister, doesn¡¯t she? She wouldn¡¯t fall for such a shallow trick. Taking his losses like an adult, he dropped the mud from his hand and then extended it out for a handshake, particles of soil still stuck to his fingers. It was petty, but he¡¯d take what little victory he could.


    ¡°Truce?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Truce,¡± she replied but didn¡¯t take his hand. ¡°We don¡¯t shake hands in my world,¡± she shamelessly lied. Arthur didn¡¯t call her out on it but left his hand hovering in the air between them, rotated so his open fist faced the sky. ¡°Cut my palm,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve spent enough time relaxing and I¡¯m tired of using shadow bombs to make myself bleed.¡±


    "Fuck!" He cursed.


    She didn¡¯t hesitate for a single second, and did she have to cut him this deeply? The words had barely left his mouth and the next instance, a line of read was spreading across the middle of his palm. He didn¡¯t complain out loud though. After all, he¡¯d been the one to ask Alyssia to cut him and if he didn¡¯t move quickly, his regeneration would mean he¡¯d have to get cut again. Rushing over to the bowl, he held his hand over it, wincing as he used the fingers of his free hand to spread the flesh of his wound to prevent it from healing so fast.


    Alyssia watched the spectacle from the side in morbid fascination for the thirty seconds it took to fill three-quarters of the bowl up. By that time, his wound was practically gone and he deemed the blood enough to fulfil his purposes. Faster than he could react, Alyssia poked her finger into the liquid and directly into her mouth. Arthur looked at her in shock wondering for the first time if she had a screw loose. ¡°What?¡± she asked him, finger still stuck in her mouth. ¡°I was wondering how it tasted.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°It tastes like normal blood,¡± she replied. ¡°Boring.¡±


    Arthur shook his head in bemusement. He truly feared for Artemo, with an older sister like Alyssia, who knew how he would turn out. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry my blood doesn''t taste like strawberry milkshake,¡± he retorted. ¡°Hopefully you¡¯ll find this more interesting.¡±


    Picking up the green hydra core, he identified it.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">(Lesser) Swamp Hydra core (Elite++) A potent treat for any growing monster. A source of potent poison.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Besides the shadow panther''s core, it had the highest rating he¡¯d ever seen, just on the cusp of epic tier. He¡¯d intended to consume Rare cores only for his remaining opportunities as they were guaranteed to provide stats and nothing above and beyond such as a title or skill, as he¡¯d learned from his limited experience eating the things. Stats really are the best. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Hydra''s core was too great an opportunity to pass up. It significantly increased his chances of getting a legendary class and coming from a monster that made regeneration its entire personality, it was almost certainly guaranteed to give him vitality, the stat he currently sought after most.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    If things went perfectly, consuming this core would shoot him up to a thousand vitality and free up his unassigned attribute points to hopefully push another stat to 500 and unlock the paragon title for it. He¡¯d consult with Alyssia first but right now he was leaning towards willpower. If there was one thing he had learned in the locus of power, it was that his aptitude for ether manipulation was terrible and willpower was the stat that governed one''s control over magic.


    Hopefully, fixing his soul would help matters there, and they certainly would, but had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t turn out to be a magical prodigy.


    ¡°Hurry up,¡± Alyssia demanded, ¡°You¡¯ve been staring into the distance for the past thirty seconds. It doesn¡¯t take that long to read a single line of description.¡±


    Arthur huffed but followed her direction, gently placing the green core into his shallow pool of blood. He¡¯d been delaying long enough and it was time to get a move on. He watched eagerly as the now familiar scene took place. The Hydra''s core gradually dissolved into his blood, albeit far slower than any other material he¡¯d used. Alyssia watched beside him, eyes wide open in rapt attention. He knew that she was seeing far more than him, even his amateurish aura control enough to recognise that Alyssia had applied the full brunt of her own on the magical reaction taking place.


    ¡°Arthur, it''s your call. You¡¯ve got a lot more experience than me here, but I think you should add a stabilising agent to this elixir. I¡¯ve got some Moon-dew that will work in my bag.¡± She looked away from the incomplete elixir and met his gaze. ¡°As things stand, the elixir you create will be too unstable and might fail altogether, your blood''s not yet strong enough to handle the hydra''s chaotic power. The moon-dew will help deal with the poisonous nature of the mixture too.¡±


    Arthur didn¡¯t hesitate for a single second. ¡°Put it in,¡± he said. Alyssia knew far more than him about what was going on. He¡¯d quite literally stumbled into monster core elixir creation when a bout of desperation had overtaken him after the shadow panther fight. There was no nuance or skill to his methodology; after all, his creation only contained two ingredients. He trusted Alyssia on this far more than he did himself and even he could see that the core had stopped dissolving properly, something that hadn¡¯t happened in any of his previous creation attempts.


    He didn¡¯t see Alyssia move but the next moment, she opened her hands and let some blue leaves fall from them. Its effects were noticeable almost immediately and he let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he¡¯d been holding when he saw the reaction was back on track.


    Even still, the elixir''s creation took a full two minutes longer than any of his previous ones. By the end of it though, Arthur had his completed product waiting for him to drink. Alyssia¡¯s mouth was agape as she stared at the now-green liquid within the bowl.


    ¡°I, I can¡¯t believe that actually worked,¡± she whispered. ¡°I mean I believed you when you explained the process to me but I thought you¡¯d missed out on a key detail or something. But that¡¯s it. Two ingredients to create one of the strongest epic-ranked drinks I¡¯ve ever seen. Fuck, you didn¡¯t even have to stir it.¡±


    Arthur brought the bowl to his lips but hesitated before he put the stuff in his mouth. ¡°Is it safe to drink? My identify says it''s good but I trust your observation skills a lot more than I do my own.¡±


    Alyssia nodded her head.


    He didn¡¯t wait a second longer. He couldn¡¯t. His urges had been getting harder to resist. Arthur was certain that the him of four weeks ago would¡¯ve drank the elixir before it¡¯d even been finished but he''d been tempered over the past few days. The elixir burned as it went down. Literally. Even after the neutralisation provided by the moon-dew, the hydra¡¯s poison would not be denied. It dissolved the skin off of his lips scalded his tongue and left his throat blistered. He idly wondered how bad it would¡¯ve been if Alyssia hadn¡¯t added the extra ingredient.


    The pain didn¡¯t stop him from drinking though. If anything, he was only getting more voracious as the elixir went down the hatch. Far too fast, the bowl was empty and he put it down with a dejected sigh. Alyssia took a step away from him and looked down at him with concerned eyes. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked. ¡°Your soul''s about to go through some serious scrambling. This last core is going to break its shell past the critical zone. It¡¯s gonna hurt like hell.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine-¡± Arthur was cut off as a gut-wrenching agony overcame him. It was all-encompassing, he could feel it in his bones, his hair, his eyes, even his nails. It was unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before as if his very existence was being unravelled at the seams and he was being made anew, better and yet incomplete.


    Alyssia had warned him that eating the final core would hurt a lot, breaking your soul-shell beyond a certain threshold tended to do that, but this was far beyond anything he could¡¯ve imagined. His eyes were open but his brain was unable to interpret the visual stimuli it received. It was like someone had woven threads of molten metal between the fibres of his flesh so finely it became a part of his genetic makeup, every strand a searing sensation that burned unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before. The sweet release of unconsciousness was denied from him and so he suffered through it all, waiting for it to end.


    There was a limit, a threshold beyond which the brain was no longer able to interpret pain. Unfortunately, Arthur was experiencing this through his soul and if there was a limit here, he hadn¡¯t run into it yet. It hurt Alyssia to watch Arthur in this state but she didn¡¯t look away. His limbs were spasming and parts of his body disintegrated one moment and were healed in the next second, the insane amount of vitality running through him battling against the breaking of his soul.


    With her aura mastery, she could observe far more than her eyes could see and things weren''t looking too good. She¡¯d predicted he¡¯d have two hours before he had to consume the dragon''s core and finally fix himself up. Right now, it looked like he¡¯d barely get a quarter of that time. There was a sudden change in Arthur''s body, where she felt an explosion of vitality unlike anything she¡¯d ever seen in a humanoid before, and she knew then that he¡¯d pushed through the 1,000 vitality mark as he¡¯d wished.


    For a brief moment, he was a bastion of potent regeneration even stronger than the Tree of Life. The next moment his aura of regeneration returned to a more reasonable, albeit still insane level, and she could see his eyelids flickering widely. He¡¯d be cognizant, soon enough and she had to make sure things were ready for when he was. Grabbing the steel bowl, she gave it a quick rinse with her water flask and filled it with Arthur¡¯s blood. He was bleeding from so many places she was spoiled for choice.


    She picked up the wooden box and hesitated for a second before putting it back down.


    She¡¯d let Arthur deal with the dragon core and didn¡¯t want to risk ruining his elixir creation. Arthur groaned something under his breath and she rushed over to him. He didn¡¯t say anything else, but it was a good sign. Success or failure, everything would be decided in the next hour.

 chapter 122- A Goal Achieved

    Arthur floated in limbo, a dull ache suffusing his entire body. He was wide awake, he¡¯d never lost consciousness in the first place, but it was taking him a while to get himself moving. Trying to call out for water resulted in unintelligible grumbles you¡¯d need an epic translation skill to understand.


    He could feel someone, Alyssia, touching him on the hand which meant that he wasn¡¯t spasming around anymore at least. It felt like he¡¯d been put through a meat grinder and then put back together as an Arthur-shaped kebab. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. He had felt it, could still feel it. That moment when something in him had fundamentally changed. A shift in his person as significant as the one produced by the very first core he had consumed.


    He¡¯d passed the 1,000 vitality mark.


    He hadn¡¯t checked yet but Arthur was certain that it had happened. Even as crippled as he currently was by his fractured soul shell, he could feel the massive wellspring of health and regeneration that flowed through his veins. It dwarfed his previous maximum utterly and he was almost certain that without it, he would¡¯ve been a bubbling wreck until he finally consumed the dragon''s core, unable to even consciously invest his remaining stat points before being forced to choose a class.


    His massive healthpool was keeping his soul damage at bay, a feat that should frankly be impossible without a special skill or artefact helping him along. He could feel it trying to stitch his broken soul together but failing to deal with it. If he¡¯d had access to his soul affinity, then maybe he¡¯d have been able to do something. It was an annoying conundrum, he had the tools to solve his problems, but it was just locked behind a door that held the key on the other side. Still within his soul but barred from him.


    Groaning, Arthur slowly opened his eyes and was met with a concerned Alyssia hovering over him, way too close to be comfortable. Placed carefully beside her, was the Ikea bowl, cleaned and filled with a fresh dosage of his blood which explained what she¡¯d been doing with his arm. ¡°Hurry up. You¡¯ve got a lot less time than we hoped for. Thirty, maybe forty minutes. Check your system quickly and finalise your choices. Ask questions after you¡¯ve read through them if you''re unsure of anything but only then.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head, with the limited range of motion his body currently gave him access to. It was like his nervous system had been corrupted and no longer carried information to certain parts of his body, something he¡¯d been warned may happen by Alyssia. It was annoying but he¡¯d have to deal with it until he ate the dragon''s core and fixed himself up.


    As impatient as he was, Arthur wanted to see everything that had happened to his body over the last few minutes and so he didn¡¯t just call up notifications pertaining to any titles he¡¯d received, no matter how much he might¡¯ve wanted to.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 88.7628%" border="1">


    <tbody>


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    You have consumed The Making of an Apocalypse (Epic).


    Warning! Your soul is being put under significant strain.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    And don''t I know it?


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">It is strongly advised you visit your nearest system administrator. Soul-shell damage has progressed past safe limits. It is strongly advised that you isolate yourself from sapient society and contact the relevant authorities to inform them of your current state.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Turns out the system took a damaged soul very seriously. After what he¡¯d learned about soul burn and its catastrophic capabilities for destruction, it made sense. The following system message he¡¯d received justified their concerns completely. He¡¯d received a title and if it wasn¡¯t right at the top of the forbidden list he¡¯d eat his non-existent hat. It was also his first title with a negative effect, though calling it a mere negative effect was the understatement of the century.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">You have gained the title Primed Soul (Soul-shell integrity has dropped below 50% ??? ??? ???) Your soul will detonate with an approximate force of 13,000 tons of TNT. Time till destruction: 36 minutes.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Even as Arthur watched, the timer ticked down a minute. This didn¡¯t look good.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Automated message [ Protocol IV ] {Written in the standard year 347. Last update 5Y 1204 } You have gained a title few survive. We cannot force you to do anything and nor can anyone else. If you have been set up in some way and forced down this path, we only ask that you make the ultimate sacrifice, soldier.


    Your death is certain but you can save the lives of millions. Time is of the essence and soul damage is difficult to heal. The improbability of success cannot be balanced against the certainty of lost life. If you are far from civilization, then take your chances but know that our estimations of destructive potential are not always correct. Otherwise, isolate yourself as best you can, as far from others as possible. You have been granted temporary administrative access to the system messaging network. Any information you wish to share, any individual you wish to report for crimes against civility, any loved one you wish to address.


    We are waiting.


    We are listening.


    In your final moments, should you wish it, you shall not be alone. Make your choice soldier, and may the ether take you kindly.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The automated system message was written very strangely which he attributed to its translation into a language he could understand. It also told him a few things and confirmed a few others. Primary amongst them was that he hadn¡¯t been flagged and put on a list because of his newest title. It was a part of his status, a very, very deep part considering the tier of the title- a description of the scarring on his soul- and so it was protected by his soul defences. It explained why he¡¯d received an automated message written long ago instead of a more personal one as he had for the Hydra''s extermination.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The automated messages were part and parcel of the system, the one he¡¯d just received was probably generated when he¡¯d first unlocked the system all those weeks ago as a precautionary measure. It had merely become visible to him when his soul had gained the Primed prefix and so didn''t raise any red flags. Every tragedy had a silver lining and Arthur was grateful no one else had learned of the latest ¡®crazy¡¯ he got himself tangled in.


    The next thing he¡¯d learned was that the system had a standing military force, or at least they''d had one when the message was made. What were they fighting against that made them so susceptible to becoming nukes? It was either that or he was reading too much into a mistranslated word. And people can be forced into this state. The magical equivalent of a suicide bomber.


    At the end of the day though, the system message didn¡¯t matter much to him. Sure it hinted that contrary to what he¡¯d been told, certain titles could actually be ¡®gamed¡¯ but besides that, nothing else really mattered. After all, he had with him an item that could probably fix his soul''s damage ten times over. The next notification on the list, however, was certainly a curveball, something he hadn¡¯t expected but welcomed all the same.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Lesser Hydra core''s energy is resonating with your Water affinity.


    Congratulations. Your Water affinity has evolved into the ¡®Dual-affinity¡¯ Poison/Water.


    ¡®Dual- Affinities¡¯ may hold four skills under them instead of the standard three.


    Congratulations on gaining a ¡®dual-affinity.¡¯ The system welcomes those who push the boundaries of possibility and foray into the frontiers seen only by those with great potential. You have been awarded 20 stat points as an incentive for further growth.


    Note: Awards that make changes to your status page such as stats or skill enhancements become exponentially more difficult for the system to award as one''s level grows. The energy expenditure required to enhance such souls becomes far too great to remain a reasonable expense and so rewards may be substituted with items/ tools in the future.


    Future awards may pass the appointed Primordial ether enhancement package assigned to host Arthur Ward and so may require that you visit your local system administrator to cash them in. If you wish to keep these parts of your status unknown at the time, a fee will be deducted to ensure your secrecy.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur grinned. This was amazing. It seemed he¡¯d been wrong about dual affinities all this time. He¡¯d thought they were merely people with two affinities, not individuals with a single one that governed two domains of magic. Does that mean that the policewoman had a wind /fire affinity instead of the two separate ones I thought she did? Isn¡¯t it better to have them separate, you get two extra skills that way.


    Whatever the answer was Arthur wasn¡¯t going to complain about the extra affinity he¡¯d gained. Not when it came with a shiny new skill.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    You have assimilated a portion of the Hydra''s potential for destruction. You have gained the skill Poisoned Fang of the Hydra [Epic]


    Poisoned Fang of The Hydra [Epic]- The hydra is notoriously renowned for its deadly poison. You have learned to replicate that power. Channel your energies to release a single devastating strike. Damage is dependent on the target''s magical and physical defences. Attack ignores 10% of target''s defences. inflicts debuff [Hydras ire] and [Slowing Heart]


    [ Hydras ire ]- Inflicts ongoing poison damage to the target over a twenty-hour period equivalent to 75% damage dealt by the initial attack.


    [ Slowing heart ]- Reduces target''s stamina, health and ether regeneration rates by 30% for 30 hours.


    Cost: 3,000 ether or 10,000 health.


    Cooldown: 3 hours.


    Cooldown can be ignored but each subsequent usage of the skill in the cooldown period will double the remaining cooldown period and increase the skill cost by 25%.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur read through the skill description once and then again to see if he¡¯d missed anything. It was his first epic skill and it served to fill a glaring hole in his current build, his ability to deal damage. This right here was built to fulfil that purpose, a skill made only to kill things as fast as possible.


    Its costs were insanely high, at 3000 ether a cast, he only had enough energy in the tank for a single usage. Coming from the hydra, it made sense that Health could be used to fuel this skill, and at a much more reasonable conversion rate than if he¡¯d tried to force the skill to accept the energy instead, a little over 3 to 1. The next system notification came in the form of a tier-2 title. It was gained by passing the threshold of a hundred points in every stat before reaching level 100, something he¡¯d suspected existed, but always kept for later testing.


    Thankfully it seemed like the hydra had given him attributes in more than just vitality so he¡¯d no longer have to waste his precious points on a test he hadn¡¯t known would even succeed.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    You have gained the title (Tier-2) Jack of all trades (Possess 100 points in all stats before level 100 ) Gain an extra stat per level. [works retroactively]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With this title, he¡¯d just gained an extra 94 stats to work with and with the added boon of his latest system award, he had a total windfall of 114 stats he hadn¡¯t expected to see. The evolution, prodigious title bearer meant he¡¯d gained an extra 9 on top of that, the equivalent to an extra level''s worth.


    Considering his goal to become a stat monster, he couldn¡¯t have asked for a better boon right now. All of this, however, was just the cherry on top. The true reward, the goal he¡¯d been after, was still waiting to be read. The thousand vitality milestones. Alyssia saw the massive grin on Arthur''s face and couldn¡¯t help but grin too. ¡°You reached it, huh, so what''s it say,¡± she asked.


    Drinking from the water flask she¡¯d offered him to wet his parched throat, Arthur began to read.


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    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Congratulations! You have gained the (Tier-4) title Source of vitality


    Source of Vitality- (Possess 1000 points of vitality before reaching level 100 ) Increase the effectiveness of the vitality stat by 50%. May appoint designated individuals (One/100 vitality) Designated individuals have their health regeneration increased by 10% whilst within a Kilometre of the host. Allows the usage of health to fuel skills instead of ether at a 5:1 rate. Note: The chances of a similar title being generated for another stat are below 5%.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was beautiful.

 Chapter 123- New Gains

    Eating the Hydra¡¯s core had changed Arthur almost as much as the enhancement of his previous ninety-four levels had. Consuming it had given him an upgraded affinity, his first epic skill and three new titles. Sure one of those represented a timer to his imminent demise, but it was still classed as a tier-4 title.


    Calling up his status, Arthur took a look at his increased attributes.


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Arthur Ward


    Level 94


    Unallocated stat points: 271-->383 (103 From jack of all trades)


    Evolved: Rank F- Prodigious title bearer (Increase all title effects by 10%)


    Strength- 153 (100->125) [1.2]


    Vitality- 1188 (500->825) [1.4* or 2.8]


    Endurance- 583 (500->525) [1.1*]


    Constitution- 734 (485->510) [1.4]


    Agility- 118->143 [+37 from boots]


    Intelligence- 583 (500-525) [1.1]


    Willpower- 250->275


    Charisma- 95->120


    Perception- 92->117


    Health- 4301/40,511 (previous maximum 15,840)


    Health regeneration- 4497 (1188)/hour (previously 1758(700)/hour)


    Ether- 612/5830 (previous maximum 5550)


    Ether regeneration- 583/hour (previously 555/hour)


    Stamina- 5601/5830 (previous maximum 5550)


    Stamina regeneration: 583/minute (previously 555/minute)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He was a completely different person from who he had been an hour ago. His healthpool had almost tripled. Looking at the new value, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Shouldn¡¯t the numbers have been a little lower? It took him a moment to realise where the extra health came from. With his latest title, each point of vitality provided 15 health instead of the previous ten. Except with the benefits provided by his evolution, he was actually gaining 15.5 points of health instead. After all, at the end of the day, the increased health gain did come from a title.


    As time went by, Arthur''s decision in his evolutionary path was proven correct again and again. Hmm, doesn¡¯t that mean my soul explosion will be ten percent stronger too? That doesn¡¯t sound good. Arthur dismissed the useless thought from his mind. He wouldn¡¯t be exploding any time soon if he had his way, so there was no point worrying about it.


    Still, with the massive windfall of stats he¡¯d received, Arthur was left spoilt for choice. 383 unassigned points could push any of his weaker stats, save perception, directly to the 500-point milestone and give him a final paragon title. Or he could shove them into constitution and get that attribute over a thousand too. The note that he most probably wouldn¡¯t gain another source title disabused him of that idea very quickly.


    His durability had been proven sufficient again and again and raising that value merely to cross the thousand-point threshold would be a waste of stats if it provided him with nothing special. It did make him wonder though, if it would have been better to choose another stat to get to a thousand first. What would intelligence have given him? There was no changing the path he was on now, but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder where another would have taken him.


    I made the right choice, Arthur thought decisively. Save constitution, none of his other attributes had a boost greater than 20%. Getting them to a thousand would¡¯ve meant he¡¯d have zero stats to spend right now. Even then, he¡¯d never have gotten the stat anywhere near as high as he¡¯d gotten his vitality to. The primary reason he was certain in his choice, however, was his twice-lived title once again. It meant that any boon he received in the healthpool department was twice as effective, or 220% when he factored in his evolution. A similar title for intelligence would have only given him 15,000 ether, a pittance when he compared it to his current health pool.


    Considering he could now use it as an energy resource to fuel his skills at a 5:1 ratio right now, it was effectively the equivalent of 8,000 points of ether. This means I''ve got approximately 13,550 ether to work with when adding my two pools, which is a few hundred ether shy of what I probably would have gotten if I chose to focus on intelligence instead. No, even if a source of intelligence provided an altogether different result, Arthur had made the right choice.


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    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Time till detonation: 29 minutes</td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    Instead of worrying about what could have been right now though, he had more important things to decide, namely his unassigned attribute points. Currently, he was leaning towards Willpower to help him control his magic better. Intelligence wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d be focusing on anymore, not when vitality had replaced its effect. Charisma was easy to discard. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever need it nor had he seen its effects on his person and he was charming enough already. Better to let other guys stand a chance.


    As much as Arthur loved fighting with his body, it was time to wake up and move on. He had 4 ether affinities, five if you considered his poison/healing as two. There were few people in the Milky Way galaxy, perhaps the universe even, with his potential as a mage. And what''s to say he wouldn¡¯t find a way to enhance his bodily movements with magic anyway. Alyssia knew how to already and he was sure to find his own methods in the future. Maybe a few more soul-bound items would do the trick. Sure, they were rare as hell, but he¡¯d find them eventually, especially if he became as powerful as he was planning to.


    Mira, the poison mage had a skill that enhanced her health regeneration by making ether flow through her body in a specific way. There were sure to be other methods that enhanced your strength and agility. He was ninety percent decided on his decision already but getting a second opinion didn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°Hey, Alyssia. How should I spend my stats-¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Willpower,¡± she replied before he could even finish asking his question. ¡°Your magic pool''s already covered and your physical stats are more than good enough for your level. No, you need to work according to your strengths and greater control over magic will make you exponentially stronger.¡±


    ¡°Should I put everything into it or get it 500 and put the rest in something else?¡± He asked. Alyssia was quiet for a second as she pondered the question. ¡°We have no idea what the dragon core''s going to give but I doubt it''s going to be any extra stats,¡± she began. ¡°To get the best class possible, you should enhance your greatest strength and that''s your insane vitality. It always will be. Unless you have enough stats remaining to get another paragon title after willpower, I say put the rest in vitality. That''s my take on things. You don¡¯t have to listen but I think you¡¯ll get the best possible results doing that."


    Arthur considered her advice and took another look at his stats, even considering the remaining 5 levels he¡¯d yet to gain before his class selection, he wouldn¡¯t be gaining another paragon title. Considering that, Alyssia¡¯s advice was sound. If he felt his willpower was too low even after getting it to 500, he could increase it later after he¡¯d gained a class. Right now, it was better to enhance his strengths as she¡¯d suggested. Taking a deep breath, Arthur allocated his stats and waited for the relevant title to form on his soul. It didn¡¯t take long.


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Willpower- 555(275-500) [1.1]


    Vitality- 1416 (825-983) [1.4*/2.8*]


    Health- 4370/48,269 (previously 40,511)


    Health regeneration- 5358 (13762)/hour (previously 4497)


    unallocated stat points: 383->0


    </td>


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Congratulations you have gained the (tier-2) title Paragon of Willpower (Possess a willpower of 500 whilst below level 100 as a human being. This is a KNOWN Title, meaning that it is one of the few whose conditions allow an unlock for every member of the human race) Increases willpower by 10%


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The influx in power gained felt¡­ underwhelming. Anyone else would have found a sudden increase of 383 stats incredible, and it truly was, but Arthur had undergone changes in the past 10 minutes that put the feeling to shame. It was a little disheartening. He¡¯d always looked forward to the thrilling rush of increasing his stats but it looked like he¡¯d grown too powerful to enjoy the sensation anymore which was a shame.


    He was pulled out of his melancholic thoughts when Alyssia thrust the wooden box at him. ¡°Hurry up and make the elixir. We don¡¯t know how long this will take and I don¡¯t trust the timer the system gave us. You can go supernova any moment now and I¡¯m quite attached to this life.¡±


    Taking the sealed dragon core, Arthur immediately realised he currently didn¡¯t possess the fine motor controls required to open it. She took it back from him and he watched as her fingers flew across the complicated clasp, far too fast for his eyes to keep up with. She handed the box back to him, now unsealed but still unopened.


    Even then, the smell of the dragon''s core hit him like a punch to his nose. He used a quick identification on it.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


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    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Fragmented Fire Dragon Core [Mythic- Pseudo Divine]- A monster core extracted from a stillborn Fire dragon. It is fragmented due to inherit problems that prevented the creature from fully forming, hence the monster core is a fraction of what it could have been.


    Nonetheless, it makes for an incredible crafting component and has numerous alchemical usages the effects of which will be permanent.


    Warning: Should a beast feast on this core, immediately warn your nearest system authority and engage evacuation protocols. It is highly unlikely that a creature can properly metabolise this potent energy source and thus the resultant monster will most likely fall into madness.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A pseudo-divine item, taken from the still-born corpse of a dragon, it possessed enough power that the kings and queens of multi-planetary empires would still covet it. If Lady Sleyca knew he had this in his possession, he had no doubt that she¡¯d drop everything to come and claim it for herself, from his dead fingers if she had to. It made him wonder just how powerful Ayesha¡¯s subordinate was, to accurately predict that he¡¯d come across a place where he could safely open the special box. Opening it anywhere outside the locus would be nothing short of madness.


    Ayesha¡¯s invested so much in me. Sure, she said she wasn¡¯t powerful enough to hold onto the core or trade it for anything, but I¡¯m sure she could¡¯ve come up with something. Just what did her pet seer tell her that made her so willing to part with it? Did she want his loyalty? Because Arthur would pay her back with interest. He practically owed the woman his life and even if she¡¯d done it for her personal gain, that fact remained true. He wasn¡¯t ungrateful enough to scorn his saviour, irrespective of her intentions. All she''d asked for was his cooperation in the future. Ayesha hadn¡¯t made him sign some ether-enforced contract, she had absolutely no guarantee that he¡¯d follow through on his promises. I guess it¡¯s easy to trust when someone tells you the future. Smiling wryly, Arthur dropped the core into his blood.


    ~Dimension 82KLD43~


    Captain Arencia stood behind a reinforced wall created with wood magic. It was further supported by stone and steel, carefully integrated into the massive structure for maximum defence. Behind him were the remnants of his mercenary group, ''The lucky blackbirds,'' not a single member left uninjured.


    He himself had lost an eye and the index finger from his left hand in their fight for survival against the lich, the caustic energies sticking to the wounds preventing his natural regeneration from recovering him. Everything had gone to shit the moment Regina, their greatest healer, had been knocked into a magically induced coma. She was the only one who could deal with such injuries and she still hadn¡¯t woken up, even after a month. He was starting to worry that she never would.


    ¡°Arencia,¡± Lagertha called out from beside him. She was the only one who addressed him by his name, his company always called him captain. It was at the behest of this ice-elf noble that they had come to this strange pocket dimension and even she hadn¡¯t been spared from injury. A portion of her left ear was missing, taken by the deadly shot of a [Dread-Archer]. She''d changed a lot in their time here, a completely different woman to the spoiled brat she¡¯d been four weeks ago. Being confronted by your mortality tended to do that to you. What was nobility to a death of piss and blood, where you wouldn''t even have the honour of a proper burial?


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked gruffly, throat parched. Their water mage had been assassinated and their stored water reserves poisoned four days ago. Even with his advanced physique, the dehydration was getting to him. Not for the first time, he cursed the fact that they couldn¡¯t extract water from the elf¡¯s ice. It just didn¡¯t work, no matter what they did.


    ¡°Your scouts spotted an army on the horizon and the lich is leading it. She¡¯s about a day''s march away and we need that long to complete the dimensional transfer array."


    That was another thing they¡¯d learned, the lich was female, not male as they¡¯d initially assumed. In their defence, it was hard to tell when all you had to look at was magically reinforced bones. Captain Arencia sighed. He¡¯d go out and meet the undead army, delay them for as long as he could and pray that the teleportation array was made in time.


    And that he lived long enough to use it.


    ¡°Any change in our destination?¡± He asked. The array was a crude thing, with no means to fine-tune where it would take them. It was all random. A look of deep sadness came over Lagertha''s face and he felt his heart sink. ¡°No, it¡¯s stayed the same,¡± she replied sombrely. ¡°It¡¯s locked in now.¡±


    For a fleeting moment, he thought of nullifying the array and making their final stand here. The ultimate sacrifice. He dismissed it immediately. He was a good man, not a saint. He would value the lives of himself and his men over others always, no matter how cruel it may be.


    ¡°I guess we''re going to Earth then,¡± he whispered. He did wonder what kind of people it took to name their world after dirt, he highly doubted his team had read the magic wrong. Hopefully, they were smarter than he thought. Stronger too.


    There was no point deceiving himself though. A planet that had just crossed the threshold into tier one. Their dimensional membrane was unusually weak for some reason. That was the only reason why it had been selected as their destination, it was the path of least resistance. A tier-one planet, though, with people who probably hadn¡¯t even gained their classes yet.


    He would face the truth and stop lying to himself.


    They were bringing death and destruction to the vulnerable planet, a catastrophe on an apocalyptic scale. Millions would die. Maybe billions.


    We¡¯re going to need a miracle. An apocalypse of our own.

 Chapter 124- A Dragons Inheritance

    The dragon''s core shone with golden luminescence, so bright it was like someone had plucked the sun out of the sky and placed it in his hands. It was also extremely hot to touch, enough that Alyssia had retreated backwards to avoid getting burnt. With his recent upgrades in vitality and the rest of his attributes, he had no such problem dealing with the orb. His clothes- the little he¡¯d managed to put on post-hydra fight- however, did, and so he¡¯d had to generate some water to soak them in to avoid them combusting into flame.


    He could¡¯ve spent hours admiring it- no, that''s definitely a lie, I''d get bored in a minute tops- but his impatience and the timer hanging over his head like the sword of Damocles prevented him from taking things slowly. And I¡¯m fucking starving for it. It was a wonder he¡¯d managed to place it in his blood at all instead of just shoving it in his mouth like a massive ball of candy. The feat should¡¯ve awarded him with some extra willpower.


    Thankfully, their earlier worries seemed to be for nought, as the core was melting into his blood the same as every single one before had. He attributed the smooth process to his increased vitality and Alyssia, almost as if she''d read his mind, confirmed his hypothesis a moment later. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think your blood would¡¯ve done anything to the core if you hadn¡¯t gotten past the thousand vitality milestone. It was struggling enough with the hydras, and the dragon''s is an order of magnitude greater.''''


    She walked over and leant over the steel bowl cautiously observing the alchemical process. The core had thankfully stopped emitting so much heat the moment it had come into contact with his blood and now she could use her advanced aura skills to see the creation process up close and personal. She was no master potion maker but she knew the insights that could be gleaned from watching such powerful ingredients synthesise was an opportunity that couldn¡¯t be ignored. The alchemists on her homeworld would give up their arms and legs to stand where she was right now.


    If anything, the elixir creation was progressing faster than normal, a testament to just how potent Arthur¡¯s blood had become. Curious, Arthur decided to identify the blood seeping out of the numerous wounds on his body. The results produced were more than a little surprising.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Regenerative blood (Elite+)- The liquid of life taken from a creature tied to the concept intimately, it is a potent catalyst for many alchemical processes. Drinking 100ml will restore a thousand health but will come with certain side effects.


    Side effects: ??? ???


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It looked like getting his vitality so high came with a whole lot of unexpected boons. His blood had undergone a qualitative change and it made sense that the dragon core was mixing with it so well. Heck, it was on the verge of becoming an epic item in and of itself and his body produced the stuff at an incredibly fast rate. If he didn¡¯t mind selling parts of himself, he was sitting on a goldmine. Unfortunately, Arthur wasn¡¯t yet strong enough to protect the resources his body represented, nor was he too fond of selling himself so he¡¯d have to shelve the idea for now.


    ¡°It¡¯s about to finish,¡± Alyssia said excitedly. She was looking at the Ikea bowl like a toddler would a new fish tank and Arthur would¡¯ve found the sight amusing if he wasn¡¯t doing the same. Watching the solutions magically mix themselves was always amazing to see and he could see that his trusty cauldron was beginning to undergo certain changes too.


    He would¡¯ve been excited about that under normal conditions but he had much more incredible things to look forward to. A system notification''s sudden appearance startled him out of his reverie but it came with welcome news.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Congratulations! You have created your first Legendary item. You have gained the award- Master Artisan III


    Reward: Enhance a crafting skill of your choice.


    Error! Host possesses no crafting skills. Reward held in stasis. Please gain a crafting skill or see a system administrator to have your reward changed.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Reading through the system message, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but grin. He didn¡¯t care that he was currently locked out of his rewards. He¡¯d done it. He¡¯d created a friggin Legendary elixir. Sure, he¡¯d used a pseudo-divine ingredient to make it but no one needed to get caught up in the details.


    "Holy shit,¡± Alyssia whispered beside him. ¡°You created a legendary elixir. A fucking legendary elixir,¡± she repeated the words in disbelief.


    She picked up the bowl almost reverently and placed it into his shaking hands. ¡°Drink it. Quickly, or the universe is going to find some bullshit way to take it from you. Hell, I won¡¯t be surprised if a dragon breaks into the locus right now to steal it.¡±


    Identifying the liquid gold concoction, Arthur understood her fears a little better.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    A dragons Inheritance (Legendary)- The dragons are majestic creatures, their ancients recognised as divinities across the multiverse. They stand at the top of the food chain, arrogant in their sovereignty overall. This elixir contains the condensed essence of one that could never spread its wings and conquer the skies.


    Its scent acts as a beacon to all dragonkind, the tragic tale of the demise of one of their young. Consuming it will enhance their power further and push them to new heights. Taking it for yourself will grant you the power of their kind, but it will leave you marked.


    As friend or foe, none can say.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur had barely finished reading the item''s description before he was already chugging it down. It didn¡¯t matter how cryptic the message was, no way in hell was he going to wait for a dragon to show up and steal it from him. He NEEDED this to survive past the next twenty minutes. If they wanted to take it from him, they¡¯d have to do so from his vivisected stomach.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    As rushed as he was, Arthur didn¡¯t fail to enjoy the elixir''s taste, though to describe it as a physical sensation would be doing it a disservice. Drinking the Dragons Inheritance was a spiritual journey, it was the enlightenment sought by all cultivators, the condensation of all his dreams made manifest as an ambrosia that would forevermore haunt his nights with its elusive taste, a sensation he¡¯d forever chase but never again experience. In reality, it took him six seconds to drink the liquid gold but it felt like he¡¯d lived a lifetime before the bowl dropped from his lips and then crashed to the ground from unresponsive fingers.


    ¡°Arthur, hey Arthur!¡±


    Worried, Alyssia gripped his shoulder and shook him. His aura had all but disappeared from her senses and for a brief moment, she feared that something had gone wrong and the dragon''s elixir had killed him. Only the steady rise and fall of his chest kept her from panicking. Arthur didn¡¯t respond to her shouting, nor did he seem to register her crushing grip on his shoulder. To all intents, he was dead to the world. Just as she was beginning to think the elixir had failed, something changed.


    A small electrical current passing through his body was the only warning she received. Only her trained reflexes kept her from losing her legs as she exploded away from him at twice the speed of sound. She barely escaped. A massive inferno sprung into existence around Arthur, the flames possessing the same golden glow the core had. The ether contained within them was so dense it put the hydra''s insane vitality to shame and it served as the perfect barrier to block what was going on within them even from her trained analytical skills.


    Those were the more ordinary traits the flame possessed. It was at the edge of what she could perceive but could feel it. The inferno had a concept attached to it. She couldn¡¯t tell what it was exactly but it felt akin to rebirth and renewal, more the domain of the mythical bird, the legendary phoenix than the dragon it originated from.


    Alyssia could feel ¡®something¡¯ else beneath it and she knew instinctively that the very same flames that were healing and rebuilding Arthur would destroy her to the last atom if she approached any closer. As curious as she was, she¡¯d remain standing right here where it was safe and watch from a distance. Seeing a dry tree stump a metre away, she quickly changed her mind. Sitting down was way more comfortable.


    Arthur, meanwhile, was surprised that he wasn¡¯t experiencing extreme pain. In shows and books, a character going through a power-up of any sort tended to be accompanied by mind-numbing agony as their bodies were broken and rebuilt. Because that was exactly what was happening to Arthur.


    He could feel it, observe it in a way that transcended his normal vision as his flesh and bones burned away in the golden flames that surrounded him. His body turned to ash and served as fuel for the inferno, though to call his mortal flesh adequate fuel for a divine flame was perhaps arrogant of him. If anything, he was corrupting them with his lesser flesh.


    Where his body burned away, new substance was created, the molecules of its makeup suffused with ether and arranged in strange ways that seemed to transcend three dimensions. It hurt to look at, his brain too weak to comprehend the information it received. He did know one thing though, it was so much better than what it had once been. It felt amazing too, believe it or not, like a full body massage at the hands of someone with a class specialised for it. No pain whatsoever.


    The flames seemed to possess a consciousness of their own, a will of some kind. He could feel it looking at him, a mixture of curious amusement and mischievousness in its gaze. Ever the idiot, his bestial side decided to try and assert its superiority. Thankfully, the flames didn¡¯t take offence at his stupid preening and continued on as they were. Was it the remnants of the dragon that had never lived? Arthur suspected that might be the case, but he¡¯d never know for certain.


    The metamorphosis of Arthur''s body took twelve minutes, for too little time in his opinion. He doubted he¡¯d ever feel such a pleasant sensation ever again. Opening his eyes, Arthur was sad to see that his clothes hadn¡¯t survived the process. His favourite pair of boxers went up in flames. In his defence, he hadn¡¯t expected the elixir''s results to be so¡­fiery.


    Arthur''s vision felt weird, it was like the ground was further away than he was used to and he realised what happened when he saw Alyssia. She¡¯s shrunk? In actuality, Arthur had gotten taller, which took him worryingly long to realise. Before, he¡¯d been just shy of 6¡¯1 and now he was pushing the boundary of 6¡¯6. It wasn¡¯t the only part of his body that had grown either Arthur idly noted. The notifications clamouring for his attention helped explain what had happened to him.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    You have consumed a massive source of primordial ether.


    Energy is being assigned in order of importance¡­


    Host¡¯s soul shell is at 47% integrity¡­


    Healing in progress¡­


    Integrity 58%... 65%, 74%, 93%... 100%


    Your soul has been completely healed and made more resilient in the process¡­You have become more resistant to minor soul damage¡­


    The (tier 4) title primed soul has been removed from host''s status¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur let out a sigh of relief when he read that. He¡¯d been fixed. The problems that had been troubling him for so long were now gone. Which meant that his soul affinity should now be free to use. Hopefully, his terrible affinity with shadow magic had also improved in the process. He¡¯d have to save the experimentation for later though. He¡¯d have to save the experimentation for later though. The next notification was where things started to get juicy.


    He¡¯d evolved again. Quite literally, in fact.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Primordial energies are being used to enhance host''s race.


    Human: Rank- F-->Human: Rank- D


    A one-time addition has been made to Host¡¯s evolution gains.


    Arthur Ward: Evolved Rank D- prodigious title bearer III (Increases effectiveness of all titles by 30%) Draconic Rebirth (Increases all stats by 10%. This increase is applied to host''s status after all titles and evolutionary effects are calculated)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Reading through the notifications overwhelmed him. It was so much more than he could have asked for, so much more than he¡¯d expected. Three evolutions before unlocking a class! It was unheard of. An impossible feat in and of itself. An ordinary person''s soul would have exploded by this point, unable to deal with the power of so many evolutions without the aid of a class reinforcing their spirit. A ten percent increase on top of everything else he had was just the cherry on top, and the fact that it was the final modifier that was applied on top of everything else just made it sweeter. There was still one last notification to go through, and after reading it Arthur realised that everything before was just the starters.


    The main course was still waiting for him and it came in the form of a choice. Arthur grinned maniacally.


    He already knew his answer.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">You have consumed the primordial essence of a dragon. Please choose an attribute to enhance to the Draconic variant.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 125- This Isnt Even My Final Form

    Arthur looked up from the system notification to see Alyssia staring expectantly at him. ¡°So, did it work? Is your soul fixed?¡± She asked the questions so fast his brain struggled to decode the sound waves that reached him. With her aura-reading skills, Arthur was certain she already knew the answer to that question but it never hurt to confirm things. Arthur grinned and nodded his head. ¡°Yep, my soul healed completely. Better than ever, honestly. The system¡¯s not telling me much, but I¡¯m pretty sure my soul is more resilient than before.¡±


    Alyssia sighed in relief when she heard that. There''d always been the risk that the dragon core wouldn¡¯t have worked as they¡¯d expected it to. Working with such high-quality materials with their lack of expertise meant they¡¯d been relying far more on chance than she¡¯d normally be comfortable with.


    The vague prophecies of a seer tended to be false more often than not and Alyssia was glad that Ayesha¡¯s underling didn¡¯t seem to follow that stereotype. I would¡¯ve been honour-bound to get vengeance had Arthur died, she thought morbidly, chuckling mirthlessly. Arthur glanced at her in confusion before turning back to his system. Who am I kidding? There''s no way I would have survived his soul explosion.


    Helping Arthur had always been a risky venture. As powerful as he¡¯d been, Alyssia had wondered if it was worth the trouble of getting involved with him. She¡¯d seen it in her homeworld, in people hailed as prodigies, even in herself to a certain extent. People like Arthur attracted trouble like a magnet. It was like they had more weight in reality and so naturally, situations both good and bad gravitated towards them. They always managed to find themselves at the centre of pivotal moments in history. If she hadn¡¯t owed him so much for her brother''s recovery, she wouldn¡¯t have touched him with a ten-foot pole. Still, she was glad things had worked out at the end of the day.


    ¡°Okay Arthur, I¡¯m going to leave you to your class selection. It¡¯s a personal choice and you know what you need far better than I do. My enhancement potions are going to run out in¡­¡± She looked up at the sun¡¯s position in the sky instead of her system clock for some reason. ¡°Twelve or thirteen minutes. The backlash is gonna knock me out for a while. I expect to see you a changed man when I wake up.¡±


    She barely waited for his reply before pulling a pillow out of her storage bag which she promptly fell asleep on. It had taken her all of three seconds. Shaking his head in bemusement, Arthur turned back to the system notification awaiting his decision.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75.8229%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Please select an attribute to enhance to its Draconic Variant.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It wasn''t even a question, really, the easiest decision he''d made to date.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 22.1339%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Vitality</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur mentally chose the stat he¡¯d poured the most effort into. Selecting anything else at this point would be the height of folly. He¡¯d chosen his specialisation already. There was no point running away from it now. Nothing happened for a moment, but then it hit him.


    The changes to his body this time were far more potent than the initial surge of power caused by the dragon¡¯s core. He was changed on a physical level, the genetic makeup of his very being rewritten and enhanced with ether-laden code. Had Arthur been awake for the process, it would have been the single most painful thing he¡¯d ever experienced. Mercifully, he¡¯d been knocked unconscious the moment he¡¯d made his selection.


    The process took half an hour, and it was another ten minutes before his still form stirred. Groaning, Arthur got up from where he¡¯d ended up sprawled on the ground and took a seat against the massive tree of life. Contrary to how exhausted he felt mentally, his body felt amazing, practically bursting with energy. He could almost hear the steady thrum of power that flowed through his flesh, his heart a nuclear reactor in his chest that pumped potent blood through his veins.


    He clenched his hands, marvelling at the strength he could feel in his muscles. He¡¯d selected vitality as the stat he wanted to enhance, and yet it felt like all his physical attributes had undergone a qualitative change. Unable to hold himself back any longer, Arthur called up his system logs.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


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    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    You have selected Vitality as your chosen stat for Draconic enhancement¡­


    Scanning¡­


    Human Vitality has been deemed incomplete¡­


    Identifying issue¡­


    problem identified¡­


    Dragons do not possess a constitution Stat. Their vitality encompasses the role played by both constitution and human vitality¡­ Resolving issue¡­ Constitution has been subsumed by vitality¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Superior vitality has been created...


    Superior Vitality has evolved to become Draconic vitality¡­


    Draconic vitality has been set to 1000 points¡­


    Titles applying to vitality now apply to Draconic vitality (Effectiveness titles only apply to thee health aspect of Draconic Vitality, not the constitution part)¡­


    Titles formerly applied to constitution cannot be applied to vitality¡­Constitution boosting aspect from Titles have been merged to produce a new title; Draconic Boost


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Draconic Boost (Boosts [unselected] attribute by 20%) Please select a physical stat to apply the title to¡­ Draconic vitality cannot be selected


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur quickly read through the notifications and frowned. He¡¯d lost constitution. He¡¯d had a 40% boost on it from several titles and it had now been reduced to half that value. The main problem though, was that he wouldn¡¯t be able to assign the title to vitality even though Constitution had been absorbed by it. Well, I guess it¡¯s called Draconic vitality now. On the bright side of things, it meant that every point he assigned to Draconic vitality was now the equivalent of two invested stats, both his former vitality and constitution. All that was left was to decide where to assign Draconic Boost and figure out what his latest stat entailed.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">Draconic Vitality- A variation of the stat possessed by mighty dragons, this version has been adjusted to the limitations of the human form. Each point is equivalent to 30 Health and 1.5 [human] constitution. 10% of Draconic vitality is applied to skills effects that scale off intelligence, such as domain size [note: this is not an increase applied directly to intelligence] Health can be used as a substitute for ether in a 4:1 ratio. Enhanced by tier 4 title- Source of vitality and Evolutionary path. The ratio has been adjusted to 3:1. You can now regenerate minor damage to the soul at an extremely slow rate.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur whistled as he read through the stat''s description. It just got better and better, so much more than he¡¯d ever expected. Calling up his titles, he saw that the stat was indeed modified by numerous titles that had once been boosting the unevolved stat. If anything, his source of vitality had gotten stronger. Firstly in the form of its health to ether adjustment being adjusted from 5:1 to 3:1 and secondly, that the distance for appointed individuals to gain extra regen had increased from one km to ten. The number of friendlies he could appoint had also increased from (one/hundred vitality) to ([one/hundred vitality] x1.5) it was a significant increase in the title''s capabilities even if they only enhanced the title''s secondary benefits. It was more than welcome nonetheless. Unable to help himself any longer, Arthur called forward his status. The numbers that greeted him were frankly¡­ insane. There was no other word to describe it. He probably had more health than the ten strongest people on earth combined.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Arthur Ward


    Level: 94--> 99 (MAX)


    Evolved: Rank: D Prodigious title bearer III (increase title effects by 30%)+ Draconic rebirth ( increases all attributes by 10%. Applied after all titles, evolutionary and class effects are calculated )


    Unallocated stats: 126 (19 from JoAT enhanced further by 20% for the previous 94 levels, 51 from current 5 level ups & 56 from enlarged soul increasing by a further 20% for the previous 94 levels)


    Strength- 173(125x1.26x1.1)


    Draconic vitality- 1,672 (1000x1.52x1.1)


    Endurance- 653 (525x1.13x1.1)


    Agility- 525 (143+334[boots] x1.1)


    Intelligence- 653 (525x1.13x1.1)


    Willpower- 622 (500x1.13x1.1)


    Charisma- 132 (120x1.1)


    Perception- 129 (117x1.1)


    Health- 215,186 (24,316/hour) [30x1.65x1672x2.6] [21,518.6x1.13]


    Ether- 6530/6530 (653/hour)


    Stamina- 6530/6530 (6530/minute)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The numbers on his status page were ludicrous, completely outrageous, out of this world even. There were no other words to describe it. Gaining the Draconic vitality stat and enhancing it by a further 65% courtesy of his source title took an already powerful build into the realms of absurdity. He had over 200,000 health! An ordinary person would require 21,500 vitality to match him in that department. Sure, that was without considering the powerful titles and bonuses they¡¯d no doubt get for boosting the stat so high, but still, the point stood. He had more health than he knew what to do with.


    A three-to-one conversion rate also meant that he technically had around 70,000 extra ether to work with. Enough energy Arthur doubted he¡¯d ever be at risk of running out in a fight again. It was so absurd he almost missed the new Paragon title he''d just gained for agility.


    A class selection was upon him; he¡¯d been instinctively pushing the notification away for a while now, but it was getting harder and harder for him to ignore. Reaching the level 99 milestone quite literally forced someone to pick a class, something he could feel quite strongly right about now. It explained why people couldn''t just lounge about at level 99 until they met the requirements for an op class.


    If this isn¡¯t enough for legendary, then it¡¯s impossible. I refuse to believe anyone reached 200,000 health without a class before, at least as a humanoid sapient. Heck, I¡¯m a fifth of what the Hydra was at and that¡¯s what gives them the apocalypse suffix. Was he an apocalypse human now? He certainly felt like he could be. At this point, no one on Earth could stop him. Perhaps Kazi Alukai but he doubted even the prime could truly hurt him at this point, and that was despite the fact that his powers were literally fueled by the planet


    Arthur couldn¡¯t help but laugh. I¡¯m the strongest human on this planet. He glanced at Alyssia¡¯s sleeping form. Strongest sapient too. Arthur doubted her standard attacks, unenhanced by an epic potion, would be able to get through the defence of 1500 Draconic vitality. Even with the one-in-a-million potion, he doubted she could kill him as easily as she had the hydra. Hell, I can tank a tank now. More like a few dozen actually or am I being too conservative? What was next on the list? A fighter jet? A hydrogen bomb?


    Arthur quickly did some maths. 5000+ points in a stat was the designated amount for someone to be classified as an S-rank attribute holder. Ignoring all the unique titles and skills those people would no doubt possess, scaling of said stats alone, they would only have 50,000 health, less than a quarter of what he currently had. It was almost scary to think about.


    He still had 126 points to invest before choosing a class, and he needed to pick a physical stat to increase with Draconic Boost. Endurance was knocked out of the running almost immediately. With over 5000 stamina, he¡¯d yet to run the risk of running out of it in a fight. Enhancing it would just be a waste. That just left strength and agility. He already had a 20% boost in strength, but with the latest increase in agility from his upgraded greaves of Achilles, it was now his lowest physical stat.


    For good reason too. Arthur would pick being fast over being strong nine times out of ten. It was simply more important in a fight. At least in his personal opinion. You¡¯d always generate more force striking with speed rather than more physical power, or whatever strength translated into when it came to physics.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Greaves of Achilles has upgraded from Rank F to Rank D


    Greaves of Achilles [Soulbound Rank D]- Increases agility by 20% of the Draconic Vitality attribute.


    Effect: Thrice every 24 hours, you become immune to attacks dealing up to 200,000 damage.


    Secondary effect: Damage inflicted in negated attacks can be collected by the host and unleashed back onto the attacker in the host''s next attack. Collected attack energy can only be held for 3 minutes before natural dissipation.


    Note: The Greaves of Achilles require the usage of certain natural treasures to be upgraded beyond D rank. They shall no longer simply rank up as the Host does. (current boost +334 agility)


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    All in all, Arthur was extremely pleased with how the Greaves had turned out. They scaled off Draconic Vitality now that Constitution no longer existed and translated to a whopping 20% of the stat being applied for agility instead of the previous 5%. It was the equivalent of a 150% increase in the attribute from its former value and proved once again just how broken a soul-bound item could be. Speaking of soul-bound items, he needed to check what had become of his Ikea bowl. If anything was going to push it over the edge, it would¡¯ve been an elixir made from a dragon''s core.


    Confirming his choice, Arthur selected agility for the Draconic boost and invested his remaining stat points into Draconic vitality.


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Your title Draconic Boost is now being applied to Agility.


    Draconic Vitality- 1883 (1126x1.52x1.1)


    Agility- 720 (143+377[boots]x1.26x1.1)


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    There was no point leaving anything in the woodwork now that his class selection was upon him. His recent investments left strength to the wayside though, and he''d need to rectify that before it became a problem. He didn''t want a skewed build that prevented him from bringing the true power of his stats to bear. Letting go of the mental block he¡¯d been holding in place, he let his class selections wash over him. Seeing the notifications for what he had available, he couldn¡¯t help but grin.


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Four paths lie before you. Please select a class.


    The Bloodied Warrior


    Dread Chimera: Herald of the Apocalypse


    The Perfect Homunculus


    The Shoddy Craftsman


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    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 126- Picking A Class

    This was it, the moment that would dictate the course his life would take. It was the first true step onto the path of power, the beginning of the journey that would take him to the top or leave him forgotten in the fields of mediocrity. Well, with my current status, I guess no one will ever be able to call me mediocre regardless of my class.


    His only example of an epic-classer was currently the alverin woman beside him, but he was pretty sure he already had her beat and that was without him even taking a class himself. After he¡¯d done so, well, he hardly doubted the so-called threat coming to Earth would be ready for him. However powerful it might be, Arthur was pretty certain it would be limited to tier-1, the current level of their planet. Anything greater, and he was sure the system administrators would send someone to deal with it.


    Humanity could hardly be expected to combat a threat that outstripped them on the planetary evolution scale. It would result in their annihilation. The Serako assembly had briefly touched on the subject of hostile invasions from both sapient and monster species and Earth was apparently protected from threats beyond tier 1.


    Even attacks at their level were supposed to be carefully regulated. Still, the fact that Ayesha was so worried suggested that things wouldn¡¯t be sorting themselves out so easily. Turning back to his class selection, Arthur took a deep breath. Hopefully, his preparations would prove adequate.


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">The Bloodied Warrior</td>


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    First on the list was something that certainly looked a little macabre. Arthur wasn¡¯t certain but it looked like a very physical class, focused heavily on melee fighting.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    The Bloodied Warrior (Epic/Growth)


    The Bloodied Warrior is the finest that humanity has to offer, going a step beyond the base race. Your journey so far has been intrinsically linked with the lifeblood that flows through your veins. Your evolution and growth have made it one of the most potent liquids on the planet, a natural treasure in its own right.


    The Bloodied Warrior takes these strengths a step further. Evolve your poison/water affinity into a PERFECT poison/blood affinity. Blood magic is one of the most versatile ritual magics known across the multiverse and is renowned for its ability to jump across tiers in combat. With your unique blood, this effect is enhanced by at least 200%.


    There''s a twenty-five percent chance that you¡¯ll be able to keep water as a separate ether affinity.


    Gains 48 stats per level (+15 Draconic Vitality, +5 agility, +10 willpower, +18 free stat points)


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    </table>


    All in all, it was a very strong contender for his first class selection. A 25% chance to gain an entirely new affinity without losing one he already had and a hundred percent chance that it would be a perfect affinity was nothing to scoff at. He knew a little of what that would mean for him. Humans as a race, had a below-average connection with ether with a magical aptitude rated on the poorer side. From personal experience, Arthur was aware of how his affinities matched up to an alverin like Alyssia. Her affinities with wind and lightning were far stronger than his own magics and he doubted fixing his soul bridged that gap entirely.


    This class however provided the opportunity to change that. A perfect blood affinity meant his manipulation skills would become near instinctive and they would cost far less whilst dealing more damage than anything else he had access to. He¡¯d done a little reading after meeting Tamo Tatsumi, the blood mage he¡¯d assisted with his curse problem. Blood mages were¡­ hot shit. They were in high demand as incredible healers, which would synergise well with his affinities and they were well known for their potent damage output.


    All in all, it was an incredible class, probably in the top ten of those that had been unlocked on this planet to date. Sadly, it was just shy of reaching the legendary status he was after. Its growth aspect meant it was a self-rectifying problem, but he wanted a legendary class now, not when he reached level 200. Still, if his other class choices were not up to snuff, he¡¯d be happy enough to take this as his final choice. It was just that good.


    Next on the list was Dread Chimera: Herald of the Apocalypse. He didn¡¯t even get to its description before he was stopped dead in his tracks. It was Mythical. An impossibility for a starter class. Everything Arthur had learned told him that things like this just didn¡¯t happen. Taking this class would thrust Arthur into stardom, not just for his sector of the galaxy but for the entirety of the universe and maybe beyond. With a name so grandiose, he should have expected something so spectacular. Sadly, a few seconds into reading its description told him it wasn¡¯t a class he''d be taking.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Dread Chimaera: Herald of the Apocalypse. (Mythical)


    From the beginning, you despised the shackles your race placed upon you. Limited by the base form of your species, you sought something better. You desired power and so you assimilated the strength of your defeated foes. This class is a natural progression from that point as you leave behind the form of your previous species and evolve into a chimaera. You become the very apocalypse you sought to prevent, the herald of your own coming.


    Gains 100 free stats per level.


    Warning: This class will change your species and may change you more than physiologically. As a unique chimaera, you will be subject to mental health assessments every year for the following decade and then once every ten years to ensure that you do not become a threat to sapient life. Note that the Draconic community and council of beasts may not be pleased with the origins your species represents should you select this class. The human evolutionary limit shall be upgraded from C rank to S rank should this class be chosen.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    </td>


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    </table>


    All things considered, this was an incredible class. It was a little vague in details compared to The Bloodied Warrior, but you didn¡¯t really need to look beyond the class name. Taking it would give him the power of an apocalypse beast, take him beyond one even. One hundred stats, after his title''s work and evolutionary boons working on it, would translate to 179 stats per level, 78 extra from his [Enlarged Soul] and one from his title [Jack Of All Trades].


    The class description also taught him of an evolutionary limit he hadn¡¯t been aware of. Turned out humans were limited to the C Rank, just one beyond where he¡¯d currently reached. Becoming a dread chimaera would solve that issue and push his race''s potential all the way up to S-rank. All these boons alone were incredible, but when he considered them all together, it made the class revolutionary.


    Sadly, it wasn¡¯t enough for him to take it. Fixing his soul shell had made his soul affinity available to him. He didn¡¯t know if it was linked to that, but he was able to sort of ¡®feel¡¯ how a class would change him beyond the simple description he was given by the system and this class would change his soul a LOT. As limited as everyone wanted to tell him the human race was, Arthur was a big fan of having opposable thumbs. Sure becoming some big bad new species looked good on paper but how was he gonna clean his arse if he became a quadruped like the shadow panther.


    He would rather die than start licking himself clean, an instinct he was very likely to inherit if he chose this class. At least that was the general impression his soul affinity was giving him. It would make him more monster than man. I¡¯m not the biggest fan of other people, but that doesn''t mean I want to give up on the amenities of civilization altogether. No, whilst he was aware of his race''s deficiencies, he¡¯d find another way to push beyond them. This was all a secondary issue too, when compared to how he might change mentally after taking the class. Instead of abandoning his humanity altogether, he''d find a way to build upon the foundations it had given him. He had a good feeling the next class on the list would better suit his purposes. It was called The Perfect Homunculus. Bringing up its details, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but grin. The perfect homunculus was well¡­ perfect.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    The Perfect Homunculus (Legendary, Growth)


    Blades are forged in the hottest flames and the decisions made in desperation are often those that shape us forever. In your darkest moments, you claimed the power of the shadow panther for yourself, The beginning of many assimilated beasts started on the foundations of an apocalypse and ending at the divine.


    This class is a continuation of that journey, a refinement of the foundation you have already built and the initial consolidation of a trifecta, the first step of the supremacy you shall become. Rejecting the path of man and beast, you tread the narrow valley between, a perfect homunculus of your own making. A single misstep shall lead to ruin.


    Gains 70 stats per level [+20 Draconic Vitality/ level +50 free stats/ points/ level]


    Note: This class possesses resonance with your fractured title half-breed. Taking it will develop it in a similar direction and assimilate it within the class instead of allowing the title to proceed down a new path. Warning: certain bloodlines and species may take offence to what this class says about you and the foes you vanquished to get to where you are now.


    </td>


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    It was a legendary class and provided 70 stats per level, five below the maximum a legendary class could have given him. With his titles, that translated to 126 stats, one more than the theoretical maximum a mythical class was supposed to give. The stats for once, however, were a secondary consideration in his decision-making process. They were an incredible boon and would compound well with the stat monster he had already become, but they paled when compared to the main selling point this class provided.


    It would allow him to continue consuming monster cores.


    He¡¯d known for a while now that his half-breed title was undergoing a metamorphosis. Alyssia had warned him of it a long time ago and now, with his soul affinity unlocked, he could feel it resting within his spirit, a wellspring of evolutionary potential that was starting to dry up. It was partly because of how much he¡¯d abused himself eating so many monster cores but mostly due to the fact that his human soul, as adaptable as it was, was starting to run into some hard limitations with how much more power it could assimilate.


    Arthur had been content with giving up his greatest advantage, he¡¯d thought it was a foregone conclusion that his core consumption was a thing of the past. The mythical class he¡¯d been offered seemingly provided a similar boon, but it was more in the strain of general monster progression, where they¡¯d consume the entirety of their defeated foes and grow a little stronger for it. The perfect homunculus, however, seemed like a natural progression of his cheat-like ability, albeit with a restriction in his number of uses.


    Trifecta suggested he¡¯d have three core slots to fill, with his first apparently being a consolidation of everything he¡¯d eaten so far. A SINGLE dragon core had changed him more than most legendary classes would and this would allow him to eat two more.


    Or I could go for something stronger. What¡¯s above a dragon on the food chain? A Drakon? Maybe a Kraken. I don''t know if they''re stronger than dragons though. He¡¯d heard tales of many creatures with reality-breaking abilities in the past month. Most of them of course were fabrications, but he¡¯d confirmed the existence of a few supreme monsters whilst talking with Alyssia. A star-swallower might be beyond him now, but that wouldn''t remain the same forever. And this class would let him take that power for himself. He¡¯d have to be selective with what he ate going forwards and getting the required ingredients to fuel his expensive diet would be near impossible, but the potential here far outstripped anything he¡¯d seen so far.


    Sure a perfect blood affinity was sweet, but what if he could gain something like void, or Armageddon? With it being a growth class, it meant it would automatically evolve into Mythical at level 200 and if the growth aspect remained, he''d hit level 300 with an Ascendant class. Sure, with his insane health pool, blood magic was perfect for him, but with Draconic Vitality already allowing him to fuel his normal skills with health at a reasonable conversion rate, it wasn''t a game changer.


    Arthur was almost certain he¡¯d be choosing this class but he checked the next one on the list just in case. Despite its mediocre name, it was actually decent. The Shoddy craftsman was interesting enough, but it pushed him in a direction he wasn¡¯t fond of, providing a 50% bonus to all crafting-related skills. It¡¯d also give him two extra slots for general skills with an additional one provided every 50 levels.


    An epic+ crafting class.


    He was certain any blacksmith or alchemist would be frothing at the mouth right now but being a craftsman just didn¡¯t interest him all that much. Not when the only reason he¡¯d been offered this class was because of the insane quality of ingredients he¡¯d been using thus far. No, Arthur knew what he wanted without a shadow of a doubt. Getting comfortable against the Tree of Life, he made his decision.

 Chapter 127- The First Step

    Arthur paced around the Tree of Life, rolling a golden apple pit in his hand. It started dissolving into motes of light, mirroring the degradation process that was taking place on the tree it had come from. It turned out that the reward for this floor was the fruit on the tree, and they''d gotten a perfect score of ten for retrieving all of them in perfect condition.


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    Golden apples of Hesperides (Elite) [Imitation]- A reflection of the real fruit, this imitation possesses a fraction of the regenerative properties the true golden apples contain. As a Locus reward, the seeds within are infertile and will dissipate rapidly after the consumption of the fruit. Unless stored properly, the fruits shall degenerate into uselessness within 11 hours.


    [+10 vitality per fruit. Works only for those below level 200. Has minor soul-stabilising properties and can heal a limited number of afflictions ailing the mind. Note that this is not a substitute for a proper cure.]


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    Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t a supreme treasure like the growth item they¡¯d received on the first floor. Soul-bound items were incredibly rare and they''d won the lottery by getting them as rewards for the first layer. There was a silver lining, however, and Arthur was pleased that the fruit he¡¯d eaten worked on Draconic Vitality too with no diminishing returns. He was just about to start on his second fruit when Alyssia walked up to him. She thrust a leather bag at him, one he¡¯d seen her working on throughout their time spent on the second layer. "I made this for you," she declared. Bemused, Arthur took it from her. At first glance, it looked ordinary enough but a quick burst of Identify told him otherwise.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">Bag of holding (Uncommon)- An enchanted leather bag of adequate craftsmanship, objects placed within will be preserved for a little longer than usual. It has been spacialy expanded to 5m2</td>


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    Before he could thank her, Alyssia started talking. It was more akin to babbling with how fast the words rushed out of her mouth and he could barely understand her at first. Seeing the confusion on his face, she took a deep breath and started again at a much slower pace this time.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologise Arthur. I know I¡¯ve said it before, and it rings hollow the second time, but truly, I am sorry,¡± she said quietly, not meeting his eyes. ¡°I dragged you to this locus touting grand promises of how I¡¯d help you fix your aura problems and save your life but I''ve failed to live up to them.¡± She raised a hand to stop Arthur from speaking.


    ¡°Let me finish first before you say anything.¡± Alyssia firmly requested. ¡°I¡¯ve been preparing this speech for a while now and I want to finish before you just say that things are alright."


    "They¡¯re not Arthur and I¡¯m woman enough to admit that.¡± She took a deep breath and met his gaze. ¡°Since we¡¯ve entered the locus, I¡¯ve been passive-aggressive, belligerent and more than a little malicious.¡± A part of her died inside when she saw the agreement in Arthur¡¯s eyes but she steeled herself and continued. She¡¯d made her bed and now it was time to lie in it.


    ¡°I can make a thousand excuses for my behaviour, but that¡¯s all they are, excuses. At the end of the day, I¡¯ve been bad company and a terrible friend."


    "Your cooking''s been great though,¡± Arthur joked to lighten the mood. She chuckled dryly before carrying on.


    ¡°I told you about my childhood,¡± Alyssia continued. ¡±About how I had no friends my age. I¡¯ve reflected on that these past two weeks and come to some realisations I¡¯m not entirely happy with. I had no friends for a reason and it''s not because my mother was the clan''s Matriarch.¡±


    She scratched her head awkwardly. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say, Arthur, is that I need to fix up and sort out my attitude. Maybe I can try that therapist thing you humans are so fond of. We had a variation of them in my world and I avoided them like the plague.¡± She smiled at him weakly and carried on babbling. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for me to work on myself. Hah. Never thought I¡¯d say those words. I sound like a stupid teenager trying to reject someone.¡± Sighing wearily, she rubbed at her temples. ¡°In that bag, is my share of the golden apples, and no, I won''t be taking them back." She pushed the bag back into his hands. "They¡¯re about five times more useful for you than they are for me and it¡¯s the least I can do after how I¡¯ve treated you. I¡¯ve gotten more out of this Locus than I ever could have hoped for from the first layer and it''s time for me to cut my losses and move on.¡±


    Now that was something Arthur had certainly not expected. She was leaving early. Right after he''d gotten his class. Why?


    ¡°I set up a warding perimeter around Artemo before we came here and I received a ping about ten minutes ago," Alyssia explained. "With all the concealing cones I placed, the only reason someone could stumble upon him was if they were deliberately looking for him. With the time dilation here, I¡¯ve probably got an hour in the locus before they reach him and I¡¯ll be gone from here in the next five minutes," she said. "I¡¯m lucky I left him so close to the locus entrance. I¡¯ll be cutting it close, but I should get there on time. With your recent spike in power and new class. The next layer should be a walk in the park, even with how thin the ether here is for you now.¡±


    Arthur of course asked her if she needed his help, but it was more out of a sense of decency than an actual desire to provide aid. What she¡¯d said regarding her behaviour rang true, which he could see quite clearly now without a broken soul shell messing with his emotions. With the dragon core¡¯s consumption, and the selection of his class, The perfect Homunculus, he was now finely in tune with both his human and bestial sides and could now appreciate the past few days with a more level head.


    He owed Alyssia nothing. Okay, that''s a little harsh, but there''s no debt between us.


    Thankfully, she seemed to have come to the same conclusion and firmly rejected the help he was offering. He felt a little guilty that he was happy with her decision. Sure Alyssia had been a little bitchy, but Artemo was just a kid. One who was now apparently in mortal danger. Shouldn''t he help? With great power came great responsibility. The famous quote was something along those lines. Arthur squashed that emotion down with extreme prejudice as soon as it reared its ugly head; he was no saviour and it wasn¡¯t his moral obligation to help everyone that fell in his path. Not when they had an older sister like Alyssia coming to their aid. She was capable enough that few people on the planet could give her any trouble.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    All things considered, their parting was a little bittersweet. For all her faults, Arthur had grown a lot in his time with the alverin woman. As crass as she was, he¡¯d even grown to enjoy her company at times. Her question on whether or not to dissolve the Bhai Giya bond between them came as a little surprise but after hearing her reasoning, it made sense.


    The benefits it provided him weren¡¯t all that great and Alyssia didn''t want a magical bond tying them together. As she put it, ¡°The next time we meet, maybe I''ll be worthy of such friendship, but until then I''m just a leech hanging on to your coattails. I don''t want to be that kind of person. I¡¯ve seen enough sycophants to last me a lifetime and I''m worried staying with you might make me a part of that horrible club.¡±


    Her words were more than a little defeatist and his former therapist could probably diagnose a whole host of problems from those few sentences. Arthur wasn''t her therapist though, and he didn''t want to put her in a box with his limited knowledge of psychology. He hated the people who''d tried to do that to him far too much to attempt it on someone else. In the end, he decided to keep the bond. It was harmless enough and with his soul affinity finally ready for use, he could cut it off whenever he wanted.


    Alyssia¡¯s departure came without any fanfare or ceremony. One moment she was there, standing beside him in front of the dying tree of life, and the next she was gone, her existence scrubbed away so fast it was almost as if he¡¯d imagined her presence. A half second later, he was greeted with a system message.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Your partner has decided to exit the locus of power and forfeit the challenger of the final layer, A Test of Endurance. Would you like to do the same?


    YES/NO


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    Arthur instantly rejected the offer. He was itching for a fight right about now, and he hoped the final layer would provide that challenge. It had a very generic sounding name and he was almost certain that it had nothing to do with the trials Hercules had undergone in Greek mythology. He could be wrong though so he didn¡¯t let it concern him.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    A test of endurance is a floor consisting of several waves where you¡¯ll have to survive against stronger and stronger enemies. With a maximum of ten waves, seven must be completed to make you eligible for the final reward. As a floor where the challenge starts instantaneously, you¡¯ll be given five minutes to prepare yourself before you¡¯re teleported there.


    Get ready.


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    </table>


    Arthur grinned. This was perfect. He wanted a chance to test his newest abilities and an opportunity had just been handed to him on a silver platter. Choosing The perfect homunculus as his class had evolved his capabilities as much as the dragon''s core had, arguably more so.


    True to its description, it was a consolidation of everything that had led up to this point, every core he¡¯d consumed, every fight he¡¯d won, even his pre-system experiences that defined who he had become.


    Still, things weren¡¯t all sunshine and rainbows, though. Alyssia hadn¡¯t been lying to him when she said he¡¯d very quickly outgrow the planet. He just hadn¡¯t realised how literally the words would apply to him. The ether density on a tier-1 planet, even as concentrated as it was within the locus, simply wasn''t enough to maintain his existence. He had to spend ether just to stay alive.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Warning, the ether density in your current location is too low to sustain you. Regeneration rates will be halved. 2000 ether/hour shall be consumed to maintain your presence.


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    For most others, receiving a similar notification would almost be a death sentence and light a fire under their arses to leave the tier-1 zone as soon as possible. With his unique abilities, however, it was merely an inconvenience, especially after the boons his class had provided him. He pulled up the notification to read through it again, properly this time. Alyssia¡¯s sudden departure had distracted him.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    You have selected the class The Perfect Homunculus (Legendary/growth) [+20 Draconic Vitality + 50 free stats per level]--->(adjusted due to titles)->[+36 DV+90 free stats/level]


    All regeneration rates, strength, agility, willpower and Charisma shall be increased by 50%. This increase applies after title and evolutionary enhancements unless otherwise stated


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    With the boon from his new class, his absurd regeneration rates had ballooned to truly epic proportions and with the added 100 draconic vitality from all the golden apples he''d eaten, his health was getting closer and closer to a hydra''s.


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    Draconic Vitality- 2,050 (1226x1.52.1.1) [Previously-1883 (1126x1.52x1.1)]


    Health- 263,835/263,835


    Health Regeneration-43,533/hour (26,384x1.1x1.5)


    </td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    Even with his regeneration halved right now, it still translated to over 20,000 health per hour. With a three-to-one conversion ratio for ether, it meant he was generating just over seven thousand ether every hour, more than enough to pay the cost of sustaining his existence in the ether-starved locus. Arthur was a little worried about whether the penalty would jump when he exited the Trials of Hercules and returned to the real world where the ether wasn¡¯t so concentrated. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be lucky enough for the 2000 ether/hour penalty to stay at a fixed value.


    It at least explained why you didn¡¯t get insanely powerful aliens throwing their weight around in freshly tiered-up worlds. They literally couldn¡¯t, or at least they couldn¡¯t for extended periods of time. Still, Arthur knew just how much damage someone as strong as he was would be able to do in the few hours they¡¯d normally be permitted on a lower-tier world. With his upgraded class skills, Arthur was a force to be reckoned with and his propensity for destruction was unmatched across the planet.


    No one even came close. Not when he had so much energy to fuel his spells with.


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    The First Consolidation shall Occur at level 101


    Class Skills


    <u>Shadow:</u>


    -Cloaked Darkness (Epic)


    -Shadow Step (Epic)


    -The Cloaked Blade (Legendary)


    <u>Poison/Water:</u>


    -Poisoned Fang of The Hydra (Epic)


    -Molecular Water Shot* (Epic)


    -Reflective Shield (Epic)


    -N/A (Gained at level 105)


    <u>Healing</u>


    -Overcharge (Elite)


    -Augmented Recovery (Epic)


    -A Homunculi''s healing (Legendary)


    <u>Soul:</u>


    -Armaments of The Soul (Legendary)


    -The Souls Splinters (Legendary-Ritual)


    -N/A (Gained at level 110)


    <u>Pinnacle skill:</u>


    -The Homunculi Hunts (Legendary, Domain skill)


    </td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 128- A Boring Battle

    Arthur stretched as he waited the final sixty seconds before the final floor started. His body felt far more limber than it ever had before, courtesy of the reforging the Dragons Will had put his body through. He was almost certain he could give a contortionist a run for their money right now which was definitely unfair when all his abilities came out of a bottle.


    Arthur set himself some ground rules. As much as he wanted to rush into the next layer, guns akimbo and new skills flared for use, he¡¯d be limiting himself to nothing but his body for the first wave. It was important that he became aware of the new baseline his body was capable of before he moved on to the fun stuff. I hope it¡¯s still challenging.


    The final few seconds trickled away and Arthur felt a teleportation spell grip him for transportation. This time, it felt like he could resist it a little if he wished, maybe even cast it off altogether if he really pushed himself. He didn¡¯t know if this was a natural result of his increased power but he suspected his Draconic Vitality was the main culprit for the newest ability. The stat appeared to do far more than what its barebones description suggested.


    Arthur didn¡¯t resist and let the magic take hold of him. A strange lurching sensation later, and he was translocated to the final floor of the locus. Opening his eyes to take in his new location, he almost sighed in relief to see that the biome for the final layer wasn''t a copy-paste like the previous two. It was a mixture of African savannah and the marshy swamp that made up the hydra¡¯s domain, a contradiction of sorts, but the locus somehow made it work. It certainly didn¡¯t have the uncanny valley feel the previous floor did.


    The final layer was different to its predecessors, in that it had a very distinct boundary to it. Whereas before, he could go on walking in one direction for hours and trust special magic to keep him going too far, he was pretty sure the wall of darkness a few miles out signified the end of this layer. It rose up into the sky as high as his enhanced eyes could see, which was more than a little strange and reminded him of the unreality of the realm he was currently in.


    The sun was at its zenith, directly above his head, a ball of flaming light that was far closer than Earth''s personal star. Arthur idly noted that the patches of marshy ground shouldn¡¯t exist with the presence of so much heat. It just served as another reminder that they¡¯d broken into this locus a little too early. Arthur suspected the locus had taken parts of the previous floors and merged them with this one to conserve energy.


    Finally done with his inspection of the terrain, Arthur finally turned to the system notification in front of him.


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    You have entered the final layer of the trials of Hercules, A Test of endurance. Stamina shall be consumed 50% faster whilst on this floor. Skills used shall gradually increase in cost the longer you use them whilst here. Survive seven waves to complete the locus. Complete ten to receive the best rewards.


    Wave 1- 49 goblins. 1 hobgoblin chieftain


    Beginning in 52 seconds


    Prepare yourself.


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    That certainly explained the strange weight that had been placed upon his shoulders the second he¡¯d entered the floor. He¡¯d initially thought it was the oppressive heat weighing him down. Turns out the penalties of this trial were quite literally placed upon his shoulders. A 50% increase in his stamina expenditure would compound with his decreased regeneration rates, but Arthur was certain he could manage. It had to be this hard to at least make things challenging.


    The increased skill cost might prove to be an issue, but if he limited himself to a skill or two for the first few waves, he was sure he could manage the more difficult ones. He was lucky in the sense that his skills were independently strong. For someone like Alyssia, whose entire skill set was used in conjunction to generate her incredible speed, this floor would prove incredibly difficult. Maybe even impossible. It was lucky she¡¯d bowed out early before she became useless.


    Arthur baulked at the harsh thought. I guess it''s true enough, but she carried me pretty damn hard against the Hydra. It''s not fair to just think of her as a leech. His judgmental thoughts made him realise that he was probably carrying some repressed resentment in him for the alverin woman because of how she¡¯d treated him. It was something he hadn''t been aware of and was definitely something he needed to work through as soon as possible, certainly before and if he ever met her again.


    You didn¡¯t stand up for yourself when she was here. He reminded himself. There''s no point bitching about it now that she¡¯s gone. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the healthiest outlook, but it was certainly true. He wouldn¡¯t be one of those fools who daydreamed of comebacks days after an argument had ended. And it wasn''t that deep anyway. The past was the past and it existed behind him. He had destinations to get to.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur centred himself just as the goblins began to appear. They just popped into existence, first one, then two, right at the edge of the floor, almost as if they had stepped out of the wall of darkness itself. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, this layer was a wave-based challenge for a reason. The monsters wouldn¡¯t be spawned in pairs or trios for him to deal with at his leisure.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    A second after the first goblins'' arrival, there were ten, and a half second later, the full contingent of 50 monsters had appeared, with the hobgoblin chieftain standing at the front of their rank and file. Well, calling it a rank and file was a little generous; they were more a rabble of small green humanoids with a varying distribution of weaponry ranging from adequate to piss-poor tools he wouldn¡¯t touch with a ten-foot pole.


    The hobgoblin leading them, however, was a different story. Standing at a comfortable height north of six feet, he brandished a massive two-handed war axe that glinted in the fake sunlight. A quick use of identify showed he was level 120, a full 30 levels higher than the rest of his minions, and 20 levels higher than Arthur was. The fact that the dragon''s core hadn¡¯t pushed him to level 101 was a testament to how difficult it was for him to level now and it was a shame reaching level 100 and getting a class hadn''t given him any stats.


    Apparently, that was a thing, just not important enough for anyone to write down or tell him. The levelling requirements he had, being what they were right now, he¡¯d be pleasantly surprised if completing all ten waves netted him a single level up. Arthur briefly debated whether or not to rush towards the rapidly approaching monsters but decided against it. It¡¯d be annoying if he rushed to one end of the floor to confront the beasts and then be forced to run to the opposite end because they decided to spawn there for the next wave. No, it was smarter to conserve energy and wait for them here in the middle.


    When the hoard of monsters was a mile away, the chieftain raised a horn to his lips and trumpeted for all he was worth. The distance between them being what it was, it took a few seconds for the sound to reach him but when it did, it hit with the physical force of a speeding car. At least it hit his surroundings that hard. Arthur stood there unfazed as shrubbery was uprooted and grass flattened all around him in a twenty-metre radius.


    He idly noted that the large span of greenery between them hadn¡¯t suffered the same fate, which meant the chief''s clarion call was a targeted attack of some kind, bypassing the intermediary space from destruction. A system notification confirmed his suspicions a second later.


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    You have been struck with Enraging Shout of the Chieftain (rare).


    You have registered its effects.


    All goblinoid''s stats shall be increased by 10% for the next twenty minutes. Goblin attacks shall apply the debuff Encroaching madness I


    You are resistant to this effect.


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    Turns out the level 120 monster wasn¡¯t ready to face someone with over 3000 effective human constitution. Go figure. Arthur grinned as he saw the look of confusion appear on the hobgoblin''s face as he shook his head vigorously. Looked like a failed casting had a backlash of some kind. The horde of monsters resumed their approach, though far slower than they¡¯d been moving before.


    I don''t blame them. I¡¯d be scared to face me too. With the cautionary pace their leader set, it took the goblins seven minutes to reach him. The moment they did though, it was as if a switch was flipped, and the hobgoblin bellowed a challenge, even as his minions rushed forwards, their own warbling cries accompanying his roar and creating a terrible symphony which hurt to listen to.


    The hobgoblin, or Mavak as his skill had identified him, seemed content to let his troops rush forward, perhaps out of a misguided attempt to soften his enemy before claiming the kill for himself. It was an arrangement Arthur was more than happy with and he closely watched the leading goblin. It was a skinny creature, all knees and elbows with the stature of an eleven-year-old child. The rictus grin and foaming saliva at its lips, as well as the dangerously sharp teeth, disabused any observer of the notion that this creature was anything but feral.


    Arthur didn¡¯t react at all as the monster came closer. Six metres. Five. Four. Three. The moment the goblin passed the one-metre mark, he exploded into motion, so fast he was certain the green humanoid didn¡¯t even see what happened. The creature certainly felt it though, when Arthur¡¯s front kick connected with its chest with the sound of a gunshot.


    Arthur felt ribs crack beneath his foot, so loud and so fast it felt like he had kicked dead wood instead of a living creature. If he¡¯d put his all into it, Arthur wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if his leg went through the goblin in its entirety. As things were, the small humanoid shot backwards at thrice the speed it had approached, dead the moment its forward motion had stopped. The dagger it had been clutching so tightly went flying off towards the left where it found itself embedded in another creature''s arm.


    By this time, another goblin was upon him- man or woman, Arthur couldn¡¯t tell- the pickaxe in its hands on a direct collision course with his face. The makeshift weapon looked like it was moving in slow motion, and he guessed the monsters had around a hundred agility, less than a fifth of his. Arthur didn¡¯t know if that made him five times faster than them, but it certainly felt like it. He was like an adult fighting children, they were in entirely different weight classes.


    After the first four exchanges, Arthur realised this would be a very boring fight. Even with their number advantage, the goblins posed zero threat to him. Literally. He¡¯d allowed a sabre wielder to strike his open palm and it had done nothing. Even if he¡¯d wanted, this was a fight he simply couldn¡¯t lose. The moment he came to that conclusion took the fun out of everything and he tried to spice things up by making strikes he¡¯d never consider in a real fight, the sort of combinations you¡¯d find in a choreographed movie scene that looked devastating but were anything but.


    That was fun for the first two minutes but quickly lost its charm. This battle was just bullying. Mavak watched on imperiously as his soldiers were cut down like wheat which Arthur chalked up to locus restrictions acting upon him. Even the most suicidal creatures would have fled by now. A natural-born monster would have listened to their preservation instincts and run away. Mavak just stood there like he owed him some money.


    In less than ten minutes, Arthur was finished dealing with the chaff and approached the hobgoblin leader. The boss finally decided to move, hefting his two-handed war axe before swinging to the fences, aiming directly at his neck. A decapitation blow. Arthur didn¡¯t even try to dodge the deadly strike.


    No, he caught the blade.

 Chapter 129- A Tiring Speedrun

    It was an impulsive decision. Arthur didn¡¯t walk into the fight aiming to catch a massive two-handed war-axe going for his throat. It sort of just happened. The reasonable choice would have been a single step backwards which would have allowed the blade of decapitation to swing by harmlessly; except with a half-metre hunk of steel looming in his vision, Arthur for some reason, raised a single hand, appearing to any observer like a fool who thought he could command the force.


    Except when the axe-head connected with his open palm, it almost looked like he could. Arthur was just as surprised as the hobgoblin chieftain when the monster¡¯s strike did absolutely nothing. The attack''s momentum and force met the wall of 2,050 Draconic vitality and found itself wanting. With an effective constitution of over 3,000, no monster under level 200 had the toolkit to harm him. Apocalypse beasts didn¡¯t count.


    For all his efforts, Mavak¡¯s opening strike resulted in nought but a thin line of red on Arthur¡¯s hand that disappeared as soon as it formed, more a papercut than an actual wound. Letting go of the blade''s edge, Arthur shook his arm to get rid of the phantom pain his brain told him should be present. Judging by the power behind the hobgoblin blow, Arthur estimated its strength stat was in the low five hundred, significantly higher than his measly 260 (125x1.26x1.1x1.5).


    If stats didn¡¯t mess with physics, Arthur would have been sent sprawling. As things were, he merely cocked his fist and punched the creature¡¯s jaw for all he was worth. The monster might have been stronger than him, but Arthur was faster and he didn''t have to worry about a shitty constitution holding him back like Alyssia did. His clenched fist crashed into Mavak''s jaw with a juddering crunch, and finding a little resistance, pushed through splintered bone and broken teeth, pulverising the upper third of the hobgoblin''s tongue in its passage.


    This fight is seriously unfair.


    Arthur stopped his preparation to launch a second blow when he heard the distinct snap of bone. Like a puppet with its strings cut, Mavak fell lifelessly to the ground, jaw hanging on by a thread of flesh in a grotesque display of pulped flesh. He''d broken the creature''s neck with a single punch.


    Arthur sighed in exasperation. This was supposed to be his testing ground, a place where he could get used to the new limitations of his body before he had to face the very real threats approaching Earth. He couldn''t test shit if monsters died so easily. Nudging the creature''s body with his foot to see if the overgrown goblin was faking death, Arthur was disappointed to see nothing so inspired. The monster was actually dead, the rush of energy it provided him was so small it didn''t even register as a blip on his radar. He''d have to kill thousands of hobgoblins, maybe tens of thousands to gain a single level.


    It was a depressing thought and he quickly tempered his hopes of levelling from this final layer. It wouldn''t be happening.


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    Congratulations on completing the first wave, you finished the wave with 46 minutes to spare and the next wave shall begin in ten minutes.


    Wave 2- 50 goblins, 20 goblin arches, 3 frost hounds, 1 hobgoblin shaman, 1 hobgoblin chieftain.


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    That was quite a large spike in difficulty from the first wave. And he wasn¡¯t sure if the previous him would have been able to handle it. Alyssia would have struggled even more than him with this layer''s restrictions limiting her. It also informed him that there was an hour limit to every wave and that if one wasn¡¯t completed by then, you¡¯d have to deal with the next at the same time.


    He could see that becoming a problem if the waves grew too large to handle quickly but he doubted things would get to that point. Rolling his shoulders, Arthur sat down to wait for his enemies. Hopefully, this wave wouldn''t prove to be as disappointing as the last.


    It did.


    Arthur rubbed his temples as a hobgoblin shaman shot fireball after fireball at his face to little effect. The decrepit hag had been at it for three minutes now, and the only reason Arthur didn¡¯t kill her was because the warmth felt sort of pleasant on his skin, reminiscent of the time an ex had persuaded him to get a facial at a beauty salon. It was kind of pitiful; she was pouring everything she had into this and Arthur was treating it as a massage.


    The novelty of the experience faded after a while and Arthur quickly killed his last foe with a Molecular water shot (Epic) through the skull. It was one of his skills that had changed the least with his new class.


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    Molecular water shot (Elite) level 1- Fire bullets of water ranging in size from as large as boulders to as tiny as the grouped molecules that make up the liquid. Molecular water shot possesses a piercing ability that bypasses a portion of the target''s natural defence, both magical and physical.


    Cost: variable


    Damage: variable


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    With his new class, the skill¡¯s rarity had gone up a grade, and its wording had changed a little. It now bypassed a ¡®large¡¯ portion of a target''s defence and the word ¡®natural¡¯ had been taken out of the skills description. Did that mean he could now bypass unnatural defences too? What the hell was unnatural defence anyway? One thing Arthur knew for certain, however, was that the skill dealt significantly more damage now, almost twice as much if he had to put a number on it.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    A portion of the hag¡¯s head was literally deleted out of existence, something the previous version of the skill never would have been able to do with the hundred ether investment he''d put into it. With the monster¡¯s death, the second wave ended leaving him as disappointed as the first had.


    The monsters, on average, had all been five levels higher, and the hobgoblin chieftain had wielded a massive club instead of an axe. Apart from that, things had been exactly the same. A five-level increase was a drop of water in the ocean of difference that separated the base creatures from himself. Grimacing at the gore coating his fists, Arthur prepared himself for the slog that lay before him. He no longer harboured any hopes that it would be any fun.


    ~A Hospital Staffroom~


    The air was charged with a horrible pressure that seemed to physically weigh everyone down as they stared at the television screen. The room stank of stale sweat and disinfectant. Even after a month since the system¡¯s arrival, the hospital hadn¡¯t gotten used to the copious flow of injured patients that came through every day, and it could be seen in the haggard faces and unkempt appearances of the staff crammed into the room.


    They were on a rare ten-minute break and a few healers were passed out on beanbag cushions despite the momentous news being broadcast on screen. ¡®Hells rising¡¯ they were calling it. The day when the dead started to wake up. Things had started innocently enough. Twenty-seven hours ago, the huge dimensional incursion hovering over the Atlantic ocean or ¡®Ritual Translocation spell¡¯ as the authorities were calling it, had finally opened up, spitting a motley crew of ragged humans directly into the waters.


    Military personnel had immediately apprehended the group, or at least they¡¯d tried to. Moments after identify showed them to be levelled into the low 200s, quickly told everyone that things wouldn¡¯t go so well. That hadn¡¯t stopped a Japanese general, newly appointed by himself as the great samurai warlord, from trying something. How the man had managed to get on the scene without raising a horde of red flags was anyone''s guess, suffice to say the man had died very quickly.


    His execution had been broadcast for all the world to see because that was exactly what it was. The man hadn¡¯t stood a chance. It had taken a while for things to calm down after that, but eventually, the news stations were given something to work with.


    The aliens, for that, was what they were, were apparently the citizens of a tier-two world called Seroll. A mercenary team led by a man named Captain Arencia had apparently bitten off more than they could chew when they came across an ancient lich in their explorations of a sub-dimension. With their healers down after their first battle, and their dimensional mage out of action, they¡¯d made the wise decision to cut their losses and flee.


    That decision had led them to Earth and their troubles had come running behind them. Most hadn¡¯t believed them at first, captain Arencia''s warnings scrutinised as some kind of plot to spread dissent. How wrong they had been. Now Rachel watched, alongside the rest of the world, as a land of ice and death was created out of salt water. Even as the drones recorded, thousands of undead abominations crawled out of rents in space. Conservative estimates placed the number of their foes at two million. Captain Arencia said another three were coming.


    That was only the beginning of their troubles. The ¡®Frozen city¡¯, for that was now what it was called, was mobile, and wherever it travelled, the dead began to rise. The monsters created were weak, with none of the deadly powers of the lich¡¯s personal creations, but they proved fatal for the ordinary man. Already thousands had died, the victims joining their killers in undeath.


    There was hope, however, according to the news stations. Whilst Kazi Alukai hadn¡¯t made a move himself, another of Earth''s primes was making her way to the fight. The Life Of Earth, blue whale, Oceanuss, ruler of the seven seas.


    The representative of Earth''s animal kingdom had answered the world''s cry for help. Now the people watched, beast and man alike, with bated breath to see where the dice fell. Rachel didn¡¯t think she¡¯d like the role.


    ~~~~~~~~~


    Arthur groaned in exhaustion as he lay down on the blood-soaked earth, a mountain of corpses around him. This is gonna be easy, my ass. His stamina had literally hit zero multiple times on the most recent wave, which thankfully didn¡¯t knock him unconscious as he¡¯d feared. No, it just felt like elephants started a tap dancing concert across his body and slowed his movements by about seventy percent.


    The waves of monsters had grown in both number and difficulty exponentially after the third round where the locus left the goblin theme behind. The fourth level had been a horde of 500 bipedal wolves, all at level 130 led by a Lycan Packleader at level 150. That was the first round Arthur had to rely on his skills to finish at a reasonable time. He¡¯d stuck with the tried and tested molecular water shot to whittle his enemies down, but true to the layers name, the fight had truly become a test of endurance, with each shot of water costing thrice as much as it had initially by the end of it.


    Even with his massive energy reserves, spending ether and health so extravagantly wasn¡¯t sustainable. This locus was meant to be challenged by five people, who could selectively choose which skills to use against their enemies and cycle between them to avoid ratcheting up to heightened costs he had suffered. Sadly, Arthur was alone, with an entirely new set of abilities that he had absolutely no experience with.


    Arthur had used some of his new abilities to give them a test run but quickly realised that his experience with water bullets made it the best tool in his arsenal to get the job done, even as it increased in cost. Learning to shadow-step with an angry mutt gnawing on your leg wasn''t the greatest of ideas.


    By the ninth wave, the one he¡¯d just completed, he¡¯d had to fight a horde, 3000 strong consisting of trolls, ogres, lycans and werecats, all around level 180 using a spell that now cost a thousand ether per shot.


    If the locus didn¡¯t increase the time allotment per wave, he never would¡¯ve managed to complete it. Now he only had one to go, and he briefly wondered if he should bow out now with the rewards he¡¯d already earned. He quickly shot the absurd notion down and got to his feet, even as a portal formed in the air directly before him. This was different from the last, he could feel it in his bones. Oh, and the monsters were coming in a completely different way this time. It was a good thing he¡¯d saved his most potent skills for the final wave. He had a feeling he¡¯d need them.


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    Wave Ten- 1 Archon Knight; Level 201.


    Would you like to leave?


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    Arthur selected no.

 Chapter 130-Bad Premonitions

    The final wave of the test of endurance was different to its predecessors in that it consisted of only a single enemy, the Archon knight at level 201, a full 21 levels higher than any of the previous beasts he had faced. He wasn''t sure if he was remembering things correctly, but most monsters tended to undergo a significant evolution at the 200th level, much like unlocking a class for a sapient.


    If he was right, then the monster he was about to face would be a force to be reckoned with. The fact that it was placed as the final wave, considered a higher tier of difficulty than a battle against three thousand enemies of significant strength suggested he was in for the fight of a lifetime. The knight modifier also suggested he''d be fighting a humanoid monster, which meant the battle with it would be completely different from the other powerful creatures he¡¯d faced such as the hydra.


    Arthur swallowed the saliva that had pooled at the back of his mouth as he waited for the Archon knight to appear. He wasn''t scared per se- the past waves had taught him he was nigh invulnerable against the creatures of this locus now- but he was certainly nervous. Would this creature prove to be the outlier? His lizard brain definitely registered it as a threat, and it hadn''t been wrong yet. Three minutes left. With his remaining time, Arthur went over the skills he¡¯d saved for the final wave. He''d done so more because they simply hadn''t been necessary in the previous rounds than out of any cautionary reason, but now it seemed that decision had been the correct one. He¡¯d yet to use his pinnacle skill in combat, or even any of his legendary ones. I''ll hold out on the pinnacle skill for a bit and see if it''s overkill or not first. He wanted a challenge, and he doubted he¡¯d be getting one if he used it.


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    The Homunculi Hunts (Legendary, Domain skill)[Class pinnacle skill] Level 1- The perfect homunculus is a predator that thrives in the hunt, relishing in the misery of its prey. Creatures caught in your domain and selected will suffer adverse mental effects and will be 50% slower. (Note: this percentage is affected by the target''s natural resistances and constitution)


    Ten targets may be selected for the debuff Homunculi¡¯s Draining [Cost 1000 ether/target]


    Homunculi¡¯s draining- Targets are drained of their ether, stamina, and Health at a rate of 5% of their respective maximums per minute. This drained energy is randomly assigned to create shadow bombs within the domain to target foes. Lasts for ten minutes.


    One target may be selected for the debuff, A Homunculi¡¯s Ire.


    A Homunculi¡¯s Ire- Target''s skills cost 30% more and may fail to function properly judging on the level/Strength disparity


    1% of all damage inflicted on this target within the domain will count as soul damage which permanently reduces a target¡¯s Healthpool


    Cost: 10,000 ether.


    Cooldown: 24 hours.


    0.01% of the damage inflicted on foes in your domain will count as soul damage. All host¡¯s skills [excluding domain skills] cost 25% less when used in the domain. Soul splinters are 25% stronger in the domain and recover twice as fast.


    Domain cost: 10,000 ether + 1,000 ether per minute of usage.


    Size: 1km.


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    Reading through the skill description for the third time, Arthur concluded that it was simply a cheat. Any single one of its effects was a massive boon, but when considered together, it made most fights trivial. The greatest advantage it had over his former pseudo domain, however, was that the skill could now differentiate between friend and foe. Using the skill for the upcoming fight would immediately make the Archon knight 50% slower in EVERYTHING, moment speed, mental processing, skill usage, and even magical attacks.


    Add on one of the active effects, and fighting Arthur would be a nightmare. Soul damage was the crowning cherry at the top of the cake and meant even the fights he lost would extract a hefty price from his foes. As long as he survived a battle, no foe would ever be beyond him, and if there was one thing he was confident in, it was his survivability.


    His pinnacle skill did, however, come along with an exorbitant cost. Ten thousand ether just to summon it translated to 30,000 health and it would take another 3,000 health per minute as it was deployed. The skill drank ether like a V8 engine did petrol. He¡¯d thought his health pool was practically an infinite resource; his new abilities were quickly teaching him otherwise. A part of his domain effects was currently cut off from him, at least until he figured out what his skill, The Soul''s Splinters (legendary, ritual) did.


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    The soul splinters (legendary, ritual) level N/A- Break a portion of your soul and create a ??????? construct with it.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Item cost: Variable


    Cost: 3% of your highest stats maximum


    Effect- Gain 1% of Splinter''s total stats as an addition to your own. Summon your soul splinter


    [Note: Ritual skills, especially those of the higher grade, go beyond the parameters of the system. Locate someone with a higher identification ability to learn more about your skills.] Uses available: 1


    Additional uses will be unlocked every 30 levels.


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    The skills description told him very little, only that if he decided to use it, he¡¯d have 9% less Draconic vitality by the time he reached level 200 and upgraded his class. That milestone was so far off in the future with how hard his class was to level he might not see it until he was twice his current age. The ritual''s effects were a little more¡­ obscure.


    From what he could tell, and the little nudge his soul affinity was telling him, he¡¯d be sacrificing a fraction of his soul to create a construct, or was it a minion of some kind? He was pretty sure the variable item cost included a monster core of some kind or the other. Arthur would normally be leery of creating something to serve as an ally, paranoid that he¡¯d get stabbed in the back, but this ritual was quite literally created from him.


    The construct created would be built off his soul, changed slightly to facilitate a new form of existence. At its core, though, the skill would still be him. With two minutes left till his grand battle, now wasn¡¯t the time to theory-craft his build. And besides, he¡¯d already settled on a skill to use for this fight.


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    Armaments Of The Soul (legendary) - The most potent tool of any soul mage, the armaments created with this skill are a reflection of the soul made manifest in physical reality. Of fluid form, the armament can be anything the user desires. Cost: 5000 ether summon cost. 1000 ether/ minute of use.


    Effect: 5% of all damage inflicted via the armament counts as soul damage. Ignores 50% of all defences. Attacks done with the armament have a slight possibility of permanently decreasing a target''s stats. Whilst the armament is summoned, spells cost 10% less ether. The host learns weapon techniques at an accelerated rate whilst using an armament.


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    Falling under the umbrella of soul affinity, the skill did not disappoint. There was a reason that soul mages were renowned as the hunters of apocalypse beasts. Yes, they also made for great healers, smiths and craftsmen but they weren¡¯t KNOWN for it. But I will be. I¡¯ll be the damned greatest healer the universe has ever known. Arthur promised himself. With the homunculi¡¯s healing (Legendary), he was already on the right track. With a little less than a minute before the Archon knight''s arrival, he deployed the skill for the first time.


    Five thousand ether translated to 15,000 health and Arthur was lucky using the resource didn¡¯t destroy his body as his last use of unstructured magic had. He¡¯d experimented with it a little, using almost 40,000 health dealing with the ninth wave, and thankfully using the resource didn¡¯t break down his body as he¡¯d feared. He suspected it was an unwritten effect of Dragon¡¯s vitality, but the energy spent on conversion this way made him feel... hollow. He didn¡¯t know how else to describe it, only that the time it took for him to regenerate from it was spent feeling a little more fragile than his stats suggested.


    It took a few seconds for his weapon to form and Arthur looked at the blob of purple-blue energy with embarrassment. He¡¯d been managing a huge bastard sword, described by many as more a hunk of iron, and had been left with¡­ well calling it a big stick was a little generous. Turned out the skill mentioning an armament being anything the user desired failed to mention how difficult actually shaping the weapon was. It was a good thing he¡¯d summoned it a few seconds before his enemy appeared because as things stood, the weapon would have proved useless. Rushed for time as he was, Arthur settled on creating a mace of some kind, with a sort of spike to the top of it. The final result didn¡¯t quite match what he¡¯d had in mind but it would have to do.


    The knight was stepping through a portal.


    If Arthur wasn¡¯t after a challenge, he would have struck right then, hitting the creature¡¯s armoured knee and disabling a leg before the monster even appeared fully. As things were, Arthur let the knight make its entrance and observed his foe even as it did the same for him. The knight was clad in golden armour and adorned with a billowing red cape. In her hands, for the knight''s proportions were distinctly feminine, were clasped a metre-long shield of some kind and a gleaming one-hand sword.


    Even an amateur like him could tell how exquisite the craftsmanship was. Alarm bells started ringing in Arthur''s head and he instinctively took a step backwards. Something was wrong. Whatever this was, it wasn¡¯t the Archon knight he was supposed to be facing. He was sure of it. His instincts were practically screaming it at him. The locus-generated monsters had a certain flavour to them; he wouldn¡¯t quite call them soulless, but there was an element of unreality to them and his brain recognised them for the magically generated constructs that they were. It was why he hadn¡¯t found it difficult to cut down so many ¡®humanoid¡¯ monsters thus far. He knew that they were fundamentally fake.


    This woman, however, was very, very real. Almost too real in fact, as if her presence in reality was somehow stronger than his own. Arthur had heard about the phenomenon, mentioned as a passing comment in one of his conversations with Alyssia. He¡¯d forgotten the exact word for it, but she¡¯d been describing something that took place at the top of the food chain, with people who were beyond the power structures created by classes.


    Whatever the case may be, it was definitely not something that should be happening with a level 201 Archon Knight. Not unless the thing had apocalypse-beast level potential. Arthur shot off a quick Identify and felt a stab of pain go through his head. That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen either, and it only confirmed his suspicions that something had gone wrong. His analysis skill, as underdeveloped as it was, should have shown him something, a question mark at least, especially since he already ¡®knew¡¯ what this creature was.


    The final nail in the coffin, though, was when the knight started to speak. She bowed her head at a ninety-degree angle in some form of greeting before looking back up at him, all in a single smooth motion that ignored the usual restrictions heavy plate put on someone.


    ¡°My name is Issania, firstborn daughter of Orlando, The Scarred One. May I have the honour of knowing who I am facing.¡±


    Oh Fuck.

 Chapter 131- Issania, Of The Scarred

    Ten years later, in his retelling of today''s events, Arthur would love to say he¡¯d taken the knight''s proclamations in his stride, that he¡¯d moved forwards like monsters talking to him was just another Tuesday. Unfortunately, reality painted a far less flattering picture, and Arthur stood there, mouth open like a fish out of water, his mind blank.


    A monster had just talked to him and she had a name! It made him question everything he¡¯d done whilst in the locus. No, that wouldn¡¯t make sense. His senses had clearly told him that this knight was an outlier, the creatures he¡¯d faced thus far had been ordinary constructed monsters. Shaking his head, Arthur focused back on the present. He¡¯d have time to deal with moral conundrums later. As long as he could survive this encounter first.


    Issania, as if sensing his confusion, cocked her head to the side in an expression that looked entirely too human. Dressed from head to toe in full-plate armour, a part of Arthur''s brain idly noted the expression even looked a little cute, at least as cute as she could look with the deadly aura radiating out of her.


    ¡°Ah, you must not know what is going on,¡± Issania said in realisation. ¡°I am not a monster generated by the locus to test you. I am Issania, a high-elf from Arlo, the Tier-3 central planet of the kingdom of Jorna." She reached up to her helmet and took it off, revealing that she did indeed have pointed ears reminiscent of elves in Earthen fiction. Besides that, the woman was honestly¡­ ordinary in appearance. She was no stunning beauty, nor was she ugly. Issania was decidedly average, so much so that Arthur was certain it was by deliberate choice. After all, it was a known fact that people gravitated towards their ideal form as they progressed along the path of power.


    She did have a massive scar cutting through the left side of her face, though Arthur did distinctly remember her saying her father was the scarred one, maybe it was a family thing. Arthur dismissed the thought out of mind and focused on what the woman was saying.


    ¡°I was challenging a chaos locus on my homeworld and its final layer sent me here.¡± She bowed again, this time in apology. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for interrupting your challenge like this, but it was out of my control, chaos loci are notorious for their eccentricities. You should be receiving a system notification just about now. My challenge is to teach a sapient a weapon mastery of their choice. I¡¯ll be rewarded according to how much you can learn. Your challenge¡­ well, I¡¯m sure the system is telling you right about now.¡±


    As per her predictions, Arthur received a system ping just as she finished.


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    Your locus challenge has been interrupted by a tier 3 locus challenge. Challenger Issania [challenger has allowed disclosure of her name and identity] has been transported as a cloned body to mentor you as per her challenge for 5 hours. Your challenge has been adjusted accordingly.


    New challenge: you shall be awarded according to how successful you are in a spar with Issania. The locus shall prevent death from occurring and your appearance, identity and levels are protected from observation unless you specify otherwise.


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    Arthur read through the notification whilst the woman waited patiently on the side. With the stats people had at their level, he¡¯d read the message in a fraction of a second, but she recognised that he¡¯d need some time to digest it. It took him a moment, but he ultimately decided that he was happy with this strange development. Come what may, he was certain he¡¯d gain far more from this woman than he would have fighting an Archon knight.


    ¡°Ah, so your task is to spar me,¡± Issania said, smiling. ¡°The system¡¯s been a little slow with its notifications today. How about this? My stay here is limited to five hours. We¡¯ll set aside the last thirty minutes for your spar. Is that agreeable with you?¡± She proposed. Arthur inclined his head, yes, and then noticing she didn¡¯t register the movement for one reason or the other- most likely the obfuscation in place- he responded verbally.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Now are you willing to give me your name? If not, please give me something to address you by. Otherwise, our conversations are going to get needlessly strange.¡±


    Arthur briefly debated what to do but eventually settled on a middle ground. Unless she was an incredible actor, the locus was protecting his identity and for good reason too. Loci were supposed to be places you could let loose and grow without fear of any eyes on you. That whole purpose would be broken if a stranger became aware of your abilities. ¡°My surname is Ward. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could call me that going forward.¡±


    It was a common enough name and he doubted it could be used to find him in the future. The nearest Tier-3 planet was thousands, maybe even millions of lightyears away and he doubted she¡¯d be able to locate a single tier-one planet. Locus names seemed to be protected too, so the only way he¡¯d be identified in the future would be by a hodgepodge description of the abilities he displayed in the next few hours, abilities he didn¡¯t even know how to use properly yet.


    Yeah, I think this is as hidden as my identity is ever going to be. I¡¯ve already got Lady Sleyca breathing down my neck. There''s no point in being so paranoid. Arthur didn¡¯t want to keep his name out of the limelight forever, but he wasn¡¯t ready for the shit show that would start if someone ever got a look at his status page. His soul-affinity alone made him a hot commodity and it wasn¡¯t even the most interesting thing about him. Arthur was pulled out of his musings when Issania clapped her gauntlet hands together.


    ¡°Excellent. Mr Ward is a perfectly fine name. You are male, yes! I can''t tell your species through the loci¡¯s obscurification but your general proportions suggest you are male. Yes?¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Arthur chuckled and nodded his head. ¡°Yes, I am male. So how will this go? Just to put it out there, but I¡¯ve never really used a weapon before, at least not properly. I¡¯m trained in hand-to-hand combat, but that shouldn¡¯t fulfil the criteria of your test.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect actually,¡± Issania replied with a smile. ¡°No training means you¡¯ve got no bad habits to unlearn, you¡¯re a fresh canvas I can work with.¡± She pointed towards the sword she¡¯d sheathed at her hip. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m a combatant well-versed in the use of a one-handed sword. Most of the time I use a shield too. Sometimes I go without. I¡¯m equally experienced with a spear, and I¡¯m a decent shot with a long bow though I¡¯d never call myself good.¡±


    She looked pointedly at the misshapen blob in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what weapon you¡¯re trying to imitate with your skill, but I suggest you dismiss it and save your energy. We¡¯ll be using actual weapons for our training as we don¡¯t have time for you to fine-tune your skill to replicate one. Oh, and my skills are telling me I don¡¯t want to get hit with it even though the loci¡¯s protection guarantees.¡±


    She waved her hand and an array of weapons appeared before her.


    A spacial treasure of some sort. Is it a ring? I swear those are ridiculously expensive. Arthur dismissed his soul armaments, sighing at the release in pressure he didn¡¯t even realise the skill was exerting on him. He mentally chided himself for not doing so earlier. Even an idiot would be able to tell he was new to the skill which told Issania a lot more about him than he¡¯d been willing to share. Either he¡¯d just gained a class or upgraded his own at level 200. With his presence in a tier-1 locus, it was clear he was under level 200. You didn¡¯t need to be Sherlock to deduce that he¡¯d just gotten his class.


    ¡°The system says this body of yours is a clone. How strong is the real you?¡± Arthur asked.


    She smirked at him. ¡°This replica has been limited to my strength when I was level 199, just before I evolved my class. It¡¯s been decades since I¡¯ve felt so weak. As for the real me, well¡­depending on how you do in our mock duel I might tell you.¡± She picked a spear up from the ground and threw it at him. He caught it, just barely, surprised at how heavy it was. Issania had thrown it like it weighed nothing. She shook her head. ¡°That one¡¯s no good. Try this one.¡± She held another out for him, this time handing it over instead of throwing it and Arthur idly wondered if she¡¯d only done so earlier to get an estimate of his stat distributions. Surely not. That would be an almost scary level of observational prowess. The new spear felt far more comfortable in his grip, even if the craftsmanship didn¡¯t look as good as the heavier one.


    ¡°Yeah, this one looks a lot better for your strength stat,¡± Issania confirmed his suspicions. ¡°A good spear- at least the ones made for all kinds of combat- should be an extension of your limb. Hold it up next to you. No. not like that, rest the butt against the ground.¡± She stepped back and furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯d prefer it be a few inches longer, but I don¡¯t think I have anything better on me.¡±


    Issania walked around him and instructed him to make a series of increasingly complex movements, some with the spear but most without. Whether or not she was happy with the movements he displayed he wasn¡¯t sure but he certainly wasn¡¯t with the showing he gave. Issania didn¡¯t say anything, but he was certain he¡¯d done certain things completely wrong. He¡¯d ended up using muscle groups he¡¯d never trained before and the ones he had trained, he¡¯d done so with Muay Thai movements in mind, not whatever¡­ this was. By the end of it, Arthur was covered in a sheen of sweat, even if his stats meant he wasn¡¯t truly tired.


    Thankfully, the former endurance challenge restrictions seemed to have been lifted.


    The lady knight stood before him, her hands on her hips as her eyes gazed somewhere off into the distance. ¡°Okay, the verdict,¡± she finally said. ¡°In terms of your foundation, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever come across a better body than yours. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done with it, but it contains power far greater than what your base stats probably suggest. I¡¯d think you have a special physique of some kind, but I¡¯ve detected no resonance with my own so far, which means yours is so far beyond mine I can¡¯t sense anything but I highly doubt that.¡±


    She stroked her chin in a way that reminded Arthur of older men with their beards and he¡¯d bet a thousand dollars she¡¯d picked up the habit from her father. He didn¡¯t want to assume anything but Orlando, the scarred one sounded like a man with a wicked beard. He stroked his own hairless chin. Curse these Korean genetics that held him back. Arthur didn¡¯t think minoxidil would work for him anymore with how high his Draconic Vitality was. It was a shame but he¡¯d have to leave his dreams of beard growing for when he found an alien remedy.


    ¡°Outside of your incredible body, however, the way you move yourself, the way you distribute weight on your feet, it¡¯s completely wrong for any sword techniques I can teach you. Thankfully, however, with a few minor adjustments, I might just be able to make a spear user out of you yet. Which is great actually. Seven times out of ten, you¡¯d rather have a spear in your hands instead of a sword. The reach advantage is too great and if you find a good enough Enchanter, you can get one that shortens for use in close range."


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for all that though, and besides the locus will prevent me from giving anything to you. In my culture, a master will always get a student their first weapon, but it looks like I¡¯ll have to forsake tradition today. Are you ready to learn then, Mr Ward, or would you like to pick up the blade?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll defer to your better judgement¡­ teacher, or do I call you something else,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Teacher¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± she answered, though her smug smile showed she was inordinately pleased with herself.


    Issania marched back and forwards in front of him with her hands clapped behind her back and Arthur could clearly tell she was mirroring someone else''s movements, perhaps her father once again? The elf-lady seemed to do that a lot.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start with a question, just as my master did when he first taught me. What is a weapon to you?¡±


    Arthur didn¡¯t take any time to think of some deep, profound answer. The question was simple and so was his reply. ¡°Something to help me kill better. A tool to inflict as much damage as possible in the most efficient way I can. Nothing more, nothing less. How I use it, well, that''s a separate question altogether.¡±


    ¡°An uninspired answer,¡± she grinned. ¡°I like it. The guys that start spouting poetry aren¡¯t right in the head. They think they¡¯re profound but they regurgitate the fanciful writings of those who never accomplished anything." She looked at him solemnly. ¡°Are you ready, Mr Ward, for instruction? We will test your limits, find them and go beyond for that is where real learning truly begins.¡±


    Arthur had a feeling she¡¯d memorised this speech from her father, but he went along with it and replied affirmatively. Issania grinned and Arthur felt a chill go down his back.


    ¡°I invoke teaching rights, locus,¡± she declared. ¡°Please bring back the stamina restrictions that were present on this floor.¡±


    I think I spoke too soon.

 Chapter 132- A Strange Dance

    Arthur closed his eyes, trying to ignore the twitching in his limbs as he thrust his spear for what felt like the thousandth time. It probably was. The pain in his muscles felt like an electric current was constantly running through them and half his focus was spent making sure an involuntary spasm didn¡¯t ruin his form.


    A quick dose of healing would get rid of all his troubles but Issania, the demoness, had expressly forbidden him from doing so. Apparently, she didn¡¯t trust his healing to not undo all the progress he was making. As she¡¯d explained to him, unless he had years of experience with magical healing, or he was an unparalleled genius in the field, then standard healing would only hinder him. Healing returned a body to its peak natural state, it didn¡¯t account for any changes someone had tried to introduce into their body via physical training and so would simply undo them.


    Unless he was confident enough to heal his body whilst accounting for the new muscle growth they were trying to stimulate, there was no point.


    Arthur secretly thought she just liked watching him suffer. He¡¯d never be caught saying it out loud though, not over his dead body. The silver lining to this situation though, was that with his prodigious regeneration rate, which was currently unhalved thanks to the interference of a tier 3 locus and its infusion of ether into the area, his training was progressing about nineteen times faster than Issania had expected.


    She had, in fact, completely changed her training plans for him when she saw how fast he recovered, something she attributed to his unique physique and he chose not to correct. Her new training plan was far, far more thorough than the one she initially thought she¡¯d barely have the time to get through.


    Arthur had cursed his health regeneration about twenty times this past hour, at least he thought it had been that long. He''d lost track of time for quite a while now. Arthur heard a shrill whistle and nearly cried in relief. It was the signal to stop, and it took all his willpower and then some not to drop the spear and crash down onto the ground. He¡¯d paid for it the first time with an instant cancellation of his two-minute break and he didn¡¯t think his heart could take another right now. Issania, the monster, had somehow repurposed the former endurance challenge¡¯s restrictions into her bastardised version of a hyperbolic training chamber.


    Instead of making skills more expensive the longer he used them, that effect now applied to any bodily movements he made. Suffice it to say Arthur didn¡¯t think he¡¯d trained this hard in his life. He also hadn¡¯t improved as fast¡­ ever. It was quite literally magic and Issania was so good at teaching he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she had a legendary class for it. She knew exactly how far she could push him and was quick to correct his mistakes, though she did allow him to make them first. Heck, she actively encouraged it. ¡®Failure was the true master of success,¡¯ another quote she¡¯d stolen from her dad. She¡¯d actually admitted to stealing it from him when he asked, though she¡¯d said it with such a proud grin on her face he couldn¡¯t find it in him to tease her.


    The thousandth thrust he¡¯d made, exhausted as he was, was like night and day when compared to the first one he¡¯d made in peak form. ¡°Good,¡± Issania said walking in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re still over extending a little and you roll your shoulders sometimes still but these are all things that¡¯ll be ironed out of you when we move on to practical application. Nonetheless, you¡¯ve gotten two times better than I predicted you would and we still have two hours to go. Well done. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± She clasped her hands together and inclined her head at him in a partial bow. ¡°You¡¯re going to earn me some amazing rewards, you know that,¡± she joked.


    Arthur didn¡¯t have the energy to laugh so he merely smiled at her. ¡°Remember what I said at the beginning. A good piercing thrust is half of spear-wielding. You¡¯ve got to an adequate level, enough that I don¡¯t mind you telling anyone that Issania the spear maiden trained you anymore.¡±


    ¡°I thought your weapon of choice was the sword, teacher.¡±


    ¡°Semantics, Mr Ward. no need to get caught up in the details. You can drop the spear for now, by the way. Relax your arms a little for what''s coming next.¡±


    Arthur let go of the weapon like it weighed a million tons and groaned in relief and he shook at the tension from his forearms. Issania chuckled, ¡°Now if only you could follow the rest of my instructions so fast, we¡¯d have made a spear-prodigy out of you already.¡±


    Picking up his weapon, she got into the stance she''d taught him and started cycling through the eleven forms she¡¯d taught him. First, she demonstrated the way he made the motions, pointing out all the flaws and slight deviances he¡¯d made and then she¡¯d show him what the perfected motion looked like. Logically, Arthur knew Issania¡¯s spear forms were not flawless she¡¯d said as much, that any master of the weapon would laugh at her strikes as the thrusts of an amateur- but to him, someone who¡¯d only just picked up the weapon a few hours ago it looked like the peak he¡¯d forever seek to reach.


    Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Arthur focused on what Issania was saying. She was especially expressing the mistakes he¡¯d made on the seventh form. It was the spear-strike equivalent of an uppercut, designed to strike under the chin to pierce the brain. Issania had admitted that the spear form would rarely ever see use in battle, it was too specific to use against most opponents, but apparently it set the foundation for hundreds of more advanced strikes, a transitionary position as she called it.


    ¡°I think your hand-to-hand combat training is to blame for this, but you''re subconsciously curling your wrist inwards a few degrees on the upthrust. You might not think it''s a problem right now, but the moment you meet a strong enough defence, or someone knocks aside a blow, you run the risk of snapping your wrist. Your joints are practically identical to mine, and they¡¯re not designed to handle force applied at certain angles.¡±


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    She stepped backwards and held his spear in a resting motion against the ground. Looking him up and down, she noted that his prodigious regeneration had already healed his sore muscles. ¡°Sure, your unique physique might allow you to use improper form without facing the same consequences as the rest of us, but that advantage only lasts until you meet someone strong enough. Fixing the issue now will save you a lot of pain somewhere down the line. You¡¯ve got a talent for spear-fighting, enough that a number of martial schools in my homeworld would have you in, but it¡¯s the little things like this that will differentiate you from other geniuses. You might pick up another weapon in the future and leave the spear behind, but I¡¯d hate to see you squander your potential. The lessons you learn here will translate very well to a number of other polearms, even a few axe styles I¡¯ve seen used.¡±


    ¡°Apart from that,¡± she paused to see if he¡¯d taken everything she¡¯d said in. ¡°Your thrusts are explosively fast which many tend to struggle to achieve. I certainly did. You''re still not using your lead leg very well. It¡¯s gotten a little better over the past hour, but you quickly fall back into old habits when you''re tired. Keeping most of your weight off your leading foot is probably great for whatever martial art you trained, but your attacks are about 30% weaker because of it with the spear. Remember what I said, force is-¡±


    ¡°Always generated from the ground,¡± Arthur finished off for her.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Issania beamed. ¡°And you need both feet planted properly on the ground to generate that force.¡±


    Arthur groaned as the high-elf chuckled. This was the twenty-seventh time she¡¯d said those words.


    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s it. Breaks over. Get back to it,¡± she commanded.


    He spent the next half hour polishing up on the eleven fundamental forms, but this time, Issania introduced transitionary movements to his training. This meant that instead of returning to a neutral position after every strike, he now had to ¡®flow¡¯ one of them into the next. It took away the half-second break he used to get after every attack and he was now in constant motion where every interruption to the flow was punished with a three-second reduction to his break times, which felt like they were being placed further and further apart. He¡¯d started the training with one every five minutes and now, he didn¡¯t think he was getting one in twice that time.


    It was almost a dance of sorts, the movements of his torso and arms that whilst certainly more harsh than traditional dance, certainly had a kind of elegance to it. The thought turned out to be a premonition of sorts, or was it a self-fulfilling prophecy? Arthur wasn¡¯t sure and was too exhausted to figure it out. He twisted his hips and pushed off his foreleg, his spear an extension of his body as he pushed it through an imagined enemy, exhaling heavily as he began to transition into the next form, never stopping for even a second.


    ¡°Pause!¡±


    Arthur froze halfway through the motion, his muscles screaming. This was the longest he¡¯d gone without a break and the floor''s restrictions were making every repeated movement cost about 30 times more effort than it initially had.


    ¡°You can let go of the weapon, lie on the ground, whatever you want to do to relax for the next five minutes .¡±


    Arthur didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever heard sweeter words, and he dropped bonelessly to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep though,¡± Issania reprimanded. ¡°I need you to pay attention to what I¡¯m saying, okay.¡± She prodded him in the side with her feet to see if he was still awake, and cleared her throat. ¡°Well, where was I? Ah yes. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve realised by now, but the movements you¡¯ve learned so far when performed together, create a dance of sorts. It¡¯s a spear art called the star-spear revelations, as pretentious a name as I¡¯ve ever heard. Apparently, its creator managed to piece the core of a sentient spirit star with it, a tall tale so absurd it''s almost sacrilegious. Normally, now would be the time I¡¯d tell you about the style''s long and rich history but I¡¯m sure neither of us could care less. So far, you¡¯ve learned half of the foundational arts, the attacking forms. Now you need to master the footwork.¡± She paused for dramatic effect.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re good at dancing.¡±


    Issania¡¯s teaching methodology for footwork was, in his professional opinion, questionable. ¡±If you wanted a dance, you could¡¯ve just asked me, teach,¡± Arthur teased. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to try and trick me into anything.¡±


    Issania blushed a deep shade of scarlet, and he could literally feel the heat radiating off her. They were, after all, face to face, with barely a foot distance between themselves. ¡°Okay, Mr Ward,¡± she huffed, stepping away and disengaging from him. ¡°I need you to take this seriously. You just had to go and make it awkward.¡± She pulled out the helmet she¡¯d stored away and put it back on, hiding her face from his vision. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again. If you say something annoying, I¡¯m going to step on your toes.¡±


    A few minutes into his new training regimen, Arthur was cursing his past self for his poorly thought joke. He couldn¡¯t prove anything, but he was sure Issania was being a lot more exacting than she needed to be. Things had started off normal enough, if a little more intimate than one would expect a spear training to be. They¡¯d started off standing opposite each other, with his spear between them. He¡¯d placed his hands where he normally would, and she¡¯d put her own beside them on the inside.


    Then they¡¯d started ¡®dancing,¡¯ where Issania led and Arthur followed every movement of her feet with his own, constantly trying to maintain a perfect twenty centimetres gap between them. At the beginning it was easy enough, if a little awkward, she¡¯d gone so slowly a pre-system human would¡¯ve easily been able to keep up. As things progressed through, she started to move faster, adding more and more complex moves until Arthur struggled to simply keep up, heaving for breath as they moved across the ground, so fast, a breeze of wind constantly surrounded them and yet so softly that their feet didn''t leave any indentations on the floor.


    At least Issania''s feet didn''t. Try as he might, he still left a trail of prints in his wake, though even a blind man would be able to tell the vast improvements he''d made in the past hour. He''d transformed from a heavy-footed barbarian into a warrior who looked like he danced as part of a competitive hobby. Arthur didn''t know if he was happy or sad when Issania disengaged from him. On the one hand, he was so exhausted a stiff breeze could probably knock him over, but on the other, he recognised that the past four and a half hours of training were worth their weight in gold.


    Sadly, their allotted time had come to an end. It was time to put his class to the test. His layer challenge rewarded him according to how well he performed in his spar with Issania.


    It didn''t expect him to win.


    Arthur didn''t think he could lose.

 Chapter 133- Star Spear Revelations

    Issania stood before her student and took in his blurred form. With the system''s obfuscation in place, Ward¡¯s race remained unknown. Having humanoid proportions did little to narrow down such an expansive list. Nonetheless, the observations she¡¯d made over the past four and a half hours meant she could make an educated guess.


    His regeneration rate was definitely S-rank. The question was, how much of that came from invested stats and what innate abilities did his race possess that allowed such prodigious healing? She¡¯d seen his poor attempt at forming a spear with a magical skill. Calling it poor was honestly generous on her part. It was downright pathetic. No one was that bad at manipulating ether, and her time spent tutoring Ward had taught her just how tenacious the man could be. He possessed a work ethic she¡¯d rarely seen beforehand, a single-minded focus so sharp it was on the cusp of becoming a flaw.


    A man like that would NEVER allow such a flaw to exist in his abilities. He would have fixed his poor ether usage a long, long time ago. Except he hadn¡¯t. Issania frowned as she considered the conundrum. Ward was a puzzle that simply didn¡¯t fit together. The stats he displayed suggested he was far beyond level 200 and yet his skill usage suggested he¡¯d just unlocked his first class, two pieces of information that were diametrically opposed. All things considered, the only conclusion she could come to was that Ward was the last in line of a fallen noble house. He certainly had powerful parents, stronger than she currently was, most certainly but they were either dead or absent. Unless his family has a weird tradition where they don¡¯t give their youth anything whatsoever, the only explanation that makes sense is that they were wiped out. Such strange practices had been proven time and time again as flawed and even the harshest of such traditions would never have allowed Mr Ward¡¯s ether control to remain at such a terrible level. They would have taught him something at least.


    If she¡¯d been given a year or two instead of five hours, she would have taken him in as her true disciple in a heartbeat. The man was a cut above the nobles that tried to foist their spoiled children on her and what he lacked in talent, he made up for in sheer tenacity. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t meant to be. With only five hours to work with, it was impossible to form an actual bond and anything she tried would come across as too forceful.


    Her student hadn¡¯t yet removed the cloaking magic the locus had placed on him, which showed that he didn¡¯t trust her yet. If he had, she would¡¯ve lost all respect for him. Only a fool would be so careless with their identity when their potential was so high, especially if her suspicions about his background were correct. None of this explained his regeneration, though. She knew of no humanoid race that boasted such capabilities and unless he came out right and told her, it would remain a mystery. Maybe his ancestor was a Hydra or something, she joked to herself. Issania would never know how close to the truth she came.


    Arthur felt great, better than he¡¯d ever felt before, at least physically. Issania had finally lifted the ¡®endurance¡¯ restriction that was omnipresent on the layer and breathing no longer felt like an unfamiliar exercise he¡¯d just come upon. His reforged body truly was a work of magic. Even Issania had raised an eyebrow when he was good as new thirty seconds after their ¡®training¡¯ had ended, all the aches and torn muscles that had become his closest companion in the past few hours gone in an instant.


    The mental fatigue remained, however, and so she mercifully hadn¡¯t cut down his break. She wanted him in peak condition for their spar.


    ¡°I guess this is a graduation test of sorts,¡± she said, circling around him. ¡°You were my student for a blip of time, but you were my student nonetheless. I apologise if I¡¯m crossing any boundaries here, but it¡¯s abundantly clear you''re new to your skills or ether control in general.¡±


    Arthur nodded his head. There was no point trying to keep it a secret. That ship had sailed the moment she saw him try and use his Soul Armament. No one would be so terrible with a new class skill unless it was their first class skill period.


    ¡°I suspected as much, but thank you for respecting my intelligence enough to not deny it.¡± She smirked at him. ¡°We don¡¯t have the time for you to master your skills enough to use them in this fight. That''s an exercise that will take months if not years. True mastery that is. Anything less would be a hindrance in a battle with stats as high as our own.¡±


    ¡°That being said, I won''t bar you from using your skills for this spar, but I ask that you refrain from doing so at least for the first five minutes.¡± She picked up his spear and passed it to him. ¡°We¡¯ll spend that time seeing how much you learned here and then you can let loose with everything you have. Twenty-five¡­ twenty-four minutes should be enough to give a good showing of your full abilities. Okay?¡±


    Arthur had no problems with that and so readily agreed. It was unfortunate, but he was already barred from using his most potent affinity as well as his pinnacle skill. Five minutes without using the rest of them wasn¡¯t asking for much. Arthur didn¡¯t want to find out if the famous ¡®true damage¡¯ inflicted by soul magic carried through a clone. The locus says it¡¯ll protect us from getting hurt but soul-damage is known for breaking all rules. Arthur wasn¡¯t the greatest guy around but permanently injuring his teacher after all the help she¡¯d given him was a dick-move.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°System. Please initiate sparing protocols. Set it at stage three please.¡± Issania called out.


    The locus responded to her words and a blue film of energy rose up to surround them. It hovered above their flesh for a second before disappearing, seemingly without effect. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this is your first time in a locus sparing match so I¡¯ll explain some things. The blue membrane of energy you just saw right now is a mixture of defensive and mimicry magic. It¡¯s currently merged with our flesh and will replicate our body''s toughness levels and health regeneration rates. Any injuries you take during this spar will look real and certainly feel real, but they¡¯ll disappear the moment the spar ends. Stage three means you¡¯ll still feel pain. I think that''s necessary to stimulate a proper battle. Stage two would¡¯ve meant our bodies actually took damage and stage one only prevents death from happening.¡±


    ¡°The spar ends the moment either of us says so or when one of us takes a critical wound they can''t recover from. Even if we won¡¯t suffer true harm, no one wants to feel the pain of imminent death for extended periods of time. Any questions?¡±


    Arthur didn¡¯t have any.


    ¡°Then let us begin.¡±


    The moment the words left her lips, Arthur leapt forwards, spear extended outwards in the third form, ¡®parting the tides¡¯. He¡¯d deliberated long and hard on how he should begin their exchange of spears and this was certainly the conclusion he¡¯d come up with. Base stats alone, Arthur was certainly faster than Issania¡¯s clone and he probably beat her out in the strength department too. Despite this, he was under no illusion of how this fight would go, at least the first five minutes of it. Irrespective of how much she downplayed her own abilities, Issania was a master of the spear with decades, perhaps even centuries of experience behind her. Comparatively, Arthur had picked up one for-and-a-half hours ago. This was a fight he couldn''t win. And so he¡¯d decided to come off as strong as possible, with an opening strike that pierced the sound barrier with relative ease as it headed towards the elf¡¯s stomach.


    Against someone else, Arthur may have gone for the throat or even the heart but right now, he simply aimed for the largest part of her body he had the most chance of hitting. Besides, a hole in the stomach was plenty damaging enough. Unfortunately for Arthur, Issania moved her torso to the left and used the shaft of her spear to deflect his strike aside, the defensive motion so smooth and precise, that it was as if they¡¯d choreographed it in advance.


    That was fine. He¡¯d expected it. Issania, however, hadn''t accounted for just how much force Arthur had packed into that blow. Unencumbered by the restrictions of this layer, his true strength began to shine through. Arthur was a stat monster, and his attributes numbered far higher than Issania¡¯s. Eyebrow raised in surprise, she was pushed backwards half a step, her defensive manoeuvres still text-book perfect. Regardless, Arthur had put her on the back foot. It would last a mere moment, but the smallest of instances built the foundations of victory.


    They also created the impulses that caused defeat. Arthur would make sure he belonged to the former group. The rhythm of the star-spear revelation came to him like prophesy and he followed its direction like a devout believer, each and every moment engraved into his flesh through thousands of repetitions. Twisting inwards in one of the transitionary movements he¡¯d learned just two hours ago. Arthur swung the butt of his spear at Issania¡¯s jaw at break-neck speeds.


    Learning from the mistake, this time she decided to dodge the blow entirely without intercepting it, a perfect move, the best decision she could have possibly made at that moment, a testament to her experience in battle. Even then, Issania was still placed in a bad position, her weight distribution on her feet flawless but her centre of gravity off by a few degrees. This was Arthur''s grand plan, more than a little crude but the one he thought had the greatest chance of success.


    In simple terms, Arthur was currently subscribing to the age-old philosophy that the greatest defence was a strong offence. He¡¯d thrown Issania off with the strength of his opening salvo, by the smallest of margins, yes, but he hoped to maintain that flaw in her fighting for the next five minutes. If he got lucky. He might even be able to hit her once.


    Unfortunately for him, Issania wasn¡¯t a master of the spear for nothing. Even as he began transitioning into his third strike, he saw the minor adjustments Issania made to her grip. Then she hit him back, her range of motion far shorter than the exaggerated manoeuvre he was in the middle of performing. He had to withdraw. This is gonna hurt, he moaned internally. Following the inertia of his cancelled strike, he tried his best to dodge Issania¡¯s piercing thrust. It hit him on the shoulders instead of his chest, a crippling blow turned into a glancing one. He tried his best to get the fight''s momentum back, first by continuing as he had been with a strong offence and then by switching up his tempo, rapidly going from wide sweeping strikes to sharp, precise thrusts.


    Nothing worked. As much as he¡¯d improved, he¡¯d only been working with the spear for four and a half hours. It showed in his amateurish movements that whilst clinical, showed his inexperience. They were the very definition of textbook, and for someone like Issania who¡¯d memorised the literature, reading him was easy. She had taught him everything he knew, not everything she did. Every attack he launched was countered with ease, his combinations dismantled in their origin movements. He came close to hitting her thrice and nicked her cheek, drawing a single, thin line of red.


    It was a far better result than Arthur had expected, more a result of luck than actual skill, but he¡¯d take the victories for what they were. Capitalising on your opponent''s errors was the bread and butter of fighting and creating those mistakes had been his goal from the get-go. He didn¡¯t know if Issania was impressed with his striking or not, but he certainly was. Arthur had done far better than he expected. He hadn¡¯t reached the realm where the spear felt at extension of his limbs but it no longer felt like the clunky stick it initially had. By the time five minutes came to an end, he was covered in surface-level wounds that stung to high-heaven. It was time for the real fight to begin.

 Chapter 134- Battle Prep

    ¡°In all my years of teaching across dozens of worlds, single lessons and long apprenticeships, I can say, Mr Ward, that you rank amongst the highest of that number,¡± Issania declared, bowing to him. ¡°It was a pleasure to teach you. Truly.¡±


    Despite the fact that he¡¯d been thrashed and the numerous wounds covering his body, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I can say with certainty that you are definitely the greatest teacher I¡¯ve ever had,¡± he answered, returning her bow. ¡°I learned more in the past four hours than I probably would have four months alone, so thank you.¡±


    Issania was an easy woman to fluster and he¡¯d chosen his words carefully to throw her off her A-game, even if it only lasted a minute. This time, however, besides a smug grin, she didn¡¯t react at all.


    ¡°System, please return our bodies to their original status,¡± Issania politely requested.


    Arthur almost groaned in relief when the cuts in his body suddenly disappeared. His high  Draconic Vitality meant he hadn¡¯t received any significant injury from Issania¡¯s piercing strikes; what should have been debilitating wounds only cut his skin. With his absurd regeneration, death by a thousand cuts wasn¡¯t a thing that applied to him any more, but the pain of Arthur certainly felt like it would kill him. The elf¡¯s spear cuts left a caustic ¡®something¡¯ behind when they pierced his flesh- nothing skill-related, because they¡¯d banned them for the first five minutes of the spar- but whatever it was, it slowed down his healing from instantaneous to around thirty seconds. His wounds also stung far more than they should have.


    Thirty seconds of injuries didn¡¯t sound like a lot, but it was an eternity of pain when you were fighting someone like Issania at the speed of sound. She¡¯d hit him over 500 times in the past minute alone. She had held back initially, but when she realised she literally couldn¡¯t harm his body with spear-arts alone, she¡¯d stopped pulling her punches and poured everything into killing him. With every single attack.


    Damn evil woman. The moment she knew I was invulnerable she just couldn¡¯t hold herself back. He¡¯d learned a lot about his body in those five minutes and refined his spear skills a lot so couldn¡¯t get angry at her, but damn had it hurt to high-heaven and back. ¡°I need to get a pain-numbing skill,¡± he mumbled under his breath.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Have you rested enough already?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Arthur replied quickly. ¡°I was just wondering what was so special about your spear. You weren''t using poison or anything, were you?¡±


    Issania looked at him incredulously to see if he was joking or not. With the locus'' cloak of disguise on him, she realised she couldn¡¯t tell either way and so answered him. ¡°It¡¯s called a concept, at least where I am from. They may call it differently here, but they¡¯re basically truths that you connect yourself to. Well¡­ that¡¯s not quite the right word but I¡¯m not sure how else to explain it. This clone of mine here, uses the concept of sharpness and pain, things that the real me has turned away from. As you can probably tell, this body¡¯s mastery over them isn¡¯t great enough to control how much they¡¯re applied in any given attack.¡± Issania explained.


    Arthur took a moment to digest it, annoyed at how little he knew of how things operated at higher levels. His ignorance was grating out at the best of times and downright pissed him off at the worst. He could¡¯ve gotten all the way to level 200 without ever finding out a whole other branch of power existed to be exploited. Or am I jumping to conclusions here?


    ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± he began. ¡°A concept reinforces what you do, makes it truer¡­ or something along those lines. Like, a fire mage could use a concept of heat or destruction to make their spells more damaging. Have I got this right?¡±


    Issania nodded her head. ¡°You¡¯ve got the gist of it. And confirmed that you¡¯re below level 200 by the way. A concept is one of the conditions required to get past the first-class barrier. I don¡¯t know why your education is so flawed and I¡¯d teach you everything you needed to know if I had the time but we have 23 minutes left for our spar. I can give you an introductory class on concepts that barely cover the basics and you sacrifice this layer''s rewards but I advise against that. It¡¯s not knowledge that¡¯s hard to come by, but a locus reward is, so what do you say? Finish the spar, or start another lesson?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll finish our fight,¡± Arthur immediately decided. Issania was right. Now that he knew about concepts, he could look into them, but he wouldn¡¯t get the chance to challenge a locus that had interacted with a tier-3 chaos one ever again. The elf smiled at him. ¡°Good choice. I¡¯ll give you two minutes to use any skills you need to prepare, any self-buffs or things along those lines. In a real fight, you¡¯d need to be able to use them whilst in combat but that¡¯ll take you weeks of practice, if not months if I''m not wrong about where you are in your current development.¡±


    Arthur had read through his newest skills quite a few times already and he knew what he¡¯d be using. Any soul-skills were off the table because of the permanent harming problems they came with. That left him with shadow, water/poison and healing. Hydra''s poisonous fang [Epic] was out of the picture straight away. He highly doubted Issania would give him enough time to charge up the attack.


    Molecular Water Shot [Epic] would be useful as a deterrent and to keep her at a distance. Reflective Shield [Epic], however, looked like it would be very useful. Besides Overcharge [Elite], his healing skills were something he¡¯d be much happier not using. It would mean he¡¯d taken significant damage that his natural recovery couldn''t deal with, it¡¯s also a waste of ether considering my body is going to revert back to normal after the spar.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The MVP for this fight would definitely be his shadow skills. If only he had a few months of practice under his belt so he could use them in a high-speed battle. Using Shadow step [Epic] to teleport looked good on paper, but it didn¡¯t mean jack if it took him ten seconds to activate every time. He needed the skills to be second nature, instantaneous in usage.


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    Shadow step [Epic] level 1- Use ether to instantly travel to a shadow within your vicinity. The nature of this magic makes it nearly untraceable to both magical and mundane senses. You remain cloaked in darkness that makes you nigh invisible to magical and mundane senses for 3 seconds after you reach your destination.


    Cost: 50 ether/metre of travel (Cost decreases as you level up)


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    It was an incredible skill, perfect for assassins and battle in general but doubly so when he was facing a humanoid opponent. The cost was incredibly steep, but with epic skills capping at level 40, if he was lucky, the cost might go down to as little as ten ether per metre of travel. Probably even less. The skill would practically be free at that point, and he¡¯d be able to spam it to create multiple locations of ¡®darkness¡¯ concurrently to confuse his enemies. No one would be able to see where he¡¯d be attacking from.


    It was a waste of energy, but Arthur wanted to check if he¡¯d improved any since the last time he¡¯d used it. Focusing on the shadow a metre in front of him, he poured the required ether into the skill matrix. He concentrated as he followed the energy¡¯s passage through the skill applying the little directive required to keep things on track. Five seconds, six. On the seventh, he felt a slight tug in his gut, not unlike the teleportation the locus employed between floors and he knew he¡¯d done it, he''d travelled a single meter with shadow magic. Seven seconds! That was three seconds faster than his previous best and for the amount of practice he¡¯d put into shadow steps, it was massive progress.


    Sadly, it wasn¡¯t enough to make it usable for this fight. Unless Issania stayed completely still for an extended period of time, he wouldn''t be able to use it. Next on the list of shadow skills was Cloaked Darkness an epic skill that would definitely see some use here.


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    Cloaked Darkness (Epic) level 1- The darkness is your Ally. Shadow cloaks your presence, making you difficult to perceive, even in the brightest of spaces, for you herald the end of light.


    Effect: Summons a cloak of shadow around the user. 30% increased defence against magical damage. (reduced effect against opposing elements) 20% increased movement speed.


    Allows the user to float in space for 60 seconds. Short-range flight is possible for 5 seconds at a cost of 30 ether/second. Speed of flight is 50% of the agility stat.


    Skill cost: 1000 ether summon cost +100 ether/minute of use.


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    Arthur quickly poured 1000 ether into the skill matrix to summon the shadow cloak. At his current level, it took him an entire minute to do so and he was lucky Issania had given ample time to prepare. It was a powerful skill, and from his single prior test against the seventh monster wave, he knew just how well it served as a means to hide his actions. Whilst it wasn¡¯t anything approaching true invisibility, enemies without high perception stats found it difficult to keep an eye on him and they couldn¡¯t see which limb he decided to attack with. Arthur hoped it translated well to spear usage.


    ¡°So, I guess you¡¯re a shadow mage then,¡± Issania declared, brandishing her spear. ¡°I must say, it¡¯s not an affinity I suspected you¡¯d have. I was thinking of fire or earth. I guess shadows are plenty powerful if you learn how to use them properly, though. So, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°One last thing,¡± Arthur replied before casting Reflective Shield (Epic). He held back on using overcharge for now. It was an elite skill that boasted his physical capabilities but it came with a period of weakness afterwards that he didn¡¯t want to deal with. Being a little stronger wouldn¡¯t help him much here either way and if he couldn¡¯t win quickly, he¡¯d be fucked.


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    Reflective shield (epic) level 1- create a shield of water around yourself that protects you from both physical and magical damage.


    Orb form- Create an orb of water around yourself. This orb nullifies all attacks below a certain threshold (Damage that can¡¯t get past 400 constitution) Any damage beyond this point is absorbed up to a threshold of 100,000 points. Absorbed energy can be reflected outwards in an explosion or used to enhance your own attacks. Absorbed damage maintains the affinities of any attackers.


    Orb Cost: 10,000 ether


    Time: 10 minutes


    Shell form- create a layer of water around yourself, Increase your defence by 10%. Reflects 1% of all attacks. Sufficiently mastered skills and /or concepts may reduce this effect. The water shield generated is poisonous and inflicts debuff Hazy Sight onto opponents.


    Hazy sight: Reduces perception by 20% makes ether more difficult to control.


    Shell Cost:3,000 ethers.


    Time: 5 minutes


    Cooldown: 15 minutes


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    Arthur, of course, used the shell version of the skill. This took even longer than the cloak to cast, an entire three minutes, which left them with only nineteen more before their time was up. The water shell scaled off his own defence, which was already sky-high because of Draconic Vitality. It truly was a shame that all the titles he had boosting the effectiveness of the stat only affected how much health it gave him and not the defensive side of it. Perhaps it was because they had previously only worked on his healthpool and carrying that over didn¡¯t change things?


    Nonetheless, he was happy enough with how lucky he was already and he couldn¡¯t go wrong with enhancing that. The main selling point of the skill, however, was that it reflected damage. Sure, 1% didn¡¯t sound a lot, but 1% of something that could hurt him, would probably cripple if not outright kill normal people.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Arthur called out. ¡°We can¡¯t die right now, but I apologise in advance for what I¡¯m about to do.¡±


    Issania tilted her head back and laughed. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± she replied to his taunt. ¡°I was about to get worried, kid, but sorry. This is a bad matchup for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a woman that works with electricity. I eat water-mages for breakfast,¡± Issania declared.


    The Water I generate is 100% pure right? Guess science just fucks out the window when it comes to magic.


    Then she launched a lightning bolt at him

 Chapter 135- Overkill

    Water, even the pure stuff he magically generated apparently, offered little protection against electricity, so when Issania sent a literal bolt of lightning at Arthur¡¯s chest, she expected him to be down for the count. Understandable really. No one could fault her thought process. Unfortunately for her, Arthur had long transcended the limits of rationality, and his body alone was sturdy enough to weather the fiercest of storms, irrespective of whether or not they were backed by the concepts of pain and sharpness.


    The added defence this water shell provided him was welcome, but he hadn¡¯t wasted Ether on it to make himself more sturdy. He was plenty durable already. No, he''s used it to reflect some damage. Issania knew just how powerful Arthur¡¯s body was, at conservative estimates, at least ten times more robust than her own. And so she¡¯d hit him with magic strong enough to break him despite that absurd constitution. Her predictions had been off by a large margin.


    A single percent of Issania¡¯s attack, still lightning attributed and holding onto the concepts she¡¯d enhanced it with came back and hit her, taking out a tenth of her healthpool in an instant and blowing her off her feet. Arthur was already rushing forward to capitalise on her moment of weakness. Even with his Draconic Vitality at 2050, the electricity had hurt like a bitch and done a surprising 700 points of damage to him. Against someone like Issania, that attack translated to around 100,000 damage and a single percent of that being reflected meant that she hurt far more than he did.


    She¡¯d be back on her feet in a second or two, and far warier from a lesson learned. He just needed to make sure she paid an appropriate price for her education. Falling back on his most used attack skill Arthur generated a dozen water bullets and shot it at her. Lightning flared around her crumpled form, completely nullifying his mediocre magic. Looks like concepts reinforce your magic a lot more than I expected.


    Sure, his magic wasn¡¯t the greatest right now, but she¡¯d gone through it easily like a hot knife through butter. By the time she found her feet, Arthur was upon her. There wasn¡¯t much finesse to his next attack, a sloppy thrust with his spear that had no chance of hitting her even in her groggy state. It disguised his true attack, a devastating low kick to her knee strong enough to pulp flesh and break bone. If it is connected. With his cloak of shadows summoned, he was 20% faster, with an agility stat around 1000 points.


    No way were her stats higher.


    They weren''t but it didn''t matter anyway. Issania directed electricity into her calf and her leg moved backwards out of his range, so fast it looked like a muscle twitch. The science of it didn¡¯t quite make sense, but this was magic and a self-buff using electricity was just part of a standard mage''s toolkit it seemed. Hopefully, it has more drawbacks than my overcharge. That was Arthur¡¯s last thought before he was fighting for his life. Even without magic enhancing her, Issania¡¯s spear strikes had been nigh impossible for him to dodge. Now that she was using skills and moving almost twice as fast, it was all he could do to stop himself from getting skewered.


    He could, of course, try his luck and try to tank the attacks and let reflection damage him with the fight, but something told him things wouldn¡¯t be so easy. Reflective Shield was limited against ¡®sufficiently mastered skills and/or concepts¡¯ and whilst his teacher''s magic proficiency didn¡¯t quite reach that threshold, her spear-arts certainly did. Her concept''s a lot stronger when she applied it to her spear too.


    Even without considering all this, Issania was confident enough to strike him even after facing the might of her reflected attack which meant she had a countermeasure prepared. That was okay. He hadn¡¯t expected a single skill to win him the fight. Having learnt from her mistake, the elf no longer used external magic against him, except the precise moment their spears connected, using her own as a medium to channel electricity and shock him.


    There was a reason why Issania had reached such a high realm with her original body. In a few seconds of combat, she¡¯d figured out a key weakness of his defensive skill and was now relying on her spear skills as a delivery method to protect herself from the reflective damage her magic would have otherwise inflicted her with. It wasn¡¯t a perfect solution, however, and she was still suffering some blowback from every clash. She was also prevented from using more powerful magic, to keep her attacks as electrically enhanced spear strikes instead of magic lightning bolts with a prod of pointy stick thrown in. The moment the focus of her combat changed, her concept would stop limiting the reflective damage she had to deal with.


    Unfortunately for Issania, Arthur was taking a grand total of zero damage from her little electric shocks which took her an entire two minutes to realise. By that time, her hands had already turned a little numb and she was visibly frustrated. Pushing him backwards, she retreated a few metres and tried to shake some feeling back into her hands.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair, kid,¡± Issania complained. ¡°I¡¯ve hit epic armours softer than you.¡±


    Arthur grinned, though she couldn¡¯t see it with the locus'' obfuscation in place. His body language must have looked smug or something, though, because she smiled at him, a feral expression that looked out of place on her normally calm face. Damn, I think I pissed her off. ¡°As your teacher, though, it¡¯s my duty to teach you that you¡¯re not invulnerable. Even the strongest defences.¡± she paused for dramatic effect. ¡°Are eventually breached.¡±


    ¡°Eventually doesn¡¯t mean today though, does it miss,¡± Arthur retorted.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He knew that Issania was stalling for time right now to recover but allowed it anyway. He needed the time just as much as she did, to set the stage for his victory. The skill that would win him this fight, a Legendary skill, Cloaked Blade.


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    Cloaked Blade (Legendary) level 1- A shadow mage¡¯s blade finds all men unprepared for death and comes with no warning. Your blade is deadlier than most for your enemies shall never see it coming.


    Passive effect: (Fixed) Hides 50% of magical presence/signature when casting spells. 1% of the damage done via shadow magic recovers health, stamina and ether.


    Active effect: Pay 2 times the skill cost for any affinity to reduce your magical presence by an additional 20%. Damage done via this inflicts the debuff Trapped in Darkness.


    Trapped in Darkness: Reduces speed, mental processing and skill usage by 25% (may be resisted)


    Pay 10 times the skill cost to make your magic untraceable to all senses up to 1,500 perception or its equivalent. Increases damage of selected skill by 50% and inflicts the debuff Fear of the Dark.


    Fear the Dark: Reduces all stats by 30% for 30 minutes. You enter an immaterial state for 5 seconds after using this skill and become nigh invulnerable against physical and magical damage.


    Create a dark crest for yourself or place it upon a weapon of your choice. Used upon yourself, strength and agility increase by 30% for 5 minutes. Used upon a weapon, For one minute, every successful hit landed via the enhanced weapon upon the opponent''s flesh reduces an opponent''s speed by 5% (up to a maximum of 75%). Damage done with an enhanced weapon does not naturally regenerate for six hours and is partially resistant to healing magic.


    Dark crest cost: 3,000 ether.


    Crest cooldown: 5 hours.


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    From amongst his new skills, it was the one with the longest description, and as a legendary skill, it didn¡¯t disappoint. Using any one of its many effects would almost guarantee him a win in this fight. Almost wasn¡¯t good enough, though. He wanted a decisive victory without any possibility of failure. At first glance, most people might think that a ten times cost for skill use just to make his magic untraceable wasn¡¯t worth it, especially when a two times increase reduced his spell''s visibility by 75% already. What was the point of paying 8 times more ether just for an extra 25%?


    Those people, In Arthur¡¯s opinion, were very stupid. The difference between a 75% reduction in visibility and making your magic truly invisible was like night and day. Like humans, many races were ¡®magically blind¡¯ and didn''t have the perception stat and those that did didn¡¯t tend to raise it all the way to 1,500. This is just unfair at this point, Arthur thought with grim satisfaction. To create a sufficiently powerful water bullet, he usually invested around 100 ether. Using a cloaked blade to enhance it to the maximum shot that cost up to 1,000 ether per bullet, a truly absurd cost.


    It was worth it.


    Arthur and Issania stood apart with around 5 metres between them. His teacher was using the lull in battle to recover all the damage she¡¯d taken thus far and he was content to let her do so. Things would be ending in the next twenty seconds anyway. Using Cloaked Blade, Arthur generated exactly five enhanced water bullets. The skill, at least this part of it, was very easy to use. It simply attached an extra tunnel in front of the selected skills entry point for one to push ether through and everything else remained the same. Arthur generated the five bullets in such a way that they surrounded Issania completely, each of them ten centimetres away from her body. One aiming at her chest, one at her stomach, two at her back and one at her knee, all in locations where her armour was thinnest. He could have just generated them all around her head and instantly ¡®killed¡¯ her, but he didn¡¯t want to go so far for a simple spar. True to the skills description, Issania remained completely unaware of the impending doom hovering around her. He could have generated a bullet a millimetre away from her eye and she wouldn¡¯t have been able to see it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Arthur said as he released the bullets. Issania remained confused up until the moment the water bullets shot into her body, breaking bone and pulping flesh as they made a mess of her insides. The moment she couldn¡¯t see his spell work spelt the end of this battle and it simply took a little time for things to come to their natural conclusion. Arthur ignored the notification letting him know that he¡¯d successfully applied the fear debuff and walked over to his downed teacher. He wasn¡¯t worried about facing any counterattack right now or anything of the sort.


    Reminiscent of his shadow bombs, the water bullets he¡¯d enhanced had all exploded the moment they entered Issania¡¯s body. Right now, she was missing a leg, her right lung was destroyed beyond repair and the organs in her stomach had become a soup of gore. At higher levels, you weren''t as reliant on your bodily functions but Issania¡¯s clone hadn¡¯t quite reached that rank.


    ¡°I guess this is my win, teach,¡± Arthur said, grimacing at her broken body. Even if this spar was without any real consequences, he didn¡¯t enjoy seeing Issania like this.


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± she groaned, her voice coming out as a wheezing gasp. ¡°What the hell even was that? I didn¡¯t even see what hit me.¡± she coughed up a mouthful of blood before rolling onto her back.


    ¡°End the simulation. It¡¯s my loss.¡±


    Arthur breathed out in relief when he heard those words and watched as the blue mimicry magic exited their bodies. He¡¯d known the blood and gore were fake but felt a weight lift off his chest when Issania reverted to her normal state. She sat up and looked at him with a complicated expression on her face, a mixture of incredulity, excitement and caution.


    ¡°I think the locus got things mixed up,¡± she finally said. ¡°You should¡¯ve been teaching me instead,¡± stretching her arms out like a cat, she huffed. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that last trick isn¡¯t something I can learn though, is it?¡±


    ¡°Afraid so,¡± Arthur replied.


    ¡°So a class skill, then,¡± she deduced. ¡°Definitely Epic. maybe even Legendary. It got past my epic-ranked threat detection like it was nothing.¡±


    ¡°No comment,¡± he said, noting the additional information down for later review. Turned out shadowed blades worked on those types of skills too. Arthur was about to say something when the blue of the system text jumped into his vision.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">Congratulations! You have completed this layer with the highest qualifications possible. Prepare to receive your reward.</td>


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 Chapter 136- An Unwelcome Greeting

    Issania and Arthur sat at a small table with a teapot between them, all items the elf had summoned from her storage device. It was, in her words, a graduation dinner of sorts, even though the locus prevented her from retrieving any of the high-level cuts of meat from her ring. They were apparently too high a tier or something and so they¡¯d been forced to make do with a beverage Issania couldn¡¯t even remember picking up.


    Ilshtur¡¯s brew, it was called. Whoever the man was, or woman, Arthur wanted to go and shake their hand. Whilst the drink didn¡¯t provide any buffs or benefits, it tasted delicious and Arthur was on his fourth cup already, the minor alcohol content a non-issue in the face of his Draconic Vitality.


    ¡°So I guess this is it them,¡± Issania said, raising her glass. ¡°You¡¯ve received your rewards and I¡¯ve got mine.¡± Unlike him, she¡¯d gotten a little tipsy and her cheeks were tinged red. ¡°I¡¯m gonna get kicked out of the lowcush in three minutes,¡± she slurred. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time you get rid of your obfushcation? No? At least tell me what race you are then. The curioshity is killing me.¡±


    Arthur smiled at her antics, though she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell right now. Issania wanted to know who he was. He¡¯d thought long and hard about what he¡¯d do going forward now that he¡¯d gained a class and wasn¡¯t at risk of a soul explosion. He¡¯d come to two conclusions. One was that he had absolutely no plans on what to do in the post-system world. Arthur had once dreamed of becoming a surgeon but he could now bring man back from the brink of death with the click of his fingers. His former goals seemed a little¡­ simple now.


    For a while, he¡¯d held on to the hope that he would be able to bring his sister back to life, but he now knew that things didn¡¯t work like that. Without that anchor tying him down, he was now free to do whatever he wanted, go where he¡¯d never travelled before and see things he¡¯d thought existed only within the realms of imagination. There was an entire universe of possibilities out there and Arthur currently had no idea what he wanted to do. I¡¯ve got time to figure things out. The second conclusion Arthur had come to was that it was time to stop hiding who he was. He¡¯d done so initially out of a sense of self-preservation but continuing to do so no longer made any sense and bordered on paranoia. No one on Earth could equal him, and the cat was already out of the bag with Lady Sleyca learning of his identity. No, unless Arthur was happy with the life of a hermit, he¡¯d start making splashes sooner or later. Case in point against the threat Earth was currently facing. I''m no longer willing to take shit from everyone, anymore. It was tiring and put a bad taste in his mouth. He wouldn¡¯t go around flaunting his soul-mage status to anyone and everyone but a small demonstration of power here and there would make his life, if not easier, at least more bearable to live.


    And what better way to start this new policy off than with the woman before him. Issania had taught him a lot, she was a great teacher and easy to get along with. If a powerful noble lady came after him, he wanted a friendly one backing him on his side of the camp.


    ¡°I¡¯m only doing this because I feel bad about how I just thrashed you,¡± Arthur joked as he removed the locus¡¯s anonymity feature. ¡°My full name is Arthur Ward, by the way. A human, born on this little ball of dirt we call home.¡± With the way translation magic tended to work, that was enough for her to guess the planet¡¯s name, though he doubted his little play on words went over well. It wasn¡¯t his problem to worry about either way. Arthur would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t feel a thrill of satisfaction when Issania¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°You''re a HUMAN!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°How? I was sure you were dragonkin of some kind. Are you currently in disguise? Or perhaps a beast that¡¯s taken on a humanoid form?¡± Issania was understandably shocked at his grand reveal and the barrage of questions didn¡¯t look like they were coming to an end any time soon. Unfortunately for her, she had exactly 73 seconds left before she was returned to her physical body and her time in this locus came to a end, nowhere near long enough to satiate her curiosity. Lifting a hand, Arthur waited for her to quieten down. ¡°There''s no big trick to it,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m human, perfectly ordinary. Well, I guess I¡¯ve become a little special in recent times, but otherwise, I¡¯m your average Joe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna pretend I understood the last thing you said, but I¡¯ve got sixty seconds left on the clock. I can waste it getting shitty half-answers or give you my final advice as your teacher."


    "Focus on developing your concepts but don¡¯t get tunnel vision. You¡¯ve got a long time left before things get sticky. Don¡¯t worry too much about skill levels. You¡¯d rather be someone who knows the way around a level 1 skill rather than an amateur who''s maxed theirs out. Keep working on your spear forms. Pick up a general skill for it if you''ve got the room for one, something ranked Rare at least. Otherwise, wait for when we can actually meet face to face and I''ll hook you up with something good.¡± She paused for breath. ¡°Besides that, if you ever find yourself on Arlo, don¡¯t be a stranger. I¡¯d add you as a friend now but the system¡¯s not letting me. Oh and take this.¡± A vial of purple liquid appeared in her hands and she passed it over to him. ¡°It¡¯s the most useful thing the locus is allowing me to give you. I¡¯d explain what it is but I don¡¯t have the time. Just get it evaluated and use it when you think is best. And well-¡± she smiled at him, the expression lighting up her face. ¡°It wasn¡¯t for long, but I¡¯m glad we met. Oh yeah, I said I¡¯d tell you if you did good. The real me is level 306, I broke the class barrier just a decade ago so my levelling speed is definitely on the high end. One last thing. My rewards for this layer were given on the grading Excelled beyond all expectations thanks to you being such a great student. I got a legendary ranked bond egg as a reward. Whatever hatches, if it''s male, I¡¯ll name him Ward to remember you. And don''t be too disappointed by your rewards. You went above and beyond, yes, but unfortunately the rewards a Tier 1 locus can give you are severely limited. Accept whatever you get and move on. It''s not the be all end all.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, and may the winds forever favour you, Arthur.¡±


    Issania, unfortunately, had timed things wrong, so she had to stare at him for an entire fifteen seconds after her farewell before her clone was whisked away, her face becoming as red as a tomato by the end of the awkward moment of silence. She¡¯d probably wanted to look cool or something, most likely imitating something she''d seen her father do long ago. Finally, her clone was whisked away, saving her from further embarrassment.


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    ¡°That woman¡¯s a daddy¡¯s girl through and through,¡± Arthur said to the empty space in front of him. No one was around to hear his words, he was the last living being in this locus and his time of departure was fast approaching. He had an important decision to make before then.


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    You¡¯ve been rewarded with a [Epic] skill upgrade token and a supplementary enhancement (Disruptive force) of the epic variant. These rewards must be used before you leave the locus or your rewards will be forfeited. Time remaining: Six minutes. You have gained a Locus Title, Above And Beyond


    This title does not follow the usual tiering system inherent to titles. Above And Beyond- Gain an extra three stats per level. (This title does not work retroactively. Applies to levels beyond 300)


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    His rewards for the third layer were self-explanatory. The upgrade token would directly raise a skills tier to the epic grade and the supplementary enhancement was something that he could use on any of his existing skills below the legendary grade. It would apply the (disruptive force) effect to it which made the skill ignore 20% of a target''s defences, both physical and magical, a potent boost to say the least. It had been a close battle between Poisoned Fang of the Hydra and molecular water shot but he¡¯d eventually settled on the former.


    At the end of the day, his water bullets weren¡¯t useful because of how much damage they did, they were there to deal with weak mobs and control his opponent''s movements. The poisoned fang of the hydra, however, was a skill made purely for damage. The ONLY reason he¡¯d be using it would be to finish off a tough bastard he couldn¡¯t handle through other means. Enhancing a purely damage-focused skill to deal more damage just made sense to him instead of wasting it on something meant for crowd control.


    His latest title was also quite simple, and though it seemed a little disappointing at first, it was anything but. The vast majority of sapient species and most beasts and monsters stopped gaining stats after breaking the barrier of level 300. Till date, he''d thought of it as a hard rule, with the only subsequent methods of stat growth occurring in the form of system achievements like the one gained from slaying an apocalypse beast. This title was his first step in breaking through that limitation.


    The reward he hadn¡¯t settled on though, was the epic skill upgrade token. He had one class skill he could use it on, Overcharge (Elite), but on the other hand, Identify had been sitting at max level for a long time right now. Upgrading his purify by two ranks was sure to bring about some useful effects too. His other general skills he wasn¡¯t too fussed about but those two were definitely contenders. Actually, is Identify even classed as a general skill? I¡¯m pretty sure most fighters out there would be pretty pissed if one of their limited slots was taken up by an ability they didn¡¯t have any choice in receiving.


    It was needless speculation right now that he didn¡¯t need to concern himself with. He¡¯d ask someone about it later. In the end, it was a decision between utility and more power, something he could use anywhere and a skill he¡¯d only use situationally. That cleared things up for him. He was plenty strong enough already.


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    You have selected Identify (Unranked) for an upgrade. Commencing skill evolution.


    Searching through the host''s records¡­


    Resonating with existing skills¡­


    Resonating with class...


    Finalising¡­


    Complete¡­


    You have created the Intrinsic ability Homunculus eye (Epic)...


    This is no longer classified as a skill and has become an innate characteristic of your unique species¡­


    Homunculus eye (epic)- The homunculus forever chases perfection, always searching for ways to reach new heights, the catalyst required to climb to the pinnacle. That desire for growth has created this ability. Passive effect- Increases Perception by 20%. Makes ether and magic more easily observable.


    Active effect: Analyse an item or individual. Your understanding and this skill''s magical nature will help you discern their true disposition, weaknesses strengths and total health pool. May even disclose their highest attribute.


    Cost: 100 ether.


    Note: Innate abilities do not have a level. Instead, they grow stronger the more the user adapts to them.


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    This was incredible. He¡¯d gone mining for copper and found gold. An innate ability. Arthur didn¡¯t really know what one of those was but it sounded cool as fuck. Homunculus'' eye also broke a few hard-set rules that he¡¯d been aware of. It allowed him to look at another individual''s status, at least parts of it, which was supposed to be under the impenetrable barriers of their soul. Why was that the case? The answers didn¡¯t take him too long to figure out.


    Identify had evolved by resonating with his personal records and skills, it was literally built using his very being''s history as its foundation. The only known way to see another person¡¯s status is by using soul magic and I¡¯m a goddamn soulmage. When it rained it poured and this was one of the few times Arthur welcomed the drizzle. He had the tools on hand to benefit instead of getting drenched. Smiling, he placed the vial of purple liquid he¡¯d been given on the table. Issania had told him to find someone to evaluate it for him. Looked like he wouldn¡¯t need to do that anymore. Sadly, his curiosity would have to wait a while to be satiated. The locus was finally kicking him out. He quickly grabbed the vial and the teapot his teacher had left behind and placed them in his dimensional bag. It wouldn¡¯t do to leave them behind right now. Arthur felt the teleportation magic closing in on him and knew instinctively that he could reject it if he chose to, at least for a while. Listening to reason, he decided not to. Arthur didn¡¯t want to find out if you could get permanently trapped inside a locus. Closing his eyes Arthur took a deep breath. He¡¯d be leaving this place a changed man free from all soul problems and with a legendary class to boot. A dizzying moment later, it was done. When the smell of forest hit him and a breeze ruffled his hair, he knew he was back on Earth.


    When he opened his eyes, Arthur was surprised at the sight that greeted him. The forest looked like a giant had stepped on it, with trees completely uprooted and branches broken off. The ground was filled with potholes and he could see the signs of a fire that had burned itself out. Nailed to a stump in front of him was a piece of alchemically-treated paper, covered in scrawly writing it took a moment for the myriad tongue to translate. Arthur didn''t have a good feeling about this and as he began to read, he realised his gut hadn''t been lying to him.


    It was short, concise, and written in note form, the hasty scrawls of a woman pressed for time.


    I came out in time. Artemo was where I left him, but they had this place surrounded. I don¡¯t know who they were but I managed to kill two of them and lead the rest away. I came back to leave this warning. They¡¯re NOT HU-


    That was the exact moment a grenade exploded in Arthur''s face.

 Chapter 137- Assistant Of Death

    It turned out that Arthur had gotten a little mixed up on the details. Understandable really when someone decided it was a good idea to hit him with a rocket launcher of all things just as he was reading his friend''s warning note. The weapon was magically enhanced in one way or the other, certainly with a stealth effect of some kind. He would have noticed it coming a mile away otherwise.


    The rocket had been aimed at his chest, and the explosion caused shrapnel to fly in all directions. His body being sturdy as it was, Arthur had little to fear from the attack, at least he would have if a piece of metal hadn¡¯t found its way into his left eye. The shrapnel only pierced a few millimetres into his eye, but it was enough to destroy his vision completely, especially when he reflexively blinked and got his eyelid caught on the damn thing. The worst thing was, that his eyelid was too durable to get cut by the shrapnel, and so it just got stuck instead which was far more annoying.


    Feeling something wiggling about inside his eyeball was one of the most unsettling sensations he¡¯d ever felt. It also hurt like a bitch. The explosion also released a purple miasma of some kind that rapidly spread to cover a ten-metre radius with him at the centre. Whoever those people were, they weren''t trying to kill him at least. The purple smoke contained some powerful healing magic as well as a tranquilising effect that he easily resisted.


    That¡¯s one scary weapon. Healing magic to make sure I don''t die and a tranq to knock me out, Arthur thought, even as he racked his brains to understand what was happening. Who was attacking him, and more importantly why? He didn¡¯t remember offending anyone to the point they¡¯d go to these lengths to get back at him. Was it the silver rose? Damn. why couldn¡¯t I just reach the note faster? The paper was nought but ashes now, any answers it contained gone with the wind.


    Arthur¡¯s heart was racing a mile a minute, as adrenaline was pumped into his bloodstream, the potent concentration of chemicals his body produced the equivalent of an elite-ranked stimulant. It had to be that strong at least to get past his Draconic Vitality. A single second had passed since he¡¯d been hit, enough time for the piece of shrapnel to be pushed out of his left eye and a few blinks to get it unstuck as his prodigious regeneration got to work. Arthur estimated it¡¯d take another twenty seconds or so for vision to return though, and by that time, the purple miasma currently screening him may have dissipated.


    Arthur quickly ran through all the information he had so far, even as he groaned at the itchy sensation in his skull. It felt like ants were crawling about in there. For starters, these people, whoever they were, wanted him captured alive, not dead. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have used a weapon that tried to heal him the moment after it had damaged him. The sleeping effect was a dead giveaway too. They also know that I¡¯ve got a high constitution stat. That attack would¡¯ve outright killed most humans.


    Unfortunately for them, their information was very outdated. They¡¯d severely underestimated just how sturdy his body was or the fact he didn¡¯t measure that particular strength in constitution anymore. In reality, the rocket launcher should have done nothing to him. Arthur had just been unlucky that it had managed to get into his eye. Is it¡­ weaker than a pre-system one? The explosion hadn¡¯t even knocked him off his feet, after all, or even a step backwards for that matter.


    Throwing his useless speculation to the wayside, Arthur considered what else he knew. His attackers had come after Alyssia too. Maybe she was their primary target and he was just collateral. The most important thing, though, was that those people had come after them post Hydra-slaying after Lady Sleyca had sent them personal messages. It didn''t paint a pretty picture. Five seconds had passed now, and he could hear people approaching. From multiple directions.


    So a group then, not a single attacker, and it sounded like they had him surrounded. Taking three steps forward, Arthur crouched low to the ground to minimise the space he took up. Unless they had a skill for it, no one outside the fog would be able to see within just as he couldn¡¯t see outside it. If their attack had worked, as they would certainly expect, his unconscious form would be splayed out on the ground two metres behind him. Quietly as possible, Arthur began to crawl forward. He stopped moving the moment he heard voices, a guttural harsh tongue that didn¡¯t sound designed for human use.


    It took a moment for Myriad tongues to work its magic but he got the gist of what was being said. There was a crackle of static- a transceiver of some kind- it¡¯s sound far too quiet for him to make anything out. The reply, however, he got completely. ¡°Yes, captain. We got a good shot at him. Almost too good. He¡¯s not dead though. I didn¡¯t gain any experience.'''' The rest of it was muttered too quickly for him to understand but it sounded like the man was getting a grilling from his superior. It took him a few seconds to realise why, but he was happy when things clicked. They¡¯d failed to capture Alyssia, or as the man Garak had put it, the green elf. He was, as he''d suspected, the consolation prize, bait they hoped would entice the dimensional traveller to come and rescue him. He¡¯d also gotten a name.


    Aaron West.


    That was enough waiting. Any moment now, the purple miasma would completely dissipate. Already, he could see the hazy figure of his enemies, the one who¡¯d shot him northeast by about fifty degrees, a very distinctive barrel-shaped object in her hands. At least he thought she was a woman. It was hard to tell with their guttural speech, but her voice was a few octaves higher. Making use of his latest ability, Arthur directed Homunculus'' eye at their leader. It was about time he learned who he was facing.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


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    Garak Kinslayer (Species: Lorak) Level 167- A race of amphibians that evolved to walk on land, Loraks tend to possess a high affinity with water magics and an aversion to fire. Garak is a Lorak who distinguished himself when he slayed his sister in ritual combat and gained the name Kinslayer. Leader of his mercenary force, he¡¯s been employed by Aaron West to capture Alyssia Sil''Vorken and Arthur Ward.


    Health- 8470/8500


    Highest stat-Willpower


    Affinities- Water,???


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    Arthur grinned as he read through the man¡¯s description. Homunculus'' eye was far better than he¡¯d initially expected. It had built off the little he¡¯d learned of the man from his eavesdropping and provided him with a background check. Having taken on aspects of his soul affinity, the skill had slipped right past the man''s defences and told him his health, highest attribute and affinity. This was practically cheating and it was only his first time using the ability. Like a muscle, the more he trained it, the stronger it would become and if he met the right conditions, he might even be able to evolve it to legendary status.


    Arthur considered his opponent. Being conservative and scaling based on humanity''s baseline, the Lorak had around 850 vitality. That meant Garak¡¯s willpower was higher than that and probably significantly so. A mage then, and one who focused more on control than power. At level 167, he probably had a decade or two of experience under his belt, a great advantage compared to the mere weeks Arthur had. On top of that, Arthur''s tank was currently running quite low. It had been less than fifteen minutes since his spar with Issania and that fight had seen him spending over nine thousand ether, a sum greater than his entire energy pool and thus a portion of his health.


    Nowhere enough time to replenish his reserves, especially now that he was back on a tier-1 planet. Issania¡¯s chaos locus had spoiled him with its tremendous energy density.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">The ether density is too low to maintain your existence. All regeneration rates have dropped by 50%. 3,000 ether shall be consumed per hour.</td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    As he had feared, the cost of surviving on Earth had increased by 1000 ether from the tier-1 locus. Arthur was just counting his lucky stars his regeneration rates hadn¡¯t dropped any further. By his estimations, around fifteen seconds were remaining before the Loraks realised his body wasn¡¯t where it was supposed to be. He could see the hazy outline of raised weaponry, the rocket launcher he¡¯d initially been hit with and what looked like rifles.


    Arthur trusted his Draconic Vitality to protect him, but he¡¯d rather not lose any more health now that it was being tanked so much. Creeping forwards, he went as close to the fog''s edge as he dared, directly before the man he thought would give him the most trouble, besides the captain of course, but he was too far away to sneak up on. A magically made sniper might just get through his durability. Tensing his legs, Arthur counted to three.


    Shadow cloak would¡¯ve made this a walk in the park, Arthur idly thought as he jumped, sailing through the air. Beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers though, and he¡¯d make do with what he had. His aim was true, and he landed slightly to the man''s left, enough that he could reach out and touch his amphibian flesh. It was an ugly mottled green and was covered in a slimy gel of some kind. It was his first good look at a Lorak but he didn¡¯t have the time to stop and admire. A fishy smell assaulted his nose even as he exploded upwards. The man barely managed to grunt in surprise before Arthur''s fist connected with his chin in a perfectly executed uppercut.


    Arthur hadn¡¯t held back at all and he hit with the full force of his absurd physical stats. Nearing Mach 1 speed, his fist broke through the mercenary''s chin, not slowing down as it pierced through the top of the creature''s skull, bits of bone and brain matter splattering everywhere. A sickeningly loud squelch echoed through the forest as the amphibian''s body dropped to the ground, a mess of gore where its head had once been. Besides Shade, this was the first sapient life he¡¯d consciously decided to take and he wasn¡¯t quite sure how to feel.


    These people meant him harm, they¡¯d attacked him first, unprovoked at the behest of another man. In his books, that meant they were fair game. Still, he hadn¡¯t expected the Lorak to die with a single strike. Stop kidding yourself man, his subconscious whispered. You knew it would kill him but you didn¡¯t hold back. Arthur firmly shut that part of his brain down. There was no moral conundrum here. These men had all pointed weapons at him, weapons they believed could kill him. Maybe the Lorak had never intended to use the sniper but Arthur sincerely doubted that and he didn¡¯t think the man would¡¯ve answered if he asked nicely.


    If he felt the need, he¡¯d go and see a therapist in the future but if he was being honest with himself, he didn¡¯t truly care. Did that make him a bad person? maybe. Did he care? Not really. All those thoughts rushed through Arthur¡¯s head in the time it took a man to blink, his considerable intelligence increasing his processing speed to an absurd degree.


    The battlefield was silent, as the dead Lorak''s companions turned to face the prey-turned-predator, eyes widening in shock as they stared at what had become of their former companion. Nothing was said as he saw the rapid cycling of emotion on their alien faces, first shock, then rage followed by fear and finally a grim determination. Garak opened his mouth to speak but seemed to change his mind, instead raising his hand and forming a rapid sequence of signs that Arthur couldn¡¯t read.


    He didn¡¯t raise his voice and scream at him, there were no threats of vengeance, only a clinical and cold disposition that said he would get the job done. A true professional. He¡¯d seen what had become of his subordinate, observed the massive threat their prey represented and created a new plan on the fly. If they weren¡¯t at odds right now, Arthur might have even respected the man''s cool-headed dedication to his job.


    For an eternally long moment, no one moved, the sound of his racing heartbeat deafening in Arthur''s ears. That was the moment an eyeball dropped from Arthur''s clenched fist and plopped onto the ground. Like they¡¯d been waiting for his signal, the mercenaries exploded into motion, firing at him wildly.


    In a graveyard of trees, Arthur would pay homage to those who had fallen and became the assistant of death.

 Chapter 138- Aftermath

    The once silent forest exploded into motion. The man with the rocket launcher dropped his weapon- it had proved useless already- and instead raised his hands to cast some magic. A female Lorak rushed at Arthur, carved dagger clenched in her hands, she was moving fast, with a grace that belied her amphibian nature, more surefooted than any forest ranger he¡¯d seen.


    400 agility? No, she''s closer to 500.


    Unfortunately for her, Arthur was quite literally twice as fast. Surrounded by enemies, he had no sight of those behind him. Hoping they wouldn¡¯t shoot him in the back out of fear of hitting their own was being too optimistic, and so Arthur leapt forward to meet the dagger-wielding Lorak. He saw her eyes widen in shock, the dawning realisation that she''d bitten more than she could chew. The next moment she was dead, her throat crushed completely, her spine severed. These creatures had surprisingly weak bones.


    Arthur heard the distinct chime of a system notification but no flash of blue overcame his vision. He¡¯d configured it to not show any logs whilst he was in battle, and he¡¯d personally selected the least offensive ringing sounds. The one Arthur had heard right now, was one he¡¯d chosen to ring only when he got a kill notification. From the moment the battle had started till now, less than ten seconds had passed and he¡¯d already taken two people out. From the observations Arthur had made within the fog, he still had twelve left to go.


    He wasn¡¯t moving fast enough, a realisation that was confirmed a second later when a lance of pain shot through his lower back. He¡¯d been shot. Whilst the bullet did little to no damage, it stung like a bitch, about twice as much as when he¡¯d gone paintballing as a kid.


    Cursing, Arthur dropped to the ground and prised the daggers from the corpse''s grip, rolling rapidly to the side to avoid any more fire. He wasn¡¯t altogether successful, getting hit twice more, from a different direction this time, before he caught sight of the first offender. Arthur threw one of the daggers as hard as he could. There was no finesse to it, and the knives hadn¡¯t been made for throwing in the first place. That mattered little when the metal weapon was launched at over two hundred miles per hour. It hit the man in the chest, handle first, and he heard the distinct snap of bone.


    He didn¡¯t stick around to see what became of him though, already moving onto his target, the rocket launcher turned mage. Besides the captain, he was the only mercenary actively trying to cast magic and Arthur didn¡¯t want to introduce any more variables into this chaotic fight. Since leaving the locus, Arthur had been directing his health regeneration at his bottomed-out ether pool. In two minutes, he¡¯d regenerated a little under 300 ether, not enough to make a difference in this fight. Whilst his legendary class was powerful, it was incredibly expensive. He had an equally large budget to work with normally but he¡¯d left the locus with practically zero ether and his regeneration was at 50% of its standard. Even then, a mere five minutes would have given him over a thousand ether to work with but the bastards hadn''t waited for long. What happened to scouting out your enemies?


    Grumbling internally as he moved towards the mage, he saw the growing panic in the man''s eyes as he tried to finish casting his spell. He could have been the greatest genius of his generation, an extraordinary mage who would have single-handedly turned the tide of battle. Arthur would never know. His dagger took the man under the chin, piercing upwards towards his brain. The Lorak had of course tried to dodge, but the pitiful half-step backwards he¡¯d managed didn¡¯t really make a difference. The magic he¡¯d been preparing dissipated harmlessly into the air.


    ¡°Human!¡± The captain''s voice screeched in accented English. ¡°You¡¯ll die for that.¡±


    So the man could get angry. Arthur was starting to wonder if he was emotionless or something. I guess the mage was special to him then. Arthur didn¡¯t bother to deign the captain''s threat with a reply. Whilst things had gone well for him so far, he was still in a disadvantageous position. All it would take was a single weapon to get past his absurd defences and then the tables would turn and find himself hard-pressed to survive. Eleven left. Ten if he counted the one he¡¯d thrown a dagger at. The odds hadn¡¯t improved by much.


    Gritting his teeth, Arthur started the hunt for his next target.


    In the end, the forest brawl lasted six minutes. Three of them, he¡¯d spent fighting against Garak Kinslayer, who lay in a bloody puddle before him, the rest of his team having fallen early in the battle. Everyone else was dead, even the Lorak he¡¯d thrown a dagger at, having suffered from two collapsed lungs and thus death by subsequent oxygen deprivation. A painful way to go. At least the others had died quickly. The poor man had still been alive when Arthur found his body five minutes after he¡¯d hit him, drowning in his own blood, his mind conscious but his body spasming as if it was attached to an electrical current.


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    Thirty seconds later, Arthur had gotten the notification for the kill, unable to grant a mercy kill though he almost missed it as he was violently sick all over the forest floor. He¡¯d idly noted that the little acid contained within his vomit was potent enough to burn through wood, all substances he produced having gone through the same enhancement his stats provided him.


    Now he stood before Garak, the fallen leader of the mercenary corps that had come after him. The man was an incredible fighter, having survived against him alone for the same duration the rest of his team had together. A powerful water mage, he¡¯d supplemented it with a secondary affinity for earth. Fighting the man in melee range had been a pain in the arse when his feet kept sinking into the ground. In the end, Arthur had taken a page out of his fight with Issania. By his fifth minute outside the locus, he¡¯d generated enough ether to at least use some of his spells. A water bullet to the knee, enhanced by Cloaked Blade so he never saw it coming, ended the fight in an instant, and a weaker one to the chest was the final nail in the coffin.


    The once powerful Lorak lay against a tree, his left leg blown off and a hole in his chest. He had a minute tops before he joined the other side. Unless Arthur healed him, of course, but he didn¡¯t feel particularly inclined at the moment. Whatever the reason he may have had, no matter how impersonal it might have been, he had been forced to take sapient life today because of him. In hindsight, Arthur now knew that these creatures hadn¡¯t posed much of a threat to him, but he hadn¡¯t five minutes ago. By that point, he¡¯d already killed four people and the rest of them had been hellbent on taking his life.


    Because of this man.


    Garak had brought them here, and it was he who had ordered them to kill him when capture failed. Even when things looked hopeless, he hadn¡¯t given the order to retreat and for whatever reason, be it collateral religious, unique to the species or a misplaced sense of pride; the Loraks hadn¡¯t run. WHY DIDN¡¯T THEY RUN!? He would have let them go had they just retreated but no, they¡¯d thrown themselves against him to the very end.


    Garak wheezed for breath and tried to say something. Instead, he was wracked by coughs that sprayed phlegm and blood everywhere. ¡°Bossman wanted the green bitch,¡± he whispered. ¡°She killed two of my men. You... finished the job.¡± He smiled at him, a feral bloody grin. ¡°The man doesn¡¯t know where his targets lie. You¡¯re the special one, aren''t you? Not her.¡±


    Arthur didn¡¯t answer the alien''s question, instead asking one of his own. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you run? You should have the second you realised your weapons didn¡¯t work. But you stayed anyway.¡±


    Garak didn¡¯t say anything for a while and Arthur wondered if he¡¯d finally lost consciousness. The fact he¡¯d held on for so long was surprising. Fortunately for him, the Lorak still had the strength to say a few last words, reverting back to his original tongue instead of the English from earlier, ¡°Not allowed¡­ on the planet. It¡¯s illegal. Aaron got us here. Only he can get us out.¡± He paused for breath. ¡°We failed at our job. Either we die trying to fight you, or we wait and get hunted down the moment the dimensional lockdown on Earth is lifted.¡±


    ¡°A quick death, against a powerful opponent, is better than a slow one spent in fear running. The moment you killed one of our own so easily, our end was written in stone. We just choose to write a final chapter worth reading.¡±


    With those words, Garak finally grew silent, his head drooping onto his chest. Only the unhealthy rasp of breathing told him he was still alive. Arthur didn¡¯t know what to say after hearing Garak¡¯s explanation. He couldn¡¯t begin to understand the complete lack of a self-preservation instinct, the decision to just¡­ die, because that was exactly what the Loraks had done. They should have quickly realised fighting him was hopeless. Arthur felt vaguely disgusted with himself, though the emotion was being rapidly replaced by anger.


    It was hitting him all at once. What he¡¯d done. The lives he¡¯d snuffed out. Logically Arthur knew his actions were justified and so there was no guilt to be found within him. Yet he felt like he¡¯d lost something precious in the process of the short battle, a part of himself that couldn¡¯t be recovered. It didn¡¯t make any sense and he couldn¡¯t quite explain what he was feeling. Arthur didn¡¯t even realise he was talking, his voice getting louder and louder with every word. ¡°It doesn''t matter what flowery language you used. You chose to commit suicide today and I was the cliff you decided to jump off. You knew you were going to die so you¡­ what! Gave up! Decided to make me a butcher because you wanted a warrior''s ending. Your men chose to follow you and you lead them to death. Because you were too scared to fight for life?! To risk running away?" He was practically shouting by the end of it, his accusations hardly making any sense even to him. That didn¡¯t matter right now. He needed to get things off his chest, get whatever closure he could from this pathetic man.


    Garak, however, had no answer to give him, his voice now forever silent as he breathed his last. Arthur stood before his corpse in resigned silence for a long time. As if echoing his sombre mood, the sky broke and rain began to fall, first softly before quickly growing into a full-blown thunderstorm. He didn¡¯t know how long he stood there, but by the time he finally moved, his body had been washed clean of all blood and gore.


    This wasn¡¯t the last time Arthur would have to take intelligent life. He knew that as he grew more powerful, he¡¯d meet people he didn¡¯t agree with. Some of those people would come after him and others would come for his head simply for the challenge and strength it would grant them. That didn¡¯t mean he had to like it though. The locus had changed him, it had taken his base potential and forged it into something grand. His actions in this forest were just a few refinements to a newly forged product.


    Spitting to the side, Arthur began to walk away. He didn¡¯t deign his foes worthy of burial. Nature''s cleaners would get the job done. Sighing wearily for the first time in a while, Arthur set off for home an exhausted man.

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 Chapter 139- An Uncertain Future

    Arthur¡¯s trek back to civilization took a little over two hours. As opposed to the blistering speed he¡¯d travelled at to first get to the locus, he returned home at a slow walk. The outskirts of the city had changed a lot since the system¡¯s arrival. Too far from the city proper, many of the buildings he saw had been abandoned, the power of ether enhanced plantlife meaning nature had claimed them already.


    A two-hour walk was a perfect way to clear his head, and every step he¡¯d taken felt lighter than the last. It might have been messier than he hoped for, but the forest fight had come to a satisfactory conclusion. Despite his meandering thoughts, Arthur kept a sharp eye on his surroundings. Two days ago- the amount of time that had passed in the real world, during his month-long trip to the locus- he¡¯d seen signs of squatters when he walked between these houses. The fact that it had been so early in the morning at the time had stopped him from meeting anyone, but it was nearing evening right now.


    True to his fears, there were three people blocking the road in front of him. A woman armed with a very nice compound bow, a man with a massive Warhammer that looked like it had been plucked out of a history book and a final man armed with nothing. Arthur immediately deemed him as the most dangerous.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you, but if you could just answer a few questions, it¡¯d help us out a lot,¡± the hammer welder asked, his voice gruff but polite. A quick use of Homunculus Eye put him at level 91 and Arthur felt himself immediately relax. The man felt like the strongest of the group, which meant they posed as much threat to him as a group of kittens. "As long as it doesn''t take too long, I don''t mind talking,¡± he replied cordially.


    The group visibly relaxed at his words, but they didn¡¯t let go of the tight grips they had on their weapons. The woman, in particular, looked like she was on a hair trigger, a split second before she¡¯d explode into motion and put an arrow through his eye. Or at least try to. ¡°Great,¡± the hammer welder said. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I don¡¯t shake your hand though. The last time I did, the man decided it¡¯d be a great idea to set my hand on fire.¡± He chuckled loudly but the blackened flesh on his arm told Arthur he wasn¡¯t joking.


    His boisterous laughter did at least lessen the tense atmosphere a little. ¡°The name''s Jack, by the way. Behind me is my sister, Susan, and her husband Harry. He¡¯s a wizard by the way.¡± Jack added, wiggling an eyebrow. The man in question didn¡¯t visibly react but Susan¡¯s eyes narrowed in frustration, though a twitch of her lips showed she was used to her brother''s antics.


    ¡°Name''s Arthur,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get back home by nightfall. So I hope we can keep this conversation short and sweet.¡± As cordial as Arthur wanted to be, he wasn¡¯t in the right mental space to entertain three strangers, no matter how friendly they may be. He was honestly surprised he¡¯d managed to be so friendly. If the group was affronted by his gruff tone, they didn¡¯t show it, which bumped them up a few points in Arthur¡¯s books.


    ¡°That''s perfectly fine with us.¡± This time it was Harry who spoke. ¡°God knows no one wants to be outside after dark right now.¡± That was news to Arthur, and his confusion must have shown in his face. ¡°You must¡¯ve been in that forest for quite a while if you don¡¯t know what''s going on. As of yesterday, a curfew has been put in place. No one''s allowed out after 10 p.m. Ever since Hell''s Rising, dimensional incursions have increased by four hundred percent.¡±


    ¡°Some vampire cunts decide to send their thralls over and they tend to get active at night time. Yesterday, forty-two people went missing. The Hunters Association- we think they¡¯re a branch of the government that decided to rebrand themselves, cropped up recently too- decided it¡¯s best to keep people indoors until the problem sorts itself out. They¡¯ve got the government''s support, and they¡¯ve got the strongest people backing them. The frozen princess and Kazi Alukai if you¡¯d believe the rumours.¡±


    Arthur digested the information. Parts of it weren''t surprising- the hunters association had been in the works for a while now- but he was surprised to hear that Kazi Alukai supported the group''s formation. The man had remained aloof ever since his first appearance battling the harpy queen but it looked like things had changed recently. Hells rising. Arthur didn¡¯t need to be a genius to figure out that this was probably the great threat Ayesha had seen coming, but the grand name and the fact that it had gained such renown in only 24 hours didn¡¯t paint a pretty picture.


    Primes were supposed to be nigh-invincible on their home planets. It was the power they received in exchange for giving up their freedom to leave the world. If Kazi Alukai hadn¡¯t gone after the problem directly, it meant the situation was too difficult for him to deal with alone. Either that, or he simply didn¡¯t care which Arthur highly doubted since Ayesha''s seer had said it was a GLOBAL threat. It would devastate his country and people if he allowed it to fester.


    The group looked at him expectantly and Arthur realised he¡¯d spaced out for a little too long. ¡°I have a lot of questions, but I¡¯ll get my answers once I¡¯ve got a stable internet connection. So what was it you wanted to ask?¡±


    Arthur walked away from the trio in a lighter mood, happy that for once, the strangers he met were decent people. They were, as Jack had explained, in a race to get to level hundred as fast as possible. Living at the edge of civilization was a good way to fight powerful monsters but they¡¯d run into limitations with strategy pretty fast. Now they were planning an expedition into the forest and Arthur had shown up at a convenient time to tell them what they should expect. He hadn¡¯t been too helpful, what with the forest monsters avoiding him like the plague, but he had been able to give them a little information he knew, that might be enough to save their lives. Arthur didn¡¯t want to be a pessimist but he didn¡¯t put their chances at survival very high.


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    He¡¯d seen several creatures prowling around that looked like they¡¯d undergone their evolution at level 100, monsters that the trio simply weren''t ready to deal with. Arthur had said as much but he didn¡¯t think they¡¯d heed his warnings. Looking down at his watch, Arthur saw that it was approaching 9 pm, an hour left before he¡¯d be punished for staying outside. Travelling at a leisurely pace, whilst certainly pleasant, wasted far too much time. Instead of being worried about that though, Arthur was more surprised his wristwatch had survived this long. Sure, G-shock was a brand known for its durability and he had taken it off during all of his fights, but Arthur literally moved at the speed of sound now.


    I guess mundane objects are finally starting to get enhanced with ether now. It was a phenomenon that took place when planets evolved to the next tier, though it was far too early in Earth¡¯s timeline for the effects to be noticeable already. Either G-shock really was that great or the planet''s development had been accelerated. On second thought, his clothes and his shoes didn¡¯t disintegrate when he moved so it led credence to an accelerated development speed instead of an absurdly robust watch.


    As Arthur entered the more populated parts of the city, he saw an increase in how many people walked around, though still far less than the crowds he was used to seeing just forty-eight hours ago. Men and women looked down as they walked, casting furtive glances at shadows and each other. It was then that Arthur realised just how terrifying vampire thralls were to ordinary people. Whilst he merely considered them an annoyance, the weak monsters posed a significant danger to ordinary people.


    Vampires in this dimension were a strictly regulated race and constantly under heavy scrutiny, at least according to the many forums he¡¯d browsed since the system¡¯s inception. There were hundreds of laws limiting how and whom they could make thralls of and even then, the race was disliked by most living kinds. With thralls coming out of a gate from another dimension, however, with no such laws in place, the people of Earth certainly had reason to fear. Even so, Arthur doubted that the great threat both Ayesha and Alyssia had warned him of was referring to an invading vampire coven.


    Whilst they were powerful creatures, unless a Vampire Lord was attacking with their entire coven, they didn¡¯t really constitute a global threat. Those monsters would hardly find the blood produced on a tier-1 planet attractive. Not for the first time, Arthur cursed the fact that he hadn¡¯t brought his phone to the locus with him. All the answers to his questions were literally a single Google search away. With curiosity hastening his feet, Arthur made his way through the now familiar streets, taking a moment to greet an old lady who seemed to recognise him. He couldn''t be certain, but he did vaguely remember her having a granddaughter around his age who was always running a lemonade stand in the summer. Cursing himself for being too polite to ignore her, Arthur sped up even more, still walking, but now fast enough that most people would have to run to keep up.


    He was so distracted that he didn¡¯t notice something was wrong at first. It started off with people giving him strange looks, as if he¡¯d done something mildly unpleasant. That didn¡¯t raise any red flags immediately but when people he recognised from the neighbourhood pointed at him and started whispering, Arthur realised something was wrong. Sure he¡¯d been an oddball, but it didn¡¯t warrant this level of curiosity. Suspicious now, Arthur turned into his street, carefully scrutinising everything he could see. It took him three seconds to realise what was wrong.


    Parked just a block away was a black van that looked about as discreet as an elephant in a supermarket. If that wasn¡¯t suspicious enough, the man with the baseball cap and couple loitering around practically screamed spy. Who they worked for was anyone''s guess, but Arthur would bet his left nut the government had their fingers in this pot. They have me under surveillance.


    People had already seen him now, and Arthur couldn¡¯t be bothered going somewhere else so he approached his house seemingly without a care in the world. They broke in, he idly noted. The bastards hadn¡¯t even had the decency to pick the lock. They¡¯d just gone and broken it. At least now he knew why people were looking at him strangely. They probably thought he was some sort of criminal with how the military were searching for him. Cursing the buffoons again, Arthur let himself in and closed the door behind him for all the benefit the useless thing provided.


    The first thing he did was grab his phone, which had to obviously be out of charge. Moving onto his laptop, he quickly surfed the web and found out all that he¡¯d missed over the past 48 hours. It wasn''t hard to find, what with it being plastered over every headline. Hell''s rising, the world called it, the day the dead started to walk. Arthur grimaced as he read through the article. An unleashed lich queen, an estimated level beyond 290, most probably beyond the class barriers and pushing past level 300. With enough power to create an entire city out of ice and over ten million soldiers at her command, humanity looked well and truly fucked.


    Sighing wearily, Arthur made his way to the kitchen and put some frozen food in the air fryer. It¡¯d take thirty minutes, which was ample time to go and have a shower and finally feel human again.


    Unfortunately for Arthur, it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d get to enjoy his meal. He was halfway down the stairs, hair still wet from the bathroom when people started banging on his door. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the words they were shouting just made an already terrible day worse.


    ¡°Open up Mr Ward. you''re under arrest.¡±


    On the bright side at least they¡¯d had the decency to at least let him clean himself first. Sometimes, all you had to appreciate were the little things in life.

 Chapter 140- Compromised

    Arthur was surprised he wasn¡¯t reacting more strongly from the crowd of rude people hammering at his door- judging by the number of voices he could hear, there was certainly more than one. After facing down a hydra and jumping down its gullet, this drama, whatever it was, just felt so tedious.


    He took his time going down the stairs, first heading to the kitchen to get his food out of the air fryer. The people outside certainly didn¡¯t like how long he was taking given how loudly they were knocking now, system-enhanced knuckles striking wood with the sound of muffled gunshots. Would it kill them to just ring the fucking bell, or better yet, wait?


    Taking a bite out of his chicken tenders, Arthur grimaced. He¡¯d overcooked them. Putting the plate down, he made his way to the front door. What bogus charge would they hit him with? Vandalism. Theft. Did they find out I was responsible for the water pipe explosion? Whatever bullshit they pulled, Arthur knew it would get on his nerves, so he took a deep steadying breath before opening the door. It didn¡¯t help much.


    There was a group of six crowded outside on his front porch, two of them, a woman and a man dressed in civilian clothes and the rest in combat fatigues, so at least he¡¯d been right about them being military. They were armed with guns that looked like they¡¯d come straight out of a sci-fi movie. It might have worried Arthur if he hadn¡¯t just tanked a bunch of them in a forest only four hours ago. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come inside,¡± Arthur said. "The door clearly didn¡¯t stop you before and I don¡¯t need my neighbours thinking I¡¯m a criminal. You¡¯ve given them enough reason to talk about me already.¡± Despite the accusations in his words, he spoke in a perfectly pleasant tone of voice. A little passive aggressiveness aside, being belligerent would get him nowhere and cost more energy than he was willing to put into this conversation.


    ¡°Mr Ward. you¡¯ve been-¡±


    Arthur interrupted the man with a raised hand. Surprisingly enough, he took the rude interruption in his stride without any viable annoyance crossing his face. Cool headed. That was always a plus in his book. ¡°This conversation will happen inside or not at all,¡± Arthur said, ignoring the fact that it was supposed to be his arrest. ¡°That¡¯s not unreasonable, is it? Look, my neighbour''s gonna fall out of the window if he sticks his head out any further.¡±


    The man in charge, Corporal Henderson, as Homunculus'' eye identified him, turned to see a rapidly closing window. He turned back to face Arthur with a faint smile on his lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr Ward. Let''s not create a scene. After you please.¡±


    The double meaning wasn¡¯t lost on Arthur. Don¡¯t create a scene. Don¡¯t resist arrest. Arthur wasn¡¯t a seer but he had a feeling there''d be some disagreements happening in the near future. His house wasn¡¯t small by any means, but having five grown men and a woman crowding his living room made things a little cramped. Henderson took a seat on the couch in front of him. The rest of his men remained standing.


    ¡°Before we get started, can I ask who sent you? Was it General Bradly? This doesn''t really seem like his type of thing, though. You don¡¯t happen to know a man called Aaron West do you?¡± Arthur asked. The look of surprise on Henderson¡¯s face was answer enough.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware you¡¯d met Sir Aaron West yet,¡± the corporal spoke carefully. ¡°But no, I¡¯m on General Bradley¡¯s orders today. Not his.¡±


    Sir Aaron West? He''s well known. And respected, Arthur mused. As far as he knew, sir didn¡¯t denote a military rank, at least in America. Maybe British? Arthur left his speculation there.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Henderson.¡± If the man was surprised he knew his name, he didn¡¯t show it. ¡°I haven''t met Aaron. The bastard just sent a team of alien mercenaries after me. They actually used the same weapons as you guys. At least they looked very similar.¡± This time, Arthur got a reaction out of the man, the whole group actually, the men in uniform visibly tensing. Corporal Henderson, as unflappable as ever, only raised an eyebrow in disbelief.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big accusation to be throwing around. I¡¯ve read your file, kid, you¡¯re a great healer and you¡¯re a decent water mage.¡± He glared at Arthur over steepled fingers. ¡°You¡¯ll understand that I simply can¡¯t believe your outlandish claims. Even if, for some impossible reason, Sir Aaron did send his mercenaries after you. Well, I¡¯ve met the tough bastards. They¡¯d snap you like a twig.¡±


    ¡°So pray tell, how is it then, that you''re sitting here so relaxed in the comforts of your home.¡±


    Arthur sighed wearily and rubbed his temples. Everything Henderson said made sense, at least from the man¡¯s perspective. Though it was surprising his file apparently didn¡¯t mention the final blow he¡¯d dealt against Shade. Henderson wouldn¡¯t have dismissed him out of hand so easily otherwise.


    ¡°It does sound pretty unbelievable when you put it like that,¡± Arthur admitted. ¡°Besides my word, I¡¯ve got no way to prove it to you. Actually, I did end up picking a fancy-looking rocket launcher from them but I think if I showed you, you¡¯d try and take it. Besides that, you do know it¡¯s very, very illegal for aliens to come to our planet right now. However Aaron managed to get them here, he''s breaking a lot of rules. You might want to think twice about working with a man like that.¡±


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    His words unfortunately fell on deaf ears and he could tell the group didn¡¯t believe him. I could just show them the weapon, but no way in hell will they let me keep it. And I doubt it''d get them to stop whatever bullshit they''re trying to pull here. They¡¯d take it from him, or at least try to and that was a can of worms Arthur didn¡¯t want to open right now. It¡¯d also clearly implicated him as a major suspect in the death of the mercenary squad when Aaron finally realised they weren''t reporting in. He''d fought in self-defence but he didn¡¯t know if Lorak society would accept that. Perhaps he was being cynical, but he felt it was highly likely they¡¯d try and press him with a bunch of bogus charges, much as a human government was trying, anything to get him under their thumb. Arthur had enough on his plate without getting into that debacle. Honestly, I¡¯ll get brought in for questioning regardless when they send professional investigators to the scene. Let''s not borrow problems from the future today.


    Shrugging his shoulders helplessly, Arthur sighed. ¡°This conversation is pointless, I¡¯m not getting through to you and even if I did, you¡¯re too low on the ladder to change anything. Let¡¯s stop beating around the bush. On what charges did you come here to arrest me?¡±


    Henderson frowned at Arthur¡¯s condescending words, trying to see if he¡¯d meant it as an insult or not. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I appreciate your tone of voice, Mr Ward. I ask that-¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t appreciate you breaking into my home when I¡¯m not here but we don¡¯t always get what we want. Now say what you came to say or leave.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand what¡¯s going on here.¡± This time, the woman in civilian clothing decided to speak up. ¡°You''re under arrest. This wasn¡¯t supposed to be a conversation in the first place. We just extended that courtesy to you in consideration of your assistance in the past. You''re lucky-¡±


    Corporal Henderson raised a hand, ¡°That''s enough Ashley. If I wanted your input I would have asked for it.¡± He fixed her with a pointed glare before turning back to face Arthur. ¡°My subordinate isn¡¯t wrong though, Mr Ward. You¡¯ve been charged with dereliction of duty, breach of contract and a blatant disregard of the curfew laws put in place. You¡¯re to be brought in for questioning immediately.¡±


    Arthur stared at the man incredulously, wondering if this was some kind of shitty prank. He¡¯d wondered what they¡¯d try to pin him with. Dereliction of duty? Breach of contract? What the hell were these guys talking about? It was so absurd he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. That obviously didn¡¯t go over very well and he could see Ashley struggling not to say anything.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke, Mr Ward,¡± Henderson said gravely. ¡°You¡¯re looking at some serious jail time. And believe me you, we do have the facilities to hold you.¡±


    ¡°No, Henderson. You don¡¯t. You really don¡¯t,¡± Arthur replied.


    His words were met with uncomfortable silence.


    ¡°Are you going to resist arrest? Trust me kid, it¡¯s not gonna end well.¡± The man had finally started speaking informally. ¡°We hate cowards more than anything in the military. We need to bring you in alive but these boys won¡¯t hesitate to put a bullet in your legs.¡± His tone was hostile now, bereft of any friendliness, his eyes practically begging Arthur to make the wrong decision. If that wasn¡¯t enough, the sneer on his face told him he really didn¡¯t like him.


    It was such a drastic change in personality, that Arthur almost thought he was imagining things. The mask of civility had come off and he was dealing with the ugly man beneath.


    This shit stinks of politics and misinformation. For some reason, these people hated him and thought he¡¯d abandoned his duty. Someone, somewhere up the chain of command was spreading lies about him. Was it General Bradley? The man didn¡¯t have a reason to antagonise him like this.


    ¡°Give me a moment, please. I need to make a phone call.¡±


    Not waiting to see if they were okay with it, Arthur took his phone off charge and dialled a number. Ayesha picked up the second ring. Before he could say anything, Ayesha was talking, so fast a pre-system human would¡¯ve only heard gibberish. ¡±Shit Arthur. My calls haven¡¯t been going through to you. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d make it in time.¡±


    In the background, Arthur could hear the sounds of an engine running. ¡°I¡¯m on the way to your house right now. Just wait five minutes and don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± Ayesha was almost shouting, panic clear in her voice. This was nothing like the refined woman he¡¯d met previously. She swore at the traffic and he heard the sound of a car door opening, then the whistling of wind. She¡¯d left the vehicle. ¡°What the hell is going on Ayesha?¡± Arthur asked gruffly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the people in his living room get ready to move. Their patience was quickly running out. ¡°Okay, Arthur. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make it on time so listen carefully. The people in front of you, they¡¯re completely innocent. Good people, great actually. Henderson¡¯s a father-to-be and Ashley''s a healer who¡¯s saved hundreds of lives.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Arthur was getting more confused by the minute.


    ¡°So that when they attack you, you hold back and don¡¯t kill them by accident. That''s a possible future Iris saw. It¡¯ll put you in a bad mental space and things will deteriorate from there. I need you at your best for the next few months, not distracted by guilt.¡±


    ¡°This is probably confusing as hell right now but Henderson''s squad isn¡¯t in their right state of mind.¡± At the speed Ayesha was running right now, it was all Arthur could do to hear her over the sound of rushing wind. The phone cut off for a second and he missed a part of what was said. ¡°Thralls weren''t the only things to come through the dimensional incursion. Their masters followed behind them. The military has been compromised.¡±


    Arthur felt a sinking feeling in his gut, even as he mentally prepared himself for what was about to happen. Ashley reached for her gun, her eyes glazed over as if she wasn¡¯t all there. None of her teammates moved to stop her.


    ¡°Shit Arthur- Iris is telling me the future isn¡¯t changing. They¡¯re still going to die. It¡¯s not your fault this time but-¡±


    Arthur didn¡¯t hear the rest of what was said. Being well over level 100, Ayesha could easily move faster than ordinary vehicles, and her phone simply couldn¡¯t maintain a proper signal at those speeds. So Iris is the seer''s name, I guess. And those poor bastards are under the influence of some powerful vampires. He was pulled off his thoughts when the call suddenly connected again. ¡°Three minutes, Arthur, and we¡¯ll be there. The vampires are after your blood. They almost killed each other for the sample the military still had left.¡±


    ¡°Three minutes, Arthur,¡± she repeated herself. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t bleed.¡±


    Two things happened at once. The call finally disconnected for good and Arthur got shot in the face.

 Chapter 141- Disgust

    Ayesha Murker ran through the street as fast as she could, her best friend and trusted seer Iris dogging her footsteps. She discarded her shoes the moment she¡¯d exited the car, luxury high-heels that quite literally fell apart because of how quickly she¡¯d removed them. Right now, however, she was cursing her choice of footwear as she stepped on her thirtieth stone in half as many seconds. Whilst her constitution was high enough that she didn¡¯t risk injury from the sharp objects, it wasn¡¯t high enough to block the significant pain it caused her.


    Looking at the crushed phone in her hand, Ayesha scoffed and applied a deft touch of ether manipulation to disintegrate the broken tech into a fine spray of dust


    ¡°My lady, that¡¯s the eleventh telephone you¡¯ve broken this month,¡± Iris helpfully noted.


    ¡°Mobile phone, Iris. They¡¯re called mobile phones,¡± Ayesha huffed through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Of course, my lady. Whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°No, it really is-¡± Ayesha gave up halfway, dumping it as a lost cause. Iris insisted on using the wrong word for whatever reason and she knew from experience that wouldn''t be changing any time soon.


    She cursed the Controlled Visitation Legislations (CVL) for the umpteenth time. Whoever had come up with the list of restricted alien tech must have had a stick shoved as far up the arse they could taste their own shit. If she had an actual phone with her instead of the shit they sold on Earth, she would have been able to have an actual conversation with Arthur instead of running through the streets like a headless chicken.


    ¡°Remind me again why this is so important, Iris,¡± she huffed.


    Her best friend had annoyingly invested far more into her physical stats and just had more stats in general courtesy to her higher tier race, and spoke in the even tone of someone taking a leisurely stroll through the city. ¡°Originally, I feared how Arthur would react after he accidentally killed Henderson. He¡¯s not yet aware of how far ahead he is compared to the rest of the planet. Once he found out that the soldiers were magically compelled by vampires, he would have fallen into a destructive cycle of self-blame.¡±


    ¡°I believe the manner of the man''s death would have been eerily similar to his sister''s murder, which wouldn¡¯t have helped things. That was a highly likely future had you not managed to talk to him in time, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Now for some reason, I think that they¡¯re all going to die.¡±


    Ayesha slowed down her pace a little. It¡¯d be the height of folly to rush to the scene to only be too tired to make a difference. ¡°So what changed, Iris? Why do the soldiers not survive?" She asked, dreading the answer she would hear.


    "You know better than me, my lady.¡±


    The reply confirmed Ayesha¡¯s fears. A vampire''s compulsion relied heavily on the power of suggestion and manipulating a target''s emotions. Being masters of blood magic, they were adept controllers of the bodily processes of most carbon-based life forms and altering the chemical compounds in their target¡¯s bloodstream was as easy for them as taking candy from a child. The main factor that contributed to the vampire race''s fearsome reputation, was the ability to infect hosts through an infusion of their own blood, a highly illegal practice that had been banned for millennia.


    Unfortunately for them, vampires from a different dimension didn¡¯t follow their laws, and it looked like these six soldiers had been infected. If they were supposed to die soon, it would only mean one thing. The vampires had decided to ¡®awaken¡¯ their hosts, at least, that was the flowery language they used to describe the process that would leave their victims dead and broken. At the exorbitant cost of their precious blood essence and the permanent reduction of their stats, it would grant their hosts the power equivalent to 15% of the energy their souls would have produced had they exploded over a five-minute period.


    Ayesha had done some extensive research on the bloodsuckers the moment they made their way onto Earth and things did not look good. Arthur¡¯s blood had been potent enough to throw them into a frenzy before whatever he''d accomplished within the locus. With a class to his name and a dragon''s core strengthening him, the monsters would overturn hell to get him now. As of this moment, Arthur represented quite possibly the easiest source of power these vampires had seen in the history of their race from whatever planet they¡¯d come from, and if they managed to get their hands on him, the dangerous threat they currently were, might just grow to rival the one the lich represented. First a lichqueen and now this. It¡¯s almost as if someone''s intentionally working towards the destruction of the planet. Grunting in annoyance, Ayesha redoubled her pace. Arthur was strong, she¡¯d be the first to admit that. But she didn''t think he was ready for a fight like this.


    On a scale of one to ten of things Arthur disliked, he would put getting shot in the face at a high eight. Sure, he was nigh invulnerable against most firearms but that didn¡¯t quite register with his lizard brain that told him it would kill him. It also stung like a bitch, like someone had slapped him out of nowhere except no, Ashley had just shot him in the face point blank, an attack that would have proven instantly fatal against an ordinary human. Against Arthur, it merrily pushed his head back into the couch cushion behind him.


    Ayesha Murker hadn¡¯t been able to tell him everything, but he knew enough to understand the general gist of things. Vampires had invaded the upper echelons of the US military and they apparently constituted a much greater threat than he¡¯d initially given them credit for. Being blood drinkers, the monsters had obviously become excited at the sample of his the government must have kept at hand, from his battle against Shade. He¡¯d been significantly weaker back then and he¡¯d consumed a dragon¡¯s core and gained a class since he¡¯d last identified it just a few days ago which had put stuff at the elite+ rank. Arthur wouldn¡¯t be surprised if his blood was approaching legendary rank now.


    If the bastards had already been so excited at the outdated stuff, he worried what they would do now. Arthur didn¡¯t have much to go on, but he was starting to suspect that his blood was just a tad bit more special than he¡¯d initially thought. These were the sort of thoughts that had been rushing through Arthur¡¯s brain, at least until he¡¯d been rudely interrupted by a magical bullet to the face. Cursing loudly, Arthur rubbed his mouth with his sleeve. He¡¯d bitten his damn tongue and he was thankful that he hadn¡¯t bled. In any other circumstance, he might have found it funny that he¡¯d done more damage to himself by accident than his opponent had with their opening attack. He raised his head to glare at the bastards.


    ¡°Ayesha told me to cut you guys some slack, but this is going too-¡± Arthur¡¯s words died in his mouth at the sight that greeted him. Where once six humans had stood, there were now six pulsating masses of purply pink flesh. It was like someone had come and turned the soldiers inside out and he could see ropey masses of flesh that looked like they were supposed to be intestines. Arthur watched in horrified fascination as his suspicions were confirmed a moment later. The tunnels of meat grew in size, swelling like balloons with too much air pumped inside until, with a sickening pop, they exploded, spraying flecks of faeces and other unidentifiable materials across the room.


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    Arthur flinched as a drop landed on his cheek and he used a quick dose of purify, faster than he¡¯d managed to use the skill before to get rid of the offending substance. The room stank like weak old meat that had been left out in the sun; a sensory attack in and of itself that made him curse ever unlocking the perception stat. If his draconic vitality hadn¡¯t been so high, he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if the smell had knocked him out.


    Watching the sickening transformation happening in real time was the stuff of nightmares, grotesque squelches and groaning sounds emanating from the blobs of pulsating flesh. The visible changes taking place before him were replicated on a spiritual level and Arthur could feel their souls changing, still human but a perversion of what they should be. It made him feel sick to look at in a way the physical changes simply couldn¡¯t. Ayesha had asked him to hold back so he didn¡¯t accidentally kill anyone. Arthur didn¡¯t think these men could be saved anymore.


    Not waiting to see what would become of these monsters, Arthur launched a water bullet at what used to be Henderson. To his growing honour, his attack fizzled harmlessly against an arcane shield of red that flared into existence. He sent another bullet forth, this one twice as strong. This time, the shield didn¡¯t materialise and his water shot struck the flesh proper. For a moment Arthur thought he¡¯d done something, a hole had appeared on the stationary monster where he¡¯d struck. That hope died when Henderson immediately healed, this flesh taking on a strange bluish sheen. Arthur sincerely hoped it was merrily a change in colour, but his next attack confirmed his fears. The transforming monsters, Awakened Blood beasts as Homonuculus''s eye identified them, were absorbing his magic and adapting to face him.


    Just when he thought things couldn¡¯t get any worse, the monster''s aura spiked in power in a way that felt eerily familiar to Arthur Ward. Don¡¯t tell me they''re about to go supernova. They¡¯ll destroy the whole fucking city. Why are the vampires doing this? Upon close inspection, there was a subtle difference in how the Bloodbeast''s souls were fracturing. It was a controlled process, or at least as controlled as a soul''s destruction could ever be, and that massive generation of power was funnelled into these creatures'' growth. They¡¯re literally dying for power.


    Arthur didn¡¯t wait any longer. His soul affinity told him he had around ninety seconds before the blood beasts were ready. It was time to make his own preparations. If he was fast enough, maybe he could end this fight before it even began. He checked his ether reserves. 6530/6530. He was on a full tank despite the annoying cost it took to maintain his existence on tier 1 world, courtesy of his surplus health regeneration being constantly funnelled into the energy pool. Despite that, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for what he had planned. It was time to use his class pinnacle skill and deploy his new domain for the first time.


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    The Homunculi Hunts (Legendary, Domain skill)[Class pinnacle skill] Level 1- The perfect homunculus is a predator that thrives in the hunt, relishing in the misery of its prey. Creatures caught in your domain and selected will suffer adverse mental effects and will be 50% slower. (Note: this percentage is affected by the target''s natural resistances and constitution)


    Ten targets may be selected for the debuff Homunculi¡¯s Draining [Cost 1000 ether/target]


    Homunculi¡¯s draining- Targets are drained of their ether, stamina, and Health at a rate of 5% of their respective maximums per minute. This drained energy is randomly assigned to create shadow bombs within the domain to target foes. Lasts for ten minutes.


    One target may be selected for the debuff, A Homunculi¡¯s Ire.


    A Homunculi¡¯s Ire- Target''s skills cost 30% more and may fail to function properly judging on the level/Strength disparity


    1% of all damage inflicted on this target within the domain will count as soul damage which permanently reduces a target¡¯s Healthpool


    Cost: 10,000 ether.


    Cooldown: 24 hours.


    0.01% of the damage inflicted on foes in your domain will count as soul damage. All host¡¯s skills [excluding domain skills] cost 25% less when used in the domain. Soul splinters are 25% stronger in the domain and recover twice as fast.


    Domain cost: 10,000 ether + 1,000 ether per minute of usage.


    Size: 1km.


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    With an exorbitant cost of ten thousand ether, he needed to dip into his health pool and use 10,410 health to complete the skill. It took him forty seconds to summon his domain, a time frame he would have been ecstatic with if the situation wasn¡¯t so dire. The moment the skill was online, the world around him changed, so subtly he was sure most people hadn¡¯t realised the difference. For those with the senses to see, however, all felt a dread chill crawl up their spines as if they¡¯d been caught in the sights of predators. With his domain covering an entire kilometre, quite a number of people were affected, especially considering how populated the area was. The world, at least this little slice of it, felt like it belonged to him.


    He didn¡¯t have the time to admire how great it felt though, rapidly pouring his health into the skill that would win him this fight. Armaments of the soul cost five thousand ether to summon, which translated to a whopping 11,250 health for Arthur after the 25% cost reduction his domain granted to his spells. His last attempt at this skill had demonstrated very clearly that he wasn¡¯t proficient enough to form any advanced weaponry. And so he settled on creating a pointy stick that might be generously called a spear.


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    Armaments Of The Soul (legendary) - The most potent tool of any soul mage, the armaments created with this skill are a reflection of the soul made manifest in physical reality. Of fluid form, the armament can be anything the user desires. Cost: 5000 ether summon cost. 1000 ether/ minute of use.


    Effect: 5% of all damage inflicted via the armament counts as soul damage. Ignores 50% of all defences. Attacks done with the armament have a slight possibility of permanently decreasing a target''s stats. Whilst the armament is summoned, spells cost 10% less ether. The host learns weapon techniques at an accelerated rate whilst using an armament.


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    It was a terrible weapon that had no weight to it and the little it did was unevenly distributed across the shaft. I seriously need to learn more about making weapons. Arthur wasn¡¯t using the skill to create a good weapon though. He was more interested in the 5% soul damage it applied to all attacks he made with it. Blood beasts might be able to adapt to any magics thrown against them in their transformation period, but he doubted they¡¯d be able to adapt to a permanent reduction in their health pools.


    His preparation had taken him seventy seconds in total, which gave him another twenty seconds before the monsters finished evolving according to his watch. Mentally selecting the six beasts for the debuff A Homunculi¡¯s Draining, Arthur winced as he felt the 18,00 health drain out of him. Health: 224,175/263,835. Using his life force like this always stung a little and left him feeling a little hollow. Eighteen seconds left. Jumping forward, Arthur thrust his spear at what had once been Henderson. The weapon penetrated about a foot into the mass of flesh before coming to a stop.


    Arthur didn''t hesitate, pulling his pointy stick out as fast as possible before striking forward again and again in a repetition of the first form of the Star Spear Revelations, a simple thrust that he had practised thousands of times. True to his predictions, Henderson couldn¡¯t adapt to his soul magic, instead visibly deflating as the evolving mass of the flesh stopped healing in certain places. He could do this. It was just a matter of time.


    That was when the blood beast decided to explode in his face.

 Chapter 142- Guilt

    The fight had been going so well. Arthur had deployed his skills and began the process of steadily whittling down Henderson, the man with the greatest potential as a blood beast. Had he been given his full twenty seconds of predicted time to work with, he was certain he could have killed the monster before it became a threat. Unfortunately for him, things rarely went according to plan and as he was blasted through a second wall, Arthur began to wonder where things had gone so wrong today.


    Crashing down into the middle of a road, Arthur skittered along another dozen metres before his body finally came to a stop. He didn¡¯t want to open his eyes. If he did, he¡¯d be forced to see the crater that had once been his home as well as the smouldering remains of the rest of the street. Whilst he had been strong enough to survive Henderson¡¯s detonation, that wasn¡¯t the case for his neighbours who¡¯d been caught in the blast. Mr Jefferson, the old lady with too many cats, little Taya, who he¡¯d seen grow from a baby to a bratty five-year-old¡­ all dead.


    Ayesha didn¡¯t warn me about anything like this. I was supposed to accidentally kill one or two of them, not¡­ this. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to think of all the devastation that had just happened. Maybe if he hadn¡¯t attacked so viciously, the monster wouldn¡¯t have exploded. He could have just gone with them and dealt with things when there weren''t so many people around. He¡¯d been stubborn, drunk on his new power and he just had to, stop it. Spiralling like this, especially right now, was exactly what Ayesha had feared. Perhaps he could have done things differently and so many people wouldn¡¯t have had to die, but he wasn¡¯t responsible for all their death and destruction. Nor was it the fault of those six soldiers who had come knocking on his door.


    The blame lay solely at the feet of the vampires who had sent them.


    Arthur sat up from where he was lying down and looked behind him. It was almost nostalgic when he saw an Arthur-shaped dent in the truck that had stopped him. This time the vehicle was worse for wear, completely trashed despite the ether enhancements he could see its owner had lavishly spent on it. The man in question stared in his direction, a look of horror on his face, blood dripping from a gash on his eyebrow.


    He was dead.


    The poor guy''s chest was completely crushed, a gaping hole on the right of his torso where his rib cage had splintered outwards. Arthur turned away quickly, feeling nauseous. He¡¯d seen a fair share of grotesque wounds in his time as a healer, but it hit differently when the injury was caused by him. He hadn¡¯t intended it, but he¡¯d become the proverbial noose that had snuffed out the man''s life. With no excuse to delay anymore, Arthur turned around to face the devastation that had begun at his house. The first thing he noticed was how quiet it was. There was no screaming, no cries for help. No one called out for a loved one and no one swore at the loss of their property. Everyone who had been caught in the blast, one that had been significantly larger than he''d initially thought-spanning almost the entirety of his kilometre-large aura- had died in an instant.


    How many is that? 1000? 2000 people just gone. Just like that. Once again, he could feel the guilt crashing down on him, but this time it wasn¡¯t so easy to throw off. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Arthur asked the question he¡¯d been instinctively avoiding until now. The Bloodbeasts had been undergoing a controlled soul explosion, or at least the mechanisms were so similar Arthur wasn¡¯t yet proficient enough to tell the difference. The key word here was controlled. By attacking the delicate transforming soul directly with his armaments, he¡¯d broken the equilibrium that allowed such an unstable change to take place.


    Maybe the vampires hadn¡¯t intended to create an actual soul explosion. After all, it served little purpose beyond wanton destruction and loss of life. Whilst he wouldn¡¯t put that past them, it didn¡¯t align with the movements they made so far. The only reason why Henderson had gone supernova, the only reason why so many had died without Ayesha¡¯s seer warning about it, was because he¡¯d spontaneously decided to try and end a fight before it had started.


    If he¡¯d had any food in his stomach, he would¡¯ve lost it right then. Raising a hand to his face, it came back wet. As much as he was trying to hold himself together right now, Arthur¡¯s eyes were a little damp. He wasn¡¯t made of stone. Looking down at his hands, he saw that there wasn¡¯t even a hint of red on them.


    So many dead, buildings that had stood for decades turned to rubble, a soul''s explosion- albeit a severely weakened one- that he¡¯d taken point blank and it didn¡¯t even amount to a single drop of blood. At any other time, Arthur might have felt excited at how durable his body had become, but right now he just felt dirty. So many had died and he, the target of the attack had gotten away scratch-free. It also put into perspective how important skills were and how powerful a concept was. Issania had cut his skin with every attack she¡¯d landed with her spear.


    Fuck this shit, Arthur cursed, slapping himself in the cheeks. I¡¯ll have time to grieve later and figure things out. Maybe I¡¯m not even responsible for all this and I¡¯m just jumping to conclusions. Compartmentalising all his frustration and guilt, Arthur shoved it into a box and left it for future him to deal with. His domain was still deployed and with it, he could clearly sense that five of the six men targeted by Homunculi''s draining still existed. Arthur was honestly happy the monsters had survived the explosion. It presented an immediate threat he was forced to deal with, a perfect distraction.


    Perception was his second lowest stat after charisma, and he struggled to see through the thick cloud of dust blocking his vision. As if responding to his annoyance, the air within his domain rapidly concentrated the ambient molecules of H20 present, creating a thick smog of water vapour that rapidly settled the dust and cleared the air. Surprisingly enough, the deft use of magic had cost him no ether or health to fuel, nor was it mentioned as a function of the skill''s use.


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    I guess parts of my pseudo-domain must have carried over. Arthur cracked a smile at that. Looked like his training with Alyssia at least meant something. Three seconds later, Arthur had a perfect line of sight to where his house had once stood. Instead of a massive crater as he¡¯d expected, the earth around the epicentre of the explosion had transformed into some sort of crystal-like substance. Arthur had heard of a similar phenomenon occurring when meteorites struck the planet but this had a distinct magical feel to it. And that explosion didn¡¯t feel strong enough to be compared to a meteorite. No way would I have been okay otherwise.


    Arthur''s thoughts trailed to a stop when he finally got a look at the blood beasts. They looked nothing like he¡¯d expected, at least all of them besides one. Gone were the pulsating masses of rotting flesh. In their place stood four humanoid creatures covered in crimson plates of crystal reminiscent of a mediaeval knight''s armour. An unbiased person would probably say they looked beautiful in their own alien way. They practically oozed violence. A shimmering haze of red distorted the air around them and dissolved the little bits of rubble still around them.


    The fifth blood beast looked more in line with what he¡¯d expected. It was the only one that had any familiar features, though it looked like someone had blended Ashley up and then stitched her back together whilst blindfolded. Her arms were misshapen lumps of flesh and her legs were of differing lengths. Where the other blood beasts stood confidently over seven feet tall she barely touched the threshold for five.


    The worst part about her though, was the extra head she had on her stomach, one that looked like it had literally burst out of her belly and was hanging on by an elongated bony neck.


    And the fact that it had the distinct features of a human baby and was wailing like one.


    It looked horrifying, grotesque on so many different levels and Arthur could taste bile in the back of his throat. Please tell me this isn¡¯t what I think it is. Arthur used Homunculis'' Eye to identify the monsters. Ashley¡¯s description hit him like a punch to the gut.


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    Ashley Rhye, The failed Bloodbeast level 163- A human woman infused with the blood essence of an adult vampire, her transformation into a blood beast failed due to the existence of a pseudo soul within her womb. With insufficient energy to transform both souls via ¡®blood awakening¡¯ she is a failed product, neither human nor blood beast. A tortured existence that seeks the mercy of the final sleep.


    Highest stat: constitution


    Weakness: Her mind is broken, suspended between human and monster nature


    Time till death: 11 minutes


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    </table>


    Even as he watched, he saw the single human eye on her face while up with tears. The movement of her lips showed she was trying to say something but the swollen tumours growing out of her mouth prevented him from reading them.


    Those vampires are going to die, Arthur promised himself with greater conviction than he had anything else in his life.


    Identifying the rest of the bloodbeasts didn¡¯t give him much information to work with, their levels ranging from 210 at the lowest to 238 at the highest. But an apocalypse beast, these creatures had the greatest potential out of every foe he¡¯d fought. It came at a price though, their lives were on a five-minute timer. They wouldn¡¯t be idle during that time though and Arthur knew he¡¯d struggle against their onslaught. Ashley was a non-issue with how her body was fighting itself so that just left him facing four enemies, each of whom was stronger than any individual foe he¡¯d faced.


    Arthur was surprised to see his soul spear at his feet. He was certain he¡¯d dropped it the moment the blast had hit but it had somehow ended up with him, completely unharmed. Did that mean the weapon would always return to him when it was summoned? The skill didn¡¯t mention anything of the sort, but then again, his domain hadn¡¯t said anything about instinctive water manipulation either. With 300 seconds on the clock, the monsters wouldn¡¯t waste any time trying to take him down and neither would he. If the vampires could create blood beasts like this, it stood to reason that they were significantly more powerful. Maybe he was overestimating them but he wanted to leave nothing to chance when he went to kill them. I need that first consolidation. His class was all about creating the perfect life form, bringing the best out of all the monstrous traits he¡¯d absorbed and whilst the base skills the class provided were powerful, it didn''t quite live up to the description he read when he¡¯d selected it. His class was incomplete. It was time to change that. If killing these four didn¡¯t get him to level 101 and unlock his first consolidation, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be seeing the first class upgrade in the next decade.


    Arthur made his preparations, casting Reflective shield and Cloaked Darkness, the defensive spell in its shell form. With the 25% reduction in cost for his skills, it took 9000 health, a not insignificant amount that left him feeling a little more fragile. Whilst using his health pool to fuel his skills didn¡¯t seem to visibly damage him, it caused a constant ache that suffused his entire body. These skill descriptions really are shit, Arthur mused. Despite having no practice since his last usage of the skills, they deployed eighty percent faster under the influence of his domain, almost as if the skill matrixes were rushing to complete themselves.


    Eighteen seconds later, Arthur was ready for the fight and it looked like the bloodbeasts were starting to make their moves too. Hefting his soul''s spear, Arthur grimaced at how unevenly the weight was distributed across the haft. Even if the weapon returned to him, there was no way he¡¯d be able to hit the monsters from here if he threw his weapon, a skill he¡¯d briefly touched upon under Issania¡¯s tutelage. I guess I just have to make sure I can¡¯t miss.


    Using the smallest amount of ether necessary, Arthur generated four water bullets around the weapon shaft. Hopefully, this''ll work. It did! Arthur watched in excitement as the spear floated in the air before him, held aloft by four water bullets. He could feel the energy he¡¯d used to summon them rapidly draining but this was amazing. It opened the door to a completely new fighting style. The molecular water shots were individually weak, but these were by far the fastest attack he could make, comparable to the speed of a modern firearm.


    Now, if I can use it as a medium to deliver my soul armament, that changes everything. Add on a cloaked blade, and this method of attack just became broken. It was a shame that it cost so much. Now the moment of truth.


    Arthur shot his spell.

 Chapter 143- Unwinnable?

    Armaments of the soul was an incredible skill, limited only by Arthur''s inability to use it properly. That didn¡¯t matter much when he shot his crude soul spear at seven times the speed of sound via water shot. It was on a direct collision course with the largest Bloodbeast a seven-and-a-half-foot behemoth that was bounding towards him at a speed nearing three hundred Km/h. Its running technique was the mirror image of what you¡¯d see in an Olympic ad and on something so obviously non-human, it looked downright uncanny.


    With less than a hundred metres between them, Arthur''s aim was true. It collided with the monster¡¯s skull with a deafening boom, sending rubble and dust everywhere. Physics held little sway here and despite the negligent weight of his spear, it was the massive behemoth of a monster that was sent careening backwards. A quick use of Homunculus'' eye showed how much damage he¡¯d dealt.


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    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Health:270,081/310,000(308,000)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    40,000 damage with a single attack. Arthur let out an appreciative whistle. No matter how morbid life got, he¡¯d always take out the time to appreciate how much he¡¯d grown. With 5% of all damage he dealt with his armament counting as true soul damage, he¡¯d permanently decreased his enemy''s health by 2,000 points. That just left- Arthur quickly did the maths- another 155 attacks of similar strength to put down the beast down for good. It was a daunting task when he looked at it like that, especially when he had another three Blood beasts of similar strength to face at the same time. Considering that attacks made with an armament ignored 50% of a target''s defence, his remote bombardment was significantly more powerful than the base number suggested.


    True to his hopes and predictions, his weapon suddenly appeared before him, hovering in the air for a second before gravity brought it down to the ground where it pierced the earth and remained standing upright. He hadn¡¯t seen it teleport, one moment there was nothing but air and the next, his weapon was there. Checking his health reserves, he saw that the armament recall didn¡¯t cost him any additional energy whatsoever, it seemed to be a simple function of the skill that wasn¡¯t mentioned in the description.


    Was there a maximum distance? Would it work all the time? Why did it happen in the first place? Was the name Armaments of the Soul a lot more literal than he¡¯d initially thought? These questions filtered through Arthur¡¯s head as he grabbed his spear and darted forward. They were all important questions, and depending on their answers, he could potentially completely change his fighting style. This was all stuff he¡¯d have to worry about later though. Right now, the monster he¡¯d just downed- who he¡¯d dubbed juggernaut, courtesy of its size- was getting back to its feet.


    His attack had blown a massive crater in its skull which was healing at a rate visible to the naked eye, almost comparable, perhaps beyond the prodigious regeneration displayed by the [lesser] Hydra he''d defeated. Arthur estimated it¡¯d take around one-hundred-and-thirty seconds before the blood beast was completely healed, which put the monster''s regeneration at an insane 300 per second. Turned out that sacrificing your life for five minutes of power actually gave you a shit ton of it. Shame it came at such a steep cost.


    The other Bloodbeasts hadn¡¯t remained idle, two of them rushing towards him whilst the third stayed behind. Ashley remained where she was, wailing an awful keening sound that harmonised with the cries of her unborn child, creating a symphony of pain and sadness he wished he''d never had to hear. Before the Bloodbeast could stabilise itself, Arthur water shot his spear once again.


    This time, it collided with the monster''s chest. Without the monster''s forward momentum amplifying his strike, Arthur was very surprised to see that he¡¯d still done a respectable 32,000 points of damage which permanently knocked off another sixteen hundred health from his enemy. Had the monster''s constitution permanently decreased with his previous attack? Stat reductions were a powerful, albeit rare sub-effect his skill provided and he was surprised he¡¯d gotten so lucky. Arthur mentally revised his predictions. It wouldn¡¯t take 155 attacks. He¡¯d get it done in far less time.


    Once again, Arthur didn¡¯t see the moment his spear appeared, it simply just¡­ was. Grabbing it, Arthur prepared for another strike.


    Sadly, the stationary bloodbeast chose that moment to make its move. There was no warning, no prelude to the destruction it would unleash and it was more luck than anything else that prevented Arthur from tanking the hit with his face. The attack came in the form of a crimson orb the size of a small marble, launched from the creature''s mouth at speeds that made his attacks look slow by comparison.


    By the time his bestial instincts told him he needed to duck, it was already too late. The crimson pellet clipped his spear and ricocheted into his shoulder instead of his chin. For the first time since unlocking his class, Arthur took substantial damage. His arm exploded in agony. It was like someone had taken a real hot poker and gouged it into his flesh. The ball of destructive energy pierced almost two inches through skin and muscle before coming to a stop. If only that was where things ended. The red pellet exploded, the mass of corrosive energy doing far more energy going out than it had going in.


    For the second time that day, Arthur was sent flying backwards, this time a conservative distance of only a dozen or so metres. It hurt far more however and for the thousandth time, Arthur wished he had a skill that numbed pain. Groaning, Arthur sat up and looked at the damage. His shoulder was a bloody mess of gore like someone had taken a serrated ice cream scooper and gouged out a few balls of flesh. No matter how many injuries he¡¯d seen, it hit differently when it was on his own body.


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    At least the bones aren''t damaged, Arthur tried to be optimistic. He had to be when he was covered in so much blood, especially considering most of it wasn¡¯t even his. Arthur had landed on the corpse of a young man, perhaps even a teenager. He could hardly tell when their skull was pulped to fine soup courtesy of Arthur¡¯s elbow using it as a landing pad. Turning back to the situation at hand, Arthur came to a decision. There was no way he could keep fighting with a limb crippled. As incredible as his regeneration was, his arm wouldn¡¯t be operational before the five-minute timer for this fight came to an end. I need to heal this shit.


    A Homunculi¡¯s Healing was a legendary skill that would get the job done in an instant but he had a different idea. Something he¡¯d learned through experimentation, was that health he¡¯d converted to ether to fuel his skills could not be recovered through healing magic of any kind. The spent energy had to be recovered the natural way. Unless of course, he had a way to augment that recovery.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Augmented Recovery (Epic+) Level 1- The perfect Homunculi is a creature of Alchemy, an amalgamation of thousands of processes and reactions. Its recovery is a thing of legend, a memento to the fires of creation and destruction that forged its flesh.


    Effect- Increase health regeneration to ten times its base value, ether regeneration by two and stamina regeneration by five times for one Hour


    OR


    Increase Health regeneration by twenty times the base value, ether regeneration by four times and stamina by ten for 10 minutes. Cost:10,000 ether.


    Cooldown: 24 hours (This number shall not decrease and is a hard limitation of a soul''s base ability to generate those energies. The cooldown is immune to any cooldown reduction effects of any kind. This skill may only stack once with a similar regeneration boost of a high enough level.)


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    Approximately twenty seconds had passed since the soul explosion that had begun this fight. That put the bloodbeasts on a 280-second leash before they perished so the skills longer version was immediately discarded. Arthur quickly ran some numbers in his head. With a 25% reduction in cost to use it, it would take 22,500 health to increase his regeneration by twenty times for ten minutes. Since it¡¯s currently halved, that¡¯ll give me 223,600 health if it ran for the full hour. That''s 7,453 health a minute so around 74,500 health regenerate in the full ten minutes the skill runs.


    Taking away the skill''s high activation cost, it¡¯d net him a profit of 52,000 health. As bad as his injured shoulder looked, it had done less than 5,000 damage to his total health pool. With augmented recovery online, he¡¯d be good as new in forty seconds. Healing it outright could be done in ten seconds, so there was a half-minute difference there. Arthur was okay with that delay. He cast the skill.


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    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Health: 221,875/263,835-> 199,375/263,835 (60,520 Health converted)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 63.1101%" border="1">


    <tbody>


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Health regen:7,453/minute.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It felt like someone had injected caffeine directly into his bloodstream and his skin took on a pinkish tinge. Arthur didn¡¯t have time to get used to the strange sensation before his enemies were upon him. Leading them was the juggernaut, still with a portion of its face missing. Its lack of eyes didn¡¯t hinder its vision in the slightest and it launched a combination of claw strikes at him, each of them aimed at a vital spot. As fast as the beast was, however, Arthur was faster, and even with an arm down, it was trivial to dodge the wild swings.


    Three seconds later, his task became a lot harder when the other two Bloodbeasts joined in. Fighting two opponents wasn¡¯t twice as hard as a one-on-one battle. The difficulty grew on an exponential scale, not a linear one. Against three monsters where each of them posed a threat to him individually, it was all Arthur could do to simply survive. Ten seconds. Fifteen. Seventeen. That was how long it took for Arthur to regain the function of his arm. It wasn¡¯t fully healed yet, but it was enough to move.


    No matter how strong he was, Arthur was forced to constantly make concessions, and choose which attacks to dodge and which ones he¡¯d be forced to tank. As fast as they were moving, it meant he was hit thrice every second, oftentimes more when his attention slipped. He dished out as good as he got though, punishing every attack that landed on him with two of his own, his ugly spear a bolt of lightning as he cut and sliced bloodbeast flesh. With his every attack dealing over a thousand damage, it meant he¡¯d permanently decrease a healthpool by 18,000 points in a minute''s time. That sounded like a lot on paper, but when it was split across three monsters, each with 300,000 health, it might as well have been nothing.


    This isn¡¯t going to work, is it, Arthur thought morbidly as he was launched backwards from a particularly vicious punch. His body had yet to touch the ground before he was forced to defend himself again. Half a minute of fighting and he was already covered in wounds, mostly bruises from blunt force trauma but he was bleeding from a dozen or so cuts too. None of his injuries were fatal, the cuts closed up fractions of a second after they formed but it showed how much damage he was taking that the effects of it were visible even for the briefest of moments.


    With augmented recovery active, his health was steadily ticking upward but not fast enough that he was willing to spam his most expensive skills. Four minutes and thirty seconds left before the blood beasts died on their own. He was ninety-nine percent sure he¡¯d easily survive that long against them, but he wasn¡¯t confident he¡¯d be able to kill them in that time frame either. If Arthur wanted to go through his first refining and finally level up, he needed the experience killing them would grant him.


    Something had to change.

 Chapter 144- System Quest

    Ayesha Murker was a minute away from Arthur¡¯s house when she felt it. An arrogant aura of power and dominion descended upon her like the wrathful gaze of an apex predator. There was no finesse to it, no specifity, almost as if the creature didn¡¯t deem her worthy of any attention. What is that? High Tier 2? Tier 3? Ayesha was shocked, nothing of the sort should be present on Earth yet.


    It was too early on the timeline. The planet still had nine months of leeway before visitors were allowed entry. Even then, there was no reason for someone so powerful to visit. With such a low ether density in the baby tier 1 world, they¡¯d have to spend a fortune on ether stones to simply stabilise their presence. An avatar then? No, the aura¡¯s far too powerful to come from an avatar. Unless¡­ Ayesha didn¡¯t finish the thought. If a tier 4 decided to visit, she was in way over her head and needed to flee as fast as possible.


    She was so shocked she didn¡¯t even realise she¡¯d been slapped. Twice, in fact by her best friend. Grimacing, Ayesha caught Iris¡¯s hand before she launched a third. ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± she cursed, rubbing her cheek. She glared at the seer who for once didn¡¯t look like she was privy to an inside joke at everyone else''s expense. The serious expression looked so out of place on her usually smug face it stopped her train of panicking thoughts.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve finally snapped out of it. You¡¯ve just been standing there for ten seconds muttering under your breath.¡± Iris ran her hand idly through the air, ripples of purple and blue appearing around the moving limb as if she¡¯d run it through water. ¡°That one insidious skill. It¡¯s not even targeting us and you still got caught in a negative mental loop,¡± she explained. ¡°Wait so it¡¯s... not an aura?¡± Ayesha asked, visibly confused. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust her friend- as fae-blooded, the seer was far more magically sensitive than her- but her words were directly at odds with what her brain was telling her.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Iris replied. That didn¡¯t answer any questions so she quickly explained herself


    ¡°It¡¯s a domain-type skill that perfectly mirrors the user¡¯s aura and throws it across a massive distance without affecting the potency at all so I guess it technically is an aura, though it gives the illusion that it¡¯s far stronger than you first perceive.¡± She raised a hand to stop Ayesha from speaking. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything else. You¡¯ve learned enough that I shouldn¡¯t even have to tell you this much. You have the tools to figure out the rest yourself. If I spoon-feed you everything, you¡¯ll never learn anything.¡±


    Ayesha glared at her best friend but quickly realised she wouldn¡¯t be getting anything else out of her. Huffing, she closed her eyes and focused on the energies around her. At first, she wasn¡¯t getting anything, but slowly, she began to feel something, a strange tingling sensation. It helped that she knew what she was looking for and she latched on to it as if it was a spool of hanging thread. It didn¡¯t take long for the mystery to unravel after that. As Iris had suggested, there were discrepancies in the aura, it was far too uniform to be naturally generated, like a piece of repeating code instead of something organic.


    No matter how powerful someone was, there''d be slight distinctions in the potency of their aura depending on how close you were to the centre of it. That wasn¡¯t the case here, it was a single simple pattern, and the realisation helped her solve the remaining mysteries. Even if it originates from a skill, the potency from the aura is definitely in the tier 2 range. Whoever it is, they¡¯re still ether starved. Ayesha knew how expensive that was. It was the main reason why she hadn¡¯t brought some of her more powerful retainers to the planet. And the fact that it was highly illegal.


    Someone, however, clearly had more money than sense.


    ¡°Damn it Aish. You almost had it. Look closer. Don¡¯t ignore the truth just because it¡¯s impossible to believe.¡± Iris whisper-shouted into her ear. Frowning, she took a finer comb to the skill and looked for what she had missed. Ayesha could feel ¡®something¡¯ there, an itch that she kept missing with her fingers. A nagging suspicion entered her thoughts but she dismissed them as the ramblings of a panicked mind. Except the longer she looked, the harder it became to ignore the facts. There was a familiarity to the pervading presence, so subtle she might have missed it without Iris telling her to focus.


    Once identified, though, it was all Ayesha could see. It was hard to miss when that same power had been burning a hole in her pocket for the past few months. And if she could sense it with her less-than-stellar perception skills then-


    ¡°Oh shit, we¡¯re fucked, aren¡¯t we,¡± she whispered under her breath. Once her family found out she¡¯d willingly given away a dragon core, there¡¯d be hell to play. She''d been ready to deal with that, but now it looked like the divine creatures would be killing her first.


    ¡°Shit, shit shit.¡± she cursed. ¡°I thought he was using the cores in some weird ritual to improve himself.¡±


    Had that been the case, a wandering dragon would have been displeased by her actions but understanding. Dragon cores were some of the most sought-after commodities in the universe. Ritual magic clearly hadn¡¯t been used here though. ¡°Iris, please tell me I¡¯m wrong,¡± she whispered weakly.


    ¡°No, my lady. I don¡¯t think you are,¡± her friend replied wryly, returning back to the formality she favoured when something amused her.


    ¡°Oh fuck!¡±


    Arthur Ward had eaten the goddamn dragon core.


    ¡±Things aren¡¯t all lost, my lady,¡± Iris tried to reassure her. ¡°He¡¯s got a scrambling skill on his aura. If we teach him a technique or two, add an item and we should be golden. Unless someone comes directly for Arthur, he should stand up to almost any scrutiny.¡±


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    "His aura is already pretty good at hiding, at least certain parts of it are obscured. It prevents any divining magic I want to use on him and you know I¡¯ve been trained by the best.¡± Iris explained.


    Her words might sound boastful, but if anything, Iris was being modest. Her father was one of the most powerful fae in this sector of the universe and Iris had inherited his strength. The only reason she worked for a backwater noble like Ayesha was because she wanted to, claiming some sort of fae ¡®instinct¡¯ guided her. Ayesha knew it was really because some weird string of fate had led them to become playmates as children. They''d become close friends and the rest was history.


    ¡°Oh shit, the soldiers have started a Blood ascension, they¡¯re not just awakening normally," Iris exclaimed, her skin rapidly paling. She looked around frantically but whatever she was looking for didn''t reveal itself.


    ¡°What the hell changed? There''s no reason to do something so drastic!¡±


    Ayesha grabbed her friend''s shoulders and forced her to stop babbling. She¡¯d lost touch for a while when first encountering the powerful domain but it was time to take back control. Panicking right now would get her nowhere. What were the facts?


    Arthur had become significantly more powerful than they¡¯d expected, by literally consuming the dragon core, no less. That would become a major problem if they didn¡¯t deal with it quickly. Secondly, the vampires had decided to invest in a blood ascension instead of simply awakening their victims which was significantly worse. That could only mean one thing. The vampires wanted Arthur dead, not alive. They were willing to give up a permanent source of powerful blood for his corpse which could only mean¡­ what?


    Try as she might, Ayesha couldn¡¯t figure things out. As much as she¡¯d studied vampires, she was by no means an expert on the subject and she couldn¡¯t for the life of her figure out what they were thinking. She was pulled from her musings quite literally as Iris grabbed her and pulled her back. Being significantly weaker, she could do nothing but stumble backwards, trying to regain her balance. Iris retrieved a golden warding talisman from her ring and quickly ripped it, then a black one she didn¡¯t recognise and finally a green one for healing.


    Not a moment too soon.


    Ayesha had her eyes wide open but she could scarcely believe what happened next. One moment, there was a massive building of steel and stone standing before her and the next it simply disappeared, as a flash of crimson energy exploded past her. The crimson wave was strange, certain things it touched were destroyed completely, some things were crushed or torn apart, puddles of water from the recent rainstorm were set aflame and some objects were simply left as they were. Within the barriers of protective energy, Ayesha and Iris saw a sight few ever lived to see.


    They experienced it.


    The wave of chaotic soul plasma travelled faster than she could perceive and lasted for all of a second, but it left the world forever changed in its pausing. A stream of system notifications exploded across her vision but she ignored them in favour of the armageddon unfolding around her. Ayesha knew what that explosion was, it was a threat all nobles were warned of, every system sapient across every stellar system. Someone had just gone supernova and judging by what was already happening in the world around her, they¡¯d done so with a deliberate purpose in mind.


    The priority one system notification that superimposed itself across her vision without disappearing only confirmed things.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Tier 3 system access: Cleared...


    level check: Failed...


    Noble Rank: Failed¡­


    Error¡­ You have been deemed as the most appropriate individual on the scene¡­


    Access requirements: Passed


    The vampire coven Ozasah has initiated a hostile takeover of planet Earth. They have established a territory spanning 1.6km via a directed soul explosion. A highly illegal act, their access to the system has been revoked and they are to face the punishment of death. Should their plans be allowed to fester, the risk of losing Tier 1 planet Earth, has been estimated at 11%. Prevention of subsequent soul explosions is of utmost importance.


    Soul explosions prevented 0/4. Time remaining 3:59 seconds.


    Reward: Skill inheritance level 40


    Stat potions [25] x3 for use on stats below 1000


    Direct tutelage of an ascender


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    Ayesha read through the system quest, her stomach dropping. The rewards offered were incredible, practically unheard of even on tier-two planets and yet when she looked at the task she was being asked of, she didn¡¯t think they were enough. Territory establishment was a highly regulated privilege offered only to a species who¡¯d proven their claim to a land beyond all shadow of a doubt, usually by performing a great service for the system. Even her family hadn¡¯t managed to establish a territory and they¡¯d been the ruling power on their planet for 400 years.


    The vampires had ignored due procedure and simply forced the issue via soul detonation. She¡¯d heard of the phenomena before but always thought it was a tall tale of some kind. A simple soul explosion would never produce such a strange result. However they¡¯d managed it, the vampires must have spent an exorbitant number of resources. It also meant that the vile bloodsuckers had a vested interest in the planet. The three that had come over wouldn¡¯t be the last of their kind.


    ¡°You got the message too right,¡± Iris said, her voice subdued. Ayesha nodded her head. ¡°Go and help Arthur. I can sense him fighting ahead. I don¡¯t know how the man¡¯s not dead yet, he was at the centre of the explosion, hell, I don¡¯t know how he¡¯s strong enough to hold his own against those blood beasts. Somehow, he became far stronger than either of us predicted. Maybe he always was.¡±


    Once again, Ayesha nodded grimly. She could hear it, now that the streets were devoid of all the sounds inherent to city life, the loud booming in the distance was all she could hear.


    Somewhere ahead, Arthur was holding his own against four Bloodbeasts. They had four minutes to kill them before they too went supernova. If they failed, the planet''s future would be in jeopardy. The weight of the world, quite literally, rested on her shoulders. Already, signs of the new territory were making themselves known. Pools of water now resembled splashes of blood and she could see them gathering together to form humanoid creatures of red. A host of notifications flashed across her eyes, all conditions and status effects neutralised by Iris¡¯s talisman. The land itself had turned against them. If they failed, the world itself would fall.


    ¡°Hurry and go,¡± Iris shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to slow the territory''s growth end then I¡¯ll be right behind you.'''' She pressed a golden talisman against Ayesha''s back and a barrier of blue energy surrounded her. Her father¡¯s words suddenly came to mind. Sometimes, all you can do is fight and pray for the best. There''s no time for planning, no time for strategies. All you can do is act and hope you¡¯re enough.


    Ayesha started to run forwards.

 Chapter 145- Demonic Sowing Machine

    Rain Clouds hung heavy in the sky, hardly empty after the torrential downpour earlier in the day. Now, night rapidly approached and the ominous skyline was tinged a dark crimson red. The sun¡¯s setting was only half responsible for the eerie sight. Unbeknownst to Arthur, the vampires had established a Territory of Blood where his house had once stood and the planet itself was adjusting to conform to the new laws set in place.


    The earth became hostile to all things non-vampire, water became more viscous and took on a reddish tinge and even the air itself became poison to living creatures. With Arthur¡¯s absurd health pool and investments into Draconic Vitality, however, the freshly created territory''s rejection of his presence had little to no effect. So much so, that he hadn¡¯t even registered the miniscule increase in energy expenditures everything he did cost.


    Had any tier-3 been witness to the fight taking place, they would have been shocked by the events unfolding. Yes, newly established territories were not all that strong, but they weren''t so weak that a single domain, created by a freshly minted classer could stand up to them. The underlying subtext to their grand fight too was lost on Arthur. Engaged as he was in a brutal melee with three Blood beasts, it was all he could do to remain mobile and avoid getting pinned down.


    Already, he¡¯d ignored a dozen system notifications, though the cadence of their accompanying chimes told him they were debuffs he¡¯d resisted. Or at least something of a similar nature. Barely a minute into the fight, and things were not looking good. He¡¯d tried his best to focus all attacks on the juggernaut, the largest and strongest enemy amongst his foes. Focusing his damage on one of the creatures and permanently getting rid of it would make the chaotic fight far more manageable. Two enemies were far more manageable than three.


    His efforts had been rewarded with marginal success and he¡¯d managed to get the Bloodbeast¡¯s total health pool down to 271,000 from its original 310,000, a full 19,000 more permanent soul damage than he¡¯d expected he¡¯d be able to inflict collectively across all three of the monsters he was currently facing. The reason was simple. Armaments of the soul possessed a small chance of permanently reducing a target''s stats with every strike he managed to land. What the skill didn¡¯t say, was that it more often than not affected his foe''s highest stat which in the case of the juggernaut and another Blood Beast in melee range, luckily turned out to be constitution.


    Arthur couldn¡¯t put a number on it, but he estimated the monster''s defences were about 20% weaker than they had been going into the fight. His average damage against the monster, however, saw an increase far greater than 20%, perhaps due to the monster¡¯s constitution falling below a certain milestone it had once passed. Now he was averaging around 3,000 damage per spear strike he landed, three times more than at the beginning of the fight. His movements with the weapon had improved significantly too, as he learned to adjust to the flawed weapon structure of the soul construct he¡¯d created.


    Arthur¡¯s every thrust now factored in the irregular weight distribution across the shaft and his blows were blindingly fast, striking at critical locations again and again. A single percent of every attack that hit him was reflected, courtesy of his shell of water and it prevented his foes from establishing the momentum to land any combinations on him. The single long-range Bloodbeast had sent another two crimson pellets at him. The first he¡¯d dodged more out of luck than any skill on his part and the second was disrupted when the debuff, A Homunculi''s draining finally showed its worth.


    The health, ether and stamina it drained from his foes were repurposed to create shadow bombs. Just as the ¡®Ranger¡¯ had been about to shoot out its second pellet, the most destructive shadow bomb he¡¯d ever seen had exploded under its feet. The creature had been sent flying, its own failed attack exploding in its face and causing further damage. Unfortunately for Arthur, the monster¡¯s recovery rates were quite literally out of this world and the only lasting damage he was causing this battle came via his armament.


    Kicking the juggernaut into the path of his lesser brethren, ¡¯Beta¡¯, he ducked the slashing claw of the only Bloodbeast that specialised in agility, who he¡¯d dubbed ¡®sonic¡¯. The thing was fast but what it possessed in speed it lacked in every other department. At the start of the battle, the monster had been slightly faster than Arthur but a minute and two dozen stat-draining spear strikes later, he was comfortably dodging all of its frenzied movements. Or at least he would have been if he hadn¡¯t had three other bastards to deal with.


    Just half a day ago, Issania had been telling him how the seventh form of the star spear revelations was nearly useless in a fight and merely used as a transitioning movement. Except when Arthur ducked under Sonic''s wild swing he found himself perfectly positioned to execute it. Arthur didn¡¯t waste time. The ground was covered in rubble, chunks of concrete and fragmented metal. His footing had never been weaker but he moved forward with a single-minded determination. Something popped in his ankle as he forced it to rotate in a way the joint was never meant to. Augmented recovery dealt with the injury in the next instant.


    Arthur¡¯s soul spear exploded upwards angled directly beneath the Bloodbeast¡¯s chin. The weapon''s tip penetrated an inch through the soft flesh.


    Two inches.


    Three.


    His weapon had broken through the creature''s upper palate before it realised something was wrong and tried to move away. It was too late. A perfectly timed water bullet struck the monster¡¯s knee, buckling it and delaying it for a quarter of a second.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    That was long enough. With an explosive exhale of breath, Arthur felt his spear pierce into the creature''s brain, through it and finally out of the monster¡¯s skull. Wrapping a leg around the monster¡¯s knee, Arthur turned his back to it, adjusted the grip on his spear slightly and torqued his hips with as much explosive force as he could generate in the compromised position.


    Arthur was no master of judo, but he¡¯d learned how to throw someone pretty well. This was reminiscent of that, except he had a spear through his opponent''s skull and he was anchoring them to the ground as well as he could with the little force he could exert with a single leg.


    The results were glorious.


    With a yell of effort and a few strained back muscles. Arthur tore the bastard''s skull right off its body, the Bloodbeast¡¯s spine hanging off it like a macabre piece of stringy jelly. Arthur could have smashed the creature''s head beneath his foot but he wanted all the damage he dealt to be done via his soul spear. He swung the weapon like a baseball bat at the ground even as the fiend''s prodigious regeneration tried to save it. Once, twice, thrice. Juggernaut came flying at him like a tank so he grabbed the fractured monster skull tight to his chest and allowed himself to be punted two dozen metres away. A percentage of that strike returned to stun the massive bloodbeast for a split second. Arthur made the most of that time, placing the skull between his feet and pushing his spear through its eye socket, in and out as fast as he could take a demonic sewing machine from hell.


    He destroyed the creature''s brain again and again, even as it tried to reform and push his spear out. Repeated brain destruction did far more damage than anything else he could dish out and it was all being done with his trusty spear. That finally did the trick, and Arthur felt a massive influx of energy suffuse his body, the greatest amount he¡¯d ever felt save the dragon¡¯s core. It felt so amazing he almost groaned in ecstasy, completely ignoring the fact that Juggernaut had once again punted him across the ground like a football.


    His body bounced across the rubble, but his mind was elsewhere, revelling in the sensation of finally levelling up. Despite the ongoing battle, Arthur didn¡¯t dismiss the system notifications.


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    You have reached level 101¡­


    You have gained 36 Draconic Vitality¡­


    You have gained 93 free stat points¡­


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    there wasn¡¯t anything to think about. He immediately dumped them into Draconic Vitality. Draconic Vitality- 1126-->1255 After all his titles worked their magic, he was now the proud owner of a Draconic Vitality stat of 2278 (1255x1.65x1.1) His healthpool shot up by almost 30,000 to hit 293,177 (2278x(30 x 1.65)x2.6) and his regeneration increased by a whopping 5,000, now at 49,694 health/hour.


    The sheer ecstasy of the single level-up was nearly equivalent to every stat he¡¯d invested prior to unlocking a class and a part of Arthur realised he¡¯d need to be careful of mid-fight powerups in the future if they continued to affect him so strongly. Grinning widely, Arthur read through the rest of his notification. It was the one he¡¯d been waiting for the most ever since he¡¯d chosen the perfect Homunculus as his class.


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    You have reached level 101 and are now ready to undergo your first consolidation as a Homunculus. The changes that take place, be it a physical mutation, a new skill or something else altogether will be dependent on all the cores you have consumed thus far. Note that your next two consolidations will occur under slightly different conditions and only after certain criteria have been met¡­


    As you are currently in battle, your consolidation has been put on hold. Make haste for you can delay this process no longer than twenty-seven minutes¡­


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    Arthur quickly read and digested the information in the two seconds it took his body to finally stop smashing through the rubble. Twenty-seven minutes. Whether or not I can beat them, the Bloodbeast will be dead in three and a half minutes so I guess I¡¯ve got nothing to worry about. Opening his eyes, Arthur rolled back to his feet, surprised that the relentless monster had given him the respite to do so comfortably. Unfortunately, a single glance at them quickly explained why.


    ¡°There just has to be a second phase to this boss fight.¡± Arthur groaned, rubbing his temples. The three remaining Bloodbeasts, two melee fighters and the ranged mage had gathered together. Thick limbs of purplish-red flesh extended between them, grotesque hollow tunnels that were pumping ¡®something¡¯ through them. One thing Arthur learned from dabbling in games, was how stupid it was to allow your enemy to enter a new phase, which more often than not, you were forced to do when playing. In the real world, Arthur had to conform to no such rules and so he deployed the attack that was rapidly becoming his favourite, a water shot soul spear combo.


    His weapon arced through the air, on a direct collision course with the Bloodbeasts that were now rapidly merging together. Not on my watch you bastards. For the first time, however, his attack wasn¡¯t successful. Just as the spear was about to land, a thick limb of flesh shot out and knocked the spear off its trajectory, only by half a foot but it was enough for his attack to completely miss. Before his spear returned to his hand, a black orb grew to surround the Bloodbeast, eerily similar to the process of the hydra''s revival.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t waste my time attacking that if I was you.¡±


    Arthur jumped at the sudden voice and only just stopped himself from reflexively attacking. Ayesha Murker had finally arrived on the scene, and judging by her pale skin and grim expression, things weren''t looking very good. ¡°Those vampires have lost their minds. That¡¯s an ascended Bloodbeast they¡¯re creating. When that fucker blows up, it¡¯s gonna wipe the city off the map.¡± Arthur frowned. ¡°When? What do you mean when?¡± he asked, confused.


    ¡°I meant exactly what I said,¡± Ayesha replied. ¡°The monster¡¯s gonna have a sixty-second lifespan. Two minutes tops. Even if we start running now, I doubt we¡¯ll get out of the blast radius in time. Iris will be here soon, she¡¯s probably got a talisman that¡¯ll help us survive. Well, help me survive. I don¡¯t think you need any help there.¡± She paused for a moment, considering his unblemished form.


    ¡°Everyone else though. They¡¯re as good as dead.¡±

 Chapter 146- Prelude

    Ayesha had told him that attacking the black orb was useless but that didn¡¯t stop him from trying. Perhaps she underestimated how powerful a Soul Armament truly was. Turned out Arthur was overestimating himself. Arthur¡¯s water-shot spear hit the orb with the sound of two metal rods clashing and quite literally bounced back. Twice as fast as he¡¯d launched it. He was lucky it wasn¡¯t aimed at him. Arthur didn¡¯t want to find out if his body was strong enough to tank an attack made with a weapon created by his soul. Or if the true damage it inflicted applied to him too.


    ¡°Maybe next time, you should listen to me,¡± Ayesha said dryly. ¡°And they wonder why women live longer than men,¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Arthur replied noncommittally. ¡°You said the bastard''s going to explode in a minute or two right?¡±


    ¡°After it comes out of its shell, yes.¡±


    ¡°How are you so certain? Scratch that. The way you''re talking shows you aren¡¯t surprised by the first soul explosion. I thought that was caused by a failed transformation.¡± That I was responsible for. He left those thoughts unsaid. Ayesha looked at him, deep in thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m allowed to tell you this but fuck it. The planet¡¯s going to shit and the bastards in charge aren¡¯t offering any help for some reason.¡± She sighed, rubbing her temples. ¡°The first soul explosion was the vampire''s attempt at establishing a Territory. Unfortunately, they were somehow successful.¡±


    Seeing the confusion on his face, Ayesha explained. ¡°Territory creation is a process that makes the land, air, the ether itself intrinsically aligned to a specific species. A baby one like we¡¯ve got on our hands is still strong enough to quickly kill a human below level 100, at least the average ones without any means of protection. At their very strongest, a territory will give all aligned persons within power akin to a prime on their homeworld. They¡¯d constantly be fed energy, recover rapidly from wounds that would otherwise kill them and be empowered a dozen other ways.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty bad,¡± Arthur said.


    He knew he was powerful, but fighting vampires when the world itself became his enemy was still beyond him. ¡°Ayesha quickly assuaged his fears. ¡°Luckily for us, you don¡¯t find territories like that on a planet below tier 3 and they¡¯re rare even there. What we have to be worried about though is whichever vampire comes to claim this territory. Killing a territory lord inside his own territory is all but impossible,¡± she looked at his soul spear consideringly, a slight frown marring her features. ¡°Well. I guess it¡¯s possible for you, I can¡¯t believe we didn¡¯t realise you were a soul mage. Iris is going to be pissed when she gets here.¡±


    A look of dawning realisation came across her face. ¡°Unless¡­she already knew but just didn¡¯t tell me,¡± Ayesha cursed loudly kicking a piece of rubble across the ground. At least she tried to. The sad thing exploded the moment it touched her foot. That only made her more annoyed but she quickly bought herself under control.


    As calm as she was trying to be, their current circumstances were dire. The only reason she wasn''t panicking was because she knew Iris would have a life-saving treasure in her storage ring. No way would her parents let her die on a no-name tier 1 planet like this. Surviving, however, wasn''t the same as succeeding. As powerful as their group was, she put their chances of killing the ascended Bloodbeast in under two minutes at less than ten percent. That was if they were lucky to get so long in the first place.


    Already, she was running through all the plans she''d have to change. How big will the Territory get? 20km? 30? At that point, the vampires would have firmly established their base on Earth, something they''d only do if they wanted the planet for themselves. She could feel the corrupt sanguine energy permeating the very air she breathed and if her intel was correct, the source originated from Borelus, a level 243 Savage Vampire, a particularly cruel breed of the bloodsuckers. He was by no means weak, but Ayesha knew he was very far from the realms of power required to establish a territory.


    He created six Bloodbeasts, one of which failed. Even if I''m being conservative, that''s at least twelve levels worth of stats permanently sacrificed. Forcing a Territory establishment costs at minimum an additional ten and the bullshit he''s pulling now will mean ALL the stats he''s gained since upgrading his class at level 200 will be gone forever. Perhaps even more.


    Ayesha just couldn''t wrap her head around it. Sure, territories were great, but was it worth so much sacrifice? Borelus would now forever be at least 30% weaker than he could have been. Ascending past the class barrier would now give him mediocre gains if it was still even possible for the man to do so. No, it simply didn''t make any sense.


    Something stinks and it''s not all the blood lying around, Ayesha mused. C''mon, think. If things don''t add up, find the missing part of the equation. What am I not seeing? Her father had always advised that most mysteries had elementary answers so she tried to take a step back and analyse everything again, looking at the broader picture instead of the specifics. Borelus was the strongest vampire to have come over. That rules out-


    The answer hit her like a truck.


    "Shit," Ayesha cursed, startling Arthur. "What is it? Did something change?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing in worry. "No, I just figured something out. The vampires didn''t create this territory for themselves. No way would a bloodsucker make that kind of sacrifice. Not unless they were forced to. And the only thing that can force a vampire is-"


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "An Elder Vampire," Arthur finished off, his skin somehow turning paler than its usual milky white. A creature well beyond level 300, they were feared almost as much as apocalypse beasts. Perhaps even more so.


    To grow so powerful, a vampire would have had to drink the blood of thousands of apex creatures that they themselves had hunted. They were thousands of years old, with millenniums of experience using the most insidious of ritual blood magic. And one of them''s coming over to Earth. Fuck, one of the bastards that came over must be a dimensional mage. And if the boss is coming, he''s bringing his whole coven.


    Ordinarily, a baby planet like Earth would never have the ether density to support a tier-three creature like an elder vampire. The monster would have starved to death in minutes. But everything changes if they finish establishing that territory. Arthur turned his attention back to the black orb. It was all but invisible to his aura senses, a blank spot in the universe. He tried to identify a weakness, anything he could capitalise on. The stakes in this fight had just gotten so much higher.


    "What about our alien overlords?" Arthur asked. "Earth''s part of some massive intergalactic empire, right? Are they just going to let this happen?"


    Ayesha smiled sadly at him. "At the end of the day, it''s all a numbers game. The Izar Collective, which is the name of the coalition of planets Earth falls under, is headed by a tier-3 empire that has around three dozen planets to its name. Earth as a baby tier-1 world has very little to offer, the only valuable resource being the talents they already plundered during the tutorial. Maybe after a thousand years of growth, they might start to give a shit, but until then." She tried to find the right words. "Well, a vampire coven has a lot more to offer. They''ll put some sanctions in place, and the vampires will have to make a few concessions but at the end of the day, the Izar collective seeks to gain far more if we lose the planet."


    "That''s not to say that they don''t want to help us at all, but for some reason or the other, the stellar system has been dimensionally locked. At least from travel within This dimension. Even my father doesn''t know what''s going on."


    "Long story short, the unsavoury characters at the top who gain more from Earth''s loss are actually in a stronger position for once and the laws are in support of them. Besides that, dealing with an Elder vampire in its own territory will cost far, far too much if the battle is waged on a tier 1 world."


    Arthur took a moment to digest all that information. He''d learned a few new things and had others confirmed. Politics, it turned out, were exactly the same no matter how high up things went. Human greed, or in this case, sapient greed, still wore the crown of ultimate motivator. The dimensional lock is a little worrying though, he mused. Try as he might, he couldn''t figure out why they''d put it in place. Could it be breached or were they trapped on the planet for good? "


    "I guess that simplifies things for us, then," Arthur finally said, hefting his spear over his shoulder like it was an axe.


    "What do you mean?" Ayesha asked, confused.


    "We''re on our own, stuck in this shit. Since the bastards up top are so adamant about their hands-off approach, we''re free from interference. The only people we can blame if we fuck up is ourselves."


    "Love the speech. Very macho," Ayesha said dryly. "Can''t say I agree with all of it though. And that''s exactly the problem. I don''t think you, we, are strong enough to deal with this shit."


    "That''s great then," a new voice announced. "Because I just called for some extra hands"


    Arthur turned to see who had spoken and was taken aback by what he saw. He knew that people became more attractive as they advanced in power. They grew into their ideal form. For the first time since the system''s arrival, Arthur was shocked at just how beautiful someone could be. It was beyond human, probably because the woman was clearly not human with her pointy ears and baby-blue skin. Even the way she moves is beautiful. It wasn''t a seductive or powerful walk by any means but the general poise and grace of her motion could only be described as well... beautiful. Arthur wrestled with his wandering thoughts and got them under control. Yes, she was a pretty face, and maybe he''d ask her to dinner if they got through this, but there were more important things to worry about. Ayesha placed a hand on the woman''s shoulder.


    "This is my best friend and resident Seer, Iris," she introduced. "I''m honestly surprised you got control of yourself so fast. Fae literally have a beauty stat, the damn cheaters and this idiot over here''s got a bunch of titles boosting hers."


    Irish brushed the hand off her shoulder. "I''d appreciate it if you didn''t go around revealing my secrets, thank you very much. I''ve got enough tea to spill on you that we''d drown the poor man." She turned to face Arthur and smiled brightly at him.


    "As the witch said, I''m Iris. This is our first time meeting but it feels like I''ve known you for a lot longer." She flushed. "Sorry, that came out a little weird."


    Ayesha stared at her friend with wide eyes, eyes open in disbelief. Iris. Embarrassed! It was like oil and water. The two things just didn''t mix. She considered Arthur in a new light. He was certainly a handsome man, she''d be the first to admit that, bordering on beautiful even. But Iris had a line of suitors the length of the Grand Canyon. People so powerful they were forbidden from entering tier-2 planets, men so pretty that a mundane rock would fall in love. They do say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess and Arthur''s not half bad. He''s got that rakish charm going for him and his potential''s greater than anything I''ve ever seen.


    Seeing the embarrassment on her friend''s face, Ayesha decided to have some mercy on her. "What was that you were saying about reinforcements?" She asked, giving the seer something else to focus on.


    "Reinforcements? Oh... yeah." Iris mumbled. "I did say that, didn''t I?" Her voice grew in strength as it returned to familiar ground, taking on the assured confidence Ayesha was used to hearing. "I contacted Captain Arencia. His mage has recovered enough for short-range teleports. They''ll get here in under two minutes if the territory doesn''t hinder them. "That thing," she gazed pointedly at the black orb, "Is going to open in 57 seconds. Our chances of beating it are infinitesimally small, but not zero. Failure means we lose the planet... that''s an irrefutable fact I don''t even need to look into the future to see." She smiled widely at them. "We''ve got a minute to do as much damage as we can before the big guns arrive."


    "Here''s the plan."

 Chapter 147- Siege Breaker

    Arthur glared at the black orb of darkness hovering in the air. According to Iris, they had a little less than a minute before it burst open. With captain Arencia- a man Arthur knew next to nothing about- coming in two minutes, that left them with sixty seconds to damage the ascended Bloodbeast as much as possible. As Iris had put it, the battle and the fate of planet Earth itself all depended on the next few moments.


    The pressure hung over him like physical weight and he was perspiring far more than he thought possible with such a robust body. Iris had set up several rituals to level the playing field and the fact that she could go against a territory''s natural state spoke of the mastery of her skill. Her first ritual increased the damage of all his skills by a whopping 50%, simple and efficient. The second ritual was a little more finicky. In her words, it would decrease the possibility of the ascended bloodbeast landing a fatal blow on any of them. How that worked, Arthur had no idea but he was thankful for it nonetheless.


    Most of the other rituals were debuffs of some kind of the other, preventing the territory from actively and passively aiding the monster, most notable amongst them one that would lower the creature''s defence by ninety percent. It would, unfortunately, only last for the first five seconds of the fight. That was the moment Arthur would use his strongest attack.


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    The Poisoned Fang of The Hydra (Epic+)- The Hydra is notoriously renowned for its deadly poison. You have learned to harness that power for yourself. Channel your energy to release a single devastating strike. Damage is dependent on the target''s magical and physical defence. Attack ignores 10% [+20% from Enhancement orb] of the target''s defences. Inflicts the debuff [Hydra''s Ire] and [Slowing Heart]


    [ Hydras ire ]- Inflicts ongoing poison damage to the target over "any a twenty-hour period equivalent to 75% of the damage dealt by the initial attack.


    [Slowing heart ]- Reduces target''s stamina, health and ether regeneration rates by 30% for 30 hours.


    Cost: 3000-> 30,000 Ether Health used to fuel this skill will be adjusted to work on a 2:1 Scale instead of the usual 3:1


    Cooldown: 10 minutes->3 hours (Can be ignored but doubles remaining cooldown time and increases the cost by 25%)


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    The skill had changed very little with his new class, though Arthur would argue that the minor change was the best thing he could have asked for. Before, the skill had a static activation cost but now he could channel it and adjust the power output to suit his purposes and utilise his much greater resource pool. The increase in efficiency for health-to-ether conversion was just the cherry on top. In the current battle, Arthur would of course be attacking with maximum destruction in mind.


    "Mr Ward, if you could just stand a little to your left. Arthur followed Irises instructions bemused. " a little more...perfect". Arthur''s new position was now situated towards the left of the orb, exactly one and a half metres away from this close, he could feel the caustic energy released in pulsating waves, uncomfortable even through his incredible defences.


    " I''ve got enough in me to set a final ritual" Iris explained. " Any more than that and the fragile equilibrium I''m maintaining with the territory will be broken. That''ll cause a series of cascading failures and all our preparations will end up useless."


    Arthur understood her words only on a surface level. He lacked the knowledge of ritual magic that would otherwise provide some context.


    "That''s not the half of it." Ayesha scoffed. "Creating a single ritual, even the simplest kind is all but impossible inside a hostile territory. Our resident seer over here has created a dozen and all of them are masterclass stuff. Ritual magic, at least the kind Iris is using, needs to work in conjunction with the ambient ether present, the lay of the land and a shitload of other factors I''m not entirely sure about. Layering two in the same area raises the difficulty exponentially."


    She pointed at Iris. The fae woman flushed in embarrassment. "She''s done ten times that amount. In a chaotic territory too. Iris is actively adjusting and maintaining all of these rituals at the same time. I could have three thousand willpower and I''d still fail to replicate the feat. I''d call her a savant, but it''d be the understatement of the century." Ayesha finished primly, smiling at her best friend. The prodigy in question glared at her but there was no heat in it.


    "So I guess Iris is a pretty big deal then," Arthur said as he began to channel his skill.


    "The vampires would give up this territory to recruit her," Ayesha replied without hesitation. It took him a few seconds to realise she wasn''t joking.


    Damn, I guess I was seriously underestimating her, then. She''s more than a pretty face. He tuned out the ensuing bickering that took place between the women and focused wholly on his task. Arthur understood that some people liked to joke in times of great stress, and needed to even. Ayesha looked like she belonged in that group. Arthur didn''t. One by one, his distractions fell away and he turned his focus inward. Whatever happened, all that mattered was that he performed his best.


    The skill matrix appeared in his mindscape, a complex tapestry of interweaving pathways. It appeared dark green and had flecks of purple running through it. The skill''s input zone had a strange mechanism attached to it that he hadn''t seen before which he guessed was responsible for the charging element the skill possessed. Five seconds into his channelling, Arthur realised there was a problem. By all accounts, this was his first attempt at using this ability, and it showed in how inefficient he was. Six seconds and he''d only converted two thousand health worth of ether into the skill. In the minute he had to prepare, he''d be hard-pressed to get the skill charged up to even half capacity.


    "I thought we''d run into this problem," Iris said. "The final ritual should help with that in three, two... one." A notification flashed into his eyes and he spared a half second to quickly read it.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">You have become the focal point of The Swift Breeze, a rank-two ritual. For the next two minutes, whilst remaining within the ritual circle, your proficiency with class skills will increase by 40%.</td>


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    Arthur grinned. This was perfect. Already, he could feel the enhancement come into play, and the skill practically filled itself with energy. No longer forced to devote so much focus to the ability, Arthur opened his eyes and looked at the target. The black orb hung suspended in the air and was rapidly losing energy. Hai-thin cracks ran along its surface and he could tell that it was thinning in certain places. I could probably break through it now. He didn''t act on the impulsive thought, though and instead waited for Ayesha''s signal. The poisoned fang of the Hydra was a skill that generated a concentrated mass of poisonous energy. It could be used either through a limb or a weapon. Arthur, naturally, was using his soul-spear as his focal point. The weapon in question had gained a green tinge and was rapidly darkening by the second. At ten thousand ether, the spear began to feel heavier, at fifteen thousand ether, the shaft began to heat up. The attack contained more energy than most people did their entire ether pools and he was nowhere near finished yet.


    When Arthur reached twenty thousand ether, Iris had to throw up a talisman barrier to avoid taking any damage. For a moment, the shield rippled, and he saw her eyes widen in shock. Fortunately, the magic stabilised itself and he let out a sigh of relief. It wouldn''t do if he killed his allies by accident before the fight even started. Right now, Arthur was certain that there wasn''t a single human on the planet who''d be able to touch his weapon without taking significant damage. Anyone under level 100 would die instantly. It was his own magic and still, he felt threatened by it. He was engulfed in green flames now, pure poison affinity ether made manifest on the visible spectrum because of the sheer quantity he''d concentrated into a tiny zone.


    Ayesha thought she was fresh out of fucks t give, but the mini tornado f ether surrounding Arthur told her otherwise. Iris'' expression of shock... and something she wasn''t sure she wanted to identify told her she wasn''t overreacting. The sheer magnitude of energy the soul mage was channelling practically screamed uncontrolled magic.


    Arthur meanwhile, was starting to struggle with his weapon. It was vibrating like crazy, as if someone was running 300 volts through it and it was all he could do to keep it in his hands. 27000,28000,29000 It took him forty seconds to fully charge the skill, just in time it turned out. "The bloodbeast going to come out in eight seconds," Iris shouted. He could hardly hear her over the loud droning his weapon produced. The spear suddenly bucked in his hands and he almost let go of it. The thing kicked like a horse.


    Grunting, Arthur adjusted his grip. "If you have any debuff spells, hit it now. The shell is weak enough to get through." Iris called out. Ayesha threw a beaker filled with yellow liquid at the orb where it shattered and released a yellow smog. Arthur quickly applied Homonculi''s Ire and Homonculi''s draining on the ascended blood beast, wincing at the sensation of 22,000 health being ripped away from him. Wait a second, with my domain active, shouldn''t my skills have been 25% cheaper? does it not work for charging skills? Tentatively, Arthur extended a stream of energy into the poisoned fang of the hydra. Contrary to his expectations, the skill could still be charged. Unfortunately for Arthur, he had neither the time nor the necessary control to make his spell any stronger. 30,000 ether was pushing his limits already.


    The black orb cracked like an egg and like dominoes falling, its destruction rapidly accelerated. Parts of it were disintegrating into dust and Arthur got his first good look at the creature. The ascended blood beast looked like an artist''s flattering rendition of the human species, a beautiful man akin to murals of fallen angels, nothing like the monstrous visage its name inspired. Arthur idly wondered if this thing had a beauty stat too. With his high attributes, a single second -whilst not an eternity- did represent a significant length of time and he spent it taking the monster in. The monster looked so defenceless. Its eyes were closed and it didn''t look like it was even breathing. Five seconds had passed since Iris had called out her countdown and it was all he could do to not pre-emptively strike. They needed to get the perfect timing when all of the restrictive rituals had time to work. Instead, Arthur used Homunculi''s eye. The results were more than a little disconcerting.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Ascended Bloodbeast level 293- Created through great sacrifice and pain, this creature poses a significant threat to all living creatures. The monster''s true strength has been limited due to its energy reserves being focused more towards territory advancements. Highest stat: Strength Weakness: light magic.


    Health: 730,000/730,000.


    Time till detonation: 2 minutes 6 seconds.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A monster created through great pain and sacrifice, huh. I guess it''s pretty easy when you''re not the one who has to make them. Arthur clenched his teeth and tried to control his emotions. It was difficult when the perpetrators of all this suffering were getting away scot-free whilst he had to execute their victims. Ashley had been quiet for a while now and she sat listlessly on the ground, her unborn child''s head cradled in her hands. It made for quite the macabre sight, if a pitiful one.


    Reaching out, Iris cast a blue bolt of ''something'' at the bloodbeast whilst Ayesha materialised gold chains to hold it in place. "Now, Arthur. Hurry! It''ll break free the moment it wakes up." Iris shouted. Arthur didn''t need to be told twice. In his hands, he clenched the most devastating piece of magic he''d ever seen, 30,000 points of poisonous ether, infused in a skill he''d stolen from the corpse of an apocalypse beast. For the first five seconds of the fight, the ascended Bloodbeast''s defence would be lowered by 90%.


    Even then, he''d been told it was impossible to end the fight in a single blow. He couldn''t help but hope, though. The first form of the star spear revelations, a move he''d engrained into his muscle memory, Arthur launched his spear forward. From the corner of his eye, he saw Iris tear a golden barrier talisman, a necessary precaution for what was to come. Unfortunately for him, as the man dealing the devastating blow, he''d have no such protection. Two things happened at once. The monster opened its eyes, and Arthur''s spear hit it in the chest.


    One moment everything was calm and the next, it was like the sun had descended on Earth. A green one that spewed poisonous fumes that could melt rock. Arthur was sent flying backwards, but not before he''d dug his weapon deep into the beast''s chest. Surprisingly enough, his body was only covered in superficial burns, though his right hand definitely felt fractured. Before he could fly too far, a golden chain wrapped him up and arrested his movements. Arthur couldn''t help but grin at the notification clamouring for his attention.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">Congratulations... You have dealt 2.3 million damage in a single strike. You have gained the tier-two title siege breaker.</td>


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    </table>


    Unfortunately, in a complete defiance of the laws of a healthpool as he knew them, he didn''t see a kill notification accompanying it.

 Chapter 148- Unfinished

    Arthur''s body jerked as his momentum was halted by Ayesha''s golden chains and he was rapidly pulled into their protection barrier. All around them, all he could see was an ocean of green flames, the sheer quantity of poisonous ether he''d released manifesting in the most expressive form of energy he knew; fire.


    The sheer scope of it was a wonder to behold, a burning sun with a diameter of a hundred metres. Ayesha thumped him on the shoulder. "What the fuck was that?" She shouted, "How''d you give your poison ether the properties of fire?" It was by no means an exaggeration. From within the barrier, Arthur could see rock melting into lava and pieces of wood combusting. Much of the destruction could be ascribed to a high concentration of poison affinity ether but not all of it. The golden barrier started to flicker, and Iris quickly slapped some personalised barriers on herself and Ayesha. "Can handle the remnants of your attack with that body of yours?" She asked him, a defensive talisman at the ready in her hands. Arthur nodded his head.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Congratulations, you have dealt 2,300,000 damage in a single strike...


    you have gained the [tier 2] title Siege-Breaker [Deal a million damage or more in a single attack] Attacks using ten thousand or more ether deal resonant force damage...


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur had no idea what resonant force damage meant, but it sounded good. the title wasn''t as good as the one Alyssia had received for doing a million damage against the Hydra in under five seconds even if his feat was arguably greater which just went to show how fickle they could be. Perhaps it was because he''d had so much help here. Iris had lowered the creature''s defences by 90% after all. He ignored 30% of the remaining ten with his attack which meant... Arthur had hit the creature whilst it was at 7% durability.


    Unfortunately for them, no one had received an energy infusion which could mean the beast still lived, a fact that Iris confirmed a moment later. "Somehow, the monster''s alive. I heard Ascended Bloodbeasts could recover from zero health, but you literally killed the bastard twice over there. How the- Ah, I get it. The territory cannibalised itself to keep it alive. It''s half as big as it used to be. I''m not sure if it can even sustain itself anymore.Killing the thing will be a bitch though if its managed to form a genuine connection with tge territory."


    "Get ready to move in as soon as the fire dies down," Ayesha said. "It''ll be disorientated after that strike. Hopefully, it''ll stay dead this time."


    Arthur tried to move his right hand and winced in pain. It was broken, his palms and knuckles stripped of a layer of flesh. Even with Augmented Recovery active, it''d take the better part of a minute to heal, far too long for such a high-stakes battle. Luckily, Iris came to the rescue with one of her talismans, a green one that surrounded them all in an aura of healing. In mere seconds, all his injuries were gone. Does she have a talisman for everything or what?


    "That''s the last healing talisman I''ll be using in a while," Iris warned. "It''s more limited than standard healing and our bodies won''t be able to support any more than this for a while." She looked at him consideringly. "Well, with your constitution, I might be able to squeeze out one more for you but don''t count on it."


    Her words put a damper on Arthur''s earlier excitement. It looked like talismans came with their own set of restrictions. He turned his focus on the ascended bloodbeast. Nothing was visible through the bright green flames, but he could tell the monster''s general position from where the magic concentration was densest. Even after nearly ten seconds had passed, it didn''t show any signs of dissipating. Arthur was content to wait, the longer the magic lasted, the more damage he would do. Six percent of it counted as soul damage- five percent because he''d used his soul-spear to make the strike and the final one the Homunculi''s Ire debuff.


    Sadly, things didn''t go so smoothly. It was Ayesha who noticed it first. "Shit, shit. I think the thing''s eating our magic." She cried out. A half second later, her golden chains crumbled to dust, confirming her words. The next moment, it was like someone had pulled a giant sink plug, and all the poisonous ether in the air rapidly drained towards it. The first iteration of the bloodbeasts he''d fought had absorbed magic in their gestation period and rapidly evolved to counter those specific elements. Arthur didn''t want to jump to conclusions, but it made sense that the evolved variant possessed a similar ability, only it was far more powerful and versatile. If the monster could adapt in real-time during a fight, it would make an already difficult fight all but impossible. He quickly came to a decision.


    "I''m going in," Arthur said, stepping forward.


    "Are you crazy," Ayesha shouted, grabbing him by the shoulder and hauling him back. "You''re sturdy but the poison out there is melting rock. Poison isn''t meant to be hot. That shit will kill you. "


    "No, Aish. He''s got the right idea," Iris interrupted her rant. "This is the best chance we- well, Arthur will get to pile on some damage. And I think you''re underestimating how tough his body is. He used that magic unprotected Ayesha. All he got was a broken hand." She stopped Ayesha''s incoming protests with a raised hand. "It''s the best course of action, trust me." She turned to face Arthur. "Focus only on physical attacks with your spear for now. Hold off on the magic and prepare to disengage the moment things get hairy."


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    Arthur nodded his head. Taking a deep breath, he took a step forward and came to a stop at the edge of the golden barrier. It was impossible to see anything through the haze of green fire, but the noxious flames were rapidly disappearing right before his very eyes. It wouldn''t be long before they were gone for good. He''d do all he could to make that time useful. Iris hadn''t said anything outright, but he didn''t need a seer to tell him that the outcome of this fight rested on his shoulders.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur stepped out of the barrier. He was instantly surrounded by a dense fog of steam as his water shell fought to combat the high temperatures. It stung slightly, and he was grateful for the added protection it offered him; keeping his eyes open would have been impossible without it. The first thing Arthur did was throw a quick use of A Homunculi''s Eye in the direction of the ascended blood beast. Whilst he didn¡¯t have a direct line of sight, there was no reason why the ability shouldn¡¯t work. His actions were rewarded a second later.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">Ascended Bloodbeast level 293- Created through great sacrifice and pain, this creature poses a significant threat to all living creatures. The monster''s true strength has been heavily restricted due to its energy reserves being focused towards territory advancements and being brought back from death¡¯s border. Highest stat: Constitution Health- 193,400/483,000 (730,000) Weakness: Light magic time till detonates: 1 minute 54 seconds.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It took Arthur less than a second to digest all that information and note the differences from the description''s first iteration. In that fraction of time, the ascended blood beast recovered a staggering 20,000 points of health, which put even the lesser Hydra to shame. It also meant that he had no decisive way to win the fight.


    His strongest skill, even supported as it had been from a dozen rituals and the perfect circumstances, hadn''t been able to finish it off. There was no way he could dish out more damage than the creature could regenerate. The only hope was that his soul spear triggered its secondary effect and lowered the monster''s stats. Already, he could see that the blood beast''s highest stat had shifted from strength to constitution and it had permanently lost far more health than it should have from his first attack, almost twice as much in fact.


    Arthur didn¡¯t waste any time hesitating or creating any elaborate strategy. Time was quite literally of the essence and a moment he didn¡¯t spend dealing damage was a moment wasted. Ignoring the slight phantom pain lingering in his wrist, Arthur clutched his soul spear-which had once again appeared in his hands without him noticing and charged forward. The problem with the flames was two-fold, in that it prevented him from seeing anything and also used up any breathable oxygen in the air. Until the fire was gone, he wouldn¡¯t be taking another breath.


    Arthur winced as he approached the blood beast. The poison here was significantly stronger and his skin started to break out in a bad rash reminiscent of a bad case of eczema. The only problem was that it inflicted far more pain than the surface-level wounds appearance would otherwise suggest, akin to the concept-enhanced strikes Issania had hit him with. Ignoring his discomfort, Arthur pushed forward as fast as his considerable agility could take him. In his rush and with the flames obtaining his vision he almost missed the blood beast altogether.


    Two metres away from the creature, the air momentarily cleared up and he finally got a good look at the beast. Gone were its once angelic looks. In its place stood a skinless clump of flesh, covered in gaping sores oozing a putrid gooey pus. In the split second it took for him to cover the remaining distance, he took everything in; the stench of faeces, sewerage and rotting meat, a potent soup of filth that attacked his sinus like a physical blow, the way its body looked like a display of the stages of decomposition, from freshly deceased to pre-compost fertiliser.


    Where its mouth had once been now resembled a miniature black hole- at least the scientifically rendered images he¡¯d seen- and it was currently absorbing all the poison affinity ether surrounding them at a prodigious rate trumped only by the speed at which the abomination was healing. It¡¯s single working eye turned to look at him and then Arthur was upon it.


    His spear struck the side of its neck with the force of all his physical stats behind it- and did nothing. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. There was the sound of a distinct crack and Arthur realised with growing horror, that instead of the soft flesh he¡¯d expected to hit, his spear had come up against a very familiar defence.


    A Hydra¡¯s scale.


    The ascended Blood beast wasn¡¯t simply becoming resistant to the magics used against it, it was evolving in real time and taking on new traits. The next moment, Arthur was sent flying backwards so fast he broke the speed of sound five times over, the precious oxygen he''d kept regulated forcibly expelled out of his chest. He hadn¡¯t even seen what struck him. What he had seen, though, was the updated information a last-second use of Homunculi''s eye showed him.


    Things didn¡¯t look so good.


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Ascended Blood Beast; The Hydra¡¯s Revenge level 275- An evolved ascended Blood Beast, this creature has surpassed its genetic limitations, taking on the traits of the magic that would have otherwise slain it. It has reached the end of its road for growth, though its path has taken it to places most will never see.


    Health-395,000/750,000


    Highest stat-vitality Weakness-???


    Time till detonation: six minutes.


    </td>


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    </table>


    Its level had dropped by eighteen points. For some reason, Arthur couldn¡¯t find it in himself to be happy.

 Chapter 149- The Hydras Revenge

    Ever since Arthur had left the locus of power, things had gone poorly. From bad to terrible to downright catastrophic, it was like he¡¯d been the but of some massive cosmic joke. He could only hope that the punchline had finally been served. With the ascended blood beast now named The Hydra''s Revenge, he didn¡¯t think things could get any worse.


    For fuck¡¯s sake Arthur. You just had to go and jinx it, didn¡¯t you?


    Once again, thankfully, his unintended flight had been brought to an end thanks to Ayesha¡¯s chains. Who knew how far he would have gone otherwise? His chest ached something fierce, nothing broken but definitely bruised. To get past the equivalent of over 3,000 constitution, the Bloodbeast¡¯s physical prowess was not to be underestimated. The golden chains were yanked forward and a second later, Arthur once again found himself within the confines of the protective barrier.


    Ayesha had a grim look on her face, her eyes locked at their target, who seemed content to remain stationary until fully healed. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t come after them at all if they didn¡¯t bother it. After all, its primary purpose was self-destruction. He didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be content to let them get away, though. Iris, meanwhile, was rushing around, her hands a blur of red and blue as she constructed another ritual circle. A second later, Arthur found out what it was for.


    The poison affinity ether in the air, already significantly diminished from the monster¡¯s gorging, rapidly dissipated, until five seconds later, the area was completely clear. Free from any obstructions, they finally got a good look at the beast. Surpassing even the hydra, who it had stolen its namesake from, the ascended blood beast''s prodigious regeneration was the stuff of legends. In the span of seconds, it had completely recovered 385,000 health. With its final evolution, the monster had finally lost its angelic beauty. It was still beautiful, but no longer in a way that would have growing teenagers writing fanfiction. It was now deadly perfection, the stalking grace of a hunting lioness, the sleek form of a diving falcon, a killing machine packed into a small but powerful musculature.


    The monster was taller than him, but not by much, around six foot seven by his estimate. It still maintained a base human form, but now the proportions were all off, with its arms extending down to its knees capped with massive hands that ended in dagger-like claws. The Hydra''s revenge was covered in scales with its chest and head particularly armoured with what looked like protruding bone, almost like a helmet of sorts. The once human mouth had now been replaced by a gaping maw filled with hundreds of needle-thin teeth. It was a grotesque sight, to say the least, and Arthur vowed he wouldn¡¯t let it get anywhere near him.


    ¡°You just had to go and kill a Hydra, didn¡¯t you,¡± Ayesha muttered. ¡°Well fuck, I guess we can be grateful it wasn¡¯t a dragon or something. But still, where the hell did you find a Hydra? This is a tier 1 planet! Why does nothing make sense in this god-forsaken world,¡± she cursed, rubbing her temples.


    Arthur was by no means an expert on human emotion, but he could tell the young woman was panicking. As light as she¡¯d tried to keep her tone, he could detect the undercurrent of hysteria beneath it. Arthur didn¡¯t blame her. Prior to its evolution, the ascended blood beast had presented a nigh-insurmountable obstacle to get past. Now it was just straight-up impossible. The sheer dominance its aura exerted on their surroundings was unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before, manifesting as a visible distortion in the air that was visible to the naked eye. It was a frankly absurd display of power, and Arthur was certain anyone with less than 300 constitution would die in mere seconds if they came into contact with it. He wasn¡¯t sure about Iris, but Ayesha didn¡¯t strike him as the most durable fighter around.


    Arthur wracked his brain for something, anything he could do to even the odds. They were screwed if only Arthur could leave the protective barrier. The problem here was durability, the woman simply needed to be more sturdy. The answer hit him like a lightning bolt and he cursed himself for not having thought of it sooner even as he prayed things hadn¡¯t changed since the last time he¡¯d seen it. Source of vitality was the tier 4 title he''d gained the amount he crossed a thousand vitality and he recalled a part of it stating he could increase the recovery of designated targets by ten percent.


    Admittedly, it wasn¡¯t a large increase, but every little counted. Most importantly, though, was that he hadn¡¯t checked on the title since his stat had evolved from the regular vitality into the Draconic variant. His health-to-ether conversion had increased from 5:1 to 3:1 after the evolution and subsequent title amplification. He could only hope that the title¡¯s secondary aspects had been similarly advanced.


    Arthur brought up the relevant system notification and prayed for the best. A second later, he cursed out loud. Why in the nine hells hadn¡¯t he been using this earlier?


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">Source of (Draconic) Vitality-(possess 1000 points of Draconic Vitality before reaching level 100) Increases effectiveness of Draconic Vitality by 50%. May select designated individuals (one/200 Draconic vitality) Designated individuals have their health regeneration increased by 20% whilst within 10km of the host. The equivalent of 20% of a host''s Draconic Vitality can be distributed between up to ten individuals. Allows the usage of health to fuel skills at a 3:1 ratio.</td>


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    </table>


    The title had changed significantly from its base variant. Now, the number of friendlies he could select for buffs had decreased, but the regeneration boost had doubled. The more important part, however, was that he could grant up to ten people the effects of his Draconic Vitality, without diminishing his own at all. At least if he was understanding things right. Like everything else with the system, appointing people to buff was very intuitive in that he only needed to say yes to a notification that popped up when he selected Ayesha and Iris.


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    ¡°What¡¯s this, Arthur?¡± The seer asked, looking at him questioningly, her eyes taking on the slightly glazed look that showed she was reading a system message.


    ¡°Just select yes,¡± Arthur replied. ¡°If it works how I expect, it¡¯ll make this fight a lot more manageable for you.¡±


    Arthur decided to take it as a compliment that they trusted him enough to follow his instructions without asking any further questions. If the situation wasn¡¯t so dire, he would have found their rapid changes of expression amusing. First confusion, then shock and finally disbelief at what they were seeing. Arthur quickly did the maths. Twenty percent of his Draconic Vitality split between two people meant that each woman had just gained 227 each. Sadly, they didn¡¯t have the source title boosting theirs, but it was still the equivalent of 6,810 extra health each, an amount that whilst comparatively small compared to his own healthpool had quite likely doubled their own.


    The more important benefit, however, was that the Draconic Vitality doubled as an extra 343 constitution and solved the main problem the ascended blood beast presented with its deadly aura. Hopefully now, Ayesha would at least be able to leave the protective barrier and join the fight. ¡°Arthur,¡± Iris began. ¡°I¡¯m flattered you trust us so much, and the situation is dire, but I advise you to keep this ability of yours close to your chest in the future. You¡¯ve just become the second most useful insurance rich parents can buy to protect their spoilt kids that I¡¯ve ever seen when they¡¯re power levelling. And I¡¯ve seen a lot. This skill of yours will not limit any experience gained at all. Did you know that?¡± She asked.


    Arthur chucked. ¡°I think you¡¯re overreacting here,¡± he replied nervously. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special.¡±


    Iris shook her head in exasperation, a faint smile on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t know enough to realise how absurd what you¡¯re saying is. We don¡¯t have time to talk about it now but this conversation isn¡¯t over.¡± She turned her attention back to the monster in their midst. ¡°I¡¯m fresh out of grand ideas right about now,¡± Ayesha murmured. ¡°How about you, Iris?¡±


    ¡°Nothing here. Just throw everything you¡¯ve got at it and pray for the best. You work on controlling the battlefield with your chains and keep Arthur from getting pinned down. He¡¯ll be our tank and main damage dealer and I¡¯ll work on ranged attacks and see if I can cook up a ritual to salvage this shit show. Good enough for you guys?¡±


    Arthur nodded his head. ¡°Can¡¯t think of anything better. Hopefully, this captain Arenica of yours can turn this around.¡±


    ¡°We can only hope,¡± Iris murmured. ¡°The barrier will go down in the next ten seconds. Get ready to attack.¡±


    Arthur gripped his spear and analysed his enemy. It was the third humanoid monster he¡¯d ever face if he counted the Draconic Liverthion and Shade. Sadly, he had very little experience to draw upon, considering the circumstances of both of those fights and his mental state during them. The Hydra¡¯s Revenge was a different beast altogether, and his skills were not showing him any weakness. Its throat, lower stomach and groin lacked the protective scales the rest of its body had and those present on its inner thighs seemed far thinner compared to the rest.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly a weak spot but he¡¯d work with what he had. I need to watch out for that tail too. And those claws look like they secrete a venom of some kind. As powerful as the creature was, however, Arthur was certain he''d faced stronger in his spar against Issania, at least in the technique department if not in raw power. If only he had a concept of his own right now to bolster his power, he¡¯d be a lot more confident. Swallowing the saliva that had pooled in his mouth, Arthur met the bloodbeast''s gaze. Its eyes were distinctly reptilian and seemed to radiate a sense of rage and suffering.


    The creature looked away first, its eyes darting to the side to track the golden chain that was soaring towards it. Arthur capitalised on the moment of distraction, exploding into motion. He covered the dozens of metres separating them in a fraction of a second, moving so fast he barely realised he¡¯d left the barrier and was now under the influence of the beast''s deadly aura. With his absurd durability, it only registered as a slightly discomforting sensation. The fact that it affected him at all didn¡¯t bode well for the others. Arthur was pretty sure he could outright ignore ordinary fire right now. The monster''s domain was strong. Enough that it had competed with his own dominance of the area. Had he known how to combat another domain, Arthur was fairly certain he¡¯d come out the victor in this exchange, though. After all, the Homunculi''s hunt was the pinnacle skill of a legendary class. It wouldn¡¯t lose, even to an evolved ascended blood beast. With his lack of experience, unfortunately, all Arthur could do was fight with the tools he¡¯d been gifted. His spear extended outwards, the first form of the star spear revelations, a piercing thrust. The beast''s gaze met his own. Shit! Arthur realised the monster had baited him with its earlier moment of inaction. The creature was ready for him and it swiped its hands upwards in an uppercut, claws aimed at the soft flesh beneath his chin, even as it began to rotate its torso to ensure Arthur''s strike missed.


    He didn¡¯t want to find out if he was durable enough to survive getting his head ripped off. The monster''s mouth widened in a horrifying mockery of a smile, its eyes smug. It was confident in its victory. Arthur returned its smile with one of his own. In what was quickly becoming his favourite move, Arthur generated a dozen water bullets at the but of his spear and shot them forward. His body jerked at the sudden acceleration of his weapon and he saw the flash of panic cross the monster''s face as it tried to scramble back a step. I win, Arthur thought as he felt his spear tip penetrate the monster''s gut. The battle had just begun, and Arthur had won their first exchange.

 Chapter 150- The Seers Moment

    Iris watched the fight play out in slow motion, as time seemed to almost freeze under her deep concentration. Ayesha''s golden chain went flying at the beast''s skull, an aerial attack made in conjunction with Arthurs''s grand assault. People tended to overestimate her seer abilities, she couldn¡¯t see into the future so much as blindly feel her way forward, and so she cried out a panicked warning when the Bloodbeast turned its attention towards Arthur.


    Its claws were poised to strike his throat and she was already searching through her spacial ring for the strongest healing treasure she could find. A miracle seemed to play out and Arthur was suddenly jerked forward like a puppet on strings, narrowly avoiding the dagger-like claws. Had she been as superstitious as some of the Fae she knew, she would¡¯ve said fate itself played a hand in her companion''s rescue. Logic, however, told her he¡¯d somehow used water magic to save himself. She let out an explosive sigh of relief and focused back on the ritual she was working on.


    Arthur, meanwhile, was making the most of his initial strike to the monster''s gut, twisting his spear upwards so that it penetrated through as many internal organs as possible. On its journey through the creature''s back, his weapon got stuck on its spine, and with a savage jerk of his hands, Arthur tore through it. The beast roared in agony and struck at him, but with no legs to stand upon, it lacked the necessary bite to even force him to dodge. He tanked its claws head-on and was left with only a few shallow scratches for his troubles. In his first test against the Bloodbeast''s venom, Arthur came out ahead.


    Ayesha capitalised on the creature''s momentary weakness, wrapping its legs together with her golden chains, four revolutions of the stuff that left most of its limbs covered. She pulled the monster forward and Arthur pushed his spear deeper, the physics of their two-pronged attack causing The Hydra''s Revenge to topple onto its back. Arthur moved forward, pulling his spear out of the creature before using it to pierce the monster''s throat and pin it to the floor.


    Iris watched in horrified fascination as the soul-mage proceeded to brutalise the beast. There was no finesse to it, no grand technique; just pure simple violence employed to inflict maximum damage. Arthur removed his spear before thrusting it down again and again, each time aiming for the unprotected areas of the monster''s throat. Iris knew what he was doing. The advantages soul-mages had with their ability to inflict true damage was a well-known fact and she knew from Arthur''s explanations that he had his own variation of the skill.


    Tearing through the Bloodbeast''s neck inflicted substantial damage, a fraction of it permanently reducing the creature''s healthpool and thus its soul explosion should they fail here. Something the Bloodbeast realised very fast, apparently. It tried to bat Arthur away, but he was having none of it, using his superior position to constantly manoeuvre out of its claw''s range. Next, it tried to bat away his spear, but Arthur simply slammed it in further, burying it a metre into the ground. Now the monster was well and truly stuck, the healing flesh around its wound far too sturdy for the weapon''s shaft to break through, no matter how much force the creature applied to its side. The weapon had to either fully pass through its throat, or be pulled out altogether, two things that were patently impossible with the solid earth beneath it and Arthur on the other end.


    The Hydra''s Revenge growled in frustration, blood leaking from its mouth as it felt those annoying chains wrap around its legs. They were a weak magic, easily broken it was certain, but impossible to accomplish with how it was splayed out on the floor. Iris didn''t know if she should be horrified or amazed by what happened next. Who the hell fights like that? The man in question had generated a spiked shadow boot on one foot, which he then used to stomp on the creature''s skull, again and again, like it was a particularly disgusting spider that he wanted to squash out of existence.


    It was a brutal display of savagery that trumped all the fanciful sword-work and magical mastery she''d seen employed in battle, a method of execution that seemed more suited for a crime of passion than battle. The monster''s head held up admirably to the first stomp. And the second. On the third, a piece of its bone helm cracked and fell away. It was like knocking over the first domino, in that the monster accrued damage rapidly after that. Shards of bone splintered and went flying, along with broken teeth. Eyes popped out of their sockets, the soft flesh pulped to a smooth jelly as they were replaced nearly instantly, the monster''s miraculous regeneration working overtime to heal so much damage.


    It took three seconds for the creature''s skull to start caving in and five before Arthur''s foot completely passed through the monster''s head. If the ascended Bloodbeast wasn''t such a massive threat, Iris would have felt sorry for it. Unfortunately, things didn''t go so well for long. Iris barely had a second warning, a sudden flare of her only legendary skill. It didn''t tell her what the danger was, just that it was coming and had to be avoided. Warning them wouldn''t change anything; there wasn''t enough time and Arthur was too close to the Bloodbeast to get away. She could only pray he was strong enough to survive whatever was coming.


    Iris called out a warning anyway, futile as it was, even as she set her sights on saving Ayesha. The sound of her voice hadn''t even left her lips when the bloodbeasts counterattack started, hitting Arthur point blank. It was an explosion of poison and something else, a rare magic affinity it took her a second to recognise: gravity. That was when her legendary skill came into play, drastically slowing down her perception of time relative to how much danger she was in.


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    Iris was in a shit-ton of trouble.


    The explosion was travelling at a snail''s pace and she estimated that she had seventy seconds before it reached her. It was the greatest effect her skill had ever had on time and told her everything she needed to know about how fucked she was. The Seer''s Moment was a broken ability, even by her father''s absurd standards. It quite literally made it impossible to assassinate her or take her out with a single devastating strike. The skill would always come into play when her life was about to end.


    Unfortunately, it came with its fair share of limitations, primarily amongst them being that it only activated when she was in immediate mortal peril. She was still susceptible to kidnappings and things of that nature as well as slow-acting poisons; though thorough testing had taught her that the skill would would activate after the poison had run its course and she was on the verge of death. She shuddered at the memory. The skill had been useless, serving to only prolong her suffering, working only during the final second of consciousness, when she''d become paralysed and lost access to all her active skills.


    She''d been lucky Ayesha had arrived when she did. Well, I guess luck had nothing to do with it. I did time my experiments to align perfectly with her visitation as a safety precaution. The second limitation the skill had, arguably the greatest one, was that whilst it accelerated her thought process and magic usage to keep up with her new perception of time, it only granted her a physical boost equivalent to 25% of that mental boost. Still, it was a massive increase compared to the measly 10% she''d had at level 1.


    Iris took in the scene and categorised what she would do and placed them on a list of descending importance. At the top was saving herself and Ayesha. Arthur, her skills told her, was tough enough to survive. One way or the other, he''d come out of the other side alive. Besides, it was too late to do anything to help him now, the explosion had fully engulfed him before her skill had even activated. The second objective on her list was to set up a few rituals to weaken the beast and take away its home-ground advantage. She hadn''t expected The Seer''s Moment to activate during this fight, but she''d be damned if she didn''t make the most out of the opportunity it presented.


    The first thing she did was retrieve a minor teleportation talisman from her storage ring. They were generally seen as useless, costing outrageous sums of wealth for the simple ability of travelling only thirty metres, and only to a place you had a direct line of sight to. Right now, however, it was perfect for her purposes. Displaying a monstrous talent for spell script, Iris rapidly edited the runes on the talisman to recognise a different starting point, effectively reversing its direction. She was done in less than a second.


    Iris quickly activated the modified talisman, focusing it on Ayesha''s position. A half second later, her best friend was teleported right next to her. Now that she had them both in the same place, it was time to create the strongest barrier she knew. Iris winced at the thought of all the expensive regents she''d use but dismissed the notion quickly. She''d spend a thousand times as much if it could guarantee them victory in this fight.


    Since she was pouring so many resources into it, she might as well go all in. A healing-over-time effect. Lesser force armour. Can I throw in a damage enhancer too? With so little time to work with and in such a chaotic environment, she was quite literally burning resources to create results she would normally consider subpar- the tried and tested throw money at the problem method.


    It took her just under thirty seconds to finish her barriers, which left her approximately forty seconds to work with. She considered the steadily growing orb of poisoned gravity magic. It represented the biggest source of energy on this side of the planet, the equivalent of one-and-a-half soul explosions. Gravity and poison, two affinities that had almost nothing to do with each other. An idea came to mind, one that she''d considered before but never had the opportunity to test. Sure, it''d make her barrier a waste of resources, but she liked the insurance it provided should she fail. Iris had an affinity for time magic on the higher end of average, which translated to a nearly godly level of talent when one considered how incredibly rare the affinity was. Normally she never had enough of the energy to work with, but with Seer''s Moment active at the strongest she''d ever seen it, the area was positively saturated with time-affinity ether.


    The gravity affinity was loosely connected with space and it was a powerful affinity in and of itself. She had no idea if it would work, if it was even possible, especially with such little time. Fuck it, she decided, glaring at the growing energy bomb. Iris was going to see what she could cook up with gravity, time and poison. Whatever the result would be, she was sure the results would turn the tide of battle. Iris began to work her magic.


    ~~~


    Arthur''s body jolted and he gasped in a lung full of breath. It felt like he''d been sleeping and someone had chosen to wake him up by running three hundred volts through him. He felt off, like he was missing something he''d known a second ago, a dream that faded rapidly from memory as one returned to the realm of the living. He recalled taking the Bloodbeast in the throat with his spear, the sensation of its skull cracking beneath his heel... the Bloodbeast! Where was it?


    Before panic could set in, he caught sight of it. The monster was to his left, suspended in mid-air as if held aloft by invisible strings, its flesh vaporising and healing in a continuous cycle as he watched. Arthur blanched at the sight of it as welcome as it was. A part of his memory was simply missing; he couldn''t recall how the beast had ended up in such a state. One moment, he''d been attacking it, then there''d been a flash of light and then... this?


    "Arthur, stop spacing out and attack the damn thing, you fool." Ayesha cried out, bringing him back to the present. She was right. He could figure out what had happened later. Making the most of his enemy''s weakness was more important right now. A notification clamoured for his attention, the fact that it was showing despite the way he''d configured his system''s settings indicating that it was critically relevant to the fight. Arthur quickly read through it, a grin rapidly widening on his face.


    This was perfect.


    Your Greaves of Achilles has triggered its secondary effect. One of three charges consumed for the next 24 hours. You have negated and absorbed 103,041 points of damage.


    You may enhance your next attack.

 Chapter 151- Reality Breaking 101

    The Hydra''s revenge was suspended in mid-air, held in place by what Arthur suspected was gravity magic, as its body was repeatedly crushed and destroyed, parts of its flesh rapidly decaying whilst others were covered with tumorous lumps that leaked necrotic puss. Arthur didn''t know how exactly this situation had come about- though he suspected Iris had something to do with it- but he''d be damned if he didn''t make the most out of it.


    Arthur quickly identified the monster to see how much damage his initial salvo had done. It was more than he''d hoped but less than he''d expected.


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    Ascended blood-beast: The Hydra''s Revenge level 275


    Health: 270,000/ 560,000 (750,000)


    Highest stat: Vitality


    Time till detonation: 5 minutes 32 seconds.


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    Arthur quickly ran the numbers through his head. They didn''t add up. Sure, his initial attacks had been quite deadly, but no way had he dealt over three million damage in just thirty seconds, because that was what Homunculi''s eye was telling him. 190,000 points of true damage translated to exactly that, considering only 6% of his attacks counted for it.


    Nonetheless, Arthur wouldn''t look a gift horse in the mouth. They needed all the advantages they could get right now, case in point the power his greaves had absorbed. He''d honestly forgotten about the secondary effect and it came as a welcome surprise. 103,041 points of damage wasn''t a small amount and he had a stationary target right now. The greaves were very easy to use, which he welcomed right now. He could feel an added source of energy that he could access, much like his ether pool, though it was situated near his calves. Arthur focused on the energy and drew it forth at the tip of his spear. That''s where the energy deviated from the usual sources he used. He''d thought he would have to gradually draw it forth, that it would be difficult to control. He was completely wrong.


    He''d forgotten one important detail. The absorbed damage could enhance only a single attack. There was no need for any fine control, just a little direction and it leapt to fulfil his whims. The violent energy concentrated at his spear point and he changed his strongest attack skill, The poisoned fang of the Hydra. He only let it charge for three seconds, not knowing how long the bloodbeast would remain immobile. It was his second time using it and he was able to pour seven thousand health into it, this time without Iris'' ritual holding his hand along the way.


    The two attacks mixed, violet and green merging to form a deep black Arthur was certain didn''t usually come about from the two colours. His spear was vibrating in his hands and it had grown heavy enough that he struggled to maintain a comfortable grip on it. Arthur didn''t know if he was doing the right thing but he hoped his attack was greater than the sum of its parts.


    "Hurry up, Arthur. The rituals only got another five seconds in it." Iris shouted. I guess that explains why the monster was floating in mid-air, then. Grunting, Arthur rushed over to the monster. He would have preferred it if he could have generated more momentum by running at the thing but his spear was currently; far too heavy for fast movement. It was nothing more than a glorified, cumbersome stick right now. One that cracked the ground it was placed upon because of its weight.


    He did the best he could, boosting his attack with his tried and tested water bullets, but he''d be the first to admit it was his poorest thrust. His damn weapon was simply too heavy. Thankfully, he''d had the foresight to aim a little higher than his target- slightly above the creature''s head- and the spear took the monster in its eye. The soft flesh offered little resistance and his spear passed into the monster''s skull, penetrating its brain. That was when all hell broke loose.


    Unlike his previous use of the skill, this time, Arthur was pulled towards the resultant explosion. Where the previous one had been a massive ball of green fire, his current strike caused a tiny centralised orb of pitch black to form where the ascended bloodbeasts skull had once been. It was so dark it almost looked 2D and the gravitational pull was strong enough that it took all his considerable strength to stop himself from getting dragged into it.


    Groaning, Arthur dug his heels into the ground. His soul armament was locked in place and pushing off the end of it was the only thing preventing him from flying face-first into the miniature black hole. That''s what he''d dubbed his most recent attack, and he wondered if the gravitational properties it possessed came from his greaves or the energy he''d absorbed from the bloodbeast.


    Whatever the case, Arthur''s instincts- enhanced as they were by his beastly traits- were screaming at him to avoid the black orb. It just looked wrong, a rejection of reality that tolerated the existence of nothing. The world was strangely silent, and it took him a moment to realise it was because his ears had ruptured, drops of his blood leaking out of his skull before they were caught in the orb''s orbit and dragged towards it. If anything, the damn thing was getting stronger and Arthur was starting to worry if he''d bitten off more than he could chew. He was without a doubt, the most durable thing on the planet, but he was fairly certain he could sense a pseudo-concept originating from the orb. Would he survive getting hit by it? Arthur didn''t want to find out.


    By this point, the ascended bloodbeast was barely recognisable, its entire body crushed down to a blob of meat that constantly regenerated as it was absorbed by the orb. Cursing, Arthur could do little but hold on, his muscles straining. The muscles in his left forearm cramped and it felt like his ankle was a second away from tearing. Just as he felt like he could hold on no longer, a golden chain wrapped around his waist and pulled him backwards.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    For some reason, the manifested magic seemed immune to gravity''s pull and he thanked his lucky stars. Whilst he might survive a direct collision with the death orb, Ayesha would die near-instantly if she was dragged into it. With Iris'' and Ayesha''s strength added to his own, as well as the two dozen water bullets he launched at his own chest, he, and by extension the spear he clung so desperately to, were finally able to escape the orb''s gravitational field.


    With the connection cut, all the forces he''d placed on himself were finally able to act, and he was launched backwards at the speed of sound. The sound his body made breaking its barrier hardly audible through his half-regenerated eardrums. This has happened way too many times today, Arthur thought as he came crashing back down to the ground, sliding another dozen metres before he came to a stop. It didn''t necessarily hurt him, but he''d much prefer if he could remain on land more in the future. Opening his eyes, Arthur made his way back to his feet. The sight that greeted him was shocking.


    His hair-brained attack had done quite a number on the landscape, but that wasn''t what held his attention right now. His eyes were focused on his spear, or rather, the lack of it. The top third of his weapon was missing, the only hint of its prior existence being the jagged edge where you could see it had been broken off. I guess I have my answer now. My soul armaments aren''t indestructible. I just need to almost break reality to damage it. Almost as if he were the but of some cosmic joke, a system notification flashed in front of him. He wasn''t an expert on things, but he was pretty certain that the flashing red box it was written on wasn''t a good sign and the fact that it ignored his do not disturb settings.


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    Automated message-


    WARNING! You have reached the established damage limit for the Tier-1 Zones and attempted to break through it. This is considered a highly illegal act and risks damaging the dimensional membrane and increases the likelihood of reality destabilising...


    A level 1 Administrator has been contacted to review the circumstances of your crime... Please await a response...


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    The response in question a half second after the warning, for which Arthur was immensely grateful.


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    Report: Damage limit Breach I- #E3900001r


    Administrator: Arlo


    Verdict: Judging by imminent danger to the planet, mage Arthur Ward has been found innocent of any crime. Please observe precautionary measures in future altercations


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    The message was short and to the point and Arthur was grateful that Arlo seemed like a no-nonsense type of person. He hoped it was an accurate representation of system bureaucracy as a whole but something told him he wouldn''t be so lucky. Case in point, Lady Sleyca seemed pretty high on the totem pole and if she wasn''t a corrupt noble of some kind, Arthur would shave his head bald. There was one final notification to read, and Arthur grinned when he realised it was a new title, the first in a series too if he wasn''t mistaken.


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    Reality Breaker I (Tier-3)- (Deal 5,000,000 damage in a single strike whilst below level 200)- Ignore 20% of negative environmental effects. Restrictions of any kind, magical and mundane are 10% less effective on you.


    Warning: Pursuit of the remaining titles in this series may grant you criminal status


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    It was a tier 3 title and its effects were incredible. He''d have to do some research to find out what exactly counted as an ''environmental effect,'' but if his suspicions were correct, he''d be a very happy man. If the restriction resistance applied to everything truly, it meant that he''d find it easier to ignore any restrictive rules or circumstances people tried to put on him. Being the first title in the series, Arthur was certain they ascended all the way up to tier 4- if there was a tier beyond that, he wasn''t aware- with the requirements at the top probably being something absurd like one hundred billion. Tier 4 was the realm of elder dragons and world-swallowing serpents, creatures who could destroy entire continents at a whim.


    Arthur didn''t know if he''d ever get that strong, but he''d certainly try. More important, was the fact that he''d have to be very careful if he tried to earn them, ensuring that he did so in a way that didn''t make him an enemy of the system. The title also raised a few questions; what was the damage limit exactly and more importantly, why did it exist? If reality could be broken, did it spell wholesale destruction or something else? Were there realms of unreality, places that existed outside the laws of the multiverse? Or did they simply cease to exist?


    They were all questions Arthur wanted answers to but he knew he wouldn''t be getting them any time soon. Besides, his black orb of annihilation was finally breaking down and it looked like the monster still lived. If anything, the ascended Bloodbeast had provided a thoroughly disappointing fight and unless it had a final phase, it would be over very soon. Five million points of damage meant that the monster''s health had been permanently reduced by 300,000 points which would leave it with only 260,000 health, a pool which whilst still very large, was smaller than his own.


    Honestly, I don''t think we even need Captain Arencia for this. With Iris on our side, we stacked the odds in our favour a lot but really, that was easier than the fight with the regular bloodbeasts. Arthur knew that the seer had done ''something'' to make his reality-breaking attack so powerful. Sure, he''d poured a decent amount of energy into it, but not THAT much. Ayesha had said that the vampires would give up this planet, an entire tier-1 world if only to get Iris on their side. Arthur had thought she was exaggerating and simply hyping her best friend up. That wasn''t the case anymore.


    Whatever the woman had done, she''d made an impossible fight easy. If anything, Ayesha had undersold her. Arthur didn''t think he was the only one with a legendary class around here.


    Regrowing his spear, Arthur got ready to fight.

 Chapter 152- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

    Since its creation, the Territory of Blood had been in a constant state of change. An ugly place of fetid water and undead abominations, the very air was a caustic poison to all things living. Right now, however, it wasn''t doing so well. The territory had shrunk dramatically to approximately half its size and its abilities were weakened significantly, hardly any different from the land around it. A vampire would still benefit greatly within its confines, but no longer would they be made near invulnerable.


    The city block that had once stood there was little more than rubble, the sparse vegetation that had once injected the concrete jungle with a dose of greenery now centres of rot and decay, twisted trees dead fingers trying to break out of the confines of the earth. Arthur stood beside one such tree, his opponent- the ascended blood beast, revenge of the hydra-on the ground before him. Four minutes remained before it went supernova.


    It wouldn¡¯t survive past one.


    Arthur spat to the side, resting his spear on his shoulder. The fight had been over the moment his orb of annihilation had finished doing its work. It had just taken a minute for that fact to set in. At only a third of its initial max health following his reality-breaking attack, the battle had passed swiftly into its final stages. Iris had taken a backseat, leaving the monster¡¯s execution to Ayesha and Arthur, who were only too happy to oblige. The monster''s stats had been significantly reduced, with vitality no longer being its highest and Arthur now topped it in every department save perhaps charisma.


    As easy as the fight had been, it had nonetheless been quite fun, allowing Arthur to fully test his repertoire of skills against a creature strong enough to survive them, at least for a short while. That time had now come to an end, and the ascended blood beast, the failed revenge of the hydra lay in a bloody heap before him. Captain Arencia stood to the side, along with his teleportation mage and two warriors he¡¯d brought along. He was a heavy-set man, with a build that put competitive strong men to shame, massive in a way that was downright excessive in Arthur''s opinion.


    His beard, though, was something Arthur was definitely envious of, a majestic thing that lent the leaders an air of gravitas and majesty, befitting his position. Damn these shitty genetics. Arthur knew he¡¯d never grow anything quite so glorious on his face, at least not without assistance of some kind. By the time the captain and his men had arrived, the blood beast had been on its last legs, and they¡¯d had the grace to not interfere with the fight and thus steal a portion of the monster¡¯s essence when it died. It was considered poor form in the adventurer circles even if Iris had technically been the one to bring them here. Arthur didn¡¯t know much about teleportation magic besides the fact that it was expensive. Captain Arencia had made quite the loss by coming here.


    ¡°Okay, Arthur, if you could do the honour of finishing it off,¡± Iris said. ¡°I don¡¯t see any last-ditch attacks coming but you¡¯d take the least damage here if it did. Your durability is certainly¡­ surprising.¡±


    ¡°Surprising !¡± Hamish- Arencia''s lieutenant scoffed. ¡°The bastard tanks with his face and he¡¯s still prettier than Franco¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Franco spat. ¡°You know my wife''s a sensitive subject.¡±


    Captain Arencia placed a massive hand on the man''s shoulder. ¡°You are my employee, yes, but my friend first. I know it''s company policy to not get involved in personal business, but your wife is public property at this point. She¡¯s an incredible woman, trust me, I know, but I think it¡¯s time you find somewhere else to lay down your roots.¡±


    Arthur ignored the rest of the conversation, and he prayed for the man''s sake that this was a running joke and not the truth. It looked like they¡¯d descended into hurling insults at each other, with even the dimensional mage getting a few licks in. He brought his attention back to the Bloodbeast. The monster had stopped regenerating a while ago, or at least it no longer regenerated at a rate that could be observed by the naked eye, its stats far too reduced to support such miraculous healing. The creature was trying and failing to get to its feet, its knees mangled messes that Arthur had ruthlessly targeted to remove the monster¡¯s mobility. Its left shin was quite literally hanging on by a thread of flesh.


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    Ascended Blood Beast; The Hydra''s revenge- level 275 (DYING)


    Health- 6,400/13,800 (750,000)


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    The monster managed to get to one knee before it lost its balance and came crashing back to the ground, roaring in pain. Arthur felt sorry for the beast. During the intensity of the fight, he¡¯d forgotten that it had once been an ordinary man, just the first victim in this tragedy that had claimed so many lives. He grimaced as he took in the devastation around him. The streets he¡¯d once called home were hardly recognizable anymore, all rubble and broken glass. The ones to blame were the vampires, not this pitiful creature before him.


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    Speaking of pitiful creatures, Ashley Rhye- The Failed Bloodbeast had survived the fight, courtesy to a barrier Iris had placed on her some time at the start of the battle. She had a little over ten minutes left to live unless Arthur could do something and he wasn¡¯t inclined to execute the woman in cold blood, something they¡¯d have to do if they wanted to prevent her from going supernova. His healing skill had evolved to legendary+ with his new class and a few lines of description at the end of it suggested that he might just be able to help her. The cost to do so would be quite steep, though. Whatever the case, it was a problem for future Arthur to deal with. Right now, he had a beast to slay.


    Stepping forward, Arthur used his spear to flip the blood beast onto its back. It tried to crawl away but he quickly put a stop to it by placing a foot on its chest. The monster clawed ineffectually at his legs, doing little more than shredding the tatters that remained of his pants. Arthur took no joy in this. This creature wasn¡¯t evil and in its final moments, he could see the terror in its eyes, the burning desire to live inherit in every creature that existed. He¡¯d try to make this as painless as possible.


    Arthur put his spear under Henderson¡¯s chin- that had once been the man''s name- and drove it back so he was looking up at the sky. Quickly as he could, Arthur pushed forward, his spear penetrating through throat flesh like it was tissue paper before stabbing into Henderson¡¯s brain. He convulsed once¡­ twice and then it was over.


    Lieutenant Henderson, a soldier who¡¯d served his country and father-to-be, had died on the battlefield.


    For once, Arthur didn¡¯t look forward to the massive infusion of energy that suffused his being. It was massive, almost comparable to the dragon''s core, enough to push him up a level and halfway to the next, and yet it left him feeling hollow. The increase in stats still felt incredible, as it always would, but it was muted by all the tragedy that had taken place. Conjuring water, Arthur let it run through his fingers until all the gore was washed off.


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    Congratulations! You have slain Ascended Blood Beast, The Hydra¡¯s Revenge¡­ Calculating contribution¡­ 43%... Difficulty exceeded initially assigned quest¡­ Rewards pending¡­ Please wait patiently¡­


    You have reached level 102¡­


    You have gained 36 Draconic Vitality¡­


    You have gained 90 free stat points...


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    The notification came out of the blue. He¡¯d seen nothing regarding this so-called quest, but judging by the widening grin on Ayesha¡¯s face, she¡¯d received something similar and it wasn¡¯t wholly unexpected. Arthur checked the time remaining before his imminent refinement, something that should have taken place a level ago but had been delayed due to extenuating circumstances. Now, he had little reason to not accept the upgrade, something he felt he could instinctively allow if he merely gave the go-ahead, but he held off for now. Twenty-two minutes of waiting wouldn¡¯t kill him.


    Arthur held off on placing his free stats in Draconic vitality for now, something he¡¯d almost done instinctively as a force of habit. He highly doubted it, but his ¡®refinement¡¯ might come along with a few changes that might affect his decisions in stat allotment going forward. Hah, and the sun might rise from the west tomorrow, Arthur thought morbidly. He was brought out of his musings when a shadow came over him, blocking off the harsh red lights that bathed the Territory of Blood. Looking up, he saw the massive form of Captain Arencia, the mercenary leader''s face a mixture of levity and caution. He briefly thought of just walking away but tempered the childish notion quickly.


    Captain Arencia, from the little he¡¯d heard and the small observations he''d made, seemed like a decent man. A hard man, yes, but a good one nonetheless. The alien-human had run from his troubles, but he wasn¡¯t a coward, at least judging by the threat that had followed him to Earth. That fight was tantamount to suicide and only a foolish leader would consign their men to death to conform to a misplaced sense of honour. Unfortunately for Arthur, all of this meant that captain Arencia wasn¡¯t an idiot.


    There was no way he¡¯d look at Arthurs fighting capabilities and not have a few questions. He could just refuse to answer them, but that would come with its own set of problems, primarily amongst them what the man would do with the information he''d already learned.


    ¡°That fight was incredible. I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever seen such power displayed by three people before reaching their second milestone. I guess it goes to show the apple never falls far from the tree.¡± He looked pointedly at Iris, who shook her head so slightly he would have thought he¡¯d missed it. Was she trying to tell him something?


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be a monster, just like her father in a century or two. She increased your team''s output tenfold. Or was it closer to twenty?


    The man rumbled on, talking Iris up until a listener would think she¡¯d single-handedly defeated the abomination with nothing but her fists. The excessive flattery was so strange and unexpected coming from captain Arencia, that it took Arthur a moment to realise the man was putting on a performance.


    But for who?


    Arthur''s domain was still active. It covered a kilometre of space, but he couldn¡¯t sense the presence of any observer. Arthur felt a chill go down his spine. Ayesha had explained how little their alien overseers cared if the vampires managed to take over the planet. She¡¯d even gone so far as to say that they would have preferred it over their victory. The prospect was far more probable than leaving the world for newly initiated humans.


    This wasn¡¯t a fight we were supposed to win, was it? Sure, they¡¯d never let Iris or Ayesha die, but they probably expected us to flee when shit hit the fan.


    How would they react after they¡¯d managed to pull off a decisive victory against such impossible odds? A famous quote came to mind, one his friend Mathew had loved to use whenever Arthur excelled academically. No good deed goes unpunished, back then, it had translated to a heavier workload. Annoying but nothing life-threatening.


    Whatever those rewards they were about to receive were, Arthur didn¡¯t know if he wanted anything to do with them.

 Chapter 153- A Homunculis Healing

    Arthur stood in front of Ashley Rhye; The failed blood beast with Iris beside him. The poor woman was by all means dead to the world, her only concern being the wailing babe stuck inside her stomach. It was a disturbing sight to see, even compared to some of the more grotesque things Arthur had witnessed in the wake of the system¡¯s arrival, a mockery of the intimate relationship between a mother and her child.


    Ashley didn¡¯t acknowledge their presence even considering how close they were and the threat they presented to her race. Arthur wondered if there was anything of her humanity left, any sparks of her previous life present. There had to be if he hoped to have any chance of healing her. He¡¯d considered everything and decided the steep cost of trying to help the woman was worth it, for personal gain and his conscience. If it worked in the first place. If a legendary healing skill can¡¯t do anything, then it was impossible in the first place.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, then we need to hurry up,¡± Iris warned. She looked up at the dark crimson clouds. ¡°I think we¡¯ll be getting our visitor soon.¡± She spat the word like it was a filthy curse, ¡°I came here to escape all the sycophants and politics in my father''s court. A baby tier-1 world. No one of note should bother with the planet for the next thousand years.¡± She shook her head morosely. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if I¡¯m cursed to live such a chaotic life.¡±


    Arthur didn¡¯t quite know how to react to her outburst and so focused on the part of the conversation that concerned him. ¡°Visitor? Do you know who they¡¯ll be?¡± Do we need to get ready for another fight? He didn¡¯t mention the second question aloud, but Iris understood what he was asking.


    ¡°With how powerful you are, I almost forgot how new all this system stuff is for you. It¡¯s been what¡­ five, six weeks since the world evolved?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Arthur replied dryly. ¡°Though it''s felt far, far longer.¡± That¡¯s the understatement of the century. In the past month and a half, Arthur had fundamentally changed as a person, mentally and physically so much so he doubted the old him would even recognise the person he¡¯d become.


    ¡°Well, to answer your earlier question, a little context wouldn¡¯t go amiss,¡± Iris began. ¡°Tier-1 planets are terribly fragile, especially in their conception stages. It¡¯s why Earth is having so much trouble right now. The ether concentration is also abysmally low, though  I¡¯m sure you''re already well aware of that since unlocking your class. Honestly, I¡¯m still amazed by that. You threw around an absurd amount of energy during that fight and I¡¯m sure you have to pay a much higher upkeep to maintain your existence here. I have the advantage of my fae heritage that makes my ether usage hyper-efficient and I still need to take an E-grade ether stone once a week.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I digress.¡± She apologised. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that anyone with a modicum of power will be hard-pressed to enter this stellar system after passing level 200.¡± She quickly clarified when she saw his raised eyebrow. Her definition of ¡®a modicum of power¡¯ was probably quite different to his own. ¡°I mean those individuals who''ve established a sufficiently strong foundation that it¡¯s reasonable to expect them to break the class barrier and go beyond level 300 in their lifetimes.¡±


    ¡°That means that any observation of this planet and subsequently our fight, was done via divining magic or the use of extreme perception skills, most probably done from outside the stellar system so the dimensional fabric present here doesn¡¯t tear further. One of the rituals I set up before the fight worked to counter such magic sufficiently so that our observers wouldn¡¯t have a clear picture of what exactly transpired here. You can count on me and Ayesha to keep our mouths shut and Captain Arencia is on the same page. If he betrays us¡­ well, he only saw the last portion of the fight where you didn¡¯t use any flashy skills so it''s not the end of the world.¡±


    Arthur was happy to hear that he wasn¡¯t in as much danger as he¡¯d expected, though it galled him that he had any reason to worry in the first place. By all accounts, he¡¯d accomplished a great deed, so why then did he need to fear the consequences? How strong did he need to get before he could stop hiding just how powerful he was? Whatever the case, he was certain he would get there in time, though it had become increasingly clear after this battle that his progress would not be taking place on Earth. He¡¯d fought and defeated a bonafide world threat, with help, yes, but the monster had represented a danger on a near-apocalyptic scale. And he¡¯d only gained two measly levels for his troubles. Facing the lich queen and her armies would help him progress a little more, but after that¡­ it would be between leaving and stagnation. That was hardly a choice at all.


    ¡°So if the people watching us can¡¯t come here, then who''s this visitor they¡¯re sending?¡± Arthur asked.


    ¡°I was getting to that. For one reason or the other, Earth has been placed on dimensional lockdown. Even if these people wanted to come here, and they could if they were willing to pay an earl''s ransom, right now it¡¯s all but impossible. My guess is they¡¯ll send a researcher of some kind, someone with a low enough level that being here won¡¯t matter. I¡¯m unaware if Lady Sleyca has anyone with a cloning skill in her entourage, or I¡¯m sure we¡¯d be meeting with them instead.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    There it was. That name again. Arthur hoped that the noble lady was off in a far-off galaxy somewhere and the only reason she¡¯d directly messaged him was because his achievements had merely pinged in her radar. Unfortunately, it looked like she was much closer to home, and even more unlucky, she¡¯d been put in charge of whatever hair-brained scheme was taking place on Earth. If Iris had noticed his reaction to Sleyca''s name, and he was sure the perceptive woman had, she chose to say nothing. Placing her hand on the golden barrier surrounding the failed bloodbeast, the seer released the magic.


    Ashley Rhye didn¡¯t do anything with her newfound freedom. She remained seated on the cold hard ground, hands cradling her unborn child''s head, a keening sound of despair and anguish coming from her mouth. Arthur was no stranger to human cruelty, he¡¯d seen his fair share of cartel executions in his time spent surfing the darker parts of the web, but what had been done to this poor woman was perverse and wrong in a way that seemed to reject all that was right and good. It physically hurt him to look at her, and Arthur had to wonder if a concept was at play here.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I doubt your abilities,¡± Iris began, ¡°But are you sure you can heal her? Her soul shell has been warped to reflect this monstrous abomination. People don¡¯t recover from that. Unless you''re absolutely certain you can return her to human form, it would be kinder to put her out of her misery now.¡±


    Iris¡¯ advice was sound and he agreed with it. If his healing only stopped the timer to her death and did nothing else, he¡¯d be doing nothing but consigning her to a tortuous existence. Still, Arthur wouldn¡¯t have tried to help if he wasn¡¯t certain of success. One of the first things you learned in medical school was to recognise your limits and know not to offer empty healing to those beyond your capabilities. It was needlessly cruel and damaging for all parties involved. He wouldn¡¯t be here if he wasn¡¯t confident he could do something. Even so, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but feel he might be in over his head.


    Ashley Rhye had changed so drastically. She wasn¡¯t even the same species anymore. Was that something he could reverse? His skill description certainly seemed to think it was up to the task.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    A homunculus Healing (legendary+) level 1- Base effect: Select up to ten individuals. You will heal them at a rate equivalent to 10% of your maximum health pool every minute.


    Cost: 3000 ether/minute


    Secondary effect: You are capable of healing damage inflicted via poisons, curses, debuffs, disease, illness, concepts ( dependent on concept mastery) and soul damage. (As long as the soul shell maintains 70% integrity)


    Cost: Variable


    Tertiary effect: You may store healing affinity ether that will recover health equivalent to 50% of your maximum health pool (Maximum health pool at the time of skill usage). This healing energy will persist in the target for seven days before dissipating


    Cost: 40,000 ether.


    Quaternary Effect: You may bring back a person from beyond death''s door and return them to their most recent peak stat so long as their soul remains attached to their body.


    Cost: 100,000~1,000,000 ether +10% of total healthpool reduction for 7 days


    Cooldown: 60 days


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    All things considered, his upgraded healing skill was completely broken. Even the primary healing it offered meant he could heal over 25,000 points of damage in a single minute, a number that was far greater than most people''s entire health pools. The secondary effect onwards was where things started to get a little insane, with each ability the skill offered being game-breakers in and of themselves.


    The skill''s fourth effect was what he¡¯d be using to try and heal Asley Rhye. It quite literally offered him a way to reverse any damage and turn back the clock on death, though the costs reflected the magnitude of the promises the skill made. A maximum cost of 100,000 ether was far beyond him right now, especially following the massive energy sink the fight had been, and it was the main reason why he¡¯d enlisted Iris¡¯ assistance. She¡¯d be the one to provide the energy. All he could do was hope it¡¯d be enough to bring back Ashley Rhye. Arthur was a little worried that the presence of the unborn child may interfere with the healing, the skill only worked on one person or if he was being technical, a single soul, and whilst he couldn¡¯t sense a soul in the deformed child, there was certainly something there.


    It was the main reason why he hadn¡¯t chosen to heal captain Henderson instead. The man''s soul had been merged with two others which went beyond the single greatest limitation of A Homunculi''s Healing.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Iris asked.


    Arthur nodded his head. The first thing the seer did was focus her scrambling ritual around them. It would make what happened in the next few minutes impossible to observe except with the naked eye, and no one on Lady Sleyca¡¯s roster had the requisite perception to see past a million miles. Next, she pulled out ten glowing purple vials from her storage ring, which his skill identified as concentrated Ether flask [Epic-superior grade]. Each of them contained 20,000 points of extremely pure refined ether and cost as much as the more highly sought-after rare skill crystals on the market.


    Arthur wouldn''t be taking them himself, as they far eclipsed the maximum ether his body could hold and were a higher form of the energy than his body produced, something he¡¯d only just found out you could improve upon. Instead, Iris would absorb the energy and use a ritual to transfer it to him at an equal rate to his skill''s energy consumption. Generally speaking, you could only take one such regent every 48 hours, any more and you¡¯d run into the complication known as potion sickness. Even with her unique fae physique, Iris would contract a fairly advanced variation of the illness by the end of this procedure and it surprised Arthur that she was willing to go through with it. Healing Ashley Rhye would cost her far more than it did him.


    ¡°Are you ready, Arthur?¡± He nodded his head. ¡°Then let''s begin.¡±

 Chapter 154- A Successful Procedure?

    Arthur wasn¡¯t sure if his upgraded healing required touch to work or not, but he didn¡¯t want to take any chances. Thankfully, Ashley Rhye didn¡¯t raise a fuss when he placed a hand on her shoulder. The woman''s flesh was disgusting to touch, a rotted mess of red muscle and pulsating veins that looked like knotted worms wiggling through filthy mud. More often than not, healing was an unpleasant experience and Arthur had learned to deal with it. At least he''d thought he''d had. This was still getting under his skin a little.


    ¡°Why are you so willing to help this woman?¡± Arthur asked Iris. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be callous, but you''re sacrificing so much for someone you don¡¯t even know. How long till you¡¯ll be able to drink a potion again? A month? Two?¡±


    ¡°Try half a year,¡± Iris replied dryly. ¡°And it¡¯ll take another three before I¡¯ll be able to take so many potions at once again. As for why I¡¯m so willing to do this¡­ it¡¯s for you.¡± Her skin rapidly flushed as she realised what she¡¯d said. ¡°What I meant to say,¡± Iris quickly scrambled for words, ¡°Is that right now, you''re the best healer on the planet. Legendary healing can take years to level up. This patient here, though, will probably give you a level or two even if you fail. In light of the upcoming battles we¡¯ll face, it¡¯s in our best interests that your healing is as strong as possible. That''s what I''m hoping to accomplish here.¡±


    It was a weak explanation and Arthur was certain she wasn¡¯t telling him everything. He was the one who¡¯d benefit the most here, however, so he¡¯d let the secrecy fly. Maybe she¡¯s just a really nice person. Whatever the case, he was ready to get the job done. Iris briefly explained how things would proceed, though she¡¯d be the one responsible for all the complicated ether transfer stuff. All he had to do was manage the healing.


    Iris placed a hand on the back of his neck, and Arthur had to ignore how cold her skin was to touch. It was like ice. A second later, he felt energy pour into him, first a trickle that rapidly grew to a veritable flood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep the energy output around here for now and adjust accordingly as we go along.¡±


    Focusing on his legendary skill''s matrix, Arthur began to cast his skill. To date, it was by far the most complex ether construct he¡¯d seen, his best attempts at describing it being a four-story pagoda crossed with an ever-evolving maze. It was a structural impossibility, at least when observed through his untrained eye and he felt a headache come on the longer he looked at it. Arthur focused his ether on the skill''s fourth floor, the one he intuitively recognised as responsible for the quaternary effect. He needed to get rid of this energy quickly before he reached full capacity.


    Fortunately, or perhaps, unfortunately, the skill ate ether like nothing he¡¯d ever seen before but he should have expected nothing less when it had a minimum cost of 100,00 ether. The energy drained out of him like someone had pulled the drain on a bathtub and he felt Iris adjust her energy transference to match the rate he was using ether. The pace he was using it would have been impossible for anyone with less than 750 constitution, his output so high it would have burned ether channels and destroyed weaker flesh. Still, it made Arthur wonder how the seer was able to manage handling so much raw energy. Was it because of the buff he¡¯d granted her via Source of Vitality, or did it have something to do with her fae heritage? Arthur suspected it was the latter.


    Unfortunately, Ashley Rhye, who¡¯d been content to simply sit until now, started screeching the second the healing energy poured into her. I can hardly call it healing energy, though, Arthur mused. It was unlike any magic he¡¯d ever used before, as if he was pouring the entirety of his being, his very soul into the skill. Arthur suspected this was why the ability came with such a massive cooldown and steep penalty to his healthpool, he was utilising far more than mere ether to fuel this skill.


    The failed blood beast tried to pull away from him, but golden chains wrapped around her and held her in place. Failed product as she was, Ashley Rhye didn¡¯t possess the requisite strength to pose a problem. If anything, her struggles only served to hurt herself. Undeterred, Ashley continued to scream, doing everything she could to pull away from him and stop the healing. Arthur dearly wished he could do something to ease her pain but he was caught in the pull of his skill, there was no way to divert any attention away from it.


    Already, over ten thousand ether had been poured into the ability and it showed no signs of slowing down. Iris had yet to take a potion and she didn¡¯t look strained at all, which told Arthur her ether pool was at least thrice the size of his own. It was only after he¡¯d poured 22,000 ether into the skill that she drank one. Taking into consideration how much energy she¡¯d spent on rituals during the fight, Arthur suspected her total pool was somewhere north of 40,000, significantly larger than he¡¯d expected.


    Ashley Rhye had mercifully fallen silent and it looked like her unborn child had fallen asleep. Arthur didn¡¯t know how his magic would affect the monstrous offspring, if it was even counted as a living entity, but he hoped his magic would give the baby a chance at life. His patient still looked exactly the same, and Arthur was starting to worry that he¡¯d need to pay the maximum cost of one million to heal her, a number that was currently impossible, even with Iris¡¯s assistance. It was only after passing the thirty-thousand mark that things changed.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Ashley Rhy¡¯s skin started to glow, first a dull red to match her skin tone that steadily brightened to a ruby glow. From there, it progressed to gain a slightly yellowish tinge and rapidly brightened. Arthur would bet all his finances that she¡¯d end up bright gold. True to his predictions, within a few seconds, Ashley Rhye was shining like a golden flame. It wasn¡¯t so bad at first, but Arthur was pretty sure an ordinary human wouldn¡¯t be able to look at her anymore. When even Ayesha had to avert her gaze, he realised they might have a problem.


    The failed blood beast was so bright now it was like a second sun had appeared on Earth. It reminded Arthur of footage he¡¯d seen of a rocket taking off; like dawn had come early for the planet. The territory of blood could do little to contain the light she was emitting and he was sure it was visible for dozens of miles. ¡°Focus, Arthur,¡± Iris warned. ¡°Ignore the light. You¡¯ll probably never get a chance to treat a patient like this ever again. Learn all you can from it.¡±


    The words were like a splash of cold water down his back and he cursed himself for getting distracted. The seer was right. Who cared if Ashley glowed like a lighthouse? This was an opportunity he¡¯d never get again, the circumstances that led to Ashley¡¯s predicament so impossibly unlikely they¡¯d never happen again in this sector of the universe. Closing his eyes, Arthur focused on what his skill was doing. He¡¯d recognised already that he was pouring far more than mere ether into it, but a closer look revealed that he¡¯d barely scratched the surface. The skill matrix was absorbing his energy, merging and evolving it in a process that would take him years of study to even begin to grasp until the output released was a substance that defied everything he knew about ether.


    For starters, it almost seemed alive, processing a limited sort of intelligence that allowed it to move in ways he didn¡¯t understand but recognised as the correct course of action. Most alarming of all, however, was the bonafide concept that was intrinsically woven into the energy.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 77.2985%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Congratulations! Your ether manipulation (Rare) has reached level 5</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That was the first time he¡¯d levelled the skill in recent memory and it was from observing a process he couldn¡¯t mentally grasp. Not for the first time, Arthur wished he had a skill that allowed him to record the things he observed with his inner eye for later perusal. Who knew how many grand secrets he was missing out on simply because he was too inexperienced to understand? Let¡¯s not cry over things out of my control now, Arthur chided himself. Focusing on what you couldn¡¯t have was a sure way to lose out on what you could gain.


    With his mental stats as high as they were, only three seconds had passed since he began his observations. In that time, A Homanculi¡¯s Healing had guzzled another 25,000 ether, and it showed no signs of slowing down. Once Arthur was certain he¡¯d plucked all the low-hanging fruit from analysing his skill matrix in action, he followed the energy output to his target, Ashley Rhye. The best way to learn about medication was to see how it interacted with a patient, and whilst the failed blood beast was now shining too brightly for even him to directly look at, it didn¡¯t prevent him from following the path his energy took into her body.


    The closest thing he could compare it to, was the primordial ether present in the dragon''s core he¡¯d eaten, though he wasn¡¯t sure if the similarities he was seeing were only because the energies were equally potent. Once the energy entered Ashley''s body, it suffused her each and every cell in a process he¡¯d best describe as osmosis, though once again, it was different enough that he might only be comparing them due to his ignorance. Arthur''s arm was steaming hot, the amount of energy he¡¯d powered through it a truly staggering value considering his level. Sweat was pouring off him, remaining for less than a second before rapidly evaporating. Anyone else would have severely harmed themselves in his place, but his durability kept him going strong.


    Iris wasn¡¯t facing the same problem as she wasn¡¯t channelling the ether to fuel a skill, only transferring it over to him, but Arthur could tell she was fast approaching her limits. The healing energy poured into Ashley''s cells, saturating them to the point he¡¯d expect them to burst. Nothing of the sort happened. If anything, they started to absorb it faster, stealing energy from him as fast as he could provide it. Changes were taking place on a microscopic scale, but the composition of a blood beast''s cells was too alien for him to make heads or tails of. He tried anyway and was able to identify a component that seemed like an evolved mitochondria, except it seemed to have been adapted horizontally to fulfil a new purpose altogether instead of vertically to improve its ability to generate energy.


    Things were happening too fast, millions of changes every second, one moment, he¡¯d think he¡¯d finally grasped something and the next it was gone forever. Despite all this, it was only after Arthur poured 100,000 ether into the skill that the real magic started to happen. Iris was panting for breath and even he was starting to feel fatigued. It happened suddenly, one second the cells that had been greedily devouring his energy just¡­ stopped. Arthur kept trying to use his skill for a few moments longer, but similar to Ashley Rhye, it simply rejected all the energy he poured into it. That¡¯s when Arthur realised the skill had entered its cooldown phase, whatever he¡¯d done with it could no longer be changed and it was unusable for the next 60 days. He could only pray the skill had worked.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 61.8615%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    A Homunculi¡¯s Healing (Legendary+) has reached level 2¡­


    A Homunculus healing (Legendary+) has reached level 3¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">Congratulations you have gained the (Tier 4 ) Title Miracle worker (Heal the unhealable ??? ???)- Magic and Techniques used in recovery will have an increased likelihood of bringing someone back from beyond death¡¯s door. </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur grinned. Judging by his notification, it looked like he¡¯d been successful.

 Chapter 155- An Early Dawn

    The territory of blood was brightened beyond anything the land had ever seen as if dawn had come early and lit the world anew. Iris had tried and failed to set up a ritual to block the light show Ashley Rhye had become, but for one reason or the other, her rituals didn¡¯t function. Judging from her rapid mumblings it had something to do with a concept she didn¡¯t understand, the light Ashley emitted existed on a spectrum other than the base one native to this dimension. Arthur didn¡¯t know enough to realise just how many laws of physics were being broken, but he guessed it was quite a lot.


    All eyes were focused on Ashley Rhye, though no one could be certain if they were actually looking at the woman right now, what with how bright she was. When nothing seemed to happen after a minute had passed, Arthur turned his attention to the gains he¡¯d made from these endeavours. First and greatest was his latest tier 4 title Miracle Worker. It was a tier 4 title, which put it right up there with twice-lived and half-breed, though Arthur wasn¡¯t sure if its effects matched up with the competition. The boon if offered was far too vague and situational for his liking. How often would someone get injured to the point of death right in front of him and he¡¯d be positioned perfectly so that he¡¯d be able to heal them in the scant few moments before true death set in and their souls departed?


    When considering all this, Arthur realised he had a glaring hole in his education. Whilst he understood medicine and medical procedures to a fairly high level, it was limited to the human body. When it came to magical healing, however, and other species, everything Arthur knew was self-taught. Ether had been doing all the heavy lifting, and with a legendary healing skill to his name now, the trend would probably continue in the future. Nonetheless, Arthur wanted to know exactly what he was doing. Even his knowledge of true death and all the things he''d derived from it, had come from General Bradley, who he¡¯d best describe as a dubious source.


    I wonder if the government-run healer initiative provided a crash course or not, Arthur mused. He hadn¡¯t stuck around in the hospital long enough to find out, but it¡¯d be a major oversight on their part if they didn¡¯t teach anything. Arthur put formally learning the art of magical healing right on the top of his ever-growing priority list. Perhaps he¡¯d gain an insight into what exactly Miracle Worker did. For a tier 4 title, it seemed far too underwhelming. At least it told him he¡¯d been successful in healing Ashley, though he¡¯d have to wait for this damned light show to end before he could see what exactly the system dubbed as successful.


    Next on the list were the skill level-ups he¡¯d received. True to Iris¡¯s predictions, healing the failed Blood Beast had netted him not one, but two levels up. Considering it was a legendary+ skill, the feat would have otherwise taken months to achieve.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    A homunculus Healing (legendary+) level 3- Base effect: Select up to ten individuals. You will heal them at a rate equivalent to 12% of your maximum health pool every minute. (Previously 10%)


    Cost: 3300 ether/minute


    Secondary effect: You are capable of healing damage inflicted via poisons, curses, debuffs, disease, illness, concepts ( dependent on concept mastery) and soul damage. (As long as the soul shell maintains 68% integrity) (Previously 70%)


    Cost: Variable


    Tertiary effect: You may store healing affinity ether that will recover health equivalent to 55% of your maximum health pool (Maximum health pool at the time of skill usage). This healing energy will persist in the target for seven days before dissipating (Previously 50%)


    Cost: 44,000 ether.


    Quaternary Effect: You may bring back a person from beyond death''s door and return them to their most recent peak stat so long as their soul remains attached to their body.


    Cost: 100,000~1,000,000 ether +10% of total healthpool reduction for 7 days


    Cooldown: 58 days (Previously 60 Days)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Noting how the skill had changed, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but grin. Legendary skills capped at level 50, which meant that even in the worst-case scenario, where the skill only grew linearly in the same pattern, he¡¯d end up with a skill that could heal the requirement of 59% of his total health pool every minute for the measly cost of eleven thousand ether. It was a legendary+ ability though, and so Arthur expected the max-level skill to be far greater than his conservative predictions. Its tertiary effect was where things started to get absurd. It would effectively triple his total health pool and make him nigh unkillable.


    One thing the recent fight had taught him was that if he was able to survive long enough, every fight would eventually end in his victory. A drawn-out battle with a soul mage was impossible to win, where every exchange would see your decades of progress and effort slip away forever, like sand lost in the sea. You either killed a soul mage quickly or ran like hell and hoped you didn¡¯t get chased. It was a shame armaments of the soul hadn¡¯t levelled, but it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d pushed the skill in anything. He¡¯d just used the ability the most from his arsenal of skills which he honestly couldn¡¯t expect to see progress from. Still, he would have loved to see how the skill grew. How much more soul damage would it provide at every level?


    ¡°Hey Arthur, you might wanna focus,¡± Ayesha said. ¡°The lights are finally going down.¡± True to her words, Arthur noticed a visible dim in Ashley¡¯s brightness, one that was rapidly growing faster. It was like a solar eclipse in how quickly the light went out. Only six seconds and the territory of blood had returned to its natural gloomy state.  Calling it a territory is being generous. The thing¡¯s barely the size of a football stadium. Once Ashley became visible, Arthur, along with Iris rushed forward to her prone form. She wasn¡¯t moving, and for a dreaded second, Arthur thought they had lost her. He was surprised by just how relieved he felt at the rise and fall of her chest. For all intents, this was a stranger but it looked like he¡¯d gotten a little attached to patient number one of his evolved healing skill.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Putting a finger on her neck, Arthur felt for her pulse. It was going steady. There were no marks of discomfort on her face which he took as a positive indicator of zero complications, but he pushed some healing affinity ether through her body and ran a basic diagnosis just to be safe. She was in perfect health, and Arthur couldn¡¯t help but grin widely at the budding life growing in her womb. Her foetus looked like it had another chance at life which it certainly deserved, considering the horror-show its first appearance had been. If anything, Ashley seemed to have benefitted from her little stint as a Bloodbeast.


    A deeper look at her cells showed that she¡¯d maintained some of the adaptations monsterfication had given her, though they¡¯d subtly changed to work properly with the human body. Arthur wasn¡¯t certain how the minor evolution would affect her, but things looked fine on the surface. The changes to her cells seemed to make them more energy efficient as well as resilient, and they generated around 40% more energy than before. Her bones were denser and her muscle structure too had changed, though he couldn¡¯t tell its effects at first glance. Arthur guessed this would all translate to increased stamina and health regeneration as well as increase her constitution and strength, most likely in the form of a title of some kind.


    If surviving a Blood Beast transformation didn¡¯t scar your soul enough to grant you one, then nothing would. Unless she was unlucky, Arthur was certain Ashley Rhye had gotten her hands on a potent tier 4 title. Given her relative level, there was very little reason why she wouldn¡¯t. He briefly wondered what that meant for the unborn foetus, and he hoped that the benefits would carry over somehow. The child deserved every advantage it could get early on in life.


    ¡°No one can retell the healing that transpired here¡± Iris suddenly announced, staring pointedly at Captain Arencia and his squad, ¡°Lady Sleyca has sent a construct to planet Earth. It will arrive here in six minutes. When she asks what the golden light was, say that I was responsible. She doesn''t have the political weight to get any answers out of me.¡±


    ¡°I was blinded by the light, my lady. These eyes of mine saw nothing. I swear it upon my honour,¡± Captain Arencia said solemnly. It sounded like a simple promise to Arthur, one easily broken, but it looked like Iris was happy with it. For that matter, he didn¡¯t understand why the seer had done a complete 180, something that was apparently clear on his face. She sighed tiredly and it was only then Arthur remembered she was just as exhausted as he was, perhaps even more so. That was on top of the potion sickness she was no doubt suffering from. She looked like she was one stiff breeze from falling over. Arthur quickly ran his skill over her, but Iris was in perfect physical health, with no signs of injury. She simply needed some rest. Nonetheless, the healing energy was soothing and took the edge off her fatigue.


    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± Iris said, rubbing her temples. ¡°You¡¯re wondering why I want to keep you out of the spotlight, I guess?¡±


    Arthur nodded.


    ¡°To be honest, I put your chances of actually healing Ashley at less than 20%. I didn¡¯t account for the light show you put on or the exact nature of the healing energy your skill produced. What exactly do you know about the healing affinity?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Whatever system descriptions have told me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m no expert on the subject, but I can give you a barebones explanation. Don¡¯t take my word for gospel though. This is far outside my area of expertise. The short of it is that there are grades to the energy a healer produces, outside of the skills they use. There are level 1 healers out there that can produce more potent energy with common skill than millennia-old monsters can with legendary ones.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t classified information or anything, but the vast majority of people aren¡¯t aware of it. You can thank the gods of fate for that, or you¡¯d have been kidnapped the second someone saw you using your healing affinity. You see, the grade of someone''s healing energy, colloquially referred to as the green gradient is fixed. It doesn''t change, perhaps a tier 4 title would do something, but the only well-known case is a high-orc by the name of Maneth, a man who gained one of the few documented tier-six titles when he attempted and succeeded to heal the dying core of a tier-2 planet.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, that happened eighteen hundred years ago and hasn¡¯t been replicated since, much to everyone''s chagrin. Suffice it to say, that people tend to concern themselves with your gradient. You need to be mid-B-rank to ever hope to bring out the full potential of a legendary skill. Around one in every thirty thousand healers meet those requirements.¡±


    This was the first time Arthur had heard anything Iris was saying and he absorbed it all like a sponge, listening with rapt attention. He could guess where the seer was going with this. After all, he¡¯d more than made the most out of his skill. Her next words confirmed his suspicions. ¡°Of course, finding a healer with both a high gradient and a rarer grade of skill is easier said than done, the odds infinitesimally low. Unfortunately for us, at least as of now, your healing gradient is at least upper B-rank though I suspect it¡¯s significantly higher. We can¡¯t test it right now, and whilst I¡¯ve tried my best to get rid of your magical signature on the area, Sleyca¡¯s construct will recognise the residue, she¡¯d have to be blind to miss it and for all her faults, Sleyca is a shrewd woman.


    ¡°I¡¯m offering to take the credit for everything. With no one saying anything, it¡¯ll be nearly impossible for her to deduce what exactly happened here, though she¡¯ll become mildly interested in Ashley Rhye and why I used a healing treasure to save the woman."


    ¡°And what would happen if I chose not to hide my abilities?¡± Arthur asked.


    The seer smiled grimly at him. ¡°Best case scenario, nothing. Lady Sleyca decides to be benevolent and turn over a new leaf. She ignores it. Most likely, she¡¯ll do everything in her power to recruit you. The woman¡¯s been given jurisdiction over the planet, at least for the length of the lockdown. Off the top of my head, I can think of six ways she can force you into her service using some bullshit system law. The worst case scenario, I don¡¯t even want to think about it.¡± Her face took on a dark look and he could see barely repressed rage in her eyes. The expression was gone in an instant, so fast he would have thought he¡¯d imagined it if it hadn¡¯t shocked him so much.


    ¡°When you''re strong enough, rules become guidelines you can choose to follow, punishments, petty fines you can ignore. A word of advice. Until you can stand on your own two feet, attention from nobility, any kind of attention, is a poison best avoided.¡±


    ¡°And are you included in that?¡± Arthur asked.


    Iris appeared troubled at that. ¡°Honestly speaking. Yes. My assistance in this fight will have far-reaching consequences. I can''t take a shit without reporters trying to find out my favourite foods. Ayesha is a known factor. My helping her won''t raise any eyebrows. You, on the other hand, are a no-name mage from out in the boonies. People will wonder who you are. They¡¯ll start asking questions. It won¡¯t be anything malicious, people know not to cross the limits, but I¡¯m certain things will get annoying.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Arthur replied dryly. ¡°Just what I needed. Some more drama in my life.¡± Iris tried to hide it, but Arthur could tell his words had hurt her. He didn''t particularly blame her for this undesirable situation, but that didn''t change the fact that she was the root cause. Still, without her help, beating the bloodbeast in time would have been impossible. She did technically save the planet. Sighing wearily, Arthur prayed he wouldn''t come to regret the decisions he''d made today.

 Chapter 156- Darkstar Essence Core

    Arthur watched the changing scenery around him. With the death of all the bloodbeasts, the territory of blood had been reduced to a shadow of its former strength, though it still held sway over the land. It had been cut down to just over half its former size, with a diameter of exactly 842 metres, the only signs of its presence being the slightly caustic air and pinkish tinge everything had, a massive improvement from the previous fumes that had once existed. I honestly think the crimson looked better, Arthur mused. It looked all evil and gloomy. Real dark and edgy. The new pink look makes everything seem¡­ sickly.


    Unfortunately for everyone involved, whilst the territory had been significantly weakened, it showed no signs of degrading further. They¡¯d located the territory¡¯s pylon, a darkened crystal altar from which one could become the master of the affected land. Arthur had hoped that simply breaking the thing would naturally destroy the territory but things were never so simple. For starters, the altar was nigh indestructible, with nothing they threw at the damn thing doing any damage. Iris had then dropped the bombshell that territory pylons were regenerative structures.


    Even if by some miracle, they were able to reduce the altar to dust, it would simply reform somewhere else in the territory. For a territory as small and weak as this one, the process could take up to a decade, and they¡¯d lose out on the easiest way to damage the place in the intervening time. As incredible as Iris was, territory-destroying rituals did not fall under her extensive repertoire of skills.


    The seer had then told them all about the most reliable way of eradicating a territory, and to the surprise of no one, it had been through the employment of a competent soul mage. Thankfully, captain Arencia and his posse weren''t aware of Arthur¡¯s credentials as one, or he was sure they¡¯d sell him out at the first opportunity. Some secrets were just too profitable to maintain. He was fortunate no one on his team seemed to recognise his soul armament for what it was, though anyone who managed to link the vaunted power of soul mages to his pitiful crude constructs, was either very intelligent or downright insane.


    Sadly territory destruction required the presence of a competent soul mage, and for all of Arthur¡¯s apparent strength, he didn¡¯t qualify for the descriptor. Soul magic could permanently delete the territory, yes, but not when Arthur¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t yet destructive enough to even scratch the altar, his soul spear just bound off the damn thing and the magic he cast through it hardly did any better. It was at that point that one of Captain Arencia¡¯s men, Franco, suggested that they try and claim the territory for themselves. The idea was immediately met with derision, a task even more impossible than the destruction they¡¯d been pursuing.


    Arthur was glad the man had suggested the idea first. He¡¯d been a moment away from asking the same question and thought it was sound. Franco had taken the fall and saved him from embarrassment. You needed to be a vampire to claim the territory, it was the main prerequisite attached to the place.


    ¡°Well,¡± Iris began. ¡°It would technically work if one of us here had a perfect blood affinity, but those are about as rare as unicorns.¡± She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°All we can do for now is put a guard detail on the place. Eventually, a powerful enough vampire will get through and claim the area, but we can prevent it for as long as possible. If we can find a nice coven native to the planet, maybe we can use it as a bargaining chip. Even the best defences are breached eventually. We¡¯d much rather gain something valuable from the place before it¡¯s taken from us.¡±


    Ayesha immediately agreed with her advice, quickly followed by Captain Arencia and his men. That just left him to decide. They all turned to look at him, waiting for his opinion. ¡°Do whatever you want with this place, Iris,¡± Arthur said. ¡°I had no idea what a territory was before today so do whatever you think¡¯s best. I¡¯d prefer it if you found a way to destroy this place. With your connections, I¡¯m sure it would be easy, but profit is profit and I¡¯m not against making the most of a shitty situation.¡±


    He¡¯d given the longest answer, rambling almost, but he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to care. The time before his refinement was coming to an end, there were only eight minutes left, and it was getting harder to resist its call. It had started off as a slight itch that could easily be ignored, but now it felt like he had centipedes crawling under his skin. Venomous ones that occasionally bit him. Honestly, he deserved a reward for being so outgoing and friendly despite all his troubles. Arthur wasn¡¯t too fussed about what happened to the territory of blood. As long as it didn¡¯t fall into the hands of the vampires responsible for all this death and destruction, he was fine with anything. If Iris managed to squeeze a few benefits out of it to give him... well, that was just the cherry on top.


    Iris must have seen the discomfort on his face because she quickly wrapped her little tour up and pulled him aside. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Arthur?¡± she asked, worried clear in her voice. ¡°If the monster managed to hit you with anything, then you need to let me know. I can''t help if I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you.¡± Arthur mentally debated how he should answer her question. He came to a decision very quickly, it was hardly a choice at all. Refinement would take place in exactly seven minutes, earlier if he let his concentration slip for an instant.


    He didn¡¯t know what exactly the process involved, but he suspected it would take a while, during which he¡¯d most probably be unconscious and vulnerable. With the visitors'' approach imminent and the hostile territory around them, being unprepared could very well see him returning to the land of the living in chains. Or not at all. That being said, he didn¡¯t trust Iris enough to reveal the exact nature of his class. She knew it was legendary just as he knew her own was legendary. They were simply too powerful for anything lesser. Let¡¯s just hope all the transformation my class is about to give me isn¡¯t some out-of-this-world stuff.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Having come to a decision, he gave her an abbreviated version of his situation, leaving out the fact that his evolution would be built upon the cores of all the monsters he¡¯d consumed. He was certain she had some idea of what he did with them considering how his aura changed after receiving the dragon¡¯s core, but there was no point in making her guesses certainties. Thankfully, Iris took the information in her stride. Whilst evolutions brought about by your class were very rare, they were not unheard of, though judging by how wide the seer¡¯s eyes were, they weren''t exactly common either.


    ¡°You¡¯re like a never-ending onion,¡± Iris grumbled. ¡° Every layer reveals another secret. Here I was thinking your class was already broken and now you¡¯re telling me you were fighting without gaining your class''s greatest benefit.¡± She shook her head, exasperated. ¡°And people complain that my class is overpowered.¡±


    Arthur smirked.


    ¡°Well, you did turn an impossible battle into a walk in the park. You could probably kill an apocalypse beast if you had the time to set up your rituals,¡± he teased.


    Iris laughed at that. ¡°You''re pushing it now. They¡¯d have to be the poorest excuse of an apocalypse beast- the runt of the litter and terminally ill to boot- for me to stand a chance at survival.¡± Her voice took a solemn tone. ¡°No, I¡¯ve seen recordings of my father battling a vermillion Ice leopard.¡± she shuddered. ¡°However powerful we may get, they¡¯ll always remain apocalypse beasts. At least in our sector of the universe.¡±


    ¡°The way I see things, you have two choices before you. I was wondering why my skills were giving such strange results but now it all makes sense.¡± She paused for breath. ¡°Lady Sleyca¡¯s visitor is going to arrive in the next three minutes. You can do one of two things. Hold off a refinement and meet with them. This will immediately put you on their radar. They¡¯ll have a face to attach to a name, whereas before they only knew of your achievements. As much as I¡¯ll try and obscure things, a face-to-face meeting will see some of your secrets revealed. I don¡¯t know what will come of it, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll start hounding you for recruitment.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the case, I¡¯ll ensure the meeting is over and they¡¯re gone from here in three minutes so they see neither hide nor hair of your refinement. This I promise on my name and status as Azareth¡¯s daughter. Even if I¡¯m forced to kill them. I can handle the political fallout.¡± She said the words with such severity that Arthur was taken aback. Why was she willing to go so far for him? ¡°Your second option is to go into refinement right away. I have a treasure on me that will completely hide your presence, from all senses, magical and mundane. The world itself will forget you exist for a short while.¡± She pulled ¡®something¡¯ out of her storage ring. He tried to focus on it but it kept slipping away from his attention, visible as nothing more than a shimmering distortion on her hand. ¡°This item is the fourth rarest thing I own, just behind the dragon core Aish gave you. My father would ground me for a decade if he ever found out I gave this to you. He won¡¯t though. The item¡¯s nature ensures he never will. Here, take a look at it yourself.¡± She passed the item over to him. It was only when the thing was in his hands that he was able to finally look at it, a small black bead, barely an inch in diameter. His eyes told him it was there, but his brain struggled to conceptualise its presence, his thoughts sliding off it like it was a slippery eel. He identified it.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


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    <td style="width: 98.6379%; text-align: center">


    Darkstar Essence core, (Legendary+)- A Dark Star core, one of the most elusive items of the known universe. It can only be recognised when within one''s presence, all thoughts of it ceasing to exist the moment it leaves your possession. Consuming it will hide you from reality itself.


    All thoughts of you will become muted for a short while, both positive and negative, a change that will be impossible to recognise. Note: this is not mental manipulation magic, but rather a direct result of your existence becoming muted to the material plane. The Darkstar Essence core is a legendary item, known only to those who are in its direct presence. Consuming it will forever alter your stealth capabilities.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur gulped dryly. This item was¡­ insane. He pushed it back to Iris. That''s what she meant when she said her father would never find out. He literally can¡¯t remember giving it to her. He doesn''t even know it exists.


    And if she gives it to me, neither will she.


    It was without a doubt, the most generous anyone had ever been to him. She was offering something that cost more than even the dragon core, of which he was certain. ¡°So what¡¯s the catch, Iris? There¡¯s no way you¡¯d offer something like this for free,¡± He said, ignoring his inner goblin that screamed at him to just take it, consequences be damned.


    Iris stared at him for a long moment with a complicated look on her face. He wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to break it down. ¡°Honestly, would you believe me if I said I just want to see you become as strong as possible? To witness your ascension with my own eyes and know I played a part,¡± She asked teasingly.


    ¡°No,¡±


    ¡°I thought not,¡± she sighed. ¡°The thing you have going on with Ayesha. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. I went in on it, except I want to be actual comrades. Maybe even friends.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Aish would never let me live it down if she saw this conversation,¡± she muttered under her breath, her skin flushing. ¡°You''re a bloody coward.¡± Arthur wasn¡¯t sure if he meant to hear the last part, so he acted like he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You do realise, after I eat this thing, you won¡¯t remember giving it to me. You won''t remember its existence. Hell, you won¡¯t remember a word of this conversation.¡±


    She huffed, ¡°I know. You don¡¯t have to remind me. I¡¯m taking a gamble here and hoping you have the decency to not ghost me at the first opportunity. You could walk away and I literally wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to stop you.¡± she pushed the Darkstar essence core into his hands. ¡°Just eat the damn thing before my common sense comes back and I change my mind.¡±


    Bemused, Arthur placed the little bead on his tongue. He expected it to be freezing, but true to its nature, he couldn¡¯t even tell he had something in his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m trusting you to not fuck me over,¡± Iris warned. Arthur nodded, swallowing the small item.


    ¡°And since I¡¯m not going to remember anything, take me out to dinner too.¡±


    One moment, Arthur was there, and the next he was gone, leaving Iris to stare at the open air. The seer felt embarrassed, but she couldn¡¯t recall why. Whatever the case, she had to prepare for Lady Sleyca¡¯s visitor.

 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

    First of all, I''d like to apologise to everyone for not releasing any chapters over the past few weeks. I''m sure you must have all noticed by now, but this novel will be getting published very soon if things go according to plan. As such, I''ve been spending the last few weeks editing and getting everything ready for publication and I''m certain that errors have still somehow managed to slip through the gaps.


    That being said, chapters will be released as normal next week. The first 40 chapters have received editing, the first fifteen especially so. Those who have caught up won''t have to read them again as the story hasn''t changed significantly and I''ll summarise the key differences for you below.


    -Arthur uses a spear instead of a katana


    -Arthur prepares a little better for battle, looting biker''s leathers for armour and wearing a hard hat for protection.


    -Arthur loots a hunting store and steals a compound bow along with a few arrows, though he doesn''t really end up using them for reasons that are explained. (Similar limitation to firearms, though not as extreme)


    - Arthur also breaks past his aversion for firearms as he values survival over his hang ups, though he realises that they are not a viable means to grow stronger as the System severely restricts how much XP you gain using them. This can be worked around, as the system informs him, but Arthur doesn''t know how without a Tutorial advisor to teach him.


    -Arthur steals sedatives instead of anaesthesia from the university, and the effects of the Tranquilizer he uses are more realistic. I.e., it takes time for animals to pass out.


    -The Bobcat Arthur fights initially was a regular housecat that evolves into it. It''s also suffering from Chaotic Flux, a state that grants it far more power than its level suggests but drastically reduces its remaining lifespan.


    - The dialogue between Rufeus and Arthur has been changed slightly, where the old elf advises him to invest in physical stats earlier on, though Arthur must leave the soul-realm before he can hear the full reason. He is told that high physical stats are one of the perquisites to becoming a competent battlemage as its a requirement to channel large amounts of ether.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    -Arthur recognises early on that the possibility of bringing his sister back is nigh-impossible, considering that she''s been deceased for six months already. The system also informs him at the time of his revival that he was extremely lucky, something Arthur knows most probably wont be the case in regards to his sister.


    Determining the cause of host''s death¡­ Host''s teleportation was delayed due to anomalous circumstances by nine seconds¡­ Possibility of error: 0.00038% Error¡­ Error¡­ Resulted in host''s termination¡­ Rectifying system error¡­ Error¡­ Insufficient energy¡­


    Possibility of revival due to anomalous circumstances: 17%... Nine thousand three hundred and twelve times more likely than control... Passes threshold for revival attempt... Reassigning system energy from normal initiation protocols¡­


    Host revived...


    -Most importantly, Arthur''s personality, which can and has been described as wishy-washy earlier on, where he switches between calm and competent to pathetic has been rectified, at least in part. Arthur still has moments where he doesn''t make the best decisions.


    There are a few more changes but I can''t remember them all of the top of my head. Only the first thirty edited chapters are up so far. The next ten I''ll try to have up within the next 24 hours. Preferably sooner. Everything''s just so hectic.


    Now, it''s always been my dream to write a book and see it published, to see my work on a bookshelf. Royalroad, and more importantly, you, my readers have made that dream far more likely and I can''t thank you enough. My book will be released as a ebook and put on KU and i have plans to get it published as a paperback asap.


    That being said, the success of my novels launch all depend on you, my readers, and I humbly ask that when the time comes, all those with KU accounts go and read my novel and write a review. The Amazon algorithm is a little different to RR and I''m going to have to learn the differences. My book isn''t available for pre-order, but I''ll post another announcement on Royalroad when its available for purchase which, fingers crossed, should be on Monday. I pray nothing goes wrong.


    Thank you everyone for supporting me on my journey as an Author and I ask that you continue to do so in the future.


    Truly, thank you so, so much.

 Announcement

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    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

 Chapter 157- Hissing Snakes

    Arthur stood right in front of Iris, so close he could feel the natural heat her body gave off. His clothes were a mess of burns and gore, soaked through with the blood of battle, they positively reeked. Iris didn¡¯t notice anything. He gulped dryly. The Darkstar Essence Core was the perfect assassination tool, capable of removing his very existence from the plane of reality. There was no way, magical or mundane, that someone could register his presence.


    An assassin with this item in their hands was guaranteed a kill, no matter who they went after.  And I¡¯m pretty sure it makes me ignore most defences too, Arthur mused. Iris had set up one of her signature golden bubbles of protection and he had managed to simply walk through it like it wasn¡¯t even there. It was hard to defend against something the world itself didn¡¯t recognise as real. Testing the item''s limits, Arthur poked Iris on the cheek. The seer frowned at his touch, rubbing at her face, but she didn¡¯t do anything else. This is¡­ terrifying.


    The timer before his refinement was still ticking down- he had just over four minutes left, but the former pull was no longer present. It had reached the point where it had been impossible to concentrate on anything else, but now the sensation was gone, almost as if his evolution itself had forgotten that he existed. Arthur wasn¡¯t certain if he could completely ignore the timer or not now, though, and he wasn¡¯t inclined to find out. As curious as he may be, now wasn¡¯t the time for experimentation. He stared at Iris, taking in all her elfin features. The fae was easily the most beautiful person he¡¯d ever laid eyes upon, she literally had it as an attribute on her status page. She was an incredible ritual mage and daughter to one of the most powerful people in this sector of the universe, princess to an empire that spanned entire stellar systems.


    She also had a crush on him.


    Arthur had suspected it earlier but now he was certain. Sure, the seer definitely had her own plans and goals and he clearly had a prominent place within them, but to ignore the feelings that had heavily affected her interactions with him would make him a blind idiot. The question was, what should he do with them? It would be so easy to walk away, pretending they¡¯d never met. By the time she remembered him, a lot of time would have passed and he¡¯d be nothing more than an interesting stranger she¡¯d met long ago. Her gift came with no strings attached save the shackles his own consciousness placed on him.


    He could just walk away, but it would make him a pretty shitty person. She''d gifted him something worth more than the continent he stood upon. The prospect was appealing, though, and it had its fair share of merits. Walking away would take him off the radar, at least for a while. Unless he did something crazy, like confront the lich queen, no one should pay any close attention to him. He could fade into obscurity and do things at his own pace, take things slowly until he grew bored and found a way off the planet.


    That was the crux of the issue, though. Arthur didn¡¯t have a reliable connection off-world and with the dimensional lockdown in place, he¡¯d be trapped here for the foreseeable future. Was he willing to take the role of a bystander and leave the fate of the world in others'' hands? The answer, surprisingly, was a decisive yes. He wasn¡¯t particularly fond of the planet beyond the fact that it was his place of origin and he owed it to no one to be its saviour. There were people for that, the primes, Kazi Alukai, those individuals who¡¯d taken dominion of their respective territories in the wake of the system''s arrival. They had a vested interest in the planet''s well-being. Arthur comparatively didn¡¯t give two shits.


    No, that''s wrong, I do care. Just a lot less than I¡¯d expected. The question then changed to one of profit. What did he seek to gain if he went against the lich queen? Doing so would put him back on the map of important upcoming stars to look out for, meaning he might as well stay in Iris'' corner if he decided to go the saviour route. At least he''d have an established backer that way. The profit in question, however, was the decider. What exactly would he gain? As his most recent fight had shown, growth came incredibly slowly with his new class.


    A smattering of levels, a few skill increases, perhaps a title or two and whatever loot he managed to steal from the lich undead corpse. When framed like that, it didn''t sound too appealing. From the little fiction he''d read and Mathew''s nerd rants, he knew the general gist of what a lich was. The news suggested that the monster that had invaded Earth was an almost perfect rendition of the kind popularised by fantasy novels in the recent decade. It''s almost as if someone drip-fed us the information before the system arrived, Arthur chuckled humourlessly. He''d been aware of that fact for a while now but it still surprised him at times just how much society had been affected by alien machinations.


    Something''s telling me a phylactery is going to be an ingredient required for my ritual skill. The skill description only showed question marks but he was certain he''d hit the nail on the head. Iris put the ascended Bloodbeast''s corpse in storage. If it had a monster core, then that was another ingredient found already, though he wasn''t sure he wanted to use the monster as the base for his ritual. It had seemed kind of weak. At the end of the day, no matter how Arthur felt, he was a person who paid his debts in full. Ayesha had saved his life when she gave him the dragon''s core, and Iris had done him a massive favour with her gift. They''d both be going to fight the lich, which meant he''d be going with them to make sure they weren''t in over their heads.


    Iris was the most beautiful woman he''d ever seen and she was powerful enough to keep up with his meteoric ascent or at least not to be left on the dust. Before he''d known of her origins, he wanted to take her out on a date. Is that going to change because I''m scared of her dad? Arthur was many things, but he''d never consider himself a coward. I''m not the smartest person either, am I, Arthur realised as he came to a decision. Her admirers were going to be a right pain in the arse. Hopefully, the seer was a fan of traditional Korean cuisine.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    With a plan for the future made, Arthur turned his attention to Ayesha. The woman had a frown on her face and kept chewing her lip, intermittently glancing up at the sky. Whatever she was looking for didn''t make an appearance, at least not initially, but when it did, it travelled so fast Arthur couldn''t be sure he''d even seen anything. The sudden appearance of the woman in their midst was the only confirmation that he hadn''t imagined her rapid flight down to Earth.


    Despite her incredible speeds, her landing didn''t raise so much as a dust cloud, a complete defiance of the laws of inertia as he knew them. A closer look at her, however, revealed that the woman was hardly a woman at all. Whilst her features looked normal at first, they didn''t hold up to further inspection. She was a sculpted construct, her face a frozen mask of green jade, the craftmanship so perfect it would have art critics frothing at the mouth. Her lips, eyes, nose, ears, and every other part of her were created with maximum sensuality in mind, her creator''s vanity leaking through in her design.


    The way she moved, though, was wooden and stilted, and when she finally spoke, her voice came from the centre of her chest without any movement of her lips. "Greetings, Iris Goldenhand. I must say I was shocked to find your name amongst the contributors for this quest. 73%, too. That''s a percentage even your father would have struggled to match at your age, though I''m surprised the paranoid man let you out of his sight for so long. Does your father know what you''ve gotten up to on this new planet. I''d hate for any misunderstandings to occur when he finds out. Or if you got hurt." The woman''s voice was saccharine sweet and about the most passive-aggressive he''d ever heard.


    Iris obviously thought the same, judging by the frown on her face. Nonetheless, she was able to put a smile on, a strained taught thing that looked like it would snap any moment. "I''m under Ayesha''s employ right now. The quest was addressed to her too, Sleyca. I think it''s prudent you address her first, is it not?" The seer and construct looked like snakes in the grass, all venom and scathing remarks, which was honestly impressive considering the construct was limited to a single facial expression. Once he realised the conversation had devolved into a game of petty insults, Arthur tuned it out and went over what he''d learned so far. it seemed eating the Darkstar essence core had removed his name from the list of contributors for the system quest and assigned his merits to his teammates instead. The more he saw the item in action, the more terrifying it seemed.


    Unfortunately, even the legendary item had its limits. He''d forgotten one glaring issue. Ashley Rhye, someone everyone had recognised as a failed bloodbeast had somehow miraculously recovered. They didn''t expect the presence of a third-party healer, at least not overtly, but Lady Sleyca''s construct was paying far more attention to the woman than he felt comfortable with. It wouldn''t do if he saved the lady only for her to end up strapped to a table as a lab rat to find out what was so special about her unique constitution.


    Iris put her foot down there, stating in no uncertain terms that she''d report the noble to higher authorities if she so flagrantly broke the rules. It was strange watching the seer secretly. Any compunctions he''d had about her kindness being an act she''d put on for his benefit rapidly evaporated. Sure, it wasn''t exactly the heights of morality to prevent someone from essentially getting kidnapped and enslaved, but he could tell a lot from how someone reacted to the abhorrent deed. Captain Arencia, for example, was ambivalent to it, especially after hearing what Lady Sleyca was offering them for their silence, whereas Ayesha merely frowned in distaste. Iris, however, was downright disgusted by the suggestion, so much so that he was surprised she didn''t try to end the construct there and then. She certainly looked angry enough to.


    Unfortunately for Arthur, his time spent watching the drama unfold finally came to an end. Just when they started to get serious, too, Arthur mentally grumbled. Lady Sleyca had finally brought up the rewards they''d be receiving. His refinement, after delaying it by twenty seven minutes, had finally come calling, and Arthur found that his newest stealth abilities weren''t enough to resist the inexorable pull. He could feel a massive amount of energy gathering in his navel, fuelled by his skills and stats, every facet of his being was drained to fuel the growing core of energy.


    It was tinged with the heat of draconic fire, entrenched in the darkness of a shadow panther''s footsteps, regenerating with the vitality of a lesser hydra. Every core he''d consumed had a hand to play and things were starting to get dicey. The magical energy showed no signs of slowing down, ramping up at a terrifying pace that dwarfed everything he''d ever seen.


    Threaded throughout the energy was the magic from the Darkstar core he''d consumed and Arthur was certain that without it everyone in the United States of America would be able to feel the gathering power in his navel. Arthur leapt away from the gathered nobility. He trusted the Darkstar to hide him, but when the world itself started to funnel energy towards him, in quantities that surpassed any expression of power he''d witnessed, getting the fuck away from bystanders was probably the wiser choice. Amazingly, the Darkstar essence core STILL somehow managed to mute his presence if barely, relegating the incredible magical phenomenon to an ordinary breeze in everyone else senses.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 60.5405%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Shadow Panther core detected...


    Rat king core detected...


    Draconic Liverthion core detected...


    Augmented Titan Boar core detected...


    Water-claw kingfisher core detected...


    Scorched Cow core detected...


    Lesser Hydra core detected...


    Flame dragon core detected...


    Commencing refinement...


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 158- The Path Less Travelled

    Iris glared at the automaton before her. It had the marks of Cyrus¡¯ craftsmanship all over it and she knew just how expensive they were to purchase. Lady Sleyca had forked over a fortune just to make a statement during their short meeting. As far as dick-measuring contests went, it was a decent way to show off her power. Or at least it would have been if Iris didn¡¯t have two such constructs gathering dust in her storage ring, an expensive gift waiting for her to become strong enough to use them.


    Lady Sleyca, of course, didn¡¯t know that she knew, and so she presented the construct as a creation of her own, somehow looking smug even through the frozen stone expression. Can''t say much about her taste, though, Iris mused. The woman had styled the construct after herself and Lady Sleyca was anything but ugly. Her conduct, however, certainly left a lot to be desired. The noble lady did everything she could to get under her skin, going so far as to make outrageous demands that she be negligent of her position, nay, her decency as fae to turn a blind eye to blatant corruption.


    It took her a moment to realise that Sleyca was only trying to get her riled up, something Captain Arencia must have realised instantly judging by his disinterested look. He must have seen the same tactic repeated hundreds of times during negotiations. That still left the question of what exactly Lady Sleyca wanted to negotiate for. She knew little about the woman except for little bits of knowledge she¡¯d picked up in snide comments during parties over the years.


    Old nobility called her an upstart wretch who didn¡¯t know her place. She¡¯d stepped on a lot of toes to get to her position, and if rumours were to be believed, slept around a lot too. After parsing truth from falsehood, Iris was left with a picture of a determined young woman who went against the status quo, a middling fish yet to even leave her fish tank with no idea of the pond, never mind the vast oceans. Her effect on the wider universe was minimal, but she had a ruthless streak in her that told Iris that things would change one day. Either that or she¡¯d find her way to an early grave.


    ¡°For your contributions in handling the Blood Beast threat, you¡¯ve been granted two stat potions that have been increased to the 35 stat variant instead of the 25 you were supposed to receive. Ayesha will receive the last one.¡± Two vials of distilled primal ether were placed in her hands, a much watered-down elixir compared to some of the examples she¡¯d seen in her father''s vaults. Unfortunately, they had diminishing returns and Iris had filled her potential to full capacity already, which she was certain Lady Sleyca already knew of.


    Whatever money she could sell them for was practically useless compared to the wealth she carried on her person and she¡¯d already made sure Ayesha had maxed out her capacity too. I guess I could give them to Captain Arencia but that feels like a waste. She consulted her skills but they weren''t telling her anything at all, which whilst strange, wasn''t inexplicable. In the end, she decided to hoard them for now until a good use for them cropped up.


    "The next reward I''m sure you''ll find more interesting. Here I have a soulbound storage ring that integrates the natural defences of your soul shell to provide excellent goods protection. It''s the safest thing you''ll find on the market, a dungeon reward a spacial mage was lucky enough to work on. Its growth is capped at the C grade and we suspect you need a sufficiently large soul to break that limitation. This one''s for you Iris," the construct said, passing a glittering silver ring to her. "Your contributions weren''t so great, Ayesha, so you''ll be receiving a standard spacial ring. Of course, it comes with the usual frozen-time effect, perfect for taking your favourite dishes with you on your journeys. "


    Ayesha received her prize with grace, though Iris could tell she wasn''t happy with it. Her friend had already possessed one and the item she''d just won was hardly an upgrade, boasting a whopping two metres of extra space. Practically nothing. Iris frowned. Lady Sleyca was giving them rewards that they didn''t need or desire. Even the soulbound ring wasn''t something she''d use. Storage space was extremely useful, yes, but she didn''t want to waste one of her precious soulbound slots on a subpar item, especially when it was capped at C-tier. Whilst the items were certainly valuable enough to fulfil the requirements of the system quest rewards, Lady Sleyca was taking liberties to make them as useless as possible for them. Whatever game she was playing, Iris wasn''t privy to it and she wondered what the ambitious woman sought to achieve. "Your final reward honestly breaks the rules a bit," the construct said dramatically. "The task accomplished isn''t great enough to justify giving you this but let''s just say a few strings were pulled." If the construct could change its facial expressions, Iris was sure it''d have a shit-eating grin on its face right now. The construct flourished its wooden hand and revealed three black tokens engraved with blood-gold letters of an unfamiliar script. Iris'' eyes widened at the sight.


    "I see our young mistress recognises them."


    Iris could hear the smile in the voice. "These right here are tokens of entry into the hidden realm ''The Goldleaf Spire.'' There are only 73,000 in existence and these three are amongst the last hundred that have yet to be claimed." The seer couldn''t believe her eyes. This was... beyond crazy. She''d heard tales of the Goldleaf hidden realm, a place that opened every half-century for three months at a time. Gaining an entry token was a mark of honour, a means to completely change your fate from the mundane to the extraordinary.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    A hidden realm belonging to a fallen empire, it contained secrets of Ether lost to time. The only reason it hadn''t been completely plundered, was because of the level 250 restriction in place, a barrier that no one had been able to get past. Iris couldn''t help but wonder if her father was the one pulling strings in the background. After all, it was this very hidden realm that had first thrust him into stardom over a millennium ago. Now she too was being offered the same chance, only she was far stronger than her father had been at the time.


    It would be difficult, extremely so. She''d have to contend with geniuses at level 249, on the very cusp of level 250, heirs to great families and grand legacies alike; people just like herself. Nothing prevented you from levelling beyond that within the Goldleaf Spires, a known tactic for the extremely wealthy. A dozen bodyguards or lesser family members protecting their golden child made the challenge significantly less dangerous. There was no way for them to hit the level 240s in time for the hidden realm, especially trapped on a tier one planet as she was currently, and she didn''t want to rush to her class upgrade milestone either way. Most important, however, was the need for a third member for their group of two.


    Lady Sleyca was no fool. She suspected they''d had a third party assist them in killing the Ascended Bloodbeast. She didn''t believe for a single moment that Iris, for all her prodigious talent, was responsible for dealing over 80% of the damage done to the monster. Neither did Iris for that matter. Someone or something had definitely helped her. Even the world seemed to agree, with a sudden powerful gust of wind blowing in agreement. Now if only she could remember who it was. There''d be a price to pay for these gifts she''d gained today, and she''d much prefer it if there was a strong ally at her back rather than whatever cloak-and-dagger bullshit Lady Sleyca seemed to enjoy engaging in.


    Notifications burst across Arthur''s vision in letters of the darkest black he''d ever seen as opposed to the usual system blue. They passed by so fast he struggled to read them even with his enhanced mind. It listed all the cores he''d consumed and any milestones he''d achieved with his stats. His titles too were listed, as well as every source of ether he''d used to gain his levels, from the first cat he''d killed to the most recent Bloodbeast.


    The energy gathered within him reached a boiling point, so hot it felt like his flesh would melt off his bones. His heart beat like a drum, pumping blood and something metaphysical through his body. A portion of the energy within him left, mixing with the gathered mass of ambient ether. It took Arthur a second to realise what was going on. Reminiscent of the Hydra and the Ascended Bloodbeast, a cocoon was forming around him. The refinement originated from his monstrous side, so it only made sense that the procedure would follow the evolution processes of apex beasts. Unlike the creatures he''d faced though, Arthur''s shell was a rose gold that looked positively regal.


    The moment the shell had fully formed around him, Arthur lost all control of his body. Some form of magic held him suspended at the centre of the cocoon, with no part of his body touching the shell. A thick viscous liquid was rapidly released from his pores, quickly filling the refinement orb to full capacity. By now, the sensations coursing through his body were so chaotic and powerful, it felt like he was tearing apart at the seams. When it grew to the point he was genuinely fearing for his life, the sensations abruptly disappeared, almost as if they were a figment of his imagination.


    One moment he was in the cocoon, floating in limbo and the next, he was somewhere else, in a cavern covered by a dense fog. He was but-naked, but he couldn''t feel anything, no heat, nor cold, no sensation of the dampness of the fog against his skin. It took him a second to realise why that was. Wherever here was, Arthur hadn''t truly been transported. He was merely an apparition, his body almost ghost-like, where the ends of his limbs became hazy and undefined. Oh yeah, and he was floating. There was no system text to greet him, no direction manual to explain what was going on. Arthur scoffed. This was a monstrous refinement. Why would it contain something so civilised as writing?


    Arthur could feel what was required of him on an instinctive level. To the left, where the fog was faintest, lay the path of moderation, the safest tempering he could go through. It would give him a stable kind of strength, an increase to all the powers that made him who he was. He could almost picture who he''d become if he went down that route, a grizzled warrior, veteran of many battles. Someone the people looked up to with both respect and distrust, a Wild Man. It would make him strong, incredibly so and the allure of safety tempted him for the briefest of instances.


    The middle led nowhere, it was an unstructured refinement that took equally from everything he¡¯d consumed, as much from the weak rat king as it did the lord of the skies, the flame dragon. Arthur turned away from it instantly. Going down that route would only lead to mediocrity and he felt a visceral disgust towards the man he could picture at the end of it. The right path, however, called to him in a way few things ever had. Where the left side offered him strength and respect, the right offered power and terror. It was strength an order of magnitude greater than anything he''d seen before, almost tyrannical in nature.


    He could picture his future self, a wolf in sheep''s clothing, a true predator that stood at the apex of all creatures, a hunter of apocalypses, the bringer of the final sleep. It was delicious. That path came with a danger of its own, he could tell that its benefits wouldn¡¯t be as immediate as the stable path, nor as accessible to use, especially in the earlier stages.


    It was hardly a decision at all. His monstrous half longed for the dangerous road like nothing he¡¯d encountered before, and for once, his rational mind was in agreement. It just felt right, like a perfectly fitting glove. Arthur made his decision and began to move forward.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 51.2432%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Refinement Selected¡­</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 159- New Traits

    Arthur was mercifully unconscious during the refinement process. His body was broken down and reconstructed stronger, his bones denser, drenched in ether, an energy source that now suffused every cell of his body. New parts were added to his body''s composition, before being hidden behind certain processes and functions. The refinement took place over the course of twenty-seven hours, using so much energy, that there was a noticeable dip in the ambient ether a hundred miles around him. At least it would have been noticeable without his consumption of the Darkstar Essence Core.


    It was only after the twenty-sixth hour had passed that Arthur finally woke up. Though he remained completely immobile, unable to move for the next hour, trapped within the core. Arthur would be a liar if he said he didn¡¯t panic a little. Fortunately, he regained feeling a few minutes before the rose gold cocoon showed signs of cracking, but it took a whole extra half hour before the process ended. He could have easily broken out himself by that point but decided to let nature run its course. He didn''t need to rush.


    The outside world greeted him with a cold wind that ruffled his hair, which had somehow grown down to below his shoulders over the last day. It was sometime after midnight and the moon''s light was tinged with a pinkish hue native to the Territory of Blood. The stars too were affected, looking like drops of blood scattered across the skyline. Arthur had to admit it made for a pretty pleasant sight.


    He had a stream of system notifications vying for his attention but he ignored them for now, instead focusing on how ¡®different¡¯ his body felt. Unlike the dragon core elixir, this time Arthur hadn''t grown any taller. If anything, he''d shrunk about half an inch or so, and he felt like he''d been compacted down, made denser somehow. He walked over to one of the many craters dotting the landscape, this one filled with a pool of red water. One look told him a very important detail he''d missed.


    He was buck-naked.


    In hindsight, it would have been surprising if his clothes had somehow survived his transformation. The liquid in the cocoon had been strong enough to break down a body with over 2000 Draconic vitality reinforcing it. If his clothing had somehow survived, it would make them the most durable armour pieces on the planet.


    The mask he''d received from the Serako assembly was also gone, the small tattoo representing its presence removed from his flesh. Losing the item was a shame, but it hadn''t seen much use whilst he had it so the loss didn''t hit him so hard. His soulbound greaves had of course survived, they were as much a part of him as his toes were and made up a significant part of his physical prowess. Losing so much agility would hurt him far more than a simple mask.


    Arthur took a moment to admire his nude form. He¡¯d always been one to take care of his health, regular Muay Thai sessions and workouts at the gym ensuring he¡¯d always maintained a decent physique. He¡¯d never win any awards for it, and he¡¯d lacked the necessary muscle mass to compete at professional levels, but all in all, he¡¯d been happy with how he looked, lean with a bit of bulk to him. The system¡¯s arrival changed things. He¡¯d lost the little fat he¡¯d had and put on quite a bit of muscle, with the Draconic elixir tying everything up into a body that looked like a chiselled Greek statue.


    His refinement had taken those changes and perfected them, taking an incredible physique and making it flawless. His abdominal muscles were perfectly symmetrical and his muscle insertions had been subtly altered for maximum physical output. Looking at his reflection, Arthur could state without doubt that he now had the most aesthetic physique he¡¯d ever laid eyes upon. The cosmetic changes didn''t end there. His facial structure had been refined giving him a more chiselled jaw and higher cheekbones. Arthur''s eyes were now the darkest black, pools of liquid darkness you could lose yourself in.


    Observed in the red-tinged water, this hue seemed to change when observed from certain angles, though he couldn¡¯t be certain of the exact colour with the lighting conditions. His hair was the colour of the night sky during the peak of summer a deep black that was tinged navy blue. It was luxurious and silky smooth, the sort of thing he¡¯d expect to see in a hair ad. All things considered, Arthur would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t the most beautiful human he¡¯d ever seen. It was a certain ¡®something¡¯ that transcended the cosmetic changes he could observe, a subtle undertone that enhanced his beauty but was impossible to pin down and identify.


    Okay, this bordering on narcissistic and getting kind of creepy now, Arthur chuckled. There was only so much he could admire himself before things got weird. Flexing his muscles, Arthur grinned. They felt powerful, coiled springs raring to explode into motion. To compare it with his former self, it was as if he¡¯d switched from regular petrol to jet fuel and upgraded his engine to match. The changes were so drastic Arthur was surprised he had such fine control over his new strength. Such significant growth usually took a long time to get used to but he¡¯d adapted instantly.


    Arthur walked out of the Territory of Blood, walking past the guards Ayesha had stationed to guard the place. There were a lot more military personnel present than he¡¯d expected but Arthur knew Iris wouldn¡¯t allow people controlled by the vampires anywhere near this place. The Darkstar essence core was still in effect, and he walked right under their noses with none of them the wiser, going so far as to steal some clothing from one of the many tents set up. The pants were more than a little snug but he¡¯d take that over letting his junk hang out for all to see.


    It was only when he¡¯d left the Territory of Blood that reality hit him. He had nowhere to go. The place he had called home for the last three years was nothing but broken rubble. He¡¯d worked hard for the place, made a home that both he and Rize had grown to love, the first and only property he¡¯d ever held. And now it was gone, exploded into smithereens. For a brief moment, he had the irrational urge to go and murder the vampires in a one-sided crusade pursuing his personal vendetta. He dismissed the notion immediately as foolish idiocy but reconsidered it as realisation dawned on him. With the Darkstar essence core still flowing in his body, perhaps it wasn¡¯t such a far-fetched idea after all.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Whatever the case, Arthur dismissed it for now as he made his way across the city. He had a destination in mind, the abandoned buildings on the city''s outskirts. With none of humanity being able to see or interact with him for now, it seemed prudent that he isolate himself for a little while, at least until he got a handle on his new abilities. He also needed to sort through any mental baggage he¡¯d picked up by witnessing the massacre that had happened here and the subsequent fight he¡¯d taken part in. With his current powers, even a little mental instability in his psyche represented a massive threat to anyone and everyone around him.


    It took him less than twenty minutes to reach the abandoned buildings he¡¯d chosen to stay in. The number of people in the vicinity had multiplied from the three he¡¯d seen the last time he was here. When was that? A day and a half, two days ago? It was such a small frame of time and yet so much had happened he could hardly compare himself to the man who¡¯d left the locus of power. He¡¯d engaged in a high-stakes fight where the fate of the very planet had been in jeopardy and saved a woman and her unborn child from certain death in a feat of magic the system itself recognised as miraculous.


    Most notable of all, however, was the refinement he¡¯d undergone, a process that Arthur was beginning to suspect had changed him as much mentally as it had physically. He couldn¡¯t be certain yet, but his memory felt stronger now than it had before. He could perfectly recall the taste of ice cream he¡¯d had during his childhood, poking his mother''s stomach and asking why she¡¯d gotten so fat. Arthur chuckled at the memory. She¡¯d tried to take it good-naturedly but had looked mortified, something his childhood self hadn¡¯t realised at the time. Damn, I was one hell of a brat. Well, at least I¡¯ve learnt not to go around telling pregnant women that they¡¯ve turned fat now, I guess.


    That wasn¡¯t all. His thoughts felt ¡®clearer,¡¯ somehow. Faster, as if someone had applied some WD40 to a rusty machine. Everything just flowed better. He suspected it translated to a vastly improved control over Ether, though he didn¡¯t just test it right now. It was finally time to look through his notifications.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


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    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.674%">


    Commencing Refinement...


    Primary cores selected for refinement... First-step-Draconic flame core... Second-Step- Shadow Panther Core... Third-step- Lesser Hydra core...


    Enhancing Physique...


    Bones-> Dragon-forged Bones...


    Muscles-> Shadow-touched Flesh...


    Tissue-> Regenerative Tissue...


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It looked like each part of his physique had undergone its own unique refinements in line with his three strongest monster cores. That explained why his bones felt so much denser.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 72.8177%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Mental faculties have been refined...


    Enhanced Nervous system...


    Enhanced neurological pathways...


    Ether-node Sub-brain created...


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    So I guess I have an extra brain now. What''s it for? I guess it''s got something to do with ether? Maybe control?


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 98.674%; text-align: center">


    Refinement complete. Four traits have been gained...


    Trait: Hyper efficient-> You have become a lifeform that thoroughly utilises ambient ether, decreasing the cost of your upkeep in Ether-starved zones by 75%. Should your ether reach zero in such a zone, you will enter into a hibernation state where your stats are limited to 20% of their regular values and your skills are shut down entirely until you''ve recovered. Ether cost of all skills has been reduced by 50%


    The Ether density is too low to maintain your existence. All regeneration rates dropped by 40%. Ten Thousand ether shall be consumed per hour to sustain your being...


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That was insane. His upkeep costs had increased from 3,000 per hour to 10,000 and that was after taking his incredible new trait into account. Arthur quickly did the math. Without the trait, it would cost him 40,000 ether every hour just to stay in a tier-one zone. Just how much had his refinement changed him? And what the hell was that secondary effect? Fifty percent off on all his skills was a game-changer. If the other traits held up to stuff, Arthur had just become a hell of a lot stronger.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 98.674%; text-align: center">Trait: Superior lifeform- You have become a lifeform equivalent to the beasts naturally born on tier 4 planets. All lesser life forms will instinctively fear you. The effectiveness of all stats has increased by 30%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was like his source of vitality title, in that it didn¡¯t increase the base stat but stretched each point to mean more, only it applied to everything and not just draconic vitality. Another insane boost in strength.


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Trait: Enhanced Regeneration- Your health recovers twice as fast. </td>


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    Simple, but perfect.


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    <td style="width: 98.674%; text-align: center">


    Trait: Beast form- (passive mode) You have taken on the traits of all the monster cores you have consumed. Added Darkstar essence core effect- All stealth-based skills are improved by 100%


    (Active mode) Take on the form of a bipedal beast, built using all the cores you have consumed thus far as a base. All stats are increased by 300% whilst in this form and you gain access to a skill from each of the primary cores selected for your refinement... ??? ??? ???Cost- All of your energy pools. You will fall into a coma lasting between ten and one hundred days following the use of this form. Mastery of this trait will allow partial transformation to take place which will have lessened costs¡­


    </td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>


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    <td style="width: 98.674%; text-align: center">


    Your next refinement will take place at level 150. You must consume exactly two monster cores before reaching this level for refinement to take place. An increase or decrease in this number will drastically reduce your chances of a successful refinement. Take into account synergies between selected cores and even those you¡¯ve already consumed for maximum benefits.


    Cores consumed: 0/2


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was a lot to digest.

 Chapter 160- Tastes Like Ashes

    Iris watched the pot of water boil over the stove and quickly turned down the heat. Opening the lid, she added a few choice herbs and spices to the now simmering water and let it steep for two minutes. She strained the water into a porcelain cup and stirred it in a figure of eight, watching carefully as the beverage turned golden brown. Finally, after an additional three minutes had passed, she took her first sip.


    It was perfect, an exquisite blend of flavours sourced from across two dozen planets, in three separate stellar systems. It tasted like ash in her mouth. Her memory had been tampered with. She was certain of it, but no matter what she did, she could find no traces of such magic on her person. Whoever had done it was a master of their craft. If it wasn''t for the contingencies and fail safes she''d set up, even she would have doubted herself. One of the oldest tricks in the books, affixing a certain phrase in her mind that let her know something had been done to her: Everglade red-moss tea. Most competent mind-mages would know to look out for such a trick, which meant that whoever had worked on her was an amateur.


    That didn''t line up with the expertise her memories had been altered with. She couldn''t even recall a hint of what she''d been made to forget. Had the magician left her with the suspicion simply to torment her? It was working if that was the case. When you couldn''t trust your most sacred place, the parts of you who made you who you were, what could you trust? All her life, she''d followed a path someone had set before her, stifled by the shackles of thousands of rules and regulations she''d had to follow.


    She was certain that somewhere in her father''s castle, there lay a book that detailed the course her life would take for the next century. Even her flight to this tier-one planet probably factored into her father''s plans somehow. It wasn''t so much a control thing; she knew her father cared for her, but the nature of his being and his magic made it almost impossible for her to act without him being aware of it one way or another. Her unique childhood experiences had shaped her into the woman she was today, and there were few things that she truly claimed as her own.


    The first was her magic. She possessed an affinity for reading the future that stumped all the tutors her parents had hired. There were many names for it: divining, fate-reading, clairvoyance. Iris knew it by something much simpler. Her magic was as mundane as it was powerful: pattern recognition. Iris'' skills let her read the patterns found in everything- the winds blowing, the clouds in the night sky, the way a man''s decision to leave his house would cause a street cat to go hungry on the other side of the city. There were patterns in everything and her magic let her understand them in a way no one else could. Of course, there was more to her affinity than simple pattern recognition- she was hardly the first person to develop such a skill, but she prided herself on the thousands of hours she''d spent refining the ability. That was the first thing she called her own in a world where everything had been handed to her on a silver platter.


    The second was her mind. She''d honed her brain for the last decade, from using the esoteric arts of desert Bedouins on tier-one planets that lacked water to the highly sophisticated arts of Mallenans, a hyper-focused race that had left the comfort of flesh to become beings of pure energy, piloting mech suits that granted one the power of an elite class. Iris had scoured hundreds of planets finding innovative ways to improve and develop her thought processes, to the point that she''d developed her own epic skill, Alien Mind. It was why the mental manipulation hit her so hard. She''d worked so hard to prevent something like this from happening.


    Ashley couldn''t care less about the mental violation; in her words, they were lucky the mind mage hadn''t done more. It was clear to her that whoever the mind-mage was, they''d helped them deal with the blood beast and healed Ashley Rhye. Of course, they wanted their privacy after managing such a feat. It made sense. Iris could almost find herself agreeing with her best friend. There was only one problem: Everglade Red-moss tea. The patterns just didn''t make sense. She wasn''t even sure why, only that she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was missing something.


    Sighing wearily, Iris drained the rest of her tea in a single massive gulp, an act that would certainly have all connoisseurs across the universe pulling out their hair. She massaged her temples, willing the headache that had been plaguing her to go away. Unfortunately, the pain stubbornly remained. There was little she could do about the mental manipulation now, at least until she left the planet and met a specialist in the field. That didn''t make ignoring the issue any easier, though. Luckily for her, life had managed to serve up a distraction in the form of a steaming pile of shit.


    The vampire coven, Ozarah, responsible for all the problems in her life right now, had demanded a meeting.


    Ashley, the acting leader of their presence on Earth, had of course immediately denied the meeting. Only a fool would agree to meet with monsters who killed so wantonly. That was when they delivered an ultimatum. The vampires had created an additional five primed humans, ready to explode at a moment''s notice. Ashley would agree to meet with them, or a lot of people would end up dead. Iris would have dismissed the threat as empty air. Forcing soul explosions and priming humans for them was hardly an easy feat. She estimated that the most recent fiasco had cost the permanent loss of over half of Borelis'' power, the level 243 savage vampire responsible for all the bloodbeasts. Creating any more monsters would kill the man. Unfortunately, that was exactly what had happened. A little investigative work later, they''d found the dried-out husk of the once powerful vampire in an old abandoned military base. It was clear as day that he had been left there for them to find. From there, it didn''t take long to determine his cause of death. The bastard had died from creating one Bloodbeast too many, and from the clear signs of torture on his deceased body, it looked like he hadn¡¯t had a choice.


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    The first rule of criminal negotiation taught that you should never acquiesce to their demands. It placed them in a position of power and made it significantly more likely for their subsequent demands to be accepted. Right now, however, they had little choice but to go along with the Ozarah coven''s request for a meeting. Iris didn''t need her seer skills to tell her that things weren''t looking so good. She was pulled from her musings when Ayesha barged in through the doors.


    "The bastard''s arrived. They were smart enough to send a proxy, though, so most of our preparations are useless," she said, visibly frustrated. She had dark circles under her eyes, her physical stats were far too low to deal with the stress and rigours of the last 48 hours. I always tell her to raise her constitution. Why doesn''t the idiot listen to me?


    "It''s a shame, but if the vampires were fools, they wouldn''t be such a thorn in our side. The tracking rituals I set up should at least tell us the general direction of their bombers, but anything else will be left up to chance.¡± Iris said. Though she put on a veneer of calm, she was a second away from putting her head through the wall. Why was nothing going right?


    Leaving the room, Iris followed Ayesha through a series of twisting corridors till they reached a massive hallway, a place that was formerly used to host a musical club. Today, it was the location of their meeting. Already, Iris could see their visitor had arrived, a young teenager of around thirteen years of age, with sandy blonde hair and green eyes. His pale skin was covered in tell tale signs of the vampire''s possession: bloodshot eyes and black veins snaking across his face. The child stank of rotting flesh. The body had been dead for a long time, and only powerful magic held the corpse together. Iris knew the Ozarah Coven had come in such a way to throw them off balance, but it was hard to remain logical and collected at the sight of the desecrated body.


    "It''s a pleasure to finally meet you," The vampire spoke, using the child''s voice. "I hear you''re largely responsible for our failed venture with the bloodbeasts. I am Ishaya, the leader of our presence on this planet and I have come to bargain."


    "Give us the territory of blood."


    Ayesha scoffed even as Iris'' stomach dropped. "And why would we do that, you fool?" Ayesha said. "Your kind is unwelcome here, a lingering rot that refuses to die out. You''ve caused enough suffering already. You live only on borrowed time."


    Iris didn''t need to be a seer to see what was coming next. It made her sick to her stomach, and she cursed her ineptitude at the moment.


    "Because, my dear, if you don''t give us the territory, a lot of people will die." The possessed child smiled a rictus grin that looked downright creepy on the innocent face. "I''ve just let one of our little presents go. You know what that means, don''t you?"


    Ayesha was stumped for a second as she tried to figure out what the vampire was trying to say. The smile on the child''s face looked more natural now, less forced. Whoever the vampire behind him was, they were taking genuine pleasure in this conversation. Iris could almost see the monster''s intent through the young boy''s dead eyes, a pitiless gaze that took sadistic joy in another''s suffering, and in that moment, there were few things she hated as deeply as the Ozarah Coven. Ayesha''s skin paled as she finally realized what was going on.


    "Don''t tell me you-"


    "I was starting to think you were slow," Ishaya interrupted, the vampire''s voice sickly sweet. "One of our pets just detonated. Three hundred and forty-six children dead. This one''s school in fact. Ah, it''s Three hundred and forty-seven now. Even falling debris will kill you when you''re so fragile."


    Ayesha lunged forward, rage exploding out of her in a physical form as aura, and Iris only just managed to stop her from attacking the child. "You can''t hurt him, Aish. The kid''s already dead. The only link between them now is a weak tether of magic," she said, her voice oddly calm, surprising even her. "Save your wrath for when it matters."


    "Yes, Aish. Listen to your pet mage," the vampire mocked. "Three hundred and forty-seven children died today. Only you can prevent that number from going any higher."


    "You can have the territory," Ayesha spat, seething, "But get rid of your primed humans first."


    "And why would we do that, dear? You have nothing to bargain with, and we both know your fragile heart won''t allow more loss of innocent life today. Give the orders to your people. I want them moving away from the territory within the next three minutes. If they''re not five miles away within seven minutes, another human goes boom. For every minute thereafter, you''ll pay with hundreds of lives. Once we have the territory, we''ll see about having discussions regarding the primed humans."


    It was one of the most one-sided deals Iris had ever seen. Agreeing to it was madness. They''d basically be handing their enemies the Sword of Damocles, which they could forever hold over their heads.


    "Forty seconds. Decide quickly, or your time will cost you," the vampire said.


    They didn''t need Ishaya to elaborate on what exactly that entailed. Iris could see that Ayesha had frozen up. Her best friend was panicking. She didn''t know what to do.


    "Agree to their terms. I''ll deal with the primed humans," Iris sent telepathically. Ayesha looked at her, the expression on her face akin to a deer in headlights. She nodded her head almost imperceptibly and seemed to draw on an untapped reservoir of strength, purpose returning to her eyes. She glared at the vampire''s puppet.


    "You have an accord."


    Ishaya smiled. ¡°I''m glad you could see things my way. I think I may have overstayed my welcome, though. Your maid''s got a scary look in her eyes."


    Iris ignored the vampire''s words, focusing instead on the magic puppeteering the child''s body. She traced its patterns, analysing it carefully before committing it to memory. She''d remember that magic, store it so far down the recesses of her memory no mind-mage would ever be able to make her forget it. Taking a glass of water from the table, she took a sip.


    For some reason, it tasted like ashes in her mouth.

 Chapter 161- Black Gate

    Tyrone stalked through the underbrush, eyes fixated on the mountain lion he''d stalked for the past half hour. His team crept behind him, their lack of stealth made up for by the expensive consumables used for this hunt. It erased all traces of their scent and made the sounds they made considerably quieter. Add on a decently camouflaged outfit, and it made them all but impossible to see amongst the shrubbery.


    His team had done quite well and made a name for themselves over the last month and after finally joining the Global Hunter''s Association, their team was official. The beast they were currently chasing was an animal that had started to wander too close to civilization for comfort, ignoring all the skills Tamers and Farmers were using to protect their livestock. As such, a bounty of 110 Guild Points had been placed upon it, a number just shy of its level 123 nametag. With their team of four all over level 100 and Tyrone''s level 127, this fight should prove an easy challenge.


    With their most recent addition of a government-sanctioned healer, part of the program that offered additional GP to help level the nation''s healers, Team Rachet had very little to fear. That was, of course, when everything decided to go to hell. One moment, they were quietly stalking their prey, and the next, Nolan went down with a cry of pain. Tyrone saw nothing but a blur, and by the time he turned around, it was already too late. Nolan, the team''s ranged damage dealer and close friend from work, lay on the ground gasping for air, his throat a squirting mess of blood.


    The man''s stomach had been ripped open too, and Tyrone felt sick at the sight of the ranger''s intestines leaking half-digested food. The world almost seemed to slow to a crawl as the disaster played out before his eyes in slow motion. Clarissa cried out in despair at the sight of her savaged husband even as John rushed forward to heal him. The grey blur appeared again- this time he was able to identify it as some sort of massive feline- and he cried out a warning. Too little, too late. A massive paw struck John on the back and a dull crack echoed through the forest, the sound of the man''s spine breaking followed by his agonized scream.


    That was when the mountain lion struck him from behind In his panic, Tyrone had made the biggest rookie mistake and lost track of his surroundings. He felt claws pierce between his shoulder blades, tearing a line of fire down his back. Only his higher constitution saved him from meeting John''s fate, and he was able to turn around and smash his hammer into the monster''s side. The consumables they''d purchased blocked the general sounds they made as they traversed the forest path, not the shrieks of a dying man. Now, the mountain lion, too, was aware of their presence, and they were down two men.


    Tyrone tried his best to stay calm and prevent panic from setting in, but things weren''t looking good. He barked out orders and felt a small flare of pride in his chest when they were followed to the letter. Clarissa dragged John towards her bleeding husband, ignoring his groans of pain. "Heal him. Quickly," she barked. "We''ll need his skills if we want any chance of surviving today."


    The words were callous but true, and Tyrone mirrored them a second later. Nolan had the highest agility amongst them, and only he could attack fast enough with his lightning magic to deal with the grey feline. They formed a tight perimeter around their injured members and faced outwards, eyes trained on their prey-turned-predator. The mountain lion circled them, a known threat. The agile feline, however, was nowhere to be seen.


    Sweat pooled in his palms as he gripped his hammer tighter, cursing its fraying grip. I should have got it reworked. Why''d I have to be such a cheapskate? Cursing his lack of foresight, Tyrone prepared for battle. Unfortunately, things went wrong almost immediately. Their healer, John, was going into shock, unable to string together three words, never mind the necessary magic to heal a savaged throat. With no means to combat the big cat, they were left at the monster''s mercy. The feline seemed to realize this too, and it took sadistic pleasure in cutting them apart, flitting in and out of shadows to slice at their ankles, too fast for them to react.


    A minute into the fight, and Clarissa had passed out from blood loss, an artery severed in her thigh releasing blood in rhythm with her faltering heartbeat. Things were looking well and truly hopeless, and Tyrone began to despair. No matter what he did, he couldn''t see a way for him and his team to make it out alive. He didn''t want to give up. A life of hardship had taught him never to bend the knee, to always remain standing in the face of adversity. As the wounds began to pile on his body, he almost wished he was made of weaker stuff; his mind knew he was dead, but his heart just hadn''t accepted it yet.


    That was the moment a miracle unfolded before his very eyes. Tyrone was delirious with blood loss, the only one still clinging to consciousness on his team. He wondered if the scene unfolding before him was the result of a desperate mind, that in his final moments, his brain created a narrative in which they survived, implausible as it was. His teachers used to always tell him he had a terrible imagination, with an intelligence that lent itself better to memorisation and mathematics. Going by the fantasy his brain had cooked up, he had to agree. There was no rhyme or reason to it, no saviour coming out of the woods to save them, no grandmaster willing to divulge his secrets to the hardworking peasant.


    If Tyrone had been watching a movie of his final struggle, he would have scoffed and called it uninspired, the product of lazy writing. One second, the grey feline was there, attacking him, and the next, it was dead, the entirety of its chest caved in, leaking silvery blue blood. There was no intervening moment to describe what had happened; no scene that explained the monster''s transition from life to death. One moment it was alive, and the next it was not, almost as if some god had struck from on high and decided that his group wouldn''t be dying today.


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    Tyrone felt the warm golden energy of healing come over him and watched in wonder as John''s wounds healed rapidly, almost as if time itself was being turned back on his injuries. He strained his eyes, trying to catch sight of their would-be saviour, but nothing revealed itself to him. Just as his consciousness faded away, he saw the shadow of a man leaning over him, their form a hazy blur in reality. Or maybe those were the tears of relief in his eyes. Finally, blessed sleep claimed him.


    Arthur stood over the unconscious team and scratched his head awkwardly. He hadn''t wanted to get involved with their hunt, but he could hardly stand by when an overgrown Ashen cat decided to eat them. While the group seemed competent enough, he was pretty sure a level 153 monster was still beyond them, something that was proven thirty seconds into the encounter. He''d given them their fair chance, and when they didn''t prove up to snuff, he intervened. The cat had been a speedy bugger and lacked in the constitution department. A single Spartan kick and the monster was dead.


    Now he had a party of five vulnerable people on his hands in the middle of the woods. Arthur briefly debated what he should do and came to a decision quickly. The Darkstar essence core''s effect was starting to run out; he suspected he had another two weeks of cosplaying a ninja left and a month and a half before people started to remember him again. Its effects were starting to wane though, and Arthur worried that if he strained its abilities too much, the effect would break early. Talking to and escorting a bunch of people through the forest, for example, was sure to cut his time short.


    These people have been fully healed, and with the death of these two animals, there''s nothing over level 100 within two miles, Arthur thought as he began to walk away. The team would be completely fine, and if something did happen to attack them, they were sure to wake up in time to deal with it. Sleeping tended to be difficult when a nasty critter was trying to tear your leg off. No, Arthur would much rather fulfil his actual purpose for coming to the wilderness than babysit a bunch of humans.


    Technology had made some vast strides over the past month as humanity adapted to the presence of ether. The guidance and machines alien corporations were willing to sell them had been the MVP, though, and they''d come very far from their days predicting dimensional incursions with satellite imaging. Now they had predictive programming in place with AI that could accurately ascertain the time, location, and general threat of incoming incursions. It wasn''t 100% accurate was a far cry better than the guesswork they''d once been limited to. That was why Arthur was rushing through the forest, heading towards the massive lake that had formed in the wake of the system''s arrival.


    Earth was changing; scientists estimated that the planet was now seventeen percent larger, with every new day revealing another unknown landmass. His destination was one such change, a massive lake with an ether density approaching the peak of tier 1. Already he could feel the energy suffusing his body, and a tension he didn''t know he''d been holding left his shoulders. Unfortunately, or fortunately for Arthur in this case, places with higher concentrations of energy were prime spots for dimensional incursions, and the one he was heading to had been declared a black zone; a place where monsters over level 190 would be invading.


    With how often such places had been cropping up lately, the world''s nations were struggling to keep up, with remote locations often left to fend for themselves as if ignoring the problem would somehow make it disappear. Arthur needed a place to get used to his new traits and enemies he could take out his frustrations on until he felt calm enough to return to civil society. He arrived with time to spare. The lake was bathed in an eerie purple light and black lightning flickered over the water. A massive fracture in space pulsated like a throbbing wound on reality, the source of the strange discolouration tinging everything.


    Gravity itself was stronger in the area and Arthur suspected this was as close as one could get to tier 2 on a tier 1 planet. Little by little, the conditions grew harsher: first, an increase in temperature that had the surface of the lake boiling, followed quickly by poisoned air, a caustic breeze that stripped trees of all greenery, and a host of other debilitating effects he was too durable to notice. Anyone with less than 500 constitution would be at death''s door already; that''s what it meant to stand before a black zone incursion. Arthur welcomed the challenge and hoped it would be enough to satiate his appetite. Battling extra-dimensional creatures wouldn''t lessen his Darkstar essence core''s effects too much. He didn''t know how he knew that, but he did, and it was the main reason why he had decided on this course of action. Perhaps something to do with them being from another reality, at least on a technical level. Or are dimensions and realities different things? He didn''t know and didn''t care enough to find out. Arthur would get used to his new power and then use his temporary stealth to go on a little hunt.


    He hadn''t forgotten the monsters responsible for so much death and destruction, the ones that had reduced his house to rubble. The vampires had earned his enmity in a way nothing before ever had. Their time would come, but first, he''d deal with the incoming threat. The Ozarah Coven had come from a black incursion and Arthur would be damned if he allowed another such threat to establish itself so close to his city. He was killing two birds with one stone here. Arthur needed a way to level and these monsters needed killing.


    Forming a soul spear in his hand, Arthur marvelled at how much his control had improved since gaining his traits. The weapon cost half as much to generate and maintain and became significantly easier to keep manifested. Whereas before, he had struggled to create a pointy stick one would generously call a spear, now Arthur''s weapon looked like something you''d see used as a movie prop. At least if it wasn''t entirely blue. The predictive AI humanity was using wasn''t always 100% accurate, but Arthur felt like it had hit the nail on the head with this dimensional incursion.


    It would break any second now.

 Chapter 162- Wovan, The Hivemind Construct

    In the end, Arthur had to wait an agonising seven minutes before the dimensional incursion showed any signs of breaking. In its final moments, the chaotic forces acting on the area were so deadly they would have outright killed anyone with less than a thousand constitution. Arthur was sure whatever visitors Earth would be receiving would die in seconds had they decided to breach the dimensional incursion before it stabilised.


    Fortunately for him, the invading creatures had the intelligence to avoid such suicidal actions, and so he¡¯d be getting the fight he so desperately wanted. The dimensional pressure around him reached a crescendo as two realities overlapped and tore a hole in the fabric of time and space, establishing a connection between two places that would otherwise have never interacted. With the portal finally established, the pressure suddenly vanished, so abruptly it was almost like it had never been there. Only the devastated landscape it left behind spoke the truth of its existence.


    Arthur watched in rapt attention as the black portal pulsed once, twice before freezing in place, no longer emitting the vast quantities of energy it had been only seconds ago. Arthur had gotten a taste for that energy, though, before the world had rejected it. The ether was incredibly potent, originating from a planet that was transitioning to tier 2. His ether-starved body cried out for that energy- having gotten a taste for it, his instincts were practically screaming at him to go through the dimensional crack.


    For a brief second, he actually considered it. A tier 2 world was far more appropriate for him than Earth. He could leave all his problems behind, and he had no particularly strong attachments with anyone here save Elizabeth and Mathew. The former had travelled light-years away to study in an academy who knows where, and Mathew he hadn¡¯t heard from in a while. Sure, whatever dimension he ended up in wouldn¡¯t have access to the system, but the most important parts of the powerful tool were integrated into his soul, the functions that allowed him to easily assign stat points from level-ups and categorize his skills and class. He wouldn¡¯t be losing much. The decision, however, was taken out of his hands by the fact that the portals were one-way only. They didn¡¯t allow travel from this side.


    Arthur had already cast Water Shell on himself and used Augmented Recovery to boost his healing for the next ten minutes by twenty times his base value, which left him regenerating a staggering 25,010 health per minute. After factoring in all his increases from his traits, namely Superior Lifeform and Enhanced Regeneration, he was now regenerating in a minute what used to take him the better part of an hour. With the average classed individual possessing around 150 vitality, Arthur¡¯s baseline recovery was the equivalent of 834 humans combined.


    Once I manage to get a few levels in Augmented Recovery, I¡¯ll start to give Hydras a run for their money, Arthur mused. His anticipation was finally brought to an end when ¡®something¡¯ finally pushed through the dimensional crack. It was a massive armoured limb measuring thirty meters in length, covered in spikes of protruding bone. The limb gave off an aura of danger that practically screamed poison, and the droplets of clear liquid that fell from it confirmed his suspicion seconds later. Wherever the droplets fell, death followed, the little vegetation that had survived the chaotic dimensional forces was stripped of life nearly instantaneously, trees disintegrating into ashes.


    Fuck, that''s one big monster. Arthur watched in horror as another limb pierced through the crack, followed by another and then another. No, no, no, please don¡¯t tell me this is what I think it is, Arthur pleaded. Unfortunately, his suspicions proved true when eight grey limbs descended onto the ground- each the length of a three-story house and as thick as five tree trunks- and began to drag the colossal creature through the portal. It just had to be a fucking spider, didn¡¯t it. Arthur cursed. He hated the critters, and if he was being honest with himself, was more than a little terrified of the many-legged little devils.


    Except this one''s the size of a blue whale. Bigger Even. The massive creature was eerily silent; it produced no noise whatsoever, some kind of magical effect certainly. If he wasn¡¯t looking directly at it, Arthur wouldn¡¯t even realize he was in the presence of such a behemoth. It was terrifying. Arthur shot a quick use of Homunculi''s Eye to see what he was working with.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.674%; text-align: center">


    The Hivemind Construct, level 263- The product of millions of micro spiders working in unison, woven together. The Hivemind Construct is a force to be reckoned with. Its entire body is a potent source of poison that will strip flesh from bone. The danger it represents is only trumped by its ability to multiply and infest the lands


    Strengths: Poison, armoured carapace, spacial magic


    Weakness: Fire


    Highest stat: Control


    Health: 13 (15,600,000)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur read through the monster''s description, trying to make sense of it. Its highest stat was Control, something he hadn¡¯t seen before. Arthur suspected it was similar to Willpower- a stat responsible for your control over Ether and your skills- but a little less specific. It made sense that a hivemind constructed from over a million creatures required an insane level of control, though having a stat for it was a little on the nose. The hivemind¡¯s health pool was also a little strange. For starters, fifteen million health dwarfed every monster he¡¯d fought to date put together, a truly absurd value that made the creature a daunting foe to face.


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    Arthur wasn¡¯t an expert on the subject, but he felt fifteen million was far too much health to have at level 263. Save apocalypse beasts that specialised in vitality, nothing should ever have so much health. Unless he was mistaken, Wovan, the hivemind construct, while powerful, wasn¡¯t quite on the level of an apocalypse beast. It didn¡¯t quite possess the requisite domineering aura he¡¯d come to associate with such monsters. Or maybe, I¡¯ve grown so much since my refining that I don¡¯t feel their presence like I used to. Fortunately, the little thirteen next to its health helped explain things.


    The monster was a hivemind, consisting of so many smaller spiders mashed together they became an indistinguishable single entity. It made sense that each tiny spider had its own health pool. Arthur quickly did the math. If each spider had only 13 health, it meant that the hivemind consisted of a grand total of one point two million creatures. Arthur wondered how the mechanics of such a creature worked. Its health and vitality were clearly distributed throughout its many bodies. Did that hold true for its other physical stats? If so, would the monster possess some absurd strength in the hundreds of thousands?


    There had to be some kind of formula in place. Arthur refused to believe such a broken creature could exist. Unfortunately, his time for theory crafting had finally come to an end. Wovan had noticed his presence. He didn¡¯t know how it had managed to break through the barriers erected by the Darkstar Essence Core; perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the monster wasn¡¯t native to this particular reality. Whatever the case, the monster now knew he was here- it was hard not to find him when he was the only breathing thing within two miles- and it seemed to register his presence as an affront to its very existence.


    Arthur didn''t see its attack coming. In fact, it didn¡¯t move at all. One second, he was standing before the massive spider, preparing to attack, and the next, he was struck on the back of his head with the force of a speeding car. As durable as he was, the attack did little to no damage, but it did send him sprawling forward. For all his apparent strength, Arthur still weighed less than 100 kg. Before he could get up, another strike hit him in the small of the back, pushing him further into the soft ground. That was the signal to start the barrage, and Arthur was pummelled with a veritable flood of strikes, dozens at a time, all firing simultaneously to keep him from getting up.


    While his Draconic Vitality was high enough to prevent him from taking any damage from them, it didn¡¯t stop his movements from being effectively sealed. He didn¡¯t have enough strength to push through the force of the attacks and stand up. It took Arthur a moment to realize what was going on. Wovan, the hivemind construct, was a master of spatial magic, and the terrifying spider had seen fit to generate fifty tiny portals behind him through which it was launching some kind of magical attack. The fact that it had immediately gone for his head spoke of a level of intelligence and experience battling humans that was concerning. Clearly, the creature wanted him dead expeditiously.


    Wovan was a terrifying foe. Where Arthur¡¯s previous battles had been filled with the roars and sounds of exertion native to fighting, the massive spider was eerily silent, generating no sound whatsoever. Even the magic it struck him with made no sound as it hit his body. There was some strange magic going on around it, and Arthur realized with growing horror that it was using some type of ability to hide itself. A behemoth of a beast, a monstrous spider larger than a blue whale, was using stealth magic to make itself look inconspicuous, even as it stood upon a platform of ether atop the roiling lake in the middle of a massive clearing.


    And it was working.


    Had Arthur not seen the creature leave the portal- one that was already fading away- and witnessed the terrible points of its eight appendages, he was sure his eyes would have skipped right over the monster. How the fuck can you be so big and still use stealth magic! If Arthur had known this was what he¡¯d be facing by coming here, he would have seriously reconsidered his life choices. Wovan seemed to have realized that its attacks were doing no damage, and so it focused all its beams on Arthur¡¯s head. That was something he definitely felt. It was like someone was hitting his head with a metal pan, and he was finally taking some damage.


    With all the damage focused on one spot, though, Arthur was free to move his limbs. With a wave of his hands, he managed to push his body out of the way of the attack. He continued to roll for an additional two meters before getting up and dashing towards the beast. That was when the spider decided to release its aura, dominating the area around it in a 500-meter radius, tinging the air with its specific blend of special magic. With its domain established, Wovan was able to create and destroy dozens of micro portals a second, completely surrounding Arthur, constantly reforming around and peppering him with attacks as he moved.


    If he thought the earlier barrage was bad, this was ten times worse. He couldn¡¯t take a single step without getting hit in twenty different places. For one reason or another, his water shell didn¡¯t seem to be reflecting any of these attacks, perhaps because of the spatial magic being used to deliver them. Whatever the case, something had to change. Arthur released his pinnacle skill, A Homunculi Hunts, and watched as his own domain rose to meet the monster''s, twice as large and far more potent. As ill-versed as Arthur was in domain combat, there came a point where a simple difference in power made all the difference. If there was one thing Arthur had in spades, it was power.


    Wovan''s special attacks immediately dropped in number, from over three dozen to less than ten. He could feel the creature''s will battling against his own as it tried to establish its domain over space. It was a dull buzzing in his ear that was steadily getting louder. The skills they were using were simply of two different calibres, yes, but Arthur''s inexperience was seriously beginning to show.


    Focusing on the massive creature, Arthur applied the debuff A Homunculi''s Ire. Gripping his spear, he prepared for battle. As a soul mage, victory was inevitable so long as he could continue fighting. Few things could harm Arthur, and this time he wasn¡¯t on a timer. Success was a question of when not if.


    Arthur wondered how long it would take.

 Chapter 163- Battle of the Lake

    Arthur was a little stumped with how he¡¯d go about fighting such a massive creature. For starters, though, he invested the remaining stats he had left over from his last level-up. He wouldn''t be making the mistake of forgetting them again. In the end, he decided to go with a tried and tested opening salvo of water bullets, each loaded with enough ether to punch through an inch-thick sheet of steel. Fifty bullets were fired at Wovan, a thousand ether spent in an instant. They shot forward at eight times the speed of sound, ignoring the innate pressure the monster''s domain tried to apply to them.


    Unfortunately, they never reached the spider. The closer one got to the creature, the weaker Arthur¡¯s domain became, and atop the spider''s skin, it was all but non-existent. Fifty tiny portals were generated, none larger than a small coin on Wovan''s grey skin, each of them perfectly positioned to intercept his water bullets. That wasn¡¯t all they did, though. The only reason he wasn¡¯t taken in the back of the head by his own returned attack via said portals was because of the split-second warning his domain gave him that told him to duck.


    A single shot still managed to clip him in the ear, though, and the fragile appendage throbbed with pain. Arthur was surprised the strike hadn¡¯t drawn blood. Sure, he was durable and he hadn¡¯t invested much ether into his own attack, but it was still the equivalent of getting shot with a modern firearm. So the spider uses portals to defend itself. How the fuck do I deal with that? Wovan created a single large portal, twice the size of an ordinary man. This was new. Arthur couldn¡¯t sense any build-up of magic coming from it, so that ruled out another energy attack. He wasn¡¯t held in suspense for long.


    The purple-blue portal pulsed once, twice, and then stabilised. Out of it crawled all manners of beasts, some he recognized as variants of Earth''s native creatures and others that looked completely alien. There were lizards, wolves, some kind of six-legged cat, and a host of insects from his worst nightmares, all the size of a large car. Whatever colours the animals may have once been, now they were now the same grey as the hivemind spider. A quick use of Homunculus'' Eye told him what he was working with.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.674%; text-align: center">


    Drake corpse puppet


    level- N/A - A level 197 drake that was killed by Wovan, now its spawn crawls beneath its skin, piloting its flesh as its own. Corpse puppets possess 50% of the strength the monsters possessed in life and lose access to the magical affinities they once had. Their ether pools have been reduced to 20% of what they possessed in life and are used to fuel Wovan''s magic.


    Strengths - Highly durable


    Weaknesses - Fire


    Health - N/A


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    There were two dozen creatures with an average level of 198. Their descriptions were all the same: strong bodies, weak magic. The portal finally blinked out of existence and Arthur was left facing the 24 monsters. Wherever Wovan had come from, Arthur was certain it was the apex predator. The advantages it possessed with its spacial affinity and its latest revealed trick were the greatest he¡¯d seen in a monster, save apocalypse beasts. That raised the question of why it had decided to travel through the portal to a place with far less ether. Had it been running from something? Arthur doubted it, but it was the only thing that made sense.


    The time for speculation had finally come to an end as all the monsters rushed at him. At half-stats, they had the strength of level 130 creatures, and Arthur was more than confident he could deal with them even if there had been thrice the number coming at him. The six-legged cats reached him first, three of them working in tandem to cut off any avenue of escape. Arthur would not be fleeing today. Clenching his spear in a comfortable two-hand grip, he rushed to meet them.


    Arthur got a first hand experience of what his ability meant when he called something ¡®highly durable.¡¯ His spear sunk into the monster¡¯s flesh, only it felt like his spear was sinking into wet wood, penetrating a few inches deep before coming to a stop. The cat didn¡¯t respond like a living creature; there was no recoiling in pain, no hesitation at further damage, only a savage determination to see him dead. Pushing forward and ignoring the spear in its chest, it was able to close the distance and swipe at his head.


    Arthur ducked under the blow but was forced to retreat when another puppet attacked him. He cursed as his feet slipped on the wet soil beneath him but managed to maintain his balance. Falling to the floor now would prove quite troublesome. Retreating backwards, Arthur considered his foes. The monsters had no health pools to speak of; they were soulless dead husks, and so his usual methods of attack wouldn¡¯t work.


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    Soul damage couldn¡¯t affect something without a soul. Arthur wondered briefly how the massive spider managed to keep its puppets'' stats intact. As far as he could remember, stats were an integral aspect of a soul, and these puppets demonstrably had none to speak of. Whatever the answer, he wouldn¡¯t be getting it now. Arthur had learned from experience that engaging multiple enemies in melee at once grew in difficulty exponentially. He¡¯d learned that rule sparring against humans, but it held true even now. Fortunately, a massive difference in stats would make that a non-issue.


    Watching the approaching monsters, Arthur came to a conclusion. Wovan, while terrifyingly large, was not a creature that excelled in physical combat. It was a mage, through and through. Creating these puppets was a means to breach that glaring hole in its fighting style, and Arthur had to begrudgingly admit that it had been largely successful. Even with all his many advantages, Arthur was having difficulty finding a way to win this fight, at least in a way that didn¡¯t simply mean outlasting his opponent. He was sure Wovan was under the same penalties as him for coming to such a low-density ether zone, though he suspected the detriments weren''t as harsh as his own.


    It was time to pull out the big guns. Arthur prepared his strongest attack, Poisonous Fang of the Hydra, marvelling at how easy channelling the skill had become since gaining his new traits. Hyper efficiency meant his skills cost fifty percent less, and with his domain in play, that cost was further reduced by an additional twenty-five percent. When it came to his channelled skill, it meant he could now load it up with far more energy than its 30,000-point limit suggested. The energy also flowed far smoother, almost as if the skill was a dry desert and his ether was some precious water.


    He didn¡¯t channel his skill for long, only the two seconds he was given before the monsters reached him, but he was able to invest just shy of 5,000 ether into the skill. A tried and tested water shot at the butt of his spear sent it barrelling into the face of the leading cat beast, and he watched in fascination as its body deformed around the energy-dense green spear point. There was no sound to the collision, almost as if his poisonous ether had absorbed all vibrations. He didn''t have to wait long to see what would happen.


    It was the first time Arthur had used the Poisonous Fang of the Hydra at such a low setting, and he couldn¡¯t say he was disappointed. The orb of poisonous ether exploded outward in a five-metre radius, completely engulfing an additional four puppet monsters. It wasn¡¯t at the level of his attack against the ascended blood beast, but it was overkill nonetheless. Once again, he¡¯d somehow managed to grant his poison ether the attributes of fire, and he watched in amazement as the creatures caught in the blast simply disintegrated.


    Those further away didn¡¯t get away scot-free either, with the closest three combusting into green flame. The toxic flames didn¡¯t so much as burn as dissolve the monsters, their dead grey flesh sloughing off bone like papier-mach¨¦. It was a painful way to go, and only the fact that the creatures were unfeeling corpses prevented them from breaking down in agony. Arthur had no such luck, and he cursed as the three flaming beasts came at him like vengeful spirits with a debt to pay.


    Arthur retreated backward a dozen metres, all the while dodging Wovan''s constant barrage of ether bullets. Five dead, three were dying, and sixteen were perfectly fine. He could choose to engage and hasten the monsters'' end, but Arthur wanted to see how fast his toxic flames worked. Twenty seconds of dodging later, Arthur got his answer. It was a better result than he''d expected but worse than he''d hoped for. Preparing another attack, Arthur channelled the skill for a longer period of time, getting closer to his maximum.


    The 50% reduction he had to all ether skills, courtesy of his new trait, translated to an increased upper limit on his channelled skills. With his domain active too, that meant that Poisonous Fang of the Hydra could now take up to 52,500 ether. Arthur wasn''t willing to spend anywhere near that much energy dealing with minions, though, so he capped the skill at 20,000 ether, which meant he actually had to spend 25,000 ether because of his cooldown restrictions.


    Arthur grunted at the feeling of so much energy leaving his body. That was a sensation he didn''t think he''d ever get used to. This time, when his spear struck the leading monster- a bipedal lizard of some kind- the resultant explosion was four times larger, completely engulfing the remaining thirteen corpse puppets too. The green ball of energy persisted for an additional forty seconds, and Arthur didn¡¯t need to check to know that the monsters were all dead. Even he would suffer under such an attack, and the puppets had a fraction of his durability.


    By the time the attack died down, Arthur had recuperated most of the energy he''d spent in the fight so far. Is it just me, or is my build kind of broken? Arthur was in possession of a legendary class, a feat so rare for one''s entry-level class, that it was practically a statistical impossibility. Except Iris had one too, and he¡¯d witnessed first hand just how broken her abilities were. She was the daughter of one of the strongest beings in this sector of the universe, born with the mother of all silver spoons in her mouth. Even then, she was considered a prodigy. And he was just Arthur Ward, a man from a baby planet that only just qualified as Tier One.


    Before his refinement, Arthur would have placed his chances against her at fifty-fifty odds. Now, however, Arthur didn¡¯t know how he could lose. I think my legendary class was a lot closer to mythical than I suspected. Maybe dealing with all the noble bullshit down the line won¡¯t be such a drag.


    When his green flames finally died down, they were brought back to square one, with only Wovan and himself standing opposite each other. The massive spider seemed confused, almost unsure of itself in the wake of the power Arthur had just displayed.


    Perhaps a fully powered Poisonous Fang would be enough to end the spider.

 Chapter 164- Aura Dominance

    Arthur sent barrage after barrage of water bullets at the massive spider, watching in fascination as it returned fire, hijacking his magic in a grand display of space magic mastery. Whatever stat Control was, Wovan had a shit ton of it, accurately calculating the exact timing and location of dozens of attacks every second.


    Arthur wasn''t simply wasting energy for no reason, though. Whatever strange space magic Wovan was using to return his attacks didn''t make it impervious to his reflective damage as he''d first suspected. Damage was still being returned, only at a lower rate than his skill description suggested. Arthur had a sneaking suspicion he¡¯d figured out what the hivemind was doing. He just needed the perfect timing to confirm his theory.


    With his refinement, Arthur''s ability to perceive ether had grown by leaps and bounds, so much so that he could now trace the trajectory of magic that didn''t have any manifestation in physical reality. That''s why he''d been so surprised when he sensed his reflected damage travelling in the direction of the micro portals targeting him instead of the massive target the spider represented. The hivemind was using mini spiders to manage the vast bulk of its defensive magic. Arthur was sure of it.


    Unfortunately, Arthur lacked the requisite accuracy required to test his theory as he wished. Instead, he focused on a single micro portal, sending a water bullet careering towards it the second it appeared behind him. He missed the first and second times. On his third try, however, he was successful and grinned when he saw the massive spider''s health noticeably drop.


    Arthur spent a minute repeating that feat, improving rapidly until he could accurately target two portals simultaneously. He noticed the difference almost immediately. However many sub-brains the hivemind was using to control its magic, the number wasn¡¯t anywhere close to infinite, and soon Arthur¡¯s water bullets were getting through to pepper the massive spider, now in control of far too few sub-brains to maintain its once impenetrable defence.


    Arthur''s health reserves were once again topped up to full, he was unable to spend energy as fast as he was regenerating it. Wovan hadn''t been idle either. The spider had started to drop some kind of dense alien metal from thousands of feet in the air, creating a portal a meter above his head to transfer all that force at the last possible moment. It was almost impossible to dodge, what with how constant the barrage was. The monster timed the attacks such that Arthur was forced to choose which attacks to dodge and which ones he could tank.


    If the spider had been using a material native to Earth, Arthur would have been perfectly fine. Unfortunately, the stones he was being pelted with were positively drenched in ether and twenty times denser than anything he''d ever encountered. If that wasn''t a tier-two material, then the moon was made of cheese. As things were, the creature had finally managed to make him bleed. Sure, it was just a drop, and it healed in less than a second, but it was the principle of the thing.


    Cursing, Arthur rubbed at a piece of shattered rock that had managed to get into his eye. He checked the spider''s health.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 63.9779%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Health: 15,490,000 / 15,600,000</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    110,000 damage in two minutes. If he continued at this pace, he''d be here all day. Thankfully, the vast majority of that damage had been done in the last fifteen seconds once Arthur had targeted enough micro portals to make a difference. Now, half the water bullets he sent at Wovan were actually landing. Considering the monster''s abysmal health regeneration, it was only a matter of time before Arthur won, even without considering the True Damage his soul affinity granted him. He didn''t want to spend the next few hours standing around, though, and he had come to the lake to let off some steam and get used to his new strength, two goals which were hard to obtain if he carried on with his best impression of a machine gun.


    No, it was time to switch things up.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur bounded forward, doing his best to avoid the falling artillery. He wasn''t altogether successful, though, and his shoulder was bruised. For the three seconds it took him to reach the creature, that is. Arthur thrust with his spear for all he was worth. In hindsight, attacking a 100-ton creature with what amounted to a pointy stick- albeit a magical one- wasn''t his brightest idea. Which was why he was surprised when he managed to strike the monster unimpeded, no portal shenanigans to speak of. His soul spear pierced Wovan''s leg; this close, he could see each individual spider that made up the massive hivemind, thousands of bugs no larger than a small dog, limbs locked together and compressed far too tightly, the very picture of an arachnophobe''s worst nightmare. His spear penetrated Wovan''s leg, skewering through three spiders with relative ease. Arthur wouldn''t put the mini monsters'' constitution any higher than a hundred.


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    As much as he might want to, Arthur knew he could never kill the monster by going at it with his spear alone, at least in a reasonable time frame. Still, it wasn''t every day he could fight a creature that lasted so long against him, and he''d be a fool to miss out on the training opportunity it presented. One of his greatest failings in battling the Ascended Blood Beast was his inability to properly use his domain. It was the pinnacle skill of his class, bordering on a mythical rarity and brought forth his aura as a weaponised tool he could wield.


    Unfortunately, he was like a caveman given access to a fighter jet, and all he had used it for so far was intimidation. Even now, against the hivemind, he could sense that his aura was a qualitative step beyond the monster''s domain, and yet, in the battle of domains, he was hardly its equal, only surpassing it because his aura was that much stronger. Acknowledging the problem didn''t magically grant him a way to solve it, though, and he was left at an impasse. His schooling on the subject came entirely from Alyssia Sil'' Vorken, the alien Alverin he''d parted with on less than stellar terms after the Locus of Power.


    Whilst she was a master on the subject- a bonafide aura mage- decades of learning couldn''t be taught in the few days he had spent on the skill, doubly so when considering how scrambled his soul had been at the time. All he''d learned from her was a method to scramble his aura signature, an endeavour that had led to the creation of his one and only unique personally created skill, WhatAmIDoing, that had settled at the rare grade. At the time, he''d been perfectly happy with it, but looking at it now, he couldn''t help but feel like he''d wasted one of his precious general skill slots.


    If there was one thing the skill had taught him, however, it was how to compress and condense his aura to an almost extreme degree. Focusing on the same principle in his present fight against Wovan, Arthur tried to apply the concept. Usually, his domain covered a kilometre of space, but as he''d learned today, especially whilst combating a single foe, much of that aura coverage was downright excessive. Arthur reeled his domain in, trying to compress it down to half its usual size and match Wovan''s domain in size.


    It was impossible, not in a way that was simply difficult. It just couldn''t be done; there was no wall of effort he could push against, no understanding that time and experience would make his goal achievable. His domain just wouldn''t get smaller. That demoted his general skill from marginally useful to completely useless. He wanted to blame Alyssia for leading him down this route, but he had a feeling the problem lay in his pinnacle skill and not the techniques he''d developed.


    Wovan wasn''t content to let him continue his experiments unimpeded, and this close to the beast, he was forced to contend with a veritable flood of offensive spatial magic. Arthur ignored it all and let the attacks crash against the impenetrable defence his body represented. If I can''t condense my aura down, how exactly do I make it more potent? Arthur knew it was possible; he''d seen it done by both Alyssia and Iris. If anything, his brand of aura strengthening went against the grain of what was standard.


    Knowing that something was possible sadly didn''t make achieving it any easier, and so Arthur was left with no choice but trial and error. If he threw enough energy at the problem, something would eventually stick. What was it Iris said? My domain gives the impression of an aura belonging to someone far stronger than I currently am, but how and why? No answers were forthcoming, and so he focused on individual aspects of his pinnacle skill. It did a whole lot of stuff, from making his skills cheaper to allowing him to mark his enemies with debuffing brands.


    Arthur selected Wovan for the debuff, A Homunculus Draining, and hyper-focused on how exactly his domain interacted with the massive spider. Arthur''s perception wasn''t his highest stat, but his unique eyes, evolved from the standard Identify skill into a rare physical mutation, made him far more in tune with the workings of ether than his stats suggested. His domain ''twisted'' around the creature- that was the only way Arthur could describe it- and a link was created between the monster''s resource pools and the function of his domain that would drain the creature''s energy to fuel his shadow bombs.


    Zoning in on that connection, Arthur tried to impose his domain, his very will, on Wovan''s ether. He was immediately hit with a backlash that tore through his body, rupturing blood vessels, ravaging his insides, and making a complete mess of his eyes. That backlash was the single greatest piece of damage he''d suffered since gaining his class, instantly decreasing his health pool by a third, a whopping 100,000 points. Whatever had just tried to make his domain do, it was far beyond his current strength, and the only reason he was still alive was because of how sturdy and durable his body was.


    Arthur couldn''t help but grin, a bloody smile that revealed a single incisor that had shattered under the deadly backlash. He had failed spectacularly like Icarus, flown too close to the sun but survived the burns to learn a lesson most were never taught. But Whilst Arthur''s attempt had been unsuccessful, he knew one thing. For the briefest of moments, a time period so small it could hardly be called a fraction of a second, Arthur had seized control of Wovan''s ether.


    For the briefest of moments, Arthur had held the spider''s very life in the palm of his hands.

 Chapter 165-The Vitality Of Earth

    Following the discovery of what his domain would possibly one day be able to accomplish, Arthur engaged in a number of follow-up experiments. The vast majority of them ended in failure and he never again attempted something so drastic as taking control of the hivemind¡¯s energy pools, but Arthur was left with a significantly improved understanding of his domain and aura.


    It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d magically learned to use it, but he¡¯d graduated from operating it as the metaphorical hammer he¡¯d been bashing on his enemy''s head. Arthur had even received a level-up for his troubles, which made his pinnacle skill the second ability he¡¯d managed to improve after his healing.


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">A Homunculi Hunts (Legendary+) (class pinnacle skill) has reached Level 2 </td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    Half an hour had passed since he¡¯d begun this fight, and he¡¯d long since exhausted the duration of his Augmented Recovery. The once serene lake now looked like the site of a meteor shower''s landing zone, courtesy of the dimensional breach and the subsequent fight. Wovan was down to a tenth of its health and Arthur felt he had nothing more to learn here. The hivemind had been a devastating monster- he was certain it would come out the victor had it ever fought the ascended blood beast- its mastery over special magic was an advantage the blood beast simply wasn¡¯t equipped to deal with.


    Against Arthur, however. The monster had simply lacked the firepower to truly hurt him. He¡¯d come to a decision, though. The hivemind was the perfect monster to become his first soul splinter, it was strong in all the places Arthur was weak and had access to one of the rarest magics in the universe. Arthur had certain criteria he¡¯d wanted his first familiar to fill- though I guess I can¡¯t call it a familiar since it''s literally going to be made out of my soul. What is it... A part of me? My inner beast? No, that sounds too edgy.


    Arthur wanted a creature with access to a branch of magic he didn¡¯t, preferably a Rare one. The spider fit the bill. Secondly, a monster that could deal with foes fifty percent as strong as he was in an efficient manner and against massive hordes of such enemies, basically an army of some kind. It would make up for one of the bigger weaknesses, his lack of AOE spells that didn''t follow a scorched earth policy. Once again, Wovan fit the bill. Sure, Arthur could try to go for some kind of apocalypse beast as a familiar, but Wovan was just so much more versatile. With its puppeteering skill, it literally gave him access to an army.


    Besides, it feels like it''s just one step below an apocalypse beast on the monster scale in terms of its aura, at least going by how I''d expect the Shadow Panther to have felt at the same level. Arthur had no idea how the hivemind would manifest if he made it a soul splinter. Would it retain its current strength, still have access to all its skills¡­ Would its body be made of flesh and bone or some kind of magical material like his armaments? Most importantly, would it be able to get stronger or would it be stuck as it was the moment he''d killed it? These were all important questions and he wanted to answer as many as possible before he committed to his first summon. Can I call it that? It¡¯s definitely better than familiar. Yes, I¡¯ll refer to them as summons from now on.


    Wovan¡¯s greatest weakness was its lack of durability. Once you got past its spacial defence, it was a glass cannon. Arthur had a way to rectify that, at least if it worked as he hoped. If he could select it as an ally for his Source of Vitality title, and share his health and durability with the hivemind, he would quite literally make it a broken monster. It would push the monster well into the apocalypse tier and make it a nightmare to deal with.


    One thing Arthur had learned since the system¡¯s arrival was that all creatures were balanced. If a monster was extremely strong, then it probably lacked in speed or constitution, master mages tended to be squishy. Even apocalypse beasts followed this rule, though far more loosely than regular monsters, with the Hydra''s inability to deal with a single durable foe that could tank its poison. If Arthur could remove the hivemind''s one weakness and make it an advantage instead, well¡­ he didn¡¯t envy his future enemies. Let''s not count our chickens before the eggs hatch. This was all conjecture for now. For all he knew, it would be impossible, or nerfed in some kind of way. Arthur doubted such an exploit would hold up in reality. Still, he could hope.


    Arthur took in the massive spider one final time, at least during its lifetime if things went well with his plan, and admired once again how truly massive it was. Even with ninety percent of the bugs making it up dead, drenched as it was in silver-grey blood, the monster made for an impressive sight. Arthur opted for a well-placed use of Poisoned Fang of the Hydra to finish off the fight, using no more than 5000 ether to completely disintegrate its head. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t kill off the creature, and he was forced to spend the next forty minutes locating and killing every single mini-spider that made it up.


    Only then did he receive the influx of energy that told him the hivemind was dead.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 68.1868%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    You have defeated Wovan, the Hivemind construct¡­


    You have reached level 103¡­


    You have received 36 Draconic Vitality¡­


    You have gained 90 unallocated stat points¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur dumped everything into Draconic Vitality, almost groaning in pleasure as he felt new strength suffuse his body. He hoped that sensation never grew old. Arthur was pulled back to the present when a purple distortion in space appeared over the final mini spider he¡¯d killed. He almost dismissed it as the remnants of the deceased creature''s magic but quickly changed his mind when it revealed a monster core the size of a football. It was the biggest one he¡¯d seen to date and absolutely beautiful, a massive purple gem that glittered and reflected light.


    It looked like Wovan hadn¡¯t kept its monster core within its body, instead utilising some kind of spacial storage to protect it. Arthur was practically salivating at the thought of having a magical storage space of his own. As useful as the bag of holding Alyssia had given him was, it didn¡¯t quite live up to his expectations of a fantasy item. He was surprised that killing the monster had netted him a level, but he chalked it up to being extremely close to one after his previous battle. Looking around at the hivemind''s corpse, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. What would the rest of humanity think when one of the greatest looming threats the nation faced suddenly died?


    ~~~~~


    Azure, The Vitality of Earth, swam through the oceans as she pondered her fate, something she¡¯d found herself doing far too often since she¡¯d been chosen and selected as one of Earth¡¯s Primes, one of only two beasts who had been granted the duty of the planet''s protection. She¡¯d always been a large creature, the largest beast on the planet, in fact, as the system had anointed her upon its arrival.


    Now the blue whale had grown threefold and her dominion over the oceans went uncontested. There were few creatures on the planet, perhaps save her fellow Primes, who could even hurt her and the regulations in place prevented them from battling. All that power, the strength to reshape the very oceans and a vitality that would keep her heart beating long after everything she¡¯d known would end, and she wanted none of it.


    She was just so, so lonely.


    The great change had granted her intelligence, yes, but it had also taken everything from her.


    Azure¡¯s mate, with whom she¡¯d wandered the oceans for the last decade hadn¡¯t adapted well to the new world. Where she had gained intelligence and successfully evolved for the first time at level 5, her mate had failed, becoming some twisted perversion of the being she¡¯d loved and adored for so long, a mindless beast that had been granted the stats of a demented monster, no longer a creature of Earth but actively rejected by it. She¡¯d run from him then, unable to bear his ferocity and strength as he butchered their children, his failed evolution granting him a monstrous power her natural one lacked at the time.


    Time had passed since then and she was as different from the evolved whale now as she had once been from a common fish. It was ironic then that the first task given to her as prime was the extermination of the mate she had formerly lacked the power to put down. Apparently, he was growing far too fast and represented a threat to Earth¡¯s natural progression. As both his former mate and Prime, Earth had seen fit to bless her with the task of cleaning up. Perhaps it was the whole reason she''d been chosen as Prime.


    Azure had procrastinated, delaying the task so much that nature had taken its natural course and her mate had been felled by a stronger monster. She¡¯d failed her first task as Prime spectacularly. Which was why she was taking her second one so seriously. Azure hardly needed a world message to tell her the planet was in danger this time. Every creature with a modicum of intelligence had felt it when ''she'' breached the planet.


    A lich-queen.


    Her very presence was polluting the ether in the world, altering the natural composition of energies required for the planet to grow. Azure had no idea how that would look if allowed to continue unimpeded, but she knew that procrastination now spelt disaster that even she might not be capable of surviving. She shivered uncomfortably the second she entered the monster''s territory. The water here was well below freezing point but strange magics held it in the liquid state. Already, she could feel the monster¡¯s attention honing in on her, taste the madness in that horrifying gaze. For the first time in her long life, Azure felt small.


    Steeling herself, she continued onwards, her domain extending outwards. It travelled a metre, two, before meeting a wall of force that felt like the world itself had turned against her, freezing her magic in its inception stage. The vitality fuelling her magic felt sluggish, her near infinite levels of health regeneration brought down to a level that could hardly support her existence.


    Coming here was a mistake. How did the world expect her to face such a monster, it was tantamount to suicide. Unless that¡¯s what it wants from me, she thought grimly as she felt another presence homing in on her location. It had the flavour of Prime written all over it but the laws of non-conflict between them hardly put her at ease. After all, this was the man responsible for all their troubles, with his organisation of fellow madmen, named the silver rose, acting out his poisonous will. Not for the first time, she wondered what Earth was thinking, selecting such a man to protect its interests.


    Azure didn¡¯t know his name, only his title.


    The chaos of Earth, the proverbial stone God threw at his creation when they became complacent. Except the man coming was an asteroid with the tact of a bull in a china shop. Betrayal or help? Azure didn¡¯t know. The only thing she was certain of, was that today was going to be a long day.

 Chapter 166- Skirting Rules

    Hell¡¯s rising was a land of ice drenched in the magic of undeath, formed by an invading lich-queen who sought to establish dominion over Earth. It spanned over seventy kilometres and was teeming with millions of fell abominations, the results of the formerly deceased mixed with unnatural alchemy. Since the city''s creation, little had changed, almost as if time itself had been frozen along with the land.


    Today marked the most change its residents had seen in the last few days. Thousands of undead teemed around the edge of the Island, all surrounding a creature so massive it risked collapsing the ice it was on into the ocean. Azure, the prime that ruled the oceans had been captured and dragged to shore. Steel chains were locked tightly around her, covered in barbed spikes that pierced her flesh. It made for a pitiful sight, such a mighty creature laid low. She thrashed, trying to roll forward and crush her foes but her body wasn¡¯t equipped for movement on land. It did, however, shatter half the chains binding her, but they were constantly being replaced, faster than she could break them.


    Azure glared at the man responsible for all this as if her hatred could somehow harm him. With Earth''s laws in place that prevented Primes from fighting, there was little she could do to hurt the man. Fleeing had been her best option. The bastard had planned around that, using his domain that prevented people from running to keep her trapped in the lich¡¯s territory, where her greatest strengths were locked away.


    His men had made short work of her then, using specialised tools and limited items that were tailor-made to counter her abilities. It even inhibited some of her powers as prime, something she hadn''t known was possible. He¡¯s been planning this for a while. Again she tried to break free, but this attempt was even more pathetic than her previous ones. The number of chains binding her had increased and she was growing weaker. She established a telepathic link with her fellow Prime.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? Helping the lich-queen will get you nowhere. She may be entertained by your machinations now, but the moment she bores, she¡¯ll kill you. No amount of clever planning will save you then. Surely you know that?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t reply, instead pulling out a small injection from his bag, a tool that looked tiny even in his human hands. It was filled with a black fluid that screamed danger, though, and Azure didn¡¯t want it anywhere near her body. Which was of course the moment the bastard plunged it into her eye. Pain, unlike anything she¡¯d ever felt before, tore through her body and she thrashed wildly, all thoughts of escape forgotten. Chains broke and ice shattered and had she been thinking straight, perhaps she could have used those scant few seconds to make her way back into the ocean.


    Azure was aware of a distant roaring, and through her haze of pain, it took her a moment to realise the sound was coming from her. She didn¡¯t know how long she lay there, waiting for death to come but eventually, the pain subsided and she was left a shivering wreck.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know how much that poison cost me. I¡¯ll be working unsavoury jobs for the next decade to pay off my debts.¡±


    ¡°How ?¡± Even her mental voice sounded hoarse. ¡°I thought primes¡­couldn¡¯t attack each other.¡±


    The man patted her condescendingly on the side of her head as if she were a pet. ¡°Damn, you''re innocent. It almost makes me feel bad. I guess just because you¡¯ve become intelligent doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re an animal.¡±


    ¡°Talking to you now won''t change anything, I guess, so I may as well indulge you. You¡¯re already dead. It¡¯ll just take some time for it to set in. Even the planet can¡¯t save you now, not that it would have done anything in the first place.¡±


    With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she checked her status page, already suspecting what she¡¯d find there. For the first time since the system''s arrival, her health regeneration wasn¡¯t keeping up with the damage she was going through. Her health regeneration had disappeared altogether, there was no sign of it on her status page, like her body no longer possessed that function. She didn¡¯t need to be a genius to see what that meant. With her constantly taking damage from whatever she¡¯d been injected with and no way to regenerate, it was only a matter of time before she died. ¡°What have you done to me?¡± somehow her mental voice was free of the panic she was feeling.


    ¡°The human heart is a fickle thing,¡± the Prime of chaos said, completely ignoring her question. ¡°That''s why I have a rule: no conversation with the enemy until the job is done.¡± He looked her in the eye then and looked almost¡­sad. ¡°As ready as I was to follow through, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could kill you in cold blood after talking to you. Now it¡¯s too late. You were injected with a poison that could kill a juvenile dragon. Overkill, I know but I don¡¯t like to do half-measures. The antidote for it costs thrice as much as the poison. Even if I wanted to save you, I cannot. Like I said earlier. The human heart is a fickle thing, even my own. I didn¡¯t want to leave an out for myself.¡±


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    A sudden eruption of energy surrounded them before pouring into the dying blue whale. For the first time, Azure saw a flash of uncertainty cross her fellow Prime''s features, so fast she almost thought she¡¯d imagined it before it was replaced with a look of grim determination. ¡°So the world wishes to save you. The poison is beyond its ability to heal. It does nought but prolongs your suffering. Still, as illogical as the world can be at times, it isn¡¯t dumb. I guess it somehow expects you to survive, though I can¡¯t see how no matter what I think of.¡±


    ¡°Why ally yourself with the lich-queen? Do you seek the destruction of your species?¡± Azure asked, even as she checked the changes on her status page. She was regenerating health again, though she could feel that the energy was coming from an outside source and not her own soul. At 100,000 points a minute, it was almost the equivalent of her usual values.


    ¡°Nothing so grand as a union I¡¯m afraid my dear. She would never see me as an ally. I just want the lich queen to be as successful as possible. I may not be as powerful as the rest of you Primes but I¡¯ve been given abilities that make up for it. For the next twenty-seven days, no prime will be allowed to set foot on this land. I wanted to stretch the delay further but there''s only so much ¡®direction¡¯ the planet¡¯s willing to hear take before it starts ignoring you.¡±


    ¡°So you want to watch the world get destroyed. Is that it?¡± Azure¡¯s voice was filled with contempt and derision. She knew the landwalkers were a temperamental bunch, but this was simply pure insanity.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve explained myself enough to an animal now. Once the world stops wasting its energy and lets you die, Castilla will take your corpse and reanimate it. An undead Prime. I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re incredibly rare. I can¡¯t wait to see it.¡± Once again, the prime of chaos pat her head condescendingly. ¡°I¡¯d love to stay and talk with you longer, but I have places to be. Until next time then. Though I¡¯m not sure how much of your personality shall be retained in undeath.¡±


    He cut off the mental link between them and began to walk away. Azure tried to roll after him, but her attempt was half-hearted at best. She was trapped here, at least until the world stopped sustaining her. She should have been worried, terrified even but she just couldn¡¯t find it in herself to care. Ever since her mate had become a fallen one, Azure had felt a distinct disconnect between herself and reality. For a while, it had taken her entire willpower to simply continue living. Now, when confronted with the end, Azure felt an odd sense of¡­ relief. It was why she was so annoyed when the world saw fit to choose that exact moment to grant her a task, the third one she had received in her time as prime.


    Prime Task: Survive for the next 50 days.


    Reward: Your continued existence.


    It looked like the world would deny her even death.


    ~~~


    Arthur rubbed at his temples as he tried to make sense of what he¡¯d just seen. Earth had come a long way from its days of broadcasting grand events using outdated drone technology. Attempting the same would have failed for a number of reasons, primarily amongst them being how fragile the mundane tools were when faced with the rigours of powerful magic. Now they used light and sound mages to accurately capture interesting events to be holographically displayed for viewing throughout the world.


    Arthur had just finished watching one of the magical broadcasts, hidden as he was in the throngs of people crowding the makeshift theatre. Prime Azure had gone to deal with the lich threat and failed spectacularly, having been betrayed by her fellow prime. Arthur wondered what the man sought to accomplish, revealing his face to be televised for the viewing of billions. It was the first time the world had gotten a look at the man and the well-connected recognised him as the leader of the Silver Rose, the organisation responsible for so much suffering.


    Whatever reasons the man may have had, the secret was out now and he¡¯d just painted the biggest target in history on his back. The people of Earth were braying for blood which was no doubt further enhanced by the cruel treatment of Azure. As powerful as the blue whale was she looked¡­cute would be the wrong word but she certainly appeared innocent. Her flesh, a potent source of vitality and magic was being butchered by the undead and carted off for whatever nefarious purpose the lich-queen had in mind. With her healing near-instantaneously, the undead now had access to an infinite supply of the most ether-dense flesh on the planet.


    Arthur didn¡¯t know what it could be used for but he didn¡¯t need to be a seer to realise it was nothing good. Governments called out to the world''s Primes demanding that they hold humanity''s traitor accountable for his sins but no one had seen the hide nor hair of Kazi Alukai over the past week. He seemed to have disappeared from the face of the planet. Arthur, however, couldn¡¯t be happier.


    The prime of chaos had made his allegiance known. He had sided against humanity and the Primes didn¡¯t look like they were up for the job. Arthur had a grudge to repay and was more than willing to take out the trash. The lich-queen was also one of the few monsters on the planet that could help him grow and he had a sneaking suspicion that he¡¯d need her phylactery to power his ritual skill and create his first soul splinter. Unfortunately, Arthur had a few loose ends he needed to tie up. It was time to go on a date with a vampire.

 Chapter 167- The Perfect Assasin

    Arthur stood outside the Territory of Blood. It was far too early for him to be returning to this place in his opinion but life never followed his plans. He wasn¡¯t certain what had happened here over the last few days, but something had definitely gone wrong because all the guards Ayesha had set up were nowhere to be seen.


    A little investigation on his part had revealed that the ¡®gas leak¡¯ tragedy that had claimed the lives of over three hundred children was eerily similar to the one that had destroyed his house and street. Homunculus''s eye had detected an abnormally high quantity of blood magic on the scene. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realise that the two incidents were connected.


    Arthur had debated revealing himself to Iris to find out exactly what had happened but decided against it for now. For starters, it would remove the remainder of his Darkstar Essence Core''s effects. He was counting on it to infiltrate and hopefully assassinate the vampires responsible for all this destruction today if things went well. For whatever reason, the item''s effects were greatly diminished compared to Iris¡¯s initial predictions, at least when it came to the expected time frame it would be last. Arthur suspected it was because his refinement consumed so much of its abilities. He¡¯d expected at least a month before he¡¯d have to start to worry about people remembering him. Now Arthur would feel lucky if it lasted the rest of the week.


    If vampires had managed to establish themselves in the territory as he feared, he worried if his stealth was still strong enough to keep him hidden from their enhanced senses. Territory lords had some pretty crazy powers if Iris was to be believed. Arthur¡¯s augmented recovery was currently on cooldown, and he knew the smart option would be to wait until it was back online before he chose to attack. His plan of action today, however, wasn¡¯t to engage in a long protracted battle but a quick assassination. If the engagement lasted over a minute, it would mean that Arthur had failed and it was in his best interests to disengage for another day.


    Considering all this, Arthur didn¡¯t need to wait for his skill to come back online, not when the delay risked removing his greatest advantage. Still, I guess there''s one easy way to check if the Darkstar essence core is working properly. Taking a deep breath, Arthur allowed his domain to billow out from him, holding his breath as it washed over the territory of blood. This was the moment of truth. Would they notice it? There was no sudden blurring of alarms, no wires were tripped and then he was done.


    Arthur¡¯s aura now covered the entirety of the territory, his magic as hidden as his presence was. With the first test out of the way, Arthur was now free to move forward however he wanted. His domain told him there was only a single living creature within the territory- or is it unliving? Arthur didn¡¯t know if vampire physiology followed the tropes in Earth¡¯s fiction. He was surprised there was only a single vampire here, though, now that they¡¯d gained a Territory for themselves, Arthur had expected they¡¯d have started coming in droves. Whatever the case, it made Arthur¡¯s job easier.


    Arthur entered the locus and let out a sigh of relief when it didn¡¯t register his presence. He¡¯d worried it might trip him up on the final stealth check. Now certain he hadn¡¯t been noticed, Arthur moved forward. Since the forty-odd hours since he¡¯d last been in the territory of blood, the place had changed drastically. For starters, all the rubble and wreckage had been cleared away as well as all the dead bodies that had been lying around. Arthur didn¡¯t want to think about what vampires had done with them.


    The formerly crater-ridden streets had all been fixed and replaced with a maroon clay-like substance that was positively drenched in blood ether. Arthur would bet the entirety of his fortune- which currently didn¡¯t amount to much- that this was a tier 2 material. Besides that, now the territory was filled with houses, though their design wasn¡¯t anything you¡¯d usually find in a city in America. They were built with far too much elegance and not enough function in mind, each of them looking almost like mini palaces.


    Arthur ignored them all for now, heading deeper into the territory where he could sense the vampire. As he grew closer, he began to understand what Iris had meant when she said fighting a Territory lord on their turf was tantamount to suicide. The ether in the atmosphere was overwhelmingly of the blood affinity, stagnant, almost as if it was waiting for the lord to act. His domain felt sluggish here, struggling against the natural state the territory tried to establish. Manifesting active skills would prove to be difficult.


    It was a good thing Arthur''s plan only required him to use one. He wondered what Iris was thinking, letting the vampires establish themselves here. Already, he could tell the territory had expanded in size, not by much, but even a single meter was too much.


    I''m sure she''s got a reason. I guess I''ll get my answers when we next meet. A half minute of walking later, Arthur finally came upon his target. Through a massive wrought iron gate, he entered the courtyard of what he could only describe as a Gothic castle straight out of the Dark Ages.


    How did they build so much in such little time? Do they have transportable property on hand or something? Whatever the case, the Territory lord, Arthur''s target lay within. Entering the place was almost anticlimactic. He had been prepared to play ninja, expecting to sneak past hundreds of guards and disable all kinds of traps, both magical and mundane. The reality was far more boring; he just waltzed in. There was nothing to stop him.


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    The only magical thing about the place was the castle itself, but that made sense- it had to be, to fit inside such a small Territory. Did the spatial enchantments come with the property, or do the vampires have a space mage? They need reinforcements from their home dimension, so¡­ possibly?


    The rest of his journey was uneventful. The biggest problem he faced was getting lost for a while, and finding a single door that was locked. Getting into the castle''s main chamber took him ten minutes, but finally, he had arrived. His foe was before him at last, an old-looking man pacing up and down with a frown on his wrinkly face. Hollywood had definitely gotten vampires wrong. They weren¡¯t creatures of grace and beauty, predators of the night. If anything, this vampire before him was ugly. His pockmarked skin sagged around his forehead, his eyes were set too far apart, and his lips were so thin they barely existed.


    Growing in power was supposed to make you more beautiful, closer to your ideal form, but something had clearly gone wrong here. The man looked stressed, muttering something under his breath, so fast Arthur''s Myriad Tongues was only translating bits and pieces. "Bastards, the lot of them." Arthur missed the next sentence. "Always demanding results but never satisfied with how I get them." He could only make out every third word after that, but he got the gist of it.


    Ishaya, as the vampire was known, had been tasked by his masters back in his home dimension with securing a foothold on Earth. The person he was so angry with, however, was a fellow vampire he''d been sent with named Elaina, who was some kind of vampire nobility. Apparently, the fact that nobility tended to be dicks was a facet of life that transcended both dimensions and species. Listening to Ishaya''s rant, Arthur found himself taking the woman''s side. It wasn¡¯t hard when the alternative was an old man who killed hundreds of innocent children just to make a point.


    It took significant self-control for Arthur not to attack him right there, but he controlled himself with the knowledge that the vampire wasn''t long for this world. So, let me get this straight, Arthur thought. The vampires are down to the very last of their territory on their home planet. Someone important- maybe this ancestor he''s been cursing- is nearing death, and now the vultures have started to close in. He had filled in many of the blanks himself, but the details lined up, and he didn¡¯t think he was far off from the truth.


    It was understandable then, why Elaina wasn¡¯t happy with how her colleague had gone about securing The Territory of Blood. While people could forgive the occasional murder or butchering of common folk, they tended to get angry when only children were targeted- especially when it was senselessly done to hasten a deal where diplomacy would have served just as well. Not that there was ever a justifiable reason to target children.


    While the vampires were confident they could establish themselves on this relatively undeveloped tier 1 planet, they didn¡¯t want to become the subject of a World Quest or make enemies of the higher powers. Their alien overlords would definitely have something to say if that happened.


    It didn¡¯t matter now. The vampire responsible was about to die. For the first time, Arthur activated the secondary effect of his legendary skill, Cloaked Blade. It allowed him to create a Dark Crest that he could either place on himself or on his weapon. Naturally, Arthur placed it on his soul-spear. This would prevent any damage he inflicted from healing organically for the next six hours. He wasn¡¯t sure how effective it would be against a powerful vampire, and a territory lord to boot, but Arthur wanted to stack the odds in his favour.


    He debated whether or not to use the Homunculi''s Ire debuff on the vampire but ultimately decided against it. As powerful as the Darkstar Essence Core was, Arthur didn¡¯t want to overreach and risk discovery at the final juncture. People tended to notice when they were debuffed, especially if they had detection skills. And besides, I don''t need the debuff in the first place.


    Arthur began channelling his strongest attack skill, Poisoned Fang of the Hydra. This time, he didn¡¯t stop when he reached 20,000 ether or even 30,000. By the time he''d reached his previous maximum, the spear in his hand was throbbing with violent energy. Its tip was a shade of green so dark it appeared black and the ambient ether in the room began to shift away from its blood affinity as it was rapidly replaced by the poison Arthur was now passively releasing. At this point, Arthur was certain he could have gotten away with placing the debuff on Ishaya. If he hadn¡¯t noticed the magical nuke right next to him, there was no way he¡¯d notice being debuffed.


    At 45,000 ether, the very world around them seemed to warp. The tier-two materials composing the floor and walls began to crack under the strain. Ishaya remained oblivious to it all, though he appeared a bit unsettled. I seriously underestimated this core, even after seeing how it wiped the system¡¯s memory. I''m a damn fool.


    Arthur was surprised he was able to control so much energy, but it made sense that traits gained from Apocalypse Beasts and a dragon core were at least capable of this much. It was his Hyper-efficient trait giving him a 50% reduction in skill costs combined with the reduction his domain gave him that allowed him to completely ignore Poisoned Fang''s 30,000 ether limit.


    That being said, once he reached 55,000 ether, he knew he had hit his limit. He instinctively felt he could push further, but knew it would start to damage him too.


    If this wasn''t enough to get the job done, Arthur didn''t know what would be. Moving to stand in front of his foe, Arthur got a good look at the vampire responsible for so many senseless deaths. An old, decrepit man. One far past his prime that had lived a century too many. Death stood before him but he remained oblivious, a sitting duck waiting for his end.


    Arthur plunged his spear into Ishaya''s heart.

 Chapter 168- Pillar In The Sky

    To call Arthur''s final attack overkill was the understatement of the century. His spear hit a momentary snag when it hit the vampire''s chest and a green flash of protection charm breaking later, his weapon pierced through flesh and into Ishaya¡¯s heart. That''s when his channelled attack detonated, 55,000 points of energy, all at once. Arthur¡¯s eyes were half closed in preparation for the backlash and so he almost missed it, that¡¯s how fast the world around him changed.


    One moment, the world was an ocean of green flames encompassing three-quarters of the territory¡¯s space, and the next, it condensed down to a pillar of poisonous light at the tip of his spear, one metre across and stretching into the clouds above. For a split-second, the world was on fire and the next, he stood in an ashy wasteland, the castle around him nought but crumbling stone. There was a dull thump as all the oxygen he¡¯d burned in the atmosphere was rapidly replaced as the planet rushed to fill in the absence his attack had left in the world.


    The pillar of green light persisted for thirty seconds, visible from hundreds of miles away, from space itself, and Arthur knew that whatever protection the Darkstar essence Core had provided him had finally run dry with his grand display of magic. Those who had forgotten him would begin to remember. The system¡­ well, Arthur wasn¡¯t too sure how it would react to his re-emergence. Lady Sleyca, he was certain would be livid. The one opportunity she¡¯d had to meet him- at last in the form of a construct- had gone.


    The poison affinity ether his attack had released saturated the clouds above and Arthur worried that next time it rained, people would get hurt. Arthur had no way to solve that problem though, so he hoped the damage wouldn¡¯t be as bad as he feared. The vampire died four seconds into Arthur¡¯s attack, he felt the moment its essence flowed into him, an infusion towards his next level far smaller than what the hivemind construct had provided him, an altogether underwhelming result.


    It made sense though, Arthur didn¡¯t know how much the Territory would have empowered Ishaya if he¡¯d given it the chance to, but without it, the vampire was a far weaker creature than Wovan. I almost feel like I should have come after the bastard properly and gotten a good fight out of it at least. He¡¯d gained nothing of note from the vampire''s execution, any valuables he may have had on his person were lost along with the rest of his body, disintegrated in his attack. The castle itself was a smouldering ruin and Arthur wasn¡¯t willing to spend days sitting through the rubble on the off chance that he might find something good.


    With the territory lord dead, Arthur would have expected it to return to its previously inert state but he could feel the ambient blood ether roiling chaotically, almost as if searching for something. A moment later, Arthur realised what it was. Whatever the process was, Ishaya had somehow set up the territory for inheritance and now that the former lord was dead, it was forming a link with the noble vampire sent to monitor him, Elaina. The reason the territory was behaving so chaotically was because of how far away its new lord must be.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 85.4506%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">You have ERROR¡­ ERROR¡­ Realigning system logs with host Arthur Ward¡­ Recalibrating¡­</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It looked like his consumption of the Darkstar Essence Core had affected the system a little more than he¡¯d expected.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 81.1075%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    You have completed the World Quest- Slay the predatory Territory Lord; Ishaya...


    Reward: Permanent 5% Concentration increase to Arthur Ward''s ether pool


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Golden light surrounded him and Arthur felt it suffuse his core, or whatever the equivalent of it was for human beings. All Arthur knew was that it was doing something to the ether his body produced and worked with. As far as upgrades went, it was the least invasive he¡¯d been through, so subtle, he could barely tell anything was happening. He didn¡¯t know much about what an increased concentration of Ether meant, but from his conversations with Iris on the subject, he knew it was a good thing.


    In essence, it gave him more bang for his buck, made any spell he cast with the same amount of ether just that little bit stronger. Iris¡¯s Ether concentration was nearing 200%, which made her so much more powerful than others at her level. That and her completely broken class. The one limitation with working on your ether concentration or essence concentration as it was often called at least with the more common cultivation methods, was the fact that it decreased your total energy pool slightly. That made his reward so special, in that it only brought with it the positives of essence concentration and none of the negatives.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    For some one like Arthur, however, who wasn¡¯t reliant on the size of their ether pool as their primary fuel for magic, it meant that he could use the most extreme cultivation methods and refine his ether to near detrimental levels of concentration. His ether pool would become truly miniscule but that issue was made void by the fact that he used health to fuel everything he did nowadays. It was something he¡¯d decided to do after Iris had told him of the benefits, and the little help the world had just given him today was certainly welcome.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t aware the world could hand out rewards or tasks for that matter. It also raised the question of whether or not the world had signalled him out for the task or if he¡¯d just done a job that was open to everyone. Had the Darkstar Essence Core prevented the world from sending him any messages. Arthur decided that the exact mechanics of how the world worked weren''t so important so long as he benefited from them.


    Looking around the territory of blood, Arthur was once again taken aback by how much destruction his attack had caused. Sure, he¡¯d spent 55,000 ether on it, but the energy had been focused on a single individual. Everything else was just collateral. I don¡¯t think Wovan would have survived that. The hivemind¡¯s monster core was burning a hole in his storage pouch and at the Epic rarity, it was practically begging Arthur to consume it. He controlled himself, though. Arthur had other plans for the core and now that he knew he was limited to two before his next refinement he was pushing for legendary monster cores and above only.


    Either he would hunt the monsters himself- an option he much preferred- or he¡¯d find a way to somehow trade for them. The universe was a vast place and monster cores coming from the strongest creatures were not always the most valuable. Either they lacked the right affinities, or they didn¡¯t make for the best ingredients in elixirs for whatever reason. That particular limitation didn¡¯t phase Arthur with his unique method of elixir creation. Not for the first time, Arthur wondered what would happen if an ordinary person ate one of his creations. Would it benefit them in some way, or would they just¡­ die?


    Frowning, Arthur considered the energy circulating around him. The Territory''s ether had finally settled and he knew that somewhere out there, a new vampire had just been crowned territory lord. She¡¯d become a problem, sooner or later, Arthur was certain of that. The question was, would she become his problem? He didn¡¯t know. From the rant he¡¯d overheard, the vampire noble hadn¡¯t been too pleased with Ishaya¡¯s mass killing of children, though not for the reasons most normal people would be displeased by the deplorable act. She worried it would make it harder for them to establish relations with Earth''s alien overlords, not that it was a disgusting misuse of power that was truly monstrous.


    Did she need to be held responsible for the crimes of her partners? Shaking his head, Arthur rubbed at his temples. His post-refinement long hair had the annoying habit of getting into his eyes. Now if it didn¡¯t look so damn amazing, he¡¯d cut it immediately, but he was loath to cut off such luscious locks. That and he didn¡¯t think there were scissors sharp enough to cut through his hair on the planet. His draconic vitality was applied to every part of his body and his hair probably classified as a rare item just on the basis of its durability. I¡¯ll leave the vampire noble be for now. Since there''s only one of them, I¡¯m sure Iris will find a way to deal with her. Thinking about Iris, it¡¯s about time they start remembering me. Arthur grinned. Last time he¡¯d seen the fae woman, she¡¯d asked him out on a date. She was probably feeling mortified now that she remembered it. If she did. He didn¡¯t know how the memory recovery worked and if the entirety of a person¡¯s memory would come back.


    Arthur waited around for a while to see if the Territory would undergo any further changes. That and he was resting after using 110,000 health to power his latest attack. Even if no wounds appeared on his body after using health magic, it left him feeling weak and fragile in a way that flesh wounds never did. Now that I think about it, though, when was the last time I received damage? Wovan had managed to hurt him but the damage had been so little he¡¯d hardly registered it.


    The ascended blood beast, as powerful as it had been, had never gotten the chance to hurt him. In fact the regular blood beasts, or at least the ranged variant, had been far more successful in harming him. Another twenty levels invested in Draconic Vitality and Arthur didn¡¯t think the lich-queen would be able to touch him. The problem was getting those levels. Monsters coming from ¡®black gates¡¯ tended to not survive too long, the ambient ether on Earth being too low to sustain their existence and causing them to starve to death and those that did survive, weren¡¯t strong enough to benefit him. He could go around chasing dimensional incursions as they formed, but he doubted he¡¯d get lucky enough to fight another Wovan any time soon. Monsters like the hivemind weren¡¯t exactly common.


    Arthur grinned as the hazy outlines of a plan came to him. Sure, accurately predicting the right dimensional incursions to go to would mean he was the luckiest man on the planet, or unlucky depending on how you saw things. It was a good thing he knew a seer who¡¯d make the perfect portal detector. Ayesha, and by extension, Iris wanted to secure a dominant position on the tier 1 planet. That meant they¡¯d need to deal with the greatest threat the world faced: The Lich-queen. It was in their best interests that Arthur became stronger as soon as possible.


    I guess it''s time to powerlevel.

 Chapter 169-Miras Will

    When Arthur left the Territory of Blood, he wasn''t surprised to see that Ayesha and Iris were already waiting for him. He''d expected the seer to seek him out, and he was a little flattered that she''d done so so fast. She must have dropped everything to get here in less than 15 minutes. Arthur had to hold back a smirk when he noticed Iris avoiding his gaze. Looked like she remembered how forward she''d been a few days ago.


    Arthur wouldn¡¯t deny that seeing the overpowered princess looking so flustered didn''t tug on his heartstrings a little. He wanted to tease her but he realised it might be a little too soon for that.


    Ayesha was the one to break the awkward silence. "I don¡¯t know how you did it, but god does it feel good to remember we¡¯ve got our own little nuke on our side." She smiled at him, one filled with equal parts joy, curiosity, and relief.


    "I was about ready to start pulling out my hair dealing with those vampire bastards. Still, you¡¯re going to have to tell me how you did it one of these days. Not cool, though, wiping our memories like that. There were easier ways you could have told us you were a mind mage. Though, if that¡¯s the price I have to pay to have you kill a Territory Lord then sign me up and do it again." She was babbling, something she seemed to realise and her voice petered off.


    "I''m not a mind mage, Ayesha, but yeah, it''s good to see you too," Arthur replied, smiling. Now it was his turn to feel awkward. Thankfully, Iris came in with the save.


    "I can''t say I''m not curious how you managed to pull off such a grand deception- hell, you even fooled the system- but something tells me you can''t tell us. Can you?" Iris asked.


    Arthur shook his head no. He''d walked out of the Territory intending to tell them something. Unfortunately, he couldn''t remember what that ''something'' was, which was frankly terrifying. He knew what had happened, the fact that he''d been granted extremely potent stealth capabilities over the last few days. He just didn¡¯t know how, which was certainly frustrating.


    It was strange that he didn¡¯t find the sudden loss of memory frightening, but it was almost like he''d... expected it. Arthur wasn''t sure.


    "I''d tell you if I could remember but I''m in the same boat as you. For some reason, I kind of get the impression that you''re somehow responsible for the last few days, at least partially, but for the life of me, I can''t figure out why I think that," Arthur explained.


    "That rules out mental magic unless the mage was so good he implanted those suggestions in your head. It almost sounds like an item was responsible, though I¡¯ve never heard of something so powerful. If it even exists. What you''re saying sounds straight out of the storybooks. I wouldn¡¯t believe it if it hadn¡¯t happened, but your actions speak for themselves. If things truly transpired as you said, you somehow managed to assassinate a Territory Lord on his home turf using magic so unsubtle I could feel it a mile away."


    Arthur knew his specific brand of magic tended to be a little on the nose, but an entire mile had to be an exaggeration. On second thoughts, his attack had been visible from the stratosphere. Maybe Iris wasn''t exaggerating after all. Nonetheless, he was still surprised by how unconcerned he felt about his missing memories. Shouldn¡¯t he be terrified that he didn¡¯t remember how he¡¯d unlocked such godly stealth capabilities? Was it a replicable feat? What if it had messed with his brain? Even more importantly, who had done this to him?


    Even as he considered the questions, Arthur didn¡¯t feel any real outrage about his mind being tampered with. He was oddly calm, no matter how hard he tried to summon any strong emotions about the situation. It should have terrified him, except it didn¡¯t. For some reason, it felt like he''d expected the memory loss, known that it would be the price he''d have to pay to use such power and willingly paid it.


    At the end of the day, what mattered were the consequences of his actions. For a few days, he had become a ghost even the system couldn¡¯t track, fought a massive hivemind spider and took its monster core and then eliminated one of the greatest threats the world had ever faced before it became a problem: a genocidal Vampire Territory Lord with more than a few screws loose. All he''d had to pay for it was the memories of how he''d obtained such stealth. Arthur could live with that.


    "So, what next?" Ayesha asked. "Looking for a way off this world now that you¡¯ve outgrown the planet? That¡¯s going to be difficult so long as the dimensional lockdown is in place. Practically impossible, in fact."


    "So, what do I need to do? Kill the Lich Queen before they open up travel again? Seems like an expensive way to pay for a simple ticket."The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Iris was the one to answer his question. "Surprisingly, the Lich Queen isn¡¯t why we¡¯re all locked up here. My sources finally uncovered something, though I¡¯m unsure about the details. Apparently, one of the agents of some ancient criminal was caught running around in your planet¡¯s tutorial. We¡¯re talking ancient- older than the dirt you¡¯re standing on.


    "One of his agents was spotted here is the biggest lead the System¡¯s police force has had on the bastard in three centuries. They¡¯re pulling out all the stops to catch this guy, going so far as locking down the entire stellar system to prevent his escape."


    "Fat chance of that," Ayesha mumbled.


    Arthur wasn''t sure if he was supposed to hear her interruption, but Iris continued as if he had.


    "She''s right. Even with the dimensional lockdown in place, there are ways to leave the system. Sure, it¡¯ll make it more difficult, but there are some... less than legal methods to get the job done."


    "So why enforce the lockdown at all? And who is this ''ancient evil'' that''s got everyone on edge?"


    "The lockdown is Lady Sleyca¡¯s faction playing their own game. Probably an attempt to appear more competent than they are- or they¡¯re just trying to get a slice of some Earth pie for themselves. As for the criminal everyone¡¯s after, he has many names, but he''s most well-known as The Harvester, notorious for draining the cores of planets and harvesting them."


    "His worst offence was two thousand years ago when he crippled the world of Tsaris by draining their core. Billions died, and they''re still recovering to this day. He hasn''t made any big moves since, and we¡¯re not even sure if he¡¯s been seen... but people tend to remember you when you''ve killed so many."


    Arthur frowned. This guy sounded like a real piece of work. He hoped Iris was exaggerating when she said the Harvester was older than dirt. As far as he knew, Earth was four billion years old, and if they were up against someone who had been around that long, they didn¡¯t stand a chance. How strong someone could become if they were given billions of years to work with. Arthur didn¡¯t want to find out.


    Thankfully, they were against one of his agents, someone Arthur hoped would prove a more manageable challenge. Knowing his luck, this would be the one time the Harvester decided to take an interest in a planet for the last two millennia, and he''d be dragged into a war taking place on a universal scale. With the way the world just kept throwing shit his way, it would just be par the course.


    "Since the system¡¯s police force is already on this case, is there anything we can do?" Arthur asked. "Should we even get involved? It feels like sticking our noses into someone else¡¯s problem."


    Ayesha smiled sadly at him and appeared... embarrassed was too strong a word for it but maybe ashamed? "I was supposed to bring this up before, but with the Bloodbeasts and everything else going on, I forgot. I don¡¯t know if you noticed or not, but Mira¡¯s dead." She pulled a vial of purple liquid from her storage ring and passed it over to him. "I didn¡¯t have the context before to know what was going on at the time, but in light of new information, we now know how Mira was killed."


    "She was one of the Agent''s victims, wasn¡¯t she? That¡¯s how she died."


    Ayesha looked surprised for a moment, then nodded. "I forget you¡¯re not a dumb brute sometimes. Your durability reminds me of body cultivators- they tend to have three brain cells they rub together to generate a thought. But yes, you¡¯re right. Mira was gradually drained of all her strength and personality over the course of the last few weeks. What you have in your hands is her last creation as an alchemist, certainly her greatest. You could sell it and live lavishly on a tier-3 world for the next hundred years. Her final request was that I deliver it to you." Arthur finally used Homunculi''s Eye to identify the elixir.


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    Mira¡¯s Will (Legendary)- The final work of Master Poison Alchemist Mira Merejan, created with the sacrifice of her stats, skills, affinities, and a large portion of her life force. Violates several laws placed on craftsmen by the system.


    Effects: Grants the consumer an extra general skill slot and the general skill Poisoned Alchemy (Rare).


    Note: A repetition of this effect is impossible without an Ascendant rank elixir, and most souls will be incapable of taking a second general skill enhancement of this nature.


    Secondary Effect: Generates the title Mira¡¯s Will (Tier 1)¨C Increases Willpower stat by 10%. This will only be generated if the consumer is below level 150.


    Side Effects: Causes severe stomach aches and diarrhoea.


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    Even in death, Mira had somehow found a way to fulfill her promise of teaching him alchemy. She''d outdone herself. An incredible skill, one that didn¡¯t take up one of his limited general skill slots was an amazing boon.


    He was understandably surprised by what Ayesha said next.


    "I¡¯m not sure if you should take that. It¡¯s amazing, even compared to other elixirs of that nature, but I don¡¯t know if you want to go down the alchemy route. I think it¡¯d be better to take a crafting skill related to weapon creation, like blacksmithing. It¡¯ll synergize well with your weapon skill and enhance your power several fold instead of spreading yourself too thin."


    It was sound advice, at least coming from someone with limited information regarding him. Ayesha had clearly never seen his Godly Ikea bowl. She would no doubt be singing a different tune if she had. The bowl was a hair¡¯s breadth away from becoming his second soul-bound item and Arthur knew how rare those could be. His blood was also one of the greatest alchemical catalysts in the world, perhaps the wider universe. Ignoring alchemy as a useful tool in his arsenal would be the height of folly.


    Arthur unstoppered the vial and drank Mira¡¯s Will.

 chapter 170- Predatory Links

    Arthur immediately understood why people were barred from gaining a second extra general skill slot. Of course, the rarity of a Transcendent item was certainly a factor, but more importantly, even as a soul mage with a significantly larger soul than most, he felt the uncomfortable sensation of something being added to his soul, though calling it the ''unlocking of his potential'' seemed more accurate.


    He didn''t know if souls grew stronger over time- they had to in order to maintain stronger skills and stats- but right now, his soul felt tender and weak, and he wasn''t certain he''d be able to handle another upgrade to his general skills anytime soon. All things considered, the process had been less painful than expected with the only downside being that he felt like his soul had just been put through an intense workout session. Hopefully, the feeling would pass soon.


    Ayesha looked displeased- clearly, she didn¡¯t approve of his choice- but she didn¡¯t voice her objection, though she clearly wanted to. Iris, on the other hand, had a knowing smile on her face, and he once again wondered just what it was that her seer abilities showed her. The seer always had a smirk on her face that let you know she knew more than she let on. Had she seen a snippet of his future alchemical prowess or did she simply trust that he was a responsible adult who thought through his decisions?


    Either way, Arthur was content with his choice. He could feel the new skill settling into his soul, and he brought up its description to read through.


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    Poisoned Alchemy (Rare)- You have delved into the art of alchemical creation, specialising in all things toxic and poisonous


    Effect (Passive): Increases the toxicity of all poisons you create by 20%. All alchemical creations will contain a hint of poison.


    Effect (Active): Utilize ether to properly synthesize and enhance items up to and including Tier 2


    Cost: Variable. Spending exorbitant amounts of energy can help bridge the gap between genius and host''s ability


    Devil''s Luck: Once per day, you may use this skill to gain the maximum potential for a Tier 1 item.


    Cost: 10,000 ether


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    Arthur didn''t have a reference to work with, but his alchemy skill looked above average. The Devil''s Luck effect certainly looked impressive, even with its limitations and he hoped it would allow him to jerry-rig his way to success, at least until he formally learned the art of alchemy from a reliable teacher. Along with the skill came faint recollections of how to create certain potions. In those memories, he could see feminine hands working with certain plants native to Earth- hands he recognized as Mira¡¯s. The memories were hazy and distinctly separate from his own, like watching old grainy footage.


    Arthur wasn¡¯t sure if all crafting skills came with such recollections, but in his case, they were definitely welcome. Whoever the Harvester''s agent was- if he was the one responsible for teaching Mira- he certainly knew his craft well, though teaching someone you intended to kill felt perverse- like fattening up a pet only to slaughter and consume it. The knowledge showed him how to create basic potions and taught him which components could be substituted with more readily available ingredients.


    The most vivid memories were of Mira creating the Stimulants of strengthening for Arthur¡¯s fight against the Draconic Liverthion. They had been potent stuff at the time, but now he wasn¡¯t sure if they would still work for him. After all, while his level hadn''t increased significantly since then, he was at least ten times stronger than before. If the potions still worked on him, it meant that Mira had been an unparalleled genius.


    Ayesha smiled wryly at him. ¡°You look happy. How is it? Does it meet your expectations?¡±


    Arthur nodded. The skill was excellent and provided a solid foundation from which he could develop his alchemical abilities. The passive effect of increasing the toxicity of his poisons by 20% would likely apply to his poison affinity as well, meaning his Fang of the Hydra should also get a boost. It might not be a full 20% increase, but it would be something- which was more than welcome.


    ¡°I still think you should¡¯ve waited for another way to get another general skill slot,¡± Ayesha said. ¡°You could¡¯ve traded that one for something better suited to you. With Identify taking up one of your slots and whatever translation skill you have on top of everything else, you¡¯ve only got what, only one slot left?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°My Identify skill transitioned into some kind of mutation, so I¡¯ve still got two free slots actually,¡± Arthur reassured her. ¡°I¡¯ve got room for the blacksmithing skill you want me to pick up so badly, and I¡¯ve been thinking about learning enchanting too. Maybe like the runes I¡¯ve seen on some of your weapons. If I can master weapon craft and apply it to armaments of the soul, any tool I create will be made with some of the best materials known to man. I can increase my combat potential by tenfold. One hundred fold? I don''t even know."


    Even Iris seemed taken aback by his admision, first shocked, then contemplative. ¡°What you¡¯re saying sounds insane,¡± Iris began, ¡°But it¡¯s definitely possible. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely before your second class evolution, though. You¡¯ll need to evolve your skill to a mythical rarity skill at the least. But imagine it. You could create staves on the fly that''ll be legendary items, all of them capable of true soul damage, amplifying your magic even further... I don''t even know how many times. With crystal focuses amplifying specific elements," She paused for a moment, contemplating something before her eyes widened in excitement. "Scratch that! If you master runic script, you could have access to almost any type of magic- fire, lightning, wind, anything really as long as you know the script- and with your near-infinite supply of the best materials to enchant upon, your freaking soul¡­"


    She looked at him carefully, her eyes deep and searching, as if she was analysing exactly what his future entailed. When Iris spoke next, her voice was subdued. "Arthur, if you manage to do this, you might genuinely become one of the strongest beings in the universe. I thought your soul affinity skills were a little underwhelming at first, at least compared to some of the documented stories available to the public. But creating tools out of your soul? That''s unheard of- an impossible skill when you think about it. The soul is a rigid structure, practically indestructible and impossibly difficult to shape in any way."


    "And yet your skill allows you to manipulate your own like it''s some kind of malleable clay," Iris continued. "Perhaps the fractured state of your soul at the time had something to do with its creation."


    Arthur took all of this in. It was the first time he''d been compared to other soul mages, and he was surprised to see how different his abilities were from the standard. As far as he had thought, he had assumed Armaments of the Soul- or at least a variant of it- was part of every soul mage''s arsenal.


    Even among the other abnormalities, I have to stand out as unique. It''s like I''m a super rare Pok¨¦mon or something, Arthur mused. Now he''d just found out that his soul weapons broke the mold of what was believed to be possible. He hadn''t put much thought into how he''d develop his class, but he''d always known that his strengths would centre around his soul affinity.


    Beyond the half-baked plan to learn how to make better weapons, however, he hadn¡¯t given it much thought. But now, after Ayesha had brought up enhancing his class abilities with a general skill, he was reconsidering everything. He imagined how he could get the most out of his build. With his health forecasted to reach truly epic proportions- bordering on the insane- he had more energy and potential than he knew what to do with. Becoming a master weapon smith, one who crafted tools on the fly to suit his purposes, was the perfect route for someone like him.


    He could almost picture it, and the thought of his potential power practically made him salivate. Don¡¯t count your chickens before your eggs have hatched, he chided himself.


    "Back to the threat we¡¯re facing," Arthur said, trying to divert his attention back to more pressing matters- being altogether unsuccessful. "If Mira was killed by the Harvester, what about the other humans the Harvester interacted with? Were they drained too?" He asked.


    "Harvester''s agent, Arthur. If were dealing with the actual Harvester, I''d be running for the hills. That''s the kind of foe my father would be wary of facing in open battle. In any case, we¡¯ve identified three victims," Iris replied. "A magma mage and an enchanter who we couldn¡¯t get to in time, and the third¡­ well, you¡¯ve met him already. Tamo Tatsumi. Lady Sleyca actually commissioned us to go get him, so we¡¯re in a tentative partnership right now. Whatever curse was placed on him, and the subsequent healing you put him through, messed with whatever magic the Harvester¡¯s agent placed on him. All he lost was a single skill and a title before we got to him."


    "Where is he now?" Arthur asked.


    "We took him off-world, out of the solar system in fact. The distance helped weaken the draining connection put on him. The stasis field we placed him in deals with the rest, but it¡¯s only a stopgap measure at best. At his level, we can only keep him there for another three weeks at most. Either the agent is dealt with by then, or Tamo''s days are numbered."


    Arthur grimaced. He hadn¡¯t been friends with Mira exactly, but her death was undeserving. Tamo seemed like a nice enough guy from the last time they met and now his life was hanging in the balance.


    "That¡¯s not the worst of it though," Iris said, interrupting his thoughts. "You were the person Mira interacted with the most before she went AWOL. Did she give you anything she might have received from the agent? Anything at all?"


    Arthur cursed loudly, startling the two women. "That''s how he links with people, isn¡¯t it? She had an extra Alvaross Academy token. She was trying to give it to me, but knowing what I know now, I doubt the item was actually genuine. I didn''t take it, though I did touch it. How much of a problem is that going to be?"


    "It¡¯s worse than I feared," Ayesha''s face fell, and Arthur knew immediately he wasn¡¯t going to like what she said next. "Those tokens are used to drain people and establish predatory links. You were the last person to touch that link, Arthur. The agent¡¯s next target is you."

 Chapter 171- Plan of Attack

    Now that Darkstar essence core¡¯s effect had worn off, it was like the universe was bombarding him with the problems he¡¯d managed to run away from for a short while, almost as if it was playing catch up. In the wake of Ayesha¡¯s most recent revelation, he¡¯d been caught up in a flurry of activity, becoming the latest member of the victim protection program Lady Sleyca had set up. Whatever qualms Arthur may have had with the noblewoman, he couldn¡¯t deny that she was taking her job very seriously.


    Case in point the protective facility he was currently in, a military base that had been repurposed to serve as the woman''s headquarters on the planet. The place was drenched in magic of one kind or the other, every surface covered in runic script that his unique eyes picked up on. The runes were barely visible to him, a swirling script that appeared like shimmering lines of silvery light at the edges of his vision. Trying to focus on them made them immediately disappear and he would have thought he was imagining the entire thing if an active use of homunculi¡¯s eye hadn''t revealed anything.


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    That was all he got, courtesy of whatever obscuration method the runic artist had used to protect their work. It was annoying, considering his recent interest in the subject. Arthur wondered how viable his plan for Armaments of the Soul was. Iris at least believed it was possible and she was far more experienced than him in the field of magic. She was no soul mage, however, and so he wouldn¡¯t know for certain until he consulted an expert on the subject. Not for the first time, Arthur cursed the lockdown the planet had been placed under. Ayesha couldn''t access any of her usual off-world information brokers- she¡¯d told him as much when he¡¯d asked for an introductory course to runic scripting- and she was loath to ask lady Sleyca for any help.


    That meant that until Earth''s problems were dealt with Arthur had no way to progress his plans. My problems actually. They¡¯d become his own when he¡¯d been told he was the agent''s most likely next target, hence why he was sitting in this windowless room. It was his second time coming to such a base, but at least the government had no part to play here this time. Replacing them with Lady Sleyca was hardly an improvement though, but at least the woman appeared competent. He was pulled away from his thoughts when the door to his room, seamlessly placed to resemble the wall, was finally opened and Iris rushed in.


    The seer had changed clothes since the last time he¡¯d seen her, now wearing a shapeless hoodie and jogger that appeared two sizes too big for her. That, and the fact that she was covered in sweat made it look like she¡¯d just come back from a workout, though Arthur wondered how intense her exercise had to have been to put her in such a state in the eight minutes since he¡¯d last seen her.


    She threw a rubber bracelet at him and he caught it, immediately revaluating his initial impressions of the strange jewellery. Whatever this was made from, it was far too heavy to be a naturally occurring element from Earth, the small band weighing almost twenty kilograms. Homunculi''s eye, for once, revealed absolutely nothing.


    ¡°What''s this?¡± Arthur asked, holding it up to the light. He could see some strange markings on its outer surface, though they were so faint and random they could pass for scuff marks from poor handling.


    ¡°It¡¯s an aura repression bracelet, usually used on criminals who¡¯ve gone out of control. They¡¯re also used by people who¡¯ve gone through sudden power spikes and haven''t learned how to properly control their new strength. It¡¯s a barbaric practice that''s been out of fashion for the last five hundred years.¡±


    ¡°You should put it on?¡± She deadpanned.


    ¡°Barbaric you say. And I should put it on,¡± Arthur asked with a raised eyebrow. Iris looked at him solemnly for a few seconds before breaking into laughter. It was a high pitched sound, a snort really, completely at odds with her usually refined demeanour.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen your face,¡± she giggled, wiping a tear from her eye. ¡°You¡¯d think I offered you drugs or something." Arthur watched, amused as she broke out into laughter again, a reluctant smile making its way onto his face. He didn¡¯t find it funny, but Iris¡¯ joy was infectious.


    ¡°All jokes aside, though, you really should put it on. Your aura scrambling skill is nowhere near good enough to hide your secrets and unless you want to out your soul affinity, that bracelet right there is your best bet. They¡¯re barbaric because they¡¯re very uncomfortable to wear, or so I¡¯ve heard, best described as wearing underwear five sizes too small. They also lose efficiency very fast and long term usage has been noted to cause psychological harm. Nothing to worry about considering you¡¯ll only have to wear it when interacting with Sleyca¡¯s people.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Arthur grimaced at the item''s side effects, but it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d have a choice in wearing it, at least as long as he wanted to retain a degree of anonymity. ¡°Oh yeah, lady Sleyca''s asking about how you disappeared off the map the last few days. I claimed responsibility for it, but I¡¯m not sure how much she believes me.¡±


    Arthur groaned. That was another problem he¡¯d have to deal with. It was inevitable that people would ask questions regarding his disappearance. For some reason, he had a feeling that he should have remained hidden for weeks- time that would have let his recent escapades fade into obscurity- not the mere two days he''d actually disappeared for. He had no one but himself to blame though. Still, I didn¡¯t expect my attack to create a beam visible for hundreds of miles.


    ¡°How much of a problem do you think she¡¯s going to be?¡± Arthur asked.


    ¡°Right now, not much, she''s got too much on her plate to go around chasing every mystery. But down the line, your disappearing act is going to come and bite you in the arse. She can¡¯t act directly against you, but that won''t stop her from hounding you with recruitment offers.¡±


    Iris smiled sympathetically at him, though he could see the curiosity in her gaze. The seer hadn¡¯t given up on finding out how he¡¯d pulled wool over everyone''s eyes, his own included since he had no recollections of the method.


    Arthur rubbed his temples, trying to work out some of his frustration. It looked like all his efforts to remain under the radar were about to go up in smoke. Honestly, though, it was only a matter of time before people started looking into me. I was planning on going after the lich-queen, after all. Rationalising it like that made Arthur feel better about himself. From a certain perspective, it was a blessing in disguise, much like ripping off a band-aid in one rapid attempt. It would hurt, yes, but at least now he didn¡¯t have to skulk around in a constant state of paranoia.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve come to terms with things,¡± Iris said, smiling appreciatively at him.


    ¡°I just came to a decision I should have made a long time ago,¡± Arthur replied, somewhat melancholic. Even now, after so much time had passed, he deeply regretted Selena¡¯s death. She¡¯d sacrificed her life thinking she was saving him, taking a mortal blow that would have comparatively, only injured him. If I wasn¡¯t such a prude about my stats, she would¡¯ve still been alive. What made it so much worse, was the fact that far more important secrets he¡¯d hidden- namely his unique blood- had been brought to light immediately after the fight against Shade.


    ¡°Enough about me,¡± Arthur said, clasping the black bracelet onto his hand. ¡°What¡¯s the news on the Harvester¡¯s agent?¡±


    His face twitched in discomfort as he felt the aura suppression come into play. It was as uncomfortable as Iris had warned, if anything, she¡¯d understated it. He felt like he was thousands of feet under the ocean, getting crushed by a terrifying amount of water pressure. He felt nervous at the sudden loss of his aura, a sensation that he hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d come to recognise as a natural part of himself. With it suddenly gone, it was as if he¡¯d lost access to one of his senses, and Arthur knew if he was to try and stand up now, he¡¯d face plant onto the hardwood floor.


    Iris noted all this, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. She reached out a hand to place on his shoulder before thinking better of herself. Fae were not as lax in their social costumes, and the simple gesture meant far more in her culture. She¡¯d have to teach Arthur before doing anything so familiar, or she felt like she''d be taking advantage of his ignorance. Especially since she was so attracted to him.


    Once Iris saw that Arthur had regained control of his faculties, she answered his question.


    ¡°It''s as we feared,¡± Iris said. ¡°The token Mira showed you is possibly the very item our target uses to create links with his victims. You may have only touched the token for a second, but a link was created to your soul. Your class evolution and subsequent refinement weakened the magic significantly, but the Harvester''s spells have always been an insidious thing.¡± Iris warned, using her sleeve to wipe the sweat out of her eyes.


    ¡°The link formed will grow in strength until it matches its host. Your natural defences and high constitution should protect you, at least on paper, but we don¡¯t have enough information to say anything with any degree of certainty. Either the Harvester''s agent won''t be able to harm you at all, or you¡¯ll be drained as easily as Mira and everyone else.¡±


    Arthur sincerely doubted that. If the Harvester''s powers had no limitations, he would have conquered the universe a long time ago. All his titles and traits should count as some form of protection and Arthur didn¡¯t think Iris realised just how high his effective constitution was, else she¡¯d have a lot more faith in him. If over two thousand Draconic Vitality wasn¡¯t enough to deal with a single measly link, then nothing was. That said, Arthur would much rather deal with the problem now than leave things to chance. It was the main reason why he¡¯d joined Ayesha and Iris in this facility.


    ¡°Were you able to track the bastard through his link then,¡± Arthur asked. It was an idea Ayesha had come up with and they¡¯d decided to put it to the test with Tamo Tatsumi. Now that they had Arthur on the planet, someone much closer to the target, their chances of accurately triangulating his location had increased tenfold. Iris'' answering smile was stunning and Arthur reminded himself that the fae woman literally had a beauty stat. ¡°We found him alright,¡± Iris said. ¡°He¡¯s somewhere over the Atlantic ocean, most likely travelling by boat. His destination seems to be Hell¡¯s Rising, the lich-queen''s undead citadel. We can¡¯t let those two meet. We¡¯ll be sending a task force to intercept him long before he reaches land, right over the water. ¡°She grinned at him. ¡°Something tells me our job will be a lot easier if we have a legendary water mage on our side.¡±

 Chapter 172- Team Of Miscreants

    Ether combined with technology was capable of some incredible things when professional magical engineering came into play. The aircraft carrier Arthur was currently in was about as far from modern airliners as you could get, more akin to a spaceship from science fiction, shaped like a giant ball and yet it was somehow capable of rapid flight.


    It was a cross between a military chopper, a fighter jet and a commercial airliner, a single vehicle that could fulfil the purpose of all three. The flight was so stable- courtesy to a number of magical runic fields inlay into the aircraft- and the boarding so spacious, that Arthur was sure he could attempt a backflip in the seating room without paying attention to the laws of physics that said doing so was a terrible idea. If Arthur hadn¡¯t felt the slight lurch during take-off, he wouldn¡¯t believe they were racing through the air at seven hundred kilometres per hour.


    The aircraft provided by Lady Sleyca¡¯s people on Earth was made of an ether-rich alloy more durable than anything their Tier-1 planet could currently produce. The woman herself was far too powerful to step onto the ether-starved baby world. The aircraft was lightweight and extremely responsive to ether when heated, a trait that made it a joy for enchanters to work with. Unfortunately, it meant that the aircraft was also incredibly weak against fire magic, which was why they¡¯d been out of fashion since the last century.


    That particular limitation was the only reason why the System allowed such a powerful tier-2 vehicle past the integration phase protection laws. All of this had been explained to him by Bonak, a bubbly young alien who served as Lady Sleyca¡¯s youngest engineer. He also doubled as the aircraft¡¯s pilot, which he¡¯d named BonBon after his late grandfather, although the vast majority of the ship''s features were automated processes run by a very basic AI. That was why the young man had so much time to relax. He was currently sitting across the table talking Arthur¡¯s ears off.


    ¡°Yeah. And that¡¯s how Miss Sleyca found me, rifling through her personal storage room.¡± Bonak said, his skin flushing in embarrassment at the memory. ¡°It took me forever to explain I wasn¡¯t trying to rob her and that I¡¯d just gotten lost looking for the maintenance room.¡± He shook his head wryly, a very human action that looked out of place on his very alien face. Bonak was the first extra-terrestrial Arthur had met that looked¡­ different to his human sensibilities. The young alien belonged to a species called Gujralite, a race that looked like a turtle crossed with an octopus that had somehow found its way onto land.


    As polite as Arthur may want to be, Bonak had a frankly terrifying appearance and it had taken a while to come to terms with his golden retriever personality. ¡°Ignore him,¡± Farah said, a teasing smile on her face. ¡°The fool tells this story to anyone who¡¯ll listen. This is the eleventh time I¡¯ve heard it. This month.¡± The elf woman''s words were at odds with the indulgent fondness contained in her gaze. Arthur had seen that look in older ladies before, usually directed at puppies or some other such pet. The dimensional mage or portable teleporter as she¡¯d introduced herself found Bonak positively adorable.


    Well, there¡¯s no accounting for taste, I guess. It''s always the older ladies that are into creepy stuff. Arthur knew his thoughts were more than a little rude, but the primal part of his brain instinctively shied away from the young Gujralite. It was a visceral response that recognised the alien as something ¡®other.¡¯


    Bonak poked Farah with one of his many feelers. ¡°Eleven times huh,¡± he said, punctuating every word with another poke. ¡°That didn¡¯t stop you from sitting through every retelling, did it? Admit it. You like my storytelling, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Farah tried to put on a stern face, denying Bonak¡¯s accusations but failed almost immediately, descending into a fit of giggles. ¡°Stop that, you little shit,¡± she laughed, pushing away his feelers. ¡°It tickles.¡±


    ¡°Well maybe next time, don¡¯t lie about how much you love listening to me talk in front of our guests. It¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.¡± Arthur watched the spectacle play out before him, a reluctant smile of amusement coming onto his face. Their antics practically screamed sibling energy and had a familiarity that showed this particular interaction had taken place many times. It did a lot to humanise the strange alien in his eyes, and he felt himself slowly relax. C¡¯mon Arthur. If you want to travel the multiverse, you can¡¯t be xenophobic the moment you come across an alien that actually looks alien, he chided himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you''re so cute,¡± Farah muttered, grabbing Bonak in a headlock. And there it is. I knew I recognised that luck. Guess I just know older women. Farah had lines of age marking her face, which meant that she was positively ancient for an elf, renowned for being one of the more longer lived races. Add on the fact that her high level of 231 should have slowed her ageing further, and Arthur suspected the woman was well over 500 years old. She had centuries of experience on him and had been using magic for longer than he''d been alive, and yet her level had stagnated at level 221.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Even with the higher levelling requirements he faced because of his legendary class, Arthur¡¯s most conservative estimates had him hitting the system soft cap of level 300 within the next 200 years. It turned out that some people, like Farah, just hit their natural limits much earlier than that. Growing stronger after crossing the second class milestone became significantly harder, the monsters you had to hunt to continue to level at that point required parties of five rare classers to handle. That and the fact that the experience requirements grew almost tenfold meant most people just stopped trying at that point. Arthur wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Farah hadn¡¯t fought a proper monster in the last decade.


    Now she was heading to a battlefield where she¡¯d face the most dangerous foe of her lifetime. Sure, her job wasn¡¯t to directly fight- she was tasked with locking down space to prevent the Harvester¡¯s agent from fleeing- but that just meant she¡¯d be the first to be taken out if he wanted to retreat.


    Arthur was glad at least that Bonak had no part to play in the upcoming fight. With his measly level 113, he would have been slaughtered and Arthur would have been sad to see the joyous man¡¯s life cut short. Besides Farah, Lady Sleyca had placed her strongest warriors on this execution squad, a man Arthur had hardly interacted with who would use his sound affinity to scout their enemy and disrupt his balance. Besides Ayesha and himself, he was the only other human on the team, and at level 239, he was a hair''s breadth away from pushing up against the limits of power that System law allowed visiting aliens to possess during a planet''s integration phase. It was moments like this where Arthur remembered he¡¯d missed out on more than just an easy levelling zone when he¡¯d been forced to sit out of the tutorial. Even now, months after the system¡¯s arrival, he still didn¡¯t know exactly what the integration phase was and what protections it offered the planet.


    Besides Benjamin, their sound mage, their assault squad consisted of two level 190 elves, identical twins named Iroh and Ryka, both of them powerful wielders of fire magic. They would be their magical powerhouses for the upcoming battle. On paper, this was supposed to be an attempt at capturing their foe, but Arthur wasn¡¯t so naive to think things would go according to plan. The final person Lady Sleyca had sent was a beast woman of Dire wolf heritage, a massive behemoth of a warrior that towered over everyone else at seven and a half feet tall. She looked like a wolf that had been dipped into midnight black paint, given the ability to stand on her hind legs, and then injected full of steroids.


    A veritable slab of muscle with a presence that dominated whatever room she was in, a woman who despite her lack of magical affinity of any kind, had fought tooth and claw and used her physical advantages to drag herself into stardom as a fearsome warrior of great renown. There was much one could learn from Ursula, level 206 cosmic pugilist. A drive for power that bordered on obsessiveness and the relentless will to fight against the hand fate had dealt her. Arthur had taken an immediate liking to the huge warrior. He felt a kinship with her that was almost magnetic. There was just one teeny, tiny problem.


    Ursula was terrified of him.


    Sure, she¡¯d hid it well and held herself together when they¡¯d met but Arthur didn¡¯t need to be an animal expert to see that she¡¯d practically fled with her tail between her legs as soon as she could after meeting him. Arthur wasn¡¯t an idiot. He realised immediately it must be something to do with his status as a half-breed, especially when the monsters that had gone into creating the foundations of that part of him consisted of two apocalypse beasts and a flame dragon, creatures far, far higher on the food chain then the dire wolf ancestor she hailed from. Seeing it from that perspective, it made sense that Ursula was scared of him, though it was a bummer that she could sense his monstrous side even through the aura suppression bracelet he was wearing.


    In the last few hours, Arthur had grown used to the constricting feeling it placed on him, akin to being just a little short of breath all the time like he was wearing a too-tight weighted vest that prevented him from taking a deep breath. Already, however, he could feel its effects weakening, and he suspected he had another 48 hours with it instead of the weeks of use Iris had predicted. Huh, I guess seer¡¯s can¡¯t see everything , can they, Arthur mused. It was nice to know Iris had some limitations, though he¡¯d preferred to have not found out right before a battle where they¡¯d be relying extensively on her abilities.


    Arthur had come as their designated healer, explicitly ordered to not engage the enemy unless the situation turned dire. They didn¡¯t know if close proximity might allow the Harvester¡¯s agent to use his predatory link to drain Arthur. He wasn¡¯t too worried- his bestial instincts, which he¡¯d come to trust implicitly were silent- and they¡¯d be screaming to high heaven if his life was in any danger. It was a shame he couldn''t use the link to somehow damage the Harvester''s agent, though it made sense that an ancient creature would have fixed such an issue with their primary mode of attack. Whilst he could faintly sense the link, it resisted all his attempts to manipulate it. Maybe if I was a better soul mage. Already, he¡¯d used Homunculus Healing''s tertiary effect to store enough healing affinity ether in his party members to recover a hundred thousand health points each, an absurd value which would quite literally expand all their healthpools tenfold.


    That didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d be invulnerable or anything, a decapitation would still leave them very dead, but it provided a safety net against almost every other type of mortal blow. Arthur knew he wasn¡¯t supposed to fight. Bonak, Ayesha and himself were all relegated to the side-lines for the coming conflict.


    Despite that, Arthur could feel his heart rate begin to speed up. If the suppression bracelet could speak, it would have been groaning as it was forced to work harder to constrain Arthur¡¯s aura. No plan survived first contact with the enemy. He¡¯d get his chance at the bastard who wanted to make him a snack.

 Chapter 173- Watch Your Back

    Hovering twenty thousand feet above the Atlantic Ocean was perhaps the strangest gathering of races Earth had seen to date. Three humans, three elves, a Gujralite, a fae, and a dire wolf beastkin. There was a joke somewhere in there. Five different species, two of which were notoriously known for their bitter animosity- elves and beastkin didn¡¯t see eye to eye¨C and all of them had come together to take down one man.


    No one knew what the Harvester''s agent looked like, nor even the species of the foul individual who had betrayed his kind to serve such a genocidal criminal. There was bad, and then there was ''wiping-all-life-from-two-worlds'' bad. That was the level of depravity of the individual their target had chosen to work with. He¡¯d be shown no mercy from Arthur Ward, or any of the group for that matter, not even Bonak, who didn¡¯t have a mean bone in his body. Actually, do octopus people even have bones?


    ¡°I was expecting more, you know,¡± Ryka, the older elf twin, remarked, interrupting Arthur¡¯s wandering thoughts. She gestured with her hands. ¡°Barbed tentacles or something. You know, evil-looking.¡±


    ¡°Sod off, there¡¯s nothing evil about having tentacles,¡± Bonak replied, stroking his rubbery chin with one of his many feelers. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous you¡¯ve only got two arms.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m agreeing with my sister here,¡± Iroh added, ¡°but you¡¯re the most menacing-looking thing in a thousand miles, Bonak. And I say this with a 400-pound beastkin who could snap me in half standing right behind me.¡±


    ¡°470 pounds, actually,¡± Ursula corrected proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve packed on some muscle these last few months.¡± She flexed her biceps, each larger than the elf¡¯s thighs, and grinned widely, her sharp teeth flashing in a deadly, gleeful expression.


    It looked like she was finally beginning to relax, but then her eyes caught Arthur¡¯s, and her demeanour deflated as suddenly as a popped balloon. The change was so dramatic that even a blind person would have noticed, but the rest of the team ignored it. Everyone had their secrets, and prying into why the beastkin was so uneasy around a level 103 human- exactly half her level¨C would only reveal sensitive information Arthur knew she would have to reveal when she came face to face with Lady Sleyca. Until then, he appreciated the polite civility the group was trying to maintain. He could almost believe they weren¡¯t all incredibly curious about him. Arthur had caught Benjamin attempting to gouge him with his eyes more times than he cared to count.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie though,¡± Farrah began, filling the sudden silence before it could become awkward, ¡°but I expected the Harvester¡¯s agent to be more¡­ unique, I guess.¡± She scrutinised the screen hovering before her, where an image of their target played in real-time, captured by the ship¡¯s cameras from thousands of feet above. The Harvester''s agent looked like an ordinary middle-aged man¨C albeit in excellent physical shape¨C with sandy blonde hair cropped short and leathery, sun-worn skin that suggested a lifetime outdoors. Arthur agreed with her assessment; the agent looked as ordinary as they came, like a friendly older man who spent far too much time at the beach. Yet Arthur knew, beyond a doubt, that this was their target. Now that they were so close, he could sense the predatory link between them, growing stronger every second as the man on the other end tried to drain him, no doubt aware that his latest ¡®victim¡¯ was near at hand.


    Arthur wasn¡¯t worried about the agent¡¯s link. Now that he could sense it, he could gauge its strength, a thin, pulsing red thread in his mind¡¯s eye, drawn to the part of his soul hosting all his skills and class abilities. Either Iris had overestimated the agent¡¯s power, or she had underestimated Arthur¡¯s defences. Likely, it was a bit of both. Arthur estimated the link would need to be around three dozen times stronger before it could drain even a single stat from him. Unless this was an elaborate ploy to get him to lower his guard, he had nothing to worry about.


    And you just had to go and jinx it, didn¡¯t you?


    ¡°Hold on a second. Pause the video,¡± Iris suddenly instructed. ¡°Go back a bit, another second, to where he raises his hand to scratch his head. There. Right there. Zoom in a little.¡±


    Farrah followed her instructions and pressed a few buttons to bring the image into focus.


    ¡°Zoom in on his hand. Do you see it?¡± Iris asked.


    Farrah complied, and Arthur watched, bemused, as the group collectively gasped in surprise at what they saw. He looked closer, trying to spot what had everyone in such a twist. At first, he didn¡¯t notice anything unusual, just a bit of wrinkled skin, but then he saw it. It was such a small detail he would have missed it without specific instruction: just over the man¡¯s inner wrist, there was a black mark, about the size of a bottle cap, surrounded by faint, purplish lines that looked like varicose veins.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°What exactly am I looking at?¡± Arthur asked. Lady Sleyca¡¯s group looked at him in surprise. They had assumed he was part of Iris¡¯s entourage¨C a misconception he hadn¡¯t felt the need to correct. Clearly, this was information someone serving her was expected to know.


    Iris answered without missing a beat. ¡°You know how newly evolved planets are always warned to watch out for doppelg?ngers? It¡¯s the main reason the system gives everyone an identify skill, to help better equip the populace to handle the threat. That mark right there,¡± she said, pointing to the Harvester¡¯s agent on screen, ¡°is what happens when one of them slips through the cracks and is allowed to evolve: a Ghoulish Skinwalker, a monster that steals the skin and life of its victims. It makes a sick kind of sense that such a foul creature serves the Harvester.¡±


    Arthur digested this information, regarding their target with fresh apprehension. He looked like an ordinary man because he was, or at least he used to be before his very body was stolen from him.


    ¡°How do doppelg?ngers work? The way everyone talks about them in disgust¨C they¡¯re obviously treated differently from regular monsters. Even the system seems to detest them.¡±


    Iris sighed wearily. ¡°I¡¯m not the best person to ask. A system scholar would give you much better answers. Some say they¡¯re the by-product of a planet¡¯s evolutionary energy¨C the excess that isn¡¯t used for one reason or another. Others say they¡¯re the foul creations of Anti-life, the beings of chaos we constantly battle at the edges of system-controlled space.¡± She raised her hand to stop Arthur¡¯s incoming question. ¡°I can¡¯t say more. Even with my status, I¡¯d face hefty sanctions. You¡¯ll find out more before the¡­¡± She stopped herself, looking at him apologetically. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t say anything else. That just cost me a million system credits. Damn, another hundred thousand. I thought you¡¯d know that by now. Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop talking now. Don¡¯t suspend my account.¡±


    Arthur watched Iris as she muttered angrily to herself. He couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying, an impossibility given his high perception, which meant some kind of magic was in play. The others appeared tense, their faces lined with frustration and a hint of fear. It was clear they weren¡¯t responsible for the sound distortion¨C meaning something else was blocking his ability to hear. Judging by everyone¡¯s expressions, they¡¯d heard every word, which meant Arthur was the only one singled out.


    But why?


    It didn¡¯t take him long to figure out some possible answers. The only major difference between him and the others was that he was new to all of this. Despite his strength, Arthur was classified as a freshly integrated human. He hadn¡¯t learned what they all seemed to already know. So was it the system itself preventing him from hearing? But why? It had taken a hands-off approach until now¡­ or was it more sentient than he¡¯d been led to believe?


    Everything Arthur knew about the system, everything he¡¯d learned and deduced from Lord Ruffeus the Third, was now in question. The system was supposed to be a tool, a means of easing a planet¡¯s transition to an ether-rich society, managing skills, class development, and progress tracking. It wasn¡¯t supposed to actively censor information or have any specific agenda. Was it? From what little he¡¯d overheard, it almost seemed as though Iris was conversing with the system directly. Does it monitor every conversation? That level of oversight would require an insane amount of energy.


    Just as Arthur began to connect the dots, he realised how eerily silent the room was. Not the regulated kind from before but absolute quiet. He couldn''t even hear his heartbeat. Arthur''s stats allowed him to think quickly, but not to the extent that the world stood still by comparison.


    Time had frozen, or at least slowed down enough that the effect was practically the same. His bestial instincts flared to life, screaming at him louder than ever before about incoming danger. Arthur moved his arm and felt the slight resistance of time magic trying to slow him down. His Draconic Vitality was high enough to shrug off the AOE spell with little to no difficulty, only causing him to move ten percent slower than his usual speeds. His magic, however, felt like it had been delayed significantly, his skills almost unresponsive. Arthur hadn¡¯t been the fastest mage on his best day and now it felt like he was trying to juggle whilst drunk. Besides him, only Ursula had the requisite constitution to particularly shrug off the magic¡¯s effect, though it looked like she was moving in slow motion, nowhere near fast enough to react to what was coming, because something certainly was. In a flash of purple light, the Ghoulish Skinwalker was amongst them.


    Time and space. I swear they¡¯re supposed to be rare as fuck. How¡¯s he got both of them?


    An aura of violence oozed from the monster, drenched the room and sank into its walls. A grunt of exertion came from Ursula, her eyes wide in fear as she tried to move. The monster chuckled, patting her condescendingly on the cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯ll save you for last. I¡¯ve never had the chance to wear beastkin flesh.¡±


    The monster''s voice was dry and crackly like it hadn¡¯t seen water for the past month. He pulled a black dagger from his waist and approached Iris, a rictus grin of sadistic joy on his face. Grabbing her chin, the Harvester¡¯s agent pressed her lips with the tip of his blade, drawing a drop of blood.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to drain you dry. Fate-breaker''s daughter. I bet you¡¯d be delicious. Master would reward me so much too."


    "Alas, we don¡¯t have the time.¡± Doing his best impression of a creepy pervert, the monster raised his dagger to his lips and licked Iris¡¯s blood. He groaned in pleasure, sounding almost aroused by the taste, a haze of desire descending over his eyes.


    That was the exact moment Arthur¡¯s fist broke the bastard''s jaw.

 Chapter 174- Dont Look At Me

    Arthur had let things play out for a while to see what the ghoulish skinwalker would do. He was confident enough in his agility to save anyone if things got dangerous. With such potent magic at its disposal, Arthur was certain he completely dwarfed the creepy monster in terms of physicality. Magic-focused creatures tended to be weak in body. When the perverted monster looked like he was a second away from dropping his pants and rubbing one out, Arthur decided he¡¯d waited long enough.


    Had his magic not been affected by the time-zone, Arthur was sure he could have ended the fight there and then with a soul-spear strike to the skull. As things were, he''d done his level best to punch the skinwalker''s head from his shoulders, and judging by the popping crack that echoed throughout the ship, he¡¯d done quite well. Where the skinwalker''s mouth had been was a mass of pulverised flesh and splintered bone. Arthur¡¯s strength was his second-lowest stat, but when it was powered by 800 odd points of agility and delivered by a strike from a fist enhanced by over 2000 Draconic Vitality, well¡­ the results were quite literally explosive.


    The skinwalker, who Arthur dubbed Frankenstein, looked like a grenade had gone off in its mouth. Its jaw was hanging open like a broken door, attached to the rest of its face by a single thin strand of flesh. The monster''s tongue hung out of its mouth, a limp piece of meat pierced with holes that hung down to its throat. The man¡¯s formerly white shirt was now stained red, and thick viscous blood dripped down to the floor below.


    The monster¡¯s eyes were filled with a potent cocktail of emotions Arthur could hardly parse- shock, surprise, anger, a hint of fear. Recognition? If the skinwalker was in any pain, it didn¡¯t show it. That was all the time Arthur got, a single split second to look the monster in the eyes, and then it was gone, teleported away just as suddenly as it had appeared. Time started flowing again, and he rushed over to Iris, who was heaving for breath. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and she was covered in a sheen of sweat like she¡¯d just run a marathon. Arthur stood there awkwardly and rubbed her back as she bent over, coughing up a foul black substance that smelt like milk gone off. She retrieved a green pill from her storage bracelet and popped it into her mouth before finally standing back up, wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve.


    ¡°His blade''s poisoned. I¡¯ve been training against them since I was three, and I would¡¯ve died if I didn¡¯t eat that medicinal pill. Make sure that thing doesn''t touch you. Unless you''re our residential healer,¡± she said, leaning against him, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯d be fine if he stabbed you.¡± She was putting on a strong front, but her legs were jelly. Arthur was sure if he moved away, she¡¯d drop to the floor.


    ¡°Thank you for the help,¡± she murmured. ¡°Fighting another time mage is terrifying. He managed to lock down my skills from activating. That''s the closest I¡¯ve come to death in the past three years. Here I am, a fae princess. I¡¯m supposed to be some badass warrior that you¡¯d fall head over heels over,¡± she chuckled weakly. ¡°My first crush and all I¡¯ve managed to do is show you my bad side.¡± She was speaking quietly, but everyone was listening to their conversation, Lady Sleyca¡¯s people all with varying levels of shock on their faces and Ayesha with a knowing smirk. Getting so close to death seemed to have loosened some of the discipline Iris usually conducted herself with, and she didn¡¯t seem to care about her public image right now.


    ¡°And here I was thinking you¡¯d forgotten about that little date of yours you¡¯d asked me out on,¡± he teased.


    ¡°Oh, please,¡± she said, her skin flushing in embarrassment. ¡°I tried to persuade Aish to ditch the planet the second I remembered.¡± That got a laugh out of Arthur. He couldn¡¯t imagine the usually serious fae woman so flustered. Scratch that, I can totally picture it. Now that I think of it, that kind of absurd reaction oddly suits her.


    ¡°You wanted me to take you out to dinner, didn¡¯t you?¡± Arthur asked. Iris nodded her head fast, her body tensing up against him. She seemed to have forgotten that she was leaning against him, and Arthur wasn¡¯t going to be the one to remind her. The seer was breathing shallowly, and Arthur didn¡¯t think it was all the poison''s fault. She really wasn¡¯t lying when she said this was her first crush, was she? Damn, she¡¯s so precious. Arthur felt a surge of protectiveness in his heart. Whatever might come of their future relationship, Arthur did not want to hurt this young woman.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do you one better,¡± he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. ¡°Once we''re done here, I¡¯ll make you food myself, a signature Korean dish, passed down through my family for generations with my own unique twist. How about that?¡± Asking a girl out right before a fight that could decide the planet''s fate probably wasn¡¯t the best idea, but Arthur felt like it was the perfect time. It was clich¨¦ and probably raised a dozen death flags, but Arthur was feeling good about this. Maybe seeing her almost die had brought things into perspective a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that a lot,¡± Iris¡¯ reply was so quiet that an unawakened Arthur wouldn¡¯t have even been able to hear it. For a second, the mood was perfect, something straight out of a movie, but then Ayesha had to go and ruin it by clearing her throat loudly.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "I¡¯m happy for you, Iris, I really am. Never thought you¡¯d have it in you to finally get a date, but maybe we can save all the stroking up on him for when the planet¡¯s not in imminent danger. I don¡¯t think Arthur¡¯s going to go anywhere if you get off him.¡±


    Iris jumped away like she¡¯d been burned, banging her head on his chin in the process. She looked at him like it was his fault, raising her hands to the top of her head protectively. Arthur nursed his chin, rubbing away the pain that had lasted less than half a second.


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna bruise,¡± Iris muttered. ¡°What the hell are you made of?¡±


    ¡°Catnip probably, judging from how you were all over him,¡± Ayesha quipped. Iris flushed again for the tenth time in the last minute and glared at her best friend.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± She took a deep breath, trying to centre herself. It seemed to have worked because when she next looked at them, she was all business.


    ¡°Have you dimensionally locked down the area?¡± she asked Farrah. The elf woman nodded her head.


    ¡°I did it straight after the time zone broke. He won''t be teleporting into our midst so easily anymore, and his escape routes have been blocked off. The only way he can get out of my skill''s reach is if his boat suddenly becomes twenty times faster than the speed it¡¯s displayed so far. Either that or skinwalkers turn out to be excellent swimmers.¡±


    Iris smiled. ¡°That¡¯s some good news at least.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, we can''t all be trying to get laid,¡± Farrah muttered. Iris¡¯s eyebrow twitched, but she chose to ignore the teasing remark.


    ¡°Still, I can¡¯t believe we didn¡¯t anticipate that he¡¯d set his own traps for us. That time lock skill was too powerful to be anything but ritual magic. Now that it¡¯s been used, we shouldn¡¯t have to worry about something so powerful again, but don¡¯t lower your guard, Arthur; you''re the only one who was able to move. Were you able to identify him?¡±


    Arthur nodded his head. ¡°I used my ability, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen results like this,¡± he said, showing them the message he¡¯d received.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 74.1585%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Ghoulish Skinwalker, level 249- D#!ON?T L!#+00!!K A-??E**</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°That¡¯s expected,¡± Ayesha said. ¡°Monsters who do their best to blend in with civilization will have defences against identification skills. But at least we¡¯ve got a level. He must be spending a fortune on ether stones to maintain his existence here. I¡¯m just glad he¡¯s not past level 250. Mimic-type monsters evolve more often than your regular kind. One more level, and we would¡¯ve had to abort the mission.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re all ignoring the elephant in the room here,¡± Benjamin said, turning to stare at Arthur. ¡°I¡¯ve got more than a hundred levels on you. How is it that only you could move?¡±


    ¡°Ignore that, Arthur,¡± Iris answered for him. ¡°Benjamin should know better than to go around asking about your secrets. How would you feel if I asked you to give us a rundown of your class?¡±


    The man had the decency to look ashamed, but Arthur could tell the man had just asked what was on everyone''s mind. A memory of Selena¡¯s headless corpse came to him unbidden, and he shivered at the thought, coming to a decision. As far as secrets went, his incredible durability wasn¡¯t an important one, and so many already knew about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a bunch of titles boosting my constitution,¡± Arthur said. "At least I used to before I evolved the stat. My class only built on those strengths,¡± Arthur continued, ignoring the pointed glare Ayesha directed at him. ¡°As far as durability goes, I think I have you all beat by quite the margin, so please¡­ no one try to play hero and take a blow meant for the fragile healer. I can handle it better than you.¡±


    Benjamin looked sceptical for a second before deciding he was telling the truth. Ursula just nodded to herself- as if he¡¯d confirmed something she¡¯d suspected all along- and everyone else seemed to take it in their stride. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve cleared the air, how are we going to deal with Frankenstein?¡± Arthur asked.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Frankenstein?¡± Bonak replied, confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided to call the Skinwalker. He was the real bastard in that story, not the poor sod he created.¡± Arthur answered. He could tell Bonak was dying to ask more questions, but Iris quickly cut in before he was forced to explain the popular earthen tale.


    ¡°Ambushing him with my rituals is probably out of the equation now that he¡¯s ready for us. I never had much hope in that plan in the first place. Now we¡¯re going to have to fight him out in the open. The most important thing for that is setting up the battlefield. I¡¯m not much of a fan of combat over open water.¡±


    ¡°To deal with that, we¡¯re going to use a landing pack from the Simulan Era of aircraft. They¡¯ve been out of fashion for thousands of years, but they¡¯re perfect for landing aircraft on water.¡± Iris explained. Bonak¡¯s eyes lit up with glee at that, but it was clear that only he knew what they were. Iris quickly filled them in. The landing pack- or fake earth¡¯s descent as it was properly translated into English- was a kind of bomb that when used in water created a kind of sedimentary rock that would last for up to six hours before dissolving. In that time, it would serve as an excellent place to make an emergency landing, an item that was perfect for a time when magical aircraft were not equipped for landing on water.


    Things had changed now, but the item still saw use, usually as a means to host cheap parties over the ocean on overpopulated planets where space cost an arm and a leg. Today, however, it would create the perfect battlefield for them to deal with Frankenstein. Capture or execution, failure wasn¡¯t an option. One way or the other, the Skinwalker''s story would end today.

 Chapter 175- A Dragons Roar

    Ursula crept over the not-land, grimacing at the strange texture she could feel on the pads of her feet. It felt like a mixture of rubber and rock, a material that practically screamed artificial, and its chemical smell only made things worse. The foliage Bonak had managed to magic into being using his strange technologies helped a little- it was a necessity for her passive skills to work- and the cover the freshly, grown trees provided was more than welcome, but Ursula was starting to think she¡¯d been paid far too little for this job.


    As a beastkin, she was naturally predisposed to stalking her prey, hence why she¡¯d been given this task, despite it not being her formal occupation. Beside her was Benjamin, using his sound magic to mask the slight noise their bodies made. With their opponent being a space mage, however, Ursula felt it was all for nought. He¡¯d detect them coming from a mile away; perhaps he already knew their exact position. She shivered involuntarily at the memory of his cold, pitiless gaze. She¡¯d seen undead with more life in their eyes.


    The skinwalker made her feel unsettled like nothing she¡¯d ever faced before, an instinctive response that had been wired into her species- every species'' DNA- after millions of years of facing the unnatural mimic-type monsters. They were a blight every planet faced, their terror told in stories over campfires on the coldest days of the year.


    A doppelganger was never allowed to grow, certainly not enough to evolve into this abomination they were about to face. It was so rare that Ursula had never even heard of this particular variant of skinwalker before, and she dreaded the battle that lay ahead. Fear was not an emotion the Dire-wolf beastkin was accustomed to, yet it was something she¡¯d become intimately familiar with over the last twelve hours. Ever since she¡¯d met him. Arthur Ward.


    Ursula wasn¡¯t a stranger to those of stronger bloodlines; she¡¯d gone so far as to have a dalliance or two with beastkin nobility and felt the power of a world-lion as it tried to make advances on her. Rejecting him had been one of the most difficult things she¡¯d done. It had been a fight against every instinct, her very self, that told her to submit. That man¡¯s power had made her feel like a little girl again, made her want to tuck her tail between her legs and lower her head in submission.


    Arthur Ward made her want to prostrate herself on the floor.


    It terrified her that someone could have such a strong effect on her, and she worried that she wouldn¡¯t have the willpower to deny the man anything he asked of her. He wasn¡¯t even beastkin; that was what made it so humiliating. Ursula didn¡¯t know much about humans, only that they were one of the weaker races, and it galled her that her powerful Dire-wolf bloodline bowed before one. If he¡¯s actually human, I¡¯ll eat my tail. It was the only thought that let her maintain her sense of pride.


    ¡°Stop clenching your hands so tightly,¡± Benjamin ordered, reaching out to grab her forearm. She almost lashed out at the sudden touch but controlled herself at the last second. Non-beastkin weren''t aware of her people¡¯s ways, about the significance of touch, and she could allow the small slight considering the priceless items she held in her left hand. She unclenched her fingers and let her palms open up a little. In her grasp were three thin disks the size of dinner plates, two black and one red.


    Portable ritual disks, given to her by Iris, the fae princess. She still didn¡¯t know what to think of the strange woman. The seer''s confession to Arthur had blinded everyone, most in the room thinking the match-up didn¡¯t make any sense. There was dating down, and then there was someone of Iris'' stature pursuing a young man from a tier-1 integration planet. It was like a dragon going after a common lizard. At least that¡¯s what everyone else thought, even Ayesha, though she hid it better than the others. Ursula knew better. They were so equally perfect for each other, it was a wonder it had taken so long for things to take off. Had they been beastkin, Ursula was sure Iris would¡¯ve been knocked up already.


    But they¡¯re not beastkin, and you need to get your mind out of the gutter, she chided herself, focusing back on the ritual disks in her possession. Thankfully, they were far more durable than they appeared and remained unharmed from her momentary lack of attention. They probably cost as much as she made in half a year- the power of massive rituals constrained into twenty-centimetre disks. Creating them took a terrifying level of talent, and she was reminded that the fae princess was powerful in her own right, not merely a product of her father¡¯s strength.


    Ursula once again cursed the strange land she walked upon. It upset her natural equilibrium, and made her mind wander down strange paths she¡¯d normally never consider. The foliage helped, but it couldn¡¯t make up for the absence of true nature. She closed her eyes for a second and focused her senses. Her species'' trait, forest¡¯s sight, hampered as it was in this unnatural land, still worked, and she could sense her target was near. She¡¯d fulfilled the prerequisite condition of looking at him when the skinwalker had invaded their ship.


    ¡°Can you track him then, or is it a bust?¡± Benjamin whispered quietly, even though he was using sound magic to ensure the words reached her ears alone.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°I can feel his general direction, but it¡¯s not as accurate as I had hoped,¡± she replied curtly.


    ¡°I guess that will have to do. Beggars can''t be choosers.¡±


    Ursula smiled at the strange human idiom, finding that it wasn¡¯t as alien as some of the others she¡¯d heard. ¡°How close do you think we can get before you can¡¯t hide us anymore?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Iris wanted us within at least fifty metres before we activated the rituals, but since you can¡¯t track him perfectly, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be safe to move past seventy. Past that, I can¡¯t promise our safety. Hopefully, the rituals are still effective at that distance.¡±


    Ursula nodded her head grimly. The plan they had come up with- if it could even be called that- was the most harebrained scheme she''d ever taken part in and relied as much on chance as it did their team''s skill. The first step was the riskiest. They had to somehow get close enough to the ghoulish skinwalker to get their rituals off. How they could sneak up on a bonafide space mage, practically omniscient as they were within their domains, was anyone''s guess, but she was most suitable for the job, and so she¡¯d see it through.


    Renewing her purpose, Ursula stalked through the fresh grass. Whatever technological sorcery Bonak had cooked up, it was fast-acting. In the past few minutes, the grass had grown to reach her knee, and the saplings had become sturdy oaks that looked well into their middle years. Every moment that passed, Ursula felt her strength grow as the environment became one she was more used to. Unfortunately, they were on a timer; every second they waited was another they gave their enemy to prepare.


    Frankenstein''s little stunt with his time-lock had already taught them how deadly their foe could be when given time. They wouldn¡¯t be making that mistake again. According to Iris, they didn¡¯t have to worry about such a powerful skill being used again. Ursula wasn¡¯t so sure. They crept through the underbrush, pausing every few seconds to reorient themselves. The landing pack had created an area just over a mile across; more than enough room for a landing, but for the zone of their battle, it felt too small.


    Not for the first time, Ursula wondered at the physics of everything. For all intents and purposes, the mass of land they had created for this battleground was simply a very large, unwieldy boat, anchored to nothing, and yet it was as stable as any rock she¡¯d ever stood upon. She had a feeling these ancient landing packs Iris had found had been used for a lot more than emergency docking. Off the top of her head, Ursula could think of a dozen different applications- military applications- for those tools, case in point, the way they were using the items today.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting close,¡± she whispered. ¡°He¡¯s a hundred, hundred and twenty metres in that direction. I can¡¯t get it more accurate than that,¡± she said, pointing at a particularly dense brush of trees. The foliage was denser the closer they got to the skinwalker¡¯s ship, approaching the natural growth levels she¡¯d expect to find in a healthy forest. Ursula knew it was safe to talk as loudly as she wanted with a sound mage on her team- if they were caught, it wouldn¡¯t be because they were too loud- but she preferred to be cautious.


    ¡°Shit, I can sense his domain now. It¡¯s one hundred and sixty metres across, a perfect sphere. We won''t be able to get within eighty metres of him without him noticing,¡± Ursula said grimly. ¡°That¡¯s- that''s a lot bigger than we expected, isn¡¯t it,¡± Benjamin muttered, his skin paling.


    Ursula nodded her head. ¡°The only other space mage I¡¯ve seen had a domain ninety metres across. That guy gained a legendary class at level 200. Frankenstein¡¯s almost twice as big,¡± she said.


    ¡°Are you telling me this bastard''s got a mythical class?¡± Benjamin said, appalled. ¡°Are we ready to handle something like that?¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re about to find out.¡± Ursula wasn''t too fond of their chances. They¡¯d gotten as close as she dared. Any more, and she was certain  they¡¯d be noticed. Space mages had notoriously small domains relative to how much they were feared. It was ironic that those with an affinity for space magic laid claim to the least when employing their domains. They more than made up for it with the absolute control they had over their territories though, their ability to deny other magical affinities within them just one of many broken abilities they possessed.


    No, avoiding battle with creatures with spatial affinities was one of the first lessons you learned in life, though their being rarer than unicorns certainly offset the hazard they represented. Ursula placed the three ritual disks on the ground in front of her. Eighty-three metres away. It would have to be good enough. Any closer and the ghoulish skinwalker might just teleport away, forcing them to engage in a game of cat and mouse across the small island. He definitely would once he sensed the ritual disks and he certainly could if the rumours about space mages were at all reliable.


    There was no use in delaying. Ursula quickly pressed the centre of the three disks, and was rewarded with the satisfying clicks Iris had told her of. Three things happened at once, though only two had a visible effect on the world. One, all her teammates were suddenly teleported to her side, each and every one of them with spells ready to be unleashed. The invisible thing was a ritual that Iris had set up to lockdown the skinwalker''s domain- only for five minutes, true but it was a feat that told the terrifying story of Iris¡¯ capabilities.


    It was overshadowed, however, by the pillar of light that erupted in a dark shade of green as every cloud in a mile radius was obliterated. It was like God''s wrath had descended onto earth to smite his enemies. Except the light had originated from land. She¡¯d seen the attack from hundreds of thousands of miles away in space, safe on Lady Sleyca¡¯s ship. It had amazed her then.


    Now she was in awe.


    An attack using poison magic, except it looked like green flames. She could feel the heat like she was standing before a massive bonfire. The sound reached her then and it was like the magic had taken on a life of its own. She¡¯d heard its like decades ago when she was but a child, and it had terrified her then.


    A dragon was roaring.

 Chapter 176- Piercing Aura

    Iris¡¯s plan had been simple: send their best scouter to track wherever Frankenstein had ended up on the newly created island. Just because Farrah had dimensionally locked the area, it didn¡¯t mean the skinwalker couldn¡¯t teleport within it. Benjamin and Ursula had been dispatched, the former because of his sound affinity and the latter because of her species'' inherent trait that allowed far greater tracking in forested environments.


    From there, it had just been a waiting game, trying to time everything perfectly. Benjamin had given regular updates on how close they were to the skinwalker, which had certainly helped, but Arthur had still been forced to hold his skill far longer than he¡¯d expected. While it wasn¡¯t exactly an excuse, it gave a reason why his opening strike wasn¡¯t a perfect hit; perhaps Ursula had timed the ritual disks wrong, or maybe she hadn¡¯t gotten close enough for them to work properly. Any number of things could have gone wrong. But as far as teleports went, Iris¡¯s ritual disk provided the smoothest transportation Arthur had ever experienced.


    As Iris screamed ¡°Now,¡± Arthur thrust a fully loaded Poisoned Fang of the Hydra spear forward, even as he was teleported directly behind the skinwalker. Even as disorientated as the creature must have been with its domain suddenly locked down, the skinwalker still reacted in the fraction of a second it took Arthur¡¯s spear to travel forward, jerking to the left. Instead of piercing the ghoulish skinwalker¡¯s spine as Arthur had hoped, he only managed to hit the bastard''s right elbow.


    He could tell Frankenstein tried to teleport- the creature¡¯s body flickered momentarily before reappearing- a look of shock on his face as he realised his skill wasn¡¯t working. It looked like Iris¡¯ ritual had done an adequate job. A shame he couldn¡¯t say the same for himself. Had his strike connected, the battle would have ended in an instant. Iris had clearly expected him to fail- they wanted to capture the creature alive, after all, but it galled him that she¡¯d been correct. Well, she is a seer, I guess.


    This was his second time using the Poisoned Fang of the Hydra at full power, and it was just as awe-inspiring as the first time. It almost gave him imposter syndrome. He couldn¡¯t believe so much power originated from himself. Frankenstein was having a much worse time of it. While he¡¯d avoided the centre of the blast, the entirety of his right arm was gone from the elbow down, and his right eye had burst into a gooey mess when some of Arthur¡¯s poisoned ether flared out. The disintegrated jaw Arthur had left him with from his foray onto their ship was still present, which almost made him sigh in relief. Too often as of late, Arthur¡¯s enemies possessed unholy regeneration capabilities. That was supposed to be his shtick, and recent encounters had almost made Arthur believe he wasn¡¯t so special. This is how it¡¯s supposed to be. My attacks actually stick for once, he thought before Iris¡¯ teleportation ritual engaged again, jerking him back to the rest of his team.


    His job, at least on paper, was now complete, and it was up to the rest of them to deal with the ghoulish skinwalker. That was the plan, at least. There was just one teeny tiny problem. Frankenstein had grabbed onto his face with his remaining hand. Arthur teleported into the mini clearing where his squad was planning on staging their attack, directly behind them where they insisted a healer should be, despite his very obvious grand displays of magic.


    Frankenstein had come along for the ride.


    What happened next felt like something from a dream sequence, a surreal series of events that aligned perfectly to mess him over as much as humanly possible. For starters, Iris¡¯ rebounding teleportation ritual was horrible. Perhaps it was because Frankenstein had tagged along for the ride; maybe his overpowered attack had disrupted the ambient ether enough to mess up Iris¡¯s calculations; or perhaps, for the first time, the seer had made an honest-to-god mistake. All Arthur knew was that it felt like he¡¯d been punched in the balls and then hammered in the solar plexus for good measure.


    Arthur tried to shout out a warning, but it came out more as a whine of pain that had no hope of reaching anyone in time. The skinwalker¡¯s hand was still firmly clenched around his jaw, preventing speech.


    The same principles that had carried Arthur¡¯s inertia through the portal in his opening salvo now worked against him, the ghoul¡¯s momentum pushing him backwards over a particularly gnarly tree root and leaving him sprawled on the fake forest floor. The world spun, and he was seeing two of everything, but Arthur knew he needed to act NOW. Yet it was like trying to act in a dream; everything was sluggish, and his body refused to follow orders. The monster above him began to get up, seemingly immune to the teleportation sickness gripping Arthur- after all, the skinwalker was a space mage- and he knew if he didn¡¯t get a grip asap, he¡¯d regret it for a long, long time.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Less than a second had passed since his teleportation- hardly any time at all, yet an eternity in such a high-stakes fight. Sound travelled at 343 metres per second. Someone must have heard his less-than-perfect return landing. He could picture it: Ursula, or maybe Benjamin, starting to turn around to see if he was okay, maybe to even congratulate him for his successful attack. He¡¯d seen how fast Frankenstein could move, how deadly the space mage could be in close combat. Someone would die long before the sound of his warning reached them.


    All of this raced through Arthur¡¯s mind in a fraction of a second, his intelligence working overtime to compute information so fast. His body wasn¡¯t functioning properly, and his skills were unresponsive. He didn¡¯t know Lady Sleyca¡¯s people, but they didn¡¯t deserve to die.


    Iris was there too, and he actually cared for her. The monster had already shown it would target her first. Arthur did the only thing he could think of: he pushed his aura out, really pushed it, without any regard for his self-imposed restrictions. The aura suppression bracelet on his wrist broke like it was made of wet tissue paper.


    This was the first time Arthur had let his aura loose with intent to harm, all aggression and violence without using his domain skill to channel that power. Everything slowed down, like time was coming to a standstill, reality pausing to witness what was about to happen. Arthur¡¯s heartbeat pounded like a drum in his ears, the only sound in a silent world. Rationally, he knew nothing so dramatic was happening, that this was merely the result of extreme stress and pushing his limits for the first time in a while. Time must certainly be flowing normally for everyone else; they¡¯d probably already noticed his aura explosion. But that didn¡¯t mean that ¡®something¡¯ hadn¡¯t happened.


    Arthur¡¯s stats felt like they meant more, as if his superior life form trait had gone into overdrive. His mind wanted certain actions to be done, and his body rushed to comply, as if he¡¯d been living with some kind of lag his entire life and it had only just been removed. It was like his body and aura had become a single entity, lending his aura physical properties and his body esoteric ones he couldn¡¯t quite understand. Arthur knew how fast the Ghoulish Skinwalker could move, and knew his body alone would never be quick enough to make a difference, at least not as impaired as he currently was.


    Arthur¡¯s muscles twitched, and his aura responded. He didn¡¯t try anything fancy, didn¡¯t even know what was possible and what wasn¡¯t. He was acting on instinct. His aura rushed in the direction he¡¯d seen Frankenstein go. The monster was three steps away, eyes trained on Iris¡¯ turned back. The bastard was targeting her, just as he¡¯d feared. Strategically, it made sense to go after the seer first, but Frankenstein seemed to have a perverse obsession with her that Arthur suspected stemmed from his master¡¯s grudge against Iris¡¯ father.


    The demon in human skin would do anything to win the Harvester¡¯s favour. Arthur didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d done with his aura, but it looked like his blind fumbling had struck gold. His aura manifested as a physical force, striking the skinwalker. It wasn¡¯t powerful, less than a fifth of what he could manage with his body, but it was enough.


    The blow struck the monster on the back of the knee, and its leg buckled. The strike that Ursula and Benjamin had noticed too late to stop was disrupted. Had the situation not been so dire, Arthur would have found it funny: the beastkin and human scout both had their hands outstretched to stop Frankenstein, with the beginnings of a sound spell forming in Benjamin¡¯s hands. They¡¯d failed to react fast enough, but Arthur hadn¡¯t.


    The blow that should have struck Iris¡¯ neck instead struck the middle of her back. Four deep red furrows immediately bloomed, drenching her clothes in blood. They were about an inch deep and seven inches long. They looked bad, but Arthur knew it could have been much worse- fatal, even. The seer cried out in pain, fell to her knees, hesitated for the briefest of instances, then rolled forward to create distance between herself and her foe.


    Then, reality returned to normal, everything flowing at a regular pace again. Arthur¡¯s aura didn¡¯t retract- it vanished, as though it had simply ceased to exist. He had cut too many corners with his aura attack, using brute force to power a process that required technique and finesse. The backlash hit him like a truck, and it felt like his heart was splitting in two.


    Blood fountained from his nose, and he lost vision in one eye. It took him a second to realise the organ had melted out of its socket and was dripping down his face.


    The damage was severe, akin to the soul damage he¡¯d received when he¡¯d tried to force his soul magic prior to earning a class. A notification was clamouring for his attention and he spared it enough attention to realise it was warning him against the damage he¡¯d done to himself. No titles, unfortunately.


    Arthur grinned. His brain felt like it was boiling in his skull, but he¡¯d accomplished his mission. Everyone was aware of the skinwalker in their midst now. The bastard wouldn¡¯t be taking them by surprise anymore. It was time to end this fight.

 Chapter 177- Concentrated Healing

    It took Arthur an embarrassingly long time to get back to his feet. He couldn''t be certain, but he''d compare Iris'' less-than-perfect teleport ritual to a mundane soldier struck by a flash grenade. For a few seconds, Arthur had been seeing double and had trouble judging distances accurately. It had been as much blind luck as skill that had allowed him to strike Frankenstein with his aura attack.


    As Arthur had feared, the self-inflicted damage he''d suffered due to imperfect technique was akin to soul damage- though he could instinctively feel that it wasn''t quite the same. Arthur''s exploded eye remained a pool of pulverised flesh, his natural regeneration unable to help him. The stored healing affinity ether he''d prepared before the fight came from a legendary skill capable of healing soul damage. Yet even as the energy able to heal 100,000 points of damage was drained away, he could hardly feel any improvements in his wounds. It turned out that healing pseudo-soul-damage, or whatever this was, took a substantial amount of ether.


    In the seconds of the fight he''d missed, chaos had spread on the battlefield. All semblance of the plans they''d made seemed to have disappeared and the goal of survival had been made king. That was all they could do against Frankenstein''s furious onslaught. Ursula was bleeding heavily from a stab wound on her stomach and her left arm hung limply, the muscles at her shoulder cut. Arthur''s stored healing ether was working its magic but he could tell that his team''s wounds were recovering far slower than they should have.


    Who''d have guessed infusing your attacks with time and space magic would make healing a chore? Arthur joked sarcastically. The beastkin was the best off amongst them, with her high physical stats, meaning she could keep up with Frankenstein in melee, at least somewhat. No one else was so lucky. Iris was still reeling from the surprise attack she''d taken to the back, except now, she had a nasty gash on her forehead accompanying it.


    It was bleeding profusely and ruining her vision but the seer didn''t seem to care. She saw the world with more than her mundane eyes, after all. Benjamin looked shell-shocked, and judging by the blood dripping from his ears, it seemed his sound magic had backfired somehow. The powerful scout''s balance was blown to hell, and even as he watched, the man took a near-debilitating blow to the throat, saved from being fatal by Ursula''s timely intervention.


    Farrah was nowhere to be seen of course, which Arthur was infinitely grateful for. Had the dimensional mage been amongst them, the Ghoulish Skinwalker would have stopped at nothing to end her and flee her lockdown. So long as Iris'' ritual disks worked their magic, the old elf was relatively safe from retaliation within the comforts of their aircraft. The moment those rituals run out of juice, though, the bastard will go after them, Arthur thought grimly.


    Every fight Arthur ended up in, at least the high-stakes battles, always seemed to end up on a timer for one reason or the other. It meant that he could never enter into a battle of attrition, which he was sure to win with his status as a soul mage and incredible reserves of magic, and was instead forced to make rash decisions to eke out a victory. It took ten long seconds on his feet before he felt stable enough to take a step forward, hardly any time at all and yet an eternity during a fight where dozens of blows were exchanged every second.


    There was a dull ringing in his ears, loud one moment and then quiet the next. He was in no shape time but reality waited for no one and he''d delayed for long enough. Anymore, and his earlier struggles to save Iris would be for nought; the seer would die anyway. He rushed over to Ursula- though it was more a hobble really- and crouched down to kneel over her. The beastkin had just taken a nasty blow to the head and judging by the glassy look in her eyes, was more than a little concussed. Those kinds of injuries could prove fatal no matter how strong you were. Either that or risk damaging your brain irrevocably.


    Besides the head injury, Ursula''s shoulder muscles needed reattaching, the puncture in her stomach needed attention and three of her fingers had been cut off. This close to her, Arthur could finally get a proper look at the wounds Frankenstein was inflicting. Just as he''d suspected, every cut and bruise was covered in a purplish-blue light, visible only because of the mutation his eyes had gone through, pulsating ominously. The energy was potent and didn''t show any signs of dissipating. In fact, it looked like it was cannibalising Ursula''s personal reserves in order to maintain itself.


    This must be Frankenstein''s time and space affinities. Space to keep the wounds from closing and time to... what? Slow down the healing process and isolate the injury''s timeline from the rest of the body''s. Something like that. Arthur didn''t need to know how the monster accomplished this particular feat, though it would have helped him heal her faster. Probably would have saved me a bunch of Ether too. With no idea how the skinwalker''s magic worked Arthur would have to waste an exorbitant amount of energy to force the healing process. He had the reserves to spare, yes, but if everyone on the team needed to be treated like this, even he would find himself running dry.


    Arthur was briefly tempted to jump into the fight but held himself back from making impulsive decisions. Lady Sleyca had assembled this team with the express purpose of taking down the Harvester''s agent; they were strong enough to get the job done, no matter how things might look on the surface. Iris had told him as much before the battle began, that he should observe how things panned out and learn how professionals handled things. The fae woman was a seer, and if she believed it was in his best interest to work as the healer he''d been contracted as he was inclined to believe her.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Ursula wasn''t looking too good either- not everyone was as durable as he was- and it looked like she might actually lose her life if he didn''t get to healing her asap. Placing his hands on her temples, Arthur engaged his legendary skill, A Homunculi''s Healing. His skill''s primary effect was able to heal up to ten individuals at a rate of ten percent of his healthpool every minute. At three thousand ether per minute of use, the cost was exorbitant but still incredibly cheap when you considered how potent its effect was when used by someone with his stats. Against the skinwalker''s insidious magic, however, Arthur felt that the skill''s secondary effect was better suited.


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    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">Secondary Effect: You are capable of healing damage inflicted via poisons, curses, debuffs, disease, illness, concepts (dependant on concept mastery) and soul damage (so long as the soul shell maintains 70% integrity)</td>


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    In reality, the skill''s secondary effect was simply a description of the passive ability the skill held to heal certain types of damage. That being said, Arthur could feel a component of the skill''s matrix dedicated solely to that particular facet of the ability, a little much to simply describe a passive effect. The fact that it was separated into its own quadrant and not simply integrated with everything else told Arthur there was much more to the skill. Or he could be wrong and this would be a massive waste of time.


    Arthur trusted his instincts though, and they told him he was onto something. Instincts weren''t enough for him to go and risk a patient''s life, however. The conclusions he had come to were based as much on logical deduction and an analysis of the skill''s weave. If Arthur went with the brute force method to heal Ursula and continued with that approach on the rest of his teammates, he''d run out of energy long before he finished healing everyone. Arthur needed to be efficient and that meant that he had to take risks. Still, he gave himself a forty-five-second timer. Either he figured something out by then, or he''d give up and just dump ether into the skill until Ursula was healed. He hoped it wouldn''t come to that, though, as it meant he would be forced to choose between who to help and who to leave out to dry. Depending on the severity of people''s wounds, someone might actually die.


    Arthur poured some ether into the skill, a tenth of what he''d need to use its active component. Instead, he directed the energy down the twisting pathways that described its passive secondary effect. The weave here was a twisting, winding path that fed back into itself. There was no place for the energy to output; it was a self-perpetuating loop that did nothing with the energy that he fed into it. At least that''s what it looked like on the surface. Arthur knew there was more to the skill than met the eye. With class abilities, all he had to do was pour some ether into it and let the energy flow down established pathways. It was how the system made it so easy for mundane people to learn magic at such an incredible speed.


    Arthur''s experimentation had already taught him that you could take a more active role in this process instead of letting the system dictate everything. It had been a long time since then, however, and he didn''t know how much unlocking a class had changed things. Three hundred ether was hardly anything at all compared to what he normally worked with nowadays, but it was still a substantial amount of energy. He observed it carefully as he directed it through the established passive skill matrix. One revolution through it didn''t do anything to the energy, and now it had nowhere to go unless he reversed his progress, brought the energy back to the entry point and pushed it down the route it normally went down.


    Arthur didn''t even know if such a thing was possible. He did it anyway, forcing the energy to trace its footsteps and return to its original position as if he''d done nothing in the first place. It was a difficult process, like trying to reverse the direction of a stream. Arthur was glad he''d chosen such a small amount of ether to use. He had to take an active role in controlling it every step of the way to stop it from flowing in the natural direction of the skill matrix. He could feel rivulets of sweat roll down his temples. How much time had passed? Ten seconds? Twenty?


    The farther the ether returned upstream, the harder things got, like Arthur was pulling on a rubber band and holding all that tension. It was a delicate process and a single second of inattention would ruin everything. It was working though, or at least something was happening. He''d placed three hundred ether into the skill. Going through the usual pathways, the ether would have been converted into the healing affinity and outputted into his patient. What he''d just done, however, had changed the energy. Made it denser somehow. Three hundred ether had run to the end of the passive matrix''s pathways. Reversing that loop and returning the energy to its original position turned that three hundred ether into two hundred and seventy. The energy hadn''t been lost, it had nowhere to disappear to.


    Arthur''s experimentation had concentrated the ether and the chime of a skill level up confirmed things a moment later.


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    A Homunculi''s Healing has reached level 4...


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    Arthur grinned. This was the breakthrough he''d been looking for. Placing a hand over the glowing purple gash on Ursula''s stomach, Arthur channelled the concentrated healing into the beastkin''s body.

 Chapter 178- Transient Life

    In the end, using the new technique Arthur had figured out, it took him a little over six thousand ether to completely heal Ursula''s wounds instead of the sixty thousand he''d expected, a vast increase in efficiency at the cost of a little extra time. Healing the beastkin woman had taken him just under two minutes, and just as Iris had said, the attack force had been perfectly capable of keeping the Ghoulish Skinwalker engaged without his assistance.


    They didn''t fall apart like he''d feared even with one of their strongest fighters out of commission. It was a little humbling to know that he wasn''t always needed and served as a reminder that the world didn''t revolve around him. A battle wouldn''t go to shit just because he didn''t actively participate.


    As powerful as Arthur Ward was- there were very few at his level who could match him across the universe- the men and women he was fighting with today had been in this field of work for longer than he''d been alive. Lady Sleyca had hand-picked her people from across multiple worlds, they were each geniuses in their own rights, masters of their respective fields of magic. And beasts in physical combat, Arthur thought wryly as he watched Ursula savage the Harvester''s agent with a swipe of her claws. The wolf-woman had returned to battle with a vengeance, attacking with so much ferocity that Frankenstein could do little but defend himself.


    Ursula had been embarrassed to wake up with Arthur''s hands on her head and he''d had to force her to stay put until he could finish healing her concussion. It looked like she was trying to wash away the shame of her failure with the second chance she''d been given at Frankenstein. Arthur would have been worried if the woman wasn''t completely dominating the battlefield. At this point, he was surprised she''d ended up so wounded in the first place. Had she been caught off guard? Maybe she just got unlucky. Still, as good as things were going, Arthur felt uneasy. A seed of doubt had been placed in his heart and he''d learned long ago to trust his instincts. They were missing something, he was sure of it.


    And yet as he watched the ongoing battle, everything looked perfectly fine. Everyone was fulfilling their roles properly; Ursula kept the monster engaged in melee, focusing all its attention on herself and punishing every lapse of it with a devastating blow. Benjamin was using his sound magic to affect the creature''s balance and he''d augmented Ursula''s claws with a vibration that left every wound she inflicted jagged and gaping. Iroh and Rykah provided ranged support with a constant barrage of fire magic, alternating between rapid fireballs and solid chains of fire that cracked like whips.


    Iris, however, was the glue that held the team together and he wondered if Lady Sleyca had factored in her presence in her decision-making when forming this team. Without her, everyone would''ve been long-dead. It was her constant vigilance and timely interventions that prevented mistakes from being fatal. In the symphony of battle, she was both the composer and the conductor, everyone dancing to music only she could hear. It was beautiful to behold, her movements almost seemed choreographed with how perfectly executed they were in both timing and action.


    Arthur, of course, played a critical role. If Iris was the glue, then he was the foundation upon which the battle was taking place; constantly propping up his teammates with timely healing spells. Debilitating wounds were made temporary setbacks and every cut, scrape and broken bone was made better in seconds. Without Arthur''s constant assistance, someone would have died by now, of which he had no doubt. He''d learned long ago how to heal someone without directly touching them, a ranged healing spell of sorts. It cost more ether and worked far slower, but for battlefield healing, it was the most appropriate approach by far. His current range was around twenty feet. He could push further, but the cost grew exponentially, straining even his vast reserves.


    The Ghoulish Skinwalker fought with wild abandon, all aggression with no thought of defence. Considering the monster was borrowing the body of a disposable corpse, such a fighting style was uniquely suited to the creature. The monster didn''t care how much damage its puppets suffered. Its missing jaw had been replaced by translucent purple flesh, along with the arm Arthur had destroyed. It almost made him think his attacks had been useless, and he was right, to a certain extent. Turned out skinwalkers were all but immune to physical damage, the harm inflicted with that medium affecting only their physical shells and not their true bodies.


    That''s not to say they weren''t hurt by the destruction of their puppets; it increased the cost of maintaining their existence and permanently reduced some of their stats. Unfortunately, it was on such a small scale that it wasn''t an efficient way of hunting the creatures. Magical damage, on the other hand, was far more effective. The purple arm Frankenstein was currently using was shrivelled and weak, with veins of poisonous ether constantly running through and corroding it.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Despite how dire Frankenstein''s situation seemed, the monster appeared perfectly at ease. Far too calm for a creature fighting for its life. It''s planning something. I can feel it, Arthur thought grimly. No one else seemed to notice anything, not even Iris''s seer abilities, which made him doubt himself. Was he being paranoid?  Iris wasn''t infallible though; recent events had amply proved that and so he didn''t dismiss his fears out of hand.


    Frankenstein was constantly trying to target Iris but Ursula kept the monster from going after her. It was strange to watch, Arthur understood the strategic value of going after the seer, but the monster must have realised by now that it wouldn''t work. She was too well protected. It was almost as if the skinwalker had lost all semblance of intelligence, repeating the same series of actions like a broken record, fighting with less acumen than a pre-system beast.


    Arthur didn''t buy the sudden drop in intelligence for a second. It was an act, he was sure of it, and Arthur cautiously waited for the trap to close. Iris seemed to be on the same page as him now, at least the concerned frown on her face suggested she was. The Ghoulish Skinwalker lunged towards her, single purple arm outstretched and was summarily stopped in his tracks by a devastating punch delivered by Ursula. The beastkin''s fist struck the creature''s face with the force of a truck, completely caving its skull in and sending it reeling back. Arthur didn''t want to admit it, but the wolf-woman was far better than him at melee combat. There was a method to her violence that wasn''t immediately apparent and anyone expecting her to fight like a common beast was in for a rude awakening.


    Her combat arts were perfectly adapted for her unique physique, as refined as any of the martial arts found on Earth. If anything, hers was better as it took into account the vastly enhanced strength people possessed post-system, something Earth''s combat styles weren''t designed for. Were he to fight Ursula in a battle without magic, he wasn''t confident in his victory. His stats might be higher, but the woman was far better at using hers. She also weighed about two hundred pounds more than him, a substantial amount when weight translated directly to how much force you could bring to bear.


    Unfortunately for Ursula, the skinwalker was a poor match-up for her abilities. Even with her hands augmented by Benjamin''s sound magic, Arthur could tell that crushing the monster''s skull hadn''t done any substantial damage. Frankenstein was rocked for a few seconds where he had to grow new eyes from the purple substance that made up his true form, but apart from that, he was perfectly fine. They need to switch things up. The only attacks hurting the bastard are Iroh''s and Ryka''s and he''s learned to avoid them, Arthur thought grimly. If things continued at this pace, then they''d run out of energy long before killing the skinwalker.


    The moment he came to that realisation was of course the second Frankenstein decided to spring his trap. Arthur didn''t know what happened; he only felt an instinctive fear that he was in danger, that the prey they''d been chasing all this time had become their predator. There was no time to react, no time to do anything at all. A wave of magic was released from the Ghoulish Skinwalker, travelling so fast it might as well have reached him in an instant. The link that connected him to the monster, the one he''d felt posed no danger to him, attached to his very soul... exploded.


    I just had to go and jinx it, Arthur cursed, as he dropped to his knees, eyes swimming in and out of focus. It was like someone had taken an ice cream scooper and gouged out a part of his digestive system, painful in ways he never knew could hurt. Attached to his soul, Arthur could only thank his lucky stars the link''s explosion hadn''t damaged him more. Unfortunately, that wasn''t the only thing that detonated. Every piece of magic Frankenstein had used, every trace of it that he''d left festering in the wounds he''d inflicted distorted as space itself collapsed.


    Arthur could do nothing but watch as his worst fears became reality. Benjamin''s chest caved in, the explosion sending him careering backwards dozens of feet. Iris'' left arm burst at the shoulder, the limb flying off in a macabre display of broken bone and pulped flesh. They were the lucky ones. In a parody of the magic responsible for all this, time itself seemed to slow down as the inevitable unfolded before Arthur''s eyes. Ursula had taken a glancing scratch to the side of the neck, half an inch deep just seconds ago. It was hardly an injury at all, already on the mend.


    Too little, too late.


    Time and space distorted. Arthur''s vision swam. Ursula''s neck exploded. Her head went flying through the air, a rictus snarl on her face, now forever locked in place, her eyes widened in surprise, shocked at how fast her end had come. There had been no warning. One moment, she''d been amongst the living, and the next, her lifeless corpse dropped to the ground. Ursula Veras had been decapitated. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, on land that would cease to exist in the next half an hour, the mighty beastkin''s story came to an end.

 Chapter 179- Broken Promise

    Arthur had promised himself that no one would die today. It was incredibly arrogant of him, that he could determine the safety of another in an incredibly heated battlefield, but what was the point of having all his power if he couldn''t fulfill some difficult goals. They had made ample preparations for this fight, every member had been hand-picked from across multiple worlds because of their unique abilities. They had not one, but two prodigies who''d gained legendary classes at level 100, one of them an incredible healer and the other a seer who could peer into the future. The odds had been stacked extensively in their favour, to the point of almost being unfair. Iris had said as much; that all he''d need to do today is heal and observe.


    And Ursula was dead because of it.


    Arthur knew on a rational level that it wasn''t his fault. No one could blame him for the beastkin''s death. Battles were by nature unpredictable and Ursula had probably been fighting for longer than he''d been alive. She''d known exactly what she was walking into when she chose to go after the Harvester''s agent. Arthur knew all of this, his brain laid out the facts for him to see. Knowing something and making peace with it were two very different things, however.


    It was the nature of the human mind to focus on failure and Arthur''s brain was currently reminding him of every mistake he''d made today. Had he been able to strike true with Poisoned Fang of the Hydra, the fight would have ended in seconds. Before that even, if he''d reacted better to the monster''s invasion of their ship, there wouldn''t have been a battle in the first place. Those were abstract things though, and Arthur knew he couldn''t blame himself for how he''d acted in those situations. He''d done the best he could with the information he had at the time.


    The accusations he couldn''t ignore, however, were the ones his subconscious levied at him for things that had been well within his control. He''d actively chosen not to select anyone with his Source of Vitality title. It wasn''t something he''d forgotten. No, he''d remembered and consciously decided not to use it, heeding the warning Iris had given him to never reveal it. He could enhance twelve people with the equivalent of twenty percent of his Draconic Vitality without decreasing from his own stats in the least.


    Even a single percent of enhancement would have given Ursula around twenty five Draconic Vitality. Would that have been enough to save the beastkin? So long as her head had remained attached, Arthur would have had a chance to heal her. Twenty five Draconic Vitality provided the defence of thirty seven point five Constitution, around five levels worth of the stat for how normal melee fighters spread their attributes around. I could have healed everyone faster. Never let the bastard''s energy linger for so long. It would have been easy too. He could have gotten rid of the purple ether infecting everyone''s wounds in seconds, a fraction of the time he''d spent healing everyone. It would have taken around thrice as much energy, and so Arthur had adopted a conservative strategy, slow and steady healing. And Ursula''s fucking dead now, Arthur mocked himself.


    It had happened so fast he hadn''t even had time to react to it. One moment things were fine, and the next, limbs were flying. The scene unfolding before him looked like something straight out of a fever dream, but Arthur knew there would be no waking up from this. In the end, Arthur gave himself three seconds to feel like shit before pushing his guilt to the far recesses of his mind. He''d have time to deal with the messy cocktail of emotions once this battle was over, or else risk losing even more people to the Ghoulsih Skinwalker.


    By the time he''d gotten his head screwed on right, Iris'' arm had finished its ascent through the sky and was making its way back to the ground. Ursula''s head sadly never got that chance. Frankenstein sent a blast of concentrated ether at it- what Arthur now dubbed a space bomb- and he watched grimly as it exploded into thousands of fragments. Any lingering hope that Arthur might have been able to reattach her head before brain death set in was quickly snuffed out. Say what you wanted about Frankenstein, the skinwalker didn''t leave things to chance.


    "Attack him before he switches," Iris screamed as she was blasted back through the air.


    Arthur had no idea what the seer was talking about, but he knew what she needed him to do. No plan survived first contact with the enemy. He''d thought as much when Iris had told him all he''d need to do today was heal and observe. Hell, he''d even looked forward to the fighting he''d inevitably be forced to do when the plan fell apart.


    Now that Arthur was getting his wish, all he felt was a grim determination to make the skinwalker suffer. Summoning his soul-spear, Arthur entered into the first stance of the Star-spear Revelations. It was time for him to do what he should have twenty minutes ago. Kill this bastard.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ~Rykah Olis~


    Rykah Olis came from minor nobility, which as an elf meant that somewhere in her ancestry, so far back that no one could even remember, someone had done something suitably impressive and been awarded a title by a true elf Lord or Lady. In other words, her nobility meant jack all, something she''d been reminded of over and over again by the snobbish pricks her parents had forced her to interact with growing up.


    At that point, going down a career path as a System employee just made sense. It was a well-respected profession- albeit uninspired- and it was the easiest way for her to get off-world without spending a fortune. Her twin brother had of course jumped along for the ride. Five years later, she''d entered the employ of Lady Sleyca, an up-and-coming genius who many had their eyes on.


    Whilst overly ambitious, the woman made for a great boss and it was under her guidance that she mastered her first concept of the laws of fire.  All in all, one would say that she''d had a very fruitful career. Right now, however, as she lay on the ground, fake rock beneath her with a particularly gnarly tree root digging into her lower back, she cursed every decision that had led her up to this point. What in the nine hells had possessed her into thinking going after one of the Harvester''s agents was a good idea?


    She didn''t even know what had happened. Things had been going so well. They had the skinwalker- Frankenstein the strange human called him- on the back foot, victory seemingly right around the corner. Then she''d watched in horror as Ursula''s head was blown off her body even as the same insidious blew her knee out. Rykah was in a world of pain so she quickly summoned some Yarrow root into her mouth directly from her storage bracelet. Chewing it immediately dampened the unbearable pain of her shattered kneecap and allowed her to think straight once again.


    How long had she been on the ground? Five seconds? Ten? That was far too much time spent idle for a fight of such calibre and she was surprised she still counted amongst the living. Everyone had been hurt by Frankenstein''s last attack, which meant that no one was left to engage with the enemy. No way the skinwalker wouldn''t capitalise on the opportunity.


    The human healer was spared, a hopeful voice fed her delusions. She dismissed the notion from her mind immediately. However the poor man had managed to weaponise his aura earlier, it had left him in a far worse state than she was currently in, as far from combat-ready as you could get. And he''d only level 103.


    Groaning, Rykah sat up, wincing at the stabbing pain the motion caused her. On the bright side, the skinwalker''s latest attack had used up all the foreign ether he''d infused into her body, meaning Arthur''s stored healing was finally able to show its true might. The results shocked her. Within fifteen seconds of her receiving the wound, she''d completely recovered. Rykah had been shocked when Arthur revealed his ability to store healing energy in his patients. It wasn''t revolutionary, but the quantities he was capable of providing it might as well have been.


    At the start of the battle, Arthur''s healing energy had trouble dealing with the injuries inflicted by the Ghoulish Skinwalker and she''d felt... happy wasn''t quite the word- no one enjoyed it when they were forced to stay hurt for longer, but... vindicated. Yes, vindicated was the appropriate word. It made sense that such a broken ability had its own set of limitations. Except right now, she was being healed so fast, it was like time itself was being reversed on her wounds.


    In all her travels across the universe, she''d come across some powerful healers, individuals who''d dedicated centuries of effort to honing their craft. Getting treatment from them cost more than she made in her best year, which meant that Arthur was easily the best healer she''d been treated by. He''s got an epic class, doesn''t he? No, considering how powerful his poison magic was earlier and how durable he seems to be, it''s got to be legendary. Rykah let the knowledge settle over her as she opened her eyes to take in the battle taking place.


    As she''d expected, Arthur was engaged with the beast, keeping it in place even as his magic was rapidly healing everyone. Had she not come to the conclusion moments prior that he was a legendary classer, the sight of a level 103 human taking on such a terrifying creature would have put her into shock. Right now, however, she was simply in awe.


    A legendary class arising from a tier-1 integration planet meant far more than someone like Iris receiving one. She was fae-royalty; daughter of one of the most powerful men this sector of the universe had seen in the last millennium. It would be more surprising if she hadn''t received a legendary class. Rykah''s eyes narrowed as she stared at the healer going toe-to-toe with the skinwalker. Someone like Arthur Ward gaining a legendary class was altogether different. How talented did someone have to be to gain one when they came from nothing, from a planet where the ether was so sparse she couldn''t bring her most powerful spells to bear?


    I can see why Lady Sleyca''s so interested in him, then. Her lips grimaced in distaste. I guess he''s the Anomaly that''s got all the nobles in Feyton in a frenzy too. I can remember people saying it was supposed to be a healer of some kind. Staring at the young man''s back, Rykah almost felt sorry for him. The way things were playing out, the Harvester''s agent would be the least of Earth''s problems.


    The second stage of the integration phase was sure to be interesting.

 Chapter 180- Know Thy Enemy

    Fighting the Ghoulish Skinwalker was a humbling affair. Arthur¡¯s body was a work of art, his physical stats entering into the domain of legends. The weapon he used- his spear- was created from his very soul, a material the greatest smiths across the cosmos would go to war over. The battle art he was using- the Star-spear Revelations- was one that had been taught to him by a woman who¡¯d crossed the System limit of level 300.


    All this together made Arthur one of the most deadly combatants on the planet. Yet fighting Frankenstein was like trying to catch the wind. Every move he made was anticipated and dodged; his every thrust met nought but empty air, his slashes chased the monster¡¯s afterimages, and even his Muay Thai, when he chose to employ it, did nothing but tire him out.


    Fighting Frankenstein was an exercise in futility and he realised with growing humility that the only reason why he¡¯d managed to strike the man earlier, both with his fist and Poisoned Fang of the Hydra, was merely because he¡¯d caught the man off guard. Otherwise, as was becoming more apparent by the second, he was hopelessly outmatched. It made sense. The Harvester''s agent had been battling for longer than he''d been alive. A few months with the System wasn''t quite enough to bridge that gap. Arthur had fought some powerful monsters; the Ascended Bloodbeast, Shade, the Draconic Liverthion and most recently Wovan, the Hivemind Construct.


    Beating those creatures, whilst certainly not easy, hadn''t posed much of a challenge. Now, he understood that those creatures suffered from the same weakness he was currently faced with. Much like Arthur Ward, they had all been new to power, some of them only experiencing it for seconds before being thrust into battle. Well, Wovan was an ancient monstrosity I guess, but I was quite literally the worst possible matchup for the massive spider. And she was starving for ether the second she stepped onto Earth.


    Frankenstein, on the other hand, had spent entire centuries honing his craft. Whilst mankind was struggling with bronze, the bastard had probably been out there in the cosmos, terrorising an innocent civilisation. I might have him beat on raw stats, but he knows how to use his so much better than I do. In hindsight, this was all stuff Arthur should have figured out a long time ago, but all his recent successes had lulled him into a false sense of confidence. Now, if only I had realised this before I got into a life-or-death battle with this freak, Arthur thought grimly as he tried and failed to avoid the sweeping slash from Frankenstein''s claws.


    It turned out that trusting your eyes to judge distance when faced with a space mage wasn''t the wisest of ideas. Swearing, Arthur stumbled over an inconveniently placed tree root. Not for the first time, Arthur cursed Bonak for creating this stupid imitation of nature. Regaining his footing, Arthur thrust forward with his spear, knowing that he had no chance of hitting his enemy. That wasn''t his intention. With the momentary breathing room he gained, Arthur used his skill, Cloaked Blade, on his spear. He didn''t know how or why, but Arthur had noticed that his shadow skills, at least those parts of them pertaining to stealth had become significantly stronger. He suspected it was linked to how he''d avoided notice from even the system for the past few days.


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    Cloaked Blade (Legendary) level 1- A shadow mage¡¯s blade finds all men unprepared for death and comes with no warning. Your blade is deadlier than most for your enemies shall never see it coming.


    Passive effect: (Fixed) Hides 80% (previously 50%) of magical presence/signature when casting spells. 1.5% of the damage done via shadow magic recovers health, stamina and ether. (Previously 1%)


    Active effect: Pay 1.5 (Previously 2) times the skill cost for any affinity to reduce your magical presence by an additional 40%. Damage done via this inflicts the debuff Trapped in Darkness.


    Trapped in Darkness: Reduces speed, mental processing and skill usage by 25% (may be resisted)


    Pay 5 times (Previously 10) the skill cost to make your magic untraceable to all senses up to 2,500 (Previously 1500) perception or its equivalent. Increases damage of selected skill by 50% and inflicts the debuff Fear of the Dark.


    Fear the Dark: Reduces all stats by 30% for 30 minutes. You enter an immaterial state for 5 seconds after using this skill and become nigh invulnerable against physical and magical damage.


    Create a dark crest for yourself or place it upon a weapon of your choice. Used upon yourself, strength and agility increase by 30% for 5 minutes. Used upon a weapon, For one minute, every successful hit landed via the enhanced weapon upon the opponent''s flesh reduces an opponent''s speed by 5% (up to a maximum of 75%). Damage done with an enhanced weapon does not naturally regenerate for six hours and is partially resistant to healing magic.


    Dark Crest cost: 1,500 ether. (Previously 3000)


    Crest cooldown: 5 hours.


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    It took him about three seconds to create a thin film of water over his soul spear, only a few millimetres thick. Spending one and a half times more ether than he''d usually have to to maintain the layer of water put the cost of his spell at an easily sustainable three hundred ether per minute. He could''ve spent five times more ether to create a soul spear that was completely untraceable, but against an intelligent enemy like Frankenstein who''d already seen his deadly weapon, Arthur didn''t think he''d be too successful.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    With his Hyper-efficient trait, the cost to use such magic was 12,500 ether, a vast improvement from the 50,000 it would have cost without it. Unfortunately, all the magic that Arthur had cast before the fight had begun, his overcharged poisoned fang of the hydra, followed by all the healing he''d been forced to do, had drained his reserve significantly, something he hadn''t thought was possible.


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    Ether: 0/8,489 (653x10x1.3 [From trait: Superior life form])


    Health: 167,019/402,615


    (2647x58.5 [Base DV {30}x 1.65+0.3 [From trait: Superior life form]) x2.6)


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    He wasn''t willing to spend so much energy on techniques he wasn''t sure would be successful. If his spear suddenly disappeared, he was pretty sure Frankenstein would realise something fishy was going on. Instead, he''d chosen to coat it in a shell of energy that made his weapon more difficult to perceive, taking a trick from the monster''s book, similar to his messing with his perception of distances.


    His soul spear now had a weird translucent quality to it that made it difficult for the eyes to focus on and thus so much harder to dodge with impunity. It didn''t make him suddenly start winning the fight, but Frankenstein was now much warier of the weapon. A wary enemy, one who feared something, was far easier to predict, something Arthur had learned during his time sparring with other Muay Thai practitioners. Throw a few devastating kicks to your opponent''s lead leg, and it was all they would focus on as they grew to fear the pain and danger it represented.


    What he''d done was very similar, albeit against an enemy who far surpassed the children he used to practice with. He''d done nothing at all, simply coated his weapon with a little water ether, but Frankenstein didn''t need to know that. The spear had already hurt the monster so much, a portion of the damage dealt with it simply not recovering. Frankenstein already feared Arthur''s spear. Now that he''d augmented it- even if his augmentation was little more than a useful parlour trick- the spear grew to take the place of most import within the monster''s mind.


    As Arthur was right now, he wasn''t confident in his ability to defeat the Ghoulish Skinwalker. That was why he was doing everything he could to delay the monster; every second was extra time for his stored healing magic to get everyone back into the fight. That wasn''t to say Arthur thought defeating the monster alone was impossible, far from it. It was only that he recognised his chances would be much greater when everyone else was ready.


    From the corner of his eye, he could see that Rykah had sat up, though she still looked a bit dazed. It seemed like the flame mage would be the first to recover. All the while, Arthur continued to go after Frankenstein. he noted with grim satisfaction how the monster gave his spear a much wider berth, exaggerating his dodges to stay as far as possible from it instead of the hair-thin margins it had been avoiding the weapon by before.


    Arthur grunted as he forced his way past the time magic the skinwalker had placed on him. Whilst Arthur was far too durable for the monster to truly harm, the skinwalker was still able to leave faint scratches on his skin. That was all the damage that the Harvester''s agent required to work his insidious magic. Every faint scratch on Arthur''s body was drenched in time magic.


    Frankenstein was a fast learner. He''d already noted that Arthur''s natural defences were high enough to shrug off the effect of his time zone. Instead, the creature now targeted each of the little cuts on Arthur''s body separately, thus subjecting his every limb to a dozen different time speeds simultaneously. It was incredibly difficult to land an attack when your shoulder and elbow joints were subject to two completely different time speeds. His shoulder moved far faster than usual whilst his elbow felt like it was travelling through a viscous liquid.


    Arthur was a fast learner too, however. He''d already learned how to avoid the worst of the problems he was facing with the different time flows, though he still played up his apparent frustration with the magic. A strength was only an advantage so long as no one knew you had it. He discreetly created shin guards out of his ether, similar to the kind he had created when he fought the lesser Hydra, only this time, he created them with Armaments of the Soul instead of his shadow magic. He coated them with the darkest shadows he could generate to avoid any suspicion. Frankenstein was wary of them for a few moments before focusing back on his spear. Perfect.


    Twenty seconds later, Arthur got his chance. The monster had just ducked under a particularly vicious spear thrust; his footing was unsteady. A chain of fire came whipping through the air, wrapping around the skinwalker''s ankle and immediately burning through skin and flesh. On the other end, Rykah grabbed it and pulled, disrupting the monster''s balance further. Arthur was already in motion. This moment had been worked towards from the moment he decided to begin this fight with a spear in his hands, dozens of micro-actions and misdirections leading to this chance.


    His left leg raced upwards, rapidly slicing through the air in a perfectly executed kick, aimed directly at Frankenstein''s throat. He''d practised this exact motion tens of thousands of times and used it against others in hundreds of sparing matches, a simple motion in which one''s limbs moved from point A to point B in as short a time frame as possible. Arthur had made it an art form, only this time, his shin was coated in a hair-thin blade of ether formed from his very soul. As far as weapons went, it surpassed his crude soul-spear by quite a large margin.


    It sliced through the Ghoulish Skinwalker''s purple right arm like a hot knife through butter, the monster''s true form extremely vulnerable to soul damage when bereft of the defence provided by stolen flesh. Unfortunately, the Harvester''s agent was a beast well versed in melee combat; he had to be to make the most of his ability to possess powerful physical hosts. Even as he suffered the pain of having his right arm cut from his very soul, Frankenstein managed to tilt his head to the side.


    Instead of striking the bastard''s head from his shoulders as he''d wished, Arthur''s enhanced kick sliced through the upper fifth of the monster''s skull. Arthur rotated his body with the momentum of his attack and returned to a stable stance. Frankenstein staggered backwards, before dropping to his knees.


    Their enemy was down a limb. Permanently. It was time to end this fight.

 Chapter 181- Burning Reality

    A cornered beast always proved the most dangerous. In their final moments, all limitations were removed as they were whittled down to the most basic desire of every living creature; the simple goal of survival. Whilst Arthur was no hunter, he was intimately familiar with the failure brought on by being too hasty; a counter strike when he''d thought he''d won the fight had put him on the canvas far too many times for him to make the same mistake today. Not when the stakes were so high.


    Arthur watched grimly as the Ghoulish Skinwalker got back to his feet. He looked dazed, though far less than he would have expected from someone who''d just had the upper fifth of their skull sliced off. When he noticed no one was about to attack him, Frankenstein straightened up, his apparent weakness disappearing like morning dew in the sun. Arthur adjusted his grip on his spear and shook the tension from his left leg. He hesitated for a second before dismissing the soul armaments from his shins.


    Frankenstein knew what to expect now and Arthur didn''t want to waste his limited energy on a trick that wouldn''t work twice.


    "So you''re the one Mira tried to give my token to," Frankenstein rasped.


    His voice sounded like he was a heavy smoker who''d just had surgery done on his throat. Arthur didn''t know if he normally sounded like that or if it was because he''d punched half the guy''s jaw off.


    It was the first time the creature had spoken to him and Arthur could tell he was trying to stall for time. Arthur complied with the monster''s wishes anyway. Time was his ally too; every moment of delay was an extra second for his teammates to get back on their feet. Rykah appeared to have recovered completely, and Benjamin groaned as he sat up, coughing up a mouthful of blood as his broken ribcage healed. Iris didn''t look too good, but at least she was conscious.


    The seer had warned him to attack the monster before he ''switched.'' Arthur hadn''t known what she meant at the time, but whatever the case, it was too late now. The ether Frankenstein had been building up since his last magical attack seemed to have reached an appropriate threshold and his spell activated. It wasn''t an attack of any kind- Arthur could tell that much, else he''d have been a lot more concerned- all the magic was focused internally instead of externally.


    The switch was instantaneous. One moment an old human male stood before him, looking like he should''ve dropped dead a long time ago with the extent of his injuries and the next second, a massive Dire Orc stood there. Arthur recognised the species from his time in the final layer of the Locus of Power. The change had happened so fast that Arthur hadn''t seen anything, even with his considerable agility and intelligence. The Dire Orc was a huge creature, a true behemoth of a monster, all brawn and muscle, standing at just over eight feet in height and weighing north of six hundred pounds. Before, Frankenstein had donned the guise of a human, trying his best to integrate with the native species of Earth. Now clearly, the monster''s priorities had shifted.


    I should have seen this coming, Arthur thought wryly. It made sense that a space mage who was also a parasitic possessor of corpses would have a magical storage containing their arsenal of body suits. It''s like a magical armoury, except... disgusting and horrifying instead of cool. It was a small consolation that changing bodies clearly took a prohibitive amount of energy or else the Ghoulish Skinwalker would be a far more terrifying opponent. Arthur suspected the ability came with a few other limitations and certainly had a long cooldown period. Powerful skills cost more than just ether.


    Thankfully, the damage Arthur had dealt to the monster''s true flesh with his soul-infused kick seemed to have carried over. Frankenstein had only been in this new form for a few seconds and already his new right arm, which had been perfectly fine, was now a shrivelled up twisted limb that hung uselessly on the Dire Orc''s body. It looked like the thing would fall off with a little tug, which Frankenstein confirmed seconds later when he ripped the dead flesh from his shoulder.


    His very soul no longer had a right arm and the physical form was always a reflection of the soul. It was quite literally impossible for any body Frankenstein possessed henceforth to have a right arm. The same principle applied to those born without a limb as opposed to those who lost theirs later on in life from an accident or illness. The System''s arrival and the awakening process corrected genetic defects and those bodily processes connected only with the physical form. It didn''t heal the soul.


    If he was being technical, such perceived defects weren''t even considered as damage to the soul since they had existed since its inception; it was merely the origin state of one''s soul. Healing the body with ether simply used the soul as a template and returned someone to what was supposed to be their perfect state. The same principle applied when someone who''d had plastic surgery done was healed, they were returned to their original form without any of their cosmetic changes. Arthur bitterly recalled how so many men and women had come to the hospital for magical treatment, thinking the System had made a mistake in their awakening process and missed out on their recovery. Turning away a blind girl who''d never seen the beauty of the world when he had magical healing at his fingertips had not been an easy task.  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    With practice, though, I should be able to deal with those kinds of injuries. It would take years, decades even, but it was one of the main reasons why practitioners of soul magic were so highly sought after across the vast multiverse. Other treatment methods existed for those types of injuries, some almost indistinguishable from soul magic, but people liked the real thing. Back to the fight at hand, Arthur had crippled Frankenstein in a way the monster would perhaps never recover from.


    "I hate your types the most," the skinwalker growled, glaring at Arthur, "so na?ve and dumb. It makes me sick."


    The monster''s voice contained a vehemence that spoke of deep hatred and irreconcilable issues. Arthur was certain the monster was projecting someone else onto him when he said those words. He hadn''t done enough to piss off the monster that much. Had he? Arthur''s silence only seemed to incense the creature further.


    "Look at you. So comfortable on your throne of talent and potential. So arrogant," Frankenstein whispered. "One day, your talent will dry up, your potential shall fade away and your throne will crumble. On that day, we shall see eye to eye."


    "If that day comes, you won''t be alive to see it," Iris replied for him, as she walked over to stand at his side, her working hand stemming the bleeding from her ruined arm whilst Arthur''s stored healing magic worked overtime to fix it. Her voice was strong and powerful, completely at odds with her vulnerable appearance. In her eyes, Arthur could see a spark of rage he''d never seen before, and for some reason, Arthur didn''t think it had anything to do with her missing limb.


    "I am a seer and I will see my vision made manifest, even if I have to wring it from the hands of fate itself. She practically shouted the words, her rage such that she was almost heaving for breath.


    "A filthy mongrel like you will not live to see ANYONE fall low. Your life ends before nightfall. I promise you that."


    Something''s happened, Arthur concluded. In the minute since she lost her arm, she either heard or saw something that pissed her off enough that she no longer cared who she was facing or that she may lose her life. Just what was it? Is Lady Sleyca pulling some bullshit or is it the System?


    "Ah, Fatebreaker''s daughter. Want to follow in Daddy''s footsteps? Frankenstein mocked. "The soul mage I dislike for his innocence and stupidity. Your kind, however, I truly loathe," Frankenstein growled.


    Seeing the shock on Iris'' face, the skinwalker grinned.


    "Ah, was I not supposed to say that out loud? See, that''s what I hate about your kind. So arrogant that you think your friends are too dumb to realise that a soul mage is amongst them. What will you do? Permanently silence them. It''s too late for that. Every eye in the Stellar system is on that kid. What? Did you think you could keep him a secret or something? Please, I thought the healer over there was that idiot mascot of the group."


    Iris'' skin rapidly paled. For the first time since he''d met her, the powerful seer looked truly shaken. Benjamin, who by now had recovered enough to stand, looked at Arthur with a complex expression on his face; surprise, vindication, acceptance and... fear.


    "I guess that explains why everything''s been pushed ahead of schedule," Iris finally said.


    She swore loudly and in a rare display of frustration, she lost control of her aura. It was only for a brief moment, less than a second even, but it revealed a hidden depth to her power that left Arthur rattled, almost afraid even.. She''s been pulling her punches all this time, hasn''t she? Why? The quality of Iris'' aura outstripped anything he''d felt from a sapient being, perhaps even his own. She''s the daughter of one of the strongest beings in the universe, fae-royalty. Is her class truly limited to legendary? She never told me anything, did she? I just assumed it was.


    Today was a day of revelations it seemed, and this time, it was Frankenstein who didn''t look too pleased with the surprise of Iris'' true power. The Dire Orc''s face twisted in a humourless smile and Arthur could see a hint of madness in the creature''s gaze. Arthur was reeling. So much had happened in the past thirty seconds, he didn''t know how to feel. His greatest secret, the one thing that made him incredibly valuable across the universe, his soul affinity, had been revealed, Iris had been hiding her true power all this time, and a critical event of some kind had been brought ahead of schedule.


    "Ah, I guess it''s my time to play the fool now," Frankenstein chuckled. "I should have seen it coming. Now that you know what''s happening, it makes sense that your limiters have been lifted."


    He turned to stare at Arthur.


    "Still, it''s a shame. I would have loved to see the Wchaos the birth of an origina-"


    That was as far as he got. Iris waved a hand and Arthur''s instincts screamed at him to flee. There was an eruption of energy- Arthur wasn''t sure if he could even call it ether- and Frankenstein was engulfed in black flames. They burned, hot or cold, Arthur couldn''t say. Reality itself seemed to struggle to define its presence. A split second later, the fire disappeared, having burnt through its fuel.


    In the mere blink of an eye Frankenstein was gone. Dead. Erased from existence itself. The only identifier of his presence was a hole in space... where reality itself had been burned.


    What in the world just happened?

 Chapter 182- The Myopan Realm

    Arthur stared at the orc-shaped void in front of him with a complicated expression on his face. The world around it almost seemed less real... Fragile even. Iris'' attack had met the tier-1 limits Arthur had once faced against the Bloodbeasts and then bulldozed through it as if it didn''t exist. As durable as Arthur was, he wasn''t confident lasting any longer against such an attack than Frankenstein.


    It''s like those flames operate under a different set of laws to the rest of us. What were stats to a fire that could burn the very reality you existed in? Arthur took a shaky breath and he realised that his hands were twitching rapidly. It had been a long time since his bloodstream had been flooded with adrenaline, a very human response to danger for a body that had long since left the realms of man. Arthur idly noted that he hadn''t gained a single level from the fight, though such concerns seemed so mundane in light of recent events.


    Iris'' face was a mass of cold indifference, inhumane and aloof. Arthur would best describe it as a detachment from the rest of mortal kind as if her magic had burned not only her ether but the very emotions that made her human. Or fae, I guess. It took a few moments for warmth to return to her eyes, time in which the rest of them stared at her in shock. Arthur at least was happy that everyone else was as surprised by her sudden power reveal as he was.


    Farrah suddenly materialised next to him, Bonak and Ayesha appearing beside her a second later.


    "It was nice meeting you kid but times up," the old elf said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can feel fluctuations in the dimensional weave around us. We''re about to be teleported off-world."


    She pursed her lips and stared at Iris. "I''m sure our fae-princess over there will help explain things for you. Hah, I''m sure the two lovebirds are looking forward to finally being alone together."


    Iris didn''t react to the joke; she hadn''t even reacted to the presence of her best friend, Ayesha, never mind the old elf.


    "Make sure you stay alive until we meet again. Don''t let any of those fuckers get to you."


    Before Arthur could ask her what she meant, Farrah, along with the rest of Lady Sleyca''s people were teleported away. Ayesha lingered for a second longer before she too was gone. Arthur walked over to stand next to Iris. He didn''t say anything; just stood there in silence, staring into the horizon like the seer. If she was so powerful, why''d she wait so long to kill Frankenstein? Why did she let Ursula die? Arthur was sure there was an explanation for all this, but he couldn''t control the accusations that reared their ugly heads in his thoughts.


    The fae hadn''t moved since she''d unleashed her final attack and hadn''t spoken a word of explanation. Arthur had a thousand questions bubbling up but he held them at bay. The answers would come in time or they wouldn''t. He just had to be patient and if Iris wasn''t willing to tell him anything, he''d have to re-evaluate their entire relationship.


    The beautiful alien didn''t say anything for the next five minutes, but she did rest her head against his shoulder at the three-minute mark which Arthur counted as a win.


    "My father''s name is Ezron. He was born in a tier zero world just like you, one that went through System Integration during his childhood. He was born with an affinity for six magics, common ones, yes, but sometimes quantity is a quality all on its own." Iris'' words seemingly had nothing to do with what had happened, but he didn''t interrupt her.


    Arthur digested that bombshell with a lot less shock than he probably should have. With four affinities, Arthur was the type of rare genius a planet with Earth''s population produced once every three generations. Six affinities probably mirrored the same statistics, only across dozens of populated stellar systems. Rare didn''t even begin to describe it.


    "My powers were sealed when I came to Earth. It was the only  way someone as powerful as me would be allowed to come here. I''m going to have to give you some context so you can understand the next things I''m going to say," Iris said, looking him in the eye.


    Only a few centimetres were separating them and he could feel the warmth of her breath on his chin. This close, her eyes were mesmerising pools of inky blue.


    "Realms, much like planets, have tiers and they too evolve. A planet''s tier cap is generally limited to the same tier as the realm it exists within, though that rule has been known to be broken before. Our realm is known by many names, though the fae know it as the Myopan Realm, loosely translated as The Watcher''s Hour."


    She took a deep breath.


    "It''s a tier-4 realm consisting of one hundred and seventeen, no one hundred and eighteen dimensions since the new one we discovered when Alyssia came here. The System has spread across eleven of those dimensional layers so far, less than ten percent of our realm''s true size. Now as to why I''m telling you all this. Whilst my father is far more well known, my mother eclipses him in power just as I do someone with an ordinary class."


    "She comes from a tier-5 realm, so powerful that she can''t even exist here. Whilst we can speculate that beyond tier-5 exists, no such realm has ever been found. Tier-5 realms are also known as origin points or sometimes Prime realms; their existence bleeds over and influences the development of the thousands of realms beneath them."


    She chuckled at the expression on his face.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "I know it''s a lot to take in. The scale exists on a magnitude that''s hard to comprehend. Millions, billions, I don''t know how many countless realms are out there and our existence is limited to eleven dimensional layers on a tier-4 realm that''s smaller than average."


    "Why are you telling me all this?" Arthur asked, his voice hoarse.


    "Because I want you to know who I am before you decide to date me. This is some pretty important stuff, so I''d rather you heard it from me rather than someone else."


    "You''ll know my mother''s realm. It''s bled over into your stories, across all cultures and races. There are many names for it, but they all cover the same concept. Hell, the underworld, purgatory, the realm of the damned. And my mother is one of the thirty-nine queens of hell," Iris said in a solemn tone with an air of gravitas she usually avoided, her eyes intently focused on how he''d react to the information.


    "Damn. How''d your dad manage to get into her pants?"


    Iris'' brain short-circuited for a second and she stared at him in shock before bursting into laughter,


    "Honestly, I don''t know how that idiot managed to pull it off either. It''s like a house cat trying to woo a tiger. My mother is a terrifying existence, the ruler of twenty-three realms, some of them bigger than our own."


    Arthur tried to imagine that kind of power and failed spectacularly. What would such authority even look like? She controlled more worlds, no, more stellar systems than there were humans on Earth, and had so many people under her rule that Arthur didn''t even know if a number big enough to describe it had ever been spoken. He also learned something else. Tier 5 was the known peak. He''d known a pinnacle existed all this time, but it had been an abstract thing. Now he had a tangible goal to strive towards. Still, thinking about that kind of power gave him a headache.


    "Shit, I know that look," Iris pulled him from his reverie. "It''s less crazy than you''re thinking. Only like, one in a million stellar systems contain a planet that supports life. The ratio for those worlds that have intelligent life is even more skewed and the vast majority of them haven''t even evolved once. Most will never even know of her existence. She''s less a ruler and more like the strongest around. What do your people call it? A nuclear deterrent to keep other powers in check? It''s not exactly the same but that''s the best way I can describe it."


    "And this nuclear deterrent won''t have a problem with me dating her daughter," Arthur asked, eyebrows raised.


    He was only half joking. Against someone so powerful, it was a legitimate concern. Iris smiled at him.


    "No, I think she''d approve of you. Maybe a little too much if I''m being honest. If she becomes a nuisance, I''ll tell her to bug off, though you''ll probably never get to meet her before you break through the level 300 class barrier."


    "So that last attack. Magic from your mother''s side, I presume?"


    "Hellfire," Iris replied, "An affinity intrinsically linked with a higher realm. I can''t use it here without paying a heavy price. It''s not even supposed to exist here, but my unique status as a realm bridge, that''s a title I get for being a child of two realms, makes such things possible. Doesn''t make it any easier to cast though," Iris scowled and rubbed her temples. "It was of course the one thing I had to seal away when coming to Earth. The restriction was lifted a few minutes ago when the higher ups came to a decision."


    Arthur noticed that a drop of blood was running from her nose.


    "So that''s what it was right at the end. You looked really pissed off. So Frankenstein was right. Your limiters were removed."


    Iris sighed and smiled sadly at him. "Well, now that things have gone to shit, I''m allowed to tell you everything. You''ll find out most of it in the next few hours anyway." She swore loudly, the vulgar language sounding strange coming from the normally reserved woman. "If I''d known that, I wouldn''t have wasted a million credits trying to explain things back on the ship."


    So that''s why she got so annoyed before. She was fined these... credits. What are they? Some kind of Universal System currency.


    "Honestly, it''s a good thing I told you about realms. It''ll help you understand this next bit better," Iris said. "What exactly do you know about the origins of the System?"


    "Not much," Arthur replied. "I''ve been told it was made to help newly evolved planets better integrate with ether and make magic a more accessible skill. I suspect that''s only half the story though. The System is as much a tool of control as it is a means to uplift the masses."


    Iris looked at him consideringly. "That''s honestly a much better answer than I expected. You''re only half right though. The System''s origins date back seventeen thousand years, a lot younger than most expect. It''s not been around since time immemorial. In fact, many can remember a universe before it even existed."


    "Whatever you might think, the System really was originally created to uplift the common people, and while none can deny that some less than savoury political ideals tainted its creation, most can agree that it has fulfilled its primary purpose admirably."


    "And what was that purpose?"


    "I''m getting to that. Don''t rush me," Iris chided. "And now back to the topic of realms. The Etheric law of evolution dictates that everything in contact with this primordial energy must grow and evolve."


    She''d adopted the tone of a teacher and Arthur could tell she was reciting something she''d been taught.


    "Everything evolves; humans, fae, elves, monsters, beasts, plants. Planets evolve and so then too do realms. What you''ve probably not realised because of the System''s guiding influence, is that everything, even humans and fae, can fail an evolution. It''s not limited to only beasts and monsters. It''s just that the System has saved sapient species from suffering the same fate."


    "Actually, I saw the reports for that man you fought. What was his name... Shade, right? He''s a perfect example of a human who failed to evolve properly. When I said that a failure to evolve can affect everything, I truly meant everything. That includes planets, stellar systems... even realms."


    "Arthur, what do you think happens when a realm fails to evolve?"


    "I''m not sure, but I''m guessing nothing good."


    "That''s the understatement of the century. A fallen realm is a blight on the rest of existence. It is a corruption that festers and spreads, leading to the destruction of countless neighbouring realms. And right next to the Myopan realm, right on our very borders really, is a realm that failed to evolve to tier-5 seventeen thousand years ago," Iris revealed.


    It was the final puzzle piece to complete the picture and Arthur''s brain raced as he saw every interaction, every System mechanism in a new light.


    "The System was designed to give our realm a fighting chance, to get powerful soldiers ready as fast as possible to stop our realm from falling."


    "Is it working?"


    "One hundred and eighteen dimensions in our realm, and after seventeen thousand years, the System has only managed to spread across eleven. There used to be one hundred and twenty-three dimensions one thousand years ago and one hundred and sixty-eight ten thousand years ago. We''re losing Arthur, and badly at that."


    "The realm is dying."

 Chapter 183- A Dying Realm

    The realm is dying. The words hung in the air like a weighted blanket, stiffing further conversation. There was an element of unreality to it as if those specific words strung together didn''t make any sense. Arthur didn''t even know why he was reacting so strongly to the revelation. The realm had survived for seventeen thousand years. It would certainly survive for a few thousand more.


    It''s because I know I''ll still be around. Arthur knew exactly how powerful he was and if things went well, he knew just how powerful he would become. Unless the fallen realm suddenly ceased to be a threat, this would eventually become his fight. So long as he lived long enough- which he certainly would considering how high his Draconic Vitality was getting- war would find him. I guess that''s why I''m taking this so seriously, Arthur realised. This isn''t some abstract threat but my inevitable future. One day, he would have to fight, or die. Unless I suddenly drop dead, that is, the more cynical part of his brain reminded him.


    "So I get that we''ve got doomsday approaching sooner or later," Arthur said. "That still doesn''t explain why you got so angry at the end of the last fight. It didn''t even look like you were angry at Frankenstein either, so what was it?"


    Iris didn''t answer straight away. She bit her thumbnail and chewed on it, a stress response that she somehow managed to make look cool.


    "Long story short, there are multiple phases to a planet''s integration into the System Collective. The first phase, the one you''re currently in, usually lasts six months give or take a few days."


    She gestured at herself. "During that phase, a world is allowed to adapt to the changes brought on by the planet''s evolution. We also limit the contact and interference of alien races to those who can claim some kind of familial connection to the planet. People like Ayesha who have a single parent from the planet and their entourages, though there are a whole new set of rules to dictate who they''re allowed to bring."


    "To sum things up, we like to take a hands-off approach in the first phase of integration and let the native population find their feet." She smiled sadly at Arthur. "That''s why we didn''t interfere with threats like Shade and the Silver Rose even when they started breaking galactic law. Even the Lich Queen falls into the category of what we allow the natives of a fresh planet to deal with themselves, though I''d normally expect the integration administrator to send more assistance. I''m guessing it''s a mixture of the Harvester''s agent showing up here and a few other Anomalies." Iris said the word with a strange emphasis and looked at him pointedly.


    "You''re staring at me like that''s my fault," Arthur grumbled.


    The seer chuckled. "I''ll get to that soon. The most important part of the first phase of integration is that we, and by that I mean... hmm, how would it translate to English? Exercitus Systematis. The System''s Army protects the planet. You see, the moment a world evolves for the first time and reaches tier 1, it becomes a point through which the fallen realm can launch an invasion into our own. Of course, as a tier-1 planet, the world will only have to face threats limited to the same tier and a few weaker enemies from the tier above."


    Arthur could see where this was going now. He''d be an idiot not to figure it out.


    "During the first integration phase, the established planets handle the invaders for us, don''t they?"


    It wasn''t really a question. Arthur already knew the answer.


    Iris nodded. "For the first six months, we handle all the threats a planet faces from the fallen realm. We have to if we want the natives to survive long enough to become useful."


    "So where''s all this fighting happening?" Arthur asked. "I''m sure we would''ve noticed a war taking place at our doorsteps or something at least."


    "You''d be surprised what we can do with a few well-placed arrays and some ritual magic," Iris smirked and raised an eyebrow suggestively.


    "Right now, we''ve been redirecting all the invading forces to a single point in the north pole where one of our tier-1 battalions is stationed. We''ve got cloaking magic locking down the whole area and that''s after our dimensional mages relocated the death zone into an isolated sub-dimension," Iris said proudly as if she was personally responsible for setting up such an impressive system. Knowing her capabilities with ritual magic, she probably was.


    "So what happens when the second phase starts? You stop helping."


    "Not exactly, but yes, I guess," Iris replied. "The System''s army still deals with any tier-2 threat that tries to make it through but anything else we leave to the natives. We streamline all the invasion points to certain zones and dimensionally relocate the battle zones semi-off-world to limit collateral damage to the planet."


    "Like the dungeons in the stories Mathew used to read?"


    "Exactly like those stories. Who do you think fed the ideas to Earth''s novel market?


    Although Arthur knew aliens had played a significant influence in Earth''s culture and history, it always surprised him when he was presented with such blatant evidence for it.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "We try to limit it to one invasion point every hundred miles or so and keep them all landlocked, at least for planets where the native species aren''t adapted for aquatic combat. Experience has taught us that this is the best way for a planet to survive and grow."


    "So why has the six months been cut down to three for us?" Arthur asked.


    All traces of humour immediately vanished from Iris'' face.


    "You really know how to kill the mood, don''t you, Arthur." She shook her head wryly. "It''s about time I tell you, I guess. I''ve beat around the bush long enough. Three months ago, on integration day, a few red flags were raised. For starters, the System spent an exorbitant amount of energy compared to usual and handed out an extremely lucrative Beginner''s Quest, one that provided stats outside the normal levelling curve. Both things were noteworthy enough, but what really took the cake, was the notification that someone had returned from the dead. A reincarnator had returned to us."


    Iris raised a hand to stall any questions.


    "I don''t have enough time to explain what a reincarnator is, nor do I have the clearance to tell you, suffice to say such individuals are appointed the title of Anomalies. After meeting you, I can say with certainty that you''re not a reincarnator, but no one else knows that. Unfortunately, that''s not even the problem. A single anomaly, even one as rare as a reincarnator, isn''t enough to hasten the first phase of integration. The problem is... the System found someone far more interesting than a reincarnator. For starters, there''s Kazi Alukai. Even for a Prime, his power far exceeds the norm, enough for him to gain anomalous status himself without it. I suspect he would have been a legendary classer if the world hadn''t made him Prime. Then we have the Ice Princess, the uncrowned queen of New Normandy. She possesses a tier-4 bloodline that allows her to use a pseudo-tier-5 ether affinity, one step below my hellfire; Void Ice. That''s power that galactic empires would go to war over, but not enough to change the millennium-old laws of the integration phase."


    She looked at him solemnly. Arthur''s mouth was oddly dry and his mind was reeling,


    "That responsibility rests solely on your shoulders, an existence unlike any other. You see, Arthur Ward. You are an Originator." Iris said the word like it contained the answers to every question in the universe.


    "What''s an Originator?"


    Iris coughed in embarrassment. "Right, I forget how new you are to all this. You really are great at killing the mood. That was like the mother of all grand reveals. An Originator is a unique existence. Like, that''s exactly what they are. Across the vast multiverse, throughout thousands of different realms and countless dimensions, there are very few truly unique existences. Vampires, kobolds, orcs, humans, fae, wyverns, elves, dragons; every species has an origin point and every creature can be traced back to a common ancestor of some kind. You can do whatever you want with your DNA. Change your soul in some fundamental way. The chances are, someone has done it before you."


    "But not you, Arthur Ward. You''re an Originator, the first of your kind. A human who consumed a monster core. I''ve heard of many who''ve derived power from cores, but never someone who literally ate them. Whatever strange combination of species went into you, your first refinement changed EVERYTHING. You became an existence beyond legend, someone that even Transcendents would covet. Across all of existence, there is no one like you. It sounds like a simple thing, but it is anything but."


    Every word Iris said was another nail in Arthur''s coffin. He didn''t know exactly what was going on, but he did know he''d been thrust into the limelight in a way he''d never wanted.


    "So I get that Originators are crazy rare, but I don''t see why they''d cut down the rest of the integration phase because I simply exist. Besides, I''m sure the System would have told me something if I was an Originator."


    Iris chuckled mirthlessly. "Originators fall very far outside the purview of the System. It wouldn''t know what to make of you if you hit it on the nose. An Originator is a special existence in that concepts and eventually, laws will come far easier to you when you start to learn them, and they''ll be far stronger in your hands than someone else of equal mastery. You have a bunch of other things going for you, but the reason why the integration phase was cut short, the reason why even Transcendents want you, is because Originators represent the only sure fire way to gain a bloodline in the multiverse. If someone were to get their hands on your Origin blood, they''d gain a tier-4 bloodline straight off the bat. Perhaps even higher. They''d also gain an affinity for all the branches of ether you hold mastery over. As a soul mage, Arthur, you are the single most perfect golden ticket to power the universe has seen in the last ten thousand years. Even my mother would want to get her hands on you."


    "And I''m guessing them getting their hands on my Origin blood isn''t as nice as me donating a bit of blood?" Arthur asked hopefully.


    "Nothing so sweet. They''d have to kill you first. Even the least invasive methods of extraction will most probably kill you and definitely leave you in a vegetative state regardless."


    "So is that it? As soon as the second phase of integration begins, powerful aliens will be allowed to come down and kill me?"


    "Not exactly," Iris replied. "There are laws in place to protect Originators. They tend to make the most powerful soldiers for our war against the fallen realm, after all. My name will also offer a little protection. Whilst people don''t fear me, my father isn''t a man to cross. That being said, a lot of people will come after you. They''ll mostly be limited to tier-1, but you''ll get a few unscrupulous tier-2 bastards trying to get lucky too." She looked at him consideringly. "Right now, your power makes you the equivalent of an above-average tier-2 awakened, someone who''s gone through their second class awakening at level 200. Those who look at your level and expect easy tier-1 prey will be in for a rude awakening. You''ll have to deal with this stuff for a while. I''m trying to work things on my end to get you protected status, but it''ll take time. Anywhere from two weeks to a couple of months depending on the pushback the brass gives."


    Iris'' body was starting to flicker in and out of focus and Arthur could tell that the teleportation spell that had taken everyone else away had finally come for her. She was resisting for now, but the spell was only growing more insistent the more time passed.


    "Arthur, don''t let any of these lowlife bastards get the better of you." Iris'' voice sounded like it was coming from far away. "I swear, you better not die, or I''ll bring you back as a ghost and make you haunt a communal toilet."


    "Survive three, no, two months and I promise I''ll have everything sorted out."


    She reached into her pocket and quickly threw a small object at him before the teleportation spell whisked her away.

 Chapter 184- A Wanted Man

    Iris'' departure had left Arthur stranded in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with no land in sight. He had no idea which direction to travel in and the fake land he was currently standing on was minutes away from dissolving away. It hadn''t lasted anywhere near its predicted lifetime, which Arthur chalked up to the damage caused by the intense battle that had taken place.


    Unfortunately, Frankenstein''s corpse didn''t turn up any monster core. The Dire Orc had shrivelled up and turned to ash minutes after the skinwalker''s death, whatever magic that was used to keep it fresh for so long had departed along with the monster''s demise. Wherever the creature had stored his many stolen bodies, they remained still, either destroyed or forever lost. Arthur did, however, manage to loot a single grey gemstone from the Ghoulish Skinwalker. He didn''t know what it was- Homunculi''s Eye didn''t tell him much- but judging by its rarity, it had to be something good.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75.6786%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Space Stone (Epic+)- ??? Great for Alchemical uses and Inscriptions</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur didn''t know how to feel about everything Iris had told him. There was so much to it that he had somehow skipped past being overwhelmed straight to acceptance, He''d known that what he''d done was unique, even suspected that he''d been the first to refine himself with two apocalypse cores and a pseudo-divine one.


    What Arthur had never expected, though, was that doing so was such a big deal. And then there was the whole thing with Iris'' mother being one of the thirty-nine queens of hell, which happened to be an actual place. The System was created to give us a fighting chance against a fallen realm and all the help that we''ve been getting is about to disappear.


    On second thought, maybe he was a little overwhelmed.


    Taking a deep breath, Arthur tried to centre himself. Come what may, all Arthur could do was make sure he''d prepared his best to face it. Everything else, he''d have to leave up to fate. Reframing the way he looked at things- even if he wasn''t entirely successful- was oddly freeing. Finally, when the ground beneath his feet started turning the mush, Arthur pulled out the object Iris had thrown at him before teleporting away. It was a small silver ring, nondescript and completely mundane. At least at first glance. Iris had given the ring to him for a reason, though, so he used Homunculi''s Eye to identify it.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">


    Arandales Lockbox- (Soulbound), Unranked- Arandale was a notorious space pirate, his heists legendary feats of deception and misdirection. Some say his treasures could buy a tier-2 planet outright. Who''d have suspected he carried it all on his finger?


    Soulbound- None


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This is a unique spacial ring that becomes a soulbound item once significant ether is fed into it. The size of the inner space on the strength and quality of the owner''s soul. Whilst this may prove a limiting factor to many, this spacial ring boasts the greatest security known to sapient kind. The spacial ring''s space is protected by the lower middle layer of the owner''s soul, impervious to all but the most powerful of soul mages.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 61.2378%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Establish Link: 0/ 10,000 Ether</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur didn''t need to think about it. Everything that made it a limitation for others only worked off his strengths. Across the vast universe, there were probably a handful of spacial rings more suited for him and he doubted they''d be soulbound items. He was in the middle of the ocean with little to no ether and less than half health. Even so, Arthur directed his energy into the ring, spending thirty thousand health to make it his right away. Immediately, he felt a connection with it, much like the one he had with the Greaves of Achilles, only this connection felt even deeper.


    Arthur suspected it was because of how closely linked it was with his soul, even when compared to other soulbound items.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 47.0141%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">


    Soulbound- Arthur Ward


    Area- 27m3


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Twenty-seven cubic metres was more space than Arthur knew what to do with. Accessing the area was as easy as breathing and felt like an action he''d done all his life as opposed to the usual difficulty people had when using a spacial storage for the first time. Arthur guessed it was because the item was soulbound. It had resized itself to fit on his finger more comfortably and much like his greaves, he could dismiss it from sight if he wanted to.


    Thinking about the greaves, I seriously need to get used to using them more often. Off the top of my head, I can think of twenty situations where they would have helped a ton.


    There was no use crying over missed opportunities, though, so Arthur promised he''d incorporate them into his training regimen; whenever he got around to designing and using one, that was.


    With the novelty of his new ring wearing off, Arthur finally took a look at the items that had come pre-stored in the soulbound tool. There was a piece of paper with writing on it- Arthur guessed it was a letter- a jade token and a small crystal vial filled with colourless liquid. Arthur started with the letter.


    [Hey Art,


    I''ve wanted to call you that for a while now but never managed to work up the courage. I guess I''ll have to do it in writing.]


    Arthur smiled when he read that. The only people who called him Art were Elizabeth and Mat, and he hadn''t seen either of them in a while. Liz had gone off to her academy and Mat... I have no idea what he''s been up to. Damn, I''ve been a shitty friend. It didn''t escape him that Mathew hadn''t reached out either.


    [If you''re reading this, it means that my worst predictions came true and I''m no longer on Earth. The spacial ring is part of the reward we received for slaying the Ascended Bloodbeast and is by right yours. The vial is, too. It''s a stat potion that I mixed with other stuff to make it more potent. I''d much rather have given you all this in hand, along with all the other things I know you''ll need in the coming months. Unfortunately, System law prevents me from doing as I wish. Only under the effects of an off-world teleportation did I feel it was safe enough to give you the soulbound ring. It''s weird talking about things I know I''m going to do as if I''ve already done them. Being a Mythical seer can be difficult at times.]


    I knew it.


    [The items I left in your new ring pushed the limits of what I could place within it without binding the thing myself. Without a partner, it wasn''t too hard to get through its defences. Anything more though, and I''d risk destroying whatever I placed inside. Also, whenever I''m inevitably caught for my smuggling crimes, I can claim they were yours by right of your contributions facing the Bloodbeasts. I feel like a fraud, coming up with all these excuses why I can''t give you things. I''m basically a princess. Dating me should come with some perks.]


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Arthur smiled at that.


    [As for the jade token. Well, I couldn''t help but notice that you''re stuck in the middle of the ocean. And last I checked, you don''t have a house anymore.]


    This time, he laughed out loud.


    [Since you obviously can''t move in with me- I don''t know how you humans do your courting- the jade token will teleport you to a safe house I set up in England, on the border of a quaint little village called Mossley. I think it''s about time you travel the world a bit and get outside the US. That''s the first place people will think to look for you. The jade token is a permanent teleport link to the safe house and will last years so long as you don''t use it more than five times a week. Wherever you are on Earth, it will take you to your destination.]


    Arthur pulled said token out of the ring and analysed it.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">


    Jade Return Token, (Rare)- A token connected to a teleportation ritual set up in England, UK.


    Charge: 5/5


    Recharge time: 27 Hours/Charge


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur''s brows furrowed in contemplation. He had an important decision to make. A few minutes ago, he''d been prepared to swim back to land and make his way home from there. Now he had the opportunity to go to England. Arthur had mixed feelings about that. His mother''s family lived there, British Koreans. He''d visited once before as a child, the year Rize had been born.


    It had taken that long for his grandmother to accept that her daughter had married a white American man. All that goodwill had disappeared the moment his parents had died in a car crash and so they''d been placed into the foster system. If Arthur''s memory served correctly, they lived somewhere near Manchester. Arthur wasn''t so sure if he wanted to be so close to them. That and he was leery about travelling to a country he knew little to nothing about.


    Before he could come to a decision, however, the pale blue sky suddenly turned a vivid shade of green, as if the Aurelia Borealis had suddenly become visible, only it spanned the entire horizon. The ambient ether in the atmosphere began to move chaotically and he could feel his personal reserves go into flux. Something big was about to go down.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">


    Citizens of Earth!


    Congratulations on completing the first phase of System Integration. You rank in the 71st percentile of successfully integrated planets.


    We have watched as your world changed, from the days man struggled to mould metal to the great industrial revolution. We have witnessed your finest moments and your greatest failures and watched proudly as mankind rose to the occasion to defend their world from the threats brought on by the world''s evolution.


    You are ready!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur read through the System message with rising trepidation. Across the globe, everyone was looking at the same message with varying degrees of emotion. There were some who knew what was coming, many who viewed the System as a saviour and others who hated it more than anything. Those who were asleep were woken up, the injured were healed and the men and women across the world in the middle of combat were teleported to the nearest towns and cities. Every member of humanity, be they young and healthy or old and infirm was looking at the same message.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6971%">


    Those who have distinguished themselves above all others should be acknowledged. The System believes in rewarding those who excel. As such, those who have contributed the most to Earth''s continued survival have been placed on a global tier list. The higher within it you rank, the more System credits you will be assigned every day, with the top ten positions receiving a large stipend immediately.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur''s heart dropped when he read those words. He''d have to be an idiot not to realise what was about to happen.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">


    Number 1- Arthur Ward, Level 103


    Number 2- Natasha Sarkis, Level 123


    Number 3- Prime Kazi Alukai, Level 172


    Number 4- Prime Mortem, Level 145


    Number 5- Prime Rajesh Chakravarti, Level 119


    Number 6- Lily Karens, Level 137


    Number 7- Kade Addams, Level 141


    Number 8- Sam Whittiker, Level 99


    Number 9- Jessica Rylin, Level 166


    Number 10- Prime Patricia Heart, Level 143


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The list continued for a while, naming the top thousand contributors to mankind''s continued survival on Earth. That wasn''t the only list made visible to the public. There was one for the greatest leaders, the strongest fighters, the best healers. In total, there were fifteen lists and Arthur ranked number one for three of them; he''d contributed the most to Earth, was classified as the strongest fighter despite being a lower level than everyone else on the list and was of course the greatest healer around. Unfortunately, primes had been excluded from ranking in the strength category so he didn''t know how he measured up to Kazi Alukai.


    Being revealed to the rest of the world in such a manner was the last thing Arthur wanted, but it wasn''t the end of the world. That was what came next.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">


    As the world moves into the second phase of integration, the universal currency, System credits, has been made available alongside the System store where you can purchase and sell things at your leisure. All your actions till now as well as your placements on tier lists have contributed to the number of Credits you''ve accumulated.


    System Credits (SC): 2,347,194


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Arthur didn''t know how he measured up to others, but that was a lot of Credits.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">


    Now that the first phase of integration has come to an end, The System''s Army will no longer protect the planet from outer realm invasion. Invasion points will be set up across the globe and must be routinely cleared to prevent invaders from stepping onto the planet.


    Should the inhabitants of Earth fail to defend their world, then the nearest tier-2 planet Feyton will deploy soldiers to take control of the situation and will gain access to planetary rights.


    Note that Earth''s borders will be opened up to visitation within five days.


    Good luck and may you prosper.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was then, right after the final System message came to an end, that the message that would make Arthur''s life so much more difficult came crashing down to ruin Arthur''s day.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">


    Sector Wide Bounty Notice!


    Human Native of planet Earth, Arthur Ward, subsidiary of The Argar Collective has been found guilty of violating [Redacted] Empire law. The target is extremely dangerous and suspected of illegal experimentation with monstrous DNA, including but not limited to a Shadow Panthers, an Augmented Turtle and a Draconic Liverthion.


    The target is suspected to have spliced his DNA with an Apocalypse beasts. For the reward to be claimed, he must be brought in alive.


    This is a Timed Bounty and will only be active for 55 days.


    Reward: 1,000,000,000 System Credits + One Legendary skill of your choice


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well, shit.


    End of Book 4

 Chapter 185- Terrible Weather

    Rain poured from the sky, cold heavy droplets that washed the world of joy, hope and all things pleasant. The sun shone brightly beyond the cloud cover, yet the frigid temperature mocked its attempts to warm the land. As far as British weather went, it was a perfectly ordinary autumn morning.


    A small cottage sat at the top of a hill, surrounded by trees and foliage. It was a quaint building reminiscent of Victorian-style workmanship with a touch of more modern methods. Surrounded by a low wooden fence, the house seemed almost cut off from the rest of the world, a little slice of heaven free from the chaos and commotion of day-to-day life. If you were to ask the village locals about the cottage and its new resident, they would look at you strangely and give varying answers.


    "The widow''s cabin. It''s been around for as long as I can remember. ''Bout time someone moved in." Or, "That haunted house. The old lady there used to give me the creeps. Can''t believe she actually went and died. Thought she''d be there forever."


    Except when you investigated further, you''d realise that no one remembered when the cottage had been built or ever even seeing it until the new resident moved in. It was a good thing then, for Arthur Ward, that the people of Mossley village cared little for strange mysteries. If it didn''t concern them, then they''d leave secrets well alone. Life was difficult enough without going looking for trouble.


    Arthur stepped out of the cottage and took a deep breath of fresh early morning air. He looked at his frosty exhale and then at the sun shining brightly in the sky. You might as well be there for decoration at this point. With how much his body had changed over the past few months, Arthur could sleep soundly in the most extreme of temperatures be it the icy tundra''s of Antarctica or the scorching sands of the Sahara desert. That didn''t make the weather any less depressing.


    Arthur loved it.


    There was something about rainy days and grey skies that made everything seem so mundane and ordinary. Arthur could do with some mundanity in his life. It had been ten days since the System message informing the world about the beginning of the second phase of integration had been broadcast. Ten days since the mother of all bounties had been placed on Arthur''s head. He''d been adrift for a while when the severity of the situation hit him, quite literally in fact as he floated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.


    In the end, he''d decided to follow Iris'' suggestion and use the jade token she''d left him. That had brought him to Mossley village, right outside the cottage that had become his new home. It was the best decision he''d made in the last six months. Arthur loved everything about England, or at least the little slice of it he''d found himself in. The homely village was worlds apart from the sprawling streets and towering skyscrapers of his former city.


    Even the System''s invasive touch felt muted here, courtesy to old man Tom, a retired Vet who''d adapted to ether like a fish to water. He was ranked 112th on the world''s strongest list, which wasn''t the highest but proved more than adequate to face any threats the small village faced.


    In general, monsters of higher strength targeted larger population centres and the same rule applied with dimensional incursions. Of course, there were exceptions to this, like Wovan, who''d entered Earth in the middle of nowhere and the Harpy Queen who''d struck at the border between countries. That being said, Mossley Village experienced a level of peace and tranquillity few other places on Earth did, and whatever problems did crop up were quickly dealt with by old man Tom.


    It was an interesting sight; people who had been touched by the magic of the new world and none of the tragedy. The villagers didn''t view the System with the same jaded wariness everyone else did. They''re cynical enough to make up for it, though. Arthur had lost count of the times people had tried to refuse free healing because they thought he was up to nothing good; though the fact that he''d tried to disguise his healing magic as an offshoot of his water affinity may have had something to do with it. Besides a few hiccups with his neighbours though, Arthur had nothing to complain about. I guess a Seer knows what''s good for you.


    Ten days had passed since the timed bounty had been placed on his head. He''d learned a little more about what that meant by purchasing some information from the System store. It had been expensive; ten thousand credits, the same price as a common weapon. Arthur didn''t regret buying it though. He had the credits to spare and they''d do him no good if he ended up dead because he was too stingy to buy some information.


    A timed bounty, thankfully, wasn''t something created by the System. Arthur had felt a weight lift off his chest when he''d learned that. He hadn''t broken System law and somehow become the enemy of all sapient-kind across the universe. No, a timed bounty was something noble families with sufficient authority could post as a quest, using the System as an intermediary to deliver the message to as many potential bounty hunters as possible. It cost an absurd amount of money to post, at least ten times the value of the reward being offered and was a limited privilege that could only be used once a decade.


    As a native of a newly evolved planet, Arthur was offered certain protections too. Only one Timed Bounty could be placed upon him at any given time and it couldn''t be done more than once a year. That meant that as long as he managed to survive the next forty-five days, he''d be safe from such System-approved machinations for the next year. Of course, he''d still have to deal with all the people who''d go after him illegally and those strong enough that System law didn''t concern them, but that was a whole other can of worms. He''d deal with it when he had to.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    So far, Arthur had managed to avoid any of the hunters who''d come after him. An image of his face had been plastered across the globe, though it was a picture of him taken last year from his student days. He''d changed significantly since then, lost some weight and put on some muscle. His face was more angular now, his cheekbones more prominent and his jawbone sharper. Only seven months had passed since that picture had been taken but he looked like an altogether different person.


    It helped that all his monster core consumption had made him a lot taller. People were looking for someone a hair over five eleven, not someone who stood at six foot five. The main contributor to his continued freedom, however, were the hundreds of rituals Iris had worked into the cottage. There were so many of them, all layered together in a complex web of magic impossible to read, that Arthur had only managed to figure out the purpose of half a dozen of them. He knew they protected him from being scryed so long as he remained within five kilometres of the house and it also stopped seers from having any visions of him.


    Arthur owed the fae princess so much at this point he didn''t know how to repay her. Am I supposed to refer to her as a hell princess now? Arthur chuckled at the thought of how she''d react if he tried to. Unfortunately, his days of idyllic peace would most probably come to an end today. Five days ago, Earth''s borders had been opened for visitation for the first time in history.


    Aliens had flocked to every major city across the globe and dug their roots into the infrastructure of every government and country. Rules were preventing them from simply taking over, but most only followed the letter of the law, not the spirit. There was very little mankind could do when elves with centuries of experience politicking and the power bases to back it started to throw their weight around.


    Mossley, being a small village nowhere important, had managed to remain free from any outside interference. That would come to an end today. The alien nobility, who had settled in the nearest city, Manchester, had started to go around the nearby towns for a recruitment drive. They''d gone through Oldham, Stalybridge, and Ashton yesterday, hiring anyone with even a lick of talent. Today, unless they''d had a drastic change of plans, they would be coming to Mossley.


    The only invasion point in a hundred miles was situated in Manchester city centre and it was quickly reaching saturation. The average person wanted to avoid dangerous situations, even if they were now a means to achieve power and grow in levels. A few months with the System hadn''t changed mankind''s self-preservation instincts yet. Without the incentives provided by the aliens, Earth would struggle to put forward an adequate defence against the invasion points. The governments would have been forced to start conscripting civilians.


    Maybe Arthur was being too harsh on his race, but most people didn''t have a hero complex. They would let the invasion points fester and grow until the enemy was at their doorsteps and they had no choice but to fight. Of course, there were the odd few who believed their powers came with certain responsibilities, but they tended to die very early on. People like old man Tom, both competent and caring, were incredibly rare. Then of course there were those who thrived on combat and became addicted to it. This category died with even more regularity than the former and those that survived didn''t make for well-adjusted people.


    Arthur was honestly grateful for their alien visitors. Whilst they came to Earth with dubious intentions, they provided an established framework upon which humanity could create a stable defence. Earth would have survived without them- Arthur never doubted humanity''s tenacity- but the death toll would have been far higher, perhaps reaching the billions. Unfortunately, with the timed bounty on his head, regardless of how he might feel about off-worlders, he was forced to view them all as a potential enemy. Most humans too, Arthur thought morbidly as he recalled all the social media posts and news outlets telling him to turn himself in.


    He didn''t doubt that half the people in the village that he''d healed would turn on him in an instant if they found out who he was. It was a depressing thought, so Arthur tried not to dwell on it for too long. Even with all the magic Iris had set up to protect his identity, Arthur hadn''t left things up to chance. He''d gone and bought the most expensive mask he could from the System store, going so far as to use his first purchase discount of 90% off on it. There was of course a twelve-hour time limit on the deal to prevent humanity from abusing the discount and you could only spend the funds you had in your account the second the System store was unlocked.


    Arthur had paid the extra eleven thousand credits for express delivery and watched in amazement as the mask materialized before him, delivered via teleportation magic. Normally, a delivery could take anything from a few hours to weeks depending on what you''d bought and who the seller was. He''d already seen people complaining online about items being delivered to the wrong address and being lost in transit. The System had been swift in offering refunds which had mollified most.


    It''s like eBay but on an intergalactic scale, Arthur chuckled. Hell, you can even make a seller account for better profit margins. Stepping outside his cottage gates, Arthur materialised his new mask on his face. It had cost him a million System credits. Arthur didn''t regret the purchase at all. He''d been stuck at level 103 for a while now and he no longer had a reason to slow down his growth like when he''d been classless. Earth wasn''t strong enough to make him grow anymore.


    Perhaps an invading realm would serve as an adequate whetstone instead.


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    Faceless Mask (Epic+) [Upgrade potential: Legendary-]


    The perfect tool for a wanted man. Create a face of your choosing to show the world.


    Allows the manipulation of the body''s size by up to 10%


    Five saved personas can be stored in the mask at any given time


    You can create and modify the notification messages that show up when someone identifies you (Limited effect of perceived aura)


    A magical affinity can be disguised as another that you possess


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    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">Upgrade requirements to [Legendary-]: Protect against ten thousand identification attempts, 2kg of Gold Bronze essence, Grand Ern Roots (500 years of age), 1000 units of Fabrication essence, 3,000,000,000 Ether</td>


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 Chapter 186- Looking For Work

    "Good morning," Arthur said.


    He didn''t know how many times he''d returned the greeting today, or what was particularly good about the morning, but it had become a habit at this point. Arthur''s mask made him look like an average- albeit attractive- British man. He couldn''t help being a little vain with his current mask design and besides, everyone powerful was beautiful at this point. It came with the territory.


    He''d kept his height the same. Hardly anyone knew he''d gone through a growth spurt. His accent had been the part of his disguise he''d worried about the most, but the mask helped him deal with that too. All he''d had to do was set it to the most common British accent with a touch of American in it. Since no one had said anything, Arthur assumed it was working. He hadn''t even known it came with an accent-modifying feature. It would have made a pretty shitty epic item if he was discovered the second he opened his mouth though.


    Arthur wasn''t even surprised anymore when the rain suddenly stopped, disappearing as if it hadn''t just been pouring seconds ago. Arthur walked through the village and picked up a cheese and onion pasty from his new favourite bakery. It had become a daily ritual at this point and he didn''t feel right without it. Shit, I''m addicted, aren''t I? This was a vice Arthur was more than happy living with.


    He double-checked the System bulletin to see if he was going to the right place. It was a feature that had been unlocked at the start of the second integration phase and basically served as a news board, both on a universal and local scale.


    There was also a section that functioned as a place where you could post job offers, organise local events and meet new people. In Arthur''s opinion, it was best described as the System''s bastardized version of social media. The only difference was that you had to pay to post something and the amount you invested would contribute to how far your message would spread, anywhere from a ten-kilometre radius to a galaxy-wide post. Of course, the cost increased proportionally.


    As much as Arthur had promised himself to stop, he couldn''t help but mindlessly scroll through the hottest new news articles. It still shocked him how familiar everything appeared.


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    Princess Leia rejects General Crawley''s marriage proposal. What does this mean for the alliance?


    The Dark Side of the System. An exclusive interview with an administrator.


    Why you should invest in Chyrosource in 17,801


    What they don''t tell you about the Thompsons.


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    Some of the news articles were interesting and provided a window into how the rest of the universe was doing. Others had blatant clickbait titles and every fourth post was an ad of some kind. Of course, that was the moment the persistent ad removal service popped up. It appeared every time he opened the System bulletin, three thousand credits a month to remove all advertisements from your feed. Arthur refused it out of principle. I swear everything about the System is a cash grab. I guess magic couldn''t get rid of Capitalism either.


    Buy this service. Subscribe to this newsletter. Don''t miss out on the exclusive deal. Arthur found it refreshing how human the rest of the universe seemed. Or would I call it mortal? Sapient? Is it a rule that every intelligent civilisation must eventually create its own version of the internet?


    Arthur knew the real reason was that aliens had been shaping Earth''s developing culture since the Bronze Age. The reason why things seemed so familiar, and so easy to adapt to was because humanity had been led down a very specific growth path and not because of some natural law of societal progression. Still, things were so much more fun when he thought of it the other way.


    Five minutes later, Arthur''s self-imposed restriction on doom scrolling arrived and it was with surprising difficulty that he moved on to the real reason why he''d opened the System bulletin. There it was, right there at the top, one of three notices that people had paid to post in Mossley village. The others were an alchemist searching for a specific herb and a party looking for a tank to challenge the nearest Locus of Power. Arthur ignored the other two and opened up the first post.


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    Talent wanted!


    Do you have what it takes to defend your planet, to prevent the invasion of a realm that would see yours fallen? A planet''s evolution is a time of great upheaval. It is the first time when it is truly judged, its right to survival brought into question.


    Mother Earth has nourished and nurtured your race for thousands of years and now today, in her time of greatest need, she calls for champions to defend her land. Will you answer the call?


    Are you worthy?


    The Agroth family will be recruiting on Monday the 7th of October in Noteworth Park from 9:10 AM to 10:30 AM. All are welcome to come and see if they are qualified. Standard wages begin at 20,000 System credits a week. All recovery and healing potions required during work hours are provided free of charge. Further compensation and wage adjustments will be discussed at a later date.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    We eagerly await your presence.


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    As far as recruitment spiels went, Arthur thought this one wasn''t half bad. It was a little over the top, but he was sure many would be inspired by it. The notice had been posted three days ago, so unless someone didn''t use the System bulletin at all, they would have definitely seen it by now. Arthur wasn''t sure how many people would actually turn up though. Most people, at least those who were serious about their prospects would have travelled to Manchester or one of the larger towns for the recruitments that had taken place earlier instead of waiting for it to reach their little village.


    The only people who would show up today were those too lazy to travel a few miles and the men and women who had somehow missed the recruitment campaigns in bigger towns. As far as Arthur knew, it was still possible to apply through other means, but joining through the rallies often came with some extra rewards. When Arthur arrived at the park, finishing off the last bite of his pasty, he was pleasantly surprised by how many people had turned up. There were well over two hundred potential recruits, all of them standing around chatting or walking about to look through the many stalls that had been set up. A caf¨¦ of some sort had somehow managed to spring up and many were seated at tables, nursing hot cups of tea, trying to stave off the cold.


    At a glance, Arthur could immediately tell that more than fifty percent of the people here wouldn''t make the cut. Many were simply too low-level whilst others had rushed and crossed the level hundred barrier with a common class. No matter what their levels showed, they would never amount to much. Oh, I forgot about all the people who''d come here after failing elsewhere, Arthur realised. That explained why there were so many more people here than he expected. His suspicions were confirmed a second later when a middle-aged man came to stand next to him.


    "Is this your first time trying out?"


    "Yeah, first time. What about you?"


    The man didn''t answer immediately, instead stroking his wispy beard as if in deep contemplation. Just when Arthur thought he wouldn''t get a reply, the man spoke.


    "I tried once already in Manchester. Didn''t make the cut."


    "And you''ve somehow grown enough in the past four days since, that you''ll get in this time?" Arthur asked.


    The man chuckled. "No, not even. I''ve got an Uncommon class. Four days can''t change that. Rumours are, though, that the talent scouters are less strict in rural areas compared to the big cities. Hell, I recognise five people who failed in Manny with me."


    Arthur sincerely doubted those rumours held any truth. If the tests weren''t standardised, then it would lead to massive weaknesses in Earth''s defensive efforts and cause a whole host of other problems. He could think of ten off the top of his head. It would be a mark of poor leadership and make him immediately lose trust in the Agroth family, not that he trusted them much in the first place. Arthur decided not to tell the man next to him any of that. It wasn''t his job to give others a reality check and he had a feeling the guy already knew all of this. He''d just come on the off chance that those rumours turned out to be true.


    Arthur made small talk with the man- who he learned was called Johnny- until the time for the recruitment tests finally drew close. He learned a few interesting things about the local scene, which monsters tended to crop up where, who to go to when you needed proper healing, spots to avoid and who to keep an eye on as up-and-coming talents. They were joined halfway through by a young girl Arthur didn''t think was a day over seventeen. Sammy was loud and excitable and couldn''t go thirty seconds without saying something. She was also very clearly crushing hard on him. Arthur would have to be blind not to notice how she kept stealing glances at him when she thought he wasn''t looking.


    This is awkward as fuck, Arthur thought helplessly. He''d never had to deal with the attraction of someone so much younger than him. As a twenty-year-old strictly into older women only, anyone younger than him was a no-go area that he''d avoid with a twenty-foot pole. I swear I made myself less attractive with the mask. I guess my charm just can''t be hidden away, Arthur joked to himself. If Sammy had been an ordinary girl, he wouldn''t have given it a second thought, knowing this was the first and last time they''d probably ever meet.


    Unfortunately, after him, she was by far the strongest potential recruit here today and Arthur suspected she had an epic class. That meant they''d probably end up as colleagues or at least work together in some fashion in the future so it was best to nip the problem in the bud before any misunderstandings occurred. Arthur was no conversationalist, but the way he slipped Iris into the conversation, his beloved girlfriend, as he put it, made him want to pat himself on the back. The way Johnny was looking at him, amused with an eyebrow raised, told him he wasn''t anywhere near as slick as he thought.


    "Damn, I hate handsome fuckers," he joked, quietly enough that only Arthur could hear it.


    He smirked at the man and gave him a half-bow in mockery. Johnny scoffed and rolled his eyes whilst Sammy just looked on in confusion. Finally, it hit ten past nine, the time when the recruitment trials were supposed to start. Arthur had wondered where the Agroth nobles had been all this time or if they were running late but he needn''t have worried. They arrived in grand fashion using a large teleportation array, an item that Arthur knew cost a hefty sum of System credits. They were generally one-time use and the prices started at 15,000 credits, a lot of wealth to throw around just to avoid mundane travel. Five people had come: three humans, one elf and a halfling, all of them with power fluctuations suggesting they were rare classers at the minimum. He''d become a lot better at sensing these things over the last week, having finally had some time to practice using his Perception for one of its intended purposes.


    From the way the non-humans were positioned and the way they seemed to be waiting for orders, Arthur could immediately tell they were hired workers, perhaps guards of some kind. The old halfling was the strongest in the group by a large margin which led him to believe he was correct about the security job. The apparent leader of the group, a man who looked to be in his thirties stepped forward. His hands were clasped behind his back, the default pose of an elderly person, though it looked a little strange on someone so much younger. He cleared his throat.


    "Good morning, everyone. I''d like to thank you all for turning up. I''m surprised to see so many." He didn''t speak loudly, but his voice carried to every ear. "My name is Edward Agroth and I''ll be overseeing the recruitment trials today,"


    "I look forward to working with you all."

 Chapter 187- Fringe Walker

    Edward Agroth looked around at the people gathered in Noteworth Park. There were well over three hundred potential recruits, though half of them already had a mark of failure on their auras. He couldn''t begrudge them for trying again; he would have done the same if he were in their position. His personal feelings wouldn''t affect the results today, though. Re-takers had a less than five percent success rate.


    There were quite a few extraordinary individuals in this batch, enough for him to be surprised. At least he would have been if he hadn''t been told to expect certain things beforehand. Was there something exceptional about this village? He did recall that this was where the potential captain candidate Thomas Wells had said he''d originated from when he was recruited in Manchester. Statistics suggested that places with powerful protectors tended to produce weaker people on average. However, looking at the people gathered here today, he''d be the first to say the statistics were wrong.


    Most notable was the young man and woman immersed in conversation. The older gentleman with them, Johnny, his database told him, had failed to make the cut before, but by a very small margin. The others though, were a different story. The girl, Sammy, the daughter of the village baker was known as a local troublemaker. She used fire magic, though people had noticed that her flames were abnormally powerful, either the beginnings of a concept or a rarer affinity. She was someone to keep an eye on.


    The young man on the other hand was a blank slate, or at least he was to everyone else. Little was known about him beyond his name, Aaron white, someone who''d popped up in the village only ten days ago and moved into the cosy cottage formerly owned by an old widow. Edward frowned when he pulled up information on the man. There was nothing known about him, only speculations about his shadow affinity from when he''d entertained a bunch of children with some magic, and even that account was dubious at best, more hearsay than anything else.


    They need to hire better informants. If this was the quality of information they were getting. Edward conveniently ignored how his personal information base might be colouring his expectations a little.


    ~~~


    Arthur meanwhile, had finally gotten Sammy to shut up, pointing out that the recruiters had arrived. He was curious about how the tests would be carried out. Of course, he''d read about it online, but it was one thing to hear about something and another to experience it yourself.


    Everyone was told to queue up in lines and Arthur thanked his lucky stars that they''d been segregated into male and female groups. Sammy reminded him of Elizabeth, except they didn''t have a long history together which made Liz''s blabbering endearing instead of annoying. He was glad to be finally rid of the excitable woman.


    The existence of magic made mundane chores far more efficient, but Arthur marvelled at how fast four massive tents were set up. They were perfectly cylindrical, made from a dull orange tarp, each thirty feet wide and fifteen tall.


    Arthur knew they were cheap magic items that cost next to nothing but he was impressed nonetheless. There were two tents for the men, one for supports and the other for fighters and the same set-up was reflected on the women''s side. Arthur idly noted that Sammy was torn between the two tents before she steeled herself and lined up in the queue for fighters. So she has multiple affinities too. Or just a really versatile one. Arthur chose the fighter line without any hesitation.


    It was annoying that he always ended up in situations where he had to hide one of his affinities but right now, Arthur Ward, the number one most wanted man on the planet had been outed as an incredibly gifted healer. He wasn''t sure if his mask would be able to disguise that particular affinity as one of his more battle-oriented ones. With soul, he could camouflage it with his shadow affinity, but he''d never heard of any kind of shadow healing skill. He''d decided to let his healing skills rest for a bit, using it only in a limited capacity as an extension of his water magic.


    Arthur knew that he was more than qualified for the position he was pursuing as an earthen defender- he doubted there was anyone with better qualifications than him on the planet- but he couldn''t help but feel a little nervous. The fact that the first three men who walked into the tent returned almost immediately with frowns on their faces didn''t help things. And I was sure that redhead was going to pass too.


    There didn''t seem to be any rhyme or reason for the tests. Some would pass in less than a minute whilst others would spend ten times as long in the tents only to return as failures. No one could tell them anything either, every potential recruit had to sign an NDA; nothing serious, it would only last till the end of the recruitment rally and then they could scream to the high heavens.


    Arthur was near the middle of the queue, so it took thirty-five minutes before his turn came around. There was only one person in front of him, an elderly man who looked like he already had one foot in the grave despite the miracles vitality did for the body. Arthur was surprised when the man came out only a minute after entering the tent with a gap-toothed smile on his face. He made the cut. As a fighter? How? He looks like one stiff breeze will knock him over.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The man walked past him to join the group of lucky recruits. So far, twenty-seven people had been selected, a significant amount for such a small village. Considering that 80% of the chosen came from Mossley, even Arthur could tell there was something special about the villagers. Was that why Iris set up a safe house here? Just how far did she see?


    "Can the next candidate please enter"


    A piercing voice came from within the tent and cut through Arthur''s speculations. Now wasn''t the time to lose himself in his thoughts. For the umpteenth time, Arthur reminded himself that he had no reason to be nervous. There was literally no way he could fail. Taking a deep steadying breath, Arthur walked into the tent. The first thing he noticed was that it was far larger on the inside- at least five times as much- and he immediately remedied his misconception that the tents were cheap magic items.


    This was top-of-the-range stuff that cost hundreds of thousands of credits, especially considering the ether density within the tent was so much higher than outside. Arthur had heard of them, focusing arrays or concentration zones depending on who you were asking. They were usually static, tied to a specific place. Attaching it to an item like a tent probably cost half as much as the price he''d paid for his mask, exorbitant to the extreme, and Arthur realised that in the wider universe, his 2,000,000 credits didn''t count for much.


    There were also far more people inside the tent than had initially teleported into the park, seven that he could see and another dozen he could sense in the tent''s many rooms behind stone walls. It''s like someone got a building, shrunk it down and stuffed it into a plastic wrapper.


    "With me please, Mr white," a deep masculine voice said.


    It took Arthur a second to realise it was coming from the tabby cat on the floor, who he''d initially assumed was just an ordinary animal. In hindsight, the presence of an animal that had the aura of a level 5 mundane pet so long after the System''s descent should have told him the cat was anything but ordinary, It was quite literally impossible for animals at that level to to exist anymore, the ambient ether and improved food quality would have pushed them to double digits by now.


    Arthur tried not to let the surprise show on his face, he knew there were countless different species out there but this was the first he''d heard of a talking cat. No science could explain how a cat''s mouth and voice box were capable of human speech but it hardly mattered when ether existed. If the cat noticed how surprised Arthur was, he didn''t show it and began walking through the walkway set at the centre of the tent. The cat didn''t say anything and so neither did Arthur. Eventually, they reached a large wooden door that looked more like something you''d see in a small castle than a recruitment building.


    "Please go through the door. Mr Agroth is waiting for you," the tabby cat said before sauntering away. Arthur stood there awkwardly for a moment. He''d been in the tent for forty seconds already, which meant that the recruitment process differed from person to person. There was no way he''d be leaving in less than a minute like so many others. There was no point wasting time. Arthur walked into the room. He was pleasantly surprised when it didn''t turn out to be a dreary office. For starters, there was a roaring fireplace taking up the left side of the room, and instead of an intimidating desk setup, there were two couches arranged at the centre of the room with a beautiful oak table in the middle.


    Seated on one of the couches was Edward Agroth. He looked far more relaxed here than he had outside delivering his speech.


    "Take a seat, Mr White," the man ordered.


    Arthur sat down opposite him. The noble poured a cup of tea for him and passed it over.


    "You''ve passed the recruitment process already, so we can get that out of the way. We''d have to be blind to reject you. I just wanted to talk to you personally first."


    "That''s perfectly fine," Arthur replied.


    Edward looked down at a tablet he pulled from his storage item.


    "We have very little information on you, hardly anything at all, which is surprising considering the obvious strength I can sense from you. Honestly, I''m pretty sure you could best me in battle despite our massive level difference, which is nothing short of insane."


    Arthur didn''t know how to reply to that so he remained silent. He''d used his mask to adjust his apparent power but not by so much that someone would get suspicious the second they saw him in action. Hiding his strength would just be shooting himself in the foot, there was no point going to invasion points if he half-assed things. He''d gain nothing but wasted time.


    No, Arthur would distinguish himself as one of the greatest fighters on Earth. The fact that the name Aaron White didn''t appear on the leader boards wasn''t much of an issue. There were many reasons why people were relegated from the rankings, primarily because their origins were not entirely native to Earth. His past was shrouded in secrecy; he''d literally appeared out of nowhere and so he perfectly fit the description of an outworlder.


    "That being said, even if we are going to accept you, we can''t skip the tests altogether, hence this interview," Edward said, pulling him from his musings. "Procedure exists for a reason. Just one question, nothing too invasive. What''s your primary affinity?"


    Arthur paused for a moment before replying.


    "I use shadow magic the most, followed by water. I''ve started to touch on the concept of perpetuity, which makes my shadows more tangible and the damage done with them lasts a little longer than it should."


    It wasn''t a perfect answer, but it would help explain away a few of the oddities when he used soul magic disguised as shadow. He''d just have to make sure anyone he used it on died before figuring out they were taking permanent damage.


    Edward looked at him approvingly. If anything, the surprise in his eyes was slightly lessened compared to before which Arthur would have noticed if he was paying closer attention.


    "A concept. So early on. I wasn''t sure before but now I''m certain."


    He paused dramatically.


    "Mr White, you have what it takes to become a Fringe Walker."

 Chapter 188- Cool or Creepy

    "A Fringe Walker? What''s that?" Arthur asked.


    "Well, they''re incredibly rare so I''m not surprised you haven''t heard of them. People who enter invasion points are usually one of two types, fighters or supports, though, at the end of the day, their jobs are the same. They are the Defenders of the planet."


    "Fringe Walkers on the other hand... Well, how should I put it? They invade the invaders. Warriors strong enough to take the fight to the fallen realm. It''s irregular, unheard of even for a tier 1 planet, but there is precedence for permanently succeeding against an invading world. The fallen realm, whilst far larger than our own, is not infinite. They cannot attack every planet equally; it''s simply not feasible."


    "So what are you saying? That if we fight long enough we''ll beat the invasion," Arthur asked.


    "Nope, not long enough. A battle of attrition against the fallen realm is impossible to win. Their forces replenish far faster than there are births on this planet and there are seven tier 1 planets arrayed against Earth. Not one. Ninety-four percent of tier 3 planets have been battling their invasion points for the past seventeen thousand years. It''s only after becoming tier 4 that natives usually become strong enough to deal with invading worlds for good."


    "And why is that?"


    "Well, you''d be much better off asking my sister that. Melissa''s been researching the fallen realm for almost a decade now. She''d give you a proper answer."


    "All I know is that mirror worlds- that''s what we call the fallen planets connected to our own- evolve and grow at the same speeds as our world give or take a few years all the way up to tier 3. At the barrier to tier 4 however, mirror worlds slow down. They''re usually about five hundred years behind, which allows the natives on the newly evolved planets to deal with their invading worlds permanently. It isn''t easy by any means, but that''s the way things usually go, at least when we win."


    Edward paused to take a sip of tea before pouring him a cup. Arthur tentatively tried it and was momentarily blown away by the flavours that exploded in his mouth. He wasn''t exactly a tea connoisseur but he didn''t need to be to recognise the exquisite skill that had gone into the creation of this beverage. Edward laughed at the expression on his face.


    "I love the way people react to their first taste of Mylan tea. The wonder and awe never gets old."


    Arthur immediately searched it up on the System store and was shocked to see the leaves retailing for ten thousand credits a piece. The cup in front of him probably cost as much as an uncommon-ranked weapon. Edward quickly pulled him out of his reverie.


    "Back to Fringe Walkers, they''re basically elite warriors who work to permanently end the threats of invading worlds before a planet reaches tier 4. The earlier it''s done, the more resources are saved. World cores harvested from the fallen realm catapult a planet''s growth and development by thousands of years. They''re also the most sure fire way to gain noble status and establish your own Territory. Suffice it to say, being a Fringe Walker is an extremely lucrative business."


    "And you think I have what it takes to sign up?"


    "Mr White," Edward said deadpan, "If I couldn''t see your potential, I''d have to pluck out my eyes for how useless they were."


    The alien noble, Arthur was quickly learning, had a flair for the dramatic.


    "The percentage of tier 1 planets that manage to permanently deal with their invading enemies is so minuscule it''s practically unheard of. People with Fringe Walker potential don''t tend to crop up so soon. The earlier a world core is harvested, the more useful it is for you. You can start refining it and direct its evolutionary path much sooner."


    "Mr White, you''re quite literally sitting on the mother of all golden tickets right now. All you need to do is cash it in and you''ll earn more than you ever imagined, power and wealth you''ve never dreamed of."


    As far as selling things went, Edward Agroth wasn''t half bad. The position of Fringe Walker was looking more and more like something Arthur wanted. It aligned with the goal he''d had in mind when coming here today, even better than his original plans if he was being honest. That didn''t mean he''d take the noble''s words as gospel. He quickly opened up the System store and searched for an information packet on Fringe Walkers.


    He was instantly flooded with millions of results and so refined his search to items under thirty thousand credits from sellers with a three-star and above information broker licence. That cut his search down all the way to two products. There was a clear winner between the two. Bonjam''s Wares offered a product that had sold far more than its competitors and also had a higher rating. Being a digital item, the information packet arrived instantly for his perusal.


    "Take all the time you need, Mr White," Edward said with a knowing smirk. "You''ll find that I''m not a dodgy salesman trying to con you."


    Arthur ignored the man and started to read. Spending only twenty-seven thousand credits meant that the information was quite barebones, but coming from a reputable three-star source, Arthur could be confident in its accuracy. With his mental stats so high, it didn''t take him long to read through everything. It confirmed everything Edward had said and added some context. The Guild of Fringe Walkers was an ancient faction that had been established fourteen thousand years ago. Joining them was almost impossible and only occurred on a special invite-only policy, which meant that Edward Agroth was vastly more important than the minor noble Arthur had initially taken him for.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Fringe Walker scouts weren''t your average Joe. Arthur snuck a glance at Edward who now had his hands behind his head and was poorly whistling a famous hip-hop song, completely butchering the melody, enough that Arthur was surprised he even recognised it. I guess you really can''t judge a book by its cover. The greatest part of joining the Guild of Fringe Walkers was that it offered you a sense of legitimacy and protection few groups could match. There were documented cases of wanted men and women who''d sought refuge under their banner, people who''d had entire galactic empires chasing after them.


    Whilst that didn''t match the magnitude of the forces currently after him, the sentiment was there. Even better than that was how much emphasis the guild put into protecting the identities of its members, going so far as to create entire histories and backgrounds for those who desired it. It was so perfect for him that Arthur was immediately suspicious. When something was too good to be true, there was always a hidden catch. The only other time things had aligned so well for him was... the dragon''s core that saved my life.


    Had Iris prepared all this for him too? Just how far into the future did she see? Arthur didn''t know if he should be amazed or appalled. He felt like a fly trapped in a spider''s web; only the spider was friendly and into him a little more than she probably should have been. Iris hardly knew him, after all. Actually, that''s just not true, is it? With how far into the future her vision sees, she could have known of me years before the System arrived on Earth. Arthur recalled the first conversation he''d ever had with Ayesha Murker. In it, she''d told him that she''d only come to Earth following the advice of her seer, who Arthur now knew was her best friend, Iris. Am I looking into things too much and seeing patterns where there aren''t any? Edward cleared his throat loudly and pulled him out of his spiralling thoughts.


    "So what do you say, Mr White. Are you ready to become a Fringe Walker?"


    "The profit margins I''m seeing online all differ. How much will I be making exactly?" Arthur answered with a question of his own.


    "I''ll give you the best deal we can for new members. You''ll only earn seventy percent of the credits you''d otherwise earn while fighting creatures in the invasion points, but battling in a fallen world will give you double the profits. The identity protection of course comes as part of the deal. I''ll also sign you up for one of our exclusive courses. I''m guessing you''ve seen the selection available."


    "Yeah, I''ll take the runes and alchemy module."


    "An interesting choice, Mr White. I wouldn''t have pegged you as much of a crafter but appearances can be deceiving, can''t they," Edward said with a smirk.


    Is he messing with me?


    "Normally I''d tell you to specialise instead of taking a double course, but you don''t strike me as a fool. I''m sure you have your reasons."


    They talked for a while longer, fleshing out the details of their contract, what kinds of elixirs and potions he''d be provided, weapon and armour maintenance plans and the health insurance that came along with the work. Finally, after fifteen minutes of talking, and another cup of tea later, they were done. A System notification appeared in front of him. It contained all the details of the contract they''d worked out. It was incredibly lucrative, negotiating with Edward had been a novel experience. He was the first employer Arthur had met who demanded he take more for the services he provided, constantly pointing out places where Arthur was eligible for benefits he didn''t even know existed. Well, I guess a scout''s job is to make sure I get the most I can. After all, my success directly affects his own.


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    Mr White. Would you like to sign up to the Guild of Fringe Walkers with the aforementioned contract for the period of five years, extendable at your behest?


    YES/NO


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    Arthur clicked yes.


    ~~~


    Immediately after Arthur Ward left the tent, Edward rushed home, using a privatised teleportation line to prevent anyone from tracking his whereabouts. The woman waiting for him was not someone whose patience he wanted to test. By the time he reached his personal quarters, he had a sheen of sweat coating his skin, an admirable feat considering his high stats. He placed five Tier-3 ether stones on the communication array and waited the four seconds it took to connect.


    "Report," Iris'' voice was crisp and clear, as bewitching as the first time he''d heard it.


    "Arthur Ward came to the recruitment trials today, just as you said he would. I managed to get him to join the Guild of Fringe Walkers as you requested ma''am."


    "Excellent," she replied coolly, though he detected a slight hitch in her voice. As always, when the topic of Arthur Ward came up, the normally aloof woman became strangely excited. How would people react if they found out Fatebreaker''s daughter was gushing over some man? They''d think he''d gone mad, that was certain. Either before or after her insane fans killed him for sullying their Idol''s name.


    "Can you give me a report on his status?"


    The question threw Edward for a loop. That was impossible, even with his incredible power as a Fringe Walker scout. Someone''s status was impossible to see, regardless of how powerful you became unless they gave you permission to see it. She couldn''t be asking for the impossible, could she?


    "Ma''am. Are you trying to ask how your man seemed to be doing?" He regretted the words the second they left his mouth. Shit! What the fuck did I just say?


    "What did you just call him?"


    Edward felt his stomach drop before he realised she sounded... pleased.


    "Actually, never mind. Yes, you''re right, Mr Agroth. That is exactly what I was asking."


    What followed was both the most terrifying and strange conversation he''d had in his life, one in which he had to tell the most powerful woman he''d ever spoken to how her boyfriend was doing. Do people like that even have boyfriends? Or is he more like a pet? He told her the gist of what he''d inferred from his short conversation with the Originator and gave the seer a picture of Arthur''s new appearance. It was by far the longest conversation he''d had with Iris and he''d had to spend an extra seven ether stones just to keep the communication array going.


    "So you''re saying you think he suspects I had a hand in getting him recruited?" Iris asked quietly.


    Five minutes ago, the question would have had him sweating buckets but his brain was too overloaded with fear right now. That and Iris currently reminded him of his teenage daughter when she''d had her first crush.


    "Yes, it appears so ma''am," he replied. "I''m positive he noticed your fingerprints all over this situation. It was too beneficial to have come about by chance and Mr Ward did not strike me as a fool."


    Iris was silent for a while before speaking again, her voice containing a hesitation he''d never sensed before.


    "Does that- does that make me a cool girlfriend or creepy?"


    Edward choked on his spit. For some reason, he felt very, very sorry for Arthur Ward.

 Chapter 189- New Profession

    Ever since Arthur had come to England, he''d had way too much free time and very little to do with it. Joining the Guild of Fringe Walkers didn''t really change that. Unless things took a drastic change for the worse, Arthur was allowed to choose which hours he wanted to work or if he wanted to work at all, more freedom than he''d ever had at a job before.


    Of course, no work meant no contribution points, which meant that he wasn''t paid anything, but Arthur wasn''t in a rush. He had enough money for now and the invasion points would still be there when he was ready to confront them. Besides, the Guild of Fringe Walkers wasn''t cleared for delving on Earth yet- the post-system world hadn''t gotten rid of bureaucracy, unfortunately. It could take anything from three days to two weeks before they were allowed to battle in the isolated invasion dimensions like everyone else, which he was interested in doing but not as much as before now that he''d found out about the possibility of going to the source instead.


    Instead, he''d decided to work on a skill that had been a long time in coming. Alchemy. If he was being accurate, it was the first piece of magic he''d worked with, even before his flashy skills when he made the poor decision of creating his first monster core elixir. Albeit his success had been caused by luck and the quality of the ingredients he was using more than any skill on his part. All he''d done was mix things together and hope for the best.


    Things had changed significantly since then. Now he had the Poisoned Alchemy (Rare) that he''d inherited from Mira as well as his trusty Ikea bowl. Getting it back after his abrupt teleport to England from the middle of the ocean had been a far easier task than Arthur had expected. All he''d had to do was take a System oath that the bowl actually belonged to him before paying an express galactic shipping company twenty thousand credits and the bowl had been teleported into his hands in less than ten seconds. He''d been so impressed he''d gone on to tip the company a whopping fifty credits. No matter how amazed Arthur was he''d learned to be conservative with his spending.


    Arthur pulled his trusty bowl from his storage ring. The question marks in its description he''d been unsure of before had finally been revealed to him.


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    Trusty Ikea bowl (Pseudo Soul Bound) (Rank: N/A)- A stainless steel bowl created with exquisite craftsmanship, this item has been infused with mystic energies and become the cauldron of many powerful elixirs. It has merged with residual components of every ingredient that has been placed within it and fundamentally evolved beyond its base earthly origins after bonding with Originator Arthur Ward''s blood.


    Effect 1- All elixirs and potions created within the bowl will have their potency enhanced by 20%


    Effect 2- The bowl is far larger than it appears


    Effect 3- The item''s owner [Arthur Ward] can substitute a single ingredient from any recipe with the equivalent volume of his blood once per day as long as the rarities of the ingredients match the rarity of [Arthur Ward''s] blood.


    Upgrade conditions to True Soulbound status: Create three legendary elixirs or Create one Mythical elixir


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    </table>


    The bowl had grown from a simple tool he used as a good luck charm to an item that matched most epic items. If its tertiary effect wasn''t limited to only his blood, Arthur would put its value above many legendary items he''d seen selling in the System store. His blood currently ranked at epic which meant he could use it as a stand-in in many elixir recipes that were easy enough to create but simultaneously impossible because of how rare some of the ingredients were. If Arthur could get this alchemy thing down, it would make him a very, very rich man.


    That was merely an add-on, considering Arthur had experienced first-hand how useful potions could be in his fight against the Draconic Liverthion. Unfortunately, as Arthur had feared, enhancement potions below the rare tier simply didn''t work on him anymore, the weak liquids unable to affect him with how high his Draconic Vitality had gotten lately. Even rare elixirs were affected by this, only working at a fifty percent reduced rate or sometimes not at all. Investing in Draconic Vitality was a double-edged sword in that it made him less vulnerable to everything, be it damage or positive medication. There were downsides to everything in life and this was the one Arthur had to face on his journey to becoming a juggernaut on the battlefield.


    Since gaining the poisoned Alchemy skill from Mira''s Will, this was Arthur''s first attempt at creating anything. If he was strict with himself, then today would mark his first attempt at alchemy ever. His monster core elixirs hardly counted with how simple they were. Arthur had chosen to make one of the enhancement elixirs the recipe he was at least a little familiar with because of Mira''s memories that came with her inheritance.


    That being said, the recipe in his head was very different from the one that Mira had fed him on the day they''d finally decided to work together. He distinctly remembered those potions being classed as class C drugs by the System and only now was he learning that they were not meant to be imbibed as a replacement for actual potions. Sure, they were far more potent, but they were counted as illegal drugs for a reason. Take them too often and one day you''d just wake up paralyzed or worse, you wouldn''t wake up at all. Damn that sly woman for feeding me them like they were normal potions.


    He''d decided to go with a strength enhancement elixir to start off with because it was his lowest physical stat on the off chance that it would end up actually working for him. He wasn''t expecting much, but Arthur didn''t want to fail straight away.


    Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened, and it occurred before he even got to the alchemical side of things. He''d failed to prepare his ingredients properly. The four-tailed watercress leaf had to be carefully handled, the leaf''s stem meticulously removed without tearing the leaf''s fragile body. Being too heavy-handed, Arthur almost tore the thing in half when he first tried it. His second attempt went far better and within five minutes, he had the six primary ingredients prepared and ready before him; the four-tailed watercress leaf, the pulp from a red mango, a Darkroot Acorn, Gardling seeds, a tablespoon of pure ethanol and finally 300ml of water infused with a thousand ether.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He''d bought everything besides the water and the ethanol from the System store. Whilst the other ingredients were starting to appear naturally on Earth as the ambient ether levels rose, there were no supply chains established to get the items onto the market. It made him wonder how Mira had sourced all her ingredients without access to the System store. Had she won them all from the tutorial or was the Harvester''s agent the one to supply them? That was a disturbing thought, helping your prey train and grow strong before slaughtering them.


    Whatever the case, Arthur had spent 3,000 credits getting five sets of ingredients from the store. It would have been 3,500 if he hadn''t made the infused water himself. Considering the strength enhancers sold for a thousand credits a piece, the profit margins were incredibly small. Especially when you factor in the time and energy used in creating every potion, and the fact that most beginner alchemists had a twenty percent success rate. Being an alchemist- at least in the beginner levels- was not a lucrative trade.


    Of course, Arthur could buy the ingredients for far cheaper, but all the sellers offering those prices were massive corporations that required you to enter year-long contracts at the minimum where they''d supply you ingredients on a monthly or weekly basis depending on how much you were willing to spend. Arthur suspected such contracts were meant for established alchemy shops, not something a beginner like him would need any time soon.


    He''d bought an entry-level primer on Alchemy from the System but had chosen not to read it yet. For his first foray into alchemy, he wanted to go in with no preconceived notions and with only the knowledge he''d gained from Mira''s skill to establish a baseline of sorts. Arthur had the recipe in his mind, so clear it was as if he''d concocted the potion himself in the past. He nevertheless went over everything one final time. For some reason, this first attempt of his had become so much more significant than it really was in his mind. It took him a second to realise why that was.


    The answer came to him almost immediately and his face flushed in embarrassment. He''d become accustomed to success in alchemy with his many monster core elixirs. In fact, he''d never failed, a nigh impossible feat when you looked at the rarity of some of his creations. From there, it wasn''t hard to come to the conclusion that he took an odd sense of pride in his work. If he failed now, it would tell him in no uncertain terms that everything special about him, all his success in the field came entirely from his titles and blood and not his own skill. Which was one thousand percent true- all his skill in the field amounted to the novel ways he''d managed to make himself bleed- but emotions didn''t run on logic. Still, acknowledging his emotions, misguided though they may be, helped him centre himself. Taking a deep breath, Arthur could find no reason to delay any longer.


    Arthur began with the first step. In his inherited memories, Arthur could say that Mira had reached a point where she''d work with all ingredients simultaneously. She truly was a prodigy in the field of alchemy and it was no mistake that the Harvester''s agent had targeted her specifically. Earth had lost a future powerhouse the day Frankenstein had set his covetous gaze on Mira.


    Arthur would follow the recipe to the T and take things slowly. He poured the water into his trusty bowl and placed the leaf and mango pulp inside. Ether-infused water had the unique property of not mixing with other substances which was why it was such an integral component in all alchemy, where every reaction had to be actively engaged and carefully monitored.


    He poured 300 ether into Poisoned Alchemy, the exact amount the recipe said he should work with. The energy that came out of the skill was... different. It wasn''t tied to any particular affinity as usually happened when ether travelled through his skills, though there was a tinge of poison to it.


    Arthur wondered what would happen if he used this changed ether to fuel one of his other spells. Now that''s an experiment for the future. It wouldn''t be anything revolutionary considering how many alchemists were around with similar skill sets, but he was interested in what would happen.


    From the little Arthur knew of alchemy, there were two key aspects to it: extraction and refinement. Refinement, however, wasn''t something that would be used in lower-ranked elixir creation, it was a skill exclusive to master alchemists. Right now, Arthur had to extract the essence of the watercress leaf and mix it with the vitality inherent to the red mango, all the while ensuring he didn''t take anything extra from the ingredients.. That was a perfect way to ruin the efficiency of his creations.


    As far as first attempts went, Arthur felt like he''d done pretty damn well. He hadn''t managed to maintain 100% purity, but he did get pretty close at 93%. He didn''t let the fact that strength enhancement elixirs were easy to make even compared to other entry-level potions dampen his spirits at all. Sadly, things weren''t smooth sailing from there. Every subsequent ingredient added to the mix made it exponentially more difficult to maintain the precarious equilibrium he was trying to cultivate and he had a new appreciation for just how talented Mira had been.


    Prodigy didn''t even begin to describe it.


    What Arthur lacked in skill, however, he more than made up for with the sheer quantity of his stats. Now that he''d fixed his soul, he could actually bring his significant willpower to bear. Magic had never been so easy to use. It was like he''d been working with oversized mits all this time and finally taken them off. The acorn gave him the most trouble; it was particularly resistant to his extraction efforts and he was only able to get 70% of what he potentially could have out of it as well as a whole lot of impurities and unwanted chaff.


    When Arthur was ready, he used a specialised sieve to collect all the solids in his mixing bowl and place it on a paper towel besides him. The ether-infused water now contained all the components needed to create a strength-enhancement elixir. All he had to do was complete it. Now would be a perfect time to add some of his blood if he wasn''t running a baseline test. Unfortunately, he''d already promised himself he''d refrain from experimenting for now.


    "Merge."


    Arthur flushed when he realised he''d said the word out loud and was glad that no one was around to see him. The elixir, however, seemed to respond positively to Arthur''s orders and glowed brightly, the normally non-reactive treated water mixing freely with all the extracted ingredients. Forty seconds later the elixir was done. He quickly poured the now red liquid into a glass vial.


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    Elixir of Strength Enhancement (Common)


    [Quality: Poor]


    (Efficiency 61%) 50.5% +10.25% from bowl enchantment


    The first creation of alchemist Arthur Ward. Whilst the ingredients going into it were great, an inadequate technique has led to the creation of an imperfect product


    Effect: Raises strength by 6% for 1 hour 23 minutes.


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    Arthur grinned. Now he just had to see if he could sell it.

 Chapter 190- Apocalyptik Alchemy

    Ten minutes after creating his first elixir, Arthur was ready to start pulling his hair out in frustration. Putting a product on the System store for sale was proving far more difficult than buying something. For starters, he''d had to make a basic seller account, which cost a flat fee of 1,000 credits. That was easy enough. The mandatory questionnaire that followed wasn''t. Why were his personal tastes and hobbies relevant to his seller profile in any way shape or form.


    He''d had half a mind to just stop at the fifty-third inane question and call it quits, but sunk-cost fallacy and sheer spite had kept him going. Six minutes and ninety-two questions later, Arthur was finally finished. Next came the thing Arthur would quickly come to hate with every fibre of his being.


    FEES


    It was the single most aggravating thing he had encountered in the last decade of his life, topping slow walkers and drunk driving to take the top spot on his list of things that pissed him off most. There was a fee for everything. He''d have to pay seven before he could even list his item for sale and then came the daylight robbery they''d inflict on the meagre credits he''d make from his elixir. Selling a consumable elixir meant he needed to be a ratified alchemist with an official licence. Paying a fifty credit fee because he didn''t have one was annoying but palatable. The thirty credit fee he had to pay on top of that to have a System employee check his goods because of his lack of licence was where things became disagreeable. A twenty-credit fee he had to pay because their freshly evolved planet hadn''t been integrated completely into the teleportation network used for delivering was just rubbing salt in the wound and the additional fee of fifty credits because Earth hadn''t established a global trading network or obtained an official trading licence was where things started entering the realms of the absurd.


    In total, Arthur would have to pay 270 credits just to get his listing online. He hadn''t been pleased with things but had reluctantly conceded and forked over the money. That''s when he''d run into his second problem; naming his store. His first choice, The Dragons Emporium was not only taken already but locked behind a patent and unable for selection. Arthur quickly learned that anything with the word dragon in it was locked behind similar measures.


    Anything grand sounding, be it the Heavenly Emporium or Ascendant wares was also patented. Three dozen patented names later, Arthur eventually attempted something simple out of sheer frustration. ''Arthur''s Shop'' was still available for use, though the System informed him there were 3,236,737 other stores with the exact same name. Of course, using his own name on his store wasn''t the brightest idea and it was dull to boot, so Arthur discarded it for something better. Eventually, Arthur settled on the name Rize''s Apocalyptik Wares. For starters, the store name was entirely unique with no duplicates and it paid homage to both his sister and his apocalyptic origins. He was quite pleased with it.


    If he changed his mind in the future, it would only cost him 10,000 credits to rename his store but he didn''t see that happening. Now that he was finally allowed to list his potion, he had to settle on a price. Massive corporations had cornered the market with their mass-produced elixirs and they''d set the price of a 100%efficient strengthening elixir to a flat 1000 credits. With his less-than-perfect product operating at a 39% reduced rate on top of the fact that he had no official licence or reputation backing him, Arthur realised he could price his product at no higher than 500 credits, the value that sellers in a similar situation to him priced their wares at.


    With the final 15% fee they''d take from his sale, Arthur realised it was quite literally impossible for him to recoup the 2,000 credits he''d put into buying the five sets of ingredients. Even with magic at their fingertips, sapient-kind hadn''t found a way to escape the insidious grasp of capitalism. Arthur sighed. Unfortunately, it looked like he''d be taking a loss on his first ever sale, Arthur priced his elixir at 390 credits, about 30 less than the rest of his competition was doing, and he was surprised when the elixir sold in less than a minute.


    There was a light chiming sound he hadn''t heard from the System before that notified him of the sale before a green prompt appeared before him.


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    Congratulations on making your first sale Mr Ward. Buyer Peugong 107 has purchased Elixir of Strength Enhancement for 390 credits. The elixir has been delivered from System storage.


    A 15% fee has been deducted. 331.5 credits have been deposited in your seller account.


    Note: Withdraws are only available on sums exceeding 5,000 credits and will be taxed with a 250 credit fee. We wish you continued success in your business.


    May Rize''s Apocalyptik Wares Prosper.


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    Arthur didn''t know whether to laugh or cry by the time he finished reading through the System prompt. His profits barely covered the costs of the fees he''d had to pay to get his listing online. Arthur quickly did the maths. After deducting his operating his operating costs, he''d earned a measly 61.5 credits. With ingredients for only three more elixirs, Arthur highly doubted he''d be getting his 2,000 credits back. Forget this bullshit, Arthur mentally cursed. Why was he struggling so much trying to turn a profit when he knew how to cheat. I''ve established a baseline already. Let''s see how my blood affects the remaining three elixirs.


    Once again, Arthur arrayed all the ingredients before him. He glared at the acorn as if it would heed his desire and become more malleable this time around. Before anything though, Arthur needed to get his blood ready. For once, he didn''t attempt to cut himself like a barbarian, nor did he try to contain the explosion of a shadow bomb in the palm of his hands. No, Arthur had become more refined as of late and left his beastly ways behind. He''d found himself civilisation.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Focusing intently, Arthur summoned his most prized purchase from his storage ring. It was a small thing, barely seven inches in length, but it looked incredibly intimidating nonetheless. In Arthur''s hand was an Elite-ranked metal syringe.


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    Doctor''s Orders (Elite)- The perfect tool for any doctor to deal with unruly patients, be they stubbornly shelled or covered in scales.


    Effect: Keeps blood extracted in an optimal state and bypasses a portion of the target''s innate defences if permission is obtained


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    Syringes had always scared Arthur and becoming strong enough to shrug off military-grade missiles hadn''t changed things. There was just something viscerally off-putting about them, literally designed to penetrate human flesh in the most efficient way possible. Whoever invented them must have been a real psycho. If Arthur wasn''t so uncomfortable with the idea of drawing his own blood, he would have found it amusing that he had less of a mental block when it came to willingly holding the equivalent of a live grenade in his hands.


    Thankfully, being an elite-ranked item for medical use, Arthur didn''t even feel it when the syringe cut into his flesh. Though it didn''t mention it in the description, Doctor''s Orders contained strong anaesthetic properties. If he couldn''t see the massive syringe plunged into his flesh, he probably wouldn''t have even realised it was there. Arthur carefully measured out ten millilitres of his blood. It glowed a dark red and appeared like a bright beacon of energy to his more esoteric senses. As an epic-ranked fluid that doubled as an incredible alchemical catalyst, Arthur was quite literally sitting on a fortune if he ever decided to sell his blood. At the rate his body regenerated, he could sell hundreds of litres every day without hurting himself. If he went by the rates other similar liquids were priced at, that translated to profits measured in billions of credits.


    Every. Single. Day.


    It was a shame Arthur would never sell his blood on the System market. The risks it posed were too great, especially when you considered the existence of curse and blood mages. Who knew what type of nefarious magic they''d cast on him if they ever managed to get their hands on it. Arthur squeezed the syringe out into his trusty bowl and analysed it.


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    Perfect Homunculi''s Blood (Epic)- Blood extracted from the perfect Homunculi, an Originator of great power and potential. The liquid produces its own variation of soul affinity ether which makes it an incredible catalyst for craftsmen of every profession.


    Extremely potent. Handle with caution. Consumption will boost heal regeneration by 1500% for 13 hours but will make you incapable of consuming any other beneficiary items for 300 hours. Not recommended for those with less than 500 Constitution.


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    This was the first time Arthur had gotten a complete description of his blood and the results left him a little shaken. He''d be in less danger if he had literal diamonds running through his veins. Still, isn''t 1,500% a little too much. It was a shame drinking his own blood provided no benefits or he would have been truly unkillable by now. I guess I''ll just have to be content with how tanky I am already.


    He''d detoured long enough. Arthur quickly prepped his second set of ingredients, The second time around, he knew what to expect. Even a little experience made a world of difference when you''d been operating blind before and it showed in his work. It took him half the time his previous attempt had taken and he was far more successful in extracting the beneficial product from his ingredients without contaminating his elixir with anything extra. Three minutes of work later, Arthur was done. Even without his blood augmenting the elixir, he was certain he''d increased its efficiency by at least 20%.


    It just went to show the massive difference a little experience made. With his blood added, Arthur... honestly had no idea what would happen. He was just happy he didn''t make the mistake of saying merge aloud this time. Focusing his ether, Arthur allowed the ingredients'' extracted essence to finally mix together and watched with rapt attention as his blood acted as a catalyst and empowered the reaction. Even with the entirety of his perception brought to bear and the enhancement his eyes had gone through following their mutation, the magic taking place before him eluded his vision.


    His blood dissolved and perfectly integrated with the molecules that made up his potion, completely disregarding everything he''d learned in chemistry class. He could sense the pseudo-soul-affinity ether his red blood cells generated enhancing the elixir, making it far greater than the sum of its parts. Arthur knew he was witnessing something special, he just didn''t know enough about alchemy to realise how miraculous it was.


    Forty seconds later, the elixir was done, only this time, a System notification was the one to declare the process complete.


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    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">Congratulations Arthur Ward! You have created your own branch of unique Alchemy, As the creator, you may name it with a personal modifier and attach a catchphrase to your products.</td>


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    Arthur grinned. If that didn''t tell him he''d succeeded, he didn''t know what would. He already had the perfect modifier ready and it fit well with his store''s name. The catchphrase, however, he wasn''t too sure of. He read through the new elixir''s description and came to a decision. It wouldn''t always fit, but it matched the theme of his blood strongly enough that he didn''t think it''d ever be out of place on his creations.


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    Apocalyptik Elixir of Strength enhancement (Unique, Common)- An elixir created using new innovative methods, most would go green with envy if they ever figured out how it was made.


    Effect: raises strength by 15% for 3 hours and 7 minutes


    Raises maximum health by 5% for 3 hours.


    Remember, you can never have too much health!


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    Arthur was no master alchemist, but he had a feeling that one day, his items would become some of the most coveted in the entire universe. He read through the description a second time. Yep, that catchphrase fits my philosophy to a T.

 Chapter 191- Baby Steps

    By the time Arthur was finishing up with his final set of ingredients, he''d managed to get the strength boost from 15% all the way up to 19%, a smidgen shy of raising the base elixir''s standard effect by 100%. It was an incredible achievement and one he could attribute to his increasing skill with alchemy and familiarity with the recipe instead of laying all his success at the hands of his special blood.


    His blood only improved what was already there, and he''d used the exact same ingredients for every strengthening elixir he''d created. For once, Arthur''s success was entirely his own, and he was more proud of that fact than he''d be comfortable admitting. He''d be the first to admit that much of his power was unearned and came about by mere happenstance; his soul affinity had set him down an unlikely road and opened doors for him he''d been in the right time and place to walk through.


    His improved alchemy, however, was all his own achievement, and Arthur was quickly starting to realise how much his formerly fractured soul had hindered his magic. Arthur''s willpower was quite high, which certainly helped things along, but if he wasn''t getting ahead of himself, he''d go as far as to say he was quite talented at alchemy. How much stronger would my class skills have been if I had this kind of control before level 100? Arthur immediately shut down that line of thinking. Reminiscing about what could have been was a road that led nowhere good. Be glad I''m still alive and with such a powerful class to boot.


    Every time his eyes fell on the three glass vials displayed at the centre of his table, he couldn''t help but grin. 15%, 17%, and 19%, a very noticeable improvement between every iteration of his creation. When Arthur did the math, though, he realised he was still producing amateurish results- an extremely talented amateur, yes- but an amateur nonetheless. How did I manage to forget about how much my bowl was helping? At least three percent of his elixir''s potency had to be attributed to its miraculous effects, which meant that while his alchemy had improved between each elixir production, it wasn''t as drastically as he''d hoped initially.


    Improvement was growth, though, and a thousand baby steps, ten thousand even, would take him to realms he didn''t even know existed. While the System had told him that his Apocalyptik elixirs were a novel product, their effects weren''t exactly unheard of, so he had to keep the pricing relatively tame. He eventually settled at 2,500 credits each, with the strongest one a little higher at 2,750. They sold out in less than twenty seconds, and after deducting the cost of fees, Arthur was left with 6,587.5 credits. He''d more than doubled the cost of his ingredients, and all it had cost him was fifteen hundred ether and a few drops of his blood.


    Arthur was briefly tempted to hole up for a week and become an elixir-producing factory. Considering it only took him six minutes to produce one- Arthur quickly did the maths- he would make over three million credits in just seven days. Unfortunately, Arthur wasn''t ready to make that kind of commitment, nor was he so desperate for cash, but it was nice knowing the option was there.


    Now that he had finished his first experiments, Arthur finally allowed himself to read through the primer he''d bought on alchemy. Having cost less than ten thousand credits, it didn''t contain any ground-breaking pieces of information or grand alchemy secrets, but he did learn a little bit more about the history of the ancient craft. Alchemy had been around since before civilisation began, and it was the profession least affected by the creation of the System, right up there with smithing and array craft.


    Alchemy is the art of creation, our attempts at treading into the realms of the divine. It makes sense then, that the skills first learnt and taught were the methods of refinement, to take something mundane and elevate it to the extraordinary, a skill known today as the mark of a master alchemist. Extraction, surprisingly, did not show up until much later in alchemy''s history, though historians dispute exactly where such skills were first developed. Like all history that dates back billions of years, most of what we know today was obtained through the efforts of Rememberancers and extrapolated from analysing the development of primitive societies.


    That was some interesting trivia but not really conductive to becoming a greater alchemist. The primer did at least contain a few beginner exercises and the recipes for five common potions and one rare elixir. He still didn''t know what the difference was between the two, only that all elixirs were classified as potions but all potions weren''t elixirs. Semantics, really, not something Arthur needed to worry too much about.


    The first exercise was incredibly simple and helped improve your ether control as a whole, not just your abilities as an alchemist. Arthur went to his kitchen and retrieved two glasses of water from the sink. One of them he infused with a thousand ether, and the other he left as is. The exercise was simple. He needed to extract the ether from the charged cup and transfer it to the ordinary water. Once you became proficient with that, you increased the difficulty by setting certain targets and trying to transfer exact percentages of ether over.


    Arthur started with level one and realised he had a long way to go. On his first attempt, Arthur was only able to extract seven hundred and thirty-two ether from the thousand and lost another three hundred during the transfer process. In the end, Arthur was left with two glasses, one containing two hundred and sixty-eight ether and the other four hundred and thirty-two. It wasn''t really a failure- you couldn''t fail an exercise where the aim of the game was improvement- but Arthur wasn''t happy with the result. That was probably why he spent the next half an hour agonising over the water.


    For the first fifteen minutes or so, Arthur saw a steady rate of improvement, but then mental fatigue started to creep in, and his results suffered. Arthur persisted anyway; he couldn''t count on being in perfect condition every time he manipulated ether. His latest attempt, however, told him it was probably time to call it quits. He''d managed to extract a mere four hundred and ninety-three points out of a thousand, but on the transference process, he lost concentration for a single second. With a crackling fizzle, all the ether under his control dissipated into the air, warming the temperature by a few degrees before fading away.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    In total, Arthur had spent over sixty thousand health on the exercise, and all he''d gained was a throbbing headache and a dull pain in his muscles to pay for his troubles. Still, Arthur was certain he''d find his next potion creation a far easier process. Sighing wearily, Arthur went through the motions of his day, preparing a nice meal with the remnants of a horned chicken he''d hunted a few days ago. Cooking had always been therapeutic for him, something he''d been doing for as long as he could remember, no matter how good or bad his life had been at the time.


    After lunch, he went about deep cleaning the cottage, mostly by hand and occasionally with Purify if the job was too difficult. It was only when he was halfway through organising his clothes that Arthur was forced to face reality.


    He was bored to death.


    Ever since Iris and Ayesha had been forced to leave Earth, and the bounty placed on his head, Arthur had tried his best to lay low. That meant no hunting powerful monsters by going to dimensional breaches at the red and black tiers, not that the ones that could provide him a good fight were regular occurrences. From all the images and information televised globally, Arthur guessed there were two, maybe three monsters that were worth his time.


    There was nothing remotely close to Wovan''s level; creatures operating at that kind of power tended to avoid travelling through a dimensional tear that would lead them to a slow and painful end through ether starvation. Without his hyper-efficient trait and the fact that he supplemented his ether reserves with his massive health pool, Arthur would have been forced to spend a fortune just to maintain his existence on Earth.


    Unfortunately, with his self-inflicted vacation, nothing to fight and no good company, Arthur was ready to watch paint dry. Gaming no longer held the same charm with the System''s presence in his life, and it wasn''t something he''d never been a big fan of it even before he knew magic was real. Reading was still something he enjoyed, but finding a good series to really sink his teeth into was proving to be a chore. Either they were too boring, or they were good enough that Arthur ended up bringing his mental stats to bear and finished them in minutes.


    The system store was of course there with its near-infinite selection of books from across the multiverse, but Arthur knew Pandora''s box when he saw it. Opening that door would potentially leave him with a month-long reading marathon and zero credits to his name. And besides, who wanted to read about fantasy when he could create his own, with real magic at his fingertips and a whole universe before him. At least when this bounty''s gone, Arthur cursed.


    Arthur managed to keep himself entertained with mundane chores for another half an hour before he decided it wasn''t for him. He''d tried his hand at relaxation, doing absolutely nothing of note during his weeklong vacation, but he''d quickly passed from the territory of resting to mind-numbing boredom.


    Thankfully, he had something to do, a task he''d been putting off for a while now. More importantly, though, it was something that would definitively increase his power. His last fight against Frankenstein had told him where he was lacking. Most of his problems in that department stemmed from the fact that out of his entire arsenal of deadly abilities, he always resorted to spamming Poisoned Fang of The Hydra and his Armaments of The Soul. Sure, he could use the excuse that he was new to his class and all the abilities it afforded him, but that excuse was growing old very quickly.


    I''ve had this class since the end of The Locus of Power, and it''s been what... two weeks since then? I swear it feels like it''s been so much longer. He''d been caught up in one fight after another, ambushed straight away by a bunch of mercenary aliens, followed by Bloodbeasts, and finally Frankenstein. That reminds me, I never got round to dealing with Aaron West. He was the bastard that sicked the aliens on me and Alyssia. Learning that he was the juiciest steak that the universe had seen in the last thousand years was just the cherry on top. If things went well, he''d be able to start hunting in invasion worlds by the time the week was out. That left him six days to do something he''d been putting off for quite a while now.


    Arthur pulled the space gem he''d received from Frankenstein out of his storage ring and placed it on the table. Next came Wovan''s monster core. As always, he was tempted to consume it the moment it appeared in his senses, but Arthur held himself back. He had the beginnings of a plan already on that front, one that he was certain was taboo of the highest order. He''d have to talk about it with Iris and see if it was feasible, but his gut told him it would work. If things go how I want, I''ll be a pentafold mage by the time I hit level 200 and with an affinity as rare as soul magic. Maybe rarer.


    That was all for later, though, for when he was finally allowed to delve the Invasion worlds freely. Right now, it was time to increase his power in a more novel way. Arthur pulled up the description of the one skill he hadn''t been able to understand. Things had cleared up a lot since then.


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    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">


    Splinters of the Soul (Legendary, Ritual)- Break a part of your soul and create something new. Your creation will be a part of your soul but will be influenced by the qualities of the ingredients that go into it.


    Ritual Items: 1,000 litres of soul ether-infused liquid, 1x monster core, 100 tier 3 ether stones, 1x framework material for body composition, miscellaneous ingredients of great strength.


    Three creatures can be created before reaching level 200.


    Permanent 3% decrease in highest stat/creature formed


    1% of Soul Splinters stats will be added to your own


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The skill cost an exorbitant amount of resources, far more than Arthur could currently afford. That didn''t matter. It was high time he started to tap into the power sources he''d left unused for so long. The universe sought to hunt him down; sapient kind wanted him dead and refined into a potent elixir simply for his state as an Originator.


    Arthur looked down at Wovan''s monster core. It had been a formidable foe in life; he would make it a harbinger of the end in death. If Arthur had his way, Wovan would return a monster that far surpassed an apocalypse beast, a creature that even he would be unable to beat. It was time to create a spider that could kill an elder dragon.

 Chapter 192- The Making Of A Monster

    The first step Arthur needed to take to fulfill his new goal was to obtain an official alchemy license. To create a soul splinter, Arthur required a lot of System credits- at least five million if he was being conservative, which was four more than he currently owned. As much as he might dislike it, that meant that he would need to become an alchemy factory until he accrued the necessary funds. Lacking an alchemy license would eat up his profits fast if he didn''t get it out of the way first.


    Thankfully, the test, at least for clearance up to the uncommon rank, was fairly easy to pass. After registering for it, three thousand credits were deducted from his account, and he was sent a device that he had to use to record himself creating the randomly selected recipe they were testing him with. The subject of his assignment was a common-ranked sleeping potion that provided you a dreamless sleep, and though he''d never seen its like before, the recipe was fairly easy to follow through and used the four-tailed watercress he''d already become familiar with.


    In total, from registering to receiving his license, Arthur took less time than he normally spent preparing one of his more extravagant meals. The license was a single fine line of print on his seller account that told everyone he''d been officially cleared for the sale of all potions of uncommon rank and below. As much as Arthur was growing to hate the System store, he couldn''t deny that it was incredibly efficient. Following that, Arthur looked through all the upgraded seller plans available for purchase. No way would he continue to allow them to gouge him of fifteen percent of his profits on every sale.


    Eventually, Arthur found the perfect plan for him. It was on the cheaper side but still came up to a hefty 250,000 credits. The plan was good for a year and meant that he''d only pay twenty-five credits per item he sold, regardless of how much he priced them at, deducted from the 250,000 he''d paid for the plan. That covered him for ten thousand items, a number he didn''t see himself meeting by the time the year was out.


    Unfortunately, he wouldn''t be reimbursed for any of his invested cash if he didn''t manage to make the most of his paid advance, but he could live with that. With the numbers Arthur was planning on moving, the plan would pay for itself multiple times over. Arthur checked the time. It was nearing six pm, almost time for his daily meeting with Iris. Well... calling it a meeting wasn''t exactly accurate when they weren''t really talking per se.


    Arthur went upstairs to his bedroom and got comfortable before pulling a thick leather tome from his storage ring. The book was something Iris had left for Arthur in the cottage, along with instructions on how to use it. The Secret Notebook was a product that was extremely popular with young lovers; only the one Iris had given him had been personally modified with expensive enhancements that increased its maximum distance by multiple lightyears. Whatever you wrote in one notebook would appear in its sister pair, which Iris had naturally kept for herself.


    While it was normally used as a novel way to flirt with your partner, Arthur and Iris had been using it over the past few days as their only means of communication. Arthur opened the book up to a fresh page. Normally, Iris was the one to initiate their talks, but Arthur was too excited today to delay any longer.


    Arthur: Hey Iris. I''ve got a massive favour to ask of you.


    It took less than ten seconds to get a response, and Arthur smiled as he imagined how the powerful seer must have been waiting for him with the book open in her hands.


    Iris: What is it?


    Arthur deliberated how he should do this but ultimately decided to just jump straight to the point.


    Arthur: You know that aunt of yours you were complaining about? The clingy one that''s also a phoenix. Do you think you could get me some of her blood?


    It took a lot longer than usual for Iris to reply, and he could tell that his message had thrown her for a loop.


    Iris: Arthur, you know if anyone ever gets their hands on my book, they''re gonna think I''m dating some strange psychopath, right? Either that or I''ve got some weird blood fetish stuff going on. I''m guessing this has something to do with that store you just opened up.


    Arthur: How do you know about that already? Have you been stalking me?


    Iris: Maybe. You still haven''t answered my question.


    Arthur: Well, it''s not really connected to my store.


    Iris: Do I even want to know what you''re going to use it for? Please don''t tell me you were planning to just chug it down.


    Arthur grinned. He could feel the amused exasperation in her voice. Literally, in fact. Transmitting emotional intent was one of the main selling points of The Secret Notebooks and was the main reason why the company was so successful. Arthur was a little miffed at how little Iris thought of his dietary choices, but on second thoughts realised that his girlfriend might be onto something here. He was literally half beast. Drinking the phoenix blood might actually be kind of good for my health. How did I not think of that myself?


    Iris: I just gave you an idea, didn''t I? Please don''t drink any phoenix blood, at least not without a competent healer around. It''s going to be hard enough introducing you to my parents without having to explain that you''ve transformed into a flaming chicken.


    Arthur chuckled. Would he turn into a regular-sized chicken or a massive one?


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Arthur: Stop messing with me. The most I''ll get are probably some flame wings, which, on second thoughts, are cool as hell.


    Iris: You still haven''t told me what you need it for.


    Arthur: You know that gigantic spider I told you about. The one that did some pretty nifty space magic. I''ve decided to start the process of making it a soul splinter a little earlier than I planned for.


    The book glowed faintly for a second, an indicator that they''d burnt through twenty-five percent of their conversation time already. Arthur didn''t know exactly how far away Iris currently was, but the exorbitant cost of sending these messages meant they were limited to around three thousand words a day. It sounded like a lot, but Arthur had learnt just how quickly a thousand words could go by when you were having fun. Iris had told him the System had its own messaging software for those with tier-3 access, but he neither had the required access nor was the communication as secure as his notebook.


    They carried on talking for a while longer, Iris advising him on how to maximise the power of ritual magic as well as the common pitfalls most beginners fell into when trying to cast it. Ritual magic differed from normal skills in that they demanded far more control and were exceedingly costly to cast. It was also pay to win; the more money you threw at it, the better your results would be. In other words, Arthur was positive his first foray into ritual magic would be met with resounding success.


    Before he knew it, their conversation was drawing to a close, and Arthur cursed the notebook''s inability to charge itself from an active external ether supply. It would have been perfect if not for that one small caveat. Instead, he had to wait the twenty-odd hours it would take to generate its own proprietary energy source before he could have another conversation.


    Iris: That reminds me. Now that you''ve become a member of the Guild of Fringe Walkers, it''s about time you start increasing your level. Fallen world creatures, at least the ones that remain on their own planets, should provide enough energy for you to grow at a reasonable rate, even with your legendary class. There''s no reason to slow down anymore, at least until you hit the level 180 to 90 range, though I expect it might take you years to reach that point.


    That had been Arthur''s plan already, but it was nice to get confirmation from someone who knew what they were talking about. With his current level and legendary class, Arthur''s soul was now robust enough that it would take some exceedingly fatal circumstances for him to gain any more titles, which left him with the traditional routes to growing stronger. Well, I''ve got slots for two more monster cores to consume, but it''ll take me some time to find the right creature.


    Arthur had briefly thought about buying the most powerful core he could from the System store or asking Iris to source one but eventually decided against it. His soul affinity told him in no uncertain terms that trying to consume the cores of mythical beasts who''d crossed the level 300 barrier would kill him just as surely as jumping into a black hole would. There was a reason why wealthy beast tamers couldn''t stuff their pets with apocalypse cores and create divine beasts that could shake the very fabric of reality. There were rules to a beast''s power progression, and while they could be bent, they couldn''t be broken.


    Their conversation lasted another five minutes, moving onto more light-hearted topics. He learnt what to expect from Fallen worlds, the exact precautions he''d need to take. Iris also told him that a plan to deal with the lich queen was finally in the works, though she suspected it was merely a front to get more powerful aliens on the planet to hunt Arthur.


    Iris: One last thing before I go. The Goldleaf Spire is set to open up soon. We received entry tickets as part of our reward for killing the Bloodbeasts.


    Arthur: The Goldleaf Spire? That''s the first I''ve heard of it. Is it like a Locus of Power?


    Iris: Yeah, sorry. That''s my fault. With all the chaos in my last few weeks on Earth, it completely slipped my mind. As for what it is, it''s similar to a Locus of Power in that everyone covets entry into one. It''s a hidden realm that opens up once every century with a level limit of 250. Six months, Arthur.


    The notebook flashed red. They had less than fifty words left for today.


    Iris: Make Wovan. Power level in Fallen worlds as much as you can. I want you stronger than an apocalypse beast in six months tim-


    The message cut off there, but Arthur knew what she was trying to tell him. A massive opportunity to grow stronger was coming up, and he needed to be powerful enough to make the most out of this opportunity. What level do I need to reach before I can stop hiding? Arthur didn''t know, but he''d make sure he got there eventually. Creating Wovan would be the first step of many, and he''d make sure it''d be the best damn step he''d ever taken. Now that he''d secured a line for the phoenix blood, it was time to source the other ingredients.


    The Hivemind spider had been a terrifying space mage, and the only reason Arthur had won that fight was because he''d been a terrible match-up for the monster. The spider had possessed truly devastating magic; only Arthur''s durability had saved him from an instantaneous death. In his experience, monsters tended to specialise, often more so than sapient kind. On the flip side, that meant they also possessed glaring weaknesses. case in point: Wovan with his abysmal physical stats and terrible survivability.


    The exceptions to this were apocalypse beasts, monsters who broke the rule of balance as Arthur had started to call it. They specialised to the extreme and suffered from none of the detriments of such a build. Arthur looked at Wovan''s monster core and grinned. The title he had strived the hardest to gain before unlocking a class, Source of Vitality, had been obtained by fulfilling the impossible requirement of 1,000 vitality before reaching level 100. To call it the cornerstone of his power would be no exaggeration.


    There was one aspect of it, however, that had seen very little use.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


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    <td style="width: 98.6971%; text-align: center">The equivalent of 20% of the host''s Draconic Vitality can be distributed between up to ten individuals. This does not detract from the host''s stats.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Wovan was a hive mind consisting of hundreds of thousands of smaller spiders. After doing some research into the species, Arthur had learnt that every single spider constituting it counted as its true form. What would happen when you faced a hive mind of innumerable monsters, only they didn''t possess the weakness inherent to their race? You''d attack with a massive AoE spell, the tried and tested method of dealing with such creatures, and watch in despair as they came out completely unscathed, each and every spider possessing more health than their team''s greatest tanker.


    A monster that put apocalypse beasts to shame; that was what he would make Wovan, a creature that would inspire terror in the hearts of every being in the multiverse, whose birth would shake the balance of power across all realms, big or small.


    A monster that even I would have no hopes of defeating, regardless of of how strong I may become.

 Chapter 193- Prisoners of Flesh

    Rosano adjusted the filters on his Ambion regulator mask, cursing the crude design and his lack of funds, which forced him to use such outdated tech. Earth was a green planet, abundant in all the necessary gasses and liquids to support type-2 life, the third most commonly found across the multiverse.


    As a human, it should have been perfect for Rosano, only the hundreds of operations and genetic experimentation he''d been forced to undergo made him the very antithesis of his former species. That was the only way he could see it- his former species- not the ''evolved human'' as his psychotic master called it. He was more machine than flesh at this point, though no one looking at him would be able to tell at first glance; Lady Melania''s mechanised flesh craft was far too advanced to look any different from nature''s work to the casual observer.


    Rosano could feel the difference, though, as starkly as if he had woken up in another''s body. It had been decades since he''d felt at home in his skin, which was unsurprising considering it had been replaced entirely with Melania''s work around that time. Rosanno shivered at the memory. For all her insane genius, Lady Melania wasn''t a miracle worker, nor was she a big believer in the dignity and comforts that should be afforded to her patients. It had taken her two weeks to rid him of the sensation that his muscle and tissue were exposed to open air and by that point, he was sure he''d lost most of his sanity.


    Sometimes, he wondered if it had ever really returned.


    After all, how else could he explain his current circumstances? For the first time in twenty years- since he''d been a dumb kid with no self-preservation instincts, in fact- he''d escaped from under the cruel thumb of Lady Melania. The reason why was even more absurd. Apparently, an Originator had appeared, a near enough mythical phenomenon already, only the Originator was rumoured to be a soul mage too, which elevated his value beyond most transcendent treasures.


    When he thought of it like that, it sounded ludicrous and he wondered if this was an elaborate dreamscape Lady Melania had cooked up as part of her latest experiments. He wouldn''t put it past her. His master had a sadistic streak a mile wide and it wouldn''t be the first time she fed her creations false hope.


    No. This is real. It has to be. The moment he couldn''t differentiate between reality and fiction would mean he was truly broken, beyond all hopes of salvation. He turned to look at his partner in crime, Mysha. Once a dear friend, Lady Melania''s treatments had been far harsher on her than him, and there was nothing left of the girl he''d once loved in her pitiless gaze. She''d always been braver than him, and lacking the self-restraint that had kept him alive hadn''t helped her case at all. Where he had lowered his head and meekly accepted his new existence as a test subject, Mysha had rebelled.


    And so Lady Melania had broken her.


    It was always easier to destroy than create, and craftsmen knew how to break things down in ways that were impossible to repair. Mysha had lasted all of five days before she¡¯d returned¡­ Rosano didn¡¯t know how to describe it. A broken puppet? Or a perfect one? It depended on who you were asking. Rosano was a broken man, but his mind remained human, the one part of him that still remained his own. Mysha¡¯s ego had been erased and replaced with Melania¡¯s will, as much an extension of the psychotic woman as one of her limbs.


    Case in point what she was currently doing with the poor sod they¡¯d come after. The Originator¡¯s scent had led him to this man and getting through the security Earth¡¯s natives had set on the military camp had been as easy as taking candy from a child. Three minutes and seven quiet assassinations later, they¡¯d reached their target with no one aware of their presence. Honestly, if you were to look around the dark room in the light of day, you¡¯d be hard-pressed to notice the evidence of the violence and brutality that had taken place here. That was the usual result when the gulf in power between them and their prey was so vast they couldn¡¯t even put up a token of resistance.


    Rosano idly read the information they had on him. He was called Matthew with zero affinities for magic and an above-average aptitude for physical combat. A middling existence whose only value lay in the fact that he was a childhood friend of the Originator. They¡¯d come here looking for a lead and found nothing. Or, as Matthew had said, ''The bastard was too good to associate with common riff-raff now that he was someone special.''


    Rosano had to respect the way the young man had tried to protect his friend. It would¡¯ve worked too if he hadn¡¯t seen the same loyalty displayed a dozen times before. A few minutes of persuasion later, they¡¯d realised Matthew truly didn¡¯t know where Arthur Ward had disappeared off to.


    ¡°Mysha, can you stop doing that. You''re getting water all over my feet,¡± he asked in as polite a voice as he could muster. It was the only tone of voice she responded to these days.


    The woman in question had the entirety of her hand and half her arm in Matthew¡¯s mouth, the poor kid''s teeth removed and his jaw broken to accommodate the tight fit. With her limb inside the kid, she was able to get past the innate resistance a soul provided to one¡¯s body and generate water directly into Matthew¡¯s lungs. Mysha would then watch as his chest expanded far more than a human¡¯s should have, ribs creaking dangerously before she¡¯d stab him with a pointed dagger and watch in rapt fascination as pinkish-red water careered through the air to land on Rosano¡¯s boots. A little healing and she¡¯d start all over again.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She''d been going at it for a while now, and the only thing keeping Mathew alive were the protections he''d placed on his heart and vital organs. Still, if Mysha had her way, the kid wouldn''t remain amongst the living for much longer. His magic was good, but it couldn''t hold up to the abuse his partner was dishing out for eternity.


    Mysha was disgruntled that her fun was cut short, but she listened to his request and stood up from Mathew''s prone form.


    "Let''s go, Mysha," he said. "It''s clear going after the Originator''s connections won''t provide any results. Whatever his intentions, the guy made the right decision cutting these people off." It would protect both them and him from a whole lot of unnecessary trouble.


    He pulled a healing potion out of his storage pouch and poured it down Mathew''s ruined mouth. It was epic-ranked, one of the seven that he owned. Even as he used it to save the boy''s life, he wondered why he was wasting such a precious resource. Was he getting sentimental? No, that wasn''t it. The kid reminds me of myself. Talentless with friends so much more lucky than me. It was that very inferiority complex that led him to the petty theft that had ruined his life, simply for making the mistake of choosing the wrong target. Don''t tell me you think this altruism cancels out your sins, Rosano, he mocked himself. If there was a hell, he was destined for it as surely as the sun was a ball of flaming gas.


    Watching the boy''s shattered jaw start regenerating, Rosano considered what he was doing on Earth. At level 213 with an epic class, he was a deadly warrior who should have been living in luxury in one of the resort planets. He was a terror in combat, doubly so with all the augmentations that allowed him to exhibit legendary potential for short bursts at a time.


    He looked over at Mysha, the girl he''d once loved. She was unrecognisable now, still beautiful, but in an uncanny valley way after all the cosmetic changes Lady Melania had made to suit her tastes. The broken puppet was fiddling with a camera she''d set up earlier and he grimaced as he recalled all the recordings she already had in her collection.


    "Mysha, you need to stop with that sick hobby of yours," he grumbled. "It''s bad enough that we do all these crimes without you recording evidence against us."


    The woman just looked at him dumbly without saying anything. She smiled creepily, the grin too wide for her face before resuming whatever it was that had her so interested in the camera. Not for the first time, Rosano wondered what evil he must have done in his past life that cursed him with such a fate. His existence was a wretched one, His body was in constant pain, his health was never allowed to recover fully, his flesh carefully damaged and modified and his healing inhibited in specific ways to prevent him from rejecting the mechanised flesh Melania had fused him with. Most would have gone crazy with the pain by now,


    Sometimes he wondered if he already had.


    With their first lead running cold, they were at an impasse. Just where had Arthur Ward gone? Were it not for the guarantee that the Originator was still on Earth, he would have thought Arthur had long fled the planet by now. That was the way prey tended to react in such situations. Unfortunately, it seemed this particular prey was a little smarter than the others he''d hunted. While fleeing the planet looked great on paper, it was quite literally the worst decision the Originator could make.


    Remaining on the freshly evolved tier-1 planet meant that Arthur was still protected by integration law, though he doubted the soul mage felt that way right now. As long as he stayed on Earth, the Feytons would be limited in who they could send after him. For starters, no one beyond level 240 and no one who''d gained a legendary class at level 100. Rosano had researched everything he could about Originators. Knowing your target was half the hunt.


    The last time one had appeared, or at least survived long enough to become known as one, was two thousand eight hundred years ago, a graceling mage with an affinity for destruction magic called Kalliah. She hadn''t sparked a tenth of the excitement Arthur had, though she had still been hunted for the standard six-month period. That was how long Origin Hunts tended to last, after which the System would grant them protected status enforced by three of the strongest factions; the Systemic Army, the Guild of Originators and the Elderling race.


    Going after them at that point was suicide with extra steps. You wouldn''t even know how you''d died. The Guild of Originators in particular employed a scorched earth policy in these matters and they salted whatever little remained of the earth after their work was done.


    Arthur''s case was a little special, though. If rumour was to be believed, Fatebreaker''s daughter had somehow gotten involved with the Originator and had appealed to her father for help. Ezrial was a powerhouse no one wanted to offend, so when he intervened, his words held weight. The Origin Hunt''s time had been cut down from the normal six months to a mere fifty-five days. Already, eleven had passed. Only forty-four remained before the Originator became a protected species. Forty-four days for Rosano to earn his freedom.


    He glanced down at his insurance. The weapon looked like an ordinary dull bronze dagger. It was anything but and had taken the work of a master illusionist to get it past the Origin Hunt overseer. The weapon wasn''t illegal in any way, but it blew past the limits appointed Overseer, relic hunter Larthorn, had set for this hunt. If he were caught, it would be confiscated immediately and he''d be returned to Lady Melania in shackles, his magic permanently stripped from him. That was a fate worse than death. Still, it was almost poetic that he was hunting a soul mage with a weapon made from their magic.


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    <td style="width: 98.7537%; text-align: center">


    Randar''s Lament (Legendary)- A dagger created by the soul mage Randar to avenge the death of his wife, its target died long before the blade''s completion. Now it lies unused, waiting for a worthy foe.


    Effect- One time use artefact. Will inflict significant damage to the target''s soul. Will last for ten seconds after activation.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 194- Making Waves

    Arthur hadn¡¯t left the cottage basement for thirty hours. Right after his conversation with Iris, he¡¯d immediately gone to the System store and bulk-bought all the ingredients he needed for strength enhancements elixirs for the lowest price he could. 500,000 credits spent later, Arthur had two thousand sets of ingredients to work with. It had taken a little haggling, but he¡¯d managed to take the seller down from 530,000. It had been easy enough that he suspected the seller priced it as such just to get buyers to purchase at 500,000 credits and no lower and have them leave feeling like they''d accomplished something.


    He¡¯d gone on to buy a thousand litres of ether-infused water. While he could create his own, he wasn¡¯t willing to spend the hours it would take to spend over a million ether to do so.


    He always lost a percentage when he transferred ether and he shuddered at the thought of how terrible the conversion rate would get when he was mentally drained before even reaching the halfway point. Beyond that, however, was the fact that converting his health to ether to fuel his magic was a painful process. Not enough that he¡¯d ever stop doing it, but forking over a hundred thousand credits to save himself from the monotonous pain and long hours of work was an easy decision to make.


    With everything ready, Arthur had retreated to the basement and started production. At first, he¡¯d started slowly with only a single set of ingredients. Arthur followed the same set of steps he¡¯d grown familiar with, drawing some blood and working on each ingredient individually it turned out Arthur¡¯s exercise with tap water earlier had borne some fruit and the alchemy was far easier than before. His results too, reflected his improvements, the first elixir had produced enhancing strength by a respectable 22%. Although it was given the unique modifier, it was approaching the limits of what a Common ranked elixir could do, a limit Arthur was sure he¡¯d soon blow past with a little more experience.


    It was only when he searched for a container that Arthur realised he¡¯d forgotten to buy any glass vials. Thirty thousand credits later, Arthur had 3,000 empty flasks ready for filling. Arthur rubbed his temples and looked around the basement, groaning in faux pain. Even with all the rituals Iris had set up here for expanded space, the basement was feeling cramped with everything he¡¯d bought taking up so much space. The small workbench he was sitting at was the only island of peace surrounded by all the chaos and clutter.


    The quicker I sell things, the faster this place gets cleaned up.


    With that thought bolstering his resolve, Arthur devoted the next two hours to pumping out elixirs. At first, it took him a little under seven minutes to get one ready, but by the time two hours were up, he¡¯d gotten it down to four minutes a potion. Groaning, Arthur stretched like a cat, feeling the bones in his back pop pleasantly. All the elixirs he¡¯d made were arranged before him, twenty-three small vials that glittered a bright red and shone like miniature lighthouses to his more magical senses. They were all incredible successes, the worst of them providing a 21% increase to strength and the greatest 24%.


    He put them all on for sale at 3,000 credits each and counted the seconds it took to sell out. Twenty-seven. Twenty-seven seconds, less than half a minute and Arthur made 44,815 credits. That was more than someone would earn working for the Agroth family defending invasion points for two weeks. It was one of the most dangerous jobs a person could do and paid an appropriately high wage: 20,000 credits a week. And I made double that by sitting on my arse for two hours.


    It wasn''t the most money in the world, but it stunned Arthur just how easy it had been to make. And Arthur was only growing more efficient as time passed. He quickly did some mental maths. With his current speed of four minutes per elixir, he was projected to make a little under 90,000 credits in the next two hours. If there was any record for the fastest money made by a beginner alchemist, Arthur was sure he was on the road to beating it.


    He''d planned on taking a short break after his first batch of sales, but now that he''d seen the money coming in, it was almost impossible to stop. I''m already addicted, aren''t I? Arthur settled in and started to grind out potions. He was ready for the long haul this time and decided he wouldn''t get up until he''d finished fifty elixirs.


    For the first hour, he was able to maintain his top speed of four minutes an elixir, even improving a little and cutting it down by twenty seconds. Unfortunately, when the second hour started, Arthur realised he hadn''t accounted for something critical; mental fatigue. As high as his stats may be, Arthur wasn''t a machine and the drudgery of repeating the same set of actions over and over again meant that he started making mistakes.


    They were minor enough at first, a tiny slip-up where he failed to extract the essence of an ingredient properly, or allowed a bit of unwanted material to pollute his work, but they didn''t harm his elixirs beyond dropping them by a single percentage or two, a margin he was more than comfortable working with considering he''d been consistently outputting strength enhancements at 24% for the past half an hour.


    The first major mistake was made when he applied a little too much force when handling the four-tailed watercress leaf- the exact same mistake he''d made when he''d first started experimenting with this elixir- and he cursed when he saw the torn leaf leaking energy on his fingertips.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    That was probably the perfect time for Arthur to stop. He''d been working for ninety minutes straight and produced twenty-nine elixirs, a respectable amount, the vast majority of them of greater quality than his first batch. Arthur, however, was a stubborn man. He''d said he wouldn''t get up until he made fifty and he was a man of his word. To prevent any more mistakes from happening, Arthur started to take things slowly, first moving back to five minutes per elixir and eventually returning to the six minutes it used to take him in the beginning.


    Even then, he had to scrap a failed elixir that only produced a thirteen percent enhancement, but finally, after an additional two hours, Arthur was done. He had a throbbing headache, his eyes were swimming, and his entire body was throbbing with a dull ache, the cost of fueling his alchemy with his health for the last few hours. When he saw the fifty elixirs arrayed before him, though, he couldn''t care less about how shit he felt.


    That was 150,000 credits on the table, enough money to buy some decent rare-ranked equipment. Not that such gear interested him, or would prove remotely useful, but people saved up for months, even years to make what he had in less than a quarter of a day. He let that sink in for a second, dumbfounded before he started to laugh uncontrollably. He remembered all the terrible jobs he''d done as a teenager before the System arrived.


    The foster care in the US had been terrible, something he''d learned immediately after his parent''s deaths. Moving from place to place, school to school, never settling anywhere long enough to set down any roots. It had been much harder on Rize than him, becoming an orphan at seven years of age and then finding out you had a defective liver nine months later.


    The government had provided little aid in covering the costs of medical treatment, and Arthur had realised very early on, that if he wanted his sister to get better he''d have to pay for it himself. What followed was years of work in questionable places. People never paid children a fair wage and those that hired them tended to be shady in the first place.


    He''d worked in kitchens peeling vegetables, delivered newspapers, washed cars and eventually found himself doing less than legal work for some extra cash. They paid the best and more importantly, they always paid. Arthur had been burned too many times, working hours on end, only to be turned away without receiving a single dollar.


    Once again, he looked at all the elixirs arranged on the table before him. This time, his smile was a little more subdued. Arthur had always had an unhealthy relationship with money, and knowing he''d never struggle for cash again healed something inside him he didn''t even know was broken. There was no logic to it- he''d been doing perfectly fine before he knew credits were a thing- but emotions didn''t run on logic. Arthur sighed wearily and put the elixirs up for sale. This time, they were sold in less than ten seconds. It looked like his product was gaining a little reputation.


    He''d already received three messages asking him for his recipe, one of them filled with threats of what they''d do to him if he didn''t stop selling. Arthur reported the account and blocked them. He politely declined the other two before closing the System store.


    194,655 credits.


    Not bad for five hours of work. Arthur stood up and stretched, trying and failing to hold back a yawn. It was the first one since he''d gained a class and Arthur took it as an indicator that he really should call it a day.


    At the speed he was going, he''d be able to hit his goal of five million credits before the week was out. That estimate was dependent on him taking little to no rest, but he was sure he could handle it with a day or two of practice. He made himself a simple sandwich before jumping into bed. Arthur was out the second he closed his eyes.


    ~~~


    Unbeknownst to Arthur, his elixirs were making waves in the wider universe among the different schools of alchemy. Already people are reselling them for ten times the buying price, In a tier-3 world that had long since ended the threats of their invasion planets, an old man held the elixir in his hands. He was a halfling, which meant he looked exactly the same as a human male, only he was a third the size.


    He unstoppered the vial and took a sip of the red liquid. Oaklean Renevon had been using his Mythical skill Golden Palate for centuries to deduce the specific makeup of powerful potions. It was how he''d risen to his position, becoming the youngest halfling ever to join the council of alchemists and earning the title of Lord. He grimaced and spat on the side as if trying to get rid of an unpleasant taste.


    "You were right," he said to his disciple, handing the elixir back to her.


    Anyone watching would have found the scene comical, a halfling talking down to a half-giant seven times his size.


    "The secret ingredient is a perfect catalyst. It completely merges with whatever it''s added to, impossible to separate and figure out. Whoever made this elixir is an amateur, though. They fought to add any flavourings. I can taste the cheap watercress they used."


    "So, master, did you figure out where it''s from," Solana, the half-giant asked. Her voice was surprisingly high-pitched for someone so large. Not for the first time, Oaklean cursed the System store protection laws of anonymity. They''d been installed two thousand years ago to prevent unscrupulous customers from tracking down sellers and taking their treasures by force. The old halfling knew why the rules had been put in place- he''d benefited from the protection greatly himself- but it made his job infinitely harder when he was trying to track someone down.


    Thankfully, the same applied to all the other bastards who would want this new alchemist for themselves. Fortunately, he had a bit of a cheat code to help him out. His mythical palate never forgot a taste, and he''d been around for thousands of years at this point.


    The System store protections had one tiny flaw. Whenever you searched for raw ingredients suppliers on the System store, unless you specifically requested against it, it would show you results from places closest to you. As amateurish as this new alchemist was, Oaklean doubted they''d done so much to cover their tracks.


    "The watercress leaves are from Chrollo Empire. I can taste the shitty pesticide they use on it. The red mango pulp is from there too."


    "The Chrollo Empire," Solana repeated, "Isn''t that-"


    "Where the new Originator was found," Oaklean finished for her.


    "If the two are connected, or dare I say it, if this new alchemist is our runaway Originator, perhaps it''s time for the Council of Alchemists to look into things."


    "It''d be a shame if some barbarian savage kills him before we teach him some proper alchemy."