《Paths of Akashic [Kinetic Warrior Litrpg]》 Chapter 1: Initiation The fluorescent lights hummed above, casting a pallid glow over the wooden desks stacked with documents and the greenish-gray linoleum floor of the police station. Officer Alistair Ryser stifled a yawn as he leaned back on his armchair; it had been an uneventful shift due to the poor weather, so he was stuck with desk duty. Behind him, a door opened. Turning around, he saw his partner, Simon, with two cups of coffee entering the room, giving him a knowing smile. "Our shift is almost done. I got us some pick-me-ups," Simon declared before handing one to Alistair. "Thanks, man. I can''t wait to get away from the paperwork," Alistair complained. "Yeah, yeah, a necessary evil," Simon said sagely before sipping. "It''s been a slow week, and Wihler gave the only interesting case to Enya and Ryan," "Well, they were the first on the scene, and I don''t envy them for having to write the report. Did they ever find that hand?" Alistair asked as he took a sip. The coffee at the station had never been particularly good, but he had long since gotten used to it. "Not to my knowledge. However, they found the wedding ring that was supposed to be on the hand," Simon said, sitting next to Alistair before taking another sip. "Just the ring? Where did they find that?" Alistair inquired. "That''s the best part. In an open jar of pickles on the porch. Our guys almost missed it," Simon said with a severe expression. "I''m not falling for your shit again," Alistair said, taking a sip and maintaining eye contact. Simon''s fa?ade broke. "Worth a shot; it was in the bloody sink." Murders were not common around the area; like most in their police force, they coped with such grim topics with gallows humor. Simon, in particular, had a flair for dark jokes. Alistair''s best guess regarding the case was that it was a domestic dispute that had gone wrong. He had a particular distaste for that kind of thing, so he put it out of his mind for now. Looking at the clock, he noticed that they had reached the end of their shift. He and Simon had the night shift, so it was early morning, and Alistair still had to buy Christmas presents for his family. With a nod, Alistair made Simon aware of the time. Simon took a quick glance before turning back. "Alright, let''s get going then; you wanna grab a drink?" Simon asked "It''s 8 AM," Alistair said with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, five o''clock was 16 hours ago," he said with a cheeky smile. "Sorry, I got things to take care of, but I''ll catch you next shift," Alistair said with a smile. "Your loss, man," Simon responded. As they walked through the sterile concrete corridors, Alistair could only shake his head. They put their gear into their lockers and left for the entrance. The police station was a massive concrete castle with many winding paths and elevators and a steel gate closing off a courtyard and underground garage storing their patrol cars. The fortification always impressed him, and he often thought, "If there ever is a zombie apocalypse, I am gonna set up shop here." It also meant it took them ages to just leave the building. As they exited, Alistair leaned in for their personal handshake as they bumped shoulders. "See ya later, man," Alistair said with a smile, giving a quick wave, which Simon returned as they both jogged to their cars. It was a snowy and cold day. Alistair hurried to his car to escape the biting cold. As he started to drive off, his car''s multimedia system informed him that he had a phone call. Before leaving the parking space, he stopped in the intersection leading out of it to quickly check who it was; realizing it was his mother, he accepted the call. "Hey, Alistair, I''m surprised you picked up so quickly." his mother teased. "Sorry, Mom, I am driving; you caught me before leaving the parking space," Alistair said. "Alright, by the way, Melissa and I managed to convince your brother to come over for Christmas, so I''d appreciate it if you''d come too." She said with a warm tone.
"Count me in, and wow, that''s quite the feat. James tends to vanish into his own world with his girlfriend, never to be seen again. So, I assume sis is joining us, too, since she''s helping you coax James out," he quipped with a smirk before making another turn. "Is there Anything specific you need me to bring?" "A Christmas tree would be great. James does not have the time to do it; also, a girlfriend would be a nice surprise," she said teasingly. Alistair let out a deep sigh. "Same answer as yesterday, Mom. I don''t really have anyone to bring this time," Alistair said, a bit tired. His mother was an incredibly caring person and could not stop looking out for him even after he had long left her house; she visited him regularly to cook a meal and check if he was alright, often pushing him out of his comfort zone, getting him hitched was just her latest project. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "If you would spend a bit less time just drinking with your buddies Simon and Remo, I''m sure you would..." Suddenly, everything shifted as if ripped out of a dream, eyes wide, and his knee jerked as he found himself on a couch, not in his car. "What the fuck?!" he said under his breath. "Did I crash?" He asked, looking around. The first thing that struck him was his eyesight; it was much better than it had any right to be, and his glasses were gone. Looking around, he found himself in a modern but cozy-looking room. Many of the walls were lined with bookshelves. At the same time, a small fireplace in front of him crackled peacefully, creating the only ambient sound. Looking to the left, he saw a window front looking out to the night sky illuminated by an ever-changing aurora borealis. Approaching the window, he saw a large lake down some rolling hills and a large mountain in the distance that suspiciously looked like the Matterhorn he visited once on vacation as a child. However, the surrounding landscape was all wrong. Looking back over his shoulder momentarily, he noticed the lack of a door. "Where am I?" he asked out loud. "You are within your soulscape," an elderly voice responded. The hairs on Alistair''s neck suddenly stood on end. Spinning around, he spotted an elderly man in a suit sitting in an armchair that had not been there moments before. Alistair bit his tongue, now firmly believing it was another of his vivid dreams again, and felt relieved when it did not hurt. "No, you are not dreaming. You just can''t hurt yourself like that here," the elderly man said. Alistair inspected the man suspiciously, realizing he could not make out his exact features and his own mind was in a strong haze. His head started to hurt as he tried to make out the man sitting before him. "Am I dead?" Alistair asked in a worried tone. "No, you are very much alive, perhaps even more so than ever before," the elderly man said in a soothing tone. "The Akashic Records have been initiated, and all restrictions have been lifted. Your universe is joining the fold," he said calmly. "What does that even mean? And who are you?" Alistair asked curtly, slowly approaching the couch in the center to sit opposite the elderly man. "It means exactly what I said. I am the system representative who will guide you through your initiation. I''m doing this for every individual in your universe right now," the old man stated with what Alistair thought was an expressionless face. Upon hearing this, Alistair had to suspend his disbelief. Everything was strange, and he could swear the old man read his mind for a second there. For now, he would listen to the old gentleman in front of him. As a Policeman, Alistair was used to stressful situations, but this was the strangest one he had ever found himself in. "Good, now that I have your attention, I will say my piece. You may ask your questions after." Alistair furrowed his brow at the statement but decided to listen for now. "With the integration, everything has changed. The reality you once knew is being transformed, expanded, and reshaped to prepare every race for the changes. Everyone will be provided the tools to survive and perhaps even thrive in this new reality." He gave what Alistair thought was a smile, but it was gone as fast as he noticed it. "In a little under three hours'' time from now, you will be transported to a trial world. Before that, you will be given choices, and you may ask me questions. Needless to say, after you enter the trial world, death is a real threat. You will arrive there alone and must survive for one year. After that, you will be placed back on Earth, which will be transformed at that point in time." Having ended his spiel, the elderly man looked expectantly at Alistair. Alistair''s frown only deepened as he leaned forward, folding his hands loosely together, looking at the elderly man in front of him. This whole scenario reminded him of some fantasy novel he read years ago, but ultimately, he decided to play along. "Alright, my first question would be why I can see so well? My body feels strange, and my head is a mess. Did you do something to me?" "Every individual has their body reformed and all ailments removed, be that a physical or psychological ailment, without exception. However, this only applies to ailments recognized as such by the individual''s soul. To guarantee a level playing field for everyone, everyone''s body has been transformed to the minimum standard of humans in the post-initiation." "That''s¡­ okay. You mentioned choices and a trial world; what kind of choices, and what is a Trial world?" Alistair said, worried because he did not seem to wake up, and this was way too lucid to be a dream. The elderly man waved his hand, and a menu appeared before Alistair. "This is your status, and within it, you may glance at your records. You can summon it whenever you want. Nobody else can see this status, and you should be careful about sharing any information." "As for the Trial world, it is one among many. You will find Monsters, Dungeons, and other Challenges within them. Due to its size, the chances of you running across another individual in your trial world will be negligible. You are offered the opportunity to grow more powerful within, which will give you a chance to survive on your Home Planet, which will be a lot more dangerous than the Trial worlds." Alistair stared in disbelief at the floating screen in front of him:
[Status Tab]
Name: ?
Age: ?
Race: Human
Level: 0 Grade: 10
[Skills Tab] [Title Tab]
[Stats Tab] [Bloodline Tab]
¡°What the hell... this is so video gamey, you can¡¯t be serious?¡± Alistair said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°How you interact with your status is different for every individual. The fact that it is a screen has more to do with how your mind comprehends the Records. Your world did not interact with many concepts and terms, so your mind is doing its best to translate anything I tell you into something understandable. For some, the status is a book. For others, just voices. Some races prefer psionic images. It is a screen because YOU decided it would be your preferred method of interacting with your Records,¡± the elderly gentleman said in a monotone voice. ¡°This¡­ is a lot to take in,¡± Alistair said. Three hours might not be enough time, he mused. Chapter 2: Questions And Choices Alistair ran his hands through his short hair, digesting the current information overload presented. He wished he had a whiteboard to write it down; as he did so, a whiteboard appeared on the wall, looking precisely like the one in his station. ¡°Okay, how does that work? Why is there a whiteboard there?¡± He asked as he rubbed his nose bridge. The old man turned his head and looked at the whiteboard before answering. ¡°As I said before, this is your soulscape. It is on the outermost layer of your soul. You have full control over it and can change anything you want. What you see is simply a representation of what you want to see in a Home or resting place. You will be able to access this place later on whenever you choose. However, keep in mind time dilation is also in effect. The world outside is moving much slower than inside here, and you will be defenseless.¡± The elderly man said in an emotionless tone. After his explanation, he turned his head back to Alistair, his body shifting and twisting for a fraction of a second before fixing itself. ¡°If I can control everything in here, I should be able to make another screen and let it automatically take notes of what I want,¡± Alistair thought. And as soon as he did, the screen appeared to note things following his thought: Akashic? Grades? Universes plural? The list went on as fast as he could imagine it. After a few minutes, Alistair turned his attention back to the other screen that was still open. ¡°Why is my name and age marked down as a question mark? Alistair finally asked. ¡°You get the choice to change your name and choose your age. Your chosen name will be displayed if somebody successfully identifies you. Consider it carefully because you will most likely live with that name for the rest of your life unless something drastic happens, so choose wisely. You may add or change your Surname later, usually when creating a Bloodline. As for age, it''s just visual changes. You will have the same life expectancy as others in your grade.¡± The elderly man said the last words in a more severe tone, which made Alistair perk up a bit. Alistair considered for a moment whether he wanted to pick an alias or a different name but immediately discarded the idea. Age, however? He did not mind turning back the clock. Alistair was in his early thirties and considered 24 the year he was physically and visually the most impressive. As he thought about it, this also meant that his family members would get that option. This would make finding them much harder, especially if his mother or grandpa were suddenly younger-looking than himself. Ultimately, he decided to stick to his decision and set his name as Alistair, leaving the Surname open and changing his age to 24. His hairline fixed itself, and his face slimmed. Alistair noticeably lost a bit of bulk, and as he turned, there was a mirror behind him just as he desired, inspecting himself, his younger self looking back from the mirror, and after standing there for a few seconds, he turned around. ¡°Alright, what are these Grades, and what is the Akashic Record?¡± Alistair asked. ¡°As mentioned before, the Akashic Record is the overarching system you find yourself in. It contains all records and paths. It is not unusual for a planet outside the system to not even have a term for it. Still, in simpler terms, it is the universe¡¯s memory containing all there is and has been, and even what might be like words, thoughts, events, and emotions, that encompass all entities without exception. It is one of if not the most complex concepts to comprehend fully, but you can use it just fine without understanding it fully. Grades reflect how powerful you are by measuring your mastery over concepts and the quantity and quality of records. In short, to increase your grade, you require sufficient records.¡± Alistair pondered for a while, gazing out at the aurora borealis in the distance. The floating window on his right side automatically added everything he had been told and his own interpretation of it. ¡°I wish I had a feature like this when I had to write my reports.¡± He thought, smiling to himself. ¡°You mentioned concepts a lot. Can you elaborate on that a bit? How do I gain records and levels?¡± He considered asking about the benefits of higher grades but reconsidered and pushed it down on the priority list. ¡°There are endless amounts of concepts. In simple terms, concepts usually refer to things you would consider schools of magic. There is the concept of fire but also a concept of heat and a concept of flames; these concepts are often related and similar. However, a flame could be cold or not even made of fire. Keep in mind most concepts are combinations of others. By increasing your understanding of them, you may learn to control them. Still, almost every individual has a different affinity for certain concepts that are closely related while showing no talent for others. Every progenitor of this universe will be informed of their strongest affinity. In your case, it is kinetics, so you find it easier to master it and its related concepts. Of course, there are ways to figure out if you have an affinity for something or not, but I am not permitted to tell you how.¡± The elderly man rattled down, and Alistair thanked the stars that everything was being recorded. Alistair frowned at that, but he was quite excited about the prospect of kinetics. ¡°As for how you gain records and levels, levels mostly reflect your quantity of records but are also slightly affected by their quality. You gain records through your actions; the more extraordinary, the better the chances of obtaining titles that reflect your achievements and improve the quality of your records. Once you obtained a sufficient quantity and quality of records, you will level up. The most common way to acquire records is through combat. This new reality is one of kill or be killed, and you will always be at odds with something or someone and faced with challenges.¡± As the elderly man finished, Alistair wondered just how much time had passed, and as soon as he did that, a timer appeared on the wall, showing he only had a bit over 2 hours left, ticking down second by second. Alistair could think of many ways to use such a concept, and for a while, Alistair just imagined what he could do with such magic. His mind raced with great ideas but had to stop himself because he did not know how magic worked yet. But the prospect excited him, and sadly, the Avatar did not answer any questions about possible magic applications. Shifting his attention back to his status, he opened his stats tab and then expanded the RPG stats, "Huh?" He thought. But as soon as he read the details of the different stats, he found them to be a poor label, and as soon as he thought about it, the stats terms changed into ones that he considered much more accurate.
Stats:
Str -> Power [11] Increases physical and magical damage as well as general speed and the ability to lift heavy things. Provides a small bonus to self-healing and stamina recovery.
Int -> Mental [12] Increases magical capacity and determines the quality and quantity of mana [MP], increases memorization and comprehension capacity, and increases spell power by a large degree.
Dex-> Control [11] Increases motor skills and magic and energy control by a large degree and increases the ability to concentrate by a moderate amount, with a large impact on the efficiency of [SP] and [MP] usage.
Con -> Body [11] Increases robustness and vitality of the body, with a large impact on [HP] and [SP] capacity, moderate impact on damage reduction and environmental & magical resistance, and large impact on self-healing.
Wis -> Mind [11] Increases the defense of mind and soul, as well as mana regeneration by a large degree, and also increases the number of tasks possible at a time. It also significantly heightens the efficiency of attacks targeting the minds and souls of others.
Perc -> Senses [11] Increases reaction speed and fine control of senses like visual, smell, etc., by a large degree. It also increases instincts to a large degree, with a small bonus to [MP] and [SP] expenditure reduction.
After a glance, he notices that his [Mental] stat was one higher than all the other stats. ¡°All of my stats just changed their labeling, and my mental is one higher than all the other stats. What is this about?¡± Alistair asked but suspected he already knew the answer. ¡°Your labels changed because your comprehension of them has changed or even grown considering your increase in [Mental]. Everyone sees their records differently based on their interpretation and comprehension. Your mental capacity increased because your comprehension has grown since your body reformed. Increasing your stats naturally without level-ups is possible but is usually a hard and slow process.¡± The elderly man said in a different tone than his usual monotone one. Still, Alistair could only guess at the System Avatar''s emotions. Alistair continued asking questions about interpretations. The system did not show outright incorrect things, but it could be imprecise and misleading if one''s comprehension was lacking, and the old man refused to give pointers on what is correct or the average of some things. Alistair would have to figure it out for himself, like everyone else. With a glance, he noticed the timer was already down to little under one and a half hours. He had spent too much time thinking theoretical stuff and quickly continued his line of questioning. ¡°How high is the cap for increasing my stats outside of levels?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I can not answer that,¡± the old man said in his monotone voice again. ¡°Alright, are there more things you must tell me before the time runs out?¡± Alistair asked, glancing over the change of tone. ¡°Yes, you should pick up a starting skill because you have a small selection of suitable ones available right now, and you will be offered new skills in intervals. As you progress through your grades, you will gain between 3 and 5 options at a time. Skills you do not pick can be picked later unless you gain a mutually exclusive skill. However, unlike future skill acquisition, the skills you are offered right now will not be added to the unlearned skills list. Still, they may show up in the future. You will also be given a weapon of your choice and some basic armor. Be warned if you do not pick a weapon or skill in time, they will be randomly assigned to you.¡± Sensing urgency and nervous excitement, Alistair immediately opened his skill tab.
Skill Choices:
Tier: Skill Name: Description:
[Rare] Appraisal Imparts knowledge of materials and their related concepts to a medium degree. allows the user to recognize the value and uses of objects, materials and Natural treasures
[Common] Gunnery Proficiency Increases [Power] and [Control] when using firearms by a small degree. imparts knowledge of the use of firearms
[Common] Ranged Proficiency Increases [Power] and [Control] when using any ranged weapon by a small degree. imparts knowledge of the use of ranged weapons
[Common] Melee Proficiency Increases the overall proficiency, [Power] and [Control] by a small degree when fighting in melee combat. Imparts knowledge of the use of melee weapons.
[Inferior] Kinetic Control Increases control and understanding over Kinetic energies to a minor degree.
Looking at the skills on offer, Alistair thought about their immediate and future uses and noticed a trend among them and some overlap. "Most of these seem relatively passive, and are firearms not ranged weapons?" Alistair thought to himself before asking the question aloud. "Are firearms not considered ranged weapons?" Alistair asked, confused. "Firearms are considered ranged weapons." The elderly man said curtly. "Can you elaborate on why there is an overlap and the meaning of it?" Alistair prodded. "No, I cannot," The elderly man said, slightly frustrating Alistair. "Okay, then what''s with the Rarity tags? Can they be improved after the fact?" Alistair said, hopeful to get an answer to this question. "Yes, improving and changing skills is one of the ways you can increase your records." The elderly man responded. "Alright! Kinetic control is suddenly a lot more alluring." Alistair thought. "Can I learn to control kinetic energy or, for that matter, magic without a skill?" Alistair probed. "Yes," the elderly man said. Alistair noted how the answers became shorter or were denied more often over time: "Perhaps I am digging deeper than I was expected to?" He mused. "How can I learn to control magic or other concepts?" Alistair asked. "Practice," the elderly man said. "Practice how?" Alistair muttered, growing a bit frustrated. "I can not tell you that." The elderly man said curtly. "Am I running out of questions? Is there a limited amount?" Alistair probed, his frustration mounting. "No, but I am not allowed to share certain information with newly integrated individuals for their own benefit," the old man said in a severe tone. "Okay, how is not answering me to my benefit?" Alistair asked curtly. "If you were told everything, it would detract from the records you could gain by discovering them yourself. It may even give you an advantage over others who fail to ask the same questions." The elderly man said, tilting his head for a second before snapping back straight immediately. Alistair was taken aback for a second and then took a moment to look at his long report on the side. He did get a lot of information, and he felt he had a much better understanding of what was going on than a mere hour ago, but looking at the clock, Alistair noticed he was down to roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes now. Thinking of his weapon choice, he saw a lot of little windows he could swipe to the left with an image of a weapon and a short description. "Can I try the weapons out?" as soon as he said it, a sword appeared hovering just before him. "Never mind," he mumbled as he grabbed the sword by the hilt, making practice swings. He could switch the weapons with a thought, so he kept changing them and testing out how well he did with different weapons. Alistair had a lot of practice using a shield; sadly, the only option with a shield was a short sword; he would have preferred a hatchet. "Is there any chance I can switch one weapon for another so I can wield a hatchet and a shield?" Alistair inquired. "No," the avatar responded to Alistair''s annoyance. "What can I expect to face when I get out there?" "There will be challenges and monsters, but your new body will enable you to face them," Alistair questioned the elderly man some more. The situation reminded him a little of the Isekai genre, which he was not exactly a fan of. The buckler and shortsword were not exactly his first choice, but they were the best given the selection. The avatar did reassure him, however, that he would have the chance to find different weapons. The elderly man was always annoyingly vague and refused to elaborate on many of the more detailed questions Alistair had. "How many grades are there, and how do I recognize them?" he asked as he swung a halberd. Nice feeling but too large..." he concluded. This particular halberd had a far too long shaft, and the elderly gentleman had refused to shorten it to a reasonable length. "The Grades go from 10 to 1; after that, one reaches G for Godhood. You recognize them by their presence, and you will be able to [Sense] their overwhelming power. There are some thresholds within grades where you gain certain benefits besides an increased maximum age, like the need to eat and sleep vanishes and the loss of organs you no longer need, and, of course, the ability to regrow limbs and survive even the loss of your brain." The elderly gentleman said with what felt like a smirk. "That was a lot more information. Again, I suppose this kind of knowledge is not secret and more of an incentive to increase your grade¡­ also survive the loss of my brain?!" Alistair thought with a shocked expression painted on his face. "Wait... godhood?" he said with a skeptical tone. "Yes, becoming a god is usually an affirmation of one''s path, bringing it to the pinnacle, and very few individuals manage to reach godhood. Some Gods are created during the integration, usually embodying the religions and beliefs found on a planet with an enlightened species. These are called natural gods and are usually on the lower end of the power spectrum as far as gods go due to a lack of quality records." Alistair glanced at the clock and decided it was time to make a call on his skill and weapon choice. He picked a shortsword with a large buckler, mostly because of the buckler, as he had a lot of practice with shields from guarding the local football matches. Also, the shortsword seemed unnaturally sturdy and made of a weird metal, the same as the buckler. He then decided to pick the Kinetic Control skill despite its [inferior] rating. A momentary surge of knowledge swept through his mind, accompanied by a sense of familiarity. For a moment, Alistair considered punching the wall to see if he could spread the kinetic energy but remembered that he could not feel pain in the soulscape, so it would have to wait. Walking over to a bookshelf, he pulled out a blank leather-bound book. None of the books seemed to have any title or content. All the pages appeared to be blank. With a thought and some concentration, the report he had written on the floating screen was transcribed into the book, and he put it back as the title reads ''My Initiation''. He gave his status another look over, checking the rest of his tabs, discovering he had a title:
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin
[Unique] Progenitor Of A New Universe +10% to all stats Bonus skill: [Myriad Language Comprehension] Provides an individual with Heritage Records. Provided to all initiates of a freshly Integrated universe, for the lack of heritage Records.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Unique] Identify Allows the user to identify objects and other individuals by displaying their names and any insight available.
[Unique] Myriad Language Comprehension Comprehend all languages of the myriad races.
[Inferior] Kinetic Control Increases control and understanding over kinetic energies to a minor degree.
Unsurprisingly, the bloodline tab was empty. Having a few minutes left, Alistair let his gaze wander across his soulscape; his status had been checked, and his report was stored. He felt ready, but there was one crucial question to ask: ¡°Is there any way to help my family and friends?¡± Alistair asked hopefully. ¡°No, you cannot help anyone but yourself for now.¡± The elderly man said coldly Alistair slumped into the couch, dejection evident as he rested his head against its back, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. In a fleeting moment, the countdown displayed, signaling that only 10 minutes remained. Alistair pondered the potential repercussions of figures ranging from dictators and criminals to politicians and even TikTok creators returning to Earth with superpowers. "Earth is fucked," he concluded with a heavy thought. Chapter 3: A New Reality Alistair looked at the countdown: 2 minutes left. He put on the armor, grabbed the small backpack, and checked its contents. He found 3 Bottles and used [Identify] on them while looking them over. Unsurprisingly, they were described as health, mana, and stamina potions. He stored them in his backpack and strapped the buckler to his left arm. The shortsword rested in its scabbard on his hip, and the simple leather armor covered his torso, shoulders, and arms. Finally, he put on the leather boots, leaving his old shoes next to the couch. Taking one last glance across the room in case he overlooked an item or hint. He slightly nodded in acknowledgment that he was ready. "That''s it then. Do you have any last-minute advice?" Alistair asked, looking at the elderly gentleman. "Don''t die," the elderly man''s apparition said with as little excitement as he could muster. "Primo advice there," Alistair said in a snarky tone. The elderly man just looked at him for a few seconds before saying. "It is time. I wish you good luck on your path," Alistair was booted out of his own soulscape with the wave of the avatar''s hand. After a short flash of darkness, he found himself standing in what looked to be a cave. The cave was damp, and the only light source was slightly bioluminescent mushrooms. Alistair crouched down, pulling his shortsword quietly, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Looking at the mushrooms, he tried to Identify them but only received [Bioluminescent Mushrooms] as a result. "Better not touch them. They might be poisonous or, worse, have harmful magic. They might even be radioactive¡­ I guess that could be one way to receive superpowers, that, or super diarrhea," he mused. A few minutes passed while Alistair stood still in a crouched position, listening for any sounds. He checked the cave roof but could only make out rock and tiny stalactites. Alistair could hear water dripping on the rock and an occasional rhythmic clicking sound. Finally, after some minutes, he felt confident that his dark vision was sufficient. Alistair snuck slowly ahead, leaving the dead-end he found himself in behind, and followed the winding tunnel. He suddenly heard the clicking again, but this time much closer. Alistair slowly peaked around the nearby corner, seeing two Spider-like creatures meandering across the cave floor. While he did not have arachnophobia, he was not a fan, not at all. "Ew, ew, ew, why does it have to be giant spiders?! And why do their legs look like blades??" Alistair questioned with a grimace. He was not a big fan of Spiders and wished Enya was around. She liked those crawly things and had multiple exotic pets in her house. He could handle the lizards and Snakes but drew the line at Arachnids. Personally, he preferred Cats and Dogs. Alistair suddenly froze. What did happen to their family pets? Alistair and his whole family had pets at home, and they were all considered part of the family. Did they just all die? He''d had his cat for almost 12 years and loved her dearly. The thought of her being dead made tears well up in his eyes, and a clump formed in his throat. Alistair fought the tears down. Alistair did not know this was the case, as he forced himself to focus on the issues at hand. After shooting the spiders a quick [Identify] [Naichevix - lvl 1] [Naichevix - lvl 2], a simmering fury grew within him, and he drew on it. The Naichevix closer to him was at a higher level but had its back turned to him. If he could ambush it, he might have to deal only with one of the dog-sized freaks. He could see some natural light on the other side of the small chamber. He was close to the exit and could run for it if things turned nasty. He gripped the shortsword tighter. "I need to kill these things before they move," he concluded. Dashing around the corner, he made an overhead swing to end the monster in one fluid motion. The Naichevix reacted a fraction of a second too late as it turned to face him, and to his surprise, the shortsword cut into the creature''s center of mass, almost bisecting it. It let out a ghastly high-pitched scream as it died, and the moment it died, a pop-up appeared at the corner of his vision.
Notifications:
[Naichevix Level 2 has been slain]
Still, that little distraction was enough for the other Naichevix to leap at him, and he raised his shield arm to intercept it, but his mind was racing. "These fucking things can jump?! WHY!" He yelled as he got goosebumps, and all his hair stood on end. He managed to intercept the jumping critter with his buckler. Alistair had braced for the impact, but it was much less than he had expected. Not skipping a beat, the screeching creature held on to his buckler and wrapped the rest of its many blade-like legs over it to lash out at Alistair. Reflexively, he smashed the buckler into the cave wall to his left before pulling back again to swipe the creature off his buckler with his shortsword. It fell on the ground, squealing but not dead, as he stomped down on it repeatedly. "I''m doing my part!" he huffed as he continued to stomp down until the creature stopped moving. A small chime was heard, and a feeling of power rushed through Alistair''s body. Subconsciously, he viewed the visual pop-up that accompanied the chime as too distracting mid-fight, but he still wished to be informed when something died. Hence, the system adjusted it to an audio sound only as the window disappeared from the corner of his eyes. The new chime sounded precisely like his phone notifications had. Shaking his head, he took a quick glance at the cave entrance. With adrenalin rushing through his body, Alistair waited in his combat stance for any newcomers. Luckily, they never came. After a few seconds, he felt the adrenalin draining out of his body as he checked his notifications.
Notifications:
[Naichevix Level 1 has been slain]
[Level 1 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available. Skill selection available]
Pulling up the stats tab revealed he gained another point in every stat and had one leftover stat point to assign. After looking at his scratched-up left arm, which had already stopped bleeding, he put his free point into the body stat to speed up the self-healing and reduce future damage until he had better means of healing himself. He checked his status and noted that his mana was not drained during the fight. He had felt the concept of kinetics as the Naichevix jumped him. He was sure it dispersed a good bit of the impact force reflexively. " Maybe my mana has regenerated itself due to a low cost, or perhaps it drew from my stamina pool instead? I will have to experiment with that," he mused. With a thought, he pulled up the skill selection.
Skill Choices:
Tier: Skill Name: Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Description:
[Rare] Body Splitter Slash Charge your weapon with a small amount of [SP] and unleash a slash strong enough to split your enemies apart.
[Common] Appraisal Imparts knowledge of materials and their related concepts when using identify by a small degree. Allows the user to recognize the value of objects & materials.
[Common] Melee Proficiency Increases the proficiency and accuracy by a small degree. Imparts knowledge of the use of melee weapons.
[Common] Stealth Proficiency Increases the proficiency with the concept of stealth by a minor amount, allowing the user to stay hidden from sight & sound better.
So far, most of the skills on offer had been somewhat passive, so seeing an active skill was a welcome change. He noted how the Appraisal skill had been downgraded from rare to common, and the description had changed slightly. Alistair recalled it mentioning something called natural treasures in higher-tier iteration. "Currently, I do not know when I will get my next skill choice. Stealth would be smart but not my preferred approach, and I''d rather have a way to defend myself and use at least one of the energy pools, so [Body Splitter Slash] is the obvious choice for now," he concluded as he picked the skill and felt some information entering his mind. Looking at the critters on the ground, he doubted he could salvage anything from them and did not want to touch them. His sword still had a lot of gunk, which he removed by swiping his blade and splattering the gunk over the floor. Alistair then slowly sneaked toward the cave exit, eventually reaching the cave''s mouth. Some weak sunlight lightened up the entrance, and his eyes only needed a moment to adjust to the light outside. He found himself on an incline surrounded by trees, still throwing the occasional nervous glance behind. He could tell he was at the foot of an enormous mountain stretching to the sky. The mountain was seemingly endless from up close, as it was visible even through the high and thick canopy of trees surrounding him. Feeling relatively safe, Alistair decided to remain in the cave and get a better feeling for the kinetic magic he had sensed earlier. His body had intuitively dispersed the kinetic energy upon the monster''s attacks, and he spent a few hours punching and kicking the cave walls to get a better handle on the magic. Once he felt like he had tortured his toes and fists enough to the point where he could more reliably disperse the damage, he stopped waiting for the pain to pass. He then decided to explore a little to secure some food and water and continue to practice later. As he wandered into the forest, he spotted a light clearing in the distance that gave him a better view of the mountain behind him. Once he arrived, the sheer enormity of the mountain left him slack-jawed. "Yeah, I am not climbing that," he decided and spun around, going downhill, hoping for a clearing or a tree that would be easier to climb than the pinewood trees surrounding him. After walking for about 20 minutes, he finally reached a clearing. As luck would have it, multiple tall, strange-looking trees with dark purple bark and thick branches going from the bottom to the top littered the edge of the clearing. Alistair wondered if the tree was dangerous, but after some consideration, he decided he could not be afraid of touching everything that wasn''t ''normal''. After testing the footing a bit, he climbed one of the strange trees to the top. Once he finally reached the top, he let his gaze wander. A beautiful vista of mountain valleys stretched downhill, and he could spot a big lake and what looked to be ruins; there were multiple massive mountains in the distance, but for the most part, he saw rolling hills and plains dotted with small forests and ruins or was it rock formations? It is way too far out to tell, and he suspected it would take him a few days to travel to reach the closest ruins surrounding a lonely hill with a prominent white structure on it. He also spotted some movements in the plains, which were hard to make out. Turning back, he looked over the forest to check the mountainside he found himself on but couldn''t find any points of interest there. The sky was incredibly cloudy, and he hoped it would not rain because being stuck in wet clothing would be the cherry on top of this terrible day. "Alright, priorities are food, water, and shelter, but I suspect being stationary is a poor idea¡­ Those ruins are bound to have something interesting; that structure will probably provide some shelter." He mused. From his vantage point, he spotted a small lake surrounded by a sparse forest in the plains ahead; deciding to head in that direction for now, he started to climb back down again. But before he even made it halfway, he suddenly heard a whistling sound and wings flapping. Alarmed, he spun his head towards the noise to find a creature best described as a sickly green and brown colored pterodactyl with too many accessories and a barbed tail divebombing straight towards the tree [Yrthak - lvl ?]. Alistair just barely managed to grab one of the thick branches above him and pull his whole body up before the creature collided with the tree. Still, to his shock, magic seemed to envelop the beast''s wings, crashing through the tree below him, causing the top half to topple down with him still hanging on it. "Shit!" he growled. Alistair pushed himself off the trunk of the falling half, slamming into some of the branches and falling further down before managing to hold on to one of them. It took him a moment to orient himself before he spotted the creature. It was already on its return flight, so he dropped down again and caught one of the thicker branches below him. From there, the ground would be about three meters away. The Yrthak let out a shriek as it passed by the tree above him, shortly followed by the crashing sound from the split tree finally hitting the ground. When Alistair reached about 1.5 meters above ground, the creature was almost upon him again, having somewhat stable footing on a massive tree branch; he had to make the call if he was to lash out or jump the rest of the way down. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor. He jumped down the rest of the way, falling on his side and rolling off the dirt. His practice paid off as the impact was spread out and absorbed, lessening the damage he took. A quick glance over his status revealed that he had taken little to no damage so far. Alistair drew his sword and hurried into the forest, hoping to shake the creature off his tail, but the beast refused to be deterred and divebombed towards him in reckless abandon despite all the trees between himself and the beast. With a snap decision, he positioned himself beside a thick boulder to his right. He turned around to face the menace that was chasing him. "Fine, let''s do this then." He thought as he charged his sword to unleash his first Body Splitter Slash. Alistair wished he had the chance to test it before it came to do or die, but beggars can''t be choosers. "I gotta try and spread that impact into the ground because this is going to hurt a lot If I don''t." Straining his focus, feeling the adrenalin rush through his body as the creature headed right for him. It crashed and smashed right through the obstacles in between them, hurting it in the process but only slowing down a bit as it got lower to the ground and snapped at Alistair, who sidestepped to put the boulder between himself and the beak filled with sharp spikes before he lashed out at the creature''s right wing which had just smashed into the rock bruising the wing and throwing the beast slightly off course. The blade, humming with energy, collided with the wing of the Yrthak, which pulled back from the half-smashed boulder. Alistair still felt the impact rushing through his body as he tried to guide the kinetic energy into the ground below him. He was glad the environment had slowed down the dumb creature as pain wrecked through his body, starting in his arm, holding the blade, and flowing violently through his torso before flowing into the ground through his legs. Alistair heard a notification chime ring out as his blade cut halfway through the wing. He somehow managed to stand his ground, and the blade ripped a solid chunk off the wing as the ground beneath him cracked and gave way, causing him to stumble downhill as the beast crashed through a pine tree. An ungodly screech left it as some of its bones audibly cracked, causing Alistair''s eardrums to pop and blood to flow down the side of his face. As he caught himself, he glanced at his resource pools, which had been reduced to almost a third of his total, with the exception of his mana. Fighting through the pain, he spun around towards the badly injured Yrthak behind him. It was flailing on the ground, one of its wings clipped as it screamed its lungs out, but Alistair couldn''t hear any of it. If he could hack off that barbed tail, he would create a blind spot to finish the creature. His body was badly bruised, but with the adrenaline still pumping his body, he powered through and rushed down the hill. Alistair charged another Body Splitter Slash. The beast, still flailing in pain, reacted too late as Alistair cut its tail clean off, opening an artery and causing it to lose a lot of blood, the barbed tail twitching by itself on the forest floor as he started to stab the creature at the bottom end of its spine. The beast tried to shake Alistair off and stand up, but its range of motion was too limited, and he kept stabbing and slashing at its now vulnerable backside. Alistair did not hear himself scream and kept hacking away at the creature. He did not stop even when he finally heard multiple notifications coming in. Exhausted, he knelt beside the bleeding creature, taking in ragged breaths as the adrenaline slowly seeped out of him. Chapter 68: Party Time Alistair stepped forward to embrace his little sister, who hugged him tightly, and he could hear her light sobbing against his chest. "Hey, it''s alright, we made it." Alistair tried. He knew Melissa was poorly suited for this new environment as she was averse to violence. She had been sheltered by him and the rest of the family for most of her life and had enjoyed life with little hardship before the trial; he thanked the stars. The system was generous enough not to force her to kill beasts immediately. Melissa calmed down as she retreated with a sniffle barely audible over the hustle and bustle of the party. "I''m sorry. I thought you did not make it when you did not show up in the arena, and there are still so many who are missing..." She started but was interrupted by their aunt Isabella. Isabella was his mother''s sister; they had looked similar, although his aunt had black hair and a slightly more bulky frame and had chosen to make herself not that much younger as she looked to be in her mid-forties, which made recognizing her a lot easier. "It''s alright, dear. Let''s not get gloomy and be happy we all found each other again," she said warmly, nodding at the rest of the group while trying to distract his sister. Melissa had a much larger friend circle than he ever had and had lost contact with almost all the friends she cared for. "Sis is not taking it too well, But I can tell at least you have been doing well, Alistair," James said with a weak smile, his girlfriend splitting off, helping his aunt console his sister. "Yeah, I got lucky meeting some great people. Speaking of this is my girlfriend, Riseth. Riseth, this is my brother, James; best make use of his presence before he hides again," Alistair jokingly said, giving Riseth a gentle push. They started exchanging pleasantries as Alistair changed focus to help console his sister; his aunt and Jessica had led her to a nearby white couch, and Alistair joined them, but by the time he arrived, his sister seemed to have calmed herself a little. "I''m fine. I''m sorry; I was just overwhelmed for a second," she told him. "Hey, there''s no shame in that. How has your time in the trial been?" Alistair asked curiously. He knew she had been in the nurturing section, but he had not visited that particular sub-space yet.
"I''ve got a whole bunch of alien kids to teach. It''s been a challenge, but I shouldn''t complain. I mean, at least I''m not out there fighting monsters and risking my life like most people," Melissa added, injecting a touch of humor into her words. "Are the orc kids the toughest ones to handle?" Alistair asked, relieved to see Melissa lightening up as she launched into tales about the various alien children she''d been looking after. "Not particularly," Melissa replied with a smile. "They can be a bit rowdy, but I''d liken them more to human children in terms of difficulty. And some of the beastkin can be just as mischievous and troublesome," she concluded, chuckling softly before telling them about some of the more alien students she had encountered. While sitting there, Alistair scanned the crowd. He noticed how Riseth, James, and Zathron had gotten into a discussion of crafting electronic devices. At the same time, he could see Nessyra walking from one group to the other, basically taking over a host''s responsibilities. Alistair presumed this was her way of enjoying parties. He had also noticed Simon and his parents raiding one of the nearby buffets. Simon''s father, Thomas, looked only a bit older than his own son, and Alistair only recognized him due to his father''s facial features closely resembling Simon''s. His mother, Aisha, in turn, looked quite a bit older, also in her mid-40s like his aunt, her long black hair tied in a ponytail, similar to how he remembered her when they had last met. The sudden age difference made them look like quite the odd pair, though they seemed unbothered as they laughed and seemed to enjoy themselves. Alistair excused himself as he went to fetch Riseth to make a quick round but was stopped by his brother. "Alistair, Riseth mentioned you have some robot sentries. Would you mind leaving me some of them? I would love to check those out," James said eagerly, "Sure, but I can do you one better. Do you see that small blue Imp over there? That''s Aknis. He has a functioning mech suit, and maybe you can trade some knowledge or help Nessyra convince the guy to join us," Alistair said before giving his brother a quick rundown as to how to negotiate with people from Neshan and what to look out for. He transferred the sentries and cybernetic arms he had gotten from the last field boss to his brother, who looked at the items in great excitement before hurrying off to talk to the Imp. "Your brother is a bit peculiar; if there weren''t the resemblance, I would not have guessed the two of you were related," Riseth exclaimed as she absent-mindedly locked arms with Alistair looking after James, who had awkwardly started a conversation with Aknis. Zathron nodded in agreement. "Smart guy, though. He had some very clever suggestions about how to improve on my chopper project," Zathron said, scratching his beard. "Chopper project?" Alistair inquired with interest. "Yeah, you know, what you guys call chainsaws. He had some great ideas on making them more durable weapons without the chain ripping out of the machinery during more intense combat." Zathron said before elaborating on some technical specifications that went over Alistair''s head while Riseth nodded. "All I got from that is you guys plan to make chain swords, and I''m down for that. If you ever make some of those, I''d love to try one out," Alistair requested. "Will do. Also, you won your little bet. I''ll talk with Nessyra at the after-party, and I''m sure Desily would love to make a big show of our core presentations. Please let her win, but don''t make it obvious," Zahtron requested with a smile. "Great to hear, and nope, I''ll let the person with the better core win, although it''s nice of you to give her the win just like that," Alistair said with a cheeky smile as he saw Zahtron''s worried expression. "Come on, man. She''s going to be pouting all night if she loses," Zahthron argued. "So you rather have her tease you?" Alistair questioned as he walked away with Riseth, leaving the flustered troll behind. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Sometimes I question which one of us is the demon," Riseth quipped as they got out of earshot. "I''m not that bad, am I?" Alistair questioned, jest evident in his tone as he picked up two drinks from a server, who carried several drinks on a plate for guests to take, handing one to Riseth. "I have seen worse," Riseth said jokingly as she pulled him toward her sister, who was talking to Simon and his parents. "I still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that we''re the patriarch and matriarch of the clan throwing this party," Alistair mused aloud before taking a sip of his drink. It left a warm sensation in his throat, accompanied by a pleasant sweetness. Alistair guessed it had a very low alcohol content; he had read that humans were among the few races that could handle strong alcohol without increasing their grade or poison resistance. However, most races perceived alcohol as a poison and refused to drink it at all. Additionally, he noted that the most popular alcohols in the multiverse tended to be sweet rather than bitter. "Yeah, you and me both," Riseth said enthusiastically. Alistair spotted Desily and could tell the fairy was already quite intoxicated. She sat on top of the bar counter, talking to Esta, who seemingly watched out for her. Esta sat on a strange, overly fancy barstool. Alistair wondered why Desily wasn''t flying around or insisting on him declaring a winner. Fairies probably could not handle that much booze, and the fact that many of the glasses were as big as her torso probably did not help. Alistair used [Identify] on [Esta - lvl 46] to get her attention; as they made eye contact, Alistair gave Esta a thankful nod, and she waved him off dismissively with a smile. He was slightly surprised to see Esta and Desily so close as they had been bickering the last time they had been together. Eventually, they navigated their way through the small crowd and reached Simon and his parents. Alistair, separated from Riseth, walked towards Simon for their personal greeting. "Hey man, good to see you. I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves?" Alistair asked with a welcoming smile. "Yeah, we''re having a blast, though I''m still eagerly awaiting those Lom Lom dishes. Trying not to fill up on these hors d''oeuvres is quite the challenge," Simon lamented with a chuckle. "It''s good to see you again, lad. Thank you for reconnecting us with our son," Thomas expressed gratefully, his tone sincere. "I must admit it will take some time to get used to the age change, and there is no need to thank me. Simon looked after my mother. It''s the least I could do to help." Alistair said courteously. He was on a first-name basis with Simons''s dad, though they had often fallen into the habit of calling each other sir and lad. Still, it felt a bit weird, with Thomas looking as old as them. Alistair could tell there was some tension about the sudden age difference, though they made a good effort to brush past it as Thomas showered his wife in affection, holding her close as they exchanged pleasantries. They had apparently already talked with Nessyra and would join them as members, which was a great relief to Alistair as he wanted at least a somewhat healthy balance of people he knew rather than what boiled down to a lot of friendly alien strangers and newly made friends. Though he held no such concerns for Riseth, with Simon, his father, and Alistair''s mother, they had a strong core he could trust. He hoped his brother and his girlfriend would catch up with their help or their own efforts. However, his intuition told him Nessyra had it handled, and he trusted her enough not to invite dangerous elements; thankfully, as the patriarch, he could always veto any member or kick out followers. Alistair noticed a small commotion near the entrance and noticed Nessyra in a heated argument with a tall woman with fox ears and long black hair wearing a long, elaborate black and red Asian-style dress; her face contorted in anger and spite. Alistair gave an instinctive nod to Simon as if they were back to police days intervening in a public dispute. Riseth tagged along, and Alistair used [Identify] [Frixbis - lvl 41], confirming his suspicion of who he was dealing with. Behind her stood a beastkin that looked to be a mix of panther and wyvern, adorned with horns and dark purple skin with bone plates covering his arms; he also wore an Asian-themed garment with a black and purple coloration [Identify] revealed him to be [Murasaki - lvl ?] he was already in grade 9 like Zathron and Desily. Alistair positioned himself between Nessyra and the agitated Frixbis, calmly addressing her. "What seems to be the problem here?" Alistair asked. He could tell his armor was already warping a little, making it hard not to frown as he felt the [Identify] hit him. "Ah, so you are the human mongrel she teamed up with. How dare you interject yourself like that," He could tell Nessyra was about to kick them out, but Alistair raised a hand to stop her. "I am Alistair Ryser, and you are Frixbis, an uninvited guest. Please state your business or leave," Alistair said as he used his [Senses] to probe her; one thing became quickly clear: she was a Qi cultivator; the way Qi circulated in her body was a dead giveaway the same applied to her companion Murasaki though his circulation was more stable then hers and Alistair suspected it had little to do with his level. "I am here to give Nessyra another chance, though it seems she has already made her choice. Too bad you seem to be a summoner; I would not mind making you and your companion into my useful slaves," Frixbis said with venom in her voice. Alistair unleashed the full brunt of his [Bloodcurdling Presence] to establish that he was no pushover as he could not afford her thinking him weak. He immediately noticed Zathron approaching through his [Conceptual Awareness] as they felt his mental attack lashing out. Frixbis had a slightly higher [Mind] stat than him, apparently. However, the tier of his skill helped greatly as he noticed her cowering just the slightest bit and her fox ears flattening back. "I must insist that you leave. It''s a shame we could not hold a civil discourse," Alistair said, giving Nessyra the signal to kick them out, which she promptly did as the two unwanted guests disappeared from the entrance. "Why did you let them go just like that," Riseth asked angrily. Alistair was also seething, though he used [Calm Mind] and extended the effect to Riseth. "Because she is a Qi Cultivator, needlessly provoking them is never a good idea because most of them are fucked in the head due to the nature of Qi cultivation," Alistair explained as he elaborated on the most important cliff notes about Qi cultivators. "So when they get upset or obsessed, they get more aggressive, arrogant, and lose most of their rationality? Who the hell would want to become a cultivator?" Riseth asked in a disbelieving tone. "Individuals overconfident in their ability to maintain their ego or just don''t know any better and get seduced by the powers and advantages cultivation offers. Even the quote-unquote good-aligned cultivators are at least slightly touched in the head and quite volatile if provoked. So watch out for them and try to play nice or even better, avoid them altogether. At least, that''s the recommended course of action when dealing with Qi cultivators; alternatively, you can just kill them, though usually, their fellow cultivators will seek to avenge them, causing a cycle of violence until you have killed them all." Alistair explained with a frown. "And Body Cultivation is better?" Riseth asked hesitantly. "Yes, as long as I am careful when molding my brain, worst case, some of my organs mutate into something fiendish until I cleanse and remold them," Alistair said, unable to elaborate further due to the presence of non-clan members. He knew there was a slight risk of the brain turning fiendish, though the heavenly purity essence would prevent the worst, which was one of the major advantages of his particular technique. And once Riseth joined him in body cultivation, they could cleanse each other in the worst-case scenario, minimizing the risk further. Alistair signaled the group to disperse so they would stop drawing people''s attention; their little show of force seemed to have relieved some of the guests, who must have suffered under Frixbis and her domineering personality as some of them gave him approving nods and smiles as he walked past. Nessyra had disappeared and reappeared with Barton and a bunch of servers carrying large plates, and the smells that wafted from the plates were divine. She wanted to immediately draw the attention away from the drama at the entrance. To Alistair''s relief, almost everyone gathered around the tables loaded with food, and the mood quickly improved as people started to dig in. He would need to watch out for that Frixbis character once outside the trial, though he hoped he had been cordial enough for her not to seek revenge or make it a lower priority. Chapter 69: Nice Evening Alistair indulged in eating some of the Lom Lom dishes before taking the plate to his table and wasn''t disappointed. Barton had outdone himself, or the practice had helped as the variety of dishes and their quality had increased. He froze for a moment when a literal gray alien took a plate next to him, not even wearing any clothing besides some jewelry that acted as its armor; it smiled and nodded at him before walking off. Alistair shook off his urge to stop the gray and ask why they were famous for probing and took a plate; not wanting to ruin his appetite, he started heading to the largest table to join his family, though before he did, he spotted Enya. He had not met her since the initiation; they had gotten along well but were not exactly close. She was usually the person you would call when dealing with exotic animals, as she usually talked about little else. Her passion for exotic beasts had translated into the system as, from what he had heard, she was a beastmaster, which meant she did not just summon beasts to fight with her but also fused parts of her body with them and took on aspects of her summons to strengthen herself, an ability Alistair would liken to a blue mage, Alistair decided to approach her. "Hi Enya, long time no see," "Oh, there is the host; I was wondering when you would seek me out," Enya responded, looking at him. "Yeah, I have not seen you until now. How have you been doing?" Alistair asked genuinely. "I have been doing fine, but let me cut to the chase; I have already told Simon I have no plans of joining you guys. I won''t abandon Earth." Enya said resolutely. Alistair was taken aback for a moment but returned her gaze. "I understand; I won''t waste time convincing you then. I presume Simon told you what situation Earth finds itself in," Alistair asked calmly. "Yes, I know that Earth will most likely be invaded by whatever horror the other universes wish to unleash on us. Though it matters little, I will not abandon Earth. I stand with Sol," She proclaimed. "Sol? as in the Solar system?" Alistair asked, confused. "No, Sol is the natural god of the Earth. I met him, and he is preparing for what is to come; I am one of his chosen," She proclaimed as her clothing changed into a mostly white crusader full plate with navy blue, black, and golden decorations centered around an Insignia. The Insignia resembled planet Earth as he knew it in mostly white and gold, though it resembled an eye looking toward the sky; it even had a little yin and yang going on, though he wondered if that had deeper implications for the yin portion of the planet. "So, does your god have a message for me?" Alistair asked, realizing they were drawing a lot of attention again. "Yes, he hopes you enjoy that little gift he and the wyvern lord gave you. He wants to let you know that he appreciates your contributions toward his cause and hopes you will join our next gathering for a private talk," Enya announced. "Gift? Does she mean the Ring? Was that him in the Arena? And what contributions?" Alistair pondered his mind racing. "I am unsure what contributions you talk of, and if I run the risk of turning a fanatic, I''d rather not meet Sol," Alistair proclaimed calmly. Enya acted a little strange, and Alistair presumed she was angry at him for some perceived slight. She frowned and shook her head in disappointment. "Sol does not force me to follow him. It''s my choice, as he is the only chance for Earth. As for the contribution, natural gods receive contribution points from every individual originating from his domain, and while he can''t make you follow him, he can prevent you from leaving if he puts his mind to it, so I recommend you take the invitation." Enya said forebodingly. Alistair stood there frozen at her words, cursing internally. He had not expected to be interfered with by a natural god. "Our next meeting will be at the [Nurturing Ward] in the Earth section two days from now; your sister should know where it is. As for any other questions, you can ask Sol yourself once you meet him. Lovely party. Apologies for disturbing it like this," Enya said before doing a salute, tapping her left chest with her fist. She stored the plate contents in her inventory before placing the plate back on the table. And just like that, she left, leaving Alistair and the rest of the gathering to stare after her as Alistair heard whispering and murmuring break out. Alistair walked to his table and sat between Riseth and his mother, who looked at him worriedly as everyone started talking at once. "That''s some really bad news; we need to research natural gods and ensure they truly can''t possess or mind control individuals," Riseth stated almost immediately after he had sat down. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Please don''t go. It might be an empty threat," his mother requested. "Inside the [Nurturing Quarters], no combat is allowed, period. This should include gods," Melissa offered, garnering surprised looks from most people at the table. "Let''s just enjoy the party. We can plan later, and we should not discuss this while there are guests," Nessyra proclaimed, shutting down the discussion. Alistair gave Nessyra an appreciative nod as he tried to wrap his mind around what Enya had said and if he had missed something. Alistair started eating absentmindedly, and luckily, the rest of the evening went uneventfully. Once the majority of the guests had left, Nessyra immediately pulled Alistair and Riseth into her office. "I''ll keep this short, but tomorrow we all go to the library and learn everything we can about natural gods and Earth''s religion and beliefs; we need to know what we are dealing with because I don''t fancy getting shot out of the sky by a god." Nessyra proclaimed, and both Alistair and Riseth nodded in agreement. "I think I met Sol during my arena match against King; it''s the only place where I had to deal with individuals that could be gods, though admittedly, he felt powerful. It wasn''t much more than what I sensed from Mitania; we should also talk to her." Alistair suggested. "I don''t like this. Was Enya always like this? You getting brainwashed would be one of the worst outcomes," Riseth said worriedly. "Well, I did not know Enya that well. She was a work colleague I frequently met, but I could not even tell you if she was religious before the initiation. Also, I am unsure if that even matters," Alistair admitted. "Would Simon know?" Riseth asked hopefully. "I doubt it. Let''s see what we can figure out tomorrow. We might not be totally screwed, and I''d hate to ruin such a nice evening. The longer we discuss, the more worried everyone will be, so let''s reconvene once we know more," Alistair suggested, walking to the door and holding it open for them with a reassuring smile. Once they joined the others, they were bombarded with questions. They had to placate them with the assurance that they would look into the situation; sadly, Simon knew about as much about Enya as Alistair did, except that she secretly had a thing going with her partner Ryan, so they could perhaps ask him once they found him. Eventually, Alistair retreated towards the balcony, where he sat on the couch overlooking the lively [Trader''s Market] below. The place truly never slept, as there were quite a few stragglers and nocturnal species out and about.
There were still many unknowns looming ahead, and the thought of confronting a literal god left him uneasy. Despite understanding that these natural gods might not possess the same power as self-made gods, it was of little comfort. Reflecting on Earth''s various religions and beliefs, he couldn''t shake the uncertainty of what he might encounter. While religion often preached goodness, it frequently resulted in the opposite. The crusader''s armor and insignia held significant implications, though he felt relieved not to have spotted any crosses adorning it. Perhaps it was simply Enya''s personal choice in armor, viewing herself as a chosen paladin of sorts. Riseth joined him, settling beside him and leaning gently against his side. "No matter what, I''ll come to Earth, Sol be damned," Riseth announced resolutely. "Let''s hope it does not get that far. While we did receive a veiled threat, he also sought to talk to me in a supposedly neutral environment; perhaps it''s not as bad as we think." Alistair suggested. "Sometimes I envy you for your optimism," Riseth quipped. They continued discussing their options and were sorely tempted to leave and immediately check on the library in the [Study Dungeon]. Still, they were interrupted by Zahtron and Desily approaching them hesitantly, Desily seemingly nursing a bad headache. "We know it''s not the best time to ask, but would you mind looking at the cores?" Zathron asked hesitantly. "Oh sure, don''t worry about it; what do you guys have?" Alistair responded he had almost forgotten about that bet. Both Zathron and Desily placed three cores each on the table. Zathron''s were: [Pain] [Diffusion] [Stability] while Desily had: [Sin] [Luck] [Denial]. Alistair mulled it over. Most of these could be useful; sadly, the cores were not that big, so they would take a lot of time to enrich a sufficient quantity of essence for him to use. If he was going to be honest, [Luck] was the most interesting one. He had not expected a core like this to be formed; from what he knew, it was firmly in the karmic magic school, though he was unsure just how effective using this concept was, and he picked it up. "Where did you get this one?" Alistair asked curiously as he picked up the [Luck] core. "Some weird pig with green plant-like markings over its body took me a while to kill it. It kept dodging my attacks. The slippery bastard almost escaped during the chase," Desily admitted, looking at Zathron. "I helped her catch this one," he said casually. "I''m not going to lie. This is the most interesting of the bunch, and I''m fine with buying all of these cores for your efforts," Alistair announced while rolling the core in his hands; the core had a deep green, bright red, and occasional golden coloration swirling in the near perfectly spherical core. Alistair suspected this was actually a very rare find. The two of them exchanged looks before Desily let out a sigh. "Let''s call this one a tie, and we decide the winner with the next one?" Desily offered, garnering surprised looks from everyone at the table "Next one? You want to do this again?" Alistair questioned with a smirk.
"I haven''t had this much fun in a while, except for this party, of course. Although, I''d suggest hiring some security," she added jokingly. Alistair took all the cores and left the payment for Nessyra to deal with, encouraging them to continue their hunt for cores. Alistair would hold off on putting the [Sin] core in his array but would definitely go out of his way to include the [Luck] core, as he wanted it to start accumulating as soon as possible. Eventually, Alistair and Riseth excused themselves as they left for Alistair''s quarters. "When we talk with Mitania tomorrow, could we ask to put our rooms together? It is a bit annoying having to knock each time," Riseth requested as she appeared in his room, looking at him expectantly. He thought about it for a moment; while he was a person who appreciated his privacy, he could still get that if he wished, and it was silly to refuse her request as she spent most nights at his place anyway. "Sure, I don''t see why not," Alistair exclaimed, smiling at her. She let out an excited giggle as she hugged and kissed him before leaving for the bathroom. Alistair went to his study room and modified his array to include the new cores he had obtained; it took him about half an hour, which was longer than he had planned, and he found Riseth lying under the covers, lounging about deep asleep. He shook his head before joining her and was thankful for his ability to fall asleep easily as he drifted away to sleep. Chapter 70: Slayer World Alistair was woken by a knock. He could feel Nessyra wishing to enter, but due to both Alistair''s and Riseth''s state of dress, he had to wake her up, and she let out a grumble. "Just a little longer," She groaned. "Your sister is at the door," Alistair let her know. "Then let her in," She retorted as she curled up under the sheets while Alistair made his clothing appear, giving her the side eye. "Come on, at least put on some clothes," Alistair requested as he lightly shook her, she acquiesced but refused to come up from the covers, and Alistair let Nessyra in. Nessyra appeared in the room and looked at him, then glanced at her sister, curled up into a mass under the covers, before shaking her head. "What do you do to her?" Nessyra asked jokingly. "Nothing she did not ask for. Also, she''s always like that in the morning," Alistair quipped as Nessyra sat down on the nearby couch. "While you two were sleeping, I had some of my assistants comb through the libraries while I had a chat with Mitania. I got the report right here," Nessyra said before throwing him a small bundle of documents, which he deftly caught. Riseth finally righted herself and looked at her sister with a tired frown before snatching the documents out of Alistair''s hand. "I thought we would be doing this together?" Alistair questioned, glancing at the document in Riseth''s hands.
"I couldn''t resist. This was too crucial, and waiting felt like agony. And if there are still open questions after this, you can, of course, do some independent research. But this was too crucial, and unlike you two, I can''t sleep with something like this over my head," Nessyra said with slight annoyance. Alistair looked at her apologetically. "So what''s the situation? On earth, we usually do good news and bad news," Alistair offered Nessyra tilted her head. "Which comes first?" She asked. "Usually, one offers what they wish to hear first, so let''s start with the good news," Alistair requested instead of reading the report. "The good news is that Sol is, at best, something we would consider a demi-god; they are restricted and not all-powerful, at least for the foreseeable future. He can''t harm or kill low-grade beings directly without drawing incredible amounts of bad karma onto himself, and honestly, we are not worth that trouble. Also, mind control isn''t something we have to worry about. There''s no risk of you getting captured or any other funny business, as the same rules that apply to us apply to him inside the [Nurturing Ward]. So, it''s safe to meet him," Nessyra explained to Alistair, who felt a great sense of relief as he let out a breath he hadn''t realized he was holding. "What''s the bad news then?" Alistair asked and noticed Riseth also put down her report and looked up with interest. "The bad news is that he can interfere with us coming or leaving the planet, which is his domain, although it will also cause a Karmic impact made worse by your resonance. Mitania confirmed as much, apparently, willfully keeping you two apart will incur a lot of bad karma, and he knows that. But it won''t stop him from keeping you two on Earth if he really wants to, and his followers may attack us with little repercussions," Nessyra explained before elaborating a little more on what she had learned. Nuk had already told him most of what Nessyra had found out, but it was nice to have it confirmed. Most interestingly, when questioned on the contribution points, Nessyra told them that during the Trial, the natural gods benefited from a special system as well. Every individual originating from their domain is counted as one of their followers and provides them with contribution points based on their actions and progress and accumulated records. The gods could spend those points on various things during the trial, like increasing certain dungeon rewards or terraforming worlds within their domain; unlike the rest of the universe, inhabited systems changed based on the wishes of the natural gods as it was their domain, which made them some of the more coveted planets. Interestingly, after the Trial ends, they are required to convince individuals to become their followers, though with near god-like powers and having full control of the empty planets during their inhabitant''s absence, leaves them with a handful of strong advantages. Alistair was very glad that they could not go around and kill weaker individuals at will and force them to follow them without incurring karmic wrath; with enough bad karma, they could invite their own death, and most gods were smart enough not to risk it. "Anything else worth noting?" Alistair asked. "Yes, other gods may take notice and interfere on our behalf to gain our favor and in the hopes of endearing themselves as our patrons," Nessyra added. Alistair considered everything he had been told. It was too early for Sol to put pressure on him as he benefited from him doing well in the Trial; perhaps he wanted Alistair''s attention no matter what, or perhaps Enya had been a little overzealous and acted on her own accord regardless of whether he would go meet Sol and see what he had to say. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "I don''t think Sol wishes to make enemies of us or sacrifice a bunch of his followers fighting us or have another god swoop in. Sol needs every soul that is willing to follow him. He will probably try to buy my loyalty or try and convince me to stay," Alistair mused aloud. "I think so too; whatever he offers, don''t accept without talking with us first," Nessyra requested. "You wound me, Nessy; I thought I have proven that I''m not a fool by now," Alistair said theatrically, earning him a light jab from Riseth beside him. They continued discussing the situation for a little while longer, and Alistair copied the report to his [Akashic Link] so he could display it if needed. Eventually, Nessyra had a different business to attend to, leaving Riseth and Alistair to figure out what to do with the rest of their day. "We could finally check that slayer trial world. I''d love to get out a little, and so would King, and I sure as hell don''t want to sit around another day doing cultivation again," Alistair suggested. "If you dislike body cultivation, why do it? It could be very harmful if it bothers you," Riseth warned him, "Sorry, that came out wrong. It''s not that I dislike it; I actually love puzzling out how to modify my body further with the essences and treasures I have, but I do need a change of pace every now and then," Alistair explained. Riseth eyed him for a second before she relented with a smile. "Let''s go then, but we gotta make the stop at Mitania to get our rooms sorted," Riseth proclaimed as she walked towards the entrance. After a quick stop at Mitania''s desk, they entered the gate address and stepped through the portal before being greeted by cold air and the smell of snow and wet rock as they found themselves in a small cave. Stepping out of the cave, they found themselves in a small stone fort seemingly abandoned. Most notable was that most of the structures and walls were adorned with spikes as if to ward off large flying monsters, as some of the spikes were as big as a person. "If they prepped spikes of this size, we might want to take this slow," Riseth said, inspecting one of the spikes near the cave entrance. Alistair nodded in agreement as he looked around. His Instinct told him they were fine for now, though he kept an eye on the sky. It was early morning, and the sun was rising. He had explained the concept of cardinal directions to Riseth, and with the sun rising, they decided to label that direction east, making it easier for them to coordinate directions with each other.
"Alright, how about you take to the sky and scout the surrounding area while I investigate the structures?" Riseth suggested, intertwining her fingers and raising her arms towards the sky, stretching her body to shake off some of the tiredness. "Alright, but let''s stay in contact over the link and share vision when we find something," Alistair said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before flying skywards. Alistair could see her leisurely strolling around the central keep as he gained altitude. He could feel the cold air clashing against his armor, and he slightly adjusted his [Comfort] enchant to counter it. The keep looked slightly makeshift, particularly because of the spikes and wooden planks and beams reinforcing the structure all over, but in its foundation, it looked like a medieval fort you would find in Europe. Given the keep''s proximity to the mountain''s peak, it didn''t take Alistair long to soar above it and survey the surrounding terrain. The environment looked artificial; the mountain chain stood at the center, and surrounding it was a hotbed of different environments, both alien and familiar, each with its own massive section. He could see both a regular jungle and a blue one near the horizon, separated by deserts, hills, and swamps. The sections separating them were not smooth, as they seemed to have no rhyme or reason for how they connected. A web of rivers and waterways flowed throughout the different biomes, connecting the occasional lakes and sea biomes. It looked as if the system had cut out chunks of land from another world, shuffled and glued together randomly, and preserved it all by magic. Alistair started sharing what he saw over his link as he spotted many wyverns and other monsters flying through the skies, climbing the mountains, and stalking the forests and jungles. "Are you seeing this?" Alistair questioned over the link. "Guess after the first set of trial worlds, the system ran out of patience. Also, I can''t sense any dungeon in here." Riseth responded. Alistair clicked his tongue. Now that she pointed it out, he noticed it too. Most worryingly, many of the monsters were solidly in grade 9, and they did not care for the other trial world''s rules of getting stronger as they went further out. The monsters were sprinkled around just as much as their environments. Alistair could see some of the beasts migrate as they pleased in the distance, which wasn''t very hard as many of the monsters were house-sized. He could see a caravan-sized drake fighting an even bigger snake and losing as the snake beast devoured it. Alistair began mapping the trial world by combining their cardinal direction with a number for each chunk of the environment, numbering from closest to furthest away. "You don''t happen to have some stealth skills?" Alistair asked over the link. "I do, actually. I started with one as it seemed like the best call when trying to survive alone, but I hardly needed it. It works by manipulating light waves to bend around me. Why though? You''re not exactly the hiding type," Riseth questioned. "Well, It''s great utility to have, and I''d rather not fight every damn monster I come across, and it could save our ass if these higher-tier beasts can drain our resources or bypass our ability," Alistair explained. "Sounds reasonable. I can teach you before we head out," Riseth offered. "That would be great. Did you find anything in that fort?" Alistair asked as Riseth shared her vision as well, showing a dark room where he could make out a conveyor belt that looked to be some kind of automatic forge. "Looks like a more primitive version of Nuk''s forge," Alistair said as he descended. The map had begun filling itself out, and he only ran the risk of drawing attention to one of the flying wyverns nesting nearby if he stayed in the air any longer. "Yeah, I suspect this is some monster hunter outpost the system generously enough provided for us to use, though I''d rather have a real craftsman work on my equipment than use a ramshackle forge on a partially wooden conveyor belt," Riseth said as she entered a side room absolutely filled with documents and books, the bookshelves on the wall and the tables all already overflowing. "Well, at least you got something to do while I figure out how to turn invisible," Alistair said jokingly from behind her. She turned and frowned as she summoned a small fireball. "I''ll burn it." She threatened causing Alistair to laugh and raise his hands over his chest letting the tips of his fingers touch in a gesture that roughly meant sorry about that or please forgive me. She let out a sigh as the fireball disappeared. She then picked up one of the books before instructing him to sit down. Chapter 71: Forest Foraging "Am I getting closer?" Alistair asked hopefully. "Nope, still partially visible," Riseth quipped as she looked up from a booklet in her hands. "Is there anything interesting in that booklet?" Alistair asked, getting bored of attempting to bend light around himself. "Somewhat, it is the diary of a monster hunter called Sharut. Notably, many of the environments out there match what this guy went through. At the beginning of the journal, he was a grade 8 Nair Elf who crashlanded on an abandoned star system interconnected by a local gate network. He traveled across all the planets in the system using the gates, trying to find civilization. He had lived on the planets for millennia without encountering anyone else other than freshly enlightened beasts tribes who saw him as a boogie man to be killed or run away from. He was unable to fix his crashed ship or rewire the gates and apparently decided to kill himself in a battle against the strongest beasts he could find but killed everything else instead, ending up at grade 6, though the diary ends there. "He did not try to befriend the enlightened species or magic his way out of it?" Alistair asked, confused. "From what I read, the guy was a bit of a self-important dick and not exactly the most patient individual, and he usually ended up killing the beastmen, or they ran as he ran out of patience or interest. This whole diary reads like a self-glorified wank fest like this line here: In this world I dwell, greatness shields me from demise, lament echoes deep..." Riseth read in a pompous tone. "Wait, that''s a haiku, a form of poetry," Alistair explained. "It''s not the only thing that''s in here. On multiple occasions, he got bored and started to force the enlightened beasts into his service playing god," Riseth said with a frown, "Okay, never mind. Fuck that guy," Alistair announced. "Let''s move out. I can stealth us both as long as you stay close. I have some arena matches tomorrow, so I''d rather not lose track of time here," Riseth requested, and Alistair obliged as he stood up to leave, patting off the dust he had collected on his lower body. "Alright, but let''s take this one slow. I suggest we head to the giant forest NE1 nearby. There, we can at least hide ourselves or use the terrain to lose bigger monsters in a chase," Alistair proposed while pointing at the map display in front of them. "Good call. We might find some herbs there, and I borrowed some of the herbalist''s tomes from Jessica. Also, that massive dead tree in the center looks like a failed world tree variant, so we might find some really good materials there," Riseth said excitedly. "Oh, so this was a world tree. I wasn''t sure, as tree sizes are all over the place compared to what we have on Earth," Alistair commented as they left the main keep heading toward one of the many mountain paths. They walked down the path, only disrupted by an ambush of a white and gray scaled feline-like pack of monsters called Nari. They had the ability to dive into the snow to teleport, which made them somewhat tricky to catch, but once they pounced, Alistair made short work of them due to their lack of resilience. They then decided to communicate over the link without talking aloud to draw less attention. Eventually, they reached a near sheer cliff overlooking the forest below, the massive dead tree in the center a few kilometers in front of them looming over the rest of the canopy. "Good thing we can fly; there is no footpath down this mountain," Alistair commented as he looked along the sheer cliff in both directions as a strong wind blew past them, much warmer than the cool mountain air. They flew down the cliff, and Alistair could feel the cool air getting much more temperate as his [Comfort] enchantment regulated itself to regular usage. Alistair landed on one of the massive roots of the withered world tree, almost reaching the mountainside. Sounds of wildlife and insects could be heard, replacing the whistling of the wind they had gotten used to. Alistair would hold off on summoning King as he would draw the attention of the more territorial beasts until they found themselves in combat and shielded by the forest canopy. "Are world trees common? I can only work off my knowledge from what trickled in from the other universes, and there they are rare where you would find perhaps one or two at most," Alistair asked Riseth. "Pretty accurate. They are somewhat rare as a planet usually tolerates no more than one or two world trees, depending on the subspecies and their corresponding tier, and few planets have them naturally. However, Nessyra is working on obtaining some storage devices to store them and other large treasures for if we come across them during our travels," Riseth explained as she scraped some of the bark from the root. "Of course, your ginkgo has priority," Riseth added reassuringly as Alistair looked at her curiously. Alistair already knew this, as he had requested Nessyra during one of their first meetings to look into obtaining a storage device capable of storing his ginkgo tree as a high priority. However, she had reassured him back then that she had already been looking into such storage devices long before he had requested them. Sadly, they were highly sought after, so their current backup plan was to obtain the topic to create them and a space affinity measuring device, as a high space affinity would be crucial when dealing with storage devices and sub-planes. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Alistair nodded as he actively scanned the surrounding area with his [Conceptual Awareness], looking for natural treasures and beasts. He then attempted to highlight restorative and healing concepts in the hopes of spotting healing herbs, and he was successful as he heard a chime go off; a quick glance informed him his [Conceptual Awareness] had upgraded to [Rare] and now included the ability to highlight concepts of interests when used actively. "Neat," Alistair thought he was already considering secondary perception abilities to supplement his [Conceptual awareness]. His latest idea was to make his nose not only more efficient at breathing in essence but also smelling treasures. In particular, the newly acquired [Luck] core made this approach appealing to him; if he could make a lucky nose for treasures, he would definitely attempt to make such an augmented organ. Alistair wondered just how many different approaches for body cultivation were out there. Alistair was quite certain at least somebody must have made a [Luck] foundation like he had done the [Heavenly Purity] foundation, though the only thing stopping Alistair from at least reinforcing his body with luck essence was its rarity; the material was quite sought after for magic crafting. Alistair landed next to the light blue flowers growing throughout the small clearing he stood in; they had green stems instead of leaves, which were about as robust as a thin stick and had rows of small spheres on them. Sadly, he could not figure out much as his [Identify] just told him [Flowery Plant]. "So the bark is no good. It mostly feeds the environment, and I can''t think of a real use for it other than compost for this forest; maybe there is still a Heart of the World Tree in the center. Even if it''s a dead heart, it would still be worth getting," Riseth mused aloud as she approached from behind and bent over to look at the flowery plant he was looking at. "When I looked at it with my [Coneptual Awareness], it pinged as restorative. Perhaps they are worth taking?" Alistair offered as he looked back at her. She tilted her head, and he presumed she used identify unsuccessfully as she sighed before plucking the plant Alistair had been looking at and carefully inspecting it before crushing some of the flowers and pods and even tasting some of it. When Riseth squished one of the spheres, a tiny amount of white viscous liquid was squeezed out of them; she smelled it before offering Alistair to smell it, too. They smelled spicy, and he had to hold back from sneezing. "Those are great for anti-venom ointments and pills. Flowers like these usually spawn after exposure to strong venoms, so I suspect this forest has or had monsters with venomous abilities. We should collect these with roots intact; we can then propagate and add them to our roster of herbs. Good catch, Mr. Legendary," Riseth said as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before starting to collect the nearby flowers. After they had collected all the flowers in the clearing, they headed for the center of the forest, Alistair pointing out plants that were highlighted with his Conceptual Awareness skill. However, most of the plants and herbs were weaker and less efficient versions of what they already had, so they left them alone. The one other standout was highly toxic mushrooms, which they could technically use to make poisons and certain cultivation pills. Sadly, Riseth was the only one able to harvest them without damaging them, so Alistair was on guard duty until she finished. Shortly before Riseth was done harvesting the mushrooms, Alistair suddenly sensed bloodlust; he had not heard, seen, or felt anything change, but as soon as he felt it, his instincts, which had been quiet before, screamed at him to hide. "Trouble, something''s coming. We''ve got to hide!" Alistair said over the link as he used Blink to appear next to her, pulling her into the large holed-out tree stump from which she had been collecting the mushrooms. To her credit, she immediately used her skill to make them invisible as they left the stump through the other end. They immediately stopped as the floor was littered with leaves, grasses, and bushes and would make noise if they walked through it. Riseth''s flight was reliant on her wings, which would also give them away, so Alistair picked her up in a princess carry. Riseth suppressed a surprised yelp as he picked her up and flew them closer to the canopy. "My Hero!" She said over the mental link while shooting him a toothy grin. Alistair managed a weak smile, though he kept an eye out. The bloodlust was gone, but his intuition was now in overdrive as whatever had snuck up on them had a higher grade than them, at least that much he was sure of. "Somethings spotted us, and it is clearly a higher grade, but I can''t seem to spot it," Alistair said over the link. "That''s great. A sneaky grade 9 should be much weaker than a regular one; let''s kill it!" Riseth responded over the link. "Seems risky. My intuition is telling me to run," Alistair said worriedly as he put her down on a large branch overlooking the clearing they had just fled. "Think about it: what are the odds that killing a monster of a higher grade than ourselves will give us a title and tons of records," Riseth posed. Alistair thought about it, and he was sure she was correct. They were both incredibly strong for their grade, but while the stealth beast would be weaker, it would most likely be smarter. There was also the question of whether there was a difference between killing a higher-grade beast alone and as a pair and if it mattered if they did both or which came first. Riseth was slightly higher level with 43, though Alistair was sure he would win in a fight. Still, it would not be easy. "Do you want to try and kill it yourself or together?" Alistair asked over the link. "I would like to try it alone. But do feel free to jump in when I ask, or things go south," Riseth requested as they observed the nearby area. Eventually, they heard a slight rustle, and Alistair, with the help of active [Conceptual Awareness], spotted the monster; it was a huge snake with eight independent heads, liquid dropped from its exposed fangs burning the ground beneath it, the skin was magical camouflage changing to whatever the background it was making it incredibly hard to spot as it slithered in near complete silence over the noise of the forest [Identify] [Nyuvwira - lvl ?]. "Wonder what happens when a creature with multiple heads turns humanoid. Are you sure you want to take this one alone? And do you have anything to neutralize the venom?" Riseth paused as she looked at the creature slowly approaching the stump they had left earlier. "Probably horrifying, and I do have some of the restoration potions that should work," Riseth said as her bone blades appeared in her hands. Alistair had always admired Riseth''s confident and straightforward nature, and he hoped she was not overestimating herself. As soon as the snake started slithering through the stump, Riseth took a leap of faith. Chapter 72: Big Game Hunt Riseth drove her bone swords into the unsuspecting Nyuvwira, extending the blades as she had done before. Despite her efforts to twist them, her [Power] seemed insufficient against the tough body of the snake, preventing her from carving a chunk out of it as she usually would.
The Snake reared its entire body in pain, lifting its massive trunk; he witnessed Riseth manipulating the space around it, encasing the snake''s head in a shell of bark. She used her wings as she flew along the body, repeatedly piercing the body with her bone blades and whipping the body with her bladed tail whip, stirring the snake into a frenzy as it started smacking its head into the floor and nearby world tree roots in the hopes of smashing the bark encasing its head.
Alistar looked down from above, doing his utmost to avoid interfering or influencing the battle as he observed the exchange, his breath caught in anticipation. The Nyuvwira was far from being killed, but this was a brilliant start. He then noticed that Riseth had coated her blades in some liquid; he presumed it was some kind of venom. She had been using a boosting skill as her [Power] had drastically increased as the wounds became deeper and caused more severe bleeding and pain in the thrashing monster. Eventually, the snake managed to crack the stump as it smashed its head into a nearby boulder, freeing itself and turning to attack Riseth, spitting streams of venom at its own body. Riseth turned invisible and used [Blink] to dodge the snake''s attack. The venom sprayed over its own open wounds; he could see the wounds sizzling and slightly turning necrotic; however, it seemed to have strong resistance to either its own venom or to poisons in general, as any poison or venom Riseth used on her weapons seemed to have little effect on the monster. Riseth used her light manipulation skills not just to turn herself invisible as she flash-banged the monster and Alistair, who yelped in surprise, covering his eyes, momentarily blinded by the attack. "Clever girl," Alistair murmured as his eyes slowly recovered; Riseth had seemingly used the snake''s discombobulated state to attack many of its weak points, like its eyes and throat, as two heads hung limply from the rest of the body, with their throats cut. Riseth turned invisible again, and he could sense her using [Blink] to get out of range of the rampaging Nyuvwira. Alistair had to do the same as a random stream of venom arced up towards him. Luckily, the snake had not spotted him, and he hid behind a big tree to continue observing the fight. Riseth had manipulated the space around falling trees to have them fall on the snake, though to little effect, as the snake was too powerful to be pinned by loose trees. However, it did distract the monster long enough for Riseth to get some more stabs in before teleporting out of range again. This dance continued for a while longer as the Nyuvwira slowly grew weary and exhausted from its rampage and bloodless, its movements becoming slightly sluggish. Riseth''s combat tactics were very efficient and deadly. The only thing she lacked was a strong finisher. To Alistair''s relief, Riseth did not get overly eager and kept up her careful and meticulous assault as the Snake still had an absurd stat advantage. Alistair presumed it was more than twice theirs, though its lack of skills was crippling when dealing with enlightened individuals. Watching her fight made his fingers itch. He also wanted to challenge himself against a higher-grade monster, though he was happy to continue observing her doing her thing. Suddenly, the Nyuvwira abandoned the fight, trying to flee through the forest hounded by Riseth; Alistair could sense her annoyance as they crashed through trees and underbrush. "Shit." Alistair cursed internally as he started following the combat from above, ready to ward off any outside interference. The noise and smell of blood were bound to attract something sooner rather than later, and the real question was if whatever got attracted would be strong enough to take advantage of the situation. Alistair checked the map as the course of the snake struck him as strange. Noticeably, the snake steered away from the forest''s center and instead headed east toward the black canyons NE2. Alistair presumed the center where the world tree sat was the territory of something that could kill it, which was worth knowing as he marked the location with a skull. The Nyuvwira left a trail of blood venom and broken foliage, worrying Alistair as Riseth continued cutting chunks out of the seemingly unkillable creature; it had lost another head during the chase, sliced open by a flyby from Riseth. If this went on, the creature would leave the forest for semi-open terrain, which would most likely spell not only its own doom but theirs as well. He wondered if the snake was being petty in denying Riseth the kill. The Nyuvwira should still have one or two abilities to show if it had not wasted them with lesser mental faculties during its early days. He saw Riseth quaff a potion, throwing herself back at the Nyuvwira with new vigor. Alistair''s intuition told him the snake was done for unless it had a restorative ability. Though Riseth suddenly took out a large sphere with nubs on a chain that suspiciously looked like a naval mine. Riseth flew and manipulated the chain to wrap itself around the snake as the chain started to bury itself into its flesh; as it got caught under the snake, the mine started flashing with red LEDs faster and faster, and Riseth used [Blink] to gain some distance. Alistair did the same before the damn thing exploded in a large explosion, shooting metal and wooden shrapnel all around. "Fucking naval mines?? Why do you have that? And how is it still going?" Alistair asked over the link, breaking his radio silence as the Nyuvwira just kept its path, most of its heads blown to bits and its body badly burned and pierced by shrapnel. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "It''s a space mine. I made one for practice. Sadly, it''s less effective in the atmosphere." Riseth said before she continued her assault. "Less effective?!" Alistair thought in shock; the blast was about as strong as the one he had produced when he made an unstable blast fueled by his and the frog fieldboss mana pools. Unstable blasts were the most devastating yet riskiest attack he had access to, as a mistake could kill him, so he had only practiced it within the arena and with smaller payloads or desperate situations. Alistair checked the map. They were a few hundred meters shy of the next chunk of terrain; Alistair dashed ahead as he sensed something coming from that direction, and he flew ahead to intercept it. Suddenly, a white 5-meter-tall spiky monstrosity appeared [Identify] revealed it to be a [Black Bone Golem - lvl ?] It was a mix of bone plates and spikes with a black wyvern skull as a head; its canines as long as Alististair''s whole body, it had a long spiked tail with a club at its end, its arms were thick and its claws even longer than it''s teeth. This was going to be a pain in the ass as the creature clearly felt cursed. "Oh no, you don''t!" Alistair yelled as he intercepted the bone golem, trying to chomp down on the Nyuvwira, catching its jaw, stealing the momentum, and using it to throw it over the snake into the forest before going after it. "If another monster comes, we run," Alistair announced over the link as he slammed his two-handed hammer into the claw, lashing out at him and redirecting the [Power] right back at it, slightly cracking the bones. Alistair''s [Body] stat was almost twice as high as any of his other stats due to his cultivation, titles, race, and early point expenditure into it, giving him a large amount of [Qi] to work with, allowing him to duke it out with a higher grade monster without burning through his pools too fast which was of great use as he continued to push back the golem holding it in place preventing it from interfering in Riseth''s fight. The draconic skull snapped at Alistair, and he stole its momentum, using it to smack the side of the skull with his hammer, but to Alistair''s shock, the skull started breathing a black mist that looked exactly like what he had seen in the Aztec Dungeon. Alistair managed to [Blink] away before getting hit by the brunt of the miasma breath attack. His Purity foundation had resisted the worst of the attack, but he felt like he had 3rd degree burns over the left side of his body. He used [Dispel Curse] while avoiding the golem''s attacks, unwilling to split his focus as he had not picked the [Kinetic Grappler] skill yet, which required him to execute the skill manually. Annoyingly, the golem caught on and redirected its attention back to the almost-dying Nyuvwira, seemingly driven to devour it, Alistair knew that monsters could grow not only by killing but also absorbing natural treasures and consuming other monsters'' cores, and the damn golem clearly felt like the Nyuvwira''s core would be an easy meal if they did not aim for titles this would have been a tolerable or even enviable situation but right now it complicated things. Alistair summoned King for air support, directing the wyvern to stay at a safe range but not fly too high to draw attention. Surprisingly, King could fly and navigate the forest quite well, using trees for cover if necessary, as his specialty lay within his mobility. Alistair had almost expected it, but the second King showed himself. The Golem started shooting bone lances at King, who dodged them and blocked the rest with his new barrier skill. "I swear, shooting sharp objects at people has to be the most common skill in the multiverse," Alistair complained over the link, eliciting a laugh from Riseth as he sensed a lot of excitement from her. "Shooting sharp objects is one of the most common skills as it is an effective yet simple ranged attack; of course, many individuals and beasts with access to it would make use of it," Riseth confirmed, making Alistair redirect his attention to her, as she had seemingly a lot of focus to spare she was in the process of cutting out the core out of the Nyuvwira which lay unmoving on the black sand barely past the treeline. Alistair''s attention was pulled back into the fight as a bunch of black bone lances shot his way, which he blocked with his own barrier while dispelling the last of the curse from his body. Alistair, content with the knowledge he could now focus on kicking the monster''s ass, hurled two [Razor Blasts] at the golem. They started to cut into the black bone but sadly did not cut through the bones as easily as he had hoped. "Guess that''s higher-grade resilience for you," Alistair mused as he observed his [Razor Blasts] flicker out of existence. They were still quite effective; however, Alistair benefited the most when he used his opponents [Power] combined with his own, but the [Razor Blasts], while sharp and dangerous, only made use of his own [Power], which was insufficient for the task. Alistair would need to get in close and personal while avoiding its breath attacks, hoping it wasn''t smart enough to catch on. Alistair dashed in close, baiting attacks from its long claws while using the occasional blasts and swings to encourage it from lashing out. Luckily, the monster wasn''t as smart as the snake, as it took the bait every time, helping Alistair to dismantle it piece by piece with its own [Power]. It wasn''t even smart enough to run as it kept flailing and lashing out at Alistair and King with little success,
It had a set of strong and dangerous abilities, but when confronted with Alistair''s superior maneuverability and the golem''s limited intelligence, it ultimately met its demise. Unable to adapt to Alistair''s relentless onslaught or make full use of its own abilities, it died, leaving behind only a pile of blackened bones and a large black core, accompanied by the sound of multiple chimes ringing out to mark Alistair''s victory. Riseth flew over to him, stopping her harvest of the Nyuvwira''s skin and hugging him excitedly. "We did it!" She cheered before she kissed him. Alistair smiled ear to ear, eager to check his notifications, but held off as they had to collect the materials and get out of there ASAP as they were bound to have attracted a lot of attention. After finishing their quick celebration, they both hurried to complete their tasks as Alistair stored King, then the Core, before selecting the more intact bones, claws, and skull. At the same time, Riseth was busy salvaging what she could from the camouflage skin of the Nyuvwira. The skin was cut and damaged all over, but due to the creature''s sheer size, she could still salvage a good chunk of it. They could hear roars from the distance and decided that was the signal to bail as they hurried back into the forest, heading back for the fort. Chapter 73: Hiding In The Aftermath Alistair and Riseth hid in a tree hollow near the canopy as screams and roars shook the forest. Multiple higher-grade monsters had been drawn in by their fighting against the snake and golem, and some started to fight amongst each other. Alistair and Riseth used cleansing water to get the blood off Riseth before rubbing themselves in dirt and leaves and trying to mask their body odors. They had planned to run and fly up the mountainside, but a small group of Grade 9 Wyverns flew above them, observing the fights below like vultures. Alistair had only gotten the occasional glance at the monsters prowling the forest. One was a panther-like wyvern with fur instead of scales and a feline disposition as it gracefully jumped from tree to tree. Another had been a very classical wyvern with a green scaly body, rows of short but sharp teeth, bent horns, and a wicked-looking curved stinger on its tail. The vulture wyverns had a red feathery mane, but their wings were leathery, and they had long curved beaks and freaky-looking red eyes visible even from a distance. Their legs were equipped with particularly long, curved, and sharp-looking claws. Alistair frowned; he presumed they were pretty safe in their hiding location, though it would take time for the monsters to move on, and there might be other monsters who were yet to arrive. The tree hollow was small, and they were squished in tightly, though neither seemed to mind as they took in calm breaths, looking out into the forest. Alistair decided to finally check his notifications.
Notifications:
[Combat Log] Black Bone Golem level 53 has been slain.
Title: Junior Big Game Hunter [Unique] has been obtained.
[Level 39 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
[Level 40 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available. Skill selection available.]
Skill [Kinetic Skinguard] can be upgraded.
Skill Choices:
Tier: Skill Name: Description:
[Rare] Manipulation Control Improves [Control] when using concepts involving manipulation by a small margin. Moderate increase in efficiency when manipulating local space. Large increase in efficiency when manipulating kinetic energies and related concepts. Improves the overall precision of ranged offensive abilities by a moderate amount.
[Rare] Spheres Of Force This skill is used to capture and store [Kinetic] and related concepts and trap and maintain them in a sphere of force orbiting the user at a moderate cost of [MP] in relation to the captured energies. The spheres themself cost a slight amount of [MP] and focus to maintain. The user''s [Mental] stat determines the spheres'' capacity. Once captured, the trapped energies can be reused by the user.
[Common] Light Manipulation This skill can be used to make the user partially invisible by manipulating light waves by causing light to pass through a designated area/space/object without reflecting off the surface. Other uses include a flash of light to blind opponents and gathering ambient light to create a light source.
[Common] Akashic Sound Board The user taps into their [Akashic Link], harnessing known melodies and songs to empower themselves and allies through uplifting music or utilizing sound clips to assault opponents'' minds. The effectiveness of both buffs and attacks is directly influenced by the user''s [Mind] stat. However, while playing music to provide buffs, there is a slight reduction in hearing-related [Senses].
Alistair cheered and celebrated internally as a wide smile was painted across his face, seeing the possible [Kinetic Skinguard] upgrade he had been aiming for. He and Riseth were aiming to maximize their gains and foundation in the first grade, and one of the most difficult and crucial steps besides the race upgrade was obtaining as high a skill tier as possible. Alistair had chosen his most crucial defensive skill to be upgraded. Alistair had considered his [Blast Master] skill, though compound skills were often much harder and more time-intensive to get to a high tier once their initial tier had been determined. Especially compared to a specialized skill. Inspired by the [Force Trap] skill, he had reconsidered why he was so insistent on just storing the energies within his body; if he could also just store them outside within force spheres. Alistair looked over the new skill selection but decided not to select any of the skills offered for now. Riseth and Alistair felt it was necessary to get as much as possible out of their foundation if they wanted to be part of the elite and not encounter roadblocks in their growth too soon; they had tried to convince others in their clan, but most thought the two of them were overdoing it. Alistair would hold off on the skill upgrade for now. He had been working on his ribs by using [Kinetic] [Storage] and [Void] essence; he planned to have them store kinetic energy and further enhance the storage with [Void] essence. The essence holding him back the most was the [Storage] one, as while he successfully collected them from the pile of storage devices, it was far from enough, and obtaining storage devices was still not easy despite almost three months having passed since the trial started. The influx of people reaching other instances like the Market and Arena had noticeably spiked. Many individuals seemed to have headed for their hub without traveling skills, slowing down their progress significantly. Riseth looked at him curiously before contacting him over the link. "Why so excited?" She asked while looking into his eyes. "I got an upgrade option for my [Kinetic Skinguard], so I am one step closer to the legendary skill expertise title. I might even get it if I confirm it. "Good job. I guess my Mr. Legendary lives up to his name again," she said over the link as she turned around and gave him a quick kiss before requesting him to hold on to her while she was checking something within her soulscape. Alistair smiled and gave her the go-ahead as her body went limp and slumped against his own. Their situation was a bit awkward as they were still stuck in the tree hollow, but the sounds of combat had subsided, and the vulture wyverns were not circling above them anymore. Alistair presumed they were gorging themselves on whatever remains were left behind. He took the chance to check his new title. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin:
[Unique] Junior Big Game Hunter Slight increase in stats obtained per level A growing title given to everyone for slaying a higher-grade beast by themselves. The system guards the title, preventing divulging the path to its acquisition or existence.
Another title that would increase his stats obtained per level; however, this one was upgradeable, and the earlier one killed a higher grade beast, the more one could benefit, a high risk, high reward that got more difficult the higher their grades got, Alistair suspected, his stat gain had increased by 1 putting him at 10 per level, he put most of his points into [Mental] as he would require a lot of [MP] for his skill set to work. He was slightly surprised this title was guarded while the [Man Of Change] was not, though he suspected it was because the [Man Of Change] was limited to individuals within the trial and usually required a serious investment of effort and time to pull off.
Stats:
Power [117] Increases Physical and Magical Damage as well as general speed and the ability to lift heavy things. Provides a small bonus to self-healing and stamina recovery.
Mental [129] Increases magical capacity and determines the quality and quantity of mana [MP], increases memorization and comprehension capacity, and increases spell power by a large degree.
Control [135] Increases motor skills and magic/energy control by a large degree and increases the ability to concentrate by a moderate amount, with a large impact on the efficiency of [Qi] and [MP] usage.
Body [196] Increases robustness and vitality of the body large impact on [HP] and [Qi] capacity, moderate impact on damage reduction and environmental & magical resistance, and large impact on self-healing.
Mind [119] Increases the defense of mind and soul, as well as mana regeneration by a large degree, and also increases the number of tasks possible at a time. It also significantly heightens the efficiency of attacks targeting the minds and souls of others.
Senses [118] Increases reaction speed and fine control of senses like visual smell, etc., by a large degree. It also increases instincts to a large degree, with a small bonus to [MP] and [Qi] expenditure reduction.
A quick glance over his stats told him he was doing very well. According to his research, the average stat total for a human reaching grade 9 in the multiverse was slightly above 100 points in each stat. He could not find records of how good elites or above-average individuals were, and he presumed there was another system-guarded title in play where you would require a high enough stat total to obtain it. Surprisingly, humans were among the races with the lowest stat total. Humans obtained more skill points than most, and their skill selection was slightly bigger as they gained up to 4 instead of the usual three skills. Human children, in particular, benefited from the most frequent skill selection among all the races as apparently no other race had a skill selection every time they obtained a skill point from level-ups. Humans were genuinely spoiled for choice. However, this would fall off at grade 9 and beyond, and Alistair wished he had learned this sooner to optimize his skill selection a little better. Eventually, Riseth stirred in his arms, finished with whatever she was doing in her [Soulscape] "What were you doing there?" Alistair asked curiously over the link. "I just checked some of the documents about the beasts we have seen and their behavior to see if some of them are likely to wait us out; luckily, unless one decides to just hang around the area, we should be good to leave," Riseth told him as she reactivated invisibility and leaned out of the tree, checking for monsters. She gave him a quick nod, and he picked her up as they flew up the cliff face toward the keep. Luckily, they eventually reached the gate without being harassed and reactivated the self-cleaning from their armor to remove all the dirt they had rubbed over their armor. They returned to their room and showered to get the rest of the dirt and grime off. After their shower, they relaxed a little in their bed. Alistair picked up his copy of [Cultivation For Dummies] and handed it to her. She looked at him, confused as she started reading through it. "Why did you give me this?" She asked as she started to skip across the many chapters incompatible for their rank and race. "There is a technique on page 69 that is very beneficial for both Qi and body cultivators; it would increase our cultivation speed and efficiency by leaps and bounds," Alistair said, suppressing a smirk. Riseth read the page and paused, tilting her head, her expression changing as she got into the more advanced chapters before she put down the book. "Wow," she said with a snicker before looking at him. Here, I thought excess was bad for cultivators. Are you trying to tell me something?" she asked teasingly, stroking her finger across his chest with a flirtatious look. "Well, I thought now was as good a time as any to bring it up. Jessica is close to finishing your cultivation pill, and it''s important to me that you know what you are in for," Alistair said honestly, kissing her on the forehead. She sighed before quipping, "In for a penny, in for a..." "Don''t," Alistair chuckled. Interrupting her with a laugh. They continued exchanging jokes, with Riseth playfully teasing him, her excitement tempered by a hint of reluctance. After their initial reunion in the study dungeon, they had taken it slowly, taking their time to get to know each other better. As they grew closer over time, she became more comfortable showing her assertive side, especially in matters of intimacy. Alistair sensed this change and attributed it partially to hesitancy due to cultural differences and her desire to distance herself from her succubus nature. This was likely shaped by her upbringing and her aspiration to break free from her mother''s legacy. Unlike her mother, who embraced promiscuity, Riseth strongly favored intimacy with one person¡ªa choice mirrored by Alistair, who sought to distance himself from a similar legacy. "But on a more serious note, I think some of these more advanced techniques are a trap to corrupt individuals willing to go this far," Alistair warned her. "Shame, here I was getting my hopes up. Even as a lust demon, I have not seen some of these moves," Riseth quipped back with a wide, toothy smirk as she looked up at him. "I know; I''m actually glad you did not see me when I first read it," Alistair said, and Riseth clicked her tongue and snapped her finger as she lamented having missed out on it. They continued like this for a while before going for dinner at Glenhare Roadhouse as they planned for the next day. Chapter 74: New Teacher Alistair stepped through the portal to the [Nurturing Ward]. He had arranged a meeting with his Sister and planned to make an unannounced visit to the Earth section, which Sol''s followers occupied. Riseth would be busy with cultivation. Jessica had been successful in creating the pills needed. She even succeeded in creating multiple, which were stored in the treasury for now. The clan had bought a key for Riseth so she could learn body cultivation skills. Based on Mitania''s recommendation, they bought a cheaper version of body cultivation that did not come with any legacy items or titles and only limited manuals focused on refining essences into weapons. This significantly reduced the cost of the key, which had still cost over a million [USC], a sizable sum in the current economy. Alistair knew she would be busy for most of the day because she would spend a good chunk of it out of commission from eating the pill. She had prepared a comfy environment where she planned to endure. Alistair promised he would make sure to check in on her despite her protests. The air was clean and fresh, filled with the sounds of children''s laughter and more alien noises. Parents and guardians walked with their children along the streets, adding to the lively atmosphere. The architecture displayed a diverse mix, much like what Alistair had seen in the Trader''s Market. Following his sister''s guidance, Alistair proceeded until he reached the first set of stairs. From there, he could observe the magic school of this ring; it was a large medieval castle nestled within the concave space of the ward. Surrounding it were rings of higher elevation, forming concentric circles that gradually descended towards the center. The castle itself radiated magic, visible even from a distance, with spacious yards and walled-off sections for students to practice more advanced spells. Alistair knew there were many such rings, some designed to separate more incompatible species from each other, whether culturally or biologically. In some cases, this meant segregating beings that had incompatible dietary requirements or possessed other physiological differences that would make living together difficult. "I know; Sis said to just keep heading towards the center until I find the budget Hogwarts, but damn." Alistair mused as he inspected the castle. The castle sprawled grandly, boasting numerous sections and walls adorned with towers of varying heights. Each tower sported a roof of distinct materials and colors, giving them a bit of a garish look. Its expansive yard, carpeted in lush green grass, harmonized beautifully with the rustic red brick of the keep and surrounding walls. Alistair could see kids using magic against dummies in the yard. He was aware that the training fields, with proper consent, could be exempt from many of the nurturing ward''s rules and were [Life Guarded]. As he surveyed the scene, he couldn''t help but wonder how many children had already endured the harrowing experience. Alistair headed down the stairs toward the castle. He garnered many curious glances and suspected the inhabitants would not see many armored figures outside of faction meetings. Alistair switched his armor for more casual clothes to blend in better. The air was incredibly fresh and clear, and besides the regular hustle and bustle of people and the occasional screaming kid, it was quiet. During his walks, he got a feeling for his surroundings. Most of the structures were meant for teaching or living quarters; he also saw the occasional nursery. However, he also came across places of worship. Natural gods weren''t the only ones able to reach the trial subspaces, as they offered guidance and powers in exchange for worship. Alistair avoided these structures as he had no desire to deal with any additional gods and their followers for now. Alistair noticed how every species within this ring was moderate-sized and bipedal. He had seen Lamia, Centaurs, and more odd races in the [Arena Dungeon] and the [Trader''s Market]. He had almost gotten used to their sight, so seeing the segregation felt weird, though he knew at least most of the centaur variants would struggle with the stairs, and so would smaller individuals. Alistair eventually arrived at one of the many open entrance gates, the scent of grass wafting in as he stepped through. Inside, he observed a group of children playing in the yard while others were engrossed in reading spell books. As he made his way towards the entrance, he was struck by the modernity of the interior. The tiled floors, potted plants, and sleek reception area with magical stone elevators hovering in various directions seemed far more contemporary than he had anticipated. From a balcony above, several green-skinned children with tusks, presumably orcs, waved down at him, and he returned the gesture before approaching the reception desk. There, a crimson red-skinned elf with white hair and a robe was engrossed in a large leather-bound book, seemingly unaware of his presence. Using [Identify], Alistair learned her name: [Xizruprotyka Mezru - lvl 21]. "Hello, I''m here to see Melissa," Alistair greeted with a friendly tone, mindful of potentially mispronouncing her name. The elf looked up and placed the book on the desk, identifying him as she picked up a small pile of documents before answering. "Mr. Ryser? Ah, here we have it. Yes, please step on the platform. The class is expecting your arrival. Just follow the golden line on the floor," the elf said, directing him to a platform. On the floor, he could see a thin golden thread leading to the platform. He could tell this was one of her skills. "Wait, the class? I am here to see my sister." Alistair corrected. "And she is currently holding the class and has registered you as a guest teacher; please mind your manners around the children," Xizruprotyka said as she leaned back in her chair and resumed reading. Alistair shook his head incredulously as the platform carried him upward, traversing through several levels. He couldn''t help but chuckle at his sister''s predictable yet endearing habit of enlisting him for tasks without so much as a word. Most of the family struggled to refuse her requests, which formed a bad habit where she occasionally expected them to go along with her whims. Yet, he knew this trait was reserved for those closest to her, and she knew she could get away with it. With strangers, she was more cautious and reserved. Alistair followed the golden thread until he reached a solid wooden door. He knocked and stepped through, but what he found was unexpected. He was in a wide, flat, open field; the same smell of grass and clean air as in the yard struck him. Kids of various races were sitting on bean bags reading books, and his sister was sitting behind a lone desk and chair in the middle of the field, roughly 100 meters from the lonely wooden door. None of the roughly 50 students seemed to have noticed his entry except for one human kid who was already looking toward the door instead of reading. The kid looked roughly 14 years old, his body visibly covered in tattoos, and his hair was in a green mohawk haircut. Despite the colorful assortment of alien children, he stood out like a sore thumb. Inspecting the other children, Alistair recognized most of their species as those found in the [Arena Dungeon]. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Alistair used [Blink] to close the distance and appeared behind his sister unnoticed. He used [Identify], which he had neglected to do until now [Melissa Ryser - lvl 26]. The younger kids in the class began to snicker and whisper amongst themselves. She looked towards the door, and Alistair deftly sidestepped and bent down to whisper into her ear. "Next time, please give me a heads up before you sign me up as a teacher," He requested with a smirk. His sister startled, flinching slightly as she looked at him, surprise written all over her face. A smattering of laughs erupted from the kids, prompting her to quickly regain her composure before speaking up. "I signed you up to expedite things. You wanted to delve into the inner workings of the [Nurturing Ward], didn''t you? By giving a lecture, you can earn contribution points for library access and other rewards," Melissa explained nonchalantly, waving towards the children. "All these kids here signed up for your lecture, too." "And what did you tell them I would teach them?" He inquired through the [Akashic Link], a skill he knew his sister had recently acquired. "Self-defense courses and possibly some combat magic; you were advertised as a former human soldier and peacekeeper." She replied over the link. Alistair let out a sigh. The advertisement explained the racial spread he had noticed. Many of the kids looked at him expectantly, but many others were visibly disappointed, and the kid with the green mohawk was the first to stand up and speak up. "Is this the human soldier that was promised? He does not even carry scars or tattoos; he looks soft, what a fucking waste of time." The rough-looking kid said as he stomped towards the door, followed by some Insectoids, trolls, ogres, other humans, and lizard-like kids. Alistair made no move to detain the departing child, nor did he deter the others who shot him hostile glances. It would have been both futile and contrary to his intentions; he had no desire to instruct them in combat skills that they might misuse against others instead of monsters. "Very well, you''re free to leave. Those who wish to remain and learn self-defense are welcome to stay," Alistair declared, watching as approximately three-quarters of the class opted to stay while the rest made their way toward the distant wooden door. Alistair then proceeded to gauge the students'' expectations and current abilities by having them introduce themselves. After all of the kids had introduced themselves to him, he sent those with the intention of harming or killing others packing. A common insult thrown at him as they left was "Paladin," a term he would adopt for future advertisements if he returned to teach again. In the end, he was left with 26 students, which was roughly half the number that signed up for the class. He then separated the students based on stated interests and talents, setting up sparring groups for those more physically inclined while shepherding a small group of more magically gifted individuals, teaching them his understanding of magical theory. "I didn''t realize you had such an in-depth understanding of arcane theory," Melissa remarked, impressed by Alistair''s teachings to the smaller group. "Arcane theory?" Alistair inquired, intrigued by the term. "Yes, what you''re explaining to them is arcane theory. Although it''s evident you''re self-taught, your grasp of it is quite remarkable," Melissa observed, acknowledging his expertise. It became evident that Alistair possessed a much deeper understanding of arcane principles than Melissa, who had learned from a book with limited information. Arcane, as an affinity, encapsulates the process of harnessing and manipulating energies for various purposes, including the development of abilities, spells, skills, and the crafting of magic items. Alistair had developed his own methods and techniques to direct his energies with his intent through experimentation and experience in various skills. Knowledge like this was restricted and viewed as incredibly valuable. He proceeded with the lesson, instructing the students to form a barrier before shifting his focus to the sparring students. Whenever he noticed problematic stances or approaches, he intervened to correct them. This dynamic continued for a few hours, with Alistair and his sister collaborating to teach the students effectively. "I was a little worried when you dismissed half the class, but everything turned out quite nicely," Melissa remarked once the class had ended. "Next time, I''ll know to advertise myself as a paladin. That way, I won''t have to exclude the kids eager to learn how to devour their peers," Alistair remarked dryly. Alistair had earned 1255 contribution points; however, he had no idea how much or what it was worth, so he asked. "Here''s the deal," Melissa began, her tone casual yet captivating. "You can spend 100 points for an hour in the library. Keep at it, and you can obtain a free skill point for 5000 points. You can buy up to five of them, and they will grant you a free skill point each." Intrigued, Alistair questioned, "Teaching kids can earn me skill points? Why didn''t you mention that before?" "Both of us had other things to worry about. Also, besides the quality of the teaching, the level of the individual matters as they get more contribution points for their time. Unfortunately, the System can''t rely on the charity of the stronger individuals to teach in the [Nurturing Ward] for free," Melissa said with a hint of resignation. Alistair stroked his chin in consideration; he would have to tell Riseth about this, as she struggled even more than him with skill points. She had been scouring her first Trial world for dungeons with little success. And she had a lot of things she could teach the kids. As they made their way to the library, he casually brought up the topic of scheduling and how classes were advertised with his sister. They arrived at a thick, lacquered wooden door, where Alistair paid 100 of his contribution points to enter the library after his sister. The Library, though modest compared to the [Study Dungeon], exuded a comforting ambiance with its scent of paper and inviting furnishings with plush chairs, tea sets, and carpets. Alistair, eager to find literature that would help him identify various concepts, began his search. His sister, one step ahead, handed him a book, which he inspected with disbelief. It resembled an interactive children''s picture book, akin to "The Cow Says Moo," but delved into concepts and their behaviors. "Really?" he remarked incredulously.
"Individuals in the multiverse are exposed to concepts the moment they are born; most are taught about them like we would teach them about animals. There is some more dry literature listing them like a dictionary. I can fetch it for you, but I thought this one at least showed you what the concepts can do," Melissa said seriously before she left to fetch the dictionary version. "Oh, God damned fine," Alistair murmured, unsure if his sister was messing with him or not. He flipped through the thin children''s book while waiting for her to find the dictionary. Surprisingly, no matter how often he flipped, he never ran out of pages; there was always another page showing another concept, its name and rough description in golden lettering in the top left corner accompanied by a drawn animation of a child-like figure using the concept filling both of the open pages. He could even sense the concept depicted radiating from the tiny book. When Alistair wished to see a concept he had seen already again, it appeared after he flipped the page. Alistair was impressed with the magic used in the book, though it was far above what he could analyze. To his shock, some of the pages were rather gruesome and scary for a child, and seeing a cutesy animation of the small child-like figure being impaled by sharp bone spikes as the blood flowed out of it was a little off-putting. Chapter 75: Unannounced Visit Alistair spent about an hour copying books from the library to add to his knowledge, including the children''s book his sister had handed him. The children''s book drained more mana than anticipated, consuming most of his time in the library. He entered his soulscape to cope, leveraging its time-dilating effect to enhance efficiency and speed up energy pool recovery. Ultimately, Alistair could only display the book on a screen or within his soulscape due to its incredibly advanced magic. Once they finished their business in the library, they made their way to Earth''s section, which was in a different ward. They would need to use one of the internal sub-gates strewn about the ring city. To Alistair''s delight, his sister was warmly received by both the staff and children they encountered, with nearly everyone they passed offering greetings and smiles. "Popular as usual, I see," Alistair said cheerfully, waving to another passing pair of students. "Yeah, the people here are great. I am glad I landed here when all of this started," Melissa said with a weak smile. Alistair tried to hide his worry; his mother had told him how badly Melissa had taken the changes. He was thankful to the people in the ward for accepting her and treating her as well as they did, as they took her mind off things and kept her occupied. He had initially considered teaching his sister body cultivation as she could progress her strength without constant fighting, but after learning of the troubles cultivation brought with it, he reconsidered. Emotional stability and resilience were almost required when dealing with any cultivation or body modification, and he did not even fully trust himself. His sister had grown up too sheltered, and her current state only reinforced Alistair''s belief that it was a poor idea. To be able to teach properly, one would need to have something they excelled at, and his sister had not found her path yet, which worried him. "Have you found any field you wished to specialize in? You have never told me your affinity?" Alistair inquired over the link as they walked the streets towards the closest internal gate.
"It''s preservation," she began, her tone carrying a hint of tension. " I''m Currently researching racial evolutions and associated ritual magic. It appears our family possesses a strong magic affinity, and this should allow us to advance into more powerful subraces like the witch subraces, which are exclusive to human women with high magic affinity. I''ve gathered much information on the ritual magic involved, but I''m lacking many essential magical components," she replied over the link, her fingers fidgeting nervously. Alistair recognized the telltale sign of her nervous fidgeting. It was a rare occurrence, indicating that she sought help but was hesitant to ask directly. Usually, she wouldn''t hesitate to take or ask for what she needed. The fact that she was this hesitant hinted at the significance of her request. Alistair felt relieved she had reached out and offered her a reassuring smile. "Sis. You are part of the clan; If you need help, you just have to ask! Your plan sounds great, though I don''t know how I feel about you turning your skin green and growing your nose out," Alistair said teasingly. "That would be a bog witch, a lower-tier evolution; with my affinity, I thought perhaps aim for a storm or ice witch. The latter one could have some synergy with my affinity. Also, other than my hair turning white, nothing would really change, so I would at least not look like a goblin," Melissa explained over the link with a smirk on her face. "In that case, is there a male version of the witch subrace, like a wizard?" Alistair asked curiously. He had learned from Desily and Zathron that reaching the next grade would offer racial evolutions. They were presented with multiple choices based on their affinity and linear evolution paths, such as transitioning from fairy to arch fairy or, in her case, a Void Pixie. "Yes, they''re called Magus. I''m quite sure you''ll be offered the chance to evolve into one once you reach the next grade," she responded over the link. "Are you sure about that? I''m already a [Body Cultivating Human]," "Yes, I researched this quite thoroughly. Based on your affinity, you would most likely be a [Body Cultivating Kinetic Magus]. Being a magus does not stop you from being a body cultivator. Body cultivators, cybernetic users, and similar changes to your physiology don''t prevent you from changing and upgrading your race. They are also not mutually exclusive, but they do clash. It''s generally not recommended to undergo multiple physiological changes as they mess with the individual''s mind. "Well, that race is a mouthful and sounds more like a class than a race," Alistair commented over the link.
Melissa regarded him with a puzzled expression, clearly unfamiliar with the concept of video game classes. Sensing her confusion, Alistair took a moment to explain that the race name sounded more like a class than a race in the context of video games. He felt relieved to see her making an effort to contribute and carve out her own path in this new world without relying solely on his intervention. "Don''t worry. I''d need a pretty high affinity to make any changes, and the evolution will even boost the affinity in question. I''ve experimented with spells from both, but I seem to lean more towards ice. Right now, I''m saving up for a set of affinity-measuring orbs. Once I have them, I can determine which affinity suits me best and choose my witch subtype accordingly," Melissa elaborated. "Are those orbs expensive? I know Nessyra is looking to get them. Also, write down a list of needed materials and give it to Nessyra and me. I will watch for the materials, and Nessyra is great at obtaining even hard-to-get treasures." Alistair said as his sister put in a code into the sub gate console. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Each set contains six orbs and costs around 2500 contribution points. However, I can select the concept affinities measured by these orbs. Since I don''t need all six, you can let me know which ones we require. But are you sure this is okay? Won''t Nessyra have objections?" Melissa inquired with a hint of uncertainty. "Don''t worry. Your plan sounds solid. I doubt Nessyra will raise any objections. Besides, don''t you already possess far more than 5000 points? I acquired over 1000 from just one teaching session. Additionally, it''s best to consult Nessyra about which orbs the clan requires. I do know that she needs a measuring tool for the space concept, as we''re in need of a dedicated space mage for tasks like storage, portals, and other crafts involving spatial manipulation," Alistair reassured her. "I do, but I wasn''t certain if you all could or would assist me with the materials, so I saved up most of my contribution points until we had this discussion rather than expecting all of you to fulfill my wishes," Melissa admitted sheepishly as they passed through the sub-gate. They appeared in a similar ringed city and headed for the eastern section, where Alistair could already see a large temple that looked like a mix of both Gothic and Arabian architecture, with most of the structure made of white stone with a lot of gold trimmings and decorations, the domes were a dark teal and also adorned with goldcrests, the occasional greenery was placed in the balconies. Alistair noticed the same sigil he had seen on Enya''s armor displayed on large banners hanging from the sides of two of the towers. "Not exactly a subtle deity I''m dealing with; what can you tell me about this place?" Alistair inquired, eyeing the impressive temple that occupied a significant portion of the outer circle.
"I have a few students from Earth who have already joined them. One of my students, Nina, told me about this place; she was the first to discover it. She encountered a man wearing armor with that sigil, and he guided her here. Since then, she''s been inviting others from Earth, me included," Melissa explained, her gaze fixed on the imposing structure in the distance. Curiosity piqued, Alistair inquired further, "Did you check it out? And how well acquainted are you with Nina? What kind of person is she, and what motivated her to join them?"
"I did. They offered to protect me and my family if I were to join their cause, and they even said they could protect our pets if they were still alive. I honestly wanted to accept their help but needed some time to think about it. Then you reappeared, and things changed," Melissa explained, her expression filled with concern. She went on to recount the story of Nina, a bright 15-year-old girl from France who had attended many of her sister''s magic classes. Despite not being fanatical, Nina had joined them for the merits they offered. The mention of their pets stung. He hoped they were okay and that Sol would be able to shelter them. He would try to negotiate their protection if necessary. Alistair grew a little frustrated with how little he knew about this god. He had nothing definitive, and he wasn''t sure whether talking to his followers before the meeting was a good idea. They walked past and observed the temple as discreetly as possible for a while before entering without anyone stopping them or paying them any attention; the structure was massive, and there weren''t that many people present; most of them were busy talking with each other, barely glancing at them and giving them polite bows before moving on. The air felt fresh, and the rooms were well-lighted up and clean; most of the floor was covered by carpets, which Alistair could tell were self-cleaning. There was a big assembly hall with a podium in the center of the structure with multiple balconies adorned with greenery overlooking the assembly hall where Alistair suspected Sol would hold his speech. As Alistair and Melissa prepared to depart, they were approached by one of the followers near the entrance.
"Mr. Ryser, we weren''t expecting you until tomorrow at the earliest. My apologies for any inconvenience. Since most of our members are currently out, is there something I can assist you with?" A tall, muscular man with dark skin and a clean-shaven face stood near the entrance, addressing Alistair. He nodded politely to Melissa before focusing his attention back on Alistair. The man was clad in a striking sci-fi uniform, exuding an air of sophistication and authority. His attire boasted a pristine white color, adorned with accents of gold and regal dark blue decorations. Emblazoned proudly upon his shoulder was Sol''s Sigil. The uniform comprised a tailored jacket featuring a row of four gleaming golden buttons. This jacket looked meticulously crafted and left the lower torso unencumbered, allowing for ease of movement and functionality. Paired with it were neatly tailored cloth pants and leather boots, completing the look with a sense of refined style and practicality instead of the opulence Alistair was expecting; he used [Identify], revealing him to be [Caleb Smith - lvl 37].
Alistair expressed his surprise. "I was beginning to think Sol had instructed his followers to avoid me altogether." Caleb met his gaze evenly. "They''ve been instructed not to disturb you. Especially after Enya overstepped her bounds during your conversation. Lord Sol didn''t want you to feel further alienated and sent his apologies." "Overstepped? How so? And what exactly does Sol want from me?" Alistair pressed for clarification. "During your conversation, she implied that Sol plans to trap you on Earth. It wasn''t her place to make such assertions. As for Lord Sol''s intentions toward you, I''m not privy to them, and even if I were, it wouldn''t be my place to disclose," Caleb explained firmly, his expression serious. Alistair had trouble reading Caleb, though he did not believe he was lying. They continued exchanging pleasantries; however, Caleb sidestepped Alistair''s inquiries, requesting him to return tomorrow and ask Sol himself. Eventually, Alistair gave up on his probing and left with Melissa. "Not sure if this was worth coming here for," Alistair said, furrowing his brows as he looked back at the temple. "He did say that trapping you was not their intent," Melissa interjected. Alistair shook his head in response, "He didn''t outright deny it either, just that it wasn''t Enya''s call. All I know is that Sol'' does not wish to alienate me and has instructed his followers not to talk with me." Alistair was eager to return to Riseth as he could sense her suffering from the pill consumption. As they approached the sub-gate, Alistair turned to his sister. "Alright, take care of yourself, and don''t hesitate to ask me or Nessy for help. The sooner we know, the better we can assist you," he said warmly. Melissa hugged Alistair, tip-toeing due to her much smaller stature. Alistair could not help but think that she looked very much like their mother now, though her hair color was a light brown and long, and her face was heart-shaped, much like Alistair''s. "I will. See you tomorrow. Give my regards to Riseth," Melissa said as she stepped through the sub-gate. Alistair waved goodbye, knowing they had plans to attend the gathering with most of the clan members. He had checked with Caleb beforehand to ensure it wouldn''t upset Sol, receiving assurance that the Ryser clan was welcome to attend. Alistair headed for the main gate deep in thought, glancing back at the temple, wondering what tomorrow would bring. Chapter 76: Humanitys Finest Alistair and Riseth were the first to arrive at Nessyra''s office. As they entered, Alistair immediately noticed a set of orbs on her desk. Alistair presumed they were the affinity-measuring orbs, some of them already primed with a particular affinity. "It looks like Sis has already visited you; what did you think of her plan for racial changes?" Alistair asked curiously as he sat down on one of the free chairs. Instead of taking her own chair, Riseth chose to sit on his armrest, wrap her arms around his shoulders, and lean against him. "Yes, it was quite adorable how shy she was about it. Her idea is good, and I think we overlooked the value of the [Nurturing Ward]. It is a well-kept secret where these orbs come from, and now we know, so I don''t have to get into another bidding war over them, saving us quite a bit of money. Also, most of the materials should be easy enough to acquire, and I''m sure you will be able to acquire a grade 9 core with the ice concept," Nessyra explained. "I guess this means she has already confirmed her affinity for Ice," Alistair said as he leaned forward and picked up an orb from her desk that looked to be made of ice; it felt uncomfortable and cold in his hands, and it radiated a weak aura as he inspected it. "Based on that aura, your affinity for it is quite low. In comparison, she had a strong affinity for it; how does it feel to hold it?" Nessyra asked as Riseth took the orb into her own hands and frowned; the aura emanated stronger, yet not by much. "It feels uncomfortable to hold. I guess neither of us is using ice magic," Riseth said as she placed the orb back on the table. Nessyra picked the Orb herself, and a much stronger aura emerged. "I have a slightly above-average affinity for it, and these orbs are great for figuring out what works and what does not, but due to how many concepts there are, we should be careful about which affinities we pick; I had one of the orbs attuned to space magic, another to storm," She said as she picked up the space orb that looked like black sphere containing a sea of stars with a slight purple hue, the aura radiating was moderate. When Alistair picked the gem, the aura changed and became much stronger; the orb felt pleasant and familiar in his hand. Alistair smiled; he had hoped he would have a strong affinity for it as he handed the orb to Riseth, who had a slightly stronger aura. He proceeded to pick up the storm orb, which looked like a contained tornado in a sphere, felt neutral, and radiated a moderate aura when he held it, though occasionally, it felt like it would slip from his hand. They began discussing which affinities they should prime the orbs with and the revelation that certain racial evolutions boosted concept affinities when they heard a ring, shortly followed by Alistair''s mother entering the office in a huff. "Alistair, did you give your brother these cybernetic hands?" his mother asked, her tone a mixture of frustration and concern. Alistair turned to face her, confused, and felt a pang of nostalgia as he was reminded of the times when they were kids. Alistair had often got into trouble because of his brother''s antics when he was supposed to watch over him. Alistair still remembered that one time, his brother had gotten his hands on some gunpowder and had filled it into a glass bottle, building an improvised grenade, and had to have a big shard of glass surgically removed from his shoulder blade. Or that other time when he put razor blades on the front of his RC car and drove into his own foot. "Yeah, I did. He is an engineer and said he is working on mechanical stuff. I also gave him some mechanical sentries," Alistair said, confused until he saw his brother and his girlfriend walk in the door, his brother awkwardly waving his new cybernetic hands at Alistair. Alistair looked at his brother in disbelief. "What the fuck, James? I gave you those to research them, not so you could hack off your hands and replace them." "Why not both," James retorted with a shrug, eliciting an exasperated huff from his mother. "I did get a racial evolution doing it, too," James said defensively. Alistair chuckled, finding his brother''s enthusiasm for cybernetics somewhat endearing. After all, James had always been fascinated by technology. "There is a bit of a risk with cybernetics, similar to cultivation. Cybernetics can lead to cyberpsychosis. You can get addicted to implants and go crazy, so keep that in mind," Alistair warned him, which caught his brother by surprise, and he looked at his hands with a bit more conflicted look on his face. And you are okay with this?" Alistair asked Jessica, who had been silent up until now and looked quite unbothered. As he looked at her, Alistair noticed that Jessica hadn''t changed much since before the initiation. The only immediate difference he spotted was in her shoulder-length hair, which now bore its natural brown coloration. Typically, she had dyed her hair in whatever shade she fancied at the moment. Despite the change in hair color, she still maintained a healthy tan, and her eyes were the same green. However, some of her tattoos had vanished. She was slightly taller than James, who was only marginally taller than their mother. James, on the other hand, appeared to have undergone more noticeable changes. His dark brown hair, bordering on black, and fair skin remained unchanged, but he looked significantly more muscular. This made the transition from his arms to the cybernetic hands appear more natural. Alistair couldn''t help but notice that the hands seemed smaller than he remembered. James avoided making eye contact with their mother, who stared daggers at him in disapproval. "It does not bother me. They are warm to the touch, and his fingers are just as nimble as before. I will make sure he does not overdo it, so I don''t see an issue," Jessica said with a sly smile. "Phrasing! Also, did you learn something from the stuff I gave you?" Alistair asked, eliciting a chuckle from Riseth and Jessica, who exchanged glances. "Yes, I have been working with Aknis, but I lack the tools he has and have been busy recreating them with the ones provided by the [Crafting Quarters], particularly the more specialized tools for cybernetics," James lamented. "James has requested that I find a trial world with mechanical opponents and the opportunity to scavenge materials and technology. Unfortunately, most gate addresses are too valuable to be put on the market or shared. No one has offered to sell a tech-based one yet, as there''s greater profit in exploiting the discoveries themselves," Nessyra interjected before Alistair could ask. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Also, I must ask that you withhold more information from Aknis. He is not part of our clan and has so far denied any invitations or signed any contracts. Don''t let him take advantage of you," Nessyra warned James sternly. Alistair thought about a solution, while James argued in favor of Aknis; Alistair trusted Nessyra to handle it. She had already brought up adding contracts for members to ensure they could not accidentally leak information. Her contract magic had made leaps and bounds due to the rapid growth of the clan. As they talked, Simon and Melissa arrived and were greeted with much fanfare. Melissa was just as shocked as their mother over James'' new hands, calling them creepy. Eventually, they got back on topic, and Alistair voiced some of his ideas. "Adamar had mentioned his trial had a lot of abandoned cities and tech. Once we find him, we might be able to work something out. Also, I still have three addresses I have not checked; perhaps one of them has what we are looking for," Alistair suggested. "Sadly, we still have not heard from Adamar; he has still not appeared in any of the instances," Nessyra said hesitantly. Nessyra then pulled out a stack of paper and handed everyone temporary non-disclosure contracts. "We don''t know enough about this gathering and the god''s power, but with this, I can put some protection against magical suggestions and persuasion spells and skills. They should not work within most spaces within the [Nurturing Ward] but are still useful in preventing us from accidentally spilling secrets or agreeing to bad deals. I made a particularly strong one for you, Alistair. You will have the freedom to talk as you see fit. Still, as soon as you spill secrets, make agreements, or are impacted by magic trying to force you, it will clamp down or, in the worst case, at least warn you it is happening. If you feel the pain in your ear, you have to leave; don''t risk staying any longer," Nessyra warned him as she handed him a contract that radiated with magic. "Thank you, Nessy. This makes me feel a lot better," Alistair said genuinely, feeling nervous as the gathering drew closer. Alistair and everyone else made sure to read the contracts in detail before signing them. They found that the contracts were as advertised and short-lived. They would prevent them from accidentally spilling sensitive secrets by censoring you if the signatory''s intent was unclear. They then handed around the orbs which had been imprinted. Noticeably, almost everyone had atleast above-average space affinity; his mother had the strongest affinity, and Nessyra was already in the process of convincing her to consider becoming a space mage. Melissa''s mention of a celestial witch''s racial evolution and benefits convinced his mother to consider it. Celestial witches drew their power from stars, moons, and space magic, placing them at a tier slightly higher than even an Ice witch. However, acquiring the necessary materials and meeting the prerequisites was considerably more challenging. "Where would we even get a moonstone?" Alistair asked after Melissa had checked the required ingredients. "We do have moons in some of our trial worlds and the Artemis; from my topic, I know they are quite common, so flying up there and fetching some should not be that hard. Our [Comfort Array] enchantments should allow us to breathe there." Riseth proposed, eliciting an excited reaction from James and Alistair, who exchanged gleeful glances at the prospect of journeying to a celestial body with a spaceship. "I hate to cut these talks short, but we should head out. The gathering should have already started, and I would not wish to upset the host by delaying our arrival too much," Nessyra suggested, urging them to depart.
Their journey to the [Nurturing Ward] proceeded without incident. However, many among them couldn''t help but emit appreciative whistles and gasps at the sight of the massive temple structure in the distance. As they drew closer to the gate, they could already discern the hustle and bustle of activity within. There was a smell of grilled meats and people. Most of the individuals present were humans or human subtypes, contributing to a vibrant and colorful gathering. Alistair couldn''t shake the comparison to a cosplay convention as he spotted characters like [Thor - lvl 45], complete with his iconic hammer and winged helmet; when Simon spotted him, he gave Alistair a nudge with a smirk. Another standout individual was named [Bruce - lvl 39], donning full Batman armor that almost cracked Alistair and Simon. The glamour of the [Comfort Array] seemingly allowed for such whimsical attire, though Alistair couldn''t help but cringe when he overheard the man affecting a deep voice as they passed by, causing Simon to break out in full-out laughter, drawing a lot of attention before Alistair elbowed him to shut him up with a smirk. Scattered among the crowd were a lot of individuals wearing either white and gold armors and black and red, but all of them had Sol''s sigil somewhere visible, he did see quite a lot of individuals wearing the sigil without the usual color scheme. "I did spot some other clans and groups among the crowd, though we seem to be on the upper end as far as straight-up levels and power go. Keep that in mind when talking to Sol," Nessyra whispered next to him while isolating them with magic from outside listeners as they headed for the gardens, which were slightly less busy. Within the temple garden, some individuals were engaged in animated, obnoxious conversations with themselves, some with devices, and others seemingly filming with a skill invisible to Alistair. A large pond adorned the landscape, its surface adorned with floating water channels through which Koi fish of exotic hues gracefully traversed, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Riseth had taken off to fetch some booze, and his mother and Melissa had started talking to some kids Alistair presumed were her students. Nessyra looked over the group like a hawk and gave Alistair some last-minute advice and encouragement. His brother and his girlfriend had approached a man in a power-armor suit, excitedly discussing it, and Alistair was tempted to join them. Alistair continued to survey the scene from the garden, his peaceful oasis contrasting sharply with the chaos outside its borders. There were oddly dressed individuals everywhere, some of them arguing and would have been at each other''s throats if not restricted by the nurturing ward''s magic. Others were seemingly making deals and connections, shaking hands, greedy smiles and pleasantries, rubbing Alistair the wrong way. One of the loudest and most noticeable was a group of what could best be described as redneck vampires, with long wild-looking beards and hair and the occasional mullets and mutton chops, headbands, and brandishing guns they could not even use in this place. They were already far too drunk, heckling everyone who got close to them. Alistair stared in disbelief as he looked at one of their leaders, a vampire with unusually sharp, protruding front teeth that had transformed into fangs, and he wasn''t the only one, as the teeth a vampire would grow out was seemingly random, one of the vampire''s skin even glittered. "What the fuck..." Alistair thought he presumed there were a lot of vampire subtypes, and they had either lost the lottery or used poor methods to spread their vampiric gifts. Nonetheless, some of them felt actually dangerous. Alistair was pulled out of his observation by Caleb, who had approached him and Nessyra. "I see you noticed the Dixon family. One of their family members obtained an evolution stone and became a high-tier vampire. The family insisted she spread the gift, but sadly, they only obtained a lower-tier variant without proper rituals and preparations, which is a real shame. Still, I am sure they will eventually upgrade their racial tier and become an even more formidable force," Caleb said, following Alistair''s gaze. Riseth appeared next to him with [Blink] handing him a fancy glass with colorful blue and pink liquid; he looked at it before sipping the sweet and fruity drink. He then turned his attention to Caleb with a smile, bracing himself for the hated politicking. Chapter 77: To Meet A God
Alistair smiled at Caleb as he introduced Riseth and her sister to Caleb, who gave both of them a cordial greeting. After exchanging some pleasantries, Alistair spoke up. "Colorful assortment of guests, from your uniform and Enya''s crusader armor, I thought Sol preferred a more standardized attire," Alistair commented with a glance around the room. "Colorful is the right word; Earth needs every ounce of strength it can get to shield itself from what is to come, Sol does prefer some homogeneity but he does not enforce it outside of his orders, and even there are exceptions and some leeway," Caleb said looking at the larger crowd outside the garden. Alistair found Caleb to be a very difficult-to-read individual. He suspected some defensive magic was at work preventing him from garnering as much insight as he usually would. He could not even tell how Caleb felt about the colorful assortment of people. "I am surprised they don''t need blood to sustain themselves. I would have expected that to be part of being a vampire," Alistair mused as he watched one of the vampires eat a sausage from one of the grills they had claimed. "It''s funny you would mention it; they do need blood, and volunteers are hard to come by. But their gift does not stop them from consuming and enjoying regular foods. Much like your lovely partner, they need something else to sate and empower themselves. Allying with Sol, who will be the most powerful faction on Earth, is a safe bet to ensure they have secure access to blood within and outside the trial without having to rely on more drastic measures," Caleb explained. "Are you allowed to tell me this?" Alistair asked as Nessyra discreetly prodded him over the link. Caleb chuckled. "It''s not much of a secret; why would anyone join us if we had nothing to offer them?" Alistair looked at Riseth, who had been observing the conversation quietly next to him. "I presume Sol won''t let me bring my partner?" Alistair asked before taking a sip of the slightly sweet and fruity drink. Caleb tilted his head before his eyes seemed to look at an invisible screen before he answered. "He would prefer to speak to you alone for their first meeting, but when it comes to future meetings, he would love to meet her," Caleb said apologetically. "Is there anything I should watch out for?" Alistair asked curiously. He wasn''t sure if Caleb would actually help him out, but he was curious to know how he would respond. "I can''t give you any guidance. Sol has informed me he is ready to receive you now if you follow me," Caleb announced before walking towards a set of stairs. Alistair kissed Riseth, and Nessyra gave him an encouraging nod. He glanced at his scattered family members before following Caleb. Once Alistair was up the stairs, he found himself on the balcony he had seen the first time he had visited; the whole temple was packed, and Alistair had a great view from above, seeing the colorful crowd below. Eventually, they reached a long, empty corridor leading to a beautiful wooden and gold-inlaid double door; a slender young woman walked past them. She sported a casual dress consisting of a pair of blue jeans, boots, a buffalo plaid shirt, and a white top. Her complexion was ashen, accentuated by long, slightly wavy white hair cascading around her. With a diamond-shaped face adorned with occasional freckles and red piercing irises that met Alistair''s gray ones, his armor slightly immediately warped as he felt a draw to her. But the sensation was extremely muted due to the Nurturing Wards restrictions, and Alistair resisted with little effort. She gave him a wink, her red lips parting in a toothy smile, showing her vampiric fangs, which were at her canines where he would have expected them to be. He turned to see her walk away using [Identify] [Marilyn Dixon - 55]. She returned the identity before walking around the corner, disappearing from sight. "Impressive resilience; even with the protection in place, most could not resist or shake it off that fast. I am sure she will be annoyed to learn that you are already taken," Caleb commented after observing the exchange. "Will this cause problems?" Alistair asked, slightly concerned, still looking down the corridor. "I think your clan is well-equipped to deal with any social issues. Nessyra Ryser is probably the scariest and most influential business person at this particular gathering," Caleb said calmly, waiting for Alistair to move on. "This particular gathering?" Alistair questioned as he continued walking towards the finely crafted double doors. "We hold such gatherings every few days; we can''t have everyone show up simultaneously. Even this structure has its limits," Caleb pushed open the double doors, revealing a spacious, modern suite. White marble floors gleamed beneath their feet while towering pillars added an air of grandeur. Exotic rugs and carpets adorned the floor and walls, lending an opulent touch to the space. Despite being from Earth, the potted plants exuded an exotic allure. The room itself resembled the lavish private quarters of a wealthy Arabian magnate. At the heart of the room sat a plush, inviting couch with many pillows encircling a low mahogany table. Alistair stepped inside, and Caleb closed the doors behind him; Sol was nowhere to be seen. The air felt slightly smoky from incense, which reminded Alistair of his trip to Korea; there was a large assortment of foreign snacks and drinks on the table. From a circular set of stairs leading to an upper floor, he could hear heavy steps and felt incredible power suddenly radiating from them. When he looked upon Sol, he was stunned. His attire exuded regality and refinement. Sol was clad in golden full-plate armor; the chest plate mimicked the appearance of chiseled muscles. His shoulders had a layer of white cloth with golden patterns; above them were rounded golden shoulder plates that encircled his head with small decorative wings. Without looking too flashy, at the front of his right shoulder plate was a small circular plate containing his sigil. His legs were covered by gold and silver metal plates, and above it was a fault made of the same white and gold cloth interwoven with golden chainmail. Sol wore a golden mask and white hood, though he quickly removed the mask and put down his hood as he approached Alistair, revealing a tanned and immaculate symmetrical face with long gold hair and a beard. He wore an easy and wide smile. His right eye was gleaming gold, and his left was silvery white. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Alistair could tell that Sol restrained his power beyond what the [Nurturing Ward] would shield him from. Sol was clearly aware of Alistair''s keen instincts and preparations and seemed determined not to trigger any of them.
"Alistair, it''s a pleasure to finally meet you in person," Sol greeted warmly, his voice calm and pleasant. He stretched his arms welcomingly before gesturing towards the couch. Alistair did as requested and sat down, observing Sol nervously as he approached and sat down on the opposite side of him with a smile.
"Don''t be so nervous. I''ve been observing you for a while now, and there''s no need to walk on eggshells around me," Sol said with an easy smirk, leaning back onto the couch and crossing his legs. As he did, his armor transformed into a comfortable-looking white robe adorned with the usual golden patterns.
Alistair was a little taken aback but quickly composed himself, mirroring Sol''s posture and leaning back into the couch. The way Sol had spoken those last words suggested that he must have been observing Alistair during his first dungeon delve. "You have been observing me? I think we met during my arena match with King, but it sounds like you have been observing me for longer," Alistair said calmly, observing Sol''s reaction. "Oh yes, almost since the very beginning, you have been my biggest source of contribution points for a while there. You killed the most difficult fieldboss shortly after entering the trial, and you have had my attention since then. Though by now there are a lot of others, many of which have overtaken or caught up to your contributions, it is still impressive stuff," Sol said before teleporting a Japanese candy from the table into his hand, unwrapping it, and putting it in his mouth, the candy wrapper disappearing into nothingness. "You have been watching everything?" Alistair asked uncomfortably; the revelation of being watched the entire time did not sit right with him. "Oh, don''t worry. I have some decency and respect your privacy; your success has greatly helped me. I even got closer to Zaltom, Neshan''s natural god. I am curious: do you even know how humans are viewed in the multiverse?" Sol inquired, changing the topic. Alistair considered it for a moment before answering. "I presume we are viewed as a somewhat aggressive species; most other planets with humans seemed to have a rather low development." He felt relieved that Sol seemed much more casual and less alien than expected. However, some parts of Alistair were worried it might be a facade to rope him in. There were a lot of manipulator gods within Earth''s many pantheons. His casual and approachable demeanor could be the mask Sol chose to win him over. Sol nodded sagely before correcting him. "Actually, it''s much worse. Picture orcs, but with an added layer of cunning and deceit. Persuading anyone to align or ally with us has proven exceedingly difficult. Frankly, they''re not entirely wrong to be wary, either. Compared to them, we appear to be barbarians. Even civilizations somewhat advanced like ours, which have managed to evade self-destruction, a rarity among humans, are still perceived as volatile and untrustworthy. Our Immediate neighbors are still hesitant to cooperate with me in any real capacity despite our dire position; the Milky Way is one of the closest galaxies to one of the three bridges established to our universe. "Wait, three bridges?" Alistair exclaimed with a shocked expression. "Yes, the Multiverse does not expand in a line; it''s easier to think of it as a spherical expansion; our universe joins the sphere at three points, one close to the Milky Way." Sol elaborated casually. Alistair considered what had been said, but something bothered him. "Humans can''t be that bad from what trickled through from the multiverse; many heroes and good individuals in the stories were human," Alistair argued, a little worried at the last revelation. Sol gave him a sad smile. "Those are indeed exceptional individuals, occasionally falsely portrayed as humans in stories to suit our sensibilities. However, consider how many humans typically oppose those heroes and their terrible actions and what motivates them. While there are standout individuals, as a collective, we''re regarded as terrible allies. We frequently betray our own kind, which very few other races do. Even demons have a better reputation than us, as they can be expected to uphold contracts and agreements. I know that you are aware of how chaotic Earth will be upon everyone''s return from the trial, and I agree with your assessment." Sol said, a frown painted across his near-inhuman features. Alistair noticed a flicker of darkness in Sol''s eyes for the briefest of moments. Alistair was learning a lot, and this meeting was already proving a valuable opportunity, even if he did not like how reactionary he was in this conversation. However, facing a god, it was difficult to argue as Sol seemed to have an answer for everything. There were also some burning questions he wanted answered, but he needed to be careful not to make it too obvious. "This is not how I expected this conversation to go, and you are... much more relaxed? Then I expected," Alistair said hesitantly. Sol broke out in a loud, melodic laughter that made Alistair want to join him but restrained himself to a smile as Sol calmed himself into a rumbling chuckle. "I have observed you long enough that I know such an approach would be futile. Also, your faith affinity is so abysmal that you will never become a proper champion of mine, so why bother? I find this approach more comfortable as well. I wasn''t trying to unnerve you when I told you not to walk on eggshells. It was me permitting you to be blunt," Sol said jovially as he summoned two golden cups with silvery liquids before them, taking one for himself. "It''s ambrosia; don''t drink it too fast and try to enjoy it," Sol gestured toward the cup before taking a sip himself. Alistair still felt a little distrustful about the whole exchange but decided he would try to treat Sol like a person for now. Alistair took his cup and took a small sip. The taste was indescribable yet amazing and pleasant; his senses were helplessly overwhelmed trying to nail down the taste. Alistair looked at it with a shocked expression, struggling not immediately to drink the rest of the liquid. "It goes great with that Lom Lom meat your clan sells; I was hoping you could sell me some occasionally," Sol said with a laugh at Alistair''s efforts to resist drinking his beverage. Alistair put down the ambrosia, trying to focus on the conversation, he had many questions and he had the strong sense Sol could answer any and all of them if he wanted to. Chapter 78: Paths Divided Alistair took a deep breath as he relaxed; he had been tense most of the conversation and would seek to clear some of his worries. "You seem to be quite willing to help me out; how come? I would have expected you to be mad at me for fleeing the planet," Alistair asked, furrowing his brows. "Oh, I don''t think you realize just how much I benefit from you being the head of a successful clan. Of course, it''s a shame that you plan to leave Earth. I would love to make you the chief of my peacekeeping force or the leader of an order, but leaving is a very sensible response," Sol said with some casual mirth in his voice, waving his hand dismissively. "Becoming the chief of a peacekeeping force during the equivalent of a superpowered purge must be the shittiest job offer I have ever received," Alistair said jokingly, eliciting loud melodic laughter from Sol. "You''d be surprised how many covet this position, oblivious to the weight of responsibility it carries. I anticipate a significant portion of the world''s population will reject me outright, labeling me a false god crying heresy or viewing me as an obstacle to their own agendas. With the loss of numerous political figures, countries will struggle to reestablish control, particularly since human society often adheres to the principle that might make right. Those who have the power to enforce their will often dictate the laws, and Earth is no different. I also expect many public figures will face threats on their lives and seek sanctuary from the inevitable mob that will form," Sol stated sagely, his smile unwavering as he addressed Alistair. Alistair considered it, most of the world could not even get along with their neighbours. Following a seemingly self-proclaimed God grabbing for power and taking on aspects of their and other deities would elicit a violent response from many. Hell, Alistair himself would not follow such a figure, although he would not oppose Sol unless pressured. He would be surprised if countries even managed to reestablish themselves. He doubted the military and police had enough cohesion after the trial to enforce the old laws. Alistair envisioned a phase of pure chaos before warlords and similar groups would rise to power, claiming their own territories. He would not out himself as a former police officer either if only to avoid conflict and aggression from super-powered individuals, as the attitude towards law enforcement across the globe was complex at best. After a long pause, Alistair spoke up again. "So what do you plan to do about it? Besides gathering followers and making friends with your neighbors?" Alistair asked curiously, taking another small sip from Ambrosia before placing the cup back on the table.
"With the contribution points accumulated by you and the rest of Earth, I instigated some changes. I understand you''re already aware, so I''ll highlight a few. Firstly, I''ve confiscated all the nuclear weapons. They''ll be repurposed to defend against invaders in space rather than threatening ourselves. Secondly, I''ve acquired all the military equipment, which I will have my followers retrofit with magic to serve as force multipliers. Although I could have saved a lot of points just by acquiring Western equipment, much of the other equipment looked like I ordered military gear off of Wish," Sol lamented, eliciting a chuckle from Alistair. "First, let me invite you to the [Sol Network] in my presence during the trial. Once outside of the trial, you will have generous access to most functionality and be able to see the goings-on of my domain, which is incidentally the Sol solar system. I will consider you an ally until proven otherwise and kick you out if I find it necessary, but for now, I''d like to show you some things," Sol announced. A Hologram and many screens appeared above them; Alistair looked up to see images of a planet depicting mountain chains with massive white temple structures very similar in architecture to the one he was inside right now, although much more defensively minded as they made full use of the mountainous terrain, sectioning off whole swaths of land with thick stone walls covered in runes. The windows kept changing location after a few seconds, showing both mostly intact cities and collapsed, aged, and overgrown ones. Monsters littered much of the wild landscape, and Alistair even noticed a dragon on a lonely mountain, many dog and cat like creatures were fighting with more hostile looking monsters giving Alistair pause. "Wait, you have control of the planet. What of my family''s pets?" Alistair hurriedly asked, looking at Sol. "I am sorry to say that many died. I can''t trap them against their will, even when it is for their own safety. I already ensured that no pets and animals would be trapped within houses and zoos and starve despite the damage to the infrastructure. Your cat is alive and thriving, but she and many others refuse the shelter I provide them. You can leave a message with me telling her to stay put, but I would not worry; she is quite smart and doing well for herself, and Teddy and many of the other family pets make use of the shelter I offer," Sol said with a compassionate gaze toward Alistair. Alistair was conflicted about what he had just heard, hearing that Melissa''s dog and his cat were fine was a great relieve but the fact that Sol had mentioned many of them dying was gutwrenching. Alistair took a deep breath to keep his cool. Sol was quite forthcoming to the point that Alistair thought of it suspicious, though Nessyra''s contract magic was still inert, and his armor was not warping even a little. "Saving so many pets will get you a lot of favor with a lot of people, thank you for telling me, please tell our pets we love them and we will come for them," Alistair requested a little teary eyed. "I did not do it for the gratitude though I appreciate it, I am no monster who would let a good chunk of the animals of this world die for no good reason at all. Also you might not need to go look for them I can influence where people appear after the trial by spending some points and their consent. I could be convinced to ensure your pets and loved ones would not be scattered upon your return," Sol said with a smile. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Alistair raised an eyebrow, his tone a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "Ah, so you''re not completely altruistic," Alistair remarked, probing for further insight. "What can I do to convince you, then?" Sol eyed Alistair with a weak smile on his face before answering. "I know of an upcoming event at the end of the trial. I would ask you to represent me as one of my champions during it. Of course, this arrangement would only last for that challenge within the trial; there is no risk of death, but your success under my name would benefit me. Feel free to think about and discuss it with your demon ladies first," Sol said with a smug smirk. Alistair considered it. The request itself was fine, but the reward could be a trap as he did not specify where he would spawn. He could have his followers spawn at the same location to catch them all at once. It was good that he did not need to answer right now. However, the smug smirk on Sol''s face was bothering him. "What with that smirk?"
"Oh, nothing," Sol chuckled, taking another sip from his ambrosia. "I just couldn''t help but notice how you found the Bruce and Thor characters amusing when, in truth, you''re not much different." Alistair, taken aback, retorted, "What do you mean? How am I like those guys?" "Well, for starters, you plan to elope with your succubus and heavily rely on her sister as well," Sol explained, his laughter bubbling up again. "But don''t worry, you''re not the only one forming relationships with cat girls and other alien beings they fancy." Alistair took another sip from his ambrosia, feeling a flush of embarrassment. "Don''t be too hard on yourself," Sol continued, his amusement evident. "The System did you dirty by trapping you with her in a dungeon as she was starving," Sol chuckled with glee. Alistair facepalmed, letting out a groan. He wanted to say, "Screw you, Sol," But Nessyras enchantment clamped down on him, saving him from a diplomatic blunder. "It''s good to be wary, but I don''t want you as an enemy or estranged party. I''d rather foster good relations." Sol said with a warm, jovial expression. Alistair looked up at Sol, who had a wide smile. He then looked back at the projections, wanting to change the topic. The big hologram showed a planet. It took Alistair a moment before he realized it was Earth. He barely recognized it as it had grown in size significantly. Its coastal outlines changed massively to be almost unrecognizable, though the few still recognizable parts gave Alistair a good sense of just how much bigger Earth had become. "What''s the significance of your Sigil depicting Earth''s outline if Earth no longer resembles it?" Alistair inquired. "It''s a tribute to our origins, to what came before," Sol explained somberly. "Although I''ve altered it to be nearly unrecognizable, that does not mean I don''t appreciate Earth for what it was," Alistair paused and looked at the changed planet. It felt strange seeing Earth like this, and his eyes kept getting caught on the occasional island and landmass he recognized despite the changes, Italy was now a much bigger boot, and Sicily had ballooned in size, Florida was much longer now, and connecting with Cuba enclosing the gulf of Mexico, those were among the most recognizable features left from earth. "So what''s your plan? Use your temple fortresses as staging points and conquer the planet with your stolen military equipment?" Alistair asked as he scanned the screens. He did not recognize most of the locations where the fortresses were placed, though many looked familiar. Sol regarded him with a curious expression. "Yes, though I prefer to say ''acquired'' rather than ''stolen''. I know you are familiar with dragon veins, so I''ve strategically claimed some of the best real estate, such as the Swiss Alps, Rocky Mountains, and Taiwan Alps, for their strategic positions and the quality of their dragon veins," Sol explained proudly. "And which one serves as your main base of operations?" Alistair asked, his curiosity piqued by Sol''s willingness to share such information.
"That would be Olympus Mons since it harbors by far the most potent natural dragon vein in the entire solar system. It serves as an incredible magical focal point and an unrivaled seat of power. However, my fortress is still partially under construction," Sol said with a smug smile as he displayed a hologram of Mars, which appeared much more lush and verdant. Most of the deserts had vanished, replaced by expansive oceans that dominated large swathes of the northern hemisphere. Alistair suspected that Sol had manipulated the terrain, artificially enlarging Mars in the process. "How did you manage to enlarge the planets using just contribution points? Is the system really that generous?" Alistair inquired, intrigued by the seemingly miraculous transformation. "I had to make some sacrifices, quite literally. I sacrificed some moons and other celestial bodies to afford it. The introduction of magic across the universe greatly facilitated the process of revitalizing the planets, so I simply gave it a little push," Sol explained casually before all the holograms and screens disappeared. "Are you absolutely certain you wouldn''t consider aligning yourself with me? I could offer you your choice of fortress, leadership of one of my orders, enhanced rewards like I did with your wyvern, and so much more," Sol entreated, his voice carrying a persuasive charm that seemed to wrap around Alistair like a velvet ribbon. With an overwhelming aura he had held back now fully on display, it was near blinding for a moment, even with the Nurturing Ward shielding him. Alistair knew the proposition was enticing, one that many would covet without hesitation. Yet, to Alistair, it felt like merely scratching the surface of what he could achieve through patience and perseverance. With an apologetic glance at Sol, he spoke softly, "Sorry, as generous as your offer is, I believe there''s a greater path ahead for me and my clan. I am not opposed to cooperating with you, but I doubt I or my clan are destined to be tied down like that."
"The future is not written in stone, but I possess the ability to make well-educated guesses. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to try," Sol conveyed, his expression reflecting a sense of understanding. Alistair paused and drank the rest of his ambrosia as it overwhelmed his [Senses] for one last time, though he felt empty and even sad at having disappointed Sol. Though Alistair knew it was for the best, he knew their talks were at a close, though he had one last question. "So you have a good idea who or what is coming for Earth?" Alistair inquired with a severe expression. "I do," Sol replied cryptically, "But it would serve no purpose to act on mere speculation. Rest assured, I am prepared for every eventuality. My doors remain open to you should you reconsider. However, be mindful that my offer may become less generous with time." Sol rose from the couch, towering over Alistair. He gestured toward the door, which swung open of its own accord. "It has been a pleasure meeting you, Alistair. I wish you good fortune, but alas, our meeting must now draw to a close." Alistair rose from his seat and walked past Sol, giving him a respectful nod. "Thank you, Sol. I am sorry I can''t be what you wish, though I look forward to working with you in the future," Alistair said sincerely before leaving the room as the doors closed behind him. Chapter 79: After Party Alistair looked back at the closed double doors before walking down the corridor. As he got to the halfway point, Caleb came around the corner with another individual meant to meet with Sol. It was a very young-looking Japanese man in his late teens wearing futuristic-looking samurai armor. He was not very tall, and he and Caleb would have loomed over him significantly. He had fair skin and short black hair, and besides his strong aura, he looked unremarkable. Alistair nodded politely as he passed, sending a quick [Identify] [Ry¨­suke Sasaki - lvl 49]. He reached the balcony, the tension of facing a god slowly seeped out of his body as he glanced down, scanning for familiar faces. His stomach rumbled in protest, which was odd as he did not feel hungry, and the [Sunforge Stomach] should not be doing that unless he ate something rather intense for essences. He froze, realizing what he had been consuming. He turned his focus inward, and both his sunforge organs were working overtime, trying to extract the essence from the ambrosia he had consumed. Under the pressure, he had not even realized Sol had given him another incredible gift he had almost overlooked. However, he couldn''t shake the feeling that it was somewhat wasted on him as his grade 10 organs struggled not to let the ambrosia go to waste. An incredible amount of rare and powerful essences were accumulating in his essence vessel among them [Divine] [Ethereal] [Transendent] [Arcane] [Celestial]. To make the load worse, he had been passively breathing in the presence of a god. That alone could have added a strain. Alistair immediately called Riseth over the link.
Alistair hurried towards the exit, weaving and teleporting past the colorful gathering as he urgently spoke over the link to Riseth. "Riseth, we need to utilize the [Dual Cultivation] technique. I''m practically overflowing with rare essences, and if we don''t refine them together, we''ll miss out," he explained. Riseth''s voice sounded slightly amused over the link. "This is the first time you''ve outright demanded we engage in naughty activities, and you''re doing it for practical reasons?" He could hear her do an overexaggerated sigh over the link. "Alright, I''m coming," Alistair smirked at her response. "I''ll meet you at the entrance," he replied, resolving to be more assertive in the future as his initial hesitancy was misplaced with Riseth. They rendezvoused at the entrance and headed for their quarters at record speed, ignoring most of the perplexed calls from the others telling them something urgent had come up. They never returned to the party, and instead, Alistair and Riseth called the still confused rest of the family over their [Akashic Link], informing them that they were preoccupied with a time-sensitive cultivation thing on Alistair''s request as he wasn''t going to tell his mother and the rest of his family what exactly they had been doing. It took them the whole day before the ambrosia had been refined by the two of them, providing an incredibly bountiful harvest of rare essences for the both of them as they lay in their bed recovering.
"I think I somehow increased the capacity of my synergy pool without even boosting my related stats. We should do this more often," Riseth teased, rubbing her leg against Alistair''s. "I am not sure your body''s capacity to contain sin increasing is a good sign," Alistair commented. "Also I''m no lust demon, Trouble," Alistair remarked, a weak smile on his face as he held the back of his hand against his forehead. "Could''ve fooled me," Riseth quipped, her tone playful. "I knew you said you were tempering and strengthening your whole body, but I didn''t realize the implications of that. You''ve been holding out on me." Alistair responded with a chuckle, observing her playful attempt at feigned hurt. He checked the small pop-up he had been ignoring, which informed him that the [Dual Cultivation Technique] had been added to his [Supreme Heavenly Essence Body Cultivation Technique] compound skills. It denoted the efficiency as enormous due to Resonance and racial bonuses provided by the succubus race. Alistair refocused his attention on his essence vessel, which was filled with lots of rare essences, just as many obscure ones he did not even recognize, and he had no records of them from his manuals. He would need to spend a good amount of time just figuring out what they were, as some of them did not feel familiar at all, so he could not draw upon his knowledge before the initiation. This was the first time he consumed such a high-value treasure, and a good amount of the ambrosia had gone to waste. He cursed at himself for not realizing its value and storing some of it. He could have integrated it into his array and benefited from it indefinitely. However, he presumed it would have taken him years at the current efficiency to get the same quantity of the rare essences variants he had gotten today, and perhaps he could trade Sol for more ambrosia down the line. Alistair turned to look at Riseth. She was still clinging to him, but she seemed busy. Alistair presumed she was talking over her [Akashic Link]. The transference of emotions and tone over the link had gotten a lot better and could be compared to a phone call. Alistair let a small window appear, asking her who she was talking to, and a small window appeared, letting him know she was talking to her sister. Her sister was against Sol''s proposal to have everyone spawn at the same location, as he could trick the entire Ryser family into appearing in one place and capture them with his followers. He readjusted himself slightly, shifting his arm over her shoulder as he gazed up at the ceiling, allowing his body to relax. He focused his attention on tempering his skin further, intending to continue until Riseth received an update from her sister. Eventually, she turned her attention back to him, letting him know what happened during their absence. Apparently, his mother had gotten a lot of unwanted attention from suiters. Nessyra and James had intervened and opted to leave the gathering shortly after. Simon had sent his regards. He was disappointed Alistair had left as he had a blast at the gathering, making both friends and enemies. Nessyra, on the other hand, has made some valuable connections to individuals from Earth, though she did not find anyone trustworthy enough to join them properly. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. After being caught up, they started discussing possible uses for the new essences they had gotten. They had found that they could not only refine and enhance essences better but also exchange them with each other through [Dual Cultivation]. However, they would need to refine certain body parts to make the process even more efficient. The following week passed swiftly; Riseth dedicated herself to cultivating in order to change her race and take advantage of the last few levels before reaching grade 9. Meanwhile, Alistair registered for the adept tournament himself in between teaching hand-to-hand combat and defensive magics in the [Nurturing Ward] and the regular cultivation sessions. Concurrently, whenever he went to the arena, he registered both Fluffy and King for the beast arena. Which did not require his constant presence as both were intelligent enough not to cause trouble. Fluffy struggled while King excelled in the arena. Alistair encouraged the snake to keep going and told her if she kept struggling, she would eventually evolve into something much more powerful. To Alistair''s disappointment, his own matches were hardly worth mentioning. The strongest opponent was a Frostkin that had used absurd quantities of ice and frost magic and an unknown pool of energy. Alistair could not effectively counter the Frostkin''s magic with his [Kinetic Skinguard], forcing him to rely on his barriers. Alistair had signed up for an upcoming team-free-for-all tournament, which was the first event tournament popping up since he had entered the [Arena Dungeon]. The tournament would be split by grades rather than levels, and it had some variations for different team sizes from two to five individuals. Alistair planned to join with Riseth if she managed to change her race before the tournament, which was a great motivator for her. Simon had teamed up with Esta, while Zathron and Desily both had reached grade 9 recently and planned to join as a team for that tournament. Alistair himself had reached level 42 after winning the adept tournament.
According to Simon, the next tier of the tournament marked the beginning of facing genuinely formidable opponents. The veteran tier was where both strong newcomers and those who worked on battling their way to the expert level could be found, a testament to their skill and determination. However, Alistair had his doubts since he was pretty confident in his foundation. During one of their trips. Desily and Zathron discovered another [Growth] natural treasure, which they subsequently sold to Nessyra for a significant sum due to its high demand among various factions. The duo had become a regular team, and it was rare to see one without the other. Zathron expressed his gratitude to Alistair for his part in forming their team, further reinforced as they occasionally hung out together with Simon. Zathron chose not to join the clan as a member and was content to be considered a follower and friend because he had his own family to watch out for, and most of them were not keen on joining a clan of upstart strangers. He promised to reconsider once his personal matters were resolved after the trial. After receiving the [Growth] treasure, Alistair spent a whole day creating arrays for the two growth treasures to increase their efficiency and maximize the yield of the clan''s Lomie farm and largest greenhouse. After learning of her proficiency with space magic, his mother focused her efforts on learning how to utilize it. She had recently figured out how to make a space storage skill for herself without needing a storage item. She had also weaponized the magic, something Alistair had considered after obtaining his storage bracers but had not found a good opportunity to do so. She was currently working with James and Jessica to reverse engineer one of the storage cubes. Alistair still had roughly three days before the arena event kicked off, so he decided to check his three left-over trial worlds to see if he had one from which they could scavenge some tech which they badly needed to expand both their technical know-how and create valuable treasures without having to buy resources from third parties. Skills, techniques, especially magical ones, and technical knowledge were among the most closely guarded secrets within the trials. Buying topics in the [Study Dungeon] was not feasible for most due to the incredibly high prices that only successful merchants and larger groups could afford. Alistair looked at the gate as it spun. Symbols flashed to life one after the other, creating a small magical vortex in the center of the gate before solidifying into a stable portal. This would be the first of the three trial worlds. Alistair would need to be careful as he was alone this time around, particularly since his stealth skills were not that great. He would have to retreat if the trial world were similar to the slayer world and filled with grade 9 beasts or worse. As Alistair stepped through the gate, he was engulfed by the familiar darkness of teleportation. However, upon reappearing, he found himself surrounded by a different kind of darkness. Unable to see anything, he sensed the moist air and detected a musty smell. An eerie stillness enveloped him as not a sound could be heard, and for a moment, he worried that something had gone wrong with the teleportation or that the address was a dud. Alistair''s [Conceptual Awareness] made him aware of the earth-rich environment surrounding him, leading him to suspect he was underground. He adjusted the skill to enhance his vision''s conceptual perception while retaining its intuitive aspects. Initially disorienting and overwhelmingly bright, he eventually adapted. Though it felt akin to makeshift night vision, it offered a colorful, rather than monochrome, perspective. He considered just using some sort of light, but he did not know what was down here, and he would not become a beacon of light until he knew what to expect. He glanced around; behind him was the gate and its console. The surroundings were rich in both earth and water concepts. He took a few steps, and the ground beneath him made a loud, squelching sound that echoed around him as it was the only source of noise. Alistair cursed internally as he waited for anything to react. His heightened senses picked up a faint, irregular clicking sound bouncing off the cave walls. "Fuck. That''s echolocation," Alistair thought grimly as he dropped a large light crystal illuminating the wet, muddy stone chamber he was in as he steeled himself for what was to come. Then he saw it, his heart pounding in his chest as it slowly revealed itself.
The pale, naked, and incredibly muscular sinewy body of a monster shuffled effortlessly and soundlessly over the ceiling. Its transition from pale skin to bone-plated head and claws was distinguishable only by texture. Its head was elongated, showed sharp fangs, and was devoid of eyes, its nostrils were slits, and it had some flaps of skin that vibrated and moved independently. It appeared emaciated yet powerful, standing roughly three meters tall, with arms and legs that were disproportionately long compared to its torso. The creature exuded a thoroughly nightmarish presence reinforced by the odd dark and swirling coloration of concepts surrounding it. Dark tendrils of magic lashed out at Alistair faster than he could react, instilling immediate fear in him as his armor warped. Bracing himself, he activated [Identify], revealing it to be a [Cave Wendigo - Level 47]. "That''s a whole lot of fucking NOPE," Alistair cursed inwardly as the creature tilted its head towards him. Sound waves bounced off his armor; it seemed the creature couldn''t perceive the light, and Alistair suspected it believed he hadn''t noticed its presence. He stood there motionless as the eerily silent creature measured him up, ready to pounce. Chapter 80: Cave Explorer The cave wendigo lunged at Alistair without warning or sound, its large jaw agape, seeking to impale him with its long, bony, scythe-like claws. Alistair used [Blink] to avoid it as he hovered in the air behind it. Somehow, the Wendigo landed without a sound on the wet cave floor, not sinking in or getting any mud stuck to its claws; it was coated in magic, similar to Esta''s technique. It spun around, hesitating for a moment before it located Alistair lashing out at him, but this time, Alistair caught the claw with his shield before throwing a [Razor Blast] at it from point blank. The disk left a gash on its sinewy, tough hide before it twisted its body out of the way of the blast with a rapid, jerky movement, and Alistair could hear its bones crack and snap to facilitate the unnatural angle. Alistair could visibly see the creature regenerate the gash and saw its twisted body snapping back in place before it latched itself back on the ceiling. He presumed it used the odd flaps on its body to orient itself. The [Razor Blast] was not silent, as it emitted a low humming sound, which the creature immediately detected and dodged whenever Alistair sent it after the Wendigo.
Eventually, Alistair intercepted the Wendigo, suppressing his revulsion as he seized one of its long, sinewy arms. With determination, he drove his poleaxe into its body, intending to pin it to the cave wall. However, instead of just struggling, the Wendigo chose to coat itself in magic, partially negating Alistair''s technique, tearing itself free, ripping through its own body, and severing its own arm with its free claw before Alistair could land the finishing blow with his [Razor Blast]. Alistair was taken aback by the creature''s sheer disregard for its own well-being as he witnessed it rapidly regenerating its lost limb and torn body. Alistair started to run out of patience. The longer they fought, the more likely it was that they would attract more beasts to the gate room, which was the exact opposite of what Alistair wanted. The beast showed no signs of slowing down; its unnatural regeneration made it a horrifying opponent for most. Alistair had a favorable matchup in a straight-up fight, but considering the environment, he struggled to put the creature down. He contemplated using his [Fire Blast]; while not completely silent, it wouldn''t generate the same level of noise as an explosion or kinetic blast, which could reverberate through the tunnels. Additionally, within the chamber, visibility wouldn''t be a major concern. Alistair could sense more echolocation hitting him and presumed more had noticed and knew he had to commit or run. He sent a rapid stream of [Fire Blasts] at the Wendigo, lighting up the room with flames. He heard the crackle of the flames that rang out like fireworks in the silent caves. He hacked and burned the Wendigo as it struggled to regenerate once the tissue was burned. Despite it all, the creature made no sounds, jumping, twisting, and lashing out at Alistair, who cut into its claws with his [Razor Slash] skill cutting off its claws before burning its stumped hand. When the creature finally started to slow down, Alistair used his [Temporal Combat Reflexes] to hack off the creature''s head, burning it and ending the fight. After hearing the chimes, Alistair took a deep, shaky breath as he hovered closer to the entrance, waiting in complete stillness, anticipating more clicking sounds to follow. "Maybe they''re solitary creatures, and seeing one of theirs killed keeps them at bay?" He pondered, his body tense in anticipation as he checked his notifications, revealing he had upgraded his [Temporal Combat Reflexes] which was confusing as he still had the option to upgrade it. Apparently, he could still linearly upgrade his skill even if he was offered to upgrade it.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Epic] Temporal Combat Reflexes Integrating magical insights from different concepts, this skill elevates the user''s reaction speed, spatial awareness, and footwork to a high degree. Navigating challenging terrain becomes second nature, reinforcing overall stability. During combat, the user''s perception of time is moderately slowed. The user can deliberately channel [MP] or [Qi] to engage in short bursts of intense acceleration magic, compensated for by further slowing his perception of time.
Alistair was glad to know that cutting off their heads could prevent them from regenerating. He had attempted to cut it off from the start, though the Wendigo proved quite slippery, so he had resorted to cutting down easier targets first with mixed results. It had been a while since he had last used [Temporal Combat Reflexes] actively due to its prohibitive cost. During the fight, he instinctively used the skill with [Qi] instead of [MP] as it felt more natural to him and proved more efficient. This also opened up a ton more resources to spend on the skill and made the cost much more manageable. Alistair decided to use his freshly upgraded boosting skills more aggressively and frequently in the future. The few swipes he had blocked and redirected had shown just how much [Power] the Wendigo had; his pool was perfectly capable of tanking a lot more, though he would not risk too much attrition as he had no wishes to die alone in a dark and damp cave system. Alistair looked at the horrid-looking body; he could feel a core within its torso and stored its body to be disassembled later. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Alistair glanced back at the gate, contemplating, "I still have two other worlds to check. They might be less of a pain in the ass than this place. Finding any tech down here seems unlikely unless I stumble across some kind of vault..." He trailed off with a sigh. "Who am I kidding? There could be anything out there. I might even be in another damn Asteroid," he frowned as he levitated the light crystal into his hands before storing it, plunging the chamber back into darkness. Alistair did his best to fly slowly through the corridor, making as little noise as possible while practicing his breathing technique. Once he reached an intersection, he pulled up his map to track his progress and ensure no magical shenanigans were happening. He then directed his [Conceptual Awareness] down the three paths, hoping his intuition would pick up some treasure, dungeon, or any other indication of where to go. However, he had no such luck, as all the corridors seemed to have the same earthy and wet feel to them. Alistair just picked the right corridor for now, following pyramid rules. He would eventually encounter something of interest. He followed the corridors for a while longer, finding multiple intersections and scanning them before choosing to go right. Eventually, he noticed he had walked in a near-perfect spiral but was now roughly beneath the gate chamber, and it required some mana to change the screen''s perspective to be 3D. After reaching another section, he noticed that one of the five paths offered went straight down. His intuition told him the environment would be different, so he decided to fly down the steep path until he found himself in a sedimentary layer. His knowledge of geology mostly stemmed from a YouTube video and his nature and technology class from when he still went to school. Without his vastly increased [Mental] capacity, he would not be able to remember such details. It felt weird to remember the drawing one of his teachers presented so clearly, as if he had left the classroom mere hours, not decades ago. A simple drawing illustrating the cutaway view of the stone layers appeared on the window. Alistair presumed he had just left the soil layer and reached the sedimentary one, though he could also be in the metamorphic one, as the first layer was mostly a mix of stone silt and soil. He would ask Nessyra to have some of her assistants look up some geology books. Neshan was more likely to know about subterranean matters than Earth either way, and perhaps there was something valuable down here besides the dungeons strewed about. Surprisingly, no matter how much he traveled the cave system, he found no naturally occurring light crystals, fluorescent fungi, or any other sources of illumination. The only point of interest he had found so far was an underground lake that had some pale blind fish in it. He had caught a few with a sphere of force to be cooked by Barton. As he ventured further, Alistair entered a vast chasm extending hundreds of meters upward and downward. The highest point of the chamber surpassed the height of the initial gate room; toward the ceiling, he could make out the transition from stone to more silt and dirt. He spotted many entry points and suspected they connected to many of the tunnels he had passed. Within the chamber, sprawling patches of fungi covered much of the surface, their tentacle-like roots reaching out, making them look like spreadeagled jellyfish. The emanating concepts felt toxic, prompting Alistair to avoid direct contact. He reinforced his [Comfort Array] with additional mana in an attempt to filter out any harmful spores. Deep below him, Alistair sensed another anomaly: a magically dense seam in the stone wall, entirely covered by fungi, which made it stand out even more. Alistair descended down the sheer cliff. It looked climbable, though Alistair was glad he could fly. As he reached the seam, he used [Identify] on one of the shrooms, though he only got [Fungi]. He tried to tear away one of the mushrooms with levitation, though it resisted; using a force sphere proved more successful. He stored the fungi for later analysis as he inspected the seam more closely. Luckily, the shrooms were no monsters, and their tentacles stayed inert. Alistair recognized it as a metal seam and even recognized the metal, but he used [Identify] to be sure it was [Mithril Ore]. Alistair made a silent fist pump as he dialed Nessyra over the link. "Hey Nessy, check out what I am looking at," Alistair said silently over the link, sharing his vision. "What the hell is that perspective? I presume you are using a skill?" Nessy inquired over the link, her voice tinged with confusion. "Sorry about that. It''s a perception skill of mine. This place is a pitch-black cave system, so I''m trying to keep a low profile for now. I stumbled upon a seam in the first of the three trial worlds, and what you''re seeing is a vein of mithril ore," Alistair clarified over the link. "That''s great! Mithril is one of the most useful metals; extracting it would be worth the effort. Simon has been supplying me with silver and iron from his trial world, so make sure to bring him along next time you go there." Nessyra replied eagerly. "Did you encounter any threats, or why do you bother keeping a low profile?" Nessy inquired.
"So far, nothing too threatening. Encountered a Cave Wendigo, but I''m proceeding with caution," Alistair reported. "Fighting underground can trigger collapses or attract more dangerous creatures. This wendigo was particularly stealthy and resilient, suggesting there may be other predators lurking in these caverns." He shared a mental image of the Cave Wendigo as it emerged into the light of his light crystal, captured in his memory. He heard her shudder over the link before responding. "God damn Cave Wendigos? Those things are real?! They''re creatures from Neshan folklore. I won''t be venturing into that cave anytime soon. And as for something hunting the Wendigo, that''s just their natural way of hunting. They''re silent killers, feasting on demon flesh. However, given your low earth affinity, it''s probably best to avoid risking tunnel collapses. But worst case, we can always send Simon to dig you out." "Funny, in our folklore, they hang out in forests and have antlers. I think I will head back out and check the next trial world. Did you have luck finding any blacksmith?" They had been searching for a blacksmith to craft gear, but most were either committed to their own plans or affiliated with other groups. Alistair marked the vein''s location before flying up to one of the chamber entrances closer to the gate room. "Antlers? Are you messing with me again, or are you serious? And sadly, no, I had no luck recruiting any additional craftsmen yet. However, your brother has built a forge to refine our ore and uses the metal for his own crafting projects." They continued talking over the link a little longer while Alistair navigated his way back to the gate room with the help of his map. He did hear the occasional clicking sounds, though the wendigos seemed to keep their distance for now. And he would not bother hunting them yet. Chapter 81: To Catch A Sniper Alistair directly dialed the second trial world, unsure what to expect. He was glad he had found at least something of worth in the caves, as wandering through pitch-black caves for hours wasn''t exactly exciting. As he stepped through the portal, he hoped the next trial world would be more exciting to explore.
Emerging from the darkness into another dimly lit room, Alistair furrowed his brow as he surveyed his surroundings. Unlike the previous cave-like environments, this room was angular and constructed of magically reinforced concrete, and he could not sense any dungeons. In front of him stood a closed metal door, prompting him to place a light crystal in the center of the room. The air felt dry and dusty, and he could discern a metal table and chair in one corner. Pillars with bands between them, reminiscent of those seen at airport boarding gates, formed a queue leading up to the gate.
"Now, this looks more promising. There might be some tech here if they had a gate station like this," Alistair remarked, surveying the room. He noticed there were emplacements for light sources in the walls and ceiling, though they lacked power. As he approached the door, he heard a distant explosion, followed shortly by the shaking of the earth.
As Alistair pushed open the heavy metal door, a set of stairs emerged before him, leading upward toward a soft, beckoning light. Climbing the steps, he emerged onto the surface to find himself amidst the ruins of a concrete structure, its walls scarred by the telltale marks of explosions. Above him, two suns cast their brilliant light across the sky, though less dry than the bunker below, still held a noticeable humidity. The distant echoes of explosions reverberated through the landscape, accompanied by the incessant buzzing of insects. Flying above the shattered bunker remnants, Alistair surveyed the scene below: a city in ruins, consumed by chaos. Explosions illuminated the skyline, mingling with streaks of laser fire, projectiles, and missiles streaking across the sky.
Alistair surveyed the landscape, witnessing the intense battles unfolding between machines, their clashes reverberating through the air. In the distance, he spotted outposts nestled within dense forests, while soaring higher revealed the vast expanse of a distant sea. Most of the landmass appeared to range from temperate to arid, punctuated by deep green forests and rolling hills. Surprisingly, many of the trees bore a familiar resemblance to pines and cedars, while the grasses below were a comforting shade of green. Scars of battle and partially burned forests dotted the land, with more cities and flashes of conflict visible in the distance. "Jackpot," Alistair exclaimed with a wide grin. He understood that while the likelihood of finding plans and blueprints was slim compared to exploring dungeons, capturing and reverse-engineering the war machines present would still provide a significant advantage to his brother''s efforts and, in turn, their clan''s. He felt much more comfortable fighting through machines rather than wendigos in a dark cave. "Hey, James, check out my view," Alistair said with a smirk as he shared his vision with James over the link. He could hear excited cheering over the link, and he could feel his brother sharing his vision with others, whom he presumed were their mother and Jessica. "That''s awesome, Alistair; please fetch me one of those missile launcher robots. Riseth has some blueprints for improvised weaponry, but a proper missile and launching system with intact magic circuits and a power source would go a long way towards letting me work out the functions of magic tech. No offense, but the sentries you brought were ancient and more magic than tech." James then delved into a flurry of technical details that went over Alistair''s head. He expressed his disappointment with the simplicity of the sentries compared to the potential advancements made possible by incorporating magic with technology. "Robotics, cybernetics, and figuring out storage cubes. You sure have your hands full," Alistair commented. "You''re the last person who should lecture me on juggling too many tasks. You and the demon sisters are perpetually busy with something. I can barely keep track of what you guys are doing. Right now, Nessyra is hashing out a contribution-based exchange program with other factions, and god knows what other projects she got going." James said over the link. "I am starting to see why Neshaan culture encouraged so many parties. What do you mean by contribution-based exchange program?" Alistair inquired as he mapped out the visible area. James explained that the knowledge of the looming threat from beyond their universe has spread. This made many of the factions more open to the idea of exchanging technical know-how and magical techniques in exchange for something of equal value. This new arrangement would allow James to trade his knowledge of cybernetic hands for other technical expertise of similar value. Nessyra was among those involved in developing the contractual magic underpinning the exchange program. When he told James about the mithril vein, he was much more excited than Nessyra. He said mithril was great for magical circuitry and was much better than the silver he had been using. After hearing this, Alistair raised his eyebrow; he should perhaps talk to Nessyra to watch her health a bit. Her burning out would be catastrophic. WHAM! Alistair was rudely taken out of his musings as a long-range kinetic bullet struck him. He had been hovering over a battlefield for a while; his [Kinetic Skinguard] had caught the shot and sent it out in a massive shockwave as Alistair dashed toward the ground, glancing into the direction of the shot. He had lost a decent chunk of [Qi] and could hear the panicked voices over the link. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
"I''m fine. I was preoccupied with scanning and mapping my surroundings. I didn''t anticipate the automata would take notice of me from this distance," Alistair reassured them as another shot whizzed past him. Barely dodging it with his [Temporal Combat Reflexes], he reached a rock outcrop to seek cover, closing the link. Despite his increased [Senses], he hadn''t managed to spot his attacker. "Probably a damn sniper; good thing I have an automatic defense skill, or that would have torn a chunk out of me..." He grimaced. Alistair hunkered there for a moment before peeking while using the light manipulation to turn his head invisible. Even when actively using [Conceptual Awareness], he could not spot anything as it was out of range. Alistair uprooted a big bulbous plant growing beside the rock formation. He would not wait out a robot sniper. Instead, he would try to lure it out. Alistair peeked again before throwing the plant, baiting a reaction that he got as the bulbous plant exploded. He had not seen a muzzle flash, and the shot was too fast, but he had felt the surge in magic and dashed while using [Blink] to close the gap. Another shot flew at Alistair at close range, though with his boosting skill and [Blink], he managed to dodge it and reach his attacker, blending into the environment with the aid of a tarp that perfectly mimicked its surroundings. Alistair used [Identify] to reveal it as a [Nugan Sniper - lvl 40]. The Robot had a humanoid shape with a sleek and angular design and a low profile to minimize its visibility and make it easier to blend into the environment. Its skeleton was painted in a muted brown and green color with a matte finish that seemed to absorb light instead of reflecting it. It was hugging a large rifle with arcane circuitry all over it, and it had the same color as the robot. Without the short but intense magic surges of the rifle, he would not have been able to find the sniper before it was too late. Alistair stepped on the rifle to prevent it from being used again before kicking the lying-down robot in the head, forcing it to let go of the rifle and tumble through the underbrush. Alistair stored the rifle in his inventory as he teleported on top of the machine again, pinning it to the ground with his body. It struggled and kicked him as its legs spun around, spikes shooting out of the soles of its feet. It started rapidly hacking into Alistair''s back. The damage was easily directed into the ground as the machine''s threat stemmed from its weapon. Alistair forced open the plating to where he sensed the magical power source, which turned out to be a white crystal that looked like it was in a battery case. He plucked the crystal out, and the machine went limp. Alistair''s attack slightly tore the camouflage tarp, but he suspected it was not hard to repair and still usable. He stored it along with the sniper''s body in his storage. When he checked the combat log, it said defeated, not slain. Alistair presumed if he were to put the crystal back in, it would spring back to life, yet he could store the robot with no issue. He inspected the crystal with [Identify] which spat out [Storage Crystal], but the result was not helpful. Still, he suspected he could use it to gain storage essences, although he suspected his brother and Riseth would both have a better use for it. "I wish my Identify would work on things other than opponents," Alistair muttered as he stored the crystal. He had gotten much closer to the urban battlefield on a forested hill and could spot the occasional drone scouting the surroundings. Alistair pulled out the tarp to stay low for the moment as he took stock of his situation. He was quite confident the sniper was a specialized unit. The sniper itself was weak, but its weapon was not. It was still a tier 10 weapon made of cheap materials but advanced techniques. If there were millions or even billions of machines with equivalent weapons coming, even a higher-tier fighting force would be doomed. Sol had the right idea to create defensive, magically reinforced positions. Alistair''s musings were abruptly interrupted as a bus-sized flying craft closed in on his position. It looked to use magic to levitate as it lacked wings, and Alistair could sense a magic engine in the center of the craft even from this distance. Unlike the sniper, the craft put little stock in stealth. It was slightly rectangular, yet it had bulbous and rounded flanks with intakes at the front; Alistair was unsure why it would need those, as the craft did not seem to use conventional propulsion. A lettered decal was translated into N3A4Z32 in bold yellow on the ship''s convex part. The craft itself was painted a matte black. It had some slug throwers mounted on the sides and other pipe-like openings at the bottom. Alistair repositioned himself as stealthy as he could behind nearby trees and undergrowth. The craft was quite fast, and his identity only showed it as [Hover Craft]. It came to a rather abrupt halt above the sniper''s former position as black orbs were shot out of tubes at the bottom of the craft. Once the orbs hit the ground, their storage magic unfolded, releasing a war machine each. Around a dozen heavily armed robots formed a circle, most carrying what Alistair recognized as plasma rifles due to their abundance of glowy bits. Others had a wide assortment of small arms that were built into their bodies, like shoulder-mounted single-use missiles and minigun arms. [Identify] revealed them to be various variations of [Nugan Troopers] [Nugan Recon] [Nugan Heavy Trooper], and their levels ranged from 38 to 45. The first thing Alistair noticed was the lack of an obvious leader and that most of the troopers radiated magic, unlike the sniper. Alistair presumed they did not sustain themselves on storage crystals and had small mana engines instead, which meant the sniper and its equipment were a potentially valuable catch. With the exception of the heavy troopers, all were bipedal humanoids, much like the sniper, though their coloration was black with yellow decals similar to the hovercraft. The heavy troopers boasted two thick, retrograde legs that supported their massive bodies. Surprisingly, despite their bulk, they moved with remarkable speed and agility. They had the same decal as the troopers. The Recon had better camouflaged armor platings but were lighter and carried light plasma rifles. They carried a pack of what Alistair presumed were grenades and sapper charges, and one carried a backpack with many sensors and antennae on it. Their arrival was not uncontested. Eight missiles struck the transport hovercraft. Six of them were blocked by a barrier protecting the craft, but the sixth missile smashed the barrier as magical hexagons scattered and flickered out of existence. The following two missiles tore chunks out of the craft, throwing it off course and causing it to crash. This forced both Alistair and the robots to run for the hills as the bus-sized craft came crashing down. Alistair managed to stay hidden, but most of the robots did not. Some of them got crushed under the craft, while others exchanged fire with other robots attacking them from the urban sprawl below. Chapter 82: Battlefield Trial From his concealed vantage point, Alistair observed several of the [Nugan Troopers] conjuring metal barricades, which clamped down into the soil and rock to anchor themselves. Based on the magic, the robots summoned the barricade from magical storage rather than using a skill or magic. "Can robots even get skills? Is possessing a soul a prerequisite?" Alistair pondered silently as he strained to catch a glimpse of the attackers. He recalled from his readings that the cybernaut factions could not simply manufacture new members with souls by procreating; individuals had to undergo the transformation willingly. When he spotted them, he felt confused, as the robots looked incredibly similar both in design and equipment. They had a dark blue matte coloration rather than black, and their decal was red instead of yellow. Alistair was slightly bothered by the clashing aesthetics as he would have swapped the decal colors between the two. When he finally managed to get a [Identify], it returned as an [Itania Trooper]. Alistair''s best guess was that the system had copied an infighting planet using automata as their primary force. So far, he had encountered two factions, but there was no guarantee there weren''t more out there. He would need to find documents or, more likely, a computer to gather more information. He could continue exploring if the hovercraft had a built-in storage functionality like the Artemis; if not, it would fill up most of his storage and force him to return to his personal space to store it in their storage room. Suddenly, the crashed hovercraft sprang back to life as one of its slugthrowers pivoted towards the attacking force. Massive casings, each as large as his forearm, ejected with a resounding thud after every shot. Alistair cursed under his breath. He had planned to wait for the automata to weaken each other and snatch up the one [Nugan Recon] who was carrying the communication equipment and claim the hovercraft, but with the crashed craft now drawing attention to itself, it was at risk of getting destroyed. Alistair stored his new camouflage tarp before teleporting behind the [Nugan Recon - lvl 37], whacking it with the hammer side of his poleaxe into its torso, immediately destroying it due to the power disparity. Alistair was much more powerful than the robots. Compared to beasts and enlightened individuals, they had pathetic stats and relied on weaponry and numbers, though Alistair suspected there might be more elite variants. After storing the recon unit and its equipment, he dashed forward, taking down a trooper using his Razor Blast. Surprisingly, they had little defense against the blast, and Alistair summoned a second one as he scoured the local battlefield of Automata. He had to dodge plasma rounds, but luckily, the stranded craft could not angle its slugthrower at him as he was too close to it. Due to close proximity and the pressure from the Itania units, the Nugan units were screwed. To ensure it would stay that way, he started to shoot down the handful of drones in the air with his [Kinetic Blast]. The Itania units did not fire any more missiles at the craft and instead tried to capitalize on the chaos Alistair was causing. Alistair left some of the Nugan heavy troopers who were still focused on the approaching Itania units. As he turned his attention towards them, there were roughly 8 of them left, most of whom were troopers, but in the back, Alistair could see a [Itania Missile Boat]; it was another hovercraft much smaller than the first, roughly the size of a jeep, on top of it was a trooper on a control console and on its flanks were two missile packs, strangely enough the missile packs had pipelines and tubings which connected to the main craft. Alistair summoned King and told him to use barriers to shield the crashed craft if necessary and kill the Heavy troopers if they caused trouble before teleporting on top of the missile boat. He lashed out with his poleaxe, crashing into the trooper; both the poleaxe and the trooper shattered. Alistair knew this day would come sooner rather than later. He felt a bit sad seeing his trusty weapon destroyed. He stored its remains and the trooper. He tried to store the whole missile boat, but it resisted. The troopers had not realized he had teleported into their backline yet and were shooting at the enemy troopers and King, who shielded himself from their attacks. King fired a sonic beam, causing devastation in the ranks of the approaching Itania units. It was a recently acquired technique that operated by concentrating a beam of sound similar to a laser, which focused light. It exhibited remarkable flashiness as it distorted the air along its path, resulting in both internal injuries and fractures upon impact with targets. Additionally, the powerful sound waves it emitted caused high-impact damage. Alistair was checking the console when the slugthrower suddenly took potshots at him. The missile boat had its own shielding, though, after one hit, it shattered. Alistair pulled up his barrier while frantically checking for a storage function through the menu. The console had a keyboard and a link the trooper had been using. Sadly, however, the keyboard''s layout was all over the place and Alistair noticed that most buttons had duplicates, and he had no idea what to type or how to control the interface. He did find a control stick, which he used to get out of the firing line of the slugthrower, occasionally pelting his barrier; his mana was getting low as he pulled behind a concrete structure. The sound of fighting stopped, and only the distant explosions could be heard over the wind. When he took a quick peak, he found King lazying behind the crashed craft where its intact slug thrower could not reach him. Alistair knew he was on a timer and hurried back to the console. Everything automatically translated for him by his [Myriad language comprehension], so he atleast knew what he was looking at. Alistair presumed the phonetics of the species who built the automata were quite different from Earth. Luckily, they did have a search function in the top left corner of the interface, and typing in help revealed that the craft lacked storage functionality. To store it, he would need to shut it down, which wasn''t that hard as they had multiple power buttons, one of which was under the damn keyboard. He pushed the button, and the craft slowly settled before going inert. He stored it before teleporting back to the crashed transport craft. Annoyingly, the transport did not have a cockpit or other obvious access point for individuals. After looking the craft over for a few minutes, he found the maintenance hatch, which was slightly buried, so he used earth manipulation magic to reach it. Once inside, he found it a tight fit; whatever race made this was smaller than humans. His arm was just long enough to pull the shut-down lever on the side, and as soon as he did, a hatch opened within the maintenance shaft, revealing a button. He was quite sure it should be storage or maintenance-related. Alistair pushed it; he could hear a ticking and freaked out as he teleported away, storing King back in his plane as he took cover in a distant ditch. The explosion never came; instead, the craft seemingly compacted itself before vanishing in a flash of light. When Alistair teleported back, he found a black storage cube with the code N3A4Z32 on it. He smiled. This was a great haul. He knew some other factions had found similar trial worlds as he encountered more and more advanced gear in the arena. He could not even be sure he was the only initiate on this trial world; in fact, he highly doubted it. Alistair spent some time collecting the remains of the automata, though most were damaged beyond repair, particularly those that faced King and the slugthrower. He was interrupted when he heard a roaring sound from above; when he looked up, he was filled with dread, and his instincts told him to run. Multiple sets of large missiles were streaking toward him and the nearby urban landscape from both sides of the horizon. He presumed both sides thought they had suddenly lost the locations to an unknown factor and tried to blow up the problem. Sadly, Alistair was the said problem. He teleported and flew as fast as he could towards the gate room; the arc of the missiles indicated it was not one of the targets and had a good amount of distance and terrain in between it and the impact zones. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Alistair quaffed a [Mana Potion] for safety as he dashed into the bunker, descending the stairs before firmly shutting the metal door behind him. He was aware of the potential danger of being buried alive. He could not afford to lose the console and the gate; determined to safeguard his only exit, he erected a protective barrier around them as a shield against the incoming onslaught. The room trembled with each thunderous impact from above, causing the earth to shake violently and fill the air with swirling clouds of dust. Alistair, although within the safety of the bunker beneath the ruined structure, huddled near the console, his key at the ready, heart racing with adrenaline-fueled urgency. As the missiles relentlessly pounded the surface, he noticed cracks spiderwebbing across the magically reinforced concrete walls, a testament to the destructive power unleashed above. "Alistair, what''s going on? Do you need help?" Riseth''s voice echoed concern over the link, her worry palpable through their resonance. Alistair hesitated for a moment before responding, his senses still on high alert even as the barrage of missiles ceased and the ground stilled beneath him. Suddenly a chime rang out and a small golden chest appeared at his feet, he checked his notifications in confusion.
Notifications:
[Level 43 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
Battlefield Trial [Ruins of ?] has been completed!
He had completely forgotten about the trials; he had not encountered one since the Khid camp, which felt like ages ago. "I think I am fine," Alistair said, still wary before explaining what he had been doing. "So you attacked two warring automata factions, stole their gear and vehicles, cut off their communications, and they nuked you in retaliation?" Riseth summarized incredulously. "And got a chest for it," Alistair added with a nervous smirk on his face. Alistair could hear her frustrated groan over the link. He inspected the chest curiously. He had not found many chests, and the last trial chest he received had been tailored for him. His Kinetic Combat Gloves had been a game-changer. He could use a new poleaxe, but Alistair hoped this chest would contain something more impactful like the first trial chest. "I leave you to explore alone for one day. One day! And that''s what you do? Getting nuked? How am I the Trouble in this relationship?" Riseth''s mocking exasperation reverberated through the link.
"Because I like getting into Trouble," Alistair responded without skipping a beat. "Prove it." She challenged. Alistair let out a relieved laugh. Adrenalin finally flowed out of his system; he was still a little shakey because if any of those missiles had hit his bunkers, he would have been in deep shit. He told Riseth he would be over to make good on the challenge before turning his attention back to the chest in front of him. He knelt down and lifted the lid; within it, he saw a white nebulous swirling orb of incredibly intense and concentrated magic, though he could not feel any concept radiating from it, just sheer energy. Furthermore, it did not seem to have a physical body, but when he went to pick it up, he managed to grasp it, even though he was holding seemingly nothing as the nebulous energies swirled around his fingers. As soon as he picked it up, the chest vanished, and as information streamed into his brain detailing its exact use to prevent him from ruining the item, a window popped up.
Item:
Tier: Name: Qualities: Description:
[Unique] Unattuned Affinity Orb [Soulbound] [Single Use] [Permanent Boost] [???] An unattuned orb of affinity created by the system during the trial. An item that can improve one''s innate affinity for a concept and those related to it by a smaller degree. Requires the owner to imbue the orb with the concept of the affinity they wish to enhance and must be consumed before the trial ends.
Alistair let out a whistle. His magical theory research showed that one''s initial concept affinities were determined at birth. Most of them could be improved, some easier than others. Most of them only change through traumatic or intense events during the formative years; some of the research in that field was too dark for Alistair to stomach. Other than that, one the most common ways to improve or worsen an affinity was by changing race, and very rare opportunities are provided by the system during the trial or other system-hosted events that could reward it. He was unsure just how much this orb could improve his affinity, though he suspected it would have to be atleast one step so he could get his below-average earth affinity to be average instead, though that felt wasteful. Perhaps the orb was more effective on weaker affinities than already strong ones. He would need to research the topic or ask Mitania if she was willing to share her insight. He considered the strange orb in his hand and stored it for now. His immediate inclinations were either kinetics, luck, or space affinity; space was such a powerful and versatile ability in his book, and upgrading it and its affiliated concepts from an already strong affinity was worthwhile. He wasn''t sure just how strong his kinetic and luck affinity was exactly. Kinetics was supposedly his strongest, so he was unsure if using the orb to improve it would just be wasting it or putting him at the peak of what was possible with the affinity. Luck was a very esoteric affinity, which was impossible to improve through practice and was strongly tied to karma. Alistair suspected his luck affinity must be pretty good, considering his time during the trial. He knew some factions even had their status reflect luck like a stat. Affiliates like magic even touched on proficiency; like luck, magic could affect the user outside of direct spell and skill usage. The revelation that magic affinity affected one''s ability to cast spells explained why some struggled with casting magic more than others. It wasn''t exactly an issue of talent but affinity; luckily, magic affinity could be trained and was one of the easier ones to improve with rituals and material investments. He would seek advice from Riseth, Nessyra, and the rest of his family and acquire the needed measuring orbs to check his affinity beforehand. Even if only to see the difference before and after the use of the item. Alistair turned toward the gate; he had a lot of items to unload and things to organize. Chapter 83: Crafting Quarters Once Alistair had left the automata trial world, he had taken the time to peek into the third gate address. It had turned out to be quite mundane and not too dissimilar to his first trial world, although filled with slightly stronger monsters. Including some grade 9 ones, he could spot in the distance. Alistair presumed this was a more linear upgrade to his trial world, perhaps he could find another hub in it. The following day, Alistair made a quick stop at Nessyra''s to talk with her about his discoveries in the trial worlds, with plans to tackle a more sensitive topic afterward. When he arrived, he noticed that she had reached Grade 9 and had undergone a racial evolution. Her horns had become smoother and somehow less menacing, and her tail had vanished. She told him she had become a Covetix Sovereign. Everyone he knew who managed to reach the next grade had so far been given the option to evolve into a higher-tier subrace based on their affinities and stats. He had heard that people with high enough base stats had been commonly offered the high human subrace but hoped to get better options. After congratulating her and informing her of his discoveries, he shifted the conversation to a more sensitive topic. Urging her not to burn herself out with work. She had reassured him that compared to before the initiation, she had worked just as hard, sometimes to an unhealthy degree, all in order to win her family''s approval. "I am a bit worried, Nessy; I heard you took on yet another large project. I can''t tell you just how integral you are to the clan, and I am worried you are overworking yourself. If there is anything I can do to help, don''t hesitate to ask." Alistair expressed concern, evident in his tone. "It means a great deal to me that you and sis recognize my efforts and watch out for me. I never received the acknowledgment I worked so hard for from my previous family," she reflected, a faint smile appearing on her lips. Alistair sat opposite her desk, his gaze soft yet earnest. "Nessy, I know I am not from Neshan or family yet, but the day I don''t recognize your value is the day you are dealing with a doppelg?nger," Alistair quipped lightly, attempting to lighten the mood. She chuckled before continuing, "Considering them family might be a stretch; they treated me as a useful tool at best. I am glad I got this second chance to make something of myself on my own terms; it was the push I needed. Or I would still be working my hardest for a family that does not even acknowledge me outside of putting me in an advantageous position for their own self-interests," she said bitterly. Her features brightened as she looked up at him. "The Clan has been a better family to me than my blood relatives ever were. And you are not the first to talk to me; your mother has given me the exact same talk. She keeps coming over to talk to me over tea," Nessyra revealed. Alistair smiled knowingly. The revelation wasn''t surprising; it resonated with his mother''s caring and attentive nature. He recalled her recent restlessness and was glad to hear she was returning to her old habits of checking in on others. "My mother can be a bit nosy, but she means well," Alistair remarked with a chuckle. Nessyra nodded in understanding. "I know. Don''t worry about it; I always look forward to our talks," she admitted with a warm smile. After exchanging some pleasantries, he took his leave; he decided to make a quick stop at Mitania''s desk to get the key to the [Crafting Quarters] and ask her about the Affinity Orb as well. Nessyra had recommended the luck affinity and reassured him the acquisition of measuring orbs was going quite well. He should be able to measure most of the affinities of interest in the following days. Alistair approached the desk in the [Study Dungeon]; Mitania looked up at him and put on a concerned frown. "Hey, Mitania, it''s been a while. What''s with the frown?" Alistair asked, confused. She made an uncharacteristic pause before speaking up. "You are falling behind. When I first met you, you were among the most promising individuals I had seen. Now, you are above average at best, although very well connected," Mitania said, a worried expression evident even through the foliage that adorned her dryad features. Alistair was taken aback by her sudden comment, and before he could respond, she continued.
"I am constrained by the rules regarding what I am about to tell you, so I require your consent first to offer you some advice," Mitania said urgently. "Of course, go ahead," Alistair agreed promptly, leaning in to listen intently. Mitania''s expression grew more serious as she spoke up. "I can see you''ve been diligently working on your foundation, which is commendable under normal circumstances and would be highly praised outside the trial. However, within the trial, with opportunities abound, you must push yourself rather than worry about the best possible foundation. You are missing out on opportunities snatched away by others, leaving you in the dust as you concern yourself with building an incredible foundation. You have incredible potential, and it is still early enough in the trial to catch up and become a true elite. I think you know what you have to do." Mitania concluded, looking at him intently. Alistair was shocked. This was not how he had expected this conversation to go. He considered it for a moment. She was correct; while the challenges in the Arena were a lot easier due to his low level and strong foundation. He was missing out on great treasures and other advancements by playing it safe. His improved growth rate alone was a strong argument to support his approach, though he had no idea what he was missing out on, and her candor made it clear he would have to adjust his approach drastically. However, he would make sure not to get himself killed in the process.
"I appreciate your insight, and I''ll certainly take it to heart. Are you referring to opportunities like this?" Alistair asked, his expression grateful as he retrieved the unattuned affinity orb from his storage and showed it to her. "Exactly opportunities like that. How much do you know about concept affinity?" Mitania inquired, her tone curious yet authoritative. He elaborated on his understanding of concept affinities, which he considered to improve. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "I understand that for somebody who has lived most of their life without concepts, affinities may be hard to wrap one''s head around, especially when even talent is a concept. I am impressed by what you already know, but there are some gaps," Mitania told him before elaborating on some of his misunderstandings. He looked at her, shocked when she mentioned that even talent is a concept. He kept underestimating how deeply concepts were ingrained in everything around him.
"As you already know, every individual has their own affinities, determined by birth and influenced by factors like species, environment, and heritage. Some excel in certain areas while struggling with others, and there''s a limit to how far one can progress through sheer effort alone. Racial evolutions and treasures like your orb can bypass this limit," Mitania explained, noting his surprised expression. "Don''t worry too much about the talent concept. While it does slightly raise the ceiling, its impact is mostly passive, affecting how quickly someone learns and improves rather than their ultimate potential. Potential is one of the most esoteric and flexible affinities and is determined by a combination of many factors and not just the affinity you start with. Everyone has their own talents and affinities; some people pick up on things faster than others or are just luckier to the point it can be considered unfair. That has been true even before the initiation and introduction of magic, but there is a potential path for greatness for everyone willing to seize or create it," she reassured him. "For instance, some individuals have a strong aversion to combat, resulting in a low affinity for fighting and related concepts. However, unlike luck, which is notoriously difficult to improve, one can overcome this aversion and low affinity through exposure and dedication. Luck is a wise choice for improvement since it''s one of the most useful and hardest affinities to enhance, and few races naturally excel in it. Unless, of course, you plan on becoming a leprechaun," she added, her tone lightening with a playful smile.
"I''m not sure if Riseth would approve of me becoming a leprechaun," Alistair chuckled. She smiled before she continued elaborating on some of the finer details and the difficulties when dealing with affinity improvement. Of particular interest was that the orb would be more effective on lower affinities rather than already strong ones. Still, she insisted that using it on hard-to-impossible-improve affinities like luck would be her recommendation. "Okay, and do you know what this item''s hidden quality is?" Alistair asked curiously. "Yes, but I am not allowed to tell you, but an educated guess should be possible," She responded, and Alistair knew she was again tiptoeing around the rules again. His best guess was that the hidden effect would be related to whichever affinity he picked. He mulled it over some more before he nodded and turned back to Mitania, who had observed him with a satisfied smile.
"Thank you, Mitania. I really value your assistance. I also stopped by to request a crafter key so I can leave some items in my brother''s workshop," he expressed gratefully. He had gathered from conversations with others that Mitania was discerning about whom she aided and offered guidance, as many had described her as distant and indifferent toward them.
She handed him the key, and he transferred the 15,000 [USC]. The [Crafting Quarters] were the priciest among the instances and didn''t permit bringing guests along, which explained why most business was conducted within the [Traders Market] & [Nurturing Ward]. It had prevented his mother from visiting the instance sooner. Luckily, their clan had been doing quite well with cash flow, and the costs of the key were easily covered by their arena winnings alone. He bid Mitania farewell before heading for his brother''s workshop. After stepping through the gate, Alistair found himself walking through the stone corridors, his mind still racing from Mitania''s words. It was the first time he had even visited the [Crafting Quarters]. Much like the [Study Dungeon], everyone had their own isolated space accessible by doors. The stonework reminded him of his first dungeon, and the corridors were not exactly tight but not wide enough for anyone to set up stalls without blocking most of the path. Much like the [Arena Dungeon], there were tons of corridors and sections for the different crafts. Each section had a forum where people could show off their skills or discuss among themselves. However, from the few Alistair had passed, they were not very busy, and the techniques shown there were very introductory to the point that even a child could follow along.
After settling his mind a little and exploring the [Crafting Quarters], he stepped towards a door and knocked lightly, intending to reach his brother''s workshop. The door shimmered and turned incorporeal, and he felt a pull before stepping through. On the other side awaited a vast and bustling workshop, bathed in the radiant glow emitted by an immense light crystal nestled in the high ceiling and by the glow of various arcane and mechanical contraptions. He stood on a metal platform overlooking most of the workshop. The air was heavy with the scent of metal, infused with hints of ozone and the faint aroma of flames. Tables sprawled across the expanse, some laden with dismantled machinery. Mechanical arms were alive with the rhythmic hum of ongoing assembly on small conveyor belts. On the side of the room were gantries showcasing robots and a mechanical suit reminiscent of power armor, its intricate web of exposed wiring and magical circuitry capturing Alistair''s attention. Alistair suspected this was just one of many rooms his brother occupied as he made his way down the metal stairs.
Unfamiliar figures diligently operated a smelting machine, pouring molten metal into molds that solidified into ingots before being placed onto a series of conveyor belts. Alistair suspected these individuals to be followers hired by Nessyra to assist his brother in the workshop. As the workshop buzzed with activity, a pair of large gates swung open, revealing two heavily modified robots emerging from the room. These former Sentries had undergone significant alterations to suit their new role as haulers; their bodies had been expanded, making their original heads appear comically small in comparison.
Alistair felt the sensation of [Identify] wash over him as he was approached by an unfamiliar alien species. The creature could best be described as a large, humanoid, muscular crustacean. It stood tall and upright, measuring roughly two meters in height. With three sets of arms, the first set was large and powerful, extending from its broad shoulders. Below these, a second set of arms, much smaller but exuding an air of precision, followed, and beneath them, a third set, slightly smaller than the first. Horizontal sensory organs protruded from its head. This bipedal creature''s shell was a deep blue with occasional white streaks, complemented by an orange overall that complemented its shell''s color. [Identify] revealed the individual as [Oconoe - lvl 31]. "Welcome, Patriarch. Your brother and Lady Jessica await your arrival in section 3. I''ve been tasked with guiding you there. Shall we proceed?" Oconoe asked after crossing all his arms in what Alistair presumed was a formal greeting. "Thank you, Oconoe. Please do," Alistair replied, falling into step behind him as they navigated through the bustling workshop, weaving through an array of diverse machinery. Eventually, they reached one of the other large gates, which parted open automatically, revealing another workshop area beyond. This space was characterized by its size and high ceiling, featuring a wide expanse of concrete flooring and towering gantries lining the sides. Alistair surmised that this room was designated for fabricating larger constructs than the previous area they had traversed. He spotted his brother and Jessica talking to each other over a large metal table with a wide array of tools on it. They noticed their entry, and James waved him over with his cybernetic hands. A sight he still had to get used to. Chapter 84: Magi Tech
Alistair embraced his brother first and then Jessica, exchanging warm greetings with them. "It''s Good to see you guys. Where''s Mom? I thought you were working on the storage cube," Alistair inquired. "We are. And we are close to a breakthrough. Mom is currently busy exploring her own trial world a bit more. She''ll be back later today," James replied. Alistair managed a faint smile, though inwardly, he felt uneasy about his mother having to venture out and face the dangers of battling monsters. He acknowledged the hypocrisy of his concern, understanding that it was simply a part of the new reality they now faced. "Shame, I would have loved to see her. Impressive workshop, by the way; just how much of our funds are you burning through?" Alistair inquired, letting his gaze wander over the expansive room they stood in. "Less than you think. A lot of this comes from the workshops you get with the keys; if you give me access to yours, we have even more space to work with," James said before sending a request over the [Akashic Link], which Alistair confirmed. James looked anxiously at Alistair, and he knew he wanted to see what he had salvaged from the Automata Trial. Alistair gave him a knowing smile before summoning some of the regular and heavy troopers he had captured. James looked at them excitedly, and Alistair could feel the magic flowing out of his brother. "How do crafting skills even work? I can tell you are using magic, but I have no idea what you are doing," Alistair said as he leaned on the workbench where his brother had placed one of the more intact Itania troopers.
As his brother meticulously removed the plating enclosing the miniaturized mana engine, Alistair listened intently. "What I''m using could be described as magical industrial radiography," James explained, his tone matter-of-fact. "It lets me see the different layers of what I''m working on. Think of it as X-ray vision, and you''re pretty close." He continued his explanation as Jessica diligently noted down each part. "A lot of the skills are passive and boost both [Control] & [Senses], and some help with proficiency. One of my most useful ones is an Intuition-based skill that helps me understand what I''m looking at or spot issues in magical circuitry." "Sorry to interrupt, but I started with the less exciting stuff, and I don''t have the time to watch you disassemble everything," Alistair told James before putting the near perfectly preserved Nugan Sniper, including its rifle and tarp and its storage crystals. James frowned a little before pulling himself away from the now exposed miniature mana engine. "Well, would you look at that? So you can capture equipment without bashing it to bits," James said as he inspected the Sniper before picking up its rifle it looking down the barrel with a huge smile. Alistair smirked at his brother''s goofy smile. He looked like a kid in a toy store despite Alistair not having pulled out the big guns yet. Alistair stepped to the side and pulled the Itania Missile Boat from storage, which caused both Jessica and James to drop everything they were doing and gushed over the newest addition. "I can''t believe you managed to acquire an intact magi tech missile launcher system," James exclaimed, his excitement palpable. "This is one of the most sought-after pieces of tech in the entire exchange program, right up there with spacecrafts and advanced cybernetics. I can think of countless applications for this and the hover tech alone. With these, I''ll have to rebuild my power armor from scratch." His brother started gushing over even more complicated technical terms, particularly once he inspected the tanks that fed into the missile pods. Apparently, they were connected to the plane of metal, pulling liquid metals needed to create the missiles and assembling and priming them with built-in magical circuitry and runes in the tubes.
"If you can obtain metal from planes, why bother with mining and processing ore?" Alistair questioned, puzzled by the apparent shortcut. "It''s simple," James replied. "Summoned material loses integrity the longer the metal is separated from its plane. For something as temporary as a missile or magic attack, it works just fine." "Alright, there is one last thing, though be warned, it is automated, so be careful when activating it," Alistair said as he pulled out the storage cube containing the transport craft. James took it and inspected the cube, and a small hologram showing its content appeared. Jessica and James looked at the projection with amazement.
"I could kiss you," James exclaimed, his eyes glued to the projection. Jessica shot him a sidelong glance. "Hard pass. I''d rather you pay more attention to your fianc¨¦e. You look just as likely to make out with that cube as with her," Alistair said jokingly. Jessica pouted indignantly at Alistair''s remark, giving him a reproachful look, while James turned to her with an apologetic expression. "I think I''ll pick up that disassembly skill after all, or I''ll be working on this all year," James commented as he placed down the cube.
"I received an urgent reminder from Mitania today to not squander the opportunities provided by the trial. While I understand that crafters have a different path, it''s crucial to capitalize on the trial. After the trial, you can work on the machinery to your heart''s content. I know you are itching to work on this stuff. But hear me out it''s a bad idea to redo your power armor. I recommend just upgrading it. You''ll be more than capable of excelling in the arena and navigating most trial worlds for some time," Alistair advised with a worried expression. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. James looked at Alistair with a slightly pained expression as he wistfully glanced back at the cube. "I get it. I know you''re right, but you don''t understand how badly I want to retrofit this baby. A personal combat hovercraft would be useful and incredibly badass." James let out a sigh. "What do you think I''ll need to handle your automata trial?"
"Automated defensive skills like shielding are a must. I was sniped by that rifle while mapping the area out of nowhere. Also, I took a quick peek outside the bunker, and they''ve obliterated most of the urban sprawl and surrounding forests. So having the ability to get the hell out of dodge with teleportation would be another requirement before I''d let you come along," Alistair explained. His brother scratched his chin, walking toward one of the workbenches as he placed down the cube and turned to face Alistair.
"One week. I should have my suit completed and field tested in the arena. Would you take Jessica and me along if we manage to fulfill those requirements?" James asked. Alistair contemplated for a moment. He had been considering organizing an expedition to the automata trial, which could provide valuable experience and improve coordination among clan members. "It will be a straight-up warzone, and I only agree to this if we organize it as an expedition for the whole Clan. Getting everyone prepared and on board with it will be your job," Alistair responded. "So, convince people to come along and develop sufficiently strong shielding and teleportation equipment? It''s a good thing I''ve already developed a Blinkcore that allows my suit to use the [Blink] skill," James remarked confidently. "If you require more time, that''s fine. I''d rather not rush and lose somebody," Alistair emphasized. James nodded confidently. "Leave it to me. I''ve got plenty of projects waiting for this exact kind of magi tech. You''ve brought me a treasure trove: miniaturized mana engines, magic hover propulsion, stealth equipment, communication, and sensor gear. Heck, Zathron might even be able to help me hack into their communication networks," he listed eagerly. "Go do your thing, Alistair. The Veteran Arena matches should start soon, and I wouldn''t want you to miss out on my account." Alistair checked the time and cursed he was cutting it close, so he said his quick goodbyes and hurried to the Arena Dungeon. He signed up and informed Nessyra to place bets on him just before the betting pools were about to close. He sat down on a free bench and checked his skills. Alistair still had one free skill point and two possible upgrades he had been holding off on. He was quite sure if he picked the upgrade on his [Kinetic Skinguard], it would have a low chance of becoming legendary tier. He had been focusing on molding more resistance and refining it, though he had not yet gotten a linear upgrade. He still had some time before reaching the next grade, and he might get another idea besides linear upgrades to push it into the legendary tier, so he confirmed the skill upgrade.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Supreme] Kinetic Skinguard This skill allows the user to absorb and effectively redistribute kinetic energy [KE] automatically upon touching the user''s skin. The skin has been tempered, remolded, and refined with the essences of [Stability], [Resistance], and [Heavenly Purity] in order to resist any attempt to dispel or disperse or manipulate the skill with high efficiency. If possible, the skill will automatically dispel Kinetic and related energies and store them in up to two orbiting spheres of force at a moderate cost of [MP] relative to the KE stored. Once these spheres are at capacity, any energy overflow will be dispelled through kinetic shockwaves unless directed otherwise by the user. This ability comes at the cost of a small portion of [Qi] proportionate to the absorbed kinetic impact. The user may redirect and use the absorbed energy through their body but increases [HP] damage taken over time the longer the energies are held onto.
Alistair read the skill description; one thing was for sure: he could push the skill by splitting the energy cost by using both [Qi] and [MP], aiming to use the more efficient one until he ran out. He would also try to get a hang of three or more spheres rather than two. Skill upgrades were one of the more obscure topics he had tried to research. Most tried to measure tiers by numbering them. In his mind, he had planned out his tier list to start with trash and end with legendary. However, he could not help but leave the possibility of higher tiers open as he subconsciously could not help but add more tiers like the mythic and god tiers above it. His skill was technically an 8 out of 9 on his official scale when leaving out the mythic and higher tiers. Alistair''s inner perfectionist was having difficulty coming to terms with the fluid nature of the system. He knew he had already overdone it with his foundation building, and he decided to not hold back on leveling up anymore after the free-for-all all event, which put a final timer on his planned skill upgrade. He was interrupted by the familiar window popping up.
Veteran League (lvl 40-44)
First-time participation counts towards [Gladiator] title.
Rounds: 1/10
Time left to confirm: 39 Seconds
Opponent: Masrangi Tameos - lvl 42
Do you wish to Participate?
[Yes] [No]
Alistair blazed through the first three fights with little issue. The only surprising thing was the arena; it had changed every time he had entered. The first arena had been a jungle, the second an open field with hills, and the third a flat circular arena surrounded by water. He entered the arena for a fourth time. Instead of salty water, the air was earthy and stale, with a faint smell of wood. He was surrounded by tall medieval buildings made of stone and wood. He had no straight line of sight to his opponent''s bubble. He knew his opponent was [Vilagoros Damdos - lvl 44] and wondered if he finally would meet his match. His opponent''s name atleast sounded draconic in nature. When the bubble fell Alistair flew towards the closest tower to get a better view, as soon as he took to the air the building that had stood between him and his opponents were split in two as they were forcefully slashed in half. Alistair, who had already left his position, looked in surprise at his bestial opponent, who had swung what looked to be a somewhat broad nodachi with an adamantine shine to it. Chapter 85: Worthy Opponent
Alistair landed on the tower and surveyed the environmental damage from above. Vilagoros had unleashed a devastating sword slash resembling a sickle, which cleaved through two buildings between them and inflicted damage on the structure behind Alistair''s initial starting position. Upon closer inspection, Alistair observed that the cut was clean in the center but exhibited signs of strain and force along its edges, evident in the presence of cracks and tears. This indicated that Alistair could intercept the energy slash as it relied heavily on force rather than just cutting or an esoteric concept. His bestial opponent looked at him from across the township. Vilagoros had a dog-like yet draconic head with two spiraled horns pointing down its snout. Its red eyes had a glow to them that Alistair could see even from this distance. It had a thick, muscular body covered in black fur and scales and a thick gray lion-like mane around its neck and shoulders. He wore classic yet elegant samurai-themed armor with a wide shoulder plate shielding much of his left side. The armor had a dark red coloration. Around his waist was a Japanese-looking white decorative cloth band. Vilagoros lacked boots; his scaled and clawed feet did not need them. He had a wide nodachi-like sword made of adamantine slung over his shoulder. He stared intently at Alistair, waiting for him to make a move. Alistair grew a little excited. This was the first time he had encountered a sword fighter and a seemingly worthy opponent in the Arena. His intuition told him his opponent was dangerous, and he lamented that he had no replacement for his poleaxe, not that any of his current weapons would survive more than a few clashes anyhow. He could form a weapon out of force; he had practiced that skill in his downtime for emergency parries. It would take up a lot of his focus, but it had the resilience to clash with Vilagoros'' weapon. Alternatively, he could just play it safe and fight at range. "Are you going to come down and face me, or are you just another runner?" Vilagoros growled, his voice a low, gravelly bark reminiscent of a canine''s. "I''m just lamenting that my preferred weapon broke recently. So I''m debating between improvising or just blowing you up," Alistair retorted, eliciting his opponent''s loud barking laughter. "Do me a favor and just fight me with everything you have! I have been waiting for a worthy opponent, and it does not matter how you fight as long as you can challenge me." Vilagoros declared eagerly. Alistair''s grin widened from ear to ear as Vilagoros, in one smooth motion, slung his sword from his shoulders and sliced through the tower Alistair was standing on, sending another energy blade arcing out at incredible speeds. Alistair, in turn, hurled a set of explosive blasts toward Vilagoros, who dodged them with rapid movement as he stepped into the air on what looked to be clouds forming under his feet. Vilagoros continued launching energy blades while Alistair returned fire with kinetic and razor blasts, too fast to be caught. Alistair was confident in outlasting Vilagoros in a ranged duel, who must have come to the same conclusion as he did. Vilagoros dashed toward Alistair at high speed, blocking one of Alistair''s razor blasts with his own blade. Sparks flew from the continued impact as Alistair pushed back on his pursuer. Alistair activated his bloodcurdling presence to suppress his opponent passively. In response, Vilagoros used a breath attack that filled a large chunk of the arena with clouds, dampening Alistair''s senses as his opponent shattered his razor blast and vanished in the clouds. Before Alistair managed to leave the expanding clouds, his conceptual awareness warned him of his incoming opponent, who seemed to move even faster within the clouds. Alistair activated his temporal combat reflex boosting skill as he managed to raise his shield to block the first slash of his opponent, robbing it of most of its momentum before the dispersal magic managed to break through his skill as his shield blocked the rest of the attack. The kinetic energy was transferred into a sphere that shot out of Alistair''s body and started orbiting around him. Alistair summoned one of the blades he had taken from the dragonfly Navih elite Karnec and lashed out at Vilagoros, who parried the attack with little effort, showing the large disparity in skill. Alistair continued his assault with his boosting skill, allowing him to keep relative parity with his more skilled opponent as he continuously siphoned kinetic impacts from the dog wyvern attacks, transferring and storing the kinetic energy within the nearby sphere. Vilagoros stopped his assault, deciding to attack the almost-filled nearby sphere with his sword. The unleashed Kinetic shock strained his arm to its limits, nearly causing him to lose grip on his blade. The blade looked untouched, but deep fissures marred his scaled arm while his fur-covered regions bore bruises, and his armor cracked, some parts shattering under the force. Alistair took advantage of Vilagoros being thrown off balance as he slammed him with a fully charged, repulsive blast, which sent him through a nearby building and into the floor, leaving a moderately sized crater. The force of the impact momentarily dispersed the summoned clouds, revealing the chaos beneath. Alistair followed up with rapid-fire explosive blasts. The clouds around Vilagoros reformed and coalesced into a thick wall, effectively blocking the explosive blasts and obscuring Alistair''s vision of his opponent. Alistair had hit him with multiple explosive blasts, and Vilagoros looked quite a bit worse for wear. The clouds turned into black thunderclouds, and lightning lashed out in Alistair''s direction, who barely managed to summon a barrier thanks to the clouds telegraphing the incoming attack. His Kinetic skinguard skill still struggled with energies other than kinetics, particularly lightning, and frost; he had a much easier time with fire, presumably because he had an easier time controlling and conceptualizing it. Vilagoros was too dangerous of an opponent to train on, especially with a growing arena title on the line. Alistair used his resist element spell to increase his resistance against lighting as his barrier skill was not automatic yet before using Blink. "Big mistake," Alistair commented as he teleported next to Vilagoros on the ground. The Dog-wyvern had streams of clouds envelop him, forming a Hagoromo over his head. They were silvery with emerald-colored lines, and Alistair could sense they were healing him. At this point, Alistair was quite confident that Vilagoro''s strongest affinity should be clouds, which he complemented with swordsmanship. Vilagoros let out a barking laugh. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Good, keep it coming!" He growled as he pointed his large blade at Alistair.
Alistair smirked as he sent out two razor blades in a mirroring arc at Vilagoros, their trajectory tracing a graceful oval shape before converging on their target as Alistair dashed at Vilagoros himself. He swapped his current blade for another as his first one was about to break. Vilagoros, for his part, jumped back with his cloud step and expended a good amount of mana to envelop his blade in dispersal magic and shatter the two razor blasts coming at him. The clouds enveloping him turned black, telegraphing his attack again as electricity crackled around them. Alistair summoned another barrier as two bolts of lightning stopped his approach. They impacted his barrier with a loud thunderclap; the barrier slightly cracked but held firm before being shattered by Vilagoros bringing his blade down upon it. The dispersal magic sent the disconnected magical hexagons in every direction, damaging some of the nearby stone walls. Alistair smiled and was about to test one of his newest body cultivation adjustments. He brought up his curved blade to meet Vilagoros nodachi. When they made contact, Alistair channeled his [Right Hand Time Out] through his weapon, something he had been working to improve on his accidentally augmented body part. As Vilagoros shattered through the barrier, Alistair''s kinetic skin guard skill and the effects of the [Right Hand Time Out] skill proved too overwhelming for him to disperse, freezing him in place. Alistair heard a satisfying chime and wasted no time, unleashing a rapidly charged, unstable blast at point-blank range while giving his opponent an apologetic smile. Despite his mana and Qi dropping rapidly from the exertion, Alistair forced Vilagoros to remain in place, continuously charging the unstable blast that was about to explode. Finally, he unleashed the blast, connecting with Vilagoros and causing a violent explosion that tore through much of the surrounding arena buildings. Though Alistair managed to teleport away, avoiding most of the damage, he still found himself surrounded by two completely filled orbs of kinetic energy orbiting around him. Alistair knew he had successfully upgraded his [Right Hand Time Out], though he also knew the skill would only properly upgrade once the tournament ended. But he could still recreate the effects manually if he needed to. Alistair readied himself to continue the fight as he was teleported out of the arena, standing in front of the bench that was now occupied by one of the many rabbitkin who gave him an odd look. Alistair gave a polite nod as he walked away. As he did, he received a ping from King, who had sensed Alistair was back in the arena. Alistair hurried towards the beast arena to sign up King, who wanted to go for some rounds himself. His countdown had started shortly after returning to the arena, but luckily, Alistair managed in time.
None of the subsequent five matches matched Vilagoro''s strength and skill. The most formidable opponent was a Lamia mage wielding water magic, slicing through the environment effortlessly. However, her reliance on high-pressure water streams and blades worked against her when facing Alistair. He used her attacks as a chance to refine his skills, absorbing the kinetic energy and storing it in additional spheres beyond the system-assisted two. Eventually, once he reached five spheres, he felt his focus reaching its limits. He then used all the stored kinetic energy to unleash a devastating kinetic blast from close range that blasted the lamia to smithereens. In between the matches, Riseth called him to inform him she had managed to upgrade her race to [Body Cultivating Succubus]. He was as excited over the news as she was, as they were now ready to take on the event. She planned on increasing her levels a bit before the tournament and had made a trip to check her own new gate addresses, which she had recently uncovered from an event. He was now waiting for his last match on a bench near the beast arena. In the distance, he spotted Enya minding her own business, signing up some of her own beasts. He wondered if she had let slip that Sol could trap him for his benefit. Was it a subverted way to let him know of the danger Sol posed? If so, why would she still choose to follow him? Did she truly speak out of turn out of overzealousness? Nessyra mentioned the possibility of spies present at the party, which might have been a factor. Nessyra had cultivated her own network of spies with Alistair''s and Riseth''s consent, some of which had infiltrated Sol''s followers. Either way, approaching her would be a bad idea. Sol had been generous and quite open, though Alistair would not presume to be able to read a god''s true intentions, as he was one of the biggest threats to them and their freedom, and they would keep him at arm''s length. Alistair''s current plan was to grow as strong as possible as fast as possible. There were probably a lot of time-sensitive titles and events like the slayer titles, so he would push himself within the slayer world as it was the most promising instance of progress. Perhaps there was a continuation of the slayer title or other challenges and trials hidden within it.
Veteran League (lvl 40-44)
First-time participation counts towards [Gladiator] title.
Rounds: 10/10
Time left to confirm: 34 Seconds
Opponent: Iatok - lvl 41
Do you wish to Participate?
[Yes] [No]
Alistair considered the comparatively low level, which usually indicated high skill instead of reliance on stats. Alistair confirmed the window as he appeared in a hot and humid jungle with vines draped across the trees. He could hear the loud buzzing of insects and birds singing and smelled the wet, musty air that seemed to teem with life. He could not spot his opponent''s bubble as there was quite a bit of jungle between him and his opponent. Alistair braced himself to teleport away from his starting position as he watched the countdown tick down. Chapter 86: Killer Rabbit The bubble fell, and Alistair teleported to the side into the canopy above. He did not have to wait long before a white blur streaked across the jungle floor below. Whatever Iatok was, Alistair could tell it focused its stats almost entirely on power. Its energy reserves were almost fleeting compared to Alistair, who activated his [Temporal Combat Reflex] boost. There had to be some boosting skills at work as well. Alistair sensed Iatok''s high-speed attack coming and partially dodged as he received a shallow cut across his neck through his armor. Bypassing most of his defensive skill, his absurdly high [HP] pool shielded him from most of the damage as his body resisted the attack and was already in the process of healing the damage. With the help of his boosting skill, he was fast enough to see his attacker. It was a white Rabbitkin with red eyes, enchanted leather armor, and two blades about the length of a dagger, though it would be sword length for the rabbit. "Iatok is a glass cannon, and the terrain is in his favor. A holy hand grenade would sure be handy right about now," Alistair mused with a smirk as he teleported above the canopy as high as the energy dome above the arena allowed. The terrain was heavily in the rabbit''s favor, and he would even the odds in his favor a little. Alistair proceeded to rain down both explosive and fire blasts into the jungle below, setting it ablaze and destroying much of the cover it provided. He managed a glance at the rabbit, who dashed out of the way of his attacks, summoning small magical platforms to propel himself with a dashing skill rather than flying or teleporting. Alistair admired Iatoks ingenuity; the rabbit made full use of his [Power] specialization and low-energy pools, which meant he was dealing with a clever opponent, but there were multiple glaring weaknesses. Alistair unleashed the full brunt of his bloodcurdling aura, and Iatok stopped at the edge of the forest, looking at him trembling fearfully as he flattened against his body with his hair on end. The Rabbitkin had focused far too much on pure offense, and Alistair had the resilience and the variety of abilities to survive the Rabbitkins lethal strikes and quite literally dominate him with mind attacks. His fear-based mental attack proved to be incredibly effective, and it would force the Rabbit to attack as hiding would only delay the inevitable as Alistair could just radiate his aura passively, which would eventually weaken Iatok to the point Alistair could finish him off without a fight. Alistair decided to use more mental attacks manually as he tried to imitate the vicious mockery skill he had not picked up yet. "What''s wrong, Stabbit? I heard you guys are bloodthirsty beasts, but all I see is a scared little shit," Alistair taunted, levying his superior mental stat to crash down on the rabbit. Alistair could not properly read Iatok''s body language or expression. Still, his Intuition told him the rabbit kin was most likely in internal turmoil, being both put off by fear and urged to spurn into action under Alistair''s provocation and threat. Alistair scoffed at Iatok as he sent another wave of mental attacks his way, finally spurring the Rabbitkin into action as he charged at Alistair like a white and red blur even through his time-dilated vision. Alistair unleashed an incredibly bright flash of light, which he had learned from Riseth''s light manipulation. Blinding the Rabbitkin charging at him with reckless abandon, causing Iatok to miss his attack and unleashing it on the dome of the arena, which rippled violently but held firm no worse for wear. Alistair instead grabbed the disoriented rabbit by his ears with his [Right Hand Time Out] active. Beheading the frail rabbit with one smooth motion using one of the Navih blades combined with his [Razor Slash], ending the match then and there. He reappeared in the beast arena section, followed by a set of chimes. Energy flowed through his body as the level-ups and title benefits bolstered his stats. He pulled the Notifications to check. He frowned at some of the phrasings the notifications provided. He modified it to specify the nature of the skill upgrade, realizing that knowing his kinetic grappler had evolved into another kinetic grappler was redundant. He applied a similar logic to his titles, with the exception of changing title names. As a final touch, he added Roman numerals to his gladiator title, deeming it more fitting. Alistair also decided to finally pick up the [Kinetic Grappler] skill. He had been utilizing the technique manually for quite some time, and the realization that he hadn''t officially acquired the skill felt like a neglectful oversight. Alistair felt that turning it into a proper skill was long overdue, as it would improve his efficiency, and he was likely to obtain additional benefits and stat bonuses when turning the technique into a proper skill. He was proven right as the skill underwent an immediate linear upgrade as he picked it up.
Notifications:
The Skill [Right Hand Time Out] has been upgraded to [Chrono Seizing Hand].
[Level 44 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
[Level 45 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available. Skill selection available.]
[Level 46 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
The Gladiator title has been upgraded to [Gladiator VI]
The Trial Tournament Champion title has been upgraded to [Veteran Trial Tournament Champion].
The Skill [Kinetic Grappler] has been obtained.
The Skill [Kinetic Grappler] has undergone a linear upgrade.
After fixing his notifications a little, Alistair gave an appreciative whistle while spreading out his saved-up stat points. The much more challenging opponents had provided him with a healthy amount of records based on the number of level-ups. They had not been real threats yet, but there was a noticeable increase in strength compared to the previous trial tournaments. The expert tournament should be much more challenging, especially if he managed to increase his level significantly in the meantime. He had found a sweet spot by lagging behind most of the truly strong individuals who had already reached much higher arena tournaments. At the same time, he had focused on an incredible foundation and skills for his level. Though he doubted he was the only one and counted himself lucky for not being matched up with them. Satisfied with his gains, he turned his attention to his skills. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Supreme] Kinetic Grappler The user robs opponents of their momentum at the cost of a minuscule amount of [Qi] or [MP] compared to the [KE] stolen. If possible, the stolen [KE] will automatically be used to harm opponents if connected either magically or physically to the user. The user may repurpose the stolen [KE] or store it in spheres provided by the [Kinetic Skinguard] skill. This skill has moderate resistance against outside interference by using the user''s augmented skin and body. The skill provides a moderate bonus against opponents attempting to resist or disperse the effects of this skill.
[Epic] Chrono Seizing Hand Your right hand can slow down time for anything it touches to an extreme degree at the cost of [MP] or [Qi]. The cost depends on the difference in grade and any other relevant resistances or weaknesses between the user and the object or individual affected. This effect can be extended through any weapon or object held within the right hand at a minimal loss of efficiency. Chrono magic requires the user to either be magically or physically connected to the target to take effect. Your right hand has been refined, cleansed, remolded, and tempered using the large quantity of powerful chrono essence already infused into it, integrating it as an augmented body part. It now provides inherent resistance against outside manipulation.
Alistair had devoted significant effort to refining his right hand, meticulously purging inefficiencies and harmonizing conflicting layers of chrono magic. Despite this, he was somewhat surprised by the skill''s tier, considering the chromatic magic within his hand surpassed that of any other augmented body part in magical density by a considerable margin. Alistair suspected it might be on the brink of reaching a higher tier, but its practicality was limited due to its constrained flexibility and specific applications despite its remarkable efficiency. Augmenting it with the customary layer of [Heavenly Purity] proved to be a seamless integration, synergizing unexpectedly well with the chrono magic. Additionally, he incorporated extending and stabilizing essences, enabling him to seamlessly extend the effects of his chrono magic through any weapon or object grasped in his right hand. This concept bore a striking resemblance to his utilization of the [Kinetic Grappler] technique. Alistair hoped that by combining two distinct layers of momentum-arresting abilities, he could render it significantly more difficult for opponents to resist or overpower his magic.
Skill Choices:
Tier: Skill Name: Description:
[Epic] Mentor When teaching and nurturing others, the user reduces the requirements and difficulty of skill acquisition for his students based on his understanding of the skill. There is a scaling bonus when teaching skills of [Rare] or higher tier. Significant bonus when teaching Body Cultivation techniques. Moderate bonus when teaching user-acquired skills.
[Rare] Arcane Energy Manipulation Increases the efficiency at which the user converts and transfers energies such as Mana into Qi by a moderate amount using arcane means. Reduces overall energy loss from transferring and converting energies within the user''s body by a large amount. The user''s augmented physiology optimizes the conversion process within their body, albeit at a slightly reduced rate outside the body compared to internal conversion.
[Uncommon] Sphere of Privacy The user generates a sphere of privacy, impeding others from perceiving or discerning activities within its confines through mundane or magical means. This shield prevents eavesdropping and thwarts any attempts at identifying or observing events occurring within the sphere.
[Uncommon] Carve Enchantments Increases the [Control] & [Senses] when carving enchantments into objects. Increases [Power] of any enchanted object if possible. An overall increase in the resilience of crafted objects.
The acquisition of the mentor and arcane energy manipulation skills didn''t catch Alistair off guard. His extensive experience in manipulating energies, combined with his teaching endeavors in the [Nurturing Ward], had naturally paved the way for such skills. The [Arcane Energy Manipulation] skill, in particular, had a lot of potential. Alistair immediately made plans to combine the skill with one of his body cultivation projects. Alistair had planned to fashion his heart into a mana engine of sorts. A physiological feature associated with dragon hearts. Which incidentally were the initial inspiration for mana engines and reactors. They were usually fueled by ambient mana. Alistair, being a body cultivator, naturally breathed in and filtered for essences, which also meant he absorbed larger quantities of ambient mana. So, why not harness all that mana to his advantage? Molding his nose and lungs had increased the quantity, quality, and range from which he could extract mana and essences from the air. It was still quite short-range, but he presumed that would drastically change as he climbed the grades. Alistair presumed his arcane affinity had to be quite high, as the process of manipulating and controlling mana had been relatively smooth for him. The carve enchantment skill originated from Alistair trying to recreate the consumable rune sticks just to see if he could. He had done so during one of his cultivation sessions when he got tired of reading and wanted to occupy himself with something else. He had used an old fallen branch from his ginkgo tree, and his experience in arrays had greatly helped him in the process. He had successfully crafted a barrier rune stick, though it was of rather low quality compared to the ones he had obtained from the first dungeon. Alistair had been training to see if he could cultivate while walking and doing other tasks but found that, aside from tempering and breathing, it wasn''t feasible yet, even at reduced efficiency. Even when sitting still and carving the rune stick, he discovered the limits of his focus as soon as he attempted to imbue the stick with magic. Having crafting options was in Alistair''s interest as he would get fewer skill options once he reached the next grade, so he hoped for them to appear for versatility''s sake. Overall, he was quite satisfied with his gains. He decided to call Riseth because he wanted to hunt in the Slayer world. Part of him wanted to go alone, but neither of them felt comfortable with the idea of the other facing the dangers there alone, so they came to a compromise to venture into that particular trial world together. Chapter 87: Monster Pair Fetching King felt akin to picking up a child from daycare, especially considering the wyvern''s reluctance to leave the arena where he felt most at home. Alistair pondered whether King''s creation and intended fate within the arena had forged a deep connection between the wyvern and such environments. Alistair ensured that King was not missing out on any big events. Once Alistair told King where they were headed, King grew much more excited and eager to go along with Alistair. King had been doing quite well in the arena and was one of the more well-known beasts. Though by far not the strongest, King was a crowd favorite, as he loved to show off. He was also the only one of his sub-species that had been entered into the beast arena, which helped him stand out even more. However, that did not mean much, as wyverns were incredibly diverse. Riseth and Alistair met at the cave inside the Trial worlds. They planned to scour the mountains before heading for some glaciers in the east. They had skipped sleep as going to sleep every night was too wasteful, even if it helped with the buildup of stress. "Should we take turns killing monsters, killing the ones trying to interfere like last time?" Riseth asked as they flew over the mountainous landscape. "We could, though I''m unsure if it gives great benefits, and we need to ensure we don''t accidentally advance our grade before the tournament. We could team up instead and work on our teamwork. We might get different titles for that. Also, did you get the [Man Of Change] title?"
"It''s not [Man Of Change]. Mine''s [Mistress Of Change], but it functions the same way. Also, let''s team up for some monster hunting," Riseth replied, her smile widening. Alistair returned the smile. They had been doing a lot of training together and fighting against their friends in mock battles, but it had been a while since they actively hunted and fought together against the same enemy. Riseth had improved her shield to work automatically based on threat detection. Alistair, in turn, had managed to imbue magic to avoid friendly fire into most of his spells. Riseth had followed Alistair''s example and doubled down on defense skills by developing a skill that extended a thin veil of space magic around her that reacted violently to attacks and redirected and bent attacks away from her and her allies. In some instances, she even rebounded the attacks back toward their originators. They had been testing that skill against Alistair''s blasts. They found that the more magically charged attacks were too powerful to be redirected, but the weaker blasts had hurled back at Alistair. She had also attempted to create a laser beam based on her light manipulation skill, but it wasn''t particularly powerful yet. With the skill book she had bought in the [Nurturing Ward], she had a free skill point to develop an independent skill that manipulated space to twist and warp around her weapons and even extend to localized areas up to a degree. Her extending bone blades now caused much more internal damage than her poisons ever did. Using non-magical poisons without specializing in crafting them had lost more and more effectiveness the further they progressed in levels. Her subsequent skill goal was a potent ranged attack. Riseth had tried to replicate Alistair''s blasts but discovered that her affinities did not align nearly as well with the skill as his did. Through the cold whistling wind, they heard a roar from nearby that drew their attention. Alistair got closer to Riseth, and they turned invisible to investigate. They found a large creature that looked like a mix between a Sabertooth tiger and a Drake. It possessed both scales and fur, which were adorned in white with gray patterns, aiding it in seamlessly blending into its surroundings. It was adorned with two thick bull-like horns, and its eyes were rather small compared to the rest of its body. Alistair wondered if it was a wyvern of sorts, though it lacked wings. So, it would probably be classified as a drake. Its scales, particularly on its back, looked incredibly thick and would likely make for some great armor. Alistair noticed that the most well-protected areas were places it could not reach with its claws, head, or long spiked tail. [Identify] revealed it to be [Griteran - lvl ?]; despite its hidden level, Alistair could tell the beast was similar in strength to the other monsters they fought, perhaps a bit more powerful. Alistair and Riseth nodded at each other as they descended on the Griteran, who was busy eating one of the Nari they had fought before. Riseth was the first to attack, teleporting near its neck, slamming her bone blades into it, one of the few vital parts not covered in thick, scaly plates. Her blades were wrapped in space magic, flickering with a surprisingly colorful display showing glimpses of something more. The Griteran let out a mighty roar as it stood on its hind legs before violently shaking itself, trying to get Riseth off its body. It tried to crush her by smacking its head against a rockface, but Alistair intervened, arresting its momentum and storing the kinetic energies in one of his spheres. Riseth continued hacking her extending blades into the neck of the monster with the space magic wreaking havoc on its body. It would have perished on the spot if it had been of a lower grade. Grade 9 marked a stage where the first organs vanished as the rest became much less vital; beyond crushing its brain, the loss of other organs wouldn''t immediately result in death. At this grade, beings primarily relied on their [HP] or equivalent energy for resilience rather than the integrity of their organs. This transition marked the initial step toward becoming a true magical being, as they could regenerate any lost organ, provided they survived the encounter. Losing an organ could still be impairing, some more than others. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Alistair swiftly teleported to its legs using his razor slash to cut into one of its leg tendons to hamper its mobility. He was somewhat deep in thought as he witnessed the monster''s unnatural resilience. Alistair already looked forward to that stage as it would reduce the chance of sudden death by a large margin. However, one of the big drawbacks of being a body cultivator was that when his organs were damaged or lost, it would take him much longer to repair himself. He would also be unable to use any given effects associated with the damaged or lost organ, potentially impairing linked skills. The monster''s roars had stopped as Riseth had cut its vocal cords. Only ragged huffs and gurgles could be heard over the cold, whistling wind. Alistair could sense the monster''s rage as it swiped its spiked tail at him, which he stopped with his offhand. He used the stolen energy to shoot a razor blast to cut up its much more vulnerable underbelly. Riseth had repositioned herself slightly and was clinging on to one of its horns, trying to get a good stab into its eyes, and it violently shook its head. Stepping back, Alistair teleported atop its neck and seized the creature by its bull-like horns, immobilizing it. Meanwhile, Riseth swiftly drove her blade into its tiny eye, penetrating its skull. The beast went limp and crashed to the ground. The beast was not dead, but the damage to its brain had put an end to the fight. They gave the creature a clean kill so Simons''s father could salvage the body parts and core. Thomas had become their go-to man for monster dismantling. They had purchased a study key for him to learn more advanced techniques, easily putting him above their previous specialists in quality and quantity of materials. He could even shift the concept of the core harvested based on the creature''s strongest affinity. That ability alone was invaluable to the clan. "That was almost too easy," Riseth muttered bearly audibly over the howling wind as they continued scouring the local mountains for strong monsters. "We do work well together," Alistair replied. He glanced sideways at her, noticing a hint of hesitance and a flicker of determination. "You''re itching to take them on solo, aren''t you?" Alistair asked teasingly. "Yeah, I can only handle a few more before I hit grade 9," Riseth replied. The last fight had put her on level 48, so fighting higher-grade beasts was already risky. But there was a bigger gain to be had. "Go all out, hold nothing back. Show that monster who''s boss and enjoy yourself," Alistair said as he gave her an encouraging smile. He had been tip-toeing the line of what the system would allow him to say, and Riseth looked at him curiously for a moment. She sensed he was withholding something he couldn''t express directly due to system restrictions. However, resonance revealed the sentiment behind his words. He hoped she could let go as he had and obtain the [Primal Revelation] title. Sadly, the ability to bypass secrecy restrictions by being in a clan only worked on [Study Dungeon] topics. The system jealously guarded many of the most coveted titles, the means of their acquisition, and even their existence. However, Alistair suspected that this was also a lesson. There would be ways to bypass the restrictions, but one just had to find the means to do so. Resonance was perhaps one of these. As they reached the eastern edge of the mountains, they spotted one more large monster. It was a Yeti-like beast with bright white fur and a gorilla-like posture. It had very muscular arms and long, sharp, and hooked claws. Its large fangs were visible whenever it made a grunting sound as it aimlessly wandered across the landscape. [Identify] showed it to be [Uxrus - lvl ?]. It felt slightly less powerful than the Griteran but also much more dangerous. "This thing won''t be held back by its body, and you lack range options to take down a grade 9," Alistair commented over the link as they observed the creature, which had not sensed them yet. "Unlike a human. I don''t get that big of a skill selection. If I want to improve, I must fight monsters that are a bad matchup for me." She retorted, and Alistair could sense her resolve. Alistair paused, touching her shoulder. He did not need her to resolve herself. She needed to enjoy it and embrace it if she wanted a chance at the title. He needed her to let go. He did his best to convey his feelings through their connection. She looked at him curiously as she felt the connection between them, a toothy smile forming as she leaned in for an intimate kiss. "I''ll be right back," She said softly as she flew towards the monster. As she glided towards the beast, the whistling wind hid her approach. Unfurling her tail, usually coiled around her midsection, a bladed whip materialized, its interlocking segments coming to life in mesmerizing undulations reminiscent of a serpent''s dance. Alistair knew she had been cultivating to empower her tail to better integrate with the sepaskarite-bladed whip to the point that it looked like a natural extension of her body. The body cultivation variant she had gotten with the study key had insights into refining weapons with essences, and Alistair was curious to see it in action. The Uxrus suddenly turned to face her, but Riseth had already teleported, plunging her bone blade into its flank, where it ripped through the creature and shot out the other side. Riseths tail lashed out rapidly, and the bladed whip coiled around the monster''s neck, drawing blood. The creature reflexively attempted to strike her with its elbow, but she was shielded by a protective barrier springing up in her defense. With rhythmic precision, her bladed whip sliced into the monster''s flesh, causing blood to gush from its throat.
From his vantage point above, Alistair grimaced and absent-mindedly touched his throat, feeling some sympathetic pain as he watched the fight below. Meanwhile, Riseth had leaped onto the monster''s back, her bone blades flashing in a mesmerizing display of space magic and blood. Alistair sensed her reservations melting away, replaced by the exhilaration of battle. "I suppose we''re both monsters," Alistair reflected, his attention wholly captivated by the unfolding fight. The Uxrus made a futile attempt to grab her chain and yank her off, only to find that the tail and its attached weapon had turned ethereal. Frustrated, it attempted to roll, trying to dislodge her from its back, and swung its long, muscular arms wildly. Yet Riseth was always a step ahead, guiding the beast as if it were an unruly dog on a leash, gracefully dodging its attacks. The once beautiful white fur of the monster was now stained red by the ceaseless flow of blood from its throat, painting the snow crimson. Chapter 88: Hidden Trump Card To Alistair''s surprise, the fight wasn''t winding down at all. The Uxrus''s vitality was impressive to behold. It was riddled with holes, and its neck muscles had pretty much been sawed away at this point. It would not be long before the damage to its vertebra would end its flailings. Riseth''s barriers had significantly weakened, and with her tail wrapped around the monster''s neck, she could not teleport to avoid attack. Relying on her nimbleness and skill only got her so far against a Grade 9 monster. Her energies were dwindling, yet Riseth was unperturbed as she continued her lethal dance around the monster. The beast clawed at the bladed whip coiled around its neck, trying to get a hold of it, but only dug into its flesh in vain as the chain passed through its claws yet stayed in place. The Uxru''s frustration was palpable as magical energies violently unleashed from its body in a shockwave, shattering Riseths weak barrier and forcing her to let go and teleport into the distance. The monster launched loose rocks toward Riseth at high velocity. Alistair anxiously observed her swift dodges and teleportations, evading the attacks before swiftly closing the gap to resume her assault on the creature. Riseth typically played more of a support role compared to Alistair. He had hoped her space blades would inflict more significant damage on the monsters, perhaps even enough for her to gain the upper hand. Yet, despite the intensity of the battle, she maintained an easy smile. However, that smile vanished in an instant when the Uxrus landed a lucky strike, shattering her barrier and tearing through her armor with its claws. The force of the blow sent her tumbling across the snowy terrain.
Alistair''s fury surged, and he moved to intervene, but she halted him with a firm command over their [Akashic Link], freezing him in place. As she struggled to her feet, blood seeping from a wound in her flank and the corner of her mouth, she winced, having struck her head on a stray rock during the fall. Meanwhile, the monster charged at her in a blind rage. She gave a toothy smile, her teeth stained by her blood as a flash of light blinded the charging monster. After teleporting out of the monster''s path, she raised her hands as both raw arcane magic formed into a bolt warping space around it. Disoriented, the monster flailed where it had last seen her, but to no avail, as Riseth charged her attack. As the monster''s vision slowly restored, it turned to face her; the bolt shot from her hands, crashing into the creature in a sizeable arcane explosion that tore tiny fractures into space, creating a miniature rift that tore into the fabric of her opponent''s existence. The Uxrus tried to pull itself free, but its arm was sucked in and ripped out of its sockets before the tiny rift closed. Riseth readied herself to attack the monster despite her drained state, but the Uxrus collapsed and died, having spent the last of its life force.
Alistair was at a loss for words. He had never witnessed her use or even train an attack like this before and suspected she had been honing the ability in secret for some time. It was a terrifying display of power, especially considering their current grade. Teleporting next to her, Alistair felt the urge to embrace her, but he hesitated upon seeing her healing her injuries with a familiar wild grin. He could sense that she had obtained the [Primal Revelation] title. Turning to him, she maintained her smile. "Welcome to the club of monsters," Alistair quipped as he channeled mana into his armor and gently placed his hand over her wound to assist her in healing. "What the hell was that skill?" Alistair asked, looking at her inquisitively.
"That was the skill I developed to reach legendary," she said with a mischievous smile, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Alistair was impressed, feeling a twinge of both admiration and a hint of envy. He hoped he could advance his defensive skill to legendary tier during their trip. Alistair sensed that he was incredibly close to upgrading it and could almost taste it. He desperately wanted the title of Legendary Skill Expertise because once he left the trial, he wouldn''t benefit from the system''s perks and reduced requirements anymore. Mitania revealed that the system implemented this to compensate for the mentoring and nurturing skills available to individuals within influential and powerful groups across the multiverse. Any lowered requirements sticking around after he left the trial would be incredibly valuable. "Why all the secrecy?" Alistair asked, genuinely puzzled by her decision to hide her newfound skill. "I was waiting for the perfect moment to unveil it. Now, shower me with praise," she teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes. He gently lifted her chin with his cupped hand, planting a kiss on her lips despite the taste of blood. "Well done, Trouble. I''ll do my best to keep up," he replied with a grin as she blushed. After securing the beast to be dismantled later, they lingered for a while until Riseth had healed her injuries. A large pack of Nari, drawn by the commotion of multiple fights, attempted to attack them, but Alistair released King to deal with them as the wyvern grew restless. They had turned invisible to let King have his fun undisturbed. Despite the wyvern being at a similar level to the individual Nari, he was much more powerful than the whole pack combined. Alistair had dedicated a lot of time training the wyvern in magic whenever he taught his school classes. It was slow-going, but the wyvern had eventually learned to dispel magic, which made the Nari''s ability to dive into snow useless as he skewered them with his steel-like conjured feathers. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Alistair watched as one of the Nari tried to leap at King, only to be snatched out of the air by King''s large jaws, snapping the creature in half. "Well, that''s gruesome to watch," Alistair commented, casting a privacy sphere around them as he watched the wyvern dispatch yet another of the feline monsters with his blade-like tail. "At least he is enjoying himself," Riseth commented dryly. "Despite all our titles and hard work, King still outmatches both of us in terms of stat point total," Alistair remarked with a touch of admiration coloring his voice. "Guess he''s just a big, beastly boy," Riseth quipped, a wry smile playing on her lips as she observed the carnage unleashed by the wyvern.
As the fight dwindled to an end, they dispelled the invisibility and privacy sphere, observing King devouring the last of the monsters with a voracious appetite. Alistair stored King back in his plane before leading the way toward the glaciers adjacent to the mountains. Their journey remained uninterrupted by further encounters with monsters. Upon crossing the border between the mountains and the glaciers, the air transitioned to extreme dryness, accompanied by a notable decrease in the whistling of the wind. Instead, the sounds of creaking ice and flowing water filled the air. At the edge of the river system, the glacier served as a pivotal point, its icy tendrils connecting to a vast network of waterways. This intricate system resembled a sprawling spider web, interlinking various local biomes and facilitating the flow of water between lakes and sea biomes. Alistair couldn''t help but speculate about the intense competition among aquatic species for dominance over these waterways. Occasionally, he had witnessed colossal beasts clashing in the narrow rivers, wreaking havoc on the surrounding area in their relentless pursuit of supremacy.
"We should be able to find some magic-infused ice and some beasts that could carry a core for Melissa''s ritual here," Alistair remarked as he landed on a somewhat flat sheet of ice. Fortunately, the passive effect of his temporal combat reflexes helped him maintain his footing, allowing him to provide support to Riseth as she slipped upon landing, steadying her without her falling.
With a grateful smile, she managed to maintain her balance. "Does it matter what kind of ice we find as long as it''s magical and the concepts match up?" "That''s my understanding, but we should aim for quality," Alistair replied, scanning the surroundings with his conceptual awareness.
It didn''t take Alistair long to locate a pocket of magically dense ice concept deep within one of the glaciers. However, his attention was diverted by something else. The area appeared nearly abandoned, save for a massive corpse lying nearby. The creature was a [Skeljaskr¨ªmsli] according to his identify skill. A quadrupedal being entirely concealed beneath a thick marine blue, reflective coat of shells. As he touched the creature, the shells rattled and scraped against each other. Despite its mammalian body structure beneath the shells, the creature exhibited clear aquatic traits, evident in its gills and webbed feet. Strangely, its body remained unharmed, except for its damaged brain, blood flowing from its trunk-like snout, mouth, and eye sockets, suggesting that its demise came from a powerful attack targeting the beast''s mind. The surrounding ice bore the marks of its frenzied thrashing, a testament to the creature''s violent end. It had a tail that seemingly doubled as a club and a fin for it to propel itself when in water. Its core had been extracted through its maw, presumably by telekinesis, crushing most of the organs between it and the makeshift exit. The monster had seemingly faced a terrible matchup. Alistair knew how scary mind-based creatures could be. "It''s a mind-based monster, and it''s a scary one, too. I''m not exactly well suited to face a tier 9 mind-based monster, and neither are you." Alistair concluded after inspecting the corpse. "We should fetch the body and the ice crystals and make our exit for now. I''d prefer to confront it after advancing to the next grade," Riseth suggested, as she began manipulating the glaciers with her space manipulation skill, causing them to crack open and eventually reveal the dense pocket of ice crystals contained within. Alistair, in the meantime, had stored the large body of the Skeljaskr¨ªmsli left behind and kept a lookout for the monster that killed the shelled beast. As they were about to head out, Alistair and Riseth spun their head as they felt sudden bloodlust directed at them, but when they checked, nothing was there, and the bloodlust was gone. "What the fuck was that?" Alistair asked. "Something smart enough to know when to run and hide," Riseth said quietly. "Damn, this might be an intelligent creature using mind attacks that makes it even more dangerous. It''s a good thing we agreed to only come here together because whatever this creature is would probably try and ambush us if we were alone," Alistair remarked, his tone tinged with concern. "Let''s leave. There are no ice monsters here, and I''d rather not get ambushed," Riseth said as she grabbed Alistair by his arm before taking to the air. Riseth lead him towards the north behind one of the glaciers before turning them invisible and giving Alistair a meaningful look. "We should see if the creature shows itself. I''d rather ambush it than the other way around," Riseth said over the link as they peaked over the edge of the glaciers toward the location they had just left. They waited there, taking a bit higher to the air concealed by invisibility. However, no matter how long they waited, nothing seemed to show itself. Alistair scanned the area with his conceptual awareness but could not spot the monster either. Riseth could not spot the monster either. Alistair even summoned King, as he had much higher senses than either of them, but after circling the area, he had not spotted any living monsters in the vicinity, only corpses showing signs of having their minds squashed like overripe fruit and their cores extracted through orifices. "I''m pretty sure it fled or has skills to hide itself. Let''s come back here once we reach the next grade. I still need to kill some beasts, and there is a tundra to the southwest we could check for the ice cores we need. Chapter 89: Not The Skill I Was Aiming For On their way to the tundra, they had been intercepted by a small flock of the vulture wyverns they had encountered before. Still, Alistair, with the help of King, made short work of them as they were pretty weak, and the vultures had based their assessment of Alistair and Riseth''s strength on grade alone. Alistair used them to further practice and refine his Kinetic Skinguard skill, feeling more and more comfortable maintaining the kinetic spheres orbiting around him. Riseth had held back, only providing some distraction as she was at level 48 and wanted to leave atleast one level gap in case of emergencies. On the other hand, Alistair leveled up once more, putting him on level 47. Watching King fight made Alistair feel bad for Fluffy, who was still too weak to participate in any of their fights. The snake''s limited mobility prevented it from participating in the Slayer World''s fights without exposing her to a lot of danger. Luckily, the snake''s participation in the arena and being a summon allowed Fluffy to benefit from Riseth''s records, as the snake would reach the next grade sometime after Riseth. Alistair hoped Fluffy would undergo a racial evolution, helping the Snake to fight better, whereas Riseth hoped the Snake would continue being her cute companion. As they traversed the tundra to the southwest, their eyes caught sight of a formidable creature roaming the sparsely vegetated plains. It bore a striking resemblance to both a bull and a gorilla, with hind legs ending in hooves and front limbs resembling thick gorilla arms. Its fur, a blend of black and brown, covered a body that possessed the posture of a gorilla but the bulk of a bull. The creature''s head, resembling that of a bull, was crowned with two imposing curved horns jutting forward. Identify revealed the beast to be a [Krulte Minotaur - lvl ?] "Oh, It''s a Minotaur. Don''t they go around stealing women to hide in their temples? I thought they were an intelligent species," Riseth questioned as they observed the beast. "I don''t know. In Earth''s stories, they are usually portrayed as monsters guarding labyrinths. I''m not sure about the stealing women part, but it does ring a bell," Alistair retorted. "Are you going to fight it?" Riseth inquired. "Yes, its build is almost tailor-made for practicing kinetic magic; I don''t sense much mana or any other energies besides the incredible life energy," Alistair explained as they approached. The Minotaur spotted them in the air as they approached, presumably sensing their energies approaching as neither of them tried to suppress their energy or hide themselves. It showed no hostility, but its gaze was fixed on Riseth, which bothered Alistair, who landed in front of the creature, staring it down, slowly seeping out his bloodcurdling aura, which got its attention. "Are you smart enough to communicate?" Alistair asked just as he detected a surge of hostility. As the Minotaur''s fist surged forward with remarkable speed and force, Alistair deftly intercepted the attack with the palm of his hand. Simultaneously, an incredibly condensed sphere of kinetic energy erupted out of his body, starting to gracefully orbit around him. Alistair had tried to refine the quantity each sphere could hold without increasing the sphere''s size, and this particular sphere was compressed to a near-breaking point. This forced Alistair to divulge more focus on the sphere in order to maintain its stability. "Too condensed for now," Alistair reflected, redirecting his focus to the imposing figure of the Minotaur before him. "I''ll mark this one down as a ''maybe''," Alistair quipped, meeting the Minotaur''s intense gaze head-on. Alistair felt the rage emanating from the Minotaur, reminiscent of his own emotions when he faced Anzeth, the final dungeon boss. "A rage skill," Alistair realized, recognizing the familiar intensity. Alistair still had the Rage skill in his skill selection himself. However, he had not picked it up because Riseth had requested him not to use it again, as she would experience his unbridled rage over their resonance. Additionally, the skill''s side effect of clouding the user''s judgment and pushing the body beyond its limits had deterred him. "If only I could temper the rage skill to not mess with my state of mind," Alistair mused as he blocked an unhinged barrage of punches from the minotaur. With practiced precision, he channeled and redirected the kinetic energy, transforming it into densely packed spheres. As the stored energy surged beyond containment, the spheres began to expand. Alistair felt excitement surge within him as a chime rang out, prompting Alistair to eagerly check his notifications, hoping his [Kinetic Skinguard] had finally upgraded.
Notifications:
Skill [Calm Mind] can be upgraded.
"Wait, what?" Alistair said with a baffled expression, looking at the notification. Alistair was quite sure it implied he could combine his unselected [Rage] skill with the [Calm Mind] skill. This would inherently change how the skill worked. Alistair lacked good defensive skills when it came to [Mind] attacks. This could potentially upgrade his defense against mind attacks and allow him to use the benefits of Rage without some of the usual drawbacks. For a moment, he was worried he would be unable to extend the calm mind magic to his allies anymore, but he thought better of it. Not having the skill would not prevent him from casting the magic manually. Would the skill appear in his skill selection again after being combined into something different? There was still so much Alistair did not know about the system, and this could potentially answer some of the open questions.
Alistair contacted Riseth through the Akashic link to detail the situation. He made it clear that he wouldn''t convert one of his skills into a rage variant without her consent first, but she gave him the go-ahead. "Thank you for asking, but don''t restrict yourself on my behalf. With the calm mind aspect, it should be quite fine," Riseth reassured him. The Minotaur''s fury intensified as Alistair''s seemingly laissez-faire approach to the fight provoked it further. Alistair was reaching the limits of how many spheres he could control and expand without losing focus. Seizing the moment, he directed all the collected spheres to turn into powerful blasts. Launching them in a rapid yet graceful arc toward the Minotaur. The blasts struck their target one after the other, propelling the Minotaur across the desolate landscape until it crashed through one of the sporadic lichen-covered rock formations. Alistair confirmed the skill upgrade and checked his new skills descriptions.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Epic] Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Cold Rage Enter a state of controlled cold rage, shielding you from all [Mental] attacks by a large degree. When active, the skill increases the user''s resilience by a large degree. It also increases [Power] & [Control] by a large degree while continuously draining the users [Qi] by a moderate amount based on the energy expended and damage taken. After extended use, the user becomes weary and exhausted, and all affected stats are reduced by a moderate amount for a duration based on the duration the Cold Rage skill was used.
[Calm Mind] had been his lowest-tier skill before the upgrade. It wasn''t the skill he had been looking to upgrade this fight, but he was pretty happy with the result. The Minotaur was battered and bruised but was already charging at him again but was still some ways out. Alistair worried that increasing the number and compression of the spheres was insufficient to push his [Kinetic Skinguard] into the legendary tier. The only alternative would be to make use of his arcane affinity and attempt to convert different forms of energy into kinetic energy to store them. This approach would prove more efficient than extracting kinetic aspects from various energies or attempting to store multiple energy types simultaneously. Managing different energy types would demand significant focus and control, depending on their nature, particularly if he had a low affinity for them. Alistair watched the Minotaur barrel towards him like an oversized mass of muscles tipped with horns. It was an intimidating sight, but Alistair had seen worse. Drawing upon both Cold Rage and Temporal Combat Reflexes, he aimed to synchronize his actions for optimal timing. A chill, numbing rage surged through his veins, fueled by the memories of the glances the minotaur had given Riseth and the violence it wished to unleash upon him. Alistair reined in his rising anger as he grabbed the bull by its horns, effortlessly lifting it off the ground. The stolen kinetic energy surged, transforming into [Power], which he channeled to slam the bull into the nearby protruding rock. The impact shattered the rock, and the force tore into the Minotaur''s flesh, eliciting a gasp from the beast. Chimes rang out, which confused Alistair as they were not the slightly altered chimes notifying him of a kill. A quick check of his notifications revealed what happened.
Notifications:
The Skill [Kinetic Grappler] has undergone a linear upgrade.
The Title [Supreme Skill Expertise] has been Upgraded to [Legendary Skill Expertise].
"That''s not the skill I was aiming for," Alistair said with slight bewilderment. The Minotaur had taken lethal damage and took a few heavy, ragged breaths lying on the ground, the rage seeping out of its shattered body before dying from the accumulated damage. Alistair ended his boosting skills as he felt a wave of feebleness wash over him; he had not been using the Cold Rage skill for long but already felt its effects. He would need to use the skill sparingly or in a short burst when facing opponents using mind attacks. After his initial bewilderment and excitement over his skill upgrade, Alistair glanced down at the Minotaur''s body. The familiar realization of who the real monster between him and the Minotaur was came creeping back, but he shrugged it off, pushing the thought aside.
Riseth landed beside him, her hands resting on his shoulders as they exchanged a knowing glance. He knew she was aware of what he was thinking about due to their connection. Alistair was self-aware enough to realize that he had been calling his opponents monsters, beasts, and enemies interchangeably in his head as a way to distance or justify himself from his own actions. Alistair stepped toward the body, putting it in his storage.
To divert his mind from the gloom, he considered how he had unintentionally upgraded his grappling skill. The answer was instinctively, he converted the kinetic energy from the charge into a temporary power surge. Utilizing magic with strong affinities on instinct or in instinctive ways was a very common way of utilizing magic. It was frequently observed in beasts and individuals who struggled with spellcasting. The first time he had done so himself was during his first day of the trial, where he instinctively learned to disperse kinetic energies through his body and transfer them into the ground. It had formed his first steps into magic and provided his first and most valued skill. Alistair pulled up the skill window as he felt a tinge of disappointment that his kinetic skinguard had not become his first legendary skill.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Legendary] Kinetic Grappler The user robs opponents of their momentum at the cost of a minuscule amount of [Qi] or [MP] compared to the [KE] stolen. If possible, the stolen [KE] will automatically be used to either empower the user with a short burst of [Power] based on the amount of stolen kinetic energy or harm opponents if connected either magically or physically to the user. The user may repurpose the stolen [KE] or store it in spheres provided by the [Kinetic Skinguard] skill. This skill has moderate resistance against outside interference by using the user''s augmented skin and body. The skill provides a moderate bonus against opponents attempting to resist or disperse the effects of this skill.
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin:
[Legendary] Legendary Skill Expertise Drastically lowered prerequisites for future skill upgrades and acquisition. Obtained for upgrading a skill to Legendary Tier while still in grade 10.
Alistair finally obtained his first legendary title and skill. he smiled ear to ear as he read the description. "Your emotions are all over the place. What''s going on?" Riseth inquired as she stood beside him, a slightly worried expression on her face. Alistair''s smile was tinged with a hint of surprise as he confessed, "I just received my first legendary skill and title, but it''s not the one I had been expecting." A gentle chuckle escaped Riseth''s lips as she shook her head in fond disbelief. "You always manage to surprise me," she teased, leaning in to place a tender kiss on his cheek. "Well, it looks like you''ve finally lived up to your title, Mr. Legendary," she added with a playful grin. Chapter 90: Chrysolite Glacier Alistair and Riseth scoured the rocky and lichen-covered tundra for a while longer, though there were no monsters or treasures to be found. To the far west, an otherworldly landscape stretched out, resembling a colossal chunk of angular, yellow-greenish ice akin to a giant piece of Swiss cheese. Jutting out from the surface of a vast lake, this angular plateau stood out like a surreal monument, its surface riddled with gaping holes of varying sizes. From some of these holes, a peculiar greenish water flowed into the surrounding waterways, tinting the pristine blue waters with its alien hue. They decided to refer to the biome as provisionally Chrysolite Glacier upon Riseth''s suggestion. Riseth and Alistair were discussing whether it was worth risking crossing the handful of biomes on the chance that the glistening landscape in the distance was indeed ice or something else entirely. "We''d have to traverse those teal canyons infested with spiders to get there. I''m not convinced it''s worth the risk," Riseth argued, while Alistair checked their map of the slayer world. "It''s the closest thing to a cold environment to our position. We can fly over them with Invisibility. It''s not like we need to get into their webbed-up canyon," Alistair countered. "Fair enough. I still think we should not get too far from the center. It''s a lot of open terrain, and if there are things able to bypass my particular brand of invisibility, we will have quite a long fighting retreat ahead of us," Riseth added. "So, let''s just check if that stuff is actually ice. If it''s not, we''ll play it safe and pull back. Now that I got my legendary skill, I''ve ticked off all the boxes for the next grade. No need to take unnecessary risks now." Alistair concluded, glancing at the alien landscape in the distance. As they flew over the teal canyons adjacent to the Chrysolite Glacier, they found that the canyon had been entirely converted to a spider den. Alistair could sense hundreds of lifeforms below; however, none of the spiders were grade 9. As they flew over the canyon, they spotted webbed-up monsters and egg sacks near the entrances. A sense of unease crept over Alistair, and he considered that they should return to eradicate the spiders once they reach the next grade before they multiply and grow out of control. "We really should burn that nest to the ground," Riseth commented as they flew past the canyon. "I agree. It''s too bad we have to wait with pest control until we reach the next grade. I sense enough of these things that killing them now would put us both into the next grade. Plus, I have an appointment in the [Traders Market] before the tournament, so I''d rather check the Chrysolite Glacier and leave, or I''ll be late," Alistair explained. Riseth gave him a curious glance. "What kind of appointment?" "Nessy set me up with a smith to replace my poleaxe," Alistair clarified, which satisfied her curiosity. They had also been looking into magic items, but few crafters could create worthwhile, affordable magic items, and quite a few of them were incompatible with body cultivation. Riseth''s cultivation topic helped as they now knew how to refine magical equipment and weapons. Alistair couldn''t help but feel a bit guilty; they owed Mitania a lot of gratitude. She continued to watch out for them, and her recommendations helped them out considerably. Upon reaching the Chrysolite Glacier, it became evident that it was indeed ice, albeit crystallized due to exposure to magic. Alistair sensed monsters dwelling within the glacier, utilizing the tunnels as entry points. He observed a massive shrimp-like creature entering the glacier through an underwater passageway beneath the surface of the water. The air was cool, and screams and roars could be heard echoing out of the tunnels of the glacier, which seemed to be strongly contended.
Exchanging a knowing look, they nodded in unison before venturing into one of the larger entrances positioned high above the water''s surface. Their chances of finding an ice-based monster were reasonably high; the whole environment was so magically infused that the whole glacier could be best described as a large natural treasure that the beasts used to progress their advancement. If left alone, they would naturally adopt ice aspects into their forms. Luckily, the chrysolite ice had a natural glow, which provided visibility within the glacier. The monsters'' roars were distracting as they bounced off the many tunnel walls, making it hard to figure out where the monsters were exactly. They decided to head for the center for now; surprisingly, the crystalized ice was not slippery at all, providing them with stable footing as they stalked the tunnels. They came across the occasional large chambers, some of which functioned as a resting place for monsters, where they found improvised larders and nests made of bones and shrubbery brought in from the outside. The chamber''s mana density was slightly increased. Alistair suspected it to be inhabited by some kind of bird or other flying beast as he found occasional white feathers strewn about and worked into the large circular nesting. They did not have time to wait for the creature to return, so they headed deeper inside. As they progressed down the tunnels, the echoes of battles faded, leaving behind an eerie silence beside the sound of a distant rush of flowing water and the occasional whistling of the wind. Eventually, they managed to navigate the tunnels undisturbed, reaching the central chamber. As they entered the chamber, a gruesome sight greeted them: roughly a dozen lifeless monster bodies lay strewn across the crystalized icy floor. At the center of the room stood a huge spherical crystal connected to both the ceiling and the floor by chrysolite ice. The crystal radiated an incredible amount of ice magic that made the chamber feel like a freezer compared to the rest of the glacier. The crystal itself had a much deeper shade of green, and Alistair could make out swirling energies within. It exuded icy water that gave the sphere a certain sheen that reflected the natural light of the chrysolite walls. The water pooled at the floor, creating small waterways flowing down some of the lower tunnels. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Riseth was about to step inside and take a look at the bodies, which had seemingly been left alone and preserved by the cold environment, adding to the mana-rich environment. But Alistair stopped her. Without his [Conceptual Awareness] skill, he would have missed it as well. The natural treasure was guarded by a huge ice elemental that had blended into the upper pillar connected to the treasure. Alistair could make out its outline as it was much more mana-dense than the walls and had a direct connection to the treasure itself. He suspected the treasure maintained the environment, and removing it would eventually cause the Chrysolite Glacier to collapse. Alistair explained his thoughts to Riseth as they considered their approach.
"So, our options are to fight the elementals, take the treasure and bodies, and let this place collapse on its own. Alternatively, we return periodically to face monsters that either adapt to the environment or perish in their attempts to claim the main treasure, risking that one of them will eventually succeed," Riseth summarized. "The Ice elemental would also most certainly give us the core we need, but odds are one of the dozen bodies here does that, too. Also, the ice elemental is quite powerful and linked to the treasure, empowering it further. I doubt any of the roaming beasts are powerful enough to take it yet," Alistair added as they continued to discuss their approach. They decided to steal the bodies and return later; they had plans to eradicate the nearby spider den so that they would return to this area either way. The ice elemental was by far the strongest monster they had encountered. Luckily, it ignored them as long as they left its natural treasure alone, even allowing them to pick up the bodies uncontested.
Their journey back to the gate was uneventful, as none of the local beasts had spotted them while using invisibility or were unwilling to mess with them. Alistair handed over all the collected bodies to Riseth, who would deliver them to Thomas for processing as they went their separate ways.
Upon arriving at the [Traders Market], Alistair decided to take a more leisurely route, walking past the numerous shops and establishments. The air was filled with the enticing aromas of various foods from the bustling food stalls, wafting into his nostrils as he observed the myriad races going about their business. People were haggling for prices, and the market was alive with the vibrant energy of commerce and culinary delights on offer. Due to his focus on foundation, he had a level that helped him blend into the masses. Unless somebody shared the [Primal Revelation] or had similarly high senses and intuition, people would mistake him for one among many. He knew this would soon change, so he would try and enjoy himself. He made a quick stop at a place selling wraps that Simon had recommended to him; the stand was run by an overly friendly green lizardkin that looked like Gex. On his way to the Smithy''s shop front, he noticed near countless fliers plastered across the walls, most of them from different factions and planets looking for their own people, one of them being a call to arms from Sol to the people of Earth. This was impressive in its own right as millions of worlds tried to do the same, which meant that Sol''s followers were on the ball regarding their propaganda. He had passed multiple groups from other planets preaching in the street, mostly ignored by the masses. Knowing what awaited them once they left the trial had spurred many into action. There were a lot fewer people begging for scraps or wallowing in their misery as they had been picked up and recruited by one faction or another. Nessyra had told him of rumors that less savory factions like slavers, pirates, and their gods from the multiverse had already begun trying to recruit people of the fresh universe to get a foot in the door. This was in line with how all the other integrations had gone, as they would try to establish a black market network soon after the end of the trial. During their preliminary talks about what kind of planet they would be looking for, Riseth had made it clear that their biggest competitors for planets would be those exact factions, particularly pirates, other clans, and emerging factions. They would also seek to distance themselves from the three bridges. The fact that they were aware of there being three bridges was already an advantage. The criteria for a suitable planet would be mana density, environment, and location, as they wanted to avoid settling near major factions or potential major trade routes, as both pirates and natural gods would seek to expand their domain onto these planets. Ideally, they would find a concealed planet within a nebula. With the introduction of mana, nebulas have become quite mana-rich, making navigating them difficult. They also were a hotbed for astral fauna like space squids, whales, turtles, and more dangerous creatures, making traversing the area with a fleet risky. He knew there were many things he was not aware of yet, and Riseth had promised they would discuss them with the clan once the trial was to draw to a close or they became relevant. He stopped his musings as he reached a shopfront that said Stoneheart Armaments. The flyers had been torn, leaving only scraps of paper still glued to the walls. He knew the shop was run by Resni Stoneheart, a female dwarf who specialized in magical weaponry and enchanted accessories. Interestingly, he had found that not every dwarf species descends from mushrooms, and multiple similar-looking species sometimes fought over the same species name. There was also a species of dwarfs that traced their origin to living rocks. Resni was what he would consider a more classical dwarf, as their base form was humanoid without the need for the polymorph skill, though he had no idea what her origin species was. After knocking, he entered and was greeted by a well-organized fantasy-like armory. Weapon and armor racks lined up on the walls, and shelves filled with jewelry, both enchanted and some just primed to be enchanted. Luckily, the system prevented theft, which was necessary as none of the jewelry was secured. The most common enchant was one that increased resilience and hardened the user''s skin, which was incompatible with his body cultivation as his skin would reject the effects of the magic items. Resni Stoneheart was nowhere to be seen, and he presumed he needed to knock on the door directly leading to her [Crafting Quarters] workshop. Some crafters hired personnel to maintain the shop front and haggle with customers. Nessyra had offered to provide Resni with some workers, but Resni was hesitant to accept. Nessyra had asked Alistair to try to leave a good impression on her, as she was the most promising of the craftsmen Nessyra was trying to sway. Chapter 91: Lucky After knocking on the large wooden door, Alistair didn''t need to wait long before Resni materialized right in front of him. Alistair had to use Identify to be sure it was her [Resni Stoneheart - lvl 51]. She was stocky, roughly a meter tall, and had a gray braided beard and hair. She had a short nose decorated with a delicate gold chain connecting to her pierced ear. Her skin was pale, and she wore a wide assortment of magic items, both clothing and jewelry. Surprisingly, she did not possess a comfort array enchantment array and inspected his armor with great interest. He felt a Identify hit him in return, and she nodded before walking behind the counter and placing a moderately sized chest on top of it. The counter rose to Alistair''s height, and Resni started to levitate, putting her arms crossed on the table before addressing him. "Mr. Ryser, I have been expecting you. I received your letter, and both commissions have been completed." Resni said in a surprisingly soft and distinctly female voice before she continued to inspect his armor. "Alistair is fine. I know most dwarfs prefer more personable and direct interactions, and I am the same," Alistair said, giving her a welcoming smile.
His words piqued her interest, prompting her to stop inspecting his armor and scrutinize him more intently, curious about the man standing before her.
"Alright, Alistair. Call me Resni," she said with a hint of curiosity, her gaze momentarily fixating on his chest plate, where the fluxgem had noticeably grown. "Tell me, is that armor crafted by another dwarven smith?" "Yes, it was made by Nuk. I owe him some gratitude," Alistair said before explaining how he met Nuk and under which circumstances. Resni nodded appreciatively. "I am glad you are ensuring the legacy of his people is not lost," she said wistfully, her gaze lingering on his armor. "Do you want to inspect it? I don''t mind showing it to you; you seem to not have got your hands on the comfort array, which seems like a waste." Alistair offered. She looked at him in surprise, momentarily losing focus on her levitation and slumping down before catching herself. "You would show it to me? Nessyra mentioned she would only disclose this information if I agreed to join the clan," she said hesitantly. Alistair hesitated; he did not feel like showing the comfort array itself was a big deal as it was rather common. The smithing technique, on the other hand could be quite valuable. Alistair felt that taking the risk should be worth while as he couldn''t shake the feeling that Nessyra''s approach was overly reserved. He couldn''t help but wonder if a more personable demeanor might be more effective in winning over a dwarf. Then again, this might be over-relying on the knowledge trickled in from the wider multiverse. He gave her a warm smile, having made his call. "Yes, it''s okay. I''m sorry about Nessyra. She only has the clan''s best interest in mind and a lot on her plate. We are lucky to have her, but sometimes she can be a bit reserved." She looked at him hesitantly, not sure what to make of him. However, he could sense her gratitude and curiosity toward him.
"Are you sure this is okay?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement as they lingered on the armor. "As the clan patriarch, I assure you, it''s perfectly fine. Although I can''t take off the armor because I''m not exactly wearing mundane clothing under this," Alistair added jokingly. "Oh, I don''t mind," she replied eagerly. "But I do," Alistair responded with a chuckle. "At least get me drunk first." This elicited a laugh from the dwarf, who hurried back to the door to enter her workshop. Alistair leaned against the counter, watching her vanish. Alistair was somewhat glad that the beard he had usually worn before the initiation was gone, which made him wholly unattractive to most dwarfs. Though he knew he could probably will it to grow back in a matter of minutes. Magic allowed for a lot of flexibility with one''s appearance, though he could not change his body as drastically as Riseth, as her race allowed her extreme flexibility. There were other races that could change even more, such as Changelings and Doppelg?ngers. Nessyra warned him about them as they were frequently used as spies and told him how to recognize them. However, Alistair wasn''t worried as his magic senses were quite keen for his grade, and the changes described by Nessyra were hard to mask from his Conceptual Awareness. He had only spotted a shapechanger in a crowd once, which could be likened to bird watching, as they were exceedingly rare species due to their slow reproduction cycle and the fact that they usually lived hidden in other societies rather than having their own worlds. Alistair''s thoughts were interrupted when Resni suddenly reappeared, sporting large rune-inscribed goggles and an apron while holding a tool bag. Her expression showed unmistakable excitement as she approached him with a spring in her step. Alistair did not fault her for not handing over the goods he had come here for yet, as he would indulge her excitement a bit longer. He did not wish to manipulate her into joining but rather win her over as a friend. Having a capable smith for a friend would be a great boon in itself, even if she chooses to be independent. She bombarded him with questions about the crafting process as she levitated around him like a chunky fairy. To her dismay, he had to tell her that Nuk had crafted behind closed doors, and besides the materials used and the end result, he could not share much. Though she was thankful for what he was willing to share. Resni took out multiple measuring tools from her spatial bag trying to get a grasp of what she was looking at.
Eventually, Alistair cleared his throat. "I am sorry to cut you off like this, but I am quite a busy person, and I''m eager to see what you''ve crafted," he said, offering an understanding smile. Resni looked visibly deflated as he told her this but nodded. "Thank you, Alistair. I truly appreciate your generosity. I could gleam multiple insights from this." She replied and paused before stepping behind the counter and opening her spatial chest, pulling out an adamantine and mithril alloy poleaxe that radiated arcane and kinetic energies. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"I crafted the core from Mithril, optimizing the flow of magic through the weapon, and enhanced it with core runes to boost its potency. For stability and sharpness, I utilized Adamantine. As per your request, I incorporated a hammerhead and a curved axe blade and reinforced the top point. I also included runes tailored to each component of the poleaxe." Resni said with a satisfied smile. Alistair grasped the weapon at its shaft; it felt comfortable to hold, and he could feel how well his magic flowed through the poleaxe as he tried it. The Metal had a bit of a teal sheen and was less dark than his armor. He wondered if this was due to a lack of oricalcum. As he made some practice swings with the weapon, Alistair felt its robustness and power. "Of course, the weapon is self-repairing and soul-bound to you." She watched his practice swings, which displaced a lot of air, causing some of the lighter equipment in the room to flutter. "Why is the Adamantine discolored?" Alistair asked curiously. This elicited a surprised reaction from Resni, who had not expected him to be knowledgeable about metals. "It''s from an adamantine root," Resni explained further. "Lately, some groups have discovered sources of growing metals, significantly impacting market prices. The adamantine root, also known as ''dwarf candy'' due to its teal color, offers quality almost identical to regular adamantine. It has become a common ingredient, replacing mined ore. I consulted with Nessyra first; she deemed the cost difference unworthy of using regular ore."
Examining the weapon, Alistair felt genuinely pleased with the result. The poleaxe was a considerable improvement, and the choice of grown adamantine over naturally occurring ore didn''t bother him in the slightest. The craftsmanship and quality of the weapon were evident, and Alistair couldn''t help but be impressed. "This is amazing. I''m already itching to try it out," Alistair said absentmindedly as he twirled the weapon in his hand. "I am glad to know my weapon is in good hands. If you ever have any work you wish done, don''t hesitate to reach out to me," Resni said with a smile on her face. Alistair nodded appreciatively, taking a moment to adjust to Resni''s disparity in voice and appearance. He then shifted his focus to the smaller, more richly decorated chest resting on the counter. It had gold inlays creating waves and had a red gem inset over its lock. "Ah yes, the chest is on the house. Let me know what you think," Resni said, anticipation evident in her tone. Alistair picked up the small, adorned chest and opened it, examining its contents with a smile before closing the chest and storing it in his inventory. "It''s perfect. Thank you, Resni. I''ll be back if I need something crafted. And as for the chest, I insist on paying for it as well," Alistair asserted, engaging in a brief back-and-forth with Resni before accepting her gift. He then transferred the owed amount of [USC] as payment for her craftsmanship.
Alistair said his goodbyes and made his way back outside, but as he reached the door, Resni called out to him. "Aren''t you going to recruit me?" she asked, her tone uncertain. Turning back to face her, Alistair looked mildly surprised. "We would be delighted to have you, but I don''t believe in pressuring others into big decisions. I''m more than content to befriend you and continue benefiting from your exceptional craftsmanship through commissions," he replied honestly. Alistair could see a conflicted expression on her bearded face. Her inner turmoil was evident, and Alistair decided to leave her be. "If there is anything you need or wish to ask, feel free to contact me." He concluded as he waved and stepped back out into the bustling street. Alistair had made a trip to Nessyra a few days earlier; she had obtained the measuring orbs he needed. He was pleasantly surprised as all his commonly used affinities were quite strong, and he even had a high affinity for luck. In the end, he spent a bit more time than he had expected with Nessyra talking about affinities and the importance of the measuring tools. His kinetic affinity was incredibly high, to the point that his measuring orb was not specialized enough to give an exact measurement. But it was enough for him to make his call about which affinity he would improve. The tournament would start in a few hours, so Alistair decided to return to his study room as he wanted to cultivate and absorb his treasure in private. Riseth was not in his study, and Alistair presumed she was busy working on the Artemis or helping his brother. With Alistair''s acquisition of a missile system, she had been quite busy trying to replicate and upscale it for the Artemis. As the Shuttle was more of a camouflaged transport craft, it lacked proper armaments, which she wanted to amend. Alistair stood under the shade of his huge ginkgo tree, pulling out the unattuned affinity orb from his storage. He had asked almost everyone whose input he valued which affinity he should improve. Ultimately, he decided to follow his gut feeling as he directed his intent to imbue the orb with the affinity of luck. The white nebulous swirls turned golden as the whole orb flickered in a mixture of deep shades of green, bright red, and glimmering gold. After stabilizing, the orb sunk into his hand as if there was no resistance, and Alistair felt strange energies flow through him. As fast as the feeling came, it vanished again as a chime rang out. Alistair had tried to sense the magic and any changes to his body but felt exactly the same. Had he wasted this treasure, as his luck affinity was already too high? Alistair worriedly checked his notification, which informed him that he had acquired a new skill.
Notifications:
The Skill [Lucky] has been obtained.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Unique] Lucky Passively increases the user''s luck affinity and further wards the user from misfortune by slightly affecting probability in his favor. This skill is a racial skill obtained through unique means. The system bars upgrading or combining the skill through normal means.
Alistair read the skill several times over, and multiple things stood out to him. Was this skill his permanent boost to his luck affinity? Or was this the secondary hidden effect, and he lucked out by having multiple boosts to his luck affinity? Also, the skill description felt more like a trait rather than a skill. Though his windows were already getting kind of full with tabs, and he would benefit little from adding yet another category. He decided to leave it and just consider it a passive skill. Chapter 92: Team Free For All Alistair''s alarm went off, informing him it was time to head for the arena. He halted his cultivation and started to head for the arena. Alistair had used some of the [Arcane] essences he had gotten from the Ambrosia to improve the flow of magic within his Skin and Ribs. He had gotten a good amount of passive increase in his [Control] stat from doing so. Additionally, he felt a surge of progress toward unlocking the missing components required for his desired augmented physiology. Turning his Ribcage into a kinetic storage had turned out much more difficult than expected. Creating new augmented body parts was by no means easy. Alistair benefitted greatly from having a wide selection of augmented body part templates provided by his topic. However, developing new ones requires quite a bit of trial and error. Sadly, he could not just mash whatever essences together and intend for them to do what he wanted. It required him to temper mold and refine them into proper pathways to have them interact in the ways he wanted. Some concepts put a lot more stress on the body than others and required him to temper said body parts until they could handle it. There was also a limit to how much his Grade 10 body could handle, and he had gained a level from his cultivation session. This was the first time he had leveled up during cultivation, but he had suspected that advancing his body cultivation would provide him with records for a while now. When Alistair stepped through the portal and arrived in the arena, he was greeted by a massive crowd. Apparently, almost everyone with a sufficient arena score would participate in this tournament. Alistair presumed it was because participation alone would increase the gladiator title. Alistair was about to call Riseth to tell her he had arrived in the Arena when she appeared in the portal behind him. "Good timing. Let''s find an alcove to meet with the others," Alistair said, waiting for her to step up beside him. "I am pretty sure almost everyone is already here. Let me call Esta and check where they settled down," Riseth responded. She was proven correct. Pretty much the entire clan had already arrived and claimed a space far away from any gates, as most of the arena dungeon was overflowing with people. They pushed their way through the crowd, and Alistair wrinkled his nose at the mixing body odors. Sweat was somehow one of the less bad body odors individuals could excrete. As they arrived in the alcove, they found that even Nessyra was participating with a mercenary she had hired for this match. Nessyra had learned to weaponize her contract magic to a degree and fought using spell lists and mental attacks. She also considered getting herself a Summon, but they had to find a suitable one. His brother was wearing the power armor he had seen, though it had received an upgrade. A dual missile pod had replaced one of his shoulder plates. Alistair could sense a mana engine, and storage crystals had been embedded into the armor. Alistair could also make out a familiar thruster design that he was quite sure came from Aknis'' mech. James formed a team with his girlfriend and mother. He held little hope for them winning their tournament despite being strong for their level. This tournament was sorted by grade, and they were roughly 15 levels shy of the cap, and besides his brother, none of them had undergone a racial evolution. Jessica wielded two curved blades and wore a sleek but less decked-out version of James''s power armor. Alistair knew she did not have a strong arcane affinity, which led to her using magic more instinctively and leaning more on their self-made equipment. Desily and Zathron actually had the best chance, besides himself and Riseth, to win their match, as they were both some of the highest-level people he knew and quite capable. Neither Zathron''s nor Desily''s appearance had changed a whole lot from their racial evolution. The most notable change was Desily''s wings, which had become more etherial and her irses had become more a deep swirling purple. They were already betting on which one of them would be able to kill more opponents. Esta and Simon had teamed up, though unless they got lucky with their grouping, they would also struggle. They did not know what levels the true elites had reached. Simon had undergone a racial evolution through his Grade advancement into an Obsidian Strider. His skin had taken on a darker tone with a slight sheen to it, while his eyeballs had become a deep, reflective black reminiscent of polished obsidian. It was somewhat uncomfortable to look at, but Simon had said he would take it in stride. Simon''s evolution still rewarded him the [Man of Change] title as he did not use an Evolution Stone. However, he missed out on all his earlier levels that could have benefitted from the increased stat gains. Esta had become an Emberstorm Elf. Her transformation was remarkable. Fiery red lightning crackled across her now slightly darker skin in intricate vein patterns, especially pronounced on her arms and shoulders. Her straight black hair had taken on a slight red sheen, and her eyes blazed with a deep, burning red, Alistair, who had not seen her in a while, congratulated her on her evolution and wished them luck with their tournament. They all exchanged a last few words before everyone received their invitations simultaneously.
Duo Free for all [Grade 10]
Participation counts towards [Gladiator] title.
Partner: Riseth Ryser
Defeat all opponents
Time left to confirm: 69 Seconds [0/2]
Opponents: ?/98 Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Do you wish to Participate?
[Yes] [No]
Little was said as the group exchanged glances of determination. One after the other, the groups disappeared into the arena. Riseth and Alistair were among the last to leave, and they both appeared in the arena under the familiar dome. Sandstone brick buildings surrounded them, and the floor beneath them was tiled from the same stone. The air was dry, and two suns shone down on them from far above. Notably, the dome enclosing the arena was absolutely massive, indicating they were in a vast arena. They could not see any other domes as their dome was squeezed in an isolated alley. The most stand-out feature of this tournament was a large projection listing who was still alive and which team got the most kills. The top 10 were displayed as empty for the time being as a countdown ticked down, letting them know they had a minute before being released. "Shit. The odds are that we want to be on that ranking for a separate title." Alistair cursed over the Akashic link as he did not wish to be overheard. "We should be able to get some kills, turn invisible, and wait out the worst of the fighting from one of the cellars here," Riseth suggested. "Why a cellar? Wouldn''t it be better to go on a ceiling or higher floor instead?" Alistair inquired. "What''s with you humans always wanting the high ground? It''s not over if you don''t have it. The underground would protect us from most area damage," Riseth countered. "Except for poison and other gasses and the fact that the building will likely collapse on us," Alistair pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "I can get us out of any collapsed building, and on the off chance that there are any poison gas users, we should be able to react in time," Riseth assured. "Let''s stick to the upper floor for visibility while we snipe some kills and go lay low in the cellars after?" Alistair proposed, seeking a compromise. Riseth nodded, patting him on the shoulder, signaling that she wished to be picked up. She then turned them invisible shortly before the countdown ran out. Alistair immediately took to the air a nearby building complex, where explosions and combat rang out all around them. As they reached the roof, they saw that they were in a massive city surrounded by forests and a distinct Arabic palace structure in the center. Alistair could see people fighting in the courtyard as the yellow palm trees adorning the courtyard were uprooted by a massive explosion from a missile, killing both teams engaged in combat. They could see both plasma and kinetic rounds shot arc across from the city and the surrounding forests. Alistair pointed to a gunfight in a market square as the fighters there seemed quite mediocre, and they both teleported into the fray dismissing invisibility. Alistair sent out two razor blasts, cutting through the brick building and slicing apart one of the shooters before bringing down his new poleaxe on the second combatant, whose shocked expression was plastered across his face as the head went flying. Alistair grimaced as both of the fighters had been human. He still had a bit of a dislike for cutting down his own kin, even if it was in the arena. Riseth had teleported to the opposing group of gunners. Piercing the throat of the first one with her bone blades, decapitating him and redirecting the bullets of the second shooter with her [Veil of Space], bending the bullets around her, riddling him with his own attack before finishing him with a slash of her extending bone blade. Before they could link up, a missile hurled their way and forced both of them to take cover, running through their respective building away from the market square. Alistair presumed it was the enemy''s goal to separate them. However, they knew each other''s exact position due to their resonance and assistance from the Akashic link in map form.
As Alistair stepped into another alley, he was swiftly confronted by a red-skinned demon wielding two curved blades. The demon sported four black horns and three eyes, wearing a toothy smile and revealing sharp fang-like teeth. The demon had a sleek, skin-tight suit of armor made of adamantine and synthetic materials he did not recognize. Alistair could sense that his opponent also held the [Primal Revelation] title. Alistair returned the smile as he caught the two blades with his Poleaxe, extending his [Chrono Seizing Hand] magic through it after absorbing the impact, which shot out contained within a sphere. The exchange confused the demon as he struggled to shrug off Alistair''s time magic. Alistair seized the moment, stepping closer and using a charged, repulsive blast, which slammed his opponent into the alley wall. The demon crashed straight through the wall and the next. Alistair activated his boosting skills and blinked, hounding the demon. The demon caught himself in mid-air, shooting two force blades at Alistair, who swatted them away with his poleaxe, absorbing most of the energy. The demon frowned as he spat a black lump to the ground, enveloping the entire area in rapidly expanding black smoke. Riseth had a pretty different opponent to contend with. A roughly three-meter-tall, mech-suit-clad demon was shooting at her with a rocket launcher. She teleported to avoid the explosions, using her automatic barrier to block the shrapnel flying her way as she attacked the vulnerable joints of the suit. She managed to cut into one of the leg actuators, damaging it as her space magic warped the metal and tubes, but lightning arched out. Her shield flickered, protecting her from the worst, but a small chunk of the defensive measure had been transmitted through her weapon. As the Mechsuit spun around, Riseth swiftly began healing herself, anticipating the next strike. Its vibroblade lashed out, slicing through anything in its path, leaving a deep gash in the nearby brick building. Riseth teleported behind the suit again, trying to attack another leg actuator, but this time, a shield sprung into existence, blocking her strike. Riseth clicked her tongue in annoyance before gathering space energy for her [Vortex Tear] finisher. Employing her light manipulation skill, Riseth flashed the demon with light as it spun around once more, temporarily blinding it. Seizing the opportunity, she swiftly targeted the other leg actuator, destroying it with a powerful strike from both her warping blades plunged into the joint. Electricity arced out again, but Riseth endured as she was shielded, teleporting some distance before unleashing her finisher. The demon, hindered in mobility, underestimated the threat posed by the bolt hurtling toward him. Determined to withstand the attack, he conjured a barrier. However, the barrier shattered under the force of the intense arcane explosion. Another minuscule rift tore open in reality, pulling in the hamstrung and disoriented demon, crushing him and his suit as he was drawn into the tiny rift. Chapter 93: Kill Stealing Bastard Alistair could not help but smile when he saw the demon trying to escape him with a smoke bomb. His conceptual awareness outlined the demon''s body in the smoke, allowing Alistair to ambush him. With a quick teleportation, Alistair grabbed the demon by the scruff of his neck, transferring the stored kinetic energy into power to slam the demon into the floor before ramming the sharp edge of his shield into the demon''s head, piercing his brain and putting a quick end to the fight. Alistair could sense Riseth was still fighting her opponent and tried to link up with her before somebody could jump or interfere in her fight. He frowned a little, as they had only gotten four of the freebie fighters before being interrupted by a pair of slightly more competent fighters. Before he could reach Riseth, she had finished her fight, bringing their kill total to six and putting them in fourth place on the board. Alistair presumed they would need to get a few more kills to guarantee they would stay on the board. He found Riseth hiding in a cellar, a few blocks from the marketplace, recovering her mana. As he linked up with her, he noticed that the explosions had become more sporadic, and the gunfire could only occasionally be heard in bursts in the distance. Alistair was already itching to get back out there as he wanted to secure the first place. Interestingly, even while underground, he could see the scoreboard, which had a name he recognized. Iatok, the glass cannon rabbit, had sniped several kills. "That rabbit''s luck is terrible," Alistair mused, still recalling the rabbit''s energy signature, which would make tracking him relatively easy. He had a weak karmic link that gave him a rough direction due to the close proximity. Alistair presumed he had to be somewhere in the forest. After telling Riseth, she smirked. "It''s rabbit hunting season," she quipped as she got up from her chair and put it back in her storage.
Alistair picked up Riseth before they took to the air and turned invisible. He got the impression that Riseth was purposefully not upgrading her flight skills, as she seemed to enjoy being carried around by him. She noticed his scrutinizing glance and gave him a cheeky smile. They soared towards the forest, where distant gunshots echoed and tall pine-like trees crashed to the ground. Drawing nearer, they observed the ongoing skirmish. The Rabbits engaged in combat with an Octopuskin, who skillfully wielded an array of magics with his many arms and erected barriers to fend off the Iatok''s relentless assault. Aware of the need for stealth, they refrained from using Identify lest they reveal their presence. Alongside the Octopuskin stood a formidable Sharkkin, brandishing a massive battle axe in one hand while casting spells with the other claw. The Shark was currently blocking a second rabbitkin using two guns, shooting in bursts, trying to find gaps in the shark''s defense. It was clearly slower and gave Alistair the sense of a more well-rounded fighter. He was also quite sure it was a female, though it was hard to tell with beastkin. She had similar white fur and red eyes but had some black spots on her coat. "How cute, Stabbit and Gunny. They make an even cuter pair than us. We should kill them." Riseth remarked jokingly over the link. Alistair stifled a chuckle. "Alright, I think I can take out Iatok in one quick ambush, but I would need to be the first to act. Catching him otherwise might be a pain. I doubt he had enough time to prepare against me," he replied, his muscles tensing in preparation. They did not have to wait long for an opportunity where Iatok unknowingly moved into a compromising position. Alistair blasted him with his bloodcurdling mental attack, causing Iatok to freeze in terror. Seizing the moment, Alistair teleported down and swiftly dispatched the Rabbitkin with his poleaxe, pinning him to the ground and delivering a fatal blow with a twist of his weapon. "You kill stealing bastard!" The Octopuskin [Taizusthod Adxidor - lvl 47] yelled, turning his full attention to Alistair after not even a moment''s hesitation. "Sorry about that. But there is a score to consider. I would love to say it''s not personal, but I''m not sure Iatok will see it the same way." Alistair mused aloud before pointing his poleaxe at the Octopuskin with an outstretched arm. Riseth was flying above the group, charging her finisher in preparation, revealing her presence in the process. Alistair felt little threat from those left and was quite sure, when it came down to it, he could beat all of them by himself. He activated his boosting skill and dashed at the Octopuskin, who unleashed a barrage of arcane bolts that Alistair blocked with his barrier. Alistair wanted to teleport to close the gap, but his opponent maintained an arcane field around himself, preventing teleportation. Both the Shark [Kuno - lvl 49] and female Rabbitkin [Gokhiri - 47] were in an uneasy standoff as Riseth hovered above the fight, ready to jump into action where needed. "Help us beat the intruders, and we''ll let you run off for somebody else to kill," Kuno growled at the Rabbitkin, who hesitated briefly before turning her guns on Riseth. "Deal." Riseth teleported out of the line of fire, engaging the Rabbitkin as the Shark rushed to his ally''s aid, chanting a spell and aiming to intercept Alistair as the shark grew in size. "Enlarge Person spell..." Alistair murmured, happy that the shark aimed for him rather than Riseth. His bloodcurdling aura still radiated, giving Taizusthod a hard time. Alistair returned the barrage by unleashing his own barrage of kinetic blasts while closing the distance. The way things were going, it would become a fight over who had more resources, and Alistair felt confident in winning despite Taizusthod''s impressive mana pool. "Get ready to blast the Shark with your finisher," Alistair said over the link as he ran past the Octopus. Taizusthod''s large pupils dilated in surprise as Alistair clashed with Kuno instead of him. Alistair robbed the shark of momentum and transformed it into power to kick Kuno while tripping him with the hooked blade of his poleaxe. "Now!" Alistair yelled over the link as he sent the shark skidding over the ground for roughly two meters. Stolen story; please report. The Bolt impacted and exploded on Kuno''s shoulder before he could erect a barrier for himself. Alistair sensed Taizusthod''s attempt to interfere but cast his own dispelling aura with a somatic hand sign counter spelling the attempt. As he turned to face Taizusthod, he was shot in the back by the Rabbit, the kinetic bullets proving more helpful than harmful. Alistair smirked as a new kinetic sphere started to orbit around him. "What the fuck?!" Taizusthod gurgled as whips of lightning appeared on four of the octopus appendages, lashing out at Alistair, who blocked two of them with his barrier, deciding to let the other two through for practice. He gritted his teeth as thunderclaps rang out, and electric currents burned through his system as he tried to convert the energy of the lightning strikes. Shockingly, Kuno was not immediately done for as he tried to tear himself free despite the less-than-optimal placement of the tear in reality. Blood was gushing out of his gills, and despite having already lost one of his arms, the Shark pulled himself from the brink. Alistair would have none of that as he shot out a deceleration splash blast, halting the shark''s process and compounding the damage he took from the tear. In the meantime, Riseth was performing a lethal dance with Gokhiri. She lashed out with her warping space blades while the rabbit shot at her from point blank. The rabbit made a flip, kicking off Riseth''s arm and unloading a salvo that bent around her Veil of space. She barely missed the rabbitkin as the salvo was sent back. Gokhiri rolled off the forest floor, dirt staining her white fur, as Riseth teleported back in front of her, nicking the rabbitkin with the extending bone blades, warping the wound, cracking ribs as blood started to flow from the crushed wound. Gokhiri jumped back further just as the rift collapsed, and Kuno stumbled out of the attack. Riseth did not hesitate to teleport next to the worn-out shark, plunging both of her bone blades into blood-soaked gills, killing Kuno instantly. Before the body could even crash into the forest floor, a stream of bullets hit Riseth''s automatic barrier as she turned her full attention back to Gokhiri with a toothy grin. "Fucking Demon!" Gokhiri yelped in terror. "Pretty much." Riseth retorted with a laugh before teleporting next to Gokhiri, who only managed to parry with one of her guns, which was warped and ripped out of her paw. Gokhiri cursed under her breath, trying to gain some distance from Riseth to little avail. Gokhiri was slightly faster than Riseth, but Riseth could teleport, and she did not have the means to stop her. Riseth inflicted wounds faster than Gokhiri could heal them. Eventually, Riseth manipulated the space around the Rabbitkin, who jumped back just to be pushed forward instead as the extending bone blades plunged into her chest. Riseth twisted the blades and pulled them in opposite directions, killing Gokhiri. Alistair had stopped taking the lightning whips as it was too resource-intensive, and there were still a few fights left if they wanted to get the number one spot on the leaderboard. After Riseth finished Gokhiri, they moved to second place; noticeably, the formerly second-placed team had been eliminated. Alistair knew this because their names had been greyed out. Taizusthod Seemed to have lost a lot of his bravado once he realized it was now a 2v1, and Alistair showed no signs of slowing down. The bloodcurdling presence had started to wear on the Octopuskin as his movements grew more hesitant, and Alistair felt he was close to smashing through the barriers separating them. Alistair put all the stored kinetic energy into his next swing, shattering Taizusthod''s barriers and cutting through his body as green blood gushed from the wound. Taizusthod let out a gurgle as blood flowed out of his beaked mouth, staggering back as he raised another barrier. Alistair held a lot of respect for Taizusthod because he was the strongest spellcaster Alistair had faced so far. His opponent''s control and mental capabilities were nothing to scoff at. Alistair was sure a lot of people had bet on the octopus to win his bout, but Taizusthod had been unlucky to be matched against him. Alistair continued to push his counterspells through his weapon while pressuring Taizusthod with both blasts and relentless swings of his poleaxe. The Octopus had already lost two limbs, and the new gash on its chest slowed him down further. Alistair could attempt to pool his power to break through and kill his opponents, but it would be resource-intensive, however it looked like his best option. Taizusthod was too fast on the uptake and still had a large pool of mana to resist, so wasting too much time wasn''t an option. The octopus had already been playing for time, hoping Kuno would jump back in the fight. "Why don''t you jump me and end this?" Taizusthod spat as blood splattered on the back side of his barrier. "It''s hard finding a good opponent like you. I prefer fighting you mano a mano. I don''t want to hear that I only won because my partner helped me out." Alistair retorted. Alistair activated his Cold Rage skill and felt the power flowing through his veins. Before Taizusthod could respond, Alistair lashed out with his bloodcurdling presence and increased the amount of Qi he channeled through his Temporal Combat Reflexes skill threefold as time slowed down to crawl. Alistair could see the individual hexagons splinter and embed themself in Taizusthod''s body as he shattered the barrier with a horizontal swing, hacking off another of his opponent''s appendages. But Alistair was not done, as he used the slowed-down flow of time to cut up his opponent piece by piece. When time returned to normal, Taizusthod fell over body parts separating and a large green pool of blood spreading over the forest floor. "That makes Ten. We need to take out the number one guy, and we got this in the bag," Alistair declared as he felt the strain of releasing his boosting skills wash over his body. When he looked, he found that the first-placed team was down to one person. In the first place was a guy called Zalgrun, who wasn''t the only one who had lost a party member. Most teams were down to either one person or completely defeated. Zalgrun was one kill ahead of them with 11. Riseth had a similarly conflicted face as she looked at the score. "We''ve essentially lost the energy we recovered, but we can''t let him rack up any more kills. Let''s hunt down any stragglers until we find and stop him from increasing his score." Riseth suggested with a determined expression. Chapter 94: Tension On their way back to the center of the city, Alistair spotted an injured participant thanks to his conceptual awareness. The black-furred Rabbitkin had used magic to hide in the shadows but was promptly impaled by Alistair ambushing him. They were tied for first place now. However, a lot of new groups climbed on the board, and there were still quite a few individuals left in the tournament. Riseth pointed out some magical fluctuation with the palace in the center. Their invisibility had held up so far, but the Rabbitkin earlier made it abundantly clear that hiding only lasted so long until you were spotted by a skill counteracting it. Fortunately, invisibility and flight only required small amounts of mana, and while suppressing their energy signatures, they did not stand out too much in the ambient mana. However, it was a weakness that Riseth was working on improving. "Should we risk sneaking in? Just to see who is fighting?" Riseth asked over the link "It''s risky, but we can likely snipe a kill or two, and it might be Zalgrun fighting in there," Alistair responded, scratching his chin. "Let''s do this," Riseth said, giving him a toothy smile. They kept low, flying through the many alleys, not spotting anyone as they entered the palace grounds. The courtyard was a mess. The missile had destroyed many of the arches and uprooted most of the trees. The acrid scent of burnt hair lingered in the air. They entered one of the balconies of the central palace, sneaking towards the sounds of battle. After passing through some corridors, they looked down upon a throne room from a balcony. Down below, two people were fighting. One was a Merman with middle-length black hair and a small, somewhat slender, yet muscular frame. His skin was turquoise, and he wore skin-tight modern clothing. His face looked young, and exasperation was painted across it as he blocked another swing with his falchion. He took ragged, defiant breaths, staring intensely at his opponent. Clad in all-black, similarly tight leather clothing with an over-abundance of leather straps. Alistair recognized him as a vampire due to the ashen skin, fangs, and red glowing eyes that bore into his opponent. He had long pitch-black hair, and his face was adorned by a wore well-waxed and pointy van dyke beard. He wore a black cloak with a red inner lining made of velvet. He wielded a thin, silvery blade that almost looked like a rapier. Alistair raised his eyebrows at the flamboyant outfit, which looked like something you find at a KISS concert. But the most offputting thing was their combat taunts and banter. The Vampire swatted the falchion to the side with his long blade before kicking the Merman into one of the nearby pillars, which cracked. "I will dominate you and use your body like a slave for what you did to my companion," the Vampire declared in a deep, anticipation-laden voice. The Merman gave him a defiant smile. "Oh yeah?" He responded incredulously as he wobbled a little on his legs. A predatory smile widened on the Vampire''s face. "Yes... I will make you suffer. I will make you beg for me to finish you off," "I''d like to see you try!" the merman said stoically, with a cheeky smile, as he raised his falchion and pointed it at the Vampire. Alistair and Riseth furrowed their brows and scrunched up their faces in a what the fuck? expression as they looked at each other. "Is it just me, or do these two have some really weird sexual tension between each other?" Riseth asked over the link. Alistair continued to listen to the two fighters below. "No, you''re right. I sense it, too, though they might be just really terrible at combat banter," Alistair smirked, and Riseth struggled not to laugh and to give their presence away. This was made even more difficult as the two fighters below continued their banter, making it harder for them not to laugh. "I will put you down~," The vampire said in an almost sensual voice, whispering into the Merman''s Fin-like ears as he teleported next to him. "Okay, they got to know what they are doing, right?" Alistair asked incredulously over the link. The Merman spun around, pushing away the semi-incorporeal vampire that had wrapped around him with his magically charged webbed hand. "It will take a lot to get me there," the Mermen said defiantly before unleashing an energy blade the Vampire casually sidestepped. The Vampire clearly loved theatrics; Alistair presumed the Vampire had waited in the throne room to play out this scenario. "I first thought they noticed us and were just fucking with us, but I think they are actually into each other," Riseth responded. This continued for several more minutes until Alistair exchanged another glance with Riseth. She knew what he was about to do, so she gave him a thumbs-up as she casually leaned against the balcony''s balustrade, maintaining her invisibility. "Are you two going to fuck or not?" Alistair yelled down from the balcony. This elicited a laugh from Riseth and a perfectly in-sync "What?!" from the Mermen [Zalgrun - lvl 49] and the Vampire [Demian Krahl - lvl 48]. He felt two identifys hit him as they checked who he was before the Vampire spoke up. "We are locked in a fight for our lives. Show some respect and wait your turn," Demian demanded in a frustrated and slightly annoyed tone. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Are you sure? Like, I did watch the two of you fighting down there, but it sounded like the two of you were about to bone or something," Alistair said, struggling to keep a straight face. Zalgrun looked flustered, while Demian looked incredibly annoyed. "Get the fuck out of here, Alistair!" The Vampire yelled. Alistair smirked as he added insult to injury and continued subtly using the vicious mockery manually. "This is still a Tournament, in case you forgot while flirting with your loverboy over there. But I don''t mind waiting until you two exchange contact information." The Merman and Vampire exchanged hesitant glances, unsure if they should cooperate as they knew Riseth had to be around somewhere. Alistair continued to smile at them, happy they had not caught on to what he was doing, as Riseth positioned herself behind the pair, poised to strike. These two were excellent for practicing more subtle mind attacks. "No need to be embarrassed. I won''t judge," Alistair added as both of his opponents were plagued by annoyance and indecision. "But on the off chance that I''m wrong, you two really need to work on your combat banter," Alistair added as he jumped on the balustrade, taking out his poleaxe, knowing the vampire was about to break out of his mind tricks. As if on cue, the Vampire dashed at him in reckless abandon, his ashen face marked in fury. Alistair activated his Temporal Combat Reflexes and fed it twice as much Qi as usual as he parried the sword swing. Alistair then extended his Dispelling Aura to prevent Demian from turning incorporeal. The shocked expression of the Vampire''s face told him he was not used to being stopped in his tracks. Alistair''s senses were screaming at him that this Vampire was dangerous. He suspected Demian had either started as or evolved into a high-tier vampire early in the trial. Zalgrun stood there amazed as he watched the exchange above before looking down at two bone blades sticking out of his chest, flickering and warping with space magic while scrambling his insides. He had accumulated too much damage over the span of the tournament, and as the blades ripped out the sides of his body, he collapsed in a bloody heap. Alistair, on the other hand, had a much harder time and was shocked that the Vampire only occupied fifth place in the current rankings. Riseth planned to jump in, but he told her to keep out and stop anyone from interfering. He would not pass up the chance to finally fight somebody about as strong as himself. The Vampire benefited from being a high-tier race and seemed to have a decent assortment of skills. Most of Alistair''s attacks passed through the Vampire as Demian turned incorporeal, brute-forcing his ability through Alistair''s Dispelling Aura.
Alistair recalled from his research that a Vampire''s regeneration was linked to its blood reserves. As he inflicted injuries, Demian''s blood reserves would dwindle, meaning that his Health and Mana regeneration would diminish more and more. After their first few clashes, Demian avoided using his sword as he realized how Alistair both stole the energy and retaliated swiftly, using the stolen momentum against him. This made Demian''s slightly superior swordplay meaningless, so he switched to using his shadow magic, which formed bands that tried to wrap around Alistair to tie him down. But to Demian''s annoyance, no matter how much mana he put into his shadow magic, it could not restrain Alistair due to his armor''s Freedom of Movement enchantment. Riseth followed the fight with rapt attention. Analyzing Demian''s shadow magic, she had a high affinity for it but had not deemed it a worthwhile concept to invest in. This fight gave her meaningful insights into shadow magic applications, and she would make sure not to miss out on any of them. It also became abundantly clear that the vampire had been toying with Zagron, as he clearly could have finished the fight quickly if he wanted. Alistair had a wide grin as he thoroughly enjoyed himself. Demian was just as hard to pin down as himself. He had gotten the occasional attack with his poleaxe and had one decently charged kinetic sphere orbiting around him. Alistair knew others could show up at any moment and interfere, just as he had. However, some part of him welcomed this challenge and even yearned for it. He had been facing decently strong opponents but few that could truly challenge him as of late. He knew Nessyra had told him not to draw too much attention and finish fights fast, but he wanted more than this, and the vampire was a good start. But Alistair knew if he pulled out the stops, the Vampire would crumble under the pressure unless he started pulling out some hidden aces. "I will put you down and suck you dry, you insolent dog!" Demian called out to Alistair, who raised his eyebrows. "This still sounds incredibly gay," Alistair told the Vampire, who only grew more furious. "Valiant last words for a cur on the backfoot," Demian spat. Alistair considered continuing his mental attacks through vicious mockery but was happy just to let his bloodcurdling aura whittle the Vampire down. Alistair''s armor warped as the Vampire returned the favor, the irises expanding as both eyes radiated a red glow, making it hard to look away. Alistair''s armor and constitution helped him resist Demian''s attempts to control his body. Alistair had wanted to hold back on the cold rage as it dampened his enjoyment from the fights. His rage skill usually made use of that annoyance of losing out on enjoyment to fuel itself. Alistair activated the skill and immediately did not even feel like joking around anymore as the simmering rage burned inside him, driving him forward. Demian tried to assault Alistair with a swarm of shadow blades extending from his shadow, but Alistair defended against the attack with a barrier. He then threw out a razor blast, harassing the vampire and forcing him to use a barrier of his own. Alistair then proceeded to rapidly fire his fire blasts, forcing the vampire into defense. Demian was forced to put his all into his own barrier. "Alistair, you got to hurry up. We got people fighting outside in the courtyard," Riseth warned him over the link. This only stoked his simmering rage; luckily, Demian seemed to have given up on his mental attack. This means Alistair would be able to drop the skill after his upcoming push. Alistair proceeded to close the gap between him and Demian. He maintained his assault of fire blasts until he mixed in a series of dispelling blasts, creating a gap for him to exploit. Two fire blasts slipped through the cracks, searing the vampire''s face and shoulder, just as Alistair darted in, driving the point of his poleaxe through the vampire''s chest. Demian had staggered and reflexively tried to grab the poleaxe impaling him but found himself slowed down. Alistair managed a smile as he unleashed the stored-up kinetic energy from the sphere to course through the Vampire. Demian was forced to put his all into turning incorporeal, burning through his blood reserves to get away from Alistair''s time and momentum-based magic wrecking his body. Alistair watched the Vampire get away as he stopped his Cold Rage skill, feeling temporary feebleness wash over him. However, the Vampire''s regeneration speed had slowed significantly after the last strike as the wounds did not close in a matter of seconds anymore. Alistair had deactivated his rage skill as he was not confident in maintaining it in case the incoming fighters were strong, dragging out the combat for too long and exhausting him in the process. He needed to put Demian down and fast. Chapter 95: To Kill A Vampire Alistair knew it had been a selfish and bad idea to fight the Vampire by himself, but he did not regret it. There were some upsides, such as Riseth being able to recover a little and observe Demian''s shadow techniques. Luckily, the approaching opponents were still busy fighting each other outside the palace. Unfortunately, the feebleness from using cold rage still lingered, forcing Alistair to rely on his blasts. On the other hand, now that he knew the enemy was coming anyway. He did not have to hold back on his explosive blast and other more noticeable abilities. Alistair tried to nail the Vampire with dispelling blasts in one hand and explosive ones from the other in rapid succession. Demian was cursing under his breath but Alistair could not make out what he said over his explosive blasts blowing the occasional chunk out of the Vampire as Demian regenerated as much as he could while throwing up barriers. "If he tries to run, feel free to jump in," Alistair told Riseth over the Akashic Link. "Sorry, but I have to jump in if you don''t hurry it up. Losing the potential titles and the money bet on us is not worth it," Riseth replied somewhat hesitantly. "She''s right; I need to end this quickly," Alistair acknowledged. He had become too engrossed in the battle. If they had killed Demian and hid, they would have most likely won by default after dispatching whoever was left. And it was still not too late for that outcome, though it would be quite messy to dispatch the Vampire quickly. Vampires were notoriously hard to put down, even on lower grades. Things had been a bit too easy lately. He missed the challenge and adrenaline he had felt at the beginning of the trial. But making things hard for himself and potentially missing out was unacceptable. Demian was already on his last leg. Alistair increased the amount of Qi channeled into his Temporal Combat Reflex skill as he teleported next to the vampire. Alistair used a flash of light to blind the vampire temporarily, and it was surprisingly effective as the vampire''s skin glittered and his eyes began to smoke. Demian recoiled, and his concentration broke as the barriers flickered out of existence; he wailed and covered his burning eyes with his hands. Alistair managed to grab one of his arms with Chrono Seizing Hand, and channel dispel magic, preventing the Vampire from pulling away immediately. In retaliation, Demian pierced through Alistair''s Kinetic Skinguard with a series of shadow spears. Alistair felt the pain coursing through him as the spears pierced his body, and his [HP] started to drop. However, his [HP] pool was absolutely massive, and with his augmented physiology, the pain was reduced to be more than bearable. He headbutted Demian, breaking his nose and absorbing the kinetic energy directed at himself as he started to burn the Vampire with conjured flames at point-blank range. Demian tried to let out a shriek, but the time dilation distorted and elongated the scream. "Fun times is over. They are coming," Riseth said over the link, teleporting to his side with her blades drawn. Alistair grimaced; the process of putting down Demian was rather gruesome and even slower than he had hoped. He retrieved one of the shorter blades from his inventory and plunged it into the vampire''s blood core, located on the right side of the chest opposite his heart. Demian had been clawing at him while wailing in pain, powering through the time dilation. But all it did was add kinetic energy to his spheres. Alistair concentrated his fire on the blade and burned out the vampire''s blood core, killing him just as two drones flew into the throne room. "Go, we will try to hide for now. I''ll take out the drones," Alistair said as he dropped Demian''s body, which fell and landed with a loud thud. His armor had protected him from most of the attacks, but the spears had bypassed it, and he was bleeding badly. Usually, he managed to avoid this through his skillset, but besides his bracers, he had little means to heal himself, and closing the holes in his body himself would take too much time and be too energy inefficient. He used the kinetic energies within his sphere to create a set of kinetic blasts that shattered the two drones. He let loose a barrage of explosive blasts down the corridor, aiming to slow down their pursuers, then swiftly teleported to one of the windows that Riseth had shattered, where she hovered, waiting for him. They turned invisible shortly before explosions rocked the throne room. Alistair wordlessly picked up Riseth, who immediately started stitching his wounds with her particular brand of healing magic. They hurried down into an alleyway, trying to lose their pursuers and recover before returning to combat. "Good news. They are arguing over their lost drones. They won''t be able to track us properly," Riseth said over the link while looking back toward the palace. "Just how good are your ears?" Alistair asked over the link, a bit surprised. "Quite good, especially after some refining," Riseth said before reassuringly adding, "Oh, and don''t worry, I molded in some safety measures so I don''t blow out my ear drums every time." "Not what I was worried about," Alistair said jokingly as they entered one of the city buildings, heading for the cellar. "Oh yeah?" Riseth inquired as she summoned a couch, and they both let their bodies fall into it. "Are you sure they won''t find us?" Alistair asked as Riseth started working on his wounds again. "Pretty sure we would kick their ass even if they did, but no need to take the risk of other people piling on. We have been fighting with only short breaks for a while now." Riseth responded. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Alistair looked up at the ceiling, checking the score. They were firmly in first place with 13 kills, and the second to fourth-placed teams had been eliminated, with the rest of the pack only now catching up. There were still quite a few teams out there, and Alistair suspected most of them had been hiding and sniping easy targets when they presented themselves. Alistair looked down at his hands and grimaced. Killing Demian had been quite gruesome, even knowing he would respawn. "Don''t worry too much about killing that Vampire. We''ll have to take out some opponents sooner or later, and they won''t be respawning," Riseth reassured him after observing him for a moment. Alistair nodded, wincing as her healing skill tore at his flesh to close the bleeding wound. "I''m honestly curious how someone with a high-tier species like that is still at grade 10." she mused, her tone tinged with annoyance. "That''s like a demon lord sitting in his castle all day and waiting for someone to kill him." Alistair avoided eye contact. He would not bring up how that was a common trope that had trickled through from the multiverse. "It didn''t seem like he spent much time honing his magic skills. Most of what he did seemed to be related to racial skills. My mind is already racing with tons of possibilities on how to enhance those shadow abilities," she added, her thoughts drifting towards future strategies not noticing that he kept quiet. "Let''s just rest and then get back out there. I know you won''t stay still and wait for them to kill each other for long," Riseth said as she finished up with his wounds, leaning back onto the couch and staring at the ceiling as well. "Damn Right," Alistair said with a smirk on his face as he turned to look at her. She rolled her eyes before leaning into him, relaxing her body as she did. "To be fair, there are practical reasons as well. They might team up and try to kill us as we are sitting in the first place, and preventing us from getting any more kills could allow one or two of the groups to barely pass us in the scoreboard." Alistair added. She looked down from the score and nodded approvingly. They started talking about their earlier battle and some of the insights Riseth had gained from observing Demian and his skills. Alistair gave some feedback on the shadow skills and recommended that she stick to her plan to refine her skin with ethereal essences and not mix it with elements of shadows for now. It was common for Body cultivators to augment their skin with defensive properties. They had lucked out as they had gotten quite a bit of ethereal essence from the ambrosia. They had a handful of defensive patterns using lower-tier essences from the cultivation manuals. Those patterns and Alistair''s experience in creating his own defensive skin augmentation helped them immensely in the intricate process of developing a new augmented organ pattern. Alistair would not have known where to begin without the manuals and their instructions. He had encountered his fair share of roadblocks and lost some valuable essences in the process. Riseth had convinced him to write down his experiences and the patterns he had created. He would not publish them for now, but she had been correct with the assumption that it might add to his records and could benefit the clan down the line. Reflecting on what worked and the how and why had given him some epiphanies he would not have had if he had not revisited the issues. He had also obtained a create manual skill that, much like his array skill, was separate from his body cultivation skill.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Uncommon] Create Manual Whenever the user creates a manual, his magic imbues it, increasing its resilience. The more knowledge the user imbues into the manual, the more resilient it becomes. Body Cultivation manuals reduce the reader''s prerequisites for gaining insights.
She looked down from the score and nodded approvingly. "To bad it''s too risky to use our Soulscape in here," "Well, we could use it one after the other," Alistair suggested. "It''s not the same doing it alone. Also, I like your Soulscape better," She replied, giving him a weak smile. Alistair realized that he had never entered her Soulscape and was not even sure he could. He lacked the title she had that allowed her access to his Soulscape. "What does your soulscape even look like?" Alistair asked After some hesitation, she explained that it was the cheap apartment she had gotten after she started working for a living and gaining her independence. It was relatively high up on a mountain overlooking the jungles below. It was technically a well-kept place with a beautiful view, though, according to Neshan culture, it was considered an apartment for poor people and undesirables. As the deeper one was, the more prestigious, though, she had always liked the view and the freedom the place had represented. She had gained a new perspective and appreciation for the place after the initiation, though shaking off the cultural stigma of such places was a slow process. They both suddenly stopped talking over their Akashic link as they sensed murderous intent directed at the two of them. They both leaped away from the couch, weapons drawn. There was a moment of silence, but the intent was still there. Riseth took the chance to store the couch as they bolted for the stairs. Just before they were about to reach it, metallic clangs rang out, and they saw a device tumbling down the stairs. Alistair wrapped his arms around Riseth and summoned his shield, blocking the line of sight to the bomb as a massive explosion rocked the chamber. The building above them collapsed, and Alistair strained despite Riseth''s barrier, absorbing some of the initial explosion. As some of the dust settled, Alistair absorbed three highly condensed spheres of Kinetic energy orbited around them. There was a chime, and he was pretty sure the strain and danger of the situation had finally upgraded his Kinetic Skinguard skill. Their combination of skills and good armor had shielded them from the worst, and Alistair wanted nothing more than to return the favor by shoving the stored kinetic energy down the attacker''s throat. However, the building had collapsed, and the stairways were buried in rubble. There were cracks in the ceiling where light shone through. "I can get us out. Hold on tight," Riseth said with a pained expression, a streak of blood flowing out of her nose. Chapter 96: Whats That? Riseth warped the space above them as the cracks above them widened. She wiped the blood off her nose, and they jumped out of the collapsed building and into the streets. Dust still hung in the air and reduced visibility, but they could hear metal clattering nearby, and they both teleported away just before more explosions rang out. Alistair spotted multiple drones in the area, and the person directing them from a nearby roof, due to his conceptual awareness skill, highlighting them through the dust. He teleported next to his assailant, an Elf wearing goggles, seeming capable of tracking him even in the dust. The elf wore a shocked expression, and Alistair, for a moment, thought it was Adamar due to the similar attire. However, he noticed the differences from up close as the elf had shorter ears, a hooked nose, and a slightly different hair color. Alistair could sense more opponents approach him and was not willing to mess around as he made a charged overhead swing with his poleaxe using Razor Slash, putting in the kinetic energy of two of the three spheres crashing through the elf''s barrier and armor, splitting him in two. As the elf died, the drones lost their connection, and they fell out of the sky. Alistair was kicked in his side before the drones could even clatter to the ground. Alistair was surprised as his threat detection had not registered the incoming attack. He, however, managed to absorb enough energy from the attack to fill one of the spheres back up, but he was also bruised and sent flying into another building. Alistair absorbed the kinetic impact from crashing into the wall as two figures rushed towards him. One of which he only registered because he was looking straight at the person. It was a strange Alien with two sets of arms, retrograde legs, and hoof-like feet, which it had used to kick him. It had large, round, and completely black eyes. It had a weird slit on its forehead, parting the veiny greyish skin. It wore a set of power armor and wielded a large hammer with two of its arms. Identify revealed the attacker to be [Zutriniz - lvl ?]. He had no idea what this race or even gender it was, but he would need to keep his eye on it as it radiated no mana or any other energy signature, as if it were a blank of sorts. The other attacker was a Human [Salrias - level 46] wearing silvery fantasy armor and wielding a two-handed sword. The man had black hair and a full beard. However, Alistair felt little threat from him compared to the undetectable Zutriniz. Riseth had turned invisible and could hear multiple opponents coordinating with each other. Recovering had come at a price as a few of the left over groups had formed a temporary alliance to put them down. She had sensed how Alistair had immediately killed one of their supporters as one of the drones following her crashed into the ground. "There! The dust is moving. Blow her up!" One of them called out as an explosive spell hurled her way. Riseth managed to jump around a corner and teleport out of range as an explosion went off where she had just been. She flew to one of the buildings to get a better overview herself but heard more shouts coming her way. "I hear her wings flap. She is over there!" Another more croaky voice called out. Riseth cursed internally as she landed on one of the roofs and saw four people rush in her general direction. They were clearly planning to take her out first as they had marked her as the supporter. Facing four of them at once would be too risky, even if they were nothing special individually. She needed to ambush them and, preferably, take them out one after the other by skirmishing until Alistair finished the people sent to impede him. She hid behind the parapets of the roof, blades at the ready, as one of the incoming opponents was heading toward her building.
Alistair grimaced as Zutriniz teleported, disappearing from his sight. Dealing with an opponent who didn''t emit any magical signals or trigger threat detection was incredibly vexing, especially considering Zutriniz''s ability to penetrate his Kinetic Skinguard with physical attacks. Alistair spotted the Alien attacking from the corner of his eyes. The hammer shattered through the hastily erected barrier, and Alistair managed to intercept the attack with his sepaskarite shield extending out of his armor. Alistair attempted to redirect the impact back through the hammer but had little effect as the weapon rejected the kinetic energy entering it and dispersing into the air with a whip-cracking sound. Alistair wanted to contemplate what the hell was going on. Was it a skill or a racial thing? However, he had little focus to spare as an undetectable Alien and a human swordsman assailed him. Luckily, Salrias had a much harder time getting through his Kinetic Skinguard as his armor easily deflected the rest. He decided not to dispatch the Human and use him for kinetic energy generation unless he showed more troublesome capabilities than kinetic-based sword beams and boosting and utility skills. Alistair did, however, transfer some of the energies back to Salrias to give the impression of warding the attacker off. Much more troublesome was Zutriniz, who managed actually to push him around whenever he spotted the Alien too late. Grappling him had the same effect as channeling the Kinetic energy through his weapon, and the Alien''s skin rejected the energies transferred through his body. This meant Alistair had a much harder time holding on than usual, as his time magic was ineffective as well. Just as the Zutriniz managed to pull himself free, Alistair managed to slash him with his poleaxe, which left a nasty gash as grey blood gushed out. He had seemingly hit an artery of sorts. "So he can be hurt by non-magical means," Alistair realized he would use the stored kinetic energy to empower his swings. Killing Zutriniz had priority because if he hid, finding him would be a massive pain in the ass, if not near impossible. Annoyingly, the Alien, seemingly immune to magic, could use it himself just fine and had a higher power stat than Alistair. Alistair had initially tried to detect the Alien by looking for the lack of or displaced magic, but the Zutriniz seemed to blend into his environment as if he weren''t there. Alistair had considered Illusion magic and had unleashed a powerful dispelling aura to no avail. Alistair just could not seem to get a grasp on Zutriniz''s skills. They stopped for a moment as a massive explosion rang out in the distance. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Salrias, go help the others hunt Riseth. You are only in the way here." Zutriniz commanded in a low, eerie tone, his voice carrying an otherworldly quality that sent shivers down Alistair''s spine. However, more worryingly, he seemed to have caught on to Alistair''s ploys. "What?! No way! You just want to ensure you get the Kill!" Salrias barked, refusing to follow the command.
Riseth swiftly handled her first attacker, a parrot-like birdkin that had flown over her hiding spot. Teleporting above him, she brought him to the ground by severing one of his wings in the initial attack, then swiftly dispatched him by plunging her blade into one of the bird''s eye sockets. Yet, as she landed on him, she couldn''t shake the feeling of the crushed brittle bones beneath her, a reminder of her own strength. The other three pursuers immediately turned their attention toward her upon hearing the pitiful squawk. One of the persuers could best be described as a humanoid purple toadkin with bunny ears and a cat-like tail. The croaking voice belonged to him, and he was the one who caught on the fastest, as he had sharp senses. He wielded a strange nunchuk-like weapon and cast blasts similar to Alistair''s. Identify told her his name was [Nizguc- lvl 44]. The next pursuer was a rhino-like alien, though it lacked a horn. Its skin, a pallid gray, wrapped around bulging muscles, while its sci-fi-like attire blended elements of metal plates, synthetic fabrics, and leather, featuring a palette of brown and pastel colors. In its arms, it carried a minigun with too many wires and crystals attached to its chassis. The Rhino-like alien [Trukand - lvl 45] could fly using magic, though seeing a stocky individual like him fly elegantly through the sky was weird. It felt wrong to Riseth, though she had little time to dwell on it as both Trukand and Nizguc opened fire on her, forcing her to jump off the roof. The last person was a human woman [Dagger - level 41] with black hair and skin. Her body was covered in tribal-like tattoos, and her hair was a mess as parts of her head were shaved while others were not. From what Alistair had told her about Earth, it was unlikely that this woman was from Earth like him. She had wielded a dagger, and Riseth had spotted a whip on her belt. Most notably, much like that frog creature, she could not fly and jumped from building to building instead. A quick glance at the scoreboard told Riseth they were probably dealing with the last few contenders who had banded together to put them down. After killing the birdman, their score stood at 15 kills. Riseth ran and teleported through the alleyways. Hounded by her pursuers, she managed to dive into a large storage facility attached to a market square nearby. Within, she found boxes stacked to the ceiling but had no time to check them as she ran into the labyrinth-like environment. Close to the center, she placed one of her space mines, now optimized to work within the atmosphere, after the suboptimal result when she faced the Nyuvwira. She turned invisible and waited next to one of the exits for her pursuers to get closer to the center. The Rhino had stayed outside, providing overwatch as Dagger and Nizguc entered the maze of crates. "Get out here, you cowardly demon bitch!" Dagger yelled her words, echoing off the large structure and eliciting a keckling sound from Nizguc. Riseth had a toothy grin painted across her face and rushed out of the storage facility as she heard Dagger''s next words. "Hey Toad-Dude, check it out. Do you know what the fuck this weird metal sphere is?" The last she heard before teleporting away from the massive explosion was Nizguc Croaking, "OH FUCK!" in his croaky voice. Dagger was immediately erased from the leaderboard as she stood right next to the bomb. Nizguc had some kind of emergency shielding preventing him from dying immediately but had lost his frog legs, tail, and arm. And found himself buried under the rubble. Trukand, who had been providing overwatch above the structure, had managed to block most of the shrapnel and flying debris with his barrier, though he had lost a good chunk of mana in the process. Trukand suppressed Riseth with his plasma minigun, scorching and cracking the buildings she used for cover, preventing her from finishing Nizguc. Riseth charged her Vortex Bolt in preparation for facing the Rhino-like alien hosing down her position. James had not yet managed to finish the weapons she had requested from him. Alistair had found a miniaturized arcane railgun on a sniper robot, and she had wanted one really badly. However, it would not help much against the Trukand anyway, as he could somehow see through her invisibility. Riseth took a deep breath before teleporting behind Trukand. She lashed out with her space-warped blades, cutting a gash into Trukand''s back, eliciting a rumbling roar from him. His armor and thick skin blocked most of the damage. He spun around surprisingly slowly, and it was easy for her to keep behind him even while flying. Her leathery bat-like wings had been a great boon early on, but she found she would need to develop a skill to improve their fidelity speed and allow her to fly silently. Luckily, body cultivation opened up a lot of doors in that regard, and it was just one more body part she could mold to her liking. Her tail lashed out and wrapped around the Rhino''s midsection, slowing him further as the blades started to rip into his armor and body. It turned out Trukand had a weakness, and it was his limited reflexes as his stocky and cumbersome body struggled. This allowed her to slice and stab at the rhino as he flailed to hit her. He was extremely vulnerable without a supporter covering his back or appropriate skill keeping people off his back. She felt like her finisher would almost be wasted on him, but she needed to finish this fast. She unleashed the bolt at him as he spun around, teleporting to safety. The attack scorched his body and armor before he was slowly ripped to shreds by the miniature rift, killing him. Riseth did not have to search long before finding Nizguc in the rubble and putting him out of his misery. He had been blown to bits, crushed by the structure, and had a large chunk of shrapnel stuck in his flank. She turned to where she sensed Alistair still fighting; his emotions were as excited as usual. However, there was curiosity and some frustration mixed in. She would see what this was about soon enough as she headed his way. Chapter 97: Standout Alistair swiftly dispatched Salrias with a decisive strike, channeling his two stored kinetic energies into a powerful assault. Initially, Salrias hesitated to join the other fight, but after realizing his partner, Dagger, had perished in the earlier explosion, he changed his mind. Unfortunately for Salrias, this hesitation proved fatal as he fell victim to Alistair''s attack. Though Zutriniz attempted to intervene, momentarily diverting Alistair''s attention, he couldn''t react swiftly enough to counter Alistair''s assault. Zutriniz was the last of the attackers left standing. Alistair knew he could not allow Zutriniz to run as guerilla warfare with him would be extremely problematic as Alistair still had not figured out how to detect or track Zutriniz. But he did know how to kill him. The trick now was to accumulate enough damage on Zutriniz that he could put him down by converting the stored Kinetic energy into one powerful attack. He felt Riseth calming down and sent her a message not to spook Zutriniz, giving her a rough account of his ability and known weakness. "You should use your resources early and let me jump in to guarantee the kill. Your opponent seems smart enough to know when it is at risk of being killed by you," Riseth requested over the link as she made her way to their position. Alistair thought about it for a moment. "Alright, but keep out of sight and keep magic at a minimum. I''m quite sure its senses are solid." Alistair eventually responded as he continued to nick his opponent with his pole axe swings, blocking, dodging, and tanking Zutriniz''s counterattacks. Alistair lashed out with his poleaxe before following up with a stab of one of his swords with his off-hand, catching Zutriniz by surprise as it took a nasty stab into its shoulder, immobilizing one of the four arms. Alistair noticed that Zutriniz only closed the wound but did not fully heal it anymore. Was Zutriniz running out of its hidden resources? "What is your race?" Alistair probed, trying to get some information out of the Alien. "Wouldn''t you like to know," Zutriniz said in its low eerie voice. Alistair could not sense any intent from the Alien. However, he felt quite confident in assuming it was a more obscure and secretive species that might not even have genders, a trait common among the more obscure Alien races. He was also quite confident that the ability to obscure his senses and reject foreign magic was a racial skill. The odds of anybody at this level being capable and willing to develop a skill of completely hiding all energy signatures were incredibly low. Zutriniz, being an unknown Alien species unwilling to give away even the name, only increased the likelihood of it being a racial skill. "Suit yourself, I guess," Alistair remarked before pressing forward with his assault once more. Riseth watched the fight from below, ready to teleport once Alistair made his move. Alistair seemed to struggle to hurt the teleporting and unreadable opponent. She had worried on more than one occasion that Zutriniz would teleport away further and flee. Alistair''s dispelling aura seemed to only moderately impede the Alien''s teleportation. She watched as Alistair managed to cut another gash across Zutriniz''s chest but failed to grasp the alien before it teleported away again. Frustration was evident on Alistair''s face, confusing Riseth as their resonance showed that Alistair wasn''t frustrated but incredibly calm and determined not to let his opponent away to the point she was worried that Zutriniz had caught on to this as well. Riseth regretted killing Nizguc and not using him as a hostage; depending on how fast Zutriniz noticed the changes on the leaderboard, he would expect her to show up soon. Alistair executed another feint, feigning a move to grapple Zutriniz again before landing another cut across the chest. The key to his plan was to lull Zutriniz into a false sense of security, convincing it that it could narrowly evade Alistair''s grappling efforts even if he were using boosting skills. Alistair was confident that Zutriniz would cut off its own extremities if it meant avoiding being pinned down by him. This meant Alistair would need to target an extremity it could not afford to lose, so he would target the somewhat slender neck of the Alien. Immobilizing one of its arms had been an unexpected boon as it would make grappling Zutriniz much easier, but his Intuition told him he would need to act soon. Zutriniz swung its hammer just as Alistair pulled back from his last attack. Alistair tried intercepting the attack with his shield, but his timing was off. Alistair could feel his ribs crack and let out a grunt. It wasn''t just dispelling but the strange, untraceable energies Zutriniz used that caused him issues. It naturally rejected regular energies, innately bypassing his kinetic skinguard by displacing his magic with ambient energies. Alistair was confident that if it weren''t for his augmented skin rigorously resisting the displacement, his skill would not be working at all. Rather than the magic being displaced, his skin tore and bruised, and most of his body radiated a dulled, burning, and stinging pain. Alistair thrust his poleaxe at Zutriniz just for it to barely dodge the attack. Alistair twisted the weapon and pulled it as fast as he could, hooking the Alien and pulling it towards him. Alistair increased Qi''s expenditure to the maximum and activated his cold rage to get as much power and speed as possible. His hand snaked out and closed around the Zutriniz''s neck, crushing it under the force as he pushed his dispelling magic through to prevent it from teleporting, if only for a moment. Riseth teleported behind Zutriniz and plunged her bone blades into him, pulling them down with all the power she could muster as she was sprayed with gray blood. Alistair, already holding the alien''s neck with a vice-like grip, swiftly exchanged his poleaxe for the most robust Navih blade in his arsenal. With the alien firmly restrained, he directed all available kinetic energy into boosting his power as he executed a powerful diagonal strike. The blade tore through the alien''s flesh and bones from shoulder to hip, almost bisecting it until meeting its end at the alien''s hip bone, causing the blade to break upon impact. Zutriniz was dead, but neither Riseth nor Alistair realized or heard the chime as Riseth stabbed her blade into its head, and Alistair pulled out another blade to hack away the connection holding the Alien in one piece. They both breathed heavily, exchanging glances covered in grey blood before checking the leaderboard to confirm Zutriniz''s death. "Thank god, hunting this thing would have been a massive pain in the ass," Alistair said, exhaling sharply as he let go of the neck. He reached out and touched Riseth''s shoulder and used the coating trick he had learned from Esta to clean off the blood before doing the same for himself. Their Armor would have cleaned the blood off eventually, but Alistair wasn''t keen on waiting for that to finish. Riseth gave him an appreciative smile as she started to heal him. "Based on the Scoreboard, there are four people left besides us. Let''s recover a bit, then hunt them down," Riseth suggested as she looked over his damaged skin. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Alistair nodded in agreement as they landed on one of the tallest towers overlooking the urban sprawl. They observed the landscape as they recovered. After a while Alistair spotted somebody hiding with magic in the distance. He then summoned King, who started to circling the tower. "Sic ''em!" Alistair said to King''s delight, who started to cross the distance in record time. "Are you sure that''s a good idea?" Riseth asked as she watched King unleash hell on what appeared to be another Rabbitkin. "Unless he pretended to suck at stealth that Rabbit survived this long by sheer luck, I''m quite sure King can handle it," Alistair retorted. He was proven right as King eventually killed the Rabbit with his sonic beam attack. The last three opponents were quickly found and dispatched, as they emerged as the winner of the match with 24 kills at the top of the leaderboard. They were unceremoniously kicked out of the instance and teleported back into the noticeably less busy arena dungeon, followed by multiple chimes and a surge of power Alistair rarely experienced anymore. Both he and Riseth exchanged glances as they checked their notifications.
Notifications:
Title [Grade 10] Duo Free for all Champion [Unique] has been obtained.
Title Gladiator of Carnage [Rare] has been obtained.
The Gladiator title has been upgraded to [Gladiator VII]
[Level 49 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
[Level 50 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
The Grade 10 threshold has been reached. Advancement requirements determined.
Advancement requirements have been met, and Grade advancement is available.
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin:
[Unique] Grade 10 Duo Free for all Champion Grants a +1 to every stat for each kill in the Tournament [24 Kills] and doubled for obtaining first place on the match leaderboard for a total of +48 stat points. Obtained by participating and winning the Grade 10 Duo Free-For-All Tournament within the System Trial. The stat benefit has been doubled for ranking first on the match leaderboard.
[Rare] Gladiator of Carnage Grants +20 to all stats when fighting in an Arena or similar environment. The potency of Intimidation-based [Mind] attacks is permanently increased by a large degree. Obtained for Killing 20 or more opponents of the same or higher Grade in a single arena match.
Alistair almost spluttered when he saw the benefits of his titles. The stat increases were massive. Aiming for first place had been well worth it, proving that the system favored those striving for greatness. He was surprised his second title was only rare, though, considering it was not guarded by the system. He could see people of the multiverse abusing this title by setting their Scions up against manageable opponents in tournaments they presumably would frequently host themselves or seek out. Though, perhaps the system would not recognize such victories. Another thing he noticed was that he did not obtain a new skill selection, but when he checked, he did obtain a skill point. Besides the titles and notifications, a new window appeared, but Alistair did not get the chance to pay attention to it before he received a group call from Nessyra. "Alistair, Riseth, get out of the arena dungeon. You have drawn a lot of attention with your match. Particularly you, Alistair, for mocking a Vampire and defeating a goddamn Zarnonsian," Nessyra said urgently. They made their way to the exit, but both of them questioned why that was such a big deal. "There are individuals with skills that will let them know when a previously marked target enters their vicinity. They will ruin our betting pools and potentially become a nuisance in the future," Nessyra explained. Alistair and Riseth had follow-up questions as they ran through the corridors toward the closest gate room. They learned that Desily and Zathron also won their match as well as they got lucky with their opponents. Their title tripled the stat gain for being at the top of the leaderboard, though they had only managed 18 kills. Nessyra had obtained ten kills but did not receive a multiplier. The rest were still in their respective instances. Many matches were plagued by teams hiding themselves and only striking when they were guaranteed to win. Some didn''t even bother killing anyone and just buried themself underground, waiting for everyone else to give up and forfeit, not knowing that the title would not reward them for their cowardly methods. "What the hell is a Zarnonsian anyway?" Alistair asked curiously. "A very high-tier subspecies of the grey aliens, they are very secretive and rare. There is little to no information about them. To be honest, you would already be considered an expert on the topic, considering you actually beat one of them. An absurd amount of money was bet on Zutriniz, and the Vampire was up there as well. But both of them being beaten was far outside expectations, and we made almost fifty million USC!" Nessyra exclaimed, excitement bubbling in her voice. Riseth froze for a second, a flicker of realization crossing her features before excitement lit up her expression like a firework. With a smoldering gaze aimed at Alistair, "Looks like that got the Covetix in you going. It''s a Good thing the gate is nearby," Alistair quipped as he jogged to one of the consoles, using his key to start the process. Riseth caught up to him shortly after. Alistair picked her up again, and they shared a kiss before rushing through the portal to their personal quarters. Chapter 98: Grade 10 No More After they finished celebrating, Riseth and Alistair finally succumbed to exhaustion, their bodies yearning for rest after several consecutive days of activity. As they stirred from their slumber, their gaze instinctively drifted toward the window they had willfully ignored.
Grade Advancement
Description:
You have sufficient records to advance your Grade to 9. You must complete any system-imposed requirements to start the advancment. The quality of your accumulated records and your affinities will determine your available racial evolution and potential titles if any. Warning: You will be defenseless during the evolution, and it is recommended that you evolve while guarded or in a secure location.
Prerequisites:
Racial [Human]: Develop at least one skill to Epic rating. [1/1]
Body Cultivation: Kill or defeat at least one opponent of a higher grade than yourself in single combat [1/1]
All Advancement requirements have been met. Do you wish to advance your Grade?
[YES] [NO]
The prerequisites were quite easy to accomplish, though Alistair had not expected them to be particularly demanding for his first Grade advancement. He allocated all his leftover stat points into [Body], as it would put his base stats total above 400, which might matter. "Do you have optional requirements as well?" Riseth asked as she looked over her own window. "No, I don''t. I only got two easy ones, and it does not look like it''s keeping track of me killing more than one monster above my grade. What''s your optional requirement?" Alistair inquired, leaning against the headboard of their bed. "It''s an optional Dual Cultivation requirement," She said innocently. "I can''t tell if you are serious or just can''t get enough of me," Alistair retorted with a laugh. "Why not both?" Riseth asked with a shrug, a toothy smile on her face. "But no, it requires the dual cultivation skill to have a high enough skill rating. And I am good on that front. I presume it is related to me being a Succubus," Riseth remarked as she stretched. They continued exchanging insights and theorizing about the nature of racial evolution and the benefits they could expect from their accumulated records. Eventually, they decided to let Riseth evolve first, and she made herself comfortable. Alistair sat crosslegged next to her, keen on observing a racial evolution. Nothing happened for quite some time, but Riseth''s whole skin suddenly turned a crimson shade of red, and her horns adopted an obsidian sheen. Power radiated from her. However, the rest of her body and its proportions stayed the same. Her eyes suddenly opened, and her gaze felt sharper, the magenta in her eyes almost glowing before becoming more subdued again. She looked down on her body, which visibly turned back to her usual, more fair-skinned tone. "What did you get?" Alistair asked curiously. Riseth sighed, a hint of slight disappointment in her voice. "The choices were somewhat limited," she replied. "Succubus Vixen, Succubus Sovereign, Voidspawn, Infernarii, and Seductrix. I decided to advance along the succubus evolution path." "Any particular reason?" Alistair inquired. He would have expected the Voidspawn would mesh well with her current setup. "Well," Riseth began, "the system warned me that picking Voidspawn or Infernarii would change my [Charm] stat into something else, which would drastically reduce the efficiency of Dual Cultivation. And the description and potential requirements for Seductrix... let''s just say hell fucking no. The Succubus Sovereign is the higher-tier version of the Vixen. I essentially skipped a step in the linear evolution by picking it, so I can''t complain. Plus, I am a big fan of Dual Cultivation, fucking for gains is great." She concluded as she gave him a quick kiss. "Well, let''s hope it warns me, too, in case I get non-human racial options; humans do have a high compatibility with Succubi," Alistair mused aloud. "I would not worry about it too much," Riseth reassured him. "The majority of benefits come from our resonance, my race, and my charm stat. If you get something incredible, go for it," She encouraged him. Alistair thought about it and agreed he had not heard of anyone getting an option to evolve into an entirely unrelated species without an Evolution Stone. He then took Riseth''s place in the center of the bed, closing his eyes as he confirmed the prompt. He found himself in his soulscape with a new window in front of him.
Racial Evolution Options:
Species Name: Racial Qualities: Description:
High Human Boosted [Adaptability] Affinity. Boosted [Endurance] Affinity. Boosted [Magic] Affinity. Boosted [Ambition] Affinity. Moderate increase in all stats obtained per level. Innate human benefits. The High Human is the most common linear evolution of the ambitious human race. Common racial characteristics compared to regular humans include a taller stature, sharp and defined body and facial features. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Magus Boosted [Magic] Affinity. Boosted [Arcane] Affinity. Boosted [Spellcasting] Affinity. Moderate increase in all stats except [Mental] and [Control] per level. Large increase in [Mental] and [Control] stats per level. Innate human benefits. The Magus is the human male-exclusive sub-species counterpart of the Witch sub-species. Requires high magic and Arcane affinity. An uncommon sub-species not found in pre-initiation universes. The Magus'' racial characteristics are varied, but common features are glowing eyes and magic veins, among other things.
Kinetic Magus Boosted [Magic] Affinity. Boosted [Arcane] Affinity. Boosted [Kinetic] Affinity. Boosted [Spellcasting] Affinity. Moderate increase in all stats except [Mental] and [Body] per level. Large increase in [Mental] and [Body] stats per level. Innate human benefits. The Kinetic Magus is the human male-exclusive sub-species counterpart of the Kinetic Witch sub-species. Requires high kinetic, magic and arcane affinity. A specialized version of an uncommon sub-species not found in pre-initiation universes. As a further specialized sub-species, the racial characteristics, if any, usually reflect the affinity in question.
Leprechaun Boosted [Luck] Affinity. Boosted [Rainbow] Affinity. Boosted [Magic] Affinity. Boosted [Nature] Affinity. Moderate increase in all stats obtained per level. Innate magic resistance. Innate fey and human benefits. The Leprechaun is a particularly rare human-fey hybrid and one of the few races capable of increasing their luck through the acquisition of wealth. Their usual racial characteristics are short stature, red hair, pointed ears, and golden eyes.
Nephilim Boosted [Magic] Affinity. Boosted [Arcane] Affinity. Boosted [Celestial] Affinity. Boosted [Summoning] Affinity. Boosted [Purity] Affinity. Large increase in all stats obtained per level. Innate magic resistance. Innate human benefits. The Nephilim are a legendary and incredibly rare subspecies of Humans. They are commonly the result of a union between a Human and a powerful Angelic or Demonic species. Typically, Nephilim''s racial characteristics strongly depend on their evolution''s origin, such as unusual eye colors, hair color, wings, markings on skin, pointed ears, and large stature.
Alistair was taken aback by the final option presented to him. Initially, Alistair suspected Sol had something to do with it, considering Ambrosia as the origin of this option. However, he wasn''t so sure as he had shared the energies with Riseth during their dual cultivation, and she had not received the option. Another clue was the last of the boosted affinities. He had inherited the legacy of the [Supreme Heavenly Essence Body Cultivation Technique] from the system, which leaned heavily into the purity aspect, and its associated [Cultivation Patriarch] title had mentions of heritage records to offspring. Had the lost legacy belonged to a clan of Nephilim or another species that would result in it when blended with his human lineage? It could be a combination of all factors, high stats, heritage records, and corresponding affinities pushed by the ambrosia he failed to refine that had saturated his body. His now very high luck affinity and resonance with Riseth, a demon, could also play a role, though it was improbable in his mind. If Ambrosia truly helped, was this Sol''s plan all along? To obtain more contribution through Alistair evolving into a high-tier species? Intel Nessyra managed to obtain hints at Sol being upset that his nice guy approach had not reeled him in, and Alistair had not accepted Sol''s other offers either. Nessy had refused to name the source, though she promised Alistair would find out soon enough. The Kinetic Magus had tempted him and was the race he had expected would be his chosen species. However, from the orbs Nessyra had obtained, he had learned that his kinetic affinity was already absurdly high, and he would benefit little from increasing it further. His magic and arcane affinity were also both very high. His luck had been high even before using the affinity orb and obtaining the lucky racial skill. The Leprechaun was out of the question, not only because he already had the racial skill associated with it but also because of its small stature. The large stature of the Nephilim worried him momentarily, but he would be able to adjust his size with the use of magic if he became too large. He knew Desily had made some headway in that department, and he was sure he could figure it out eventually. He knew that he would not get another potential racial evolution until grade 7 unless he came across an item like an Evolution Stone or underwent a ritual. This meant he would most likely not be evolving again any time soon. Alistair took some more time to think it over but did not wish to leave Riseth waiting for too long. He hoped that the Nephilim would not have some ridiculous prerequisites to advance his grade.
Notifications:
The race of [Alistair Ryser] has been changed to [Body Culivator Nephilim]
An increase in Grade has further tied Natural Resilience to [HP] and increased its efficiency.
[Body Cultivation] has prevented the removal of redundant organs.
Title Rising Titan [Legendary] has been obtained.
None of the notifications were overly surprising. Sebastian had explained how the body would become more and more magically attuned as he passed through the grades. This included the fact that his body would lose the need for organs and be more tied to his energies than worldly needs. Grade 9 was the first big step toward becoming a magical being. He would not immediately die from having vital organs destroyed now. However as a body cultivator, he would still be more affected than most, even on higher grades. But it still meant that he could live through things that would have killed him some minutes earlier. When he opened his eyes, Alistair immediately noticed the once oversized bed now more fitting to his new frame. The second thing he noticed was Riseth''s shocked expression as her gaze wandered over his body. "You like what you see?" Alistair asked, not sure what he even looked like. "Fuck yes. What the hell is your race now?" Riseth inquired, her finger tracing over the subtle interplay of jagged runes and celestial motifs intertwined with delicate silver patterns on his shoulder. "I am a Nephilim now," Alistair said, checking over his body. He was glad he was not completely covered in patterns as they were sparse and subtle, forming a symmetrical pattern on his body. He quickly checked his title and was quite impressed. Another reduction in skill prerequisites was a massive boon.
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin:
[Legendary] Rising Titan +10% to all stats Greatly lowered prerequisites for future skill upgrades and acquisition. Acquired by building an excellent foundation of Skills, Stats, and extremely high-quality Records before advancing into Grade 9. The system guards the title, preventing divulging the path to its acquisition or existence.
He wondered if Riseth had gotten the Rising Titan title as well. She should have had even more stats than him and just as high-quality records and skills. Annoyingly, the system prevented him from asking, but she had gotten something from what he could sense through the resonance. He stood up and, briefly, felt disoriented by the height difference as his skill helped him find his balance. Alistair guessed he was probably around two and a half meters tall. He would preffer to return to his original height as the added mass would benefit him little other than making him a bigger target. "That won''t do," Alistair murmured as he turned his intent inwards. His body had changed, and he felt powerful yet also lacking. He knew he would need to refine and temper his body to adapt to the new changes. Riseth had explained to him how she could innately change her body as she and Desily discussed polymorphing. He would not obtain the polymorph skill like most species when reaching Grade 8, but it did not prevent him from using the magic manually. After trying for a while, he gave up, failing to adjust his size. He would look into that in more detail later. Alistair headed towards the bathroom, intending to examine himself in the full-length mirror. Riseth joined him as he reached the mirror, her height barely reaching his chest. Chapter 99: Clan Meeting Alistair inspected his face in the mirror; the most immediately noticeable change was that he now had a short, full beard again, though it was slightly more dense and uniform in color and lacked the usual isolated gray and off-color hairs he had before the initiation. He touched it with his hand, running his fingers through it as he inspected himself more closely. Using polymorphing to change the length of his hair and beard was something he had practiced before, and the beard slowly diminished, but Riseth interrupted him, protesting the intended change. "Leave it a bit. It looks great on you." She said as she touched his beard with some fascination. "Alright," he acquiesced, turning his attention back to his reflection in the mirror. Aside from a slight adjustment in proportion to match his transformed physique, his facial features hadn''t altered much besides his ears being slightly pointy. Yet, the most striking change was the silvery glow that now emanated from his irises. Riseth''s transformation was less intense; now, her horns had this slick obsidian vibe to them, unlike their bony look before. Her cat-like irises had made a comeback. All the other changes she had experienced through her evolution, like her skin and hair, she had changed back with her inherent polymorphic ability as a succubus. However, he had noticed that she had slightly increased her own size to match his. He was pretty sure his wish not to change too much had prevented some of the more drastic visual changes from taking effect, but it had not prevented all of them. "I should probably shrink back to normal size. I''m way too big," Alistair mused, eyeing himself in the mirror.
"Don''t you dare," Riseth warned, her tone tinged with a hint of desire. Her predatory gaze was intensified by her now cat-like magenta irises. "But I look like a wall of muscle," Alistair teased, looking down at her. Riseth bit her lower lip and looked up at him. "A wall I want to climb," she quipped. "We do need to check how these changes affect Dual Cultivation," Alistair said innocently as he casually picked up Riseth, who wrapped her legs around him and let out a giggle, her clothes disappearing. In the following two weeks, they refined their cultivation and adapted to their new bodies, as Alistair had felt a bit awkward about his new height. He had managed to decrease his size so he wouldn''t have to bend down for most doorways, but he was still taller than before, which was a compromise for Riseth, who was quite fond of his larger size. They had already held a small clan meeting in anticipation of their expedition laying out requirements and training regiments. This was to ensure nobody would die from stepping on a mine or being killed by one of the snipers. The most painful part of upgrading his rank had been that most of his skills had lost a rank. All his legendary skills had been downgraded to Supreme. His Blastmaster had, however, remained at Supreme, and many of the skills he had considered on the edge of advancement, like his Chrono Seizing Hand and Bloodcurdling Presence, had also remained in their respective tier. Particularly, his Blink and Improved Flight skills stood out as they were now at common tier. He had worked to improve them and other skills, managing to upgrade them by removing the requirement of line of sight when teleporting at least at moderate ranges. His flight skill had improved by increasing the amount of acceleration and deceleration possible and adding the option of using Qi.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Uncommon] Blink Teleport distances within range of any of the users [Senses] at the cost of a tiny amount of [MP] for each activation. This cost increases to moderate when teleporting through walls.
[Uncommon] Improved Flight Enables the user to fly at a small cost of [MP] over time, taps into the concepts of acceleration and deceleration as well as control, allowing for great aerial maneuverability and Rapid bursts of speed and quick halts at a minimal additional [MP] cost. May infuse [MP] or [Qi] to accelerate and decelerate at extreme speeds.
His family''s and friends'' reactions to his evolution were less extreme than he had expected. They had grown more accustomed to the weirdness of the new reality they found themselves in, especially since many of them were already preparing to evolve themselves. Alistair had gained two levels from killing the spider nest with Riseth''s help in the slayer world. They had found that Alistair gained 35 stat points per level, whereas Riseth gained 31 per level, which meant he had overtaken her in stat gain per level. He had also hunted some cave wendigos with Simon, who absolutely hated the horrifying-looking monsters. Their goal was to extract a large quantity of mithril ore at James''s request. James had not finished his projects in the requested time frame, which had not surprised Alistair as it was typical for James to get sidetracked or intentionally understate the time required for his projects, a tactic that often helped him secure permission to start work that his former employer might have otherwise denied. It was somewhat amusing to Alistair that his brother had used the same technique on him and Nessyra. He marked it down as a habit but would call him out on it next time. During the last few weeks, they had a breakthrough in creating storage items. Alistair was still waiting for the specialized ring that would let him store his Ginkgo tree. But he had gotten a handful of high-capacity rings, so he wouldn''t need to worry about storing larger-sized treasures or corpses he came across anymore. James and Alistair had occasionally entered the Autometa Trial World. James had released a small swarm of scouting drones to properly map a large chunk of the local continent and spot points of interest. His work had been impressive, as Alistair could only sense the drones in relatively close proximity, and their camouflage made them incredibly hard to spot. Alistair had quickly lost track of them as they flew into the distance. The drones would independently scout and share collected data in irregular intervals of encrypted messages. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. James had somehow melded the Nyuvwira''s skin with mithril, which he called Stealthrim. Alistair had initially frowned upon hearing the name, but it was now growing on him. The alloy offered extraordinarily intricate visual camouflage that affected even magical senses and also retained the unique properties of mithril, known for its light weight and exceptional magic conductivity. Alistair only had a surface understanding of the exact process of integrating monster parts and cores into metals beyond the magical melting down and mixing them into alloys. He just marked it down as magic on his brother''s recommendation, as he did not plan to become a craftsman. He would not waste his brother''s time by asking him for the details, at least not during the trials. They had taken a quick trip to the moon on Riseth''s trial world. The Artemis roared to life as he felt the reactor burn through material to lift off the planet. The Artemis had no windows but had holographic displays on its walls showing the outside. Alistair could see the ship leaving the ground as it soared into the sky. A taste of ozone radiated from the reactor, and he felt the energy being contained by the ship''s hull and reabsorbed as they left the atmosphere. However, the barren moonscape was much less exciting, but at least they found moonstones quite easily protruding from the surface. Being able to portal to different worlds and the introduction of magic had taken some of the novelty out of the experience. But neither his nor James''s excitement had been dampened by the prospect of exploring proper unknown planets not copied or created by the system, as both of them were looking forward to that. His sister, Melissa, had obtained all the other materials needed for the rituals. Simons''s father, Thomas, had gotten a lot of practice dismantling monsters from the mountain of high-tier bodies Alistair and the rest of the clan brought in. With his help, they had managed to gather the materials needed for multiple rituals besides Melissa''s. They made a tidy profit by processing and selling some of the less interesting materials, such as monster hides and generic cores. Melissa was currently busy setting up the magic circles needed for the ritual. Alistair found that magic circles and arrays were essentially the same, the only difference being the style of runes. They planned to perform the ritual after today''s clan meeting. Alistair and Riseth were the last to arrive at Nessyra''s place. Her office had undergone serious changes, and the rework of the privacy screen had some serious reinforcement to prevent even a determined god from spying on their meetings. Which was necessary as the longer the trial went on, the more involved and numerous the gods became. James had provided Nessyra with a holoprojector that sat in the center of the room and would project any images and recordings perfectly for anyone looking at it, no matter the angle and distance. Nessyra had expanded the size of the room and placed a circular couch around the projector so people could sit comfortably around it. After exchanging pleasantries, Alistair and Riseth sat down on the couch next to his mother as Nessyra started the projector, which displayed an image of multiple unknown human women in white and golden robes. "Good; now that everyone has arrived, let''s start the clan meeting. We have multiple topics to go over today," Nessyra announced as she stood beside the projector. The room got quiet, and Alistair looked at her with rapt attention. Nessyra had been employing spies more and more to investigate the gods that had interacted with or shown interest in their clan. Alistair presumed these women were related to that. He still wondered how she had gotten in touch with spies from Earth. His best guess was they had sought her out because of the money and her contract magic, which gave her a good reputation as a discreet employer. As said, contracts prevented her from divulging anything even to him. "The women you see here are some of Sol''s brides. Sol had been spreading his seed for a long time now, but it has only recently been confirmed. Apparently, any children conceived this way would become Godkin." Nessyra explained that the view changed from a window to a window showing genealogy entries and explanations. Nessyra glanced at Melissa, who hesitantly rose from her seat and positioned herself beside her. "Melissa has helped me put this together. As she has a better understanding, she will be the one presenting the information," Nessyra explained. Melissa looked around nervously before she started. "In Sol''s case, these children would look mostly human but obtain both his heritage records and most of the trial benefits young children receive," Melissa explained as she highlighted some sections of their research into the topic. "Do we know why he does this? These children won''t be grown up by the time the first waves of outsiders arrive," Simon queried, his brow furrowed. Alistair noticed that Simon had adopted the term outsider, one of the many names given to people from the other multiverses. Some of the most common ones were invaders and outsiders. Melissa glanced at Nessyra, and then spoke up. "We presume, like most things Sol does, this was more for practical than indulgent reasons," Melissa suggested. "It might be his inner Zeus showing." Nessyra nodded in agreement. "But we doubt it. He was most likely seeking to create promising seedlings loyal to him. His children just might grow powerful enough before the bridges open for the higher-grade waves of outsiders to arrive. But yes, they won''t be ready for the first few waves. So he is planning for the long game." Simon scratched his chin before giving an approving nod and leaning back onto the couch. Melissa picked up where she had left off, talking about the number of women and that all of them had seemingly willingly agreed to have his children. Alistair frowned a little. Like most things about Sol, they had to work on presumptions. Ever since Alistair had seen the golden mask Sol had initially worn, he had been wary of the god. He seemed quite practical in his approaches, which was the only thing that was consistent with the deity. They had learned that Sol''s approachable and casual demeanor was reserved for his elite followers. He generally preferred a detached and imposing figure, a beacon to his people, leading the masses but giving preferential treatment to those he perceived as valuable. One could usually spot those favored by Sol not just from their rank but also visually, as they were given more leeway when it came to things like dress code. The only thing he strictly enforced was the display of his sigil, marking them as his followers. Melissa concluded her section of the presentation and hurried back to her seat, visibly relaxing as she sunk into the comfortable couch. Nessyra cleared her throat as she moved on to the next topic. "Sol has greatly expanded his following, as he continuously reaches out to new rising stars from earth. However, he is not that well-received, broadly speaking. He has a slightly tyrannical disposition and has rejected cooperating with groups seeking to reestablish countries from before the initiation. "He has officially claimed Earth as his domain," Nessyra explained, as revamped country flags and familiar-looking sigils and logos appeared on the projector. "He does not tolerate independent factions outside his control but offers them positions and some recognition if they were to join him, with mixed results." Next to the banners were their names, estimated wealth, numbers, and note-worthy individuals associated with them. Two slightly altered American flags and starkly altered European Union banners were most prominent among them. The European Union banner had undergone some changes, with stars replaced by different sigils and separated by subtle dividers, giving each sigil its own space. Most of the other flags had undergone slight additions in the form of sigils and color changes. Still, they kept some of the more recognizable aspects of their flags or had them replaced with recognizable iconography like the Eiffel Tower for France. Considering the emergence of so many factions, they were currently working under the presumption that Sol was no enemy and had most likely lost interest in the Ryser Clan, content to leave the status quo as he had bigger issues to worry about. "Any reason why there is no Chinese banner in there? Also, why are there two American banners?" Alistair asked, his gaze fixed on the projector, though he suspected he knew the answer. Chapter 100: Geo & Extraplanetary Politics Nessyra turned her attention to Alistair before glancing at the projector as well.
"I''d love to offer a good news bad news scenario, but honestly, it''s all bad news. There had been multiple American factions that had initially tried to work together, but they failed for a variety of reasons. They split into multiple factions again, with the largest two forming a rivalry, each claiming to be the legitimate leading party. The Initiation granting everyone powers created a power imbalance between individuals and factions. Each of the two factions believes they could create a better America without the other and seeks to absorb the smaller factions. The only thing they agree on is their hatred for Sol. They were horrified to learn that Sol had essentially stolen all their military equipment, and they both demanded its return." Nessyra concluded, looking back at Alistair, who frowned. "Let me guess, he refuses to return the equipment," Alistair said, already knowing the answer. Nessyra gave him a knowing smile. "Yes, He told them in no uncertain terms that the only way for them to get their hands on the equipment was under his banner or have it shot at them. He had offered them their own orders and limited autonomy, which both of them rejected." Alistair could only imagine that the leading world power would not take kindly to such a drastic change in power dynamic. He suspected this would be a common occurrence, as many people would refuse to return to the old power structure. Alistair had read a little about the actual going on behind the curtain in the Earth sub-section but dropped it as it got too dark, and he planned to leave that planet anyway. Knowing all that horrible stuff wouldn''t help him, he decided. Many people were unhappy about how their government handled things before the Initiation, not knowing they were just puppets for those truly in control. Alistair had his suspicions before the initiation, but having them confirmed left him empty and disappointed in humanity. These new nations would now perhaps stay true to their proclaimed values. There were plenty of patriotic individuals willing to prop up a new idealized version of the old country governments under mostly new management. Still, he had little hope for them and did not believe they would end up as more than emerging factions that would fight for control of Earth. "What about China?" Alistair probed. "They are highly fractured due to corruption and ambition. The disappearance of the power structure has utterly destroyed their status quo. From what I gathered in Earth''s section, the Chinese government had a lot of issues even before the initiation. Now, they''ve fragmented into numerous smaller factions and sects. Cultivation appears to be prevalent among them, prompting the formation of sects mostly based on familial bonds, each vying for power independently, so we will probably see a lot of them rise and fall once they fight among each other once they return to Earth," Nessyra concluded as she got ready to address the next faction. Nessyra had been right. The bad news kept piling on; it wasn''t overly surprising that the people of China would embrace cultivation, but it would make them volatile and extremely dangerous to deal with. Reinforcing that it was a good thing that they had been preparing to leave Earth. Having to deal with a ton of cultivators would be a nightmare for Sol. Turning her attention to the topic of the United Coalition (UC), Nessyra continued, "The United Coalition UC, operates under a unique dynamic. It''s not simply a continuation of the EU or UN as it existed on Earth. Instead, it functions as a coalition of stable nations, predominantly from Europe but also including countries like Japan and Australia, which joined following the initial formation. Their membership is provisional until the conclusion of the Trial, at which point they can decide to remain or withdraw. While the individual factions within the UC are generally cohesive, there is some friction regarding the coalition''s direction. It currently functions more as a defensive pact, and negotiations with Sol are ongoing, with some factions considering taking up his offer of limited autonomy and support under his banner." Nessyra continued to explain how Sol had his followers comb through the information from the Earth sub-section of the study dungeon. Sol had used the information to sow discontent and discredit many of the leaders of the emerging nations. All of this while promising to bring about the change the people want and form a united front against outsiders. She added how many factions on Earth were currently scrambling to get members to join their cause and how most had a wait-and-see approach toward Sol, who is currently by far the largest and most powerful faction at the moment. Alistair noted how Nessyra had kept many of the darker and not commonly known details he had found under wraps and would have to talk to her about it later. Another interesting tidbit was that South Korea planned an exodus from Earth and focused most of its resources on acquiring a fleet to get them off the planet. Those interests were mostly steered by chaebols, who were some of the lower rank and more public members of the oligarchy. Publicly, they were incredibly influential family-owned conglomerates from South Korea that owned most of the largest companies within the country. They used this to control the nation through their influence. Unsurprisingly, the government of South Korea still supported the decision and did not push back even a little. The whole situation had put their own little exodus into perspective. Eventually, Nessyra switched the view to show Neshan''s factions, which were mostly comprised of corporations and family businesses rather than nations. This was not overly surprising to Alistair, as they were a Plutocracy before the initiation. Interestingly, the list included the Ryser clan, which still lacked a banner or sigil but was among the most powerful factions in terms of value and average power level. "Any reason why we are listed as a Neshan faction?" Simon interjected. Nessyra temporarily halted as she turned to face him. "Yes, I was getting to that. The primary reason is that a majority of our workforce that has signed contracts to join us in exodus comes from Neshan, not Earth. The second reason is that Arbiter Zaltom, the natural god of Neshan, has announced his claim over our origin to Sol and offered to discuss his official recognition as a faction from Neshan. Sol, on the other hand, seemed to have mostly lost interest in us after that. Zaltom wishes to open negotiations of mutually beneficial agreements such as his official recognition." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Alistair, Riseth, and some of his family members looked at Nessyra with surprise, but he was the first to speak up. "When you say he recognized us as such, were you already in contact with him, and if so, why is this the first time I''ve heard of this?" Alistair inquired, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Nessyra nodded in understanding. "His people were one of my contacts, but I only recently received these messages and have not met him in person. I thought it best to bring it up in this meeting. The Arbiter has extended an invitation to you, Riseth, and me to discuss terms. I believe we should accept. He is much more predictable and easier to negotiate with than Sol. Contracts and promises hold immense cultural significance for us demons of Neshan, and this aspect of our culture is strongly reflected in his personality and chosen role. I am certain he won''t breach any agreements, not out of fear of the consequences, but because it goes against his fundamental nature." Alistair scratched his beard, deep in thought. If they could get an agreement with Zaltom, it would further discourage other Gods, especially Sol, from messing with them. Zaltom''s willingness to recognize their clan as one of Neshan''s factions was already a show of goodwill on his part. He knew Nessy was gearing up to talk about the god some more, but he would seek to direct some of his more pressing questions. "How do we know he won''t interfere with us, especially if we do not reach an agreement with him? Also, how has he treated his own people and uprising factions?" Alistair questioned. Nessyra nodded approvingly. "We don''t know that he won''t do that, but we will want to work it into any agreements we make. This would ensure our safety. Unlike Sol, he is hands-off and much better received among the factions of Neshan, so nobody is currently rebelling against him. He is more of an arbiter or judge for those unfamiliar with the term and offers them benefits for recognizing his authority. Many of the factions have already married daughters to him to make official ties to him. He has a healthy following among the general population and smaller groups that answer directly to him." Juliana raised an eyebrow. "And there are no religious conflicts?" "No," Riseth chimed in. "Neshan was not big on religion. Neshan only believes in reputation and coin." "Reputation in Neshan culture is measured by the reliability of one''s word," Alistair added, garnering him some surprised looks. "Correct," Nessyra confirmed. "Not to put too fine a point to it, but Neshan is not a human world. While the process won''t be entirely smooth, it won''t be the unmitigated disaster that is Earth. Most of Neshan has already accepted Zaltom as their arbiter. There are, of course, old rivalries that persist, but with an outside threat, I doubt it will come to large conflicts. And the smaller factions resisting will be absorbed into the larger ones and their assets added to the fold." Nessyra then proceeded to list how Zaltom had not seized any assets and, according to rumors, had maintained most of the planet''s infrastructure. This was not particularly difficult because Neshan had built its cities in compact and structured layers within mountains and underground, forming closed systems maintained by the local corporations controlling the cities. This stood in stark contrast to Earth''s intricate web of cities and nations sprawled across the surface, interconnected by wiring spanning across landmasses and even through the ocean. She also highlighted some of the larger corporations that might become relevant later and with which she had already had dealings. Nessyra also pointed out which corporations were new, and which were old and established. There had been a large rise in new factions coming to power, capitalizing on the introduction of magic. They took a short break before moving on to the next topic, which was discussing what they had learned so far. Other factions leaving the planet and Sol''s seeming inaction were of particular interest. The pessimists were sure he would intervene in some ways, while the others thought he might legitimately not care, as there were just fewer people to fight over the planet with. Alistair''s mother started to question Riseth about their culture and things she should know about. "Nessy, have you already scheduled a meeting with Zaltom, or is that up in the air?" Alistair asked. "I have not made an appointment yet. But I have been told that Zaltom frequently visits the Trial, and a meeting with us would be considered a high priority, so we would not have to wait long." Nessyra replied. "Alright, let''s look into it after the expedition. Is there anything else going on we should know about?" Alistair followed up. Nessyra seemed to debate something as she tilted her head. "Well, yes, you upset the Greys of planet Riotov. You killed their champion, and they put a collective fortune on Zutriniz to win his tournament batch. They demanded we give them their money back, but I told them to dance on coals." Alistair chuckled and gave her a thumbs up. Being a sore loser over a lost bet was on them. There were some conflicts after the last tournament. Nobody knew there would be a scoreboard, and many debated whether the winner was determined by being at the top of that board or the last one standing. Luckily, Riseth and him were both, so there was no debate over their match. Most of his family had held themselves admirably and gotten a decent amount of kills, but besides him and Desily and Zathrons, none had won. Esta and Simon had gotten 18 kills and second place before being overwhelmed, which had still doubled their gains from being in a higher-grade tournament. Eventually, James stepped up for his portion of the presentation. Alistair already knew some of the things he would be presenting. People got back to their seats as the projector changed to show a sphere, part of which was mapped out and showed terrains littered with red and yellow dots. James waved his hands and zoomed into the part that was not hidden in the fog of war. "As some of you know, I deployed drones to scout out the trial. The planet is much larger than expected, and some of the drones had to self-destruct upon discovery. I retrieved the map data shown here a few hours before the meeting while deploying safety measures for the gate location." James explained with practiced ease. Alistair had attended one of James'' technical presentations and presumed he had to give occasional project updates to his employers. This meant that his presentation was quite detailed and felt quite professional. James was currently listing the changes to the ruined bunker structure. With Nessyra''s assistance and plenty of funds, he had placed both camouflaged turrets and illusionary arrays. He also isolated the gate chamber so the energy spike of the portal use would be dampened to sensors. "It is crucial that the gate location stays undiscovered. That is why we will not be using these ruins as a staging point. We need to stay mobile and strike positions of interest for both warring factions. The yellow dots represent the Nugan automata, while the red represents the Itania troops. I swear I wish they would change their color scheme around." James commented, slightly irritated. "I know, right?" Alistair concurred as they exchanged smiles. "But what about the staging point?" "Ah, about that," James began, a mysterious glint in his eye. "As most of you know, I''ve been hard at work for weeks preparing for this challenge, and I''ve got some surprises up my sleeve." His tone suggested excitement and confidence. He let his attention build for a few seconds before typing something into the projector. Chapter 101: Expedition Briefing The projector changed its visual from the map showing Autometa''s positioning and locations of interest to the carrier Alistair had retrieved. It had undergone drastic changes, like built-in doors and a metal cockpit at the front. Its chassis had an overhaul, converting the top layer into Stealthrim plating, covering all decals from the outermost layer. The damaged turret had been replaced by the missile launcher of the Missile boat Alistair had captured. He also noticed turbine-like attachments, which Alistair presumed were for increased speed. He wondered just how James had the time to overhaul the machine.
"I present the Zephyr," James announced proudly, gesturing towards the craft''s projection. "Some of you may be wondering how I managed to turn the damaged carrier into a functional VTOL. The simple answer is that I had to cut some corners and got very lucky." As James spoke, Alistair exchanged glances with Riseth and the others present, sensing a mixture of curiosity and concern among them. Nessyra''s voice cut through the air as she sought clarification. "What exactly do you mean by ''cutting some corners''?" she inquired, her tone tinged with a hint of disapproval. "Oh, nothing critical; seating is a bit iffy, so you will have to hold on to straps. But this would speed up any emergency dismounts. The carrier wasn''t exactly modular, so I had to gut some things. Fortunately, the Stuquit, the race which deployed the automata, had a bit of a mental flaw." The statement drew some confused glances, which caused James to elaborate on his point. "From what I gathered, they are a rodent alien species well known for their skittishness and propensity for extreme caution. They often exhibit a compulsion to build redundancy upon redundancy into their technology and machinery, sometimes to an excessive degree." James explained. He started to list examples, such as their keyboards, which have every letter twice, and the carrier''s built-in redundancies. He had been able to gut most of the carrier, saving him a lot of time and giving him a lot of space to work with. Multiple Stuquit nations were embroiled in a world war, but they deployed their automata instead of fighting themselves. James had not found any evidence of any Stuquit being still alive, but his drones had not yet left the territories of the two nations they had found. "Are you sure you have not cut out anything important?" Nessyra pressed. "Quite certain, I held multiple field tests to ensure its safety. I would not endanger my family and friends with untested machinery." James said in a more serious tone. This satisfied Nessyra, who nodded and withdrew. Alistair knew that the only person James would endanger with something he built would be himself. But he was by no means careless and would only test things once he felt confident in them functioning as intended. However, he understood Nessy''s concerns and planned to talk to her later. As James concluded his talk about specifications, he summoned a table next to the projector and retrieved multiple items from his storage ring. His girlfriend, who had been sitting quietly until now, joined him by summoning several sets of labeled metal flask potions and explaining their precise effects. "Most of you know this, but don''t drink multiple potions in quick succession. It will strain your body or, depending on which potions you mix, probably poison you or worse. Unless, of course, you have some kind of consumption skill or body modification. You should usually wait around 20 minutes between consumptions," Jessica advised as she placed the last of the metal flasks on the table.
She was about to sit back down when something occurred to her. "Oh yeah," she added, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Don''t throw away the flasks if you can help it. They''re reusable and maintain the potency of potions even in regular storage devices." "Time to hand out some more presents," James announced cheerfully as he handed Riseth a large rifle. "I got several titles for all this crafting, especially for the Zephyr. It was well worth the time spent," James added, with a satisfied expression as Riseth eagerly inspected the rifle. James proceeded to hand out cloaks with camouflage properties but stopped when he reached Alistair and handed him the camouflage tarp he had looted from the sniper and an undersized cloak. "Sorry, Alistair, I don''t have a cloak in your size; you might need to adjust your height. But I can craft you a larger one after the expedition." "It''s alright. My light manipulation skills have improved over the last few weeks. But I might be better off with a camouflage enchantment since my armor could integrate that," Alistair suggested. "Right, I keep forgetting some of us have that enchantment. Resni has recently managed to recreate the comfort array. But I am still waiting for her to put it on my power armor." James lamented. Resni had recently made the decision to join the clan as an auxiliary member. She had been intrigued by the expedition but was less interested as the things found in the Automata Trial World were outside her expertise and interests. She was more than happy to just work on the mountains of materials the clan brought in regularly. Another reason not to join the expedition was that Alistair had set requirements for anyone wanting to join the expedition. Alistair refused to lose anyone to avoidable deaths in the Trial. He had insisted on a number of safety measures and level and stat requirements to join. This had met little resistance as everyone deferred to him when it came to surviving in a warzone. Alistair had not been in a warzone before the trial but had completed the battlefield trial and had experienced the automata in action. Alistair presumed there would be mines and other death traps and had set requirements accordingly in an earlier clan meeting. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Once everyone had taken their items and settled back into their seats, James started to explain the items. "The cloaks should be self-explanatory; their camouflage slightly extends beyond the fabric but not by much, so it''s a good idea to put on the hood," James jokingly added. After a quick check for any questions, he continued, "From my analysis of the Autometa, I discovered that their primary detection mechanisms are visual. They have no audio receptors. However, their drones and scouts can detect magic, so minimizing your magic footprint by suppressing the magic permeating from your body is also recommended." James added, despite knowing that being able to suppress one''s magic was one of the requirements for joining. James seemed to treat the last few points more like a checklist, and he made joking remarks as he read them off a list that was invisible to the rest of them. Alistair was confused about one particular aspect of Automata. "How come robots seem so minimalistic compared to the crafts of the Stuquit?" He inquired. James pointed at him with a smile. "Good catch. That''s because they did not create the Autometa we see. Multiple factions on their planet bought some lower-grade blueprints for automata self-replicators from the Synth Alliance. The Alliance warned against modifying their replicators as they put safeguards in, so they didn''t dare mess with it. They were playing at war, and it got out of hand. And now their world got copied to be used as a trial from the system." "Why would they need low-grade automata in the multiverse? I get the bridge preventing stronger beings from crossing, but wouldn''t they be wholly inadequate there?" Simon asked, somewhat confused. This time, Riseth added her expertise. "The planet was probably rather remote. Many Planets in the multiverse possess low mana density and limited resources, making them unappealing to larger factions. Also, Grades 9 and 8 make up the most common average grade. Of course, there are some factions with much higher averages. However, our views are quite skewed from the benefits of the Trial. Regular individuals often need to work together to defeat monsters of their grade, while elites can handle them by themselves and are expected to handle higher-grade threats in groups. The quality of our records can''t be compared to the average in the multiverse." "So, from the perspective of the Multiverse, all of us can be considered elites?" Simon inquired. "Yes, but we are still in grades 10 and 9, and it will get harder and harder to advance from there, so you had better not get complacent, especially during the trial." Riseth cautioned. "The larger factions'' interests are the rich, untouched worlds that have formed or were handcrafted by the natural gods in the wake of the integration. There are near countless opportunities and treasures to be had in a newly integrated universe," she added preemptively, anticipating Simon''s next question and prompting him to lean back into his seat. After ensuring they were done discussing, James picked up where he had left off. "As I was saying, they played at war, and everyone lost. Well except for the Synth Alliance who made a lot of USC. I don''t even know what they were fighting over, as the automata I disassembled only had the most recent mission objectives programmed into them." James picked up one of the small purple crystals they had handed out earlier, beginning to describe its function. "These are resonator crystals. They corresponded to a crystal beacon and let you teleport to it in an emergency. I will place the beacon in the gate room. Breaking the resonator crystal or being incapacitated by falling unconscious or paralyzed will trigger the teleport function automatically." James let his words sink in, clearing his throat before continuing. "Each use of the resonator crystals will damage the crystal beacon until it shatters. Do not hesitate to use them if you are in danger, but don''t casually use them either. The crystal beacon was rather expensive, and we have only been able to obtain one so far, as recommended by Resni to one of her fellow craftsdwarfs. Do not treat this like the lifeguarding you experience in the arena. These crystals will only get you out of the danger zone. Any injuries you experience will persist." he warned. Once James concluded his presentation, the group delved into lively discussions, sharing thoughts and questions. Eventually, Nessyra took the floor, ensuring that any lingering uncertainties were addressed and everyone felt prepared for the expedition ahead. "This should cover all the basics for tomorrow''s expedition. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me through the Akashic Link." Nessyra concluded, her tone both reassuring and encouraging. Nessyra eventually led everyone into the ritual chamber she had acquired. Alistair''s mother and sister had both prepared their respective evolution rituals. The goal was Ice Witch and Celestial Witch, respectively. The outcomes weren''t guaranteed, and one required a high enough affinity to succeed. There was potential to become an even higher tier subrace in the same branch. But this wasn''t what they were aiming for. Both had measured their relevant affinities and should not have an issue advancing. They had placed the needed treasures at focal points within the ritual circle, which were not too dissimilar to his own array. The more Alistair looked at the ritual circle, the more commonalities he managed to spot between it and his own cultivation array. The difference being that his array gathered and collected and then maintained essence at the center. Where as this one seemed to directly infuse it into the user''s body, burning through the treasures to do so. However, he wasn''t exactly sure as there were plenty of runes and functions he did not understand. Melissa was currently arguing with her mother. She was nervous and hesitant but insisted she should be the first to undergo the ritual as it was her idea. Juliana, on the other hand, offered to go first and take the risk if something went wrong. After some back and forth, their mother backed down, and Melissa hesitantly stepped toward her ritual circle. As she did, Alistair went to his position in the ritual circle to supplement it with mana alongside Simon, Nessyra, and Riseth. With the largest mana pools, they were the natural choice to provide the required energy. A lone person could supplement this with other sources of mana, but this option was safer and cheaper. Chapter 102: Ritual Magic Melissa glanced nervously around the room, her mother giving her an encouraging smile. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. She started chanting words of power, her magic flowing into the magic circle, and it expanded from the center of the circle toward the edge. The runes started to glow one after the other as her mana flowed out toward the edges of the circles where Simon, Nessyra, Riseth, and Alistair stood. Alistair felt the draw of the circle and let his mana flow out of his body in a controlled manner as his body initially resisted the ritual''s attempt to feed on his mana. A cold-biting aura with a taste of ozone started to fill the room. The cold emanated from the center of the circle, where his sister shivered under the biting cold but maintained her chant with slightly clattering teeth. The Clan had spent a lot of time searching for as high-tier materials as they could, and Melissa had refined them in a lengthy process, priming them to increase their quality as much as possible. One after the other, the treasures, like ice crystals and ice cores, started to glow and disintegrate before their eyes, turning into what Alistair recognized as essences. Both he and Riseth exchanged glances and stopped their breathing techniques so as not to interfere with the essences within the circle. As the ritual progressed, she eventually finished her chant. The room turned cold and was filled with a white fog with swirling flakes of snow obscuring everyone''s vision slightly. Being part of the circle, Alistair could still see his sister clearly despite the snow. The magic in the circle flowed like a river towards her. The floor around her froze, and as he watched, Melissa''s skin turned deathly pale, and her straight, long blond hair turned progressively white from the root as the essences continued to imbue themselves into her body. She grimaced as her body changed both internally and externally. She visibly grew slightly in height, and her ears grew slightly elongated and pointed, not dissimilar to some of the half-elves he had seen. Alistair observed the process with keen interest, but he wasn''t the only one, as everyone observed as best they could in the snowstorm, not only the changes to her body but also the flow of magic. Eventually, magic slowly ran its course, and Alistair felt the demand for his mana lessen. Her visual transformations had stopped, and Alistair could sense and see that the ritual had been a success. Melissa let out a breath that contained visible cold before opening her eyes and smiling at everyone present. "It worked. I am officially an Ice Witch," She said with a slightly shaky voice. Her mother rushed to her side, hugging her. Now noticeably smaller than her daughter, she had previously been the same size. He could see Melissa''s nervousness flow out of her body as she returned the hug. "Your body is so cold," Juliana commented, stepping back to examine her daughter more closely. Melissa chuckled as she studied herself in the mirror summoned by Alistair. "This hair color will take some time to get used to, but at least it doesn''t make me look old," she remarked, running her fingers through her hair.
"Let it go," Alistair hummed playfully. His sister''s eyes widened in realization before she shot him a glare. "Don''t you dare!" she snapped, eliciting laughter from the others as their mother facepalmed, even with her low pop cultural literacy understanding of the reference. Simon struggled to stifle his laughter while Riseth and Nessyra both exchanged puzzled glances. Alistair refrained from explaining as his sister narrowed her eyes at him with a warning glare. "What? You were such a big fan when you were little," Alistair defended himself. "You waited for me to commit before making that joke, didn''t you?" She accused, her tone a mix of amusement and exasperation. "I plead the Fifth," Alistair retorted. "We are not even American!" Melissa quipped back. They continued to joke back and forth until the earlier tension was long forgotten. Eventually, they made their way to the second ritual circle with a similar setup. Still, this time, the materials had been exchanged for a wild mixture of different space-related treasures and cores. It had taken them quite a bit longer to obtain many of those. Alistair almost lamented the loss of some of the treasures as they had provided him with useful essences like teleportation and Space. However, improving his family''s growth and potential was more than worth the sacrifice in his book. His mother initiated the ritual with her chant. However, Alistair immediately noticed the difference as her words of power were much different and lacked the cold undertone, which made them feel almost inspiring. Alistair could feel the draw again and let his magic flow, and as soon as he did, the room grew dark, all light being extinguished. Alistair felt the void treasures disintegrate and fill the room first. He could still see due to his conceptual awareness but suspected most others were struggling as he heard them whispering all around him. Within the circle, the runes lit up one after the other, providing sparse lighting to the room before the treasures within started to disintegrate, and the room was plunged into the darkness of the void again. After a brief moment, the darkness itself seemed to transform, giving rise to celestial phenomena that danced around his mother. Stars, nebulas, suns, moons, and other more astral phenomena enveloped her body. Though the magic surrounding her illuminated the room, its brilliance obscured the details of her transformation as the concepts were slowly absorbed into her body. As the glow died down and the light returned, Alistair got his first good look at his mother. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The first and most striking feature were her eyes. Her former grey eyes had taken on the looks of a nebula filled with stars that subtly changed into complementary colors. The longer he observed, the more stunning they looked to behold. Much like her daughter, her ears had grown slightly pointed, but her height and hair color stayed the same blond, though Alistair could swear he could see her hair occasionally glitter when she moved. Her skin had slightly darkened but could be likened to a tan. "What with that look? Is there something with my face?" She asked, slightly worried. Alistair caught himself and re-summoned the mirror as his mother approached him. "Sorry, no. Your eyes caught me off guard. They look stunning," his mother initially frowned before she looked into the mirror, inspecting herself as the others approached to take a closer look as well. "I liked the old color, but this looks good, too, I suppose," she said hesitantly before getting really close to inspect them more closely. Eventually, she ran her fingers through her hair, noticing the glitter as well. The next thing she noticed were the faint celestial markings along her collarbone and hands. Interestingly, they were very similar to some of Alistair''s markings. "Mom, did you become a Celestial witch or something else?" James eventually asked as his mother kept finding small changes.
"Oh, yes, sorry. Everything feels so new and strange. I barely recognize myself," she replied, her thoughts deep in contemplation as she examined her transformed self. "But there''s something odd. I feel more connected to everything. It''s like I can almost sense everything around me. It feels... awkward," his mother added, her expression reflecting the perplexity of her newfound sensations. Alistair realized what she was struggling with and gave her some of his insight. "Your affinity for space was already high; with your evolution, it is even more so. Space is all around us. You will probably want to create a detection skill to make it feel less awkward and more instinctual and controlled." "I sometimes feel the same when I get hit by kinetic energy. It''s a deeply familiar feeling, and you should be able to exert incredible control over it." He added after a short pause. His mother looked at him thoughtfully before closing her eyes while standing perfectly still. Alistair could feel the space around them be filled with his mother''s mana, not even flowing out of her body but just appearing all around them. Alistair stepped to the side and waved his hands as the rest of the group observed. "I can actually feel that now." His mother said as she visibly concentrated. "How many fingers am I holding up?" James asked as he lifted three fingers. After a short pause, she answered, " Three; I think it could be four. It''s a bit fuzzy and hard to make out." Alistair recognized it as not just a good perception ability but also a great scouting ability and made sure to encourage her to develop it. He could also see how it would be a great additional layer for automated defensive skills as this ability could add another layer of external senses. He would even look into obtaining the skill himself later. Alistair turned to face his sister, who had observed the exchange with some interest. Her breath occasionally leaked out cold air with a slight fog. He presumed that it was a lack of control and that she would be able to rein it in once she improved the stat and got accustomed to her new body. "I presume you got similar insights from your racial evolution?" Alistair asked his sister. "Yes, but I don''t feel connected to the space around me. It''s more like receiving innate knowledge, like when I first picked up a skill at the initiation," she replied, which garnered a more understanding reaction from everyone in the room who had experienced it. Nessyra clapped her hands to get everyone''s attention. "We should all get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day, and we don''t know when we''ll be able to rest again," she announced. Her words were the signal for most to leave and rest, as most of them had been working hard and skipping out on sleep. After advancing his grade and becoming a Nephilim, he needed even less sleep, and stress did not build up nearly as fast. Alistair had confided in Nessyra and Riseth, who had a similar experience to him. He decided to continue working on the augmentation of his kinetic storage ribs. It had become a much more delicate issue than he had imagined, and he had to cleanse much of his work and start over. With the advancement of his Grade, his body could now take on more layers of essences. His first attempt had led to his ribs exploding in his chest after taking on too much kinetic energy and failing to regulate itself. After recovering, he noticed that he had made some mistakes during the intricate molding process. Learning from mistakes had helped him greatly to advance his understanding of body cultivation and molding and refinement processes. During the incident, he found out that his blood was now silver, not red anymore, which had shocked him initially. He had joked how Chinese censors would love what he had going on. However, it had done little to calm down Riseth, who demanded that all body modifications had to be tested thoroughly before they went out adventuring. Riseth had a similar issue when she first tried to mold her skin with ethereal essences. Riseth had attempted to let a test swing from Alistair pass through her body. It had worked, but Alistair''s poleaxe had been wrapped in her armor after the attack, leaving her standing naked in front of him. It had been a great learning experience as she had worked to refine essences into her armor, not just her weapons, using Alistair''s experience and the manuals provided by her second topic as a base. His own technique was still a bit flawed but had been less noticeable as his body did not turn ethereal. They would use the rest of the day to see if they could make their respective skills click into place. Chapter 103: Clan War Challenge Alistair and Riseth had succeeded in their respective cultivation goals but were cutting it close to meeting with the rest of the family preparing for the expedition. He had managed to refine some of his upper true ribs to store kinetic energy, forming a working augmented body part. Alistair did not need to worry about his ribs exploding in his chest, while Riseth did not involuntarily strip anymore whenever she turned temporarily ethereal.
Augmented Physiology:
Name: Effect:
[Kinetic Storage Ribs] Allows the user to store and contain [KE] in his remolded true ribs for later use. [KE] Will not naturally regenerate and is lost over time at a moderate rate. Moderate amount of innate resistance against outside energies and manipulation. Storage capacity of [KE] is determined by refinement quality and the [Body] stat at low efficiency. The current overall efficiency of the augmented physiology for a Grade 9 augmented body part is low.
Alistair had a [KE] bar beside his other energy bars. It was almost empty as it slowly drained itself. This would be one of the first issues he would correct, but for the moment, he would refine the rest of his ribcage during downtime. Checking on his resource pools, he could see a lot of potential if he were to add his whole rib cage and work on its efficiency.
Resource Pools:
Health Points [HP] 4530/4530
Mana Points [MP] 2850/2870
Qi [Qi] 4524/4530
Kinetic Energy [KE] 69/480
They were among the last to arrive at the gate room, only Simon arriving a few minutes later. After some small talk, they made their way through the gate one after the other. Once Alsitair arrived in the trial world, he waited for the rest to come through. James and his girlfriend were the next to arrive. Jessica set up the crystal beacon while James checked the drone terminal he had set up in the corner. Meanwhile, Nessyra and the rest arrived, with Riseth bringing up the rear. As soon as she stepped through, another pop-up appeared in front of him.
Bloodline Challenge:
Your Clan has entered a Trial World with an ongoing conflict. If the clan matriarch and patriarch agree, you may initiate a Clan War Challenge. Warning: Each Bloodline can only initiate one War Challenge for the duration of the Trial. This will limit access to this Trial World to members of the Bloodline. Any non-member initiates within will be removed, and gate access will be blocked.
Accepted: [0/2]
[Yes] [No]
Alistair and Riseth exchanged conflicted glances as they both received the pop-up notification. They quickly informed the rest of the clan, sparking a lively discussion. "We should accept. We were planning on waging a guerilla war anyway, and this would just guarantee additional rewards." James offered, not looking up from his console in the corner. Alistair knew his brother was the one to gain the most from choosing this particular trial. Access to technology was very tempting, but he would hear the opinions of the others first. "What if one of the challenges posed is defending our location? We are not exactly ready for something like that," Simon questioned. "I doubt it would give away our position immediately. It''s more likely to do that if we were to capture a location. I am more worried about the fact that we only get one pick. If we pick this, we essentially commit to picking up technology rather than treasures." Alistair corrected. "I say we go for it. It''s not like we can''t go to other trial worlds anymore. We will have more than enough opportunities to obtain treasures once we leave the trial. We need the tech." Riseth said, which earned her an appreciative look from James, who had finished with the console and geared up to argue some more. "Neither one of our worlds has very advanced tech, so we can''t get it from there. Also, just to confirm, does it state only one ''War'' challenge? There might be other types of challenges, and we just fulfilled the ones that were required for a war challenge." Nessyra pointed out, her keen eye for contractual nuances allowing her to spot such details effortlessly. "So we might find hunting or exploration challenges? If it is like magic, it might have been our intent that initiated this bloodline challenge," Juliana interjected. "Good point. If this becomes common knowledge, it might restrict our access to our other more valuable Trial worlds." Riseth added with a hint of concern. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "We should check out Slayer Trial World. Considering we got it from a rather obscure title, it might be less accessible, but we should check if there is a hunting trial. I would hate to be locked out of it." Alistair suggested. Postponing the decision, they checked some of their more valuable trial worlds with the intent of starting an expedition in them. None of the more special worlds, like their initial trial worlds or the Slayer world, offered a bloodline challenge. However, Alistair''s cave system Trial and one of Riseth''s Jungle trials offered an expedition challenge. Upon their return, the pop-up appeared again, asking the same question. "We should lock this trial down before any of the other bloodlines do," Alistair concluded upon his return. Alistair was unwilling to potentially lose this trial world, as it was one of the most promising and valuable to them. His statement garnered a lot of support. Nessyra opted to temporarily leave in case the challenge did not allow people to leave without the clan abandoning the challenge. Nessyra had joined them for the combat experience but could get it elsewhere without jeopardizing the challenge due to her obligations. She had left the clan''s business in Isabella''s hands in her absence. However, his aunt lacked Nessyra''s expertise in negotiations and business matters. While Isabella had some prior experience, as she had owned a farm with her husband, it wasn''t quite the same. Isabella had received some training from Nessyra to serve as a stand-in, but Nessyra hesitated to leave the clan''s business in her hands for too long. Once she had left, both Alistair and Riseth confirmed the window.
Clan War Challenge
Type: [War] [Bloodline Restricted]
Scenario:
Welcome Clan Ryser to the Trial world of Pulaliv. The many Stuquit nations of Pulaliv fell during their first and last World War. However, the Automata and automated war machines continue to savage each other in a never-ending cycle of violence, even with their masters long gone. The Clan War Challenge will introduce both public and hidden objectives, which will be calculated at the end of the challenge. The challenge will last until shortly before the end of the Trial or until the System has deemed the Trial World Pulaliv as conquered. Individuals may leave the Trial world and return to the challenge at will without penalty. Clan leaders may end the challenge prematurely. Rewards will still be distributed but at a large penalty to contribution points.
Duration: [248] Days.
Victory Condition: Conquer Pulaliv.
Rating:
Ratings will be calculated for both Individuals and the Ryser Clan as a whole based on contributions during the challenge. Failure to meet the Victory condition does not result in a penalty.
After confirming they could come and go as they wished, they gave Nessyra a call, and she rejoined them, also receiving the pop-up. "This setup feels incredibly similar to a dungeon," Alistair commented after reading the new pop-up. "Kind of like a cross between that Temple Run Dungeon and our first one, but without the stringent time limit," Riseth added. "I''m just glad we''re allowed to come and go. " Nessyra said, relief evident on her face. Alistair was happy this wasn''t the case, as there was no way he would stick around for the rest of the trial or try to conquer a whole planet at record speed. Also, Simon''s worry that they would immediately get attacked to claim their base of operation did not come to pass. Alistair still had to get used to the fact that the system considered 324 days to be a year. It usually translated and compressed numbers to make sense with most measuring methods. According to Riseth''s research, it was an average based on planetary rotations within the multiverse. At least, that was the general consensus in the multiverse. However, many factions and planets used their own timekeeping methods, only occasionally referencing the system timekeeping when necessary. "I wonder just how many people just got kicked out of this trial world. I hope they don''t know it was us who claimed it." Melissa said with a worried expression. "Our universe is massive, and even if they know who booted them out, the chances of them finding us or bothering to seek trouble with our clan over this are slim to none," Nessyra said reassuringly. This calmed her down, and James instructed everyone to pull out their receiver devices. These devices would update the drone-collected map data in irregular intervals. Alistair looked at the map, and it looked like they were lucky. Their first target, a large Nugan logistic node, was still mostly unguarded, and they had a clear path to approach as the patrol force was already moving to the next logistic node in their patrol route. "It''s a good thing they have only limited patrol units. Our timing is good, so we should head out and proceed with our first objective," James said after looking at his map.
Known Objectives:
Destroy Automata Faction [0/?]
Kill Automata Units [0/?]
Destroy Outposts [0/?]
Destroy Logistic Nodes [0/?]
Alistair checked the objectives window as they made their way up the stairs. They planned to strike targets far away from their gate location in case the automata sent retaliatory forces. Since keeping the gate hidden was a high priority. Luckily, there were tons of ruins everywhere, so theirs only stood out for being somewhat close to Alistair''s first appearance. He wondered if the third objective appeared because they planned to execute it. They planned to destroy the node and disrupt one of the faction''s logistics, but it was also an easy target far away from their gate. The location contained equipment resources and automata specialized in logistical and construction tasks. It both transported and produced equipment needed for the front line. Capturing both the specialized automata and some of their equipment, particularly the construction and transportation ones, was key if they wanted to establish themselves as a force. Not having to build specialized robots themselves or recruit droves of strangers as construction workers would be a massive boon. Nessyra was screening individuals from Neshan to work for their clan and this would take off a lot of pressure to recruit workers. Everyone had put on their cloak except for Alistair, who, even when he reduced his height, was much too large for the cloaks and required Riseth''s assistance to stay invisible. They wandered some distance away from the ruins before Jessica pulled out the cube containing the Zephyr. As they entered, they immediately noticed how the troop compartment was rather sparse and many platings welded to cover what Alistair sensed were wirings and circuits. He noticed many hatches that would grant access to the internals but was more annoyed at how he had to bend down so as not to hit his head. There was no seating, only multiple straps to hold on to and affixed to the internal hull of the compartment. "This sucks," Alistair grumbled as he had to bend and angle his neck in an awkward position as he grabbed one of the straps. James gave him a sympathetic look while Jessica headed for the cockpit to start the Zephyr. The rest of the group followed suit, grabbing onto their respective straps. "I thought you would be the one piloting it," Riseth remarked, observing Jessica''s departure for the cockpit. "If I were the one flying it, who would repair things in case something goes wrong or we take damage?" James retorted, securing his grip on a nearby strap. Alistair decided it was worth the mana expenditure. He summoned a small couch, sat down, and focused his magic to anchor it and himself in place on the floor. This garnered him some jealous glances as Riseth sat next to him. "Any chance you could summon a bigger couch?" Simon inquired. "Not without vastly increasing my mana expenditure. Also, my focus is limited." Alistair said apologetically. "Don''t worry, I''ll look into it during our expedition. Installing some seating and proper harnesses shouldn''t be too difficult, though comfort wasn''t exactly my top priority," James chimed in as the craft silently lifted off. Chapter 104: Infiltration As they traveled to the Nugan logistic node, the group started talking about the goals they wanted to accomplish before the trial ended. For Riseth, Simon, Alistair, and even Nessyra, it was reaching grade 8 or at least getting close to it. Riseth emphasized that the universe outside would be much more dangerous than the trial, and they could encounter much more powerful beasts. Becoming powerful enough to claim and defend any stake on a planet would be crucial. Many of the more desirable locations would become layers and territories for the strongest forces on the planet, most likely a strong beast or tribe of enlightened beasts. This had become one of the most discussed topics, and they decided they would not actively seek out already inhabited planets, so the odds of them having to drive away anything but pirates or smugglers were quite low. In the worst case, they would have to contend with another bloodline or a faction of a similar size. Another topic was the minimum requirements a planet would need to have. Nessyra, in particular, argued that they should form a team heading out with the Artemis to seek out and catalog as many suitable locations as possible before they made a decision. To make this work, it would be necessary to acquire another spaceship, which was also very high on her agenda, as the Artemis would be too small to transport everyone at this point. The Artemis was more of a stealth and exploration craft. Nessyra planned to bring in more workers and expected Alistair to pick up some Earth refugees. Alistair could not even refute that claim as he knew he would want to help if people wanted to leave Earth. While they flew, Alistair could not help but be impressed by how well his brother had managed to isolate the mana engine within the Zephyr. Even from up close, he hardly sensed it. According to his brother, he had traded some of his Stealthrim for another alloy that was a mix of orichalcum and cores of the suppression concept. They had to put up some USC to make up the difference as the concept was much rarer than stealth or camouflage, but fortunately, they did not need much of the material. As they approached the logistic node, they prepared to dismount. They wanted to sneak into the facility to disable communications and check if anything was rigged to self-destruct or other traps. They doubted they would find anything as the Stuquit were unlikely to put in explosives or traps into anything or anywhere. Preliminary scouting had revealed not a single minefield so far, but they were rather safe than sorry. The Zephyr landed in a nearby forest and was stored back in their cube as they approached. The drones had identified most of the locations to strike before their arrival. Still, the drones could not enter the main building, which would be Alistair''s and Riseth''s jobs, as the rest prepared to shut down multiple communication arrays. Once the rest of the group was in a position to unleash magic attacks on the communication arrays, Riseth and Alistair snuck in together. Almost no guards were posted; however, there was the hustle and bustle of chunky-looking [Nugan Hauler - lvl 30]. These robots were much larger than even the heavy troopers; one after the other, they loaded a hovercraft. It seemed to deploy storage magic as the metal crates disappeared from sight as soon as they were put inside the hovercraft. Alistair wondered how much space the relatively large container on top of the hovercraft could hold. The hovercrafts themselves were driven by slender and weak-looking [Nugan Cargo Handler - lvl 20]. They had observed some of the hovercrafts leaving in convoys toward the front line while others delivered the materials within the facility to what they presumed was a production facility.
"Both the haulers and cargo handlers have their engines in their chest with the access plate on their back," Alistair noted through the akashic link. They decided to communicate over the link despite the automata''s inability to hear them. "So far, all of them were designed like that. Let''s see if we can find something that''s a little different," Alistair added hopefully. The nearby buildings were constructed from the same magical concrete they had found at their gate location. They were simple, gray-colored large square blocks with no windows or decorations of any kind. The concrete flooring also seemed to prevent plant growth, as the local vegetation was heavily overgrown on the edges where the concrete ended, almost forming a hedge around the facility. "Their architecture leaves something to be desired," Alistair commented over the link as they snuck deeper into the compound. "Yeah, they lack distinguishing features. We should number them on our maps for coordination," Riseth agreed. "Leave it to me. You guys keep going and check the interiors," James communicated over the link. In the last few weeks, in preparation for the expedition, they upgraded their Akashic Link skills to communicate as a group. Alistair, drawing from his training in radio etiquette, attempted to teach them, but ultimately, they decided to select which parts they would use and forgo formalities like calling out ''over''. Particularly since they would mostly consist of aliens, which had their own signaling and etiquette, it would be something they would revisit in the future once they were more established and felt the need to optimize communications.
As they passed through the metal door into the first building, they found themselves in a vast storage room. Inside, two truck-sized hovercraft and two sets of twenty robots stood in neat rows, resembling soldiers awaiting inspection. Both the hovercraft and the robots seemed deactivated, and darkness shrouded the room.
Both Riseth and Alistair exchanged glances. Both were capable of seeing in the dark. Alistair utilized his Conceptual Awareness skill, while Riseth''s species allowed her to see in the dark. Most demon races had some form of dark or low-light vision. Alistair identified the robots as [Nugan Worker Drone] and shared his vision with the rest of the group. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "They don''t display their level and seem to be deactivated. Do you think we can store these without triggering some kind of alarm, James?" Alistair inquired over the link. "Check if you sense any circuits in the floor or any other magic sources while I check the drone footage," James suggested. They waited in the dark, flanking the small door through which they had entered. Alistair surveyed the structure with his vision but did not spot any magic within besides the base amount infused into the concrete. "I don''t sense any unusual magic in the building. The only magic comes from the circuitry of the drones and hovercrafts," Alistair relayed over the link. "Same here. I guess these Stuquits approach warfare quite differently from demons or humans. Their security is a joke." Riseth commented through the link. Alistair wondered just how different alien species approached wars compared to humans. He was aware that demons from Neshan placed a premium on security, often engaging in corporate wars where factions aimed to seize control without causing unnecessary destruction to valuable infrastructure and often holding said infrastructure hostage. However, they were also masters of sabotage and rapid infiltration, and their bunkers specialized in security and defense, which reflected their preference for subterranean warfare. On the other hand, Earth''s approach to warfare was characterized by its destructiveness and violence, albeit with a much broader range of tactics and doctrines to draw upon. Neshan lacked anything resembling an actual air force and was limited to lightly armed transport Vtols in case they wanted to infiltrate from the surface in larger formations, which wasn''t common. They preferred silent tunneling. Travel between the city-states happened via rail since all the cities were connected via an underground rapid rail system, which was presumably one of the casualties of the initiation. "It should be pretty safe to take them. From the drone footage, they never check on them until they need them. But in case something goes wrong, we are ready to blow up their comms," James told them. They approached the robots hesitantly, approaching one of the two groups as they stored one worker drone after the other. They then inspected the hovercraft, which fortunately had a storage functionality. While the storage functionality made noise, it was of no concern, and as they were in a dark concrete block, nobody noticed the flash either. "This feels a bit easy," Riseth mumbled uneasily. "They may adapt to our actions down the line, so don''t get too comfortable. If they notice us, they may also just send ICBM our way again." Alistair said in a hushed tone, remembering the missiles soaring through the sky at the end of the battlefield challenge. They approached the door they had entered through, waiting for James to tell them if they were clear enough to leave the building. They made their way through multiple buildings unharassed, most filled with equipment and resources like metal platings. Eventually, they reached one of the largest structures, which turned out to be their production facility. The facility reminded Alistair a little of his brother''s workshop as it had gantries and mechanical arms assembling weapons and communication equipment rolling on multiple conveyor belts, which were loaded and unloaded by Nugan Haulers. The largest difference was that many mechanical arms were much more elaborate, as they split apart and fused back together as they assembled the equipment on the belt. "We should leave them for now and check the main building first. We might be able to take them down before some of them escape or ring an alarm." Riseth sugguested. "I really want one of these arms intact. They would be a big upgrade for my workshop," James interjected. "I am sure we will be able to capture some eventually but let''s first check their HQ," Alistair insisted, eliciting a few grumbles from James. With that, they stepped back and made their way toward the central building in the compound. As they infiltrated the central building, they discovered a small armed force on standby inside. The group primarily consisted of troopers and heavy troopers. In their midst was what Alistair presumed was their equivalent of a tank. It lacked the usual protective armored chassis and was more of a large gun emplacement on top of a hovercraft, only armoring some of the communication and control equipment. After looking around, they spotted a lightly guarded set of stairs to the upper floors, which they presumed held their Headquarters. "Let''s fly over the guards and check the HQ. There should be something directing this facility." Riseth sugguested. Alistair paused, his attention drawn to the armored vehicle. "This thing seems to have some communication equipment. I''ll stay back and take care of it once things kick off, " he proposed. Riseth hesitated. "Your invisibility is still flawed. If anyone, I should stay," she countered. "No, I can hide behind those crates just fine. They are not patrolling. As long as I keep my head down, we are fine. Share your vision with me, and we''ll see how we proceed from there," Alistair insisted. Once Alistair hid behind the crates, Riseth shared her vision with him, flying silently over the two troopers guarding the stairs. Through body cultivation, she had fixed the issue of her wings flapping, giving away her position, remolding them with essences of silence and speed. Riseth was confronted by yet another metal door as she reached the top of the stairs. She could hear whirring beeping inside but not much else. As they had explored everything else already, they decided to let her breach the room as quietly as she could. If she was in danger of alarming the facility, Alistair and the rest of the clan stood on standby to blow up the communications equipment deployed by the facility. Riseth took a deep breath and swiftly entered the room, her gaze darting around to check for any signs of defensive measures or guards that might have detected the door opening. Fortunately, the room appeared empty except for a sprawling automaton anchored to the floor. Its head rotated ceaselessly as it moved from one panel to the next, its numerous arms tirelessly typing away at the array of consoles connected to the surrounding screens. Oblivious to the door''s opening, the automaton continued its relentless activity, engrossed in its tasks.
"Scratch what I said about the mechanical arms. We have to capture that thing as intact as possible. It''s bound to hold invaluable data," James suggested, eagerness evident in his voice. "I don''t know if I can incapacitate it and remove it fast enough in case they do send missiles our way," Riseth expressed her concern. "The missiles aren''t a certainty. They don''t send out regular reports, and they might not want to destroy the facility, so as long as they don''t emit a distress signal, we should be fine," James reassured. Riseth paused, using the time to identify the sprawling automaton as [Nugan Overseer - lvl 40] while the rest of the group debated whether to take the risk or not. She could sense a much more elaborate mana signature coming from the overseer, but it had the usual hatch on its back and seemed oblivious to its surroundings. "You could leap onto its back and disable it. I''d wager it''ll activate barriers the moment it senses you, so you would need to act fast," Alistair proposed. "Alright, everyone, get ready. I''ll jump it on the count of three," Riseth relayed over the link, getting ready to pounce on the overseer. Chapter 105: Advancing The Trial Riseth leaped into action, plunging her space-warped bone blades through the solid metal plating, piercing the mana engine but not immediately shutting down the overseer. As she jumped, Alistair and the rest of the clan unleashed their attacks, destroying all the communication arrays and equipment they had found. Alistair jumped the two troopers guarding the stairs, smashing them into the concrete wall with the hammer side of his poleaxe before turning and teleporting on top of the Nugan Battlecraft before one of the troopers managed to climb on top and man it, smacking it off the side of the craft.
Riseth clung to the side of the overseer, her tail lashing out to wrap around a pair of arms to stabilize herself and stop its attempts to swat her off. As she tried to pry off the plating to disable the overseer, it began to spin rapidly in an effort to shake her loose despite its attacks passing through her incorporeal form. Riseth gritted her teeth while wondering why the thing was still going, trying her best not to be flung off by the rapidly spinning overseer. Her best guess at that point was that the damn machine had some kind of backup energy source, which she either had to pry out or otherwise disturb the energy flow. "Come on, you infernal piece of Dareg shit," Riseth cursed, her frustration mounting as she finally managed to pry off the metal casing, as it flung into one of the nearby screens. With a focused gaze, she examined the circuitry, quickly spotting the central flow line. Channeling her mana, she burned it out, causing the overseer to cease spinning and go inert abruptly. The sudden halt nearly threw her off its body, but she managed to cling on, letting out a relieved sigh.
"I''ve got both good news and bad news," came James''s voice over the link. "Let''s hear it," Simon encouraged him. His attention was divided between James''s report and the ongoing capture operation. Simon and the rest of the clan were busy capturing haulers and other assets, deactivating them as they were under fire from the logistic node''s token guard force. Simon dispatched them quickly by shooting multiple obsidian lances through them. He had done the same to the cargo handler, which limply hung over the control unit, its head blasted apart by having a large obsidian shard shot through it. "The Good news is that we won''t get a missile strike," James said, to the relief of almost everyone. "What''s the bad news, then?" Alistair asked with a slight strain in his voice as he continued fighting the troopers in the room below the HQ. "The bad news is that the overseer called for reinforcement. All patrols are converging on our position. We have roughly 20 minutes before the first regiment arrives." James concluded. James led the way to the production facility, accompanied by Melissa, who proved invaluable with her ice powers. Her ability to freeze and immobilize drones and troopers allowed the rest of the clan to deactivate them at their leisure, minimizing the risk of sabotage or damage to the unit. This allowed them to capture the machines intact.
"I don''t see that as bad news. I am quite confident I can take out their incoming patrols by myself." Simon said over the link.
"We want them to underestimate us so they don''t escalate their responses too fast. I say we grab what we can and leave." Alistair proposed. "I think Alistar is right. Let''s keep this short, if we force them to adapt too fast, we might lose out later," Nessyra concurred. "I agree as well. Also, Riseth, are you fine dismantling the overseer, or do you need me to come over?" James inquired. After a short pause, they could hear a frustrated sigh. "Sorry, James, I don''t have the right tools and skills. You should take over," Riseth admitted. "Alright, go help Melissa within the production facility. Focus on the mechanical arms. I will leave some of my spare tools with Melissa." James directed. Alistair discovered that the battlecraft lacked a storage cube, so he decided to bind it to one of the few they had brought themselves. Consulting with James, they agreed it was a worthwhile endeavor, at least for the first one. With that settled, Alistair and the others began sabotaging what they couldn''t take with them, fulfilling the "Destroy Logistic Nodes" objective before the arrival of the first patrol. They managed to extract themselves just in time, already moving on to the next objective. This pattern persisted for the next three months, punctuated by occasional breaks during which most of them trained in other trial worlds or caught up with other matters while James disseminated information gleaned from captured overseers, providing valuable map data, including hidden bunkers and storage facilities which the Stuquit had set up in case of emergencies. From the map data they acquired, they learned that the Nugan and Ithania factions were the two largest remaining factions. The map also included information on which territories were previously held by different factions. During the first two months, they developed a handful of objectives as they targeted both factions and lured them into engagements with each other. Surprisingly, both faction''s responses were slow, and they only incrementally improved their security and reduced response time before attacking them. They planned to start participating in the larger battlefields as most of them had grown in levels significantly and felt safe enough to escalate the situation, with Simon being the strongest advocate for escalation. Nessyra had regularly left to manage the Clan''s assets as the experience she could gain from the raids was limited compared to her role as clan executive. Simon, Riseth, and Alistair also regularly left for other trial worlds, at least one of them remaining with James and the rest of the clan in case of an emergency. Juliana''s teleportation magic had made significant progress, enabling her to open temporary gates from and to the Hub-Gate location seamlessly, facilitating easy reconnection with the group without the need for the Zephyr. None of the trials they had found within the Automata world had provided them with any rewards, and instead, they added themselves to the final reward the clan would obtain from the Clan War Challenge. The biggest discovery came during their first night on the trial world. As they had only been on the planet during the daytime, they had not realized that its orbit was filled with debris. The trial world also had a moon with clear indications of a moonbase, which they planned to investigate later in the hopes of finding more spacecraft. The second most valuable discovery was the hidden bunkers, which were filled with rare and specialized equipment and materials. It quickly became apparent that James would be busy for a long time after the trial as he had tons of stolen assets to go through. Alistair and Riseth gained 17 levels each, putting them at level 69, most of it they gained from their Slayer Trial world. Leveling had gotten noticeably slower the higher their level got. Simon, who lacked as good a trial world, had slightly fallen behind and pushed for an escalation of violence within the Automata World. Alistair had found that he only gained one skill selection at level 60 and presumed they would now only appear every ten levels. However, he still obtained skill points for every five levels, providing him with a healthy stock of skill points to spend. During those two months, Alistair participated in the Expert & Elite arena matches after reaching levels 59 and 64, and he dominated the competition with his stat growth and elite skills. He had made short work of all of his opponents. Alistair had picked up the Razor Aegis skill, which turned out to be devastating for most of his opponents when combined with the rest of his skill sets. He had not earned much by betting on himself in the arena when compared to before, as his Nephilim race stood out like a sore thumb. Gamblers had rightfully started to bet on him winning, drastically reducing his winnings. Alistair was also quite sure that his luck affinity had influenced his matchups as he had not faced any of the arena favorites among which he now belonged. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Skill Choices:
Tier: Skill Name: Description:
[Epic] Switch Teleport Immediately switching positions with another individual requires either consent or resonance to achieve smoothly. After the teleport, the acceleration of the user and target increases by a large degree for a short period. Distance is limited to the user''s [Senses]. Depending on threat awareness, a barrier will automatically intercept incoming attacks.
[Rare] Teleport Other The user can teleport other Individuals and objectives to different locations. By spending [MP] at a moderate efficiency, the user may bypass some resistance of the target. Innately increases the user''s resistance against being teleported against his will. Increases [Control] when using the skill.
[Uncommon] Flame Stream Unleash a stream of flames. Increased [Power], when used with fire affinity, will burn opponents, damage their bodies over time, and reduce their self-healing. When used with thunder affinity, the flames have a low chance of partially paralyzing and burning opponents and increased [Power] when thunder flames are used against Machines.
[Common] Machine Slayer Expertise Increases [Power] by a moderate degree when attacking machines. The skill also improves the user''s ability to [Sense] machine-based threats by a large degree.
Alistair had been very satisfied with his recent skill selections. Teleportation, in particular, had become second nature to him during the automata trial. He and Riseth seamlessly swapped places through their resonance, strategically maneuvering to block attacks or allow them to pass through Riseth''s ethereal form. Coordination proved key, but they adapted swiftly to teleporting positions when necessary. With an abundance of skill points at his disposal, Alistair invested in several abilities that had long been available on his skill list. Additionally, he used a portion of his earned contribution points as a teacher to acquire two more skill points. He dedicated himself to honing both his existing skills and the new ones he had acquired.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Epic] Razor Aegis Allows the user to generate highly maneuverable razor-sharp disks capable of cutting through most materials within their grade. These disks orbit around the user, slicing through obstacles and opponents at a moderate cost of [MP] and [SP] for creation and maintenance. Upon impact with a target, the disks automatically expand, increasing its surface of attack. The user can take manual control of the disks, directing them with a minimal additional expense of [MP] and a small amount of focus. The user can summon up to 4 disks and manually control up to 4. Disks will automatically avoid allies and destroy themselves before damaging them.
[Epic] Appraisal This skill increases the user''s ability to appraise known objects, opponents, and concepts and displays them through the [Identify] skill. It automatically displays or reveals any knowledge the user possesses or has access to through the [Akashic Link].
[Epic] Switch Teleport Immediately switching position with another individual requires either consent or resonance to achieve smoothly. After the teleport, the acceleration of the user and target increases by a large degree for a short period. Distance is limited to the user''s [Senses]. Depending on threat awareness, a barrier will automatically intercept incoming attacks.
[Rare] Light Manipulation This skill can be used to make the user invisible by manipulating light waves by causing light to pass through a designated area/space/object without reflecting off the surface. Other uses include a flash of light to blind opponents and gathering ambient light to create a light source. The user may create a laser beam made of light to damage opponents at low efficiency and low [MP] or [SP] cost.
[Rare] Arcane Energy Manipulation Increases the efficiency at which the user converts and transfers energies from one to the other by a moderate amount using arcane means reducing. Reduces overall energy loss from transferring and converting energies within the user''s body by a large amount. The user''s augmented physiology optimizes the conversion process within their body, albeit at a slightly reduced rate outside the body compared to internal conversion.
[Uncommon] Kinetic Poleaxe Proficiency Increases the overall proficiency, [Power] and [Control] by a moderate degree when fighting with a poleaxe. Further enhances the user''s ability to channel [KE] and magic through a poleaxe, reducing the damage to the weapon and increasing the [Power] output of attacks containing [KE] when attacking with a poleaxe.
Alistair''s available skill list had accumulated multiple appraisal skills during the trial. He had put off picking them as combat skills had higher priority. However, once he picked the appraisal skills, he received the expected offer to evolve the skill by sacrificing his other appraisal skills. This improved the usefulness of his [Identify] skill by leaps and bounds. He had continued to add more books to his Akashic Link library, which increased the skill''s tier to epic and confirmed his suspicion that it was mostly measured by the availability of information based on his grade. He had mostly picked up the Arcane Energy Manipulation skill in anticipation of his next augmented body part. Alistair had completely remolded and refined his ribcage to store kinetic energy and had slightly improved its ability to contain the energy, reducing the loss over time. Alistair had also picked the Kinetic Poleaxe Proficiency for its passive bonuses, and while not massive, they were noticeable. He also had more than enough time to practice his light manipulation during the automata trial and eventually managed to turn himself invisible completely. Alistair even attempted to use the laser beam Riseth had practiced but found that his beam was just as weak. The last skill offered was one of the most interesting to Alistair. He could see himself picking it up and developing it into a slayer skill that would improve as he grew more experienced fighting against different kinds of opponents. But he decided to hold off for now, keeping one point in reserve. Nessyra had set up a meeting with the natural god of Neshan Zaltom. Nessy had hinted that he was one of her sources of information, particularly when it came to Sol and other natural gods. Alistair was getting ready, reflecting on the busy last few months as he used the glamour of his comfort array to turn his armor into a black suit. He had planned to make it a dark blue, but Riseth had told him that black and red were more common colors for business meetings on Neshan. Alistair was curious how the second meeting with a god would go. Chapter 106: Proposal Roughly two-thirds of their trial time had passed, and everyone was gearing up for a final push. They wanted to get the meeting with Zaltom out of the way. So Alistair, Riseth, and Nessyra had arranged a meeting with Zaltom for today and were making their way through one of the many rings of the Nurturing Wards. Unlike Sol''s palace, Zaltom''s base was outwardly modest, nestled into the side of the ring with an unassuming entrance. However, upon entering, they were greeted by luxury in the form of a modern lobby adorned with rich red carpets and plush black leather couches. Approaching a sizable obsidian desk, they found a red-skinned succubus seated expectantly at the reception. Alistair couldn''t help but notice the numerous crystals embedded into the walls, presumably functioning as surveillance cameras to monitor their movements. The lobby was infused with a pleasant perfume, and the lighting from the crystal chandeliers struck a perfect balance between gentle and illuminating.
"Good Fortune. I am Nessyra Ryser, accompanied by our esteemed clan patriarch and matriarch. We have come for the scheduled meeting with Zaltom." Nessyra said with a toothy smile. "Of course, Clan Ryser, we have been expecting you if you would follow me?" The Succubus said, leading them to one of the metal barriers, which Alisair presumed were elevators. The succubus spot behind the desk was seamlessly replaced by another, this time one with chocolate skin and long, curled black hair. As Alistair observed the seamless exchange, the newcomer glanced at him, flashing a flirtatious smile. She looked him up and down as they waited for the elevator. Alistair diverted his gaze and noticed Riseth looking at him. He gave her a reassuring smile as they stepped into the richly decorated elevator. Alistair could feel the elevator rapidly descend. He looked about and noticed just how lavish the elevator was, with the expensive-looking red carpet, gold plating, and black marble walls. Nesyra was drilling him on some etiquette as they descended, and they decided it would be best for her to do the talking unless he was addressed directly. Alistair was to address Zaltom as Arbiter and, under no circumstances, make any promises or accept requests without demanding something in return. The elevator came to a halt, and they stepped out while the succubus receptionist remained in the elevator, closing behind them. They entered a luxury suite with black marbled floors and even more elaborate magic carpets displaying a sea of fire that seemed to move if not observed directly. At the room''s end, a panoramic glass wall unveiled a mesmerizing vista of a magma chamber, its molten streams cascading with a hypnotic allure. Streams of lava flowed from the ceiling of the chamber, giving a mesmerizing display. Amidst the opulence, both familiar and otherworldly furnishings adorned the space. Alistair could make out two black leather couches facing each other over an obsidian table with strange decorative statues or containers upon them. The setup wasn''t too dissimilar to what he had encountered in Sol''s room. Still, he had read that Neshan CEOs liked to do business in comfort, like over dinner, and had many similarities to what one would expect from the Italian mafia. Fortunately, they were valued enough to be dealt with in a more casual setting, as it would have been a bad sign if they were led to his desk by one of his secretaries.
A tall and muscular demoness entered the room, her imposing figure adorned with large red horns and fiery red hair cascading down her back. Her face was square yet friendly, and she wore a light, glittery dress that accentuated her frame, catching the eye effortlessly. Alistair recognized her as a high-tier racial evolution, likely belonging to the wrath subspecies. His Identify Skill revealed her as [Satari Zekaria - lvl 53 Ragevex Fury]. His improved appraisal skill had even revealed her race. He presumed her to be one of his wives from a political marriage. He recognized the name from their last meeting. As far as he remembered, they were some kind of arms manufacturer. This was quickly confirmed by Nessyra, who informed him that Zekaria Corp was the largest weapons and arms manufacturer on Neshan over their link and requested him to be as polite as possible.
"Welcome to our abode. May fortune smile upon your clan," Satari extended her invitation graciously. "Would you care to join us for dinner?" Alistair had been briefed on what to expect. There was an elaborate etiquette in Neshan culture, and depending on the setting, one knew what to expect. Being called in front of a desk would be one of the worst outcomes as it would mean that you were viewed as the lesser party beholden to the other. On the flip side, being invited to dinner was one of the best outcomes, as it showed hospitality and marked the beginning of a less intense negotiation. "Thank you. May fortune bless your house and the Arbiter," Nessyra replied warmly. "We would be delighted to join." As Satari led them through the corridor, Alistair couldn''t help but admire the opulence around them. Golden interwoven constructs held glowing gems aloft, casting a warm, inviting light reminiscent of candelabras. Alistair had noticed the smell of delicious foods wafting through the air since they had entered the suite and could not wait to try out the food. They entered a large dining room. In the center was a large obsidian table stacked with all kinds of foods, none of which Alistair recognized.
Seated at the head of the table was Zaltom, slightly smaller in stature compared to Alistair. He wore a similar black suit adorned with a red tie, complemented by a richly decorated velvet shirt underneath. Zaltom''s obsidian-colored skin contrasted with the soft red glow emanating from his four draconic-looking eyes, accentuating the golden irises. Two large, elaborately curled obsidian horns adorned his head, adding to his imposing presence. His sharp facial features exuded intelligence and wit, complemented by a bald head and a pointed red beard. Alistair noticed that three plates were set out on one side of the table, the middle chair being noticeably bigger than the other two. Alistair had learned to reduce his size somewhat, but it cost him mana and some focus to maintain. It still meant that many of his favorite seats were now too small for him. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Ah, Clan Ryser, fortune to you. I welcome you to my abode. Please, take a seat and join me," Zaltom greeted warmly, an oppressive sense of power behind his request.
"Thank you, Arbiter. May fortune smile upon you," Nessyra responded, speaking as the representative of their clan. After a deep bow and pleasantries out of the way, they took their seats near the head of the table, with Nessyra sitting closest to Zaltom. Satari joined them, sitting next to Zaltom and opposite Nessyra. Nessyra and Zaltom engaged in some small talk before everyone began grabbing some of the Alien foods. Alistair could make out some foods he recognized, like meat roasts and fish. There were just as many masses of what he presumed to be pasta, eyeballs, insects, and unknown fruit and vegetables. The largest standout was a large lizard that had been spit-roasted in the center, and Alistair could not help his curiosity as he used magic to cut and float over some of the meat to try while loading his plate with some of the less alien-looking vegetables. The taste of the long, tuber-like vegetables reminded him of watermelons, which wasn''t at all what he had expected. Surprisingly, the lizard tasted like a mix of fish and chicken with a slight gamey undertone. He enjoyed it, especially with a red sauce that tasted like a somewhat sweet curry, where he had expected tomatoes. Turning his attention back to Nessyra, he noted them talking about the current state of affairs, particularly about the natural gods neighboring Neshan, until Zaltom turned his attention to Alistair.
"Speaking of natural gods, I''m certain Sol isn''t thrilled about his decision to recognize the Ryser clan as a Neshan faction," Zaltom suggested, his gaze fixed on Alistair. Alistair paused, setting down the trident-like fork. "I presume this agreement was made before my racial evolution? What were the terms, if I may ask?" Zaltom grinned, revealing long, sharp fangs. "Indeed. While he had larger matters on his mind, Sol was content to relinquish his claim in exchange for some minor concessions and as a gesture of goodwill." Alistair furrowed his brows. "Not to offend, but Sol has no claim on me. All I agreed to was cooperation with him." Zaltom chuckled. "Indeed. It''s a delicate dance, isn''t it? Sol may be restrained by our agreement, but I still hold sway in certain matters." A predatory smile played on his lips. Nessyra did not have to tell him, but it was obvious that Zaltom was trying to establish a dialogue by laying out the agreements in place, hinting that while Sol could not interfere, Zaltom still could. Despite everything going on, Alistair''s instincts told them that Zaltom was not trying to use him, a sense he had not gotten from Sol. Nessyra cleared her throat as she got Zaltom''s attention. "We appreciate your assistance. Our aim is to establish a stable presence beyond Neshan and Earth. We seek agreements that ensure mutual benefit and amicable relations," she stated diplomatically, veiling the true depth of their intentions.
"Indeed, I am sure we can reach an agreement that benefits everyone involved," Zaltom replied, shifting his attention to Satari, who had been silent until now. Following a brief exchange of looks with Zaltom, Satari addressed Nessyra directly. "It has come to our attention that your clan has claimed a trial world containing technology that could be of interest to Neshan," she stated, pausing momentarily before continuing. "Perhaps a mutually beneficial exchange is in order to formalize our relations?" Nessyra hesitated for a short moment as she took a small bite from her fork that had impaled a piece of lizard meat. "That would be correct. What can you offer us in return?" "As you seek to establish your corporate headquarters outside of Neshan, maintaining a presence there may pose challenges. Zakaria Corp. proposes to serve as an intermediary, managing a branch under the Ryser clan''s name with the Arbiter''s approval. In exchange, we request access to the technology discovered on the trial world and future discoveries at fair rates when conducting trade with Neshan," Satari explained. Nessyra glanced at Alistair and Riseth, who nodded, giving her the signal to handle as she saw fit. "I cannot consent to Zakaria Corp. operating under the Ryser clan''s name. However, provided the terms are agreeable, we are open to sharing our discoveries and engaging Zakaria Corp. as our intermediary; of course, we still seek the arbiter''s approval of our Clan," Nessyra responded. There was a short, tense pause where Zaltom and Satari exchanged looks, and Alistair was sure they had their own version of the Akashic Link to communicate. "This is mostly acceptable for Zekaria Corp.; the details can be worked out at a later date. However, the Arbiter''s approval is not something I can give." Satari declared, casting a glance towards Zaltom. Alistair knew that most of this was steeped in theatrics and tradition. They weren''t trying particularly hard to trick them or get concessions as a show of good faith. Alistair perceived it as a waste of time as both sides now knew what the other wanted. However, he would respect the culture and continue to observe. As expected, Zaltom agreed to approve the Ryser clan, recognizing their Neshan origin. This meant he would not interfere with their business and would guarantee fair dealings between them and other corporations in his role as the Arbiter. Riseth, who did not care much for negotiations and was already familiar with such events, hardly paid attention as she continued to try out the foods on offer. Alistair, on the other hand, absentmindedly ate some of that spit-roasted lizard, still keenly observing the exchange while levitating what looked like a winged fish on his plate. He found the obvious pretense they engaged in strange. But on the other hand, he appreciated that any statement made could be considered binding as soon as both parties verbally agreed. This made it so that any negotiations could be brought to paper without one party constantly having a change of heart, speeding up the overall process. Zaltom''s sudden clapping drew attention back to him. "Excellent. With the more mundane negotiations concluded, let us now solidify our bonds in earnest. Might the Ryser clan entertain the prospect of a political alliance through marriage?" His gaze fixed squarely on Nessyra. Chapter 107: Agreements Zaltoms request shocked both Riseth and Alistair. Nessyra was wearing a choker, which was the Earth''s equivalent of a wedding band. Alistair had not asked Nessyra about it waiting for her to address it herself as he was quite sure that she had either a loveless marriage or her husband had died. Neither topic Alistair would broach without a good reason. "To my knowledge, your previous marriage already held political ties. I offer my condolences for your loss and respect any time you may need for grieving. Nonetheless, I am eager to hear your thoughts," Zaltom pressed on. Alistair cast a concerned glance at Nessyra, whose demeanor turned cold and impassive. Sensing his worry, she reassured him over their Akashic Link, "We''ll talk about it later." He sensed her calm but wasn''t sure if it was her suppressing her emotions or if she had expected the question. "I''m deeply honored by your offer, but I must respectfully decline," Nessyra replied, her voice firm. "I''ve only recently found a sense of self and independence in my position. I''m not ready to surrender that freedom. Like my sister, I seek a relationship founded on love, and we both value our independence too greatly to be tied to one another, Arbiter." "A regrettable decision, but understandable," Zaltom accepted without apparent disappointment. Alistair noticed Satari''s dissatisfaction at the exchange. He wasn''t quite sure if she was glad or offended over Nessyra''s refusal. It might have been both. But Zalton truly did not seem to care, and Alistair was glad he did not request him for any of his family members. However, he suspected Zaltom was aware of the futility and potential offense of such a request. He was also unsure how such a refusal was viewed in Neshan culture, but he hoped it wasn''t overly egregious.
"It''s all right. Politely declining such a sudden proposal won''t cause offense. They are probably plotting something, but Nessy got it under control," Riseth reassured him through their link. Grateful for the resonance, Alistair had been suppressing his emotions as best he could. However, he suspected that Zaltom might still have noticed despite his attempts to maintain a neutral expression. It was another reminder that this was a negotiation led by Aliens. While similar to Earth in many ways, it had its fair share of differences. Alistair wondered what Zaltom was aiming for if the marriage request truly was part of a plot. "Perhaps they are trying to get a reaction out of me?" Alistair wondered. After an awkward pause, Zaltom broke the silence, looking at Alistair. "There is one more matter. Sol has requested that I negotiate an agreement with the Ryser clan." "And what would that be?" Alistair inquired. "Simply put, he wishes to uphold the spirit of cooperation he established with you. In exchange for a single favor, Sol offers unrestricted access to his domain and an official trade permit for your clan," Zaltom explained. Alistair furrowed his brow. "Could you clarify the nature and scope of this ''favor''?" Zaltom smiled reassuringly. "Of course. You hold the authority to refuse any task you deem too risky or disagreeable. As the arbiter overseeing this pact, I would evaluate the legitimacy of your decision." Taking a moment to savor another bite, this time from an eyeball, Zaltom went on, "The favor may be many things, like assisting in a single battle or exchanging pertinent information or a treasure." "And how high would the Arbiter value Sol''s offer?" Nessyra asked. Zaltom''s smile grew slightly predatory, showing his sharp fangs. "Not particularly high. There is a whole multiverse to trade with. I would not expect you to risk your life, leave behind a family member, or share information you do not wish to share." Alistair was confused initially but understood quickly. Nessyra was gauging the size of the favor owed. Zaltom, in his role as Arbiter, would be the one to decide, and getting a statement from him now would be binding. Nessyra turned to Zaltom with a respectful nod. "Thank you, Arbiter," she acknowledged before addressing Alistair and Riseth over the link. "We should accept this agreement. Zaltom has given us a great measure of favor. Agreeing would also serve as a goodwill gesture toward Sol so that we can visit Earth undisturbed if necessary." Alistair thought about it, and it made sense. Sol focused on dominating Earth and the factions trying to claim it for themselves. Factions like Alistair''s clan and South Korea''s chaebols, if anything, took competitors off the board. Forming alliances with external forces originating from Earth would be a strategic advantage. This whole exchange also confirmed that Zaltom wasn''t just the Arbiter of Neshan but also the go-to for other local natural gods with less reputable reputations like Sol. Alistair also suspected it played into some political game they weren''t aware of yet, but he would still give his consent if Riseth and Nessyra shared his opinion. He voiced his thoughts over their link. Nessyra still thought it was a good idea where, whereas Riseth was still mulling it over. "If this comes back to bite us, I want the contract to show that I had my reservations," Riseth said, looking at Nessyra. "I''m certain they''re scheming something, but I highly doubt it''s a collaboration against us. My intuition tells me they aim to forge closer bonds with our clan. In the best case, they are hoping to establish ties or a sense of debt that would prompt us to assist them occasionally," Nessyra speculated over the link. Nessyra continued to press for details, managing to secure some minor concessions and clarifications from Zaltom and Satari, while Alistair and Riseth brainstormed potential loopholes in the two agreements. Nessyra intended to review them thoroughly before finalizing any agreements, but overall, things were looking promising for them. Zaltom''s position as an Arbiter limited how much favor he could openly show, and Satari, as his proxy, was eager to curry favor with the Ryser Clan. Alistair had nearly tuned out of the conversation until a particular topic caught his attention.
"Neshan is pooling its resources to acquire the technology necessary to build a space fleet by purchasing a set of costly Study Dungeon topics. Would the Ryser clan be open to joining this endeavor?" Satari proposed. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Alistair''s interest was piqued. "How substantial of an investment is this for Neshan to undertake?" "Roughly one billion USC. It''s a more than significant sum for a single faction but manageable for a planet''s worth of industrious demons," Satari explained, a hint of pride evident in her tone.
Nessyra excused them for a moment to discuss it, and a brief silence settled over the room. Zaltom continued eating unperturbed, while Satari watched them with anticipation.
"They are already quite certain we have a spacecraft and poking for alternatives. Riseth it is your craft, what are your thoughts?" Nessyra Inquired. Riseth paused before answering. "I am not willing to lend them my craft to dismantle. The Artemis is at the heart of our plans, and we can''t afford to risk it." "I agree with Riseth. I''m not even sure it''s a good idea for us to offer funds. We already have enough expertise and tech to figure it out independently." Alistair added. Nessyra nodded in agreement before turning to Satari. "Apologies, but the Ryser clan is currently not interested in joining such a venture." Satari chewed on her lower lip, contemplating their response. "It may be presumptuous of me, but I assume your clan already possesses the necessary expertise and sees little value in joining." "Correct," Nessyra affirmed. "I should also mention that this expertise comes from a different source than our initial agreement, so we''re not obligated to share it." "However, our expertise is also less complete than whatever the topic offers. We don''t dare presume that our expertise would be sufficient to create a fleet worthy of Neshan, but it is sufficient for our needs," Nessyra added, emphasizing the distinction. Satari paused, eying them thoughtfully. "Zekaria Corp. won''t be the recipient of the topic itself and can only send a certain quota of future shipwrights to learn alongside the other corporations. We have the manpower to start production but lack the expertise. Perhaps we can help each other?" "Now that sounds more promising," Alistair commented over the link as he tempered his excitement.
Nessyra maintained a stoic demeanor as she spoke, "We might consider disrupting the precious time of our experts during the trial. However, it won''t come without a price. The trial presents a singular opportunity, one that we won''t encounter again." Satari did not even try to negotiate. "State your terms." She declared. Nessyra turned to face Alistair and Riseth again with a serious expression. This could take up a lot of time for both Riseth and James. Everyone in the room knew that they would need to get heavy concessions to justify it. What Satari did not know, however, was that they already had plans to do this. The rooms'' atmosphere had grown more tense, with the exception of Zaltom, who continued to enjoy his dinner, unfazed and staying true to his impartial nature. Alistair noted that, much like Sol, Zaltom had been affected by outside influences, some of which he wasn''t familiar with. However, it made sense that different species had different kinds of cultural influences in the multiverse and were more likely to be affected by those. Perhaps Earth''s volatility was just bad luck, or somebody or something had influenced it. Perhaps even both possibilities were true. But based on what Sol had told him, Humans were usually even more volatile, and perhaps it had been to their benefit. "Before we make any decisions, we need to check with my brother. James would be the one sacrificing most of his time, so the decision is his." Alistair stated out loud. Neither Riseth nor Nessyra objected. Alistair called his brother, explaining the situation and asking if his brother had any demands. Riseth had already verbally agreed to do it if the concessions were good enough. Everyone looked at Alistair as he looked blankly at his food, waiting for his brother''s response. "So you got them convinced that it all hinges on me agreeing?" James inquired over the link. "You guys are scary negotiators. From the looks of it, we will need to push this war trial to its limits even more than we had planned. As for requests for demands, it''s that we keep whatever craft we build, and I want to select at least one of the shipwright crews to join us as employees afterward," James stated firmly. "If I''m training them, I might as well retain some of the labor," he added.
Alistair nodded in agreement. "Agreed, keeping the craft we build was a given. And your second demand makes sense. We''ll need to ensure the shipwrights are onboard with the arrangement, or we can limit the offer to those willing to accept it," he said over the link, glancing at Nessyra for confirmation. Nessyra, who had listened in, spoke up. "That should not be too much of a problem. As you said, we can put conditions for the potential applicants." "Another request is for them to pay for the materials and production costs. If we have to finance that ourselves and I have to burn through the materials I have been saving for other projects, we won''t finish before the trial ends," James insisted. After some more discussions, they relayed their terms to Satari, who listened intently. She idly played with her hair as she considered the proposal. "We would need some assurances. The material budget needs to be within reason. Also, the shipwrights must be trained in reactor and jumpdrive construction and maintenance." Satari stated. "We can teach them, but we won''t take responsibility if they fail to learn. We will record the process to provide Zaltom with reasonable means to judge in case of a dispute. I will also need a quote on what is determined as a reasonable material expense," Nessyra clarified. The two women immediately delved into discussions about costs, expenses, the number of workers, and limitations. Alistair was well aware that the spacecraft''s actual size would far exceed Satari''s estimates. They had scouted the debris in space and around the moon station. Although they hadn''t ventured into the moon stations themselves, they had spotted structures resembling hangars that could potentially house additional crafts or, at the very least, tools and infrastructure they could salvage. Even if the hangars turned out to be empty, they had spotted a lot of destroyed crafts orbiting the planet. They had not lied in the sense that they had not actually retrieved or obtained any of that salvage yet and could not possibly know if any of it was still in one piece or contained the coveted technology. Not stating or elaborating on speculations was one of the many facets of Neshan''s half-truths they abused right now. The automata trial planet was plagued by Kessler Syndrome. Initially, they had mistaken the frequent appearance of shooting stars for a common phenomenon on that planet. However, they were forced to halt during their initial attempt at a scouting mission to the moon base. While their shields had protected the Artemis, it quickly became apparent that flying through or remaining stationary in orbit would rapidly deplete the energy reserves of their mana reactors, which powered their shield. Moreover, it posed an immense danger to anyone outside the ship''s shield attempting to recover the broken-up ships and satellites. They had withdrawn to plan a more organized approach as they analyzed the chaos to find at least a slightly more secure route out of orbit. They had made plans to let Alistair and Riseth attempt to recover larger chunks of spacecraft debris since they were the only ones capable of withstanding potential impacts. They first had to create storage devices large enough to contain the pieces, as the original cubes had rejected the broken ship parts they had tried to recover before they withdrew. James had suggested that the cube, recognizing they were part of a larger whole, refused to store the chunks without the rest or was part of another storage system. Their plan had been to create a Frankenstein ship from the parts they could find in the debris and add a jumpdrive and reactor themselves in case they could not salvage any. Still, now that they had sorted out their lack of labor problem and had somebody else pay for the additional materials required, they would be able to create something bigger. Much bigger. Chapter 108: Change of Plans The rest of the dinner passed uneventfully as Nessyra and Satari moved to put the contract on paper. Zaltom, who had impassively observed the exchange, had deemed his presence to be no longer needed. Zaltom said his brief goodbyes and disappeared into thin air, presumably returning to his domain. Once the contracts were signed, Nessyra and Satari shot up in levels by a noticeable degree as power radiated from them. Even Alistair leveled up once to level 70 as his latest skill selection became available. Noticeably, Riseth had not leveled up and pouted as Alistair pulled ahead in levels. Nessyra was the highest-level individual in their clan. She greatly benefitted from the trial and constant business dealings, which put her far ahead. Alistair was confident she would reach Grade 8 before the end of the trial despite the increasing difficulty of advancing one''s Grade. Alistair was, however, more concerned that Satari had leveled almost as much as Nessyra in that exchange. That meant that they had also gotten what they wanted and presumably achieved a hidden agenda. As they were led to the elevator, Alistair took the opportunity to check his new skill options. He was briefly interrupted as they said their farewells to Satari, exchanging deep bows of respect.
Skill Choices:
Tier: Skill Name: Description:
[Epic] Flash Step The user can perform a burst of speed that allows them to move so fast it appears as if he has teleported by continuously expending a tiny amount of [Qi]. This Technique scales in efficiency and speed with the [Power] and [Control] stats at a moderate degree.
[Rare] Teleport This skill can be used to home in on distant energy sources sensed by the user or known locations within its considerable range. Its large [MP] cost scales with distance to the target and requires a moderate amount of time and focus to establish a connection between the user and the target location.
[Rare] Veiled Emotions This skill passively veils the user''s emotion from the senses and skills of others to a moderate degree, scaling with the user''s [Control] stat. It also provides a moderate amount of protection against [Mental] attacks based on emotions.
[Uncommon] Suppressed Presence This skill passively suppresses the user''s presence by reducing the amount of passively exuded magic and blending it in with atmospheric mana signature at a moderate degree scaling with the user''s [Control] stat.
The long-range Teleportation skill was the last of the teleport skills missing from his skill options last time. As with the last ones, the credit for figuring it out went to his mother, as her now incredible space affinity had let her intuitively understand how the magic was supposed to work. Especially after a close call, where they had to use their emergency crystals to escape an incoming set of ICBMs blowing up the area after a successful Defend Location Trial. The Flash step skill was a technique Simon had picked up from his arena buddies, which he later passed on to him. Alistair still remembered when Simon showed him the skill, Simon had asked to meet in the clan''s dojo. What greeted Alistair was Simon blitzing around him and yelling. "Look, Alistair, I''m doing an anime!" Which earned Simon the expected facepalm and pained laugh from Alistair. He still cringed at the memory. The skill went by many different names and was apparently an incredibly common skill in the multiverse. It was currently making its rounds in the arena as more people reached Grade 9. Due to its usefulness, most people who fought a lot got a variation or other of the skill sooner or later. Alistair had mostly used his Blink skill to fill the role but had found that even when manually used, it was cheaper than Blink. However, it was of little concern as Blink had its own advantages, as it did not require him to physically move from A to B. But the Flash Step would work great when teleportation was restricted. Sadly, it was a waste of a skill option as he did not feel like he needed to pick up the skill, as it took very little of his focus once he had figured out the technique. He would perhaps revisit the skill if he wanted to combine it with some other magic like fire or lightning or a less obvious element. To Alistair''s dismay, it wasn''t the only wasted skill slot. He was reasonably certain that if he were to choose either of the hiding skills on offer, they could probably be merged into one. Internally, he cursed the fact that they had not done so automatically. However, he couldn''t fault the system for granting him the skills independently, as he had not considered their potential combination before receiving them in this manner. This was one of these moments where it almost felt like the system had some mind of its own. But yet again, it was trying to be helpful within the framework of obscure rules Alistair had not deciphered completely yet. Riseth''s suggestion that the system and magic came after the creation of the universes came to mind again. They had looked it up, and there were tons of theories on the system''s origin and nature. The one that spoke to him the most was that it was some kind of ascended hivemind virus that was magic itself. Could a virus achieve sentience and, then, godhood? Was he truly some kind of carrier in a symbiotic relationship with a hivemind? It was one of the more outlandish theories they had found about the system, though it resonated with both him and Riseth. He dismissed the thought as he picked up the Veiled Emotion skill. Alistair was immediately proven right as he got a notification for a possible skill upgrade, which he confirmed.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Supreme] Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Aura Suppression This skill passively suppresses the user''s presence by reducing the amount of passively exuded magic and blending it in with atmospheric mana signature at a moderate degree. This also veils the user''s emotions through magic from the senses and skills of others. Both effects are moderately scaled with the [Control] stat. It protects from and reduces the noticeability of the [Identify] skill, which is determined by contesting the user''s [Control] stat against the target''s [Senses] while considering relevant aura skills. The skill also passively provides moderate protection against emotion-based [Mental] attacks and moderately improves the user''s aura [Control] in an aura contest.
Riseth and Nessyra immediately sensed the change as his aura stopped radiating magic, which had previously given insights into his emotional state. Nessyra nodded approvingly. She had been using a similar skill for a while and asked him about his insights over the link, with Riseth listening in with interest. Alistair was very satisfied with the upgrade; while he could manually use either skill, they were still a pain to maintain. Having the new skill automate the process would be a great relief as the skill would even work when he did not actively need it. People other than Riseth would now have to guess or aggressively probe him with their senses to get a read on him. The addition of his Identify skill being less noticeable and him being harder to identify was a big boon. He would need to look into aura control, as he suspected it was a field of magic he had overlooked. As the elevator reached the lobby, Alistair noticed that the receptionist had been replaced again. This time, it was by a light purple-skinned Incubus in a sleeveless suit. Alistair wondered if there were multiple stops in that elevator. Perhaps Zaltom had the same ability as Mitania to split himself up, holding multiple meetings simultaneously. The Incubus watched them leave, winking at Alistair, still deep in thought. Alistair was mildly surprised at the gesture but turned away to leave with Riseth and Nessyra. They needed a change of plans, so they called up the rest of the clan and informed them of the agreements. Their original schedule would have seen Alistair go off on his own in the Slayer World, as it was his time off from protection duty. They had set up a rotation where at least one of their strongest fighters was present in case of an emergency. But that would need to be delayed as they needed to advance the Clan War Trial faster than expected. They had scoured every inch of the planet, taking down the smaller factions by sabotaging their self-replicators and headquarters themselves. If that wasn''t enough, they expanded their efforts and had the Nugan or Ithania automata factions overrun them, which still credited them with a lot of collateral with the Kill Automata Units objective, netting them a frankly absurd amount of kills. However, killing robots had little to no influence on their records anymore. Alistair and the rest mostly got rewarded levels for completed objectives rather than destroying the same robots over and over again. They had gotten a handful of events like defending certain locations or, ambushing certain convoys, or dominating a certain battlefield. Alistair checked his known objectives, which kept ticking up even as he looked at it.
Known Objectives:
Destroy Automata Faction [6/8]
Kill Automata Units [1,682,645/?]
Destroy Automata Self-Replicators [12/?]
Destroy Outposts [27/?]
Destroy Logistic Nodes [32/120]
Destroy Planetary Defense Grid Nodes [41/41]
Successfully Completed Trials [9]
Discover Hidden Locations [21]
They had hit multiple different kinds of nodes and locations of interest per day during the last three months, aiming to collapse the automata''s ability to fight back with continuous hit-and-run tactics. The planet had a planetary defense grid maintained by the individual Stuquit nations before war broke out. Once they started killing each other, they had apparently shot down all of the rival nations'' ships in orbit, causing the Kessler Syndrome. That was something Jessica had found out after they had discovered the debris while filtering through recovered data they had claimed in one of the nodes. James had collected many of the railgun emplacements despite bemoaning the Stuquit''s terrible design choices. Even without retrofitting them, many planets and factions would kill to have access to such a defensive measure. Fortunately, many of the Ryser Clan craftsmen had by now learned how to craft storage items, barely allowing the clan to meet James'' high demand for storage, which also explains why most factions refused to sell storage items. James had insisted that the clan prioritized targeting the defensive grid, taking away their means of shooting ICBMs at the clan. They had considered using the missiles against the last two headquarters, but that would destroy any and all blueprints and tech the largest factions had held back. Instead, they had shot the missiles at smaller outposts and larger forces they had discovered, racking up kills. Disappointingly, they had not gotten a title for nuking their opposition, but they had been credited for the kills. His entire family had reached Grade 9, with the exception of his aunt. Both his sister and mother had evolved into their respective Witch Matriarch subraces. The evolution had been a linear upgrade without noticeable visual changes. James had evolved into a Cyber Magus, integrating his cybernetics and boosting his affinity for technology and magic. His girlfriend had managed to evolve into an Amazonian, and she now towered over James. Alistair was still taller than her, but she came in as a close second in height. They had grown powerful and were ready to strike. As Nessyra coordinated the clan members, Riseth spoke up with determination. "The more intact debris we''ve spotted will be orbiting over our gate location in two days. We should get this over with before we miss our window." Alistair agreed; they picked up their pace, reaching the gate of the nurturing ward and heading directly for the Automata world. His mother, Juliana, was already waiting for them at the gate. Simon, James and the rest of the group were currently in the Zephyr, flying to a set of ruins where they could link up. Alistair was impressed by how fast they could mobilize. They had just destroyed another Logistic node and were already preparing to link up and regroup with the rest of the clan. The last three months had refined their teamwork and coordination by leaps and bounds. They had made plans and preparations for an assault on the last two headquarters over a week ago. Alistair knew that no plan survived first contact with the enemy, but he was confident that they could at least do a lot of damage. Chapter 109: Nugan Headquarters Juliana teleported them to the top of a large ruined structure surrounded by more devastated buildings made of the usual magical concrete. The air had a slightly burnt and smokey smell. The sun was starting to settle; in a few hours, it would be dark. This was less ideal as they struggled more with darkness than the Automata did, so they would want to act before that happened or delay their attack. The Zephyr silently approached and started to land on the roof they were on. Even from up close, the stealthrim armor made the Vtol hard to spot, while the craft made only a humming sound from up close. Alistair stepped to the side to give Jessica space to land. The Zephyr''s landing gears extended out of the hull as it landed softly on the concrete building. The side doors opened, and James and Simon were the first to jump out, followed by Melissa and Jessica, who shut down the Zephyr before stepping out and storing the craft in its cube in a flash of light and smoke. "Why did it take you guys doing some shady dealings before we did this?" Simon complained, approaching the group through the quickly vanishing smoke cloud. They had been ready to strike for a while but decided to grind out more secondary objectives and levels before destroying the headquarters. "Because the priorities changed. Things won''t always go as planned; at least this time, it''s to our benefit. That will probably change after the system stops babying us," Alistair explained. Simon grinned and embraced Alistair in their usual greeting. It had become a bit more awkward as Alistair had to bend down a bit. "Free labor and materials do sound good," Simon remarked as he stepped back. "Well, not free. I hope these Demons, like Aknis and Riseth, are easy to work with." James commented. "Am I not easy to work with?" Nessyra interjected. "Of course you are," James responded, slightly flustered. "Uh-huh," Nessyra responded, a smile tugging at her lips. James often treated Nessyra as if she were his new boss, given her role and assertive nature. She had made some overtures to have him warm up and treat her less professionally and more like part of the family, but it was slow going. "Don''t tease my man too much. That''s my job," Jessica chimed in from behind James, resting her hands on top of his head as she towered over him. James''s face became indignant. He was still adjusting to the size difference, and he and his girlfriend had joined Alistair and Desily in trying to figure out the polymorph skill. The Reduce and Enlarge Person spell proved relatively straightforward but mana-intensive and primarily geared toward combat rather than everyday use. Transmutation magic turned out to be quite difficult, especially without a proper teacher; since Riseth used the magic more intuitively as a racial skill, she could only describe sensations and rough outlines of the magical process. James checked a tablet in his hands. "It looks like they have not found any of the charges we placed. We can blow most of the guard detail and turrets to high heaven," "Did we figure out what their hidden ace is?" Alistair inquired. "No," James replied, "the data is inconclusive. We only know that they bought something from the Synth Alliance and deployed it at the beginning of the war." He paused, considering. "It might have been a one-off thing." "I doubt that. The system usually does not leave clues without reason, and the data has clearly been curated and censored," Jessica remarked, glancing down at his tablet. "We should make use of the daylight we have left. Let''s get in position," Nessyra urged. "Alright, everyone, stay on the link, and let us know when you reach your position," Alistair declared as everyone flew or teleported off the structure. It didn''t take long for everyone to check-in. Retrieving a pair of binoculars crafted by his brother, he scanned the area. These binoculars weren''t ordinary; they provided extreme zoom capabilities and offered perspectives from other binoculars and drones in the vicinity. He double-checked the guard positioning before addressing the team through the Akashic Link. "The Guard position and patrol routes have not changed. We have a green light from the east," Alistair announced through the link. "We have a green light from the south as well," Riseth called out. Similar confirmations echoed in from each cardinal direction until James took charge. "Alright, everyone, prepare yourselves. Countdown to the blast in five, four, three, two, one, fire in the hole!" BOOOM! Massive explosions resonated, shaking the earth fiercely. Plumes of smoke and debris erupted from the compound as the explosions obliterated all the bunkers and barracks scattered throughout. Dust engulfed the entire compound, obscuring visibility. Alistair and the others wasted no time, rushing in to capitalize on the chaos. "You know, ''fire in the hole'' means something quite different on Neshan," Riseth remarked. "Do I even want to know?" James asked hesitantly. "Probably not," she quipped back. He chuckled. " Alright, don''t lose track of our mission. We got to take out their Overseer," James reminded her. Alistair had a different target. He was to attack a storage facility containing some of the most elite and experimental unit''s equipment. They had not blown up that particular guard detail as they did not wish to damage the equipment stored within. Riseth and James hurried toward the central building; like most of the uninspired concrete blocks, it had a large gate and multiple smaller metal doors to access it. Riseth kicked open the metal door of the central structure and was greeted by an unusual sight. Cables and pipes draped all over the walls, and there was a deep hole in the center of the structure housing what looked to be a massive reactor. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "What the hell is this?" Riseth asked as she scanned the room for threats. "A reactor, from the looks of it. What worries me more is that the energy seems to flow below ground and to the top of the building." James observed. "I figured, but why in both directions? I''d understand if it were drawing from an underground source, but if there''s something down there, why have the reactor so close to the surface?" Riseth questioned. "Let''s focus on taking out that Overseer first. We can investigate the data afterward to shed some light on it," James suggested. The situation did not sit well with Riseth; her intuition told her something was off. "I don''t like this. Let me call in some reinforcement just in case." Riseth said as they ran for the stairs just as troopers ran down and opened fire. "Alright, I trust your instincts," James said as he lifted his arms, and his suit rapidly fired multiple streams of plasma bolts at the troopers, which were cut to shreds.
While Riseth called for reinforcements as a precautionary measure, James took the lead, confident in his suit''s ability to shield him from any potential threats posed by the automata. Over the past few months, he had extensively upgraded his suit, notably integrating hover technology that complemented the thrusters he had adapted from Akni''s mechsuit. This enhancement granted him remarkable agility, allowing him to effortlessly navigate the stairwell while conserving energy. With Riseth close behind, he swiftly ascended to the top floor. Unlike the previous buildings, the Overseer''s chamber appeared heavily fortified, with thick steel gates barring entry. Red emergency lights flashed, casting an eerie glow in the dimly lit room. James, too impatient to hack the console next to the door, instead opted to utilize one of the rocket launcher pods mounted on his shoulders to blast open the gate. "Watch out, I''m going to blow out that gate," James called out. Just after launching the missile, he conjured a barrier enhanced through his suit. The missile impacted in a loud explosion, which bent and blackened the gate but wasn''t enough to break through. Undeterred, he proceeded to fire more missiles until the gate finally breached. As soon as it did, something crawled out of it. Riseth noticed it first as long metallic arms emerged from the holes, their hands transforming into blades, while the eerie glow of two red eyes stared at them. The numerous arms pressed against the gate, exerting immense force to bend the metal and create space for the massive [Nugan Nexus - lvl 90] to crawl out of its chambers. The scraping and creaking of metal were the only sounds heard before James opened fire on the Nexus while Riseth shot a series of explosive arcane bolts to slow down the machine. Suddenly, Riseth sensed a surge of bloodlust emanating from below, a sensation she had never encountered during the automata trial.
"We''ve got incoming! We need everyone here!" Riseth yelled over the link, her voice urgent, as she turned ethereal, dodging the attacker breaking through the concrete floor below her. She only caught a glint of metal crashing through the roof above them. James was hurled to the side, catching himself just shy of the nexus''s reach.
Combat Trial
Type: [Boss Fight] [Group] [Bloodline]
Scenario:
The Ryser Clan assaulted the Nugan headquarters, forcing the Nexus in charge of the faction to release its strongest asset. Shaxes, former leader of the Nugan Stuquit, has rejected the weakness of the flesh and embraced the certainty of steel. Undergoing the transformation to become a fully-fledged Synth Lord, a powerful variant of the highly diverse cyberkin of the Synth Alliance. Shaxes has been supercharged with energy and temporarily breached the threshold to grade 8. Defeat her or survive the encounter to end this trial.
Victory Condition: Defeat the supercharged Leader of the Shaxes faction.
Rating:
Victory or survival will add to the overall rating of the Clan War Trial.
Alistair could sense the energy streaming out of the Shaxes and knew they would need to outlast the Synth Lord to increase their chances. A massive stream of shards of obsidian shot at the Synth lord as she raised her hands, and a barrier appeared, blocking Simons''s attack dead in its tracks. "I got another level 90 Nexus here, Mom; Melissa, help me with this one, Jessy. Get the big guns and shoot that fucking thing out of the sky. The rest of you try and hold off that Synth Lord," James exclaimed over the link. Alistair spotted the Synth Lord in the air. It was adorned in black with yellow Nugan force decals and stood slightly taller than Alistair, its imposing metal wings adding to its stature. Its metallic form shone in the light without detracting from its humanoid, organic design. Moving with an unnaturally fluid grace, it bore a sleek, refined construction similar to a humanoid Gundam, reminiscent of the power armor worn by James and Jessica but with a more intimate design. Alistair teleported beside the Synth Lord and swung his poleaxe with the hammer end, channeling all his strength into the blow. The Synth Lord intercepted Alistair''s swing, raising its arm and conjuring a miniature barrier, much closer to Shaxes''s armored skin, which effectively blocked the attack. Despite the crackling energy, the barrier showed no signs of faltering. In response, Shaxes delivered a rapid, powerful kick to Alistair, and four fully charged kinetic spheres shot out from within him after tanking the incredible force that far exceeded the [KE] his ribs could hold. Alistair''s expression shifted to one of shock as, even with his boosting skills activated, he had barely managed to block the attack with his shield and realized he couldn''t react in time to dodge. Shaxes raised her arm with incredible speed, wielding an unusually large plasma rifle that materialized in her hands, aiming it squarely at him. Chapter 110: Synth Lord Shaxes Riseth teleported Alistair out of the line of fire as they switched positions. There had been a short pause as Shaxes hesitated before short bursts of plasma beams shot through her ethereal body and effortlessly cut through one of the concrete buildings below. Alistair was teleported to her initial positioning, which was on top of the structure that Shaxes had broken out of. "Don''t try to restrain her with your chain; she is too powerful! We need to wait for her supercharge to run out," Alistair called out to Riseth over the Akashic Link. "We have to suppress her ability to teleport. It''s too dangerous to let her jump us; energy expenditure be damned," Alistair said as he activated his disruption aura. He sensed multiple dispelling auras pressing down on Shaxes, preventing her from teleporting close to them. A sharp cold rose from below; Alistair could sense that his sister was manhandling the Nugan Nexus with the help of their mother and James. This drew Shaxes'' attention. Her wings unfurled, and her boosters ignited as she surged toward them, using Flash Step mid-air. Although they successfully disrupted her ability to teleport, it only slowed her down slightly. Alistair was astonished that she could use Flash Step in mid-air and had to teleport between them to intercept her. His Kinetic Grappler strained to stop her, and Alistair was pushed back rapidly. He was forced to convert the energy of the push and all four stored spheres into power to stop her and throw her off course. Alistair could sense surprise coming from the Synth Lord, but it was short-lived as a barrage of missiles and slugs impacted her. Jessica had pulled out the Zephyr and was firing at Shaxes from a safe distance. Alistair did not have the luxury to gawk. He summoned his Razor Aegis and King before he unleashed explosive blasts at Shaxes, who was shielded by a barrier. Notably, King and Fluffy both underwent evolutions. King stayed mostly the same but grew significantly more powerful as he became a Grikad Wyvern Lord. The most notable change was in his intelligence. While he was still a showman in the arena, Alistair quickly noticed in training that King understood explanations much better and could follow everything they said. However, he still lacked the ability to communicate. On the flip side, Fluffy had undergone a much more intriguing transformation, adopting many of Riseth''s inherent abilities as a succubus. Though the Quetzalcoatl''s species name remained unchanged, Fluffy could now grow significantly larger and sprout wings. The snake gained power with each level, still unable to match King, but showing promise to eventually rival him. Alistair suspected Fluffy was one of those species that were vulnerable as juveniles but became formidable as they matured. He had expected species like that would exist and was glad they had reached a point where Fluffy could fend for herself. However, Fluffy was still much more keen on being spoiled by Riseth and everyone else than fighting and was usually found on somebody''s lap. But not now. As her enlarged head poked up from behind a building, a stream of lighting arced out of her opened jaw and hit the barrier of the Synth Lord before slithering back into cover. Meanwhile, everyone not occupied with the nexus unleashed ranged attacks on the Synth Lord. The supercharged buff was straining to maintain the barrier under the assault, but Alistair could tell it would take much more to deplete it, as Shaxes still radiated immense power. Fortunately, Melissa was nearly done with the nexus below, meaning they could soon withdraw from the danger zone and provide ranged support. Alistair hadn''t expected the trial to throw a Grade 8 at them, especially a high-tier one. Alistair was, however, quite confident that her power mostly stemmed from her transformation into a Synth Lord, as Shaxes wasn''t an experienced fighter. She lacked the grit and decisiveness and hesitated at crucial moments, though perhaps that might also be her species'' hangup. From the description the system provided, it seemed like they had just put an old politician in charge of the faction into a powerful synthetic body. Shaxes'' annoyance flared as missiles streamed past her barrier, arcing toward all her attackers. She flash-stepped next to Alistair, lashing out with an energy blade that smashed through his barrier and armor, leaving a deep gash in his side. He managed to accelerate just in time to avoid being cut in half. As Shaxes swung again, Alistair swapped places with Riseth, and the blade passed through her harmlessly. Alistair then absorbed the explosions from the tracking missiles, filling another two spheres. He had come to trust Riseth''s judgment on which attacks would affect her and which wouldn''t. From below, turrets started firing steams of plasma bolts at Shaxes. James and the others had managed to kill the Nugan Nexus, and James was busy placing his turrets across the compound, shooting relentlessly at the Synth Lord above. The Zephyr had to halt its fire whenever anyone other than Riseth or Alistair engaged in close combat to avoid catching them in the crossfire. Shaxes, who had not spoken a single sentence so far, spoke up. "You filthy invaders will pay for your transgression. I will kill you all and earn my freedom from this prison!" Her words shook Alistair; she was even more intelligent than he had feared, and what exactly did she mean by freedom? He teleported next to her, absorbing the kinetic energy of one of the slugs fired by the Zephyr, using all his stored kinetic energy to smash his poleaxe into her. This time, her small barrier smashed, and he hacked into the metal plating of her arm, though not by much. Her supercharge was waning under their relentless assault. Nessyra had noticed and called out that her mind attacks were highly effective against Shaxes. This had marked him and Nessy as her primary targets. Fortunately, Nessyra had a good assortment of defensive and evasive skills as she kept her distance while the rest of the clan disrupted Shaxes from reaching her. While they had barely scratched her, they were making good progress on her energy reserves, and Alistair hoped the battle would maintain its current pace. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "What do you mean by Freedom?" Nessyra inquired as she teleported out of another attack. "Fools, you have been here for so long but do not know the rules?" Shaxes shot back "Then enlighten us," Alistair retorted, using vicious mockery as he tried to impale her with his poleaxe, assisted by his razor disks from his aegis skill. He was deflected, and his blasts fizzled out after grinding against the barriers. She spin-kicked him into one of the concrete buildings, and more spheres popped out of him, which clearly frustrated Shaxes, but she remained silent. Alistair grunted in pain as he pulled himself out of the rubble. "We can''t be that foolish if we manage to give you such a hard time," Alistair teased as King soared past using his sonic beam, which impacted another conjured barrier. Shaxes raised her rifle, aiming at King, but he shielded himself and swiftly disappeared behind nearby buildings, evading the attack. Simon rushed forward with a flash step, attempting to impale Shaxes as Alistair joined him in the assault. Despite breaking through her defenses, both of their weapons were seized by Shaxes. "Ah, fuck," Simon and Alistair cursed simultaneously as Shaxes spun rapidly. Alistair tried to disrupt her momentum, but her power, combined with dispelling magic, proved overwhelming. Although Alistair managed to siphon off some kinetic energy in each exchange, Shaxes effortlessly shrugged off his efforts due to the significant disparity in power and grade. Simon summoned spears of obsidian from the ground, piercing Shaxes''s shield and striking her, but his efforts were futile as he was hurled across the road and into a nearby building, losing his grip on his spear. Meanwhile, Alistair persisted, channeling kinetic energy and time magic through his weapon, inflicting damage on Shaxes and depleting her energy reserves as she resisted the effects of the time magic. Alistair was confident that he could hold on and waste her time. "After all, what''s the worst she could do other than feeding me kinetic energy from the momentum and impacts of crashing me into the nearby walls?" He thought. Shaxes came to a sudden stop, pointing her rifle directly at Alistair. Alistair, who was still clinging to his poleaxe, could only manage a surprised ''oh'' as Riseth quickly swapped positions with him. The beam from the rifle harmlessly shot through Riseth as she turned ethereal, disappearing into the damaged building beyond. Reacting swiftly, Riseth rendered Alistair''s weapon ethereal as well, then teleported away, reappearing next to him and casually tossing the poleaxe back to him. "Take better care of your toys. I won''t always be around to retrieve them," Riseth scolded, her tone half-joking. Alistair caught the poleaxe looking down at Shaxes, who was still being fired upon by everything that had a line of sight on her. Riseth proceeded to heal his latest wounds as they observed the Synth Lord below. "Her Supercharge is running low. If we keep this up, it should run out soon. Maybe she''ll become easier to deal with after that," Alistair remarked to Riseth as he prepared to re-engage. Meanwhile, Melissa was tending to Simon''s injuries sustained in the last crash. His heart sank as he observed Shaxes approaching them, her bloodlust leaking out like a wild stream. Just as she was about to reach her quarry, a portal materialized between her and the target. Unable to halt her momentum, she flew through the portal and emerged high in the sky above them as it closed behind her. Juliana''s timely portal had successfully intercepted Shaxes, buying them a moment''s time. While they could disrupt teleportation to a degree, only Juliana could do it at such a large distance, even though it drained her resources rapidly. A cacophony of turrets, missiles, and ranged attacks soared into the sky toward Shaxes as Alistair''s mother provided them all with an opportunity to open fire. In retaliation, Shaxes unleashed a barrage of missiles and beams from her rifle, tearing through the city and destroying some of the emplacements. Without hesitation, she even targeted the Zephyr before anyone could intervene. The VTOL was clipped on its back side. Its shields flickered and then shattered before it was pierced by the beam. The Zephyr crashed into the nearby forest, much to Shaxes'' satisfaction. "Jessy, are you okay?!" James yelled in panic over the Link. "I''m fine, just a bit banged up. But the Zephyr will need a lot of repairs," Jessica replied. James let out an audible sigh. "Forget the Zephyr. Just store it. Do you need help?" "I got potions, and they fixed me back up. I''ll continue to support you with my railgun from a distance," Jessica assured him. There was a slight lull when the Zephyr was shot down, and Shaxes, after a short pause, seized the opportunity to rush back down to the surface, her shield now visibly straining under the attacks. Despite her attempts to zigzag out of the line of fire, the sheer number of attacks directed at her made the effort futile. James infuriated, pulled out the big guns, a massive anti-air emplacement that acted like a shotgun. It unloaded on the Synth Lord, finally tearing through her shield and impacting her. Despite the spread-out projectiles failing to fully pierce her, they managed to dent Shaxes'' body and slow her momentum. Melissa had supplied her mother with mana, and Juliana had quaffed a mana potion. However, even with their combined efforts, Juliana only managed to disrupt Shaxes'' teleportation for roughly 12 seconds before running out of mana, forcing her to hide and recover while clutching a crystal in her hand. Just as Shaxes was about to return to the fray, her supercharge finally ran its course, and she lost the Grade 8 quality like Alistair had hoped. However, she was still in the high tier at the peak of Grade 9. He did not even want to think about what would have happened if they had not brought all the elites of their clan. Perhaps now the Synth Lord would be more willing to talk as she had lost most of her advantage. Alistair quaffed a restoration potion to fill his Qi as he prepared to teleport back in. Chapter 111: Refusal The turrets were still unloading on the Synth Lord as Simon, Riseth, and Alistair teleported next to Shaxes, which hovered slightly above the ruined headquarters, shooting her missiles at the turrets and James while firing her plasma rifle at King, which circled her and dived down below to avoid the beams headed his way. "Your supercharge has run its course, and you are badly outnumbered. Surrender, and we can talk," Alistair called out to Shaxes. Alistair sensed a surge of bloodlust and knew immediately that despite the displayed intelligence, Shaxes would not be convinced to surrender just like that. Alistair let out a sigh before he and everyone else attacked her again in earnest. Shaxes raised her rifle and fired at Alistair, but this time, he just teleported away, avoiding the attack. Shaxes had her teleportation suppressed by everyone in the Ryser clan, which made it impossible for her to teleport into specific locations. Alistair tried to teleport next to Shaxes but was disrupted and forced to use his flight skills to accelerate to close the rest of the distance. He raised his poleaxe, charging it with all the accumulated kinetic energy, empowering himself as Shaxes raised her arm as multiple layers of barriers appeared. Alistair shattered the barriers, hacking into the metallic arm of the Synth Lord, this time leaving a deep gash revealing an artificial analog of biological muscles made of strange green interwoven fiber tubes with energy coursing through them. Riseth and Simon appeared next to them. Shaxes screamed, and a powerful bubble of force shot out of her, pushing Alistair, Riseth, and Simon back. Melissa and Juliana appeared below, and a tower of ice shot up, encasing Shaxes left side as gravity pressed down on her, holding her in place. "Why would you want to die if we give you the option to surrender and talk?" Juliana asked with genuine concern, which gave Shaxes some pause. "My realm is lost. My people are dead. I am a mere copy of the original. You Humans and Demons are Vognesh picking on the bones of what is left of my people, and I''d rather die than become another bone to be picked," Shaxes replied with venom in her voice, resigned to her fate. "You have the chance to take charge of your life, but you''d rather try and kill us and wait for the system to clean house." Alistair interjected, "Also, you make it sound like you would have acted differently if presented with the same opportunities." Alistair sensed a dangerous undercurrent in her tone, accompanied by the ominous whirring of machinery from within her body. "Fuck you. You self-righteous Human scum." She called out coldly. "You and your kin are a plague upon the multiverse. Eat shit and die," The whirring got louder, and Alistair''s sense of danger skyrocketed. She was planning to blow herself up. "Oh no, you don''t!" Alistair and Riseth rushed in as fast as they could, Riseth plunging her daggers through the barrier and into the core of the immobilized Synth Lord. Alistair crashed through and delivered the final blow, beheading the machine. The whirring gradually petered out, and the magical buildup seeped out of the now-lifeless body of Shaxes. Chimes rang out, signaling the completion of the Trial. Alistair couldn''t help but feel surprised as he realized he had leveled up three times despite the typically slower pace of advancement since reaching Grade 9. "Well, that was a waste," Simon commented as they hovered in closer. "Agreed. What was all that hostility about?" James chimed in, joining them with the decapitated machine head cradled in his hands. The ice that had caught Shaxes reflected the setting sun''s light as they looked at the Synth Lord''s body. "Sol mentioned most view humans as brutal and deceitful. My best guess is that this planet had some unpleasant human neighbors." Alistair suggested with a shrug. "Terrific. Though I can''t say I''m surprised." James retorted as he stowed the head in his storage and began excavating the body. Melissa flew up and dispelled the ice with a wave of her hand, allowing James to retrieve the body without issue. "We should sabotage the generator in the Ithania headquarters for the next mission. As much as I appreciate the records associated with fighting a supercharged goddamn Gundam, I''d rather not risk our lives over it again." James added after storing Shaxes'' body. Everyone nodded in agreement. Shaxes had been dangerous, but she wasn''t a particularly gifted fighter and was too hesitant to commit. Eventually, she was outmatched by their coordinated efforts. The risk of the Ithania leader not being held back by its Stuqit nature wasn''t one worth taking. Especially since fighting the same opponents drastically reduced the records one could earn. Also, there have recently been rumors of the trial worlds growing in difficulty as previously unseen monsters appeared more and more. Alistair had noticed a slight increase in dangerous monsters within the Slayer world. He initially thought their growth stemmed from killing each other and gaining strength in the Slayer trial, but he wouldn''t be shocked if the system raised the stakes by releasing stronger monsters to keep pace with the initiates'' growth. "Alright, everyone, let''s collect everything worthwhile and move out. We are on a bit of a timer," Nessyra called out. Everyone knew their role in the salvage operation and made their way back into the compound. Alistair''s job was to eliminate any stragglers who had managed to avoid the battle and find any hidden caches. Alistair eventually found some access chute that led below the generator where Shaxes had been lying dormant. Most of the infrastructure was damaged as Shaxes escaped, but James insisted that he could salvage atleast the generator, which could potentially be used for their planned spacecraft. The Zephyr would be out of commission for the foreseeable future as James would be preoccupied with fulfilling his contractual obligations to Zekaria Corp., which had a much higher priority. The next day, with Juliana''s help, they teleported to the outskirts of the Ithania headquarters and successfully sabotaged the generator. This siphoned the magic out of the Ithania Synth Lord, leaving him drained. Much like Shaxes, Iarakir refused to cooperate and tried to blow himself up, forcing Alistair to kill him. To their surprise, while they had successfully defeated the factions, the Clan War Trial did not end, which allowed them to complete additional sub-objectives. The Automata still had some replicators hidden across the globe, and within outposts, they had not been destroyed yet and were still fighting each other. However, the loss of their command structure had led to a collapse of the organization as the required materials no longer reached their destination, and response time to attacks increased drastically as the overseers now had to coordinate without their Nexus leaders. They had essentially achieved enough objectives and would let the rest of the clan continue to accomplish a few more achievements for a better rating. Conquering the planet would be a step too far, as it would be tedium to find all the leftover forces, outposts, and nodes. They were quite content to let the other members of their clan use the planet as a training ground until the timer ran out. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Known Objectives:
Destroy Automata Faction [8/8]
Kill Automata Units [1''683''767/?]
Destroy Automata Self-Replicators [12/?]
Destroy Outposts [27/?]
Destroy Logistic Nodes [32/120]
Destroy Planetary Defense Grid Nodes [41/41]
Successfully Completed Trials [10]
Discover Hidden Locations [24]
Alistair and Riseth spent the next day cultivating as they waited for the first large chunk of debris to reach the orbit above them. There had been other windows of opportunity where they could have flown across the globe in low orbit, but the back and forth was deemed a waste of time and resources when they could just wait to recover the desired debris in a more opportune location. There could also be hidden dangers even with the defense grid disabled, and the safety of the Artemis was the highest priority. The target debris had a somewhat extended orbital period and was among the parts they detected and planned to recover. They had done some research with documentation from the Study Dungeons sub-sections to determine the best window of opportunity to recover the desired parts. The less time they spend in orbit, the lower the chances of the Artemis getting its shields overwhelmed by the hazardous material in orbit. While they had identified the parts as a ship, they did not have the proper optics to identify the nature of the craft before it had been destroyed. They would need to get closer first to get a better look at it. However, the surprisingly intact nature of the craft gave them high hopes of being able to recover useful parts from the craft. Riseth, Alistair, James, and his girlfriend Jessica boarded the Artemis as they prepared to intercept their quarry. Jessica would pilot the craft while James manned the Sensor & Comms station using the built-in sensors and optics to scout for valuable parts and warn of incoming threats like faster and more dangerous incoming debris. They would have roughly an hour in orbit before they would need to disengage as they drifted out of what they considered the safe zone. Riseth joined Jessica in overlooking the start-up of the Artemis as she was still teaching her how to pilot the craft. The cockpit of the Artemis had undergone significant changes since Alistair had been inside it the last time; the Sensor & comms station, along with the weapon station, had been fully repaired and even extended to a holoprojector extremely similar to the one they had used during the clan meeting. It currently displayed the planet of the trial world, indicating larger forces, none of which were on their continent. They even added digital keyboards to their screen, as James did not wish to readjust to the Neshan equivalent, which was less practical in his eyes. Riseth reluctantly admitted that the keyboard was more efficient and began using it after mastering the English alphabet. While neither she nor Nessyra voiced any complaints, they both appreciated the boost to their [Mental] stat, which significantly enhanced their memory retention. Nessyra, especially, found the streamlined design to her liking, as it enabled her to work more efficiently. As the Artemis came to life, Alistair noticed the slight smell of ozone as the reactor started up. He decided to stand for the start of the craft; it had built inertial dampeners and artificial gravity modules, which made for an extremely smooth ride. In the worst case, his kinetic affinity would allow him to stabilize himself. The inside walls of the cockpit were covered in holographic displays showing the outside of the Artemis as the shuttle lacked windows. He watched as the Artemis lifted off on display, the ground rapidly falling away. His stomach lurched slightly from the dissonance of the craft lifting up and the lack of physical sensation.
"We should reach the lower orbit in a few seconds. Our target should come into sensor range in roughly five minutes," James announced as he tapped away at his digital keyboard. "Wouldn''t it be quicker to use some Arcane method to direct your intent rather than having to type it out and wave your hands at the screens?" Alistair inquired. "Probably, but I''m still figuring out arcane stuff, and there''s a lot of potential for something to go wrong when directing a ship just with your thoughts. While I disagree with many things the Stuquit did, having to physically confirm orders is not one of them," James explained. Alistair nodded; he understood the importance of confirming orders. Stray thoughts or external influences could cause a lot of damage, so sticking to typing on the console made sense. As they continued to ascend, he observed his brother zooming in on something displayed on the screen. One of the viewing screens on the wall magnified the distant object, revealing a sizable ship riddled with holes. The largest hole at its center was presumably the attack that had initially disabled it. Due to its rather low orbit, it had been spared from the worst damage of the Kessler syndrome, though it was still a wreck. "I got a name. It is called the Deonida. Let''s see if we can find something in the records we got from the Defense Grid logs," James said as the screen zoomed in on alien lettering that automatically translated through their skill. After a short, tense pause, James found something in the logs. The image of the craft became clearer and more detailed as it got closer. Alistair and Riseth made their way to the hatch to fly the rest of the distance as James compiled what he found. Riseth turned ethereal as Alistair focused his senses as much as he could to potentially dodge any fast-moving debris. He saw the barriers of the Artemis flicker occasionally as a tiny fragment impacted its barrier. He would soon find out what kind of craft they were dealing with. Chapter 112: Deonida As Alistair and Riseth got closer to the craft, Simon finally contacted them over the Akashic Link, letting them know what they were going to be dealing with. "Well, it''s not a combat craft, the opposite, in fact. It''s a pleasure craft. From what little they have written out, it carried mostly tourists from out of the system. Apparently, the order was to shoot down everything in orbit, and they destroyed it despite security concerns of outside interference. However, they left it at one shot into the center mass." James explained over the link. "No retaliation?" Alistair inquired curiously. "Not from what we know. If the people on board died, they were presumably from another weak planet and were unwilling to attack a planet that is already in a full-blown world war," James speculated as they approached the Deonida. Alistair would have preferred a combat craft, though a pleasure craft could contain some tech they had not found yet and could be refurbished or salvaged for fancy crew quarters. Alistair slowed down to adjust his speed to the incoming Deonida. He had been occasionally hit by debris he failed to dodge but used the stored kinetic energy to replenish his lost [HP] and [Qi] with the use of his Arcane Energy Manipulation skill.
As they approached, Alistair gained a better look at the exterior of what appeared to be a remarkably opulent spacecraft, albeit marred by numerous punctures and breaches. Despite its current state of disrepair, the vessel still retained remnants of its former elegance, with graceful curves and sleek, polished surfaces reminiscent of a luxurious cruise liner in space. The transitions between sections exuded an aura of elegance and grandeur, indicative of its status as a vessel designed for affluent passengers. It was absolutely massive, and Alistair guessed it must have been at least 500 meters in length alone, sporting multiple decks. Most noticeable was a massive, mostly shattered, see-through sphere at the ship''s stern, which would have let people see outside of the craft as the rest lacked windows. "We gotta remove as much of the trashed material and stuff we don''t need from the craft as possible to save space, especially any bodies still left in there. Disposing of them here will be much easier than once we are back on the surface," Alistair concluded as he noticed a body floating nearby. Riseth followed his gaze and nodded. "This is going to suck. Let''s do this as fast as possible. I''ll start at the front, and you can head to the back. You should be able to access it through that shattered sphere." "Alright, let me know when something comes up," Alistair responded as he flew toward the mostly shattered sphere. As he approached the sphere, he inspected it more closely. It was clearly some kind of glass composite and not some kind of polycarbonate like he had expected. The occasional body floated within the sphere, though most were stuck on the non-broken parts of the sphere. Alistair went to do the grim work and toss the alien bodies through the cracks. Notably, some of the more humanoid bodies looked old, even with the slight mummification going on. Alistair suspected them to have been elderly at their point of death. He would not have thought there would be societies with elderly people taking star cruises with the introduction of magic. Then again, it was a multiverse and vast beyond imagination, and he could already see many people growing content with their roles and slightly extended life spans, choosing to follow others or dedicate themselves to crafting rather than risk their lives for advancement. He relayed his finds over the link; Riseth had found much of the same and was busy tossing out the bodies through the holes. Alistair doubted they would be able to dispose of all the bodies before they were forced to store the craft as they left the safe zone.
As he shifted another body, he noticed one gripping an intricate, spiraled glass emitting a subtle magical aura. Closer inspection revealed a dark liquid within, its container enchanted to prevent spills. Similar glasses were strewn about, with a sizable cluster at the chamber''s center, where a damaged circular bar was anchored to the top and bottom of the ship. After securing the glass and using telekinetic magic to move the remaining bodies, he approached the bar. Fortunately, all the bottles were sealed, which made sense since open bottles would inevitably spill. Alistair suspected people were able to float inside this sphere without gravity and enjoy the view of space with the bar located in the center. He collected the bottles and glasses just in case before proceeding to toss out the rest of the bodies. After finishing up in the sphere, he entered through one of the open airlocks connected to the rest of the ship. However, he had to pry his way into the ship with his poleaxe, which wasn''t the best tool, but it got the job done. The interior was lined by carpets and strange chandelier-like outcroppings made of gold lining the wall. They held light crystals, which seemed to have lost their inherent magical charge and would require the ship to be powered to fuel them. He noticed a sign that pointed back to the sphere, and it read Grav-Pool, pretty much confirming his suspicion. The arrow pointing in the other direction translated to Holodeck, among some less interesting locations. As Alistair made his way to the holodeck, he tossed bodies through gaps in the hull. Most of the crew he encountered belonged to a purple, roughly humanoid species with four legs and a single set of arms. They had five eyes arranged in an X shape on their foreheads, with their mouths located on the sides of their skulls. His Identify skill revealed that they were a species called Didasier. Riseth then called in, reporting that she had found the ship''s bridge. It was mostly intact and could be salvaged for useful parts or refurbished for use in a new craft. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! As he reached the holodeck, which was located closer to the center of the craft, he noticed how the damage to the interior lessened. However, the number of locked doors and bodies increased, making disposal of them harder. Regardless of what they did, they would pay people to scour the remains of the craft and dispose of the leftover bodies once they stored the Deonida. The storage cube Alistair carried on himself had given the green light, so they did not need to decouple a built-in storage mechanism. He was half tempted to give up on clean-up duty and tell Nessy he would rather they paid for the service, especially as one body broke apart as he tried to toss it out of a hole in the hull. The holodeck was a large open space with strange crystals and spheres embedded into the walls. One would need to clean up the dried-out blood smeared on the walls and floors. Alistair could not test the infrastructure without it being powered, but most of the magical circuitry seemed intact. He relayed this as well and got a request to check the lower decks for the reactors and see how many the ship had and if any could be salvaged. Riseth had made pretty much the same conclusion as she talked to James over the link. "We can''t check the functionality of these components without restoring power to the craft, but the circuitry looks mostly intact," Riseth noted. "Salvaging this ship and getting a room extension for your workshop should still be a worthwhile investment." "I second that, but we will also need people who are willing to clean out the leftover bodies," Alistair added. "Alright, I''ll send Nessyra a request," James responded, considering the ship''s condition. "By the time we''re finished here, she should have everything prepared. According to the scanner data, it seems we''ll need to repurpose the ship''s interior compartments. Much of the ship''s exterior and hull structure uses materials that are too fragile for our purposes, so we''ll focus on salvaging what we can and discarding the damaged sections to save time." Alistair still thought it was too bad that this wasn''t a combat craft, but some of the rooms he had broken into had revealed quite luxurious quarters, and he would not mind James repurposing the passenger quarters. Alistair spotted a large hole leading down and decided to use the shortcut rather than following the intended paths, quickly reaching the crew-only corridors, which were significantly less fancy. There were three reactor chambers, one of which had been pierced and could, at best, be used for the rare materials floating around. The other two had also been damaged but to a much lesser extent, though Alistair understood too little about engines and had to share his vision with James. "It''s hard to tell without inspecting it with my skills," James admitted, "but worst-case scenario, I could potentially merge components from the two less damaged chambers into one. Their designs are slightly different from the ones the Artemis has, so I am curious to see which one is better suited to our needs." Alistair and Riseth continued to scour the Deonida. Though most of the pleasure crafts were entertainment-based modules and restaurants and private quarters of the passengers, there were no strong magic items on any of the bodies either. However, they did find a fair share of storage items, which Alistair and Riseth integrated into their own storage whenever they found one. Unlike most of the other debris found in orbit, the Deonida, while riddled with many holes, was still in one piece, so Alistair and Riseth did not need to try and connect or collect the individual pieces of the craft and were able to store it in the modified high capacity cube. Alistair could not help but admire the cube, which now contained an entire spaceship. "Man, I love magic," he commented as he put away the cube. The gruesome task from earlier was put in the back of his mind. Riseth approached Alistair and watched him admire the cube in his hand. She enjoyed watching him mess with magic as his genuine smile stirred something within her. His smile when he saw her approach was just as genuine, and she again counted her lucky stars to have met him. He embodied many of the good legends about humans Neshan had to offer, which was in stark contrast to many other Humans she had met by now. Particularly, the arena or the gathering held by Sol had its fair share of humans who had viewed her more as a toy or pet than a person. She was glad Alistair had not been around for it, as it would have upset him greatly. For a moment there, she had wished the Nurturing Ward would allow violence as the snide remarks and lustful degrading comments. Riseth had talked to Nessy and convinced her to get Alistair and his family first, as nothing good would come from them being stuck on that planet and getting potentially involved in their matters. She could see Alistair wanting to help those abused by the more vile of his kind. Earth would most likely be a hotspot of Blackmarket activity unless Sol clamped down on it. As far as she knew, Alistair had not read the documentation of Earth as thoroughly as she had; the document included everything that was not widely known to the general populace, and much of what she had read had disgusted her to her core.
Riseth had quietly suggested to Nessyra not to bring it up during the last clan meeting, knowing the details would likely deeply disturb many members. After the Initiation, the shady dealings of the secret oligarchy stretching the entire globe were taking a backseat to the rise of former puppet nations as independent factions. Whether these factions would truly embody their intended roles remained uncertain. Many of them were still butting heads over pre-initiation discord sowed by the oligarchy, and Riseth wasn''t holding her breath for them to pull through. Sol truly was their best chance as he represented the general beliefs of the people of Earth through the ages and not necessarily the truth beneath the surface, though she was worried Sol had taken on some aspects of this as well. Riseth knew her homeworld would be considered a Plutocracy and had its own fair share of flaws. She had found countless accounts of some quite upsetting dealings, especially of the less scrupulous corporations, like horrid body experimentation on individuals against their will and discarded or used. However, she had found evidence of the same on Earth and worse things that made her stomach churn. She watched Alistair as they descended back to the surface in the Artemis, and he smiled back at her. She was sure he had an inkling of all this but stayed willfully ignorant and had not looked into his world''s dark corners and envied him for it. She would likely need to discuss this with him at some point, but not now. For now, she would let him spoil her as she leaned into him. Chapter 113: Dexter Two weeks had passed since they had recovered the Deonida. Alistair''s initial impression of the ship being put together from modules had turned out to be true, and the information and building technique was far more advanced than what they had found in the Study Dungeons sub-sections of more advanced planets. The integration of magic had made removing the more intact modules a breeze, and James integrated those new techniques into the new craft they were building. James started by using the main bridge of the Deonida and many of the more intact passenger compartments, and he and the Neshan Shipwrights worked on creating new modules and much more robust armor plating for the craft. Alistair and Riseth made a few more trips into the orbit of the Automata world and found some broken-up warships of Stuquit''s make. According to James, they were much less sophisticated, but they still gained him some valuable insights. Alistair had also leveled up three more times, putting him at level 76. He had spent most of his time refining his body cultivation, which had finally caught up, and upgrading some of his skills that had fallen behind.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Legendary] Kinetic Skinguard This skill allows the user to absorb and effectively redistribute kinetic energy [KE] automatically upon touching the user''s skin. The skin has been tempered, remolded, and refined with the essences of [Stability], [Resistance], and [Heavenly Purity] in order to resist any attempt to dispel or disperse or manipulate the skill with high efficiency. If possible, the skill will automatically dispel Kinetic and related energies and store them in the user''s augmented body part or into up to ten orbiting spheres of force at a moderate cost of [MP] relative to the KE stored. Once these spheres are at capacity, any energy overflow will be dispelled through kinetic shockwaves unless directed otherwise by the user. This ability comes at the cost of a small portion of [Qi] proportionate to the absorbed kinetic impact. The user may redirect and use the absorbed energy through their body but increases [HP] damage taken over time the longer the energies are held onto.
[Legendary] Kinetic Control Increases [Control] and [Power] when handling kinetic energies to an exceptional degree. Allows the user to distribute energy within and outside their body for extended periods without any energy loss. Significantly enhances the efficiency of channeling kinetic energy through items and skills. Minimizes damage to the user''s body when storing and transferring energy, reducing it to nearly nothing. Greatly aids in expelling kinetic and related energies from the body.
[Epic] Bloodcurdling Presence Allows the user to passively radiate an intimidating aura, which instills emotions of fear & hesitation. Due to [Primal Revelation], the user can actively attack others [Mind] with bloodlust at a tiny cost of [Qi], the efficiency of the skill scales off the user''s [Mind] stat. The user may exclude his allies from his aura and moderately hide it from other users with the [Primal Revelation] skill from detecting the attack. Detection is based on others'' [Senses] and the user''s [Mind] & [Control] stats.
[Epic] Counterspell List A [Compound] skill that enables the user to collect counterspell-themed spells within a spell list, overall efficiency for the grade is very good. Compounded Skills: [Dispel Magic] [Disperse Magic] [Dispelling Aura] [Dispelling Ward] [Warding Array] [Dispel Curse] [Resist Element] [Dispel Poison] [Teleport Ward] [Warp Snare] [Dispel Illusion] [Dispel Elemental] [Dispel Disease]
[Rare] Auto Barrier Protects the user by automatically creating a protective barrier that either surrounds the user or a designated area at the cost of some [MP], shielding him from non-kinetic attacks. The Barrier drains a small amount of [MP] over time and requires additional [MP] to maintain itself based on the damage it receives at a high efficiency.
Alistair had upgraded his Kinetic Skinguard to the legendary tier by enhancing its efficiency and increasing the number of spheres he could maintain. His new insights into aura control had also allowed him to better manage his Bloodcurdling Presence, preventing it from affecting his allies and concealing it from others when necessary. This way, he could use his intimidation skill without everyone nearby noticing. Alistair''s Kinetic Control skill, which occasionally upgraded itself as his understanding deepened, had finally reached the legendary tier. Each time he enhanced his kinetic skills, such as Kinetic Skinguard and Kinetic Grappler, the skill seemed to make significant leaps forward. His Counterspell List had also gained a few additions like Dispel Poison and Dispel Illusion, something he had worried about but now would be better equipped to deal with if he encountered it. He had also upgraded his barrier skill to work automatically on non-kinetic attacks, though he suspected he would need to rework the skill later on. He had tried to improve the barrier skill further by allowing it to let his attacks pass through it but had little success so far. Alistair was currently flying through the Slayer world on the back of King in the hopes of baiting out strong monsters with mixed results. King had also obtained the [Primal Revelation] title over their last week of hunting, which had cut down on Alistair having to point out bloodlust directed at them. Suddenly, he sensed a familiar bloodlust, which hit him for but a moment. King had sensed it, too, and descended toward the offender, but Alistair had already lost track of the elusive beast. He was quite sure it was the same one he had found in the glacier territory, which had fried the brains of its opponents. They landed close to a small river that flowed beside Giant Forest NE1, where Riseth had fought the Nyuvwira. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Alistair dismounted from King and glanced around suspiciously. The sound of rushing water, the chirping and buzzing of insects, and the smell of mud and forest were the only things he could detect. King similarly looked around, somewhat on edge. A voice rang through Alistair''s head, "Don''t kill me. I surrender," as his armor warped from the intrusion. Something had just telepathically spoken to him and King as the Wyvern exchanged a look with him. Alistair gestured for the wyvern to stand down for now. "Alright, show yourself then," Alistair called out. He wasn''t particularly worried as he was confident in his power to defeat this creature. Alistair heard a slight splash behind him and turned and paused at what he saw.
It was a peculiar creature, resembling a cross between a corgi and a penguin. Quadrupedal in nature, its paws were a curious blend of traditional paws and webbed, yellowish feet reminiscent of a penguin''s. The creature was compact, similar in size to a corgi, with smooth black fur dominating its top half and head, occasionally interrupted by blond stripes. In contrast, its belly and legs were coated in pristine white fur. As it emerged from the water, its fur briefly appeared camouflaged, its texture smooth like that of a wet baby seal. A broad, fluffy tail hinted at its aquatic prowess. Large, dark blue eyes encircled by yellow fur gazed curiously while it sported a dog snout with a beak-like point. Completing its ensemble were two slightly oversized, floppy ears. Identify revealed it to be a [Yagan - lvl 71], and it tilted its head, its ears flopping, and its long pink tongue lulled out a bit, looking expectantly at Alistair. "God damned, that''s the cutest little shit I have ever seen," Alistair thought as he had to remind himself that this creature had smushed a ton of monster brains. "Alright, why surrender now? You were thinking of killing me a moment ago?" Alistair inquired, trying his best to look stoic. He knew if Riseth had been here, she would have already caved to the puppy eyes that damn Yagan was displaying. "That was just to get your attention. I knew from our last encounter that you could detect hostile intent. And I am surrendering because I am running out of time and don''t want to die," The Yagan told him telepathically. Alistair paused, intrigued. This was the first time he had encountered a beast or individual created by the system that was able and willing to talk to him, so he would take the chance to ask some questions. "Alright, but first, I need some answers from you," Alistair said, his gaze fixed on the creature, which had settled down on its haunches and was now panting nervously like a dog. "Firstly, what can you tell me about the Trial? And secondly, what do you mean by running out of time?" Alistair inquired. "The second is tied to the first," the Yagan replied telepathically. "I will cease to exist once the trial collapses. To avoid this fate, the system has provided us with two ways out. I must either grow powerful enough to earn a place to be seeded into the new universe or kill an initiate and claim their spot. However, I don''t feel confident about killing either you or the woman accompanying you," it explained, its adorable appearance contrasting with its grim message. Alistair was taken aback by the creature''s practical and cold mindset. Then he thought about it, and it made sense that the system would handle things like this, and it would explain the aggression many of the less intelligent beasts showed. They were eager to claim a spot, thinking it was their only chance not to be wiped out of existence by their creator. Alistair was curious about how smart this creature was already. "So why did you surrender to me then?" Alistair questioned. The Yagan tilted its head, casting a glance at King before replying. "Trick question. I doubt this wyvern will vanish once the trial ends. You must have a way to extract us beasts from the trial, and I want in."
"Why the rush? You seem quite powerful; you should be able to get seeded and gain your freedom without tying yourself to me," Alistair probed. The Yagan whined, and it sounded heartbreaking with that cute face. Alistair had to make sure it wasn''t messing with his mind, so he checked his armor, but it wasn''t warping. It only did when the creature was talking telepathically. Eventually, the creature relented. "I might have angered one of the more powerful beasts still sealed by the system. It may or may not have threatened to kill me once it gets free. I know you''ve encountered some of the guardians and hidden beasts. I saw you collecting bodies from that strange giant crystal in the water, which was guarded by that ice elemental," Yagan explained. This gave Alistair some pause. While he did indeed find some more elementals and had started collecting bodies from their kills, he had not found any other sealed creatures. "Tell me about these sealed creatures," Alistair requested. "No. Take me as a follower or whatever you do, and I will tell you everything I know and guide you to treasures I could not claim myself," The creature demanded. Alistair paused, scrutinizing the creature, his fingers idly stroking his beard. He entertained the idea of taking the little creature as his summon, but he planned to retrieve Viv once he returned to Earth and was sure she would not take kindly to a dog-like creature. Also, despite his race boosting the affinity, he didn''t envision himself as a Summoner. Additionally, Nessy was searching for a suitable summon, and she would be one of the best people to acclimate the Yagan to social interactions. Once this Yagan became a summon, he would need to teach it to weaponize its cuteness, as he doubted it was aware of that ability. He gave Nessyra a quick call over the Akashic Link, explaining the situation and questioning if she wished to be its contractor. Nessyra sounded in favor but requested Alistair to share his vision with her, and she laughed as she saw the creature. "Oh, I think I can use this little bugger," She said confidently, agreeing with his suggestion to weaponize its cuteness. "Alright, It will require a summoning contract binding you to me as my summon. And I plan to pass you along to somebody in my clan who is better suited to your abilities," Alistair said as he elaborated on some of the details of a summoning contract.
The Yagan paused, appearing to contemplate the proposition as it exchanged looks with King before redirecting its attention to Alistair. "Who would be my contractor?" It inquired. "It would be Nessyra. She is the executive of my clan," Alistair said as he observed the Yagan turn to King again, presumably communicating with him before making an excited little hop. "Yes! I agree. She sounds perfect," the Yagan conveyed telepathically, its tail wagging enthusiastically as it hopped up and down in excitement. Alistair, who had let Nessyra observe the exchange, felt that she was pleased by the exchange but hesitated. "Wait, can you actually communicate with King?" "Can you not?" the creature asked, its tone and body language hinting at confusion. "Not directly. Regardless, let''s get this contract business over with; we need to give you a name. Do you have one already? And are you male or female?" Alistair Inquired. The Yagan let out some kind of sneeze, and based on the emotions Alistair sensed, he presumed it was a show of being offended by the question. "I am Male, and no, I do not have a name. Please give me one," he requested. Alistair thought about it, and Nessyra encouraged him to name it, as she wasn''t big on naming things and preferred to leave it to others. There was that one show he had watched with a former girlfriend ages ago. It was about a psychopath who was raised by a policeman who had shown him how to function as part of society and how to live out his urges to kill by killing only bad people fitting certain criteria in secret. Also, Alistair had always thought Dexter was more of a dog name. In hindsight, Alistair wondered why many women seemed to enjoy watching psychopaths on TV that much. Either way, he hoped that the Yagan wasn''t actually a psychopath and would be more personable once he was more used to social interactions. "Alright, how about Dexter?" Alistair asked. The Yagan tilted his head from one side to the other before making another excited hop, his tail swishing again. "I like it! I am Dexter!" He proclaimed. Alistair chuckled as he initiated the summoning contract. Chapter 114: About Hearts
Alistair discovered a suitable plane shard for Dexter, resembling a cold tundra environment with a lake housing a large glacier. He knew he could transfer the contract, though it would be his first time, but fortunately, Nessyra was quite experienced with contract magic and would be able to transfer Dexter with little to no issues. Surprisingly, she instructed Alistair to keep Dexter''s ability to talk a secret from everyone, even Riseth. This gave him some pause, but she explained how she planned to deploy Dexter as a spy and manipulator and wanted him to practice within the clan. Alistair initially opposed the idea but eventually relented as they came to a compromise. "Alright, I''ll instruct Dexter to keep his ability to talk hidden initially from everyone except me, Riseth, and you," Nessyra requested over the link. "It''s supposed to be my summon, so I hope you can agree to this." Alistair wasn''t entirely convinced it was a good idea and was still not happy about her initial request to keep it hidden from Riseth. "Nessy, I think you are overly secretive again. You need to start putting some trust in Riseth and me if we are to become proper patriarchs." Nessyra paused, then sighed. "I know you''re right. It''s hard to let go of control sometimes." "It''s alright for now. I won''t inform the rest of the clan and see how it goes. I''m curious to see how well you can deploy that little bugger for your own purposes," Alistair replied with a soft chuckle. "Thank you, Alistair; bring Dexter over after you recover the treasures. I''d like to start his training as soon as possible, but I have other matters to attend to right now." "Alright, I''ll see you later, Nessy," Alistair said as they ended the call.
As he approached Dexter and King, Alistair addressed the small creature. "Let''s fetch those treasures while you fill me in on those sealed beasts." Dexter glanced back and shared a warning. "Sure thing, but just so you know, King wanted me to let you know that if you even think about putting a saddle on him, he''ll buck you and Riseth off, contract or not," he said with a hint of amusement before hopping onto King''s back. Joining Dexter, Alistair mounted King as they soared into the air. However, Dexter let out a loud yelp, struggling to maintain his balance. Alistair swiftly used his telekinetic abilities to catch Dexter and settled him onto his lap. Alistair had recently discovered that the telekinetic concept was an extremely close branch to the kinetic concept, which made his affinity for it nearly as strong as his pure kinetic abilities. He couldn''t understand why he had initially tried to use levitation instead of telekinesis, like Es''ell had done back then. He had avoided copying her to not upset her, but he should have tried it after leaving the dungeon. Alistair chided himself for not realizing it sooner, especially since telekinetic had "kinetic" in its name. Despite knowing there were many affinities he had yet to explore, overlooking telekinetics was a particularly glaring mistake. The key difference was that telekinetics also relied on the mind stat, while regular kinetics depended on his body and control stats.
As Alistair cradled Dexter, he marveled at the creature''s incredibly soft and smooth fur, unable to resist the urge to pet him. "Thank you," Dexter said at first as he nestled into Alistair''s lap, but then he paused, emitting a strange rumbling purring sound. "Oh, I like that! Please, continue," Dexter requested, his voice filled with contentment as Alistair continued to stroke him. Alistair couldn''t help but feel surprised by the purring and vibrations reminiscent of those he would expect from a cat rather than a dog-like creature. "Alright, you might have realized that those elementals guarding those treasures will soon absorb them and begin to wander. Those are the first kind of monsters to look out for in this trial," Dexter explained, his body still vibrating. Alistair was a bit conflicted. Dexter was intelligent and able to talk, and petting him like a dog, even if Dexter enjoyed it, felt a bit weird. Alistair had, in fact, not realized that the elementals would soon absorb the treasures they were guarding, but he wouldn''t tell Dexter this outright. Knowing he needed to act swiftly, he directed King toward the nearby giant forest with a dead world tree at its center. There, a wood elemental guarded the heart of the deceased tree. If consumed by monsters, most of these treasures would be rendered worthless to him. Retrieving the core of the offending monster would yield little more than if he had slain it before it absorbed the treasure. "Besides those elementals, there are hidden locations, many connected through the waterways, which is how I found them. There''s also that pseudo ice dragon busy digging itself out of its prison, and I may have indulged in some of its precious ice crystals from its hoard," Dexter explained.
"Let me guess, that''s the beast out to kill you," Alistair remarked. "Yes, but with your help, we should be able to kill it," Dexter replied. Alistair chuckled. "We''ve only just met, and you''re already asking me to slay a dragon for you?" he queried incredulously. "It''s a pseudo-dragon. Its scales are not nearly as tough, its horns are all wrong, it lacks a dragon heart, and it has no breath attack. Also, it has a pretty nasty temper since it''s not as smart as me," Dexter clarified. Dexter''s explanation got King intrigued, and Alistair recalled his sister telling him and King about some of the evolution methods to become a true dragon. A dragon''s heart and blood were two of the most crucial material components needed to create a ritual to evolve a wyvern or pseudo-dragon into a true dragon. Alternatively, a wyvern needs to earn that heart in single combat and consume it, a feat rarely accomplished in the wild, as true dragons are smarter and more powerful than the vast majority of wyverns. A wyvern advancing through single combat would come with a significant title that would mark the former wyvern as having earned his place. There was a strong cultural aspect to it, where if a wyvern advances through a ritual rather than earning its advancement and title, it would garner the hostility of every other dragon if found out, whereas slaying a dragon would usually come with begrudging respect or acceptance. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Alistair had plans to imitate a dragon''s heart with body cultivation. Apparently, consuming or transplanting the heart was not unique to dragon-like creatures; some underwent a similar body modification by slaying a dragon and transplanting their hearts with those of a true dragon. This would change and empower the user''s body and visibly change them. However, this practice was frowned upon by true dragons and would usually mark you as an enemy of them. Fortunately, the attempt to replicate their hearts through body cultivation wasn''t typically met with hostility; instead, dragons tended to regard the practice with a blend of disdain and flattery. They had found out that King was a new species of wyvern, as they could not find any records of his species in the Study Dungeon or the Nurturing Ward. They did not know if King would naturally evolve into a Dragon with sufficient records or need to go through one of the other means. Alistair suspected King''s pride would not allow him to undergo a ritual or be adopted by a true dragon and evolve through its assistance. So, both King and Alistair were disappointed to learn that it wasn''t a true dragon.
Alistair paused and stopped petting Dexter, and regarded him suspiciously. "How do you know all that?" he inquired. Dexter let out another offended sneeze and tilted his head to look at Alistair with his large, round eyes. "Because I am smart. Among the first skills offered, there was one that would let me know what the other monsters were capable of," "So, beasts also get to pick an additional skill upon their initiation?" Alistair asked, genuinely curious. "Obviously! The great system is kind to its creations, giving all of us a chance to prove worthy of our creation," Dexter replied confidently. Alistair had previously idly wondered how freshly created Grade 9 beasts obtained their skills; apparently, they got to choose them upon their creation. He pondered Dexter''s proclamation for a moment. Alistair wasn''t sure if he would classify the system as kind or even considerate, given its strong encouragement of violence. However, he had to concede that it had provided protection to children and vulnerable individuals. It made sense that the system would offer beasts similar opportunities, although most lacked the intelligence to make effective use of them. Notably, intelligence was one of the aspects the system most often refused to influence. While Alistair could memorize things better and complete complex calculations, his decision-making and personality had barely changed. He attributed any changes he did undergo to circumstances rather than the system''s intervention, even if the system had introduced those circumstances. "Can you continue touching me now?" Dexter inquired hopefully. Alistair frowned at the way Dexter had phrased this request. "Sorry, Dexter. We are about to land, and it''s called petting so you request pets," Alistair corrected as he put him under his arm, getting ready to jump off King as they approached the dead and hollow stump of the world tree.
"Wait, are you going to jump?" Dexter asked in a panic just before Alistair leaped down into the stump. "Don''t drop me!" Dexter shrieked telepathically as he squirmed under Alistair''s arm, his panic evident. Alistair''s armor responded to Dexter''s fear, warping slightly as he halted mid-air. With a frown, he held up the Yagan by its front legs in front of him. Dexter stopped squirming and deflated, his body elongating as he relaxed, resembling the stretch of a cat when held in a similar manner. Alistair looked at Dexter with a slightly annoyed expression. Alistair also knew that if he were to drop Dexter, the little shit would be quite fine and barely harmed. He wasn''t sure if the bugger was messing with him or genuinely afraid of falling. "Dexter, chill out. I won''t drop you," Alistair reassured him. "You promise you won''t drop me? You are holding me somewhat suspiciously," Dexter commented, his tongue lulling out as he tilted his head to look down. Alistair narrowed his eyes. "Yes, Dexter, I promise I won''t drop you. Can you promise you won''t freak out like that?" King circled around them, emitting a huff that conveyed his amusement. "Yes, I won''t freak out when you jump with me next time," Dexter confirmed. "I don''t want you to freak out in general," Alistair added. Dexter tilted his head to the other side, his ears slightly flopping. "Okay!" he responded, giving him a goofy smile with his corgi-like face. While Alistair thought it was a little endearing, he did not trust this little shit one bit, and he was quite sure he was overplaying his naivety, testing the limits of their summoning contract. Alistair considered scolding the Yagan but thought better of it. Dexter was still very young and quite smart. Stifling his emotional growth by setting one boundary after another before he could learn for himself felt wrong. Alistair looked at Dexter with a serious expression. Alistair lifted his aura veil, which usually hid his emotions, letting him know that he knew what he was doing. Dexter whined a little, a bit conflicted, but Alistair sensed the recognition within the Yagan. Alistair put Dexter back under his arm as he continued to descend. Below him, a small pile of bodies surrounded the Heart of the World Tree, guarded by a wood elemental that looked like a large pile of jagged and thorny branches surrounding it. The Heart looked like a wooden curled-up knot with a green luminescent glow emanating from it. It was as big as his whole torso as it hovered over the elemental, slightly spinning on its own axis. Alistair could not store this heart until he killed the wood elemental linked to it. It was one of the treasures he and Riseth had left to collect monster bodies. Alistair put down Dexter as he inspected the connection more thoroughly. King landed above them on the edge of the stump as wood chips and splinters fell down where his claws dug in for stability. The chamber had a woody and earthy smell, and despite the world tree being dead, the heart still radiated incredible amounts of life and nature concepts, making the atmospheric mana insides of the stump incredibly rich and dense. Each breath he took passively added essence. Alistair had recently improved his breathing technique to the point where he did it subconsciously, even during combat, which was a big step up from some months ago. "You gotta teach me how you hide your emotions," Dexter requested as he swallowed a core he had just extracted from one of the beasts while Alistair was still busy feeling out the connection. Alistair tsked, annoyed at his oversight, as the bugger gave him a cheeky smile. Alistair waved his hand to store the rest of the bodies before answering. "I''m sure Nessyra will teach you that once we are back. Also, don''t just eat the cores and other treasures." He could sense the reluctance within Dexter, so he let out a sigh and gave him an understanding smile. "Don''t worry. We will treat you right by sharing what we got and reward you for helping us, so you don''t have to sneak away treasures." It would take some time for Dexter to understand how to work with others, but Alistair was confident that, with some patience, he would figure it out. Alistair then turned his attention back to the connection he had been inspecting. After some probing, Alistair confirmed that Dexter was right. The Elemental was empowering itself, draining the treasure ever so slightly, attuning itself to it, getting ready to integrate it into its mass. He would need to move fast and collect the Treasures before they got wasted. Chapter 115: Expressions Having finished his analysis of the connection, Alistair inspected the Nature elemental still sitting inert in the center of the stump beneath the hovering Heart of the World Tree. Alistair knew while those elementals were among the most powerful monsters around, they stood little chance, this one in particular, since his fire affinity was quite high, so burning this oversized shrubbery with the help of Dexter and King should be a walk-in the park. Or so he thought. The damn thing was surprisingly fire-resistant. While his fire was definitely effective, it was not as one-sided as he would have expected, and all Dexter did was run away and dodge brambles. "God damned, Dexter, can you try and help a little?" Alistair called out as he hacked at another tangle of thorns and spikes lashing out at him. "I can''t. This thing doesn''t exactly have a mind for me to break yet. Elementals in the wild are most often a lingering concentration of a concept that has grown old enough to gain something like surface-level consciousness. This Elemental does not even have a soul," Dexter yelped as he ran in circles around the edge of the stump, his stubby legs not exactly well suited for movement on land. Alistair recoiled a little in surprise at Dexter''s in-depth explanation. "What the hell, just how elaborate is that skill of yours?" Alistair wasn''t exactly stoked that Dexter could not help him in this fight, as summoning the dog-like creature reserved a not-inconsiderate amount of his mana pool to maintain. Alistair found a newfound appreciation for the signet ring''s enchantment, which was integrated into his armor. Maintaining a Grade 9 monster was expensive. Alistair would guess a dedicated summoner without gear could only maintain three, maybe four, higher-tier summons at a time. And It would reserve most of their energy reservoir to maintain them. King used his Sonic beam to wreak havoc on the wood element still perched on top of the edge of the stump, cutting down any brambles and projectiles coming his way. Dexter mostly used his telekinesis to keep the wood elemental from grabbing him as he continued to run. Alistair, who was closer to the core of the elemental, had to occasionally cut down the tendrils reaching out for him with his Razor Aegis, the razor disks wreaking just as much havoc on the elemental as King was. Alistair regretted not pulling the plug on this sooner as the Elemental had been gorging itself on the powerful life concept of the heart. Alistair was using his Dispelling Aura spell to prevent the elemental from further draining the Heart of the World Tree. His focus was strained by the many spells going on, which prevented him from using a new technique he had been developing. Alistair had been developing a battle sphere technique, and it required some of what he considered advanced yet simple arcane constructs to be imprinted on his spheres to work. He would conjure the usual spheres of force and fill them with different concepts to unleash blasts in his stead. By now, Alistair had a lot of experience with that technique, as he had developed it himself and used it in many of his skills. He would feed these spheres with Mana and Qi remotely through an arcane connection as they would fire their payload at the targeted enemy. The most difficult part was when certain concepts needed a longer-range delivery system. Alistair suspected he was already stretching what was possible for his Grade with that particular skill. Still, it was incredibly powerful, allowing him to unleash a cacophony of different concepts upon his enemies and free him up to act independently until directed, just like his Razor Aegis did. Dexter, who had finally managed to get some distance between himself and the tendrils, paused to catch his breath. "It''s an incredible skill," he conveyed telepathically. "I had a large selection of great skills for my first selection, but that one was an Incredible one. And because I''m smart, I picked that one. But all the other skills went away for others once I picked. The skill is called Akashic Beast Compendium." Alistair realized that he had also been offered a higher-tier appraisal skill during his initiation. Unlike him, Dexter started his journey in Grade 9, which presumably allowed him to have a much stronger version. Alistair also realized he would need to clue Dexter into the tier list he was using. Alistair was not sure what a great or incredible skill was in relation to his own tier list, but it sounded quite high-tier. Sadly, since the compendium skill had been granted by the system, it meant that it was instinctive in nature, so they would not be able to have him transcribe it. Dexter would have to encounter or be asked about a particular beast to share his knowledge. The wood elemental finally grew lethargic enough for Alistair to land a decisive blow and damage the elemental enough for the mass of branches and brambles to go inert. Alistair did not level up from the experience, though it did not surprise him as his intuition told him he would need to beat a few of those before he would accumulate enough records. Alistair stored what was left of the elemental body and telekinetically retrieved the large hovering heart. Alistair looked at the strange wooden curled-up and knotted treasure. He knew there would most likely be a ton of uses for a treasure like this. The only idea that came to mind for utilizing its incredibly strong life affinity, besides harvesting essences, was to toss it in a vat filled with water and gradually convert the liquid into healing potion ingredients. However, he suspected the crafters in his clan could devise a more effective use. Alistair turned to Dexter, who casually strolled up to him and reached out telepathically. "Are we going for the next treasure?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It took Alistair about half a week to track down all the elementals he and Dexter knew of getting a wide assortment of interesting and potentially valuable treasures. The Chrysolite treasure was a particularly interesting one as it continued to leak liquids, trying to form a chrysolite environment around itself once removed. Alistair felt the treasure attempting to freeze his hands, but it failed to penetrate his resistance. It was a polyhedron with many holes, from which chrysolite liquid flowed. He knew storing the treasure would be a waste and that they should at least collect the liquid, as it could be used as a valuable material component. Alistair had gained three more levels, bringing him very close to his next skill selection. Riseth, who had been busy working on the spacecraft and helping James teach the Neshan shipwrights, had joined him a few hours ago and had been enamored by Dexter''s cuteness, much to Dexter''s delight. Alistair had told Dexter how he could weaponize his cuteness and debated whether he should out him since Dexter had chosen not to say anything telepathically yet. Fluffy, in particular, wasn''t a big fan of the new attention hog and was quite jealous. Alistair, who thought it was a good way to show Riseth how she was too trusting of beasts, chose not to say anything unless Dexter did something too mischievous or when he felt the time was right. It did not take Dexter very long as he constantly begged for treats with his big eyes and occasional sniffling, pretending to be sad. Riseth had bought those treats for King and Fluffy. "I''m sorry, little guy. I can''t just give you more for being cute," Riseth said reluctantly as she petted Dexter, who sat on her lap. They were mounted on King, who flew towards the location where Dexter had indicated the pseudo-dragon was buried. The waterways connecting that particular underground chamber connected to where they had first encountered Dexter in the glacier-like biome. They would have to dive or wait for the monster to dig itself out and hunt it down from there. Thinking it would be a good moment to expose the little bugger as he enjoyed a belly rub, he addressed Dexter out loud. "Alright, Dexter, where do we need to land? We should arrive at the Glacier Biome shortly." Alistair inquired. Riseth looked at him confused, then shocked when Dexter''s voice rang out telepathically. "Aim for that pointy-looking glacier surrounded by smaller plateaus." "What the fuck? You can talk?" Riseth exclaimed. "Yes, I can Talk," Dexter confirmed. "Why didn''t you say anything?" Riseth questioned Dexter before turning to Alistair. "Or better yet, why didn''t you say anything?" "You did not ask me anything," Dexter retorted innocently. "I thought it would be a good learning experience," Alistair added. She narrowed her eyes at him before looking down at Dexter, still in her lap. Dexter tilted his head and let out a whine like Alistair had instructed him to do when he got into trouble looking at her with his big, round eyes. Alistair could tell she wasn''t really mad, but she was more flabbergasted and curious about the reveal. "Did you teach him that shit, or is he just a natural?" Riseth asked incredulously, looking down at Dexter. "A bit of both, to be honest," Alistair said with a chuckle as they landed on the indicated site. Alistair then caught her up on Dexter''s abilities and what had happened in the last few days as they stood next to the water. Dexter was happily splashing and zooming around in the ice-cold water. Alistair and Riseth fed more mana into their Comfort Array to counter the extreme cold. As they followed Dexter, they proceeded to follow the Yagan down some tight tunnels underground. It turned out that, much like Riseth, Dexter had incredible Dark vision. After swimming for some minutes, they slowly breached the surface of an underground chamber. A loud scraping and scratching sound accompanied by rumbling and growling echoed in the chamber. The room smelled of damp rock and earth, and Alistair could sense the pseudo-dragon further down the tunnel it was digging. The tunnel had a steep incline, and based on the time it took them to descend, the creature had made it roughly three-fourths of the way to the surface. Alistair and Riseth snuck up to the tunnel entrance trying to get a better look at the creature and the tunnel. It became quickly apparent that it was rather tight for the pseudo-dragon as it did not take the time to make a lot of space for itself, eager to leave its prison. "We could just charge a bunch of powerful attacks and ruin its day," Riseth observed. Alistair thought about it. The monster would have to crawl backward down the tunnel to engage them, and an easy victory would be pretty much guaranteed. However, it would also waste a lot of materials. Of course, pseudo-dragon parts could be compared to a higher-tier wyvern or drake, so it would not be incredibly valuable to them compared to those of a dragon, but it still felt wasteful to him. He could further disrupt its movements while Riseth Dexter and Fluffy would kill the monster. Fluffy had extraordinarily powerful poison, and Dexter could attack the monster without damaging the body, while Riseth could abuse any openings and use some of her new mind attacks. Alistair could only make out the creature''s backside. It had muted white-grayish scales covering all of its body; its long lizard-like tail swished back and forth as it clawed at the rock face. Its hind legs were thick and had a set of long gray claws that dug into the rock and dirt beneath. Its leathery wings were tucked closely to its body, already weathered and torn. Alistair could not really make out much of its head and front claws. "Alright, I''ll teleport, get a hold of its tail, and try to hold it in place or at least slow it down. The rest of you try to kill it without damaging it too much. This is basically shooting a fish in a barrel." Alistair told them over the Akashic Link. Dexter was able to receive those messages but could only respond telepathically while nearby. "What an odd expression. Do humans store live fish in barrels?" Riseth inquired curiously. "I am honestly not sure. They probably did in the past, but never mind that. It just means it''s a very easy task," Alistair explained. "We just say it''s like getting favors from a drunk," Riseth added. "Yours is better," Alistair conceded, "but I feel mine is more applicable considering the situation." Riseth flashed him a smile as he turned his attention back to the pseudo-dragon. "Alright, I''m going in," Alistair announced as he teleported and grabbed the lizard-like tail holding the monster in place. He radiated his bloodcurdling aura, causing the monster to panic and try and scramble. Still, Alistair effortlessly stole its momentum, holding it in place as Riseth, Fluffy, and Dexter engaged the monster. Chapter 116: How To Tame a Summon Alistair had been proven right. The monster stood absolutely no chance. He would have been able to kill it on his own, even without it being boxed in. They managed to kill the pseudo-dragon without damaging its hide and organs too much, which would result in a lot of materials for their crafters. They scoured the cave but found nothing of interest since Dexter had apparently already stolen the only valuable materials. Alistair did, however, level up again, putting him at level 80 and giving him a new skill selection.
Skill Choices:
Tier: Skill Name: Description:
[Supreme] Battle Spheres A [Compound] skill used by conjuring spheres of force inscribed with arcane directives. These directives enable the spheres to orbit the user and be remotely powered by the user''s [MP] and [Qi] through arcane means. They also allow for automatic friend-foe targeting. The user can charge these spheres with different concepts and direct the targets of the spheres with a small amount of focus. The user can maintain four battle spheres at a time and designate up to two targets at once. Attacked spheres will retaliate against the attacker unless considered a friendly target. May convert a [Kinetic Skinguard] sphere into a kinetic battle sphere at a minuscule cost of [MP]. There is a tiny [MP] and [Qi] cost for maintaining and creating battle spheres scaling with the [Control] stat. [Power] increase and maintenance costs are determined by the user''s affinity for the concept utilized in Battle Spheres. Compounded skills: [Kinetic Blasts] [Explosion Blast] [Rapid Stake Blast] [Rupture Stake Blast] [Fire Blast] [Fire Stream] [Lightinig Strike] [Dispelling Blast] [Repulsive Blast] [Flash Bang]
[Epic] Telekinesis Improves the user''s ability to telekinetically [Control] objects and empowers attacks made based on the user''s relevant stats. The amount of objects or individuals the user may manipulate is based on the target''s mass and resistance against manipulation. The user''s incredibly high affinity further enhances the skill''s ability to bypass the target''s resistances and increases the amount of damage inflicted, be that directly or indirectly. The user may also use this skill in a non-offensive manner, like daily tasks or shielding himself with a controlled target. The precision of such tasks is based on the user''s [Control] stat. Requires a minuscule amount of focus and [Qi] and [MP] to maintain based on the number of targets and their resistances. Damage scales with the [Mind] and [Power] stats.
[Rare] Polymorph This spell visually transforms the user based on his intention. Any changes are permanent but can be reverted through the skill. The user''s proficiency in the skill for his grade is moderate, and the polymorphing is currently limited to humanoid forms.
[Subpar] Telepathy The user can communicate with others locally by connecting to each other''s minds. The range is determined by the user''s [Mind] and [Control] stat. It requires a tiny amount of focus to maintain and is not affected by magic interference.
The Battle Spheres skill overlapped significantly with the Blast Master skill, but it was more autonomous and included a variety of non-blast attacks, though it was less powerful and precise than his individual blasts. Alistair had attempted to integrate a chain lightning option into the Battle Spheres but found it too difficult given his current affinity and expertise with lightning. Deceleration and splash effects required too many arcane directives, losing efficiency when made overly complicated. He needed to streamline the process, but he chose the skill anyway for its automation capabilities, which allowed him to make proper use of the ability since the focus required was quite high. Even when turning it into a skill, his current mental capacity couldn''t maintain all his abilities at once without remaining stationary. This realization prompted him to boost his Mind stat, as it had been lagging compared to his stronger stats. His Body stat had now reached exactly 1000 points due to its modifiers, but unfortunately, it had not granted him a title for reaching that milestone. The Polymorph skill wasted a skill option slot since he could use it without picking the skill and had no need for any automation or buffs. He could see how somebody refined this skill to quickly turn themselves into a monster or dragon and increase the speed and variety of the transformations. Still, Alistair would not be using that himself and was content just to change his height and appearance slightly. However, he did wonder if the skill handed out to Beast by the system at Grade 8 would be [Unique] and what that meant for upgrading and changing the skill. The Telepathy skill was something he picked up while traveling with Dexter, though it had little use for him at the time. He had spent more time trying to teach King and Fluffy with the help of Dexter whenever he got the chance, but it proved to be quite difficult for the beasts to learn the skill as neither of them had specialized in mind abilities. Alistair, who still had two skill points to spend, decided to pick up the Akashic Soundboard skills, planning to have it integrate his Vicious mockery skill, and wasn''t disappointed as a notification informed him he could upgrade the skill, which he promptly did. He now had one skill point left and considered whether he should spend it to try to get the Telekinesis skill, develop his summoning skill, or save the skill point for emergency skill acquisition. He decided he would save the skill for now, even though pulling a Darth Vader to choke his opponents with telekinesis was tempting. Alistair could not help but feel fortunate for his affinity being kinetics. He held off from spending the skill point mainly because he did not require the skills automation as the skill took little focus unless he tried to control too many small objects at once.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Epic] Akashic Sound Board If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The user taps into their [Akashic Link], harnessing known melodies and songs to empower themselves and allies through uplifting music or utilizing sound clips to assault opponents'' minds or mock them viciously by increasing the user''s volume and empowering the mental effects of the user''s mockery. By mocking his opponents, the user may instill hesitancy, bafflement, frustration, and anger within them. The effectiveness of both buffs and attacks is directly influenced by the user''s [Mind] stat. However, while playing music to provide buffs, there is a slight reduction in hearing-related [Senses] for everyone affected by the skill, including the user. Maintaining buffs through music also requires a minuscule amount of focus and [MP] or [Qi] to maintain.
Alistair still felt he was too low on skill points, so he would aim to earn some skill points by teaching in the Nurturing Ward and finding dungeons. He had already initiated an advertisement for his next class limited to those he trusted and regularly attended his class as he would teach them how to become a summoner, a very coveted technique bound to give him a ton of contribution points. Alistair would not want his students to end up slaves, so he would teach them how to become summoners. He knew this would most likely further spread the skill into less savory hands, but that was inevitable, and he was satisfied in knowing he would spread it to his students whose moral fiber he somewhat knew. He had already caught a few weaker beasts with a mild temperament from his first trial world and stored them within his storage for them to practice the skill on. Alistair felt a bit stressed. Time seemed to fly by during the last stretch of the trial as he tried to finish one important matter after the other. He spent the next week leveling up twice while seeking out beasts, treasures, and elementals within the slayer world, occasionally accompanied by Riseth. They had exactly 100 days left, and whenever he checked the time, he felt like he was on a countdown. Once they had scoured all the locations Dexter had been aware of, he transferred him to Nessyra. The process had been much easier than he had expected, and he wasn''t sure if it was good that people could hand over their summons this easily, regardless of the bond they shared. Though it might have been because Dexter wanted to be transferred, and he seemed quite stoked to finally meet Nessyra, and they got along quite swimmingly, an expression Dexter in particular liked. Some time later, Alistair watched as his classroom was filled with his students. His lessons had been quite infrequent but were quite popular despite Alistair making a point of not accepting what he considered overly violent and dangerous students. This was the first time many of them had seen him since he had transformed into a Nephilim, which garnered him many awe-inspired reactions as they stared at his now even taller stature. Alistair had not seen any other Nephilim but had heard of some that had evolved into them with the assistance of an evolution stone. A handful of his students had reached Grade 9 as well, but none of them had undergone a dramatic transformation, though it gave Alistair some pause as he did not recognize them immediately. His classroom was similar to his sister''s; he used a wide-open field with rolling hills and an open sky. He waited for everyone to settle in their seats and could sense the anticipation in all of them. He had written that this would be the last class he would teach, but not what he would be teaching, just that it would be something special. However, he had reached out to some particular students he looked to recruit or knew would benefit from the lesson as their planet would likely be black market hotspots. "Welcome, everyone. It''s good to see you all again," Alistair greeted warmly. "As you know, today will likely be my last day as your teacher, and I thought I would leave you with a technique that would protect you from some of the more heinous things out there." The anticipation was palpable, and some of the alien younglings chittered or displayed other nervous and intrigued tics. Alistair could hear them whisper and speculate among each other what it could be, and he waited a moment for the discussions to die down. "Today, I will teach you how to establish a summoning contract and gain a summon of your own," Alistair announced as he had King appear behind him, looming over him and looking down at the crowd. King had been eager for this moment ever since Alistair asked if he would like to show off and let out a roar. Some students fell out of their chairs or specialized seatings while the quadrupeds rapidly got on their feet in surprise. Others sat there, mouths agape, before they broke into cheers and more lively discussions. There were roughly 100 students present, and he would have to repeat this class a few more times for others before he was done, as the vast majority of his students had signed up for this class. Riseth would be doing the same with her students. This class contained a small group of youngsters from Neshan and a teenager from Italy, whom he had actually met before the initiation. He would try and convince both to join his clan during the lesson. He had approached Filippo regarding this before, and he had told Alistair he would talk to his family first and give him an answer the next time they met. He knew the family from his vacations in Italy, as they owned one of Alistair''s favorite restaurants in Sicily. He did not know the Fichera family well, but they had always been incredibly friendly and welcoming whenever he visited, as they remembered him. Alistair had written his planet of origin in all of his class listings, but due to the number of teachers and students, his listings were often drowned out or already filled. Alistair had only a few students from Earth, most of whom had already declined his offer, stating either family obligations or had already joined one faction or the other.
Alistair''s call for order swiftly quieted the bustling classroom, every student eagerly awaiting his next instructions. "I''ve brought along a timid, low-level beast for each of you to practice on. Once you''ve mastered the skill, you''re free to either keep the beast or release it," Alistair declared. "As some of you may already know, mastering the art of summoning provides protection against the enforcement of slave contracts. Additionally, as a summoner, you cannot become someone else''s summon," Alistair explained. One of his students raised a hand. "How does being a summoner protect us from being enslaved?" Alistair nodded, acknowledging the question. "A summoner can''t become a slave because they already have a magical contract in place. Contract magic ensures that an existing contract, like a summoning contract, cannot be invalidated or overwritten by an external magical interaction or other contracts, such as a slave contract, without the affected parties'' consent." He continued, "The older contract always takes precedence, preventing you from entering conflicting agreements. For example, if you sign a work contract, you can''t enter another conflicting work contract with better conditions unless certain conditions are met, such as both parties consent to terminate the original, the original contract includes a clause allowing for its invalidation, or the original contract''s duration expires." This enlisted a much more intimate reaction as some broke out in tears of relief. Alistair knew some had been worried they would face factions and the black market looking to enslave them and their people. This was one of the driving forces behind his desire to teach this particular technique. Alistair smiled at them reassuringly before expanding on the theory of summoning as he had the whole room''s full attention. Chapter 117: Recruiting Alistair had divided the class into smaller groups, assigning each student a Bonguru to tame. He had sought out a low-level, abundant creature and found the perfect candidate from his own trial. To ensure it wasn''t a delicacy, he had one cooked and discovered that its meat was rather gamey and chewy. The Bonguru was a cross between a boar and a capybara. It resembled a capybara with tusks and had a small beehive-like growth under its chin. This sack-like growth produced small bee-like creatures that were part of the Bonguru''s body and collected pollen. However, they only produced a bitter-tasting honey-like liquid that could be used as a low-tier Qi recovery potion ingredient. The Bonguru was slightly larger than a typical capybara and shared its docile temperament. Capturing them had been a breeze as they traveled in large packs and were incredibly chill. Alistair attributed this to their low intelligence and the lack of predators, a result of him eliminating many Naichevix nests he had encountered. He had first encountered the Bonguru shortly before meeting Riseth, having blown up a large tree while fighting the Repulsive Frog. A lot of the students kept the beasts content by petting the somewhat rough brown fur of the creatures, while some had to put some effort into preventing the beasts from wandering around. Alistair had already taught them how they would connect to the shards within the planes of summoning. He was making his rounds to answer questions and help some of the individuals who struggled with magic. Filippo, who had evolved into a Magus, had already managed to create a contract and was now helping some of his classmates nearby. Alistair would take the opportunity to speak to him. Alistair had been the one who had taught Filippo about arcane theory, and the young man greatly benefitted from Alistair''s teachings. Alistair hoped that it had helped convince his parents to join the clan. He did not know how they would react to the offer of leaving the planet behind but had shared his concerns regarding the other factions with the boy. Alistair caught Filippo''s eye and motioned for him to join him off to the side. Filippo, with his shorter stature and a mix of black and brown hair framing hazel eyes, complied. His tan skin bore occasional rune-like markings, evidence of magical alterations. Clad in a simple robe, Filippo stood before Alistair, ready to listen. "Hello, Filippo. I see you''ve already managed to establish a contract. Do you have any questions?" Alistair asked. "Thank you, Mr. Ryser, but no, I¡¯ve got it covered," Filippos responded confidently. "Good. Did you have a chance to talk to your family?" Alistair inquired. There was a brief pause before the teenager broke into a wide smile. "Yes, I did, and my father would love to talk to you and some of the others in the clan before making a decision," Filippo revealed. Another small pause followed before he added with a chuckle, "It''s a good thing you were a police officer; otherwise, Dad might have mistaken you for some kind of mafia boss trying to recruit me." Alistair let out a laugh. He knew that there had been a lot of mafia activity on the island during his and Filippo''s father''s generation. There was still some activity, but not as bad as it used to be, at least to his knowledge. So he wasn''t surprised that they would view such invitations with suspicion. He knew that his father Luca and mother Sofia had opened a restaurant in the Traders Market some months ago and had been pressured by other factions to join, which added to their suspicion. Alistair wasn''t sure if they were aware of the Ryser clan''s influence. Still, he suspected they weren''t completely ignorant of it since Barton''s restaurant chain was in direct competition with them. He let Nessyra know and got some dates for a potential meeting, which he gave to Filippo. Alistair then directed him to some of the more struggling students as he made his way toward the trio from Neshan; only Levine, the girl of the group and most adept when it came to magic, had managed to establish a summoning contract. By now, Alistair had met many demons from Neshan, as many people had signed on to the clan and worked under Nessyra in different roles. This gave him a lot of insight into their different subspecies and some cultural norms he had not been aware of. He knew the trio were children of polyamorous relationships, having met through similar circumstances. They had told him of their plans to make it big as lawyers, which included enforcement and mercenary duties besides handling legal stuff, unlike the lawyers on earth, and they had high hopes to be scouted for one of the big corporations of Neshan. He had offered to hire them, and they had also requested time to think about it. He doubted they knew that the Ryser Clan was now recognized as one of Neshan''s factions. It had been a while since he had last seen them, and based on their levels, which were all in the early fifties, they had only recently evolved. Levine had evolved into what he knew was an Infernarri, one of the choices that had also been presented to Riseth. Before her evolution, she had been an Erudarix, a knowledge demon subspecies that had benefitted her spellcasting affinity. She looked much different. Her previously dark blue skin had become dark red instead. However, her hair was still the same: long and white, tied together in a ponytail. She had specialized in fire magic, and Alistair had shared some of his insights. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Flanking her stood Zarrias and Karrut. While Karrut had undergone drastic changes like Levine, Zarrias remained largely unchanged. Zarrias had been a Covetix at Grade 10, and Alistair suspected he had either become a High Covetix or had remained a Covetix, choosing not to evolve. Zarrias'' sickly pale skin still bore the same greenish hue, and his short black hair was tied in a bun with shaved sides. Alistair noted his long, robust tail swaying behind him had also not changed. Alistair had learned during sparring that their tail was crucial for balance, which was something he had used against the dexterous fighter in training. The last one was Karrut. He had been a demon of gluttony, more specifically a Ravanax, but was now a Ravagorix, a demon subspecies that had aspects of both wrath and gluttony. The formerly somewhat hefty demon had grown much taller and more muscular. Ram-like horns now adorned the sides of his square head, and hair covered most of his visible body, giving him a minotaur-like appearance enforced even more by the tail, which looked to be that one of a bull. He was no good at magic and mostly relied on instinctual applications of magic; luckily for Karrut, the Blink skill was rather instinctual and easy to learn, which had helped him greatly in closing the distance between him and his opponents. They quickly noticed his approach, as Alistair stood out a lot due to his height. Due to learning polymorph, he usually adjusted his height depending on the situation. In this case, he wanted to strike an imposing figure, so he stuck with the original height that came with the Nephilim race. However, he preferred to shrink to roughly two meters for his daily life and combat. He greeted the group and gave some pointers before changing the topic. "Did you guys have time to consider my proposal?" Alistair asked after putting up a sphere of privacy as he expected them to try to negotiate with him. "We did, and we are thankful for the opportunity, but we really want to join a faction from our planet," Zarrias responded hesitantly. Alistair maintained his composure, checking if the other two agreed. His experience in negotiating with people from Neshan told him there was most likely some kind of ''but.'' As a potential employer looking to hire them, he expected them to act indecisively and overstate issues or ask for certain concessions and compensations based on how they had started this discussion. He knew Levine was smart but also very passionate and not very patient and would likely be the first to speak up. "Do all of you feel that way? I know you guys are a package deal, so I wouldn''t want to separate you," Alistair offered. He did not have to wait long as he sensed how Levine tried to hide her excitement. "Honestly, I think it''s a great opportunity to join the Ryser Clan, and the fact that there are others from our world certainly helps. However, a human faction is rather limited in where they can go. But I might be able to convince my friends if we get compensated for the inconvenience," Levine proposed. Alistair pretended to think about it before he gave them a warm smile. "Is that the only issue holding you back, or are there other complications?" he inquired. They exchanged looks, and he was quite sure they were using the Akashic Link skill he had taught them. After roughly a minute, Zarrias spoke up again. "Yes, that and the fact that there are only a handful of people from Neshan. We are worried that we will not be able to return to Neshan while we are employed by the Ryser Clan," Zarrias voiced. Alistair knew that none of them had strong ties to any particular family or company yet, and they would have to work their way up the ranks like millions of others. They did not truly care about returning to Neshan, which was one of the reasons he initially approached them. Their youth was showing that they had not properly prepared or investigated the Ryser Clan. Like most of the negotiations, Alistair had the good fortune of being in a position of influence and power which made most dealings almost trivial. "I have some good news then. Arbiter Zaltom has recognized the Ryser Clan as a Neshan faction. You won''t have to worry about joining a human faction, as most members are from Neshan," Alistair announced. All three demons looked at him with a surprised expression but quickly deflated as they realized they had lost much of their bargaining power. "Of course, we don''t have any infrastructure on the planet yet, but the Zekaria Corporation would be our intermediary on planet Neshan, so you would have to register at one of their locations to link up with our expedition." Alistair helpfully added, knowing that mentioning the corporation''s name would likely sway their decision in his favor. As he observed their nervous glances and exchanged looks, Alistair sensed their growing awareness of his familiarity with Neshan''s negotiation customs. Alistair decided to throw them a bone as he did not want them to feel that they had been played and, therefore, not appreciated.
"I''d love to have some of my most promising students join my clan," Alistair said, his tone warm and welcoming. "And I''ll be sure to check in occasionally to see how you all are doing." Zarrias, taking the lead, responded, "Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to join the Clan." He bowed as the other two quickly followed his lead. Alistair nodded approvingly before returning the bow. He knew Zarrias was the most business-savvy among them, being the offspring of a Vallista Corp. executive and one of the company''s secretaries, mostly raised by the latter. Alistair already knew that Nessyra had singled him out as a potential assistant manager directly under her. It wasn''t what Zarrias had set out to be, but he might appreciate the chance once offered. Alistair would let Nessyra handle the details of their contract, and he gave them one of her assistants'' contact information. Alistair continued making his rounds while helping those who needed it most. The other students also tried to aid those who had not succeded until the end of the class. Alistair, however, wasn''t overly worried as they all had the means and time to figure it out before the end of the trial. Chapter 118: Sad Reality
Overall, the summoning classes were a great success, and he obtained more than enough contribution points to get both skill points and a healthy collection of measuring orbs for the clan; he also picked up an arcane puzzle cube, which improved his insights and affinity with magic as the puzzles got harder and harder. Overall, Alistair spent roughly a week mostly teaching different classes and copying books from the Nurturing Ward''s library, practicing and experimenting with new skills, and looking for dungeons. He ended up finding one at the 3rd gate address, which mostly turned out to be a dud as he had not found another hub within it. The dungeon itself turned out to be a hunting scenario where he had to hunt down a colorful flying lizard in an even more colorful jungle environment. Even with his Conceptual Awareness skill, the hunt had been unpleasant, as the bright colors quickly became irritating, and the whole hunt felt like something he would expect out of a drug addict''s wildest fever dream. Alistair''s Conceptual Awareness skill improved during that hunt as he wanted to find the creature''s weak point. He had gotten an offer to upgrade the skill as it absorbed his Combat Instinct skill, which he had initially saved up but now decided was a worthwhile sacrifice to improve his primary perception skill, and he was very satisfied with the result.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Supreme] Conceptual Awareness The user automatically detects magic and concepts at a wide range around him, increasing awareness of any changes and movements, especially from non-ambient concepts, by scaling [Senses] to a moderate degree at the cost of a slight amount of focus. The user may also actively scan his surroundings at the cost of additional focus and [Qi] or [MP], scaling on the user''s [Senses] but at high efficiency, vastly increasing detection range and sensitivity. This visually highlights concepts of interest based on the user''s intent. The user may access the [Akashic Link] skill for information on the targets if possible. The user''s [Senses] are passively sharpened by a moderate degree, and the hand-eye coordination of the [Control] stat is also moderately improved. The skill also intuitively informs the user of known weak points of opponents based on the user''s knowledge. The User can share this knowledge by visually highlighting the areas when displayed over the Akashic Link.
[Supreme] Akashic Link Empowers the user to effortlessly compile reports of memories, thoughts, audio & visual observations, and emotions directly into the soul, accessing them within and without the soulscape. Rooted in the concept of Akashic Records & Karma, the user''s Soul protects these reports and all other memories. This skill allows the user to connect to any accessible network. The user can display any memories & reports to others locally or transmit and share them over a sufficiently strong karmic connection over any distance. The user can also extend the information stored by the Akashic Link skill to support his other skills.
[Rare] Summoner The user''s ability to find and connect to a suitable shard of the [Summoner''s Planes] in order to store contracted summons within is improved. Overall [MP] cost scales with the level and tier of the summon/s and the summoner''s Grade and summoning affinity. The summoner''s maintenance cost is moderately reduced. The cost of the initial summoning and dismissing a summon is vastly reduced. Slight increase in maintenance cost for each additional summon currently active. Improved awareness of any summons status allows for communication over a longer distance through the [Akashic Link] skill. The skill buffs all the summons'' stats, scaling off the Summoner''s stat total as the connection between the user and the summoner is enhanced.
Alistair now intuitively knew where to strike his opponents and could also visually highlight areas and share the visual over his Akashic Link if he wanted to. He had heard from his brother that there were optical and networking implants that did something very similar, but James had not managed to get his hands on one of those implants yet. Alistair had been almost disappointed that the skill had not upgraded to legendary once he figured out that he could visually share the features over the Akashic Link. The skills description had adjusted itself with every small improvement he made, but the tier stayed the same. However, at least his Akashic Link skill had been upgraded after many small changes and the constant accumulation of knowledge from the Nurturing Ward''s library. Since Alistair now had some skill points to spend, he picked up the Summoning skill, which automatically triggered a notification for a skill evolution, which predictably consumed the Summoners Link skill. The skill mostly reduced some of the costs, provided buffs, and let Alistair communicate with summons through the Akashic Link, even if the summon did not possess the skill. The ability to see his summons status was of particular value to him, especially once King and other potential summons were capable and willing to share more details about their status. Alistair decided he would save the other skill points in case he felt like developing a new skill over his existing ones. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it He was particularly glad about the improved coordination the new skill allowed as it helped greatly to catch the damn colorful lizard with King''s and Dexter''s help. He had called Nessyra and described the creature to Dexter. After learning it was a Qealmite, Dexter had let him know that the creature had a central nervous system at the root of its tail that would paralyze it if attacked. It was an unusually strong weakness for a creature of Grade 9. However, it was still a lot easier to target than its brain, as the Quealmite had a rather small head and short snake-like neck that was very flexible. Overall, it was not a strong creature, but it was heavily camouflaged and blended into its environment; it was also very fast and could turn ethereal for short periods of time. So it had taken Alistair a bit over a day to capture the creature once King managed to cut off its escape path after it had used up its ethereal skill. Unfortunately, the rewards had been rather mediocre. In addition to the creature''s body and upgrade to his dungeoneer title, he had only received a small stat boost as the other rewards were more material, and his Clan could provide much the same, and most likely better, stuff. Once he had finished, he returned to Nessyra''s office as she wanted to catch him up on their progress with the spaceship and asked him for some input. "By the way, where is Dexter? Also, did we come up with a name for our spaceship?" Alistair inquired curiously. "Dexter is helping your mother hunt at the moment. And no, we have not decided on a name yet. You''re usually the one who comes up with the good ones," Nessyra informed him. "And my brother has not made any suggestions? He is also quite good at naming things," Alistair responded. He scratched his beard in contemplation and could not help but glance at Nessyra''s neck, noticing that she had taken off the choker that had been a fixture since he had first met her. He had known what the choker meant ever since checking the Neshan sub-section for the first time and had wondered if she was hesitant to let go of what came before or mourned. She was an expert in hiding her emotions, and even with his senses as sharp as they were, he had never been able to get a solid read on her, and it had only become more difficult as time progressed. She noticed his gaze and let out a sigh before pulling up a bottle and two glasses from her storage. "I think it''s time I tell you about it," she said softly as she filled the glasses and pushed one over to him. Alistair nodded and took the glass, initiating a small toast before realizing she likely did not really know what that was. But to his surprise, she reached out, and their glasses made a small clinking sound as they each took a sip of the amber-colored liquid. It tasted like cognac. Its flavor was quite complex, with a bit of oak caramel and fruit that was clearly not from Earth and was hard to describe. He inspected the glass appreciatively before placing it down. Nessyra looked at her glass with a sad expression on her face. Alistair gave her some time to collect herself. He knew almost everyone had lost people they cherished. Of the people he knew, his aunt was the one hit the hardest; she was currently in denial, as her children and husband were still missing. She insisted they had simply not reached one of the subspaces, hoping they would suddenly appear one day, and kept herself occupied by burying herself in work. It was heartbreaking to watch. Alistair, who could search his karmic connections, knew better. Based on what he now knew, most of his cousins, grandfather, and other aunts and uncles were all dead. He felt hollow thinking about it, and adjusting to the fact had taken him some time, but he had known for months. They had made plans to create a memorial once things had calmed down, but it was of little solace, particularly to Isabella. Part of him worried she would stay on Earth to seek them out; and there was little they could do if she chose that path. His mother was trying to talk to her sister, but it had proven to be a fruitless endeavor so far. They had also gotten in contact with the other survivors of his friends and family, but none of them were interested in joining their clan or leaving the planet as they had their own plans and obligations. The strangest one of his best friends, Remo, because he was still alive but had somehow not reached any of the sub-spaces. It wasn''t completely unheard of, as apparently some of the hubs were impossibly hidden, and not every dungeon granted access to the subspaces, particularly if the performance rating was low. He was drawn out of his musings as she spoke up. "As Zaltom was so kind to point out, I had been in a political marriage before," she began, her voice tinged with a mix of reminiscence and bitterness. "His name was Kycius. Of course, neither of us was really part of the respective family, and we were mostly used as a token of goodwill." She said quietly as she took a sip from her glass. She paused, looking at the glass, before continuing. "I wanted to refuse. But the rest of the family would have blacklisted and ousted me from everything I had worked so hard to achieve." Her face contorted in rage. "My exit plan wasn''t ready; I was stuck. It was either this or leave the city and start from scratch with my savings or rather what would have been left of it after buying a new identity," Alistair took a big swig. He had never seen her this emotionally vulnerable before. She did not mask her anger and emotions like she usually did, and he felt angry on her behalf. Part of him wanted to ask questions, but he knew the best thing he could do was listen; it was a lesson he had learned long ago. Coming up with suggestions or asking questions would be a fool''s errand and wouldn''t change a damn thing, so he silently empathized. "Then I met him," her voice softened as she reminisced. "both of us chafed under the expectations and demands made of us, and neither was happy with the situation we found ourselves in," Her voice grew more fragile as she continued. "We ended up connecting over this, and over time, it became real. We made plans, and we were getting close to creating something of our own," she sniffled as tears started to well up. The pieces were all getting into place, and then this happened, and now he''s gone," she said with some exasperation, choking a little as she suppressed the tears. She waved her hands, indicating the room she was in. Alistair winced, and she gave him a cautious smile, wiping her tears. "Don''t worry. I don''t think of you as part of this. You are..." She paused, and Alistair knew she wanted to say family, but he could sense the wrongness that connotation had to her. "I am Riseth''s man," Alistair finished for her with a smile She let out an appreciative laugh. "Not yet. You really should change that. She knows you understand how marriage works on Neshan, and she''s been dropping hints since I first saw you two together." She paused, a teasing smile on her face. "We know you Earthlings take longer and do things differently, but if you weren''t a literal alien with a different culture, she would have put a choker on you by now." Alistair laughed, the heavy atmosphere lifting slightly. "I could totally see her doing that," They lapsed into silence for a moment. Nessyra nursed her drink, calming herself down as Alistair put his drink aside and placed a small, richly decorated chest on her desk. Nessyra eyed the small chest suspiciously before opening it to look at its contents. "You fucking dumbass, what are you showing me for? Show that to her!" "I planned to once we found a planet to call home," Alistair replied, raising his hands defensively. "Now I feel I need your expert opinion if I should stick to that plan or commit early so she does not get upset," She facepalmed, leaning against her desk as silent laughter rocked her body. Chapter 119: The Kaiakos Nessyra eventually stopped laughing, and her expression was much more at ease. "I think I can help you out so you get your dumb romantic moment," Nessyra eventually said. "But you better make it worth it." "Are you sure? It might take a while before we find a planet. We are going to travel in a relatively small craft for months, if not longer, before we find the right place," "Trust me, I got it handled," Nessyra insisted, closing the small chest and handing it back to Alistair. "No pressure here then," Alistair murmured, earning a raised eyebrow from Nessyra. Alistair finished his drink, and Nessyra wordlessly filled it back up. "Is there anything else I missed while I was out and about?" Alistair inquired. Nessyra pondered for a moment before responding. "Yes, Desily has decided to join our clan officially." "Oh really? I would have thought she would stick with Zathron or her own folk," Alistair remarked. "She doesn''t seem to get along with her own people, and Zathron is from another planet, busy with his own matters. Once she heard we were setting out to find a new home, she practically begged me to get her off her planet," Nessyra explained, with a hint of amusement in her tone. Alistair couldn''t help but chuckle after encountering quite a few other fairies. It was easy to understand why Desily wanted to leave her world. While most fairies he met were generally helpful and friendly, they were also extremely talkative and energetic. He had encountered some while delving into the sub-sections of the Study Dungeon, where they eagerly offered their opinions and recommendations on the information found within. He tried not to stereotype them, but it was evident that their subspecies heavily influenced their upbringing and behavior as they acted quite similar even when they came from different planets. Unfortunately, spending extended periods of time with them often became incredibly bothersome, reminiscent of something straight out of "Ocarina of Time" with their constant attempts to grab attention and their non-stop chatter. Their disregard for personal space and social norms also took some getting used to, especially with the ones who thought clothes weren''t a necessity. Thankfully, while Desily exhibited some of those qualities, she had her own set of quirks he much preferred. Unlike many other fairies, Desily and a few others stood out as they were much more agreeable and just as annoyed at their kin''s antics. "Does she have a beacon yet?" Alistair inquired. "Yes, depending on her planet''s location, she will join the Artemis crew," Nessyra replied. "Oh, that reminds me, can you please pick a number from 1 to 14?" Nessyra asked casually. "What''s the number for?" Alistair inquired, curious. "Don''t worry about it; just pick one," she insisted with a playful tone. "All right? Let''s go with Six." He responded while wondering what this was about. "Alright, at least we now have a direction to look for a home," Nessyra said, flashing a toothy smile. Alistair realized Nessyra had attempted to leverage his luck affinity. "I''m not sure it works like that; it might even bring bad karma or have the opposite effect," he said, feeling a twinge of concern. "Don''t worry about it. I checked with Mitania before I tried this." Nessyra said reassuringly before adding. "According to her, using luck like this occasionally is fine, but we shouldn''t overdo it as it will backfire if we do," She then explained how she had tested it on different thing with her own luck affinity as hers was also quite good. Alistair felt a wave of relief wash over him as he listened, taking another sip from his glass. He gazed at the amber liquid, lost in thought for a moment before speaking. "The Kaiakos," he eventually said, tilting the glass in his hands as the liquid swirled gently. It was a name from Neshan steeped in legend, evoking tales of bold exploration, challenges, and ambition, much like the Odyssey. A story of a family venturing into the unknown, facing trials and triumphs on their quest for fortune in uncharted lands, eventually rising to become one of Neshan''s most esteemed dynasties. Nessyra looked at him in surprise, appreciating his choice. "That''s... a great name," she said, inspecting Alistair curiously. Nessyra sent out the Kaiakos suggestion to the rest of the clan over the Akashic Link, which was met with widespread approval. "It looks like we finally settled on a name," she commented, glancing back at Alistair. "Where did you find the time to read that much?" she asked, her curiosity piqued as she checked the incoming messages. Alistair chuckled. "I travel a lot and don''t sleep much anymore, so I''ve downloaded plenty from the Sub-Sections. The Kaiakos was recommended to me by one of the more insistent fairies," he explained with a smile. "Also, understanding Neshan''s past seemed relevant, and I figured you guys might ask for another name. Plus, I didn''t want to keep naming things after random Earth deities." They fell into a companionable silence, exchanging occasional words until Alistair felt it was time to move on and return to his tasks. Alistair finished his glass and stood up as they exchanged farewells, embracing Nessyra in a hug."Thank you for listening. It felt good to let go for once," she said softly. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Anytime," Alistair reassured her. After leaving Nessy''s office, Alistair made his way to his brother''s workshop. He was supposed to fetch some upgraded mining equipment they had bought off the Neshan market, which was being modified to be handled by the Automata they had reprogrammed. Oconoe, the crab-like assistant his brother had taught, had joined their clan and was currently in charge of the robotics department. Alistair visited the alien occasionally to receive equipment as his brother was too busy teaching and directing the workers and shipwrights from Neshan. Alistair had gotten a bit closer to Oconoe as the Drother was quite personable and diligent, and they ended up getting along quite well. Alistair had already gotten some reprogrammed and retrofitted automata and turrets to defend a location if necessary; his next goal was the caves of the second gate address. There were some shoots for adamantine roots and other valuable growing metal sources on the market, but at exorbitant prices that would force them to downsize their plans for the Kaiakos. The shoots would also not produce the quantity of materials they would need, and the odds of finding some growable or regular materials in the depths of the caves weren''t bad. Alistair was to meet up with Simon once he got the equipment, but since he was a little early, he would check the progress of the Kaiakos. Once he entered the workshop, he was greeted by the hustle and bustle of people, haulers, and even hovercrafts shuffling equipment through the open gate on the other side of the room. Most of the conveyor belts had been lifted off the ground to make space for the hovercrafts and marked-out roadways. He stood on the same metal platform but could see a larger entrance gate where haulers loaded tons of material into the hovercrafts. Most of the individuals he spotted were different kinds of demons wearing overalls and baggy suits. However, the demons were heavily outnumbered by the automata, and Alistair suspected that most of the Demons were currently in a different chamber. As Alistair descended the metal stairs, he could see Oconoe jogging his way, waving his large arms. Alistair did not know what race Oconoe was before turning into a Drother, but he could not really see much of a difference; however, he could sense the difference in power. Oconoe had also replaced some of its hands with cybernetics, which looked remarkably similar to the ones Alistair had given to his brother. They must have reverse-engineered the cybernetics to the point they could make it compatible with other species. Alistair shrugged and teleported some meters in front of him. A quick Identify [Oconoe - lvl 62 Cyber Drother] revealed the crab-like man had gained some levels. "Greetings, Alistair, you are a bit early," Oconoe commented, crossing all his arms in greeting. "Greetings, Oconoe; yes, I wanted to check on the Kaiakos''s progress," Alistair replied, offering a slight bow as they headed toward the hangar. "How is Saza and your brood?" Alistair inquired curiously. The last time he had seen the large crab, Oconoe had informed him of finding a mate and expecting spawns. Oconoe emitted a pleased chittering sound. "They are growing so quickly. One of my largest is already a capable hunter and is catching up to me." Alistair was slightly surprised; he knew some species could spawn offspring rather quickly, and apparently, his brood grew into maturity quite quickly as well. However, Oconoe mentioned that his species could only breed once every few years as they ''recharged''. They exchanged the equipment as they walked towards the gate to the hangar.
The last time Alistair had visited the hangar, it was a vast chamber filled with scaffolds, gantries, and the remnants of the Deonida, partially disassembled. However, upon their return, they were greeted by an immense metal skeleton dominating most of the space. The core and spine of the Kaiakos were already occupied by crucial modules such as reactors, thrusters, warp engines, and the centrally located bridge. Alistair observed multiple flying hovercraft with assembly arms attached to their sides and front, meticulously placing and welding armor plating around the already filled-in sections of the Kaiakos. A set of large cranes was currently lifting in crew and passenger compartments as demons crawled over the modules screwing and welding them in place. Alistair''s understanding of the proceedings was quite limited. He did not recognize many of the modules. But Nessyra had reassured him they were making good time, and the fact that the core components had already been placed and they had begun filling in the crew compartments salvaged from the Deonida and placing the first armor platings was a good sign. James had ensured the craft would be modular, which required careful planning, but it would save them time now they were reusing the compartments of the Deonida and in case they needed to replace a module for another in the future. Alistair observed some demons with the lower body of a spider crawl over the leftover hull of the Deonida, working to disconnect some modules from the damaged hull. Alistair still needed to get used to that sight as they were still rather uncomfortable to look at.
Alistair spotted his brother in the corner of the room, leaning over a set of blueprints accompanied by Aknis and lots of other demons and Aliens in all shapes and sizes. The Imp Aknis had also joined the clan once he heard that the Ryser Clan was a recognized Neshan faction. Alistair knew Nessyra had been a bit more stringent with Aknis''s contract as she still had her reservations about the Imp. Fortunately, the Imp had not complained, relishing the chance to work on a spacecraft for a Clan where he knew both the chief engineer and Patriarch.
Noticing his brother''s approach, James perked up. "You''re headed to the caves, right? Please dig out and bring back any materials you find. The budget''s a bit tight unless we start trading away some of our more valuable tech assets," he said, skipping a proper greeting. Alistair recognized the signs of James being hectic and stressed, knowing it was best not to disrupt his flow. "You got it," Alistair replied, handing over the large chunks from his and Riseth''s Fluxbloom gems. They had already broken the three crystals twice now as they grew too large for their armor, and James wanted as many for energy storage as he could get his hands on. James nodded appreciatively before turning back to the assembled workers. "Alright, we need to place the hangar and docking bays next and reinforce the core around the main bridge. We''ve got approximately one week to get it done," James called out, scanning the group. "Any questions?!" he asked before Alistair made his way out of the hangar. After shaking their heads, the shipwrights made their way back to work, sparing him curious glances. He knew he would only be in the way and serve as a distraction. He bid Oconoe farewell, watching the Drother hurry towards a different section of the workshop. Alistair knew that Simon should arrive in the cave system soon, and Alistair didn''t want to miss the expression on his face when he had to face another cave wendigo. Chapter 120: Rock and Stone After the hustle and bustle of his brother''s workshop, the darkness of the portal and the caves beyond was a powerful contrast. Alistair paused for a moment, appreciating the sudden quiet. He then spotted Simon, who was already waiting for him. "Ah, there you are. I was about to call you," Simon said as they embraced in their usual greeting. "Did you get the equipment?" Simon Inquired as they separated. "Yeah, sorry, I thought I had more time. I checked out the Kaiakos while I was there," Alistair replied. "No worries, I only arrived a few minutes ago. How''s the ship coming along?" Simon asked as Alistair led them to the chasm where he had found the mithril ore. "Pretty good. Most of the core components seemed to be in place, and they were installing some of the passenger modules from that luxury cruiser when I left," Alistair explained. As they walked, Simon occasionally tapped his fist against the cave wall; Alistair knew that Simon had some kind of advanced tremor sense skill that would let him detect things within the cave walls, be that veins or monsters. Eventually, Simon spoke out. "I both sense and hear those damn Wendigos; they are going to find us soon," slight irritation was evident in his voice. The clicking noises had been audible since Alistair arrived, but they had become more frequent the longer they walked and talked. "Yeah, I am not a fan of those Cave Wendigos either," Alistair commented as he could also sense one of them approaching, and it would not be long before it came around the bend ahead of them. "Hopefully, the ones around the entrance have not evolved yet... Oh, hell no!" Simon suddenly blurted out, recoiling at the sight. A long, muscly pale arm reached around the corner, followed by the creature''s elongated head turning their way. Its skin flaps, moving furiously as it crawled along the corner of the ceiling, approaching them much faster, presumably because they were talking and moving. As it attempted to approach them, it was impaled by a barrage of obsidian spears that emerged from the cave walls. Though the creature had not yet reached the next grade, it somehow survived Simon''s attack, wriggling furiously in an attempt to free itself as its body attempted to regenerate. Alistair swiftly dispatched it with a Razor disk, decapitating the impaled creature and ending its threat. "What a terrible day to have Dark Vision, Simon murmured as he looked at the body hanging in the dark ceiling, blood freely flowing out of its neck and wounds dripping over the cave floor. "I kind of expected them to have grown stronger by now." Alistair mused. "Can you retract your spears so we can store the body and move on?" Simon frowned but did as asked as the body splattered to the ground with a wet thud. "Your dad mentioned that he could get cores with the concept of regeneration out of these. We should try and kill some higher-grade ones," Alistair teased, watching Simon''s unhappy expression. Alistair stored the body as they continued to walk down the tunnels. They would reach the chasm soon and delve deeper from there, trying to get as deep as possible, hoping to find more dungeons, veins of ore, or, better, a source of growing metal. However, Alistair knew those sources were just as common on the surface as they were underground, though Dwarf Candy was exclusively found deep underground, and they needed a source of adamantine. A new integrated universe often came with never-before-seen treasure, flora, and fauna, and the hopes were that the trial would contain some of them searching deep underground and would have good odds of finding at least some hard-to-find treasures. Alistair looked around, the smell of damp rock and earth filling his nostrils. Investigating a dark location with Simon on his side stirred some memories within Alistair, and a smile grew on his face. "Remember the time we got a call to investigate a security alert in that recently abandoned warehouse?" Alistair commented, letting his gaze wander. "Fuck off. That little beast jump-scared the shit out of me," Simon said with a chuckle. Alistair let out a laugh. "You were jumping at shadows long before that cat. You outright refused to split up," he reminded him. "That''s how they get you! I have seen enough movies to know how this goes. So I''d rather have you around to throw at them," Simon jokingly added. "Who''s them?" Alistair asked incredulously, a smile plastered on his face. Alistair had missed the banter between him and Simon. They had spent most of their days working with each other, and it was all too easy to fall into old habits. He knew Simon wasn''t a big fan of horror movies. However, Alistair would be lying if he said the darkness and monsters weren''t giving him the creeps. If given the choice, Alistair would rather be anywhere else, but he refused to pass on the potential gains. They continued to descend down the chasm, Simon flying alongside him, occasionally tapping his fist against the stone walls until they reached the bottom, where they spotted a handful of tunnels leading in different directions. "Let''s stay in contact and share map data; that way, we should find a way to descend much faster," Alistair mused as he looked at the map, which already had markings where Simon had used his tremor sense skill. "Unless you are scared to be all alone in the dark with the scary monsters," Alistair teased. Simon looked uncomfortably at the tunnel entrances. "Man, why did I agree to this?" "Because you are not bitch made?" Alistair helpfully suggested with a smile as he watched Simon trod toward one of the closer tunnels, flipping him off.
Alistair let out a chuckle as he headed for a different nearby tunnel. He needed to move quickly, as his ability to detect veins and treasures was much more limited compared to Simon''s. Therefore, he focused on covering ground instead. Alistair flew down the corridors, navigating bends and randomly choosing branches as he continued to descend. Occasionally, he encountered tunnels leading back up, which he marked before heading down another path. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Simon, who took his time, found the occasional ore deposit, but it was mostly mundane materials like silver, gold, and iron. He also loudly complained about the number of Cave Wendigos attempting to ambush him. Unlike Alistair, Simon had to tap the cave walls for his tremor sense, which attracted the monsters to his location. They continued this pattern for a week, with the occasional break in between as both of them got tired of running around in the dark. Their biggest find was a large Adamantine vein, which helped cover some of the demands of the Kaiakos. The construction turned out to be a large money sink as materials became more expensive, as others must have started large projects of their own, and the demand started to outpace supply. The further down the two of them got, the more tunnels became dead ends or incredibly tight before opening up again, forcing Alistair to avoid them and wait for Simon to widen the gap with his earth magic. During this time, Alistair started to ask Riseth to instruct him in her space manipulation technique, which lets her slip through tiny gaps by distorting the space temporarily. After two more weeks, they reached deep enough that the rock could be considered magical, and the adamantine and mithril veins became more frequent. Although they weren''t very large veins, every little bit helped. Alistair could sense there were dungeons around, much like the other trial worlds, but it turned out impossible to find them in the tunnels and Alistair half suspected them to be hidden deep within the walls. They had not found a single Dungeon or worthwhile treasure other than the cores from the Grade 10 & 9 Wendigos, which either stayed the same or grew elongated bodies with an additional set of arms. Alistair gained four levels during those two weeks. He gained noticeably less experience with each Wendigo killed, and Simon experienced much the same on his end. During this time, Alistair decided to pick up and hone his Telekinesis skill and found it incredibly effective against the Wendigos, especially when they leaped. He could catch them mid-air, slam them into the ground, and even restrain them for a few moments if he increased his energy expenditure despite their high power stat. This small addition even increased the skill¡¯s tier to Supreme.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Supreme] Telekinesis Improves the user''s ability to telekinetically [Control] objects and empowers attacks made based on the user''s relevant stats. The amount of objects or individuals the user may manipulate is based on the target''s mass and resistance against manipulation. The user''s incredibly high affinity further enhances the skill''s ability to bypass the target''s resistances and increases the amount of damage inflicted, be that directly or indirectly. The user may also use this skill in a non-offensive manner, like daily tasks or shielding himself with a controlled target. The precision of such tasks is based on the user''s [Control] stat. Requires a minuscule amount of focus and [Qi] and [MP] to maintain based on the number of targets and their resistances. The user may increase the energy expenditure to empower his telekinesis with high energy efficiency.
To their frustration, they had not encountered anything besides the constant presence of Cave Wendigos, apart from the occasional non-combative beast and barely sentient fungi. The only reason they kept going was their desperate need for metals. James would otherwise have to use the lower-quality materials they had claimed in the Automata trial world for armor plating, which weren''t well suited for anything other than flooring and less critical components.
"Help, I fucked up!" Simon''s panicked voice suddenly reached Alistair over the link. Alistair halted and checked the map; Simon wasn''t nearby. "Simon, can you set up a beacon for me to teleport?" Alistair called out, turning and rushing down the tunnel towards Simon. "Yes, but you''re coming in hot. I found their mom," Simon replied.
"What the hell does that even mean?" Alistair asked, sensing the beacon activate. He honed in on it, straining his focus to bypass the interference from the magic-laden rock surrounding him. Just before teleporting, an ungodly screech echoed through the tunnel from Simon''s direction. Upon arrival, Alistair was almost overwhelmed by the intense density of mana, followed by a powerful stench of death. Simon struggled to maintain an obsidian wall in an alcove, long black bony claws piercing through as the wall cracked and splintered. Alistair took a step forward, hearing a crack beneath his feet, and realized the floor was littered with bones and rotten body parts. The overwhelming smell made Alistair gag. "Sorry for sealing in the flavor, but I needed to buy us some time," Simon said as he pushed out his magic; the cracking wall shattered outwards, and the massive [Cave Wendigo Matriarch - lvl 94] was pushed back as the ebony shards ripped into her. The Cave walls were covered with spider-like eggs and more Wendigos. A cacophony of clicking sounds filled the room, drowned out by the screech of the matriarch as she rapidly healed from Simons''s attack. Alistair looked at the matriarch in horror as her milky white eyes locked onto his. She stood five meters tall, nearly filling the chamber with her bulk. Two sets of pale, thick, and muscular arms ended in long black claws dripping with an unknown liquid. Her massive, elongated skull was adorned with spikes and ridges, drool seeping from a mouth bristling with razor-sharp teeth. Unlike the others, her body was robust and powerful, covered in thick bone plates with her ribcage outside her skin, protecting her internal organs. Her taut, tough skin, combined with a massive spiked tail that lashed out, carving into the solid rock face, enhanced her terrifying presence. Alistair took that brief moment of respite to take stock of the situation. Alistair could not help but draw some comparisons to the movie ''Alien'' as they were surrounded by monsters clinging all over the wall, ready to attack them. A quick glance revealed there were only two entrances, one of which lit up like a Christmas tree with his conceptual awareness and was most likely the source of the mana. But he did not have more time to think about it as one of the pale-looking Wendigoes tried to jump him.
"Fucking hell, Ridley Scott is going to sue somebody," Alistair blurted out as he swung his poleaxe, cutting down the attacking Wendigo. Fortunately, most of the Wendigos in the room were low-level, likely born recently. Still, Alistair sensed more approaching and knew they needed to kill the matriarch quickly. "I know, right? I didn¡¯t expect those things to lay eggs," Simon commented, summoning an array of spears to pin down as many monsters as possible. Alistair activated his Razor Aegis and Battle Spheres, which unleashed Fire Blasts, clearing a path to the entrance as the pressure mounted with more Wendigos arriving. "Watch out!" Simon warned. Alistair''s danger senses flared, and as he turned, the matriarch''s long claws impacted his shoulder, and multiple spheres of force shot out of his body before she pierced his shoulder, tearing through his body and armor. Although the Aegis cut into the matriarch, she quickly regenerated after dodging the razor disks aiming for her head. Alistair jumped back against the stone wall, blood gushing out of his body as it violently rejected the poison, and his upper body felt like he was on fire. Chapter 121: Wendigo Slayer Alistair grunted in pain; the Matriarch had managed to levy her power to force her way through his defensive skills. Alistair cast Dispel Poison to aid his body in rejecting her poison as black-colored blood sprayed out of his wound. He considered summoning King, but the chamber was much too small for him and the matriarch, and it would cause a very cramped and vicious fight if he were to take him out. Instead, Alistair sent some explosive blasts at the smaller wendigoes guarding the entrance, blowing them to pieces. Simon used the breach to temporarily seal the entrance with an obsidian wall. He quickly set up turrets and flamethrower automata, which immediately attacked the Wendigo Brood sealed in the room with them. After weeks of battling the Wendigos, they confirmed that fire was highly effective, preventing their regeneration. In response, Oconoe reconfigured some automata with flamethrowers powered by sun crystals Alistair had acquired in his first dungeon delve. They had so far been able to kill them without the need for the automata since the Wendigoes were solitary hunters. However, attacking their matriarch and her haunting screams riled them up in a frenzy. Alistair did his best to keep the matriarch at bay with a relentless barrage of blasts and razor disks, slicing into the massive monster. Meanwhile, Simon guarded the entrance, protecting the automata and turrets from the Wendigoes that managed to break through. "Any song requests? I can buff us that way," Alistair called out, parrying the matriarch''s tail with the shaft of his poleaxe. A fully charged sphere shot out of his body, adding to the onslaught. "You got your own boss music?" Simon laughed. "Considering the situation, how about something from Disturbed?" "Inside the Fire?" Alistair suggested, deflecting another strike from the matriarch. "I was thinking Down with the Sickness, but yours fits better," Simon said, as the automata began burning the flailing bodies of the Wendigos he had pinned to the walls around him. Alister let out a chuckle before he played the music over his Akashic Soundboard, ready to lay into the matriarch proper now that he had stored up a lot of kinetic energy. He would need it as the Wendigo Matriarch was incredibly resilient due to her regeneration. Alistair''s focus was strained, and he was forced to discard his Aegis for what he planned next by sending the disks hurling toward the matriarch, which swatted them out of the air. He was thankful for his fire affinity right about now as he coated himself and his weapon in flames, a technique he had developed with the help of Esta. He had not used this technique in proper combat before, and his proficiency in the skill was rather low, but it should be enough to impair the matriarch''s regeneration. Alistair''s Battle Spheres continued to pelt the matriarch as he charged at her. She let out a bone-chilling screech that put unnatural pressure on him; however, the music alleviated the pressure as it slightly drowned out the screech attack. Alistair jumped over a swipe of her tail as he converted the stored KE into power, bringing the axe head down on her torso with a Razor Slash. The Matriarch attempted to intercept the attack, but the overwhelming force of the strike sliced through her claws, severing them completely. The blow bisected her, and the intense heat from the attack immediately cauterized the wound. However, even after discarding his Razor Aegis, Alistair''s focus wavered as he tried to manage too many tasks at once, causing his coat of flames to flicker out. He wasn''t sure if he should be pleased about cutting the matriarch down to size or frustrated by his inability to maintain his abilities. Alistair realized he needed to improve his mental stat and find a better rotation for his more focus-intensive skills. Both his Razor Aegis and Battle Spheres were too demanding to maintain alongside each other. Alistair suspected that his skills would eventually become second nature, much like his Kinetic Skinguard, which by now required minimal effort to maintain. Until then, he needed a better solution.
Alistair frowned as he pursued the matriarch. To his dismay, being cut in half was only a minor setback for her. She used her additional set of arms to push herself away, then clawed at her cauterized wounds to reopen them, triggering her regeneration. It was a horrifying sight as she tore out unknown organs, black blood spreading across the cavern floor.
"Alistair, hurry the hell up; hundreds of them are incoming," Simon yelled. Alistair stopped holding back, unleashing his Cold Rage skill and increasing his mana expenditure for his boosting skill. A cold, detached fury gripped him at the thought of Simon getting killed and eaten by the bleak-looking monsters. The soft throbbing of his slowly healing wound became more noticeable despite his numbed pain receptors and adrenaline coursing through his veins. Using his Arcane Energy Manipulation, he converted his Qi into kinetic energy as he charged the retreating matriarch, determined to take her head before she could regenerate her legs. The matriarch pushed herself back with all her might, trying to buy some time to heal herself. Alistair ruthlessly used his Telekinesis skill to catch her mid-air and drag her to the ground, and he brought down the axe on her head. The spikes decorating her body suddenly shot out, some managing to pierce his body as he stepped beside the struggling monster and hacked into the matriarch''s brain, undeterred despite being now covered in wounds. Shockingly, the matriarch''s arm lashed out by sheer instinct despite her brain being damaged. Alistair raised his arm and conjured his shield as the claw shattered through his automatic barrier. He absorbed the impact as the claws scraped across his sepaskarite shield, leaving deep claw marks. He shot an almost point-blank fire blast to burn out what was left of her brain to prevent it from regenerating as his frustration mounted. "They are in the walls. They will breach any moment!" Simon called out. The Matriarch flailed wildly, and Alistair continued to push his body. As his energy resources started to dwindle from the assault, he grappled one of the matriarch''s arms with the help of his time-delayed vision. Alistair charged a Razor slash but wreathed it in fire to cauterize the cut and hacked off her arm, a specific chime ringing out informing him of a skill upgrade. Alistair would check once he dispatched the matriarch as he continued to disarm the monster. He did not wish to destroy the monster core as it would make for excellent crafting material and could most likely be turned into a much more efficient regenerating armor enchantment when compared to regular Wendigo cores. Alistair''s intuition alerted him of the Wendigoes breaching the walls around him. Fortunately, the matriarch was already on her last leg, spurring Alistair to swiftly sever her head with precision, extinguishing her threat. The sound of chimes resonated through his mind, signaling the end of her reign of terror. He quickly stored her body and teleported next to Simon, giving a cursory glance at his upgraded skill as he resummoned his Battle Spheres, directing them to fire explosive blasts at the emerging Wendigoes.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Uncommon] Blaze Slash Infusing the weapon with a small amount of [Qi], the blade is empowered and imbued with razor-sharpness. By expending a portion of [MP], the user may cloak the weapon in flames, ensuring that every strike cauterizes wounds and impedes regeneration. Additionally, the wielder has the option to increase the energy expenditure to further enhance the weapon''s power. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Alistair was somewhat worried at the number of attackers as he was covered in small wounds, and his Cold Rage had been running for a while. He decided to deactivate his Cold Rage skill, and an immediate wave of feebleness overcame him to the point where he had to take a knee.
"Are you alright?" Simon inquired with concern as Alistair dropped to his knees. "I''m fine. Focus on holding the line," Alistair reassured him, immediately setting to work extracting the spikes embedded in his body before consuming a health potion. With the absence of the matriarch, Alistair summoned King, who swiftly engaged the emerging wendigos. With relentless ferocity, King snapped at their exposed heads, his tail slashing through them like a blade, turning the confrontation into a chaotic rendition of whack-a-mole. Alistair winced as the healing potion worked, expelling poisons fighting his body and closing the many wounds covering it. He remained stationary as not to reopen his wounds and focused on his Battle Spheres and summoned his Aegis as he cut into the wendigos that managed to get past King as he recovered. King furiously swiped, snapped, whipped, and crashed into the walls, crushing the wendigoes that had managed to clamber onto him, clawing and biting into his flesh. Alistair occasionally directed his blasts at those who managed to reach King''s blind spots as the wyvern furiously roared, drowning out the music. Eventually, Alistair recovered enough to charge back into the fray, preventing King and Simon from being overrun. If Alistair had to guess, every last wendigo was on its way to their location, trying to kill them at all costs to revenge their slain Matriarch. They continued to struggle against the tide of monsters, Alistair occasionally swapping songs as they continued to slay monster. Alistair was covered in sweat and sticky blood and thoroughly exhausted by the time they killed the last wendigo, and a series of chimes rang out. A chest appeared in front of Alistair and Simon, respectively, and he could sense a wave of satisfaction coming from King. Alistair checked his notification.
Notifications:
[Combat Log] Cave Wendigo Matriarch level 94 has been slain.
[Level 87 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
[Level 88 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
[Level 89 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
Combat Trial [Wendigo Infestation] has been completed!
Title Wendigo Slayer [Epic] has been obtained.
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin:
[Epic] Wendigo Slayer Grants a 10% bonus to [Body] statistic and slightly increases physical regeneration. Acquired for slaying a large infestation of wendigos and their matriarch.
Alistair checked with Simon and confirmed they both had gotten the title. Alistair was ecstatic. He had believed the slayer titles were limited to the first Trial world but realized they would have been unique if that had been the case. He was somewhat surprised he had not obtained a slayer title for the Automata, but his best guess was he would receive it once the war trial ended or the slayer title was limited to organic monsters. Either way, Alistair would keep an eye out for monster groups that could possibly provide more slayer titles and bring it up in the next clan meeting.
Alistair opened his chest to find a pendant with a brilliant-cut black gem and runes carved upon it. Alistair wanted to Identify it but was distracted as he heard Simon let out a contemplative "Hm," a frown on his face as he examined an elaborate vial in his hand that contained a yellowish liquid with a hard-to-define black mass swimming inside. It was clear Simon wasn''t entirely sure if he appreciated the reward. Alistair used his Identify to check what it was exactly before checking his own item and felt his Appraisal skill drawing upon his Akashic Link.
Item:
Tier: Name: Qualities: Description:
[Supreme] Symbiote Vial containing [Medea Symbiote] [Single Use] [Permanent Symbiote] [Growth] A vial containing a Medae symbiote. Upon consumption, the symbiote forms a symbiotic relationship with the host, growing stronger as the host does. Warning: Requires compatible physiology and may not be compatible with other similar symbiotes.
[Supreme] Valmus Pendant of Poison Protection [Soulbound] [Poison Protection]
This black iron chain pendant contains an incredibly rare Valmus gem, which has been enchanted to protect the wearer from poisons up to one grade higher than their own resistance level and renders them virtually immune to poisons of the same or lower grade.
Alistair quickly understood why Simon was eyeing the vial with apprehension. Simon glanced over at him before speaking. "Any chance you want to trade?" Simon asked. "Sorry, mine is soulbound, and I¡¯m pretty sure my physiology is incompatible due to my Body Cultivation," Alistair replied apologetically as he stepped closer to inspect the vial.
"You can tell what this is? I have no idea what your pendant does," Simon said. "I connected my Akashic Link to my Appraisal skill, and I found a book on symbiotes in the Nurturing Ward''s library," Alistair replied as he inspected the inert creature within the vial. On closer examination, it resembled a tiny dark blue axolotl with a mist-like body. "Let''s gather those Wendigo bodies, and I''ll explain what I know," Alistair added, noticing the concern on Simon''s face. Chapter 122: Big Announcement Alistair stored King before he took out some hauler automata from his storage to help collect the many bodies. Especially once King started to snack on some of them. Alistair then let his armor integrate the pendant, the valmus gem appearing embedded in his armor just above his sternum. He proceeded to explain what he knew about symbiotes as the knowledge saved within the Akashic Link continued to slowly enter his mind.
"There are many different symbiotes, some more useful than others," Alistair began. "They all grow with the user and eventually learn to communicate with the host. Some are more cooperative than others, and a few can even try to possess their host." Seeing Simon''s worried expression, Alistair quickly added, "According to the book in my records, the Medea is considered one of the most agreeable and friendly ones. It won''t try to possess you." Simon scratched his chin, his obsidian eyes searching the room before he continued to pick up bodies. "What benefits do I even get from having a symbiote in my body?" "A symbiote''s usefulness varies since it evolves alongside the user. A Medea initially provides improved regeneration, allowing you to regrow limbs by yourself even without healing magic or reaching Grade 5," Alistair continued to explain that there were many different types of Symbiotes. It was always in the best interest of the symbiote to keep the host alive, so they usually adapted based on the user''s needs. Some could be used as weapons, almost like biological guns or melee weapons. Others could be used to scout areas; some more slime-like variants could even be used as armor. Others could be used almost like a summon. But most commonly, they provided self-healing and stat-boosting benefits. They marginally reduced the number of records received as they counted as an individual providing support to the host. However, the losses were marginal and were almost always worth the payoff. Simon''s face scrunched up. "Will that interfere with me getting titles that require me to defeat opponents by myself?" "No, they are exempt by the system, similar to a summon," Alistair explained. "But they don''t mesh well with most body modifications, especially cybernetics. As a body cultivator, I would need to adjust my body and create an organ to increase compatibility with a symbiote just to be able to host one. So you would be somewhat restricted in that regard." Alistair added. They continued to collect bodies in silence, both holding their breath so as not to breathe in the stench permeating the room. Simon''s face showed that he was contemplating some things. At the same time, Alistair continued to peruse the knowledge entering his mind for relevant details. "Are there any other benefits the Medae specifically provides other than regenerating my limbs? Simon inquired. Alistair paused as he finished digesting the information. "The Medae are among the smartest and more magically inclined symbiotes. According to the information available, you can expect it to assist you with spells and buffs and some stat-boosting benefits besides the regeneration." Alistair concluded. "So I got a small spellcaster in my head talking to me if I choose to bond with it?" Simon asked, taking out the small vial. "Pretty much, but I would wait before bonding. Dexter should be able to communicate with it. You might want to check if you even get along with the Medea," Alistair suggested. "Nessyra''s cute little dog-penguin pet?" Simon asked, with some confusion. "Oh, right. Yeah, Dexter can talk telepathically. Nessyra asked me to keep it down low, but I feel this is more important." Alistair explained. Nessyra had taught Dexter some aura control, making it difficult to gauge the Yagan''s actual power besides its Grade since that was hard to mask. Coupled with his pet-like behavior, most had not caught on that Dexter was actually more than just a pet, which the bugger abused a lot. Simon stared at him blankly. "That little shit." He quietly said with some disbelief. Alistair chuckled as he stored the haulers and the last pile of bodies they had created within his storage. He then looked at the other entrance from where the incredibly dense atmospheric mana seemed to originate. "Let''s check what''s in that other chamber and get out of here. I need a shower," Alistair said. Simon let out a grunt in agreement. He wordlessly joined him as they headed for the chamber, eager to leave the caves behind as soon as possible. After some walking, they entered a dazzling crystalline chamber, where thick beams of mana crystals supported an enormous, horse-sized crystal at its center. This immense gem pulsed intense mana, enriching the environment while casting shimmering reflections across the room''s faceted walls. Alistair used his Identify to appraise the gem in the center, and it returned as Heart of Mana, a rare, coveted treasure with many uses. It was most commonly used to provide power or enrich a planet''s mana density over generations. There were lots of other uses listed, but Alistair ignored them for now as he considered how to retrieve the treasure.
Simon let out an appreciative whistle. "That''s gotta be worth a lot. But it''s not what we came here for." "True, but with the Wendigo infestation taken care of, we should be able to explore the caves undisturbed," Alistair replied.
"Why are most treasures some kind of heart?" Simon asked after a short pause. "Because besides the brain and eyes, it''s the most common organ across all species and holds deep meaning in most cultures," Alistair explained. "Plus, they''re often the most valuable parts you can harvest from a beast. There are plenty of eye-related treasures, too."
Simon tilted his head before nodding. "Makes sense. Let me help stabilize that heart while you cut it out," he said, raising additional stone pillars to fix the heart in place. Alistair summoned his razor blasts and infused them with as much power as possible before cutting into the mana crystals holding the treasure, meeting surprisingly little resistance. Once it was free, Alistair used his telekinesis to lift the heart and store it in his storage. "At least this damn cave finally paid off," Simon grumbled. "Maybe the system was trying to teach us delayed gratification?" Alistair suggested with a chuckle. "By putting us through a nightmare scenario?" Simon replied skeptically. "It would be in character," Alistair responded with a laugh. They planned to return later to recover the mana crystals because the mining automata were designed to recover veins of ores and potential adamantine roots, not crystals. They would have to visit the workshop and have Oconoe retrofit or design some new ones. Either way, both wanted a shower and to get out of the dark caves. Alistair''s suspicion turned out to be correct. With the Wendigos gone, they could investigate the caves undisturbed and even use drones. Before, the Wendigos viciously attacked any drones, preventing their use. In the following months, they found massive mithril, adamantine veins, and even a small orichalcum seam, among other treasures. They doubted they could extract it all before the end of the trial, but it solved their material shortage. Alistair and Riseth were both approaching Grade 8 and had scouted some suitable Grade 8 monsters within the slayer world for their probable Body Cultivation advancement requirements and Big Game Hunter titles. For Alistair, it was a house-sized armadillo-like monster with a spiked club tail that spun like a goddamn Beyblade on its back. Alistair had been a miserable matchup for the monster, and he dispatched it with little effort. Riseth had just as easy a time with a camel-like monster that shook the earth with its stomps and attacked with concentrated beams of water, cutting through the environment. Its cumbersome body made it impossible to defeat the nimble Riseth, who could become ethereal. As expected, they both upgraded their Big Game Hunter title from junior to novice, And Alistair''s stat per level grew from 35 to 40, which had been a bigger jump than he expected, and he lamented that he had not tried to obtain the title sooner. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin:
[Unique] Novice Big Game Hunter Small increase in stats obtained per level A growing title given to everyone for slaying a higher-grade beast by themselves.
As more and more people and beasts reached Grade 8, they quickly learned that despite every beast gaining access to polymorph, it did not mean they were intelligent or willing enough to make use of the ability. Most beasts choose to remain beasts, not seeing the appeal in a weak humanoid body. Nessyra was the first in the clan to advance to Grade 8, and Dexter, benefitting from her records, followed suit shortly after but refused to make use of polymorph, preferring to stay a beast. An uproar ensued when the trial reached its final 50 days as announcements echoed through every trial world, including Dungeons and Subspaces.
The Ascendant''s Tournament
Type: [Tournament] [Arena] [1v1 Duel] [Life Guarded]
All levels and Grades
The System poses its final challenge for its Trial to determine the strongest of the Initiates. There will be no separation in Grades or levels. The Galaxy ladder will be split based on the size of the Galaxy and the number of enlightened civilizations within it. The top 10 on each of the Galaxy ladders will move to the Universe ladder to determine the true Ascendants. Warning: Participation is mandatory for all Initiates. The Winners from the Rookie to Elite Arena Dungeon Tournaments will receive special placements within the tournament brackets and are excluded from the preliminary rounds. All battles will be 1v1, not counting Summons, Symbiotes, and similar beings.
Duration to complete: [50] Days.
Victory Condition: Win the Galaxy ladder. Win the Universe ladder.
Rating:
Ratings are assigned based on final placement on the Ascendant''s Tournament ladder. The higher the placement, the better the rewards, titles, and records received. Special rewards are given to those who reach the top 10 of their respective Galaxy and Universe ladder.
Alistair was for once truly glad that he and Riseth were not from the same Galaxy, as it meant they would not run the risk of having to fight each other until they already made it into the Universe ladder. He wasn''t sure if they could actually make it as he had no idea what other races and cultures could be found within the Milky Way, but he hoped to, at the very least, reach the top 10. Riseth was a bit more confident and expected both of them to at least advance into the Universe ladder. They quickly learned that, since most of the clan''s fighters had won up to the expert or elite tournaments, that they were placed directly into the final brackets of the Galaxy ladder. This meant they would only face opponents who had remained undefeated, much to Nessyra''s annoyance, as she had only won up to the Veteran level. All regular tournaments had ceased, and the first matches of the Ascendant''s Tournament were already underway and available for public viewing. Unlike previous tournaments, there were no brackets based on levels or Grades, resulting in uneven matchups. For instance, a Grade 10 crafter could be pitted against a Grade 8 from the same galaxy if neither had participated in previous tournaments. This led to some one-sided fights initially, but the weaker contestants were quickly weeded out within the first few weeks. The system still seemed to give somewhat fair match-ups most of the time, though it did not seem to care for people still in Grade 10 as they all faced higher-grade opponents. Alistair paused most of his cultivation, with the exception of molding his body and ribcage to at least temporarily store more than just kinetic energy. Beyond that, Alistair decided he would have more than enough time to cultivate during their travels in space. Another reason was that his plans to imitate a dragon''s heart had turned out to be incredibly difficult without having ever seen the pathways and arcane structure of an actual dragon''s heart. Alistair instead focused on leveling up and also made a point to spend a good chunk of his stat points into his mind stat as he did not wish to fail the tournament due to facing a mind attack specialist. Alistair, Riseth, Simon, and Desily were on the cusp of reaching Grade 8 as they continued to rush to get as many levels under their belt before it was their time in the tournament when Alistair received an unexpected summons from Mitania, which he had not seen in what felt like ages. Alistair was curious about what she wished to talk about, and both he and Riseth made their way to her desk within the Study Dungeon. Chapter 123: Lyraxis Ascendancy Riseth and Alistair entered the expansive room, greeted by the richly decorated mahogany floor, bookcase pillars, and the scent of paper and old books. Surprisingly, the floral aroma of nature also filled the air. Typically, Alistair had to be close to Mitania to catch her floral scent, but now it permeated the entire room. He quickly spotted her leaning against her desk as her presence was intense despite her restraining her aura a lot. The difference in Grade was vast, and he could tell she was by far the most powerful individual he had met, much more so than before. "I think that''s her true body," Riseth commented as they exchanged a glance. Alistair nodded, sharing the same suspicion. It was somewhat concerning that even her clones were more powerful than Sol and the other natural gods he had encountered, but this was on a completely different level. He trusted her intentions, especially since she had always helped and guided them and now made no effort to mask her emotions. If she tried to deceive them, he doubted he would be able to tell. As they approached, he sensed her anticipation and satisfaction as she waved them over with a casual smile. "Riseth, Alistair, it''s so good to finally meet you both in person," Mitania said, embracing each of them briefly. "It''s nice to meet you, too. We are grateful for the opportunity to thank you in person for all your help," Riseth replied with a polite smile. Alistair concurred with her statement. Both felt a bit stifled by the sheer power difference, but Alistair relaxed as her floral scent washed over them, his tension easing as her facial leaves turned a vibrant yellow. She accompanied this with a radiant smile as she inspected the two of them. "A Nephilim? I am impressed with your progress, and I apologize for interrupting your training during the trial, but there are some things I would love to discuss," Mitania said. As she spoke, roots grew out of the ground, forming a round, tree-like table and chairs padded with moss. She then served them tea, placing the cups before them. Alistair initially presumed it was just tea but quickly realized it was far too magically charged. "What is it with gods and serving ridiculous drinks?" he mused as he took a seat next to Riseth. Both Alistair and Riseth immediately noticed the intense life force radiating from the drink. They exchanged meaningful looks, knowing the tea alone would be more than worth their time. Mitania continued to smile at them as she took a sip of her tea. "Don''t worry; the tea will just strengthen your body and enhance the quality of your pathways once you advance to the next grade," she assured them. "It''s a small thank you for taking the time to meet with me." Alistair gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, Mitania. It''s just that the last time Sol offered me something to drink, we had to rush to refine the essence." Mitania chuckled. "You don''t need to worry about that. I''m curious, though; what did Sol give you?" she asked with genuine curiosity. "It was some Ambrosia," Alistair replied. "Ambrosia?" she asked, with some surprise. "Good for him, that''s a very rare and obscure concoction, and being able to concoct it is a coveted skill in the multiverse." They began recounting what she had missed and sharing their experiences from the past half-year since they had last seen her. Mitania listened intently as they exchanged information. Both Alistair and Riseth took a sip of the tea, feeling a surge of energy course through their entire bodies, leaving a faint trail of energy tracing through them. "What are those pathways you mentioned earlier?" Riseth asked. Mitania wore a motherly smile as she leaned back in her chair. "You shouldn''t be able to sense it. But your energy flow in Tier 9 and below is quite suboptimal. Once you reach the next grade, your pathways will become more physical in nature. This will significantly improve the flow of energy within your body, allowing it to compress energy more efficiently. In turn, your stat points will have a greater impact than they did before." "So, kind of like meridians and dantians?" Alistair inquired. He had read about them but had never been able to sense such pathways within his body. "Yes, though I don''t really use those terms since I''m not a cultivator," Mitania replied, somewhat annoyed. "I''m generally not a fan of cultivation terminology. They tend to overcomplicate and aggrandize things." "You still recommended a body cultivation technique," Alistair pointed out. "It was recommended by the system, and I agreed with its assessment," Mitania explained, somewhat strained. "There''s a big difference between body cultivation and normal cultivation. For example, you don''t need to worry yourself with inner demons and other issues cultivation comes with." Alistair nodded in response, already aware of this from his own limited research. He noted that Mitania wanted to add something but couldn''t. It felt like he had made a mistake or was under another misconception, but when he tried to ask, the system restrained him from doing so. Which pretty much confirmed he had one more misconception to work out. "I am impressed that you managed to become a Nephilim with your first evolution," Mitania said. "I underestimated just how much effort you have put into your foundation, and now you''ve caught up with the rest of the elites. I''m sorry for pressuring you, and I''m glad to see my worries were unfounded." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. As pleasant as their exchange was, Alistair felt it was time to ask why she had requested to meet them. "Thank you, but you were right. I needed that push. But let''s put these topics aside for now. Why did you request to meet us?" Mitania wore a warm smile, her leaves shifting back to a light teal coloration as her demeanor turned more serious. "You''re right. We got a bit carried away," she said. "I called you here to make you an offer." Alistair internally groaned at the prospect of more god-like beings trying to get a hold of him, but he would hear her out because he owed her at least that much. Mitania chuckled. "Don''t worry. My offer is a bit different from what you might expect." He was taken aback for a moment, realizing she had seen right through his aura, veiling his emotions. He watched her place a metal plate that looked like an oversized coin on the tree-like table. It depicted a massive, intricate tree enveloped by feathery wings. She encouragingly waved her hand, indicating that he should pick it up. After exchanging a brief glance with Riseth, he did so. Inspecting the large coin, he noticed numerous incredibly dense and intricate runes, almost invisible to the naked eye, and some that seemed to be not even physical but spiritually engraved. Using Identify, it revealed itself to be a [Crest of Connection for the Lyraxis Ascendancy]. Alistair gave Mitania a questioning look, suspecting what the crest might be. "What is this exactly?" "It''s a magical array that ensures that we can communicate even after the initiation. Additionally, it designates you as a potential disciple of our faction. Consider it a token of our association, providing you protection by serving as a deterrent to other factions in the multiverse, among some other features," Mitania clarified. Alistair shook his head apologetically. "I appreciate the offer, but I''m not currently looking to join any faction. My focus is on nurturing my own clan and seizing the opportunity before the bridges open to more powerful individuals. Besides, I''m hesitant about affiliating with a faction from another universe," he replied. Mitania smiled, raising a hand placatingly. "Don''t worry. I want you to grow and experience those things as well. This won''t put any obligations upon you, only open doors that might have otherwise been closed." after a short pause, she added, "I can only hand out one of these crests to a chosen individual as a reward for my services in the Initiation, and I want it to go to the two of you," "But why us? There must be billions of people that fit the same criteria we do," Alistair questioned as he hesitantly looked over the crest. Mitania''s laughter enveloped them like a warm summer breeze. "Don''t underestimate yourselves. I have numerous reasons, but above all, I like the two of you, and my intuition tells me I am making the right choice. Also, your personality and potential align perfectly with what my husband seeks in a disciple, Alistair." It all sounded quite positive, but he wasn''t quite sure if there were some things he wasn''t aware of, so he turned to Riseth. "What do you think? Also, do you know anything about the Lyraxis Ascendancy?" Alistair inquired over their link as he ran his thumb over the crest in his hand. "My intuition tells me to trust her. Mitania has done right by us and helped us a lot. I think we can trust her," Riseth said over the link. After a short pause, she added, "Our available information on factions from the multiverse is limited outside the most notorious ones. What I do know is that they did not invade any freshly integrated universes so far as they aren''t mentioned as an invader, but I don''t know anything else about them." "Can you tell us a bit about your faction?" Alistair inquired. "I can''t divulge too much with Riseth present, as I am constrained to sharing information with the chosen individual. Fortunately, the system is already quite lenient due to your resonance," Mitania explained apologetically. "What I can say is that our interests and actions are closely aligned with yours. We wield considerable power, and our faction is well-respected, but we tend to keep a low profile on the multiversal stage," Mitania continued. "But this is all in the far future. You can ask me or my husband by using the crest once you leave the trial." "There are still some things I''d like to know. Are you the leader of that faction?" Riseth inquired. Mitania looked at her with some surprise. "Yes, my husband and I are part of the leadership. My mother is one of the founders," she responded. "And if Alistair ends up joining, would that obligate the clan to do the same?" Riseth asked. "No, we do not force anyone to join us or place arbitrary demands on our members. They are free to stay mostly independent and lead their own clans without merging them into the fold," Mitania replied. Riseth nodded and leaned back in her chair, seemingly satisfied. "You mentioned your husband and that I would make a good disciple for him. What can you tell me about him?" Mitania''s leaves took on warmer colors as she began talking about her husband. "Sotarr is strong, reliable, and kind, much like yourself. He was talented and managed to prove his path and like me, he is close to reaching godhood, but I can''t say much more than that," Alistair thought it over and nodded, satisfied with her explanations, as he stored the crest in his storage. He was a little surprised she wasn''t already a god based on the power he sensed, which made him wonder what differentiated a god from a high-grade individual. Based on what she had said, he could just ask her once it became relevant, and having access to someone he could trust who was far more knowledgeable than himself was already a great boon. "Thank you for looking out for us. I''ll be sure to get in touch once things calm down a bit," Alistair added with a grateful nod. "Hold on; there is one more matter that needs resolving. Would you humor me for a bit longer? There is someone you should meet," Mitania continued. Alistair then sensed someone entering the room. What approached them was an extremely advanced-looking Gundam-like Synth Lord with somewhat distinct designs from the ones Alistair had seen in the Automata trial. It looked powerful and sleek, imitating a humanoid form, and was distinctly male. What stood out was the coloration of his right arm, which wasn''t too dissimilar from Alistair''s armor. It was slightly shorter than him, and most of his body seemed to be made of the dark green hue of natural adamantine with clear indications of mithril and other metal alloys being worked into the rest of the humanoid body. A quick identify revealed the synth to be [Adam - lvl 91]. "Alistair, Riseth, it''s good to see you two again," came a familiar voice. "Adamar?" Alistair asked in disbelief as they stood up to greet the newcomer. "It''s just Adam now. You two have changed a lot since I last saw you," Adam jokingly said, embracing Alistair before turning to hug Riseth as well. "Look who''s talking. We leave you up to your own devices, and you turn yourself into a Gundam," Alistair retorted, still taken aback by the drastic change the elf had undergone. He sensed some confusion at the term, but Adam seemed to ignore it and take it in stride. "A lot has happened; I am sorry for not getting in touch sooner," Adam said apologetically as Mitania created another chair for him. They all sat back down, eyes fixed on Adam, eager to learn what had transpired since they last saw him. Chapter 124: Adam Alistair looked at Adam with concern. Discarding one''s body wasn''t a choice to be made lightly. Considering the trauma and repressed emotions the former elf must have endured, it would have been all too easy to be lured into making a harsh decision. The fact that Adamar had been able to change his name indicated that it had not been a small change, and it also explained why they could not find him in the registry. There were some burning questions Alistair needed answers to. "What happened to you? And why did you not contact us?" Alistair asked. Alistair could sense the guilt in Adam, his metallic face unreadable like a mask, though the light shining from his eyes dimmed slightly before he answered. Adam let out what sounded like a sigh. "As you know, I wasn''t in the best place. I was consumed by guilt and the idea of righting the wrongs and rallying the people who suffered under the empire''s regime. It gave me a goal and a path to walk toward, so I threw myself at any monster I could find so I could evolve as soon as possible and hopefully gain either the influence of a high elf or at least the power necessary to bring about change with the help of the evolution stone." Alistair quietly listened, neither Mitania nor Riseth interrupting him. What Adam had told them so far lined up with what Alistair had suspected, though the transformation into a Synth Lord didn''t make sense. He expected that evolution would require a more specialized item than the evolution stone, though he hoped Adam would get to that part soon. To Alistair''s shock, Adam placed the evolution stone on the table, which meant he did indeed not use it to evolve. After placing the evolution stone on the table, Adam continued his story. "Once I got access to the Crafting Quarters from a dungeon reward, I was approached by a deity of the Synth Alliance. They had noticed the terrible state of Eldarion Prime and sympathized with its plight. They offered me power and support, a path to right the wrongs." "And you let them abuse your emotionally vulnerable state to convince you to turn yourself into a machine?" Alistair asked, his anger barely contained. Riseth put her hand on his to calm him down. "That was my choice to make. They did not threaten me or force the issue. I wanted it more than anything." Adam responded somewhat defensively. Before Alistair could say anything, Adam reaffirmed his statement. "I had some time to think about it, and I don''t regret my decision." After hesitating for a second, he continued. "I did some research on your world, too, Alistair. And it''s also quite bad, though it contains a lot of wisdom. One saying stuck with me: ''Might makes right.'' It''s what had kept the empire in charge, and with the initiation, the saying is now more true than ever." Adam continued by expressing his deep gratitude to Riseth, Alistair, and the rest of the dungeon group for their patience and support. He explained how he had embraced the nickname Alistair had given him after researching its origin and meaning, finding it more than suitable to his taste. He spoke of the allies he had made and how many of the oppressed humans and wood elves of Eldorion Prime had joined the cause. Adam also shared that he had found a wood elf lover, now carrying his child, who accepted and encouraged his transformation into a synth lord. Adam spoke of how his culture was a rot that could not be allowed to reach the stars. He revealed his plans to use the evolution stone once he reached Grade 8 to become a Synth Prophet, something that would have been impossible otherwise. Alistair wasn''t entirely pleased and found a lot of what the elf told him hard to stomach, particularly when he heard the term ''Prophet'', but wasn''t sure if it truly had any deeper meaning. There were many noble titles attached to racial evolutions that often didn''t mean much in practice other than denoting their higher tier. He also sensed that Adam was either getting sidetracked or trying to avoid answering his second question, and he wasn''t about to let that slide. He noted how Mitania observed the exchange with keen interest while his resonance conveyed that Riseth shared many of his concerns. "You are avoiding the question of why you did not contact us," Alistair pressed. "If I wanted things to change, I needed to become more powerful and surround myself with like-minded people. The two of you had your own plans, and I wouldn''t want to mess them up, so I kept my distance. There was no need to pull the two of you into our mess; we barely knew each other," Adam admitted, a hint of hurt in his voice.
"Then why contact us now?" Riseth inquired. "We have a bit of a situation, and the Mitania of the Lyraxis made an effort to bring it to our attention so we can resolve this amicably and help each other in the process," Adam explained. Alistair threw a curious glance at Mitania, but she shook her head. "It''s a small matter, and there was a quite obvious solution, so I reached out to the Synth Alliance," Mitania said before giving Adam the floor to explain. "The Ryser Clan is in possession of proprietary technology of the Synth Alliance without a license. The possession and modification of Synth Alliance Automata without a license is illegal and would usually incur the wrath of the faction." Adam explained with some hesitation. Alistair looked at Adam with some disbelief and a hint of annoyance, while Riseth looked uncomfortable and worried. "There is goddamn Copy Right law in the multiverse?" Alistair exclaimed. "Not to worry. The models in your possession are not overly high-tech or valuable, and there are extenuating circumstances due to the trial handing out the tech. Usually, we, the Synth Alliance, would just ask for compensation and, if denied, capture the offenders repossessing the tech and have them work off their debts. Still, there is an easy alternative for the situation," Adam said hurriedly. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Good fortune. I was getting worried they would send lawyers to shoot us," Riseth murmured. Alistair was initially confused by Riseth''s reaction but then realized that lawyers in her world were a different beast altogether, and this could be more common in the multiverse. A well-known faction like the Synth Alliance was bound to have powerful enforcers of its proprietary tech to discourage others from just ignoring them. "And what''s this supposed alternative?" Alistair questioned, feeling a wave of relief wash over Adam. "I''m now a member of the Synth Alliance," Adam explained. "If you share the tech with me, it would save the Alliance from paying the System a ridiculous amount of money for providing me with the blueprints within the trial." "And they''d waive the issues if we share the tech with you?"
"Yes. Your clan would receive an unlimited license, any costs would be waived, and you''d be in good standing with the Alliance," Adam confirmed. Alistair pondered this unexpected turn of events. Reuniting with Adam in this manner was not what he had anticipated. The elf had changed quite a bit from the person he remembered, and Alistair wasn''t sure if it was the race change or the elf''s newfound purpose and potential indoctrination. All things considered, the situation wasn''t that bad, and it wasn''t a bad deal. However, there was one glaring issue. "There is a problem. We shared the tech from the trial with the planet Neshan in an agreement that we cannot revoke," Riseth interjected before Alistair could bring it up. Adam paused, his bionic eyes glowing blue as he raised a hand to indicate they should wait. Alistair exchanged glances with Riseth and Mitania. Mitania waved it off with a reassuring smile, which calmed him.
"I spoke to my contact, and it was deemed that this is still within the acceptable margin. We will contact Zaltom to resolve this, but as a reminder, you are no longer allowed to purposefully sell or give away the technology," Adam explained. "Just to be clear, any additional rewards from that Trial are fair game with that unlimited license?" Alistair pressed. "Correct. You are also free to modify any of our proprietary tech. Once the Alliance establishes itself in the new universe, you will also be able to purchase additional blueprints for USC if you so desire," Adam confirmed. "What if we acquire more of your proprietary tech from another faction without purchasing it?" Riseth inquired. "That is acceptable, and until we are established, we are willing to purchase any of our own technology at a premium, particularly any potential Synth Alliance Evolution Kits would be exchanged for incredibly high-value treasures and favors," Adam said. Riseth nodded, satisfied with Adam''s answer. "It''s probably best to send whoever is in charge of trading to my sister Nessyra to retrieve the blueprints and handle further negotiations. She¡¯s the clan''s executive," she suggested. "And you are sure you are fine with all this, Adam?" Alistair questioned. Adam looked at him, and to Alistair¡¯s surprise, he sensed both appreciation and worry from the former elf. "I appreciate your concern, Alistair, but you don¡¯t need to worry. This is what I want, and I hope we can stay friends even if my goals have taken me down an unexpected path." Alistair hesitated for a moment before responding. "We can stay friends, and I¡¯m sure at some point after the trial, we¡¯ll be able to hang out again. Although, can you even drink with me?" he joked. "Sadly, I can¡¯t, but I can still shoot things with you," Adam offered as his right arm transformed into the rifle Nuk had made for him. They laughed, but after a short moment, Adam let out a sigh. "I¡¯m sorry; as much as I¡¯d love to stay longer, I must cut this meeting short. I absolutely must reach the next grade before the trial ends. I''ll be dragged into the Ascendants Tournament soon and really need to advance before that. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s much the same for the two of you." They stood up and embraced each other before Adam hurriedly left. Alistair could sense a deep sense of relief from Adam as he departed. Adam must have been quite worried about how he and Riseth would react. Alistair knew Adam viewed them as some of his first true friends. Despite not knowing the elf for very long, Alistair felt grateful for his help in saving Riseth. Adam¡¯s allegiances and transformation into a machine didn¡¯t truly matter to him. As Alistair watched him leave, he couldn''t help but think of Es''ell. She was the last person missing from their group, and she had a key to the Study dungeon. She should have appeared on the registry, but her name never popped up. Alistair''s karmic link was somewhat weak, but he was sure she wasn''t dead. He might never find out if she did not show up by now. The most likely explanation would be that she had also changed her name. She had been a bit stand-offish and secretive at times, so he could see her not approaching them, though it still struck him as weird. "I think it''s time for me to take my leave as well. This is goodbye for now. Grow and prosper," Mitania said with a slight bow. She hugged them and exchanged a few last words before disappearing from the room like leaves carried away by the wind. Despite her vanishing, Alistair noted that the table and chairs she had created stuck around and radiated powerful concepts of nature and growth. "Did she just casually create some growth treasures?" Riseth questioned, inspecting the left-behind furniture. "I think she did," Alistair said as she successfully stored the treasures in her storage. "I''ll bring these to Nessyra so we can deploy them. We also need to refine the essence from that tea, so go ahead while I catch her up real quick," Riseth said. Alistair nodded and then requested one of the chairs to add to their cultivation array. He headed directly to his study room to set it up. With not many days left in the Trial, he didn''t know exactly when the Ascendants Tournament would drag him in. However, given his fully upgraded title, Elite Trial Tournament Champion, he was certain he would be one of the last in his galaxy to be pulled in. Fortunately, unlike the previous tournaments, level-ups and growth wouldn''t be halted during the Tournament, so he didn''t need to worry about missing out on that. He was curious about who his first opponent would be. Besides the people from Earth, there were quite a few civilizations within the Milky Way. Among them were some mixed planets, a small collective of starfaring goblins, and a race of horse centaurs with furry horse beastkin bodies instead of human parts. There were also rumors of an angelic species within the Milkey Way that had kept a low profile so far. Alistair understood why, as many angelic species were often the counterparts to eldritch beings rather than the expected demon species and were somewhat hard to look at. Either way, he was already looking forward to a good fight. Riseth did not take long to appear after he had integrated the growth treasure into the gathering array. She looked at him with a cheeky smile, wearing deep red lingerie and holding two bottles of their favorite spirit orchid wine, which they had found within the Deonida. "I really should have put a choker on her long ago," Alistair mused as he picked her up and kissed her. Chapter 125: Mounting Pressure After they had finished their dual cultivation session, they lay there, settling themselves with Riseth and relaxing in Alistair''s arms. Alistair let the bliss wash over him before he eventually took the time to check the last skill selection, which he had neglected up until now.
Skill Choices:
Tier: Skill Name: Description:
[Supreme] Arcane Control Improves [Control] when using concepts involving arcane means by a large margin. Very large increase in efficiency and power when creating arcane constructs. Reduced required energy reserves or energy maintenance costs when dealing with magic involving the arcane. Reduces the focus required to maintain arcane constructs by a moderate degree.
[Epic] Mental Fortress This skill passively increases the user''s resilience against [Mind] attacks by a large degree, scaling with the user''s own [Mind] stat. The skill can further protect the user by creating a series of mental barriers shielding the user at a slight energy reserve cost of either [Qi] or [MP].
[Uncommon] Hand to Hand Proficiency Increases proficiency and reaction time when fighting unarmed by a moderate degree. The [Power] of the user''s attacks are increased by a moderate amount when attacking without a weapon. The user''s [Power] is increased by a large degree when grappling opponents.
[Common] Wendigo Slayer Expertise Increases [Power] by a moderate degree when attacking wendigoes and impairs their ability to regenerate slightly. The skill also improves the user''s ability to [Sense] wendigos by a large degree.
Alistair had wondered why the system had taken so long to offer the Arcane Control skill. He speculated that it might be due to the lack of specialized arcane skills in his repertoire. Most of his abilities utilized arcane means but weren''t purely arcane, aside from his Arcane Energy Manipulation skill. He had received Kinetic Control without; however, that particular skill came from a specialized selection offered by the system and might not work like the others. Either way, he had immediately picked the skill up, as the reduction in focus alone would have been a big enough boon for him. As he was at level 97 and still had a lot of leftover skill points from his Nurturing Ward rewards. Alistair had invested many of his free stat points into his Mind and Senses stats, aiming to hone himself for fights against Psykers and Illusionists, who were currently dominating the early Tournament brackets. He refused to be beaten by them. Fortunately, his research and efforts in steeling his mind had resulted in hearing of the Mental Fortress skill. The skill had quickly spread throughout the trial as people grew tired of watching Psykers and Illusionists earn easy wins. Picking the Mental Fortress skill was a no-brainer, and he kept its active component running at all times. This practice had by now reduced the amount of energy he needed to reserve to keep it running. He had also noticed how the skill had jumped from rare to epic after he invested over 100 stat points into his Mind stat. The Wendigo Slayer Expertise had not been a big surprise. He strongly considered picking it up in the hopes of combining it with the Machine Slayer Expertise and turning them into a compound skill. However, he decided to wait until he had a few more Slayer Expertise skills, as he worried it could combine into something too specialized if he tried too early. As for the Hand to Hand Proficiency skill, he suspected he had gotten it mostly from his grappling and occasional kicks and body checks, as most of his martial arts did not work well against beasts. He decided not to pick it despite still having three skill points to spend after picking up Mental Fortress.
Stats:
Power [826] Increases physical and magical damage as well as general speed and the ability to lift heavy things. Provides a small bonus to self-healing and Qi recovery.
Mental [823] Increases magical capacity and determines the quality and quantity of mana [MP], increases memorization and comprehension capacity, and increases spell power by a large degree.
Control [899] Increases motor skills and magic/energy control by a large degree and increases the ability to concentrate by a moderate amount, with a large impact on the efficiency of [Qi] and [MP] usage.
Body [1286] Increases robustness and vitality of the body large impact on [HP] and [Qi] capacity, moderate impact on damage reduction and environmental & magical resistance, and large impact on self-healing.
Mind [958] Increases the defense of mind and soul, as well as mana regeneration by a large degree, and also increases the number of tasks possible at a time. It also significantly heightens the efficiency of attacks targeting the minds and souls of others.
Senses [945] Increases reaction speed and fine control of senses like visual smell, etc., by a large degree. It also increases instincts to a large degree, with a small bonus to [MP] and [Qi] expenditure reduction.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Alistair glanced over his stats and was quite happy with its spread. The Body stat had jumped ahead even further due to the Wendigo Slayer title, but Alistair did not mind as it was, in his eyes, his most important stat. Staying alive had the highest priority, and the fact that it increased two of his energy pool capacities had always made it the most attractive stat to him. He knew Nessyra specialized in the Mind stat while Riseth had mostly spread out her stats, with Charm taking a slight lead due to its Sinergy pool capacity and Dual Cultivation refinement benefits, which helped them both to earn free stats and speed up their cultivation, allowing them to not fall behind on cultivation and even stay far ahead of the curve. Both his and Riseth''s levels had synced up, and they both needed only three more levels before reaching the threshold of Grade 9. They had plans to continue hunting the previously sealed beasts of the Slayer trial but found the monsters there lacking compared to their own power now that they were so close to advancing again. They had nearly cleared out the entire Automata Trial, leaving only a few stragglers behind, and were now waiting for the timer to run out to claim their rewards. Alistair was relieved to leave that world, as its low mana density had become increasingly uncomfortable, especially as they approached Grade 8. It felt akin to being at the top of a mountain with thin air, making it difficult to breathe. This experience reinforced their belief that they needed to conquer a mana-rich world to settle down. Raising a low-tier planet, even with treasures like the Heart of Mana, would require substantial time and investment and might lag behind their advancements in the long run. During the following weeks, Juliana discovered another solo dungeon and acquired a spell book specializing in space magic. This book helped her piece together concepts she had struggled with on her own and advanced their understanding of pocket dimensions and storage magic, which his mother believed would be immensely valuable in the future. Juliana had also made some progress with Isabella. With the start of the Ascendants Tournament, Isabella had to confront the harsh reality of her children and husband being dead. She did not take the news well and isolated herself but agreed to join them in their exodus on Juliana''s insistence. Zarrias had taken over most of Isabella''s duties and was currently being trained by Nessyra. Much to the displeasure of Dexter, who was somewhat jealous of the attention the youngster received and loved to make things more difficult for him while pretending to be a cute and dumb beast. Nessyra usually played along and chewed Zarrias out after Dexter ate a due report, chiding him to be more careful about handling documents, particularly sensitive ones. The other two youngling demons, Levine and Karrus, spend most of their time practicing or training with Desily and Simon. Desily had taken a particular shine on Levine as they got along well. Levine had a much higher affinity for fire and could enact the techniques Desily had thought up but could not perform due to her lower affinity. After some discussions, the Fichera family decided to join them on their exodus on the condition that all their family and friends could come along if they wished. It was an easy agreement to make, though the list of people was extremely long due to the Ficheras'' extensive connections to what they considered friends and family. After the negotiation, they had to drastically increase the number of beacons they had prepared. During this time, Alistair managed to watch his friend Remo compete in the Tournament for a while. Unfortunately, Remo was eliminated after just a few matches, as he was only in early to mid Grade 9. He wore what appeared to be self-made hide armor and pants, armed with an axe provided by the system and only a handful of other magic items. Alistair speculated that Remo''s trial world was difficult to navigate and that he had not found any hubs and only a handful of dungeons at best. The formerly somewhat plump man had cut his black hair and beard short and looked much closer to what Alistair remembered from their childhood, minus the beard. He had evolved into some kind of half-fey based on the pointy ears and aura and used most of his magic intuitively, though it was hard to tell without being able to identify or talk to him. Remo would most likely have to stay with the Kaiakos and have Melissa and the others catch him up on magic and arcane methods while they gathered the spread-out members of the clan. Alistair hoped Remo would join them when he noticed another monster worth hunting; Alistair corrected course, getting lost in his thoughts again as he wondered what his brother was up to as he had not heard from him in a while and was still owed a progress update. James smiled as he admired the progress of the Kaiakos. They had made significant strides in the past month and were on track to complete the spacecraft well before the trial ended. While he lamented not being able to incorporate some of the more experimental modules he had envisioned, he accepted the necessity of leaving several module slots empty due to time constraints. James also regretted not being able to accompany Alistair and Riseth on their mission to find a new home, as the prospect sounded exciting. However, he was content to stay with the rest of the family and travel with the ship he built while continuing to work on his projects without the pressure of a deadline. Staying with the main ship to upgrade it while they traveled to pick up members scattered across the universe was simply more sensible. This arrangement would give him ample time to work on those modules, continue enhancing the spacecraft, and read more of the information they had pulled from the more advanced societies from the sub-sections during their journey. He was already excited at the prospect of finishing the craft and earning the titles it would bestow. He had heard of the incredible titles others received for completing much smaller projects, and if the Zephyr''s titles were anything to go by, his magicraft skills and stats would go through the roof. Many jealous demons and other species were already jokingly calling him a cheat or a skilled monkey, envious of his skill set and the skill point and choice advantage enjoyed by the monkey subspecies like humans. James disagreed with this sentiment. While humans did indeed receive more skill choices in earlier grades and more skill points than most species, they had to work hard on their skills and crafts to get ahead. Other species enjoyed their own advantages, such as being polydextrous, having higher affinity and stat growth, or possessing innate abilities like polymorphing, flight, and regeneration, which he would have to work much harder to attain or imitate. As he frequently pointed out, other species could also run dungeons or acquire titles to close the gap in skill points. James sighed as he sat down, watching spider demons attach adamantine alloy plating to the craft. He still couldn''t get used to their creepy-looking legs, but he knew he would have to, as they were part of the standout shipwright crew he had picked to join them. He needed to send Nessyra a message about that and owed his brother an update on the Kaiakos. Alistair and Simon had thrown his plans into disarray by bringing in a massive haul of cores with the regeneration concept. James had melded these cores with adamantine, creating self-repairing armor plating alloy which he called Adamend; it took some attempts until the metal plates just perfectly restored themselves without mutating out of shape, but with Oconoe''s insight, they were now producing and installing the plates at the most crucial locations. Although they would eventually have enough metal for the entire craft and some side projects, they lacked the time to armor the entire spacecraft with these special platings. It was something they would do during their wait time on planets, though the process would be much slower as they doubted there would be a space dock to work on it. With another sigh, he took out a bottle of spirit orchid wine from his storage, which they had scavenged from the Deonida. He took a quick swig, and the stress washed away. The stuff tasted amazing and greatly helped to soothe the mind. He knew Nessyra was tapping every connection she had to acquire some spirit orchid for them to propagate, as Barton had started hounding her for the materials after tasting the wine. He really hoped she would succeed, as the wine and Jessica were the only things keeping him going. He could almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. "I god damn hate deadlines," James murmured before getting back to work. Chapter 126: Grade 8 Both Alistair and Riseth finally reached level 100 and cheered and hugged as they managed to get it done before their arena matches. They were in the last month of the trial, and both expected their duels to start soon as the first people with the Elite Trial Tournament Champion title were dragged into the arena.
Grade Advancement
Description:
You have sufficient records to advance your Grade to 8. You must complete any system-imposed requirements to start the advancment. The quality of your accumulated records and your affinities will determine your available racial evolution and potential titles if any. Warning: You will be defenseless during an evolution, and it is recommended that you evolve while guarded or in a secure location.
Prerequisites:
Racial [Nephilim]: Develop at least three skills to supreme rating [3/3]
Each stat must have a total of 800 points or higher [6/6]
Body Cultivation: Kill or defeat at least one opponent of a higher grade than yourself in single combat [1/1]
Augment your physiology to create at least three augmented organs/body parts [3/3]
All Advancement requirements have been met. Do you wish to advance your Grade?
[YES] [NO]
"I got quite a few more requirements this time around. How about you?" Alistair asked. "Same. Did you meet yours?" Riseth replied. They exchanged their requirements and found them quite similar. Riseth had two specific stat requirements. One for her Succubus Sovereign title, which demanded a total of 700 across all stats, a threshold she had surpassed by a large margin. The other was for her Body Cultivation, requiring a high skill level in Dual Cultivation and a Charm stat total of 900, which she also easily exceeded. Alistair was suddenly glad he had decided on a mostly even spread for his stats, as he had cut it close with some of them. He wondered if the 800 points were a minimum requirement and if this meant his stats were impressive or lackluster, but he suspected the former. He had rushed to Grade 8 to complete it before the trial ended, whereas he had taken his time to reach Grade 9, focusing on his foundation. He could have taken more time to cultivate, increasing his stats passively, but he was confident he was still far ahead of the curve. The potential titles and rewards from the Ascendant Tournament would more than likely compensate for any lost cultivation time. He was also quite far ahead with his Augmented Physiology, although he had mostly focused on maintaining the ones he had created. He knew he would likely not evolve without the assistance of an Evolution stone or similar treasure. Still, both he and Riseth decided to retreat to their room before risking to advance and potentially evolve out in the wild. Once they reached their room, they both sat on the bed, Riseth insisting he advanced first this time.
Notifications:
An increase in Grade has further tied Natural Resilience to [HP] and increased its efficiency.
An increase in Grade has initiated the formation of pathways within [Alistair Ryser] and increased the stat gain per level and the efficiency of all stats.
An increase in Grade has modified your digestion, allowing you to absorb magic from food without traditional processing or waste elimination.
[Body Cultivation] has prevented the removal of redundant organs.
Title Swift Ascendant [Legendary] has been obtained.
Title Early Power House [Supreme] has been obtained.
His stay in the Soulscape was brief, and although he didn''t undergo a species transformation, he sensed a tangible difference as his power surged to new heights. The faint sensation he experienced after consuming the tea evolved into something more physically and spiritually perceptible as the energy within his body began to flow through those new pathways and circulated more swiftly and smoothly than ever before. Alistair chuckled at the third notification as he read over the notifications, finding it redundant since his Sunforge Organs had already eliminated his need for traditional digestion. The second message was of larger concern, and he wondered just how much he had benefitted from that tea Mitania had shared with them. Were the sensations he now felt the norm or more powerful than they were supposed to be upon forming? Either way, he felt at peace and refreshed, as if a piece that had been missing had been slotted in. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. A quick read over the title painted a smile on his face as it provided excellent benefits, though he was still slightly annoyed that it was another secret title.
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin:
[Legendary] Swift Ascendant Greatly Increased rate of record acquisition and quality. Moderately lowered prerequisites for future skill upgrades and acquisition. Acquired by advancing two whole Grades in less than a year. The system guards the title, preventing divulging the path to its acquisition or existence.
[Supreme] Early Power House Grants a 5% bonus to all stats. Slightly increased rate of record acquisition and quality. Grants 50 points to all Stats. Be among the first 1% of individuals to reach Grade 8 in a freshly integrated universe with an average stat total exceeding 600 points per stat.
Over their resonance, Riseth immediately knew that he had gotten another secret title and that it was a good one. She eagerly closed her eyes as she started her own advancement. Alistair observed her, but she opened her eyes shortly after, also not evolving. A quick glance at her new titles explained the satisfaction she had sensed from him and she agreed both of these would be a great help and mitigate the difference they were bound to experience once they left the trial. There was still a lot to consider, and first, she would have to feel out for the changes the upgrade in grade had enacted. Exchanging what they could considering their titles, the system clearly encouraged both swift advancement and taking the time to build a strong foundation, which was good to know. He would categorize the gains from taking time as slightly preferable as it was all too easy not to fall in the 1% margin and miss out, whereas taking time had no such risks. Then again, there might be a 5% or even 10% variant; he would have to ask around about that later. Looking at the chunky title effects, he wondered just what kind of title the first person to reach Grade 8 had gotten. The prospect of this put a small dampener on his prospective ranking in the universe ladder, but he hoped his luck would aid him with matchups. "Well, we knew it was unlikely for us to evolve without a ritual or treasure," Riseth remarked, stretching with a contented smile. "But I don''t think we missed out on much. I feel amazing," she added, wrapping her arms around his hips. Alistair casually brushed the hair out of her face, tracing her cheek with his fingers. "Yeah, it''s probably difficult for us to evolve, considering we both jumped straight into such high-tier species." She went on her knees, planting a quick kiss on his cheek before jumping off the bed. "We should still try to get some additional levels in," she sighed.
Alistair groaned but agreed with her assessment, curious about how many stat points he now gained per level. A quick glance at his skills revealed that many had downgraded again, even though it hadn''t been long since he last upgraded them. Fortunately, most of his stronger skills remained at their tier. He knew that many skills would upgrade again once he gained more stats, and he suspected his high stat total had prevented many from downgrading further. Despite the lower-tier skills, he felt significantly more powerful. The increase in efficiency from the pathways alone had boosted his energy pools by almost 40%. The title''s stat injection and percentage increase had pushed all his stats, except Power and Mental, above 1000. He fixed that issue using the points he had saved from the last three levels, bringing all his stats to just over 1000. He had half-expected a title but was disappointed when none appeared.
"Is it strange that I feel bad for the trial beasts? They were hardly a threat before our evolution. I can''t imagine the kind of terror we represent for them now," Alistair remarked as they walked toward the door.
"Probably best not to dwell on it. Most of these beasts wouldn''t live longer than a month anyway," Riseth responded. Alistair tilted his head and nodded in agreement before leaving their room. They continued to hunt beasts for two more days but found that, despite their new titles increasing record acquisition, the beasts posed too small a challenge. They only managed to gain one level each, revealing their new stat gains per level: Alistair received 56 points, with 10 automatically assigned to his Body stat, while Riseth gained 51 points, with ten points automatically assigned to Body and five to Charm. It would be a much longer road to Grade 7 as not only would the speed be much reduced and the benefits of Trial be gone, but they would also need to advance to another 100 levels instead of just 50. A quick discussion with Nessyra revealed that she had not gotten such a large increase in stat efficiency or gain per level. Mitania had given them another advantage, and they would use it well. The very next day, they were pulled into their respective first arena matches. Riseth was the first to get a match, a window informing her she had 1 minute to prepare before teleportation, prompting them to rush to leave the slayer trial world. Alistair couldn''t watch Riseth''s first match, as her opponent, still in Grade 9, was hopelessly outmatched. His fight was similarly one-sided: he faced a seal-kin with esper powers that failed miserably to affect him and was quickly dispatched. One of the more bothersome aspects of the Tournament was that you did not know how many rounds there were, what the brackets looked like, or even when the next match would happen. Since they did not wish to be teleported at an inopportune moment, they mostly stayed close to the portals or worked on refining their skills and Body Cultivation to the standards of their new grade. This trend continued, with their opponents growing more and more powerful and the intervals between matches lengthening each time. It reminded Alistair of his previous lackluster matchups throughout the earlier tournaments. He was still dissatisfied with his opponents to the point he almost suspected that the system tossed him the chaff that had managed to get too far into the tournament for him to sort out, as his opponents were often very specialized and did not cope well when countered. Alistair had only faced one Grade 8 opponent, but the gray alien was a dedicated crafter first and fighter second. However, it confirmed that they had a planet of grays within the Milky Way. While practicing his battle spheres skill, Alistair received another invite to enter the arena. Alistair cheered as he read that he had made it to the top 10. He had suspected that there weren''t many rounds left as some of the faster-moving Galaxy Ladders had already concluded. Unfortunately, the rest of his family had fallen off the ladder after meeting Grade 8 opponents, some of whom were from Earth. He felt they were more powerful after falling off, but they could not tell him what the title rewards were due to secrecy restrictions until he fell off the ladder and found out for himself. Simon was the only one still on the Milky Way ladders besides him. He had initially heard of the top 10 notification from Desily, as she had also managed to get into the top 10 of her ladder. He was excited that no matter what, he would get to participate in the universe ladder.
Ascendant''s Tournament
Home Galaxy Ladder [Milky Way]
Congratulations on ranking in the top 10.
Time left before teleport: 49 Seconds
He spotted his opponent on the other side as he teleported to the usual bland white stone-tiled arena. Alistair was surprised to see one of the centaur-like horsekin, though this one had white fur, a set of white bird-like wings and a spiral horn. Alistair suspected that he was some kind of mix between a pegasus and a unicorn. A quick Identify revealed [Savagio - lvl 103], and a search in his Akashic Record let him know he was an Equusari, which was a variant of Alicorn. But more disturbingly, there was a lack of clothing. "Dude, put on pants," Alistair requested while using the vicious mockery aspect of his Akashic Sound Board, trying to instill annoyance and hesitation into his opponent. This got the Equusari''s attention as he let out a frustrated neigh and scraped the stone floor with his hoves. "Ah, another Human," the horse-faced beastkin remarked with a hint of disdain. "Let me guess, you''re either special forces or think you''ve got the power of god and anime on your side?" Alistair chuckled, unperturbed. "Well, I''m on good terms with Sol, but I wouldn''t say he''s exactly on my side. And as for being special forces, I''m just a grenadier. Not quite on that level." The beastkin groaned in response. "I swear, are there no other formidable fighters from the Stellar Steppe besides humans? I''ve taken down five of them, some higher level than you. Save us both the trouble and surrender." Alistair considered the statement. It revealed that Savagio had managed to pierce his aura and identify him without him noticing. He also suspected the Stellar Steppe was what they called the Milky Way before he brandished his poleaxe, a cheeky grin spreading across his face as he observed the stands in the arena slowly filling up with indecipherable presences, among them the unmistakable resonance of Riseth and pressure of a few natural gods, one of which he suspected was Sol. "Counter offer," he retorted, "If you put on some pants, I won''t have to geld you." Chapter 127: Bye Round Rage and annoyance obviously started to build within Savagio, but then he calmed himself, "At least you humans are decent at banter. Can''t you decrease your size a bit so I can use you for target practice like the others?" "Oh, you cheeky monkey fuck," Savagio suddenly shouted as he had caught on to what Alistair had been doing. Savagio''s wings spread out, and a bow appeared in his hands as he took to the air with a large burst of speed. Alistair, in response, activated all his boosting skills except Cold Rage and summoned his battle spheres to shoot at the Equusari with explosive blasts. A barrier sprung up to block the incoming attack alongside a disrupter field that would prevent Alistair from teleporting too close to his opponent. Alistair teleported ahead of Savagio just outside of the field''s range as the Equusari unleashed arrows of light at him, shooting perfectly circular holes into the arena floor where he had just stood. Alistair''s conceptual awareness revealed that the arrows used the light concept rather than the holy concept, which was a relief as he had experience with the former and would be able to use his Kinetic Skinguard to absorb most hits unless his opponent'' put too much power in the attack or was able to weave some disruption or dispel concepts into the arrows. Dodging the arrows would be luckier than anything else. While he could follow the rapid arm movement and guess the trajectory, the arrows arrived nearly instantaneously, sometimes even too fast for his auto barrier to react. The first hit confirmed that the arrows worked like he expected, as besides a bruise, a sphere of kinetic energy sprung from his body. This immediately got the attention of Savagio, whose eyes flicked to the sphere as Alistair tried to close the gap. Unfortunately, Savagio was a much faster flyer than Alistair. While not as nimble, it wasn''t to the point where Alistair could keep up as more spheres sprung from his body. Savagio''s barriers were shattered and reformed under Alistair''s barrage.
"You''re a scary fucker. I''ll give you that," Savagio quipped before summoning a hailstorm of light arrows. Alistair had to teleport to avoid the barrage, but his teleportation was disrupted beyond the field''s usual range. He quickly summoned multiple layers of barriers and used half of his stored kinetic energy to launch concentrated blasts, smashing through Savagio''s arrows. Alistair cursed, stored his poleaxe, and summoned King to attack from the side. His blasts shattered several arrows before fizzling out, but his blasts weren''t enough to stem the tide as his barriers quickly gave way. Pelted and pierced by arrows, Alistair used his own Warp Snare spell to prevent Savagio from teleporting. Caught off guard by King and unable to teleport, Savagio was hit by King''s powerful sonic beam, which crashed through his barriers and struck him, causing him to recoil as his furred skin got ripped and torn. He redirected his attacks to King, relieving the pressure on Alistair, who strained to keep the Equusari from teleporting and maintaining his own attacks, which proceeded to break through Savagio''s barriers. Once close enough, King made a rapid flip, his large bladed tail severing one of Savagio''s wings before being driven back and heavily injured by the sheer volume of attacks piercing his armored hide. Alistair rapidly approached, channeling all his stored kinetic energy and a significant portion of his Qi reserves into one massive Kinetic Blast. When he was just a few meters from Savagio, he shouted, "Prepare to die, you equestrian shit!" The blast struck the hamstrung Savagio, whose body visibly crumpled as he was hurled into the arena dome. Losing focus, Savagio''s attack spell and disruption field dissipated, and he fell seemingly unconscious. Wasting no time, Alistair immediately teleported next to the falling Equusari to deliver the coup de grace. Just as he brought down his poleaxe, a shockwave of magic shot toward him, driving him back despite his best efforts. But it was all in vain for Savagio as the heavily wounded King swooped in. With a roar, the large wyvern snapped his powerful jaws around Savagio''s lower torso, severing it in a decisive and brutal strike. To Alistair''s dismay, this still wasn''t enough to kill Savagio. The Equusari''s badly damaged upper torso spun around to unleash a massive arrow of light, which punched a large, perfectly circular hole through King''s shoulder plate and neck, nearly severing his left wing. Seizing the window of opportunity, Alistair channeled all his mana into Temporal Combat Reflexes to speed himself up and align his blade as he decapitated Savagio, finally bringing an end to the battle. Savagio''s body and King crashed into the arena floor, and Alistair landed beside them. He was riddled with holes and bruises, his silver blood pooling at his feet. King let out a whistling gurgle, his throat heavily damaged in the attack. Blood flowed from the wyvern, merging with Alistair''s pool, while the remnants of his wing hung loosely. Their suffering was brief as both were teleported out of the arena, perfectly restored. Alistair absent-mindedly spent the points from his level up while touching the spots where his opponent''s attacks had punched through his body. He replayed the fight in his mind, analyzing every detail. It had been exciting and challenging, and a mistake could have cost him the victory. He petted King, taking out a large chunk of lomie meat to reward the wyvern. Alistair wasn''t sure if he could have dealt with Savagio without him. It would have been a battle of attrition and chance, as a wrong move on either side could have ended the fight. He was sure they both still had more cards to play. However, Alistair felt confident that his energy management would have allowed him to outlast the Equusari if it had come down to it. Still, if he had acted too aggressively and had taken on the same blast King had, he wasn''t sure there would have been enough left of him to continue the fight even after reaching grade 8. He would need to get Nessyra to gather as much information as possible on his next fights. He had only limited information on how the System handled the brackets and if he had three two or one fights left to complete. Fortunately, there weren''t many potential fighters left, and the first few Galaxy ladders had already come to a close, which should have narrowed the possibilities down enough to make an educated guess. It was as if on the queue, both Riseth and Nessyra entered the cultivation room he was in. Dexter followed beside them, and Fluffy was hanging over Nessyras shoulder, enjoying the idle scritches Nessyra gave her. They looked a bit tense, and upon seeing his expression, they relaxed, but he must have sent her contemplative vibes over his resonance based on Riseth''s look. Alistair greeted the group with a wave and smile. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "I''m sorry, Alistair. I should have researched your potential opponents. I was too busy figuring out who we would face on our ladders," Nessyra apologized, her eyes flicking back and forth as she flipped through multiple pages of information on her pad-like system. "It''s fine. With so many ladders and possible opponents, it would have likely been for nothing," Alistair reassured her. "Yes, but with the new information we gathered and your placement within the top 10, we very likely know what''s next," Nessyra said, stopping on a page. Alistair looked at her curiously, gesturing for her to continue. "You are almost certainly on the same ladder as Simon, and you only have one more match because you are the clan patriarch; the system tries to avoid having clan members fight each other," Nessyra explained hastily. "The only people left are you, Simon, and Marilyn Dixon, who are currently fighting. You''ll face either Simon or Marilyn in the finals." "Wait, how does that work exactly?" Alistair asked, confused. "We have seen this pattern before and you likely received a ''Bye Round'' because you were clan patriarch, like Marilyn. But Simon defeated her vampire underling and is now fighting her," Nessyra said. "But that''s not important right now. Marilyn is a Vampire and an incredibly powerful one. She uses mind attacks, blood magic, and physical combat. She''s very well-rounded. I know you know how to kill a Vampire, but burning her bloodcore might not be enough. Decapitate her as well and burn her remains to make sure." Alistair thought about it. He had not expected to have only one fight left or even reach the finals. He had aimed for the top 10 and then a good rank within the universe ladder. Surprisingly, there weren''t that many combat-oriented species other than the humans within the Milkey Way. Even then, he would not have expected to make it as far as he did. Perhaps he had gotten lucky, and Savagio had been matched up with the elites who would have been able to counter him. "I''ve had plenty of practice fighting vampires and other regenerating foes, and fortunately, I have quite a few fire-based abilities. Simon doesn''t quite have as much experience as I do, but he has his own methods for dealing with regenerating opponents. He might still win, even if he doesn''t. I learn more by watching the fight," Alistair suggested. "While we walk, I''m more curious to know what kind of opponents are left in the Andromeda ladder," he added, leading the way to the door and storing King back in his plane. "Our galaxy is larger than yours and has a few more civilizations, so we have a few more ladders and contenders. However, the most terrifying one is from our planet, a true Demon Lord subspecies. He has crushed almost everyone with his overwhelming magic and sheer physical strength," she explained with some noticeable reverence. "Am I hearing you right? Do you have a crush?" Alistair teased. "Hardly," Nessyra retorted. "And since Riseth is the matriarch, I will presumably face him first if we are in the same galaxy ladder. I am not looking forward to that," She concluded with a sigh. Alistair patted her shoulder, and Fluffy took the opportunity to slither over to him. He let her and stroked her chin as he felt her become slack over his shoulders. As they made their way to the match, Alistair noticed that Dexter had been rather quiet and gave him an assessing glance. "Are you alright, Dexter? You seem very quiet," Alistair inquired. "Sorry, I''m processing things. There''s a lot I don''t understand," Dexter replied telepathically, his tone a bit down and contemplative. Nessyra turned a glint of worry in her eye. "Dexter has been amazing! Without him, I would have fallen off the ladder," she said, bending down to scratch Dexter''s head to mollify him. Nessyra contacted Alistair through their link to provide an explanation. "He''s feeling a bit insecure and overwhelmed by all the new things we''ve introduced him to. He has doubts about his intelligence and abilities." Alistair considered this as they stepped through another portal. It wasn''t the worst thing that Dexter felt a little humbled, so he wouldn''t encourage coddling him but would praise him for his progress. After a short pause, Alistair decided to send the small beast a private telepathic message. "Dexter. The fact that you feel humbled shows growth and emotional intelligence. But don''t let it get to you; you''re the smartest beast I know. Please keep helping Nessyra for me." Dexter stopped in his tracks for a moment, confusing everyone as they gave him a curious glance. Dexter quickly picked up the pace again and did not look at Alistair but sent a telepathic message in return. "I will!" the Yagans voice rang out with newfound confidence. Alistair smiled; he was glad that Dexter had chosen to reach out to him back then. Having a powerful beast like Dexter join them was already paying its dividends. By now, everyone in the clan had some kind of summon to prevent any chance of slavery, though few of the beasts were worth the mana cost to summon and were more placeholders to be released once they found a suitable summon. Alistair had given away a bunch of the Bonguru, which he had left over from his summoning classes, though most were able to subdue or tame some low-tier beasts. They had even handed out some lomies and other beasts they considered farming as increasing their Grades might benefit them in the future. Simon had taken on a goat-like beast and a lomie, which he called Steve. Melissa had taken on a female lomie called Stacy upon Simons''s insistence on the name. They had handed out six lomies total to have three higher-grade breeding pairs.
Alistair''s musings were disrupted as they teleported into the arena stands, where he saw Simon desperately fighting Marilyn. A storm of half-molten obsidian shards clashed with a sea of blood, each side trying to overpower the other. Alistair watched as some tendrils of blood made it past, cutting into Simons''s body and pulling the blood out of his body as Marilyn got pelted by molten stone. Simon teleported back and cauterized his own body to prevent more blood from being drawn. His wounds were already visibly healing, and Marilyn restored herself as fast as the wounds appeared. Alistair realized Simon must have bonded with the symbiote since he had last talked to him. He knew Simon had visited Dexter but had been too busy leveling up to check on him. Observing the fight, he could tell she occasionally turned incorporeal, the sea of blood an extension of her body. Alistair cursed as he considered how he would deal with her, as Simon demonstrated how inefficient dispelling magic was against her. What annoyed him even more was how casual she was about that fight, idly filing her extending nails as the sea of blood continued to hound Simon. Chapter 128: Bloody Mary Alistair''s mind raced as he observed the fight. Even with the System impeding his senses, Alistair could tell he was in for a rough time. He considered his skills and the available abilities, searching for anything that could give him an edge in the upcoming fight. Alistair hated to admit it, but Simon was visibly running on fumes and would soon go down unless he had some massive ace up his sleeve. As he watched the fight, he realized that his sister would be a much better matchup against Marilyn. If she were able to catch up in levels, she might even beat her. Alistair could only think of two effective answers to the scenario he would be facing: his Battle Spheres skill, using flame streams to burn away the blood, and his Telekinesis trying to contain her main body as he burned and crushed her with disruption magic and other effective attacks. His mind attacks might work, but they would merely even the odds, as he was sure Marilyn was using mind attacks against Simon, too. Simon frequently stabbed himself before seemingly shaking off a mental assault from Marilyn. His Blaze Slash skill, while well-suited against a regenerating opponent like her, would merely allow his weapon not to be completely useless. He could not tell just how much blood reserves Marilyn had, but he was certain, unlike most opponents he faced, hers would be able to keep up with him, so outlasting her would be unlikely unless his flame streams proved more effective than expected. He gritted his teeth as he saw a tendril of blood wrap around Simon''s leg, hoisting him into the air and hurling him toward the wall of the arena. Simon''s spear lashed out, cutting the tendrils, which almost immediately reformed and multiplied. Simon managed to erect a barrier that protected him from the fast-approaching wall. As soon as he caught himself, he teleported next to Marilyn. An array of obsidian spears erupted from the ground beneath her, impaling her, but she simply stepped out of the attack, quickly regenerating the wounds as the spears melted, burning off some of her blood. Simon''s spear arced out, but she caught it between her fingers. She leaned in, brushing her slightly wavy white hair to the side, and whispered something in Simon''s ear before planting a kiss on his cheek. Simon tried to stab himself again but was impaled in turn by spears of blood, which then grew more spears, obliterating his body and leaving a thorny mass of blood where he had stood. "Can you beat her?" Nessyra asked, aghast at the display. "I have some things that could work, but I''d be lying if I said I was confident," Alistair replied grimly. "Sure, glad im not your summon right about now," Dexter commented from Riseths arms. She had picked him up to give him a better view. Alistair''s lips twitched, but he frowned when he noticed Riseth''s unrest over their resonance. "I''ll be fine. Even if I lose, I''ll receive second place and can fight in the Universe ladder, but I''ll be damned if I let myself intimidated by that display." He said stoically. This seemed to relax her a bit as they were forcefully teleported back into the Arena Dungeon. As soon as they arrived, he received a message from Simon. "Did you see my fight?" He asked hurriedly. "Yes, I did. Are you alright?" Alistair inquired. "Scratch that; that woman will tear you a new one, too, if you don''t take this seriously," Simon said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. Alistair straightened a little. "You''re right. Any Suggestions before I get pulled into the arena?" Alistair asked. "Yes, In case you missed it, she has a leech-like snake summon. Under no circumstances let it vomit blood. You must annihilate it as fast as possible, preferably without spilling its blood," Simon warned. Alistair''s eyes went wide. He had wondered how she had this much blood to work with at their tier. He had suspected she was able to reach a plane of blood. However this was a novel way of doing it without the heavy mana investment of exchanging mana for blood from a plane. While he could contain the summon in a sphere of force or with his Telekinesis skill, annihilating it in a non-bloody way would be a challenge. He could blow it up, but unlike Riseth, he did not have a suitable finisher. The best he could do was a highly charged, unstable blast. It would be incredibly dangerous, and if he made the explosion too weak, it would just splatter the monster, making the exercise pointless. Riseth and Nessyra both looked at notifications only they could see, and both of them let out a Sigh of relief as they exchanged looks. "We are both in the top 10 and, from the looks of it, aren''t on the same ladder; good luck with your fight," Riseth said as she embraced him and kissed him. "You too, go kick ass," Alistair told them with a confident smile before the two sisters vanished. "Anything else? My timer just started," Alistair inquired as he received a notification. "Use your music skill to drown out her voice. That should help against her mind attacks." After a short pause, Simon added. "Also, disruption and fire abilities work, but she has too much blood to make it worthwhile. You are better off targeting her core and just keeping the rest of her blood at bay." Alistair watched the time tick down as he waited for Simon to mention any more details he could think of. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Pain can also shut down her charm abilities, though you might be more resistant to her than I am. Good luck, and kick her ass for me," Simon requested. "Never thought I''d request you to beat up a woman for me," Simon jokingly added, a little embarrassed. Alistair chuckled before being teleported into the arena again. Marilyn stood on the opposite side, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Don''t I know you from somewhere? Based on the information I have, we did not fight before," She questioned with a heavy Southern accent. He kept a close eye on his armor for any warping as he chose to entertain her questions for now. "We met at one of Sol''s gatherings," Alistair said while doing his best to reinforce his aura and use Identify on her, which spat out [Marilyn Dixon - lvl 103], but what irritated him more was that she did not at all feel more powerful than him. He wasn''t sure if her aura manipulation was so much better than his or if she relied on auxiliary items and summons to bring forth the power she had displayed against Simon.
"Right, you were that cutie who resisted my charm," Marilyn said, snapping her fingers and pointing at him as a look of realization crossed her face. Her deep red lips curled into a smile. "What a shame. So you were also a pig before all this? Personally, I prefer bulls," she added flirtatiously. Alistair''s armor warped, but her attempt felt lackluster as it held no appeal to him. Realizing she had started the fight, he unleashed his Bloodcurdling Presence, glaring at her as he pressed down on her spirit. Her red eyes went wide, and she recoiled at the display of bloodlust. Alistair realized she did not even possess the Primal Revelation title. "Sweety, you are pretty much hard countered by me. You can still give up with your dignity intact." She tried, and Alistair felt her attempt to manipulate him scratch at his Mental Fortress to no avail where, as he could tell she was struggling against his intimidation skill. Based on what he knew of charm abilities, unlike Simon, he was a terrible target since he had plenty of exposure to Riseth, a high-tier Succubus, and no interest in the Vampire or her body. Coupled with his other innate resistance and the Mental Fortress skill, he might not even need to spend his focus on the music aspect of his Akashic Soundboard to drown out her words. He activated his boosting skills as he got ready to engage her. Alistair laughed mockingly, adding his vicious mockery to his bloodlust. "And here I was, worried I found my match, but it was just a little girl with a flair for twilight." This seemed to rile her up as he sensed her reaching for the summoning planes. Next to her, a large white snake with a lamprey mouth and six shining red eyes circling its body appeared. He identified it and revealed it to be a [Blood Asp - lvl 100]. He immediately stretched out his right arm with a grasping motion as he restrained the monster with his telekinesis, pulling it towards him as he rapidly charged an unstable blast within his other hand. Marilyn, unaware of this skill, reacted with shock and by rushing at him with flash steps, tendrils of blood lashing out toward him. He chose to evade and block them with his automatic barrier intercepting some of them before shattering. The unstable blast quickly grew uncontrollable and threatened to explode before he could make use of the skill. Alistair cursed and teleported next to his approaching attackers as he felt Marilyn''s desperation and worry spike. She impaled her own summon with a lance of blood to drain its blood as the Blood Asp''s floating and restrained form could not provide her with the blood she so desperately needed. Alistair would have none of that as he pushed as much energy as he could into the unstable blast, unleashing it at point-blank range just as tendrils of blood pierced his chest. None of them managed to avoid the blinding, earth-shattering explosion that obliterated the Blood Asp. Alistair absorbed as much of the kinetic energy as he could, letting himself be flung away by the blast. He pushed his Arcane Energy Manipulation into overdrive, converting the kinetic energy into life energy to heal himself as his body''s kinetic storage filled almost instantly. A chime rang out, signaling that his Arcane Energy Manipulation skill had upgraded under the intense strain. His body was wracked with pain long before he crashed into the arena wall. He tried to stand, feeling the agony of shattered bones and the kinetic energy from his ribs slowly leaking and dispersing. Gritting his teeth, he spat out silver blood onto the arena floor. As he looked up, he saw Marilyn reforming her body, seemingly unscathed. However, he could tell it was just an act; she had expended a lot of energy to shield herself from the attack. He quickly checked his newly upgraded skill.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Epic] Arcane Energy Manipulation Increases the efficiency and speed at which the user converts and transfers energies such as Mana into Qi by a large degree using arcane means. The user may rapidly convert one energy into another at a slight loss of efficiency. Reduces overall energy loss from transferring and converting energies within the user''s body by a large amount. The user''s augmented physiology optimizes the conversion process within their body, albeit at a slightly reduced rate outside the body compared to internal conversion.
Alistair turned his attention back to Marilyn as he wiped the blood from his mouth and stood up straight, continuing to press his bloodcurdling presence down on her. She visibly shook as she approached him with determined steps. He would need to play for some time to recover from some of his worse internal wounds before he felt confident facing her. His ribcage, in particular, needed fixing. He had put in some safety measures so they would not explode inside of him again, but with enough stress or damage, it could still happen. The stored kinetic energy within his spheres and intact ribs was continuously diverted to healing, and he knew he could convert it into power to lash out if she chose to press him too hard. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Marilyn cried out in her Southern accent. "Suicidal fucker, how dare you blow yourself up next to me!" Alistair chuckled, noting they were both playing for time to heal themselves. "Sorry about that," he said mockingly, "I''ll be sure to think of a more elegant finisher to kill your blood bank next time." "Fuck!" she cursed, rushing at him, clearly noticing how he was also healing himself. Chapter 129: Blood Bath Alistair summoned his Battle Spheres, and streams of flamers met the reaching blood tendrils burning them away before they could reach him. Much to her frustration, he kept her at arm''s length while continuously taunting her as he cut down tendrils and spikes of blood with Blaze Slash whenever his flame streams failed to ward off Marilny''s attacks. His constant mocking and bloodcurdling presence clearly strained her. "It''s what you get for revealing too many of your cards; I still got more to play," Alistair mocked as he teleported out of a swarm of blood whips crashing down where he had stood. "Oh, you think you are being cute?!" Marilyn growled as she lashed out again. "Bitch I am adorable." Alistair retorted. She fumed, much to Alistair''s delight. He had all but breached her mental fortress and was now slowly crushing her spirit and impeding her rational thinking. For a moment, he considered summoning King to add pressure with air support but decided against it as she could potentially catch him and use him as a large blood bank before Alistair could store the wyvern again. Alistair''s body had pretty much recovered, and he took the opportunity to analyze Marilyn and her energy signatures; all her energies were clearly concentrated in that core of hers, though mana was noticeably not fully integrated into it and permeated her body, unlike her life energy, which was directly tied to her blood. He also noticed the lack of Qi, though he supposed it was converted to life energy based on the sheer amount. It made him wonder what would happen if she were to cultivate, but his considerations were cut short as she suddenly stopped attacking, giving him a snarling smile. "Well, I''ve got more cards to play, too," she said as Alistair sensed her mana depleting as she reached out to another plane he was unfamiliar with but quickly realized what she was doing. Alistair rushed her as her magic reached for the plane of blood, pushing his Temporal Combat Reflexes to the limit and converting the stored kinetic energy into power. He brought down his poleaxe with a blazing slash activated continuously, which caused another chime to ring out as he cut into her body and blood core. Marilyn let out an unnatural screech, which hurt him as he carved into the core, burning away her life force. Though she returned the favor as lances of blood tried to penetrate his body. Most of them failed and had their kinetic energy robbed but some managed to overpower his defense and pierce his body and started to drain his blood. Before he could teleport away, a wave of blood crashed into him; for a moment, he felt like he was drowning as the blood tried to enter his body and restrain him, but it failed due to the Freedom of Movement enchantment, which allowed Alistair to free himself out of the attack. He spat out the blood that had managed to enter his body, the taste of iron lingering in his mouth despite his numbing augmentation. He silently thanked Nuk, knowing that without his enchantment recommendation, he would have probably lost the fight right then and there. Marilyn looked even worse for wear, gripping a visible, burned-out gash from his empowered attack that revealed the swirling crimson core embedded in her sternum. This time, she failed to heal her body completely, her red, spite-filled eyes glaring at him as a large pool of summoned blood circled around her like a maelstrom. Alistair could tell she had burned through most of her mana to accomplish this while he had sacrificed a significant chunk of his own saved-up kinetic energy to wound her. Alistair was content to let her nurse her wounds and waste time since his Bloodcurdling Presence ensured that he would continue to get ahead in the exchange as he let his Arcane Energy Manipulation skill circulate to increase his own [HP] by sacrificing some [Qi] to plug up the holes she had punched into him and check his new skill.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Epic] Blazing Edge Infusing the weapon with a miniscule amount of [Qi] or [MP], the blade is empowered and imbued with razor-sharpness. By expending a tiny portion of [MP], the user may cloak the weapon in flames and concentrate the concept of fire and burning along the edge, ensuring that every strike cauterizes wounds, impedes regeneration, and causes lingering fire damage. Additionally, the wielder has the option to increase the energy expenditure to further enhance the weapon''s [Power]. The user may also reserve a small amount of his total [MP] or [Qi] to maintain a Blazing Edge that causes increased lingering damage against regenerating opponents and further impairs their ability to heal from wounds caused by Blazing Edge by a large degree.
Alistair was slightly surprised it had jumped two tiers, though he had been using the skill a lot lately, and his intent and praxis to burn and impair regenerating foes finally paid off. He inspected his poleaxe, almost mesmerized by the white glowing edge. He suspected that the ability to maintain the edge had pushed the skill over the threshold. Her lingering wound was a good sign that he could devastate her if he managed to get past the maelstrom of blood. Either way, he had already benefitted a lot from this fight, as a strong opponent like her allowed him to push his skills to the limit. "That looks like it hurts. Are you sure you want to continue?" Alistair inquired with a sly smile, flexing his vicious mockery aspect. She frowned before straightening herself. "You better kill me, Pig," She said with an icy voice. Alistair felt like obliging her, bombarding her with explosive blasts. Tendrils of blood lashed out from the swirling maelstrom, intercepting each blast with violent precision. She rushed at him with reckless abandon as he tried hard to keep his distance and reduce her pool of blood by continuing to burn it away with his streams of fire and explosive blasts. He would try to keep weakening her position and only commit to full assaults when necessary. Her frustration mounted as he kept his distance, and her blood reserves continuously dwindled away. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Face me, you Coward!" Marilyn screamed. Alistair pretended to check his wristwatch before looking back up. "Give me a few more minutes," He retorted. Marilyn let out a frustrated, indignant roar, unleashing the full extent of her power. The remaining blood extended into a thorny web, aiming to corner and impale Alistair just as it had with Simon. Alistair''s Battle Spheres orbited him, unleashing streams of fire that kept the attacks at bay. He knew all too well that once inside the body, Marilyn''s blood tendrils could repurpose the victim''s blood to impale them from within. His own body would be able to resist for a while due to its purity foundation, but if he failed to extricate himself like earlier, he would be done for. Simon had already fallen to this attack. Alistair cursed internally, struggling to maintain the pace as his energy reserves dwindled due to the lack of kinetic energy to repurpose. Fortunately, Marilyn was much worse off and was quite sure she was about to play the last of her tricks. "Is this your last Hail Mary?" Alistair called out, teleporting next to her and pushing the last of his reserves to impale her with his poleaxe. "Let me return the favor," he said but was drowned out by her screams as he burned out her core, pinning her to the ground by stomping his foot down on her shoulder and flexing his telekinesis skill for good measure, which had been a good call as she rapidly became incorporeal and retaliated. He sensed that she put almost every last ounce of life energy she had left into the attack as her blood tendrils powered through his telekinesis and managed to penetrate his defenses, impaling him and starting to violently attack him from the inside out. Alistair activated his Chrono Seizing Hand skill, extending time magic through the weapon to hold her core in place before she could fully turn incorporeal. As it finally cracked and vanished, he pulled on his own last energy reserves and, with a final push, decapitated her, ending the fight. Drained and bleeding, Alistair fell to his knees, vomiting blood as almost all his augmented organs had been shredded by her last desperate attack. He lay there in a pool of crimson blood mixed with streaks of his own silver before finally being teleported out of the arena. His body was fully restored, and he stood up straight, inspecting himself for any remaining signs of his grievous wounds, but found they were gone again as if they had never been there. A stream of messages arrived, though he ignored them as he closed his eyes and leaned against a wall, settling himself. He hated fighting vampires. While he enjoyed the fight itself, putting them down was far too gruesome for his taste. After a little while, he felt the resonance with Riseth and felt she was also in a desperate fight. Making his way to watch, he checked the new messages, most of which congratulated him on his victory. However, he noted that while he had received a title, it wasn''t for winning his ladder. He had hoped he would receive the benefits of placing first on his ladder before he had to face the universe ladder, but no such luck, though his new title was nothing to scoff at either.
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin:
[Supreme] Vampire Slayer Grants a 10% bonus to [Power] and [Body] stats. Increased blood affinity and physical regeneration. Acquired by slaying multiple high-tier vampires of similar or higher level in one-on-one combat.
Alistair let out a chuckle as he received another bonus for his regeneration and body stat. At this rate, he might not need to manually allocate any more points to his Body stat ever again. He had also shot up another two levels from his last encounter, though this was less surprising due to the difficulty of the fight and the associated records and title. As he teleported into the arena, he assigned his points before reading Nessyra''s message. She and Riseth had both reached the top 10 of their own ladders. Nessyra had drawn the short end and faced the Demon Lord Varimas Merai, who apparently took it easy on her but easily defeated her. He noticed her presence nearby and approached, stealing glances at Riseth''s fight. She was facing off against a lamia with distinctive green and ivory skin adorned with long, dark green hair. However, what drew the most attention from the crowd was her lack of clothing. The top half of the lamia''s body was shamelessly exposed, though this wasn''t too unusual as quite a few civilizations refused to cover their modesty. What intrigued him more was her skill set, reminiscent of his own Battlesphere skill. Her orbs emitted poisonous gases and occasionally sprayed acid toward Riseth, who skillfully evaded the attacks and let them pass through her body. Unfortunately, as an observer, he couldn''t gauge their energy reserves and strengths, but the lamia appeared to be far more wounded than Riseth, easing his concerns. He eventually spotted Nessyra and joined her. As she noticed his approach, she smiled and congratulated him, and they embraced in a quick hug, squishing Dexter, which she had been holding in her arms. "How is she doing?" Alistair inquired as he petted Dexter, who gave him a pleading look. "Salapheris is a capable mage, though I''d argue Riseth''s last opponent was way stronger. I don''t think she will lose," Nessyra said, somewhat unbothered, as they both turned to watch her fight. Riseth let out a breath of relief. The tension she had sensed from Alistair had dissipated, indicating that he had likely won his bout. Knowing this bolstered her determination not to get overconfident so close to the end and risk losing. If she could land a Vortex Tear, the battle would be hers, but locking down the Lamia had proven challenging. Salapheris kept her at bay with disruptive poison clouds and acid sprays. At one point, the Lamia had managed to disrupt Riseth''s ethereal form and almost doused her with acid if it wasn''t for her Veil of Space skill redirecting the attack. Riseth had retaliated with her bladed whip, though Salapheris had slithered out of its restraint. She recognized the magic as the same one Alistair had enchanted on his armor. It was a thoroughly annoying enchantment to fight against, and she would see if Resni could not replicate the enchantment so she could get it on her own armor as well. Riseth unleashed a barrage of explosive arcane bolts, which Salapheris deflected with her barrier. Riseth was tempted to summon Fluffy, who could easily devour the exhibitionist Lamia in one swift strike. However, she chose to keep that trump card close to her chest. As the tournament progressed and fewer participants remained in the Universe Ladder, more information was being gathered on the remaining fighters. She didn¡¯t want her opponents to know all her tricks just yet. Chapter 130: Wasted Potential Alistair watched as Riseth finished off her opponent by restricting her teleportation and nailing her with her finisher, which tore the lamia apart. Alistair noted how the tear in realspace created by her Vortex Tear skill was even larger and more devastating. Considering his own space affinity, he might need to ask her to teach him that skill. As they were teleported out of the arena, Alistair directly headed to where he sensed Riseth, who seemed to have the same idea. As they found each other, they cheered and celebrated their victory with an intimate kiss. Days passed as they continued climbing the ladder. Alistair quickly realized that, despite his opponents being formidable, he had lucked out. There were true monsters in the Milky Way ladders, and he was considered one of them. He learned that Aggressive and expansionist species and cultures dominated the ladders. While these weren''t rare, they also weren''t the norm; the majority of the galaxy was made up of more peaceful, defensively oriented cultures. These cultures fought only for what they termed the greater good or out of necessity rather than being driven by an inherent desire to expand. While challenging, the first three matches were all weaker than Savagio and Marilyn, both of whom were still climbing the Universe ladder. Nessyra was struggling a bit, and Alistair suspected she would fall off soon as she wasn''t a dedicated fighter at all. They also prepared for the trial to end by storing their assets and finishing projects. Alistair and Riseth spent most of their free time gathering essences in the study room in preparation for their long travel times once they left the Trial. They wouldn''t get much essence once they were exploring with the Artemis. Alistair continued to spend additional time refining his ribcage and pathways to better absorb and contain energies beyond kinetic and its related concepts. He aimed to convert these energies into something useful with the help of his Arcane Energy Manipulation skill. Though he felt his ability to contain energies he had a poor affinity for within his spheres and skinguard skill was still lacking, his most recent upgrade in Arcane Energy Manipulation allowed him to at least temporarily store and rapidly convert these energies, albeit with quite the loss of efficiency. This improvement had already aided him in some matches, although it hadn''t yet led to any tier upgrades. Much like the Galaxy Ladder, the System remained quite secretive about its matchups for the Universe Ladder. However, two things were clear: fighters never faced the same opponent twice, and the higher one finished on the galaxy ladder, the fewer fights they had to attend. As a result, Alistair and Riseth had half as many matches as Simon, who in turn had half as many as Nessyra, much to her displeasure. Alistair and Riseth both knew they would soon be matched against the universe''s strongest. Both struggled in their fifth matches; around this time, Nessyra fell off after facing a True Dragon that had polymorphed into a Dragonkin-like form. Simon and Desily were next, with Simon losing to a Lushu beastkin and Desily to a former Human turned Angel. As the ladder shrank, only incredibly rare and high-tier species like Dragons, Phoenixes, Hydras, and the occasional high-tier Vampire remained. Riseth finally met her match against a True Dragon. Alistair cursed as he watched the overwhelming magical power of the Dragon restrain her before piercing her with his long claw as if preparing a marshmallow before burning her. It could hardly be considered a fight, as the Dragon was already well past the halfway point of Grade 8. To his surprise, she wasn''t upset at all and felt much more powerful after falling off the ladder. Annoyingly, whatever titles she received were protected by the usual system secrecy measures, so he could not ask her what they were exactly. However, through their resonance, he knew that even if he fell off now, it would not matter as they had done more than well enough. As they reached the last two weeks of the trial, Alistair hoped that he could hold on until the rewards from the Automata Trial were distributed, as it would likely give him an edge that would perhaps help him to win one more fight he otherwise would not have. He had gotten extraordinarily lucky with his matchups and was faced with a Roc beastkin for his 6th fight, which primarily used concepts and attacks of a physical nature, which he managed to abuse. However, he was sure his luck ran out when, one day before, he would have received his Automata Trial rewards. He was faced with Zathen Enasis, a phoenix who was considered one of the strongest fighters in the entirety of the Tournament. "Guess that trial reward wouldn''t have mattered," Alistair mused as he looked at his opponent. Zathen had taken on an elf-like appearance with pointed ears and slightly androgynous, sharp facial features. His long red hair was adorned with feathers, and his piercing golden eyes hinted at his true nature. He wore white combat robes with gold and red sashes, and Alistair could tell that Zathen''s armor was far more densely enchanted than his own. Smaller in stature compared to Alistair, Zathen''s deep tan and unnervingly sharp features were complemented by his intense gaze, which made Alistair double-check his armor for warping, though it remained undisturbed. What unsettled Alistair most, however, was that Zathen, despite holding the Primal Revelation title, looked at him with sheer boredom. Alistair, from what he knew and sensed of the Phoenix, was hard-countered, as Zathen primarily used fire and could turn incorporeal. Alistair doubted his disruption magic was powerful enough to prevent a Phoenix from reforming. So his own affinity for fire would only allow him to absorb most of it for his own usage but wouldn''t allow him to prevent the beast from regenerating, as burning a phoenix was a losing proposition. He also sensed that the Phoenix had a lot more energy than him to the point where Alistair wondered if Nephilims were merely middle-tier rather than true high-tier. "Ah, the Nephilim. My luck is good as usual," Zathen said as Alistair felt an Identification hit him. Alistair tried to identify the Phoenix but couldn''t. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Guess my luck finally ran out," Alistair quipped as he retrieved his poleaxe. "Indeed," Zathen said as Alistair felt the Phoenix''s aura wash over the arena and disrupt his ability to teleport. The next thing Alistair saw was Zathen summoning a huge fire elemental that loomed over them. Alistair activated his boosting skills and Bloodcurdling Presence, but this time, he found himself futilely scratching at his opponent''s Mental Fortress. Zathen wasn''t intimidated in the slightest. Realizing this, Alistair abandoned his bloodcurdling aura. Zathen stretched out his arm, unleashing a massive stream of blue flames towards him. Alistair attempted to dodge with a flash step but couldn''t completely evade the attack. He managed to absorb, convert, and contain most of the energy within a battle sphere, but the intensity of the blue flames melted the arcane construct. Alistair stared at the disintegrated sphere in disbelief. He then felt some of the absorbed energy burning him from within as his augmented organs struggled to contain the flames. Quickly, he redirected the energy to his Sunforge Organs, which successfully contained the flames, allowing him to process the phoenix flames into essence instead. "Wait, that''s an option I could try to consume and absorb foreign energies to be converted into essences," Alistair realized. However, he knew that the amount of energy he would be able to contain would be limited to the processing speed of the Sunforge organs. "Are you for real?" Zathen questioned in sheer disbelief as he looked at Alistair, a wide, wicked grin painted across his face, his bored expression from before gone. Alistair returned the smile as he summoned a new set of battle spheres, unleashing kinetic and dispelling blasts before charging at the befuddled Phoenix. As Alistair closed in, the elemental summoned by Zathen enclosed them in a dome of fire. The intense heat pressed down on him, making him feel like he was being cooked alive. Despite timing his blasts correctly, they seemed to pass harmlessly through the Phoenix, who raised an eyebrow before summoning two curved blades made of sheer flames. Despite their ethereal nature, the Phoenix effortlessly parried Alistair''s metal weapon and exploited an opening. Alistair managed to block the strike with his shield, which now bore a deep, burnt-out gash. Quickly retreating, Alistair reassessed his approach, feeling the intense heat pressing down on him from the fiery dome that encased them. "Who taught you to swing a weapon? Your technique is awful." Zathen questioned, disappointment evident in his voice. "I am self-taught, and before you, I had no problems," Alistair retorted as he re-engaged with probing strikes and stabs, which Zathen casually dodged and batted away. To Alistair''s annoyance, his opponent''s parries hardly gave him any kinetic energy. Zathen''s flame blade resisted his attempt to rob them of kinetic energy, they felt incredibly firm and under control which ensured they didn''t provide the energy Alistair needed to use against his opponent. He summoned his Razor Aegis, directing the blades to cut the phoenix into ribbons. Still, the beast continued to evade his attacks with a bored expression, his disks immediately melting upon contact. "Why would you use the Razor concept instead of Vorpal?" Zathen questioned, appearing next to Alistair in a flash of light. With a swift backhand, he sent Alistair tumbling. Alistair managed to ram his poleaxe into the ground, halting his tumble near the edge of the dome of fire as he failed to claim Zathen''s momentum. He scrambled to reengage, noting he had only gained a portion of the kinetic energy from the slap as his body failed to convert the energy fast enough. Alistair continued to have his Battle Sphere shoot at the Phoenix as he gritted his teeth. "Why do you insist on wasting your talent on a wide array of nonsense instead of specializing in your strengths?" Zathen questioned while shaking his head. "So much potential for a good fight, yet all you do is disappoint me," the Phoenix spat. Alistair didn''t even need to look at his armor to know it was warped under the intimidating pressure the Phoenix exuded. In another flash, Zathen lashed out with his arm, turning into a talon for a second and bypassing his attempts to block, carving an excruciatingly painful scar across Alistair''s chest. Alistair glanced at the wound, seeing that it wasn''t just burned but had red, molten-like streaks arcing out of the wound, reminiscent of lava. Zathen tsked and slashed him again. "Eyes on me, Nephilim. You can''t afford to look away from your opponent. Extend your senses if necessary," Zathen chided him. Alistair clenched his teeth as his Arcane Energy Manipulated rapidly circulated his Qi into life force to stem the burning pain from the wounds. What gave Alistair some pause were the instructions Zathen gave him. Alistair doubted he could defeat the Phoenix, so getting some pointers wasn''t bad; questioning it was dumb, but curiosity got the better of him. "Why are you instructing me instead of just killing me?" Alistair asked. "Because you might become a good stone to sharpen my talons on," Zathen replied casually. "Your affinity and talent are sufficiently high. Watching you waste them feels like a crime." Alistair was drenched in sweat and was getting woozy. If it wasn''t for him refining his skin as much as he did, he was sure it would have molten by now. "Wasted how?" Alistair managed, feeling his energy dwindling. Zathen cocked his head to the side, like a bird of prey inspecting its next victim. Alistair felt as if the Phoenix was looking through him. "Embrace your concept of Kinetics. Why try to contain different kinds of energy instead of converting it all into the one you need?" Zathen''s piercing gaze intensified. "Your understanding of concepts is lacking. Use your kinetics and force to crush my flames. Why waste your time learning something you are barely passable at, like dispelling or disruption?" Alistair stared blankly at Zathen. Despite the pain the bird was inflicting upon him, the phoenix clearly had a much deeper understanding of magic and concepts, and he felt a surge of gratitude. "Thank you for your guidance," Alistair said with a slight nod, fighting through the growing agony. "Don''t give me that shit. Go seek out a good master, and then face me again. If you disappoint me, I will kill you," Zathen replied, raising his arm, which transformed into a wing of white flames. Alistair wasn''t about to give up. He pooled all his saved energy, converting it into power and enhancing his Temporal Combat Reflexes as he rushed Zathen. The Phoenix looked at him with disbelief. Alistair directed all his telekinetic power to restrain and crush Zathen, whose gaze grew more intense. Alistair lashed out with utter disregard for his energy reserves, his body straining and breaking as he extended his aura through his weapon and empowered it with his concept of Kinetics. As the poleaxe connected with Zathen, the flames failed to fend off the strike for a brief moment, leaving a small gash on the Phoenix''s shoulder before melting the head of the weapon. Alistair could have sworn Zathen smiled as his wing of white flames lashed out, erasing Alistair from the arena. Chapter 131: Rewards Alistair was enveloped by the darkness of death for but a moment before appearing in the Dungeon Arena, the agony and heat gone, replaced by the cool stone floor he was lying on. Alistair was flooded by notifications and messages. He stood up with a groan as he noticed a crocodilian alien looking at him curiously. He gave a quick nod before leaving the tunnel he appeared in, heading toward the next set of gates.
Notifications:
Congratulations on placing 1st on your Galaxy Ladder!
Title Galaxy Champion [Supreme] has been obtained.
Congratulations on placing within the top 1000 of the Universe Ladder!
Title Elite Ascendant [Legendary] has been obtained.
The Arena Dungeon will not host any more tournaments and will close soon. Reentry will be denied upon leaving.
The Gladiator title has been upgraded to [Gladiator X]
The Dungeoneer title has been upgraded to [Dungeoneer 4]
Level advanced from 107 to 110. Stat points are allocated, and free stat points are available.
Alistair felt a sense of relief when he didn''t receive a skill selection. He had new priorities and more than enough titles to review. He had read that human benefits would start to diminish once he reached Grade 8. He half expected this to happen when he became a Nephilim, but the evolution option had assured him he would retain the innate Human benefits. One''s Origin always leaves a lasting impact, even when individuals evolve beyond it. Notably, he hadn''t received a skill point yet, even though he had expected to get one at level 110. Based on what he knew, Grade 8 was the cut-off point for multiple innate human benefits; while his skill point acquisition was still above average, he would get less than before, and his innate Human benefit of four skill options would fall off, too. He would receive only three skill choices in the future. Beyond that, there wasn''t much information available within the trial on Humans or Nephilim and their progression, but he suspected his next skill choice would come at level 120. The next thing that struck him was the lack of rewards, so Alistair checked his new titles.
Titles:
Tier: Name Effect: Origin:
[Legendary] Elite Ascendant The aura and pathway density and quality are improved by a large degree. Receive System assistance for the next racial evolution to ensure the best choice. Large improvement to Heritage Records. A title bestowed upon those who are among the strongest of the Initiates, proving themselves to be True Ascendants. Alistair Ryser''s aura will be recognized as that of a True Ascender by those able to pierce his veil, Ranked within the top 1000 Initiates. The system guards the title, preventing those who do not own it from divulging the path to its acquisition or existence.
[Supreme] Galaxy Champion Moderate increase in stats obtained per level A moderate increase in [Talent] affinity. A title bestowed upon those who ranked first in their assigned Galaxy Ladder. Awarded to Alistair Ryser for winning the [Milky Way] ladder. The system guards the title, preventing those who do not own it from divulging the path to its acquisition or existence.
Alistair was somewhat surprised that the System had limited the rewards to titles; he had half expected to be teleported to an isolated location and see the usual glowing orb to choose a reward, like every other dungeon so far. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the System assistance associated with the Elite Ascendant title meant. Would the records he acquired no longer matter since he would receive the ideal evolution regardless? Did the System not normally offer the best possible evolutions anyway? He would ask Mitania about this in the future, though he wasn''t in a rush since it would take a while before it became relevant. As he walked through the eerily empty corridors of the Arena Dungeon, Alistair contemplated staying to watch the final fights of the strongest contenders. However, he reconsidered, knowing that several of Nessyra''s assistants were already busy recording as many of the battles as possible. If he could have used his senses from the stands, it would have been an easy choice. But with his senses restrained, there wasn''t much additional insight to gain. With that in mind, he decided he could watch the recordings while cultivating during their travels. With a shrug, he stepped into the gate chamber, dialed the gate for the Study Dungeon, and stepped through the Arena Dungeon gate for the last time. As he stepped through the gate and headed for his room, Alistair found Riseth already waiting for him. She got up from the bed as soon as she saw him, and they embraced in a kiss. "Welcome back. So, tell me, which mythical creature managed to put you down?" she asked in a coy tone, her arms still wrapped loosely around his neck as they touched foreheads. "A damn phoenix. The guy even took the time to teach me a few things while smacking me around," Alistair replied with a chuckle. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. This piqued her curiosity, and he shared a recording of the fight from his perspective through his Akashic Link, providing some commentary as they watched. "This phoenix probably operates under the assumption that everyone can just do what it can with its incredibly high-tier species and innate understanding of magic," she commented. "I doubt perfecting one''s understanding of a concept and forcing it to overwhelm another concept is as easy as he makes it seem." Alistair thought about it but only partially agreed. His understanding of Kinetics in relation to magic was still very much lacking, as it added many facets. Kinetics had a handful of extremely powerful, closely related concepts that made up its core, such as force and movement, and he wasn''t entirely sure how they interacted with certain kinds of magic. "That might be true, but it''s a worthwhile goal to strive for," Alistair replied. "I''d prefer to deepen my understanding of the concepts I''m proficient in rather than combining multiple suboptimal ones into a single arcane construct. Streamlining the process that way would be far more powerful and efficient." She cupped her chin thoughtfully, tilting her head from side to side before agreeing. They continued watching the fight to its conclusion, and Riseth winced as she watched the white wing erase him. "I don''t think there was any way for you to win this. All the remaining participants on the Universe Ladder are those damn mythical beasts," Riseth commented with some bitterness after watching the recording. Alistair nodded in agreement. As far as he knew, besides the mythical beasts, all the other participants were filtered out around the same time as he and Riseth had been. A quick exchange showed that despite Riseth being in the top 2000 initiates, she received the exact same title and benefits. The supremacy of the mythical beasts within the ladder wasn''t overly surprising as all the mythical beasts had incredible advantages over the regular enlightened species, not least among them their innate understanding of magic. Alistair wondered what it was like to be a dragon or phoenix without magic. Did they feel a part of themselves was missing? How old were the phoenixes? Were they like the jellyfish of Earth, practically immortal even before the introduction of magic? Alistair somewhat doubted it, as Zathen had not given the impression of an ancient and wise creature one would expect from an immortal being. The next thing Alistair noticed was a surge of power radiating through his connection with King. A quick glance revealed that the Wyvern had advanced to Grade 8 within his shard. "Huh, King just advanced to Grade 8. I wonder if he can turn into a person now," Alistair mused. "Probably not," Riseth replied with a jawn. "Fluffy also advanced, but she hasn''t turned." "Where is she, by the way? I expected her to be with you as usual," Alistair inquired. "She''s asleep in her jungle shard. She wanted some alone time, so I left her to it," Riseth explained. Alistair raised an eyebrow as it was a bit out of character for the small feathered serpent but decided to leave it for now as he felt mentally exhausted as well. They decided to go to sleep as the end of the trial was fast approaching, and they essentially reached all of their goals. Tomorrow, the Automata Trial would automatically come to an end, and they still had other matters to attend to. Their retrieval of equipment was well underway, and James was bound to finish with the Kaiakos in the next few days. Their beacons had been handed out, and with the help of Zaltom, they had added some more navigational data to their ship computers. The next day, Alistair and the rest of the clan gathered for a quick meeting in anticipation of the Clan War Challenge coming to a close. They all sat in the circular setting with drinks, discussing their fights in the Tournament and the potential rewards of the War challenge. One of the first things Alistair noticed was that everyone felt quite a bit more powerful, presumably because of the titles associated with the Asendant''s Tournament. However, his brother stood out as he felt quite a bit more powerful. Alistair suspected his brother would announce that he had finished the Kaiakos during this meeting. He knew his brother had been working on the rest of the hull and must have finished since he last saw him. Noticing Alistair looking at him, James gave him a sly smile before turning back to his girlfriend. As they watched the timer tick town with rising anticipation, they were greeted by their individual types of notifications. Once they read the Masterful rating, they broke out into cheers.
Ryser Clan War Challenge
The Ryser clan has successfully completed the War Challenge with a [Masterful] Rating worth 1000 contribution points. Your Personal Rating is rated at [Expert], worth 200 contribution points. Note: Clan members may donate their points to the Clan''s total. Only the Patriarch and Matriarch may spend the Clan''s contribution points. As the Clan Patriarch, you may spend the Clan contribution points.
Reward: Description: Evaluation
Synth Lord Evolution Kit A closely guarded marvel of technology and magic created by the Synth Alliance, it allows the user to disregard their old body and transplant their soul into an incredibly sophisticated and modular body of secret alloys and synthetic materials. This item is a proprietary technology of the Synth Alliance. Warning: Changes are permanent, and the user is locked out of any biological evolution lines. 1 Available 500 contribution Points.
Realm Catcher This incredibly advanced piece of magitech can catch and contain a pocket realm or subdued natural dungeon and allow it to be transplanted to another location. Due to the stress imposed on the device upon use, it is a one-time-use item. This item is a proprietary technology of the Synth Alliance. 1 Available 500 contribution Points.
Automata Self-Replicator A storage cube containing a low-tier Automata Self-Replicator. If provided with sufficient energy and materials, the Self-Replicator can create a diverse array of low-tier Automata for the owner to use. This item is a proprietary technology of the Synth Alliance. 3 Available 200 Contribution Points per pick.
Alpha AI Core A Modular AI Core is the cornerstone of any advanced faction. When supplied with sufficient energy, it establishes a private, customizable network for the faction. The AI Core can automate a wide range of tasks, including logistics, defense installations, and power regulation. Its modular design allows for the integration of various add-ons to handle more complex and specialized tasks or improve the efficiency of existing ones even further. 1 Available 400 Contribution Points.
USC Universal System Credits [USC] is the most common currency of the multiverse. 100 Contribution points per 1 million USC
Bloodline Trait: Machine Slayers All members of the Ryser Clan bloodline receive a moderate bonus to [Power] & [Senses] when interaction or fighting against any kind of Machine. Machines like Synths, Automata, and Robots will be much easier for clan members to detect. 400 Contribution Points.
Permanent Boon Provides the user a permanent boon of +50 in all stats and an additional free skill point. 50 Contribution points per pick. May only be acquired with individual contribution points.
As everyone finished reading, they exchanged meaningful looks until James broke the silence. "As enticing as the Permanent Boon is, I''d rather donate my points than miss out on that AI Core. Having our own Network would make all our lives easier," James stated. "Before you donate, let''s see who has how many points. I definitely don''t need the Permanent Boon reward or the USC. I''m at 200 contribution points," Alistair added. This sparked a lively discussion as people began calling out their individual contribution points. Nessyra diligently recorded the points on her pad, ensuring an accurate tally. Once the points were totaled, they began discussing which rewards were absolutely essential, who would donate points, and how many. Alistair and Riseth both declared they had enough skill and stat points and would rather donate their points so the weaker members could receive the Permanent Boons with any leftover points. This sparked protests from the others, who argued that Alistair and Riseth, facing the greatest dangers, should receive the boons. The debate continued in circles for a while before they finally managed to reach an agreement. Chapter 132: Point Distribution Nessyra took charge after the lengthy discussion on how to distribute the contribution points. It took a half hour of back-and-forth before they reached an agreement. "So, we all agree: the realm catcher, the AI Core, and the bloodline trait are essential. These total 1300 points, and Riseth, Alistair, and James will each contribute 100 points," Nessyra summarized. James, having received a masterful rating for his individual score, had an additional 100 points, putting him at 300 contribution points total. He was adamant about acquiring the AI Core. While there were other ways to create a Network, an AI Core was the best solution. Even with advanced documentation from the subsections, it would likely take James years to figure out how to create one, as it wasn''t his specialty. They also lacked a core to reverse-engineer, which would have sped up the process. The required programming was presumably beyond his current capabilities. The Kaiakos project had been easier, mostly involving transplanting core components from one hull to another to create a functioning spacecraft. Riseth''s Cosmic Pathfinder topic provided detailed instructions that greatly simplified the process. An AI Core would simplify everyone''s lives, especially Nessyra''s and James''s, by handling tasks like communication, logistics, and coordination. "I still think we should contact that Adam person you mentioned. Perhaps they would be willing to exchange that kit or self-replicator for another realm catcher or, better yet, the means to produce them," James suggested. James had been arguing that point for a while, and Nessyra was also in favor of that idea. However, both Alistair and Riseth were hesitant. While receiving more of those realm catchers would be incredibly useful, most of the clan would miss out on their boons, and they both felt the boons would be a great means to strengthen the weaker members of their clan. They also doubted Adam and his faction would have these treasures at hand, and it would take quite a lot of time for the Synth Alliance to pay them back. Offering them the kit or self-replicator just to deny them if their offer was insufficient could also come with unforeseen consequences they would rather do without, particularly since they did not fully trust the Synth Alliance as they were outsiders to their universe and could only guess their agendas. After listening to their arguments, Nessyra continued, "These are all just points to leverage for increasing our compensation. We could demand interest rates based on how long it takes them to repay us if they can''t offer anything immediately." Alistair still wasn''t entirely comfortable with the idea, so he sent Riseth a private message. "She''s your sister. I''ll let you make the decision." "Your brother is in on this, too, but that''s fine; I''ll make the call," Riseth responded as she leaned back on the couch they were sitting on. "Fine, go call Adam or whatever contact you have of the Synth Alliance, but be sure to make clear what we are missing out on and what kind of impact this could have for us," Riseth said. Nessyra and James exchanged looks. Nessyra smiled, her eyes growing focused as she presumably contacted her Synth Alliance connections. They continued talking among themselves while she engaged in the negotiation, her expression mostly blank with the occasional smile. At one point, they visibly watched her recoil before she leaned forward, deep in thought. Since it wouldn''t change their plans, they spent their points to buy the agreed-upon items, and they appeared in a flash of light on the table nearby. Since James was the resident expert on magitech, Alistair requested that his brother inspect the items. James eagerly agreed, standing up and heading to the table where the two items were placed. He opened the casing for the AI Core first, revealing a perfectly spherical object covered in ever-moving magitech circuitry glowing with a deep blue light. The core looked almost like a mechanical brain and felt almost alive to Alistair''s senses, and James initially hesitated to pick it up. Once he got over his initial hesitation, James picked it up to examine it more closely; he noticed a cable connected to the bottom of the sphere with glowing connectors that shifted in size and shape, clearly designed to adjust and plug into any machine. "It looks like a machine brain," Jessica commented. "It kinda is," Simon added. "Yeah, it''s a good thing we got this. There''s no way I could create something like this anytime soon, even with perfect memory and the system''s skill assistance," James admitted. James then put the core back in its casing before casting a glance at Alistair, who gave him the go-ahead as he stored the core in his inventory. He then opened the second casing for the Realm Catcher and sucked air through his teeth as he put his eyes on the fragile-looking cube inside. Unlike the AI core, the cube seemed to be made of interlocking platings and circuitry, and Alistair presumed it was hollow from the angle he was looking at it. The item was also clearly inert, and James closed the case without touching the cube. "This is even worse. I can''t reverse-engineer it. It''s clearly built with countermeasures to prevent tampering. If I try to take it apart, it will definitely break," James said, a note of disappointment in his voice. "Can''t you use your vision skills to figure it out?" Alistair inquired. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "I already tried that; it''s like trying to take an X-ray through a lead wall," James said. "You should just take it with you. If you find a good realm during your travels, bring it along to whichever planet we end up choosing." "How does that thing work?" Alistair questioned as he stood up and picked up the casing. "From what I can tell, you take it out close to a realm and inject mana into the catcher until it is sufficiently powered," James explained. With a quick nod, Alistair stored the casing containing the Realm Catcher before questioning Riseth about the information her topic had on realms. Riseth, who had already read extensively on this subject, explained that realms were somewhat rare but could be found almost anywhere, even within asteroid fields. Some planets had multiple realms, while others had none at all. They came in many forms and names; cultivators called them secret realms, while others referred to them as rifts or pocket dimensions. She knew that incredibly high-grade beings could create them and that they occurred naturally, particularly in mana-rich environments. As to how exactly they formed or were created, she could only guess. Though they were highly varied, these realms almost always contained special environments that allowed for unique and incredibly valuable treasures to thrive. Upon Alistair''s question about whether they were related to the shards of reality within the summoning planes, she just shrugged. "I don''t really know. It makes sense to me; for all we know, reality shards could be the remnants of created or destroyed realms or perhaps the building blocks for realm formation. But from what I¡¯ve read about natural dungeons and their creation magic, I doubt that," Riseth remarked. After some prodding from Melissa, who was quite interested in the topic, Riseth expanded on natural dungeons and what she knew of them. Riseth smiled warmly as she shared the information over the Akashic Link skill. A quick skim over her topic''s information revealed that natural dungeons were described as powerful crystalline beings with an extraordinary affinity for creation magic, able to transform their surroundings to fit their needs and desires. If that were true, they should be able to transport them without using the realm catcher as they were technically living beings, just not as they understood it. Based on the vague information provided, their best guess was that some dungeons created their own realms around themselves rather than expanding into whatever location they spawned in if they did not find them to their liking. During a lull in their discussion, Nessyra clapped her hands, drawing everyone''s attention to her, a wide predatory smile on her face. "The Synth Alliance representative spat credits over himself to convince us to get the kit and the replicators," Nessyra began. "They offered to reimburse us for the lost stats with potions that double the stat value we missed out on. They''ll grant us free access to any dungeons under their control or use their connections to provide access to make up for the lost skill points. Additionally, they''ll give us a realm catcher for each replicator and two more if we hand over the Synth Lord Kit. Plus, they''ll pay heavy interest in USC until they fully reimburse us." "This seems almost too good to be true. How can we be sure they won''t back out after getting what they want?" Simon asked, skepticism evident in his voice. "I Talked with Mitana about that, and her faction, the Lyraxis Ascendancy, would act as an arbitrator in this trade." Nessyra continued. "She assured me that to the Synth Alliance, it''s chump change, and the increased power we offer their followers is almost invaluable to them, so I managed to cut us some additional favors." "Wouldn''t the natural god of Eldarion Prime intervene in whatever they tried?" Simon asked, somewhat confused. "It''s not just religion that matters in a natural god''s formation," Riseth explained. "Beliefs, in general, are important. There are multiple species and religions on that planet, and a lot of them resent the status quo." "I wouldn''t be surprised if whatever deity spawned was a bit split on its priorities. Besides, a natural god can''t kill lower-grade individuals without facing heavy karmic repercussions." "Wait, does that mean you''ve already agreed to their terms?" Alistair interjected after digesting what Nessyra had said. "Of course not," Nessyra replied. "But I strongly recommend we accept the trade. It¡¯s a long-term investment that could pay off significantly. We are in a very stable and strong position. Temporarily missing out on these stats is definitely worth the payoff. Plus, it would do wonders for my records." "What do you think?" Alistair asked Riseth. "Business is business, and this seems to be a good opportunity for us. From what we know, they''re fighting imperialistic slavers, and worse. I couldn''t care less how they use the automata against them," Riseth replied, her tone pragmatic. After a brief discussion, everyone agreed that the long-term investment was the better call. With Alistair and Riseth''s consent, they spent their points to acquire the Kit and three self-replicators. They planned to keep one and potentially sell it later. This expenditure cost them most of their leftover points but left enough for the lowest earners, like Isabella, to spend her 100 points on receiving the boons despite her protests. Nessyra stored the two cubes containing the self-replicators and the kit before hurrying out of the room. She shot James a glance and made a quick gesture, a flicking motion using her middle finger, signaling that he should take over from here. Alistair was about to explain what it meant when James apparently understood on his own. "Speaking of doing wonders for records, I have an announcement to make," James said, drawing everyone''s attention. "I officially finished working on the Kaiakos, and while I can''t disclose half the titles I earned, I can say the payoff was huge." This elicited a round of cheers as James informed them that they would hold a party in half a week for the clan and everyone involved with the construction of the spacecraft to celebrate the end of the trial and the construction of the Kaiakos. Alistair and Simon questioned whether the Kaiakos would be displayed as they had some security concerns. But James reassured them that he would store the craft after an initial reveal as Nessyra would not risk the craft being sabotaged, as unlikely as it was. People from Neshan took security very seriously, as sabotage was rather common on their planet, so it wouldn''t raise any eyebrows if they were to store the craft shortly after its reveal. Since most of them had marked the last week of the trial for relaxation and planning it, Alistair wasn''t overly surprised that the people from Neshan insisted on holding a party to celebrate, and he half expected to be invited to some other parties and functions before it all came to an end. Chapter 133: Packing up Alistair was proven right as he received an assortment of invitations to parties, discussions, and diplomatic talks. Fortunately, he could push most of those duties onto Nessyra, who actually enjoyed such events. Surprisingly, he and Riseth leveled up once the agreement with the Synth Alliance went through. There were a handful of events Alistair couldn''t avoid, such as Zaltom''s and Sol''s invitations. Zaltom''s party, fortunately, turned out to be a pleasant affair. He and Riseth were mostly left alone, as most people of Neshan preferred to build their connections on the planet itself. Satari and her father, Rhymus Zekaria, the CEO of Zekaria Corp., were the only ones who took a keen interest in their plans and ventures. Feeling right at home, Nessyra mingled effortlessly from one group to the next all night. In contrast, Alistair and Riseth seized the first opportunity to slip away without appearing rude, leaving Nessyra to her work. Sol''s gathering, however, was much more unpleasant. Alistair felt like punching half the assembly, and they chose to leave just an hour after arriving. Once she spotted him, Marilyn, still bitter over her loss, publicly vented her frustration at him. This incited some people to try to get into her good graces by harassing them. The fact that their Clan planned to leave Earth had not endeared them to most attendees either. As they made to leave, some of Sol''s followers tried to intervene and apologized profusely, but the Nurturing Ward limited what they could do to stop the harassers or them from leaving. A day later, Alistair received a large bottle with Ambrosia and a letter of apology from Sol, who felt that he had failed as a host and ensured that he had taken note of the offending parties. "At least he cares enough to apologize," Riseth commented as she inspected the bottle. "Yeah, but there is no way we go to any more of his events," Alistair retorted. Alistair was still seething thinking of that evening, and he noticed how Riseth seemed to be relieved at his words. She did not speak up about it, but even without their resonance, he knew what she was thinking, and he decided he wouldn''t expose her to this kind of situation again if he could avoid it. He had hoped they would remain mostly under the radar and that Marilyn would have enough class to refrain from causing a scene. Instead, she had proven to be very petty. He had been a bit too optimistic as, besides Sol himself, Alistair and his clan had not made a lot of friends within Sol''s faction. Once it made the round that they were planning on leaving the planet, the word traitor was thrown their way more than once. The only one who didn''t seem overly bothered by that evening was Nessyra, who called it a ''diplomatic blunder of the highest order'' with glee in her voice. To her, anything, be it good or bad, was a tool to use in the next negotiation, and that particular evening would be a hammer she couldn''t wait to swing at Sol and his envoys. She didn''t have to wait long, as some envoys sought to talk a day before their own celebrations. Nessyra had sent them a recording where she yelled at the dignitary with a fury Alistair hadn''t seen her display before. "I have my own event to organize and don''t have time to talk about that travesty that was your own celebrations. Now get the hell out!" Nessyra''s voice echoed through the recording, her rage palpable. She had sent the man packing without even hearing him out. Alistair wasn''t sure what to think at first, but she laughed it off and said, "They''ll be back with a better offer and somebody with more standing." When Alistair continued to probe, she reassured him that it had been an act, and while she was a bit pissed at his and Riseth''s treatment, she was fine. Before Alistair and Riseth left for the event, they took the time to recover everything from their respective study dungeons, as they did not wish to run the risk of the dungeon ending before they were able to retrieve the items they had left within. Alistair, who had almost grown used to the sight of the Heavenly Purity Ginkgo, was a bit torn as he stored it within its specialized storage device. He had already stored all the treasures and plundered the little hut, leaving the tree for last. At the same time, Nessyra also had her assistants work overtime to copy as much valuable technology from the Sub-Sections as they could before the Study Dungeon closed like the Arena Dungeon already had, much to the delight of the local fairies who aided them as much as they could. They weren''t the only faction doing this, which fostered some connections that might or might not pan out once they left the trial. Nessyra had even considered hiring some of the more helpful fairies. Nessyra quickly found some issues as they weren''t great at keeping secrets, even when asked to, which made them only useful for publicly available information. However, once Nessyra had asked the fairies these questions, they were insistent on being brought along as the Sub-Sections would vanish soon, and they would need a new place to go through a wealth of information. Nessyra agreed but marked them as low-priority pickups and would likely only be brought along if their world was located close to the route the Kaiakos were going to take or after they had already found a suitable planet and were going to get the rest of the people who were too far out of the way to get on the first trip. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. When Alistair made his way to his quarters, Riseth was already there and was just about to enter his study room to get him when he appeared in their room. "Hey, did you get everything?" Riseth inquired. "Yeah, I even picked some of the flowers and other good-looking flora around," Alistair replied, knowing that Riseth liked some of the edelweiss-like flowers that mostly clung to the rock the Ginkgo had been placed upon. She smiled at him as her armor transformed into a red dress. "What do you think? I browsed a bit of Earth fashion. While you guys had some really weird stuff, there were also some very nice yet simple dresses," she said, showing him a picture of a Neshan suit for males. The crimson-colored, skin-tight suit was something he would never have chosen on his own. "You look amazing, though I don''t know about that suit you picked out," he replied hesitantly. She laughed before showing a picture of a much more casual suit, with a slightly more toned-down crimson color and a blazer with a button-up shirt rather than the skin-tight suit. "I was wondering if I could convince you to wear something like this," Riseth said with a giggle. "I''m still not sure you''re not trying to push the boundaries with this one," Alistair replied with a smirk. He still tried the suggested appearance as his armor''s comfort array activated its glamour magic. To Riseth''s slight surprise and annoyance, it actually suited him. "As usual, I''d rather see you without clothing, but damn, I didn''t think the color would suit you, but it kind of works," Riseth admitted. "I still think I do better with my usual blue colors, but I don''t mind mixing it up," Alistair replied. She linked her arm through his, planting a kiss on his cheek as she pulled him toward the door. "We''re the hosts, so we should get there a bit early, even if Nessy insists she''s got it covered," Riseth said. "Can''t wait for all these parties and social events to take a break. It''s been almost nonstop since we got into the subspaces," Alistair complained. "Making connections and establishing relationships are part of being in a position of power," Riseth said with a playful smirk. "Unless, of course, you''d prefer others making decisions over our heads instead of just behind our backs," she added with a touch of sarcasm as they teleported to the Study Dungeon''s hub. They spent the next few hours directing workers who had volunteered to help set up the event. Alistair used his telekinesis to handle much of the heavy lifting, significantly speeding up the process. Their Crafting Quarters space felt eerily empty, with most of its equipment gantries, vats, smelters, and even the conveyor belts stored for transport. The once bustling modified Automata were all gone, leaving the massive spaceship behind them as the only prominent feature. Alistair had half-expected the craft to look somewhat patchwork, given that his brother had changed the type of armor plates halfway through construction. However, the Kaiakos had a uniform appearance, suggesting either all plates had been changed or some treatment had been applied to harmonize the look. Magical signatures of various kinds emanated from the craft, and Alistair¡¯s knowledge wasn¡¯t sufficient to identify them all. The ship had the tell-tale dark green sheen of adamantine, which would likely make it hard to see in space, even from up close. Its profile retained a sleek and compact design, and Alistair could make out what looked like hangar bays and circular platings he suspected were closed drone bays. He also noted the extensive weaponry attached to the ship, including eight large missile pods and a sizable rail gun along its spine, with turrets likely for point defense covering most angles of the ship. It was much more heavily armed than he had expected. James seemed to prioritize the ship''s ability to defend itself first and foremost. Fortunately, magic rendered the issue of landing gears redundant, as the craft hovered under its own power without issues. After taking flight with Riseth to check the craft over, Alistair was impressed. He also noticed many hidden guards posted on metal platforms around and above the craft. Once he landed, his brother was already waiting for them, expanding on what they had already spotted externally. He explained that there was still plenty of space to add modules and weapons to the ship. While the ship had a pretty strong shield, he wanted at least one more layer of shielding and was looking into making an enlarged flickercore to allow the ship to teleport out of attacks. However, his next priority was stealth. The adamend alloy already acted as natural camouflage but was not sufficient by itself. He was working on magic countermeasures to contain the ship''s magic signature, preventing it from attracting local space fauna as soon as they jumped into a location. James was a wellspring of knowledge, enthusiastically expanding on his work without realizing he had gone off track. His enthusiasm was infectious, and Alistair couldn''t help but point out things and ask about them. "Ah, yes," James lamented, "the missile pods are rather rudimentary compared to some of the more advanced blueprints we discovered in the Sub-sections. It was an absolute pain in the ass to make them work at the ranges we would need in space, so I had to rely on what I knew worked with magitech before delving into more experimental designs." "But let me show you the modules," he continued eagerly. "We were able to salvage the holo module from the Deonida. While somewhat outdated compared to newer models, it''s incredibly enjoyable to use." Their discussion was interrupted by Nessyra, who informed them that their first guests had arrived and requested their presence for the greeting. As they passed the metal gates to the entry room, they were greeted by an obscene number of people already waiting, most of whom Alistair suspected were shipwrights from Neshan and their partners. The assignment to work on the Kaiakos under James had become a rather popular position as time went on. Once word had gotten around, people could learn about spacecraft and magitech. The number of applicants outside of Zekaria Corps. control had been something to behold, much to the displeasure of their corporate allies. Though Nessyra had managed to smooth things over by giving their workers much better contracts and some special treatments and perks. Alistair let out a sigh as he joined Nessyra to greet the new arrivals. Chapter 134: New Enemies After greeting the guests and mingling for a while, Alistair prepared to join his brother, who was about to make a toast. Suddenly, both he and Riseth sensed a miniaturized machine being deployed by a nearby guest, rapidly approaching the Kaiakos. Alistair immediately informed Nessyra about the responsible guest and moved to intercept the small robot, while Riseth wordlessly went to distract the individual who deployed it. Their new bloodline trait already proved its value, as they were immediately alerted to the machine''s presence. Riseth reached the guest, a large Revenax pretending to indulge in the hors d''oeuvres, and casually engaged them in conversation. Alistair quickly swiped the little machine, careful not to crush it. He trapped it in one of his higher-tier empty glass flasks to prevent it from escaping and stored it in his breast pocket as he wasn''t sure how the machinery would react to being magically stored. His mind raced as he considered his next move. He knew the smartest course of action was to walk toward the Kaiakos to minimize potential exposure. Based on the energy signature, it wasn''t a bomb; at worst, it was a machine intended for sabotage or a beacon of some sort. Either way, it was surely designed to latch onto the Kaiakos and be stored alongside it. This meant he needed to time storing it with the Kaiakos to minimize suspicion, assuming the machine lacked the ability to transmit a live feed. He informed his brother over the Akashic Link about the situation as he moved closer to the Kaiakos and the small platform in front of it. "I can''t really take a good look at it without my specialized equipment. Let''s hope the thing is just a tracker and doesn''t provide a live feed, or they already know you caught them," James remarked over the link. "I thought the same thing. Let''s set a timer to store the Kaiakos and the little machine after my speech," Alistair suggested. James looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and they both knew that Alistair wasn''t big on speeches. Riseth and Nessyra excused themselves from the crowd and joined him and James in front of the Kaiakos. Alistair and Riseth flexed their aura gently over the room as they lined up, grabbing everyone''s attention. Alistair stepped up after giving his prepared speech a quick read-over. "Welcome, everyone, and thank you all for coming," Alistair began, his voice steady and confident. "Over the last year, our lives have been thrown into chaos and forever changed as we embarked on a journey into the unknown. Everyone present is here because our paths converged to create something bigger, and for many of us, to find a new home under the Ryser Clan''s banner." As he paused, a display revealed the new sigil: a large stylized depiction of the Heavenly Purity Ginkgo in silvery white on a midnight blue background with a subtle nebula effect. The roots of the tree reached for the stars, while a feathered serpent with a wyvern head formed a runic R with its body in front of the tree. Amid the applause and cheers, Alistair gestured towards the spacecraft behind him. "The Kaiakos is the culmination of everyone''s hard work and dedication. Each of you has played a vital role in making this possible. Your contributions, whether big or small, have been invaluable. Let''s celebrate this achievement together, knowing it stands as a testament to our collective effort and determination. Cheers!" Alistair raised his glass to the crowd. Alistair looked at his brother, and a timer appeared on both their displays as they synchronized the storage of the two items. Locking arms with Riseth, he stepped down from the platform. The Kaiakos and the small machine vanished, and they began mingling with the more eager guests, though Alistair''s mind was only half present as they continued discussing over their Akashic Link. "The guy deploying the machine isn''t one of our workers or guests but a plus-one of one of the workers who helped build the Kaiakos. I''ll look into the worker. His name is Tiocru, and he isn''t slated to join our expedition, but I don''t think he knew about this and just fell for a honeypot," Nessyra added after a pause, "Honeypot is such a better term than what we use." "What do we know of the Revenax, and do we have any means to have him followed?" Alistair inquired. He heard Nessyra tsk in annoyance over the link. "We know his name is Kakrith, but tracking him is difficult with all the subspaces and gates. I''m already tapping my contacts to find out about his connections and usual haunts. We''ll have people on the lookout for him after the party." "Perhaps the little machine will let us find out more," James suggested. "Either way, once the people are gone, we will make another complete sweep of the Kaiakos. I am unwilling to be tracked or sabotaged by unknown parties," Nessyra insisted. They continued entertaining their guests while discreetly gathering information. Eventually, Kakrith left, and they quickly lost track of the Revenax as he exited through the workshop''s portal. Taking the opportunity, they spoke with Ticoru, who was shocked by the little they did tell him and mentioned their plans to grind some more levels together the next day. They convinced him to keep quiet, hinting that Kakrith and his associates might have intended to kill him on that trip. Nessyra excused herself early from the party to question Ticoru further, though he had little more to offer. Once the guests had departed, they inspected the Kaiakos and inspected the miniaturized tracking device. Fortunately, James determined that the device had no means of sending feedback other than its position in space and acting as a beacon, which suggested their discovery had gone unnoticed. They then convened an emergency meeting with Simon and a few others. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Should we try to catch Kakrith and his accomplices to question them?" Riseth asked the group. "No," Simon countered. "The trial ends soon, and they know the system would pull them out unless we kill them, and killing them won''t help us much and expose what we know." "We should help Ticoru to find an excuse not to go hunting and keep pretending we don''t know anything. Maybe we can lure them into an ambush of our own outside the trial," Alistair proposed, surprising everyone. "I don''t know about that. We shouldn''t risk the Kaiakos like that," James said reluctantly. "Think about it. Riseth has space mines, and if we can find a moon or some other location to place our railguns and planetary defenses, we should be able to destroy any syndicate or independent faction that tries to catch us," Alistair elaborated. "But what if it isn''t the Blackmarket syndicate but an advanced planetary faction? We''ve angered some Greys," Riseth pointed out. "I think Alistair''s plan has merit," Nessyra interjected. "The Greys from that planet aren''t that vindictive or advanced from what I found out. I doubt they, or any faction other than the Blackmarket, would go this far to make enemies of us and our allies." They had a brief back-and-forth until Alistair turned to Riseth with a crucial question. "Riseth, is an ambush feasible?" "The way space travel works, we should be able to set up a pretty nasty ambush with the tools at our disposal," Riseth replied. "Can you elaborate on how space travel works so everyone is on the same page? It could be crucial to making this ambush work," Alistair requested, looking intently at Riseth. "Sure," Riseth began. "Most jumps use a combination of technology and space or teleportation magic. Jumpdrives need an anchor to target, and the longer the distance, the larger the anchor needs to be. Additionally, the jumpdrive requires more time to calculate the distance, account for spatial drift, and avoid void rifts and other obstacles. "If no beacons or gates are available, natural anchors are used. Depending on the distance, these anchors can be stars or planets'' gravity wells. Intergalactic jumps typically use black holes or other large, high-gravity phenomena at the galaxy''s center. This allows the jump to drop just outside the edge of their gravity wells before performing shorter jumps." "Once in the gravity well of a new galaxy, you can perform more precise and shorter jumps aiming for stable points in space known as Lagrange points of nearby star systems. These stable points are often used to place beacons and gates, which significantly speed up the jumpdrives'' calculations and usually get you much closer in-system, rather than having to fly in from the edge of a star''s gravity well," Riseth concluded. "Since we plan to settle in a nebula, how does that interact with jumpdrives?" Alistair asked. "Due to the common lack of a large gravity well in a nebula, we''ll need to jump to a nearby galaxy first," Riseth explained. "Once there, the jumpdrive needs to calculate for a few days to find an anchor within the nebula for a blind jump. From there, we¡¯ll have to perform short jumps from one-star system''s gravity well within the nebula to another. If they use a beacon, they can target our location once we stop, essentially skipping a lot of the calculations, cutting down the time their jumpdrives require to calculate significantly." "How do they even maintain a connection over such vast distances?" Simon asked, confused. "It''s some really bizarre magic mixed with a natural phenomenon," Riseth replied. "You might know it as quantum entanglement. Essentially, they are linked through magic even when light-years apart. If you mess with one, the other responds." "And what are those Void Rifts you mentioned?" Simon questioned. "Void Rifts are areas in space completely devoid of mana," Riseth explained. "They exist in most galaxies, consuming anything that enters their range and preventing teleportation and navigation. Acting as natural barriers, they extend above and below the galaxy''s axis, making it pointless to try to fly over or below them, forcing navigation around the rifts. "These rifts are often used by empires to form the borders of factions. Not even gods dare enter those zones for long. While not exactly invisible, they are a kind of nothingness that you can''t see. If you look at a picture of a galaxy, you can often notice cutoff points and separations, which are usually Void Rifts," Riseth concluded. They continued talking about the viability and the risk of whoever chased them catching up before they were ready, and they were confident if they diverted the course into another nebula and had the Artemis deploy the railguns and space mines ahead of the Kaiakos''es arrival were certain that they could handle any grouping aiming for them or at least escape after inflicting catastrophic damage. Did the sweep of the Kaiakos turn up anything?" Simon eventually asked. "No, we''re in the clear on that front. I''m more curious about finding out more about the Revenax who tried to plant the beacon," James said, turning to Nessyra. "He is not officially affiliated with any faction, so he is either a spy or, more likely, part of a Blackmarket Syndicate or independent pirate group," Nessyra added grimly. "As I said, they have likely identified us as a future threat that needs to be eliminated or neutralized as soon as possible." Alistair knew that the Blackmarket Syndicate was one of the vilest factions in the multiverse, catering to everyone''s needs and wants, no matter how dark or depraved. They networked with various, mostly independent factions, offering services like assassination, slavery, drugs, prostitution, and sheltering individuals practicing forbidden and restricted magics. Once Nessyra had gathered enough information on them, he and Riseth had instructed her to keep them at arm''s length, not wishing to trade with such individuals unless absolutely necessary. Being targeted by the Syndicate was more a matter of when than if. The faction was notorious for swiftly networking and establishing itself in new universes, functioning more like an association than a traditional faction with defined leadership and directives. They frequently targeted emerging factions not aligned with them, aiming to cripple or eliminate them before they could become a future problem. Many promising clans and factions had perished in their infancy due to these tactics. It seemed the Ryser Clan was next in line for such an attempt. However, Alistair and the others unanimously agreed: the Ryser Clan would send a clear message that they were not to be fucked with. Chapter 135: The End of Trials The last few days of the trials flew by as James redoubled his efforts to ensure the Kaiakos was ready for an attack and free of any hidden beacons and tracking devices, either on board or integrated into its software. With the help of the AI Core, which he temporarily plugged into the ship''s bridge, all functions of the ship were drastically improved. James emphasized that deploying the AI Core, even temporarily, was essential for the Kaiakos, as it significantly enhanced combat capabilities, particularly targeting and jumpdrive calculations. The only other notable event was Sol sending Caleb to smooth things over. They offered a care package to be retrieved on Earth as an apology, along with the promise of shelter and free transport for members of the Ryser Clan from any of their fortresses and outposts. Nessyra accepted the peace offering but made sure to remind Caleb that they still weren''t happy about Sol''s followers'' actions against them. Caleb reassured her that Sol''s followers had standing orders to be on their best behavior and to treat any members of the Ryser Clan as respected guests or face severe punishment, which mollified her somewhat. Other than that, they shuffled equipment so the Artemis could play its part in the ambush and set up the railguns. Riseth spent most of her time creating more space mines, as she had only a limited reserve. They also made plans to deploy stealth drones to monitor if anyone was following their jump route. They had kept the information about the potential threat quite close to heart, and only the direct family members and those who were on a need-to-know basis were informed. Alistair''s mother and sister insisted they should just destroy the beacon and avoid the fight altogether, but Alistair and the rest stood firm in their belief that they needed to show strength. Outvoted, they accepted the decision, and they proceeded to wait for the Trial to end. Despite their expectations, the Study Dungeon gave a warning of its closure roughly an hour before the Trials ended, giving everyone a last chance to retrieve their belongings. They all gathered at Nessyra''s place. Alistair and Riseth leaned against the balcony, overlooking the trader''s market that would soon vanish forever. Alistair glanced at his mother, who was eagerly talking to Nessyra when Riseth gently tugged on his arm. "I''ll get to you as fast as I can," Riseth said, her magenta eyes fixed on his. Sensing her nervousness and the sad undertone in her voice, Alistair smiled reassuringly. "It''s going to be fine. We won''t be separated for long." He hugged her and kissed the top of her head, feeling her relax slightly in their embrace. "Try not to get involved too much. Please," Riseth whispered with some urgency. "I can''t promise that, but I''ll do my best to avoid any trouble besides you," Alistair replied with a smirk. She chuckled as their moment was interrupted by a one-minute countdown. Nessyra called out a few last reminders as everyone exchanged their goodbyes and stored their summons to ensure their safety. Alistair and Riseth shared a final kiss before holding hands and waiting for the countdown to reach zero. As soon as it did, Alistair felt a pull and was thrown into darkness for a fraction of a second before he appeared in his soulscape. He was suddenly assaulted by a window containing more information than he could handle. The sensation was akin to being caught off guard by a flashbang. Alistair quickly shunted the information away, forcing it to categorize and only display what he needed to know. What greeted him were still two absolutely massive notification windows. The first listed every single one of his achievements, followed by the assignment of contribution points to them. The second was even larger, listing an endless assortment of rewards he could spend these points on. He fused the two by limiting the first to a summary of his contribution points and converting the second into an empty search bar where he could search for specific treasures and categorize them into related groups. With the system window situation handled, Alistair glanced around, half expecting Sebastian to be sitting in the armchair like last time. Instead, he found three doors that hadn''t been there before. Before he could investigate, one of them opened, and Riseth stepped through with Fluffy slung over her shoulders, looking just as surprised as he felt. "Well, that''s anticlimactic," Alistair commented as Riseth grinned at him. Before she could reach him, the door next to her opened, and Nessyra, James, and Dexter stepped out. "What''s going on here?" Alistair asked as Riseth hugged him. "Did the system not inform you?" Nessyra asked, tilting her head. "Our bloodline allows us to coordinate our point expenditure as the clan leadership." "No, my system overwhelmed me with too much information initially, so I filtered it down to just what I needed to know and categorized it better," Alistair explained. "Same here," murmured Riseth and James. "It''s a good thing I somehow got an official title as Chief Engineer. We should probably create some official clan leadership positions after this," James said with an awkward smile. "Nice room, by the way," James added, sitting down on one of the couches. Alistair and the others joined James, with Riseth taking the opportunity to lean against him. Nessyra spoke up again. "Oh, and make sure to tell King to wait before spending his points until you can help him. It would be a shame if King wasted his points by accident." Alistair excused himself to sort out the information and let King know to hold off on spending any points. He felt woefully under-informed compared to Nessyra, whose system was clearly better structured than his own. After focusing on his intent, he found the information she was talking about. They were in a time dilation, giving them up to a day to figure out how to spend their points. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Being the leader of a successful clan had given him a frankly ridiculous number of points from all kinds of sources, only outshined by his placement within the Ascendant''s Tournament. He also noted that some titles and achievements overlapped, allowing him to double-dip certain sources of contribution points. He had roughly eight and a half million points to spend, though a quick browse of the rewards revealed that while it was an incredible amount, some rewards required more than double or triple that amount of points for a single reward. "Some of these rewards are outrageously expensive. Who can even afford these?" Alistair questioned. "I suspect we aren''t meant to be able to acquire them, but the system offers them anyway to make us aware of their existence," Nessyra said calmly as she had a look, which told Alistair she was processing a stream of information. "We should spend some time figuring out what''s available and then discuss what we should get," James suggested. "Good idea," Riseth replied, stretching. Alistair directed his Soulscape to expand, and the couch grew large enough for her to stretch her legs properly. A planning table appeared in the corner. Nessyra looked around, nodded approvingly, and entered her work mode, which looked like she was rifling through a pad. Alistair''s first instinct was to sort out all the items he couldn''t afford, planning to review those that could potentially be valuable to him later. Out of curiosity, he checked the prices for spacecraft, concerned about their enemies'' potential to bolster their forces and the rapid growth of their other competitors. When he saw that the prices for even the smallest of crafts would deplete almost all his funds and could only carry one or two people, he was relieved. Spacecraft were exponentially more expensive than other rewards, which calmed him down. He shared his findings with the others. "Oh, good, I didn''t even think of that. I let the system recommend items to me, and it''s a bunch of upgrade modules for the AI Core. What do you guys get when you ask for recommendations?" James asked. Riseth was the first to respond, "There''s an option to let me spawn with Alistair on Earth. From that list, my guess is that the system only considers individual wishes and items in their storage." "I can confirm that the system is recommending a specialized AI core for the Kaiakos in my storage," Nessyra added. When Alistair checked, he found that the first recommendation was a Body Cultivation manual containing detailed instructions on how to imitate the magic structure of a dragon''s heart and its exact anatomy. A quick browse revealed he could actually get a low-tier dragon heart for 5 million points. A regular one was sadly out of his price range at 10 million points, with the high-tier variant being 20 million. The manual was much more useful either way, as according to the description, the heart in question was of a famous high-tier dragon called Zudonvas. Sadly, it did not state the dragon''s species, which he could have abused by asking Dexter about it. Alistair felt hesitant as the manual was priced at 4 million contribution points, which was almost half his point total. The rest were things like Weapon spirits, more body cultivation and array manuals, and treasures with a focus on kinetic and related concepts. As well as some clan-related recommendations, such as skill books for persuasion and organization skills. There were also a handful of rewards that would strengthen the bloodline, granting different benefits to its members, though most of them were prohibitively expensive, at least the useful ones. They continued their back-and-forth of discoveries and recommendations from the system. Nessyra, for the most part, received recommendations for administrative tools and things that could be turned into long-term business ventures, such as growable materials and treasures like an adamantine root. More interestingly, besides AI Core modules, James received a wide assortment of crafting manuals as suggested rewards, including one specifically written for initiates to learn about magitech to expand their horizon. Riseth suggested that whoever wrote it would gain benefits for each sold copy of the manual, as the System was known to occasionally do that. This arrangement was extremely beneficial for both the author and the initiate, significantly speeding up their progression without detracting too much from their records. They found that both James and Nessyra weren''t far behind in points as they both had received a significant amount of contribution points for their efforts. Nessyra received the lion''s share of the credit for the Clan''s success, whereas James had received about 3 million points for the construction and associated work of the Kaiakos alone. The creation and discovery of Stealthrim and Adamend also netted him quite a significant amount of contribution points, and he lamented that he had not spent more time experimenting with creating new alloys for them to use. However, he pointed out that, according to the description, both alloys already existed under different names, but the system credited him for discovering them without prior knowledge of them. Riseth''s recommended rewards were quite similar to Alistair''s: body cultivation manuals, treasures, and a handful of elixirs and tools with intriguing effects. One notable item was a one-time use elixir that could grant sentience to anything it was applied to. Although the price of five million contribution points seemed outrageous at first, Alistair realized its immense value when considering they could use it on something as significant as a world tree. Weapon spirits were much cheaper and categorized by personality, with helpful spirits being significantly more expensive than slothful or prideful ones. This reminded Alistair that he needed to assist King with his selection. Alistair queried the system for rewards that would help King or summons in general, and the top of the list was a pill of enlightenment for half a million points.
Item:
Tier: Name: Qualities: Description:
[Legendary] Pill of Enlightenment [Single Use] [Enligthenment] A pill designed to accelerate the mental development of any beast. While it does not alter the inherent personality of the beast that consumes it, it significantly enhances its intelligence and cognitive abilities. The level of emotional intelligence achieved depends on the beast''s upbringing and inherent disposition. Warning: Do not let a beast consume more than one pill, as it would have adverse effects and permanently damage their minds. This also applies to already enlightened beasts, as even consuming a single pill can cause severe harm.
Alistair shared his find with the others, and as soon as he did, Fluffy, without instruction, spent nearly all her points to acquire the pill. The pill appeared in front of her. It looked small and unassuming, but it radiated a faint, ethereal glow, and it carried a subtle fragrance of herbs and something Alistair could not place. Before anyone could say anything, the snake that had been resting on Riseth''s lap snapped at the pill and swallowed it. Chapter 136: Enlightenment They all turned their attention to Fluffy, who had been resting on Riseth''s lap. Riseth, in turn, lazed on the couch with her head on Alistair''s lap. She lifted her head to glance at the feathered serpent as if anticipating something to happen. "Will she be able to use the polymorph skill now, or will she suddenly start talking?" James asked from his seat on the couch opposite them, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice. At first, it looked like the snake tried to reply, but she made a creepy yawning face, which was followed by a snap at the air before stopping and letting out a long, resigned hissing sound. "I think she''s trying, but her body is unable to," Riseth said, her excitement building. "I don''t think getting smarter makes you immediately figure out a skill. But with what we taught her, she should figure it out quicker now," Alistair added. "Talk like me. Now that you are almost as smart as me, you should be able to master telepathy," Dexter eagerly transmitted telepathically, jumping off the couch next to James and walking over to the snake. Alistair could sense the annoyance and stubbornness radiating from the snake, and he was quite sure she would refuse to use telepathy just to spite Dexter. Riseth felt it even more clearly and petted the snake on her lap. "Take your time and do it the way you want to," Riseth said encouragingly. "Seems like a rather expensive treasure. She doesn''t seem much different from before," James commented with some disappointment. This seemed to annoy Fluffy, who turned to James and narrowed her eyes at him, letting out a low hiss. James defensively raised his hands. "Should I recommend King to get the pill too?" Alistair asked. The snake turned and nodded in response. Alistair reached out to give Fluffy a quick pet, then sent a message to King through his Summoner Skill, suggesting he acquire the pill. From their connection, Alistair sensed that King accepted the suggestion. Meanwhile, Dexter, feeling rejected by Fluffy, walked over to Nessyra and let out a whine. With a sigh, she picked him up and settled him on her lap. Alistair received a message through the Akashic Link. "Summon me," it read. He had not known that his Summoner''s skill would allow King to respond, but he complied. He expanded his room to make space for the large wyvern. As soon as King appeared, he looked around the soulscape, lingering at the window for a moment before fixing his gaze on Alistair. "I need clothing and one of those storage items," he requested in a deep, imperious voice, though slightly slurred. "I take it back. That pill seems to be worth getting," James corrected himself. Alistair was still a bit taken aback but quickly caught himself. "I don''t think I have clothing that would fit you unless you know how to use the polymorph skill?" he probed. King let out a low growl, and Alistair sensed mild frustration. "I can''t transform yet, but I''d rather not be running around naked once I do," King replied. Fluffy, who was resting nearby, nodded in agreement. Alistair looked up at King, whose head was almost scraping the heightened ceiling. He was still surprised that a wyvern was capable of speech with his body, but he suspected that most wyverns could talk much like dragons did. Considering that parrots could imitate speech, it wasn''t too far-fetched that a feathered wyvern like King could do the same, so he shrugged it off. Alistair searched his storage for clothing and only found the set he had received from Nuk as an interim until he received his armor. He hadn''t needed other clothing since then, but he planned to keep some spares in the future just in case. James searched his storage before tossing two empty storage rings to Alistair and Riseth, who stored their spare clothing within the rings before they gave them to their respective summons. Interestingly, both rings expanded in size. King was able to wear his on the claw of his right wing, while Fluffy put hers on the end of her tail. There was a pause, and Alistair locked eyes with King. "Thank you. Please store me again. I want to practice," King said, his words noticeably growing less slurred. Alistair was already satisfied that King thanked him, as he had been worried he would have to try to teach the enlightened wyvern manners and stored King within his shard again. "We should consider buying some of these pills with our funds just in case," Riseth suggested. "I don''t know about that. Beasts are supposedly able to reach enlightenment on their own with enough time. These funds are incredibly valuable." Nessyra interjected, but seeing the look her sister gave her, she offered, "Perhaps we should buy the recipe instead?" This mollified Riseth, who immediately checked the price, and Alistair could hear Nessyra tsk as she presumably did the same. When he checked, he found it was 1 million contribution points for the recipe, but the bigger issue seemed to be the ingredients. It listed a few of the most crucial ones, and they owned none, leading them down a rabbit hole of herbal seeds and other ingredients. "Some of these herbs have multiple uses, so I am not opposed to picking some of the rarer and more useful ones. We are bound to acquire the rest eventually," Alistair suggested. They continued to discuss what to spend their points on, with Nessyra clearly hesitant to spend their points on the recipe or pills as she felt that waiting for beasts to reach the point of enlightenment on their own was a cheaper and perhaps better solution. Riseth countered by pointing out that while King and Fluffy would have figured it out soon, plenty of beasts would struggle or fail to reach enlightenment on their own. Alistair tended to agree with both of them, whereas James firmly believed that it was a worthwhile investment and sided with Riseth. Outvoted, they added the recipe and an assortment of herbs and growable treasures to their list of acquisitions. The next thing they looked up were things that would help them fight against the Blackmarket syndicates. While they did not find much that would help them with their ambush within a reasonable price range, the System recommended an anti-divination array that would shield the clan and their followers from divination attempts. Despite its 2 million contribution points cost and energy requirements, they all agreed it was a necessary acquisition. There were more defensive arrays, even some that would hide a whole star system, though with a cost of almost 20 million contribution points; they were completely unable to obtain such an array but purchased manuals containing information on more basic defensive arrays. They also decided against using the offered teleportations of their members as they had so many standing plans, and changing them was not worth the multi-million point investment. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. They reviewed the modules James had found, noting the wide variety of options available. After browsing for a while, they decided on an AI upgrade module that combined multiple functions into a single unit, which was more cost-effective than purchasing several individual upgrade modules separately. During their search, they found a selection of terraforming tools, one of which particularly caught Alistair''s eye. "Should we get an atmospheric regulator? I know we won''t need to breathe next grade, but with this, we could perhaps colonize a planet we would otherwise have to skip," Alistair suggested. "No," Riseth replied. "With the introduction of magic, a compatible atmosphere is the least of our worries since ours is the most common type. That tool is more suited for species with a very specific physiology, which is why it''s so cheap. Any planet requiring us to terraform it to that degree is unsuitable for what we need and won''t be worth the effort." They eventually settled on a selection of seeds for various herbs and treasures, along with a set of alchemical recipes and propagation instructions, primarily purchased by Riseth. They also acquired adamantine root and dragonstalk, a type of bamboo with a vibrant red coloration that had qualities similar to mithril and grew incredibly fast, using up all of Nessyra''s funds. James obtained the recommended Magitech Manual and the AI Upgrade module. Riseth also bought a weapon spirit to enhance her bone blades. Alistair''s points were mostly spent on the Dragonheart manual and the array plate, as he was the expert on arrays, even though he still felt that, if compared to true experts, he was a dabbler at best. The rest of their points went towards manuals, smaller treasures, and herbs they could propagate along with one more Pill of Enlightenment, which he saved just in case Viv wished to have it or another opportunity presented itself. They were particularly pleased to find the Spirit Orchid available, which meant they could now produce their own wine. They half-suspected Barton might also be buying it as well, but they didn''t want to risk missing out and purchased the seeds anyway. They even bought a manual detailing the distilling and propagation process for the Spirit Orchid specifically. Once they made their purchases, Alistair double-checked the descriptions of the most expensive items they had bought to ensure everything was in order.
Item:
Tier: Name: Qualities: Description:
[Legendary] Dragonheart Manual [Magic Manual] [Self Repair] A manual detailing the steps required to emulate a True Dragon''s heart through body cultivation/body enchantment. The heart in question belonged to Zudoonvas, who was slain by the Dragon Slayer Dexnera, the author of this manual.
[Legendary] Planetary AI Upgrade Module [AI Core Upgrade Module] [Planetary Admin] [Planetary Defense] [Biosphere Regulator] An upgrade module for a compatible AI Core, designed to enhance its functionality and add preprogrammed features that would typically exceed the capabilities of a standard AI Core. This module includes a Planetary Admin function, which extends the range and power efficiency of the AI Core to manage an entire planet and its satellites. It also enables compatibility with a global defense grid, drastically improving software security. The biosphere regulator allows the AI to monitor and control both flora and fauna. This helps prevent ecological imbalance and the spread of invasive species when introducing new plants and animals. Note: The AI Core will require external tools, such as drones, to fulfill its duties effectively.
[Epic] Bloodline Anti-Divination Array Plate [Single Use] [Anti-Divination] A commonly used yet incredibly powerful defensive array that prevents all divination attempts targeted against a bloodline and its members. Note: The array must be continuously powered and is not infallible. Divination specialists of Grade 4 and above can penetrate the array''s defenses, but any breach will trigger a warning to bloodline members.
The Alpha AI Core was already an above-standard version, and with the upgrade module, they were well-equipped. Although the Biosphere Regulator wasn''t initially part of their plan, it was affordable enough that they decided to choose the module variant containing it. This module would enable them to better control and maintain ecological balance, preventing certain species from overgrowing or becoming extinct. James reassured them that, given enough time, he would be able to provide the AI Core with all the necessary external tools in the form of automata and drones. This would also save them time in building greenhouses and implementing other measures. Nessyra initially thought it was a bit of a waste, as they could easily maintain the plants they wished to keep. However, she eventually relented when Alistair pointed out the potential for irreversible damage to a planet if they were sabotaged or got unlucky. Alistair spent the remainder of his points on a stone slab containing the concept of kinetics, anticipating its value once they found a home where he could recreate the gathering array. He had been tempted to buy some stat-boosting potions, as they were quite affordable, but ultimately decided against it. He reasoned that his cultivation would passively increase his stats and, unlike potions, he wouldn''t have to worry about the diminishing returns that came from consuming too many potions until he reached the next grade. He preferred to have a perfectly aligned treasure to his kinetic affinity, knowing it would serve him better in the long run. Satisfied with their purchases, Alistair reflected on their strategic planning. They had prepared for numerous eventualities, and their latest acquisitions would allow them to exceed their previous expectations, laying a solid foundation for their clan''s future. He eagerly anticipated watching the clan prosper and grow. Chapter 137: Back on Earth
Once they had spent the last of their points and said their goodbyes, they prepared to leave the soulscape. Alistair embraced Riseth and kissed her again. "I swear, if I reappear on Earth and you¡¯re standing next to me again, I will¡ª" Before he could finish, she pulled him in closer and kissed him once more, giving him a cheeky smile before disappearing from the room. He worried she had actually spent the precious points to appear directly on Earth. "Don''t worry. She knows she''s needed on Neshan until the rest of us are in a safe location," Nessyra reassured him with a wink before vanishing. James was the last to leave, offering a simple "See you soon" before he disappeared as well. Alistair took a deep breath, feeling King egging him on through their connection. The Wyvern was eager to finally stretch his wings and fly in an environment that wouldn¡¯t vanish after a year. After focusing his intent, Alistair stepped out of his soulscape and appeared on an empty road flanked by familiar-looking buildings. He breathed in the cool, fresh air, glanced around, and noticed others who had appeared at the same moment. The surrounding buildings looked overgrown and abandoned compared to when he last saw them, and for a moment, he wondered where his car had gone. He received a notification, and based on the unique sound, he had been connected to a network, though he decided to look at it once they were traveling. Shaking off the idle thoughts, he summoned King, who was a much better ride than his car anyhow. The wyvern looked around curiously, startling some of the other people who had appeared nearby. Alistair jumped onto King''s back, and they took to the air. As they soared above the buildings, Alistair observed that the cityscape had transformed drastically. The world seemed enlarged and fragmented, with parts of the city visibly disconnected from one another. The once continuous streets were now broken, with sections of cracked asphalt abruptly ending and giving way to grassy fields stretching out almost a kilometer before resuming again. Some buildings were destroyed or torn in half, exposing their interiors; he looked into the distance, spotting some overhead power lines that hung precariously, some snapped and trailing on the ground. In the distance, other parts of the city stood isolated, further emphasizing the disjointed and chaotic state of the environment. As their elevation increased, Alistair gazed towards the nearby mountain range, which used to be part of the Swiss Alps but had undergone clear changes, growing in both height and scope. He could make out large walls on their outskirts and enormous white, palace-like structures built into the mountainsides, forming what Alistair presumed were the outskirts of one of Sol''s major fortresses. He knew Sol had claimed most of the Alps to establish his fortress and infrastructure. He wondered if people who had lived there would be forced to teleport within Sol''s territory or be expelled to its edges. The mountains made for an incredibly defensive position, and Alistair would bet a lot of credits that the Alps had an abundance of dragon veins to fuel the natural god''s ambition. Alistair searched his karmic connections and found that most of his family was relatively nearby, but he focused on those of Remo and his cat, Viv. Both were in opposite directions and not as close as he expected. Faced with a choice, he decided to fetch his cat, confident that Remo would be fine on his own. Giving directions to King, the wyvern nodded. "What exactly are we looking for?" King''s deep, rumbling voice rang out. "My cat, Viv. She''s a small black cat, at least the last time I saw her," Alistair replied. Alistair had been worried his physical changes could potentially scare her off. She had always been a rather smart cat. Still, she had been rather skittish with anyone other than his closest family and friends, who visited regularly; only after getting to know them did she show her highly affectioned side. King seemed unbothered by the revelation and just seemed to enjoy the scenery below him. With King having a rough direction, Alistair checked on the notifications he had received.
Notifications:
Akashic Link skill has connected to [Sol Network]
You have [1] unread Network message from Sol.
Network Messages:
Title: Earth Information Package From: [Sol]
Welcome back to Earth. Please be aware that the world has undergone drastic changes in your absence. All followers are advised to retreat to the nearest Sol Sanctuary or team up to form conclaves with other followers nearby. Due to these changes, certain areas of the planet have become danger zones, with the local fauna or environment turning hazardous for most. Regions like Florida, Australia, and Thailand have been overrun by various beast tides. Beware of hordes of alligators and monkeys, spiders, and other beasts attacking anything that encroaches on their large territories. Citizens of Australia are advised to evacuate to New Zealand or Indonesia immediately. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
[Attachment]
Alistair took a moment to process the information package. He had known that Sol had claimed multiple locations, but the sheer number was more than he had expected. As he looked at the splintered remains of nearby cities, he hoped his sanctuaries still had some infrastructure left since most of the buildings he could see were aged and in disrepair. If it weren''t so tragic, he would have found it almost amusing that Sol recommended everyone flee from Australia. The country was already known for its dangerous wildlife, including emus, saltwater crocodiles, lethal snakes, spiders, and cassowaries. He suspected kangaroos might also be a threat now. Opening the attachment revealed the locations of all of Sol''s sanctuaries and enclaves, along with a comprehensive list of danger zones. Each danger zone included detailed information about the types of monsters and their territories. Alistair''s assumption about Australia was mostly accurate; in addition to the expected threats, packs of boars were a common beast tide across the globe. He reviewed the other countries, noting the diverse and perilous fauna they now harbored. Africa was similarly dangerous, though its threats were different. Instead of vast numbers, the individual monsters in Africa were already at early Grade 8 or high Grade 9, making them formidable adversaries. When he checked his own region, he found that evolved boars, wolves, goats, and cows were the most common beasts. Freshly introduced monsters like drakes and wyverns were listed as the biggest threats. The wolves surprised him as they did not have that many before the initiation, so he suspected they either migrated or intermingled with the released dogs, bolstering their numbers. "Apparently, there are Drakes and Wyvern around here; keep your eye open in case they feel you are intruding on their territory," Alistair warned King, tapping his armored plate next to him. "I welcome the challenge," King responded eagerly, his confidence evident. Alistair noted that the Wyvern felt more powerful. He knew King had selected the rest of his rewards without his input, and it seemed his successful arena tour had allowed King to get some good things for himself. Alistair considered asking but decided against it as he was still too busy to take in his surroundings. He sensed a bunch of Dungeons from all directions and couldn''t help but notice the people traveling through the fields and forests scattered throughout the area. He spotted a fair few animals he suspected had been pets but had evolved into something more powerful. He also noticed a massive convoy of people heading towards the mountains. Seeing them made Alistair check the wider network, which was already flooded with messages and recordings. He had to restructure his system again to make the information digestible, giving it the appearance of a browser. Rifling through the recordings, he found both uplifting and horrid scenes as people fought monsters and other people alike over newly discovered treasures, locations, and more twisted wants. He shut down the videos for a moment, considering it as he did not wish to get involved. However, the curiosity nagged at him as he looked; he saw the videos disappearing and being replaced by others, which made him curious enough to open them. What greeted him were more informational videos made by Sol''s followers, reminding their followers to stick together and act quickly. There was also a fair share of what could best be described as propaganda videos, and he opened one of them. Are you worried about your safety? Tired of the old regime holding you back? Hesitant to join a new faction because of past corruption? You''re not alone. We feel the same. Under Sol''s guidance, we can rise to greatness. No more corruption. No more division and greed. We promise protection and safety for all. Together, we unite under one banner. We will prevail against the rot within and the outsiders seeking to enslave us and take our world. The Sol System is our home, and we will defend it to the last man. Join us! Be part of something greater! Alistair was impressed with the new orchestral music and production value of the video; seeing more and more videos vanish as soon as they appeared meant that Sol decided to curate the videos on his Network, and it seemed to evolve in front of his eyes as it made new categories like a FAQ and even rescue request section. He even found a public statement that followers are instructed to help those in need and capture instead of kill wrongdoers. Alistair watched as a life map updated with locations where people were gathering for safety. Alistair had to give it to Sol. He knew how to make use of his advantageous position, and his efforts would ensure that fewer people would die, which certainly got Alistair''s approval. More Notifications rang out as more Networks went online. Apparently, quite a few factions used their contribution points to access the means of creating their own Networks that Sol couldn''t curate. They were also quick to advertise their own efforts of gathering and safeguarding people with their own propaganda and speeches. However, they were quickly flooded with unwanted information and recordings and struggled to curate the information like Sol''s Network seemed to be capable of.
A quick look at the recordings revealed the chaos unfolding on Earth. Billions were fighting for survival. Alistair watched footage of someone following a pair walking down an overgrown, decrepit New York Times Square. "We should get out of here. I can sense a lot of ''ROUSes'' all around us," the woman in a red dress said quietly, coming to a full stop. The man in black leather armor scoffed. "Rodents of unusual size? Are you serious?" Moments later, he screamed in agony as a massive rat leaped onto him, sinking its teeth into his shoulder. The person recording the incident took to the air as everyone nearby began to scream. A tide of giant rats swarmed the area, devouring those who couldn''t escape. Among the rats were ratkin, casting spells at those who managed to fly away. The recording abruptly ended. Another video showed a horde of monkey monsters attacking people; the distinctive architecture confirmed it was Thailand. Alistair observed a squad of Knights in Sol''s heraldry desperately trying to hold the line against a tide of monkeys wielding crude tools and weapons as people fled for their lives. Alistair cursed as he watched them retreat, abandoning those who were too slow to flee. He wanted to help and interfere, but he was too far away to do anything about it; as he watched in horror, they were teleported away in a flash of light. Alistair doubted that had been the work of a regular individual and suspected Sol had interfered. The same scenes played out around the globe, and Alistair could only watch them as hours passed. The worst was the Alligators, as they were incredibly numerous and quite powerful, with most of them at peak Grade 9 and the ability to fly, which made for a horrifying display. Alistair pulled himself away from the videos as they neared the location where he sensed his cat. Looking at the forested area, he recognized some apartment blocks as the ones he used to live in. Relief washed over him when he saw that, although aged, the apartments appeared to be intact. They were now situated in a dense forest, with occasional buildings scattered throughout the greenery. It seemed Viv had stayed close to his old home. Alistair teleported to his apartment block, noting the broken doors and shattered windows. He made his way to his apartment and sensed a presence trying to hide itself, clearly spooked by the approaching wyvern and Alistair''s own high grade. As he entered his previous apartment, he checked his bedroom and found a pair of golden eyes peering at him from the shadows. "Viv?" he called softly. Chapter 138: Viv Viv let out a plaintive meow as she emerged from the shadows, rushing toward Alistair''s outstretched arms and leaping into them. He held her tight, kissing the top of her head. "Hey, baby, it''s okay. I''m sorry I was gone," Alistair said softly, holding back tears of relief as he stroked her fur. Viv purred and meowed incessantly, louder than he had ever heard before. The small black cat had changed little, aside from her yellow eyes now having a more golden hue. She was still the same small, loyal companion attached at his hip. Alistair sat down on the dusty bed, petting her as she pressed herself into his body as hard as she could. They remained like this for a while until the ground shook around them, dislodging dust and causing Viv to sneeze. A deep, imperious voice then called out from above. "We should move to the next location. Make the contract with your ''baby,'' and let''s get out of here," King said with mild amusement. Viv looked wide-eyed at the door exiting the bedroom, her small heart pounding in her chest. "Shh, it''s alright. He''s with me," Alistair said in a calming voice as he stood up and tried to place her on the bed. Viv refused, unfurling her claws and managing to bypass his armor to cling to him. This gave him pause, realizing that Viv was approaching the end of Grade 9, making her far more powerful than he had expected. As she refused to let go, he sighed and initiated the magic contract with her still in his arms. Using his Identify skill on her [Void Cat - lvl 79], he knew the correct way to address her. "I offer you, Void Cat Viv, a summoners contract. Do you accept?" Alistair asked, looking down at the black ball of fur in his arms. She blinked at him as he felt the contract establish itself, and he searched the plains for a suitable shard for her, finding a warm, slightly forested plains and hills shard that suited his needs. As he completed the contract, Viv was teleported out of his arms into the shard. He immediately sensed her shock and worry, and he had her appear back in his arms again. "It''s alright; that''s just a place I can store you when I need you to be safe," Alistair reassured her, his voice falling back into his babying voice, something that had earned him a lot of laughs from friends who don''t have a pet. To his surprise he could sense Viv wanted to go back so he sent her back just for her to want to get back out as she reappeared again. As she wanted to go back in again he frowned. "Oh god, damned," he said with a chuckle as he carried her out of the room. This had been one of her most annoying traits, as she wanted to enter and leave the house. It had been particularly bad in one of the apartments that had no suitable windows or cat door, which forced him to manually open and close the door for her. As they left the building, he saw that King was lounging on top of his old apartment building turning his head towards them as they exited. "Come on, let''s go," King said eagerly as Viv''s hair stood on end, and she looked wide-eyed at the massive wyvern looking down on them. She tried to struggle out of Alistair''s arms, but he robbed her momentum, which made the cat pause before she turned ethereal, falling out of his hands before rushing behind him. "She seems to have some tricks. Too bad she''s a coward," Kings commented smugly. Alistair let out a sigh as he stored Viv again and flew up to join King. They headed back to look for Remo. Viv, for her part, wanted to get out again, but he sent her a message that he was traveling on King and unless she calmed down, he couldn''t let her out. He wasn''t sure how much she understood and debated whether he should give her the pill of enlightenment or not. Fortunately, Viv seemed to calm down and explore her shard, which relieved Alistair as he looked at the many groups traveling about. King was incredibly fast now, and part of Alistair worried someone might mistake him for a wild wyvern and attack. However, there shouldn''t be too many individuals of Grade 8 or high Grade 9 who wouldn''t notice him riding on the wyvern. Despite this, he saw many groups freak out and try to hide in forests or shrubbery. None of that would have stopped King if he actually were a wild wyvern, which concerned Alistair. While most individuals were clearly mid-Grade 9, the groups he saw did not feel particularly powerful. Alistair considered watching some more recordings on the network but, in a good mood after finding Viv, decided against indulging in any fresh horrors the world had to offer. As he looked into the horizon, he received a call over the Akashic link from his brother. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "Hey, Alistair. I have to move through Sol''s territory to reach what used to be Italy. In case we vanish, you know where to look," James said, half-jokingly. "It should be fine. They promised us free transportation and to be on their best behavior. By the way, who¡¯s ''we''?" Alistair asked with a chuckle. "I''m with Jessica in the Zephyr, so we don''t really need transportation. But I''ll check in at one of their fortresses. I really don''t want to get shot down by those turrets scattered around," James explained. "Alright, let me know how things turn out," Alistair replied. "Will do. Talk to you later," James said. With that, Alistair ended the call and continued his search for Remo, feeling a mix of relief and concern as he flew on. After roughly an hour of flight, they spotted a skirmish below. A small group of people was desperately fighting against a band of Minotaurs. Both parties had already sustained losses, and Alistair watched as a Minotaur dragged a woman away by her leg while the rest of the monsters overwhelmed the outnumbered survivors. He couldn''t let that stand, especially since he had the means to intervene. Honing in on their location, Alistair teleported next to the Minotaur, dragging the woman and severing its arm with his Razor Aegis. He directed the other disks to cut down the remaining monsters, then blasted the stunned Minotaur in front of him with a Kinetic blast that caved in its chest, causing it to crumple and die. The other Minotaurs roared and flailed as they were swiftly cut down. Amidst the cacophony of screams and surprised yells, the fight settled quickly, leaving a shocked silence in its wake. The Minotaurs had easily been overwhelmed by him, and he did not feel much joy in fighting such weak opponents. He knew his karma would take a hit if he punched down more than one grade or without good reason, but this had been neither. So he checked on the survivors. "Are you all alright? I''m not much of a healer, but I can at least close some wounds if necessary," Alistair offered. "Oh, thank god. Thank you for helping us," one of the nearby men said, his voice shaky. Alistair watched as a red-haired woman and a blonde woman rushed over to help the woman who had been dragged away by the Minotaur. The black-haired, Mediterranean-looking woman still trembled like a leaf in the wind, staring at him with wide eyes. Nearby, he could hear the wail of a woman crying over the body of a man whose head had been caved in. King landed nearby, startling people who moved away from the wyvern. "It''s fine, that''s my summon," Alistair called out as he walked toward King. "I won''t be carrying all of those," King said resolutely as he looked down on the survivors. Alistair waved King off, sending him a message to let him handle the situation, as he only made it worse. He could sense multiple attempts at Identifying him, all failing as they failed to penetrate his Aura Suppression skill. The same man who had thanked him spoke up again, and Alistair identified him as [Joseph - lvl 64] a middle aged man with a lean muscular body and slightly graying brown hair. The man was by far the strongest combatant of the group, and Alistair was sure he would have been able to escape if he didn''t try to save the others. "Thank you again. I''m Joseph. May I ask who you are? And do you know of a place nearby where we would be safe?" "My name is Alistair Ryser. The only safe location I know is Sol''s Sanctuaries, which are to the south, toward the mountains. Did you not receive the information package?" Alistair replied. He watched as Joseph''s shoulders slumped and the other people behind him gathered, still bruised and shaking. Some had managed to patch themselves up thanks to a few healers among them, but one woman continued to cry over a body, a sight that churned Alistair''s stomach. "We don''t have a device to connect to any network, and we aren''t followers. Most of us don''t wish to be," Joseph explained. His statement elicited a mixed reaction from the crowd. Alistair suspected that some would opt for the safety of the walls, even if it meant joining Sol. While recruiting them crossed his mind, he realized that beyond manpower, there was little immediate value. The space on the Artemis was limited, and the Kaiakos wouldn¡¯t arrive at Earth until long after he had left. Still, it wasn''t the worst idea. "I''m sorry if this sounds harsh, but most of you are too weak to defend yourselves out here. Even if you don''t plan on joining Sol, I recommend going there for safety. I''m quite certain Sol will come out on top and conquer the planet," Alistair began, pausing to let his words sink in. He continued, "However, I am the leader of a large clan planning to leave the planet. If that''s something you would consider, let Sol''s followers know, and they will arrange for you to meet up with the rest of us." Having ended his spiel, he browsed his storage and picked out a spare pad that could connect to the network. It did not possess any sensitive data since he did not use it himself. He wordlessly tossed it to Joseph. "There is a request rescue option, and since you are already close to one of the most major Sanctuaries, they should show up in short order," Alistair added as he watched Joseph catch the pad. He then turned to leave, jumping onto King''s back as the people realized he was about to leave. Some of them panicked and requested he guide them. "There are others I can save during my travels. As long as you head south, you shouldn''t encounter more or stronger beasts. I have my own matters to attend to," Alistair said, while trying to keep his expression neutral to avoid getting more involved than necessary. To his surprise, Joseph called out to him. "Thank you, Alistair. What do I owe you for the pad?" Joseph asked. Alistair couldn''t help but snort. "Nothing. It''s of little value to me, and I have more of them. You helped protect these people, and I don''t mind rewarding such an effort." Before they could exchange any more words, King took to the air as his patience ran out and didn''t mind forcing the conversation to end. Alistair was considering chiding the Wyvern for his impatience. Still, he decided to take the excuse to leave and talk to King about when it was and wasn''t okay to abandon a conversation like this. He wasn''t overly surprised at the Wyvern''s disposition, though he felt it could spell trouble in the future if not handled correctly. Chapter 139: Finding Remo Alistair and King encountered numerous groups in need of assistance along their journey. King was not overly pleased with the frequent stops and only seemed happy when they fought off a group of wyverns hunting a large caravan of people. Despite traveling for nearly a day, they still hadn''t reached Remo, though Alistair sensed they were getting close. Alistair continued to travel for two more days. By now, Alistair''s mother had linked up with Melissa and Isabella, and they were waiting for James to set up a beacon for her to hone in on and teleport them. They had arrived at one of Sol''s sanctuaries, where Sol''s followers had reunited Melissa with her Bernese mountain dog, Teddy. Alistair was relieved to hear the dog was fine. Teddy had accepted Sol''s offer of shelter, as he had always been a massive lapdog and softy incapable of hurting others. This meant he was still in Grade 10, only earning records by providing comfort to other beasts. Melissa couldn''t care less as she had immediately established a summoner''s contract with him after crying her heart out in relief. In addition to this reunion, Sol had sent a care package containing all kinds of mundane plants and seeds they could ever need, knowing Alistair had been searching for locations to salvage seeds. With the assurance that he wouldn''t need to worry about securing various vegetables and spices, he was able to scratch that task off his mental list. While he knew he would likely find different food sources that were potentially much better than anything he could bring from his home planet, he was determined to at least bring tomatoes and potatoes. He was certain the Fichera family would have been very unhappy or even reluctant to leave if they couldn''t recreate their cuisine because the Clan had rushed off the planet without securing the most crucial ingredients. He knew his brother had made significant progress in gathering people scattered around Italy, and some had even found their way to Sol''s sanctuaries in the Italian Alps on their own. The local lord Giovanni had been a rather gracious host and had spent not an insignificant amount of effort to help and accommodate his Clan members. Alistair had half expected Caleb to be their contact but when James inquired about the man, he had been informed that Caleb was currently in charge of the Rocky Mountains sanctuaries and had different matters to attend to. Alistair still kept an eye out for a suitable location where they could gather and wait. However, over the last few days, he grew more comfortable with the idea of taking Sol up on his hospitality since most prime spots had already been claimed by people seeking safety. He noted the value of Earth mages, who could build fortifications and terraformed the local area to be more defensible. Some of the locations already resembled star-shaped bastion forts, which looked impressive from above, although they still lacked proper housing, having only square rock huts at the moment. Some of these forts contained what he suspected were natural formations and treasures that made the location worth claiming. He had not spotted any treasures that were worth stopping for. The only thing he had found were wild strawberries that had evolved to take on a magenta coloration and a much higher mana density compared to other mundane plants he had encountered. He wondered if they could push the mundane plants they had received from Sol to evolve similarly, but this wasn''t his specialty, and Jessica would be the person to ask about these things. However, he knew quite a bit from his own research with essence and idle reading. Mundane non-magical plants grew much faster than magical plants, and the introduction of magic pushed mundane plants to grow multiple times faster, allowing for more frequent harvests. If they planted mundane plants in spirit soil and provided certain treasures, the fruits and vegetables would eventually absorb and integrate the ambient essence, evolving and mutating to take on the aspects of the most common present concepts. Alistair also took the opportunity to capture some roaming cattle that had not evolved into their respective beastkin variant, like minotaurs. Capturing proved quite easy as most of them were rather docile and did not resist being put in storage once they recovered from the scare that was King''s approach. The only typical farm animals he had not captured yet were pigs and chickens, and he was quite determined to capture at least some chickens or trade for them. Most chickens he had found had evolved into dinosaur-like beasts, making them unsuitable as livestock due to their aggression. To his relief, the stream of recordings had slowed as the worst of the initial chaos had subsided somewhat. There was a noticeable shift from haunting to idiotic recordings, with numerous instances of people injuring or killing themselves by recklessly experimenting with magic or messing with beasts. Much of the latter was inspired by a powerful beastmaster in Australia who, along with his family, showcased the beauty of different beasts and lived in harmony with them. Many imitators, however, lacked the man''s skill to charm or at least evade the strikes of the confused beasts, leading to disastrous results. Alistair watched more than one person utter "Look at this beauty" or "Joink" as their last words. There were also a fair share of recruitment videos circulating on the various networks. One that initially piqued Alistair''s interest was from a magic school in what used to be Canada. The school''s goal was to research magic and train mages, both young and old. However, the image was somewhat tainted when they introduced some of the first settlers in the process of building the school. He heard a distinct "I''m a Hufflepuff" in the background and cringed. His musings were disrupted by another network message from Sol; this had been the sixth since his return to Earth, this one warning people that an evolved badger had set off a large cluster of hives inhabited by evolved African killer bees in an attempt to steal from their hives. The attached recordings showed the sky being blotted out by a black swarm of cat-sized bees attacking everything even remotely close to their hive, driving off multiple budding colonies and even one of Sol''s enclaves. The massive honey badger, however, seemed completely unfazed. With specialized skin rendering it immune to the killer bees'' attacks, it clearly didn''t give a shit about its impact or the bees as it continued to gorge itself on the bees'' hard-earned magically enhanced royal jelly and larva, having already killed the local queen and driving all the bees of the surrounding hives into a frenzy, forcing everyone else within hundreds of kilometers to evacuate. He then watched as the bees spotted whatever drone had been recording and rapidly swarmed and destroyed it. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Alistair was convinced that Sol wasn''t actually sending these messages but rather some of his followers on his behalf. He wondered what the natural god was up to besides rescuing groups by teleporting them out of danger. Sol likely had his hands full with all sorts of issues, given that he had the entire Sol system to monitor. Despite traveling for so long, Alistair still hadn''t caught up to Remo, which led him to believe his friend was on the move and moving fast. This was impressive, considering that even with the regular stops, King was flying them at incredible speeds that outpaced most beasts and hovercrafts. Alistair remained confident they would catch up soon. He was fairly certain he had left Switzerland a while ago, and based on the remaining architecture, he suspected they were flying over what used to be Austria or Germany. The land masses had stretched to an almost outrageous degree, which made navigation difficult even with a map of the new globe. He had flown over many of Sol''s sanctuaries and enclaves, which featured walled-off valleys and heavily armed defensive positions built into mountain fortresses that loomed over the enclosed city centers. Most of them were only sparsely inhabited. He also noted how those cities must have been shifted and preserved, as they were not nearly in as sorry a state as the cities and infrastructure outside Sol''s territory. He was certain that teleportation or high-tier traveling skills would be the only reasonable way to traverse the planet now. However, he had expected as much from his readings as most planets under the control of a natural god were much larger than the average, which was part of the reason why they were so coveted by the outsiders invading freshly integrated universes. Alistair directed King north, noticing that Remo had changed directions again. A few hours later, he spotted a battlefield in the distance where a large group of people flying Sol''s banners encircled a mostly hidden fortification. Sol''s followers were attacking the hidden outpost located in a hilly, forested area. They had deforested much of the surrounding land and deployed magitech artillery alongside powerful anti-flying and anti-teleportation magic fueled by a large support contingent to prevent those encircled from fleeing. Alistair browsed the network for information about the conflict but sighed when he couldn''t find anything. He knew his friend had to be among the fighters and desperately hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to confront or upset Sol''s followers. It would complicate matters significantly if they were hunting or harming Remo. Alistair made a silent prayer that whatever he was about to do wouldn''t anger everyone and that his friend was on the side of Sol''s followers. Realizing he was about to get involved in trouble, he wondered what Riseth was up to. Riseth said her goodbyes to Nessyra. Thanks to Zaltom''s efforts and the compact and self-reliant nature of Neshan''s city-states, the planet''s infrastructure had remained almost entirely intact; Riseth and Nessyra had easily managed to meet up and gather most of their followers. The only significant damage came in the form of all of the railways connecting the city-states, which had been broken and disconnected, which forced Nessyra to organize transport for those stuck in other cities. With most of the core personnel already arriving in their city of Maras, Riseth felt comfortable leaving the planet. She hadn¡¯t detected even a hint of treachery, and her sister reassured her that she was safe. Few people on the planet could stop her or prevent her from fleeing if things turned sour, with perhaps the exception of Varimas Merai, who had arrived in their city a few days ago with the intent of commissioning a spacecraft for himself from the Zekaria corporation. Which, thanks to the support of the Ryser Clan, was currently by far the most technologically advanced producer of spacecraft and weaponry on Neshan. However, the shipyards were still under construction. Varimas had turned out to be rather friendly and even showed interest in her sister. He inquired about opportunities to buy map data of intriguing planets the Ryser Clan deemed too far out of the way for their own purposes. Nessyra had tentatively agreed that they would consider selling such information if they found planets that fit that description. This had placated the large demon lord, who then proceeded to spend most of his time hunting beasts on the surface and underground tunnels of Neshan. Nessyra had managed to talk to Varimas about his own success in the Ascendant''s Tournament after beating her. Much like Alistair, Varimas had gotten lucky in the Ascendant''s Tournament, facing a somewhat weaker mythical beast in his second-to-last round and getting into the top 1000 before being eaten by a chaos hydra in his final round. Listening to the conversation, Riseth had been itching to fight him to see which of them was stronger but worried it could open a window for opportunists to strike. Although they had not made enemies of any factions on Neshan, showing weakness often invited misfortune. Which was an unnecessary risk at this point in time. After successfully sneaking away, she found an isolated stretch of land where she could safely take out the Artemis and leave the planet without worrying about someone planting a beacon. She planned to have James look over the craft once she arrived on Earth, which would take her a few days, perhaps a week. Despite the distance, she could still faintly sense Alistair''s emotions through their resonance. Initially, she had sensed conflicting feelings and revulsion from him, followed by an incredibly strong sense of relief that had made her feel better as well. Currently, it is a bit hard to read his emotions, likely due to sheer distance. She had also sensed a lot of second-hand embarrassment the last few days. She desperately hoped she arrived before he got involved in the wars and intrigue of Earth. She knew it was a bit of a pipedream as there were bound to be people he cared for who wished to stay behind or got themselves involved with one or more of the factions of Earth. Chapter 140: Prisoners As he approached the battlefields, four magitech jets took off from Sol''s camp, intercepting them at incredible speeds, presumably worried he would try and break the siege. He directed King to hold his position as continuing to advance would most likely be seen as a hostile action. Needless to say, Alistair was impressed they had already converted some of the old-world jets with magitech. Though then again, Sol had millions of dedicated followers, and retrofitting a handful of jets after a few days wasn''t that unexpected. Alistair and King watched as the jets approached. Three of them veered off and started circling them while the last one approached them. "What do you think? Can you keep up with them in case things turn sour?" Alistair asked. "I am faster if I push myself a little. Does this mean I get to tear them apart?" King asked with barely concealed glee in his voice. "Nope, let me do the talking. We don''t want to piss them off if we can help it," Alistair replied, which elicited a grumbling huff from King. The approaching craft came to a slow stop hovering beside them, and the cockpit opened up. Using Identify on the young man with black hair revealed him to be [Sam - lvl 81]. Alistair noticed an Identify in return, but it, too, failed to pierce his aura veil. The man looked a bit tired, and his armor sported some burn marks, indicating he had been fighting for a while. "Who are you, and why are you approaching our battle?" Sam asked, his eyes narrowed and beads of sweat flowing down the side of his head. "I am Alistair Ryser. I am tracking a friend of mine through my karmic connection, and it has led me here. His name is Remo," Alistair responded, carefully watching the man''s expression to see if there was any reaction. At first, the man furrowed his brows as he began typing on a cockpit pad beside him, but he relaxed when he heard Remo''s name. Alistair watched as the man seemed to wait for a response from the pad, then went pale for a second. Curious about the message, Alistair teleported to the other side of the craft and leaned in to read it.
''The Ryser Clan is a powerful conglomeration of Humans from Earth and Demons from Neshan, led by Alistair Ryser and Riseth Ryser. Both clan leaders are top-ranked within the Ascendant''s Tournament and are capable of wiping out even a strong order by themselves. Alistair has defeated Ascendant Marilyn Dixon in one-on-one combat. The Dixon Order is to be kept far away from any dealings with the Ryser Clan due to bad blood. Do not upset the Ryser Clan, and be cordial in all interactions. Failure to do so will result in severe consequences.'' Status: Prospective Allies Importance: Critical Additional Information: Denied
Sam spun his head around and looked at Alistair with a shocked expression, realizing he had read the information on the pad. Alistair gave the man an easy smile, glad to get some official information on Sol''s perspective on them, or at least how much the members of one of his orders knew. The man stuttered and stumbled over his words, trying to apologize, but Alistair raised a hand to stop him. "It''s fine. I''m the one being rude right now. Tell me, where is Remo? Based on your reaction, you must know something," Alistair asked, noticing the other two jets heading back toward the siege. "Remo joined us in the assault. His sister, along with other women, have been taken. We plan to free them before the situation worsens," Sam replied. Alistair''s expression grew dark as he glanced toward the outpost. "How do you know she is being held there?" he demanded. "I am not privy to such information; my rank in the Felsenschild order is insufficient," Sam admitted. Growing impatient, Alistair questioned, "Who are you attacking?" Sam hesitated for a moment but quickly answered, seeing Alistair''s stern expression. "We don''t know their name, but according to the information available to me, they are part of the Blackmarket Syndicates," he said hurriedly. Alistair did not want to kill humans if he could help it, but he would not let something happen to Mia. He had grown up with the woman whenever he hung out with Remo during their childhood, and she was something like a little sister to him as well; he had looked for her during the trial, though she had declined his offer to join his clan as she and most of the rest of her family had joined Sol''s cause and wouldn''t be persuaded to leave Earth. He wondered if what happened here would change her mind. Alistair shook his head. He had to act fast since every second mattered. He hated to admit it, but them being part of the Blackmarket and abducting people made what would come next a lot easier on his mind. He knew it was something he would have to overcome sooner or later. The Arena Dungeon and beasts had been good preparations, but knowing these people would not respawn through the Systems grace still knawed on him. Before Sam could speak up again, Alistair interrupted him. "I am going to help. Are they threatening to kill the hostages?" Alistair questioned. "Not yet. As far as we know, the victims are still shackled underground. Among them is a Grade 8 individual who gains strength from the suffering of others," Sam explained. Seeing Alistair about to rush off, he quickly added, "We''ve observed him retreat multiple times, likely to replenish whatever energy reserves his abilities or race require. He has red skin and horns, suggesting he may have evolved into some kind of demon." If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Alistair strongly suspected it was Sinergy but kept quiet. He directed King to head to the camp and assist from a distance since flying was impossible. Alistair then teleported as close as he could to the camp, used light manipulation to turn invisible, and employed flashstep to storm the proverbial castle. He managed to reach the entrance before anyone caught on to his presence, and before the first individual could shout, Alistair crushed his head with telekinesis, the sensation still unpleasantly tingling in his hand despite not having made direct contact. Without pausing, he rushed past the fortifications, searching for a path underground. He half-wished he had his mother''s ability to sense surrounding space, which would have sped up his progress. Forced to kill everyone he encountered, he lashed out with his poleaxe or crushed their heads with telekinesis or at least immobilized them long enough for his poleaxe to finish the job. Eventually, he reached a stairway leading underground and rushed down, already hearing wails and screams from below. "Don''t kill them! Selling them alive is worth a lot more," an angry voice rang out. "We''re going to be killed if I don''t get enough power to break the encirclement from those damn fanatics outside. Leave me to my work and make yourself useful instead of bitching at me, you dipshit," another, much deeper voice growled in response. Alistair rounded the corner toward the voices he had picked up with his enhanced hearing. He tasted bile as rage threatened to take over, but he pushed the emotions aside. He couldn''t afford to waste a second or lose control as he heard a muffled wail. "Shhh, don''t worry, sweetie. If you struggle enough, you might just live. I''d hate to waste a good battery," the man said with sadistic glee. Alistair finally reached the deepest depths of the tunnel network, and as he rounded another corner, without his senses, he would have almost run into the second man, who was jogging away from the scene. Activating his Temporal Combat Reflexes at high output, Alistair''s hand shot out and grabbed the man''s face. Using his Chrono Seizing Hand skill, he slowed the man down, watching his eyes widen in shock in slow motion. Alistair then summoned a short blade with his off-hand and swiftly decapitated the man, letting the body crumple and the head fall as he rushed toward the room, minimizing the reaction time of the torturer inside. Fortunately, the man inside had not immediately tried to take the woman he was torturing hostage but had instead turned to face him once he realized his partner had died. What greeted him was an almost two-meter-tall muscular man with red skin, long black hair, and a beard paired with two moderately sized black horns and a sharp-looking tail. He recognized his species as a cambion, a rather high-tier evolution that took aspects of humans and demons and was usually created when two high-tier individuals procreated. Identify showed that the man was [Afrim - lvl 101], noting the aura of an Ascendant on him, which meant he had made it onto the Universal ladder. As he entered, he spared a glance at the woman who was tied to a metal table, her clothes torn, and cuts, wounds, and bruises covered her body. In the corner, Alistair saw the discarded remains of another woman carelessly disposed to the side. Feeling overwhelmed, Alistair activated his Cold Rage skill, determined to crush the Cambion in front of him. Alistair spent a not insignificant amount of his Qi restraining the man with his Telekinesis skill, pulling him towards himself as he prepared to impale him with his poleaxe. Afrim would not be as easily cowed, as he seemed to draw deep within himself and tore energy from the prisoners around them before stomping down his foot after Alistair had dragged him a meter towards him, conjuring a two-handed axe prepared to meet Alistair''s onslaught. Alistair felt his opponent powering up and empowering his weapon for the clash. Alistair realigned his weapon as they clashed. Afrim must have expected this to stop Alistair''s attack but only found the kinetic impact of their clash fueling Alistair, who instantly converted the energy into more power, swatting the man''s axe aside and thrusting at his head. The Cambion jerked his head back, and the point of Alistair''s poleaxe tore into the man''s throat, but it was negligible damage at best for a Grade 8 opponent. Alistair felt something impacting his Mental Fortress skill, but it failed to shake him, and he saw sharp black tendrils growing out of his opponent''s back. Alistair returned the favor by unleashing his Bloodcurdling Presence skill down on Afrim, whose footwork froze for a brief second. Alistair pushed the advantage. He could not let the man take a hostage. He would need to grapple or slow his opponent. In a split-second decision, Alistair decided to follow Zathen''s advice and levy his powerful affinity, converting his Qi and own life force into Kinetic Energy and, from there, into power with his Kinetic Grappler and Arcane Energy Manipulation Skills. He then threw all 200 saved-up stat points into the power stat, skyrocketing his power stat from his second-lowest to his second-highest stat as Afrim froze, completely overwhelmed by the difference in power pressing down and crushing him. Alistair sensed bones cracking through his attack. Alistair brought his poleaxe down in an overhead swing, splitting the cambion in half. Standing over the body, he finally stopped, dropping his boosting skills and feeling a small wave of feebleness. With his rage skill deactivated, his mind began to process his surroundings. The imprisoned women and men were screaming in shock and surprise, looking at him with fearful eyes. He knew he needed to act quickly but was momentarily overwhelmed, feeling like he might vomit despite his stomach no longer functioning as it once did. He realized he lacked the skills to calm the prisoners and knew he needed to speak up, but the words came slowly as the smell of blood, sweat, and feces permeated the room. "I am here to save you. Nobody is going to harm you while I am here," he said, standing straight and trying to strike an imposing figure, hoping his voice sounded reassuring. He turned to free the woman tied to the table, glancing around and noting a few men and young teenagers huddled in the corner, shielded by the other prisoners. The scene reinforced his decision to leave this planet and civilization behind. He knew such atrocities must have been repeated countless times across the globe and the universe at large. He wasn''t a hero, nor did he want to be one. He hated how cold and detached he felt at this moment, his mind numbing his empathy to protect him from the surrounding horrors. He felt some responsibility due to his power but hoped to do more good by providing a safe haven. He quietly vowed to eradicate any Blackmarket cell he encountered and felt more certain of his decision to make an example of those who attempted to plant a beacon and follow them. Looking over the bindings, he noticed the enchantments and runes etched into the bindings that siphoned energy and restrained the individuals, fueling storage crystals situated under the table, out of reach for those tied down and fueling the contraption. He tore off the storage crystals and stored them, which immediately weakened the metal bindings, allowing him to tear them off with his hands. As Alistair worked to soothe the frightened woman and other prisoners, assuring them of their safety, a trembling voice pierced the tension. "Alistair? Is that you?" Chapter 141: Stygian Watch Having ripped off the last of the shackles, he felt relief wash over him as he heard Mia''s voice. He forced a smile and looked her way. "Yes, sorry for being late." "Oh, thank Sol. I was worried my distress call went out too late," Mia said, her voice breaking. Tears welled up in her eyes as she neared the bars. After being freed from the table, the unknown freedwoman moved to the opposite side of the room, reaching through the bars to embrace what he suspected were her companions. Alistair was constantly prodded by Viv, who had wanted to leave her shard for a while now, but he still felt it was too dangerous. He froze for a moment and hurried toward the entrance, readying his weapon as he sensed two strong presences approaching. His Conceptual Awareness skill highlighted two individuals concealed in the shadows of the tunnel, similar to what Viv had done when he found her, indicating they were using either shadow or void magic to hide themselves. Realizing Alistair had noticed them, they revealed themselves with raised hands. They wore black-dyed armor with Sol''s insignia emblazoned on their chest. However, the usually golden-colored landmass of the insignia was colored in a dark blue like the rest of the eye, contrasted by the gray ocean, which was usually colored white. Alistair had only sensed them when they were almost upon them and noted that his Identify failed to penetrate their veil, though they failed to pierce his aura veil as well. "We are here to save the hostages and dispose of Afrim, but it seems you were faster," the gruff voice of one of the newcomers rang out. Alistair slightly lowered his poleaxe but was still poised to react. He was a little skeptical since they knew the name of the torturer and were unable to read their intentions or emotions due to their strong aura control and inability to read facial expressions as they wore closed helmets. Realizing their mistake, the other newcomer spoke up. "Apologies, Mr. Ryser. The report of your presence reached us late, and by the time we reached the siege, you had already infiltrated the fortifications," A much more feminine voice rang out. Her words calmed Alistair enough, and he stored his weapon and headed back towards Mia''s barred cellblock, inspecting the runes engraved into the bars and rock floors, thankful they were of a similar make to the other bindings that had restrained the unknown woman to the table and not something more nefarious. Tracing the pathing of the runes to a panel at the end of the chamber. He cracked the panel, removing and storing the storage crystals, not looking at the two newcomers but keeping his senses trained on them. "And who are you two? Sol''s Blackops?" Alistair questioned as he turned back to the bars and ripped the cage door off its hinges. Alistair marveled at his own strength. The dump into the power stat had increased his strength by a not insignificant amount, and the action had taken much less effort than he had expected. Mia stepped out and embraced him. Her armor was damaged, and she was slightly shaky on her legs, but fortunately, she was not wounded. "Yes, we are part of the Stygian Watch, specializing in sensitive deployments like this one," the female watch member said. She added gently, "We have the situation under control, so if you wish to leave, you are welcome to do so." Alistair felt a wave of understanding and pity as she lifted her aura veil ever so slightly. Realizing his expression must have given his emotions away as he held Mia, he quickly composed himself, schooling his features into a neutral mask. He considered making his own helmet appear but decided against it. Rage simmered in the pit of his stomach, and he felt uncomfortable and angry, which must have shown on his face. "How did you know the cambion''s name?" Alistair asked evenly, scrutinizing the two for any reactions while dismissing her offer to leave. "We received recordings of the ongoing fighting. Our Information Gathering Division identified him and sent us a dossier based on what we observed in the Ascendants Tournament. The two of us were chosen for our abilities to deal with the target." Satisfied with the answer, Alistair asked another question, unwilling to leave these people vulnerable after promising to protect them. "I presume these are all the prisoners?" "In this compound, yes. Now we only need to hold our position until the Felsenschild Order finishes with the rest of the scum above," she replied, her voice laced with undisguised disgust and anger. Alistair sent King a message, giving him instructions to tell the rest of the Order they had secured the hostages and to do what he wanted with the syndicate members left above. It took only a few seconds before they heard King roar above, followed by the shaking of the ground despite their depth. Both of the operatives whipped their heads around, extending their senses as some of the prisoners shirked back. "Don''t worry, I just told my wyvern he is free to deal with the syndicate members as he sees fit," Alistair said unapologetically, the simmering rage in the pit of his stomach still boiling. His words prompted a chuckle from the male operative. "Too bad I don''t get to see that," the man said, his voice suggesting a grim smile under his helmet. Alistair disapproved of the man''s attitude but suspected that people capable and willing to deal with this kind of situation were limited. "You two can leave and assist upstairs. I''ll stay until your fellow followers arrive to take over," Alistair offered. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. He watched as the two operatives turned their heads toward each other, likely communicating through some skill. Eventually, the female operative looked back at him. "Thank you. We will move on since we have many more fires to put out. We are grateful for your assistance," she replied, offering a slight bow before both of them melded into the shadows and quickly disappeared. It dawned on Alistair that his clan wasn''t the only faction meticulously planning and organizing for their return and beyond; Sol''s faction was impressively well-coordinated. Observing them, he admitted that he might have joined their ranks if he hadn''t already had his own plans and faction. Yet, part of him still distrusted Sol and his intentions. Eventually, Mia let go so he could break the doors of the other cages. Despite the bars only being made of magically reinforced iron, he stored them to be melted down. They only had to wait a few minutes before a group of Sol''s followers clad in crusader armor rounded the corner, joined by Remo, who also wore a set of armor with Sol''s sigil. However, it lacked the insignia of the Felsenschild order. Seeing Alistair and Mia, Remo hesitated for a brief moment before nodding at Alistair and embracing his sister. Alistair tried to enjoy the moment, though the circumstances and environment dampened his mood. After making sure his sister was alright, Remo turned to him, and they embraced each other in a hug. Alistair looked his friend over and noted that he appeared much better than he had during the few matches observed in the tournament. Remo had looked like a wild man despite his hair not growing out of control, and he had worn self-made armor and clothing during the tournament. Alistair noticed that Remo still carried the axe the trial had given him. He would tell him about its value once they left this forsaken chamber. "Thank you for saving my sister. I''m not sure if I can ever repay you," Remo said gratefully. "Don''t worry about it. Simon helped my mom. I won''t be able to return that favor either," Alistair replied. This put a sad expression on Remo''s face. Alistair realized that his friend must have learned that most people had been able to enter the subspaces and coordinate with each other while he had been all by himself, at least as far as Alistair knew. "Yeah, I heard you guys got to meet up and work together," Remo said wistfully. Alistair shook his head and raised his hands placatingly. "Let''s leave this dump first. We got a lot to talk about, and I''d rather not do it here." His words relieved the other people still standing in the room with them, who felt too awkward to leave with him still sticking around talking, almost like waiting to receive his permission to act. When they finally left the fortification, he spotted King looking at a pile of bodies. He was sure he was considering eating them, but King had standing orders from Alistair not to eat enlightened species if he could help it. Alistair grabbed the leg of a lomie he had in storage as a snack for the wyvern and tossed it toward King, who eagerly snatched it out of the air. Remo looked at him with disbelief. "Wait, that wyvern is with you? Just how strong are you?" Alistair mulled over the question before answering. "Hard to say. Earth did extremely well in the Ascendant''s Tournament, but I''m pretty sure I''m among the strongest people on the planet." Many of the surrounding Crusaders awkwardly looked away, suggesting they hadn''t clued Remo in on Alistair''s status despite him joining their faction. Alistair was glad they hadn''t used his friend to get closer to him by giving him an inflated rank or special treatment. He was invited to their nearby Enclave, and he watched as they formed a convoy mostly consisting of Hovercrafts and a handful of retrofitted vehicles that looked like buggies with weapon emplacements on top. Only half of those buggies still had wheels, and most of them deployed levitation magic. What impressed Alistair more were the jets that scouted ahead and provided them with cover from above. Alistair had stored King in his shard after the Crusaders had hesitantly offered to heal him after the fight. He talked with Remo during their drive until they arrived at the enclave and were shown a guest house for them to use for as long as they needed. Mia, on the other hand, was brought away with the other former prisoners to be taken care of by healers and psychiatrists. Once they entered the house, he let out Viv as she did not handle unknown people well. He had her wait in her shard until now. He could sense the cat''s irritation and hesitation once he let her out. Eventually, she calmed down and cozied up on his lap as he and Remo sat at a large oak table. As they continued talking about their time during the Trial, Alistair learned that his friend had discovered a handful of dungeons late into the year, and only a few had contained other people. Unfortunately, none of the rewards he found were keys he could use at the Sanctuaries to enter the many subspaces. Remo knew of the existence of a Hub but was completely unable to find any standout features that would reveal its location. His world had been an enormous forest with megafauna trees as large as skyscrapers with monsters living in networks within the massive trees. Climbing them hadn''t helped much with orientation, and even after he figured out how to fly through trial and error, he hadn''t been able to find any notable landmarks, only more dungeons. Alistair pitied his friend''s luck and told him about the value of his axe, hoping to lift his spirits. When Alistair eventually broached the topic of Remo joining them, his friend''s expression turned apologetic. "I''m sorry, Alistair, I can''t join you. My entire family chose to remain on Earth and join Sol in the vision of a better future," Remo explained. Alistair looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow and a slightly concerned expression. "No, I haven''t fallen for propaganda. The people here genuinely care. Does your faction have psychiatrists who can take care of Mia or me? Do they take in strangers, clothe them, and provide protection while not restraining their freedom?" Hearing his friend had received such support made it hard to argue, but Alistair wanted to ensure Remo had the full picture. "But you know the outsiders will likely invade Earth in the near future? You will be fighting for your life, and you and the rest of your family might very well die protecting Earth," Alistair cautioned. "So I''ve been told. I know all that, but I still want to stay and help as much as I can. If worse comes to worst, I''m sure you''d still take us into your Safe Haven?" Remo replied with a cheeky smile. Alistair scoffed. "Oh, only after you burned out your other options you want to crash on my proverbial couch," They laughed, and Alistair slapped his friend''s shoulder. "Of course, I''ll take you in. Just don''t wait too long to call. I don''t plan on settling nearby." "I won''t. Thank you, Alistair," Remo said, his expression serious. After an awkward pause, Alistair chuckled. "Wish you weren''t so fuckin'' awkward, bud," he remarked, and they both grinned at each other. Chapter 142: Leaving Earth Alistair spent the next few days traveling south to spend time with Remo and his family, who had settled in one of the major Sanctuaries located in the now much-enlarged Dolomites. Many of those planning to join the Ryser Clan had also gathered at this Sanctuary, awaiting the arrival of the Kaiakos. Joseph and other rescuees spread the word about the Ryser Clan, attracting a significant number of people wanting to leave the planet with them. This influx of interest kept Alistair''s mother and sister busy, sorting through applicants to narrow down the selection for Nessyra, whose skills made her particularly adept at detecting falsehoods and assessing a person''s character. During this time, Alistair got to practice placing arrays and, along with his mother, managed to imitate teleportation arrays the Sol''s Faction was willing to share in exchange for other less valuable arrays they had acquired through the Trial rewards. The practice of creating arrays alongside other array experts led to a large upgrade in Alistair''s array skill. Particularly, once they had successfully helped create a long-range teleportation array from one sanctuary to another, his skill improved from rare to epic tier as the array formations layout was added to his growing library.
Skills:
Tier: Name: Description:
[Epic] Array Adept The user is able to place arrays on any surface he is capable of penetrating or inscribing upon ignoring atmospheric interference. If the user has access to the schematics through [Akashic Link] or other means, he can perfectly measure, adjust, calculate, extend, and combine arrays for a chosen area. The skill grants a moderate boost to [Control] when imprinting arrays and highlights issues with the array based on the user''s [Senses] and experience. Due to the assistance of the [Akashic Link] and [Conceptual Awareness] skill, the user can create a visual overlay to simplify and double-check runic placements.
Alistair could sense Riseth approaching and knew she would arrive within the day. Having informed everyone else, he, Simon, and Remo flew to the highest mountain peak to take in the stunning views of the local mountains, valleys, and lakes. They lazed in comfortable chairs, enjoying the breathtaking scenery as Alistair brought out some of his limited supply of Spirit Orchid wine. "Not that it isn''t appropriate, but don''t we only have a handful of bottles of this stuff left?" Simon asked, looking hesitantly at his bottle. "Nope, we bought the means to propagate the orchid and produce the wine as a trial reward," Alistair said with a contented smile, lifting his bottle towards Simon, who sat in the middle. Simon looked at him with wide eyes as Remo reached out, clinking their bottles together. "I could kiss you," Simon said before taking a long sip from his bottle. "I know you are gay for me, but even though my family isn''t the type to mind this sort of thing, I''m sadly already spoken for, and you know it," Alistair joked, trying to maintain a serious expression before cracking a smile. As they laughed, the sun cast a golden glow over the majestic landscape, and they let the smooth, soothing liquid work its magic as they savored the moment while Alistair stroked Viv''s fur as she purred contently in his lap. They watched as a trio of jets flew past nearby, a reminder of the increased patrols as the sanctuaries and enclaves filled with more and more people. The main sanctuary, New Veneto, sported a banner with a winged lion, a symbol from their old banner that had taken on new relevance in this magically inclined world. Alistair talked about how Earth now actually contained winged lions, most originating from Africa, with a few former zoo animals thriving in the less dangerous, expanded European parts of the continent. This got them wondering which other Zoo animals had managed to establish themselves, which led them down a rabbit hole as they queried the Network. Sensing Riseth''s immediate approach, they packed up and headed back towards New Veneto. Time was precious, and the longer they delayed, the more opportunity the Blackmarket Syndicates had to gather a fleet or catch wind of their plans. A lot of curious bystanders joined them at the runway, including a handful of Sol''s dignitaries, such as the local lord Giovanni, and people planning to leave with the Ryser Clan. Alistair found himself talking to members of the Fichera family while holding Viv back as she hissed at Pasha, the little Chihuahua of Fillipo''s sister Giulia, who barked his little head off at Viv. As more people gathered, Viv became increasingly uneasy, so Alistair stored her to help her feel more comfortable. Alistair hadn''t been stoked to learn that they would bring not just one but multiple Chihahaus with them among a lot of other pets; while he loved most animals, he wasn''t a fan of the small bug-eyed creatures. As far as he knew, a lot of people joining them had reunited with their pets, most of which had taken Sol''s offer for shelter. Part of him was glad they had picked up the biosphere regulator for their AI Core, as the number of cats could actually become problematic if people didn''t keep them close and let their pets roam once it was deemed safe. He would have to throw some classes on summoning but was relieved to hear Fillipo had picked up the mantle and taught quite a few people in his family and friend circle how to become a summoner. They watched as the Artemis rapidly approached, blazing through the atmosphere. As it drew nearer, its asteroid-like appearance must have bewildered many onlookers, who likely mistook it for a comet. Some even took cautious steps back as the ship continued its high-speed approach, only to suddenly decelerate and pivot on its axis, effortlessly landing before them. Alistair observed as the door opened, and Riseth, with Fluffy perched around her neck, leaped out of the Artemis. In a blink, the craft vanished into her storage. She hurried into Alistair''s outstretched arms, showering him with kisses, and he lifted her in an embrace. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "You never know how much you miss someone until they''re a galaxy away," Riseth joked, easing up on her affectionate assault. Alistair grinned, still holding her aloft. Pasha, true to form, continued yapping incessantly, much to Fluffy''s evident irritation. The serpent looked disdainfully at the tiny dog. "Oh, you have those too," Riseth sighed, her voice tinged with slight annoyance and resignation. Alistair failed to stifle a laugh, not surprised a Demon planet had Chihuahuas. Giulia quickly stored the yapping critter in her storage before stepping forward to greet Riseth. The two women had bonded during their few encounters in the trial, and Alistair doubted Giulia''s choice of pet would strain their relationship. Giulia was an interior designer before the initiation, and the two women, along with some others interested in the topic, had talked at length about how to decorate, design, and build structures within their future colony, mixing features from Earth and Neshan and taking the best ideas from both worlds. Most of these discussions had been headed by a Master Builder from Neshan called Braxik. Though Alistair had hardly interacted with the Libranor demon, he only knew the knowledge demon would be the man in charge of construction for their new colony. He joined the clan early on after witnessing Nessyra''s business acumen and their clan rising to prominence in the Trader''s Market subspace. Alistair pushed the idle thought to the side as he mentally prepared himself to leave Earth and make sure he said his goodbyes. The whole procession was purposefully short-lived. Giovanni tried to have them stay a little longer, but they insisted that they had important matters to attend to. They exchanged only a few words before Alistair hugged his mother and sister goodbye, and Simon, James, and Jessica boarded the Artemis alongside Riseth and him. The initial plan had been for James and Jessica to join the Kaiakos, but they were now needed to help set up the railgun emplacements and space mines before switching over to the Kaiakos. James, Jessica, and Alistair joined Riseth in the cockpit while Simon checked his quarters. Using space magic, the ship''s quarters had been slightly expanded for added comfort, as the rooms had initially been quite small, except for the captain''s quarters. This enhancement was a slight drain on the reactor but barely noticeable in the grand scheme of things. Alistair used his magic to root himself in place while the others took seats at different stations. The familiar smell of ozone briefly filled the air as the reactor started up. On the ship''s displays, Alistair watched the small crowd outside, waving as the Artemis slowly lifted off the ground. The people grew smaller and smaller as the ship picked up speed and exited the atmosphere. He was somewhat impressed with the zoom but knew that it was technically barely adequate for their needs as they would need to enter orbit to see the surface in high detail, whereas their other sensors could only provide limited information. "Good thing the Sol system has so many planetary bodies. It gives us plenty of Lagrange points to use, making jump calculations much faster. Flying in from the edge of that gas giant''s gravitational well was a pain," Riseth commented as she finished programming the autopilot. "By the way, I got the green light from Sol to deploy a beacon for the Kaiakos to hone in on, which should shave a lot of days of travel," James added, working at the sensor station. "Also, it looks like Sol has retrofitted some jets to work as space interceptors. I see a few patrolling nearby." Riseth shook her head in confusion for a moment before looking at James. "Why does he need interceptors patrolling right now? It will take years before the first outsiders arrive." Alistair, who knew the answer from talking to Giovanni, explained, "Sol isn''t a fan of the Blackmarket syndicates and wants to prevent them from coming and going. Multiple cells have already been found collecting slaves." Sensing there was more to the story, Riseth kept her eyes on Alistair, waiting for him to elaborate. "Remo''s sister was captured, and I got involved in freeing her, which allowed me to learn some things about Sol''s forces and earned me some goodwill with them," Alistair explained. He expected her to be slightly upset that he had gotten himself more involved, but to his surprise, she seemed unbothered. As they continued sharing stories of their time apart, the ship reached the Lagrange point. Jessica initiated the jump drive, setting it to calculate the preplanned destination in a distant galaxy at the center of the universe. Meanwhile, James deployed the beacon and sent a message to the Kaiakos. The navigation system would take days to complete the calculations, so they each retreated to their quarters to stay busy. Riseth gazed at Alistair with curiosity, her eyes filled with longing, and he grinned warmly as they made their way to the captain''s quarters. As they settled into bed, Riseth nestled into his chest, and Alistair felt Viv scratching at the back of his mind, asking to be let out. He knew introducing Viv to Riseth in such a small space might slightly unsettle the cat, as she was unfamiliar with her. Confident that Viv would adjust in time, he planned to ask Riseth to refrain from overwhelming the shy cat with too much affection. "I forgot to mention that I found Viv back on Earth. She waited for me in my old apartment, and I established a summoning contract with her," Alistair shared, prompting both Riseth and Fluffy, who had been resting at the foot of the bed, to perk up. "That''s wonderful! Why keep her in the shard? Bring her out," Riseth eagerly suggested. "Just try not to overwhelm her. She''s quite shy and needs time to adjust to new people," Alistair cautioned before summoning Viv onto his lap atop the covers. Viv appeared slightly disoriented, glancing around the room and sizing up everyone present. Alistair quickly scooped her up to prevent any escape attempts, mindful of the potential complications if the void cat could pass through walls while aboard the Artemis. Viv stared wide-eyed at Riseth, who squealed with delight and dropped her veil, sending signals of affection to the cat, holding herself back from reaching out and petting the cat, which still stared at her. "Shh, it''s okay," Alistair soothed Viv with gentle strokes, explaining that they were in space and instructing her through their summoning contract not to pass through walls while aboard the Artemis or any other spaceship. Meanwhile, Riseth disregarded his reassurances and muttered in his ear, "You taxdriver! You told me she was a small cat, not this tiny and adorable! I thought most felines were bigger than dogs!" Riseth''s surprise was evident, having expected Viv to be much larger based on her previous encounter with felines. Based on her brief descriptions, Alistair was sure that the people of Neshan kept tigers and mountain lions as pets. Thinking back, he realized none of the videos they had watched had contained any house cats, and Riseth must have gotten the wrong idea from watching National Geographic. After a moment, Riseth reached out to pet the cat. Riseth almost vibrated in delight as she stroked the soft fur, and Viv leaned into her hand. Alistair could sense through their resonance that she did her best not to just pick the cat up and smother her in affection. To Alistair''s surprise, the cat stood up, planted herself on Riseth''s lap, and began purring. Eventually, Riseth couldn''t help herself, so she picked the cat up and squeezed her to her chest while petting her, which caused the cat to eventually turn ethereal and pass through her and jump off the bed with an indignant look, much to Riseth''s visible dismay. Chapter 143: Body Enchantment In the following days, they spent most of their time cultivating and enjoying each other''s company after being apart. Viv quickly warmed up to both Riseth and Fluffy. To Alistair''s surprise, the serpent wasn''t overly jealous of the cat, and they got along quite well. Alistair often found Viv curled up on top of the coiled snake, dozing together. Alistair realized they both had a knowledge gap when it came to pets of their respective planets and took the opportunity to show Riseth some cat videos. She was weak in the knees once she realized the baby-sized cats had kittens themselves, calling it unfair that they had nothing like it on Neshan. In return, she showed him images of Neshan''s pets. His guess of tigers and mountain lions had not been too far off the mark, though more interesting to him were the different breeds of Cerberus they had. Nessyra had a variant that looked quite similar to a Doberman, though the dog was apparently scared of Dexter, marking the Yagan as the top dog. Neshan also had a wide variety of lizards as large as Komodo dragons kept as pets. Few animals among Neshan''s pet selection would Alistair categorize as ''cute,'' which explained Riseth''s reaction to some of Earth''s pets and Fluffy. Fluffy had apparently made some progress with her Polymorph skill but hadn''t shown Alistair her results yet. According to Riseth, she still looked too much like a beastkin according to the serpent standards and wished to appear more humanoid before revealing herself to everyone. King had been less forthcoming about his progress in their messages, though he knew the Wyvern at least occasionally worked on it. Viv had also leveled up quite a bit just from Alistair''s rescue operation and records trickling down, which put her at level 89. After three days, the Jump drive completed its calculations, and Alistair experienced his first jump. Magic seemed to focus, condense, and bend around them before suddenly cracking and jerking them away. Despite not being physically moved, he felt an intense pull at the core of his being and grasped his chest as the Artemis entered warp space. He also realized he had lost connection to all the Networks the second they had jumped. Riseth snickered at his surprised expression. "It feels weird, right? We''ll be traveling in this warp space for a few hours before being thrown out at the edge of the target galaxy''s gravity well." Sensing she was withholding something, he asked, "How bad does exiting warp space feel?" "You''ll see," she said with a toothy grin. Giving her a flat look made her relent. "It''s pretty mild, like stopping mid-run without actually running." She was proven right; it felt exactly like that. Simon and Jessica, in particular, stomped down on the metal flooring as they exited warp space despite not having moved before. The displays turned on, showing a magnificent view of the nearby galaxy. While Alistair marveled at the display, Riseth took a seat at the navigation station and typed away as she targeted the largest gravity well within the nearby nebula outside of the unknown galaxy. This jump would take the longest, as the possible gravity wells were much smaller and the distance still quite large. Once there, they needed to find a suitable system for an ambush. They required specific criteria to align so their setup railguns wouldn''t be out of place when the ambush was finally sprung. They planned to use a Lagrange point with a nearby natural satellite that always faced it so the guns wouldn''t be misaligned. It would be even better if they found a system with multiple such points. They would also need to place a handful of other beacons to place a trail for the Kaiakos to follow so they could ensure they were being followed. Having placed beacons would also allow the Kaiakos to flee before whatever syndicate group was following them was able to deploy jump disruptors and attack them prematurely. Though they hoped they would be able to avoid that eventuality. It took almost a week for the Artemis to calculate its second jump. Unfortunately, the system they jumped into had no suitable locations or interesting planets, and they decided to jump to a nearby planetary system instead. During their waiting times, everyone got a bit antsy and bored being cooped up in the spaceship. Fortunately, there were plenty of entertainment modules and activities to keep them occupied. Alistair had taken out the Dragon Heart manual, which, much like the children''s book his sister had shown him in the Nurturing Ward, was heavily enchanted, making it nearly impossible to absorb. It took him several days and the conversion of Qi to mana to get the job partially done as he couldn''t copy all the aspects and information from the manual as there seemed to be an almost endless amount of questions and information he could potentially extract from the manual. The soul imprint left on the manual prevented certain aspects from being copied by his Akashic Link, much to his annoyance. He had tried to read the manual, but instead, it allowed him to experience things from the perspective of the author in an almost dreamlike state. By directing his intent, he was able to pose questions, which the manual answered through visions, thoughts, and explanations from the author, whose soul imprint seemed to be the source of the manual''s information. While this imprint allowed her to show and explain things to him, she refused to answer certain questions. One puzzling aspect was that the Dragon Heart manual, upon acquisition, referred to itself as both a body cultivation and body enchantment manual. The Soulimprint embedded within it refused to elaborate further. It dawned on Alistair that Mitania had been subtly indicating that he was applying cultivation terminology to something that might not strictly qualify as true cultivation. Reflecting on it, there were many stark differences between body cultivation and true cultivation, and the overlap was actually smaller than the overlap with regular magic, particularly enchantments. Mitania hinted at the absence of inner demons back then. Still, there was also the lack of stages, breakthroughs, and the refining of Qi, which is the foundation of cultivation, as well as the absence of tribulations. The only thing that gave him pause was dual cultivation, which firmly belonged to the cultivation sphere. Riseth was the first to point out a flaw in the logic when Alistair shared his thoughts with the others. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Don''t normal dual cultivators refine their Qi instead of essences? Also, do regular cultivators even use essences in any of their other techniques?" Riseth questioned. Alistair paused and reviewed the knowledge base stored within his Akashic Link skill on regular, dual, and body cultivation before reaching a conclusion. "No, they don''t." "I think we put arbitrary limitations on ourselves based on another misconception again," Alistair said as he felt himself level up to 112, which he took as a sign that he was on the right track. He had been so close to leveling up, and seeing that gaining insights also provided enough records to level up was valuable information in itself. "Maybe we could refine things other than essences or Qi with dual cultivation," Riseth added. Their discussion, which was at first awkward, clearly piqued the interest of James and Jessica in particular; being able to refine their bodies and different magical energy sources through sex had some appeal when you were trapped within a small spaceship for weeks on end. Alistair took the chance to browse his Body Cultivation for Dummies and other sources. Still, unfortunately, it lacked hints or instructions as to how one would use Dual Cultivation to refine aspects other than essence. "It''s not like we don''t have time to practice and figure it out," Riseth commented with an almost predatory smile. "Yeah, rub it in that I''m the only one alone on this ship," Simon retorted, shaking his head as he left. "Don''t you still have that goat-like summon?" Alistair called out, which earned him a scowl and a middle finger, though Alistair saw the tell-tale signs that Simon was barely holding it together from not bursting out laughing out loud. Riseth turned to Alistair with a slightly worried expression. "Is he going to be alright?" "Yeah, don''t worry," Alistair reassured her. "He''s just being dramatic to mess with us. He''ll be fine." He knew Simon well enough to know when he was actually upset. Though he was envious, it wasn''t something that would cause issues. So he turned his attention back to the topic at hand, searching the rest of his knowledge base only contained hints at refining Qi, which was something he wasn''t comfortable trying as he did not wish to accidentally step on the path of true cultivation and said as much to the others. Taking the realization that they did not need to restrict themselves to cultivation themes when it came to body cultivation, they considered changing the terminology to Body Enchantment. Still, they decided to leave it as is for the moment but would keep an eye out for paths of advancement that they would have otherwise potentially overlooked. Their discussions were cut short as they arrived in the next system, and Alistair and some others reflexively stomped their feed down. James took his place at the sensor station while Riseth prepared the Artemis for its next jump. "We shouldn''t set up here, but it might be worth putting down a beacon," James commented. "We need to hide it, though, since there seems to be some fauna in the system." Alistair''s curiosity was piqued. He knew the nebulae were now incredibly dense with magic and served as nurseries for most space fauna. He would love to see some, even though approaching them could potentially lead to issues. "What kind? Are they big?" Alistair asked. "They''re about the size of the Artemis, so not particularly big as far as space fauna goes," James replied. "Though they might be juveniles. I don''t have much data to work with here." According to Riseth''s Cosmic Pathfinder topic, the larger Space Fauna could even function as a host for certain clans and groups that wished to stay mobile. Space turtles, whales, rays, dragons, and other space fauna could grow as large as a moon or even a planet or have subspaces or other strange environments that allow people to live on their backs or inside their bodies. Some individuals even searched for juveniles to tame and guide their growth to evolve them into such beings. Alistair had initially thought they should try that if they came across a suitable beast. But Riseth and Nessyra had shot that down as it was very rare, a lot of work, and a planet had its own advantages, which allowed for more stable and less limited growth and expansion. While they would still tame such a creature and take it as a summon if they came across it, they wouldn''t use it as a foundation for their clan. They deployed a drone carrying a beacon towards a Lagrange point with some asteroids where they could hide it. It was one of many beacons Riseth had created for the Artemis and Kaiakos to track. This process repeated for about a week as they mapped out multiple star systems per day, occasionally finding habitable planets and locations of interest. They didn''t stop to investigate, planning to either revisit these locations later or sell the map data to the highest bidder. On their fifth jump, they discovered the perfect location with multiple moons and an asteroid belt, allowing them to hide and spread out the weapon emplacements, which would allow them multiple angles to shoot at opponents while at the same time providing partial cover for some of the emplacements. While everyone else was busy deploying the equipment, Simon and Alistair kept tabs on the sensor station. They had been in occasional long-range communication with the Kaiakos, who had reached Earth and had already departed to their nebula. Everything had been according to plan, and a left-behind spy drone had confirmed they were being followed. They were followed by a fleet of roughly a dozen ships, most of which looked somewhat ramshackle and hastily put together. Multiple ships appeared to be hollowed-out asteroids with engines and weapon emplacements strapped to them. The pursuers'' procedure involved a waiting period allowing the Kaiakos to leave the system before one of the smaller ships jumped ahead of the fleet and sent a message back before the rest followed shortly after. This complicated their plans with the space mines, forcing them to relocate and hide them in the asteroid belt. They had not yet agreed on how to deploy the mines or execute their ambush. Riseth cursed at the prospect of her hard work being rendered useless before it could even be utilized. They all gathered on the bridge to discuss how they should enact their ambush. Chapter 144: Ambush "I see two viable options here," Riseth began. "First, we could take the tracking beacon from the Kaiakos to the Artemis and temporarily jump out, luring the scout ship into an ambush without using the weapon emplacements. If we''re lucky, the pirates or whatever they are will take the bait and jump into the system to try and attack us." "This means we''ll be down one ship temporarily, and it relies on the pursuers being aggressive enough to follow up on their loss," Simon pointed out, voicing the flaw that had been bothering him. "True," Alistair replied, "but it would also mean we take out at least one of their ships with minimal cost. My intuition tells me they''ll still take those odds, thinking we''re overconfident or are under the misconception it''s just that one ship trailing us." Riseth nodded. "Exactly. The second option is to stay in place and wait for them to jump in altogether. We won''t have to hide the mines in the asteroid belt if they jump into the Lagrange point. However, this carries the risk of them waiting for reinforcements or jumping in at the system''s edge rather than directly into the ambush location." "I think that''s less likely as it would give us too much warning and the chance to escape," Simon pointed out. Alistair nodded in agreement. Simon''s tendency to focus on worst-case scenarios contrasted with Alistair''s optimism. The second plan had the advantage of not splitting their forces and a higher likelihood of their mines doing damage. Prefiring based on spy drone transmissions promised to inflict significant damage in the initial volley. The AI core, which they had temporarily integrated into the Kaiakos, had run simulations that favored the first approach, as it was more likely for the enemy fleet to engage in the parameters they wanted. It would, at worst, still kill the scout following them while their enemy threatened. "I think we should proceed with the first option," James suggested. "In the worst case, we destroy the tracker if they don''t take the bait, and salvage their scout ship as a consolation prize." Simon grumbled but acknowledged the strategic advantage of the first plan. Riseth also supported it, noting that while deploying the mines mid-battle would likely result in many being destroyed before they could be effective, they would still provide distraction and some damage. Jessica deferred to the group''s decision, while Alistair affirmed his agreement with a nod as he to preferred the first option. "Alright, transmit our battle plan to the Kaiakos. We''re going with the first plan and hoping they take the bait," Alistair instructed. "We''ll need to hold back and intentionally miss some shots to allow the scout ship to send out a distress call and lure the rest of the fleet into a false sense of security," James added, outlining their tactical approach. An hour later, the Kaiakos jumped into the system, leaving the initial kill box as it approached the Artemis. Alistair''s eyes were glued to the second display, which showed a delayed perspective of the neighboring system where the Kaiakos had just departed. He counted a roughly 20-second delay between the Kaiakos disappearing on the footage and reappearing in front of them. Once communications were no longer delayed, Nessyra appeared on another screen. "Ah, it''s good to talk to everyone in real time again," Nessyra greeted warmly. I agree with the plan, but I''d suggest a few small additions. Alistair, Riseth, and James should come on board the Kaiakos. If they attempt to board, we''ll need every strong fighter we can get to repel them." James immediately interjected, "No, I won''t leave Jessica''s side," earning a kiss from her as she leaned over. "Besides, the Kaiakos has excellent targeting thanks to the AI core, but the Artemis could use my expertise." Nessyra mulled it over as the two ships approached each other. The Artemis maneuvered into position to dock with the Kaiakos, whose hangar bay had been purpose-built to accommodate several crafts the size of the Artemis. "Alright, you got a point," she admitted, "we already rigged the tracker with an explosive, so you will be able to eject it and return and blow it up later." Alistair watched on the screens as a moderately sized ship, covered in half-painted metal plating, jumped into the sector the Kaiakos had just left. The spy drone registered a long-range message being sent out, indicating they needed to act quickly. Remaining stationary longer than usual could attract the pursuer''s attention or signal that something was amiss. Alistair observed Oconoe approaching with what appeared to be an explosive device. They greeted each other, and James inspected the device before nodding and taking it back onboard the Artemis. As Alistair hurried toward the bridge, Nessyra shared her vision with him, revealing the rest of the pursuing fleet jumping into the other sector, each ship arriving with an accompanying white flash. Annoyingly, they had a new addition, increasing the fleet size to 13 ships. Fortunately, the newcomer was small and lightly armed compared to most of the other crafts. Their plan relied heavily on the success of their ambush and the fact that the Artemis had recently traveled to the other system. This would significantly cut down the jump drive''s calculation time, ensuring that the Artemis would likely appear within minutes after the battle had started. The tension was palpable as Alistair sensed the powerful shields of the Kaiakos being activated. All non-essential parts of the ship went inert to save energy, causing the lights in the corridor to dim, leaving only the path on the metal flooring illuminated. Riseth and Alistair arrived at the bridge just in time to watch the Artemis, with the tracker on board, jump out of the system in a white flash of light. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Immediately, Alistair noticed Nessyra sitting in the captain''s chair, idly stroking Dexter, who sat on her lap, giving her a bond villain look as she oversaw the rest of the bridge. He also noted the number of demons and humans on board, manning different consoles. Despite the redundancy, he knew the AI core would handle most of the heavy lifting. The bridge crew''s job was mainly to keep everyone apprised of any changes and support the AI as best they could. They were also prepared to take over in the worst-case scenario where the AI was damaged, though this was unlikely. None of them believed the pursuing ships possessed the magical or technological marvels capable of disrupting its functions. Multiple timers appeared, displaying the predicted jump times and the arrival of various parties and events. Alistair watched as the timers rapidly counted down. The silent anticipation was almost unbearable, and he considered activating his Akashic Soundboard. His offer to play some epic music was met with a snicker from Riseth and some of the crew, while Nessyra and the rest gave him disapproving looks. Seeing the fear in some of their eyes, he decided to lift their morale. "Listen up! They may have the numbers, but we have the quality and the element of surprise. Don''t underestimate the planetary-grade defensive emplacements we''ve put down. Our enemies will learn the hard way that the Ryser Clan is not to be fucked with!" As if to underscore his words, the Kaiakos powered up its weapon arrays and confirmed readiness across the board, with predictive algorithms completing their tasks. The bridge erupted in cheers as the first countdown reached zero, and the enemy scout jump vanished in a flash. They waited as the minutes ticked down to the next timer. They watched as the Artemis ejected the tracking device, with a slight delay in the footage. Alistair knew they were already calculating their return jump. "Get ready for a show. We''re going to cripple that ship so it can call its parasite friends for help. I¡¯ve ensured the AI will record all outgoing messages and decode them, so we may learn what these black-market wastrels are up to," Nessyra announced. Her words were met with enthusiastic cheers from the Neshan crew members and slight confusion from the human crew before they too joined in, cheering a bit delayed. Alistair heard and sensed the laser weaponry powering up as the smell of ozone grew stronger. The ship seemed to brim with energy in anticipation of the scout ship jumping into their sector. As the timer approached zero, the crew''s eyes were glued to the main screen, focused on the arrival point of the scouting craft. In a flash, the tube-shaped ship appeared, only to have its main weapon and half its engines shaved off by their laser fire, with other shots scraping across or hitting empty space as planned. Alistair noted the AI detecting an outgoing message and beginning to decode it. The tube-like ship''s shields activated as missiles arced out from the Kaiakos toward the much smaller craft. Though Alistair knew this was just a fraction of their missile pods, they needed to appear to be struggling with just one craft. On another monitor, Alistair watched the enemy fleet, his heart beating faster, hoping they weren''t fleeing, willing them to do something stupid and take that bait. The scout ship''s return fire barely scratched their shields. Its shield flickered but held until the second volley of lasers penetrated it, incapacitating the craft. The crew watched with bated breath as the timer reached 0, and the rest of the fleet jumped out of the neighboring system one after the other, just within the margin the AI predicted. They cheered, knowing everything was going according to plan. Alistair''s intuition told him they had the enemy hook, line, and sinker. The Artemis, jumping from the other system, would arrive roughly one minute after the attacking fleet if they chose to jump into their sector. A demon at a console called out, "We got green light on all emplacements. They are ready to fire!" A human woman at another console was next to speak, "Space mines are leaving the asteroid belt. ETA roughly 20 seconds after enemy fleet arrival!" Alistair heard an intense humming sound and knew the Kaiakos''s main railgun was powering up to shoot its devastating payload into the fleet, which was shortly arriving. It was followed shortly after by the main thrusters of the Kaiakos starting up as they approached the battlefield for a pass, which would allow them only one shot with the main railgun. The timers approached 0, and Alistair watched as multiple missile groups they had preemptively fired out of their tubes and reached the kill box, which would shortly be followed by their lasers while the missile pods continuously cycled, sending new missiles streaming towards the predicted targets. Another demon sitting on a different console was the next to speak up, "The main railgun is ready to fire at the predicted flagship location," Alistair watched the fleet appear on their main screen just as the missiles arrived at their location, impacting in a cacophony of explosions before their weapon emplacements on the nearby moons and stable asteroid satellites all fired upon the fleet. Alistair had expected there to be some rumbling, but there was only a bright flash of light as the main rail gun fired upon the largest and most elaborate ship, piercing straight through where they had expected their bridge. As soon as they confirmed the hit, the Kaiakos veered off course for a broadside. Their prediction turned out to be wrong as it hadn''t been the bridge of the flagship but the main reactor location, which blew up in a blinding flash of light due to being sheered in half mid-fusion process, tearing the craft apart as it hurled toward the other crafts in the formation, which weren''t fairing much better under the assault. Particularly, the asteroid ships broke apart and crumbled as they were hit by railgun fire from the emplacements. The enemy shields flickered out of existence one after another, as they had to split their fire between the Kaiakos and the approaching mines. Despite their flawless execution, the Kaiakos'' shields were also taking a beating and wouldn''t hold much longer. Alistair watched the shield flash and crack on the screen as they flew closer, with their point defense weapons already overheating from shooting down the incoming missiles. Then it happened. The Kaiakos'' shield vanished, likely not to recover before the battle''s end. The first attacks impacted their armored hull, causing the entire ship to violently shake under the assault from the remainder of the enemy fleet. Chapter 145: Fleet Commander Alistair steadied Riseth by gripping her shoulder as she reached for a nearby console to regain her balance. Across the viewscreens, escape pods ejected from the wreckage of the enemy ships, only to be swiftly torn apart by laser and point defense guns. Alistair briefly pondered if that had been a war crime but decided he wouldn''t dwell on it as they were just a bunch of pirates and slavers out to kill them. Said escape pods were aimed at the Kaiakos instead of away from the battlefield, and he was quite sure they attempted to get close and board their ship, and the AI apparently decided it would have no part in that. On another screen, they watched the Artemis appear and immediately unload its own missile pods and laser weaponry on the now five remaining enemy crafts. Dexter, who had so far been on Nessyra''s lap observing, panicked and telepathically yowled that they were all going to die. The remaining enemy ships had all been stripped of their shielding and most of their armament. Although they had managed to knock out most of the weapon emplacements scattered among the nearby satellites, the exchange had clearly favored the Artemis and Kaiakos. The Kaiakos shuddered as one of its missile pods was destroyed by enemy return fire. At the same time, Alistair observed with grim satisfaction as another enemy craft detonated, its reactor exploding in a blinding flash as the ship''s reactor was destroyed, sending a visible wave of energy outwards before the fragments and debris scattered away, peppering the leftover ships and the remains of their former allies. Another salvo of their remaining railgun emplacements sealed the deal, as the leftover ships lacked the shields and armor plating to resist the assault. The last of the crafts broke apart, and the AI halted all fire, choosing to only use its lasers to shoot any individuals abandoning ship. They watched as the Kaiakos slowed down, its sensor suite sweeping over the battlefield with meticulous precision to ensure no hostile remnants remained. Determined to allow only the panicked transmissions, the pirates likely sent to their allies to escape. As the scans indicated they had won and none of the other spy drones reported any new incoming hostiles, the bridge erupted into loud cheers and hugs. Alistair kissed Riseth, who eagerly reciprocated. As they separated, Alistair shouted with triumph, thrusting his fist towards the sky in celebration. As he looked around, he noted a human woman who had announced the ETA of the mines making out with a demon from a neighboring station. James appeared on a screen in front of Nessyra, who had a content smile on her face, with Dexter excitedly sending out telepathic commentary of how exciting that fight was despite panicking the second the shields had broken. "We did it! We fucked them up good!" Simon, who pressed into view, hollered. James elbowed him out of the way, asking if the scanners had truly not found any survivors, which Nessyra confirmed for him. This got a much more muted but intense celebration from James, who balled both of his fists in front of him and silently screamed internally. To Alistair''s surprise, multiple notifications had rang out, which he had half ignored in the excitement of their victory.

Titles: Tier: [Epic] Name: Fleet Commander Effect: Overall performance of a craft under the user''s control is improved by 10%. Grants and Increase in the [Power] of the Craft under the user''s command during an ambush. Grants a slight increase in [Power] [Control] to the craft under the user''s command when fighting against a larger force. Origin: Acquired by participating in the leadership that directed a fleet to a successful engagement against a numerically superior foe. This evolving title improves with the type, number, and quality of successful engagements.
After consulting with Riseth and Nessyra, Alistair discovered they had received the same title, though Nessyra''s version was named "Stellar Warlord" and shared the same tier, effects, and description. By focusing his intent, Alistair realized he could switch the name of his title back and forth, though none of the other elements seemed as flexible, so he left them unchanged. Alistair had suspected there might be titles and skills that would affect a piloted spacecraft but had been unsure of their specifics. Now he had an answer, and it was more significant than he had imagined. Did the ship truly have stats, or was this his system interpreting the available information in its own way? After discussing it with the others who had received the title, they concluded that the system was likely compensating for their lack of comprehension. The results, however, were clear: their ship would hit harder and more precisely when ambushing other vessels, even if outnumbered, and would generally perform better if directed by one of them. "I wonder if the ship can level up and get skills," Alistair joked. Everyone seemed to pause in shock before they looked at him with uncertain expressions as it dawned on him that it was a distinct possibility for a ship to earn achievements and gain benefits. "The System is fucking weird," A man working on a nearby station said aloud while massaging his forehead, and Alistair agreed with the sentiment. Alistair looked to Riseth as if she should be the person to know as her topic was the most likely to cover that particular topic, and she was disappointed as she spoke up. "I just checked, and yeah, it looks like that''s a thing," Riseth said. "Active skills are almost unheard of in regular ships but are found in sentient ships and certain space fauna. However, it''s perfectly capable of acquiring passive skills; according to my topic, it is very similar to faith magic. The more infamous a ship becomes and the more battles it survives, the more passive benefits it acquires. For example, when the guns of a craft are well known for almost never missing, their accuracy will increase. But it can also gain negative traits. If a ship is well-known for breaking down or being fragile, those traits will become more pronounced as well." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "So wait, if we had used the elixir that bestows sentience from the trial rewards on the Kaiakos, it would be able to learn active skills?" Alistair asked. "Huh," Riseth replied as she browsed her Akashic Link for the copied knowledge. "Yeah, that would have actually been a pretty good idea down the line. However, it would have risked our AI Core being integrated more permanently. It is generally recommended to only bestow sentience upon a craft you have a history with, and that has already earned some achievements. This makes it more likely to be fiercely loyal to its captain, crew, or owner and accept a magical contract." Alistair wondered just how energy-intensive it would be to summon a sentient spacecraft and considered if it was even practical to do so. There were presumably other more suitable contracts and people who specialized in space warfare, though much like the crafting path, it felt wrong and alien to him. However, the idea of a space dogfighting specialist intrigued him. As he mulled things over, Nessyra deployed a large number of drones the Kaiakos carried to salvage the wreckage of the battlefield for worthwhile items, treasures, and recoverable parts from the enemy crafts. Exhaustion swept over Alistair after days of hurried activity and mounting stress, amplified by the sight of the Artemis docking safely in the hangar. He decided to retire to the luxury quarters he and Riseth reserved on the Kaiakos, seeking rest and a chance to celebrate. Unlike Nessyra and James, who were too eager to dive into the salvage operations, Alistair had no inclination to join them. Riseth sensed his intentions and brushed her hand against his before they intertwined, and they stepped off the bridge to get their well-deserved break before they went out to find a new home for their clan. The next day, Alistair and Riseth joined Nessyra and the rest of the clan leadership on the bridge as they listened to the decoded messages they had managed to intercept. The messages confirmed that the pirates had been part of the Blackmarket Syndicate and had been hired to destroy the Kaiakos. Unfortunately, the messages did not reveal who had hired the Void Reavers and other smaller pirate syndicate members to attack them, as nobody deigned to respond to the pirate''s messages and requests for reinforcements, nor did they know if they had destroyed a significant portion of the syndicate factions members or merely eliminated a few disposable pawns sent to disrupt their plans. Most of the other messages were desperate cries of defeat, laden with curses directed at their clan in their final moments. This outcome brought grim satisfaction; they had sent a message, knowing they had potentially saved thousands from the brutal fate filth like these pirates would inflict upon others. The salvage operation was already fully underway, and the Artemis was already calculating its jump to the distant galaxy closest to their target nebula. According to the reports, most of the crews consisted of humans and orcs with various beastmen. Unfortunately, many of the more valuable treasures had been destroyed or thrown into deep space by the explosions. However, they had managed to recover quite a few storage items, and their clan members were sorting through the loot and recovering salvage of the destroyed crafts as they could use some of the reactors that had not been destroyed, among other valuable parts. It would take days, if not weeks, to process most of the salvage. "I say take the most valuable stuff and then leave. Also, keep the jump engine trained on Earth if another fleet seeks revenge," Alistair said after reviewing the information at hand. "I second this," Riseth concurred. Returning to Earth instead of Neshan was a calculated risk. They owed Sol a favor, and given his confirmed hostility toward the Blackmarket Syndicates, he was far more likely to assist them in case of an attack. In contrast, Zaltom had already reaped most of the benefits from their agreements, and while future trade and the option to request their help were still on the table, the Ryser Clan was an independent faction that wasn¡¯t worth risking a conflict with a major faction like the Syndicates. Zaltom likely wanted to keep his options open for future dealings with them, making Sol the safer bet for support. Nessyra and James, ever the united front, frowned as both of them wanted to get as much as possible out of the spoils they had earned. "How about this?" James suggested. "Once we''ve recovered the emplacements and the Artemis departs, we halt all EVA activities. Instead, we''ll rely only on drones for material recovery while keeping the Jump Drives primed for an immediate departure." Alistair frowned but considered the offer. It should be quite safe, and the possibly worst-case scenario was that they''d lose some drones and get confirmation that the Blackmarket Syndicate would continue sending pirates their way. Simons'' unexpectantly siding with James and Nessyra convinced Alistair to let them do it. "We should salvage what we can," Simon suggested, "but once we''re done, the Kaiakos need to jump back to Earth and conduct a thorough sweep to ensure we don''t have any new trackers." Despite having a sizable portion of the crew and the AI Core performing deep scans of the ship and surroundings, they hadn''t found any trackers or beacons yet. But they couldn''t afford to let their enemies know where they were headed, and it was a necessity they all agreed needed to be done. They also had some repairs to do as multiple weapons systems and other modules had taken damage. However, the Adamend armor plating had prevented the worst and had already repaired itself. The Artemis had gotten out of the fight unscathed, as its late arrival had meant its shields had held up the rest of the fight. "Alright, just don''t take any unnecessary risks," Alistair conceded after exchanging a look with Riseth. Clapping her hands approvingly, Nessyra moved on to the next point of discussion. "Great! With that settled, we can talk about who goes with the Artemis. I still think the crew should stay mostly the same, but Oconoe should remain here with his family. The likelihood of you guys finding technologically advanced ruins or anything similar seeded by the system is slim to none. We could use him here to repair and repurpose the salvage from the battle." Alistair nodded, approving of the notion. They had initially planned to bring Oconoe along in case they encountered any tech for him to work out, though with the destroyed pirate fleet, it made more sense to leave him with the Kaiakos. "Do we even need to fill his spot? Or should we just go with Alistair, Simon, Desily, and me?" Riseth asked. The group fell silent, contemplating whether they had any other strong fighters or willing participants for the expedition. "We could make an announcement and see if anyone is interested," suggested Melissa, who had been quiet until now. She had recently been given the title of Chief Scholar, ensuring her inclusion in any system events involving clan leadership. Her new role focused on magical research and the accumulation of knowledge. They had given most of the core members more or less arbitrary leadership roles, such as chief of security for Simon and so on. "No, I think I know who we should send," Nessyra said with a toothy smile as the rest of them turned to look at her. Chapter 146: Braxik "Braxik is the obvious choice. Having another prospector and Master Builder will speed up finding a suitable location for our clan''s seat," Nessyra exclaimed. Riseth nodded in approval. "He isn''t a strong fighter, but having his expertise to bounce ideas off of could be invaluable. Simon would probably need to stay close to protect him." Simon grumbled at the prospect. "I don''t know the guy. Who is he?" "He is a capable demon who felt how the money was flowing and decided to take a chance on us early on." Nessyra said "We''ve mentioned him in multiple meetings, and you agreed to give him access to our information so he could do a better job. As the new Chief of Security, I expect you to remember these things." Simon raised his hands and took a step back. "Alright, I got it. Protecting him shouldn''t be too hard, unless he''s still low Grade 9." As a refresher, Nessyra displayed Braxik''s dossier from her Bloodline tab and started reading it off. Braxik was currently level 79 and a Libranor knowledge demon. He had been a Master Builder on Neshan before the Initiation and had overseen multiple large city-state projects, some even above ground. They had shared with him some relevant information and techniques on Riseth''s Cosmic Starfinder topic, and Braxik had spent most of his time learning construction and other relevant magics so he could continue working in construction as it was his life''s passion. According to Nessyra, once she had clued him in that they wouldn''t just stay on Neshan but build a whole new colony and industry on another planet, he had been beyond excited at the prospect and willing to permanently join their clan as a member, which only further improved Nessyra''s opinion of the demon. Alistair was briefly shocked at just how expansive and in detail her Bloodline tab was when compared to his own, as she must have spent a lot of time restructuring and reorganizing it, and was again glad to have her to rely on. Alistair himself had only occasionally seen the man and hardly exchanged words with him. He had mostly approved of them sharing information on their plans, magic techniques, and topic information so he could study them in preparation for their settling on a new planet. Riseth had spent more time with Braxik discussing plans and the potential design of their colonies. Fortunately, Braxik had a suitable set of affinities to fill his role with no big noticeable gaps, though they didn''t know his core concept as they hadn''t asked, as few were willing to share their strongest concept unless avoidable, and they had respected the decision. There were quite a few other demons and other followers of note Alistair had hardly talked to or interacted with, like the herbalists and breeders in charge of their Herb and Lomie farms, as well as the Alchemists now working under Jessica, who had taken the title of Chief Alchemist. Usually, Nessyra was their point of contact, and she handled the members and followers. So he listened as she elaborated further. "This is also a good opportunity to get to know him and see if he should be given an official leadership role and be let into our circle for relevant discussions," Nessyra added on a more serious note. Alistair paused at that request. While he trusted Nessyra''s judgment, he would be reluctant to add people he hardly knew to their somewhat sensitive discussions. However, getting to know Braxik and having his expertise at hand could potentially be invaluable and alleviate at least some of his concerns. "I think it''s a great idea, but did you ask him if he even wants to join the expedition? It¡¯s going to be dangerous," Alistair questioned. "Not yet, but knowing him, the chance to prospect planets for building sites isn¡¯t something he¡¯d pass up," Nessyra replied confidently. After some back-and-forth, they agreed to meet with Braxik alongside the rest of the expedition team if he was interested in joining. About half an hour later, Alistair and Riseth sat in one of the spare Tactical Operations Centers (TOC for short) with Simon and Desily, who was lazily perched on Simon¡¯s shoulder, waiting for Nessyra to bring Braxik over. It wasn¡¯t long before Nessyra arrived with Braxik in tow. The demon was large and sturdy, with dark blue skin and black hair. His thick, partially braided beard gave him a rugged appearance. He lacked both a tail and horns, though he had small, decorative bone growths on his forehead. In a way, he resembled a well-built middle-aged lumberjack, though his clothing was off the mark for that comparison. Alistair remembered Braxik as calm and professional from their last encounter and was surprised when the demon lit up enthusiastically, revealing long canine fangs as he greeted Riseth. Riseth stood to greet him, and Alistair, along with the others, quickly followed suit. "Good fortune, Riseth. It''s so good to see you again," Barxik said, taking a deep bow before turning to Alistair. "Good fortune, Patriarch. I thank you for this amazing opportunity," he said with a more respectful and professional demeanor before bowing again. "Yeah, none of that," Alistair replied. "If we''re going to be stuck on the Artemis for weeks, let''s keep it casual. Just call me Alistair." After a brief shock, Barxik recovered. "Certainly," He said excitedly before bowing toward the other two people in the room. "Fortune upon the two of you. I am Barxik; the profit is ours; what might your names be?" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. After the initial introductions were complete, everyone sat back down, and Braxik began to introduce himself. Most of what he shared was information they already knew from Nessyra, who had left after dropping him off. Still, Alistair listened intently as Braxik talked about what he hoped to achieve on the expedition and some of his favorite projects before his initiation. Simon eventually cut in, asking, "How good are you at fighting, and what kind of concepts do you generally use?" Braxik responded, "I primarily focus on construction-related concepts and magitech, so I¡¯m proficient with Earth manipulation and can shoot earth spikes. Aside from that, I mostly rely on my hammers in combat. I have a reasonably high affinity for creation magic, which allows me to craft objects with sufficient energy, though it''s very energy-intensive and hasn¡¯t been particularly useful in a fight. That said, I did reach the adept levels in the Dungeon arena." He trailed off slightly as he considered his answer, then expanded on his capabilities. From Braxik''s description, it was clear he didn¡¯t rate his combat strength too highly. A quick glance at Simon confirmed that he was thinking the same. They continued asking questions to get a better sense of Braxik¡¯s abilities and personality, while only Desily seemed disinterested, casually observing the conversation. "And you''re certain you want to join this expedition team? It will be dangerous, and we might not always be able to protect you," Riseth asked, her concern evident. Braxik shook his head enthusiastically. "This is the adventure and opportunity of a lifetime! Traveling to uncharted planets to find the perfect home and then planning and building it within my now much-extended lifetime? This is beyond anything I could ever ask for. Dangers be damned," he declared with conviction. His answer was more than satisfactory for Alistair, but he didn''t let it show immediately; the man had the drive and enthusiasm necessary to walk his chosen path, and Alistair would veto any dissenting opinions from the others as he wanted to see how far Braxik could go with a non-combat path. Through his resonance, he sensed that Riseth shared his opinion. The demon''s enthusiasm and excitable personality were infectious, and even Desily eventually spoke up in his favor. "I usually don''t like to get involved, but I''d feel bad if we didn''t bring him along, and he seems qualified," Desily said, trying to maintain a reserved facade. As Braxik thanked her, she waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, I''m not the one you need to court. Save that for the others," she said dismissively, though Alistair sensed that she was happy at the attention. Alistair looked to Simon, who sighed. "It''s going to be a pain to watch out for him, but yeah, we should bring him." Braxik looked at him with a nervous expression, and Alistair smiled at him. "You got it. Welcome to the expedition." Alistair could tell that he wanted to let out a sigh of relief but kept up the professional demeanor that his Neshan upbringing expected of him. Alistair was glad for his sharp senses and ability to read emotions this clearly, especially since he felt like an HR person who had just hired someone, which felt awkward to him. But he knew they needed to make a show of due consideration for the demons of Neshan as it was considered taboo to just hand out positions of power and influence. He supposed that he would have to vet more people in the future, especially those who would be making decisions within his clan. After telling Braxik about their expectations and talking with him about his ideas for the new colony and its infrastructure, Alistair excused himself as he had different plans and knew Riseth wanted to talk to Braxik some more. Three days later, the team boarded the Artemis as its jump drive, assisted by the AI Core within the Kaiakos, completed the necessary calculations. They arrived at the edge of a moderately sized galaxy. Alistair knew that once they found their new home, establishing contact with any nearby civilizations in this galaxy and the surrounding ones would be crucial. There were likely factions open to trade. They had already spent valuable time exploring the wrong nebula and ambushing pirates sent by the Blackmarket Syndicates. Alistair was eager to finally push forward with their expedition. Their first jump into the nebula, however, was a disappointment. A blue supergiant star dominated the system they entered, and despite the introduction of magic, none of the planets orbiting it managed to sustain life, though the presence of a blue supergiant within a nebula was odd and indicated a lot of time acceleration within the system. Some of the local asteroids could hold valuable and aged treasures or even materials they would want to return for. After mapping what they could while waiting for the jump drive to complete its next calculations, they moved on. The following days proved similarly unproductive. Although they found several habitable planets, none met their standards. Some had insufficient mana density, others were too small, arid, or covered in inhospitable deserts, dense swamps, or jungles. They did deploy occasional beacons to mark these planets for future exploration but ultimately agreed to continue their search elsewhere. Alistair was busily trying to solve the latest challenge posed by the arcane puzzle cube he had acquired from the nurturing ward when he felt the familiar tug of the ship exiting warp space. He stored the cube and made his way to the cockpit. Upon entering, he saw Braxik petting Viv, who sat contentedly on his lap at the Navigation station while Riseth was already working at the sensor station. Viv had quickly warmed up to the large demon despite initially being startled by his presence. Alistair nodded at them before joining Riseth. Simon had already joked that the nebula, or at least the quadrant Alistair had picked, was a dud, and Alistair was starting to worry, hoping this system would finally have a planet worth checking out. "How''s it looking? Any suitable planets?" Alistair asked. After a brief pause and running the sensor sweep a second time, Riseth smiled at him. "Yes, two in fact," she replied. "One is a dense jungle, so presumably unusable, but the second planet is large enough with rather high mana density. It is on the arid side, but not as bad as the others." Alistair felt conflicted. This was the first planet worth investigating, but its arid nature was a significant drawback. Despite this, he wanted to leave the ship for a while and perhaps pick up some easy treasures before moving on. He watched as Riseth deployed a drone carrying one of their beacons while Braxik looked at him expectantly. "I doubt this is the one," Alistair said, "but we should check it out. Having two habitable planets with sufficient size and mana density is already a plus. It might serve as a secondary location where we can farm for materials." He exchanged glances with Riseth and Braxik, who both nodded in agreement and began typing away on their respective consoles as the Artemis picked up speed toward the planet. Noticing the change in course, Desily and Simon joined them, curious about the shift in plans. Alistair quickly filled them in on the situation. Chapter 147: First Expedition After roughly an hour of flight and anticipation, the planet finally came into range of their scanners, revealing a visual of its surface. To Alistair''s surprise, deep blue oceans covered roughly half of the planet, contrasting beautifully with the red continents. Patches of green stood out vividly along the rivers and in perfectly circular spots dotting all three continents. It was a profoundly beautiful planet from space, and Alistair''s excitement grew as the images grew sharper as they approached. "What the hell are those green dots?" Simon asked, leaning in and squinting his eyes as if it would improve his view of the screen. "I presume they are patches of greenery," Braxik replied. "Perhaps there are craters that are filled with water, creating oases where the surrounding plants can thrive." Riseth disrupted their theorizing with a frown. "I''ve got some bad news; the scanner isn''t picking up any major mountain ranges, so the odds of finding strong dragon veins are rather low," Riseth reported. "The planet will probably mostly have ley lines." Alistair clicked his tongue in frustration; this meant the planet wouldn''t suffice even as a potential backup. However, as they got closer, their visuals improved, and what they had thought were oases turned out to be plateaus brimming with magical power. These plateaus transformed the earth on top and in their immediate surroundings into spirit soil, likely supporting herbs and plants that thrived in dry environments, like cacti. They decided to aim for one of the plateaus near a river for their landing site. Reluctantly, Alistair stored Viv away, unwilling to let her roam until they had a better idea of the local beasts'' strength, much to her displeasure. As they touched down, Riseth quickly stored the Artemis, and they took in the scene around them. A reddish landscape stretched out, broken up by patches of greenery. The wind whistled softly, carrying with it the sounds of distant insects. They scanned the area for any signs of danger but sensed nothing amiss. The air was dry, yet it held a pleasant mix of floral scents and the earthy smell of soil and vegetation. The ground beneath them was a rich red hue, yet not as parched as Alistair had expected. Most notably, the mana in the air was dense and plentiful, far from the suffocating thinness of some other subspaces they had visited. While it wasn¡¯t quite on par with Earth, the difference was subtle enough not to be a concern. Alistair summoned King before he and Riseth took to the skies to survey the area. After a few minutes of reconnaissance, they determined that the surroundings were safe enough for now. From above, they spotted small herds of large, bison-like creatures, each with axe-blade antlers lined with sharp, spike-like protrusions along the non-edged sides, and white stripes covering their bodies. A quick identification marked them as [Kocno - lvl 57], confirming they posed no significant threat, especially since they seemed incapable of flight. As they descended, they noticed Simon and Braxik constructing a rudimentary shelter fortified with spiked walls, using their earth magic. They were also busily setting up turrets and automata to secure the landing site. Overhead, Desily observed as King indulged in the local wildlife, effortlessly taking down one of the bison-like beasts, causing the rest to scatter. Alistair landed beside the outpost, considering their next steps. "Let''s explore the plateaus while they finish setting up," Riseth suggested. "Should we bring King along, or let him roam on his own?" Alistair asked, watching the wyvern tear into the Kocno''s carcass.
Riseth tapped her chin thoughtfully before replying, "The plateau is nearby. Have King capture a few of those beasts intact if they taste good. Then, set him to patrol the area and alert us if he comes across anything interesting." Alistair nodded and used his Summoner skill to relay instructions to King, while Riseth communicated the plan to the others through the Akashic Link as they made their way toward the nearby plateau. As they drew closer, Alistair immediately noticed the spike in mana density. The perfectly circular plateau ahead of them harbored a dragon vein¡ªless powerful than the one in the Study Dungeon, but potent enough to nurture the unique flora that thrived on the peculiar landscape. The plateau, standing about 100 meters high with a circumference of roughly 2 kilometers, resembled a smaller, more overgrown version of Devils Tower on Earth. Alistair briefly wondered what had become of Devils Tower after the advent of magic, regretting not having looked it up. His musings were cut short when Riseth landed near the base of the plateau and began examining a reddish plant with pink fruit, resembling a large, thornless cactus. After a quick inspection, she plucked one of the fruits and tossed another to him. They both tried a bite, and Alistair looked at the fruit in disbelief as it tasted like sweet bubblegum. Riseth''s reaction was similar; she was surprised before she tilted her head and ate the rest. "Definitely something we could turn into a dessert of sorts. Does your identify have a name for it?" Riseth asked before uprooting the plant and storing it in her storage. He ate the rest of his fruit before trying to Identify one of the other plants in the area, but it also spat out [Alien Cacti]. ¡°Might be a new discovery or just something obscure. We should gather more; Barton could probably whip up some great desserts with these,¡± Alistair said, examining the pink fruit. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. They continued collecting the plants, which turned out to be plentiful around the plateau. Alistair decided to call them "Gumcacti" for now. As he gathered the last few, it occurred to him that the planet itself didn¡¯t have a name yet. He briefly considered naming it but dismissed the idea¡ªchoosing a planet¡¯s name should be done with care, to avoid ending up with something ridiculous like ¡®Bob.¡¯ The Gumcacti plants likely didn¡¯t hold much value beyond culinary uses, but chefs like Barton or Luca had the skill to magically enhance and refine them into higher-tier dishes. These refined creations could offer various benefits, including permanent stat increases, similar to those provided by potions. Barton, in particular, had made significant strides in this area toward the end of the trial. After discovering how to properly refine ingredients, he became adamant about improving the grade of the lomies once they settled, hoping to enhance the benefits the meat already provided. According to Barton, certain ingredients were naturally better suited for cooking magic, and the taste was often the best indicator of their potential. Despite lomie meat coming from a low-grade beast, it had proven to be a high-tier cooking ingredient, making it invaluable for their culinary endeavors. "Did your nose pick up any nearby treasures?" Alistair asked after he collected the last of the plants, watching a cat-sized lizard flee from his presence. Riseth had spent a significant amount of time cultivating her nose with luck essence, aiming to refine and mold the augmented body part to literally sniff out treasures. Although it had been challenging to test on the Artemis, she had undergone several iterations. She had finally managed to sniff out items Alistair had hidden around the ship for testing. Meanwhile, Alistair had immersed himself in studying the Dragonheart Manual. Despite weeks of preparation, he was still in the early stages, as the Dragonheart transformations were extraordinarily intricate. The tiny changes, molds, or rather enchantments, required all his control and focus to shape them one by one. This would be his most elaborate augmented organ by far, potentially taking months or even years to complete, depending on how much time he could dedicate to the task. He needed regular breaks, as the constant focus was draining. "No, the range is fairly limited, but I¡¯d wager some credits that the plateau itself holds some valuable treasures." "I''m not betting against that," Alistair replied. "My Conceptual Awareness already picked up several intriguing concepts when we flew over it." They took to the air, and Alistair inspected the vines and flowers growing on the side of the plateau. Although they didn''t seem to possess any inherent magical properties, they looked quite appealing. He sent an image of them to Braxik to see if they were worth collecting for decorative purposes. Braxik responded negatively, explaining that he preferred using local flora in his designs and believed that architecture should be beautiful enough on its own without the risk of overgrown vines requiring maintenance or damaging structures. Upon reaching the top, Alistair and Riseth landed on the edge and began making their way through the underbrush. Alistair immediately noticed the teal sheen of spirit soil grass, which also appeared on the odd trees as if it were moss covering the roots. He knew they could harvest spirit wood from the trees or leave them to age, allowing them to slowly increase in tier and value over time. "These plateaus are like natural greenhouses; we might be able to use this in the future," Riseth remarked, tracing her fingers along a gnarly-looking tree brimming with mana. Alistair nodded but had some reservations. "It all depends on where we end up settling. These plateaus are quite scattered, and we would need to set up both teleportation and defensive arrays, which would consume a significant portion of the dragon vein''s output. If there are strong monsters here, it might be difficult to defend these locations with just arrays against beasts that could devour the treasures growing here." "I guess you got a point. We can''t really hide these plateaus. Did any of the others find anything of interest?" Riseth asked as she inspected a perfectly circular leaf with a red flower at its center. Alistair figured that if they had discovered anything significant, they would have notified him, but he checked his messages anyway. To his surprise, King had sent an image of what appeared to be a giraffe-like wyvern. Alistair hadn¡¯t known King could do that, but guessed the wyvern had somehow developed a limited version of the Akashic Link skill through his Summoner skill. On closer inspection, though, he wasn¡¯t sure if the creature in the image was truly a pseudo-dragon. While it had front legs, its hind legs sported flaps of skin that likely functioned as secondary wings. Its face resembled a beak, with much sharper horns than a giraffe¡¯s, and its long tail ended in bright orange feathers. The creature¡¯s body was covered in orange and white scales patterned like a giraffe¡¯s spots. Intrigued, Alistair sent the image to Riseth, who also found it an amusing coincidence. "If there are enough strong beasts, we could earn a Slayer title from them," Alistair remarked. But after checking with King, the wyvern informed him that the giraffe-like pseudo-dragons were only late Grade 9 and would only pose a challenge for their weaker members. As they looked around and walked back to the edge, Alistair spotted some of the beasts flying in the distance. He managed to identify them as [Giraffon - lvl 89]. Considering the age of the universe, these beasts were reasonably strong and could potentially grow even stronger in the future. They could also make for decent summons. He sent this information to Simon, Desily, and Braxik, knowing that most of them only had placeholder summoning contracts with weak beasts. Simon, for instance, had a Lomie and a goat-like beast, both of which were due to reach the next grade soon. They had chosen these beasts with the intention of increasing their grade to see if the goat''s fur and the Lomie''s meat would improve as a result. Simon had named the Lomie ''Steve'', and they had no plans to eat him. Instead, they used him as a breeder to observe any differences that might arise from the grade increase, hoping the offspring would start at a higher level. Unlike Enlightened species, most beasts did not start at level 1 when they were born, and their levels and records heavily depended on the species and records of the parents. Riseth called Alistair over and pointed to three small, bird-like creatures perched together on a branch of one of the gnarly trees. They were quite ugly, with pale, skin-like coloration and a distinct lack of feathers covering their bodies. Feathers were only present on their wings and the tips of their overly-long tails. They had mohawk-like skin flaps, adorned with red and green patterns, which they could erect or retract. Alistair found them thoroughly unappealing, especially when one of them yawned, revealing a mouth that opened to almost half its body length. "God, those things are ugly," Alistair remarked, and Riseth stifled a laugh. Chapter 148: Riddickulus They spent two more days on the planet, harvesting valuable herbs and spirit wood. Although they encountered a few more beasts, most were of little consequence or interest. They had not been attacked, and besides the Giraffon, they found no significantly strong or dangerous monsters. None of their companions chose the Giraffon as their summon. Simon showed some interest but decided to hold off, as having too many beasts in storage without a clear plan would affect his records. He added the Giraffon to his list of potential summons but preferred to see what else they could find on their expeditions before making a final decision. It took them two more jumps to find another nearby system with suitable habitable planets. Alistair and the rest of the team watched the sensor readouts as they approached a planet that appeared to be more continental but temperate and slightly on the cooler side, with smaller oceans and multiple large lakes within the continental bodies. The planet boasted plenty of hills, mountains, plains, and forests, though it lacked the diversity of Earth as it had no deserts or tropical environments. However, what intrigued the demons the most were the extensive cave systems running through the entirety of the planet. "This just might be it. These tunnels could shave months, maybe years, off construction work and function as bunkers for our clan," Braxik said, barely able to contain his excitement. Alistair smiled at the prospect. "Great, the system with the first planet is also quite nearby, which would make jumps much faster and ease the burden on our future logistics." They excitedly exchanged ideas as they looked for a landing site and decided on one of the smaller lakes adjacent to a mountain chain. The sensors indicated a large dragon vein present, and the nearby forests and fields had a teal sheen, a tell-tell sign of spirit soil ideal for growing herbs and plant-based treasures. After disembarking, they entered their routine, with Riseth, Alistair, and King going out to scout while the rest built a secure camp. The air smelled incredibly fresh, and the mana density was also quite high, pretty much ideal for their purposes. However, what struck him as odd was that there were quite few beasts around. He only spotted small flocks of raven-like birds and the occasional small-sized lizards sunbathing on the rock faces. Their scans had indicated there was a lot of fauna on this planet, but he wasn''t seeing it. However, the surroundings looked serene and beautiful, and he pictured how they could build a compound overlooking the lake. "Wasn''t this planet supposed to have a large amount of beasts based on the sensor readings?" Alistair questioned as he put his Conceptual Awareness skill into overdrive to see if tiny animals were around, spotting the occasionally incredibly well-hidden beasts within hollowed-out tree trunks and slightly buried underground. "Yeah, it''s odd. Perhaps they are concentrated within the underground system? I spotted multiple tunnel entrances already. Let''s go check it out," Riseth said, already flying toward one of the many cave entrances scattered throughout the mountain face. Alistair felt uneasy as he looked at the many cave entrances punching through the rock faces. He hoped he was wrong, but he said as much to Riseth, who didn''t feel anything off. The cave entrances looked to be carved out of the rock rather than natural. "Do you think there are burrowing monsters infesting most of the underground? That could be a pain to deal with if we settle," Alistair commented, touching the rocky face of the tunnel they walked through. "Let''s hope not. Having to eradicate a species to make the planet usable would put a damper on things," Riseth replied. After about ten minutes of walking, they entered a vast underground chamber. The space was cloaked in darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow of fungi and moss that crawled with insects and small lizards. Alistair''s senses heightened as he noticed hundreds of sleeping creatures clinging to the ceiling. They resembled giant bats but were covered in scales instead of fur, with large fangs and claws that glinted in the dim light. The sharp stench of ammonia filled the air, a clear sign that the overgrown floor was sustained by their droppings. A quick identification revealed these beasts as [Daxtzal - lvl 77], with levels ranging from 44 to 81. Alistair quickly deduced they were nocturnal predators, likely hunting on the surface at night. The discovery of these creatures raised serious concerns about the safety of Braxik''s shelter if more of these lairs were hidden throughout the area. "I think I know why the outside is so devoid of life. These buggers must hunt whatever doesn''t hide well enough on the surface," he said over their Akashic Link as he hovered above the floor, unwilling to stand in the monsters'' droppings. "It''s still better than actual burrowers, but I don''t think these tunnels were dug by them. We should check deeper to see what else is down here," Riseth replied. They flew to a tunnel leading deeper and descended for what felt like ages when Alistair sensed a familiar clicking sensation and let out a groan. He hoped it was another kind of beast that used the same means to navigate, but he wouldn''t be this lucky as a [Cave Wendigo - lvl 96] bounded the corner and immediately attacked them but was quickly put down. "Fuck. I don''t think this planet is it; massive colonies of bats and Cave wendigos in the cave systems? All that''s missing is a burrowing monster to make this planet completely worthless for settling," Alistair commented over their link. He sensed Riseth''s reluctance but noticed her attempt to maintain optimism. "Well, I still need that slayer title for the Wendigos." Alistair shook his head before posing a question. "Do you know what you call a group of cave wendigos?" Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "No?" She asked, slightly confused. "An infestation." He said pointedly, "This isn''t the trial. If their matriarch calls for help, we might have a planet''s worth of wendigos to fight off, and based on the level of that beast we just killed, I don''t fancy those odds." As if to prove his point, more clicking sounds came from down below and grew in a cacophony as Alistair picked up the body of the killed Wendigo. "We need to get the fuck out of here," Alistair said as he felt intense bloodlust radiating from the caves below, and Riseth nodded as they rushed out of the caves as fast as they could. Alistair sensed that they were being pursued, and as they entered the large chamber, the bats on the ceiling started to rouse as well, sensing the disturbance as they let out screeching sounds. "Everyone, Pack up! King, get back to the rest of the group. We need to leave!" Alistair informed the rest of their clan as they rushed for the tunnel leading toward the exit, the first bats already joining the pursuit. They exited the cave in record time, but Alistair still spotted bats and wendigos spilling from other exits. He had half hoped the different beasts would fight each other, but they were cooperating as the larger bats let some wendigos grab their clawed hind legs as they pursued Alistair and Riseth. The first beasts were already intercepting them, and he heard King roar in the distance alongside the gunfire of their turrets. "What the fuck? This planet has Wendigos?! I am so sick and tired of these fucking things! We are not settling here!" Simon yelled over the Akashic Link. Alistair conjured his Battlespheres and used his Telekinetic skill to crush the intercepting bats'' wings, which sent them hurling toward the ground in pained screeches as they dropped the wendigos they had been carrying. To his shock, the injured Daxtzal was immediately set upon by both wendigos and other Daxtzal, which consumed it shortly after it crashed to the ground. Fortunately, Simon and the others were in the valley and only had a small swarm of wendigos to contend with as the mountainsides spilled hundreds, then thousands of the monsters, all heading their direction. Seeing this, Alistair couldn''t help but change the planet''s name to ''Riddickulus'' over his Akashic Link and send it to the others for review. Simon immediately accepted, and Alistair knew his friend was likely to laugh at the reference. In contrast, the rest of the crew accepted as well after a short pause, likely unsure of what he was referring to, presuming it was only a play on the word ridiculous. Braxik and Desily collected the turrets while Alistair and the rest of the team held off the wave of monsters. Riseth took out the Artemis mid-air and immediately initiated the starting procedures. Alistair was the last to enter the craft, and the rest hurried through the two open doorways of the Artemis before they soared toward high orbit, leaving the monsters behind. Alistair jogged to the cockpit, checking the screens Simon had pulled up, and found a sea of monsters rampaging across the surface. He even noticed some infighting between the two beast types. "I am not even sure this planet is good for hunting. This looks like a death sentence for anyone without a ship to leave or absurd stealth skills," Alistair commented as he looked over Simon''s shoulder. "Conquering that planet would likely require a full-blown war, and I doubt anyone has the means or interest to undertake such an endeavor for such a remote place," Simon remarked. "The planet was way too cold for my liking anyway," Desily added. "At least this local cluster seems promising. The nearby nebula is densely packed with mana, which has apparently elevated most of the local systems and their planets," Riseth remarked. "We should continue exploring here or seek out other branches of the nebula similarly rich in mana." The local cluster still had quite a lot of systems they had not investigated yet. It would take them around half a year to just explore that particular cluster, which meant Alistair felt quite confident they had found at least the cluster they wished to settle as most of the planets within had apparently become magically dense enough for life to emerge and take hold thanks to the system''s interference. He hoped the system had seeded some interesting treasures and locations as it would be a large boon for them to come across. They had no luck finding dungeons or realms yet, but it was just a question of time before they found some. He was quite sure the planets they had visited had some they hadn''t discovered due to the limited time they spent exploring. His Dungeon Sense skill had at least indicated that all the planets they had visited contained dungeons. They spend the next three weeks traveling from one system to the next, probing multiple planets and scavenging treasures but not finding a perfect planet to settle on as something or other was wrong with the planet. One planet, in particular, had tickled Alistair''s and Desily''s fancy as it had large floating islands covered in treasures. To his surprise, both Riseth and Braxik were against the planet, as it would also limit underground construction far too much for the demons in their clan''s comforts. Alistair''s suggestion of splitting the settlements into ground and flying islands would be too problematic for defense. Especially since any attacker would just have to take out the base of the flying island to completely screw over whoever settled on or below it, which meant that while they would definitely return to the planet and keep it in mind for potential expansion, it wouldn''t become their main settlement. It was a particularly painful decision because the planet had by far the highest mana density and a multitude of wyverns and pseudo dragons and a vast array of flying beasts. However, most of them wouldn''t have been too problematic to keep at bay as they weren''t overly aggressive. They had named the planet Skyreach, and Alistair insisted they kept the planet in consideration as it was bound to contain many more treasures, and many of the issues could be circumvented with some work. He could tell Braxik was clearly tempted as it would be an incredibly interesting challenge to him, but held back as he knew that Neshan''s culture, which put high importance on depth and security, wouldn''t mesh with Skyreach''s environments. They were already approaching the next promising planet, and he hoped it didn''t contain bothersome monsters they would have to deal with. More than one planet by now had some sort of critical flaw, most often in the form of either the environment being unsuitable or hordes of beasts making a nuisance of themselves through their numbers or behaviors, making them hard to deal with. One of the planets had large fish that attacked anything that came too close to the water for more than a second, forcing many other beasts to evolve to absorb moisture from rain and the environment. Alistair half suspected that the time the planet had spent sped up by the system was far longer than the average as they had found multiple aged treasures on the planet. Another planet they had found looked quite promising until they got closer and noted that most of the surface was covered in sharp, porous volcanic rock with plants growing over it. Despite its high mana density, the terrain made the planet impossible to build on. Alistair let out a sigh as he headed for the cockpit. "Perhaps this next planet will be the one," he thought. Chapter 149: Sapphire and Jade Hapthus smashed the communicator in front of him in a fit of rage, sending some of his more skittish beastkin followers scattering, whereas Bratak, the orc prick, chuckled at his expense, Hapthus glared at him to shut up. He had just received the reports that the entire Void Reavers fleet, alongside its allies, had been destroyed by that accursed Ryser clan. A fleet of 13 ships had been taken down in a prepared ambush of two ships and a large array of weapon emplacements. They had been following the tracker one of his operatives planted on the Kaiakos for weeks, and nothing had indicated that they had been noticed. The only thing that stood out was that the demon they used to get close to the Kaiakos had acted a little strange. They had failed to assassinate him, but Hapthus had ascribed it to his operative doing a poor job at luring the demon into their disposal trap. The Pirate fleet had even scouted ahead to ensure they wouldn''t fall into any traps just for the bloodthirsty orcs and arrogant Grandarian human pricks to be lured into a false sense of security when the Kaiakos seemed to struggle to put their scout ship down. Hapthus kicked a chair aside, his rage still boiling over as he paced in a circle. He never should have accepted the open contract posted by the Blackmarket Syndicate. It was supposed to be an easy job to cause as much damage as possible to the Ryser Clan, with a hefty bonus for killing any of their leaders or destroying their two known spacecraft. He had outsourced the job to the Voidreevers, paying them a significant sum, confident that their fleet could easily take down two ships and potentially eliminate some of the leadership. At the very least, they should have been able to strand them in a star system. Hiring the pirates had drained nearly all of his funds, and now it would cost him even more in standing within the syndicate. He had sent a not-insignificant fleet to their doom in this budding universe, based on what would now be seen as a faulty lead. He faced the prospect of becoming a laughing stock or, worse, being assassinated for his failure. Laying low was his only option now, especially since the rest of the syndicate had already learned of the Bloodreevers'' demise from their desperate screams into the void, calling for reinforcements, calls that no one would be able to answer in time. "Idiots, all of them," he muttered bitterly. In his rage, Hapthus hadn''t noticed Bratak''s approach. The towering orc bodyguard loomed over him, his gaze intensifying Hapthus'' fury. "What do you want, Bratak? Can''t you see I''m busy?!" he spat, but his words were cut off as the orc''s hand wrapped around his throat, crushing his windpipe. He felt space magic locking down around him, trapping him in place. "Sorry, but I jus'' got a new job offer wiv a bonus if I brings ''em yer ''ead," Bratak grunted, his foul breath washing over Hapthus before everything went dark.
Frixbis cursed under her breath. Her contract to deal with the Ryser Clan had been completly taken off the Blackmarket contracting board. It had initially been claimed by a promising individual who had dispatched a small pirate armada to destroy the clan''s precious ships and strand them in whatever system they ended up in. The mission had been a miserable failure. The bastards at the Blackmarket had even claimed the bond she had put up for the contract, arguing that the pirates had fulfilled the terms by attacking the Ryser Clan and inflicting some damage. They refused to pursue the contract further but assured her she wouldn''t need to pay out the full reward. They also reassured her that the Ryser Clan had been noted and would eventually be dealt with. They had provided images of the Kaiakos returning to a hostile planet called Earth as evidence of the completion of their end of the contract. The ship showed light to moderate damage at best, with burn marks across its surface and a few destroyed weapon emplacements, but it was still operational. How could they call this a completed contract? They had failed to kill Nessyra or her sister. Not even that arrogant human lover of hers had died. She hadn''t even received confirmation that anyone was killed in the attack. She sent another inquiry about the Ryser Clan and what they knew of this planet called Earth and paid the fee the local syndicate network demanded. Frixbis fumed as she read over the lackluster information package. All she could gather from it was that it was a Human planet and the origin planet of the ascendant Alistair Ryser and countless others. The planet was under the control of a tricky Natural god called Sol, and the Kaiakos had already left again and had not been spotted since. Sol had apparently at first made the Blackmarket syndicates believe he would tolerate their presence in exchange for a cut of their trade exiting his system. Just to expose their outposts and send his fanatics to attack almost all of their members who failed to leave the planet or hide within the ranks of other emerging factions. There were multiple standing contracts to extract their members from the planet, but browsing the topic showed that nobody was dumb enough to take them, as Sol had the planets in the system patrolled thoroughly by his ever-growing fleet. She growled as her tail swished back and forth in agitation. If she wanted something to be done right, it had to be done by herself. She would eventually sniff out that damn Clan and have her revenge for the disrespect they had shown her. That bitch Nessyra had undermined all of her business, and almost everyone she tried to acquire ran to that Demon harlot where they knew Frixbis couldn''t pressure them. She bit her tongue at the thought of forming her golden core without first resolving these heart demons. Perhaps she should redirect her efforts, channeling her rage into an even sharper weapon. Revenge would come inevitably, and the taste of bittersweet success would be hers. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Alistair joined the rest of the team in the cockpit, sensing the growing excitement as Braxik read out the sensor data. "I think we got the big payout," Braxik began. "We found a habitable temperate planet with a livable moon orbiting it. The readings indicate the moon is on the warmer side, and the main planet''s mana density is the second highest we''ve encountered." Alistair''s smile widened as he joined them. "What kind of environments and terrain are we looking at?" Braxik and Riseth, both examining the readouts, let out simultaneous groans. "The majority of the moon appears to be covered in oceans, and we have signs of habitation," Riseth reported. "But the main planet is a Gaian variant, more specifically, a river world," Braxik continued. "It''s slightly colder and lacks seasons due to its axial tilt being almost perpendicular, but more importantly, it shows no signs of habitation." Alistair sucked in air through his teeth. Signs of habitation in the nebulas were almost exclusively recently emerging species that had not been part of the trial. Fortunately, they weren''t on the planet they were aiming for, but depending on the disposition of the inhabitants, they had either a trading partner and friend or a potential nuisance at their hands, and Alistair prayed it was the former. Even If the planet they were approaching wasn''t the one knowing of other civilizations and trading with them could be incredibly valuable, they would have to visit the people living on the moon. The readouts got more detailed as they grew closer, and Alistair waited intently for Riseth or Braxik to keep them appraised. He and the others waited with bated breath. "Yes!" Riseth exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air before hugging Alistair, while Braxik let out an appreciative whistle. "We''ve confirmed multiple mountain ranges with dragon veins strong enough to be detected even from this distance," Braxik said. "And it doesn''t look like there''s a significant monster infestation; the monster populations seem on the low to moderate end and not as concentrated like Riddickulus," "What about the moon?" Simon asked. After a short pause, switching the readouts, "We should come into visual range shortly, but based on the planetary index we put together, it''s an Archipelago planet," After furrowing his brows and stroking his beard, he added, "Weird. The infrastructure seems to be on the bottom of the oceans, not the islands," "An aquatic species?" Simon probed. "Looks like it," Braxik said as multiple screens came alive, showing the planet and moon in question. Alistair let out an appreciative whistle, with Riseth still clinging to his side, his arm wrapped around her. The moon''s oceans were a beautiful, delicate shade of jade, and the small continents had a mix of dense jungles surrounded by white sand beaches and overgrown grasslands with mostly warm orange and occasional green vegetation. They could see storms moving across the surface, but it didn''t detract from the beauty. Alistair thought the moon would put many island resorts on Earth to shame as he caught a glimpse of its beaches and coves. The terrain was mostly flat, with only the larger continents having any mountains, and even those weren''t very big. What really impressed him, though, was the Lake planet. It matched the moon''s beauty with its varied landscapes. It had one huge, deep, sapphire-blue ocean connecting most of the planet, taking up a third of the surface. Countless rivers and lakes flowed from the mountains into beautiful valleys dotted with colorful fields of flowers, spreading lush green and streaks of blue and pink vegetation across the globe, with dense pockets of spirit soil grass that had a teal sheen. The planet''s vegetation was of the most common type, similar to Earth and Neshan, yet still alien and interspersed with occasional megaflora. Near the equator, small deserts were crisscrossed by rivers, bringing life to the harsh environment. He wondered if some of the larger plants were world trees. As the resolution increased, he felt in his gut that this was it. They had found their new home. He only half-listened to the crew''s excited chatter about the planets. He heard Simon''s silent prayer, hoping the planet had no bad hidden surprises. Braxik mentioned that if the ocean had been any larger, the planet would have been categorized as a Water World, as both rivers and lakes seemed to be extremely frequent on the rocky planet. When Desily asked about the megaflora, he said there wasn''t enough to classify it as a megaflora World, unlike the jungle planet they had found a few jumps back. He perked up more when Riseth added her own knowledge to his conjecture. "The fact that there is civilization on that moon means this system has undergone far above average time dilation and is bound to be brimming with aged and mana-infused treasures," Riseth remarked, her greedy little smile making Alistair chuckle. He watched as Simon sent out a drone to place a beacon on the Lagrange point between the planet and the moon; his mind was already racing with ideas on how to name the planet, though he would most likely accept whichever names the inhabitants of the moon had given their home planet and closest neighbor. Their being aquatic made it less likely to clash over territorial claims as they both had different environments they aimed for, and they had found plenty of other planets in the local cluster with large oceans they had skipped out on as the landmass was too small for their demands. However, that might fall apart if they had overly aggressive fish people or enlightened sea monsters to negotiate with. Alistair took a seat as they started to orbit the planet, keenly watching the camera feeds. Unlike the other potential planets, this one looked much more promising from the get-go. They planned to do extensive scans of its surface, hoping to find ideal spots for a settlement and potential large natural treasures or formations and terrain features that could influence their decision. He hoped they wouldn''t discover another underground network filled with wendigos or similar pests. He knew Nessyra was about to finish picking up their scattered members. He decided to send a long-range message to the Kaiakos, instructing them to jump to the freshly deployed beacon once their tour was complete. He had to keep the message short and vague, as it could be intercepted and decoded. It was unlikely, but he didn''t want to take any chances. Even if they found major issues with the planet and had to leave, Nessyra could at least establish diplomatic relations with the moon''s inhabitants while they continued their search. After sending the message, he stood behind Riseth, who had taken out a chair to sit beside Braxik on the Sensor station. He massaged her shoulders, hoping she had more good news to share. Chapter 150: Will you be mine? They spent an entire day in orbit, analyzing survey data before narrowing down their selection to one location. This location was a mountain range containing multiple dragon veins, including one of the largest on the planet. This had initially caught their eye and had only become more appealing as its geographic location proved almost ideal, requiring only moderate terraforming to meet their needs. The mountain range, situated just above the equator, stretched into the nearby ocean and the north. It was also the source of several major rivers and, with their springs near the dragon veins, had turned large portions of the rivers'' paths into spirit soil. These rivers flowed from mountain lakes down through the hills and plains, accumulating into multiple larger and smaller lakes that covered a good portion of the planet''s landscape before eventually reaching the ocean. The peak with the strongest dragon vein was relatively close to the ocean, offering a commanding view of the valleys and fields of flowers below. Terraforming that peak to house Alistair''s Heavenly Purity Ginkgo would be an intensive project, but the rewards were bound to be significant. The location featured a large mountain lake thoroughly infused by the dragon vein. Instead of directly flowing off into a creek or river like many other springs, the lake eventually overflowed after accumulating enough water, cascading down in a waterfall and creating a smaller lake downhill connected to a creek. Based on their scans, the mana concentration was high enough that drinking its water could be compared to consuming a mana potion of their grade, making it dangerous for lower-grade individuals. This high mana concentration had attracted a powerful beast that made its lair in the lake''s depths, but their sensors lacked the functionality to give them more information. The local peaks themselves were home to several wyvern species that needed to be captured or slain before they could claim the land. The planet hosted a wide variety of species, many high tier, with the most powerful ones already at early to mid Grade 8. So far, they had only observed these beasts from orbit. Alistair and the rest of the crew were eager to explore the planet and claim the location for their clan. They had found the perfect spot to settle, but its surroundings were teeming with powerful beasts that could potentially endanger the Artemis. They debated disembarking mid-air and fighting off whatever came their way but deemed it too dangerous. Instead, they decided to land near a lake on the flowery plain at the foot of the mountain. By the time they had made their decision and were ready to land at the location, the sun was already settling at their landing site. When Alistair stepped out of the Artemis, he was greeted by a stunning sight. They had landed in a field of flowers in deep magenta, blue, and purple hues. The nearby lake had a beautiful jade coloration, reflecting the breathtaking sunset that was almost overshadowed by the splendor of the nebula above. The scene was framed by somewhat familiar-looking green trees, and he could see spirit soil on the north side of the lake, closer to the source of the river that flowed down the nearby mountainside. Incredibly beautiful Butterfly-like creatures fluttered idly about, and magic dust visibly dispersed from their wings as they mingled among the flowers. They stood there in stunned silence for a moment, and Alistair reached out to Riseth. They held hands, watching the sun slowly descend behind the mountain chains that they would transform into their home. Deep down, they knew they had found the place they wished to settle, no matter the cost. Alistair sent the others a request to keep quiet for a moment as he took out a small, richly decorated chest and took a knee before offering the chest toward Riseth, who looked at the box and his actions curiously. Simon, who had caught on to what he was about to do, caught Desily as she approached, and Alistair had to suppress a chuckle as his friend desperately tried to keep the other two bystanders quiet. When Riseth opened the chest, she was greeted by an intricately woven choker featuring a serpent and a wyrm entwined around each other with a beautiful spherical cosmic gem. Their maws clutched the gem as if about to consume it, whereas the gem looked to contain the cosmos within. It was a treasure Alistair had acquired a while ago and he had been taken by the incredibly beautiful visuals contained within the gem. Seeking Resni''s expertise, he had entrusted her with crafting it into a masterpiece. Knowing Riseth''s preferences, he had aimed for a sleek, elegant look, not an overly ornate design. Alistair had read up on the cultural norms for Neshan courtship, which were much more restrained and usually did not take location or gestures into account; all that was required was the offering of an item depending on the partner'' subrace, a large celebration, and a simple question. "Riseth, would you do me the honor to be mine?" Riseth stood frozen, staring at the choker, her mind reeling with happiness. The choker was stunning, far beyond any design she could have imagined for herself. She marveled at how she deserved such a sweet and insightful man, savoring the moment she had longed for. Courtship in Neshan was usually much shorter, and she had been tempted to put a choker on Alistair herself to make a point. But Nessyra had convinced her to wait a little longer, assuring her that Alistair would make it worth the wait. And he hadn''t disappointed. With somewhat shaky hands, she took out the choker and stored the small chest. She gazed at the beautiful gem in its center, which seemed to reflect the star-filled sky above them. She looked at Alistair, and despite his attempts to maintain a cool facade, she could sense his intense nervousness through their resonance. It was endearing, and it made her smile. This prompted him to step closer, and they embraced in a kiss. "Yes, I shall be yours, and you shall be mine." She replied as they seperated. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Alistair had been worried at her frozen demeanor and lack of sensory feedback until he felt the happiness overwhelm Riseth, and she turned to smile at him. Separating from the kiss and hearing her response, he took the choker from her hands and put it around her slender neck. Stepping aside, he inspected her before he heard whistling, clapping and hollering from their other companions who had observed the exchange. He smiled at them as he reached out for Riseth''s hand, and they walked toward the others, who eagerly congratulated them. Simon embraced Alistair in a hug, congratulating him. "Good thing I¡¯d even kill Cave Wendigoes for this planet," he added with a grin. Alistair snorted in amusement. "I''ll be sure to remind you of it if we find some." They continued talking until the sun finally set, at which point Simon and Braxik began working on their temporary shelter. The odd butterflies stood out even more in the darkness, their thoraxes glowing with a wide array of colors. Alistair noticed they were brimming with a particular essence and wondered if there was some application for it. Being only mid-Grade 10, they posed no threat to even the weakest in their clan. They seemed quiet, impassive, and mindlessly flying about rather than behaving like actual beasts. Alistair took the chance to take out King and have him fly patrol to see if his presence would aggravate any nearby wyverns. While both Alistair and Riseth wanted to keep enjoying the moment, they knew they should get back into gear and make sure the surroundings were safe before relaxing too much, as there were quite a few powerful beasts out and about. They enjoyed the sun settling together before they went into the air to check on their surroundings. After a few minutes of flying, they spotted what Alistair thought were deer, but upon closer inspection, he realized that they were covered in dark green and brown feathers, not fur. He used Identify to reveal that they were [Linin - lvl 53]. Teleporting next to one of the beasts and restraining it with his telekinesis. As he inspected the Linlin he was reminiscing how he had hunted Lomies and how he had not even thought of using Telekinesis instead of his blasts. When Alistair looked closer, he saw that what he had thought were small horns turned out to be four sets of ears covered in brown and black feathers, and their snout ended in a beak. Even their short tail turned out to be made of feathers. They had four ostrich-like legs that propelled the rest of the herd away at impressive speeds for their level. The Linin let out chirps, and sensing the beast''s panic, he stored it within his storage. It was necessary as they needed to see if they were worth hunting or farming for in the future. "I think this is the first time I saw a bird running on four limbs," She mused aloud before looking the nearby trees over. Alistair checked them himself. They looked like pine trees, though their bark was a little strange and rubbery; however, they felt rather mundane compared to the trees closer to the spirit soil further north, and he wasn''t sure they had a real purpose for them as they had found plenty of other wood sources on other planets that would be much superior quality though these trees were pretty enough to use for decorative purposes and their strange triangular fruits seemed to be a source of food for the Linlin and other beasts. "We should fetch at least a few of these fruits. They are quite abundant, and they might taste alright," Alistair suggested before they flew up and gathered some of what they suspected were riper fruits. "Maybe we should turn invisible and reign in our presence a little more. This way, we probably find a few more obscure beasts," Riseth suggested before turning invisible. Alistair joined her and turned invisible himself as they continued to scour the nearby forests, lakes, and hills. During their search, they mostly encountered small critters. One was a Zerster, a small levitating weasel capable of manipulating nature and hunting by growing vines that ensnared its prey. They also found a six-legged toad called a Vossugan, which could change its skin to mimic anything it touched. At first, they thought it was a rock toad, but when it jumped into the grass, its body transformed into leaves and compacted dirt. When it leaped into the water, its camouflage was so effective they almost lost track of it. Unfortunately, these creatures were low-grade, and unless left to grow, they wouldn''t consistently provide useful cores. However, they added them to a list for Melissa and their crafters to experiment with, as the toads were just an intense bundle of the adaptation concept. They also found a one-and-a-half-meter tall three-headed goose called a Trigander at the shore of one of the lakes. Once they revealed themselves, the goose attacked them, fearless of the difference in grade as it was only level 75 itself. Alistair quickly dispatched the animal and added it to their slowly growing selection of beasts they could potentially hunt or farm. The only strong monster they encountered was a three-meter-tall Rixoron, a beast resembling a Triceratops but walking on muscular hind legs and balancing itself with a thick, spiked tail that dragged along the forest floor. It had a set of arms with long, sharp claws and was covered in dirt and moss, allowing the lumbering giant to blend into its environment. Its thick, robust armor plating and skin made it a formidable sight. After flying around for a bit, they spotted multiple Rixorons averaging around level 85, but the creatures seemed smart enough to avoid confrontation with them when they revealed themselves and retreated into the forest. Satisfied that their surroundings were safe, they returned to their campsite, where King was tearing into what looked like a torn-up Trigander. Alistair landed next to the large wyvern, patting his muscular winged forelimb. "Did any of the wyverns take offense to your presence?" Alistair inquired. "No, based on what I sensed, they soiled themselves when they noticed me," King replied. After tearing out another chunk, he added, "There was one presence that contested me, but I don''t think whatever it was can fly." Alistair was proud of the wyvern and let the emotion show through his veil. He knew it must have taken King restraint not to rise to the challenge and stick to his mission. He would give his wyvern the chance to live up to the challenge tomorrow. He sorted through the images the wyvern had sent and found many of the same beasts they had already found, along with a few additional ones. "Tomorrow, you get your chance if you''d like to respond to the challenge," Alistair said with a casual smile, which was met with an appreciative huff of the wyvern as Alistair sensed mild bloodlust radiate from King. Alistair chuckled and headed for Riseth, holding the very last pair of spirit orchid wine bottles he had saved for this occasion. He was intent on spending a pleasant evening under the bright, beautiful sky. Chapter 151: Lirsaross The night was peaceful, with no attacks. Alistair and Riseth spent it on the roof of their outpost, gazing at the breathtaking night sky. The nebula bathed everything in vibrant colors¡ªpinks, purples, blues, and greens. Luminescent clouds formed intricate patterns, while stars appeared softer and diffused. Dynamic changes in the nebula added to the mesmerizing scene, as the flow of mana made the colors above them roil and interweave. The next morning, Alistair and Riseth got off their vantage point and approached King, who rose from his slumber once he sensed their approach. "Hey, wait for me, I''ll come too," Desily called out, flying over to them. Alistair considered it for a moment. He quickly decided that Simon and the weapon emplacements would provide enough security until they returned, and in the worst case, they could use the teleportation beacon. It would damage the beacon, and they only had two in their clan, but it was a calculated risk. "Alright, hop on," Alistair said. True to form, Desily tried to land on King''s head. He snapped at her small form, forcing her to step through the void to avoid the attack. "Try and land on my head, and I''ll eat you," King said imperiously, and Alistair could tell he was serious as a rumble went through the wyvern''s body and an intimidation skill radiated out. Alistair half-expected King to refuse to let her ride him at all, but the wyvern seemed content when she landed on one of his armor plates in front of Alistair and Riseth. Desily had a somewhat spooked expression, and as their gazes met, she sent a message through their Akashic Link. "Your wyvern is scary as fuck," she said. Desily was usually quite nonchalant and not easily spooked, but King wasn''t to be taken lightly. His level was higher than hers, and he was by no means lower tier. Alistair sensed the intimidation skill King had used, recognizing it as a new addition. He suspected King had acquired some skill points from his Trial rewards. The sheer size difference alone made King intimidating, but Alistair knew that the wyvern had become significantly more powerful after taking the pill of enlightenment. While Alistair had once been able to defeat King with relative ease, he realized that now it would be a much tougher fight. He was still very confident he would win, but King could at least partially overpower his defensive skills, making his ability to absorb attacks less effective. Alistair was glad to have such a strong summon and companion. "Alright, let''s do this!" Alistair called out, and King took to the air with a single flap of his powerful wings. As they rapidly approached a nearby mountain chain, they observed the surrounding hills and lakes for points of interest and potential beasts. The first creatures they spotted were small packs of bird-like wyverns, their grey and white feathers scattering as they saw King approaching. These wyverns were barely half his size and blended into the mountainside with feathers, almost an inverse of a snowy owl. When Alistair got a good look at their heads, he noted their large yellow eyes. He couldn''t find a direct comparison to any Earth bird; their heads were a unique blend, almost like a cross between an owl and a hawk. Identify told him they were Hukris Wyvern, and their levels ranged from 60 to 80. Alistair was quite sure their average level would increase once more time had passed, but they didn''t strike him as overly dangerous. They were clearly one of the more numerous species within the range and would be one of the beasts they had to either domesticate or learn how to keep away from their new home. "We should try and catch some of these to check their temperament. At first glance, they seem a bit cowardly," Riseth suggested. "I don''t know about that. King is a huge threat they have no chance of facing, even in a pack. They might just be quite smart instead of cowardly," Desily replied. "They might be both," Alistair added. King, for his part, only let out a huff, clearly unimpressed with his brethren. "The only other beast that matters is whatever has made its lair in the lake. We might need to cooperate to beat it," King said. Alistair raised an eyebrow, realizing that implied an incredibly powerful beast, at least in the middle of Grade 8 or higher. "Are you sure?" Alistair asked. "You''ll see," King replied. Alistair didn''t have to wonder long as they approached the large, slightly glowing mountain lake, as a wave of bloodlust washed over all of them. Alistair''s hairs stood on end at the implied power of the beast, and King flew toward a cliff overlooking the lake where they dismounted, looking at the deep blue lake hiding the beast. "Definitely at least level 150," Riseth said, looking down the cliff. They had faced larger gaps in power before, but this was the first time since leaving the trial. They knew they had to proceed cautiously. "Maybe we can befriend whatever it is," Alistair suggested, pulling out a leg of a Lomie he kept as a snack for King, who eyed the leg with desire. Riseth shrugged. "It''s worth a shot." Alistair tossed the leg toward a shallow part of the water where they could see the creature if it came to retrieve the morsel. As he looked around, Alistair noted how the soil, flora, and rock were deeply infused with mana and had essentially turned into mana-aspected treasures, making him worry about just how magically charged a beast living at the source of all that mana would be. A beast''s progression was quite different from that of an enlightened individual, and they could advance their record by making use of treasures and natural formations such as this lake. Fighting was just one of many ways for a beast to advance, and they had fed natural treasures to King and Fluffy whenever they had found suitable ones. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Alistair didn''t sense any bloodlust, only distrust, and caution, as the creature clearly considered the morsel a potential trap. With a sigh, he took out another leg and tossed it into the deeper part of the water. As the leg sank, they saw rapid movements and six glowing eyes in two groups, along with an elongated head adorned with large red whiskers. An orange claw, twice the size of the leg, snatched it and dragged it into the depths. The last thing they saw was a long, heavily armored tail with large orange plates arrayed into a paddle, displacing an immense volume of water and scaring some large fish as it swam away. "Did any of you manage to use Identify on it?" Desily asked. They shook their heads. The most likely explanation was that they hadn''t seen the beast clearly enough or there was some kind of interference, either from a veil or the lake''s water. One thing was clear: the beast was at least as big as King, if not bigger. Alistair had managed to make out three pairs of claws reminiscent of the front limb of an Asian-style dragon. Though he didn''t want to get his hopes up about finding a dragon this soon, the possibility lingered in his mind. "This is just a guess, but the claws and whiskers are something associated with a particular breed of dragon, but the eyes and tail don''t quite match," he mused. This excited King, who now intently looked at the waters below. "If this is a Dragon, it''s mine to kill; none of you interfere," King demanded in a tone that didn''t allow for reproach. Alistair knew how important this was to King, and while potentially befriending a dragon would benefit them more, King becoming a true dragon was just as significant. Alistair wasn''t sure what the best approach would be and decided it wasn''t worth speculating too hard since it might just be a wyrm of sorts. The skittish behavior also spoke against this being a Dragon, as even low-tier ones were far more intelligent than the average beast and usually quite confident in their power. Before he could voice his suspicions, the creature approached the shore where he had tossed the first leg, clearly appreciating the first morsel enough to risk getting this second one closer to shore. "Oh I think we have those on our planet they are usually our size though," Desily commented as the creature came into view. They were greeted by an enormous shrimp-like monster adorned with armor plates interspersed with occasional shimmering scales. Its deep blue armor protected smooth, muscular skin underneath, while its underbelly displayed beautiful symmetrical patterns of black, dark blue, and yellow. Moving on four powerful legs, each adorned with three slightly curved sharp orange claws capable of precise grasping, it also featured large front limbs with slightly larger claws. Adorned with spots and sharp, decorative stripes, the creature boasted large red whiskers likely serving as sensory organs. Its head sported a small maw in proportion to its large head and body, giving it a stature akin to that of a centaur or similar beast. Along its body''s length, orange and red, almost decorative armor platings added to its imposing appearance, contrasting with its otherwise deep blue scales and smooth skin. Finally able to Identify the creature, they learned it was a [Lirsaross - lvl 151] though that didn''t tell them much without Dexter around. "What kind of life form is that exactly?" Alistair asked Desily, who responded with an exaggerated shrug. "I ain''t no water fairy, but I don''t think that''s a dragon," Desily remarked. Her words deflated the wyvern beside them, and Alistair could sense its disappointment through their bond. He gently tapped the wyvern''s muscular forelimb. "I''m sure we''ll find you a dragon eventually," he reassured him. They watched as the Lirsaross deftly snatched the severed leg and stuffed it into its somewhat small maw, revealing no fangs as it kept its wary eyes fixed on them. "Its head is big enough for a large brain, so it might be smart enough to communicate, and worst case, we should be able to kill it," she looked expectantly at Alistair, who nodded and jumped down the cliff, slowly gliding to the bank of the lake close to the beast. "Can you understand us?" Alistair called out, but before he finished his sentence, the Lisaross moved its front limb with almost imperceptible speed, sending a thin sickle of water directly at him in a surprise attack. Alistair instinctively twisted his body to evade, but the water blade sliced through his left arm, severing it completely as his defensive skills failed to absorb the overwhelming energy of the attack fast enough. His ribcage surged with kinetic energy, and four spheres filled with the potent force sprang out of his body. Immediately, he spent half the stored energy to empower himself as he activated his other boosting skills and evaded the ensuing attacks while teleporting closer to the Lisaross to retaliate. The water around the beast glowed ominously, and through his conceptual awareness, Alistair realized how the creature was utilizing the lake''s energy to enhance its own capabilities and attacks. Determined to neutralize the threat, he swiftly exhausted all stored kinetic energy and concentrated it on his Telekinesis skill, gripping the monster with an intense force and forcefully yanking it out of the water. As he did so, King''s Sonic blast and Desily''s void lances struck the struggling beast, driving it further onto the shore. The creature fought desperately to return to the water, forcing Alistair to rapidly convert more energy through his Arcane Energy Manipulation skill just to restrain it. Riseth teleported beside the creature, her fury palpable through their resonance. Her bone blades elongated and curved, seeming almost alive as she infused them with space magic. With a swift slash, she targeted the beast''s muscular neck, cleaving deep into its thick, smooth rubbery skin. The space magic surrounding her blade tore through the flesh, causing it to rip apart. The beast recoiled from the attack, retreating from the water''s edge, and Alistair let it go as he briefly dropped his Telekinesis skill. Taking advantage of the momentary respite, Alistair intensified his energy manipulation into [HP] to close the wound on his bleeding stump before firmly locking the beast down; after it unleashed more water blades, they had to evade. The creature pushed once more with all its might as it attempted to escape back into the lake again, straining Alistair''s ability to hold it to its breaking point as he felt blood flowing out of his nose and eyes. King, who had stopped blasting the creature, lunged into the fray, crashing into the Lirsaross and pinning it to the ground with high momentum as his claws tore into the creature''s flank, scraping across its thick armor plating and skin. At the same time, his jaws ripped out a chunk from its already wounded neck as the rest of the group joined him to finish off the pinned monster. Chapter 152: Mountain Conquest Riseth, holding his severed arm, approached him with a worried expression. They had managed to slay the Lirsaross after King and Alistair pinned it long enough for the others to finish it off, severing its head and destroying its surprisingly small brain effectively ending the fight. "What does it need such a big head for if it has no brain to fill it with?" Desily cursed, still glancing worriedly at the stump that had been Alistair''s arm. Using her healing ability, Riseth reattached his arm, though the process was incredibly painful and unpleasant for Alistair as he had to focus on his body not resisting her magic as his flesh and bones reconeccted. After he flexed his reattached arm and wiggled his fingers, she spoke up. "We need to exercise more caution. No more approaching powerful beasts like that," Riseth said firmly. "Yeah, I shoulnd''nt have gone that close. I didn''t anticipate it could attack so swiftly and at that range," Alistair admitted. "It''s nearly forty levels above us. We should have taken it more seriously. Even if we''re all powerful and high-tier, we can''t afford to take risks like that anymore," she emphasized. Alistair nodded quietly. The fight underscored the dangers of monsters outside the trial and revealed several flaws in his skills and combat style. Due to his experiences in the arena and the Ascendant Tournament, he had developed a habit of physically evading attacks instead of teleporting out of the way. He realized he needed to break this habit and use both means of evasion to ensure his safety even if one ended up being supressed. His Body Cultivation was also behind the curve now, and he needed much more storage to withstand powerful monster attacks. Additionally, he needed to significantly improve the rate at which his skills could absorb and convert energies. While his Kinetic Skinguard was incredibly powerful and useful, it struggled to keep up if the power difference was too large. It made him almost impervious to weaker attacks, but single powerful strikes exposed a weakness in the skill. He needed to enhance its ability to cope with such attacks. He had also been allocating more and more points into his power stat lately to bolster his Telekinesis skill. This potent tool had been hindered by his previously insufficient power stat. Alistair wasn''t sure that it was a good thing and would seek to balance his allocation again. He had leveled up twice from this encounter, which was far more than he had expected, especially since they had grouped up, though he supposed he had been close to a level-up to begin with. His plans to develop his Dragon Heart would have to wait, as he urgently needed to refine his skin and ribcage to keep up with the increasing dangers they faced. Prioritizing this would ensure his survival and effectiveness in future battles. But what surprised him more was that he was given a skill selection. It had been the first one in what felt like ages, and it meant he had received skill selection every 15 levels, not 20.

Skill Choices: Tier: [Epic] Skill Name: Enchantment Proficiency Description: Enchantment Proficiency Greatly enhances the efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness of all enchantment-related tasks. This encompasses enchanting the body, equipment, consumables, and performing rune and array techniques and all other enchantment-related techniques. The user''s [Control] and [Senses] stats are greatly improved when working on any enchantments. Passively increases the quality and [Power] of all enchantments created by the user where applicable to a large degree. - Tier: [Epic] Skill Name: Persuasive Description: Passively enhances the user''s ability to influence and intimidate others, significantly swaying attitudes in favor of the user''s perspective. The effectiveness of this skill is determined by a contest between the user''s [Mind] stat and the opponent''s. The skill''s impact is further amplified when the user''s arguments are perceived as reasonable by both parties and diminished when the arguments are deemed unreasonable. Additionally, this skill slightly boosts the effectiveness of other charm-related abilities. The user''s Aura Suppression skill can conceal and nullify the effects of the Persuasive skill. When suppressed, the user''s skill level and [Mind] stat engage in a contest against the target''s [Senses]. - Tier: [Rare] Skill Name: Space Manipulation Description: A [Compound] skill that enhances the user''s ability to manipulate the surrounding space by a moderate amount. When utilizing space manipulation or related abilities, the user''s [MP] and [Qi] costs are reduced by a moderate amount. The overall efficiency is improved due to the user''s stronger space affinity. Compounded Skills: [Enlarge Space][Tighten Space] [Bend Space] [Tear Space] [Fold Space] [Anchor Space]
Alistair kissed the top of Riseth''s head after briefly reading over his skill selection. "Don''t worry. I''ll be sure to watch out better." He hadn''t been overly careless, maintaining a fair distance between himself and the beast. However, its attack had been so blindingly fast, and the water it used was so incredibly charged with magic that it was far more lethal than if it had used ordinary water. Upon closer inspection of its claws, they discovered that the creature could store water in chambers located within its claws and paws, enhancing its potency before launching an attack. The process had become even more formidable with an entire lake of mana-rich water at its disposal. It reminded Alistair of pistol shrimps from Earth, but instead of creating a bubble bullet, it had unleashed a water sickle. He was impressed by the ingenuity of the creature''s ability and wondered if that was just a quirk of shrimp-like species. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Taking a moment to look over his new skills in detail, he picked up both the Enchantment Proficiency and Persuasive skill. In Alistair''s opinion, both of these skills had been overdue, as he had spent significant amounts of time practicing and walking both paths. He wondered if his realization that Body Cultivation had been a type of enchantment all along had delayed the skill upgrade but discarded the thought as the System occasionally dropped hints through the skill acquisition, occasionally making him aware of misconceptions. Persuasive was a great skill, though he hoped its passive nature wouldn''t be viewed as rude by others. However, he knew of a handful of races that had inherent persuasive and charm skills, such as Sirens, so he doubted many in the wider multiverse would take offense to such a reasonable persuasive skill. He would still test the skill to see how effective the skill was and how difficult it was to veil the effects of the skills from others. The Space manipulation skill was something he had started practicing with Riseth a long time ago, and it had since fallen to the wayside since he had learned how to manipulate space and enter small spaces long after he had needed it for the Wendigo-infested tunnels. He had no need to pick up the skill at this point in time as he could manually use the skill and didn''t have any other space skills that could benefit from the passive benefits other than his teleportation skills. "Let''s hope these beasts aren''t too common," Alistair said after finishing his skill selection. "We should relocate our outpost here to prevent another monster from taking over. Once we clear the rest of the mountain, we can start preparations for setting up the anti-scrying array." This set things into motion. Desily contacted Simon and Braxik, while Alistair sent King to fetch them once they finished dismantling the emplacements. Alistair had discussed the array placement with Braxik, who insisted on digging into the main mountain to create a dedicated chamber. This would vastly enhance the array''s security, as setting it up outside would leave it too exposed. This had the added bonus of letting the array extend into the wall and ceiling of the chamber, and they could expand the chamber to house more arrays up to a point, which meant they would have to dive relatively deep to leave the chamber enough space to expand in the future. They had plans to build on the foothills of the mountain, but the local terrain was quite uneven, with limited building space. To address this, they would need to excavate a significant amount of material from the mountain and its surrounding elevations. The mined rock and dirt could then be used to create a flatter, more buildable area, essentially expanding the buildable area and transforming the site into a formidable mountain fortress. Looking at the rock face, Alistair hoped the mining equipment they brought would be strong enough to handle the magically infused rock. At the very least, the magically infused rock would make for a powerful foundation upon which to build. Alistair and Riseth went about scouring the mountainside some more and scaring off the last of the wyverns that occupied the mountain, watching them settle some mountains over in the distance. Curiously, they had only found one species of wyvern, but from their scans and visuals, they knew there had been more, though they might be migratory or had extended hunting periods and simply hadn''t returned yet. They found a lot of beasts that were harmless and docile and left them alone as they wouldn''t threaten any of the workers bound to arrive in the coming weeks or days. They found quite a few local herbs and even an ore seam that Alistair identified as Oricalcum as it was almost a blind spot to his Conceptual Awareness as it rejected the surrounding magic. Roughly a week later, the operation was in full swing, with the main mountain firmly under their control. Multiple bunkers armed with emplacements ensured that beasts were kept at bay, and squads of automata mined into the mountainside, with hovercrafts unloading the mined material in the designated locations. They were a few days away from the chamber reaching a sufficient size for the array plate to be used. Alistair already yearned to go out and explore the planet but knew his presence was needed to ensure the safety of the location. Simon was hard at work using his earth magic to terraform and extend a cliffside near the peak. This area would house the Heavenly Purity Ginkgo and serve as the residence for Alistair and Riseth. Despite Braxik''s warnings about the peak''s vulnerability in an attack, even with shielding and protective arrays, they remained steadfast in their decision to live there. They were drawn to the breathtaking landscape and the practicality of integrating the gathering array into their living space. Alistair had already begun carving in the large gathering array and devised plans to place the focal points in separate chambers adjacent to their living space to store treasures without clutter while also ensuring they could guard the most valuable items due to their proximity. Creating the array now would allow them to cover most of it under floorboards and other obstructions, hiding it and protecting it from damage. Initially, Alistair and Riseth told Simon that their accommodations were not a high priority since they would be out and about most of the time and suggested he help Braxik with more pressing projects. However, Simon waved off their concerns, insisting they treat it as a wedding gift. Braxik also sided with Simon, pointing out that Neshan culture wouldn¡¯t tolerate its leaders living in accommodations worse than those of their workers, as it would reflect poorly on their standing. While Neshan norms dictated that leaders typically reigned from the depths, Braxik acknowledged that their demon followers would respect the decision to live at the peak. The human cultural norm of placing important people at the top was something the demons could understand and respect, even if it diverged from their own traditions. Despite the cultural differences, the breathtaking view from the peak provided a compelling argument for the decision. Braxik admitted that the view from the peak was stunning, rivaling even the most elaborate decorative underground flora and lava fall chambers he had created for the wealthy. While most of Neshan''s surface was barren and unappealing to the demon¡¯s sensibilities, with the exception of the occasional jungle, their origins underground had taught them to appreciate the flora and environments deep below. This planet''s surface offered a rare and stunning beauty that even Braxik found hard to resist and suspected others would want to live at higher elevations to enjoy the view. They suspected they would cause Braxik some logistical headaches by setting up so high while most of the prepared space was deeper inside and below the mountain. However, Braxik embraced the challenge, surprising them by immediately deploying their specialized automata to construct elevation shafts. Unlike the small square elevators Alistair was familiar with from Earth, they opted for a Neshan design: circular and significantly larger, capable of rapidly transporting people and equipment across various elevations within the mountain. Braxik confided that he had been looking forward to creating these, especially with the new possibilities magic allowed for. He was also developing elaborate plans to fabricate magically enhanced glass panels. Neshans had made great strides compared to Earth, creating glass that could effortlessly resist molten lava while still providing a clear view. The older demon had been working hard during the trial to further improve these designs with the introduction of magic and couldn''t wait to build them into the mountainside. For his part, Alistair couldn''t wait to see the mountain transform. He sat with Riseth on the cliffside Simon had extended and smiled as he looked out to the sea in the distance, dangling their legs over the cliffside, taking a well-deserved break. Chapter 153: Reunited Sitting on the ledge with Riseth, Alistair decided it was time they addressed the naming situation. He had half dreaded the question but knew they should address it before Nessyra and the rest of the Clan arrived. "Alright, what should we name this mountain and its surroundings? Should we also decide on a name for the planet or wait to hear what the other civilization called it?" Alistair leaned back, gazing into the vibrant blue sky where streaks of purple slowly traced behind a passing cloud. "Well, according to Neshan custom, new lands are usually named after the family in charge of discovering them, or after one of its members," Riseth remarked. "But we can''t just slap our names on everything," Alistair teased, grinning. "Unless you''re really aiming for something like ''Mount Riseth.''" Riseth chuckled and playfully nudged him. "Oh, absolutely not. That''s awful." She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "How about ''Riverrise''? It ties into the deeper meaning of our Clan''s name and reflects the planet''s rivers and lakes." Alistair considered it, then nodded. "It does sound a bit like ''Riverwood,'' but I like it. It¡¯s close, but maybe not quite perfect." He delved into his knowledge of Earth and Neshan lore, scouring for a word or name that would be fitting. They sat together, brainstorming ideas and exchanging thoughts, yet each attempt seemed to fall short. It felt like hours passed until Alistair stumbled upon an intriguing passage in Neshan literature discussing something similar to double meanings. In their culture, they crafted words that held layers of meaning, calling them ''Edax''. From there, they scoured the list of Edax for a term that sounded great and had a fitting meaning until they came across the Edax ''Rathos''. It could be interpreted as new heights or depths, depending on the interpretation, and it could also mean rise to or depth of power. "I think that''s perfect. Rathos... it has a nice ring to it!" Riseth said enthusiastically. "You didn''t know about Edax before today?" Alistair inquired. "Well, I did, but we don''t use them much anymore. They fell out of regular use about a century ago, though we still learn about them and occasionally use them," Riseth explained. Alistair let out a sigh of relief, glad that he wouldn''t have to name anything for some time. Half a week had passed with Alistair and Riseth busy fending off wyverns and other monsters investigating or seeking to reclaim the mountain they had claimed. Monsters were attracted to the dense magical mountain lake like moths to a flame. Still, Alistair''s presence, radiating out his bloodlust, eventually persuaded most beasts to stay far away. In contrast, those he didn''t manage to scare off were killed by either them or the defensive arrays and turret emplacements they had set up. They had spent significant chunks of their time planning, discussing, and organizing things for the arrival of the rest of the clan. The automata had also finally finished excavating the array chamber, and Alistair, with the help of Braxik, had placed an illusionary array that would hide the chamber and its precious arrays, such as the anti-scrying array, from those not meant to be there. The array manuals they had acquired contained a wide assortment of defensive arrays, including alarms, illusions, and straight-up offensive arrays. They hadn''t set up any large-scale offensive or shielding arrays yet since these would need to extend beyond the chamber to be effective. They would have to place the arrays in a separate chamber and extend them outside the mountain. This task would have to wait until they had laid a more solid foundation for their structures and completed the planning on how to incorporate them effectively. However, a large problem they had with the arrays was that their efficiency depended heavily on the amount of energy funneled into the arrays themselves. They had only one reactor with them, and it required fuel to function, which posed a bit of a problem. While they could use the mana from the dragon vein, it wouldn¡¯t be very efficient since the vein already provided a pure form of energy and was better suited to fuel other functions. Further processing and refining the mana within the reactor wouldn''t be much use either. They hadn''t found anything ideal for a fuel source yet. There was a vast selection of materials that could be used as fuel; some factions used fast-growing natural treasures, essentially burning them for fuel, while others relied on less magical means such as wind, water, or things like geothermal power from natural formations or other environments. Some factions demanded a tax from its citizenry and had them provide a chunk of their regenerating mana. More cruel factions resorted to using enslaved beasts or even people to meet their fuel needs. They had debated whether to use their Trial rewards to purchase a crop they could use for fuel but decided that such resources should be common enough to find during their explorations. However, their limited scouting had revealed little other than lakes they could dam up and ley lines they could tap for energy generation, both of which would require significant infrastructure. There were only so many naturally occurring sources that produced mana without siphoning it from the environment or damaging the planet over time without introducing new ones. Dragon veins were one such source; while they could sustain them temporarily, the output was limited. Additionally, they needed the dragon vein to remain strong enough to prevent the Heavenly Purity Ginkgo from withering. The tree itself would very slowly but continuously and passively improve the mana density and purity of the planet, besides providing essential essences for Riseth and Alistair''s Body Cultivation. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Fortunately, they already possessed fluxbloom gems, which would eventually solve all their needs for magical energy storage. However, it would take years for the gems to grow and multiply sufficiently to create a large enough energy bank. They had looked up the costs of these gems in the list of trial rewards and found even the smallest chunks of the gems to be incredibly expensive. They technically could use mana-infused wood as it was quite abundant, but it felt like a waste as they could use it as building material instead. Alistair had high hopes they could find something once they went out and explored the planet properly. Having a whole untouched planet to explore, they were bound to find treasures, veins, and beasts that would be solving most, if not all, their needs. In the worst case, they could explore and import what they needed from other planets. Their discussions were cut short as one of the screens sprang to life and informed them that their transponder had noted the arrival of the Kaiakos in orbit. "Finally, they are here; I was getting tired of guard duty," Riseth commented as they stood up to greet the others. They had flattened and evened out a large area for the Kaiakos to land as a temporary landing site, as they would create more dedicated landing sites later. At a later point, the flattened-out area would make up a chunk of their above-ground building area. Alistair and the rest of the group watched as the Kaiakos entered the atmosphere and approached the landing site. As they watched the landing procedure, he received a request from Nessyra for all the information about the planet and the discussions they had. He was sure she had asked Braxik the same question based on his reaction. Sneaky as she was, she hadn''t sent one to Riseth. Alistair shook his head but sent the requested info package with a small message to remind her not to put work first all the time and at least enjoy the reunion. "I''ll enjoy the reunion, but I need to know what I''m working with here, or I can''t enjoy it properly! Look at this gem of a planet and its moon," Nessy''s voice rang out through the Akashic link, her excitement barely contained. "Also, I hope you finally proposed, or I swear I''ll kick your ass." She added with what Alistair knew must have been a smirk. Alistair laughed at the franticness of Nessyra''s voice, drawing the attention of the others, but he waved them off. He knew Nessyra''s mind must be racing, envisioning the possibilities and the prospect of directing the growth and expansion of an entire planet. To her credit, when she eventually disembarked with the others, her focus was on Riseth, and she immediately rushed to her sister, hugging her with joyful squeals. Meanwhile, Alistair embraced his mother and the rest of his family, who excitedly chattered about their journey and bombarded him with questions about the new planets he and the others had discovered. Alistair noticed the glance Nessyra gave him after inspecting the choker he had put on Riseth. After hearing Riseth''s side of the story, she came over to congratulate him, which broke the news to the rest of his family, who also broke out to congratulate him and insisted they had to throw a celebration. Alistair watched his mother hurry off to intercept Riseth, who was approaching their group, embracing her in a tight hug. After greeting and talking with his family, Alistair excused himself, leaving them to fuss over Riseth. He joined Nessyra, who had stored the Kaiakos after everyone disembarked and started greeting the rest of their clan members. They looked wide-eyed and excited, taking in the surrounding landscape. "Welcome to Rathos, our very own seat of power and, more importantly, our new home," Alistair announced. After a short pause, allowing his words to settle in, the crowd broke into excited cheers, and Alistair noticed some of the Neshan members explaining the meaning of the name to those who seemed confused. Nessyra pulled him away to rejoin the family, content to leave things at that as Braxik took over. As they walked back, Nessyra summoned both Dexter and the Doberman-looking Cerberus, whom she had stored temporarily while addressing the crowd. Alistair inspected the new summon he hadn''t seen before. Although it seemed well-behaved, he knew its presence would be intimidating for many non-combatants. The ''dog'' was still rather large for a pet, coming up to his hip. Following his curious gaze, she spoke up, a hint of sadness in her voice. "This is Akrias. He belonged to Kycius, and I couldn''t bring myself to leave him behind. Don''t worry, he''s well-behaved." Alistair waved off her concern and reached out to pet the Cerberus, reaching for the closest head and scratching him behind the ear, which prompted another head to lick his hand while the third looked at him curiously. Alistair briefly wondered if the creature had three independent minds and personalities, but they reached the rest of the family, who curiously looked at Akrias. Riseth immediately broke off from the group as Akrias excitedly sprinted over to tackle and shower her with kisses. It didn''t escape Alistair''s notice that both his sister, brother and mother looked at the creature with hesitation, as it was almost as big as them. "Akrias, stop. Be a good boy," Riseth said as she effortlessly pushed the dog away. "How does that work? Does this dog have three brains?" James couldn''t help but ask. "He does, but they are kind of in sync and just help his heads to act more independently, but he is still just one creature, not three sharing a body if that''s what you are speculating," Riseth replied. Alistair wondered if the same principle applied to other beasts with multiple heads. Disregarding the idle thought, he stepped over and wrapped his arm around Riseth, rejoining the conversation. Eventually, they moved on as they saw the rest of the people getting ready to settle in and begin the work on the colony in earnest. Alistair and Riseth led their family to the peak of the mountain, eager to show off the breathtaking view from up high. The roughly carved and earth-shaped chambers Simon had created would eventually become their personal space but, for now, would function as a temporary space for their family and friends. They had reserved most of the space directly below them for the rest of the family to claim in case they were interested. But Alistair suspected most of them to settle on a lake or the nearby beach once they had expanded their territory to the nearby lakes and sea adjacent to the mountain chain, which promised countless beautiful spots for them to put down roots if they wished to have their own place. Chapter 154: Rathos Grows It had not taken long for Nessyra to call in a meeting, as the very next day, Alistair found himself in an impromptu meeting within his almost blank carved-out space if it weren''t for the gathering array runes he had carved out. They had set up their usual circle with the furniture they had taken from the trial around the usual projector, this time showing their new planet alongside its moon, which was temporarily designated Sapphire and Jade. Notably, the projector was powered by a small gem attached to a cord, and Alistair noted the stark difference when compared to the nice accommodations they had during the trial. They technically did have an operation center they could have used, but it was currently going through rework and expansion, so they had chosen to hold their meeting here. Most of the people were the usual suspects; however, Braxik had earned his place in their circle for now, eagerly talking with James as they animatedly talked about setting up different kinds of production lines and infrastructure, with James listing one request after another while the bearded demon listened intently nodding along making the occasional suggestions. Alistair himself was discussing with Riseth which sites they should investigate for treasures and points of interest first, based on a list of potential targets. James had already set up his drone network and had them map out and scan the entirety of the planet''s surface. With the current number of drones, it would take months to finish even a basic outline, but it would still make their own exploration more targeted as the drones would mark down any points of interest before moving on as there was a lot of ground to cover. Alistair and Riseth paused their discussion as the projector view shifted to Jade, who zoomed in on a section of the ocean near the largest continent, highlighting multiple red dots beneath the ocean surface. The room''s attention turned to Nessyra as she finished typing on a physical pad and looked up to address them, ensuring she had everyone''s focus. "As you all know, the moon orbiting our new home seems to house another enlightened species. Befriending them or, even better, bringing them under our wing is crucial. We can''t afford to have a hostile force in our proverbial backyard," Nessyra stated. The implications were clear: if this race turned out to be extremely aggressive and hostile, conflict was likely inevitable¡ªa prospect none of them were comfortable with and all hoped to avoid. "Fortunately, it doesn''t appear we''re dealing with an aggressive or expansionist species like our own," Nessyra continued. "Our scanners detected only one centralized location for their civilization, no clear borders or indicators of conflict or advanced magitech. However, we do detect a lot of magic and at least two individuals of Grade 8." Alistair and many of his family let out a sigh of relief. Aggressive and expansionist races like humans and demons, while not rare, were uncommon. Most species and cultures preferred peaceful dealings and only waged war when necessary or for what they called the greater good. Alistair was a little surprised to learn that the civilization already had two individuals at Grade 8, which was unusual for a non-expansionist species at this point in time. "I initially planned to recommend we send an envoy. However, as a safety precaution, it might be better if Alistair, Riseth, Simon, and I go as soon as possible. This would not only demonstrate our strength but also show that we care and consider this matter important enough to send our leaders directly," Nessyra suggested. "Isn''t that very risky for an underwater species we know little about?" Simon interjected, and Alistair, along with many others, seemed to agree with him. "We would, of course, train for underwater combat first and keep the Kaiakos hovering above their city, maintaining a crystal beacon for us to teleport out if needed," Nessyra reassured. Alistair wasn''t entirely convinced, and he could tell Simon wasn''t either. But he knew they had to do this themselves. Sending a capable follower could risk their lives if they misjudged the situation, and he voiced this concern, sparking a discussion. They shared their experiences with underwater combat and suggestions on effective magic. Fortunately, Melissa mentioned that teleporting underwater wasn''t an issue and was a common method for those with low water affinity to stay mobile. Not wanting teleportation to be their only means of escape, Alistair questioned what other options they had. "Other than teleportation, many upgrade their flying skills to work underwater. Others rely on their overwhelming power or find a mount or summon that can provide the mobility they lack," Melissa explained. Alistair rubbed his forehead, exchanging a look with Simon, who relented with a sigh. "Fine, I guess we do some underwater combat training." Glancing around the circle, Alistair saw everyone else in agreement and gave Nessyra the signal to continue. Nessyra nodded, giving a quick glance to Braxik, "The next topic is our own currency. We got lucky. Braxik has let me know that we have multiple confirmed low-tier veins of mundane gold that our automata have dug up, so we will be able to proceed with our own currency plans instead of using USC." Alistair let out a sigh of relief. They had discussed this at length during the trial. While they had a large sum of USC, they had no means of creating more. This wouldn''t be an issue if they could find a suitable material, like gold, to use as currency for their followers to spend on services and rewards for their own service and hard work. This was one of the main reasons they acquired a Planetary AI, as managing the currency would be significantly easier with the AI monitoring the situation. If they hadn''t found a suitable source, they would have needed to get creative or use USC, neither of which would have been ideal. Neither humans nor demons would work long without compensation, and the same applied to the other species following them, with perhaps the exception of the fairies. He was just glad they finally had a use for the big chunk of gold he had recovered from that Aztec-like dungeon. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The discussions continued, with Alistair''s input being minimal as Nessyra and Braxik primarily led the presentations on various projects and findings. Alistair found Braxik''s segments particularly engaging, focusing heavily on converting lakes, aquifers, and other water sources into energy sources and plantations for their crops. These projects resembled rice terraces but with the twist of using magically infused water, fostering the growth of mundane plants that could potentially evolve into higher-tier varieties through selective breeding and propagation, a suggestion Alistair had made and would take some time to be realized. The blueprint for those terraces was discovered in the sub-sections of the Qhut''al, which was the same species as Es''el, who had mastered the use of elevation in their agricultural practices and turned it into an art form. These terraces had proven highly efficient for cultivating a diverse range of crops while also powering themselves and adding to the landscape''s aesthetic appeal. Alistair continued to hang back, giving occasional opinions unless it directly involved him. The first such instance concerned his mana heart treasure, which would be placed in a water chamber to act as a mana source for projects situated far from any Dragon vein. He agreed to its use, recognizing that it would benefit both their efforts and the environment in the long run. Nessyra hesitated as she looked over the next point in her agenda, meeting Alistair¡¯s eyes before firming her resolve. ¡°There is one energy source on this planet we could use. However, most of you will find it distasteful,¡± Nessyra began. ¡°The local butterfly subspecies could technically be used as a fuel source.¡± ¡°You want us to burn butterflies to fuel our engines?¡± Melissa asked incredulously. Riseth looked a bit torn, while Simon chuckled at the prospect, drawing reproachful looks from Alistair''s mother and sister. Nessyra seized the moment to explain. "I know they are beautiful, and we wouldn''t remove all of them from the environment. They breed quickly when their numbers dwindle; they absorb ambient atmospheric mana and refine it within their bodies before expelling it back into the atmosphere, making them good candidates. Plus, they are hardly sentient and act solely on instinct." "The way you describe them, they are already helping the planet. Capturing and breeding them just to burn them feels a bit ungrateful," James added. Nessyra looked a little torn, seeing her usual ally not siding with her. Alistair could tell she wanted to refute the argument as overly sentimental and irrational. "There is also a bit of karma involved, even if it''s negligible. Let''s keep our options open for now. I''m not comfortable burning living creatures en masse, even if they lack the mind to comprehend it," Alistair added, effectively ending the discussion as the majority of the room nodded in agreement. Recognizing it was a lost cause, Nessyra moved on to the next topic: individual requests to build and settle in different planned districts and the associated rent they wished to implement. This subject, however, failed to capture the interest of anyone present except for Nessyra herself. Five days later, Alistair, Riseth, Nessyra, and Simon had finally settled most matters and had some time to dedicate to their training. The completion of the AI Core chamber took a lot of micromanagement off their hands, allowing them to train in underwater combat at the nearest beach. They first had to scare off some lower-level beasts that had staked their claim on the local beach. During their regular trips outside, they could see the construction projects visibly advancing, with both internal and external structures beginning to take shape as both people and automata hustled and bustled to build their new home. Alistair found the terraces being carved and grown with earth magic along the foothills and lower mountainsides particularly intriguing. They breathed life into the rock faces, giving the surroundings more character and unique charm as they spread across the landscape. The runoff from one of the partially finished terraces flowed to the crimson foothills, nurturing the Dragonstalk bamboo they had planted there, which had adapted remarkably well to the environment. The bamboo already grew quickly enough for harvesting, though it would take time before it blossomed and provided more precious seeds for further propagation. The Dragonstalk bamboo, according to the description they had received when they bought it, was an artificially created plant perfected over countless generations of crossbreeding and had a unique growth pattern. After an initial rapid expansion, it redirected its growth into its bamboo stalks, halting further spread and focusing instead on strengthening itself. This behavior was in stark contrast to most bamboo species, which typically expand aggressively. Presumably, the creators had successfully bred this trait out of the plant, making it more stable and manageable. Also, due to its exceptionally high mana conductivity, the material was integrated into their infrastructure. The vibrant red hue of the processed bamboo stood out, adding a unique aesthetic to their buildings and infrastructure while enhancing the magical transition and flow. Resni, in particular, had been eager to craft weapons from the material. The resulting weapons were a striking crimson red, reminiscent of something out of a fantasy setting. They were robust and lightweight, though Resni noted that the material was better suited as a component in an alloy due to its mana conductive properties. Nevertheless, she was more than content to use the material as it was, finding it stronger than most steel and comparable to pure mithril weaponry. However, it wasn''t as strong as the adamantine she was accustomed to working with. Chapter 155: No rest for the Wicked Alistair''s suspicion would be proven right as he and Simon took over one and a half weeks before their skills finally upgraded, allowing them to maneuver underwater as well as they did above ground. Nessyra had managed to finish a week before him and had returned to Rathos to oversee its development, with Riseth finishing her upgrade shortly after but choosing to stick around and help them develop their skills and explore the local beach. However, Alistair found her lazing about on the beach more than once, though he didn''t begrudge her the break. Simon finished a day before Alistair and took half a day to relax on the beach before heading back to Rathos to speed up their projects with his earth manipulation skills. Alistair let out a cheer when he finally got the notification confirming his upgrade. Having a low water affinity had been a real challenge, and he was glad most of his strong affinities aligned with the concepts he wanted to use. He knew that spending so much time in the water would slowly improve his affinity for the water concept, though it was a slog. Most literature on concepts and affinities he''d read suggested focusing on strong affinities instead of trying to improve weaker ones, except for concepts like magic and combat, which could be boosted with enough training and study.

Skills: Tier: [Rare] Name: Sky and Sea Flight Description: Enables the user to fly at a tiny [MP] cost over time. This skill taps into the concepts of acceleration, deceleration, and control, allowing for exceptional aerial maneuverability with rapid bursts of speed and quick halts at minimal additional [MP] cost. The user can infuse [MP] or [Qi] to achieve extreme speeds during acceleration and deceleration.This skill also allows the user to fly underwater, providing additional environmental protection from water by using manipulation magic to displace water around the user. This enables movement nearly as fast as in the sky at a small additional cost of [MP] or [Qi] over time, which increases with underwater pressure. The User''s body augmentations provide additional protection against interference, moderately increasing the skill''s resistance to hostile abilities.
Alistair was confident the skill would prove incredibly useful in the future. It created a small artificial layer through water manipulation and force, preventing direct physical contact with the water. This layer protected him from electricity and heat-based attacks, though it did increase the maintenance cost of the skill. The deeper he dove, the more underwater pressure his skill needed to counteract. Now that he had finally upgraded the skill, they could properly reach out to their new neighbors. Nessyra had prepared gifts from their produce, such as Spirit Orchid wine, metal bars made from Dragonstalk, Lomie meat, and other items she suspected would be well received and could be offered for trade in the future. He wasn''t sure how well any of those gifts would be received, though it wasn''t a bad idea. Flying back to the beach, he breathed in the fresh salty smell of the ocean and the sand. Looking over the beach, he found it empty except for the strange green crab turtles. These creatures either lay in the sun or grazed on the nearby grass. They had the body and head of a sea turtle but crab legs and pincers. The Qexrus were a little larger than his foot, most of them around level 15 to 20, and were essentially mundane animals. While he didn¡¯t mind the official name, he couldn''t help calling them crab-turtles. His Identify skill eventually adopted this name. He figured he would probably rename other hard-to-pronounce species with names he and the others found more fitting. As Alistair flew back to Rathos, he observed the significant progress made on the walls surrounding the core of their territory. Small forts were taking shape at regular intervals, indicating their expansion was moving much more rapidly than he had anticipated. Alistair had received several requests to assist with the larger array formations on the walls once they had concluded both diplomatic and exploration matters. Within those walls, pastures spread into the local hillsides, where they were rearing Lomies. Multiple guard towers protected these pastures, as the local wyvern population had attempted to feast on their herd. Considerable effort had been expended to kill the attackers and scare off other wyverns. The towers still found regular use due to occasional attacks from the less intelligent Hukris wyverns, who continued to try their luck despite the increased defenses. The Hukris were the closest thing they had found to pests on this planet; they were numerous and opportunistic and endangered weaker species whenever they spread into a new territory. Their bodies had no real desirable materials besides their cores, which weren''t aspected with any particular affinity and swang between camouflage wind and greed concepts. Flying up to the peak, Alistair continued to scan the surrounding area but didn''t find anything amiss. Landing on the platform that now housed his ginkgo tree, he noticed a new, modern-looking door at the entryway to his and Riseth''s place. As he approached, the door responded to his aura signature and slid into the rockface, granting him entry. Descending the stairs, he noticed that the stone floor had been replaced with spirit wood that had a warm golden coloration, filling the room with a refreshing, calming scent of nature. Automata and a few workers glanced at him briefly before returning to their tasks, installing magitech necessities, including screens and other modern conveniences. The space was transforming into a harmonious blend of natural elements and advanced technology. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Looking for Riseth, he found her talking with Giulia about the interior decoration in front of a new circular window that framed a large built-in jacuzzi, designed for them to enjoy the view while relaxing. Alistair also noticed a nearby shelf where herbs and other treasures were neatly stored, adding to the room''s elegant yet functional design. "Oh hey, Mr. Legendary, you finally finished?" Riseth asked with a cheeky grin before giving him a hug and planting a kiss on his cheek. "I did. But when did you get all this done?" Alistair asked, bewildered. He had only been gone for a day, and the progress was staggering. "Magic helps a lot with construction, and capable craftsmen can do something like this with ease. Do you like it?" Riseth replied. "It looks amazing," Alistair said, nodding to Giulia, who beamed at them with a bright smile. They turned to face her, and Giulia seemed eager to talk. "Thank you so much for this opportunity. Working in interior design with so many new and great insights from other worlds and incorporating magic has been amazing," Giulia said enthusiastically. "I should be the one thanking you. You and Riseth have done a great job so far. I can''t wait to actually have the time to enjoy this space," Alistair replied. "Did you know feng shui is an actual thing now? I even got a skill for it and made sure to optimize the space for a harmonious energy flow," Giulia added. Alistair noted the harmonious and calm energy flow in their space despite his array directing some of it. Giulia continued discussing all the ideas she and Riseth had, talking about which plants could go where and asking if he had any requests. Alistair declined, wanting to leave it to Riseth, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself. Looking around, Alistair wondered where Viv was, as she hadn¡¯t come up to greet him like usual. ¡°Where is Viv, by the way? She usually comes to greet me when I get back,¡± Alistair asked, peeking into their bedroom, which had also undergone significant changes. The room looked much less sparse, with crystal lamps casting a soft light and black carpets covering most of the floor. ¡°Your mother took her to her place. She wasn¡¯t comfortable with all the workers around,¡± Riseth explained. ¡°Ah, got it,¡± Alistair replied, as it made sense to him. Before he could sit down on the new couch in their finished living room, Nessyra entered their home with an eager look in her eyes and Dexter hot on her heels. "I got a report you returned. Did you finish upgrading your skill?" she asked without much preamble. Alistair looked longingly at the couch before letting out a sigh. "Yeah, I did." "Great, let''s get going then. We''ve only been waiting for you to finish. By the time we get back, our network should be up and running," Nessyra said energetically. "No rest for the wicked, I suppose," Alistair said as he trotted over to her. "Wicked? You? That''s an odd expression and not fitting at all," Nessyra replied with a smirk. He watched as Riseth gave Giulia a hug before hurriedly joining them. Together, they made their way outside, where Simon, Zarrias, Karrut, and one of Oconoe''s fully grown offspring waited for them. Alistair hadn''t met most of Oconoe''s brood yet, and since many hadn''t earned a name, a customary practice in their culture, it was difficult to address them properly. Their similar features didn''t help either; he couldn''t tell if this one was a son or a daughter of his as they all looked like huge humanoid crabs to him. As they approached, Simon asked, "Are we taking the Artemis, or are we assembling a crew for the Kaiakos?" "We''ll be using the Kaiakos; making a strong impression is key. I had James on standby with our designated bridge crew. They should arrive shortly, so we can board soon," Nessyr said, most of her attention on her system pad. Alistair felt a bit rushed; he would''ve loved to relax a little. However, he knew he didn''t actually need to rest, and his Grade 8 body could go for weeks without adverse effects. His desire to sleep and rest was more of a remnant from his previous life routine. "Have we learned anything new about Jade and its people?" Alistair asked Nessyra out of idle curiosity. "Interestingly, they seem to stay put in their cities, although we detected the signature of a powerful Grade 8 beast attacking them. They managed to scare it off, though it cost some lives," Nessyra replied with a frown. "Don''t they have two or more individuals at Grade 8? Why can''t they just kill it?" Alistair asked, puzzled. "One of the Grade 8 individuals is situated at the center and is presumably the ruler who doesn''t want or can''t risk their life. The other might be a crafter. Everything indicates they are not a warlike species and seem to be actively struggling against powerful beasts," Nessyra explained. Alistair wasn''t sure how to feel about this. On one hand, he was glad they wouldn''t likely have to contend with them. However, their struggle to fend off a single Grade 8 beast didn''t bode well either, as they were likely to ask for protection. As he considered the situation, James arrived with a group of uniformed demons and humans, all wearing eager expressions. James quickly deployed the Kaiakos, and the group boarded the ship with enthusiasm, while Alistair and his team followed at a more leisurely pace. Alistair and the others decided to stay in the entry hangar, knowing they would be dismounting soon. It was a short trip, and the craft''s artificial gravity would keep them mostly unaffected by the Kaiakos''s takeoff. Nessyra took the opportunity to brief everyone on the procedures and their respective roles. Nessyra, Alistair, and Riseth were expected to handle most of the negotiations, while Oconoe''s offspring, apparently a female, would serve as their representative and, through this act, earn a name from those she works with. Karrut would act as a bodyguard, or rather a "lawyer," for the crab woman, also assisting her with Neshan''s perspectives and common sense. He would, of course, be on a rotation and would not have to stay on the planet. Their shipwright had recently begun constructing shuttles within the partially finished shipyard, which would allow them to travel within the system. Larger projects would have to wait until the shipyard was fully completed. Alistair leaned against the bulkhead, waiting for takeoff, as he listened to Nessyra''s explanations. He was eager to see what kind of race they would encounter and what they looked like. Chapter 156: Empress Denodia Naurei Alistair waited with bated breath as they approached the vicinity above the underwater city. They avoided flying directly over the city to prevent appearing too threatening, though there was still a slight chance the Kaiakos could be attacked. With their shields up just in case, they descended without incident. Disembarking first, Alistair breathed in the salty air and felt the sharp winds at this altitude, taking a moment to absorb the scene. The massive Kaiakos loomed overhead, casting a large shadow over the landing site and sending any nearby flying beasts scattering. As the others followed, Karrut and the crab woman descended using jetpack-like devices, still lacking the necessary flight skills. Alistair kept a watchful eye on their descent, ready to step in if needed, but both landed gracefully in the water and quickly stored their jetpacks. Dexter, thrilled to be in open waters, swam rapid circles around them. Alistair took a moment to enjoy watching Dexter''s playful swimming, waiting for the rest of the group to catch up. Diving into the water with the others, he looked about the depths, seeing a magical outline of large structures in the distance through his conceptual awareness with some smaller forms approaching them. Fortunately, his new flight skill didn''t distort his view underwater, and his conceptual awareness skill adapted quickly due to his practice on their own planet, allowing him to see much farther than his eyes would normally allow him to. "We have some incoming, but not enough to be a threat. Try not to overreact to whatever they are," Alistair called out over his Akashic Link, which connected everyone in the group. He waved at Nessyra as Riseth had already joined him. They floated in front of their group, waiting for the inhabitants to approach. Due to the somewhat clear nature of the ocean, they quickly spotted them, and Alistair saw that they were mermaids accompanied by mermen. While he had seen mermen before, it was his first time seeing mermaids. He knew they weren''t necessarily of the same species but were merely compatible, so he looked up the available information on mermaids. Nessyra frowned and cursed over their link. "This isn''t good. If they are all mermaids, we have an issue," she said, biting her lip. Alistair turned to her in confusion. Nothing he knew about mermaids or was currently looking up indicated they would be problematic. "What''s the problem?" Alistair asked over the link, still confused as he watched the small group approach. The mermen and mermaids were clad in what looked to be masterfully crafted metal and chain-link armor that seemed heavily enchanted and impervious to the ocean waters. This indicated they were skilled craftspeople, which was quickly confirmed by the knowledge he had copied into his knowledge base. They were a famous yet incredibly rare species, even more so than dragons and other mythical creatures, and were known for crafting legendary weapons and distributing them to chosen heroes and champions. Before he could digest more information, Nessyra spoke up after a slight hesitation. "They aren''t known to be great fighters, and mermaid flesh is one of the most coveted dark alchemical ingredients due to its incredible healing and regenerative properties. If processed correctly, it can grant a lesser form of immortality, providing effects similar to reaching Grade 5, where the body regenerates and heals any wounds with enough time; it also rejuvenates the consumer and prevents aging. This is why most mermaid enclaves, once exposed, are attacked, hunted down, and enslaved by Blackmarket syndicates and forced to breed work and be slaughtered for their flesh once deemed useless. If we didn''t have a target on our backs before, we definitely will now if we take them under our wing." Alistair''s voice was firm over the Akashic Link, which connected only Riseth, Nessyra, and Simon to the conversation. "Fuck the Blackmarket Syndicates," he said. If there was a crafting-specialized race on the moon that needed protection from the Syndicates, he would provide it. They had already demonstrated that they wouldn''t tolerate the Syndicates, and he wasn''t about to back down now. "I agree," Nessyra replied, determination in her voice. "But it''s still not ideal. We need to inform them and work to keep their presence a secret with formations, especially scrying formations, as soon as possible before someone tracks this place and finds them and, in turn, us." Simon cautiously added, "We should talk to them as planned first, before inciting any panic among their ranks and leadership." They agreed and waited for the Mermaid carrying a spear and shield leading the proceeding to address them. The green-haired mermaid spoke up, some tightly restrained fear in her voice as she hovered in front of them, the Shadow of the Kaiakos still blotting out most of the surrounding light. "Welcome, visitors; my name is Ayano. How may I address you?" "We are the Ryser Clan. You may address me as Alistair, and this is my wife, Riseth; we are the Patriarch and Matriarch of the clan," He said before introducing the others. "We came here to speak to your leaders," he concluded. Alistair noted how Ayano calmed down but couldn''t help but notice how incredibly tight her control over her aura was. This also applied to the rest of the proceeding. If he wasn''t this much more powerful than them, he would not have been able to use his Identify skill on them [Ayano¡ªlvl 71]. After identifying her, she looked at him surprised and failed to do the same to him, a worried expression barely contained before she spoke up again. "What do you wish to discuss?" She asked If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "We have settled the neighboring planet and wish to establish friendly relations and initiate negotiations with your people," Riseth said warmly, her smile helping to ease the tension among the small group. "Of course, we must ask your group to wait outside the palace while we seek the empress''s agreement. Please follow us," Ayano replied. They followed the small group as they approached an expansive underwater cityscape, characterized by curved metal spires and colorful deepsea quartz structures. The inhabitants watched them cautiously from a distance; most were mermaids, with the occasional merman and unfamiliar aquatic species that Alistair couldn''t even categorize. All the mermaids were incredibly beautiful and seemed to be blessed by ethereal youth as they lacked any signs of aging. They were led down the main path toward the heart of the city, where a massive palace stood as the centerpiece and largest structure. Its towering metal spires and fortified walls were visible from afar, surrounded by warding spells that protected the impressive structure. Fish and other underwater species glided above them, akin to birds in the sky. They were requested to wait in front of the gatehouse as Ayano rushed into the large structure. The guards let her pass, and they didn''t seem to take offense to her carrying her weapons into the palace in a hurry. After what felt like 10 minutes, Ayano rushed back out towards them. "Empress Denoida Naurei is eager to speak with you and invites Alistair, Riseth, and Nessyra to join her. Your other companions will need to wait, but they are welcome to partake in a small banquet in the meantime," Ayano announced. They nodded in agreement and were led inside the palace. The guards eyed them with some worry as the rest of the group was escorted down a different corridor. Ayano led Alistair, Riseth, and Nessyra into the throne room, where they were greeted by Empress Denoida. She was a stunningly beautiful mermaid, about the same size as Alistair when he wasn''t restraining his size. Her long cobalt blue hair and smooth skin highlighted her elegant form. She wore chain mail armor that also functioned as an elegant dress, adorned with metal scales, insignias, and decorative gems that almost distracted from the incredibly powerful enchantments worked into the armor. A soft and pleasant voice rang out as Ayano bowed and left the room, closing the gate behind her. "The Ryser clan, I have been hoping you would be the ones who would find us, and it''s so much sooner than I expected," Denodia said with visible relief. Alistair was a little surprised by the statement and the lack of any guards or protectors, as nobody else was present to guard or support their empress. Riseth and Nessyra also looked around in slight confusion. "What do you mean, hoping we would be the ones to find you?" Nessyra questioned. Denodia let out a soft chuckle. "Apologies, I am getting ahead of myself. To preempt some confusion, my strongest concept is that of ''Future.'' It allows me to act as something of a prophet at times, and your arrival and our meeting are among the strongest and most important potential events I have been able to foresee." They exchanged hesitant glances; dealing with someone claiming to see the future was a little troubling. "Do you have any evidence to support that claim?" Nessyra asked skeptically. Denodia seemed quite relaxed as she tilted her head from side to side before responding. "The red metal you wish to gift me is something I looked forward to working with," she said with a cheeky smile. "It still feels a bit like a parlor trick; she could just see what''s in our storage," Alistair said over their Akashic Link. "I don''t know, but I agree I don''t trust this," Nessyra replied over the link before pressing Denodia further. "Do you have any other evidence besides this? What do you know of us?" Nessyra inquired. Denodia idly played with her long blue hair, which slightly flowed in the water, still smiling at them. "Unlike most of the other potential events, I know you come as friends and want us to join your clan." After a short pause, she added, "I know you will tell us of a potential outside threat and offer to protect my people from them, but anyone could have guessed this much, I suppose..." Alistair thoughtfully scratched his chin before speaking up, deciding to skip some of the preamble. "What is your stance on joining our clan, then?" She beamed at him before answering, "I personally welcome the offer, though tradition dictates that you would have to marry me to lay claim to the throne and officially become the leader of our people." Alistair was taken aback, his doubt about her ability to see the future deepening as all the women in the room looked at him with curiosity and expectation. "I''m already married, and while I''m flattered by the offer, I don''t plan on taking multiple wives," Alistair responded with a smile. Denodia pouted before smirking at them. "I kind of knew it wouldn''t work, but the future isn''t set in stone, so it was worth a try. He''s a good catch for a mate, and we will all live long lives. Perhaps you''ll change your mind," she added teasingly. Nessyra seemed more peeved than Alistair as she spoke up. "Is there no alternative to marriage?" she asked. "Of course there is," Denodia replied with a laugh. "I can send out a chosen one on a quest to slay a beast of renown before granting them a weapon of power, signifying their divine right to lead our people alongside me. And as it happens, there is such a monster threatening my people right now," she added with a less cheerful expression. Alistair and Riseth exchanged a knowing look and had to hold back their laughter, struggling not to crack. Nessyra looked at them in confusion while Empress Denodia chuckled. "I know, strange women distributing weapons are no basis for a system of government. But I hope you can bear with our farcical aquatic ceremony," Denodia said, showing them a toothy smile. "Oh, what the fuck," Alistair said as he burst out laughing, with Riseth and Denodia joining in. This was by far the most compelling evidence that she spoke the truth. Especially since he had been completely unable to pierce her veil and deeper intentions, however, her words and facial expressions painted her as a fun and casual individual. "And yes, you can expect to wield supreme executive power," She added. Alistair snorted. "Alright, I believe you can actually see the future," he said, raising his hands to quell Denodia''s quips. Nessyra, still confused, received a short memory recording from Alistair to explain the exchange and let out a groan after reviewing it. "Until the beast returns, please stay so we can get to know each other better," Denodia offered, noticing that Nessyra had felt a bit left out of the loop. She engaged Nessyra, asking questions and answering some of them in return. "Oh right, what do your people call this moon and its planet?" Riseth asked. "We call our moon Nautilis, and the planet we have named Lacustrine," Denodia replied. "Lacustrine... I like it; that saves me the time to come up with something," Alistair said with relief. This initiated a more relaxed and casual exchange than they had anticipated. Denodia eagerly inspected their gifts, particularly the red bars of dragonstalk metal, and thanked them, her bubbly personality radiating warmth and friendliness. Chapter 157: To deal with Mermaids Denodia had initially swum down from her elevated throne to eagerly exchange words with them, clear up some misunderstandings, explain her future sight skills a little, and make some minor agreements with Nessyra, inquiring about a wide assortment of topics in more detail. Then, she addressed the matter of her people joining the Ryser Clan. "I have four demands that need to be fulfilled. Once these are met, I and the rest of the people of Nautilis will join the Ryser Clan as full members without reservations," Denodia said in an almost businesslike manner, quite different from her previous demeanor. "And what are those demands?" Riseth asked. Denodia raised her index finger. "First, Alistair will act as a prospective champion and slay the poisonous sea wyvern that is killing my people. He will receive one of my best works as compensation, satisfying our cultural demands for a champion." Raising her middle finger, she continued, "Second, you will help us create an anti-scrying formation for my people as quickly as possible." Stretching out her thumb, she said, "Third, I expect two contracts to be made, the first stating that the Ryser Clan will protect us from the Blackmarket Syndicates and other threats to the best of their abilities. The second contract is a secrecy agreement for those aware of our existence to prevent them from disclosing our location to outsiders." Finally, she curled her thumb back into her palm and extended her remaining four fingers. "Fourth, I expect fair treatment of my people and a leadership position as governor of Nautilis." Alistair thought all of these agreements were more than reasonable and were things they would have likely done either way. Looking at the sisters, he saw that they were both in agreement. "We accept these terms, though I will need an exact definition of what is considered the best of our abilities and how far you expect us to go," Nessyra replied as she started to pen a magic contract. After only half an hour, she led them to a large, water-free dining room, transitioning effortlessly and levitating above the ground. Most of their party was sampling various kinds of seafood, surprised by their early arrival and the Empress''s casual demeanor. After giving their group a quick update over the Akashic Link, they relaxed and began introducing themselves. Oconoe''s offspring was the first to approach, but before she could introduce herself, Denodia spoke up. "Greetings, Nanalo. I look forward to working with you," she said with a wide smile, shaking the armored hand of the newly named crab woman, who radiated happiness at being named so quickly. "Thank you for this amazing name, Your Highness. I love it!" Nanalo said excitedly. "I know," Denodia replied casually before turning to Karrut, looking him up and down. "You''ll be popular. Try not to get involved with too many of our ladies," Denodia said with a sly grin before turning to Simon. "The same goes for you," she added with a wink. Alistair and Riseth stood to the side, observing the exchange. They snickered as Simon made excuses for himself, watching Denodia dismiss the conversation to greet the rest of the group. "Why did you decline her? She seems like a fine piece of tail," Riseth whispered teasingly. Alistair chuckled. "Just like Simon said, I wouldn''t even know how the logistics of that would work, and I stick true to my commitments." This earned him a passionate kiss from Riseth. "She is a cute one, though. I love her hair," she added thoughtfully, playing with her hair, which temporarily took on the same blue color as Denodia''s. "But I can always just borrow her looks," she added with a mischievous smile. Alistair panicked a little as he noted that Denodia had noticed their exchange. She approached them, her tail transforming into a long pair of legs, her lower body covered by her armor as it extended into a medium-length, asymmetrical skirt adorned with decorative metal scales. "We can change our forms to go on land. We just prefer our tails, so the logistics aren''t an issue," she said to Alistair before turning to Riseth. "I don''t mind you taking some aspects of my appearance, but at that point, you might as well invite me every now and then," she added teasingly. This time, it was Riseth''s turn to respond. "Sorry, but he''s all mine," she said, wrapping herself around Alistair''s arm. Denodia laughed good-naturedly. "What makes you think I don''t want to steal you from him?" she teased. Seeing their surprised expressions, she waved them off. "Apologies, I shouldn''t tease you two too much. We mermaids are a bit lax in such matters because our chances to bear offspring are quite low, which keeps our population growth limited. This is only offset by the fact that we don''t age. It''s actually a bit of an issue, as mermen, while long-lived, do age." Her voice carried a hint of sadness before she glanced at the rest of the group, who were busy talking among themselves, occasionally glancing their way, particularly Nessyra, who had facepalmed upon noticing Riseth''s blue hair. "Just how old are you? You shouldn''t be that old, as the local natural gods would have halted time acceleration once this planet had too many Grade 8 individuals or advanced too far," Riseth inquired, her confusion evident. "Indeed they would have, so I worked on my foundation and crafts a lot, spending long periods lazing about with different mates, who all eventually died. Meeting individuals who might live as long as I do is exciting. My role as empress and prophet allowed me to convince others to hold back on advancing their grades. Being able to see the future helped me avoid death and stretch how far I and the others could advance before they caught on and put a stop to it," Denodia said with a sly smile. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Care to get more specific with your age?" Riseth asked curiously. "I kind of stopped paying attention, but I''d say closing in on half a millennium, maybe 300 or 400 years, give or take," she said casually. Alistair couldn''t imagine pretending to do nothing for hundreds of years just to extend the periods during which she could refine her skills. This made him more wary of Denodia and her abilities. While he doubted she had malicious intentions, he knew he had to be prepared just in case. He wasn''t even sure if she was serious with her flirtatious attempts, as her aura veil was impenetrable, revealing only the emotions she chose to display. As he mulled over the abilities she had explained, he suspected that seeing the future must have its drawbacks. She could see possible outcomes, some more likely than others. Perhaps she was pushing and probing for unlikely events just for the thrill, which would be concerning. Dwelling on the term prophet also reminded him of Adam, who had shown similar abilities and aimed for an evolution with ''prophet'' in its name. Initially, he thought it had religious or no relevant connotations, but now he realized it branched into a different aspect of the term. As he mulled over these topics, her aura veil, which had shielded her so tightly before, suddenly dropped completely. "Don''t worry; while I did pick up some odd habits due to my affinity and longer lifespan, I have no twisted intentions. This is just me messing around," she said with a wink before her veil reemerged, and she walked off toward Nessyra, who had been observing their exchange. She must have seen his worried expression and used her skill to predict different outcomes of the conversation. In one of those scenarios, he must have revealed what was troubling him. Although not truly reliable, It was still an incredibly fearsome social skill that he was sure Nessyra had been eager to acquire the moment she heard about it. From what Denodia had told them, her affinity proved highly versatile, allowing her to use variations of her future sight in crafting and combat to achieve the best results. However, it didn''t always work in her favor, especially in combat against significantly more powerful opponents, where she could become overwhelmed by possibilities and dead ends, unable to react effectively, and get too distracted by possibilities. Alistair was pulled from his musings when Riseth addressed him over their Akashic Link. "Dealing with someone who can have half a dozen conversations ahead of time is weird," Riseth commented as she watched Denodia leave. "She does have a habit of overusing that skill of hers," Alistair agreed. The rest of the day proceeded less eventfully as more mermaids and the occasional mermen joined their gathering. They exchanged friendly banter, with some mermaids flirting with the male members of their group. Alistair waved them off when Simon and Karrut gave him questioning looks. Karrut, in particular, wasn''t sure how to handle the situation as two very attractive mermaids relentlessly flirted with him. Alistair, observing his student''s plight, sent a message over their Akashic Link. "You don''t need my permission. You''ve recently reached maturity, so it''s your decision to make. Just remember the consequences of your actions. Their empress gave you a green light, too. Just remember Nessyra will tear you a new one if you create problems for the clan, so try not to upset them." Suppressing a chuckle, Alistair watched as Karrut, the large bull-like demon, was dragged off by the mermaids, looking both excited and apprehensive. Alistair was tempted to ask if mermaids laid eggs but thought better of it, considering it might actually be true. A quick search in his Akashic Link confirmed that mermaids indeed laid eggs, typically one to four, which required protection until the embryos matured and were ready to hatch. Conception, however, was the same as for humans and demons. Alistair would have found the prospect of humanoid beings being born from eggs strange some mere months ago, but now it was just another Tuesday. Before he could think too hard on it, Denodia approached again, and he worried she might chide him for his thoughts. "The beast is approaching. Please head to the small city of Areus, which is a few kilometers to the east. Time is of the essence; I didn''t get much forewarning this time," Denodia hurriedly said. Alistair was about to ask how Denodia knew what a kilometer was, as unlike usual, the system didn''t translate it from a different measuring system, but he shook his head, dismissing the thought as he hurried outside the palace. He blitzed past Dexter, who was busy hunting the fish circling around the palace. Seeing Alistair, Dexter decided to tag along, effortlessly keeping pace as he swam on his back. "Where are you going?" Dexter asked telepathically, casually matching Alistair''s speed. "I''m supposed to go out and kill a beast," Alistair responded. "That sounds fun. Let''s go! It''s adventure time!" Dexter''s excited voice rang through the telepathic link. Alistair chuckled. "Alright, you can tag along, but don''t interfere with my fight. I need to defeat the beast on my own." Alistair sensed slight disappointment in Dexter, but the Yagan still decided to tag along. As Alistair approached the new structures near the city, his eyes were drawn to an enormous dome of swirling water rising up to shield the city. Mermaids and mermen, clad in armor, manned the sea quartz fortifications lining the perimeter. While their defenses lacked traditional turrets, the crystalline structures they guarded hummed with energy¡ªlikely their version of heavy weaponry. Before he even saw the threat, he could feel its rabid bloodlust closing in on the city. Instead of taking a position with the defenders on the wall, Alistair flew forward to intercept the incoming beast. Strange orbs shot out from the city behind him and began to orbit his position. He glanced at them curiously, suspecting they were the local equivalent of scout drones. Before he could ask through the network what they were, Riseth¡¯s voice echoed in his mind via the Akashic Link. "Denodia''s got some Palantir network¡ªit¡¯s like their version of TV, but massive crystal balls instead of screens. You¡¯re live, so try to smile for the audience," Riseth teased, her tone laced with playful mischief. Alistair shook his head, amused by the antics, and focused on the task at hand. In the distance, over the sandy dunes, he spotted the creature. A massive red lionfish with an elongated, eel-like body surged toward the city. His [Identify] skill confirmed its name: [Vozorid - lvl 125]. If he had to guess, it was a form of sea wyvern. But with Dexter, his dog-like companion, beside him, there was no need for guesses. "Hey, Dexter, what is that thing exactly?" Alistair asked telephatically. "That''s a Vozorid, a sea wyvern or sea serpent. It''s a wyrm subtype known for its incredibly potent poison spines and not much else," Dexter replied absent-mindedly as he looked at the strange orbs circling them. Alistair buffed himself and browsed his library for some suitable boss battle music as the creature rapidly approached. The Vozorid only spared Alistair a glance before fixing its eyes on the nearest mermaid on the fortifications, swimming past him and ignoring the sacred rules of epic stand-offs. "Did that fucker just ignore me?" Alistair asked, surprised and mildly annoyed. He then converted Qi into power, using his telekinesis to rip the beast towards him, completely overpowering it and slamming it into a moderately sized, sharp-looking coral reef in front of him, which earned him the wary attention and ire of the beast. Chapter 158: Mermaids Ally The Vozroid quickly recovered, twisting its body and launching a hail of poison-covered spines at Alistair. Raising his hand, Alistair halted the attack, freezing the spines in midwater. He frowned slightly; he had tried to siphon the kinetic energy from the spines to fuel his telekinesis but ended up just stopping them instead. Despite his incredible affinity, manipulating and reusing kinetic energy through telekinesis was a skill he was still struggling with; he noted that he needed to solidify and strengthen his kinetic connection further to succeed. Additionally, the beast seemed disappointingly weak for its level, with hardly any power behind its attack. The only noteworthy aspect was its rapid regeneration, as the cuts from the coral reef healed almost instantly. "Hey, Dexter, do these creatures normally regenerate this fast?" Alistair asked telepathically. "Nope," Dexter replied. Alistair''s expression grew grim at the implication. This beast must have killed a significant number of mermaids to gain such regenerative benefits from consuming them. Almost involuntarily, Alistair let slip his Bloodcurdling Presence, feeling the monster''s fear. It had initially ignored him to snack on another victim, but now it flipped around, sending more spines as it tried to flee. With his left hand, Alistair blocked the attack with his telekinesis, partially succeeding in absorbing the kinetic energy as a trickle reached him. He watched the spines slowly drift downward while using his telekinesis to grasp and crush the Vozroid. Using his right hand as a focal point for the skill, he dragged the beast towards him as the beast squirmed fruitlessly to escape his grasp. He felt its spindly bones crack and try to heal themselves through the telekinetic connection. It wasn''t a pleasant sensation, but he reinforced the connection, feeling the power he could exert even at this distance slowly increase. He sensed Riseth''s worry, her voice reaching him over the Akashic Link. "Alistair, you need to stop this. People are watching, and if you kill the beast this way, they''ll fear you instead of celebrating you." Taken aback, as she rarely called him by his name anymore, he released his grip, tossing the beast in front of him. He drew his poleaxe, twirling it in his hand, and deactivated his Bloodcurdling Presence. Instead, he switched to using vicious mockery, despite its reduced efficiency against beasts; it was the best way to annoy the beast and incentivize it to stay and fight rather than flee. If the people wanted a show of their hated foe being dismantled, he would give them what they asked for. "Come here, fishy fishy," Alistair taunted, spreading his arms to give it an opening to attack. The Vozroid took the bait, lunging at him with reckless abandon. Its large maw opened wide, revealing long, glass-like serrated teeth filled with a black liquid at their core. At the last second, Alistair teleported to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. He lashed out with his poleaxe, carving a long streak along the beast''s eel-like body, ripping its fins and shattering spines along the way. The Vozroid sprawled momentarily from the impact. "Ole," Alistair said, leaning his poleaxe casually against his shoulder plate as he approached the beast. The Vozroid twisted again, sending out spines in a diagonal arc. Alistair tilted out of the way, letting the spines miss him by a slim margin. He knew if he made it look like he was struggling more, it would make for a better show, but he still wanted to make it clear that this beast was nothing to him. Showing a bit of his overwhelming power early on might be a good thing in the future, as it would discourage any potential dissent or people presuming he wasn''t even that strong. However, he suspected he didn''t need to worry too much about this with these people. "Good. Much better. Less Darth Vader and more Mr. Legendary is definitely the right call," Riseth''s voice chimed in through the Akashic Link, her approval evident in her tone. Alistair watched as the long gash along the beast''s flesh visibly healed, and its spines and fin rapidly regrew. "Man, I''m tired of fighting regenerating opponents. I wish there were a bit more variety," Alistair thought. He knew, however, that the higher in grade he climbed, the more common regeneration would become. Even without augmenting some organs to aid his own regeneration, he would eventually achieve the same at Grade 5 at the latest. His titles alone encouraged him to create such an augmented organ, but he had more pressing augmentations to get to. He didn''t have the luxury to sit on his ass and stay in Grade 8 for too long if he wanted to become immortal before growing old, even with the extended life span higher grades provided. Alistair had a massive head start and was bound to receive many records and titles for managing his clan and should reach a high grade in a reasonable amount of time. He had wondered why they didn''t seem to receive any clan-specific titles, only ones related to negotiations and, in Nessyra''s case, management-related titles, though they weren''t denoted as bloodline-related either, as far as he knew. While continuing to put on a show fighting the beast and searching his memories through his Akashic Link skill, it finally clicked. He realized that the 10-year clause allowing them to withdraw from the clan and keeping its stage at the Establishment was likely the reason why they were being held back from receiving more specific titles. He would need to ask Nessyra to revise that portion of the contract. Alistair knew the two sisters would readily agree, and Nessyra would still receive the lion''s share of the credit, especially once the colony reached a complete and self-sustaining state. This change should shower them with accumulated records. Alistair countered the beast''s third pass, impaling it with his poleaxe by thrusting its point into its wide-open jaw and robbing it of its momentum before slamming it into the sandy floor again. This time, he twirled his weapon and brought it down in an overhead swing onto its head, activating his Blazing Edge skill. Despite the gap to the water, the skill boiled the surrounding water in a stream of bubbles as the white-glowing edge came down on the beast''s head, severing it and killing it instantly. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Storing the beast''s body with a wave of his hand, Alistair reached out to Nessyra and Riseth over the Akashic Link, sharing his suspicions. "Wow, I did notice your head wasn''t fully in the fight, but that''s actually impressive," Riseth said with a snicker. "You might be right. I apologize; with everything going on, I hadn''t noticed since I receive plenty of titles for what I do. Let''s adjust that clause once we get back to Rathos and see if something changes," Nessyra added. Having finished his business with the Vozroid, Alistair turned and headed back to the palace, waving at the cheering people from the nearby city as he flew past them. Dexter, looking for a different kind of distraction, headed off towards some coral reefs. It didn''t take Alistair long to return, and he was greeted by Denodia and his group upon his arrival. Empress Denodia was the first to step forward. "Good showing there. I was worried for a second," Denodia said with a smile. "But with this, you qualify to become a chosen champion of ours. All I need to do is present you with a weapon worthy of a champion." "No big ceremony or announcements?" Alistair asked in surprise. "Oh, If that''s what you want, we can have a big official announcement, hold a large ceremony, and do endless talking and showing you off like a prized seahorse if you like," Denodia replied with a chuckle. "Or I can just toss you a weapon now and make the public announcement myself later." "Never mind, the second option, please," Alistair backpaddled. Denodia smirked at Alistair, throwing him occasional glances as she theatrically rummaged through her storage. After a few moments, she finally pulled out an impressive weapon¡ªa large, curved blade seemingly crafted from ethereal metal or crystalline ice. Its golden spine curved gracefully, ending in a spiraling guard that encircled an orb. The guard extended down toward the handle, offering protection for the user''s hands. The orb contained immense amounts of water and ice-aspected mana, swirling with power. The blade''s surface shifted constantly, radiating cold and water magic in a mesmerizing, fluid dance. The handle, made of black monster bone, was wrapped loosely with a navy blue sash that hung elegantly from the hilt. "Sorry, I didn''t know what kind of weapon you use. And I thought you can usually never go wrong with a sword," Denodia said, slightly embarrassed, before tossing him the weapon. Alistair snatched it out of the air, and as soon as he did, a chime went off, informing him of a new title acquisition. He first inspected the blade with Identity and chuckled at the name of the blade.

Item: Tier: [Supreme] Name: Forging Tides Qualities: [Soulbound] [Mana Storage] [Energy Conversion][Concept Conversion] [Self-Repair] [Growth] Description: A blade awarded to Alistair Ryser for slaying a beast of renown, presented by the Mermaid Empress Denodia Naurei, signifying his status as a chosen champion of her people. Forged by the Empress herself, this weapon is crafted from high-tier water and ice-aspected treasures and monster parts. This curved blade grows alongside its user, increasing in mana capacity and power as Alistair advances through the grades. The weapon can store large amounts of mana relative to its grade and convert its stored mana into ice or water concepts with very high affinity, allowing the user to channel skills through the blade and change the concepts into ice or water-aspected ones.
For someone smaller, this blade would have been a two-hander, but for him, it was more like a bastard sword, usable with either one or two hands. Despite his low affinity for both ice and water, the weapon did not feel uncomfortable. He was quite satisfied, as it would allow him to deploy some ice and water-aspected attacks through the weapon. He could sense the enchantments, which allowed him to store magic within the orb above the hilt. He wasn''t sure exactly how it would work, as he didn''t have many attack skills that could make use of this blade, but he suspected that blasts should work, and he could perhaps channel his battle spheres through the weapon. However, it would need some experimentation. While he would have preferred a poleaxe, he didn¡¯t dare complain, as he didn¡¯t mind switching things up every now and then. Perhaps this weapon could be improved at some point to take on different forms. As if reading his mind again, Denodia confirmed his thoughts. "I can eventually improve the weapon to do even more and take on different shapes as we advance in grade. That way, it will become more suitable for your needs. For now, it should serve you well as it is," she said with a confident smile. Alistair returned the smile. He noted that he would need to pull her aside at some point and request her to use that skill of hers less, though he suspected she already knew he would bring that up eventually or already had, which didn''t seem to stop her. With some curiosity, he checked the new title and its associated skill.

Titles: Tier: [Epic] Name: Mermaid''s Chosen Champion Effect: Grants a 5% bonus to all stats. Bonus skill: [Mermaid''s Ally] Origin: Chosen by [Denoidia Naurei], Empress of a rare Mermaid enclave, to be their champion and protector. The system guards the title, preventing divulging the path to its acquisition or existence. Warning: The title and its associated skill may be lost when betraying the trust of the Empress or her people. -

Skills: Tier: [Unique] Name: Mermaid''s Ally Description: A skill bestowed upon those allied to the rare and reclusive Mermaid race. It leaves a trace on the user''s aura, notable even through their veil, which is only registered by Mermaids and those also holding the title, marking them as Allies.
Alistair scratched his chin, feeling that the title wasn''t entirely deserved, although neither the title nor the skill seemed particularly noteworthy. However, he reconsidered. His faction would be responsible for protecting this moon and its people, a commitment far beyond just disposing of a sea wyvern. The skill itself might prove useful if he ever encountered a mermaid undercover or in hiding during his travels, as they would recognize him as an ally. That recognition could be valuable in itself. Still holding the blade, he itched to try it out, his mind racing with possibilities. However, he stored it for the moment and rejoined the ongoing conversations, eager to enjoy the local foods and take a short break before he needed to start setting up an anti-scrying array. Chapter 159: 10-Year Clause Alistair spent about a week refining the anti-scrying array, a task significantly expedited by the help of mermaid array experts. They had already laid a solid foundation but lacked the precise rune work needed to complete it, which he provided. Meanwhile, the Ryser Clan''s Network finally went online, covering the entire star system. With it came the introduction of Ryser Credits¡ªa currency system Nessyra spearheaded. She had crafted gold coins of varying sizes, each stamped with their clan¡¯s sigil on one side and its value on the other. When stored, these coins were converted into digital credits within the Network, allowing for seamless transfers or reconversion back into physical gold, solving what would have otherwise been a logistical Nightmare. In preparation for the Network¡¯s launch, they coordinated wages and service pricing with key figures like Resni Stoneheart, Barton, the Fichera family, and others. The AI Core played a crucial role in managing an exchange system that enabled people to spend their credits on services, skill training, and treasures. The Alpha AI Core proved invaluable in establishing fair exchange rates and automating credit distribution, saving Nessyra and her team months¡ªif not years¡ªof administrative effort. While he worked on the array, Riseth and the others explored Nautilis and its resources, the most notable find being a growing crystal reef treasure. These crystals could be transplanted into their own oceans and larger lakes. They could serve as a fuel source for their mana reactors, as they were packed with water-aspected mana and grew at a steady rate without affecting the mana density of their environment. Nessyra was particularly thrilled by this discovery and spent much of her time coordinating with Denodia to harvest these crystal reefs while also aligning finances, currency, contracts, and trade. She also had people work on a teleportation array between the planet and its moon to facilitate easier travel. Alistair looked around in the dimly lit bunker, examining the now almost finished array faintly glowing on the stone floor, a small host of mermaid array experts applying the finishing touches, throwing him the occasionally longing glances with one of them approaching him again. They had dropped a lot of hints and flirtatious comments during the time he had been down here. His solution to this had been to send them all Simon''s way, and since none of them returned, he kept doing it. He started his usual spiel on the mermaid to send her Simon''s way when he sensed Simon coming down into the bunker and approached him in a huff once he realized what he was doing. ¡°Damn it, Alistair, stop sending every mermaid my way!¡± Simon exclaimed. ¡°What¡¯s the issue? You¡¯re a young, eligible bachelor,¡± Alistair replied playfully. ¡°Is it because you have a thing for feet? Don¡¯t worry about that; they can transform their tails,¡± he teased. ¡°You know that¡¯s not it. And unlike you, I don¡¯t go for the first woman who shows interest in me,¡± Simon retorted with a smug expression. Alistair embraced him in their usual greeting before continuing to rib his friend as they headed for the exit, still bantering. The mermaids, seemingly unfazed by their exchange, watched them depart before continuing their work. "I''m surprised it took you this long to call me out," Alistair remarked as they ascended toward the palace above. "A gentleman doesn''t tell," Simon retorted with a smirk. "Actually, Nessyra told me to fetch you because the ladies down there don''t need your assistance anymore." Nessyra had informed Alistair that they would be departing soon, so this news didn''t come as a big surprise. As they made their way through the palace, Simon led him to an office space where Nessyra had been working, then quickly excused himself, apparently eager to get somewhere. Upon entering the office, Alistair found Nessyra and Riseth discussing upcoming tasks while Nessyra packed up her belongings in preparation to leave Nautilus. "Ah, good you are here; let''s settle that contract clause while we are here," Nessyra said as a magical contract appeared in front of each of them, stating the terms they had agreed to what felt like ages ago. As soon as all of them signed and agreed to strike the clause, something clicked into place. Alistair heard a series of chimes, and a quick glance at his bloodline tab revealed that it had advanced from the Establishment stage to Established. The tab was now filled with new information, including growth speed, clan potential, average clan member and follower satisfaction, estimated strength relative to their surroundings, and more. Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information, he temporarily swiped the tab aside and focused on the new title instead.

Titles: Tier: [Unique] Name: Ryser Bloodline Patriarch Effect: Territories held by the Ryser Clan experience a slight growth in magical density and quality. Members and followers of the Ryser Clan receive the skill [Akashic Link] at the Grade 8 [Rare] tier. Clan leadership''s ability to sway the attitudes of members and followers is improved. Arrays maintained by the Ryser Clan have overall increased efficiency. Beneficial Heritage Records for Offspring for all Bloodline members. Origin: A title held by [Alistair Ryser], the Clan patriarch of Clan Ryser, and shared with [Riseth Ryser], the Clan Matriarch. This title evolves, with its potential benefits and drawbacks scaling with the clan''s success. Success is determined by the clan''s actions, number of members, influence, member and follower satisfaction, individual power of its members and leadership, quality of leadership, amount of claimed territory, and economic power and growth. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Alistair whistled appreciatively. He could make educated guesses about most of the effects the title conferred. He surmised that the ability to sway attitudes stemmed from the high satisfaction levels among their followers, which were excellent at the moment. This made it significantly easier to implement policies that might have otherwise met with grumbling¡ªthough he found this influence somewhat unsettling. Setting aside his personal reservations about some of the titles, he examined the second benefit. They had been promoting the Akashic Link skill in anticipation of their Network going live. However, many had already spent a skill point to acquire it and wouldn''t gain any additional advantage. Still, he was certain that the effort of spreading the skill had contributed to the perk appearing in the first place. The only thing that truly surprised him was the increased array efficiency. While they worked frequently with array formations, he wouldn''t have considered them specialized in it. He suspected their acquisition of various array formation manuals through trial rewards must have elevated their status among other bloodlines using arrays. He wouldn''t complain, as it was one of the better benefits. "God damn it, we should have done that earlier," Nessyra cursed as she swiped wildly through her system structure. "Yeah, I didn''t expect it to make such a huge difference either," Alistair admitted, glancing between the title and the greatly expanded Bloodline tabs. Their bloodline title, which enhanced the environmental magical density and quality, was an especially significant boon. Alistair surmised that this benefit resulted from their efforts to balance environmental stability while increasing Lacustrine''s mana density and quality. They had managed to enhance the planet''s mana without harming the environment, and the title''s benefits might continue to improve as long as they maintained this careful approach. However, the fact that there were no organizational or similar benefits bothered him as Nessyra did a lot of incredible work. "Did you get a separate title?" Alistair inquired as he felt like the title he got did not reflect her efforts. "Yes, check your bloodline tab. There is one listing the bloodline titles for different leadership positions," Nessyra replied while continuing to flip through the pages. Alistair sucked in air through his teeth as he reviewed the various bloodline-related titles. Bloodline benefits were no joke. As he browsed through the titles, he noticed that each had different levels of benefits based on the performance of the individual leader. Nessyra and James, in particular, had remarkable benefits, some of which enhanced their abilities, such as increased mental stats or improved record gains while performing their duties. However, most skill effects were passive in nature and quite different from his usual, more combat-related skills and titles, as most of their benefits were mainly directed toward the members and followers rather than the just owner of the bloodline title. However, what stood out to him more was that they currently only had 12 slots for bloodline titles based on the clan size, and 8 of those slots had already been assigned due to him and Riseth sharing one of the slots. This meant they needed to be more restrained when handing out made-up titles as they now had even more relevancy. Even Denodia had received a bloodline title, but since she had only recently joined them, she hadn''t gained many benefits from it yet. Alistair was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock at the door. Riseth opened it to let in Denodia, who had come to see them off. Most of them had grown closer during their weeklong stay, and Deonida had proven an excellent host, although a little too flirtatious at times. "It''s such a shame you have to leave already. I am looking forward to seeing you all again," Denodia said in her usual bubbly manner as she hugged them. "Not to worry, Alistair and I are sure to visit again; the food and the beaches are too enticing to pass up," Riseth assured warmly. Having spent most of his time in a large underground bunker beneath the palace setting up an array, Alistair hadn''t had the chance to explore the surroundings. He was particularly curious about the beaches and the beautiful crystal reefs he hadn''t been able to experience for himself yet. "Oh, I look forward to hosting the two of you," Denodia said with a toothy smile. Alistair didn''t miss the undertone but didn''t even bat an eye anymore, and neither did Riseth or Nessyra. Accompanied by Denodia, they made their way to the surface. Simon would remain on Nautilus until the teleportation array was completed to protect the mermaids from any emerging beasts and threats. Karrut alone wouldn''t be powerful enough, and it would take time to implement the defensive arrays from their manuals. Over the past week, Alistair had grown more adept at laying down arrays, even identifying inefficiencies that the system had not highlighted. Once he recognized them, the interface updated based on his insights, though it did not result in a skill upgrade. He mused that a programmer or technician would likely excel in enchantment, speculating that their previous professions might have granted them an increased affinity for it. After waving his goodbyes, Alistair boarded the Artemis, which Riseth had deployed a few meters above the ocean. He eagerly anticipated a change of scenery and the opportunity to explore Lacustrine properly. Taking advantage of the moment, he initiated a group call with his brother, who had asked him to check in once they were on their way back. "Oh, hey guys! Glad to hear you''re on your way back. And Alistair, your cat''s been getting a bit restless, so make sure you pick her up when you get home," James said. Alistair felt a pang of guilt but knew his cat would be just fine. It wasn''t the first time he''d left her with his mother for a week. "But that''s not the main reason I''m calling," James continued as Alistair received a stream of information. "My drones have discovered a wide assortment of interesting locations. One stands out in particular, and we suspect it might be either a dungeon or a realm." Alistair sat up a little straighter as curiosity gripped him. Either possibility would be a significant boon. His dungeon sense had already detected a handful of dungeons on both Lacustrine and Nautilus. The difference compared to the trial was quite pronounced; during the trial, he sensed an incredible number of dungeons, even though he had found hardly any. On planets he had visited outside the trial, he suspected finding dungeons without a proper seeker skill like an improved dungeon sense would rely heavily on patience and time. "The location is a few dozen kilometers northwest of Rathos, in the heart of one of the green forests. Take a look at this," James said. Alistair, Riseth, and Nessyra gathered to inspect the footage. The drone flew over a vast forest expanse dotted with creeks, small rivers, and lakes. The majority of the forest had the same green trees and foliage as around Rathos, but at its center was a large patch of gold and autumn-colored trees, standing out like a sore thumb. "We suspect that either a small dungeon is forming and converting the area, or it''s a dungeon realm or regular realm spilling over. We initially discovered the location due to sensors reporting the appearance of a strong Grade 8 beast. Still, we couldn''t properly spot or record it, as it seems to appear and disappear at will, presumably returning into the Dungeon." The footage showed the drone navigating through the different environments. The trees in the golden patch resembled oaks more than the pine and poplar-like trees they had encountered so far. Before long, a weasel-like Zerster beast attacked the drone, driving it out of the area. James was already talking and showing footage of a few other locations of interest, and Alistair keenly listened and disseminated the footage, eager to explore each one. Chapter 160: Promising Dungeon After dropping off Nessyra and fetching Viv, who had sensed Alistair''s return and intercepted him with his mother hot on her heels, they boarded the Artemis for the short trip to the golden forest, as they called it. Viv contentedly sat on Alistair''s lap, purring on his lap as the forest came into view on their screens. "That''s really close to Rathos; if this truly is a realm of sorts, we lucked out," Riseth commented as she prepared to disembark, powering down the Artemis. "Well, that depends on what''s inside. The golden fall trees are promising, but the one monster on our scanner is already firmly in Grade 8, so we might have a serious fight on our hands if it is a dungeon core that seeks to expand," Alistair cautioned. "A strong dungeon would still be good, even if it has an expansionist core. All we need to do is contain it and make sure we stay or become stronger than it," Riseth said with a chipper voice. She picked up Viv from Alistair''s lap, petting the cat as she walked toward the exit hatch. Alistair followed as they jumped out of the hatch, and Riseth stored the Artemis while Alistair took out King to survey the surrounding area before entering the golden forest. "Viv, stay close, try not to stray too far, and keep your aura subdued," Alistair cautioned as both he and Riseth toned down their auras. They stopped some distance from the golden forest, hoping to sneak in unnoticed and catch the elusive beast their sensors had detected off guard. Quietly, they descended into the regular forest that bordered the autumn patch of golden trees. As they passed through a cluster of poplar trees with strange star-shaped leaves and twisted branches, Riseth let Viv leap from her arms. The small cat instantly melted into the shadows cast by the thick canopy, her golden eyes gleaming as she moved with silent grace. Alistair felt a surge of confidence, knowing Viv¡¯s stealth was likely superior to both his and Riseth¡¯s. He felt comfortable letting her roam ahead as they crept deeper into the woods. As they traveled through the forest, Alistair kept scanning the surroundings with his Conceptual Awareness skill, spotting multiple plants, mushrooms, and herbs that could be of interest to their alchemists. He made sure to collect some samples. Meanwhile, Riseth''s augmented nose occasionally detected hidden treasures Alistair had missed, such as buried tubers. They were close to the golden forest when he heard a familiar meow he used to dread, indicating that Viv had successfully hunted something. Sure enough, the roaming cat returned dragging a Zerster almost as big as herself in her mouth. Unlike in the past, he praised Viv as he retrieved the body and stored it in his storage. Although the cat''s advanced age, she had always been a good hunter, frequently bringing him birds, snakes, mice, and all sorts of other critters. At least now, this quirk of hers was beneficial. Happy at being praised, Viv jumped back into the shadows and started roaming again. "How cute. Do cats usually try to make gifts for their owners?" Riseth inquired. "Yes, but I used to be much less stoked when she brought me live or dead critters," Alistair replied with a chuckle. "One time, she brought me a live snake, and I had to toss that wriggling mass out of my house by its tail. It was hissing and snapping in panic, trying to wriggle free," Alistair recounted, shaking his head at the memory. He grew quiet as they approached the border between the two forests, exchanging a look with Riseth before they both lowered themselves and started communicating over their Akashic Link. A small creek marked the divide between the two distinct forest types. Alistair could see saplings of the thicker, oak-like trees growing on the other side of the creek, displacing the weaker saplings and trees. As they snuck closer, they noticed that the stronger trees seemed to have uprooted the others, their fallen trunks nurturing the environment. The thick wooden trunks were sturdy and clearly magical in nature, with leaves that shimmered in gold, dark red, and orange hues. "If nothing else, these trees look beautiful," Riseth commented over their link as she harvested some of the saplings. "They are quite magical in nature based on my stored knowledge. They have nature, gold, and fall affinities, from what I can tell," Alistair replied. "Fall affinity? What''s that good for?" Riseth asked curiously. "No idea, it doesn''t seem that useful, but there might be things we''re not aware of," Alistair mused. They continued sneaking into the forest, noticing occasional clearings mostly centered around small ponds that brimmed with magic, turning the soil around them rich in mana or ''spirit soil'' as some manuals they had read called it. Mana visibly streaked through the ground, promoting the growth of a wide assortment of plants, flowers, and trees in the vicinity. They suddenly froze as they approached the center of the golden forest, sensing a powerful presence entering a nearby clearing. They turned invisible and quickly hid behind a large rock face overlooking the clearing. What greeted them was a Unicorn with pristine white fur and a long white wavy mane streaked with occasional golden strains reaching almost the floor. On its forehead, it had a slightly curved, long golden horn that radiated a golden aura that contained traces of luck, nature, Purity, light, and healing concepts. Every step it took seemed to promote plant growth under its hoofs. Alistair gaped, not believing their luck. They had struck gold if that was a beast capable of respawning from the dungeon. "Is that an honest-to-good unicorn?" He questioned, and a quick use of his Identify skill confirmed it, [Aurelian Unicorn - lvl 120] "I presume it''s a beast you know of? It''s beautiful. It kind of looks like the horses you brought from Earth," Riseth commented as she browsed her knowledge base. Alistair then explained what he knew, cross-referencing it with what he had found in the different libraries of the Trial. When Riseth made to approach the beast, he grasped her by the shoulder. "What are you doing?" Alistair questioned. "Unicorns are apparently friendly to maidens, so I wanted to see how it would react," Riseth replied. "Pure maidens Trouble," Alistair corrected, "You''re a succubus, If it sees you, it just might go into anaphylactic shock," The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. This earned him a slap on his shoulder and a snicker almost giving away their position as the Unicorn looked in their direction. "We both cultivate purity aspects at our core. It might just work, and we kind of spooked it now," Riseth said, still indignantly pouting at his earlier comment. With a sigh, Alistair relented, and they revealed themselves, slowly approaching the beast. It eyed them suspiciously before attacking in a flash of light originating from its horn, slicing the rock they had been hiding behind in half as both evaded the attack. Alistair tried to restrain the unicorn with his telekinesis, but it somehow slipped free and dashed away, fleeing deeper into the forest as they pursued. The chase didn''t last long; the unicorn jumped into a rift in space and vanished. Alistair and Riseth stopped in front of the rift, inspecting it closely, their Dungeon Sense ringing as they did. Alistair called back King, who reported not seeing any beasts out of the ordinary. The wyvern arrived shortly after, and Alistair stored him. "Pretty sure this is a Dungeon Realm of sorts. Now we only need to figure out if it is instanced or not," Alistair commented after circling around the rift once. There were different types of dungeons: those that spread in real space and those that created their own pocket realms or rifts. It wasn''t uncommon for dungeons to form their own realms, as they rarely enjoyed their surroundings enough to expand in real space. Among these realms, the most important distinction was whether or not they had multiple instances of themselves. Instanced dungeons were preferable because they endlessly cycled, allowing people to enter without worrying about others missing out, as there were endless instances to farm. These instances existed as long as any dungeoneer stayed within them. Non-instanced dungeons meant everyone entered the same space; those were usually much larger, with more powerful beasts and an increased respawn rate of monsters. However, they could never keep up with the farming efficiency and perks of an instanced dungeon. "Considering the unicorn left and returned to the dungeon, it''s unlikely to be instanced since they usually can''t return to their original instance," Riseth observed. "One can hope," Alistair replied. "An instanced dungeon containing unicorns with even a sliver of luck affinity is something larger multiverse factions would wage war over." Riseth frowned at the realization. "That''s not a good thing!" Alistair smiled at her. "It just means we need to get strong enough before the bridge properly establishes." Riseth let out a soft groan. "Fine. You go in first; I''ll wait ten minutes before following. That way, we know for sure whether or not it is instanced." Viv melded out of a shadow nearby and jumped onto Alistair''s shoulder as he walked toward the dungeon rift. "I think we should enter together. There might be a title associated with entering and discovering a natural dungeon nobody else has. We can check if it is instanced at any time," Alistair said, stopping a few meters short and stretching his hand out toward Riseth. Riseth took his hand. "Good call," she said as she stepped up next to him. He was sure this wouldn''t be the last dungeon they discovered, and they would have plenty of opportunities to get that title if there were any. Still, there was no reason to miss out right now, either. Stepping through the rift together, Alistair sensed the familiar darkness take over before he found himself in an environment quite similar to the one they had just left, but he couldn''t appreciate the sight as he felt intense bloodlust directed at them before the unicorn they had chased back into the dungeon assaulted them. Alistair and Riseth teleported apart to evade the attack while Viv jumped into a nearby shadow as the unicorn spun its head, sending a sickle of golden light flying at Riseth; the unicorn in hot pursuit, incredibly enraged by Riseth''s presence. Alistair reached out with his telekinesis to restrain the beast, managing to absorb its momentum and slightly empower his telekinesis. Despite both of them having a purity foundation, to a unicorn, a succubus must be the vilest thing imaginable. The unicorn reared and struggled against Alistair''s telekinesis, which strained to hold it in place. Riseth spun around, her bone blades plunging into the beast''s neck. Milky silvery blood flowed from its wounds as Riseth twisted the blades, ripping open the unicorn''s neck. Despite Alistair''s best efforts to fix the beast in place, it continued to slash at Riseth with its horn. He suspected its luck and purity concepts were working against his powers, shrugging off his attempts. Alistair was sure his own luck, and affinity were the only reasons he could restrain the beast at all, as it felt remarkably similar to fighting against the freedom of movement enchantment. While he struggled, Viv pounced out of a nearby shadow, her claws extending to a set of four large void blades as she tore a chunk out of the Unicorn''s flesh before diving back into a shadow. To Alistair''s shock, Riseth''s bone blades transformed into circular bone saws, rapidly spinning and starting to sever the beast''s head. The unicorn began to thrash wildly, forcing Alistair to exert his full focus, strength, and skill to restrain and press down on it, occasionally almost slipping as he still lacked proficiency while Viv kept her distance. Riseth finished her gruesome work, and the unicorn collapsed, followed by a series of chimes. Alistair looked at Riseth''s weapons in shock, and she just shrugged. "It''s the weapon spirit I imbued into the paired blades," Riseth explained, also looking mildly surprised. "It''s its way of trying to be useful." The weapon then transformed back into simple short bone blades, abandoning its previously complex form. Alistair, who had previously thought the weapon spirit slightly overpriced for what it did, reevaluated his opinion as he turned to read the notifications.

Notifications: You have discovered a Natural Dungeon for the first time. Special conditions met: You are the first to enter this dungeon, and a suitable title for upgrade has been found. The Title [Tomb Raider] has been Upgraded to [Veteran Tomb Raider] [Level 116 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.] -

Titles: Tier: [Rare] Name: Veteran Tomb Raider Effect: Provides the [Dungeon Sense] Skill. Origin: Originally obtained for being the first to conquer a high-difficulty artificial dungeon of a lost civilization. Upgraded through continued exploration of never-seen-before dungeons. -

Skills: Tier: [Rare] Name: Dungeon Sense Description: Allows the user to determine the presence or absence of a Dungeon and its rough location at a much larger range. The user benefits from increased awareness of traps and treasures within dungeons. Improved sense of direction within dungeons. All mentioned benefits scale moderately with the [Sense] stat.
Alistair read over his notifications as Riseth stored the body of the slain unicorn. The fact that the unicorn didn''t warrant a notification suggested it wasn''t one of the guardians. He also noted that the Dungeon Sense skill he had miserably failed to upgrade now promised a much larger range of detection. He was curious about how significant this increase would be, as before, the skill only alerted him to the presence of dungeons on a planet or in the vicinity of space and when he was almost directly in front of one. The increased scaling to moderate might also help a lot. There were other things to consider, but for now, he carefully scanned his surroundings as he didn''t want to get ambushed again. Chapter 161: Forging Tides Once Alistair was sure there weren''t any hidden monsters waiting to ambush them, he stepped out until he could confirm that the dungeon wasn''t cycling and that this wasn''t an instanced dungeon. He also noted the lack of a Dungeon event window. This wasn¡¯t surprising, given that it was a natural dungeon and they were the first to enter it. Over time, older or more intelligent dungeons could create scenarios or conditions, but this dungeon seemed relatively inexperienced, with its intelligence still unknown. Determining the intelligence of the core was one of their next objectives, as it could vary widely. He had read extensively about Dungeon core intelligence, finding that some cores were exceptionally intelligent while others were as dumb as rocks... literally. Occasionally, these cores even claimed to be reincarnated beings. Whether this was a System-deployed measure to help cores cope or give them specific personalities remained unknown, as these reincarnated cores never remembered their names or planets of the origin or they stated names and places that couldn''t be found anywhere in the multiverse, making it hard to impossible to verify their claims. Some of these assertions even sparked religions centered around reincarnation. This was further complicated by some cores creating entire sapient species that often worshipped them and helped the core eventually advance to godhood. Alistair found the whole topic incredibly fascinating and spent much of his free time reading history books on different cores, their accomplishments, and their actions. Another important point was that dungeon cores could generate near-endless amounts of mana out of seemingly nothing, giving credence to believers that cores were people or, at the very least, a type of beast. Cores have various methods for generating energy, the most powerful and prevalent being from the delvers who enter them. What¡¯s intriguing is that this energy collection doesn¡¯t seem to drain the mana of the delvers themselves. Other common methods include gathering emotional energy, harnessing energy from treasures, or through combat within the dungeon itself. Regardless of the type of energy generation¡ªwhether internal or external¡ªall dungeon cores grow stronger over time, especially when delved regularly. Some scholars have even speculated that cores receive titles and rewards from the system for hosting, interacting with, defeating, or even slaying delvers, which encourages a form of symbiosis between dungeons and delvers. Well-managed dungeons often become valuable assets for factions, providing a steady, endless supply of materials, records, and treasures. However, improperly managed cores could wither and die, essentially committing suicide especially when the core had been subdued. Since this dungeon lacked a scenario, it meant they would need to defeat its defenders, commonly called guardians, scions, or dungeon bosses, to complete the dungeon. Finding the core to subdue the dungeon wasn''t guaranteed either, as many cores hid themselves incredibly well, while others positioned themselves in seats of power and significance, generally at the end of the dungeon. As Alistair stepped out of the dense golden forest and overlooked the golden plains, with another large forest and a megafauna version of the golden oak at its center, he felt confident he would find the core there. His confidence grew when he spotted a large marble-like structure surrounding the foot of the massive tree. Riseth stepped up next to Alistair and whistled as they both gazed at the massive expanse laid out before them. ¡°Such a stunning view. I doubt an unintelligent core could create something so beautiful,¡± Riseth remarked, admiring the scenery. Alistair nodded. ¡°I agree. There¡¯s a sense of design here, structured but still natural. A less intelligent core would have settled for a basic cave, only evolving as it ages.¡± ¡°I loved reading about the different cores and how they function,¡± Riseth added with a smile. ¡°Though I wish we had more detailed books on the magical processes behind them.¡± ¡°That would be amazing,¡± Alistair said, returning her smile. ¡°It¡¯s definitely one of the more interesting reads.¡± Riseth nodded eagerly and pointed at some moving forms in the distance. "Seems like unicorns are one of the more common monsters in this dungeon. I see multiple small herds ranging from one to three unicorns." While not numerous, unicorns were reasonably powerful. Having them as one of the more common beasts in this dungeon was great news, as their materials were incredibly valuable. As Alistair looked around, he noticed a griffin subspecies flying through the sky. However, instead of eagle and lions'' bodies, these had some unknown type of golden peafowl and Jaguar-like body adorned with a mix of gold, black, and white feathers. The griffins had elaborate golden manes with black feathers standing on end like a crown, and peafowl-like tail feathers with occasional long separate feathers ending in gold and black. They looked almost more decorative than dangerous, which made Alistair wonder about the personality of the core. It seemed to prefer creating beautiful and fanciful beasts over vicious and threatening ones. Identifying one of them at this distance let Alistair know it was a [Asarian Suncrest Griffin - lvl 121]. "Alistair nodded thoughtfully. "These creatures are quite powerful based on their levels. We should consider fortifying the area around the dungeon. We don''t want griffins and unicorns of that caliber causing havoc on our planet." "We could set up an illusionary array to conceal the dungeon exit," Riseth suggested. "Unless the dungeon itself intervenes and guides the monsters, that should be sufficient to keep them contained." "Which means we need to understand the dungeon''s personality," Alistair mused, eyeing the extravagant surroundings. "It seems to favor golden and ornate aesthetics." "I''m honestly impressed that the core managed to make all this look so good without the golden decorations appearing gaudy," Riseth remarked. Alistair continued to scan the surroundings, gazing toward the horizon that seemed to stretch endlessly, interspersed with fields, hills, and forests. He noted some birch-like trees mixed in with the oak-like trees but couldn''t spot any other monster types. They would need to thoroughly explore the area to locate treasures and points of interest where valuable materials might be harvested. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "We should save that palace structure around the massive tree for last. Let''s see what we can find elsewhere first. Plus, I''m itching to try out my new sword," Alistair said. Although Alistair had been practicing his telekinesis a lot lately, he felt it was time to get back into the thick of things and test out that new weapon he got. Riseth was the first to take off toward a group of three unicorns, and Alistair summoned King to cover them and shred apart any suncrest griffins that might intervene. As he pondered the potential materials they could obtain from the griffins, he realized they could potentially be tamed and used as common summons for their clan. However, he wasn''t sure the overly fancy-looking beasts were the right fit, but they could potentially still sell them. As for the other known beasts, having unicorns would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention. As they approached, Alistair conjured Forging Tides, the bone handle wrapped in the blue sash feeling comfortable in his hands. He attempted to charge a blast through the blade, and at its tip, his Qi rapidly transformed from its usual kinetic charge into densely packed water. As soon as the unicorns noticed their approach and began to charge, Alistair shot the water blast at the leading unicorn. Although it did solid damage, the beast shrugged off the attack, as it was quite underpowered compared to his regular kinetic blast. He then switched to ice, directing his intent to elongate the sphere as he dodged the incoming golden sickles racing towards them. Meanwhile, Riseth had teleported behind the two leading beasts, plunging her bone blades into the last of the creatures. The blades transformed into chainsaws, ripping and tearing into the beasts to devastating effect.
The beasts nearly halted their charge, spinning their heads around to witness their fellow creature being torn asunder by Riseth as King swooped in and took another beast out of the equation. His powerful talons ground the unicorn into the dirt, his sharp claws threatening to rip the unfortunate beast apart as he brought down his powerful jaws on its neck. Alistair wasn''t in a rush as he still tried to figure out the spell structure; his usual stake blast variant didn''t seem to click into place as smoothly as he had expected. However, it was a minor fix. He let the densely packed ice take over the shell of his arcane construct, disregarding the need for it to be contained by a sphere of force. The ice lance shot out, a long, sharp shard impaling the beast''s shoulder. Despite the injury, the beast powered through, intent on taking down Alistair. Almost casually, he managed to keep his distance, the beast unable to restrict his teleportation. As he dodged, Alistair fiddled with different arcane structures, experimenting with his Battle Spheres skill to see if he could channel and shoot ice lances through the blade. He noticed Riseth and King, who had both taken down their respective beasts, exchange a look. Riseth shook her head while King let out a grumble as they watched him fight. Alistair didn''t feel pressured; this was worthwhile practice. He hadn''t even begun to explore the more interesting applications of Forging Tides'' enchantment, as he had a potentially devastating move in mind. Battle Spheres were merely the next step after a single blast. After a few minutes, guided by the blade''s enchantment and his own experience, he managed to manifest the Battle Sphere skill, and it orbited around the blade instead of him. He rapidly shot icy lances and then water bullets at the beast, which quickly healed itself. Alistair let it, finding near-mindless Dungeon beasts perfect for practice. He didn''t feel guilty using them this way; unless they were subdued and bonded as Summons, they had barely any personality beyond following the dungeon core''s orders and killing intruders to gain rewards from the system. While keeping the beast at bay with teleportation, Alistair checked his skills. Although they hadn''t upgraded, both his Blast Master and Battle Sphere skills had an additional line mentioning the use of equipment, allowing for additional Compound skills. Notably, Ice Lance and Water Blast were highlighted with an asterisk. However, Ice Lance hadn''t integrated with Blast Master, as it wasn''t compatible with it because it was not a blast. He was confident that if he contained cold instead of ice, he could make it work, but that was far down on his list of priorities. He glanced at his companions and saw they had grown impatient watching him experiment with magic. They had already moved on to hunt other nearby packs of beasts. King had taken on a small group of Suncrest Griffins, while Riseth had engaged a duo of Unicorns by herself. Alistair noticed another lone griffin heading toward King to aid its brethren. It was almost too perfect a target for his next experiment. A wicked smile crossed his face as he sidestepped and lashed out with his blade, decapitating the unicorn that had charged him. The blade passed through the beast with almost no resistance, and it tumbled a few more meters. He hadn''t expected it to cut this sharply and looked at the blade in wonder; it was far sharper than his poleaxe. However, that usually wasn''t an issue as it meant he had an easier time feeling the momentum and kinetic energy of an attack. Pointing his blade skyward toward the griffin, Alistair activated an aspect of a skill that had previously been useless due to his lack of affinity and the power of the attack. Light manipulation, particularly the beam, had been underwhelming, but he knew just how powerful a beam of light could be from fighting Savagio. The question now was whether the beam would retain its speed despite having its concept converted. It had been the case with his blasts, but if this worked, and he could channel light through Forging Tides and utilize its built in high affinity and physical nature, the resulting attack would be... Alistair watched as the griffin was sliced in half by a thin beam of water arcing out at almost imperceptible speed. An incredibly loud crack rang out due to the beam''s immense speed as it penetrated the beast''s defenses after mere seconds of resistance, cutting it cleanly in half. This drew the attention of both King and Riseth, who stared at him in disbelief. But he wasn''t done. He summoned his Battle Spheres skill, which he had already practiced shooting multiple beams of light with, though its power had been too weak to use effectively before. Now, six beams of water lanced out, cutting the Suncrest Griffons into ribbons. The water beams, while not at the speed of light, still moved at incredible velocity, and their ability to maintain physical form made them highly effective. It was probably for the best, considering the catastrophic devastation a light-speed water beam would cause. Alistair knew that creatures with strong defenses could likely withstand or shrug off the attack, thanks to their magical and physical resistances, among other factors. His kinetic blasts packed far more raw power but were much slower¡ªand unlike the water beams, he hadn¡¯t yet managed to shape his kinetic attacks into a continuous beam and wasn''t sure it was a good idea to begin with. That made the water beams particularly valuable. Their sheer speed and high artificial affinity made them nearly impossible to dodge as they could track targets incredibly well, posing a deadly challenge to fast but lightly armored enemies. King could likely handle them, though; his inherent magic resistance, thick skin, barriers, and armor plates would easily absorb the hit. While he had seen people make incredible use of seemingly simple magic enchantments, this put things into perspective as he felt like he had not tried hard enough to acquire or create magic items. He needed Denodia to upgrade his weapon to allow the conversion to harness his kinetic affinity as soon as possible. This would probably make him even more of a menace within his own Grade. Alistair stared at the blade in his hands as he felt King approach and Riseth teleport next to him, looking intently at him. Chapter 162: Exploring the Dungeon Alistair wore a satisfied expression while Riseth looked at him and the blade curiously, and King radiated some annoyance. "Sorry, I won''t steal your kills again," Alistair reassured King, who let out a rumbling huff. "You better not," King replied, and Alistair couldn''t quite tell if the wyvern was joking or serious. Riseth started tapping her foot impatiently. "Well? How the hell did you manage to break what looked like simple enchantments?" She inquired over their Akashic Link. Alistair knew the dungeon could likely observe everything within the dungeons, and depending on how intelligent it was, they shouldn''t be talking aloud too much. He chuckled before responding. "I was curious whether I could convert the beam of light from my Light Manipulation skill into water using the enchantment, and the answer is a resounding yes." Riseth''s eyes lit up with a competitive gleam as she covered her mouth with her hand and began pacing. "That''s brilliant! Do you think Denodia could create some turrets with similar properties?" she asked, excitement bubbling in her tone. Alistair loved the idea but doubted Denodia could create the enchantments on a large scale. He suspected they required powerful materials to make the turrets as effective as his new blade. He shook his head. "That''s a good idea," Alistair said, "but I suspect the lack of power behind the attack, plus the material costs, would make mass production for turrets impractical. We might manage to create a few if we provide the right materials or advance our understanding of enchantments. Still, they''d likely be useless underwater, so their only practical use would be for defending Lacustrine." "True, but these unicorns have a light concept, which might help with that. Plus, we''re on an archipelago planet. There¡¯s bound to be some water treasures or beasts we could use. Denodia had to have gotten the materials for that blade from somewhere," Riseth pointed out. "It¡¯s worth exploring. The problem with the unicorns is that their concepts are too layered. Refining them for turrets would be difficult, and we''d lose out on their luck concept¡ªwhich is just too valuable to waste on this. Fueling and finding suitable treasures to power and build the turrets isn''t an issue, but the real concern is the turrets¡¯ stopping power in the long run. We¡¯d need to find a way to enhance and empower the beam to make sure it¡¯s effective," Alistair added, thoughtfully scratching his chin. King, who grew bored, spotted another group of griffins and chose to engage them, leaving them to their musings. "This dungeon loves shiny stuff. There might be another beast using light concepts," Riseth said, hopefully stretching her arms out, indicating their surroundings. "Yeah, let''s keep looking, but we should stick together. Taking this dungeon for granted could cost us dearly," Alistair responded and sent King and Viv a similar message to stay close. Riseth nodded in agreement, and they headed toward the forest beyond the meadow. Alistair''s conceptual awareness didn''t highlight any of the flowers, no matter how pretty or elaborate they were. However, the entire area was infused with elevated atmospheric mana, as everything within the dungeon had been artificially created by the core''s magic. This technically made everything a treasure of sorts, though most of them were hardly worth their time. As they reached the forest, it didn''t take them long to spot the next beast: a silvery, T-shaped insect with incredibly thin, spindly legs. Its wings were hidden beneath the top of the T shape, while its body was encased in the perpendicular section of sturdy, silvery chitin that protected its main form. Using their Identify skill on the dog-sized beast, they learned that the insect was a [Silverspine Stenac - lvl 70]. Before they could inspect the beast more closely or discuss it among themselves, the beast extracted its mosquito-like stinger from the trunk of the tree, silvery liquid dripping off its stinger as it tried to flee from them at incredible speeds. Alistair barely managed to restrain the beast with his Telekinesis skill as it struggled in vain to escape his grasp. Alistair had to restrain himself, not to crush the fragile creature accidentally. He brought it closer for them to inspect. "Quite weak compared to the other beasts," Riseth remarked. "Also, what''s that silvery stuff? I doubt the dungeon would create something that would weaken or damage its own environment." Alistair flipped the beast over, examining its body, a large portion of which seemed to be one large, elongated sack containing more of the silvery liquid and protected by the silvery chitin. "That''s because this is likely the opposite," Alistair responded through their Akashic link. Riseth looked at him curiously, waiting for him to expand on his comment. "More intelligent dungeon cores can create beings not meant for combat but to cultivate the environment or produce treasures, some of which grow old and intelligent enough to become sapient species. On my planet, we have bees, incredibly helpful insects we''ve domesticated to produce honey, and this could be something like this." "You mentioned something like that and that you failed to find any suitable bees on Earth to bring along," Riseth said, nodding along. "Yeah, I presume Sol has claimed most of them and uses them to create some kind of treasure, maybe his ambrosia, but that''s just a guess," Alistair explained. Riseth looked at the creature, still struggling within Alistair''s telekinetic grasp. "We should release it and follow it; perhaps it has a hive of sorts where they store that liquid of theirs; we can then harvest some of it and have our craftspeople figure out what it is." Riseth sugguested. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Alistair considered the suggestion and nodded, releasing the Silverspine, which raced away. Both he and Riseth turned invisible and pursued the insect as it rushed deeper into the forest. Before they could see what the creature was trying to reach, King reached out through his Summoner''s skill. "Watch out. There are multiple hives of these insects right ahead of you, and they seem agitated by my presence even from this distance," King warned. Alistair relayed the information, and they stopped chasing the insect, which dashed toward a thirty-meter-tall obelisk-shaped structure riddled with entry points, each slightly dripping with the silvery liquid. Countless Silverspines circled around the obelisk in a dazzling display, forming perfect silver rings. It appeared they were either guarding their hive or performing some sort of refinement technique, as Alistair sensed a magical interaction between the coordinated display and the obelisk. Scanning the obelisks and their guardians, Alistair didn''t find any Silverspine Stenac higher than level 75. They presumably relied on their numbers to fight, and Alistair had noted that their T-shaped wing guard had been rather sharp, which was presumably their primary way of attacking. Alistair felt very confident they could handle them; neither he nor Riseth had anything to worry about at their level of power as they could shrug off most, if not everything, these beasts could throw at them with their powerful defensive skills. "Let''s not piss the dungeon off too badly. We''ll just take a bit of that silvery liquid and have our crafters figure out if it''s worth harvesting," Alistair said aloud, confident the Core was watching them. Riseth tilted her head before replying, "Alright, but you go fetch that stuff then." Alistair groaned but nodded. He sent a message to Viv to stick close to Riseth and not follow him and to King not to attack until he did. Maintaining his invisibility, he flew toward the nearest obelisk hive and began telekinetically extracting the liquid, storing it. However, his invisibility proved insufficient as the hive quickly noticed his presence and actions. The Silverspines swarmed around him, their sharp wings slicing through the air at high speed. Despite their efforts, all they managed to do was fuel his kinetic storage, as they lacked the power to penetrate his Kinetic Skinguard skill. Undeterred, the swarm continued their assault. Once Alistair had gained enough distance and accumulated kinetic energy, he unleashed most of it in a kinetically charged shockwave, pushing the swarm away and killing most of the insects close to him. Although this hardly dissuaded the dungeon beasts from attacking, it cleared his vision, allowing him to see again. King, who took this as a sign that he was clear to attack, unleashed his sonic beam, carving through what was left of the swarm in short order. Satisfied with their gains so far, they continued scanning the various meadows, forests, and hills for more treasures and beasts. Initially, they only encountered reddish bronze-colored birds with long tail feathers and crests atop their heads. These birds weren''t combative and scattered whenever they approached. Alistair wasn''t sure of their purpose within the dungeon but half suspected they were there just to ''look good.'' However, he gave the core the benefit of the doubt and considered the possibility that they served as scouts outside the dungeon. The inner workings of a dungeon and its advancement weren''t well understood because of the System-enforced secrecy, preventing even friendly cores from sharing their insights. However, a prevalent theory suggested that the baseline of the beasts available to a core over time was at least semi-random, with the core having free rein to modify them before placing spawn points in their dungeon. Picky dungeons often refused to use most of the offered baseline creatures, instead investing their energy into fewer creatures and heavily modifying the baselines of the ones they preferred. This approach typically led to less diversity but resulted in stronger or more interesting monsters, usually indicating an intelligent core or one with very set preferences. In contrast, less intelligent and less picky dungeons spawned whatever creatures they received without much modification, leading to a more diverse and numerous but generally weaker population of beasts. Picky cores generally loved to work with specific themes, aesthetics, and beast types, spending considerable energy transforming whatever creatures they had to match their vision. Examples include dungeons that focus on creating only one type of beast, like serpents, constructs, or draconic creatures. Others prefer certain concepts and fashion their environments and beasts accordingly. Alistair was quite certain this dungeon was very picky and had a specific aesthetic it aimed for, a suspicion reinforced by the lack of diverse beast types they encountered. Dungeons like this were usually easier to manipulate if you worked within their framework and made suggestions that aligned with the core''s sensibilities while also being advantageous to you. Alistair could think of many ways to influence this core''s growth and decided it was time for them to try and find its core and determine its exact personality and intelligence. "I think we''ve seen all this dungeon has to offer on its outskirts," Alistair mused over the Akashic link. "I agree. Let''s go storm the castle," Riseth replied with a toothy smile. As expected, it didn''t take much to convince Riseth, who frequently glanced at the massive tree in the distance, to stop their exploration. They had encountered the same beasts repeatedly for the last few hours, and Alistair was almost certain that some of them weren''t even new packs but respawns of the same ones. They flew on King''s back, effortlessly cutting apart any suncrest griffins bold enough to try and stop them. It quickly became apparent that the white marble-like structure they had seen was a massive palace at the foot of the colossal golden oak tree. Alistair''s stored knowledge of dungeons suggested that this tree wasn''t a world tree yet; it would take much more effort and time from the core to make it one. Nevertheless, the progress was already impressive and very apparent. The core must have spent a significant portion of its energy income on cultivating the tree. "Look, I think the core is panicking," Riseth said over their connection and pointed at the packs of unicorns and suncrest griffins that headed towards the palace, presumably to defend the core. "That''s just gonna make hunting them easier," Alistair commented aloud. As they grew closer, they found that the unicorns had grouped up in a formation led by a much larger unicorn, whereas the suncrest griffins had joined a white wyvern at the top of the palace structures dome. "Those must be its guardians," Riseth commented, drawing her blades. Alistair did the same, focusing on the white wyvern. According to his Identify skill, it was a [Gividian Wyvern - lvl 150], making it by far the strongest beast present. The wyvern looked somewhat unusual; it lacked feathers or scales, with its entire body appearing leathery and muscle-bound. A long tail ended in a decorative leathery flap. Its head and maw were smaller than those of most wyverns and more draconic in appearance when compared to King. Instead of horns, it had a golden growth that protected its head and neck. The wing and foot claws were golden as well, more ornate than sharp and wicked-looking. The same golden plating that protected its head and neck was interspersed across its leathery body, protecting its vitals. Alistair could sense King''s eagerness to fight the other wyvern. Despite being at a lower level, he could clearly tell King was confident he could take on the guardian. "How about I clean up those griffins while you handle the Guardian Wyvern?" Alistair suggested to King, whose excitement noticeably grew. Alistair chuckled and looked at Viv, concerned about her safety in such a chaotic battle with so many potentially higher-level forces. But Viv, for her part, jumped into his shadow in a stubborn display. "Alright, fine, you can fight, but only if you stay in my shadow," he relented. Riseth patted his shoulder, an eager smile on her face. "I think it''s time to let Fluffy out too. She''s been too broody for a while now; it''s time for her to come out and play." Chapter 163: Fighting the Guardians While Alistair aimed Forging Tides at the monsters on the roof, summoning his Battle Spheres skill to unleash his new Waterflash Beams compound skill and slice through the griffins, Riseth descended into the formation of unicorns. The unicorns shot golden sickles at her, but she effortlessly dodged and teleported out of harm''s way. Alistair''s beams tore through a few of the griffins, wounding others, but the Wyvern reacted swiftly, summoning a barrier of holy light. The shimmering dome encapsulated both the Wyvern and the remaining griffins, deflecting Alistair''s attacks with ease. Holy concept? Alistair mused before he glanced at the battle below for a moment before engaging the rest of the griffons. Riseth had, in the meantime, reached the unicorn formation and unleashed Fluffy, who instantly grew larger, her body coiling among the unicorns like a serpent in battle. Lightning crackled off her feathered hide, sending shocks rippling through their ranks. Fluffy sank her teeth into one of the unicorns, injecting it with venom as it buckled beneath her grip. At the same time, Riseth''s bladed tail chain and bone blades lashed out rippling with space magic, ripping and slicing into the closest unicorns. Meanwhile, King hadn¡¯t been idle. He unleashed his Sonic Beam on the dome protecting the wyvern and its allies. The barrier strained, darkening under the force as King closed in, his glowing talons crashing through it. The once-gleaming shield blackened and began to melt away as it shattered completely. Without hesitation, King¡¯s Talon shot toward the leathery gividian wyvern¡¯s armored neck. The wyvern twisted away with surprising agility, retaliating with a beam of holy light, but King deflected the attack with a barrier of his own. Alistair didn''t have the luxury to watch the battle unfold. He teleported into the thickest cluster of griffins, lashing out with his blade and killing two before they could retaliate. Their claws scraped helplessly against his defenses, and a sphere charged with kinetic energy sprang from his body. Viv seized the opportunity, void magic and shadows enveloping Alistair as she lashed out, extending her void claws to slice through the skull of a beast. The griffin recoiled with a shocked screech before Alistair finished it off with a kinetic blast from his free hand, blasting its head off as it went limp. Alistair sidestepped a magic-infused peck and retaliated with a swift slash of his blade, aiming to decapitate the beast. But he misjudged the angle, and the griffin''s erratic movements caused the blade to lodge in its ribs. Viv quickly stepped in, her void-infused claws slicing cleanly through the creature, allowing Alistair to free his trapped blade. With a quick forceful telekinetic punch, he sent another griffin, eager to exploit his stumble, flying off the palace rooftop. Alistair clicked his tongue in frustration, recognizing the shortcomings in his swordsmanship. He admitted to himself that he relied more on sheer power, battle experience, various skills, and the quality of his weapon than any natural talent with a blade. These issues were less apparent when he wielded his poleaxe, a weapon with which he had a better sense of range and angles. His Temporal Combat Reflexes skill¡ªenhancing reaction time, spatial awareness, and even time dilation¡ªhelped him compensate, allowing for more precise strikes even when his execution faltered. However, the absence of his Kinetic Poleaxe Proficiency was far more noticeable than he had anticipated. It was becoming clear that he needed formal training from a weapon expert, as rising through the ranks would demand more than raw power and system-granted abilities. Unless he was willing to abandon weapons and focus purely on magic¡ªwhich didn¡¯t feel like the right path for him¡ªhe would need to sharpen his skills. Alistair activated his Razor Aegis, another skill he knew he needed to upgrade but hadn''t found the time or inspiration to do so. Zathen had recommended he replace the razor concept with vorpal, though Alistair had a much harder time envisioning it. He wasn''t sure if this was due to a lack of affinity for the concept. It didn''t make sense, as Zathen wouldn''t suggest a concept that was less suitable for him than the razor concept he already used. Perhaps it was similar to the control concept, inherently more challenging to master. Thinking of it as a higher-tier concept didn''t feel right either. Many believed this, but Mitania firmly stated it was incorrect. Each concept had its own strengths, aspects, and relationships to others. While some concepts were generally considered more desirable, powerful, and rare, anyone could achieve remarkable results with any concept. Without the protection of the Gividian wyvern, the griffins fell quickly. The Razor Disks made short work of the remaining griffins, efficiently slicing through them. King was engaged in a fierce battle with the guardian wyvern, his body covered in burn marks and scrapes. In contrast, the once-pristine white wyvern was now battered, its red blood staining its skin, and its golden plating cracked and broken in many places. It had a noticeable limp but was still nimble, deftly evading many of King''s more telegraphed attacks. Alistair''s Conceptual Awareness skill revealed that the wyvern was rapidly healing itself. Despite its injuries, the gividian remained agile, dodging King¡¯s larger strikes, aiming to outlast the more violent and annoyed grikad. King pressed his advantage relentlessly. His long, blade-like tail, charged with magical energy, lashed out in a vicious spin, nearly severing the other wyvern¡¯s left wing. The guardian wyvern barely managed to pull back, retaliating with a beam of holy light from its maw. King countered with his own sonic beam, and the two attacks collided with a deafening bang. The air rippled from the force of the clash, but King steadily, then suddenly, overwhelmed the guardian¡¯s beam. He came dangerously close to blowing its head off, stripping away most of its golden armor. In a flash, King teleported forward, clamping his massive jaws down on the wyvern¡¯s head, shaking it violently before tearing it clean off, spine and all, basking in his victory for a moment before storing the head in his storage, presumably as a trophy. "God damn!" Alistair whispered under his breath, recoiling slightly at the gruesome display. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. His initial thoughts on the gividian Wyvern being useful for materials and as a summon were pushed to the back of his mind as he witnessed the brutal scene. King let out a victorious roar, placing his claw on the fallen guardian''s body and spreading his wings in a fearsome display. Desily had a point; King was indeed a terrifying beast. Alistair decided to let King have his moment of triumph and returned to the edge of the building, curious to see how Riseth and Fluffy were faring.
Riseth sliced into another unicorn, redirecting some of their golden sickles back at them using her Veil of Space skill. As her blade pierced the unicorn''s flesh, it transformed into chainsaws, ripping and tearing through the beast. The weapon spirit she had purchased was surprisingly vicious for something labeled as ''helpful'' in the trial reward section. It responded to her intent easily, but she found it most effective when she let the spirit act on its own, especially once reinforced with her Warping Blades skill. She glanced at her summon, Fluffy, who was roiling through the herd of unicorns. Fluffy was busy chomping down on one unicorn and flicked another away with her massive tail as lightning flashed imparing the movement of many of the attacking beasts. Riseth knew Fluffy would have rather stayed in her shard as she had been reclusive lately, focused on mastering her polymorph skill. The serpent was determined to find the perfect form for herself, and Riseth suspected Fluffy had a few favorite shapes already, as she had shown her some but was still reluctant to commit to any one of them. Riseth''s attention shifted as the leader of the unicorns'' horn glowed with golden light, and the wounds of all the beasts began knitting themselves together, even regrowing limbs she had chopped off moments ago. Well, that''s annoying, she thought before teleporting and plunging her blades into the back of the unicorn leader. The lead unicorn bucked, and before Riseth or her blades could react, a shockwave of mana drove her back, forcing her to leap off the beast''s back. Her Battle Intuition skill had warned her that staying in her Ethereal Shift skill that would have turned her incorporeal wouldn''t have helped. Quickly recovering, she bombarded the beast with a rapid stream of Arcane Bolts fired from her bone blades, which had rapidly transformed into sharp-looking, jagged bone pistols in an effort to empower her attacks. The explosions riddled the guardian''s neck and body, throwing it off its legs. Though the unicorn visibly began to heal, Riseth intervened by using her Healing Manipulation skill offensively. The beast''s flesh became misshapen, with painful, spiky, and frayed bone growths appearing where there shouldn''t have been any, causing the unicorn to neigh in agony and halting its regeneration. Riseth hadn''t had many opportunities to use this skill outside of arena battles, but it had proven to be a valuable tool. The skill upgraded to the supreme tier once she incorporated its offensive capabilities. Though she suspected she could have gotten there by improving the healing aspects of the skill, she still needed to get the hang of dulling the pain her type of healing inflicted. The sheer pain seemed to overwhelm the guardian. Riseth seized the opportunity, teleporting back into the fray with her tail equipped with the bladed sepaskerite chain. The chain quickly wrapped around the beast''s neck, ripping and tearing as her blades did much the same once more transformed into vicious chainsaws. Riseth wondered if the weapon spirit had gotten the idea from watching her bladed chain or had copied it off one of the weapons James had made for some of their lawyers, but based on the timing, the weapon spirit had first shown that form, it was likely the latter. The guardian unicorn died collapsing under Riseth''s foot, and Fluffy had by now killed most of the other unicorns by poisoning them and thrashing about with her lightning-coated body, some wounds covering her body as the unicorns had managed to get through her tough scales. Looking up, Riseth noticed Alistair watching their fight, his task apparently complete, while King''s triumphant roar echoed from out of sight. She waved at Alistair, and he waved back with that wide, excited smile of his.
Once they had collected the remaining bodies and stored their summons, Alistair and Riseth prepared to head inside the palace. Alistair speculated whether the dungeon core had laid traps within the palace, but he doubted it. Such tactics didn''t align with what they had observed so far unless they involved some kind of golden saw blade or a massive golden boulder falling on them. Nonetheless, he kept a keen eye out for any unusual magical signatures that might indicate hidden dangers within the structure. As they walked through the richly engraved marble-like halls, they drew closer to the center and the large golden oak. Some of the pillars had become overgrown with plants, though in an almost decorative manner, with roots and vine-like plants becoming more and more prominent. The corridors and halls were well lit by circular windows, letting in the artificial sunlight from the outside. Riseth suddenly stopped and inspected one of the more colorful purple vines that radiated a more complex mana signature but nothing extraordinary. "What is it?" Alistair asked, also inspecting the plant with his Identify skill, which told him it was an [Imp Vine]. "This is imp vine! It''s one of the ingredients needed for the enlightenment pill, which we didn''t buy because it''s a very common plant in the multiverse," Riseth said excitedly, carefully cutting the stem to harvest the plant. "Oh, that''s great!" Alistair replied. He would have overlooked it, assuming it was just another low-tier herbal ingredient like so many they had found before. He appreciated Riseth''s keen eye for detail. The Enlightenment Pill recipe was something she had fought hard to convince her sister to acquire from the Trial rewards. In the end, Nessyra had agreed to get the recipe and the more rare ingredients required. They had compromised by not getting the lower tier and more common ingredients required for the pill. Hoping to either acquire them later or have their alchemists find suitable substitute ingredients. Finding the imp vine here would simplify the process for the alchemists quite a bit. It would also make for a great decorative plant, Alistair mused as he started to help her harvest the rest of the imp vine within the corridor. As they approached the center, the main corridor led them into a vast chamber, culminating in a throne room framed by two massive, twisted roots of the gargantuan golden oak. In the center, an elevated pedestal held an elongated, torso-sized bipyramid-shaped core hovering above it, resembling white marble with intricate golden veins. The core was encased in golden, root-like tendrils at both ends. Alistair had to dial back his Conceptual Awareness skill due to the overwhelming concentration of compressed mana within the core¡ªgreater than anything he had encountered, save perhaps Mitania. But what truly left both him and Riseth stunned was the sight of the core wrapped in vines, with a swarm of birds desperately attempting to lift it. The largest and most striking bird, adorned in radiant gold and bronze feathers, let out a screech in an absurdly deep and booming voice, completely at odds with its appearance: "It''s too late! Please don''t kill me!" Both Alistair and Riseth stared at the scene in disbelief before Alistair blurted out, "What the hell?" Chapter 164: Everbright Dungeon The birds furiously flapped their wings, continuing their fruitless attempt at rehousing the core. The largest bird, a [Nivibil Alpha - lvl 60], puffed himself up and spread his wings, shielding the core while continuing to scream that he was going to die and begging them to spare him. Alistair and Riseth exchanged another glance, and Alistair rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just stop. We won''t kill you or harm the core," Alistair reassured. "I... I will fight you if I have to! Don''t test me!" The deep voice of the Nivibil Alpha rang out, not listening to Alistair in his panic. Alistair looked at the bird with a raised eyebrow and was about to repeat himself when the bird went slack, its eyes glowing with a swirling white and golden coloration. Alistair recognized this as the core assuming direct control of one of its monsters. This was one of the ways a core could communicate; other common methods included having their beasts speak for them without taking direct control, telepathy, or writing messages on various surfaces within the dungeon, such as walls, floors, plaques, or stone or in rare cases modern tablets. The Nivibil stopped puffing himself out and seemed almost to hug itself with its wings as it looked at them. "You promise you won''t hurt me?" Its voice was still deep, but it had lost its previously boisterous quality. Alistair sensed worry and fear from the core-controlled bird, and its voice reflected that though it had also taken on an ethereal aspect. "Yes, we settled the planet you are located on, and you are the first Dungeon Core we found. " Alistair calmly explained. The birds stopped pulling on the vines and scattered, landing on nearby roots and roof purchases to observe the exchange. There was a pause as the core seemed to consider his words. "And you do not wish to subdue or destroy me?" the core questioned, its distrust obvious. "Clearly Quite Intelligent," Alistair mused, exchanging a look with Riseth, who seemed to share his line of thinking. "Let''s get to know each other first. My name is Alistair and this is my wife, Riseth. We are the leaders of the Ryser Clan," he continued. There was another pause, and Alistair began to wonder if the Dungeon was stalling, perhaps hoping to respawn enough beasts to thwart them or to orchestrate an escape. This would suggest it was not as intelligent as he currently believed. But then the bird spoke with a quivering voice. "I am Vaerin; at least, that''s the name I came up with." After another short pause, the core added, "Welcome to Everbright, my little piece of home." Riseth gave Vaerin a warm smile, "It''s nice to meet you, Vaerin. Can you tell us a little about yourself?" Alistair still sensed some reluctance and fear, though they had taken a backseat to curiosity and hope. The core clearly had expected them to just subdue or destroy it. From what Alistair had read, cores always had a very strong sense of self-preservation, no matter their personality or type. This usually ended with the core trying its utmost to kill or stop anyone from claiming it. It would most likely try and talk itself out of the predicament, hoping he and Riseth chose to leave it to its devices. Something he would agree to if the core could be reasoned with and had a suitable personality for cooperation. A non-subdued core had far stronger growth and more options and was less restricted by the system, so it was in both of their interests to get an amicable solution. "I don''t remember much, but I think I was an Elf princess. I died with regrets, though I can''t recall why," the core began. "It''s a core that believes itself reincarnated," Riseth said over the Akashic Link, and Alistair nodded in agreement. "Once I regained the ability to see, I found myself as a tiny rock in an unfamiliar green forest. It looked all wrong, and before I knew it, I was in the golden fields of my homeland," Vaerin continued. She then spoke of how she grew in power and understanding, learning instinctively to change the world around her and recreate it in the image of her home as best she could. There were moments she wished to share more but couldn''t, and Alistair was certain it was due to System secrecy interference. He could guess what the core wanted to convey based on his knowledge of cores. "Things were peaceful until you and your beasts arrived here," Vaerin eventually said, a hint of accusation in her tone. "Vaerin, I understand your concern but you are a dungeon now, and we are delvers. Isn''t this how its supposed to be? All your beasts will respawn and didn''t you benefit from our presence?" Alistair inquired. The core paused again. Alistair hoped this wasn''t an overly caring core. A handful of cores viewed every beast as its child or family, which made negotiating near impossible, as they almost always reacted incredibly violently. Based on their talks, he doubted it, but he had to be sure before he felt comfortable not subduing the core, leaving it to its own devices. "I suppose this means you two successfully delved into my dungeon by slaying my guardians." The Core pronounced, and Alistair received multiple notifications. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Notifications: The Natural Dungeon Everbright has been cleared for the first time. The Dungeoneer title has been upgraded to [Dungeoneer 6] [Level 117 reached. Stat points allocated, free stat points available.]
The core must have subconsciously or purposefully set the conditions for successfully delving the dungeon as slaying its guardians. Alistair was relieved; if reaching its chambers had been the condition, it could have spelled trouble, especially if others had delved into this dungeon. He then noticed the usual loot sphere appearing in the center of the room, slightly behind them, though he decided to look at it later. "Well then, Princess Vaerin, I think it''s time for us to come to a mutually beneficial agreement," Alistair said, pausing to wait for the core to respond. When Vaerin remained silent, he continued. "We will not subdue or destroy your core, and we or members of our clan will regularly visit to talk with you and protect your dungeon from other forces that would potentially subdue or destroy you. In return, we expect you to do your best not to kill those who delve into this dungeon. I want peaceful relations between my clan and your dungeon." "I suppose this means you''ll call me a friend in name but keep me a prisoner in my own dungeon, while you continue to harvest my beasts and expect me to be content with the rewards your clan gains from delving into my dungeon while I gain the dregs of what the system rewards me with," Vaerin replied, clearly not satisfied with the arrangement. Alistair nodded, recognizing her point. It was indeed too optimistic to simply demand that a dungeon refrain from killing its delvers and tolerate their presence under threat. "If you put it that way, you''re correct. This isn''t a truly fair exchange. Do you have any strong feelings about expanding beyond your dungeon? And what do you wish in return?" The core paused longer this time. Riseth, who didn''t think her input was needed, stepped over to the loot portal, pulling out a large branch imbued with powerful growth and nature concepts. Alistair stopped observing after inspecting the branch and turned back to the core and its possessed Nvibil, clearly still mulling over how to respond. "Expansion outside my dungeon isn''t of paramount importance to me," Vaerin finally replied. "However, it will limit my ability to acquire treasures, inspiration, and new materials that I could potentially use." Dungeons often absorbed external treasures for a bit of additional mana. There were theories suggesting that dungeons could spawn items they absorbed, though no faction could prove they had successfully fed a dungeon core treasures and had it recreate them consistently. This theory only persisted because cores sometimes spawned items related or similar to the absorbed treasures, albeit inconsistently. The likelihood increased if the treasures aligned with the dungeon''s general personality and concepts. However, many claimed that it might be a coincidence or that the dungeon already had the option to spawn it and was inspired by a provided item. "How about this?" Alistair suggested. "We could provide you with offerings before every delve, things like pictures, small treasures, or something the individual thinks you would appreciate as a gift?" Alistair noticed Vaerin''s growing excitement and knew the idea strongly appealed to her. He wasn''t disappointed when the core responded. Vaerin tried to hold her composure, making it sound like a barely sufficient exchange. "This is an acceptable agreement. I will ensure there is a structure for the delvers to leave their offerings. However, expect my throne room to be off-limits." "This still feels too easy," Alistair thought. "Is there nothing else you wish in return? We benefit greatly from your presence, and I don''t want you to feel like you got tricked," Alistair added. Vaerin replied surprisingly fast. "I will keep that offer in mind, but I am satisfied with the current arrangement, I wish you farewell," she said through her bird before relinquishing control over the bird, signaling the end of their conversation. The bird immediately went into panic mode again as if no time had passed, spreading its wings and puffing itself up to shield the core. It continued a tirade of empty threats for a moment before falling silent, presumably reprimanded by the core, before flying away as fast as it could. Taken aback, Alistair watched the bird until it disappeared through one of the circular windows. He shrugged and reached into the loot orb, pulling out a large bar of gold radiating holy and healing concepts. A quick use of his Identify skill revealed it to be [Saint''s Gold]. Though likely less useful than the growth and nature treasure Riseth had received, he was certain this item would still prove valuable. As soon as he retrieved the loot, he received a notification asking if he wished to teleport out of the dungeon. Riseth stepped up next to him and touched the orb as well. "Guess we''ll have to call this in. I don''t know about the other resources within this dungeon, but the unicorn horns are pretty incredible loot," Riseth said as they both reappeared outside the dungeon portal. Alistair nodded. "As far as dungeons go, this is a very good one, and it''s still growing. Who knows what we can expect to get from it in the future." He resummoned King, and they quickly took to the air. While flying to the next point of interest, Alistair wrote a report on the dungeon. It was a shame the dungeon had no real resource-generating locations other than the hives of the Silverspine Stenacs and the sun oaks, most of which were juvenile and would take ages to mature unless the dungeon invested significant effort in promoting rapid growth. Typically, dungeons could spawn and regenerate treasures like metal nodes that wouldn''t naturally replenish, which were usually more powerful and valuable. Mining and harvesting dungeons, especially those with multiple instances, were often the bread and butter of powerful factions that managed to claim such a dungeon. However, he couldn''t complain. Any form of luck-concept treasure was extremely valuable, even if mixed with other concepts, and he suspected the unicorn horns made for excellent magical material. Additionally, the fact that the dungeon wasn''t expansionist and was amicable was a significant boon. Their next destination was a significant river system nearby, where their sensors had detected multiple Grade 8 signatures. Strong beasts often indicate a rich environment, powerful treasures, or possibly even an instanced dungeon break. After sending his report to Nessyra over the Network, he took the opportunity to properly take in the surroundings ahead of them, noting the large lake with rivers flowing in and out, extending to the nearby sea. The water was a deep cobalt color, and he sensed multiple powerful beasts scattered beneath the lake''s surface, moving in and out through the connected waterways. The trees surrounding the lake were an unusual blue willow-like variant he had only seen in displays before. They appeared both alien and strangely familiar. Both he and Riseth stood up, getting ready to explore this lake more thoroughly and see what kind of beasts inhabited it. Chapter 165: Lacustrine Diving into the surprisingly warm water, Alistair and Riseth prepared themselves for any beasts that might come their way. However, none seemed aggressive or foolish enough to attack them. The first thing Alistair noticed was the sheer variety and abundance of fish swimming around them. They came in all sorts of sizes, colors, and shapes. Although none appeared to be a significant threat or particularly magical, some of the fish were early Grade 9, yet still seemed mundane. It felt strange to think of these fish as normal, especially considering that merely a year ago, he wouldn''t have been able to hurt most of them. "Can you capture some of them with your telekinesis?" Riseth inquired over the Akashic link, her eyes following a school of fish resembling armored carp in shades of dark red, brown, and yellow. "Sure thing," Alistair replied. Although they didn''t really need additional food sources, since the mundane plants they brought with them grew rapidly and they had a growing stock of livestock, discovering new ingredients could still be beneficial. Barton and the other magical cooks could use these new ingredients for magical cooking, which could provide stat boosts and other benefits. Fish, in particular, had a higher chance of being suitable for magical cooking. Alistair used his telekinesis to capture a portion of the school, pressuring the fish until they allowed themselves to be stored in his storage. Good food would also help with mental fatigue and boost morale. As they descended deeper, they approached the nearest of the Grade 8 beasts they could sense, maneuvering across the rocky and sandy lakebed. The water was quite clear but still limited their visibility. They instinctively drew back upon recognizing the beast: a Lirsaross. Although this one was much weaker than the one in the mountain lake, spotting another of these creatures suggested it was one of the more common powerful beasts on their planet as they had found a few around Rathos. This was good as they tasted great, and it meant they weren''t just native to Rathos and it''s surroundings, but the planet''s waterways as a whole. They also made for the most massive shrimp-on-the-barbie. "Another one of these scythe shrimps," Riseth remarked with a frown. "Yeah, let''s leave it alone. There''s not much value in killing it until it becomes stronger," Alistair concurred, moving towards another of the nearby Grade 8 beasts, hoping it wasn''t another Lirsaross. He paused when he noticed Riseth hesitating. Following her gaze, he saw the beast feeding on what looked like long white tentacles with red rims. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a type of kelp. "Let''s see if we can find some of that kelp while we look around. Something tells me it could be valuable," Riseth suggested. Alistair''s Conceptual Awareness skill confirmed her suspicion. He detected traces of water, nature, and purity aspects within the kelp. It made him ponder whether purity might be a more common concept than he initially thought, as they had already encountered several sources and treasures containing it. Perhaps it relates to a planet''s purity? Alistair mused, glancing around at the clear water and recalling the unspoiled landscapes of Lacustrine. They would need to work hard to preserve its pristine nature, though it should be worth their efforts and quite manageable with the magic available to them. Floating over a crevice, he noticed more of the kelp, gently swaying in the low currents. He descended, using his Telekinesis skill to move the rock and soil, unearthing the plant. Riseth guarded the top of the crevice, sensing a powerful presence approaching them, though it lacked any bloodlust, at least for the moment. He was about to stop his work and join her when she signaled him to continue still drawing her bone blades. "I got this," She confidently said over the Akashic Link. He hesitated for a moment but then hurried up, the presence growing closer, though it still lacked any hostility or bloodlust. It was slightly unnerving. Just as he finished collecting the last of the kelp, the sparse light from the surface was blotted out by a massive beast, almost as large as King. Its fins were a bright light purple, transitioning into dark blue scales that grew orange around the edges, shimmering with an almost golden sheen in the dim light. The creature had the body of an Arowana, but the front of its body was a mix of draconic and fish-like features, complete with long whiskers. Alistair realized it had to be a wyrm variant but paused as he noticed its front limbs connected to wing-like structures specialized for underwater mobility. Despite its lack of hind legs, he wouldn''t categorize it as a sea serpent either. His Identify skill only revealed that the creature was an [Arowanath - lvl 124], but he had no prior record of it within his stored knowledge. Based on its name, he surmised it might be related to an Arowana. Did Earth have this very same beast? "What the hell is that thing exactly?" Alistair asked, slowly ascending while observing the beast. It spared him a glance but idly swam past, uninterested in engaging with them. Riseth didn''t lower her guard, her gaze still fixed on the creature, noting its higher level. "I don''t know. It''s not in my Akashic Link''s knowledge base or the Network." Curiosity piqued, Alistair reached out to Dexter through the Akashic Link, adding him to the conversation. "Hey Dexter, what is this Arowanath?" while sharing his vision. "Hi, Alistair!" Dexter''s excited voice rang over their Akashic Link. "What do you mean by ''What is this Arowanath?''" "I mean, what species is it? It looks like a sea serpent, but it has front limbs with wings instead of fins," Alistair explained. "Oh, I see!" Dexter replied. "The Arowanath is an amphithere. It''s part of the draconic family closely related to Fluffy''s species and is essentially the underwater version of a wyvern." Alistair hadn''t heard that term before and suspected it had to do with the term amphithere, which sounds a lot worse than just calling it a sea wyvern. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Can you tell us anything about its combat style?" Riseth questioned, still wary of the beast despite it lazily swimming out of sight. "Hi, Riseth!" Dexter replied eagerly. "The Arowanath primarily utilizes powerful water-based abilities. When engaged in combat, it relies heavily on manipulating water and leveraging its considerable strength and agility underwater. However, they''re generally quite peaceful and prefer to feed on algae and the cores of water-aspected beasts. Due to their calm nature and striking appearance, they''re often kept as ornamental creatures by powerful individuals." They both relaxed a little. "I guess we worried over an ornamental fish," Alistair said with a chuckle. Before Riseth could reply, they sensed a clash between two Grade 8 monsters, sending ripples of energy through the water. They hurried to observe and found the Arowanath battling the Lirsaross. The scythe shrimp unleashed rapid water scythes at the sea wyvern, but the Arowanath either redirected the attacks with its magic or easily shrugged them off with its tough scales. The Arowanath moved like a blur, tackling the Lirsaross and sending it sprawling over the rocky surface. With a flick of its claws, the Arowanath tore the water around the shrimp, ripping off one of its arms before diving in to bite its long neck. It plunged its claws into the scythe shrimp''s head and upper body, pressing it into the rocky lake floor and tearing at it, staining the water red with blood. Riseth looked at him with a smug expression. "Just an ornamental fish, huh?" "We both know you were about to agree," Alistair pointed out. "Uh! Exciting! I''ve been quite bored lately. Can I watch you guys explore more often?" Dexter inquired hopefully. They watched as the Arowanath buried its snout into the hole it had created in the chest of its opponent, ripping out its core and instantly killing it. It swallowed the core and turned to look at them again before swimming away, a little faster this time. "Sure, as long as you don''t distract us and help us identify the beasts," Alistair said, keeping an eye on the departing Arowanath. "We might as well retrieve the body. It''d be a waste to let it rot," Riseth added, moving toward the fallen Lirsaross and storing its body and severed claw. As they continued to explore, they didn''t find any more beasts or treasures of note. The lake hadn''t grown more powerful from a dungeon break or hidden treasure but was a natural formation. The circulation of different rivers in and out of the water, each with slightly different diffused concepts, increased the magical density and promoted the growth of the local algae, fish, and monsters. They continued exploring other nearby sites of interest along the equator. Still, most were similar in nature, with only a handful of unknown, generally low-tier treasures and monsters, with no new monsters that had reached Grade 8 yet, though some were very close and would advance in grade soon, and they decided to leave them alone.
After three and a half weeks spent exploring some of the most dangerous locations across Lacustrine, they decided it was time to reassess their next steps. Their followers could continue the exploration while they shifted their focus to much-needed training and body cultivation, areas that had been neglected over the past few weeks. Despite this, they had still managed to level up twice. Currently on the southern continent of Lacustrine¡ªless lush but still vibrant with life thanks to its network of lakes and rivers¡ªthey knew it was time to return to Rathos. They needed to deliver their accumulated treasures and materials for their clan to process and assess, having only briefly returned after the Everbright Dungeon to deposit those materials before diving into planetary exploration. The stop at Rathos would also give them a chance to address important matters, as they knew much had likely unfolded during their absence. While regular updates and meetings through the Akashic Link skill kept them informed, these communications were intentionally kept brief to prevent distractions, trusting their people to manage things in their stead. As Rathos came into view on the screens of the Artemis, both Alistair and Riseth stared in disbelief. Rathos had visibly expanded again, with its walls and farms stretching much further than before. More harvesting terraces were covered in various crops and herbs, not all of which Alistair recognized. The walls now had a proper star-shaped fortress look, surrounding the entire main mountain and some of its neighbors, covering an incredible amount of landmass when considering their population. Turrets and automata were stationed atop the walls, occasionally directed by demons or humans. Traces of a recent battle were evident as hovercraft rushed down new roads leading outside Rathos, collecting what appeared to be killed Hukris wyverns. From their vantage point, they could see ongoing excavation work on the surrounding mountains, with earth mages transforming the terrain at an almost visible rate even from their height. Riseth adjusted the scans, attempting to gauge the full extent of the underground expansion, but her sensors were blocked, indicating that many of the basic defensive arrays had already been put in place. As Alistair observed the numerous automata patrolling the walls and tending to the fields, he felt reassured. Keeping one of the automata replicators had proven to be an excellent decision, as the growing number of these mechanical workers greatly accelerated both the expansion and the overall security of the area. "We might need to make a longer stop to get an update on Rathos," Riseth commented as they approached a new landing site between the mountains. A massive hatch, disguised as a ridge, slid open to both sides, creating a gap large enough for them to land. "Braxik and Nessyra have truly outdone themselves," Alistair remarked, admiring the massive hatch with its metallic frame and what he suspected were magic-powered hydraulics. "Pretty sure your brother also deserves his fair share of credit for this," Riseth noted. Alistair was still astonished by the sheer speed of the expansion. He knew that mass-producing automata and using magic would accelerate progress significantly, but this was beyond his expectations. Projects of this scale would take years, if not decades, to complete on Earth before the initiation. When they disembarked, they were greeted by Simon''s father, Thomas, who waved them over. "Alistair, Riseth, it''s good to see you two!" he said with a wide smile, embracing Riseth first, then Alistair, clapping his back. "It''s good to see you too, sir. It has been a while," Alistair replied. "Bah, don''t call me sir. You are essentially my boss now. Call me Thomas, like I told you," Thomas corrected. Thomas was accompanied by a handful of demons and humans Alistair didn''t recognize. He nodded in greeting, and they responded with nervous bows. "Nessyra mentioned that the two of you have been collecting many interesting and valuable specimens. I can''t wait to work on something other than Hukris," Thomas said, his excitement evident. Alistair didn''t openly comment and simply extended his hand as they exchanged storage items, dropping off all the captured and killed beasts. "Well now, I never thought I''d get to work on something like this." Thomas said, intrigued," The alchemists and healers, in particular, are going to love this," Thomas added, looking at his system; based on the way Thomas seemed to thumb through a book, he presumed his system was also represented by a book much like Alistair''s mother. Before Alistair could ask more questions, Nessyra''s assistant and Alistair''s former student, Zarrias, hurried their way; seeing his face, Alistair knew their stop would be much longer than they had expected. Chapter 166: Inside Rathos Thomas followed Alistair¡¯s gaze. ¡°I should probably get back to work,¡± he said, patting Alistair¡¯s shoulder, a challenging gesture given Alistair''s new height. ¡°See you around, Alistair, Riseth.¡± Alistair nodded, thanking Thomas as their former student, Zarrias, approached and bowed respectfully. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Zarrias greeted them. ¡°Thanks, Zarrias,¡± Alistair replied. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± ¡°I was supposed to meet you upon your return, but it took me a moment to reach the nearest teleportation hub,¡± Zarrias explained. Alistair chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We just got here.¡± He paused, intrigued. ¡°Teleportation hubs? We¡¯ve got those now?¡± "Yes, thanks to the combined efforts of your mother and other space mages, we¡¯ve established a basic teleportation network with several hubs," Zarrias said. "But it''s still a work in progress." He indicated a corridor he had just left, and they joined him. "Lady Nessyra has ordered me to escort you to your quarters and catch you up on recent events," Zarrias said professionally. Alistair was a little surprised. He had half-expected to be whisked back into one of their command centers. Getting to enjoy their own quarters, which should have finished construction by now, would be a blessing. It had been a while since he had good food that wasn''t stored for later consumption, so visiting one of the newly established restaurants greatly appealed to him. A glance toward Riseth showed she shared his relief. They walked past multiple well-lit and decorated corridors with plaques indicating different production facilities and housing sections. The corridor Zarrias led them toward was marked as the South East Teleportation Hub. They entered a large, well-lit chamber, its walls adorned with vines, plants, and water features. Occasional screens displayed the outside to break up the monotony of the rocky walls typical of underground living. The floors were lined with intricate, self-cleaning enchanted carpets, making Alistair wonder if they had discovered a plant that could be woven into cloth or if they had managed to evolve some of the sheep or other livestock they had brought along to produce enough fabric for carpets this early in the colony''s development. Alistair then inspected the map behind the hub''s teleportation circles, noting that they were number and color-coded, though some colors and numbers were missing their corresponding teleportation circle. He didn''t have much time to ponder this before Zarrias stepped onto the largest, centermost magic circle, marked in red for the central hub. Alistair exchanged a meaningful look with Riseth before they followed, appearing in a vast, open space. For a moment, he thought they were outside, but his conceptual awareness revealed the illusion array at work. The array made the hollowed-out interior of the mountain appear as if it were the outside world, with the carved-out sections seamlessly disguised as towering structures and the rock walls depicting a picturesque exterior. The area bustled with activity, resembling a city square with shops, restaurants, bars, schools, and other facilities seamlessly integrated into the rock-face structures, though most were still unoccupied. The carved-out buildings were cleverly designed as beautiful, large, modern structures with a sharp aesthetic integrated with the illusionary array. Their design incorporated elements of both Earth and Neshan architecture, featuring sleek lines and elegant curves alongside intricate carvings, sharp edges, and ornate balconies typical of Neshan''s design. He noticed illusionary circular structures that indicated locations where people could fly in and out of the mountain, adding to the dynamic atmosphere. He wondered if the energy cost of powering the runes for such illusions was justified, though the effect was stunning. The buildings appeared to stretch far into the sky, connected by a web of stone bridges and platforms. "This is incredible," Riseth said, her astonishment reflecting Alistair''s own. "Yes, everyone has been working hard to make Rathos a true home," Zarrias replied, letting his professional facade drop to reveal a toothy smile. Alistair felt a twinge of guilt, thinking he hadn¡¯t contributed as much as he should have. Noticing his expression, Zarrias said with sincerity, "None of this would have been possible without everyone¡¯s efforts, including yours, Mr. Ryser." Riseth stepped closer, taking his hand and offering him a reassuring smile. Alistair nodded, though a lingering doubt still tugged at him. Zarrias led them to the central shaft, where they stepped onto a large circular elevator. Alistair presumed this would take them higher up and closer to their private quarters located at the peak of Rathos. He found it challenging to orient himself, having not been inside the central hub since before his journey to Nautilis when it had only been a massive excavation site. He had also preferred to fly outside the mountain as there had been no reason to fly through the mountain and disturb the workers. He now regretted missing the opportunity to witness the progress within Rathos. They dismounted the elevator at the topmost level, heading north toward their private quarters. As they crossed one of the stone bridges, Alistair couldn''t resist glancing at the city below. They were hundreds of meters above the central teleportation hub. Some people recognized him and Riseth as they passed, offering small polite bows before moving on. Riseth joined him at the parapet, looking down at the bustling activity below. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Zarrias looked at them and said, "Take your time. I''ll order some food and wait at your quarters." Riseth turned with a smile, "Thank you. We''ll follow shortly." Alistair knew he couldn''t stop moving forward and enjoying this for long, but he would take at least a few days to get his head straight. He picked out the medallion Mitania gave him from his storage and looked at it. Zathen''s words still plagued him. This token could potentially allow him to reach Mitania and her husband, which could give him some pointers as to how he could utilize his concept properly. While he had worked on his telekinesis skill as a medium to bring his kinetic concept to bear, it hadn''t worked yet made more difficult because most opponents broke before he could reach that next step. The ability was powerful, but he wasn''t quite forcing things to bend to the power of his concept, and he was sure it was due to his gaps in knowledge. He knew he should be able to do far more with the concepts of kinetics, which encompassed movement and force¡ªboth incredibly versatile and powerful in their own right. But were they distinct concepts themselves? Did his strongest concept influence them? It seemed likely, given how much more easily he could manipulate them compared to other concepts. Gravity, too, should fall under the umbrella of kinetics, yet when he tried utilizing the concept, it was almost as challenging to handle as the earth or water concept. He could envision countless ways his concept could truly excel, but frustratingly, he just couldn¡¯t seem to fully grasp that power, as he suspected there was a pattern of magic interactions he wasn''t aware of. While he did have some fun experimenting with his magic, it took far too much time he didn''t know he could afford to spend. "What are you thinking about?" Riseth probed through the Akashic Link as people passed by, occasionally glancing at them. He sighed and shared his thoughts and frustrations about his inability to grasp the power Zathen had hinted at. "It''s likely due to our grade and lack of time," Riseth responded. "At our level, only the strongest and highest-tier phoenixes and dragons can do what you describe. While it''s possible, it would be truly extraordinary for anyone to actually reach that level of mastery over their concepts at our grade or in such a short time without guidance." After a short pause, she added, "Hell, we''re not even halfway up the grading scale. My core concept of Manipulation is just as powerful, and I know I could potentially do much more, but it''s barely been over a year. You''re too hard on yourself." Her words eased his worry and frustration. It had only been a little over a year since they had been introduced to magic, and they had objectively done extraordinarily well for themselves. Striving for even greater mastery while struggling wasn''t a weakness. He wasn''t a peerless genius; he had been lucky with his affinities and had worked hard to get where he was. Though he refused to rely on luck any more than he already had. "Thank you. You''re right, I''ve been too impatient," he said, leaning in and giving her a kiss. "You always know what to say when I''m lost. You keep me grounded, and I don''t know how I ever got through things without you." Riseth blushed a little at his cheesy line, giving him a playful jab with her elbow. "Don''t start. We''ve got your student in our quarters, and I''d rather not throw him out before he finishes his job," she teased. "True shame that," Alistair quipped. Riseth smirked at him, then reached out and touched the token he still held in his hands. "They might be able to help us. Neither of us had any proper training and we''ve just muddled through," she said thoughtfully. "We should reach out to them. We don''t know when we''ll run into something more powerful than us, and proper training could be the difference between life and death." Alistair nodded in agreement, and they lingered for a while, taking in the sight. Looking down on Rathos''s central district, the weight of their duty truly sank in for him. Their most important responsibility was to protect everyone here. Though they had at least a year before the bridges between universes properly established themselves, allowing the first wave of low-grade invaders to pass through, Alistair still felt pressured to advance. Their progression would inevitably be outpaced by the opening bridges if they didn''t continue to work hard to reach higher grades. There was also the threat of invaders and factions like the Blackmarket Syndicates growing powerful within the new universe, making use of advanced training techniques, treasures, and generational knowledge they simply didn''t have access to. Eventually, they headed for their quarters, where the first thing Alistair noticed was the divine smell of Italian food. Zarrias was waiting on the couch, and on the table were multiple pizzas and pasta dishes, far more than they could eat in one sitting. "I wasn''t sure what you guys liked, but this Human food is incredible. So, I got a little of everything. We can store the rest," Zarrias explained in response to Alistair''s questioning look. Alistair immediately headed for the couch opposite Zarrias. The Fichera family hadn''t been able to make proper pizza within the trial as they had lacked many ingredients, mostly a suitable grain variant for dough, cheese, and tomatoes, and it had been over a year since he had the chance to eat pizza. "Is that pizza?" Riseth asked, her eyes widening with curiosity. "You''ve always raved about it, but we never got the chance to try it in the trial." Alistair shot her a smile and nodded. "Sure looks like it. Let''s hope the taste matches too," he said, picking a slice for himself. He let out a soft moan of pleasure as he took a bite. The pizza tasted incredible, even better than he remembered. Alistair suspected it had something to do with it being a magical dish, prepared by an actual magical pizzaiolo. Alistair wondered whether Luca had received an actual pizza-related skill; he would need to ask the next time they met. Alistair leaned back on the couch, watching for Riseth''s reaction. She didn''t disappoint; her eyes widened, and she let out a soft moan. "This is amazing," she said, leaning back and letting her body relax, feeling just as fatigued as Alistair in that moment. Zarrias retrieved some bottles from his storage, the labels revealing them to be spirit orchid wine. Placing one in front of each of them, Alistair noticed that the bottles seemed enchanted to keep the contents at the perfect temperature. He also realized that the pizza and other food maintained an ideal temperature, despite having been placed there for a while. The more he ate, the less fatigued he felt. After finishing the first pizza and diving into some pasta, he even gained a stat point each in both mental and body attributes. His Sunforge organs processed the food effortlessly, absorbing essences such as ''Enchantment'' and ''Strengthening.'' "The bottles need to be returned, but I''ll handle that," Zarrias said. "The enchantments on them aren''t difficult, but they do take some time, so we shouldn''t be wasteful." "Thank you, Zarrias," Alistair said, stretching his arms. He rested his left arm on the couch behind Riseth and gestured with his other hand for Zarrias to speak, as he seemed eager to update them on what had transpired since their last detailed report. Chapter 167: Caught up Zarrias began his report by detailing the numerous production facilities, infrastructure changes, and energy expenditures Rathos had undergone since its founding. The most notable additions were the Teleportation Hub, the Spirit Orchid Distillery, and an assortment of service and entertainment industries. He also mentioned that the Adamantine Root had grown large enough to provide a small harvest soon, giving them a reliable source of adamantine beyond the occasional seams uncovered during Rathos''s construction. Interestingly, the illusionary array wasn''t even that expansive as it merely depicted the weather outside. However, it could, for an additional upkeep cost and some enchantment work, be expanded to show whatever weather they wanted to; most of its upkeep cost stemmed from the array''s sheer size. Fortunately, the clan''s enchantment efficiency boon greatly helped with Rathos''s energy upkeep. Those not involved in construction kept themselves busy refining their skills, offering services, and setting up small businesses to meet the growing demand. Jessica and the other alchemists were focused on developing new potions and alternative methods for producing the Enlightenment pill. They worked alongside herbalists, who were expanding their selection of available herbs through careful cross-breeding, magical techniques, and expeditions. However, it would be a long process before any real progress was made. These expeditions and gathering parties, tasked with finding new herb sources and valuable treasures, were often accompanied by miners, refiners, and hired muscle for protection. "Nessyra has also organized multiple expeditions to establish additional defensive locations and set up the planetary defense grid on both Lacustrine and Nautilis," Zarrias continued. "Once she received a report on the Everbright Dungeon, she dispatched one of the reserve forces to claim and protect the area as soon as possible." Alistair nodded; setting up their defense grid was crucial. While their location was currently unknown to anyone, it was only a matter of time before one force or another discovered their new home. He preferred to be prepared in case whoever found them wasn''t friendly or sought to take what was theirs. Despite being likely stronger than most individuals who could find them, effectively fighting in space was quite a few grades outside their capabilities. This made it necessary to bolster their defenses as much as possible, as an orbital bombardment would be a significant threat they couldn''t yet properly defend against. "Lady Nessyra has also tasked me with seeking your permission to retrieve the second batch of settlers and to increase our recruitment efforts," Zarrias stated. Alistair was a bit taken aback, and a quick glance at Riseth showed she felt the same. "What do you mean by increased recruitment efforts?" Alistair asked. "Nessyra wishes to bring more people into the clan to sustain our current rate of expansion and to ensure our projected growth. By increasing the number of new members, we can enhance the clan''s power and security," Zarrias explained. "Of course, all new members would be thoroughly vetted, and she will personally oversee the process." Alistair felt strongly that this issue warranted a discussion with the rest of the leadership, rather than Nessyra sending a messenger to just the two of them, as significant unrest could come from such an action even if they were to vett the new members thoroughly, and Riseth echoed his sentiment. Zarrias raised his hand and gestured the Neshan sign for ''sorry about that.'' "I apologize for not being clear. This matter has already been discussed with the other members of the clan leadership, and they all agreed while the two of you were exploring. Lady Nessyra believes this needs to be addressed promptly, and everyone is currently incredibly busy with their own projects and workloads." Alistair processed this information, feeling uncertain about the decision. However, he acknowledged that everyone was indeed swamped with work, preparing for worst-case scenarios. Given Nessyra''s role as Clan Executive, calling in a meeting involving the entire leadership for every matter wasn''t practical, and they had agreed that delegation would be crucial. He raised his hand to signal Zarrias to pause for a moment. "Sorry, I''ll give Simon a call and ask him about this," Alistair said, while Riseth added, "I''ll talk to Nessy." Alistair contacted Simon to get his perspective, as it fell within his purview to ensure security, and bringing in new people posed significant risks. "Yes, Nessyra reached out to all of us for our opinions," Simon said. "While I was initially reluctant, I believe it''s necessary. Though it¡¯s certainly a risk, we need more people. There are only so many tasks our Automata can handle, and I''d feel safer with more people on our side. The Mermaids were a great boon, but their numbers are limited and won''t increase anytime soon." "Is it really that bad? I didn''t have much time in Rathos, so I can''t really tell if we truly need more people," Alistair asked. "Yes, it is," Simon replied. "We lack enough personnel to fight and work on all the projects we want to tackle. The wall defenses are mostly automated and manned by Automata. While the teleportation hub helped, if we''re attacked by multiple strong forces, we won''t be able to cover our current expansion properly. The walls will fall, and we will suffer potentially heavy losses." He continued, "Several expeditions and expansions are on hold due to the lack of personnel. While most of the planetary defense network can be manned by Automata, as the planet''s beasts grow stronger, we need rapid response forces to handle them." He chuckled, adding, "And as the AI core put it, not setting up the planetary defense grid is an unacceptable risk." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. After thanking Simon and discussing it with Riseth over their Akashic Link, Alistair learned that Riseth had received similar information from Nessyra. They then informed Zarrias that they agreed, despite their concerns about letting the Kaiakos leave, as it posed a risk for both the ship and the system if someone discovered them during its absence. "There is some relevant information," Zarrias added hurriedly. "Just yesterday, we were able to produce a pair of frigate-sized combat crafts to protect our system. However, neither craft is equipped with a jump drive, as building those requires much more time and specialized manufacturing than we are currently capable of." It began to sink in just how much they had missed while flying all over Rathos'' surrounding area. Despite their short time on the planet, their crew of shipwrights had already completed the construction of two moderately sized vessels. He knew they had also created some shuttles for in-system travel, but this was far beyond expectations. "Are there plans to retrofit the ships to fit jump drives later?" Riseth inquired. Zarrias shook his head. "No, they will be able to dock on the Kaiakos and jump with it, given their relatively small size for frigates. The shipwright crew prioritized creating combat-capable crafts without jump drives while training their new apprentices." Riseth nodded. "Alright, is there anything else we need to know?" "No Ma''am, this covers the most important points. However, if you wish to review anything, all information is documented and saved on the network," Zarrias replied. Riseth frowned slightly at being called "Ma''am" but chose not to correct him. "If you''ll excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Ryser, I have other duties that require my attention," Zarrias said before taking his leave. Once Zarrias had left, Alistair suggested in a teasing voice, "It would be an honor if you could accompany me to the bedroom, ma''am. It''s been a busy few weeks." "Oh, don''t you start!" Riseth said, pointing an accusatory finger at Alistair, though her voice had a playful tone. Alistair touched his chest and feigned hurt. "So only Zarrias gets to call you ma''am?" he asked, pretending to be disappointed. Riseth shook her head, flashed him a smile, and leaned in. She pulled him closer by his collar and planted a kiss on his lips. "If you would accompany me, good sir," Riseth said in a sultry voice before leading him toward their bedroom. As they reached the door, they paused in surprise. The room was practically bursting at the seams with magic to the point that even Riseth could visually see the magic without the conceptual awareness skill. "Oh right, the gathering array has been running for a few weeks since we last were here," Alistair commented. Riseth gave him a cheeky smile. "Guess we gotta work that off," she said, opening the door and pulling him inside. They were woken up in the early afternoon by Nessyra, who informed them that she would be leaving with the Kaiakos in a few hours and had left Zarrias and Braxik in charge of her duties during her absence. Later, they noticed the food they had left untouched was still hot. Deciding to store it for later, they felt invigorated from their long sleep and dual cultivation in the incredibly dense magical area, which had significantly boosted their stats and netted them a lot of rare essences. Both were in a good mood despite the heavy rainstorm outside, with the sounds of thunder and occasional flashes of lightning in the distance. This wasn''t an uncommon occurrence on Lacustrine, and they had learned just yesterday that the lightning was harvested for energy. At the same time, the rain helped fill their dams, boosting Rathos'' power generation and storage. This made the frequent rain beneficial for their growing colony. During their exploration, the rain often hindered their ability to thoroughly investigate the designated areas. As a result, they used the time to train their skills and spar against each other, rather than waiting idly for the rain to stop. Now that they were back in Rathos and had completed most of their current tasks, it was time to use the token to contact Mitania and her husband and take them up on their offer to train them. Both had powerful concepts and, despite knowing their current grade was a limiting factor, felt they could achieve much more with proper training and guidance. Although this would mean missing out on some records, they agreed they had muddled through long enough. They placed the token, featuring the imagery of an intricate tree enveloped by large, feathery wings, on the table. As they channeled mana into it, they immediately felt an intense reaction: the token eagerly siphoned their magic with an insatiable hunger, like a slumbering beast awakening and ravenously consuming everything in its path. Despite nearly five minutes of continuous mana flow, the token showed no signs of activation. Alistair picked up the token and examined its remarkably intricate arcane structure. It extended beyond the surface into an almost spiritual plane, stretching the limits of his Conceptual Awareness skill. He realized that extended inspection could significantly enhance both his conceptual awareness and enchantment skills. However, he refocused and was determined to find out if this was a test or if the token required something more specific to activate. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that all the veins of the arcane pattern led to a large core hovering at the center of the odd spiritual plane. This core seemed disconnected from most of the veins, appearing slightly out of place. After sharing his discovery with Riseth, she furrowed her brow in thought. "Do you think it is broken?" she asked. Alistair continued channeling mana into the token while contemplating her question. "I don¡¯t think so. It might be designed this way or perhaps it''s a test. But I¡¯m not sure how to manipulate anything within that plane." Riseth focused intensely, stretching her perceptual manipulation skill to the limit as she examined the token. "I see it now. I think we need to move that core back into place," she said. My specialty is manipulation, and movement is an integral part of your core concept. Together, we might be able to reposition it." Her insight sparked a revelation in Alistair. He realized that the aspects of their concepts he had previously overlooked could be crucial here. Although he hadn''t considered force and movement as particularly relevant for enchantments before, applying them to manipulate the token''s intricate, almost organic veins and core seemed essential for this higher-tier enchantment. Both strained their senses to their limits. Alistair used a variation of his telekinesis, combined with his force and movement concepts, while Riseth expertly wielded her manipulation magic to direct the microscopic core and its veins into place. It took nearly two and a half hours of precise adjustments and a few breaks to finally nudge the core even slightly. But once they got it into the correct position, the vein''s resistance lessened, and they connected, channeling magic into the core. As it grew brighter from their combined magic, the rest of the token responded, slowly coming to life in sync with their efforts. Alistair heard a series of chimes before he could check them. Then, an elegant and surprised male voice filled the room. "Well, I''ll be damned." Chapter 168: Master Sotarr A large ghostly figure, bearing a spectral presence similar to Nuk from the first dungeon, materialized before them. This apparition felt significantly more substantial, and Alistair suspected that the entity he presumed to be Sotarr could potentially interact with objects despite its ghostly form. The figure, humanoid in shape, wore richly enchanted armored robes that looked powerful yet were not excessively ornate. The robes bore the Lyraxis symbol, an intricate tree enveloped by feathered wings emblazoned on the shoulder. His draconic body shimmered in silvery-white and golden hues, adorned with feathers of the same colors. His sharp, golden horns appeared almost decorative, and Alistair could make out two pairs of wings extending from the back of this imposing figure. His golden draconic eyes looked down at them, inspecting them with curiosity. "Sotarr, I presume?" Riseth inquired, meeting the dragon¡¯s gaze after both their attempts to identify the dragon failed. "Indeed," he responded, his voice resonating with a mix of elegance and surprise. "Color me surprised!" "I didn¡¯t expect you both to decipher and influence the Arcane Substrate of the token¡¯s enchantment, let alone see it. I anticipated the core would realign itself after a decade or so before you figure it out; then again, time is more precious to seedlings like yourselves." "You don¡¯t seem to have high expectations for your potential students," Alistair remarked. This gave Sotarr pause. "My apologies," he said, reflecting. "I should have had more faith in my wife¡¯s judgment. She was quite taken with you both from the start, and I worried she might have been overly sentimental because of your resonance." He paused, scratching his chin with a long claw, then added with a warm smile, showing his many razor-sharp teeth, "Nevertheless, she certainly knows how to choose them," while giving Alistair a reassuring pat on the shoulder with his large, clawed hand. Since Sotarr had appeared, he had exuded an aura of such commanding presence that it filled the room, making it hard for Alistair and Riseth to speak, though neither of them let themselves be cowed by that. Alistair watched as Sotarr began inspecting their quarters. The two exchanged glances, aware that the dragon was using some sort of passive social skill, so they decided to observe and let Sotarr talk. "What a beautiful home you have here," Sotarr remarked, glancing at Riseth¡¯s neck. "Ah, congratulations on your marriage. Mitania will be thrilled to hear the news." "Thank you," Alistair responded, still feeling the intense pressure from the dragon¡¯s presence despite Sotarr only being a specter or some sort of projection or soul imprint. "Ah, where are my manners!" Sotarr said with a rumbling chuckle. "You called me here for a reason, and here I am, yapping away while letting my skills run free among the young." As soon as he said this, the pressure in the room lifted. Sotarr shrank down to their size, sitting on a nearby couch and looking at them expectantly. Alistair rolled his shoulders and took a seat on the opposite side of Sotarr, with Riseth joining him. Both wondered if this display of power had been another test by the dragon. There was a long pause as Sotarr slightly lifted his veil, looking at them with an expectant gaze and giving a sense of a warm, almost fatherly disposition. Finally, Alistair spoke up, "We wish to be trained. Both of us feel inadequate in our comprehension of our concepts, magic, and martial skills, and we hoped your guidance could help us better protect ourselves and those we care about." The Dragon made a show of considering their request, tilting his head from one side to the other but never letting his gaze wander from the two of them. "Considering the clear talent you have already shown and the recommendation of my wife, I am willing to consider taking you two as my disciples." Alistair was slightly surprised. He had presumed this was already a settled matter, not something they had to earn or convince the dragon of. Through their resonance, he sensed that Riseth felt the same, though she did her best to appear unsurprised. Getting a high Grade, presumably a high-tier dragon, to take them under his wing wasn''t something they should have taken for granted. Even if they managed to befriend his wife and receive a token, she had only claimed it would open doors that would otherwise be closed. She hadn''t promised that her husband would accept them either. Sotarr glanced to the side, seemingly looking at something or someone they couldn''t see, before turning back to them. "Before I consider taking you as my disciples, I need to know what I am even working with. I had originally only been looking for one student, and Mitania hasn''t been willing to share either of your core concepts, telling me it will be a surprise." They understood that keeping one''s core concept hidden was somewhat difficult. If they were to become his disciples, he would also gain access to view most of their skills and titles, though he wouldn''t be able to share them with others. Nonetheless, it felt uncomfortable to reveal such personal details to someone they hardly knew, even if he was Mitania''s husband. "My strongest, or rather, my core concept is Manipulation," Riseth stated. Alistair noticed the dragon¡¯s pupils twitch, and a barely contained grin spread across his draconic face as he heard her proclamation. Sotarr¡¯s golden eyes then bored into Alistair with burning curiosity and anticipation. "My core concept is Kinetics," Alistair declared. The dragon''s eyes narrowed, and his smile widened into a greedy, almost predatory grin. A deep, rumbling laughter welled up within him as he looked between the two with barely contained glee. "A resonance-bonded pair with Kinetics and Manipulation concepts, and talented too..." Sotarr exclaimed, his excitement radiating through the room as he stood up and started to pace with at least one of his eyes always fixed on them. The infectious nature of his enthusiasm, bolstered by his social skill, made Alistair and Riseth feel a surge of anticipation as they watched the Dragon consider them. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Having read up on the Master and Disciple agreement, which was a rather common magical contract variant within the multiverse, and having taught numerous students themselves, they understood that while instructing many students in a handful of skills and topics had value and provided a healthy stream of records, it paled in comparison to the rewards of entering a proper Master and Disciple agreement. Alistair was confident that he and Riseth were excellent prospective disciples. If Sotarr taught them well and they reached high Grades, he would certainly reap significant rewards and titles, which was very valuable for high-grade individuals as their progression speed at higher grades could be described as glacial at best. Fortunately, the new contract didn''t conflict with any of their existing agreements or standing contracts. It mainly granted Sotarr access to most of their system status and provided him with records of their progress under his tutelage. In return, Sotarr would be responsible for teaching and protecting them, with the contract imposing severe karmic backlash if he failed in his duties. Although this agreement would noticeably slow down the rate at which they leveled up, and prohibited them from sharing any of Sotarr''s teachings without his explicit permission, both Alistair and Riseth had already agreed that these were sacrifices they were willing to make. "Still hesitant to take us as your disciples?" Riseth questioned with a confident, toothy grin. Alistair chuckled, sharing Riseth¡¯s confidence, and looked at Sotarr, who stopped pacing and regarded them. "Yes, yes, the two of you are great seedlings, as Mitania put it, but I had to be sure. Unlike me, she often prefers very odd and non-combat concepts and believes they are just as powerful." Noticing their expressions, he quickly added, "Of course, that''s not entirely wrong, but some concepts are more combat-oriented and have more useful directly linked concepts and strengths than others. Or are at least more interesting to teach, and your concepts are certainly... interesting." Noticing the slight hesitation in his voice, Alistair spoke up, "What do you need from us? There is clearly something holding you back." Sotarr nodded approvingly. "Yes. There are significant risks involved. If I let two such promising disciples die, the karmic backlash would be rather harsh. Moreover, the fact that you are in a fresh universe, out of my immediate reach and ability to intervene, is a small problem. I need detailed information on both of your skills and your current situation before I would be willing to agree." Alistair received another ping from his network, indicating that Sotarr had requested high-level access to information usually restricted to the clan''s leadership. Almost immediately, a call from Simon came through. "Alistair, we have an unknown individual named Sotarr trying to access our network. I just received a warning from the AI core. Someone powerful must have found us," Simon''s slightly agitated voice echoed. "It''s fine, Simon. That''s Mitania''s husband. We''ve established a connection to enlist their help. There''s no need to worry. I''ll make a quick announcement over the network," Alistair reassured him over the Akashic Link. Alistair quickly followed through, instructing the AI core to make a brief announcement. This elicited reactions from Nessyra, who hadn''t left the system yet, and Simon, who remained hesitant about granting too much access to an unknown entity. After some back-and-forth discussion, they agreed to share most of the information, excluding only the most crucial details. The AI core curated a file that omitted overly sensitive data, such as their exact location and images of the sky that could reveal their whereabouts. However, they were sure Sotarr would be able to find them if he tried, as he would likely only need to walk towards the window, and the ongoing rainstorm would likely do little to mask the sky above when faced with dragon''s eyes. They hesitated, and it took a while to overcome the warning the system''s avatar had given them about sharing skills and personal information. For now, they only shared their most commonly used combat skills until Sotarr agreed to take them in as disciples, as they didn''t want to share all their personal information just for him to walk out on them. Once they did, Sotarr seemed to peruse the information rapidly, his eyes occasionally flicking. Alistair took the chance to check the other notifications he had gotten, noticing that he had reached level 120 and his Array Adept skill had upgraded to Array expert, now noting his ability to perceive and interact with the arcane substrate of enchantments, which was apparently a big deal as it jumped straight into supreme despite him barely being able to interact with the substrate and the same applied to his Enchantment Proficiency.

Skills: Tier: [Supreme] Name: Array Expert Description: The user is able to place arrays on any surface he is capable of penetrating or inscribing upon, ignoring atmospheric interference. If the user has access to the schematics through [Akashic Link] or other means, he can perfectly measure, adjust, calculate, and combine arrays for a chosen area. The skill grants a moderate boost to [Control] when imprinting arrays and highlights issues with the array based on the user''s [Senses] and experience. Due to the assistance of the [Akashic Link] and [Conceptual Awareness] skill, the user can create a visual overlay to simplify and double-check runic placements and is able to visualize and interact with the Arcane Substrate of enchantments - Tier: [Supreme] Name: Enchantment Proficiency Description: Greatly enhances the efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness of all enchantment-related tasks. This encompasses enchanting the body, equipment, and consumables and performing rune or array techniques and all other enchantment-related techniques. The user''s [Control] and [Senses] stats are greatly improved when working on any enchantments. Passively increases the quality and [Power] of all enchantments created by the user where applicable to a large degree. Slightly reduces the focus required of the Conceptual Awareness skill to visualize the Arcane Substrate of enchantments, as well as a slight improvement in [Control] when interacting with the Substrate.
"Impressive," Sotarr said, standing up and walking toward the window as Alistair had worried he would. "A nebula, just as I thought. Good call," he murmured more to himself than to them. Turning back, he gestured for them to stand with a clawed hand. "I, Sotarr, a Lyraxis Dragon of the Lyraxis Ascendancy, offer you, Alistair and Riseth Ryser, the opportunity to become my direct disciples. Do you accept?" Alistair felt the promise''s weight, similar to that of a summoning contract. He instinctively knew that Sotarr would do his best to teach and aid them in their growth. While this agreement had its drawbacks, having a powerful dragon teach them how to properly use their concepts was invaluable in comparison. They needed this. "I, Alistair Ryser, accept and greet Master Sotarr." "I, Riseth Ryser, accept and greet Master Sotarr." Stub Announcment. Hi everyone! First off, I want to sincerely apologize for the sudden removal of the the Paths of Akashic Initiation chapters and the sudden stub. As some of you may have noticed, the first book has been removed from Royal Road. My publisher has just now informed me that, in order to comply with Amazon¡¯s Kindle Unlimited (KU) policies, I had to take it down 10 days before the official release. Unfortunately, this slipped through the cracks and should have been handled about five days ago to avoid any legal issues. I understand this might have been frustrating for those of you in the middle of reading, and I truly apologize for the inconvenience. It¡¯s been an incredibly stressful and hectic few days, and this detail flew under my radar. I was under the impression I had to stub before the Kindle Unlimited and E-books were available, not 10 days in advance. I completely understand how frustrating it must be for those of you who were reading and suddenly got cut off. I¡¯m truly sorry for the inconvenience, and I¡¯ll make sure to stay on top of things better moving forward. That said, I¡¯m really excited to confirm that the release date is now officially locked in! You¡¯ll be able to pick up the book on Amazon on October 30th in both eBook and paperback formats. If you¡¯re a Kindle Unlimited reader, you¡¯ll be able to read it for free through KU as well. Plus, the audiobook voiced by the talented Adam Stubbs and Mia Fothergill will be available at Audible. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. I¡¯m incredibly grateful for all the support you¡¯ve shown me during this process. Writing and publishing a book is no easy feat, and it comes with a lot of learning curves¡ªespecially when it comes to all the technical aspects of publishing. Thank you again for your incredible support. I can''t wait for you all to experience the full release and would appreciate any support or recommendations you can make for me. Cheers, Bai I¡¯m kind of forced to write at least 500 words for this post (unfortunately!), so I need to pad it out a bit instead of keeping things short and sweet. It¡¯s not my usual style, but here we are. If you have any questions or just want to chat about the book, feel free to reach out, join the Discord, or check out the Patreon. I¡¯m always happy to connect with readers, whether you have feedback, questions, or just want to discuss the story. Again, I truly apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. The sudden removal of the stub was not something I planned, but due to Kindle Unlimited¡¯s policies, it was necessary to take it down earlier than I expected. I''ll be monitoring the comments for a while while cleaning the house on Patreon, etc! Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the big release day on October 30th! ... Holy crap, how do other people do these single-chapter announcements hahaha Sorry mates! Chapter 169: Echoes of Conflict Once they entered the agreement, Sotarr took some time to review their skills and progress and learn about Rathos and their bloodline. He asked many pointed questions about things they didn¡¯t know or that weren¡¯t included in the shared information package on the network. Afterward, he shared schematics for an arena enchantment that would allow anyone to fight and train in a safe environment. This was a glaring omission in their otherwise solid preparations for their colony and the rewards they had acquired from the trial. While there were limits to what Sotarr was willing or able to share, the runework needed to create an illusionary arena was not one of them. "Your efforts to increase your planet''s mana density and promote its overall health and growth are admirable," Sotarr said. "However, they lack scope." He then introduced an interplanetary array formation centered on the Lagrange point between Lacustrine and Nautilis. Thanks to the strong water aspects of both the moon and the planet, they were compatible enough to establish a formation that would allow their energies to cycle, refining both celestial bodies in the process¡ªsimilar to a form of dual cultivation. This practice, Sotarr explained with a chuckle, was fairly common. Interestingly, opposing planets, like those with fire and ice aspects, worked even better, though such pairs were extremely rare. Initially, they had planned to construct a defensive space station at the Lagrange point for protection. But Sotarr, with a smirk, suggested, "Why not do both? The energy cycling between the planets will generate an abundance of excess energy¡ªmore than enough for the station to make use of." "Is it really alright with the system for you to share this kind of knowledge with us?" Riseth asked, a hint of concern in her voice. Sotarr shook his head. "The trial is over, so sharing information isn''t as restricted. However, if I overshare, it might negatively impact your records. That''s why I''ve provided you with the basic enchantments in both cases. Improving upon them will be up to you and your quaint little clan unless I deem it necessary to speed up the process." Sotarr''s appearance and the information he shared caused quite a stir within the clan. Nessyra almost delayed her departure, but Sotarr made it clear to her that she wasn''t his student and that he would only share or involve himself with the clan if he deemed it necessary or beneficial for his two disciples'' growth. Construction on the arena began almost immediately, as many clan members were eager to use it for training and sport. The space station project was also accelerated, scheduled to start upon Nessyra''s return. The shipwrights were now focusing on creating construction ships to build the station in orbit between Lacustrine and Nautilis. For the first few days, Sotarr instructed Alistair and Riseth to create simple enchantments involving the arcane substrate to improve their fine control of magic and utilization of their concepts. These items were distributed among their crafters, particularly the enchanters, as learning tools. The goal was for them to discover the substrate independently, allowing for advancement through discovery rather than simply being told about it. The only clue they were permitted to give was the necessity of a sight or intuition-based skill, which most of their crafters possessed in some form. James, while not an enchanter, was the first crafter to notice. His wide assortment of visual-based crafting skills allowed him to pick up on the substrate, something he had previously seen in the Alpha AI Core but had deemed far too complicated. The simplified enchantments created by Alistair and Riseth made the substrate much more accessible, opening new avenues of crafting he had previously considered out of reach. Alistair initially wondered why they were training enchantments instead of their core concepts before being told that he was training his directly linked concepts, which was the only hint Sotarr gave them for now. He promised to explain in more detail once they improved their control over their magic or if they figured out enough of it by themselves before he ran out of patience. As they continued honing their core concepts through their enchantment techniques, both Alistair and Riseth found that the more they practiced, the quicker they became at creating nodes and cores, manipulating them into increasingly complex and powerful enchantments. After nearly a month of working on such a microscopic scale, they¡¯d passively gained over 20 points in their control stat. Yet, the true testament to their progress was the noticeable improvement in their magical power and precision. Sotarr, recognizing this, instructed them to test their skills in the private arena array they had built around a mana crystal, which they¡¯d retrieved from the Heart of Mana¡¯s excess deposits. The crystal hovered in the corner of their living room, its glow soft yet brimming with potential. Initially, the arena array, courtesy of Sotarr¡¯s enchantments, had been a simple, flat battleground. But with their newly refined enchantment abilities, they had expanded its capabilities to simulate a variety of terrains. They also discovered that by integrating monster cores into the crystal, the arena could simulate those creatures for combat practice, as the crystal eagerly absorbed and integrated the cores into its expanding matrix. Alistair stood in a plain arena, his body somewhat ethereal, but that was normal for an arena enchantment. On the other side stood Riseth. This was the first time they were able to fight each other seriously. Part of him rejected the idea of fighting her, but the other half looked forward to it, and he felt the same emotions mirrored in her. Sotarr looked down on them from a stand, his voice ringing out loud and clear, "Begin!"
Nessyra let out a frustrated sigh. Almost everywhere she went to recruit, she found planets embroiled in internal conflicts. Neshan had been no exception; jealous factions had attacked the Zekaria Corporation, igniting a corporate war to weaken their position and steal their ship-building techniques and skills, deeming the Zekaria Corporation too powerful. Fortunately, the corporate war was already petering out when Nessyra arrived, and Satari reassured them that the losses had been within an acceptable margin. The situation resulted in a surge of refugees and individuals seeking to leave their home worlds, adding significantly to Nessyra''s workload. She had already intercepted multiple spies, some from Neshan''s rival corporations and others from the Blackmarket Syndicate, attempting to infiltrate their ranks. Sorting through this influx of people was proving to be a challenging task. The Blackmarket Syndicate had also attacked the Kaiakos not long after their arrival in Earth''s orbit, and they had been fortunate that Sol''s fleet had come to their aid. Without that intervention, the damage to the Kaiakos would have been far more extensive than it already was. "James won''t be happy about this," she thought with another sigh. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. While on Neshan, Nessyra learned of the formation of the Aegis Coalition, or simply ''AC'', which was diligently recruiting members to unite against invaders from other universes. The AC was nearing completion of a universe-spanning network to coordinate defense efforts among participating factions. Multiple advanced species, already allied with each other, had begun constructing massive defensive installations at the nearby establishing bridges, huge space phenomena connecting two universes. These efforts aimed to stop the invaders at their proverbial doorstep, with numerous factions sparing no expense to ship materials and warships to the closest establishing bridges, particularly those located in galaxies nearest to the bridges. She had tentatively declined the AC''s offer to join, stating that she lacked the authority to make such a decision. Still, she assured the representative that, given the Clan''s leadership, they would discuss it and certainly consider contributing to the AC''s efforts if possible. Nessyra told them they had already participated in space battles against the Blackmarket Syndicate, which had earned her some respect, as the Syndicate frequently ambushed supply lines headed for the bridges, which resulted in the Syndicate being marked as hostile invaders and traitors by the AC. To Nessyra''s surprise, the AC representative had offered to pay the bounty for the confirmed pirate kills as a mercenary force. Still, she declined this as well, preferring to establish a good rapport with the AC and stating the Syndicates were their enemy as well, which she was quite sure had warded off any unfavorable designation for their clan by the AC. She wasn''t surprised when she found that Earth was even worse off than Neshan, engulfed in a full-blown war for supremacy, with Sol fighting almost everyone who didn''t join his faction. Nessyra had to give credit to Sol, as a much larger number of factions had chosen to join him than she had expected. Most factions fought for their independence on Earth, while some were out for blood, and the Blackmarket Syndicate acted like vultures, profiting from the misery created by the conflicts. Despite Sol''s best efforts to keep them out of his system, the pirates and smugglers of the Syndicate managed to frequently bypass the patrolling fleets, selling weapons, tools, and necessary goods for war and taking slaves, among other things, for payment. There had also been a surprising number of beastkin factions emerging, further complicating the situation on the ground, many of which were also applying for refuge with their clan. If Nessyra had thought the number of applicants on Neshan was overwhelming, it paled in comparison to the flood of applicants from Earth. Most had to be turned down as they would bring the chaos and violence with them instead of leaving it behind. She was pulled from her thoughts by a message informing her of another applicant¡ªone her assistants hadn¡¯t been able to get a good read on. His Grade was too high for them to handle. She stepped out of her body, leaving behind an illusion of herself sitting in the chair, appearing to work. It was a skill she had long relied on for safety; defending from a seated position, even for someone like her who primarily used mind magic in combat, was never ideal. Dexter¡¯s ears flicked as he perked up from his little bed, sensing the shift in energy. He knew the drill¡ªtime to hide his power and act the part of the lazy pet instead of a potential threat. They¡¯d been through this before. There had been a handful of actual assassination attempts during these interviews, though most were simply strong individuals seeking to join them for their own reasons. She hoped it would be the latter, but she remained prepared for anything. A confident knock signaled the arrival of her guest. A human male entered, characterized by mostly shaved black hair, sharp facial features, a beard, and a healthy tan. Nessyra recognized some features that suggested a heritage from Earth''s southern regions, often referred to as ''Latino.'' However, he had clearly evolved into a different human subrace she couldn''t quite place. Her Identify skill registered him as [Andr¨¦s - lvl 107]. His high level was impressive for someone seeking refuge, which in itself was suspicious. What unsettled her more was the strongly veiled hostility he directed toward her. His level was almost equal to hers, and he was clearly more combat-oriented. This made him far more dangerous than she was comfortable with. She discreetly ordered Levine and her fellow lawyers to be on standby nearby through her Akashic Link skill, as she didn''t want to immediately tip off the man in front of her. Nessyra scrutinized the man for any sign that he had seen through her illusion, but there was no indication of such. She had her illusion speak up. "Welcome, Mr. Andr¨¦s. I have been told you wish to apply as a member of our clan, and I would love to hear a little about yourself."
He gave her a toothy smile that made her intuition tingle; it was a fake smile. "Yes, I come from some meager means from before the initiation but have been doing well for myself, as you can see," he said, stretching his arms out to display himself. "It is simple, really. Most of my family died before the initiation, and the rest perished during the trial or upon our return, so nothing truly keeps me on this rock. The Ryser clan seemed like a great opportunity for a fresh start, certainly better than joining the wars," he added, still wearing the same toothy smile. Even without her skills alerting her to the half-truths he was spinning, Nessyra felt increasingly uneasy. "I am sorry to hear that," Nessyra''s illusion said, showing some sympathy. "I will have to ask some questions to see if you are a good fit and what you can provide for the clan, if that is alright with you?" "Of course," he said, idly rubbing his fingers, a nervous gesture accompanied by a noticeable rise in hostility. "Excellent," Nessyra replied, before proceeding to ask a series of questions about what he could offer to the clan and what his expectations were. Her lie-detecting skill indicated that he was spinning an intricate web of half-truths, presumably to avoid getting caught by a lesser social skill. However, Nessyra''s skills were anything but lesser; not even her assistants would be fooled by his play. She had made sure of that. His body language and her intuition told her he was likely to attack her soon, and she hated herself a little for putting herself into this position without better preparation, having only a handful of defensive enchantments and a small team close enough to help her almost immediately. She sent them a message to disregard stealth and come to her aid immediately. "Are you part of or have any connections to a faction hostile to the Ryser Clan?" Nessyra''s illusion asked. Either the question or sensing the approaching lawyers triggered Andr¨¦s, who, overcome with bloodlust, leaped over the table in a blur. His wicked blade slashed through the illusion''s neck, severing its head. Dexter sprang into action, using his telekinesis to slam Andr¨¦s into the metal office wall. The slightly irritated Andr¨¦s as his eyes met Nessyra¡¯s real ones, realizing the sensation had not been quite right. "Tricky puta! Taking somebody''s head off feels much more satisfying than that," he spat as he threw a dagger-like spell at Dexter, who jumped out of the way as Andr¨¦s charged her with that wicked blade. Her teleportation skill was being restricted and the restrictive magic placed on Andr¨¦s didn''t seem to slow him much. The barrier she erected, while partially stopping the first strike, still shattered under the second, leaving her with a slash across the stomach. She and Dexter''s Mind magic assaulted Andr¨¦s, who strained heavily but somehow managed to power through despite their best efforts. He had likely been picked exactly because he was strong against mind users. This had technically been according to her plan; she wanted to lure out assassins such as this. But as the pain radiated through her body, she wondered if she had been too careless this time. Chapter 170: Hubris The assassin kept slicing chunks out of her, his face a wild mask of unhinged glee as he seemed to thrive and grow stronger on her pain. His magic amplified the agony, making her head woozy and making it hard for her to defend herself. Dexter viciously used his telekinesis and mind attacks to keep Andr¨¦s at bay, restraining him and flinging him against the wall despite being pierced by multiple dagger-like arcane constructs that radiated pain through his small body. After what felt like an eternity but had been only a handful of seconds, the door to her office burst open, and two of her lawyers dashed in with flash steps, interposing themselves between her and the assassin. Kraukion immediately died as his head and arms went sailing through the air, having tried to tackle Andr¨¦s. Zeremon''s shield was slashed apart in the same heavily empowered attack, leaving him wounded but still in the fight. From the door, Levine unloaded her magitech rifle into the assailant, using her fire magic to create explosive rounds and increase the propulsion of the bullets. She made use of the split second Kraukion had bought with his life to tear Andr¨¦s'' arm off in a series of concentrated explosions, giving Nessyra and Dexter another opening to unleash their magic. Nessyra, using her own magitech pistol empowered with her mind magic, tore into Andr¨¦s'' mind and body, finally cracking his Mental Fortress skill. Andr¨¦s finally showed some signs of weakness as he slowed down. Before Zeremon could finish the assailant with his axe, Andr¨¦s shot them a wicked grin as his internal magic signature ran out of control, not unlike the unstable blasts Alistair created. Zeremon acted before he could think, tackling Andr¨¦s to the ground behind the desk and summoning a metal barrier from his storage alongside a conjured magical barrier to contain the blast. The explosion ripped through the Kaiakos'' internal structure, leaving Nessyra, Dexter, and Levine heavily wounded. They had only managed to sprint out into the corridor and summon multiple layers of barriers to protect themselves. Nessyra groaned as sirens blared around her. She couldn''t feel one of her legs, and upon looking down, she saw it was gone. Her other leg wasn''t much better off. She cursed her own overconfidence. She wasn''t a fighter like her sister or Alistair. This had been a stupid mistake. She shouldn''t have conducted interviews onboard the Kaiakos no matter the amount of security precautions she had taken to catch and trap spies and infiltrators. The time pressure and conflicts on the planet, combined with her own hubris, had cost the lives of at least two subordinates. Levine, who had emerged from the explosion, was still able to stand and act, likely due to her power armor made by James and her affinity for fire and explosions. Levine dragged Nessyra from the danger zone as other clan members rushed to their aid and extinguished the fire. Nessyra gritted her teeth. "Sweep everything for hidden trackers again. Leave no room unattended! Nobody is to enter or leave the Kaiakos!" she managed. She cursed internally, regret and anger at herself threatening to overwhelm her. Two of her most promising lawyers had died, maybe more. Both Zeremon and Kraukion had family in the clan. She would ensure their families would want for nothing for Zeremon''s and Kraukion''s sacrifice for the clan. They had faced a lawyer''s hardest duty and did so with honor. She couldn''t show weakness after their heroic acts; she needed to be strong and do her duty as well. Healers rushed to her side, doing their best to stabilize her and Dexter. The uncomfortable sensation of having her leg regrown made her flinch as it was accompanied by even more pain. This had been far too close for comfort; if she had been a lower grade, she might have died from the wounds the man had inflicted. "Nessyra, it hurts. I try to heal, but it hurts," Dexter''s voice whimpered in her head. All she could do to comfort him was give him pets and soothing words as she, too, felt the amplified empathic pain through their connection, which seemed to grow despite the healers'' efforts. She forced herself to focus and continued ordering the people around as the healers continued fixing her. "Lady Nessyra, we killed another of the potential workers who tried to flee from the lockdown, and he carried multiple trackers. We found three planted trackers from our first sweep, two of which were placed on other applicants. We have detained them for now," a strained voice beside her said. Focusing her attention, she noted it was Maldoras, a Vanitix Sovereign and one of the strongest lawyers under her retinue. "Thank you, Maldoras. Please ensure every applicant is under strict guard. Shoot them if they turn hostile. We can''t allow the Kaiakos to take even more damage." She paused. "Once the third team completes its sweep and my assistants finish with the last of the applicants, we will jump the hell out of here." Maldoras saluted, sweat pearling on his pale yellowish forehead, shouting, "Yes, ma''am!" before storming off to relay orders. Nessyra let out a sigh of relief as the healers finally managed to stop the agonizing pain left lingering by her injuries and the assassin''s odd pain constructs, which had further aggravated the pain of all her wounds. If that man''s core concept had been pain, his mastery had been mediocre at best and quite narrow as well. It was a good thing he was dead before realizing his potential, though the cost had been high. His core concept had most likely been what allowed the assassin to power through the combined efforts of her and Dexter to split his mind, giving his mental fortress a ridiculous pain resistance boost. The man had not even flinched when his arm got torn off. They had gotten the followers they needed and made some connections, but the trip had otherwise been a disaster. Once her leg had grown enough to stand, she picked up Dexter, who, fortunately, had been relieved from his pain before her. Watching him in pain had only increased her own suffering, as even after the assassin''s death, his skill still amplified any kind of pain. Dexter looked at her worriedly, but she gave him a reassuring smile, which calmed him down. She strode toward the bridge, and part of her now regretted not accepting some pirate hunting contracts from the Aegis Coalition because she sure would love to blow some of the bastards up right about now. Putting her misgivings aside, she entered the bridge, which grew quiet as everyone looked at her with a mix of worry and admiration. She returned the stares with determination, flexing her leadership skill to lift morale and squash any lingering doubts as their gazes also grew determined. It was time to go home. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Alistair tried to grasp Riseth with his telekinesis, but despite his best efforts, she managed to escape again by turning ethereal. Frustration built up as he saw her slip through his grip. Sotarr sat in the stand and gave them short commentary while analyzing their skills, which was slightly unusual as Sotarr was usually quite busy and only gave them a set of instructions and checked up on them afterward. "Alistair, your telekinesis and kinetics alone are unsuitable for opponents able to turn ethereal." There was a pause that left Alistair worried as there were a lot of opponents that were able to turn ethereal in one way or another, and he needed a method to deal with them. Sotarr seemed to pick up on his worry and reassured him. "You need to improve your skill to force your opponents to stay corporeal. You have an incredible force affinity advantage there. I recommend you use it," Sotarr suggested, his voice echoing through the arena. Sotarr then explained how Alistair''s blasts being enveloped by force was a very good thing, presumably a premeditated gift from the system, as the force bubble wasn''t truly necessary to contain the kinetic energy but could both be used to ensure the attack hit incorporeal opponents and increase the force and therefore the power and damage of the blast. This meant that while the Blast Master title was still useful, particularly for its passive boosts to all blasts and allowing for a variety of blasts with different concepts, Sotarr recommended he pick up and develop a handful of specialized kinetic skills. Sotarr was usually a patient master, but Alistair noticed his frustration as he groaned, "Celestrina almighty," while watching Alistair and Riseth clash in close combat. Riseth had the advantage of three weapons attacking, making it incredibly hard for Alistair. He tried to fend her off with his poleaxe and shield but was driven back, ensuring she didn''t land too many clean hits and robbing her of momentum to empower himself, exploiting the change of pace. While Riseth still managed to break through his defense occasionally, Alistair''s freedom of movement made her attempts to restrain him moot, and he benefited from the close-quarter exchange far more than she did, gaining energy as she expended hers. However, it was clear that both of them lacked proficiency with their weapons or a proper combat style in general. Once Alistair felt he had stored enough kinetic energy, he converted it into power and threw Riseth off balance, robbing her of her momentum. With a swift push, he struck one of her blades aside with his poleaxe and aimed for her sternum. Before it could make contact, she turned ethereal and stepped away with Flash Step. In response, Alistair summoned his battle spheres, which bombarded her with kinetic blasts as he gave chase. He tried to act on Sotarr''s advice, doing his best to prevent her from turning ethereal, though with little success as he couldn''t quite grasp the technique. "Riseth, while it''s good to have some close-quarters options, your core concept and its branches lend themselves more to a disabler and support role. You need to manipulate your opponent and interfere with their skills. That is the next step you should take, and Alistair, with his high resistance, is a good target to practice this on," Sotarr instructed. "And Alistair," Sotarr continued, "your core concept is Kinetics. You should be much more formidable in close combat. Your defensive skills are good but need refinement and focus. I''ll give you some body enchantment manuals to get you on the right track later. Riseth shouldn''t be able to push you in close quarters at all. While practicing evasion and minimizing the damage you can''t convert is beneficial, it shouldn''t be your goal. You should be able to absorb a near-endless amount of physical punishment. However, your current rate of conversion is lacking. Your offense is even worse; it lacks power and the ability to hit opponents. You need to work on that." As they continued fighting, Sotarr remained mostly quiet, offering occasional instructions on which skills to improve, change, or phase out if they were less suitable. The most surprising recommendation was regarding Alistair''s flight skill. "It''s a good thing you improved it to work underwater; from now on, that should be its primary role. Your affinity for Telekinesis is far superior to your flight affinity and would grant you much better mobility overall. If your next evolution comes with wings, make sure to use your body enchantment to refine them with telekinesis for mobility and utility purposes," Sotarr advised. The next big surprise came when Sotarr critiqued the Freedom of Movement enchantment. "Your armor is well-built, but Freedom of Movement is something that should be a skill, not an enchantment," he said, his tone measured. "The armor can be salvaged by a proficient enchanter or by letting it integrate another enchantment replacing Freedom of Movement. You could repurpose the enchantment to empower your own skill rather than substitute for it. I suggest, if given the chance, you swap it out for something more suitable as soon as possible." He glanced up, his gaze intent. "And make sure to train that skill. It''s not as crucial as acquiring a few properly specialized kinetic combat skills or a telekinetic mobility skill, but it''s definitely one you should aim for with your next skill selection since you''re lacking in skills that can be directly improved. Also, you should consider refining that Kinetic Wave skill and turning it into a specialized combat ability. As for that unselected Death from Above skill, with a lot of focused effort and intent, you could transform it into a solid telekinetic mobility skill." Sotarr''s expression grew serious. "Whatever you do, do not integrate a flight aspect into your current Telekinesis skill. That could limit its growth by ruining its specialization, pulling it into many directions and functions." He then turned and gave Riseth a list of skills and tasks to work on before asking them to fight again. Alistair''s task was to prevent Riseth from turning ethereal, while Riseth had to manipulate his Battle Spheres to attack him instead. Alistair and Riseth bowed in thanks before facing each other again. From an outside perspective, it might have seemed like Sotarr was simply pointing out their flaws, but this wasn''t the case. This training was for him to see them fight and use their techniques in combat so he could create a proper curriculum. Sotarr started by giving them single tasks and explanations to address knowledge gaps crucial for advancing through the grades. One of the key lessons he had drilled into them was the importance of keeping combat and utility skills separate. Mixing them, he explained, diluted the potential power of combat skills and made their improvement much harder. Skills could grow like trees, and the more branches they had, the more they had to grow alongside the trunk or core of the skill. This understanding was essential for maximizing their abilities. Their training was suddenly cut short as both Riseth and Alistair were alerted to the return of the Kaiakos, who had apparently taken significant damage and suffered some losses. "Go and check on your people," Sotarr said. "I have other matters to attend to and will create a combat style for each of you, as your current combat style is... lacking. I''ll also create a curriculum for you to complete, tailored to address issues and gaps I noticed and enhance your strengths." With those last words, he disappeared, leaving them to check what had happened to the Kaiakos and its crew. Chapter 171: Core and Linked Concepts Alistair and Riseth rushed through Rathos, teleporting above the central teleportation hub. A steady stream of people exited the hub, filling the large central square with a mix of relief and awe on their faces. Alistair noticed many demons and humans, as well as a significant number of beastkin, particularly Oconoe''s kin. Without wasting time, they immediately stepped onto the outgoing teleportation circle leading to the shipyard, where the Kaiakos was docked due to extensive damage needing repairs. Upon arrival, they quickly found Nessyra, James, and Simon talking in an office space typically used by their shipwrights. As they entered, everyone had a complicated expression, and Nessyra still wore a slight scowl. Her armor''s cleaning enchantment hadn''t managed to remove all the bloodstains covering her body. "Nessy!" Riseth called out, immediately hugging her sister. Nessyra''s scowl lessened upon seeing her. "Are you alright? What happened?" Riseth demanded as she inspected her sister. Nessyra frowned. "I tried to lure out and kill assassins hidden among the refugees, and I almost took on a bigger loan than I was able to repay," her voice tinged with bitterness and regret. James and Simon, who had already heard the story, remained quiet as Nessyra recounted the events. Alistair was baffled at the risk she had taken. If she had set a proper trap leading the target into an isolated room and assisted by her full retinue, he would have understood or even thought it was a good idea. While strong, Nessyra, even with Dexter''s help, wasn''t a combat specialist. Taking on a specialized assassin in such close quarters, even with a higher level and nearby assistance, was far too risky. He knew she chafed at feeling inadequate in combat and relying on others, but he hadn''t thought she would take such risks to grow. Riseth had a pained expression. "Don''t do that again," she said, her tone clearer and sharper than usual, brooking no argument. Nessyra nodded. "I won''t. I should have led them into an ambush and detained or killed them instead of provoking them to act. I wanted to make sure myself before putting the life of a potential applicant at risk or risk tipping them off too soon and getting my assistants and guards killed, but I should have taken better precautions. I was too overconfident." Turning to James, she added, "I would like to request some of your power armor; my own armor seems to be quite lacking." "I''ll be busy helping repair the Kaiakos," James replied, "but I''ll create a specialized power armor for you as soon as I can. Getting the Kaiakos back in fighting shape has higher priority." "Naturally," Nessyra replied before briefing them about the Aegis Coalition and what she had encountered on Earth, Neshan, and Vacadis, Oconoe''s home planet. Vacadis had been quite friendly to the Ryser Clan, with many young crabkin eager to join them into the unknown. In contrast, both Earth and Neshan had been embroiled in conflict and power struggles, resulting in numerous refugees and opportunists looking to sign up with them. They decided to postpone addressing the Aegis Coalition until their planetary defense network was properly established to prevent or at least interfere with any orbital attacks, and they had a capable fleet to defend themselves. Currently, their largest fleet asset was barely operational. Many of its weapons were heavily damaged or destroyed, one of its reactors was compromised, and a hangar door mechanism had been reduced to slag after the pirate ambush. Although they had planned to do some upgrades while working on other projects, those plans would now have to be delayed. "How is training with Sotarr?" Nessyra eventually asked once she had shared most of what happened during her trip, and James had rushed off to work on the Kaiakos. Alistair and Riseth exchanged a glance, and Riseth was the first to speak up. "He''s a wellspring of knowledge and insights. Unless it harms our path, he freely shares any information we request, or he deems important for us to advance, which helps a lot, but there''s so much for us to work on," she said with a sigh. Alistair nodded. "While he''s usually busy, he had us fight in the arena array, giving us pointers before your return cut the session short." Nessyra frowned a little. "I''m sorry." Riseth shook her head. "It''s fine. He would have likely left soon anyway, and he needs some time to search out some manuals and create a curriculum for us." Nessyra nodded, brightening up a bit. "Is there anything that I or the others could use to speed up our progress?" "Plenty," Alistair replied. "We put it up on the network, though we locked some of it to leadership only. We don''t want to influence or harm people''s progression by taking away certain discoveries. We''ve set it up in a way that allows people to discover things for themselves by giving clues or recommending certain books, techniques, and skills. Just like we did for the enchanters and the Arcane Substrate." Simon added, "That trick with using intuition to tear yourself out of your Soulscape when somebody is approaching is really useful. It lets me use the time dilation provided by the skill a lot more, and it''s a great way to train intuition specifically." Alistair nodded. "Still, don''t do it in public and preferably have somebody watching out for you," he cautioned. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
They had underutilized the Soulscape skill ever since they settled on Lacustrine due to the skill''s inherent danger, especially since they didn''t have access to their personal space in the Study Dungeon anymore. However, the fact that they could train their intuition to detect even non-hostile threats allowed for the skill to be used in private. This saved them valuable time while studying manuals or engaging in limited-skill training. While they exchanged pointers and made recommendations, Alistair mulled over the lessons Sotarr had already given him. Sotarr had eventually lost patience and expanded on how concepts interacted with each other and what a core concept actually meant. He now had a ton of material on how kinetics and its other linked concepts worked to go through. It wasn''t enough to just add this to his knowledge base with his Akashic Link skill; he needed to know this knowledge by heart. In the heat of battle, there wouldn''t be time to browse through information on how his core concept, kinetics, interacted with elements like light or lightning, which was very little to none. Science and Magic, despite their overlaps, didn''t always correlate as one might expect. His kinetics affinity did very little to help him manipulate lightning or affect gravity. Still, his energy affinity, which was one of the concepts directly linked to kinetics, was much more helpful. If he wanted to use lightning effectively, he would need to train his affinity through practice and body enchantment, which, according to Sotarr, would be a waste of time. One of the first things Sotarr had expanded on was how one''s strongest affinity, or Core Concept, worked. After Alistair and Riseth had continuously questioned why he discouraged the development of certain skills, Sotarr eventually explained: "Every concept is linked to all the others in an endless web of connections," Sotarr began. "Everyone has at least one core concept. In exceptionally rare cases, often found in mythical species, an individual might have two, and in a handful of examples across eons, three core concepts. These core concepts allow them to exceed what would normally be the skill ceiling because these concepts are part of who they are; they are ingrained in their soul. The concepts most closely related to the core concept, often called ''linked concepts'' or ''branches,'' can most often be trained with much less effort to reach that ceiling alongside the core concept but not exceed it until you become a god. Of course, that ceiling rises with each grade." Alistair couldn''t help but ask a question that had bothered him for a long time. "What differentiates a god from, let''s say, a Grade 2 or 1? Sol and Zaltom are powerful, but I can tell that you are more powerful despite not being a god yourself," Alistair questioned. Sotarr looked at him with his draconic eyes but eventually relented. "It''s impressive that you can even tell at your grade. This is something many withhold from their students, but I don''t see the harm in telling you." Sotarr''s words garnered the rapt attention of both Riseth and Alistair. "The difference is that the power a natural god possesses is purely their own." They looked puzzled; he smiled at them and elaborated on his earlier statement. "Once you reach Grade 1, there are no more levels, new skills, or titles to gain. To become a god, you need to make that power your own." He chuckled dryly. "The System aids you on your path, ensuring you can feasibly reach that level of power, but to progress and advance beyond to become a true god, that power needs to be yours, not borrowed or using a crutch. That is what differentiates a god from someone still relying on the System." "How does one claim their power and magic as their own?" Riseth questioned, and Alistair nodded in agreement. Sotarr shook his head. "That I cannot tell you, even if I wanted to. It is something everyone must figure out for themselves, and it will be a long time before it becomes relevant for the two of you." They fell into silence for what felt like minutes, digesting that information, until Riseth decided to ask another question. "Can you tell us more about core concepts and their linked concepts?" Riseth requested. Sotarr scratched his chin, contemplating the question. "Usually, I''d use the fire and flame concept as an example, but I''ll take Alistair''s kinetic concept to explain," Sotarr said. "The Kinetic concept is desirable and powerful in its own right and has many strong concepts linked directly to its core. Concepts such as energy, movement, telekinesis, and force are all powerful. But let''s take the movement concept; it is also desirable and powerful as it links to other concepts that kinetics doesn''t directly link to anymore, such as teleportation, travel, and friction. However, it doesn''t have access to force as it is linked to force through Kinetics and other concepts. Magic is a complicated beast, and some things you would expect to relate do, while others don''t. Core concepts only elevate affinities directly connected to them, not those one or more steps removed. That is why kinetics has no direct link to lightning, while someone with an energy or storm affinity would." Almost as an afterthought, Sotarr added, "Of course, sometimes you get unlucky, and your affinity for a directly linked concept is so poor that not even being elevated by the core concept can make it viable. Of course the opposite is true too, everyone can have a high affinity for concepts regardless of them being directly linked to your core concept. Those are often worth investing in, especially if they are complementary to your core concept. You can also often achieve certain desired effects resembling other concepts by clever utilization of available concepts. For example, Alistair rooting himself and others in place by utilizing his kinetics," Riseth had gotten even more material to read as manipulation was directly linked to many other concepts in relevant fields, such as social, crafting, and combat. Control, arcane, influence, and conversion, in particular, were powerful concepts directly linked to manipulation. While she didn''t have a direct link to any basic elemental concepts other than gravity, as they were all connected over the energy concept one or two steps down the chain instead of directly to manipulation, her strong space affinity, which she had trained and used frequently, was something Sotarr was confident she could improve alongside her core and linked concepts. Alistair was eager to get back to training, and fortunately, Nessyra felt the same. She had to help her people settle in the Clan''s newest members, dragging Simon along despite his mild protests. Seeing this wasn''t a good time to bring up that the clan had to eventually return to Riddickulus to manage the Wendigo infestation before it festered and spread to the neighboring system, he opted to add it as a talking point for the next planned Clan Leadership meeting. "We should get back to sparring," Alistair idly commented. Riseth shook her head. "I''d like to go out for dinner before we get back to training. With the influx of people, the best places are going to be crowded, and I''d hate to add to the burden." Alistair tilted his head before agreeing, offering his arm for her to link. "Good call." Chapter 172: City Life Alistair and Riseth spent the following weeks training in their personal arena, honing the skills and techniques Sotarr had recommended. Since Nessyra''s return with the Kaiakos, Sotarr had not made an appearance. The influx of people had not fully resolved the issues Rathos faced, as most newcomers needed training for their new roles, whether working as crafters, joining expeditionary and combat teams, or establishing their own businesses. One of the most successful new businesses was Al-Farisi''s Magic Emporium, opened by a friendly and industrious Middle Eastern family. Their most popular items were flying carpets and feather fall rings, which quickly became a common sight in Rathos. The Al-Farisi family had a long history of crafting and selling carpets and jewelry on Earth, catering to tourists and wealthy locals. With the introduction of magic, they expanded their craft to include various magical trinkets with all kinds of effects. Resni Stoneheart had also partnered with the Al-Farisi family, using their emporium to sell her own magical equipment. Occasionally, she collaborated with them to create new items, such as the feather fall ring, a safety measure introduced after a few accidents involving people falling off flying carpets. Fortunately, no one had been seriously hurt, but the rings provided an added layer of security. During their training, both of them had made a lot of progress. Riseth had managed to turn one of her unselected skills into an ability called ''Hijack.'' It allowed her to take control of opponents'' skills, such as his battle sphere, manipulating their friend-foe recognition, among other effects. Riseth had a much harder time hijacking and manipulating any skills that were located within his body. She had tried targeting his conceptual awareness and arcane energy manipulation skills, but Alistair''s inherent resistance and purity foundation made it extremely hard to wrestle control from him. Alistair''s efforts to resist and reclaim his battle spheres had, over time, increased their inherent resistance, providing excellent practice for the meta aspect of his force concept. Sotarr had explained that the force concept wasn''t just about its physical aspect; it was also likely Alistair''s strongest social and meta concept. He could use force to both physically and metaphorically expel other concepts, whether defending against Riseth''s attempts to hijack his skills or against mind-based attacks. This led to a series of discoveries for both of them, which would likely have taken them a long time to figure out and master. Alistair planned to follow Sotarr''s advice and create a handful of specialized kinetic skills, including a significantly improved kinetic blast and a passive skill to enhance his kinetic skills overall. Alistair felt confident he would obtain the freedom of movement skill in his next skill selection, as he was intimately familiar with it. Due to his high affinity for the relevant concepts, it had been easy to pick up on its proper execution, much like learning the kinetic blast from his kinetic combat gloves had been in the past. Upgrading his auto barrier skill to auto force barrier was also relatively straightforward. Although it still lacked defense against mental attacks, it was something his force barrier would eventually be able to stop just as well as physical and magical attacks; it opened new avenues for him to further upgrade the skill in the future.

Skills: Tier: [Epic] Name: Automatic True Force Barrier Description: Protects the user by automatically creating a protective force barrier that either surrounds the user or a designated area at the cost of a slight amount of [MP] or [Qi], shielding the user from attacks. The Barrier drains a tiny amount of [MP] or [Qi] over time and requires additional [MP] or [Qi] to maintain itself based on the damage it receives. The Barrier has a very high efficiency when defending against physical and energy attacks and a moderate efficiency when defending against mind and other esoteric concepts.
The last skill Alistair had been working on was "Death From Above." Despite his best efforts and directed intent, it still refused to transform into a "Telekinetic Mobility" skill that boosted attacks from elevated positions. Sotarr had warned him that this might be the case, as the wording of the skill and the initial intent behind the skill were not ideal, but he assured Alistair it could be changed with sufficient effort and time. Using telekinesis for mobility, on the other hand, was not very difficult for Alistair as he had gained a lot of practice with telekinesis by now. After some initial problems with using too much energy and lacking fine control, he eventually managed to get the hang of it. It was far more energy-efficient than flying, and mobility and momentum were not as much of an issue, allowing him to move at incredible speeds and unpredictable angles and acceleration. Since it wasn''t flight, he could likely circumvent many lesser skills and anti-flight arrays with this technique. This experience also opened Alistair''s eyes to his issues with fine magic control. He was always a little too forceful, and he considered developing a ''Fine Magic Control'' skill to help him with that. This skill would likely be useful in general, particularly for enchanting. As they advanced, the scripts and arcane structures became more intricate, and he struggled a lot more than Riseth to avoid botching things and having to start over, likely due to her having the control concept as a linked concept. When they weren¡¯t training, they were either attending meetings or planning large-scale expeditions; they were enjoying their free time in Rathos, which had grown into a bustling city. The selection process for new residents had been careful, aimed at minimizing the number of troublemakers or those likely to bring conflict with them. As a result, despite the wide variety of species represented, there was little friction among the inhabitants. People could release their frustrations through combat expeditions or in the public arenas, where leagues and teams were forming for competitive matches between similarly skilled individuals. Crafting events were also organized to encourage healthy competition, adding to the community¡¯s activities. However, the number of Crabkin in Rathos had noticeably decreased, with most relocating to Nautilis. During the initial wave of settlement, many Crabkin had declined to join the clan, as the specifics of their new home planet were unclear. However, during the second wave of recruitment, when it became clear that the clan had settled on an archipelago moon and a lake planet, many Crabkin took up the offer to join the clan, drawn to the more suitable living conditions. During this time, they learned that most species didn¡¯t appreciate being referred to as some kind of "beastkin." In fact, many species viewed humans and their subraces as nothing more than "monkeykin," while demons were often considered "Demonkin." The term Demon, in this case, applied to an underground, bipedal, humanoid lizard-like species that thrived in hot, volcanic environments, a species not found on Earth. Unless the term was used derogatorily, Alistair wasn¡¯t particularly bothered by being called monkeykin. Still, he and others made a conscious effort to address different species by their chosen species names. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. One of Alistair¡¯s favorite activities was the regularly held cooking competitions, which were also televised over the network. These events often featured ingredients newly discovered by the expedition teams exploring the planet and its moon. Neshan cuisine was typically highly garnished, with a strong emphasis on visual appeal as well as flavor. Human food, on the other hand, prioritized taste and was generally less elaborate to consume compared to the often intricate and over-garnished Neshan dishes. Although demons shared a similar sensibility to humans regarding taste and presentation, their dishes occasionally had a nightmarish appearance. Alistair was particularly horrified by a dish of eyeball turtle soup, served in the turtle¡¯s polished shell, with the wyvern eyeballs floating in a highly garnished vegetable broth, arranged to stare at the eater, with the turtle¡¯s skull grinning ominously from the center. However, despite the diversity of dishes, Barton and his team of halflings often emerged victorious, striking the perfect balance between creativity and inoffensiveness to humans, demons, and beastkin alike. Luca and the rest of the Fichera family also managed to secure multiple wins, sparking a fierce but friendly rivalry between them. This competition benefited everyone, as the two chefs continually pushed each other to create even more delicious dishes, many of which found their way onto the menus of their respective restaurants. Their plans to explore the southern continent had been deprioritized until another dungeon or treasure with a powerful guardian was discovered. Instead, they focused on a major military expedition to Riddickulus. The operation would require establishing multiple defensive positions that could withstand Wendigo attacks while they dealt with the inevitable waves of monsters. The mission promised valuable experience, regeneration materials, and the coveted Slayer title. However, many were hesitant to join due to the inherent danger. Wendigos were formidable foes individually, and the prospect of facing swarms of them, aided by bat-like creatures attacking from the air, was daunting. The primary motivation for cleansing Riddickulus was the risk of some Wendigos evolving into stronger, more intelligent, and overall more dangerous variants, capable of spreading to other worlds. Ensuring prepared escape routes and achieving orbital, if not aerial, superiority would be crucial to success. Since prefab bunkers and emplacements were impractical, Wendigos would inevitably burrow their way in. James and his engineers were working on ''Project Ziggurat.'' This initiative involved developing flying battlecraft that would provide elevated positions for attacks and retreats, armed with numerous emplacements and turrets and were capable of escaping into high orbit.
In the sixth week since the return of the Kaiakos, Alistair nearly spat out his morning coffee as he surveyed Rathos from his platform, where his Ginkgo tree stood, and spotted a walker mech stomping across the field on four massive mechanical legs. The mech unleashed its oversized plasma weapons and missile pods on a group of Hukris approaching the walls, turning the concept of overkill into an art form. When Alistair eagerly demanded an explanation from his brother, he was informed that the large machine was the brainchild of Aknis. Despite its impressive firepower, the mech was still a prototype. Its current design, while as fast as most off-road vehicles from Earth, had low mobility, limiting its use to that of a large, semi-mobile gun emplacement. However, Iknis had plans for a variety of mechs that he was sure would be more useful as they promised much higher mobility and could potentially assist the expedition to Riddickulus. They had discovered a handful of blueprints from various species utilizing mechs in the study dungeon. However, most races had taken different approaches to military doctrine and combat vehicles. Mechs, while not uncommon, were rarely the centerpiece of combat strategies, typically serving in support roles, tackling challenging terrain, or engaging in heavy assault missions. Aknis believed that the introduction of magic made mechs more viable than traditional tanks and emplacements, but he acknowledged that creating a truly viable design would take time. One of his early successes was a smaller version of the quadruped mech, named the Yuret after a common cave spider on Neshan. This mech was already popular due to its ability to jump, cling to walls, and still carry significant firepower along with a small shield engine. It was a clear upgrade from their standard automata produced by the Synth Alliance Self-replicator. However, they lacked the means or industry to mass-produce the Yuret like the Automata. James, on the other hand, preferred working on power armor, finding it more practical. He had already produced a significant amount of standardized power armor for the expedition to Riddickulus. Still, he didn¡¯t mind Aknis branching out in a different direction, as they could both learn from each other¡¯s work in the future. Mechs and power armor would become significant power multipliers for many of their people who didn¡¯t excel in individual combat like Alistair did. Although Alistair wouldn¡¯t be piloting any mechs into battle, he was already recommending color schemes for the mechs and was looking forward to taking them for a joyride, just for the thrill of it. He couldn¡¯t wait to see what Aknis would come up with next. After another long day of training, Riseth had arranged a dinner for them on their platform, offering a breathtaking view of the landscape below and the vibrant evening sky above, where colorful nebulae and stars shimmered. Despite their elevation, the air was pleasantly warm, with a gentle breeze drifting over them. The freshness of the air seemed enhanced by the towering Ginkgo tree nearby, its leaves swaying lazily in the wind. Riseth looked stunning, and Alistair couldn''t help but glance up from his large plate of Lisaross Jambalaya, smiling contentedly at her. She noticed his gaze and smiled back, though he sensed a hint of nervousness as she awkwardly cleared her throat before placing a small box in front of him. "I understand that, in human culture, pairs exchange wedding bands. Since you honored our tradition, I thought I should do the same." He was caught off guard, staring at the box for a moment before carefully picking it up and opening it. Inside was a golden ring, likely crafted from the Saint''s gold they had discovered in the Everbright dungeon. The band itself was formed by a wyrm and a serpent coiled around each other, their maws appearing to consume the cosmic gem set in the center. The design mirrored the intertwined creatures on the choker he had created for her. He put on the ring, ensuring it would display even if his comfort array would display his usual armor, smiling at her as they leaned in for a kiss. Chapter 173: Serpents Waltz and Aegis Stride A few days after observing the first armed flying platforms being tested outside of Rathos, Sotarr returned to assess their progress. The Body Enchantment manuals he had left for Alistair and Riseth were incredibly detailed and advanced, far surpassing the structures they had initially devised on their own. These manuals included partial Arcane Substrate structures integrated into their bodies and the outer layers of their souls, significantly enhancing their physical strength and overall abilities. Alistair''s capacity to absorb energy, convert it into kinetic energy, and store it in his body had progressed to the point where he no longer needed to dodge any of Riseth''s attacks, except for her most powerful strikes, even when she tried to manipulate his energy conversion rate. Beyond the benefits of Body Enchantment, much of this improvement came from his relentless work on refining his Kinetic Combat skill, which he had been honing alongside his physical training for months. Riseth, in turn, had honed her ability to pass through most attacks, making her nearly untouchable. Despite Alistair''s significant improvements with telekinesis, he still couldn''t fully grasp her, though his now ridiculously powerful kinetic blasts could partially hit her. Meanwhile, Riseth had developed the ability to interfere with the arcane processes within his body, albeit only on a surface level. Her skill in manipulating her opponents and surroundings had become something to be feared. Their sparring matches against other clan members and high-grade beasts highlighted just how much they had progressed in the months since becoming Sotarr''s students. A lot of the power Alistair could now display came from his relatively new Kinetic Combat skill, which he had initially improved from his Kinetic Wave skill. He still had not managed to convert the Death From Above skill, but he felt it was close as it had upgraded to include a line on how to attack with Telekinesis after he used telekinesis to tackle a wild Lisaross into the ground, splattering part of its body in the process.

Skills: Tier: [Legendary] Name: Kinetic Combat Description: Greatly increases all relevant stats when using Kinetic skills and reduces both energy expenditure and maintenance. Utilizing the user''s Augmented Physiology, such as Kinetic Skin and Kinetic Ribcage Storage. Due to the user''s affinity, the conversion and storage of any type of energy into Kinetic Energy are enhanced at an abnormally high rate based on the user''s Grade. When the user attacks with Kinetic energy, whether through waves, blasts, body strikes, or weapons, the power is further amplified based on the user''s Kinetic Affinity. - Tier: [Legendary] Name: Kinetic Grappler Description: The user robs opponents of their momentum by utilizing and siphoning [KE] at the cost of a minuscule amount of [Qi] [MP] or [KE]. If possible, the stolen [KE] will automatically be used to fuel the skill and empower the user with a burst of [Power] based on the amount of stolen kinetic energy or harm opponents if connected either magically or physically to the user by violently unleashing the [KE] in their body. The user may repurpose the stolen [KE] or store it in spheres provided by the [Kinetic Skinguard] skill or in the user''s other augmented body parts. This skill has very high resistance against outside interference by using the user''s augmented skin and body and inherent resistance. The skill provides a very large bonus in [Power] and [Control] against opponents attempting to resist, disperse, or avoid the effects of this skill; the user is able to grapple ethereal opponents.
Alistair''s Kinetic Blast had retained its name despite a significant increase in power, now capable of causing more devastation than his explosive blasts ever could and effortlessly tearing apart small hillsides even with minimal energy input. Most of his other blasts were now helplessly outmatched. Alistair believed this enhancement stemmed from the combined boosts of his Blast Master and Kinetic Combat skills coupled with the benefits of his Kinetic Combat Gloves and his refined manipulation of the arcane structure of the force sphere that used to contain his kinetic energy. This refinement not only amplified the blast''s power but also made it effective against both ethereal and corporeal targets. Even Riseth, with her ability to turn ethereal and use her Veil of Space to redirect attacks, couldn''t fully evade it. Instead of being redirected, the blast would often violently unleash its energy unless Alistair carefully adjusted the arcane structure before firing. He was currently working on an even more powerful variant of Kinetic Blast he dubbed Kinetic Strike, with the intent to create a skill not tied to the Blast Master skill as a compound blast. His Kinetic Grappler skill also eventually upgraded when he finally managed to grapple Riseth by utilizing his linked force concept. The skill now immediately paid for itself and empowered him for a longer period of time. Maintaining the kinetic energy to empower himself was one of the first things he tried once he finally was able to grasp Riseth, who in turn constantly got better at avoiding being grasped by him. They had earned two levels each in those months, most of which came from their skill training and occasional hunts, though further refining their bodies and essences through their Dual Cultivation had also greatly helped. However, the strain from their Master-Disciple agreement was unmistakable, almost like sharing their records with an entire set of new summons. After Sotarr inspected their ''Body Enchantment,'' a term he insisted on using instead of ''Body Cultivation,'' likely due to some past grievances with cultivators that he preferred not to dwell on¡ªhe had them spar again. Alistair could relate to this sentiment, having only encountered a handful of cultivators in his life, all of whom were either insufferably arrogant or outright hostile from the moment they met. Judging by Sotarr¡¯s sly, draconic smile during their sparring session, it was clear he was satisfied with their progress as he finally called them over. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "I''m glad to see the two of you advancing at such a healthy rate," Sotarr said, his tone warm and fatherly. "If this continues, I won¡¯t have to worry about you dying in an accident or from overconfidence anymore." He paused, his expression softening even further. "But I sense some unease. If something is bothering you, I¡¯m here to listen." They hesitated, the concern gnawing at them ever since they had received the body cultivation manuals. The knowledge gap between the old universes and this new one felt insurmountable. Developing techniques that could even begin to rival those they had been given would take years, if not decades. The time they simply didn¡¯t have, with the first bridges to their universe soon to open, allowing the initial wave of Grade 10 individuals to cross over in their spacecrafts. Though they had been led to believe they were exceptionally powerful for their grade within the Trial, the techniques Sotarr had provided revealed a stark reality. Even low-grade invaders, with access to the ancient and sophisticated knowledge of the old universes, would advance quickly and pose a significant threat. When they finally voiced their concerns to Sotarr, however, he merely laughed good-naturedly. ¡°The two of you are under my direct tutelage,¡± Sotarr said, a hint of amusement in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m a Grade 2 dragon and part of an ancient faction. The techniques I¡¯ve developed for you are leagues beyond what your universe can currently produce.¡± He paused, watching their reactions with his sharp, draconic eyes and a knowing smile. ¡°It should be obvious, but most factions won¡¯t go to the trouble of creating such advanced techniques for their regular followers, much less the bottom-of-the-barrel individuals at Grade 10. You¡¯re my direct disciples, and that puts you in a different league.¡± His eyes twinkled as he added, ¡°I doubt any faction looking to expand into your universe would be foolish enough to send their scions or direct disciples in the first three bridge expansions. It would be wasteful and reckless. Who would send a high-potential Grade 10 infant into a new universe guarded only by Grade 10 servants or slaves? Many species don''t even birth children of such a low grade.¡± Hearing his words, they relaxed a little. Unless the AC, who took it upon themselves to guard the bridges connecting them to the other universes, utterly failed, they should be able to manage the first few waves unless they were utterly overwhelmed with numbers or tricked somehow. Sotarr chuckled softly, the sound more like a deep rumble. ¡°But don¡¯t get too comfortable. There are millions of individuals in your universe who are getting special attention from powerful factions and individuals looking to either find suitable disciples or expand in a less hostile way into your new universe or for a myriad of other reasons." What he said made sense. They were aware that there had been many more receptionists overseeing the trial subspaces than just Mitania or Isku, who had been responsible for the arena and study dungeons in their section of the universe. They had also heard of many factions and gods reaching out to individuals as the Trial was nearing its end, so they weren''t the only ones being scouted for an outside faction or individual. Sensing that their worries had eased, Sotarr pressed on with his plans. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy finding and convincing some of my colleagues to share the fundamentals of their techniques so I could modify and tailor them for your needs. I had to make a few concessions,¡± he added with a hint of amusement. Neither of them wanted to imagine what kind of concessions a dragon of his stature would have to make. After a quick exchange of glances, they bowed in gratitude. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to live up to your expectations,¡± Alistair said, trying to sound confident. Sotarr waved them off with a dismissive gesture. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, keep it casual. The best way to repay my efforts is by staying alive and continuing to advance. That alone will reply my time and efforts manyfold.¡± Sotarr stretched out his massive arms, holding two highly enchanted manuals delicately between his large claws. When they took them, he said, "Don¡¯t bother trying to integrate these with your current skills. You¡¯ll have to learn them from scratch, practice until you get the forms right, and shed the unnecessary movements and bad habits you¡¯ve picked up while training without proper guidance." "Riseth," Sotarr continued, "yours is a blend of combat stances, dances, and techniques designed to keep distance, manipulate your opponents, and exploit openings. It complements Alistair¡¯s technique well. I¡¯ve named it the Serpent¡¯s Waltz." Turning to Alistair, he added, "Yours is more steadfast, compelling your enemies to play by your rules. It maximizes your kinetic concept and its branches, rendering your opponents'' attacks futile as you overpower them with relentless force and exceptional mobility. I¡¯ve named it Aegis Stride." Alistair gazed at the manual in his hands with reverence. This marked the end of his days muddling through and wasting his potential. While they still had to master most skills and body enchantments on their own, this new foundation and the insights it provided would make their progress much smoother. Their fighting techniques, which had been a patchwork of improvisation and intuition, would now evolve into something refined and purposeful. He listened intently as Sotarr outlined which skills they should use alongside Serpent¡¯s Waltz and Aegis Stride and which ones would best support different aspects of these techniques. They began with the initial stances and forms, the manuals imprinting visions of shadowy figures executing fluid and precise movements across a variety of weapons and scenarios. Alistair suspected that whoever had shared their insights for his manual had wanted to remain anonymous. This was particularly evident when compared to Riseth''s manual, where the dance-like movements were demonstrated by a well-dressed elven woman in a flowing gown, her face perpetually adorned with a sly, satisfied smile. As Alistair studied his own manual, he realized that Sotarr had planned for him to use a linked concept he had largely neglected until now: the concept of mass. There were several techniques that required not just force but also mass, making him even harder to move and adding significant weight to his attacks. Though he had experimented with the concept before, he found it slightly less intuitive than his other linked concepts, likely because his inherent affinity for it was somewhat lower, only elevated by his core concept. Recognizing this, Alistair knew he would need to dedicate time and effort to mastering the concept, increasing his familiarity with it, which shouldn''t be too hard as it was a linked concept after all. Sotarr had also informed him that none of his current skills would suffice for Aegis Stride, meaning he would need to train diligently to acquire the skill, or at least lay the groundwork for it, by the time he reached his next skill selection in eight levels. Alistair regretted having wasted many of his human benefits, with several of his skill slots being either too specific or ultimately useless, making them difficult to transform into long-term usefull skills. Others, like his melee proficiency, were too valuable to change into something he needed more urgently, like the Aegis Stride technique. However, rather than letting this discourage him, Alistair threw himself into training with renewed vigor, just as eager to master Aegis Stride as Riseth was to learn Serpent¡¯s Waltz. During their practice, they often exchanged smiles, both deeply committed to their training. Sotarr frequently paused their movements to correct their stances, his sharp draconic eyes catching even the slightest missteps and body turns. Each adjustment was another step closer to mastering the powerful techniques that would define their future combat style. Chapter 174: To Venture Out Sotarr stayed around longer this time, checking in on them more often than ever before. He made sure they didn¡¯t pick up any new bad habits while helping them shed the old ones. Alistair started to truly realize just how much wasted movement and untapped potential there had been in both their combat techniques and their use of magic and core concepts. He knew there were still plenty of gaps to find and fill, and the thought of uncovering them excited him more than any hobby he had before the initiation. He had always enjoyed self-improvement, but magic was different. It fueled him in a way nothing else ever had. Even when he was working with concepts that actively resisted him, he couldn¡¯t help but smile, driven by the thrill of overcoming those challenges. Sometimes, it didn¡¯t even feel like work, a quality that Riseth envied in him. Though she, too, loved magic, she admired how effortlessly Alistair embraced the challenges. The time they spent together, figuring things out and pushing each other to get better, had become something they both looked forward to, bringing them closer as they shared in the joy of progress. After nearly a month, James informed them that preparations for the expedition to Riddickulus were finally complete. This timing aligned perfectly with their growing confidence in their new techniques¡ªSotarr rarely needed to intervene anymore, content to silently and keenly observe their progress. It was during this period that they saw his true form for the first time. Sotarr was massive, his scales a lustrous pearly white with hints of golden spikes and hues accentuating his form. Three golden horns curved backward from each side of his head, and he possessed two sets of wings, one pair that also functioned as arms, like a wyvern''s. However, despite these wyvern-like features, he was still very much a dragon, with powerful hind legs and sturdy front limbs that doubled as arms, easily supported by his winged arms when not in flight. Both pairs of wings were adorned not with leathery membranes but with long, elegant white and golden feathers. His tail was lined with feathers and golden spikes along the ridge, and his draconic features were sharp, with piercing golden eyes that commanded attention. His neck was covered in a series of ridges, both white and gold, that almost seemed decorative. He exuded a powerful sense of warmth and authority despite only being a projection from the Token of Connection. Though he could shift into his humanoid form in the blink of an eye, Alistair could tell that Sotarr felt most at ease in his dragon body, a form that truly embodied his true nature and power. Alistair watched closely, hoping to catch a glimpse of the technique Sotarr used as he smoothly polymorphed back into his humanoid shape before approaching them. "With your clan ready to move out and the two of you now comfortable with your new techniques, it''s time for you to venture out and experience the wider universe once again and apply your new skill outside of training." Both Alistair and Riseth bowed deeply, grateful for all he had done for them and their clan by sharing his knowledge and training them. "Thank you, Sotarr. Your help means a great deal to us," Riseth said, meeting the dragon''s eyes. A toothy grin spread across Sotarr¡¯s face, his sharp fangs on display as he chuckled softly. "No need for thanks," he replied, warmth in his voice. "I''m just glad to see your progress. I only wish I could meet you in person and have you spar with the other disciples of the Lyraxis Ascendancy; it would let you interact with more peers and give me something to brag about." He laughed good-naturedly, clearly proud of how far they had come in the time they had spent together. "I''ll be checking in on you both regularly," Sotarr began, "but for the foreseeable future, I¡¯ll be occupied with other matters. Several wars have broken out over the impending opening of the bridges to a new universe, sparking a chain reaction." Noticing the concern in their expressions, he quickly reassured them, "No need to worry. The Lyraxis Ascendancy isn¡¯t under attack. But chaos breeds violence, and many are fleeing from it, while others seek to take advantage of the turmoil. Neutral Factions like ours are often called upon to mediate, and my assistance is required to manage the situation." Alistair nodded, feeling a twinge of disappointment as Sotarr prepared to depart. Yet, the anticipation of testing his newfound power and techniques tempered that feeling. After exchanging final farewells, they watched as Sotarr¡¯s form began to shimmer, gradually fading and becoming more ethereal. Just before vanishing completely, his head turned as if addressing someone or something beyond their perception, speaking words they couldn¡¯t hear. And then, with a final flicker, he was gone, leaving them alone. Riseth dispersed the arena array, causing the serene dojo that had been displayed to vanish, leaving them standing in an empty chamber. The array had created a tranquil courtyard scene, complete with a stone-tiled arena, bonsai trees, bamboo, and a small pond with koi swimming peacefully. Alistair had been particularly proud of this variation, having spent a lot of time perfecting the ambiance. Even Sotarr had appreciated the atmosphere it created despite grumbling over the cultivator aesthetics. "I think it''s time we take care of that infestation problem of ours," Riseth said, her voice laced with excitement. Alistair joined Riseth as she made her way to the door, though he couldn¡¯t quite muster her level of enthusiasm. He was eager for a fight, but he¡¯d be happy to face anything¡ªexcept those goddamn Wendigos again. Simon felt the same way, which was why he and some of the other strong fighters were staying behind to maintain security in their absence. In the event of an emergency, Alistair would return to Lacustrine first, while the rest of the team evacuated Riddickulus and followed after him. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The expedition had been prepped for nearly a week, during which time the team thoroughly mapped Riddickulus and its wendigo hives, trained extensively, and constructed another of the broad, diamond-shaped bastions James had named ''Valrus.'' The name drew inspiration from a Neshan legend of a flying mountain, a tale with intriguing parallels to Arthurian myths. However, the human members of the clan quickly nicknamed the bastions ''Walrus'' due to their slow, massive, and ponderous movement. These airborne fortresses were primarily constructed from magically infused stone excavated during Rathos''s creation, reinforced by an adamant support frame. Despite the stone''s density, it surprisingly didn¡¯t add as much weight as Alistair had anticipated. The bastions were powered by reactors that absorbed atmospheric mana and converted water-aspected crystal reef chunks into a steady stream of energy, keeping them aloft and their formidable defenses fully operational. While they had considered using some of the flying islands of Skyreach, it would have disrupted its ecosystem quite a bit, and they could emulate the desired effects easily enough with some material investments and time. The next day, Alistair and Riseth entered the TOC aboard the Kaiakos, which was positioned in high orbit over Riddickulus, overseeing the deployment of four Valrus bastions above large pockets of Wendigos. Inside, Nessyra, Desily, and Melissa were already deep in discussion, while Levine and Maldoras, members of Nessyra''s retinue, stood off to the side, with Levine and Karrut engaged in an animated conversation. Alistair gave a brief wave to his former students before approaching the holographic display that depicted Riddickulus, highlighting underground locations in red to indicate the massive concentrations of monsters within the caves. Nessyra¡¯s expression was tense, and her tone matched as she acknowledged their arrival. "Good, you''re here. We''ve got a situation." Alistair felt a sense of unease at her words and exhaled slowly, waiting for her to explain. "The Wendigos and Daxtzal have crossbred, and some of their hybrids¡ªespecially the winged Wendaxzal¡ªhave evolved into enormous flying monstrosities. We¡¯re also seeing far more Grade 8 monsters than we initially anticipated. Though the overall number of monsters is lower than expected, it seems they''ve been fighting among themselves, growing stronger in the process. They¡¯ve nearly wiped out the planet¡¯s fauna, and without magic, I¡¯m sure the flora would be next," Nessyra explained. Alistair could sense the tension of everyone in the room rising as she said that. Their primary goal was to not lose any lives on this expedition but it suddenly seemed a bit more far-fetched than he had hoped. "It¡¯s a good thing we got here when we did," Nessyra said, her voice tinged with concern. "If we leave them unchecked any longer, they¡¯ll grow too powerful and numerous for us to wipe out without having to glass the planet." "I¡¯ve only had to deal with these things once, and I say we should glass the planet right now," Desily remarked, her tone casual but her expression deadly serious. Melissa looked at the fairy in shock. "It''s not that dire yet. As long as we focus on the clusters of hives and don¡¯t spread ourselves too thin, we should avoid any losses. There''s a lot to gain from this." Desily huffed in frustration. "You¡¯re only saying that because you haven¡¯t faced these vicious bastards. When you go down there, and one of them grabs you, trying to stuff you into its maw, we can talk again if you still feel the same way." She shuddered at the memory, recalling a too-close-for-comfort encounter during their escape from Riddickulus. Despite her void magic allowing her to escape the wendigo¡¯s grasp after it had breached the turret fire and snatched her, the experience had clearly left its mark. Alistair couldn¡¯t fully grasp what it was like for Desily, being so small that every monster loomed enormous in comparison. He sympathized with her fear but found himself siding with his sister. "We can handle it," Alistair said casually. "But if you¡¯re not comfortable fighting them, it''s fine if you stay on the Kaiakos." Desily shot him an offended look as she took the bait. "No way am I hiding up here while you guys are fighting. I''m no coward. Watch me¡ªI¡¯ll kill more of those fucking things than you!" Alistair smirked, knowing he¡¯d sparked her competitive spirit. "Oh? Want to bet on who takes down the most of them?" "You''re on!" Desily declared. Then, turning to the room, she asked, "Anyone else want in on this action?" Her challenge drew chuckles and a few raised hands. Alistair knew he had lit a fire under Desily and suspected this could boost overall morale if they tied some rewards to performance. To his surprise, Nessyra grinned widely. "I was planning to track kills and performance anyway. I can keep tabs on the bets through the Akashic Link while coordinating our deployment from the Kaiakos," she offered. "Do I get credit for the kills the bastions rack up?" James asked. "No," Desily and Alistair replied in unison. But Nessyra had a different idea. "Actually, yes, but the credit will be distributed among all the crafters involved in creating them." James clicked his tongue in mild disappointment but then shrugged, stepping out to board one of the platforms. Jessica joined him, giving the group a wink as they exited the TOC. "Anything else we need to know before we head out?" Alistair asked, glancing at his rapidly accumulating message notifications, not in the mood to sift through them. "Yes," Nessyra responded. "Our strongest fighters are assigned to intercept any Wendaxzal that might target the platforms. They''re powerful enough to bring the bastions down, and we can''t afford the casualties that would result." "I''ll inform our clan battle groups," Nessyra said. Then she turned to Alistair, "I''ve transmitted the data you requested. Give them hell." Alistair grinned while Desily eyed him suspiciously, and the rest of the room¡ªwith the exception of Riseth¡ªlooked at him with curiosity. "You got it," he responded, heading out of the TOC. Desily determined not to let him get ahead, she flew over to him and perched herself on his shoulder with a determined expression. Riseth found the scene amusing and gave Alistair a quick peck on the cheek before rushing down another corridor. She would be deployed closer to the Valrus platforms to support and distract the enemy forces alongside their main troops. Alistair, however, had something else in mind. Chapter 175: Competitive Spirit Alistair had descended some distance from the Kaiakos, which loomed above them in high orbit. Desily accompanied him, and once they fully entered the atmosphere, he released King to join them. They watched as the four Valrus platforms deployed, slowly descending in a tight formation toward a massive cluster of Wendigo nests in the mountains and hills below. Lights of spells and cannons flashed almost immediately as a seemingly endless swarm of tiny dots started to fly at the Valrus formation. Desily glanced at Alistair, puzzled when she realized he wasn''t rushing ahead of the platforms. "What are we waiting for?" Desily asked. Alistair smirked. "There''s something I want to try. How often does someone with a kinetics core affinity get the chance to indiscriminately bomb monster hives from orbit?" Desily frowned, still unsure. "I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s your affinity going to do from this distance?" She sounded a bit concerned, worried he had a plan that might give him an edge in their bet by wiping out a lot of Wendigos at once. Alistair let out a dark chuckle. He had requested map data from Nessyra on the major hives they were targeting and had positioned himself directly above the largest one. He''d been refining the concept of mass for some time, and while it had numerous practical uses, one of the most devastating applications, a ''Heavy Mass Blast,'' was something he would rarely have the opportunity to unleash as it required very specific circumstances to be useful and unleash its true potential. He extended his hand, palm facing the starry sky, as a deep black spherical mass began to form above it, rapidly growing in size and density. Desily watched with a mix of confusion and concern as the orb expanded, unsure of what Alistair was planning. When the mass reached its optimal size, Alistair turned his palm downward, aiming at the largest nest situated on a hilly mountainside riddled with large, visible holes even from their altitude. He began accelerating the blast, carefully controlling its speed. He could have done it much faster as he had made big strides in the concepts of velocity and acceleration, but he wanted to avoid causing more devastation than necessary. Desily remained puzzled, unable to grasp the destructive potential of a high-mass object launched at high speed from low orbit. Her home planet wasn¡¯t technologically advanced, and fairies weren¡¯t typically warlike, so she had no idea just how devastating such an attack could be. As Alistair released the blast, she watched it shoot downward, accelerating rapidly until it disappeared from sight. "If you¡¯re done, we should get down there. The others are already fighting, and I don''t see the point in warning them by knocking on their door with that heavy ball," Desily remarked, preparing to descend. But to her surprise, Alistair gently and effortlessly halted her with his telekinesis. "I agree," King added gruffly, circling below them, clearly eager to engage the enemy. "Hold on, you don¡¯t want to miss this," Alistair said with a grin, pointing downward as he sent a message to the rest of the clan, alerting them to watch for the incoming impact. With no shield or barrier arrays in place and no interceptors to counter the attack, the only thing standing between his blast and the hives was the magically infused rock of the mountainside, allowing his blast to reach its full potential. The rock had also been so thoroughly weakened by the Wendigos¡¯ relentless tunnel burrowing that it resembled Swiss cheese more than any kind of protective barrier. They waited in tense silence, Alistair keenly aware of both Desily''s and King''s growing impatience. Then, in a flash, the blast hit the mountainside. The sheer force of impact was staggering, instantly liquefying the rock in a rough circle, vaporizing the stone as the high-density mass drilled deep into the earth before cooling just as fast. The entire mountainside collapsed like brittle glass, leaving behind a massive crater with spiderweb-like fractures rippling outward from the impact site where the wendigo nest had once stood. A series of chimes rang in Alistair''s mind, confirming the success of his strike. Alistair checked the notifications, noting that his Devastator title he had obtained oh so long ago, had upgraded. The fact that it jumped from uncommon to epic worried him as it meant that Supreme would likely require him to blow up a planet, which was a worrisome prospect and he hoped he would never have to do that.

Titles: Tier: [Epic] Name: Devastator Effect: Enhances [Power] by a factor of 1.5 for area-of-effect attacks. Origin: Earned by obliterating an incredible amount of hostile monsters alongside the terrain.
The trio stood speechless, gazing at the devastation, until Desily finally broke the silence, finding her voice. "Well, that''s unfair," She blurted out. "Also, they don''t count if you don''t know how many were in there!" Alistair chuckled. "Fair enough. That¡¯s one hive for me to keep things interesting," he replied with a grin. Desily muttered in disbelief, "I think I need to find a dragon to teach me too." "You really should," Alistair teased with a smirk before growing a bit more serious. "But honestly, that was just physics. Without the Wendigos setting up magical defenses like we did for Rathos, my Heavy Mass Blast had plenty of time to pick up speed. I gave it a pretty fast start, too. You could probably pull off something similar if your affinity is strong enough or if you carry a few tons of tungsten or similar material in your storage." King stayed silent, circling above, his eyes locked on the rising dust cloud that obscured the crater below.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Something''s coming. Get ready," King growled, snapping Alistair and Desily''s attention downward as they both sensed multiple sources of intense bloodlust surging toward them through the dust cloud. "Oh, just my luck. Why did I have to tag along?" Desily groaned, backing up as magic flickered and coiled around her hands. Alistair summoned his poleaxe from storage and began to descend, positioning himself to be the first to meet the approaching monsters. "Why not blast them with that insane attack of yours?" Desily asked, tension clear in her voice. "I can''t," Alistair replied, shaking his head. "That attack only works in specific situations. These things could easily dodge or deflect it with a barrier, and the blast could cause more unnecessary damage to the planet." Alistair frowned as his Conceptual Awareness revealed the shapes of their attackers. One stood out¡ªa hulking, almost impossibly large figure. He wondered how he hadn¡¯t noticed it in the crater earlier, suspecting it had been buried beneath the rubble. The creatures moved silently, likely hoping the lingering dust cloud would conceal their approach until it was too late. But Alistair had already sent a warning, and Riseth was rushing to their position¡ªone of the few who could handle this threat aside from King. Alistair glanced at Desily, considering sending her away as the situation was about to become far too dangerous. "Desily, I recommend you leave. There aren¡¯t many, and I can handle them easily enough, but these things could pose a real threat to you," Alistair called out. "Fuck that! I''ll stay and provide ranged support!" she shouted back. Alistair charged his newly developed kinetic blast varient, which hadn''t yet integrated into his Blast Master compound list¡ªlikely because he intended to refine the skill separately. Unlike the standard blast, this one gained velocity as it traveled, with a dense core of mass tightly infused with kinetic energy, causing it to crackle and glow ominously in his hand. He had also enhanced its force to strike even incorporeal opponents. This potent blast variant, which he tentatively named ''Kinetic Strike,'' had the potential to obliterate less powerful and defensively equipped enemies if it hit them¡ªat least in theory. He hadn''t yet tested it on a live target, but that was about to change. Alistair raised his left palm, aiming the blast at the largest of the approaching monsters. With a resounding crack, he unleashed the Kinetic Strike into the dust cloud, dispersing it instantly. The Kinetic Strike hit the beast even as it sensed the danger and tried to coil out of the way. The blast was too fast, tearing a massive chunk out of the long, draconic, serpent-like body of the [Wendaxzal Empress - lvl 161]. In the wake of the impact, three [Wendaxzal Hive Guardians - lvl 112] were revealed as the dust cloud began to further disperse. The Empress was an almost serpentine creature, reminiscent of a Chinese dragon. However, her monstrous torso resembled that of a lamia, with six long arms ending in razor-sharp claws, each as long as Alistair himself. Her visage was nightmarish¡ªa gaping maw filled with rows of jagged teeth, and four large, red-and-orange eyes with slit pupils that regarded him as nothing more than slightly more resilient prey. Her exterior was a grotesque mix of scales, bones, and spikes, all covered in bladed edges. She had two sets of large, leathery wings that shimmered in a bleak, greyish-white hue, matching the rest of her body. To Alistair''s annoyance, the Empress retained the Wendigo''s ability to regenerate. The grievous wound he''d inflicted was already beginning to heal, tendrils of flesh knitting and coiling within the injury. Her Guardians, though less elongated, shared her terrifying visage, each with three eyes and a slightly less intimidating presence. However, they were still formidable, each as large as King, with four muscular arms and powerful legs all adorned with spikes and large, menacing claws. Desily spread her hands, and a hail of darts darker than space hurled toward the Hive queen and its guardians, tearing into their flesh, before following up with balls of explosive magic disrupting the monster''s ascent, buying Alistair time to fire his own blasts. Alistair managed to fire off three more blasts, each narrowly missing the Empress''s head but still tearing chunks out of her serpentine body and torso. One of the blasts struck with such force that it sent one of her massive arms spiraling down toward the surface. Riseth arrived and seized the moment by teleporting behind one of the Hive Guardians and ramming her bone blades into it just as it turned to assist its Empress. She manipulated the creature to assault one of its brethren instead. King dove into the opening, evading a slash from the Empress''s remaining arms, which grew unnaturally long in order to reach him, King unleashing a sonic blast that impacted the last Guardian before they clashed and tumbled out of sight. Alistair couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted, trusting his allies to handle themselves as he focused on the enraged empress. He deflected her many arms with his poleaxe in one fluid motion, absorbing all the kinetic energy from her attacks, disrupting her flow by robbing her momentum and shifting her mass. The Empress''s eyes widened in shock as Alistair, propelled by his telekinesis, dashed into the opening in the blink of an eye. With all the force he had accumulated from her strike, aided by some of his own energy, he delivered a devastating punch, exploding half her torso and sending her reeling. In the past few months, Alistair had grown immensely, and a mere level or power gap no longer posed a significant challenge. It would take more than just a large powerful, self-healing beast to give him a real fight now. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was how Zathen had felt when fighting him. Alistair didn''t let up. Using his incredible mobility, he positioned himself above the Empress''s head. His poleaxe raised high, moving in a perfectly smooth arc, glowing and wreathed in the flames of his Blazing Edge skill, further empowered by his Kinetic, Mass, and Force concepts. He aimed to split her apart, but just as he struck, she teleported. Alistair barely managed to restrain her with his telekinesis, forcing her in place and preventing her from fully escaping. This maneuver saved her from a fatal blow, but she still lost her left arms and a portion of her long lower body, parts of which immediately began to regrow. As he held her in place, a vortex tear shot from Riseth, who had already finished off the Hive Guardians. The vortex struck the Empress¡¯s head, sucking it into the tear and decapitating her. In one smooth cut, Riseth carved out her large core, exposed by Alistair¡¯s earlier attack, ending the threat once and for all. Alistair turned to check on King, who had been in a vicious tumble toward the surface last he saw. He spotted the wyvern already on his way back, looking somewhat chewed up but victorious, carrying the partially crushed skull of the Wendaxzal Hive Guardian in his talon. Desily seemed fine, though a bit flabbergasted by the battle. Alistair couldn¡¯t blame her. Personally, he felt more disappointment than satisfaction¡ªthe Empress hadn¡¯t been as intelligent as he had worried. Based on what he had seen with his Conceptual Awareness skill, she might have posed a greater threat if she had used her Growth concept more creatively instead of simply enlarging and empowering herself and elongating her limbs. He suspected she had utilized her affinity more to benefit her hive than for direct combat. Either way, a huge monster core with a growth aspect had many uses, but he would leave it to Nessyra to figure out the best use. With the Empress''s body now limp in his telekinetic grasp, Alistair stored the massive corpse, swiftly catching the falling pieces with his telekinesis and pulling them in until they were close enough to be stored as well. A quick glance into the distance revealed waves of monsters swarming from underground, relentlessly assaulting the Valrus bastions in what seemed like an endless tide of bodies. "They''ve got plenty of monsters to fight. If you want to win that bet, you''d better hurry and join them," Alistair remarked casually, glancing at Desily, who seemed to have momentarily forgotten about the wager. Suddenly remembering, Desily whirled on Riseth, pointing at her. "This still only counts as one," she insisted, breaking her silence. Alistair and Riseth couldn''t help but burst into laughter. Chapter 176: Balancing Risks Eberus left the Syndicate council meeting, his mind buzzing with activity. The recent developments in their newly integrated universe had given him much to consider, but he felt fortunate that his enhanced mental capacity allowed him to keep track of everything. There were so many moving pieces on the board¡ªsome he could manipulate to improve his standing, while others were clearly plotting to take him down and claim his seat at the table. Yet, Eberus wasn''t worried. His foundation was strong, and his followers were loyal and wouldn''t dare go against him. Only fools dared to challenge him, and he relished the thought of crushing their ambitions. Especially that prideful lamia; what a silly inferior serpent. The thought of making boots from her skin, to trample on her pride for as long as he pleased, brought a dark, satisfied grin to his face. Sitting down on his large elfskin armchair, he pondered what he had been told. The Aegis Coalition had by now properly marked them as hostiles and traitors and had found and killed most of their hidden operatives among their ranks. Only their most skilled infiltrators had successfully joined the Aegis Coalition undetected, continuing to provide critical intelligence at exorbitant prices. The Aegis Coalition¡¯s recent bounties on the Syndicate and its members had been a setback. Though, the thought of hopeful bounty hunters chasing him was amusing. Still, if the Syndicate wanted chaos to thrive and keep their business growing, they couldn''t allow the AC to establish a secure perimeter around the bridges and stop the invaders. They needed to strike at them swiftly before the situation wasn''t as malleable anymore. He would direct some of the fleets he had acquired to attack some of the AC members, preferably one dealing in the production of war equipment, as he could sell it back to the AC or other parties for a good price. Eberus mulled over his lack of personal informants within the Aegis Coalition, realizing the growing need to cultivate a few reliable operatives capable of handling high-risk assignments. It seemed like a necessary investment, especially with the Syndicate willing to cover the steep costs these agents demanded. Yet, the Syndicate had more to worry about than just the AC¡¯s interference. Several Natural Gods had recently turned against them, betraying former allies and business partners, sending their fanatics to hunt down Syndicate members. However, just as many gods had chosen to protect or collaborate with the Syndicate, recognizing their value and eager to benefit from their services. Eberus harbored no deep loyalty to the Blackmarket Syndicate, but he couldn¡¯t deny the convenience they offered in terms of payment, goods acquisition, and overall reliability and the chance of an outsider''s tutelage. Their efforts to establish their own Universal Network were particularly promising, and he eagerly anticipated its completion. For now, though, the Syndicate expected his organization to shoulder some additional responsibilities. Eberus didn¡¯t mind; they paid handsomely for every service provided. His exploits on Eldorion Prime had been a particularly fortuitous stroke of luck. The elves and humans on the planet were locked in a vicious civil war, with one faction inexplicably aligning with the Synth Alliance, opting to transform their elegant elven and human bodies into bland synthetic forms. Fortunately, many elves sought to flee, and they made for exquisite furniture and highly sought-after slaves, especially among Humans, Demons, and Orcs who had a penchant for crossbreeding with other species, elves in particular. These captives had done wonders for his concept and records, despite the relentless efforts of the Synths and arrogant high elves to drive them out. With the High Elves on the back foot and their lovely princess now cushioning his behind, he knew his business there was nearing its end. He would soon need to identify another lucrative target to sustain his profits and bolster his reputation. Hunting down one of the factions opposing the Syndicate seemed like a promising next move. The payment would be substantial, and successfully eliminating a threat would keep the Syndicate off his back for a while. A few noteworthy clans had proven particularly troublesome, notably the Beshin Clan, Noross Cabal, Ryser Clan, and Neobit Collective. These groups had not only survived previous attacks but had also retaliated, destroying hidden Syndicate outposts, decimating pirate fleets, and even luring and eliminating their assassins, operatives, and other valuable assets. Fortunately, reports from their agents indicated that the Aegis Coalition¡¯s Universal Network was set to go online soon. Its activation could finally draw these and other more elusive factions out of hiding, perhaps narrowing the search from the vast expanse of the universe to specific nebulas or galaxies. While still a daunting task, it felt more achievable. Perhaps they could ambush and capture some faction leaders and torture the information out of them. Eberus shivered in pleasure at the thought of it. Once these factions were located, the Syndicate would undoubtedly crush them with superior numbers or, if necessary, sufficient funds to hire someone who could. Someone like him. There was always a price, and the Syndicate was often in a position to pay it, no matter how obscure or depraved. Still, Eberus wouldn¡¯t waste his efforts unless he believed the endeavor would be profitable or further his own ambitions or desires.
Alistair and Riseth entered the TOC, finding Nessyra already waiting, still surprised by their insistence on speaking in person. They had received a message from her earlier letting them know that she had her retinue, accompanied by Melissa, hunt down and capture one of the Wendigo Queens, with some of the expedition members almost dying. "Nessyra, please tell me why you deemed it necessary to capture a Wendigo queen," Alistair asked, disbelief in his voice. "To breed them and extract their regeneration-aspected cores, of course," Nessyra somewhat surprised at the question. Riseth¡¯s tone was equally disbelieving, her worry evident. "Nessy, we can''t bring one of those things to Lacustrine or any other planet. You have seen what they do to a planet; the risk is far too high!" Understanding flickered in Nessyra''s eyes, and she waved them off. "Of course not. I¡¯ll keep them on this planet, within a reserve." Alistair¡¯s was taken aback. While this wasn''t as bad as they thought, it still felt like she was playing with fire and said as much. Nessyra shook her head, "I am as careful as is reasonable and took a calculated risk. This planet is already a wasteland. The wendigos have scoured it of all other sentient life and most treasure. Once the recovery operations are done and we retrieve their bodies, there¡¯ll be little to nothing left here for them to grow on. They¡¯re not sapient; they¡¯re monsters, pure and simple. Since this planet is already lost, they won''t be able to grow and recover any time soon as long as we monitor them. We might as well take advantage of the only thing they offer¡ªtheir cores."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Alistair and Riseth frowned. As much as they didn¡¯t like to admit it, Nessyra had a point. The Wendigos, along with the bat-like Daxtzal and their hybrid offspring, had ravaged the planet, stripping it bare to fuel their own growth. The only Wendigo they had encountered that showed any semblance of sapience was a Wendigo Mage. This creature had put up a fierce fight when Melissa, Levine, and Maldoras attempted to capture the queen it was protecting, resulting in severe injuries and near fatalities among the lawyers and expedition members. If not for Melissa¡¯s abilities and the use of her concept to put them in stasis and preserve them, the outcome might have been far worse. Left unchecked, this particular Wendigo could have eventually led its hive off the planet and into the stars, possibly through the use of portals or teaching others. In the last week, they had taken out almost all of the monster''s hives and their queens, and now the beasts were on the back foot, either hiding or attacking their bastions in waves while they continued their cleansing of Riddickulus which would take a while but could be left to their followers. The planet was now a ravaged husk of its former self after months of those beasts consuming it and themselves to grow. The only remaining appeal lay in its dragon veins and the still above-average mana density. However, that was steadily declining due to the damaged environment and the near-total depletion of mana-producing treasures. Alistair couldn''t even sense any dungeons on the planet anymore, as their cores had likely been consumed or destroyed. What few treasures the Wendigos couldn¡¯t consume¡ªores, crystals, and similar materials¡ªwere usually stored in their nests. Alistair had likely obliterated a good portion of those with his orbital strike, which he now slightly regretted. Their people were currently combing through the hives, recovering whatever was left. Unlike most beasts, which tend to stay in one place, claiming treasures and natural formations to gradually elevate themselves or their brood while refining both the treasures and themselves in a way that benefits the planet, the ravenous Wendigos and Daxtzal consumed everything in their path for their own growth, giving nothing back. This behavior had earned them the classification of "infestation." They had thoroughly researched this particular topic and even sought Sotarr¡¯s opinion. Due to the planets undergoing accelerated growth and a significant portion of the beasts being seeded by the system, most planets within nebulas tended to have somewhat lackluster biodiversity¡ªLacustrine and Nautilis included. Alistair and Riseth had plans to explore their quadrant of space and supplement Lacustrine¡¯s and Nautilis¡¯ ecosystems by introducing beneficial and interesting creatures wherever possible. With the assistance of their AI core¡¯s biosphere regulator module, they could ensure that these new additions would enrich the planets¡¯ ecosystems without growing out of control¡ªa benefit far greater than they had initially anticipated. "I still believe this is exactly why we should eradicate them; if they ever manage to spread, they will ravage more worlds. Also, I don''t think the cores are worth risking the lives of our members," Alistair insisted. "We already have more cores than we¡¯ll likely ever need," Riseth added, her tone measured but firm. "Do we really need to risk them spreading further just to harvest more?" Nessyra frowned, her expression serious. "That¡¯s not entirely accurate. The cores we¡¯ve gathered are indeed a great bounty, and they¡¯ll last us a long time. But if we want to produce adamend in large quantities for things like power armor and starships, we¡¯ll need a steady supply. Eventually, we¡¯ll run out unless we find another source. In my opinion, this is the only reasonable use left for this planet. Even if we eradicate the last of the Wendigos, we¡¯d still need to monitor the planet for any signs of their survival and reemergence, and it would take centuries¡ªif not longer¡ªfor the planet to even begin to recover without intervention." They paused, considering her words, and Nessyra took the opportunity to press her point. "Infiltrating that last nest was a calculated risk, but we can¡¯t always play it safe. Capturing the queen gave us options, and even if the clan decides to kill her in the end, at least we had that choice¡ªa choice we wouldn¡¯t have had if we¡¯d taken the safer route and wiped her out along with her guardians. It was also a chance for those who wanted to earn some records and grow stronger. We can¡¯t expect you two to shield us from every danger. If we never take risks, we¡¯ll never grow. And yes, people die. We do everything we can to prevent it, but it¡¯s a reality we have to face." Alistair''s sister''s soft voice broke in as she entered the TOC. "She''s right, Alistair. Having guides to help us grow stronger is invaluable, but our people also need opportunities to take risks and grow on their own." Riseth crossed her arms and let out a breath. "You could have explained your plan to us or at least informed us ahead of time rather than acting on your own and asking for forgiveness afterward." Nessyra nodded. "We could have. I apologize for not discussing it with you earlier; it wasn¡¯t my intention to keep this from you. But as the clan executive, I made the decision and stand by it. Involving you would have diminished the potential experience and records our people could gain. I deemed this operation not significant enough to require your direct involvement, and that is why I informed you after the operation and planned to bring you in for the ultimate discussion regarding the queen and the planet¡¯s fate." As the tension eased, Alistair and Riseth exchanged a glance, silently communicating through the Akashic Link. ¡°She''s right; we are a bit overprotective,¡± Riseth suggested. ¡°Yeah, but to be fair, we didn¡¯t have the full picture, which is why we came,¡± Alistair replied. ¡°Bringing a queen to our home planet would¡¯ve been a disaster. Nessy does have a tendency to focus a bit too much on the profit and results at times.¡± Alistair sighed and turned to Nessyra. "We apologize, too, Nessyra. We were a bit too protective and initially thought you were taking risks in the name of profits, but your plan is sound. That said, I want you to make sure these things don''t get off this planet." Nessyra let out a sheepish chuckle, glancing at Melissa. "Don''t worry about it. I''d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t tempted to lock the beast in a chamber on Lacustrine and harvest the creatures it spawns. But I now know Earth sensibilities would not allow that even for a planet-ruining monster." Alistair raised an eyebrow, feeling a mix of relief and slight concern. It seemed their worries weren¡¯t entirely unfounded after all. He made a mental note to ask Melissa to keep an eye on Nessyra and act as her moral compass while he and Riseth were away. Nessyra was incredibly reliable, but her upbringing made her a bit cutthroat, and Neshan''s sensibilities could be upsetting for people on Earth. Having ensured escaped wendigoes wouldn''t accidentally haunt their other planets, he refocused on their plans to explore some of the planets they hadn¡¯t fully investigated yet, suspecting there were valuable treasures to be uncovered. There were also a few newly discovered planets and systems, identified by the newest addition to their space fleet, the exploration vessel, Origin, which was currently flying around their local sector cataloging planets and keeping an eye out for other factions settling down as well as native species they could trade with or integrate. Alistair sighed, imagining all the things they could potentially find. They still hadn''t found a realm or dungeon outside their own planet, and he knew Nessyra wanted them to capture an instanced dungeon, preferably one that they could use for farming or harvesting other resources from. Perhaps they would get lucky. Chapter 177: Skyreach Alistair felt the familiar sensation of exiting warp space, though he didn''t reflexively put down his foot anymore. They had strategically placed a beacon at one of Skyreach¡¯s Lagrange points near its two small rocky moons, which saved considerable time in both jump calculations and approach. Now, they could bypass the need to enter from the system''s edge, streamlining their arrival. On their last visit, they had only observed the planet from high orbit. During that time, they detected numerous dungeons on the planet, and with their Dungeon Sense skill recently upgraded, their chances of locating dungeons increased significantly. They had also observed a variety of griffin species. Alistair had taken an interest in introducing a few of them to Lacustrine, as they seemed docile enough to coexist peacefully but strong enough to fend for themselves. Some of these griffins could also make for excellent summons. While they likely wouldn¡¯t actively enhance the planet like some rare species, increasing Lacustrine¡¯s biodiversity would still be a welcome improvement. Naturally, they¡¯d also keep an eye out for any creatures that could offer more tangible benefits, similar to the butterfly species already native to Lacustrine. Riseth brought the ship to a stop high above one of the largest flying islands, still managing to spook a few of the more skittish creatures below¡ªsmall birds and even some flying rabbits scattered at their arrival. Alistair dismounted, watching them flee, while Riseth stored the Artemis. ¡°I don¡¯t think this big island has a dungeon, but my Conceptual Awareness is picking up something in those rocky outcrops within the forest,¡± Alistair said, scanning the area. ¡°Do you see any of those griffins you wanted to catch?¡± Riseth asked. Alistair shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡± Alistair let his gaze wander over the stunning, magical landscape as Riseth joined him. The air was fresh, carrying the mild scents of flowers and greenery. The trees were a mix of white, green, and teal¡ªa coloration reminiscent of plants grown in spirit soil. The planet''s mana density was even higher than Lacustrine''s for now, making each breath feel just as rejuvenating. He was certain he was absorbing a few useful essences with every inhale. Below them, the large flying island drifted lazily across the sky, like a cloud but at a slightly slower pace. It served as a natural sanctuary for the many airborne creatures, protecting them from predators bound to the planet¡¯s surface. He couldn¡¯t wait to explore further and discover more of the planet''s inhabitants. Their last visit had been far too brief, as they didn''t even land even though they had registered multiple sites with potential treasures because they had been in a hurry to find a more suitable planet. Now, with time on their side, he was eager to delve into the mysteries this world had to offer. "I still can¡¯t believe you guys talked me out of settling here," Alistair said, his eyes soaking in the scenery. "It is stunning," Riseth agreed, "but the thought of living on one of those floating rocks gives me goosebumps." Alistair chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of Riseth''s head before teleporting toward the rocky protrusions he had spotted earlier, with Riseth close behind. Pushing aside some underbrush and wiping away dirt and moss, he uncovered what he now realized was a massive, amethyst-colored crystal column jutting out of the ground. After some inspection, he identified the crystal¡¯s concept as gravity. Tampering with it seemed unwise¡ªthere was a good chance it connected to a larger crystal beneath the island. Damaging it could destabilize the entire structure. Riseth, noticing his concern, pushed aside more vines and glanced around. "Do you think it¡¯s connected to a larger crystal deeper inside the island?" Alistair frowned thoughtfully. "It¡¯s possible," he replied. "If it is, that could be both a blessing and a curse. A crystal of that size would be incredibly valuable, but extracting it might wreck the whole environment." Since neither Alistair nor Riseth had a strong affinity for earth magic, Alistair decided to carefully excavate the crystal using his telekinesis, being mindful not to crush or damage it. Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and the island shook as the crystal and its neighbors began to rise, pulling along chunks of earth and trees rooted in its wide base. It was creating a smaller floating island of its own. Alistair and Riseth quickly leaped off the chunk as it ascended, with Alistair using his telekinesis to halt its climb and inspect the hovering crystal. "It looks like there could be multiple large crystals¡ªor maybe one massive one with smaller offshoots like this," Alistair mused, peering down into the hole left by the crystal''s departure. He couldn¡¯t see any connection to a larger crystal below. "I think we should bring this one along." They spent the next few hours exploring the large floating island, collecting plants, fruits, trees, and herbs, while carefully noting the various beasts they encountered. Every creature they found on the island had wings or some other means of navigating the skies, freely moving between the floating islands and the ground below. Eventually, Riseth was drawn to a series of feeping sounds coming from the top of a rock formation. From the cooing noises she made, it was clear she had discovered something irresistibly cute. When Alistair joined her, he found her bent over a nest, gently reaching into it to pet whatever was inside. Although he didn¡¯t sense any other beasts nearby, he knew the parents of these creatures probably weren¡¯t far off.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. What he saw was a baby variant of one of the griffon species he had been considering introducing to Lacustrine. These griffons were a hybrid between a budgie and a horse, and they came in a variety of colors. The hatchlings were already as large as Teddy, Melissa''s Bernese Mountain Dog, and displayed an interesting array of hues. Some were the typical green and yellow, while others were white with teal, darker blue, red and brown, and one even sported a bright pink mixed with white¡ªa coloration he hadn¡¯t seen on the griffins he''d observed from orbit. A quick use of his Identify skill revealed their name and level: [Lavogriff - lvl 50]. It confirmed that they started their lives at grade 9, a promising indicator of their potential. Curiously, the Lavogriff hatchlings showed no signs of distress at his and Riseth¡¯s presence, allowing her to pet and feed them without fear or aggression. However, it wasn¡¯t long before someone who was very much bothered by their presence made themselves known. A piercing screech rang out, and Alistair felt an intense wave of bloodlust as two adult Lavogriffs¡ªone white and teal, the other red and brownish¡ªrushed toward them at alarming speed. Both were [Lavogriff - lvl 89]. He was relieved he hadn¡¯t brought King, knowing the dragon¡¯s presence would have likely provoked a much stronger, possibly lethal, reaction. With several skilled beast masters and summoners among their ranks back in Rathos, these creatures would make valuable companions. Alistair didn¡¯t want to kill the griffins if he could avoid it. Riseth withdrew her hands, sending out a wave of calm, positive emotions toward the approaching griffins. She was always careful not to rely too heavily on her manipulation skills. Meanwhile, Alistair prepared himself to restrain the creatures with his Telekinesis if things went south. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gently pulled her back from the nest. ¡°Let¡¯s not aggravate the griffins too much. They might be smart enough to realize we mean no harm if we don¡¯t hover over their babies.¡± The griffins¡¯ threat display was fierce¡ªboth parents landed between the humans and their nest, wings spread wide, talons on their front limbs gouging deep furrows into the rock. Their back limbs, more hoof-like, added to their imposing stance. Their intimidation skill might have been enough to send most beings fleeing, but Alistair and Riseth were far from intimidated. The griffins quickly realized their display wasn¡¯t going to work. Alistair and Riseth continued to project calm emotions and speak soothingly, offering the lomie meat they had initially brought as bait. After about half an hour of this cautious standoff with the occasional bribe in form of meat and soothing words, the female white Lavogriff hesitantly approached. She allowed herself to be petted and examined, eventually calming down as she sensed no threat from them. Meanwhile, the male continued to eye them warily, but he no longer made any aggressive moves, understanding that these beings weren¡¯t here to harm them. "I originally thought we¡¯d just capture some beasts and release them on Lacustrine, but with these Lavogriffs, we might want to bring them to Rathos instead," Alistair mused, watching the griffins closely. Riseth nodded thoughtfully. "It¡¯ll take time to build their trust, and if we just snatch them away, they might react poorly. Forcing them won¡¯t do us any favors." They decided to focus on earning the griffin pair¡¯s trust over time while keeping an eye out for other nests they could approach. For those Lavogriffs without a nest, they¡¯d capture and release them directly on Lacustrine. Their beast breeders would likely fall over themselves to work with such magnificent creatures over the Lomies and other beasts they were currently breeding. They continued their routine, gradually earning the trust of the Lavogriffs over the course of a week. During that time, they discovered six nests where the parents weren¡¯t as aggressive, and they worked patiently to build rapport. Along the way, they uncovered several well-hidden nests tunneled beneath the flying islands, belonging to a different griffin variant: the Bavogriffs. The Bavogriffs had the front of their bodies resembling a Kingfisher, with hind legs like those of a feline. Their striking teal fur and feathers were interspersed with white and warm brown tones, making them quite beautiful. Unlike the Lavogriffs, these Bavogriffs were much smaller and extremely skittish, making it nigh impossible to befriend them. They decided to capture these Bavogriffs for Lacustrine, where they¡¯d hopefully thrive in a new environment. Both griffin species primarily hunted the numerous winged rabbits that populated the planet. While "rabbit" wasn¡¯t entirely accurate¡ªthe creatures had long tails and wings¡ªthey shared enough similarities to warrant the name. They captured some of these winged rabbits as well, finding them quite delicious. Introducing a familiar prey to Lacustrine would likely help the griffins acclimate to their new home. It took them nearly half a month to fully befriend the first Lavogriff nesting pair, who eventually followed them willingly and allowed themselves to be stored. The male was the most difficult to win over, while the hatchlings would have been ready to go immediately if they had simply decided to take them. During that time, they explored much of the planet, uncovering a range of large and small treasures for their crafters, as well as encountering an interesting variety of beasts. The most notable among them were the Mavros draconians. Though not yet sapient, Alistair suspected that some might eventually evolve into a true winged sapient draconian species. These gray-scaled, lizard-like creatures inhabited the planet¡¯s surface, unable to reach most of the flying islands due to their lack of wings. However, they were excellent climbers and jumpers, their muscular bodies adorned only with a line of reddish fur starting at the tip of their tails and following the ridge of their spine until it ended behind the horns near their scalp. Though they hadn¡¯t observed the Mavros using tools, Alistair noted their five-fingered hands, which would certainly allow them to do so if they chose. He worried that them fighting other beasts and using weapons might have sparked ideas and behaviors in them that they wouldn¡¯t have developed on their own any time soon. The biggest surprise came at the end of the month when they stumbled upon a technologically advanced door set into the side of a rocky hill on the underside of a flying island, radiating a steady flow of magic. Chapter 178: The Platijum Lily ¡°That''s a dungeon,¡± Alistair said, slightly stunned and excited that their Dungeon Sense had finally led them to a dungeon they might have otherwise missed despite the steady flow of mana streaming out of it. Riseth, giddy with excitement, exclaimed, ¡°Do you think this is instanced? It looks way more technologically advanced than any dungeon we¡¯ve found so far.¡± Alistair cautioned, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. While Nessyra is eager for us to find an instanced dungeon that we can farm, this might not be the type she¡¯s hoping for.¡± The door slid open smoothly, revealing a portal that enveloped the entire frame, obscuring their view of what lay behind. They exchanged a glance and a shrug before stepping through. They were briefly engulfed in familiar blackness before emerging into a massive glass dome that resembled a spaceship or space station. The interior was lavishly decorated with rich, light-red carpets and ornate fountains, giving the space an extravagant feel. Through the glass dome, they could see the stars stretching out far into the distance. Just as Alistair was absorbing the grandeur of their surroundings and wondering if a butler might greet them, a chrome and gold-plated sphere with a mechanical eye exited through a circular opening in the wall and whizzed toward them, excitedly calling out in a robotic voice. ¡°Welcome! Welcome! Dear guests, apologies for the delay!¡± The drone exclaimed as small fireworks erupted to the sides of the room. A cloth banner unfurled over the pillar in the center while showering them with confetti and reading: Welcome, Dear Guests! Alistair stared in disbelief. He had read about carnivals and odd-themed dungeons, but this was still very odd. Riseth, equally perplexed, kept her eyes on the exuberant drone that buzzed in front of them. "I must congratulate you! You are the very first guests for the Platijum Lily''s opening, and you won a chip prize!" the drone chirped, its enthusiasm reminiscent of the more hyperactive fairies he¡¯d encountered in the trial sub-sections.

Raid Party Dungeon Scenario: Welcome to the grand opening of the Platijum Lily, dear guests! The Platijum Lily promises top-tier entertainment and events! You can win and buy prizes with Platijum Chips! You can exchange Chips for either random or known prizes! Each group will be assigned a Personal Assistance Liaison, or ''P.A.L''! Your P.A.L will guide you, answer any questions, and start any events you wish to participate in! We hope you have a wonderful time in the Platijum Lily! Type: [Entertainment] [Events] [Random] [Dungeon Shops] [Natural] Duration: Please stay! Victory Condition: Have fun! Rating: No boring ratings, just fun and prizes! Dungeon Currency: Platijum Chips
¡°The Administrator is in a great mood as we can finally open the Platijum Lily to our first set of guests! As a welcome gift, we grant each of you 1000 chips!¡± P.A.L announced excitedly while Alistair and Riseth read the information. Alistair cast a cautious glance at the portal leading outside, making sure it was still intact. This dungeon was anything but ¡®Natural,¡¯ and Riseth mirrored his concern, much to the P.A.L''s dismay. ¡°Dear guests, please don¡¯t leave without experiencing some of our attractions!¡± the P.A.L chirped cheerfully. Turning to Riseth, Alistair used their Akashic Link to keep their concerns discreet. ¡°We should keep our discussion to ourselves. This dungeon is very odd, and the raid designation being scratched out makes me uneasy as it means the dungeon is messing with the system to fit its whims.¡± Riseth nodded in agreement. ¡°The dungeon did provide us with a P.A.L., but we should inquire about the raid dungeon designation.¡± Alistair scratched his beard, his eyes fixed on a square pillar in the center of the room. It housed a richly decorated elevator that appeared to lead to the lower levels of what seemed to be an enormous space station. The dome''s angle obscured the full layout of the dungeon, but as he approached the railing and looked down, he saw parts of the station below. From what he could tell, they were at the very top. As he relayed his observations to Riseth, she decided to probe the P.A.L with a question. ¡°Are you sure this is alright? We¡¯re only two, and the status window classifies this as a raid dungeon,¡± Riseth asked, her tone a mix of concern and curiosity. ¡°Oh, bollocks, it says Party Dungeon!¡± the P.A.L replied, its excitement momentarily replaced by a hint of frustration. ¡°The Administrator tried his best, but his programming is a bit limited. He has to work within the System. There are no real dangers, just fun events I''d love to show you!¡± ¡°And who exactly is this Administrator?¡± Riseth inquired.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Oh, nothing nefarious!¡± the P.A.L assured them. ¡°Just the preprogrammed AI core in charge of this grand entertainment module we call home!¡± Riseth frowned slightly in confusion. ¡°AI core?¡± The P.A.L tilted its axis, looking from Riseth to Alistair. ¡°Ah, apologies. I should have realized from your attire. An AI core is a magical device that controls this place at the behest of its creator.¡± Riseth raised a hand to stop the drone as her clothing transformed into a refined dress. ¡°We know what an AI core is; we have one ourselves. Is it possible to communicate directly with that AI?¡± The drone paused for an unusually long time, its sensors seemingly focused on Riseth. ¡°Apologies, dear guest, but the AI core is currently occupied with maintaining this place and isn¡¯t available for direct communication at this time. However, I¡¯d be delighted to show you some of our attractions!¡± Alistair transformed his armor into a sleek suit as he joined Riseth. "I think this core believes it¡¯s an AI, or at least it¡¯s pretending to be one. Let¡¯s not call it out on that just yet. If this turns out to be a trap, we¡¯re strong enough to handle it.¡± He offered his arm to Riseth, and she locked hers with his as they approached the elevator. "Excellent!" the P.A.L exclaimed, its excitement palpable. It then launched into a rapid-fire list of games and events, rattling off a series of unfamiliar activities that neither of them recognized. Alistair¡¯s attention piqued when he heard something that sounded vaguely familiar. "Show us that Bavobil Race," he requested, interrupting the drone¡¯s enthusiastic spiel. "Certainly, good sir!" the P.A.L responded with a cheerful tone. "May I know the names of our dear guests?" "I am Riseth Ryser, and this is my husband, Alistair Ryser," Riseth replied with a polite nod. "What¡¯s a Bavobil Race?" Riseth asked through the Akashic Link. "No idea," Alistair replied with a mental shrug. "I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s like a horse race, which might give us some insight into what this dungeon is really about. Or, you know, you could just ask the drone." Before Riseth could inquire further, the elevator doors slid open, revealing a vast open field. Hovering stands lined the sides, overlooking a straight race track. At one end, a finish line was marked by a red ribbon stretched across the track, while the other end featured a large coop filled with what looked like oversized dodos. The creatures were outfitted in various colored harnesses, each adorned with unfamiliar numbers and symbols. Their translation skills didn¡¯t recognize the markings, suggesting the language either didn¡¯t exist or was some kind of made-up gibberish not recognized by the system. As they turned around, they noticed that the elevator shaft stretched far into a fake sky above and likely deep underground as well, leading to other chambers or subspaces¡ªAlistair¡¯s intuition hinted at as much. ¡°We¡¯re in luck! The first race is about to start! Would you like to place a bet on which Bavobil will reach the finish line first?¡± P.A.L. asked, its voice brimming with enthusiasm. ¡°Sure, but how does someone bet if they don¡¯t start with chips like we did?¡± Alistair inquired. ¡°You may exchange up to 100 chips¡¯ worth of currency from the Universal System Credit (USC). However, if your chip count exceeds 100, you can no longer purchase more and must earn them through participating in various events!¡± P.A.L. replied cheerfully. ¡°Do you happen to have Blackjack or Roulette?¡± Alistair asked out of idle curiosity as they approached the hovering stands. He scrutinized the different birds, trying to gauge if any were stronger or faster than the others. His attention was drawn to one of the Bavobil that seemed drooling and glassy-eyed, so he dismissed it and instead picked the red one because, obviously the red one would go faster. ¡°I cannot find those events in my database,¡± P.A.L. responded. ¡°But if you¡¯d like to suggest them, and the Admin approves, we¡¯d certainly reward you with chips and free rounds at the bar for your valuable insights and contributions to our roster!¡± Before Alistair could ask more questions, P.A.L droned on: "If you wish to place a bet, the amount must be a multiple of 5. This is consistent with every event; the general minimum bet is five chips and you may not share or pool chips with another guest. Winning the Bavobil Race earns you three times the bet sum, while picking wrong loses you the bet sum. There are 10 Bavobil per race, the subspace is limited to 5 people but can be expanded if necessary, which will, in turn, increase the amount of Bavobil''s racing. At first glance, Alistair couldn''t find a way to game the system unless the Roster of Bavobil racing that day clearly had stronger or impaired birds on the starting line. He bet ten chips on the one in the red harness, whereas Riseth bet ten on the Bavobil in the green harness. They watched as the Bavobils were launched out of their coops by a spring-loaded floor, sending them flying and tumbling a short distance across the race track. Before they stood up and started running, they were still slightly disoriented and wobbly on their feet, creating a chaotic mess on the race track. They ran into each other, and some of them, including the one in the red harness, were fighting and pecking at each other. The drooling one almost won as it just waddled toward the finish line, but one in a pink harness overtook it, easily winning the race. Alistair couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the silly sight. The Bavobil were unharmed, but they weren¡¯t the sharpest creatures. They let out gurgling coos, flapped their little wings, and ran in circles, only to crash into each other and start squabbling all over again. "Oh, what a shame! But don''t worry, you can try again!" P.A.L offered, clearly pleased that his guests were having fun. Alistair noticed how the dungeon''s magic subtly drew energy from their heightened emotions. Nessyra had once asked his brother to investigate a similar idea, and Alistair had helped James test emotion-based mana generators. These devices could passively collect essence from strong emotions and convert it into energy without draining the original feeling. While the generators weren¡¯t very efficient and Nessyra''s plans to create self-sustaining entertainment centers had fallen flat, the concept still showed promise for slight passive energy generation, though he suspected a dungeon that lived off people delving it had a much more efficient and powerful energy conversion. "I think we¡¯re good for now," Alistair chuckled. "Since you seem to have a lot of attractions, I¡¯d like to see what kind of prizes we can win. There should be some shops, right?" "Indeed! What better way to build anticipation and tension than by knowing what one is playing for? Follow me!" P.A.L said, zooming excitedly toward the entrance of the dungeon before turning back to check if they were following. "You think that drone is the Dungeon Core controlling the P.A.L?" Riseth asked over their link. "Definitely. It feels a lot like when Vaerin controlled the bird. A core wouldn¡¯t struggle with splitting its mind, so it could easily have one of these drones follow each group while observing and guiding them. It¡¯s smart, stretching the limits of what¡¯s possible within its framework. We might want to consider using our Realm Catcher on it." "Or," Riseth suggested, "we could just bring the island it¡¯s on back to our planet." "That... might actually work. But can Artemis safely transport an island of this size?" Alistair mused. "No, but the Kaiakos certainly can. So we don¡¯t necessarily need to conquer the dungeon itself, but we should still try. A core is obligated to provide a path to reach it, and I bet it¡¯s the most expensive prize in its reward selection," Riseth replied. They took their time walking toward the drone, not wanting to reveal too much of their magic by teleporting. Alistair smiled, curious to see if Riseth¡¯s hunch was right¡ªwhether meeting the Administrator was indeed the ultimate prize and what other treasures this dungeon might hold. Something told him there would be some very intriguing trinkets and items for them to discover. Chapter 179: The Administrator Alistair gazed at the wide array of prizes displayed on the screens and shelves, each protected by seemingly impenetrable invisible barriers. He doubted he could breach them, even if he tried, as they were likely safeguarded by both the Dungeon and the System and would only open once the price had been paid in full. As it turned out, Riseth was right¡ªmeeting the Administrator was indeed an option, but it came at the steep price of 100 million Chips. However, most of the other prizes were more reasonably priced. What really caught his attention was a large, whirring machine that resembled a slot machine, its screen displaying various symbols moving in erratic patterns as random as the symbols themselves. It had a lever with a glowing, runed orb at the end, and next to it was a plaque listing values¡ª500, 1,000, 10,000, or 100,000¡ªeach representing the cost to play, with the promise of random treasure. The higher tiers offered better odds of rare prizes, and excluded the lower-tier rewards and less desirable outcomes. "What kind of random prizes can you win with this machine?" Alistair asked. "Anything!" P.A.L. responded enthusiastically. "Well, anything within reason. Not even the Administrator knows exactly what might come out of these rewards!" Alistair scratched his chin, intrigued. "Do you know of any specific possible prizes?" "You could potentially win keycards of different rewards based on tiers, allowing you to choose a prize from the list corresponding to your tier or lower! But most rewards correspond to the magic symbols the machine lands on," P.A.L explained. "But be warned, even the fixed prizes change periodically, so don¡¯t hesitate too long on the ones you really want!" "Nessyra would love this place," Riseth remarked, eyeing a jade-colored ring behind one of the protective barriers. "You should invite her! The more, the merrier!" P.A.L chirped. Alistair glanced at the drone, which continued to bob up and down enthusiastically while they walked around the massive, richly decorated dungeon shop. It had a similar aesthetic to the entrance, with red carpets, colorful lights, occasional fountains, and what looked to be a pool with a bar in its center in the corner of the room with another bar taking up a whole side of the room with bar stools and a robotic bartender on what sounded like a pair of tracks. "We should question it to see if it would be willing to cooperate if we bring it to our planet," Riseth suggested over the link. "Sure, but let¡¯s play along with its space station story for now and see if it has any plans to leave the station," Alistair replied. After exchanging a glance, Alistair leaned over to inspect another prize while Riseth made her way to the bar. "So, P.A.L, tell me, do you get those treasures from outside your station? Do you send drones to fetch them, or do you get deliveries made? Or does your station make them itself?" Alistair asked casually. There was a noticeable pause before P.A.L answered. "The station''s programming prevents the AI from leaving the boundaries of the Platijum Lily due to the AI Core''s integrated safety procedures. All these prizes are made in-house, but how we do this is a trade secret," P.A.L said with what Alistair thought was a wink, as the robotic eye flashed and the drone tilted slightly. "I have to say, your station is in the middle of nowhere. But we could bring it to our planet, where we could have some of our citizens visit the Platijum Lily. Of course, we¡¯d need to ensure this place is safe first with some safety inspections," Alistair offered. "Test all you want! This place is as safe as can be! You have the ability to move the station to a more populated planet?! That would be excellent! The Administrator has informed me that it is within his permission from the station owner and even encouraged to relocate to a more populated site," P.A.L responded, almost buzzing with excitement. Alistair struggled not to raise an eyebrow at the obvious lie and heard Riseth snort from the bar, though P.A.L seemed too excited to notice. Alistair weighed the risks and benefits carefully. His primary concern was that eventually, some of his people might let slip the truth¡ªthat this was a dungeon, not an AI. Would opening up a dialogue now prevent a bigger headache later? As he consulted with Riseth over the Akashic Link, P.A.L. eagerly started asking questions about which orbit they would tug the station into and how many visitors he could expect. Riseth speculated that the dungeon was either lonely or simply eager for more visitors. Like all dungeons, it would greatly benefit from the influx of people, allowing it to expand much faster compared to sustaining itself in isolation with only passive energy generation. "What are the chances one of our people lets something slip? Should we instruct people to keep playing along, or is it better to try an open dialogue with it now?" Alistair mused, considering their options. "We should at least try," Riseth suggested. "It just might resist the idea; Dungeon Cores can be quite stubborn about their identity and understanding of the world. That¡¯s why some dungeons have such bizarre and otherworldly environments." "Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t react poorly," Alistair said cautiously. "But with its chipper and eager attitude, it might just wave us off." Clearing his throat, Alistair addressed the drone, "Pal, there are some things we need to discuss. Riseth and I are the leaders of our Clan, and we have the authority to make decisions, but we''d like to speak with the Administrator."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The drone paused momentarily before responding, "Understood. High priority recognized. Connecting now." A cheery, unfamiliar jingle played as P.A.L. mimicked establishing a connection. "Good day, Mr. Ryser and Mrs. Ryser! I am the Administrator, in charge of the Platijum Lily, and I''m eager to discuss terms with you!" The voice maintained its cheerful tone, but there was a subtle strain as it tried to sound more formal and professional. Riseth joined Alistair, sensing that this conversation could take a bad turn, and knowing it was unwise to be separated at such a critical moment. Alistair exhaled slowly, knowing he had to address the elephant in the room. "Before we move forward with negotiations, there''s something we need to clarify. From the perspective of the Ryser clan, the Platijum Lily is a Dungeon, and our people would naturally treat it as such." There was a brief, noticeable pause. The drone''s eye swiveled slowly from side to side, as if carefully considering Alistair''s words. When the Administrator finally responded, its voice retained its usual cheerfulness, though there was a slight, almost forced quality to its upbeat tone. "Ah, I see! Yes, yes, my System did mention something along those lines, but I¡¯ve always considered it just a minor glitch¡ªa bug, if you will! You see, I¡¯m an AI Core, not a Dungeon Core, and my role is to manage this space station. But of course, you¡¯re free to call it whatever you like. Though, ¡®Dungeon¡¯ does carry some rather negative connotations, doesn¡¯t it? This is a place of entertainment and joy¡ªwhy associate it with a term like that?" The Administrator let out a small, mechanical-sounding laugh, as if trying to lightly brush aside the concern and move on. Alistair and Riseth exchanged a glance, recognizing the deflection but choosing not to push further for now as they got what they wanted. There was an undercurrent of something else in the Administrator¡¯s tone¡ªa mix of anxiety and determination to maintain its narrative. "Well, as long as we¡¯re on the same page about working together," Riseth said diplomatically, "that¡¯s what matters most." "Exactly!" the Administrator chirped, its tone noticeably lighter, as if relieved to move past the subject. "Now, let¡¯s focus on how we can make this partnership truly shine!" They began discussing their expectations, occasionally slipping in trick questions to gauge the dungeon¡¯s reactions. The Administrator¡¯s responses remained consistent with what they had observed so far, reassuring them that this place was less dangerous than most dungeons. Afterward, they suggested several new events, including Blackjack, Roulette, and some of Neshan¡¯s more popular games like Pactflip and Red Gambit. The Administrator seemed pleased and, as a gesture of goodwill, provided them with a few thousand chips after they transmitted their information through their Akashic link to a panel that extended from P.A.L.''s mechanical body. When they brought up the idea of combat events, however, the Administrator became noticeably more reserved. Although it acknowledged it could enforce a ''Life Guard'' condition on any event to prevent serious harm, it was clear that violence among its guests clashed with its strict values. "I do not wish to see my guests hurting each other or getting hurt under my care," the Administrator stated firmly, its usual cheery tone now tinged with an unyielding resolve. After a brief pause, it added, "However, I could host events where beasts fight each other, and you could place bets on which creature might win." Alistair considered this for a moment. "What about our summons? Could they participate in those matches?" he asked, curious about the Administrator''s response. "Ooh! Pet battles, that sounds exciting!" the Administrator exclaimed, its enthusiasm palpable. Riseth shook her head. "Many of them aren''t pets; they''re companions," she corrected. "Bah, semantics! Who cares?" the Administrator replied dismissively. "I''ll create some beasties to challenge your pets, and we can bet on them and have them earn prizes!" The Administrator¡¯s surprisingly casual acceptance of this kind of violence, as long as it didn¡¯t directly involve the delvers themselves, took them aback. "Of course, they would be life-guarded. I wouldn''t want to harm my guests'' pets!" it added cheerfully. They tried to convince the Administrator to use the term "summons" instead of "pets," but the AI Core adamantly refused, much like when they attempted to persuade it that it was a Dungeon Core rather than an AI Core. The Administrator dismissed their objections with the same cheerful indifference, even sending them more chips as a reward for inspiring the idea of pet battles. "I must tend to these new events now. It was a very productive talk, and if you wish to add any more games to my roster, please let your P.A.L know!" the Administrator said before withdrawing its focus. As the Administrator''s presence faded, Alistair noticed a subtle but distinct change¡ªthe core''s attention seemed more fragmented, and while they were still interacting with its P.A.L. persona, its responses had become noticeably less sharp, even more so than before their discussion. Despite this, based on what they had learned, they realized they could technically finish the dungeon right then and there by spending the chips they had earned on any prize, which would be enough to meet the dungeon''s conditions for a clear. However, the core seemed eager to encourage them to linger or return as much as possible, subtly nudging them toward extended engagement by enticing them into interacting with its events. While they had earned a decent amount of points simply by sharing their ideas and suggestions, Alistair was eager to experience some of the events firsthand. However, once they started participating, it quickly became clear that many of the events were heavily skewed against them, making the experience less enjoyable. Most of these were little more than numbers games with minimal skill involved. They raised their concerns with P.A.L., who promptly put those events into maintenance¡ªlikely for good. The skill-based events were far more enjoyable, but some of them suppressed their magic, leaving them feeling oddly vulnerable and off-balance, as if a vital part of themselves had been stripped away. This unsettling sensation prompted them to voice their discomfort. In response, the Core lifted the restrictions, allowing them to fully utilize their powers and easily dominate those events, particularly the obstacle courses and platforming events. However, this imbalance resulted in those events also being placed into maintenance until the Core could find a better compromise or implement a less severe magic suppression. Despite this, P.A.L. let them keep the substantial winnings they had earned, both as a reward for their efforts and as an apology for the discomfort. As they continued exploring the list of events, they discovered a few that struck the perfect balance, challenging yet enjoyable, even with their magic in play. The events involving dungeon beasts were particularly engaging. Their affinities gave them an edge in most skill-based magic interactions, allowing them to excel and amass a small fortune in chips. By the end, they had more than enough to exchange for the prizes they wanted, concluding an enjoyable and rewarding experience as they made their way to the Prize Vault, which served as the Platijum Lily''s Dungeon shop. Chapter 180: Gamblers Paradise After entering the Prize Vault, Riseth began browsing through the catalog of prizes, while Alistair approached a large, magic slot machine. He intended to leverage his high Luck affinity to get a sense of the kind of rewards they could expect, as this slot machine would likely be the primary source of rewards for this dungeon. Starting small, he spent 500 chips¡ªthe lowest reward tier¡ªand pulled the lever. The display, filled with an overwhelming number of symbols, began to spin. Out of the chaos, only four symbols started to whirl rapidly before slowly petering out. Two of the symbols halted on alchemy flasks, one halted on a symbol of three metal bars stacked on top of each other, and the last on a fluctuating, intertwined symbol he didn''t recognize. As the symbols came to a stop, a familiar glowing orb materialized beside him. Reaching into it, Alistair pulled out what appeared to be a silver bar. However, upon sensing the concepts embedded within it, he realized the unknown symbol represented adaptation. The moment he grasped the bar, a chime echoed, indicating that his Dungeoneer title had upgraded to level 7, granting him an additional skill point. This was a welcome boost, especially since he had gained two levels in the past weeks, reaching level 124, and his next skill selection was fast approaching. A quick use of Identify revealed the bar''s true nature: [Chimerasilver]. Based on the alchemy symbols, Alistair decided to give it to Jessica to see if it held any value for her alchemy projects. Riseth stopped her browsing to curiously look over his reward. "Chimerasilver?" "Yeah, before the symbols came to a stop, half the symbols were alchemy flasks. Probably, this is some kind of alchemical ingredient or material used in alchemy tools," Alistair speculated before storing the bar in his storage. This was technically the lowest kind of reward, but it was still quite good. Some of their people might just work the dungeon professionally, he thought as he spun for another 500, but this time, two of the four symbols came to a halt on a red X. One landed on a gem symbol, and the last on a symbol he didn¡¯t recognize. Just like before, a portal appeared beside him. Reaching in, he pulled out a gem that resembled a ruby, though it emanated a concept he wasn''t immediately familiar with. After letting his skills analyze it, he recognized it as the concept of conductivity, and his identify skill confirmed it was a [Geradium Gem]. He stored that small gem, too. "This might become an issue," Riseth mused, her tone thoughtful. "This place is a gambler''s paradise. If people get hooked on the more luck-oriented events, they might end up spending an unhealthy amount of time here." P.A.L. quickly interjected, its voice bright and reassuring. "There is no such thing as an unhealthy amount of time spent in the Platijum Lily! I wouldn''t waste my guests'' time!" Alistair glanced at the chrome and gold-plated drone, which had always kind of reminded him of fancy Wheatley from Portal 2. Responding to Riseth over their Akashic link, he said, "I''m sure Nessyra can handle it once we figure out how¡ªand if¡ªwe can move the flying island with the dungeon on it. There might be some magical interference. I can''t imagine just lifting the ground, like with regular dungeon rifts, can be done on a whim." "I dunno," Riseth replied, considering the situation. "This dungeon entrance is different. It''s directly connected to the island instead of just being a loose portal. It might work differently." Sure hope you are right about that, he thought. The dungeon was very peculiar, and it would be a shame not to recover it. It might be worth using a realm catcher if necessary. The chances of someone else finding the planet and discovering the dungeon were slim, at least for now. But they weren''t nonexistent. The planet was a gem, and many factions would wage war over a world like this. They couldn''t stake a claim just yet, as they were still working to ensure Lacustrine and Nautilus were safe from outside threats. They would have to rely on the vastness of the universe to obscure them long enough to grow their numbers and secure their claims before other factions expanded into their projected territory. As Alistair considered their situation, he continued testing the slot machine by feeding in 1,000 chips to gauge the difference in reward tiers. He had enough saved for two spins at the lower tiers and one spin at the 100,000-chip tier, hoping the results would be worth the investment. Meanwhile, Riseth was still browsing the available items, seemingly torn between a few specific choices. As he reached out for the lever to pull it, he considered the dungeon. They had accumulated far more points than usual by sharing ideas and exploiting the unrefined nature of the events. However, they noted that most events allowing participants to bet on themselves didn¡¯t multiply earnings¡ªthose payouts were usually fixed. Only the primarily chance-based games offered large multipliers, which would slow down the speed at which their people could earn rewards. Still, dungeon farming wasn¡¯t uncommon, and the time investment here seemed worthwhile. The random nature of the rewards made it somewhat inconsistent. Still, it was likely to produce valuable prizes eventually, making the time spent delving not only safer but more enjoyable than in most dungeons. This time, six symbols began to spin on the machine. To his annoyance, two of them landed on the red cross again, signaling a dud. However, he noticed new symbols that hadn''t appeared in the earlier spins. Eventually, the symbols petered out again; one was a hammer, another a die, and two others were unfamiliar but likely represented some obscure concepts. When the spinning stopped, he reached into the glowing loot portal and needed both hands to pull out his prize: a large stone barrel that streamed volatile, unstable mana in an endless torrent. Holding the wild contraption at arm''s length, Alistair turned to P.A.L., who was observing the object with keen interest. "What just happened?" Alistair asked, still wary of the mana-spewing barrel.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. P.A.L. chirped with enthusiasm. "Ah, what a fascinating combination! As I mentioned earlier, the effects are random, with each rune symbolizing a different modifier. The modifiers you land on determine the prize you receive. While you had some bad luck with a couple of less favorable modifiers and missed out on two, you also hit one of the rarest modifiers at this tier¡ªa mana-producing one! Unfortunately, it came paired with the ''volatile'' modifier, which explains the current... behavior. I would strongly recommend putting that thing in storage for now." "Just how dangerous can these rewards get?" Alistair asked, still examining the peculiar barrel. He noted that it seemed to be connected to a plane brimming with chaotic mana before finally storing it away. P.A.L. paused as if carefully considering how to respond. "Very," it replied nonchalantly. "For example, if you were to land on modifiers like death, volatile, and explosion, you might end up with a literal bomb. At least, that¡¯s my best guess. Whether or not that bomb would be active, though... I couldn¡¯t say." "And what happened to not wanting to see your guests harmed?" Riseth questioned, her tone skeptical. "Of course, I don¡¯t want to see my guests hurt," P.A.L. replied with its usual cheer. "I always keep healers at the ready and will intervene if I deem the situation or result to be truly dangerous." This realization gave them pause. The rewards from that particular machine were almost more of a gamble than half the events in this dungeon. A mana-producing treasure was quite valuable, even with its volatile nature. One of the most significant ways magic¡ªand mana, in particular¡ªdefied conventional laws was in its disregard for the Law of Conservation of Energy. Mana could be both created and generated out of nothing, yet it could also be destroyed or depleted just as easily. For instance, planets gradually increased in mana density over time, generating it through a variety of external and internal processes. Similarly, individuals experienced a natural regeneration of their energy pools. While mana had many known sources, it typically didn¡¯t materialize from nothing. However, mana could refine and multiply itself, even without converting or using other forms of matter and energy. However, the process was far more efficient when such conversions were involved, especially under certain favorable conditions. Alistair and his clan had explored various methods to improve their planet¡¯s mana density. Their goal was to ensure that they wouldn¡¯t be a burden on the planet, but rather help it grow faster while bearing the weight of their presence, elevating it alongside them. Beasts and materials could also enrich an environment¡ªwhether through refinement processes between them and the planet, or through their own mana generation and usage, where the excess mana would accumulate and enhance the surroundings. Dungeons also improved the mana density of planets they were on over time. The more powerful the dungeon, the stronger the benefit and the more mana spread out from it. He noticed that Riseth had finally narrowed down her choice of prizes to two items: a jade magic ring that boosted mana regeneration and an array plate containing a long-range offensive array. The latter would be a valuable addition to their collection, offering additional insights into the structure of such enchantments. As his attention returned to the slot machine, he observed a promising sign¡ªonly one dud symbol appeared this time. Two symbols landed on an alchemical flask, suggesting that alchemy-related rewards were common; another symbol resembled a plant, and the final one was an hourglass. Alistair had a strong suspicion about the concept it represented. He reached into the loot portal with his right hand, the one more adept at handling time-distorted treasures, and pulled out a strange root that looked like deep purple ginger, although more spindly and twisted. Immediately, he sensed the time deceleration effect within the root and quickly stored it in his inventory, recognizing its potential value. It was hard to tell just how valuable these small treasures would be as far as materials went they were pretty good and if they could propagate the [Chrono Root] it would be well worth the time and points he had spent. The silver bar and gem were less valuable, though he had hopes they could be used in some alchemical tools even if they likely couldn''t propagate those materials. The most valuable reward was by far the barrel even though chaos aspected mana wasn''t ideal. Alistair had saved enough for just one 100,000-chip roll, and he was too intrigued by the potential high-tier reward to spend his points on multiple smaller, lower-tier spins. He and Riseth watched intently as he pulled the lever for the final time. This time, ten symbols began to whirl. They cursed when two duds appeared, leaving them with eight active symbols. Two landed on a symbol depicting armor, while another initially showed a weapon but then flipped to armor. One symbol was blank, but it writhed and morphed in a way that caught P.A.L.¡¯s attention, who called out excitedly. "How fortunate! That¡¯s the symbol for an Unattuned Concept, combined with strengthening, regeneration, and three armor symbols. The wood and weightless symbols add an intriguing twist to the mix!" A new loot portal materialized beside Alistair, and he felt a surge of curiosity. If this armor could be attuned to Kinetics like the unattuned Affinity orb, it would be an incredibly valuable dungeon reward, surpassing all the others he had received so far. What he pulled out seemed to be a full suit of black armor. At first glance, it appeared to be simply colored, but upon closer inspection, he realized the incredibly light wooden material was black through and through. The armor had a sleek, futuristic design with elements reminiscent of samurai armor, though it lacked the traditional flair and decoration. He quickly checked to see if they could replicate the enchantment structure for unattuned concepts, but despite his efforts, the intricate details remained elusive but he and Riseth still did their best to map and memorize them for later review in his Akashic Link. Once they had recorded the incredibly complicated, unattuned pathways to a satisfactory degree, he infused the armor with the concept of Kinetics, and it immediately responded. He did his best to observe the changes as they happened. The suit rippled as energy coursed through it, and he could feel his kinetic energy circulating and propagating within the armor, smoothly flowing back toward him. The true test came when he attempted to integrate the new armor with his existing set. He encountered a barrier and instinctively knew that he would need to overwrite the healing enchantment from his bracers, the boost to blasts he received from his kinetic combat gloves, and the freedom of movement enchantment to allow full integration. Fortunately, he had planned to discard the freedom of movement enchantment, as he intended to acquire it as a skill during his next skill selection. He had several people working on enchantments for his armor, but most had either not been up to par yet or were still in the process of being made, so this was a significant boon. Accepting the exchange, his armor absorbed the new one, taking on a darker hue as the engravings on his armor warped and changed to accommodate the powerful new enhancements. Alistair watched the changes with a wide smile. Chapter 181: Stick to the Plan Alistair inspected his new armor with Identify, still in disbelief at the staggering value of this prize compared to anything they had won before.

Item: Tier: [Legendary] Name: Rulkith Lusak (Sentinel''s Garb) Qualities: [Soulbound] [Kinetic Regeneration And Strengthening] [Protection Of Mind And Soul] [Poison Protection] [Summoner''s Storage] [Comfort Array] Description: A full set of enchanted sepaskarite alloy armor. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is inscribed with powerful and useful enchantments. It was crafted by Nuk, a 7th grade Master Craftsdwarf. It protects the user from harm of physical and magical nature. It is enchanted with [Kinetic Regeneration & Strengthening], [Summoner''s Storage], [Protection of Mind and Soul], and the [Comfort Array] enchantment.
Alistair was quite happy with the upgrade to his armor, though he lamented the loss of the Graxidae material it was made of. Seeing the Freedom of Movement and Healing Touch enchantments disappear after having been integrated into his armor for so long felt strange. There was no way they could afford to let this dungeon slip away, even considering Alistair''s above-average luck. The potential of having people farm this dungeon was invaluable; the sheer diversity of loot could offer endless insights into enchantments and provide them with plants and alchemical ingredients they could potentially propagate¡ªall within a relatively safe environment. He exchanged a glance with Riseth and knew she was thinking the exact same thing. If it came down to it, they would use the Realm Catcher to ensure this dungeon could be integrated into Rathos. Dungeon-enchanted materials were highly coveted, often providing fresh, creative, and arcane insights into rune structures. While the unaspected concept runework remained elusive, the newly attuned kinetic runes were crystal clear to Alistair. He was already beginning to glean valuable insights from them. Once he had the time to fully dissect the enchantment structure and return to Rathos, he planned to share his findings, contributing to the ever-expanding knowledge of enchantments. P.A.L. did his best to keep them in the dungeon longer, but once they mentioned contacting their people to move the station immediately, he almost seemed eager for them to leave. He rushed them into the elevator, which moved noticeably faster than it had during their previous rides. Even the elevator¡¯s cheery tunes were accelerated, which momentarily worried them before they came to an abrupt halt, the doors opening to the dungeon''s entrance lobby. P.A.L. cheerfully wished them a great day and urged them to come back soon. They waved and stepped out of the dungeon, finding themselves back on the underside of the flying island, with the sun just beginning to rise over the horizon. "That was fucking weird," Alistair said, glancing back at the dungeon door embedded in the rocky surface. "But definitely worth it. I¡¯m going to contact Nessyra immediately," Riseth replied. It didn¡¯t take much to convince Nessyra. She promptly sent them a return message informing them that she had rescheduled the next recruitment tour to prioritize securing the dungeon after Alistair and Riseth confirmed that the island could be moved without magical interference. The Kaiakos arrived within a week, and during that time, Alistair and Riseth stuck close to the dungeon and regularly visited the Lily, though they didn¡¯t discover many new beasts of interest in the area. King, however, who traveled further than them, quickly grew bored with the monsters on the planet. Fortunately, The Platijum Lily¡¯s Pet Battle events were completed three days into their wait. They had to reassure the Administrator that King wasn¡¯t just an ordinary summon, which led the admin to spend extra time creating stronger beasts that could potentially challenge him. Luckily, since the event was life-guarded, creating such beasts was less intensive than the Administrator had initially feared, as confirmed by his P.A.L. persona. When the Kaiakos finally arrived, Alistair used his Telekinesis to lift the entire island into orbit, carefully loading it into the massive empty hangar of the Kaiakos and assisting the crew in securing it. They handed over the beasts they had captured, along with detailed instructions for the beastmasters. In return, they received a comprehensive update on the progress of the Lacustrine expansion. Multiple smaller colonies had been successfully established across the planet, finalizing the planetary defense grid and utilizing natural formations such as dragonveins and cycling river systems as bases of operation. These efforts would be reinforced and expanded from there, but for now, Alistair and Riseth were relieved to know that Lacustrine, and to a lesser extent Nautilis, were well-protected. In other news, Alistair''s suggestion to elevate mundane Earth plants with magic was met with partial success. He was shown images of fields and orchards where the plants grew unevenly and in patches¡ªsome had successfully absorbed the infused essences, growing much more slowly than the mundane variants. However, the end results for most crops were still unknown, and the herbalists and botanists were cautiously optimistic that if not this batch, another would eventually yield desirable results.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. An expeditionary team had also discovered another dungeon on Lacustrine, though it was fairly standard, featuring a diverse array of monsters within a cave system. The dungeon core wasn¡¯t as intelligent as those they had previously encountered, but it did produce a unique, extremely sturdy ore. This provided them with an endless source of material that meshed well with their Dragonstalk bamboo. The most intriguing news, however, was about a volcanic planet recently discovered by one of their new exploration vessels. Rich in ores and gems, the planet was also teeming with draconic monsters, including various subspecies of dragons. Alistair was hesitant to visit the planet, knowing that while King was strong, he would struggle to take down even a regular low-tier dragon unless luck or an affinity advantage was on his side. Dragons possessed incredible inherent power advantages, such as a natural mastery of magic and higher-than-average intelligence and cunning, with most dragons becoming sapient by the time they reached grade 8 or 7 at the latest. Before he departed, Sotarr expressed interest in discussing their summons, and Alistair hoped it was to offer training or assistance for them. However, he suspected Sotarr might instead try to convince him to release Viv from her summoning contract, perhaps keeping her as a pet rather than a summon. Alistair and Riseth had done their best to train King, Fluffy, and Viv. While King and Fluffy made significant progress, Viv struggled to fully grasp the training due to her limited intellect. They had tried various methods, even bringing in Desily, whose concept of Entropy was linked to Viv¡¯s Void concept, but progress with Viv remained slow. Alistair still had a pill of enlightenment but was hesitant to use it. Viv was already quite smart for a cat and would likely reach enlightenment on her own. He also worried that artificially accelerating her intellect might fundamentally change their relationship. There were other interesting planets that had been discovered that were worth checking out, though the longer they waited, the more powerful the dragons would become; there was also a chance of a particularly ambitious and cruel dragon rising to prominence by slaying its brethren and reaching a high enough grade to traverse space on its own. Since their exploration vessel had prioritized safety, they hadn''t approached or observed the dragon''s behavior for too long but had at least one instance of two different subtypes fighting where one killed the other. Alistair mulled things over; further training might not yield the result they needed as the largest thing holding back both Fluffy and King was that they didn''t know their core concepts, and none of the measuring items they had indicated that it was one of the assorted concepts they couldn''t even narrow it down as there were just too many concepts to go through, Melissa was working on a skill to identify others core concepts but until she made more progress, they wouldn''t be able to discern the exact concept, and could only work with the ones they knew their summons had a strong affinity for. He left a message with the crew of the Kaiakos that he wanted to be informed as soon as Melissa managed to develop the skill. "We need to make a decision," Riseth said, leaning against one of the Kaiakos'' bulkheads. "Do we head to that dragon planet and see if King can find a low-tier dragon he could potentially take on, or stick to the plan¡ªcollect beasts and use the extra time to prepare him until we hear back from yoursister?" "I¡¯ve already arranged for them to contact us when she¡¯s ready," Alistair replied. "But if King finds out about this planet, he¡¯ll jump at the chance, ready or not. His pride won¡¯t let him back down." Riseth nodded thoughtfully. They didn¡¯t like keeping King¡ªor any of their companions¡ªin the dark, but this was likely the safest approach. If King could defeat a low-tier dragon, it would trigger his evolution into a dragon himself. According to the information available, consuming a dragon¡¯s heart would catalyze that transformation. But defeating a dragon was no small feat for a wyvern. King¡¯s unknown core concept and original species would heavily influence what kind of dragon he¡¯d become. Most likely, he¡¯d evolve into a completely new species, becoming the progenitor of that line. The chance that another grikad wyvern had evolved into a dragon and shared King¡¯s concept or a related one and shared similarly rich records was unlikely in the extreme. Especially since Grikas seemed to be a new species to their universe, according to Dexter, as there was a distinct lack of historical information few other monsters shared. His core concept will, one way or another, be a massive factor, Alistair thought as they prepared to disembark from the Kaiakos. They were the best example of this¡ªneither of them had mastered their concepts yet, but with Sotarr''s guidance, they improved by leaps and bounds. Alistair was confident that either of them could easily crush their previous selves in a fight. The realization sent a shudder down his spine, making him acutely aware of just how lucky they were not to have encountered a truly dangerous opponent since leaving the Trial. Undocking from the Kaiakos, they set a course for a rugged planet they had come across in their initial scouting for a home planet. The planet in question had a strong magical density, but most of its surface was harsh and unforgiving¡ªmuch like Neshan, with vast deserts, badlands, dense jungles, small salty seas, and a generally hot environment. Such planets often harbored beasts that had either adapted to extreme conditions or altered the environment around them. Both types were highly desirable: the former could provide valuable components like armor plates or specialized aspected cores, while the latter could be a boon to Lacustrine. The equatorial regions of Lacustrine were hot, humid, and covered in their own jungles and rocky terrain, so some of these beasts might feel right at home. It took their navigation station only a few hours to lock onto the beacon, calculate drift obstacles, and account for interference before they made a brief jump through hyperspace. They soon found themselves orbiting an orange and purple planet. The planet''s foliage had a distinct purple hue, creating an intriguing visual that complemented the stunning nebula backdrop. It was orbited by two smaller moons, but as they purposely passed by, neither of them nor their ship''s sensors detected any dungeon or notable magical signatures. Instead, they set course for a large canyon, surrounded and partially overgrown by jungle¡ªlikely a hotspot for points of interest. "What do you think we''ll find down there?" Alistair asked as the ground loomed closer, their displays lighting up with highlighted beasts and mana signatures detected by the sensors. Riseth tilted her head thoughtfully. "Definitely more plants, but I''m hoping for some interesting beasts¡ªor even better, an actual realm." Chapter 182: Big Payouts As they neared the landing site, their sensors picked up on significant cave systems branching out from the canyons. "Well, that¡¯s going to make exploring a bit of a hassle," Alistair muttered. Riseth, however, saw it differently. "You¡¯ve just had a few bad experiences with underground systems. They can be incredibly beautiful, full of wonders¡ªentire biospheres could be thriving down there." She brightened at the thought. "I think we should definitely check it out. There¡¯s a large cavern in the jungle nearby that connects to the canyon, and according to the sensors, it even has multiple entrances within the jungle. There are bound to be some interesting beasts there," she said, clearly excited by the prospect of exploring. Her excitement was contagious. "Yeah, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go check it out," Alistair agreed, joining her after he released King to his usual scouting while she stored the Artemis. They had landed above the jungle since there was no suitable landing site anywhere near the canyons and jungle¡ªthe terrain was too rough and overgrown. As he glanced around, Alistair paused when he noticed a flock of macaws perched above them. Some had extra eyes, while others sported unusual colorations like purple and red. One of them was a striking mix of all the colors of the rainbow, arranged in a stylized pattern. Riseth stopped beside him, looking up at the birds. "They¡¯re beautiful," she remarked, squinting a little. "Wait, don¡¯t you have these on Earth?" "Yeah, we do. It just caught me off guard, seeing them on an alien planet," Alistair replied. "Do you want to introduce them to Lacustrine?" Riseth asked. "No, they''d probably just end up as prey for the griffins we¡¯re planning to introduce," Alistair said with a chuckle. "That would be a shame. But maybe we could introduce them to Nautilus. They might not bring much beyond nostalgia for us humans, but that¡¯s still something." "They¡¯re beautiful, and that alone counts for something," Riseth pointed out. "Nessyra mentioned there¡¯s growing interest in developing resorts and other infrastructure on Nautilus, for people to relax and enjoy the beaches. A flock of these would add to the charm." Alistair considered the options and decided to capture the flock. Macaws were quite intelligent and could make for decent pets or be released again in the future. After securing them and a few other flocks they encountered while navigating the dense jungle, they came across a massive, overgrown rift in the ground, leading to one of the many caverns extending underground. As they descended, they discovered a small biosphere within¡ªa serene pool of water at its center, surrounded by vines and other flora that thrived in the sunlight filtering through the cave''s entrance. Further in, they found beds of colorful, slightly bioluminescent mushrooms. The most intriguing discovery, however, was a vine bearing fruit that resembled a lightbulb in both shape and function, glowing brightly enough to allow the jungle¡¯s vegetation to flourish far beyond the cave entrance. A quick Identify showed him that it was a [Olae] vine. "Now, this is a vine I can see a lot of uses for, even if it doesn¡¯t hold much value in alchemy," Alistair remarked, lifting the plant and inspecting the glowing fruit. Riseth eyed the vine with interest. "We had stories about plants like this. It''s a shame to disturb this cave, but we need to bring some of these back. They''d be popular among the people of Neshan, and since we lack a steady source of light crystals, this could be a good substitute." Alistair scratched his beard thoughtfully while Riseth began harvesting the vines. "Braxik wasn¡¯t keen on introducing vines, but maybe he can work with our specialists to breed a strain that reduces maintenance and other issues," he mused. "They¡¯ll figure something out," Riseth replied with a shrug, storing the last of the vines as Alistair finished collecting the different mushrooms with a casual use of his telekinesis. After realizing that the chamber didn¡¯t connect to the larger network of caves, they made their way out and headed toward the main canyon nearby. Along the way, they encountered various insects and beasts, but none seemed particularly interesting or promising until they stumbled upon a small swarm of cat-sized, ant-like creatures. These creatures absorbed energy from everything they consumed, filling their gasters, which expanded and took on different colors depending on the type of plant or material. It was clear the ants were refining the energy they consumed within their gasters, so Alistair and Riseth decided to follow the swarm to see what they did with the refined material. The trail led them deep into the jungle, where they discovered a massive mound enveloping several trees. The ants disappeared into the mound, making it difficult to discern their activities, as the soil was so dense with magic that any attempt to sense beyond a shallow depth was futile. "Any type of refinement process could be a winner, unless the ants waste all the energy on multiplying themselves. That would just lead to a lot of ants without making a significant impact on the planet''s environment," Riseth observed. Alistair hummed thoughtfully. The magically dense soil suggested that the ants weren¡¯t wasting all their energy on mere reproduction. He considered the idea of destroying the hive, collecting both the soil and the ants¡ªwhich his Identify labeled as [Dosholea - lvl 60] and digging deeper to see what they might uncover underground. The ants themselves posed no threat to them, and if they wanted to make use of these creatures, capturing the queen would likely be necessary.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Shall we dig?" Alistair asked. "Let¡¯s dig," Riseth replied with a nod and expectation and greed gleaming in her eyes. Alistair chuckled. He loved that little glint in her eyes when they found something potentially valuable. He began to unearth the hive, using his Telekinesis to carefully scoop out sections of the dense, magic-infused soil. As he worked, he stored both the ants and the soil for later study. As they dug deeper, they uncovered a vast underground structure, its tunnels reinforced by a shimmering resin produced by the Dosholea ants. The resin was energy-conductive, promoting the flow of magic throughout the hive while strengthening the tunnels. The most significant discovery was the hive queen¡¯s chamber, buried deep underground and encased in a crystallized cocoon made of the same resin as the tunnels. Alistair had to crack open the cocoon to subdue the queen, who, at level 106 and about the size of a bison, looked imposing. However, like most hive queens, she specialized in nurturing and strengthening her hive rather than combat, so subduing her took little effort. One of their up-and-coming beastmasters would likely take her on, making hive control much easier, though her high grade would mean it might take some time before anyone was capable of bonding with her. Inside the cocoon, they found a treasure trove of crystallized resin chunks, which, unlike the rest, contained concentrated concepts, functioning similarly to essence crystals and gems. While none of the concepts immediately intrigued Alistair, he knew they could potentially direct the types of concepts these creatures refined. Additionally, the soil surrounding the hive promised to be excellent for farming, which just added to the ant''s potential value. "It''s the big payout!" Riseth cheered, hugging Alistair¡¯s side and planting an excited kiss on his cheek. Alistair grinned, lifting her off the ground for a moment as she let out a delighted squeal. This was exactly the kind of discovery they¡¯d been hoping for on this planet, and he had a feeling there were more surprises waiting for them. His hunch was confirmed when they descended into the overgrown canyon and entered an expansive underground network. The cave system was breathtakingly vast, illuminated by the vibrant glow of Olae vines. The plants and fungi inside were arranged in a wild, colorful display that made the place feel almost otherworldly. The air was thick with the earthy, wet scent of the jungle, mixed with a hint of something spicy¡ªsomething that might have worried Alistair before the trial but now only intrigued him. "I told you, these places can be beautiful," Riseth said, letting her gaze wander. Alistair, however, was focused on a large three-toed imprint in the soft cavern floor, leading deeper into the tunnel network. The size of the print suggested the presence of a beast as large, if not larger, than King. "What do you think? Big subterranean lizard? Maybe some kind of drake or lindwurm?" Alistair speculated. Riseth knelt down, touching the soil around the print. "Whatever it is, it''s big and really heavy. It''s also bipedal from what I can tell. There''s no sign of a tail or body dragging along, so it''s probably not a lindwurm. Maybe some kind of heavily armored dinosaur or draconian beast?" she suggested. Alistair pondered the suggestion as he inspected the tunnels. Something about them felt off. The tunnels didn¡¯t appear to be formed by natural erosion or water flow, nor did they seem like the result of simple burrowing. There was an unnatural quality to them¡ªuneven and twisting, with frequent jagged protrusions jutting out from the walls. He couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on what had caused it, and even Riseth seemed uncertain. Deciding to investigate further, they followed the massive footprints, descending deeper into the earth, using the sporadic glow of Olae vines to light their way. As they followed the large tracks, they descended deeper and deeper underground. Alistair became increasingly certain that some of these tunnels had either been created or expanded by the creature they were tracking. Riseth paused, tracing her fingers over a particularly jagged section of the tunnel wall. "I think this beast isn¡¯t just burrowing; it¡¯s eating the rock," she observed, noting the large, uneven chunks torn from the rock face. "This looks like a huge maw took a bite out of it." Alistair stepped closer, inspecting the rough surface. "I think you¡¯re right. It could be refining the rock and ore within it. That would be another incredible find." "Unless it¡¯s just digesting all the rock and leaving it as waste," Riseth added with a smirk. "Could still be valuable," Alistair countered. "For all we know, processed rock waste might become our first major material export." "We¡¯d have to work on the name, though," Riseth laughed. "Calling it ¡®processed rock poop¡¯ wouldn¡¯t make for a great sales pitch." Alistair grinned. "We don¡¯t have to mention it¡¯s monster waste. We¡¯ll just give it a fancier name." Their banter was interrupted by the sound of loud grinding echoes through the cave system. Wordlessly, they picked up speed, descending the tunnel until they reached an enormous underground chamber. The ceiling stretched at least a hundred meters above them, dimly lit by the glowing fruit of the Olae vines. The floor was a patchwork of packed dirt, rocky surfaces, moss, and beds of fungi¡ªmany of which had been trampled by massive draconic bipedal beasts that were currently clashing in what appeared to be a territorial battle. The creatures were heavily armored, their bodies covered in layers of metal-like material in varying colors. Alistair and Riseth exchanged a glance¡ªthey had hit the jackpot again. These beasts clearly refined the material they consumed to enhance their armor. As they watched the two massive Brenga beasts battle, they quickly agreed these creatures wouldn¡¯t be suitable for Lacustrine or Nautilus. The planets'' abundant aquifers could easily drown the beasts, and they didn¡¯t seem particularly bright. The last thing they wanted was these creatures chewing through their home worlds. However, they could potentially introduce them to other worlds¡ªperhaps even Riddickulus¡ªsince these Brenga, at levels 150 and 155, respectively, would likely have a great matchup against the native wendigos and could make use of the now barren rocky nature of the planet without suffering much from the lack of natural treasures besides the rock and ore the wendigoes hadn''t been able to consume. "We should wait and see if they truly consume the rock," Riseth suggested through their Akashic link. Alistair nodded, though he was fairly confident their theory was correct. He could sense the magical process occurring within the beasts even as they fought. However, he didn¡¯t notice any immediate changes to their armor, aside from the occasional crack when they struck each other with their club-like tails. Interestingly, despite their massive, unhinged jaws, the Brenga didn¡¯t bite each other during their confrontation. Instead, they resorted to threatening displays¡ªopening their maws wide, grunting, and roaring in an attempt to intimidate. Alistair was certain their crafters would be thrilled at the idea of working with the Brenga''s metal-like hides, melting them down and combining them with other crafting materials. His thoughts were interrupted when the larger of the two beasts drove off the smaller one with a loud, victorious roar. Alistair and Riseth exchanged a quick glance, nodding in silent agreement, and each began following one of the two Brenga as they separated. Chapter 183: Aegis Coalition Universal Network A wide smile spread across Melissa''s face as the bell finally chimed, confirming her skill upgrade. Arathos, a cambion and the first child born in Rathos¡ªa name chosen to honor the occasion¡ªgrasped her finger, letting out an adorable coo. Melissa had worked with many volunteers, hoping to develop a skill that would allow her to discover their core concepts, but this had to be the most endearing one yet. Arathos¡¯s parents, Emily and Garris, had a story that Melissa would have loved to see turned into a romance movie. Emily, a lawyer from New York, had met Garris, an Infernarii, during the trial¡ªmuch like Alistair and Riseth¡ªand the two had formed a quick bond. The amusing twist came from Garris''s initial misunderstanding. To the people of Neshan, humans were nearly mythical before the trial, and in their culture, lawyers were more like mercenaries or enforcers, ensuring business interests were upheld by contract¡ªor force. So when Emily introduced herself as a lawyer, Garris believed she was a fierce warrior goddess, skilled in both combat and law. The misconception stuck for a while, as Emily¡¯s sharp wit, tough demeanor, and natural magical affinity allowed her to excel during the trial, further reinforcing Garris''s belief. Unlike her previous volunteers, this little one didn''t know his core concept, and his parents were eager to learn it so they could properly guide and teach Arathos once he was old enough. When Melissa had heard the bell¡ªa sound identical to the one from her old workplace as a kindergarten teacher¡ªshe knew she had succeeded. She looked at the parents with a confident smile. "Miss Ryser, did you figure out what Arathos''s core concept is?" Emily asked hopefully, squeezing Garris¡¯s hand. "Please, call me Melissa," she replied warmly. "And yes, I finally succeeded." The parents watched her with bated breath. "It¡¯s the concept of ''Law.'' Congratulations," Melissa said, handing the small child back to his parents. Emily and Garris received their child, barely able to contain their excitement as they hugged each other and thanked her profusely. Melissa smiled, happy to have helped them. She knew Alistair had requested to be informed as soon as she developed the skill, so she sent a quick message to Nessyra through the network. Nessyra had also wanted to know as soon as possible, anticipating an influx of children in the coming months. Parents would be eager to learn their children¡¯s concepts, and Melissa didn¡¯t mind dedicating some of her time to help. Though she might have to gently remind Nessyra not to impose a fee for this kind of service.
During their expedition, Alistair and Riseth eventually named the planet Calidor''s Cradle¡ªa fitting name given its intense heat and the wealth of beauty and useful creatures it harbored. Over the course of roughly two weeks, they explored its diverse landscapes, taking advantage of the challenging yet relatively safe environment to train with their summons against a wide array of beasts. King, in particular, developed a fondness for the swarms of massive flying crabs, finding them especially delicious. However, both Alistair and Riseth were hesitant to introduce these crabs to their home planet or moon. Although they were quite tasty, the crabs multiplied and spread rapidly, thanks to their ability to fly and their high mobility both on land and water. They were also rather ugly and highly aggressive, constantly seeking to expand their territory. While their spread was limited by the few briny seas on Calidor''s Cradle, this wouldn''t be the case on Lacustrine or Nautilus, where abundant water sources would allow them to thrive unchecked. They had captured some of the swarms and kept them in reserve, hoping to find a suitable use for these creatures. Unfortunately, the Brenga were the last of the "Big Payouts," as Riseth liked to call them, using a Neshan term similar to Earth''s "jackpot." Although she was fond of the Earth term, old habits died hard, and she often reverted to the Neshan version whenever they encountered something potentially valuable. While they failed to find any of the dungeons or beasts they could introduce to their planets, there were a handful of surprises; the first had been an exploration title that pushed them to level 125.

Titles: Tier: [Rare] Name: Clan Explorer Effect: Grants a 5% bonus to the [Senses] statistic and slight environmental resistance. Origin: A growing title acquired and improved by exploring, mapping, and enriching [Clan Ryser] through planetary explorations and expeditions.
The second one was announced with a chime Alistair had never heard before, and by the confused look Riseth had, she had received something similar. When he checked his notifications, he found that he had connected to the Aegis Coalition Universal Network, or ACUN, along with a message. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
[ACUN] Faction Message: Title: Provisional Access to Aegis Coalition Universal Network (ACUN) From: Aegis Coalition Headquarters Well met, Clan Ryser, In recognition of your Clan¡¯s ongoing efforts and alignment with our shared objectives, the Council of the Aegis Coalition has designated Clan Ryser as an Independent Friendly Party. As such, we are pleased to inform you that your Clan has been granted provisional access to the basic functionalities of the Aegis Coalition Universal Network (ACUN). This access will enable you to utilize key resources, including the [Mercenary Mission Board] and [Universal Messaging System], and more to support our mutual interests. We look forward to your continued contributions and collaboration as we work together to protect the universe from external threats.
Nessyra had previously informed them about the Aegis Coalition (AC), and they had considered reaching out for trade opportunities, mercenary work, and possibly special assignments that required powerful combatants. As Alistair explored the newly available functionalities, he noticed that access had been granted selectively¡ªonly the Clan''s Leadership had been greenlit, with the option to request access for additional Clan members or Allies if needed. The third surprise came in the form of immediate messages from both Melissa and Nessyra through the new network. Melissa shared the news that she had successfully acquired the Core Concept Identification skill. The second was from Nessyra, who mentioned she was already in touch with a representative from the AC and would handle the diplomatic talks, keeping them in the loop if anything important came up that required their attention. "It looks like it¡¯s time to head back to Lacustrine," Riseth said, glancing at their still sparring summons. Alistair nodded. "Yeah, I was hoping we¡¯d find at least one dungeon before leaving, but I¡¯m happy to leave that to the other teams. Plus, I¡¯m really eager to find out what King¡¯s and Fluffy¡¯s concepts are." Hearing this, their summons, which had only slowed slightly to listen, immediately perked up. Both King and Fluffy stopped sparring and turned their full attention to Alistair, their excitement obvious. "Is it finally time?" King asked, his usually deep, imperious voice tinged with anticipation, his sharp, draconic eyes locked on him. Fluffy shrank back to her regular size, slithering onto Riseth¡¯s back, her gaze fixed intently on Alistair. "Yes, my sister finally upgraded her skill, so we can start your training in earnest," Alistair confirmed with a wide smile. King insisted that they leave immediately, and Fluffy vigorously nodded her head. Alistair chuckled at their impatience before complying with their wish. He picked up Viv, who had been rubbing against his legs, noting the change of atmosphere and wanting attention. It stung a little that they hadn''t found another dungeon, especially since both Alistair and Riseth had sensed they were getting close in their last underground expedition. However, they had mapped the area quite thoroughly, and by now, they had multiple groups of explorers within their clan who could take over their expedition and pick up where they had left off. Discovery of a dungeon was associated with large payments, and Alistair would have preferred to find the dungeon themselves so they could have picked up those extra skill points and any rewards without having to return to the planet later. But their time was valuable, and they had run out of real challenges days ago and mostly stuck around in the hope of discovering the dungeon they were sensing. As they lifted off from Calidor''s Cradle, Alistair browsed through the ACUN network. There were plenty of intriguing opportunities to earn both [USC] and [ACG], the Aegis Coalition''s currency. The network featured various tabs for trade, map data, fleet actions, material acquisition, and, most interesting to Alistair, a Special Request section and a Bounty Board. There were only a handful of open Special Requests, and they often vanished soon after they appeared; they would likely have to pay someone in their clan to keep an eye on the network for them and send the suggestion to Nessyra. The Bounty Board, on the other hand, was overflowing with thousands of bounties, organized by type. Most of these bounties targeted pirate fleets and individual ships, but there were just as many for specific individuals and hostile factions, many of which were tied to the Blackmarket Syndicates. The listings included details such as last known locations, known abilities, behaviors, and any other available intelligence. Every bounty listed the target''s crimes in graphic detail, and as Alistair continued to read through them, a deep sense of anger and disgust churned within him. With each new horror, his resolve hardened. He wouldn''t let these monsters continue their atrocities if he could stop them. Determined, he linked his Akashic Link directly to the Bounty Board, enabling his Identify skill to cross-reference any targets he encountered with the database. He felt like he was on the brink of upgrading his Akashic Link skill again, suspecting that the provisional access and amount of available information were the only things holding him back. Riseth, noticing his tension, gave him a worried glance. Alistair managed an apologetic smile and explained what he had found and how he had linked his skill to the network¡¯s database. Riseth checked for herself and grimaced. ¡°I know that on Earth, people try to imprison and rehabilitate criminals,¡± Riseth began, her tone steely. ¡°But this... this is beyond redemption. If we come across any of these monsters, I won¡¯t hesitate to end them.¡± Alistair met her gaze, his expression hardening. ¡°I¡¯m with you on this. Slavers, mass murderers, torturers, and worse... they need to be stopped. Permanently.¡± Riseth reached out and squeezed his hand reassuringly, and he gave her a small smile as he tried to shake off the dark thoughts. I¡¯m not on Earth anymore, he reminded himself. These people go out of their way to spread misery and death. Most of them aren¡¯t even human. They¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming to them. As Alistair leaned back in his chair getting comfortable for the trip back to Lacustrine, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of affinities their summons would reveal. While nearly any concept would work for them, he hoped their summons received ones that were on the more straightforward side. It was essential that King and Fluffy grasped their own concepts since Alistair and Riseth could only offer guidance and suggestions. Imposing too much of their own understanding, wishes, or ideas onto the summons could stifle their growth¡ªand, given their link, it would affect Alistair and Riseth¡¯s growth in turn, he was already struggling to teach Viv, still hesitant to feed her the pill of enlightenment, she was bound to grow even smarter as they advanced in grade. However, their speed had slowed to a crawl since leaving the trial for a multitude of reasons and he was grateful for every title that had helped mitigate the difference even slightly, he knew he shouldn''t prolong the decision for much longer. Still, he wasn¡¯t too concerned for King and Fluffy. In fact, he was eager to see just how much more powerful their summons would become once they fully understood their core and linked concepts. Chapter 184: Core Concepts Revealed. Alistair spotted his sister and mother waiting on the docks and hurried over to embrace them. Viv wasted no time joining in, purring as she affectionately rubbed against their legs until his mother scooped her up, showering her with well-deserved attention. "Hey, Mom, Sis, how¡¯ve you both been?" Alistair asked with a grin. His mother and sister smiled warmly. "We¡¯ve been great! The people here are really friendly, and there¡¯s always something happening, especially since the Platijum Lily got connected to the city," his mother replied. Alistair raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I haven¡¯t heard much about the dungeon since I left with the Kaiakos. Is it drawing a lot of attention?" As Riseth arrived and greeted his mother with a warm hug, Alistair turned his attention to Melissa, who scoffed. "Attention? It¡¯s practically the city¡¯s new obsession. Even the kids are spending their free time exploring it. Thankfully, we¡¯ve managed to keep the gambling events restricted to the adults." "It''s quite the energetic and excitable dungeon," his mother added. Alistair chuckled and wrapped his arm around Riseth as they made their way to their quarters, choosing a more scenic route through Rathos. The city buzzed with life, even more so now with the influx of people from various species. Nessyra¡¯s initial meeting with the AC revealed a few planets that wouldn¡¯t be hostile to their recruitment efforts and would fit their other recruitment requirements, and Rathos became a melting pot as a result. Alistair noticed that elves had become more common, and it seemed that sheep and ramkin had overtaken the minotaurs and crabkin as the most numerous beastkin in the city. What caught his attention was how humanoid these newcomers appeared, a likely indication that they had participated in the trial. Interestingly, there were also quadrupedal sheepkin, leading Alistair to wonder if they used polymorph to better fit in or if both forms had been represented on their planet. A quick search revealed that these newcomers called themselves the Shophan and Ixpir. Both races shared a world and a distant ancestry but had evolved quite differently, with one taking on a more humanoid form and the other maintaining a centaur-like appearance. They didn¡¯t interbreed, having been biologically incompatible before the trial, though there were instances of childless marriages between the two races. Such unions, however, were frowned upon. They shared a few similarities, such as their universally white or light golden hair and fur, as well as similarly shaped ears and horn variants. However, that¡¯s where the resemblances ended. The Ixpir had more sheeplike or ibex-like heads with darker furred skin, while the more humanoid Shophan closely resembled humans in their skin tones and features, though they shared some horn shapes with the demons from Neshan. Their clothing styles also differed significantly. The Ixpir favored loose, colorful robes with rich, intricate patterns, while the Shophan preferred thicker, more practical attire that resembled a mix of winter clothing and gambesons. Their garments were typically in muted colors like white and brown, reflecting the materials used. Unlike their quadrupedal neighbors, the Shophan¡¯s clothing had many pockets and bags, with minimal decoration. As they moved through Rathos, Alistair took in the city¡¯s rapid growth. The diverse crowd, bustling shops, and flying carpets all blended with the magic woven into daily life¡ªit was staggering to realize this vibrant square was just a small part of an ever-expanding city. Rathos was steadily becoming large and populous enough to be considered a true capital¡ªa capital that he was, technically, in charge of, with the duty to protect and guide it. The weight of that responsibility hit him in a way it hadn¡¯t in a while. He didn¡¯t want to imagine what might happen if he and Riseth failed to advance and were discovered by the Syndicates or other powerful individuals with ill intent. In this new reality, a single person could bring doom and misery to an entire civilization. He had surrounded himself with family, friends, and capable allies, and they had prepared thoroughly for the challenges ahead. Still, none of that guaranteed true safety¡ªif such a thing even existed anymore. When they reached Alistair and Riseth¡¯s quarters, they headed straight for their massive training chamber with its arena array, eager to uncover King and Fluffy¡¯s core concepts. As they stepped into the chamber, anticipation hung thick in the air. The array activated, transforming the space into a large, circular, stone-tiled arena reminiscent of the one where Alistair had first met King. He summoned King, while Riseth called forth Fluffy beside the towering wyvern. King immediately locked eyes on his sister, who, to his surprise, didn¡¯t even flinch under his draconic gaze. "Finally," King rumbled. Melissa smirked. "I suppose you want to go first, unless you¡¯d prefer to save the best for last?" The wyvern paused, glancing at the small serpent beside him. Fluffy wriggled with excitement, looking up at him with big, round, pleading eyes. King let out a huff. "Fine," he grumbled. "Let her go first. As you said, let¡¯s keep the best for last." Alistair raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. He knew King had a soft spot for Fluffy, but he hadn¡¯t expected him to actually step aside for the eager Quetzalcoatl. Melissa patted the wyvern¡¯s head before approaching Fluffy, who eagerly propped herself up to touch Melissa¡¯s outstretched hand with her snout. Melissa closed her eyes, her expression tightening with concentration. A moment later, her eyes snapped open, narrowing as she seemed to mentally grasp something. "It¡¯s the concept of Metal," she said slowly, retracting her hand and studying the serpent intently. "Huh," Alistair and Riseth said in unison, both surprised. They had expected Fluffy¡¯s core concept to align more closely with her strong wind and lightning affinities and had expected one of them to be her concept or at least a linked one. Maybe those affinities are a racial benefit of the Quetzalcoatl species, Alistair mused.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Metal is great; with her high affinity for electricity and magnetism being a linked concept to metal, she got some incredibly potent options there," Riseth mused aloud as Fluffy slithered onto her shoulder, intently looking at King and Melissa, who placed her hands on King''s head, her expression tight with focus. "You should talk to my brother," Alistair suggested. "He¡¯s got the highest metal affinity I know of and the most experience when it comes to working with it and using the Plane of Metal. He could teach her a lot." Riseth nodded thoughtfully, "That''s a good idea. I''ll do that. Let''s hope he can make some time." "I am sure he will make some time," Alistair reassured her, though he knew his brother was one of the busiest people around. He had technically overtaken both of them in terms of levels, constantly spearheading crafting endeavors. His personal power armor was something to behold¡ªcontinuously upgraded and enhanced. Last time Alistair checked, it was already at Mark 24, and his brother was already working on the next major upgrade. He noted the frown on his sister''s face as she continued to inspect the wyvern, taking much longer than she had with Fluffy. King marinated his stoic presence, but Alistair could tell he was growing somewhat uneasy and impatient. Please don''t let him have a weird esoteric concept, Alistair prayed internally. Melissa looked up at King, her hands letting go of the wyvern, a slightly troubled expression on her face. "What is it?" King grumbled in his deep, imperious voice. Melissa shot Alistair a quick, hesitant glance before meeting the wyvern''s gaze. "You have the Curse concept," she stated. There was a silence in the room that seemed to stretch out as her words sunk in. Alistair considered the information. The concept of curses wasn''t ideal, but it was a powerful concept linked to several powerful concepts, though most had negative connotations. The more Alistair thought about it, the more he liked the idea, as curses didn''t have to be strictly negative or inflict harm; becoming immortal could be viewed as a curse. He suspected there was some flexibility to the concept that, if used right, could allow King to empower himself and weaken his opponents. A quick search confirmed that the concept of energy was connected, as well as the concept of Sin. This opened up the possibility for King to harness Sinenergy or even cursed energy, perhaps both. Ideas began racing through Alistair¡¯s mind, but he had to rein them in as he noticed the more complicated expressions on the faces of those around him. "I suppose that makes you the King of Curses," Alistair quipped to break the tension. King rumbled in approval. "I like that name." "I figured you would," Alistair replied with a smirk. Melissa still seemed unconvinced, but after searching his eyes, she relented with a sigh. ¡°Fine. Just don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Alistair, who had been about to crack a ''let it go'' joke, thought better of it and nodded appreciatively. ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise.¡± As Riseth joined Melissa to seek out James¡ªor at least some of their engineers¡ªto help elevate Fluffy¡¯s core concept, Alistair turned to his wyvern, who was watching him expectantly. ¡°Let¡¯s get you strong enough to kill a dragon,¡± he said, a wide grin spreading across his face. King tried to mimic the smile, but the result was more terrifying than anything else. Over the next month, they quickly discovered that to keep King¡¯s curse concept from slipping into the realm of blessings, any empowerment had to be tied to a condition or come at a cost. While King could enhance himself by cursing others, this approach wasn¡¯t foolproof¡ªespecially if the target resisted or there was no one to curse. King confided in Alistair that he had saved most of his skill points and had invested a significant portion of his trial reward into boons that increased his skill points gains. With his heightened intellect, he realized that his current abilities, like his beam and feather attack, wouldn¡¯t be sufficient in the long run. This strategic saving left them with enough skill points to work with; even if many of his available skills weren''t immediately useful, they managed to upgrade them by applying a variety of curses to them. Some unselected basic skills could be shaped into something more versatile, while others would require refinement¡ªsimilar to Alistair''s work with Death from Above, which had recently evolved into Telekinetic Death from Above. Once the skill had taken on its new telekinetic nature, further upgrades became much easier. Although upgrading it further at his current grade would be challenging, this allowed him to shift focus to other skills. He suspected that his recent bombing of the hive had helped loosen the resistance around the skill. While training the new skill, he managed to elevate his Telekinesis skill to the legendary tier as well.

Skills: Tier: [Legendary] Name: Telekinetic Death From Above Description: This skill drastically increases [Power] when attacking an opponent from above. The focus required when using telekinetics to move the user is drastically reduced, and [Control] is increased by a large degree. The user''s ability to resist interference, disruption, manipulation, etc., when using any Telekinesis is greatly increased. Due to the incredibly high affinity in kinetics and telekinesis, any energy siphoned from momentum, movements, or impacts through telekinesis is increased to a large degree. Any kinetic energy generated from landing on an opponent is increased by a large degree.
Alistair was pleased with both his and King¡¯s progress, and Riseth reported similar success with Fluffy, who had received custom-made gear and armor for her enlarged form. King, however, was currently held back by the need to wait for his next skill selection before he could use his new abilities more efficiently. Despite this, he had taken to curses far more quickly than Alistair had anticipated. To Alistair¡¯s surprise, King finally revealed his humanoid form, something he had kept secret, but Alistair had suspected the wyvern had been capable of doing for a while now. Alistair stared at King¡¯s new shape: reddish skin, sharp features, and black and red hair slicked back, giving him a stern, imposing appearance. He stood as tall as Alistair, and Alistair suspected that King had modeled his height after him out of respect. His eyes retained their piercing draconic quality, and his face seemed to carry a perpetual frown, exuding an air of boredom and condescension. Alistair couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What¡¯s with the frown?" "I dislike taking this form," King rumbled in his deep voice, "but it helps me with my core concept." He let out a long sigh. Alistair was taken aback. "How does taking on your humanoid form help with curses?" "Empowering myself while being trapped in this form, unable to use many of my other techniques, is a significant price," King explained. "It allows me to wield a different set of curses that require greater sacrifice on my part." Alistair let out an appreciative whistle. " Now that''s smart." A Creepy smile crept on the wyvern''s face, hearing the praise. Right, we need to work on that smile, Alistair thought, giving King an awkward smile in return. Chapter 185: Call for Aid Their training sessions were abruptly cut short when they received an emergency message from the Aegis Coalition.
[ACUN] Urgent Emergency Message: Title: Requesting Immediate Support From: Aegis Coalition Headquarters Approximately [20 minutes] ago, the Aegis Coalition came under large-scale assault by the Blackmarket Syndicates. Hundreds of planets across the universe are currently under attack, with Coalition fleets stretched thin defending critical infrastructure worlds. We urgently request that all available forces mobilize to assist the Coalition in any way possible. Any aid provided will be generously rewarded. Requests for enhanced communication channels and beacon access are being fast-tracked for all allies and independent factions willing to assist. This attack is not merely an assault on the Coalition¡ªit is an attack on the universe as a whole. The Syndicates are targeting infrastructure and population centers, taking slaves, and crippling our ability to defend against external invaders. Your help may make the difference between our universe being overrun by invaders or holding fast at facing adversity. The Fate of our universe hangs in the balance; stand with us now. Together, we can turn the tide and save lives; please respond without delay.
Alistair and Riseth rushed to enter their Tactical Operation Center for an emergency meeting. They were among the first. Nessyra, James, and somehow Denodia were already present; Denodia sat in a large, richly decorated chair and waved at them with a small smile. They took a seat watching the rest of the clans leadership arrive in short order, once everyone was present Nessyra stepped up, a grim expression on her face. "I do not wish to take much time as we have a time-sensitive situation on our hands," Nessyra began, her gaze sweeping across the circle to ensure she had everyone''s attention. ¡°We¡¯ve all received the emergency message from the Aegis Coalition, but I was able to gather more intel through my contacts. As the message stated, the Syndicates have launched a massive, coordinated attack on hundreds of planets, primarily targeting critical infrastructure and killing anyone who stands in their way." She paused briefly, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. "It is not looking good. While the Coalition¡¯s fleet is significantly larger and better organized than the Syndicate¡¯s pirate fleets, the difference isn¡¯t as vast as we¡¯d hope. Coalition spies have confirmed that the Syndicates are using their own universal network to coordinate this widespread assault. Their strategy appears to be to spread the Coalition thin by threatening key planets from core factions, effectively tying up critical assets." "My personal recommendation is that we assist at least one of the nearby planets. There are multiple targets in neighboring galaxies with accessible beacons, and the Syndicate fleets in those areas are small enough for us to handle with minimal losses." She cleared her throat. "I¡¯ve already recalled all available assets and deployed teams of lawyers and combat personnel to our ships. Jump calculations for what I deemed to be the best target are in progress, so we potentially won¡¯t waste any time once we¡¯ve made our decision." Simon frowned. "Isn¡¯t it risky to help in a neighboring galaxy? Couldn¡¯t that narrow down our location for the Syndicate?" Nessyra shook her head. "I don¡¯t believe so. We¡¯ve been recruiting across various regions, and I¡¯ve made sure to create false leads by sending some of our exploration vessels to distant nebulas and galaxies. Those ships were seen by both independent factions and some of the larger ones, thanks to information from my Coalition contacts. We should be safe, and this could also help us build rapport with the Coalition and the local populations." Alistair frowned, considering the stakes. "So, if we stay out of this conflict, we risk not only alienating the Coalition and losing access to their network, but they might be too crippled and preoccupied to hold off the invaders at the bridges, their main defense line. If that happens, the outsiders will breach the universe." Nessyra nodded gravely. "Exactly. If the Coalition fails, the burden of defense will fall not only to the galaxies nearest to the bridges but the wider universe unimpeded, as not every faction cares to establish a bridgehead near the universal bridge. The invaders will spread chaos from there, and the Syndicates will thrive in the disorder, likely reinforcing their numbers with the invaders¡¯ support. They¡¯ll circle the battlefield like daregs¡ªor vultures, for those from Earth." A low murmur of conversation spread through the group as everyone weighed the potential targets, the risks, and the larger consequences of either intervening or remaining hidden. Alistair eventually turned to Denodia, seeking her insight. "What do you see?" he asked, hoping her ability to glimpse potential futures might guide them. Denodia met his gaze, her expression unusually solemn. "There are too many moving pieces," she said, her eyes flicking between him and Riseth. "I don¡¯t want to say too much, but you should know this mission comes with real danger. If we¡¯re not careful, some of us won¡¯t make it back. That includes both you and Riseth." A heavy silence settled over the group as Denodia¡¯s words sank in. The idea of one of them not returning hadn¡¯t fully registered with Alistair until now. The thought of being stranded temporarily if their fleet was forced to retreat was troubling enough, but the possibility of losing Riseth or dying himself twisted his stomach in knots.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Denodia continued, her tone measured. "Do not misunderstand; this is a distinct possibility at all times and it doesn''t matter if you go out seeking treasures and dangers among the stars or sit here on this world waiting for danger to find us instead," "Well, that¡¯s not exactly helpful," James commented with a frown on his face. Denodia nodded. "It¡¯s frustrating. The closer and more defined an event is the fewer variables and potential outcomes I have to contend with. Honestly, my concept is more useful in crafting and direct combat than in situations like this." Riseth crossed her arms, deep in thought. "Either way, if we¡¯re going after the Syndicate fleet and handling the forces they¡¯ve left on the ground, we need to keep our weaker members well protected. Either Alistair or I should stay close to the main group at all times. We have no idea how many of the Syndicate members have received outside training like Alistair and I have, so we can''t afford to take any chances." Alistair sighed, scanning the room before speaking. "Alright, who here is willing to go out and help save these people? And who thinks this is too risky and would prefer to stay behind?" To his surprise, nearly everyone raised their hands to volunteer, except for Melissa, Braxik, and Jessica. The Ryser siblings all glanced at their mother, Juliana, who had her hand raised. "Mom, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re letting you go into a warzone," James said firmly, with the others nodding in agreement. Juliana remained calm but resolute. "My teleportation magic is powerful enough to work even through strong interference. I can evacuate and reinforce our forces faster than anyone else, even without a beacon. You need me and my abilities." Alistair grimaced, exchanging concerned looks with his brother and sister. "If you¡¯re going, I¡¯m going with you," Melissa added quickly. "I won¡¯t let you go alone. My magic can defend us, and I can put anyone who¡¯s mortally wounded in stasis until we get them to safety." Alistair liked this less and less. If it was just him, Riseth, and maybe Simon and James heading out, he wouldn¡¯t be nearly as worried. But the thought of his mother and sister near the front lines unsettled him, even if they were powerful and far above the curve in terms of levels. Sensing his unease, Nessyra spoke up. "Since we''ve agreed to focus our efforts on Planet Edos, we need to board immediately. The calculations should be complete soon. Once we destroy the enemy fleet, we''ll drive off the invaders on the ground and operate in large, heavily protected groups. I¡¯ll remain here to coordinate our attacks using the Aegis Coalition¡¯s enhanced network communications. May fortune be with you all." With time running out, Nessyra quickly jumped to the task of organizing and directing the boarding efforts. Every second they delayed gave the Syndicates more opportunity to murder, plunder, destroy, and enslave. There wasn¡¯t enough time to wait for any off-world combat forces to return, so the available teams boarded the Kaiakos and their small fleet of combat ships as quickly as possible. The fleet now consisted of eight frigates, a destroyer-class ship, and a small armada of jet-sized fighter crafts stationed aboard both the Kaiakos and their destroyer, the Akris. With Nessyra staying behind, Captain Kazire, a demon in charge of the Kaiakos whenever the clan leadership was absent, would pilot the ship and command the fleet. The mission aimed to secure an improved Fleet Commander title for him, as well as for the captains of the frigates and the pilots of the fighter crafts. Alistair watched demons and humans board the fighter crafts as he walked through the hangar. He knew that most of the fighter crafts had been custom-made for their pilots, complete with safety measures and emergency ejection functionality to increase their chances of survival. Despite these precautions, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that these crafts were little more than metal coffins. No matter how much they empowered their vessels, he struggled to see them standing up to larger ships with their current power. He would have preferred all fighter crafts to be remotely piloted, but the pilots had insisted that doing so would stifle their advancement on their chosen paths. He breathed in, recognized his misgivings, and let them go. It was their choice, and if they were willing to risk their lives that way, it was their choice to make, and if he was anything to go by, they could very well tear larger crafts apart eventually. He was glad that Nessyra would remain in communication through the AC Network, having requested and immediately been granted access to improved communication features as soon as she confirmed their intent to come to the coalition aid. Her coordination and sharp wit would save many lives, or so he hoped. By the time all the ships had been boarded through shuttles, the jumpdrives were a mere half hour away from completing their calculations. Despite it only being a half hour, time slowed to a crawl, and nervous energy built among those on board the ships. They all knew that this would be their first true taste of combat, and some of them might not return. Some even requested to return to the planet and were granted leave as they wouldn''t force anyone who didn''t have the nerve into combat. They had received word from the inhabitants of Edos that their fleets were still fighting, and the beacon''s location was safe to jump. However, they requested that they hurry, as they couldn''t stop the many transport ships from landing on the planet without allowing the enemy warships to bombard their infrastructures and cities, and their young fleet was close to breaking. As the seconds ticked down to their jump, Alistair squeezed Riseth''s hand, glancing at his mother and sister seated nearby aboard the Artemis. Feeling the weight of the moment, he rose from his seat and approached the captain, requesting a brief moment to address the crew, hoping to lift their spirits. The comms crackled to life. "This is Alistair Ryser," his voice steady but resolute. "Many of you might know me only by name or reputation, but today, I want you to know this: I am here with you, shoulder to shoulder, all the way. Some of you joined us to protect your families, to find a safe haven away from the violence. And that¡¯s exactly why we¡¯re doing this¡ªthis fight is for them. He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in before continuing. "We cannot sit back and let the Syndicate run wild. We can¡¯t let them sabotage the shield that holds back the invaders from beyond. If we allow that, everything we¡¯ve fought for¡ªeverything we¡¯ve built so far will be in danger. So, I say this: Fuck the Syndicates and Fuck the Invaders. We¡¯ve defeated scum like this before, and we¡¯ll do it again. We will stand together, and we will crush them. Today, we fight not just for ourselves, but for the future we¡¯re building. Now, let¡¯s go out there and remind them who we are!" The comms cut off, and a charged silence followed before the crew erupted in cheers, ready to face what awaited them on the other side. Alistair watched as the seconds ticked down to 0 and feeling the familiar pull of warp space as they received the command to jump, he saw flashes of the Kaiakos and the other ships as they jumped out. Chapter 186: Brewing Misery Eberus exhaled a contented sigh as raw power surged through him. His concept was truly a work of art, a gift that had drawn the attention of a much larger predator from the wider multiverse. Under this mentor''s guidance, he had learned to wield it to its full potential. Misery had been his constant companion for as long as he could remember, but now, sowing it yielded a bountiful harvest of power. The Syndicate¡¯s universal network had enabled a coordinated, large-scale assault on the Aegis Coalition, allowing him and others to exploit the ensuing chaos and strike where it hurt most. He had held a portion of his forces in reserve, waiting for the right moment to see if any of the more elusive factions would try to aid the Coalition in its hour of need. Turning to his dark elf secretary, Nealdin, he cast a knowing glance. Nealdin responded swiftly, reporting exactly what he expected. "Four hidden factions have been sighted within range of one of our hidden beacons as reported through the network: the Noross Cabal, the Heavenly Light Sect, the Odramoth Ascendancy, and the Ryser Clan." Eberus licked his fangs, considering his options. The cultivators of the Heavenly Light Sect were best left alone¡ªdealing with Cultivators was always far more trouble than it was worth. The Noross Cabal was even less appealing. Traveling aboard a giant space ray, their entire faction lived on the back of the creature, and even with his stealth ship, infiltrating would be nearly impossible. The beast would likely sense his presence long before he or his assassins could strike. The Odramoth Ascendancy was a tempting target, but then... there was the Ryser Clan. The thought of the Rysers made his lips curl into a cruel smile. A faction mostly made up of cowards, families, and weaklings banding together in some idealistic pursuit of a new, better future. How quaint. Their leaders, while powerful, didn¡¯t have the benefit of training from outside the universe¡ªor at least, not to his or the Syndicates'' knowledge. Even if they had, they weren¡¯t likely to stop him if he caught them by surprise. Better yet, their leaders were a couple. Killing or torturing one would send the other into a frenzy, like a rabid dog, making catching and dispatching them so much easier. The mere thought of torturing and dismembering one of them in front of the other or sending the head of their loved one to their families made him shiver with delight. The misery he could create in that moment would be intoxicating, empowering him beyond anything he had achieved so far. Yes, the Rysers would do nicely, he thought, shivering in anticipation before addressing his secretary, "What is the situation on the Ryser front?" Nealdin straightened, "The Ryser Clan has arrived in the system and attacked the Syndicate forces that were engaged with what was left of the defenders of Edos. Their losses have been minimal, and they have destroyed the Syndicate fleet. Only two crafts escaped, while many Syndicate transports are stranded on the surface. They are currently descending on the planet''s surface. If we leave now, we shall arrive within the hour," "Excellent," Eberus rumbled.
Alistair''s tension mounted as the planet''s surface loomed closer. The space battle had ended as quickly as it had begun¡ªthis time, they had both the numbers and the firepower on their side. Unlike their previous encounter, the Syndicate forces had already been engaged with the planet''s defenders, leaving them vulnerable to a swift and decisive strike. Their fleet had made short work of the enemy ships. Now, the remaining Syndicate raiders, those who hadn¡¯t fled with the transport ships, were trapped, their every movement tracked by the fleet above. They would have blown them to smitherens but they had hostages in the form of captured citizen. The planet was inhabited by humans; along with cat and dog beastkin that had lived in a delicate balance, with the humans providing a balance to the scales, keeping the other two from constant warfare by interjecting themselves. It was an interesting world, and people, and Alistair would have loved to explore it in less dire circumstances. Everything had gone almost too smoothly; besides some of their combat crafts being destroyed and damage to some of their frigates, they had come out mostly intact. He had a bad feeling but wouldn''t let paranoia stop him from helping those in need; based on their reports, the majority of the raiders were in early grade 8 or high grade 9, which made them very dangerous. He would be joining their main camp, protecting his mother and sister as a guardian, while Riseth Simon and Desily would take combat teams into the field. He would have preferred to be the wrecking ball against the stronger Syndicate forces but recognized that his presence would ensure the safety of the main camp, and with his mother''s presence, he would be able to be teleported and reinforce any of their groups that bit off more than they could chew. "Look alive, everyone. We''ve detected a jump signature in the system, but our sensors aren¡¯t picking up any incoming ships. Stay on high alert and keep the shields at full power," Captain Kazire''s voice came through the leadership channel. Alistair nodded to himself. Kazire was proving to be a strong candidate for an Admiral position in command of their combat fleets. His quick, decisive thinking had already minimized fleet damage, and Alistair approved of most of the man''s decisions. However, it would be wise to wait until Kazire gained more relevant titles and power before promoting him to an actual leadership position. As he disembarked from the Artemis, Alistair shared a brief kiss with Riseth before she hurried toward her assigned shuttle, where a Lawyer squad waited for her. Alistair hovered above the city, watching as his mother and sister disembarked with their own teams. A squad had already begun setting up on a hill overlooking the sprawling modern city below, deploying a slightly damaged crystallin emergency beacon and turret emplacements.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. From his vantage point, Alistair could see the squads announcing themselves to the citizens, directing them to designated safe zones. Demons, humans, and Shophan from the Ryser clan were busy reinforcing those positions with earth magic, shield modules, turrets, and automata. These defensive measures wouldn¡¯t last long if a powerful Grade 8 enemy showed up, but nearly half their force was made up of early Grade 8 individuals by now¡ªstrong enough to hold their ground long enough for him to intervene.
As the shuttle neared the Syndicate transport, Qhavlin, their pilot, warned them of their approach. Just as they prepared to descend, Riseth¡¯s danger sense flared violently. A beam of searing energy shot from the transport, arcing toward them with lethal precision. The shuttle strained under the sudden evasive maneuvers, engines roaring as it swerved out of the beam¡¯s path. Reacting without hesitation, Riseth activated her manipulation concept, bending the energy to her will. She redirected and diffused the beam, dispersing it harmlessly before it could reach the shuttle. The shuttle then descended swiftly toward the outskirts of the city where the Syndicate transport had landed. The moment the shuttle touched down, her team of Lawyers sprang into action. Doors flew open, and they disembarked, their power armor humming to life. Riseth followed but remained near the shuttle until Qhavlin had safely secured it. Once it was stored, the young demoness descended gracefully to the ground, carried by her own power. Almost immediately, Syndicate attackers appeared. Instead of engaging directly, Riseth turned invisible, prioritizing the rescue of the hostages. She trusted her Lawyer squad to handle the Syndicate forces as the battlefield erupted with flashes of magic and gunfire and missiles. As the two sides clashed, she subtly took control of one of the Syndicate attackers, forcing them to fire on their own allies, sowing chaos while slipping past them and making her way toward the transport. As she moved past a cluster of trees and a low hill, she saw what her senses had already told her. There, bound invidious-looking barbed magical restraints, were human and catkin prisoners. The barbed bindings glowed with dark energy, sapping their strength and digging deeper into their skin with every movement. Many bore streaks of blood where they had struggled, the ground marked with red as the Syndicate captors dragged them toward the waiting transport craft. She angled her approach to see inside the craft, noting stacks of far too small cages where anyone captured was pressed into the cages made of what she suspected was an adamantine alloy. Fortunately, none of the captured individuals were currently held as hostages directly, and if she had killed the ones guarding the cages and dragging more prisoners, she should be able to free them. A surge of anger and disgust welled up inside her as Riseth unleashed Fluffy, on the two Syndicate members furthest from the group. At the same time, she appeared behind those inside the transport, her bone blades flashing in a deadly arc. With a swift, fluid motion, the blades pierced through the Syndicate attackers, their bodies involuntarily jerking into the attack as the blades transformed into saws, tearing them apart in a brutal yet oddly beautiful display as she flashed forward, sending two heads flying, ending her movement with a graceful spin. Fluffy struck with ruthless precision, sinking its fangs into the first Syndicate soldier and injecting a venom so powerful that the man collapsed almost immediately before tearing him in half with a jerk of her jaw. Lightning crackled across Fluffy¡¯s body, surging outward to the second attacker and leaving him paralyzed in its wake. In the next heartbeat, a whirlwind of razor-sharp metal plates erupted from Fluffy, shredding the stunned enemy to pieces. As soon as the attackers fell, the deadly swarm of plates retracted, orbiting protectively around Fluffy''s other metal plates in a lethal dance. Lightning continued to arc between the plates, flickering in a mesmerizing yet ominous display, ready to strike down any who dared to approach. Riseth swiftly eliminated the Syndicate pilot who had come to investigate the disturbance, then turned her attention to her Lawyer squad. They were handling the fight with ease, their superior skill complemented by the advanced power armor they wore. While it wasn''t on par with James''s latest designs, the armor''s integrated magic miniguns and missile launchers were devastating for most within their grade. If there were enough of them on the field, even she would need to be careful not to get saturated by sheer firepower. They immediately set to work, freeing the pleading captives from what would have been a miserable fate as slaves¡ªor worse. However, before they could finish liberating the prisoners and begin the evacuation, a sinister power descended upon them. The very air grew oppressive, and Riseth''s skin crawled. Many of the captives collapsed, and several of her Lawyers dropped to their knees, some retching as a palpable darkness pressed down on them. The energy was overwhelming, dark and deep as the ocean, and unmistakably infused with the Concept of Misery. Riseth fought against the crushing weight with her own Concept, instinctively attempting to send out a warning. But as she reached for the Akashic Link, a thick blanket of isolation enveloped them, severing all external communication. Whoever was attacking them was incredibly powerful, intent on cutting them off completely. The malevolent presence was potent enough that Riseth knew she was facing someone who could pose a real threat, even to her. Yet amidst the stifling pressure, one connection remained untouched¡ªher Resonance with Alistair. Drawing strength from it, she continued to push back against the dark power, stepping out of the captured transport to assess the situation. They were surrounded. At the center of the enemy forces stood an unsettling, draconic, snake-like figure in humanoid form, his dark scales shimmering ominously. His clothing sent shivers down her spine, and Riseth quickly recognized the horrifying truth¡ªhis garments had been crafted from the remains of sentient beings. A sickening sensation welled up within her, and if she still had a normal stomach, she would have likely vomited on the spot. The grotesque sight was nearly overwhelming. She recognized his race, some kind of hydra. He likely evolved into this form rather than starting as one, which was a small mercy given the situation. Riseth''s mind raced. Alistair was coming. She just had to hold the line and protect the prisoners for as long as possible; she needed to play for time as the isolation spanned a massive area, and she pressed her senses. She could sense incredibly potent flight and teleportation restricting as more attackers appeared, likely finished setting up the array, though it wouldn''t stop Alistair''s telekinesis once he got here. The Hydra looked at her, showing long, sharp teeth and a draconic tongue that flickered along them. He seemed to shiver in pleasure as he approached, his yellow serpent-like eyes fixed on her and Fluffy, who slightly recoiled at the glance and fear transmitted through their bond. Chapter 187: True Misery "Ah, what a delectable morsel has fallen into my claws, Riseth Ryser, is it?" Eberus asked, barely able to contain his glee as his assassins tightened the circle around their prey. "I am Eberus, and I was hoping I would catch one of the infamous Ryser couple alone, and I have been hoping it would be you." "Quite confident if you believe you already got anything other than a swift death at your claw," Riseth replied. A deep, dark chuckle rumbled from Eberus, building into full-blown laughter. "Ah, forgive me," he sneered, his amusement barely contained. "I thought you were better at reading the situation. You can¡¯t even begin to fathom the depths of my power. I spread misery on a scale you can¡¯t comprehend, and I grow stronger with every ounce of suffering I create." He took a step closer, his voice dripping with venomous intent. "I will kill you, slowly... painfully... degradingly. But considering you¡¯re a succubus, I might be willing to grant the others a quicker end if you... entertain some of my men." He was a terrible match-up for her to face, empowered by the very forces she tried to manipulate against him. She needed to stall for time¡ªher connection with Alistair was strong, and she could sense his worry and fury, but she wasn''t sure how long she could hold off this monster. His power was suffocating, he had so much energy it almost felt like he was a whole grade above her own. "Talking to you is miserable enough," she spat, buying time as her mind raced for an edge. "But why us? Money? Fame?" "Oh, no," he purred. "Nothing so banal. You have nothing to offer me as exquisite as desecrating you, crushing you under my heel as you writhe in agony and despair. And just long enough to see the look on your... what is it? Boyfriend? Husband? Please say, husband! That would make your death in front of him so much sweeter." Riseth stayed quiet, not willing to give him the satisfaction as her lawyers managed to gather themselves as the enemies'' focus was on her alone as she did her utmost to fight his mental onslaught, trying her best to turn it against him and his minions. They raised their rifles and miniguns as the other assassins approached, outnumbering them two to one while they were a handful of vulnerable individuals left in their backs, shivering and twitching on the ground or crying in utter panic, adding to their opponent''s power. Fluffy let out a hiss, her plates spinning faster and faster as electric currents gathered and empowered. Riseth, in turn, continued her best to hijack the hydra''s power and turn it on his minions instead. Whenever she succeeded, they, unlike their master, crumpled under the weight of his misery-fueled aura. But she knew that wasn¡¯t enough. It would delay the lesser enemies, but Eberus required her full attention. Vortex bolts materialized around her, and her veil of space magic shimmered to life just as a barrage of attacks came their way. Riseth deftly redirected them while her lawyers opened fire. Their shots hit home as she disrupted the assassins'' defenses, shattering their barriers and weakening their protective skills. Eberus launched himself at her with terrifying speed. Fluffy erupted forward in a blur of motion, releasing all the stored energy she had gathered. Her spinning plates slammed into him, tearing into his flesh. But Eberus let out an eerie laugh, his body relishing the pain as it rapidly healed, his wounds stitching together almost as quickly as they formed as the pain was shared between himself and Fluffy, who roared in agony, recoiling away from Eberus before refocusing. Riseth and Eberus clashed; his claws met her space-warped bone blades. She sensed how he tried to inject pain through the contact but resisted as she and her weapon spirit pushed back the pain ejecting it at his minions. Using her Serpent''s Waltz technique, she twisted out of one of his strikes with graceful precision, her blade extending as she manipulated space, pulling him toward her blade and ripping into his face with her blades space-warped edges. Flesh and scales peeled away, but Eberus only squealed in sick delight, his eyes locked onto her as if savoring every moment. Riseth''s bladed tail and concept restricted him for a brief moment as she unleashed her vortex bolts, hurling them at him, but highly concentrated blasts of dark energy shot from Eberus''s body, colliding with her attacks and stopping them mid-flight by overpowering them with sheer energy. Though he had expended some of his energy, it showed just how bottomless and overwhelming the energy reservoir within him was, ever-growing, ever-present. Through her concept, she knew this wasn¡¯t an illusion¡ªhe wasn¡¯t bluffing or amplifying his aura to deceive her. His power was nearly endless, and to win, she would need to obliterate his entire body. She immediately used her healing manipulation to disrupt his regeneration but struggled. To make things worse, Eberus shuddered in pleasure as part of his wounds regrew misshapen, and bone growths appeared over his body. His energy seemed to have partially recovered from her attack. He lunged and tried to grasp her but she gracefully stepped back, turning ethereal, barely resisting his attempt to grasp her with his concept-infused claws. She was incredibly thankful for her training with Alistair, who had a much more suitable and difficult concept to overcome. She drew back, noticing that half her Lawyers were dying or dead, their power armor crushed, blood pooling beneath them while others struggled in close combat engagements in a confined space against the assassins. She couldn''t help them, as even with Fluffy''s assistance, she barely kept Eberus at bay. Fluffy powered through the pain and continued to try and tear the hydra apart, his incredibly tough scales protecting him from the worst while he seemed in his own little world, delighted at the pain he inflicted on Fluffy and himself and the fear he invoked in everyone on the battlefield. As Riseth fought, she noticed a dark elf emerging from the nearby forest, flanked by even more Syndicate fighters advancing toward her. Her stomach churned with dread¡ªshe could not afford to be captured, not by him. She spun and twirled out of Eberus¡¯ reach, narrowly dodging his claws using everything she had learned. But her heart sank further when his body enlarged, his neck split, and new heads began to sprout, revealing his true hydra form. Maws snapped at her, each head aiming to tear her apart.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Fluffy struck back fiercely, sinking her fangs into one of the necks and injecting it with venom. This time, it seemed to have an effect¡ªEberus let out a guttural growl. But before Riseth could press the advantage, black and green flames erupted from one of his four maws, washing over Fluffy. The fire clung to her like a living thing, burning with agonizing intensity, yet leaving her scales unscathed. The flames inflicted not just physical pain but a deeper, more sinister torment, as if the sensation of burning was searing directly into her soul. Fluffy¡¯s protective metal plates blocked most of the inferno, retaliating with sharpened edges that struck Eberus again, but she was weakening. The constant barrage of pain took its toll, and Riseth could feel Fluffy growing wary and drained. Where is Alistair? How large is this teleport restriction? She cursed internally, fear threatening to overwhelm her despite her best efforts to quell it and fight against his mental intrusion. Her mental fortress skill was cracking, and more enemies were approaching. She wouldn''t give up. She would kill them all if she had to, twisting just a moment too late as one of the jaws snapped shut around her left leg. She sensed the paralysis creeping up her leg and cut it off in one smooth motion, using her healing skills to stem the bleeding; she would need to use her tail and wings to balance herself from here. The enemies opened fire, and she redirected their spells and attacks toward the growing hydra, which shrugged the attacks off as if it were nothing. A dark, rumbling chuckle escaped the Hydra. "Ah, what a shame¡ªno more running for you." Eberus oozed malicious glee as he stomped forward, savoring his looming victory. Riseth''s heart pounded, but a sudden pulse through her resonance gave her a split-second warning. A moment later, Eberus¡¯ heads snapped upward, sensing the danger above¡ªtoo late to stop it. With a thunderous impact, Alistair descended from the sky like a meteor, crashing into the hydra with devastating force. He had descended from Orbit; his mass and density and speed increased through his concepts, which were further empowered by concentrated kinetic energy and the Death from Above skill, turning him into a living weapon, focusing as much of the energy as he could on the hydra itself. The sheer force of the impact caused Eberus to literally explode in a shower of gore. The multi-ton transport craft that was mercifully on the edge of the impact site was flung away alongside the remaining assassins outside the craft, who had nearly overwhelmed the last of her lawyers; the ship crashed into the distance and was torn apart by the shockwave and impact as it rolled through the field. Thanks to Alistair''s warning, Riseth reacted instinctively in the final moment before impact. She swiftly stored Fluffy and turned herself ethereal, narrowly escaping the devastating blast as the battlefield erupted in a surge of kinetic energy, transforming the landscape into a glowing crater of destruction.
Alistair could feel the agony of their people and the tortured captives reverberating through the battlefield. He couldn''t hold back any longer¡ªnot if he wanted to prevent the hydra from slaughtering them all. The grimace on his face deepened as he realized the collateral damage he had caused in his attack, knowing some innocent lives had been lost as the transport craft was flung away and broke apart. But there was no time for guilt, no room for hesitation¡ªhe had to press his advantage or risk losing everything. His attack had damaged the array sufficiently for the rest of their forces to help Riseth kill what was left of the attackers and save those injured by his stunt. With a surge of power, he unleashed the stored energy from his Battle Sphere skill, blasting apart eight body parts writhing on the ground before sending two empowered kinetic strikes toward two of the larger remnants of the hydra''s body. The strikes tore through its flesh, obliterating what remained intact and preventing it from regenerating or reconnecting. His telekinesis propelled him forward at blinding speed toward one of the flying heads, the hydra¡¯s eyes locking onto him as it attempted to cast a spell. But Alistair was faster. A blazing edge appeared on his weapon, ignited by his fury, and he hacked down with brutal precision. The head split apart under his strike, its regenerative abilities seared away by the blaze, ensuring it wouldn¡¯t reform but he exploded it with a rapidly charged kinetic strike for good measure. As he turned, he watched how, even with time dilation, the two remaining heads rapidly reformed a body each; even larger chunks of his body were warping and growing new bodies, drawing on a seemingly endless pool of misery. He rushed the closer one while charging another kinetic strike, summoning King, who rushed the other body, sending rapid instructions to King to use his curses to restrain the regeneration of the hydra. They had, despite initial hesitation, developed an anti-regeneration curse involving decay, as regenerating opponents were far too common not to prepare for. He cursed, wishing more of the body had been obliterated, but with a body as large and resilient as this hydra, that would be too much to hope for. He managed to obliterate one more head and another large chunk of hydra flesh when he watched a humanoid figure stepping out of one of the last large chunks of flesh, dressed in a horrifying suit that was clearly made of people and beastkin. King''s cursed energy enveloped the man, but the endless well of energy fought against the cursed energy as black lightning seemed to crackle as they sought to overpower the other. With King being on the losing side against the seemingly endless well of misery, the hydra was drawing on. Just what had this man done to accumulate so much emotional energy? He didn''t even want to think of that as he pressed his own bloodcurdling presence down on the man and used his telekinesis to rapidly engage the hydra, who glared at him with a frown on his face. He tried to send a message to Riseth, but the damn concept of isolation permeated everything. He did his best to send his thoughts to Riseth through their resonance, which seemed to bypass the isolation, as yelling would have been drowned out as well. "Riseth, you need to help king overpower his defenses. I''ll hack that bastard to pieces," He received a confirmative and relieved signal back and sensed her approach. He watched the humanoid hydra hiss at him, taking a stance as he prepared for Alistair''s attack. From the battlefield Riseth rushed towards them, her leg visibly regrew, and with her flight unimpaired, she entered the fray in no time flat and extended her magic to rip the tight control over his defense from the Hydra''s claws. They would end this here and now for good, one way or the other; one side would be dead at the end of this. Chapter 188: Putting an End to Misery Alistair swung his poleaxe, meeting the hydra''s darkly rippling clawed hand with a resounding clash. Thanks to his body purity refinements, he resisted the waves of pain and misery surging through the contact, though the creature seemed equally unfazed by his attempts to rob it of momentum. Still, that didn¡¯t matter¡ªAlistair was better armed, quite literally. With his Blazing Edge skill empowering his weapon, he cut through the hydra¡¯s arm, sending it sailing through the air. Magic flames licked hungrily at the severed limb, burning it and impeding its regeneration. To his disgust, the hydra shuddered with delight at the loss of its arm, its other claw arcing toward his face, sharp and menacing. Alistair scoffed, batting it away with his shielded arm, the jagged edges of the shield tearing into the creature¡¯s flesh as he twisted it. As if in response, more heads and limbs sprouted. Alistair fired a point-blank kinetic strike, blowing a chunk out of the hydra''s rippling torso and scorching away parts of its grotesque jacket¡ªstitched together from the writhing bodies of its victims. The bastard snarled in fury as his jacket was damaged in the attack. He lashed out with a savage kick, but Alistair countered with his own, the full force of his Kinetic Combat-enhanced kick snapping the hydra''s leg, threatening to tear it clean off. Hydras were a real pain in the ass when it came to regeneration¡ªworse than wendigos, and that was saying something. Alistair couldn¡¯t help but wonder if King had cursed him to keep fighting enemies that refused to stay dead. He made a mental note to either improve his Blazing Edge or another skill from the ground up, to the point it could cripple regeneration outright or push his Kinetic Strike far enough that it could blast apart even massive creatures like this so they couldn¡¯t pull themselves back together. However, he suspected that wasn''t feasible against opponents of the same grade. As frustrating as it was, to make things worse, his telekinesis wasn¡¯t effective against the hydra. The bastard simply had too much damn energy to throw around. Despite Alistair''s superior combat skill and strength, the hydra¡¯s nearly endless reserves of power gave it the upper hand in a prolonged fight. Its sheer magical weight made it impossible for him to move the main body as he pleased. Alistair knew he couldn¡¯t outlast this thing; his power, though formidable, wasn¡¯t limitless like the hydra¡¯s deep wells of dark magic¡ªespecially since most of its attacks weren¡¯t kinetic or were too infused with dangerous energies for him to absorb. Meanwhile, Fluffy had been resummoned and continued her assault, hurling her remaining plates at the hydra while trying to inject venom wherever she could. Alistair caught the name Eberus whispered through the battle, likely from suppressed words surrounding them, as the hydra¡¯s isolation magic started to crack under their combined efforts. Running the name and the fact he was a hydra through the AC Bounty Board immediately spat out Hydra of Misery Eberus. A cold sweat built on Alistair when he realized he was among the highest bounties. Suddenly, Eberus moved faster than expected, claws lashing toward Fluffy¡¯s neck. Alistair barely had time to react, hooking the hydra¡¯s claw with his poleaxe and wrenching it aside, stopping the strike just before he could rip her throat out or worse. Alistair maintained his relentless assault, blocking and slashing with precision as he drove the hydra back, occasionally using telekinesis to hurl severed body parts toward Riseth. She was deep in concentration, forcing open a volatile tear in reality¡ªa dangerous vortex of energy that grew more unstable with each passing second. The very essence of the planet resisted her efforts, straining against the unnatural rift she was creating. But Riseth pressed on, expanding the tear, ensuring it would obliterate the hydra and anything else unfortunate enough to be caught in its reach. Unfortunately, this was the kind of fight where Riseth, King, and Fluffy had to carefully pick their moments, wary of disrupting the battle¡¯s rhythm and causing chaos. Alistair did his best to create openings for them to exploit and to shield them if they overextended¡ªor worse, if Eberus tried to pick them off. But this was exactly where Aegis Stride thrived, forcing Eberus to play by his rules. Alistair tried to telekinetically hurl Eberus into the vortex, but the hydra¡¯s magical weight resisted him, barely budging. Still, it was enough for Alistair to notice something important¡ªthe seemingly endless energy Eberus wielded was starting to diminish, ever so slightly. The combined efforts of him, Riseth, Fluffy, and King were finally taking their toll. The fight was far from over, but they were chipping away at the monster¡¯s power, drawing closer to victory. ¡°You think tearing both me and reality apart will stop me from butchering the lot of you once you run out of steam?¡± Eberus taunted, his laughter dark and mocking. Alistair shot back without missing a beat, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Quit your yapping. I¡¯ll have you parceled up and tossed into a shredder soon enough, you miserable pain in my ass." The hydra scoffed, but Alistair caught the faint flicker of annoyance crossing its twisted features. He rewarded that reaction with a kinetically charged punch from his shield hand, the sharp ends of his shield stabbing through the creature¡¯s thick scales and driving into its head and brain. The impact was so fierce that the humanoid hydra¡¯s neck snapped violently, but the tough bastard merely smiled, even as the bones knitted themselves back together in a fraction of a second. Despite the oppressive isolation magic, Alistair was surprised his voice could be heard. The hydra must have realized communication wasn¡¯t the key to stopping them, so he shifted his efforts, refocusing his energy from the concept of isolation to empowering himself. But Alistair knew they were wearing him down, bit by bit; while he couldn''t use the telekinesis to move his opponent like usual, he could kick, punch, and carve him up just fine, driving Eberus closer to the rift. As the fight got fiercer, the combat style Eberus was using grew more vicious and smoother as desperation mounted. But Alistair could tell his technique was superior, and coupled with his superior power, he battered the dark hydra, carving it up piece by piece, King''s sharp dark feathers cut into Eberus who disregarded them like the metal plates but his eyes widened in shock as the sharp feathers unleashed the new cursed energy that was now violently coursing through his veins and rampaging through his magical pathways tearing and ripping at them. A vicious new technique he and King had devised where his cursed energy would be injected through King''s newly upgraded Cursefeather Cascade, a compound skill that would unleash a selected assortment of horrible curses and hexes rampaging through an opponent''s body that gets hit by the feathers.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
With the isolation concept vanishing, Alistair could sense that his clan had wiped out the remaining assassins and helpers who had survived his initial onslaught. They kept their distance, careful not to interfere or disrupt the flow of combat while things remained in their favor. James and Simon were the closest, poised to jump in if the situation grew more dire. Alistair silently prayed it wouldn''t come to that. Thankfully, misery itself didn¡¯t directly empower its wielder, nor did any of the related concepts Alistair could recall off the top of his head, his attention fully consumed by maintaining the relentless pressure, unable to review the information stored within his Akashic Link skill. Riseth''s strained voice reached him through the Akashic Link: "I can''t push the tear very far, but if you get him within five meters, I can use my manipulation combined with your force to push him in." He watched as she inched the rift toward them, painfully slow, sweat beading on her forehead, a trickle of blood running from her nose under the strain. Now that he knew the distance she could manage, his determination solidified¡ªfive meters was doable. Alistair''s battle spheres morphed into streams of flame, scorching the Hydra''s flesh and further stalling its regeneration. Eberus thrashed wildly, trying to enlarge his form while swiping with claws and tails, pressing down on Alistair with immense magical force and focus. But Alistair¡¯s heavenly purity foundation, combined with his natural resistance and sheer grit, kept the overwhelming tide of power at bay. With a surge of effort, Alistair drove the point of his poleaxe deep into Eberus, forcing the Hydra to stumble back¡ªone step, then another¡ªuntil the weapon nearly pierced through his body. Eberus clutched the poleaxe shaft, desperately trying to tear it from Alistair¡¯s grip, but Alistair slammed him with a backhanded blow from his shield arm, the impact cracking the Hydra''s neck yet again. Channeling a surge of energy into a savage kick, Alistair sent Eberus staggering further, his clawed fingers ripped from the weapon as he was thrown off balance. Closing in, Alistair unleashed a burst of telekinesis, locking Eberus in place for but a moment. The Hydra¡¯s eyes widened in shock just before a Kinetic Strike from Alistair¡¯s free hand obliterated half of his head as Eberus managed to prevent the worst by twisting out of the attack despite the telekinesis. Seizing the moment, Alistair swept the Hydra¡¯s legs with his returning poleaxe, sending Eberus crashing down. With a final kick, he drove the falling hydra toward Riseth, clearing the last bit of distance. At that moment, Riseth hurled her rift forward with sudden speed, catching the Hydra off guard as the previously semi-stationary rift screamed toward him, cracking reality as it went. Eberus screamed in rage as both Alistair and Riseth used their concepts to shove him deeper into the rift, which began tearing his body apart before disintegrating him. His enraged screams echoed as his form was consumed. Sensing the volatile reaction from the ocean of misery¡¯s energy as it responded to the disintegration, Alistair and Riseth moved quickly. They recalled their summons, teleporting away just in time, scooping up Simon and James to escape the impending explosive release from the unstable energy field. An unholy mixture of magic expanded, swallowing the forest, hills, and fields in its path. Alistair and the others ran and teleported desperately to escape the massive black orb of death and misery. Alistair barely registered the series of chimes sounding in his head, his focus on grabbing anyone within reach using telekinesis as they rushed to safety. Thankfully, the orb stopped its relentless expansion and began to contract. But as Alistair looked back, he was stunned. The landscape wasn¡¯t obliterated¡ªit was transformed. The oppressive concepts of Misery, Death, and Chaos lingered in the air, seeping into the earth, the plants, and the trees. The once vibrant forest had become a grotesque, twisted version of itself. Dark, warped trees now stood like sinister parodies of life, their blackened branches and roots clawing at the sky, as if the world itself had rotted from within. Alistair grimaced at the sight before turning to Riseth. He pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head. But even her safety and the death of the Hydra couldn''t quiet the dark thoughts clouding his mind. If the Syndicate ever found their planet and sent more monsters like Eberus, they¡¯d have no choice but to abandon everything¡ªunless they grew significantly stronger and gained powerful allies. His senses picked up on approaching figures from multiple directions, and he knew they couldn¡¯t afford to appear vulnerable now. Riseth glanced toward their family, closing in. "We need to reach the next Grade," she said, steel in her voice. Alistair followed her gaze and nodded. "And no more splitting up." Riseth offered a half-smile, trying to lighten the weight of the moment. "Good thing I don¡¯t mind your company." Alistair chuckled, though the weight in his mind remained. There would be time to process what had just transpired, but for now, their mission wasn¡¯t finished, and they needed to leave. It wasn¡¯t out of the question that the Syndicate, with its vast universal network, was already aware of everything and might send reinforcements to finish what they''d started. Leaving now would likely do more good for this planet than staying. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at his newly earned titles.

Titles: Tier: [Legendary] Name: Dark Hydra Slayer Effect: Grants a 20% bonus to [Control] and [Body] statistics and significantly enhances the effectiveness of all regeneration-disrupting and impairing skills. Origin: Acquired through the slaying of the Hydra of Misery Eberus, a very powerful mythical dark hydra. - Tier: [Legendary] Name: Legendary Bounty Hunter Effect: Grants a 10% bonus to all stats and provides the [Sense Bounty] Skill. Origin: A growing title acquired through killing an individual within the top 50 highest bounties within the freshly integrating universe.

Skills: Tier: [Epic] Name: Sense Bounty Description: The user is able to sense if an individual within his senses has a bounty on his head. Individuals with a bounty are highlighted through the user''s Conceptual Awareness and may be shared through his Akashic Link skill.
Chapter 189: Aftermath Alistair was quite surprised when he looked at the titles. Usually, slayer titles provided benefits that mimicked the abilities of the slain beast. However, it wasn¡¯t entirely shocking that this one also granted benefits related to slaying a hydra rather than just mimicking it. He suspected this had something to do with the tier of the title, as it was his first Legendary Slayer title. Mythical beasts like Dragons, Hydras, and Phoenixes were in a league of their own. The Legendary Bounty Hunter title wasn''t a surprise, though he suspected they skipped quite a few steps by killing Eberus. He had also gained three whole levels from the ordeal, which was an enormous amount for their grade. While Alistair reviewed his newly gained titles and skills, Riseth had already informed Nessyra of what had transpired, which triggered an immediate evacuation of planet Edos for the Ryser Clan. They couldn''t afford to be caught off-guard or ambushed again, so they began tracking down and recovering every clan member and fallen body, refusing to risk necromancy being used to locate them. Though only a select few in the clan knew their exact location in the universe, there was no reason to leave anything to chance. Within the hour, they were off the planet. During their search for missing clan members, however, they discovered Eberus''s stealth craft. They handed it over to the planetary government, only asking that any blueprints or valuable discoveries be shared with them. They wanted nothing to do with the dark hydra¡¯s ship or the possibility of being tracked through it. They had also thoroughly checked all their ships and people for trackers, finding a handful stuck to power armor and the bodies of their dead. By now, their specialists had developed skills to detect these things¡ªcaution was paramount. They would still jump to prepared beacons far from their location after each excursion, running another sweep before returning to Lacustrine. This protocol would remain in place until their planet was discovered and became public knowledge, something Alistair hoped was far in the future. Once aboard the Kaiakos, Juliana practically tackled Riseth, overwhelmed with relief and apologizing profusely for failing her. Despite his mother''s best efforts, she had been unable to breach the array set by Eberus¡¯s minions. Their best approach had been to teleport Alistair into low orbit, where he descended like a meteor¡ªthe fastest, most effective option he could think of at the time. Riseth, visibly moved by Juliana''s concern, hugged her tightly. "I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s over now," she said, trying to reassure her. But Alistair knew better¡ªneither of them were fine. They had come dangerously close to catastrophe. The ripple effects of Eberus''s death would be immense, and Alistair knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Aegis Coalition reached out. But for now, he was just grateful to be leaving the system. Even then, the tension lingered until they finally made the jump to warp space. When the familiar pull of warp travel hit, a wave of relief washed over him¡ªsomething he knew he¡¯d remember for a long time. Looking around, he realized he wasn¡¯t the only one feeling it; others on the ship visibly relaxed, their shoulders slumping. They had lost too many people in this fight. The ground battle had been far uglier than the space combat. Up in orbit, most had survived thanks to their ejection systems and skills, but on the surface, it had been much worse. At least they had managed to recover the bodies of those who hadn¡¯t been utterly destroyed, preventing the Syndicate from using necromancy to question the dead. The power armor their people wore had prevented even more casualties, but that did little to ease the sting of their losses. Alistair had cursed being stuck guarding the main encampment, unable to move as freely as he¡¯d wanted, especially as a steady stream of information came in about his people¡¯s encounters with Syndicate members. A few had proven to be serious threats¡ªSimon had even lost an arm to one Syndicate member wielding the blade concept, transforming his body into a razor-sharp weapon. Despite the injury, Simon had still managed to kill the opponent. Thankfully, their healers had reattached his limb quickly after the battle. The fight had been touch and go, and Alistair had nearly been forced to intervene. That individual had a bounty on his head, and in total, they had killed roughly twenty Syndicate members with varying bounties. After they had left the system and were likely safe from retaliation, they sent a detailed action report to the Aegis Coalition, outlining their actions, the enemies they had encountered, and the bounties placed on the Syndicate members they had eliminated. Alistair and Riseth then retreated to their cabin aboard the Kaiakos, needing some time to themselves to process and review everything that had transpired. They had technically won the battle and struck a significant blow to their enemies, but it didn¡¯t feel like a victory. Instead, it felt like a sobering reminder of how small and isolated they were¡ªan independent faction meddling with forces vastly larger than themselves. Alistair¡¯s thoughts spiraled for a moment, feeling the weight of the situation. But then he shook his head, his resolve hardening. No, that¡¯s not right. They wanted us dead the moment we refused to play by their rules. Today wouldn¡¯t have changed their minds¡ªthey would have come for us anyway. At least now, they know we aren¡¯t easy prey. Determination surged through him. There were others like them out there, and they needed to find allies among those forces if they were to survive. Perhaps the Aegis Coalition would reconsider its standing after this as well. His eyes met Riseth''s, and the embers in her eyes portrayed a similar resolve growing within her. They would come out of this experience stronger than ever and press on.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Let me get this straight. You want me to be your right-hand man as you rise to the open council seat?" Donovan asked, disbelief lacing his voice. "If you make me repeat myself again, I¡¯ll find someone else," Hadeon¡¯s gurgling voice replied, his tone devoid of humor. Donovan struggled to process it. He had done well for himself within the Syndicate, steadily climbing the ranks to become one of the more powerful figures under Hadeon¡¯s group. But Sol had thrown a wrench in his grander schemes, forcing him to abandon Earth with his followers before Sol could strike his hideout. Since then, Donovan had built his reputation as a ruthless raider and slaver, recently expanding his fleet to half a dozen ships after trading a group of captured nightshade-elven women. Though tempted to keep some for his own pleasure, he saw more value in growing his fleet¡ªa move that had already proven lucrative. The shipwright had given him an excellent deal in exchange, allowing him to continue raiding Coalition fleets and planets, with a few independent worlds thrown into the mix. Still, despite his recent successes, nothing about his efforts seemed to qualify him for such a high-ranking position. He chewed on his lower lip, mulling over Hadeon¡¯s motivations and personality before finally asking, ¡°Why me? I don¡¯t have the following or the track record for this position.¡± Hadeon¡¯s gaze remained steady, evaluating the towering J?tunn before offering a nod of approval. ¡°You¡¯ve got a sharp mind, you don¡¯t hesitate on your jobs, and you¡¯re powerful. That¡¯s enough reason for me. But there are other factors at play.¡± Donovan nodded, feeling his resolve solidify. This was an opportunity he couldn¡¯t afford to squander. If he played his cards right, he might even attract the attention of powerful outsiders¡ªpeople who could help him climb even higher. For now, his resources were limited, but he¡¯d change that. A greedy, self-satisfied smile crept onto his face, though he quickly tempered it. Curiosity got the better of him again. ¡°Who did you kill for that council position?¡± The Kraken let out a guttural growl. "I didn¡¯t kill anyone. One of the council members got themselves killed during our large-scale assault, trying to hunt down some leaders of a small independent faction." Donovan chuckled darkly. "Didn¡¯t know we had any council seats left for weaklings and idiots. Who managed to get themselves killed?" Hadeon rumbled in displeasure. "Eberus." Donovan froze, staring at Hadeon in shock before quickly composing himself. Eberus had been one of the Syndicate¡¯s powerhouses, evolving from a serpent beastkin into a hydra. He wielded the concept of misery, spreading, sowing, and harvesting it to fuel his infamous near-limitless energy supply. He had thrived on torturing his slaves and entire planetary populations, his cruelty was legendary. Eberus had even caught the eye of a powerful Syndicate member from the outsiders, which made his death even more shocking. He was among the last Donovan would¡¯ve expected to fall, alongside the dragons and other monsters sitting at the top of the Syndicate''s food chain. Part of Donovan was glad that monster was gone; Eberus¡¯s twisted tastes had been disturbing, even by Syndicate standards. He had made life hell for everyone¡ªenemies, rivals, allies, it didn¡¯t matter. Rumor had it that he had nurtured a relationship between two of his subordinates, only to break them in the cruelest ways imaginable before discarding them once they were broken. He¡¯d even killed the subordinates of other Syndicate members whenever he visited their bases. Anyone with half a brain did everything they could to stay out of his path. "Eberus? That damned beast? Who in the hell managed to kill him?" Donovan asked, his curiosity piqued. A dark, unsettling chuckle echoed from the Kraken, his strange, multicolored eyes locking onto Donovan¡¯s with a hypnotic intensity that sent a chill down his spine. "Your son and his wife." Donovan¡¯s thoughts spun¡ªWhich son? He had many children from various marriages and relationships, and considering they knew it was his son, it was likely from one of the women he¡¯d been married to when he was younger. But before he could dwell on it, they reached the communications center for their meeting. Realization hit him hard¡ªthis revelation and his new position would draw far more attention than he had bargained for. This connection would bring both scrutiny and danger, but also opportunity. If I can survive the week, he mused, maybe I¡¯ll catch the eye of the outsiders, elevating me beyond my peers... and maybe even beyond Hadeon.
Alistair and Riseth made their way to the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) for their meeting with the Aegis Coalition representative. Their recent actions in aiding the Coalition had significantly shifted their standing, and now they were set to discuss the evolving nature of their relationship. Among the key points on the agenda was the staggering sum the Coalition owed them, largely due to the bounties they had collected¡ªmost notably Eberus¡¯s, which had been valued at over a billion [ACG], or roughly a hundred million [USC]. The talks had been delayed for a few days as fighting continued across the universe, with both Alistair¡¯s faction and the Coalition managing the aftermath. However, the Coalition wasted no time holding internal discussions and quickly reached out, even assigning them a permanent liaison. For this meeting, only Alistair, Riseth, and Nessyra would be present, as everyone else was still busy dealing with the fallout from the battle. Alistair and Riseth''s fight, along with the losses they had suffered, had opened many eyes and stoked a fire within the Ryser clan. Many blamed themselves for the lives lost, particularly James, who furiously worked to upgrade the standard power armor using battle data to address weaknesses in conceptual defenses and resistances. When they entered the meeting room, Nessyra was already deep in conversation with a light-skinned demon sporting striking red hair and curled horns. He wore a sharp, deep green uniform adorned with the Aegis Coalition¡¯s emblem¡ªa shield at its center, encircled by an interconnected cluster of stars, with intricate decorative symbols. The demon noticed their arrival and greeted them with a broad smile. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Ryser, it¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you! My name is Rolmeros, and I¡¯ll be serving as your liaison to the Aegis Coalition,¡± he said warmly, his broad smile matching the friendly tone of his voice. Chapter 190: Liaison Rolmeros After finishing their introductions and exchanging pleasantries, they quickly got into the swing of things. ¡°To start these talks properly, I must thank both of you and the Ryser Clan as a whole for coming to our aid in such a critical moment. Your actions won¡¯t be forgotten, and the Coalition will make sure to repay the favor,¡± Rolmeros said, his gratitude clear. Nessyra, sharp as always, quickly jumped in. ¡°Does that mean we can expect the Coalition¡¯s aid if our planet is discovered?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re here to discuss.¡± Rolmeros clasped his hands together, leaning forward slightly. ¡°The Aegis Coalition is, at its core, a coalition. While we have evolved into something resembling a Confederation, we still identify as a coalition. It¡¯s a network of interwoven alliances, some of which trace back to before the Initiation itself. These alliances are often clustered in different corners of our universe, and not all of them wish to formalize into something as rigid as a Confederation. Outside of that core, we have partnerships with factions that share our interests, including independent groups like yours, though those groups are typically less involved. Up until now, your clan has been considered an Independent, friendly party¡ªnot a full member. Today, we¡¯re offering you the chance to formally join the Coalition.¡± Noticing their reactions, he quickly raised his hands in reassurance. ¡°To be clear, this won¡¯t affect your independence. You wouldn¡¯t be obligated to follow the Coalition¡¯s mandates or take part in our fleet actions. But you would gain access to our resources, services, and, if you choose, a seat on the council.¡± Riseth narrowed her eyes, her tone skeptical. ¡°What¡¯s the catch? What do you expect in return?¡± Rolmeros nodded, acknowledging the concern. ¡°It¡¯s an offer we extend only to a select few. In this new universe, sheer numbers alone don¡¯t win battles¡ªpowerful individuals like yourselves can turn the tide or devastate entire planets. You and your husband fall into that category. You managed to kill Eberus, one of the most dangerous and vile members of the Syndicate¡¯s leadership¡ªyou did so while ambushed, aiding one of our own in our time of need. Frankly, the Coalition needs individuals like you. We can¡¯t afford for smaller independent factions like yourselves to be picked off. That¡¯s why we¡¯re launching a new initiative to help connect factions like yours, allowing you to protect each other in case one of you is targeted. The Coalition will, of course, assist where we can, but our main focus must remain on safeguarding the bridges.¡± They took in the information. The fact that the Coalition was willing to offer them this kind of assistance instead of waiting for them to be forced to join them or another faction told them a lot about the mentality of their council. Much like themselves, they looked ahead. Instead of immediate and personal gains, they fostered valuable relationships early. Nessyra gave a measured nod. ¡°That¡¯s quite generous, but I can¡¯t help but suspect you intend to call on Alistair and Riseth when it comes to handling powerful Syndicate members and outsiders.¡± Rolmeros met her gaze, unflinching. ¡°You¡¯re right, but rest assured, we wouldn¡¯t leave you unsupported. We would provide full intelligence and the necessary backing to ensure you have everything needed to accomplish any task. And, of course, you¡¯re free to decline any request. However, I do appeal to your sense of duty¡ªby helping us, you help yourselves. The stronger we are, the better we can shield this universe from invaders. Threats like Eberus need to be stamped out before they spread further, much like the Syndicate would stamp out any independent faction they stumble upon. The key difference is, unlike them, we don¡¯t seek selfish gain. While they only help each other for profit, we aim to build genuine alliances. We do have funds set aside for mercenary forces, but our true hope is that we can establish a mutual agreement¡ªone of protection and shared goals.¡± While very diplomatic in his wordings, Alistair was quite satisfied with the offers made and said as much over their Akashic link. Both Nessyra and Riseth agreed. They desperately needed more protection than being hidden. Being able to defend against a fleet in orbit was just the first step; the next would be being able to hold on against an attack from a group of more powerful individuals like Eberus was crucial. Establishing connections with other independent factions within the Coalition would be essential, and the Coalition¡¯s support itself would be invaluable. Seeing them being amenable to his suggestion, Rolmeros took the opportunity to press on. ¡°We¡¯ve already received several requests for introductions from smaller but formidable factions aligned with the Coalition¡ªgroups similar in standing to yourselves. For instance, the Noross Cabal, the Aion Alliance, and the Heavenly Light Sect are among those eager to establish contact and explore the possibility of forming defensive pacts or other agreements. I¡¯ll make sure you have all the relevant information we have on each faction. Additionally, I¡¯ll be available to answer any questions or accommodate requests where possible." They took the chance to discuss among themselves through the Akashic link "His offer makes a lot of sense," Alistair began, keeping his expression composed. "We desperately need allies. Hiding can¡¯t be our only defense. We''ve seen the kind of stealth tech Eberus was using. If the Syndicate sends a team of five or more elites, we could lose everything." Riseth failed to keep a frown from her face. "I agree. While I would love to stay out of the wider politics of the multiverse, we need allies, and the Aegis Coalition''s offer is definitely in our own best interest."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Nessyra looked at them before glancing at Rolmeros, who patiently waited for them, seemingly unbothered by the wait. "I will discuss the exact terms and agreements with them and ensure we don''t sign away our souls or independence, but I think we should accept their offer and take that seat on their council. That offer might be time-sensitive, and once we have a seat, we can still discard it." Alistair measured her. He was sure half the reason she wanted to enter these agreements was the potential records she could gain from participating in those council meetings. But having a voice on the table was definitely nothing to sneeze at. "While I agree," Alistair began, "I do want to hear what else they have to say. Apparently, they want to talk to us about our bounties. If they¡¯re posting bounties they can¡¯t pay, I¡¯m not sure they¡¯re as reliable as they seem." Both Nessyra and Riseth nodded in agreement and turned to face Rolmeros again. "Before we dive into the specifics of joining the Coalition, you mentioned our bounties," Alistair said, his voice calm but probing. "I¡¯d like to hear more about that." A flash of understanding crossed the demon''s face. "Of course! We have set aside the owed funds to be paid in full," he said smoothly. "However, I am obliged to ask if you would be interested in exchanging some of these funds for some of our services, technology, or materials. Due to the recent attacks of the syndicates, we are currently rebuilding and reinforcing our defenses. We have use for these funds and would be willing to turn them into a loan, with interest, of course. Alistair glanced at Nessyra, speaking through the Akashic Link, keeping his expression neutral. ¡°Was that diplomatic speak for ¡®we¡¯ve got the money, but we¡¯re kind of broke after the attack¡¯?¡± Nessyra returned a warm smile. "Possibly. Given that he¡¯s a demon, he might just be testing how greedy we are and gauging our reaction. But overall, I don¡¯t see it being an issue. I¡¯ll still recommend we take them up on their offer to join. Also, letting our money sit around does us no favors, so pushing for interest is just good business. Besides, I was planning to use the funds to buy intel and invest in tech, enchantment structures, and array formations anyway. But you can leave those details to me." Alistair looked at Riseth, who gave a slight smile, "I agree, we should join them, and I''m more than happy to leave the details to you sis," They turned to their liaison, and though he did his best to keep a neutral expression, Alistair noticed the subtle strain on his face. ¡°The Ryser Clan will join the Coalition under the terms we¡¯ve discussed,¡± Alistair stated. ¡°Nessyra will likely be taking the council seat, but Riseth and I will attend the occasional meeting when necessary. As for the bounty payments and any finer details of joining the coalition, I¡¯ll leave you in Nessyra¡¯s capable hands.¡± The tension on Rolmeros¡¯s face eased, replaced by a wide, genuine smile. ¡°Welcome to the Aegis Coalition. May fortune bless us both,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m already looking forward to our in-depth negotiations, Lady Nessyra.¡± Alistair wondered if the demon had picked up that expression while researching Neshan or if it was a common one among the Demon races. Considering he was a diplomat, both scenarios were equally likely. "The pleasure is all mine," Nessyra replied with an almost predatory smile. Rolmeros leaned back in his chair, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Would you prefer to discuss another topic, like the current state of affairs or the factions interested in establishing diplomatic ties with the Ryser Clan at this point? Or shall we finalize our agreements before moving on? Of course, we can reconvene at a later time to finish up, should that be preferable." Alistair considered briefly before responding. "I¡¯d be interested in hearing about the current state of affairs in the universe," he said. "But Riseth and I have other matters to attend to soon, so we¡¯d like to finalize our agreements afterward." "Of course," Rolmeros nodded. "The Aegis Coalition is still reeling from the coordinated attack by the Blackmarket Syndicates. I¡¯m sorry to say that you weren¡¯t the only faction targeted. While you were among the few able to eliminate your attackers, many others were not so fortunate. The losses have been significant." Alistair frowned, and a similar expression passed between Nessyra and Riseth. Riseth was the first to speak. "Did you manage to gather any information on the attackers¡ªconcepts, species, combat styles?" "We¡¯ve compiled reports on most of them, though some are more detailed than others," Rolmeros replied, swiping something on his tablet and uploading the data to their network. Alistair quickly downloaded the information, scanning through the comprehensive reports on hundreds of individuals and battles. His expression darkened when he saw the presence of multiple dragons among the Syndicate ranks. He had hoped that dragons, with their notorious pride and independence, would avoid allying with such a group. But it seemed the Blackmarket Syndicates offered enough convenience, connections, and the allure of powerful outsider patrons to even sway them. What particularly caught his attention was a higher-tier dragon named Xariarach, whose bounty was more than four times that of Eberus¡¯s. He was listed as one of the biggest threats based on his concept. According to the records, Xariarach was suspected of wielding a concept tied to disease or pestilence, as the planet it attacked had to be entirely abandoned. Even within quarantine, most of the population perished despite the healers'' best efforts. Rolmeros had also sent over a list of factions interested in establishing contact with the Ryser Clan or similar groups. As Alistair cross-referenced the names with the battle reports, a few stood out, and he made a mental note to discuss them with Nessyra and Riseth later. Looking up, he noticed that their liaison was patiently waiting for them to process the information before continuing. ¡°We are actively working on gathering more intelligence on Syndicate positions and planning large-scale retaliatory strikes once we¡¯ve recovered or an opportunity presents itself. We hope the Ryser Clan will join us when the time comes.¡± They exchanged grim but determined glances. Although still recovering from their last battle, they knew now that there would be no peaceful coexistence with the Syndicates. Alistair, for one, had lost any hesitation when it came to killing Syndicate scum. ¡°For now, we¡¯ll focus on recovering and learning from our mistakes,¡± Riseth said, her voice steely. ¡°But when the time comes to strike the Syndicate where it hurts, I want in.¡± "Fuck the Syndicate," Alistair growled. To his surprise, Rolmeros, usually composed, nodded in agreement, his tone quieter but firm. "Aye, fuck the Syndicates." Chapter 191: Check up After concluding their meeting with the coalition liaison, Alistair and Riseth made their way to James¡¯s workshop, where he had been immersed in his work ever since the battle of Edos. Though his mother and Jessica had frequently checked on him, Alistair hadn¡¯t had the chance to visit himself, and it now felt long overdue. Upon entering the workshop, hidden deep below their main industrial sectors, they were greeted by a massive chamber bustling with activity. Mechanical arms whirred and moved with precision while various automatons delivered and organized materials. Workbenches and racks were stacked with magitech devices, armor, and weapons in varying stages of assembly. A bright yet non-blinding light illuminated the ceiling, though some of the room''s glow came from screens mounted on walls or hovering drones that floated throughout the workshop. James had never been known for keeping his workspace tidy, but he always insisted he had a system¡ªone where he could find anything in seconds, while others would be lost for hours. In stark contrast to the chaos around the room, one corner stood remarkably organized, housing large vats filled with colorful liquids in various states of activity. Some were being gently stirred, others swirled inside their transparent containers as different liquids and gases were added. A few bubbled as they were heated, while others underwent a mix of processes. Alistair recognized the silvery sheen of the vats as Neshan glasswork, known for providing visibility while being just as strong¡ªif not stronger¡ªthan metal containers. He strongly suspected that particular corner belonged to Jessica''s lab. As they navigated through the larger chambers, they eventually spotted James and Jessica hard at work on what appeared to be a reinforced version of their light power armor. James was in the process of securing Neshan glasswork containers into a slot on the back of the opened suit, while Jessica meticulously connected tubing that spread from the glasswork throughout the armor. The intricate network of tubes wove through the suit like veins, and Alistair noticed additional containers positioned on either side of the helmet, just above the ears. The two were engrossed in their work as they worked meticulously and efficiently. ¡°Were you able to speak to my sister about the preservation enchantments?¡± James asked, breaking the silence as he adjusted the components. ¡°If we can integrate them into the head and torso sections, we could keep the wearer alive and regenerating with your potions. Maybe that way, if someone managed to crush their head or torso, they should be able to survive in grade 8, but I¡¯m still concerned about the integrity of the enchantment if the armor takes that level of damage.¡± Alistair raised an eyebrow at Riseth, who shrugged as they leaned against a nearby workbench, observing the two talking and working together. "Yes, we have the basics of the life preservation enchantment," Jessica replied, connecting the tubes to the redundancy glass flasks strategically placed within the armor. "But we¡¯re still struggling with the arcane substrate portion. Unlike Alistair, I can¡¯t just force the lines to align and connect the way I want them to." "Yeah, and trying to automate that process is impossible," James added with a grunt as he reached for a tool just out of his grasp. "Anything related to the arcane substrate is beyond the realm of machines. We might need to bring on more dedicated enchanters if we want to produce enough of these improved suits for our people." Alistair smirked and used his telekinesis to float the cutting tool over to James, who took it with a quick "Thanks, Alistair. I¡¯ll be with you in a minute." Jessica turned around and gave them an apologetic smile before resuming her work on her section of the armor. "What are you working on? Looks like a reinforced version of our light power armor," Alistair commented, stepping closer and using his conceptual awareness to inspect the armor. The suit was layered with an intricate network of concepts and enchantments woven throughout the plates, sections, and spine. Alistair had to focus hard to decipher them, as many of the enchantments were cleverly camouflaged and reinforced to resist identification or external interference. James wiped the sweat from his forehead while Jessica stood up, brushing off her overalls. "Yeah, it¡¯s a prototype for the replacement version of our light power armor," he explained. "Our battle reports showed that most of our casualties were among those wearing the current variant." Alistair caught the determined look in his brother¡¯s eyes and decided to let him continue without interruption. "Notice the lighter coloration?" James gestured toward the armor. "We¡¯ve incorporated treated unicorn horns from the Everbright Dungeon. Their purity and luck concepts should significantly enhance the armor¡¯s resistance to magical interference while giving the wearer that little bit of extra luck they need to stay alive. The focus here is survival, even if their armor or bodies take heavy damage. The predictive algorithms aren¡¯t perfect yet, but thanks to the built-in redundancies and planned life-preserving enchantments, I¡¯ve got high hopes this variant will do a much better job keeping our people alive." He patted one of the sleek shoulder plates with a sense of pride. "Isn''t using the luck concept going to draw a lot of unwanted attention once somebody notices?" Riseth asked after hugging Jessica. James shrugged. "We did our best to camouflage the concepts and enchantments. Besides, what''s the point of having a resource like that if we don¡¯t use it to keep our people alive? I¡¯ll be integrating the new alloy into the heavier armor as well, but for now, life-saving mechanisms are the top priority."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Alistair embraced his brother after Jessica, giving him a knowing look. James picked up on it immediately. "Don¡¯t start," James said, shaking his head. "I know the armor¡¯s just a tool, and staying alive is ultimately on the person wearing it. Like I told Mom, I¡¯m not fragile, alright? But if anything good came out of that fight, it¡¯s that the hydra¡¯s dead, and I¡¯ve finally got real battle data to work with¡ªno more guessing from beast encounters. At least the heavy power armor did its job¡ªtanked hits, resisted interference, and kept our fighters breathing. But those lighter suits¡­ they weren¡¯t just compromised; their design focused too much on mobility and offense. In hindsight, I should¡¯ve traded some of that for better magic resistance." A dark expression crossed James'' stressed face. "One of those Syndicate bastards had a rust concept. I watched as he latched onto Lekaria¡¯s suit. She was trapped, and before I could do anything, her own armor shredded her." Alistair didn''t know Lekaria personally but assumed she had been one of the fighters or lawyers working with James. Seeing someone you know die like that was rough, but he could tell his brother was processing it in the healthiest way he knew¡ªby talking it out and channeling his grief into improving the armor, trying to prevent such losses in the future. James paused, taking a steadying breath. "I¡¯ve overhauled the design since then. The new version has much stronger resistance to interference, and I¡¯ve built in redundancies¡ªespecially around the head and torso. If one part gets crushed, the other can still keep the wearer alive long enough for them to survive." Alistair noticed that James deliberately avoided mentioning how some of their clan¡¯s fighters had fallen to enemies using variations of metal concepts¡ªcrushing helmets and causing devastating losses. He figured his brother just needed to vent, so Alistair decided to keep him talking. ¡°I presume all those improvements come with some drawbacks?¡± Alistair asked. James nodded. ¡°Yeah, unfortunately. The material requirements have skyrocketed, which means the cost of production has gone through the roof, and we won¡¯t be able to roll these out as quickly as we¡¯d like. Equipping our forces with the upgraded version will take time. I also had to scale back the integrated weaponry built into the armor itself. Instead, I¡¯ve designed detachable armaments that can be stored in their individual storage. It¡¯s an improvement in flexibility, but it lacks the raw power that a fully specialized, integrated suit can offer." "That''s a shame. Those minigun arms were devastating against both the wendigos and the Syndicate," Alistair lamented. James nodded, his expression serious. "The heavy power armor variant will keep the minigun and rocket launchers, but the armor will have to bulk up to maintain its mobility and defensibility with all the upgrades. No way I¡¯m compromising on firepower for that model." As they continued discussing James'' project, Alistair could hear Jessica and Riseth chatting nearby about alchemical ingredients and potion-making. It wasn¡¯t hard to keep James distracted¡ªthere were a million unfinished machines and magitech devices scattered around the workshop that Alistair could ask him about. He noticed how, as the conversation flowed, James began to relax, his earlier frustration fading as he passionately explained the details of his magitech creations. "It''s a shame," James sighed, shaking his head. "I can''t seem to create combat automatons powerful enough to keep up with grade 8 combatants, no matter how many I deploy or how big I make their weapons. It''s like tossing droids against an army of Jedi Masters¡ªthey just get their shit kicked in, in no time flat." Alistair chuckled at the analogy. "So, while we can pad out our numbers, they aren¡¯t really an effective tool in higher-tier combat?" "Exactly!" James said, pointing at him. "They can buy our people some time and do well in a fortified position and maybe get off a lucky shot, but at those levels, the material investment is just not worth it. Honestly, unless I stumble upon some more efficient blueprints or make a breakthrough in robotics or magitech, those combat automata are eventually going to be phased out." "At least they¡¯re still useful for construction and logistics," Alistair mused. "Maybe you could switch focus to evasive flying drones that pack a punch?" "That¡¯s an option," James replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But magitech really performs best when it¡¯s directly used or piloted by someone and enhanced through dedicated skills. We¡¯ve got a lot of lawyers and fighters who¡¯ve developed power armor skills that sync with the suits, making them even stronger. I¡¯ve been swamped with requests for custom-made power armor to fit their concepts and fighting styles. The same goes for the fighter pilots¡ªI¡¯ve got more work than I know what to do with." Alistair knew his brother well enough to catch on to the subtle hint that James while appreciating his visit, was itching to get back to his work. "Yeah, I don¡¯t want to keep you too long," Alistair said with a grin. "You¡¯re doing amazing work down here, but you and Jessica have a habit of getting lost in your own world. Gotta check in and make sure you¡¯re still breathing every now and then." James matched his grin. "It¡¯s appreciated, but now get the hell out of my workshop," he said, pulling him in for a quick embrace. Meanwhile, Riseth, who had been sitting on one of the workbenches chatting with Jessica, hopped down. Jessica turned to them, raising an eyebrow. "Leaving already?" she asked, giving James a pointed look. "You can go with them if you want," James replied with a shrug. "I can finish up here. Those hugs pretty much drained what was left of my social battery." Jessica sighed dramatically before shooting an apologetic look at Riseth and Alistair. Riseth patted her on the shoulder with a smile. "Don''t worry about it. We''re just heading to the Crucible to check on the combat teams¡ªand see if Simon''s still hanging around there." "I wouldn¡¯t count on it," Jessica said with a knowing smile. as they made to leave "I hear he¡¯s been spending a lot of time on Nautilis lately." Alistair raised an eyebrow, this being the first he¡¯d heard of it. "Is that so?" he asked with a wide grin. "Did he finally get some tail?" "He didn¡¯t tell you?" Riseth asked, a little surprised. Alistair shrugged. "He did mention something, but he''ll fill me in if it''s serious or the next time we hang out. Things have been pretty hectic lately." Jessica let out a soft chuckle but quickly shot a slightly exasperated look toward James, who was already moving back to his tinkering. Alistair reassuringly waved her off, knowing his brother well enough to understand that James'' quirky nature wasn¡¯t something to be bothered by. When he was deeply absorbed in his work, James didn¡¯t have much social energy left, as his mind was often elsewhere. Alistair could tell Jessica felt similarly, though she seemed more reluctant to shoo them away so soon after they¡¯d arrived. Before they left, Alistair and Riseth gave Jessica a quick hug, waving as they made their way out. ¡°Take care, and make sure you provide proof of life every now and then,¡± Alistair teased, earning a chuckle from both Riseth and Jessica. ¡°You wish!¡± James called over his shoulder, giving them a quick wave before diving back into his work. Chapter 192: The Crucible Making their way through the industrial sector toward the closest teleportation pad that led to the Crucible, Alistair and Riseth were surrounded by the lightly decorated and utilitarian atmosphere typical of the area. Signs pointing in various directions led to different manufacturing hubs, from armaments and shipyards to magitech development. The Neshan''s emphasis on security was evident¡ªthick blast doors and meters of magically infused rock concealed and protected most of the industrial and sensitive areas. Unlike the more open and scenic parts of the city, this part of the mountain offered little in terms of view or charm since everything was hidden behind layers of protection. Alistair was looking forward to checking out the Crucible, as it had been a while since his last visit. The Crucible was a more recent addition to Rathos, having evolved from the original Illusionary Arenas. What had started as a small setup had expanded rapidly, offering not only a much larger variety of illusionary combat scenarios but also multiple chambers and vast arenas. These included podiums for spectators during organized tournaments and specialized chambers for real magical training, designed to withstand punishment from non-illusionary exercises. The scale and variety had grown significantly since its initial creation. They had created an official league and a series of tournaments, hoping that by holding them regularly, they would eventually be recognized by the system and awarded the Gladiator title along with its upgrades. According to Sotarr, consistency was key¡ªif they could maintain the tournaments for long enough, the system would eventually acknowledge them. Stepping out of the teleportation circle, they were immediately met with the roar of cheering and the distant clash of battle echoing down the corridor leading to the Crucible. Entering the brightly lit underground chamber, they gazed down from the stands at three exhibition arenas, each filled with combatants. Large screens in the corners of the arenas prominently displayed the fighters'' names and teams, ensuring visibility for the crowd no matter where they sat in the surrounding stands. In the leftmost arena, a Minotaur and a swift demoness clashed in close combat within a jungle environment. Meanwhile, the center and right arenas hosted team battles, both set in stone-tiled landscapes dotted with pillars and small buildings, offering elevation and obstacles to enhance the tactical depth of the fights. The spectators¡¯ attention was firmly on the centermost arena, where the Inevitables were battling the Stormstrikers. Both teams were fairly well-known¡ªthe Stormstrikers consisted mostly of young demons and humans from the first wave of settlers, while the Inevitables had a similar makeup but included a few newer arrivals. Among them was Valthos, a young Solivorus demon from Neshan, who had quickly gained a reputation for his showmanship and talent. Unsurprisingly, in this exhibition match, his team held back as he took on the last three members of the Stormstrikers alone, all of whom were holding their ground. From what Alistair knew, Valthos¡¯s core concept was suspected to be Duplication, an intriguing ability with linked concepts like cloning, which allowed him to create multiple versions of himself. However, each duplicate grew weaker as their numbers increased. He also made skillful use of the Copy and Mimic concepts, enabling him to replicate his opponents'' magic, though again, at reduced power. This combination made him a jack of all trades but master of none¡ªa drawback in one-on-one combat but an incredibly versatile asset in team battles. Most individuals had worked on developing their core concepts, but much like Alistair and Riseth, many hadn¡¯t fully grasped the exact relationship between core and directly linked concepts. That knowledge had spread quickly after Sotarr revealed its importance. Understanding why certain concepts meshed with their core while others didn¡¯t had been a long-standing issue, and the growth in power across the board following weeks and months of refining directly linked concepts was undeniable. The revelation had been too critical to withhold for the meager record gains not knowing had provided in their opinion. Not sensing Simon anywhere near, Alistair and Riseth took a seat in the stands, drawing a few curious glances from those nearby. Having refined their combat styles and concepts so much, watching the fight below felt a bit awkward. Alistair hesitated to call it flailing, but it wasn¡¯t far off as it was a mixture of vicious strikes with wide openings and uncovered angles he was now acutely aware of. He had quite a bit of experience in hand-to-hand combat from before the initiation, but his armed combat style had been just as lacking as theirs, particularly with a blade. The fighters'' movements and usage of magic reminded him of his own early struggles, muddling through with bits of knowledge pieced together from whatever sources he could find and a lot of trial and error. They had brought in a few skilled individuals to train others in close-quarter combat, particularly armed combat, but it would take time for people to shift from their wild, beast-like fighting styles to more disciplined techniques. Not everyone was convinced of the benefits yet. The change was gradual, and Alistair knew that achieving true mastery would require patience. Even though he had shed most of his bad habits and developed a solid foundation under Sotarr''s guidance, he still had a long way to go. His own journey toward mastery was far from complete¡ªhe would need to refine his Aegis Stride and continue expanding its capabilities over time. They also ran into a problem where many of their techniques had hit the ceiling of what was possible at their grade, which was problematic as they were still in the early part of their Grade. Sotarr had reassured them it should be quite fine as the better their skills, stats, and overall quality of their records, the better the second racial evolution at grade 7 would be. "Please don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m the only one who thinks their flailing is hard to watch. I almost feel bad," Riseth asked over the Akashic Link, a hint of an awkward smile on her face.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Alistair chuckled as he watched Valthos block the lightning attack with a barrier before quickly retaliating. "No, I thought the same. We¡¯ve done what we can to set them on the right track, but considering the circumstances, they¡¯re doing quite well." The fight below took a sudden turn as Valthos followed the lightning with a windblade he had copied from another fighter, swiftly eliminating one of the opponents. Now, only Valthos, his duplicate, and two remaining fighters were left. With the Stormstrikers having lost their numbers advantage, the fight quickly came to a close. The arena erupted in cheers and applause as the final blow landed, sealing the Inevitables'' victory. Alistair and Riseth joined the others in clapping as the illusion dissipated, revealing the fighters safe within their protective podium, turning to wave at the small crowd of fighters and spectators scattered across the stands. "Who here thinks they can beat the Inevitables?! We take all challengers!" Valthos called out, his voice magically amplified within the protective arena. His team jeered and grinned widely, their confidence infectious. The young demon''s gaze swept over the crowd, but no one seemed willing to take him up on the challenge. "No takers?" he teased before his eyes landed on Alistair and Riseth, seated calmly in the stands. "Clan Patriarch and Matriarch, what an honor for you to witness our battle!" Valthos exclaimed, his tone carrying the unmistakable hint of a challenge. Alistair could already tell where this was headed, and he fought to keep his expression neutral, resisting the urge to let a predatory grin spread across his face. "If I might be so bold," Valthos continued, "would you do us the honor of showing us your prowess? Naturally, it will be a fair two-on-two duel, in an arena of your choosing." Alistair raised an eyebrow and glanced at Riseth, who wore a slightly annoyed frown. "They¡¯re challenging us," Riseth said over the Akashic Link, her tone laced with a mixture of amusement and irritation. "Most haven¡¯t seen us fight, and for many, our prowess is still just rumor. This might be the perfect chance to put that unrest to bed." "Leave it to me," Alistair responded calmly. Still seated, he connected his magic to the voice amplification system, letting his predatory smile emerge as he addressed Valthos. "I accept your challenge," he said, amusement in his tone. "But let¡¯s make it interesting¡ªyour entire team against me, in an arena of your choosing." "I let Nessyra know, and she helped spread the word," Riseth said over the Akashic Link. "Try not to end it too quickly." "Fine," Alistair replied in mock disappointment. "But only because you asked." He gave her a quick kiss before shifting his focus to the upcoming battle, his grin lingering as he watched the arena turn into a circular sandstone-tiled arena surrounded by a Middle Eastern cityscape. He was a bit disappointed by the boring pick, though he could flatten pretty much any arena with waves of kinetic energy, so it didn''t truly matter what they picked. Alistair interacted with the mana stone of the illusionary array, appearing in the city scape at the arena''s edge. Dissatisfied with his starting position, he used his Telekinesis to lift himself skyward at incredible speeds, then teleported to the center of the arena. Alistair knew they had seen him teleport to the center of the arena, but they were taking their time, spreading out to encircle him. He chuckled to himself, pulling up his Akashic Sound Board. No way he¡¯d miss the opportunity to play some good music while entertaining these eager youngsters. Maybe Free Bird? Or some boss music? he mused, sensing the Inevitables closing in, empowering themselves for the fight. He didn¡¯t feel enough of a threat from them to push himself beyond what the Akashic Sound Board would add. Valthos dashed at him head-on, and Alistair made his choice: Kickstart My Heart. As the track blared to life, a brief look of confusion crossed the Solivorus demon''s face. Then, Valthos activated his duplication ability, lightning arcing toward Alistair while gunfire erupted from the sides of the open space. Another attacker rushed from behind, but Alistair remained calm, his grin widening as the music pulsed through the arena. The power behind their attacks was so underwhelming that Alistair didn¡¯t even need to move. He stood still, letting his Automatic True Force Barrier effortlessly block some of the hits while absorbing and converting the rest into kinetic energy. He felt a subtle shift in the magic around him¡ªone of their supporters had locked down flight and teleportation. The strength of the formation was actually impressive, but it wasn¡¯t enough to prevent him from using his Telekinesis to move around. As Valthos and his human teammate, John, closed in, Alistair took note of the latter¡¯s evolution. "Human" wasn¡¯t quite accurate anymore¡ªJohn had become an Ironborn, his skin taking on a dark gray sheen with protective, metallic properties. The pair pressed forward, but Alistair remained calm, taking the first stance of the Aegis Stride, his poleaxe pointed at Valthos. Suddenly, John sped up, dashing at his back, quickly followed by the demon and his duplicate. Alistair smirked, using Telekinesis to move backward rapidly, ramming the sharp butt of his weapon into John''s stomach, increasing the force, mass, and kinetic energy at the moment of impact, spreading out the magic slightly so he didn''t just impale the man as he didn''t want to immediately kick him out of the arena. John''s eyes bulged as his iron body was crushed, and he was sent flying through one of the sandstone buildings. Alistair winced¡ªhe had overestimated the fighter''s resilience as John was torn from the illusion. "Whoops," Alistair said with a chuckle. Valthos lashed out with his chain swords, four pairs striking in unison. Alistair casually sidestepped the first strike, parrying the next with his poleaxe, stealing the momentum and shifting Valthos''s mass to his other arm, throwing him off balance. His duplicate had to quickly pull back to avoid slashing the original. After the parry, Alistair smoothly redirected the point of his poleaxe toward the demon¡¯s neck. Valthos tried to twist out of the attack, but Alistair locked him in place with his Telekinesis, intending to stop the thrust just short. To his surprise, Valthos, despite being held in place, used magic to contort and split his body in a bizarre, uncomfortable-to-watch display to evade the blow. Meanwhile, the rest of the Inevitables abandoned their ranged attacks and charged at Alistair, realizing their previous tactics were futile. Amused, Alistair paused and, instead of pressing the attack, hurled the twisting demon toward his teammates with Telekinesis, not quite ready to end the fight just yet. Chapter 193: Young Elites Alistair struck swiftly, slicing Valthos''s duplicate in half, its form shattering as the magic dispersed. At the same time, the original Valthos was caught by their Minotaur teammate¡ªthough, with the added force and mass Alistair had applied to his body, the impact sent both of them skidding across the stone-tiled ground. The rest of the team had to halt their charge as Zavari, the demoness who had set up the anti-flying and teleportation array, rushed over to heal them. Alistair casually approached, satisfied to see that the team members who had previously tried to encircle him were now repositioning to protect their teammates. "We got this! We can beat him!" Valthos shouted as he stood up, brushing himself off. "Keep pressure on him! We can overwhelm him!" he commanded, his voice full of renewed determination. Alistair shook his head in dissapointment, stopping a fair distance from the team. "I was hoping you''d have realized by now that I¡¯m holding back¡ªfor your benefit," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Being determined and driven are great traits, but you need to properly analyze your opponents and recognize when you''re outmatched. Out in the field, it won¡¯t be an illusion." "He¡¯s bluffing! Stick to the plan," Valthos insisted, his voice laced with stubborn confidence. Alistair frowned. He had hoped to teach them through a gradual process, offering glimpses of insight as they fought. But it seemed he would need to crush them utterly to drive the lesson home. Solivorus demons were known for their unshakable belief that they were the center of all reality, so perhaps giving Valthos a harsh wake-up call would be more beneficial in the long run. At least one of his teammates seemed to realize Alistair wasn¡¯t bluffing. Zavari looked uneasy, glancing between him and Valthos with growing doubt. Valthos dashed forward, a duplicate appearing at his side as the rest of the team charged close behind. Alistair activated his Bloodcurdling Presence, and those with lingering doubts hesitated, their mental defenses buckling under the pressure. He boosted himself, rapidly converting his Qi into kinetic energy and empowering his telekinesis, halting the entire team in their tracks. The strain of holding so many opponents¡ªeach technically in the same grade as him¡ªwas beginning to show. He¡¯d need to act quickly. With a swift squeeze, he shattered the duplicate; instantly, shifting his focus, he quickly followed this by crushing the original, sending Valthos out of the arena. With his focus and magic stretched thin, the Minotaur Oklios tore himself free through sheer force magic freeing himself. Oklios''s effort gave Zavari enough time to free herself, and much to Alistair¡¯s surprise, he felt some of his power fight him. That wasn¡¯t an easy feat, and he briefly wondered what her core concept was. His focus had been too divided to analyze her actions. Deciding to end his boosting skills, Alistair took a step back and inspected the pair before him: Zavari, a Bellavex sovereign¡ªknown for their fierce, warlike nature¡ªand the resilient minotaur. "That was impressive," Alistair said with a genuine smile, dropping his Bloodcurdling Presence skill while letting the music fade as he acknowledged their efforts. "Now, with just the three of us, how about we use this as a learning experience? Come at me with everything you¡¯ve got," he added, his tone both challenging and encouraging. "Thank you for your guidance, Clan Patriarch," Zavari said, a grim but determined expression on her face as she executed a curious bow. The minotaur punched his fists together in a display of recognition, his chain axes clinking against each other, letting out a grunt as many of the recently enlightened minotaurs struggled with speech, not having gained the Myriad Language Comprehension skill like those that had participated in the trials. He wore one of the heavy power armor suits, while Zavari wore one of the lighter ones¡ªthe exact same one his brother was currently intent on replacing with a better version. She used a spear, though he had noted that she had often used it like a scepter to perform magic. Alistair suspected her affinity for magic and enchantments was quite high based on the lockdown on magic and teleportation she had placed down. Alistair''s musings were abruptly cut short as Oklios charged at him, swinging his chain axes wildly, their roar filling the air. Alistair could have easily dodged with a slight tilt of his body, but the Aegis Stride wasn¡¯t about evasion. Instead, with a swift flick of his poleaxe, he batted the axe blades aside, stealing half their momentum and increasing their weight to pull the Minotaur off balance. Oklios¡¯s muscles bulged as he strained to regain control. Before the Minotaur could recover, Alistair struck with the hammer side of his weapon, infused with kinetic energy and enhanced with force and mass at the moment of impact. The blow landed hard against Oklios''s chest, nearly breaking his ribs and sending him reeling backward. Zavari wasted no time, slipping around the staggering Minotaur. Her spear thrust toward Alistair¡¯s neck, vibrating at extreme speeds as it sliced through the air with deadly precision. Notably, she hadn¡¯t made a sound during her approach. Suddenly, Alistair found himself surrounded by Arcane Missiles, and he quickly recognized the use of the concept of delay as his True Force Barriers effortlessly blocked the attacks. In response, Alistair dashed forward, hooking her spear with his poleaxe. The vibrations coursing through her weapon became useless as he effortlessly stole its momentum, his Kinetic Storage steadily filling with the energy flowing from Zavari''s enhancement. When she finally ceased the technique, Alistair stepped in close, his palm extended just inches from her face. Rather than blasting her head off, he lowered his hand slightly, then unleashed a wave of kinetic force, sending her flying, her neck snapping back painfully from the impact.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Some of the force reflected back toward him, and Alistair clearly recognized the concept of reflection. However, it made little difference¡ªhe absorbed the reflected energy back into his body with ease. Alistair watched as Zavari executed a graceful backflip, landing on her feet and sliding a few meters. His interest in the minotaur waned¡ªwhile Oklios used magic to empower himself and some force magic, it wasn''t enough to keep Alistair intrigued. Zavari, however, was different. Based on the concepts she had shown, Alistair could make an educated guess about her core concept. Reaching out through the Akashic Link, he asked, "Could your core concept perhaps be ''Echo''?" Alistair''s tone was filled with curiosity. Zavari looked at him in surprise, chewing her lip as she weighed whether or not to answer. Meanwhile, the minotaur, using a rage skill, charged at Alistair again. With a quick burst of Telekinesis, Alistair effortlessly moved to the side, hooking Oklios''s thick leg with his poleaxe. The leg was too wide for the gap in the weapon, but Alistair shifted the minotaur''s mass again, sending him tumbling to the ground and leaving a deep gash in both the power armor and Oklios''s leg. "Yes, Echo is my core concept," came Zavari''s reply through the Akashic Link. Alistair scratched his chin, intrigued. Her talent and concept were well aligned. He had occasionally taken time to teach his former students alongside Riseth when their schedules permitted, and adding Zavari to those sessions could potentially cultivate another true elite within the clan, given enough time. The minotaur, consumed by his rage skill, charged again, his mind lost to fury. Alistair swiftly turned, lashing out with his poleaxe. The strike cut through Oklios, and as the illusionary form of the minotaur shattered, he was teleported out of the arena. Without missing a beat, Alistair pointed his poleaxe at Zavari. "You¡¯ve got potential," he told her through the Akashic Link. "I''ll be in touch." Before she could reply, a Kinetic Strike shot out from the point of his poleaxe, piercing her chest in an instant and shattering her illusionary body. Moments later, Alistair was dragged back into his booth beside Riseth, greeted by the thundering cheers and applause of a much larger audience than he had anticipated. Alistair waved, schooling his expression. Though the crowd was excited, he hadn¡¯t truly enjoyed how the fight had played out. He would have preferred facing a stronger opponent or, better yet, taking the time to train them properly. But this battle had been about displaying power, and revealing too much¡ªespecially in public, even among his own clan wasn''t a good idea. They ended up staying longer than they¡¯d planned, watching several matches and even participating in a few. It turned out to be more enjoyable than expected, as Alistair and Riseth took the opportunity to teach some of the fighters. They pointed out flaws, directed their growth, and, in some cases, offered advice on how to potentially advance their concepts. Along the way, they identified a few promising candidates for elite training, if they proved to have both the talent and mindset needed. Their original intent of meeting with Simon fell to the wayside, especially since he was nowhere to be found, and they didn¡¯t feel like calling him if he was truly busy on Nautilus. Sitting in one of the private booths encircling the Arena, Alistair watched the ongoing fights of the impromptu tournament, but his mind was elsewhere. It had been a little over a year since they colonized Lacustrine, and the bridges were set to open soon. A celebration was already in the works, largely due to Nessyra¡¯s insistence and the Neshan population''s refusal to let the occasion pass with a somber mood. What troubled Alistair most was how much their speed of progression had slowed since leaving the trial, and it wasn¡¯t just them¡ªeveryone¡¯s growth had ground to a near halt. On top of that, both he and Riseth had hit the skill ceiling for many of their key abilities, their current grade holding them back. The limited access to quality hunting grounds and dungeons only made things worse. While they could grind out a few more levels in the Everbright Dungeon or on Lacustrine and the surrounding planets, the pace was far too slow for Alistair¡¯s liking. The best solution to their problem wasn¡¯t simply to seek better hunting grounds¡ªit was to hunt people. Fortunately, Alistair had few qualms about targeting members of the Blackmarket Syndicates and their allies. However, the associated risks were no small matter, and they would need to form strong alliances to shield themselves from inevitable retaliation. What made this all the more troubling was the knowledge that the Bridges connecting to the older universes could open any day now, bringing with them the first waves of invaders. While Alistair knew the Aegis Coalition had placed strong defenses and fleets in position, guarding the Bridges vigilantly for any sign of change, he worried that the sheer number of invaders could overwhelm them. Some might break through the blockade, slipping into the wider universe to hide and grow just like they were doing right now. Nessyra had informed them that she had already called a few of the potential allies, and Alistair knew he and Riseth would inevitably be dragged into the discussions soon enough. Their fight and triumph over Eberus was spreading fast, strengthening their reputation and proving their viability as allies. This helped offset some of the prejudice many of the factions and races had against demons and humans in particular. Humans were generally known to be untrustworthy allies, prone to backstabbing even their own kin, and frequently responsible for great acts of cruelty. Alistair was relieved they had Nessyra managing the negotiations. Having a demon who specialized in contracts as the face of the discussions helped immensely in countering that reputation. Though Alistair knew that wasn¡¯t the only thing humans and demons were known for, he already dreaded the inevitable questions some of their potential allies might ask. He was reminded of a time during the trial when Simon had managed to pull him and the half-troll Zathron away for a short drinking binge. Once they¡¯d had a few too many, they started asking about Zathron¡¯s parentage, which unleashed a tirade about humans and demons. Zathron¡¯s planet had countless different races, and he lambasted them with stories about how notoriously horny humans were. It was hard to argue, especially since Zathron claimed his own father was human. According to Zathron, humans and demons had earned a reputation for crossbreeding with just about any species. He even told them about a conjurer named Frank he¡¯d met during the trial, who had summoned a fire elemental and became so captivated by her curves that he was currently going to great lengths to obtain a potion for temporary fire immunity. Zathron added, with a snicker, that elementals typically didn¡¯t even have genders, yet with the introduction of magic, he had no doubt that humans with elemental bloodlines would soon emerge. He insisted that humans and demons didn¡¯t care about the size or shape of genitals¡ªor how many teeth an orifice had¡ªthey¡¯d still, for some reason, try to mount it. Alistair chuckled at the memory, he wondered how Zathron was doing; they technically had given him a beacon, but he had yet to activate it, and he knew at the very least Desily would be happy to see him again.