《Transcendent Resurgence: Regressing on an abandoned Earth》 Chapter 1: Sanctuary Zyrus opened his eyes to take in the new environment. He stood below a clear blue sky and looked at the forest that stretched far ahead, painting the horizon in a vivid green. A fresh scent of grass filled the air, accompanied by the sounds of chirping insects. It was definitely that place. The place where it all began. "Whoa! It looks so realistic. Is this a dream?" "I knew those doctors were up to something when they installed chips in our bodies! This must be one of their experiments." "This must be a mass hallucination!" "Fucking dumbass, how could that happen when we''re in the cryogenic chambers?" "Is this caused by the Arc of Noah''s AI?" Zyrus looked at the people around him who were talking about conspiracy theories and their wild fantasies. There were people of all ages between twenty and seventy. Some were ranting about the authority while some were scared, but the majority of them shared the same emotion, confusion. "It''s amazing, isn''t it? We''re in a cryogenic sleep chamber and yet we''re all here!" A man in his forties approached him with his hands behind his back. Zyrus wanted to yell that "YOU are in a cryogenic sleep chamber, and guess what, you''ll never wake up after starting this ''game''," But he just shrugged instead. The man, feeling offended, went to the people chatting before and joined them. Zyrus quietly distanced himself from others and reached the edge of the crowd. He stood there alone, thinking about the history lessons he received when he was in school. Humanity left the earth in the year 3500, heading towards their new home on planet Atlas. They traveled through a wormhole and reached the edge of the new galaxy. They could travel at half the speed of light, but still, a century passed by before they reached their destination. A lot of energy was required for that. It took them twenty years to gather enough resources, and in the first two years of that, new lives were born. Cryogenic chambers were harmful for children''s development, so people weren''t allowed to have kids after that. They were the first generation of humans born in space. And unfortunately, they would be the last generation of humanity as well. More and more people were popping up with a flash. And when the number reached a hundred, it stopped. Despite his regression, Zyrus was very calm at the moment. He had enough time to think things over on earth. He had a lot of questions and a lot more to do. Despite reaching the max level and even breaking out from the limitations of the ''system'', he had failed miserably. He thought that he had figured out everything and even believed that he was the strongest, for a brief moment before he was killed that is. A genius who had reached the nexus of immortality within a century. A dazzling star who was extinguished at his brightest moment, the man who died after his final breakthrough. It was the end of the great dimensional mage, Zyrus Wymar. ''Well, It would''ve been if not for that red-eyed bastard,'' Zyrus stood with mixed feelings as he awaited the arrival of their guide. The crowd calmed down after hearing the ethereal voice. ¡®She looks the same as always,¡¯ Just like everyone else Zyrus looked at the rainbow colored fairy. She was floating in the sky with her butterfly wings. She looked like a cute child as she was only three feet in height. Yet in her presence, not a single human dared to speak. She announced with a smile and the heavy pressure lifted away. Naturally, people started chatting once again. "What was that about?" "She looks cute and scary at the same time!" "How many areas are there?" Zyrus looked at the people around him with a pitiful gaze. They had no idea about what''s to come. He was once the same as them, curious and excited about the new place. *clap* *clap* Everyone looked at the fairy after she clapped with her tiny hands. "Nice to meet you!" "That''s such a good name Aurora." Some overly excited among the crowd replied to her, thinking that she was an AI. She smiled without replying and waved her hand. And a gray screen appeared in front of them. ''So weak,'' Zyrus was frustrated as he looked at his screen. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Human] [Class: None] [Level: 1] Exp: 0/1000 [Title: None] [Achievement: None] [Talent: None] [Strength: 5] [Agility: 5] [Vitality: 5] [Intelligence: 5] [SP: 0] HP = (Vitality * 10) = 50 If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. It was a very basic status screen. Stats like resistance, Critical rate and damage, Attributes, and so on, weren¡¯t mentioned. ¡®Makes sense since a majority of the people wouldn¡¯t know what to do with them in the tutorial,¡¯ Zyrus closed his screen and observed the people around him. There was no point in being frustrated over his weakness. Aurora couldn''t care less about the people who were looking at the screens with confusion. ¡°What mission?¡± a lady spoke as she had a bad premonition about this. As if waiting for someone to ask that question, Aurora smirked at the lady and waved her hand again. With a brilliant light, a structure appeared in the middle of the crowd. It pushed the nearby people away and everyone looked at the scene in wonder. Everyone except Zyrus, who was looking at Aurora with a reminiscent gaze. ¡®How many of them will survive? 10? 20? It would be a miracle if a quarter of them lived past this week¡¯. Zyrus sighed in his heart and glanced at the center of the crowd. There was a circular goblet like construct. It was eight feet tall, and below it was a circle that was ten feet wide. Then, with a flick of her finger, a yellowish-red flame appeared on the top. It was the flame that represented the life of humanity. People were still confused about what was going on, but before any of them could ask anything, Aurora announced once again. Then with another wave of her hands, Brown bags popped up in front of everyone. She looked at each and every one of the hundred humans below. And when it was Zyrus¡¯s turn, her eyes lingered on him for a moment before she looked away. The heavy pressure once again enveloped everyone and no one was able to speak. She gave everyone a mischievous smile and vanished from the sky. ¡®Well no-one¡¯s going to call her cute again.¡¯ Zyrus chuckled and opened the bag in front of him. [Basic Armor x 1 acquired] [Basic weapon selector x 1 acquired] [Ration x 1 acquired] He didn¡¯t hesitate and spoke, ¡°Status,¡± Ignoring the pathetic stats, he looked at the new tabs. - [Basic Armor x 1] [Basic weapon selector x 1] [Ration x 1] He clicked the second option and a different screen appeared in front of him. [Basic Sword] ATK: 20 [Basic Bow] ATK: 35 [Basic Spear] ATK: 30 [Basic Shield] DEF: 40 [Basic Knives (2)] ATK: 15 Zyrus pondered for a moment about which one to choose. Simply put, ATK worked as the percentage of strength applied in the attack. For example, he would deal 20% damage by using a basic sword, and by using his multiplier 5 for his current strength, his final damage would be 1. DEF worked in a similar way, with Vitality as a multiplier. The shield, therefore, can block 2 damage. Of course, there are still things like stamina, skills, weapon proficiency, buffs, debuffs, crit, weakness¡­ and much more to this. Zyrus chose the spear for its range. He also knew about a good location where he could get the ¡°Bloodspine spear¡± in this area. A weapon like that was pretty decent in early levels. ¡®It would be good if I get a skill before I get that though, so I should focus on Achievements for now¡¯ Zyrus made a rough plan as he checked the armor. [Basic Armor] DEF: 50 He moved back to the edge of the crowd and spoke, ¡°Equip.¡± Gray light flashed on him and in the next second, he was wearing a light brown leather coat with black pants. The so-called ¡°Armor¡± was nothing more than a pair of clothes made from monster leather. Combined with a six-foot spear strapped on his back, he stood out like a sore thumb. Many had seen him speak and they too followed his actions. Some were curious about how he knew what to do, but after looking at his deep black eyes, none dared to ask. Zyrus wanted to help them, but as things stood now, he was in no position to do so. This was a place where everyone had to fight for their life. His eyes pierced the forest in front of him. He saw the goblins that hid behind the shadows, and without wasting a moment, he charged ahead. Goblins had more agility compared to humans, while the rest of their stats were below 4. The weakest was their vitality which was at 3. What they lacked in quality, they made up with quantity. They had a very fast reproduction rate. There were supposed to be 200 goblins on the first day, quite a number for newbies to handle. Not for Zyrus though. He was the man who had reaped millions of lives in his reign. Unfortunately, the goblins didn''t know that. A squad of goblins jumped at him as he reached the thickets. [Goblin lv 1] [Goblin lv 1] [.] [.] "Kikiki," Excited at the opportunity of an easy hunt, they laughed at the human in front of them. The laugh which was cut short as a spear''s edge protruded out from of their necks. Zyrus gave them a cruel smile as he watched a red number appear. -30 Exp + 100 Critical Hit [Stats Critical Rate and Critical Damage unlocked!] [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, (F-)] [+5 SP] ¡®There are nine more left, perfect for a level up.¡¯ He used the basic spear moves, and each slash and thrust took the life of a goblin. -30 Exp + 100 -30 Exp + 100 . . Other goblins also came out from the forest. None of them even glanced at Zyrus and went after the easy prey. Apparently, comradery wasn''t one of the traits that goblins had. And as time would prove it, neither did the humans. ¡°Aahhhh¡± ¡°Sa-save me..¡± As Zyrus killed one goblin after another, they did the same to humans. They could barely inflict a damage of 5, but they did so in a group. People had believed that it was easy to kill the goblins when they saw Zyrus. Alas, they had not paid attention to the description of their stats and weapons. The damages dealt by their weapons were in the range of 1 and 2. How did Zyrus deal 40 damage then? It was because of weakness and critical hits. Different species had different damage multipliers based on their weakness. For example, slimes didn''t have a physical weakness so each hit would deal the same damage. However, in the case of goblins, they had a weakness multiplier of 5 on their hearts, and 10 on their necks and brain. Different regions of the body had their own multipliers, but they also changed depending on the type of attack. For example, a slash and a stab attack on stomach would deal different amounts of damage, not to mention the degree of the wound. In short, by using the maximum amount of strength to strike at the enemy¡¯s weakness with precision, it was possible to deal the maximum amount of damage. A feat that none other than Zyrus managed to achieve. These instances were counted as critical hits, and by default they dealt 100% more damage. So, with the weakness multiplier and critical damage bonus, Zyrus dealt 15+15=30 damage per hit. [Level up!] [+1 to all stats] Zyrus wanted to check out his achievement and distribute the SP, but now wasn¡¯t the time for that. By the time he was done more than a dozen humans were dead already. Just as he was heading out to the other side, his right leg vibrated all of a sudden. He took out the cube that red eyed man gave him from his pocket. It was humming with visible strands of energy. ¡®Interesting¡­ so what he said was true after all,¡¯ He wanted to help other humans whenever he could. However, this wasn¡¯t something he could put off for later. ¡®Besides, they¡¯ll have to get used to this sooner or later. I can¡¯t protect them like the last time¡¯. Zyrus stopped moving and recalled the conversation he had with that man when they arrived on earth. The man had given him two pieces of advice before parting. One of them was about the cube. He had told him that the cube would give him a mission every time he ascended to a new ring. And he had to complete them at all costs. Intrigued at the prospect of finding a hidden piece, Zyrus stroked the cube in his palm. Nothing happened at first, but after a minute, an intense red glow erupted from the cube. Zyrus squinted his eyes and looked away. He noticed that no one else saw what was happening with the cube. It made him even more curious about what the mission was and most importantly, what its rewards would be. The glow slowly faded away and a red screen appeared in front of him. He instinctively knew that this wasn''t a part of the sanctuary''s system. It wasn''t because of the different color or the weird language written on the page, it was because of his experience of his past life. He was the only one who had managed to get past the system''s limits. Although he died shortly after leaving the sanctuary, he was one of the best when it came to understanding the system. The words changed as he looked at the screen and read the content. [Mission: Obtain the ¡°Fang of Nidraxis¡± at the center of the Carmine Mire] [Reward: Obtain the talent ¡°Blood fusion (S rank)¡±] ¡®An S-ranked talent in the tutorial area!'' Zyrus stared at the screen with clenched fists. Although it wouldn''t increase his combat power by much, it can increase his potential by a ridiculous level. Even in the second ring, only geniuses among the high-ranking species could awaken their talents. For the average creatures in the sanctuary, they can only awaken their talents from the third ring. And even in the third ring, an S-ranked talent was very rare. The importance of this opportunity was obvious for someone like him. Zyrus gripped his spear with determination and decided to complete the mission regardless of the side effects. It wasn''t just because of the rewards; he had felt it when the cube glowed for the first time. There were nine seals placed on the cube, and he had only unlocked the first of them. With his experience as a dimensional mage, he knew what would happen if he failed the mission. The cube would disappear, along with his chance to slay the Eternals. There was nothing such as an overpowered talent or skill in the sanctuary. Even this hidden piece followed that rule. It would make him stronger, yes, but it''ll also have its downside. The mission was much more than just difficult, it was practically impossible. Humans couldn''t even survive near the edge of Carmine Mire; much less reach the center of it. To gain something, you''ll also have to give something up. It was the law of equivalent exchange. He wasn¡¯t one to cower in front of adversities. He was The Void Monarch, the mage who had left behind mountains of corpses and rivers of blood in his quest to slay the Eternals. ¡®It will be different this time. I will annihilate everything that stands against me and reach the throne of immortality.¡¯ Zyrus vowed to himself and rushed at the goblins with a ruthless gaze. He knew what he had to do. ¡®If a human couldn''t complete the mission, then I''ll become a monster instead.¡¯ Chapter 2: New Companions *Slash* "Kiieeh" -30 Exp + 90 ¡®Tch, it''s already getting lower,¡¯ Zyrus frowned as he looked at the reduced Exp gain. With every difference in level, Exp gain decreased by 10%. It was annoying but it made sense in a way. This function ensured the survival of low-level species. Otherwise, someone could just kill all the goblins to reach level 100 and above. Once the level gap increased by more than 5, farming exp becomes very inefficient. *Shkk* -30 Exp + 90 ¡®14 more to go till I level up again,¡¯ Zyrus calculated as he pulled out his spear from a goblin''s neck. He kept killing goblins while thinking about how many levels he''d gain after this was over. For Lv 1 to 10, Exp required to level up would increase by 150% of the previous requirement. The last levels like 10,20,.50.. and so on needed a bit more Exp as they had additional functions such as class advancements and race-related missions. Thanks to his one-sided slaughter humans slowly got the upper hand in the fight. A blonde-haired man had taken charge of the group. With him at the center; all shield users grouped around the goblet and created a metal wall. Archers stood behind them and they slowly whittled down the enemy numbers. ¡®They''re not bad, but that''s all there is to it.¡¯ While this strategy did increase the survival rate, those who were using the other weapons were in grave danger. Zyrus didn''t expect much from this bunch and looked at the others. He wasn''t one of those people who did everything by themselves. In order to achieve his goals he needed some subordinates. Not allies, subordinates. Even as a monster he would still need them. He remembered the faces of his comrades, the ones he had lost on his way to the immortal throne. They were the only people he would trust in this life. As for others, he''ll have to be careful about them. He couldn''t afford to be betrayed once again. Thus, he decided to keep a small number of elites by his side. People who were skilled enough to follow him on his journey. [Level up!] [+1 to all stats] Finally, after killing more than a dozen goblins he leveled up again. After getting another boost in his stats he was now much stronger than the goblins. *Slash* -30 Exp + 80 His slashing spear didn''t allow the goblins to let out a dying scream. His hands moved like a blur in others'' eyes. He was single-handedly changing the flow of battle. Just as Zyrus was about to pierce another goblin, a knife flew from behind and pierced its neck. With his senses, Zyrus could''ve prevented the kill from getting stolen, but he just looked at the person who had thrown the knife. It was a girl who looked to be the same age as him with brown hair and hazel eyes. The girl trembled when his gaze landed on her. It was to be expected as Zyrus was standing in the midst of goblin corpses. He hadn''t even bothered to wipe the blood on his face, which didn''t do any wonder to others'' impression of him. "I j-just wanted to help," the girl stuttered as she looked at Zyrus coming in her direction. "I apologize on her behalf" A boy stood in front of her and bowed towards Zyrus. His green eyes stared back at him while his black hair swayed in the wind. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡®Interesting¡­¡¯ Zyrus observed them with amusement and strode towards them. Although the boy looked composed now, he could sense the killing intent emanating from him. Zyrus didn''t mind them stealing the kill. On the contrary, he was impressed by the girl''s skill. It was no easy feat to strike so accurately from afar. What he found even more surprising was the killing intent coming from the boy. ¡®They both have potential.¡¯ If trained right they can easily help him in the earlier stages. After that, everything depended on their luck and talent. They were hiding their skills previously, and as Zyrus was only looking around casually he hadn''t noticed the pair. ¡®They probably died last time,¡¯ Although their skills were pretty good, that didn''t correlate to their survival. It took more than just strength to survive. Just because he didn''t mind them stealing the kill at this moment, it didn''t mean that others would do the same. "I''ll kill you both if you lie," Zyrus released his killing intent and everyone around him, be it the goblins or the humans felt a chill down their spines. Some people looked at the pair with sympathy while others gloated. The commotion also caught the blonde man''s attention as he glared at Zyrus. He had set his eyes on the duo as well, but he knew that now wasn''t the right time to act. Zyrus didn''t care about any of them. He retracted his killing intent and looked at the pair, waiting for an explanation. None of the goblins dared to come closer. Even they knew it would be suicidal to do so. It wasn''t a good outcome for others as goblins started getting the upper hand in other fights. The girl took a deep breath as she looked around and spoke with clenched fists, "I n-no we wanted to stay close to you so we could survive." Zyrus raised his brows at her which made her flinch. ¡°And I wanted to earn some Exp now and then, but I didn''t think you''d react so strongly about this," Zyrus felt a bit bad for them but still, he kept his stern attitude. He knew it wasn''t a big deal, but if she formed a habit now, it could potentially kill her and everyone close to her in the future. Stealing a kill was a taboo in every ring of the sanctuary. Especially against the boss and event monsters. Those who thought themselves to be clever and sneak attacked the bosses were hunted down by every major force. Their endings were anything but pleasant. Zyrus then ignored her and looked at the boy who didn''t say anything while standing in front of the girl. "What do you want?" The boy finally spoke, unable to bear the pressure. ¡®That''s better. He knows when to back down and hide his true thoughts.¡¯ "You both have decent skills. I help you out but you''ll have to follow my every word from now on." Zyrus stared at them and continued, "I don''t care about your relationship and what you think about my order; I want you as a tool and nothing more." He took out his spear and started moving towards the goblins once again. "I won''t promise you anything grand, but if you follow me, you''ll live. Live with the dignity of a human." They wouldn''t understand the weight of his last sentence, but he didn''t care. His conditions might seem harsh, but they were pretty tame compared to the treatment others received from other high-ranking species. Zyrus started fighting, or rather, farming Exp once again as he killed every goblin he came across. They avoided him like a plague but now with two level-ups, his agility was even higher than theirs. ¡®I got a bit sidetracked but now it''s time to finish this off.¡¯ He wanted to level up once more before the end of today''s battle. It would be a bit troublesome since goblins were dying pretty quickly now. He felt slightly regretful after looking at the goblins that others had killed while he was talking. ¡®Whatever, it would be worthwhile if they join me.¡¯ He could just party up with them to recover the "potentially lost Exp." As he kept killing them one after another, his Exp slowly stacked up. Finally, after killing another thirty of them, he saw the level-up message once again. There were only about a hundred of them left now. Even though he was much stronger than the others, he still needed time to kill them. His attacks dealt more damage than goblins maximum HP, but it didn¡¯t make any difference. Zyrus was quite exhausted by this point as well. Unfortunately, leveling up didn¡¯t restore the stamina. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll stop after I get an achievement for killing a hundred,¡¯ There was also a limit to how much Exp you could get by simply killing the same type of monster. After a certain number, the system gave coins instead of Exp. It wasn¡¯t a bad deal as earning coins was just as, if not harder than leveling up. Unless you have a crafting class, getting enough coins to buy the items in the system shop or at players'' auction was a hassle. Just as Zyrus was about to go on a killing spree again, the pair from before approached him. ¡°We¡¯re willing to follow you,¡± the boy spoke with determination. ¡°Very well then. I¡¯m Zyrus,¡± he spoke as he put his fist forward. ¡°I¡¯m Kyle.¡± the boy, Kyle, bumped his fist. ¡°And I¡¯m Lauren.¡± The girl did the same as Zyrus smiled at them both. He was being blunt with them on purpose. He didn''t have the time to play mind games when their lives were at stake. From their behavior, it was apparent that they knew his intentions as well. ¡°Follow me then. We¡¯ll talk later but first, I¡¯ll help you guys level up once.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± they both bowed with sparkling eyes. ¡®Well, I only need one hit for achievement anyway,¡¯ Zyrus felt a bit guilty about their gratitude but he shrugged it off soon after. ¡°Show me your skills,¡± Zyrus commanded as he pointed his spear at the unfortunate group of goblins. ¡­ ¡°Phew¡­ finally it¡¯s over,¡± Zyrus tapped their shoulders as he looked at the achievement tabs. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, (F-).] [The first one to strike is the winner! Achievement given to the person who had the first kill in tutorial!] [+5 SP] [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: Goblin slayer, (E)] [An Achievement given to the person who has killed 100 goblins!] [+5 SP, increase in Agility by 20% while fighting against goblins.] *Huff¡­Huff* Kyle and Lauren were still panting when Zyrus spoke again, pointing at the goblet of fire. ¡°You should collect your rewards first,¡± ¡°Sure. What about you?¡± Lauren asked as she stood up. ¡°I have different plans,¡± Zyrus spoke while looking away with a queer smile. They didn¡¯t ask any more questions as they slumped towards the center. Be it Lauren or Kyle, both had their own encounters with people like Zyrus. Others might refuse his offer due to his blunt and arrogant personality. However, they could sense the pride and confidence he carried with his every action. As for being used as tools? They were trained for that purpose since they opened their eyes. Zyrus, on the other hand, wasn''t aware of their thoughts as he walked to the pile of goblin corpses. After making sure that he was alone in the area, he looked at the sky with a knowing smile and whispered, ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a deal now, Aurora?¡± Chapter 3: A deal with Aurora Time seemed to stop as the tutorial guide revealed herself. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± Aurora asked with sparkling eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± Zyrus looked at her with a smug face. He knew exactly how to deal with this troublesome guide. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll give you a reward if you tell me.¡± She hovered around him, flapping her butterfly wings. ¡°Still no.¡± Zyrus refused without a second thought. Her biggest weakness was her curiosity. ¡°Humph! Do you think I¡¯m weak just because I¡¯m asking you nicely? I can kill you with a flick of my finger you know.¡± she threatened Zyrus as she released a vast amount of mana. ¡°Bite me.¡± ¡°Urgh.. Why you little-¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk,¡± Zyrus laughed as he saw Aurora puffing her cheeks. She pestered him a lot last time, but in the end he had figured out that she couldn¡¯t use her powers to harm someone! Not to mention she was also one of his allies, one of the many he wasn¡¯t able to protect. ¡°Whatever, who wants to know about your crappy secret,¡± she grunted in annoyance and started to fly away. ¡°Wait! What about the deal?¡± ¡°Spill it.¡± Aurora couldn¡¯t flat-out reject the deal even if she wanted to. ¡°I want to synthesize the goblin¡¯s corpses.¡± ¡°Stupid. Why would you want this trash? Besides, can you even afford that? Huh?¡± She replied while looking at him with disdain. ¡®Did I tease her too much?¡¯ Zyrus sighed at her rude but truthful remarks. ¡°I need their blood essence. I¡¯m willing to give up on my rewards for that.¡± ¡°All seven of them? With your strength, you¡¯ll receive pretty decent rewards. You sure you want to give those up?" Zyrus knew that the first-ranked rewards would be more than just ¡°decent¡±. However, he had other means to achieve them. ¡°I need the blood more than those. Also, I¡¯d like to make another deal. A personal one.¡± ¡°Oh? What would that be?¡± Aurora raised her eyebrows at his serious face, ¡°I¡¯ll want to exchange a class selection scroll for 100C.¡± ¡°What do I get from that?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious?¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ you are a funny human. Yes, I¡¯d like to see what you do with that,¡± She gave him a mischievous grin and waved her hand. All of the goblin corpses disappeared from the site, replaced by a glass bottle filled with green blood in her hand. ¡°Take it. I¡¯ll be watching you, fufufu¡­¡± ¡®Success!¡¯ Zyrus looked at the bottle in his inventory with satisfaction. He knew she would make the next deal, he just had to satisfy her curiosity. ¡®First things first, I should distribute my SP,¡¯ Zyrus decided and Spoke, ¡°Status.¡± He had to become stronger if he wanted to carry out his plan. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Human] [Class: None] [Level: 3] Exp: 490/3375 [Title: None] [Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, Goblin Slayer] [Talent: None] [Strength: 7] [Agility: 7] [Vitality: 7] [Intelligence: 7] [SP: 10] HP: 70 Crit rate: 10% Crit damage: 100% The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. [Basic Spear] ATK: 30 [Basic Armor] DEF: 50 Currency: 38C [Ration x1] [Goblin¡¯s Blood essence x1] ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯ll save three of them for emergency and use the rest of them.¡¯ He wanted to save his SP for mana stat, but he decided to use them for now. He spent two points on everything except Vitality. He didn¡¯t need more health for the time being. He was thinking about where to go next when Kyle and Lauren came back with their rewards. ¡°You don¡¯t want yours? We got some amazing stuff,¡± Lauren asked as she wanted to know his reason for not getting the reward. ¡°I made a deal with Aurora, so I can¡¯t have any.¡± Zyrus shrugged as he told them the truth. ¡°Can we do that? How did you call her?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Well, you just call her. It depends on her mood whether she responds or not.¡± ¡°Really? I thought it would be a complicated process,¡± ¡°And why are YOU so curious about her?¡± Lauren elbowed Kyle with a sharp glare. ¡°H-hey I was just curious about this place that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°You two seem to be in a good mood.¡± ¡°Of course! We learned a lot about combat and survival thanks to you,¡± Kyle replied with enthusiasm. ¡°You¡¯ll like our next destination even more than. I plan to train there until I develop the basic spear skills.¡± ¡°Can we do that? Developing a skill on our own?¡± Lauren was curious as she wanted a skill for her knives as well. ¡°Mhm. Sanctuary rewards all of your efforts. Leveling up is just a part of it. A good portion of your strength will come from your achievements.¡± ¡°Achievements? How do we get them?¡± Kyle was excited about anything that could make him stronger. ¡°By completing feats that are recognized by the system, like killing a hundred goblins, jumping from a thousand feet, completing missions and dungeons in a special way, exploring new regions there¡¯s a lot of stuff,¡± Zyrus looked at them and continued, ¡°If you have a crafting class, you can create new weapons, potions, and even a variety of food to get an achievement. They gave out different rewards, the most common one being SP.¡± ¡°You know a lot of stuff despite being the same age as us.¡± Lauren looked at him with admiration. ¡°Look at you, behaving like a fangirl now.¡± Kyle retorted with a side eye. ¡°Oh my, Are you feeling jealous?¡± Lauren pinched his cheeks while smiling, ¡°Nope. He looks at us as if we were kids.¡± ¡®Things will be more lively with these two around,¡¯ Zyrus curled his lips as he moved towards the forest. Rather than the dangers of the sanctuary, he found interacting with others more troublesome. It had been centuries since he last talked with another human on the same level. He hadn''t thought that it would be so tiring to blend in with the others. He was used to act like a king, but now, he had to live again as a young man in his twenties. It wouldn''t do him any good if he acted the same way when he was at his peak. ¡°Wait a minute! We need to talk,¡± Zyrus frowned as he saw the blonde-haired man coming towards him with his ''followers''. ¡°Do you want something?¡± Zyrus asked but he knew the answer already. ¡°Can you tell us where are you going?¡± the man asked politely. ¡°To train.¡± ¡°You seem to know a lot about this ¡®Sanctuary¡¯, but shouldn¡¯t we move in a group?¡± the man asked with a fake smile. ¡°I prefer moving alone. Besides, you¡¯ll be safer if you stay here.¡± ¡°Alone? Aren¡¯t these two coming with you?¡± he pointed his arm at Kyle and Lauren. Zyrus was getting annoyed by this point as the man kept wasting his time. He didn''t want to behave arrogantly, but how dare a mere nobody question him? ¡°Again, What do you want?¡± he glared at the man with cold eyes. ¡°Nothing much. It looks like you¡¯re monopolizing information from us. It would be better for humanity¡¯s survival if we moved together, no?¡± the man spoke as he looked at the crown behind him. A lot of people agreed with him. They weren¡¯t scheming like him, but they knew they had a higher chance of survival if they stayed with Zyrus. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right for the first part,¡± Zyrus spoke as he moved towards the crowd. Kyle had a bad premonition so he held Lauren¡¯s hand and moved away from the people. *Clap* Clap* ¡°Listen up everyone. I¡¯ll tell you how to survive in this hell.¡± Zyrus waited till everyone¡¯s eyes were on him and continued, ¡°You see that flame over there right? All you have to do is to keep it burning. Monsters like goblins and kobolds will come to attack that, and you¡¯ll have to fight them.¡± People listened, and he spoke again, ¡°You must kill them and become stronger. The more you kill the more rewards you get, Rewards will make you strong and the cycle will repeat, Pretty simple right? You don¡¯t need me to tell you what¡¯ll happen if you don¡¯t keep up.¡± Zyrus walked towards the blonde man who was staring daggers at him. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Of course not, I¡¯ll give them some practical training as well.¡± Zyrus smiled at the man and took out his spear. ¡°What do yo- ugh¡± his words were cut short as a spear penetrated his heart. -4 -20 ¡°Eeekkk¡± ¡°Wh-what are you doing!¡± ¡°Stop him!¡± ¡°It''s impolite to interrupt someone who¡¯s teaching, y''know that right?¡± Zyrus looked at everyone with the same smile. People were terrified of his smile. To kill someone with that expression was just¡­ creepy. No one dared to move a muscle and looking at that, Zyrus continued. ¡°Some of you might have figured out how weakness and critical hits work, did you look at the numbers here?¡± -20 Zyrus pointed at the red number and everyone gulped. The blonde man had already fainted. ¡°You see at first it only dealt 4 damage, the rest being negated by his basic armor. However, once you strike a weak point, you can deal continuous damage as well.¡± -20 Zyrus took out his spear and cleaned it with the man¡¯s clothes. ¡°I¡¯ve even removed this trash from your group. He would¡¯ve led you to your death with his greed, greed without strength to back it up.¡± He placed his spear on his back and stood up, ¡°Aren¡¯t I a benevolent person? No need to thank me though.¡± Zyrus waved his hand and left the people behind. ¡­ The trio walked a few hundred meters when Lauren finally spoke, unable to keep quiet about the incident. ¡°Was that necessary?¡± ¡°Yes. Both for me and for them¡± Zyrus replied as he reminisced about his past, bittersweet memories kept flashing by in his eyes. ¡®I had spent half of my life to help the weak and saved millions of lives. However, What did it give me? Nothing but wounds on my back,¡¯ Zyrus remembered his last moment in the sanctuary very clearly. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the traitors who had betrayed him. The very people he saved had turned their backs on him. They told him to give up on his dreams, his love, and finally, his life. All for the so-called ¡°Greater Good¡±. He changed after that. He became the Void Monarch from that point onwards, the man who had fought against everyone and everything in the seven rings of the sanctuary. However, he wasn¡¯t the nice guy who had helped everyone on the tutorial anymore. His starting point was different compared to the last time. ¡°Where are we going by the way?¡± Kyle asked, trying to change the tense atmosphere. He wasn''t bothered with the killing at all. The strong prayed on the weak, it was the same in human society as well. The only difference between the two was that here one can change their fate. Zyrus turned around at looked at them. It wasn''t hard to guess that they had their own struggles and hardships. Despite that though, they still had innocence in their eyes. He wished that they could keep that, but this shithole wouldn¡¯t allow that. ¡°We¡¯re going to ¡®Celestia¡¯s cradle¡¯. It¡¯s a beautiful place.¡± ¡°What types of monsters are there?¡± Lauren asked as she followed behind them, ¡°We¡¯re going to fight the ¡®professional punching bags¡¯ of the tutorial.¡± Chapter 4: First step of the Spearman ¡°How come you know so much about this place?¡± Lauren asked with a curious gaze. Zyrus looked back at them and after a bit of hesitation, he replied, ¡°You guys are far too weak to know. When you become strong enough, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kyle replied in a firm tone. Although he was curious about the sanctuary as well, their first priority was survival. He understood that if he was in Zyrus''s shoes then he wouldn''t tell his secret to someone he just met either. ¡°Can¡¯t you give us some basic information at least? I know we said that we wouldn¡¯t ask questions and always follow your words, but¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk tonight then.¡± Lauren¡¯s question was cut short as Zyrus spoke. After walking for more than half an hour, they finally saw a different environment. The air here felt moist and the smell of earth filled the air. It was an ideal location to rest in the middle of the day. Thick trees absorbed most of the sunlight, leaving behind some scattered pillars of light that illuminated the forest. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we eat our lunch now? This place is so beautiful,¡± Kyle didn¡¯t reply to her and looked at Zyrus, waiting for his opinion. He wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to believe that there was a peaceful place in the forest, not after what happened today. He saw dozens of men being killed like livestock. The crime rate was practically zero since humans left the earth. At least, that''s what people knew. But unlike them, he had seen the darkness that lay beneath the peaceful civilization. The life of a planet wasn''t enough for humanity to realize their mistakes. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange?¡± Zyrus asked, pulling Kyle out of his thoughts. ¡°Strange? How so?¡± Lauren looked around with interest. ¡°There¡¯s no sound,¡± Kyle spoke as his green eyes darted around the forest. ¡°Exactly. There¡¯s nothing. Not to mention small animals, there aren¡¯t any birds and insects as well.¡± Both Kyle and Lauren¡¯s expressions turned grave. It was obvious why there were no creatures in such a nice place. ¡®They are afraid of something here,¡¯ Both arrived at the same conclusion. *Rustle* ¡°Be more careful about your surroundings. It¡¯s not that dangerous here, so we can rest for the time being.¡± Zyrus beckoned the duo as he cleared the thicket. They sat on a clear ground and took out their rations from the inventory. ¡°How will we get rations from now on?¡± Kyle asked after he opened his bag of food. ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Zyrus tore the bread in half and dipped it in the jam. ¡°What will we eat then?¡± Lauren felt embarrassed as she was the one who had suggested to eat without any concerns. ¡°Let me tell you some things first,¡± Zyrus gulped down the fruit juice and continued, ¡°This world might feel like a game to you, but believe me, it¡¯s very much real. The faster you accept this, the more chance you¡¯ll have at surviving¡± Both of them were deep in thought as they listened quietly. ¡°Let me give you guys a hint,¡± Zyrus spoke after he finished his food. He was much faster than both of them. ¡°Think about the history of mankind, before the start of civilization. How did we become the apex predators on Earth?¡± Zyrus took out his spear and continued with a serious note, ¡°You have to awaken those instincts that lay dormant within you. We were neither the strongest nor the fastest. We could neither swim in the deep ocean nor could we fly in the vast sky. How did we become the ruler of earth then?¡± He exercised the basic moves of spears as he waited for their answer. ¡°Because of our intelligence,¡± Kyle answered without hesitation. ¡°You''re wrong.¡± ¡°What was the reason then? Evolution? Environment?¡± Lauren asked with uncertainty, ¡°You have to figure that out on your own. The moment you do that, you¡¯ll awaken your ¡®Talent¡¯.¡± Of course, it was easier said than done. Barely 1% of humans managed to do that in his previous life. When they were done with their lunch, the trio finally went to fight their target. They didn''t have to go far before they saw an area where trees became sparser and big boulders occupied a quarter of the land. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°They look similar to the ones in games,¡± Kyle reported after he observed the clearing ahead. ¡°Yup. And it¡¯s slow and clumsy like in the games too.¡± Zyrus pointed at the gray stone golem and added, ¡°However, you have to make sure to not get hit by it. Even though it has ridiculous defense and crappy attack power, it can cripple you in a hit.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there something that can heal us? I feel like we should focus on that first.¡± Lauren asked with concern. ¡°A lot of things can recover HP. Equipment, Potions, healing spells, Regeneration Rate stat, and so on¡­ however I don¡¯t want to focus on that, at least not now.¡± Zyrus spoke as he readied his spear. They were just about to reach the golems'' aggro range. ¡°What will we focus on then? Raising levels?¡± Kyle asked as he believed that focusing on offense was the only other way. ¡°You¡¯re half right.¡± Zyrus gave him a knowing smile as he added, ¡°We''ll get our skills first by fighting this guy, and then we¡¯ll attack the ruler of this area.¡± ¡°Does this golem drop skill books?¡± Lauren inquired with sparkling eyes. ¡°You seem to be enjoying yourself, but unfortunately, it¡¯s not that simple¡± Zyrus gave her a pitiful glance as he attacked the golem with a stab. Both Kyle and Lauren looked at his back and then at one another. They shared the same feeling. They knew enough about VRMMORPG games to figure out how they¡¯d get their skills. This was going to be a painful day. ¡­ ¡°Fuck.. Despite all this system bullshit, why does it have to be so goddamn realistic!¡± Lauren cursed as she plopped down on the grass. ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± Zyrus was perplexed as he looked at her. ¡°Argh.. Of course it is!¡± Kyle replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Zyrus just sighed as He looked at the horizon ahead with a nostalgic expression. The sky looked the same as that day, The crimson sun met the earth, making the clouds shine brilliantly in the evening glow. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯ll be helpful?¡± Lauren asked as she drank the cold water. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys feel any difference? Even I can see the improvement in your skills.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you fight again. Think about what you¡¯ve learned so far, it is just as important as fighting.¡± ¡°Fight? Again?¡± Lauren didn¡¯t give a damn about improvement at the moment. ¡°Tch.. you guys as are lacking stamina.¡± Kyle and Lauren looked at Zyrus with expressions that said, ''You''re the abnormal one''. Zyrus felt a bit guilty after looking at their sore hands, but it was a necessary step. He wasn''t any better than them in terms of physique, but his pain tolerance had reached an inhumane level since long ago. ¡°Kyle, Your swordsmanship has improved a lot. Your main source of attack is your bloodlust, not your ¡®Strength¡¯, so focus on that. I expect that you¡¯ll succeed in the next one or two fights.¡± Kyle nodded and Zyrus looked at Lauren next, ¡°Lauren, I don¡¯t have much to tell you. Your aim with daggers is good already. All you need is more practice and with your natural talent, you should be able to create a skill already.¡± He gripped his spear and walked towards the golem¡¯s location once again ¡°Join me when you¡¯ve regained your stamina.¡± Zyrus was within the stone golem¡¯s range after a minute passed. *Sweep* He moved his spear in a fan-like shape. Ideally, this move is used when fighting against multiple enemies or in a defensive stance. This time though, he was using this move to keep the golem¡¯s aggro on him. -0 He didn¡¯t pay any attention to null damage. He was thinking about his conversation with the red eyed man. ¡®I have to find it, the source of their origin. That¡¯s the only way to slay the eternals¡¯ *Slash* -0 ¡®That¡¯s just the first step though. After that, I¡¯ll have to sever their connection with the origin with my source,¡¯ Zyrus thought as he lunged his spear towards the golem''s joint. *Thrust* -3 ¡®However I shouldn¡¯t connect with my source of origin now,'' His attacks would become much stronger if he did so, but his life would be in grave danger. Unlike the last time, he knew that creatures from higher rings in the sanctuary were paying attention to the tutorial. The power of origin was something beyond the system''s control. It couldn¡¯t be quantified and therefore, no one can observe it. No one except those who had that power. ¡®I know those bastards have it, their source of origin¡¯ That¡¯s what made them immortals. So long as their source remained, they would never die. They had unique sources, and he could somewhat guess what they were based on their powers. ¡®It must be light for that Marcus bastard, and slaughter for Kevah.¡¯ How could he possibly kill light? How could he erase something like slaughter? That¡¯s why he failed. He killed them, sure, but that was just a shell. As long as light remained in the sanctuary, as long as there was a concept of slaughter, they would never die. They were immortals. ¡®Unless I destroy their connection with my source that is¡¯ Zyrus slashed with a cold glint in his eyes. -4 He kept using the three basic spear moves, ¡°Slash¡±, ¡°Sweep¡±, and ¡°Thrust¡±, over and over again. By this time, both Kyle and Lauren had started their fight against another golem as well. Kyle engaged in close combat, using his sword to defend and attack. Lauren stood a dozen feet away from them. She struck her knife with deadly accuracy, hitting the golem¡¯s joints every time. Despite their commendable teamwork, they barely dealt 1 and 2 damage. It was to be expected as the golem had a defense of fifty on top of his 50% Physical damage immunity, Not to mention it was level 4 with 20 stats in vitality. As for its weakness? It only had a multiplier of 5 on its joints. It took them half an hour to bring down its HP from 200 to 0. Zyrus, on the other hand, kept slashing and thrusting over and over again. Whenever another golem came by, he would use ''sweep'' to get its aggro. -4 Exp +210 He was twice as fast compared to the duo, but still, his Exp increased at a snail¡¯s pace. He only got an extra 10% bonus for killing a higher-level golem. It was even less efficient than fighting against goblins. However, his goal wasn¡¯t to level up. Finally, when the sun went down and the forest began to glow with green mushrooms, he saw the text in front of him which made him smile. He leaned on a tree trunk and looked at the status screen with satisfied eyes. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: First step of the Spearman, (E)] [You have Slashed your spear for 1000 times! You have obtained the Skill, ¡°Spear Slash¡±] [+2 SP] [Note: You can only get an achievement for your first three self-created skills in any tier] [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: Skilled Survivor, (E+)] [You are the first person who has obtained a skill in this tutorial!] [+3 SP] Zyrus felt giddy looking at the status screen, but it was far from over. Why did he keep using the same three moves over and over? It was for this moment. His hard work had finally paid off! [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: First step of the Spearman, (E)] [You have Swept your spear for 1000 times! You have obtained the Skill, ¡°Spear Sweep¡±] [+2 SP] [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: First step of the Spearman, (E)] [You have thrust your spear for 1000 times! You have obtained the Skill, ¡°Spear Thrust¡±] [+2 SP] Not only did he get three new skills, he also got the SP equivalent of nearly two level-ups! Chapter 5: Celestia’s cradle Zyrus leisurely drank his last bottle of fruit juice and looked at his status window. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Human] [Class: None] [Level: 3] Exp: 2380/3375 [Title: None] [Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, Goblin Slayer, First step of the Spearman¡­] [Talent: None] [Strength: 9] [Agility: 9] [Vitality: 8] [Intelligence: 9] [SP: 12] HP: 80 Crit rate: 10% Crit damage: 100% [Spear Sweep] [Spear Slash] [Spear Thrust] [Basic Spear] ATK: 30 [Basic Armor] DEF: 50 Currency: 38C [Goblin¡¯s Blood essence x1] He didn¡¯t get enough Exp to level up, but his SP had increased by a lot. Just with that he could be as strong as a lv 5 human. ¡®Well, it only works for now.¡¯ When one started getting class and race-related quests on level thresholds, stats were no longer the main reward for leveling up. It was quite a complicated process. The higher your level is, the more difficult it would be to level up. If that wasn¡¯t frustrating enough, the value of stats got lower and lower as you leveled up. Although they were still important, they only improved one¡¯s overall power by a decimal level! At that point, everyone was focused on their skills and bloodline abilities. ¡®It''s too early to think about that.¡¯ Zyrus knew that it would take a long time for him to recover. Instead of worrying about the uncertain future, he might as well enjoy this feeling of rapid improvement. He finished his remaining ration and touched the skill window. In the next second, he saw another prompt instead of the information about his skills. [You have acquired three skills related to the weapon ¡°Spear¡±] [Would you like to merge them?] Yes/No He didn¡¯t hesitate and clicked ¡°Yes¡±. By doing this, his three skills would be combined into one. It would be much easier to use and level them up this way. In terms of cooldowns and freedom of movement, a weapon specific skill was much better than three general ones. Besides, he was sure that he¡¯d get something good. The three skills were a part of an achievement after all. [Merging successful!] [You have acquired the skill, ¡°Basics of Sojutsu¡±] ¡®This is great.¡¯ Zyrus clenched his fist as he looked at the skill description. [Basics of Sojutsu (D-): You have started to learn about the art of spearmanship. Learn more about the basics of Sojutsu to further upgrade the skill.] [Note: This skill can only be used when using ¡®Spear¡¯ as a weapon] Effects: ATK + 20, Crit rate +5%, Crit damage: +10% This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. CD: None ¡®On top of being a D rank skill, it¡¯s a passive one with Crit stats as well!¡¯ Zyrus stood there with a foolish grin on his face. For the first time since his regression, he was truly happy. He had been stressed for a very.. very.. long time. Only he knew how hard it was to advance with a lacking foundation. Was a D rank skill strong? Of course not. Forget a D ranked one, he even disdained using the A ranked skills in his prime. But that was only relative. A D rank skill for a lv 5 player might be more suitable than an A ranked one. There were cases where players reached the sky with one step, but Zyrus knew that it wasn''t his path. Be it his previous life or this time around, Zyrus wanted to progress step by step. Only this way could he fully control his strength. ¡®It¡¯s been a while,¡¯ He stood there amidst the glowing mushrooms and looked at the starry sky with a bittersweet smile, recalling the phrase his comrade used to say, ''Although it''s fake, it''s beautiful all the same.'' Only after an hour had passed did he hear a cheerful shout, pulling him out from the sea of memories. ¡°Woohooo! I Freacking did ittt!¡± Lauren screamed as she jumped on Kyle, ¡°C-Calm down will you!¡± Kyle spoke with red cheeks. Zyrus looked at the blushing Kyle who was patting Lauren¡¯s head and thought, ¡®I guess it¡¯s time to make new memories..¡¯ ¡­ The next day, ¡°Have you guys remembered what I¡¯ve told you so far?¡± Zyrus asked while cutting branches on his way. The sun had just risen in front of them as they moved towards their destination. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going to a boss area where we might find other humans.¡± ¡°And we should be careful of the snakes; they can kill us in one strike.¡± Kyle and Lauren spoke one after another. ¡°And what about the snake¡¯s characteristics?¡± Zyrus asked like a teacher. ¡°They are called ¡®Keliodus serpents¡¯, they are rainbow colored and extremely poisonous,¡± Kyle answered as he swung his sword on the way. ¡°I¡¯ll attack them and retreat when my cooldown starts. At that time Kyle would protect me.¡± Zyrus hummed in response and added, ¡°Be cautious. This will be your first life-and-death battle. They are all at level 5, and don¡¯t forget they are considered as a boss monster when they are in a group. In a way, we might be fighting two boss monsters.¡± ¡°We will.¡± they replied in tandem. Keliodus serpents had high Attack and low Defense. They were polar opposites of the stone golems. Zyrus made them fight against the golems for this exact reason. As long as they could kill the snakes first, everything would work out. ¡°By the way, do we get drop items since it¡¯s a game-like world?¡± Lauren asked while fiddling with her daggers. She had nothing to do on the way as her weapon wasn''t suitable for clearing the way. Apart from throwing her daggers at poor trees on the way, she had asked a lot of questions about the sanctuary, but Zyrus only answered one-tenth of them. Even then, it was a lot of precious knowledge. ¡°It does, but I¡¯ll be taking all of them.¡± Zyrus shrugged as he looked at them. Kyle and Lauren nodded without hesitation. They weren¡¯t in an equal relationship to begin with. In fact, Zyrus was treating them much better than they¡¯d initially thought. As if aware of what they were thinking about, Zyrus reminded them in a firm tone, ¡°Keep in mind what I told you when we made the deal. When I order you to do something, you¡¯ll do that. Without any questions¡± They didn¡¯t reply immediately, but they acknowledged that nonetheless. Kyle had an inkling about what their first order would be, but he didn¡¯t say anything about it. He guessed from the subtle hints Zyrus gave along the way that the snakes wouldn¡¯t be their only opponents. He gripped his sword with determination and walked beside Lauren. He didn''t know anything about fighting against monsters, but when it came to dealing with humans, there were few who could be his match. A couple of hours later, they finally arrived at their destination. There was a serene lake in front of them. Small islands were scattered on the periphery of the lake, enough for a dozen people to stand upon. Their placement might seem natural but only those who are proficient in arrays would discover the true secret behind this place. Zyrus naturally didn''t know anything about arrays, but thanks to his past memories he knew enough to take advantage of the situation. ¡°It¡¯s really big!¡± Lauren exclaimed as she looked at the other end of the lake. The towering trees they had passed by were now like blades of grass on the other side. ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s quite large for something that''s called Celestia¡¯s cradle.¡± Zyrus wasn¡¯t as enthusiastic as the duo he was thinking about a different matter. On the other end of the shore was a different tutorial area. He knew that there were 4 or 5 areas that shared this lake. And that meant that he had only one chance to get the loot. If it was something common then he could invade other camps and farm it there, but this boss could only be encountered once in the tutorial. Even if he knew about the other Celestia''s cradle, there was no way he could travel across dozens of tutorial areas within a week. ¡®I hope the final boss drops a poisonous essence,¡¯ It was one of the irreplaceable items for him if he wanted to become a monster. ¡®Nothing I can do. Item drops depend on luck after all.¡¯ Zyrus strolled towards the lake and breathed in the moist air. It would have been an amazing place to relax if not for the horrors that lay beneath the calm surface. He stopped about a dozen meters away and took out his spear. Kyle and Lauren saw that he was waiting for them and they too hurried after him. ¡°Can you sense anything different here?¡± Zyrus spoke as he pointed at the glass like water. Kyle and Lauren observed for a while, but they could only shake their heads in the end. ¡°The scene in front of us is a mirage. We¡¯ll be sent to the real ¡®Celestia¡¯s cradle¡¯ after we walk ahead.¡± ¡°Mirage?¡± Kyle questioned with furrowed brows. It wasn''t like he didn''t know about mirage, but the scene in front of him didn''t seem right. ¡°Indeed. As I said, this is a boss monster area that is shared among many tutorial zones.¡± Zyrus walked ahead while the two followed his steps. When they were about to reach the shore, they saw the system message pop up in the air. [You have reached Celestia¡¯s cradle] [Would you like to proceed further?] [Yes/No] [Warning: Boss area ahead! Recommended level: 5. It is advised to form a party before entering] The screen was saffron in color unlike the previous dull gray. ¡°How do we form a party?¡± ¡°No need for that. We¡¯ll just go in.¡± Zyrus replied as he touched ¡®Yes¡¯ Kyle and Lauren did the same and they too disappeared after Zyrus. When they opened their eyes again, they were astounded by what they saw. They were standing on one of the islands in the middle of the lake, but that was the least of their worries. They saw a group of ten people surrounded by a tide of snakes. Seven colored and about a meter long Keliodus serpents were slithering around the party like oil on water. ¡°He sure is fast,¡± Zyrus snorted as he looked at the party leader. A man no older than him was fighting against the group of Keliodus serpents. Despite his average appearance, he looked like a mighty warrior as he held the shield with both of his hands. He was wearing a plate armor which made him shine like a watchtower. Although it looked cool, he was in deep trouble for that very same armor. ¡°That looks great.¡± Kyle clicked his tongue as he looked at the shining knight. ¡°Unfortunately for him, the snakes are thinking the same thing,¡± Zyrus looked ahead with a gloating expression. He knew who that man was. He was quite a well-known figure in his previous life. The divine shield, ¡®Hajin Choi¡¯. ¡°Um.. shouldn¡¯t we focus on that side?¡± Lauren squeaked as she pointed behind them. ¡°There should be about ten of them right?¡± Zyrus spoke without looking back. ¡°How did you know?¡± Kyle asked in a curious tone. ¡°It¡¯s simple. There are 3-4 snakes per person in each wave. Once we kill all of them, the big guy will show up¡± He then looked at them and smiled, a smile that made them shiver under the bright sun. ¡°Try to survive until then.¡± Zyrus encouraged the nervous duo and charged towards the crawling serpents. Chapter 6: Keliodus serpents Although the snakes had low defense, they were still a bit troublesome to deal with. Zyrus couldn¡¯t deal with them en masse, so he had to finish them off one by one. He thrust his spear towards a snake that was baring its fangs at him. -95 ¡®It¡¯s great that I got an attack and Crit increase from the passive skill¡¯ *Sweep* -5 Exp +180 He was pleased with his damage output. The snakes weren¡¯t nice enough to just let him farm Exp though, so they changed their strategy. They coiled around one another and whenever Zyrus made his move, they hid their necks. The others would use this chance to get close to him, but Zyrus wasn¡¯t an easy opponent either. He moved back and forth along with the snakes'' rhythm, wielding his spear like a painter''s brush. Kyle and Lauren saw him as he fought against a dozen snakes and they couldn''t help but admire his fighting style. Yesterday he was fighting against the golems like a barbarian, and now, he looked like a noble prince fighting in a tourney. His movements had a certain artistic charm to it. The clear water and the green island acted as a canvas for Zyrus, every thrust and slash of his spear painted the surroundings with crimson blood. *Slash* -4 *Thrust* -5 Although Zyrus wasn¡¯t able to attack their weakness all the time, his normal attacks were enough to whittle down their HP. *Sweep* -4,-5,-5 He waved his spear like a fan and kept slashing them. Whenever the snakes moved close to him, he would change his movements into either a thrust or slash. They were still the basic moves of spearmanship, but with his battle instincts, they were transformed into deadly strikes for these level 5 serpents. *Thrust* -10 ¡°What¡¯re you gawking at?¡± Zyrus glared at Kyle and Lauren after dealing a critical hit. ¡®What the hack! Am I a monkey or something?¡¯ Zyrus grumbled as he attacked the snakes with a backhanded sweep. ¡°Ahh! We were about to attack,¡± Lauren replied while fidgeting while Kyle had already moved with an embarrassed look. He had a calm and steady temperament but when it came to combat, he was no different from the energetic Lauren. Before he could reach one though, Lauren had already thrown her knife. *Slash* -4,-5 ¡°I told you to survive, sure, but don¡¯t just stand there.¡± Kyle and Lauren attacked with all they had and moved forward, pulling the aggro from a couple of snakes. They were embarrassed as instead of helping Zyrus; they just stood there watching him. However, it wasn¡¯t all that bad. They had figured out the way to deal with the Keliodus serpents. -95 Exp +180 The serpents were distracted by the arrival of new opponents, And Zyrus wasn¡¯t one to miss any chance to attack their weak spots. -47 ¡°Attack their mouths; they have a tenfold weakness multiplier. If you can''t then attack anywhere on the head and you¡¯ll still deal half the damage.¡± Zyrus shouted after killing the third Keliodus serpent. -47 Exp +180 ¡®Three more to level up, but why aren¡¯t they leaving behind any drops?¡¯ Zyrus fought with a sour face as he looked at the disappearing corpses. Leveling up was important to him, but getting the poisonous essence was essential for his plan. Except for the final boss, the slain creature¡¯s corpses would turn into light fragments. ¡®That big guy tastes delicious as well,¡¯ Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Look I got something!¡± Kyle shouted as he ran towards him. Zyrus was speechless as he looked at the bead-like object in his hands. It was as if Kyle had switched personalities with Lauren at this moment. ¡°That¡¯s great. Keep up the good work¡± Zyrus tapped his shoulder and moved ahead. -10 *Thrust* -90 Exp +180 ''I''m not mad. Definitely not.'' . . Exp +180 . ¡®Damn it! I killed five but didn¡¯t get any, while they ganged up on one snake and still got the essence.¡¯ He took out his frustration on the snakes and swung his spear even more vigorously. ¡®Really? Wasn¡¯t the drop rate 50%? Maybe I remembered it wrong. It should be 10-20%'' Zyrus doubted his memories after he killed two more Keliodus serpents. At least it was better to accept than his terrible luck. Unfortunately, his wistful denial was shattered in just a breadth. ¡°I got one too!¡± Lauren shouted as she ran towards him, ¡°Ha-haha Good. Good. Just keep them with you. We should focus on fighting now.¡± Zyrus turned around with a stiff look and moved away from the duo. ¡®Forget it. It''s mine anyway. Who wants to collect the stupid loot? Yes, that¡¯s right. It''s not befitting for someone of my status. I should leave these tasks to my minions..¡¯ -47 Exp +180 [Level up!] [+1 to all stats] While he was going through different stages of grief, he finally leveled up after killing the last snake of the second wave. Without getting any poisonous essence of course. ¡®I¡¯m fine. Really. I even leveled up.¡¯ Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, the third wave of serpents showed up immediately. They didn¡¯t even have any time to catch their breaths. *Thrust* -10 *Sweep* -4,-5 Zyrus moved back and forth and bit by bit, he was reaching the threshold of level 5. Kyle and Lauren leveled up as well, reaching level 3 in one swoop. *Slash* -100 Exp +165 ¡®Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.¡¯ Zyrus was slaughtering snakes left and right while murmuring Buddhist quotes, unaware of the reason behind his misery. The culprit was watching the fight with a bag of candies in her hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t you act cool now, huh? Acting mysterious in front of me? Humph! Stupid Zyrus.¡± ¡­ When the trio were preparing for the third and the final wave, the situation in the boss area took an abrupt turn. First of all, the team led by Hajin Choi was in shambles. His armor was corroded by poison and more than half of their group had fallen. In the meanwhile, Another team had also arrived at the area. With a whopping hundred members no less. Although it was good to have numerical superiority, in this case it was simply courting death. Their riffraff group of level ones and twos was no match against the level 5 snakes. When all three teams were engaged in their respective battles, that¡¯s when the real tragedy began. The leader of the third group was a heartless cunning bastard. He used all the level one players as meat shields while a dozen of their elites dealt the final hits. If it was all he did, then his actions were still somewhat understandable. After all, it was survival of the fittest. If not for this strategy which helped their elites level up, everyone in his team would¡¯ve corroded into puddles of blood and flesh. But he did something that was far worse than that, he kicked out all of the injured people once his elites had leveled up! What could exhausted level one players do against the elites of the level three? And much to the dismay of Hajin Choi, They did the only logical thing. They ran. Towards him. He wanted to curse at them but he didn¡¯t even have time to breathe properly. ¡®Despite the freaking warning, you trash still came to fight. I know you guys were used and betrayed by your leader. Fine, I understand. It sucks.¡¯ ¡®But why the fuck would all of you come towards me for protection? Don¡¯t you see that bastard over there? He is simply toying with the snakes!¡¯ What he didn¡¯t know was that the survivors obviously wanted to join Zyrus¡¯s team, but after watching him fight they decided otherwise. ¡®That guy is scary¡¯ ¡®See how he looks at us! he¡¯s more frightening than the snakes chasing us¡¯ ¡®That knightly looking guy looks better¡¯ ¡®Yeah he seems like a righteous guy. Look at his golden armor¡¯ . . And so with their biased and unfortunately accurate judgment of Zyrus, they all decided to join Hajin Choi. Along with the dozens of serpents chasing them. A total of 57 men died because of the third teams'' cruel decision, while the remaining dozen had somehow survived with Hajin Choi. He obviously didn¡¯t like the new ¡®members¡¯ of his team, but with the present situation, he had to swallow the fly. The ones who benefitted the most in this fight were the elites of the third group. All 20 men in their team became level 3! ¡°It¡¯s your time to shine buddy.¡± Zyrus tapped Kyle¡¯s shoulder as he looked at the leader of the new team. This was a fast-paced battle where there was no time for a strategy. He wanted to check the coordination of his team and see how they fought in a group fight, and the enemies came at just the right time. ¡®To think that I would meet them here, The hydra gang.¡¯ That was an infamous bandit organization in the third ring. They feared the strong and bullied the weak, typical scum of humanity. ¡®I don¡¯t see their leader.¡¯ He remembered this team because he had slaughtered more than half of them when they were around level 80. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lauren looked at the new group with wariness. ¡°Have you already forgotten what I¡¯ve told you?¡± Zyrus shrugged nonchalantly and started cleaning his spear ¡®I hope it doesn¡¯t break before the boss fight,¡¯ ¡°Oh, About the danger from humans? But what does that have to do with Kyle?¡± ¡°Hehe.. you¡¯ll know when the time comes.¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t speak anymore, but Kyle knew what he meant. He had already noticed the newcomers looking at them with malice. Kyle felt his blood boil when he saw their leader looking at Lauren. He was all too familiar with that disgusting look. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lauren looked at him with a concerned look. It could be said that she had known him for half her life, but it was her first time seeing him like that. She knew that he had a lot of secrets that he hadn''t told her, but she didn''t mind. Everyone had burdens that they wanted to carry on their own, she was the same. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Kyle replied in a tender tone and looked away from the third group. He had a lot of questions regarding Zyrus, but he didn¡¯t dare ask them. ¡®Did he know about my real identity? It can¡¯t be. Even the president doesn¡¯t have the right to look into our squad¡¯s information.¡¯ But all of that was irrelevant now. ¡°Get ready, the final wave is coming,¡± Zyrus shouted as he ran ahead. Kyle ran after him, but he was different this time. He was using dual swords instead of one. He didn¡¯t want to hide anymore. Blood red light shined on his swords as he fought with his real strength. The tough scales of Keliodus serpents were shredded like papers in front of his attacks. Lauren looked at him with a dumbfounded gaze, but Kyle was already lost in the heat of battle. Only a single thought, a lone desire kept his sanity at this moment. ¡®I¡¯ll annihilate anyone who dares to harm her. It doesn¡¯t matter who or what they are, I¡¯ll kill them all without mercy.¡¯ Chapter 7: The first Boss fight ¡°Hahaha¡­ you¡¯re getting fired up huh!¡± Zyrus laughed in madness as he fought with Kyle. He knew Kyle had hidden his powers, but this burst of power was out of his expectation. ¡®This is fun¡­ his skill must be higher ranked than mine,¡¯ It had been a long time since Zyrus had fought with someone. As he became stronger, those who followed him in his earlier days were left behind one by one. As for his new followers? It would be stupid to trust his back to them. ¡°H-hey Zyrus, what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Lauren asked in a frightened tone. She was way too spooked to care about formal speech at this point. "You must be an assassin or a spy, right?" "H-how did you-" "Don''t panic. Do you know why I chose you? You guys reek of blood. He should have killed ten times more than you have. This is the true face of the man you love.¡± Zyrus spoke in an unhurried tone after he killed another snake. *Thrust* -100 Exp +165 ¡°Can¡¯t you be more fucking specific? Say something that I can understand!¡± Lauren shouted as she ran towards Zyrus. She had lost her bearings after looking at Kyle who was bloodied from head to toe. ¡°Oy oy, calm down will you! It¡¯s just a skill that awakened due to his past.¡± Zyrus comforted her as he wiped the spittle from his face ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this woman?¡¯ Lauren was completely defenseless now, so Zyrus had to take care of her while fighting. ¡°How will he get healed? Why now? Why is he hurt?¡± ¡°Oh come on just fight already!¡± Zyrus flicked her forehead after saving her from a snake. *Slash* -47 Exp +165 ¡°He will be healed so long as he keeps fighting. I know about a lot of skills like these, so pipe down down and kill as many as you can. Make the final hits.¡± After hearing his explanation, Lauren finally calmed down and started fighting as well. ¡®So much for cooperation... This was such an unnecessary drama.¡¯ Zyrus sighed as moved back to the front lines again. ¡°S-sorry for shouting at you,¡± Lauren muttered after a while with a tomato like face. ¡°Humph.¡± Zyrus avoided her apology as if it were a cold wind on a winter night. He had to keep his prestige, but deep down he knew how she felt. Getting injured is equivalent to death if you don¡¯t have any means to heal yourself. Their strength wasn''t weak but they fought like headless chickens, it was no wonder he hadn''t heard about them in his previous life. Thankfully, he had a lot of time to train them to his liking. He didn''t need their help before the third ring anyway. ¡°By the way, why did you tell me to make the last hits?¡± ¡®She sure is hard-nosed alright¡¯. -10 *Sweep* -49 Exp +165 ¡°As I¡¯ve told you earlier, no skill is truly almighty. To balance out the boost in attack power and regeneration, the Exp gain is reduced to a minimal level,¡± Zyrus replied as his spear clashed against the Keliodus serpent. ¡°Oh! That makes sense¡± ¡°Oh my foot! Just kill them already¡± ¡°Tch... I said I¡¯m sorry, okay.¡± Lauren apologized and sneakily looked at his face to see if he was still angry or not. It was a pity that she didn''t know the main reason behind his foul mood was the pile of poisonous essence at her feet. *Slash* -5,-5,-5 ¡°Well, I¡¯m not forgiving you then. How about that? huh?¡± *Thrust* -49 Exp +165 If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Not everyone had the leisure to bicker while fighting. For example, Hajin Choi. ¡®They are freaks!¡¯ Hajin cursed as he glanced at the other battlefield. As if one weirdo who looked at everyone as if they had killed their parents wasn¡¯t enough, there was another who fought like a bloody maniac. Even if someone told him that the girl was normal now, he wouldn¡¯t believe that. ¡®Birds of a feather flock together eh, no wonder they didn¡¯t have to take in these hot potatoes.¡¯ He looked at the discarded level ones who had joined their team and let out a sigh. The third wave was almost over, but he had suffered too many causalities. ¡°Would you like to make a deal with my humble self, Sir Sparklepants?¡± Zyrus shouted at the flustered Hajin. ¡°Who? Me?¡± Hajin was more surprised than offended. ¡®This guy made a joke! Him? Really?¡¯ ¡°Do you see anyone else wearing golden pants apart from your esteemed self?¡± Zyrus kept teasing him as he was annoyed by the fact that Lauren got the drop, every fucking time. This had nothing to do with Hajin Choi, but so what? Besides, it was quite accurate to call him ¡®Sir Sparklepants¡¯ at this juncture. The midday sun¡¯s light was reflected in the clear lake water. Thanks to the cloudless sky, the islands were shining like pearls on an azure canvas. One can imagine how glaringly bright a golden plate armor be in such a situation. ¡°What deal?¡± Hajin retorted in a serious tone. ¡°About the final boss,¡± Zyrus laid out the bait and called him over. Hajin Choi hesitated as he looked at Kyle who was still slashing at snake corpses. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he doesn¡¯t bite.¡± While Zyrus chuckled and Lauren glared at him, Hajin finally made his way to the opposite island. ¡°Look we don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll be blunt here.¡± Hajin nodded in agreement, urging Zyrus to continue ¡°How about we cooperate to kill the final boss? We¡¯ll divide the corpse equally and as for the last hit, leave that to our own capabilities.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I on a losing end in this deal?¡± Hajin questioned with a frown. ¡°You are.¡± Zyrus replied in a matter-of-fact tone. He didn¡¯t care either way. Hajin felt like kicking on an iron board as he stood there awkwardly. He knew that the trio in front of him was as much as, if not stronger than their group of a dozen. ¡°What about them?¡± Hajin asked as he looked at the third group, who at the same time, were also looking in their direction. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what they were thinking. ¡°He¡¯ll deal with them.¡± Zyrus pointed his almost broken spear at Kyle. Lauren was taking care of Kyle who was panting as if he had run a marathon. Well, compared to a marathon, what he did was much more exhausting. ¡°Are you sure? They have at least 20 men who are at level 3.¡± Hajin was convinced of Kyle¡¯s strength, but looking at him now, it would be difficult for him to walk, much less fight against a group of people. Zyrus maintained a disdainful look at Hajin without speaking a word, while Lauren treated him as if he were thin air. Facing the gaze that seemed to say ¡®What a country bumpkin!¡¯ Hajin had no other choice than to nod with a sigh. ¡®Phew... it¡¯s so exhausting to act like a cheerful and approachable person.¡¯ Zyrus let out a breath of relief and walked towards Kyle. Hajin would probably stumble down and drown in the lake if he were to hear Zyrus¡¯s thoughts. ¡°How should we distribute our SP?¡± Kyle asked with a pale face. He was already back to normal, and as a reward for his exhausting work, he had gotten a C-ranked skill. ¡°You should focus on Vitality for now,¡± Zyrus replied without hesitation as he looked at Kyle''s recovering injuries. His skill was pretty straightforward. He consumed his own HP to deal ridiculous damage, and with every kill he would regenerate some HP back. The fundamental reason behind his high damage output was his ¡°Piercing¡± stat, therefore, his strength stat was not the main factor for the final damage. Zyrus pondered for a bit as he looked at Lauren. Her skill was rather unique as it focused more on utility. She can use up to 10 knives and retrieve about half of them automatically with a 60 sec cooldown. Although it didn¡¯t look as strong as Zyrus and Kyle¡¯s skill, it had its own advantages. She could continuously throw knives at 6-second intervals. ¡°Divide your SP equally between intelligence and agility, you¡¯ll need sharp reflexes and quick thinking for a rapid-fire attack style.¡¯¡± After giving them some tips and tricks about how to effectively fight, he opened his status screen as well. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Human] [Class: None] [Level: 4] Exp: 4620/5063 [Title: None] [Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, Goblin Slayer, First step of the Spearman¡­] [Talent: None] [Strength: 10] [Agility: 10] [Vitality: 9] [Intelligence: 10] [SP: 12] HP: 90 Crit rate: 10% Crit damage: 100% [Basics of Sojutsu] [Basic Spear] ATK: 30 [Basic Armor] DEF: 50 Currency: 76C [Goblin¡¯s Blood essence x1] [Keliodus serpent¡¯s poisonous essence x13] After killing more than 30 snakes, he once again stopped getting any Exp from them. On the bright side though, Kyle and Lauren had collected a whopping 13 poisonous essence beads! ¡®I¡¯ll level up after killing the boss.¡¯ Zyrus was looking forward to reaching level 5 as the red-eyed man had told him that he could return to Earth once every 5 levels. ¡®I have a lot of studying to do as well¡­ maybe the boss will give me a clue? It seems immortal from a certain perspective.¡¯ His only job on earth was to learn more about the powers of his previous life. It was quite embarrassing for him who was named ¡®Void Monarch¡¯. Although the sanctuary gave powers with ease, it had its flaws as well. It was impossible for one to know about their fundamental powers without any source of knowledge. In Zyrus¡¯s case, he was undoubtedly an expert in using void and space magic, but his expertise lay in the application of magic and not the study of space itself. ¡®It was very awkward when I stood like a buffoon when he was explaining time dilatation and length contraction¡­¡¯ Zyrus used 2 SP on strength and closed the window. He would have all the time he needed to figure out immortality and Origin. ¡®Everything would be pointless if I die before reaching the max level, it would be the biggest joke ever¡­¡¯ *BOOOOMMM* An earthshaking rumble sounded across the lake as a spatial crack appeared on the central island. *HISS* *HISS* ¡°OH GOD¡ª¡° ¡°Wha-WHAT is that?¡± The Keliodus serpent revealed its majestic form, a ten meter of coiled menace. Its seven heads hissed in a unique pitch, sending shivers down everyone¡¯s spine. Its silvery black eyes looked down upon everyone present and in that moment, no one even dared to breathe. ¡°What a noisy noodlehead, it¡¯s not our fault that you got a reptile dysfunction.¡± . . When everyone heard Zyrus¡¯s hysterical shout, The aura that Keliodus serpent had built up vanished like a thin smoke. ¡°hahaha¡­.¡± ¡°Well said¡± Infuriated by the jeering crowd in front of it, the Keliodus serpent moved like a lunar tide. Zyrus looked at the seven pairs of eyes that contained a predatory gaze, and with his almost broken spear in hand, he charged ahead like a monarch who ruled the battlefield. Chapter 8: Eye of Annihilation Even though Zyrus managed to break the serpents¡¯ aura, the players'' disaster hadn''t changed by much. The boss had an HP of 1000, and it barely went down by 15% after the death of half of the players. Hajin Choi, the man who will be known as the ¡®Divine shield¡¯ in the future, played the lead role in battle. He single handedly withstood third of the attacks and created a scenario where others could attack to their heart''s content. Not much of a surprise, Zyrus was the main attacker. He alone dealt around 10% damage and maintained the aggro. The rest of the damage was dealt by the group of level 3s who were fighting in a wishy-washy manner. Neither Kyle nor Lauren had joined the fight. Zyrus had told them his plan and they complied, albeit reluctantly. *Thrust* -26 Zyrus once again stabbed one of the serpent''s eyes, landing the umpteenth critical hit on the weak spot. Despite it being an offense-oriented boss the monster still had 100 Def. *Slash* -25,-0 ¡°Move back!¡± Zyrus shouted as he saw the serpent raise its fang. *Whiisshhh* ¡°Aargghh-¡± ¡°Save mee--¡± Two players who were late to react were turned into puddles of steaming flesh. Fighters were losing their morale as a feeling of inevitable despair started to kick in. Zyrus charged ahead and observed the deteriorating condition of the teams. When he was a dozen feet away from the Keliodus serpent, he signaled Hajin who was looking at him. They had predicted that an event like this would occur, and now was the time to use the countermeasure. Zyrus saw the monster open its seven mouths to spew poison again, and without hesitation, he plunged his spear into one of them. *Thrust* -126 *Skeeiii* The serpent hissed with its broken mouth, and one of its seven heads plopped down like a puppet whose string had been cut off. The monster didn¡¯t have any defense inside its mouth, leading to the first three digit damage number. Zyrus had to pay the price for it as well. His armor was melted and his spear was also broken in half. ¡®Damn it hurts,¡¯ Zyrus winced as he removed his scrapped armor which was no longer recognized as an item by the system. It was a relief that his spear was still slotted despite the damage it sustained. ¡®That was close,¡¯ sweat ran down his forehead as Zyrus looked at the red damage numbers pop up in front of him. Thankfully, they stopped after a few seconds and Zyrus had maintained his HP at 75. The poison had only touched his armor, and yet it dealt 1 continuous damage. ¡®But everything went well in the end.¡¯ Zyrus steadied himself and glared at the level 3 players with cold eyes. They were fighting the boss monster like mad dogs. With its two heads down, the serpent''s speed had been reduced by a third and it wasn¡¯t able to dodge the barrage of attacks. With their numbers which had been reduced to one-fourth, Hajin retreated with his team at this time. The third team was certain of their victory now. Not only would they get the boss monster on their own, the remaining two teams were also for their taking. *Krrigh* At the cost of another three players'' lives, the fourth head of the Keliodus serpent was down. Zyrus observed the monster with a hawk-like gaze, but still, he failed to notice anything different. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡®What am I missing¡­ There must be something that makes it pseudo immortal¡­¡¯ At last when only a dozen of the original 20 attackers were left on the field, a blood-red mist started to seep out from the monster. *HISSSS* ¡°Arggh-¡± ¡°Fuck¡± ¡°Reetreeeaat¡­ God damn it morons! run fast!¡± The Keliodus serpent had gone berserk when its HP went below 40%. It consumed half of its remaining vitality and spewed poison all around it. Half of the players were late to react and in just an instance, the almighty third team was thrashed like a rug. ¡®How pathetic.. Was I overreacting before?¡¯ He had thought that the third team would backstab them, but looking at their condition now¡­ ¡®Useless pieces of shit! I gave away half of the corpse for nothing,¡¯ The serpent had around 200 HP left, and Zyrus was certain about killing it with one or two hits. ¡®Should I raise my intelligence? I wanted to use all 10 SP on mana stat but I need to figure out something first¡­¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t have much time left as the monster had started to calm down already. Intelligence was useless for him as he didn¡¯t plan to choose a mage class this time. Mana was the source of power for all classes but only mages knew the best application for it. In order to create spell models and research on new magics they needed a very high intelligence stat, but since he already knew about them with his memories he didn''t really need to invest in that stat. ¡®Fuck it, it¡¯s all or nothing.¡¯ Zyrus gritted his teeth and opened his status window. He concentrated on the Keliodus serpent with every ounce of his being and used half of his SP on intelligence. His senses were enhanced by a lot and at this instance, he felt as if a fog had been lifted from his mind. Zyrus didn¡¯t have the chance to relish in this soothing feeling as he had noticed something different about the monster. Something that he wasn¡¯t able to see in his previous life, despite being a max level player. ¡®Is it because it¡¯s a low-level boss? Whatever the reason may be, I lucked out on this one.¡¯ ¡°HaHaha.. time to die noodlehead.¡± Zyrus laughed from the bottom of his heart and strode ahead. After increasing his intelligence, he could see a thread on the serpent now. It seemed metaphysical but with all his experience, Zyrus was sure about what it was. It was without a doubt the power of origin. Although he didn¡¯t have his own source of origin now, he could attack the string nonetheless. He had neither the reason nor the capability to kill the boss monster permanently, but he had figured out a way to deal with the Eternals. *THRUST* -200 Exp +500 [Congratulations! You have killed the Boss monster ¡°Seven headed Keliodus serpent¡±] [You are the first players who have killed a boss monster in the tutorial!] [+30 HP recovery, +2 SP] Messages kept popping up in front of Zyrus but he had no chance to look at them. He panted for breadth and plopped down on the monster¡¯s corpse. As he had guessed, the third team attempted to attack him immediately after the general announcement. They had recovered their health, and they believed that they could kill Zyrus before he regained his footing. Unfortunately for them, Kyle and Lauren were waiting for this exact moment. Kyle charged ahead like a wolf in a sheep''s den while Lauren threw her knife like there was no tomorrow. Whenever Kyle passed by, red slashes of lights flew along with a flying head. Everyone on the third team was deader than dead after just a minute. ¡°That was amazing!¡± Hajin praised as he offered a hand to Zyrus. ¡°Flattery will get you everywhere.¡± Zyrus grasped the stretched hand and kicked the monster''s corpse. It was reduced to one-fifth of its original size, but it was big all the same. His spear, or what was left of it was plunged on the intersection of its neck. ¡°We¡¯ll take 5 heads and the neck, the rest is yours,¡± Zyrus concluded the deal and ordered to cut down the snake. Hajin was more than happy with the short interaction. He wasn''t a chatty person to begin with, and even if he was, he wouldn''t chat with a man who was bathed in blood. Kyle stood up after comforting Lauren who was puking her innards out. He wanted to loot the dead players first but knowing Lauren, he would be nagged to death for being so callous. Thus, he could only join Hajin¡¯s team to cut down the monster''s corpse. Zyrus didn''t care about the looting at all. Why would he, a dignified ruler, would bother with such things? This had nothing to do with his luck in getting item drops from the boss monster. He laid down on the lush green grass and looked at the pending messages. ¡®I¡¯ve gained a lot from this fight!¡¯ [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: Killer of Keliodus (E-)] [Achievement given to the person who had killed the boss monster ¡°Seven headed Keliodus serpent¡± for the first time] [+5 SP] [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: Boss Buster(I) (E+)] [Achievement given to the person who had killed the first Lv 5 boss monster] [+10 HP recovery in Boss fights! +2 SP] Lauren was speechless as she looked at the bloodied Zyrus sleeping on the ground with a grin. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: Forged in combat, Shattered in Victory (C-)] [You have given a noble demise to your first weapon. Achievement given to the person who had killed a mighty foe with the last strike of their weapon] [The spirit of your weapon will live on with you!] [20% recovery in durability when using a spear, CD: 24h] [+5 SP] ¡®Heck yeah! Using the same spear was worth it.¡¯ Zyrus had gotten this achievement in his previous life when he was being hunted down by a field boss. What satisfied him the most was the achievement after this. [Congratulations! You have obtained the Achievement: Gaze of the predator (A-)] [Achievement given for dealing the maximum amount of damage by attacking the hidden weakness point] [With your sharp eyes and enhanced senses, you have learned to locate a fatal weakness] [You have accomplished a unique feat!] [You have obtained the Skill: Eye of Annihilation (B)] [+5 SP] Just as Zyrus was about to click on his new skill, he felt a familiar vibration on his leg. ¡®Yeah, I almost forgot about this.¡¯ thought Zyrus as he stood back with a jump. Since he had reached level 5, it was time to go back. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± Zyrus waved his hand as he walked away from the players. Now that he knew about some secrets related to the time in sanctuary, he wasn¡¯t worried about his absence here. No matter how long he stayed on Earth, it would barely be a second in the sanctuary. Zyrus held the cube in his hand. And just like the previous times he saw a red screen manifest in front of him. [Would you like to return on Planet Earth?] [Yes/No] [Note: You can stay on Earth for 7 days. This chance to return will expire once you reach Lv 10] ¡®About time I figure out my source of origin,¡¯ thought Zyrus as he clicked ¡°Yes.¡± And in the next moment, he vanished from the sanctuary with a black flash. Chapter 9: Spatial Stab ¡®Phew¡­ well that was nauseating¡¯ Zyrus squinted his eyes as he looked around him. There was reddish-green vegetation and clear skies as far as his eyes could see. ¡°It would be perfect if not for this heat, right buddy?¡± Zyrus stretched his arms and breathed in the fresh air. Maybe because he was a player as even in this crumbling atmosphere he was able to live with ease. If it were normal humans then they would have died ten times over by the radiation alone. ¡°Skee~¡± A squirrel greeted Zyrus while eating a nut. For the squirrel, only a moment had passed when he disappeared and reappeared again. Six months had passed by since Zyrus had reincarnated on Earth. The black robed man had given him this time to get used to his weak body. This earth was completely different from the one he knew from books. The most prominent change was the sun, it was no longer yellow. Red sun and its reddish sunlight had changed the earth¡¯s climate in a drastic manner. It was hot during the day and too cold on nights. Drinking water was scarce; Zyrus had to walk for days to find a river. Thankfully, Zyrus had the necessary survival equipments; otherwise, he would¡¯ve starved to death in this barren land where nothing was edible. ¡°Hail the almighty cube!¡± Zyrus looked at the cube in front of him and shouted like a cultist atop a mountain. In all honesty, the cube was indeed a godlike existence for him. It gave him knowledge, tools, direction, and everything he ever needed. Even his clothes and sanitary products were provided by the cube. He was frustrated about how to use it, but after a month of futile attempts he had given up. Things would appear randomly according to the environment. For example, the glider that Zyrus was looking at. ¡®No matter how many times I look at it, it never ceases to amaze me.¡¯ It was surprising to see a man-made structure on the present earth. Not a trace of mankind had remained on this planet. All the things humans had built, their civilizations and cultures were long lost in the tide of time. It took him months to reach this place. He had spent a lot of time thinking about how the time difference between the two worlds worked. Take the squirrel for example, Zyrus''s days on the sanctuary were just a second for it. And when he went back to the sanctuary, his time spent here would be equivalent to a second for Kyle and Lauren. Wormholes and Time dilation weren''t enough to explain the things related to the sanctuary. Regardless, he knew for a fact that a lot of time had passed on Earth. Even the continents and mountains had changed after a billion years. The planet that he knew as ¡®Home¡¯ couldn¡¯t be more foreign to him. ¡®It¡¯s quite sad.¡¯ Zyrus sighed as he tied the glider. The design of the glider was rather advanced, and there was even a user manual attached to it. ¡®Won''t I have 4 wings with this?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know much about aerodynamics or how the thing worked, so he read just enough to use it for the time being. ¡®Welp, 4 wings are better than 2 I guess,¡¯ His goal on earth was simple. He had to travel in the direction the cube pointed at. Yup. That¡¯s all there is to it. Zyrus looked at the mission and the map for the last time before running towards the edge of the mountain. [Mission: A relay across generations] [Find the traces left behind by your ancestor, the first human who had come in contact with the sanctuary] Below it was a topographical map, most of which was grayed out. Zyrus had no clue about this mission and why that man had sent him back on Earth. One thing was for certain though, this mission was just as much, if not more important than his time in sanctuary. ¡®7 days won¡¯t be enough to reach the first location, I¡¯ll probably reach there after hitting Lv 10.¡¯ Zyrus calculated as he read the map again. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with wings now,¡± Zyrus gave the squirrel a smug smile and called it over. The bored squirrel was eager to jump over after seeing the new object. ¡°Kyu?¡± It looked around with curiosity while sitting on his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t fall off little fella.¡± Zyrus tightened the bag, or rather, the squirrel''s home around his chest and stood at the edge of the mountain. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He wore the sky diving suit and fixed the cables around the horizontal plate of the glider. Finally, he put on his glasses which were named ¡°OSIRIS MJ-65¡± and walked to the edge of the cliff. He had a lot to learn on this 7 day period, but he didn¡¯t want to think about that for now. ¡®I¡¯m about to do the most exciting thing in this life!¡¯ Zyrus walked a dozen steps back, and then he jumped down from the mountain after a sprint! ¡°Woohoo¡­..¡± In between the orange sky and dark forests below, he made his thousand-foot descent filled with thrill. He looked at the world around him while the wind howled in his ears. He felt the gravity taking hold of him, dragging him towards the terrain below. The rivers flowing by in the distance and the trees that stood guard around them were reflected in his glasses as he dived down the mountain range. He was getting further and further away from the sky, like a bright star that had fallen off from the heaven he glided along the crimson horizon. ¡°Hahaha.. it took me so long to figure this out,¡± Zyrus screamed as he approached the ground which seemed to accelerate in his eyes. ¡®Everything was related to space. The flowing wind and the sturdy trees, the land, the sky, and even the gravity.¡¯ Zyrus unfurled his parachute by pressing a button. How could he master the void if he didn¡¯t know about the space itself? How could he find his source of origin when didn¡¯t know about gravity and various forces that interacted in the spacetime? Zyrus was lost in his thoughts as he observed the world around him with his newfound perspective. He recalled the spells he used when he was the void monarch. He was able to erase the very fabric of space and bring down his own domain of void, but did he really understand it? He was able to teleport for thousands of miles, he created spatial cracks with a wave of his hands, but did he know the underlying principles behind it? Spatial Lockdown, Gravity field, Dimensional collapse¡­ he had mastered dozens of high-level spells like these after reaching the peak of arcana, but then again, did he truly comprehend the rules that governed them? He knew the answers to these questions better than anyone. ¡°To think that I still believed that I stood at the peak of arcana¡­ what a joke.¡± Zyrus let out a deprecating sigh as he reached the ground. ¡°Skreee~¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, we''re fine.¡± Zyrus rubbed the squirrel¡¯s head and put a mint in his mouth. His suit and glider vanished into nothing, but he was too deep in thoughts to notice that. He walked alone in the woods without even a fraction of his original power, but still, his every step carried the dignity of a Monarch. After being reincarnated on this abandoned earth, Zyrus Wymar finally started his journey towards the origin of Void. ¡­ *Crackle* Zyrus put the dried branches in the bonfire as he roasted his dinner. It had been 6 days since he came here. He was sitting on the edge of a desert after his week-long travel. The Journey was uneventful to say the least. Although wild forests had their own difficulties, it was a heaven compared to the desolate wastelands he had to tread this time. ¡°I would be bored to death without you.¡± Zyrus scratched the squirrel¡¯s back while looking at the starry sky. He yearned for the day when he would be able to roam across the cosmos. It was an unfulfilled dream in the 1000 years of his past life, one that he was certain to achieve this time. ¡®Welp, time to practice.¡¯ Zyrus picked up his bamboo spear and practiced his skills for Sojutsu. Although he didn¡¯t know much about theories behind his spells, he was second to none when it came to utilizing mana. ¡®It¡¯s good to be humble but I shouldn¡¯t underestimate myself as well.¡¯ *Thrust* He didn¡¯t have mana and without it, he couldn¡¯t practice any new skill. He knew that the skill created by using his origin source wouldn¡¯t be recognized by the sanctuary¡¯s system. ¡®It is a power that is beyond the confines of the sanctuary.¡¯ His practice these days was pretty straightforward. First he would read about spacetime theories and then he would refine his thrust techniques. Forming a source of origin wasn¡¯t something he could do in a short while, but that didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t attack using it. He was a master at creating spell models, and with sufficient knowledge he was sure of his success. He wanted to create a skill like a spatial stab, a single point attack with his full power. Theoretically, this spear technique should be able to ignore defense and deal the absolute critical hit on every strike. He put his right hand and right foot forward while holding the spear with an angle. The butt of the spear was held in his left hand which was positioned at his hipline. His right hand was around the plexus region and he kept the tip of the spear in between his eyes. Zyrus then thrust his spear by stretching his right hand with his left hand moving towards the plexus line. All the while he had maintained the speartip along his eyeline. *Thrust* After the short thrust, he practiced with long thrusts in which he made the same moves but this time his left hand moved towards the armpit of his right hand. The memory of this movement was ingrained in his muscles after his arduous exercises. At this point he was able to focus on spacetime theories while practicing the spear techniques. ¡®First things first, I¡¯ll need mana for this skill, a lot of it at that.¡¯ Zyrus came up with this skill after reading about the theory of general relativity. Massive objects like stars and planets create a curvature in the fabric of spacetime around them. The greater the mass, the more it can affect the trajectories of the objects in its environment, including the light itself. This is when the concept of gravity comes into being. Zyrus wanted to create a microscopic gravitational well on the tip of his spear by using mana. *Thrust* In theory, this mana-induced gravitational well should be able to distort the space around it. Via this distortion, the spear could cut through the space as if it were a tangible medium. *Huff* *Huff* ¡®This is a lot more complex then using the spell models via mental energy.¡¯ It was like using a complex pre existing formula to solve a problem. It was much easier than deriving the formula itself. It did have its advantages though, the space models created after this learning process would be much simpler, meaning he could use them with less mana. Spell models were general after all. How could they compare with the specific formulas he made for himself? ¡®And this is fun.¡¯ Like all mages, he was a seeker of truth. He had deep respect for the person who had created the scrolls for void magic. Only now did he realize how difficult it is to create spells that everyone can use without the prerequisite knowledge. He, just like everyone else had learned magic from those scrolls in the sanctuary. He didn¡¯t have the time and opportunity to figure out how those three dimensional spell models were created. Despite him being on the verge of creating a spell model for himself, he was far from the level where he could create spells similar to the ones scrolls. Hours passed by as Zyrus was deep in practice. At long last, he saw a red light flash in front of him, beckoning him back to the sanctuary. [Remaining Time: 00:00:00] [Returning to the sanctuary] ¡­ Chapter 10: Bloodspine spear ¡°You sure we can eat this?¡± Lauren asked while pointing at the snake. ¡°Yup. Trust me, it¡¯ll be good¡± ¡°Well¡­ if you say so.¡± Lauren gave Zyrus a skeptical look and started cleaning The trio had replenished their supplies after making a deal with Hajin. He gave them weapons, armor, and some ration in exchange for additional snake heads. ¡®Does he even know how to use them?¡¯ Zyrus wondered as he practiced with his new spear. They only had 4 days left before the first phase of the tutorial ended. Zyrus had already made a plan in order to collect all the necessary materials. ¡®I should check out the new skill first.¡¯ Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Human] [Class: None] [Level: 5] Exp: 57/7594 [Title: None] [Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, Goblin Slayer, First step of the Spearman, Killer of Keliodus, Boss Buster(I), Forged in combat, Shattered in Victory, Gaze of the Predator¡­] [Talent: None] [Strength: 13] [Agility: 11] [Vitality: 10] [Intelligence: 16] [SP: 24] HP: 100 Crit rate: 10% Crit damage: 100% [Basics of Sojutsu], [Eye of Annihilation] [Basic Spear] ATK: 30 [Basic Armor] DEF: 50 Currency: 76C [Goblin¡¯s Blood essence x1] [Keliodus serpent¡¯s poisonous essence x13] [Basic Spear x 4] Even after increasing his intelligence, his SP had doubled compared to before the fight. Zyrus clicked on the skill description and was once again intrigued by what he saw. [Eye of Annihilation (B): Bring forth the oblivion as your gaze births ruin. This is a simplified version of a very high ranking skill. You cannot unleash its full power as you have yet to fulfill the necessary requirements.] [Note: You can figure out the opponent¡¯s absolute weakness by using the skill] Effects: Crit rate +10%, Intelligence +5, Enhances the eyesight CD: 90 sec ¡®This skill is even better than the ones I had in my previous life!¡¯ A very high ranked skill meant that it could be evolved to at least an S rank. With every upgrade its effect would be boosted on another level. ¡®Great, now I have two skills that give me Crit rate.¡¯ Zyrus clenched his fists with a wide grin on his face. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Did you get something good? Anyway look at this head, I can¡¯t put it in the inventory.¡± Lauren called Zyrus over who was standing like a fool. ¡°Re-really?¡± ¡°Is it something special?¡± Kyle observed the head after he saw Zyrus staring at it like an owl. ¡°Gimme that! Quick!¡± Kyle was speechless as he handed the head over to Zyrus. ¡°Hehehe.. I knew I wasn¡¯t unlucky! My luck must have been used up on this one.¡± Lauren wanted to retort by saying she was the one who had found whatever the hack was that, but after looking at Zyrus who acted like a kid who had found a box of chocolates, she didn¡¯t have the heart to do so. Zyrus picked up his spear and cut the head in the middle. There, he saw a bead the size of a ping-pong ball. ¡°Is that a poisonous essence?¡± Kyle asked as he looked over ¡°Yes and no. The poisonous essence is like trash compared to it.¡± Zyrus showed them the rainbow colored bead and explained, ¡°Do you know why all the snakes here are called Keliodus serpents? They all get their poison from a plant which is at the bottom of the lake¡± ¡°I see, is this a highly concentrated version of it?¡± asked Lauren as he looked at the bead ¡°It¡¯s even better, the Seven headed Keliodus serpent is fundamentally different from the others, it can create its own poison using this thing.¡± ¡°Is it safe to use?¡± Kyle asked as he handed the bead over ¡°Well, that depends¡­¡± Zyrus replied with a bittersweet expression. Would they be willing to give up their humanity for power? He didn¡¯t need to ask. ¡°Anyway, take these and give me all the currency you guys have,¡± Zyrus spoke as he gave 10 poisonous essences to Lauren. ¡°What do I need these for?¡± ¡°You can use them to refine your knives. It¡¯ll get a poison attribute.¡± ¡°Really!? That¡¯s awesome. Would the currency we have be enough for exchange?¡± Lauren was happy and nervous at the same time. ¡°Nope. You guys will have to do an errand for me.¡± ¡°Are we going separate ways then?¡± Kyle asked after he transferred his coins. ¡°Yeah. We''ll meet the day after tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll show you a rough map.¡± Zyrus replied to Kyle who was looking at him with a solemn gaze. ¡°Aww! Are you sad?¡± ¡°Cut it out-¡± While Lauren was busy teasing Kyle, Zyrus started drawing a map by using a stick. ¡°Tch.. get a room already¡± ¡°Is there one to begin with?¡± ¡°Whatever, look at the map now will you.¡± ¡°Map? How old are you? 5?¡± Lauren asked with genuine concern as she looked at the doodle on the ground. ¡°Come on now, get serious already. This concerns our survival.¡± ¡°I saw it coming. I¡¯m no longer your favorite, am I?¡± Kyle gave up after that and memorized the map. He asked about all the details of Zyrus¡¯s plan and its location. ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys two more days to consider.¡± Zyrus looked at them deep in the eyes and continued, ¡°Decide whether you want to follow me from now on or not. Keep in mind that there¡¯s no turning back after that.¡± ¡°How disappointing... I thought we were friends already.¡± ¡®Friends huh,¡¯ Zyrus sighed after looking at their eyes which were filled with trust. ¡°Did you forget about our first conversation? We¡¯ve become closer after that but I hope you remember that till the end.¡± Kyle nodded seriously while Lauren grumbled about him being a killjoy. Zyrus once again reminded them of their task before he vanished into the dark forest. ¡°We''re going to follow him right?¡± Lauren asked Kyle who was still looking at the map. ¡°I want to, but¡­ it won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°He seems like a good person.¡± ¡®That¡¯s why I said it won¡¯t be easy,¡¯ Kyle thought as he tapped on her forehead. He understood how Zyrus felt. ¡®The last sentence wasn¡¯t meant for us.¡¯ ¡­ The morning wind blew across his face as Zyrus made his way atop the Cod Mountain. It was quite a climb as the peak was above 800 feet from ground level. He had killed some monsters on the way, pushing him halfway towards the sixth level. There was a special event that triggered when one arrived at the top of the mountain. To get the final prize which was the ¡°Bloodspine spear¡±, one had to kill the flying monsters called levifin. ¡®Last time I failed to get anything from here. ¡¯ It was the last day of the tutorial and almost everyone who was worth something was out in the forest. By that time it was no longer a struggle for survival. Humans are quite scary when it comes to adaptability. Zyrus was with a team of newbies not surprisingly, he failed to kill the monsters in a limited time. ¡®Fortunately, players should be busy with their safe area at this time.¡¯ After another hour of hard climb, he finally arrived at the mountaintop. ¡°Whew¡­ you there Aurora?¡± Zyrus asked while panting for breadth. ¡°Come on now, I just want to ask about our second deal.¡± he spoke again after not hearing anything for a while. ¡°Mayyybee~¡± ¡®Tch¡­she¡¯s not going to answer before the final day is she...¡¯ Zyrus kicked the pebbles in frustration and dragged his feet towards the event area. He took out all the spears from his inventory as he waited for the event to start. Now that he knew how this event worked, he would be the biggest moron in history if he left any good rewards for others. [Ding! You have discovered an event area!] [Starting time: 00:05:00] [Kill the different types of levifin to earn points] [Different rewards will be given based on the number of points. The Player with the highest points will receive a special prize!] [Each kill will give you 100P!] [Click below to view the exchange list] [Rank 1 Reward: Bloodspine spear] [1. Level up card = 5000P (One time purchase only)] [2. Silver Longsword = 3000P] [3. Ration x 10 = 2500P] [4. Blackwood Bow = 3500P] [5. Vitality recovery potion(+50 HP) = 1000P] . . ¡®Nice, that spear''s as good as mine.¡¯ Zyrus felt a bit guilty about not telling his teammates about this place. It was the easiest place to get rich if you can monopolize the hunting area. ¡®I guess they needed some alone time as well..¡¯ Zyrus readied himself before the timer reached 0. As if on cue, groups of levifins started to fly around in the sky. They were reddish-pink in color and they looked just like a fish. They flew around in beautiful patterns, making the bland sky vivid with colors. ¡®Now that I think about it, the cooldown for the eye of annihilation is just perfect for this.¡¯ The most difficult part about the quest was to hit an airborne levifin. The chance of success was abysmally low, so the only way one could earn some points was by killing the monsters that came down. Out of a hundred, only a dozen of them would land on the mountain, and that too for a very short period of time. It wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine the bloodbath it would cause to kill them. An entire team was wiped out the last time Zyrus was here. ¡®But they¡¯re all mine now.¡¯ Zyrus grinned as he looked at the golden levifin with greedy eyes. They were twice as big and naturally, they gave out a lot more points. Generally speaking, it¡¯s almost impossible to hunt them as they never came down. However, it was a piece of cake for Zyrus. ¡®Here comes the money!¡¯ Zyrus held his spear with a steady grip and rushed towards the diving Levifin. Chapter 11: New items! Zyrus concentrated his strength on the spear''s end and moved the shaft in an arc. *Sweep* [Ding! +100P] [Ding! +100P] [Ding! +100P] ¡®Not bad for starters.¡¯ Although he managed to kill 3 in one strike, the rest of the Levifin had run away. Only wide area attacks worked on them as they moved very fast. If not for their paper-thin defense, they would¡¯ve been invincible in the tutorial. *Sweep* [Ding! +100P] [Ding! +100P] ¡®Tch this is too slow¡­¡¯ Zyrus held back the spear and chased after fish like a nimble cat. He had just half an hour to earn points. He slashed at the area where the levifins were about to pass by, but to his frustration, it only resulted in another 200P. ¡®I suppose there¡¯s only one way left,¡¯ Zyrus shrugged and aimed for the golden levifin. He knew that his other methods wouldn¡¯t work, so he had to follow the plan he created beforehand. His taut muscles relaxed after he used 4 stat points on agility. Bending his legs slightly, he channeled all his strength on the right hand. After calming down his breathing at a measured pace, he activated the Eye of Annihilation. Zyrus''s vision changed as he tracked the school of levifin. With a boost in his intelligence, he could discern their trajectory with ease. His eyes emitted a red hue as he concentrated on the golden levifin. He saw its weakness despite it being far away, and with a fluid motion he threw his spear with all his strength. The spear soared in the sky and skewered the golden fish like a harpoon. ¡®Got you.¡¯ Zyrus let out the breadth he was holding as he heard the kill notification [Ding! You have killed a golden levifin!] [+1000P] [More levifin will approach you for the next 60 sec] ¡°Hahaha, I didn¡¯t know there was such an effect.¡± Zyrus swept his spear left and right with renewed vigor. He didn''t feel bad about losing his spear as he was getting better things in return. ¡®If I had a skill like Lauren then I could practice for spear throw as well...¡¯ *Sweep* [Ding! +100P] [Ding! +100P] [Ding! +100P] . . Zyrus repeated the same process for another three times. He made full use of the 60 seconds while resting for 30 seconds in between. The 90 second cooldown for the Eye of Annihilation was utilized to its fullest. *Huff*Huff* ¡®Time to take it easy now¡­¡¯ Zyrus panted for breadth while kneeling on the ground. It was thankful that the levifin didn¡¯t have any attack powers, otherwise, he would¡¯ve been chewed into pieces. In these 15 minutes, Zyrus had earned enough points to buy everything he needed. ¡®Might as well pick some for them¡­¡¯ Zyrus scratched his chin as he looked at the exchange list. There were two decent items that he could get within the next dozen minutes. After resting for a while, he once again started swinging his spear. He had already improved his thrust technique during his time on Earth, so all he needed now was to work on the other two. He had to improve the basics on a fundamental level if he wanted to upgrade his Sojutsu skill. *Sweep* [Ding! +100P] . . Eventually, Zyrus had to use, or rather, throw away the remaining spears to get the required points. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡®Those brats better be grateful,¡¯ The groups of levifin flew away in the sky as if they were a mirage to begin with. In just a moment, Zyrus was the only one left atop the mountain. He clenched his fists in excitement as he saw the messages pop up one after another. The skills and items he could get in the tutorial were like trash compared to what he had in his prime, but the key here was the sense of progression and the satisfaction that came after achieving your goal, no matter how small it was. [Congratulations! You have achieved Rank 1 in the event!] [You have obtained the unique weapon ¡°Bloodspine spear¡±] [You have earned 21700P in the event] [Click below to exchange them with your desired items] Zyrus wanted nothing more than to claim the spear immediately, but he reigned his impulses and looked at the list below. [1. Level up card = 5000P (One time purchase only)] [2. Silver Longsword = 3000P] [3. Ration x 10 = 2500P] [4. Blackwood Bow = 3500P] [5. Vitality recovery potion(+50 HP) = 1000P] [6. Feather boots = 3500P] [7. Durability Scroll = 1000P (20/20)] Note: Only usable on low ranked weapons [8. Garnet Mail = 4500 P] [9. Steel Knives (x4) = 3000P ] [10. Iron shield = 5000P] [Mystery box = 300P] Looking at the items he could obtain with a flick of his finger, Zyrus couldn¡¯t agree more with the saying, ¡®Sometimes, it''s not just about working hard; it''s about being in the right place at the right time.¡¯ ¡°Even better, working hard at the right place at the right time.¡± Zyrus chuckled with contentment and exchanged for the items. The Level Up card was an obvious choice, and he would need recovery potions and durability scrolls in the future as well. He bought 3 of each and then bought the ¡®Garnet Mail¡¯ for Kyle and ¡®Feather Boots¡¯ for Lauren. ¡°Hmm, this should do it.¡± Zyrus nodded in satisfaction and claimed his spear as well. Instead of directly showing up in his inventory, the delivery method for the spear was different. Accompanied by a glaring flash of white and red, a bone spear floated in front of Zyrus. Although it wasn¡¯t his first time seeing it, the spear made his heart flutter nonetheless. It had a bone shaft which gave it incredible flexibility. Red runes were drawn on the shaft which stretched all the way to the spearhead, giving it an ominous look. The spearhead had a sleek and sharp presence. It was made up of a special metal that looked like a mixture of Ruby and Quartz. Zyrus bit his thumb and dropped his blood on the spear. The runes on the shaft lit up at once, and the spear disappeared from the air with a flash. ¡®Finally, it¡¯s time to roll the dice!¡¯ Zyrus rubbed his hands as he looked at the last option with greedy eyes. Unfortunately, he didn''t see Aurora who was floating above him. ¡­ *Thunk* ¡°We aren¡¯t lost are we?¡± ¡°For the hundredth time, NO. And stop throwing daggers everywhere.¡± Lauren gave a skeptical look at Kyle and walked ahead with a grunt. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you read the map then?¡± Kyle grumbled while cutting the branches on the way. ¡°That¡¯s your job.¡± ¡°Is that so? What might your role be then, Mademoiselle?¡± ¡°I¡¯m responsible for guarding the rear, and I cook.¡± Lauren retorted with her nose held high. ¡°Oh my! Are you referring to the culinary catastrophe we ate in the morning?¡± Kyle ignored the life-threatening glare coming at his back and checked the area again. It had been two days since they separated from Zyrus. They had collected the herb he was looking for on their way to the Sican plains. ¡°Be cautious, we are reaching the border.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Lauren looked away as if he was a dog poop on the road. ¡°Come on now, it was a joke! Didn¡¯t I collect a lot of ores for you?¡± ¡°So what, you kept the big one for Zyrus.¡± ¡°Are you still jealous about that? Really?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not narrow-minded like you.¡± Kyle, as always, was speechless after her unfair remarks. *Rustle* They saw the bushes move in the distance which made them halt their quarrel. Kyle signaled Lauren who was pulling out her knives to stand back. After seeing her nod, he crept his way towards the bush. He hid behind a trunk while keeping a close eye on his surroundings. ¡°Too slow.¡± Kyle heard a casual remark as he felt the cold metal on his neck. ¡°You¡¯re just fast.¡± Lauren threw another knife at Zyrus, which, of course, missed the mark. ¡°You need to be more alert as well,¡± Zyrus spoke after putting his spear away. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Kyle nodded with seriousness. ¡°You just wanted to show off your spear didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± ¡°At least pretend to be modest.¡± Zyrus shrugged at her snide comments and asked in a matter-of-fact tone, ¡°Did you get the herb?¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± Kyle handed him a plant that looked like a bonsai tree. Zyrus looked at the tree which had white Crystalline leaves on its obsidian branches with satisfaction. It was called ¡®Shadowbloom¡¯, a plant which despite its noble appearance contained a vast amount of demonic mana. ¡°What does it do?¡± Lauren asked while staring at his hand. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the specifics, but it¡¯s useless for humans.¡± Lauren looked at the plant in disappointment, but she failed to notice the look of shock and horror on Kyle¡¯s face. ¡°Are you planning to-¡± ¡°Mhm. You¡¯re quite sharp.¡± Zyrus looked at Kyle who was staring at him with egglike eyes and asked, ¡°So, have you decided whether you want to follow me or not?¡± ¡°Of course we will, right?¡± Lauren nudged Kyle who was standing like a puppet. ¡°Right, for better or for worse.¡± Kyle replied with a sigh, however, his eyes were still full of trust. Zyrus couldn¡¯t stop the surge of warmth in his heart as he looked at them. ¡®It¡¯s not so bad to have companions eh?¡¯ ¡°Alright then. Welcome to the team.¡± Zyrus gave them a smile and held his fist forward like the last time. He wanted to give them the items he bought regardless of their decision, but it had a different meaning now. ¡°Wow! It looks so cute! Thanks for the present,¡± Lauren was thrilled after she saw the transfer notification when she bumped her hand. ¡°We¡¯ll work hard.¡± Kyle replied in a composed manner, but from his curved lips it was apparent that he was just as happy. They knew about their weaknesses, but they lacked the means to fix them in the short term. What Zyrus gave them were precisely the crucial things they needed, things that increased their chance of survival by a lot. ¡°Stop grinning and give him the ore,¡± Lauren teased Kyle who was checking out his armor. ¡°What did you find?¡± Zyrus asked Kyle who was coughing awkwardly. Kyle took out an ash colored rock, and looking at that, Zyrus was gobsmacked once again. He didn¡¯t expect much when he asked about it as he knew about all the good items in the tutorial. ¡®Comparison kills huh?¡¯ He didn¡¯t get anything except the lowest possible reward from the mystery box, while here he saw an item that had less than 0.1% drop rate. ¡®Who cares¡­ it¡¯s mine anyway. Besides I only opened the box 9 times. One more and I would¡¯ve gotten something much better than this. Yup, Definitely.¡¯ Zyrus convinced himself to mend his fragile ego and looked at the item description. Chapter 12: Ambush [Ore of Kothar (Fragment): An item blessed by a divine being from another dimension.] [Effect: Gives the weapon an additional trait when used in crafting. A low chance of acquiring an additional ¡°Unbreakable¡± attribute.] Despite being a low chance, the second option was what mattered the most. It didn¡¯t mean that the weapon wouldn¡¯t be destroyed, but as long as the user was alive, the weapon could resurrect itself by using resources. ¡®Seems like I can create a weapon spirit early on¡­¡¯ You¡¯ll have to use the same weapon for a very long time in order to birth a spirit. In most cases, the weapon''s durability would reach 0 before that or you¡¯ll simply find a better weapon. That was the main reason why only those above 5th ring of the sanctuary could afford such weapons. ¡®The last thing those old bastards lack is time and money.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s the next plan?¡± Lauren inquired while flopping around with her green boots. With her hazel eyes and brown hair, she looked like an elf dancing in the forest. Unlike Zyrus who had average appearance with black hair and black eyes, both Kyle and Lauren looked like idols with their shiny equipment. ¡°We have three days left, more or less. In this time we¡¯ll target the enemy camp.¡± Zyrus explained as he beckoned them over. He had told them about his goal before they parted ways. They had to accomplish two things in the tutorial week, to reach level 10 and get better equipments. After two days, Zyrus was close to level 7 while the duo had reached level 5. They didn''t find any equipments on their own but Zyrus had covered it up from the event. ¡°You may think that we are stronger than most players after our last encounter, but let me remind you again, they¡¯ll get better equipment and Exp boost on the last three days." Lauren and Kyle nodded in seriousness at his remark. They had realized that it was crucial to be strong after experiencing the boss raid. ¡°Keep in mind that since you¡¯re following me, everyone in the first ring is your opponent, be it the humans or the monsters,¡± Zyrus spoke while drawing a diagram on the ground. ¡°Of course, there are advantages of that as well. You¡¯ll have a much higher chance of surviving in the future.¡± ¡°We understand.¡± Kyle replied with a firm look in his eyes. ¡°Back to the topic at hand, you remember what I¡¯ve told you about the ¡®Goblet of Fire¡¯ right?¡± ¡°Mhm, there are two of them in our area, one for humans and one for monsters.¡± ¡°Exactly. Now, our goal is to target the monster¡¯s goblet of fire, or to be more precise, take over it.¡± Kyle understood what he meant by that, but Lauren didn¡¯t. Looking at her bewildered expression, Zyrus gave a questioning glance at Kyle. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her. You should be the one to explain it yourself.¡± ¡°I see. Well, long story short, I want to become a monster for personal reasons.¡± ¡°Wha- why?¡± Zyrus looked at the flabbergasted Lauren with a calm gaze. She didn¡¯t give up on asking though, not this time. ¡°What about your appearance then? Can you become a human again? What about your family?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll become a monster, permanently. I don¡¯t have a family, and I don¡¯t want to make one either.¡± Zyrus spoke in a helpless tone, burying the image of a smiling silhouette deep in his heart. ¡®I want to meet her, to be with her, but what¡¯s the point if I¡¯m not strong enough to protect her?¡¯ Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Lauren wanted to convince him otherwise, but looking at his pained expression she didn¡¯t have the heart to continue. ¡°Ahm. Shouldn¡¯t we discuss our plan of action first?¡± Kyle asked, noticing the tense atmosphere. ¡°Right, we¡¯ll target their smaller groups first and level up in the next two days.¡± Zyrus pointed at the figure on the ground and continued, ¡°On the last day, the monsters will launch an all-out attack on the human camp, that¡¯s when we strike their camp.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good plan, but wouldn¡¯t others interrupt us?¡± Lauren asked after looking at the drawing. ¡°Nope. People will only go out on the last two days, so they¡¯ll neither have the time nor the reason to travel this far." ¡°Makes sense.¡± The team discussed about different types of enemies and ambush grounds till the sky darkened. Two days and three nights remained before the end of the tutorial. ¡­ ¡°Attack!¡± Zyrus commanded as he charged forth with his Bloodspine spear. After resting for the night, it was their seventh ambush in the last 24 hours. Kyle¡¯s reddish-black mail glittered in the sunlight as he moved around like a grim reaper. Emerald knives flew by one after another, scattering the enemy formation. Lauren moved like an elf and attacked the monster team from the side. With her new boots, she didn''t have to hide behind the allies to attack. Their role was to stop enemies from organizing their troops and block their retreat. Zyrus, on the other hand, had only one job. He fought on the frontline and drew their aggro, playing the role of a tank and a main attacker. His every move resulted in the death of an enemy. After leveling up once again on the past day, destroying this mob was a child¡¯s play for him. *Thrust* -100 Exp + 180 The runes on the Bloodspine spear gleamed as they absorbed the fallen kobold''s blood. After fighting against different monsters like goblins, trolls, orcs, and so on, he had improved his skill by quite a margin. Zyrus dodged the arrow shot by a goblin archer and closed in on an orc. This team of monsters had a combination of kobolds, goblin archers, and orcs. Although Zyrus wasn¡¯t able to earn Exp by killing normal goblins, it was a different matter for goblin riders and archers. Unlike humans, monsters like goblins can select their primary classes after level 5. It made sense in a way since their upper limit was lv 50. *Slash* -150,-100 Exp +300 After two consecutive slashes on its neck, the orc had its blood absorbed as well. ¡®What a nuisance,¡¯ Zyrus frowned in annoyance after dodging another arrow. If not for Lauren, he would¡¯ve killed them a dozen times by now. As the goblins had low HP and high numbers, they made a perfect prey for her to level up. ¡°Finish it up before lunchtime.¡± Zyrus ordered after stabbing another kobold to death. The two footed dog like creature could do nothing but stare at its gaping chest. He was very satisfied with his new weapon. It had a high attack power with an amazing blood drain ability. He was even more excited about the synergy between the blood fusion talent and his spear. ¡®It¡¯s my last day as a human huh,¡¯ Zyrus wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about the cube¡¯s mission. He would gain a very strong power upon success, but the drawbacks were just as great. ¡°Want me to help?¡± Lauren asked after killing the last goblin archer. ¡°Support Kyle and finish the kobolds. I¡¯ll deal with the orcs.¡± spoke Zyrus as he moved towards the center of the enemy group. Kyle was more efficient at dealing with humanoid monsters while Zyrus had an upper hand against the big ones. After all, a spear couldn¡¯t compete against dual swords when it came to close combat. *Thrust* ¡°Kurgh-¡± -150 Zyrus pulled out his spear to defend against the upcoming blow, leaving behind an orc with a gaping hole in its neck. Exp +300 There were only three orcs left to fill his exp. ¡®One more ambush and I¡¯ll level up.¡¯ However, Zyrus knew that it was nothing but his wishful thinking. The monsters weren¡¯t dumb enough to not notice so many sneak attacks. He was certain that after killing the lv 9 troll, they would have to say goodbye to this perfect farming strategy. If not for this group of monsters who were returning to camp from who knows where, the trio would have to spend the rest of their day sleeping. *Sweep* -50,-140 *Thrust* -100 Exp +300 Exp +300 ¡°Phew.. that was tiring.¡± Zyrus wiped his sweat after killing the last orc. He had gone all out in dealing with them. Just with the three of them, they had killed a group of 50 in a short while. The more strength they had before attacking their camp tonight, the better. ¡°You¡¯re really fast at dealing with them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they don¡¯t have any special trait,¡± Zyrus replied in a matter-of-fact voice. The orcs had balanced stats between strength, agility, and vitality. For those who had a lower level compared to them, they were like a nightmare. They could neither kill them swiftly nor escape without injury, so their only option was to engage in a dogfight. ¡°More like your weapon''s just overpowered.¡± ¡°What, you jealous?¡± Zyrus looked at Lauren with a smug smile. ¡°Kinda.¡± ¡°Tch.. look at him, his swords are practically trash grade.¡± Zyrus pointed at Kyle who had reduced more than a dozen kobolds to minced meat. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count, he has a ridiculous skill as well.¡± Lauren argued in an unconvinced tone. ¡°You don''t need high attack right now, focus on piercing and agility.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± ¡°Believe me, you¡¯ll realize how strong you are when you fight against monsters like trolls and ogres.¡± ¡°Yes, so just focus on killing goblins for now.¡± Kyle chimed in after looking at the pouting Lauren. ¡®One, two, three, aaand start.¡¯ Zyrus chuckled as the duo started bickering as usual. After a brief rest, he looked at his status window which had changed a lot in the last two days. Chapter 13: Dire situation Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Human] [Class: None] [Level: 8] Exp: 20,460/25,629 [Title: None] [Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, Goblin Slayer, First step of the Spearman, Killer of Keliodus, Boss Buster(I), Forged in combat, Shattered in Victory, Gaze of the Predator¡­] [Talent: None] [Strength: 16] [Agility: 14] [Vitality: 13] [Intelligence: 19] [SP: 20] HP: 130 Crit rate: 10% Crit damage: 100% [Basics of Sojutsu], [Eye of Annihilation] [Bloodspine spear] ATK: 65 Piercing rate: 5% Effect: The weapon can absorb the lifeblood of enemies to evolve itself. Current rate: 17% [Basic Armor] DEF: 50 Currency: 465C [Goblin¡¯s Blood essence x1] [Kobold¡¯s Blood essence x 1] [Seven headed Keliodus serpent¡¯s core] [Keliodus serpent¡¯s poisonous essence x 3] [Vitality recovery potion x 3] [Durability Scroll x 3] [Shadowbloom] [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] The thing that changed the most besides his stats was his inventory. After getting the worst possible things from the mystery box which were copper coins, Zyrus had more than four hundred coins now. ¡°Why don¡¯t you enhance your weapon as well? My knives are much better after I used the ores and poisonous essence.¡± ¡°Hypocrite.¡± Kyle retorted while cleaning his swords. ¡°Blegh,¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult. I¡¯ll have to find something that can give it a suitable attribute¡± Zyrus replied to Lauren who was sticking her tongue at Kyle. ¡°Are we attacking again?¡± Kyle asked as he sheathed his swords. ¡°It¡¯ll be risky. What level you guys are at?¡± ¡°Seven.¡± they replied simultaneously to Zyrus¡¯s question. ¡°Hmm.. it¡¯ll be difficult for you to reach level 10 before the tutorial.¡± ¡°Is it really necessary?¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°let¡¯s talk while we eat,¡± Zyrus sat down and asked Lauren to take out the ration. He talked about what would happen after the tutorial first. After the one-week period ended, every ¡®Tutorial area¡¯ would connect with one another. That would be the true beginning of their journey. Unlike the other rings of the sanctuary which had a level gap of 50, the first and second ring required 20 and 30 level ups respectively. In short, in order to reach the second ring one had to reach lv 20 and lv 50 to reach the third ring. From then on, players would need 50 level ups each time. After the tutorial period, another weeding out will begin. Those who failed to improve in that period will die without a doubt. ¡°Keep in mind that I¡¯ll be gone for a couple of days after we take over the monster camp.¡± ¡°And we¡¯ll have to become strong enough to defend that place in the meantime.¡± Kyle finished his sentence while chewing the bread. ¡°Bingo.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we can at least escape,¡± Lauren gave a thumbs up filled with pessimism. ¡°Sure thing, But you¡¯ll have to find another one for safety.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just scam some people instead?¡± Zyrus was speechless after listening to Lauren''s plan of ¡®Rightfully¡¯ taking over a human camp to ¡®ensure their survival.¡¯ ¡°I mean, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just guard this place instead of all that hassle?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying,¡± The trio ate and chatted while sitting under the midday sun. After walking for an hour, they arrived at a cave which was their temporary hideout. ¡°Sleep well.¡± Zyrus waved his hand and leaned on a corner. They had decided to attack the enemy camp at midnight. This would be the last time when Zyrus slept as a human for a very, very long time. ¡­ The full moon hung in the sky filled with twinkling stars. Birds and animals were sleeping peacefully in their homes, unaware of the massacre that was about to unfold in the tutorial areas. Zyrus encroached upon the monster camp which had less than 20% occupants left. His role was to keep an eye on enemy movements while he waited for Kyle¡¯s signal. ¡®That¡¯s a lot more than I¡¯d thought.¡¯ Only time would tell whether his decision to attack them was right or not. The monsters were on guard against an ambush; it was evident from their placement of troops. Goblin archers stood on crude watchtowers while the orcs were responsible for patrolling the area. They had gathered wood stumps to form a barrier against the intruders. A dozen trolls guarded the Goblet of Fire, but Zyrus¡¯s main concern was their commander. ¡®It should be at level 10.¡¯ he furrowed his brows as he looked at the five-meter tall creature. It was an ogre. A green monster which was wider than three orcs combined was surveying the camp with its yellow eyes. According to Zyrus¡¯s plan, the ogre was supposed to lead the monster camp in attacking the humans. Although it was just a single monster, it had thrown the wrench in the trio''s plan. *Crackle* Zyrus finally saw the signal he was looking for. As clever as they may be, the monsters were no match for humans when it came to battle sense. Their so-called boundary was starting to become the ring of fire that trapped them. ¡°Kiieek¡± *Wristle* The first ones to get hit were the goblin archers. They ran away from their sentry posts and caused a ruckus in the camp. Originally, the fire could¡¯ve been put out, but it was hopeless after they abandoned the fence. ¡®Who would¡¯ve thought a guy like Kyle could be this good as an arsonist,¡¯ Quite a few of them dispersed because of the fire, but still, around a hundred monsters were guarding the center. *GRRRRAAAARRR* The ogre bellowed in rage and for a moment, even the flames were pushed back. ¡®The bastard has mana huh,¡¯ Zyrus scowled while looking at the center. The ogre had called all the monsters towards the center. Their original plan was to rush the center while ignoring all the other monsters. They had prepared a lot of things to distract the monsters and divert their attention, but it was pointless now. Things were getting worse for him as he hadn¡¯t accounted for such a variable. Neither Kyle nor Lauren were at a level where they could handle a group of orcs. If he risked his life, Zyrus was sure that he could handle the team of trolls while fighting the ogre. The main problem was the group of 50 orcs. Zyrus let out a whistle as he came out from his hiding spot. He didn¡¯t want to engage in a direct fight, but that was the only path left for him. *ROOAARR* ¡°FIGHT ME IF YOU DARE.¡± Zyrus shouted with all his might as he glared at the monsters. All the orcs who were charging over stumbled back, disregarding the ogre¡¯s order. Even after losing all his powers, Zyrus was still the man who had ruled over millions of lives. A mere ogre was no match for him when it came to the aura of a leader. ¡®Fucking pighead, does it think that just by imbuing mana in its voice it could push me off?¡¯ Zyrus was completely pissed off after his plans had gone awry. Since when did he, Zyrus Wymar, had to rely on tricks to win a fight? ¡®Bloody hell! I¡¯ll just kill them all.¡¯ He took out the Bloodspine spear and pointed it at the ogre¡¯s head. He had relied on his past knowledge a bit too much. ¡®I¡¯ve neglected my true self after the reincarnation.¡¯ Zyrus realized that as he stood proudly against the ogre who was running towards him. He had failed in his last life, but that didn¡¯t mean that everything he had done was wrong. He had broken past his limits time and time again, all by fighting against the opponents who were way beyond his league. It was a ridiculous thing to do, but he had succeeded because of that nonetheless. *Thump* Thump* The ground trembled as the ogre approached closer and closer. Zyrus gipped his spear while looking at the charging ogre and the trolls that followed behind it. Hot blood flooded his veins as his heart beat faster and faster. Surrounding trees and obstacles faded from his eyes, leaving only his spear and the enemy''s weak spots. ¡®Been a while since I¡¯ve felt like this,¡¯ The serious look on his face was replaced by a chilling smile, a smile that even the immortals of the sanctuary feared. ¡­ Moments before, The ogre wasn''t the only one affected by Zyrus¡¯s shout. ¡°Is he mad!¡± Lauren whispered while pulling out poisonous beads from her inventory. She couldn¡¯t afford to stop now no matter what. ¡°Do you think a sane person would want to become a monster?¡± Kyle answered while panting for breadth. He had just reunited with Lauren after setting fires all around the camp. ¡°What now? Any changes in the plan?¡± Lauren fumbled while rolling the plants they¡¯d collected. ¡°Calm down. Use all of them and hurry up,¡± Kyle spoke decisively while patting her back. ¡°What? But he said to use only one of them.¡± Lauren asked after placing the bead in the middle of the plant roll. ¡°Why did he give you all three then? We don¡¯t have much of a choice now.¡± Kyle picked up the finished roll and lit up a fire at its sides. ¡°Are you planning to throw these at Zyrus?¡± ¡°Yeah. Now¡¯s the only chance since the orcs are still disorganized¡± ¡°He¡¯ll get poisoned too!¡± Lauren warned Kyle who was rushing towards the group of trolls. ¡°Hahaha¡­ that bastard wants to eat the core which is the very source of this poison, it¡¯s the last thing he¡¯ll worry about.¡± ¡®They¡¯re both weirdoes,¡¯ Lauren shivered as she looked at Kyle who was laughing crazily. She used the two remaining beads, and with smoking bundles in hand, she ran after him as well. ¡®Am I the same?¡¯ She really didn¡¯t want to answer that question. Chapter 14: Humanity’s Pathfinder Present time: Zyrus jumped sideways while swinging his spear at the charging ogre. *Slash* -0,-0,-18 *THUNK* His spear dealt the first hit before the ogre managed to hit the empty ground. The ogre had a very high defense and HP similar to a boss monster. To keep the balance, AOE attacks and even some single target multi hit attacks were considered as multiple hits. *Thrust* -0 ¡°Argh,¡± Zyrus hit the tree behind him after parrying the ogre¡¯s blow. He had tried to pierce its thick skin by attacking its stomach, but unfortunately, it was his spear that got stuck instead. That one-second delay cost him 20 HP. ¡®Frontal attacks are out of the question.¡¯ Zyrus wiped the blood on his mouth and dodged sideways, *BAM* The tree beside him exploded like a twig under the ogre¡¯s club. *Slash* -0,-18,-0 ¡®Only critical hits work, huh.¡¯ Zyrus deduced after looking at the ogre¡¯s fingers. But it wasn''t easy to deal critical hits on every move. The only option left for him was to count on fixed damage and drain its HP. One hit kills by beheading and gouging its heart out were out of question. He could barely reach its throat with his spear if he wanted to maintain a safe distance. The damage calculation done by the sanctuary wasn¡¯t always practical. For example, the ogre shouldn¡¯t die if it was stabbed in the leg for a thousand times, but according to the fixed damage calculation, it would. Even with a 10% crit rate, 100 of those stabs would deal 18 damage each time, leaving the ogre with only 30% of its HP. It had its advantages as well. A monster with his arteries cut should die instantly, but it could live on so long as its HP hadn¡¯t reached 0. That few more seconds can change the outcome of the battle. Of course, in cases like beheading, its HP would be reduced to 0 instantaneously. He could use the eye of annihilation to fight on even ground against the ogre, but he kept enduring. ¡®I need an opening window.¡¯ Zyrus once again dodged the ogre¡¯s sweeping attack and stabbed its toe. *Thrust* -50 ¡°Grrrrr¡± ¡°Hurts like a bitch, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Zyrus spat out blood from his mouth after ripping apart the ogre¡¯s nail. He kept provoking it, but only he knew how difficult this fight was. Even blocking an attack took out 10 of his HP. ¡®At this rate, I¡¯ll be the first to die from fixed damage.¡¯ Zyrus calculated as he wiped the sweat from his eyebrows. *Slash* -18,-0,-0 He looked at the trolls who were moving behind the ogre with greedy eyes. With their snail-like movements, they were nothing more than exp bags for him. The Bloodspine spear was a nemesis of their regeneration ability, and without their racial skills, they were easier to kill than a goblin. *THUNK* The ogre attacked once again, but this time it smashed the ground besides Zyrus. ¡®Does it think that I¡¯m a moron who couldn¡¯t identify such obvious bait?¡¯ Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Zyrus shamelessly ran away from the ogre and headed towards the forest. Courage wasn¡¯t the only reason he succeeded in his previous life, he knew when to retreat and advance. However, the next second he saw something that made him turn once again. ¡®What a clever bastard,¡¯ Zyrus laughed as he looked at Kyle running behind the trolls. ¡°Rush the center!¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Kyle almost stumbled and fell. ¡°Did you forget what I told you about the bead?¡± The poisonous beads were weak against fire. So when exposed to outside heat, they would decompose and release the accumulated poison inside them. In addition to that, he had given them a plant to wrap them in. The plant had a special restricting property against the poison. As long as it covered the bead, the poison wouldn¡¯t leak out. ¡°The orcs are the problem,¡± Kyle pointed at the orcs who were starting to group up. *SWING* Zyrus dodged the club flying over him as he rolled away. The ogre had already caught up with him. ¡°Protect Lauren and tell her to harass the ogre. Give me the essence and eat the plant,¡± he explained in a hurried tone after seeing Lauren approach. ¡°Huff.. Huff.. Okay, go,¡± Lauren pulled out the outer layer and threw the essence towards Zyrus. *Slash* -0,-0,-0 ¡°Argh-¡± After slashing at the ogre¡¯s waist, Zyrus parried its club and with that momentum, he ran towards the beads. ¡°Let me use mine to disperse the orcs,¡± *BOOM* ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll cover Lauren till then.¡± Zyrus hesitated for a bit and then nodded towards Kyle. *ROOAR* The ogre was infuriated as Zyrus kept running away from the fight. ¡°Keep attacking from a distance and paralyze it,¡± Zyrus told Lauren and lunged towards the group of trolls. He didn¡¯t give a fuck about ogre¡¯s temper at the moment. ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t have to look back to know how she was doing. When it came to kiting, she was better than Zyrus and Kyle combined. Her rapid fire skill combined with poisonous knives were a pain to deal with already, and coupled with her high agility and feather boots, she was invincible on this battlefield. ¡®She wouldn¡¯t have a problem in running away from anyone in the first round,¡¯ Zyrus thought as he plunged his spear into a troll¡¯s neck. *Thrust* ¡°keuk-¡± -250 The runes on the spear gleamed as it absorbed the monster''s blood. In just a second, the troll which was infamous for its regeneration ability was turned into a skinny corpse. -50,-50,-50 Exp +510 The remaining dozen trolls shivered like wet dogs after watching the bloody scene. A healthy three meter tall troll had now become a dried pale green corpse. ¡°Hahaha¡­ This is refreshing,¡± Zyrus laughed like a butcher and took out all his frustrations on the remaining trolls. Meanwhile, Kyle had already delivered the ¡®poison bomb¡¯ to the group of orcs. At first they had ignored it, but once the outer layer was burned up, it was too late for them to regret. Unlike the green plant, the inner layer of dried grass was lit up immediately. It wasn¡¯t hot enough to release all the poison, but the amount it spread was enough to kill one-third of the orcs. *ROOOAARRR* The ogre screamed in rage at the orcs who were once again running around like headless chickens. Although it might seem like a lot of time had passed, it had only been ten minutes since the fight started. *Slash* -250 -50,50 *Thrust* -250 Zyrus didn¡¯t have the time to completely drain the trolls as they charged at him one after another. They lost their lives like moths to the flame, and bit by bit, Zyrus was getting closer to level 9. ¡°I¡¯ll take over here, what¡¯s next?¡± Kyle shouted after decimating an orc. ¡°Keep the ogre away at all costs, I¡¯ll take over the goblet of fire.¡± ¡°Will it be okay?¡± Zyrus nodded at Kyle who was looking at him with a worried expression. Since things had gone completely awry, he had to become strong to deal with the current situation. He could take the easy way out and run away, but that would mean giving up on the cube¡¯s mission. *Thrust* -250 *huff* huff* Zyrus panted for breath after piercing the last troll. *BAAM* On the other hand, the ogre was going berserk after facing Lauren''s harassment. It attacked everyone and everything around it, which only made Kyle¡¯s job easier. He dealt with the remnant orcs who were heading in Lauren¡¯s direction. From the original hundred monsters, less than half were still alive. -50 Exp +510 [Level up!] [+1 to all stats] Zyrus rushed towards the center after looking at the level up message. Despite the situation turning in their favor, he knew how fragile the current balance was. ¡®The ogre will regain its sanity after losing a bit more health.¡¯ He used the level up card while running, and after a purple flash he saw the sweet message once again. [Level up!] [+1 to all stats] [Congratulations! You are the first human to reach level 10!] [You have obtained the Achievement: Humanity¡¯s Pathfinder] [+5 SP] ¡®To get this achievement when I¡¯m about to become a monster huh, quite ironic,¡¯ *KRRAAAGGHHH* Just as he had expected, the ogre had regained its sanity and it was rushing towards the center. But alas, it was too late to change anything. Zyrus had already arrived at the goblet of fire which was now deserted. Without looking back, he knew that every monster in the area was rushing towards him. ¡°EAT THE PLANT AND RUN,¡± Zyrus shouted from the top of his lungs and threw the poisonous essence towards the red flame. *Whissshhh* It happened in an instant. After a popping sound, a white fog drifted out from the center of the camp. Even after eating the plant, Zyrus had lost half of his remaining HP. It was apparent how the monsters were faring in this situation. ¡®It¡¯s stronger than I thought it¡¯d be!¡¯ Zyrus cursed as he gulped down two HP recovery potions. It was the most crucial moment now. With a deep breath, he took out the items from his inventory one by one. Goblin¡¯s and Kobold¡¯s Blood essence which he got from Aurora, Seven headed Keliodus serpent¡¯s core, and last but not least, the Shadowbloom. ¡°So long, Humanity,¡± Just as he was about to proceed further, the space and time around him froze, just like on the first day of the tutorial. ¡°You¡¯re quite something alright.¡± Aurora smiled at Zyrus and plunged down by flapping her butterfly wings. Chapter 15: Nidraxis The last thirty minutes had been a rollercoaster of emotions for Zyrus. He looked at Aurora who was hugging him like a koala with a complex look. She was one of his earliest friend and companion, but he didn''t know what to say at this moment. "You remember me?" "Umm," Aurora nodded her head without looking up. Zyrus patted her head and stood there motionlessly. "You have a lot of questions to ask right?" Aurora spoke as she looked at his red eyes. "Since when?" "I knew it even before you regressed, Zy." "How?" Zyrus stared at Aurora with widened eyes. "I have a lot to tell you, but now''s not the time." Zyrus didn''t need any more explanation as he had a guess already. "Were they observing you? What about now?" He asked with a cold glint in his eyes. "They were, but they can''t for the time being." "I see." Zyrus gestured her to continue. He was glad for their reunion, but he had to deal with pressing matters first. "Do you believe me?" "Of course." "Okay then, do as I say." Aurora flapped her wings with a sweet smile and gave him a cyan scale. Zyrus knew what he had to do with it. With the scale in his hand, his chance of success was 100%. "How long do I have?" "No rush. You have something else to do instead of dealing with the monster here." "Go on." Zyrus gave her a surprised look and walked towards the goblet of fire. "The cor- Ahm Cube''s mission. The one helping us wants you to finish that first." "You know about this?" Zyrus asked as he took out the cube. Aurora nodded while staring at the core with a melancholic expression. Zyrus didn¡¯t pry into further details after looking at her drooping wings. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t want you to become a monster, but it-it¡¯s my duty to do so.¡± Aurora whimpered with teary eyes. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it. I know you have your own troubles and I trust you, Okay?¡± *Sniff* ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Back to the matter at hand, will I have to go the Carmine Mire after the process? How will you handle things here?¡± Zyrus asked as he took out the materials. He wanted to comfort her but they both knew that now wasn''t the time. ¡°I¡¯ll teleport you there. If you pass his test, he¡¯ll give you a new class.¡± ¡°And let me guess, you''re going to lock that class before they notice anything.¡± Zyrus continued after looking at Aurora¡¯s confident smile. ¡°That¡¯s reassuring, I was worried about your stupidity after watching the fight.¡± ¡°Come on, it wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± ¡°Do you even believe it yourself?¡± *Cough*Cough* With an awkward look on his face, Zyrus held the vials of blood essence in each hand. ¡®Here goes nothing,¡¯ After gulping down the blood, he took out the poisonous core as well. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Instead of eating that, put it in your stomach.¡± Aurora suggested with a gloating expression. She was completely different from the cute girl who hugged him earlier. ¡°And here I thought you¡¯d changed.¡± Zyrus took out his spear with a nonchalant expression. Pain was the last thing he was afraid of. *Puk* He stabbed his stomach without hesitation and placed the core inside. ¡°Fuck,¡± As one might expect, putting a poisonous core inside your stomach wasn''t a pleasant experience. Nonetheless, it was nothing compared to the agony that lay ahead of him. ¡°You ready? To change the very essence of oneself isn¡¯t a child¡¯s play,¡± Aurora spoke with a provocative tone. ¡°Watch and learn, pipsqueak.¡± Zyrus smiled at her with a disdainful expression and placed the cyan scale on the wound. He knew that she was trying to distract him from the pain, and to be honest, it worked. Zyrus picked up Shadowbloom with his bloody hand and placed it above the flames. ¡°All done.¡± ¡°Indeed...See you soon,¡± Aurora waved at him while flapping her colorful wings. Zyrus didn¡¯t even have the time to respond before the agony struck him. ¡°AAAARRRAH-!¡± He let out a pained scream and started twisting on the ground. The goblet of fire had another function as well, by offering unique items one can gain the corresponding blessings. Aurora watched the entire process with teary eyes. Zyrus¡¯s body was undergoing a myriad of transformations. His skin itched and burned as if he was being pricked by a million needles while lying on a heap of salt. The seven headed serpent¡¯s core eroded his bones and muscles while the blood essence of the goblin and kobold healed his decaying body. The cyan scale was also multiplying itself, covering Zyrus in an egg-like cocoon. All the while, a black and white stream of energy was seething out from the goblet. It merged with his body and made the other forces stabilize. The only thing keeping his sanity against this excruciating transformation were the memories of his past life. Zyrus saw the scenes of his past life passing by. One day after another, It was as if he was watching his life in a biography. He wept when the woman he loved more than his life died in his arms, he grieved for his friends and allies, and at long last, he was left alone when he reached the divine throne. Zyrus didn¡¯t want to watch his pathetic end once again. ¡®It¡¯ll be different this time.¡¯ Without his knowledge, the pain had already stopped. He wasn¡¯t able to feel his body, but instead, he sensed something different. He saw white threads of mana that stretched out from the core of his being. What was the core? It was the amalgamation of his soul and mental energy. It wasn¡¯t Zyrus¡¯s first time seeing it, but he realized that something was different from before. He saw the faint outline of a path that had formed beneath his soul. The path had neither a beginning nor an end, it was an endless road where he was the only traveler. Zyrus wasn¡¯t able to observe it for long as the scene disappeared like a mirage, but he was sure of one thing. ¡°That¡¯s my path to the origin, The origin of Void.¡± ¡­ Zyrus had no idea that an hour had passed since he had lost consciousness. ¡°Did he succeed?¡± Aurora was anxious as she looked at the cocoon in front of her. Even with her powers, she could see nothing but a black-and-white membrane. ¡°Of course he did.¡± Aurora felt a shiver down her spine after hearing the unexpected reply. She looked at the sky above, and there she saw him. A gigantic dragon was floating in the sky above the monster camp. ¡°Humph, What a showoff.¡± ¡°You should respect your elders¡± The dragon spoke in a gruffly voice. Its blood red scales glittered under the clear sky, giving it a majestic bearing. ¡°Whatever. Are you going to fight in that form?¡± Aurora asked as she looked at its golden eyes. ¡°Why? Is there something wrong with it?¡± ¡°Let me guess, you don¡¯t know shit about the dungeon in the Carmine Mire, do you?¡± ¡°Tch.. Why should I concern myself with some lowly place in the first ring?¡± The dragon replied with a gaze filled with disdain. ¡°You¡¯re such an embarrassment for the dragonkind. You think your ugly ass would fit there?¡± Aurora retorted while pointing at the dragon''s wings. ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re just being feisty because I scared you! It¡¯s your job to handle minor stuff like that.¡± ¡°Will you scram already?¡± ¡°Humph!¡± The dragon, Nidraxis, flew away with a flap of its wings. ¡°Bastard, being all cocky just because a part of his true body is released,¡± Aurora cursed the dragon''s nine generations while wiping the dust from her clothes. Finally, after half an hour she sensed the aura of life from the cocoon. *Creack* ¡®He did it¡¯! Aurora smiled and waved her hand, and the cocoon disappeared with a flash. ¡­ On the western side of the tutorial area, there was a desolate bog. Neither men nor beasts dared to venture into these forbidden grounds. Contrary to the periphery of this region known as the Carmine Mire, the central area was quite lively. Not many were able to survive in this toxic area. One would have their innards turned to liquid just by breathing the air around here. There was an ominous legend about this area in the sanctuary. it was said that this bog was created by the flesh and blood of a million strong beast army. No one was able to prove those rumors, but looking at the bloody liquid that spread across the entire region, the legend wasn''t far off from the truth. Due to the extreme environment, the ones who were able to adapt thrived in prosperity. There was an abundance of food and plenty of area. Various species of toads and salamanders survived in this area. The snakes who were notorious for their poison didn''t dare to set their tail in this region. Were they unable to survive? Of course not. The reason they didn¡¯t dare to approach a dozen miles near the Carmine Mire was the dungeon in the center of it. Neither they nor any living being had seen the dungeon, but some were able to feel its aura. Today, in front of the entrance of this dungeon, a visitor appeared for the first time. *BAM* ¡°Ouch!¡± Zyrus winced in pain as he fell to the ground. The last thing he recalled was seeing his mana core and boom, in the next second he was falling from a spatial crack. Zyrus looked at the source of his pain and it left him speechless. It was a tail, his tail, to be specific. ¡®What the heck have I become?¡¯ Zyrus gasped as he looked at his body which was beyond recognition. Chapter 16: Slaying the Immortal His goal was to become a humanoid monster that had poison immunity, but this¡­ ¡®I''m not sure which race I belong to,¡¯ Zyrus waved his tail as he spun in circles. He had become taller and with cyan-blue scales all over his body. In addition, he had a four feet tail which had a spike at its end. However, these weren''t the most prominent changes. ¡®What¡¯s up with my face?¡¯ Zyrus ran his finger across his smooth cheeks. He felt a cold metallic sensation on his finger as he traced his jawline which had become quite large. ¡®Am I a lizardman? It was my initial goal but something feels different,¡¯ Zyrus wasn¡¯t quite certain of this instinct but he was sure about one thing, He was at least five times stronger compared to before. Unfortunately, he wasn''t able to access his status screen, so there was no way to verify his exact stats and species. ¡°Anyone there?¡± his shout echoed in the cavern in front of him. It was eerie and dark, with nary a soul in sight. ¡®A dungeon? I didn¡¯t know there was one in the tutorial,¡¯ Zyrus thought about possible scenarios as he paced around. He had to adapt to his new body first. Fortunately, he was able to summon his spear thanks to the blood contract between them. ¡®This tail is so annoying,¡¯ Zyrus wasn¡¯t able to keep his balance due to the change in the center of mass. In addition, he had to practice with his mana as well. ¡®I¡¯ve saved up a lot of SP, but I can¡¯t use any in this damned place,¡¯ He grumbled and worked out with his new form, unaware of the pair of eyes observing him. ¡­ The sun met the horizon when Zyrus was still practicing under the orange sky. ¡®This should be enough,¡¯ Zyrus plopped down and wiped the non-existent sweat on his forehead. He had created, or rather, regained the basic mana strengthening skill as well. Coupled with his scales and immense vitality, there weren¡¯t many things that could threaten him in the tutorial. He entered the cavern with his spear pointed in front of him. He was no longer worried about Lauren and Kyle thanks to Aurora, but it wasn¡¯t good to spend much time in an unfamiliar area. ¡®And there¡¯s that creepy feeling,¡¯ Zyrus walked while scanning the cave with his reptilian eyes. There were only boulders and moss as far as his eyes could see. He had to walk for half an hour before the environment changed. In front of him was a stone stairway that led below the ground, guarded by a bronze golem. ¡®Hmm, is this a dungeon or not?¡¯ Zyrus looked around as he trudged ahead in a fighting stance. If it was a dungeon, the lack of traps made no sense. He didn¡¯t have the chance to think further as the golem had noticed him already. Bronze golems were far more difficult to deal with than stone golems. Not to mention its physical property restricted the Bloodspine spear¡¯s ability. ¡®It¡¯s a counter against my new poison skill as well.¡¯ He knew about his racial skill without the status. It was as if it had been a part of him since the beginning. Using poison breath was as easy as walking for him. He could finish the fight quickly by using the eye of annihilation, but he changed his mind in the end. He was sure of one thing, Someone or something was looking at his every move, and the less he revealed the better. ¡®Did they think that I¡¯d be at a disadvantage without the system?¡¯ Zyrus smirked and clashed his spear against the golem''s palm. *Scrrech* Sparks flew in the empty cave as Zryus was pushed back a yard. However, considering that it was a head-on clash against the bronze golem which specialized in physical attacks, it was a favorable result for Zyrus. ¡®Aurora talked about a helper earlier¡­ they must know about my past life as well.¡¯ *Clang* Even without the system prompts, he knew that the golem was losing its HP with every clash. They traded blows and took out one another¡¯s HP, but one thing was different from the fight against the ogre, Zyrus was no longer a human. His vitality wasn''t something a random bronze golem could compare to. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡®I should have at least 2000 HP, so I¡¯ll let whoever is watching believe that I¡¯m saving my mana.¡¯ *Thrust* *Thunk* He failed to pierce the golem''s armor, but his goal was to hinder its movement anyway. He wanted to drag this fight for as long as possible. Zyrus knew that whoever was observing him would have a superior feeling now. It was a natural response almost everyone in the higher positions had. ¡®The more they look down on me, the better.¡¯ For Zyrus, the final battle had already begun. *Slash* *Scrrech* ¡®I¡¯ll have a nice surprise waiting for you,¡¯ Zyrus clashed again with a cold glint in his eyes. Since the system couldn¡¯t reach the area, that meant that the eyes and ears of the Eternals were covered as well. And as Zyrus was certain that the person behind this so-called test wasn¡¯t his enemy, he didn¡¯t mind showing them the skill he had theorized a while back, a skill that used his source of origin. Neither Aurora nor Nidraxis who was observing the fight knew about Zyrus¡¯s source of origin. After all, if they did, this test would be meaningless. Finally, after half an hour of arduous clash, Zyrus shattered the golem¡¯s core at the cost of 500 HP. ¡°Hahaha.. how weak.¡± Zyrus laughed after kicking the golem and went down the stairs. He was completely unguarded at this moment. At least, that¡¯s what it looked like from the outside. ¡®They must think that I¡¯m arrogant and overconfident.¡¯ Zyrus believed that whoever designed the test must want to assess his combat abilities. Just having strength wasn¡¯t enough to win a battle, one needed acute judgment and a suitable temperament. ¡®I¡¯ve had enough failures for the day.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to be controlled by anyone. Although they wanted a fight, Zyrus didn¡¯t want to give them one. After moving down a hundred steps, Zyrus saw a passageway that led him forward. There was a circular hall in front of him, and in the middle of it, he saw the one in charge of this dungeon. ¡°For a dragon, You¡¯re living in quite a shabby place huh?¡± ¡°You disappoint me with your performance, Zyrus Wymar.¡± The dragon spoke in an emotionless tone. Zyrus observed the floating dragon with a wary gaze. Its red scales emitted an ominous glow under the light of braziers. ¡°Is that so?¡± Zyrus retorted as he matched his gaze with the golden eyes of the dragon. As a newborn monster, he felt the suppression from a higher ranked species, but his will was strong enough to endure it. ¡°You¡¯re not bad, but that¡¯s all there is to it, not bad.¡± The dragon unfurled its majestic wings and hovered above. Just the wind generated from a flap was enough to push Zyrus back. Zyrus acted as if he was infuriated, but on the inside, he was channeling all his mana towards his spear. ¡°As the core¡¯s owner, you¡¯ll need more than little tricks to control the sanctuary.¡± ¡°What?¡± Zyrus was surprised as he heard that. This time, it was genuine. ¡°Humph! Did you think that I, a mighty dragon, wouldn¡¯t notice your silly trick?¡± ¡®He mustn¡¯t be the brightest of dragons...¡¯ Zyrus was speechless as he looked at the boasting dragon. He was clearly surprised by the latter part. He could guess that the so-called core was the cube he had, but he couldn''t figure out what it had to do with controlling the sanctuary. ¡°You weren''t supposed to win from the beginning. I am the blood dragon, Nidraxis.¡± ¡°Never heard of you.¡± Zyrus yelled in a defiant tone even as he was shivering due to his body''s instincts. ¡°Still trying to provoke me? Listen, you conceited human. This was a test, a test to assess your combat abilities, got it? Your sharp tongue serves no purpose here.¡± ¡®Well, looking at your flaring nostrils, it sure as hell did.¡¯ Zyrus feigned indifference and spoke back to the dragon, ¡°What do you want then? Didn¡¯t I defeat the golem?¡± ¡°You held back your mana, you think I don¡¯t know who you are?¡± ¡°That¡¯s called being smart, something a lizard like you wouldn¡¯t get.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡± ¡®Fuck! He got me this time.¡¯ Zyrus almost choked due to embarrassment. Along with the combat skills, he had to upgrade his trash-talking skills after the race change. ¡°Fight me human! And prove that you¡¯re worthy of having my fang.¡± Nidraxis spoke as he dived down towards Zyrus. He was barely able to block the claw''s shadow with his spear and even then, he was flung against the wall. *Spat* Zyrus once again stood his ground after spitting out blood. ¡°Still not using your mana? Fine then.¡± The dragon roared and at that moment, Zyrus felt the mana around him tremble. After looking at the dragon''s bulging throat, Zyrus gripped the Bloodspine spear and charged forward. He activated the eye of annihilation which was enhanced by his racial characteristics. ¡®So that¡¯s how it is.¡¯ Zyrus looked at the red threads that connected every scale of the dragon, and finally, he saw the source of that energy. He ran headfirst towards the pillar of blood-red light. He knew that he was being stubborn; he just had to pass the test to get the S rank talent and a new class. However, he didn¡¯t want to fight with a losing mindset. He wanted to control his own fate, no matter how futile it may be. If he couldn''t keep his pride in a fight where his life wasn''t at risk, what right did he have to challenge the Eternals? He could choose to lay low and slowly gather his strength, but could he conquer the sanctuary with such a mindset? He wasn''t a fool who would fight against someone who was way beyond his league. However, as long as there was a tiniest chance of victory, he wouldn''t cower from a fight. Nidraxis was stumped as he looked at Zyrus who took his breadth head on. ¡®What is that brat thinking?¡¯ Zyrus laughed manically even while his scales were being melted. ¡°Don¡¯t be so stubborn, I¡¯m not your enemy. Why are you risking your life to fight me? Besides, can you even harm me with your puny amount of mana?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­Your overconfidence will be your undoing.¡± Zyrus spoke in a condescending tone and glared at the dragon. Even though he only had 20% of his HP left, Even though he was only able to make one strike, it didn¡¯t matter. He had won the moment Nidraxis let him get close. ¡°Preposterous, Do you think I don''t know about your skill? Even though I''m just a clone, I''m the clone of an IMMORTAL,¡± The Dragon roared at Zyrus who was still charging at him with a scornful gaze. It was truly infuriated this time. ¡°No, You¡¯re not.¡± Zyrus jumped while staring at the dragon¡¯s golden eye, stabbing his spear towards the fang. Nidraxis swiped his claws to attack Zyrus, but alas, it was too late. A black dot appeared on the tip of the spear, shattering the very fabric of space around it. ¡°H-How?¡± The dragon spoke as he started to disintegrate into a red fog. Never in his eternal life was he this perplexed. *Huff* Huff* ¡°Although I¡¯m not your match, it¡¯s a different case for a drop of your blood.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­ You got me this time! Excellent! With your source of origin, you are more than worthy to inherit the core.¡± The dragon was truly happy as he looked at Zyrus. ¡°Let¡¯s fight for real next time,¡± Zyrus spoke while leaning on his spear. He was completely spent after that one attack. ¡°Sure thing, so don¡¯t die before that,¡± Nidraxis waved his claw before vanishing, and a scroll appeared in front of Zyrus who was on the brink of collapse. A complete silence descended on the cave after Zyrus fainted on the ground. A shining white fang and a black scroll lay in front of him, waiting to be claimed by their master. Chapter 17: Sylvarix ¡®Ugh.. not this again,¡¯ Zyrus groaned as he found himself in a different region. His injuries were fully healed and he felt more clear-headed than ever. ¡°You there Aurora?¡± ¡°¡­¡± "..." ¡°Nevermind.¡± As she didn¡¯t reply, Zyrus figured that they were back in the system''s range. The tutorial was about to end and he had one last thing to do. But before that, he decided to check out his status first. ¡®Let¡¯s see which race I¡¯ve got¡­¡¯ Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Sylvarix] [Class: None] [Level: 10] Exp: 0/60,000 [Title: None] [Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, Goblin Slayer, First step of the Spearman, Killer of Keliodus, Boss Buster(I), Forged in combat, Shattered in Victory, Gaze of the Predator, Humanity¡¯s Pathfinder, Child of mana, The first Traitor¡­] [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] [Strength: 20] [Agility: 20] [Vitality: 50] [Intelligence: 21] [Mana: 10] [SP: 30] HP: 2500 Crit rate: 10% Crit damage: 100% Poison resistance: 150% [Basics of Sojutsu], [Eye of Annihilation], [Poison breath] [Bloodspine spear (Unique)] ATK: 65 Piercing rate: 5% Effect: The weapon can absorb the lifeblood of enemies to evolve itself. Current rate: 29% Currency: 735C [Vitality recovery potion x 1] [Durability Scroll x 2] [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] [Class selection Scroll (Unique)] [Fang of Nidraxis (Unique)] ¡®Sylvarix huh, never heard of them.¡¯ Zyrus scratched his head as he looked at the changed status window in contemplation. There were both advantages and disadvantages about his new race. Since he was no longer a human, he would find it hard to increase his intelligence. On the other hand, his vitality and HP multipliers would be off the charts. ¡®I¡¯m like a mini boss monster now.¡¯ He decided to save his SP for the time being. Stat bonuses for leveling up were different for each race, so he had to figure them out to make the optimum use of his SP. Zyrus was certain that he wouldn¡¯t get any stats in intelligence from now on, it was the biggest drawback from this encounter. ¡®I¡¯ll need 1 SP per level in order to keep all of my stats balanced.¡¯ As a rule of thumb, it was ideal to have all of your stats above your current level. Although it wasn¡¯t a big deal for him now, the case would be different once he reached the higher level. For example, when Zyrus becomes lv 100, he would need ~80 SP to reach 100 Intelligence. ¡®No point in worrying about that now,¡¯ Zyrus shrugged as he moved around the forest. Even he didn''t know about all the tutorial areas. Unlike the one around area 7694, the forest here was less dense. Trees and plants were thin and tender and that allowed the sunlight to cover the moist earth below. Zyrus was looking for a good place to relax and fill his stomach. Changing species didn''t make him any less reliant on food. Soon enough, he found a perfect place that met his needs. It was a clean pond surrounded by water lilies. It couldn''t hold a candle to Celestia''s cradle, but hey, at least it wasn''t infested by creepy snakes. He jumped in without hesitation and opened his status once again. One of the perks about being a lizar- no, a Sylvarix was that he could see underwater. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. *Splash* The ¡®Child of Mana¡¯ Achievement gave him 10 MP for becoming the first player to have unlocked the mana stat. ¡®And The first Traitor huh¡­ to think that I of all people would get this achievement,¡¯ Zyrus grinned at the irony of this situation while submerged in water. Only the first human to become a monster would get this achievement. It didn''t award something like SP, skills, and stats. It changed a very simple yet important thing. With this achievement, one wouldn¡¯t draw aggro from roaming monsters under normal circumstances. In simpler terms, it allowed you to mingle with other monsters who didn''t have a leader. However, just like everything else, it also had its negative side. Your favorability would drop with the original species you belonged to, and they would instinctively loathe the ¡®Traitor¡¯. ¡®It sucks, but looking at these rewards, I¡¯d say it was worth it.¡¯ Zyrus swam around and tapped at his talent window. [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] Drink their blood and devour their souls, only the worthy deserve the crown of evolution. Transcending your human roots, you have now become a Sylvarix, a species that has no limits for evolution. However, you still carry the lineage of Homo sapiens. May the mark of adaptation light your way to the stars! Effect: Absorb your enemy¡¯s vitality to regain your stamina. CD: 10 min Special Ability 1: Drink the blood of your slain foes to obtain their special traits. (0/10) Note: This ability can be used once every 20 levels. Note: The traits will be granted at random and they will be modified to suit your race. Note: The obtained traits can be developed further with the race evolution. Special Ability 2: Devour the essence of mythical creatures to obtain their traits. (1/7) Note: The traits are fixed and cannot be improved. Special Ability 3: (Locked) This was by far the best talent Zyrus had seen in both of his lives. The special abilities definitely aligned with the grand description the talent had. ¡®This is much better than the arcana talent I had,¡¯ Zyrus soaked in satisfaction and stuffed an apple in his mouth. For now, the only advantage of his altered mouth was that he could eat faster than before. He had to give up a lot of things to complete the cube¡¯s mission. Although his vitality was improved, the poison resistance he acquired wasn¡¯t all that great. Sure, it can save your life in niche situations, but that¡¯s all there is to it. The same went for his skill as it was only good for aoe fights. Compared to humans who could learn all sorts of skills and employ a variety of fighting styles, Zyrus knew that his prospects were limited. However, everything changed with blood fusion. Now, he had a way to make up for his limitations. ¡®And there¡¯s this as well¡­¡¯ In this strangely peaceful forest, Zyrus was deep in thought as he looked at the line that described Sylvarix. ¡®A species that has no limits for evolution,¡¯ He knew the impact behind those words. One of the main reasons behind his past struggles was related to the human''s limits to evolution. ¡®Does this mean that I no longer have gene locks?¡¯ *TANG * TANG * TANG * TANG* He didn¡¯t have the luxury to think further as the chimes of sharp bells brought him back to reality. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s started.¡± Zyrus jumped to the ground and surveyed the forest. His reptilian eyes no longer had the relaxed look from a moment ago. He looked around in caution, his ears alert to every sound and his eyes alert to every movement. *TANG * TANG * TANG * The chiming bells marked the end of the tutorial. Now, it was time to hunt. ¡­ Unlike Zyrus who knew about the past events, others were perplexed by the sudden sounds that enveloped the entire forest. Of course, Lauren and Kyle were an exception. ¡°Has it started?¡± Lauren asked between panting breaths, ¡°Yeah, so keep moving,¡± Kyle replied as he looked behind their path. The burning forest echoing with wails and screams created a hellish landscape. ¡°Can¡¯t believe we walked out unharmed from this,¡± ¡°He is a good teacher.¡± ¡°Yeah, but we failed.¡± Lauren spoke in a dejected tone. They wanted to protect the monster camp, but things didn¡¯t go as planned. Everything was fine for a couple of hours when they rested near the goblet of fire. The monsters stayed far away due to the poisonous air, and they had enough to recover their strength. However, things went downhill after the arrival of a team of players. Apparently, they weren¡¯t the only smart ones who had decided to kill the roaming monsters. It would be fine if the newcomers were there to attack the monster camp, but the poor players were being chased like dogs by a field monster. Yes, a field monster that had less than a 1% chance of spawning attacked their camp. It was a chaotic mess as the ten-foot white bear fought against the remaining monsters at camp. The ragtag group of players was thrown into the mess along with Lauren and Kyle. Everyone attacked everything and by the time the bell started to ring, only three people survived. *ROOAR* Well, two people and a bear to be exact. ¡°Fuck! Why is it still chasing us?¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re asking me that?¡± Kyle stared at Lauren''s innocent face with accusation. She was the one responsible for everyone''s death. With her speed that was unmatched in the low levels, she hit the bear and ran around the group of humans and monsters. ¡°Cough¡­cough..Ahem¡± ¡°So you still have some conscience,¡± ¡°You¡¯re still full of energy huh? Fine then, I¡¯ll leave him to you,¡± Lauren huffed and ran away like smoke. ¡°H-Hey waiiit¡­¡± *ROAR* Two humans and a bear ran around the forest, unaware of the changes happening around them. The ground moved like a block of toys while the mountains and the rivers changed their locations. Without the slightest tremor, the tutorial areas merged with one another. The first ring of the sanctuary emerged in its fullest as space unfolded itself, unnoticed by all but one. ¡­ *Slash* -100,-100,-100 Exp +180 Three sawtooth rats popped out of thin air, and in the next second they died just like that. ¡®It¡¯s amazing!¡¯ Zyrus exclaimed in surprise as he looked around. His instincts as an archmage still remained, and he knew how difficult it was to pull off such a feat. He knew the principle behind this phenomenon as Aurora had explained it to him before. To put it simply, imagine the first ring of the sanctuary as a gigantic piece of paper. Now fold this paper over and over again until only a small square remains. Although it wasn¡¯t something one could do physically, in this scenario the space is folded for thousands of times. Every square was a tutorial area, stacked against one another without interfering with other spaces. Groups of them mirrored the same structures. Hence, the mountains, rivers, forests, deserts, and even the boss monsters were nothing but a projection across the thousands of tutorial areas. Now, that paper was unfolding itself. The distance between structures increased drastically as more and more space unfolded. If that was everything, then two people staring at one another from ten feet away should now be hundreds of kilometers apart. But things didn¡¯t happen quite like that. That¡¯s what made this change even more amazing. Throughout all these changes, the distance between different players and monsters remained the same. It was the sky above them and the ground below them that changed. *Sweep* -100,-100,-100,-100 Exp +240 The same thing didn¡¯t apply to roaming monsters though. Unless a player or prominent landmarks were around them, the monsters would be reallocated just like other objects. This scenario created the beast tides, events where hoards of monsters popped up in front of players'' camps. ¡®Whoever came up with this must be a sick bastard,¡¯ Even in the short while when changes were taking place, millions of humans would be dying in this purge. *Stab* -200 ¡°Kuck-¡± ¡®It¡¯s a cruel way to establish the survival of the fittest,¡¯ Zyrus recalled his past life as he absorbed the blood of a fallen troll. In just a couple of minutes, he had managed to fill up his Exp by one-fifth. At long last, the chiming of the bells ended, and what followed after it was an announcement from Aurora that reverberated across the first ring. She gave a perfunctory speech to congratulate them and gave some crucial information about the changes in the tutorial area. She addressed the survivors as ¡®players,¡¯ and with modern gaming terminologies, she explained the effects of various stats and equipments. Zyrus wasn¡¯t the least bit interested in her blabbering. He clenched his fingers on the bloodspine spear as he waited for the ¡®real¡¯ announcement. ¡®Here it comes,¡¯ Zyrus grinned in excitement as he looked at the status screen in front of him. Just like him, thousands of other players also received the same message. ¡°Crown Hunt¡± will now commence> Chapter 18: Crown Hunt [Out of the billions of creatures in the first ring, you are amongst the chosen few who have shown their worth in the tutorial.] [Only the ones who have fulfilled these criteria in the tutorial are invited in this phase] [1. Reach level 10] [2. Earn an achievement] [3. Obtain a skill] [Each species will have their own quota for this event] Zyrus checked the list and nodded as it was similar to his past life. Except the last spot that is. (Humans: 100K/1B) (Orcs: 39K/3B) (Goblins: 28K/500M) (.) (Ogres: 638/700K) (.) (.) (Sylvarix: 1/1) Unlike Zyrus¡¯s nonchalant response, the list sent waves of commotion amongst the other humans. Although they had the highest number of qualified players, it also signified that nearly 80% of the human population was wiped out in the tutorial! From more than six billion people only one billion managed to survive. It was a bleak reminder, one which they didn¡¯t take lightly. Some screamed at the sky while others pleaded for mercy, but it was futile. Aurora was long gone from their vision. The silver lining was that 100k players were chosen out of that 1 billion people. Compared to the norm, the selected ¡®Players¡¯ had different thoughts on the matter. At first they believed that this ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ was similar to the games back on Earth. However, contrary to their expectations, the system treated them and the other monsters the same way. It was quite a blow to their superior mentality. Zyrus skimmed past the next paragraphs as they explained what he already knew. Those who haven''t met the requirements will live in a permanent safe zone. They can live their lives in poor conditions that barely ensured their survival, or go to the second ring after reaching level 20. ¡®Many will decide to give up here, unaware of the fate that awaited them.¡¯ Zyrus sighed as he recalled his bloody past. Even in his past life, none had realized the true indications behind this list. Living in the first ring meant that they were on the same level as the other monsters. It was the survival of the fittest all over again, but this time, humans were at the bottom of the food chain. Zyrus felt conflicted as without him, millions of people would die this time. Millions of innocent people who had nothing to do with his vengeance. ¡®I¡¯ll give them one chance, but that¡¯s it.¡¯ With a hardened heart, he poked the highlighted word with his claw, and with a brilliant flash; a new system window appeared in front of him. Crown Hunt: [You can obtain a crown by either gaining allegiance from other players or by killing the owner of the crown] [After reaching the second ring, the owner of the crown can command the others from the tutorial area] ¡®This will be troublesome for me,¡¯ Zyrus scrunched his nonexistent brows as he read the rules. Since he was the only one in his race, he had no easy way to gain allegiance from others. He would have to beat them up and forcefully subdue the leaders. ¡®They won¡¯t be loyal to me, but there¡¯s no other way.¡¯ [There are different tiers of crowns, each with their own abilities] [Bronze Crown: 100 players] [Silver Crown: 1k players] [Golden Crown: 10k players] [Note: You can fulfill the above requirements by subduing other crown holders as well] Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. [Players can also obtain a variant of the crowns mentioned above by fulfilling the hidden requirements! May the luck be on your side] [Skills available for each tier will be revealed after fulfilling the corresponding criteria] [Further instructions will be given in due time] Zyrus closed the screen and opened the map provided by the system. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­ Welp, I¡¯m in the middle of nowhere.'' The map showed his location in the western region of vast plains. There wasn¡¯t a single human or monster safe zone in his close proximity. It was to be expected as he was hunting beast tides when the space was being rearranged. ¡®Tch.. I¡¯ll just use this as an experiment to figure out my running speed,¡¯ Thus, the lone Sylvarix ran across the wild plains. Towards a bustling human settlement. ¡­ Lumps of white clouds reflected the moon''s glow, giving the night sky a majestic look. A cool and soothing wind blew across the plains, a solace against the hot weather. On any other day, It would have been a fine night for an evening walk. ¡°There¡¯s no point in talking with these pigs.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon then, y¡¯all are just a bunch of twerps following a stupid bitch,¡± A large crowd was gathered around a camp, separated into two groups. ¡°Quiet.¡± One of the leaders, a woman wearing a bronze crown ordered with cold eyes. ¡°hehe.. a bunch of pus-¡± ¡°Shut the Fuck up!¡± the man standing against the woman glared at his subordinate with blazing eyes. It hadn¡¯t been a day since the crown hunt had started, but even in this short while a clear hierarchy had formed amongst the players. The man who was taunting the opposing camp was visibly infuriated by his leader¡¯s insult. However, he didn¡¯t have the guts to say anything. Unperturbed by the commotion caused by their subordinates, the two crown wielders stared at one another. They both knew that it was no easy feat to subdue 100 players in just half a day. The humans were divided into two parts after the announcement, those who were content with their survival and those who wanted more. The term ¡®Players¡¯ referred to the latter, they were the ones who fought to level up and raise their strength. Of course, there were other individuals as well. Engineers became craftsmen, Doctors with mana became healing mages and potion makers, martial arts coaches, athletes, chefs, scientists, and even religious figures, all found their own place. Humans were unparalleled at adaptability. It was unfortunate that this place didn''t give them the time to form a cohesive society. Non-combat professionals could do nothing but withdraw as the current event solely focused on who had the biggest fist. ¡°Why don¡¯t we settle this with a duel?¡± the man asked in a confident tone. ¡°No way. Do you even understand the basics of this event?¡± Looking at her rival¡¯s baffled face, the woman continued in a mocking tone. ¡°What purpose do they serve then?" The man looked at her finger that pointed at the players behind him, speechless. It was not that he hadn¡¯t thought about a group fight. There was a big difference between one-on-one duels and strategic team fights. ¡°Are you really stupid? There are only about 250 players here.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°The fuck do you mean by so? If we fight then less than two hundred people will survive, and neither of us will have enough to create a second crown!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said that we should make an alliance.¡± ¡°As if! What¡¯s the point in that?¡± ¡°I know right.¡± After hearing the affirmative answer, the man was struck with horror. Because it wasn¡¯t the woman trembling in front of him who had answered her. It was something else. ¡°M-Monster!¡± ¡°Everybody gather around,¡± ¡°What do we do boss?¡± The crowd was thrown in commotion upon the arrival of the new party. It was a monster, the likes of which they had never seen before. A hundred feet away from them, the monster leaned on its bone spear while observing the frantic players. ¡°What are you?¡± the man spoke with an authoritative tone, befitting his status as a crown holder. ¡°Oh, just a passerby. I thought I should help you resolve this conflict.¡± The leader was once again perplexed by the situation. A talking monster appeared out of nowhere and was offering them help? ¡°Is he an NPC?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it. It¡¯s too ugly.¡± ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a male?¡± Zyrus glared at the player¡¯s rude remarks, but he didn¡¯t act just yet. His eyes were set on someone else. ¡®She¡¯s got a useful skill, huh.¡¯ he observed the woman leader with a grin. From the start, she was staring at him as if he was a demon from hell. ¡°How will you help us?¡± Zyrus ignored the clueless man and leisurely walked towards the crowd. ¡°Since both of you won¡¯t get what you want, I have a better solution.¡± The man would be a fool if he didn¡¯t realize something by now. Ordering the group to gather around, he asked with a stern tone. ¡°And what might that be?¡± ¡°Submit.¡± It was a simple word, but it was enough to silence the crowd. The aura around the monster had completely changed. His blue scales gleamed in the fire¡¯s glow, making his scary form even more wicked. ¡°Encircle him!¡± the man commanded without any hesitation. There was no need for dialogue as the other party had revealed their identity. ¡°Haha, a stupid lizard wants to lead us.¡± ¡°let¡¯s show ¡®em who¡¯s the Apex predator¡± The hundred players jeered at Zyrus as they encircled him, not sparing a single path of retreat. ¡°Alright.¡± To everyone''s surprise, the woman who was quiet so far spoke at an unexpected time. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you alright sis?¡± ¡°Retreat at once!¡± paying no heed to her followers, the woman moved backwards with a determined look. Left with no other choice, the remaining hundred players could only walk behind her with their lowered heads. ¡°Hahaha, How pathetic.¡± ¡°What a disgrace to mankind.¡± ¡°Tch..¡± The woman endured all sorts of humiliating and snide remarks and moved further away from the crowd. She was aware of the discord her decision had caused amongst her group, but she couldn¡¯t care less about it. Her eyes were locked on the monster from the start. ¡®Please! Let it be wrong,¡¯ She prayed that the visions she saw with her skill were wrong, but alas, they were not. *FUUUUUU* Zyrus had remained quiet so far, but at this moment he made his first move. -200,-200,-200,-200 -200,-200,-200,-200-200,-200,-200 -200,-200,-200,-200,-200 Exp +6400 Dark blue miasma flowed out from his mouth, harvesting the lives of more than a dozen players. An eerie silence descended on the battlefield which had been turned into a slaughterhouse. ¡°I gave you a chance, didn¡¯t I?¡± Not caring about the opponent''s response, Zyrus charged ahead with his spear pointed forward. He had a complex feeling towards the exp gain. On one hand, he would level up at a faster rate, but¡­ ¡®It means there¡¯s no turning back for me.¡¯ ¡°Aarh-¡± *Stab* -200 Exp +400 Each floating message reminded him that he, Zyrus Wymar, was no longer a human. He might act and think like one, but he would never be the same. ¡®But this power¡­ is what I¡¯ve always wanted.¡¯ Chapter 19: Bronze Crown Zyrus''s instincts became sharper and sharper as the fight went on. Cyan blood flowed through his veins, making his every move filled with explosive power. The outcome of this battle was set in stone. Although there existed a balance in this game, this didn¡¯t mean that one couldn¡¯t overpower others on the same level. *FUUUUUU* ¡°aargh-¡± ¡°Move out¡± -200,-200,-200,-200 -200,-200,-200,-200-200,-200 Exp +4000 Zyrus¡¯s poison breath was a living example of that. [Poison breath] By evaporating your blood with mana, you can unleash a breath filled with deadly toxins. The range and corrosion power will scale with user''s level. Effects: Release a breath filled with poison in a 15m radius. Duration: 3 sec Cost: Mana -5, HP - 500 CD: 5 minutes Although the effects were great, it also had its downsides. It was useless against monsters with high defense, not to mention the HP penalty. ¡®But it¡¯s perfect against humanoid creatures,¡¯ Zyrus realized and charged towards the male leader. He had lost almost half of his HP by now. Despite that, he ignored the barrage of attacks and plunged into the heart of the formation. Sensing the threat to his life, the leader ran backwards while being protected by his loyal subordinates. He wasn¡¯t weak by any means, but as a leader, it would be foolish of him to fight head-on. As for his talk about the duel? It was all bullshit. If not for the fact that the woman¡¯s skills weren¡¯t combat oriented, he wouldn''t have made such a proposal. *Sweep* -200,-200-200 Exp +1200 ¡®Tch¡­ how annoying,¡¯ Zyrus grumbled despite killing three players with a single blow. He wasn¡¯t a psychopath who enjoyed killing for no reason. From the start, his goal had been to instill fear amongst the group of humans. As a monster, it was the only way for him to earn their loyalty. ¡°You can either hand over that coward, or die alongside him.¡± Seeing that less than a third of the players were still attaching him, Zyrus decided to push further. ¡°Kneel or Die, the choice is yours.¡± This was a complete fa?ade, but Zyrus was confident in his success. And proving him right, the remaining players also stopped moving. They weren''t stupid. Their enemy had shown no sign of exhaustion even after killing dozens of them. Why would they risk their lives to test the waters when others had already given up? For their leader? What a joke. It was the leader who abandoned them at the first sign of trouble. A pin-drop silence descended upon the clamoring campsite. ¡®This is pathetic.¡¯ Instead of being happy, Zyrus was disgusted by their hesitant expressions. He was all too familiar with such scenarios. It would be a pain in the ass to lead this bunch of spineless players. If they were willing to fight for ten more minutes, Zyrus was sure that he would die. Although he had killed about 50 of them and had penetrated their core formation, it came with the cost of 70% of his HP. Even in the worst-case scenario, he could use the poison breath once more and bring some of them with him in the afterlife. ¡®But even that would be a better outcome than kneeling against a monster,¡¯ Zyrus frowned as he made his way towards the leader. The winner wasn''t decided based on the strength alone. One needed the courage to fight before anything. Zyrus knew that one of the reason behind the player''s cowardice was their leader''s character. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. *Thud* Much to the leader''s dismay, his trusted followers knelt on the ground in a synchronized movement as well. ¡°Bastards! How do you expect to survive with such mentality?¡± Zyrus had conflicting emotions as he saw the situation unfold in his favor. He felt a tinge of pity towards the floundering leader as he had been in the same situation as him in his past life. But even when his subordinates had conspired with his enemies to kill him, he had walked out alive and wiped them out after recovering. He was fundamentally different from the moron in front of him who could do nothing but curse hysterically. ¡®This is more uncomfortable than just killing them.¡¯ Zyrus couldn¡¯t suppress his anger as he looked at the humans kneeling in front of a monster, even if the monster in question was him. ¡®Was I always such a hypocrite?¡¯ He had a lot of self-reflecting thoughts as his values in his past and current lives were vastly different. Was he the monarch who led the humanity or a monster seeking revenge against the Eternals? Despite that though, one thing remained the same. *Stab* ¡°Guhh¡± -200 Exp +400 It was his thirst for power. ¡°You¡¯ve made a wise decision, but remember this,¡± With the tip of his spear, Zyrus lifted the body of their former leader and glared at the kneeling players. Not one of them dared to meet his golden eyes. ¡°If you ever dare to betray me,¡± With measured footsteps, he walked to the middle of the group. ¡°Your end will be far, far, worse than death.¡± With a swift motion, Zyrus flung the headless body away. ¡®Hypocrite? So what?¡¯ Mocking his own thoughts, Zyrus pulled out the bloody crown from the fallen leader. This wasn¡¯t a place where one could live with their morals. Only strength mattered in the sanctuary. What good are noble goals and lofty dreams when one isn¡¯t strong enough to keep them? He had learned this the hard way. Despite all his efforts in the previous life, only a million humans managed to survive past the third ring. ¡®It would be the same this time.¡¯ ¡°Do you pledge your loyalty to me?¡± With the bronze crown on his head, Zyrus asked the kneeling players in front of him. He didn¡¯t promise them anything as he knew that it was useless. He can either save thousands of humans or kill them to level up, but in any case, the final outcome will remain the same. ¡®Unless I kill those bastards.¡¯ It was a dark and cruel truth. Even if he knew about the future, he wasn''t strong enough to change it. Zyrus''s bloodlust was ignited as he thought about the Eternals who played with the life and death of other species as if it were a game. None of the players hesitated as the system message popped in front of them. Was there even a choice? Looking at the seven feet tall monster that wore a bloody crown, all 100 players pressed ¡°Yes¡± at the same time. [Congratulations! You have obtained ¡°Bronze Crown¡±] Zyrus could¡¯ve obtained the crown by killing the leader, but he chose to settle it this way. Despite the same result, the underlying meaning behind them was different. In the future, He would not go with such bothersome procedure and just kill the leader. But this time, his main goal wasn¡¯t to fulfill the criteria. Zyrus clicked on the words ¡®bronze crown¡¯ and headed towards the woman who stood a distance away. [Bronze Crown] Type: head accessory, quest item Effect: When fighting with your subordinates, Stats +10% Since it was only the first tier, the effects were rather lackluster. Compared to Zyrus who was leisurely walking ahead while clicking his tongue, the woman wasn¡¯t having a good time. Her heart trembled in trepidation as the blue monster approached her team. A lot of people argued that they should run away while the two tigers were fighting. But unlike them, she was able to predict the fight''s outcome even before it had started. Though her clairvoyance passive gave her future visions whenever her life was in danger, it didn¡¯t give her the power to change her fate. ¡°Have you made your decision?¡± Zyrus asked as he looked at the fidgeting woman in front of him. She had black hair and tanned skin with a height that barely reached his shoulders. He keenly observed her followers as he awaited her reply. ¡®They¡¯re much better when it comes to loyalty and teamwork, but their strength leaves much to be desired¡¯ He had an accurate judgment of the players in front of him. ¡°Yes,¡± the woman replied after a bit of hesitation. ¡°You can glimpse into the future right?¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± She stumbled out a reply as she was caught off guard. ¡°Well, don¡¯t rely on it too much. Treat it as an advanced analysis instead of something like Words from a god,¡± A red flush crept up her cheek as Zyrus read her like an open book. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Zyrus asked after sensing the awkward atmosphere. ¡®I wish those two were here,¡¯ A subtle smile formed on his face as he thought about Kyle and Lauren. He knew that it would be difficult for him to communicate with the other party. However, he needed a command structure in order to control 10,000 people. Besides, neither of them had the talent to manage that many players. ¡°I¡¯m Ria.¡± The woman replied with an uncertain look. Zyrus gave her an understanding nod and replied, ¡°You may address me as your majesty¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Uh.. Y-Yes your majesty¡± Ria replied in an awkward tone. ¡°Mhm, now gather all players and divide them according to their fighting style and weapons.¡± Ria nodded and left without further ado. Zyrus knew that it was important to have a cohesive mindset at the start of the crown hunt. Since those with bronze crowns had no means to control their subordinates¡¯ actions, the battles were chaotic in the first few days. It didn¡¯t take long for Ria to sort out people according to his instructions. ¡®Most of them are melee attackers.¡¯ Zyrus observed as he walked to the front. His presence became ever more ominous as shadows cast by the campfires hovered around him, making him look like a demon from hell. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think about me as a leader, but I must remind you of something.¡± Zyrus swept his gaze over the group of people. There were around 50 swordsmen and the same number of knife users. ¡°Although I have no means to control you, things will change after I obtain the silver crown.¡± The despondent expressions of players became curious as they snuck a glance towards Zyrus. ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush, so listen carefully from now on,¡± Zyrus commanded in a serious tone and gestured Ria to come over. Chapter 20: Goblin riders Be it the mages who only numbered a dozen or thirty archers who stood at the back, everyone listened to his speech with keen attention. ¡°As some of you might¡¯ve figured out, we will be attacking more camps in the following days. And I¡¯m sure most of you think that it has nothing to do with you, right?¡± No one dared to meet his questioning gaze. ¡°However, let me remind you this, the loot and benefits after we subdue a 1000 players will be ten times greater than now.¡± Ria twitched her brow as she looked at Zyrus. ¡®What¡¯s the point of saying all this? They would be no better than pigs if they couldn¡¯t figure this out on their own.¡¯ Of course, she didn¡¯t have the guts to say it out loud. Since Zyrus had called her over to the front, she''ll just wait for his arrangement. Zyrus knew what others were thinking, but he already had a plan for that. Thus, he continued in a voice filled with enticement. ¡°Not only that, every time we obtain a victory, one of you will have a chance to obtain a bronze crown.¡± This caused a no small commotion in the group of players. Compared to the sweet dreams of the future, this immediate reward was far more appealing. This was also the reason why Zyrus didn''t talk about the exp buffs they''ll get by following a silver crown holder. ¡°So, the choice is yours. Right now, you have a one in two hundred chance to obtain a bronze crown. However..¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t need to complete this sentence. It was a clever strategy where everyone had something to gain and nothing to lose. That¡¯s what the players thought at least. ¡°How will your majesty determine who gets the reward?¡± Ria asked as she saw the others'' hesitant expressions. She had figured out her role after hearing the speech. ¡®What a clever woman, she¡¯s already starting to establish her position amongst the group.¡¯ Zyrus gave her a knowing glance and replied, ¡°I will form a plan in which every one of you will have a role to play.¡± Making sure that all the sparkling eyes were on him, Zyrus continued at a measured pace, ¡°Those who perform exceptionally in their field will have a chance to receive the reigns of the subdued group. Even if you don¡¯t succeed, you¡¯ll get other equipments and materials as compensation.¡± Although everything he declared were common policies, saying it out made a big difference. ¡°We will rest for a few hours and attack the next camp at dawn, any objections?¡± Not a single soul dared to object. The vivid scene of him killing over 50 players was still etched in their memories. ¡°Very well then, you may excuse yourselves.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Ria was the only one who replied as she led the others away. With a satisfied smile, Zyrus watched the players disperse and opened his map. The army that would conquer the sanctuary was getting ready to take their first step. ¡­ The next morning, at a camp a few kilometers deep in the wastelands. A one-sided fight was taking place under the tender sunlight. The sentry from the defending camp was vigilant throughout the night, and yet, just when they let down their guard at dawn, they were mercilessly attacked. This was a barren area without any vegetation. The flat terrain favored neither the defenders nor the attackers, thus, both sides could only fight head-on. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Damn it!¡± A man in his late forties cursed after looking at the ongoing scuffles. A group of 200 players were attacking them from all sides. The defending leader had dozens of more players, so it shouldn¡¯t have been an issue to hold their grounds. Originally, he had thought that the enemy¡¯s strategy of scattering their manpower was rather foolish. Now he realized that he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. Unlike him, Zyrus was very satisfied after observing his player''s progress. His plan was quite straightforward. He evenly divided the melee attackers into teams of thirty. The sword and knife users were given the role of engaging in a dogfight against the defending camp, accompanied by a few spear users who moved in and out, disrupting enemies'' formation. It seemed to be a boorish method at a glance, but the next part of his plan suggested otherwise. Unlike the usual strategy where tanks were stationed at the front, Zyrus stationed all of them ten feet away from the enemy¡¯s camp. Not only that, he also stationed the long range archers in the middle of this group. They were protected by the group of tanks who formed a circular iron wall around them. As for the rare mages who only numbered a dozen? They had yet to make an appearance in this battle. Even with a numerical advantage the defending camp was being suppressed on all sides. The core of this strategy lay with the group of archers. ¡°It¡¯s a rather cruel tactic.¡± ¡°No one has died from our side.¡± ¡°Yet.¡± ¡°Getting brave now, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Humph! I know that ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ wouldn¡¯t kill little old me.¡± Zyrus only chuckled at the unexpected answer. Surprisingly or perhaps not, the one he was bickering against was none other than Ria. After hearing about his current and future plans, she was confident that she wouldn¡¯t be killed by him unless she crossed his bottom line. Why? It was because of a very simple reason. Zyrus hated to command others from the bottom of his heart. He liked strategies and fights, but only when he was a part of them. The role of a commander who ordered from the rear wasn''t suitable for him. ¡°But are you sure my skill would work here?¡± Ria asked after a lighthearted banter. She had grown accustomed to ¡®His Majesty¡¯ who refrained to give her a name. They behaved like colleagues in an office rather than a master and subordinate. A few hours of small talks and strategic meetings had decreased the gap between them. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d waste so much time explaining things otherwise?¡± Zyrus replied in a matter-of-fact tone. His goal was clear, to impart his knowledge about various war strategies to her. It wasn¡¯t just to win these small fights. If he wanted to, Zyrus could¡¯ve won the battle by using poison breath on the enemy¡¯s core players. He wanted to train the players and most importantly, he wanted to train Ria. He knew firsthand how annoying a commander with foresight or clairvoyance ability was. He couldn''t trust her completely, but time wouldn''t allow him to be skeptical of everyone. Therefore, it was better to recruit his main followers early on. Only this way could he spare the time to observe them for long. ¡°What do you think will happen next?¡± Zyrus asked as he noticed her pondering expression. ¡°They¡¯ll deploy their mages to the front?¡± Ria answered with a bit of contemplation. Neither side had used the mages in this battle. It wasn¡¯t because they wanted to preserve their combat power. Quite the contrary, mage¡¯s aoe spells were most potent in large conflicts. However, if both sides were to let their mages attack wantonly, it would only result in the deaths of their own troops. Thus, unless the defending crown wielder was sure about his defeat, he wouldn¡¯t use such a mutually destructive method. Zyrus predicted as such from the beginning. If it weren''t for avoiding such an outcome, this whole fa?ade of a bitter struggle would be meaningless. Just as he was about to explain, a sudden cry of bugle resounded across the wastelands. ¡°What is that?¡± Ria asked as she pointed at the dust cloud that was approaching the campsite. Zyrus was just as perplexed as she was. Even his enhanced eyesight was unable to pierce the dusty clouds. ¡®Wait, could it be¡­¡¯ he recalled with a frown as a peculiar memory surged within him. Even though he knew a lot about the past, he didn¡¯t know about minor fights such as these. Besides, with the butterfly effects caused by his actions, a new future was sure to unfold. *BUUUU* ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°We fight of course¡± ¡°Do you know what that is?¡± Ria could hear the sound of horns that were getting closer, but she wasn''t worried by much. ¡°They¡¯re goblin riders if my memory serves me right?¡± ¡°Goblin riders?¡± Ria gave Zyrus a questioning glance, urging him to explain further. However, that was unnecessary. *thump*thump* Accompanied by the loud thuds, the figures behind the dust were revealed one by one. Over a hundred goblins were riding on gray wolves. Compared to the goblins they faced in the tutorial, these had strange white and red tattoos on their exposed skin. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°They have armors!¡± ¡°Fall back, idiots! Don¡¯t you see the bows on their back?¡± Ria shouted from the top of her lungs as he looked at the scrambling players. Even the defending players were caught off guard. Unsure of what to do against the new arrivals, both sides faced one another in a stalemate. ¡°Keep up with the plan, I¡¯ll handle them.¡± Zyrus replied before Ria was able to ask. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°..?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ria responded after a bit of hesitation. Although she didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d deal with the goblins, she threw that matter at the back of her mind. On the other hand, Zyrus had moved a dozen meters towards the goblin riders. ¡®It¡¯d be rude to decline a free meal¡¯ Zyrus looked ahead with a menacing glare and took out his spear. Chapter 21: Cruel Precaution Zyrus was able to see the goblin riders as the distance between them shortened. They were charging in groups of threes and fours. If any players were dumb enough to engage them with the same number as them, they would die without a doubt. Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to allow that. ¡®They¡¯re as impatient as ever,¡¯ Zyrus chuckled and swept his spear towards one of the group. Despite the spear''s length it could only strike two riders. But that was more than enough to draw everyone¡¯s attention. *Sweep* -100,-150 *Slash* -200,-150 Exp +600 Their leather armor wasn''t able to do much apart from making him move twice. In one fell swoop his spear claimed the lives of both of them. The groups that had charged ahead were also startled by this. Striking while the iron was still hot, Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate to attack the nearby goblin riders. *Sweep* -100,-150,-56 He swept his spear left and right which didn¡¯t leave any room for them to draw their bows. As for the wolves? They were out of the fight from the moment they sensed Zyrus¡¯s aura. They were common animals to begin with. There was no way they could attack him after facing his bloodline pressure. On the other hand, Zyrus was also unable to get any exp from killing them. This led to both sides ignoring one another, much to the dismay of the goblin riders. *Slash* -48,-265 Exp +300 *BUUU*BU*BU* ¡®Tch.. I could only kill five of them,¡¯ with a gloomy face Zyrus looked at his surroundings. The goblin riders had changed their target and were now encircling him from all sides. From the moment he first struck to the bugle sounds, only a couple of minutes had passed. The goblins had changed their strategy in such a short time. Zyrus was strong enough to kill them in a couple of blows, but it was useless if he wasn¡¯t able to strike them. The goblin leader who was greedily looking at Zyrus¡¯s head, had also realized this fact. *BUU* Time was one of the most important assets in a fight. Without wasting any of it, the goblins sieged Zyrus with a different strategy. The goblin riders who were guarding their leader now encircled Zyrus in a 10 meter radius. At the same time, dozens of goblin archers moved behind them and shot their arrows at his location. ¡®How clever,¡¯ Zyrus became solemn and half-heartedly evaded the arrows. From the moment since he had noticed the goblin leader, he hadn¡¯t made any other moves. The terrain didn''t have anything that he could use. He could neither fly in the sky nor burrow into the ground. Faced with the encirclement of goblin riders he had no other choice except a bitter fight. Red strings of damage numbers floated above Zyrus¡¯s head as iron arrows hit him one by one. The goblins had a good accuracy, even while riding on the wolves. But as Zyrus had expected, they were impatient. After seeing him getting hit without being able to retaliate, the goblin leader was excited and the attacks became even more aggressive. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Contrary to the goblins'' expectations, Zyrus laughed as he saw the dozens of goblin riders approach him close by. He had two goals in this fight, one was to assess his newfound powers and the other was to kill the goblin leader in a short while. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. And as luck would have it, he would be able to do that simultaneously. *FUUUUUU* Dark blue miasma spread from Zyrus''s mouth like the previous time. -300,-300,-300,-300,-300,-300,-300,-300 -300,-300,-300 -300,-300,-300,-300,-300 Exp +4800 And despite the goblin''s natural resistance and armor, the results were the same. ¡°Kiiieekkk¡± The goblin leader screamed in horror as he looked at the scene. It wasn¡¯t because Zyrus had killed his loyal guards, it was because of what he did after that. Red light flashed in his yellow reptilian eyes, and with a wave of his hand, a bloody mist erupted from the fallen corpses. Zyrus looked back at the goblin leader with a wicked gaze and sucked in the blood-red energy. Be it the goblin rangers who had surrounded him or the humans who were keeping an eye on the conflict, everyone felt a shiver down their spine as they witnessed the activation of Blood fusion. In a single breath, all of the blood was drained from the corpses. Whether it was the goblins or the gray wolves, none were spared. ¡°This is amazing!¡± Zyrus smirked in glee as he saw the green text in front of him +100,+100,+100,+100,¡­ Half of his HP had recovered in the span of a few seconds. Much to his surprise, the blood fusion had a stun effect on the onlookers as well. With this complimentary effect, those on the same level as him wouldn¡¯t be able to harm him once he activated the talent. Besides, the main function of blood fusion was to replenish his stamina. Stamina was the fusion of vitality, strength, and agility. He could feel his sore muscles relax thanks to the talent''s effect. ¡®Now then, it¡¯s time to wrap this up.¡¯ Zyrus charged straight ahead towards the goblin leader. He didn''t want to give them the chance to recover their momentum. On the other hand, Ria let out a sigh of relief upon witnessing Zyrus¡¯s fight. She had some doubts about what they had discussed prior, but now she couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge his cunningness. His core tactic had remained the same. He would kill a dozen enemies at once to instill shock and fear in their minds, and when their formation was disrupted because of that, he would charge at the leader. It was by no means a foolproof plan, but as long as there was a significant gap between their individual HP, this had a very good chance of success. ¡®And he was right about them as well,¡¯ she snickered as she looked at the defending camp leader. After witnessing Zyrus¡¯s might, he knew that something was amiss in their fight. How had they held on for so long if the enemy leader was such a monster? He ordered his mages to get ready to launch a counterattack, but it was too late. Under Ria''s command the melee attackers had stopped their offense altogether. At the same time, some from their groups discarded their swords and took out wooden staffs and crystal balls from the inventory. Before the defenders had a chance to react, they found swaths of fireballs and ice shards on top of their heads. Ria grinned as she saw the enemy mages deflect the elemental spells in a fluster. From the start, the mages that stayed behind were nothing but a ruse. ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Their surprise attack won¡¯t last long. Archers get ready, it¡¯s a perfect opportunity to kill those scattered mages,¡± ¡°B-Boss look out!¡± ¡°Wha-¡± *Swish* A hail of arrows pierced him and the two mages nearby. The poor man died without figuring out that the mages were nothing but a distraction. Zyrus¡¯s archers were already engaged in mid-range combat. In the short window where everyone was focused on the mages, they had snuck close to the camp boundary in one fell swoop. ¡°Retreat!¡± Ria commanded in a somber tone as she looked at the players ahead. The ones responsible for protecting the archers were grievously wounded in the rush. In order to get the archers as close to the enemy camp as possible, they used their bodies as meat shields. It was thanks to them that they defeated the opposing camp with only a dozen causalities. Zyrus was also done with the goblin riders. It would be a different scenario if it were any other species, but it was a piece of cake to subdue a bunch of goblins without a leader. ¡°That was fast,¡± ¡°Yeah, They¡¯re cowards. But on the bright side, I won¡¯t have to worry about their schemes.¡± Zyrus replied while fiddling with a bone necklace that was dropped by the goblin leader. [Bone necklace Totem (Common)] A crude totem made by the goblin shaman. Effect: MP +2 ¡°What do you plan to do with them?¡± Ria asked as she pointed at the defending camp. ¡°Have they surrendered?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°They want one of their own to be the next leader, otherwise they¡¯ll fight us to the end.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Zyrus scoffed as he looked at the players. Both sides had nervous expressions on their faces as they awaited his response. Some were worried about their survival while others were plotting to get a better position. ¡°So, what¡¯ll you do?¡± Ria asked with a curious expression. ¡°Do I look like someone who goes back on his word?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± She asked him but from her expression, her answer was obviously ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡°In any case, it seems they need some mental training.¡± ¡°What?¡± Zyrus walked ahead without caring about Ria who was giving him a perplexed look. ¡°QUIET.¡± he bellowed from the top of his lungs and jumped on the camp wall. Everyone was caught off guard by his sudden move. Neither the humans nor the surviving goblins dared to move an inch. ¡°This is the first and the last time I¡¯ll ask this, Do you surrender?¡± contrary to the deafening roar, Zyrus asked the players in a calm tone. This did nothing to ease their fears as they were even more afraid of him. Even after sensing the calm rage, there were still some who hadn¡¯t let go of their ambitions. ¡°We only-¡± ¡°Shut up. Those who agree can go back, you have one minute.¡± Cutting the speech of a young man, Zyrus pointed his spear towards his troops. His intentions were quite obvious. Without a figurative head, how many would dare to stand against him? ¡°Will this work?¡± Ria asked with a frown. It was an effective strategy, but what if a lot of players refused regardless? ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯d be better if they become more primitive and don¡¯t scheme on my back in the future.¡± Zyrus answered in a cold tone as he looked at the fifty or so players who stood without moving an inch. ¡®This is going to be messy,¡¯ Ria shivered as she looked at his ruthless eyes. She didn¡¯t need her skill to envision the massacre that would soon unfold. Chapter 22: What a pity, I don’t need brave warriors A minute passed by and a third of the players were left standing. ¡°Would you look at that! We¡¯ve got some brave warriors here,¡± Zyrus praised the players in a mocking tone as he walked towards them. None of the remaining players moved a muscle. They knew that without them, the monster wouldn¡¯t have another crown. However, they had overclocked a very crucial detail. ¡°What a pity, I don¡¯t need brave warriors. I need soldiers who obey my commands.¡± ¡°You¡¯re strong, but do you think you can enslave us by force?¡± the youth from before spoke in a defiant tone. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d allow you to incite others?¡± Zyrus scoffed after throwing out his spear. *WHIISH* ¡°kuh-¡± -200 Exp +400 ¡°Tch tch.. I don¡¯t care about your dignity. From the moment you lost, your lives belong to me and me alone.¡± Zyrus stated the cruel truth while glaring at the remaining players. He didn¡¯t care about their reactions. His goal was to subdue them by force, and he would achieve that by any means possible. *ROOAR* Zyrus growled at the hundred goblin riders who were standing at the camp¡¯s periphery. ¡°Kikiki¡± ¡°Awooo¡± They didn¡¯t need any more instructions. In the span of a couple breaths, they surrounded the players who had refused to surrender. ¡°What do you-¡± ¡°Kill them all.¡± Zyrus commanded in a cold tone. It was an extreme method, but it had its advantages. The sanctuary treated humans and monsters in the same way. Both can level up and get rewards by killing other species. From a neutral perspective, leveling up a squad of goblin riders would be much more helpful than some opportunistic players. *Awoooo* As per Zyrus¡¯s order, the majority of the players were eaten by the wolves. Despite them being ordinary beasts akin to cats and dogs, they had a chance to be recognized as monsters after killing others. It was a hidden function that players would only find out in the third ring. Uninterested in the ongoing slaughter, Zyrus leaned on a nearby tree and looked at the talent screen. [You have met the necessary requirement to activate the special ability] [You can obtain one of the Goblin¡¯s special traits] [Obtained traits: 0/10] Note: This ability can be used once every 20 levels. Note: The traits will be granted at random and they will be modified to suit your race. Note: The obtained traits can be developed further via race evolution. He was skeptical about using the talent. On one hand, he was curious about its usage but on the flip side, he could get something useless like goblins reproduction trait. ¡°I¡¯d advise you against using it.¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s here,¡± Zyrus raised a brow at Aurora who popped out of nowhere. ¡°Cheh.. it isn¡¯t the time for your snide remarks. I¡¯m here on important business,¡± she replied with a proud face. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Did they catch on to you?¡± ¡°Humph! What do you take me as? As if those old bastards would catch me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the cube,¡± ¡°About time we talk about it.¡± Zyrus grinned and he took out the cube from his leather waistband. ¡°By the way, did you like the clothes I gave you?¡± ¡°You mean these leather rags?¡± ¡°What? You want something better? As if that would make you less ugly,¡± ¡°Go on, you wanted to say that from the beginning, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Wow! I¡¯ve never thought that a lizard would be this smart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s racist. Besides, I¡¯m a Sylvarix¡± ¡°Same thing,¡± Aurora replied with a mischievous grin. She knew that Zyrus had to keep up with her not-so-pleasant remarks if he wanted to know about the cube, and she wasn¡¯t going to waste such a heaven-sent opportunity to bully him. ¡°You done now? Spill it,¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. You should go back right now.¡± Aurora spoke in a grave tone. ¡°Did something happen on earth?¡± Zyrus was surprised at her changed expression. It was as if she was trying to lighten the mood before giving him a bad news. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, it¡¯s not bad news per se,¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°There are aliens on Earth.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What the fuck! Don¡¯t bring that up casually in a conversation,¡± ¡°I won''t say anything else as it¡¯ll affect your judgment.¡± ¡°Too late for that! I¡¯ve never heard about it even in the past life.¡± Zyrus had lost his bearings after hearing about the aliens. It wasn¡¯t surprising that intelligent life existed on other planets, but for them to be on Earth would mean that... ¡°As you might¡¯ve guessed, humans discovered their traces when they were a few light-years away.¡± ¡°Is that why they abandoned the earth and ran away? I thought it was because of pollution and the dying sun,¡± ¡°That was part of the reason as well,¡± ¡®Phew¡­¡¯ Zyrus exhaled a deep breath as he massaged his temple. Even with his thousand years of experience it was too much to take in. The sanctuary, his regression, and the aliens¡­ everything seemed to be connected somehow ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, just do as I say for the time being,¡± Aurora spoke to him in a comforting tone. ¡°Alright... I trust you.¡± There was no point in thinking about events that were out of his control. ¡®I have to get stronger, that¡¯s all that matters for now.¡¯ Zyrus clenched his fists and looked at her with a resolute gaze. ¡°Good. Long story short, you¡¯ll encounter them if you follow the cube''s direction.¡± Aurora pointed at the cube as she flapped her butterfly wings, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them, they¡¯re strong. Fortunately, those on the earth are of the lower rung of their society.¡± ¡°I see, I suppose you want me to wipe them out,¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan. All you have to do is complete the missions on Earth. Of course, you¡¯ll get rewards in return.¡± ¡°Now we¡¯re talking,¡± Zyrus grinned at Aurora who was floating in the sky. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ll love the reward for sure. However, I¡¯m here for another thing. Remember how I told you it¡¯s not a particularly bad situation?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Take this with you.¡± Aurora hovered around him to give him a glass container. ¡°What is it?¡± Zyrus was curious as he observed the flask-like object in his hand. However, There was no one left to answer him. Aurora had left as if she was never here to begin with. ¡®Her powers are as amazing as ever,¡¯ Zyrus clicked his tongue and put the flask away as well. Time magic was the most difficult path for a reason. He had talked with her for quite a while, but now it seemed as if nothing had happened. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯d better get going,¡± Zyrus muttered to himself as he walked back to the newly conquered campsite. As for the aftermath? He left that for Ria who was glaring daggers at his back. ¡­ Giant trees formed a canopy that blocked the crimson sunlight. This enormous stretch of forest housed a variety of creatures, starting from the fist-sized insects to the thousand-foot-long snakes. These creatures thrived in the environment where it was impossible for humans to survive. There was a swamp beneath this forest that stretched for thousands of kilometers. It had been a week since Zyrus had arrived in this area. Surprisingly, this place was quite suitable for the current him. His vision was unobstructed and he was able to easily move across the swamp. This place was filled with countless creatures that were toxic in nature, and naturally, none of them had any effect on him. ¡°Kyuu~¡± ¡°Yeah I¡¯m bored as well,¡± Zyrus replied to the flying squirrel which was yawning on his shoulder. When Zyrus emerged from the portal at his previous location, the poor creature was scared shitless. Only after recognizing his familiar scent did it let down its guard. At first Zyrus was pumped up for an exciting fight, but to his dismay, all he had done after coming back was to go left and right in this godforsaken forest. ¡®Well, not everything is bad,¡¯ Zyrus smiled he looked at his clothes with satisfaction. They never failed to amaze him no matter how many times he looked at them. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie with beige pants that miraculously fit his scaly legs. At his waist was a bronze belt that had a lot of pockets attached to it. Most importantly, they had a layer of protective glint that repelled the dust and swamp water. As Zyrus walked according to the cube¡¯s directions for another half a day, a change finally occurred. His surroundings remained the same but the ground beneath him had changed. It was hard to notice at first, but with his enhanced senses he could feel the ground ten feet below. Just as he was about to check directions again, the cube floated up from his pocket and flashed with a red light. [Mission: A relay across generations] [Find the traces left behind by your ancestor, the first human who had come in contact with the sanctuary] It was the same mission he had seen the first time. Zyrus clicked on the completion message to receive rewards and the new mission. What happened, however, was completely out of Zyrus¡¯s expression. The inventory that he wasn¡¯t able to use outside the sanctuary suddenly appeared in front of him. And before he could think of anything further, a black scroll flew out on its own. It was the class selection scroll he had acquired after defeating Nidraxis¡¯s clone. Chapter 23: A Unique class [Congratulations! You have completed the first mission on both worlds] A sparkling text appeared on the screen. Zyrus read the following messages with a peculiar expression. It wasn¡¯t the first time he came across a situation where the earth, sanctuary, and the cube were interconnected somehow. Every time he had made some speculations, and without fail, they were proven wrong in the next encounter. It was the same this time. He believed that the sanctuary¡¯s system and the earth were completely unrelated. It made sense since he wasn¡¯t able to level up, use the status window, or any other functions of the system while on Earth. ¡®Looks like they''re connected with the cube as a medium,¡¯ Zyrus came up with this hypothesis as he read the string of texts. [As a reward for completing the missions, you can now use the ¡®Class selection Scroll¡¯] [Instead of the existing unique classes, a new class will be created] [You have received another main mission!] [Mission: Explore the dungeon beneath your current location] [Reward: ???] [Side mission: Exterminate Verdara beetles (100)] [Reward: Bone enhancement fluid (x10)] [Side mission: Exterminate Glemorax (20)] [Reward: Muscle enhancement fluid (x3)] [Note: It is recommended to complete the side missions before attempting the main mission] ¡°Is there even a difference between Sanctuary and Earth now?¡± Zyrus spoke to no one in particular as he paced around. There was no additional information about the mission, such as the monster''s description or how to get to the dungeon. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have to select a class first,¡¯ Zyrus thought with a frown. He didn¡¯t like the feeling where his actions were controlled by someone else. It was as if he was following a predetermined path laid out for him. The most frustrating thing was that this path was indeed the most suitable and beneficial for him. A current example of that being the ¡°Unique¡± word which was added to the black scroll¡¯s description. A unique class was something he didn¡¯t have even in his previous life, not to mention one that was tailor-made for him. Regardless of his complicated thoughts, He had no plans to refuse these generous offerings. He had long since decided that he would do anything to become stronger, and besides, he had a gut feeling that the one behind the scenes didn¡¯t have any malicious intentions. ¡®It should have something to do with that red eyed guy,¡¯ Zyrus guessed as such and without further hesitation, he bit his finger and activated the scroll with a drop of blood. [Would you like to use the Class selection Scroll (Unique)?] [Yes/No] Zyrus clicked ¡®Yes¡¯ and the scroll burned in abyssal flames under his excited gaze. Much to his surprise, new texts popped up in front of him. [Creating a new class¡­] [Initiating Synchronization..] [Host bloodline detected..] [Assimilating the Ancient bloodline..] [Error! Insufficient data!] Zyrus was stumped at the sudden error, but a thought suddenly struck him and he took out the flask given by Aurora. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As soon as he took it out, the sturdy flask exploded into mist and drifted towards the ball of flames. His initial surprise washed away as he observed the transformation with a solemn expression. In the span of a couple of breaths, the black abyssal flames took a purple hue and exploded with a bang. ¡°Argh-¡± Zyrus groaned as he felt a scorching sensation on the back of his hand. He tried to focus against the whirlwind of sensations to no avail. Throes of pain ignited on his hand as he felt that something was being carved on his bones. Only when his vision returned to normal did he see the screen in front of him. [Congratulations! You have acquired a Unique class] [You have obtained the unique class: ¡°Balaur Summoner¡±] Zyrus clicked on the screen with anticipation and nervousness. With another flash, the class window popped up and he nearly jumped up in delight after reading it. [Class: Balaur Summoner] [Awaken the ancient bloodline by sacrificing your vanquished foes. With your authority as the last Sylvarix you can bring forth the fallen warriors of the past] [Note: You cannot use sacrifice in the sanctuary] [Summoned Subordinates: 0] [Note: Summoned warrior¡¯s species, class, and rank will depend upon the quality of the sacrifice] [Note: Summons can level up. Special items are required For evolution] [Note: Immortal attribute. Upon death, the summoned creatures will recuperate in another dimension depending on their ranks] As he had guessed, it was the most efficient class for him. He could use the monsters and other beings in the sanctuary for his talent, and on Earth, he could use the aliens to summon more subordinates. It was a very efficient process. The more he killed, the stronger he would become and the cycle would keep repeating itself. It also solved the biggest flaw that Zyrus had in his past life. Unlike before when he had to fight against armies on his own, now he could fight alongside his summons. ¡®Now I can focus on my origin skills without worries,¡¯ Zyrus chuckled as he fed the frightened squirrel. After analyzing the screen which showed the entrance of the dungeon, he walked towards his destination with excited steps. And thus began the war that would last for thousands of years. A war for survival that would engulf countless galaxies in its wake. ¡­ *Platter* Water trickled down from the ceiling into a concrete passageway. The walls, or rather, the tunnels were corroded by the passage of time. The place which was built to ensure humanity''s survival was now occupied by green moss. ¡®It must be from thousands of years ago, probably during the 2000s¡¯ Zyrus guessed as he ventured into the dungeon with cautious steps. Molded posters and broken vending machines gave these zigzagging hallways a haunting vibe. Only bits and pieces were left of the long-gone era. It wasn¡¯t much of a surprise to him. Dungeons were generally fragments of spacetime that were affected by an immense flow of mana. Thanks to this phenomenon, the world¡¯s boundary became weaker around this area. Hence, it was easy for foreign beings to invade from these frail boundaries. At the peak of his power, Zyrus was able to create dungeons as well. The most surprising thing here was the presence of mana on earth. ¡®The flow of mana is on the same level as the second ring.¡¯ Zyrus observed every nook and cranny as he went deeper into the hallways. The strength of creatures inhabiting an area was proportional to the concentration of mana. Not to mention the aliens should already possess a remarkable constitution. Humans were, unfortunately, at the bottom of the barrel when it came to physical attributes. This was the reason why so many people died in the tutorial as well. Humans were unable to use their core skills which made them the apex predators on earth. Without sufficient knowledge and mana, they were like birds without wings. From his memories, this place should be an underground shelter. It was very likely that the aliens here would have small statures. Coupled with his mana and powerful night vision, he had no trouble in exploring these dark hallways. After walking for half an hour in what seemed like a labyrinth of illusions, Zyrus finally arrived at a massive tunnel entrance. Zyrus was certain of his guesses now. The Zigzagging pathways behind him were most likely jumbled-up passages that led to this area. ¡®For that to be the case, The distortion in space should be greater than I¡¯d thought,'' Zyrus became alert as he approached the metal doors that sealed the tunnel. *Slash* The reinforced steel doors were shredded like paper after he struck them with his spear. Although the dungeon was filled with mana, that wasn¡¯t the case for the objects. This wasn¡¯t the sanctuary after all. It would take millions of years for the objects in this dungeon to assimilate with the surrounding mana. ¡®But earth would collapse long before that,¡¯ Zyrus sighed as he walked into the tunnel. It was easy for him to deduce as an archmage that specialized in void. He was certain that this wasn¡¯t the only dungeon on earth. From the outside, the Earth seemed normal as it behaved just like any other planet would. Even with the dying sun, the earth should still exist for another billion years. However, the presence of these dungeons changed everything. Sooner or later these scattered fragments of spacetime would burst out due to the imbalance of mana. Unless Earth¡¯s environment gained an absurd amount of mana, the planet was destined for annihilation. Zyrus was lost in melancholic thoughts as he faced the doom of his home planet. He shouldn''t have any attachment to this place as he wasn''t even born here. Just as he was about to probe further, he felt a bone-chilling sensation. He glanced around with his yellow eyes as his skin shivered in alarm. He walked closer to the wall and hundreds of thoughts and battle tactics flashed by in his mind. His instincts were warning him of a formidable foe nearby. *CHrik* There was nothing but metal walls on both sides, but with his reptilian eyes, he was able to see something else a hundred feet ahead. The tunnel split into many paths, filled with rows of metal doors. His sight was locked on the one that was open. And there, another gaze met his own. Chapter 24: Verdara beetles Zyrus saw a pair of crimson eyes staring at him, and before he could make a move, a booming sound came from the opposite direction. ¡°Fuck,¡± He cursed at his carelessness and stood in a defending posture. *Screech* In the next instance, a pair of red claws scratched against his spear before disappearing again. *Buzzz* Zyrus could see nothing except a violet blur moving across the tunnel. *Clang* Fortunately, his back was already close to the wall. He was barely able to block the creature¡¯s lightning-fast blows at a short angle. *Bang* Instead of deflecting the crimson claws, Zyrus sidestepped and launched his own attack. ¡°Chree¡± The creature faltered in pain. At last, Zyrus was able to make out its features in that split second. It was the weirdest-looking monster he had seen so far. The creature had a humanoid shape with skinny limbs. With red spikes that jutted out from its joints it looked like an abomination from hell. *Whizzz* The most baffling thing, however, was its fighting style. It jumped around the walls like a frog, and when in the air, the purple-blue wings on its back buzzed like an insect. It relied on extreme speed to attack with the claws on its hands and feet. Despite being caught off guard at the beginning, Zyrus was certain about killing the thing with a couple of blows. However, he didn''t plan to do that just yet. He observed the creature¡¯s every move to gather all the information he could. He paid particular attention to its head. There were cyan feathery wings on the sides of its face along with two pairs of red eyes. *Slash* ¡°Chick-¡± ¡®Low defense, unidirectional high-speed attacks,¡¯ Zyrus concluded after slashing its midriff. Dark green blood seeped out from its gaping wound, and this time, its speed was slow enough for Zyrus to observe its movement. It jumped from wall to wall like a swimmer in a pool. It didn¡¯t seem to have any powers besides its instantaneous and explosive speed. ¡°Tch tch, It¡¯s fascinating and disgusting at the same time,¡± Zyrus muttered as he walked towards the creature. ¡°Chreek¡± ¡°Oh! do you understand what I¡¯m saying with that bug brain of yours?¡± Zyrus mocked with a derisive sneer, but inwardly, he was very much shocked. ¡®It has intelligence and won''t back away from a fight,¡¯ he mentally noted its characteristics and walked ahead in a taunting manner. *Bang* The creature lunged at him from an adjacent wall, and this time, he allowed the crimson claws to hit his back. ¡®Shhh..¡¯ Zyrus inhaled a sharp breadth filled with pain. Four inch-deep wounds were carved on his back. For the information he got though, the pain was very much worth it. ¡®Sharp, blade-like claws that can destroy cell structure and slow down the regeneration rate¡¯ *Whizzz* He once again showed an opening in his stance, but the outcome was different this time. *Stab* ¡°CHrekk¡± ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t have a second phase huh? Well, goodnight then,¡± With a forward push, Zyrus plunged his spear deep into its head. The alien creature was a textbook definition of a glass cannon build. With its lackluster defense and pitiful vitality, it died with a single blow. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡®Phew¡­ this is fun,¡¯ Zyrus chuckled as he knelt beside the creature. This reminded him of his early days in the sanctuary. He fought grueling battles every day in this same manner to figure out the monsters'' strengths and weaknesses. It was thanks to those broken bones and the countless near-death encounters that he was having an easy time in this life. Be it the low-level goblins or the highly intelligent spirits, he knew each and every one of their weakness. He had fought against countless species and devised strategies to slaughter them in the most efficient way. Some succeeded whereas some failed, but he kept repeating the same process. Over and over again. His tenacity and battle instincts had made the biggest contributions to humanity¡¯s rise in the sanctuary. Zyrus leaned back to relax and looked at the screen that floated above the creature. [You have killed a Verdara beetle] [You can sacrifice the slain creature to summon a fallen warrior] After reading the message, he moved his right hand with eager eyes. There was a violet-red insignia on the back of his hand. It was a dragon with pitch-black eyes and nine blue horns. As his hand inched closer towards the corpse of the Verdara beetle, A purple light flashed on the insignia. ¡®Do I have to use a spell or a chant?¡¯ Zyrus thought with scrunched brows as nothing happened after that. He placed the creature''s blood on his hand but it was of no use as well. He recalled the class description and thought of something. He hadn''t paid much attention to it but there was a phrase about his authority as a Sylvarix. In that case, all he needed was a command to summon them. ¡°AWAKEN.¡± Zyrus spoke in a voice filled with mana and placed his hand on the Verdara beetle. Instantaneously, a gray light flashed and the corpse decayed at a visible rate. His mana was being drained at a rapid pace. In just a couple of seconds, more than two-thirds of his mana was consumed. Suddenly, a grayish-black crack appeared on top of the crumbling corpse. Zyrus looked at the process with an anxious gaze with barely a tenth of his mana left. Thankfully, the suction of mana stopped at this moment. The crack expanded at a slow pace and consumed the entirety of the corpse. *Crack* As if someone had punched a mirror, the space cracked starting from the gray spot. ¡®Spatial crack!¡¯ Zyrus paced back a step and observed the crack with rapt attention. The crack stabilized not long after that, And a being walked out from the other side. The creature looked similar to Zyrus with a few notable differences. Along with a pair of slit eyes and a short tail, the creature had dark green reptilian skin over its body. ¡°A Lizardman!¡± Zyrus was surprised as he looked at the summoned creature. He wasn¡¯t sure about its species as it was quite different from the lizardman. It looked like a hybrid of a naga and lizardman, but there wasn''t such a race in the sanctuary as far he knew. ¡°Can you speak?¡± He asked as he stood in front of the creature. The creature looked at Zyrus with a gaze filled with respect, but it wasn¡¯t able to do much besides that. He wanted to give more commands but he reined in his curiosity and opened his class window. [Class: Balaur Summoner] [Awaken the ancient bloodline by sacrificing the vanquished foes. With your authority as the last Sylvarix you can bring forth the fallen warriors of the past] [Summoned Subordinates: 1] Rank I units: Ophidian infantry: 1 There wasn¡¯t much information about the creature. Left with no other choice Zyrus had to give the creature all sorts of commands to check its battle capabilities. As a result, an hour passed by before he got a general idea about his summon. ¡°Hahaha¡­ follow me,¡± Zyrus walked towards the splitting tunnels with a wide grin. It was time to create an army of his own. ¡­ *Slash* ¡°CHrek¡± Zyrus ducked on the ground after hitting a beetle, narrowly avoiding a pair of crimson claws above his head. *Boom* *Whizz* ¡°Finish him,¡± he commanded the ophidian warriors to attack the injured Verdara beetle as he fought against the other two. Contrary to his expectations, the dungeon''s exploration didn¡¯t go as smoothly as he had thought. He managed to summon three more Ophidian infantry in just a couple of hours. However, things went downhill from then on. At first, he was opening the doors one by one. Whenever there was a beetle inside, he would kill it with his summons who possessed flexible muscles and high agility. It was a pity that the summoned creatures didn¡¯t have any weapons despite their ¡®infantry¡¯ tag. Instead, they fought with their fists and tails like a martial artist. Nonetheless, they were a good match against the Verdara beetles with their quick feet and a whip-like tail. But Zyrus made a serious miscalculation. He had overlooked the fact that the aliens were insectoid in nature, and just like any other insects, they were much more fearsome in groups. He had provoked a swarm after he went in to explore a hall. It was in the middle of a tunnel, and Zyrus had to cancel the summoning as he ran for his life. Only after running for an hour and losing more than half of his health was he able to shake off the Verdara beetles. And as lady luck would have it, he had encountered this bunch of aliens on his way back. *Whip* *Flick* Zyrus heaved a sigh of relief after the ophidian warriors finished off a beetle. The creature was reduced to minced meat after getting pummeled by the infantry trio. *Whizz* He rolled sideways to avoid the attack and stabbed towards the other beetle. The ophidians seized the opportunity as they lunged towards the first attacker as well. The Verdara beetle didn¡¯t have the chance to showcase its remarkable speed with three of them surrounding it. On the other hand, Zyrus was busy dealing with the last remaining pursuer. *Slash* *Clang* However, his mind was focused on something else. With his poison breath being ineffective against the beetles, he was left with no other aoe abilities. The summoned Ophidian infantry had the same issue as well. They were as strong as an average player in close combat, but their power was limited without complementary equipment and magic. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have to create a spell that uses the power of origin,¡¯ Zyrus pondered as he stabbed the beetle''s skull. As an archmage, he had no lack of aoe spells in his memories. This time, however, he wanted to create a spell with the source of origin. And he had a clear vision of what he wanted. ¡®I¡¯ll let these fuckers know what it feels like to be in a void domain.¡¯ Chapter 25: Empower Unlike the previous times, Zyrus didn¡¯t use the corpse for sacrifice. Even with his vast experience, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to manifest a void domain with the time he had left. Hence, he had to think of another method to increase his overall fighting prowess. ¡°Slice ¡®em up,¡± Zyrus waved at the Ophidian warriors that were standing nearby. In the short time when Zyrus was recovering his mana and stamina, the three warriors had almost finished dismembering the corpses. ¡°Stand guard.¡± he gave them a simple command and walked towards the corpses. There was nothing remarkable about the Verdara beetles besides their claws and wings. Zyrus observed them for a while and conducted a series of experiments. The claws were thin and razor-sharp as expected. However, due to their lightweight and imbalanced shapes, they were not suitable to make a flying dagger. The wings were lightweight and had a resilient nature. Even after using the claws, he was unable to tear them apart. ¡®The claws are too small to be used as daggers, as for the wings, they¡¯d make a good armor but they¡¯re too little in quantity¡¯ ¡°Come here,¡± Zyrus beckoned one of the Ophidian warriors as he fumbled with his cube. Although he was unable to use his inventory, he had the cube to store these spoils. And if he got lucky, he might figure out a way to make something out of them by using the cube. After spending some time on earth he was no longer clueless about the cube. Although he couldn''t control the cube, he could at least predict the cooldown and limitation of its ability. A white light flashed by and a bundle of leather gloves and a ball of string appeared in front of him. Since they were common items, he should be able to use the cube within a few hours. Zyrus instructed the confused ophidian warrior to stretch out its palm, and slipped the leather gloves on its hands. Satisfied with the result, he weaved a string along the claws and threaded them with the gloves'' fingers. ¡°Move your fists,¡± Zyrus nodded as he looked at his crude work. Although the ophidian warriors were strong, their lack of weapons held back their full potential. ¡®If they¡¯re able to fight like this, it wouldn''t be a waste to spend a couple more days and make proper weapons,¡¯ Zyrus smiled in satisfaction as he observed the ophidian warrior whose hands were moving in a blur. ¡°Good, you can go ba- eh?¡± Zyrus squealed when he saw a sudden message pop up above the ophidian warrior. [Congratulations! You have discovered a hidden ability of the Balaur Summoner] [With each new rank of your summon you can discover another hidden skill] [Current highest rank of the summon: 1] [Skills unlocked: 1/1] [Congratulations! You have discovered the skill: Empower] Zyrus read the message with wide eyes. He had thought that his class could only be improved in the second ring. On the first ring, class-related functions were forbidden. Even someone like Aurora, a system administrator, could do nothing but accept this. Never in his wildest imagination had he thought that he''d get a class skill before going to the second ring. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Well, unique classes are called as such for a reason,'' Zyrus chuckled inwardly and opened the skill description. [Empower: You can use monster remains and other mana infused objects on your summons. The skills can be used more than once corresponding to their rank] [Note: Depending on the assimilation rate with the summoned creature, the skill''s effect may vary] [Note: The changes are irreversible] ¡°Oh well, looks like it¡¯ll burn a hole in my wallet," Without any second thoughts, Zyrus immediately used the skill on the claws of Verdara beetles. ¡°EMPOWER.¡± As he commanded in a voice filled with mana, a golden halo appeared on the pair of claws, and bit by bit, they merged with the ophidian warrior''s hand. The summoned warrior yelped in pain due to the assimilation. But not long after, its expression was replaced with excitement. A pair of crimson blades jutted out from its green knuckles. They had become shorter and more refined compared to before. Zyrus was intrigued by the skills result. It was no easy feat to transplant an object into a summoned creature. The empower skill would require an astonishing amount of resources to showcase its full potential. He would have to work harder in the future to scour enough supplies, but he knew the final results would outclass his investment. He didn¡¯t know about the maximum number of creatures he could summon, but he was certain that he would be able to create an elite army of his own. With a similar procedure, Zyrus used the remaining pair of claws as well. Now, all three of his summons had a decent weapon on their hands. The sharp and lethal blades combined with their agility created a synergistic effect. ¡®Looks like I can implement the next step of my plan much sooner than I¡¯d thought,¡¯ Zyrus thought as he observed the warriors spar with one another. He ordered them to fight against one so they could get used to their new fighting style. As a result, he was certain that his summons were more than capable of handling a Verdara beetle on their own. ¡°Go left, kill the single ones and if you encounter a swarm, run immediately. Collect their claws and wings in this,¡± Zyrus tossed a bag towards them and asked, ¡°All clear?¡± The trio nodded in response and vanished like a blur through the door. He was now left alone in the shelter room. Zyrus sat on the metal bed, the only intact object in the room, and planned his further course of action. In about a week he would have to return to the sanctuary. For the time being, his two goals were to kill as many beetles as possible and expand his troops. Apart from this, he wanted to lay out the foundation for the void domain. Now that the first goal was partially taken care of, he decided to focus on the latter. There were two reasons behind his choice. First, he wanted to develop another power using his source of origin. He was taking his baby steps when it came to the matter. Although the spatial stab was powerful, he wasn¡¯t able to use it in a fight. The skill was very inefficient unless he was betting everything in one blow. The other reason was, of course, his lack of aoe skills. In his past life, it used to be one of his strong suits since he was a mage. The beetles'' speed and poison immunity left him in quite a predicament. His poison breath could kill them with prolonged exposure, but in these vast tunnels, it would be a pipe dream considering their speed. He had theorized some aoe spells like spatial storm and gravity field, but they would require an astonishing amount of mana and understanding about space. Domains, on the other hand, were a different matter. It was a signature move of arcanists. At the peak of his power he had created a domain called the Eternal prison. Zyrus didn¡¯t pay much attention to it as it functioned similarly to the grand aoe spells. That was until he fought against the Eternals. His domain was one of the few powers that worked against the self-proclaimed immortals. He lied down on the metal bed as he recalled his past battles. Just the knowledge from the arcanist''s inheritance wasn''t enough to create the void domain. Unlike other high-level spells, domains didn''t require much mana to cast. The requirements to cast a domain were quite simple and not at the same time. One can cast a domain by using a related object and enforce their will on the set area. Naturally, the might of the domain depended on the factors above, the core of the domain and the caster¡¯s will. For example, a fire mage can use a volcanic rock essence to cast a magma domain. The domain would manifest as per the caster¡¯s will. He could convert the earth around him into a field of lava or increase the temperature of the surrounding air. At higher levels, he would be able to create toxic gases as well. According to the arcanist text he had read, the domain possessed the ability to control mana in a closed environment. The caster''s spells and other abilities would be increased by several folds in his own domain. On the downside, if the opponents possessed a stronger will than the caster, they could use their will and wrest control over the mana. In theory, it was possible to gain control over someone¡¯s domain as well. Zyrus had once obtained a rare material called the prison stone. As its name suggested, the rock was used in confinement formations. By fusing that rock in his staff he was able to cast eternal prison. The domain more than deserved its mighty name. Once affected, even the Eternals were unable to break free from its restrictions in a short time. After all, few beings in the sanctuary had a stronger will than him. ''Let''s get started then,'' Zyrus held the cube in his hand and started reading with concentration. Chapter 26: First target Time went by in a flash, and soon, only a few hours were left before Zyrus had to go back to the sanctuary. He learned a lot in this period of time. After spending days and nights on reading research papers, he finally managed to create a foundation for the void domain. Now, only one challenge was remaining. He would have to substitute the object required to cast the domain with his source of origin. Zyrus was without a doubt a beginner in this field. He would need a long time if he wanted to use the metaphysical source of origin as the core of the void domain. The ophidian warriors weren¡¯t idle in these days either. They managed to kill over 20 Verdara beetles in these past few days. Zyrus would join them twice a day as well. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to sacrifice the aliens that hadn¡¯t been killed by him. Even so, with the help of the ophidian warriors, he had slain quite a few beetles. ¡°Move,¡± Zyrus commanded the Ophidian warriors that stood at his front. He had empowered the newly summoned warriors. After dividing them into two teams of five, he decided to take on a small swarm of insects. In front of him was a hall that resembled a cafeteria. Apart from the metal chairs and tables, there was nothing left in the vicinity. According to the scouting he had done earlier, there were about a dozen beetles in this place. Although their numbers were small compared to other areas, it was a significant threat to Zyrus¡¯s current party. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t plan to win anyway,¡¯ Zyrus flashed an evil grin as the ophidian warriors barged into the hall. He didn''t want to enter just yet. *Chrick* *Kiiek* One after another, Incessant screams and buzzing sounds rang out in the hall. The beetles whizzed by the ophidian warriors like bullets. *Puchk* The retaliation against their bullet-like attacks was just as fierce. *Fwip* The ophidian warriors had amazing teamwork. As expected of the infantry units, they were able to employ a variety of battle formations to fight the barrage of attacks. They struck the flying Verdara beetles with their tails to stagger them. At the same time, others would jump on the slowed beetle and slash it open with their knuckle blades. ¡®They won¡¯t last long at this rate¡¯ Zyrus judged their battle as he hid near the door. The ophidian warriors were accumulating damage as the fight went on. On the other hand, a couple of Verdara beetles were severely injured as well. Zyrus''s plan was as insidious as ever. Since the ophidian warriors had the immortal attribute, why not fight in a mutually destructive way? He wouldn¡¯t be able to use them in the sanctuary anyway, so there was no downside to this strategy. Zyrus didn¡¯t believe that his actions were cruel. Since they had an immortal attribute, he would make full use of that. As warriors themselves, his summons should be able to handle the pain of death. If he had such an ability, he would do the same to himself well. One had to pay the price for taking a life. *Shatter* Just as he had predicted, the first causality was an ophidian warrior who was attacked by three beetles. Once its chest was pierced by the beetle''s claws, The warrior shattered into fragments like a broken mirror. Zyrus also felt a fraction of the pain due to their mental connection. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The fight went on and two more warriors fell. On the other hand, half of the beetles had grievous wounds on them. *ROOAR* Zyrus joined the fray with a thunderous cry. *Slash*Stab* With lightning-fast moves, he killed two injured beetles in one fell swoop. The others were infuriated by his sneak attack, but there was nothing they could do. The ophidian warriors started a bloody assault with Zyrus¡¯s arrival. ¡°AWAKEN¡± The space shattered on top of the corpses, and two more ophidian warriors walked out. Zyrus immediately ordered them to fight against the healthy beetles while he attacked the injured ones. ¡°CHreck¡± The Verdara beetles were infuriated by the ophidian warriors that stuck to them like leeches. One by one, they fell to the combined assault of their claws. ¡°Hahaha¡­AWAKEN¡± Zyrus laughed in a maddened frenzy after killing two more injured beetles. His heart wrenched in agony every time one of his summon was shattered. His yellow eyes became blood red with anger and pain as the fight went on. In just a couple of minutes, he had killed all of the injured Verdara beetles. And as a coast, half of his HP was depleted along with the death of all the original ophidian warriors. He had ignored the beetles'' attack when he was sacrificing the corpses. The lack of HP was starting to take a toll on him. ¡°Focus fire,¡± Zyrus commanded in a cold tone and pointed at beetles. Now, both the beetles and the Ophidian warriors were even in numbers. Although the recently summoned warriors weren¡¯t empowered, they were strong enough to hold their ground against the Verdara beetles. *Thrust* And that was all he needed. ¡°AWAKEN¡± One by one, the enemies fell. And from their corpses, new ophidian warriors were summoned. The surviving beetles were horrified by the sight, but it was too late. Zyrus took their blows on non-lethal areas and killed them without batting an eye at his injuries. The beetles dealt a lot of damage, but his regeneration rate was nothing to scoff at either. *Slash* ¡®Huff..Huff..¡¯ Zyrus panted for breath after killing the last of them. With his monstrous vitality, he still had a bit over a third of his HP left. But his stamina was another thing. The remaining two ophidian warriors stood at his sides as he slumped on the wall. In front of him was a status screen flashing with a red glow. [Remaining Time: 00:00:09] It was time to return. ¡­ *Knock*Knock* ¡°Coming,¡± Zyrus yawned as he sat on his bed. After returning from Earth, he had slept for a day and night to get a well-deserved rest. He opened the door to be greeted by Ria¡¯s haggard face. ¡°Have you rested well? Your majesty,¡± Well, in Ria¡¯s eyes, his rest wasn¡¯t well deserved at all. From her perspective, He nonchalantly ordered a bunch of monsters to slaughter the players and went to sleep for a whole, freaking, day. ¡°Did you have more salt in your breakfast?¡± ¡°How nice of you to assume that I had one!¡± Ria replied in a tone that suggested that she was about to explode from anger. ¡°Sorry about that, really. Let¡¯s talk while eating.¡± Zyrus spoke in an apologetic tone and walked to the campsite. His tent was a fair distance away from others. After a couple of fights, he had gathered over 400 subordinates under him. ¡°You sure have a silver tongue,¡± ¡°It¡¯s not, you see.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Zyrus asked without looking back. ¡°I was at first. After witnessing your ¡®amazing¡¯ HR skills though, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡± ¡°By the way, how do you know what HR is? Do you know more about us humans?¡± ¡°Nice try.¡± ¡°Tch..¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you call me though?¡± Zyrus asked after reaching the central area. Thankfully, he was able to eat the human food just like before. ¡°We have to discuss a lot of things,¡± Ria took the seat he had offered and drank from a bowl of soup. Zyrus waited for her to continue as he ate his bread. They didn''t have to worry about food after the tutorial was over. Those serving the crown holders were given enough food in their inventory. Even these limited-time ration packages had a hidden motive behind them. Without food and drinking water, who would run away from their leader? A new society was taking its form under the system''s influence. ¡°Thanks for waiting,¡± Ria replied after emptying the bowl of soup. Her eating manners were even worse than Zyrus''s, It was clear just how hungry she was. ¡°I¡¯ll start with the players'' report. It is fortunate that the mages had all surrendered, so we have 21 of them in total. We¡¯re lacking defense as a lot of the tank players have sustained various injuries.¡± Zyrus calmly nodded at her as she continued her report. It wasn¡¯t surprising since mages and tanks were rare before class selection. At this point, the so-called mages were the ones who had awakened their mana by miracle. With the passage of time, more and more humans would awaken their mana stat. Right now, only those who had created a skill by practice could be considered a true mage. Once class selection became available, the number of mages would surge drastically. ¡°As for the others, few amongst the players have managed to create new skills on their own. I¡¯ve made a list of exceptional players so you can take a look at it later.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. You¡¯re doing a good job,¡± ¡°As long as you know it. Also, there¡¯s one more thing.¡± Ria replied with a pleased expression. ¡°Go on,¡± ¡°I sent some players to scout nearby areas, Guess what I¡¯ve found?¡± ¡°Another crown holder? But it shouldn¡¯t be so simple.¡± Zyrus¡¯s curiosity was piqued as he looked at her smug face. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not simple. I¡¯ve found a crown holder alright, and it¡¯s right beside us.¡± ¡®Beside us? Could it be..¡¯ Zyrus pondered for a while when a thought suddenly occurred to him. There was only one race that would be able to do that. Quite unexpectedly, he had found the first target for blood fusion. Chapter 27: Appointment ¡°Oh! Have you figured it out already?¡± Ria raised her eyebrows at Zyrus. ¡°There should be a rat colony underground, right?¡± Ria nodded with surprise at his accurate guess. After all, it took them a lot of effort to figure it out. ¡°Don¡¯t be disheartened though, I wouldn¡¯t have realized it without prior information,¡± ¡°Come on, I¡¯m not that petty.¡± ¡°Haha.. regardless, as I said before, I¡¯ll reward those who have worked well, so look forward to it,¡± Zyrus chuckled and left behind the bemused Ria. As far as he recalled, there should be three types of rats working together in the nearby area. The first race was the sawtooth rats which he had faced at the end of the tutorial. The second race was scavenger rats. As their name suggested, they were excellent at finding trash and treasure alike. The third and final race was his target for blood fusion. They were burrow rats who possessed remarkable underground movement skill. Zyrus came upon this decision after a lot of thinking. There were a lot of monsters that had good traits even in the first ring. For example, Trolls had their signature regeneration trait, Orcs and ogres had strength and stamina, kobolds had sharp senses, and so on. There are also some rare salamander species who had magic related traits. However, they were all lackluster in his opinion. Apart from the troll¡¯s regeneration rate, the rest of them were very common amongst the monsters. Not to mention the negative chance where he could unluckily obtain a useless trait. Zyrus wouldn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry if he were to obtain the troll''s slumber trait, or the salamander''s healing-type shedding ability. Thus, the burrow rats were a great option. Just like other rare species, they only had a couple of traits. The burrow rats in particular had earth movement and concealment traits, so he would have a 50% chance of obtaining either. Both of these were supportive type traits which made the rats the weakest monster race in the first ring. The burrow rats'' role was to act as scouts and build underground lairs. It might look useless to others, but for Zyrus, these traits were perfect. Earth movement would give him the ability to travel underground without any hindrance, whereas the concealment was self-explanatory. ¡®I hope I get earth movement though,¡¯ Zyrus thought with a wistful smile. Although it had a common name, its practical uses were very much game-changing. The burrow rats were able to move into the earth as if it were a pool of water. Be it in running away or setting up an ambush, this trait was exceptional. Zyrus recalled the report he had received from Ria as he walked towards the designated area. This was a golden opportunity for him to level up and expand his army while he was at it. Before that, however, he had to reward and motivate his troops. It was a simple carrot-and-stick tactic. Everyone knew about it, but it didn¡¯t make it any less effective. *Thuck*Thuck* ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Call everyone out.¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t explain anything to the flustered mage and ordered him to gather everyone up. After departing from the mage¡¯s tent, Zyrus repeated the same process with other groups on his way. He could¡¯ve asked someone else to call them on his behalf, but it wouldn¡¯t be as impactful. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. He had gained their loyalty by instilling fear into their minds. Thus, he knew that there would be underlying issues in the future if the situation were to continue as is. He wanted to turn their fear and resentment into respect and awe. ¡®It¡¯ll be difficult, but I''ll manage it somehow,¡¯ Zyrus stood at the square while thinking about his future plans. The players gathered at the center in just a couple of minutes. There was pin-drop silence in the area despite the large crowd. Even the goblin riders showed remarkable discipline. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before the last battle, I¡¯ll reward those who did well.¡± Zyrus cut straight to the chase without any flowery speech. Starting from the ones who had done well, to those with exceptional performances, he called them out one by one. He had decided to give them the looted equipment. And judging from their curled lips after getting their rewards from Ria, the decision was indeed a correct one. ¡°Last but not the least, I¡¯ll appoint two among you as crown holders.¡± Zyrus declared in a higher pitch as he looked at everyone. He scanned the crowd and saw a lot of players who had eager expressions on their faces. His gaze finally landed on a yellow-clothed bald man. ¡°Shi kun, with your commendable leadership qualities, you have earned the right to hold a bronze crown. I hope you impart your tanking skills to others in your unit, and create an impenetrable fortress that guards us all.¡± The middle-aged man, Shi kun, was caught off guard by this pie falling from the sky. Never in his wildest imagination had he thought that someone like him who was only good at defending, would be one of the two new leaders. As expected from an experienced man though, he immediately regained his bearing and bowed towards Zyrus. Zyrus nodded and ordered Ria to arrange all of the shield warriors and bulky swordsmen under the man¡¯s group. For swordsman and thief squads, he already had Kyle and Lauren in his mind. Regardless of how well the players performed in that area, he wasn¡¯t going to appoint any of them as a crown holder. For him, trust came before everything. ¡®Besides, those two are on a completely different level compared to these players,¡¯ Zyrus thought as he looked at the edge of the crowd. The person he was looking for was ironically an exception to his previous thought. He was a young man wearing a gray hoodie. From a single glance, it was apparent that the man was an introvert. His communication skills were non-existent as per the reports, however, what caught Zyrus¡¯s eye was something else. ¡°Jacob, I know you¡¯ll hate this, but you¡¯ll be leading the mages from now on.¡± Zyrus chuckled as he looked at the man¡¯s devastated expression. Everyone was perplexed by his announcement. After all, unlike the previous times, Zyrus hadn¡¯t mentioned a single feat of the man called Jacob. Ria gave Jacob a knowing smile and appointed him another 100 players. The composition of this group was rather peculiar. An incompetent leader, 20 mages, and the newly subdued players. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize the chaos that would unfold in this group. Zyrus didn¡¯t care about that as he looked at everyone with a calm gaze. He selected Jacob for a very simple reason, the man was talented in wielding mana. It was his assessment as the man who once stood at the apex of arcana. In just this short period of time, Jacob had created two magic skills by getting different achievements. *Clap*Clap* ¡°I¡¯m sure most of you have realized my goal for different leaders. Since we can''t access the class system yet, I¡¯m going to divide the players based on their weapons. For now, the archers will work with goblin riders.¡± Once again, everyone was surprised at this decision. Some archers felt uncomfortable at the thought, but no one had the guts to question Zyrus¡¯s decision. ¡°Finally, I¡¯d like to sincerely thank and reward the one who had worked hardest amongst all the players. From today onwards, Ria will be in charge of all the human players.¡± Even the calm and composed Ria was stunned this time. Unexpectedly, she had obtained a position that was below one and above many. ¡°All leaders will meet me after Lunch. Dismiss,¡± With a wave of his hand Zyrus walked off the square platform. Hundreds of thoughts were swirling inside his mind at this moment. Before fighting against the rat colony, they had to digest their current strength. He had a perfect plan for that. Apart from improving the player¡¯s teamwork and cohesion, he could get some goodies as well. ¡®I¡¯ll create a magic spell as well while we¡¯re at it,¡¯ Zyrus rubbed his hands as he recalled his first battle against the field boss. At that time, he already had a silver crown with level 17. He and the group he was fighting against, were ambushed in the middle of their battle. By a field boss that is. Zyrus won the fight in the end, but he had nearly lost his silver crown. It was a gruesome fight as the field boss, Tauranox, had the ability to summon minions. There were far too many causalities in that fight. The fight took place in none other than these same plains. After a day¡¯s march, Zyrus was sure his troops would be able to reach that location. The player¡¯s levels were bound to skyrocket after a successful hunt. It would be even better if they were to encounter other crown holders on the way. ¡°Status,¡± Zyrus muttered after reaching his camp. Before getting an achievement, he had to increase his mana to a passable level. At long last it was time to use the SP that he had been hoarding so far. Chapter 28: Spearweaver Zyrus used a third of his SP on mana without hesitation. Now his stats were in balance once again. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Sylvarix] [Class: Balaur Summoner (Locked)] [Level: 10] Exp: 58,635/60,000 [Title: None] [Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, Goblin Slayer, First step of the Spearman, Killer of Keliodus, Boss Buster(I), Forged in combat, Shattered in Victory, Gaze of the Predator, Humanity¡¯s Pathfinder, Child of mana, The first Traitor¡­] [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] [Strength: 20] [Agility: 20] [Vitality: 50] [Intelligence: 21] [Mana: 20 (+2)] [SP: 20] HP: 2500 Crit rate: 10% Crit damage: 100% Poison resistance: 150% [Basics of Sojutsu], [Eye of Annihilation], [Poison breadth] [Bloodspine spear (Unique)] Durability: 250/250 ATK: 65 Piercing rate: 5% Effect: The weapon can absorb the lifeblood of enemies to evolve itself. Current rate: 34% [Bone necklace Totem (Common)] Durability: 10/10 A crude totem made by the goblin shaman. Effect: MP +2 Currency: 835C [Vitality recovery potion x 1] [Durability Scroll x 2] [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] [Fang of Nidraxis (Unique)] Nothing much had changed in his status screen apart from his accumulated exp. Now that he had enough mana to practice, Zyrus immediately began his preparation to get a new achievement. He started with the most basic mana training by simply imbuing a steady flow of mana into his spear. He didn¡¯t know what material the bloodline spear had, but it had very good mana conductivity. The bone shaft glowed with a white radiance as Zyrus practiced his basic spear moves. He wasn¡¯t the only one working hard though. Be it the newly appointed leaders or the players who had received new items, everyone was busy with their own training. Some pursued survival while others worked hard due to competitive spirit. Unlike before, there wasn¡¯t a single player with a gloomy complexion. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. This was the outcome Zyrus wanted from the start. Humans might seem weak and fragile, but they had the most tenacious will. Just like a fine metal, these players needed to be forged again and again. Only after being tempered by the tides of war would they become true warriors. Zyrus knew what it took to create an army. A soldier might not like their king, but it didn¡¯t matter. They might not agree with the cause of war, but again, it didn¡¯t matter. He wanted his soldiers to kill where his fingers pointed at, kill until there was nothing left to kill. It didn¡¯t mean that he wanted to create mindless puppets. Quite the contrary, he wanted them to have their own beliefs and ideals. After all, only through them would they be able to survive in this hellish nightmare. But nothing like that should matter once the fight begins. An army represented the will of every soldier that was a part of it. There might be love and conflict among them, but once their weapons were drawn, only a single thought should remain in their head, KILL. Time passed by like a fistful of sand. Zyrus met with the different leaders one by one and gave them detailed plans about their upcoming hunt. The day went just like that, and when the night came, Zyrus had already snuck away from the camp. As for the other matters, well, he had promoted Ria for a reason¡­ ¡­ The night wind blew under the clear starry sky. Dried grass rustled across the vast plains, acting as an orchestra on the insects'' concert. Loud buzzes rang across the plains where not a single tree stood in sight. Insects glowing in vibrant colors gave these desolate plains a merry vibe. Amidst these swarms of glowing fireflies, a monster stood alone with a spear in hand. *Shimmer* Blue spears flickered around with a surge of mana. The projections kept trembling in an unsteady manner, but no matter what, not one of them was broken thus far. More and more spears kept popping in-and-out of thin air around him. When the number reached 10, an abrupt bang rang out from within these spears. ¡°Reform.¡± In the next instance, the spears which were reduced to a cloud of blue fog emerged once again. The monster was, of course, Zyrus. After spending an entire day, he finally got an achievement that gave him the Weapon Enhancement skill. It was a common D-grade skill that everyone would learn eventually. It improved the weapons'' overall attributes and added a mana penetration ability. Nonetheless, the skill was considered rare in the first ring. That was because the players wouldn¡¯t be able to damage high-level monsters without it. Besides that, this skill was also a prerequisite for many other skills. One such example was the skill that Zyrus had just obtained. [Congratulations! You have learned the art of conjuring weapons] [You have obtained the Achievement: Spearweaver(C+)] The next message was a pleasant surprise for Zyrus. [You have obtained the Skill: Arcane Lance (B)] It was very rare for a skill to be ranked higher than the achievement it came from. In a way though, it did make sense in this situation. Zyrus was still an archmage despite his class and race changes. With enough mana, he would be able to reach the peak of his power in a short while. Of course, it would take centuries of hard work to obtain that ¡®Enough Mana¡¯. Regardless of that, his experience still remained. He had obtained the seemingly impossible achievement in the span of a single day. With his vast experience and knowledge of arcana, there was no way he was going to make a mistake in the things he had learned once before. The only challenging thing for him was to get used to his new mana passageways. Every species had their own way of handling mana. Elves and spirits possessed a gargantuan amount of mana. With their incredibly long lifespan, they were the top races when it came to magic. On the other end of the spectrum were races like Minotaur and Cyclopes. Their way of using mana was crude and simple. Even with that, they possessed physical strength that placed them amongst the top forces of the higher rings. There were a myriad of other races with their unique understanding of mana. Arcanists were a group of people comprised of exceptional geniuses from these races. And as the one who stood at the forefront of such a group, Zyrus was inferior to no one in the sanctuary when it came to handling mana. ¡°Well, this¡¯ll make things a lot more easy,¡± Zyrus grinned in satisfaction as he ran across the plains. His poison breath was out of the question in a group fight, And It would be quite a stretch if he wanted to fight Tauranox with his basics of Sojutsu skill. Hence, he had decided to get a new skill before the fight. He had obtained the skill earlier than he¡¯d expected. With more than enough time on his hands, Zyrus once again deviated from his original plan. He was going to meet the players in the morning and launch an assault on the field boss. Its spawning range was fixed, so whenever players appeared in that area, the monster would emerge as well. Now though, he was planning to do something else first. He charged in a straight line with a speed that''d put a cheetah to shame. With a couple more hours in hand, he had the confidence to make it in time. ¡®I hope that thing is still there,¡¯ Zyrus recalled his past memories as he ventured deep into the fields. His goal was none other than the ¡®Object¡¯ he was fighting for in his previous life. Originally, he was planning to acquire that after slaying the field boss. But there was no reason to wait since he had the spare time now. The less variables there are, the better. And as time would prove it, this was indeed a correct decision. ¡­ On the other side, Ria was leading the group of players to the marked region on the map. She was centered in the middle of the group along with Jacob and the dozen or so mages. 50 feet ahead of her was the group of 100 led by Shi kun. Three rows of ten swordsmen flanked her sides, while the remaining group of 50 tailed behind the troops. The goblin rangers were split into five groups. They, accompanied by the bowman and dagger users, filled the role of scouts. Both sides were able to communicate with the help of language artifacts. Although such devices were a rare drop, in the group of hundreds of players, there were bound to be some who acquired such things. With the lead of scout teams, the group marched in a pentagonal formation. ¡°Do we really need to be so cautious?¡± ¡°For the tenth time, Yes.¡± Ria replied as she looked at Shi kun with a peculiar look. Never had she thought that this man who looked calm and steady would be such a chatterbox. ¡°Tch.. so boring,¡± ¡°You sure are talkative now that he¡¯s not here,¡± ¡°Not everyone has the balls to bicker with ¡®His Majesty¡¯,¡± ¡°You know I can demote you, right?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about you!¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± ¡°Of course! Do you think I would joke with someone my daughter¡¯s age?¡± ¡°You loo-¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± Ria was given quite a fright by the sudden interruption. She looked behind in embarrassment, only to find the expressionless Jacob staring at her. ¡°That was Rude.¡± ¡°We¡¯re surrounded¡± ¡°What! How¡¯d that be?¡± It was Shi kun who had asked the question this time. Not a trace of the smile remained on his face as he looked around the area. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ria questioned with grave eyes. *BUUUUUUUU* Jacob didn¡¯t have to answer as five bugles cried out at the same time. Chapter 29: Prairie Fire ¡°It¡¯s the orcs!¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming from all sides¡± ¡°There¡¯s an ogre!¡± The scout teams cried out one by one. By the time Ria understood the whole situation they had been encircled from all sides. ¡°Fuck, it had to be them of all monsters¡± She cursed as she gave the command to gather around. ¡°Is there something wrong with them?¡± Shi kun asked as he stood guard around her. Now that the enemies were attacking, his first priority was to ensure the mages'' safety. Or so he thought anyway. ¡°His majesty had warned me about the orcs. They are the most annoying foes to fight against.¡± ¡°How come? They¡¯re not that strong compared to average players,¡± ¡°I asked the same question to him as well.¡± Ria replied as she surveyed their surroundings. Led by three ogres, there were 200 orcs surrounding them. ¡°They don¡¯t have any particular strength or weakness. And they won¡¯t surrender unless they are vastly overpowered. Do you need me to continue?¡± ¡°Tch¡­I see¡± Shi kun looked around with furrowed brows. Since the opponent had similar strength to their own, the only outcome would be a gruesome fight. Neither side will gain anything from the battle. Even if the humans managed to win, it would be a Pyrrhic victory. ¡°You¡¯re missing something,¡± Jacob pointed at the front with cautious eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not, Jacob. The three ogres, one of them is leading the other two, right?¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± *ROOOAR* The ogres weren¡¯t willing to let their enemies observe them any longer. Without any fancy tactics, they launched their attacks from all sides. ¡°Engage in melee combat,¡± Ria commanded with a mike like device in her hand. ¡°Shi kun, attack from the left and keep an eye on the ogre,¡± ¡°Jacob, we need a decisive blow. Otherwise, our causalities will be too high.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Both replied at the same time and headed towards their subordinates. Ria stood alone at the center as she observed the battlefield. She didn¡¯t know how they were ambushed, but it didn¡¯t matter now. The ogres believed that they could win by launching a surprise attack. They had no idea that she had a cruel surprise waiting for them. [Clairvoyance] Ria¡¯s eyes shined with a golden hew as she activated her one and only skill. In the next instance, the world slowed down around her. She was able to observe each and every detail on the battlefield in slow motion. Of course, that wasn¡¯t all. An enormous amount of information flowed in her brain. There were thousands of possibilities in which the orcs would move. Their tactics, strengths, and weaknesses were laid bare in her eyes. She knew about the ogre''s next commands, even before they came up with it themselves. Only a second had passed throughout this process. The golden glow faded from her eyes, leaving behind a splitting headache. *Huff* Huff* ¡®This will be tough,¡¯ Ria grimaced in pain as she held her head. She was sure about defeating the 200 orcs with her capabilities. Even the two ogres could be handled by Shi kun and Jacob. However, there was one more opponent left. ¡®We need him¡­¡¯ Her frown deepened as she thought about Zyrus. The ogre leading the other two was way too powerful. To compare him with the others would be a joke. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Her ability was akin to a cheat on the battlefield. But even then, she couldn¡¯t bridge the gap in their power with it. ¡°I was thinking why he chose me of all people, but now it makes sense.¡± ¡°What? Why are you here?¡± Ria stared at Jacob with a befuddled look. ¡°Just passing by. Remember, it¡¯s not a fight between humans and monsters,¡± Jacob replied with a shrug and left like a wind. ¡°Right! Why did I forget them? It¡¯s so stupid,¡± Ria murmured as a bulb lit in her head. She also learned a valuable lesson at this moment. She realized that in order to make the best use of her skill she had to think outside of the box. Even though the time it took her to come up with a plan was short, the battle was already going on in full swing. [Taunt] Shi kun activated his skill as he stood against dozens of orcs. -5,-10-3-7 *Bang* *Crash* Some swung their maces at him while others hacked with their broadswords, but his shield blocked all of their attacks. The Taunt skill was a double-edged sword. Red-eyed orcs charged at him from all around the battlefield. Fortunately, apart from drawing aggro, the skill was able to reduce the damage taken from taunted opponents. Even then, Shi kun was losing a significant amount of HP. Ideally, ''Taunt'' was used when the tank player had reliable damage dealers around them. What Shi kun was doing now could only be considered a suicide attack. Much to Ria¡¯s surprise, Jacob also used a similar strategy. ¡®They¡¯re both nutcases,¡¯ She knew about their plans, but regardless of that, her assessment remained the same. *Flicker* Standing ahead of his not-so-useful subordinates, Jacob used the most common spell in the sanctuary. [Fireball] [Fireball][Fireball]¡­ Well, even the trashiest spell could become powerful if you cast it a dozen times. The entire battlefield was lit up by the balls of sizzling fire. ¡°Descend,¡± *BOOM* ¡°AArgh-¡± ¡°Fire!¡± ¡°Save us lords,¡± . . ¡°Boss is so cool!¡± ¡°I feel bad after using the translator,¡± Both allies and enemies were captivated by the might of a powerful mage. ¡°What a showoff,¡± Shi kun grumbled as he cast a sideway glance across the battlefield. At this point, over 40 orcs were attacking him from all sides. ¡°Let them in,¡± ¡°Cover the retreat,¡± ¡°Focus fire!¡± Ria wasn¡¯t standing idle either. She shouted left and right with puffed checks. It was quite a comical sight. As a result though, rows and rows of orcs fell with her every command. There was no way the ogres could keep up with her when it came to battle tactics. *GRRR* The ogre leader knew that as well. He snarled with his gritted teeth and waved his hand. Upon his command, the two ogres joined the fray. Both Jacob and Shi kun were spent force by now. Although Jacob had managed to throw a barrage of fireballs at the orcs, it cost him nearly all of his mana. He wasn¡¯t like Zyrus who had balanced stats. As a matter of fact, his physical stats were worse than a goblin. Even with his mana stats that was the highest in the first ring, he wouldn''t be able to do anything in this situation. On the other hand, Shi kun had lost more than half of his HP. His taunt skill was still in effect, and as a result, nearly 50 orcs were attacking him. With their combined efforts they had changed the flow of battle. One way or another, Shi kun and Jacob had reduced the orc''s numbers by half. Thus, it was now a 100 vs 400 battle. However, Ogres were an exception. Just like Shi kun and Jacob, they were as strong as an entire unit on their own. The way things stood, both sides would suffer severe causalities in the next phase. Ria wasn¡¯t worried about such an outcome though. She had left the two ogres and the 200 orcs for her allies to take care of. All of her attention was focused on the remaining leader at this moment. ¡°Retreat.¡± *Awoooo* The goblin riders made an abrupt retreat at her command. Now, there were less than 300 players left to face off against two ogres and 100 enraged orcs. ¡°All Units! Attack the ogre,¡± ¡°Protect the dealers,¡± Jacob and Shi kun commanded one by one after Ria made a retreat. The Former divided the mages into two groups to attack the ogres whereas the latter sent the tanks and swordsmen to protect them. *Swing* ¡°Argh-¡± *Thunk* ¡°Motherf-¡± Quite a few players died in the meantime. After all, neither the orcs nor the ogres were nice enough to let them change their formations. ¡°CoWardSs,¡± The ogre leader sneered in human language as he surveyed the battlefield. He looked on as Ria and the goblin riders were running away. He neither had the desire nor the ability to stop them. The foes this time were stronger than expected. Even after launching an ambush, he had lost half of his subordinates. Of course, not all was bad from his perspective. After killing these strong humans, his brethren would level up as well. The battle went on as orcs and humans died one by one. ¡®It¡¯s about time,¡¯ Jacob stood back after drinking a blue vial, the one and only mana potion he had. With shaky steps, he walked towards the burning area. He had sent his remaining subordinates to the other side. *Sizzle* Orange fire danced atop the dried grass while the air was filled with the scent of charred meat. ¡°Phew.. I should¡¯ve spent some stats on vitality¡­ Anyway, I hope this works,¡± Jacob muttered with clenched fists and walked on, even when his skin was melting due to the heat. Neither the orcs nor the ogres paid attention to his actions. After all, what could a man do in the middle of a burning fire besides becoming a charred corpse? Their thoughts were indeed logical. However, the man in question was a mage. A genius one at that. [Breeze] A gentle wind blew with a sweep of his hand. It was powerless against the raging fire that burned all around him. ¡°Fuse.¡± Jacob shouted and poured out all of his mana. What he wanted wasn¡¯t just a simple spell. He wanted to create a new spell, something which he had done twice before. *Crackle* But unlike before when he was awarded the spells via achievements, the process was different this time. The result remained same nonetheless. [Prairie Fire] A devastating magic descended in the middle of the battlefield. Chapter 30: Role of a leader *Whizzle* A fiery tornado swept upon the monsters. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that no humans were present in the center of the battlefield. ¡°AARgh¡± ¡°Get away!¡± The ogre commanded in a frenzy, but it was too late. It was impossible to stop the fire once it spread on these plains. There was nothing but dried grass and tree stumps as far as the eye could see. The mana used by Jacob had long since run out. Despite that though, the prairie fire was still in effect. The raging flames dined upon the land as they spread in all directions. The scene was cold enough to make the players shiver in broad daylight. ¡°Don¡¯t gawk like morons and gather around,¡± Shi kun roared as the other ogre approached him. The surviving monsters were consumed by fury after they saw their brethren¡¯s peril. ¡°Crush them!¡± The ogre leader bellowed in fury as he ran towards the fiery tornado. *ROOAR* Led by the ogre, all of the surviving orcs rushed at the players. ¡°Dumbfucks. Do they think that I took a beating so far coz I liked it?¡± Shi kun gave the charging monsters a derisive sneer and used his trump card. [Wrathful Reckoning] The skill''s activation was the exact opposite of Jacob¡¯s prairie fire. There were no flashy movements or loud booms. Nothing seemed to have happened on the outside. *Huff*Huff* Shi kun panted for breath as he leaned on his shield. Unlike others, he knew that the skill was already in effect. The orcs stumbled back as if they were facing the most horrifying creature in existence. Even the mighty ogre wasn¡¯t exempt from the [Fear] debuff. ¡°The fuck are ya waiting for? Kill ¡®em already,¡± ¡°Yes boss,¡± ¡°Boss seems high after getting beaten up hehe..¡± ¡°That¡¯s his true character,¡± ¡°Tch..tch¡­ here I thought he was a sophisticated gentleman.¡± ¡°Argh.. Dman! Ya¡¯ll better be ready when I''m done with this shit,¡± ¡°Hahaha,¡± Their lighthearted banter was on a completely different spectrum from what they were doing. All of the remaining players were throwing all kinds of attacks at the orcs. On top of fear, Shi kun had also inflicted [Slow] on them. Wrathful Reckoning was one of the top skills for a tank playstyle. At the highest level, this skill could inflict dozens of debuffs on the enemies. Although Shi kun had acquired the skill recently, it¡¯s might was more than enough to handle the current situation. The skill was a mixture of active and passive ability. It can only be activated when one¡¯s HP reaches below 50%. Once cast, the skill would inflict debuff upon those who had attacked the owner before the HP went below 50%. What made the skill scary, was that there was no limit to the number of targets. For example, if a thousand monsters had attacked him before his HP went below the threshold, all of them would be targeted by the skill''s effect. It was a wide-scale debuff that even mages couldn¡¯t cast on the same level. To top it off, the debuff''s effects would increase proportionally to the amount of HP lost after casting the skill. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It was much more powerful and practical than prairie fire which targeted allies and enemies alike. Of course, that was the case when you had a numerical superiority. *ROOOAR* *ROOOAR* As if on cue, both of the ogres used their skills at the same time. Their conditions were vastly different on the other hand. The ogre affected by debuff was still holding his ground. As for the one caught up in the prairie fire, well, he wasn¡¯t having the best time of his life. The fire wasn¡¯t strong enough to turn him into ashes like the orcs. It had powerful vitality, but instead of being an advantage, it only increased the suffering. The ogre knew that using the skill could do nothing but slow down its death. However, he gained a strand of hope after seeing the leader coming to help him. On both sides, Menacing changes took place on the ogre¡¯s bodies. Red veins as thick as a finger bulged out from their heart. The players kept attacking, but it was futile. The skill was activated and the ogres were covered in a crimson hue. ¡°Stand back! It¡¯s going berserk,¡± *GRRRRR* Some players reacted immediately. Under Shi kun¡¯s command they rolled back as if their life depended on it. And as a matter of fact, it did. Others were slow by just a second, and yet, they were turned into bloody mess by the ogre¡¯s blow. ¡°Shields on the front, Block that fucker at all costs,¡± Shi kun growled as he stood on his shaky legs. He wasn¡¯t scared by the fact that the ogre had killed four players in one blow. What worried him were the frightened expressions on the player''s faces. A loss in morale at this juncture would be fatal. The orc''s current condition was a prime example of that. After being afflicted by fear and slow, there were only 10 of them left. ¡°Swordsmen, throw your weapons after the shielders'' block, and don¡¯t engage in close combat. The rest should fall back and cover the injured,¡± Since there were only dozens of shielders in their group, the assault force was comprised of less than 50 players. *Boom* ¡°Ugh¡± ¡°Eat this you bastard,¡± It was enough to handle the berserk ogre nonetheless. The shielders barely managed to block the ogre after stumbling a couple steps back, but the time it brought was enough for others to attack. Berserk enhanced all of the body¡¯s functions at the cost of one¡¯s lifeforce. However, much to the ogre¡¯s dismay, the debuffs still remained. It was able to ignore the fear debuff due to its high level and racial traits, but the slow status was taking a toll on its body. ¡°Keep up boys, it¡¯s a spent bullet at this point,¡± ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°We¡¯ll avenge our comrades,¡± This ambush was a disaster for Zyrus¡¯s group. They had lost more than 50 players already. But as the saying goes, fortune and disaster always come hand in hand. Zyrus¡¯s plan to train them was progressing in the right direction, albeit in a different way. The surviving players were forged in blood and iron through this battle. ¡°DAMN YOU!¡± The ogre leader bellowed in fury after seeing his brethren on the brink of death. ¡°The fire¡¯s out!¡± ¡°Retreat,¡± *Whoosh* The ogre leader used his skill after holding gigantic axes in both of his hands. ¡°That guy¡¯s trouble,¡± Shi kun frowned as he looked at the last ogre. He knew that as the leader of the group, he would be the strongest of them all. Despite that, he was struck by horror when he saw the ogre spin his axes like a grinder. Visible blades of air formed around him, slicing the fiery tornado into countless flickers. Come to think of it, the ogre leader was unfortunate as well. One moment everything was going well, and in the next instance, everything changed. From the moment when Jacob casted prairie fire to the ogre¡¯s death, barely five minutes had passed. Even as an intelligent monster his tactics and reaction speed were nowhere near the likes of Ria. From the beginning, she had played him around like a fiddle. In the five minutes when hell broke loose on the battlefield, not only did she rescue the fainted Jacob, but the ogre leader was surrounded by goblin riders as well. By the time he managed to quench the fire, the players had retreated far out of the ogre¡¯s range. ¡°Thank god he¡¯s a pighead,¡± Ria sighed in relief as he observed the enraged ogre from a hundred feet away. ¡°I mean, most humans wouldn¡¯t have acted any better in that time.¡± ¡°Yeah, I suppose,¡± ¡°What¡¯s up with that disdainful look?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, Right?¡± Ria changed the topic in a dim voice. No matter how dumb the ogres were, they would lose this battle if Jacob died in this place. ¡°Of course he will,¡± Shi kun assured her with a resolute expression. They both knew that the fight was far from over. If the leaders had grim looks, then their subordinates would be affected by low morale as well. They had to appear calm and steady even when they were not. Even against the mightiest foes, they should laugh, showing those behind that everything would be all right. Such was the role of a leader. Ria looked at Jacob who lay on a wolf with a pained expression. Even he wasn¡¯t spared by the fire he brought down upon the battlefield. Thankfully, the fire hadn''t spread above the arms by the time she rescued him. He had contributed the most in this fight. Ironically, he had suffered more than anyone as well. Not only was he unconscious due to over-exhausting his mana, but his bronze crown was lost as well. Most of the dead players were his subordinates. ¡°Shoot the arrows. I want him dead without a single intact piece on his body.¡± Ria commanded in a voice laden with killing intent. *Swish* Hundreds of arrows flew towards the ogre from all directions. Unbeknownst to anyone, a monster clad in silver armor had arrived at the scene with a spear in hand. It was none other than Zyrus Wymar. Chapter 31: I’ve got a lot of good stuff anyway *Clang*Clang*¡­Clang*.. The ogre swung the axes like a whirlwind and not a single arrow passed through his defense. On the other hand, he was also unable to close the distance with the goblin riders. They were caught in a stalemate which neither party was happy about. The ogre had limited stamina, and the goblin riders were in the same spot as they too had a limited number of arrows. ¡°Will this work out?¡± Shi kun asked with furrowed brows as he observed the battle. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll have to keep shooting either way. In the worst case scenario, it¡¯ll atleast weaken the ogre,¡± ¡°While I agree with the sentiment, this is such a waste of resources, No?¡± ¡°When did you get here?¡± Ria looked back and a sense of relief washed over her. The one who spoke was the person they needed the most in this situation. ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised.¡± ¡°Of course not. You should be aware of this fight from the moment the first player died. I¡¯m rather curious about what took you so long.¡± ¡°Maybe that answers the question,¡± Shi kun chimed into the conversation and pointed at Zyrus¡¯s armor. ¡°Yup. By the way, How¡¯s he?¡± Zyrus walked over and pointed at Jacob. ¡°We don¡¯t have a healer, but there are some who worked in the medical field before. Long story short, he should wake up in a few hours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Make sure to protect those people well,¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Ria nodded while checking out his armor. It was the first time she was seeing a monster? Using a proper equipment. It was a scalemail armor that covered his torso and stretched down towards the sides of his legs. What intrigued her the most were the black runes engraved on the equipment. ¡°By the way, You guys can call me Zyrus from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be surprised about? From this fight, it''s quite clear that you¡¯ll survive in the sanctuary. And since we are going to spend a lot of time together, I don¡¯t mind sharing some personal details.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°You just wanted to be mysterious about it, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡°Your shamelessness never ceases to amaze me,¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite thick scaled you see,¡± ¡°Umm.. shouldn¡¯t you help them out?¡± Shi kun asked with a bit of hesitation. Although Zyrus had allowed them to talk formally, he still felt wary of his presence. ¡°The fight hasn¡¯t even started yet.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± *ROOOAR* Zyrus didn¡¯t have to explain as the ogre was kind enough to do that in his stead. Infuriated by the relentless assault, the ogre had decided to use his second skill. Similar to the previous two ogres, blood vessels bulged out from its body. ¡°Come back,¡± Zyrus commanded the goblin riders as he saw the ogre transform. Since he was their original leader, he didn¡¯t need the bugles or translation artifacts to convey his will. *Awooo* The wolves retreated like a tide on the full moon at Zyrus¡¯s command. Contrary to how he acted on the outside, Zyrus was really pissed at this moment. Unlike Ria and the others, he knew more about the sanctuary. The enemy''s ability to launch an ambush and their lackluster performance in combat were quite contradictory. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. On one hand, they had to be very clever to escape the detection of five scout teams, but on the other hand, they were stupid enough to be caught at a disadvantage due to a couple of skills. The way they fought was simply too simpleminded and barbaric. ¡®There must be someone else behind the ambush,¡¯ Zyrus walked forward with cold eyes. The ogre had used the skill called ¡°Gigantify¡± which worked in a similar way to berserk. Both used lifeforce as a medium to enhance the user''s physical traits. Unlike berserk though, Gigantify provided more strength at a low cost. It was a matter of efficiency. Zyrus had a rough guess about the person behind the ambush. And if he had guessed correctly, then that man should be watching the battle unfold as well. As such, he had no plans to reveal his true strength. Before he went on the trip, it would¡¯ve been difficult for him to win this fight without using his signature skills. ¡®What a waste!¡¯ It was quite ironic as he was joking about wasting goblin¡¯s arrows just a while ago. Zyrus grumbled and he took out an object from his inventory. Everyone was surprised after seeing the ragged piece of paper in his hand. [Scroll fragment (Rare)] Scattered piece of a unique rank scroll that contains the Chain blade skill. Effect: Restricts the target for 60 sec and inflicts ¡°Bleed¡± debuff. Note: ¡°Bleed¡± will deal a fixed amount of damage depending upon the level difference between the caster and the imprisoned enemy. On the same level, the target will lose 0.75% HP/sec. The rate will be doubled for lower leveled opponents and halved for those with higher levels. Durability: 3/3 (Will reduce by one upon usage) After the tutorial, the equipment was graded for everyone to see. They were classified into Common, Rare, Unique, Epic, and Legendary. Although the scroll was only a fragment of a unique item, that said item was a scroll that had the same value as an average epic-grade weapon. It was indeed a waste to use it on an ogre. ¡®Well, I¡¯ve got a lot of good stuff anyway,¡¯ After comforting himself, Zyrus used the scroll without hesitation. The ground below the ogre flashed with a red light. Silver chain-blades surged out of the magic circle, coiling around the ogre like snakes. *Hoowl* Of course, that wasn¡¯t all. Red blades made from mana bloomed all around the restricted ogre. It growled and cursed to get out, but it was to no avail. ¡®And there goes my chance for a one-on-one duel¡¯, Zyrus clicked his tongue as he lunged towards the ogre. As much as he wanted to engage in a fair fight to access his strength, now wasn¡¯t the time to do so. *Thrust* -357 The ogre slumped down in pain as Zyrus stabbed his eyeball out. This was the first time he had dealt the maximum amount of damage after the race change. Before this fight, his enemies were unable to handle even a single critical hit on their weak spots. The bloodspine spear gave him 65 ATK, which was further boosted by the Basics of Sojutsu, totaling it to a whopping 85 ATK. Combined with his monstrous 20 strength, it would deal 17 damage at the bare minimum. *Slash* -357 And there was no way that Zyrus would miss a weak spot on an immobilized enemy. The ten times damage multiplier coupled with the critical hits was depleting the ogre¡¯s HP at a drastic rate. *ROOar* *Sweep* -184,-100 Exp +1500 ¡®Phew.. I didn¡¯t have the chance to use the weapon enhancement skill,¡¯ Zyrus slouched down beside the dead ogre and swiped the non-existent sweat on his forehead. [Level up!] [+2 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Mana] ¡°Welp looks like my race has piss-poor talent when it comes to mana.¡± Zyrus muttered to himself and began to dismember the ogre¡¯s corpse. It wasn¡¯t his favorite pastime activity, but the ogre''s heart was quite useful for his subordinate. ¡°Um.. This is rather unexpected,¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright dear, you can say it¡¯s disgusting.¡± ¡°How could I say such a thing to your majesty?¡± ¡°Your words don¡¯t match your expression, Miss Ria.¡± Shi kun retorted instead of Zyrus. ¡°Since you guys have the time to blabber on, why don¡¯t you bring him over?¡± Zyrus grinned as he pointed at Jacob. ¡°This may be rude, but please don¡¯t smile while doing such things.¡± Ria replied and scurried off in a flash. ¡°She seems rather eager to depart, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Zyrus spoke like a nobleman at a banquet. ¡°I wonder why, haha..¡± Shi kun laughed in nervousness as he watched Zyrus take out the ogre¡¯s heart. Although he had seen his fair share of blood, this was too much even for him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous Mr. Shi kun, I don¡¯t fancy human flesh.¡± ¡°O-Of Course,¡± "But as one gets older, their preferences for food change as well, Wouldn''t you agree?" "..." ¡°Tch¡­You¡¯re no fun¡± ¡®Don¡¯t joke around when you¡¯re literally bathed in blood!¡¯ Shi kun cursed inwardly as he made way for Ria and Jacob. ¡°What do you plan to do now?¡± ¡°Call everyone over. It¡¯s time to reward you for your hard-earned victory,¡± Zyrus spoke to Ria, but his golden eyes were fixed a hundred meters away. He was coldly looking at the sparrow that was flying away. ¡®The peeping tom has left huh..¡¯ ¡°Got it. By the way, was there something?¡± ¡°Sharp as always, but now¡¯s not the time. Shi kun, lead the healthy players and loot the battlefield. Collect the orc¡¯s tusks and ogre''s hearts,¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Zyrus nodded at the departing Ria and Shi kun while drawing a magic circle. He had made a mess out of the ogre''s corpse for a reason. Since he didn¡¯t have any magical ingredients, he had to use a more ¡®primitive¡¯ way to draw a magic circle. By the time he was finished, everyone had arrived on the scene. Zyrus laid the fainted Jacob on the octagonal formation. The blood from his wounds mixed with the circle below, but surprisingly, the magic circle remained intact. ¡°Can I come closer?¡± ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s nothing secretive. I¡¯m just implanting the ogre''s heart into our Papier-mach¨¦ mage,¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Ria wanted to inquire further, but she knew that now wasn¡¯t the time to quench her curiosity. After a final check, Zyrus placed his hand on Jacob and chanted an arcane incantation. Chapter 32: Mbeku’s shattered pride & Conductor’s Tiara ¡°Ugh..¡± Jacob groaned as green light pulsed on the magic circle. The ogre¡¯s heart was pulsing with mana on his chest. Bit by bit, it dissolved in a red liquid. Although the whole scene was filled with gore, the red liquid gave out a surprisingly pleasant scent. ¡°Am I weird for liking the smell?¡± ¡°it¡¯s quite natural I¡¯d say. Do you know how we developed the notion of good and bad smell? It is closely related to our evolution as a species. Dead bodies of animals and rotten food were harmful for our survival, thus we evolved in a way that makes us averse to such things. Some sensitive people might feel discomfort and unease when staying with old people or patients for this reason as well.¡± ¡°Is that so..¡± ¡°Indeed. The opposite is true as well. Hot food, fresh vegetables, and fruits smell good for this reason as well. The scent itself is neither good nor bad, it is our body that separates them due to evolution. For example, the things we consider foul might seem pleasant for some animals.¡± ¡°You seem quite knowledgeable on the subject!¡± Zyrus exclaimed as he looked up at Shi kun who was talking with Ria. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m no doctor I did study a lot about biology due to my curiosity. Those were the good old days of my childhood,¡± ¡°Makes sense. Your generation had quite a lot of free time on their hand.¡± ¡°What a discreet way of calling someone old and jobless at the same time. I¡¯ll take note of that.¡± ¡°Knowledge is meant to be shared after all. That aside, what did you do before coming here?¡± Ria shrugged and asked Zyrus who had finished the spell. ¡°That¡¯ll take a while to explain. Let¡¯s talk as we distribute the rewards,¡± Zyrus beckoned the duo as he walked toward the pile of weapons and armors. Be it the orcs or the humans, they would eventually turn into particles after their death. Only their equipment was left behind. Unlike humans though, monsters dropped an additional body part or two. Zyrus asked about the details of the battle, and in return, he also talked about his ¡®Treasure hunt¡¯. To summarize, There was an underground cave at the heart of these plains. It was below a hundred feet of ground level with a radius of ten meters. Many such locations were situated throughout the first ring. In most cases, rare monsters dropped the map fragments of such places. And apart from the difficulty in completing a map, there weren¡¯t any dangers in these places that could stop the players. Even with all his knowledge, Zyrus only knew about two such places. ¡°So you got a map after killing a rare monster, and after going where the map led you, you found a bunch of treasure chests. Sounds a bit too convenient, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I mean, he did fuse an ogre¡¯s heart with Jacob just now. This seems rather tame in comparison.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡± As they chatted on, the pile of loot was cleared up in no time. After a while, only the fangs and two hearts were left. ¡°Do you plan to use them on us?¡± Ria asked with a mix of curiosity and discomfort. Although she wanted more power, this method was a bit extreme in her opinion. ¡°Unlike that brat, you don¡¯t need them.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°You look surprised. Well, to sum it up, that kid had more mana than I do, but with a body that¡¯ll make goblins proud of themselves.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Will he get physical strength from the heart?¡± Shi kun asked as he looked at Zyrus with wide eyes. Wouldn''t this thing be perfect for him then? ¡°Technically, no. This will not be recognized by the system until he fully assimilates with the heart. Which, by the way, is impossible in the first ring. Anyway, I''ll keep the fangs and heart as I have better uses for them.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have other stuff for you,¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ria asked in a tone laden with excitement. ¡°Yup. I got five items from the chests, two of which you¡¯ve seen already. I¡¯ll need one of them for general use as well.¡± Zyrus spoke as he held his hands forward. Two screens popped up in front of Ria and Shi kun. They couldn''t help but clench their fists after looking at the item¡¯s details. [Mbeku¡¯s shattered pride (Rare)] A pair of braces made from Mbeku¡¯s shell. It can create a protective shield to ward off enemy attacks. Effects: DEF +50. Successful blocks have a 10% chance of triggering the ¡°Trickster Turtle¡± effect. Trickster Turtle: One of the three events will trigger at random.
  1. The braces will shine with a golden light, giving the enemies a (Blind) debuff.
  2. Lowers the enemies aggression and casts an ''Injured state'' illusion on the user
  3. Recover HP by 10%.
Although it was only a rare item, it was a very special and niche one. Its value was no less than an average unique weapon. ¡°This is perfect for me,¡± Shi kun grinned happily as he caressed the pair of green bracers given by Zyrus. Beside him, Ria was still dumbstruck as she looked at the other screen. [Conductor¡¯s Tiara (Rare)] A replica of the ##*#-##. INT +5 Effects: Conveys your commands to the desired party simultaneously. Range: 1Km CD: none Unlike the other equipment, the description for this one was rather lackluster. For those capable enough to utilize its effect though, it was a game-changing equipment. And Ria was exactly such a person. Giving her this tiara was akin to adding wings to a tiger. ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys liked it,¡± ¡°Of course we do. However, isn¡¯t that a bit unfair for him?¡± Ria looked at the fainted Jacob. She couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty as he was the only one who had lost the crown. ¡°That¡¯s life for you. He needs the heart more than stuff like this anyway. Besides, it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t get any new equipment in the future.¡± The trio chatted on as they walked around the temporary camp. Zyrus wanted to start the field boss raid as soon as possible, but even then, he couldn¡¯t overlook the player''s fatigue. The upcoming fight would be far more arduous than this one. Only those who give their 100% in the battle would be able to survive and increase their strength. ¡°By the way Zyrus, what does MP do? I haven¡¯t seen a skill or equipment that requires mana to activate, the same goes for stamina. Shouldn¡¯t there be units for that?¡± ¡°Of course there are, but you are glossing over something important,¡± Ria raised her brow at his remark. Even with all her intelligence, she wasn¡¯t able to come up with a plausible cause. ¡°The way we obtained skills and mana isn¡¯t the ¡®common¡¯ method. Only after entering the second ring would everyone get their skills and classes. As for the items, do you think high-grade equipment would follow the norm? They have hundreds of times more mana than you currently possess, so why would they need yours to function? Items like these are usable even in higher rings.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I get the second part, but can you explain the first one?¡± Shi kun perked up his ears at their conversation. He didn''t have anything to do with mana at this point, but he would have to rely on it sooner or later. It was a golden opportunity to learn the basics before that time came. ¡°To put it simply, after passing the first ring, our status screens will change. They¡¯ll have new functions and stats like stamina as you¡¯ve mentioned. Imagine if everyone had the advanced version of the status from the get-go, wouldn¡¯t that be confusing for the masses? Besides, we¡¯re supposed to figure out stuff like that on our own. The system is a tool to make things more convenient, not a means to spoon-feed us.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Zyrus explained about trivial stuff during the time they rested. Of course, from Ria and Shi kun¡¯s perspective, the information they got was anything but trivial. Jacob also woke up after a couple of hours. Apart from his rosy complexion, there weren¡¯t any visible changes on him. Zyrus explained about the ogre''s heart and things he should take care of in the future while he ate the porridge. The group took off after everyone was back at their full strength. Although their numbers had dwindled quite a bit after the fight, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. The field boss would reap the lives of many, Zyrus was certain about that. He was overwhelming his enemies after his race change, but it¡¯ll be different in the next fight. His strength was balanced if one took into account that he was the only being representing an entire race. Could he face off against hundreds? Yes. But what about thousands? Millions? Zyrus knew what he needed in order to stand on top. He needed an army, one that could overcome any and all obstacles on his path to invincibility. *MUUUUU* [Alert! The field boss ¡°Tauranox¡± makes his appearance] [The field boss raid commences!] [All the players in the vicinity are forced to participate] [Current players: 357] A five-meter-tall black bison stood in front of the players. Chapter 33: Lorica Squamata ¡°It¡¯s freaking huge!¡± ¡°Is that even fur anymore? That looks like iron needles!" ¡°Stop gawking at it and get in the formation,¡± Zyrus shouted at the forefront of the group. ¡°Roger that.¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t it attacking?¡± Ria asked after sending Shi kun to handle the other players. Although she was in charge of all the players, her position wasn¡¯t suitable for an in-field commander. The role of a strategist was much more suitable for her. ¡°Before we step into the ring, it won¡¯t.¡± Zyrus gave a concise replay as he observed the field boss. As its name suggested, Tauranox was a bison-like monster. Of course, it only looked like it. A body that spanned almost two dozen feet, Hooves that gave off a scorching red aura, and a pair of horns that shined in a silver luster. Its black fur shined in the morning sunlight, giving the creature a majestic appearance. The bulls on earth would look as cute as a kitten in front of this monstrosity. As Zyrus had mentioned, the bull was surrounded by a ring of green light. The 100-meter green circle stood out conspicuously in these surroundings, where not even a blade of grass was present. ¡°How are we going to fight that?¡± Jacob inquired while he observed the monster. ¡°You guys won''t be fighting him, because you¡¯ll die in a hit.¡± ¡°Thought so.¡± ¡°You¡¯re way too calm about this!¡± ¡°Since he bought us here, that¡¯s his problem,¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ria was left speechless at Jacob''s nonchalant response. ¡°Haha.. that¡¯s not a bad way to think. You guys go back and handle its minions,¡± ¡°They¡¯ll come out once you enter?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Tch.. whoever designed this must be a sadist,¡± Zyrus couldn¡¯t help but nod at her remark. As the one who was once caught in this trap, he knew how insidious it was. ¡®357 huh, that¡¯s much better than the last time,¡¯ Zyrus sighed as he sauntered towards the ring. The system didn¡¯t give any details about the Tauranox, neither did it mention what rewards the players would get after defeating it. It showed nothing else apart from the number of players present, a seemingly useless piece of information. But since it wasn¡¯t Zyrus¡¯s first time fighting it, he knew that it was a hint. The number of minions summoned by Tauranox was the same as the players in the area. It didn¡¯t matter whether they fought or ran, the number of monsters would remain the same. It was a cruel trap. Hundreds of players would charge in to defeat the big monster by overwhelming it with numbers, only to be besieged by the same number of its minions. ''About time I settle the beef with this bastard,'' The moment Zyrus stepped into the ring, everything changed in an instant. *BAANG* The earth cracked like a waffle as Tauranox Slammed its hooves. Black mist surged from the ground, taking the shape of miniature bulls. Of course, they were only miniature when compared to Tauranox. *MUUUU* ¡°Stop mooing motherfucker,¡± Zyrus grabbed his spear and charged forward. Tauranox had marked him as its target as well. Both leaders charged towards one another without paying any heed to their surroundings. Be it the players or the minions summoned by the field boss, none of them had the qualification to join in their fight. *Clang* -17 Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He almost dropped his spear after hitting its horn. Even with his strength, he was flung back a dozen feet after a clash of raw power. ¡®Haa.. this fucker hits as hard as ever. Thankfully, I¡¯ve got this armor,¡¯ [Lorica Squamata (Unique) (Evolvable)] A platinum armor made with the scales of Auricrust Crab. The soul of the slain crab has been sealed inside the armor, giving it a chance to evolve further. Durability: 495/500 DEF +35 By using 100 Durability the skill Lunar Aura can be used. Lunar Aura: Under the moonlight, you can lift an opponent with 10 level difference and deal 500% vibration damage. The damage will scale with strength and vitality. Note: The skill will damage the Auricrust Crab¡¯s soul Note: The skill is an absolute skill, and it can activate regardless of the target''s size and state. Satisfied with the armor¡¯s durability, Zyrus dusted his tail and lunged forward once again. *Clang* -17 *Krrrrsh* His feet scratched against the ground as he was once again pushed back. If not for his steel-like scales, he would¡¯ve lost his legs by now. ¡°Hahaha.. This is what I¡¯m talking about. COME AGAIN,¡± *MUUUU* *Slash* -178 Zyrus''s blood boiled in excitement as he slashed the monster¡¯s nostril. Even though it was a critical hit on the weak spot, it only dealt half the damage compared to the ogre leader. Tauranox¡¯s resistance against physical attack was nothing to scoff at. Their fight became more and more intense with every passing second. Neither Zyrus nor Tauranox used their mana as if on cue. It was a fight with pure physical strength. Naturally, Zyrus was on the losing end in this fight. He was losing more HP despite blocking all the attacks. Compared to this fight though, the player''s battle was far more brutal. The minions summoned by Tauranox were similar in size to a real bison. Except for their iron-like skin, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between them. However, that was still too much for the players to handle. Average adults had 5 stats in general. Even after leveling up a dozen more times, they were only twice or thrice as strong in practice. All of them had the means to exert their maximum strength, but their enemies weren¡¯t simple either. The minion¡¯s horns were impossible to block if they didn''t have a shield warrior supporting them. They were able to hold their ground thanks to the new equipment, but the stalemate wouldn¡¯t last long. Zyrus already knew that things would turn out this way. *Thrust* -178 ¡®I don¡¯t have to worry about them, I can''t afford to.¡¯ Zyrus grinned and wiped the blood from his chin. His internal organs were rattled to the point where even a little shock caused him to puke out blood. Less than a third of his HP remained at this point. Tauranox wasn¡¯t in the best condition either. Its HP was well above 60% by Zyrus¡¯s estimate. However, as a cost of clashing with his spear, one of its horns was broken. There was no way a monster''s horn could handle a frontal clash with a unique-grade weapon, even If the monster in question was a field boss. Every inch of his body was screaming in pain, but Zyrus enjoyed this sensation. How long had it been since he fought with all his heart? ¡°Do you need help?¡± A feminine voice whispered in Zyrus¡¯s ear as he stood up once again. He didn¡¯t have the leisure to look back, nor did he need to. ¡®She seems pretty good at using that tiara,¡¯ *Slash* -10,-178 *Muuu* ¡°Kuk-¡± Zyrus had lost count of how many times he was flung away like a ragdoll. If not for his vitality which was comparable to a mini-boss, he would have died ten times already. ¡°Finish the fodders and retreat!¡± Even while spewing out blood, he commanded Ria with resolution. ¡°But-¡± ¡°That¡¯s an order.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± *Thrust* -178 *Puchik* Finally, Tauranox¡¯s defense crumbled after a fifth blow on its eye. ¡°MUUUUUUU¡± -500 ¡°Hahaha, That¡¯s what you call a bullseye,¡± Zyrus chuckled and took out a purple bottle from his inventory. After biting the cork with his razor-sharp teeth, he gulped down its contents in one go. +500 ¡®Phew.. Even with this, my HP is only 1300,¡¯ Zyrus frowned as he looked around him. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to fight anymore, but that bastard had an ¡®Invincible¡¯ buff after losing half of his HP. Most of the minions were dead by now. With the death of 43 players, Ria had also lost her crown. Ironically, goblins were unscathed in both of the battles. With their long-range attacks they managed to kill a lot of minions without being harmed. Of course, it was only possible with their teamwork with human players. Without them in the way, the bisons would have flattened the goblins into meat paste. With his rich combat experience, Zyrus only needed a glance to figure out the overall situation. In the best-case scenario, he had thought that more than 300 players would survive from the original ~450 players. Although a lot of them died against the ogre, the remaining ones became stronger as well. Thus, his prediction wasn''t off by much. ¡°Don¡¯t engage anymore, Run as far as you can. All leaders, go all out and finish the minions,¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± Shi kun gave a spirited shout and used the most powerful skill he had, Wrathful Reckoning. Except for two, all of the remaining bisons were slowed down to a crawl. Goblins and humans rained down arrows upon them even as they retreated. *Flicker* That wasn¡¯t all. Jacob, who hadn¡¯t used a single bit of his mana, also joined the fight. Fifty bucket-sized fireballs fell on top of the surviving minions. Even Zyrus was forced to take a sharp breath at this. This Instantaneous power was second only to his poison breath. And since it didn¡¯t target allies and enemies alike, this was more practical than his attack. ¡®Nice, looks like everything worked out for the best,¡¯ Zyrus smiled faintly and roused his mana as well. All of his preparations were for this moment. He knew about Tauranox¡¯s attack pattern. The field boss only used physical strength in the first half. Only after bringing down its HP below 50% would the second phase start. Before that though, it would use the shining horn¡¯s power and charge around the battlefield. In an ¡®Invincible¡¯ state at that. It was also the reason why he took so many blows to crack his horn. *HUFF*HUFF* Unfortunately, its horn wasn¡¯t the only organ filled with power. White mist blew out from Tauranox¡¯s nostrils as the monster dug the ground with its hooves. No, it wasn¡¯t digging the ground. The ground melted into lava when it came in contact with its hooves. *Boom* The raging monster charged at Zyrus With a speed that¡¯d put a cheetah to shame. Chapter 34: Slayer of Tauranox In the blink of an eye, Tauranox was already in front of Zyrus. *BOOM* ¡®That was close,¡¯ Zyrus spat a mouthful of dust as he rolled on the ground. Luckily, Tauranox¡¯s rush was similar to the Verdara beetles. Both charged in a straight line. [Arcane Lance] Blue spears flickered around him as Zyrus activated the skill. He had no intention of clashing head-on this time. ¡°Charge,¡± 10 lances vanished into thin air with a flick of his finger. *Whoosh* Almost instantaneously, Tauranox¡¯s hide was penetrated from all sides. ¡°Mooo¡± -1000 ¡°Tch, I¡¯ll have to hit its head,¡± Zyrus muttered and started to run once again. Even without the system''s assistance, he knew that he could only use the skill three more times. Arcane Lance was different compared to the Eye of Annihilation and the Basics of Sojutsu. There was a vast gulf of difference between a supportive and an offensive skill. The might of arcane lance was clear to see. Even with its high defense, the monster was bleeding from the wounds inflicted by the 7 feet long lances. Tauranox had thick hide, but they were nowhere strong enough to block the lances made by Zyrus¡¯s mana. -20,-35,-10,-50¡­. *Bang* Zyrus once again dodged the monster''s hooves by a hair''s breadth. The heat coming from its feet had reduced his HP to less than 1000. Tauranox wasn¡¯t the only one taking continuous damage. Although Zyrus had inflicted bleed on the enemy, he was also inflicted by ¡®Burn¡¯ from the lava. Just by charging left and right, Tauranox converted the entire battlefield into a field of scorching lava. If not for the strong scales of Sylvarix, Zyrus¡¯s feet would have been melted to his bones. [Arcane Lance] *Whissh* -2000 *ROOOAR* ¡°That¡¯s just out of character!¡± Zyrus cursed as he ran for his life. He had managed to strike the monster''s head, but it also made it go wild. Tauranox no longer resembled a bison at this point. Its broken horns were set ablaze in crimson fire. With red eyes filled with wrath, it looked more like a demon from hell than an herbivore. ¡®I wish I could transform like these fuckers one day,¡¯ Zyrus grumbled as he was chased around like a dog. In this state, every hit from Tauranox was capable of dealing 1000 damage. [Eye of Annihilation] He had to activate the skill in order to dodge the monster¡¯s attacks. With his enhanced eyesight, Zyrus finally managed to catch a breath of relief and looked back at the monster. ¡°What the-¡± What he saw gave a great shock to Zyrus. Of course, he didn¡¯t stop running even then. ¡®Albeit very faint, this bastard has a source of origin as well!¡¯ It was a preposterous situation. To think that a field boss in the first ring had reached a realm that he was unable to attain in his previous life. ¡®Well, maybe it¡¯s someone else¡¯s power¡­.¡¯ Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. With the increase in his intelligence stat that came with the eye of annihilation, Zyrus was able to mull over a lot of things while running for his life. Since boss monsters never died in the actual sense, the lump of power he was seeing could be the core that maintained their existence. [Arcane Lance] -1000 Zyrus was able to attack once again after 30 seconds had passed. Just like the first transformation that gave Tauranox ¡®Invincible¡¯ status, its second transformation that triggered at 30% HP gave it the ability to charge without being hindered. Even a mountain would crumble due to its effect. Instead of hitting its front, Zyrus decided to attack the sides of the monster once again. He was no longer interested in the fight after seeing the source of origin. It was much more fruitful to observe the core that maintained its existence. Compared to Nidraxis, Tauranox had a very crude core. Thanks to that though, he was able to learn a lot by observing its mobilization of power. ¡®It¡¯s amazing,¡¯ Zyrus was awed like a child as he analyzed the lump of energy in the monster''s head. Despite the blurry vision, he could perceive the core that held the entirety of Tauranox¡¯s existence. Not just this ''Tauranox'', but every version of ''Tauranox'' that existed in the past and future. [Arcane Lance] *Swoosh* -1000 ¡°Muuuu¡± ¡°Oy oy, Don¡¯t die already,¡± Zyrus taunted the bloody monster as he waved his spear. Tauranox was bleeding from all over its gigantic body. The wild plains looked like a field of purgatory as its blood evaporated with lava. Even in this battered state, the core of its existence remained the same. It showed Zyrus the essence of his enemy, along with its past and future. ¡®This is sad...¡¯ [Arcane Lance] -2000 Zyrus didn¡¯t have the mood to observe any longer after probing its core. Was it because he had a source of origin as well? Was it because he had that Mysterious cube? He didn¡¯t know. Regardless of the reason, he was able to see the path Tauranox had walked upon. From a fledgling to a fearsome beast that laid waste to countless kingdoms, he had witnessed its journey in that instant. Why was such a powerful monster reduced to such a pitiful state? Things were going according to his plans due to his past knowledge, but at the same time, he was deviating from the future he had once envisioned. Where will this new knowledge lead him? Exp +100,000 [Level up!] [+2 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Mana] [Raid success!] [Congratulations! You have killed the field boss ¡°Tauranox¡±] [You are the first players to have killed a field boss in the crown hunt] [+2 SP, 10% increased Exp gain for all participants] [All participants will receive the ¡°Vonasos armor (Common)¡±] ¡°Woohoo¡± ¡°We diiid ittt!¡± All of the players cheered after seeing the floating messages in the air. Even the calm and composed ones couldn¡¯t help but clench their fists in excitement. Zyrus also grinned after seeing their excited faces. Naturally, his rewards were far more than just that. [You have dealt the most damage to the field boss] [You have received a Level Up card!] [You have dealt the final blow to the field boss] [You have obtained ¡°Zubry Solleret (Rare)¡±] [+2 SP] [You have obtained the Achievement: Slayer of Tauranox (D+)] [+15 HP recovery in Boss fights, +2 SP] ¡°Heh, Nothing better than some rewards to lift up one¡¯s spirit,¡± ¡°Did you hit your head?¡± ¡°As if,¡± Zyrus scoffed at Ria as he headed towards the trio. He didn¡¯t want to brood over the core of Tauranox as it was out of his control. Rather than worrying about things, getting stronger was his first priority. Once he became strong enough, he would get all the answers he needed. Instead of wasting his precious time on investigating things, wasn¡¯t it better to become strong and beat up everyone who refused to answer him? It was a very un-archanist way of thinking, but that¡¯s just who he was. ¡°By the way, What did you get after killing it?¡± ¡°Shoes,¡± ¡°Show me!¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Tch¡± Ria clicked her tongue in disappointment at Zyrus¡¯s curt reply. He had already told them to not show their equipment in front of everyone. ¡°You should be more cautious too.¡± Surprisingly, it was Jacob who advised her. ¡°Wow! He speaks outside of battles too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t treat him like a pet,¡± "He''s not cute enough to be one," ¡°Well, you have a long road ahead of you,¡± Zyrus tapped Jacob''s shoulder with a sympathetic smile. ¡°I''m just grateful because she saved my life.¡± ¡°Hoh? Didn¡¯t I do that as well?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a girl.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Zyrus relented against Jacob¡¯s deadpan expression in the end. On the other side, players were still celebrating their victory. Although their numbers were reduced to around 300 now, each and every one of them was a cut above the average. The biggest gain from the field boos raid was the Exp gained from it. Each of the minions gave 10,000 exp and there were 357 of them! Ironically, Zyrus had the lowest level among them despite being the leader. ¡®These items are decent as well,¡¯ Zyrus checked out the armor and the shoes with pleased eyes. [Vonasos armor (Common)] A leather Armor made from the fur of blazing bison. Provides resistance against heat and cold. DEF +25 Due to the innate nature of the blazing bison, the skill ¡°Bloody Bonfire¡± can be used once every night. Bloody Bonfire: At night, hides the user''s presence for 30 sec. After that, the armor will consume the vitality of the wearer and release a dark flame in a small area. HP -100 It was a black leather armor that gleamed in the sunlight. Just like Zyrus¡¯s armor it had low defense compared to the basic armor and in turn, it had an additional skill. Since their grades were vastly different, their skills varied as a result. It wasn''t practical under normal circumstances as losing a 100 HP could be fatal for normal players. On the bright side, the dark flames released by 300 players would be enough to decimate their enemies as well. Even though a lot of players had died, the number of armors they got were still 357. Zyrus naturally took the excess armors into his inventory. A leader had to be shameless. *Cough* Zyrus ignored the prick at his consciousness and clicked on the other reward, Zubry Solleret. Chapter 35: New Enemies and Old Acquaintances [Zubry Solleret (Rare)] Shoes made from the hooves of Tauranox. They contain a trace of minotaur blood, giving them the skill of a hell beast. Durability 50/50 Agility +5 Once per day, the skill ¡°Infernal Tread¡± can be used. At the end of the skill¡¯s Duration, the wearer''s stats will be halved for 1h. Infernal Tread: 1m of land around the user will be turned into a field of lava. The effect will remain for the duration of the skill. Duration: 30 min Note: The skill can take effect on top of any material. The results will vary depending on the environmental condition and the resistance. He equipped them immediately since it was the first leg equipment he had gotten. Although the stat penalty was troublesome, there weren¡¯t many fights that he couldn¡¯t win in half an hour. That night, Zyrus held another meeting with Ria and Shi kun. They had to change their plan as the present conditions were no longer the same. The main goal of the crown hunt was to gather more players under one¡¯s rule. Strictly speaking, what they had done so far had placed them at the back of other competitors. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll go with Jacob and goblin riders, while we subdue human players?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it,¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too rash?¡± Shi kun followed up with Ria¡¯s question as he looked at Zyrus. ¡°We must conquer these plains before hitting lv 15. The contest for the golden crown will be held at another location." ¡°How do you- No, Nevermind that. Do you know where other humans might be?¡± Ria would be a fool if she couldn''t figure out that Zyrus knew a lot more than he let out. The field boss¡¯s location, the treasure chests, and now this. If not for the ogre¡¯s ambush, she would have believed him if he said that he had clairvoyance skill as well. ¡°Go to the east. We don¡¯t have to regroup once again. As long as I obtain the silver crown, we¡¯ll be teleported together.¡± ¡°Are you trusting us on this?¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t reply as he stared at Shi kun with a calm gaze. It was possible that they would subdue more players on their own to get the crown for themselves. It was a gesture of sincerity and a test. Of course, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to believe them completely. ¡®They won¡¯t be able to get the silver crown without me anyway,¡¯ Zyrus chuckled inwardly as he observed the duo. ¡°We won¡¯t let you down.¡± ¡°Haha... Good then. See you on the other side,¡± Zyrus waved at them and flipped the tent''s cover. Cold breeze hit his face as his gaze landed on the vast plains. ¡°You¡¯re going now?¡± Shi kun asked as he looked at the front of the campsite. ¡°Mhm. We can¡¯t afford to waste any more time¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± ¡°You too.¡± Zyrus waved for the last time and joined the party ahead. The 100 goblin riders sat on their wolves with torches in their hand. The flames blazed in the night wind, mirroring Zyrus¡¯s ambition to rule these plains and everything that lay beyond. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡­ Just like Zyrus, there were a lot of leaders who held the same ambition. One of which was the man responsible for the ogre¡¯s ambush. ¡°Hoh, so you¡¯re telling me that the plan failed?¡± ¡°Yes boss. Their leader single-handedly killed the ogre,¡± A burly man replied with a tremble. ¡°How interesting...¡± the golden-haired man spoke as he swirled the cup filled with vine. He stood out like a sore thumb in this dark environment. Apart from him and the burly man, there were beasts of all kinds lying around as far as the eye could see. Bears, wolves, cows, and tigers, all types of animals wandered around without bothering anyone. Of course, they weren¡¯t like the animals on earth. Each and every one of them had their special traits. ¡°What about the other scouts?¡± ¡°Three of them returned,¡± ¡°Hmph, it seems I¡¯ll have to move personally.¡± The burly man squirmed in fear as he looked at emerald eyes gazing down at him. Even as a lv 15 swordsman, he couldn¡¯t keep his calm in front of this monster. ¡°Do you know what I, Aiden Martinez, hate the most?¡± *Shatter* ¡°N-no boss,¡± ¡°I hate useless tools.¡± *Hoowl* *Rooar* ¡°It wasn¡¯t m-my fault,¡± ¡°Scram.¡± The burly man didn¡¯t even waste a second to do as he was told. He had seen no less than 100 players who were eaten alive by these beats. ¡®What a waste,¡¯ Aiden Martinez scowled as he watched his pathetic servant. With his beast army, he was able to get over 800 players as his subordinates. If not for the ogre¡¯s failure, he would have obtained a silver crown by now. ¡°Get ready boys, it¡¯s time to hunt.¡± *Awooo* *Chirp* *Rooar* Hundreds of beasts roared at his command as he stood above a large cliff. ¡­ At another place a thousand miles away, a group of players were huddled together in a forest. *Krreeee* ¡°Shields in the front,¡± *Bang* The meter-long claws of the pterosaur collided with the shield as it dived down from the air. ¡°Taunt it NOW!¡± *Krreeee* A man in golden armor banged his shield against the pterosaur¡¯s head. Even the gigantic monster was forced to tumble with the impact. ¡°Hold it down,¡± At his command, all of the remaining players jumped on the pterosaur with their shields. They bashed its wings one by one and each time, the beast was stunned for a couple of seconds. More than a hundred shield warriors attacked the pterosaur in this manner. Of course, they weren¡¯t the only ones doing so. A rain of arrows fell down on the monster¡¯s wings, making it unable to fly. ¡°Stand back and hold the line, let the archers finish,¡± From start to finish, not a single player had made any sound. Their discipline was comparable to that of a first-class army. *Keek* The pterosaur squealed in pain as it flapped its wings to no avail. After half an hour of gruesome fighting, the monster finally fell. However, the man in golden armor wasn¡¯t all that pleased with the outcome. ¡®We¡¯re not the first one to defeat the field boss,¡¯ The man frowned as he recalled a team of three he had met in the tutorial. ''Could it be them?'' He was none other than Hajin Choi, the man who will be known as the ¡°Divine Shield.¡± ¡­ Similar events were occurring all over the first ring. Some fought against other players to get more subordinates, while others fought against fearsome boss monsters. Everyone tried their best to get more power. The frightening aspect of mankind¡¯s adaptability was shown to its full extent. Thousands of players died each day while the surviving ones became stronger. Just as Zyrus had said, the final stage of the crown hunt was getting closer. ¡°We¡¯ll rest for the night,¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a night ambush be better?¡± ¡°The rats will chew us out before we even see them. Don¡¯t underestimate their camouflage and swarm tactics.¡± ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Jacob shrugged his shoulders and left the tent. ¡®He¡¯s definitely not suited to be a leader,¡¯ Zyrus sighed as he looked at his departing figure. Originally, he wanted to test Jacob to see his reaction in different scenarios. However, apart from his amazing magic skills, he was average in every other aspect. Zyrus knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get the achievement of getting the first silver crown. His main goal in the crown hunt was to get reliable subordinates. There was no way he was going to ally himself with someone as strong as him, not after experiencing the betrayals in his past life. Thus, in order to prepare for the future, he had to nurture talented individuals that worked under him. He wouldn¡¯t allow them to grow to a point where they could threaten him. And to act on his plan, he had to understand their strengths and weaknesses. As they fought together he was getting closer to them as well. He liked the bonds of friendship they shared, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was going to let down his guard. ¡®Kyle, Lauren, Ria, Shi kun, and Jacob¡­ they all have the potential to become strong,¡¯ Zyrus slept on his makeshift bed as he recalled their fighting styles and characters. It was his job to assign them the roles where they could bloom their potential. The night passed by and the dawn arrived, marking the day of their next battle. It didn¡¯t take them long to eat breakfast and get ready for battle. Zyrus wore a satisfied smile as he looked at the scene in front of him. They had reached the location that the scouts had reported. And with his mana, it was a piece of cake for him to figure out the rat¡¯s approximate location. He gave them orders, and one by one, the goblin riders left in groups of 20. At last, he gave Jacob detailed instructions before he left as well. His plan was simple. He was going to smoke them out. *FUAAAA* Zyrus released a poison breath filled with half of his mana at the ground. Well, ''smoking out'' might not be the best way to describe this. Chapter 36: Blood Fusion With the addition of his mana, Zyrus was able to control the poisonous fog to a greater extent. He didn''t possess even a fraction of the mana he used to have, but still, his control over it was second to none. The bluish fog permeated the ground Instead of dissipating in the air. In an instant, the ground was poisoned in a hundred feet radius. Of course, this wasn¡¯t enough to kill the rats. Nowhere near it. *Fuuuaa* Zyrus once again used the skill at the cost of 500 vitality. If not for his lack of mana he would have used it one more time. Unlike before, the fog didn¡¯t spread in the horizontal direction. By using twice the amount of mana, Zyrus made the poisonous fog seep into the ground. He waited with bated breath and recovered his mana. Zyrus knew that this fight would be far more difficult than the field boss raid. The rats had low offense and defense, but their numbers more than made up for it. None of his skills would work against them. Arcane lance could at most pierce two of them at once. Even by using the skill four times, he could at most kill a hundred of them. His once reliable spearmanship was now lackluster compared to his equipment and mana-related skills. There was no such thing as an absolute power in the sanctuary. By his estimate, the rats should have around 500 members. Five times more than his troops. Even if he and Jacob managed to kill 200 of them, there was no way the goblin riders could handle the rest. But Zyrus was able to conquer entire continents for a reason. Every general has their distinct fighting style, and he was the same. So what if their skills were countered? He just had to change the environment to suit his troops. This was the reason he liked the Zubry Solleret as well. Equipment that had a terraforming ability was best suited for someone like him who didn¡¯t lack the raw offensive power. An hour went by while Zyrus was busy recovering his mana. The rats had undoubtedly noticed the anomaly by now. The poison had spread deep inside the land. Although it didn¡¯t damage them directly, the toxins in the air were corroding their vitality. It wasn¡¯t enough to harm them; however, the feeling was similar to being poked by a needle hundreds of times. The rats were able to notice the mana and bloodline that Zyrus had. They were wary of him from the start, but as time went on, their cautiousness was being eroded by their anger and greed. Just like Zyrus could get strong by devouring others'' bloodlines, the opposite was true as well. Another hour went by before Zyrus fully regained his mana. Without wasting any more time, he used Arcane lance. *Kachak* Ten holes were dug in the ground as the lances made of mana exploded. As if on cue, the blue fog poured down into the pits like a flood. *Squeak* -100,-100,-50,-100,-150,-75,-10,-200,¡­. A string of damage numbers filled his vision as he got ready for battle. Despite their timid nature, the rats were sure to retaliate after this. And his guess was right on the mark. *Squee* *Hiiss* Hundreds of rats popped out of the ground at the same time. Although he had expected as such, Zyrus was still shocked with fright upon seeing the foot-long rats creep towards him. *Sweep* -89,-178,-50,-89 This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Exp +500 Exp +500 Zyrus wasn¡¯t pleased despite killing two rats with a single blow. The sawtooth rats were the fastest among them, and they had already surrounded him from all sides. They were twice as big compared to the other rats. Their golden fur gleamed in the sunlight as they stared at Zryus with red eyes. As their name suggested they had numerous jagged blades across their tiny hands and feet. They looked harmless compared to their sharp teeth, but Zyrus knew better than to underestimate them. *Swissh* *Sweep* -378,-89,-178 Exp +500 Exp +500 . . He swung his spear in a wild dance as countless rats lunged at him. Despite their small stature, they were able to jump over him with ease. ¡®My tail is doing much better than my spear at this point,¡¯ Zyrus wasn¡¯t sure whether to laugh or cry at his predicament. On one hand, he had underestimated the rat''s intelligence. He thought that all 3 rat clans would attack him at once. He would be having an easier time in that case as only sawtooth rats posed a significant threat to him. On the positive side, he had underestimated his scales'' defense as well. Even with their spikes which were able to scrap steel, the rats were unable to penetrate the scales of Sylvarix. Surprisingly, his tail was able to fling them away with a sweep. ¡®Is there something like a tail skill? I should really look into that,¡¯ Although it was a bit awkward to use his tail in a fight, it was a small price to pay in order to get stronger. ¡®Besides, I think it looks cool!¡¯ *Sweep* *Swish* -378,-176,-100 Exp +500 . . . Zyrus was able to sustain the single-digit damage he received with his monstrous vitality. However, he knew that the situation would deteriorate if this kept up. He had killed dozens of sawtooth rats by now. The rats weren¡¯t ones to be underestimated either. He had also lost 300 hp at their hands. Bit by bit, His hp was draining below 50% since he didn¡¯t have a regenerative skill. ¡°NOW Jacob,¡± Noticing the impending peril, Zyrus called Jacob and immediately used the poison breath afterward. *Fuuuuu* -400,-400,-100,-250,-300, -150,-400,-200¡­. Exp +500 Exp +500 . .. He didn¡¯t even bother with the surging exp. Left with only 750 HP, Zyrus activated the Zubry Solleret¡¯s skill. [Infernal Tread] Scorching heat emanated from his body as the black shoes emitted a red aura. Soon, a meter-long ring formed beneath his feet. Zyrus didn¡¯t have the luxury to admire the skill¡¯s effect. He resolutely spent 5 SP on agility and started running. He had been saving his SP for times like these. Sanctuary was a cruel place where even a tiny miscalculation could lead to one¡¯s demise. Instead of using his spear, he swiped his claws and swung his tail as he barged into the swarm of rats. At the same time, Jacob also revealed himself a hundred feet away. As always, he started his attack with a barrage of fireballs. The battlefield was transformed into a fiery hell with both of their skills. Unlike the sawtooth rats, the scavenger rats were smaller in stature. They had black metallic fur that boasted high defense. Due to this, neither side was able to harm the other in a short while. Zyrus scanned the burning land with his yellow eyes as he searched for his targets, the burrow rats. He had more than fulfilled his role in the battle. Now, it was time for him to enjoy the fruits of his labor. As Zyrus ran away from the center of the battlefield, Jacob was doing the exact opposite. He spread the flame across the wide area and dealt splash damage to everyone. The lava on the earth, coupled with his fireballs, dealt continuous damage to the sawtooth rats and the scavenger rats. The duo killed 50 rats while inflicting severe burns on dozens more. Despite that though, Zyrus¡¯s frustration grew as he was unable to accomplish his goal. His target, the burrow rats, were too hard to kill. They had the smallest stature. With brown silky fur and beady honey-colored eyes, they were easy to spot. But as expected from their concealment and earth movement traits, they slipped through his claws like sand. The poison and the lava did nothing to hinder their movement as they were able to traverse dozens of feet underground. Thankfully, Zyrus had already predicted such an outcome. The three rat clans had an impeccable synergy. Scouting, resource gathering, and combat. They had all three aspects covered. But just like Zyrus, their powers weren¡¯t perfect either. Since he knew about his own weakness, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t know about theirs either. He deliberately slowed down his movements as Jacob led the hoard of sawtooth rats away. Instead of using his flames to deal damage, Jacob used them to create obstacles in their path. All the while taunting more and more of them. In the span of a couple more breaths, more than a hundred rats were hot on his tail. On the other side, Zyrus¡¯s speed was halved as he panted for breath with every move. His HP had long since reached below 500. The rats made a ¡®Clever¡¯ decision as they sent the healthy and powerful sawtooth rats after Jacob. In their eyes, he was more dangerous than Zyrus as he had killed dozens of them on his own. Compared to Zyrus¡¯s damage over time tactic, Jacob''s fireballs which decimated their kin with a single blow, were far more threatening. Sawtooth rats kept Zyrus busy while the scavenger rats encircled him in a ten-meter radius. With his ¡®slow¡¯ speed, Zyrus was unable to bridge the gap between them. In the next instance, the chance Zyrus was waiting for arrived. As if waiting for this exact scenario, a three-meter-wide hole appeared inside the rat''s encirclement ring. Three rats, no, Rat kings emerged from the hole. It was an excellent strategy on their part. Zyrus wouldn¡¯t be able to handle their combined assault with his depleted vitality. Alas, they had underestimated their enemy. ¡°Got you,¡± Zyrus smirked with cold eyes and took out his bloodspine spear. Although he didn¡¯t have a regeneration skill, he had something far more practical to recover his vitality. [Blood Fusion] A red light flashed in his eyes, and a bloody mist erupted from the fallen corpses. Chapter 37: Activating the Talent The main function of the talent was to regain his stamina. And since stamina was interlinked with vitality, Zyrus was able to regain a significant amount of HP as well. Similar to his fight against goblin riders, green text floated in front of him as he sucked in the red essence. This cheaty ability worked for two reasons. His Sylvarix race was far superior compared to his enemies, and his vitality was nearly fivefold compared to theirs. Against monsters like Tauranox, he would only regain a minuscule amount of HP. In this sense, the regeneration skill was far better as its effects were absolute. Nonetheless, this brief period gave him the time to catch his breath as all of the rats were under the effect of stun. ¡®Let¡¯s see, ten minutes left¡­¡¯ Zyrus calculated the time before his stats would be halved. Just as he had said, there weren¡¯t many fights he couldn¡¯t win in half an hour. This one was no exception. [Arcane Lance] Zyrus hurled ten lances at the scavenger and sawtooth rat kings. Without sparing them another glance, he channeled his mana and lunged at the burrow rat king. Blood filled with dense energy pumped through his legs as he used his agility to the fullest. Naturally, he was holding back on his speed after using the SP. Otherwise, 20 minutes were enough to turn the land around him into a domain of scorching magma. The burrow rat king didn¡¯t have the chance to escape. Zyrus was in front of it in just a second. *Thrust* -378 Zyrus impaled his spear in the rat''s back and lifted it upside down. *SQEEAK* The rat king floundered in the air as it screamed in pain. Dozens of burrow rats charged at Zyrus at their leader¡¯s desperate cry. [Arcane Lance] Ten lances made up of dark blue mana shimmered around Zyrus. Unlike before, he launched them vertically at the burrow rat king. -300,-300,-500,-500,-300 . . With Zyrus¡¯s lightning-fast ambush, the poor leader didn¡¯t have the chance to execute any of its traits before its vitality hit Zero. A crown holder fell in the air just like that. Exp +35,000 [Congratulations! You have obtained a ¡°Bronze Crown¡±] The rat king''s corpse limped atop the spear¡¯s edge. The burrow rats that were aiming at Zyrus were left scared and flabbergasted. Their king had died at the hand of an intruder, leaving them behind with a new leader. Although they didn¡¯t have to obey Zyrus despite him holding the rat king''s crown, they couldn¡¯t attack him either. Most importantly, they couldn¡¯t escape from him in this close proximity. *Sweep* -378,-174,-378 Zyrus mercilessly swept his spear at his new ¡®subordinates¡¯ and sent another barrage of arcane lance at the two surviving kings. Learning from their ally¡¯s mistake, the two kings retreated amongst the group of their clan members. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Zyrus gave them a snide glance without interrupting their movement. He had neither the intention nor the strength to kill them at this juncture. He just had to hold them off until his troops arrived. Thus, He killed a dozen more burrow rats before halting his assault. Zyrus had successfully exerted his dominance on the surviving hundred burrow rats. His authority with the bronze crown, coupled with the suppression from his Sylvarix bloodline was enough to subdue these timid rats. ¡®And this is done as well,¡¯ Zyrus chucked in satisfaction as he looked at the floating screen in front of him. [You have met the necessary requirement to activate the special ability] [You can obtain one of the Burrow Rat¡¯s special traits] [Obtained traits: 0/10] Note: This ability can be used once every 20 levels. Note: The traits will be granted at random and they will be modified to suit your race. Note: The obtained traits can be developed further with the race evolution. His main goal for this fight was achieved at this moment. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t afford to proceed with the blood fusion just yet. Zyrus ordered the burrow rats to engage in a scuffle against their former allies. As he was a monster himself, he didn¡¯t need any equipment to convey his commands. The connection formed by the bronze crown was enough for him to give some basic orders to them. Both he and the rat kings were waiting for the reinforcement. Of course, the rat kings would have never thought that the troops they sent after Jacob would never return. It was a clever ploy. Zyrus had ordered the goblin riders to be far away from the camp before the fight began. Normally, the rats would have noticed their presence once they drew closer, but since Zyrus had occupied their attention with his poison breath, they didn¡¯t have a chance to do so. Not to mention, Jacob had invested his hard-earned SP into agility as per Zyrus¡¯s suggestion. In just 10 minutes, he was hundreds of meters away from the main battlefield. The scattered goblin riders had noticed his fleeting figure long ago. Once everyone was gathered, they ambushed the 100 unsuspecting rats with rapid attacks. The rats had no idea what happened when they were enshrouded in a barrage of arrows. While keeping their distance, the goblin riders killed half of them before they had a chance to engage in close combat. Even then, the remaining 50 rats proved to be a difficult challenge for goblin riders. If it were any other monsters, they would have made a porcupine out of them with their arrows. But the rats were too fast even for their archery skills. Thankfully, the wolves played a crucial role in that fight. Though not yet recognized by the sanctuary, these wolves were slowly reaching the level of standard monsters. After feasting upon the players'' and orcs¡¯ corpses, their innate strength shot up to new heights. They fought ferociously without caring for the wounds inflicted upon them. In the end, they tore apart the rats without a single causality. Although many of them were injured, it wasn¡¯t to a degree that¡¯d hinder their mobility. All of this took place before the rat kings made their appearance. By the time when Zyrus¡¯s stats were about to be halved, the goblin riders had already encircled the entire battlefield. ¡°Good job,¡± Zyrus praised their quick speed as he shamelessly hid behind his troop. The rat kings were well aware of their presence before they encroached upon them, but what could they do? Only now did the severity of their situation dawn upon them. They had no chance to escape without the burrow rats. From their original 500 members, only 200 or so remained by now. Both sides were evenly matched in numbers and the amount of injuries. However, Zyrus was confident in his victory. From the start he wanted things to be this way. He wanted to kill a third of them for two reasons. First, for exp. After killing hordes of rats and the burrow rat king, he had acquired 72,500 exp. Coupled with the leftover exp from Tauranox, he was very close to reaching lv 13. The second reason was the timid nature of the rats. After subduing the burrow rats, their original numbers went down from 500 to 200. ¡°Now then, will you surrender or not?¡± Zyrus beckoned to the rat kings as he played with his spear. They had no way to know that Zyrus had his stats halved and Jacob was out of mana. Not to mention, the wolves were in no shape to chase them down on a long run. *Sqeek* Without even looking at the scavenger rat king, the sawtooth rat king surrendered immediately. It had lost most of its clan members as they were the primary attack force. With merely 50 members, the king no longer had a crown on its head. ¡°Good choice,¡± Zyrus accepted their surrender and looked at the last king with a calm gaze. The rat king hesitated for a while but eventually, it submitted to Zyrus as well. ¡°You sure are evil,¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s their fault for being weak.¡± Zyrus chatted with Jacob and ordered the injured wolves to feast on the remaining corpses. He knew that it was only a matter of time before they underwent a qualitative transformation. The gruesome sight further increased the rat''s fear and loyalty towards Zyrus¡¯s group. At last, only the corpses of burrow rats were left on the battlefield. Zyrus ordered Jacob and the rats to camp a few kilometers away as he remained alone on the bloody battlefield. Jacob gave him an inquisitive glance before leaving, but he didn¡¯t ask any questions. Zyrus had fused an ogre''s heart with him, so he could guess what he was about to do. Since it was the first time he was using this skill, Zyrus didn¡¯t know what were the exact requirements. It would be a chore to drag all these corpses, and this place was definitely not suitable for rest and recuperation. Thus, he was left with no other choice than to remain behind and recover his mana. Like every powerful ability, blood fusion also required an abundance of it. Two hours passed by before Zyrus recovered his depleted mana. The stat debuff had long since run out as well. Finally, he was all set to accomplish his goal for this fight. [Absorb] Zyrus placed his hand on the pile of corpses and activated his talent. Chapter 38: Earth Movement Unlike the time when he used blood fusion to recover his vitality, the effects were much more harrowing this time. White specks of light seeped out from the rat''s corpses. They swirled and weaved as they converged on the corpse of the burrow rat king. Zyrus knew what they were. They were the souls that belonged to the rats slain by him. Even Zyrus was shocked as it marked their ¡®True¡¯ death in the sanctuary. Unlike the shapeless motes of white light, a vague figure a rat appeared on top of the burrow rat king. Not only did it have a distinct shape, it had a will of its own as well. It consumed the souls of its kind and slowly its shape became more and more clear. Zyrus was glad about his decision of keeping the burrow rats'' corpses as well. However, his happiness was short-lived as the soul of the rat king made a snarling face at him. Zyrus realized the positives and negatives of this incident. Since he had used the rat''s corpses along with their king, its soul had become strong. Thus, he would gain a more powerful trait. On the downside, it would be difficult to deal with the empowered soul. Unlike the other skills he had, Zyrus had no knowledge regarding the workings of the soul. Just as he was getting uneasy at the sight, a startling change took place on the corpses. Their bodies withered at a visible rate as bright red chains popped out from their hearts. A thick chain popped out from the rat king''s corpse as well. The soul howled as all of the chains pierced various parts of its body. Even Zyrus felt a chill down his spine at this sight. It was extremely difficult to attack someone¡¯s soul in the first two rings. Even he, a regressor, didn¡¯t have a single counter against soul attacks in the first two rings. [Blood Fusion initiated] [Target: Burrow Rat king] Traits:
  1. Earth movement
  2. Concealment
Note: The blood of Sylvarix is required to start the process. A red screen popped up in front of Zyrus as he was observing the rat king''s soul. Without hesitation, he took out his bloodspine spear and cut his palm. ¡®Here goes nothing,¡¯ Zyrus clenched his teeth in anticipation and held out his hand. Blood dripped down from his palm but instead of falling down, it was consumed by the red chains. At the same time, Zyrus felt his mana and vitality drop at a rapid pace. Zyrus was calm despite the sudden change. His attention was completely focused on the rat king¡¯s soul. Struck with a sudden inspiration, he activated his Eye of Annihilation. He expected to see some traces of the rat king''s source of origin, but to his disappointment, there was no such thing. For a moment he even doubted his instincts. Just as he was getting impatient, an unexpected change took place once again. Zyrus felt an immense suction force inside his brain. It was as if a whirlpool had formed inside his brain. The pain he felt at this moment was beyond excruciating. Then, just like what happened to the rats, his soul was also pushed out from his body. It was at this moment that Zyrus felt his intuition was right. He realized many things at this moment. The Eye of Annihilation had nothing to do with his physical ¡°eyes¡±. He didn¡¯t know which direction this skill would evolve in, but one thing was for certain. The views seen by these eyes would forever change his perspective. The separation of his soul wasn¡¯t the first time encounter for Zyrus. What surprised him, however, were the scenes he saw with his eyes. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Without this encounter, he wouldn''t have realized the intricate workings of the sanctuary and the true function of the Eye of Annihilation. The skill wasn''t created to observe the physical reality. Its true function was to see and influence entities in the metaphysical realm. One of which was his source of origin. Zyrus was all too familiar with his crudely made source that contained his insights and life experience in the realm of Void. What surprised him, however, were the tendrils of platinum energy that covered the sky and the earth. Every piece of cloud and every blade of grass was connected to these threads. His own body and the rat king''s soul were no exception. Everything he saw was bound by these hair-like threads. In his thousand years of existence, it was the first time Zyrus had seen a majestic sight like this. He was all too familiar with these platinum threads. Despite it being his first time seeing them, he knew what they were thanks to his keen intuition. Time seemed to stop at this moment as Zyrus was lost in his thoughts. Of course, he knew that time wasn¡¯t stopped in reality; it was his perception that had changed. The threads that looked as feeble as cobwebs contained the power of space and time. They were made by the laws that even he, an archmage, was unable to understand. Even then, Zyrus knew the insights he gained in this instance were just as valuable as the blood fusion. His observation didn¡¯t last long as he knew what he had to do before his mental energy ran out. He didn¡¯t waste a single ounce of his energy in thinking about anything else except for these threads. ¡®Damn! I would have raised my intelligence if I knew about this,¡¯ Zyrus cursed with regret as he felt his dwindling energy. Without further ado, he did what he was supposed to do from the start. He, or to be exact, his soul grabbed at the rat king¡¯s soul. The rat king struggled in his hand, but it was futile. How could a mere rat fight against his willpower? Its soul was sucked inside his mouth along with its very existence. Zyrus''s vision blurred as his soul merged with his body once again. The blood-red chains also disintegrated into bloody particles and seeped into his blood. His depleted mana and vitality recovered with every passing second. That wasn¡¯t all. [Blood fusion Successful!] [You have obtained the Trait: ¡°Earth movement¡±] [You have absorbed the bloodline of the burrow rats!] [Vitality +10, Agility +3] Along with the string of messages, a new surge of information flooded his brain. It was a direct transfer of memories and knowledge possessed by the burrow rats. Zyrus knew how to travel underground as if he had done it his entire life. It seemed as natural as breathing and walking. His physique also underwent subtle changes. His scales darkened in color while his claws became thin and sharp. His tail became noticeably thinner as the scales around it became more compact and polished. Hours went by as Zyrus slowly got used to the changes in his body. He had obtained 10 vitality and 3 agility along with the trait he wanted. Compared to that though, Zyrus was more concerned about the use of his Eye of Annihilation. He was getting more and more confused as he learned new things about the sanctuary. Everything looked the same as it did before. But in this familiar environment, he felt like the sanctuary he knew in the past life was nothing but a mirage. Even with his remarkable willpower, he wasn¡¯t able to calm down his raging emotions. ¡°Need some help?¡± ¡°Aurora¡­ you noticed that too, huh.¡± Zyrus sighed as he looked at his good old friend. ¡°Moron.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t just notice that, I was the one who gave you the opportunity in the first place,¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wer- no, Nevermind, I get it. You intentionally made me break the balance, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re only half right,¡± Aurora smirked as she fluttered around Zyrus. ¡°I won¡¯t ask more questions if that¡¯s what you¡¯re waiting for.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear things like ¡®Now¡¯s not the time¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯m not able to reveal that¡¯. I¡¯d rather get strong first and find the answers myself,¡± ¡°Tch.. how boring. I thought you¡¯d beg me.¡± ¡°Dream on,¡± ¡°beh-¡± Zyrus chuckled as Aurora stuck out her tongue in annoyance. However, their positions were swapped in the next instance. ¡°Let me guess, you want to level up and get stronger in the sanctuary with your past knowledge, all the while training with your source of origin on earth. And when the time comes to confront the Eternals, you¡¯ll show them your hidden power and crush them. Sweet revenge right?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Yeah my foot. You think you have time for that?¡± It was Zyrus¡¯s turn to feel annoyed this time. ¡°1000 years are enough even if some things go wrong. I¡¯ll definitely become strong enough in just a couple of centuries,¡± ¡°You barely have a tenth of that time,¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. Your plans won¡¯t work because of a very simple reason.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You, my dear friend, Fucked up.¡± ¡°Can I hit you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Please? You¡¯re really annoying me right now,¡± ¡°Still no.¡± ¡°Whatever. Spill the beans,¡± Zyrus grumbled in frustration as he looked at Aurora¡¯s smug face. He wouldn¡¯t have teased her if he knew that he¡¯d need her help this soon. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to see your face like this, we can¡¯t afford to fool around,¡± Aurora spoke in a serious tone as she sat beside Zyrus. ¡°You went into a dungeon, right?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need me to continue then.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Zyrus grimaced as he came up with the only logical conclusion. Just as Aurora had said, his plans were completely off the charts. Forget about getting stronger to get revenge and revealing hidden truths, his first priority from now on would be survival. He didn¡¯t know how or why, but the cruel reality was undeniable. The dungeon on Earth had broken out. And he had to face it all alone. Chapter 39: Anagnorisis Behind Zyrus''s frustrated eyes, there was a tinge of excitement as well. He knew that the situation would be grim. A dungeon break signified that a passageway leading to another dimension would appear on Earth. ¡°As I thought, You¡¯re a weirdo.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just excited for a fight.,¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a good thing at times like these,¡± ¡°How did it happen?¡± ¡°It was a trap. I don¡¯t know who was responsible for it, but the aliens were trapped in that space.¡± ¡°What? I didn¡¯t even go to the boss roo- no wait. Damn. It wasn¡¯t a dungeon in the first place.¡± ¡°It was a dungeon at the beginning. However, the core didn¡¯t just sit around all this time. Instead of assimilating with the earth, it spent all the time creating a gate to the other side.¡± Zyrus sat there in silence as he thought about his encounter. The dungeons were fragments of spacetime, inherently different in nature compared to the stable worlds. He didn¡¯t know when they appeared on earth but it shouldn¡¯t be too long. In normal scenarios, they would corrode their surrounding and assimilate with them. For example, the dungeon of a frosty world would freeze the surrounding land over time before it completely overlapped with the environment. That was called a dungeon break. The affected area would then belong to neither worlds and it would become a point connecting the two worlds. In other words, a Gate. It was a completely different phenomenon compared to the dungeon formed by nature. Natural dungeons were formed by irregularity and congestion in the flow of mana. They weakened the world''s boundary which would allow the alien species to invade. The type of invasion would be completely different in this case. The possibility of a foreign being in natural dungeons was minuscule. Why? It was like opening a door that could lead you anywhere in the world. What¡¯s the chance that someone would jump into the door the moment you opened it? The door could open in the air or in the ocean, on top of a tree and even in the middle of a creature. Now imagine this scenario across a galaxy, a star cluster, and so on. What would the probability of matching spatial coordinates be? After all, both sides had to be free from their world¡¯s boundaries in order to connect. ¡°Haa... let me get this straight. Instead of a sudden alien invasion, it was an invasion that had begun even before the dawn of humanity,¡± ¡°Mhm. They planned it from the start. It wasn¡¯t that the earth didn¡¯t have mana, the mana was stolen and concentrated to create a natural dungeon.¡± Zyrus cursed once again as his fears were proven true. Compared to a forceful invasion, one done by a natural dungeon is much easier and more widespread. No matter how strong they are, other civilizations couldn¡¯t just barge into a new world and attack them. Every world had its own will and laws that protected its residents. They suppressed the invaders to a point where barely a tenth of their power remained. Of course, this only applied to strong individuals. If the invaders had the same level of strength as the natives, then they wouldn''t be suppressed by much. Zyrus had come across all these information in his time at the arcanist''s ruin. Things like other world invasions and aliens seemed far-fetched to him back then. The fact that he¡¯d come to face that same reality was ironic. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry too much about it. I¡¯ll just have to kill more monsters and summon more warriors from their corpses.¡± Zyrus let out a deep breath and leaned back on the dried grass. ¡°There are two more dungeons,¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Just focus on what¡¯s in front of you¡± ¡°Yeah. Thanks, by the way. I¡¯ll be able to create a domain the moment I¡¯m back on Earth.¡± Indeed, the threads Zyrus saw were nothing else but a domain. A domain that enveloped the entire sanctuary. It would be an insult to compare it with the domains Zyrus knew of. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. That¡¯s the least that I- no we could do for you,¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Did you forget the man who gave you the chance to come back? Remember this Zy, he chose you not because of your strength. Even the weakest player could become strong if he had the experience of a thousand years. You have to find out why it was you. Only then can you achieve your goals.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Zyrus replied while looking at the stars above. He couldn¡¯t deny his arrogance and pride that came with his strength. The events today had shown him a harsh reality, a reality in which he was nothing more than a boat that swayed with the ocean¡¯s waves. Did that curb his pride? Not at all. There was only one path in front of him after realizing his lack of power. If he, a normal human could become a monarch that ruled billions of lives, what couldn¡¯t he do in this life? His starting point was hundreds of times better than before. It was just the ceiling of strength that had become higher. There were more barrios to break and new limits to overcome. Everything else remained the same. His eyes shone with determination with each passing second. He had unintentionally limited his goals to defeating the immortals. The fact that there were more things to learn and new heights of power he could reach, made his blood boil in excitement. This incident had broadened his horizons in a literal sense. His sight was no longer limited to just earth and the sanctuary. ¡®If there are people who can invade other worlds, people strong enough to create this sanctuary, then why can¡¯t I do the same?¡¯ This thought presided over all the worries and frustration he had. ¡°Weirdo.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called being ambitious,¡± ¡°Yeah.. yeah... Anyway, I have one more thing to say,¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said it before yourself. Your new trait breaks the balance of this ring. And it¡¯s my job to ensure that this doesn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Are you going to lock it like the class?¡± Zyrus tilted his head in annoyance. ¡°There¡¯s no one who stands a chance against you with earth movement. So you can¡¯t use it. Atleast not when anyone is watching,¡± Aurora replied with curved lips. ¡°I knew you¡¯re my best friend! You¡¯ll cover up for me, right?¡± ¡°Humph! As long as you know. Also, I¡¯ll help only once.¡± ¡°Haha that¡¯s enough. I only need it in the last fight. But aren¡¯t you being too active? You sure they won¡¯t notice you?¡± ¡°Some things happened, so they won¡¯t care about a backwater place like this for a while,¡± ¡°I have enough on my plate already, so I won¡¯t ask what happened. Regardless, it¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°Yeah, you should rest for a night. There¡¯ll be a surprise waiting for you when you wake up,¡± As always, she was gone before he could muster a goodbye. Zyrus stretched his sore muscles and rolled on the ground. It was the first time he was missing a bed since the tutorial began. There¡¯s nothing better than a comfy bed to relieve your mental fatigue. So, Zyrus did the second best thing that would help him relax and fall asleep. He checked out his status screen which had changed quite a lot in the last few days. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Sylvarix] [Class: Balaur Summoner (Locked)] [Level: 12] Exp: 87,250/135,000 [Title: None] [Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, Goblin Slayer, First step of the Spearman, Killer of Keliodus, Boss Buster(I), Forged in combat, Shattered in Victory, Gaze of the Predator, Humanity¡¯s Pathfinder, Child of mana, The first Traitor, Spearweaver, Slayer of Tauranox¡­] [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] [Trait: Earth Movement] [Strength: 24] [Agility: 30 (+5)] [Vitality: 60] [Intelligence: 21] [Mana: 22 (+2)] [SP: 17] HP: 2500 Crit rate: 10% Crit damage: 100% Poison resistance: 150% [Basics of Sojutsu], [Eye of Annihilation], [Poison breadth], [Arcane Lance] [Bloodspine spear (Unique)] Durability: 250/250 ATK: 65 Piercing rate: 5% Effect: The weapon can absorb the lifeblood of enemies to evolve itself. Current rate: 34% [Lorica Squamata (Unique) (Evolvable)] A platinum armor made with the scales of Auricrust Crab. The soul of the slain crab has been sealed inside the armor, giving it a chance to evolve further. Durability: 495/500 DEF +35 By using 100 Durability the skill Lunar Aura can be used. Lunar Aura: Under the moonlight, you can lift an opponent with 10 level difference and deal 500% vibration damage. The damage will scale with strength and vitality. Note: The skill will damage the Auricrust Crab¡¯s soul Note: The skill is an absolute skill, and it can activate regardless of the target''s size and state. [Zubry Solleret (Rare)] Shoes made from the hooves of Tauranox. They contain a trace of minotaur blood, giving them the skill of a hell beast. Durability 50/50 Agility +5 Once per day, the skill ¡°Infernal Tread¡± can be used. At the end of the skill¡¯s Duration, the stats will be halved for 1h. Infernal Tread: 1m land around the user will be turned into a field of lava. The effect will remain for the duration of the skill. Duration: 30 min Note: The skill can take effect on top of material other than earth. The results will vary depending upon the environmental condition and the resistance. [Bone necklace Totem (Common)] A crude totem made by the goblin shaman. Durability: 10/10 Effect: MP +2 Items: Currency: 2489C [Durability Scroll x 1] [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] [Fang of Nidraxis (Unique)] [Scroll fragment (Rare), Durability: 2/3] [Orc¡¯s fangs x 38] [Ogre¡¯s heart x 2] [Vonasos armor (Common) x 59] The sight of his improved skills and equipment filled Zyrus¡¯s heart with satisfaction. It didn¡¯t matter what challenges lay ahead of him. As long as he kept getting stronger, he knew that things would work out. It wasn¡¯t just his baseless optimism. There existed a balance among all things. His enemies may be able to tilt the scales in their favor, but still, he would have a fighting chance. However tiny it may be. ¡®That aside, I look forward to how she¡¯ll compensate me for ¡°not using¡± the earth movement,¡¯ It was the last thought Zyrus had before his consciousness went into a blissful dream. Chapter 40: Altar of Vasara ¡°Does she have a hobby of teleporting people when they¡¯re asleep?¡± Zyrus grumbled as he crawled out of a dune. There was nothing other than heaps and mounds of sand as far as his eyes could see. ¡®Did the Sahara desert look like this?¡¯ Zyrus wondered as he recalled the history classes he had as a child. Well, Sahara or not, this wasn¡¯t a place he remembered from his past life. He couldn¡¯t claim to know every nook and cranny of the first ring, but he at least knew about all of the significant places. But he was completely clueless this time. Technically, it was supposed to be a ¡®compensation¡¯ as he wouldn''t be able to use earth movement in the first ring. Although his trait broke the balance of the crown hunt, it wasn¡¯t his fault now, was it? Thus, if they didn¡¯t give him any compensation, it would be hypocritical to block his trait in the name of ¡°balance¡±. ¡®Though they are hypocrites either way, It¡¯s just that their skin isn¡¯t thick enough to accept that,¡¯ *Bang* ¡°Ugh,¡± Zyrus rubbed his forehead as he looked ahead. He was running at full speed when all of a sudden an invisible barrier blocked his way. [Ding! You have discovered an event area!] He could almost imagine Aurora giggling in the sky after a successful prank. [Starting time: 00:0:05] [The event will end when the second phase of the crown hunt starts] [May the light of Cernunnos guide your way] ¡­ A brilliant light flashed around him as he sensed the change in terrain. Stone steles were erupting from the ground as if they were trees in a forest, blanketing the entire desert. That wasn¡¯t what surprised him the most though. ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡± ¡°That spear! I knew you were the same Zyrus!¡± In front of him were two players that he didn¡¯t expect to see at the same time. The first was Ria who was supposed to be leading the attack against a human camp. And the other... ¡°Long time no see, Lauren,¡± Indeed, the one accompanying Ria was none other than Lauren. ¡°Wow! Your voice is the same too,¡± ¡°Stop observing me like an exotic pet.¡± ¡°More like an extinct species in the prehistoric era. You¡¯re nowhere cute enough to be considered a ¡®pet¡¯.¡± ¡°Mhm. He was scary even before this¡± ¡°Really? I wish I met him earlier,¡± ¡°Tch..So much for a greeting,¡± Zyrus clicked his tongue and walked toward the duo. Although he was shocked to see them get along so well, considering their personalities, it wasn¡¯t all that surprising. ¡°Can I touch your tail?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s sexual harassment.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t count if you¡¯re from a different species,¡± ¡°You seem to be at ease with his change. I thought you¡¯d be scared.¡± Ria interjected as she looked back and forth between them. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? He was scary even before that. It¡¯s just that now his outer appearance is in line with his inner self,¡± ¡°Are you guys done? Where are the rest?¡± ¡°No idea. We were taking a rest after a fight and boom! We¡¯re here in the next second¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You¡¯re awfully excited today,¡± Zyrus eyed Lauren who was explaining with an animated expression. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m happy to meet you again!¡± ¡°Did you think I died or something? That¡¯s why I told you to keep that camp safe. We wouldn¡¯t be separated if we had the same base.¡± ¡°Welp, sorry about that. Pouka attacked our camp you see, so we had to run away,¡± ¡°Pouka?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my new pet! Cool right?¡± Zyrus looked at Lauren with dejection as he bumped his fist with her. She seemed to have an awful lot of energy even in this hellish first ring. ¡°How did you guys meet?¡± ¡°Well, they were fighting against the group of players we were targeting. I originally planned to attack when they were both a spent force, but when I overheard them talking about you, I had no choice but to intervene.¡± Ria recounted with an awkward face. "Looks like her blabbering was useful for once," "Hmph! It''s called being cheerful, you should try it," "As if, By the way, does Kyle have a bronze crown?¡± ¡°Yup. Pouka helped us subdue some monsters.¡± Although Zyrus was curious about her pet, he didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Since they were summoned here by Aurora, his other subordinates should be here as well. After a bit more chit chat the trio started exploring the event area. As they went closer to the stele, its size became more apparent as well. Each and every one of them was at least 10 feet tall. ¡°Look at this, they¡¯re so beautiful,¡± Lauren exclaimed as she pointed at the nearby stele. Zyrus and Ria touched the engravings with curiosity. Birds and animals of all kinds were drawn around the stone steles. Spurned by a sudden thought Zyrus poured a bit of his mana into it. And as expected, another change took place. The entire stele glowed in a starry light before a string of text appeared. [You have discovered an Altar of Vasara!] [Place your offering at the altar to receive blessing and rewards] ¡°Offering? Would bronze coins work?¡± ¡°Nope. We have to find the things in this area,¡± Zyrus stopped Lauren who was about to throw a fistful of coins and looked around the desert. Although the environment was unfamiliar, he was well accustomed with all types of events. This one was no exception. Unlike the first event he had participated in, this was a non-combat-type event. It was similar to a treasure hunt where they had to find different clues and discover hidden mechanisms to get the rewards. This was a rather light-hearted event compared to everything they had been through since the tutorial. After running around for a while, they found a couple more altars that showed the same message. ¡°I hate puzzles,¡± ¡°I agree. It¡¯s too hot for playing games.¡± ¡°Stop whining you two and look aro-¡± ¡°Did you find something?¡± Ria looked at Zyrus who stopped in the middle of his sentence. ¡°Indeed. Wait a minute,¡± Zyrus affirmed and started running at full speed. When he looked behind to talk with Lauren and Ria, he saw something that previously wasn¡¯t in their surroundings. It was a plant that looked like a mix of cactus and a grapevine. The reason why he wasn¡¯t able to find it for so long was very simple, it had the ability to blend into the environment. It was a walk in the park for Zyrus once he figured that out. Well, more like run in the desert. He spread his mana all around him while running to and fro. Sure enough, he found his target. ''Better hurry up now,'' It cost a significant amount of mana to find these plants, and Zyrus knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep this up for long. Dust and sand blew behind him as chased down the five plants in the vicinity. *puchuk* ¡®So she wanted me to train my reception and eye of annihilation¡¯ Zyrus smiled as he stabbed the plants with his spear. [You have obtained Acai berries x 16] [You have found an offering!] *Chikc* [You have obtained Cranberries x 13] . . ¡°You¡¯re faster than me now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s natural,¡± Zyrus panted for breath as he replied to Lauren. It only took him a minute to track down the plants and return. ¡°Let¡¯s offer them,¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Zyrus nodded and walked towards the stele nearest to them. [Would you like to offer Cranberries and Acai berries to the altar?] Zyrus pressed yes without hesitation and placed the 50 or so berries at the base of the altar. [Your offering has been accepted by ######] [##### is very pleased with the delicious berries] [Congratulations! You have successfully performed the ritual] [You can obtain the rewards listed below!] [Find out more offerings to obtain different types of blessings] [The one to obtain the most blessings will get a special reward at the end of the event!] Zyrus read the message floating In front of the stele and pressed on the ''reward'' with wide eyes. <Call for Aid: You can summon either a single crown holder or a group of subordinates to help you in the event> Cost: Crown holder = 20 blessings (1/1 left), A subordinate = 1 blessing (50/50 left) Note: You can obtain a portion of the blessing from the ones who were summoned by you <Exp potion: Obtain 10,000 Exp upon consumption> Cost: 10 blessing (5/5 left) Current Blessings: 57 ¡°That¡¯s a lot of experience,¡± ¡°Indeed. But I think the first option is better.¡± Zyrus stated while rubbing his hands. ¡°It¡¯s like a pyramid scheme,¡± Ria¡¯s comparison was on point. It was the best way to accumulate blessings in the long run. ¡°So, who¡¯re you going to summon?¡± ¡°Missing Kyle already?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not convincing anyone with that face.¡± "Shut up Ria!" ¡°I think he should be here in a different area.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t summon him even if I wanted to. He isn¡¯t ¡®officially¡¯ my subordinate. So, he should have entered just like you.¡± ¡°You seem so sure about it, as if this event was planned just for you,¡± Ria retorted at Zyrus''s narcissistic explanation. ¡°That¡¯s because it is. Anyway, I¡¯ll need your help from now on Ria.¡± ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Zyrus clicked on the first reward without hesitation. With a flash, 50 burrow rats appeared around the stele. *Squeak* ¡°Eeek!¡± Lauren and the rats greeted one another while Zyrus discussed his plan with Ria. And thus, Zyrus¡¯s journey to improve his eye of annihilation and farming Exp began with the company of his eccentric followers. Chapter 41: Call for Aid ¡°Did you target them for this skill?¡± Ria asked while commanding ten teams of rats at the same time. ¡°Sort of. You¡¯re improving pretty fast by the looks of it. It won¡¯t be long before you get that skill,¡± Zyrus spoke while scanning the area around them. Half a day had passed since they arrived in the event area. During this time, they had obtained enough blessings to summon all the 300 rats. Unlike using mana to detect the camouflaged plants, Zyrus¡¯s eye of annihilation was far more effective. Even the plants hanging in the air and the ones hiding underground were discovered by him. Leaving aside the ones in the air, they had managed to obtain a new offering from the underground plants. ¡°I guess there aren¡¯t many here either,¡± Lauren spoke while hitting the plants that Zyrus pointed at. With their impeccable teamwork, she was able to determine the exact location without him speaking. It wasn¡¯t like Zyrus was the only one who had mana. With a bit of training, both Ria and Lauren also learned how to spread their mana in a certain area to detect any anomalies. However, due to their crude usage of mana, it wasn¡¯t efficient to search for the hidden plants on their own. But once Zyrus pointed out their location, they were more than able to kill them in a blow. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to another area?¡± ¡°Not yet. I have a feeling that we won¡¯t be able to come back once we leave,¡± ¡°You¡¯re going for the ones in the air?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Zyrus nodded as he finished off the last plant by himself. He had learned a lot about this event in the past couple of hours. First of all, each stele could only accept a certain amount of offerings. They wouldn¡¯t react once that limit was reached, not even with a different offering. Secondly, the amount of blessings given by all the offerings was the same. And for the third and most important part, there was a time limit in each area. Once they reached the boundary, they were given an option to venture further into different desert areas. It was a risky gamble as they could potentially go to a place where their other teammates were. Zyrus already knew that apart from the rat kings, all of his crowned subordinates were summoned here. He wasn¡¯t conceited enough to think that people like Jacob and Kyle would be unable to complete their events. Thus, it was very important to get the best out of the current area before venturing further. Only 3 steles were left untouched in this 15 Km area. [Your offerings have been accepted by ######] [##### is very pleased with the delicious fruits] [Congratulations! You have successfully performed the ritual] [You can obtain rewards listed below] <Call for Aid: You can summon either a single crown holder or a group of subordinates to help you in the event> Cost: Crown holder = 20 blessings (1/1 left), A subordinate = 1 blessing (50/50 left) Note: You can obtain a portion of the blessing from the ones who were summoned by you <Exp potion: Obtain 10,000 Exp upon consumption> Cost: 10 blessing (5/5 left) Cost: 10 blessing (5/5 left) Current Blessings: 107 Zyrus approached the one closest to him and used his blessing to summon the goblin riders. Just like the rats, they too appeared out of thin air in the nest second. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to greet them?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Lauren pouted as she glared at Zyrus. ¡°Don¡¯t discriminate because of their looks,¡± ¡°Not you too Ria!¡± Ria and Lauren bickered while Zyrus rounded up the goblin riders. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll deal with the ones in the air. There aren¡¯t many of them, so we''ll be done in an hour.¡± ¡°What about us?¡± ¡°Take this, and use them however you want,¡± Zyrus called them over and transferred dozens of ¡®Giant peanuts¡¯ that were gathered by the rats. ¡°Great, we can level up with this,¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Buy some potions too, they¡¯ll be helpful later on.¡± ¡°Okay. What about them?¡± Lauren asked curiously as she looked at the hundreds of rats that were standing behind the rat kings. ¡°I¡¯ll give my peanuts to them since I¡¯ve bought enough Exp and HP potions,¡± ¡°They want to eat it?¡± ¡°Nope. They can purify their bloodline with the rewards.¡± ¡°I see,¡± ¡°Well, see you later,¡± Zyrus waved his hand and ran along the goblin riders. Now that his primary goal of getting the blessings was complete, it was time to work on the second objective. That was, of course, to improve his skills. And while he was at it, he also wanted to train the goblin rangers in archery. It wasn¡¯t because of his stupidity that he didn¡¯t summon the goblin riders before. He could have summoned half of the goblin riders along with just burrow rats. This way he could get the offerings from both the underground and the air at the same time. The overall time required would remain the same due to the decreased speed of collecting offerings. But in turn, he wouldn¡¯t have to run around the area. ¡°Left,¡± *Awoo* Zyrus sprinted around the area as he commanded the goblin riders to shoot the floating vines in the air. They didn¡¯t have the ability to detect them, but with a hundred arrows, they didn¡¯t need one either. [You have found an offering!] [You have obtained Floating Kiwi x 23] He ran at his full speed while keeping his Eye of Annihilation active. His senses were stretched to the limit as they took in the surroundings that passed by in a blur. Why was he doing all this when he could¡¯ve obtained the same result by just standing? To get achievements of course. ¡®Sanctuary rewards all of your efforts. Leveling up is just a part of it. A good portion of your strength will come from your achievements,¡¯ These were the exact same words he had spoken to Lauren and Kyle. By doing things the hard way, Zyrus was building up his feats to get three achievements. Of course, Just this little practice wasn''t enough to achieve that goal. But as they say ¡®A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.¡¯ ¡­ The day passed by as they cleared one more area. The floating kiwis gave mana recovery potions. It was a pleasant surprise which Zyrus picked up without a second thought. With just a day¡¯s hard work, all of them had managed to reach level 15. They weren''t the only ones who benefitted from this. Along with the rats and goblins, even the wolves were able to purify their bloodline. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too easy? I feel like something is sketchy,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Well, If you say so¡± Lauren reluctantly agreed with Zyrus and went back to her tent with Ria. Zyrus would have liked to train more, but the steles had disappeared once they used the last offering. Thus, they had no other choice except to rest for the night. Of course, Aurora had no plans to let them sleep just like that. ... [Ding! The Final event will start in 00:01:00] It was past midnight when this message rang across the entire desert. ¡°Ugh, why now of all times,¡± Lauren cursed while rubbing her eyes as she tumbled out of her tent. ¡°Get ready to fight,¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was a non-combat event?¡± ¡°Well, not anymore,¡± Zyrus replied to Ria as he looked around the desert. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but his instincts were warning him of an ominous presence nearby. All of a sudden, a giant pyramid surged out from the center of the desert. And they were teleported to its entrance even before they had a chance to exclaim. ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± ¡°Lauren!¡± ¡°Kayyyle!¡± ¡°As I thought, you guys are here too,¡± Zyrus¡¯s group wasn¡¯t the only one that was teleported this time. Jacob, Shi kun, and the group of 300 players were also summoned at the base of this gigantic pyramid. ¡°Nice to meet you again Zyrus,¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad as well. You¡¯ve gotten quite strong in the meanwhile,¡± Zyrus bumped his fist with Kyle as he observed him with curiosity. Just the mana coming off of him was strong enough to put him on the same level as Jacob. ¡°I got a unique item, and a pretty good skill as well.¡± ¡°I see. Is that her pet?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kyle sighed as he looked at Lauren who was hugging a ten feet tall bear. Although Zyrus was curious about how they managed to tame a field boss, or why they named him ¡®Pouka¡¯ of all things, he didn¡¯t have the leisure to catch up with them. ¡°Will you follow me?¡± ¡°Of course. For better or for worse,¡± Kyle smiled and accepted his request without hesitation. Along with the new addition of a hundred bears, Zyrus had a total of 800 subordinates under his command. ¡°Does anyone know what this is?¡± Ria asked as she pointed at the pyramid. ¡°No idea. Why does it say the final event though? Wasn¡¯t there only one?¡± ¡°yeah, We had to kill plants all day¡± ¡°Plants?¡± ¡°Did you guys have different events?¡± Zyrus raised his brows as he heard Jacob¡¯s question. ¡°We protected a temple from salamanders to get blessings,¡± ¡°I burned some snakes,¡± He heard everyone¡¯s explanation and came up with a conclusion: All of them had different events that were suitable for their personal development. Once they finished an area, they could go to a different one and play the same event. He was quite curious as following the same logic, this pyramid should have something that was beneficial for all of them. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go in,¡± Zyrus declared with a spear in hand. Bears and rats walked in front along with the goblin riders, followed by the humans¡¯ organized teams. All were led by a single Sylvarix as they made their way towards the thousand-foot-tall pyramid. Chapter 42: Pyramid of Tsaatan Zyrus came across a golden gate after climbing a hundred steps. As expected, another message rang out when his hand touched the door. [Ding! You have reached the Pyramid of Tsaatan] [Would you like to enter?] Yes/no ¡°Are you guys ready?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ria replied as she once again checked the allied formation. Hearing her reassured voice Zyrus clicked ¡®Yes¡¯ without further ado. *creack* The massive gate opened in the next instance. A surge of mana far denser than the outside flowed out from within the pyramid. Zyrus was greeted by the sight of magnificent stairs leading downwards. There were golden motes of light hanging in the air that brightened the passageway. Despite the beautiful surroundings though, Zyrus¡¯s sense of unease was getting stronger with every step. Even with his Eye of Annihilation, he wasn¡¯t able to detect anything abnormal. After heading down another hundred steps Zyrus came across an intersection. In front of him was a massive chamber filled with statues of nomadic people. ¡°This is rather unexpected,¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like someone swapped the interior of the pyramid with a shamanic tribe,¡± Zyrus couldn¡¯t help but nod at Ria and Kyle¡¯s remark. The statues and the totems they worshipped seemed out of place with the surroundings. For now though, his attention was focused on the two paths that led above and below respectively. Zyrus walked ahead and touched the barrier that shrouded the stairs leading upwards. [You have discovered an event area!] [Entry limit: 400] On the other side, Ria also saw the same message as she touched the barrier that blocked the way below. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to split up,¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Zyrus nodded as he looked at the ceiling of the chamber. Along with the golden motes of light, there were antique chandeliers hanging on the circular dome. By now he had a vague idea as to why his senses were warning him of something ominous. ¡®It¡¯s like a dungeon,¡¯ Zyrus came to a plausible conclusion as he carefully ruminated over the scenes he had seen so far. Pyramid, a nomadic tribe that practiced shamanism, and now these chandeliers that resembled the ones in the Palace of Versailles. It was as if someone had picked up fragments of important structures from Earth¡¯s culture in different time periods and stuck them together. ¡°How do you plan to divide the forces?¡± Ria approached Zyrus along with the other crown holders ¡°I¡¯ll take the rats and goblins to go downwards, You guys go up,¡± Zyrus addressed the group in front of him and continued, ¡°Also, save as much of your SP as you can. It¡¯ll be helpful later on,¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just use it and improve our strength?¡± Jacob asked in confusion as he looked at Zyrus. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong in your thinking. However, if you want to obtain new achievements and break past the limits of your skills, then you¡¯ll have to challenge enemies stronger than yourself. Only by fighting against enemies that force you to bring out your full potential would you progress by leaps and bounds. However, one wrong judgment, and you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m contradicting myself? Maybe. When you take a risk, sometimes it won¡¯t work out in your favor. The enemy you thought was slightly stronger than yourself, might be much more powerful than your calculation. What will you do then? Die?¡± ¡°You mean we should only use them in life-and-death situations?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. If you can amass more than 10 SP then go ahead and use them as you please. That saved stats might give you the agility needed to dodge a critical hit, give you the strength to deal the final blow, give the vitality to recover from grave injuries, and so on,¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I see,¡± Jacob nodded in agreement as he thought things over. ¡°Well then, wait for me after you clear the area.¡± Zyrus waved his hand and left with the Rats and the goblin riders. It was time to figure out the secrets that lay beneath this pyramid. ¡­ The passageway was longer than Zyrus had expected. Even after walking for half an hour there was no exit in sight. The only good thing about these monotonous stairs was that they were wider than before. Two rows of 10 goblin riders were able to follow Zyrus with ease. On the other hand, the burrow rats and scavenger rats formed their teams of 20 to survey the area. Unfortunately, the ground was reinforced with mana, and as such, the burrow rat¡¯s earth movement was restricted in range. Apart from a couple of valuable minerals, there was nothing much to be salvaged in the area. After what seemed like an eternity of descending the stairs, a change in environment finally took place. The temperature went down all of a sudden and the glimmering motes of light lessened as well. ¡°Get ready,¡± Zyrus commanded his troops to get into a battle formation. The scouting teams returned and took their place in the middle of the scavenger rats. Zyrus had ordered the scavenger rat king to protect the burrow rats. Only sawtooth rats were suited for a frontal assault. He walked ahead in an arrow formation with the bloodspine spear in hand, while dozens of goblin riders flanked his sides with their taut bows. Zyrus¡¯s wariness wasn¡¯t unfounded as they encountered their first enemies after descending another 100 steps. [Ding! You have reached an event area] [Defeat the corrupted lemmings to enter the cave of ¡°Tetovaza¡±] *Grrrrr* In front of Zyrus was an oval chamber that spanned hundreds of meters. On the other side of the chamber was a stone entrance shrouded by a crimson barrier. *Grrrr* ¡°These bastards are really eager to die huh,¡± Zyrus snorted at the rushing herd of corrupted lemmings and lunged forward. His leading style was totally different from Ria''s. He fought with his instinct and his troops had to follow his rhythm. This style was more suitable for monsters and other less intelligent species. They didn''t have many complex thoughts to begin with, so it was easy for Zyrus to lead them. On the contrary, he would have a headache if he wanted to lead unfamiliar humans. ''Anyway, what the fuck are these things?'' Zyrus cursed as the monsters didn¡¯t even resemble the rodents on Earth. *Thrust* -500 Exp +750 ¡°Weaklings,¡± Zyrus taunted after killing a five-foot lemming corrupted by a purple energy. It looked hideous with ant-like tattoos crawling on its skin. Sure enough, he succeded in drawing their agro. ''No matter the species, my trash-talking works on everyone,'' *Slash* -458,-458 Zyrus was feeling good as he had finally found monsters that were perfect for improving his spearmanship. He imbued his spear with mana and swung it in all directions. He had ordered the goblin riders to shoot their arrows in order to prevent them from getting surrounded. There were at least 100 of these corrupted lemmings, and Zyrus planned to kill them all to his heart¡¯s content. *Thrust* -500 Exp +750 He kept fighting them one by one, while the goblin archers made sure that he wasn¡¯t swarmed by them. Those that managed to slip by were taken care of by the sawtooth rat king and its subordinates. *Sweep* -236,-18,-365 Exp +750 Zyrus¡¯s movements became more and more refined as the fight went on. Mana flowed through his muscles before making a full circulation with his spear tip. Basics of Sojutsu molded his strength and agility with the help of his mana, harmonizing all of his strength into the tip of the spear. At this point, all other thoughts disappeared from his mind. He thrust, slashed, and swept with his spear, over and over again. The corpses of the corrupted lemmings were piling up around him. But as they engaged in a dance of slaughter, neither side paid them any mind. Zyrus climbed on top of the fallen corpses and so did his enemies. *Thrust* *Sweep* *Slash* The gruesome battle went on and at long last, Zyrus¡¯s understanding of spearmanship reached a tipping point. He was enlightened in the midst of this brutal slaughter. His spear bloomed like a lotus in the mud, pure and beautiful despite the filth that surrounded it. It was the state of becoming one with the spear. He knew at this moment that if he were to try, he could use his spearmanship skills with his claws and tail as well. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only change. *Slice* Five speartips made from aura shot out from the bloodline spear. -500,-486,-258,-500,-23 Exp +750 Exp +750 ¡°Hahaha, this is great! Sweep up the rest,¡± Zyrus laughed in elation as he saw the new message. [Congratulations! Your skill Basics of Sojutsu has advanced in rank!] [You have obtained the skill ¡°Master of Sojutsu¡±] [You have obtained the skill ¡°Spear aura¡±] He jumped down from the pile of corpses with a satisfied grin on his face. On the other hand, the wolves and rats were just as happy. The lemming¡¯s corpses were like a gourmet buffet for them. Zyrus read the skills'' descriptions as he leisurely watched his troops fight. Well, it was more like a massacre than a fight. [Master of Sojutsu (C+): You have mastered the art of spearmanship by stepping into a realm of your own] [Originating from the basics of Sojutsu this skill has reached its full potential. Create your own style of spearmanship to break the limits of this skill] Effects: ATK + 50, Crit rate +15%, Crit damage: +30% CD: None [Spear aura (C): By concentrating your physical prowess at the tip of your spear, you can shout out 5 aura blades to attack your enemies] Effects: ??? CD: 5 minute The first skill signified that he had reached the maximum level attainable by pure physical strength. Only by adding mana or other attribute could he advance in the skill. Although he was currently using mana, it was only to balance and concentrate his inner strength. Arcane Lance was on a different spectrum as it was a complete magical skill. Spear aura, the active skill he got was similar to arcane lance as well. Instead of using MP is used Stamina. Since the system won¡¯t show those stats in the first ring of the sanctuary Zyrus knew he had to figure out its effects by trial and error. ¡®It''s a pity that I won¡¯t have the chance to use it now,¡¯ Zyrus shrugged and put his spear back into the inventory. All of the cursed lemmings were dead, and not even their corpses remained. ¡°Let¡¯s see what this cave of Tetovaza is all about,¡± Zyrus muttered to himself as he pushed the stone doors open. Chapter 43: Apollo Lykaios The cave''s interior was adorned with murals and statues of different creatures. There were some that Zyrus knew about, like the merfolk and the centaurs. They were aligned with their depictions from Earth. The wide area had many more replicas that showed creatures ranging from grotesque beasts to awe-inspiringly beautiful entities. Among these numerous statues, Zyrus and his troops explored with ease as this chamber was even wider than the previous ones. [Congratulations! You have defeated the corrupted lemmings] [##### acknowledges your valor] [You have obtained the right to use the ¡®Cave of Tetovaza¡¯] Zyrus read the text in front of him and focused his gaze on the altar located in the center of the cave. It was more sinister compared to the steles he had seen in the first event, making him even more curious about these arrangements and the identity of the so-called #####. ¡®Well, there¡¯s only one way to find out,¡¯ Zyrus placed his hand on the rectangular surface of the stone platform. [Offer rare materials or equipment to obtain the totem¡¯s insignia] [Each insignia will cost 10 blessings] [Limit: None] [Current blessings: 1275] ¡®This is like the alchemy tower¡­¡¯ Zyrus thought over the various options as he checked out the items in his inventory. Both the Ore of Kothar and Fang of Nidraxis were suitable for the offering, however, he had other uses for them. Although lacking in power, these insignias were more useful than common equipment. By using them to obtain the power of their equipment, one can obtain the related ATK or DEF and free up a slot. ¡®But I have a better idea,¡¯ Zyrus smirked as he placed the ogre¡¯s heart and the orc¡¯s fangs. He also put down 9 Vonasos armors as an experiment. He didn¡¯t know what kind of insignia these random bunch of items would give. He wasn¡¯t the least bit worried about it though. He had the perfect guine- Ahem subordinates to try this on. ¡°Gather around,¡± Zyrus ordered the goblin riders to encircle the altar. After thinking for a bit, he placed the rare minerals gathered by the rats as well. He wasn¡¯t just placing random items for the sake of it. Ogre¡¯s hearts would act as a base, while the orc''s fangs and the metals would enhance their power. ¡®It¡¯s about time they evolve as well,¡¯ Zyrus activated the altar once he confirmed that all of them were at the right place. Zyrus didn¡¯t want to just enhance the strength of goblin archers. His targets were their partnered wolves. From the beginning, he was paying a lot of care for their development for chances like these. The reason behind this was simple; there weren¡¯t any cavalry troops in the first ring. The power brought by the combination of two monsters that specialized in agility, all the while covering both close and long-range combat, was nothing to scoff at. [Targets selected: Goblin Riders x 100] [Would you like to use 1000 blessings to bestow the insignia upon them?] Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate upon reading the message and immediately pressed ¡®Yes¡¯. Purple flames surged out upon his agreement and consumed the offerings on the altar. All Zyrus could see after that was a lump of energy. It was being stretched into numerous worm-like threads, flailing around like a sea anemone. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± The somewhat freighted and flustered goblins stopped quivering at Zyrus¡¯s command. The wolves, on the other hand, were far more calm and composed. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. *Bang* The ball of energy burst into hundreds of fragments. Guided by a mysterious power of the blessings, these wormlike purple threads shot towards the heads and chests of the goblin riders. ¡°Kuk-¡± *Awoooo* Zyrus waved his tail in nervousness as he observed the process unfold. As time passed, the expression of pain eased on their faces. At the same time, a new insignia was drawn on the chest of the goblins. The wolves had a different and smaller insignia on their forehead as well. ¡°Hahaha.. What a surprise!¡± Zyrus laughed with his fists clenched in excitement as his hundred, no, two hundred subordinates bowed their head in gratitude. The goblins had gained more intelligence and most importantly, the wolves were now acknowledged on the same level as other monsters by the system. He only needed to subdue 100 more players to obtain the silver crown. His excitement wasn¡¯t because of that though. It was the message screen in front of him. It gave him the unpredictable thrill that he hadn¡¯t felt in a long while. [Congratulations! Your subordinates have obtained the insignia of ¡°Apollo Lykaios¡±] [¡®Goblin Riders¡¯ have gained the possibility for a racial evolution] [You have fulfilled one of the conditions to obtain a Variant Crown!] [Allies Exp gain +10%] ¡®To think that I¡¯d get a pleasant surprise like this,¡¯ Zyrus had a wide grin on his face all the way back. Even in his previous life, none of the humans had managed to gain the qualification to get a variant crown. In a way, this unexpected gain was even more useful than the goblin rider¡¯s evolution. Although they are powerless now, the crowns weren¡¯t just for show. They wouldn¡¯t have an entire ring dedicated to them otherwise. Only in the second ring would players realize the true significance of these crowns and the authority they had. ¡­ As the group of 500 made their way upwards, the team led by Ria and the others was also engaged in a brutal onslaught. After climbing a hundred meters they had arrived at a chamber similar to the one Zyrus had been to. This time though, the monsters they faced matched the environment. ¡°There¡¯s no end to them,¡± ¡°How long Ria?¡± ¡°Huff..Just a bit more; hold on until Jacob recovers his mana,¡± Ria panted for breath as she replied Shi kun. In front of her were hundreds of mummies which were attacking the allied players. They wielded sickle-shaped swords and javelins as they engaged in close-quarter combat. Jacob had played a critical role once again as his flames were the banes of these mummies. The archers also fired nonstop from the back, while the shield warriors held the front lines. ¡°Kyle won¡¯t last long,¡± Shi kun reported in a worried tone as he looked at Ria. As he had said, Kyle was in a more dire situation compared to others. Zyrus had ordered them to redistribute their troops. Kyle led all of the swordsmen while the dagger users were under Lauren¡¯s command. Unexpectedly, he had placed the group of mages under Shi kun¡¯s command while leaving Jacob to do as he seemed fit. Of the newly subdued 100 players, half of them were spearmen. They, along with the archers, didn¡¯t have a leader to follow for the time being. ¡°Alright, You guys go help,¡± Ria gritted her teeth and ordered the spearmen to fight at the front. Since she didn¡¯t know their fighting style and coordination abilities, she had placed them at the back to protect the archers. However, from the state of Kyle¡¯s battlefield, it wasn¡¯t the time to hesitate. He, along with a group of 100 swordsmen were fighting against more than 300 mummies on their own. His silver swords shone in brilliant glow as he killed a monster with his every swing. His destructive power had reached the same level as Zyrus and Jacob. No enemies were able to escape his green eyes that searched for prey. Even so, the other players weren¡¯t having it as easy. Just as the spearmen were about to join them, a shout halted them from an unexpected direction. ¡°Kyle doesn¡¯t need help,¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll send Pouka to open up a path, so send them there with Jacob.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ria asked again as she looked at Lauren with wide eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°Very well then.¡± Thus, the entire group was informed of the plan by Ria¡¯s conductor''s tiara. Archers aimed their arrows at one side while the shield warriors formed a straight line that led to the center of the battlefield. Just when the swordsmen were on the verge of defeat, Kyle made his move that changed the tides of the battle. [Skrastreg] Dozens of heads flew up in an instant. The mummies stumbled in fear as Kyle was nowhere to be seen. Even the swordsmen were caught off guard by this abrupt turn. [Skrastreg] The same scene occurred once again, but this time the players were able to barely notice Kyle. Blue lines formed on the mummy''s necks as a blurred figure passed by. A dozen of them fell once again. ¡°Get ¡®em Pouka!¡± *Roooar* Unlike others Lauren didn¡¯t waste a single second. She knew that Kyle was using his unique item that increased his agility along with his sword skill to create this effect. ¡°Attack at once, his skill won¡¯t last long,¡± Ria also ordered the spearman to join the massive bear to break through the middle. Last but not the least; Jacob joined the fray as well. By dividing the mummies into two groups, they swiftly dealt with one side while the Shielders blocked the other. Fireballs rained down from above and burned their cloth ribbons. Shi kun also used the Wrathful Reckoning to slow them down to a crawl. Hundreds of mummies died in the span of a minute as every player unleashed their full-powered attacks. *Squeak* ¡°Looks like I¡¯m late to the party,¡± To top it off, Zyrus and his troops also arrived at this moment. *Awoooo* ¡°Hey don¡¯t just eat anything!¡± Zyrus watched with pleased eyes as the goblin riders tore through the enemy lines like a hot knife through butter. The fight was as good as over. Chapter 44: The Scorpion king awaits the challenger ¡°Did you give the reward to them?¡± ¡°Naturally,¡± ¡°Tch¡­ it looks like you trust them more than us,¡± ¡°Never thought you were the type who¡¯d be jealous of goblins, Ria.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s jealous? And what do you mean by type?¡± ¡°You guys sure get along, huh,¡± Shi kun smirked as watched Ria and Lauren who were having a catfight in the middle of a battlefield. Well, at the remains of a battlefield. ¡°Alright everyone, gather around,¡± Zyrus commanded as he overlooked the entire cavern with his eye of annihilation. The mummies were all dead. Once again to be exact. Jacob had shown his potential as an arsonist as he had burned each and every one of them to cinders. ¡®This cave is completely different, just like the others,¡¯ Zyrus observed as he walked in front of the team leaders. The halls had nothing in common except for the motes of light. Their structure, material, and even the scenes they depicted were different. Just as the underground chamber had statues and murals of various creatures, this one was carved with patterns of flowers and beautiful scenes. A chariot flying in the sky, a garden of roses, a lake surrounded by verdant forest¡­. One mesmerizing scene after another passed by him as he observed the walls on their sides. ¡°The architecture has a feminine charm to it,¡± ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t notice this because of the monsters, but this is really well-built.¡± Kyle replied to Shi kun as he looked at the front. There, at the opposite end of the entrance was a coffin that was placed upon a bed of roses. Fresh roses at that. ¡°It looks too sophisticated for a dungeon,¡± Zyrus muttered to himself as he made his way towards the elegantly crafted coffin. No matter what origin it had, there was only one thing Zyrus wanted from this place. Rewards. As if the coffin had heard his wishes, the system message rang out in the next instance. [Congratulations! You have defeated the corrupted mummies] [The queen of ##### shows her gratitude] Zyrus was reading the messages with anticipation when a change took place all of a sudden. ¡°Huh? My blessings!¡± ¡°I lost half of my blessings,¡± ¡°Y-you too?¡± He didn¡¯t have the time to address the clamor behind him as further messages started popping up [The blessings have been converted into the rewards] [All players will receive a weapon suitable for them!] ¡°Noooo my Exp potions!¡± Lauren grieved as if her fortune was lost in a call center scam, while the rest checked the new weapons in their inventory. ¡®This is slightly better than trash,¡¯ Zyrus grumbled as he checked the pair of daggers he had gotten. Although they were rare, they were nowhere close to his unique bloodspine spear. Not to mention it was on the verge of evolving as well. ¡°This is a scam,¡± ¡°Not really, look at them.¡± Zyrus closed his inventory and pointed toward the hundreds of players. Although it wasn¡¯t much for the likes of them, rare equipment was life-changing for the average players. ¡°Hey look! Pouka got one too,¡± ¡°She¡¯s quick to recover.¡± ¡°The rats got one as well,¡± In a way, the rewards were even better than the previous chamber. The bears got a pair of knuckles on their paws while the rats had a tiny whip attached to their tails. ¡®And these guys got stronger once again,¡¯ Zyrus looked at the goblin riders who had gotten new arrows. Although the wolves didn¡¯t get any equipment, their claws had become noticeably sharper as well. ¡°Are we going to continue? It feels like we¡¯re moving too fast.¡± Ria asked in a worried tone as she observed the players. ¡°I agree. We haven¡¯t faced any real challenge so far after entering the pyramid. It¡¯s almost like we¡¯re being spoon-fed.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°You think something¡¯s fishy?¡± Kyle joined in the conversation with a frown. ¡°How do I put it¡­ hmm, let¡¯s say there are two parties. One is significantly stronger than the other, but in order to improve themself, they have to consume the weaker party. That¡¯s the only chance they have in their life. Alas, the other party is too weak to be of a worthy ¡®meal¡¯, so what do you think they¡¯ll do?¡± ¡°Wait till they become strong enough?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too passive Jacob. I think the normal thing would be to fatten them up like cattle.¡± ¡°But what if they become too strong?¡± ¡°Well if we¡¯re going with ¡®ifs¡¯, then what if they die prematurely? Wouldn¡¯t that be a waste?¡± Zyrus let the others argue for a while as he leisurely ate his meal. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no right answer, Lauren.¡± ¡°What? Why did you ask the question then?¡± ¡°You know what¡¯s the best thing you can do when you come across a question that has no right answer?¡± ¡°Think outside of the box?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°Hahaha.. Seeing is better than hearing,¡± Zyrus snickered as he recalled the events he had gone through so far. There was no way Aurora would design such a simple Pyramid. So, he¡¯ll show them the best way to deal with unexpected situations. ¡®And it¡¯ll probably be tonight¡­.¡¯ ¡­ After taking a break to recover their stamina, Zyrus once again led the troops to the upper layer. There weren¡¯t any forks in their path this time around. All that awaited the 900 players were the endless stairs with no end in sight. After what seemed like a mountain climb, Zyrus reached the last step of the stairs. In front of him was a gate similar to the one they saw at the front of the pyramid. As soon as he set foot on that step, the stairs behind him disappeared like a mirage. Neither Zyrus nor his troops flinched as the stairs collapsed behind him. ¡°Are you guys ready?¡± Zyrus asked his subordinates as he looked behind him. They were no longer a riffraff of players. Under his and Ria''s joint drills, they were able to get into formation at any time. ¡°Yes sir,¡± Shi kun was the first to reply. He wore yellow robes as usual and on his hands were a pair of green bracers. Behind him were 50 shield warriors and 50 spearmen. Zyrus had once again re-arranged the division of the crown holders. Since they had received the new shields, Zyrus ordered the old players to give their Vonasos armor to the spearmen. Although it made their explosive power lackluster, it was better to focus on one aspect rather than use the armor as the only offensive skill. ¡°I¡¯m ready as well,¡± Kyle replied with a resolute expression as his green eyes met Zyrus¡¯s gaze. Kyle¡¯s division was the most organized as they were all swordsmen. With his reddish-black armor and dual silver swords, he stood out among the crowd. The 100 players behind him wore the Vonasos armor along with the newly obtained ¡°Khopesh,¡± the swords that were shaped like sickles. ¡°All set,¡± Ria shouted from the back. Besides her and Lauren, the remaining 100 players were a mix of archers, dagger users, and last but not the least, mages. All of them were placed in the rear of the formation. Although they had the highest firepower amongst the human divisions, their command structure was the worst among them. Neither Ria nor Lauren had what it took to lead others on a battlefield. One was a strategist while the other was a mix of an assassin and a warrior., Thus, Zyrus had assigned the former field boos ¡°Pouka,¡± to protect them against unforeseen circumstances. Compared to humans, leading the monsters was much less troublesome for Zyrus. All he needed was a glance to convey his thoughts to them. Part of the reason was due to their direct relationship and the rest was because of his race. 900 pairs of eyes looked at him as Zyrus touched the golden doors. This was the end of the road for this event. Be it the humans or the monsters, each and every one of them had improved their strength by a tier. ¡°The event has fed you very well, so¡­¡± [You have discovered an event area!] ¡°Now¡¯s the time to digest that power,¡± [The final event will now begin] ¡®Or be consumed by it¡¯ Zyrus didn''t say the last part as he smirked while looking at the chamber, no, coliseum in front of him. ¡°That¡¯s a weird combination,¡± Jacob looked at the arena with wide eyes. ¡°Yeah, weird enough to make you speak up first,¡± [The Scorpion king awaits the challenger] *Boom* The moment he stepped a foot in the coliseum, all of his subordinates were transported to this space alongside him. ¡°A challenge huh,¡± [Do you, Zyrus Wymar, accept the challenge?] ¡°Of course¡± ¡®Not like I have a choice¡¯ Zyrus thought as he observed his opponent. On the other side of the coliseum stood a man wearing black armor. He could only see the blue eyes from the scorpion king''s visor, but it was enough to send a chill down his spine. Behind him was the 1000-strong army of terracotta warriors. [Ding! The war will start in 00:05:00] [Reward: None] [Penalty: Death] In front of them was the army led by a great king who aimed to conquer the world. ¡°What the fuck,¡± Lauren¡¯s curses reverberated all the way from the back. ¡°This is unfair,¡± ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Zyrus glanced at Ria who was giving him a dumbfounded look. Not only her, but all of the players were flabbergasted by the unexpected turn as well. So far, the themes of the event were similar in nature. They completed a task to obtain the blessings, and then they would use those blessings to get rewards to complete more difficult tasks. Something like this was completely out of their expectation. Zyrus had no intention to explain the situation either. He wanted to know how his subordinates would respond to a sudden crisis. From the moment he realized that this wasn¡¯t a non-combat event, he knew that things would turn out this way. The balance of the sanctuary could never be broken. The whole point of the event was to ensure that. Then how could these players get an advantage over other players so easily? Prohibiting his earth movement until the finale was nowhere near enough to balance the scales. Since they had obtained so many advantages so far, it was time for them to endure this hardship and prove their qualification. ¡°What would happen if we fail?¡± ¡°We die, duh,¡± ¡°What about them?¡± Shi kun asked again as he looked at the army that awaited them on the battlefield. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but if I were to guess, they would take your place.¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°Is it that surprising? I think it¡¯s pretty fair. They failed to achieve their goal, and thus, they were sealed. Now that we have obtained the fragments of their power, don¡¯t you think we should prove ourselves against them?¡± Zyrus wasn¡¯t just saying this for the sake of it. He acknowledged the king in front of him as a worthy opponent. Both of them aimed to conquer the world, and both had failed. [The war will start in 00:00:01] *Klang* *Shatter* The scorpion king and the Void Emperor, two beings who barely had a fragment of their once glorious power clashed their weapons. It was a battle between the past and the future of humanity. Chapter 45: Heed my Call *Clang* ¡°Ugh..¡± Zyrus spat a mouthful of blood as his body skitted against the rough arena. The scorpion king didn¡¯t fare any better as he too was thrown towards the terracotta warriors. [Arcane Lance] -300,-0,-450 Both of them Lunged at one another with their respective long-range attacks. Just like Zyrus¡¯s arcane lance, the scorpion king had a similar skill where spectral auras shot out from his sword. Zyrus groaned in pain as the blue swords hit him square in the chest. Even the unique armor was unable to completely block the ethereal damage dealt by the swords. Thankfully, his innate defense and Sylvarix scales managed to negate the leftover attack. *BOOOM* Fifty fireballs landed in the middle of the Colosseum as Jacob casted his signature magic. Though he looked harmless with his gray hoodie and deadpan face, his acts were anything but that. The other players used their respective skills as well as they engaged in an all-out brawl against the terracotta warriors. Even with all their skills and equipment, they weren¡¯t the ones who held the advantage in the battle. This wasn¡¯t a fight against unintelligent monsters. This was a war, a war against the fraction of an army that once ruled continents on earth. The terracotta warriors had the same type of weapons as them. But their way of using them was on a whole nother level. When it came to the army formations and reaction time, it was like a fight between a child and an adult. Shield warriors blocked each and every long-range attack whereas the swordsmen engaged in close combat. On the other hand, The spearman led the charge against the players while being covered by the archers. Unlike the dagger users who stood at the back of the players, the opposing side was using them as assassins who reaped lives across the battlefield. Last but not the least were the mages. Apart from Jacob, none of the mages managed to deal a passable amount of damage. Their spells were scattered, and the most they could do was to annoy the terracotta soldiers by disrupting their formations. Instead of being a deadly threat, they were at most a nuisance to the other side. On the other hand, the enemy mages had impeccable teamwork. Gale wind and fireball, aqua shot and freezing wind, earthen wall and thunderbolt, more than a dozen spell combinations were used against the poor Shi kun and his subordinates. Although their effects were negligible individually, when they were cast in tandem, their effects were similar to a medium-rank spell like the prairie fire. In the center of it all, Zyrus and the Scorpion king were duking it out with one another. Neither of them was using their magical skills as if they had made an agreement beforehand. *Clang* The spear and the sword clashed for the umpteenth time and both were pushed back once again. Unlike the first time though, they were only a couple of meters apart. Did they use less strength compared to their first clash? Of course not. Those watching from the sidelines might think that their first attack was the most powerful, but they couldn¡¯t be more wrong. On their level, exchanging a couple of blows was enough to gauge the opponent''s fighting style. They deflected the force of their enemy¡¯s attacks with precise body movements. ¡®What an annoying bastard,¡¯ Zyrus cursed as he saw the single-digit damage they were dealing to one another. He knew that at this rate, neither side could defeat the other in a short while. *Clang* They attacked one another once more and the result remained the same. Zyrus wanted nothing more than to use his skills and go all-out, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t the right thing to do. At least for the time being. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Apart from him, none of the players knew how to fight a war. This was neither a blitz attack nor a boss raid. The first and foremost thing they had to worry about in a war was their stamina and momentum. From the very beginning, it was apparent that both sides were evenly matched. Thus, the ones who preserved the longest would win. *Clang* ¡®I wonder how long it¡¯ll take them to figure this out,¡¯ Zyrus thought as he observed the battlefield with a side-eye. He could see the frowning Ria who commanded different units from the back, and Kyle who was decimating one terracotta warrior after another. Shi kun and Jacob were playing their role as the main defending and attacking forces. Lauren moved with the rats as they finished off the injured opponents. In just half an hour, dozens of players and rats had died in the war. If not for the bears'' tanking abilities and the goblin archer¡¯s lethal attacks that held the terracotta warriors at bay, many more would have died. *Flash* ¡°Getting impatient now are we?¡± Zyrus looked at the scorpion king with cold eyes. His sword was emitting a black aura akin to a moonless night. Not the one to be left behind, he also used the newly created Spear aura. *Bang* The air itself exploded at the point of contact with the black and white auras. Although neither side had managed to gain the upper hand, both of them knew that Zyrus was the one who had won in this clash. As he had said, momentum was important in the war. The one who became impatient and used their moves first will always have a lower hand when their attack is countered. Confidence and Rhythm were the most important aspects when both sides had the same level of power. *Shimmer* A red and white aura intertwined on the Bloodspine spear as Zyrus prepared for the next attack. The scorpion king also readied himself in a slashing stance. *Whissh* Almost simultaneously, both of them used their aoe attack. The scorpion king planted his feet on the ground and slashed his sword multiple times in just a second. The bloodspine spear was also glowing as a vast amount of energy was poured into it. It trembled at a high frequency that created afterimages in front of Zyrus. *Thrust* It was the same move he had been using since he arrived in the first ring, but this time, five reddish-white aura blades flew towards the scorpion king. *Boom* ¡®Huff..Huff..¡¯ Zyrus panted for breath with buckled knees. Both of their attacks were canceled out once again. ¡°This can¡¯t go on Zyrus,¡± Ria¡¯s voice sounded in his head as he steadied himself to parry the incoming sword. At first, she didn¡¯t want to disturb him during his crucial battle. But she no longer had a choice. Almost 50 players had died along with dozens of rats and a couple of bears. The goblin riders were the only ones who had been unscathed on the battlefield so far. They, along with Jacob had killed no less than 200 terracotta warriors. Despite that though, this was a very bad situation for players. They were in no position to handle a Pyrrhic victory, not when the end of the crown hunt was drawing near with each passing hour. *Clang* ¡°Tell Pouka and Shi kun to deal with the scorpion king.¡± ¡°Will they be able to handle him?¡± ¡°Not for long. At most, they¡¯ll last five minutes.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± Ria decisively cut the conversation and relayed Zyrus¡¯s orders to Shi kun. Both of them knew that this was a gamble. Only Zyrus and The scorpion king were able to hold off one another in this war. The moment they were left alone to run amok on the battlefield, the conclusion of this bloody war would also arrive at that time. Both leaders were holding one another in check which prevented the other from using a devastating attack. As if he had sensed the subtle change in the players'' formation, The scorpion king stopped his attack and looked at Zyrus in amusement. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t notice,¡± Zyrus clicked his tongue and placed his trusted spear back into the inventory. Shi kun and Pouka also arrived at that time. They stood in front of Zyrus while glaring at the scorpion king. Despite that though, neither Zyrus nor the scorpion king moved. Whatever was happening on the battlefield didn¡¯t matter to them. They knew that there was only one existence that was able to harm them, and it was the opponent that stood in front of them. [In the name of thy king, Heed my call] A deep voice resounded across the Colosseum as the scorpion king raised his sword to the sky. A jet-black aura manifested around him which almost forced all of the players to kneel. The terracotta warriors didn¡¯t miss this opportunity and launched a barrage of attacks. However, this was the least of the players'' worries. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me..¡± ¡°Motherfu-¡± [COME FORTH AT ONCE] *CRAAACKLE* The entire Colosseum trembled under the weight of the king¡¯s authority. The broken and shattered pieces of terracotta warriors became whole once again. That wasn¡¯t the end. The players who had died rose up again as terracotta warriors. ¡°What do we do-¡± Shi kun was forced to cut his words short as he looked behind him. More than one emperor was fighting in this battle. Zyrus was standing there with his arms spread wide. Dark blue sparks flashed out from his palms and clangs of metal resounded across the Colosseum. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to win this war with the skills he had. From the subtle hints Aurora had given during their conversation, and from his enemy¡¯s skills, he knew what she wanted to say. She had said that the Eternals were busy, and that was enough for him. He no longer had to hide his powers. Even with the pitiful mana he possessed, he was still the void monarch who had conquered the sanctuary. So, he¡¯ll show them. [SHACKLES OF NIHILITY] He¡¯ll show them the power that made the immortals tremble in fear. Chapter 46: Shackles Of Nihility A long...long time ago, a time when he had yet to set foot in the sanctuary, Zyrus Wymar was an ordinary kid. Just like others his age, he too was fascinated by the brilliant sky that lay beyond the confines of the Arc of Noah. It was an age when knowledge thrived. Humans focused all of their efforts on understanding the workings of space. One of the topics that caught the kid¡¯s eye was the concept of Void. What was void? It was the region of space where there was very little matter compared to others. These regions had less density compared to the universe, and thus were labeled as cosmic void. Some referred to the empty area between galaxies and star clusters as void, while those studying quantum mechanics would say that nothing is truly void. According to the theory, even the vacuums are filled with virtual particles that pop in and out of existence. The kid was fascinated by the knowledge. And thus, he kept studying more and more about the topic. Time passed by and the kid became a man. The weight of responsibility vanquished his thirst for knowledge and curiosity. When he turned 16, he had lost his one and only family when his grandpa died. He no longer cared for the space and the universe. He didn''t have a goal or a desire. He lived just for the sake of it. Sometimes, he wished that he could just die and get rid of this emptiness. Perhaps the universe was moved by his plea as his wish was granted. He woke up in a world where he could die at every step. However, every time he stood at the edge of life and death, he wasn¡¯t able to accept his fate. He recalled the last words of his grandpa which made him try his hardest to survive. He didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or sad. Each time he managed to survive and became stronger than before. He didn¡¯t know when, but a century had passed. He was no longer alone. Millions of people rallied behind him as he fought for humanity with his comrades. That¡¯s when he met her. A woman whose eyes held the brilliant cosmos. The same cosmos that fascinated him at a time he no longer recalled. Time passed by again as it always did. The two became closer with each passing year, and then one day, the man became a king. Under his rule, humans became one of the most renowned species in the sanctuary. They no longer had to worry about survival as his kingdom prospered in the peaceful domain of Argonaut. However, that was a mistake. The man only realized it when it was too late. The peace he had earned with his strength became the target of the greed and envy of others. He was betrayed and his kingdom fell. His loyal comrades died in the hands of others, and the woman he loved no longer had the eyes that shined brighter than the galaxy. That day when Zyrus Wymar lost everything, he had another understanding of Void. Nothingness. Blue shackles bound by black chains erupted from the ground as memories of his past life passed by Zyrus¡¯s eyes. They bound the terracotta warriors and denied their very existence. He still remembered that day when he cried tears of blood. Those feelings and emotions were what made him the void emperor. That was the source that connected him with the laws of ¡®Void¡¯. For him, Void was the lack of something. What would that something be? Humans, elves, spirits, castles, land and mountains, oceans and sky, space and time¡­ everything could be erased by the power of void. The enemies that stood before him were no exception. ¡°Did you create a new skill?¡± Jacob asked as he looked at Zyrus in awe. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s similar to a debuff,¡± Zyrus replied with a smile as he was all too familiar with this expression. He also looked at other arcanists with the same awe and wonder whenever they showed their magic. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°That¡¯s a bit too much for a debuff,¡± Jacob pointed his finger at the terracotta warriors. Some had their limbs missing while others had their weapons chipped in half. Not a single warrior was left intact on the battlefield. "Well, it is a curse spell imbued with the power of void," Zyrus explained as he surveyed the Colosseum. It was almost impossible to teach the intricacies behind his magic to a newbie like Jacob. But even if he conveyed a tenth of his knowledge, Jacobs''s strength would soar by leaps and bounds. Unlike his fight against Nidraxis he had only used a fraction of the power of his origin. Zyrus was certain about one thing. If he used his full power in this spell, then even the scorpion king would be erased from existence. But that wasn¡¯t his goal. He needed a tremendous amount of energy to use the power of the origin. And he couldn''t just faint after defeating his enemy. He had to remain standing and see the battles to the end. It was his role as a leader and, the only way for him and his troops to survive in the sanctuary¡¯s unpredictable environment. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there and finish them off,¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Zyrus¡¯s shout woke up the disoriented players. They charged at the immobilized enemies like rabid dogs. They knew that this was the one and only chance they had at winning the war. ¡®And I should get moving as well,¡¯ Zyrus took out the bloodspine spear and strode towards the scorpion king. His armor was broken into pieces by Zyrus¡¯s skill, and even his sword had visible cracks after it destroyed the shackles that bound him. After seeing the sanctuary with his soul, Zyrus had obtained a clue as to how he could use the power of the void. If not for his Eye of Annihilation there was no way he could have used the spell this easily. Although the Shackles of Nihility were an inferior version of a domain, this was enough to deal with the current situation. Zyrus believed that with enough practice he would be able to harness more power with greater efficiency. This was a spell that required precision and control above all else. He didn¡¯t have to erase everything. Heart, Brain, Muscles, tendons¡­ even by erasing the smallest section of the opponent he would be able to win with ease. It wouldn¡¯t work against ridiculously powerful opponents like Nidraxis, but it was deadly when used against those on the same level as him. *Clang* The outcome of their clash was the same as both of them stumbled a step back. This time, however, it was the scorpion king who was anxious about his subordinates. Half of the terracotta warriors were wiped out against the onslaught of players. It was only a matter of time before the players finished them all. *Thrust* -500 ¡°Haha¡­You sure you can afford to think about the others?¡± *Clang* The duo exchanged a flurry of blows and to the scorpion king''s dismay, he discovered another big problem. Their weapons were on the same level at the beginning. *Skreech* And the irritating sound of scraping metals proved that it was no longer the case. ¡°Wanna bet who will break first?¡± Zyrus slashed with a gloating face as he looked at the Scorpion king¡¯s sword which was on the verge of breaking. He wasn¡¯t taunting his opponent for no reason. Although he looked fine on the outside, only he knew how exhausting it was to cast a spell like Shackles of nihility. Thankfully, his trash-talking skills weren¡¯t degraded after regression. *FLASH* A deadly black aura surged from the scorpion king. He bent his knees slightly and held the sword horizontally. It was the inside sword stance. With one hand against his chest and the other against his heart, he wielded the double-handed sword for the final strike. It was such a picture-perfect posture that Zyrus couldn¡¯t help but respect his opponent. Thus, he also held his spear in a thrusting stance. The scorpion king was a worthy opponent, and he would honor his death by killing him with his strongest attack. [Piercing Shadows] [Spatial Stab] *Puchuk* -??? -1500 Neither of them were pushed back this time. The sword and the spear reached their target as two red numbers floated against one another. ¡°Uhk.. You might have a chance if your weapon was a spear,¡± Zyrus spoke after he puked a mouthful of blood. His armor and scales were effortlessly pierced by the scorpion king''s sword. Fortunately for him, his weapon was longer than the enemy¡¯s. The scorpion king knew that as well. He was more than willing to exchange his life for the final attack. However, his attack, along with his life, ended the moment Zyrus''s spear touched his heart. Exp +100,000 [Level up!] [+2 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Mana] ¡°ZYRUS!¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± His subordinates screamed in worry as they rushed towards his stumbling figure. He had attacked using about 20% of his source of origin, but even then, the power to collapse space itself came with a cost. ¡®Fuck! Everything hurts like hell,¡¯ Zyrus barely held on by leaning on his spear. He had learned a valuable lesson this time. ¡®I can only use 10% of my source of origin without harming myself.¡¯ It was a conclusion based on the previous two attacks. He would be wrecked from the inside out if he used any more than that. ¡®I must thank her for saving my life back then¡¯ Zyrus recalled Aurora as the surroundings became dizzy in his sight. There was a flood of messages in front of him, but Zyrus was in no position to read them. Except for one. A dark purple screen floated in front of him which stood out from the others. He was only able to read the first sentence, but it was enough for him. [You have created a new branch of magic!] [You have earned the grand achievement: The Architect of Abyss (EX)] He had found a way to use the power of origin without being detected by the Eternals. Chapter 47: The Architect of Abyss Only after chugging down a couple of HP and mana potions did Zyrus regain the clarity of mind. Kyle and Shi kun stood by his side to protect him against the remaining terracotta warriors. In the meanwhile, Ria and Jacob were dealing with the remaining soldiers with the rest of his troops. ¡°Feeling better?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks Lauren.¡± ¡°No problem at all. So, do you trust us now?¡± ¡°..?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you afraid that we¡¯d backstab you when you were down?¡± ¡°Wow, and just when I thought you were being nice for once,¡± Zyrus sighed as he looked at Lauren''s smug expression. Well, to be honest, he did trust them now. ¡®Just a little bit,¡¯ Zyrus took a deep breath to get rid of the annoying thoughts and focused his attention on the pending messages. Just in time, a voice rang out in the Colosseum, marking the end of this war. [Ding! You have won the war] [Congratulations! The final event has been completed] [You have cleared the Pyramid of Tsaatan] [Additional rewards will be given based on your performance] ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Woohoo..¡± All of the players cheered with their weapons held high. However, the good news had yet to end. [You have cleared the event dungeon: Blessing of Cernunnos] [Additional rewards will be given based on your contribution] A golden light shone upon the surviving 800 members of Zyrus¡¯s group. A pin-drop silence descended in the area as everyone was busy checking out their rewards. ¡®Hmm.. let¡¯s start with the new ones¡¯ Zyrus rubbed his claws in excitement as he clicked on the two additional rewards. [Congratulations! You are ranked 1st in clearing the Pyramid to Tsaatan] [You have obtained an extinct species as your subordinates] [200 specter scorpions pledge their allegiance to you] [Congratulations! You are ranked 1st in clearing The event dungeon: Blessing of Cernunnos] [You have obtained the unique item: Ring of command] [You have acquired the highest blessing in the dungeon! A special reward will be given] Zyrus looked at the area around him with a pleasant surprise. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Ria and Lauren exclaimed one after another as they looked at the sky above. Hundreds of black meteors were raining down on the sky filled with white clouds. One by one the light from the meteors shined down on the Colosseum. In just a couple of breaths, 200 black pillars of light erupted in front of the players. That wasn¡¯t all. *HZZZZZ* A blue portal appeared in front of Zyrus which sucked in the surrounding mana like a whirlpool. *Crackle* A pair of silver hooves came out from the portal, followed by a creature with fur as black as the night sky. It was a reindeer. Its silver antlers shined with a green glow as the portal¡¯s light faded. Zyrus met the reindeer¡¯s gaze and realized what the reindeer with a red eye patch wanted. [Franken, The one-eyed reindeer, is willing to become your companion] [Do you accept?] [Yes/No] ¡°I accept,¡± Zyrus pushed his hand forward out of instinct. In the next instance, he felt a new connection form between them as Franken nudged his head against his palm. ¡°Sup, chief! Ready for a fight?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ya hear me? Hello?¡± Zyrus twitched the corner of his mouth as he looked at his first companion. ¡°Yes, I hear you loud and clear. A bit too loud to be honest,¡± ¡°Great, great. ''Been so long since I talked with someone. What are you by the way?¡± ¡°A Sylvarix.¡± ¡°Never heard of ¡®em,¡± ¡°A reindeer who talks like a bandit isn¡¯t that famous either,¡± Zyrus flicked the chattering reindeer¡¯s forehead as he looked around him. Most of the players were done checking their status window, and they were now looking at the black pillars of light with curiosity. ¡°So cool! Did you tame it?¡± ¡°Mind your words young lady! We¡¯re companions, got it?¡± ¡°Wow, it talks too! Can you teach Pouka?¡± ¡°Humph, that furball is too young to be compared to a being such as I,¡± Franken spoke with his nose held high. Zyrus sighed as he looked at the overly energetic duo. Since the scorpions were taking their sweet time to wake up, Zyrus checked out the reward he was most excited about. [You have created a new branch of magic!] [You have earned the grand achievement: The Architect of Abyss (EX)] An EX rank. It wasn¡¯t Zyrus¡¯s first time seeing one. All of his main skills were of the same rank in his past life. After F to A ranks, there were S, SS, SSS, and finally EX. It was the rank that signified that you had reached the peak of the sanctuary. With a surge of anticipation and anxiety Zyrus clicked on the title. Although he knew what the EX-ranked skills were capable of, it was his first time getting an achievement of that rank. [The Architect of Abyss: Your mana attribute changes from Neutral to Abyss. You can now imbue the power of abyss into all of your physical and magical attacks.] ¡®Abyss huh..¡¯ Zyrus thought over his past actions with confusion as he wasn¡¯t sure why he got the power of abyss. Although the power was strong, it wasn¡¯t what he was looking for. ¡°Need my help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even surprised at this point,¡± Zyrus stared at the smug-faced Aurora. Franken, the players, and even the yet-to-hatch specter scorpions were nowhere in sight. It was obvious as to who had teleported them to god knows where. ¡°Tch¡­Not even a thanks¡± ¡°Thank you for everything you have done so far,¡± Zyrus spoke in a sincere tone as he looked at his one and only friend who knew about both of his lives. ¡°A-ahem, I was just joking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you getting embarrassed.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± After bantering with her for a bit, Zyrus finally asked the question he had. ¡°This is the last time I¡¯ll be able to talk with you in the first ring, so listen carefully.¡± Zyrus nodded with a serious look and gestured her to continue. He knew how valuable this information was as it could save him a lot of time in finding the right path. ¡°The reason you got the powers of abyss is mostly because of your race. You should have obtained the powers even before this achievement, but we intentionally held them back.¡± ¡°What? You can do that? And why?¡± Zyrus was flustered after hearing her reply. He knew that the administrators had a lot of power within the sanctuary, but it was the first time he was hearing about them directly interfering with a player¡¯s status. ¡°We can¡¯t meddle with the player¡¯s affairs, but yours is a special case. As for the ¡®Why¡¯, let me ask you this, Why are the Eternals able to use the powers of origin despite being under the influence of the sanctuary? Especially when you, who was instinctively using the same power, was deemed a threat by the system?¡± Zyrus felt like a hammer had struck on his head. All this time he had never considered the reason behind his death with this perspective. He had believed that the Eternals were just afraid of his growing strength. And they, along with the ¡®system,¡¯ didn¡¯t want him to leave the sanctuary. Maybe those reasons were correct, but was that all? ¡°Are you really an arcanist? Your brain only works when it comes to creating spells to win a battle,¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, give me a break. Every time I see you, you give me the information that fucks my worldview over. Do you seriously expect me to think properly in this case?¡± ¡°Well.. fair enough. It¡¯s because of your achievement. You know how the levels, skills, and achievements work right?¡± Zyrus nodded in understanding as he heard her reply. Levels increased one¡¯s state of existence and gave them stats. And skills determined how one used those stats. Achievements, on the other hand, were much more complex. Aside from giving new skills and SP, its main function was to prove yourself against the sanctuary. Certain classes, Ranks, regions, equipment, and a lot of leadership and authority-related skills were reliant upon one¡¯s achievement. For example, if a player didn¡¯t have the necessary achievement, they wouldn¡¯t be able to unlock some quests and travel to certain areas. In the sanctuary where power was gained by war and conquest, this condition was a severe handicap. ¡°Do you get it now? It¡¯s like the difference between an adult holding a sword and a kid holding a sword. No one would bother the former as long as they followed the guidelines, but what of the latter? The kid would harm not only himself but all of those around him as well.¡± ¡°I see.. I don¡¯t understand all of it, but I suppose I¡¯m in the right direction.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for now. You didn¡¯t ask anything about instinctively using the powers of void in your previous life, so I¡¯ll assume that now you know the basics.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Good. Here, take this.¡± Aurora hovered above and threw an orb of blue energy toward Zyrus. Although he didn¡¯t know what it was, he was all too familiar with the orb''s aura. It was his mana. His mana when he was the void monarch. ¡°Use the abyssal magic and get familiar with the laws of void. Although they might seem different, they have more in common than you¡¯d think. Remember this, only use a fraction of your source of origin when you are in the sanctuary. In case of emergency, this will allow you to go all out, but it¡¯d be better if you don¡¯t take that risk,¡± Aurora pointed at the orb with solemn eyes. From the urgency in her voice, it was apparent that her time here was running out. ¡°How do I use it?¡± Zyrus asked the most important question, but in the next second, it was rendered useless. As if it had sensed Zyrus¡¯s desire, the cube floated in front of the orb of energy. Zyrus glanced at the fading Aurora one last time and pushed the orb towards the cube without hesitation. An intense red glow erupted from the cube just like the first day of the tutorial. This power reminded him of the black robed man who was responsible for his regression. He was wary of the man¡¯s intentions but he knew that he meant no harm. The cube wasn¡¯t like the system. It was a tool, just like a sword. The person in control is the one who is using it, not the one who created it. The more he learned about the sanctuary and the system, the more questions he had. With every new encounter he realized just how ignorant he was in the past life. He had disdained those who treated this world like a game, but from the looks of it, he wasn¡¯t much different compared to them. Despite all of that though, one thing was certain. He was getting stronger with every new encounter and slowly but surely, he would once again stand at the peak of the sanctuary. ¡®And this time I don¡¯t plan to lose against anyone or anything,¡¯ Zyrus clenched his fists in determination and read the text in front of him. [You have gained the Authority: 13 Curses of Void] It was just a single sentence, but it meant the world to him. After struggling for more than a thousand years he had finally found a path. A path that would give him the power that solely belonged to him. Chapter 48: 13 Curses of Void The cube didn¡¯t give him any new skills or stats. It just showed him what he already had. It was like a mirror that allowed him to examine himself. If before he was fumbling in the darkness to find a correct path, then this was a torch that would guide him on the way. Now he had a clear destination, and how to reach there was completely up to him. Of course, the cube had another use besides this. It would allow him to use the power of origin while hiding from the eyes and ears of the Eternals. [Authority: 13 Curses of Void] He who rules the 13 Curses shall wield the power that eclipses immortality. Curses created: 2/13 Curse of Collapse: Spatial Stab Curse of Nothingness: Shackles of Nihility ¡®I wonder what will happen when I have all of them,¡¯ Zyrus walked in circles as he thought over his future plans. Although he wanted to join with the rest of his troops, he had more pressing matters to attend to. Silver crown and the final phase of the crown hunt had to wait as his first priority lay elsewhere. ¡®Things will be easier now that I have the powers of the abyss¡­¡¯ Each attribute had its own strengths and weaknesses. Fire made one¡¯s magic explosive whereas water had a calming and uniform property. Earth attribute gave resistance and resilience against other magic, wind was fast and sharp, lightning gave penetration, and so on. This didn¡¯t mean that one with a specific attributed mana couldn¡¯t use other attributes. It was quite the opposite. One with lightning mana can use a wind spell and imbue it with the lightning element''s penetrative property. If a player with neutral mana wanted to use these powers, they would need specific mana stones to cast the spells. For example, Healers and buffers always looked for water-attributed mana stones to harmonize with other powers. The Abyss was a real place that existed outside the sanctuary. It wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar place for arcanists as they often summoned creatures from the abyss and other planes of existence. They were a bunch who were willing to do anything for their research of arcana. The abyss was the most notorious plane among them all. It had a straightforward but annoying ability, the power of corrosion. If water harmonized everything to make each of them stronger than before, then the abyss was the exact opposite. It corroded and consumed all mana to become stronger. It could ignore defense and spread indefinitely if it wasn¡¯t taken care of. Only by purging it with a vast amount of mana could one get rid of it. Of course, one had to pay the price for the great power as well. The power of abyss assimilated and devoured everything, and this included the person who was using it. Only one fate awaited those who dared to use this corrupted power. Every time they used this power, the abyss would corrupt their very existence. Some would lose their emotions and become a husk of what they used to be, while others would lose their sanity and cause havoc and destruction. According to ancient records, the abyssal creatures were born from the essence and memories of those who were devoured by the abyss. In rare cases, there were some strong individuals who had enough willpower to resist the corruption and keep their sanity. Even then, they couldn¡¯t completely escape from the grasp of abyss. Once you gaze into that deep and bottomless chasm, there was no coming back. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Zyrus knew the risk behind his power, and he also guessed why the seemingly powerful Sylvarix race was wiped out. He recalled the description that defined them as ¡®A species that has no limits for evolution.¡¯ From the fact that he had dormant abyssal powers in his bloodline, it was apparent what they attempted. They tried to evolve using the power of the abyss, and unfortunately, they succeeded. Zyrus didn¡¯t have to travel back in time to see what happened afterward. They wielded the power of abyss and became strong, stronger than any species. They must have believed that they could control the corrupted power with their evolutionary trait. Every time one of their members fell, the others could evolve in a way that negated that specific scenario. With innumerable attempts followed by countless trials and errors, they would eventually acquire a power that was capable of controlling the abyss. It was a scary thought, and the fact that their plan could have worked was even scarier. Zyrus knew that if it was him in his previous life he would have agreed with the Sylvarix race. It was a logical conclusion and there was nothing wrong with it. But now, Zyrus knew that there were powers that defied logic. The Sylvarix were living in a dream bubble that resided in the sea of nightmare. It didn¡¯t matter how long or how sweet the dream was. Their end was decided the moment they approached the bottomless sea. Why did Aurora allow Zyrus to have that power then? It was because he could handle it. Or rather, he had to handle it. She knew better than anyone that although Zyrus was lacking in wisdom compared to other arcanists, he was a genius in his own right. There was no way that someone with all brawn and no brain could become the strongest in the sanctuary. She got along with Zyrus despite his arrogance because she knew that he had the right to be arrogant. What he had accomplished in a mere 1000 years was something that others couldn¡¯t even dream of in millennia. Zyrus knew that as well. Now, he had an inkling as to what the attributes of mana were. They were laws of origin that made the world. If people like them could use the powers of origin, then why couldn¡¯t Abyss? It wasn¡¯t a living entity, but so what? And if he was correct, then the solution to the age-old problem was also simple. Not to mention he had the perfect power to counter the corruption of abyss. ¡®I can either be consumed by the abyss or erase it with the origin of Void.¡¯ Zyrus chuckled with cold eyes and used the cube¡¯s power. [Would you like to return on Planet Earth?] [Yes/No] [Note: You can stay on Earth for 1 month. This chance to return will expire once you reach Lv 20] Zyrus clicked ¡®Yes¡¯ without hesitation. ¡®A power that spreads indefinitely and a power that erases everything it touched from existence¡­¡¯ He was really itching to check out his hypothesis against the aliens. ¡­ When Zyrus got over the nauseous sensation, he was greeted by a hellish sight. He was standing on the mountain where he had started his journey. However, everything had changed apart from the rock he was standing on. ¡®I hope it¡¯s not dead,¡¯ Zyrus clenched his fists in anger as he recalled his friend who always greeted him whenever he came back to earth. His eyes became red with fury, resembling the sky above. Black clouds covered the far horizon, And ears trembled with each lightning bolt that flashed in the distance. ¡®I had expected as such from Aurora¡¯s report, but this is hard to see¡­¡¯ Zyrus summoned the ophidian warriors with a surge of sadness and anger in his heart. *Shatter* Space crumbled in front of him as three portals formed in the air. 7 ophidian warriors walked out from within and knelt in front of Zyrus. As if they had felt his emotions, their eyes were just as red as his. ¡°Rise.¡± Zyrus waved his hand and gestured the warriors to stand behind in groups of five. He only had a month to finish the task, and he didn¡¯t plan to waste even a second of that. [Alert! A crisis had occurred on Planet Earth] [If not resolved the planet will be destroyed] [Countdown: 300 days] Instead of being alarmed, Zyrus was rather relieved by the red status screen that came out of the cube. He was already aware of the planet''s destruction. The red sky and lighting that came from the black clouds weren¡¯t just for show. [Map has been unlocked!] [Previous missions have been changed] [You have gained a temporary title: The last Apostle] Although Zyrus was surprised by the title, he checked out the map before anything else. He had to figure out where he was and where the enemies that escaped from the dungeon were. A hologram appeared in front of him when Zyrus clicked on the ¡®Map¡¯. The entire planet was covered in yellow and orange zones. He wasn¡¯t a newbie to games and he immediately realized what they meant. Yellow areas were the places where the aliens had yet to invade, while the Orange Zones represented the areas infested by aliens. When he rotated the globe to look at the other side, what he saw made a chill go down his spine. Apart from the ones mentioned above, there were red areas that showed the location of the ¡®Boss¡¯ monsters of the dungeon. Zyrus was able to see two of them in the first half. One was located in the forest he was at, and the other was on a separate continent. Although the second monster zone was bigger, Zyrus wasn¡¯t afraid of it as he had faced monsters that were as large as entire cities. ¡®But How big was the fucking dungeon for this to happen!¡¯ Apart from the two large continents that Zyrus saw, no land was left on Earth. On the other side of the globe was nothing except the ocean and a red zone that was as big as an entire continent. Chapter 49: The most shameless War that took place on Earth ¡®Oh well, We''ll cross that bridge when we come to It,¡¯ Instead of worrying about the future, Zyrus decided to check the new quests first. He didn¡¯t know what was holding the three monsters back from destroying the earth, but he hoped from the bottom of his heart that it would last long enough until he regained some of his strength. [You have received another main mission!] [Mission: Exterminate the Glemorax King] [Reward: ???] [Side mission: Exterminate the invaders (I)] [Reward: A Bone enhancement fluid will be given for every 5 kills] [Side mission: Exterminate the invaders (II)] [Reward: A Muscle enhancement fluid will be given for every 10 kills] Zyrus wasn¡¯t much surprised by the changes. As the scale of the threat had increased, the rewards had to be greater as well. With this, he had more confidence to reach his destination within a month. [Mission: Canoe of Catastrophe] [???] [Reward: ???] [Side mission (New!): Reclaim the lost lands] [Reward: New facilities will be created in the area under your control] Zyrus was intrigued by the last mission as it was different compared to everything above. All of the missions so far were about killing aliens, but this was the only one that showed a possibility for salvation. He believed that Earth was gone for good even if he somehow managed to kill all of the aliens. No life could survive on earth after the damage caused by this incident. Zyrus was certain that the cube didn¡¯t have the power to terraform the earth, at least not on its own. There must be something on earth that was still resisting the invasion and had the power to rekindle the fire of civilization. ¡®I guess the mission above is related to that as well¡­¡¯ Finally, he checked the one thing he was most excited about. Albeit temporarily, it was the first title he had acquired in this life. [The last Apostle] He will stand fearlessly when the world crumbles on the dawn of apocalypse. He will fight the darkness that devourers civilizations. On the world abandoned by all, he will usher the era of conquest. Heaven¡¯s blessings: 10x mana regeneration on Earth. 10x stamina regeneration on Earth. Your summoned creature''s kills will also be counted as yours. The world is my Oyster: Can teleport to anywhere within 100 miles when out of combat. CD: 10 minutes Mark of Asclepius: Automatic recovery when fighting against an invasion. Note: The effects of the title will be improved depending on your actions. Even amongst the titles he knew, this one¡¯s effects were among the top. It made sense its usage was limited on Earth. Generally, titles were only given to rulers and guardians of the nation. This was why no one could get one in the first two rings. What he needed more than anything was the first two effects. Although teleportation and automatic healing were good, they would be useless if he wasn¡¯t able to fight his opponents. Zyrus knew how weak he currently was. There was no way he would be able to defeat the dungeon, no, world bosses with his lv 15 stats. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Even the source of origin would be useless against enemies who were way beyond his league of existence. Levels and stats weren¡¯t just for show after all. Although Zyrus was annoyed by the restrictions of the sanctuary, he couldn¡¯t deny that it gave the players the easiest path to become stronger. Without its effects, the time required to get the same amount of power would be thousands of times longer. Although the power obtained that way would be more stable, what use would it have if you died before achieving anything? Zyrus was a unique case since he had the chance and most importantly, the ability to walk on both paths. Besides, his current situation wasn''t that hopeless. He was a Summoner whose strength depended on his summons and not his personal stats. With his title giving him the kill-sharing effect, he was like a tiger with wings. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get ourselves an army shall we,¡± Zyrus spoke with a cold glint in his eyes and descended the mountain. Balaur Summoner, Abyssal Magic, and the Titles'' buffs. Although the enemies he would be facing were capable of destroying entire worlds, his powers had the potential to rival them. ¡­ *Screech* *Slash* *Buzz* Hundreds of Verdara beetles flew everywhere as they fought against the endless horde of ophidian warriors. In this open forest the beetles had an upper hand in the fight, but even then, they were the ones losing in the end. When they killed one, another would take their place. It was the first time these insects were pitted against their very own horde tactics, and well, they didn¡¯t like it very much. At the start, Zyrus made full use of the teleportation ability to summon the ophidian warriors everywhere. Things proceeded very slowly and it took him four days to clear the mountain range. Even after using the teleportation ability for nearly 100 times, they were barely able to clear an area equivalent to a small country. There were millions of aliens scattered throughout the earth, but it was rather sparse compared to the size of the earth. If not for the map that showed him the aliens'' locations, then even this much progress would be a pipe dream. ¡°Summon.¡± Zyrus summoned 500 more ophidian warriors after teleporting behind the enemy lines. They were tenth of his overall troops, and it was the most he could summon due to his class limitation. Unlike before, Zyrus didn¡¯t run away to maintain the non-combat status. He didn¡¯t have to teleport anymore as this was the last battle that was happening within hundreds of miles. *Fwip* *KReeee* The beetles cried in fear and frustration against the pincer attack, but their fates were already sealed. Zyrus stood leisurely at the backlines and recovered his nearly depleted mana. His battle tactics were simple yet effective. He targeted smaller groups of Verdara beetles on the first day and increased his summons to a total of 500. He was also notified at that time that this was the most number of warriors he could summon. All of the summoners had this limit. It didn¡¯t matter what they summoned from another plane. Be it animals, undead, plants, or elementals, the maximum number of them were fixed. They could summon more only after the ones summoned previously were killed. It was a way to maintain the balance of power within a sanctuary. 500 summons for a level 20 player were good, but it was by no means game-changing. Not to mention that the resources required to improve as a summoner were more than any other class. But Zyrus¡¯s situation was different. He wasn¡¯t in the sanctuary and most importantly, he and his summons were on the same plane. There was no maximum limit of his summons as long as he had enough mana. If he couldn¡¯t summon 5000 ophidian warriors at once, then all he had to do was simple. Summon 500 of them 10 times. So, he deployed a very shameless tactic. He would teleport a good distance away from the battlefield and summon the warriors depending upon the situation. After ordering them to drag the corpses at the back lines, he would teleport to another location. Once the area around hundreds of miles was secured, he would once again teleport to the backlines of the battlefield and awaken new ophidian warriors from the beetles¡¯ corpses. It was an endless cycle where his troops increased with the death of their enemies, and they would in turn kill more enemies. He didn¡¯t use the bone and muscle enhancement fluids because he wanted to experiment with them using the power of abyss. That aside, he used Empower whenever he could. Now, 1000 out of 5000 warriors had been upgraded with the beetle''s claws. The fight finally ended after half an hour of one-sided slaughter. Zyrus wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep, but there was one more thing he had to take care of. These fights were tedious and boring but they were necessary to lay down the foundation for his main goal. [Congratulations! You have completed the Side mission] [You have reached the minimum threshold to unlock a facility] [Please select one from below:] [1. Barracks] [2. Castle] [3. Alchemy tower] [4. Teleport waypoint] [5. Warehouse] [6. Forge] [7. Bestiary] [8. Satellite] ¡®Fuu.. finally I can focus on creating a domain and research on the powers of abyss¡¯ Zyrus let out a sigh of relief and checked out the two options he needed the most. They were none other than the teleport waypoint and warehouse. Teleport waypoint: Create a teleport location anywhere on Earth. You and your subordinates can travel there from the safe zone and vice versa. It solved the biggest hurdle Zyrus faced currently, time. Warehouse: You and your allies can store items directly in the safe zone. Limit: 1000 m^3 Note: Only you can take out the stored items. ¡®Yup, that¡¯s it!¡¯ Zyrus read the description with wide eyes to make sure he was right. The other options were good as well, but he was sure that this was the one thing he needed the most. The Alchemy tower and Forge would provide potions and equipment for the summons, while the Barracks would increase their strength. Bestiary was a niche option as it could give mounts to the summons. The satellite was good for a more precise reconnaissance. Although the map was good, with the satellite he should be able to observe the alien¡¯s formations in greater detail. Apart from the useless castle all of them had their advantages, but none of them came close to the warehouse. He just had to send his summons to fight and order them to store the corpses in the storage. He could research in peace while increasing the number of his troops for the final battle. Was there anything better than this? [You have selected ¡°Warehouse¡±] As soon as the message floated up from the cube, a loud rumbling sound echoed from the mountain ranges. This marked the beginning of the most shameless war that took place on Earth. Chapter 50: All Hail the Lord *BANG* Zyrus stood on one knee as the ground beneath him trembled. Loud echoes reverberated nonstop from the mountains, scaring away the few birds and animals that were still living. Only after a couple of minutes did the rumbling calm down. ¡®It¡¯s more realistic than I thought it¡¯d be,¡¯ Zyrus scratched his jaw while observing the map. He imagined that a new warehouse would pop out somewhere just like in the kingdom-building games, but the reality was quite different. ¡®And that¡¯s the last place I¡¯d expect as a warehouse,¡¯ Zyrus clicked on the map that showed a thatched cottage in the only green area. *Flash* ¡°Sweet,¡± ¡°Sweeettt..¡± . . His voice echoed around the vast cave that was carved inside the mountain range. Zyrus slid his palm against the nearby wall which looked clean and polished. Unlike the glowing cold walls, the floor below his feet felt warm and comforting. It was a rare sensation as he wasn''t able to feel the temperature around him due to the hard scales covering his entire body. ¡®It¡¯s magic,¡¯ Zyrus was sure that there was preservation magic casted on the walls and the floor. However, even after using his eye of annihilation, he wasn¡¯t able to find either a magic circle or a mana stone that powered it. ¡®Wait, could it be!¡¯ Struck with a sudden enlightenment Zyrus immediately focused on the walls. Unlike before when he was looking for a surge of mana to find the formation, he was now observing the mana that encompassed the entire cavern. And sure enough, he realized it. This cave, no, this warehouse was a natural domain. It was his first time seeing one of this type, but he was certain about his speculation. As the name suggested, natural domains were formed by extreme environmental conditions. For example, a mountaintop that was repeatedly struck by lightning would have a lighting domain. In the same way, fire domains could be found near volcanoes and wood domains near a lush forest. Of course, it only happened if there was sufficient mana along with the elemental powers. These places were gentler in nature compared to those created by living beings. They only enhanced their respective elements without causing any harm. In the fourth and fifth ring of the sanctuary, all of the high-ranked species had their headquarters in such natural domains. It made their bases easy to defend due to their affinity with the elements. Not to mention it also increased progression speed for certain types of magic and martial arts. Zyrus wasn¡¯t exactly sure just yet, but as far as he understood, this place was just like that. Unlike the simple elements, this domain focused on a complex magic like preservation. One had to realize that preservation magic used both fire and ice magic to maintain the temperature at a suitable level. The more objects were placed in the magic, the higher its difficulty would be. For Zyrus who was creating a void based domain, it was like a pie falling from the sky. He didn¡¯t dilly dally any longer and summoned 100 empowered ophidian warriors. After killing nearly 10000 Verdara beetles these past few days, he had around 2000 vials of Bone enhancement fluid and 1000 vials of Muscle enhancement fluid in his possession. Although he was unable to collect all of the corpses, what he had was sufficient. He still had over 500 claws left, not to mention the wings that were five times the amount. ¡°Can you guys speak now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± Zyrus walked towards the foremost ophidian warrior without a trace of disappointment. He had noticed these past few days that although his summons had enough intelligence to use simple battle formation and obey his commands, they weren¡¯t capable of acting on their own. This wasn¡¯t an issue for the time being, but once they numbered in tens of thousands, Zyrus knew that it would be a pain in the ass to manage them. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Thus, he only had two options left. One was to awaken higher-ranked summons which he believed would happen after he met the Glemorax, and the other was to create an elite unit that would lead the others. Since he didn¡¯t know when the first one would happen, he was left with only one choice. Zyrus placed his hand on the ophidian warrior¡¯s chest instead of ordering him to drink the vials. Although he wasn¡¯t able to speak, Zyrus was able to sense his summons'' trust in him by looking into his eyes. ¡®Tch¡­ maybe it¡¯s better that they don¡¯t have emotions,¡¯ Zyrus closed his eyes and focused on the new power he had acquired in the dungeon. His heart slowed down as a new power surged from within it. Unlike the pulsing life force it emitted before, this new power was more foul and sinister in nature. Black blood flowed out from his seven orifices but Zyrus didn¡¯t even flinch at the pain. The first time was the most difficult, and he knew that if he stopped the cycle midway, the summoned abyssal power would backfire on him. Dark tendrils surged out from his heart as his dormant bloodline awakened. He felt as if bugs were crawling all over his body as the power of abyss filled each and every part of his body. ¡®Phew¡­ it¡¯s done,¡¯ Zyrus let out a breath of relief and looked at his outstretched hand. His blue scales were shining in a dark luster in the dim lights of the cavern. ¡°Now then, I¡¯m not sure whether you get it or not, but this¡¯ll hurt like a bitch. So, don¡¯t faint no matter what, got it?¡± The ophidian warrior nodded at Zyrus without a change in expression. Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate further and pulled out two vials of enhancement fluids. He didn¡¯t know how powerful they were, but he hoped that they had enough energy to sustain them for what was to come. He had long since gotten used to the pain he felt when any of his summons died. It was his own way to atone for the way he was using them. He knew that it was hypocritical, but he didn¡¯t care. They had to endure whatever came their way because they were weak. It was the same for him. A black whirlpool formed on his palm and it pushed against the ophidian warrior¡¯s chest. It was the result of Zyrus¡¯s mana circulation method. He wanted to use this as a seed for his abyssal power. They could either absorb that power and evolve or be consumed by it. Either way, Zyrus would get new summons that had the powers of the abyss. Just because he couldn¡¯t use empower didn¡¯t mean that he had no way to upgrade his summons. He was an arcanist first and foremost, and doing something like this was a piece of cake. To his credit, the ophidian warrior didn¡¯t even flinch when the whirlpool was pushed inside his heart. Zyrus poured the vials into his mouth and ordered him to rest. Although he was slightly tired, with his title¡¯s effect it didn¡¯t take him long to repeat the same process. Leaving the 100 warriors to rest aside, he once again summoned 500 more empowered warriors and gave them the two enhancement fluids. Unlike the previous times, their effects were immediate. *Crack* *pop* ¡°Oh, so it works like this huh,¡± Zyrus exclaimed in surprise as he observed the 500 warriors popping and cracking their muscles. They grew taller and their limbs were now thicker than before. Their dark green scales glittered under the caverns'' glow as they knelt before Zyrus. Although he had yet to see its effectiveness, these warriors were at least 50% stronger than before. "Take a break and get used to your new power," Satisfied with the fluid''s efficiency, Zyrus ordered the ophidian warriors to head back. Unlike them he didn''t have the time to relax. He studied the map while eating the rations provided by the cube. Now that his summons had become stronger, it was time to implement the second part of his plan. ¡®Huu¡­ this is going to be another tiring day,¡¯ Zyrus looked forward to the day he would get the teleport waypoint. For the time being he had no choice but to manually summon his troops all over the continent. Although they had barely occupied a corner of the continent, he knew that it was only a matter of time before the map would change completely. But unfortunately for him, he wasn¡¯t the only one who thought the same. ¡­ Thousands of miles away, at the edge of the forest that spanned across half of the continent, there was a castle made from white marble. Thousands of aliens in red armor stood guard in front of its majestic gates. Their scales gleamed under the crimson sky, giving the place an eerie and ominous vibe. Black clouds rumbled all across the horizon, but it seemed that even they were afraid of the being that sat on the castle¡¯s throne. ¡°My King, A variable has appeared.¡± The Glemorax King opened his thirteen eyes and looked towards the north. It was the place where Zyrus had created his temporary camp. The king spoke via telepathy as his thirteen eyes landed on the trembling soldier. The Glemorax king had four pairs of wings with two eyes on each. Unlike the other Glemorax, he had an additional three eyes on his chest. Four gold and two crimson horns adorned his head like a crown. ¡°N-no your majesty. We sensed the power of earth¡¯s spirit in that direction,¡± The chief of Glemorax army replied in a meek voice. To be honest, he didn¡¯t want to confront their ruler who stood on the towering thirty-meter tall throne. Although they were of the same species, the disparity between them was too great. Despite being a chief, the kneeling Glemorax was only five meters tall. He was like an insect compared to the king whose four arms were twenty meters long, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. He also disappears from our detection range from time to time, but he always reappears after a couple of minutes,¡± ¡°I-I think so,¡± ¡°As you command, your majesty.¡± The chief scurried off without looking back. Only when he was outside of the castle did he heave a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t know why their king was leading the invasion on this run-down planet, not to mention two other rulers who were even stronger than him. ¡®I hope we don¡¯t come across that thing,¡¯ Just by looking at the ocean he could feel a shiver all over his body. He wanted nothing more than to finish this mission as soon as possible. ¡°Move out soldiers, we head to the north,¡± *Clang* All of the soldiers banged their spear-like hands against their armor and roared at the crimson sky. ¡°ALL HAIL THE LORD,¡± ¡°ALL HAIL THE LORD,¡± On this day, Thousands of four-armed aliens let out their war cries and marched towards the north. Chapter 51: Kamikaze Ten days passed by in a flash, while Zyrus and the ophidian warriors remained unaware of the troubles coming their way. Zyrus spent his days on awakening more warriors and studying the domain he had created. His troops had grown by leaps and bounds in the process. Now, he had more than 50,000 summons under his command. Hordes of Verdara beetles were coming from the south as if their butts were on fire. Although Zyrus was concerned about the cause of their frenzied behavior, he gladly accepted the free meal. After leaving a 1000 empowered and 4000 normal ophidian warriors to guard the warehouse, he moved towards the south to meet the horde head-on. Red sky and barren land. No matter where he went, the environment remained the same. The rivers had dried out and vegetation was nowhere to be seen. If not for the timer on his cube he would have believed that he was stuck in a loop. The only positive thing was that he was getting used to the power of his class. The title''s effects were improved twice due to his progress and he could now teleport across 5000 miles. His mana recovered almost instantaneously, and it allowed him to awaken and empower thousands of ophidian warriors every day. If it was anyone else instead of Zyrus, there was a very high chance that they would become drunk by such power. Fortunately or unfortunately, Zyrus¡¯s current power was not even 10% of his peak strength. ¡®Less than two weeks left¡­¡¯ Zyrus frowned as he observed the map. His forces had cleared out a fourth of the continent. Even then, there was no way he could reach the red zone with the time he had left. It wasn¡¯t his first time leading thousands of soldiers. However, unlike before, he didn¡¯t have a command structure. Even after all of his experiments he was unable to summon soldiers with self-awareness. ¡®Agh- fuck!¡¯ Zyrus doubled over in pain as he felt like thousands of needles were stabbing his insides. There was only one reason why he felt like this all of a sudden. ¡°Everybody gather around,¡± Zyrus shouted from the top of his lungs and teleported to the highest mountain nearby. His summons had died in just a blink of an eye. ¡®A lot of them.¡¯ Zyrus scanned his surroundings and soon enough, he found the source of unease he had felt since the past week. He opened the map, and there it was. Thousands of red dots were crawling towards his direction. Only a single gigantic circle remained on the Glemorax king¡¯s location. ¡®These bastards got me good this time,¡¯ Zyrus had no clue as to how they did it, but he was unable to sense their movement by using the map. Although he didn¡¯t believe the cube to be some sort of omnipotent entity, he didn¡¯t expect that it would have such a flaw. The cube hummed in his palm as if it was infuriated by Zyrus¡¯s thoughts. Though he found its action amusing, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste time at the moment. He was pretty sure that he would be facing the new aliens, ¡®Glemorax,¡¯ from now on. The fact that they were able to wipe out one of his squad was enough to tell how strong they were. Zyrus was tense and excited at the same time. The opponents this time were most likely a tier above the Verdara beetles. The fights would be hard to win, but that also meant that he would be able to awaken rank two summons using them. ¡®Around 10,000 miles away¡­¡¯ He calculated the time it would take for them to arrive. He had no intention to engage in a serious battle before he figured out his enemies'' strengths and weaknesses. ¡®Two hours, one at the very least,¡¯ Zyrus used teleport with cold eyes and arrived at a plain wasteland. Wars were won with speed, and thus, he had no time to hesitate. ¡°Summon¡± *Shatter* The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Summon¡± *Shatter* ¡°Summon¡± . . . ¡®Huff¡­huff¡­¡¯ Zyrus panted for breath but still, he kept summoning 500 ophidian warriors again and again. At first, he believed that the summons'' limit was set by the sanctuary to maintain the balance. However, the reality was that even if the sanctuary allowed it, there was no way that someone at level 20 could summon more than 500 creatures at once. As an expert in dimensional magic, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to figure out how the ¡®summon¡¯ skill worked. It was an altered version of mass teleport. One¡¯s mana and league of existence determined how wide and stable the pathway connecting both sides would be. Both Zyrus and the ophidian warriors were on the same continent. Even then, it was hard for Zyrus to use the same skill over and over again. There was no way he could summon them in the sanctuary without the system¡¯s assistance. The only downside of getting a new class was also this. Previously he had the simple mage class which later evolved into ¡®Voidwalker.¡¯ He had a 1000 years to practice the same set of spells over and over again. It was no surprise that he was able to use them without the system¡¯s assistance. ¡®On the bright side, this is the perfect place to practice my summoning skills¡­¡¯ Zyrus wiped the sweat from his forehead and shamelessly teleported back to the mountain ranges. Although he wanted to observe their fight, an open plain wasn¡¯t suitable for that. He had only given one order to the ophidian warriors: Get as many corpses as you can. The ophidian warriors had 12h cooldown after they were killed. And from the Verdara beetle¡¯s movements, he could guess that the Glemorax had started moving since a week ago. It took them 7 days to reach the middle of the continent from its edge. If they kept moving in his base¡¯s direction then it would take them another 3-4 days to arrive. ¡®I can do 5 more suicide attacks,¡¯ Zyrus grinned evilly and started running towards his base. 5 times was more than enough to know them from the inside out. ¡­ On the other side, three advance parties of 10,000 Glemorax moved out from the main army. From the moment Zyrus observed them with his cube, they were unable to detect Zyrus using the hive. Their situations were reversed now. The closer they reached their destination the less control the hive had. It was the first time when the Glemorax chief faced this world¡¯s resistance. This sudden change made him cautious, but still, he didn¡¯t believe that it would affect the final outcome. In order to find the target he had sent out a third of his army. A group of 10,000 Glemorax was enough to wipe out any native force on this planet. One of the group marched in their original direction while the other two moved left and right. They moved faster compared to the main army, and in just an hour, they passed through the dry forest. In front of them was a barren wasteland with no end in sight. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing that greeted the advance party. ¡°Captain! Look over there,¡± ¡°Hahaha.. we¡¯re lucky this time,¡± A ten feet tall Glemorax guffawed as he saw the summons Zyrus had left behind. 40,000 ophidian warriors stood out like a sore thumb on the cracked lands. Despite their opponents having four times their numbers, not a single alien was afraid. ¡°What are your orders captain?¡± ¡°As usual, don¡¯t let anyone escape.¡± ¡°We understand.¡± Ten Glemorax who were a foot taller than the rest bowed their head and walked away. All of the aliens were two meters tall with muscular builds and black exoskeleton. On their head were two crimson eyes flanked by golden horns. Apart from the clawed hands just like the Verdara beetles, they had another pair of spear-like hands. The ophidian warriors weren¡¯t staying idle while observing the aliens either. Zyrus had focused on both quality and quantity this time. Out of the 40,000 warriors, 8500 of them were empowered. They deployed a wedge formation as per Zyrus¡¯s order. 5000 empowered warriors stood at the center while the rest reinforced the middle lines. Compared to them though, the glemorax¡¯s attack was straightforward. It wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t know any decent formation, they simply didn¡¯t need one. Blade-like crimson wings flapped on their backs as they charged ahead. While Verdara beetles used their wings for swift and unpredictable movement, the Glemorax used them for attack. Just like every other part of their body. *Puchuk* Some skewered the ophidians warriors with their spear-like hands while others rammed into their heads with their golden horns. *Cut* *bang* The ophidian warriors fought in a frenzy as they punched the aliens with all their might. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t achieve anything else apart from pushing them back. Their red armor was almost impenetrable. Even when they hit their wings, it was the ophidian warriors who were cut into pieces. It was a one-sided massacre. A fourth of Zyrus¡¯s summons were killed in just five minutes. ¡°Be careful, something¡¯s not right,¡± The Glemorax captain advised the ten squad leaders as he observed the battlefield. They were the only ones with intelligence in this advanced party, and because of that, they were able to feel an eerie sensation. The battlefield was clean and quiet despite the ongoing slaughter. Too quiet. Their opponents neither spoke a word nor did they leave behind a corpse after their death. They were cut, stabbed, and smashed into pieces, but all they did was stare into the glemorax''s eyes. There were no emotions in their eyes. The captain had seen the dying gazes of countless enemies. Fear, hatred, relief, hope¡­ he was used to seeing all these emotions in their prey¡¯s eyes. But this was different. He knew that their enemy was a summoner, and they couldn¡¯t get rid of these weaklings without killing their leader. However, something was off about the enemies this time. Even a summoner couldn¡¯t use their summons like cannon fodder. A lot of time and energy were required to summon a large army like this from another dimension. Another 5000 ophidian warriors died when the glemorax army charged into the center of their formation. It was at this moment, *Tear* For the first time, a glemorax fell. An empowered ophidian warrior stabbed the alien''s eyes and yanked its head off. More than 2000 glemorax had charged into the center of the wedge formation. All of the ophidian warriors at the edge were dead. Nonetheless, they had served their purpose. The 3500 empowered ophidian warriors along with the ones in the rear, closed the gap in an instant. It was a stupid act as now they were exposed from both sides. But it was enough. They had fulfilled their master''s command as 2000 aliens were trapped in the center. Chapter 52: A Beast that shouldn’t exist in the current Era *Slash* ¡°Keeik-¡± *Tear* Sounds of screams and tearing flesh engulfed the center of the battlefield. The drought-stricken land finally found a way to quench its thirst. Like the hungry maws of starving beasts, the cracks on the ground absorbed the blood that flowed through the alien¡¯s corpses. Unlike the ophidian warriors, the glemorax weren¡¯t quiet when facing their death. They flailed and screamed for help, but it was too late. Hundreds of ophidian warriors were dying every second and even the empowered ones didn¡¯t fare much better. ¡°Those damned maniacs!¡± The captain roared in anger. He was infuriated by the sudden change in the outcome. He had realized the summoner''s intentions too late. It wasn¡¯t his fault as no one with a sane mind would sacrifice 40000 troops to kill 2000. ¡°Be on guard, something¡¯s off about this summoner,¡± the captain rallied his personal troops and charged towards the battlefield. He believed that the summoner had more troops than the ones here. Otherwise, there was no way he would leave himself vulnerable by sacrificing all his troops. ¡®They¡¯re taking the corpses,¡¯ The captain frowned as he looked around. Only a few thousand remained from the original summons. Time trickled by and soon, a dead silence descended upon the wastelands once again. Few managed to survive from the wedge formation, and as for the 2300 that died, not even their corpses remained. ¡°Notify other advance parties to head back¡± The captain commanded as he looked at the blood-soaked ground with a heavy expression. From this battle, he had figured out many important facts about their enemy. He was Cruel, decisive, and most importantly, he had the means to travel at very high speeds. The captain was no moron. If the summoner was neither nearby, nor did he summon more creatures from afar to lay out an ambush. He most likely used his full force to whittle away their strength. These clues were enough for him to guess their enemy¡¯s tactics, and if he was right, he had to alert the rest as soon as possible. ¡­ On the other hand, Zyrus was running towards a desert that separated the center and the north of the continent. Originally, this wasn¡¯t on his route as he had avoided this land on this travel. However, he had noticed that the glemorax troops were charging in a straight line towards the warehouse. They were sure to cross this land unless they changed their route. ¡®They¡¯re smarter than expected,¡¯ Zyrus observed the red dots'' movements and became warier against these invaders. Previously, they were marching out like a beast¡¯s claw that aimed to engulf the surroundings. Now, their formation looked like a turtle shell. He hadn¡¯t even killed 3% of his troops and they were already on their guard. *Flash* The surroundings blurred by in his sight as he once again used teleportation. ¡®This is good enough. They should be here in a day,¡¯ Zyrus plopped down on the sand dune due to exhaustion as he thought about the past events. Compared to his days in the sanctuary, his stay on earth was much more tense and filled with excitement. ¡®Status¡¯ After leisurely lying on the sand he skimmed past the other information and clicked on his class. Unlike in the sanctuary, he was able to open the screen here. [Class: Balaur Summoner] [Awaken the ancient bloodline by sacrificing your vanquished foes. With your authority as the last Sylvarix you bring forth the fallen warriors of the past.] Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. [Note: You cannot use sacrifice in the sanctuary] [Summoned Subordinates: 5000] [Dead subordinates: 40,000] CD: 11h 26m [Note: Summoned warrior¡¯s species, class, and rank will depend upon the quality of the sacrifice] [Note: Summons can level up as well. For evolution, special items are required] [Note: Immortal attribute. Upon death, the summoned creatures will recuperate in another dimension depending on their statue] Rank I units: 50,764 Regular units: 40,664 Empowered: 9500 Enhanced: 0 Empowered & Enhanced: 500 ???: 100 [Current highest rank of the summon: 1] [Skills unlocked: 1/1] [Empower: You can use monster remains and other mana infused objects on your summons. The number of times the skills can be used corresponds to their rank] [Note: Depending upon the assimilation rate with the summoned creature the skill''s effect may vary] [Note: The changes are irreversible] Nothing else had changed apart from the increase in his summons. Zyrus guessed that his summons could only level up and evolve in the sanctuary. From their current capabilities, they should be around level 10 while the empowered and enhanced ones would be between 15 and 20. From what he had observed so far, the glemorax should be as strong as the average monsters in the second ring. This was a stark reminder of how powerful the sanctuary was. Even the trash-level mobs from the first ring were capable of destroying worlds with their sheer numbers. Sharp winds blew across the desert as he devised plausible strategies. The sand in the air would have bothered him if he were a human, but that was no longer the case. *Grumble* ''Welp, human or not, I need to eat.'' Zyrus stood up with a jump and took out the cube. It was his bread and butter in a literal sense. He also retrieved a few glemorax corpses while he ate his lunch. ¡®Every part of their body is sharp and strong¡­¡¯ He kept observing more corpses while kicking the intact ones to the side. Since the fight was brutal, there weren¡¯t many intact ones to begin with. Still, there were around 150 that remained mostly unharmed. They were the only ones who had died due to bows on their head and necks. After separating some more that were torn into pieces, he left 2000 on the sand and stored the rest. *Gulp* "Mango juice is the best," Zyrus threw the empty can and rubbed his claws in excitement. [Your summons have killed a Glemorax] [You can sacrifice the slain creature to summon a fallen warrior] He moved his hand atop a corpse and channeled his mana. The violet-red insignia shone on the back of his hand, and the dragon with nine blue horns reared his head and opened its pitch-black eyes. *Crackle* A purple light flashed from the insignia that made the space tremble. ¡°AWAKEN¡± Zyrus commanded in a voice filled with mana and in the next instance, the purple light transformed. The muscular alien shriveled at a visible rate. Gray strands of energy sucked out the remaining life-force of the glemorax, and soon, they all converged above its head. *Shatter* A black crack extended from the gray mass of energy. *ROOOAR* And a beast that shouldn¡¯t exist in the current era walked out from the other side. ¡­ A day later, near the edge of the desert. *Thud* Thud* Thud* Thousands of glemorax warriors marched in straight lines. Unlike the previous time when they were behaving like a hunting party, their current demeanor showed a sharp and orderly aura. The glemorax chief ordered via telepathy when the army reached the borderlands. Even the boisterous captains stood like cattle in his presence. For those who rarely saw their king, the chief was their main target of envy and respect. They admired his strength and aspired to be like him one day. Their species followed a clear hierarchy where the weak revered the strong and chased after them. As for the King? No one even thought about reaching his level. The king was like a god to them. He was like a sun in the sky that they could only look up to. Each and every one of the glemorax looked at the desert with red eyes. They were born for war, and conquest was their only goal in life. Thus, losing in a battle was the greatest humiliation for them. Unlike the intelligent captains and squad leader, the soldiers didn¡¯t care about strategy and battle tactics. All they knew was that 2000 of them had died while the enemy remained as strong as ever. That was unacceptable. This time, it was the high ranking glemorax who were looking at the desert with red eyes. However, their gaze wasn¡¯t filled with hatred and anger. ¡®Greedy bastards,¡¯ The chief snickered as he looked down on the captains. He knew all too well what they wanted. Riches, strength, honor, conquered lands¡­ nothing like that came close to getting recognition from their king. He was someone who could change their fate with a flick of his finger. Now, that high and mighty being had personally given them a task. Their red armors gleamed under the crimson sky as they marched into the desert. The five-meter-tall chief walked in the center of the formation. From above, it looked like a cog with 16 teeth was moving in the desert. Blowing winds carried along the sand thrown off by the army¡¯s steps, but even then, not a speck of it landed in the center. Just like a cog, the center of the formation was empty except for the glemorax chief. With his three unfolded wings he was as tall as a two-story house. The single eyes on his wings, along with the one on his chest, all gazed in the same direction. The chief didn¡¯t know how, but he felt that they were being observed by his target. ¡®Look all you want, but the outcome will remain the same,¡¯ *Boom* An explosion resounded in the center of the formation as he flapped his wings. *Boom*Boom*Boom* Without a second of delay, the captains and squad leaders also followed him in the air. The desert trembled as if a chain of dynamite had been set off. This was a formation that sealed both the land and the air. ¡®Unless you burrow into the ground like a rat, there¡¯s no way to escape.¡¯ Chapter 53: Malediction Hidden beneath a pile of sand, Zyrus was also observing the glemorax army¡¯s movements via his map. He had to acknowledge that he had underestimated his enemy. As cautious as he may be, he didn¡¯t consider anyone except the three world bosses to be worthy of his attention. It wasn''t that he was arrogant, but these enemies were indeed at a low level by sanctuary''s standard. However, unlike the monsters in the sanctuary these aliens were trained for war. It was like the difference between domesticated animals in a zoo versus fierce beasts in the forest. They might have the same level of strength, but their mentality was completely different. He believed that no one except the world bosses had the ability to overpower him in a battle. But looking at the glemorax army that was charging in the desert like a well-oiled machine, he was forced to change his opinion. There was a vast difference between a war and a simple battle. It wasn¡¯t just two groups fighting against one another. War was a contest of wealth, knowledge, and integrity. Strength wasn¡¯t the only aspect that determined the outcome. And as he observed the army, Zyrus realized that apart from the knowledge he was severely lacking in other aspects. ¡®And even the edge I have over knowledge is thanks to the cube¡­¡¯ This was a hard blow for someone as prideful as him. He didn¡¯t know the full extent of the alien''s formation, but even with a glance its might was unquestionable. Not to mention they had taken him as a threat after just a minor setback. There was a saying that even a tiger would give his all when hunting a rabbit. However, not all tigers could do that. Zyrus would prefer strong and arrogant opponents over clever bastards like these anytime. ¡®It¡¯s no longer possible to finish them off while I¡¯m on the first ring,¡¯ He had thought that he would be able to kill these small fries and leave the world boss for later on. Unfortunately, the one leading them was a cautious general. It was impossible to wipe them out with the current strength he had. By using various tactics and hidden cards one can defeat those who are stronger than them. In his past life, Humans also used their clever brains to defeat monsters that were far stronger than them. They had an advantage in numbers and intelligence. But these victories didn¡¯t last long. What if their enemies also had the same amount of numbers and intelligence? What if they had more unity than humans? Unlike the strong and powerful monsters, it was groups like these that caused most causalities. Hunting gigantic creatures was far easier compared to fighting against orc chiefs and spirit kings. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Zyrus was out of options. ¡°Disengage,¡± Zyrus commanded in a low voice and the troops moved in straight lines. Behind him were 9000 Empowered warriors. Initially, he planned to use the same wedge formation tactic with stronger opponents. Rather than not giving any information about your troops, it was better to give them false and half-true ones. People are more vigilant against an unknown enemy after all. ¡®But this won¡¯t work against them.¡¯ Zyrus was trying to play mind games with them as his goal was a war of attrition. But what if the other party didn¡¯t entertain his thoughts? The glemorax chief didn¡¯t care whether the opponent had 10,000 or 100,000 summons. They would use their full strength to crush them all the same. ¡°Amargs, to the front,¡± *Thud*Thud*Thud* The ophidian warriors looked cautiously with their slit eyes and made way for their new ¡®comrades.¡¯ It looked like a forest was moving in the desert as their green scales and red claws shined under the sunlight. They were showing their true might as an infantry at this moment. Despite the ophidian warriors'' majestic moves, it was Zyrus¡¯s rank 2 summons who had the spotlight. Brown monsters who were bigger than rhinos walked out from the center of the formation. They had lean muscles and fierce orange eyes unlike the other herbivores. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. *Thump* Zyrus looked at his 1000 summons with expectation. Red and white spikes jutted out from their spine, covering all the way to their back. Some were a few inches long while others were as long as two feet. Their neck and tail were both 10 feet long. One might expect them to make these creatures imbalanced, but after looking at their four limbs all such thoughts would vanish. He named them after Amargasaurus due to these traits. His first thought was to create a cavalry unit by making the ophidian warriors ride them. But that plan was scrapped once he saw them move in the desert. These creatures resembled the extinct dinosaurs, but that was all there was to it. A resemblance. *Grrrrrrr* Unlike Ophidian warriors these Amargs had a clear sense of hierarchy. The one standing in front of Zyrus was the first rank two creature he had awakened, and not surprisingly, it was the leader of this species. ¡°Don¡¯t eat them and send them back to the warehouse, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Grrrrr¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± If there was one thing that Zyrus was unsatisfied with, then it was this. They were just as if not more unintelligent than the ophidian warriors. ¡®I wish someone like Ria was here,¡¯ Zyrus sighed as he looked at the approaching red dots on the map. His troops'' movement was limited due to the lack of a command structure, but there was nothing he could do. Without further ado, he channeled his mana and the power of abyss. The glemorax army was much slower than him and this gave him ample time to prepare. Theoretically speaking, with his teleportation ability, he could travel from one side of the earth to the other in just an hour. The only reason it took him so long to kill the Verdara beetles was due to their scattered numbers. He didn¡¯t just have to travel linearly. Even if he moved a hundred miles sideways, the cooldown would remain the same. *Sizzle* Black sparks appeared on his hands as he concentrated the power of the abyss. With their intelligence network, the aliens must have known about his powers as well. Thus, he didn¡¯t have to hide all his strength. He had figured out to create a domain with his source of origin. However, he didn¡¯t plan to use it just yet. He had a gut feeling that the power of origin would be much more effective against these aliens. ¡®I¡¯ll save the big guns for the world boss,¡¯ As Zyrus and his troops were getting ready, the glemorax army was also getting closer. Soon, he was able to see the dust clouds formed by their charge. ¡°Graaaa¡± ¡°Wait a bit longer,¡± Zyrus patted the impatient Amarg¡¯s head as he observed the enemy formation. *BUUUUUUUU* With the thundering sound of a bugle, the glemorax chief finally made his appearance. He, along with a thousand others was flying in the sky. Although both sides were still far apart, the distance was within the range of telepathy. Zyrus faced 9 eyeballs staring at him as met the glemorax chief¡¯s gaze. ¡°Quite a unique formation you have. What is it called?¡± <¡­> Zyrus didn¡¯t care about their so-called lord or what he wanted. Instead, he was more interested in their three dimensional cog-like formation. The glemorax chief declared with crossed arms. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not. Will you give me any information about your ''lord'' or why you¡¯re here?¡± Zyrus cocked his head and glared back at the flying chief. What he said was true. Although both sides wanted to know more about the other, neither were willing to share any details. The glemorax chief looked down on Zyrus¡¯s army and commanded his troops to charge ahead. The summons were different from the ones reported by the advance party, and even their numbers were lesser than the previous battle. *Thump*Thump* Whatever the case may be, his decision remained the same. Thousands of armored aliens marched under his command. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to probe my new summons or something?¡± ¡°Tch¡­ the previous guy was much more fun,¡± Zyrus spoke in a teasing tone as he looked at the leader of the advance party. The glemorax chief didn¡¯t even wait for the captain to get angry. *Boom* It seemed like the air itself had exploded when he flapped his wings. In the next instance, he was only a hundred meters away from Zyrus. The glemorax army wasn¡¯t far behind either. In a couple more breaths they¡¯ll engage with his troops as well. ¡°Too bad then.¡± Zyrus looked straight into the eyes of the glemorax chief and walked at a steady pace. Not a trace of playfulness remained on his face. Although he didn¡¯t manage to lure out that captain, he had achieved his goal. The chief and the front of the army were already within a kilometer of himself. The glemorax chief flew back a hundred feet and also ordered his army to stay vigilant. He had never underestimated the creature in front of him, but still, he was caught off guard by the sudden change. Zyrus¡¯s aura had changed completely at this moment. He was no longer fighting as a level 15 player or a unique summoner. He was the Void Monarch. He may have lost his powers and the empire, but the sharp edge of his presence hadn¡¯t decreased a single bit. [Malediction] A dark power surged from Zyrus as he unfolded his domain. It was as if a pitch-black ink had stained the crimson sky. Nearly 5000 glemorax warriors were engulfed by the dark aura in just a second. A domain didn¡¯t just depend on the caster¡¯s mana. The glemorax chief lost his composure for the first time. He was shrouded by the dark mana, but that wasn¡¯t what worried him the most. A domain like this was a manifestation of a person¡¯s understanding of the laws and their willpower. Mana acted as a bridge that connected those two metaphysical concepts to reality. Neither Zyrus¡¯s mana nor the laws of abyss posed a threat to the glemorax chief. Even Zyrus didn¡¯t know that the thing he had taken for granted was his greatest strength. Why did the red eyed man choose him out of everyone? Why was he able to sit on the throne of the seventh ring? Why was this domain so effective despite his lack of mana? The answer to all these questions was the same. It was because of his willpower. Zyrus didn¡¯t realize this yet because he hadn¡¯t met anyone who fought with the powers of origin. The chief knew more about the source of origin than Zyrus. He had witnessed with his own eyes what happens when two sides fight with their source of origin. ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡­.Can you?¡± Zyrus spared his arms widely and laughed at the approaching army. It had been a long time since he had this feeling. Chapter 54: Overdrive Unlike with void and dimensional magic, Zyrus was a complete newbie with the power of abyss. It would have been impossible to create a domain without using his bloodline. It was far from the level of ''Eternal Prison'', but even so, the domain he created was strong enough to reap the lives of many. *Pierce* ¡°Kiiekk--¡± The glemorax warriors felt like they were trapped in a swamp. The dark power surging in the air seeped into their bodies and corroded their mana. Zyrus wasn¡¯t able to merge the power of void with his bloodline. Without that, the domain itself lacked any offensive capability, at least in the short term. *Bang* The amarg who had just pierced a warrior was blasted off like a cannonball. It didn¡¯t even have the time to collect the corpse. Scenes like these were common all across the battlefield. Zyrus''s troops were of a lower level compared to his enemy. Fortunately, the domain was also activated at this moment. The glemorax warriors under the domain had their movement speed decreased. This wasn''t the only effect. Their mana and vitality were turning against them. Although it wasn¡¯t a life-threatening issue at the moment, the feeling it gave was very unpleasant. They felt like a part of their being was falling into a deep chasm, and bit by bit, their very existence would be consumed in those depths. *Pierce* *Swish* ¡°Urgh¡± A dozen more replaced the previous amarg as they charged like trucks. It looked funny when the amargs rushed with their lowered heads, but when their metallic spikes and gigantic stature were taken into consideration, no one would laugh at them. Zyrus didn¡¯t even glance at the chief who was shrouded by dark miasma. Nearly half of his power was used to contain him. He barely maintained the current balance thanks to the 10x mana and stamina regeneration given by the title. If the chief wanted to, he could¡¯ve escaped at any time as long as he was willing to pay the price. But would he dare take such a risk? The freaky part about the power of the abyss was its nature to stick onto any source of mana. Zyrus deliberately used just enough power to hold him off. Too little and the enemy would ignore the aftermath and attack him, while using too much would make him vulnerable against the other captains and squad leaders. Even now those larger glemorax were making their way to him. [Arcane Lance] Zyrus punched in the air in the closest squad leader¡¯s direction. *Swish* ¡®I¡¯ve never been more satisfied with the hundreds of years I spent practicing,¡¯ Blue flickering spears flew towards the target, but they were much weaker than the ones he used in the sanctuary. With the amount of mana he had there was no way he could properly use this skill. If he were to use the skill with the sanctuary''s system, then it would definitely fail to activate. Thankfully, this wasn¡¯t the sanctuary, and he didn¡¯t have to rely on stats and numbers to use a skill. Most importantly, he wasn¡¯t alone. *CHRIEEK* A loud tearing noise reverberated in the surroundings. Nearly fifty amargs followed Zyrus¡¯s action and let out a barrage of spikes. It was a one-time attack where most of their spinal spikes were ejected from their back. It cost them a lot of stamina. After using this move they could only use their tails to fight. ¡°HELP m-¡± Its effects were just as severe as the price required for that attack. The squad leader wasn¡¯t even able to finish his dying scream before being turned into a porcupine. ¡®I hope its corpse is still useful¡­¡¯ As Zyrus was greedily eyeing the fresh corpses, the ophidian warriors weren¡¯t idle either. They didn¡¯t go to kill the slowed glemorax warriors. Their sights were set on the other captains and squad leaders. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Many more glemorax warriors charged into the domain and soon, Zyrus knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold them off. The glemorax chief knew that as well. He was getting ready to deliver a decisive blow the moment Zyrus lessened the power surrounding him. A lot of things were happening, but only five minutes had passed since Zyrus used his domain. ¡®Just a little bit more,¡¯ Zyrus gritted his teeth as he observed the ophidian warriors'' movement. They were outnumbered by 10 to 1 and even their individual strength was weaker than their opponents. Despite the assistance of the domain, a third of them had died already. The results of this battle were far poorer compared to the first encounter. Zyrus was personally leading his elite troops which also had a 1000 rank 2 units. Even after the hampering of his domain, the effectiveness of the glemorax''s formation was evident. And after seeing that, Zyrus was even more certain to execute his plan. Dark blood was sipping out from the corner of his lips due to the backlash of his mana. Just because his title allowed faster mana recovery didn''t mean that his body could handle it. ''Not yet,'' Zyrus clenched his fists as his eyes darted around the battlefield, The glemorax were moving in a rotational manner. It was like a cog was spinning in the middle of the battlefield. Only 2-3 of its ¡®teeth¡¯ would engage in the battle while rotating with others. Some might say that since only one side was facing the enemy, rotating their troops to the rear would only waste their time and energy. However, Zyrus thought otherwise. Since they had the superiority in numbers, why should they worry about energy? As for the time, these fuckers didn¡¯t have anything to do besides fight. With this strategy, no one would be able to attack them from other directions. Even the sky was blocked by flying warriors. Zyrus was glad that the amargs had the ability to eject their spikes as it was their only source of aerial assault. From the 500 amargs guarding him, more than 200 were converted into meat shields. Zyrus concentrated with all his might and felt the familiar sensation. It was as if the time had stopped to a crawl. Each and every cell of his body was synchronizing with the mana flowing within him. ¡°Gather around!¡± Zyrus shouted with a stomp on the ground. He had seen the ophidian warriors, or to be more specific, 500 empowered and enhanced warriors snuck closer to a captain. Now, it was time to put his final plan into action. *Bang*Bang*Bang* All of the amargs protecting him mirrored his action. Unlike Zyrus¡¯s pitiful stomp though, these gigantic creatures managed to send tons of sand flying in the air. They waved their tails like dogs looking for a treat and hurled heaps of sand into the air. Zyrus, on the other hand, was unleashing the full power of his domain onto the glemorax chief. The glemorax chief ordered in a furious voice as he felt the air around him become even more viscous. It was as if he was buried under a mountain of tar. ¡°For the Lord,¡± ¡°Kill them all,¡± The captains charged at Zyrus like wild bulls. Looking at their energetic responses it almost seemed like they were waiting for this moment. *Grrrrr* The leader of the amargs growled with reddened eyes. *Thud*Thud*Thud* Hundreds of amargs who had yet to use their spike attack moved in a fan shape. Of the remaining half, only 50 remained with Zyrus to guard him against any unexpected situation while the rest were busy collecting the corpses. The nine eyes of the glemorax chief were bloodshot with anger at this moment. The captains who were supposed to lead their troops were now focused on capturing Zyrus, and as a result, nearly 1000 glemorax warriors were dead. ¡®I was right,¡¯ Zyrus grinned as he wiped the blood from his mouth. Being intelligent had its disadvantages as well, greed being the most prominent one. He didn¡¯t wait for the captains¡¯ retaliation and immediately used the skill from Zubry Solleret. *Sizzle* The sand beneath him glowed with a yellow hue. Infernal tread''s effect was much more potent due to the high influx of mana, but still, Zyrus wasn¡¯t satisfied. He had learned a lot of convenient techniques in his past life. Although they weren¡¯t impactful enough to be recognized by the system, they had their own advantages over the conventional skills. One of them was ¡°Overdrive¡±. It was a crude method where he poured an excessive amount of mana to enhance his weapons. It was a cheap knockoff of the berserk skill. By using Overdrive, he could boost the stats and special skills of his equipment at the cost of their durability. ¡®I hope the durability scroll works after this¡­¡¯ *Siiiiii* The sand boiled like hot oil in a pan. Zyrus was at his limits after utilizing all of his mana. There was no way he could fight against the glemorax captains in this condition. Well, he didn¡¯t plan to fight them from the beginning. *Schuk* ''A wise man knows when to retreat,'' Muffled bangs and sizzling sounds of the molten sand followed behind Zyrus as he ran across the battlefield. *Pierce* ¡°Is that all you have?¡± *Bang* He was stabbed and thrown like a ragdoll, only to be completely healed in the next second. His regenerative abilities were off the chart since he was fighting against the world''s enemies. It was a pity that his summons weren¡¯t as lucky. Only 2000 remained from the original 10000. ¡°Forget the summons and focus on the lizard,¡± Unlike when he used this skill against the rats, Zyrus didn¡¯t have the time or energy to cover a large area. He ordered all the healthy amargs to form a circle as he ran within its boundaries. He knew that they wouldn¡¯t even last a minute against the horde of glemorax army, but even half a minute was enough. ¡®Huff¡­Hufff¡­¡¯ Zyrus panted for breath as he witnessed the last amarg fall on the outer circle. Now the only thing separating Zyrus and the glemorax army were a red molten ring and 200 injured amargs. The glemorax chief wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence as all of the captains had flown towards Zyrus. They weren¡¯t stupid enough to run over the molten sand. What¡¯s there to be careful about? Their prey was in front of them and there was nothing in the air that could stop their wings. Unfortunately, they had overclocked a very important fact. [Shackles of Nihility] Zyrus snickered as he looked at the glemorax captains and squad leaders flying above the molten area. Abyssal chains flew out from the sand below and bound their wings. Although Zyrus was unable to merge the power of abyss and his source of origin, it was a piece of cake to layer his void shackles with abyssal mana. Before the glemorax captains could make the heads and tails of the situation, they were already inside the molten sand. The heat wasn''t strong enough to harm their red armor, but so what? What happens when molten sand is cooled off? Zyrus didn¡¯t wait to see the result and burrowed into the ground. Chapter 55: It’ll be the end when I return The glemorax chief bellowed in the sky as he realized the severity of the situation. Under normal circumstances, there was no way he¡¯d made such a blunder. *BANG* *Shatter* The glassy ground shattered with a single stomp of the glemorax chief. He observed the battlefield with his eyes filled with fury, and what he saw did nothing else but add salt to his injured pride. ¡°What!¡± ¡°Where is that bastard?¡± The captains hurriedly checked their surroundings, but alas, it was too late. The chief spoke and started pummeling the ground as well. Booms and cracks echoed across several miles. Normally, the squad leaders and captains wouldn¡¯t do such menial tasks, not to mention the chief himself. However, the situation was different this time. ¡®Malediction¡¯ was a domain that affected the physical and mental stats of those trapped within. Unlike the visible changes caused by the power of abyss, the mental effects were less potent and therefore hard to notice. Even the chief wasn¡¯t able to detect the subtle effects the domain had. Although he was a mighty warrior who led an entire race, his level was still within the second ring¡¯s limit. Arcanists'' domains were effective even in the sixth ring. And since it could affect those whose levels were above 200, what could a chief possibly do? The turning point of this battle was timing and the utilization of the battlefield. From his first attack to his escape, barely 10 minutes had passed. At the cost of his equipment¡¯s durability, Zyrus had gained a boost in the infernal tread skill. Sand, when heated at a high enough temperature would become crystalline when it is cooled. It was a combination of basic science and magic. Zyrus had managed to kill a captain and a dozen squad leaders as a result of that. At least, that''s what the glemorax chief concluded. Neither he nor anyone else discovered the dark mana that had seeped into the survivors'' bodies. ¡­ Zyrus felt like he was swimming in the mud when he used the earth movement. His trait was slightly different than the burrow rats. The burrow rats relied on their large numbers and other species of rats to survive. Thus, their version of earth movement had the ability to create temporary tunnels. For example, if 100 rats were placed in between 500 other rats, then all of them would be able to travel underground. Not only can they create an underground cavity to travel, but they can also maintain the cavity created by others of their species. Zyrus didn¡¯t have such ability. He could only open up a small pocket of space to travel underground. He couldn¡¯t even travel with an object, much less a living being. ¡®I guess I¡¯m far enough by now,¡¯ *Puchk* Zyrus kicked the ground beneath him and shot up to the desert. After a lot of trial and errors he had figured out the best depth to travel in. He could go as deep as 100 meters below the ground. The farther the distance, the more pressure he would feel. In terms of efficiency, the best distance for him was 25 meters below the ground. *Ssshkk* ¡®Phew¡­ this is much better,¡¯ Zyrus popped out his head from a pile of sand and breathed the not-so-clean air. His goal wasn¡¯t to just escape. He didn¡¯t use the teleportation for a reason. It would be better if the aliens thought that he was always traveling underground. His mobility was no longer a secret, so this was the next best outcome for him. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Summon¡± *Crack* 5000 ophidian warriors walked out from the crack created by Zyrus¡¯s mana. After giving them a black cocoon, he didn¡¯t wait any longer and immediately teleported 5000 miles away. ¡°Summon¡± *crack* . . The same scene repeated over and over again. Zyrus had obtained a very important piece of intelligence in the past battle. The reason the glemorax army was able to charge straight towards his location was due to their ability to detect his presence. However, that ability wasn¡¯t absolute. It worked fine enough when both sides were far apart, but when they came closer to him, their situation was reversed. He had no idea about the method they were using to detect him, but one thing was for certain: It wasn¡¯t effective in the presence of the cube. This didn¡¯t mean that he could hide from them forever. Even if it was possible, he wouldn¡¯t do such a cowardly thing. One thing to note was that the glemorax chief was able to pinpoint his location even with the cube¡¯s effect. They only knew two things about Zyrus, he was a summoner and he had the power of abyss. And he had the perfect plan to make use of that fact. He wasn¡¯t the only one who had the power of abyss on Earth. The ophidian warriors also had the seed of abyss implanted in them. ¡®Huhuhu¡­Since that chief thinks that I¡¯m a threat to their lord, there¡¯s no way they would take the risk to let me slip by,¡¯ ¡­ On the last day of the month. Zyrus was stalling for time these past few days. He had a lot of research to do about his source of origin and the Balaur summoner class. He succeeded in some theories while some proved to be wrong, but regardless of that, his strength remained the same. ''Guess there''s nothing I can do today,'' The red sky was redder than usual, and even the roaring wind had calmed down on this day. Thousands of four-armed glemorax flew in the sky surrounding a vast mountain range. They ranged in groups of hundreds and thousands, each surrounding gigantic golden stakes in the middle. This was the day of the final battle. In the past few days, things went according to Zyrus¡¯s plan as the glemorax army was forced to take detours to hunt down the scattered ophidian warriors. He could¡¯ve brought the cocooned warriors back via the warehouse. However, doing so would make the aliens more suspicious and guarded. Thus, he detonated the abyssal seed whenever the glemorax squads were about to wipe out his summons. Of course, these were the normal ophidian warriors who were infused with his abyssal mana. The seed was nothing more than a lump of mana, it was far cry compared to the seeds formed by his mana circulation method. He also ambushed the dispatched troops in this hit-and-run tactic. Even when he had the chance to kill more of them, he didn¡¯t do so and retreated. Zyrus knew that annoying the enemy commander beyond a certain limit would be harmful to him. Although his original plan of launching 5 suicidal attacks was no longer feasible, he was able to harass them quite a bit. As a result, he had killed nearly 10000 aliens in the past week. Yes, it was Zyrus who was on the losing end of the battle. The glemorax chief wasn¡¯t idle when Zyrus was wreaking havoc amongst the army. ¡°Hoh! You¡¯ve bought out some interesting toys.¡± The glemorax chief looked down at the peak of the tallest mountain. His target was there, a blue-scaled monster who was staring back at him. ¡°Well, I am rather surprised that you found out my identity,¡± Zyrus probed the glemorax chief while observing the golden stakes. They didn¡¯t have any offensive or supportive power, but for Zyrus, these things were like a death sentence. the glemorax chief replied with a condescending look. While the two were having the conversation, the yellow stakes were getting brighter and brighter. At the same time, the countdown was also going down in front of Zyrus. ¡°What¡¯s with that look? These things don¡¯t belong to you, do they? Did you have to ask for help to fight against a single person? How pathetic.¡± Both sides were buying time for their next move. The chief ignored Zyrus who was spatting on the ground with a disdainful look. He had to resort to using the realm anchors against a single enemy. It was an utter humiliation to not only himself but to their entire race. On the other hand, Zyrus was very much enjoying the situation. When else would he get the chance to trash-talk against an army without any repercussions? Although he was wary of these weird stakes, it wasn¡¯t that big of a threat for him since they took too long to activate. He could somewhat guess their purpose from the fluctuations of their energy. They locked down the space around them, and this meant that he could neither teleport nor use the Earth movement. Most importantly, he couldn¡¯t use his summoning skill. Forget about a toothless tiger, he would be a toothless, clawless, and crippled tiger once the stakes were stabilized. He would have to fight nearly 90,000 glemorax on his own. Indeed, it was no different than a death sentence. Zyrus could¡¯ve summoned his subordinates beforehand, but he didn¡¯t want the enemies to make any more moves. And ironically, the glemorax chief also wanted the same. He didn¡¯t care whether Zyrus knew about the stakes effect or not. Once they were activated, his victory was certain. Zyrus knew that as well. He had observed the glemorax army with his summons and he knew that there was no way he could defeat them in a head-on fight. Even without these stakes, he could at most kill 20-30 thousand of them and escape. Then, both of them would have similar numbers and in the battle after that, Zyrus would win by a landslide. This was the scary part of his class. ¡®Unfortunately, the enemies aren¡¯t stupid enough to let me win just like that,¡¯ The glemorax chief¡¯s order thundered in the sky. Glaring lights surged out from the stakes, painting the world in a golden glow. Zyrus clicked his tongue in annoyance and looked at the timer. [Remaining Time: 00:00:09] A lot of things didn¡¯t go according to his plan, but his overall goal was achieved. He had created the domain and gotten used to the powers of abyss. The earth was also safe for the time being, so there was nothing for him to worry about. Now, he could focus on the sanctuary with all his heart. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯ll be the end when I return.¡± [Remaining Time: 00:00:00] Chapter 56: Silver Crown ¡°The fuck chief! You just left without even saying anything,¡± Zyrus was greeted by the one-eyed reindeer who acted like a mother scolding her teenage kid. ¡°Pipe it down, will you. It¡¯s been like what, 5 minutes? And don¡¯t call me chief.¡± ¡°5 minutes my hooves! Weren¡¯t you having fun for a whole month?¡± the reindeer retorted while slamming his feet on what looked like a conference table. ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°I¡¯m your companion, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Zyrus was speechless as he looked at Franken who was glaring daggers at him. He felt awkward about telling the reindeer that he didn''t know how the companion system worked. ¡°You just thought of something rude, didn¡¯t you? Did you think that I was like a pet?¡± ¡°A-ahem,¡± ¡°Humph, Nevermind¡­ it¡¯s all that pipsqueak¡¯s fault. Make sure to check out the companion tab when you reach the second ring, okay? I can¡¯t tell you anything even if I want to.¡± ¡°I see. By the way, where is everyone else?¡± ¡°Dunno. Somewhere in the other rooms, I guess?¡± ¡°Did you spawn here? Were there any messages about the crown hunt?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± Zyrus scratched his head and walked towards the door. They were in a square office room which was illuminated by white gemstones. Although the environment looked earthlike, it was fundamentally different. He knew their approximate location since he had been here once before. ¡®But the timing isn¡¯t right,¡¯ The ¡®Hunting¡¯ part of the crown hunt would start in the final phase. Normally, they should¡¯ve been teleported to the ¡®City of Ruin¡¯ once they were out of the pyramid. There were four sectors in the city, east, west, north, and south. Finally, there was the central district where the tower of salvation was located. Silver crown holders would be teleported to random areas in the four sectors to engage in a battle royale like setup. ¡°Can¡¯t you sense them with the crown?¡± Franken asked as he strutted behind Zyrus. The windows were sealed by a thick film of energy, so they couldn¡¯t see what was outside. Not to mention their perception was limited to the floor they were on. ¡°I can, they''re below us.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± ¡°No rush, soon we¡¯ll be teleported once again,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t explain anything further and stepped into a lobby filled with lavish chairs. The whole floor gave a very corporate vibe. There was a cafeteria as well, but unfortunately, it was empty. *Pop* ¡°Want some?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Zyrus gulped down the chilled soda along with Franken and ate his lunch, or maybe dinner. It was the good old vegetable sandwich, but it tasted much better after spending a hellish month on earth. ¡°Are you a pig or a Sylvarix?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Zyrus threw the empty wrapper at Franken and ate his third ¡®meal¡¯ along with Exp potions. He was really hungry and besides, he knew that the next day would be a living hell. ¡°When will the fight start? I¡¯m all ready to go!¡± Franken got impatient after Zyrus took out his fourth ration package. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± ¡°An hour or so,¡± ¡°Go sleep somewhere then. It¡¯ll at least take a couple of hours,¡± Zyrus had given up on learning about the time difference between sanctuary and Earth. Wormhole and time dilation could explain how billions of years passed on Earth, even though humans had only left for about a century. When he went back for the first time, a second had passed in the sanctuary for the week he spent on earth. However, when Zyrus went back for the second time, a day had passed in the sanctuary. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Maybe there was a formula or a theory that could explain that. But as things were, Zyrus didn''t have the time or energy to focus on this. ¡®First things first, I''d better select a crown¡¯s effect,¡¯ Zyrus yawned and leaned back on the chair. He had reached lv 15 when he was eating. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that he¡¯d get his silver crown by eating sandwiches with Exp potion. [Congratulations! You have obtained ¡°Silver Crown¡±] [Silver Crown] Type: head accessory, quest item Effect: Damage +10%, Health regen +20%, Mana regen +10%, for you and your subordinates. Passive effect: Increases your charisma. When nearby, all allies will feel less fatigue and hunger. [Congratulations! You can choose an ability for this tier as you have fulfilled the corresponding criteria] Although Zyrus already knew about all of the abilities, he read them once again just in case there was any difference this time around. <-< You can select any one of the abilities listed below >->
  • Radiance
Creates an aura field around the wielder of the crown. Allied forces will be strengthened whereas the hostile forces will be weakened. -Field area = User¡¯s level x 10 feet. -Buff: All stats +2, HP +100 -Debuff: All stats -2, small chance to inflict ¡®Fear¡¯ effect. -Note: Buff and debuff will be enhanced depending on the user¡¯s level.
  • Relay
The wielder of the crown would be able to communicate with his subordinates regardless of the distance. -The number of targets that can be simultaneously contacted will be the same as the user¡¯s level.
  • Call of the crown
The wielder of the crown can call upon his forces anywhere he is. -The number of subordinates that could be summoned would vary depending upon the user¡¯s level and the target location.
  • Conviction
Those who stand against the crown should be eliminated. The wielder of the crown can designate any living or non-living entity as the crown¡¯s enemy. -All allies would be able to detect the marked enemy within a certain range. Detection range would increase proportionally to allies¡¯ numbers, (1 member = 1m^2) -Allies would gain stats and equipment based on their contribution upon eliminating the target.
  • Contract
The wielder of the crown can form contracts with those in the similar and lower tier. -The contract will take effect when both party agrees willingly. -Integrity of the contract will be upheld by the system, and it will act as a mediary for all transactions, deals, and punishments.
  • Crown¡¯s fealty
None shall betray the crown. The wielder of the crown will be notified when any of his subordinates or allies act against his interests in any shape or form. -Upon the user¡¯s agreement, the betraying subordinates will be executed immediately.
  • Tariff
The wielder of the crown can impose taxes on gold, equipment, and materials earned in the sanctuary. -With the increase in levels, it is possible to impose taxes on transactions involving the user¡¯s allies and subordinates.
  • Appoint knights
A knight''s honor is an unbreakable bond that shall not be tarnished. The wielder of the crown can appoint knights who will live and die by his side. -Number of knights = 10 x user¡¯s level -Only those who are willing can be appointed as knights. -The knights will get their special class upon advancement, and they will also gain a portion of the user¡¯s traits, bloodline, and skills.
  • Crown¡¯s protection
The crown is the light that wards off evil. The wielder of the crown can create ¡®Safe Zones¡¯ that will prohibit any hostile monsters from approaching. -Safe Zone¡¯s area = User¡¯s level x 10 meters. One additional safe zone could be created with every 20 levels -Safe zone will expel any roaming monsters with a 30-level difference. The monsters will be debuffed If the gap is greater than 30. [All of the crown¡¯s effects are absolute] ¡®Phew, as amazing as always,¡¯ Zyrus knew that this was the most important decision he would make in the first ring. The abilities he selected here would pave the road for his future journey in the sanctuary. In his previous life, there were many who didn¡¯t take this selection seriously. It was extremely rare to get any item which had the ¡®Absolute¡¯ effect. Unlike others, Zyrus also knew that he would be able to get two more abilities after getting the golden crown. It wasn¡¯t just a 1+1=2 scenario. The effects of these abilities had a lot of synergy with one another, and if you knew how to use them properly, your progression in the next rings would be easier. ¡®Well, I¡¯ve long since decided what I want,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate to fix the mistakes he had made in the past. [You have selected the ¡°Crown¡¯s fealty¡±] Although there were other options that could make his troops strong, he didn¡¯t need them. With his past knowledge and the cube he had enough cards to overcome any trials. Zyrus knew about the main missions of the seven rings. These abilities were like seeds that¡¯ll grow into a gigantic tree, big enough to shroud an entire world. Regardless of how tall and sturdy a tree was, it could do nothing about termites that destroyed it from within. He could use a combination of other abilities or other gentler methods to prevent any backstabbing, but this was the most simple yet efficient method. ¡®And it¡¯s best for our troop composition,¡¯ He didn¡¯t just have humans under his command. The only reason Zyrus was able to subdue different species was because of his strength. However, who was to say that others couldn¡¯t do the same against him? Zyrus felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His worries about betrayal also faded with the screen''s light. He wasn¡¯t an emotionless person, and he didn¡¯t like to doubt his subordinates either. Now, he could help them reach their full potential without worrying about any consequences. He put his drooping eyelids to rest and slept without a care in the world. As much as he wanted to enjoy his sweet dreams though, time waited for no one. [The final phase of The ¡®Crown Hunt¡¯ will now begin] [Initiating teleportation¡­3¡­2¡­1] Chapter 57: City of Ruin [Welcome to the ¡®City of Ruin¡¯] ¡°Tch.. can¡¯t they come up with some cheerful names?¡± ¡°Well, it is a fitting name,¡± Kyle replied to Lauren while looking at the far horizon. ¡°Is it time to fight Chie- no, wait, what do I call you?¡± ¡°He would prefer ¡®Your Majesty¡¯,¡± Ria answered instead of Zyrus. ¡°Majesty? Him?¡± ¡°Just call me whatever you want,¡± ¡°Chief it is then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You two get along pretty well,¡± Ria smirked at Zyrus who was speechless. ¡°Why don¡¯t you bother Lauren as usual?¡± Zyrus ignored the three chatterboxes and walked towards Jacob. They were at a square surrounded by five-story buildings. The infrastructure had a nice blend of industrial and medieval styles. Concrete buildings surrounded by green trees and fountains at every intersection, it was a beautiful sight. ¡°A pity that it¡¯s ruined,¡± Shi kun sighed as he touched the broken walls. ¡°Did you notice anything else?¡± ¡°No?¡± *Boom* Before Zyrus could explain further, he heard a loud explosion in front of him. ¡°Can¡¯t burn anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Thanks to Jacob¡¯s practical experiment, Zyrus didn¡¯t have to waste his time explaining. Although the city was destroyed for the most part, it was strong enough to handle their attacks. ¡°Where are the others?¡± Kyle walked over with Ria and Lauren, leaving the bored Franken behind. ¡°They¡¯ll spawn inside the building¡± ¡°Spawn?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time comes. For now, I have something important to tell you,¡± Zyrus spoke and gestured the others to come over. Once he made sure that all eyes were on him, he continued at a measured pace. ¡°We¡¯ll soon leave the first ring, and things will be very different in the future.¡± He didn¡¯t bother about motivating speeches and the like. Zyrus was strong enough to win on his own, even without anyone¡¯s assistance. However, his goal wasn¡¯t to just win. An empire couldn¡¯t last with just a strong leader. He had learned it the hard way in his previous life. ¡°Until now, I didn¡¯t completely trust any of you. Nor do I plan to. You have to prove your loyalty and worth to me.¡± He didn¡¯t have to tell him about what they¡¯d get in return. They were together since the start of this event, and unless they were as dumb as pigs, they should understand what benefits he could give them. ¡°How?¡± Ria asked on behalf of everyone. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I told you about the crown¡¯s skills, right? I have selected one of them.¡± ¡°I see. Do you still intend to use us as tools?¡± It was Lauren who spoke this time. Unlike her usual expression, she was pretty serious right now. It was almost like the cheerful girl was replaced by someone else. ¡°That depends. I¡¯ll give you an opportunity to change the status quo. Prove it to me that you are more than just a tool.¡± ¡°Fair enough, so what¡¯s the deal?¡± ¡°Anytime no-, oh there she is,¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. A projection of aurora appeared before all of the silver crown holders. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a screen that showed the information about the crown hunt. Crown Hunt: [You can obtain a crown by either gaining allegiance from other players or by killing the owner of the crown] [After reaching the second ring, the owner of the crown can command the others from the tutorial area] [There are different tiers of crowns, each with their own abilities] [Bronze Crown: 100 players] [Silver Crown: 1k players] [Golden Crown: 10k players] [Note: You can fulfill the above requirements by subduing other crown holders as well] [Players can also obtain variant of the crowns mentioned above by fulfilling the hidden requirements! May the luck be in your journey] Everyone had memorized these details by now. However, what she said next left all of the players reeling in joy. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Hehe.. this is just the start,¡± Zyrus replied with a grin as he looked at others'' dumbfounded expressions. [Crown Hunt: City of Ruin] [The city of Ruin has an area of 1 km^2. The city has a square shape and it is divided into four sectors and one central district. East, west, north, and south sectors are separated by Ingardium walls.] [These walls start from the corners of the city and join the circular walls of the central district. Portals will be created where these two walls join, and thus, each sector will have two such portals that lead to the central district.] Zyrus was once again awed by Aurora¡¯s ¡®I don¡¯t give a fuck if you all die¡¯ attitude. He wondered who was the moron who made her a guide, and that too in the first ring of all places. Her next words were the same as he remembered, and they can be summarized into this: It was essentially a battle royale where all of the crown holders were placed in different sectors. Everyone had a limited time to gather the required followers or crowns to reach the central district. [Each sector will have 5 spawn points. Players will revive at their nearest spawn point, and after dying three times they will be forced out of the city.] [Revived players will lose their affiliation forever. Once any Silver crown holder reaches the spawn point, they can automatically recruit the revived players. Players recruited this way are unable to betray their leader for the duration of the crown hunt.] [After killing other players, the leader will be able to see the time and place where they would revive.] The happy players had their spirits doused with cold water. Losing their affiliation forever wasn¡¯t much better than dying after all. In the worst-case scenario, they might become eternal slaves of other species. Then, before they could even ask a single question, all of the players were blinded by a white flash. *Rooar* ¡°Hey pouka! Did you miss me?¡± ¡°That furball is just hungry.¡± Franken snorted disdainfully at the field boss and looked at the sky. Golden and red words were floating in the middle of the clear sky. They were like two sides of the same coin. The difference between the winner and loser was just a single line, a line that separated the living and the dead. [Congratulations! You have survived in the crown hunt against all odds.] [For the next 24h, the surviving players will receive a 10x Exp boost!] [List of the players in the crown hunt:] (Humans: 34K/100K) (Orcs: 25K/39K) (Goblins: 4.7K/28K) (Kobolds: 9K/23k) (Trolls: 3K/13K) (Rats: 2.7K/10K) (Ogres: 164/638) (Sylvarix: 1/1) Surprisingly, the orcs had performed much better than everyone else. Just as everyone thought that this was the end, another message appeared in front of the crown holders. [A total of 100K players will take part in this event.] [The remaining numbers will be filled by other players from the tutorial area. These players will be recruited in the same way as the revived players.] There was also a vague map attached at the bottom of the message. Zyrus was currently in the east sector, along with another 13 crown holders. [The hunt will begin in 00:05:00] ¡°The others are surprisingly quiet.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t make a ruckus even if they wanted to, At least not now,¡± Zyrus replied to Kyle who was observing the map. All of them were staring at Zyrus once again. Seeing that just five minutes remaining, Zyrus cut straight to the chase. ¡°Who wants to have their own troops? You¡¯ll still work under me, but I won¡¯t meddle with your force unless it¡¯s disadvantageous for me.¡± ¡°We do,¡± Kyle replied after sharing a glance with Lauren. ¡°Me as well,¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I¡¯d like to lead the human players.¡± Ria and Shi kun replied one after another. Zyrus nodded at the others first before landing his eyes on Shi kun. He didn¡¯t plan to lead the humans anyway, but he had to understand his intentions first. ¡°What is your reason for leading them?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be honest here. You are a strong and resourceful leader, but your personality is¡­ let¡¯s just say it¡¯s not a desirable trait. I don¡¯t care what you do with other humans. Even if I do care about it, there¡¯s nothing I can do because I¡¯m not strong enough.¡± Zyrus nodded at him with understanding and gestured for him to continue. It wasn¡¯t just him, Zyrus knew that Ria and the others were also worried about how he would treat other humans. ¡°So, I would like to do what¡¯s within my power and protect those who have followed me so far.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­ you guys think the same?¡± Zyrus asked with a smile that wasn¡¯t a smile. ¡°Sort of,¡± Ria replied after a bit of hesitation. If it was her when she first met Zyrus, then she wouldn¡¯t say her opinion. However, now she knew him better. ¡°I think that¡¯s hypocritical. You may not agree with me right now, but I¡¯m sure you will in the future,¡± Zyrus patted Shi kun¡¯s shoulder and continued as he walked towards Jacob, ¡°That being said, I¡¯ll entertain your thoughts. Some require freedom to unleash their full potential while others are better suited for working under someone else. Neither is better than the other, it all depends on what they themselves think of the situation.¡± [The hunt will begin in 00:00:59] ¡°Time waits for no man, or Sylvarix. I¡¯ll leave the humans to you guys. Get as many subordinates as you can, and last but not least, don¡¯t die.¡± Zyrus threw a bundle of HP recovery potion towards their direction and burrowed into the ground with Jacob. [The hunt will begin in 00:00:01] *Riiiiiiiiiiing* Chapter 58: Would you like to surrender? A piercing siren rang across the City of Ruin. Even Zyrus and Jacob who were underground had to cover their ears. ¡°Did you target them for this reason?¡± ¡°A part of it. They have many niche abilities.¡± Zyrus explained to Jacob who was looking at the group of burrow rats. Their goal was the sewage tunnels that spread all over the city. Zyrus couldn¡¯t use his earth movement to travel with someone else, and even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t waste the precious opportunity for something like this. Thankfully, he had the rats under his command. Each species had the spawn points that suited them the most. Large ones like ogres and trolls had parks and stadiums as their starting point, whereas humans and orcs spawned in the residential areas. Kobolds, rats, and goblins were spawned in remote and densely packed areas like sewage tunnels and underground parking lots. Zyrus ran across the surprisingly clean sewage tunnels along with Jacob, Goblin riders, the rats, and the newest addition to their troops, specter scorpions. The two feet long creatures illuminated the surroundings as they crawled on the ceiling. They had thin- sharp pincers and four eyes that shined in a blue color. The eerie part was that the rest of their body was shrouded in a dark haze, almost like it didn¡¯t exist in the physical reality. With his vast experience in fighting against all sorts of monsters, Zyrus knew that that was indeed the case. The most lethal part about a scorpion was its tail. For this particular species, that part didn¡¯t exist in the physical form. ¡°I¡¯m glad they¡¯re not our opponents,¡± Jacob spoke in a shivering tone while looking at the blue lights above him. He was the only one who didn¡¯t have a night vision. It would be uncomfortable to walk in the dark, but he would take it any day if the other option was to walk under a bunch of crawling scorpions. ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m not sure yet, but their tails should be able to ignore all physical defense.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they be invincible then?¡± ¡°Not really. Someone like you can blast them off with ease.¡± Since they had such a powerful ability, they must have a fatal weakness as well. They wouldn¡¯t be an extinct species otherwise. There wasn¡¯t much they could do in frontal battles that were fought in broad daylight. That being said, they were perfect assassins who lurked in the darkness. ¡°Squeak!¡± ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve arrived,¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dead end. Are we going up?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Zyrus replied while putting his ear on the wall. The reason Jacob was asking such an obvious question was due to the booming sounds that rang above. ¡®I hope it¡¯s not someone I know,¡¯ Zyrus jogged his memories as he analyzed the sounds coming from above. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to kill his acquaintances. But whoever managed to leave a lasting impression on him must have done something remarkable. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the butterfly effect, but it would be unwise to change the flow of events unless it was beneficial to him. Zyrus listened for a while but it wasn¡¯t easy to guess their identity, and the bangs were getting louder and louder. ¡°Any guess?¡± ¡°Nope. Let¡¯s just go above and see for ourselves.¡± ¡°Squeak!¡± The rats seemed rather excited as well. Usually, they avoided trouble and only fought when they had an absolute advantage. Fighting alongside a bunch of powerful monsters was a new experience for them, and slowly yet surely, they were evolving in a different direction. *PShk* Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Jacob was disgruntled when he saw the rats tore through the ground with ease. Unlike the walls he failed to destroy, the ground was like a piece of tofu for them. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Zyrus commanded the goblins to charge with him once the gap was wide enough. They weren¡¯t that deep to begin with, so after climbing the slanted tunnel they reached the ground in no time. The tunnel created by the 50 burrow rats was wide and sturdy enough for the wolves to walk on. On the other side, the fighting had stopped when both crown holders noticed their presence. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°Humph! you pesky goblins have some guts to interfere in our fight,¡± Someone else might¡¯ve been surprised, but it wasn¡¯t Zyrus¡¯s first time seeing a talking orc. They were fighting against humans who were crowded in a gymnasium, and from the looks of it, neither side had the upper hand. Compared to the orcs, he was more interested in the man who first asked him the question. ¡°Would you like to surrender?¡± ¡°What non-¡± ¡°You dare ignore m-¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Zyrus glared at the orc who was leading a thousand of his kind. The arrogant orc was forced to swallow his words under his boundless bloodlust. After getting intelligence by obtaining the silver crown, the orc chief was much more sensitive towards danger. The young man who was leading the humans was also caught off guard by the sudden change. A bunch of monsters popped up from the ground in the middle of their fight, and the first thing they said was to surrender. Not to mention, the arrogant orc who was spewing crap all this time, was quiet after a single glance. ¡°You -um friend, you don¡¯t like the orcs as well, right?¡± ¡°Cut the crap. Yes or No?¡± ¡°No need to be so hasty. How about we team up first to defeat them?¡± Zyrus looked at the young man with the same bloodlust. The only reason he asked for surrender was because a majority of their troops were spear and bow users. They didn¡¯t have any players who were good at using those weapons. Although he could get them forcefully after killing them, it was better to make them willingly follow him. ¡®I¡¯ll just use them as common soldiers then,¡¯ Zyrus took out his spear as he looked at the united players and anxious orcs. ¡°How ab-¡± ¡°Kill them all.¡± He had no time to waste on someone who didn¡¯t understand their current situation. *Awoooo* ¡°Kihihihi¡­¡± The goblin riders charged towards the human troops like a bullet. From behind the hole, Jacob and sawtooth rats also made their moves. On the other side, Zyrus lunged at the orc troops with a cruel grin. ''It feels great to overpower them after fighting those aliens,¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± [Poison breath] *Fuuuuu* [Arcane lance] *Swish¡­* A poisonous fog and dozens of spears flew towards the charging orcs at the same time. Although orcs were the most annoying opponents for humans to deal with, that wasn¡¯t the case for Zyrus. -500,-750,-500,-250,-1250¡­.. Hundreds of damage numbers appeared in Zyrus¡¯s vision. Both of his skills were fatal in a closed environment. Exp +11250 Exp +11250 . . ¡°Hahaha, this place is perfect for killing pigs like you,¡± [Poison breath] [Arcane lance] The blue miasma was unavoidable, and the spears created with his mana skewered through the orcs with ease. ¡°Even if I die, I¡¯ll make you pay for it,¡± the orc chief glared at Zyrus with bloodshot eyes and activated his crown¡¯s ability. ¡°Conviction? At least choose a suitable ability Moron.¡± Zyrus scoffed at the red mark above his head and parried the orc chief¡¯s broad axe. *Clang* Normally, a spear tip would lose against an axe in a frontal collision. *Clang* But this was Zyrus, a man with a thousand years of experience who was fighting against an orc who had just gained intelligence. ¡°Kuk-¡± -59 ¡°What a lousy idiot,¡± Zyrus muttered with disdain and kicked the orc¡¯s chest. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too mean to him?¡± ¡°Mean? These fuckers deserve it. Just blast ¡®em off.¡± ¡°Already on it.¡± If the fireballs and his previous attacks weren¡¯t enough, Zyrus once again used the combination of poison breath and arcane lance. *Thrust* ¡°Agh-¡± -523 Even after losing 75% of his Hp and mana, the orc was no match for Zyrus. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that he, as a single Sylvarix, was treated on the same level as an entire race. [Level up!] [+2 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Mana] ¡°Nice, let''s finish it up.¡± Zyrus urged as he glanced at the remaining orcs. He and Jacob had killed or wounded over half of them. After seeing that their chief was in dire straits and there was no hope for victory, a third of the remaining orcs escaped as well. Now, only 200 healthy orcs were left to fight against the duo. Although the situation was in their favor, Zyrus had no intention to drag out the fight. The specter scorpions and goblin riders were holding off the humans, and he didn¡¯t want a single one of them to die. Even if he subdued all the players here, it would be his loss if a goblin rider or a specter scorpion was killed. [Spear aura] Five spear tips penetrated the orc chief¡¯s heart in an instant. From the beginning to the end, Zyrus didn¡¯t give the orcs a chance to lay out a formation or use any skills. He was a master at interrupting skill casting and managing the flow of the battle. -1000 Exp +50,000 The fallen Orc chief was a testament to his mastery over the art of war. Apart from his mana and vitality, his stamina was also depleted due to spear aura. However, Zyrus knew that just this wasn¡¯t enough to finish off the orcs. Hundreds of healthy and even more wounded orcs remained in the gymnasium. ¡°Can you do a big one?¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± ¡°We made a pretty good team huh,¡± Zyrus chuckled and channeled the last bits of his power. There were no opponents nearby, and he had called the scavenger rats for safety measures as well. [Shackles Of Nihility] [Fireball] They consumed what remained of their mana, and as a result, two skills were activated one after another. *Clank* *Sizzle* The remaining orcs were trapped in a living hell. Chapter 59: Yup, another moron Blue shackles bound by black chains erupted from the ground. And as they say, misfortune never comes alone. Yellowish red fireballs descended from the gymnasium¡¯s ceiling. Forget the half-dead orcs, even the humans felt as if their lives were about to end. There were no screams or loud explosions. Zyrus¡¯s mana acted as a catalyst for the fireball spell. The black chains remained as sturdy as ever, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for their target. ¡®It¡¯s more horrifying than I thought it¡¯d be,¡¯ Zyrus stared with wide eyes as he panted for breath. He was more specific in using this skill compared to before. By focusing the power of nothingness in their brains, the damage he dealt was much more fatal. Both Jacob and Zyrus had their Exp filled by half. There were still hundreds of wounded orcs left, but the fight was as good as over. The pressure on the goblin riders was lifted as well. They could easily take on five players each, but this time, it was a bad matchup. The terrain was not favorable for them who relied on high mobility and long-range sharpshooting. The wolves were also mismatched against the spear users. If not for the specter scorpions who continuously harassed the players, there was no way they could hold off the thousand players. Although Zyrus wasn¡¯t participating in the battle, he had managed to dampen their spirits by his ruthless way of fighting. The arrogant orcs were running away without even thinking about avenging their leader. ¡°W-we surrender.¡± ¡®What the fuck!¡¯ Zyrus almost spat the potion he was drinking. He was thinking about how to waste some time so he and Jacob could recover, but this¡­ On the other hand, the young man was trembling in fear as he looked at Zyrus¡¯s face. This was the first time he was facing death since the start of the tutorial. Unlike others in his camp, he was from a prestigious background. He had practiced fencing since childhood, and luckily for him, the sanctuary had recognized it as a skill when he killed the goblins. The rest of the month was a walk in the park for him. How to read others'' expressions, how to strike a deal that was beneficial for you, how to convince others of your idea, it was all too easy for him. Only now did he realize that it was useless when he was against a bloodthirsty monster. The monsters were stupid before, and it was easy to win against them with a numerical advantage. Now, however, the tables were turned. Both humans and monsters were on the same level in the eyes of the system. This wasn¡¯t an RPG game where you kill mobs and level up. It was a game for survival. ¡°Why the sudden change?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a kid.¡± Jacob stated as he gulped a mana potion. ¡°¡­I agree.¡± Zyrus nodded as he looked at the brown-haired man. He took him for a cunning and opportunistic leader, but all of that was just a fa?ade. Once his confidence was gone, only a twenty-year-old kid was left. The weight of the crown was too heavy on those trembling shoulders. ¡°How did you survive so far?¡± ¡°I-I always won. Before this that is,¡± The young man replied in a dejected tone. He wasn¡¯t as stupid as he looked right now. He knew that they had more power than their enemies right now, and they could win if he played his cards right. However, so what? This was just the first battle, and half of his troops were already dead. He could get more players from spawn points, but could he control them like he used to? It was too late before he realized that this was a city where an iron fist ruled above all. ¡°Tch.. lucky bastard. What¡¯s your name?¡± Zyrus spoke after thinking for a while. ¡°Stephen,¡± ¡°Alright Stephen, I¡¯ll take the surviving players. Keep in mind though; you¡¯ll never be a leader after this.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°I understand.¡± Stephen replied with a sigh of relief. Others may call him a coward, but he had no intention of dying even if it was temporary. ¡°What¡¯s your crown¡¯s ability?¡± ¡°Contract,¡± Stephen replied with a proud expression, which faded away in the next second. ¡°Yup, another moron.¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t need to ask any more questions to understand the other¡¯s plan. Contract was a very powerful ability, but one had to survive long enough to make use of it. ¡°Hey Jacob, lead the goblin riders and group up with the others.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to look for the rat king?¡± ¡°The burrow rats have already found him when we were busy. I¡¯ll send specter scorpions and sawtooth rats to deal with that king.¡± Jacob gave a quizzical look to Zyrus but didn¡¯t ask anything else. He liked to fight with Zyrus because he was good at using mana. What he did outside of the battle was none of his interest. Once Jacob and the remaining orcs left the area, Zyrus was left alone in the gymnasium. The one on the other side was, of course, Franken. Zyrus had left him aboveground as a scout. He was looking for a troll leader who would play a huge role in his army. The bandit like reindeer had the ability to communicate with him as long as they were in the same region. It was a waste to use him as a scout, but he didn¡¯t have an alternative for the moment. <6 orcs, 1 kobold, 4 humans, 1 rat, and an ogre> Zyrus was disappointed after hearing the mental transmission. He had no plans to take in any orcs, and the remaining crown holders were of subpar quality. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have to use earth movement to find better troops,¡¯ He had already told Jacob to remind others about his plan. They could take in 3000 more players in the outer sectors. 500 humans and about the same number of rats were already decided. He left the task of getting 1000 players to his crown holders and he himself will choose the remaining 1000. Zyrus knew that building a foundation for your army was the focal point of this hunt. This was a golden opportunity to get strong subordinates, and he wasn¡¯t one to miss out when he had the means to che- Ahem, Take advantage of the rules. ¡­ Midnight, at the south sector. The city was illuminated by white crystals that were placed all over the roads. Even the walls and trees had these ¡®lamps¡¯ installed on them. Nightlife in this sector must¡¯ve been amazing, but alas, the city was destroyed. It was no longer filled with the hustle of the market and the hearth of home. Fate was a very cruel thing. The once lively city was turned into a hunting ground. This place was the past of a ruined civilization, and on this day, it would usher a new future for another. Unlike Zyrus, the crown holders in this city didn¡¯t have the means to decimate a 1000-strong army with ease. The past 10 hours were more brutal than the first day of the tutorial. Everyone was fighting against one another. It was pure chaos as over half of the players had changed their affiliations after dying. And it wasn¡¯t an easy feat to fight against your friends and family. *Chiiiek* On a lush garden filled with wildflowers and overgrown trees, hundreds of knives were flying in the air. ¡°You¡­ bunch of¡­ cowards¡­¡± grumbled a green monster that didn¡¯t look much different from the trees around him. ¡°Stuff it ya coward!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste time by talking with them, use it to shoot more arrows and knives,¡± Two human leaders spoke one after another. They had created a temporary alliance after finding the trolls hiding in this garden. ¡°[Fire Arrows]¡± Nearly a hundred players activated their skills at the same time. The dark night was lit up by the barrage of flames. The troll''s eyes gleamed in an emerald hue under the descending flames. There were less than a thousand of them while their opponents outnumbered them by 5 to 1. They were a peace-loving species whose only goal in life was to eat and sleep. However, it didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t fight. The troll leader chanted in an unknown language, followed by each and every one of his kind. The ground beneath the garden trembled and before the fiery arrows could land, they were trapped by branches and wines that jutted out from the trees. ¡°The fuck?¡± ¡°Indeed, none of these monsters are simple.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still better than fighting against those damned orcs¡± The players chatted amidst the onslaught of magic. They were the polar opposite of Hajin choi''s organized troops. ¡°FOCUS everyone,¡± A woman wearing a violet dress shouted as she hurled a lance made of ice. She was one of the leaders and the first one who had discovered this group of trolls. There were originally twice the current numbers when she arrived near the garden. She observed their fight against thousands of orcs, and therefore, she had a pretty good idea about their strength and weaknesses. She knew that to take them down she¡¯d need more ¡®fodder¡¯. Thus, she decided to ¡®leak¡¯ this information to another crown holder. ¡°Hey young miss, you¡¯re leading quite a rowdy bunch eh,¡± ¡°Mind your fucking business.¡± ¡°Now now, such words don¡¯t suit yer pretty face,¡± Glaring at the muscular man who was talking like a drunkard, she felt a little less guilty about her choice. She convinced herself that the man didn¡¯t have any good intentions towards her troop, and thus, it was better to use them as sacrificial pawns. ¡°Leave¡­us¡­alone¡­.¡± ¡°Pah, learn to talk first ya dimwit,¡± ¡°Hahaha.. they only know how to defend,¡± The humans jeered and laughed at the trolls who were huddled up within the trees. They had a lot of mana as they were able to create new trees and vines one after another. Even then, they wouldn''t be able to maintain the status quo for long. The humans kept attacking with all sorts of spells and weapons while the trolls kept summoning more and more vegetation. Neither side had a single causality even after an hour had passed by. Both sides were getting tired of this tedious fight, but their expressions were in stark contrast against one another. The humans were filled with excitement while the trolls'' faces were getting more and more solemn. Neither side had noticed a pair of eyes observing them with greed. Chapter 60: I’ve been hearing that a lot ¡°They¡¯re perfect meat shields,¡± ¡°They¡¯re much more than that.¡± ¡°Hoh hoh.. I¡¯ll wait for the surprise then,¡± Franken hummed while chewing on a fruit he picked from god knows where. Zyrus had used his one and only chance of using the earth movement to travel to a different sector. There were no walls or barriers that separated the sectors from the underground. He knew about this from his past life. The rat king was able to travel to all sectors, and it caused no small commotion in the city of ruin. The cunning rat only popped up near spawn points and ¡®stole¡¯ the revived players. It was able to get 3000 followers before anyone else. However, it came at the cost of offending every other crown holder. But the rats'' luck ran out as the central area had a barrier that locked the sky and the earth. Forget about a golden crown, it nearly lost all of its kind in an interspecies whack-a-mole event. Another hour went by as Zyrus and Franken observed the fight. He knew that the others had already finished their tasks as the troops under his command numbered over 2000. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we hurry?¡± ¡°No need for that. We can¡¯t do much with just the two of us.¡± Zyrus calmly observed the ongoing fight which was like a deforestation. Less than half a day was left from the crown hunt. He knew that some of the crown holders must have reached the central district. Thanks to his past experience though, he knew that getting more followers before everyone else wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. The existence of a spawn point was something that could change the tides at any point. ¡®Even the orcs know that,¡¯ Zyrus grinned evilly as he looked at the far horizon. Others may not see that far, but he and Franken could. *ROOOOOAR* *Guuu* *Guuoooo* The trolls cried out one after another as if they were possessed. Green blood flowed out from their limbs and seeped into the trees and plants all around them. ¡°What¡¯s going on with ¡®em?¡± ¡°Who knows, let¡¯s just finish them off before they do anything else,¡± ¡°Hahaha, ya got that right missy,¡± All of the close combat players charged ahead under the man¡¯s command. The archers and shield warriors provided cover whereas the mages and the dagger users were left to cut down the trees. *Thunk* *Chop* The trees and plants were cut down with ease. No more branches or vines popped out as well. ¡°H-hey leader, I have a bad feeling about this,¡± ¡°I thin-¡± ¡°RETREAT!¡± The violet dressed woman shouted while placing her hands on the ground. The man was about to question her but soon realized that the warning wasn¡¯t meant for them. ¡°Why you bitch!¡± The woman didn¡¯t even bother to reply and poured more and more mana into the ground. There was enough moisture in the soil to hold them off. The ground hardened under their feet and thin icicles popped all around the trolls. *GRRROOO* You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The troll leader growled at the moonless sky above. It was like a switch had been flipped as the trolls began to transform. *Crack* Thick bark filled with thorns covered their entire body. Long vines replaced their fingers as they flailed around the players. *Thump* *Thump*Thump* One after another, the trolls marched towards the humans. There was no escape from their whip-like hands. Even if they wanted to run backward, they couldn¡¯t because of the sharp icicles on the ground. The woman looked gloatingly at the trapped players. There were a few from the man''s group who were mixed in with other units, but none of them dared to give them a helping hand. The man even used his ¡®Radiance¡¯ ability which shrouded his team in a golden halo, but alas, it was of no use. In gaming terminology, it was as if all of the troll''s defense was converted into attack. ¡°Get ready,¡± The players charged their most powerful attacks. The humans were getting mauled down by the angry trolls, but even then, the trolls had suffered severe causalities. The duration of their transformed state was very short. The trolls were sliced like tofu once they were back to normal. Let alone the angry humans, even the icicles on the ground were a fatal threat to them. ¡°I¡­will... avenge¡­.my..people,¡± ¡°FIRE!¡± the woman ordered as she saw that the man was about to speak. She didn¡¯t know if the troll leader had figured out their plan, but even if he did, it was too late. Hundreds of humans and trolls were felled with the barrage of attacks. Compared to their drawn-out fight, the conclusion was very quick. Just as the woman was about to celebrate though, she heard a familiar sound that drained all the color from her face. *BUUUUUUU* Bugles cried out from all around the garden. ¡°Fuck.¡± Hundreds of orcs walked out from the surrounding streets. Their red eyes were all the more menacing under the crystals'' glow. ¡°Let¡¯s go Franken,¡± Zyrus smirked as he got on top of the reindeer. Despite the earth movement''s limitations, he was able to bring Franken along with him. He knew that Franken wasn¡¯t a simple companion. The sentiment only grew stronger as he saw the streets pass by in a blur. They streaked across the night sky by hopping off the buildings. Franken was able to land perfectly on any surface thanks to his silver hooves. In less than a minute they were already within a 100 meters of the spawn point. The distance was short enough for the orcs to see them, but that was no longer an issue. The orcs were already occupied in killing the surviving trolls and humans. From their point of view, leaving 100 orcs was more than enough to guard the spawn point. The orc leader had sent many scouting teams around the area to notify them of any hostile forces. Naturally, a reindeer with silver antlers wouldn¡¯t be unnoticed by them in the dark night. *Grrrrrr* ¡°Are they scaring us off?¡± ¡°Looks like it.¡± ¡°To think that one day these lowly cretins would treat me as a wild animal...¡± ¡°I mean- h-hey slow down,¡± Zyrus grabbed the silver antlers as Franken jumped ahead without any warning. ¡°Were you saying something?¡± ¡°Spoken like a true wild animal.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon chief, at least say something that makes sense,¡± ¡°Whatever, just watch where you¡¯re going,¡± Zyrus spoke with a jolt as Franken ran straight towards the orcs. ¡°You¡¯d better jump off, hahaha..¡± Zyrus had no desire to collide with the orcs. So as any normal Sylvarix would, he jumped off the wild animal. The orcs were just as if not more surprised by Franken¡¯s sudden charge. Before they could mount a defense or call for support, the silver antlers were already at their faces. *Crack* An out-of-place sound rang out near the spawn point. The orcs'' bones shattered into pieces just as they came across the shining antlers. Franken no longer looked like a fairy tale creature. It would be more accurate to call him an incarnation of nightmare. The bright emerald glow wasn¡¯t able to hide the blood that stuck on his antlers. ¡°Kuh-¡± *Buuuu- His shiny hooves were splashing in the puddles of blood as the one-eyed reindeer ran wild on the streets. ¡°What a mess, at least kill them properly,¡± Zyrus grunted as he took out his bloodspine spear. He didn¡¯t have any fond memories of the orcs, and besides, he was long since used to bloody fights like this. ¡®Looks like my companion has a screw lose,¡¯ [Shackles of Nihility] Well, he wasn¡¯t much better than the reindeer in this aspect. ¡°Kuhuhu.. that¡¯s right, hold ¡®em off,¡± ¡°Take out the running ones first,¡± ¡°With pleasure,¡± Franken ran off like a bull after hearing Zyrus. Both of them knew that the other orcs were on their way towards this area. [Poison breath] Zyrus didn¡¯t even check the damage and Exp numbers as he ran towards a fountain. This was the spawn point where the trolls would revive. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Too late motherfucker.¡± *FLASH* A blue beacon of light erupted from the fountain. Aurora hadn¡¯t told anyone a crucial detail. When someone recruited new players from a spawn point, a flare would shout out from that area. And it¡¯ll be visible across the whole sector. The more players you recruit, the brighter the light would be. And since there were 500 trolls behind Zyrus, the light was particularly eye-catching this time. ¡°Damn you!¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯ve been hearing that a lot,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t give the orc leader a second glance and walked towards his new subordinates. He only needed 500 more to automatically pass through this sector. Since it was the first time someone was using this method, he didn¡¯t know whether he¡¯d be reunited with his other subordinates or not. ¡°All done chief.¡± ¡°Great, let''s collect some more,¡± Zyrus grinned at the oncoming orcs and ordered the tolls to go all out. He would be in the central district by the time their reinforcement arrived, and the trolls would teleport alongside him. Chapter 61: Easy there chief, doesn’t this break a rule or something? ¡°We got lucky this time,¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Zyrus was more than happy with the last batch of subordinates he got. He didn¡¯t know that the ogre king was in this sector as well. He was like Zyrus in the sense that neither had many members in their species. He had acquired a silver crown by subduing other orcs and naturally, the orcs weren¡¯t very pleased when they saw the ogres using their kind as cannon fodders. It was hypocritical as they themselves were doing the same. Then again, both humans and orcs shared the same double standards. Thanks to their scuffle though, Zyrus was able to get 50 ogres as his final troops. There was one more thing that made him very pleased. [You have fulfilled the minimum requirements to obtain a Variant Crown!] [Obtain a golden crown first to get your reward.] ¡®One last thing to do,¡¯ Zyrus looked at the orange portal ahead of him with determination. What he was going to do would change the future events. Be that as it may, he didn¡¯t want to be a coward who¡¯d hold back against someone who tried to hurt his people. He wouldn¡¯t be worthy of the name ¡°Zyrus Wymar¡± if he let his enemy live. Before he went in for the kill though, he wanted to use his remaining SP. This was the final battle in the first ring, and he didn¡¯t want to hold anything back. Zyrus had 17 SP remaining thanks to the achievements he had acquired at the beginning. His SP acquisition was pretty much non existent after the crown hunt had started. He was too busy getting new skills and dealing with matters on earth to focus on getting more achievements. His class, crown, and companion''s details had yet to be integrated into his status as well. Players were concerned about the ridiculous amount of Exp required to level up. Even with a 10x boost, it was no easy feat to get millions of Exp. It was no wonder that even a genius battle maniac like Zyrus needed 1000 years to reach lv 300. Stats screens were reworked on every new ring, and with each enhancement, new stats like magic attribute, affiliation, subclasses, and so on would be added. Zyrus didn¡¯t waste too much time thinking about it and used the remaining SP. He didn¡¯t even touch the strength and agility. He was a human in his previous life, and therefore, he knew how important it was to have balanced stats. After raising his intelligence by 9 and mana by 8, he was left with 0 SP. A downpour of energy flooded his body and he once again felt the refreshing sensation. His HP hadn''t changed despite getting 10 vitality from blood fusion due to his low level. It was a rare case since even in the second ring its impossible to have a 50+ stat unless you use your SP on that. There wasn''t any definite limit on stats in the sanctuary. That being said, if the imbalance in stats becomes too big then it can affect in a negative way. It was the same for Zyrus. His physique was strong enough to handle 50 stats in any category, but beyond that was a level that he couldn''t breach. ''But I''m a Sylvarix, so there''s no such thing as a limit for me,'' It could be both a blessing and a curse. But for someone like Zyrus who could perfectly control their power, this trait would be more inclined towards the former. His six senses were also enhanced on a whole another level. The sudden increase of mana and spatial awareness would cripple some new players for a week or two. For Zyrus though, this wasn¡¯t even a tenth of his original power. He was able to leisurely read his status screen while basking in the warm sensation. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Sylvarix] [Class: Balaur Summoner (Locked)] [Level: 17] Exp: 634K/1M [Title: The last Apostle (Temporary)(Locked)] [Achievement: First Blood in tutorial, Goblin Slayer, First step of the Spearman, Killer of Keliodus, Boss Buster(I), Forged in combat, Shattered in Victory, Gaze of the Predator, Humanity¡¯s Pathfinder, Child of mana, The first Traitor, Spearweaver, Slayer of Tauranox, The Architect of Abyss] [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] [Trait: Earth Movement] [Strength: 34] [Agility: 35 (+5)] [Vitality: 60] [Intelligence: 30] Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. [Mana: 35 (+2)] [SP: 0] HP: 3000 Crit rate: 10% Crit damage: 100% Poison resistance: 150% [Basics of Sojutsu], [Eye of Annihilation], [Poison breadth], [Arcane Lance], [Master of Sojutsu], [Spear aura] [Bloodspine spear (Unique)] [Lorica Squamata (Unique) (Evolvable)] [Zubry Solleret (Rare)] [Bone necklace Totem (Common)] [Ring of command (Sealed)] Currency: 37S Items: [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] [Fang of Nidraxis (Unique)] [Scroll fragment (Rare), Durability: 2/3] [Vitality recovery potion x 21] [Mana recovery potion x 13] ¡°Easy there chief, doesn¡¯t this break a rule or something?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget my dear companion, We¡¯re going near the elevator. They can¡¯t interfere even if they wanted to.¡± ¡°Kihihi.. this¡¯ll be fun,¡± ¡°Not for them,¡± A Sylvarix and a reindeer jumped into the portal with malicious grins. A lanky man wearing a tuxedo wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had come here to observe the new players he¡¯ll be in charge of, but after seeing the duo that just jumped into the portal, he was sure of one thing. ¡®The next decade will be a very long one¡­¡¯ ¡­ Compared to the four sectors, the central district was less damaged and more lavish. The infrastructure style did not focus on efficiency in space allotment. Large villas were standing on both sides of the 10-meter-wide roads. The central district was illuminated with vibrant lights like a mega city. Statues of kings and warriors that stood proudly at the squares, fountains that hung in the air and beautiful crystals that shined in this dark night, many such marvels were present all over the city. How did such an advanced civilization fall? The players neither knew nor cared about it. The city treated them like pests. Forget about entering a house, even touching a fountain or a street lamp would zap them unconscious. Dozens of crown holders who now had over 3000 subordinates were busy killing one another to get the first golden crown. Some camped around the spawn points whereas others snuck around the portals that connected the four sectors. Of course, not all of them were using such cowardly tactics. People like Aiden Martinez and Hajin Choi were fighting tooth and nail against the orcs. They were just a bit away from reaching the 10,000 mark, but every time they made a move, the others would team up and deal a heavy blow. Some smart players tried to go after silver crown holders instead of subduing more players. It was a plausible strategy but it only worked if they were significantly more powerful than their opponents. With the new crown skills and players'' experience in the sanctuary so far, there was no easy way to avoid the troops and go for the crown holder. *Crackle* ¡°Get ready! Someone¡¯s coming,¡± ¡°I hope they are strong, the kobolds that came before were way too weak.¡± A muscular man snickered as he wiped his bloody sword. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the center then, O mighty warrior~¡± ¡°Stop boasting and hide properly.¡± A scholarly youth reprimanded his subordinate who was taunting the other crown holder. He had made an alliance with another and they had 10000 troops altogether. It was more than enough to snuff out the new groups that were coming through. Unfortunately, they were about to kick an iron wall this time. *Shhhh* A whirlpool of energy formed at the base of the fifty-meter-tall walls. All eyes were fixed on an identical orange portal. Apart from the scouts, the rest of the humans were hidden in the streets nearby. No one who reached this far was stupid. ¡°We¡¯ve got quite a welcome party,¡± Zyrus snickered at the ¡®hidden¡¯ scouts with amusement and strolled over with Franken. The portal behind them was still humming with the same intensity, and one by one the trolls walked out from within. 500 trolls were ready to battle by the time Zyrus walked 10 meters. Naturally, this wasn¡¯t the end. He was very picky in selecting his troops this time. He had thousands of seedlings to choose from, and he made sure to pick ones with a lot of potential. Kyle and Shi kun were good at leading swordsmen and shield warriors respectively. Lauren was a hybrid of long and short range combat whereas Ria was getting better and better at commanding the troops from behind. Their army lacked magicians more than anything else. He chose a group of goblin shamans and humans which totaled 450. Combined with the 50 ogres, the haul from the south sector was plentiful. ¡®Lucky me, They have a lot of spearman and dagger users,¡¯ ¡°Why don¡¯t you come out now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being cocky for someone with a tenth of our numbers,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell him everything you musclehead!¡± Both leaders spoke from the shadow of a nearby building. They knew that no one without 3000 followers or 3 silver crowns could enter this area. Either Zyrus had more troops standing by or he had 3 silver crown holders with him. They would prefer if it was the latter, but even if it wasn¡¯t, they didn¡¯t have anything to fear with their numbers. At least that¡¯s what they believed. *Shhhh* The dimming portal flashed once again, this time with much more intensity. ¡°Tch.. looks like it¡¯ll be a tough fight,¡± Both leaders were frowning as they observed the approaching troops. It was impossible to attack the players near the portal. Thanks to that, both sides had enough time to scan one another. Compared to Zyrus troops that had nearly 10 species blended together, the opposing side was mainly comprised of humans with 20% orcs. No one liked to recruit weak species like kobolds and goblins. Trolls were hard to find and harder to kill, and this left only orcs as their potential target. Ironically, the orcs also thought the same. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought we¡¯d see the rats here,¡± the muscular man taunted as he looked at Zyrus in disdain. He believed that Zyrus was only able to advance by recruiting the revived players. He had nothing to fear against a riffraff group like this. Their organized troops would be able to steamroll them with ease. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re looking down on you,¡± Franken snickered as he looked at the rat kings. There were 800 of them now with three kings who led their respective species. No one in their right mind would choose this many rats. They were useful in niche scenarios, but it wasn¡¯t worth it to allocate 20% of your troop capacity for that. ¡°Squeak!¡± ¡°Hey hey, mind your language young one,¡± "Squeak, squeak" "Hmm, that''s more creative at least," Zyrus thought that Franken was a bad influence on the rat¡¯s development, but he left that aside for the time being. He shared a glance with Ria who was communicating with others via her tiara, and they both knew that it was the time. Shi kun stood in the front along with the trolls while the archers and mages stood at the rear. Kyle and the three rat kings formed the middle lines, flanked by goblin riders and dagger users who were following Lauren. Pouka and the ogres were in charge of protecting Ria as she was the brain of the whole army. With a golden tiara that adorned her head, she looked like a valiant queen as her black hair swayed behind her tanned shoulders. Specter scorpions were hiding in the shadows, ready to deliver a deadly blow to the enemy leaders. Both sides were ready to give their all in this fight. Zyrus walked to the front while riding Franken, his yellow eyes staring at the opposing side. He didn''t have a skill like radiance that could boost his allies. Nor did he need one. His presence was enough to lead his army to victory. Chapter 62: You die obviously There was no need for shouts or war cries. Both sides gradually approached one another on an empty street. Even a 10 meter wide street was short where nearly 15,000 people were going to fight. This was what made this venue so interesting. Players couldn¡¯t use the buildings as cover, but the same wasn¡¯t the case for the streets. The crown holders had placed their troops differently. Zyrus placed the defense oriented troops on the front whereas the humans were using their cannon fodder orcs as the vanguard. They didn¡¯t have to fight head-on. According to the layout of this city, there were a lot of criss-crossing roads along the high walls. As long as the front lines were secure, they could send their troops to attack the enemies¡¯ sides and rear. Logically speaking, the opposing side had an advantage in a place like this. They had a lot of options available due to their higher numbers. ''They''re either dumb or overconfident, maybe both,'' Zyrus judged the enemies with emotionless eyes. The humans had deployed the offensive troops in order to occupy the majority of their enemy¡¯s manpower. Although it would result in some causalities, it would be worth it if they could kill twice the number of opponents. However, they failed to realize one important thing. Zyrus was standing in front of his troops. And in order to defeat his army, the orcs would have to get past him first. "Now then, why don''t we get started?" "Hmph! Don''t bite your tongue later," "I''ve got quite a sturdy tongue you see, it¡¯s more resilient than your neck," Zyrus grinned and charged ahead without wasting any more time. He didn''t need to use the shackles of nihility or the poison breath. After spending all of his SP, just his states were enough to crush any normal player. Even a group of lv 30 players would have a hard time fighting him, much less these orcs. Although there were thousands of opponents in front of him, the location was favorable for him. The layout of the streets ensured that he would be fighting no more than a 100 at any given time. It wasn''t an easy task. Compared to fighting the glemorax army though, this much was like a walk in the park. *Sweep* -1000,-1000,-1000 Exp +3.5k Exp +3.5k . . A simple swipe of his spear was now as strong as his skills before the upgrade. His enhanced senses made sure that he would attack critical weakness every time. *Slash* "kuh-" -1000,-1000 Exp +3.5k . "Stop him! You useless dregs," "Told ¡®ya, you shouldn''t trust these monsters. No matter what the system thinks, they''ll never be as good as we are." ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The orcs were enraged by the humans¡¯ derision, and so, they targeted all their pent-up resentment towards Zyrus. Shi kun wanted to step out and help him, but Zyrus forbade him from doing so. He was getting surrounded by more and more orcs, to the point where he didn''t have the time to check his overflowing Exp. Unlike on the Earth, his title wasn''t effective in the sanctuary. He had no means to replenish his stamina and mana to keep up with the battle. Not to mention he was also losing his HP bit by bit. As strong as he may be, he had his limits. There was no way he could finish off these orcs without using any skills or equipment. He had killed 50 orcs in just a couple of minutes. He could have achieved a much better result by using his skills. However, if he had done that, then the enemy leaders wouldn''t send more than half of their troops to attack them from the sides. Zyrus''s side had also done the same, but compared to their opponents, Goblins riders and Lauren''s squad barely numbered a thousand. He wanted the enemies to think that they were putting up a brave fight, and he had succeeded in doing so. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Retreat!" Zyrus made an exhausted shout and ran back towards Shi kun. He was a textbook example of a leader who had given his all in a fight. He ignored the enemies'' taunts and took the chance to recover. ¡°Been a while since I used this,¡± Shi kun stretched his yellow robe and activated Mbeku''s shattered pride. The green bracers trembled with mana, and at this moment, the trolls also used their unique transformation. Mbeku¡¯s shattered pride was like a beacon of golden light. One of its possible effects was debuffing enemies with a blind status, and it couldn¡¯t have been activated at a better time. *Guoooo* Due to the lack of vegetation, the trolls weren''t as strong as they were in the park Despite that though, they managed to hold back twice the number of orcs with Shi kun¡¯s help. "Kyle and Rat kings, go all out," Zyrus ordered as he chugged down a violet potion. Ria was only responsible for commanding the smaller units within the army. Her Clairvoyance was no match for Zyrus''s experience when it came to the deployment of different squads and overall combat structure. They made a good pair as they can fill in each other''s gaps. One was responsible for the big movements while the other strengthened the army by commanding hundreds of smaller units. Of course, things would be different when she became capable enough to use the clairvoyance skill more frequently. ''This is much better than my previous life,'' Zyrus had a satisfied smile on his face is observed his subordinates. He wanted to take this chance and analyze any flaws that they had. He knew that they wouldn''t have the time to breathe in the next battle. He wanted his army to be as strong as possible before that. Kyle and Shi kun were doing their job wonderfully. One was a wall that guarded his allies while the other was a sword that cut down all obstacles. The trolls were doing as expected and the goblin riders were as reliable as ever. Their top-notch accuracy was deadly in a group fight. Coupled with the wolves'' speed, they were like mobile turrets that rained down arrows of death. What surprised him the most were the rats that were squeaking all over the enemy lines. "They sure know how to hold a grudge," Franken spoke with a chuckle as he saw the group of sawtooth rats tear apart a player. ¡°Indeed. They¡¯ve become more aggressive.¡± Zyrus nodded as he looked back at Ria, more specifically, at the troops guarding her. The ogres and bears were raring to go as well. They wanted to join in the carnage and level up like everyone else. "Wait till next time," He wanted to watch them fight as well, but it was time to end this fight. He knew that Lauren and the goblin riders wouldn''t be able to hold out for long. Nor did they need to. "Ready?" Zyrus asked Jacob who was standing in front of 500 magicians. Neither side was using their mages as it would increase their causalities by a lot. A Pyrrhic victory was worse than defeat in this place. ¡°Stop it! Is there a need to go this far? Let¡¯s talk it out.¡± the scholarly man shouted from the other side. There was no way that he wasn¡¯t paying attention to the conspicuous group of mages. He had to admit that they had underestimated their opponents. The shield warrior and the trolls were annoying to get rid of. One taunted the orcs to attack him while the others took blows for him like punching bags. ¡°Say that after you call back your mages.¡± Zyrus snorted at the opposing leader and charged ahead with Franken. Although today was his first time riding the reindeer, it wasn¡¯t much different compared to horses. The most remarkable thing about Franken was his antlers. He wasn¡¯t familiar with his companion¡¯s skills, but he knew for a fact that the one-eyed reindeer was a perfect battering ram. ¡°Damn it, FIRE!¡± Zyrus merely smirked at the enemy¡¯s hysterical attack. Even now they weren¡¯t taking him seriously enough. Instead of being wary of him, they were being angry because it was proving difficult to kill his army. Jacob also used his fireballs along with the others. Wind blades, lighting bolts, water arrows¡­ hundreds of basic spells collided in the middle of the street. Shi kun and Kyle were strong enough to avoid the aftermath, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for the other players. Their fate was sealed when even the trolls and orcs were blasted off by the impact. Zyrus didn¡¯t know or care about what happened to them. As he had said before, be it humans or other species, they were nothing more than tools to achieve his goals. He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use their lives as a distraction if it meant that he could obtain a victory. To put it bluntly, the reason he didn¡¯t want Kyle and Shi kun to die was because they were more valuable than the other players. They had proven their worth to him, and therefore, it was his role as a leader to treat them better. Franken was in front of the leaders in less than a dozen seconds. They were being guarded just like Ria, but unfortunately for them, the ones guarding them were humans. [Poison breath] Humans who weren¡¯t quite willing to die for their leaders'' sake. -1000,-1000,-1000,-1000 -1000,-1000,-1000 Exp +2.5k . . Dozens of players dropped dead like flies. It wasn¡¯t enough to destroy their command center at once. But the time bought by it was enough for Zyrus to cast a domain. [Shackles of Nihility] How fatal was a hostile domain that descended in the middle of their formation? Dozens of black chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around the players. Blue shackles tied up their limbs and corroded their vitality. *Hisss* Naturally, the specter scorpions wouldn¡¯t miss such a golden opportunity. ¡°Aaah-¡± ¡°S-save me!¡± Only the lucky ones were able to let out their dying screams. The players here were strong, but their experience and reaction time were lacking. They allowed the scorpions to crawl over them and use their tails. They had a single chance to blast them off when they made their appearance. But it was game over once they engaged in close combat. ¡°Now then, why don¡¯t we have a nice little chat?¡± ¡°W-wha-¡± ¡°Let me make it easy for you. You serve me willingly and hand over the troops I ask for,¡± ¡°Why you little-¡± *Thrust* -1000 ¡°Kuk-¡± ¡°Did I talk to you?¡± Zyrus asked the muscular leader who had a spear lodged in his throat. He was going to use his crown¡¯s ability, and Zyrus wasn¡¯t stupid enough to allow that. He had 40 agility with his equipment¡¯s bonus. It was twice as fast as a lv20 human who hadn¡¯t invested any stats in agility. And unfortunately, the dying man was one such example. Neither was he a lv20 player, nor did he invest any stats in agility. What happens when someone with double your agility attacks you with a spear? You die obviously. Exp +3k ¡°You see, I don¡¯t really need more humans in my army. With this, I have the equivalent of 5 silver crowns¡± Zyrus stated nonchalantly while fiddling with the silver crown. ¡°I-I see.¡± ¡°Good. Good. You give me some spearman and magicians, and I let you keep your pitiful life and the silver crown, How about it?¡± If it was any other time, then the scholarly man would wreck his brains to find a way out of this. However, the sudden change of events and the gruesome death of his ally were too much for him. ¡°...Okay¡± Thus, Zyrus obtained a batch of spearmen and magicians. Thanks to ¡®Crown¡¯s fealty,¡¯ he didn¡¯t have to worry about their lack of loyalty. ¡°You really are evil,¡± Franken spoke as he kicked the scholarly man¡¯s headless corpse. ¡°It¡¯s that shit for brains fault. Why the fuck would anyone select ¡®Contract¡¯ if others could be trusted so easily?¡± Chapter 63: Curse of Collapse The fight didn¡¯t end just because the leaders were dead. There were a lot of unaffiliated players left in the vicinity. It took Zyrus another hour to subdue and organize more troops. Few hours were left before the crown hunt was over, and neither he nor the other crown holders had the time to placate the revived players. It didn¡¯t matter whether they were willing or not, they had to fight for the new leaders. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯ll be alright?¡± Ria asked as she looked over the new players. Since Zyrus had killed two crown leaders, he only needed 8000 players under his command to get a golden crown. They already had 4000 players and from this fight, they had subdued another 3000. ¡°Yeah. Just do as I say and we¡¯ll be in the second ring before sunrise.¡± Zyrus spoke in a confident tone and walked ahead with Franken. He had informed them about his plan to get the golden crown before anyone else. It was a high-risk high-reward method according to them. However, Zyrus thought otherwise. He didn¡¯t need a miraculous breakthrough or luck to become the first. If he needed such things even with all his knowledge, then he''d be no better than the morons he just killed. ¡­ An hour later, at one of the streets that led to the center of the district. There was a large square, large enough for thousands of players to fight. No one had announced that this was the place they were supposed to meet. The system only stated that they needed 10,000 players or 10 silver crowns to get a golden crown. What was the second ring? How would they advance to the second ring? What were the rewards for being the first? No one knew the answer to these questions. Why were they all here then? It was for two reasons. All of the major roads led to this area. Just like the number of golden crowns, they were also 10. Spawn points and portals that connected to the four sectors were arranged in a calculated manner. As long as one kept walking forward and won against everyone on the road, they would obtain a golden crown by the time they were here. If others didn¡¯t hinder them that is. 6 of these roads were conquered already. At this time when only an hour remained before dawn, the 7th road had its victor as well. Zyrus, along with his 7000 troops, walked to the edge of the road. In front of him was the empty square where no one dared to step on. Of course, Zyrus walked straight ahead. So what if you¡¯re eyeing the first place? So what if you came here first? In his eyes, these guys were just morons who had wasted their only chance at being the first. ¡®Well, I took my sweet time picking troops because I knew they¡¯d do that.¡¯ All of the faces were familiar to him. ¡°Wanna die, newbie?¡± ¡°What a cocky bastard, who the fuck does he think he is?¡± And the way they greeted him was the same as well. Zyrus ignored the orc and kobold leader and looked at the others. There were two humans, one troll, and a goblin leader apart from them. ¡°Long time no see Sir. Sparklepants,¡± ¡°I see that you¡¯ve become a monster. Also, I¡¯d prefer if you didn¡¯t call me that,¡± Hajin Choi might not recognize Zyrus at first, but there was no way he¡¯d forget Kyle. ¡°I see that you still recognize him. He¡¯s turned over a new leaf you know, isn¡¯t that right Kyle?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one would forget him after seeing him in a berserker state. Fortunately or unfortunately, Kyle hadn¡¯t fought in the same manner since that day. Leaving the awkward Kyle behind who was listening to Lauren brag about him, Zyrus turned to the other human. ¡°I heard you attacked my subordinates.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Aiden Martinez replied in a disinterested tone. ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? I¡¯ll kill you for that.¡± ¡°Hey lizard, are you stupid like that goblin over there?¡± ¡°Do you have the guts to come over?¡± Zyrus ignored the orc as usual and stared at the golden haired man. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ign-¡± ¡°We¡­neeed.. to break.. this.. stalemate.¡± The troll leader, skarn, spoke in a sleepy voice. He stood out from the other trolls due to his brown skin and yellow eyes. ¡°Kikiki.. give me that armor you¡¯re wearing, and I''ll support you to be the first,¡± the goblin lord giggled as he eyed the troll''s gray armor with greed. ¡°Shut up weakling.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Hajin Choi pointed at the sky. Everyone knew what he meant. There wasn¡¯t much time left and they couldn¡¯t stop one another forever. As if on cue, all of the present crown holders looked back and forth between Zyrus and Aiden Martinez. ¡°I don¡¯t care about being first or whatnot. I just want to kill this bastard.¡± ¡°How about you guys start first then?¡± the kobold leader spoke in a mischievous tone. No one here was stupid, they knew that the first ones to fight would suffer. ¡°Fine by me. I¡¯m not sure whether this peacock could fight though,¡± Zyrus shrugged as he stared at Aiden with disdain. Even a saint would get mad if you curse them long enough, and Aiden Martinez was no saint. Zyrus was targeting him from the moment he arrived here and the comment on his clothes was the tipping point. ¡°Huu.. fine then. However, I¡¯m not an idiot who only thinks about petty grudges. Don¡¯t expect me to fight just like that.¡± ¡°Do you have any conditions?¡± ¡°That I do, Hajin choi. How ab-¡± ¡°Cut the bullshit. Let¡¯s just fight one on one.¡± Zyrus interrupted Aiden to annoy him even more. ¡°Hmph! And what do I gain from it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet my equipment.¡± Even the other crown holders were annoyed by Zyrus¡¯s smug face. His silver armor and black boots were a league above their equipment. ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll be-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t fancy wearing blue chestplate and green pants.¡± ¡°What the hell do you want then?¡± Aiden spoke as he glared at Zyrus with reddened eyes. The burly man wanted to calm down his lord, but after signing the contract, he no longer had the authority to intervene. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. He could only look at his ¡®leader¡¯ in helplessness, just like thousands of other monsters. ¡°Did your mom drop you when you were a baby? I told you didn¡¯t I? I want your head.¡± Skarn and Hajin choi looked at Zyrus with a knowing glance. Anyone with half a brain could tell that Zyrus was intentionally provoking the other. Only haughty teenagers and orcs would get riled up by such petty remarks. ¡°Fine then. Sign this contract and we can have a deathmatch.¡± Apparently, Aiden Martinez ought to be added in that list as well. ¡°Tch..tch.. I almost don¡¯t want to fight you after knowing of your condition. I know you¡¯re lacking in brain capacity, but still, do you think that others would allow us to fight like that?¡± Zyrus threw back the conjured scroll back to Skarn. The terms written on there were simple, Zyrus and Aiden would have a duel and neither side would use their subordinates to attack the other. The winner would take all of the users¡¯ equipment and items, and the loser would hand over his troops to the latter as well. As for what would happen if one broke the contract? There was no need to write that. Everyone here had memorized the crown¡¯s abilities very well. ¡°Indeed¡­ we can.. not allow this.¡± If they allowed it, then one of the two was sure to become the first player who cleared this ring. Wouldn¡¯t they be morons if they gave them this chance while they just watched? But it was impossible to kill a crown holder and not get his crown, and they couldn¡¯t just forfeit the crown or troops they had either. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this, we both have extra silver crowns, right? Let our troops fight over them, and we can even include the others in this.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hajin choi asked in a curious tone. ¡°Simple, I need a thousand troops or a silver crown, and it¡¯s the same for him.¡± ¡°Right. We¡¯re all the same.¡± ¡°Exactly. We will give one crown to our subordinates and let them guard it, and everyone else can attack our troops while we fight. Meanwhile, We¡¯ll bet our life along with personal belongings on a duel.¡± It wasn¡¯t impossible to literally snatch a crown without a wielder. The others hadn¡¯t thought of this idea because no one was dumb enough to take it out of their inventory. ¡°Hahaha¡­ you¡¯ve got guts alright.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the orc leader who was surprised, everyone else thought the same as well. It was indeed a high-risk high-reward strategy. If either Zyrus or Aiden managed to kill the other before their troops lost the crown, then they could become the first one to reach the second ring. Of course, it had its risks as well. Even if they managed to win, if a lot of their subordinates were dead or failed to protect the crown, then it would be pointless. On the flip side, if their troops were able to snatch the other¡¯s crown, then they could directly reach the second ring without continuing the fight. It was a fair condition nonetheless. The leaders present here would have a chance to win the first place without risking their lives. No one was stupid enough to send all their troops to attack, they had to be wary of one another. But since it was a 5v1 situation, even sending a third of their troops would do. ¡°Fine by me.¡± Aiden Martinez spoke with gritted teeth. He was at his limits after being humiliated over and over again. It didn¡¯t take long for others to agree and send their troops to the center. Aiden had the contract ability and he made sure the other leaders agreed to not interfere in the duel. He wasn¡¯t like novice crown holders who didn¡¯t know how to use their brains. His anger was genuine, but he wasn¡¯t consumed by it. He was playing along with Zyrus because he was confident in killing the other. Zyrus handed his crown to Ria while Aiden handed his over to a monkey. Others were surprised by his decision, but they didn¡¯t think much about it. ¡°Don¡¯t let the good ones die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a cruel man.¡± ¡°No, Ria. I¡¯m a good leader.¡± Zyrus tapped her shoulder and walked towards the square. Getting the first place wasn¡¯t his only goal. He had expanded his troops at a rapid rate. And although he was careful in selection, he couldn¡¯t guess their inner hearts in this short time. He had the crown fealty as the last resort, but he couldn¡¯t rely on it for every little thing. Noting was better than a life-and-death fight to know one¡¯s true character. This fight was like a fire that¡¯ll purge the rotten parts of his army. Like a good sword, they needed to be forged in blood and iron. Only then would they be worthy of being his followers. ¡®They can become the cornerstones of my empire, or remain as tools to achieve my goals. The choice lies with them.¡¯ ¡°Are¡­ you¡­ ready?¡± Zyrus and Aiden nodded at Skarn and ordered their troops to move out. Soon, no one was left within a 100-meter radius of the duo. ¡°I Aiden Martinez, accept the terms of the contract and request a duel.¡± ¡°I Zyrus Wymar, accept the terms of the contract and accept the duel.¡± The roles had changed and it was Aiden who was more eager to fight at this moment. ¡°Huhuhu..hahahahaha¡± ¡°How pathetic. To think that a crown holder would go mad from fear¡­¡± Zyrus mocked while running towards the hysterical Aiden. The fight on the other side had already started. There were a bit over 30 thousand troops engaged in a brawl. ¡°Hehehehe¡­do you want to know something?¡± ¡°I can at least hear your dying words,¡± 100 meters was nothing to Zyrus, and in a couple more seconds, he would reach the enemy. Aiden didn¡¯t seem to care about it either. ¡°You see, those monsters aren¡¯t my subordinates.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zyrus asked with a confused face. Not only him, even the other leaders were interested. ¡°I tamed them at first, and now, I¡¯ve made contacts of eternal servitude with them.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ no, it¡¯s not you idiot. They¡¯re bound by the crown, like a piece of equipment.¡± ¡°You mean..¡± Zyrus stooped charging ahead and stood with a panicked expression. ¡°Did you catch on? You¡¯re really smart huh? Why don¡¯t you use that wit to mock me now, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unf-¡± ¡°The world IS unfair, what will you do? Cry about it?¡± Aiden looked at Zyrus and the other leaders with a gloating smile and called the 2000 monsters from the other side. The other leaders were infuriated by the sudden move, but alas, they couldn¡¯t interfere due to the contact. Were they concerned about Zyrus? Of course not. The dammed monkey was running with the crown as well. Since it was now a part of this blasted duel, they could do nothing but watch. ¡°What a pity, I rather liked that lizard.¡± ¡°He¡­got¡­overconfident,¡± They looked with pity at Zyrus who was standing still like a statue. Naturally, they also ordered their troops to ignore Aiden¡¯s troops and only go after Zyrus¡¯s subordinates. Since they didn¡¯t have the crown, what was the point in attacking them? Everything had changed in an instant. The so-called fair duel was turned into a one-sided massacre. Zyrus¡¯s army was panicked and many of them deserted and surrendered to the enemy. Some goblin shamans and trolls went back to their species, while a majority of the new troops switched sides or ran away. The ones who remained were getting killed one by one. Being loyal wasn¡¯t enough to be a good soldier, they needed strength as well. Zyrus looked at the approaching monsters and his crumbling army with a still gaze. Not a trace of playfulness or arrogance could be seen on his face. He had achieved his goal, so there was no need to continue his fa?ade. Nearly two thousand of his troops were either dead or deserted. No one expected him to survive, much less obtain the first clear. ¡®They are decent enough,¡¯ Zyrus looked at his remaining troops with a subtle smile. They were lacking in many aspects, but at this moment, they had earned his recognition through their bitter struggle. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t let them down as their leader,¡¯ It was time to raise the curtains. He was leading Aiden from the nose since the beginning. Why did he change ¡®one on one fight¡¯ into a ¡®duel,¡¯ and bet of equipment into a bet of ¡®belongings¡¯? It was for this moment. ¡°Why are you so quiet now? You still have a chance. Grovel beneath my feet and maybe, just maybe, I''ll allow you to become my eternal servant..¡± ¡°You know, I agree with what you said before. The world is unfair.¡± Zyrus spoke in an emotionless tone. He walked while holding the bloodspine spear while his other hand was placed on the cube. He could¡¯ve cut off Aiden''s head by hundred times if that was his goal. ¡®The world is unfair, because I¡¯m going to kill you for something you¡¯ll do in the future,¡¯ All of his mana and a tenth of his source of origin flowed within his hands. It was as if time had stopped at this moment. Why did Zyrus dislike, no, hate Aiden Martinez so much? Was it just because of his subordinates? He hated him for a very simple reason. He had pledged his allegiance to the Nazarek Empire. It was something that happened in the past, or something that¡¯ll happen in the future. Either way, he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Don¡¯t act all pretentious, you¡¯ll die a dog''s death very soon.¡± Zyrus¡¯s eyes were as emotionless as ever. All he cared about now was a vow, a vow he made on the grave of the one he loved. ¡°She was my world, and without her, The world shall not exist.¡± *Crack* The first layer of the cube cracked into pieces. Zyrus wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind right now, but his spear had sensed what he wanted. The weapon can absorb the lifeblood of enemies to evolve itself. Current rate: 99...99.5...100% The sky above the square became blood red in an instant. All of the weapons were trembling in fear, like vassals standing before their emperor. No one, not even the administrator had predicted such an outcome. Zyrus held the reddish black lack spear by pure instinct. Even if his mind wasn¡¯t there to guide his actions, he had long since engraved his spear techniques into his body. [Curse of Collapse] A red beam of light shot forth from the bloodspine spear, tearing through the fabrics of space and time. It was the same stabbing motion he had practiced countless times. It was the same thrust that had killed the clone of the blood dragon, Nidraxis. Zyrus could only use 10% of his source of origin, but it was enough. His opponent wasn¡¯t an immortal dragon this time. Aiden Martinez, the man who was supposed to become the beast king and rule over the forest of Baelenar, was erased from existence. [Congratulations! You have obtained a silver crown] The message rang not once, but twice. According to the contract, Aiden Martinez¡¯s monsters now belonged to Zyrus. [Congratulations! You have obtained the golden crown] [You have fulfilled the requirements to obtain a Variant Crown.] [Golden crown will now evolve into ¡°Onyx Crown¡±] The red sky brightened once again with the sanctuary¡¯s power. Sounds of trumpets and horns reverberated throughout the city of ruin. At this moment, each and every creature living in the first ring looked at the sky from wherever they were. A gigantic tower had appeared in the city of ruin that connected the heavens and earth. [Congratulations! You have cleared the First ring of the Sanctuary!] Chapter 64: Book 2 Announcement, Author notes, First of all, thank you everyone for reading and following the book so far. I started writing a year ago and this has been an amazing journey. There were lots of ups and downs along the way, And I''d like to share them with you guys. English isn''t my first language and i didn''t realise how hard it is to actually write something. I was just a reader before and belived that since I''ve read so many novels and I have clear idea about my own story, surely I can write a book on my own right? Welp, that wasn''t the case. My first fic was so terrible that I had to delete it all together (It had only one follower apart from me XD) However, i learned a lot from that. I rewrote the same story and in about four months my followers went up from 2 to 24. (The path of Illusion) Once again, i learned a lot in this time. My usage of past and present tense was terrible, povs and narrative voice was inconsistent and the pacing was slow. There was a lot of mystery and character growth in that book and i really like that. Unfortunately, my poor writing didn''t give it justice. I wanted to edit or rewrite it again but that''s when the royal road magazine contest came in. I already had an idea about this book and the promt was matching, so i decided to give it a go as a fresh change. I got 19 followers in a month and my first genuine 5 star review(Thanks lordgrim22). It was much better than i thought and so i paused path of Illusion and focused on transcendent resurgence (I love that story and I''ll definitely finish it) This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Fast forward, today I''ve finished the first book of transcendent resurgence. And once again, I''ve learned a lot this time around. I went from 24 followers to 140 and thousands of views. However, I''ve also realised that there''s a lot I can improve on my writing. Missing punctuation marks, misplaced words and lack of details in the environment. Characters also need some more polishing to flash out their personality. I''m not going to make any real changes per se, I''m just improving what''s already there. Thanks you everyone who was pointed out the grammetical mistakes I''ve made. Thanks for commenting tftyc as well, it gives me assurance that I''m not messing things up lol. I would appreciate any feedback you have about the story. This will most likely be the last time I edit unless I got a publisher or i hire an editor and self publish(which i won''t casue it''s costs a lot of money lmao). It''ll also help me write better in the next book so please share your thoughts about the story. I''m not going to change the story or characters, but with your feedback I can write them better to convey what''s in my head. I''ll be back somewhere in July. I Know i might lose some followers but it''s better than being unsatisfied with my work. Apart from editing, i also want to upload the fic on scribblehub, draw some maps and character/arcs overview to avoid any plot holes in the future.(I''m pretty sure I''m going to forget some minor details otherwise). Side note: I''ll participate in this time''s rrm as well. I don''t have the time to write a novel but I''ll write a 8k word short story as i find the prompt very interesting. I''ll share the link below when i write so check it out if it interests u. Also what do you think about me writing side stories about other characters past or their POV in important moments. (Like in the last fight?) I''m not going to do it anytime soon (not in this year anyway, I want to finish book two in 2024) but if you have any preferences then lmk in the comments and I''ll prioritise them. See you later :) Chapter 65: Back to the Source of Origin An endless road stretched towards the horizon. Where did it begin? Where did it lead to? Zyrus didn¡¯t know about either. This was his second time coming at this place, and it was the same as the last time. A white crystalline road that showcased his past life like a memory film. He had to admit that he was awed by it the first time, but now it was just perplexing. He had no idea about what to do in this place. He did recall some forgotten memories about the second ring, but this place was supposed to be his source of origin. There should be better things that he could do here. Since he didn¡¯t know how to access this place on his own, he had to use every moment here to improve his strength. ¡®I don¡¯t even know how long it¡¯s been,¡¯ Zyrus sighed as walked forward. As much as he wanted to practice his void skills here, he couldn¡¯t. This was a metaphysical world. Walking, standing, breathing, every action he performed consumed his mental energy. As a mage his mental fortitude far surpassed his current level, but still, even he had his limits. If he did any strenuous exercise here than he would be kicked out like the last time. ¡®Besides, it¡¯s a good way to train my willpower,¡¯ That wasn¡¯t the only reason why he kept walking. Was this really an endless road? What if there was a destination, but it was so far that he couldn¡¯t even see it right now? He rarely had the leisure to think about such things. Since he had cleared the first ring, he and every player who cleared after him would receive a much-needed vacation. It was a reward given to the victors of the first ring. For one month, they could eat, sleep, and relax as much as they wanted inside the temple of order. The temple wasn¡¯t a part of any ring. It was a mysterious place that rewarded players for their efforts. Bloodline evolution, Class upgrades, and many such essential services were given at that place. ¡®Even in my past life, I didn¡¯t know much about that place,¡¯ As Zyrus walked ahead with deep thoughts, a sudden change took place in his surroundings. There was nothing but endless darkness beside the road. But know, faint lines emerged on both sides ¡®No, they¡¯re not lines,¡¯ Zyrus stopped moving and looked at the darkness with wide eyes. His blue scales were trembling with excitement as more and more lines appeared in his sight. ¡®They are paths similar to the one I¡¯m walking on,¡¯ The reason he thought ''similar'' was because unlike his path that stretched to the horizon, the other paths were broken in the middle. ¡°Hahaha.. to think that there are so many who embarked on the same journey,¡± Zyrus was filled with joy at this unexpected encounter. What was the source of origin? Why did it give the power to those who walked on it? Zyrus had many such questions when he created the spatial stab. Now, he had an answer that shouldn¡¯t be far off from the truth. ¡®At the end of my road, I¡¯ll find the Origin of void,¡¯ It should be the same for the other roads around him. Unfortunately, their paths were broken in the middle. Their paths should be their source of origin, the medium that connected them to the origin of void. Countless rivers led to the same destination. And just like how many streams converged into a river, the many rivers would converge at the ocean as well. ¡°Huu..I have a long way to go,¡± Zyrus plopped down on the path with a sigh. He knew that long was an understatement in this case. He unconsciously made a breakthrough in his last fight, but even then, he could barely use about 25% of the source of origin. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. His source, or the path he was walking on, was connected to the origin of void. How much power he could borrow from the origin depended on how far he walked on the road. Forget about reaching the end, he had to completely control the source he had before anything else. ¡®That aside, could I absorb them?¡¯ Zyrus greedily eyed the broken paths around him. If they were going in the same direction, shouldn¡¯t their path converge? But on the second thought, the path they took to reach the origin of void should be unique. At least, that was the case for Zyrus. He was also aware of a grim possibility. Others more powerful than him might have the ability to plunder his source of origin. ¡®Whatever, it¡¯s not like I can do anything about it,¡¯ Instead of worrying about others stealing his power, he might as well ste- Ahem, inherit others'' sources. ¡®They¡¯re dead anyway, I will carry on their will and see the end of this road,¡¯ As if resonating with his desire, the lines around him started to flash with milky white brilliance. Myriad of will fragments floated towards his path. Zyrus instinctively sensed he could only select one of them. It wasn¡¯t an easy decision as there were more than a hundred paths that responded to his will. His mental energy was limited, so he didn¡¯t have the option to probe them one by one. ¡®First of all, let¡¯s ignore the faint and short roads,¡¯ He guessed that the intensity of light should be related to his compatibility with the source. As for those lines that were shorter than his own, there wasn¡¯t much he could learn from them. Only a dozen wills were left after a round of elimination. Zyrus had no choice but to approach them one by one. This was a golden opportunity to gain insights on the origin of void. Each and every one of them had their unique comprehension, and if he wanted to reach the end of his road, he couldn¡¯t just copy them. It was best to take reference from their insights and further improve his knowledge. In a way, this encounter was much more useful than getting skills and equipment. He probed them one by one and saw fragments of their life. A captain who died after defeating 1000 enemies, an ascetic monk who died of old age, a demonic beast that was killed in a dimensional storm¡­ Zyrus was surprised by how weak some of them were. He once again realized that reaching the origin of void didn¡¯t just depend on strength. He was sure that he could wipe out all 100 of them if he was at his peak. ¡®Only these two are good enough,¡¯ He ignored the 10 or so white fragments and held his gaze on two orbs. His mental strength was limited, and it was even more so for these remnant wills since their owners had died long ago. They would slumber for eternity unless someone resonated with them just like Zyrus did. ¡®A sky-swallowing whale and a martial arts cultivator,¡¯ Since he focused more on the two, he could see more of their memories. The sky-swallowing whale was frightingly powerful. True to its name, it literally swallowed the sky itself. He was awed by its fighting style. It was as if someone had used an eraser in the sky to remove a part of it. ¡®But I¡¯ll have more chances to obtain traits and skills from monsters,¡¯ Zyrus decided to not use the sky swallowing whale. He observed the martial artists¡¯ memory but compared to the whale, this man was much weaker in comparison. However, Zyrus was more interested in the systematic knowledge. Monsters used their skills by instinct, whereas most humanoid creatures relied on a gradual learning process. Unless the power gap between them was too high, a human would have better comprehension then a monster of the same strength. Of course, it was a different case for truly powerful creatures. ¡®Here goes nothing,¡¯ Zyrus clenched his fists in determination and sank his will into the last orb. His will faced an immense strain as if a whirlpool had formed inside his brain. *Flash* A brilliant glow erupted from his source of origin. The path glowed to provide him the energy to connect with the other source. At this moment, Zyrus realized how strong his source of origin was. Instead of merging with the cultivator¡¯s source, it was more like he swallowed the others¡¯ source in a bite. The line that was glowing with brilliance lost its luster and soon enough, it turned into a small white dot. But this wasn¡¯t the end. *Flutter* ¡®Damn! I¡¯m freaking amazing aren¡¯t I?¡¯ Zyrus would have screamed in joy if he had the control over his body. An unknown manual had appeared in front of him from the other path. He tried to pick it up with the last bits of his mental energy, and the moment his hand landed on the cover, the manual slammed into his chest with a bang. ¡­ ¡°Fuck!¡± ¡°Hmm.. it¡¯d be difficult to find someone at this hour,¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zyrus stared speechlessly at the one-eyed reindeer. A moment ago he was absorbing the source, and now, he was sleeping on a king sized bed. ¡°You alright? You fainted after the fight against that peacock,¡± ¡°Yeah, I think.¡± Zyrus¡¯s claws tore through the soft mattress as he tried to sit up. ¡°You should learn to control your strength if you want to fu-¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± ¡°Tch tch¡­ I¡¯ll call the others since they¡¯re worried sick about you,¡± ¡°How long has it been?¡± Zyrus asked as he removed the fluffy cotton on his scales. Apparently, Sylvarix needed more durable beds to sleep on. ¡°29 days to be exact,¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°Yeah, so hurry up and wear the crown. It¡¯s your last day to do so.¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t need to be reminded twice. He would become the joke of the century if he failed to select his variant crown skills because he was asleep. [Congratulations! You have obtained the golden crown] [You have fulfilled the requirements to obtain a Variant Crown.] [Golden crown will now evolve into ¡°Onyx Crown¡±] He glossed over the other rewards and achievements and clicked on the Onyx crown. Chapter 66: Onyx Crown [Onyx Crown] Worn by the last Sylvarix, this is a crown forged in the essence of midnight. Type: Head Accessory (Bound to Zyrus Wymar) (Unawakened) Effect: Damage +20%, Health regen +30%, Mana regen +20% Passive effect: Increases your charisma. When nearby, all allies will feel less fatigue and hunger. Their stats and skill damage will increase by 5%. King¡¯s Authority:
  1. Crown¡¯s fealty:
None shall betray the crown. The wielder of the crown will be notified when any of his subordinates or allies act against his interests in any shape or form. -Upon the user¡¯s agreement, the betraying subordinates will be executed immediately.
  1. -
  2. -
  3. (Locked)
  4. (Locked)
Zyrus held the raven black crown in his hand. Its jagged spikes were sharp enough to slice the scales in his palm. ¡°That¡¯s quite something,¡± Franken focused his red eye on the crown that was absorbing all the light in the room. The 9 spikes made him feel a chill to his very bones. ¡°Indeed, I must say it suits me,¡± Zyrus curled his lips with satisfaction and placed the crown on his head. It felt alive as the onyx crown stretched its glassy surface to fit his head. There wasn¡¯t much written about the crown in its description. But the fact that it was Unawakened and it could have 5 authorities was enough to show how amazing a variant crown was. ¡®First things first, I¡¯d better select the skills, or rather, Authorities,¡¯ Most of the new players would ignore the change in wording. However, Zyrus knew how big of a difference there was between a skill and an authority. <-< You can select any one of the authorities listed below >->
  • Radiance
Creates an aura field around the wielder of the crown. Allied forces will be strengthened whereas the hostile forces will be weakened. -Field area = User¡¯s level x 10 feet. -Buff: All stats +2, HP +100 -Debuff: All stats -2, small chance to inflict ¡®Fear¡¯ effect. -Note: Buff and debuff will be enhanced depending on the user¡¯s level.
  • Relay
The wielder of the crown would be able to communicate with his subordinates regardless of the distance. -The number of targets that can be simultaneously contacted will be the same as the user¡¯s level.
  • Call of the crown
The wielder of the crown can call upon his forces anywhere he is. -The number of subordinates that could be summoned would vary depending upon the user¡¯s level and the target location.
  • Conviction
Those who stand against the crown should be eliminated. The wielder of the crown can designate any living or non-living entity as the crown¡¯s enemy. -All allies would be able to detect the marked enemy within a certain range. Detection range would increase proportionally to allies¡¯ numbers, (1 member = 1m^2) -Allies would gain stats and equipment based on their contribution upon eliminating the target.
  • Contract
The wielder of the crown can form contracts with those in the similar and lower tier. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. -The contract will take effect when both party agrees willingly. -Integrity of the contract will be upheld by the system, and it will act as a mediary for all transactions, deals, and punishments.
  • Crown¡¯s fealty
None shall betray the crown. The wielder of the crown will be notified when any of his subordinates or allies act against his interests in any shape or form. -Upon the user¡¯s agreement, the betraying subordinates will be executed immediately.
  • Tariff
The wielder of the crown can impose taxes on gold, equipment, and materials earned in the sanctuary. -With the increase in levels, it is possible to impose taxes on transactions involving the user¡¯s allies and subordinates.
  • Appoint knights
A knight''s honor is an unbreakable bond that shall not be tarnished. The wielder of the crown can appoint knights who will live and die by his side. -Number of knights = 10 x user¡¯s level -Only those who are willing can be appointed as knights. -The knights will get their special class upon advancement, and they will also gain a portion of the user¡¯s traits, bloodline, and skills.
  • Crown¡¯s protection
The crown is the light that wards off evil. The wielder of the crown can create ¡®Safe Zones¡¯ that will prohibit any hostile monsters from approaching. -Safe Zone¡¯s area = User¡¯s level x 10 meters. One additional safe zone could be created with every 20 levels -Safe zone will expel any roaming monsters with a 30-level difference. The monsters will be debuffed If the gap is greater than 30. [All of the crown¡¯s effects are absolute] Appoint Knights was a no-brainer. Be it his traits, bloodline, or skills, all of them were top-notch in the sanctuary. Although the appointed knights can only obtain a part of them via a special class, there would be hundreds of them in the future. ¡®What would be most effective as the third authority?¡¯ None of the abilities were useless. They had the power to change the entire power structure of the ring. Assassin organizations, information bureaus, merchant guilds, mercenary groups, and many such things can be created with ease if you use the correct authorities. ¡®Tariff is useless for me, and I don¡¯t need a safe zone. Contract is good to have, but I can do without it since I have crown¡¯s fealty.¡¯ Of the remaining four, Zyrus removed relay and call of the crown as well. With his strength and strategic planning he wouldn¡¯t need to call emergency support. Thus, the only use he had for ''Call of the Crown'' was in surprise raids. As for relay, Ria could do a similar job on the battlefield. *Knock*Knock* ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Zyrus greeted Ria who came with Jacob and Shi kun. ¡°About time you woke up, Your Majesty.¡± Ignoring her snarky remarks about how she had to deal with the troops, Zyrus asked the trio about which authority they liked. Both radiance and conviction were useful for the growth of his allies. So, he might as well just ask them about it instead of wasting his time. ¡°Both are pretty good, but I like Radiance more,¡± Shi kun replied while scratching his bald head. ¡°I¡¯m fine with whatever,¡± Jacob, as usual, didn¡¯t give a damn about anything that wasn¡¯t related to magic. Zyrus once again set his golden pupils on Ria. He would¡¯ve asked Kyle and Lauren but the two were nowhere to be found. So, the final decision depended on her. ¡°I¡¯ll have more work to do if you select conviction, so choose radiance,¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to look at it,¡± ¡°What a lousy commander,¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m better than a reindeer who only ate and slept for a month,¡± ¡°Humph! I was guarding my companion,¡± ¡°Did you have to? He¡¯s more thick-skinned than you are,¡± Zyrus ignored the prick in his consciousness and selected radiance as the crown¡¯s third authority. And as if he was waiting for that moment, the voice of the administrator rang across the palace. [Greetings dear players, and Welcome to the Temple of Order] A suave voice resounded throughout the castle. All of the crown holders were given a personal medieval castle to rest for a month. Their resting areas were big enough to accommodate thousands of people. All of the facilities were free of charge and they could eat and drink all they wanted. There was only one issue, they couldn¡¯t leave the caste. Despite the comfortable stay many players were unable to relax as they felt like they were trapped. [I know many of you are confused about the current scenario. But worry not dear players, For I, Anansi will explain everything to you] A lanky man wearing a black tuxedo manifested in the sky above the players. ¡®Showoff, he just wants to kick out the players so he could laze around,¡¯ Zyrus scoffed at the projection of Anansi. However, he had to admit that the second administrator was doing his job properly unlike some pipsqueak. [First of all, let me introduce this place to you. This is the one and only sacred ground in the Sanctuary, The temple of order] Anansi waved his hand and grey mana surged from his white gloves. He was wearing all black except for his white gloves and fedora, and the contrasting colors deftly showcased his moves. ¡°The barrier is gone,¡± ¡°Is that a-¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a mountain.¡± Zyrus nonchalantly replied to dumbfounded Shi kun. His bedroom was located at the highest place, and they were able to see far ahead with their enhanced vision. [Although you have passed the first ring, it only gives you the qualification to stay at the foot of this mountain] Well, it would be a bit of a stretch to call it a mountain. ¡°Just how big is it?¡± Ria asked as she stared at the ''mountain'' with wide eyes. The rocky surface of the mountain stretched across the horizon with no end in sight. ¡°Big enough to contain a world,¡± Zyrus replied in a nostalgic voice. He was also just as excited and awed by the sight when he came here. ¡®Is my castle still up there?¡¯ As the one who stood at the peak of the sanctuary, he was qualified to have a personal resting place on this mountain. It was a true castle unlike the shabby one he was resting at. [You need not worry about this matter, as your stay at this place has ended at this moment] ¡°Get ready,¡± ¡°Wha-¡± It was a bombshell announcement to players who were busy getting up from their sleep. But whether they were eating, sleeping, or dressing up, Anansi didn¡¯t care. ¡®Is teleportation their trademark skill or something?¡¯ The players were, once again, teleported to a new location. Chapter 67: Ally of Armament [Apart from the rest area, there are five peaks on this Befehl Mountain] Anansi continued in a solemn tone once the players adjusted to the new environment. [You are currently on the Square of Adura] A refreshing breeze passed through the crowd under the clear skies. Although it was called a peak, it was as wide as a mega city. Zyrus observed the sea of people around him. Players from the first sanctuary weren¡¯t the only ones on this peak. ¡®Even I don¡¯t know how many people are here,¡¯ Zyrus scratched his chin and looked at the center. Anansi was standing there in his physical form. Even he wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to cast his projection on this sky. However, neither Zyrus nor anyone else was interested in him at the moment. Their eyes were fixed on a gigantic statue at the center. [I, Anansi, in the authority of the second administrator, command you to pay respects to the Keeper of Order] Anansi shouted in a thundering voice. Natives in the second ring had expected as such, but the monsters and the players were caught off guard by the sudden command. Nonetheless, they all bowed their heads in unison. It didn¡¯t matter what they were thinking or what their beliefs were. Every creature in this place had no choice but to bow towards the statue. ¡®What a strong power of origin,¡¯ Zyrus thought in awe as he bowed as well. If this happened somewhere else, he would have been infuriated by such a thing, but that thought didn¡¯t occur to him at the moment. His respects were sincere. Because the being in front of him was someone who maintained the balance of the sanctuary. His conflict with the Eternals and even the system was a different matter. He wasn¡¯t an ingrate who didn¡¯t acknowledge the being who protected the sanctuary for millennia. [From today onwards, I¡¯ll be in charge of the second ring of the sanctuary] Anansi tactfully didn¡¯t speak any further and gave them the time to collect their thoughts. The people felt the invisible pressure lift from their shoulders. But even so, no one dared to speak. Zyrus took this chance and activated the eye of annihilation. Players were teleported based on their strength and authority, so he was separated from his subordinates. He was closest to the towering statue of a praying maiden. Apart from him and the other crown holders, there were nearly a hundred players circled around the area. Zyrus was able to see the golden threads that connected with all the players. He wasn¡¯t in his soul form, but the concentration of origin was potent enough to be visible in his eyes. Some curious among the group of 100 snuck a glance at Zyrus. They were either descendants of those living in the higher rings or geniuses born in the second ring. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t notice Zyrus¡¯s mana fluctuation. Although he wasn¡¯t observing them directly, it couldn¡¯t be helped that they were in his line of sight. [Why are you bunch always so curious?] ¡®What else is there to do besides observing her statue?¡¯ Zyrus replied to the telepathic voice in his head. Since Aurora knew about his regression, it wasn¡¯t surprising that other administrators did as well. He didn¡¯t have many interactions with Anansi, but they could be considered acquaintances. [Fair enough. Since you don¡¯t need to hear me blabber on, would you like to proceed with class awakening?] ¡®How generous of you, but no.¡¯ [Tch¡­How annoying] Zyrus snorted at Anansi and continued observing. This was such a golden opportunity to observe the origin and piss off his competitors, why would he waste it? Of course, he wasn¡¯t so immature to do that for no reason. He only needed a glance to gauge their strength and check if there were any variables because of his interference. ¡®I don¡¯t see any new faces,¡¯ The butterfly effects caused by Aiden¡¯s death wouldn¡¯t be small by any means. But perhaps, it was too early for that. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. On the other side, Anansi was once again explaining about the changes in the system. Spirits, elves, minotaurs, and many such native races had sent their young ones to this ¡®ceremony.¡¯ Unlike the players who ascended from the first ring, the natives already knew about such things from their schools. ¡®It was a good decision to teach them early on,¡¯ Zyrus thought after observing the perplexed faces of the other golden crown holders. Be it Lauren and Kyle whom he met early on, or Ria¡¯s group that joined him in the crown hunt, Zyrus had taught them what to expect in the second ring. Class selection and bloodline evolution were now public knowledge. New stats like MP and Stamina were added along with elemental affinity and resistances. [And last but not least, your achievements will be used to improve your league of existence] It was the finale of a short lesson. Players murmured amongst one another, but it felt like a swarm of bees was passing by since there were millions of them. [Why don¡¯t I give your people a special seat?] ¡®What¡¯s the catch?¡¯ [Please, Stop using that skill!] ¡®Since you¡¯re asking so nicely, I suppose I can agree,¡¯ Anansi didn¡¯t even waste a second and teleported Zyrus¡¯s troops to a concealed area. Many were surprised by the sudden move, but it didn¡¯t cause any commotion in the group of millions. ¡­ ¡°Damn, I fucking hate teleportation,¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite amazing if you think about it,¡± Shi kun and Jacob had differing opinions about being teleported without any notice. Zyrus chuckled at their bickering and glanced around the 6000 troops that survived the final battle. 100 wolves and 100 goblins that made 200 goblin riders, 100 bears, and 100 specter scorpions were the only units without causality. ¡°Things didn¡¯t quite work out the way we planned,¡± Ria came to him along with Kyle and Lauren. ¡°Nothing we can do about it,¡± He had plans to create new units based on the new recruits, but many of them deserted or died in the final battle. On the other hand, some trolls and ogres joined his troops as well. They were unlucky enough to be caught alive by his troops, and Ria and the other crown holders didn¡¯t hesitate to subdue them as cannon fodders. They, along with the goblin shamans numbered around 600. The rest were around a thousand rats and human players. He had a lot of organizing to do, but now wasn¡¯t the time for it. Zyrus opened his status for the first time to check the achievements and rewards he acquired after the last fight. He didn''t know why they didn''t show up at the crown hunt, but he had a bold guess about it. [Congratulations! You are the first player to obtain a Golden crown!] [You have earned the achievement: The first King (C)] [+10 SP, C rank Skill Tome x 1] [Congratulations! You are the first player to obtain a Variant crown!] [You have earned the achievement: He who stands above all (A)] [+10 SP, C rank Skill creation scroll x 1] He had expected to earn both achievements. He knew that the rewards for getting the first golden crown were more than just a skill selector, but he would have to wait to acquire them. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯d get a skill creation scroll this soon,¡¯ It was perfect for what he had in mind. Satisfied with the two rewards, Zyrus checked out the last achievement. [Congratulations! You have met the requirements to evolve a weapon] [You have earned the achievement: Ally of Armament (B-)] [+5 SP, Weapon Enhancement Potion (Rare) x 1] He didn¡¯t know how he dealt the final blow with the bloodspine spear. Unfortunately, the spear was dormant after that as he hadn¡¯t evolved it yet. ''I''ll have to awaken the bloodspine spear before anything else,'' ¡°Looks like you got some good stuff,¡± Lauren asked with her sparkling hazel eyes. ¡°It would be weird if I didn¡¯t,¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. What will we do now?¡± Zyrus didn''t have to answer that question as a projection appeared before the group. [Now, you will get the blessing from the Keeper of Order] ¡°There you are, Mr. Anansi,¡± he greeted the administrator who was a good two feet taller than him. [You¡¯ve got quite a variety of subordinates] ¡°With my limited strength, I had to do with whomever if acquired,¡± Zyrus sighed in a dejected tone. [Don¡¯t give me that face, you¡¯ll get your due rewards before going to the second ring] Anansi scoffed at Zyrus¡¯s fake humbleness. ¡°Hahaha, Of course I trust in your reliability. Well now, get ready everyone,¡± Zyrus had won the bet against Aiden Martinez. Thus, his equipment and contracted monsters now belonged to him. He didn¡¯t care much about the former, but the latter was a lucky jackpot for him. While he was chatting with the administrators¡¯ projection, his troops had already lined up behind him. 3 rat kings, Pouka, the chief of trolls and ogres were on one side. Specter scorpions and goblin riders didn¡¯t have a sense of hierarchy, so they all lined up together. On the other side, Humans were much more organized. Kyle wore his reddish-black armor while standing before the 1000 swordsman. Shi kun and Lauren stood on his side, leading 750 shield warriors and dagger users respectively. Ria led the 300 spearmen and 500 archers. All that remained were Mages and goblin shamans. Zyrus had put a lot of effort into finding those who could wield mana, and thus, they were second only to the swordsman in numbers. Unfortunately, Jacob didn¡¯t have the talent to lead them. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have to recruit some natives,¡¯ [Since you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s begin] Zyrus was pulled out of his thoughts as Anansi waved his hand over the sky. Golden light descended from the praying hands of the maiden¡¯s statue. [Initiating System reformation¡­] [Increasing Life level¡­] [1%..3%..5%¡­23%...] Thousands of status screens appeared in front of the players. Zyrus activated his eye of annihilation without hesitation and observed the changes in his body. Golden specks of light were being absorbed into his body. This was a special reward that was given once you advanced to a new ring. ¡®What a pity, I can¡¯t see anything else¡­¡¯ Zyrus knew that at this moment his achievements were being transformed into potential. But even with his eye of annihilation, he was unable to figure out what Life level and potential were. Once he figured them out, it would give a tremendous boost to his summoned creatures. [Reformation Complete] [Your life level has been improved] [Your stats have been sublimated to accommodate your potential] [Your achievements have been removed] The same messages appeared in front of all the players. However, Zyrus was an expectation. [Congratulations! Your achievements have met the criteria for transformation] [You have acquired new stats!] Chapter 68: Target selected > Oroszlan Zyrus stared at the message with wide eyes and immediately opened his status. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Sylvarix] [Class: Balaur Summoner (Locked)] [Rank: Onyx Crown] [Level: 20] Exp: 0/500 [Title: The last Apostle (Temporary)(Locked)] [Achievement: -] [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] [Trait: Earth Movement] [Strength: 40] [Agility: 38 (+5)] [Vitality: 60] [Intelligence: 30] [Mana: 38 (+2)] [SP: 25] HP: 3500 Combat stats: MP: 370 Recovery Rate: 50% (+20%) (Per hour) Stamina: 449 Recovery Rate: 30% (Per hour) Crit rate: 15% Crit damage: 120% Penetration Bonus: 10% Final damage Bonus: 20% Health Regeneration: 10% (+30%) (Per hour) Resistances: Void (?), Abyss (?), Poison (150%), Earth (50%), Blood (35%), Penetration (30%), Slash (30%), Blunt (30%), Critical (10%), Elemental Affinity: Void (?), Abyss (SS), Poison (S), Earth (C) [Eye of Annihilation], [Poison breath], [Arcane Lance], [Master of Sojutsu], [Spear aura], [Malediction] [Bloodspine spear (Unique)] [Lorica Squamata (Unique) (Evolvable)] [Zubry Solleret (Rare)] [Bone necklace Totem (Common)] [Ring of command (Sealed)] Currency: 53 S Items: [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] [Fang of Nidraxis (Unique)] [Scroll fragment (Rare), Durability: 2/3] [Vitality recovery potion x 15] [Mana recovery potion x 8] [C rank Skill Tome x 1] [C rank Skill creation scroll x 1] [Weapon Enhancement Potion (Rare) x 1] As Zyrus had told his subordinates before, the system became more complex after reaching the second ring. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. MP was calculated by (70% Mana + 30% intelligence) * 10, whereas Stamina was calculated by (50% strength + 30% agility + 20%vitality) * 10. [I¡¯ll give you guys some time to catch up with the changes. Tell them about class selection and Bloodlines yourself] ¡°Thanks,¡± Zyrus nodded at Anansi with a smile. Normally, the players would be ordered to proceed with class selection and bloodline evolution right after the system upgrade. Every second spent on the temple of order was precious. [See you later then.] After Anansi vanished, Zyrus strolled around the players who were still undergoing their transformations. Due to the trait of Sylvarix he was faster in adapting to changes in his body. He knew more about this Befehl Mountain than other players. There were five peaks on this world-like mountain. He was all too familiar with four of them, Square of Adura, The proving grounds, Rakt gorge, and the Hall of Darga. Even he didn¡¯t know much about the last peak, and the ¡®real¡¯ temple or order at the center of these five peaks. Players can only visit the square of Adura after reaching a new ring. 7th ring was an exception, and no one can access this place at lv 1 on the first ring. Thus, all of them had no more than 5 opportunities to go there. The same was true for the resting grounds as well. These two were the rewards given for the players'' struggles in the sanctuary. The system was fair towards all in the sanctuary. There was a fundamental level of difference between each ring. Without systems help in improving their level of existence, there was no way for new players to survive. Power of laws, Concentration of mana, and many such aspects were the biggest differences between the two rings. By leveling up and getting achievements one can shorten the gap, and the players would evolve on a fundamental level by getting the blessing of order. Since achievement determined one''s future potential, he wasn¡¯t surprised when Jacob woke up before anyone else. ¡°Did you completely merge with the ogre¡¯s heart?¡± Zyrus asked as he looked at Jacob¡¯s gray hoodie which was on the verge of ripping apart. ¡°Yes! I feel much stronger now,¡± Zyrus wanted to remind him that he was still weaker than the goblin riders, but after looking at his sparkling eyes he decided not to. ¡®They¡¯ll know how weak they are after we go to the second ring,¡¯ Ria, Lauren, and Kyle were the next three to wake up. There weren¡¯t any physical changes in their appearance, but the aura they gave off was completely different. Shi kun and the troll leader were the next to complete the process, followed by goblin riders, Pouka, specter scorpions, and the rest. ¡®Human players are weakest among them all, but it¡¯s to be expected,¡¯ Challenges in the first ring were too quick for humans to showcase their potential. The limit for the second ring was lv 50, and it would increase by 50 levels for all the next rings. Unlike the peak of Adura, the players can improve their class and bloodline every 20 levels. Thus, there were sufficient opportunities for everyone. ¡°Listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to say,¡± Zyrus interrupted Ria who was teasing Shi Kun by comparing his talents with a troll. ¡°Since when did you become an administrator?¡± ¡°A month ago,¡± Zyrus replied in a joking tone, but there was some truth in his words. ¡°Jokes aside, I¡¯ll explain how to get a class and improve your bloodline.¡± ¡°Please do,¡± Kyle replied in a serious tone. ¡°Open your status, you¡¯ll see a new tab under Class and Race. Click on that and you¡¯ll be teleported to a new location.¡± ¡°Why do we have to teleport everytime?¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t realize how big this place is. You¡¯ll become a granny by the time you reach there by foot,¡± Zyrus answered Ria and continued, ¡°The two places are called the proving grounds, and Rakt gorge. As the name suggests, you have to prove your worth to the system to get a desired class. The terrain and challenges will be random depending on your past performance, so there¡¯s nothing I can advise you about.¡± As he had said before, the sanctuary was a fair place. Their efforts were already awarded at the peak of Adura. If they wanted to get a new class or improve their bloodline, then they would have to earn that opportunity. ¡°What about Rakt gorge?¡± Ria asked once everyone digested the information. ¡°It¡¯s a gorge filled with blood. There are different caves and crevices you can choose based on your preference and strength. The key there is blood, you can drink it, bathe in it, eat the medicine that grows on the shore or kill the blood beasts that inhabit the area, it all depends on you.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s pretty straightforward.¡± Kyle nodded in understanding. Since Zyrus had been telling them about the sanctuary whenever he had the chance, his subordinates were more prepared than other players. ¡°Good to hear that, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you then,¡± Zyrus spoke with a pleased smile. Ria wanted to curse Kyle for taking the hot potato, but it was too late. Zyrus had already vanished from the spot. ¡°Great, now we¡¯ll have to explain this ¡®straightforward¡¯ process to 6000 players. Pretty easy,¡± Ria grumbled and wore her conductor¡¯s tiara. ¡°Looks good on you,¡± ¡°Stop buttering me up and explain things to your units,¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell everyone yourself?¡± Lauren asked with puppy eyes. ¡°Though it¡¯s annoying to admit, there was a reason why he left the explaining to us. We should establish a clear command structure from now on.¡± ¡°Ugh- how I envy Jacob,¡± Apart from Jacob who vanished right after Zyrus, the rest had no choice but to drag their feet and explain everything to the players. ¡­ A verdant forest floated above the fluffy clouds. Schools of levifin swam in the blue sky, making the scene look like a heavenly paradise. *Crackle* A red crack appeared on the edge of the verdant forest. ¡°Wow! This is totally different from the last time,¡± Zyrus observed his trial grounds with awe. He expected to be sent to a battlefield or an arena given his summoner class, but this place was quite unexpected. Although he knew that this place was nothing but an array formation, he couldn¡¯t help but admire the scenery. [Welcome to The proving grounds] The system¡¯s voice rang across the floating island. The levifins dove down the sky as if they had sensed the upcoming threat. [Would you like to proceed with the trial?] [Yes/No] Zyrus clicked ¡®Yes¡¯ without hesitation. He wasn¡¯t an expert summoner by any means, but passing a trial at lv 20 should be a piece of cake for him. [Commencing the trial¡­] [Searching for suitable opponent¡­] [Target selected: Oroszlan] [You have met the conditions to unlock the unique class: Balaur summoner] [Trial''s difficulty will be adjusted accordingly] *BOOOM* A crimson lightning bolt descended on the center of the lively forest, sending tremors across the floating island. ¡®That¡¯s a fucking summoner?¡¯ Zyrus cursed inwardly as he looked at the crater. His image of a summoner was of a slim person wearing a magic rob with a staff in hand. Although he was somewhat of an exception, he was nothing like the monstrosity in front of him. *ROOOOOAR* A 20-foot-tall giant roared to the skies above. He had a lion¡¯s head and the legs of an elephant. Players weren¡¯t allowed to use anything except their class-related abilities in a trial. Thus, Zyrus thought that it¡¯d be more difficult than he¡¯d thought to win this fight with ophidian warriors and amargs. ¡°Summon¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ Until this moment, Zyrus didn¡¯t realize how deep in the shit he was. Forget about the ¡®slightly¡¯ difficult opponent, he couldn¡¯t win against a bunch of rabbits without summoning his troops from Earth. During the fights in the city of ruin and the month he spent on the source of origin, he had forgotten about something crucial. He had retreated rather pathetically from Earth. And while he was safe in the sanctuary, the same couldn¡¯t be said for his summons who were left on the mountain. He was well aware of the time discrepancy whenever he traveled to Earth. Even if only an hour had passed on earth, it was more than enough for the glemorax army to decimate his 50,000 summons. ¡®Damn, to think that the countdown of 12h was based on Earth''s time,¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what was the difference in passage of time between the two worlds. Did he travel via a wormhole? Did he go back to the past or the future? *ROOOAR* Whatever the case may be, Oroszlan didn¡¯t plan to just stand there and let him figure that out. The giant tore apart the space with his roar to summon his followers. Hundreds of Barbary lions emerged from the portal, charging towards the lone Sylvarix. Chapter 69: Curse these lands, O legion of Abyss ¡®Haa..I guess running away isn¡¯t against the rules,¡¯ Zyrus made full use of his agility and scuttled around the remaining forest. *Grrr* ¡°Catch me if you can bastards,¡± *ROOOAR* He very much regretted not thinking about this sooner. He wouldn¡¯t be in this shitty situation If he took The proving grounds seriously. ¡®I guess it¡¯s the price I had to pay for my arrogance, But I¡¯m glad this happened in a safe zone,¡¯ No one can die on the trial grounds even if they wanted to. Players could attempt the trials again and again until they learn the essence of their class. Even a nobody can become an expert after being pummeled repeatedly. Zyrus had figured out the resting time for his summons thanks to this turn of events. Be it in the sanctuary or on the earth, his summons would be teleported to his base for recovery. He didn¡¯t know the resting time for amargs, but ophidian warriors needed 12h. *GRRR* ¡°Yeah yeah, fuck you as well,¡± Zyrus replied to what seemed like an insult in lion¡¯s language. It was the first time he was on the receiving end of a disdainful look. Maybe because it was a test, but thankfully, the giant Oroszlan didn¡¯t join the chase. Zyrus knew that with his stamina he could run for hours without being caught. Though it hurt his pride, losers didn¡¯t have the luxury to feel such emotions. He suppressed the anger and annoyance in his heart and tried to think of a solution. The key to the whole resting mechanism was his base. What was considered a base? For the first time, the ophidian warriors revived in the dungeon he was at. From the third time onwards, they were summoned to the mountain he had conquered. It was at this moment that he got access to the map and the classification of terrain. Green areas were under his control and he could build various facilities there. It was logical that his summons would revive there as it was his base zone. Now that the glemorax army had taken over the mountain range, it should be considered a red or orange zone. ¡®And the answer lies with the second summoning,¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s yellow eyes shined in realization. When the dungeons broke out and the earth¡¯s climate changed once again, where did the Ophidian warriors go? ¡®On a more fundamental level, where are they resting in those 12 hours?¡¯ He was too busy to consider the order of things. He was always on the run or busy doing experiments. There were a lot of unanswered questions, but for the time being, he could narrow down the possible causes behind it. Of all the things Zyrus had seen and experienced after regression, there was one variable that defied the laws of space and time. *ROOAR* Zyrus ignored the lion-headed summoner who was getting impatient and took out the cube. It had changed quite a bit after clearing the first ring. He knew that there were nine seals on the cube. He had received the mission to retrieve the fang of Nidraxis when the first seal reacted. And that same seal was broken when he cleared the first ring. But although it was broken, it didn¡¯t completely disappear. An inch-long metallic shard was floating beside the black cube. Zyrus looked at it as if it was a piece of shit stuck on his favorite shoes. *BOOM* ¡°Can¡¯t wait anymore huh,¡± *ROOOAR* Oroszlan stood up with a jump and ran towards Zyrus. Perhaps the giant was triggered by the cube¡¯s energy or maybe the system was punishing him for using an external object. Regardless of which, Zyrus didn¡¯t care. The cube was his one and only key to finish the trial. ¡®Summon my troops,¡¯ Zyrus conveyed his will to the cube. After a long practice he was more or less accustomed to the cube¡¯s behavior. Apart from the things it gave out on its own, Zyrus could ask for limited amount of stuff. The more complex his demand, the less likelihood of success. Even when he did succeed, there would be a cooldown period of anywhere between an hour to a week. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡®I guess that¡¯s a no,¡¯ Zyrus thought as there was no energy fluctuation. Perhaps the request was too difficult with just one seal lifted. ¡®Summon the ones in my warehouse,¡¯ This time, the cube did respond with red pulses of energy. Zyrus heaved a sigh of relief as a ran without looking back. He had guessed that his warehouse should be still intact due to its hidden location, not to mention it was a natural domain. He wasn''t idle while he waited for the glemorax chief to arrive at the mountain. He experimented with the powers of abyss on the ophidian warriors and the amargs. *ROOOAR* Zyrus¡¯s scales trembled under the giant¡¯s roar. Oroszlan picked up his running speed, and lush trees were reduced to stumps under his elephant-like legs. ¡®He¡¯ll catch up in a minute, but that¡¯s enough,¡¯ Zyrus was able to feel a faint connection with his warehouse. It would take a dozen minutes if he left the entire process to the cube. But he wasn¡¯t a dimensional mage for nothing. He didn¡¯t need a spell to summon creatures from his warehouse. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I used an incantation,¡¯ Zyrus stopped running and stood atop the tallest tree he could find. Unlike spells that relied on mathematical calculations and laws of the world, incantations were based on sheer willpower. The former used mana to guide the world''s laws in the casters'' favor, while the latter used mana to change laws based on the casters will. None was better than the other. Any arcanist who was worth his salt knew when to use which method. ¡°With the laws of Void, I Awaken thou from thy eternal slumber,¡± The clear sky darkened as Zyrus channeled his black mana. The crown on his head absorbed the light and mana from the island, further empowering his magic. ¡°Curse these lands, O legion of Abyss,¡± Zyrus recalled the memories in his bloodline and called out to the Sylvarix who were devoured by the abyss. It didn¡¯t matter whether they existed or not. It didn¡¯t matter how far they were from the sanctuary. ¡°March forth, In the name of thy king.¡± He was the Void monarch and the last Sylvarix. And if he wanted them to answer his call, they will. *RUMBLE* *CRRRRAAACK* Dark bolts of lightning struck down the forest behind him. A gigantic spatial crack appeared in the sky above Zyrus, looking like a drop of ink on a white paper. Guided by the cube, The power of abyss corrupted and tore down the barriers between the warehouse and The Proving grounds. [Your summons have transformed into fallen beings from Abyss!] [Congratulations! You have earned the achievement: Call of the kin (A)] [Maximum Limit +5% when summoning Abyssal creatures] Zyrus activated his eyes of annihilation and glared at Oroszlan. Even the brave giant was forced to stop his charge under his crimson eyes. *Shatter* As if someone had thrown a stone at a mirror, the sky shattered into thousands of fragments. *Grrrr* Barbary lions growled in fear at the broken sky. They were summoned creatures themselves, and as such, they could perceive the beings that stood on the other side of that oval portal. And so could Zyrus. ¡°Annihilate them.¡± ¡°As you command, My Liege.¡± The ophidian warrior, or rather, The fallen knight answered his command. ¡°You have good taste,¡± Zyrus smiled at the Fallen knight who looked a lot like him. He was without a doubt a Sylvarix. Emerald scales, black armor, and a halberd on his back. Even their eyes shared the same yellow color. *Clinck*Clinck* Like a medieval army, the 200 ophidian warriors marched out from the portal. They were vastly different after fusing with the powers of abyss. Their smooth green scales were smeared with a taint of black patterns, not to mention their claws which had grown a foot longer with black aura. [Your summons¡¯ power has exceeded the limit of the trial] [Recalibrating¡­.] [Trial¡¯s difficulty will increase] [Awakening the slumbering will of Oroszlan] [Trial will resume in 00:01:00] *AAARGH* ¡°Well, It would be difficult to Annihilate them now,¡± ¡°As expected of the proving grounds.¡± Zyrus agreed with the fallen knight¡¯s realistic assessment as he observed his opponent. Oroszlan roared in pain under the golden power that descended from the sky. Zyrus didn¡¯t need his eye of annihilation to know that it was the power of the sanctuary. ¡®Time, space and order. These are all the origins I¡¯ve observed so far,¡¯ He saw the former two during the blood fusion. As for the latter, he could only see it when the players got the blessing from the keeper of order. These powers were like the stars in the sky. He could see them with ease, but he was too far from reaching them. ¡®Not that I need to reach them,¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s goal was to become a star himself. ¡°As I expected, the previous you were just a body without any sentience,¡± Zyrus responded to the telepathic voice in a calm tone. He wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised about the real ¡®Oroszlan.¡¯ The difference between an opponent with and without will was as big as the gap between the heavens and earth. Zyrus knew without a doubt that the lion-headed giant could crush him with one hit. Thankfully, neither of them were allowed to use external powers in the trial. ¡°I¡¯m curious, how did you end up in this place?¡± ¡°Fine by me.¡± Zyrus spread his arms and released his abyssal mana. The barbary lions were also strengthened along with Oroszlan. It was a 200 vs 500 battle where his mana and mastery over summoning arts were inferior to his enemy. The motley group of barbary lions was now arranged into ten squads. They surrounded Zyrus from all sides and prowled towards the ophidian warriors. ¡°It is you who have underestimated the power of abyss,¡± Zyrus surrounded himself with the ophidian warriors. Not even a minute had passed since he started releasing his mana in the air. ¡®My MP is far from enough, but this should do it,¡¯ ¡°Spread out and link with my mana in the air,¡± Zyrus commanded with cold eyes. The fallen knight captain relayed his orders to the ophidian warriors. They had yet to finish their evolution into fallen knights, but they were able to connect with their master¡¯s mana. Zyrus didn¡¯t reply to the curious Oroszlan. He focused on the seeds of abyss he had planted in his summons. What made the ¡®Abyss¡¯ attribute terrifying was its ability to corrupt all things. He didn¡¯t have enough mana to showcase its true might. But it was a different case when his summons were present. A bucket of ink might not pollute a river, but what if there were hundreds of them? Chapter 70: What in the tarnation! The ground started to darken under the ophidian warriors¡¯ feet. If one were to see the scene from above, they would see 200 dark spots in a cog-like formation. An arcanist''s greatest trait is their willingness to learn new things. Zyrus had learned the formation deployed from the glemorax chief. The aliens had the ability to fly and they were masters of close-quarters combat. High attack and defense, coupled with a mobility boost by their wings. The cog formation was perfect for well-rounded troops like them. However, Zyrus¡¯s summons were different. Naturally, Oroszlan was able to figure out the formation with a glance. The abyss attribute was infamous for its corrosive and sticky properties. However, its offensive capabilities were lackluster to say the least. It was a double-edged sword. Even mighty wyverns would be reduced to puddles of energy if they were exposed to abyssal mana for long enough, but on the other hand, even goblins could survive against the corruption for a short while. [Trial will commence in 00:00:00] Though one minute was short, both Zyrus and Oroszlan possessed superhuman thinking. The time was more than enough to deploy a basic formation. *Grrrrrr* ¡°Focus on defense and injure them with your claws,¡± Both leaders gave opposing commands to their troops. Barbary lions were 2 meters long with lean and muscular bodies. Their steel-like nails scratched with a jarring sound against the ophidian warriors¡¯ scales. While their ivory tusks were able to penetrate the blackish-green scales of the ophidian warriors, their yellow fur was also shredded like tofu under the black claws of their target. Interestingly, neither side was using weapons. The barbary lions possessed remarkable strength and stamina. With their swift claws and sharp tusks, they were a force to be reckoned with in close quarters. On the other hand, Zyrus had merged the verdara beetles¡¯ offensive and the glemorax warriors¡¯ defensive traits into his summons. With a trace of the Sylvarix bloodline and abyssal mana to sublimate those powers, they weren¡¯t the least bit inferior to their enemies. Both sides were equally matched in individual power, but this was a 500 vs 200 battle. Well, 199 to be exact. The Fallen knight hadn¡¯t moved from Zyrus¡¯s side since the battle began. ¡°If you¡¯re injured, use your body to protect the ones who are healthy. Retreat to the center when you can¡¯t hold on anymore,¡± Zyrus commanded in a steady voice. He wanted to talk with Oroszlan and fork out some knowledge from him, but he knew that the other wouldn¡¯t say anything useful unless he won the fight. ¡®And I don¡¯t have the luxury to chat either,¡¯ He had used nearly all of his mana. To put it into numbers, it should be around 300 MP. With his total MP of 370 and 70% recovery rate, he could get back nearly 260 MP in an hour. Thus, he recovered 4 MP per minute. To put that into perspective, a standard fireball spell costs 5 MP. Zyrus didn¡¯t know any spell that he could use with abyssal mana. He could create one if he wanted to, but it was pointless. Spreading out the corrupted mana was more useful than concentrating the mana in a tangible form. ¡®Besides, all spells unrelated to summoning are forbidden in the trial,¡¯ *Grrrr* *Rawwr* The barbary lions growled and brawled out with the ophidian warriors who used their claws and whip-like tails. While the claws dealt more damage, the tails¡¯ blows were painful enough to make the lions teary-eyed. 5 minutes..10 minutes..half an hour.. Neither side was able to kill the other. All they could do was injure the opponent and let them be rescued by others. Oroszlan tried to single out some ophidian warriors, but it failed every time as Zyrus¡¯s summons'' were slippery like eels. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. This was the first time Zyrus was fighting a drawn-out battle. A fight without any surprise attacks or trump cards, A pure and barbaric battle of strength. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± *ROOOOAR* Golden ripples spread across the battlefield as Oroszlan roared at the barbary lions. Buffing one¡¯s summons was a basic skill for any summoner. The barbary lions¡¯ catlike eyes shone with vigor. Although there weren¡¯t any external changes in their appearance, their strength and speed were enhanced by a notch. ¡°Fall back,¡± Zyrus commanded his troops while observing Oroszlan with his eyes of annihilation. He could see the circular rings of mana which were pulled into the barbary lion¡¯s body. Just copying the others'' skills was beneath his status as an arcanist. ¡®It¡¯s similar to overdrive,¡¯ Zyrus was able to guess the truth at a glance. The roar used by the lion-headed giant wasn¡¯t a skill recognized by the sanctuary. Overdrive improved an object¡¯s performance by consuming its durability, whereas this roar increased physical attributes by consuming vitality. ¡®This is rather lackluster,¡¯ Even the ogres and trolls used better skills than this. However, Zyrus had to admit that the skill was effective. More than 50 ophidian warriors were gravely injured in just a couple of blows. Adding to the 70 who were more or less crippled during this battle, he was left with no more than 60 summons who could fight with all their strength. ¡°Lead the 20 who are mildly injured and attack the healthy lions,¡± Zyrus spoke to the fallen knight in a solemn tone. ¡°As you command. However, I do have a wish, My liege.¡± ¡°Oh, do you need a weapon or something?¡± ¡°A name. Please bestow a name upon me after we finish this battle,¡± ¡°I like your confidence. Show me your worth then,¡± Zyrus tapped the knight¡¯s soldier and moved back with the injured ophidian warriors. The cog-like formation was reduced to a ring by the barbary lions battering. It was only a matter of time before 60 warriors broke down against 350 lions. Zyrus wasn¡¯t the only one whose summons suffered grave injuries. Oroszlan observed with calm eyes as the fallen knight tore apart the barbary lions. Halberds were notorious on large-scale battlefields. You can pierce the opponents¡¯ armor with a thrust or slash their neck and limns with a slash. Even if neither works, with enough force you can just smash their heads. And a Sylvarix had everything needed to make use of that weapon. *Grrowl* ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint our liege,¡± The fallen knight raised the remaining dozen ophidian warrior¡¯s morale. His black armor was smeared with dark red blood of the barbary lions. Since this was the proving grounds and not any ring in the sanctuary, the corpses didn¡¯t disappear into motes of light. ¡°Are you just going to comment without doing anything?¡± Oroszlan was well aware of Zyrus''s intentions. He guessed that Zyrus wanted his summons to be injured for whatever reason, but he was confident in his skills as well. So what if they were injured? he could just heal them back. It was a foolproof plan. However, it was on the basis that his guess was right. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t do,¡± Zyrus shook his dead and used his remaining mana. He knew that Oroszlan wanted to teach him after seeing his summoning skills. But their paths were totally different. His goal wasn¡¯t to become a summoner. Even though it was a unique class, he treated Balaur summoner as nothing more than a tool. There was a fundamental difference between using a tool and understanding it. ''He may be a great summoner, but he''s too naive to fight someone like me,'' Zyrus¡¯s mana triggered the blackened ground. *RUMBLE* It didn¡¯t end there. The entire island shook under the tremors of mana. Oroszlan was flustered under the doomsday-like situation. He couldn''t guess where such earth-shaking power came from. He didn''t know that this wasn¡¯t a real floating island to begin with. It was an array. And as strong as it may have been, it needed mana to function. ¡°Now, do you realize why I spread that mana?¡± The power of abyss could corrode anything in existence. He had spent nearly 500 MP to achieve this result. This was also the reason why correct attributes were important. A hundred fireballs might not kill the same number of barbary lions. But the corrosion of abyss achieved with the same amount was enough to bring down an island. ¡°Hehe.. Are you sure about that?¡± Zyrus stared at Oroszlan with an evil grin and looked at the injured ophidian warriors. They knew what they had to do. *Splurt* *Bang* Nearly a hundred ophidian warriors exploded their hearts. The blackened ground absorbed their blood and flesh and became alive. Hundreds of barbary lions were absorbed into the tar-like land. The Sylvarix had the ability to evolve without limits. It was no wonder such an abomination was born when it was mixed with the corrosive mana of abyss. ¡®Argh- it¡¯s more painful than them dying,¡¯ Zyrus knelt on the ground due to the sudden pain. He was connected to his summons, and as such he could feel what they were feeling. ¡°Get a hold of yourself!¡± The fallen knight roared in fury. *BOOOM* The black land trembled under the roar of the fallen. Unlike Zyrus who was a living being, he was born to lead the legion of abyss. Scattered wills of the ophidian warriors became firm and gathered around the fallen knight. Even Zyrus didn¡¯t expect such an outcome. He just wanted to kill the remaining barbary lions with the burst of corrosive mana. ¡®But to think that my incantation would become a reality¡­¡¯ [Congratulations! You have passed the trial] [Extra rewards will be given due to the increased difficulty] [You have obtained a rare item: Oroszlan¡¯s journal] [You have unlocked the unique class: Balaur summoner] *Crackle* ¡°You should¡¯ve done that from the start,¡± Zyrus clicked his tongue at the fading Oroszlan. Though he was unable to learn anything useful, the journal should answer some of his questions. ¡®Besides, he is my biggest reward.¡¯ He had acquired a knight who would one day become a general of his empire. ¡°From this day forth, you shall be known as Elsid.¡± Chapter 71: Izena Before he could check the proving grounds'' rewards, another message popped up in front of him. [You have given a name to your summon!] [Congratulations! You have discovered a hidden ability of the Balaur summoner] [With each new rank of your summon, you can discover another hidden skill] [Current highest rank of the summon: 2] [Skills unlocked: 2/2] [Congratulations! You have discovered the skill: Izena] Zyrus read the message with wide eyes. Today was full of unexpected yet pleasant surprises. ¡®Now I just need some quiet time to read the Oroszlan¡¯s journal,¡¯ There was the manual he found on the source of origin as well. But unlike Oroszlan¡¯s journal which he could read anywhere he wanted, the manual could only be read on the source of origin. Zyrus sat down due to exhaustion and took out his rations. While eating a sandwich on a collapsing island wasn¡¯t his favorite activity, he didn¡¯t have many options. Ideally, the array was supposed to teleport him back. ¡®Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have gone all out,¡¯ Zyrus thought as he clicked on the new skill. [Izena: Your true name defines your existence. Names have the power to awaken sentience in everything in existence, and to name something you need to understand their nature.] [You have the authority to name your summons and give them new seed of existence] [The name given by you will define their future potential and growth direction] [Note: You can only name one summon per rank] [Note: Based on the summoned being¡¯s role, their name will affect others of the same rank or beyond] [Current ranks of the summon: 1,2] Rank 1: Elsid *Crackle* Just when Zyrus was about to click on Elcid¡¯s profile, a spatial crack appeared in the blackened sky. ¡°Do you have any idea just how much damage you¡¯ve caused?¡± ¡°Tch.. can¡¯t you just reverse the time or something?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too na?ve,¡± Anansi scoffed and waved his hand. Although it was troublesome to remove the abyssal mana, it only applied to those on the same level. ¡®This bastard has more mana than several lv 300s combined,¡¯ Zyrus sighed at Anansi¡¯s wasteful display of power. It was like someone had poured an ocean¡¯s worth of water to purge a contaminated river. It didn¡¯t make any sense, but the way Anansi used his mana was just as inefficient. He didn¡¯t envy the administrator¡¯s power. Even with less mana he was strong enough to stand above everyone in the sanctuary, and that included the administrators. ¡°What¡¯s with that face?¡± ¡°If I had that much mana, I would have conquered sanctuary ten times over,¡± ¡°As I said before, you¡¯re too na?ve,¡± Anansi shook his head at Zyrus and continued, ¡°I¡¯m not here to bicker with you. I¡¯m here to inform you that you don¡¯t have to go for bloodline evolution.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Zyrus asked with a disbelieving face. Were they so petty about an array that they denied his entry? ¡°Where do you think your talent comes from?¡± Anansi asked another question instead of answering his. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°From the blood of Nidraxis,¡± It was a no-brainer since the talent showed 1/7 in the second special ability. Unlike the first ability which allowed him to get a new trait every 20 levels, the latter didn¡¯t have such a limit. However, mythical beings weren¡¯t like pigs who could be killed anytime. It was no easy feat to obtain their blood essence. ¡°Exactly. It didn¡¯t give you any power, but the talent to devour bloodline itself stems from Nidraxis power.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Zyrus exclaimed and nearly dropped the half-eaten sandwich. ¡°Smart as always. The Rakt gorge was created on the site of Nidraxis'' battle,¡± Zyrus was speechless at the reply. He knew that the dragon was strong, but he didn¡¯t think that he was beyond the limits of the sanctuary. What was his role? Who did he fight against? Who in the sanctuary was strong enough to make him bleed rivers of blood? Zyrus knew that there was no one in the sanctuary who could do that. Thus, there was only one option left. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. Just remember that this place is called ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ for a reason. Also, you¡¯re not going to lose your reward.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± As always, the word ¡®reward¡¯ was enough to catch his attention. ¡°The blood in the Rakt gorge is too diluted compared to the essence you¡¯ve absorbed. But improving bloodline isn¡¯t the only thing you can get from there.¡± ¡°Are you going to give me materials?¡± ¡°Not give, you have to take it.¡± ¡°Fine by me. How d-¡± ¡­ ¡°Motherfucker! He got me,¡± Zyrus cursed and dusted off his armor. He could guess why Shi Kun hated teleportation. ¡®I was too caught up in conversation to notice the change of mana,¡¯ Though he hated to admit it, he learned a valuable lesson this time. He would¡¯ve been in deep trouble if it was an enemy instead of Anansi. *KRUUU* Zyrus¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a mighty roar. He didn¡¯t know where he was teleported by Anansi. As he searched for the source of the roar, His legs left inch-deep imprints on the reddish-brown soil. This was an underground cavern with a 100 feet high ceiling. ¡®I must be near the middle levels,¡¯ Zyrus frowned in realization. Lv 100 was the minimum requirement to enter this place. *KUOOOO* After taking a dozen more turns under the stalactite¡¯s glow, he could feel tremors on the soft soil. His yellow eyes darted around the wide cavern to find his target. Unless Anansi wanted him to die, he wouldn¡¯t really send him near the middle level. There had to be a reason behind this arrangement. *KRUUU* ¡®I see, this¡¯ll be troublesome,¡¯ It took him no more than five minutes to reach the destination. A ten-meter-long drake was wailing before his sight. Or rather, it was something that failed to evolve into a blood drake. The native creatures born here didn¡¯t have the system¡¯s assistance to improve their bloodline. Evolving into a new lifeform had many risks involved. And more often than not, cases like these are what remained after the evolution. ¡°Well, no hard feelings,¡± Zyrus walked over while channeling his mana. He didn¡¯t plan to use the abyss attribute or his summons to fight. ¡°Surge,¡± Pure, light-blue mana turned into a vortex in front of Zyrus. It was an external manifestation of his mana circulation method. *KRUUU* The blood drake growled at the intruder as it sensed the surge of mana. But alas, it could do nothing besides waiting for its death. With a failed evolution it was at most a lv 40 creature. Even if it had 100% of its strength, it was certain to die under Zyrus¡¯s hands. ¡°Form¡± Zyrus channeled his will into the vortex of mana. As it was mentioned in the Izena¡¯s description, words have power. By understanding their meaning one can control that power by using mana. As an arcanist Zyrus knew much more than just spell models and incantations. He had a grand plan to merge his past talents with the powers of origin. The 13 curses of void were the perfect tool needed for that. ¡®However, I need to regain my powers before that,¡¯ He had lost all his achievements and skills after regression. Now that he had become a bit stronger, he could attempt to recreate some of them. Cyan droplets of water formed at the core of the vortex. This was another branch of magic used by the conjurer class. ¡°Expand¡± *Swiiish* 10 feet long and 5 feet wide vortex surged towards the fallen drake. It was like a miniature version of the vortex in the middle of an ocean. However, after being fueled by the power of mana, the cyan vortex faced no resistance against the crimson-brown scales of the drake. Zyrus had studied a lot about vortex and its behavior after being infused with different elemental powers. While he didn¡¯t have an affinity with the water attribute, the conjurer magic made up for that. ¡®Though it costs more MP,¡¯ Just this small whirlpool siphoned off 50 MP. But considering his future plans on the second ring and the earth, he had no choice but to create water-based spells. Zyrus used 100 more MP and created two more cyan vortexes. This was the easiest trial he had faced on the Befehl mountain. The drake was unable to even stand on its four limbs. *KRUUU* ¡°Haa... I wanted to practice more, but whatever,¡± Zyrus clapped his hands and five vortexes converged into one. Though he liked to fight, he didn¡¯t enjoy beating an incapitated foe. This so-called reward left nothing but a sore taste in his mouth. ¡®I guess he did that because I destroyed the array,¡¯ [Congratulations! You have slain a Blood drake!] [The blood drake was weakened before the fight; the rewards will be reduced] [You have obtained Drake¡¯s bones x 10] [You have obtained Drakes¡¯s tendons x 10] [You have obtained Drake¡¯s mutated heart x 1] ¡°At least the rewards aren¡¯t bad,¡± Zyrus stuffed the loot in the inventory and took out another sandwich. Though he wanted to explore around the cavern, he knew that their time was almost up. Time was slowed in the proving grounds¡¯ array, and new players wouldn¡¯t last more than an hour on Rakt gorge. Thus, it was time to continue their journey after this brief respite. [Attention Players! The gateway to the second ring will appear soon] [Player could only enter the portal after their crown holders have selected a territory] [May the light of order guide your way!] Chapter 72: Flag march A Black glass-like gate appeared in front of Zyrus. Only the 100 golden crown holders could select their starting area for the second ring. ¡®Variant crowns sure are flashy,¡¯ Zyrus walked inside the gate with a smug smile. All of the players looked at him in curiosity as he was the only one who didn¡¯t come out from a golden portal. ¡°You surprised us back then,¡± ¡°Look who it is! The one and only, Sir Sparklepants,¡± Zyrus waved his hand at Hajin Choi. He had become even more ¡®Shiny¡¯ in the last month. Golden crown, golden armor, golden shield and the new addition, golden shoes. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it.¡± Hajin was quite afraid of getting golden pants as his next reward. Skarn and the others were there as well, but they weren¡¯t on friendly terms with Zyrus. New players kept popping up one by one in a large hall. Be it the native 90 players or the 9 that ascended from the first ring, everyone was awestruck when they looked around. A silver dome inlaid with gems and a red carpet that was costlier than all of their gears combined. Spirits, elves, minotaur, and merfolk were the new races that lived in the sanctuary. There were many who didn¡¯t get a golden crown for their race, but they had limited influence on the workings of the sanctuary. Zyrus didn¡¯t stand out as much among the dozens of different races. [Welcome, leaders of the second ring] Anansi walked out from the portal once all 100 players were gathered. He looked perfect as a host with his black tuxedo and white fedora. [Without wasting any more of your time, let¡¯s start with the purpose of your summoning] All the players looked at him with serious eyes. Whether they knew the rules or not, it didn¡¯t hurt to memorize the official information. [Some of you are natives of the second ring, while others descended from above to undergo trials] Anansi pointed at Zyrus¡¯ group and added, [These fine warriors are the ones who ascended from the first ring] Some just scoffed in disdain while others looked at them with nonchalant eyes. Nonetheless, everyone had memorized the faces of 10 players. [All of you have the same objective regardless of your backgrounds] Anansi clapped his hands and 100 screens popped up in the hall. [Flag march will commence in an hour] Zyrus clicked on the tab just like everyone else. Not surprisingly, the details were the same as he remembered. [March forth to claim your throne and conquer these vast lands with your flags held high] [Select a starting area to begin your journey. All leaders will receive default flags after the selection] [New authorities will be given based on your performance] [There are no tiers for flags, for each one of them is unique] [A new Ranking system has been added!] [You will earn points based on your activity. Rewards will be given according to your ranks] There wasn¡¯t much written about the event. However, the words conquer and throne were enough for a hint. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. No one who reached this far was stupid. They had golden crowns, but one can¡¯t become a king with just that. [I guess many of you are curious, but fret not, you will receive the needed information in due time. You may observe the map while I introduce the second ring to our ascended players] Anansi waved his hand and a giant map appeared above their heads. It was a splendid sight. Under the silver dome, the map was formed by varying glows of the gems inlaid on its surface. Zyrus stared at Anansi with sharp eyes as the latter approached his group. Although Anansi hated to do more work, he couldn¡¯t refuse Zyrus. It was a players¡¯ right to request for changes. There was no need for an administrator¡¯s existence if the rules were absolute. One cannot achieve balance with a rigid structure. There are always loopholes and exceptions in any rules. Different scenarios required adaptation to maintain true balance, and it was an administrator¡¯s job to make those changes. Zyrus nodded at Anansi and observed the map of Kyros. He had no interest in listening to his half-assed explanation. Players and even the natives born in the second ring didn¡¯t know the truth about this event. This was the map of the third ring''s continent. Why was it shown here then? Because they were almost the same. The second ring was a mirror dimension of the third ring. The second ring had less mana and a lower level of existence. However, it was the key required to complete the third ring. Kings are only appointed after both rings are merged. Of course, this referred to the kings appointed by the system. Natives didn¡¯t have the authorities that came with the crown, flag, and throne. Zyrus was the only one who knew this truth apart from those who descended from the third ring. Why else would those rich brats come here? It was to prove their rights to succession. Both rings were destined to merge after a decade. The true purpose of the second ring was to set stage for that battle. While the players from the first ring were learning from Anansi, the ones from the second and third rings were throwing daggers at one another. Natives from the second ring naturally selected their home turf. They were living there for generations, so why would they choose another area? Thus, they treated everyone else as invaders. ¡°What are those mist Zones?¡± [You¡¯ll know them if you survive in the second ring] ¡®Heh, should I tell them that those are the homes of the people living in the third ring?¡¯ Zyrus snickered at the thought. It would no doubt cause a huge commotion. [All right, now let¡¯s proceed with haste. Please select any area that you like] Maybe Anansi¡¯s sixth sense was warning him of Zyrus¡¯s thoughts as he rushed the process. Players from the second and third ring selected their home grounds, while the ones from the first ring decided based on terrain. Kyros continent stretched for millions of kilometers. Naturally, there were all types of terrains. Icy mountains in the north, lush forests in the east and desert filled with underground caverns in the west. However, only elves and minotaurs managed to get a golden crown from these areas. Spirits were the dominant species on this continent, and not surprisingly, they lived on the prosperous central area. ¡°I¡¯m going south, what about you?¡± ¡°North,¡± ¡°North? But there¡¯s no one there,¡± Hajin Choi looked at Zyrus with confusion. He and another sword-wielding man had selected the South because it was the most suitable for humans. Hundreds of rivers connected the south with the ocean. This piece of land provided food for half of the continent. It was a paradise for merchants, and humans were inferior to no one when it came to economy. [Ahem, Off you go then!] Anansi clapped his hands in a hurry before Zyrus could answer the question. ¡°Phew.. how exhausting. I must sleep for a year once this is over¡± ¡°Sure, sure, just send me to any island on the north. Ah, and let me use the market beforehand,¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s pretty reasonable.¡± ¡°Reasonable my ass. Do you see that place on the map?¡± ¡°It¡¯s there,¡± Zyrus pointed at a tiny island at the northern edge. ¡°I mean the place you plan to go to.¡± ¡°None of your business. Only areas in the mist are prohibited, right? I don¡¯t see one there.¡± ¡°No bu-, you know what, fine. I¡¯m only responsible for the areas on this map.¡± Anansi was struck with enlightenment just when he was about to argue. ¡°See, it¡¯s a win-win for both of us,¡± ¡°Mhm. How much money do you have?¡± ¡°About 50 silvers, deduct half- no 60% of currency from those under me as well,¡± ¡°To think that the renowned void monarch was such a miser¡­¡± Anansi muttered as he opened a new tab. ¡°Cut the crap, how many will there be?¡± Zyrus shamelessly rubbed his fingers at Anansi. ¡°Should be 2000 coins, yours included.¡± It wasn¡¯t a big amount considering there were about 6000 players. On average they had ~50 bronze coins, 100 times less than Zyrus who had 50 silver. However, not everyone could make a deal with an administrator and kill hordes of monsters like Zyrus. It was a decent chunk of money for a start. ¡°What¡¯s the price of papyrus plants?¡± Zyrus asked without looking at the ¡®Market.¡¯ There was no point in looking for good stuff when he didn¡¯t have the capital to buy them. ¡°Do I look like a sales assistant? Look for yourself,¡± Anansi waved his hand and a crude window floated towards Zyrus. It wasn¡¯t the original market where players could buy and sell pretty much everything. Even so, the simple version was enough for Zyrus. [Papyrus plant x 10] [A reed like vegetation that grows in shallow water. Some parts are edible and it has buoyant properties.] [Height: 4-5 meters] [Available: 100] [Price: 5C] On the screen was a thin plant with a foot-long stems at the top. He checked a few more offers which mostly varied in size. Some were as big as 9 meters, but he wasn¡¯t interested in them. ¡®Found it,¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s eyes gleamed as he read the sell order. [Mutated Papyrus plant x 10] [A reed like vegetation that grows in shallow water. Some parts are edible and it has buoyant properties. The plant has mutated and it possesses a high growth rate when fed with mana] [Height: 3.5 meters] [Available: 50] [Price: 50 C] Chapter 73: Bon voyage Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate and bought the mutated papyrus for 25 silvers. He knew about a lot of materials which had miraculous usages. With his memories of regression and knowledge as an arcanist, he didn¡¯t have to worry about finances for the time being. ¡®let¡¯s see¡­ here it is,¡¯ Zyrus searched a few sell orders and stopped at an item. [Cursed iron nails] [Iron nails extracted from coffins. Contains a small amount of dark mana] [Amount: 1000] [Price: 50C] Its per unit price was 10 times higher than the mutated papyrus. The order emptied a fourth of his wallet in a blink. The first thing Zyrus needed to conquer the sea was a ship. Players didn¡¯t need many raw materials due to magic. There was plenty of wood on the islands, so he only needed to buy sails, anchors, and so on. Although it was possible to make them with magic and old crafting techniques, he didn¡¯t have the time to waste on that. ¡®I¡¯ll replace the sails with animal skin later, and the players can use their weapons in the crafting process,¡¯ It was an ingenious idea. It saved him money, and the players could earn exp and weapon mastery in the process. The amount of resources he had bought were''nt enough to accommodate 10,000 players on the sea. However, unlike special materials, the normal nails and metal fittings were cheap. Zyrus bought the ropes, tar, and sails with the remaining silver coins. He bought cheap sails and ropes for 300 silvers as they could be replaced by the skin and tendons of the marine creatures. ¡°Good choice,¡± Anansi commented after checking his order. Zyrus had bought high-quality tar and metal wares which cost around 1000 silver, leaving his pockets empty after just a dozen minutes. ¡°Can you send them directly?¡± ¡°It''ll take a few hours, but I''ll send it along with the crown hunt''s rewards. Also, it¡¯ll cost 100 silvers,¡± ¡°Just rob me,¡± Zyrus grunted but agreed to the terms anyway. ¡°Have a good day,¡± Anansi gave a very sales-assistant-like smile and sent Zyrus to a portal. ¡­ Calm waves crashed against a remote island. If one looked from above, one would realize that the island was like a jewel on a cyan canvas. With tall coconut trees to stop the glaring sun and golden sand that stretched for miles, it was a perfect place for a vacation. Unfortunately, no one knew about this place in the north of the Kyros continent. Until now that is. Hundreds of white portals formed at the edge of the island. Although it had a surface area of 10 square kilometers, the phenomenon was big enough to affect a tenth of it. ¡°Haa.. I missed the sea,¡± Zyrus inhaled the salty air and looked behind him. Unlike his fading black portal, the white portals were still teleporting the players. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to select such a place,¡± Ria spoke as she looked at the beautiful sea. The cyan ocean was crystal clear under the midday sun. ¡°Yeah, I thought he would select something like a volcanic mountain or an underground cavern,¡± ¡°Actually, this place is worse,¡± Zyrus doused their adventurous spirits and walked towards Franken. ¡°How so? Is there trouble in the forest?¡± Shi Kun asked while pointing at the faraway coconut trees. ¡°Heh, you¡¯ll know when we reach there,¡± It didn¡¯t take long for 6000 players to walk out from the portal. Ria and the others weren¡¯t idle in their one-month rest. They had drilled military discipline into the disorganized players. And as a result, they were able to get into formation without any orders. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Not bad, they look much better now,¡± Zyrus was satisfied with the outcome. It was the bare minimum if they wanted to survive in this place. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Kyle asked as he observed the beach. ¡°Rather than me explaining it, it¡¯s better if you experience it firsthand. Of course, survival comes first.¡± After telling them to deploy a defensive formation, Zyrus rushed ahead with goblin riders. ¡°These little fellas are quite fast,¡± ¡°Indeed. They could reach the other side in minutes,¡± However, both Zyrus and Franken knew that it wasn''t that simple. One reindeer and a hundred wolves left behind a cloud of sand as they rushed towards the forest. While Zyrus rode on Franken at the center, the goblin riders spread in a wing formation to cover as much distance as possible. ¡°It¡¯s quite rowdy down below,¡± Zyrus curved his lips as he looked at the beach. Unlike humans and other monsters who crossed the sandy area without a hitch, the rats and specter scorpions weren¡¯t as lucky. They were tasked with underground reconnaissance. And it was no wonder they found their targets with a skill like earth movement. There was nothing but bugs under the sand. However, even the insects of the second ring were mightier than the monsters of the first ring. ¡°As you already know from Anansi¡¯s explanation, you can now create parties with up to 100 players. Add the trolls and shield warriors in swordsman¡¯s party, and pair up archers with mages and the rest,¡± Zyrus ordered Ria without caring about the rat¡¯s fight. ¡°Done,¡± ¡°Always move in groups of ten. If you see any animal, kill it. If you see a tree, cut it down and collect the fruits. Stones, fallen leaves, or any other thing you find on the island, I want them collected into different areas. Is that clear?¡± ¡°¡­Alright,¡± Ria replied after a bit of hesitation. She didn¡¯t know the motive behind such destructive activities. Knowing Zyrus¡¯s nature though, she was sure that he¡¯d explain them sooner or later. Soon, players moved under their respective leaders¡¯ commands. Other crown holders liked to form parties with all professions, but Zyrus disagreed with the method. It looked nice on paper and it was indeed more effective. But on a large-scale battle where hundreds of thousands of players fought with all sorts of abilities, the simple tactics were much more lethal. ¡°Keep an eye on them,¡± Zyus jumped off from Franken¡¯s back and rushed into the forest. He had long since noticed the iguanas and fruit bats in the forest. He snuck closer to a papaya tree and blasted a vortex at the iguana. -256 *Grrrrk* The green creature was flung back to the empty ground. Zyrus jumped after it and blasted it with another two cyan vortexes. -123 -256 ¡®This is frustrating and exciting at the same time,¡¯ Zyrus chuckled as he dodged the iguanas¡¯ bullet-like tongue. Anything was possible with mana, and a lizard shooting its tongue was one such example. -256 Exp +150 Finally, the green iguana stopped breathing after he hit it with the fourth vortex. Just this 3-foot-long lizard needed 200 MP to kill. The consumption was even more than the blood drake. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because the creature was more durable than the Drake. ¡®The suppression here is indeed crazy,¡¯ Strictly speaking, this place wasn¡¯t 100% the second ring. It was more like a phase between the second and the third ring. Although it was still in a mirror dimension, the level of its merging was higher than anywhere else in the Kyros continent. Even if it was just 10% more, the mana levels were nothing to scoff at. It was too troublesome to kill creatures of a higher level of existence. Zyrus ran around his army and looked for single iguanas. He could¡¯ve killed more if he had gone all out, but his goal was to observe his troops'' progress. ¡®They¡¯re still clumsy, but they¡¯ve got the basics right,¡¯ Shield warrior, swordsman, spearman, archer, and mage. Except for the rogue and assassin class for daggers users, the rest had only one advancement at level 20. ¡°Surge,¡± -256 Zyrus slammed his vortex towards the iguana while surveying a group of players. Unlike him, 5 shield warriors and 5 swordsmen were fighting against a similar lizard. *Grrrk* -56,-56,-56 He dodged its tongue and punched the monster in the ribs. His MP was limited, and his usage of stamina was inefficient without the bloodspine spear ¡®I guess I have to rely on magic for the time being,¡¯ He could finish the spear''s evolution by using the fang of Nidraxis. However, he didn¡¯t plan to do that before receiving the cube¡¯s mission for the second ring. ¡°Form,¡± Drops of water formed around the lizard and bound it momentarily. Zyrus didn¡¯t have enough MP to form a vortex that could shred it apart, but he could do the same with his claws. *Slash* -378 Exp +150 ¡®Eh, it¡¯s more useful than I thought,¡¯ Zyrus looked at his bloody claw in surprise. It was more effective than the vortex. He gestured the group of players to take back the dead iguana and ran around once again. He had a lot of ideas about creating new skills, and unlike in the first ring, he had the time to work on those ideas. ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t this too difficult?¡± ¡°Why do you think we have a decade to reach level 50?¡± Zyrus replied to Lauren as he passed by the group of bears. Unlike humans who could use their weapons to fight, the large monsters had to fight in a humiliating manner. It was quite a sight to see dozens of huge bears gang up on a lizard. The ogres and trolls weren¡¯t much better in that regard as they too faced the same issue. The creatures here were too small to hit effectively, and there was no way to kill them with small numbers. Humans had their troubles as well. Their arrows failed to pierce the iguanas while the mages didn¡¯t have enough mana to blast one to death. Those who used the daggers were the worst off among the players. They weren¡¯t fast enough to dodge the attack, nor could they pierce iguanas¡¯ skin. The shield warriors barely held on with the one-sided beating. Only swordsmen and spearmen had it easy. Zyrus ran around for an hour and killed one more iguana. He had already recovered most of his MP with his monstrous recovery speed ¡°Expand¡± He held his palms forward and launched a huge vortex. It consumed all of his recovered MP, but the results were just as great. The poor iguana was drowned to death before it could even scream. Exp +150 Level up! Chapter 74: Are you going to use black magic? [+2 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Mana] His taught muscles relaxed as soothing power seeped into his body. Zyrus could clearly observe his improvement in this suppressive environment. The players also received a notification at the same time he leveled up. [March forth to claim your throne, and conquer the vast lands with your flag held high] [You have selected as a starting zone. Your faction has received a ¡°Blank Flag¡±] [New authorities will be given based on your performance] [Ranking system has been added!] [Countdown for the next reward: 29d 21h] [Players will earn points based on their activity. Rewards will be given according to your ranks] *KIKIkiii* ¡°Retreat,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t wait for a second and immediately gave the command to head back. The fruit bats were roused like a hornet¡¯s nest after seeing the white flag that appeared in front of him. ¡°Use everything you have to attack the bats,¡± Zyrus had no intention to hold back this time. The flag would automatically draw aggro from non-affiliated monsters. And since the island didn¡¯t have a civilization, every creature would be drawn to the flag and try to kill him. 200 ophidian warriors walked out and used their claws to climb up the trees. Everything happened so fast that many players were unable to react. [Wrathful reconning] [Prairie Fire] Shi kun and Jacob used their ace skills one after another. *Kikkkki* ¡°Mages, use all your mana and retreat with the bears, thugs and assassins are next,¡± Zyrus gave out another command and channeled his mana. He didn¡¯t have much MP left, but the situation was within his expectations. [Shackles of nihility] Blue shackles bound by black chains erupted from the coconut trees. Dozens of fruit bats were caught off-guard by the attack and lost their momentum. Zyrus didn¡¯t bother with the fallen bats and retreated with his troops. Even he wasn¡¯t confident in dealing with dozens of gigantic bats. ¡°Hurry back! They¡¯re afraid of sunlight,¡± Ria¡¯s voice sounded in his head via the conductor¡¯s tiara. She was like a walking radio station that managed the entire army. It was strenuous to advance in the forest to begin with. Thus, in just a couple of minutes, all 5000 players were back at the beach. ¡°It¡¯s safe for now, but what about nighttime?¡± Kyle asked with furrowed brows. ¡°Leave that to me. Gather all the resources first,¡± Others were reassured after hearing Zyrus¡¯s calm voice. This place wasn¡¯t the first ring where they got food from the system. They would starve to death if the bats weren¡¯t dealt with. A few hours weren¡¯t enough to search the area, but still, there were 5000 of them. The manpower more than made up for their lack of strength. Zyrus walked to the piled-up wood and beckoned the others. ¡°Distribute the fruits, a bite is enough to last a whole day. Take out half the logs and stones and create a boundary,¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Got it, but will a boundary stop them?¡± ¡°It will,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t explain anything further and ordered the ophidian warriors to carry the logs. He knew a lot as an arcanist. Different races had their own way of survival in the wild. Fire was the most common among them, but he didn¡¯t plan to burn the wood. ¡®I wonder if that''ll work,¡¯ Zyrus mulled over his theories and ordered Elsid to bury the largest log. There was a simple reason why he wanted to destroy everything on this island. He naturally wanted the resources, but that wasn¡¯t all. This place would become a vanguard to attack the north of Kyros continent. There was no need for sustainable development on an outpost. Of course, this wasn¡¯t his only goal. He wanted to do a little experiment on the island. And whether he succeeded or not, nothing would grow on this island. Zyrus ordered the ophidian warriors to carry 99 more logs to cover the whole site. Apart from the one that Elsid had planted, the rest of the logs were completely hidden beneath the sand. ¡°Are you going to use black magic?¡± Jacob asked with wide eyes as he saw the ophidian warriors. Lauren and the others also wanted to know about his summons, but none were as curious about magic as Jacob. ¡°It¡¯s similar. Tell everyone to spread their mana in the air,¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Zyrus wanted to create something similar to a totem and a mage tower. They were totally different in nature, but he had gained an inspiration from the proving grounds. Totems relied on belief to do a variety of tasks. Protection against wild animals, warding off misfortune, Weakening natural disasters and many such examples. Offensive totems can even boost the stats and skills of the target. Unlike them, the mage tower had a singular purpose. It could control the mana in a designated area. Although it sounded simple, its usage was anything but that. Research, warfare, farming, and any other activity that needed mana could use a mage tower. Both the totems and the mage towers needed mana to function. Naturally, pura mana was easier to harness than peoples¡¯ beliefs. But unlike totems used by the primitive tribes, the mage tower needed a tremendous amount of high-end resources. Both had their advantages and disadvantages. Zyrus had no means to gather enough resources to create a mage tower in every place he conquered. Even creating a totem was difficult. However, things were different if the abyssal mana and void laws were added into the mix. Zyrus summoned the white flag and made it hover above the central log. ¡®I doubt it¡¯ll work without a medium, but protecting this area should be possible,¡¯ He slit his wrist and placed it above the log. Just a drop of his blood was enough to change its color to red. Zyrus poured all of his abyssal mana into the blood. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t sense the connection with other logs when his mana fused with the red log. There was a minute chance that they would resonate with one another since they had the same material. He would be able to influence a wide area if the other logs connected with the blood-red one. As for using his blood on all of the totems? He''d be sucked dry considering the size of this island. Though it wasn''t the ideal scenario, it was within Zyrus¡¯s expectations. This wasn¡¯t something that could succeed with one try. A lot of trials and errors were needed for a new invention. ¡®If only I could use my summons as a medium,¡¯ Zyrus thought wistfully as he carved a spell model. With the number of aliens on earth, he didn¡¯t have to worry about losing a few thousand to create totems. It would become a horrifying force once they merged with the land. But for now, he just drew a basic mana-gathering spell combined with a light barrier. Others might find this difficult, but Zyrus could easily weave the threads of mana to engrave spells on the totem. He was done with the process before players released all of their mana. ¡°Alright, gather around,¡± Zyrus clapped his hand and stood on top of the log. The white flag fluttering on a wooden branch ruined his domineering image, but he could do nothing about it. Only by conquering more land would the flag change. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give you false hope for tonight. It¡¯ll be a bloody battle where many of you might die. However, as long as you believe in our strength and this totem, I promise you that you will survive this night and many more to come.¡± The players were speechless at his words. Believing in strength was one thing, but what could a bloody log do against thousands of bats? ¡°What is the totem?¡± Ria asked as she stepped forward. She knew that the players didn¡¯t have the courage to talk with Zyrus. Forget about humans, even trolls and ogres were avoiding his eyes. Thus, it was her job to act as a middleman between the two. ¡°Recall your first day in the tutorial. Remember how you focused on the enemy¡¯s weak spots to kill them and how you survived the first night.¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t answer the question and gave them the time to think things over. ¡°Think About the theme of the crown hunt and flag march. Do you find the whole process familiar?¡± A pin-drop silence descended over the beach. They couldn¡¯t think of anything similar to the sanctuary. ¡°Is it related to evolution?¡± ¡°Go on,¡± Zyrus encouraged Stephen to continue. This was the first time the brown-haired youth was talking to him since the crown hunt. ¡°Humans were like other animals in the past. We stayed in the wild and fought for survival, but before long, we learned to group together and hunt the predators. From tribes to villages and cities, from stone weapons to firearms that made us the apex predators, it was a long process of evolution. The theme of the sanctuary looks similar.¡± The players were taken aback at his remarks. It wasn¡¯t hard to come to this conclusion. The biggest difference between the first and the second ring was the concept of home. ¡°Correct. It¡¯s better if you think that way, even if it¡¯s not the whole truth. As for the totem, you should know what it represents, right?¡± Even the trolls and goblins had their totems, much less primitive humans. ¡°You might think that a totem is nothing but a symbol that unites the people. However, this is a place where everything is possible. As long as you believe that the totem will protect you, It will.¡± Zyrus concluded his speech and ordered them to rest till sunset. What he said before was only half-truth. Totems and the power of belief wasn¡¯t omnipotent. Regardless of an ant colony¡¯s beliefs, an elephant could stomp them to death. Rules only applied to those who were on the same level. Chapter 75: Camazotz Crimson sun met the horizon as the night drew closer. It was a spectacular sight on the cyan ocean. Shores of the Pisces archipelago were filled with fluorescent microorganisms. And when they awoke with the approaching night, it looked like glowing waves were crashing against the golden sand. However, the players weren''t in the mood to appreciate the nature¡¯s wonder. They could see the hordes of red eyes staring at them from the forest. Nearly a thousand bats were eying the encampment with wild fervor. To be precise, they were eying the fluttering flag placed on the red log. ¡°Begin the preparations,¡± Zyrus commanded as he looked at the far horizon. He didn¡¯t rest unlike the others in the past few hours. He had placed the ophidian warriors at the borders. With the help of hundreds of players who released their pure mana, the entire beach was tainted with the abyssal attribute. It was difficult to control the mana on the island. However, it was a different case for mana released by the players. ¡°All set,¡± Ria replied once she relayed his commands. Shield warriors and trolls formed the first ring of defense behind the makeshift boundary. Swordsman and Spearman stood behind them as the main line of attack. Archers, thieves, and assassins were tasked with long-range attacks. And last but not least were the mages who were stationed at the center. It was the safest location since they were protected by the bears and ogres. The only mobile units were Zyrus who rode on Franken and the goblin riders. They were tasked with handling any unforeseen situations and providing backup. As for the rats and specter scorpions, Zyrus didn¡¯t let them participate. It was more important to monitor the underground. *Kiiikiki* *Kiiiekek* The fruit bats became excited as only a tenth of the sun was above the ocean. The players were trembling in nervousness despite their experience in the first ring. ¡°Remember what I said, believe in the totem. I want Zero causalities in the battle, so you better not die,¡± Zyrus was trying to motivate the fidgety players, but his words only made them more frightened. Rather than dying, they were more afraid of what Zyrus would do with their corpse. Their wild imaginations were off the mark, but it helped them firm their will nonetheless. ¡°You¡¯re quite a charming leader,¡± ¡°It¡¯s the end result that matters,¡± Zyrus shrugged Lauren¡¯s sarcastic remarks and walked towards Jacob. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± ¡°Good. Release your spell once they come closer,¡± Zyrus nodded at Jacob and channeled his mana as well. Fruit bats had a huge advantage with their airborne mobility. Thus, he had to level the playing field before anything else. <{Warning! Monsters are attacking your camp}> <{Repel the invaders to improve your flag¡¯s tier}> <{Additional rewards will be given based on your performance!}> The same text appeared before every player. *KIkiiiihhi* ¡°Fire!¡± Zyrus shouted from the top of his lungs. And in the very next instance, fiery arrows flew in all directions. The arrows weren¡¯t enough to fend off the fruit bats, but that wasn¡¯t his goal to begin with. He had created a boundary with wood and dry leaves for a reason. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It was useless against flying bats, but they were more than enough to set off prairie fire. Walls of orange flame arose at the same instance when the fiery arrows were about to fall. The entire camp was enshrouded in a dome of flame. This was the moment Zyrus was waiting for. ¡°Expand,¡± Blue stands of mana surged from his outstretched arms and flew towards the wall of flames. He didn¡¯t have enough mana to form a vortex that could cover their campsite. However, even an incomplete conjuror¡¯s spell had its uses. *Swiiiiiish* The water droplets in the blue threads were devoured by the wall of flames. White fumes erupted from the fusion of the two attributes. Although it was a complex process, Zyrus and his troops had pulled it off in a couple of breaths. Hundreds of bats were unable to stop before they barged into the high-temperature steam. ¡°This is our chance, hit them before they gather again,¡± Ria ordered with the conductor¡¯s tiara. It was impossible for normal steam to remain in the sky, but this was a result of mana. Jacob, Zyrus, and the archers had used all of their MP to launch this attack. It was more than enough to last for half an hour. ¡°Go to the center and recover your mana,¡± Zyrus spoke to Jacob and gave him a mana recovery potion. ¡°I can pull off another one in an hour,¡± ¡°It won''t work twice,¡± The bats weren¡¯t stupid like the monsters in the first ring. It would be a miracle if they killed a hundred with a cheap trick like this. ¡®At least the momentum is in our favor,¡¯ Zyrus ran around the campsite without attacking any bats. He simply ordered the goblin riders to shoot down the injured bats and observed his troops. Although they fought well, he could tell that they hadn¡¯t placed their beliefs in the totem. ¡®Looks like my plan won''t work unless they face a death threat,¡¯ Having a totem was crucial to survive on the Pisces archipelago. He didn¡¯t mind sacrificing some players to achieve his goals. ¡°You¡¯re a real sucmbag, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m not a bastard who plays with others fate,¡± ¡°Heh, I wonder how long you¡¯ll keep up your stubborn beliefs,¡± Franken scoffed as he ran around the campsite. ¡°Do you think my beliefs are stubborn?¡± Zyrus asked as he thought about the floating shard besides the cube. ¡°No, they are not. You¡¯re just too weak to uphold them,¡± Although it stung his sore spot, Zyrus couldn¡¯t help but admit his companion¡¯s blunt remark. Half an hour passed by as the duo surveyed the campsite. Looking at the players¡¯ tired faces, he knew that he didn¡¯t have the luxury to think about other matters. ¡°Kyle, Lauren, and Shi kun, move out to the front,¡± Zyrus commanded when the steam was about to vanish. The players had performed better than his expectations. More than 100 bats were killed without a causality. ¡®But the real fight starts now,¡¯ Zyrus led the goblin riders and moved towards the forest. There were still 900 bats left, not to mention they didn¡¯t have the steam¡¯s advantage. This was the reason why Zyrus wanted to create an army. He could kill dozens of bats with his power, but the low-level monsters moved in hordes. Although some were without a group, it wasn¡¯t something he could fight without sufficient strength. Thus, a large group was necessary if one wanted to level up faster. ¡°Shi kun and I will draw their aggro, you two deal with the offense,¡± ¡°Never thought you¡¯d take the tanking role,¡± Shi kun spoke as he bumped his fists in excitement. Unlike the normal players, all of them had acquired a special class. ¡°It¡¯s temporary. I need to see your skills before we fix the roles.¡± *Kiikieki* A loud shirk almost blasted their ears apart. The battlefield quietened down as everyone looked at the gigantic bat. A brown-colored monster was rushing from the forest. It flapped its 10-meter-wide wings and hovered towards the campsite. ¡°Would you look at that, we managed to draw a field boss on our first day,¡± Zyrus¡¯s words broke the silence. Even he didn¡¯t expect such a scenario. ¡®Now they have no choice but to believe in the totem,¡¯ What else could the players do when faced against someone way above their level? It was just a matter of time before they clutch at the last straw. <{Warning! Field boss Camazotz is attacking your base}> <{Defeat the invader to obtain rewards}> <{Each participant will receive an equipment and HP recovery potion upon success!}> The rewards were far better than the fight against Tauranox. And that proved just how difficult the fight would be. ¡°That fucker should be at lv 35, leave him to me,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t wait for Shi kun¡¯s reply and rushed towards the approaching Camazotz. Reddish black mana surged from his heart and merged with the darkening sky. He wanted to use shackles of nihility to immobilize the bats, but that won¡¯t cut it against a lv 35 field boss. [Malediction] Zyrus launched his abyssal domain without waiting for the enemy¡¯s moves. He wasn¡¯t in a rush to fight against a powerful opponent. ¡°How clever, you¡¯re using this thing to pressure your troops,¡± ¡°It¡¯s necessary if they want to follow me without becoming my burden,¡± *KIIIIIIki* ¡°What a noisy fellow! I¡¯ll just help the others,¡± ¡°Suite yourself,¡± Zyrus replied as he jumped off from Franken''s back. Camazotz was already trapped in a black fog. Even for a field boss it wasn¡¯t easy to escape the abyssal domain. Besides, the one-eyed reindeer was the only one who could fly among his troops. It was more suitable for him to rescue the injured players. While Zyrus and his troops were about to welcome a chaotic night, their reinforcements were flying on a ship. He had won 2000 monsters from Aiden Martinez, and they were on their way to the Pisces archipelago. Chapter 76: Miracle [Skrastreg] Blue lines stretched out from the bat¡¯s necks. Their heads fell from the sky before they could even see their attacker. A man in reddish black armor collected the bats'' corpses and vanished once again. While others were unable to follow his movements, Zyrus could clearly see Kyle staring at the bats with his green eyes. ¡®Bloodlust and a visual tracking skill,¡¯ Any one of them was fatal to the enemies. It was no wonder that Kyle could dominate the bats with both skills. His silver swords and garnet mail further enhanced his offense, making him a force to be reckoned with. *KIKiiii* ¡°Scream all you want, but you¡¯re going nowhere,¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± Lauren spoke while giving Zyrus a side-eye. ¡°Kill more bats if you have the time to joke around,¡± ¡°I¡¯ve killed more than anyone,¡± Zyrus snorted at her smug remark and focused on the struggling Camazotz. Frankly speaking, the trio was doing better than he expected. Shi Kun drew the aggro with Mbeku¡¯s shattered pride and took a beating, while Kyle finished off those who escaped his taunts. The key to this strategy was Lauren. Emerald daggers flew around her and shredded the bat¡¯s wings. Unlike a thug or an assassin, she had a pure offensive class with flying daggers. ¡®I¡¯ll ask them about their classes later on,¡¯ Zyrus noted as he used the last bits of his mana. Everything happened so fast that he didn¡¯t have the time to hold a meeting with important players. *Kiiikiki* ¡°I¡¯ll give you a minute to escape,¡± ¡°What about the rest?¡± Shi Kun asked as he realized that Zyrus was unable to hold off the field boss. ¡°I can help with Radiance, but they¡¯ll have to survive till I recover my MP,¡± ¡°¡­Okay,¡± Shi kun retreated after a bit of hesitation. Kyle and Lauren had left the moment Zyrus told them to. The four of them knew that they could still fight if they wanted to. But was it worth it to go all out at a time like this? It might not be the honorable thing to do, but the answer was no. Everyone had to fend for themselves in this hellish place. Just because they were strong didn¡¯t mean that they had to risk their life for others. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad about it. All of us had the same opportunity in the first ring. They have to blame their own weakness if they die after all we¡¯ve done,¡± Zyrus spoke before he burrowed into the ground. He had a good chance of killing the field boss if he used spatial stab. But he would be weakened after using an all-out attack like that. A move like that was just stupid on a chaotic battlefield like this. Besides, he had other ways to help his troops. ¡®Well, it¡¯s more like training than helping,¡¯ Zyrus sensed Camazotz with his mana and followed behind him. Being underground didn¡¯t prevent him from using the crown skills. [:] Radiance [:] Creates an aura field around the wielder of the crown. Allied forces will be strengthened whereas the hostile forces will be weakened. -Field area = User¡¯s level (21) x 10 feet -Buff: All stats +3, HP +150 Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. -Debuff: All stats -2, small chance to inflict ¡®Fear¡¯ effect. A violet sphere formed around the onyx crown. Although 210 feet was a lot of space, it could barely cover the flying field boss. ¡°It¡¯s amazing! The small bats are fleeing from the radiance,¡± Ria¡¯s voice sounded in his ears as he approached the outer ring of players. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t give any orders as he was ten feet below the ground. ¡®They should be able to hold on with swarm tactics,¡¯ Just like Tauranox, this field boss wouldn¡¯t use any powerful skills before its HP went below a certain percentage. Zyrus was sure that he could recover his MP before that happened. He also called over the specter scorpions While he waited beneath the Camazotz. Field bosses were annoying to deal with, but there was a solution for that. ¡®Kill them in one shot before they enter the second phase,¡¯ ¡­ While Zyrus was unable to see the battle happening on the beach, it wasn¡¯t far off from his prediction. Malediction didn¡¯t just trap the opponents. The power of abyss had the ability to corrupt anything in existence. Normally, Camazotz would have retreated after seeing the violet field. Its attack range far exceeded a mere 200 feet. Why would it fight at a disadvantage without its minions? But unless it was someone on the glemorax chief¡¯s level, it was difficult to overcome the malediction¡¯s effects. ¡°All tanks on the front,¡± Ria decided to go all out on defense against the field boss. Even though it was muddleheaded and crazy due to the abyss'' influence, it was a lv 35 field boss after all. Just a causal screech from it was enough to kill dozens of players. They had to stack hundreds of shields to ward off the vibrational attacks. No one dared to think what would happen when the monster attacked with its gigantic claws. ¡°Remember what Zyrus told you, believe in the totem and a miracle might happen.¡± The players had no choice but to listen to her orders and go all out. They couldn¡¯t afford to be sitting ducks like this. They had to finish the mobs while the radiance was active. ¡°His plan worked after all,¡± Franken stated as he observed the battlefield besides Ria. ¡°Indeed, they¡¯re becoming more and more cohesive,¡± ¡°Heh, it¡¯s not just that,¡± Franken was the only one who could see the changes on the totem. 5000 players were fighting under immense pressure. Every living creature yearned to live. Even if a player¡¯s individual will was weak, their combined power was nothing to scoff at. The bloody log reacted to their desire for survival and crazily absorbed the surrounding mana. Without anyone¡¯s notice, a yacht had appeared above the campsite. The magic vehicle was big enough to accommodate all the players below. It was a pity that its beautiful lights and decorations were somewhat ruined by its occupants. ¡°Did you have to come yourself?¡± Franken tapped his hooves and jumped to the yacht. Anansi was the polar opposite of Aurora. He wasn¡¯t the least bit curious about what the players were doing. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Send ¡®em below when I tell you to,¡± ¡°You can¡¯t interfere in players'' battles, right? Either wait till the fight is over, or let me accept the supplies on behalf of Zyrus, as a ¡®Bystander.¡¯¡± *Kiiikiki* It was at this moment when Camazotz¡¯s HP went below 70%. The field boss was finally able to negate some of the abyss¡¯s corruption. *WHIRRRR* And in that short moment of clarity, the monster launched its fatal attack. Camazotz¡¯s wings vibrated with mana as it flew away from the Radiance¡¯s area. Zyrus also noticed the change underground. He didn¡¯t dare follow the field boos this time. More than any stat buffs or debuffs, the Additional HP was crucial for the players. 150 points of HP were life-changing for the shield warriors. ¡®Should I go up? Maybe the worst won-¡¯ *Grrrrk* Zyrus¡¯s thoughts were interrupted as the cries of iguana resounded across the forest. It was naive to think that the worst wouldn¡¯t happen. Protecting the flag wasn¡¯t a simple task. Any species had the chance to evolve to new heights if they consumed the flag. It was like a super tonic that guaranteed their ascension to the next ring. There was no way that the iguanas would ignore such an opportunity. They ignored their natural predators in the sky and charged at the wall of players. ¡°I can¡¯t hold on any longer,¡± Ria¡¯s dejected voice rang in his ears. Zyrus was unable to give a reply, nor did he need to. The Ophidian warriors were on standby for a reason. ¡®Let¡¯s hope they activate the totem,¡¯ He could already sense the mana-gathering spell work on its own. A tremendous amount of mana was drawn to the campsite. Unlike Zyrus and the leaders who had high intelligence and battle awareness, the players weren¡¯t as composed. Everything was too sudden in their eyes. The gigantic bat had escaped the violet zone, and even more monsters were charging from the dark forest. They could see no path to survival. ¡°Believe in the totem!¡± Ria¡¯s desperate plea resonated through the players'' hearts. It wasn¡¯t the effect of the conductor¡¯s tiara. She had gained a [Morale] skill after her class upgrade. And at this moment, that skill was like a fuse that triggered the dynamite. Be it the humans or trolls, be it the goblin riders who were rescuing players or the rats who were hiding underground, everyone had the same desire at this moment. They wanted to survive this nightmare. *SHINE* Their beliefs triggered the second spell carved on the bloody log. Well, it would be wrong to call the white dome a ¡®Spell¡¯ at this moment. It was a miracle. ¡°NOW!¡± ¡°Now.¡± Zyrus and Franken shouted one after another. Thousands of monsters descended from the sky while a lone Sylvarix rose from the ground. Chapter 77: Numen While most yearned to survive the nightmare, there were those who dreamed to conquer it as well. [Shackles of Nihility] Hundreds of black chains erupted from the ground. Zyrus¡¯s mana and source of origin had grown stronger than before, and as a result, he could exert more power with his authority. -250,-250,-250,-250,-250 -250,-250,-250¡­.. .... .. Blue shackles formed with the laws of void pierced Camazotz¡¯s wings and throat. Forget about using a skill, the bat couldn¡¯t even scream in pain. *Bang* The ophidian warriors exploded at the same time. Their blood formed a black ring around the campsite. It was in stark contrast to the white dome formed by the totem''s power. ¡°Finish the bats,¡± *ROOOAR* *Grrowl* *Huup* Hordes of monsters answered Zyrus¡¯s call. Compared to Aiden, they were more willing to follow someone like Zyrus. ¡®Elsid is enough to deal with the iguanas,¡¯ Zyrus let go of his reservations and channeled all his power. Even shackles of nihility couldn¡¯t bind the field boss forever. Nonetheless, it was a power of his authority. 13 curses of void allowed him to use the power of origin without being noticed by the eternal. Although it wasn¡¯t the strongest form of the void laws, the curse of nothingness had its own advantage. Everything could be erased by the power of void. And the field boss that hovered above him was no exception. Just like in his fight against the scorpion king, he didn¡¯t have to erase everything. Heart, Brain, Muscles, tendons¡­ just erasing the smallest sections of Camazotz was enough. *BOOOOM* -1000,-1000,-1000 -175,-52,-568¡­. ¡­.. Exp +750 [Level up!] [+2 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Mana] The gigantic bat fell from the sky and crushed the iguanas and bats below. Zyrus ignored the rows and rows of damage numbers and activated Zubry Solleret. Time seemed to slow down as he activated the eyes of annihilation as well. At this moment, only the field boss remained in his vision. Two tigers cannot occupy the same mountain. It was unlikely that there was another monster as strong as Camazotz on this island. Zyrus¡¯s scales shivered in thrill as he jumped on the field boss. Its HP was already below 50%. Thus, it was only a matter of seconds before it went into the second phase. ¡®Or it would, if the opponent was someone else,¡¯ *Sizzzle* Infernal tread was activated on the incapacitated Camazotz. The damage it dealt was nowhere enough to harm someone at its level, but it was painful enough to drive it crazy. The corruption of abyss, the laws of void that erased its body parts, and now the blazing wounds inflicted by Zyrus¡¯s steps. And if that was insufficient to bring it down, there were still specter scorpions who stung Camaztoz. The soul poison was like a straw that broke the camel''s neck. Even the players pitied the field boss at the moment. ¡®Let me see who you really are,¡¯ This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Zyrus stopped at the monsters¡¯ heart and channeled the last dregs of his power. He wasn¡¯t torturing Camazotz because he liked it. He could see his enemies¡¯ source of origin with his eyes of annihilation. In theory, this was akin to reading them like an open book. And although he wasn¡¯t at a level to do such a thing, reading their mana flow was within his capabilities. Every place he stepped on was a junction where mana gathered. The meter-long ring beneath his feet wasn¡¯t strong enough to damage someone like Camazotz, but it could disrupt its mana flow. ¡°I¡¯m flattered,¡± Zyrus replied to Anansi without moving his eyes. ¡°I have no interest in your games,¡± Zyrus blasted his fist forward with the remaining mana. Camazotz¡¯s heart was shredded like tofu under his hand. -2500 Exp +1000 . He ignored the following messages and focused on his source of origin. And just like in his fight against Tauranox, he shattered Camazotz¡¯s core of existence. ¡®Rest in peace,¡¯ Zyrus saw the path it had taken in that instant. ¡­ Primitive humanoids had carved thousands of stone statues on a planet. They depicted the animals and natural disasters that threatened their survival. They were made to warn the young and train them for the future. However, they lost their purpose in the tides of time. Eras passed by on the planet. Some statues were destroyed by nature while some were preserved as ancient heritage. And among those hundreds of statues that witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations, there was one that was known to all. The stone carving of a gigantic bat was located in the empire¡¯s capital. No matter who won or lost the war, even if the cities fell and millions died, no one dared to touch the bat¡¯s statue. It was treated as a holy object in war. There was a legend that one could gain unparalleled power after giving a sacrifice to the statue. The bat represented night and death. It didn¡¯t matter whether the rulers believed in the myths or not. Common folks believed in the bat, and thus, whoever controlled the bat was deemed their ruler. It didn¡¯t take long before their superstition became a tradition. And even myths can become a reality if people will it to be. Zyrus witnessed billions of aliens invade that planet. It was much bigger than Earth, but still, it was covered by insectoid lifeforms in a day. And on that fateful day when everyone was thinking of death, the bat awoke. The manifestation of death raised its claws at the invaders. Nothing could survive against its roar, and no sun could shine under its wings. A massacre unfolded that dyed the planet red. The deity of death slaughtered the invaders, but the natives weren¡¯t spared from its claws either. And at last, only the bat remained in the fallen world. It was born from people¡¯s will, and it was destined to die without their beliefs. It was a grim end that suited its diabolical existence. ¡­ ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zyrus replied to Kyle with groggy eyes. ¡°Though it looks cool, don¡¯t just sit on the corpse! Everyone is waiting for the loot,¡± Lauren''s words were more effective than Kyle''s. The word ¡®loot¡¯ was enough to focus Zyrus''s messy thoughts. He jumped down from Camazotz¡¯s corpse and looked at the flood of notifications. Anansi and the ship were nowhere to be seen, but what was supposed to vanish didn¡¯t. The field boss should¡¯ve been turned into particles. The corpse was like an empty husk after he shattered Camazotz¡¯s core of existence. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll know once I go through this,¡¯ [Congratulations! You have killed the field boss ¡°Camazotz¡±] [You are the first players to have killed a field boss in the flag march] [+3 SP, 10% increased Exp gain on occupied territories] The general rewards were somewhat lackluster in Zyrus¡¯s opinion. All the players got were 1000 exp and 3 SP for a near-death experience. ¡®Maybe the good rewards will come after we finish the mobs,¡¯ Zyrus consoled himself on behalf of the players and looked at his personal rewards. [You have dealt the most damage to the field boss!] [You have dealt the final blow to the field boss!] [+5 SP] Exp +500 [Level up!] [+2 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Mana] [You have obtained the Achievement: Slayer of Camazotz (C+)] [+20 HP recovery/sec in Boss fights, Blood Element affinity (F)] ¡°Finish them off already, do I have to do everything by myself?¡± Zyrus roared at the innocent monsters who were dealing with the remnant bats. ¡°Why the sour face? Check this out if you¡¯re done with the fight,¡± Franken beckoned him over to the pile of gathered materials. ¡°All I got is a piss poor F rank affinity, not even a decent equipment after all this hassle,¡± ¡°Only you''d call any affinity ¡®piss poor,¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± Zyrus grumbled as he made his way to the camp. There was no such thing as unfair rewards in the sanctuary. The players were sure to receive what they deserved. ¡®I wanted a magical weapon, but whatever¡­,¡¯ Zyrus decided to put aside his thoughts and waited for the fight to finish. Only after repelling the monsters would the flag tier up. It had many convenient functions such as inventory and territory buffs. ¡°By the way, I have a task for you,¡± Zyrus gave the rare scroll fragment to Franken and continued, ¡°Use Aiden¡¯s equipment to power it up,¡± ¡°How? And why are you giving it to me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb, you should know something like overdrive,¡± Zyrus gave the one-eyed reindeer a knowing glance. He was unable to see his companion''s status for some reason, but even without the systems'' help he knew that Franken wasn¡¯t a simple existence. Not just anyone could casually chat with an administrator. ¡°I¡¯m a proud reindeer, not a sacrificial lamb,¡± ¡°Ahem, you just have to be a decoy later on,¡± Zyrus realized that it wasn¡¯t always good to have someone who understood your schemes. While the two discussed about the aliens on Earth, the players finally killed the remaining bats and iguanas. This battle was a roller-coaster ride where things could¡¯ve gone wrong at any turn. But thanks to that, they could now conquer this island without any major obstacles. <{Congratulations! You have killed the monsters who were attacking your camp}> <{Your Flag¡¯s Tier has risen to ¡®2¡¯}> <{Congratulations! You have killed the ruler of this island}> <{HP recovery potion x 3, Night¡¯s blessing x 1, to all participants}> Zyrus skipped past the flag and equipment tabs and looked at the last reward. It was something that even he hadn¡¯t expected. <{Congratulations! You have met the qualifications to generate unique authority}> <{The authority ¡°Numen¡± will be applied to your flag!}> Chapter 78: The Eternal Watchers who Guard the Realm Zyrus clicked on the ¡®flag march¡¯ tab with expectant eyes. [March forth to claim your throne, and conquer the vast lands with your flag held high] [You have created a base on ] [Your Blank Flag has risen to Tier 2!] [Inventory is unlocked! You can store a specific number of resources on each base] -It is possible to transfer resources by paying charges |Blank Flag: Tier 2| Territory effect: +10% Exp gain, +10% MP and Stamina while defending A primal force that transcends the worlds, The Eternal Watchers who guard the realm. [You can appoint slain foes as the ¡®Watcher¡¯ of your base] [Base specific and overall effects will depend on the appointed Watcher¡¯s skills and traits] [Note: Only special creatures can be appointed as a Watcher] Zyrus stared fixedly at the white flag which now had a black circle at the center. After the increase in a tier, the flag was fluttering on a wooden pole instead of a dry branch. Compared to its shabby appearance though, Zyrus knew that he had made great progress in the flag march. ¡®I wonder what effects it''ll have,¡¯ He didn¡¯t bother with the other rewards and walked to the corpse of Camazotz. <-< Detected a special lifeform! Would you like to use the authority ¡®Numen¡¯? >-> -Yes/No Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate and clicked ''Yes'' on the little message. In the next instance, the field boss¡¯s corpse crumbled into dust and flew towards the bloody log. A glaring light erupted from the center of the camp. The players were caught off guard by the pillar of reddish-black light and the message that floated in the sky. <-< A watcher has been appointed to this base >-> Base Effects: Nightmare¡¯s Beloved: Life drain +10%, All stats +3 at night. Overall Effects: Life drain +1% ¡°Great, now you guys can conquer this island with ease,¡± ¡°What do you mean by You guys?¡± Ria asked with a glare at the sensitive words. She could already feel the mountain of work on her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this time I¡¯ll have to work on management myself,¡± Zyrus chuckled at Ria¡¯s sour face. ¡°Are we striking while the iron is hot, or¡­¡± ¡°Tell them to rest, and meet me at the center in the morning,¡± Shi kun nodded at his words and left with the others. While it was better to attack now, the players were in no condition to fight at the moment. ¡°You two stay here, I have some things to talk about,¡± Zyrus called over Kyle and Lauren who were about to walk off. ¡°Ohh, do you have a special task for us?¡± Lauren asked in excitement, ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s related to your professions,¡± Although Zyrus hadn¡¯t talked about their lives on the arc of Noah, he could guess some things with just a glance. It was the reason why he took them in in the first place. Ria, Shi kun, Jacob, and even he himself were only good at combat and management related to it. And as important as it may be, fighting was just a part of their life. How could it be that simple to govern millions of players? Zyrus needed more than just military knowledge to create a strong force. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. It was difficult to build a solid foundation for their army without the right people. He knew this from the start, and it was for today that he recruited two newbies on the first day of tutorial. ¡®Though I have to admit, they¡¯ve done much better than I expected,¡¯ ¡°What can we help with?¡± Kyle asked after a momentary silence. ¡°First of all, select 300 trustworthy players. It doesn¡¯t matter what race they¡¯re from or how talented they are, I want them to be absolutely loyal to me.¡± ¡°I can handle that,¡± Kyle replied with assurance. The response was within Zyrus¡¯s expectations. Kyle was more like a leader of a special operations unit than a commander on the battlefield. This task was suited to his talents. ¡°Secondly, weed out those who are likely to betray us in dire circumstances. Kill them in silence if it¡¯s serious, otherwise group them in a separate squad,¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Lauren affirmed with a nod. ¡°Complete both objectives while the players are taking over this island.¡± Zyrus gave them the time limit and headed towards the pile of materials with Franken. The second ring would last for 10 years. He was in no hurry to level up and conquer. These thousands of players would form the core of his army. The longer they stayed with him the stronger they would become. In a couple of centuries, any player who survived from this group would''ve become a leading figure. ¡®It¡¯s fine if a few soldiers betray me in the future, but it¡¯ll be disastrous if a leader of thousands of loyal soldiers betrayed me,¡¯ This was the cold hard truth that Zyrus learned the hard way. He wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake twice. ¡°Sucks to be a leader huh,¡± Franken spoke as he plopped down on the beach. ¡°Yeah, but it can''t be helped,¡± Zyrus had a lot of things to do in the coming days. Create new skills, build ships, study Oroszlan¡¯s journal and work on the troops. While Numen was a great authority, he had to work on his original plan of using his summons on something like a totem. And these were just on the surface. Finding materials to complete the bloodspine spear¡¯s evolution, Reading the manual in his source of origin, and triggering the cube¡¯s second mission were more important tasks on the list. ¡®I¡¯ll have to think about Earth as well,¡¯ Zyrus shook his head and stored the Mutated Papyrus plants and Cursed iron nails. ¡°You can dump your burden on others as well,¡± Franken advised as he pointed at Zyrus¡¯s pocket. ¡°Maybe, but not before we¡¯re done organizing the current players,¡± Zyrus replied as he opened his status screens. One of the many things in his mind was the crown¡¯s authority. Apart from Crown¡¯s fealty and radiance, he had selected the ''Appoint knights''.
  • Appoint knights
A knight''s honor is an unbreakable bond that shall not be tarnished. The wielder of the crown can appoint knights who will live and die by his side. -Number of knights = 10 x user¡¯s level -Only those who are willing can be appointed as knights. -The knights will get their special class upon advancement, and they will also gain a portion of the user¡¯s traits, bloodline, and skills. ¡®It¡¯d be better if I use this after using blood fusion one more time,¡¯ The better his traits and bloodline, the stronger the appointed knights would be. Of all the things he thought of, he decided to work on skills as he waited for the rising sun. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Sylvarix] [Class: Balaur Summoner] [Rank: Onyx Crown] [Level: 23] Exp: 375/1688 [Title: The last Apostle (Temporary)(Locked)] [Achievement: Call of the kin (A), Slayer of Camazotz (C+)] [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] [Trait: Earth Movement] [Strength: 46] [Agility: 41 (+5)] [Vitality: 60] [Intelligence: 30] [Mana: 41 (+2)] [SP: 33] HP: 3500 Combat stats: MP: 391 Recovery Rate: 50% (+20%) (Per hour) Stamina: 488 Recovery Rate: 30% (Per hour) Crit rate: 15% Crit damage: 120% Penetration Bonus: 10% Final damage Bonus: 20% Health Regeneration: 10% (+30%) (Per hour), +20 HP/sec in Boss fights Resistances: Void (?), Abyss (?), Poison (150%), Earth (50%), Blood (35%), Penetration (30%), Slash (30%), Blunt (30%), Critical (10%), Elemental Affinity: Void (?), Abyss (SS), Poison (S), Earth (C), Blood (F) [Eye of Annihilation], [Poison breath], [Arcane Lance], [Master of Sojutsu], [Spear aura], [Malediction] [Lorica Squamata (Unique) (Evolvable)] [Zubry Solleret (Rare)] [Bone necklace Totem (Common)] [Ring of command (Sealed)] Currency: 0 S Items: [Bloodspine spear (Evolving)] [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] [Fang of Nidraxis (Unique)] [Vitality recovery potion x 6] [Mana recovery potion x 3] [C rank Skill Tome x 1] [C rank Skill creation scroll x 1] [Weapon Enhancement Potion (Rare) x 1] [Oroszlan¡¯s journal] [Drake¡¯s bones x 10] [Drakes¡¯s tendons x 10] [Drake¡¯s mutated heart x 1] [200 HP recovery potion x 3] [Night¡¯s blessing (Rare)] Nothing much had changed except his inventory. Half of it was filled with materials he planned to use on the spear, but still, it wasn¡¯t enough to meet his goals. Zyrus closed the tabs after taking out three items from his inventory. In the next second, A black ring, a leather book, and a scroll appeared on his lap. [Night¡¯s blessing (Rare)] A ring forged with the power of darkness. Durability: 100/100 Effects: Shrouds the user in a mist of dark mana. It was a pretty useless ability for a rare-grade item. However, it was a different case when thousands of players used it. Dark mana was naturally good at concealment and lethal damage. It didn¡¯t matter if someone didn¡¯t have an affinity towards it. In an environment shrouded with dark mana, their attacks would still carry some traces of it. Nonetheless, Zyrus felt like it wasn¡¯t the best way of using it. Rather than players, wouldn¡¯t it be better if his ships were ¡®Equipped¡¯ with Night¡¯s blessings? After praising his genius ideas for a while, Zyrus finally focused on the main task at hand. He had his hands full with creating a skill with conjurer¡¯s magic. Thus, the only way he could get more skills in a short time was via external means. And the Skill Tome and Skill creation scroll in his hands were perfect for that. Chapter 79: Xisheng Arts Zyrus flipped the leather book open and looked inside. Just like any card or rpg games, various skills were listed on each page with a portrait. A giant using a halberd, A firebird floating in the sky, A swarm of poison arrows¡­ He turned over dozens of pages after a glance. He didn¡¯t have any particular weakness to begin with. And with his expertise in magic coupled with void and abyssal powers, he wasn¡¯t lacking in offensive means either. He had only one goal in mind with these two skill rewards: he wanted to make use of his tail! As strong as he may have been, even Zyrus didn¡¯t know how to fight with a tail. He couldn¡¯t think of any other uses for his tail apart from swimming and running faster. ¡®Still nothing¡­looks like I¡¯ll have to create a skill,¡¯ Just as he was getting disappointed, he found a rather interesting skill in the last pages. On one lather page was a portrait split in two parts. On one side, a one-handed swordsman was fighting against hordes of monsters. And on the other side, a new arm emerged from his shoulder and blasted a gigantic ape. He could gauge the second arms'' power since these portraits were drawn with mana. It was like looking at the scene from a bird¡¯s eye view. ¡®While it¡¯s not what I expected, it looks rather interesting,¡¯ [Xisheng Arts (B-): The flesh is fleeting, but power is eternal] [Sacrifice any part of your body to store mana and vitality. The designated part will be disabled until you release the seal] Effects: Depends on the sacrificed part and duration. CD: None It was among the highest-ranked skills in the tome. It¡¯s vague description and penalty might trouble other players, but Zyrus didn¡¯t have such issues. He tore apart the page without hesitation, and in the next instance, the ripped page and the entire book turned into motes of light and seeped into his head. [Congratulations! You have learned Xisheng Arts (B-)] A flood of information about meridian channels and mana circuits flowed into his mind. He was no stranger to mana circuits, but the former knowledge was an unexpected surprise. Due to the lack of a suitable environment, Physical cultivation wasn¡¯t very popular in the sanctuary. Even berserker and barbarian class players mainly relied on mana to enhance their muscles and blood vessels. ¡®Let¡¯s hope it helps me later when I read the manual,¡¯ Zyrus once again recalled the martial artist he saw on the source of origin. The knowledge contained in that man¡¯s source of origin should be far richer than all skills combined in the tome. Setting aside his curiosity, he once again focused on the matters at hand. It was obvious that the Skill creation scroll was much more useful than the Skill Tome. Of course, it only applied to someone like Zyrus who had a lot of knowledge. The skill creation scroll was useless for a new player. It was also the reason why both were ranked at the rare grade. ¡®I definitely need a skill that utilizes abyss attribute,¡¯ Zyrus thought over his skills and authorities one by one. Shackles of nihility and Malediction were great at debuffing the enemies, while Radiance was a supportive skill that''ll work well with his Balaur summoner class. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. He had balanced combat skills such as Poison Breath, Arcane Lance, Master of Sojutsu, and Spear Aura. The eye of Annihilation was the most useful among his skills. Not to mention its effects on observing the powers of origin, just the intelligence boost and enhancement in vision were top-notch abilities. ¡®I guess I can work on speed, power burst, and long-range attack,¡¯ Speed would increase his overall damage output, while power burst and long-range attack were useful in different scenarios. Although he had spatial stab which could deal the highest damage to the enemy, it wasn¡¯t something he could use on a regular basis. Before he started working on the new skill, Zyrus used 13 SP to raise his intelligence to 43. Having balanced stats was crucial for a steady foundation. Under the nourishment of system¡¯s power, A cooling sensation spread to every part of his body. The little bit of tiredness left his mind as he felt more lightheaded than ever. ¡®Haah¡­¡¯ Zyrus exhaled with satisfaction while lying down on the beach. He couldn¡¯t feel the soft sand with his scales, but still, the sky was beautiful enough to calm his taut nerves. Hours passed by as Zyrus shuffled through hundreds of ideas. It was easy for him to create a skill that fulfilled any of the three requirements. But wouldn¡¯t that be a waste? As long as he could think of a theory, it was only a matter of practice before the skill became complete and recognized by the sanctuary. In the grand scheme of things, there were only two ways one can possess a truly powerful ability. You can either acquire powerful skills and slowly understand them, or you start by learning and create skills that suit you the best. Skills were hard to come by in the first place. Thus, most players were left with the second option. Even if they somehow learned a powerful skill, they¡¯d have to learn its principles to showcase its full power. There¡¯s no such thing as the strongest skill. Zyrus knew the saying all too well. As he racked his brains to come up with a general idea, the morning sun raised its head on the horizon. Crimson light was reflected on the rolling waves, it was a mesmerizing sight to behold. When Zyrus turned his head and looked at the vast ocean, he was struck with a sudden inspiration. An idea sparked in his head that could improve all three aspects. ¡®Let¡¯s hope it works,¡¯ Zyrus opened the scroll in his hand with an excited face. with this rare scroll, there was a good chance that he could create the skill he had in mind. It was a gamble, and fortunately, lady luck didn¡¯t disappoint him. [Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Avatar] [Avatar (A-): Draw upon the world¡¯s mana to execute your will.] [You have learned to integrate yourself with the surrounding mana. The greater your fusion, the more power you can wield] [Effects: All recovery rate +10%, further enhancements will depend on the environment and rate of fusion.] [Warning! There is a high risk that you''ll be assimilated with the world and lose your will] ¡°Fuck Yeah!¡± Zyrus cheered in joy which jolted the players awake. Just the 10% recovery rate was incredibly useful. Although he had yet to see the exact results of the skill, he knew for a fact that Avatar was just as useful as the Eye of Annihilation. As for the warning? He wasn¡¯t the least bit worried about it. He was someone who dared to use the laws of void, so what was a mere fusion with world¡¯s mana? If his will was so weak to be assimilated, then he would¡¯ve died the moment he created the source of origin. ¡°Did something good happen?¡± ¡°Haha.. it¡¯s more than just ¡®Good¡¯, you¡¯ll know when we go to the ocean,¡± Zyrus gave Ria a wide grin and told her to call the others. Now that he was done with the skills, it was time to delegate the tasks to others. Soon, every leader was gathered in front of the totem. No one knew when, but the bloody log was turned into a wooden sculpture of the bat. ¡°All right, since everyone is here, let¡¯s get started. Please introduce yourselves to the rest,¡± Zyrus stood at the center and beckoned the troll and ogre leaders. Both races were able to communicate after leveling up yesterday. It was only a matter of time before the goblins and rats gained the ability as well. ¡°Good¡­morning¡­I¡­am..Druv''¡­galg¡­ Bramble¡­.fan-¡± ¡°Strongfist.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "..." ¡°Ahem! So, Mr. Druv and, uh, Mr. Strongfist will be leading their respective races,¡± Zyrus cut off the troll who was still going on with his name and continued, ¡°Humans will follow the same arrangement till I appoint someone to lead the archers, spearman, and the mages. I¡¯ll be in charge of the 2000 monsters, rats, goblin riders, and specter scorpions, while the rest are under Ria¡¯s direct command,¡± No one had any objections with this arrangement. He discussed about how to distribute the forces and how to efficiently collect the resources. At last, he inquired about their classes and gave some suggestions. Unfortunately, Druv and Strongfist were unable to have a proper talk with him. One spoke too much and too slow while the other treated his words like priceless jewels. Nonetheless, they more or less understood his plans. Only when the sun rose above their heads did the meeting end. ¡°Come on folks, let¡¯s get ourselves some good lunch,¡± *Rooar* *Grrowl* *Tweet* Zyrus was still full of energy as he led the monsters into the forest. Everything was set into motion, and thus, it was time to conquer this island and move on to the sea! Chapter 80: Four months and Sixteen days Zyrus made 12 divisions with the 2000 monsters. The so-called monsters tamed by Aiden were mutated animals from the first ring, and thus, they weren¡¯t unfamiliar with living in a pack. They didn¡¯t need complex command structures like intelligent species. As long as their leader was stronger than them, the monsters didn¡¯t mind following anyone. The rats already had their kings. Zyrus told them to kill all the insects on the island after they were done on the beach. Only goblin riders and specter scorpions didn¡¯t have a leading figure, but they weren''t difficult to handle with their small numbers. Zyrus summoned Elsid and assigned him to act as a commander. He didn''t plan to lead anyone in battle for the time being. ¡®I¡¯m not pushing my work on others; I¡¯m training them for the future,¡¯ And while his logic was slightly flawed, he didn¡¯t plan to stay idle either. It wasn¡¯t an easy feat to bring nearly 10,000 players on the ocean. ¡°Let¡¯s fly up,¡± ¡°Hmm.. my hooves are getting stiff anyway, let¡¯s go!¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t ask why Franken¡¯s hooves were stiff and more importantly, why flying would help with that. ¡°Look for an empty spot,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have better eyesight than me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m reading,¡± ¡°¡­¡± Franken gave up on retorting and looked for an empty ground. Thousands of trees were cut down thanks to the players'' efforts. It was for this reason that Zyrus attacked the monsters first. Although the players had only leveled up once, they were no longer suppressed by the island. Of course, the suppression didn¡¯t really vanish. They were still unable to use their superhuman strength. Nonetheless, they had no trouble with the wide-scale deforestation. ¡°How about there?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ a bit small, but I¡¯ll ask players to expand the range,¡± Zyrus replied as he looked away from Oroszlan¡¯s journal. ¡°Got it,¡± *Crash* Not even a second passed before Franken landed on a thicket. His descending speed was similar to teleportation. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten stronger as well,¡± ¡°Naturally. Just wait till you see my stats,¡± Franken gave him a smug smile and sat down on a clear area. ¡°Call other players before you laze around,¡± ¡°Tch..,¡± After sending off the lazy reindeer, Zyrus calculated the number of logs and other materials he¡¯d need to build ships. He was by no means an expert shipbuilder. However, it wasn¡¯t an issue with the help of mana. He was sure that over time, the ships built by him wouldn¡¯t be inferior to anyone else. ¡®I might as well go all out since it¡¯ll be the first and last time I¡¯m doing this,¡¯ Zyrus slit his wrist and dropped his blood on the logs. The players under his command would increase by a tenfold once he started recruiting from the first ring. At that time, he could employ experienced humans to handle all the crafts and construction projects. But before he did that, Zyrus wanted to tell the leaders under his command about the truth of the sanctuary. A truth that he guesses in his past life. A truth that was confirmed after he received the shard from the cube. *Rustle* Footsteps of approaching players jolted him awake from his thoughts. ¡®Whatever, I¡¯ll deal with it after reaching the next island,¡¯ If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Zyrus ordered the players to call most of the ogres, trolls, and mages along with a few players of each profession. He also tasked another group with clearing the nearby forest. The construction would be a hassle with the large number of materials involved, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal with the flag¡¯s storage function. ¡°Bring over the corpses,¡± Zyrus told Stephen who was acting as his aide. Since Ria, Kyle, and others were busy with their own work, Zyrus decided to appoint Stephen as a manager. He knew that the youth wasn¡¯t impressive on the battlefield, but his sharp head was pretty useful in management tasks. ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll be back in an hour,¡± Quite a lot of iguanas and bats had fallen in the last battle. Normally, their corpses would scatter into motes of light after some time passed. There was no way to preserve them in inventory or flag¡¯s storage. However, it was a different case if you dismembered their corpses. As long as their skin, bones, and blood were separated, they wouldn¡¯t scatter in the air. In case of high-rank or special monsters it was also possible that their body parts would be recognized as ¡®Items¡¯. There were many such hidden rules and functions in the sanctuary. Zyrus had a natural advantage in this regard, as in a way, he was 1000 years ahead of them. He looked at the pile of materials around him and did some calculations. In the end, he decided to build a warship, 3 galleons, and about 50 Viking longships. All three were famous in history. While humans had developed many high-tech ships in the last thousand years, Zyrus didn¡¯t know anything about the topic. Hack, he didn¡¯t know much about the old ships apart from their shape and materials used to build them. His knowledge was barely enough to create some wooden ships. Afterall, there was a limit to how much mana could do. While waiting for the players to arrive, Zyrus cut down the large logs into different shapes and sizes. Keel, plank, masts, risings, flooring¡­ just the main parts numbered a dozen. Adding the small sections the three ships needed around a hundred wooden parts. ¡®Maybe I should create a claw skill as well,¡¯ Every part of a Sylvarix was made for combat. His razor-sharp nails could cut down anything with precision. By the time the players arrived after an hour, they were greeted by the sight of hundreds of logs cut into different shapes. ¡°Rogues, assassins, and mages, stand over this side,¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Zyrus then pointed at the group of trolls and ogres and ordered them to collect wood according to the size of the pieces. There were many tall and short trees scattered at the center of the island. With trolls¡¯ affinity towards the nature and ogres¡¯ herculean strength, it was a task most suitable for them. ¡°Archers, while it is inefficient, use your arrows to pierce holes in every part. Swordsmen are to cut down the logs and as for the spearmen, they are to deal with slicing the wood and working on the edges.¡± While many players were confused about his orders, no one dared to object his arrangement. In just a dozen minutes all players were busy doing their respective tasks. The humans had an intelligence of 1 before coming to the sanctuary. Now, each and every one of them had at least 21 intelligence. They were anything but stupid. Anyone who wielded mana had enough brainpower to handle a simple task like this. ¡°Shield warriors, select an empty area and spread the bones on the ground. Make groups of 100 and fight against 12 monster divisions until the bones turn into dust. Repeat until all the bones on this island are turned into powder,¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± A somewhat forced shout rang from the group of shield warriors. Their task was a bit heavy-handed compared to others. ¡°Good, now follow me,¡± Zyrus called over the group of dagger users and mages towards the bloody logs. Or rather, bloody logs which were cut into different parts of the ship. Zyrus didn¡¯t bother to explain anything and started drawing on the logs in an unhurried manner. Magic had its own runic language, though it was similar to electrical circuits. ¡®This much should be doable for them,¡¯ Just like a newbie couldn¡¯t understand nanocircuits in a day, the players couldn¡¯t draw complex runes either. The simple runes drawn by Zyrus were similar to a switchboard¡¯s circuit diagram in terms of difficulty. ¡°Can you draw it now?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± ¡°Remember it, it¡¯s a rune for gathering mana.¡± Water repelling, adhesiveness, weight reduction, healing, speed, strength¡­ Zyrus drew numerous runes on different parts. They were at most a foot in length, and thus, the players were sweating after their ¡®lesson¡¯ came to an end. It could be imagined just how many runes they had to draw for all ships. At last, Zyrus taught the mages about how to fuse their mana into monsters¡¯ blood. Their task was just as huge as each and every piece of wood had to be fused with the monster¡¯s blood. ¡°Stephen, you¡¯re in charge of managing the players. Make sure they rotate between fighting monsters and shipbuilding. Also, stop anyone who¡¯s being a smartass, they are to follow the exact steps I told them to.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Stephen bowed in response and left the area. The players might not understand the motives behind these tasks, but they¡¯ll realize its benefits when they fight against the monsters. ¡®Phew¡­ now I can read in peace,¡¯ Zyrus sat under a lush tree and took out Oroszlan¡¯s journal. The sky was clear with patches of clouds floating by. The sunlight wasn''t too intense either, so the weather was quite perfect according to his standards. ¡°Look who¡¯s lazing around,¡± ¡°Did you wait till now to say this?¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m just stating the facts,¡± Thus, while thousands of players put their blood, sweat, and tears into building ships and conquering the island, a Sylvarix and a reindeer rested beneath a large tree. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Zyrus would go once in a while to assemble the finished pieces and distribute the materials he brought from the shop. Apart from papyrus plants and cursed iron nails that he used himself, the rest such as sails, ropes, tar, and metal wares were used by players in construction. The working efficiency of the players was nothing to scoff at. Exactly four months and sixteen days after Zyrus arrived on the Pisces archipelago, his fleet stood ready on the southern beach. Chapter 81: Nature’s destroyer The sun hung above the golden beach as usual. The salty air was getting warmer with each passing day. ¡°We have to leave soon,¡± Zyrus stated as he looked around from the mast of the warship. The red ship was gleaming under the golden sunlight of the noon. It boasted a total height of 25 meters, flanked by three galleons which were a third shorter. As for the 50-plus Viking longboats that were placed behind, they barely reached 5 meters in height. ¡°We should be able to kill the remaining monsters today,¡± Ria¡¯s voice echoed from the galleon behind him. ¡°Hmm..Do you need my help?¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll make sure it''s finished,¡± Ria¡¯s tone was more solemn this time. Zyrus hadn¡¯t fought once since the battle against Camazotz. She realized the seriousness of this matter after hearing that he was willing to join today. Zyrus nodded at her and continued his inspection. The warship was 70 meters in length and 18 meters wide at the center. The diameters of the galleons and longboats were reduced by 30% and 60% respectively. This was the most he could do with the limited resources he bought from the shop. ¡®If nothing unexpected happens, we should reach the next island after a month,¡¯ Of course, even if something did happen, Zyrus was sure that he could reach the next island before monsoon season. He was only worried about the damage the ships would have to sustain. Contrary to its beautiful appearance, the cyan ocean was the most horrible place in the second ring. Even he didn¡¯t dare to tread its depths before he surpassed lv 50. Hours passed by as Zyrus inspected the ships for the last time. He knew that the ships wouldn¡¯t last long on the ocean, but still, it was fine as long as the parts weren¡¯t lost. Killing the sea monsters, plundering the resources, and repairing the ships. The same cycle would repeat over and over until the ships became invincible on the ocean. But there was a condition for this way of progress: The ship¡¯s core must remain intact. ¡®It needs a name apart from my blood,¡¯ It was Zyrus¡¯s conclusion based on his recent knowledge of Izena. His Sylvarix blood possessed the trait of infinite evolution, but that alone wasn¡¯t sufficient. Just like artifact spirits were born after years of usage, the same applied to other inanimate objects. ¡°Say, did you rob the spirit kingdom¡¯s treasury last time?¡± Franken asked as if he was reading Zyrus''s thoughts. ¡°No?¡± ¡°How come you know so much about their birth then?¡± ¡°Heh, there are no secrets for an arcanist,¡± Zyrus snorted proudly at Franke¡¯s question. It was a mystery for others as to how the original spirits were born. There wasn¡¯t much of a difference between the spirit race and humans in the second and third rings. They looked the same and their way of ''reproduction'' was the same as well. The only dividing factor between them was that the spirit race had innate traits while others didn¡¯t. Swords, anvils, fire, and even unique traits like flowers and objects such as a pot or a stone, there was no limit to spirit race''s innate traits. They considered themselves to be superior because of these innate traits. Just imagine, Zyrus was the only one who had a trait among the dozens of non-spirit kings. Of course, the innate traits were different compared to traits recognized by the sanctuary. Even then, the advantage they gave to spirit race was apparent. If not for the fact that their bloodlines diluted after each generation, the spirit race would''ve become the ruler of the fifth ring of the sanctuary. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The sun was slowly going down while Zyrus and Franken chatted about the spirit race. It was at this moment that a loud fanfare rang across the island¡¯s skies <{Congratulations! You have conquered one of the islands of Pisces archipelago}> <{All stats +10 on conquered territory, no roaming monsters would attack the conquered territory}> All the players cheered after reading the golden words in the sky. However, their surprises were just starting. <{Crafting class players can now purchase blueprints once the ¡®Shop¡¯ function is available}> <{New buffs will be added to the flag!}> - Shipbuilding efficiency +10% - Logging efficiency +10% [Note: The buffs apply to all conquered territories] <{New classes are added to your faction! Anyone who joins you can directly acquire/change their classes to the ones mentioned below}> - Tanner - Butcher - Lumberjack <{Your flag¡¯s tier has risen by 1! }> [You have gained the Motif: Nature¡¯s destroyer] [Effect: +10% stamina regen, All stats +1 when destroying natural resources] It was a long list of perks after their months of hard struggle. Zyrus curved his lips after looking at the nearby players who were hollering in excitement. He looked forward to the day when they gained personal achievements after finishing his tasks over and over again. That would be their true reward for following him. ¡°Gather around in an hour, we¡¯ll hold a feast to celebrate our conquest!¡± Zyrus¡¯s excited voice reverberated across the island. He wasn''t idle in these months either. He had learned a lot of tricks after completely digesting the knowledge in Oroszlan¡¯s journal. Spreading his voice via the Ophidian warriors was one such example. ¡°What a useful tactic, wouldn¡¯t your opponents be annoyed to death when you use this with all your minions?¡± ¡°Tch, Even I didn¡¯t think of a shameless idea like this,¡± ¡°What shameless? It¡¯s called being resourceful,¡± It wasn¡¯t certain whose personality was rubbing off the other¡¯s, but both Zyrus and Franken were getting along quite well. One can only pity their future enemies. Ria, Kyle, Lauren, and all the leaders were rushing towards the southern beach from the forest. Well, former forest to be exact. Forget about a jewel on the cyan ocean, the current island looked like a bald man¡¯s head from above. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to hold a feast,¡± Lauren spoke the others'' thoughts as she approached the duo. ¡°We need to pack the meat and fruits before heading out tomorrow,¡± ¡°As expected of his majesty! Always with ulterior motives,¡± ¡°Wait, we¡¯re leaving tomorrow?¡± Ria interjected in a flustered voice. She knew that they had to leave before monsoon, but wasn¡¯t this too fast? ¡°The ranking rewards will come every six months. While it¡¯s guaranteed that we¡¯ll be the first, the more land we conquer, the better.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Of course, this wasn¡¯t the only reason Zyrus was eager to go to the ocean. His intuition was telling him that he¡¯d get the cube¡¯s second mission when he went to the ocean. ¡°Enough about that, let¡¯s just enjoy the evening!¡± ¡°Sure sure, but we have a small task to complete before that,¡± Zyrus spoke as he called them over to the galleons. ¡°Kyle and Lauren will be captains of the first galleon, Shi kun for the second, while Strongfist, Jacob, and Druv will lead the third,¡± Everyone was speechless for a moment. No one expected such an arrangement. Zyrus didn¡¯t explain his motives and continued, ¡°Shi kun, you¡¯ll lead most of the humans with your galleon and the longboats. Of course, Ria will stay on the second one to help you and the others,¡± Similarly, he told Kyle and Lauren to lead the candidates for his knights. Apart from them, the ones they deemed lacking in loyalty and those who had ulterior motives were also on the first galleon. Zyrus was more than satisfied with the duo¡¯s work. In just four months¡¯ time they had weeded out more than 200 players who didn¡¯t truly acknowledge Zyrus as his leader. Not everything was white and black. It was a limitation of ¡®Crown¡¯s fealty¡¯ authority as well. Thus, he needed someone like Kyle and Lauren to deal with the gray areas. Lastly, Zyrus placed the 12 divisions of monsters along with the ogres and trolls in the third galleon and the longboats that¡¯d follow it. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the rest when we¡¯re on the ocean, but for now, please name your vessels,¡± Zyrus¡¯s words lit up a spark of excitement as everyone started talking about various names. From myths to famous historical ships, everyone shared their knowledge on the matter. ¡®Do they really have to think this much for a name?¡¯ Of course, compared to the flurry of discussions about the first two galleons, the third group¡¯s conversation was rather ¡®unique¡¯. ¡°Anything works for me,¡± ¡°How¡­about¡­Iron¡­sailed¡­.bea¡­¡± ¡°Strongboat.¡± In the end, the names of three galleons were decided after an hour of nonstop chattering. Ria took pity on the poor third galleon and named it on behalf of its captions. Thus, the three were named Tiamat, Phorcys, and Sedna. Even Zyrus felt self-conscious after hearing their analysis of various myths. ¡°Great names, we¡¯ll officially carve them in the early hours of tomorrow.¡± ¡°Haha.. it¡¯s more exciting than the feast,¡± Shi kun chuckled at his words. With faint shades of red on his face, it was clear just how happy the middle-aged man was about becoming a captain. ¡°By the way, what did you name your warship?¡± Ria asked all of a sudden when they were walking towards the other players. ¡°Ahem, nothing fancy like you guys,¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, just say it,¡± ¡°Yeah! Say it,¡± Zyrus looked behind at the group and replied in a serious tone, ¡°Dragon of War,¡± Chapter 82: Pioneer The evening beach was lively with players'' cheerful smiles. Their so-called feast didn¡¯t have any fancy food and drinks, what they enjoyed right now were the fruits of their hard work. For the first time since the start of the tutorial, everyone felt a sense of belonging. The land won by their blood and the ships crafted by their hands were akin to priceless jewels in their eyes. Anyone who touched them would face their wrath. ¡°We need some spices and some wine,¡± Zyrus spoke as he tore off a chunk of meat. ¡°Breads would be good too,¡± ¡°And some sweets,¡± Lauren added to Shi kun¡¯s answer. All of them missed the rations given by the system. One of the downsides of selecting an uncivilized land as their starting area was the lack of food. The requirement for nutrition skyrocketed as the players leveled up. Their need for energy naturally increased with a higher life level. ¡°On the bright side, at least there¡¯s some variety. Everything would taste the same on the ocean.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there a variety of fish?¡± Ria asked in curiosity, ¡°There are, but we can only hunt one of them.¡± Zyrus¡¯s words once again reminded them of a very important fact. They were no longer at the top of the food chain. It was the grim reality, but there was hope as long as they kept up the progress. ¡°Well, have a good night¡¯s rest. We¡¯ll head off before sunrise,¡± Zyrus waved at the group and walked towards the boats. The official naming ceremony would be held before dawn, and it wasn¡¯t something that could be done in an hour or two. Zyrus decided to do the carving on his own. Players could engrave the names on longboats, but he wanted to name the four ships himself. No mistakes were allowed in this task since it concerned the future of their fleet. ¡®I wish I had the bloodspine spear right now¡­,¡¯ ¡­ The night passed accompanied by the scraping sounds of wood. The ships made with red wood looked ominous under the moonlight. When Zyrus finished the last stroke on his warship, it was as if all the runes were alit with crimson flames. A soft hum of mana spread to his palm, similar to a beating heart. ¡®Phew.. all done,¡¯ Tiamat, Phorcys, Sedna, and Dragon of War. All four were ready to set sail on the ocean. ¡°Wake up everyone, well set off in an hour,¡± Zyrus¡¯s shout woke up the sleeping players. It had been a while since they slept without a care in the world. The players knew that it was a luxury they couldn¡¯t afford in the sea. One by one the players started to arrive at the open beach. Zyrus told them to name their longboats and similarly, the ones riding on the galleons were told to drop their blood on the carvings. ¡°Push the ships to the ocean when you¡¯re done. And don¡¯t forget to bind nearby ships with the ropes,¡± Zyrus had reminded them on various occasions to take care of the ropes. No matter what happens at the sea, the ropes should remain intact until they reached the next island. He knew all too well about the sea¡¯s horrors. They had to be together if they wanted to survive on this long voyage. ¡°What¡¯ll happen to the island while we¡¯re gone?¡± ¡°Nothing. It¡¯ll remain as it is before we come here once again,¡± Zyrus answered Kyle who was walking towards the Tiamat. ¡°Do you have a map? Also, are we going with the leaf formation?¡± ¡°Yes, and yes. I¡¯ll share the map once we¡¯re on the sea,¡± Even Zyrus wasn¡¯t sure about their direction. They could go to two islands from this one, and he planned to decide on which based on the cube¡¯s response. Before the sun raised its head on the horizon, the fifty-plus ships were pulled to the ocean. Everyone was excited and apprehensive about their journey to the unknown. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time, check if everything is ready,¡± ¡°All rest,¡± ¡°All set,¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. . . . One by one the captains and vice captains answered his calls. ¡°Raise the Anchor,¡± *gluk*gluk*gluk* Dozens of anchors were pulled at the same time. The boats quavered on the calm waves, just like their hearts. ¡°Hoist the sails!¡± *Flutter* White sails spread open like a flock of birds taking flight. The sun was rising from their left which added another layer of red glow to their ships. Along with the runes which were lighting up like bulbs under the players'' mana, it was a majestic sight to behold. *Fwooosh* Waves of southern wind pushed their ships forward. For the first time, a ship was sailing on this cyan waters. It was the first time when players had ventured into the ocean, led by a king who dared to conquer the vast unknown. [|] World announcement! Players have discovered a new land beyond the continent of Kyros [|] [Map will be updated after the yearly rankings!] At this moment, every player and native looked at the sky above. Be it the spirit kings who were thousands of years old or the little kids who were running on the streets, they all shared the same excitement at this moment. The entire continent of Kyros was stirred into a frenzy by the sudden announcement. Everyone knew what it meant for there to be a new land. Every leader was thinking about how to conquer the new area after the year''s end. Not one of them believed that the ¡®Players¡¯ who found that area would be able to conquer it. After all, the players were around lv 20 at most. To put it bluntly, even the stray cats and dogs were stronger than the current players. Forget about conquering the new land, it would be a miracle if they survived till the year-end. And while everyone speculated who and where these players were, the ones in question were being bombarded by strings of notifications. [You have discovered a new area!] [Congratulations! You have obtained the achievement: Pioneer (B)] [SP +5, Exp + 10%, Drop rate +20% in unknown area] [You are the first players who have sailed on the ocean!] [You have earned the achievement: Brave Sailor (E-)] [SP +1, Water resistance +5%] [The world acknowledges your adventurous spirit! Additional rewards will be given for each new feat before the map is updated] ¡°All eyes on the sea, Check the rewards when it¡¯s your turn to rest,¡± Zyrus¡¯s composed voice woke up the giddy players. He knew that a moment of carelessness could be catastrophic on the ocean. And true to his thoughts, the players faced their first opponents¡¯ before they even traveled a kilometer. ¡°W-What are those?¡± ¡°What else could it be? It¡¯s fish that live in shallow waters,¡± Zyrus replied to the stammering Ria. He could see better than the rest since his Dragon of War was sailing at the vanguard. Phorcys and Sedna were at the side while Tiamat was covering the rear. The Viking longboats were protected in the middle of these four. Many doubted his decision as they couldn¡¯t understand why they needed to be so careful. However, everything became clear at this moment. *Bbubu* Thousands of foot-long fish were swimming in their direction. Even if the fish were at the weakest level, it was still a group of thousands of lv 20 monsters. ¡°Do not engage in combat. Just focus on defending and they¡¯ll leave on their own,¡± Zyrus ordered in a calm tone. The fish that looked like red mullets were getting closer to them with every passing second. *Thuck*Thuck*Thuck* The dragon of war bore the burnt of the tide. Thankfully, it was tall and sturdy enough to endure the ramming. The same was true for the three galleons. Alas, the ones riding on longboats weren¡¯t as lucky. Even if the fish couldn¡¯t jump a few feet from the ocean, they could flop on top of their brethren to land on the boats. Normal red mullets wouldn''t use such a tactic. But these weren¡¯t normal fish to begin with. They were aquatic beasts who were attracted by the flag¡¯s aura. The presence of Zyrus¡¯s fleet was like a lighthouse in their senses. ¡°Protect the ropes and push them back,¡± Zyrus commanded as he looked down from the mast. Apart from Franken who held the wheel and 100 ophidian warriors who were managing the sails, his warship was empty without a single player. ¡®The ships are doing better than I thought,¡¯ Gallons of blood was absorbed by the red-wood. It was an unexpected surprise. As long as a fish was injured, its blood would flow towards the ships. The whole fleet was transformed into a hungry beast that sought the blood of enemies. Apart from that, the engraved runes were smoothly performing their tasks as well. Zyrus had taught them to engrave dozens of basic spells on the logs. They were inferior to the spells cast by living players, but still, there were thousands of such runes that were activated under the players¡¯ mana. ¡°Focus on the runes for speed and barrier. We need to leave before the blood attracts bigger predators,¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± While Zyrus gave out one command after another, Ria was in charge of making sure that they were executed. The fleet worked like a well-oiled machine after months of coordinated work. The players were absorbing the new knowledge like a sponge. It didn¡¯t take long before they got used to fighting on the ships. The fishes attacked them in wave after wave before they crossed the range of 10 kilometers. Only when the sun was halfway in the sky did they leave a sigh of relief. ¡°As you¡¯ve noticed, the fish you fought earlier weren¡¯t considered ''monsters'' in the system. You won''t earn much exp from them. Besides, it is imperative to conserve your stamina and MP while you¡¯re on the ocean. Even if you sustain some injuries, never go all out unless it¡¯s a life-or-death situation.¡± Zyrus lectured them as the fleet sailed on the quiet ocean. Some things were better experienced firsthand. Only after fighting on the sea would they realize how dangerous this place is. ¡°One more thing, do not drink or eat anything that hasn¡¯t been purified with magic. I¡¯ve placed all the healers and fire mages on the galleons. Take the injured and collected fish to the ones nearby you.¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± A uniform shout answered his order. The nervous players relaxed a bit after hearing his words. The unknown was terrifying. There was no rhyme or reason behind the fish¡¯s attack. A journey like this would put immense psychological burden on the players. It took nerves of steel to sail on a foreign ocean. More than any skills or equipment, the players needed a pillar of support to keep their sanity. ¡®Hmm¡­looks like there aren¡¯t any monsters in the nearby area,¡¯ Zyrus deactivated his eves of annihilation and sat down on the mast. Now, it was time to decide on their destination. Since the moment they started their journey on the ocean, he had received the second mission from the cube. Chapter 83: The Warden of the Sea Zyrus took out the trembling cube from his pocket, and in the next instance, an intense red glow filled his vision. It was a familiar tab formed from the red motes of light. More than half a year had passed since he arrived at the sanctuary. He had spent six months on earth before coming to the sanctuary, thus, it had been almost a year since his regression. A lot had happened in this short time. And the cube was at the center of it all. Zyrus knew that the next words on the screen would determine the direction of his journey. And in the grand scheme of things, they would also determine the fate of Sanctuary. [Mission: Gain the acknowledgment of ?????] [You must reach the bottom of the ocean to meet ????] [Reward: Obtain the talent ¡°Devour (A rank)¡±, Obtain the ??? stat] Zyrus was dumbstruck after reading the text. He had thought about a lot of possible missions and their rewards, but both were completely out of his expectations. ¡®How do I gain the acknowledgment? And what with the new stat?¡¯ He doubted his past knowledge after seeing the mention of a new stat. As far as he knew, no one in the sanctuary had an additional stat. Even if he did gain a unique stat, he was almost 100% sure that it would be nerfed in the sanctuary. There was no way that the system would allow such a huge imbalance in power between him and the other players. ¡®If I¡¯m right, then the talent is nerfed as well,¡¯ The one in charge of this mission should be as strong as or even stronger than Nidraxis. Zyrus was sure that someone who surpassed the limits of the sanctuary wouldn¡¯t have a measly A-grade talent. The only possible scenario was that the talent Devour was extremely specific. It might have a lot of restrictions as well. Only then would its rating be justified. ¡®No point in thinking about it now. At least the condition to activate the mission is simple,¡¯ Zyrus put down the cube and took out the map. It was drawn by him according to his memories, and as far as he knew, the bottom of the ocean wasn¡¯t far off from the next islands. He didn¡¯t know much about the terrain of the ocean surface. The ocean around the first three islands of Pisces archipelago was between 2000-3000 meters deep. It was also because of this reason that many small fish lived in this area. But after the first three islands, there was a steep decline on the ocean floor. The ocean after that was dark blue with a depth of ~8000 meters. This sharp downward slope was due to the continental shift. The first island was on the map of Kyros continent for a reason. Before it became an island, it was a part of Kyros continent. Zyrus didn¡¯t care about how or why the land sank in the past. There were too many mysteries hidden in the sanctuary. Even a millennia wasn¡¯t enough to uncover all of them. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have to go back to earth before starting this mission,¡¯ Zyrus purposefully didn¡¯t raise his level in the last four months. The ocean was unpredictable, and thus, he couldn¡¯t predict his exp gain on the journey to the second island. He had a clear plan to conquer the Earth¡¯s land in one fell swoop. But in order to accomplish that, he had to pre-plan his level up to lv 25. Zyrus thought for a while about the nearby two islands. He more or less knew about their difficulty as well. ¡°All captains, assemble at the Dragon of War,¡± One by one the players jumped on ropes like monkeys and reached the giant warship. Apart from the captains on the three galleons, Zyrus had appointed captains for each Viking longboat as well. ¡°First of all, memorize this map,¡± Zyrus called over a random player and gave him the map. ¡°¡­Yes, Your Majesty,¡± ¡°What, is there any problem?¡± ¡°N-No,¡± Everyone held back their chuckles after looking at the ¡®map¡¯. Zyrus¡¯s drawing skills were on the same level as a middle schooler, but it was enough to give them a rough idea. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°As you saw, there are 16 islands on Pisces archipelago. That crescent-shaped island is known as the Land of Farnakht. It¡¯s a large island whose population equals to 10% of Kyros continent. However, we can¡¯t go there now since it¡¯s separated by the mist barrier,¡± The players were awed by the new information. Unlike the 100 crown holders, the normal players hadn¡¯t seen the Kyros continent¡¯s map at the banquet. Just these islands on Pisces archipelago were huge in their eyes. Not to mention the land of Farnakht which was nearly 100 times larger than the island. And that place¡¯s population only equaled to 10% of Kyros continent. Just how big was the continent then? ¡°Back to the topic at hand, let¡¯s talk about Pisces archipelago. We can divide these 16 islands into three parts based on the monsters¡¯ level and the harsh terrain. Naturally, the deeper you go, the more dangerous the ocean will be.¡± He waited for a while so that the others could digest the information and continued, ¡°First are the three islands which have the lowest difficulty. The average monsters here are around lv 25. As for the 5 islands that form a crown shape, they have the highest difficulty. There are natives as well as monsters living on that place. And most of them are above lv 45.¡± Zyrus spoke the last sentence with heavy emphasis. What did it mean to have an average lv of 45 and above? It meant that even little kids living there could kill Camazotz, a field boss who nearly wiped out 6000 players. ¡°The time to conquer that place is still far off, so let¡¯s focus on the present. We¡¯ve already conquered one of the three easy islands. The difficulty for the next two islands is about the same. The one closest to us has more dangerous ocean surrounding it, while the other island is the habitat of some annoying monsters. We¡¯ll be heading to the closest one first.¡± Zyrus concluded in a composed tone. Even though the journey to the next island would be risky, he was confident in dealing with any incidents. The captains nodded at him and left one by one. Only Ria and the galleons¡¯ captains remained to chat longer. ¡°What is your plan for the middle islands?¡± Ria asked him out of curiosity, ¡°Can¡¯t you guess?¡± ¡°Looking at the map, I bet you¡¯ll separate us into two groups to fight on both sides,¡± ¡°Close enough,¡± Zyrus did plan to separate them, but they will be fighting on three sides. Or rather, he would be fighting the third side on his own. The group parted ways after an hour of small talks. Zyrus reminded them of the dangers on the journey and the ways to deal with them. Nothing unexpected happened in the rest of the day. Hours went by as the ships sailed at moderate speed on the Cyan Ocean. *Buuuuuuu* Zyrus yawned after waking up from the bugle¡¯s sound. It was the same bugle that the goblin riders used in the first ring. But instead of attacking the players'' camp, the goblin riders were now acting as a watchguard. ¡°Deactivate the speed runes, keep the barriers active and preserve your mana. Also, make as little noise as possible,¡± A silent yet heavy atmosphere surrounded the fleet. The ocean was eerily quiet as the sun dipped below the horizon. The endless sea was terrifying to look at the night. Light and land were the cornerstones of everyone¡¯s lives. The players felt an instinctive fear at the absence of the two. ¡°Prepare to activate the night¡¯s blessing,¡± Zyrus''s voice resounded across the fleet. The words were like the devil¡¯s whisper in the players'' ears. The environment was dark and creepy enough as it is, was there a need to activate the night¡¯s blessing at this time? Of course, there were just the thoughts in their heads. No one had the guts to say that out loud. ¡®¡®Huu.. finally, it¡¯s time. That ¡®thing¡¯ always attacks the first ship at night.¡¯ Zyrus wasn¡¯t the only one who thought of conquering the ocean. Before the players¡¯ arrival, many others on the continent had similar ideas. However, all of them were thwarted by a single entity. Before his regression, countless fleets were destroyed before they saw the next sunrise on the ocean. No matter where or when they sailed from, it would appear on the first night and sink all the ships. It took a lot of coordinated effort to defeat that ¡®thing¡¯. Only after players defeated the monster with the system¡¯s assistance did the northern marine routes open. This was one of the many reasons why the natives couldn¡¯t unify the whole continent and the third ring. It was impossible without the crown and flag¡¯s authorities. Zyrus didn¡¯t have any offensive authority, but he had enough cards up his sleeve. ¡°Activate the night¡¯s blessing, and Drop the anchors!¡± *Plop*Plop* The ocean gurgled as the anchors sank into the dark waters. A similar dark fog seeped out from ships, shrouding the entire fleet. [Night¡¯s blessing (Rare)] A ring forged with the power of darkness. Durability: 100/100 Effects: Shrouds the user in a mist of dark mana. These were the original stats of the rings. And Zyrus had placed thousands of such rings all over the ships. Forget about the fish in the ocean, even the players were unable to differentiate between the dark water and nearby ships. If not for the barriers that were still emitting a faint halo, they would¡¯ve gone mad from fear. *Thunk* Zyrus jumped down from the mast and landed beside Franken. The one-eyed reindeer had completely taken over the role of the helmsman. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell the players beforehand?¡± Franken asked with a strange smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that thing¡¯s specialty?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an encyclopedia like you arcanists. I only remember what I find interesting,¡± *Kreeeak* Croaking sounds echoed below the fleet as the duo were chatting. The boats started to sway as if they were sailing under a thunderstorm, but strangely, not a sound was heard apart from the eerie croaking. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll know the answer in a while,¡± There was a very good reason why Zyrus didn¡¯t tell anyone about this. Their opponent was someone who preyed on other¡¯s fears. It was something that even a group of lv 50 players couldn¡¯t defeat with brute force. There were only two ways to defeat the monster that haunted the oceans of Kyros continent. The method used by players in his past life was rather straightforward. Every player who participated in the raid had to be strong and fearless. Just having a bold personality wasn¡¯t enough. The players needed achievements that were related to mental fortitude as well. But Zyrus couldn¡¯t use the same method. Fortunately, one of his arcanist friends had created another strategy. It was unverified since the monster was a unique existence, but still, he was sure that it would work. The whole strategy could be summarized in one word: Ignorance. *Gurrrrg* ¡°Brace for Impact,¡± *Bang*Thunk* Zyrus¡¯s words were right on time as the ships barely avoided crashing into one another. Even then, nearly half of the barriers had cracks on them due to collision. *Tok*Torrrukk* While everyone was guessing what the hell was attacking their ships, a sudden light filled their vision. [You have encountered Nuckelavee: The warden of the sea] [Mission: Survive until sunrise or defeat the Nuckelavee] [Rewards: The Ocean''s Testament, Ring of Sebek] [Penalty: Death] Chapter 84: Nuckelavee ¡°Calm your mind and focus on your ships. No matter what happens from now on, you¡¯ll be safe as long as they''re intact.¡± Zyrus¡¯s steady voice resounded across the entire fleet. *Kiiiek* The warden of the sea roared at his interference. Fear was its greatest weapon, and even Zyrus wasn¡¯t immune to it. ¡®But It¡¯s nothing compared to the Eternals,¡¯ Zyrus blocked the mental interference in just a breath''s time. His mind was like a lofty mountain. It stood tall and proud against the mental attacks that hurled at him like fierce winds. ¡°Surge,¡± Cyan waves rose on the black ocean, but just as they were about to form a vortex, they were assimilated with the pitch-black water. ¡®There you are,¡¯ Zyrus snickered at that empty stretch of ocean and attacked with Shackles of Nihility. The most annoying part about Nuckelavee was that it didn¡¯t exist in a physical form. How can you attack something that didn¡¯t exist in the first place? This was the biggest headache for everyone who wanted to sail the seas. *Neeeigh* But this wasn''t a big issue for Zyrus. Nothing was exempt from the power of laws. It didn¡¯t matter what type of existence Nuckelavee was, for as long as it was within his sight, Zyrus had the means to drag it out. ¡°Create an opening,¡± ¡°You want to drag that thing into the middle?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t have the time to explain his strategy. He could barely hold onto the chains which were connected to the black mass of water. Franken didn¡¯t ask anything else and hurriedly spun the wheel under his hooves. *Whiiish* The dragon of war made a sharp turn towards the back. Such a feat was possible due to the mana stored within the ship. Still, after making this 180-degree turn, the warship was rendered useless in combat. Even maintaining the barrier would be a strenuous task. ¡°Nice work, that was a close call,¡± Zyrus heaved a sigh of relief and deactivated his skill. The mighty shackles of nihility were reduced to common hooks and chains. Even with the power of laws, he could only drag the monster into the fleet¡¯s formation. Damaging it was out of the question. ¡°Activate the barriers with all your mana, hold nothing back this time. Rotate and recover your MP so that we can last till sunrise,¡± It was the first time when players were hearing such an order. No matter how strong the monster was, deep down in their hearts they believed that Zyrus could defeat it somehow. However, even Zyrus was forced to defend this time. They didn¡¯t dare to imagine how strong their foe was this time. *Guuuugugugu* Just as the players activated the barriers at full power, the ocean beneath the fleet churned with gurgling sounds. ¡°Don¡¯t look at the sea, close all your senses and only focus on the defense. Nuckelavee can¡¯t hurt you as long as you follow my instructions,¡± Even as the players were frightened out of their wits, they still followed his orders. It was a result of Zyrus¡¯s invincible status in their minds. ¡°I see now, what a troublesome enemy,¡± Franken spoke after he landed beside Zyrus. Beneath the entire fleet was a gigantic mouth that stretched for miles. Even under the night sky, one can make out the white teeth that were bigger than the longboats. It almost looked like the entire fleet would be swallowed in the next instance. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡®The scary part is, as long as players thought of such a possibility, it would indeed become a reality,¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s mind was calm even under such a scenario. He knew that the giant maw beneath the fleet wasn¡¯t an illusion. It was the manifestation of their deepest fears related to the sea. *Shhaaaaa* Black tides rose from the faraway horizon. Even the shining stars were hidden behind the turbid water. ¡°Tch.. just how high is it?¡± ¡°High enough to drown us ten times over,¡± Zyrus barely suppressed the shiver in his voice. Just like the giant mouth beneath the ocean, the waves were also real. The current scene was dreadful enough to haunt one¡¯s dreams for decades. A dark silent night on the ocean, a gigantic mouth beneath their ships, and black tides that seemed to engulf the entire horizon. ¡°It¡¯s good that you used the night¡¯s blessing beforehand.¡± The ominous shroud of dark mana guarded the players from their deepest fears. Nuckelavee had the power to manifest their worst nightmares into reality. What would happen when thousands of such ¡®fears¡¯ were combined into one? It was for this reason that the deep ocean remained a forbidden territory. One¡¯s fears also became stronger with their power. ¡°As they say, Ignorance is a bliss,¡± Zyrus chuckled despite the grim situation. Players would at most think that something like a large whale or a megalodon was attacking their fleet. It was indeed scary, but even their wildest imagination wouldn¡¯t come close to the current scenario. ¡°This ¡®bliss¡¯ is still too much to handle though. What¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just like we can''t attack Nuckelavee, it can''t attack us either. It can only deal mental attacks in the first phase.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say those are real?¡± ¡°They are, but they won¡¯t be when we come into contact with them,¡± Although it sounded simple, how many can truly keep their sanity under such a situation? Even after knowing that they wouldn¡¯t be harmed, it wasn¡¯t easy to suppress the body¡¯s instincts. And Nuckelavee was an existence that fed on that very primal fear. *Grrrrrr* Zyrus and Franken were the only ones who were outside of the protective barriers. They could feel the foul breath and the humidity from the giant mow. ¡°This is quite a horror show,¡± ¡°What, you scared?¡± ¡°Hmph, as if?¡± The giant maw closed around the fleet, and the night sky was hidden by the waves that fell down from above. Time itself seemed to stop at this moment. Neither Zyrus nor Franken knew how long were they trapped under such a scene. It was a true test of their willpower. *kiiiiekeiek* A piercing shriek jolted them back from the never-ending nightmare. Even the shroud of dark mana was torn to shreds under the soundwaves. ¡®Phew.. it¡¯s finally over,¡¯ Zyrus sighed in relief despite taking the attack head-on. It wasn¡¯t because he was a moron that he stood alone in the sky. Nuckelavee would go into its second form if no one was killed by the mental attack. And the first person it would target was the one with the highest willpower. Just the aftershock of this attack was strong enough to break numerous ships. There was no way that the dragon of war could bear such an attack. ¡°Motherfucker! Was that a fixed debuff?¡± ¡°Indeed. All targets are frozen while the Nuckelavee changes its form. There is no other option besides tanking its first attack,¡± Zyrus replied while chugging down a vitality potion. Unlike the fixed recovery potion, vitality recovery potions recovered HP based on the consumers status. It was a much-preferred option for someone who was a Sylvarix. *Neeeeiiighhh* A horse¡¯s nigh echoed from the depths of the sea. With the night¡¯s blessing being rendered useless, the players also saw the grotesque form emerge from the ocean. A gigantic creature resembling a centaur. Its hooves were merged with fins, along with an enormous gaping mouth with a giant eye. The humanoid part connected to its back held a whip made up of seawater. The most horrifying thing about its hundred-foot body was that it didn¡¯t have any skin. Everyone could see a tar-like blood coursing through its yellow veins. The monster¡¯s pale sinews and taut muscles were pulsing in an eerie rhythm. ¡°Recover your mana and prepare to activate the night¡¯s blessing. Observe the upcoming fight and memorize Nuckelavee¡¯s attack patterns, I¡¯ll need your help later on.¡± Zyrus spoke the last sentence while looking at Ria. Although dealing with the monster¡¯s second form was easier, it was comparative. It wasn¡¯t a group of lv 45+ players who were attacking the sea¡¯s warden this time. Nonetheless, a drawn-out fight was the last thing Zyrus was afraid of. Just his recovery rate and high HP made him a cockroach-like existence among players. Even against powerful boss monsters he wasn¡¯t lacking in terms of combat abilities. ¡®I¡¯m practically a mini field boss at this point,¡¯ *Neeeeiiighhh* Nuckelavee also sensed the threat Zyrus possessed. But this was just the beginning. [Avatar (A-): Draw upon the world¡¯s mana to execute your will.] [You have learned to integrate yourself with the surrounding mana. The greater your fusion, the more power you can wield] [Effects: All recovery rate +10%, further enhancements will depend on the environment and rate of fusion.] *ROOOOAR* The faint mirage of a flood dragon formed behind Zyrus. The azure dragon coiled around him and roared at the hideous monster. Despite it being a mirage formed by the resonance of Zyrus¡¯s bloodline and the world¡¯s mana, the flood dragon was the nemesis of someone like Nuckelavee. ¡°Form,¡± Clear water surged from the black ocean. Under the influence of the flood dragon, even Nuckelavee was unable to interfere with the conjuring magic. ¡°Surge,¡± Azure tides surged with a wave of Zyrus¡¯s hand. He was like a god of ocean after fusing with the world''s mana. He wasn¡¯t using mana to manipulate seawater. It was the sea itself that executed his will. Such was the power of Avatar. ¡°Expand,¡± A giant vortex formed at the center of the fleet, separating the two behemoths from the fleet. The true battle was just beginning. Chapter 85: Helm of the cyclone -1256 It was the highest damage that Zyrus had dealt so far, However, there wasn¡¯t a trace of a smile on his face after looking at the red damage number. +1256 ¡®As I thought, Nuckelavee is practically immortal on the sea,¡¯ ¡°Expand,¡± Zyrus once again attacked with the vortex, but the result remained the same. Nuckelavee had 100K Hp. Ignoring its instant recovery rate, Zyrus couldn¡¯t finish it off even if it stood still. *Shaaaa* Black water bullets shot towards Zyrus and the flood dragon. Even with the augmentation of Avatar, his armor, and the Sylvarix scales, he was forced to retreat several steps. ¡°Keep an eye on others,¡± Zyrus stopped Franken who was about to join the battle and lunged at Nuckelavee once again. He was unable to fly without his companion, but still, he could hover on the sea with the flood dragon¡¯s mirage. ¡®I should be able to complete the skill,¡¯ Zyrus had started working on his vortex skill since his fight against the blood drake. As one progressed in the sanctuary, getting skills and achievements became more and more difficult. Naturally, the gains also increased proportional to the difficulty. The human part of Nuckelavee whipped at the approaching Zyrus. Having gauged the opponents'' speed and strength from the last encounter, Zyrus was able to dodge the whip with ease. He ignored the surrounding ships and focused solely on his opponent. The giant vortex that separated the battlefield spun with increasing momentum. Zyrus was proficient in using mana in vortex forms. Even his mana circulation method was based on such principles. Adding onto that, the avatar skill gave him a boost in water manipulation as well. It was only a temporary buff based on the environment, but it was enough for him. Zyrus kept evading Nuckelavee¡¯s attacks as the speed of the vortex became faster and faster. After the centrifugal force reached a tipping point, a crushing pressure descended at the center. -1584 +1584 It was precisely at the torso of Nuckelavee. Such a method of manipulation was already enough to be considered a skill by the sanctuary¡¯s standards. However, Zyrus was just starting. He didn¡¯t give the sanctuary a chance to send him a notification. Zyrus had completely fine-tuned his mana after becoming a Sylvarix. While it may sound simple, it was anything but that. A human and a Sylvarix were fundamentally different. He had to modify his knowledge from his past life to better suit his current race. This variation would become more and more evident as he leveled up and acquired new traits via blood fusion. Zyrus waved his hand and half of the vortex sunk into the ocean. He also manipulated the mana in such a way that both halves of the vortex were following a different rhythm. The one in the ocean used centrifugal force to increase the pressure, while the one on the surface of the ocean acted on the principle of hydrokinetic propulsion. With a slight twist in trajectory, it was pushing the giant figure of Nuckelavee towards the pressurized point. *Neeeigh* -256,-1258-658 +256,+1258,+658 The players were already numb towards the numerous red and green numbers floating above Nuckelavee. The vortex tore apart its muscles, but even before its black blood could seep out from its yellow veins, they were already healed in the next instance. It gave out a true feeling of invincibility. And it was for that reason that Zyrus, the one who was one-sidedly beating such a fearsome creature, became even more monstrous in their eyes. Zyrus once again changed the flow of his mana. Augmented with the effects of avatar, the vortex and by extension the ocean also followed his will. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. After working on the flow and direction of the water, he focused on the tiny water molecules. The surrounding mana ceaselessly flowed into every atom and increased their kinetic motion. The vortex was spinning at such a high speed that it became a blur in the players'' eyes. Soon, white sparks of thunder formed on the bluish-black vortex. The red damage numbers almost doubled in size, but still, Nuckelavee was healing just as fast. Its almost invincible trait forced it to endure the inhumane torture. The white sparks of thunder enveloped the entire vortex from top to bottom. Even the players who were far away felt their bones tremble, much less the skinless monster who was trapped at the center. [Congratulations! You have created a chain magic with the power of vortex] [You have earned the achievement: Helm of the cyclone (A+)] [You have obtained the skill: Vortex Manipulation (A)] [SP+5] Zyrus curved his lips after reading the text. While the skill wouldn¡¯t allow him to get past the stalemate, it gave him the chance to relax his taut nerves. A tremendous amount of calculation power was needed to execute the skill while grasping the accurate timing. But activating a skill with the sanctuary¡¯s power was different in nature. It was like using a calculator instead of calculating on paper. The difficulty was far less compared to the initial process. ¡®Without centuries of hard work before my regression, I would have long since died at the hands of the aliens,¡¯ There was no system on earth. He had to rely on his knowledge and practice to fight against the invaders. ¡°Can you hold on until morning?¡± ¡°I can with enough recovery potions,¡± ¡°Good then. This is quite anticlimactic by your standards though,¡± Zyrus merely smirked at Ria¡¯s words. While the battle between him and Nuckelavee looked high profile and majestic, nothing much had changed since the start. Neither side was able to harm the other. Nuckelavee attacked once in a while, but the black whip and water bullets were easily dodged by Zyrus. It wasn¡¯t that the monster didn¡¯t have any more moves, it was just that it couldn¡¯t use them in the second phase. Nuckelavee''s rampage was limited due to Zyrus¡¯s planning. If he didn¡¯t drag the monster to the center of the fleet, if he didn¡¯t use the vortex to prevent it from submerging into the ocean, then the results would have been catastrophic. *Buuuuuuu* The goblin riders¡¯ bugle resounded once again. Eleven hours had passed since it warned them of the approaching night. [You have survived against Nuckelavee!] [You will no longer be attacked by The Warden of the sea.] [Rewards: The Ocean''s Testament, Ring of Sebek] Apart from the system¡¯s notification, they also made progress in the Flag march. <{Congratulations! You have successfully opened up the ocean routes}> <{You have met the conditions to create a unique authority}> <{Achieve more feats and tier up your flag to complete the authority!}> ¡°Deactivate the barriers and activate the night¡¯s blessing,¡± Zyrus¡¯s voice brought the thrilled players back to reality. Nuckelavee would no longer take the initiative to attack their ships, but the same didn¡¯t apply the other way around. ¡®The third and the final phase,¡¯ -1,-3,-1,-2,-0,-1, ¡­ Zyrus¡¯s solemn eyes landed on the monster that was forcibly breaking out from the vortex. Nuckelavee didn¡¯t have the instant recovery trait in the third phase, but it was replaced by just as annoying ¡®Absolute defense.¡¯ ¡°Are we still attacking it?¡± ¡°Of course, didn¡¯t you just say it was anticlimactic by my standards?¡± Ria was struck speechless by his words. Looking at the single-digit numbers, the current situation wasn¡¯t much better from before. ¡°Just attack it with all your strength. You won¡¯t earn any exp from this, but it¡¯s a perfect target to improve your skills,¡± Of course, the precondition to that was that they survived against its attacks. Nuckelavee''s greatest offense was in the first phase. Its threat was reduced to a minimum in later stages as it was just annoying to kill. But since the levels of Zyrus and everyone else were so low, all three phases were the same for them. They would die if they took a single hit, and even if they managed to retaliate, it was impossible to harm their opponent. ¡°What are you planning?¡± Franken asked after looking at the busy players. It was quite a funny sight as their barrage of attacks didn¡¯t even deal 1 damage to the struggling Nuckelavee. ¡°Do you know why I selected Papyrus plants and cursed iron nails?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with this? They¡¯re both dark-natured, similar to this freak. It¡¯s impossible to kill it unless you have something with light, fire, or holy attribute.¡± ¡°Who said I was going to kill it?¡± Zyrus scoffed at the reindeer¡¯s disbelieving expression and deactivated the avatar skill. Papyrus plants were associated with funerals and various sea-related rituals, whereas the cursed iron nails were made from the iron in the graveyards. When selecting materials to create his fleet, how could Zyrus not consider the first threat they¡¯ll face at the ocean? ¡°The ships have the ability to repair and enhance themselves. The enhancement stems from them absorbing the materials they were built with.¡± Franken nodded as the scene of the ships draining the fish¡¯s blood was still vivid in his memories. ¡°They are also being nourished with the players'' will. Their sentience will keep developing as we roam across the vast oceans,¡± ¡°A-are you going with that method¡­¡± Having guessed his goals, Franken stuttered with a horrified look. He wasn¡¯t this flustered even when Zyrus killed thousands of players in the crown hunt. Slaughter and bloodshed were all too common in the sanctuary. However, there were still some taboos that were rarely broken. ¡®Yasa Refinement¡¯- a method in which living beings were used as a sacrifice. It was created by a notorious arcanist, A madman who sacrificed millions of lives to create artifacts using the most ¡®efficient¡¯ method. Such acts infuriated and scared all powers residing in the sanctuary. Under the orders of one of the Eternals, the arcanist was hunted down and killed in the fifth ring. ¡°I obtained his research notes by chance. Do you know what he wrote about Nuckelavee?¡± Zyrus paused to look at the dissipating vortex and answered his own question, ¡°The best lump of flesh in the entire sanctuary,¡± Chapter 86: Protracted Battle Nuckelavee finally broke free under the players'' anxious gazes. But unlike its eerie aura from before, it now looked as steady as the sky itself. Zyrus didn¡¯t stand on ceremony like others and immediately launched his attacks. Dozens of blue spears shot out with a thrust of his palm. -0,-0,-1,-1,-1,-0,-0,-2¡­ Without making a single sound, Nuckelavee retaliated against his attack as well. It was neither stronger nor weaker than his attack. ¡°Like a mirror reflecting your actions, Nuckelavee will use the same strength to retaliate,¡± It was certain that the one who placed Nuckelavee on this ocean didn¡¯t want newbies to kill it. While its third form was less fatal compared to others, one can not kill it if they relied on this counterattack system. It was hard to damage it with the Absolute defense trait. Even if someone went all out and dealt minor damage to it, they too would face an attack of the same magnitude. ¡®Even if you go with a kamikaze tactic, it would require thousands of players as a sacrifice,¡¯ Zyrus had to admit that Nuckelavee was the most annoying monster to fight in the second ring. Even if someone used wave tactics to fight it, it could escape into water anytime it wished. ¡°Attack it for a while and get used to its counterattack patterns. It won¡¯t be easy to predict its attacks, but with Ria¡¯s assistance you can at least put up a fight,¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Zyrus nodded at the players¡¯ resolute faces and resumed his attacks. Since he was done with skills related to mana, it was time to work on his stamina. Spear aura was the only skill that required stamina to use. Each activation consumed 20 stamina, and even if he used avatar, it wouldn¡¯t recover his stamina. ¡®It¡¯s at times like these that having large numbers is important,¡¯ Zyrus thought while retreating. While the players had to recover longer than himself, they outnumbered him by thousands. Almost none of them managed to deal 1 damage. But thanks to the dark attribute given by the night¡¯s blessing, there was a small chance that their attack could pierce through Nuckelavee¡¯s defense. ¡°Did you plan this from the beginning?¡± ¡°Everything except for the effectiveness of night¡¯s blessing.¡± Zyrus replied to Ria who was staring at him from Phorcys. The players were more effective than him when it came to overall damage. Hundreds of players were attacking the monster at every moment. Even if just one of them was a successful hit, it far outpaced Zyrus¡¯s damage. ¡°We¡¯re sustaining damage as well,¡± ¡°Let it be. We¡¯ll set sails once they¡¯re used to it,¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What? Did you think that all our battles would end in one go? Even though I¡¯m powerful, I have my limits as well. This fight can only be won with a protracted battle.¡± Ria thought that he had other means to end the battle sooner, but he couldn¡¯t just babysit them either. Having dealt with the first two phases on his own, what was the use of his troops if he had to deal with the last phase as well? ¡°Understood. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve planned for it, but the boats won¡¯t hold on even if the players do,¡± ¡°You can leave it to me,¡± Zyrus assured Ria and the others who were looking in his direction. After meeting his confident eyes, Kyle, Jacob, Lauren, and the rest no longer hesitated in their attacks. Loud booms and crashes reverberated across the ocean. Once players got the hang of the rhythm, Zyrus used his rop- Ahem- Shackles of nihility to drag Nuckelavee along their journey. Only someone with Absolute defense trait was worthy of such a luxurious treatment. Hours passed by as the fleet sailed towards their destination. The seemingly invincible Nuckelavee had lost 5% of its HP under players¡¯ relentless assault. It was a praiseworthy result considering their levels which were less than half of their enemy. A colony of ants might take down an elephant, but it was hard to say if their opponent was a mighty dinosaur. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The current scenario was much worse than that. The players suffered casualties that numbered in two digits. Accounting for the injured and those who were unable to fight any longer, approximately 10% of their 8000 players were rendered useless. Still, the biggest issue for them was the ships. They had the ability to repair themselves on the ocean, but this process required gallons of blood. Nuckelavee didn¡¯t attack the ships, but it did counterattack the players who were standing on them. It can be imagined what state they were in after enduring hundreds of thousands of aftershocks. ¡°I don¡¯t see any changes in the papyrus plants and those nails¡± ¡°We¡¯re somewhat unlucky, but it¡¯s fine. The boats won¡¯t sink no matter what,¡± Zyrus replied to Franken as he looked at the ocean ahead. Things were going slightly off the track, but it was fine as long as the end results were better. There was no such thing as a perfect plan. Even with his vast knowledge he understood that flexibility was a very important factor. ¡®And there it is,¡¯ Zyrus let out a sigh of relief after spotting a school of fish. It was only a matter of time before their commotion attracted numerous fish living on the sea. While they weren¡¯t similar to moths charging at the flame, they could no longer hold back their greed towards the flag. Even Nuckelavee¡¯s suppressing pressure was losing its effect. ¡°Don¡¯t get flustered even if the ships get destroyed. Focus on your connection with the ships and activate the healing formations. You can switch between different formations as the need arises, but no matter what, don¡¯t deactivate the night¡¯s blessing.¡± The players were more or less used to Zyrus¡¯s strange orders. Not to mention that none of them had the time to think about anything else except for the enemy in front of them. *Guuugugugu* *Splatter* The fish launched their assault no different from the day before. It was the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. However, the ocean wasn¡¯t a merciful place. The players would all parish if their boats broke down in the middle of nowhere. ¡°Try to build a connection with your ships,¡± Zyrus spoke in an unhurried manner and deactivated the Shackles of nihility. As if on cue, Nuckelavee immediately dived down into the sea- or it tried to at least. The mighty warden of the sea was turned into the punching bag of the sea, and as fate would have it, its dark days were far from over. Like a pack of starving wolves charging at a white rabbit, the cursed iron nails shot off towards Nuckelavee. *Neeeigh* The monster let out a pained howl for the first time. Its absolute defense was rendered useless against the nails filled with dark aura. It looked even more horrid with numerous iron nails lodged into its flesh. While it wasn¡¯t considered an attack, Nuckelavee could still retaliate against inanimate objects. Countless shadows of black whips wrecked the remaining ships. ¡°It is useless,¡± *Grrroaarrr* Not sure if it understood Zyrus¡¯s words or not, Nuckelavee¡¯s single eye blazed against the surrounding players. As strong as it might have been, it was bound by the sanctuary¡¯s rules as well. Nuckelavee couldn¡¯t harm the players unless they took the initiative. The papyrus plants which were mixed with the logs also took effect. Ominous green lights flickered on the broken parts of the ships. An uncountable number of fish were killed near this area. Apart from their blood, even their flesh and bones were sucked dry by the green lights. Papyrus plants'' essence was emitting a vast suction force that sucked everything with the dark attribute. *Neeeigh* And the wounds on Nuckelavee¡¯s flesh were no exceptions. Streams of blood were drawn out from the skinless monster. ¡°I have to admit it¡¯s efficiency,¡± Zyrus stated as he too focused on his connection with the dragon of war. Despite his regression, His will wasn¡¯t inferior to anyone in the sanctuary. He directly connected with the seeds being born on all 50+ ships. If someone from the spirit clan saw this scene, then without a doubt the entire race would hunt down Zyrus. The birth of artifact spirits was their closest guarded secret. Not to mention that even they didn¡¯t know that a method like Yasha refinement could be used in such a manner. Apart from Zyrus who had the bloodline of a Sylvarix, no one else can use such a method. While it only gave the ships a minuscule chance to evolve, that chance was all they needed. Nuckleavve¡¯s flesh and blood were similar to the sun for these ships. They would burst into molecules if they failed to harness this abundant power. ¡°Keep up the momentum. If we progress at this rate then we can conquer the island before the six-month ranking.¡± ¡°I think they¡¯ll give their all even without your encouraging words,¡± Franken snorted at Zyrus¡¯s somewhat hypocritical words. With Nuckelavee constantly counterattacking against the ships, they were in a stalemate of being repaired and broken apart. It was a torturous process for the players as they could neither eat nor sleep peacefully as long as the monster wasn¡¯t ¡®refined.¡¯ ¡®The ships aren¡¯t the only ones that are being refined,¡¯ The players too were in a similar process of creation and destruction. They could heal themselves with potion, magic, or the ship''s formations. Still, the casualty rate wasn¡¯t low. It was expected that more than a thousand of them would die if things progressed in a similar manner. Nonetheless, their survival and progress rate was dozens of times better compared to others who ascended from the first ring. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s it going with the scroll?¡± ¡°Do you plan to leave before reaching the island?¡± Franked asked with a raised brow. ¡°While I planned to wait till they are accustomed to the sea, it looks like this is no longer necessary,¡± He had considered the worst-case scenarios in preparing for his plans on earth. Thanks to Lauren and Kyle¡¯s efforts there wasn¡¯t any internal strife among players, and Ria and Shi kun were doing a good job in management as well. Zyrus and Franken chatted for a bit and decided to leave Elsid and the abyssal warriors behind. He would lose some of his attack power, but it was better to be safe than sorry. ¡®Besides, nothing can stop me from conquering the lands on earth.¡¯ Zyrus had never repeated the same mistake twice. It was this trait that allowed him to reign supreme amongst all players. And now, the Glemorax would realize the consequences of their failure.
Read Transcendent Resurgence: Regressing on an abandoned Earth - on Royal Road and Scribble Hub Chapter 87: May you Become the Last Vestiges of its Creation Since he had decided to depart to the earth, Zyrus called Ria and the others one by one and gave them detailed instructions. There were other dangers on the sea apart from the fish. Weather, chaotic currents that led to the depths of the ocean and various special terrains. While these weren¡¯t enough to stomp their journey to the next island, it was better to be prepared when facing such scenarios. Zyrus was done with his tasks after a couple of hours. One of the main advantages of being a leader was that apart from important occasions, he didn¡¯t have to partake in tedious tasks. He could use his time more efficiently with the help of his subordinates. ¡®Now, there¡¯s just one last thing to do,¡¯ Zyrus sat on the mast and opened his status screen. Although he didn¡¯t try to level up, there were a lot of skirmishes on the sea which gave him a good chunk of exp. Adding onto the previously accumulated exp, he was close to reaching Lv 25. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Sylvarix] [Class: Balaur Summoner] [Rank: Onyx Crown] [Level: 24] Exp: 2029/2531 [Title: The last Apostle (Temporary)(Locked)] [Achievement: Call of the kin (A), Slayer of Camazotz (C+), Pioneer (B), Brave Sailor (E-), Helm of the cyclone (A+)] [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] [Trait: Earth Movement] [Strength: 48] [Agility: 42 (+5)] [Vitality: 60] [Intelligence: 43] [Mana: 42 (+2)] [SP: 31] HP: 3500 Combat stats: MP: 437 Recovery Rate: 50% (+20%) (Per hour) Stamina: 501 Recovery Rate: 30% (Per hour) Crit rate: 15% Crit damage: 120% Penetration Bonus: 10% Final damage Bonus: 20% Health Regeneration: 10% (+30%) (Per hour), +20 HP/sec in Boss fights Resistances: Void (?), Abyss (?), Poison (150%), Earth (50%), Blood (35%), Penetration (30%), Slash (30%), Blunt (30%), Critical (10%), Water (5%) Elemental Affinity: Void (?), Abyss (SS), Poison (S), Earth (C), Blood (F) [Eye of Annihilation], [Poison breath], [Arcane Lance], [Master of Sojutsu], [Spear aura], [Malediction], [Xisheng Arts], [Avatar], [Vortex Manipulation] [Lorica Squamata (Unique) (Evolvable)] [Zubry Solleret (Rare)] The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [Bone necklace Totem (Common)] [Ring of command (Sealed)] Currency: 1 S Items: [Bloodspine spear (Evolving)] [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] [Fang of Nidraxis (Unique)] [The Ocean''s Testament] [Ring of Sebek] [Vitality recovery potion x 1] [Mana recovery potion x 2] [Weapon Enhancement Potion (Rare) x 1] [Oroszlan¡¯s journal] [Drake¡¯s bones x 10] [Drakes¡¯s tendons x 10] [Drake¡¯s mutated heart x 1] His static skill tab had changed greatly compared to the last time. His overall strength had improved once again after leveling up. It was a pity that he couldn¡¯t use the remaining SP without getting used to his strength on earth. The difference was great enough as it is, if he added more stats then he would be totally unable to handle his own strength. Earth wasn¡¯t sanctuary afterall. Even Zyrus didn¡¯t know to what extent his strength would be changed. ¡®One thing¡¯s for sure though, I will be much stronger compared to here,¡¯ From a certain perspective the players of now were akin to demigods by earth¡¯s standards. The laws of the earth were fragile compared to the sanctuary. Zyrus guessed that someone over lv 100 could annihilate the earth with a single blow. And ironically, that same blow might not kill the weakest creature in the fourth ring. The difference between the two civilizations was vast beyond compare. However, it wasn¡¯t surprising since the sanctuary was built with the essence of countless civilizations like earth. It was like comparing a little town with an Empire that governed the whole world. While the analogy wasn¡¯t quite right, the current situation could indeed be summarized that way. Zyrus shrugged the useless thoughts apart and jumped down from the mast. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Good, don¡¯t forget to hide with my aura,¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Franken nodded with a serious gaze. Zyrus decided to first hide using the cube¡¯s power. He didn¡¯t know how long it would last, but he couldn¡¯t just show up to the battle. Before anything else he had to determine the passage of time on earth. The fact that his summons were dead could only mean two things: Either they were killed after reviving or a day had yet to pass on earth. In any case, it was crucial for Zyrus to hide for a day in order to revive his troops once again. ¡®I said that it would be the end when I return,¡¯ Zyrus had a cold look in his eyes as he took out the cube. As a monarch he had to keep his words. Otherwise, he would be no better than some second-rate villain. [Would you like to return on Planet Earth?] [Yes/No] [Note: You can stay on Earth for 100 days. This chance to return will expire once you reach lv 25] Zyrus clicked ''Yes'' without hesitation, and in the next instance, both the Sylvarix and the reindeer vanished from the dragon of war. ¡­ The red sky was redder than he recalled. It was as if the whole world was afraid of something as there wasn¡¯t a single sound on the mountains. Thousands of four-armed glemorax were surrounding a vast mountain range. They numbered in groups of hundreds and thousands, each surrounding gigantic golden stakes in the middle. As Zyrus and Franken hid beneath the cube¡¯s halo, both were stunned for different reasons. Everything was new for Franken as this was the first time he had left the sanctuary. Zyrus was befuddled he couldn¡¯t tell how long had passed since he went to the sanctuary. It¡¯s not like he could just ask the glemorax about what time it was. The yellow stakes he saw last time were turned into miniature suns in the sky. The earth was illuminated under their golden glow that surpassed that of the sun. The red sky and golden earth gave the duo a suppressive feeling. Still, it was much less than what they felt on the second ring. Besides, with their strength it was impossible to trap them for long. This was a killing move that was designed for Zyrus when he was in the first ring. The current him was too strong to suppress with just these strakes. ¡®I think the cube will exhaust its energy before the summoning time is up,¡¯ 6 hours were left until the ophidian warriors revived once again. The cube won''t last that long. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the warehouse first,¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Beneath us?¡± Zyrus replied and stomped on the ground. He didn¡¯t want to take any risk and expose his movements, but he didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter. The cube was his true trump card against any unexpected scenarios. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste its energy in hiding for hours. ¡°Nice place, looks like your gamble worked,¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Zyrus wasn¡¯t as optimistic as Franken. He had a nagging feeling that the glemorax chief or at least the one behind him had sensed his movement. Nonetheless, he didn¡¯t waste any time thinking about that. His gaze was currently focused on the 500 cocoons that were trembling with abyssal mana. They were a bit too big to be called cocoons though. The amargs who were undergoing their transformation nearly occupied the entire warehouse. ¡®It would¡¯ve been difficult before, but now I can try to hasten the process,¡¯ He didn¡¯t waste any time and put his thoughts into action. Hundreds of streams of abyssal mana flowed out from his fingers. Thanks to Oroszlan¡¯s journal he was no longer a novice when it came to summoning magic. ¡°The boundary of this world is too thin,¡± Franken stated as he looked at the abyssal mana that was flowing through Zyrus¡¯s hand. Rather than flowing, it would be more accurate to say that the abyssal mana was pouring into this world through Zyrus¡¯s finger. ¡°Perhaps it is the sanctuary that¡¯s too sturdy.¡± ¡°It has to be. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t someone like you just flood the entire ring with foreign mana?¡± As ridiculous as it might sound, it was indeed a possibility. If he had enough time then Zyrus could easily terraform the current earth. Even at this moment he felt like he could shatter the mountain if he wasn¡¯t careful. The world which was his true home looked too fragile in his eyes. Like a withered tree at the end of its lifespan, the current earth was in the final moments of its existence. ¡°Even if I were at my peak, I couldn¡¯t save this planet,¡± It was a grim truth that was hard to swallow for someone as prideful as Zyrus. The duo didn¡¯t speak anything else and focused their efforts on getting used to the laws and mana of this world. Zyrus poured all of his anger and sadness into the beating cocoons. He could feel the changes on earth more clearly with his increased strength. ¡°In this dead world where no life can thrive, may you become the last vestiges of its creation,¡± Zyrus whispered as he terminated the flowing abyssal mana. *Crrrrak* *SHatttter* Perhaps his heartfelt words were heard by the lingering will of the earth. The 500 amargs had finished their evolution. ¡°We greet the lord who has reforged our existence,¡± One after another the gigantic creatures bowed towards Zyrus. While only one of them was able to speak, Zyrus could feel the sincerity in their thoughts. Due to the different factors involved they were fundamentally different from the Abyssal warriors who evolved from the ophidian warriors. His bloodline and the power of abyss had achieved a greater degree of fusion. For in front of Zyrus stood a legion of drakes led by a true wyvern.
Read Transcendent Resurgence: Regressing on an abandoned Earth - on Royal Road and Scribble Hub Chapter 88: Guardian of Sorcery Before their evolution the amargs were nearly 30 feet long. A rhinoceros-like midsection with a long neck and tail which were 10 feet long. Their most remarkable trait was the reddish-white spikes that jutted out from their spines. Now, however, none of these previous traits remained on the abyssal drakes. Their size didn¡¯t change by much, but the amargs'' bulky legs and thin necks were replaced by taut muscles. Pitch-black scales replaced their tough hide, and in place of the spikes were razor-sharp blades of red mana. ¡®It looks like the edge of a spear or a sword. Maybe it¡¯s influenced by my skills as well,¡¯ Zyrus was pleasantly surprised by the results. Further analysis had to be done after observing them in battle, but still, he was sure that they were much stronger than before. ¡°Rise, I look forward to your performance,¡± ¡°We won¡¯t disappoint you,¡± Zyrus nodded at the confident wyvern and continued, ¡°Did you awaken any memories or inheritance?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not too sure about that. Still, I can feel something different in my mind,¡± ¡°I see,¡± Zyrus wasn¡¯t disappointed at his answer. Even without any innate skills the wyvern in front of him was as strong as Camazotz. He had wings that spanned across 50 feet. And although they were connected to his arms just like a bat, the sturdiness of his wings was incomparable to Camazotz. The Wyverns were born to be predators in the skies above. What caught Zyrus''s eyes were the claws and pair of curved horns on the wyvern''s head. Unlike the pitch-black scales they were white like cotton. Even Zyrus wasn¡¯t sure about where such contrasting traits came from. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll know in the battle anyway,¡¯ He reined in his curiosity and started thinking about a name. Giving the wyvern a name was the fastest way to increase his strength. No one except Zyrus knew how strong Elsid was at this moment. He had intentionally concealed the abyssal knight¡¯s intelligence and skills in order to catch his enemies off guard. Just in terms of strength alone, Elsid could easily wipe out half of Zyrus¡¯s current fleet. ¡°Are you going to give him a name?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Franken observed the wyvern with a thoughtful gaze. From its posture, it looked like an elder was looking at a newborn child. While it looked comical with their size difference, it wasn¡¯t surprising as even Zyrus himself was much younger than Franken. ¡°He has some traits of a ¡®Guardian¡¯,¡± ¡°I thought so as well,¡± Zyrus replied as he looked at the wyverns¡¯ white horns and claws. A name immediately popped up in his head at this conjuncture. A Black dragon who was known as the patron and guardian of sorcery. He couldn''t think of a more fitting name. ¡°From this day forth, you shall be known as Zirnitra¡± A black pillar of light manifested in the next instance. It used Zyrus¡¯s source of origin as an anvil and his bloodline as a hammer. The wyverns¡¯, or rather, Zirnitra¡¯s evolution was complete with this last step. [You have given a name to your summon!] [Izena: Your true name defines your existence. Names have the power to awaken sentience in everything in existence, and to name something you need to understand their nature.] [You have the authority to name your summons and give them a new seed of existence] [The name given by you will define their future potential and growth direction] [Note: You can only name one summon per rank] [Note: Based on the summoned being¡¯s role, their name will affect others of the same rank or beyond] [Current ranks of the summon: 1,2] Rank 1: Elsid You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Rank 2: Zirnitra ¡°Great, now we¡¯re all set for the next battle,¡± Zyrus declared in a satisfied tone and closed the cube¡¯s screen. ¡°Am I to hide as per the plan?¡± Franked asked while tapping his hooves on the blazing scroll fragment. Zyrus nodded in acknowledgment and headed out with the drakes and Zirnitra. Unlike before though, he was no longer hiding with the cube¡¯s power. ¡°What hiding? I was just preparing for our battle,¡± Zyrus replied to the glemorax chief. He felt like the name of those stakes was different than he remembered, but he was more concerned about the flow of time. And indeed, his probing worked. It wasn¡¯t like the glemorax chief was unaware of the cube¡¯s mysteries. Today wasn¡¯t the first time they had lost all tracks of Zyrus. After each disappearance, he would return as a whole new being. Nonetheless, even that increment in his strength was within the glemorax¡¯s predictions. ¡°Summon,¡± *Shatter* It was just that had underestimated the sanctuary¡¯s effects. The blessing of order was much more significant than a simple level-up. Hundreds of thousands of ophidian warriors and amargs walked out from the portal. Or to be more accurate, they jumped down from the portals. ¡°You won¡¯t mind if I take them, right?¡± Zyrus sneered as he pointed at the golden stakes. He had opened the summoning portals right above these so-called realm anchors. *Roooooar* ¡°Take them,¡± The drakes obeyed his commands and went all out in offense. The falling amargs didn¡¯t hold anything back and ejected their spikes at the flying aliens. The glemorax chief was immobilized under Zirnitra¡¯s abyssal breath. It was a perfect chance to deal him a fatal blow. But Zyrus didn¡¯t attack the enemy head who was caught off guard. [Shackles of Nihility] Gigantic chains broke out from the mountain ranges below. Zyrus didn¡¯t have to hide his powers of origin on Earth. This wasn¡¯t the curse of nothingness which was executed with the cube¡¯s powers. The black chains and purple shackles were pure manifestations of the laws of void. This was the power that solely belonged to him and him alone. *Crack* The hovering stakes were pierced by the shackles that erased everything in existence. ¡°Retreat,¡± In the same moment that Zyrus collected those miniature suns into his warehouse, a flood of red light enveloped the entire sky. His troops which were unable to retreat were killed in that instant. Even the fading portals were forced open under the dim red light. ¡°The feeling¡¯s mutual, Let¡¯s fight one on one then,¡± Zyrus replied fearlessly and waved his hands at the ground. It was as if the time had reversed as the portals reappeared on the ground. After reading Oroszlan¡¯s journals he had grasped the summoning arts to a whole new level. At least on earth, he could summon his troops anywhere within his perception range. One must remember, that his perception range stretched hundreds of miles under the effects of ¡®The last Apostle¡¯. The glemorax chief frowned as he looked at the hundreds of portals. It would be impossible to predict the enemy¡¯s movements when they could advance and retreat anytime. ¡°Precisely so.¡± Zyrus flew towards the glemorax chief on Zirnitra¡¯s back. While it was a one-on-one fight, neither side mentioned anything about the wyvern. It wasn¡¯t due to the glemorax chief¡¯s honor. He would be more then happy to fight against Zyrus who was unable to fly. But if he allowed the black wyvern to descend on the battlefield below, the entire glemorax army would be wiped out within an hour. Zirnitra was just that strong. The crimson light attacked Zyrus, and he too retaliated with the vortex of blue mana. They were akin to gods on this dying world. The entire sky was turned into a milestone that grinded down the crimson flows of energy. The five meter tall glemorax chief was unperturbed by the scene. The eyes on his wing lit up one by one. Zyrus almost stumbled down from the sky as Zirnitra was trembling all over under the red light. ¡°Focus on defense,¡± ¡°I am ashamed by my weakness, My lord,¡± ¡°On the contrary, only you can withstand this attack,¡± Zyrus wasn¡¯t saying empty words. The red light didn¡¯t posses any miraculous abilities. It pursued the extremes of speed and sharpness. And more times than not, such simple attacks were the hardest to fend off. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can attack,¡± Zyrus roared as he forcefully withstood the attack. His hands were held high as if he was praying to the heavens. The sky itself trembled and even the crimson sunlight was pushed back from the atmosphere. The glemorax chief charged over with a ferocious grin. Although he was much smaller than Zirnitra, just the winds produced by his wings were enough to shake the flying wyvern. He thrust his arms forward like a spear. At the same time, red beams of energy seeped out from his numerous eyes and converged on the same direction. ¡°I admit that I¡¯m weaker than you, but you¡¯re looking down on me too much,¡± It was Zirnitra who replied instead of Zyrus. He understood that his master was unable to retaliate at this moment. And instead of feeling burdened by the glemorax chief¡¯s attack, the black wyvern was feeling proud by Zyrus¡¯s trust in his abilities. A hundred feet long lance formed n front of the glemorax chief. His words were true. If it was a true black dragoon in front of him, then he could only retreat. But be it the black wyvern or the one who rode him, both of them just possessed a trace of the dragon''s bloodline. *Crackkkle* The milestone of clouds formed by Zyrus was turning against him at this moment. Instead of holding back the red lights, it was being used as a grindstone to sharpen the enemy¡¯s spear. Thunderbolts rumbled in the sky that was wrecked by the cataclysmic battle. But they too were drawn into the red spear. Zirnitra stared at that red spear that seemed to penetrate the heavens itself. The outcome of this battle depended on whether he could block this attack or not. ¡°I may be inferior to a true dragon, but still, a dragon isn¡¯t needed to hold off a bug like you,¡± Zirnitra roared with his winds spread wide. White halos of light surged atop his horns, and holy shields formed in front of his stretched claws. This seemingly holy and divine power was the polar opposite of the abyssal mana that flowed through his heat. Nonetheless, it didn¡¯t look contrasting in the eyes of others. Like a lotus blooming atop a filthy pond, his authority as a guardian was unfolding at this instance.
Read Transcendent Resurgence: Regressing on an abandoned Earth - on Royal Road and Scribble Hub Chapter 89: What an End this is A white shield as big as a mountain was forming in front of Zirnitra. It was inlaid with black and golden runes which resonated with the earth¡¯s mana. The glemorax chief wasn¡¯t in the mood to chatter any longer. He aimed to distract the wyvern and deal a critical blow to Zyrus, but from the looks of it, his plan had failed miserably. Not only was the wyvern not lost in rage, his provocation made him even more determined. The battle between the glemorax and Zyrus¡¯s summons was in a similar stalemate as well. Most of the aliens¡¯ fierce attacks landed in the air. The ophidian warriors were fighting like slippery snakes whereas the amaras and drakes guarded the portals. This harassing tactic was rather effective on the glemorax army. The white shield and the red spear finished their transformations at the same time. The hundred-foot-long spear was like a toothpick compared to the enormous shield, but still, Zirnitra wasn¡¯t lax in the slightest. He was feeling firsthand how sharp and penetrative that spear was. Just like Zyrus¡¯s laws of the void, the spear also contained laws of sharpness and penetration. It was just that compared to Zyrus, the glemorax chief¡¯s usage of laws was crude to say the least. He had no hope for further progress as he meddled in too many laws. For the time being though, he had an absolute advantage against opponents at the same level. The glemorax chief chanted in an unknown language. Neither Zirnitra nor Zyrus who was casting a spell knew what it meant. Nonetheless, both had their senses alarming them of danger. A total of nine eyes appeared on the spear¡¯s shaft. even though they were closed, it gave the feeling as if all of their defenses were seen through by those eyes. The eerie red spear shot forth like an arrow. A spatial rift was left behind its trajectory as the spear soared towards the wyvern¡¯s heart. ¡°Sanction: Shield of Amaic,¡± The smaller shield manifested by Zirnitra¡¯s claws moved towards the central shield. They took the shape of a ten diagrams formation. Ten shields were circling the central shield, moving towards each corner along with the sky and the earth. All of this happened in an instant. Barely any time had passed before the red spear clashed against the shield formation. *Craak* The little shields shattered like glass upon the first impact. The red spear seemed to ignore the concept of defense itself as it lunged at the flying wyvern. The glemorax chief was about to launch his next attack on Zyrus, when all of a sudden his expression took a drastic change. So far, only he and Zyrus were able to use the powers of origin. The glemorax chief knew very well that he was inferior to the latter when it came to the source of origin. It was one of the many reasons as to why his lord had ordered the summoner¡¯s execution. But now, there was a third entity who used a source of origin. What caused him to doubt his knowledge was the fact that this entity was someone else¡¯s summon. Zirnitra was fundamentally different from everyone else. The wyvern didn¡¯t just inherit the spells and knowledge of sorcery upon his evolution. He also possessed a source of origin just like Tauranox and Camazotz. Zyrus had a surprised yet pleasant look on his face. To be honest, he didn¡¯t have total faith in the zirnitra¡¯s ability after seeing the nine eyes on the spear. The only reason he didn¡¯t stop his spell casting was because unlike other mages who suffered a backlash upon interruption, he had no such limits. Even after losing most of his powers, he was the most knowledgeable arcanist alive. He could wield mana however he wished. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Zyrus continued his casting while keeping an eye on the battle below. Neither the glemorax chief nor Zirnitra could afford to shift their focus. They weren¡¯t like Zyrus afterall. One went all out in attack while the other was completely focused on defending. The disadvantage of such high-level moves was evident at this moment. If not for the fact that the glemorax chief was wary of Zyrus¡¯s various means, he wouldn¡¯t have used such a method. It was to his advantage to grind them down by using kiting tactics. *Krrrsshh* Screeching sounds resounded across the mountain range as the spear and the shield grinded against one another. Neither of the two could last for more than a minute, but still, the aftershocks of their clash were strong enough to flip the land and shatter the sky. The glemorax warriors and Zyrus¡¯s summons stopped their battle and focused on defending. Even the portals formed by Zyrus were destabilized under the impact of the battle above. It was a cataclysmic scene to behold. layers of atmosphere were ripped apart by the spear and shields'' collision, making the outer space visible from the ground. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect the glemorax chief to be so rash, but I¡¯ll gladly take the gift,¡¯ Zyrus chuckeled without worry and hastened his casting. The glemorax chief had given him a steady impression. Thus, he aimed to change the battle¡¯s tempo in his favor. He knew very well that there wasn¡¯t a high chance that he¡¯d be able to finish this spell. But now it was different. Although Zirnitra was slowly edging towards defeat in this collision, Zyrus wasn¡¯t the least bit concerned about it. While he knew a lot about incantation and conjuring magic, he wasn¡¯t an expert in either field. The same went for summoning, elemental, and many such branches of magic. His fame as a dimensional mage was attained after the fourth ring. Dimensional magic wasn¡¯t a child¡¯s play. Lv 100 was the minimum requirement to dabble in this field. Zyrus was the example of a textbook mage before that. He wasn¡¯t specialized in any magic, but at the same time, he didn¡¯t have any limitations either. ¡®I remember I won the flag march by using this spell,¡¯ Zyrus had a reminiscent smile as he finished the spell casting. Hundreds of magic circles appeared in the torn sky. Neither a second before, nor a second after. All circles manifested at the same instant. Such control was impossible to attain, even for the likes of Aurora and Anansi. ¡®It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t use it this time,¡¯ He didn¡¯t have the time to practice all the skills he learned before regression. It would be more efficient if he created new skills in the sanctuary. One had to achieve sufficient feats to be recognized by the sanctuary. Although Zyrus knew a lot of spells, he couldn¡¯t use them without getting achievements. His situation was like a veteran soldier who was playing a shooting game. Even though he had the knowledge, he couldn¡¯t use it in the game without sufficient programming. ¡°Well, I can just go wild on earth,¡± Zyrus shook off his nostalgic thoughts and brought down his hands. Time slowed down and the space became even more unstable. It was as if the entire sky was collapsing along with his hands. Just like the fireball was a novice spell that marked the beginning of a mage¡¯s journey, there was also a spell that signified the apex of spell casting. ¡°Meteor blast,¡± The shield and the spear started sizzling at this moment. At Zyrus¡¯s current level, this spell can at most affect the radius of a hundred meters. However, this wasn¡¯t the sanctuary. This was Earth, a world that was tethering on the brink of destruction. The space in this region was even more fragile due to Zyrus¡¯s portals and spatial rifts left by the spear. To add more fuel to the fire, the atmosphere was shredded in this area as well. Thus, what fell from the sky wasn¡¯t a meteor¡¯s projection made by mana. ¡°Did you forget what I told you last time?¡± Zyrus spoke and pointed at the falling meteor. The yellowish-red object engulfed whatever was remaining of the sky. ¡°I said that it would be the end when I return,¡± And was here a more fitting end than a natural catastrophe that could wipe out civilizations? Both the spear and shield¡¯s projections broke apart under the searing heat. Thousands of glemorax warriors were roasted alive at each passing second. What else can they do? Even their chief didn¡¯t fare any better against the cosmic object. The glemorax chief cackled in madness. He knew that going back was futile. Even if he survived this attack by a miracle, his lord wouldn¡¯t spare him after repeated failures. Zyrus didn¡¯t wait for the glemorax chief¡¯s last words. Talking during battle was only advantageous if he wanted to probe for information or stall for time. But now, why would he waste his time on someone weaker than him? Zyrus clapped his hands and the meteor split in half. One of them descended on the flying glemorax chief whereas the other fragmented into thousands of rays. The glemorax chief saw the yellow beams of energy piercing the brains of his kinsmen. And before long, he too was consumed by the same burst of thermal energy. ¡°Still not showing up huh,¡± Zyrus muttered as he stared at the far horizon. He knew that there was a ¡®lord¡¯ behind these four-armed aliens. Unless their lord was dumber than an orc, he wouldn¡¯t just sit there and send waves of resources in his way. The only possible scenario was that something was restricting his movements. And since that was the case, he would take this chance to improve his strength once again. The verdara beetles and glemorax were wiped out for good. Now, it was time to reclaim the sole continent on earth. Chapter 90: Reclaim the lost lands [Mission: Exterminate the Glemorax King] [Reward: ???] [Side mission: Exterminate the invaders (I) (Complete)] [Side mission: Exterminate the invaders (II) (Complete)] Zyrus scrolled through the cube¡¯s mission, but there wasn¡¯t much of a change. Two side missions were completed which gave him piles of Bone enhancement fluid and Muscle enhancement fluid. He could foresee the end of the first mission; however, he had yet to find a clue about the second main mission. [Mission: Canoe of Catastrophe] [???] [Reward: ???] He had his own ideas about the sudden dungeon break on earth. He didn¡¯t have the time to mull over things when he was in the first ring. He had neither the knowledge nor the strength to afford such things. Now though, he had a bit of both. ¡®Everything else aside, I¡¯ll focus on this first,¡¯ [Side mission: Reclaim the lost lands] [Reward: New facilities can be created in the area under your control] It was simply a matter of time before he conquered the whole continent minus the red zone. All of the aliens were wiped out in this battle. Thus, he just needed to travel across the continent to convert the whole land into a green zone. He felt bad for poor Franken who¡¯ll have to stay in the warehouse. They had to keep up the ¡®fa?ade¡¯ of his trump card. ¡®On the positive note, it won¡¯t take long with this,¡¯ [The last Apostle] He will stand fearlessly when the world crumbles on the dawn of apocalypse. He will fight the darkness that devourers civilizations. On the world abandoned by all, he will usher the era of conquest. Heaven¡¯s blessings: 20x mana regeneration on Earth. 20x stamina regeneration on Earth. Your summoned creature''s kills will also be counted as yours. The world is my Oyster: Can teleport to anywhere within 500 miles when out of combat. CD: 3 minutes Mark of Asclepius: Automatic health recovery when fighting against an invasion. Note: The title¡¯s effects will improve depending on your actions. Apart from this, he didn¡¯t gain any direct rewards from this battle. The corpse would be used for summoning and empowerment, and while he could make some items with the glemorax chief¡¯s remains, he¡¯d rather use it on Elsid. His named subordinates were considered as different entities. Naturally, it was possible to use his class-related skills on them. ¡°Zirnitra, led the drakes and cover a corner. I¡¯ll deal with the rest,¡± ¡°Yes, my liege,¡± Zyrus found it funny that Zirnitra had changed the form of address after noticing that there was also a ¡®lord¡¯ behind the glemorax. ¡°See you in a week then,¡± Zyrus waved his hands and disappeared with a flash. The earth was about to welcome a ruler after waiting for countless millennia. ¡­ Days passed by on the doomsday-like earth. The earlier battle had affected the entire planet¡¯s climate. It was hard to predict day and night in this place. One thing was for sure though, the days were getting hotter while each night was more bone-chilling than the one before. Apart from cursing at the weather and dropping off his summons, Zyrus was doing one more thing. He wanted to create totems in the sanctuary that would form a grand formation in the end. His idea of merging mage towers and tribal totems was put on hold due to the lack of sufficient resources. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. However, the conditions were different on earth. He could use his summons for totems and substitute a lot of materials with them. There was no upper limit to the number of summons, and thus, Zyrus generously used over 30,000 summons to lay out the groundwork. One might think that it was a risky gamble, but Zyrus believed otherwise. ¡®Numbers are useless if your opponent is above your league of existence-¡¯ he firmly believed in these words. He was certain that this was the case with the one behind the glemorax. It didn¡¯t matter whether he had an army of 150,000 or 100,000. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that the summons were useless. They were seedlings which would one day grow into a verdant forest. What they needed right now was time and resources. ¡°Welcome, my liege,¡± Zirnitra and the drakes greeted him at the mountain range. Today was the last day of the week. ¡°Although we¡¯ve conquered pretty much everything on these lands, it somehow feels empty,¡± Zyrus shrugged as he looked at the red zone. ¡°Indeed. We must remove these pests from the roots,¡± ¡°If only it was that simple¡­¡± ¡°You learned telepathy?¡± Franken¡¯s aggrieved voice sounded in the duo¡¯s ears. Even Zirnitra who had just gained intelligence could tell that it was a white-faced lie. ¡°Ahem¡­ just hold on for a while.¡± ¡°A month maybe? A bit longer if we want to be thorough,¡± ¡°Tch..if you¡¯re so bored then do some work,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t reply right away and opened the cube¡¯s screen instead. He had made remarkable progress in the side mission. Now, he could build many facilities in the green zones. [Congratulations! You are one step closer to completing the Side mission] [You have reached the required threshold to unlock various facilities] [Current limit: 1/9] [Please select from below:] [1. Barracks] [2. Castle] [3. Alchemy tower] [4. Teleport waypoint] [5. Warehouse] [6. Forge] [7. Bestiary] [8. Satellite] He wanted to build a teleport waypoint and satellite after defeating the glemorax king. He didn¡¯t need a castle and warehouse at the moment, and the bestiary was like a joke in this dead world. Thus, Zyrus chose from the three remaining options. Barracks: Train your subordinates or summons according to the selected regimen. Increases the chance of evolution and skill learning process. You can appoint an instructor to teach their designated skill. Limit: 10,000 Instructor limit: 1 Note: You can either create a regimen yourself or generate one based on your goal. Additional materials might be required depending on the goal. ¡®Hmm.. five of these would do for now,¡¯ Zyrus decided and looked at the other two tabs. Alchemy tower: A tower equipped with necessary potion-making and enchantment tools. It has a large collection of blueprints and potion formulas, which can be accessed by improving the alchemy proficiency. Worker limit: 100 Researcher limit: 10 Lead alchemist position: 1 Note: A large amount of materials are required to practice alchemy. Given enough time and resources, it is possible to impart basic mastery to the tower¡¯s occupants. Forge: A forge equipped with necessary weaponsmithing and artifact refining tools. It has a large collection of blueprints and research theories, which can be accessed by improving the forging proficiency. Worker limit: 200 Researcher limit: 15 Lead forger position: 1 Note: A large amount of materials are required to practice forging. Given enough time and resources, it is possible to impart basic mastery to the tower¡¯s occupants. The alchemy tower was perfect to blossom Zirnitra¡¯s talents. He had inherited the knowledge of sorcery, but even then, he needed the necessary tools to put it into practice. ¡®And the forge will keep Franken busy for the time being,¡¯ Zyrus closed the screen and opened the map. Elsid was ideal to be an instructor, and Franken was suited for the bestiary. Now he just needed someone who was good at observation and navigation for the satellite, and a blacksmith who could be in charge of the forge. However, these were issues for the future him. At the moment he had to focus on slaying the glemorax king. Zyrus zoomed out the map and clicked on a nearby plain. It wasn¡¯t that far from the warehouse, and he could travel to and fro within minutes. He decided to leave the central area for the castle. With a click of his finger five barracks were placed in a pentagon formation. They would form the first line of defense against any enemy attacks. After that, he planned to build the alchemy tower, forge, and bestiary in a triangle formation. *Rumble* Earthquakes erupted on the designated area which could be felt from miles away. As much as Zyrus wanted to watch the construction process, he didn¡¯t have the leisure to do so. Time was of the essence, and he would use every minute to prepare for the final battle. ¡°It is unlikely that the enemy will take the initiative to attack, but still, do not exit the facilities for the time being.¡± Zyrus added as he ordered Zirnitra to lead his 100,000-strong army. ¡°As you command, my liege,¡± After nodding at the departing troops Zyrus once again teleported to the warehouse. Franken had already left for his new home, aka, the forge. ¡®Two months¡­ this should be enough to create another skill for the 13 curses of void,¡¯ It had been a while since he unlocked the authority via the cube. He was unable to progress any further due to time restrictions, but the current situation was ideal to make up for it. ¡®If I succeed then I have a 70% chance of winning on the first try,¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s deduction was based on the glemorax chief¡¯s abilities and his knowledge of the aliens. Of course, the chance of victory was 100% if he used some underhanded means. It was just that it wouldn¡¯t be as satisfying as a head-on victory. ¡®How many years has it been since I made a skill to counter the enemy?¡¯ thought Zyrus as he sat down on the warm floor. His eyes held an intrigued gaze as he read the information on the cube. This all-knowing object was perfect for an arcanist who had a bottomless hunger for knowledge.
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Chapter 91: So tell me little Bug, Who trapped you here? Mages were seclusive bunch to begin with. Seldom did they move away from their mage towers. The players were somewhat unique case since they didn¡¯t have the luxury to choose such a lifestyle. Even so, those who were ¡®true¡¯ mages still followed the same pattern. Not everyone who used magic could be called a mage. Years of hard work was needed to advance in any field, regardless of the profession. Everyone had to put their efforts to advance in their classes. One had to give the humans their credit as not only were they hard working, they were also bloody efficient with it. They had potential to surpass the elves in their magic and dwarves in their forging. And as the one who once led the whole of humanity, Zyrus¡¯s talents and dedication were unquestionable. There were some leaders who became drunk on their power and authority. If it was someone else instead of Zyrus who had regressed, then no one could tell what they''d be doing right now. It was tempting to rule over others due to your information advantage. If Zyrus went with the flow then he could easily surpass all of the players on the Kyros continent. But so what? He knew about all the hidden treasures and hunting grounds. He could level up with ease and spend his days preparing for revenge, but would he be satisfied then? It was true that revenge was his goal and first priority, but it wouldn¡¯t give him back what he had lost. He had to break past his limits and step into a new realm to make his wishes come true. Absolute strength was needed to establish peace. Anything else was just a na?ve dream. Zyrus ignored the passage of time as he studied in the warehouse. Due to his title¡¯s effects, he didn¡¯t have to eat, drink, or sleep. Every second of his was dedicated to the study of arcana. And sure enough, miracles are bound to happen when talent meets hard work. ¡°I¡¯m really missing my spear,¡± Zyrus muttered as he stretched his sore muscles. He was right on time in creating the new skill, but a real battle was required to register it into the cube. Theory was theory in the end. His goal was to counter the main advantages the glemorax had- their speed and defense. A novice might think that their power was due to the sharpness, but Zyrus knew better. Regardless of how powerful a weapon was, one needed enough speed and strength to make use of it. The glemorax were lethal when you couldn¡¯t dodge their attacks. Even if you trade blows for blows, they would destroy you with the laws of sharpness and penetration. Their red armors weren¡¯t for decoration either. Kamikaze tactics were useless against opponents like these. ¡®They are the superior version of orcs,¡¯- this was Zyrus¡¯s conclusion after studying their patterns. Zyrus had sensed the powers of origin in the glemorax chief¡¯s attacks. It was safe to assume that the lord behind them had a source of origin related to sharpness. And while he didn¡¯t have the means to restrict the latter¡¯s source of origin, he could try other means to achieve even better results. He would have a shot at victory as long as the glemorax king¡¯s speed and defense were compromised. ¡°Get ready Franken. Remember to ¡®hide¡¯ where he can sense you,¡± Zyrus sent the message to the forge after he exited the warehouse. Both of them were companions, and their perception range was also monstrous. They could communicate across vast distances on earth. ¡°I¡¯ll assume that you¡¯re done with the scroll?¡± ¡°Looking forward to it,¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Zyrus didn¡¯t show any change in expression as he teleported towards the red zone. This was neither an ambush nor a war. It was a confrontation between two rulers. ¡­ At the edge of the sole continent on earth, there was a castle made from white marble. Majestic golden gates were placed in each direction of the castle. Thirteen piers gleamed under the crimson sky, giving the palace an ominous yet regal vibe. Rather than a king''s abode the place looked like the residence of a god. One would feel a strange sense of discrepancy upon looking at the surrounding area. And in the case of Zyrus, it wasn¡¯t merely a sense. ¡®This place is about to be assimilated with another dimension,¡¯ Zyrus frowned without halting his steps. Little time was left before his time limit on earth. Had had to proceed with the fight regardless of the current scenario. ¡°O mighty lord, shouldn¡¯t you send someone to greet this humble guest of yours?¡± Zyrus shouted in a sincere tone. There was nothing wrong with the words spoken, however, it was a different case if the one who spoke had killed your entire race. *Whizzzzzz* A mountain of pressure descended around the golden gate. If it weren¡¯t for his strong willpower then Zyrus would have prostrated on the ground at this moment. ¡®I was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t care about the dead glemorax, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case,¡¯ Zyrus shrugged off the pressure as if it were air and punched at the golden door. The majestic gate was sent flying with its hinges just like that. ¡°As expected from a bug. Regardless of how strong you become; you¡¯ll always be inferior to other races.¡± It was total bullshit. Even a lv 25 dragon would be squashed under this immense force of will. Unfortunately for the glemorax king though, the one at his doorstep was far scarier than a dragon. Even Nidraxis couldn¡¯t pressure him based on willpower alone. ¡°Let me guess, you can¡¯t act outside of your little dollhouse, can you?¡± *Whizzzzzz* ¡°Hahaha.. how amusing. You¡¯re like a little bug trapped in a jar,¡± Zyrus was even more certain of his guesses. There was a reason behind everything. The law of causality was applicable regardless of the time and space. There were events, experience points, level-ups, and many such game-like elements in the sanctuary. He didn¡¯t question them because he knew the cause and effects of them. No one had the power to create something out of nothing. If the one who built the sanctuary had such power, then there would be no need for players. Couldn¡¯t they just level up anyone and achieve whatever fucking goal they had? The fact that the place was named ¡®sanctuary¡¯ was enough of a proof. ¡°So tell me little bug, who trapped you here? For what reason did you invade this planet after I came back?¡± The white marble was trembling as if it was about to explode. But nothing could stop Zyrus¡¯s steps or his words. Words which pierced the very soul of the glemorax king. Someone much weaker than him was ridiculing him at his own castle, and he could do nothing but watch on his throne. ¡°Oh right, my bad. You probably can¡¯t talk either.¡± Zyrus tapped his forehead in a sympathetic manner. His previous question wasn¡¯t for taunting the glemorax king. He wanted to know the answer as well. Where did the cube¡¯s rewards come from? It surely didn¡¯t create things like bone and muscle enhancement fluid out of thin air. The same went for missions. The original mission was called ¡®Relay across generations,¡¯ but it was changed because the dungeons broke out on earth. ¡®Why now of all times? Humans had left for more than three billion years for fucks sake.¡¯ Zyrus wouldn¡¯t believe it was a coincidence even after drinking dwarven ale. ¡°Are you thinking that I¡¯m angering you to get the answers? Well, as much as I want to do that, it won¡¯t work right?¡± Zyrus spoke as he laid his palm on the central gates. He could feel the gaze of thirteen bloodshot eyes through the closed doors. ¡°A bug like you can be a pawn at most. You probably don¡¯t know more than me anyway,¡± Zyrus punched at the last door between them, but it was surprisingly sturdy. His full-powered blow just caused a dent in the golden door. ¡°Does this thing have a key or something? How do you go out usually? Ah, my bad. You don¡¯t.¡± *Clang*Clang* ¡°This scenario is somewhat like a hero storming a demon king''s castle, isn¡¯t it? The demon king would send its lackeys which¡¯ll conveniently power up the hero and his party. Then, they would slay the awful demon with the power of friendship! Cool right? Did you have stories like that in your world?¡± *Clang*Clang*Clang* ¡°But you know what, I hate that. Both the hero and the demon king are pawns in the end. They may act all high and mighty, but in the end, their freedom is restricted and their actions are determined by others. I fucking hate it when I feel like a clown dancing on someone else¡¯s stage.¡± *Craaaack* ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t have something like friends or subordinates left. As the last living beings of our race, as the kings with neither a kingdom nor any subjects-¡± The door cracked open and the two met one another for the first time. In front of grinning Zyrus was the last glemorax sitting on the ivory throne. ¡°Let us bring an end to this game of chess,¡± Zyrus declared with his arms spread wide. Since someone dared to use him as a pawn, then he¡¯d make them feel the pain. Consequences be damned. He was a pawn that dared to destroy the chessboard itself.
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Chapter 92: Void Quandary What answered his call was a sharp glare from the thirteen eyes. The ruler of glemorax stood up from the towering thirty-meter-tall throne. Without saying a word he unfurled his four pairs of wings which had two eyes on each. ¡°Attacking right away huh, some host you are,¡± Zyrus spoke as he channeled his mana and activated the Avatar skill. The white marble which was trembling for a while finally broke apart at this instance. *Boooom* The entire castle was shattered into bits and pieces except the ivory throne. The glemorax king hovered in the sky while pointing his arms at Zyrus. The twenty-meter-long arms would have ripped apart the fabric of space if they were on earth. It was fortunate this place was assimilated with a foreign dimension. Both opponents had the home-ground advantage in this fight, however, with a skill like ¡®Avatar¡¯ and a title like ¡®The Last Apostle¡¯, Zyrus was ahead in terms of momentum. Even the glemorax king was forced to pause for a moment. The immense pressure of bloodline had narrowed the gap between their league of existence. A hundred-meter-long eastern dragon was floating above the castle¡¯s ruins. In the sanctuary, he had summoned a projection of a dragon. But it was different this time. The black dragon opened his abyss-like eyes. One eye was calm and tranquil whereas the other showed a crazed intent of slaughter and destruction. This was the result of Zyrus¡¯s merging with the world''s laws. His physique wasn¡¯t strong enough to awaken his dormant bloodline, but the fact changed under the synergistic effects of his title and skill. Although it was a forced and incomplete transformation, its might was nothing to scoff at. *Roooooar* Zyrus¡¯s roar broke apart the silence between the two. Four gold and two crimson horns which adorned the glemorax king¡¯s head, were now erupting with a sharp intent. Like a knife slicing through butter they tore through Zyrus¡¯s accumulating mana. Zyrus wasn¡¯t in the mood to chatter at this time. Unlike the glemorax king, he couldn¡¯t maintain this state for long. He was unable to exert the full power of his new body, but this didn¡¯t stop him from using his mana. He clawed at the glemorax king¡¯s chest, or to be precise, at the three eyes that were shining on his chest. *Whiirl* The claw marks transformed into five vortexes. But before they could exert any power, they were shredded by an unknown force. ¡®A domain made from the source of sharpness¡­,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t have the time to think further as two pincer-like hands were already at his throat. *Roooar* Instead of avoiding the attack, he used poison breath at the enemy. His recovery rates were off the charts in this state. It was impossible to kill him unless every cell of his was disintegrated in the same instant. The glemorax king retreated with a frown. He didn¡¯t mind the lousy poison in the attack. What alarmed him was the corrosive power of the abyss. Although it couldn¡¯t corrode his domain, the abyssal mana was hard to get rid of. It was like slashing at a pit of tar. The abyssal power was a good counter against the source of sharpness. *Crrrrack* The space cracked once again as the glemorax king drew back his arms. If he couldn¡¯t slash the tar then he¡¯d just penetrate it with speed. ¡°Fuc-¡± *Bang* Before he knew it Zyrus was already smashed on the ground. Judging from the gaping holes on his heart and forehead, he didn¡¯t need to guess what happened. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Zyrus slammed his tail on the ground and shot towards the glemorax king. But as he had guessed before, his speed was inferior compared to his foe. His jaws didn¡¯t even catch the glemorax king¡¯s shadow. The glemorax king didn¡¯t allow Zyrus to take the imitative. He interrupted the latter¡¯s skill casting with two hands while his other hands drew a rune in the air. The broken spires reassembled under the bloodred light. [Shackles of Nihility] Before the shackles could land on the spire they were already destroyed by the sharp aura. ¡®Looks like I can only go all out,¡¯ Zyrus stopped dodging the attacks and forcefully activated the powers within him. His current form wasn¡¯t a coincidence. His bloodline had the potential to evolve in any direction. Perhaps It was due to Nidraxis¡¯s blood but he felt like he had a higher affinity with the dragonoid species. He had selected the azure dragon due to its unique advantages, and the same was true for the current abyssal dragon. *Clang*Clang*Clang* Golden bells rang on the reconstructed towers. The entire world seemed to resonate with their chimes. *Rooooar* Zyrus roared as he activated his bloodline powers and the abyssal mana simultaneously. Both of them combined were barely enough to stand against his source of origin. The laws of void held the power to erase everything from existence. Zyrus himself was no exception. His strong willpower allowed him to resist the impact of void, but the same wasn¡¯t true for his physical body. If he was careless then he¡¯d become a wandering soul without a body. ¡®Well, here goes nothing,¡¯ Zyrus gritted his teeth and put his theory into practice. He wouldn¡¯t dare to use such a method under normal conditions, but his current transformation as an abyssal dragon had a chance to succeed. The thirteen eyes on the glemorax king¡¯s body achieved a complete resonance with the chiming bells. The sky was dyed in a deeper shade of red.13 gigantic eyes manifested in front of the trembling black dragon. Even the sun felt dim under the glaring lights of these eyes. Zyrus felt like the numerous white pupils were tearing apart his soul, but still, he didn¡¯t stop his attack. ¡°Argh-¡± Zyrus spat a mouthful of blood as the invisible attack landed on his source of origin. He realized firsthand how Tauranox and Camazotz felt when he snuffed out their existence. ¡°You¡¯re right, but I¡¯ll fix that flaw thanks to you,¡± Zyrus spoke with a bloody grin and activated his skill. The contrasting powers of abyss and void were stabilized at this moment. Even though his current state was temporary, it was enough. [Curse of Uncertainty: Void Quandary] There were no visible changes, but still, the glemorax¡¯s kings¡¯ attacks missed their mark. ¡°Humans may be weak, but none can deny their intellect,¡± It was hypocritical coming from someone who had given up on humanity. Nonetheless, Zyrus wasn¡¯t one who shied away from the truth. This spell he made was based on Heisenberg''s principle. It was impossible to determine a particle¡¯s position and momentum at the same time. The more accurate one is, the less you can find about the other. This theory showed the inherent unpredictability of particles at the quantum level. Zyrus used the same principle to ¡®dodge¡¯ the glemorax king¡¯s attack. Be it magical or physical attacks, they were directed at something in the end. Even the spells that targeted a mobile target or the archers'' seeking arrows, all of them had to pinpoint a target. But what if their target was a particle? Just by observing its position you would change its momentum. And if you focused on its momentum then it would change its position. *Clang*Clang*Clang* The bells chimed once again. It was an aoe attack that surrounded the entire battlefield, but even so, it was unable to injure Zyrus. It was as if he existed in another dimension altogether. In the eyes of the glemorax king, all of his attacks passed through the abyssal dragon without dealing any damage. He almost thought that the dragon in front of him was just a projection. ¡®While it¡¯s fun to annoy others with this principle, it¡¯s too taxing for the current me,¡¯ An enormous amount of mana was needed to treat a hundred-meter body as a particle. Besides, Zyrus didn¡¯t create this skill to dodge and run away. *Cracck* The thirteen bells cracked at once. A black sphere was forming above the abyssal dragon. It was silent like the depths of the ocean, without any fluctuation of laws and mana. The glemorax king stopped his attacks and used the bells to raise his defense. He knew very well that it was Zyrus who was in a hurry to finish the battle. He had no reason to rashly take on this eerie attack. ¡®A clever bastard indeed,¡¯ Zyrus clicked his tongue and ignored the rest. He wouldn¡¯t have needed two months to integrate Herzenberg¡¯s principle into his defense. His goal was to use the unpredictability of the particles as a base and create a new spell. He wanted to integrate the concept of position and momentum with the powers of void and abyss. He didn¡¯t want a spell that made him invulnerable for a short time. What he wanted was an attack that could not be avoided by anyone. ¡®Void Quandary¡¯ was based on the mana attribute of abyss and the laws of void. He used his abyssal domain- ¡®Malediction¡¯ as a base and added his bloodline power into it. This boosted the traits of abyssal mana so that it could stand against his laws of void. One spread infinitely and corrupted everything in the vicinity, while the other erased everything from existence. The two principles were polar opposites in nature. But what if they worked on the principle of uncertainty? The black sphere was the result of that. ¡°Descend,¡± The amalgamation of void and abyss fell on the glemorax king. Chapter 93: I’ll be back in a bit [Remaining Time: 00:05:00] Zyrus glanced at the timer while focusing on his mana. The black sphere was approaching closer and closer to the domain of sharpness. If he relied on the principle of uncertainty then it was possible to attack at higher speed. In that case, the attack would exist in multiple potential stats, and the final outcome would be determined at the moment of contact. It was an excellent move to bypass defense while avoiding any counterattack. However, his source of origin was based on the laws of void, not the laws of uncertainty. And without the power of laws there was no way to deal with the glemorax king¡¯s domain. ¡®But it worked out in the end,¡¯ Zyrus curved his lips as the sphere came in contact with the laws of sharpness. The domain of sharpness was erased just like that. The power of void could erase space and time itself, much less a mere concept of sharpness. ¡°Is that so? Maybe I expected too much from an insect,¡± Zyrus looked at the glemorax king as if he was a moron. Why would he go through so much trouble if all he wanted was to erase the domain? He could¡¯ve just clawed at it while manifesting the laws of void. ¡®Show me what you¡¯ll do without your speed and defense,¡¯ Void quandary didn¡¯t just contain the power of void. The abyss''s magical attribute was feared across all dimensions, but it wasn¡¯t to the point that no one could deal with it. The easiest way to remove the corruption and spread of abyss was by purging it with pure mana. It was like an inky stain on a white cloth. Removing it was just annoying, not impossible. But what if the stain couldn¡¯t be removed no matter what? What if it kept spreading by converting the cloth into ink itself? *Clang*Clang*Clang* The bells chimed at increasing speed. Zyrus knew that the bells weren¡¯t making the glemorax king stronger. They acted like anchors that connected the earth with another dimension. Breaking the bell wouldn¡¯t weaken the glemorax king. On the contrary, it would only make him stronger. ¡®But the stronger he is, the more he¡¯ll be suppressed by the will of the earth,¡¯ It was a good outcome under normal circumstances. It was a pity that the current earth was too weak in comparison. Instead of suppressing the aliens, it was more likely that the entire plant would be ripped apart. Neither Zyrus nor the invading aliens wanted such an outcome. ¡®Not that it¡¯ll happen under the void quandary,¡¯ Thousands of red strands entangled the black sphere. They weren¡¯t powered by the laws of sharpness though; it was pure mana that made them tangible. The glemorax king had long since sensed the presence of void and abyss on the black sphere. He didn¡¯t know what was the purpose of using abyssal mana this way, but he didn''t care either way. The traits of abyss weren¡¯t tricky to deal with. Or so he thought. ¡°Hahaha¡­ is this strong enough?¡± <¡­> Instead of anger or fear, the glemorax king felt pure absurdity at the moment. He could accept if his mana was erased by the laws of void. He would also accept if his mana was corrupted by the abyssal attribute. Though it would only happen if his mana was inferior in quality and quantity compared to Zyrus¡¯s mana, it was still within the bounds of reason. But what happened was completely against the laws of nature. It wasn¡¯t the abyssal mana that corroded his pure mana. The black sphere grew bigger and bigger until it engulfed half the sky. It didn¡¯t give the deep feeling of abyss. It was empty. Without space, time, matter, and energy. It was a true manifestation of void. *Craack* The thirteen bells cracked at once. It wasn¡¯t due to Zyrus though. It was the glemorax king who destroyed them. He acknowledged his defeat even though it hurt his pride. He, or rather, no one was a match for Zyrus on the same league of existence. Regardless of the preconditions involved, Just this attack made him unrivaled and invincible across all dimensions. ¡°Void is just a concept of emptiness. Unlike other laws such as fire, wind, and even sharpness, it couldn¡¯t be manifested. The laws of void deny the existence of everything, then how could they themselves exist?¡± [Remaining Time: 00:03:00] ¡°Do you know about black holes? We can not observe them because they devour the light itself. However, their interaction with matter allows us to pinpoint their location.¡± Both were aware that this conversation was just to stall for time. The glemorax king needed some time to completely descend to the earth, and Zyrus needed to survive for 3 minutes to execute his plan. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Tch.. I was just giving an example. Did I ever say that my attack had the concept of singularity?¡± Zyrus replied in a mocking tone. The glemorax king had a gross misconception about the black sphere. It was the farthest thing from ¡®Stable¡¯. Zyrus couldn¡¯t apply the principle of uncertainty on either the laws of void or the abyssal mana. Both of them were a concept of their own. It was impossible to make something like uncertain void, or uncertain fire. The laws of fire burned everything; the laws of ice froze everything and the laws of void erased everything. If you mix something like uncertainty into them then it¡¯d be burned, frozen, or erased. The glemorax king also realized his mistake, but he was no longer interested in knowing the correct answer. Not that Zyrus would tell him in the first place. ¡®I think Jacob would understand it faster than him,¡¯ The prairie fire spell worked in a similar way. It was just that it would take centuries of hard work and a lucky encounter for him to realize it. Laws were something that could only be comprehended, not taught. Take prairie fire for example. It manifested as a fiery tornado or flame walls. It might look seamless on the surface, but if one looked at it on a tiny scale then they¡¯d see a different scene. There wasn¡¯t a law of fiery tornado. It was a result of the interaction between the laws of fire and the laws of wind, stimulated by the user¡¯s mana. Even Zyrus barely understood this after getting the eyes of annihilation and learning about laws. Be it the simple fireball spell of his current attack, both needed laws to work. One was passive while the other was active, there was a world of difference between them. Void quandary was working on a similar principle. The black sphere was made up of billions of particles. He applied the principle of uncertainty onto them, but instead of changing their position or momentum, he charged them with the laws of void and the abyssal attribute. When they were on a fixed position, the laws of void would act and erase everything around them. And when they were mobile, the abyssal mana would act and corrupt the surrounding environment and mana. This phenomenon needed the abyss¡¯s corrosive nature along with a vast amount of mana to function. He was actively using the laws of void, while the abyssal attribute could be considered a passive law due to his bloodline and class. It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t learn two laws like the glemorax chief. However, neither he nor the glemorax king had done such a thing. You can only reach the apex of one direction- Regardless of how many paths you walk upon, there was only one destination. ¡®Even I don¡¯t know how to progress on my path to reach the origin of void,¡¯ Zyrus sighed as he recalled the manual that he couldn¡¯t read. He was like a starving man who could only look at the food in his hand, without being able to eat it. *Ruuumble* The continent split apart at this moment. A large ravine was left where the caste was used to be. ¡®Would people call him a god?¡¯ Zyrus observed the gigantifying glemorax king with stern eyes. He was above lv 100 by sanctuary¡¯s standards, but even so, Zyrus wouldn¡¯t have had such a thought. Under the oppressive aura the void quandary was reduced to a tenth of its size. There was a fundamental difference between them apart from levels and league of existence. Something that went beyond speed, strength, and vitality. ¡®A new stat? but it shouldn¡¯t be that simple,¡¯ [Remaining Time: 00:01:00] One thing was for sure though, the next minute would be the most life-threatening moment after his regression. The glemorax king was now a thousand feet tall. His hands moved faster than a metro trait and slammed at the flying Zyrus. While he spoke that, the glemorax king¡¯s feet were already on top of the dismembered dragon. ¡°Hahah-Kuk.. Hahaha,¡± Zyrus laughed even while spewing out blood. He was forced out of his transformation after the abyssal dragon was torn apart by the laws of sharpness. He had rarely felt such a rush of adrenaline after he reached the top. Who apart from the eternals could reduce him to such a state? Zyrus didn¡¯t bother replying as he burrowed into the ground. He was confident that the cube would work regardless of the conditions. But since that was the case, it would be the last time could use this method. The other alien lords wouldn¡¯t allow him to escape by using the same method. *Kiiiiekekek* ¡®Fuck that bug like bastard,¡¯ Zyrus was bleeding from his seven orifices. Just a scream from the glemorax king was enough to turn him into a puddle of flesh. If not for his inhumane recovery speed, he would have long since died. [Remaining Time: 00:00:30] *Booom* *Bang*Bang*Bang* Hundreds or perhaps thousands of attacks landed on the frail land. Each attack was like a meteor crashing on the surface. While it may sound ridiculous, an attack of this scale was enough to throw earth out of its orbit. It barely survived due to the high assimilation rate with the alien dimension. Zyrus once again used his transformation and surged out from the ground. However, the current abyssal dragon was like a little worm in the face of the giant glemorax king. It wasn¡¯t the size that determined this fact, it was the difference between their strength. Even so, Zyrus wasn¡¯t discouraged. He had long since predicted such an outcome. This mission itself was unfair. The glemorax chief was bound to forcefully descend when his life was in danger. Such a way of intrusion was without a doubt temporary. The glemorax chief would have no choice but to escape into another dimension. Zyrus would thus survive a life-threatening disaster and even receive a reward, pretty nice right? ¡®Like hell that¡¯ll happen,¡¯ He hadn¡¯t stopped channeling his mana even during his pathetic escape. The glemorax chief spoke after he finished drawing a rune. Zyrus didn¡¯t know what was the purpose of that rune, nor did he care. [Remaining Time: 00:00:10] ¡°NOW FRANKEN,¡± The glemorax king stabbed at the one-eyed reindeer. He had discovered the latter since the moment Zyrus arrived at the castle. Since the beginning, Franken had been observing the battle from the sky. ¡®I hope he can fend it off..¡¯ Zyrus worriedly glanced at the attack. To be honest, even he didn¡¯t have the confidence to tank that strike. But it seemed that he had much to learn about his companion. [-You¡¯re not worthy to be a hunter-] A thunderous voice resounded across the sky. This sentence was like a proclamation from the world itself, like a law of creation that couldn¡¯t be defied. The glemorax king¡¯s arm which was strong enough to destroy a mountain was unable to approach the reindeer. [Remaining Time: 00:00:05] There was a tacit agreement between the two companions as both of them activated their trump cards at the same time. A tiny blazing scroll unfurled in front of Franken. The fragment of a unique grade item was showing its might for one last time. Silver chain blades fell from the sky and bound the glemorax chief. The bleed effect was nothing impressive, but what mattered now was its immobilizing effect. It would last a few seconds at most, but it was enough for void quandary to connect with the glemorax king. ¡°Even with your full power, you can¡¯t cancel my attack,¡± Zyrus smirked as he looked at the glemorax king¡¯s nonchalant expression. ¡®Does he think that even if I immobilize him and penetrate his armor, this attack won¡¯t kill him?¡¯ It was indeed the case. Void quandary didn¡¯t have enough killing power, but so what? [Remaining Time: 00:00:01] ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit,¡±
Read Transcendent Resurgence: Regressing on an abandoned Earth - on Royal Road and Scribble Hub
Chapter 94: Hive Zyrus¡¯s return was unnoticed by the players. They were too busy pummeling down the poor Nuckelavee. ¡®Looks like a couple of days have passed,¡¯ Zyrus frowned and called over Elsid. The time difference between the earth and sanctuary was difficult to determine. Be it the scientific explanations related to black holes or something like time dilation, nothing made sense. It wasn¡¯t the first time when he was confused about his regression. But as it was often the case, one needed to be strong enough to seek the truth. Zyrus gave Elsid more detailed orders about the next plans and heard his reports. There weren¡¯t any scuffles in his absence, partially due to the work done by Kyle and Lauren. ¡°Good. Tell them to keep weeding out the players. It¡¯s fine if they sacrifice some innocent players, but in no circumstances do I want an inside threat. Even if they don¡¯t have any malicious intent towards our group, we still need to keep an eye on those with shady characters,¡± ¡°Yes, my liege,¡± Elsid nodded and vanished into the dragon of war¡¯s shadows. Zyrus didn¡¯t dally any further and jumped down into the ocean as well. His crown¡¯s authority would instantly kill anyone who was a threat to him, but would things be that simple? Killing the perpetrator wouldn¡¯t necessarily resolve the effects of their scheme. ¡®Oftentimes, even the traitors don¡¯t realize what they¡¯re doing- thereby becoming someone else¡¯s dagger,¡¯ It was one of the common methods used to deal with who had the crown''s fealty. Authorities were strong without a doubt, but any competent ruler would never let down their guard. Zyrus just needed a little exp to level up. Based on previous trips to earth, it wouldn¡¯t matter if waited for a day or two to go back. However, he still decided to be as fast as possible. Every fraction of a second could determine the outcome. The final piece of his plan was set into motion. ¡®Xisheng arts¡­I look forward to how it¡¯ll work with Avatar,¡¯ Although he was lost in thoughts, his eyes were focused on a school of fish ahead. ¡°Form,¡± A large underwater vortex formed beneath the fish. It was silent and deadly like a viper¡¯s strike. Zyrus was unable to breathe underwater, but holding his breath for a few minutes was within his scope. -12,-12,-6,-12,-3,-0,-12,-3,-0,-24 . . . Exp +5 Exp +5 . . He repeated the same process for an hour before a new notification popped up. Level up! [+2 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Mana] It was time to finish the battle which started more than half a year ago. ¡­ The first thing Zyrus saw after returning was the glemorax king¡¯s disdainful smile. Just this was enough of an indicator that barely any time had passed. Void quandary was on the verge of piercing through the glemorax king¡¯s defense. Zyrus¡¯s absence was shorter than a blink of an eye, but in this short period, he had recovered his mana and stamina. More importantly, he had recovered from his fatigue of using willpower. The power of his source of origin wasn¡¯t unlimited. Every second he drew upon that power was fueled by his willpower. It was far more strenuous than using mana or stamina. *ROOOOOAR* Zyrus once again transformed into an abyssal dragon. He executed Xisheng arts Without giving the glemorax king a chance to act. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. *Crrrack* The gigantic tail of the abyssal dragon hummed with violent tremors. Every bone and tendon of his tail was breaking apart under the large amount of energy. The pain Zyrus felt right now was beyond excruciating. [Xisheng Arts: Sacrifice] The lower half of the abyssal dragon transformed into a pillar of black light, falling right behind the void quandary. From the moment when the glemorax king was trapped to this attack, a mere few seconds had passed. Zyrus had used all of his trump cards such as the scroll, the cube¡¯s travel function, Void quandary, and the Xisheng arts. Unless he created new moves there was no way he could deal with the remaining two lords with the same means. The glemorax king also realized this fact. It was set in stone that he would fail his mission, so all he wanted was to expose as many as Zyrus''s hidden cards. It was just that he failed to gauge the might of those cards. ¡®Protect me after this¡¯ Zyrus sent his thoughts to Franken who was still using the scroll. There was one last move in his arsenal. [Xisheng Arts: The flesh is fleeting, but power is eternal] [Sacrifice any part of your body to store mana and vitality. The designated part will be disabled until you release the seal] Effects: Depends on the sacrificed part and duration. CD: None A dragon¡¯s tail accounted for a considerable amount of its attack power, and it was even more so for the current Zyrus. His normal state as a sylvarix resembled a mix of a dragoman and a lizardman, both of which were notorious for their tail attacks. He had stored an abundance of mana and vitality into his tail. His current attack was the result of his four months of accumulation. ¡®But I can¡¯t kill him with that,¡¯ Zyrus channeled every bit of his strength into the beam of light. Mana, stamina, willpower, and even his abundant life force. Everything he had was used in this attack. The disdainful grin had long since vanished from the glemorax king¡¯s face. He felt something was amiss from the moment Zyrus transformed once again. He believed that this attack was Zyrus¡¯s last-ditch effort. It was a pity that he was wrong. [Spatial Stab] The black beam of light vanished, and so did the void quandary. What replaced them was a tiny dot on the glemorax king¡¯s heart. What Zyrus used wasn¡¯t the curse of collapse which he used against the scorpion king. It was the original version of spatial stab which he had used against Nidraxis, an attack that carried all of his power. The glemorax king had a tranquil expression on his face. Never did he expect to meet his end like this. His fate was sealed since the moment he was targeted by the spatial stab. An unimaginable amount of energy was compressed into that tiny dot. The dense mass and gravity collapsed the space itself, and the space in which glemorax king stood was no exception. It didn¡¯t matter what his league of existence was or what dimension he came from. The laws of void ignored everything in the collapsed space. Thanks to his title¡¯s effects Zyrus was able to maintain his consciousness. He wasn¡¯t the least bit proud as he saw the glemorax king¡¯s demise. ¡°The day that black dot ceases to exist would be the day I slay the Eternals,¡± That would be the true manifestation of the laws of void. An attack beyond the realms of cause and effect, that was the pinnacle of spatial stab. Franken pulled Zyrus on his back and started running at a breakneck speed. The horrifying aftereffects of the spatial stab were just starting. The tiny dot sucked in the giant glemorax king in but an instant. What followed next was the sky above and the land below. It was as if the entire earth was tuned into a painted canvas, and that canvas was being sucked into a tiny dot. Trees and mountains were stretched like thin lines as they converged at one point. Even Zyrus didn¡¯t expect such an outcome. If the spatial stab was this frightening on a land where two dimensions were merged, then what would happen when it encroached on the fragile earth? ¡°Damn it! I can¡¯t outrun it,¡± Franken cursed as he felt like even his limbs were affected by the black dot. ¡°Looks like I underestimated my own attack,¡± ¡°No shit, don¡¯t use a suicidal attack like this when I¡¯m around,¡± ¡°Does that matter? If I die then you¡¯ll also lose your existence,¡± ¡°At least that¡¯s less frustrating than thhhhh-!¡± Franken screamed as his legs were stretched thin like noodles. [<[ Thank you for your help ]>] At that timely moment, a flying squirrel swooshed down on Franken¡¯s head. Zyrus was taken aback as he saw this old acquaintance after god knows how long. It was the same squirrel that followed Zyrus before the dungeons broke out! ¡°Are you the will of Earth?¡± [<[Not quite, but we can talk about it later]>] The squirrel spoke in a solemn tone as it stared at the black dot. Or rather, at the other side of it where lay a different dimension. Zyrus followed its tiny beadlike eyes and saw something which he¡¯d never forget. It was like he was looking at the other side of the mirror. He didn¡¯t know why humans decided to leave the earth, but if what they saw was similar to the scene in front of him, then he wouldn¡¯t blame them. He was currently looking at the outer space. A galactic beetle was hovering above a cluster of planets. Its skin was made up of honeycomb-like layers, and trillions of insects were squirming and flying off from its surface. [<[This is what you¡¯ll face later on]>] There was no way Zyrus could see that far off, that too in a different dimension. What he saw was just an image captured by the squirrel. ¡°Is that the home planet of aliens?¡± [<[It¡¯s one of their hives. To be exact, the hive that is invading this part of our universe]>] Zyrus felt like a bombshell had gone off in his head. Things were progressing too fast for him to keep up. [<[No need to worry though. You have ample time to prepare. For now, let¡¯s return to your base]>] Zyrus had a ton of things to ask about, like where did the squirrel go to or what type of being it was, but in the end his exhaustion caught up with him. Thus, the war concluded as a giant flying squirrel carried a fainted reindeer and a Sylvarix on its back. Chapter 95: Beacon of Order ¡®Urgh¡­¡¯ Zyrus sat up after being awoken by his throbbing head. Every muscle of his was sore after using spatial stab. Worse, due to his scales his outer skin was harder than metal. This made him feel like his insides were swollen. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± ¡°How are things right now?¡± Zyrus gave up on standing up after taking a good look at his body. He was bound to bed for a good half month. ¡°It¡¯d be a lie to say that everything is fine. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s happening over the other side, but that squirrel told me that it¡¯s fighting the third lord. Things are pretty hectic on the ocean.¡± ¡°Where is it right now? And how long was I out?¡± ¡°A month give or take. I have no clue about the former.¡± Franken sighed and sat down on the floor. The duo chatted about the current state of the troops and the squirrel¡¯s origins. Zyrus was sure that it was related to the earth¡¯s will. But since it was his first time interacting with an existence like that, he didn¡¯t have any knowledge about their powers and limitations. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s good as long as I have another ally,¡¯ Zyrus put the thoughts at the back of his head and lied down. He hadn¡¯t thought that the side effects of the spatial stab would be this severe. ¡®I should thank Aurora for the previous time,¡¯ Even while being limited by the system¡¯s power, she had healed him after his fight against Nidraxis. His vitality at that time was pitiful to say the least. It was a miracle that he survived. Zyrus decided to work on a body-strengthening skill next. He was too feeble to use his Sylvarix bloodline at full potential. Nonetheless, everything had to wait till he recovered. Even using his head was excruciatingly painful at this moment. ¡°Wake me up if anything serious happens,¡± ¡°What, you going to hibernate like a polar bear?¡± ¡°Well, that might not be a bad idea,¡± Zyrus chuckled as he recalled he hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep for a while. ¡®About time I took a good long nap,¡¯ ¡­ Days passed by as Zyrus recovered his mana and vitality. He was like an overworked engine that needed a good rest and maintenance. His days were boring as with his exhausted mental strength he was unable to work on any skills. Physical exercises were naturally out of the question. The only good thing was that this time allowed him to focus on training his summons. There wasn¡¯t much to do in any production-related facilities. Zirnitra and Franken were helpless due to lack of any suitable materials, so they grilled the poor summons in the meanwhile. The formation he laid out was also improved after he used the remaining minerals on earth. These monotonous days had stabilized Zyrus¡¯s shacky foundations on earth. Just as Zyrus was about to go back to sleep, he noticed a visitor at the window. It was none other than the squirrel he was waiting for. [<[Apologies, I was unable to give you your due rewards. Thankfully, everything¡¯s settled now.]>] Zyrus¡¯s suspicions were confirmed at this moment. It was indeed possible to manipulate the cube¡¯s rewards. ¡°Are you going to answer my questions? If you can''t then at least tell me everything you can,¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it [<[Sure, no problem]>] The squirrel jumped from the window and sat down on a chair beside his bed. Rather than answering his questions, it directly transmitted the related memories. Zyrus felt like he was in a world of moving images. Millions of scenes were playing out all around him. ¡®Mind link, a high-rank spell,¡¯ He identified the spell at a glance. Bit by bit the unrelated images were blurred until only the important ones remained. The pages of history were flipped backwards, towards the fateful day when everything changed for humanity. ¡­ In the year 2748, an interstellar object crashed at the center of the north pole. No one took it seriously as they believed it was just another case of space junk falling down or maybe the work of a burnet-up meteor. Still, both of these items were valuable. Humanity had made rapid improvements in the last couple of centuries. The entire planet was now run by sustainable sources of energy. Gone were the days of using fossil fuels while fearing global warming. There were no diseases that couldn¡¯t be cured, nor were there any major wars that took place. It was perhaps the greatest era of peace and development. But there was one thing that no amount of technology could solve: Greed. No matter how bright the sun shined it couldn¡¯t eliminate all shadows. Smuggling and illegal trafficking were some of the things that stuck with humanity even after all this development. It was one such group of smugglers that found the interstellar object, or rather, the Beacon of Order. ¡­ Year 2859, at the headquarters of Osiris Corporation. Hundreds of scientists were bustling around a spherical object that resembled the structure of an atom- A bright golden core surrounded by rings of intricately carved metal. It was this object that allowed them to rise to the prominence. From a smuggling gang to the leading company in space research, their rise was perhaps the highlight of the past century. Naturally, all of this was because of this object. They realized that this was some sort of a communication device sent by an alien civilization. Their level of technology was too far apart. Just in the process of decoding the message- and by experimenting on the alien artifact, they had advanced their research by leaps and bounds. It was only a matter of time before they figured out the core text. They couldn¡¯t imagine what sort of impact it¡¯d have on earth¡¯s development. ¡­ Year 3078, a world-shocking incident took place on this day. Wars had long since become a history of the past, but today, humanity once again glanced at its shadow. In but an hour millions of lives were lost. The common public had no idea as to why the major nations were waging a war. They had long since set their sights on the endless starts, what conflict caused such a disaster then? Before long, conspiracy theories and half-true evidence spread on the internet. It was rumored that the cause of this war was a discovery made by the Osiris corporation, a behemoth of a commercial empire that was wiped out in this massacre. No one knew what information they had found or who was in charge of it now. However, one thing was for certain. The days of peace were over. ¡­ Year 3218, a world conference was held to end the wars. A tenth of earth¡¯s population was wiped out just because of their greed. Everyone knew by now that the cause of this disaster was a mysterious object that had untold wisdom. Everyone wanted to be the first one who unlocked the true message. Only today did they realize how stupid they were. The object in front of them wasn¡¯t an elixir they sought. It was a herald of doom that destroyed everything they had built since the dawn of men. The message was short and simple. It explained how the aliens had invaded the earth billions of years ago, at a time when earth was just a boiling hot planet. In the deep crevices of the ocean and beneath the dark underground they lay dormant even to this day. Their proud civilization was nothing more than livestock raised by those creatures. They were only separated by a thin membrane, a membrane which was starting to break apart. The message told them that they were neither the first nor the last civilization that had been attacked in this manner. The object called the beacon of order had ample information on how to halt the alien¡¯s invasion and how to escape during dire times. In order to avoid mass panic, this news wasn¡¯t spread to the common populace. A peace treaty was signed on that momentous day. All nations gathered together to usher in a new era of development. They had a lot of time to prepare for the alien¡¯s invasion. They didn¡¯t fear the aliens with the newfound technology and three billion years in their hands. ¡­ Zyrus looked at the last image with a heavy heart. He had expected such an outcome after reading Tauranox¡¯s and Camazotz¡¯s source of existence. ¡®I always believed that sanctuary was too strange of a name for that hellish place, but now it makes sense,¡¯ After seeing true hell with his own eyes, he realized that the place he loathed in his past life was more like a heaven. Things were getting bigger and bigger as he uncovered more secrets. After regressing, his only goal was to get revenge on the Eternals. At the start, he hadn¡¯t put much thought into why he had regressed on the abandoned earth three billion years later. ¡®Just what happened in those last 400 years that led to the current state of earth?¡¯ Zyrus steadied his breath and moved towards the last scene.
Chapter 96: A test that we Failed Year 3640, more than four centuries had passed since the peace treaty was signed. However, everything was not well for humanity. The past leaders were divided into two factions: One who wanted to follow the beacon of orders guidance and resist the alien¡¯s invasion in the future, and the other who wanted to escape. Logically speaking, the latter made no sense. The aliens wouldn¡¯t be able to break the dimensional barrier for millions of years. After a long and arduous journey, they had discovered three locations where they could see the other side. They gazed upon the other side of the mirror, and what greeted them was a sky filled with horror. Many started to doubt the beacon¡¯s claim that the barrier would last for so long. It was a cowardly tactic to deny the truth, but can one blame them? It was as if they were living in a house infested with bugs. It was fine as long as they were unaware of the fact, but now the floor, walls, and ceiling of that house were turned into glass. They could see the bugs crawling all around them, without doing anything to get rid of them. Now, they were given two options. One was to reinforce that glass to prepare for the day when they¡¯d have to fight the bugs, and the other was to move into a new home. It was apparent what the majority would choose. Zyrus saw the two groups scuffle in the past centuries. Those who wanted to escape were building a galactic ship which he was all too familiar with- The Arc of Noah. Compared to them though, the resisting faction hadn¡¯t made much progress. They were in no hurry to act on any immature plans. They had all the time they needed, and thus, they focused these years on researching the technologies in the beacon of order. He as an observer noticed the subtle changes that were taking place in this era. Scientists and experts of various fields joined the resistant faction, while most of the political and wealthy figures spent their fortunes in building the arc of Noah. What they sought wasn¡¯t just an escape. Interstellar travel opened a brand-new path of expansion, and they wanted to be the first ones to call dibs on it. Such large movements weren¡¯t unnoticed by the public eyes. No secrets can be kept forever, and before long, everyone knew about the arc of Noah. Perhaps intentionally, the common public was still unaware of the resistant faction and the aliens. All they knew was that if they boarded the Arc of Noah, then they would have a chance to explore the stars. More than 80% of the population decided to leave. Years passed by and now, there was a new moon in the earth¡¯s orbit. Naturally, that new neighbor was the arc of Noah. It was unbelievable that such a gigantic construct was built in such a short time. But the price paid for it was nothing trivial. Just the resources required to build this had destroyed the earth¡¯s natural ecosystem. Forests and mines were emptied out without a care. The resistant faction did all within their capacity to fight back, but it was futile. Their declaration of the truth did nothing but add fuel to the fire. Even the remaining 20% were planning to leave after hearing the truth about the alien¡¯s invasion. No one cared about the scientists or the fact that there was a long time before the invasion. The resistant faction could do nothing but give up and huddle down in their laboratories. Zyrus felt sad for them. He knew that what they did was stupid, they should¡¯ve seen this coming since they were divided into two factions. Unfortunately, politics wasn¡¯t their forte. Their wings had long since been clipped by the escaping faction¡¯s open and hidden means. [<[Do you resent those who left?]>] He was surprised at the sudden question. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t. I think they¡¯re cowards, but that¡¯s one of the reasons we survived so long as a species.¡± [<[I see. I hate them though. If I ever get the chance, then I want nothing more than to rip them into shreds]>] This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Zyrus trembled as he sensed the boundless fury in that voice. If it was someone else with a weak will then he would¡¯ve passed out from fear. Even though it wasn¡¯t directed at him, Zyrus couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he felt the earth¡¯s wrath at this moment. [<[You asked me if I was the earth¡¯s will, correct?]>] ¡°Yes,¡± [<[I used to be that. Your level of existence and your knowledge far too lacking to understand what a world¡¯s will is, but I¡¯ll tell you this-]>] Zyrus calmed the raging waves in his mind and listened to the thundering voice, [<[If the humans hadn¡¯t left, if I had enough time to mature, then the aliens would¡¯ve stood no chance against me. I alone can push the earth on the same level as the sixth ring of the sanctuary]>] Zyrus chuckled in a deprecating tone as he heard the bold statement. He knew better than anyone what the sixth ring represented. To put it into perspective, it could be called the land of gods. Every creature in that place could destroy the present earth with a flick of their finger. Just how strong would earth be if everyone on the planet reached the same level? He didn¡¯t understand why the beacon of order was sent so early on. Why did they give humans two choices in the first place? But it was obvious now. ¡°It was a test, a test that we failed miserably,¡± [<[The ones in charge of the sanctuary don¡¯t need a greedy civilization. Why would they nurture someone who had no intentions to fight against the aliens? They¡¯re better off being used as tools]>] Zyrus could do nothing but accept the bitter truth. [<[Do you wish to see further?]>] ¡°No need,¡± He already knew what happened after that. The arc of Noah was built upon the foundation of earth. It was a fact that before the humans left on the arc of Noah, the environment on earth was inhabitable. Besides, those in power tended to hide their dark secrets, even if the said secrets were on an abandoned planet. [<[Thanks, I didn¡¯t want to recall those days either. They extracted my energy and killed billions of lives just to build the core of that accursed ship¡­Anyway, take your rewards. You can read this on the sanctuary]>] Zyrus was pushed out from the memory zone. He looked around the empty room and found a compact chip on the chair. Just as he picked it up, a text floated up in front of him. [Remaining Time: 00:00:10] He immediately teleported towards Franken and spoke a few words to Zirnitra. ¡°Didn¡¯t we have some more time?¡± ¡°Looks like we¡¯re being kicked out,¡± Zyrus replied as he gazed towards the ocean. The sudden course of events should be due to the chip in his palm. ¡®They don¡¯t want me to find this huh,¡¯ [Remaining Time: 00:00:00] ¡­ *Kraackle* ¡°Brace for Impact!¡± *Shaaaa* A stormy sky and crashing waves greeted the returning Zyrus. Nuckelavee was merged with the ships, but he didn¡¯t have the time to check the message logs. ¡°Abandon the longboats and board the galleons, just hold onto the ropes so that the boats aren¡¯t lost on the tides,¡± Zyrus''s orders were heard again after half a month. Ria was amazing at commanding the troops, but she lacked the charisma and the strength of a leader. Just a shout from Zyrus was enough to calm the frantic crowd. In the player¡¯s eyes, he was far more dangerous than any storms on the sea. ¡°Phew¡­ where were you holed up this whole time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± Zyrus replied to Lauren and the others who were moving towards the dragon of war. ¡°Though I won¡¯t be going away anytime soon, so you can rest easy.¡± He continued after looking at their exhausted faces. The earth was no longer safe after he killed the glemorax king. He had flipped the chessboard to escape from being a pawn, but as a result, he was no longer protected by the rules of chess. And with his meager strength, he was far from qualified to fight the real enemies. *Kaboom* Zyrus looked at the darkening sky where lightning was dancing like dragons. In his eyes, the weather was less stifling than the scenes he saw via the mind link. He hated being a bystander more than anything else. ¡°How far are we from the island?¡± ¡°A day or two,¡± Ria replied after some calculations. They would have reached the beach already were it not for this weather. She was glad that they had listened to Zyrus¡¯s words and made the voyage before the monsoon. Their ships were no better than twigs in front of the raging ocean. *Whoosh* A large wave doused the group¡¯s clothes with salty water. Zyrus told Franken to rescue any unfortunate players and made his way to the mast. A sharp wind blew against his scales as he observed the faraway waters. The sky was filled with rolling clouds whereas mighty waves reigned on the vast ocean. Even the annoying fish didn¡¯t dare to attack them at this time. ¡®Huh, to think I¡¯d find this here,¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s yellow eyes gleamed in surprise as he looked at the northeast corner. A wreckage of planks was floating above the churning waters. Since there were no ships besides theirs on this ocean, that could only mean one thing. ¡°Turn the wheels to the north, we¡¯ve found ourselves some treasure!¡± Zyrus bellowed like a pirate as he noticed the golden sheen amidst the wreckage. It wasn¡¯t rare to find some treasure chests and other items in the wild, but it was a different story on the ocean. And as one would expect, the loots were better with the higher rarity.
Read Transcendent Resurgence: Regressing on an abandoned Earth - on Royal Road and Scribble Hub
Chapter 97: Ymir’s broken Gauntlets The dragon of war sailed towards the floating planks. It could barely steer towards the correct direction in these chaotic currents. ¡°Throw me a rope,¡± ¡°Here you go,¡± Kyle jumped up and threw a bundle of rope towards the mast. There was no way the ship could directly approach the wreckage of plants. A minimum distance was needed to make sure the ship wasn¡¯t damaged by anything. It was a basic knowledge to expect danger when looting a treasure chest. Zyrus wouldn¡¯t make a rookie mistake like that. *Thuk*Thuk*Thuk* He tied one end of the rope to the mast and ran to the edge while holding the other. His blood boiled in thrill as he jumped down to swing towards the floating logs. ¡®This is exhilarating..¡¯ *Thump* His smile widened as the sharp winds and slaty water assaulted his face. Lightning reflected in his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings. Sure enough, there were protruding metal spikes just beneath the floating planks. It was a trap set up to sink any boats that coveted the treasure. Fortunately, there was nothing that targeted a lone individual. Zyrus tiptoed his way towards the golden glow while making sure to not put too much weight on a single plank. ¡®How cruel... if a group walked here, then just one mistake would skewer them all,¡¯ Still, this much was nothing in his eyes. It took him less than a minute to jump down from the ship and reach the treasure¡¯s location. ¡®Hope I get something decent,¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s eyes shined with excitement as he spotted a wooden box that was tucked away between two logs. He caressed the moldy surface to find any opening, and soon enough, he found a contraption that unlocked the box. [Congratulations brave adventurer! You have found a hidden treasure] [You have obtained Ymir¡¯s broken Gauntlets (Unique)] [You have obtained Ballista Blueprint x5] [You have obtained 10 Gold] [Find more treasures that are scattered on the vast waters, and maybe you¡¯ll receive an unexpected surprise] ¡°Hahaha..Jackpot,¡± Zyrus swept the items into his inventory and swam back while holding the rope. Just 10 gold was enough to put many of his plans into actions, not to mention the other two which were even better. Unique items are just like the name implied, ¡°unique¡¯. Only one of them existed in the sanctuary. Although the gauntlets were broken, Zyrus had enough means to fix them in due time. However, what he valued the most were the ballista blueprints. Just one of them would fetch a minimum of 100 gold if sold in the player¡¯s market. One had to keep in mind then not even the wealthiest of the player faction had a total wealth of 100 gold. Perhaps only the natives with rich backgrounds could afford such a price. ¡®Not to mention I got five of them,¡¯ It meant that he could soon employ five production lines that forged the ballista day and night. *Splash* ¡°Got something good?¡± ¡°Of course. We can now arm our ships with hundreds of ballistas,¡± Zyrus grinned as he gave the blueprints to Kyle and the others. ¡°Sounds great!¡± Shi kun spoke with enthusiasm as he observed the blueprint. None of them had a production class, but they understood the gist of it. If they had the supports of the ballista¡¯s arrows, then Nuckelavee would¡¯ve been finished in half the time. Zyrus let them chatter among themselves and looked at the first reward. A pair of steel-colored gauntlets with icy runes appeared in his hands. ¡®Sure enough, even a broken unique item is overpowered,¡¯ [Ymir¡¯s broken Gauntlets (Unique)] A pair of gauntlets enchanted with Ymir¡¯s strength and the curse of eternal winter. They were broken in the fight against the lava giants. Repair the gauntlets to bring back their former glory! Effects: +10 strength Abilities: If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Strike the ground to generate a small earthquake. Affected targets will either be stunned or staggered based on their size. Area of effect: 1.5 meters x the user¡¯s level Cooldown: 3 days Each attack on a weak spot builds a stack, a total of nine stacks can be built in such a way. When dealing a critical hit, all stacks will be consumed. Each consumed stack will increase critical damage by 7% Cooldown: 2 minutes Bring forth the curse of eternal winter. Grants an aoe frost damage to your next attack. Struck targets will either be frozen or slowed down based on their size. Ignores all resistance and level difference. Range: 0.5 meters x the user¡¯s level Cooldown: 1 month Even in the broken state, they had improved Zyrus¡¯s overall strength by a notch. He didn¡¯t have the time to check his status for a long while, but there was nothing to do till they reached the next island. ¡®I have to analyze the rewards from Nuckelavee as well,¡¯ Zyrus sat down comfortably and opened his status. Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Sylvarix] [Class: Balaur Summoner] [Rank: Onyx Crown] [Level: 25] Exp: /3796 [Title: The last Apostle (Temporary)(Locked)] [Achievement: Call of the kin (A), Slayer of Camazotz (C+), Pioneer (B), Brave Sailor (E-), Helm of the cyclone (A+)] [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] [Trait: Earth Movement] [Strength: 50 (+10)] [Agility: 43 (+5)] [Vitality: 60] [Intelligence: 43] [Mana: 43 (+2)] [SP: 31] HP: 3500 Combat stats: MP: 444 Recovery Rate: 50% (+20%) (Per hour) Stamina: 564 Recovery Rate: 30% (Per hour) Crit rate: 15% Crit damage: 120% Penetration Bonus: 10% Final damage Bonus: 20% Health Regeneration: 10% (+30%) (Per hour), +20 HP/sec in Boss fights Resistances: Void (?), Abyss (?), Poison (150%), Earth (50%), Blood (35%), Penetration (30%), Slash (30%), Blunt (30%), Critical (10%), Water (5%) Elemental Affinity: Void (?), Abyss (SS), Poison (S), Earth (C), Blood (F) [Eye of Annihilation], [Poison breath], [Arcane Lance], [Master of Sojutsu], [Spear aura], [Malediction], [Xisheng Arts], [Avatar], [Vortex Manipulation] [Lorica Squamata (Unique) (Evolvable)] [Zubry Solleret (Rare)] [Bone necklace Totem (Common)] [Ring of command (Sealed)] [Ymir¡¯s broken Gauntlets (Unique)] Currency: 10G & 3 S Items: [Bloodspine spear (Evolving)] [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] [Fang of Nidraxis (Unique)] [The Ocean''s Testament] [Ring of Sebek] [Vitality recovery potion x 1] [Mana recovery potion x 2] [Weapon Enhancement Potion (Rare) x 1] [Drake¡¯s bones x 10] [Drakes¡¯s tendons x 10] [Drake¡¯s mutated heart x 1] Everything was pretty much the same except for his inventory. With 10 gold he could be considered filthy rich at this time. Apart from that, Oroszlan¡¯s journal had disappeared since he had already learned everything, he could from it. And last but not least were the Ocean''s Testament and the Ring of Sebek. They were grayed out the last time he saw them, but with Nuckelavee having merged with his fleet, he could interact with them once again. ¡®Looks like everything worked out, I feared that after snatching another important boss, the administrator might take back the original reward,¡¯ Zyrus could imagine the fuming face of Anansi when he got wind of the matter. Based on his personality, he most likely ignored everything after leaving the pieces archipelago. After all, this place wasn¡¯t technically under his jurisdiction. Though he wouldn¡¯t be able to use excuses¡¯ like that for long with Zyrus causing havoc everywhere he went. ¡®Either he¡¯ll be assigned with more area or we¡¯ll get a new administrator,¡¯ Zyrus had a reminiscent smile as he recalled the events before his regression. He had caused similar problems at that time, and it was due to them that Aurora was assigned as a special administrator that handled his matters. Putting the other thoughts back, Zyrus checked out the rewards. [The Ocean''s Testament (Unequippable)] A medallion given to those who have proven themselves on the treacherous waters. Increases your fame across the Kyros continent, increases the chance of recruiting sailors. Abilities: Once per week, you can deduce the weather of the ocean. Summon a flock of ravens to scout the surroundings. The visual information will be relayed directly to the holder, but the holder has to remain immobile for the duration. Duration: 5 minutes Cooldown: 1 week [Ring of Sebek (Rare)(Evolvable)] A ring endowed with the blessing of Sebek. It¡¯s might will vary based on the environmental conditions. Abilities: Increases Hp regen rate by 50% for 30 minutes. Cooldown: 1 day Summon crocodiles to fight alongside you. Their stats are based on user¡¯s level and environment. Summon limit: 0.3 x user¡¯s level. As expected from the rewards given after dealing with Nuckelavee. Both items were remarkable in terms of their wide range of applicability. Although it was difficult to find items with good offensive boots, they weren¡¯t that rare in the grand scheme of things. What was truly hard to come by were items like these that can influence a player¡¯s whole combat system. The Conductor¡¯s tiara and Mbeku¡¯s shattered pride were among such examples. Zyrus didn¡¯t plan to use the items for himself as they were fairly restrictive. He didn¡¯t lack summons or recovery rate, not to mention he didn¡¯t have the luxury to remain idle for ten minutes for scouting. Both of these things could be achieved by his Balaur summoner class. ¡®But they¡¯re perfect for others,¡¯ He decided to give the Oceans testament to Lauren since her class had an advantage in scouting. As for the ring of Sebek, Druv was a perfect fit for it. The troll¡¯s transformation went well with increased hp regen rate as they were the best meat shields on the frontline. The summoned crocodiles should fix their lacking offensive might as well. Besides, items that catered towards nature had a higher chance of evolving when used by elves and trolls. Zyrus called over both of them and gave them the items. Hours passed by as he explained his conquest plan to the others. And before long, the faint silhouette of an island was within their sight. Chapter 98: Access Granted ¡°Surround the island,¡± Ria relayed Zyrus¡¯s commands to all the captains. While the players were nervous and apprehensive about going alone, they followed his arrangements nonetheless. The island had a periphery of about five kilometers. It didn¡¯t take long before all of the longboats were spread evenly at the shores. ¡°Tell them to follow the same procedure as the last time. There¡¯ no need to haste, they can take as long as they need to conquer the island.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ria nodded and went back to relay the commands. Her range of clairvoyance and conductor¡¯s tiara wasn¡¯t enough to cover the whole island. Thus, she would have to roam around for a while to make sure that everything went as planned. Zyrus gave other leaders different tasks and told them to meet up at the center of the island. Like the maw of a hungry beast, the 50 longboats surrounded the lone island. The galleons acted as fangs that were responsible for dealing with any inside or outside threats. Before long, only Kyle, Lauren and the goblin riders were left. ¡°Lauren, use the ocean¡¯s testament to keep an eye on the players. This will be their final test so make sure that there aren¡¯t any unstable variables left,¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Lauren replied with a solemn tone and departed from the dragon of war. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Tail the selected candidate for my knights. Be it good or bad, report everything you observe.¡± Their loyalty was unquestionable. However, Zyrus still needed to analyze their strengths and weakness to better use his crown¡¯s authority. The day when he attempted the cube¡¯s second mission was fast approaching. Kyle nodded at his words and left without making a sound. Although his movements weren¡¯t as stealthy and elusive compared to Lauren''s, this was more than enough to deal with some rookie players. After leaving behind the lazy franken to guard the dragon of war, Zyrus rushed out to the beach along with the goblin riders. *Awoo~* ¡°You guys hate the sand?¡± *Whimper* ¡°Well, I¡¯m not fond of it either,¡± Zyrus chuckeled as he ruffled the wolf''s fur. One could imagine their discomfort as their paws sunk in the sand while the raging wind poured more of it into their fur. A Sylvarix and 100 goblin riders leisurely made their way to the islands¡¯ center as if they were on a picnic. ¡°Elsid,¡± ¡°Yes, my liege,¡± ¡°Are you confident in riding a drake?¡± ¡°I¡­.have never tried that. Though, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡± Replied his dark knight while holding a halberd. Not a single player had noticed his presence in his shadow. Zyrus was pleased with the answer. He moved away from the group and stood before a large clearing. 200 ophidian warriors were already summoned back from the dragon of war, and thus, he decided to summon the same number of drakes. *Shatter* A familiar sound of the shattering space greeted his ears. A legion of drakes walked out from the faraway earth. *Awoooo* *Kiiek* The wolves and even the usually quiet goblins let out startled cries at the drakes'' presence. They would have prostrated to the ground if not for Zyrus¡¯s authority. While bloodlines were powerful, their disadvantages were just as apparent. In front of the abyssal drakes, the goblins were as meek as a kitten. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°At ease, they¡¯re our allies,¡± Zyrus¡¯s voice relaxed their frantic breathing as the goblin riders went back into their formation. He wanted to build a cavalry legion by making the transformed ophidian warriors ride the transformed amargs. Only then would they be worthy to be called a legion of abyss. ¡°Pick one,¡± Zyrus beckoned Elsid who was observing the drakes with keen eyes. Although they were different in every aspect, his summons shared a common connection with his mana and bloodline. It was even more so for Elsid who resembled Zyrus in his appearance. Seeing that one of the drakes was taking the initiative to approach Elsid, he beckoned the rest of the warriors to do the same. One by one they choose their partners. Zyrus felt like something was lacking to make his plan a true success, but now wasn¡¯t the time to think about it. He wanted to explain about the sanctuary¡¯s history and its secrets to the leaders under him. Since he had boldly ordered them to convene at the island¡¯s center, it would be embarrassing if he failed to clear that area before they arrived. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± ¡­ *Rooar* *Boom* -250,-250,-750,-250 Exp +350 *Awooo* The legion of abyss and the goblin riders bulldozed their way through the forest. Zyrus acted as a spearhead and killed any monster in sight while Elsid and the others followed behind. ¡®They¡¯re getting along rather well,¡¯ Zyrus curved his lips in amusement as he punched a rabbit¡¯s head. *Splatter* -750 Exp +350 There wasn¡¯t an existence like Camazotz on this island. Thus, the monsters in this forest were weak and scattered. Rather than calling them monsters, it would be more accurate to call them beats who just met the system¡¯s criteria to evolve. They were similar to the wolves of the goblin riders. It would be an even fight if they fought on their own, but it was a different story when the drakes were involved. The goblin riders were like little brothers following their delinquent older brothers to bully their classmates. *Rooar* *Awooo* ¡®Well, bullying is an understatement,¡¯ The ophidian warriors didn¡¯t even need to use their hands. The drakes tore apart any monster in the vicinity. ¡°Elsid, lead them and round up the area. I don¡¯t want anyone else to hear what I¡¯m about to say.¡± Zyrus ordered after seeing that the sun was about to reach the middle of the sky. It shouldn¡¯t be long before the rest made their way here. ¡®Haa... so this day has come in the end,¡¯ He moved his gaze away from the floating clouds and took out the cube. His yellow reptilian eyes were staring intently at the shard floating besides the cube. ¡°Activate,¡± *Whirrr* [||| Initiating request.15%¡­..63%...97%...Request approved |||] The trembling cube hovered in front of Zyrus. This was his true reward for clearing the first ring,-no, for breaking the first seal on the cube. A reward that he wasn¡¯t all too willing to accept. [||| Checking Authorization-----Access granted: Host-Zyrus Wymar |||] But his thoughts had changed in these past months. The more he learned the more he realized just how ignorant he was. Even after changing his race, it was difficult for him to let go of his thought process as a human. Afterall, he was once their ruler, a monarch who led them to great heights in the sanctuary. *Crack* Mirroring the last bits of his lost humanity, the black shard crumbled into fragments at this moment. [||| Connecting to the first ring¡­3%...26%....57%....81%...- connection established |||] [||| You have acquired the administrator¡¯s rights (Temporary) |||] The fragments swirled around the cube and opened a black-and-white portal. And within it he saw the familiar sights of the first ring. Like a celestial being looking down on the mortals, he observed their struggles without any emotions. ¡°What¡­are you doing?¡± it was Ria who arrived before anyone else. Zyrus didn¡¯t answer her question and told her to wait for the others. But even without hearing the answers, she could see what was on the other side. The scenes she saw frightened her, but the look in Zyrus¡¯s eyes was even more terrifying. One by one the leaders arrived at the scenes, and their reactions were similar to Ria''s. Druv and Strongfist were no exception. In front of them was a horror that didn¡¯t discriminate between races. Be it human, trolls, or ogres, everyone shared the same suffering. ¡°You are finally here. Now, for the first and the last time, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Decide whether you want to know the truth or not. It¡¯s not too late to turn back.¡± Of course, if they turned back now, then the only thing that awaited them was the edge of Elsid¡¯s halberd. There was no going back once they met him at this moment. Someone stupid enough to not understand this didn¡¯t deserve to serve under him. ¡°We will stay,¡± Kyle and Shi kun spoke at the same time ¡°Stay.¡± Strongfist, Druv, and the other also added their acknowledgment. ¡°Good, as expected from my subordinates. I¡¯m proud that none of you are cowards. Now then, please ignore ¡®that¡¯ and focus on what I¡¯m about to say,¡± Zyrus clapped his hands to get their attention and sat on a nearby boulder. As if on cue, the rest followed his actions and sat around. It was like a group of children sitting around to hear a story from an elder. However, the story was anything but a fairytale. ¡°Often times, the most difficult things to understand are also the simplest. The end and the beginning aren¡¯t as different as you may think. So let us start from the day when everything changed, the day when we were summoned to the sanctuary,¡± On this day, on this remote and insignificant island, the darkest secrets of the sanctuary were revealed under the murky sky. Chapter 99: Apokalypsis Everyone thought back on the first day of the tutorial. Adaptability was a cruel trait. It wasn¡¯t long since they saw their kin being slaughtered at the hands of the monsters, yet now, they laughed and fought alongside the same trolls and ogres. Their transformation from regular humans into ''players'' was eerily smooth. Almost as if it was their destiny. ¡°On that day you learned about stats and the things called Level and Experience. Druv and Strongfist might¡¯ve found this strange, but I¡¯m sure none of you were unfamiliar with the terms,¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± ¡°I thought that this was a game at first,¡± Jacob added his thoughts after Kyle¡¯s affirmation. And they weren¡¯t the only ones who thought as such. Perhaps millions of other humans also had the same thought, that this was just a sick joke or a mass hallucination caused by the arc of Noah¡¯s AI. But now, all of them knew that this world was very much real. ¡°Almost a year has passed since that day. You are at the forefront of the current players, correct? Then tell me what you understand about the system. What exactly is a Level, Experience, and Achievement, and what is the purpose behind events like Crown Hunt and the Flag March?¡± Zyrus knew that it was an unfair question. It was like asking a middle schooler to solve the third-degree integration. Even veteran players in the fifth ring didn¡¯t know the answers to these questions, much less the ones in front of him. Hack, even he was unaware of the truth despite his strength and position. He almost felt embarrassed about his title as a monarch. ¡°Are they related to mana? Humans or other races were unable to use the mana in this place, but leveling up allows that to happen.¡± As expected from someone who pursued magic with all his heart, Jacob¡¯s answer was within his expectations. ¡°The events are to groom either strong leaders or a strong army. Maybe both.¡± Ria answered after deliberation. ¡°I won¡¯t comment for now, but these two are indeed easy to guess. What about the other terms?¡± Zyrus asked with raised brows. He was by no means a great teacher, but his thousand years of experience wasn¡¯t for nothing. It was unfair and stupid to expect perfection from your subordinates. Some excelled in certain areas while some were poor in certain aspects. It was a ruler¡¯s job to identify their subjects¡¯ traits and assign them to appropriate positions. Kyle, Lauren, Shu kun, Druv, and Strongfist answered one by one. Shi kun talked about bloodline and evolution while Kyle thought that leveling up made them a higher dimensional being. Lauren, Druv, and Strongfist¡¯s answers were nothing worth discussing, so he simply put them aside. ¡°Alright, now I¡¯ll explain what they truly are,¡± Zyrus dusted his hands and walked towards the floating cube. While some might think that the conversation prior to this was merely a waste of time, he understood its importance. ¡®They aren¡¯t quite there yet, but they should be able to digest what I¡¯m about to say,¡¯ Dealing with ignorant people was easy, but dealing with people who refused to acknowledge their ignorance was difficult. ¡°Let¡¯s start with experience, or exp for short. As I said before, the most complex answers are rather simple in nature. Exp is just that- experience. Experience of swinging your sword, experience of using a skill, experience of breathing, walking, eating, and sleeping. Even this act of listing as a form of experience,¡± Zyrus waited for a moment and continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you think that your progress was too fast? How come millions of people learned skills like swordsmanship and archery in one week? Even if that could be attributed to their hobbies, how the hack did they learn magic? There must be a cause behind everything, no?¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the system?¡± Ria replied after a bit of hesitation. ¡°True, but how does the system work then? If it had the almighty power to raise our strength then is there a need for events like crown hunt and flag march? They could just level up any random species and accomplish whatever goal they have,¡± ¡°Maybe they need to fulfill some conditions to give us powers, like ¡®Achievements¡¯.¡± ¡°Excellent answer,¡± Zyrus was genuinely surprised by Kyle¡¯s words. Even he hadn¡¯t figured that out before he got the ex-grade achievement. Though, he didn¡¯t have someone who guided him in the right direction either. ¡°I was planning to explain about achievement next, but since you¡¯ve answered it now, I¡¯ll push it forward. It is indeed as you¡¯ve said, the rewards given by the system are based on your actions which reflect as achievements. The sanctuary is fair, but even so, there exists ranks between the players. Why? Because you only get a fair opportunity. What you accomplish with them and what results you get are entirely up to you.¡± Zyrus gulped down a mouthful of water as he waited for others to digest the information. Now, it was time to go to the crux of the question. ¡°There is always a cause and an effect. No one has the power of creation, at least no one that I know of. Our stats, experience, skills, and everything else given by the system must come from something.¡± The others nodded as he continued his explanation. ¡°After the first week of the tutorial was over, the hum- no, the creatures in the first ring were divided into three categories. Firstly, the ones who were known as players, comprised of those who got an achievement, leveled up to 10, and created or learned a skill. Secondly, the ones who failed to meet one or more of those requirements- and are still trapped in the first ring.¡± ¡°Then came the crown hunt. Ten among the first bunch were given the golden crowns. Now, after establishing their own territory in the flag march, they can summon more players from the first ring. Naturally, they will be from the second bunch of players,¡± This was something that everyone knew. Those present here were no exceptions. ¡°Thus remains the third part, those who died in the seven days. Or rather, those who are deemed dead by everyone else.¡± Zyrus spoke in a heavy tone as he pointed at the swirling fragments. On the other side of the black-and-white portal were the scenes of the first ring. The same forest, the same tutorial zone, and lastly, the same people. Ria and the others had a lot of questions at this moment, but no one dared to utter a word. ¡°As you can see, they¡¯re going through the tutorial right now. After that will be the crown hunt. Naturally, those who died during our crown hunt will also partake at that time.¡± And the same thing will happen for the flag march, and every event that comes after it. Zyrus didn¡¯t say these words, nor did he need to. ¡°Befitting of the name ''Sanctuary'', no one really died huh!¡± ¡°Is there no meaning to our work then?¡± Shi kun and Jacob spoke one after another. Death was perhaps the greatest motivating factor for the players'' hard work. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, is it?¡± Ria asked in a trembling tone. From the moment she first saw the scene, she knew that the fates of those on the other side were anything but pleasant. This place wasn¡¯t a paradise. In her eyes, the thoughts of the other two were too na?ve. Zyrus chuckled at their reaction and spoke to Shi kun and Jacob, ¡°You¡¯re grossly mistaken. They died and they¡¯ll keep dying, over and over again. An endless loop of time, a futile struggle where their beginning and end are determined regardless of their actions.¡± ¡°What¡­do you mean?¡± Kyle asked although he had guessed the answer. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you about what experience is? Here¡¯s your answer. They¡¯ll go through the same process we did in an endless loop. Even if they level up, even if they obtain a golden crown, everything will be reset in the end.¡± The same thing was happening in all the rings. The fate of the losers was just that- becoming tools for farming exp. When the players earned exp by killing a monster, they would obtain the fruits of thousands of people¡¯s hard work. It wasn¡¯t simply knowledge, what they received as exp was the essence of that particular art. They would level up when that essence reached a certain threshold. By using the powers of the sanctuary¡¯s laws, that essence would merge with their mind, body, and soul. This was the reason behind their rapid rise to power. They weren¡¯t standing on the shoulders of the giants, no, they were standing on the mountain formed by the giants'' corpses. Everyone felt a heavy burden after hearing his words. They weren¡¯t saints, each and every one of them had killed numerous players to reach their current position. Still, they felt proud of their success. They were proud of their strength which led them to victory. But now, the power gained by the stats and levels felt cruel and heavy. And this wasn¡¯t the worst of what they were feeling. ¡°Then are we the same? How can you say that this is the first time we¡¯re doing this?¡± Lauren¡¯s words summarized their existential crisis at that moment. What if they were trapped in a loop of time as well? Chapter 100: The Creatures we call Monsters ¡°I can answer your question, but are you prepared to learn the truth?¡± Zyrus asked in a serious tone. As they say, ignorance is bliss. If not for his future plans he wouldn¡¯t have disclosed such information in the first place. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be worse than what we¡¯ve heard so far. Just say it,¡± Ria answered on their behalf. ¡°Very well. The short answer is, No. We¡¯re not in a loop, and it will remain as such as long as we don¡¯t die or fail in any events.¡± He could see their visible relief after hearing his answer. But he wasn¡¯t done just yet. What he said didn¡¯t apply to all of them present. ¡°Let me ask you another question. Where do the monsters and other races such as goblins, orcs, trolls, and so on come from?¡± Zyrus smirked as he saw their surprised faces. Humans had a superiority complex ingrained in them since they became the rulers of earth. They believed themselves to be the protagonists of the story, while others were nothing more than villains and side characters. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you thought this this was all planned for us. The high and mighty humans will descend upon this wretched of suffering. A hero would rise from among them who would lead them to peace and prosperity, followed by his loyal comrades he would slay all enemies and become the ruler of the sanctuary¡­hahaha,¡± No one had a word to speak. Zyrus¡¯s mocking laughter struck their innermost thoughts and made them realize just how arrogant and ignorant they had been. ¡®Well, I can¡¯t blame them. I thought the same as well. Worse, I even believed that I was that hero..¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s mocking words weren¡¯t only targeted at those gathered here; he was also laughing at his own past. ¡°Did¡­we¡­ca..me..from..some..where..as¡­well? I¡­.don¡¯t¡­.recall¡­.any..thing¡­except¡­the¡­forest..¡± Nobody disturbed Druv from speaking this time. His slow-paced words were striking their beliefs like hammers. ¡°Yes, you did. The same goes for every creature in the sanctuary. All of you had your home worlds invaded, and that led your civilizations to come here. That is the reason why this place is called ¡®sanctuary¡¯ in the first place.¡± His answer aroused another question in their mind. Why didn¡¯t they remember their past then? What made them different from the humans? Zyrus could tell what they were thinking at a glance. ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to ask, but think about it. Are there no side effects to that process?¡± Zyrus asked as he pointed at the portal. ¡°Do they lose their memories after staying in the time loop?¡± Shi kun asked as he looked at Druv and Strongfist. ¡°More than that. They lose their very source of existence. Did you assume that monsters were unable to speak from the start? How could they be illiterate if they ruled an entire world? Their knowledge, their experience, and everything else that made their existence was eroded over time. The longer they stayed in the loop, the more they lost. In the end, they became mindless husks who act on their instincts, the creatures we call ¡®Monsters¡¯.¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t wait for the next question and solved the last piece of the puzzle, ¡°As for how to escape the loop, it should be obvious by now. Every time a new civilization arrives at the sanctuary, everyone among them would get a chance to escape. Just like in our case. The path to reach the second ring and the ''real'' golden crowns were added when we were summoned. But how many of them ended up in the hands of humans? Not even half.¡± Zyrus looked at Druv and Strongfist and continued, ¡°You guys escaped from the loop by becoming my subordinates. The damage done to your source of existence will heal over time as you level up and gain the blessings of order.¡± Zyrus ended the discussion and walked towards the swirling fragments. He knew that those present had many more questions to ask, but what he told them was more than enough. If they survived till he reached the fourth ring, then he would once again solve their doubts. Now, it was time to put his original plan into action. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°You can digest the information later on, but pay attention to what I¡¯m about to say. This is the main reason why I went through this tedious process,¡± Zyrus waved his hands after finishing his words. The shards resonated with his mana, and soon, some tiny crystals separated from the portal and moved towards his subordinates. ¡®Give them the authority to recruit,¡¯ [||| Initiating request-----request granted: Recruiters- Kyle, Lauren, Ria, Shi kun¡­ |||] A message that was visible to him alone floated above the cube. The separated shards turned into a flash of light and became a brand on their wrists. ¡°As you already know, those with golden crowns can recruit people from the first ring. I can do the same. However, unlike them, I have an additional authority,¡± Zyrus looked at the group with deep eyes and continued, ¡°Normally, the crown holders can summon players depending on the conquered territory. For example, we can summon about 100 players every day. The way it works is similar to a gacha game if you¡¯re familiar with them. Every day the crown holders can summon a certain number of players from the pool of billions. They might recruit a powerful warrior, a mage, a craftsman, or someone totally useless. It all depends on luck.¡± ¡°And let me guess, you can choose who to summon. You probably don¡¯t have to do the summoning yourself either.¡± Ria spoke as her sixth sense was warning her of the extra workload. She didn¡¯t need to use clairvoyance to figure out that Zyrus was about to dump all his work on them. ¡°Correct. Not only that, you guys can observe and summon anyone you want, even the dead players of the first ring. Of course, the maximum number is still 100. Therefore, your task is to observe them in your free time and summon the useful people on the next day,¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is a bit inhumane, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shi kun spoke in a hesitant tone. It was within reason that an emotional man like him would feel alienated after this. Not just him, the rest also had varying levels of confliction. It would be impossible for them to mingle with the players after this. Even if they were of the same species, they were bound to feel different from the rest. On the contrary, Druv and Strongfist didn¡¯t have such reservations. Losing one¡¯s reason might not be the worst-case scenario. ¡°What, you guys feel some sort of god complex? Don¡¯t think too much about it. From the moment you started leveling up, you ceased to be a human. What can you define as a human in the first place? It is the society and their life experiences that makes one a human. Growing up with their parents, going to school, getting a job or starting a business, getting married, raising children, and getting old with your partner¡­these are the things that made you humans.¡± Zyrus¡¯s sharp words once again pierced their hearts. He didn¡¯t need to speak anymore as they could figure the rest on their own. Would any of them be able to do anything mentioned above? The answer was a resounding no. They could perhaps cleave a mountain in half and make meteors rain from the sky, but they would always be different from the ordinary humans they used to be. That was the cold hard truth. ¡­ A week passed by on the busy island. The progress of conquering the island proceeded in a seamless manner. There were some bumps here and there where a few players were wiped out due to their negligence, but the overall plan had a noteworthy success. Zyrus wanted to build an elite core unit- one that would oversee the new players recruited with his authority. He and the other leaders were more focused on creating more boats than fighting or leveling up. ¡®I¡¯m glad I recruited them in the first ring,¡¯ Zyrus thought as he yawned on his desk. Time was a very precious thing. He prioritized selecting his subordinates even in the hectic schedule of the crown hunt. And the results were more than worth the effort. He now had reliable leaders whom he could entrust his work with. 700 new players were summoned under the watchful eyes of his subordinates. All of them were either in a medical or crafting profession. Those who were suited for the current three classes given by his flag chose them from the start, while others were tasked with doing more research and wait till new classes were acquired. *Flap* ¡°You look tired,¡± Ria stated as she entered his tent. Moist air entered through the fluttering entrance, drawing away his laziness. ¡°It¡¯s such a pain to create something,¡± Hundreds of talented individuals meant that dozens of new ideas would greet his eyes and ears every day. Zyrus wasn¡¯t petty enough to withhold non-crucial intelligence, so it wasn¡¯t long before the new players were accustomed to the rules of the sanctuary. The foldable tent he was sitting on, the pen and ink made from fish carcasses, hides made from animal skin, and many such trivial yet fundamental things were built in the span of a short week. These were timbers that would one day raise the fire of civilization. But Zyrus had no plans to use either himself or his troops as fuel. ¡°What are your plans then?¡± Ria asked in curiosity as she observed the pile of refused proposals. They amounted to more than 80%. ¡°I don¡¯t have any concrete plans. I don¡¯t want to limit the player''s imagination either. Regardless of my intelligence and knowledge, I can¡¯t outperform hundreds of craftsmen, nor do I have the time to do that. Thus, I¡¯ll only give them a direction,¡± Zyrus replied as he handed over a dozen rolls of hide. All of the plans that he approved were either on weapons or anything that would help them conquer more territories. ¡°I can guess your intention, but aren¡¯t we progressing in an extreme direction?¡± Ria gave her opinion as she glanced at the scrolls. This was a daily routine after Zyrus ended his few hours of checkups. And every time he only encouraged those who were doing military research. ¡°I¡¯m not building a kingdom, Ria. Let others do that.¡± Zyrus chuckled and left the tent and the confused Ria behind. She wasn¡¯t wrong as such unbalanced growth would eventually hinder their progress. But he would make sure that such a situation wouldn¡¯t occur. Why go through so much trouble to create a prosperous empire? ''It is more efficient to raise an army that could conquer the empire built by others.'' Chapter 101: Lair of Nidhogg Zyrus walked past the numerous building sites and reached the training area. There, a squad of players was fighting against his summons. He had already sent Elsid back to earth in order to train the rest of his summons. ¡®These guys are enough to train them for the time being,¡¯ Zyrus nodded in satisfaction as he analyzed their mock battles. These players were the candidates for his crown¡¯s authority- Appoint Knights. He had one requirement on the basis of selection, and that was their loyalty. As he had told Kyle and Lauren earlier, he had enough plans to ensure their strength reached the appropriate level. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m no longer needed here,¡± Zyrus spoke to Jacob who was walking towards him. ¡°Oh! Are you going out on the sea?¡± ¡°Indeed. And from your face, it looks like you wanted to do the same as well?¡± Jacob was awkward after receiving Zyus¡¯s knowing smile. Every leader was busy recruiting new players and developing their subordinates except for him. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t wasn¡¯t to contribute anything. His introverted personality made the tasks assigned to him feel mentally draining. Zyrus knew this from the start as well. It was for this reason that he assigned him to teach others the basics of using mana. ¡°Looks like it was too much for you. Don¡¯t worry though, you won¡¯t have to worry about this for a while.¡± ¡°Phew.. that¡¯s great,¡± Jacob sighed in relief as he followed after Zyrus. ¡°Tell Shi kun to assemble the best shield warriors on the dragon of war. We¡¯ll set off in the next hour,¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Jacob replied and left with energetic steps. Zyrus¡¯s next goal was to level up to 30 and obtain another trait via blood fusion. Then, he would conquer the third island before parting ways to clear the cube¡¯s mission. ¡®I can only hope that my plan works out¡­¡¯ *Thunk* He jumped on the dragon of war¡¯s deck and started drawing a rough map. Often time these mundane activities were required to jog up his past memories. Although the Pisces archipelago wasn¡¯t explored in his heyday, its popularity didn¡¯t fade even after centuries. One of the main things that attracted countless players here was the rumored pirate cave. Yes, it was a clich¨¦ setting where a pirate¡¯s hoarded treasure was found in an undersea cave. But as expected from the sanctuary, this wasn¡¯t a free meal given to lucky players. It was true that there was a treasure trove hidden between the second and the third island, but obtaining it was anything but simple. It was to the point that this popular yet dreadful place wasn¡¯t completely explored till the players reached the fourth ring. Zyrus drew the Pisces constellation on one sheet and focused on the three islands on another one. The location of the cave was at the converging point of the three islands, a place which had an equal distance from all the islands. The unstable space and chaotic water currents were problems he found easy to handle. The biggest threat was the monsters that resided there. ¡®I recall countless people did on the exploration due to that¡­¡¯ In all honesty, the risks weren¡¯t worth the reward at the current stage. However, the treasures were merely a side dish in Zyrus¡¯s eyes. What he wanted was the trait of the monsters. Why were they called monsters and not fish or aquatic beasts? Because they were in fact monsters who once resided on the island. Stolen novel; please report. The most important trait Zyrus needed was also the most common trait that all fish had- the ability to breathe underwater. How stupid would it be if he one day drowned despite having the talent of blood fusion? He could use mana to breathe and fight underwater, but such a process was very inefficient. ¡®Besides, there are many skills and items that can interfere with that,¡¯ Zyrus firmly believed that for him, removing his weakness was much more crucial than getting more offensive strength. Just his void laws and class were enough to reach the same height he had in his previous life. And this was him being conservative. The key here was that he survived till that point. It wasn¡¯t an issue on the sanctuary, but on earth¡­ Even at his peak powers he doubted that he could face against the whole alien invasion. Thus, it was better to escape into the depths of the earth and under the currents of the ocean to escape if needed. ¡®And it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way to get two abilities from a trait,¡¯ [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank)] Drink their blood and devour their souls, only the worthy deserve the crown of evolution. Transcending your human roots, you have now become a Sylvarix, a species that has no limits for evolution. However, you still carry the lineage of Homo sapiens. May the mark of adaptation light your way to the stars! Effect: Absorb your enemy¡¯s vitality to regain your stamina. CD: 10 min Special Ability 1: Drink the blood of your slain foes to obtain their special traits. (1/10) Note: This ability can be used once every 20 levels. Note: The traits will be granted at random and they will be modified to suit your race. Note: The obtained traits can be developed further with the race evolution. Special Ability 2: Devour the essence of mythical creatures to obtain their traits. (1/7) Note: The traits are fixed and cannot be improved. Special Ability 3: (Locked) The familiar status widow floated in front of his eyes. The effect of his talent was negligible due to his monstrous regeneration rates, and there was nothing new about the talent as well. He believed that a significant change would occur once he fulfilled the cube¡¯s mission. For now, his focus was on the third note- ''The obtained traits can be developed further with the race evolution''. At first, he believed that this effect would trigger when he reached Rakt Gorge after every 20 levels. But now that he knew the truth behind it, he was sure that he didn¡¯t need the so-called bloodline improvement. His very own talent was made with Nidraxis¡¯s blood essence. He didn¡¯t need the system¡¯s help to improve in this aspect. ¡®Drink their blood and devour their souls¡¯, this was an apt description. There were millions if not billions of species that had the underwater breathing trait. Among them all, Zyrus had selected the one which had the highest compatibility with the burrow rats. ¡°We¡¯re ready¡± He was pulled out of his thoughts by the player¡¯s shout. Shi kun didn¡¯t have the luxury to accompany him at a time like this, but he did his best to send the strongest shield warriors under him. *Cluck* Zyrus climbed on his favorite mast and looked at the horizon. An endless cyan stretched as far as his eyes could see. ¡°Hoist the Anchors,¡± *Shhhk* ¡°Set sails,¡± *Flutter* The galleon hummed with the fluctuation of mana and sailed on the vast ocean. On this day, An expedition group of 252 players and numerous summons departed to the cave called the ¡°Lair of Nidhogg,¡± ¡­ Adventures on the sea might seem exciting at first, but they were in fact rather boring. After the past ten days the players were drained of their initial enthusiasm. When they heard about pirate¡¯s treasures and dangerous monsters, they were filled with a heroic spirit to fight. Although it was dangerous, none were afraid of death when Zyrus was leading them. It was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t bring the best players to die in the middle of the ocean. But in order to accomplish their goal, they had to find the freaking cave before anything else! They were going around in circles for the past three days in hope of finding the site Zyrus mentioned. It wasted their time and mana, and the annoying fish were adding salt to the wound. A long school of non-aggressive fish were swimming around the galleon. Due to Nuckelavee¡¯s aura and the players'' strength, none of the small fries dared to attack the dragon of war. This led to the current scenario where they were playing around in circles with a bunch of dumb fish. ¡°Yawn¡­Are you sure we¡¯re at the right place?¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± ¡°Then why haven¡¯t we found the cave yet?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I thought you¡¯d enjoy sleeping all day long,¡± Zyrus spoke as he gave Franken a side-eye. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯ve found some interesting things on these waters. If I¡¯m right, then we can improve our army¡¯s strength by a whole level.¡± ¡°Oh! Go on then,¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a guess. I can¡¯t experiment before we reach there, so there¡¯s no point in giving you empty hope,¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe we¡¯ll reach there tonight. You can go on your own to deal with it,¡± Zyrus replied as he looked at the darkening sky. Today was the day of full moon. Although he knew the cave¡¯s location, he didn¡¯t know how to find the entrance to the cave. It was only accessible to the players due to the chaotic space. At present, there was no way they could go to an undersea cave. ¡®If it¡¯s related to gravity, then we should find an answer today,¡¯ The entirety of this sea region was influenced by the lunar cycle. An upward and downward current was formed on the days of new moon and full moon. He knew about the location of both of these currents, but there were many such less potent streams that arose from the two. They appeared with no rhyme or reason on this mysterious sea. And if his guess was correct, then this should be one such time and location. Chapter 102: We’re already Surrounded Darkness engulfed the sky as the clock went past six. The bright moon hung alone on the black canvas, lighting the ocean in a murky white radiance. Such a scene would have been beautiful if seen from a city, but on this ocean, it gave one an unsettling feeling. ¡°Get ready, active all illuminating spells and look out for any abnormality,¡± Zyrus¡¯s voice acted as an anchor that held back the player¡¯s fears. They were by no means weak or inexperienced. But even the mightiest of warriors would cower beneath the nature¡¯s might. ¡®Well, it should be fine as long as they hold up their shields,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t plan to fight with them to begin with. Compared to the monsters they were about to face; the current atmosphere was nothing. ¡°Found anything?¡± ¡°Nope, but it¡¯s close enough,¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s in the lair then,¡± Zyrus stated as he folded his map. This time, he was 100% certain that he was at the right place. It was only a matter of time before they ¡®descended¡¯ on the ocean. *Plop* However, someone else had a different opinion on the matter. ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Zyrus Wymar,¡± ¡°Long time indeed,¡± Zyrus replied to the golden mountain that floated above their ship. Or rather, the golden slime that resembled a mountain. Unsurprisingly, none of the players had noticed its presence. ¡°I assume you know why I¡¯m here?¡± ¡°Naturally. Few things could compel Lord Matope to project in this backward place,¡± Zyrus shrugged at the fifth ring¡¯s administrator. The being in front of him was the ruler of all slimes in the sanctuary. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that the administrator in charge of this area would be this slime. Out of all the administrators, Matope was the most hardworking and prudent. Dealing with it would be a pain in the ass. ¡°Are you cursing me?¡± ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t? Your stinginess is second to none,¡± ¡°Ahem¡­let¡¯s get back to topic then,¡± Matope was rather thick-skinned for a slime. ¡°Go on, about time I receive my pending rewards,¡± The rewards for the six-month ranking, the changes that should have occurred in the flag after defeating nuckleavee, the rewards for conquering the second island¡­Zyrus was eager to receive all that was due. ¡°Long story short, there are two ways we can go with this. One, we proceed as per the previous incident to maintain the balance. Your strength will be sealed once it crosses the threshold, and then you can take part in other minor events with the rest of the players,¡± The so-called minor events were faction battles and pvp between top players. They were a series of non-lethal events that took place once a year. Apart from developing the players and building a competitive atmosphere, it served as a political gathering between different powers. The sanctuary wasn¡¯t stingy with the rewards either. Each time the players were given satisfactory rewards for their performance. ¡°What¡¯s the second option?¡± ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re not interested in participating in them,¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Why would he waste his time in thrashing a bunch of noobs? It¡¯s fine if he wanted the rewards, but a majority of the rewards were related to territory development and stat boosts. He didn¡¯t need the former, and what was the point of the stat boosts if his power would be sealed anyway?Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Zyrus was sure that in less than a year he would reach the maximum stats allowed by the second ring. Then, just like his vitality, they would stop increasing as well. On the bright side, he would receive a head start on the third ring due to his accumulation. ¡°The second option is rather special. You can use all your strength as long as you don¡¯t bully other players or destroy the whole ecosystem. Also, in both cases, you¡¯re forbidden from using your future knowledge to cause inflation or any such things by using the shop. You can, however, use it to empower your troops.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a given. If anything, I hope they develop the continent well so I don¡¯t have to waste my time on it.¡± Zyrus replied with a cruel grin. Matope sighed at his remark. It felt like Zyrus was a farmer who was waiting to reap a harvest on the Kyros continent. ¡°Fine. There are some other conditions in the flag march as well. Under special circumstances, you can¡¯t access the function via status anymore, but the class and the skills will be given despite that.¡± Zyrus raised his eyes at the somewhat unwilling slime. The present situation was like a high-up government worker was using a backdoor to sign a deal with a private corporation. As long as it was hidden from the public eye, everything was fine. ¡°That¡¯s a bit too convenient, no? What do I have to do in return?¡± Although it would be annoying without the system tab, it¡¯s not like he needed them to function. Compared to not losing his power this much inconvenience was acceptable. ¡°Fight. We¡¯ll notify you at the year''s end. Keep in mind that since it¡¯s part of the deal, you won¡¯t receive anything from the fight, not even exp.¡± ¡°No problem. Just deliver the rewards to my subordinates,¡± ¡°Just this once¡­.¡± *Boom* ¡°Activate the barriers,¡± the ships fell down into the ocean at the same moment Matope left. Yes, fell down. A deep chasm had appeared below the dragon of war. It was as if someone had taken a bite of the ocean below them. *Crrrk* *Splash* The players didn¡¯t even know what happened before they were surrounded by dark walls of water. If not for the seawater sinking below their ship as well, they would have died from the crash alone. [Ding! You have discovered Lair of Nidhogg] [Warning! The current area is too dangerous for your current level. It is advised that you return before venturing further] [Congratulations! You have obtained an achievement: Deep sea explorers(E-)] [SP +2] The bright floating screens illuminated the dark area. No one had to clue as to how they sunk into the ocean, or why were there walls of water around them. ¡°Alright, close your status and don¡¯t make a fuss. Keep your shields ready and sail ahead,¡± ¡°A-ahead?¡± ¡°Yes, or what? You want to ram into the walls?¡± Apart from the dark path in front of him, everything else was surrounded by sky-high walls of water. They could even see the fish swimming around them without a care. It was almost as if they didn¡¯t exist in their eyes. ¡°Alright,¡± the leading shield warrior replied with firm resolve and moved the ship forward. Since there was no air or water current in this stagnant chasm of water, they had to rely on the engraved spells to move the dragon of war. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back on your mana. We¡¯ll reach the shore soon enough,¡± Zyrus¡¯s calm and confident voice resounded in the dark environment. *Splash* ¡®This place hasn¡¯t changed one bit,¡¯ Zyrus recalled the first time he had come to this place. He was in the third ring back then. Apart from him and a couple of his subordinates, more than a thousand players under him were wiped out in this journey. ¡®But this time, I don¡¯t plan to lose a single life,¡¯ His reptilian eyes darted around the approaching shoreside. Just like the previous him, the players were unable to see what was ahead. But since he was now a Sylvarix, things were different. In front of them was a pitch-black cavern without a single source of light. If not for the full moon above, even he would have failed to notice this place without ramming their ships into it. After all, which sane person would expect to find a cavern in the middle of the ocean? ¡°Stop the ship and prepare to depart. Take all the rations with you, we won¡¯t come back for a while.¡± *Shlk* Before the players could ask anything, he jumped down and landed on the cavern¡¯s floor. Only now did the players realize that in front of them was a gigantic cavern. Its protruding stalactites and glistening black walls made it look like the mouth of a colossal beast. [Ding! You have entered the inner region of the lair of Nidhogg] ¡®Tch¡­were they watching a horror movie while creating this place?¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t like the unnecessary creepy vibe this place had. And the fact that he felt comfortable in this sticky and humid environment annoyed him even more. ¡°Watch your steps, the mucus on the wall is corrosive,¡± ¡°M-mucus?¡± ¡°I was joking,¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s corrosive, so take care,¡± If Zyrus wasn¡¯t their leader, then the 250 shield warriors would have surely beaten him up. Nonetheless, his ill-timed humor achieved its purpose. The players were no longer timid as if they were a bunch of rats entering a snake¡¯s burrow. ¡®Though if we make an analogy, the disparity of strength between the players and Nidhogg is much worse,¡¯ ¡°Jacob,¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Throw fireballs in all directions. Shield warriors, don¡¯t attack and just keep your shields up,¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that attract all the monsters here?¡± Jacob asked as he channeled his mana. His curiosity didn¡¯t stop him from following the order. ¡°It¡¯s pointless. We¡¯re already surrounded,¡±
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Chapter 103: Know your Place *Whooosh* Dozens of fireballs bombarded the sticky walls of the cavern. ¡°Shields up,¡± *Siiiiiii* Zyrus¡¯s shout overlapped with the hissing noise coming from all around them. And under the fleeting light of the fireballs, the players saw the ones they would be fighting against. For the first time, they felt the word ¡°monster¡¯ was apt to describe the creatures in front of them. ¡°Expand,¡± Zyrus waved his hands and linked his vortex spell with Jacob¡¯s fireball. The cyan-blue water formed with his mana was instantly burnt up by the high temperature. Although creating steam here would make the player¡¯s vision limited, it was more fatal to the Nidhogg. The creatures living here were used to detecting their prey using heat signatures. ¡®Their ugliness is proportional to their powers,¡¯ Zyrus almost regretted his decision when he saw the snake-like monsters in front of him. They were three meters long with a pair of venomous fangs, but what made them look freakish were their arms and tails. Imagine this, what if someone cut a snake in half and attached a frog¡¯s hands into it? And as if a half snake with bony- froglike hands wasn¡¯t creepy enough, they added three tails that resembled a spider¡¯s legs. ''Fortunately, I just need their bloodline essence. It would be tragic if I were to inherit their physique...'' *Siiiiii* One of the Nidhogg was hanging right above Zyrus¡¯s head. It used its three tails to hang down like a bat and spewed out poison on the players. ¡°Maintain the shield barrier. The poison is corrosive and highly toxic, but you should be able to last long enough for me to finish them off,¡± Zyrus ordered and activated his bread-and-butter skill for aoe scenarios, [Shackles of Nihility] Numerous chains erupted from the cavern¡¯s walls and bound the dozen Nidhoggs. Rather than fear, Zyrus felt disgusted as tens of green eyes stared at him. [Summon] *Crack* The legion of abyss walked out from the spatial crack once again. Just like Zyrus, they didn¡¯t feel the least bit uncomfortable in this environment. ¡°Jacob, stand in the middle of the shield warriors and blast fireballs whenever you want. Just keep them distracted,¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Seeing that everything was all right, Zyrus singled out a Nidhogg and ganged up on it with his summons. *Keeeee* The cornered Nidhogg sprayed out a dark green poison in his direction. Unlike the previous attack, what made this spray of poison deadly were two factors. First, it was unavoidable as no skills or items could block it. Second, unlike other poisons that took time to take effect, this one caused necrosis within seconds. Unfortunately for it though, neither Zyrus nor his summons were affected by the poison. Necrosis wouldn¡¯t work on Zyrus due to his high resistance against poison. As for his summons, how could they be affected when they weren¡¯t living beings to begin with? This might have worked on earth when they were in their true bodies, but the sanctuary made their existence practically immortal. No summons could truly die under the system¡¯s influence. -12,-25,-150,-0,-320,-56,¡­. Hundreds of damage values floated above the Nidhogg. If not for its small size, it would have long since been pummeled to death. Few others of its kind also tried to attack his group, but Zyrus was prepared for it.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He ordered the drakes to blast them one by one to keep them momentarily blind. *Siiiiiii* After dealing close to 5000 damage the monster finally activated its second form. Half of its iridescent black scales were turning sickly green in color. Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate and ordered ten ophidian warriors to hold it down. He had no choice but to use them as sacrifices. The fight was going smoothly because the Nidhoggs were distracted. More than half of them were aggoed by Jacob and the shield warriors. While the players looked fine on the surface, they wouldn¡¯t last more than an hour with their current consumption of mana and stamina. ¡®I¡¯ll have to finish them before that,¡¯ Zyrus activated his eyes of annihilation to observe the transforming Nidhogg. It had been a while since he had to rely on weakness and critical hits to fight against mobs. Searing pain flooded his mind as the ophidian warriors dissolved one by one. Yellow bioluminescent lines ran across the Nidhogg that dissolved everything around it. Zyrus ignored its enlarging fangs and focused his attention on its throbbing heart. ¡®It would be great if I had a weapon, but I can do without it,¡¯ As a Sylvarix, his entire body was a weapon. *Pcchck* -3000 Zyrus¡¯s hands penetrated Nidhoggs¡¯ scales and clutched at its heart. But as a result, he too was pierced by its fangs. -500 ¡°Know your place,¡± *Splatter* -2000 There was no last-minute resistance or an all-out attack. Under the piercing gaze of Zyrus, the monster was unable to control its own power. Even though their bloodline was corrupted and mutated, even though they had become stronger than their previous forms, they were still snakes in the end. At this moment when death was staring right at its eyes, How could it bore the pressure of someone who had the blood of Nidraxis? Although Zyrus wasn¡¯t a true dragon, he could emulate the pressure of one with his bloodline. ¡®Heh, I look forward to the day when blood fusion reaches its completion,¡¯ He ignored the talent¡¯s prompt to create the trait and moved on to the next Nidhogg. The hunt was just beginning. ¡­ -2000 Exp +1000 Level Up! [Strength +2] [Agility +1] [Mana +1] The last Nidhogg fell under Zyrus¡¯s claws. The players had exhausted their mana and stamina after the tenth monster was skilled. Thus, Zyrus had to use his summons to deal with the last few on his own. There was a reason why no one could clear this place for so long. Wave tactics were out of the picture in this narrow cavern, and no one except shield warriors could block the Nidhoggs'' poison breath and necrosis. Out of the less than thousand players, how many shield warriors can a party have? Too few and everyone would be wiped out, and too many would mean that they would lack other damage dealers. ¡®Summoners are treated as kings in these types of scenarios,¡¯ Zyrus with his Balaur summoner class was equivalent to hundreds of close and mid-rage damage dealers. And all of them were immune to necrosis. The last cog in their team was Jacob, a mage who could cast almost a thousand fireballs in an hour. None of them dealt more than 10 damage. However, what mattered here was that they succeeded in keeping the aggro. ¡°Rest up well. We¡¯ll head in after resting for an hour,¡± No one had the energy to reply to his orders. The players nodded their heads and slumped down to recover. ¡°Remember that while overdrawing your mana and stamina is harmful in the short term, you¡¯ll get endless benefits from it. The sanctuary will reward you once you Break past your limits,¡± There weren¡¯t Zyrus¡¯s empty words. As the one who had accumulated dozens of achievements in every ring, he knew firsthand how important fights like these were. He left the players aside and cleaned up the area. While the Nidhogg were disgusting, their poison glands were worth quite a lot. The crafters back at the base would have one more project to work on. Time passed by as the group headed deeper into the cavern. Hours turned into days as they killed more than 500 Nidhoggs in half a week. This was an astonishing number considering their lineup. Thus, all the players leveled up multiple times. As the main contributor, Zyrus reached level 30 without any hurdles. [Ding! You have reached the core region of the Lair of Nidhogg] [The King of Nidhogg has noticed your presence] [You have discovered a field boss! Proceed ahead to commence the boss raid] ¡°Halt,¡± Zyrus raised his hand and looked at the darkness ahead. After days of grueling work, they were finally here. The target for his blood fusion and the pirates¡¯ treasure were right in front of them. Even so, getting them was easier said than done. ¡°Set up a camp here,¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± The players followed his orders without wasting any time. Their cohesiveness was pushed to a whole new level after fighting together in this cramped place. One of the main reasons behind it was the battle formation taught by Zyrus. Not just these players, every frontline class like swordsmen, spearmen, and mages were learning these formations. This was Zyrus¡¯s tweaked invention after his experiment with the totem. It wasn¡¯t something spectacular that deserved recognition from the system. Nonetheless, it was sufficient to improve their teamwork and unleash a mighty power. ¡®It¡¯s their first time using this formation in a real battle, and against a field boss no less,¡¯ Even Zyrus was apprehensive about the battles¡¯ outcome. Unlike Tauranox and Camazotz, the Nidhogg king wasn¡¯t simple to deal with. ¡°No matter what happens, make sure to preserve your life. As long as you share the damage and stack up your skills, I don¡¯t believe that even a field boss can kill you.¡± He encouraged the players and started making his own preparations as well. He had received an update from Franken not too long ago. It was an unexpected yet pleasant surprise. And if everything went as planned, then it wouldn¡¯t be long before his army stood on the shores of Farnakht. Chapter 104: I met an ugly cousin of yours a while back Zyrus took out 99 poison glands and placed them in a hexagonal formation. He initially wanted to hand them over to the researchers. All of them were excellent materials for creating daggers for rogues and assassins. But now, he had a better use for them. The essence of the Nidhogg was neither in their hearts nor in their brains. It was precisely these glands that contained the majority of their mana and life energy. Each one of these could give him a trait if he used blood fusion on them. But what he wanted was something much grander. He didn¡¯t have much hope at the beginning, but after hearing Franken¡¯s report, he could give it a shot. ¡®I wonder if someone took them away in my previous life,¡¯ Zyrus was sidetracked in his thoughts while he arranged the glands in nine-by-nine formations. What Franken found were the eggs of the Nidhoggs. It was nothing special in and of itself, but the key here was that they were the eggs that had yet to mutate. Nidhoggs were a species of toxic serpents. According to records he found in the higher rings, they were the rulers of one of the islands in the middle of the Pisces archipelago. What caused their freakish transformation? Why did such an irreversible event occur that even the sanctuary¡¯s time loop couldn¡¯t fix? He had many such questions. Zyrus knew that he couldn¡¯t possibly uncover all the secrets in the sanctuary. But since he found the eggs that had yet to mutate, that implied that the Nidhoggs weren¡¯t transformed by genetics. It must be a sudden mutation caused by an external object. What Franken found this time was precisely the location of this object. It was right beneath the Nidhogg king¡¯s current location. It was no wonder why so many people ignored that place. The field boss was standing right in front of the piles of treasure chests. It took hours to kill that thing, so who in their right mind would inspect the ground first before looting the chests? ¡®If I¡¯m right, then the entrance below would disappear once a chest is opened,¡¯ The work was almost done as he speculated about the Nidhogg''s origins. One in the middle and eight surrounding each direction, nine such formations were laid out on the ground. *Pahhk* Zyrus added one additional gland to each formation and stabbed it with a makeshift stake. Finally, he places an intact gland on each of the stakes. The players were looking weirdly at their leader who was now dripping his own blood on the wooden stakes. As if their current surroundings weren¡¯t creepy enough, now there was a bloody ritual going on just before their fight. ¡°Jacob, lit up the stakes,¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Jacob barely held in his curiosity and threw out nine fireballs. He understood that now wasn¡¯t the time to learn about such things. *Fwoosh* The stakes lit up like a torch of flames, but surprisingly, the wood wasn¡¯t burning out. It drew blood from the surroundings and slowly changed the flames into an emerald hew. ¡°This is called reverse transformation. You used magic flame to burn the wood, thereby creating a normal flame. Now, that flame is triggering the blood and mana around it, and it will transform into a magical flame, amazing, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you about some old tribal rituals and incantations later on. They aren¡¯t the least bit inferior to advanced magic we use,¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Jacob nodded with enthusiasm and went back to recuperate his mana. Zyrus made the final tidbits of adjustments and sat down as well. Unlike others who were recovering, he was using his abyssal mana to fortify the formation. ¡®I¡¯m glad I learned this from the other arcanists¡­¡¯ This formation was a simple bloodline-restricting formation. By using the remains of a monster it was possible to weaken others of their race. Although it was formidable, it was practically useless due to the long preparation time and the lack of offensive power. Besides, using this formation on the field boss was impossible. Their power didn¡¯t come without restriction. All of the field bosses were restricted in their areas with no way of going out. And who had the leisure to set up the formation in front of the field boss¡¯s nose? *Hissssss* ¡°Yeah, yeah, just wait there like a good little snake,¡± The Nidhogg king was infuriated as it saw its brethren¡¯s remains being used in such a way. If looks could kill, then Zyrus would have died ten times over. The Nidhogg king wasn¡¯t any different from the others on the way, except that it was freaking huge. Its total height was enough to match a ten-story building. But apart from throwing up a tantrum on the other side, it could do nothing. ¡°Are you guys ready?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± ¡°Better than ever,¡± ¡°Great. Use the shield battle formation from the start,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t have to convey his orders twice as 250 players executed his command. All of them held up their shields at different angles. The multicolored equipment created a metal fortress that covered the players from every direction. ¡°Charge after me,¡± Zyrus clashed his fists which made the Ymir¡¯s gauntlets gleam in a cold light. It was time to put his new weapon to use. And what could be a better first opponent than a field boss? ¡°Expand,¡± A cyan wave surged alongside Zyrus as he charged into the field zone. The Nidhogg king didn¡¯t waste a second and immediately smashed its hand towards his direction. *Bang* Only to be staggered back by a platinum shield. The players weren¡¯t here to pose as sitting turtles. The shield formation used by them resembled the ones from the medieval era. However, the shields were magic equipment, and their wielders were dozens of times stronger than the soldiers of the past. Their combined defensive power was enough to block a crumbling mountain. ¡°You know, I met an ugly cousin of yours a while back,¡± *Whooosh* -500,-500,-150,-75,-500¡­. The crashing waves transformed into numerous vortexes and spun in front of the Ymir¡¯s gauntlets. The Nidhogg king was barraged by fists imbued with the power of vortex. ¡°But unlike then, I don¡¯t have to rely on my wits to beat noodleheads like you,¡± Zyrus chuckled and fought in a manner that was unbefitting of an arcanist. Where was the sophisticated use of mana? Where were the single-target spells that dealt devastating damage? *Bang* -500,-250,-150,¡­ This was just a pure beatdown between two monsters. -2000 *Hisssss* Zyrus retreated from his charge after finishing the combo. Each attack on a weak spot builds a stack, a total of nine stacks can be built in such a way. When dealing a critical hit, all stacks will be consumed. Each consumed stack will increase critical damage by 7% Cooldown: 2 minutes It was the second ability of the Ymir¡¯s broken gauntlets. Zyrus gained 2 strength stats from each level up, and thus, he was more than suitable for these gauntlets. His 70+ strength was dealing triple the maximum damage due to his crit damage and other buffs. ¡®Tch.. it¡¯ll be difficult this time,¡¯ One had to keep in mind that the damage dealt to an absolute weak spot was 10 times the norm. Thus, after taking the Nidhogg king¡¯s defense and resistances into account, 2000 was his current maximum damage. ¡°Save your mana Jacob, it¡¯ll go into the second phase after an hour or so,¡± Zyrus shouted and jumped towards the monster once again. *Fwip* His arms numbed from rebounds as he kept striking the field boss. And this was the case when most of its attacks were blocked by the players. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to use his summons or void skills. If his goal was to simply kill the Nidhogg king, then there was no need to go through such troubles. ¡®As long as I kill it without using the 13 curses and avatar, all will work out,¡¯ *Hissss* ¡°Stop spitting around dumbass, can¡¯t you see it¡¯s not working?¡± *Hissss* ¡°¡­¡± Zyrus gave up on taunting the mindless Nidhogg and continued with his repetitive attacks. Maybe it was affected by the mutation, but this was the dumbest field boss he had faced thus far. All of its actions were predictable. Rather than fighting a life-threatening battle, it was more like battling a final boss in a video game. Of course, that didn''t mean that it was easy. ¡®No wonder melee players spout bullshit when fighting... it¡¯s rather boring to swing your arms for hours,¡¯ *Bang* -500,-250,-75¡­. Zyrus didn¡¯t use any other skills apart from vortex and rage of Jotunn. His recovery rates were boosted when fighting against a field boss, and thus, he could pull off a lengthy fight like this. More than an hour passed by before the Nidhogg king changed its attack. The familiar green scales and yellow lines emerged on its gigantic body. ¡°Drink your potions and let it transform. We don¡¯t have enough damage dealers to interrupt it anyway,¡± The shield warriors nodded in response while Jacob hastened his casting. Zyrus also relaxed his taut muscles and took on a spectator sit. He knew which spell Jacob was going to use, so he wasn''t worried about any mishap. Chapter 105: Lunar Aura Blue embers of fiery mana bloomed around the Nidhogg king. Even the players could feel the burning heat from a hundred feet away. *ROOOOAR* The Nidhogg king finally finished its transformation and released a yellow radiance. The cavern¡¯s ceiling, the floor, and even the mana around it was dissolved into puddles of acid. Moonlight shined upon this underground cave after centuries. It was a beautiful sight to see the crescent moon through the waters of the ocean. It was an unscientific phenomenon that was only possible in the sanctuary. A pity that such a scene was fleeting. Because at that instant, Jacob had finished his casting. [Ranshao] Deep blue flames engulfed the entire cavern. There was no burning sound or the searing sensation, almost as if the blue flames were a mirage. ¡°Retreat far away,¡± Zyrus ordered the players and moved back as well. Unlike the layman players, he knew what the blue flames were doing. *Hissss* The Nidhogg king released the yellow radiance once again. But this time it was the yellow light that was burnt up. ¡®Ranshao¡¯ was a spell born by combusting all of the users¡¯ mana. Spells of this nature had a long casting time and they were mostly offensive in nature. Ranshao was one such example that differed from the norm. It was a high-level spell that brought forth the concept of combustion into being. Be it friend or foe, everyone¡¯s MP-fueled attacks and mana reserves would be combusted to fuel the blue flames. ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to the day he learns to use these flames,¡¯ Zyrus praised the panting Jacob in his head. The rookie player was steadily developing into a novice arcanist. *Bang* *Crash* The Nidhogg king trashed around to no avail. All it could see were the pillar of blue flames. And although they lacked any offensive power, it was pointless for a field boss. Their entire existence was woven through mana itself. Except for some rare physical attributed field bosses, the majority of them relied on mana to attack and defend. Depriving them of their mana supply was equivalent to crippling them. ¡°Head back with the rest,¡± Zyrus spoke to Jacob who was drawing haggard breaths. ¡°Hu¡­alright. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you,¡± Zyrus nodded in response and used his summon skill from afar. The second phase of the Nidhogg king was dangerous due to the yellow lines coursing through its skin. It more than made up for its weakness in the close-quarters combat. Its sole weakness was transformed into a grim reaper¡¯s scythe. ¡®But thanks to Ranshao, it¡¯s more like a farmer¡¯s rusted sickle,¡¯ The entirety of the legion of abyss jumped on the floundering boss. The drakes bit its weak spots while the ophidian warriors dealt blows to its sensitive organs. Zyrus felt like thousands of needles were prickling his brain. Just the Nidhogg kings¡¯ physical strength and weakened mana were enough to insta kill his summons. Nonetheless, their efforts weren¡¯t for nothing. The Nidhogg king was losing its hp at a drastic rate. ¡°Get ready to cast a shield,¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± Zyrus channeled his mana into the Zubry solleret as well. In order to save up his void skills he could only rely on his equipment to deal damage. ¡®Neither the players nor my summons would last against the third phase,¡¯ The field bosses weren¡¯t soft persimmons that one could knead as they liked. It was even more so for someone who guarded a pile of treasure chests.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. *Crrrrrk* A change took place after another minute of bombardment from the summons. A pitiful few were left alive from the initial hundreds. The Nidhogg king was shattering apart like a sculpture of glass. But rather than being relieved, everyone present felt their scalps tingle in warning. Zyrus called back his summons and started running around the cavern. The moisture in the air was cleared up after Jacob¡¯s spell, and thus, his shoes burned the ground like fine charcoal. ¡°Defend yourself without holding anything back. And when I move, cast the shield near the entrance,¡± He didn¡¯t explain anything further and picked up his speed. Compared to other players, he knew the horror of the Nidhogg king¡¯s final form. *Whizzzz* Sharp humming noise filled the entire cavern before anyone noticed a change. The crumbling Nidhogg king was nowhere to be seen. ¡°From abov-¡± *SLAASH* ¡°Argh-¡± ¡°Reinforce the gap-¡± Zyrus¡¯s words were a bit too late as the Nidhogg king had already sliced open the shield formation. He ignored the players who were struggling to get back in the formation and glared at the field boss. Compared to before, its size was reduced by half. But it had gained something far more valuable in return. Four cicada-like wings fluttered behind the flying Nidhogg king. Zyrus was glad that this was a cavern. Otherwise, no players at this stage can deal with a flying poisonous monster. ¡°Surge,¡± Zyrus attacked with a vortex while running, but he was promptly ignored this time around. The Nidhogg king had decided to deal with the pesky bugs who interrupted its every move. ¡®This won¡¯t do¡­I need to pull it¡¯s aggro,¡¯ Logically speaking, the field boss should target either him or Jacob. The chances of it going after supportive players were too low in comparison. *Sizzle* ¡°Forget what I said earlier, cast the shield in the middle and retreat,¡± Zyrus stood in the field of red lava and channeled his mana into the Ymir¡¯s broken gauntlets. Currently, he was close to the treasure chests and the players were close to the entrance. It was a perfect opportunity to launch a pincer attack. Even though the players were unable to even touch the Nidhogg king, it was easy for them to push it back. [Shield Bash] A metallic shield formed in front of the players. The Nidhogg king fluttered its wings to swipe down at the players, and this time, the players didn¡¯t plan to defend either. *Bang* The shield crumbled into pieces and the shield bash skill was forcefully interrupted. The players spewed up blood from backlash and retread outside the area. [Your party member ¡°Jacob¡¯ has left the raid] [Your party member ¡°Alex¡± has left the raid] [.] . . Strings of messages popped up in front of Zyrus¡¯s eyes, but he had no time to look at them. The players had succeeded in their task as the Nidhogg king was staggered back towards the region of lava. Zyrus knew that the terrain was useless against the flying field boss, but how could he not have a few tricks up his sleeves? Strike the ground to generate a small earthquake. Affected targets will either be stunned or staggered based on their size. Area of effect: 1.5 meters x the user¡¯s level Cooldown: 3 days *Shatter* Zyrus slammed his fists downward and the entire floor cracked into pieces. The Nidhogg king who was about to fly up was staggered once again. *Hissss* ¡°Hahaha¡­This is just the beginning,¡± Zyrus grinned at the wailing field boss and used all of his mana to create a vortex. Naturally, the Nidhogg king was at the center of it. *Whizzle*Bang* -1000,-1000,-2500,-5000,-1500,¡­. Unbelievable damage values floated above the Nidhogg king. The current vortex was the result of three deadly aoe abilities, how could it not suffer? *Grooar* The lava-filled floor was cracked up under the effect of the quake. And with Zyrus manipulating the vortex, all of the small chunks of melting rocks were thrown at the Nidhogg king. However, Zyrus knew that this wasn¡¯t enough. He didn¡¯t have the ability to survive against the Nidhogg king without the players¡¯ shield. ¡®So, I¡¯ll kill it before it gets up,¡¯ He channeled the last bits of his mana into his armor. It was rare to find any items with an additional skill at this stage of the game. Someone like Zyrus who could smash a boss monster to death by equipment alone was an exception. [Lorica Squamata (Unique) (Evolvable)] A platinum armor made with the scales of Auricrust Crab. The soul of the slain crab has been sealed inside the armor, giving it a chance to evolve further. Durability: 321/500 DEF +35 By using 100 Durability the skill Lunar Aura can be used. Lunar Aura: Under the moonlight, you can lift an opponent with 10 level difference and deal 500% vibration damage. The damage will scale with strength and vitality. Note: The skill will damage the Auricrust Crab¡¯s soul Note: The skill is an absolute skill, and it can activate regardless of the target''s size and state. *Spwaa* The Nidhogg king endured the bombardment of the rocks and attacked Zyrus with its poison. And unlike before, the poison did work this time. Zyrus¡¯s scales fell of one by one and his red flesh was revealed under the glaring light of lava. -500 [Lunar Aura] *Clack* An enormous crab phantom appeared in front of his armor. And it picked up the field boss like a fish. *BAANG* And just like that, the Nidhogg king was smashed into the ground once again. -15,000 The crab phantom dissipated into motes of lights and flew back into Lorica Squamata. Meanwhile, Zyrus had used the short time frame to drink a potion to recover his HP. ¡®Tch¡­what a tenacious bastard,¡¯ He endured the heat that was melting his exposed flesh and walked towards the half-buried monster. His MP was left in single digits, while the Nidhogg king was still struggling on the lava-filled floor. Thus, he could only use his stamina on spear aura to finish it off. ¡°Goodbye, or rather, see you soon,¡± Zyrus spoke with cold eyes and plunged 20 aura spears into its brain. Chapter 106: Can’t you guys decide who’s in charge of the Area Exp +50,000 [Level up!] [+2 Strength] [+1 Agility] [+1 Mana] Zyrus gulped down another recovery potion and looked at the status prompts. He wanted nothing more than to rest for the day, but his plan was only halfway through. [Congratulations! You have killed the field boss ¡°Nidhogg King¡±] [+3 SP, 10% increased Exp gain underwater] [You have dealt the most damage to the field boss!] [You have dealt the final blow to the field boss!] [You have obtained the Passive skill: Fear (A)] [+5 SP] The skill came as an unexpected surprise to Zyrus. He didn¡¯t hope for much since the true rewards of this map were the pile of treasure chests. A few unique items were guaranteed for the first ones who explored this place. Still, the biggest money-making reward was the next one. [Congratulations! You are the first flag bearer who has cleared the ''Lair of Nidhogg''] [This area will be permanently accessible from now on.] [Your Flag¡¯s Tier has risen by 1!] [From now on, 10% of the loot earned in this map will be sent to your faction storage] The 10% tax was pointless since no one apart from his troops would come here in the first place. It was only useful for some adventurer parties or weak kings who didn¡¯t have the power to control a large territory. What use would it have for Zyrus who planned to rule the entire ocean? What mattered the most was the fact that this region would now become an open map. This was the case when he came here first time before his regression. The field boss and the mob would respawn periodically, and most importantly, the chests would respawn as well. Although the drop rates were lowered, Zyrus could afford to deploy a portion of his troops to grind this place. Just the image of his future treasury was enough to lift his exhaustion. Zyrus affirmed with Franken via his mental link and walked to the entrance that led below. The previous fight was rather ¡®ground breaking¡¯ in nature, and it had fully revealed the way below which was supposed to be hidden. Zyrus shrugged his shoulders at the reply and leaned over towards the entrance. He didn¡¯t know how Franken found this place, or why did he know that the eggs would escape. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s time to prepare for the second part,¡¯ The corpse of the field boss wouldn¡¯t remain for long. Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment and jumped into the barrel-sized hole. *Craack* The cave was pitch black with no sounds. It was impossible to tell the way. But even without Franken¡¯s reminder, Zyrus was able to feel the existence of something.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡®It feels familiar yet disgusting at the same time,¡¯ His steps echoed around the area and he could roughly make out his surroundings. Rather than a cave, it looked like an underground basement. Zyrus stepped past the ten-meter mark, and sure enough, the scenery changed. *Swoosh* Numerous objects whizzed by his side before he could adjust his eyes. But he had no time to bother about them as his senses were being bombarded by all sorts of signals. Desire, Greed, Fear, Animosity, and one that towered them all, Disgust. It was the first time he was feeling different responses from the various powers within him. Zyrus walked step by step into the cave, towards the object that was the cause behind everything. ¡®This is the last thing I expected to be the source of mutation,¡¯ A green fruit was floating at the center of the cave. Brilliant motes of emerald light were swimming around the area. Although the cave was 15 meters in diameter, Zyrus found himself suffocating at this moment. ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Noone answered his question. He drew a sharp breath and used his willpower to keep his powers in check. His entire body was drawn to that apple-like fruit. He was sure that every living creature would have the same instinctive response. ¡®This is definitely the law of life,¡¯ Zyrus was sure that the emerald motes and the fruit were filled with the laws of life. To make a comparison, the active laws were hundreds of times stronger than his attack against the glemorax king. He found it unfathomable. How can someone indefinitely use the power of laws? He was certain that this fruit was under someone¡¯s arrangement and not a natural object. It was fortunate that this place was filled with the laws of life. If it were anything else, then he could only die with regret. Zyrus¡¯s scales grew back and even his hidden injuries were healed at a rapid rate. But even under this seemingly beneficial encounter, his senses were tingling with danger. Every living creature would desire the fruit. His talent was greedy and yet afraid of this power, while his Sylvarix bloodline was giving him a sense of animosity. These were hard-to-explain sensations. But the feeling of disgust that came from the cube was different from them. He didn¡¯t know why the cube would feel disgusted towards the laws of life. Nonetheless, his plans were the same. Zyrus didn¡¯t plan to use the source of mutation from the beginning. This might be useful to some players, but for someone who had the bloodline of a Sylvarix, it was the worst poison. An ability to evolve without limits and an object that caused mutations- they weren¡¯t a good match. He had no intentions of becoming a freak like Nidhoggs. ¡®I¡¯d be better off not touching it,¡¯ Thus, he activated the shackles of nihility to bind the green fruit. Even if there were any lingering aftereffects due to the surroundings, Zyrus was sure that he could deal with them with his void laws. *Thunk* ¡°¡­¡± The fruit fell off like a boulder as if its power was cut off. ¡®Why is it so hard to lift it?¡¯ It was an absurd situation. As such, Zyrus was forced to use his shackles of nihility as ropes once again. He dragged the black chains and clawed his way to the ground. He doubted that any player except him could lift this thing that weighed like a mountain. Zyrus analyzed his status after telling them to evacuate the area. Both his MP and stamina were recovered halfway. He was by no means in his peak conditions, but he couldn¡¯t afford to wait any longer. ¡®I¡¯m sure the administrators are happy that I didn¡¯t exterminate the field boss this time,¡¯ Zyrus smirked as he imagined their relieved expression. It was a pity though. They¡¯ll have to find a new boss regardless, especially after they announced the opening of the map to all the players. *Splatter* He jumped on the corpse of the Nidhogg king and started digging at his heart. Yes, considering their difference in size, digging was the right word to describe it. Its hard scales and stiffened muscles fell of under his claws. He didn¡¯t kill the field boss like before for two reasons. One, he wanted to make sure that this region operated as normal. Only then could he farm the mobs and treasure chests. Secondly, he wanted to use the source of mutation on the Nidhogg king¡¯s corpse. ¡®I wasn¡¯t sure about the success at the start, but now it¡¯s different,¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t it be a joke if the laws of life couldn¡¯t revive the dead monster? It wasn¡¯t even ''dead'' in the first place. ¡®But why does this bastard have so many bones?¡¯ Zyrus felt like the Nidhoggs had strayed too far from their ancestry. Soon enough, he reached the field boss¡¯s heart after digging for three meters. He grabbed the chains once again and dropped the fruit where the Nidhogg king¡¯s heart was supposed to be. Time seemed to stop at this moment. No, it really did. [What the hell are you doing?] ¡°I say, can¡¯t you guys decide who¡¯s in charge of the area?¡± [That fat ass slime declared that everything was okay and went back home. Anyway, can¡¯t you sit still for a moment?] Zyrus smiled at the fuming Anansi and pointed at the corpse, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Do you think I¡¯m a moron who doesn¡¯t know anything? I know how powerful that fruit was,¡± [Yet you fed it to that worm] ¡°Yeah, so what? Can it be stronger than lv 50? No matter how much of a powerup it gets, it won''t break past the limits of the second ring,¡± Anansi finally understood his reasoning. However, it made him even more incensed. [So, you¡¯re using the rules of the second ring as a purification device] Zyrus looked back at the administrator with a nonchalant face. He didn¡¯t know what effects the fruit would have or what would happen if he used his talent on it. But one thing was for certain, he''d become stronger than before. And that¡¯s all that mattered. [Fine then, have it your way]
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Chapter 107: Oriental Dragon *Wham* Zyrus was sent hurtling back like a ragdoll. His wounds that had just healed up began bleeding once again. However, they were the last of his concerns. ¡®Hah, funny, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Yes, he found the Nidhogg king¡¯s current state funny. Its cicada wings and froglike hands were falling off one by one. The same thing was happening to its tails as well. He believed that the monster in front of him would become an abomination due to unregulated mutations, but it was quite the opposite. The laws of life weren¡¯t evolving it towards a new direction. Rather, the Nidhogg king was going back to its ancestry. Bright green scale grew around its entire body, and even the protruding fangs were pulled back. A vast amount of energy was leaking out from the corpse which was being revived. ¡®I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t take it myself,¡¯ Zyrus shivered as he sensed the potent energy of life. He finally understood why his powers had different reactions towards the fruit. Too much of anything was bad. He was sure that any being would lose its willpower under the tremendous amount of life energy. It was the same logic for all laws. A minute amount of fire laws might enhance one¡¯s fire affinity and give them a new skill, but what if they were far beyond one¡¯s reach? Even if the sanctuary preserved their body, nothing can save their sentient will. Zyrus understood that the corpse in front of him was being assimilated with the laws of life. Even if it became alive, it would no longer be the same creature it used to be. A mindless puppet, a husk of its former being who could only act according to the laws that re-defined its existence. ¡®I discovered something I didn¡¯t expect, but it¡¯s a scary scenario,¡¯ Zyrus calmed his raging heart and thought over the possibilities. What if there were more objects like that fruit? What about different laws? Take fire for example once again. If a creature was infused with sufficient amount of fire laws, if a creature like that survived the process, then wouldn¡¯t it become a living calamity? A creature whose sole purpose was to burn everything. A creature that couldn''t be stopped without the power of laws. But how many people can wield the power of laws at such a level? Even he himself wasn¡¯t there yet. In the first place, interacting and manipulating the laws was extremely difficult. It was impossible to create a large group of people who had such power. *Crack* But now, right in front of his eyes, such a creature was taking shape. Nothing made sense from the moment he saw the fruit. Why were the laws of life in an active state from the start? Weren¡¯t the laws in nature supposed to be passive? There are thousands of laws present in every world. What if there was a way to activate them without training step by step? Zyrus felt like such an action should be a taboo. ¡®Haaa¡­whatever. I¡¯ll think about it when the time comes,¡¯ He slapped his face to get rid of the distractions and looked at the emerging creature. His previous fight looked easy at a glance, but only he knew how much preparation he had done to achieve that result. The players'' shield formation, Jacob¡¯s timely attack in the second phase, and his back-to-back stuns which finally killed the field boss. Each and every move was calculated in advance. Such victory was possible due to his knowledge before the regression. But now, for the first time, he would be fighting against an unknown monster in the sanctuary. ¡®Well, the scorpion king was different, but anyway¡­¡¯ This time, even the administrators shouldn¡¯t know the creature¡¯s abilities. It would be a lie to say that he wasn¡¯t worried about its new abilities.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. But more than anything, Zyrus Wymar was excited at this moment. Before his regression, before he became the pillar of humanity, he was always in similar conditions. A lone man fighting against the monsters head-on. [Avatar] Zyrus activated his skill from the start. He could tell from a glance that he wasn¡¯t the monster''s match without it. Unlike the time when he summoned the projection of the Azure dragon, or the time when he transformed into the black dragon, he activated the skill in a different manner. He decided to take on a defensive approach after observing the monster, or rather, the transforming serpent¡¯s bright scales. Colorful things are more likely to be poisonous- it was a rule of nature. Thus, Zyrus decided to assimilate his poison breath skill with the world around him. The original skill wasn¡¯t able to accomplish that, but his months of training weren¡¯t for nothing. ¡®Now that I think about it, this is the exclusive skill of my race,¡¯ His dark blue scales took a shade of poisonous green. And opposite to the giant serpent in front of him, a green wyrm appeared at his back. It was a pity that while the one staring at him was a revived creature, the one behind him was just a manifestation that buffed his poison resistance and recovery rates. ¡®But this is enough,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t wait for the monsters'' attack and charged at it from the start. *Thunk* -50 His fists hurt as if they had struck a block of metal. Before he could even exclaim at the monsters¡¯ ridiculous defense, he was slammed by its tail. *Craash* Zyrus dusted off his armor and stood up from the rubble. He wasn¡¯t that hurt despite being sent flying back twice. ¡°Form,¡± Numerous vortexes began taking shape in the middle of the two. Both Zyrus and the green serpent were staring at the other with calm eyes. ¡®Strong defense, sharp reflexes, doesn¡¯t take the initiative to interrupt an attack,¡¯ ¡°Expand,¡± Even when the vortexes reached the ceiling, the monster didn¡¯t move. ¡°Surge,¡± But the moment his attack landed; it retaliated with full force. The silhouette of the green serpent blurred by and he was sent flying once again. ¡®Cough-, it strikes back harder after receiving an attack, but doesn¡¯t pursue the target,¡¯ Zyrus spat out blood from his mouth and kept attacking the serpent from different angles. This fight was fundamentally different from the ones he had fought since regression. He had to deal with the unknown transformation phases of the monster, figure out its strengths and weaknesses in those phases, and deal sufficient critical damage on those weak spots to whittle down its hp. ¡®Although it¡¯s difficult, it¡¯s easier than fighting against the aliens,¡¯ *Crumble* Zyrus stood up from the ground once again. The serpent attacked him with a breath attack every third time, and when his vortex hit its eyes, it tried to pierce him with its fangs. He could tell that the monster was getting more and more aggressive. He ran around the spacious cavern and attacked every inch of its body with either his punches or mana vortex. Even if he took damage to do that, it was worth it. ¡®No weakness on tail and head, only 5 times the damage on its eyes,¡¯ [Eye of Annihilation] Zyrus¡¯s eyes took a red hue, and the serpents¡¯ weakness was laid bare in his eyes. He saw the points where its mana converged when it struck with his tail, he saw the activation of a skill when it released the poison breath¡­ *Kaboom* Most importantly, he saw its weakness. One was between its eyes where he had dealt 5 times the damage. As for the other, it was on top of its head. Yes, he saw a point where most of its mana and the power of laws was stored. A point that looked empty in his eyes, was in fact its greatest weakness. [Arcane Lance] He used 50 mana and hurled dozens of flickering blue spears at the monster¡¯s head. -50,-50,-50,-250,-250,-50,-250,¡­ *Hissss* Half of them struck the place between its eyes, but none of them were close to the invisible weak point. It wasn¡¯t because Zyrus¡¯s aiming sucked. It was due to his intuition which was built after hundreds of years of fighting against monsters. ¡®It is also observing my every movement,¡¯ He didn¡¯t know if it was clever or if it was acting on instinct, but he was sure that the serpent was learning his attack patterns. As such, it would remember the mana fluctuation when he activated his eyes of annihilation. Even someone with an orc¡¯s intelligence could put two and two together to realize that he had found its weakness after that. What Zyrus was worried about, was then even after taking his attacks, the monster didn¡¯t make any different moves. His recovery rates allowed him to spam the Arcane lance again and again. After one and a half hours, the total damage dealt by him reached 5 digits. It was a nerve-wracking fight where neither side revealed their true strength. Zyrus burned through half of his MP while the serpent¡¯s Hp was down by a third. ¡®I¡¯ll have to deal more than 70,000 damage to kill it,¡¯ Zyrus analyzed the possibility of him dealing that much damage with the MP and stamina he had. It was a whopping 0%. There was no way he could deal that much damage. Maybe the serpent knew that as well, which justified its indifferent eyes. ¡®Tch¡­as I thought, fights like these are boring,¡¯ Zyrus held back the impulse to summon Elsid and Zirnitra. It would feel great to squish the serpent like a bug with those two, but he wanted to train his skills to get an achievement as well. ¡®Just get into the second phase already,¡¯ *Skrrrrch* Maybe the serpent heard his thoughts as well. With metallic scratching sounds, four short limbs grew on the green serpent. No, it could no longer be called a serpent. What floated in front of him was a legitimate oriental dragon. And along with its appearance, Zyrus¡¯s scales started falling off once again. Even Avatar was unable to block off the dragon''s corrosive aura. Chapter 108: Cutting off its Strings ¡®Fuck, it¡¯s poison is almost at the level of the third ring,¡¯ Zyrus activated his eyes of annihilation to see its weak spots, and sure enough, they were changed. [Arcane Lance] [Spear Aura] Nealy a hundred spears were stabbed at the flying dragon¡¯s underbelly. -250,-250,-250¡­. *ROOOAR* Not a single one missed the mark. At the moment when it least expected, its hp was reduced to less than 50% just like that. -2000 As a result though, Zyrus was forced to take a full-on attack. All of the scales on his chest were blasted off. Lorica Squamata also had its durability reduced to less than 40. He unequipped his armor and ran while drinking a potion. Naturally, the angered dragon wouldn¡¯t allow that. It clawed in his direction and all Zyrus could see were five streaks of green light flying in his way. -500 ¡®I need a movement skill next,¡¯ He blasted off another round of spears while cursing at the flying dragon. His hp which had just recovered was reduced once again. The same was true for his MP and stamina which fell to double digits. At least for a short while, he''d have to survive with 1500 hp and recover his MP and stamina. ¡®Well, it¡¯s still more than enough,¡¯ Zyrus was confident in his chances of survival. As long as they were in the sanctuary, the dragon would have to follow its rules. It won¡¯t be able to use the same move in a short while. Most field bosses have 2-3 different skill-type attacks in each phase. Apart from them, they could only use the basic attack to fight against the players. Thus, a game of cat and mouse began once more. Zyrus attacked without holding back his mana and avoided all of its attacks. His stats weren¡¯t to be looked down on the second ring. No creature on this ocean had the power to kill him using just the basic attacks. ¡®The moment it releases its third attack, it¡¯ll be over,¡¯ Zyrus relaxed despite the dire situation. 13 curses of void were a cheat-like ability that could deal with all opponents. *Crash* ¡°Heh, is that all you have?¡± *Grrrrr* ¡®C¡¯mon, just use the skill already,¡¯ There were many strategy guides surrounding strong monsters. The three phases of boss monsters could be summarized this way: First, stat check. It was a phase where the monster would use its normal attacks with one skill at random. Any group of similar-level players could deal with it. And if you have any trouble in this part then just pack up and leave. Second, recovery and preservation. The monster would become stronger and it¡¯ll use skills more often. It is the time when the players have to save their long cd skills while surviving and dealing sufficient damage. The key here is teamwork. As long as you¡¯re prepared for the special skills of the monster such as poison, petrification, an aoe attack and so on, a group of elite players can deal with it. Third and the last phase, Eruption. This was the most difficult part and the phase where most of the players were wiped out. No amount of tricks worked in this phase. Attacks, defense, buffs, debuffs, all of them would erupt without holding back. It¡¯s a do-or-die round where the side with more explosive power wins. Half of the strategies are also regarding this stage where different combinations of class and skills were tested by the leaders. Only after doing all these would they send their true main force. Zyrus¡¯s advantage could be imagined as someone who didn¡¯t have to go through all that. And as far as this fight was concerned, he was never worried about the first and the third phase.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. *ROOOAR* [Arcane Lance] [Spear Aura] [Earth movement] Zyrus didn¡¯t bother with the dragon¡¯s attack and dived underground. His aim was to set up a rhythm from the start, and then break it to pieces. It was a simple yet effective way to catch the enemies off guard. -250,-250,-250,-250,¡­.. And as always, it worked. Sizzling poison seeped into his body even as he traveled underground. He didn¡¯t dare to imagine the fate of someone who took it head-on. ¡®Just this attack is enough to wipe out a party,¡¯ Zyrus stuck out his head from the ground and launched another volley of arcane lances. It was like a game of whack-a-mole where he attacked while avoiding the dragon¡¯s claws and tail. *ROOAR* -500 ¡®Haa¡­finally it¡¯s done,¡¯ Zyrus grinned even though he''d just lost another 500 hp after being struck by the dragon¡¯s tail. Why? Because with this dogfight, he had finally pushed it into the third phase. Others might be scared for their lives when they saw a green dragon that was going berserk, but not him. Now was the time to obtain his second trait. [Curse of Uncertainty: Void Quandary] Zyrus used half of his power to attack the dragon¡¯s weakness. The way the 13 Curses of Void worked was different from his activation on earth. It was similar to activating a command in the game. The energy bar would empty out once you use the skill. The entire process of mental calculation and most of the charge-up time were removed. Of course, the effects were weaker due to that, but that was in his favor since they could work within the sanctuary¡¯s rules. *ROOOAR* ¡°Oh, you noticed it huh. It¡¯s too late though,¡± [Curse of Collapse: Spatial Stab] Zyrus pointed his finger at the empty spot above the dragon¡¯s head. *Crrrack* A tiny black dot appeared on the spot. It ignored the layers of mana barriers, it ignored the obstruction of the laws of life, it ignored the very concept of blocking and defense. How can you block an attack without determining its direction? It was a paradox with no answer. The dragon was flustered at the sudden attack, but it didn¡¯t have the time to deal with it. The curse of uncertainty bypassed the layers of defenses and left behind a path. It was a tiny region smaller than a grain of sand, but it was enough for Zyrus. The moment he pointed his finger, all of his remaining power was concentrated on that space. *Shatter* The space, mana, and even the laws of life collapsed into that region. And the mighty dragon died in such an absurd manner. ¡°So that was it. He wouldn¡¯t have died even if I ground it to pieces,¡± Zyrus realized as he slumped forward. The revived dragon didn¡¯t need something like a heart, brain, or even soul to survive. Its physical appearance was just like a puppet. And the only way to stop that puppet was by cutting off its strings. ¡®Unless one can use the power of laws to cut through the laws of life, there¡¯s no way to kill it,¡¯ Now that he knew about the monsters'' weakness, he was much less worried about it. Although it was a calamity-grade existence for those on a similar level, it wasn¡¯t that useful in the grand scheme of things. At least, he didn¡¯t believe that someone could conquer planets with an army of monsters like these. He had initially thought that he would need the power of laws to attack and defend, but that wasn¡¯t the case. As such, even if you can¡¯t kill creatures like these, there was a way to deal with it. ¡®Banish them into outer space, seal them under formations, hack, you can even capture them for experiments¡­¡¯ Zyrus was sure that there were monsters like these that he didn¡¯t knew of, and others must have used similar methods to deal with them. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s related to the mission that Matope talked about¡­¡¯ He put aside his random thoughts as he reached the dragon¡¯s corpse. It took a lot of luck and coincidences to work out, but he got what he wanted at last. [Blood Fusion] A red light flashed past his eyes, and a bloody mist erupted from the fallen dragon. Zyrus felt like he was standing on a river of blood as his perception escaped his body. [You have met the necessary requirements to activate the talent] [You can obtain one of the #######¡¯s special traits] [Obtained traits: 1/10] Note: This ability can be used once every 20 levels. Note: The traits will be granted at random and they will be modified to suit your race. Note: The obtained traits can be developed further with racial evolution. Emerald-white specks of light seeped out from the dragon¡¯s corpse. They swirled and weaved while transforming into a distinct shape. Zyrus had a solemn look as he observed the snarling dragon which was taking form. It was the Source of Existence of the Nidhogg king, the field boss of this lair. It wasn¡¯t the first time he was dealing with a field boss¡¯s source of existence. But unlike with Tauranox and Camazotz, he was currently in a soul form just like the Nidhogg king. It would be difficult to deal with the empowered soul. ¡®Regardless, the outcome is fixed from the moment I activated the talent,¡¯ A talent created from Nidraxis¡¯s blood wasn¡¯t a joke. And as if to prove his thoughts, a harrowing change took place on the dragon¡¯s corpse. Its gigantic body withered at a visible rate as bright red chains popped out from within. The dragon''s soul howled as all of the bloody chains pierced various parts of its body. Even Zyrus, a bystander, felt a chill down his spine. ¡®Using your enemies¡¯ blood as a medium to devour their souls...¡¯ Unlike the time when he used the skill on the burrow rat king, Zyrus was more knowledgeable about the laws. He sensed it at this time that the blood-red chains were in fact the manifestation of the laws of blood. ¡®Looks like I still have a long way to go,¡¯ The activation was different compared to before as he was already bleeding when he activated the talent. As such, he had no time to observe the hair-like platinum threads that covered the entirety of the sanctuary. [Blood Fusion initiated...]
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Chapter 109: The Target is a Special lifeform [Blood Fusion initiated] [Target: #######] Traits:
  1. Curse Striker
  2. Nastronder Dragon
  3. Gnaw
  4. Dweller Of Hvergelmir
[Note: The blood of Sylvarix is required to start the process] [The target is a Special lifeform] [Congratulations! You have met the requirements to unlock a hidden function of your talent] [When using the talent on a special lifeform, An Additional guaranteed trait can be selected] Guaranteed traits:
  1. Underwater Breathing
  2. Poison mastery
Note: Fusing with special lifeforms is taxing on the body. Depending on the target¡¯s bloodline, a restriction will be placed for the next fusion. Current Restriction: You can not fuse the bloodline of a special creature for the next two usages of your talent. ¡®Haha, looks like I¡¯m in luck,¡¯ Zyrus smirked as he read the message. It was natural to get some extra benefits after getting through all this trouble, but getting an additional trait was out of his expectations. He didn¡¯t hesitate and chose the first guaranteed ability. This was the whole reason he came here in the first place. Although he was curious about the four traits mentioned above, he had no way to know what he¡¯d get in the end. Zyrus looked away from the red screen and stared at the dragon¡¯s soul which was wriggling in pain. Without further ado, he opened his mouth and started eating. ¡®Tch, it¡¯s more gruesome this time as can¡¯t swallow a whole freaking dragon,¡¯ It wasn¡¯t difficult to tear apart the soul which was skewered on the blood-red chains. His willpower was like a mountain that was unshakable under the impacts of the incoming energy. Field boss or not, the dragon was no match for him. The chains disintegrated alongside the dragon¡¯s soul, and in the process, it merged with the red and green motes of light. And that brand new energy seeped into Zyrus¡¯s body. His depleted MP and stamina recovered within seconds, and the same was true for his HP. [Blood fusion Successful!] [Vitality +20, Mana + 10] [Vitality restrictions have been reduced] [HP +1500] A vast amount of energy filled his entire body. Each and every cell of his was brimming with vitality. However, this was just the beginning. [You have obtained the Trait: ¡°Underwater Breathing¡±] Zyrus observed the changes that were taking place in his body. This was a common trait that could manifest in multiple forms, starting from the simple fins to having an additional organ or mana circuit that made underwater breathing possible. The blood fusion didn¡¯t just take the traits as they were, it evolved them in a way that suited him the most. He didn¡¯t obtain any fins or anything like that. Just like the time he gained the Earth Movement, his entire cell structure was modified. He knew that from now on, every cell of his possessed the ability to survive underground and underwater. And the fact that his cells had evolved meant that he wouldn¡¯t face any restrictions in swimming underwater as well. It was without a doubt a huge gain. But before he could feel joy at the changes, a heart-wrenching pain coursed through his head. ¡®Damn, it¡¯s not so easy to obtain a dragon''s main traits after all,¡¯ Zyrus knew that although the present Nidhoggs were low-level lifeforms, their ancestors were beings who stood at the apex. It wasn¡¯t surprising that some traits were carried over through generations.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Most importantly, he could obtain and activate the traits that were dormant in the present Nidhoggs. *ROOOAR* Zyrus roared like an animal as his skull broke apart. Blood flowed out from his temple as two spiral-shaped horns protruded out. Such pain would have knocked out most warriors, but Zyrus held on to his consciousness with his willpower. Not that he was a masochist, but he wanted to observe the changes that were taking place in his body. This was the first step towards understanding his talent. His overflowing vitality was depleting at a drastic rate to heal his wounds. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of suffering, his head was now adorned with two curved spiral horns. Majestic purple horns that curved along the edge of his head. The spiral horns rose a foot upward from the center of his head, increasing his total height close to 8 feet. Zyrus¡¯s entire attention was focused on the four different sources of energy at this moment. Maybe it was because the revived dragon was a special lifeform or perhaps, he had improved his understanding of the laws and his talent. Regardless of which, he was able to feel the energy signature that came from the 4 traits. He was in a similar situation when he observed the law threads that comprised the whole sanctuary. His perception of time was reduced to crawl, and it allowed him to observe the event that occurred in less than a second. Zyrus was unable to interfere with the process, but this didn¡¯t stop him from probing the energy signatures. He reached out with his willpower, and sure enough, he was able to ¡®see¡¯ the traits. To make an analogy, his mind was like an old tv while his willpower was an antenna. Now, this antenna was catching messy signals and showing fragmented images on the tv. A colossal reservoir of water, a serpent that gnawed at the celestial tree, a dark green magic circle that even he had trouble deciphering¡­ Just as he was about to probe the last trait, something unexpected happened. The onyx crown that was quietly sitting on his head suddenly hummed with faint energy. Zyrus felt it resonate with the last of the fragmented images, but before he could look into it, he was kicked out of the miraculous state. [You have obtained the Trait: ¡°Nastronder Dragon¡±] [The trait has been adjusted to suit your race] [Congratulations! You have obtained one of the qualifications to awaken the fourth authority of your crown] [Required qualifications: 1/2] The transformation ended at this moment, and Zyrus looked at the mark that was engraved on his chest. The bright red mark looked like the famous Celtic knot but with shaper edges. Just when he thought that everything was over, additional messages popped up in front of him. [Your skill, Poison Breath has been assimilated with the trait ¡®Nastronder Dragon¡¯] [Your skill, Malediction has been assimilated with the trait ¡®Nastronder Dragon¡¯] [Assimilated skills will be permanently removed] ¡®Well, I¡¯m sure that trait will more than make up for the loss,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t feel too bad about it since both of the skills weren¡¯t as useful to him. He was about to click on the trait and open the chests, but as if to tell him that overeating was bad, additional texts popped up again. [Your Poison affinity (S) has been assimilated with the trait ''Nastronder Dragon''] [Your Poison resistance (150%) has been assimilated with the trait ''Nastronder Dragon''] [Assimilated Resistances and Affinity will be permanently removed] ¡°Why the fuck is my own trait eating up my status window!¡± Zyrus cursed out loud and clicked on the gluttonous trait. [Nastronder Dragon (Partial awakening)] You can recover your MP by devouring the corpses of those slain by you. Recovered MP = Slain creature¡¯s Level/10 Note: This is a high-ranking trait that was obtained from a low-level lifeform. Additional energy and special materials are required to fully awaken the trait. ¡®Haa¡­whatever, let the time take its course. It¡¯s better to build a solid foundation for the future,¡¯ Zyrus convinced himself as he walked away from the area. His bubbling enthusiasm was deflated by the harsh reality. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t expect such an outcome. The fact that an unwelcomed administrator didn¡¯t pop up by stopping the time was evident that his trait didn¡¯t break the limits of the second ring. Even earth movement was restricted by Aurora, so why didn¡¯t this happen to a special trait like Nastronder Dragon? ¡®I got a bit taller and obtained two ornamental horns, but ironically, I¡¯m weaker than before,¡¯ Still, he was rather satisfied despite that. MP recovery might be a useless talent for others due to the fact that it recovered such a low amount. Think about it, to recover 50 MP you¡¯ll have to kill 20 lv 25 monsters. Not that it was a hard thing to do, but it¡¯d take quite a bit of MP and time to do that. This talent was inefficient for most players except for aoe mages and summoners. And it was perfect for him who could do both. He also somewhat expected that changes would occur once accumulated more traits. It made sense that his bloodline skills such as poison breath would change as his bloodline improved via blood fusion. ¡®On the bright side, the new skills I¡¯ll acquire will be stronger than ever,¡¯ All in all, he thought that apart from losing the poison resistance, everything was the same as before. He¡¯d have to be careful about not going to any poisonous area. Getting more energy was rather simple as well. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he attempted the cube¡¯s second mission. When he came here, he had already informed Ria to start the preparation. It wouldn¡¯t take more than a day to conquer the island once he reached there. ¡®I¡¯ll just tell them to set sail today and set up a rendezvous near the third island,¡¯ Zyrus made some adjustments to his plans and made his way to the treasure chests. Apart from Franken, Jacob, and some players, the rest had already retreated to recover from their injuries. ¡°Any causalities?¡± ¡°None. Well, some have a few broken bones but they¡¯ll heal over time,¡± Franken replied with a shrug. ¡°All good then. Now, why don¡¯t we open them to boost their morals?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­Just what I was thinking,¡± The companions shared similar greedy eyes as they looked at the corner. There, almost 100 treasure chests were placed in a haphazard manner. ¡­ At the same time, somewhere in the seventh ring. *Slurrp* ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take before he realizes just how overpowered that trait is?¡± Aurora asked while drinking from a cup which wasn¡¯t smaller than her. ¡°Hmph¡­Who knows? I guess not before he goes back to his planet,¡± ¡°Why are you so grumpy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± ¡°You are, though,¡± While a little fairy and the blood dragon were bickering as usual, a third voice murmured in the hall. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll realize it when he fights at that battlefield¡­¡± Chapter 110: Reasonable Interest Rates There were a total of 103 treasure chests in front of Zyrus. More than half of them were of common grade, and he generously gifted ten of them to the players who came alongside him. As expected, they were thrilled after hearing that he¡¯d leave 10 chests for them to open. Zyrus also planned to create a treasury after this so the players under him could trade among themselves. ¡®It¡¯s about time I set up contribution points as well,¡¯ He wasn¡¯t a newbie when it came to ruling over the players. He was well aware of all the deals that would make the players work hard towards their collective goal. And the best way to motivate them was by giving them more strength. Soon, the researchers working at the base would produce results as well. Most of them were military items while some were quality-of-life products like foldable tents, sensing devices, thermal storage items, and so on. They would require a lot of materials for that, and by selling them for contribution points, he could then set up an internal system. Setting the idle thoughts aside, Zyrus focused his eyes on the 20+ rare chests and 4 unique chests. It was quite a haul even by his standards. He, Franken, and Jacob split the chests into three and opened them one by one. He and Jacob talked about how it felt like playing a gacha game while Franken listened with interest. Compared to the days they spent to reach this place, the process of opening the chests was over in a blink. Zyrus set apart a few decent ones for his soon-to-be knight squad and decided to place the rest into the treasury. He felt great just by looking at the numerous sparkling items. [Fiery Greaves] Effect: Strength +5, increased resistance to fire-based terrain effects. Blazing strike: Add fire attribute to your physical attacks. Duration: 1 minute Cooldown: 1 hour [Blizzard Amulet] Effect: Resistance to Frost +20%. Icicle Barrage: Launch a hail of icicles at enemies in a fan-shaped area. Range: User¡¯s level/3 Cooldown: 6 hours. [Fang of the cursed] Effect: Crit Rate +15%. Shadow¡¯s Embrace: Teleport behind a target within 10 meters. The next surprise attack after activation has a 60% chance of inflicting a [Slow] debuff. Cooldown: 1 hour [Thunderwood wand] Effect: Int +5, Lightning damage increases by 10%. Imbued with the spell static discharge. Static discharge: Stores leftover mana, and releases aoe magic to deal 50 lightning damage. Recharge rate: 1 attack per 50 MP consumed [Cloak of the Weathered Vine] Effect: DEF +10, Resistance to detection type abilities. Entangle: Immobilizes an enemy for 3 seconds, Cooldown: 30 minutes [Pheonix¡¯s blessed totem] Effect: HP Regen +10%, Fire resistance +20%, around 20-meter radius. Note: The user can move in a 30-meter radius after placing down the totem, but they will have to supply mana continuously. Consumption: 5 MP/Sec, Cooldown: 2 hours [Pearl of the morning Dew] Effect: MP +5, Reduces spell cooldowns by 5% Heart of the Elf: Amplify the next elemental spell¡¯s damage by 30% Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! [Ogre¡¯s Grips] Effect: STR +5, Grants a chance to ignore 10% of enemy DEF. Gravitational Pull: Drag enemies from a 5-meter radius in the air. Cooldown: 1 hour Zyrus closed the numerous tabs and placed the items in his inventory. One can never get tired by obtaining new items, so it was time to open the unique chests.
[Tyr''s Vow] Gauntlets forged with the blood of Tyr, pulsing with the unyielding strength and determination to sacrifice. Effect: STR +10, Defense against Physical Resistance +20%, Magical resistance -20% Creed of Sacrifice: Increases damage dealt by 50%/80% after losing 80%/95% of your HP. If the wielder kills the enemy in this state, then their HP will recover by 200, and the cooldown will decrease to 7 days. Otherwise, the wielder will be inflicted with a [Unworthy] debuff for three days. Unworthy: Exp gain reduced by 90%, Recovery rates are halved. Duration: 10 minutes, Cooldown: 1 month Zyrus drew a sharp breath as he looked at the thorny gauntlets. The red spikes that adorned the black gauntlets were proof that this was a destructive weapon, both to the wielder and the ones who faced them. ¡°I¡¯ll give them to Strongfist,¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯ll suit that musclehead,¡± Franken replied while urging him to open the next box. Zyrus wanted to let them do it as well, but he decided not to after seeing Jacob¡¯s nervous face. ¡®Is he worried about not getting something useful to him?¡¯ Zyrus thought as he walked towards the next chest. Come to think of it, Jacob didn¡¯t get anything when he opened the chests in the first ring as well. ¡®Surely his luck won¡¯t be that bad, right?¡¯ [Anubis¡¯ Judgement] A mask imbued with Anubis¡¯s punishment. May the judgement befall your foes. Effect: Deal additional 10% bleed damage to sinners. Scales of Duat: Inflict [Weight of The Heart] in a 33-meter radius. Weight of The Heart: Make the enemies kneel down for 1-10 seconds based on their sins, and Increase damage received by them by 30%-60%, Cooldown: 3 months. ¡°Hmm, another great item. I¡¯ll give it to Kyle,¡± Zyrus spoke and unhurriedly opened the next chest. [You have obtained the blueprint for ¡°Frost Cannon¡±] ¡°Haha¡­what luck. Didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d get a unique grade blueprint,¡± . . [You have obtained the blueprint for ¡°Electric Torpedo¡±] ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The trio looked at each other and mourned for Jacob¡¯s bad luck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find some materials to increase your fire affinity if we don¡¯t find anything useful,¡± ¡°Yeah, personal strength is better than show-offy items,¡± You¡¯re not helping, Franken. ¡°¡­That¡¯s reassuring. I guess.¡± With a somewhat gloomy and resigned Jacob in tow, we finally left to sail back towards the third island. ¡­ Four days later, Zyrus was observing the sea from the mast as usual. Except for 7 players who had more than a couple of broken bones, the rest had fully recovered in these past days. Franken was busy figuring out how to hatch the eggs as well. In the meanwhile, Zyrus spent his days teaching Jacob and writing down plans for the future. He would separate from the players after the third island, and thus, it was crucial to write down what he knew beforehand. The danger level was just about right to train the players without suffering too many setbacks. What he focused on the most were places rich with natural resources. Sanctuary was a magical place where one might find material at unexpected places. Floating metal and seaweed that can be produced into gunpowder-like substances were one such example. While he had joked it off at the Lair of Nidhogg, the unique grade blueprints were in fact better than all of the rewards combined. The blueprints themselves weren¡¯t that valuable, but the key here was ¡®Unique¡¯. It implied that from now on, not a second set of the ¡®Frost Cannon¡¯ and ¡®Electric Torpedo¡¯ would exist. His troops had the exclusive rights to learn and develop those two technologies. The scary part about this was that even if someone managed to create a unique war machine such as Frost cannon without the blueprint, they wouldn¡¯t be recognized by the sanctuary. If they want their creations to be recognized then they¡¯d have to modify some parts of it. It was similar to the concept of ¡®patent¡¯ before the earth¡¯s unification. However, the enforcement power of the sanctuary was a million times stronger than any corporation or government on earth. ¡®It¡¯s about time we reach there,¡¯ Zyrus closed the map at the thought. The rendezvous point was at a half-day distance from the third island. He planned to launch a night assault this time since it was advantageous for the players. *Thump* He jumped down from the mast and looked for Jacob who was busy studying the theories of arcana. ¡°Take the notes and blueprints back to the second base, and teach the researchers about this as well,¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Although it was basic-level stuff in Zyrus¡¯s eyes, it felt like a treasure trove to Jacob. ¡°Yeah, why not,¡± Zyrus chuckled with cold eyes. Even if someone was stupid enough to have different ideas about his shared knowledge, what could they do with it in the middle of nowhere? Not to mention that the newbie players wouldn¡¯t know about the loopholes of his crown¡¯s authority. And even if some smartass managed to stir things up, his knight candidates were left behind on the second island to deal with it. He wasn¡¯t the least bit worried about being schemed over after all these preparations. ¡°If you say so,¡± Jacob shrugged after a moment of silence and went back to his studies. ¡®If nothing else, he¡¯s got the diligence needed for an arcanist,¡¯ Zyrus recalled his first encounter with the arcanists as he walked towards the back of the dragon of war. ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to meeting them again¡­¡¯ ¡°What¡¯re you daydreaming about?¡± ¡°Nothing important. Anyway, take these and give them to suitable players in my knight squad. I¡¯ll hand over the rest to Ria,¡± Zyrus replied as he handed over the rare items. ¡°You¡¯re taking none for yourself?¡± ¡°Nope, I¡¯ll use my equipment till the end unless they get destroyed,¡± ¡°Heh, how ambitions. Who knows though, maybe you¡¯ll pull it off,¡± Franken replied with an excited gleam in his eyes. The duo parted their ways after chatting for a bit, as Zyrus had yet to make the rules for contribution points. Although he wanted to keep most of the items in the treasury, he didn¡¯t plan to send them back. Weapons belonged to the battlefield. It was moronic to stuff your warehouse with weapons. Of course, he couldn¡¯t just hand them over like candies either. Thus, Zyrus had come up with a borrowing system in the past. Players can borrow a piece of equipment by paying a certain amount of contribution points. And what if they¡¯re without any points then? ¡®Hehe¡­then I¡¯ll gladly loan some out with ¡®reasonable¡¯ interest rates¡­¡¯ Chapter 111: Make them Obey you Why didn¡¯t Zyrus want to change his equipment? It was due to the reason he had mentioned a long while ago, Spirits. Or rather, Artifact spirits. Any equipment has a certain chance to give birth to a spirit. The difference between an item with and without an accompanying spirit was tremendous. Take his Bone necklace for an example. It increased his mana by a pitiful 2. There were numerous items which were much better than that, but Zyrus didn¡¯t swap with them. Items also needed experience to rank up and give birth to spirits. Of course, suitable precious materials were the main requirement. Even in the minuscule chance that he failed to upgrade his necklace, it would give birth to a spirit after hundreds of years. The time they spent with their owner and the battles they fought were the best nutrients for the items. And even a common grade item with an artifact spirit was stronger than most unique grades. ¡®Come to think of it, I should be able to upgrade the bloodspine spear as well,¡¯ Epic-grade items were the highest-ranked items that were obtainable. And if all went according to his plans, then Zyrus would have one such item- a weapon at that, in the second ring. *BUUUUUUUU* The familiar bugle of the goblin riders pulled him back from his imagination. Zyrus walked to the bow of the dragon of war, and sure enough, he saw a majestic fleet that stretched across the horizon. ¡°Feels great, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯ll keep getting better,¡± Zyrus replied to Franken as he looked at the 100+ ships. Thousands of players were at his back and called after repeated summonings from the first ring. ¡®With this, we might just win before the sunrise,¡¯ It was about time they moved on from the shore regions and sailed to the true ocean¡­ ¡­ *Craw*Craw*Craw* Hundreds of ravens flew above the island. Lauren was using ¡®Stargazer¡¯ while the others stood guard around her. Zyrus also sent a few of his summons to scout the nearby forest. This island wasn¡¯t much different compared to the second one. The forest¡¯s size and the trees were similar. However, there was one exception. ¡°There are a lot of¡­Monkey-like creatures. I guess close to a hundred thousand,¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite the number. How about their strength?¡± Ria asked as she stood beside Lauren. ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Zyrus let them chat on their own and summoned the rest of his abyssal region. He already knew about the monsters that inhabited this island. ¡®Well, it¡¯s good to let them practice,¡¯ He gave out the equipment and explained the contribution system in the meantime. By the time he was done talking with the leaders, the sun had dipped halfway into the horizon. ¡°Phew¡­all done. They are about a meter tall with long hands and stubby feet. They can hover around like flying squirrels, but they are nowhere as cute.¡± Lauren continued her report by stating their possible attacking methods and habitat. Long story short, they were small monkey-like monsters with sharp teeth and claws. Their biggest advantage was their mobility and large numbers. ¡°Do you have any plans?¡± Ria asked after she finished listening.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Just go with the standard tactics,¡± ¡°I thought so as well. This¡¯ll be easy,¡± she replied to Zyrus and walked back to the command center to convey the orders. Soon, thousands of players marched out in an organized manner. They were divided into smaller divisions which were further divided into squads. Normally, Zyrus would group the same classes together to deploy synergistic formations like the one in the lair of Nidhogg, but there was no need to go that far. Rather than getting an effortless victory, his goal was to train the players. Each squad of 100 had a scout who carried a rod-like object. First, a group of rogues and assassins would escort him to a safe region. Next, the rod was installed on the ground, and it would act as a monitoring device. It used heat detection to survey a 100-meter radius and reported the findings to the squad captain. Ten such squad captains would relay the information to the division commander, and the division commanders would report to Ria at the backlines. She, who had the power of Clairvoyance and items like the conductor¡¯s tiara, was perfect to act as the brain of the whole army. Ria distributed the troops according to enemy¡¯s density within minutes. And thus, a one-sided slaughter commenced under the darkened sky. Different squads were created with specific scenarios in mind. Some defense-oriented squads were made up of shield warriors and spearmen, whose sole task was to keep the enemies at bay while mages and arches took care of them. A combination of swordsman and spearman who acted as the frontline fighters, a squad full of rogues and assassins who went around like specters to disrupt the enemy lines, a rescue squad made up of healers and shield warriors who escorted them, archer and mage squads which were sent out to bombard a faraway region¡­. Zyrus watched everything proceed atop a tall tree. He was more than satisfied with the leaders'' performance. Kyle, Shi kun, Druv, Strongfist, and Lauren were doing their jobs without a hitch. ¡®Even without me, they should be able to win by tomorrow evening,¡¯ But since he was here, things would be different. He had taught the players how to survive against monsters who were much stronger than them, and from the current battle, it was apparent that they knew how to fight against opponents with similar strength as well. There was one last thing left to teach them. ¡°Watch and learn, this is how you overpower your enemies.¡± *ROOAR* The drakes excited cries echoed around the forest. Be it the ally or the enemy, all were forced to pause their movements. ¡°We¡¯re not savages who know nothing except slaughter and destruction. We¡¯re conquerors. Always aim to subdue your enemy as long as the situation allows it.¡± Zyrus¡¯s red eyes swept over the entire battlefield as he continued, ¡°But how do you conquer them? The answer is simple- Strength. Exterminate everyone who dares to stand on your path. Break their spirits so they won¡¯t dare to raise their arms against you ever again. Make them fear you, make them respect you, and finally, make them obey you.¡± *Roooar* Zyrus roared alongside the drakes and barged into the forest alongside his abyssal legion. It was as if someone had pressed the resume button as all of the fights went back on as before. However, there was a clear difference compared to before. The monsters were no longer as ferocious. ¡°Surge,¡± -500,-500,-500¡­ *Kiaaark* Exp +350 Exp +350 . . Zyrus made cyan vortexes that uprooted the trees and the monsters alongside them. The drakes directly charged over like armored tanks and fell the remaining trees. The lucky monsters who survived were swept clean by the abyssal warriors who were riding on the drakes. It was a pure one-sided suppression. All of the players had leveled up a few times which adjusted them with the rules of the second ring. There wasn¡¯t that big of a level difference between the players and the monsters unlike the first island. Not to mention that this time, it was the players who had a field boss like existence leading them- while the enemies were disorganized and leaderless. True to Zyrus¡¯s words, the monsters surrendered after a few hours of bitter struggle. The player¡¯s casualties numbered in three digits while almost 80% of the monsters were wiped out. It was a conquest in the truest sense of the word. This was the reason War was considered a lucrative venture, at least for the kings who sat at the top. Just from this one battle, the number of Zyrus¡¯s troops had doubled, not to mention the exp, loot, system¡¯s rewards, and the resources they¡¯d get from the island. ¡®And by tomorrow morning, no one would give a crap about the dead except their friends and family,¡¯ Zyrus sighed as he went to the command center. He was long since used to wars like these where thousands of lives were lost at his single gesture. This was the weight of the crown that he had to bear. Whether he liked it or not, there was no choice but to fight. There were no such things as peace treaties and mutual coexistence in the sanctuary. This was the survival of the fittest where you either rule over others or be crushed underfoot. ¡®And I have no intentions to do the latter,¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long for him to accept the monsters into his ranks. Before the first ray of light descended on the island, a loud bell rang which marked their victory. <{Congratulations! You have conquered one of the islands of Pisces archipelago}> <{All stats +13 on conquered territory, no roaming monsters would attack the conquered territory}> These were the same rewards compared to before. The second and the third islands had increased the stat buffs by +2 in total. And this was just the beginning. |---| You have conquered one of the three Zones of Pisces archipelago! |---| |---|Additional Rewards will be given to the Brave Conquerors! |---| Chapter 112: Stefna Zyrus¡¯s troops had achieved a lot since the flag was upgraded the last time. Defeating Nuckelavee, conquering 2 more islands, increasing a tier after clearing the lair of Nidhogg¡­all of these were noteworthy achievements. The reason why the rewards were a bit delayed was mostly because of Zyrus¡¯s unconventional means. Nuckelavee couldn¡¯t be said to have been killed since its entire body was fused with his fleet. The recent fight with revived Nidhogg wasn¡¯t anything normal either. Such feats couldn¡¯t be judged by a fixed set of rules. As such, the rewards had to be personally managed by the administrator. ¡®As expected, Matope is more hardworking than anyone else,¡¯ Zyrus grinned as he saw the world announcement which appeared for the second time. He could almost imagine the kings on the continent who were rolling in anxiety. [|] World announcement! Players have conquered the first zone beyond the continent of Kyros [|] [Map will be updated after the yearly rankings!] Unlike others though, Zyrus and his troops were able to access the map function in their faction tab. The only thing visible on the crude map were islands arranged like the Pisces constellation on a vast ocean. Three of them were shining in the green light while the rest were divided in red and black. The key here was that a small green zone was portrayed around the three dots. <{Buffs will be increased by 10% in the conquered Zone}> <{Hostile monsters and players will have their stats reduced by 10% in the conquered Zone}> <{Exp gain will increase by 10% in the conquered zone}> [You have gained the Motif: Aura of the conqueror] [Effect: All stats +1 when fighting against enemies who are intimidated by you or your allies.] ¡°Hoorray,¡± ¡°Hahaha, we¡¯re ahead of everyone else,¡± The players cheered after reading the new texts on their status. Zyrus told them to rest and arrange the camps while he sat down to read the remaining messages. As a leader, the rewards he acquired were much more than this. <{You have met the conditions to create a unique authority}> Note: The generated authorities are permanent and they will be created with a fair evaluation. While you can not interfere in the process, you ask for a desired direction for the authority. Note: You have one chance to give input. It is advised that you use this option carefully as giving unrelated directions would be futile. The words were somewhat confusing for new players, but it was easy to get the gist of it. The progression here was similar to a skill tree in the RPG games. The system determined which tree and branch you will unlock, but you can try your luck in selecting the direction of further sub-branches. The more authorities one had, the more complex things would become. Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate any further and opened the input menu, <{Please think of the desired direction and place your finger under the empty space}> He thought about what he wanted and placed his finger on the empty golden space, and soon enough, a new line appeared on the screen. <{Desired Direction: Summoning}> <{Analyzing¡­.direction approved}> <{Generating new authority¡­}> ¡®Perfect,¡¯ Zyrus rubbed his hands in excitement as he waited for the outcome. He was going towards an uncharted territory rather than aiming for the combinations he knew of. But he was more than willing to take the gamble.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡®I¡¯m sure that this is the strongest path I can take,¡¯ And indeed, his thoughts were proven true. <{The authority ¡°Stefna¡± will be applied to your flag!}> Zyrus eagerly opened the tab to see the effects of the flag¡¯s new authority. [March forth to claim your throne, and conquer the vast lands with your flag held high] [You have created a base on ] [You have conquered a zone on ] [Your Blank Flag has risen to Tier 4!] [Inventory has expanded! You can store more resources on each base] [Shop is unlocked! You and the people assigned by you can access it] -You can now transfer resources without paying any charges |Blank Flag: Tier 4| Territory effect: +15% Exp gain, +15% MP and Stamina while defending, +5% loot gain (Zonal effects are excluded) A primal force that transcends the worlds, The Eternal Watchers who guard the realm. [You can appoint slain foes as the ¡®Watcher¡¯ of your base] [Base specific and overall effects will depend on the appointed Watcher¡¯s skills and traits] [Note: Only special creatures can be appointed as a Watcher] May thy call reach the forgotten realms, May the warriors of yore answer thy summons. [You can build a summoning altar in each conquered zone] [The summoning targets are selected at random. Their numbers, strength, and race will depend on your faction¡¯s composition and your activity.] [Note: There is a possibility that some of the summoned creatures will be hostile towards you. This authority only allows you to summon them.] [Note: You can only connect with a single plane of existence using this authority. However, you can continuously summon more creatures from there after fulfilling the necessary conditions] Time limit: ??? (Depends on the targeted plane) ¡®It¡¯s even better than I expected,¡¯ Zyrus muttered as he read the text. A lot of time and materials were required to build the Altar, but for now, he decided to check the rest of the changes.
  • Buffs
- Shipbuilding efficiency +10% - Logging efficiency +10% - Military research efficiency +10% - Ballista production +10% . . . <{New classes are added to your faction! Anyone who joins you can directly acquire/change their classes to the ones mentioned below}> - Tanner - Butcher - Lumberjack - Shipbuilder - Military Researcher - Tent maker . . . ¡®Heh, I wonder who made so many tents to get this class,¡¯ Zyrus wondered as he closed the tab. There were a lot of buffs and creation-based class options. He still remembered a lv 100 player he met who had a class of ¡®Washroom master.¡¯ Apparently, he was responsible for designing public infrastructure for different races in the third ring. Anyway, he wasn¡¯t going to bother with this section. He wouldn¡¯t have any time left for himself if he managed finances and production on his own. ¡®There are quite a few good things in the shop, but we¡¯re dirt poor so there¡¯s no point even if I know,¡¯ Zyrus decided to list up some regional materials like fish scales and seaweed for sale. It wasn¡¯t enough to create a windfall, but it would sell well enough due to the rarity. He noted down all the materials needed for the construction of the altar as well. This would be the top of their purchasing priority for the time being. He also noted some items and materials whose prices will inflate in the future. Matope had told him to not cause any disturbances in the market. This didn¡¯t prevent him from buying needed materials before their price increased. And last but not the least, he made a separate list of currently on-sell items which had some clever uses. ¡®Hmm¡­this should be enough while I¡¯m away,¡¯ Zyrus stretched his limbs and walked towards the command tent. The sun was now hanging overhead since it took quite a while to write things down. *Flap* ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here,¡± ¡°Mhm, here, your new task,¡± ¡°Let me see¡­,¡± Ria glanced over the unfurled rolls with a pondering look. ¡°Any problem?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really a problem. I think that with the contribution system and now the shop, we need more manpower,¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we summoning more players everyday?¡± ¡°No, I mean manpower in administration. You don¡¯t expect me to do all of this by myself, do you?¡± Ria asked with a wronged face. ¡°Oh, you can just hire whoever you want. Same goes for others as well,¡± Zyrus shrugged in response. It would waste too much time if he had to approve of every little thing. All he cared was that right people were in charge of the important tasks. ¡°I see, I¡¯ll look into it then. Are you going out again?¡± ¡°Yeah, tomorrow to be exact,¡± ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything for me to do here,¡± Ria pointed at the pile of scrolls at his words, but he acted as if he didn¡¯t see that. The two talked about future plans in detail before he left for lunch. It was decided that he¡¯d take the dragon of war and 20 other ships to head to the east. Druv and Strongfist would travel with him, along with their subordinates and 13 beast squads. The rest would organize things here for a few more days and then depart for the south. They decided to meet up again after 100 days. Zyrus advised them to prepare for the fight at the year''s end as well. Matope didn¡¯t specify what the fight was about or how many would fight, but Zyrus could guess that the players were involved since the administrator had mentioned the flag march section being inaccessible and whatnot. ''All things are taken care of...it''s about time I attempt this mission,'' [Mission: Gain the acknowledgment of ?????] [You must reach the bottom of the ocean to meet ????] [Reward: Obtain the talent ¡°Devour (A rank)¡±, Obtain the ??? stat] Chapter 113: A Lecture on the Sea *Shaaa* Blue waves clashed against the dragon of war. The galleon shook and tumbled on the chaotic waters, but its occupants didn¡¯t even bet an eye on the environment. It wasn¡¯t anything new in their eyes. Trolls, ogres, and thousands of beasts were used to such weather. It was three days ago when they sailed from the third island. Nothing changed on the first day as they journeyed through the cyan waters. However, the situation took a sudden turn at the midnight. A never-before-seen fish attacked their ships in droves. The situation was similar to the time when they sailed for the first time. And they were even more shocked after daybreak. The ocean went from cyan to blue as far as their eyes could see. The temperature, the intensity of the winds and fish that swam in the ocean¡­everything was different. It was almost as if they were teleported to a new ocean overnight. Only after Zyrus explained that they had crossed over into a new zone did they calm down. Zyrus had realized that the non-human players didn¡¯t know anything about the sea unlike those from earth, so he decided to make use of this boring journey to teach them about the ocean. ¡°Yes, the ocean is much much bigger than the forest.¡± Zyrus¡¯s words echoed through the 20+ ships. Now, here he was, speaking to a bunch of fierce-looking monsters. The sparkling looks in their eyes were almost blinding. Zyrus felt like he was a distant relative who came from the city, and now he was telling exaggerated stories to his little cousins. They even argued about who will board the dragon of war since listening from the longboats was ¡®boring¡¯. ¡°Yes, there really are monsters who can kill you within seconds,¡± Zyrus answered Druv and Strongfist one after another. It was somewhat difficult to shake their firm beliefs, but they came across in the end. Anyone would after fighting non-stop for two nights. The vastness of the ocean and the might of those who resided in them was nothing to scoff at. ¡®I''d better hurry, maybe we¡¯ll reach there tomorrow,¡¯ Zyrus thought while he drank some water. ¡°All right everyone, I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow, so this¡¯ll be my last lecture,¡± The beasts perked up their ears at his words. He had already told them that he would be gone for a few days. Well, not really gone as he¡¯ll be traveling underwater in the same direction. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about different regions in the sea. The deeper you go, the more complex the lifeforms will become,¡± ¡°Strong¡­fish?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. The ocean is classified into different zones based on the depth. First 200 layers are called Epipelagic Zone, also called the sunlight zone. Most of the fish we encounter are from this zone,¡± Zyrus continued after pointing at the fish they had collected this morning, ¡°They¡¯re small, weak, and in large numbers. Nothing dangerous as long as you¡¯re careful. Next, from 200 to 1000 meters is the mesopelagic zone, also known as the twilight zone. This place is home to the most dangerous fish and aquatic monsters you¡¯ll be facing,¡± Zyrus held up one of the five-meter-long piranha-like creatures they had killed and continued, ¡°They¡¯re more ferocious and often have some bothersome abilities. The creatures living in this zone swim to the sunlight zone to hunt at night. This is one of the reasons why we are attacked every night.¡± The fish from the lower layer migrated upwards to feed on the weaker fish. It agitated them, and thus, they would attack the players relentlessly. Of course, the main reason for the attack was the flag¡¯s aura and their instinctive greed for evolution.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Zyrus told them how to deal with them by giving various examples. All in all, he was sure that they¡¯d be able to make the journey without him. ¡°Are¡­there¡­.more¡­fish¡­below¡­?¡± Druv asked with a curious expression. ¡°Of course, but you don¡¯t have to worry about it. They won¡¯t come up under normal circumstances,¡± In all honesty, the reason why the sea was labeled as a dangerous region was due to the creatures that lived in the deep sea. But apart from him, no one had to deal with them just yet. Zyrus concluded his lesson and went back to his cabin to make final preparations. It was suicidal to go towards the depths of the ocean with his current stats, but he didn¡¯t have much of a choice. ¡®At least I managed to get the trait,¡¯ Even without the cube¡¯s mission, he would¡¯ve gone down to the ocean sooner or later. As much as it was a perilous place, it was also a treasure trove. There was a good reason why he brought along the flag despite the dangers. The flag would¡¯ve been safer at their base, but it went against the spirit of conquering. Apart from the buffs it provided, there was another major benefit in bringing it along- The storage. The meter-long cyan flag that was fluttering on the dragon of war had enough space to fit all of the ships inside of it. Besides, Zyrus had the ability to store materials remotely as long as he was within a certain range. It was one of the many convenient buffs the flag acquired after the last upgrade. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­heat suppressors, climbing hooks, dried rations, waterproof scrolls¡­.¡¯ He stored dozens of random items into his personal inventory after much consideration. Unsurprisingly, the first thing human researchers worked on was food. Bread, fermented vine, meat jerky, and many such things were present at daily meals. It was a pity that Dragon of War left the base before the ballista and the rest were ready, but he was able to bring along other niche items the researchers made. The sun went down and the fights broke out as usual. Zyrus sat on the mast amidst the howling gales and looked down at the vast sea below. The oceans he saw on earth¡¯s history were beautiful and wonderous because humans were the apex predators of the planet. *Craash* But the sanctuary was different. The ocean here was dark and gloomy. And he would be going to that place all on his own. *Kaboom* Hours slipped by as the monotonous fights went on. The drakes'' breath attacks cleared the water filled with dead fish, and the beasts dealt with the occasional fish that landed on the ship. Occasionally, blasts of lighting broke the dark shroud of night. A faint silhouette of Zyrus became visible every time the white light flashed. His red eyes passed through the thousands of fish and penetrated the black waters. He sensed a pair of eyes gazing at his fleet from the depths of the ocean. Since there was no way his senses could reach hundreds of miles away, there was only one conclusion. Someone or something was telling him that they were waiting for his arrival. ¡®Heh, it¡¯s rude to keep the hosts waiting,¡¯ Zyrus gulped down the last drops of vine from his gourd and jumped down from the mast. *Splash* Along with the first rays of sunlight, Zyrus started his journey towards the deepest region of the ocean. ¡­ ¡®Hmm¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel uncomfortable at all,¡¯ Zyrus waved his tail and swam near the surface to get the hang of his trait. Underwater breathing was working as per written in the system tab. There was almost no difference between swimming and running on the ground. ¡®In fact, this is better since all my limbs are free,¡¯ His tail was more effective than his hands and legs. He had expected as such, and it was the reason why he changed the Xisheng arts¡¯ target. Now, his horns were ¡®sacrificed¡¯ instead of his tail. *Guduk* He released the breath he was holding in to check the main function of the underwater breathing. It felt somewhat strange to not breathe all of a sudden, but he got used to it within minutes. Every pore on his skin was absorbing the mana and oxygen from the surrounding ocean. In a certain sense, he was even superior to the fish who had to rely on their fins. ¡®Good, everything¡¯s set,¡¯ Zyrus gave one last glance to the dragon of war and dived down into the deeper regions. 30 meters¡­50 meters¡­100 meters¡­500 meters¡­. The sunlight had almost disappeared at this point. He felt the pressure increase at every second, but thanks to his trait, he was fine. This was the reason why he opted for a seemingly useless trait like underwater breathing. Similar to earth movement, it didn¡¯t just allow the user to move underground. It adjusted one¡¯s body to handle the environmental factors associated with the trait. In this case, Zyrus¡¯s body was evolved to endure the pressure of the deep sea. Forget about the lack of oxygen, just the pressure on the lower zones was enough to crush one into mincemeat. Quite a few fish and aquatic creatures noticed his presence. Most of them were wary of his strength, but since all of them were full from the recent meal, no one bothered him along the way. Zyrus made good use of this time as he searched for any good materials. And soon enough, he came across the first target. Chapter 114: Nightmare Fuel Zyrus swam towards a region that was glowing with a faint red luster. Such ¡®faint¡¯ light was equivalent to a floodlight in this twilight zone. Even so, he would¡¯ve missed it for sure if not for his trait. Of course, one can use mana to do everything the trait did by using skills and items, but it was a very inefficient process. This was also why the ocean wasn¡¯t explored before the merging of the second and third rings. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­it looks like a flower, so it¡¯s probably Nautilus Bloom,¡¯ Zyrus recalled that it was a native species that grew on the blood and flesh of monsters. Contrary to its gruesome origins, its power was calm and pure in nature. It was one of the key ingredients in making recovery and mind-calming potions. ¡®And you can consume it as is to negate any mental debuffs,¡¯ Although he knew the material was useful, he didn¡¯t dare to rashly approach the region. Every natural resource was guarded by monsters. The strength of the guardian was proportional to the material¡¯s value. Zyrus swam around in circles but failed to discover anything. He couldn¡¯t use his skills either as it was equivalent to announcing his presence to everyone in the region. In the end, he decided to check it out in person. He could afford to be reckless in this region with his current strength. Red lotus-like petals were floating in the middle of an empty region. The Nautilus bloom was a flower without any root or branches. Its birth was a miraculous process. The carcasses of dead creatures would suddenly disappear into nothing, and in their place, a red flower would bloom. It was a random occurrence, and as such, the material was rare. Just as Zyrus reached within 10 meters of the nautilus bloom, he noticed the hidden guardian. ¡°Motherfu-¡± The creature he saw was a stuff of nightmares. *Krekrekre* Zyrus had to admit that he was creeped out by the guardian. It was a mutated Telescopefish. Whoever named it was a lazy person for sure. But the name was apt. He stared back at its purple face from a hundred feet away. As its name suggested, the meter-long fish had tubular eyes like a telescope. With a short snout and recurved teeth that went past the eyes, it could compete with the Nidhoggs when it came to being eerie. *Krekre* The Telescopefish wriggled and inched closer to him in a threatening way. Its fins and spine were almost boneless and transparent, so it looked like a purple face with tubelike eyes was swimming at his way. ¡®What the fuck?¡¯ Zyrus was speechless as he noticed another detail- the fish was trembling. That thing was practically a nightmare fuel, and it was scared by him. ¡®Tch¡­whatever, I¡¯ll just take it,¡¯ *Kruuuuu* Zyrus felt like he was bullying the little fish as he stowed away the Nautilus bloom. Anyway, it was a peaceful conclusion for both sides. He swam down at a measured pace and crossed the 2000-meter mark. He was inside the second largest zone in the ocean, the third zone below the Sunlight and Twilight zone. It was called Bathypelagic Zone or the Midnight Zone. Almost no sunlight or natural bioluminescence was present in this region. The temperature went below 4 degrees whereas the pressure increased by almost 300 times compared to the islands. Zyrus changed his relaxed attitude and activated items that concealed the light and heat signatures around him. Although he would emit mana signals in the process, it was preferable. Those who could sense such faint usage of mana were far fewer compared to those who detected any heat and light signatures. Pretty much every creature living here had large eyes like the Telescopefish.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡®It¡¯s a great place to train willpower,¡¯ It wasn¡¯t easy to live in a region like this. There was no light, no sense of direction, and to top it off, you could be ambushed anytime and anywhere. And this wasn¡¯t a temporary situation. The conditions wouldn¡¯t change as long as one stayed in this region. How long could a normal player hold out under such stressful conditions? How long could they maintain their vigilance before losing their minds in fear? Could they find food and water? Could they maintain their MP and stamina consumption? Such questions were hard to answer. Zyrus knew that almost 99% of the current playerbase would either die or become insane after living here for a month. As for traveling in a group or building a submarine? It was even more suicidal. Both things were tantamount to broadcasting ¡®I¡¯m here fishes¡¯ to the whole zone. It¡¯d be fine if you had the power to withstand the aggression. Otherwise, the only outcome was utter annihilation. The sea was vast and lonely. Hours went by as Zyrus swam in the dark water. It was fortunate that he could sense the flag which was on the dragon of war, otherwise, he¡¯d have lost his way as well. As an added safety measure, he had summoned the entire abyssal legion on the dragon of war. They could adjust the speed of the boats so that he wouldn¡¯t be left behind on the ocean. ¡®It''d be great if they could swim though,¡¯ Reconnaissance and exploration would be a piece of cake if that were the case. However, he knew that it was just wistful thinking. Even if his summons had the ability to survive in this environment, the problem mentioned above would occur: Their mana signals would attract too much attention. It was out of question to conquer the deep ocean without crossing lv 50. Zyrus swam and swam before he lost the track of time. He almost felt glad when he discovered the fish living here. Their creepy faces were a welcome sight in this boring environment. Of course, not all encounters were without a conflict. On the bright side, his attacks weren¡¯t hindered underwater. The vortex manipulation worked even better under the ocean. Zyrus made use of these fights to further hone his controlling skills. Afterall, it was his first time fighting underwater with a low level. He didn¡¯t face any problems when he was stronger in the past life, but now the things were different. In this process he also learned to manipulate the ocean currents. It was fundamentally different from using the airflow to charge his vortex. Zyrus knew that soon enough; he¡¯d be able to generate a tsunami-like impact. ¡®But let¡¯s hope I don¡¯t have to use it¡­¡¯ Almost a week had passed since he started traveling in this zone. He didn¡¯t particularly enjoy the pointless journey as he was still far off from the mission¡¯s target. But this was necessary. His strength was sufficient to move around in the first three zones, but that was it. The next zone was a boundary region between the second and the third ring. It was a perilous place even for him. As for the last zone? He was no better than a bug compared to the creatures that lived there. The only way he could survive this trip was by adapting to this environment. Who said that ants couldn¡¯t survive in a jungle ruled by a lion? Adaptation was the key to survival. *Shuaaaa* ¡®Finally, it¡¯s here,¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s yellow eyes gleamed in excitement as he saw the white columns rise from below. His agility wasn¡¯t low to begin with, add to the fact that his tail was better at swimming than his legs were at running, he was overall just 30% slower than the dragon of war. The galleon¡¯s speed was manyfold faster than his at the daytime. But the advantage given by the wind was negated once the night fell. His fleet was slowed to a crawl under the attack of the fish. Meanwhile, he himself wasn¡¯t targeted by the schools of fish. In their eyes, he was no different from one of the many strange creatures that lived around here. Zyrus speedily made his way towards the rising columns. Hydrothermal vents- also called the treasure troves of oceanic metals. They were one of the primary targets he selected. Ballista, cannons, torpedoes, or even weapons and ships, everything needed metals. What better source could there be to get them? ¡®Hopefully, I¡¯ll get something to fix my armor as well,¡¯ Lorica Squamata was damaged beyond repair in the fight against the Nidhogg king. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to recover its durability, but the main concern was the Auricrust crab¡¯s soul which was damaged when he used lunar aura. After swimming for half an hour, he finally saw the ground after days. He didn¡¯t hesitate and dived down to the seafloor. ¡®Huu.. it feels great to stand on two legs,¡¯ Zyrus surveyed the surroundings with gleaming eyes. The region was somewhat brighter in his eyes due to the thermal heat that escaped from the floor. Although the hydrothermal vents were more than a kilometer away from his current location, he could see them with ease. As far as his physical improvement was concerned, his eyesight was second only to his tail. He walked with soft steps that didn¡¯t even ruffle the sand on the seafloor. The off-white plumes of steam became bigger and bigger in his eyes. It took him another half an hour to finally reach his destination. As much as it was dark and gloomy, the ocean was just as beautiful in places like these. The hydrothermal vents here were fundamentally different from the ones Zyrus saw in earth¡¯s history. They released thermal energy along with vast amounts of mana. It looked like reverse mountains were rising from the fissures on the seabed. The energy dispersed from the concentrated columns and created a beautiful region that stood in contrast against the dark ocean. ¡®I suppose only those who can ¡®see¡¯ mana can enjoy this sight¡­¡¯ The peaks of these mountains were concentrated with heat and mana which created many valuable metals. And naturally, there were those who guarded this treasure trove as well. Chapter 115: Butchering is easier than Mining Zyrus activated his eyes of annihilation to detect any hidden enemies. His red eyes passed by dozens of hydrothermal vents without finding a soul in sight. There should be some harmless lifeforms living near the vents due to the area being full of nutrition. But such wasn¡¯t the case here. ¡®Well, this makes things easier,¡¯ Only one option was left after eliminating everything else: The guardians were inside the hydrothermal vents. He preferred this outcome because it was difficult to mine the metals. Whoever guarded this place must be using the minerals as their food as well. Thus, he just had to kill them and store their carcasses. Butchering them was easier than mining near the vents. Zyrus didn¡¯t want to make too big of a commotion to finish the job. He released his abyssal mana at a steady rate while he observed the different vents. Taking advantage of the environment was a common tactic, and his abyssal mana and vortex manipulation were perfect for the task. The hydrothermal vents were concentrated with mana and thermal energy to begin with. There was an equilibrium between the dispersion and release of the various energies. He didn¡¯t have to fight the guardian directly; all he had to do was break the balance to disrupt the vents from the inside out. Zyrus used half of his MP and created a vortex right above the nearest hydrothermal vent. It was a simple task as there was already a chaotic region shaped like a reverse cone on top of it. ¡®Surge,¡¯ He concentrated his mana and churned the energy that was in equilibrium. It didn¡¯t take long for the cones to transform into drills. *Ribbbit* ¡®That¡¯s a surprise,¡¯ Zyrus snuck a glance at the guardian. Without exposing himself from behind the coral, he observed the frog-like creature that was crawling out from the vent. It was silver blue in color with large rubylike eyes. And since it looked like a hybrid of a fish and a frog, he could more or less guess its abilities. Jumping and tongue attacks were a given, and its outer appearance showed that it had strong defense as well. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry this time around. He decided to use a tactic that would do the job while creating the least amount of disturbance. ¡®It should be around lv 35¡­an hour should be enough,¡¯ Zyrus wasn¡¯t too worried since it was at most at the level of an elite monster. Even the cannon fodder Nidhoggs were stronger than it. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that fighting it would be easy. Environment was an important factor in any fight. Despite being weaker the frog-fish had more combat power than the Nidhoggs. However, it was easy to turn the environment against it. Zyrus used the simplest yet the most effective method used by those who had the power of abyss, Corruption. Invisible threads of abyssal mana were tangling with the hydrothermal vent. This wasn¡¯t undetected by the creature¡¯s senses, but there was nothing it could do about it. The black threads vanished once they touched the creature¡¯s body, and more and more would replace them. *Ribbbiiiit* *Thump* *Klang* *Thump* It felt like an earthquake when the monster jumped around the seabed. It was hard to imagine that a few meters tall creature would have such an impact.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡®It¡¯s like an armored tank,¡¯ But regardless of its strong defenses, its fate was sealed. -50,-25,-63,-25,-50,-0,-29¡­ Black spots appeared on its shiny exoskeleton. The power of abyss could corrode and corrupt everything in existence. Even a dragon would fall if enough abyssal mana was spent, much less a pesky frog. The reason Zyrus didn¡¯t use this as a main attack was because his current MP wasn¡¯t enough to sustain it. There were more efficient ways of using his mana than to slowly corrupt an enemy. -50,-86,-21,-126,-14,-0,-224¡­ Rows and rows of damage values floated above the hopping creature. Zyrus was worried that others of its kind might come to its aid, but his worries were proved needless. It looked like the creatures were solitary and a bit dumb in nature. -316 Exp +750 ¡®This¡¯ll be easier than I thought,¡¯ Zyrus snuck closer to the dead creature after seeing that no one was looking over this area. *Clunk* His claws failed to penetrate its skin. As he had guessed, its defense was stronger even when compared with some lv 40 creatures. *Riiip* Zyrus tore of its neck and frowned at the bloody mess he had created. The smell of blood might attract more creatures, but he didn¡¯t have another way to deal with it. ¡®Might as well collect it¡¯s blood,¡¯ *Whoosh* A tiny vortex formed above the corpse and purified the blood and flesh of the monster. The temperature near the hydrothermal vent was close to 400 degrees, so it was easy to deal with the leftover flesh and organs. ¡®My scales are surprisingly resistant to this much heat,¡¯ The heat here was comparable to a low-level fireball spell. But come to think of it, he wouldn¡¯t be injured by an attack like that either. He placed aside his useless thoughts and placed the bones, skin, and blood essence of the frog into the flag¡¯s storage. At first, he had thought that his tongue and eyes would be useful as well, but that wasn¡¯t the case. It was apparent that there was nothing special about its eyes from the fact that it failed to discover him. As for its tongue, he figured out that it was used for eating the metal rather than for attacking. Zyrus didn¡¯t bother with materials like polymetallic sulfide and cobalt granules which were scattered around. Monster¡¯s remains like the one he stored were both stronger and easier to work with. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll level up once as well¡­¡¯ Thus began the days of his grind and the frog-like creature¡¯s extermination. It took him four days before he killed more than half of them. More than a hundred of them were killed in the process. It was no longer safe to remain in this region. Zyrus left the region and swam ahead at full speed. Almost half of his journey was completed without a hitch, but the toughest part would start from now on. The deepest part of the ocean was similar to the carmine mire of the first ring: Both were forbidden zones where no one had returned alive. This was a weird place that was only accessible during the second ring. This region would vanish from existence once the second and third ring started their merging process. Zyrus knew about this because as the ruler of the entire continent, he had access to all the knowledge stored in the royal library. That was the fruit of generations of hard work. There was a prophecy and some battle chronicles about this place as well. He wasn¡¯t too interested in them, because the time for prophecy was long gone by the time he conquered the continent. But whether he knew about the fragmented history or not wasn¡¯t the main point. The crux of the problem was that just like the carmine mire, it was almost impossible to reach the deepest region of the ocean. How hard had he worked during the tutorial to finish the mission? That was the whole reason why he decided to change his race in the first place. There was no way he could just swim into that region without special circumstances. Some may call it luck, but Zyrus was sure that this was under someone¡¯s arrangement. It was obvious that both Aurora and Nidraxis knew about the cube. He didn''t believe for a second that this was just a standalone mission. ¡®And that means that I¡¯ll have to find a way in the next zone,¡¯ Even if there were some clues or lucky encounters left for him, how could it be easy to get them? Zyrus also knew that the journey itself was similar to a test. His class was restricted and he was unable to rely on the players as well. He had to survive in that dreadful zone with such a handicap. He swam in the endless darkness while thinking about countless plans and countermeasures. The journey was monotonous except for a few times when he fought to get some valuable resources. Things like hydrothermal vents were rarity. The chance of him encountering a similar place while traveling in a straight line was slim to none. Time passed like a fistful of sand as he reached closer and closer to the next zone. Abyssopelagic Zone, also called the Abyssal Zone. It was a region that was 4000-6000 meters deep. The pressure increased by hundreds of times while the temperature approached the freezing point. Most of all, this was a region where sunlight couldn¡¯t reach. The only source of light in this region was from the bioluminescence. Hence, the presence of light signified danger. Zyrus stopped his movements and dived down to the seafloor once again. Even someone like him felt apprehensive of the sight ahead of him. He could see and perceive mana even in this dark region. Thus, he ''saw'' the seafloor disappear a 100 feet ahead of him. What lay beyond was a cliff that led straight to the abyssal zone. Chapter 116: A Game of Shark and Sylvarix Zyrus ate his dried rations while sitting on the edge of the cliff. This was perhaps the last time he could afford to have a meal in peace. This was the first time he was eating while covering his food with mana. *Gulp* The cheap vine and the month-old jerky tasted much better than he¡¯d thought. He stuffed himself full so that he could run, or rather, swim for days without a break. There was no telling what he¡¯d face in the abyssal zone. As it was a boundary zone between the second and the third ring, the creature living there had an average lv of 47. It meant that apart from some weak races and newborn monsters, everyone else was at level 50. There was a distinct difference between below and above lv 40 players. At level 40, the players would get a chance to upgrade their class and bloodline. The same was true for monsters. He wouldn''t be their match without his equipment. ¡®I¡¯ll have to find some materials to improve them as well¡­¡¯ His bloodline spear would finally evolve after the mission was over, but his other equipment was lacking except for gauntlets. Not to mention there were empty slots on rings, belt, and clock. Maybe he''d find something for his tail as well. Zyrus laid down with idle thoughts. It wouldn¡¯t do him any good if he stressed out at a time like this. He checked his status for one last time. He had more than enough SP saved up which could enhance his power by a notch, but he decided to save them for the time being. The cube¡¯s mission would unlock a new stat afterall. He didn¡¯t know how that would play out, or whether or not could he increase that stat by using SP. There was a good chance that his level-up bonus would change as well after improving his bloodline twice. In any case, his main task after this would be to balance his stats once again. Having SP at hand would make that easier. ¡®Of course, I¡¯ll use it at a moment¡¯s notice if my life¡¯s in danger,¡¯ He didn¡¯t have to worry about handling the increase in power thanks to the system¡¯s help. Zyrus slept for a few more hours before he headed out to the next zone. The endless expanse of black was still without any movement. ¡®fuu¡­time to go,¡¯ *Shua* He dived down as if he was in a swimming pool. Descending became harder and harder as the pressure increased at the depths of the ocean. 4100 meters¡­4200 meters¡­he dove down all the way until 4500 meters before slowing down. Even though he was unable to see much with his eyes, his instincts were telling him that there was a predator nearby. And unlike him, it had locked down on his position. Zyrus activated his eyes of annihilation and channeled his mana. There was no point in concealing himself where pretty much every creature had sharper senses than him. The sole way to avoid being swarmed was by quickly finishing off the enemy. His crimson-glowing eyes surveyed the dark waters. With the circulation of his mana, his horns and the mark on his chest and shined as well. *Juuuu* And as if thinking that he was provoking it, the hidden monster also revealed itself. It was a blue octopus which was no bigger than him. Most of the creatures living here had developed bioluminescence due to the absence of sunlight, and this one was no exception. Greenish scribble-like patterns were glowing on the octopus which made it visible. The concerning thing was that it was just about 100 feet away, yet Zyrus had failed to notice it. ¡®Looks like it doesn¡¯t want to attack,¡¯This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Numerous thoughts went by his head in an instant. No amount of theoretical knowledge would help him survive if he failed to use it properly. From what he recalled, the fish living here mostly relied on carcasses of other dead creatures to survive. Millions of fish died every day. Most of them would end up in the bellies of those who live below them. Even so, getting food was difficult for the ones who lived this deep. Thus, the creatures of the Abyssal zone tended to be lazy. Their slow metabolism was a good thing for him as it decreased his chances of being swarmed by a mob of hungry fish. ¡®But it¡¯s not like they¡¯re pacifist either,¡¯ Zyrus pointed his hand at the blue octopus and attacked with a full-powered vortex. He was sure that this wasn¡¯t the only monster that was observing him. -65,-65,-65,-0,-65 *Juuuu* The weak had their own way of survival, and one of which was intimidation. Zyrus didn¡¯t miss the chance and reached the octopus in an instant. What awaited it next was an endless barrage of drill-like punches. ¡®Maybe you can kill me, but you won¡¯t get away unscathed,¡¯ This was a message that he wanted to convey. -130,-130,-0 *Burst* -260 Exp +550 And it was delivered beautifully. The mangled pieces of the octopus sunk below in the darkness. Zyrus looked around the area as if he was able to see everything and went back in his original direction. Only he himself knew whether he detected the nearby monsters or not. ¡®I hope I can find the clue without wasting too much time,¡¯ He made a beeline towards the mission¡¯s direction without wasting any time. This wasn¡¯t a place he could explore on a whim. Unless he came across a safe region or found something that was worth the risk, he didn¡¯t intend to bother the creatures living here. And just as luck would have it, he found one such region. At the depth between 5500-5700 meters, there was a region filled with floating metallic substances. ¡®It¡¯s so blatantly obvious,¡¯ The obsidian-colored chunks of metal were a super rare material called ¡®Shadow Iron¡¯. It was superior to most metals in terms of durability and mana conductivity. It weighed less than steel, it had a chance to grant shadow property to items, and it possessed natural stealth-boosting effects. It was a dream material for the rogues and assassins. Of course, Zyrus was greedy for it as well. It was perfect to improve Lorica Squamata. ¡®The problem is that it¡¯s clearly a trap,¡¯ He didn¡¯t believe for a second that he was fortunate enough to find a treasure trove lying around. He was also sure that there were no monsters nearby. Thus, something was bound to happen once he took them to his inventory. It was a situation where he had no choice but to jump headfirst into a pitfall. ¡®Because from the start, there¡¯s no conventional way to reach the trenches,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t waste much time in thinking things over. He placed the shadow iron into the flag¡¯s storage and proceeded on the way. An entire day passed like that. The uneasy feeling he felt was becoming stronger and stronger. His battle-honed senses were alarming him every moment that danger was fast approaching. But still, he didn¡¯t encounter any threat. He swam in the same direction without finding any clues or treasures. Two days¡­three days¡­ He was numbed to the warning given by his instincts. ¡®Damn, this is annoying,¡¯ Zyrus almost wished that he¡¯d encounter some danger. And fortunately or not, his wish was heard. *Kreee* *kreeeee*skreeee* Hundreds of fish surrounded him all of a sudden. They were the infamous Frilled sharks, the creatures who had the flexibility of an eel and the jaws of a shark. And as Zyrus saw hundreds of such sharks coming at him from all directions, there was only one thought in his mind. ¡®I¡¯m screwed,¡¯ This was precisely his weakness. He would rather face a gigantic whale than fight with enemies like them. His killing trump cards were spatial stab and void quandary which could deal with almost anyone in the second ring. But what if there were too many enemies? What if he was in an environment where the longer he fought, the more enemies he¡¯d attract? *Skreeee* Zyrus felt a chill down his spine as he saw the shark''s glowing teeth. It was horrifying to see that in a pitch-black ocean. He didn¡¯t hesitate and used 15 SP to increase his agility. He couldn¡¯t care less about stat balance at a time like that. Soothing energy burst out in his entire body. He mustered the greatest instantaneous speed he could and changed his direction. [Shackles of Nihility] Zyrus attacked where the lowest number of sharks were present. Purple shackles bound the sharks, and before they noticed what had happened, he was already out of the encirclement. His current speed was second only to his vitality. He was sure that apart from the agility-based boss monsters, he could outrun anyone on the second ring. ¡®But this can¡¯t go on¡­I have to find the clue before it¡¯s too late,¡¯ There was a limit to his stamina afterall. It was pointless to kill the sharks since there were perhaps thousands of them in this zone. This was a situation where he could neither fight nor run. Although he knew that the shark¡¯s attack had something to do with the shadow iron, he didn¡¯t even consider handing them out. This was perhaps his only chance of getting to the trenches. There was no way he was giving up just like that. Thus, a game of Shark and Sylvarix began in the abyssal zone. And unbeknownst to both sides, their commotion had awakened someone who had been slumbering there for millennias. Read next 12 Ch for 5$ on Patreon! Chapter 117: I didn’t Expect one of your Kind to be Here ¡®Damn, if only I had enough mana to recreate my past skills,¡¯ Zyrus cursed as he swam for his life. He felt that it was pathetic that he, a renowned dimensional mage, was weak in movement techniques. Teleportation, dimensional clones, great shift¡­ he knew pretty much all of the space-related abilities. There was nowhere he couldn¡¯t go with his mastery over dimension. The problem was that he didn¡¯t have enough mana or the level of existence to use those skills. ¡®Whatever, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t improve my current abilities,¡¯ Zyrus changed his direction again and fled downward. For once he was glad that this was underwater. There was much more room for movement in the abyssal zone than on the ground. He used vortex manipulation once again, but the skill was different this time. The pressure here was close to a 1000 atmosphere. It gave him the perfect condition to try out one of the variations he had created. *Sizzle* An invisible beam of vortex passed through where his finger pointed at. And the effects were much better than he had anticipated. *Kreeeee* *Skre-* -1500,-1500,-1500,.... Exp +1000 Exp +1000 Nothing except clean sets of bones were left behind the beam¡¯s trajectory. Zyrus had increased the kinetic energy of the molecules within a vortex by consuming 50 MP. If it were aboveground, then it could at most create a blast of hot air. But at this was a place filled with water at high pressure. ¡®Huh, looks like I need to experiment more,¡¯ Zyrus swam away once again while using various versions of the skill. At the core, the skill relied on generating high-temperature steam. The boiling point of water was reduced due to the increased pressure, and it allowed such a phenomenon to occur. Of course, it was only possible with mana. Ideas that might seem nonsensical could be put into good use by using mana. Just like that, he leveled up once again after running for two hours. Things were going better than he predicted. A lot of monsters were attracted by this commotion, but thankfully, the frilled sharks didn¡¯t have the concept of comradery. They killed everything on their way which wasn¡¯t of their kind. And if that enemy was stronger? Swarm them or run away. Their simple reasoning was quite effective in a place like this. *Booom* Zyrus once again used the skill, but this time the target was himself. He created a vortex behind him with the principle of hydrokinetic propulsion to push him forward. Not only did it push him forward, the jet stream created in the aftermath scattered his pursuers as well. Now that he didn¡¯t have to worry about the pesky sharks anymore, he once again focused on finding the clues. But there was nothing related to this incident that connected it with the deepest layer of the ocean. ¡®They¡¯ve done nothing except pursue me all the way¡­wait, pursue?¡¯ A spark of insight lit up in his head. The frilled sharks weren¡¯t stupid enough to barge into anywhere in the abyssal zone. There must be some boss-level monsters that could annihilate them in the abyssal zone. He didn¡¯t know where these creatures were at, but maybe the way down was related to them? Anyway, he¡¯d find the answer as soon as the sharks ended their pursuit. ¡®Dealing with that creature would be a challenge as well, but I¡¯ll cross that bridge when it comes to it,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t know at this time that his guess had hit the mark, and that he was charging straight towards that bridge. ¡­ The chase went for hours with neither side showing any sign of exhaustion.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Zyrus was getting deeper and deeper into the ocean. Now, even his connection with the flag was becoming unstable. ¡®What the?¡¯ [Eye of Annihilation] Zyrus swept his eyes across the area to see who was sending him the telepathic message, but there was no one in sight. Even the telepathic voice vanished as if he was hallucinating in the first place. ¡®No rather than vanishing, it looked like it was cut off,¡¯ He became alert and concentrated all of his mana. The chasing sharks were the last of his concerns right now. If he was correct, then there were two creatures who had sensed him just now. One that was sending him the message and the other that cut it off. ¡®The best-case scenario is that one of them would be related to the mission,¡¯ But even then, he¡¯d have to face the remaining one. *Skreeeee* ¡°FUCK OFF.¡± Zyrus roared and created a gigantic vortex around him. The situation would become messy if a hostile third party was present when he encountered the danger. And since he was already noticed by others, what was the point in concealing himself? [Avatar] His furious eyes swept over hundreds of sharks that were chasing him to no end. The projection of the Azure dragon formed behind him, and it too glared at the insolent creatures. ¡°You have served your purpose,¡± Zyrus waved his hand and in that instant, half of his energy was consumed. [Shackles of Nihility] Hundreds of chains bound the sharks in his vicinity. He didn¡¯t intend to run this time; nor did he want to attack them. The reason he used so much energy into using his authority was simple- he wanted them to suffer under the curse of nothingness. He wanted the approaching enemy to see them suffer. Yes, by this time, he could already see the enemy that was heading in his direction. He was sure that the other party came with bad intentions after a single glance. *ROOOOAR* ¡°You¡¯re mad huh. Looks like you have nothing to do with the mission then,¡± Zyrus snickered at the approaching monster. It was a gigantic shark which was bigger than three of his galleons combined. [You have encountered the Roaming Boss monster: Reken] [Caution! The boss monster is showing hostility towards you] Unlike the field bosses who spawn at the fixed location, the roaming bosses were encountered at random. They were synonyms of disaster. However, Zyrus was unfazed in the face of such an opponent. Everything made sense at this moment. The reason why there was shadow iron lying around on his path, the chase of the frilled sharks, and the telepathic voice he had just heard. The Reken¡¯s maw was getting bigger and bigger in his vision. It was a fearsome creature with reddish-black scales and yellow eyes. Its glowing jagged teeth were like a lighthouse in this abyssal zone. ¡°Say, did you lose some of the materials needed for your evolution? Did it look like this?¡± *ROOAR* ¡°Ooops! Too bad. It¡¯s mine now,¡± Zyrus taunted it further as if he were the stronger party. Reken was a lv 45 roaming monster who was much stronger than the Nidhogg king. There was no way he could deal with it with his present strength. ¡®But so what? This is sanctuary,¡¯ The rules that restricted the players also protected them against the monsters. It was one thing if he courted death by intruding a monster¡¯s lair, but no roaming monster could kill him when he was doing a mission. Zyrus could feel the foul breath of the monster as it charged ahead to engulf him whole. But still, he just remained in his position with a calm smile. Just as he needed help from Nidraxis and the others, they also wanted something from him. It was an equal exchange as far as he was concerned. He didn¡¯t mind facing any challenges as long as it made him stronger, but at the same time, he also wanted to remind them about who he was. His entire vision was covered by a disgusting red mouth. He was no bigger than Reken¡¯s teeth which were about to close down behind him. ¡°And you¡¯re being dramatic,¡± *ROOOOOAR* Zyrus was bathed in fountains of blood as soon as the message ended. He didn¡¯t know how Reken was attacked before it was flung away like a ragdoll. He wiped the sticky blood that stuck to his horns and looked at the one who had saved him. From the throbbing sensation of his mana, he could tell what it was. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect one of your kind to be here,¡± ¡°Hmph! That spirit bastard trapped me in this shithole,¡± Zyrus looked at the enormous centipede who was going on about how it was humiliating to eat the leftover fish carcasses. It was by far the biggest creature he had seen after regression. ¡®And he''s stronger than any monster or alien I''ve met in this life,¡¯ He would¡¯ve called any other 1000-foot-long centipede disgusting, but not the one in front of him. Be it its purple metallic scales or the thousands of eyes that were blinking on its legs, everything exuded a strange power. It was eerie yet majestic, a creature that gave off a corrupted yet noble aura. ¡°¡­And I¡¯m going to wipe out their whole kingdom. Hey, are you listening?¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Prideful, Strage to the point of being freaks of nature, and most importantly, Powerful. These were the traits that defined the abyssal creatures. The blabbering centipede in front of him was one such example. ¡°Haa¡­anyway, I¡¯ll follow you from now on. I was supposed to test you and save you at a critical moment, but whatever. Let¡¯s just go to the trenches and leave this gloomy place,¡± ¡°Just what I was thinking,¡± Read 12 advanced Ch for 5$ Chapter 118: You can go now, little one ¡°By the way, was it Aurora who told you about me?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A rainbow-colored fairy,¡± ¡°Oh... I remember. It was a blurry figure about three feet tall, must be the Aurora you speak of,¡± The gigantic centipede, aka Marquess Wu of the abyss, was bored to death after being imprisoned for millennia. It was no wonder he didn¡¯t close his mouth ever since he met Zyrus. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you follow the plan though? From what I¡¯ve heard from you, they are most likely your allies who had good intentions in mind,¡± ¡°You answered it yourself- they¡¯re allies. Do they have to test me like I¡¯m their subordinate?¡± ¡°Heh, the way I see it, you did that because of your petty pride.¡± ¡°You know, you remind me of Franken when we first met.¡± Zyrus too felt a sense of kinship with the first abyss dweller he had met after becoming a Sylvarix. The duo chatted as they swam deeper and deeper into the abyssal zone. They reached the seafloor before long, but Zyrus didn¡¯t want to waste any more time in finding things here. Because even if he did discover something, there was no way he¡¯d be able to take them away now that the flag was disconnected. ¡®I can tell Wu to carry some stuff, but it¡¯ll be dangerous to protect it on the way,¡¯ He was certain about the dangers of the deepest part of the ocean. Two of them didn¡¯t possess enough strength to roam there unhindered. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s the right direction?¡± Wu asked after scanning the surrounding with its numerous purple-red eyes. ¡°Should be, is there a problem?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a soul in sight for hundreds of miles. From what I recall, the gateway of the trenches wasn¡¯t this barren,¡± ¡°I see...I¡¯m sure we¡¯re in the right direction then,¡± The deepest part of the ocean was called the Hadalpelagic Zone, also known as ''The Trenches''. This single zone was deeper than all of the previous zones combined. The environment here was pretty much inhabitable. However, it didn¡¯t mean that no creatures lived here. Zyrus remembered what happened in the carmine mire as well. The scenario there was similar to this one. The absence of lives on their path should be related to whoever was in charge of this mission. 7000 meters¡­8000 meters¡­9000 meters¡­ the two descended into a deep pit which looked like a behemoth¡¯s mouth. ¡°Be careful,¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Neither were in the mood to chat any longer. The deep and suffocating feeling they felt was enough to alert them even in their prime. The sentient creatures of abyss had a clear hierarchy. Baron, Viscount, Earl, Marquess, Duke, Prince, King, and the Mythological Emperor of the Abyss. Although Wu was in the middle ranks, this didn¡¯t mean that he was weak. Zyrus had seen an Abyssal Duke wreak havoc in the fifth ring with his own eyes. 9500 meters¡­10,000 meters¡­ Just when Zyrus was beginning to wonder why he needed Wu¡¯s help if the path was like this, a change occurred in their surroundings. Hundreds of vine-like tentacles swayed beneath them. The harmless looking plant was one of the most fearsome creatures that lived in the trenches, the zombie worm. ¡°I see why they choose you¡­¡± Wu was, in a sense, their natural enemy. These plant-type monsters had defensive abilities similar to the Nuckelavee. To top it off, they had the ability to dissolve all living beings¡¯ bones within a certain range. It was a fraudulent ability that worked regardless of the level difference. They were the last scavengers in the ocean¡¯s ecosystem. More than 70% of the bons that sunk down were consumed by them.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡®It¡¯s a pity that we¡¯re not strong enough to harvest them¡­¡¯ Zyrus recalled that these Zombie worms were perfect material to improve their ship¡¯s qualities. But it was just a pipe dream with their current strength. ¡°There are thousands of them,¡± ¡°Yet not one of them would bother you,¡± Zyrus chuckled at the swaggering Wu. He was a pure abyssal creature whose very existence corroded the surroundings. Even if his bones were dissolved, no one would dare to get near them. Every part of an abyssal creature was hazardous to sentient beings. Of course, one can purify them with pure mana, but such thoughts were beyond the imaginations of these Zombie worms. In their eyes, the gigantic centipede was the most disgusting food they¡¯d seen. ¡®We¡¯re close,¡¯ Zyrus became cautious as he felt the humming response from the cube. There were no visible differences in their surroundings, but he realized that he was almost at the end of this journey. ¡®Reaching here was easier than I¡¯d thought¡­¡¯ He wasn¡¯t happy about it though. It meant that the mission this time would be more complex than the previous one. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Th-they¡¯re talking about me?¡± Wu asked in a confused tone. This was the first time someone had told him a ¡®little one¡¯. ¡°Well, since I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to complete the mission, it can only be you,¡± Zyrus replied and jumped off from Wu¡¯s back. ¡°¡­I see,¡± Zyrus wasn¡¯t too surprised at their words. He told Wu to convey his messages to his troops so that they could hold on without him for a few months. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Mhm, I¡¯ve trained them so that they won¡¯t need me to work things out,¡± ¡°Later then,¡± Wu fled away as if his legs were on fire. Zyrus didn¡¯t know what happened after he heard that voice, but in the next second, he was in an empty cave glittering with blue and white radiance. ¡°Welcome, Zyrus Wymar,¡± There, what greeted him was a meter-long snake coiled above a stone altar. Others might¡¯ve found it funny that he called Wu a little one with its size, but Zyrus knew better. ¡°Thank you,¡± he nodded his head and looked at the formation on the altar. ¡°I see that you¡¯ve recognized this array,¡± ¡°Indeed. The Array of descending stars, a mechanism used to summon an incarnation,¡± What Zyrus didn¡¯t mention, however, was that only a godlike being could send an incarnation. Even the weakest of such beings were on the same level as the Eternals. ¡°Haha, correct. Please, take a seat,¡± Zyrus sat down on a similar stone platform and looked at the snake with a confused face. He didn¡¯t mind having a conversation with the other party, but what about the mission? ¡°In case you¡¯re wondering, we¡¯re not going to fight. I disagree with their methods of testing you, and I¡¯m sure you share the same sentiment,¡± Indeed, Zyrus didn¡¯t like the fact that he was fighting when most of his powers were sealed. Only after giving their all can one make a progress on their path. ¡°Let me evaluate your feats thus far, you¡¯ve learned how to use the power of laws, and your application of the void laws is almost flawless,¡± None of them mentioned the progress in the sanctuary or the earth. Things like that weren¡¯t a real challenge for Zyrus to begin with. ¡°However, your progress on understanding your source of origin has reached a standstill. You¡¯ve unlocked the door to the origin, why then, are you not walking on that path?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not able to reach that state as I wish,¡± Zyrus replied without hesitation. One must let go of their pride if they wanted to learn something. The one sitting here wasn¡¯t the void monarch, it was the arcanist who pursued the pinnacle of arcana. ¡°I guessed as such. It¡¯s not unexpected since no one had taught you about such things. While I can''t help you walk on your path, I can at last give you a push to move past the hurdle in your way. But before that, let¡¯s talk about your past,¡± Zyrus nodded at the snake who was observing him with its orange eyes, ¡°The Eternals knew about the source of origin, every field boss knew about it and so did hundreds of powerful creatures in the sixth ring,¡± Its next words sent waves in his tranquil heart. ¡°Do you think it makes sense that you, the one who defeated them in a mere 1000 years, didn¡¯t know about the source of origin?¡± It was the question that struck true to his core. Zyrus never doubted his talents when it came to mana. He wasn¡¯t being conceited, but even the word ''genius'' wasn¡¯t enough to match his feats. He was just a step away from ruling the whole sanctuary. Laws or not, it was a fact he was strong enough to defeat all of the administrators and the Eternals. Did that make sense that he didn¡¯t learn about the source of origin despite all that? ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve thought about it as well?¡¯ ¡°Yeah,¡± Zyrus wanted to say that maybe it was someone¡¯s scheme that led to his demise or there was a greater force that led to his regression, but what was the point in that? The truth was useless for him who was so weak right now. ¡°I''d advise you to ponder on that. I¡¯ll even give you a hint, it had nothing to do with anyone except yourself,¡± the snake replied in a solemn tone. And hearing that voice, Zyrus was sure that it was the truth. Because the words it uttered were filled with the power of laws. He instinctively sensed that lying in these circumstances would result in a backlash. There was no reason the snake would do that at the cost of its very existence. ¡°Hahaha¡­you see this, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re talented when it comes to understanding the laws as well,¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± ¡°And I appreciate your humbleness. There are a lot of creatures who are far above you in terms of this aspect. No one gives a crap about talent and age in the middle of a battle,¡± Zyrus knew this all too well. Talent that didn¡¯t result in strength was useless. He had seen far too many geniuses who fell along the way in his past life. ¡°Anyway, let me tell you some basics first, starting with the ¡®Realm of Order¡¯,¡± Follow me on Patreon Chapter 119: Things that are far more Harrowing than a mere Death ¡°Let me explain in terms you''re familiar with. Do you recall the largest and smallest object humans had observed?¡± Zyrus jogged up his memories before coming up with an answer. It had been too long since he studied that on the arc of Noah. ¡°The smallest ones are the Quarks, and the largest thing in the observable universe was Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall,¡± ¡°Indeed, it must¡¯ve been fascinating to learn about it, Right?¡± Zyrus nodded in response to that. He still distinctively remembered that humans were closer to the largest thing in the universe than the quarks if they counted in magnitude. It was a useless yet thought-provoking comparison. ¡°The range of 10^26 meters to 10^-35 meters is what we call the realm of order. It is because everything within that realm can be understood by most sentient beings.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never thought of it that way,¡± ¡°And that is the reason why you haven¡¯t progressed on the path of laws. Keep in mind that they¡¯re more than just a tool to kill your enemies. Comprehending the origin of laws is the pursuit of every powerful creature across the universe,¡± Zyrus felt like his horizons were broadened, in quite a literal way. It was hard to imagine something working on a universal scale. ¡°You should realize that the main difficulty in comprehending the laws is your imagination and willpower that could fuel those imaginations. Even if I tell you bout the realm of order, can you really imagine it?¡± The answer was, of course, No. ¡°Take yourself as an example, how many quarks, neutrons, protons, electrons, atoms, and molecules are inside of you? Can you control them despite being close to them since the day you gained sentience? And if you can¡¯t even control your own body, how could you influence the laws that govern the whole universe?¡± A new door was blasted open for Zyrus. With his talent, the correct direction was all he needed. What was considered Void in the realm of order? He knew that only by understanding that would he progress further on his path. As for his willpower? He didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help to train in that. But apparently, the one opposite him had other plans. It was as if the snake had seen right through his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s conclude our short lesson here. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s enough for someone like you,¡± Before Zyrus could thank it once again, the snake looked at him with a dangerous glint. ¡°However, I can¡¯t give you the mission¡¯s reward without a test, right? I have no intention to fight you, all you have to do is retrieve one of my scales and blood essence. Easy, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± For the first time in both of his lives, Zyrus didn¡¯t dare to utter a word. The danger he felt at this moment was even greater than the time he died. ¡°You appear to be someone who¡¯s fearless. That won¡¯t do,¡± The snake¡¯s voice got higher and higher. The space around them distorted with its every word, and Zyrus felt an unfamiliar sense of dread. ¡®I was never afraid of death¡­what exactly am I feeling then?¡¯ He asked himself a question under the suffocating aura. Even now, he was more curious than afraid. ¡°They say that the ignorant are fearless, but can the ignorant walk on the path of Origins? Of course not. There are many who do not fear death, but mark my words, Zyrus Wymar¡­¡± *Shattter* His vision blanked for a moment before he was sent back to another place.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°There are things that are far more harrowing than a mere death,¡± A place without mana, a place without air, a place without anything. It was a vast and empty space. Countless stars and tiny galaxies twinkled all around him. It was the beautiful sky he used to admire before he was summoned to the sanctuary. ¡°And you stand in the presence of one such being,¡± But as if to mock his na?ve admiration of the vast universe, the snake showed him the true meaning of fear. A true and primordial fear. ¡®Can something like that exist?¡¯ For the first time, Zyrus felt like his willpower was lacking to handle the scene in front of him. How big was a planet? A solar system? A galaxy? A star cluster? It was easy to imagine them by using numbers, but it was a whole new thing to see them flash by with your bare eyes. Just this experience was enough to break one¡¯s will. But what he saw was far more devastating. He saw a being so colossal that it defied his understanding of the world. A black-grey snake that swallowed stars as if they were grapes hanging on a vine. A being who swam in the universe like a fish in the water. Zyrus got closer and closer to that being, and its size became bigger and bigger in his eyes. How did it feel to have your entire vision occupied by a single creature? Only those who¡¯ve experienced this sight could understand his current state of mind. ¡®Authority, Name, Title¡­¡¯ Zyrus realized their true meaning as he saw the creature before him. He now knew what it meant to carve your existence into the very fabric of the universe. He who dwells in the cosmic ocean J?rmungandr: The World Devouring Serpent. He didn¡¯t need any introduction, because his very source of existence was carved on the reality itself. ¡®He feels more Eternal than those bastards ever did,¡¯ Zyrus had never felt so insignificant in his entire life. The raging emotions that fueled his will, the hope of vengeance, the hope of seeing her again¡­everything seemed insignificant compared to the being before him. Could he fight someone like him? He couldn¡¯t even think of such a possibility. He was being consumed by the laws of Jormungandr with every passing second. His source of exitance was being devoured just by looking at him. ¡®I may be weak and insignificant¡­¡¯ His vengeance, his pride, his love¡­everything was devoured in the presence of J?rmungandr. ''But even so¡­¡¯ The final spark of his will refused to die down. Zyrus didn¡¯t want to feel the same way once again. The emptiness he felt that day, the void in his heart that made him embark on the path of laws¡­he had subconsciously avoided it to this day. Even before his regression, even before he became the strongest being in the sanctuary¡­ He had erased the very emotions that led him on the path of Void, such was the irony. ¡®I wanted to move on and create a new future¡­¡¯ But now wasn¡¯t the right time for that. Perhaps he needed to suffer more in order to temper his will. Zyrus stopped moving towards the J?rmungandr. No, it would be more accurate to say that he had never left from his position to begin with. The stone platform, the cave, and even the laws of devouring were erased from existence. All that remained in the trench of the ocean was a mountain-sized scale, a blood-grey crystal, and Zyrus who was floating above them unconsciously. ¡­ Emotions, feelings, sentiments¡­ one can say they¡¯re what makes someone alive. Joy, anger, sorrow, pride, greed, lust, pity, jealousy¡­. people feel myriad of emotions throughout their life. There are those who act according to them, and there are those who are enslaved by them. Most of the intelligent beings had a varied degree of control over their emotions. Some species were apathetic while others were too sentimental. Elves who liked peace, orcs who loved to fight, dragons who ruled in the sky and rats who lived by scavenging the land¡­ everyone had different emotions, feelings, sentiments. And there was one scenario everyone must have felt in their lives: What if one emotion overwhelmed the rest? There were only two ways that situation could go. Those who were consumed by the raging emotions, and those who moved on with the aid of time. Innumerable factors were involved which led to either direction. ¡®I went with the second option because that¡¯s what she would have wished for¡­¡¯ Zyrus stood alone on a white crystalline road. Everything looked the same as always, but he knew that his source of origin had changed. He had realized many things after the recent encounter. Now, he knew how to walk on his path. ¡®Neither the first, nor the second,¡¯ Zyrus decided to go with neither option. He couldn¡¯t let the void in his heart consume him, nor could he forget it and move on. *Step* A single step, and he was ahead of thousands of white lines around him. Just how many had failed to take this single step in their entire lives? He realized the essence of using the power of laws. Will. Control. Those who sway with the power of laws and those who truly control the said laws¡­there was a vast boundary that separated the two. A boundary that was only visible once you crossed to the other side. With a void in his heart, he had crossed that boundary with a single step. ¡®Heh, is this my reward?¡¯ Zyrus chuckled as he looked at the thousands of white lines that were resonating with his source of origin. He knew that he wasn¡¯t far off from absorbing one of them once again. But before that, it was time to reap the rewards from the last time. An old martial art manual fluttered before his eyes. Chapter 120: May the Endless Stars quench your Hunger. [Void Body Refinement Technique] A golden title that looked majestic despite the tattered appearance of the manual. Zyrus sank his will into the first page and began reading about the martial arts of a different world. It was a world without magic. Humans were divided into two societies in that realm brimming with spiritual qi. Mortals who lived like regular folks and the cultivators who used the spiritual qi. Zyrus deduced that they used the energy called spiritual qi to increase their level of existence. It was similar to leveling up in the sanctuary, just terribly inefficient. At least, that¡¯s what it looked like at first glance. ¡®This seems like the correct path more than ours¡­¡¯ The path of cultivation was arduous. Hundreds of years of hard work was needed to improve their strength. It was laughable that players had reached the same level in just a year. But there were just the introductory notes in the manual. Like the first few pages of a textbook that no-one bothers to read. It briefly explained the two main schools of cultivation. One was the energy cultivation where one accumulated energy in their dantian to improve their martial prowess. The other path was a more arduous one, and it was the main focus of this manual - Physical cultivation. ¡®Magic, energy, physical cultivation¡­everything leads to the same destination,¡¯ This was a manual that showed the pinnacle of physical cultivation by using the power of laws. Zyrus read through the pages like a sponge absorbing moisture. He didn¡¯t plan to follow the formula as is, he only needed sufficient information to create a unique skill suitable for him. Acupoints, meridians, vessels¡­ he memorized and probed the mentioned parts with his mana. There was no such thing as spiritual qi in the sanctuary. He knew that it would be difficult to mold this manual into his personal skill. But he wasn¡¯t called the greatest arcanist for nothing. He welcomed challenges like these. ¡­ Zyrus didn¡¯t know how long had passed since he started reading. Thankfully, his willpower had become stronger than before. The manual disintegrated bit by bit in his hands. He modified what he needed and discarded the useless information. At last, only a few pages remained. And these pages were directly absorbed by him. Zyrus knew that what he absorbed wasn¡¯t just the knowledge. It was experience of the martial artist. It was the embryonic form of a skill, a skill which would be recognized by the sanctuary. There were three major and nine minor reals in both energy and physical cultivation. The number nine was special as he recalled that some arcanists also followed the circle system. From one to the hypothetical limit of nine, such circles were engraved on the heart and soul of the mage. But 9 was just a hypothetical number. A myth. The highest noted realm was of the fifth circle. It was the same for the cultivation manual as well. Three major realms: Kasa, Raya, and Vita. Each were divided into three minor stages. Kasa was the starting point that separated commoners and martial artists. Raya was stage only attained by one in a million. The cultivators of this realm were the true rulers of the martial world. Vita, a mythological realm that no one had ever attained. At a glance, the system of martial arts looked incomplete and even crude. How can you call a system defined when a third of it was based on hypothetical junctures? But Zyrus felt deep admiration for the creator of this structure. Rather than those who looked down after reaching the pinnacle of the world, he liked those who gazed above at the stars.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Was the civilization of the martial world weak? The answer was no. Raya realm was at least as strong as the fifth ring of the sanctuary. Those in the third level of Raya realm had to be as strong as the Eternals. And this manual showed a clear method on how to reach the third level of the Raya realm. Zyrus organized the technique and modified the terminologies. He created new names for three realms which could be applied to anyone, regardless of whether they were a mage or a martial artist. It was a presumptuous modification which he wouldn¡¯t dare to show another arcanist. But he believed in his judgment. The three reams he created weren¡¯t based on a whim. As someone who could be said to possess the same power as the one at the third level of the Raya realm, he had the right and capabilities to attempt such a feat. He didn¡¯t dare to rename the great realms, nor did he dare to talk about the mythological last three stages. He renamed the first six minor realms according to his understanding of both of his lives. It was his first attempt at merging two entirely different power systems, and this was the result:
  1. World Resonance
  2. World Essence
  3. World Core
  4. Astral Resonance
  5. Astral Essence
  6. Astral Core
¡®And I am at the second stage,¡¯ Being able to reference the path of another was perhaps his greatest opportunity as an arcanist. A new perspective about the truth of the universe. A mirror to observe the path he had walked thus far. Zyrus knew that his vision was limited. So, he would borrow the eyes of others to see his own path. And if he failed to reach his destination one day, Then he too would leave his eyes, his path, and his source of existence behind. He felt sentimental as he looked at the countless white lines that scattered around the black space. Each line represented a different story, a broken path where they failed to reach their destination. ¡®But I won¡¯t become like them,¡¯ These were his last thoughts before his willpower ran out. ¡­ Zyrus opened his eyes in a black space once again. But this time, he realized something different. ¡®I created it,¡¯ It was a void created by his source of origin. A good portion of the already vacant trench was erased by the laws of void. ¡®No, it¡¯s not erased. It¡¯s a different type of void,¡¯ Emptiness. It was the void that resembled the region between two galaxies and star clusters. An unimaginable stretch of space where nothing existed. A space where even light would take millions of years to pass by. That was the form of void he comprehended after his encounter with J?rmungandr. Only after encountering his vastness did he realize the emptiness of void. The same was true for his reward given by the cube, the power of Devouring. [Mission: Gain the acknowledgment of J?rmungandr] [You must reach the bottom of the ocean to meet J?rmungandr] [Congratulations! You have completed the mission] [You have obtained the talent ¡°Devour (A rank)¡±] [-:-] You have obtained a Transcendent stat [-:-] [Changing the stat to suit your level¡­] [ERROR] [Failed to adjust the ###?? ##...?] [Modifying the reward] [You have been given the chance to ¡°Transcend¡± a stat] He closed the message and looked at the scale and the blood essence below him. The blood must be related to transcending the stat, and the scale... ¡®It must be for an armor,¡¯ It looked like everything was planned out for him. He hadn''t read about the new talent or understood what transcending a stat meant. Both were completely unfamiliar to him. One thing was for certain though. Both of these would make his grand plan of unifying two systems possible. The chance to cultivate his physique was right before his eyes. ¡®I appreciate the sentiment, but I won¡¯t follow your plan,¡¯ He didn¡¯t want an armor. He didn¡¯t want to cultivate a half-baked technique, even if it was made by him. He wanted to walk on a path that was the most difficult. Only then could he surpass everyone he knew, just like in his past life. ¡®Anyway, looks like I¡¯ll need very high defense in the coming days¡­¡¯ These were the cards prepared for him in advance. He didn¡¯t know who or where would he be fighting, but this was enough. He asked the cube what transcending the stat meant, but there was no reply. He had guessed that he would be getting a new trait so this was unexpected for him. Nonetheless, what he had to do remained the same. Zyrus jumped down on the blood essence and started absorbing it with his mana. There were no changes except the pure and refreshing feeling that enveloped his senses. The cube would show him the path to transcend a stat on its own. So in the meanwhile, he opened his status to check on the new talent. [Talent: Devour (A rank)] Devour the heavens to transcend your mortality. By absorbing the blood of J?rmungandr, you have inherited a part of its talent. You now possess the ability to devour the cosmic energy to temper your flesh and blood. May the endless stars quench your hunger. Effect: Absorb the cosmic energy emitted from the vast cosmos. CD: None Special Ability 1: You can accumulate cosmic energy in any part of your body. By unleashing the stored energy, you can imbue your attack with the Stellar power. Note: At higher adaptation level, it is possible to continuously use this ability by maintaining equilibrium. Special Ability 2: You now possess the trace of J?rmungandr¡¯s bloodline. You can survive in any environment by devouring the world¡¯s energy. Note: Extreme terrain will still harm your body, but you will not die as long as you adapt with your talent. Note: Such adaptation is irreversible. Special Ability 3: (Locked) Chapter 121: Incarnation of Pestilence As expected of something related to J?rmungandr. It was a life-changing talent that didn¡¯t lose out to blood fusion that was a rank higher. It was perfect for him who wanted to embark on the path of physical cultivation. It would be difficult to substitute spiritual qi with mana alone, but now had had a better alternative. As for the special ability, the first one required practice to gauge its potential. The second one didn¡¯t need any explanation on how useful it was. From now on, he wouldn¡¯t die due to environmental factors. Even if there were some side effects of it, nothing was worse than dying. ¡®It¡¯s about time I distribute my stats as well,¡¯ He already guessed what his new level-up bonus would be. He was sure that the transcended stat would be removed from the level-up bonus. ¡®There¡¯s no way the system can improve something that¡¯s transcended,¡¯ Coupled with his racial trait, it wasn¡¯t difficult to predict what his level-up stats would be. Now, the key here was which stat to transcend. Zyrus had no idea what it meant or what effects would it have. But since the cube didn¡¯t tell him anything on its own, he would have to figure that out by himself. ¡®Strength, Agility, Vitality, Intelligence, Mana,¡¯ Five words were floating in front of his eyes. He had to make a decision before he completely absorbed all of the blood. Zyrus thought about the J?rmungandr as he looked at the stats. Since the talent was derived from him, transcending a stat which was related to his power would give better results. ¡®He undoubtedly possessed great strength. Agility is a given for someone who roams the vast cosmos.¡¯ The same was true for mana and intelligence. However, Zyrus didn¡¯t feel like these stats showcased the true power of the World-Devouring Serpent. Its immense size and its laws of devouring were a testament to his vitality. ¡®Besides, my vitality is my highest stat right now,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate any further and touched the word *Shuaaa* The remaining blood boiled over as if it was placed on a frying pan. It was the same for the blood within his body. He felt like he was being cooked alive as the boundless energy flowed in and out of his body. Every cell of his was transforming once again. But unlike before, a change occurred in his soul as well. Zyrus was unable to tell what was happening due to the immense pain. Even his eyes of annihilation failed to detect any anomaly. Thus, he could do nothing except clench his teeth and wait till the process was over. *Crrrack* *Crrack* His scales fell of one by one, and new bluish-grey scales grew at the same time. The energy that seemed endless was consumed without a trace left behind. ¡®That¡¯s weird¡­ there¡¯s no change,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t feel a single change after the process was over. His vitality felt no different from before. He opened the screen once again to see what changes happened after this mission. And sure enough, he was greeted by something other than his transcended stat. [Your Trait, ¡°Nastronder Dragon¡± has obtained sufficient energy] [Awakening dormant abilities¡­] [Analyzing Sylvarix Bloodline¡­.15¡­86¡­100%] [The ability ##?#45 is selected based on your race, experience, and the type of absorbed energy]Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. [Assembling the Title¡­] [Your assimilated skill, Poison Breath has been fused with ##?#45] [Your assimilated Poison affinity (S) has been fused with ##?#45] [Your assimilated Poison resistance (150%) has been fused with ##?#45] |+| Congratulations! You have obtained the title: Plague Bearer |+| |+| Your existence will be remembered forever |+| Today was a day full of surprises. Zyrus never expected that he¡¯d get his second title in such a manner. But before checking out his title, he decided to open his trait. [Nastronder Dragon (Partial awakening)] You can recover your MP by devouring the corpses of those slain by you. Recovered MP = Slain creature¡¯s Level/8 Note: Special materials and Authorities are required to fully awaken the trait. ¡®It¡¯s as I expected¡­¡¯ He was sure that the core of this trait was related to his crown. The trait should have exhausted all of its potential by now, but such wasn¡¯t the case. The only reason this happened should be due to his crown¡¯s authority. ¡®It won¡¯t be easy to find materials on the ocean, so I¡¯ll think about it later on,¡¯ He had more pressing matters to deal with, starting with checking his title and awakening his sleeping weapon. Titles were on the same level as the crown¡¯s and flag¡¯s authorities. They had a higher level of power compared to the skills. He once wondered what ¡®Your existence will be remembered forever¡¯ meant, but after his regression, he had a bold guess about it. Zyrus closed the rest of his tabs and opened on his second title. [Plague Bearer] He who is the incarnation of pestilence, the harbinger of decease and decay. But fret not, dear mortals, For you shall receive salvation in Plague¡¯s Embrace. Monarch of Toxin: Immunity to all types of Poisons You can imbue your attacks with an additional ¡°Poison¡± attribute, regardless of your original mana attribute. Your summoned creatures also share this authority. Note: Different innate magic attributes will affect the final outcome of the merged attribute attack. There is a possibility of weakening attack power in case of conflicting attributes Noxious Shrine: Project a shrine to affect the radius of 1km around you. It improves the effect of poison-related abilities and applies random debuffs on hostile targets. -Sacrilege: There is a 30% probability that the poisoned targets will perceive the poison as a blessing. -Anathema: There is a 12.5% probability that the poisoned targets will act opposite to their thoughts. -Desecration: There is a 20% probability that the poisoned targets will abandon their weapons. -Heresy: There is a 15% probability that the poisoned targets will blabber nonsense. -Apostacy: There is a 10% probability that the poisoned targets will abandon their faith. CD: 1 day, Duration: 6 hours Plague¡¯s Embrace: Spread the plague via your blood to embrace the fallen. The dead will infect the living, and the living will birth more dead. Once a month, you can perform Ghoul reanimation: By sacrificing the corpses of those who have died by plague, you can create ghouls with a 3% success rate. Note: Ghoul¡¯s strengths will depend on the dead. Note: Ghouls are not considered summons. [The effects of the title will improve depending on your actions] ¡®Damn, this is vicious even for me¡­¡¯ Forgetting the abomination like third authority, just the second one was cruel. It was a dreadful moral-breaker that¡¯d work against everyone who didn¡¯t have a purifying mage or holy artifacts. ¡®And outside of the sanctuary, the first one is the strongest,¡¯ Just imagining hundreds of thousands of his summons fighting with poison-attributed attacks made him shiver. Just hit once in a kamikaze attack, and whoosh! Your enemies will be poisoned to death. Zyrus was more than satisfied with his haul this time. He was itching to fight with all his newfound powers, but he had to wait before the year''s end. Matope had promised him a fight without any rewards. And right now, being able to fight without holding anything back was the reward he needed the most. ¡®Especially since I can¡¯t go back to earth for some reason¡­¡¯ Perhaps the fight between the flying squirrel and the invaders was still going on. Zyrus found it hard to stomach that he and his summons were being sidelined due to their lacking strength. ¡®Haa¡­anyway, I¡¯ll go into solitary practice after this,¡¯ Zyrus had long since decided to go into a closed-door seclusion like the martial artists. But before that, he had one last task left to do. His one and only weapon, the one who was with him all the way in the first ring, the one who pierced his obstacles to the reach path of origin¡­it was time to awaken his weapon. *Thunk* Zyrus took out his bloodspine spear and stabbed it into the scale below him. It had already gained nascent sentience after the fight at the city of ruin, and thus, it understood his command without him speaking a word. *Whoooom* The scale and the spear trembled as if an electric current passing through them. Zyrus had prevented the spear from evolving for this moment. *Drip* He bit on his thumb and dropped his blood on the bloodspine spear. His bloodline provided the necessary conditions for two items to fuse. *Crack* The scale and the spar shattered bit by bit. Instead of leaking any energy, both were devouring the environmental mana like a whale drinking water. Zyrus envisioned the shape of the weapon and relayed his will to the evolving spear. He molded the mana according to his will and placed the evolving spear at the center of it. This was the basic process which would end with the next step of adding the needed materials. Normal evolution didn¡¯t require many things, but what he wanted was an epic item. Thus, it was time to empty his inventory. Chapter 122: Jeohang Archway [Fang of Nidraxis (Unique)] Zyrus dropped the white fang on the swirling mass of energy. The mold created by mana almost exploded when he added a part of the blood dragon into the mix. [Drake¡¯s bones x 10] [Drakes¡¯s tendons x 10] [Drake¡¯s mutated heart x 1] While inferior in quality, the remains of the drakes were sufficient to fortify the mold. Nidraxis and Jormungandr were beings who stood at the apex. A no-named Drake who failed to evolve wasn¡¯t even worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as them. And yet, it were his remains that reigned the two mighty beings¡¯ power. This was the beauty of the forging, a miracle of the evolution. Such a feat was only possible for someone who possessed the bloodline of the Sylvarix. [Ore of Kothar (Fragment)] Zyrus added the ore given by Kyle and Lauren into the mix. It nourished the nascent spirit within the bloodspine spear so that it could handle the strain of ranking up. It would add another trait after evolution, and most importantly, the possibility of obtaining an ''Unbreakable'' trait in the future. ¡®And this should harmonize them all,¡¯ [Weapon Enhancement Potion (Rare)] Indeed, the mass of energy calmed down after he poured the sparkling potion. He had used all of the precious materials he had collected thus far. Now all Zyrus could do was wait with a bated breath. Seconds and minutes passed by as the mass and energy became more and more condensed. A ten-foot-long pillar of light was forged from the mountainous vortex of energy. *Flaash* There was a glaring blast of reddish-orange light that even the ones atop the dragon of war saw. The forever-dark regions of the ocean were greeted with fleeting light. It was like a mirage bordering between illusion and reality. ¡°Hahaha¡­perfect, Come,¡± Zyrus held his hand forward with shining eyes. Like a hatchling bird returning to its nest, the 10-foot-long Goedendag jumped into his palm. [The Epic Ranked Weapon ¡°Twilight Crusher¡± acknowledges you as its master] ¡­ Months later, on the 365th day since the flag march was initiated. Zyrus stood on a barren mountain with his eyes closed. He had reached lv 40 by hunting down monsters in the deep ocean. It was a week ago when he completed his class advancement test, or rather, lecture by Oroszlan. It was three days ago when he gathered 100 ¡®Xue Ginseng¡¯ as his reward on the Rakt gorge. For the past 31 hours, 17 minutes, and 45 seconds, he was sitting in the same posture. Harsh wind that scraped against his scales and glaring sunlight that boiled his insides wasn¡¯t enough to break his concentration. Such things became trivial once one learned to reach their source of origin. Even if others were to hold a New Year celebration right in front of him, he wouldn¡¯t be bothered in the least. ¡°Hoh! You became a monk while I was away? Maybe a lizard martial artist? Lizardist?¡± Well, a pipsqueak who can somehow intrude on someone else¡¯s source of origin was an exception. ¡°Oh my, who could this be? Are you perhaps Aurora? But she looked a bit taller than you¡­¡± ¡°A lizard who grows like bamboo,¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Better than a fairy grandma who¡¯s forever in her pre-growth stage,¡± Zyrus smirked after he opened his eyes. It wasn¡¯t the smartest of decision to tease someone who could control space and time on your source of origin. The duo bantered for a while before coming to the main topic. Today was the day he was supposed to fight. ¡°Cough..cough..Let¡¯s talk about official business,¡± [Congratulations! You have been chosen by the Committee of Administrators] ¡°Is there a need to send messages when I¡¯m right in front of you?¡± [The administrators have observed your journey in both lives, and deemed you worthy] The words struck like thunder in Zyrus¡¯s mind. His joking mood vanished without a trace as he realized the true meaning behind those words. ¡®Both lives, huh,¡¯ It meant that even the strongest person in the sanctuary wasn¡¯t worthy. It meant that this had nothing to do with battle powers. There was only one conclusion he could reach with this. Being the strongest in ¡®one life¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough. [Zyrus Wymar is granted access to Jeohang Archway] [We Welcome The Last Apostle] [We Welcome The Plage Bearer] [May the Fire of Order light your way] ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is this it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­normally, players only receive this message when they¡¯re already on the battlefield. Like you died a moment ago and bam! Now you¡¯re in the middle of a war. Unknown allies welcome you while you scurry for your life against the never-before-seen aliens¡­You get what I mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°For the record, it helps the dead players adjust better while they slowly learn the truth about the sanctuary. It''s a necessary process,¡± ¡°You came up with it, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­Oh, let me show you the way to the fifth peak. You must be surprised,¡± Aurora dodged the allegations of creating a clich¨¦ scenario and explained about the Jeohang Archway. Everything was the same as he had told the players, the exp, the levels, and the time loops. Except that there was one exception that he didn¡¯t know. ¡°So, not everyone is recycled into exp. You send those with Title and suitable temperament to this Jeohang Archway,¡± ¡°Recycle is a harsh word.¡± ¡°Sugarcoating it doesn¡¯t make it any less fucked up. Not that I¡¯m against it. It¡¯s a very efficient process from a wider perspective,¡± ¡°You¡­have grown. If it was you before regression then you¡¯d probably fight for the injustice of humanity and cause a ruckus,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s something to be proud of, but at least I¡¯m stronger. That¡¯s enough,¡± Aurora didn¡¯t explain anything further as they walked with silent steps. Zyrus also didn¡¯t ask any questions as he had a rough guess with the information he''d gathered thus far. The Aliens, Sanctuary, and what the administrators wanted from him. All of them were linked to the Jeohang Archway. When a world faces an invasion, there are generally three groups of people across the eras. Those who sacrificed their life to face the invasion, those who surrendered or defected, and those who escaped. But it¡¯s too simple to just categorize them into that. World doesn¡¯t end in a day unless the disparity of power is too big. It¡¯s a constant tug of war where both sides lose and gain different things. Building safe cities, recovering lost ground, finding more escape routes, betrayal, counter-invasion, finding allies with the same cause¡­ the art of war complex. In this case, the sanctuary could be considered a safe zone. ¡®Perhaps the universe¡¯s biggest safe zone,¡¯ Zyrus recalled the hive he saw back on earth. It was a force that could easily decimate a planet. He couldn¡¯t even imagine who the enemy facing against the sanctuary was. And if the purpose of the sanctuary was to grow refugees from this war, then there had to be something they¡¯d have to give in return. There was no free lunch in the universe. The ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ was also the ¡®Training Camp¡¯ that trained mighty warriors. It was hard to imagine the time and energy needed to build a place like the sanctuary. The ignorant players had the right to whine about why they were summoned to a cruel place out of nowhere. They had the right to curse this place which forced them to kill and slaughter even if they didn¡¯t want to. But once they learned the truth, they would lose that right. The same was true for Zyrus. Regardless of the circumstances, the ones being protected by other¡¯s sacrifice didn¡¯t have the right to demand justice from the place that gave them refuge. At least, that¡¯s what he believed. It was beneath a monarch to whine like a bitch about the world¡¯s injustice. Were you mistreated? Did you lose your loved ones in war? Do you think life is unfair? Go and fight then. Fight and build a better ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ than this. This was the untold message to all the players who were worthy of walking on the Jeohang Archway. ¡®And when have I shied away from a challenge?¡¯ Zyrus clenched his fists as he looked at the stone archway that led to the endless sky. More than anything, he was eager to test his power against his predecessors forgotten by the sanctuary. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re motivated. Do realize that it¡¯s a privilege given only to you. You are the sole player who has the right to go back and forth from this place.¡± Zyrus nodded at the weight of her words. That was a true battleground, and as such, a perfect place to grow. The players in the sanctuary didn¡¯t have the experience of fighting without the system¡¯s assistance, and the ones fighting outside didn¡¯t have the system¡¯s assistance in their growth. ¡®And I have the best of both worlds,¡¯ More than that, he had the chance to go back to earth as well. Zyrus walked towards the stone stairs at the edge of a mountain. Just climbing on the archway was a test of one¡¯s strength and willpower. He waved at Aurora to say goodbye, but apparently, she had something more to say. ¡°To motivate you a bit more, one of your enemies is also there. ¡®Eternal Marcus¡¯ has defected to the other side,¡± ¡°¡­Wonderful,¡± The duo shared a cruel smile before parting ways. Chapter 123: May you be Ever Victorious Zyrus thought that he¡¯d face powerful wind when climbing up to the sky, but it was quite the opposite. The higher he climbed the calmer the stairs became. Even the force of gravity seemed to vanish. As a dimensional mage, he realized that this was the phenomenon of overlapping space. Gates or dimensional portals were created to connect any point A and B across vast distances. They were similar to wormholes in scientific terms. It was a very efficient process, but the disadvantage was that it destabilized the space in that region. Such a thing was unacceptable on the battlefield. It was akin to showing the enemy your weakness. Thus, in severe situations where not even a tiny margin of error was allowed, the method of overlapping space was used. It was similar to placing layers and layers of paper sheets between A and B. Those sheets were then warped one by one in a subtle manner to decrease the distance. This way, the original passageway remained intact while the new one was divided into countless segments. It was an extremely difficult task that required a ton of materials and powerful mages. ¡®And this is also a trap,¡¯ Zyrus praised the wits of the one who devised such a plan. Pretty much every step was connected to random coordinates. Once the passageway was breached, all you had to do was activate the secondary coordinates and sever the passageway. He climbed and analyzed the distorted spacetime on the archway. It was a pity that the region around the passage was shrouded with fog. ¡®I wonder if this is the highest place in the sanctuary¡­¡¯ [Caution! You are leaving the range of the Sanctuary] [The System will soon cease to function] [All system-based authorities will be disabled] [Inventory will be disabled] [Please manage your status before proceeding further] ¡®Hmm¡­I¡¯d better equip myself and use all the saved SP,¡¯ Status: [Name: Zyrus Wymar] [Race: Sylvarix] [Class: Balaur Summoner] Onyx Crown, Blank Flag(In progress) [Title: The last Apostle (Temporary)(Locked), Plague Bearer] [Achievement: Call of the kin (A), Slayer of Camazotz (C+), Pioneer (B), Brave Sailor (E-), Helm of the cyclone (A+), Deep Sea explorers (E-)] [Talent: Blood fusion (S rank), Devour (A rank)] [Trait: Earth Movement, Underwater Breathing, Nastronder Dragon] [Level: 40] Exp: 12,580 /1.66 M [Strength: 77 (+10)] [Agility: 73 (+5)] [Vitality (Celestial): 80] [Intelligence: 46] [Mana: 71 (+2)] [SP: 26] HP: 5000 Combat stats: MP: 649 Recovery Rate: 50% (+20%) (Per hour) Stamina: 829 Recovery Rate: 30% (Per hour) Crit rate: 15% Crit damage: 120% Penetration Bonus: 10% Final damage Bonus: 20% Health Regeneration: 10% (+30%) (Per hour), +20 HP/sec in Boss fights Resistances: Void (?), Abyss (?), Earth (50%), Blood (35%), Penetration (30%), Slash (30%), Blunt (30%), Critical (10%), Water (5%)Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Elemental Affinity: Void (?), Abyss (SS), Earth (C), Blood (F) [Eye of Annihilation], [Arcane Lance], [Master of Sojutsu], [Spear aura], [Xisheng Arts], [Avatar], [Vortex Manipulation], [Fear] [Twilight Crusher (Epic)] [Zubry Solleret (Rare)] [Bone necklace Totem (Common)] [Ymir¡¯s broken Gauntlets (Unique)] Currency: - Items: [Lorica Squamata (Partially Broken)] There were huge changes in his status. Most noticeable among them was his empty inventory. Before he went into training, he had given his money and ring of command to Ria. From then on, he didn¡¯t plan to engage in player activity unless it was a field boss level fight or some special scenario. This would result in him getting less achievement than other leaders. Nonetheless, quality was better than quantity. He was sure that the sanctuary would acknowledge his efforts even if no one else did. Apart from that, he had gained another title, talent, and two traits in the short span of a few months. It was enough to make even the strongest players green with envy. ¡®The biggest change is on my stats,¡¯ Fights were inevitable to prove his theories. This led to his crazy leveling speed even when the next levels required 1.5 times the exp. Reaching lv 40 within a year placed him at the top of the level leaderboards. Level-ups meant more stats. Up until lv 37, the level-up bonus was 2 Strength, 1 Agility, and 1 mana. This happened because of his race change into the Sylvarix. Humans acquired 5 points which were equally distributed. But since they didn¡¯t unlock mana since lv 1, their mana was always lacking unless they used SP or item buffs. The stat bonus determined one¡¯s future journey in the sanctuary. Their bloodline, traits, talents, and even high-ranked skills were taken into consideration when deciding on the level up stats. At first, Zyrus obtained 4 stats since his vitality scaled differently due to him being a Sylvarix. After completing the cube¡¯s mission his vitality had transcended and gained a Celestial property. Fusing Nidhogg king and Jormungandr¡¯s bloodlines also changed his racial characteristics. Thus, his level-up bonus after lv 37 was 1 Strength, 1 Agility, 1 Intelligence, and 2 Mana. ¡®I have to fix this mess¡­¡¯ Zyrus rubbed his brows as he made calculations. He no longer had a method to raise his HP or Vitality by using the system. He¡¯d be screwed over if he didn¡¯t figure out what a transcendent stat was and how it was raised. But that was a problem for the future him. 80 vitality and 5000 Hp was enough to last all the way to the fourth ring. The current issue was the severe imbalance in his stats. His intelligence was almost 30 points behind every other stat. Zyrus wanted to raise it before but he waited till the final moment. Now that the system was about to become unusable, there was no need to save his SP. ¡®26 points at once huh, that¡¯s a first even for me,¡¯ *BOOOOM* An intense explosion went off in his head. His senses, range of perception, and even his thought process was expanding at a rapid pace. But it was nothing to Zyrus. He was confident in dealing with any amount of mana and intelligence as a former dimensional mage. Afterall, both stats were his bread and butter. Getting used to them was easier and less painful compared to physical stats. ¡®Huu¡­it feels great,¡¯ Zyrus stretched his limbs and looked at his stats for the last time. He knew for a fact that they¡¯d be restricted by the time he came back. [Strength: 77 (+10)] [Agility: 73 (+5)] [Vitality (Celestial): 80] [Intelligence: 72] [Mana: 71 (+2)] All of them were above 70. He was almost at the middle stage of the third ring based on stats alone. Naturally, getting more of them would be just as difficult. Just leveling up once needed a whooping 1.66 million experience. ¡®All right, ready to go now,¡¯ [You have reached the end of the Jeohang Archway] [Identifying the Path strider¡­] [Identification Complete¨C You have been granted access to ¡°Streit Bastion¡±] [Pass through the ¡°Gate of Revelation¡± to exit the Sanctuary] [May you be ever victorious] [Farewell¡­] The system went off almost on cue. Zyrus stared at the golden doors without pausing his steps. The runic engravings on them were at a level that made him dizzy just by looking at it. They were big enough to make the giants seem like little kids, but what shocked him the most was what lay beyond those doors. A golden white skyscraper. Even from afar he could tell that it was an ingenious creation. ¡®A blend of futuristic and ancient technologies¡­¡¯ Zyrus halted his steps at the end of the stairs. In front of him was the Gate of Revelation which was almost 100 meters tall, and after that, was nothing. No road or stairs led to the Streit Bastion. He realized upon a closer look that both the gate and the skyscraper were on different dimensions. And yet, when you looked from afar, they appeared to be on the same plane. ¡®A marvelous sight indeed,¡¯ Zyrus praised the designer of this place one more as he stepped beyond the door. [Ding! A new recruit has arrived] A mechanical voice spoke at the entrance of the skyscraper. The passerby players looked in his direction for a moment before going on their way. ¡®Hmm¡­ as I thought, that was a leap of faith,¡¯ Though he felt like the standards were too high. How many would willingly jump off the edge when there was nothing but an endless space beneath them? ¡®That aside, where do I go now?¡¯ He was like a hired mercenary who was teleported into the middle of the city. He didn¡¯t have a clue about against whom, where, and how he would be fighting. Just like a mercenary would feel awkward before barging into the royal palace for a simple mission, he too felt stifled as he looked at the enormous skyscraper. Of course, the main reason for this was his lacking strength. Every random passerby was dozens of times stronger than him. Orcs, elves, goblins, vampires, and pretty much every race were present except for humans. It was fortunate that he didn¡¯t stand out like a sore thumb at the entrance. ¡®Whatever, there should be a reception area or something¡­¡¯ Just as he made up his mind to head inside the building, he heard a feeble voice call out to him. ¡°Hufff¡­Huff¡­ wait, wait a minute. You don¡¯t have the access to go there yet,¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Haa¡­fuck..it¡¯s exhausting to walk this far. Damn the security guards! Who in their right mind would prohibit levitation spells? It¡¯s racial discrimination!¡± Zyus observed the yellow slime which was rolling in his way. Indeed, it was unfair for the little guy. Who knew how long it took for him to roll over here. Everyone here was strong, but so were the laws that governed this place. It was the same principle as the City of Ruin. Players below lv 200 can forget about damaging even a blade of grass on the sidewalk. ¡°Whew¡­thanks for waiting. Under Lord Matope¡¯s orders, I¡¯ll guide you to your um..accommodations?¡± Zyrus felt like this unreliable-looking slime was hired with connections, but he refrained from pointing it out. The duo chatted as they walked towards the side of the skyscraper. He naturally carried the slime on the way. Otherwise, it¡¯d take a week to just reach their destination. ¡°Are you listening?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Good. Now sign the confidentiality agreement, life insurance, and¡­¡± Basically, Zyrus couldn¡¯t tell anyone about this place, he had to pay for any damage he caused, and a dozen more clauses that were annoying to read. The terms for joining a rewardless war were vicious to say the least. Finally, after half a day of walking the two reached the side entrance. What awaited Zyrus were five tunnels buzzing with chaotic energy. Read advance chapters on Patreon Chapter 124: Sector D – Region M98 The tunnels were glowing with different colors ranging from Grey to Blackish red. Zyrus learned that they were called ¡°Sectors¡± which divided the battlefield according to player¡¯s strength. They were ranked as D,C,B,A,S, And EX. They corresponded to the level of enemies present on the battleground. There was no ¡®system¡¯ in this place, and as such, the grading of power was different. Players or as the people here called themselves¨C ¡®Soldiers¡¯ were graded from D to EX along with different military titles. The command structure was similar as well. The higher your rank, the more soldiers you could command. Streit Bastion was a place where they received their missions and rewards. As it was the case where people gathered, there was a whole network of different guilds and companies that dealt with dispatch and crafting. But it had nothing to do with him. He entered here through somewhat dubious means, so he couldn¡¯t enjoy the perks that others did. At least not yet. ¡°Have you decided?¡± ¡°Let me think about it,¡± Zyrus ignored the lazy slime and carefully assessed his situation. The crux of his task was to fight on any of the sectors. What was infuriating was that since he didn¡¯t have any clearance level, he was unable to obtain the information regarding the sectors. He was totally blind about what happened on the other side of the tunnel. But it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t have any guesses. One additional piece of info he had was the classification of threats in each sector. Hazard, Terror, Disaster, Calamity, Extinction and Oblivion. It was easy to guess the enemies'' powers based on the classification. And correspondingly, the players'' strength who were dispatched to handle the threat. ¡®Looking like that, the rings of the sanctuary and the main events can be tied to this as well,¡¯ This was a lot of info to take in, but it was necessary. The events of the sanctuary were Crown hunt, Flag march, Throne Wars, Citadel conquest, and so on. This all painted a clear picture. What if the rings of the sanctuary and its events were designed to train players for this? It was just a hypothesis, but if it was true then him being able to access all the sectors was a great favor. ¡°Alright, I''ll go to Sector D,¡± ¡°Finally! Off you go,¡± the slime didn¡¯t even wait for him to leave before rolling away. Zyrus held the twilight crusher with both hands and walked towards the tunnel. *Clack*Clack* His footsteps echoed on the metallic floor. There was nothing in sight except for a gray light that flashed from time to time. ¡®The space is folding once again,¡¯ Zyrus realized that there was no end to this tunnel. *Crrrrk* And sure enough, he was teleported to a new region while walking. It was the highest level of spatial shift. Travelers wouldn¡¯t even notice when or where they were teleported. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zyrus stared at the knight clad in silver armor who was sitting behind a table. Of course, he was still holding his weapon with both hands. ¡°Ahem¡­is this sector D?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The knight gave him a parchment that was placed on the desk without speaking a word. Zyrus took it and walked out of the door behind him. ¡®Let me guess, I¡¯ll teleport again in 3¡­2¡­1,¡¯ *Crrrk* ¡®Fucking knew it!¡¯ This time, he was finally on a battlefield. At the entrance of one to be precise. [Sector D ¨C Region M98] [Threat Level: Hazard]If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. [Enter] In front of him was a blue hologram-like wall that blocked his vision. Nothing else was written there except for the three lines above. ¡®Let¡¯s read it first,¡¯ Zyrus unfolded the parchment to learn more about this place. Exterminate the invaders Hazard Sector D ¨C Region M98 Mission Assigned by: Knight of The Crimson Sun Mission Taken by: Zyrus Wymar Duration: None Rewards: None You can¡¯t exit without finishing the mission. Next mission will be given based on your performance. ¡®Nothing new except that guy? was called the Knight of The Crimson Sun,¡¯ Zyrus placed the parchment in his pocket and clicked on ''Enter''. The blue wall fragmented into cubes of light, and what greeted him was a verdant forest. [Eye of Annihilation] [Fear] *Grrrrrr* *Buzzzzzz* A forest brimming with giant insects. But instead of them, what held his vision was the sky above the forest. A black sky with glaring sun in the middle of it. This was a place without atmosphere, and thus, both the sun, three moons, and countless stars were visible at the same time. ¡®It¡¯d be a lot more beautiful without these bastards,¡¯ Zyrus gripped the twilight crusher and charged head first into a group of tri-horned beetles. *Trrrrrekkk* There were dozens of meter-long beetles with yellow exoskeleton and black horns. What made them different from normal beetles were the green pulsing veins that spread across their body. *Thrust* Zyrus clenched the reddish-white staff of the Goedendag and stabbed its tip into the beetle¡¯s face. It was an epic weapon, and the beetle¡¯s defenses were as good as nothing in front of it. With the sound of a watermelon bursting apart the beetle¡¯s head was pushed inside its armor. It was deader than dead. *Teeeek* *Trrrrrrkkk* Without breaking his stance Zyrus swept and slashed with his twilight crusher. There was a big difference between a spear and Goedendag. Spears had nimble shafts and sharp tips, whereas the Goedendag¡¯s shaft was built like a mace. *Puchk* As for its tip that was blasting apart the beetles, it was four feet long with half of it embedded on the staff and the other half was a conical edge like a lance¡¯s. Zyrus was like a giant playing with a bunch of dwarves. His strength and agility were perfectly utilized with a weapon like twilight crusher. Unlike spear, Goedendag could be used with brute force alone. It was an ideal weapon to smash apart anything on the way. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not even a warmup,¡± *Buzzzzzz* The insects heard his cry loud and clear. There were thousands of them just in his range of perception. Spiders that spewed webs like a water jet, mosquitoes that shrouded the sky, and worms that crawled on the moist soil¡­there were too many species to formulate a strategy. ¡®So I¡¯ll just smash ''em all,¡¯ Hot blood pumped through his veins as Zyrus fought with pure stamina. 87 strength, 78 agility, and 80 vitality. It gave him a total of 829 stamina. *Thwak* Zyrus pierced through the tree truck and climbed by using the gap as a foothold. His jumping height was close to three meters, and another two were added when he used his weapon. [Spear Aura] Dozens of transparent spear tips shot out from the twilight crusher. The tree was five meters tall, and adding his vertical range, his total attacking height was 10 meters. ¡®Add the range of spear aura, and I can fight low to mid-range aerial monsters,¡¯ *Buzz-* *Hmmzz-* The swarm was torn into two halves. But it didn¡¯t take more than 10 seconds before it was filled once again. ¡®I¡¯m glad I level up before coming here,¡¯ Without using his mana or talents, he was able to fight so far with his physical stats alone. It was a tremendous feat. Master of Sojutsu was a skill that optimized stamina usage when wielding spear-type weapons. Each attack consumed 1 point of stamina. Zyrus¡¯s overall consumption was 150 stamina per minute due to his movement and jumps. With his 30% stamina regen rate, he''d recover close to 250 stamina per hour or 4 stamina per minute. ¡®Six minutes is my current limit,¡¯ Zyrus stopped at the five-minute mark and changed his tactic. He was like an engineer who was testing a machine to measure different parameters. Only after collecting sufficient data could he form the most efficient battle strategy. [Fear] [Arcane Lance] [Vortex Manipulation] The insects scrambled away in fear, dozens of blue mana spears devastated the forest, and cyan water surged on the muddy soil. *Krrrirk* *Ribbbit* *Grruk* Zyrus stood on the pile of corpses and waved his hands like an orchestra conductor. 72 intelligence gave him a superhuman thinking speed. Coupled with his Abyssal attribute and more than 700 MP he could control mana within his perception range with ease. Instead of getting exhausted, he was getting more and more energetic. There was no end to the number of incest, and neither was there a limit to mana he could control. Fear drove away weak-willed enemies, arcane lance was a ranged attack that resembled an electric railgun, and last but not the least, vortex manipulation that transformed the forest into a marshland. A lot of mana was required to use them as he wished. But this is where his abyss attribute came into play. By corrupting the pure mana in his vicinity he could use it as if it were his own. ¡®I can go on like this forever¡­¡¯ Zyrus wreaked havoc on the forest for almost an hour. Just when he was done testing the combinations of his physical and magical skills, a sudden change overcame the insects. *KIhihhihi* Eerie cackling resounded throughout the forest. The mana under his control went haywire and he was forced to halt his steps. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s a D ranked sector for a reason,¡¯ Zyrus held the twilight crusher once more and welcomed the first adversary of this mission. Follow me on Patreon Chapter 125: Mercenary Contract On the trees, on the boulders, and even in the sky. Zyrus was surrounded by praying mantises from all sides. ¡®A perfect counter,¡¯ The two-meter-long mantises were the bane of his battle tactic. He didn¡¯t need to take a second glance at their razor-sharp blades or taut limbs. He was certain that the moment they made their move, he would bleed. Whether he killed a dozen or a hundred didn¡¯t matter. He would lose as long as he took even a single hit with every encounter. ¡®Paper-like defense with high attack power and agility,¡¯ The textbook example of Glass-Cannon battelestyle. The bugs he had faced thus far were just overgrown monsters. But now, things were different. A directionalized evolution of the praying mantis that increased their size to a humanoid creature while improving their agility and sharp limbs. And unlike the bugs they had the semblance of a command structure. ¡®They¡¯re like an assassin squad of the players,¡¯ *Kihihihi* ¡°A clever tactic, but there¡¯s a misunderstanding,¡± Zyrus spoke to the forest without sparing a glance at the mantises attacking him. From the moment when his mana field was interrupted to the current siege-type attack, barely a few seconds had passed. He was sure that someone was behind this attack. They should be the field boss equivalent of this area. ¡°I need less than 10 seconds to deal with them, you see,¡± *Shatter* Even before his words ended, dozens of portals appeared all around him. The space here was more stable than the sanctuary and the same was true for the laws. Thus, he could only summon about 500 of his troops. ¡°I thought there was more to you, but it¡¯s about time we end this,¡± Zyrus channeled all his mana into the twilight crusher. From the beginning, Rank D was insufficient to make him use all his strength. Just his regular skills and Balaur summoner class was enough to steamroll the entire area. ¡®Looks like I can only go all out on the Sector B,¡¯ *ROOOOAR* *Kihihihi* *Thump*Thump*Thump* More and more mantises and turtle-shaped beetles charged towards his abyssal legion. The one commanding them had revealed itself as well. It was a giant spider taller than a three-story building. Zyrus had no plans to tangle with it. Why? Because he didn¡¯t have any skill or talent that was targeted to mid-tier opponents. Buffs, debuffs, recovery, domain type abilities¡­he had everything covered. His summons were in charge of area control while he himself would deal with single targets, aka the commander-type monsters. The point here was that be his summons aoe capabilities or his own single target attacks, both were too strong for any middle-level opponents. [Spatial Stab] ¡°Eee---¡± The spider died with a half-finished shriek. *Crrrackkk* Before Zyrus could take a second look, he was teleported once again. So, there he was. Pointing his weapon at the knight sitting behind a desk. It was like a repeat of the last encounter except that this time his Goedendag was dripping with sticky green blood. *Spalt* ¡°How about giving a message before teleporting me?¡± The knight ignored the blood on the desk and gave two parchments to Zyrus. Then, as if they remembered something, they gave him another golden parchment. ¡°¡­¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°¡­¡± Zyrus left the office without exchanging a word. The randomness of teleportation and talking? with the knight was more draining than the previous fight. ¡®Well, I hope there was a reason for that. It wouldn¡¯t make sense if they teleported me for fun, right?¡¯ And there was only one way to figure that out. Zyrus sat down on the grey tunnel (he was teleported again after he closed the door) and opened the parchment one by one. Exterminate the invaders Hazard Sector D ¨C Region M98 Mission Assigned by: Knight of The Crimson Sun Mission Taken by: Zyrus Wymar Progress: Complete Duration: < 4 hours Clearing grade: EX Rewards: None Sector D is a mutually agreed training ground. Once the soldiers use power that exceeds the area¡¯s rank, they are forcefully teleported. Failure to do so would result in death by the enemy''s experts. ¡®Training grounds huh, no wonder it lacked a real threat,¡¯ Zyrus was somewhat disappointed that he didn¡¯t get to use his full powers. Nonetheless, he had a better understanding of the overall picture. He opened the second parchment which issued him another mission. There was no difference except the increased threat level and a different area name. What caught his eye was the additional note at the end. Since you have shown the power beyond the D rank, you can no longer access sector D. You can either continue the mission on sector C or return. One mission per year is mandatory. Zyrus was glad to know that he could go back anytime he wished. Of course, he had no intentions to do that now. ¡®I feel like this was something like a tutorial,¡¯ He opened the third parchment which was written on a golden paper, and sure enough, his guess was proven true. The paper burned in golden flames, and a black screen with golden runes appeared before his eyes. ||x|| Mercenary Contract ||x|| Issued by: Streit Council Assigned to: Zyrus Wymar Secure and develop an area on Sector B. You may choose any location under the enemy territory in sector B. You will receive clearance level C upon signing the contract. You can also access all of the facilities and use other benefits given to ¡®Captain¡¯ ranks. Duration: 9 years Rewards: Ownership rights of the cleared area, future contracts of Sector A and above. You can connect to headquarters after fulfilling specific conditions. Temporary Exit, Shop, and other functions will be available after paying the necessary fees. ¡®This is more like it,¡¯ Zyrus curved his lips as he read the runes. Why would Matope send him to kill a bunch of mobs? This was likely to be their true goal. He was certain that only after reaching higher ranks would he gain the qualifications to know the whole truth. ¡®Still, jumping three ranks in a few hours is great,¡¯ Private, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Commander, and Marshal. He was already an unofficial captain. The missions of the Streit Bastion were similar to the events in the sanctuary, or maybe it was the other way around. The current mission was like a flag march for elite players. Zyrus knew that even the leaders under him didn¡¯t qualify to fight in Sector B. His talent would help him adapt to any environment including places with higher levels of laws. ¡®I¡¯ll go there first to get the hang of it, and then go back to the sanctuary to clear the second zone,¡¯ Zyrus thus planned to stay here for a couple of years. He had already told Ria and the others everything they needed to know. The second zone of the Pisces archipelago was larger them the other two combined, so it would take a long time for players to build the bases on all of the islands. There weren¡¯t any field bosses except for the last island, so he had nothing to worry about. All the players had to do was gather resources to build altars and conquer the islands. ¡®And once I¡¯m done with this contract, I''ll finish the flag march in one go,¡¯ Zyrus exited the tunnel and walked towards the other one that was glowing blue. His plans were unchanged in general. Instead of going back to earth, he was now fighting at the Streit Bastion. The stability of earth had worsened after his battle against the glemorax king, which prevented him from going back. But he was sure that it''d be fixed sooner or later. And when that time came, he¡¯d have to face both world bosses at the same time. ¡®So, I¡¯ll have to improve my strength during this time,¡¯ The blue tunnel that led to sector B was similar to the one before. The sole difference was that this time, he could choose the teleportation area. As for the ¡®Clearance level C¡¯ and ¡®Captain¡¯ rank¡¯s benefits, he didn¡¯t plan to collect them anytime soon. The stinginess of the Streit Council was apparent from the pages of terms and conditions attached to the contract. It would be a pity if he used his limited resources on something he didn¡¯t need. ¡®It¡¯s better if I choose the rewards after figuring out the exact circumstances,¡¯ But first of all, he had to choose an area. There was a huge hologram that showed thousands of locations in front of him. There was also the neat function of filtering and sorting different parameters of the area. Lakes, forests, oceans, mountains¡­every type of terrain was available. There was a brief overview on threat level and required numbers for Clarence as well. But both of them were useless for Zyrus who was working alone. Thus, he filtered the area based on the terrain and environment. Knowing that some of Sector B and Sector A¡¯s areas were connected, he sorted them out based on the proximity and resources available. ¡®Hmm¡­still more than 50 are left,¡¯ It was hard to gauge how big the battlefield was. Zyrus added one more condition where an area of S sector was also nearby. It would be convenient for him if he built his bases in the same region, even though teleportation was common. ¡®And would you look at that,¡¯ Only five areas were left that matched his criteria. And one among them showed the reddish-black boundary of the Sector EX. Sector B ¨C Region K49 (Plains of Ilios) Unidentified Chapter 126: Noxious Shrine Zyrus was unable to see the full map of the plains of Ilios with his current clearance level. Nonetheless, he got an idea of what he¡¯d be facing when he observed the terrain of area K49. He made his decision and clicked on the hologram. Sure enough, he was teleported to the destination. ¡®I can¡¯t be lax this time around,¡¯ Sector B should be somewhere between the fourth and fifth ring in terms of level of existence. He had to go all out in order to clear a zone like this. [Sector B ¨C Region K49 (Plains of Ilios)] [Threat Level: Unknown] [Enter] Zyrus clicked ¡®Enter¡¯ and without wasting even a second, he started summoning his troops. *Shraraaa* ¡®Looks like I¡¯ve made the right decision,¡¯ He was blasted by torrents of sand the moment he entered the area. More importantly, there were dozens of sandworm-like creatures waiting for him to fall. It was quite the welcome. Fortunately, he was prepared for it. [Summon] *ROOOOOAR* ¡°At your command, My liege,¡± Hundreds of drakes descended on the sandworms. The pray they were aiming for was now standing on a wyvern that shrouded the clear sky of the desert. ¡°Zirnitra, Elsid, secure the area.¡± Both nodded at his words and executed his command. Zirnitra flapped his wings that stretched across 50 meters and caught a couple of sandworms in his white claws. *Skrrere* [Arcane Lance] Zyrus rained down blue spears from the sky while Elsid led the abyssal warriors to deal with the sandworms on the ground. The fallen knight was akin to his own shadow. He evolved with Zyrus during this time as well. His green scales and black armor were the same as usual. What changed were a pair of cyan horns that were shining above Elsid¡¯s head. And unlike Zyrus who had yet to figure out the use of his horns, he was different. [Vorpal Hurricane] As if to complement Zyrus¡¯s blue spears raining from above, green halberds rose from the ground and pierced the struggling sandworms. ¡®Heh, looks like my troops are just as eager to show off their strength,¡¯ Zyrus chuckled as the wind became ¡®visible¡¯ and weaved around the green halberds. The green halberds contained the laws of sharpness whereas the wind was Elsid¡¯s mana attribute. ¡®Great for an assassin,¡¯ Elsid had shadow and abyssal characteristics from the start. Now, He had comprehended the laws of sharpness from the glemorax king and awakened his mana attribute with Zyrus¡¯s evolution. It was no wonder the sandworms didn¡¯t last more than a minute under his lead. ¡°Scout the area,¡± Zyrus ordered Zirnitra and jumped off from his back. The numbers he could summon were once again decreased to less than 400. Thus, it was time to awaken new troops from the sandworms. He told the drakes to drag the sandworms'' corpses and took out the twilight crusher. ¡®Since I¡¯m no longer in the sanctuary, I should be able to use them as sacrifice¡­¡¯ At long last it was time to raise awaken a new abyssal race. However, he didn¡¯t plan to use his skill just yet. Plague¡¯s Embrace: Spread the plague via your blood to embrace the fallen. The dead will infect the living, and the living will birth more dead. Once a month, you can perform the Ghoul reanimation.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Ghoul reanimation: By sacrificing the corpses of those who have died by plagues, you can create ghouls with a 3% success rate. Note: Ghoul¡¯s strengths will depend on the dead. Note: Ghouls are not considered summons. This was the third authority of his title. The words ¡®Embrace the fallen¡¯ and ¡®Ghouls are not considered summons¡¯ were the key here. Balaur summoner allowed him to sacrifice the ones killed by him to awaken his summons. Under the effects of the last apostle, his summons¡¯s kills were considered his own when he was on earth. On the other hand, the ghouls were tied to him by his title. The same was true for the plague he¡¯d create with his blood. In this way, the ones killed by the plague or the ghouls could be considered to have ''fallen'' at his hands. ¡®And this is not the end of it...¡¯ Zyrus slit his palm and dropped his blood on the pile of sandworm¡¯s corpses. An eerie miasma comprised of dark green and blue colors enveloped the entire area. Even without the system¡¯s assistance, he could use his title with ease as long as he controlled the mana in the surroundings. This should¡¯ve been impossible due to his lacking level of existence, but his talent Devour and his abyssal mana negated the restrictions. The sandworms'' gigantic corpses decomposed at a visible rate. A wriggling reddish-purple mass was forming in the middle of the pile. From afar, it looked like a heart beating within a cage of bones. This was the result achieved by utilizing his different abilities. ¡®I need opportunities like these to consolidate my powers,¡¯ Just how many synergies and combinations were possible with his talents, traits, and title? He didn¡¯t lack the theoretical knowledge on that. All that remained was practical application and optimization. ¡°Guuuoooooooo,¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± ¡°Guoooo,¡± A ten-meter ghoul was all that remained from the pile of corpses. The white muscular giant with a green skull and red eyes was the result of his ¡®Ghoul reanimation¡¯. Zyrus was eager to analyze its combat prowess, and just in time, Zirnitra returned from scouting. *Whiiirl* ¡°Cough¡­cough¡­¡± His landing almost caused a mini sandstorm. The commotion caused by him was tantamount to telling everyone that ¡®I¡¯m here folks,¡¯. ¡°The enemies have noticed our presence,¡± ¡°Go on,¡± ¡°There are about a thousand sandworms like these coming from all sides, and a legion of scorpions from the far east,¡± ¡°Scorpions huh,¡± Zyrus grinned as he heard the report. Even if the scorpions were gigantified like these brown worms, ¡®Poison¡¯ was the last thing he was worried about. But even so, their numbers were nothing to scoff at. He could already see the horizon rising from all sides. The worms were dozens of meters tall, and there were nearly a thousand of them. ¡®And the environment is in their favor¡­¡¯ ¡°Create a ring formation with drakes as the main guards. The rest will support them when needed. Zirnitra, keep an eye on the scorpions,¡± ¡°As you command, My liege,¡± ¡°As you command, My liege,¡± Zirnitra and Elsid went out right after. As he had done so far, Zyrus decided to secure the environmental advantage before starting the real battle. He could use Avatar, create a formation using his abyssal mana and summons, or simply use his mana to terraform the area around him. But since there was a simple way to do this, why use the complicated moves? Noxious Shrine: Project a shrine to affect the radius of 1km around you. It improves the effect of poison-related abilities and applies random debuffs on hostile targets. -Sacrilege: There is a 30% probability that the poisoned targets will perceive the poison as a blessing. -Anathema: There is a 12.5% probability that the poisoned targets will act opposite to their thoughts. -Desecration: There is a 20% probability that the poisoned targets will abandon their weapons. -Heresy: There is a 15% probability that the poisoned targets will blabber nonsense. -Apostacy: There is a 10% probability that the poisoned targets will abandon their faith. CD: 1 day, Duration: 6 hours Zyrus waited and waited until the worms surrounded them from all sides. Rather than defeat, he was worried that the worms might escape once he activated his talent. The fights might look easy right now, but only he knew that this was just a fa?ade. These monsters were similar to literal bugs on the food chain. He could guess that much from the way they behaved. How can those living in the sector B be unable to speak? Sentience wasn¡¯t that rare among the high-level creatures. Only the lowest of the low would act on their instinct. From the fact that he had to use his trump cards to deal with riffraff at this level, it was apparent that he wasn¡¯t yet ready to take on the real challenge of this mission. *Kuuurur* One particular sandworm stood out from the rest. It was a fifty-meter-long monster that moved like a train. It growled after seeing the remains of the fallen sandworms and led the charge. ¡°So there was someone with brains afterall,¡± [Noxious Shrine] *Kuuurur* Both of them attacked at the same time. The leading sandworm tried to attack Zyrus, but it was interrupted by Elsid. On the other side, nearly all of the drakes were pushed back dozens of meters after colliding with the sandworms. They weren¡¯t their match on one on one, much less when they were outnumbered by more than two to one. ¡®Ugh¡­fifty died just like that¡­¡¯ Zyrus groaned in pain as his summons died one by one. But instead of getting worried about their disparity in strength, he was grinning from ear to ear. *Clang* An old shrine appeared in the center of the battlefield. Its white pillars were decayed with green moss while its red roof was tattered. *Clang* And at the center of the shrine floated a golden bell shrouded with green light. The Noxious Shrine looked like it would crumple after one swing of the sandworm. How would its roof that failed to block sunlight fare against these gigantic monsters? *Clang* ¡®Maybe it¡¯ll break after one hit, but this is after they reach the center,¡¯ The shrine was completely projected after the third bell rang. In just this second, 27 of his summons¡¯ were killed. *Clang* But once the fourth bell rang, hundreds of worms started biting their own kind. Anathema, the poisoned targets will act opposite to their thoughts. The first debuff of the Noxious shrine changed the tide of battle. ¡®And there¡¯s a lot more where that came from,¡¯ Zyrus grinned and joined the fray as well. Follow me on Patreon Chapter 127: Flowers of Decay *Clang* Heresy, the poisoned targets will blabber nonsense. Zyrus had already used Monarch of Toxin on his summons. Every attack of theirs poisoned the sandworms. Even if they died after the first encounter, they¡¯d take their killers to the grave. ¡®Well, more like in the ghoul¡¯s heart,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t give his enemy the luxury to own a grave. It was a pity that not all of the debuffs were triggered due to the worm¡¯s lacking intelligence. They didn¡¯t have a faith and their entire body was a weapon itself. By far the most effective debuff was Sacrilege. It was amazing to see hundreds of sandworms tank his summons attack as ¡®Blessings¡¯. *Krrrrooouuu* ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± whether the leading sandworm understood his words or not, he didn¡¯t care. His MP and stamina consumption were off the charts since he was spamming his skills and authorities. But since he had his talent and trait to recover both of them by using corpses, he didn¡¯t care the least bit about it. [Arcane Lance] Zyrus pointed his arms at the leading sandworm which was overwhelming Elsid. Unlike the previous blue color, the spears were entirely made up of pitch-black abyssal mana. [Monarch of Toxin] He used his title to add another attribute to his mana. Abyss¡¯s corrosion and spreading properties had a high synergy with poison attribute that caused infection. *Ssshhk* The black spears coated in green poison soared in the air and lodged themselves into the sandworm. Due to his and Elsid''s attacks, the monster looked like a yarn ball full of needles. *Grrroooaar* [Arcane Lance] Zyrus used the same move again and again by consuming half of his MP. The infection caused by poison varied depending on the caster and the target. For example, a fire mage can use flame poison to reduce the target¡¯s fire resistance. Dark attribute created necrosis like effects while ice magic would attain frostbite debuffs. There were too many applications the caster could use by taking advantage of the environment and enemy weakness. *Krr¡­r¡­o.u.u* ¡®And it¡¯s done,¡¯ Elsid drove his halberd into the sandworm¡¯s jagged mouth and blasted its insides with another Vorpal Hurricane. ¡®Abyss and poison have better synergy than I expected,¡¯ In theory, it was possible to accelerate abyss¡¯ corrosion and corruption effects by combining the attack with poison attribute. But it was just theory in the end. It was hard to determine the exact acceleration rate. ¡®It¡¯s ten times faster for the sandworms,¡¯ Zyrus noted the amount of mana he used in mind for future reference. As much as he¡¯d love to experiment, now wasn¡¯t the time. Less than 100 of his troops were left even after he used all sorts of debuffs. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the shrine¡¯s projection got destroyed. ¡°Where are the scorpions?¡± ¡°They¡¯re waiting,¡± ¡°The good-old oriole tactic huh... Fine then. Join in and finish the sandworms,¡± This would be Zyrus¡¯s first time seeing Zirnitra go all out. It would be a lie to say that he wasn¡¯t looking forward to it. ¡°Elsid, focus on spreading the plague rather than killing them. Your wind attribute isn¡¯t worse off than abyss when it comes to its affinity with poison,¡± ¡°Understood, my liege,¡± Now, only he and the ghoul were left who weren¡¯t attacking. They took the best spectator seat under the Noxious shrine and watched the battle. And neither Zirnitra nor Elsid disappointed him. Both of them used their trump cards without caring for cooldown times, and the results were anything but spectacular.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Zirnitra roared at the crawling sandworms. White halos of light surged through his horns and claws, creating dozens of holy shields in the sky. [Sanction: Shield of Amaic] The shields inlaid with black and golden runes were a proof of his inherited legacy. He was the Guardian of Sorcery, so would he be unable to utilize the poison attribute given by the Monarch of Toxin? Of course not. [Sanction: Flowers of Decay] The golden runes transformed into a dark green color. The shields shed their divine light and took on the shape of green lilies. It was a mesmerizing sight if one ignored their dreadful power. These green lilies humming with abyssal mana floated down on the battlefield. Like nimble dancers under the moonlight night, they twirled in the air without a sound. But their effects were anything but gentle. Be it the sandworms that were alive or the ones that were dead, none were spared after the flowers landed on them. ¡°That¡¯s a horrifying sight,¡± "Guuo" Zyrus and the ghoul shared the same opinion. The green lilies took root on the sandworms and consumed their mana and vitality. Black veins spread throughout their body, resembling a half-hearted spider web. Almost all of his summons were dead by now. Nonetheless, the sandworms were on the verge of collapse as well. [Withering Gale] Elsid¡¯s move was the last nail that struck the coffin. It was a simple aoe spell created by countless wind blades. Its offensive power was awful to say the least. It could at most be used as a lawn mower. But once again, things were different if that wind carried the properties of poison. Just a tiny nick or scratch was enough to infect the already struggling sandworms. ¡®They should be here soon,¡¯ Zyrus ignored the sandworms'' last wails and prepared himself for the last fight. His summoning had a cooldown of 24 hours. Ghoul reanimation might replenish his numbers by dozens, but that won''t work against the scorpions. ¡®And poison won¡¯t be as effective on the scorpions,¡¯ There was no telling how many scorpions and sandworms were there in this area. It was impossible for him to win without waiting for a day. Nonetheless, it didn¡¯t mean that he was helpless. Survival was never an issue for him. With his earth movement trait and small stature, he was more of a bug than these overgrown monsters. He could go into hiding anytime he wished. ¡®I can just kite them day by day until everyone is dead by the plague,¡¯ That was definitely the simplest way of finishing the mission. But wouldn¡¯t that go against his goal of fighting at his full power? ¡°Zirnitra, escape with Elsid and ghoul for now,¡± Zyrus shouted and activated both of his talents at the same time. [Blood Fusion] [Devour] *Shaaaaaaa* The blood evaporated into a thick fog while the muscles shriveled like a deflated balloon. It was a sight more frightening than anything that had occurred so far. *Hissss* A chorus of hisses echoed from all sides. The scorpions were finally making their move after seeing him alone on the battlefield. It was a pity that they were a tad too late. If they attacked before he could use the corpses to replenish his MP and stamina, then they might¡¯ve stood a chance. [Fear] *ROOOAR* Zyrus roared at the approaching scorpions before devouring the mist of blood. The visual impact was enough to make the monsters falter in their charge. ¡®Metallic scales, tails that¡¯d skewer anyone below lv 100, and pincers with the power of a battering ram¡­¡¯ He assessed the grayish-white scorpions in the momentary delay. From their sand-colored eyes and muscular limbs, he guessed that they were adept at fighting underground as well. ¡®They¡¯re a league above the sandworms,¡¯ What made the defeat of sandworms easier was the fact that they didn¡¯t have any semblance of a skill. All they knew was to charge at the opponents like a train and bite with their hideous mouths. While deadly, these moves were predictable and easy to counter. *Hisssss* But the scorpions were different. It was even more apparent as their leader was hiding at the center while giving out commands. The scorpions didn¡¯t attack him immediately. They encircled him from all sides and tried to drag away the sandworm¡¯s corpses. ¡®Looks like they¡¯re here for scavenging food and not to fight,¡¯ Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that they won¡¯t attack him. It was simply a matter of priority. Zyrus didn¡¯t have the intention to stop them either. In order to utilize his title to its maximum effect he needed ¡®carriers¡¯ to spread the plague. *Hissss* The scorpions became more confident once they dragged away half of the corpses. They inched closer to him while maintaining their vigilance. ¡®C¡¯mon pal, we can¡¯t give them all the corpses now can we?¡¯ *Hzzzzzz* But before they could launch a probing attack, Zyrus made the first move. He stabbed the twilight crusher into the sandy ground and poured the majority of his recovered mana into it. This was the true debut fight for his epic weapon. *Hzzzzzz* And the weapon was just as eager as its owner to show its newfound powers. [Twilight Crusher (Epic)] A Goedendag evolved from the the blood of fallen. May you write an Epic on the canvas of Twilight. ATK: 250 Blunt Damage +15%, Piercing Damage +15%, Elemental Damage +10% These were the first words he saw when his weapon had evolved. Without any specific skills or ultimate attacks, just the ATK and damage bonus were insane. What did it mean to have an attack of 250? Be it the damage dealt by using his mana or stamina, as long as the attack was done by his weapon, its power would increase by 2.5 times. There was no need to mention how useful the final bonus damage was. It was counted after everything else, so if he dealt 500 damage on an absolute weak spot, then it would deal 5000 damage. Add his critical damage and it would surpass 10,000. Adding 10 or 15% bonus to that would increase the damage by quite a bit. ¡®Besides, it¡¯s not like it doesn¡¯t have powerful effects,¡¯ *Hissssssss* The scorpions retread in a flurry as they felt the intense mana fluctuations. From the moment Zyrus took the initiative to this moment, barely a moment had passed. [Good day] With Zyrus¡¯s words, the blue sky vanished and the sand cooled down. The entire battlefield was bathed in the orange sunlight. Chapter 128: Good Day Effects: Activated by temporarily halving your MP and Stamina by 50%. Effects of regen rate are unaffected. Create Dawn. ATK +100, ATK + 10 for all allies and summons. You can use the skills [Blessing of Eos],[Morning star], and [Glory] at Dawn. Blessing of Eos (Passive): Activates if horizon is visible behind your enemy. Your attacks will be mirrored with 20% power. Morning Star: Summon the projection of the brightest star for one minute. Critical rate +10%, Critical damage +50%, Glory (Passive): Create a halo of sunlight around you and your allies. Frontal assault deals 10% bonus damage, the halo will increase DEF by 1 with every kill. Duration: 30 minutes CD: 1 day Create Dusk. ATK +100, Agility +5 for all allies and summons. You can use the skills [Vesper¡¯s Blessing], [Nocturne], and [Erebus] at Dusk. Vesper¡¯s Blessing (Passive): Activates if Shadows are visible behind your enemy. You can link your attacks with the enemy¡¯s shadows at 80% power. Nocturne: Veil the ground in shadows for one minute. Ignore defense by 50%, increase weakness damage by 20%. Erebus (Passive): Create halo spears for every enemy you have attacked. The spears will attack at random with 1-5% of your power. They are invulnerable as long as the skill is active. Duration: 30 minutes CD: 1 day [At Twilight, both effects can be activated simultaneously] These were the abilities of an Epic-ranked weapon. When he was in the sanctuary, there was no way such skills would be allowed. Not only were the effects blocked, even the ATK was nerfed to 200. ¡®I should escape after a blitz attack,¡¯ Zyrus didn¡¯t let the surge of power cloud his judgment. His MP and stamina were halved, and there were hundreds of scorpions. Not to mention other unknown monsters who lurked in this desert. *Hissssss* The scorpion leader tried to calm down the others, but how could Zyrus let the chance slip by? [Arcane Lance] Zyrus used half of his remaining mana to create black spears tinged with poisonous aura. [Blessing of Eos] and [Glory] had a great synergy if you could instantly kill your enemy. [Shackles of Nihility] Every ounce of his MP was consumed with this. He felt feverish as blood rushed out from his nose and ears, but even so, he smiled as he saw the battlefield with his blurry eyesight. More than a hundred scorpions that surrounded him were bound by purple shackles. Their already unstable formation became even worse. Zyrus swept twilight crusher in all directions and launched the spears hovering around him. Just by infusing a tiny bit of his aura he had converted the arcane lances into attacks dealt by his weapon. Only those who stood at the apex of arcana could pull this off as if it were a parlor trick. ¡®They should die in about ten seconds,¡¯ Some might think that his method of fighting was stupid, but he believed otherwise. He knew better than anyone that using a weapon that was way above your level was asking for death. But that didn¡¯t apply to those who knew how to use their cards right.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. 8 Seconds¡­7 Seconds¡­6 Seconds¡­ *Schlk* *Hisssssss* His abyssal spears struck the bound scorpions, and at the same time, the scorpion leader retaliated with its skill. 5 Seconds¡­4 Seconds¡­3 Seconds¡­ *Tchaang* The scorpions shot off grey beams with their tails. Their speed was too fast to see whether they were a projectile or a laser beam type attack. Regardless of which, Zyrus knew that they''d tore through him like cheese. 2 Seconds¡­1 Seconds¡­ Hundreds of faint black spears attacked the half-dead scorpions bound by the shackles of nihility. The mirror attacks triggered by Vesper¡¯s Blessing had no more than 20% strength remaining, but what mattered here was the poison and abyss attribute. *Clang*Clang*Clang* ¡­ .. . Metallic bangs echoed throughout the area as the grey beams struck Zyrus. Or rather, they struck the orange aura that formed around him. Glory created a halo of sunlight around him and his allies, and with each kill the halo would increase the DEF by 1. *Craccck* ¡°Damn that hurt,¡± Zyrus groaned under the almost broken sphere of light. 100 defense was comparable to a unique grade armor. The might of the scorpion¡¯s attack was easy to gauge from the fact that it almost destroyed the Glory¡¯s halo. ¡®It¡¯s somewhat lackluster without my summons,¡¯ Zyrus wiped the blood from his mouth and faced the scorpion leader. He wanted to test more of his moves, but the situation wasn¡¯t ideal. Thus, he decided to leave them with a final gift. He used his talents once again to recover his MP and stamina. The scorpions wouldn¡¯t just stand there to let him do as he wished, so he had to make every second count. [Morning Star] A blurry red sun appeared behind him. Adding the blood mist that arose from his talent¡¯s activation, the current scene looked like a landscape from hell. Since Zyrus was down on his MP, there was only one skill he could use to finish the scorpion leader. [Spear aura] He ran while channeling all of his stamina. The mark on his chest flared up as well as he activated the Devourer¡¯s effect. ¡®Celestial¡¯ attribute was somewhat hard to grasp even for him. But after months of practice, he was certain of one thing: It hit harder than any attribute he¡¯d ever seen. Zyrus made full use of his agility and climbed over the unorganized scorpions. His target was well within a 100 feet. *Hissssss* ¡®Argh¡­it¡¯s preceptive,¡¯ Before he even breached the 50-foot radius, Zyrus found that there was a hole carved on his shoulder. The scorpion leader¡¯s attack speed was nothing to laugh at. ¡®But it¡¯s too late¡­¡¯ *Hissssss* *Splatter* Dozen aura spears struck the scorpion leader along with Zyrus¡¯s twilight crusher. With so many concentrated attacks on its head some were bound to trigger the critical hits. Naturally, Zyrus took another hit on his stomach as well. But this place wasn¡¯t the sanctuary where one had to bring down a monster¡¯s HP to 0 in order to kill it. The critical rate and damage were more like the weapon¡¯s enchantments that dealt more damage rather than plain numbers. The scorpion leader was deader than dead. Its subordinates were useless since none of them could match Zyrus¡¯s agility once he went all out. ¡®And it¡¯s about time I retreat,¡¯ Of course, he used his blood to poison the leader¡¯s corpse before leaving. It''d be a jackpot if the scorpions had something like a funeral ceremony. [Earth Movement] ¡­ Moving in the desert was easier than on land, at least for those who could move underground. Zyrus felt like he was swimming in a swamp as he went deeper and deeper into the ground. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­Zirnitra is on the right,¡¯ He located the trio with his connection and moved in their direction. The first thing they needed in their mission was to figure out the terrain and the types of monsters that inhabited them. ¡®I thought there¡¯d be some creatures living here as well¡­¡¯ He kept his vigilance despite the lack of any other lifeforms. Perhaps the scorpions and sandworms ate all the other species, or they were invaders who now lived on this barren desert. Regardless of which, being able to move unhindered gave him a lot of opportunities. *Shhhk* Zyrus lifted his head from the dune like a mole. It didn¡¯t take him more than a few minutes to travel across miles. *Flap* ¡°I thought you¡¯d bury me with the momentum,¡± Zyrus greeted the Zirnitra who landed like a feather. ¡°I dare not,¡± ¡°No need to be so formal. So, what did you guys find?¡± ¡°There are a lot of monsters in the area. More than a few thousands at the very least,¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not certain, but I believe there¡¯s a third species that¡¯s leading them.¡± ¡°Guoooo¡± Zirnitra, Elsid, and the ghoul replied one by one. He expected the first two answers but what surprised him was the third. Ignoring the fact that he somehow understood what ¡®Guoooo¡¯ meant, the content itself was shocking. ¡°Are you saying that the desert is alive?¡± ¡°Guoo,¡± Zyrus and his named subordinates were rendered speechless. On one hand, it would be stupid to ignore the ghoul¡¯s words. It had higher sensitivity to life signals than anyone present. But on the flip side, how powerful would a creature have to be to escape their perception range? ¡°¡­Can you locate it?¡± ¡°Guooooo¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My liege?¡± ¡°He said that it¡¯s right behind us,¡± Zyrus replied to Zirnitra with a sigh. He decided to let things be since the other party wasn¡¯t hostile. ¡°Keep an eye out. For now, we¡¯ll build a temporary camp at the highest vantage point,¡± They behaved as if they hadn¡¯t sensed anything and left on the back of Zirnitra. Zyrus mulled over the last battle and made a plan to finish off either the scorpions or the sandworms in one fell swoop. He guessed that the first contact condition should be related to wiping out one of the three forces. Now that he had a general idea about this area, he could make better use of his resources after connecting the headquarters. ¡®But before anything else, I need to measure the day cycle¡­¡¯ Zyrus looked at the real sun that was hanging overhead ever since he came here. The day here was longer than usual, and he hoped the same was true for Twilight. Chapter 129: Look how you’ve ruined all the Food The group reached the tallest dune without any trouble. Zyrus was surprised that there weren¡¯t any flying monsters, but it was a good thing for them. He racked his brain to come up with the most effective plan. Killing either the sandworms or the scorpions wasn¡¯t a big deal, but what concerned him was the unknown third party. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have to rustle the bushes to lure out the snake¡­¡¯ But before that, he had to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t be eaten once the snake did come out. ¡°Zirnitra, monitor the scorpions and notify me if the plague is working on them. If it''s not then take a few of the infected corpses and throw them to the sandworms,¡± ¡°Understood, My liege. But may I ask why you¡¯re not dealing with both at the same time?¡± ¡°It would do us no good if they teamed up. Although it¡¯s unlikely, we can¡¯t be too sure. It¡¯s better if they fight among themselves and kill one another. All I need are their corpses,¡± Zirnitra nodded in understanding and flew off to the horizon. Zyrus didn¡¯t quite get the chance to observe the ghoul¡¯s skills in the battle, so he decided to do that now. He sparred with both it and Elsid to further consolidate his strength. He had everything figured out except for the crux of the matter ¨C the skill he was creating using the martial arts manual. ¡®I need more time to experiment¡­.¡¯ Thankfully, he had enough time to spare in this mission. He was sure that he¡¯d be 70% done once he fought the next battle. J?rmungandr¡¯s words on the realm of order had given him an inspiration to create the skill. Void Body Refinement Technique was divided into many minor and major levels. To start off, the martial artists refined their bones, flesh, and skin to improve their overall physical prowess. Zyrus didn¡¯t need to work on this as his Sylvarix bloodline had already done the job. Next was the unfamiliar territory. They used the spiritual qi to temper their meridians and opened their various acupoints. What followed after that was the infusion of void laws to expand the space within those acupoints and their dantian to store spiritual qi. So long story short, they increased the space. or rather, ''Void'' within their body to store the spiritual qi. Those in the Kasa realm could store as much energy as a cold fusion reactor. Those who reached the Raya realm were even more monstrous. There was even a method that allowed one to refine an entire star¡¯s energy and store it inside the void space. But while all of it looked powerful, this wasn¡¯t what Zyrus was familiar with. ¡®One day I¡¯ll have to face that form of void, but not right now,¡¯ His thoughts once again wandered off to the realm of order. The range of 10^26 to 10^-35 meters. He was more familiar with the smaller limit due to Earth¡¯s civilization. Things like quarks and quantum entanglement were being researched even on the arc of Noah. It was a pity that they weren¡¯t any closer to it than they were a thousand years ago. The only thing that changed were their priorities. Pursuit of science was a common hobby of everyone. Zyrus was no exception as he dabbled in anything that caught his eye. He didn¡¯t pay much thought to it before regression, but ever since he went back to earth for the first time, he was learning more from the cube whenever he had time to spare. Back to the matter at hand, the most difficult part for him was to locate the so-called meridians and acupoints. He was inherently different from everyone as the sole living Sylvarix. ¡®It was fortunate that my talent made up for it,¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter whether he knew the acupoints and meridians. Devour used cosmic energy to improve his physical prowess, so he just had to observe and copy its method. With his high intelligence it wasn¡¯t difficult to see what was happening within his own body.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. This was also why he needed to fight while making the skill. Just gathering energy wasn¡¯t enough, he had to learn about how to release it as well. In the past few months he had gotten a hang on both of them. Now, he was at the final juncture ¨C how to use the void laws to solidify his skill. Zyrus drew on the sand with his claws as he imagined the layout of his mana circuit. Or rather, the mana circuit he was going to use. It was an extremely risky maneuver for any mage to mess with their mana circuits. No one apart from the arcanists survived the attempt. ¡®Whew¡­It¡¯s much more difficult than before,¡¯ The vortex formations he used to handle his mana were precisely related to his modified mana circuit. He used vortex to compress and store his mana into tiny whirlpools, while the martial artists expanded the overall storage space of the body. Both had a good synergy from the get-go. But he wasn¡¯t satisfied with that. He knew that the empty space wasn¡¯t devoid of everything. ¡®According to quantum mechanics, even the vacuum isn¡¯t really empty,¡¯ It was said that virtual particles pop in and out of existence in a vacuum, and that was why it looked empty. There were many experiments and theories on the subject, but what he needed was just a general direction. Just as he was making final adjustments, he heard Zirnitra¡¯s voice from afar. ¡°My liege, the scorpions have a rather¡­unique funeral. They ate the departed to make them a part of themselves,¡± ¡°Hoh, their leader must be well sent off then,¡± ¡°Indeed. Pretty much everyone is under the effect of the plague. It¡¯s a pity that none are dead or even ill due to their high resistance,¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s quite the opposite,¡± Zyrus chuckled and jumped down from the dune. The theory portion was almost done, so it would be time to create his skill once he went back to Streit Bastion. ¡°¡­You aimed to empower them?¡± Elsid''s voice sounded from beside him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t use that word, but I did intend to make them stronger,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t explain further and jumped on the back of Zirnitra. Some things were better seen than heard. ¡­ One month later, on the northern side of the desert. *Hissssss* *Krrrerk* A gruesome fight was taking place between the sandworms, the scorpions, and Zyrus¡¯s summons. Well, his summons were more like flies that buzzed around the large monsters, but the key here was that both sides were going all out. ¡°So this was your goal¡­¡± Zirnitra mumbled as he observed the slaughter down below. ¡°Splendid, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Guuooooo!¡± the ghoul was even more excited. It was, after all, one of the main perpetrators of this disaster. Everything started when the scorpions ¡®found¡¯ the ghoul¡¯s hideout. It was filled with the corpses of sandworms which were akin to feast in the scorpions¡¯ eyes. Just when they were about to kill the ghoul, it persuaded them to spare its life in exchange for information on more such hideouts. If it was the other way around then the sandworms would have swallowed the ghoul before anything else. But the scorpions were somewhat intelligent ¨C which wasn¡¯t necessarily the best thing. The ghoul led them to more and more hideouts. The scorpions stuffed themselves with poisoned corpses without facing any issues, but unbeknownst to them, their resistance was getting weaker with every meal. It was after a week when they first ''encountered'' a group of sandworms when they were enjoying their feast. They were greatly outnumbered which led to severe causalities, and such encounters became more and more frequent as the days passed by. They were the only two races that existed in the desert, so apart from consuming mana they ate one another to sustain their lives. This equilibrium was broken when Zyrus killed sandworms and fed their poisonous corpses to the scorpions. Not only did it reduce their resistance, but it also increased their poisonous abilities since they now carried the plague created by his bloodline. It wasn¡¯t long before both sides entered a frenzied slaughterfest. It was one thing if their leaders were alive, but Zyrus killed them without giving them the opportunity to create a cohesive pack. A whole month of kill-eat-sleep cycle had made them no better than mindless beasts. ¡°Guoooo,¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not going there yet,¡± Zyrus calmed down the overly excited zombie and raised his vigilance. It wasn¡¯t that difficult to destroy entire species with brains alone. What he focused on was the fact that he hadn¡¯t found a single trace of the third race that Elsid mentioned. ¡®Do they not care about them, or perhaps¡­¡¯ ¡°Tch¡­tch¡­tch¡­look how you¡¯ve ruined all the food.¡± A bored voice resounded from the sky as if to prove his thoughts. Zyrus followed the sound, and that sight he saw tensed his muscles. A mountain-like figure was hovering above the battlefield. What made him alert was the fact that it was eating what looked like a skewered bird. He was sure that there was no birdlike creature as far as the boundary of this zone. He couldn¡¯t get past this area, but that didn¡¯t mean that those on the other side couldn¡¯t intrude. Everything made sense once he looked at the giant¡¯s attire and its bored expression. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ve invaded someone¡¯s ranch,¡¯ Read advance Chapters on Patreon Chapter 130: Let’s awaken your Friends Zyrus stared at the giant who was wearing a blue tunic. Millions of thoughts sparked in his head as he assessed the situation. ¡®Is he from sector A that¡¯s neighboring the plains of Ilios?¡¯ But that wouldn¡¯t make sense either. The giant was strong, but not on the level of sector A. ¡°Annoying little pests,¡± the giant swatted at Zirnitra with the same bored expression. The motion was similar to someone waving their hands at the fly which was soiling the desert. [Avatar] Zyrus leapt from the Wyvern¡¯s back and transformed into an emerald dragon. This was the result of him using his skill, title, and the Nastronder dragon trait simultaneously. ¡°What the-¡± The giant was gobsmacked as the little bug in front of him suddenly became a hundred times bigger. Now, both the dragon and the giant were similar in size. Zyrus didn¡¯t waste even a second and gripped the twilight crusher in his claws. It was an epic weapon, and as such, it transformed alongside Zyrus. *Bang* But both the dragon and the Goedendag were hurtled back with the giant¡¯s slap. Zyrus got a clear view of the area outside the desert. ¡®As I thought, the real Plain of Ilios lies here,¡¯ Dozens of similar deserts were littered around the area. There was something very wrong with the laws governing this place. At one moment, both he and the giant were huge while becoming normal on the other second. *Baaang* *Stab* The fight shifted from a grandiose battle between a giant and a dragon to a scuffle between a man and a snake holding a spear. Zyrus got the gist of it after exchanging a dozen blows with the enemy. ¡®It has nothing to do with actual height. The size in this world corresponds to one¡¯s power,¡¯ He didn¡¯t know much about the area despite having the map. What he knew was general details like environment and materials present in the area, now the actual terrain. There was a big difference between looking at a 2D holographic map and seeing with his own eyes. *Stomop* Zyrus spat a mouthful of blood after being kicked by the giant. It would be easy to kill his enemy, but he was in need of a sparring partners. Of course, this only applied as long as the enemy was alone. The moment another giant approached would be the time this one died. He was sure that the condition for establishing contact with the headquarters was related to these giants. [Arcane Lance] ¡°Argh- What sorcery is this! How come a snake like you can use magic?¡± *ROOOOAR* What replied the giant was another bite on the forearm. With his overlapped abilities, Zyrus wasn¡¯t any less poisonous than the Nidhogg king. ¡®I¡¯m at 90% of my powers, and yet, I¡¯m held back by a civilian,¡¯ Zyrus was sure that the giant was nothing but a common farmer. The deserts were in fact miniaturized planes used as farms. This seemingly absurd farming system would only work in a place like this. The size of everything depended on their powers, including inanimate objects and even entire planes. Earth would be nothing more than a pebble if it was transported to this place. In this fight that lasted less than a minute, Zyrus had figured out a key factor. There was a good reason why the sandworms and scorpions were used as kettles. They should have certain inherent abilities or mutations that made them bigger after leaving the desert planes.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. As for the specifics, he didn¡¯t have the leisure to think about them. A minute was enough to test his powers. Any more and he was bound to attract unwanted attention. ¡°Huff¡­Huff¡­I¡¯d better call the guards,¡± ¡°No you won¡¯t,¡± Zyrus spoke for the first time as he stopped the giant. Numerous desert plains and the garden that harbored them was reflected in his yellow eyes. His range of perception was reduced to mere 100 feet, but it was enough. [Void Quandary] [Spatial Stab] The area dimmed as a tiny black sphere formed in front of the giant¡¯s chest. Before he could even blink his eyes, he was stabbed through by the twilight crusher. The combination of an attack that negated all defense and an attack that collapsed space was still unrivaled. *RRRIiiiiiiiiiiinnnnggggggg* A siren blazed off along with flashes of red light. Zyrus took it as his cue to leave and jumped into the desert. ¡®It¡¯s a strange feeling,¡¯ He was still unsure about the laws of the desert and the giant¡¯s world, but he was back nonetheless. In conclusion, the deserts were deemed as the plane of Ilios whereas the giant¡¯s world should be related to sector A. The reason the threat level was unidentified was most likely due to giants'' interventions. ¡°You¡¯re back, My liege,¡± ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯re leaving now,¡± Zyrus launched a barrage of attacks upon the battlefield. He had sensed the way back from the parchment, so it was time he concluded the first part of the mission. ¡®I have to finish this in a minute,¡¯ That much time was enough for the giant guard to notice its dead kinsman and find the one responsible. He could escape right now, but then he¡¯d lose all yet-to-be corpses on the battlefield. [Good day] It was the repeat of the same skill, but this time, his summons was alive. Glory allowed them to tank the sandworms and scorpions¡¯ attacks while they infected everyone. ¡°Elsid, Zirnitra, activate the formation,¡± *Spalatter* The abyssal legion self-detonated after infecting the enemies. The desert was marred with black miasma as far as the eyes could see. Even the grains of sand were turning into black tar under the abyssal mana. *ROOOOOAR* ¡°March Forth!¡± The desert rumbled under the commander¡¯s orders. Dunes arose from the ground and engulfed Elsid and Zirnitra within. ¡°Guoooo,¡± Zyrus kneeled beside the excited ghoul and watched the transformation. The pain he felt was far worse compared to his fight against Oroszlan. But at the same time, the might of the legion of abyss had skyrocketed *GRRROOOOAARRRR* An abyssal creature much bigger than him or the giant emerged from the sky-high pillar of sand. Both the scorpions and the sandworms had stopped their fight in the face of the new enemy. ¡®30 seconds left¡­it should be enough,¡¯ Zyrus absorbed the corpses in the momentary impasse and channeled all his mana. His role was to use both races and raise more ghouls. He couldn¡¯t send them back to earth, but there was a way to take them to Streit Bastion. He could just turn them into new summons, but that was pointless. He didn¡¯t have the time to neither nurture nor summon more abyssal creatures on this mission. The current abyssal legion was his limit, so he had to think of other ways. The creature formed with the abyssal legion and his named subordinates looked like an abomination. Its claws stained the sky black whereas its tentacle-like legs pierced through every living creature. It was impossible to tell whether it was a humanoid, a tree, or an octopus. *ROOOOOOAR* But whatever their transformed state may be, his summons had done their job. In just 20 some seconds the battlefield had become devoid of life. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s awaken your friends,¡± ¡°Guooooo,¡± [Ghoul reanimation] *Crrrack* *Sizzzle* The mountains of flesh crumbled and rivers of blood dried out. Thousands of monsters were turned into beating hearts, enveloped by cages of bones. 586 ghouls were thus born. Without wasting an additional second, Zyrus sent his will into the parchment. And, as always, he was teleported alongside 587 ghouls. ¡­ Streit Bastion, main entrance. Zyrus stood in front of the massive skyscraper once again. He expected to cause another ruckus by popping out along with hundreds of ghouls, but fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. ¡®It¡¯s a league above the inventory,¡¯ Zyrus looked at the back of the parchment as he waited in the line. A ghoul¡¯s green skull was drawn at the corner, along with the number 587 at the edge. Just like the inventory, the ghouls were stored in a separate space which was accessible by the parchment. ¡°Come in, May I know your purpose for visit?¡± A pleasant voice called as he reached the end of the line. ¡°I¡¯m here for the supplies,¡± Zyrus showed the same parchment to the elf receptionist. ¡°Special promotion¡­.I see, come with me. You can get your supplies as a captain and even withdraw years¡¯ worth in advance. With 10% compound interest of course.¡± ¡°¡­.Just give me one year¡¯s advance. Do I get to choose or is it fixed for everyone?¡± Zyrus replied with a tired face. He felt like he¡¯d be losing his pockets if he traded his rewards with what he needed. ¡°Some are fixed, some are given based on your mission. On top of that, you get 1000 contribution points to purchase anything." Zyrus nodded and walked behind the shrewd elf lady. It looked like his gut feeling was correct yet again. Chapter 131: Spatial Pike ¡°Private, Lieutenant, and Captain, all have access to different facilities. Tell me your goal and I¡¯ll tell you where to go. Also, you can get three pieces of free intel with your clearance level,¡± ¡°Exclude things that improve the soldier¡¯s strength. Same goes for things like food and tools that aren¡¯t special.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ that¡¯ll narrow it down by 45%,¡± Zyrus was surprised at the sheer number of functions that the elf lady showed him. Pretty much everything imaginable was present on the Streit Bastion. Craftsman, military trainers, vehicles, arms for hire, and even a freaking planetary battleship if you had enough contribution points. ¡°Just show me what I can get in ten years,¡± ¡°That leaves 5%,¡± ¡°Much better,¡± Zyrus took the hologram from the receptionist and scrolled through the items. Some were given for free but were limited per mission, while others could be bought with contribution points. What caught his eyes among the free items were two accessories. One was a name tag that monitored the location and vitals of the soldiers while the other was a portable inventory. ¡°Do my ghouls count as soldiers?¡± This was the crux of it. Tags were useful on their own, but having 500+ extra inventory was what mattered here. ¡°They¡¯re not summons so they should count. However, we need to draft an additional contract to limit the number of such beings.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Just count them as 500 soldiers for all the freebies, minus the food and such. Convert them into extra points as well,¡± ¡°Got it. You can sell the free rewards on the trading forum, but we¡¯ll take a 10% cut and give you points right now,¡± Zyrus chatted with the elf for half an hour before finishing the deal. Apart from the tags and inventory, he got surveying drones, pikes to mark areas on land, and a communication device. His map was also upgraded to assimilate all the new functions. At last, he was left with a bit over 2000 contribution points. ¡®Taxes sure suck huh,¡¯ Few percentages here and there and now he¡¯d spent 500 points without getting a single thing in hand. Nonetheless, he¡¯d profit from this deal as long as he got what he needed. Zyrus opened the tab which had a dozen items left. First on the list cost a full 1000 points. [Altar of Order] Cost: 1000 Contribution Points Stabilizes the laws of an entire area. It is possible to influence certain laws based on the environment. Note: The altar carries the flames of order, which are crafted based on the specified area. The plains of Ilios were considered a single area. It was crucial to understand and stabilize the laws of the desert plains. While he could just brute force his way to the mission, he knew that the altars were necessary if he wanted to finish the next chain missions. There were quite tempting items he could buy with the remaining points. Things that gave stat boosts and even some weapons of war that''d decimate an entire plain were up for sale. ¡®My biggest strength right now is my army on Erath. So what I need is pretty obvious,¡¯ There was an item that¡¯d allow him to summon more of his troops. [Spatial Pike]Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Cost: 750 Contribution points A pike that connects two dimensions. The strength and stability of the connection will depend on the dimensions. Note: There is a chance that the enemies might attack the connected dimension through the pike. Use the item with caution. Lastly, he used the remaining 400 points to buy an item called Forge of the World. It was a single-use medallion that could be used to craft or process any materials present in the 10 Km radius. And just like the altar of order, they too were unique to each area. Their price varied according to the assigned area as well. The maximum price was 500, so the amount he paid proved how many valuable resources the plains of Ilios had. ¡°That¡¯ll be all,¡± ¡°Alright, here you go,¡± the elf took the mission parchment in her hand and placed three icons into it. The items were transferred to him just like that. ¡°Quite efficient. Is there a place where I can learn the spatial techniques?¡± ¡°Clearance level A is required to answer your question,¡± Zyrus clicked his tongue and left with empty pockets. He knew from the start that this was a bottomless hole that¡¯d suck everything from the soldiers. Only the strength they gained and the land they conquered belonged to them. ¡®That¡¯s what they want others to think anyway. As long as they¡¯re under an invasion, nothing they owned would be truly theirs,¡¯ The Streit Bastion was brutally efficient when it came to war. But this had nothing to do with him for the time being. ¡®Time to get back to business,¡¯ There was an item that caught his eye among the millions in the store. His first goal was to earn 10,000 contribution points. This would allow him to summon 5 players from the sanctuary. ¡­ Zyrus went back to the same tunnel and activated the parchment. But unlike before, he wasn¡¯t teleported without a clue. ¡®I was skeptical about how I escaped in the middle of the mission, so that¡¯s how it worked.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t a game after all. How could one just return to Streit Bastion from who knows where? The holographic screen before him answered this question. It was, for all intent and purposes, a screen similar to auto save in games. He was so focused on the spatial technologies of the Streit bastion that he had overlooked another law at play ¨C the Law of time. Zyrus saw three different options on the screen. All of them accelerated time by varying degrees. It was incredibly difficult to go back in time, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for reverse. It was within one¡¯s powers to go into the future by approaching the speed of light. The faster you are, the slower time becomes from your perspective. Time itself didn¡¯t exist from the perspective of light. In the case of the plains of Ilios, all of his traces were erased with the powers of spacetime. His influence over the world was negated as even the desert he had conquered was once again populated by new creatures. ¡®So this is the price I have to pay,¡¯ It was similar to restarting the game. Unless he did something that had long-lasting impacts, exiting from the stage would be a waste of resources. ¡®Fast forwarding time is only useful for either escaping or deploying some plans that took too long to complete,¡¯ The three options in front of him were 1,5, and 10 years ahead of the time he left. He could always return at the same time he left, but that would be akin to suicide. Zyrus remembered that there were 33 such deserts that made the plain of Ilios. They were tended by the farmer like giant, the one who fell at his hands. It was expected that there were different roles among the giants. ¡®I can kill a guard or soldier of low level, but if a squad came then it¡¯d be a disaster,¡¯ The suspicious death of one commoner wouldn¡¯t arouse much interest in the higher-ups. But what about a second, a third time? He couldn¡¯t play with time acceleration as if it was a toy. That was gifting his enemies extra time to develop. [You have selected a timeline] [Accelerating time by 1 year] [Note: The projected timeline is just a simulation. It is possible that the reality might not be as per the prediction] Zyrus made the final selection, and with a green flash of light he was teleported to a different desert. [Earth Movement] He burrowed into the dune at the same instance. Catching anyone¡¯s attention was the last thing he needed. Zyrus went deeper and deeper until he reached the boundary of the plains. The best way to clear this mission was by conquering all of the 33 plains at the same time, and then defeat the giants who came to this farm. But it was easier said than done. Before anything, he lacked a means of surveillance to infiltrate all 33 deserts at the same time. ¡®I¡¯ll use my summons as eyes and ears, while the ghouls will be the main attacking force,¡¯ The abyssal warriors and drakes were too eye-catching. He needed the ophidian warriors who had more lizard-like characteristics to do the job. This also aligned with his other goal - connecting Earth with this dimension. He pulled out a pike shining with starlight from his parchment. It was thin like a bamboo and as tall as him. At the same time, instruction on how to use the spatial pike also appeared in his mind. ¡®I can¡¯t understand its principles with my current knowledge, but I have an inkling as to how it¡¯d work,¡¯ [Summon] 40 ophidian warriors appeared around him and were almost suffocated to death. He protected them with his mana and summoned 40 ghouls from the parchment. He created a dome of 100 meters radius with his mana and inserted the spatial pike in the middle of it. His mana was nowhere near enough to sustain this for long, so he had to succeed on the first try. Chapter 132: Curse of Oblivion There were two requirements to activate the spatial pike. First, objects or living beings of two dimensions were needed to establish a connection. Second, an energy source and a medium that connected these two. The activation of the pike itself was simple. Just stabbing the pike into the energy source would connect the two dimensions. Both the ghouls and the ophidian warriors were without much intelligence. They were unlike the abyssal warriors or the first ghoul he created. But this was what made them special. ¡®They¡¯re like a blank canvas of life¡­¡¯ Zyrus learned more about his summons after his last encounter with Oroszlan. The reason why the summons were undying was closely tied to their undeveloped sentience. Elemental spirits born in nature, undead, puppets, golems¡­all of these had varying degrees of will. A summoner called upon their will while projecting their physical form. Unless they were attacked with something that destroyed their will, the summons would remain pseudo-immortals. But this was also what limited their development. Oroszlan had taught him how to nurture his summons'' wills so that they could advance even without his class¡¯s skills. ¡°Sit in a circular formation,¡± Zyrus assembled the ophidian warriors and ghouls in a wheel-like formation. He stood at the center and used the pike as an axel. The only thing he lacked right now was an energy source. ¡®But before that, something that¡¯d help them survive is needed,¡¯ [Summon] He once again summoned 100 drakes and 200 Abyssal warriors. This was the most he could do at the moment. ¡°Form a guard around them and blast the dome from all sides. Remember to not leave behind any empty spot,¡± *Grrrroooar* The drakes didn¡¯t know why he was telling them to attack the dome while he was protecting the ones within. Nonetheless, they obeyed his order and attacked the dome with their full-powered breath attacks. *Crrrrack* *Kkrackele* Two scraping sounds reverberated one after another. First was from the barrier breaking apart, and the second came from the crystallized sand. The dome made from mana was replaced by one made from glass. Zyrus had used his mana right on time to shield the ghouls and ophidian warriors, otherwise, they would¡¯ve melted under the high temperature as well. ¡°Spread your mana into the surroundings.¡± The 200 ophidian warriors spread out to the edges and placed their palms on the ground. Inky black mana flowed through their body and seeped into the nearby sand. Zyrus didn¡¯t have an energy source in hand, so he had to do the job himself. He stood beside the spatial pike and channeled the nearby abyssal mana into it. *Wizzzzzzzz* Starry radiance embraced the ghouls, ophidian warriors, and Zyrus. It was a miraculous state where they saw the two dimensions making contact through the pike. Of course, no one except Zyrus understood what was happening. This was an unexpected surprise even for him. ¡®With this, I¡¯ll be able to finish the fourth curse of void before long,¡¯ His eyes gleamed in excitement as he oversaw the changes taking place on the pike. It was a great opportunity for him who was on the cusp of creating his own physical cultivation technique. Zyrus knew that this would be a long and arduous journey. Conquering one world was still doable with the 500 ghouls he had, but then what? The ghouls couldn¡¯t escape the desert like him. It was impossible to collect them into a parchment as well. How would they invade other deserts? The only thing he could rely on was the altar of order. Killing the scorpions and sandworms, using them with ghoul reanimation, finding out the unknown entity within the desert¡­ he had to do all this while avoiding the giant¡¯s eyes.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. For 33 times no less. ¡®Well, I have all the time I need¡­¡¯ ¡­ 3 Years later, at the same location. Everything looked the same except for the spatial pike which had become a tiny fissure in space. Zyrus had observed the changes that led to this outcome, and thanks to that he had created the system which combined the martial arts and mana spells. It was a tremendous task he completed by not even stepping a foot outside this area. Every minute change in the space was detected by his perception. Space, Void, Dimensions¡­despite being different they had many common points. But unlike the three curses he had created before which were the final version, this one was just the first step. There was a long road ahead to reach the pinnacle of body refinement. ¡°My liege, all squadrons are in place,¡± ¡°Great. Just wait a while longer,¡± Zyrus stretched his sore muscles and exited the dome of glass. His skills weren¡¯t the only thing he had worked on. This part of this mission was simple and tedious. Sending ophidian warriors to scout different deserts, killing the monsters to raise more ghouls, and creating temporary hideouts in all 33 areas. All of this had to be done without catching the giant¡¯s eyes. ¡®And we succeeded in doing that,¡¯ Zyrus opened the map and did a final check on the deployment. 500 green dots were scattered around the 33 deserts. Each dot represented a squad of 100 ghouls. Raising that many ghouls was the most difficult task. The sandworms and scorpions had a high reproductive rate due to them living off on mana, and their constant fights also left behind many corpses. It wasn¡¯t difficult to use ghoul reanimation on them, but even so, this wasn¡¯t enough to take over the entire plains of Ilios. ¡°How much pure mana is left?¡± ¡°Less than 40%.¡± ¡°I see¡­convert the rest once the fight is over. Keep these, and collect the corpses before going back to earth,¡± Zyrus gave Elsid the storage bags and made his way to the surface. The entire desert was on the verge of becoming dark brown due to the abyss¡¯s influence. The new giant who tended this farm had noticed the change, but he didn¡¯t make a move since their ¡®food supply¡¯ was acceptable. What he didn¡¯t know, however, was that the entire area was on the brink of collapse. Zyrus corrupted the mana of the deserts, fed them to the monsters to increase their numbers, and then killed them to raise his ghouls. The final piece of the puzzle was the unknown monster that lurked in the 33 deserts. Not even the giants knew of its existence. *Shaaaaaaa* ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have known either if not for a lucky encounter,¡¯ Zyrus filled his lungs with the fresh air and surveyed the area. All plans were set. The ghouls would kill the monsters, Elsid would lead the abyssal legion and ophidian warriors to take their corpses, and Zirnitra would deal with the unknown monster ¨C who was also the sole resource of this area. He was curious to know what the creature was, but his fight lay elsewhere. He could exit once he had cleared all the deserts. But in order to do that, he had to ensure that the giants wouldn¡¯t intervene in the fight between the ghouls and the monsters. ¡°Attack at the count of 10,¡± Zyrus gave the final order via the communication device. [Avatar] The abyssal dragon swirled among the 33 plains and stirred the corrupted mana. Scenes of one-sided slaughter were reflected in his yellow eyes. Ghouls pierced the sandworm with their nails and tore apart the scorpions with their green skulls. They were the perfect balance of physical strength and powerful corrosive attacks. *Guooooo* *Guoo-* Hundreds of them died every passing second. But at the same time, they poisoned thousands of the monsters. The sandworms and scorpions were a ticking time bomb as they were fed with abyssal mana and Zyrus¡¯s poison for the past three years. This assault was the catalyst that pushed them over the edge. *Splattter* *Kiiiek-* *Hisssss* They howled and hissed at the black dragon who was like a harbinger of disaster. But the dragon was not interested in their dying screams. He broke the fragile boundaries of the 33 deserts with a flaming altar in his claws. *Crrrraccck* The invisible boundaries broke apart like a glass mirror. And before the plains collapsed due to instability of space, the broken shards were once again pieced through with a pitch-black mana. Or to be exact, they were consumed by it. The desert, the sky, monsters, ghouls, and even the armadillo-like creature that Zirnitra was fighting...everything was tainted with the abyssal mana. ¡°DAMN YOU VERMIN!¡± ¡®Ugh- here he is,¡¯ Zyrus stopped the bleeding from his orifices and faced the giant that was running towards the plains of Ilios. Just a bellow from him was enough to injure him in his avatar form. It was apparent that the giant was no mere farmer like the last time. <5 minutes, this thing¡¯s armor is commendable> His named summons replied one after another. 10 minutes were neither too long nor too short in a fight like this. ¡®I can finish him off with spatial stab and void quandary, but it¡¯ll attract a horde of them in turn,¡¯ 10 minutes were more than enough for the reinforcement to arrive. The sirens and red lights were blaring right now, and a giant wielding a club was running towards him. Zyrus canceled his skill and devoured the mana that was leaking from the 33 deserts. This was his goal from the beginning. A colossal amount of mana poured into his body which barely reached the giant¡¯s knee. [Curse of Oblivion: Quantum Erasure] The mana that was enough to sustain 33 plains now vanished without a trace. Read a month ahead on Patreon Chapter 133: Quantum Erasure Zyrus had theorized an entire physical cultivation system based on the Void refinement. The curse of oblivion was the result of his completion of ''World Essence'' realm. The first realm he named was World Resonance. As the name suggested, in this stage one had to resonate with the world¡¯s energy. It could be anything ¨C mana, spiritual qi, and even talents like devour. What mattered here was the ability to absorb energy from the environment, and by extension, the world. The second realm was World Essence. It was a process storing the world¡¯s energy in their body and forming the ¡®Essence¡¯. Once again, this essence can be anything. Mana stored in one¡¯s heart, Spiritual qi stored in the dantian, or cosmic energy stored by his talent. He had reached this stage long ago. But what it did was just that ¨C storing the energy. Releasing it was another matter altogether. There were many ways to achieve that, like simply bursting it out via an attack or channeling it via a skill. He learned from the manual that most optimum use of this essence was done via the power of laws. The first two stages were similar for all physical cultivation methods. In ¡®Void Body Refinement Technique,¡¯ the martial artists used their stored essence in tandem with the void laws to expand their acupoints. Those who used the law of wind could make themselves lighter and more aerodynamic, those who practiced the law of fire can temper their flesh and bones with flames¡­there were various ways of using it. ¡°How are you unaffected?¡± ¡°Heh, You¡¯re just weak.¡± *Baaaam* What replied Zyrus was a club on his head. It was too fast for him to see, much less dodge. But just like before, he was unaffected by the giant¡¯s attack. [Arcane lance] Dozens of flickering blue spears pierced the giant¡¯s calves. Twilight Crusher had the power to pierce through the giant¡¯s defense. *Smaash* Nonetheless, Zyrus¡¯s attacks were futile. The arcane lances were like toothpicks stuck on the giant¡¯s body. They were unable to do anything besides annoying the club-wielding monster. ¡®Fortunately, he can¡¯t harm me either¡­. not as long as the plains of Ilios exist,¡¯ Zyrus grinned as he endured another of the giant¡¯s blows without moving an inch. He wasn¡¯t following the Void Body Refinement Technique. He didn¡¯t use the world essence, or to be specific, the cosmic energy from his talent to expand his acupoints. There were 99 points from which the cosmic energy entered his body. Zyrus referenced the technique written on the manual and used his void laws on those 99 points on the surface of his body. ¡°Argh¨C Take this you vermin!¡± the giant growled and used an unknown energy to surround his club. The wooden club adorned with metallic spikes was now glowing with a silver halo. *Crrrash* ¡°Hahaha¡­didn¡¯t I tell you? You¡¯re just weak,¡± The entire garden caved in by a few feet, but still, Zyrus remained unaffected. ¡®Curse of Oblivion: Quantum Erasure¡¯ used the principle of quantum field theory on the surface of Zyrus¡¯s body. According to that theory, the universe is made up of various fields. The electromagnetic field, nuclear orbits, Higgs field¡­all of them were examples of that. The lowest energy state of these fields was the quantum vacuum. But even that ¡®field¡¯ wasn¡¯t completely empty. The quantum vacuum is also filled with fluctuations made by virtual particles. They pop in and out of existence without any predetermined order, just like the Heisenberg¡¯s principle. Zyrus used this as a base to create his fourth curse. He used the cosmic energy stored within him along with abyssal mana to create 99 quantum vacuums. These fields were manifested by erasing his mana, and in turn, they would erase anything that came in contact with them.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. These fields created virtual particles to counter the field created by the enemy¡¯s attack. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was a physical attack or a magical one. Quantum erasure had the power to nullify an attack at the smallest level. *Buuuuuuuuuu* *RIIIIIIINNNGGGG* The giant didn''t understand all this, but he knew that he didn¡¯t have the strength to kill the intruder. Thus, he called for backup. ¡®It¡¯s been five minutes and 40 seconds¡­.¡¯ Zyrus frowned and stood before the 33 desert plains. The opposing giant guard wasn¡¯t a moron. He had also noticed that Zyrus was drawing power from the deserts to block his attacks. It didn¡¯t matter whether he understood the intricacies of Zyrus¡¯s curse. As long as he severed the connection between the two, his club would smash the Zyrus into meat paste. Of course, knowing that didn¡¯t mean that he could put it into practice. ¡°Just you wait!¡± *Baaam* Zyrus didn¡¯t bother replying and channeled all his energy. All of his void skills were double-edged swords. There was a reason why his authority was named as ¡®13 Curses of Void¡¯ after all. He named this skill the Curse of Oblivion because it could send both himself and his enemy into oblivion. One wrong move and he himself would be turned into a quantum vacuum. The laws of void were dangerous beyond compare. Using them on your body was akin to suicide. ¡®But with great risks comes greater rewards,¡¯ The skill he was using was just a surface-level technique, and yet its power was unparalleled in defense. Zyrus was sure that he could create at least 3 more curses with the martial arts method he had created. ¡°What is that creature?¡± ¡°Bloody hell! Have you ruined the farm? Do you want to starve the entire western square?¡± 15 giants wearing golden armor and shiny weapons entered the farm. The once spacious area was now cramped with an oppressive aura, and the foot-long Zyrus was the center of it all. ¡®Just a minute left¡­looks like I made it,¡¯ The mana being supplied to him via the plains of Ilios was running out. However, the ghouls and his summons had finished their job. The monsters were dead, the corpses were collected, and the armadillo-like monster was also dealt with. ¡°Enough Blabbering, catch that first,¡± the leading giant ordered his clamoring subordinates. Alas, it was too late. Zyrus grabbed the glowing parchment in his pocket, and vanished alongside his ghouls and summons. ¡­ ¡®Huff¡­Huff..that was exhausting,¡¯ Zyrus massaged his temples while he jogged towards the main entrance. He was so mentally exhausted that even his horns were aching. Thankfully, his recovery rates did their jobs in the meantime. He managed to gather his wits by the time he arrived at the reception counter. ¡®She¡¯ll dry my pockets if I¡¯m not sharp enough,¡¯ ¡°Hmm¡­were you thinking something rude?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°If you say so. Anyway, what¡¯d you want?¡± the receptionist asked after tallying his contribution points. He was almost done with the contracted mission, so the amount was rather generous. ¡°Transfer medallions, 5 of them.¡± ¡°I see. Do you want anything el-, oh, never mind. You have 5 points left,¡± the elf shooed him away with disinterested eyes. Zyrus tucked the five small medallions in his pocket and exited the tower. No one had told him how to go back to the sanctuary, but he had figured that out all the same. He closed his eyes and perceived the laws that governed this place. He didn¡¯t have the mastery to influence the nature¡¯s laws, but this place was different. The laws here were ¡®alive¡¯. ¡®Return me to the sanctuary,¡¯ There was no response. Nothing changed except the sounds around him had disappeared. ¡®As I thought¡­.¡¯ Zyrus opened his eyes and surveyed the tent he was in. As he had predicted, he was once again back to the sanctuary. It had been a while since he was away. In the eyes of the players, he was training in his tent for all this time. While strange, it wasn¡¯t unexpected. No one had the free time to gossip about their leader. *Flap* The leather parting gave way to brilliant sunlight. The familiar salty wind and dry soli greeted him once again. ¡°Humans sure are amazing,¡± Zyrus muttered as he looked around the campsite. Or rather, it should be called a military outpost. Brick walls surrounded a city from all sides. Mud houses, stone roads, and carts driven by goat-like monsters were reflected in his eyes. It had been no more than three years, but his was the only tent that remained on this whole island. The hill he was staying on was the highest vantage point. Zyrus overlooked the entire area with a surge of pride. This was the city built on his knowledge. It might look like a random village in the medieval era, but Zyrus knew that the whole area would awaken like a beast at a moment¡¯s notice. Hundreds of formations and soldier deployment were taken into account. The city had the capacity to defend against ten times their numbers despite the brick walls and feeble houses. This was the power of mana. He needed to get up to date with everything that¡¯d happened in the past three years. Zyrus caressed the flag that had grown in his absence and opened the ''Flag march''. How many resources were gathered? How strong was their army? How many ships did they have? These were just the most basic questions that were answered by the tab. Using the system might give him an idea, but it was nowhere near enough to draw a clear picture. ¡®It¡¯s time I held a proper meeting,¡¯ Zyrus clicked on the message icon and executed one of the authorities he had as the leader. [Zyrus Wymar has ordered for Muster] [All players not on a task are to gather at the nearby conquered territory] [Time remaining¨C 06:00:00] 200,000 players received the golden text at the same instance. Chapter 134: Dawn of a new Era The first to contact him were Ria, Kyle, and Lauren. After that were Shi kun, Jacob, Druv, Strongfist, and Stephen. All of them had greatly improved their strength and management abilities. What satisfied him the most though, was the fact that all of his main subordinates had learned to properly wield their powers. Even someone like Stephen who was in charge of management had reached lv 35. They were the elites of the elite in the sanctuary. Their present strength was more than enough to challenge the field boss of the second zone. Zyrus greeted everyone back and had a long talk with Ria and Stephen. After everyone¡¯s reports, the progress of their army was like this ¨C 100,000 Combat players, with the majority being subdued monsters. 1000 ships, of which 10 were galleon class. All of them were equipped with the ballista and torpedoes. A minor base on every conquered island and the main city that he was at. These were just the surface-level numbers. 60% of the materials required for the altar were collected. The researchers from humans and even goblin and kobold tribes were summoned from the first ring to aid in their development. Countless big and small items were created each day by these many geniuses. From toothbrushes and sanitary items to transportation carts and low-rank weapons ¨C everything was progressing towards a brand-new civilization. This was different from before his regression. Even throughout the history of the sanctuary, Zyrus was sure that the foundation he was building was one of the strongest. ¡®And now, it¡¯s time to add one more page to our Epic,¡¯ Zyrus held the Twilight crusher and connected to every camp under his territory. For an epic item to become a legendary, more than just materials were needed. The first and most important requirement for that was precisely the word¨C Legend. Create your own legend and only then would your items have a chance to evolve. The same was true for various events like the crown hunt and flag march. Gathering more players, developing an army, and conquering the world. This was the core concept of the sanctuary. Even after seeing the awe-inspiring Streit bastion Zyrus wasn¡¯t slighting the sanctuary. ¡®This might not be the best place to grow your power, but it¡¯s definitely the safest,¡¯ Numerous green dots appeared on the flag march¡¯s menu. All of them represented a conquered island. Only six islands were red on the entirety of Pisces archipelago. [Time remaining¨C 00:30:00] Zyrus went through his speech before the last few minutes. Not only did he have to decide his army¡¯s growth, his own training had to be taken into account as well. His inability to go to the earth and Streit bastion had changed a lot of his plans. For one, he no longer had the ability to cheat time by traveling to Earth. This would¡¯ve caused his progress to stagnate, but thankfully, the mission on the plains of Ilios had solved that issue. He didn¡¯t need any more serious battles to work on his skills. All that remained was polishing what he¡¯d learned and accumulating ¡®experience¡¯. ¡®My overall power is halved, but I¡¯d be able to get more achievements in return,¡¯ His title, trait, and talent were restricted as he had guessed. However, his biggest gain this time was his merging of the martial arts and mana. He couldn¡¯t get any achievement from his 13 curses of void, but the power structure he created by refereeing the void refinement was different. ¡®If everything goes well, then I¡¯ll be able to create a brand-new class,¡¯Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. That was a feat a scant few had achieved since the creation of this sanctuary. This was also his biggest goal in the next 5 years. [Time remaining¨C 00:05:00] Conquering the final six islands, getting the best possible result for flag march, and developing his own achievements¡­everything was tied together by his sharp wits. And at the same time, it also changed the destiny of millions of lives. [Time remaining¨C 00:00:00] ¡­ Regardless of whether they were humans, ogres, trolls, goblins, the beast legions, or the subdued monsters¡­pretty much every player on the entire ocean looked at Zyrus¡¯s projection. They gazed in respect at their ten feet tall leader who was holding a spear just as tall as him. Be it his onyx crown or the curved horns that adorned his head, everything about him carried a regal aura even through the projection. This was something that had nothing to do with strength. This was the momentum and charisma he had built through his 1000 years of reign. ¡°Greetings, players. I¡¯m Zyrus Wymar, the leader of this nameless army. Some of you joined me willingly while others were subdued by force. From the initial hundreds in the crown hunt to the present, our numbers have multiplied by thousands,¡± Zyrus¡¯s steady voice resounded on each island. Irrespective of their status, every eye was drawn to his projection. ¡°Some among you are fighters while others are adept at researching. Regardless of either, one fact remains true¨C WE ARE THE STRONGEST.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the strongest player there is and there¡¯ll ever be. Natives? Our army will crush them. Monsters? They¡¯ll be buried under our weapons of war. I ask you then, what do we have to fear?¡± His words made even the calmest player¡¯s blood boil. Who didn¡¯t like to be on the winning side? It was a primitive desire of every being. But Zyrus knew that their boiling blood and burning enthusiasm would eventually die down. It was impossible for everyone to be equal in their desire to become strong. ¡°Let me answer that for you. Your biggest threat is your own Laziness, Cowardice, Ignorance, and Stupidity. You are lazy if you¡¯re not giving your all to become stronger. You¡¯re a coward if you¡¯re not taking the dangerous tasks. You¡¯re ignorant if you have the will to improve yet can¡¯t. And lastly, you¡¯re stupid if you think that becoming stronger isn¡¯t all there is to it in life.¡± Zyrus¡¯s words stung the hearts of thousands of players. Even the muddle-headed monsters were feeling uncomfortable after hearing his bunt words, much less the intelligent ones. ¡°Let me tell you this in advance¨Ceven if you want to settle down and start a family, even if you want to live a peaceful life, you don¡¯t have the power to achieve that. You may already know that no lives can be born in the sanctuary. There isn¡¯t a concept of society in this primitive world where only one¡¯s strength matters. However, let me tell you this in advance. Not far off in the future, you¡¯ll earn the era of peace you desire. If we conquer the 3rd and 4th ring with haste¨C then you¡¯ll earn an era of peace for 100 years.¡± ¡°You can start a family, travel, or just laze around for the rest of your life. But keep in mind that war will once again knock on your doors after a hundred years. If not you then your children, if not them then your grandchildren¡­the cycle will keep repeating. It¡¯s like a kid building a castle of sand. No matter how beautiful the castle was, no matter how hard the kid worked for it, it¡¯ll be knocked down once the wave hits the shore. And unlike the kid, you can neither leave the shore nor stop building the castle. What will you do then?¡± A pin-drop silence was left after his frosty words. Everyone had self-awareness, it was just that many didn¡¯t think about the negatives in their life and lost themselves in other activities. Which player hadn¡¯t seen their fair share of death? Which player wasn¡¯t traumatized by the tutorial? It was the euphoria of battle and their adaptation that suppressed those feelings. Not to mention that most of his troops were subdued. Who among them didn¡¯t lose their acquaintances under Zyrus¡¯s army? None. His words were anything but motivating. Nonetheless, that was his goal from the start. ¡°Can you answer me? I will tell you my answer then. What would I do if I was that child? I will charge into that damned ocean and destroy it.¡± He didn¡¯t want his troops to burn out from their emotions. He wanted them to use their emotions like an undying fire and temper their wills. Only the blades forged from this were worthy to be pointed against the root cause of their losses. ¡°What I said might sound moronic considering that the kid will just drown in the ocean, but what if there was a way for him to survive? What if he could attain the power to evaporate the sea and build a castle so strong that even a meteor wouldn¡¯t dent its walls? I will give you that chance.¡± Zyrus waved his hand and new notifications were sent to each and every player. The entire contribution system and mission board were revamped. This was the dawn of a new era. Read advance chapters on Patreon Chapter 135: Aydahar Cavaler The new contribution store had a single yet most important change¨C you can buy any information by paying enough points. Zyrus had poured 99% of his knowledge into this. Secrets about the sanctuary, famous hunting spots, treasures, and even the information on the third, fourth, and fifth rings. He had shared everything except things related to the cube and his regression. ¡®Of course, they¡¯ll need a whole lot of points to afford that,¡¯ Zyrus curved his lips as he surveyed the player¡¯s reaction through the holographic screen. This was a big step for him as well. Gone were the days when he was worried about being backstabbed. The trip to the Streit bastion had changed his perspective on the sanctuary. Despite the restrictions he faced, he was pretty much invincible among the players. Why would he worry about sharing his knowledge then? On the contrary, it was more beneficial if he shared his knowledge and used the player¡¯s intellect to further polish his skills. Even the best arcanist had much to learn from the collected efforts of millions of players. ¡°Pay attention. You must¡¯ve seen the highlighted mission at the top. I won¡¯t go into details and waste our time, but know this¨Cthose who accept this won¡¯t regret their decisions,¡± Zyrus spoke the concluding words after waiting for a while. He was a leader, not a salesman. The enticement he gave them was more than sufficient. The mission was about creating a new class that focused on improving their physical strength using mana. What made this alluring was the fact that it could act as a sub-class for every player. Using mana was an inferior choice compared to spiritual qi and cosmic energy. Nonetheless, it could improve one¡¯s combat effectiveness by at least 50%. Who wouldn¡¯t want such a reward? And what the players had to do in this mission was both risky and not at the same time. 10,000 players were required to perform experiments as described by Zyrus. The duration for this was five years. The selected players would follow Zyrus into the third zone and finalize the class he was working on. In return, they¡¯d get achievements and sub-class from the sanctuary, not to mention the contribution points he would give based on their performance. Zyrus closed all the tabs and walked towards the docking area. Everyone was bubbling with excitement wherever passed by. Zyrus jumped over the buildings as he chatted with the somewhat sulky reindeer. It couldn¡¯t be helped that he had dumped a huge task on his companion. ¡®Next time, I¡¯ll take him to the plains of Ilios,¡¯ *Thunk* ¡°Looks a lot better than before,¡± ¡°Of course it does, the dragon of war is equipped with the best weapons we¡¯ve built,¡± Franken replied with a smug voice. Zyrus had to admit that his companion had done a great job. The entire dragon of war was adorned with dark blue frost cannons and black metallic ballistas. The gleaming weapons and the red engravings on the ship created a bloody aura. Weaker fish wouldn¡¯t even dare to approach within a mile of the dragon of war. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve made some adjustments to them as well.¡± ¡°Indeed. Those little humans and goblins are a devious bunch for sure,¡± Franken replied and gave him a detailed manual. On it were the records of adjustments done to the ballistas, cannons, and torpedoes. The V6 ballista had modified metal arrows with a glass covering. Normal metal arrows could be used three times before their tips and shaft required maintenance. But considering the cost-effectiveness, it was cheaper to just scrap them and make new arrows.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Using glass tips was a clever idea even I didn¡¯t think of,¡¯ The highest strain was placed on the tip of the arrow. Its penetrating power was the most crucial aspect. Using a fragile glass edge on it definitely reduced its power by a third. But the overall efficiency of this was better. The glass tip was created by referencing the electric torpedo. The tips would shatter upon impact and release numbing lighting, immobilizing the target for a short duration. This would allow a sure kill with two shots. The most important part was that the modified arrows could be used 10 times this way! There was an abundance of glass so creating tips wasn¡¯t as costly. And if more penetrative power was required, then it was better to use enhanced arrows which were guaranteed a kill. The Frost Cannon V3 and the Torpedo V2 didn¡¯t have that many changes except for their increased efficiency. Compared to arrows, these magical technologies were completely foreign to the players. ¡°How about the things I collected from the ocean?¡± ¡°Still in the process. I doubt they¡¯d be put to use before the third zone.¡± The duo chatted as they made their way to the center. There, 400 players were waiting in a neat formation. They were the knight candidates for his crown¡¯s authority. ¡°30 of them have made a contract with the Nidhogg serpents. They don¡¯t have any effect on their combat power as of yet, but their potential is exceptional even among rare companions,¡± Franken spoke before Zyrus could inquire about the progress. ¡°30 is just perfect. I could have a total of 3000 knights in the future, so I¡¯ll create 30 squads of 100 with them as the leaders.¡± ¡°Mhm. Even though the later they join the more starting benefits they¡¯d get, it¡¯s still worse than the experience and improvements these players will go through.¡± Both Zyrus and Franken were sure that the present 400 players would one day be among the top 1000 players. Except for some very talented players, no one else could hope to match those bestowed by his authority. [Appoint knights] A knight''s honor is an unbreakable bond that shall not be tarnished. The wielder of the crown can appoint knights who will live and die by his side. -Number of knights = 10 x user¡¯s level -Only those who are willing can be appointed as knights. -The knights will get their special class upon advancement, and they will also gain a portion of the user¡¯s traits, bloodline, and skills. ¡°Come forward.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± the 400 players replied in a sonorous voice. They were neither the strongest nor the most talented players. Regardless of which race they were from and what their circumstances were, these players were the ones who were most loyal to him. ¡°I don¡¯t care what name and identity you had until this moment. From now on, you¡¯ll be known as my knights till the day I die. Make the whole sanctuary tremble with your presence, earn aliases and titles that¡¯d make even the kings hiding in their castle shiver in fear. Only then will I acknowledge your identity.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Their reply was even more energetic than before. The players knew that this was a test given by him for the power they were about to receive. Passing this test was the prerequisite for getting Zyrus¡¯s acknowledgment. ¡°Very well then,¡± Zyrus looked into each and every player¡¯s eyes and stood at the forefront with his twilight crusher. [Appoint knights] [Initiating¡­.] ¡°I, Zyrus Wymar, in the authority of the Last Apostle and the Plage Bearer, hereby appoint you as my Knights. Let the laws be witnesses of this sacred ceremony,¡± Zyrus announced with a voice filled with mana and slit his wrist. ¡°WE PLEDGE OUR LIFE AND SOULS TO HIS MAJESTY. LET THE LAWS BE WITNESS OF OUR ETERNAL LOYALTY,¡± the 400 players kneeled and slit their writs as well. Neither Zyrus nor the players knew these words before. It was their instinctual response under the halo of the onyx crown. Zyrus was like a deity who hovered above the players with a glowing crown. Each and every one of his skills were manifested as mirages above the dragon of war. A floating dragon, red eyes that pierced one¡¯s soul, A tattered projection of the shrine¡­numerous images came and vanished within seconds. *Shaaaaaa* The glowing crown on his head was absorbing fragments of these images, and each time it became darker and darker. It was like a black hole that devoured the blood on the deck and everyone¡¯s mana. At the same time, a glowing radiance was spreading from the crown like the event horizon. [Appointment Successful] [400 "Aydahar Cavaler" are chosen as your Knights] Zyrus floated down and looked at the 400 cocoons before him. His bloodline, traits, skills, and talents were too powerful. Even a fraction of them was enough to cause a change in their level of existence. He also received the information on Aydahar Cavaler. It was a unique class created by his authority. The name translated to Dragon Knights, so it was apparent how strong they¡¯d be in the future. The knights will also gain the blessing of order after reaching each new ring. This would allow them to obtain the power from his future skills, bloodline, traits, etc¡­ ¡®Let me see what their class does,¡¯ Zyrus clicked on the crown¡¯s tab with gleaming eyes. Chapter 136: Pugalo [Aydahar Cavaler] A class created by the Onyx crown. Your level will be equivalent to Zyrus Wymar''s, and your stats will be less than his by 5. As a special class based on the crown¡¯s authority, its upgrade and evolution differ from the normal classes. Reach the limits of your existence to attain a new Realm! Blessing of Apep: On the longest night of every year, you can revive with a penalty of -10 levels, -5 stats (Permanently) Note: Leveling up again will not give any stat bonus, and the exp required will be increased by 50% Mark of Gorynych: Become the servants of the mighty tyrant. When performing brutal and destructive actions, you will gain a random buff. Note: This is a formation-type skill. Activating it with large numbers will result in special buffs. ¡®They''re ridiculously good, but the next one is just as mind-blowing,¡¯ Zyrus scrolled down and looked at the final skill. Since the Aydahar Cavaler was a special class, its skills were fixed from the start. Nothing would change even at lv 300 except for increased utility and effectiveness. But even with a limitation like that, the first and the third skill made Aydahar Cavaler better than 90% of the other classes. Dragonification: Attain partial Dragonification based on Zyrus Wymar. You can also use all of his skills at 10% effectiveness. Note: This is an incomplete skill. Further progress will depend on your status at lv 100,200, and 300. ¡°Franken, keep an eye on them. We¡¯ll set sail at midnight.¡± ¡°Where are you running off again?¡± ¡°To check on the progress of Altar,¡± Zyrus''s words echoed as he hopped from mast to mast. This fleet was scattered throughout the second zone. It would take more than 40 days for all of them to gather at the same point, and from there they¡¯d sail to the last island. ¡®And in the meanwhile, I¡¯ll inspect all of the bases on the way¡­¡¯ ¡­ The month went by without any significant events. Zyrus stood on the dragon of war¡¯s hull and gazed at the blue ocean. Compared to the dry sand on the plains of Ilios, he preferred the salty and moist air of the ocean. Their journey thus far was almost like a picnic. The normal boss monsters and aggressive schools of fish were already killed by his fleet. The first zone had three islands, while the second zone had 8 main islands. 5 of them were in the south from the first zone¡¯s headquarters while 3 were on the western side. ¡®They should be arriving soon¡­¡¯ Zyrus jumped at the highest vantage point on the dragon of war and looked at the sides. Druv, Strongfist, the beast legion, goblin riders, and the majority of subdued monsters were in charge of the western side, whereas Kyle, Lauren, Jacob, and Shi kun led the charge on the south. There was a good reason why Zyrus distributed them this way. The Western fleet had the same number of ships despite there being just two targets. Why? Because the distance between the second and third island on this side was greater than their total distance from the first zone. Countless aggressive fish occupied this area. Two out of the three years were spent on clearing this region all the way to the end of the second zone.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. *BUUUUUUUUUUUU* *Hoooowwwwl* Bugles and trumpets cried out one after another, and hundreds of ships fluttering with black sails covered the entire western horizon. Clangs of metal and howls of the beasts reverberated soon after. Even the scattered fish were scared away by their presence. ¡°Let¡¯s go greet them,¡± Zyrus climbed on Franken¡¯s back and the duo soared towards the leading galleon¨C ¡®Sedna¡¯. The entire ship was filled with loud cheers as they welcomed the duo descending from the sky. ¡°Long¡­time¡­no..seee..¡± ¡°Haha, long time indeed. Where¡¯s Strongfist?¡± ¡°Sleeping¡­.He fought¡­strong¡­fish¡­alone..¡± ¡°Oh, let him rest for a while then,¡± Zyrus chatted with Druv and gave everyone some pointers on their stat distribution and upcoming class and bloodline upgrades. All of the elites within his army were just about to cross lv 40. *BUUUUUUUUUU* Before they even reached the dragon of war, two more bugles resounded from the other side. Hundreds of ships pierced the sea like an arrow and appeared on the faraway horizon. Even from a great distance, Tiamat and Phorcys were visible like giant behemoths. Zyrus repeated the same actions and greeted the players on the two galleons. There was a big difference between the players meeting him on the dragon of war versus him coming forward to greet them and praise them for their hard work. A leader¡¯s every word and gesture held the power to affect the morale of the entire army. Zyrus was no rookie when it came to this. Finally, all of the key players held a meeting on the dragon of war while they sailed towards the 8th island. ¡°Alright everyone, I¡¯ll now explain the situation on the last island.¡± Zyrus knocked on the table and pointed at the map he had drawn. ¡°What does it look like?¡± ¡°Rice paddies?¡± Shi kun answered as he observed the map laid out on the table. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s similar,¡± the others also agreed one by one. ¡°This place is called the ¡®Scarecrow Island,¡¯ the gateway between the second and the third zone. As you may have guessed, this place that looks like farmland is filled with bug-type monsters.¡± Zyrus placed another sheet on the map on which a few scribbles were drawn. ¡°Mantises, Earthworms, Locusts, Butterflies¡­and many such insectoid creatures inhabit the area. They¡¯re not much of a trouble since they¡¯re around lv 35-39.¡± He once again took out three more sheets, this time with much clearer images. ¡°The environment itself is safe for our ships to travel. Thus, the main danger comes from three other monsters. Ria, Shi kun, pass on this information to other captains and squad leaders as well.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Alright. All three of the monsters have reached beyond lv 40. You don¡¯t need me to tell you what that implies. The first and most common threat are leafhoppers¨C also the main reason why I¡¯m having this discussion.¡± Zyrus normally didn¡¯t share anything useful in the second zone in order to train his troops. But now that they were punching above their league, it was time for him to step up. ¡°The leafhoppers are different from the ones you know. What we¡¯ll face upon arrival would be hordes of these bullet-like insects. And when I say ''bullet'', I mean it. Hundreds of thousands of them could pierce through a normal lv 30 players with ease.¡± Everyone was speechless. Just how frightening was that? Even if they didn¡¯t die due to their armor and high defense, just the impact would wreck their insides. ¡°Troublesome indeed. What are the other two?¡± Ria asked with a slight frown. She was confident in her clairvoyance, but such aoe attacks were her hard counter. ¡°The second are as the scarecrows. There are ten of them scattered throughout this island which has an area of 36 square miles. Almost 90% of this is water layers, and within that 10% you¡¯d fight these 10 boss monsters.¡± Such a placement was geographically illogical. A farm without crops with an ocean passing through it¨Csuch a thing was only possible in the sanctuary. ¡°You¡¯re going to fight the field boss on your own?¡± ¡°Nope. You¡¯ll know why when we get there,¡± Zyrus waved at the leaders and exited the cabin. He divulged the leafhoppers'' information because it would take thousands of lives if the players were unprepared. There was no need to go through such needless loss. There was a difference between training and suicide¨Cand those like Kyle and Jacob had sufficient strength to treat the fight against the boss monster as a form of training. Days passed by as the whole army sailed towards the last island. The dragon of war was the vanguard while the Tiamat was at the rear. Phorcys and Sedna led the remaining 6 galleons which were slightly smaller than the previous four. From afar, it looked like a black leaf was floating on the vast ocean. And on the dawn of the 83rd day since Zyrus¡¯s return, the leaf arrived at the distant shore. ¡°Beautiful!¡± ¡°Yeah. But the better it looks, the more fucked up it¡¯ll be,¡± Shi kun shook his head which was shining under the crimson sunlight. The entire ocean was lit up by the sun which rose behind them. In front of them was a scene that defied the logic of nature, and yet, it was more harmonious than any place they¡¯d seen. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t stray away from your main galleon.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Hundreds of captains answered Zyrus¡¯s call. ¡°Disperse,¡± Zyrus waved his hand and activated the mana circuits to raise the speed. There were numerous ¡®channels¡¯ with land on both sides. Each channel was wide and deep enough for 100 ships to pass through. As for the land, even the grass that grew on them was 20 feet tall. The sharp and green blades swayed and welcomed the players. At the same time, large swaths of leafhoppers flew in their direction. [Caution! You have arrived at the last island of the second zone] [Caution! Field boss ¡°Pugalo¡± has detected your presence!] [Commencing field raid¡­] Chapter 137: Scarecrow Island Zyrus took the dragon of war to sail straight to the core of the scarecrow island. The rest followed his arrangement and spread out to encircle the whole field. Although the radius of more than a dozen kilometers was huge, they had 1000 ships after all. And all of them were inlaid with various magic formations, not to mention the first batch which was forged with the essence of Nuckelavee. Their speed and sturdiness were enough to sustain the journey. *Bang*Bang*Bang* The frost cannons rained down on the grassy fields and froze the slithering worms. At the same time, the torpedoes fried off the bugs that were swimming towards the longboats. *Shiiu*Shiiu*Shiiu* But the main attacking force was still the ballistas. They were pitiful in numbers against the flying hordes of insects, but each arrow took more than a hundred lives before slowing down. ¡®This is the true power of humanity,¡¯ Zyrus observed everything from the sky. Only he, Franken, and 400 Aydahar Cavelier were on the ship. None of them had to lift a finger to withstand the first wave of the attack. Magic formations, the ships¡¯ ability to devour blood and recover, and the numerous weapons lessened their losses to the bare minimum. Even before his regression, he knew that regardless of his or other elites¡¯ strength, there was no way they could protect the millions of weak humans. Talent in the technological field, passing down generations of knowledge, and last but not the least, their large numbers. These were the cornerstones for the survival of many humanoid races. *Kiiikikiki* *Kihihihi* ¡®And that¡¯s the weakness of races like that¡­¡¯ Zyrus looked down at the ten sources of eerie cackling. The sanctuary was after all a fair place. None of the races had an absolute advantage over any map. At the same time he was observing the island on Franken¡¯s back, the players received a new text. [Pugalo has awakened its subordinates] [Defeat the 10-boss level scarecrow to progress in the field raid!] [Caution! The island territory had been placed under lockdown. No one can enter or exit so long as the raid is active] ¡°Let¡¯s get closer to them.¡± ¡°Helping them already?¡± Franken asked while slamming his hooves on the clouds. The fluffy clouds behaved like a springboard and sent the duo hurling towards the other side. ¡°Not at all. I just want to see how they''ll deal with it.¡± Below, they could see the players preparing for the boss monsters. 10 thirty-meter-tall scarecrows were taking shape in the directions he had mentioned. Zyrus had told them about the spawn points in order to save time. However, there was a crucial detail that he left out. *Bang*Shiiiu*Bang* Volleys of white cannonballs and dark arrows were fired at the emerging boss monsters. ¡°What¡­!¡± ¡°How can that be?¡± Everyone was totally confounded. None of their attacks even scratched the yellow-brown straws of the scarecrow. ¡°Hehehe¡­look at those punks. They¡¯ll finally realize what it means by ¡®Weapons of War.¡¯¡± ¡°Mhm. Sure brings back bad memories,¡± Zyrus smirked alongside Franken as he looked at the players. There were big differences between each ring of the sanctuary. From the first ring, they acquired the basic system. From second, they got classes and detailed status windows. Similarly, the third ring would give other functions related to large-scale wars. Just think about it¨C there were thousands to even a million players fighting in a war. With the current system, just how many damage numbers would there be? The players would barely see what¡¯s in front of them, much less fight.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The whole idea behind the damage numbers and weak points was to train the regular players about how to fight. From the third ring, they¡¯d get the option to switch between bars and numbers for Hp, MP, stamina, etc. The neat thing was, the players could group things to get the general bars. For example, one could see the army¡¯s health and energy bar, a castle¡¯s hp, a cannon¡¯s hp and mp levels¡­etc. At the same time they¡¯d also learn what could and couldn''t be targeted by the weapons of war. *Kihihihi* ¡°Tch¡­ they wasted all that time and now it¡¯s done transforming.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re newbies at the end of the day. This should make them realize the issue.¡± And indeed, Zyrus was correct. Ria and the other leaders quickly realized their mistakes and anchored their ships near the farms. All of this happened in less than a minute, but it had huge implications. 1 minitue¨C60 seconds. It was enough time to surround the emerging boss monsters. Now, not only did the players have to fight the emerged boss, they had to deal with the bugs that spawned on the farm as well. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you say something?¡± ¡°Nope. The scarecrows aren''t that strong, just annoying. We¡¯ll at most lose a couple thousand.¡± Zyrus was prepared to suffer some losses to train his army. Losing thousands of players was common in war. Anything less than that should be called a one-sided massacre and not a war. [Prairie Fire] [Trickster Turtle] Jacob and Shi kun started the counterattack on their farms. [Creed of Sacrifice] [Weight of The Heart] Strongfist brandished his gauntlets while Kyle activated his mask. Lauren, Druv¡­everyone used their items and self-created skills to start off the battle. They weren¡¯t like Zyrus who had a unique class. Even against monsters who had an upgrade at lv 40, the Balaur summoner was just as strong. The players had it much harder as many of their skills were restricted against the boss monster. *Kikikiki* ¡°Damn it, don¡¯t engage with the boss monsters unless you¡¯re in the elite squad. Clear the field first and wait for further orders,¡± Ria¡¯s shout organized the players on all battlefields. Just based on their commanding ability alone, she was many times superior compared to Zyrus. The scarecrows waved their gigantic limbs and slammed here and there. The hands made from dried grass didn¡¯t have any weight to them, but the moment a player was touched, their entire body would be shredded apart like paper. Only Shi kun, Druv, Kyle, and Strongfist dared to attack the field boss head-on. Lauren and Jacob used their long-range attacks while Ria fought with her elite team and clairvoyance. ¡°Let''s go and finish the remaining ones!¡± ¡°Watch a while longer. After that, you deal with one, the knights will deal with one, and leave the last for anyone who has the guts to try it.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The results thus far were good considering they were attacking a higher-level area. Nonetheless, the true fight had just begun. ¡®Let me see how far you¡¯ve grown,¡¯ Zyrus kept his eyes focused on the main players. He knew very well that none except him had the power to deal with the field boss. But as his subordinates, they should be able to deal with the normal boss-level scarecrows. *Raaaaahhhh* The scarecrow let out inhumane screams once its HP went below 50%. As if it was a signal, the rest also went into the second phase regardless of their remaining HP. ¡°Stand back and use all defensive formations. Do not engage unless I order,¡± Ria commanded once again while retreating. As they say, once bitten, twice shy. The players had learned the difference between below and above lv 40 monsters. At the same time, they also realized that the 10 boss monsters and the field boss were interconnected. This raid was different from the ones they had been through. ¡®Here it comes,¡¯ Zyrus raised a mana barrier around him and Franken, and at the same time, all 10 scarecrows used the sole 2 skills they had. [Splinter Storm] [Rotten Lands] Every blade of grass shattered in an instant. The green vegetation turned into yellowish-brown splinters and shot towards the players. ¡°AH-¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± No one was able to escape from the hail of splinters. But instead of being scared, they were just confused. The splinters lodged into their skin dealt no more than 10 damage. The power of the boss monster¡¯s skill was too lacking compared to its initial momentum. ¡°Protect your skin with mana. These splinters are hard to get rid of,¡± Ria was the first who realized the issue. Removing splinters was an easy thing to do with mana, but the ones created from skill were different. It was a pity that her warning came a tad bit late. ¡°It-it¡¯s rotting!¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± The players panicked as the skin around the splinters started to darken. None were afraid to cut off the infected area, but this time, they didn¡¯t dare to make any rash action. ¡°Cut off the infected area and use your potions. We can afford them as long as we kill these bastards.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­well said. Let¡¯s go,¡± Zyrus beckoned Franken and descended from the sky. He was satisfied with the players'' performance. It was inevitable to make mistakes and be flustered when encountering new scenarios. What mattered was their ability to keep calm and obey the orders. The deciding factor was the players¡¯ courage and trust in their leaders¨C enough to carve out their flesh without making a fuss. Every other skill can be developed as long as they¡¯re willing to learn. Only after going through countless battles like these would the players gain sufficient experience. *Clank* ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Zyrus nodded at Franken and summoned his abyssal legion to be on standby. ¡°Listen up, it¡¯s up to you to deal with that.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± 400 knights set off towards the last boss monster. Read advance chapters on Patreon Chapter 138: Hollow Heart Zyrus paid close attention to the last two scarecrows. While his knights had yet to reach the targets, the other scarecrow had already reaped the lives of hundreds. ¡®It¡¯s good that there are ambitious ones as well,¡¯ Who didn¡¯t want to be in a leading position like Kyle and the rest? This was their chance to earn that spot. They could either let the strongest players do all the work or step up to earn better treatment later on. The strong would become stronger and the weak would become weaker. It was a simple yet harsh truth of the sanctuary. And the ones who understood this better than anyone were the beasts and monsters. *Hoowwl* *Rooar* 16 beast leaders roared and growled at their subordinates. They were the ones who took this opportunity to stand on the same level as the leading figures. 12 of them were subdued from Aiden¡¯s troop after the crown hunt, whereas the remaining four were leaders of the subdued monsters on the islands. What was the differing factor between a beast and a monster? The former had some intelligence and ability to develop, whereas the latter was just a brainless husk that acted on instinct. Every monster that joined any leader would automatically become a beast, becoming similar to players. ¡®They¡¯re smarter than one may expect,¡¯ Zyrus praised the beast leaders in his heart as he observed their tactics. There were all sorts of species jumbled in the beast squads. It was too difficult to form clear groups and command structures. Thus, the beasts were doing what they were best at¨C hunting. Bugs were using wave tactics? They¡¯ll do the same. Not to mention that they were even better at it. *ROOOOOAAR* *AWOOOOOO* The 16 leaders surrounded the scarecrow boss and deployed kiting tactics. It was but a matter of time before the fight reached its conclusion. [Dragonification] On the other side, 400 Aydahar Cavaler used their skills at the same time. Curved horns jutted out from their heads along with a whip-like tail at the back. But more so than the external changes, the biggest transformation was within their bones and internal organs. [Arcane Lance] [Spear Aura] ¡°Hahaha look at ¡®em go!¡± ¡°Done already? Now I really want to see your status,¡± Zyrus looked away from the knights who were spamming the weak versions of his skills and stared at Franken. He was the first one who had killed the boss monster. ¡°By all means, you should be able to. Who knows what the administrators are thinking?¡± ¡°Forget it then.¡± Zyrus shrugged his shoulders and focused on the knights. His skills like the eye of annihilation and Avatar were useless for them due to their special nature. On the other hand, aoe skills like arcane lance, fear, and spear aura were performing better than his own. ¡®Hmm¡­for the next class upgrade, I should focus on passing down my skills to the summons,¡¯ This was an unexpected stroke of inspiration. Zyus was quite shocked by the amplification of his ¡®Fear¡¯ skill. With 400 of them using it at 10% effectiveness, his knights had scared away all of the bugs on the island! What if his thousands of summons¡¯ could do the same? Forget at 10% effectiveness, just 1% was enough to change the tides. [Raid objective has been achieved!] [Additional rewards will be given to participants after the raid succeeds] [Caution! Pugalo will now descend upon the Scarecrow Island] ¡°Everyone, encircle the central farm and activate all combat-related formations.¡± ¡°On it.¡± ¡°Do we head over to the dragon of war?¡± Ria and Jacob asked one after another. Although they were injured, they had enough energy to gather the ships and aid him later on. ¡°No need. You¡¯ll be one shotted once you step on the farm,¡± Zyrus replied while swimming towards the centermost area. Even Franken didn¡¯t dare to fly at this time. Bitter memories surfaced in his eyes as he looked at the hexagonal farm shrouded in a brownish aura. This place was called the ¡®Commander¡¯s Graveyard¡¯ before his regression. Not because the commanders died in that place, but because any commander who took on this field raid would be scarred for life. 6 kings and their armies were wiped out on the first try. Instead of scaring away the others, this only fueled the players'' desire as the rewards corresponded with difficulty.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. 11 kings participated in the second wave¨C 8 of which lost their armies and 3 died. The results this time had shocked the entire continent. Finally, this drew the attention of the top rulers. 5 of them came in the third wave, 4 of whom retreated while the remaining one cleared the area once and for all. Zyrus was among the ones who retreated. Because anyone who won this battle would lose their right to be called a leader. There were two reasons for this disaster. The thing that caused the annihilation of the first two waves was the 10 field bosses. Not every leader had the ability to command their players without a moment¡¯s delay. Even if they did, would the players carve out their flesh within seconds? Even after both of these, was everyone rich enough to use potions and healing medicines on the entire army? The answer was no. This caused internal disputes and thus led to total etermination. The 5 who participated in the last wave had the power to go through this. But even so, 4 retreated before Pugalo. Zyrus stood alone on the farm and watched the descending field boss with cold eyes. A 100-feet-tall scarecrow wearing a tattered black cloak. Dried-up grass and red mana surged to create a vessel for Pugalo, and at the same time, a pitch-black scythe appeared in its hand. Just the mana it released was enough to make the players tremble. Regardless of their level or fighting prowess, every one of them was under a spine-chilling coldness. It was an instinctual fear one felt when facing a higher level of existence. This place wasn¡¯t even supposed to be accessible in the second ring. The area between the Kyros continent and the land of Farnakht was akin to a middle zone. Monsters ranging from lv 21 to 100+ existed on the ocean and the islands. Unlike on the mainland where living areas below and above lv 50 were separated via a mist zone, there was no such thing on the ocean. Zyrus himself didn¡¯t know how that''d work out for him. According to his guess, since the system wouldn¡¯t allow the players to be massacred by the high-level monsters, it had simply ¡®hidden¡¯ them. The moment the third ring was unlocked, the mist would lift and merge the whole continent. At the same time, these hidden monsters would reappear on the islands and the ocean. Leaving the future troubles aside, there was one thing the system couldn¡¯t just hide¨C the Field bosses. ¡®It¡¯s at lv 50, but it has retained its core powers of lv 100.¡¯ A lv 50 field boss should be the final target of the flag march. Hack, there were many who cleared the second ring by avoiding strong monsters altogether. There was more than one method to become a powerful ruler. [Pugalo has awakened] Two spheres of crimson fire lit up on the scarecrow¡¯s head- glaring back at Zyrus¡¯s cold yellow eyes. ¡°There¡¯ll be some monsters coming from the back, so deal with them. Under no circumstances are you to fire in this direction.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± the players replied in tandem and changed the weapons'' directions. *Rustle* Zyrus stepped on the dry grass and walked towards the towering field boss. Neither did anything except stare at one another. Because that¡¯s the only thing they could do. [Hollow Heart] That was the authority of Pugalo. The system¡¯s arrangement had nerfed it, but it was still extremely powerful¨Cmuch more than any single of Zyrus¡¯s abilities. *Thrust* Zyrus attacked Pugalo¡¯s ankle and stumbled back while throwing up blood. Two damage values were still visible in his eyesight. -4.5 -4500 ¡®Keuk-¡¯ He swept his spear again and killed the bug that had just spawned. The whole action took no more than 3 seconds. ¡®Huh...I didn¡¯t expect to learn more about celestial vitality via this,¡¯ He thought about the sensation he felt when he lost 90% of HP and repeated the same action. With his celestial vitality and recovery rate¡­he needed no more the 5 seconds to heal back up. He did the same thing over and over again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Every player was left speechless. Time passed by and their emotions changed from confusion to awe and deep respect. No one who survived thus far was stupid. Just like in their fight against Nuckelavee, there were some monsters who had special skills. One had to fulfill certain conditions in order to deal damage. The one in front of them was one such example¨Cand it was more vicious than anything they had faced so far. Zyrus stabbed the scarecrow and kneeled over while spewing out blood. A bug spawned at that exact moment and attacked him. He stood back up, killed that bug with a single swipe, and repeated the same action. 10 times¡­50 times¡­100 times¡­ Every player could see the pattern. What would be the outcome if thousands of them attacked at once? They saw the damage numbers floating up, and they knew that none of them had enough HP to take the backlash¨C much less recover and deal with the various bugs that spawned. This was something only Zyrus could do. Just like the field boss Pugalo, he too was being restricted by the system. The sanctuary maintained balance, but the prerequisite was that both sides had to be on the same league of existence. There was no balance between an ant being stepped on by a giant. ¡°You¡­should use your summons.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­.¡± Zyrus laughed with his bloody mouth as he heard Ria¡¯s voice. Indeed, he could use his summons to deal with the annoying boss. ¡®Hollow Heart¡¯ gave Pugalo immunity against the first 10,000 attacks. At the same time, the attackers would receive 1000 times the damage. Only attacks that dealt damage to Pugalo counted¨Cthat was 1000 damage at minimum. And as if this wasn¡¯t enough, it''d also summon a random insect near the attacker¡¯s location. 10,000 lives were required before one could even begin the first phase of the fight. ¡®I lost 1368 players that day,¡¯ He made a pathetic retreat after losing his comrades. Back then, he was much more emotional and attached to his subordinates. The Zyrus Wymar of that time wasn¡¯t a cold-blooded monarch. -4.5 -4500 . . He kept on repeating the same moves hundreds and thousands of times. Just as Ria had said, he could use his summons in batches to fight in a less painful and efficient manner. ¡°Do you guys think what I¡¯m doing is stupid?¡± No one answered his question. The bloodlust emitted by Zyrus had far surpassed the suppression formed by Pugalo¡¯s league of existence. Even breathing was difficult for the players¨Creplaying to him was a luxury that couldn¡¯t afford. Zyrus didn¡¯t care about any of that. He was lost in his own world. He relished in the effect of the celestial vitality and went out all his built-up frustrations. ¡°Maybe what I¡¯m doing is pointless..¡± -4500 ¡°...Stupid, and downright pathetic,¡± -4500 ¡°Nothing I do will change the past,¡± -4500 The players heard him muttering as he stood up again and again. They didn¡¯t understand what he was talking about, but they could feel it. Even Zyrus didn¡¯t know that the sheer rage and madness were conveyed through his willpower. ¡°But even so,¡± -4500 ¡°Even if it¡¯s pointless and stupid,¡± -4500 ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever the hell I want. Why? Because I¡¯m fucking strong.¡± [Hollow heart has been lifted] These weren¡¯t some motivational or wise words the players were expecting. These were just the ravings of a madman. Maybe it was for this reason that the words struck the heart of every creature. The scarecrow lifted its sickle and screamed at the orange skies above. [Caution! Pugalo is calling summoned every monster within a 100km area] The fight¡­had just begun. Chapter 139: Sweet Nightmares Zyrus retreated a dozen steps to avoid Pugalo¡¯s sickle. He wasn¡¯t worried about it summoning every monster and fish from the surrounding area¨C his fleet was more than enough to handle small fries like that. *Hissss* *Tritter* Countless bugs crawled out from the earth and charged at him. While none of them were above lv 35, such things didn¡¯t matter when they numbered in thousands. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who has a summoning skill.¡± [Come Fourth] Zyrus banged his spear on the ground and summoned his abyssal legion along with 400 amargs. A total of 900 of his troops were walking out from the numerous portals. He ignored the scarecrow¡¯s mumbling and channeled his mana into the twilight crusher. Rather than killing it, he wanted to use his flag¡¯s authority on Pugalo. Which meant that he couldn¡¯t use his void skills that attacked one¡¯s source of existence. How else would he deal with a field boss who had 1 million HP? The answer was clear. Twilight was a phase after the dawn and before dusk. Dawn was when the first ray of light reached the earth and dusk was when the last ray of light disappeared below the horizon- such rules were common in all dimensions. Naturally, he had taken the time into account before starting off this fight. [Sweet Nightmares] It was as if time had accelerated as the sun suddenly dipped below the horizon. The farm right now could truly be said to be the incarnation of nightmare. ¡°Elsid, Zirnitra, merge with the ground and take care of the bugs. Amargs, guard the border.¡± *Splatter* The legion of abyss self-exploded upon his command and killed more than 2/3rd of the insects. At the same time, his named subordinates nodded and melded with the tar-like ground. *Slicccce* *Clang* ¡°Your opponent¡­is me,¡± Zyrus blocked Pugalo¡¯s sickle which was trying to cleave the emerging ground. The two globes of crimson fire blazed as the field boss activated another of his authority. [Frenzy] The bugs that were struggling on the ground and even the ones that were attacking his fleet went berserk. The same crimson fire lit up in their eyes, increasing their strength by a notch. ¡°Focus on defense, they¡¯re burning their life essence.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± Zyrus once again attacked Pugalo after advising Ria. His attacks that dealt no more than a thousand damage were nothing to the field boss, but what he wanted now was to buy enough time. ¡®Erebus¡¯ was already stacking up to five digits. It created halo spears for every enemy he had attacked¨C the same applied to the ones summoned from the Balaur summoner class. The spears could attack at random with 1-5% of your power. And most importantly, they were invulnerable as long as the skill remained active. *Clang* The two clashed again and again. Pugalo didn¡¯t have any special skills in the first phase. It jumped around wielding its gigantic weapon and attacked everything in sight. Even the bugs summoned by it weren¡¯t spared. Zyrus guessed that the effects of sweet nightmare would last at most for an hour. He had to finish the fight before then. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t, I can use dawn- or better, drag out this fight until twilight¡­¡¯ But was there a need for that when he had so many abilities? Even when nerfed, they were enough to handle the one in front of him.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. [Noxious Shrine] A dilapidated shrine appeared behind Zyrus. Its tattered red roof and decaying pillar were in harmony with the ghastly environment. *Clang* The golden bell shrouded with a green halo became the biggest source of light. The players who occasionally glanced at this place were scared witless. A hundred-foot-tall sickle-wielding scarecrow, the farm filled with countless bugs and a black abomination that was swatting them¡­. Zyrus and the shrine were by far the most normal-looking ones. *Clang* The clash of their weapons rhymed with the tolling bell. Pugalo was trying to destroy the shrine while Zyrus was busy fending off its blows. ¡®It¡¯s about time we kick this off,¡¯ ¡°Break its defense Franken.¡± ¡°On it.¡± *Roooooar* Not even a second had passed before two shining antlers slammed on Pugalo¡¯s chest. ¡°ATTACK!¡± *Whiip* The abomination born from the abyssal legion slashed with its tentacles and tore apart the scarecrow¡¯s chest. Rather than the physical force, what dealt the blow was the byssal mana and the halo spears. -200,000 That was the final damage value that popped up above the field boss. Normally, 1-5% damage dealt by Erebus wouldn¡¯t even scratch the defense of Pugalo. But everything changed with Franken¡¯s one-time attack. ¡°Your skill¡¯s pretty great.¡± ¡°Of course it is. A pity that I can only use it once on the same target,¡± Franken replied as he carried off Zyrus. He had used the same skill to finish off the other scarecrow boss before. The duo stood on the roof of the shrine and watched the transforming Pugalo. Its dark brown straws took on a metallic luster while the fire in his eyes blazed with more intensity. Zyrus already had a plan in mind for the second phase. His poison-related abilities were useless against most of the bugs and Pugalo. Even the shrine¡¯s debuffs like Sacrilege, Anathema, Desecration, and Heresy were ineffective on it. ¡®But I¡¯m pretty sure apostasy would work.¡¯ *chiiiing* All 10,000 straws that made Pugalo shot off in every direction. The bugs were shredded apart and all of his summons died except for Elsid and Zirnitra. ¡°Damn! What a vicious attack. There¡¯s no way to survive unless you know how to fly.¡± ¡°There is one. Just use the players and their corpses as a meat shield." ¡°Tch¡­vicious.¡± Pugalo was furious as its attack had done nothing to Zyrus. How would it know that his opponent had memorized all of its skill patterns? ¡°Zirnitra, protect the shrine with your shield. You two attack the moment apostasy is triggered,¡± Zyrus shouted off his orders and dived down towards the fuming scarecrow. [Arcane lance] [Spear Aura] [Wrath of Jotunn] He used everything in his arsenal to deal damage. His regen rate and vitality weren¡¯t omnipotent. He knew that if he took a hit on a fatal area¨C then he¡¯d lose more than his max HP and lose his life. 10k,20k,50k,100k¡­ The damage kept accumulating as he clashed with Pugalo. He even used long cooldown skills like Quake in order to deal the most amount of damage in a short time. ¡®It¡¯s fortunate that I can hit its head every time.¡¯ But even after hitting its weak spot, 100k was his limit. A quarter of an hour had passed since he activated the sweet nightmare and noxious shrine. *Clang* Finally, the moment he was waiting for arrived. [Avatar] Zyrus transformed into an abyssal dragon and clawed at Pugalo. At the same time, Franken, Zirnitra, and Elsid attacked it with their max power and retreated. Apostacy: There is a 10% probability that the poisoned targets will abandon their faith. For a being like Pugalo, its faith was the very core of its existence. Anything that affected that was bound to deal fatal damage. The towering scarecrow was now kneeling down and howling in pain. Magma-like tears were flowing down from its hollow eyes. It did nothing and let the black dragon tear apart its body. ¡®If not for the system, it¡¯d never wake up from this¡­¡¯ Even Zyrus was surprised by apostasy¡¯s effectiveness. If he knew this beforehand then he¡¯d have used this to deal with the final part. 100k,200k¡­.700k At last, Pugalo awoke after losing 70% of its HP. By the time it realized what had happened, it was already transforming into the final phase. ¡°Too late,¡± Zyrus shook his head and walked over to the shrinking Pugalo. In the third phase, it had two main skills. Blessing of Famine¨C which gave the players a ¡®hunger¡¯ debuff and decreased their energy levels. The second one was ''Guardian¡¯s Vengeance'' which increased Pugalo¡¯s speed and penetration bonus proportional to the damage it had received. Zyrus didn¡¯t care about the first one as such a weak debuff was nothing against his willpower. As for the second one, there was only one outcome¨C death. With the amount of damage he had dealt to Pugalo, it could pretty much one-shot him. ¡®So there¡¯s only two things I can do.¡¯ Zyrus channeled all of his power to use the 13 curses of void. He didn¡¯t want to erase Pugalo from existence because he wanted to use his authority ¡®Numen¡¯ on it. You can appoint slain foes as the ¡®Watcher¡¯ of your base¨C these were the exact words written on the authority¡¯s description. Thus, his goal from the start was to kill Pugalo while keeping his source of existence. He knew that the field bosses had their source controlled by the system. Only their physical body descended on the various rings, and their source of existence was used to create such bodies in every loop. Camazotz, Tauranox, Nuckelavee¡­none of them could be ''reused'' after he had erased their existence. ¡®And the same would happen to it.¡¯ It was just that this time, Pugalo wouldn¡¯t disappear. [Eye of Annihilation] Time seemed to slow down as millions of white threads became visible in Zyrus¡¯s eyes. Read 12 advance chapters for 5$ on Patreon Chapter 140: He who slays the Fallen From the first week of the tutorial to this day, the eye of annihilation had improved a lot. At first he could at most see the enemy¡¯s weak spots and mana flow. Now, he could ¡®see¡¯ the threads of laws with his bare eyes. This wouldn¡¯t have been possible if not for his experience during blood fusion. He had seen these white threads for the first time when he was eating the burrow rat king¡¯s soul. Thanks to the right direction it gave, he was now able to see the scene in front of him¨Calbeit temporarily. Zyrus had guessed long ago that these threads were maintained by the system. He had to sever them in order to capture Pugalo while maintaining his source of existence. ¡®But that¡­is impossible.¡¯ He knew that he wouldn¡¯t have such power unless he worked hard for another thousand years. And even if he succeeded, who¡¯s to say that Pugalo wouldn¡¯t go out of control? In the end the flag¡¯s authority was also maintained by the system. So instead of severing these threads, he had to manipulate them by using his 13 curses of void and Numen¡¯s ability. ¡®Instead of fighting, it¡¯s more like performing a surgery¡­¡¯ He had to accomplish this task in just 10 seconds¨Cotherwise he could only appoint a husk of Pugalo as the watcher. [Curse of Collapse] Zyrus couldn¡¯t affect the threads with his power, but what about the space around them? he used the curse of collapse to contract all of the threads near the center of Pugalo. ¡®This was the easy part,¡¯ [Curse of Nothingness] [Curse of Uncertainty] Next up, he used the following two curses simultaneously. In the slow-motion vision of his eyes, he saw dozens of chains pop out and bind the area where the threads connected with Pugalo. Curse of nothingness had a two-pronged ability. First, to erase the part bound by shackles, and second, to erase one¡¯s mental strength or willpower. At the same time, the curse of uncertainty allowed him to bypass the threads'' domain and directly attack the parts they were connected to. If we take a puppet as an analogy¨C then this process was similar to binding the strings that were controlling the puppet and then destroying the puppet¡¯s parts which were connected to the strings. Of course, the difficulty was much greater. Pugalo was after all a mighty being and not a mere puppet. Not to mention that the system¡¯s power influenced its very source of existence. ¡®Phew¡­3 seconds left,¡¯ Zyrus took a deep breath and focused with all his willpower. The last and final step was the most crucial. To put it bluntly, whatever he had done so far hadn¡¯t affected the threads at all. He was simply nudging them here and there to place them in the desired location. Now, he had to sever the puppet and at the same time, bind it with new threads and attach those threads to the old ones. There were three tasks to be done in the final step. Destroying Pugalo¡¯s source of existence would mean its total annihilation. The threads would detach from it on their own when that happened. [Curse of Oblivion] This was the first time Zyrus was extending the quantum field outside of his body. Rather than any offensive ability, what he needed was something that could ¡®deceive¡¯ the system into thinking that Pugalo was dead. ¡®Here goes nothing,¡¯ He extended the field upon every point where the threads were connected. The curse of uncertainty paved the road for the other two curses.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Curse of Oblivion used a concept similar to wave interference. Just like how waves could erase one another at certain frequency, he created virtual particles to erase the energy field created by the threads. At the same instant when there was a momentary boundary between the threads and Pugalo, he used the curse of nothingness to erase those parts. [Congratulations! You have defeated the Guardian of the Farmlands: Pugalo] [Congratulations! You have earned the achievement: He who slays the Fallen (A)] [¡­] ¡®Eureka!¡¯ Zyrus barely held in the impulse to cheer out loud. Pugalo had still over 25% of his health left, and yet, it was deemed dead by the system. He knew that this was just temporary as the field created by him could at most fool the system for a brief moment. ¡®And that brief moment is all I need¡­¡¯ He ignored the surge of exp and reward messages and used the last bits of his mana to activate the flag¡¯s authority¨CNumen. <-< Detected a special lifeform! Would you like to use the authority ¡®Numen¡¯? >-> -Yes/No Zyrus didn¡¯t hesitate and clicked Yes. In the next instance, Pugalo¡¯s ¡®corpse¡¯ crumbled into dark particles. *ROOOOOOAAR* ¡®Ugh- sure enough, I knew it¡¯d come to this,¡¯ Zyrus held his throbbing head and looked at the black whirlwind that was forming at the center of the farm. Unlike when he used the authority on Camazotz, there were two big differences this time. First, there was no medium to appoint the watcher¨C and second, Pugalo¡¯s willpower was intact along with 30% of his life energy! But Zyrus was already prepared for this. To solve the first issue, he was always working on using his summons as totems since the start of the flag march. Now was the perfect time to put the theories he came up with into practice. And as for the second, it was even easier. ¡®I just have to disperse its remaining energy and subdue its will,¡¯ Create Dusk. ATK +100, Agility +5 for all allies and summons. You can use the skills [Vesper¡¯s Blessing], [Nocturne], and [Erebus] at Dusk. Vesper¡¯s Blessing (Passive): Activates if Shadows are visible behind your enemy. You can link your attacks with the enemy¡¯s shadows at 80% power. Nocturne: Veil the ground in shadows for one minute. Ignore defense by 50%, increase weakness damage by 20%. Erebus (Passive): Create halo spears for every enemy you have attacked. The spears will attack at random with 1-5% of your power. They are invulnerable as long as the skill is active. Duration: 30 minutes CD: 1 day Zyrus activated Nocturne and Rage of the Jotunn at the same time. The entire farm was engulfed in dark grey shadows that bound the howling whirlwind. At the same time, his gauntlets glowed with starry radiance as he channeled his recovered mana. Pugalo didn¡¯t have a specific physical form at the moment, so its entire body was skin to its weakness. Rage of the Jotunn that built stacks after hitting weak spots and increased critical damage was perfect at a time like this. Zyrus didn¡¯t use any skills and just relied on the basic combo of Slash, Thrust, and Sweep to deal with the miniature whirlwind. *Roooooar* There weren¡¯t any damage numbers or flashy effects of his skills, but he knew that he was dealing damage in five digits with every move. Pugalo¡¯s energy became more and more hazy, and at the same time, a foreign will started to invade his consciousness. ¡®I have a lot of good abilities already¡­.I''d better focus on building a proper combat system to utilize all of them¡­¡¯ *Scatter* The whirlwind burst apart like a firecracker and spread across the entire 100 km radius. Be it the players who were busy defending their ships or the monsters who were attacking in droves, everyone was forced to stop after seeing this sight. The dark particles were in a stark contrast against the evening sky. It was akin to looking at the night sky filled with dead stars. ¡°Go back.¡± Zyrus sent off Elsid and Zirnitra and beckoned the scattered amargs to the center. This was the last thing he could do before both his consciousness and his source of origin were invaded by Pugalo. ¡­ ¡°Lost your temper after dying huh.¡± Wills of Zyrus and Pugalo stood face to face in his consciousness. Even though both of them were incredibly strong in their past, this was an unfamiliar yet fascinating experience for them. ¡°What now? Will you submit or are you trying to take over my will?¡± Indeed, once his powers of void went out of control, both he and everything connected to him would be erased from existence. ¡°Submit then.¡± Zyrus was once again surprised as he looked into Pugalo¡¯s eyes. Compared to the blazing fireballs he saw before, the ones in front of him were nothing but dying embers. ¡°Don¡¯t you think what I accomplished just before was amazing? I dare say I might be the one and only being who could use such unorthodox methods.¡± He wasn¡¯t just tooting his own horn. His achievement had a great impact on not only his but the entire sanctuary¡¯s future. For the first time since the sanctuary was created, someone had figured out a method to subdue the field bosses. Even if he died in the middle of his journey, Zyrus would leave the deepest marks in the sanctuary. ¡°I know.¡± Pugalo stepped forward and pointed his straw finger at Zyrus¡¯s forehead. No further words were needed in the realm of consciousness. ¡°A test huh, bring it on then,¡± Zyrus chuckled and bent his head forward. Chapter 141: Nothing remained of that Civilization A gentle breeze passed by the lush farmland. Zyrus¡¯s vision was filled with swaying golden wheat and a soothing blue sky. It was a scene anyone would be mesmerized by. ¡®Shi kun didn¡¯t know how right he was,¡¯ The more beautiful it looked, the more fucked up it¡¯ll be later on. Zyrus had no choice but to be a bystander in this scene. What surprised him was the fact that despite being a scarecrow he could feel the wind and smell the earth. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to come as well.¡± Indeed, unlike when he saw the past of Camazotz as a film, he was now merged with Pugalo¡¯s body and mind. There was a big difference between witnessing a dead person¡¯s past versus watching their life unfold alongside them. Zyrus didn¡¯t rush Pugalo and let it enjoy the peaceful memories. How long did it last? The sun went up and down and seasons passed by. The farm changed alongside the weather, as if it was becoming more and more alive. ¡°No, it is becoming alive!¡± ¡°Yes¡­and No.¡± Zyrus knew what happened after one died in the sanctuary, but Pugalo was obviously talking about something different. This was the question humans pondered upon since the moment they gained awareness. There were many ideologies¨Cand Zyrus used to believe in the scientific concept of life. But now, things were different. He was sure that one didn¡¯t simply cease to exist after their death. ¡°The ability to think, feel, and express oneself?¡± ¡°Not sure. As far as I know, it¡¯s a natural phenomenon that occurs via evolution.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Zyrus nodded his straw-stuffed neck at Pugalo, not that either of them were ¡®real¡¯ in this landscape. ¡°I see¡­¡± Zyrus already guessed what Pugalo was going for. He too had similar thoughts back on earth, it¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t believe them to be the whole truth. Zyrus didn¡¯t interrupt Pugalo and listened to it talk about the world¡¯s will and cycle of reincarnation. Understanding different perspectives was crucial in developing any theory. Zyrus guessed a lot from Pugalo¡¯s thoughts. What would happen if the mountain or a lake which had yet to gain sentience is changed? The answer was clear. It also explained why there weren¡¯t any sentient inanimate objects on earth despite its long history.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Pugalo waved his hands and the seasons changed faster and faster. The farm stretched as far as Zyrus¡¯s eyes could see. He felt the different grains and fruits growing and withering away, and each time, the farm became more and more alive. Just how many people did it feed? This farm was the lifeblood of millions of lives. This place was different from any he had seen thus far. This was a world on a higher level of existence. Each fruit that grew on this farm was enough to satiate a dragon for a whole year. The humanoids living here had long lives and low reproduction rates. The fact that this farm was feeding millions was a testament to its importance. Years and decades passed by until one day¨Cthe tide changed. There was neither an alien invasion nor any war or natural disaster. What brought the farmlands destruction was an ore that was discovered beneath a well. At first, it was nothing more than a momentary interest in the people''s boring yet peaceful lives. That was until they discovered the real use of the ore¨Cit could enhance their level of existence. The entire world went into a frenzy after the discovery. Who didn¡¯t want to become more powerful and live longer? As for the food, there were other less fertile areas that''d provide enough food. The land that had fed them for countless eras was ravaged to find more ores. Not one person felt sentimental towards it. Who would feel bad for digging the ground? But, as always, there was an exception. It too was ignored thrown into trash by the people. ¡°How did you keep your sanity?¡± Zyrus asked Pugalo who was watching on with emotionless eyes. The scarecrow was thrown into a pile of garbage alongside the fledgling plants and soft soil. They were not needed anymore. They were a hindrance in the mining process. Thus, they were discarded. This was a normal process no matter how one looked at it. Zyrus wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it either if he hadn¡¯t heard Pugalo¡¯s previous words. Zyrus listened to Pugalo¡¯s voice filled with grief and hatred. The whole picture was already clear in his mind. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Perhaps a bystander would think so, but not him. Zyrus knew better than anyone what the scarecrow felt that day. Imagine this¨C a being living a quiet life alongside their companion without bothering anyone. They even fed others for countless years. But one day, the same people came with their sharp weapons and killed them. They killed its pregnant companion and dug out the hearts of their unborn children, right in front of its eyes. The scenes changed along with Pugalo¡¯s raging emotions. The sentient core that was about to take shape was destroyed, the will of the land was shattered, and the one who was guarding them was decaying beneath a pile of filth. But not all of their essence was lost. Day by day the scarecrow evolved by merging with the broken fragments. The fertile soil became its flesh and the tender plants became its veins. Even though its insides were filled with life and a boundless power¡­its heart remained hollow. It was given the name Pugalo by the people, and except for that name, nothing remained of that civilization. Zyrus watched the enormous scarecrow bring down the world''s annihilation. No one had noticed how it all began or how it ended. The fertile lands were desertified, the ocean overthrew the rivers and drowned countless cities, the clouds scattered and the whole atmosphere was broken down. Even though there were countless people who were above lv 200 by the sanctuary¡¯s standards, there was no food or water. They could survive with just the world¡¯s energy, but that too was limited. For the first time, the world was engulfed in war and famine. Millions died each day, and before long, they didn¡¯t even know what they were fighting for. The unified civilization was shattered, and the divided ones fought to regain their sovereignty. Decades and centuries passed by as the population dwindled with each war. The weight of grudge and hatred had pressed down the seed of evolution. Even if a group desired peace or found a solution, Pugalo would destroy them without anyone¡¯s notice. It was strong. Strong enough to destroy the world in a single day. And yet, it waited. Just like it was waiting for the birth of the land spirits, it now waited for the world to end. It wasn¡¯t long before Pugalo didn¡¯t even have to lift its hand. People fought, fought, and fought. They destroyed and looted what others had, and soon enough, everyone forgot how to create something. It was the first time Zyrus was seeing a civilization regress in such a way. Pugalo¡¯s words were still ringing in his eyes. ¡°Indeed¡­it¡¯s a fate worse than death.¡± An entire thriving civilization was destroyed from its roots. The once intelligent and proud beings were reduced to mere animals by a single scarecrow. Their wills were eroded generation after generation until not a single sentient creature was left. Everything vanished in his vision except a single spot. It was a tiny sapling growing on a deserted city. After the apocalypse that lasted for millennias, a new era began. That was the last scene Pugalo saw before leaving the planet. Chapter 142: Rulers are like that Pugalo and Zyrus stared at one another in an empty space. Both of them needed some time to think things over. The remaining half of Pugalo¡¯s sentence didn¡¯t need to be said. Either it¡¯d submit to Zyrus or both would perish together. ¡®Of course, the latter wouldn¡¯t happen as long as I have the cube¡­¡¯ Zyrus was quite sure of his assumption. Wouldn¡¯t it be a joke if he died by someone invading his will while he was the one who¡¯d initiated the contact? Regardless of that, his goal was to convince Pugalo and get the scarecrow field boss as a subordinate. It was a crucial piece in the next part of his plan. ¡®Two options. Either I speak what it wants to hear, or the truth.¡¯ The answer was obvious. He wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to betray his own thoughts and deceive someone to become his subordinate. A husk of Pugalo was better than the living one who didn¡¯t have the guts to accept the reality. ¡°Haa¡­whatever. If you want to hear my thoughts, then so be it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re expecting someone to condemn your choice or perhaps seek justice on behalf of the ones you¡¯ve killed?¡± <¡­> ¡°Before I continue, be honest. What are your own thoughts on the matter? What do you want to hear?¡± Zyrus¡¯s words proved that he didn¡¯t care what Pugalo thought either way. He was simply curious. Pugalo¡¯s answer was blatantly suggestive. It wanted someone who could lift the guilt and burden on its heart. This was yet another test. But, it was a pity that Zyrus wasn¡¯t exactly a nice guy. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too highly of yourself. You¡¯re strong, but when it comes down to it, you¡¯re nothing but a dumbass. Maybe even worse.¡± Pugalo didn¡¯t know how to feel after being called out like that. He expected something like a devil or a heartless monster, but this¡­ ¡°Just to be clear, I¡¯m not saying this to affect your emotions. It¡¯s the plain hard truth no matter how you look at it. You think they didn¡¯t know what the ¡®ore¡¯ was? No one knew the so-called earth spirits were about to be born? What a joke.¡± Pugalo was deeply unsettled by his remark. Zyrus¡¯s words were shaking the very foundation of its existence. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the past with your eyes, and I can tell that you¡¯re taking their intelligence for granted. Perhaps they didn¡¯t know about the impending birth of the spirits, but what about after figuring out the purpose of the ¡®ore¡¯- or in your words, the hearts?¡± ¡°Why did they kill knowing all that? Heh, why wouldn¡¯t they? An unknown species stronger than them was about to be born, right under their asses. What do you think they¡¯d do? Negotiate? Subjugation? Peaceful cooperation? Too many risks. Any half-competent ruler wouldn¡¯t take the risk.¡± Pugalo was shocked to the core once again. It always believed that the ignorant people did the atrocious things without knowing anything better, that was the reason he felt some guilt towards their later generation. From their perspective, he was the one who was really cruel. But after hearing Zyrus, Pugalo felt even more enraged as the last bits of guilt and sympathy vanished from its conscience. ¡°Cruel? Heartless? Rulers are like that. It¡¯s not always flowers and sunshine for the one sitting on the throne. Who would take the blame if the spirits grew up and decided to fight against the natives? Who would bear the weight of countless lives that¡¯d be lost in a potential conflict? The burden of that is much less than making a preemptive attack.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Zyrus knew better than anyone what it felt like to hold the fate of your entire species in your hand. It felt grand being hailed as a monarch and an emperor, but it wasn¡¯t without a cost. A ruffian or a tribal chief could wage war in a moment of impulse- they could act with emotions and do as their heart desired. But a true ruler didn¡¯t have that luxury. Pity on the enemy meant accepting the burden for the rebellion they could cause in the future. Being ruthless on the enemy meant that the moment you lost the war, your people would face the same cruelty. Both paths were filled with thorns. Rather than being angry, Pugalo just felt listless. It didn¡¯t expect to learn the whole truth after all these years. ¡°Right or Wrong, it''s subjective. What matters is something much more simple¨C Power. You were forced to watch the spirits die because you were weaker than the attackers. Their civilization was destroyed because they were weaker than you. It¡¯s that simple. Is there a need to know who¡¯s right or wrong?¡± A heavy silence ensued after his words. As much as Pugalo wanted to refute Zyrus¡¯s words, it couldn¡¯t find the reason to do so. Justice was nothing but a farce without the methods to implement it. Why did the governing system like courts exist in the first place? It was to remove the notion that strength ruled above all. This was the foundation of peace and development for any thriving civilization. Pugalo asked with a defeated yet relieved expression. It was clear that it had accepted Zyrus¡¯s proposal. ¡°I¡¯d rather strike them first than seek revenge. Even if I do seek it, I¡¯d just destroy the whole damn planet and be done with it.¡± Zyrus simply shrugged at its response. There was no way to explain how he and the rest of humanity felt when they were forced to survive in a lawless place. ¡®But all of that¡¯s in the past¡­¡¯ Neither Zyrus nor anyone else had the strength to create a stable civilization. No matter how grand and vast the Sanctuary and Streit bastion were, they were nothing but army camps in essence. ¡°Let¡¯s head back. I look forward to seeing your might as a watcher of the second zone.¡± Pugalo knelt on one knee and accepted his authority. As for listening to how it ended up in the sanctuary¡­it was better to leave it after the raid was over. ¡­ Zyrus was welcomed by the cheering crowd of players and a non-stop flash of system messages. Barely any time had passed from the moment he destroyed the whirlpool. ¡°Distribute the loot.¡± ¡°All hail his majesty!¡± ¡°All hail his majesty!¡± The players jumped at the piled-up loot from the field boss raid. Although they could touch nothing except what the system gave them as a reward, the action itself was satisfying. Zyrus was in no rush to collect his loot and post-raid analysis. He plopped on the ground which was already regaining its original color and checked the tabs one by one. [Congratulations! You have defeated the guardian of the Farmlands: Pugalo] [Congratulations! You have earned the achievement: He who slays the Fallen (A)] [SP +7, Increased Slash Resistance against boss monsters] [You have dealt the most damage to the field boss!] [You have dealt the final blow to the field boss!] [SP +3, When fighting against a boss level monster, Critical rate +5%, Critical damage +10%] The rewards were below average for what he¡¯d accomplished so far. But considering that the biggest gain was Pugalo itself, Zyrus was more than satisfied with the outcome. He glanced over the complimentary equipment given to the raid participants and focused on the last few messages. ¡®What matters right now are the rewards from the flag march,¡¯ <{Congratulations! You have conquered one of the islands of Pisces archipelago}> <{All stats +15, HP + 100, MP + 20, Stamina + 30, on conquered territory}> <{No roaming monsters would attack the conquered territory}> The fish tide had retreated long before the players received the message. Thanks to the advantage given by the weapons of war, the player¡¯s casualty was kept at a minimum. Just as everyone was done collecting their spoils, another round of notifications rang out along with beautiful fireworks. *Boom* *Crackle* Vibrant flowers of red, green, and blue blossomed in the dark sky. What they had achieved was no small feat, and the sanctuary didn¡¯t shy off from giving them the rewards and recognition they had earned. |---| You have conquered two of the three Zones of Pisces archipelago! |---| |---| Additional Rewards will be given to the Mighty Conquerors! |---| And for the third time since the start of the flag march, a world announcement was made across the second ring. [|] World announcement! Players have conquered the second zone beyond the continent of Kyros [|] [Maps have been updated] The crowd erupted in another round of cheers and celebration. The night of victory belonged to them. <{Buffs will be increased by 20% in the conquered Zone}> <{Hostile monsters and players will have their stats reduced by 20% in the conquered Zone}> <{Exp gain will increase by 15% in the conquered zone}> [You have gained the Motif: Advanced Invaders] [Effect: Firepower of the weapons of war will be increased when invading a force with an inferior technological level] At last, what Zyrus was most eager for appeared on a golden screen. <{ You have met the conditions to create a unique authority }> Read 12 advance chapters on patreon Chapter 143: Winds of Marduk Note: The generated authorities are permanent and they will be created with a fair evaluation. While you can not interfere in the process, you can ask for a desired direction for the authority. Note: You have one chance to give the input. It is advised that you use this option carefully as giving unrelated directions would be futile. The same words appeared in front of his eyes once more. As much as he liked having more skills and authorities, he knew from the start that there was a limit to it. A single mastered skill was better than a bunch of random ones. There was a limit to the benefits provided by the system. The more skills one had, the harder it''d be to improve all of them. ¡®But there¡¯s an age-old solution for that¨C Fusion.¡¯ Both skills and authorities could be fused/evolved with one another. There was a right time for everything. The best time to learn new skills was in the first and second ring. Although the skills awarded by the system and the ones created by players in short ten years were weak, they were perfect to lay down the foundation. How could one just learn a powerful skill without meeting the minimum requirement? For example, even if a player obtained the scroll of the S rank skill related to archery, he wouldn¡¯t be able to control it without any previous knowledge in the field. Class, race, and skills in possession were key factors in utilizing a high-rank skill. However, such limitations didn¡¯t apply in the starting levels. Players can learn the weak and generic versions of powerful skills, and improve them step by step after getting the blessing of order. Zyrus knew better than anyone that getting the blessing after ascending each ring was the most important aspect. ¡®I can get one more authority after this, and a possibility of a subclass¡­¡¯ Zyrus was long since prepared for this. Starting from the third ring, his focus would be on finding more supportive skills like Eyes of Annihilation. As far as his combat system was concerned, he was confident in covering all aspects with the time he had left in the second ring. <{Please think of the desired direction and place your finger under the empty space}> There was no hesitation in his eyes as he thought about the input. <{Desired Direction: Long Range}> <{Analyzing¡­.direction approved}> <{Generating new authority¡­}> Zyrus knew that what he lacked the most right now was a long-range attack. His single target and aoe prowess were off the charts, and the class he was working on would deal with the middle level. Thus, what he needed were two supplementary paths for his next authorities¨C Range and Mobility. <{The authority ¡°Winds of Marduk¡± will be applied to your flag!}> He clicked on the flag march and the familiar screen popped up once again. The flag¡¯s tier was upgraded a few times while he was away. [March forth to claim your throne, and conquer the vast lands with your flag held high] [You have created multiple bases on ] [You have conquered two zones on ] [Your Blank Flag has risen to Tier 7!] [Inventory has expanded! You can store more resources on each base.] [Shop is upgraded! You can now purchase basic knowledge on the weapons of war] -You can now transfer resources without paying any charges -Size and weight limits of the transferred objects are raised -Additional features are added to aid in management |Blank Flag: Tier 7| The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Territory effect: +27.5% Exp gain, +30% MP and Stamina while defending, +12.5% loot gain (Zonal effects are excluded) A primal force that transcends the worlds, The Eternal Watchers who guard the realm. [You can appoint slain foes as the ¡®Watcher¡¯ of your base] [Base specific and overall effects will depend on the appointed Watcher¡¯s skills and traits] [Note: Only special creatures can be appointed as a Watcher] May thy call reach the forgotten realms, May the warriors of yore answer thy summons. [You can build a summoning altar in each conquered zone] [The summoning targets are selected at random. Their numbers, strength, and race will depend on your faction¡¯s composition and your activity.] [Note: There is a possibility that some of the summoned creatures will be hostile towards you. This authority only allows you to summon them.] [Note: You can only connect with a single plane of existence using this authority. However, you can continuously summon more creatures from there after fulfilling the necessary conditions] Time limit: ??? (Depends on the targeted plane) The gales of Celestia shall obey your will. [You can build Sulanga Platforms to summon the Winds of Marduk] [Each base can sustain one platform, +3 for each zone] [The summoned winds have a maximum speed of 1000 km/h and a maximum travel distance of 2500 km] [You can manipulate the winds by sacrificing sufficient mana] [You can execute your skills at 10% power by using the authority as a medium] [Note: Only personal skills can be used this way. Class-related skills, authorities, titles, bloodline, etc.. are unable to be used via a medium] [Note: It is possible to improve the power and range of the ''Winds of Marduk'' by using multiple platforms] Time Limit: None Cost: 1000 Mana Unit/sec ¡®Damn, that¡¯s simply burning money!¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s flames of excitement were doused by the utterly ridiculous cost. The players right now didn¡¯t even know what a mana unit was. This authority was pretty much a showpiece for the time being. ¡®At least it¡¯s stronger than I¡¯d thought,¡¯ He was planning on using the authority to assimilate his original skills, but he was too poor to even activate it for a second. Zyrus decided to keep the best news of Pugalo for the last part and checked on the remaining details. [Buffs] - Shipbuilding efficiency +25% - Logging efficiency +30% - Military research efficiency +15% - Ballista production +15% - Torpedo production +10% . Cannon production + 10% . . . <{New classes are added to your faction! Anyone who joins you can directly acquire/change their classes to the ones mentioned below}> [Class ascension is now available! Players with sufficient contribution will gain the Advanced class] - Tanner - Butcher - Lumberjack - Shipbuilder - Military Researcher - Tentmaker - Voyager - Scholar . . The list went on and on ending with the Advanced Tanner, Advanced Butcher¡­and so on. The buffs and classes might not look like much, but they were the core of the entire player base. Except for the top few %, a vast majority would rely on them to progress in the sanctuary. At last, it was time to check his biggest gain. <-< A watcher has been appointed to this base >-> [Base Effects] Fertile Lands: Growth and compatibility of all plant life forms are increased by 50-100% Hollow transformation: Based on the power of flora, you can manifest ''Pugalo'' and trigger hollow transformation in all plant-type lifeforms. [Overall Effects] -Improved land fertility -Non-hostile animals will spawn depending on the flora level Considering the environment of this island and Pugalo¡¯s past, the effects were as expected. What Zyrus wanted was also similar¨C fertile soil and a powerful trump card against the invaders. He had never considered farming to feed his army as the end goal. He knew better than anyone that he didn¡¯t have the talent in that area, so, he¡¯d just ¡®collect¡¯ food from others. Even now the players were doing just fine by eating seafood and occasionally importing food from the main continent. The shop prices were rather high¨C but the same was true for the oceanic products they were selling. ¡®I wonder where they are¡­¡¯ Zyrus looked around the island to find Kyle and the others, but they were nowhere in sight. The festive atmosphere was too rowdy to look for someone among thousands of players. In the end, he decided to stroll towards the dragon of war and rest for the day. He wanted to make this island the public capital of his Empire, and for that, he needed to be in charge of the overall reformation. The word ¡®Public¡¯ was the key here. This island was without a doubt a very beautiful place, but it didn¡¯t have any defending advantages. It was more suited for a picnic spot or a trading port rather than the capital. Nonetheless, Zyrus had a solution in mind. His true headquarters would be located in the third zone as long as he stayed in the sanctuary. He didn¡¯t plan to allow any unrelated personnel into the third zone, so this island would be perfect for interacting with other factions. ¡®And if someone attacks here thinking that the defenses are weak¡­I¡¯d be waiting for them to test the hollow transformation.¡¯ Just as he started to think about a devious scheme to bait his enemies, a side glace caught him totally off guard. ¡°Did you get robbed or what?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­can we talk in private?¡± ¡°Sure, I was looking for you guys anyway,¡± Zyrus nodded with a bemused smile. Be it Ria who asked the question or the rest of the leaders who were with her, all of them were ¡®stripped¡¯ of their equipment. They stood out like sore thumbs with the plain clothes they were wearing. Except for the items he had given them, they didn¡¯t have a single thing on. Even the production class players looked more well off than them. Chapter 144: Vuur Bonsai Zyrus and the crew sat around a raging bonfire. The night wind carried the aroma of sizzling meat and vegetables, but no one had their eyes focused on the skewers. Everyone was looking for someone to start the conversation. ¡°Cough, I¡¯ll explain why we sold off our items,¡± Lauren cleared her throat and spoke everyone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°We all saw the contribution system, and in order to buy what we needed, we decided to trade with the other players.¡± ¡°Why sell? I doubt it¡¯d take you long to accumulate the points,¡± Zyrus asked as he observed their serious faces. ¡°I- no, we think that it would be more beneficial if we do this before going through our class upgrades.¡± Lauren¡¯s words earned a nod from everyone present, including Zyrus. He was able to guess what they wanted to buy using the contribution points. ¡°Should I praise your wits or be sad about the morons who bought your items?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s better this way,¡± Kyle returned Zyrus¡¯s Knowing smile and continued, ¡°There are quite a few players who think that we¡¯ve earned our position and strength by relying on the items you¡¯ve given us. They know that the earlier one joined, the more benefits they¡¯d get from you.¡± ¡°But knowing doesn¡¯t mean accepting,¡± Zyrus completed the following sentence. ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°But are they wrong?¡± ¡°Right now, they¡¯re not.¡± Zyrus was more than satisfied with Kyle¡¯s answer. More than that, he appreciated the fact that the leading figures under him were united. It was true to assume that the current strength of the group was dependent on the items he gave them. But only they themselves knew the key factor behind their rise in power¨C Zyrus¡¯s knowledge. ¡°The players don¡¯t seem to care about the information. Out of the 2568 transactions, not a single one has bought any information,¡± Zyrus told them the details he had just checked out. It wasn¡¯t unexpected as the first thing players wanted was something that could ensure their survival. Only those confident in their strength would think far ahead in the future. Everyone would know about this meeting soon enough. The ambitious players could try their luck on the ¡®weakened¡¯ players, but would they succeed? Of course not. This event would show them how valuable Zyrus¡¯s knowledge was. ¡°Alright then, what do you want to know?¡± Zyrus took out a cooked skewer and started eating. Even if the others were too eager to ask him, they had no choice but to calm down and follow his action. ¡°We¡¯ve collected a total of 10,000 points to buy information on ¡®Laws¡¯.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­Kyle, Lauren, Shi kun, Jacob, Ria, Druv, and Strongfist. After I told you the info that¡¯s priced at 1000, you¡¯ll have about 400 points left. I¡¯d advise you to use them together.¡± Zyrus¡¯s hint was pretty obvious. The leaders would definitely use them to ask about class and race upgrades, both of which were priced at 200 points. What they didn¡¯t know was that two things were correlated ¡°How about this, we¡¯ll spend the leftover points as well- so give us more specific answers,¡± Ria spoke after a bit of hesitation. Not that she didn¡¯t value Zyrus¡¯s advice, but it was rather embarrassing for them to be without a single contribution point. ¡°Sure. Starting today, I¡¯ll give you a special training plan for the second ring,¡± Zyrus took out another skewer and began his explanation. This was bound to be an exciting night. ¡­ When the sun rose on the second day, the construction began in full swing. Instead of telling Ria and the others about laws, Zyrus explained classes and skills in detail and ordered them to get specific achievements within a month. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! At the same time, he recorded his ¡®lecture¡¯ so he wouldn¡¯t have to repeat the same process once again. The situation on the island was bound to be chaotic if all of the commanding figures disappeared for a month, so Zyrus decided to step up himself. The first order he gave was simple¨C kill every monster and fish around the island. The ones who performed remarkably would receive special rewards from him. The motivated players began a one-sided massacre when the clock hit 9 in the morning. ¡®Looks like it won¡¯t even take 3 days,¡¯ Zyrus observed the players from the temporary watchtower and noted down a few words. Franken and his knights departed on the dragon of war along with 200 ships to bring the production class players. At the same time, Tiamat and Sedna would patrol the surrounding ocean starting tonight. While everyone was busy doing their respective tasks¨C Zyrus completed the checkup on the faction storage. Quite a bit of metal was left after he separated what he and the players needed. Healing seaweed paste, some quality-of-life products, and lastly, the catapults and rams that were developed recently. These were the main products that would satiate the economic needs of the project he was making. ¡°Make sure all the raw materials are collected by the time the fleet returns.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Want to ask anything?¡± Zyrus took out an empty scroll and looked at Stephen who was standing behind. The young man had grown a lot since the first time he saw him. He wore a neat black suit along with a monocle¨C a rare item that aided in calculation and communication. But compared to these eternal changes, the biggest improvement was in his mental state. ¡°About the things you¡¯re planning to sell¡­will the catapult and ram be useful like the ones above?¡± Stephen¡¯s question was within reason as compared to the oceanic metals and seaweed which were regional specialties, the weapons of war were common on the Kyros continent. Why would anyone buy them when they could just make one? They weren¡¯t something like electric torpedoes and frost cannons that were recognized by the system. ¡°Haha¡­you¡¯ll know when the time comes. Always remember, the war between two intelligent species is completely different from what you¡¯ve seen thus far,¡± ¡°I see¡­I¡¯ll get going then,¡± Stephen nodded and left with scrolls. ¡°Come back before lunch,¡± Zyrus waved him off and resumed his work. Players on the ocean were unaware of the cutthroat competition on the Kyros continent. A hundred golden crown holders, more than a thousand silver crown holders, and countless bronze crown holders. Not to mention the natives which were even more in numbers. Hundreds of kings sprouted like bamboo shoots and fought for supremacy. Alliances, backstabbing, surprise raids, and many such tactics determined the victor. ¡®And the one I¡¯m targeting is logistics,¡¯ Zyrus had told the players to make some land-based weapons of war by using the fish remains and tropical trees. They didn¡¯t have any advantages compared to the ones on Kyros. But the key was, no one was selling them. Kings who focused on warfare didn¡¯t have enough for their own use, and the ones who focused on trade weren¡¯t stupid enough to sell them on the shop. A hundred catapults could change the result of a war. It wasn¡¯t difficult to sell them for a hefty price at a critical moment. The merchant kings were similar to hyaenas who always roamed around the battlefields. It was precisely a situation like this which allowed Zyrus to take advantage of the shop function. As long as your flag¡¯s tier was above 5, it was possible to retrieve purchased items directly from the faction storage. ¡°Phew¡­all done,¡± Zyrus stretched his limbs after he finished the calculations. Not that he needed paper for that, it just felt nice. ¡®Those with brains would realize the use of this trade,¡¯ He placed the sell order without much advertisement. As for those who didn¡¯t see the advantage in this? They wouldn¡¯t have enough money to buy from him anyway. Wars burned more money than anything else. The kings who didn¡¯t realize this would lose their crown sooner or later. At last, he opened another tab of the shop to buy what he wanted. Even after selling everything his faction had in excess, they could at most amass a wealth of 10k gold. It was a significant sum, but still, it wasn¡¯t enough to meet his criteria. ¡®Let¡¯s hope there¡¯s something good¡­¡¯ There were 28 ''pieces'' of farm on the outer ring of this island. They''d be made into docs with the wood and metal they already had. After that was the reception area and the first plantation site. Since there were no plants suitable on any of the islands, Zyrus had to buy them from elsewhere. [Fibre luminous grass x 100] [A grass-like plant that grows in mild sunlight. It has a conical tip that glows in the night.] [Height: 0.75 meters] [Available: 500] [Price: 5 S] [Mutated water bamboo x 10] [A unique bamboo grown in the center of Kyros. It has 9 segments with each being a foot long. With its high durability and rebound strength, it is used to fend off low-level monsters] [Height: 3 meters] [Available: 1000] [Price: 50 S] Zyrus made a buy order for the two as they were easy to grow and beautiful to look at. If he negotiated a cheaper price, he could also evolve them by using the formals he knew. With his vast knowledge as a regressor and an arcanist, there were bound to be a few good deals that could solve his financial problems. And sure enough, he found one such thing. [Vuur bonsai] [An underground species of bonsai grown in the dwarven lands. Its orange leaves produce heat waves, and it could be used as a light source with sufficient numbers] [Height: 1 meter] [Available: 1000] [Price: 0.5 G] ¡®Heh, they didn¡¯t mention its biggest flaw¡­¡¯ Zyrus was sure that whoever was selling them was a scammer. It was a pity for them because he knew the true usage of Vuur bonsai. ¡®Half a gold coin? I wouldn¡¯t sell it even for a 100,¡¯ Chapter 145: A new Saga ¡®Vuur bonsai¡¯ were later known as the dwarves¡¯ companions. For the cave dwellers who spent half their lives working with fire, a plant that could absorb heat was a blessing. Not only could the meter-long bonsai help them in maintaining high temperature, it had excellent bug repelling and mana drawing qualities. ¡®The reason why it emits heat waves is due to its inability to consume all the fire attribute mana,¡¯ Just the excess was enough to keep the temperature above 40 degrees. And since it was linked to the bonsai¡¯s metabolism, the cases where it ¡®overate¡¯ and ¡®exploded¡¯ were common. It wasn¡¯t until later when an arcanist developed an inhibitor that its value skyrocketed. With regulated metabolism and heat control, Vuur bonsai became the living batteries that powered half of the underground region. Zyrus didn¡¯t bother with the price and bought all of the available stock. The scammer probably discovered them from dwarven ruins or bought them from bandits. Either way, he finished the deal before someone who knew the truth could intervene. The cost for creating the docs and reception area wouldn¡¯t exceed 1000 gold. The true pitfall of money was in the economical area where he planned to build a market, a hotel chain, and an auction house. As for the development of other shops, he could lease the land by using the contribution points. The main construction would be done by trees transported from the other islands. Zyrus bought Crepe Myrtle, Ornamental Cherry trees, and Amur Maple at the cost of 1750 gold. They were the standard modified trees that could grow in the short span of a year. Apart from being beautiful and filtering the air with mana, they didn¡¯t have any other functions. Nonetheless, they were considered ¡®Luxury goods¡¯. He had hard time finding a good deal as the high-end market was already run by knowledgeable players and even shrewder administrators. ¡®But even so¡­there¡¯s bound to be something that no one knows yet,¡¯ Even the administrator didn¡¯t know the full extent of the arcanists'' experiments. Only the valuable experiments were recorded within the system as ''achievements''. But how many failures were needed for that? As someone who once stood on the apex of arcana, he was among the few who was well aware of the thousands of failed experiments. [Papaya feed x 1 ton] [Animal feed enriched with mana and nutrition] [Cost: 1 S] Judging from the fact that even the seller didn¡¯t bother with exaggerating the product, it was apparent how mediocre it was. Zyrus was perhaps the first player who ordered it in thousands of tons. Next up, he purchased an equal amount of cadmium and lead which cost him about 5000 gold. The remaining funds were barely enough to buy some unique decorative items. It might seem like a useless squandering of money, but Zyrus knew that sometimes, it was better to give a good show to both one¡¯s followers and enemies. The reason he bought papaya feed was related to a failed experiment. Someone accidentally mixed papaya into a fertilizer, and it led to a mutation in lignin production. The entire research lab was filled with plants and trees that became ¡®muscular¡¯ with thick carcasses made with hardened lignin. Apart from being an infamous rookie mistake, it didn¡¯t have any other contribution. On the other hand, cadmium and lead had once caused a catastrophe in the elven kingdom. Heavy metals like them were toxic to the forest. They caused overproduction of reactive oxygen species inside the plants and created hundreds of uncontrolled mutations. This became one more reason for the metal-loving dwarves and the forest-loving elves to be at odds. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡®But if you use them both with some unorthodox plantation¡­¡¯ The result he envisioned was enough to give him an achievement. ¡­ 10 days passed by as everyone maintained their hectic yet enjoyable lifestyle. Kyle and Strongfist were sparring against one another as long as the sun was up. Ria meditated at the center of the island and observed the players. Her task was to use clairvoyance as long as she could. Shi kun also used a similar method to attune himself with the earth element. Instead of sitting all day inside a tent, he was buried from head to toe under the sandy ground. Jacob and Druv were paired up to aid one another. One used fireballs to get used to the fire attribute while the other used its defense and water attribute to control the area. Since their abilities countered one another, they grew by leaps and bounds as they learned their own strengths and weaknesses. Lauren¡¯s training was the most unique. She did nothing but dodge others'' attacks all day. Fireballs, swords, fists¡­she was like a fly buzzing around the two training grounds. Of course, compared to a fly, her steps were more like a miniature hurricane. While they were doing their own stuff, Zyrus didn¡¯t idle around either. Bringing the island he envisioned into reality was no small task. But it was unwise to spent all time doing just that. Thus, starting from the past week, he decided to prepare the players for the next voyage. The essence of his lectures in the past days could be summarized into this: The entirety of this sea region was influenced by the lunar cycle. An upward and downward current was formed on the days of the new moon and full moon. The ones who followed him into the lair of Nidhogg were familiar with these currents that appeared with no rhyme or reason. Their next destination was precisely one such location. Last five islands of the Pisces archipelago were arranged in a pentagon. What made them special was the fact that they were high up in the sky. Different from the floating islands, the reason they were high above was related to the ocean. The waters of the third zone didn¡¯t behave according to laws of gravity. There was an additional layer of ocean that hung overhead the surface of the sea. It was almost as if the entire zone was sandwiched between two blue canvases. Such things were better to be felt with one¡¯s own senses. Except for giving them a brief overview, Zyrus didn¡¯t speak much about the topic. The main focus was on the inhabitants of these islands. Today, Zyrus was about to tell the players about the threats they¡¯d face later this year. ¡°I¡¯m sure you already remember the names and terrains of the five islands. Just to be certain, please reiterate them.¡± He was like a middle school teacher who always told interesting stories. Considering the mental age difference between them, it wasn¡¯t far off either. ¡°Mudao, the island representing wood element.¡± ¡°Huodao, the island representing fire element.¡± ¡°Jindao, the island representing metal element.¡± ¡°Fengdao, the island representing wind element.¡± ¡°Shuidao, the island representing water element.¡± The player¡¯s voice echoed on the whole island. Since it was impossible for everyone to be free at the same time, Zyrus used the call and broadcasting functions to talk with everyone. With their high intelligence the players had no difficulty in listening to him while doing their jobs. ¡°Correct. There are many lifeforms unique to each island, but I¡¯ll go into detail when we reach there. What you need to know right now are two things¨C All of them possess high affinity with a specific attribute, and they have the power to turn into ¡®elemental form¡¯.¡± Zyrus then explained what elemental form was and answered their questions. To put it simply, elemental form allowed one to turn a part of their body into a particular element. The higher their level of existence, the more they could convert. Not only did it give the monsters high offensive powers, it also improved their survivability as they could ignore any non-attribute attack by turning into elemental form. ¡°One last thing, all of the monsters would have a level of 50. Just that isn¡¯t enough of a concern. The problem is, they would be the absolute best among the lv 50. Our sole hope of victory lies with our numbers,¡± Zyrus ended the speech on a heavy note and left for the watchtower. Starting from next week, he would divide the players once again according to the collected data. It was impossible to subdue anyone on the last five islands. Before he invaded the Kyros continent in the throne wars, his troops would remain the same. ¡®We¡¯ve finally reached the main objective¡­¡¯ Resources and his cube¡¯s mission weren¡¯t the only reason he chose this place as the target of his flag march. Leaving his grand plans for the future aside, the first and foremost reason for selecting this place was due to its training value. The monsters on the last 5 islands were similar to Pugalo. Even if the system restricted their level to 50, their combat instincts and bloodline purity weren¡¯t affected. Sufficient preparation was required before his army set off to conquer the last target. ¡®As the saying goes, you¡¯re doing it right if the preparation time is longer than the battle itself.¡¯ Collecting materials for altar and ship enhancement, scheduling drills after reassigning troops, building more weapons of war¡­time passed by as everyone improved in all aspects. Finally, on the day of the summer solstice, Zyrus¡¯s fleet was ready to create a new saga. Chapter 146: Waarnemer A thousand ships were anchored at the docs leading to the third zone. Wind howled under the searing heat of the midday sun. It wasn¡¯t the best weather to set sail, but waiting any longer was unwise. The last thing you want is to travel on an unfamiliar ocean in the middle of the monsoon. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± Ria nodded at Zyrus and handed him a list of names. The new command structure was written in her elegant handwriting. In order to ease the future assimilation, Zyrus had ordered the players to create a command structure like the Streit bastion. Private, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Commander, and Marshal. Even though their current numbers weren¡¯t enough to justify the use of such a ranking, he decided to go with it nonetheless. It would be better if the players felt somewhat unworthy of their grand title and worked harder. Ria was appointed a special position as the military advisor. There were a total of 10 marshals in the army¨C six of which were appointed. Kyle, Lauren, Shi Kun, Jacob, Druv, and Strongfist. Each marshal would oversee 100 commanders. Ignoring the ranks further below, even the 600 commander posts were barely filled by 15%. Just as Zyrus intended, it had a positive effect on the players as they worked harder to grab the empty spots before the new recruits. The 4 Marshal positions were especially alluring. ¡®I already have some candidates in mind¡­¡¯ Zyrus recalled the past events as he looked at the map of Kyros. He was unsure if his regression had caused any butterfly effects in the lives of renowned people. Whatever the case may be, he had to reach the mainland to figure things out. *Clack* ¡°You done? Everyone¡¯s waiting,¡± Franken tapped his hoof on the door and called out the duo. ¡°Mhm, let¡¯s go,¡± Zyrus placed everything in the right place and left with Ria and Franken. He didn¡¯t plan to come back here until the flag march was over. Thus, it was important to make sufficient preparations for Stephen to manage non-combat players. Ria left for the new carrack which acted as the central command center¨C Waarnemer. It was built with three masts and other stabilizing formations to handle the rough waters. The 150-foot-long carrack was built with a huge storage area that stored emergency supplies. High-calorie preserved food, repair materials, and many other strategic resources were prepared in excess. Apart from Ria and a few hundred players who were responsible for communication, there was no one else on the ship. Since Waarnemer would always remain at the center, Zyrus had decided to build an infirmary there as well. *Thunk*Thunk*Thunk* Zyrus slammed the twilight crusher on the deck with a flag in his hand. Mana-filled vibrations spread to every corner of the 1000 ships. ¡°Hoist the anchors.¡± *Schhhk* It sounded as if a mighty cavalry was passing by as hundreds of iron anchors were lifted up. Just their clanking was enough to scatter the spectating fish. ¡°Set sail!¡± *Flutter* Reddish black sails fluttered open, and at the same time, speed formations were activated. Nuckelavee¡¯s essence was assimilated to a greater extent in the past few years. All the ships needed was a trigger that could cause a qualitative transformation. But even without it, the original ships that followed Zyrus from the start stood out among the rest. They were like a pack of fierce beasts that were let loose on the vast ocean. ¡°Maintain the formation till we reach the border region.¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± Ria replied via the cooms device and conveyed his orders. With the dragon of war at the front, the fleet was sailing in an arrow formation. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Two galleons¨C Tiamat and Sedna acted as the edge of an arrow. They sailed behind Zyrus and protected the middle ships from the flanks. Waarnemer was at the center at an equal distance from both Tiamat and Sedna. Lastly, Shi kun covered the rear with Phorcys. ¡°Tell me if anything comes up,¡± Zyrus waved at Franken who was tapping on the helm and dived into the ocean. They had already planned that he would check out the twilight zone to see if there were any valuable resources. *Splash* ¡®Huu¡­much better,¡¯ The heated seawater felt just nice on his scales. Without caring about any particular destination, Zyrus swam around the fleet to his heart''s content. It was a pity that his joyful activity didn¡¯t last for more than a couple of hours. Instead of finding any treasures, he encountered a school of hostile fish. ¡®With that size, I might as well call them a school of sharks,¡¯ *Thunk* ¡°Back already?¡± ¡°Enemy ahead,¡± Zyrus spoke to Franken and relayed the same message to the command center. Encountering hostile fish wasn¡¯t uncommon, but as they were approaching the border region, any bloodshed would mark the start of a tedious war. It wasn¡¯t long before the players felt as if a tsunami was about to engulf the horizon. The reason why Zyrus used the word ¡®war¡¯ also became obvious. ¡°Brace for impact!¡± Ria¡¯s shout rang from the comms artifacts. But even with clairvoyance, she was a tad bit late. Knowing the future was useless without the needed reaction time. *Craash* The ships were forced a hundred feet back even before the enemy arrived. If not for the dragon of war that diffused most of the impact, quite a few ships would¡¯ve sunk. The ones attacking them were no longer schools of fish that acted on pure instinct. It was a pre-planned assault launched by an army of fish-type monsters. ¡°Not planning to help her?¡± ¡°Let them learn.¡± Zyrus¡¯s knights, rats, goblin riders, and the specter scorpions were on the dragon of war. The rats and scorpions were busy clearing the bugs since the start of the flag march. Theirs was an overlooked job, but it wasn¡¯t like there were no rewards. All of the rats had grown to a meter in length. Their low starting point made it such that they¡¯d experience a period of exponential evolution. Even though they weren¡¯t able to increase their numbers due to system¡¯s restrictions, their overall prowess went up by a notch. ¡°Maintain the formation for now. At my signal, we¡¯ll change into a ring formation.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± Zyrus observed Ria¡¯s actions and the approaching fish tide with calm eyes. His only job was to make sure that the dragon of war held out against the impact. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯d need to use summoning for that¡­¡¯ He believed that 400 Aydahar Cavaler along with the evolved rat and specter scorpions were enough for the job. And indeed, he was proven right shortly after. *Shlak*Shlak*Shlak* 2000 rats dived below the dragon of war and started a massacre. After staying for so long near the ocean, they had learned to swim while holding their breath. Hundreds of spears rained down at the same time. Defensive formation, [Fear], and assassinations by specter scorpions made any organized attack on the ship impossible. *Squeeak* *Skeek* The three rat kings coordinated from the deck and used team tactics similar to the players. Three scavenger rats would act like tanks and deal with the fish¡¯s offense. At the same time, four sawtooth rats would attack the same fish from all sides. *Swiiish* Burrow rats were like torpedoes as they made good use of their mobility and penetrative tails. Their hit-and-run tactic left no room for the fish to mount a proper charge. *ROOOOOAR* ¡°Damn, here comes a big one,¡± Franken turned the helm at 180 degrees and pointed hundreds of frost cannons towards the front. A monster that looked like a baleen whale was charging straight towards the dragon of war. Worse, the 100-meter-long creature was leading a pack of dozens of smaller whales. The scene of these gigantic creatures swimming with their open maws was frightening to say the least. ¡°Don¡¯t just aim straight ahead. Disperse it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point? A few random attacks from frost cannons wouldn¡¯t even freeze their skins,¡± Franken retorted but did as Zyrus told nonetheless. He was sure that if he asked another question, he¡¯d be met with a disdainful look from his companion. *Splash* White globes brimming with cold mana froze the ocean, but in the next instance, the frozen patches were broken once again by the whale¡¯s momentum. *Roooar* ¡°Heh, looks like they¡¯re mocking us.¡± ¡°No wonder they¡¯re trapped here despite their natural advantage,¡± Zyrus muttered but didn¡¯t add anything further. The frost cannons were lackluster in the ocean because salted water had higher resistance against freezing. ¡®But it also meant that it''s possible to keep the seawater in liquid state at subzero temperatures,¡¯ Forget about the whales, even the majority of players didn¡¯t know how to take advantage of that. 5km¡­4km¡­2km¡­the distance between two sides kept getting smaller. For a whale of this size, a kilometer was the same as being a dozen steps away. ¡°Launch the torpedoes, all of them.¡± The entire ocean was lit up as hundreds of torpedoes pierced through the blue waters. Before the blue flash of their launch vanished, a much brighter explosion of electric arcs illuminated the ocean. ¡°What the-¡± Franken lost his hoof on the helm as he stared at the hellscape ahead. All of the whales were shredded into mincemeat. The process was so fast that they didn¡¯t even have the chance to let out a dying scream. The blood-red ocean was dead quiet. All that remained were chunks of flesh and crystalline spikes gleaming under the sunlight. Chapter 147: Ketos ¡°Surprised?¡± ¡°Just spill it will ya?¡± ¡°Saltwater can remain as liquid below 0 degrees as long as it remains undisturbed. Since the drop in temperature is caused by mana, it¡¯s more stable than natural causes and therefore, more resistant to disruption. This allows us to use the timeframe of a few seconds to launch torpedoes when the temperature is just about to reach the limit.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Are all arcanists like that?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± What made one an arcanist wasn¡¯t just their knowledge. The application of the said knowledge was just as crucial. An outdated lab experiment from Earth could cause devastating damage when combined with mana. Electric torpedoes didn¡¯t just ¡®disturb¡¯ the saltwater below zero degrees. The explosion caused by it was filled with thunder attribute mana, and it hastened the speed and improved the piercing power of the ice crystals. What took the whales'' lives was a combination of saltwater, low temperature, and high pressure¨C fueled by the reaction of two mana attributes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell others then?¡± ¡°They¡¯re too inexperienced to use it. It¡¯d take thousands of trials and errors before they get a success rate of over 50%.¡± Zyrus knew better than anyone that the process he mentioned wasn¡¯t as easy as he made it out to be. What''s the concentration of salt in the water? What''s the area-wise temperature change caused by each cannon shot? These were just the first questions that needed to be answered. Only after doing dozens of micro calculations based on the environmental data can one successfully replicate the present hellscape. *Wuuuuuuuu* A deep vail resounded across the entire area. Just when the players caught a sigh of relief thanks to Zyrus, they were surrounded by whales from all sides. The dragon of war was under the most pressure as it sailed at the forefront. Nonetheless, Zyrus didn¡¯t make a move. He simply observed the confrontation and gave a few pointers whenever he felt like it. This was bound to be a dragged-out fight as the one leading the fish didn¡¯t want to be encircled by Zyrus¡¯s fleet. They sent out just enough forces to batter the frontline and launched waves of seawater from afar. Under the circumstances, the players had no choice but to keep marching ahead. ¡­ 5 days passed by without much of a change. The fearsomeness of the sea monsters was apparent as they were able to maintain the same intensity of attacks despite losing so many of their kind. ¡°Our supplies might run out at this rate,¡± Ria pointed at the figure drawn on the scroll. Since she didn¡¯t have a way to get out of the present situation, she had called Zyrus and the other to a roundtable meeting. ¡°What about the materials we collected?¡± Shi kun scratched his head as he thought of a possible solution. It was reasonable to think that the whale¡¯s remains were useful considering their high levels and large body. ¡°Based on what we¡¯ve learned, the war is in fact beneficial even after we factor in the cost of ammunition. But it¡¯s useless for now since there are no production class players.¡± ¡°Tch¡­too bad then.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just get the supplies from the base?¡± Jacob asked Zyrus who was silent throughout the meeting. ¡°We can, but I advise against it.¡± ¡°What about summoning some production class players from the first ring?¡± ¡°Haha¡­take a guess,¡± Zyrus curved his lips and leaned back on the chair. From the moment the preparation for the final assault began, he was using his crown¡¯s authority to summon combat-type players. They wouldn¡¯t make a big change with their lack of experience and small numbers, but what about a year later? His smile led the others to the same conclusion. Why was he hoarding ammunition even when they were in the middle of a troublesome fight? The answer was clear once they thought about it. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Just¡­how long will we fight for?¡± ¡°Two years at the latest. Add a couple more if you perform below my expectations.¡± His words sent a bucket of cold water above their heads. Just less than a week of nonstop fighting was getting on their nerves, then what about years? ¡°I know it''s too soon, but since I¡¯ve appointed you as Marshals, act like one.¡± Zyrus¡¯s words had a much deeper meaning which was hard to convey through words. ¡°Leaving that aside, it¡¯s about time we move on. Watch and learn,¡± he left the players to ponder on their actions and left the command center. The past few days were for them to experience the essence of war. And today, they would learn another lesson. ¡®That is¨C in front of true strength, nothing else matters.¡¯ Can¡¯t solve the enemy¡¯s strategy? The environment is unfavorable? Can¡¯t play the mind games? Just flip the chessboard then. ¡°Disengage from the formation. Activate all speed and defensive formations and sail in random directions.¡± Zyrus¡¯s orders dumbfounded all the captains, but they carried it out all the same. They had total faith in their leader¡¯s ability to emerge victorious. The fish had a reaction similar to the players. It was obvious that scattered players were easy to surround and get rid of, but was it that simple? If the fish had the capacity to overpower the players then there was no reason to employ the kiting tactics. ¡°The whales don¡¯t consider the common fish to be of their kind. That¡¯s the reason why they¡¯re indifferent towards their death. The key here is this¨C the fish can¡¯t sink our ships in a short time, and with the increase in area, the whales can¡¯t cause tsunami-like waves either.¡± Zyrus¡¯s plan was pretty straightforward. Face cruelty with even more cruelty. The 1000 scattered ships were bait to lure the true enemy. ¡°Can¡¯t they just use guerrilla tactics at the edges?¡± Ria asked with scrunched brows as she observed the scattering ships. She had to admit that she lacked the courage to use a bold move like this. ¡°You overestimate their intelligence and underestimate their greed.¡± And Zyrus¡¯s words were proven correct right after. More than a hundred whales surfaced on the ocean from all sides. 8 of them were as big as the one he had killed with glass shards, but what caught everyone¡¯s breath was the gigantic creature leading them. The whale longer than 200 feet didn¡¯t just emerge from the depths, it swallowed the entire stretch of ocean above it. It was terrifying to see a maw big enough to swallow whole ships. [You have encountered the Roaming Boss monster: Ketos] [Caution! The boss monster is showing hostility towards you] Ketos was similar to a baleen whale as well. Instead of teeth, it had baleen that could filter the swallowed food. The hairlike bristles in its mouth were shining like sharp swords. It was without a doubt that even a galleon wouldn¡¯t survive against it. But unlike the players who were flustered after seeing so many enormous whales, the ones in the command center were relieved. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it, so finish the rest.¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t wait for the reply and dived into the waters below. It was easy to guess that Ketos was targeting the dragon of war. But Zyrus was prepared for it. He didn¡¯t laze around in the meeting for no reason. No one had noticed when a perfect trap was laid out in front of the dragon of war. *KREEEEOOOOOO* Ketos trilled in an eerie note and rushed at the unmoving dragon of war. What it didn¡¯t notice was that no one was on the deck of the galleon. [Avatar] Just as it was about to crash into the starboard, an azure dragon knocked it aside from below. Even after transformation, Zyrus was like a toddler looking at an adult. ¡®But a big size has its own disadvantage¡­¡¯ 30 green serpents joined the fray and bit down on ketos. The ten-foot-long Nidhoggs had no advantages against its size, but they weren¡¯t just biting randomly. All of the 30 points were crucial in maintaining ketos¡¯ mobility. Of course, with its huge size it had many other weaknesses as well. It was a pity that there were just 30 Nidhogg companions among the Aydahar Cavaler. ¡°Freeze and land,¡± Zyrus shouted and clamped the baleen whale¡¯s throat. Once its greatest offensive organ was neutralized, ketos was nothing more than a fish on the chopping board. *WHUUUuuppp* Ketos tried to flail around to get rid of Zyrus and the others, but it was futile. One of the major differences between the field boss and other types of boss monsters was that not everyone had the ''Phase¡¯ assigned by the system. Field boss were foreign entities who were assigned their role. All of them had their powers restricted by the system. On the other hand, common bosses and even the more powerful roaming bosses were mostly the natives who evolved in the sanctuary. Unlike the field boss, they could leave their area and ascend to higher rings. They didn¡¯t have their powers restricted, and as such, they didn¡¯t have the ability to go into different phases. *Hruuuuuuu* ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± *Shatter* Franken slammed his antlers on the whales¡¯ mouth and prevented it from activating a skill. The disadvantage of not having phases was this¨C once you were trapped in a disadvantageous scenario, there was no way to escape from the terrain or debuffs. The Nidhoggs poisoned it while Zyrus used his abyssal mana to corrupt its mana circuit. The battle was halfway over from the moment it started. *Awoooooooo* It was at this moment that 100 goblin riders jumped on the immobilized ketos. Read advanced chapters on on Patreon Chapter 148: This is War As the goblin riders had obtained the insignia of Apollo Lykaios, they didn¡¯t face many hurdles in evolving their bloodline. Of course, their racial improvement wasn¡¯t as drastic as the rats. Both had different directions for growth. The goblin raiders had devoted their time in increasing their unity. Goblins, the wolves they rode on, and the entire group of 100¨C all of them behaved like a single entity. It was a different type of synchronization that was unique to them. While it didn¡¯t have any immediate effect, it laid out a solid foundation for their destined rise to power. [Wasteland Reaper] *Grrrooooarr* But it wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t obtain any offensive moves. The crossbows in their hand elongated with a shaft and emitted a curved blade. The new weapon shining in a blackish-blue aura looked like a grim reaper¡¯s scythe¨C a befitting outcome for the skills'' name. They were perhaps the first bunch of goblins who were pleasing to look at. Pointy ears and lean muscles, a cool-looking weapon, and last but not least, the black-grey wolves they were riding on. ¡°Bind the chains! We don¡¯t have much time,¡± Zyrus shouted from the top of his lungs and started conserving his mana. This was his first time fighting against ketos, but he believed in his battle-honed instincts. Just because the roaming bosses didn¡¯t have a phase didn¡¯t mean that they were easy to deal with. Unlike the field bosses, their skills and attack patterns weren¡¯t predetermined. *Awooooo* The wolves howled and dived down with an iron chain in their mouth. The goblins also attacked at their signal, some plunged their scythes into ketos¡¯ skin while others lodged the spiky chains inside Zyrus knew from the start that although their attacks were landing perfectly on the whale, the damage they dealt was only on the surface level. Taking ketos¡¯ stamina into account, there was no way they could keep up the same strategy. [Weave] ¡°Retreat.¡± Even without a translating artifact, Zyrus and the others understood what ketos was speaking. Or to be accurate, it was using an incantation. Whale¡¯s singing was good to hear in a peaceful era, but now, it was akin to a lullaby of death. The deep and wrathful roar devoured every sound on the battlefield. ¡°Fuck, a wide area debuff,¡± Zyrus retreated further away to no avail. Any boss monsters with debuffing skills were tricky to deal with. Every player had their MP, stamina, and HP regen suppressed to 30%. What was even more annoying was that it was a debuff that ignored level differences and resistances. *KREEEEOOOOOO* Thousands of filaments arose from the chaotic ocean. They were similar to Baleen in both appearance and functionality. ¡°Get back on the ship, this is no longer something you can handle,¡± Zyrus commanded and floated in front of the dragon of war. The fortunate thing was that these threads were conjured with mana. [Summon] Hundreds of Ophidian warriors walked out from the cracks. But before they could even lift their claws, they were strangled and turned into beehives under the oceanic threads. ¡®Ugh- there¡¯s no getting used to this pain,¡¯ Zyrus curled up like a shrimp and barely managed to maintain his transformed state. He knew that unless he let out Elsid and Zirnitra, his summons would be helpless against the roaming boss. ¡®But the thing is, the activation of a skill can be utilized with the system¡¯s assistance,¡¯ Games were popular even on the arc of Noah. Pretty much every youth was familiar with the term i-frame and how they were used to gain invincibility. What Zyrus did was similar in principle. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The wider an attack, the more mana it would need- and at the same time, it would result in a lack of control. Zyrus didn¡¯t have a skill that could influence mana in the range of kilometers, but what if he used the system itself? Creating a portal that connected with earth needed a lot of mana. The MP he used was nothing but a manager of sorts who started and controlled the overall process. The real workforce was the mana in the surroundings. ¡°Launch the torpedoes.¡± ¡°On it.¡± Ketos didn¡¯t have the time to figure out why its skill was canceled. The pesky metal threads attached to its skin were about to become the gravest threat to its life. *Bang* *Crrrraccckle* Ketos¡¯s screams were suppressed by the deafening explosions. It had high resistance against all elements just like every other boss monster. ¡®But there''s always a way to go around it,¡¯ Zyrus smirked and channeled the mana he was saving up. He had made plenty of preparations to fight against large monsters¨C the conductive chains being used right now were one such item. Boss monsters have high resistance? Just insert the chains on their skin and blast ¡®em with a load of thunder torpedoes. The chains would prevent electric charges from dispersing. The sheer amount of shock was enough to incapacitate even a field boss. And that wasn¡¯t even the worst of it. *BAAAAANG* What would happen when super-hot metal was dropped into water? The rapid evaporation and high-pressure steam would cause a violent explosion, potentially shattering the metal and blasting off its shards. Half of Ketos¡¯s body was shredded apart. The severe pain activated the monster''s defense mechanism and blocked all of its senses. It was a state far worse than berserk. *ROOOOAAR* ¡°Use the frost cannons,¡± Zyrus ordered in a cold voice. Now that the whales¡¯ insides were exposed, it was easier to just freeze its blood. Perhaps ketos realized it as well. It had no idea when things went wrong, but everything was pointless now. The only thing it wanted was revenge on the one that had taken its life. *Wuuuuuu* All of the whales ignored the players'' attacks and rushed towards ketos. Even if the players hacked and killed them, even if they used their ships to block them, nothing seemed to stop their charge. Their blood-red eyes didn¡¯t see anything except their dying leader. The leader who was swimming towards the dragon of war even though most of its body was either charred or frozen. ¡°Hahahahaha¡­.You see, this is WAR,¡± Zyrus laughed with his arms spread wide. The air that carried the scent of blood and the eyes that held endless resentment¡­this was a sight all too familiar to him. There was no point in using Avatar anymore. Doing so would only make him a bigger target. ¡°W-we can¡¯t stop them,¡± Shi kun spoke in a trembling tone as all of the whales surrounded the dragon of war. Their maximum firepower wasn¡¯t enough to kill the stubborn monsters. They were used to seeing monsters flee after the field boss was killed. A mad and ruthless charge like this was something they never expected. ¡°Retreat as far as you can. You too,¡± Zyrus waved his hand at the goblin riders and his knights. Even though they wanted to stay, they knew that it was futile. His words rang like thunder in the ears of Ria and the others. They had never felt so ashamed of themselves. The feeling of helplessness was worse than defeat. ¡°Remember what I told you. In front of true strength, nothing else matters.¡± So what if his strategy worked against the whales? So what if he won? The 19 surviving whales were dead set on seeking their vengeance. War didn¡¯t always result in a clear winner. The players watched with hardened faces as the whales sunk one by one. They felt no accomplishment as not a single one of them even glanced in their direction. 958 ships retreated from the blood-red sea. Although they had total faith in their leader, they couldn¡¯t help but be nervous. ¡®Would others do the same for me one day?¡¯ Zyrus looked at the dying ketos and recalled his last moments before regression. Once upon a time, he too had followers who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to throw their lives for him. ¡®Well¡­no point thinking about it. I¡¯ll never repeat the same mistakes.¡¯ As the one who once ruled the sanctuary, how could he be unfamiliar with something like this? Too many had led a suicidal charge against his armies. Those who wanted him dead at all costs were too many to count. But in the end, he survived. It didn¡¯t matter who was right or wrong. History always did and always will remember the victors. *Wuuuuuuu* *Wuuuuu* The 7 whales and ketos cried out one after another. Their gigantic bodies were tattered with holes under the fleet¡¯s bombardment, but still, they had the power to do one last attack. *BAAAAAAANG* The entire ocean in the 5 km region was lifted into the sky. Just how much mana was stored in their bodies? All of it was burned to claim the life of their enemy. Everyone was blinded by the glaring explosion¨C except for two. Ketos¡¯s eyes were filled with despair as it looked at Zyrus upon its dying breath. ¡°From the start, we weren¡¯t on the same level to begin with,¡± Zyrus held his hands behind his back as he stood on the dying whale. The mark on his chest was glaring in defiance against the laws of nature. His scales that were burned off were regenerating at a speed visible to the eye. Even though his celestial vitality was restricted by the system, when it came to a life-and-death scenario, the system would favor him in the end. Keeping balance was fine, but you couldn¡¯t just kill someone for being strong, right? Twisted or not, this was the order maintained by the system. ¡°ALL HAIL HIS MAJESTY!¡± ¡°ALL HAIL HIS MAJESTY!¡± A dying monster, Zyrus who stood above its head, and the bloodlike rain that fell from the heavens above. The image was seared into the players'' hearts for eternity. Chapter 149: Immortal Crone [Congratulations! You have killed the Roaming Boss monster: Ketos] [+3 SP] [You have dealt the most damage to the Roaming boss!] [You have dealt the final blow to the Roaming boss!] [+2 SP] Exp + 1M [Level up!] . . . Zyrus looked past the usual texts and focused on the last two rewards. [You have obtained the Achievement: Unfair Survivor (B+)] [+30 HP recovery/sec in Boss fights, Water Element affinity (F)] He didn¡¯t really need more Hp recovery, but water affinity was a good surprise. It was bound to increase the power of vortex manipulation by a notch. ¡°Got something good?¡± ¡°Let''s see¡­¡± Zyrus picked up the ring from ketos¡¯ skull and held it in front of Franken. The players were busy repairing the ships and hauling off ketos¡¯ remains, while the two of them were responsible for collecting all loot. [Chief Weaver] A ring forged with the threads of a calamity-class aquatic spider. It is enchanted with an array core that can manipulate water. Effect: Agi +10, Decreases air and water resistance Web of the Vengeful: Upon hit, the chief weaver creates one ¡®Thread¡¯. After 10 such threads are accumulated, the user can manipulate the threads at the cost of 1 MP/sec. The effect will last as long as one such thread remains. ¡°It¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Yeah, a pity it doesn¡¯t suit my style,¡± Zyrus shrugged his shoulders and placed the sky-blue ring among the items that¡¯d be placed in the contribution store. It was uncommon for a unique item to not have many options, but every time one did, it was bound to have a single powerful ability. The Chief weaver was perfect for the agile dagger users. He could almost imagine Lauren throwing a tantrum since she and all the ¡®Marshals¡¯ were dirt poor to purchase anything. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got you something good,¡± Franken had a smug smile on as he pushed two items towards Zyrus. One was a scroll, and the other¡­was also a ring. ¡°Whales sure have a higher drop rate huh.¡± ¡°Makes sense when you think about how they sunk nearly a hundred of our ships.¡± Only the ships that had Nuckelavee¡¯s essence possessed the ability to self-repair. The rest had to be either scrapped or reassembled. Zyrus opened the scroll after sorting out everything else. Since Franken said that these were good, he was planning to keep them for himself. [Scroll of Self-Demise] A scroll that carries the dying wish of ketos. Upon activation, you can trap a target no bigger than 1km with conjured baleen. The filaments will explode with surrounding mana once they are destroyed. Usage: 1/1 ¡®That¡¯s a sick joke alright,¡¯ Imagine your wish for vengeance was turned into an item¨C and it was rewarded to the one who killed you. It was apparent that the system had no pity for those who lost. Finally, he held the reddish-golden ring in his palm. Even though he knew that it was a rare item that dropped from one of the eight followers of Ketos, the power he sensed was beyond Chief Weaver. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. [Muileartach¡¯s Cursed Ring] An ancient artifact that was once used as an offering. It has lost most of its power under the tides of time. One-eyed Doom: On the night of new moon, summon a single eye to paralyze your foes. Note: This is an absolute ability. The duration will depend on the user¡¯s and the targets¡¯ level of existence. Shape of the Firstborn (Inactivated): Transform into an oceanic monster based on your status. Curse of the Drowned (Inactivated): Use the blood of those slain by you to create an ocean¡¯s mirage. Those with weak willpower will be trapped inside the ring for eternity. ##?#-#..¡¯,-##?. Immortal Crone: The sea hag will mark your presence from the moment this ring is equipped. The sea hag will chase you as long as the oceans exist, for only one of you may exist in one era. Caution: Cursed items are dangerous as they can harm you and those close to you. Do not use them unless you are prepared for the consequences. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good item, and more importantly, one that suits you.¡± ¡°¡­Fair enough,¡± Zyrus sighed and put the ring on his index finger. He knew that this was destined to be a hot mess sooner or later, but the rewards were worth it. Absolute paralysis was one of the top-class abilities. The same went for transformation¨C especially the ones that were based on the whole status screen. ¡®But what I want the most is the last ability¡­¡¯ Zyrus felt that the Curse of the Drowned was something he needed. It was an unfamiliar instinct, but he was proven correct the moment he put on the ring. The onyx crown that was quiet thus far was trembling even now. He was just a step away from creating his fourth authority¡­or perhaps, something much greater. ¡­ One month later, at the edge of the second zone. Dark clouds and churning waters were present as far as the eyes could see. There were a total of 6938 casualties among the players. Their original fleet of 1000 was lacking 63 ships despite all the repairs they had done along the way. Of course, there was good news as well. They were attacked twice in the last 30 days¨C by a pack of sharks and thousands of squids. The shark¡¯s entire skeleton was a treasure. It had too many applications in every field that used metals and mana conductors. The squids didn¡¯t have any special material, but their numbers made up for it. The present 937 ships were using a new rope processed from the squid¡¯s remains, not to mention all of them were painted with black ink that had good resistance. ¡°Alright, drop the anchors.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Zyrus spoke to the command center as he observed the weather. Contrary to what others were thinking, he wasn¡¯t looking for signs of a storm. It was difficult to guess the sun¡¯s exact position with so many clouds, but still, he knew that the moment he waited for was coming. ¡°Also, tie the longboats with one another and the nearby galleon.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± The fleet looked like a giant monster that was prowling on the ocean. The black ships made the sea even more ghastly with their presence. It didn¡¯t take long before all preparations were complete. The players were even more confused as neither the storm nor any enemies appeared for the next tens of minutes. ¡°Today is the day of new moon,¡± Zyrus spoke in the comms once the sky became dark enough. Just one line was enough to explain the current scenario. The players became both nervous and excited. They had heard a lot from Zyrus about the mysterious third zone, a place where there was an ocean in the sky as well. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have to wait long. *Shuuuaaaaaa* The dark waters below them rose like a fountain. The ships were lifted alongside the water currents, soaring towards the night sky filled with clouds. Everything became dark around them. Apart from the difference in the air, it was hard to tell how high above they were. ¡°Let¡¯s go up.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Zyrus chuckled and jumped on Frankens'' back. It was an exciting moment for them despite their vast experience. Zyrus inhaled the moist air that was dampening his scales. The clouds were getting closer and closer, and finally, they broke out with a puffing sound. ¡°Incredible¡­.¡± There were no other words that could describe the scene in front of them. The parted clouds were like a shore that connected with a sparkling ocean. Each and every star was reflected in the calm waters in front of them. This illogical yet majestic ocean was their target¨C the third zone of Pisces archipelago. One by one the ships also surfaced above the layers of clouds. Everyone was awed by the spectacle in front of them. ¡°Hoist the anchors,¡± Zyrus curved his lips at the dumbfounded players. The ones who came here for the first time had the same reaction. Even the calmest of them were shuddering when the anchors tore apart the cloud below them. Thankfully, their ships remained floating just like before. ¡°Onward.¡± *Flutter* Hundreds of black sails caught the night wind and rode the clouds. It didn¡¯t take long before the excitement and adventurous spirit overcame the emotions of fear. [Congratulations! You are the first players who have reached the Third zone of Pisces archipelago] [Your feat will be recorded in the annals of history] While Zyrus reached his destination, he was unaware of the undercurrents he had set off. ¡­ At the abyssal zone of the ocean, a place far away from Kyros. A mountain rose from the seafloor and moved towards the surface. Boulders and seaweed scattered about as it collided with everything in its path. *Huuuaaaaaa* At last, it arose from the trenches after hibernating for countless millennia. ¡®It¡¯ was no longer a mountain. What rose from the ocean was a creature larger than two kilometers. ¡­ Chapter 150: The game of Shatar Zyrus led everyone to the sea of stars. Neither the stars in the sky nor their reflection on the ocean was ¡®real¡¯, but still, it was a magnificent sight. ¡°Do you know the direction?¡± ¡°No, but I know someone who does,¡± ¡°Who is-, oh, I see,¡± Franken stopped mid-question as he glanced at the sky above. No one knew when a golden slime had appeared above the dragon of war. It was silent like a soothing breeze, seeming in harmony with the environment. This state of ¡®oneness¡¯ was a result of one¡¯s power. Rather than saying that they were assimilated with the world, it was more appropriate to say that the world around them was influenced by their sheer existence. Unlike at the lair of Nidhogg, Matope hadn¡¯t frozen the players. It was thus the players'' first time seeing this administrator. ¡°Your army is getting weirder by the day...¡± ¡°Naturally, I don¡¯t discriminate between players.¡± Matope felt like spitting on Zyrus¡¯s composed face. Was this something a man who had slaughtered countless races should say? ¡°Your scales are even thicker than before. Speak, what do you want this time?¡± ¡°Tch¡­and here I thought you were going to stop us,¡± Zyrus smirked at the golden slime, knowing full well that it wanted nothing more than to kick them back to the ocean. But since this was within the rules of system, there was nothing an administrator could do. They should have predicted this a long time ago. The reason Matope was sent here instead of someone like Anansi and Aurora was also to deal with this. ¡°How about we go as usual¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. You should know full well that you can¡¯t conquer these islands¨C not even with a loophole.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my problem now, is it? Might as well give me some options,¡± Zyrus didn¡¯t try to infuriate Matope any longer and bought the serious topic. ¡°I already told you before that under special circumstances, the flags'' powers and system won¡¯t work as intended.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Since you can¡¯t ¡®kill¡¯ anyone here, you won¡¯t gain any loot or anything of the sort.¡± Zyrus nodded once again. The terms so far were within his acceptance. ¡°Skills and achievements will be earned as per the rules of the sanctuary. It goes without saying, but you can¡¯t use the weapons of war-¡± ¡°I disagree. We won¡¯t attack using it.¡± There was a big difference between not allowing the usage of the weapons of war and restricting them from attacking. ¡°¡­Fine. As for the key issue, I think we can go with this,¡± Matope wriggled its side and a new screen popped up in front of Zyrus. The thing he cared about more than anything was something fundamental¨C exp. Since they couldn¡¯t kill their enemies, there was no way for them to level up. Skills and everything else were secondary in the end. The players'' core strength was their ability to improve their league of existence via the system. The words in front of Zyrus proposed a solution to this. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the overall theme. However, I¡¯m working on creating a new subclass, so I¡¯d like to integrate it into this as well.¡± ¡°This goes beyond the range of compensation you deserve.¡± ¡°How stingy¡­Anansi would have agreed and left already.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why he¡¯s not here.¡± Zyrus wrecked his brain to come up with a solution. He knew from the start that the dammed slime was tougher than it looked. There was no way it would budge even an inch from the system¡¯s rules. ¡°How about increasing the difficulty then?¡± ¡°Heh¡­are you sure? The current scenario is already beyond their power.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fine, whatever, it¡¯s not like they¡¯re my subordinates.¡± ¡°Pleasure working with you,¡± Zyrus pressed his claw forward and authorized the screen with his mana. He was perhaps the first player in history who had made so many deals and contracts with the administrators. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. At the same time the two finished their arrangement, a glaring light shone in front of every player. This marked the start of a special event that would last till the end of the flag march. [Congratulations! You have arrived at an event ground] [The special event: Shatar will begin in 00:45:00] [May the flames of wisdom light your way] Everyone, including Zyrus, clicked on the event tab. [==] Shatar [==] On the stage where millions yearn for victory, are you a pawn or a player? -Every 6 months, a game of Shatar will begin. -You may elect the following Roles among the players. -You may select the following Buffs. -Once the game has started, you will be moved to any of the 5 islands of the third zone. -Meet the game objective within 6 months to initiate the next game. -Points will be given based on your contribution. You can purchase the items you desire by using those points. [Note: No loot or exp can be acquired from the event monsters] [Note: You can¡¯t use weapons of war in the event] [Note: The area outside of the events, namely the sea, is unaffected by the event¡¯s rules] The first reaction of everyone was confusion. Leveling up and looting were their biggest source of strength, so why would anyone waste so much time in the event without them? ¡°Check the other functions first,¡± As if he could see their thoughts, Zyrus spoke to everyone via the comms. Even he had to admit that Matope had done a wonderful job in planning the event. Roles: King ¨C The ruler of the army. His death will mark the end of the game. Int + 50, restricted to attack within 100m circle. (0/1) Vajeer ¨C Can mobilize and communicate with all units. Agi + 20 (0/10) Bishop ¨C Can charge in any singular direction without taking any damage. (0/100) Knight ¨C Can move anywhere within 500m square. (0/200) Mammoth ¨C Can cause a knockback towards the frontal direction, range of 10m (0/300) Soldier ¨C Those with no special powers. Automatically given to the ones without any other roles. While it looked complex at a glance, the roles were similar to chess. Even the non-human players could guess what the roles were about. The buffs were grayed out since they could only be selected once the roles were filled up. But what caused everyone¡¯s eyes to sparkle was the last tab¨C Shop. Only a few options were available at the moment. And each one of them was something the players were willing to bleed for. Shop: Elemental seed: 1,00,000 points {Note: One time purchase item} Skill proficiency potion: 50,000 points {Note: limited to 5 purchases} 10k Exp card: 10,000 points Even though no one knew what an elemental seed was, something that was worth more than skill proficiency was bound to be good stuff. Their biggest worry about exp was also solved as the conversion rate was 1:1 with the points. It could be said that everyone was satisfied with the outcome. Of course, those who followed Zyrus from the start were an exception. They knew better than anyone that there was no free meal in the sanctuary. Since the rewards were so good, the difficulty would also be hellish. It was just that even they didn¡¯t realize just how correct they were before the game began¡­ [00:01:00] Zyrus and the others barely managed to ¡®elect¡¯ all the roles. It was a troublesome process even for an organized troop like theirs. The vast majority of the kings would find it impossible to finish electing the role within less than an hour. What was the purpose of giving the voting power to 100,000 players? Everyone was aware that strength ruled above all else. Zyrus was the de facto king, while the marshals were set to be the Vajeer. Add in the Scavenger rat king, a lion and a flying monkey that represented the beast legions to fill the last three spots. What took more than 40 minutes was the selection of the Knight and Mammoth. The 500 roles had a brutal competition where Ria and the others argued about who was suited among their subordinates. Why 500? Because Zyrus had declared that the wolves of the goblin riders would take all 100 spots of the bishops. [00:00:00] Finally, the time was up. [==] Attention all Players! The first round of Shatar starts right now [==] -Elected Roles are bestowed upon the players. -You may select the following Buffs after reaching the stage. ||| The King is asked to spin the Roulette ||| A colorful cascade of light enveloped the entire fleet. Perhaps due to the trick of light, but every player could see a ten-foot wide wheel in front of their king. ¡®So this is how the difficulty is increased¡­¡¯ Zyrus had a serious look as he read the 10 slots that represented the location they¡¯d be sent to. Mudao, Huodao, Jindao, Fengdao, and Shuidao. These were the 5 islands that were the ¡®stage¡¯ of the game. The roulette would determine which among them would be the next stage, and more importantly, whether they¡¯d be teleported there directly or be sent to a dangerous area that was close by. 5 stages and 5 dangerous areas¡­the chance of getting thrown into the middle of a monster hoard was 50%. Zyrus channeled his mana into the center of his palm and pressed on the center of the roulette. Colorful lights flashed in the players'' eyes as it spun faster and faster, and just when their tension was at its peak, it slowed down to crawl. *Tick*Tick*Riiiiinngg* ¡®Looks like we¡¯re in luck,¡¯ Zyrus sighed in relief as the pin settled down on the silver-grey slot. [==] The stage has been selected [==] [==] The first game of Shatar will begin on Jindao [==] [==] Initiating teleportation to Jindao Island [==] Chapter 151: Heavenly Ruler The players arrived at an empty sky-blue space. The game screen like visuals were similar to the starting screen. Blue and silver cubes floated randomly while a golden meteor would shoot off from time to time. This was a quiet yet mesmerizing area that could accommodate thousands of players. [Please select the Buffs] [The king will select the core buffs that would be available] [Further selection will be on individual basis] [You can now read the rules of Shatar] [Time left¨C 00:05:00] Zyrus read the message and then the long list of buffs behind it. This was enough to give him a headache despite the intelligence boost he got. ¡°Focus on defense and recovery.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Zyrus selected everything in less than a minute and left the rest to the players themselves. Since even he didn¡¯t know anything about this event, he had to focus on his own matters first. As a king, his every action had a long-lasting impact. Much more so than the simple buff selection. ¡®Tch¡­so much for a ¡®selection¡¯,¡¯ Contrary to his expectations, the king didn¡¯t have any buffs to choose from. The king would get a default buff and extra power-ups after each victory. This and many other tidbits of information were written in the rules of shatar. To summarize the information, shatar was a game played between two kings. The stage was an island which was further divided into 64 spaces. A third of them were already occupied by the natives, shown in the red color. The rest were showing as grey spaces for the time being. The conditions for victory were as such¨C the one who controlled more than 50 of the 64 spaces would emerge victorious and earn the right to move on. The way to win more spaces was also pretty straightforward. Occupy a place with your ¡®pawns¡¯ for a certain period of time, and you can turn them into an allied space. There were also some specific timeouts and protection periods involved, not to mention the ¡®stage buffs¡¯ one can gain after occupying more spaces. ¡®This is quite a learning experience¡­¡¯ Zyrus was sure that the event rules were a form of treasure trove of knowledge. This was essentially a crash course on warfare for both him and his army. Seeing that there was less than a minute left, Zyrus looked at the buff that was given to the king. [+[ Heavenly Ruler ]+] A king may not be the strongest being on the stage, but their very existence is the foundation of order. Victory and defeat, fortune and disaster, the world¡¯s destiny is determined by the kings¡¯ actions. Unit creation: You can assemble your troops into 16 different groups. King¡¯s maneuver: You can instantly occupy any 16 gray spaces at the start of the game. A mana calculation will be done which will fill the ¡®Turn¡¯ charge. Each turn allows you to move your units according to the terrain conditions and their roles. Crown¡¯s blessing: Every unit within the adjacent space of the king will have their defense and offense increased by an additional 20% Eye of the heaven: You can see everything within the stage via a projection, but as a cost, you are unable to affect anything. The king is unable to move from initial space without a ¡®Turn.¡¯ Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Zyrus realized one important thing after reading the description¨C the rules were yet to be completed. Judging from the chess-like theme, he was sure that further restrictions and powerups would be added in the future. The rules right now were akin to a tutorial phase. [Time left¨C 00:00:00] Everyone disappeared except Zyrus. In front of him was a complete map of the Jindao Island. ¡­ ¡°Whoa¡­¡± ¡°Where is everyone else?¡± ¡°Damn it! I fucking hate teleportation.¡± ¡°I share your sentiment, but get into formation first.¡± ¡°Y-your majesty!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a projection,¡± Zyrus waved his hand to settle down the players. Similar scenes were occurring in different spaces as everyone saw a gigantic version of Zyrus in the sky. Even if the island was divided into 64 spaces, they were still too big. It was no wonder that the players felt they were isolated in a dangerous area. Be it the green grass below their feet or the metallic trees and rocks that were scattered about, everything emitted a sharp aura. Sharp enough to lacerate their skin without touching them. Zyrus made sure that everyone was organized as he had intended. Seeing that everything was set, his projection began to speak on all 16 spaces. ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to go into details, so I¡¯ll keep this brief. The island we¡¯re on is shaped like a kite, with a division of 64 spaces. The enemies are at the center and they occupy 20, while we are at the western edge and occupy 16. Our goal is to win a total of 50 spaces. Move as I say from now on, and lastly, don¡¯t waste even a second by lazing around. Every inch of this island is valuable. How much you gain from it will depend on your luck and comprehension.¡± Zyrus¡¯s projection faded alongside the last sentence. The concise speech had given everyone an idea about what to do. At the same time, on the westernmost edge of the island. ¡°Phew¡­I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t draw the aggro at first sight,¡± Zyrus stretched his arms and leaned back on the rough boulder. Even the blunt edges of the boulder were giving off a vibe similar to an unsheathed sword. 10 Vajeer were looking at him with somewhat envious looks. They didn¡¯t have the scales of the Sylvarix. Forget about leaning back, even standing up was hurting their soles. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Ria asked as she saw Zyrus stand up. ¡°Nothing for the time being. Move out and get in contact with the players. Our only task this month is to get used to the environment and the rules of Shatar.¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± everyone nodded despite their nervous feelings. As the common saying went, sharpening an axe wouldn¡¯t slow down the cutting of wood. Only after reaching their optimum state would the players be able to give their best. One glance at the surroundings was enough to tell them that the natives that lived here were anything but simple. It was hard to gauge their level of civilization where every blade of grass was akin to a sword. The island of metals was without a doubt deserving its reputation. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. Kyle and Strongfist, you two stay behind,¡± Zyrus looked away from the scribbles he was drawing and pointed at the leaving group. What he said to the players also applied to him¨C don¡¯t waste even a second by lazing around. While confused, both Kyle and Strongfist sat around him and observed his drawings. It was a weird sight to see as a human, an ogre, and a nearly ten-foot-tall Sylvarix were sitting around like kids in a garden. ¡°Do you remember what I told you about runes and formations?¡± ¡°Runes gather strong energy. Formations made by strong runes.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Zyrus stuck a twig above a diagram and looked at the two. Strongfists¡¯ words were the simplest way to explain what runes and formations are. ¡°The runes¡­do you know how they were created? How did the first sentient being learn magic from scratch?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°From Nature?¡± Kyle muttered as even he wasn¡¯t sure of his guess. ¡°I once thought so as well, but that¡¯s incorrect. Legends say that there was once a primordial world, the origin of all things. It was in that world that the runes were created. Everything developed in the current era is related to the ancient relics- one way or another.¡± Arcanists studied countless artifacts and created a classification for different runes. They learned their usage one by one and experimented with their combination. Like how different characters made a word and a sentence, the runes were just like that. Language was used to convey one¡¯s thoughts. Runes were used to converse with nature. ¡°Now this is just my conjuncture, but I feel like runes are related to laws. Formations are stories and poems, runes are characters, and ink is mana. What about the molecules that make the ink then? I think that they are connected to laws.¡± Kyle and Strongfist tried their best to digest his words. This was too advanced of a topic for them, but with a simplified example, they could grasp the edge of it. Zyrus didn¡¯t look away from the ground and continued his hypotheses, ¡°If we go along the way, then one way to sense the power of laws is by using formations. Mana is everywhere in the sanctuary. Pure mana contains countless laws, and thus, it¡¯s too difficult to sense any of them. Having a specific attribute of mana is similar to having a higher concentration of some laws in the mana you use. Your elemental affinity is your comprehension and compatibility towards the said element and the laws that govern it.¡± If the start was his guess, then the letter sentences were something that was long proven. Zyrus had told the players about it in the first ring as well. Neither Kyle nor Strongfist uttered a word after that. The words Zyrus spoke thus far were enough to give them an idea. They realized what their¨C no, what every player''s next mission would be. Chapter 152: Talismans A week later, Players were somewhat accustomed to life on the Jindao island. Humans, trolls, and ogres tried their best to make some weapons out of wood and stones. Rats and other small beasts were also using their inherited knowledge to use leaves and blades of grass in their attacks. Among the 100,000 of them, the ones who worked hardest were the upper echelons of the beast legion. They started with 2000 monsters after the crown hunt, and now, they had the most members among Zyrus¡¯s troops. They had the hardest time in awakening their intelligence. Even the two appointed Vajeer didn¡¯t have the ability to speak, much less the others. But this didn¡¯t mean that they were barbaric animals. When thinking about the stages of evolution, they were closer to primates who were just a step behind creating a civilization. *Rooooar* *Hiiieek* A golden lion and a striped flying monkey ordered their respective troops. Elephants, cows, hyaenas, snakes, rabbits¡­.every beast imaginable was engaged in a chaotic fight. The mutation caused by the system gave them all sorts of bizarre abilities. It was theoretically impossible to categorize them into a single group- courtesy of the sheer number of variations they had. The 16 commanders who led the beasts were thus unable to create an organized army. They were well aware that this was the main reason behind their lack of strength. But try as they might, they failed to awaken theirs'' as well as their subordinate¡¯s full intelligence. [Zyrus Wymar has issued a new mission] [Faction Shop has updated] [Contribution Board has been created] [New means to earn contribution points have been added] *Rooooar* *Grrroooowwl* None of them knew how to read or write. But thanks to the system, the texts as well as their meaning were directly conveyed in their heads. The beasts used their clumsy paws and claws to click on the glittering message. The rules of order were fair. They had lost their memories after spending eons in the time loop, but even the tides of time failed to erase their instincts. And right now, their instincts were howling out the same words. Their time had come. [Mission: Study and experiment with the formation written below] Use the formations in every way imaginable. Combat, construction, or even just fooling around. Each unique information you provide will give you corresponding contribution points. More specific and organized information will give you extra points. Note: Buying a one-time-use talismans that contain the formations is recommended. Not just the beasts, every player received the same message from the flag. The shop also sold a large variety of talismans along with the method to make them. At the same time, materials required to make them were also added to the mission board. The arrangement was generous to the point where you could exchange a stack of talismans for a dozen trees. Still, everyone was looking at the same screen with glowing eyes. The biggest reward for the mission was the mission itself. ¡®Study and experiment with the formation written below¡¯¨C everyone was given free knowledge on different runes and their combinations that made the formations. This was a knowledge that was hard to obtain even for the scholars on the Kyros continent. ¡­ ¡°Are you guys done?¡± ¡°Not strong fingers¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Strongfist was sad that his fingers weren¡¯t strong enough. On the other hand, Kyle didn¡¯t even have the energy to muster a response. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The past week was the most exhausting time of their life. They were curious and excited when Zyrus taught them the art of formations and talismans. But all of it burned to ashes when they saw heaps and heaps of ¡®tablets¡¯ and barrels of ¡®ink.¡¯ ¡°Take a break. The players will find out the value of talismans soon enough. It¡¯s just a matter of time before we create a self-sufficient system.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Haha¡­of course. I know it was hard on your heads, but believe me, you¡¯ll think the hard work done right now was more than worth it in the future,¡± Zyrus spoke while dipping his claw in a tub of ink. The ink was made from the monsters¡¯ blood and a variety of plant extracts. His army had killed too many creatures in the past years. Even after the distillation process, the blood left was enough to flood a city. The tablets, on the other hand, were more complex to make. Wood, bone dust, and seaweed pulp were needed to make the base structure. Afterwards was the process of adding a surface layer filled with mana conductive materials, and finally, the fusion of all the materials. Neither the conductive materials nor the fusion agent could be made with the resources in Pisces archipelago. Just buying these cheap materials cost Zyrus a fortune. *Crrack* ¡®And there goes another one¡­¡¯ Zyrus threw the shattered tablet to the side and took out a new one. Only he himself knew how much the pile of trash beside him cost. ¡°Do you intend to use the laws related to metal?¡± ¡°Nope. All I want is a spark of inspiration.¡± ¡°¡­I must say it''s infuriating,¡± Kyle shook his head as he looked at the other two. Something he found hard to comprehend was too easy for them. He didn¡¯t have Zyrus¡¯s knowledge, nor did he have an ogre¡¯s ridiculous strength and regeneration that allowed them to ¡®learn via physical experience¡¯. ¡°Do you know why I chose you two?¡± ¡°Guessing from what you told us back then; I¡¯m assuming that the others would get their turns later on.¡± ¡°Correct-¡± *Shatter* Zyrus shrugged and repeated the same process. He had long since forgotten the number of times he failed. ¡°Ogres, trolls, goblins, elves, dwarves¡­many of the races have something they excel at. When it comes to talents related to combat, humans are perhaps the only ones who are average at anything. They don¡¯t have any significant advantage, but at the same time, there isn¡¯t anything that restricts them either¡­¡± *crack* ¡°Phew¡­why do you think I selected him and not you?¡± Zyrus leaned back on the pile of tablets and looked at Kyle¡¯s eyes. ¡°He is more talented and hardworking.¡± Kyle didn¡¯t have a shred of hesitation in accepting this fact. Even now, Strongfist was drawing talismans with his swollen fingers. Being strong didn¡¯t exempt one from fatigue. Having high regeneration didn¡¯t make things any less painful. Just based on desire and will alone, Strongfist was miles ahead. It was no wonder Zyrus chose him as the main ¡®test subject¡¯ for this island. ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You both have similar talents. He¡¯s hardworking because unlike you, that¡¯s the only thing he¡¯s good at. You are better at using blood than even I am. You are the best swordsman and commander in battle. Just on the 5 islands, there are 2 I¡¯m going to train you on.¡± ¡°¡­.I see. I think I know what to do.¡± Zyrus gave him a smile of acknowledgment and went back on his task. There was no such thing as a ready-made subclass. No one can get them via a scroll or a reward. ¡®Achievements are the key,¡¯ *Shatter* Zyrus knew full well that with each failure he was getting closer to the truth. What really was a class? A class was a clear-cut theoretical method to progress. As a simple example, a skill was a formula that can be used to solve a particular type of problem. In that case, a class would be the mathematical textbooks starting from kindergarten to higher education. In other words, a class was a systematic knowledge with a definite starting and ending point. How to progress and what rewards one would get after that was determined by the system. Thus, in order to earn a subclass, one had to learn all about it via practice and hard work. And for Zyrus who wanted to create a brand-new subclass, the process was much more complex. Days passed by as the trio did their own things. Strongfist and Kyle went out once in a while to deliver the talismans they made. Lauren and others also visited from time to time and delivered the ink and tablets. Although it was a tedious and repetitive task, no one felt like it was a waste of time. They felt it firsthand how fast they were improving. Finally, the day came when their strength was put into practice. A month had passed since they arrived at the Jindao island. Now, it was time to conquer the first space. ¡­ Zyrus looked at the map from a bird¡¯s eye view. It was a fascinating sensation as he could zoom in and out with a simple thought. The closest enemy space was towards the east side, with its 3 out of 4 adjacent spaces being under his control. It was the perfect place to launch the assault. Still, Zyrus decided to take the cautious approach. Even a lion would give their all when hunting a rabbit. ¡®Not to mention we¡¯re more like a pack of wolves hunting a lion,¡¯ Zyrus looked at the small corner where 6 blue flames were burning. They were the number of ¡®turns¡¯ he could use. 5 Vajeer with their respective troops were stationed in the northern space, while the remaining ones were on the western side. ¡®Let the game begin,¡¯ Zyrus clicked on the southern space and dragged it towards the enemy space. [You have used a Turn] [Your enemy can also use a special power] [Turn consumption is double the previous amount for actions within the same day.] At the same moment this text appeared, a group of 300 comprised of trolls and ogres charged towards the enemy settlement. And behind them was a projection of a hundred meter tall mammoth. Read 12 advance chapters for 5$ Chapter 153: Nyth unth Vylen ¡°Roger that.¡± Zyrus closed the call tab and focused all his attention on the live map. As much as he wanted to join his troops, the theme of the shatar didn¡¯t allow him to. Exactly 78 seconds after he used the turn, the 300 players reached the target site. This was the players'' first contact with the natives. ¡­ At the enemy settlement, Although it looked like a village, it was more apt to call it a steel fortress. Ten-foot walls guarded the village from all sides, along with twice as deep moat. It was a basic wall made from wood and mud. But when the element of metal was added, anything ceased to be ¡®basic.¡¯ Zyrus had told the players that it would be impossible for them to breach the defense with their numbers. Thus, their one and only mission was to launch a surprise raid while the gates were still open. *Thud*Thud*Thud* The ground tremored with every step of the mammoth projection. It was impossible for this to not catch the eyes of the natives. *Riingg* They saw the tree-like trolls and gigantic ogres running towards their home. They tried to ring the bells and gather the guards, but alas, it was too late. *ROOOOOAAR* The leading troll let out a war cry and initiated its transformation. A hundred others followed his actions and slammed their fists on the ground. [Call of Kheu] Thousands of dark green vines sprouted from the fractured ground and crawled towards the wide-open gate. ¡°Thir unth Kyra?¡± (What are they) ¡°Kyra-Nal?¡± (Animals?) ¡°Kyra-Vil?¡± (Enemies?) ¡°Dren, Zhul Gorn!¡± (Look, a giant monster!) ¡°Kahl Vyra...¡± (Oh lord¡­) No one except Zyrus understood what the natives were speaking. They looked no different from humans except for their lifeless silver eyes and copper skin. The strangest thing was their means of communication. Rather than using their mouth, their whole body was producing sounds via vibrations. The players were unaware of what the pike-wielding guards were shouting. Nonetheless, was there a need for understanding when the roles of both sides were clear? The vines made an overbridge by using the moat and the gate. The trolls themselves became a part of the overbridge to make it more stable. *GROOOAR* This was all the ogres needed. [Berserk Charge] The air above the moat became thick with a blood-red aura. 200 ogres had burned their lifeblood at the same time. Blue veins protruded out from their muscles, and with their newfound explosive strength, they stepped on the trolls and the bridge they created. *BAAANG* The entire village quaked as the ogres jumped down from the sky. The overbridge was formed above the gate, so it was about three meters tall. Adding on the ogres'' jumping height under the berserk stride, the impact was nothing to scoff at. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Vyran unth Kyra!¡± (Surround them!) A bearded native wearing a golden armor shouted at the scrambling guards. The village had a population of close to ten thousand, and each and every one of them was stronger than the ogre. The leader didn¡¯t believe that these rude intruders could do anything except cause a ruckus. *Trrrrrraaaaaaaaa* A deep bellow shattered the leaders'' judgment, along with an entire wall segment. Even the spectating Zyrus didn¡¯t expect the mammoth to be so powerful, much less the natives. The bridge created by the trolls was the only thing that remained intact within the radius of 100 meters. ¡°Got it,¡± Ria replied to Zyrus and conveyed his orders to everyone else. Zyrus could tell them individually as well, but opted for the long route in order to build a habit in them. The players were excited to engage in their first all-out land war. But such excitement didn¡¯t even last a minute. They outnumbered the natives by a lot, but still, their individual strength was nothing compared to them. ¡°Nyth unth Vylen,¡± (kill the intruders) Just a thousand guards held back Zyrus¡¯s entire army. The players'' spells and weapons had no effect on their copper-like skin. On the other hand, player''s defenses were non-existent in front of the natives'' weapons. Things would¡¯ve been better if the players had access to system prompts. Due to the unique nature of this event, they couldn¡¯t see the damage numbers they were all too used to. Zyrus spoke to all the players. No one noticed for a while before suddenly, there was a loud clamor on the battlefield. ¡°Formations!¡± ¡°Motherfucker, that¡¯s unfair.¡± ¡°Eyes on the front ya bastards,¡± Their hard-trained disciple faltered for the first time. But no one could blame them. Everyone saw that when their attacks landed on the natives or when they themselves were attacked, a metallic rune would flash for a brief moment. This was hard to notice mid-fight before Zyrus pointed it out. The players understood at this moment why Zyrus gave out the information on talisman making for free. There was no one who didn¡¯t see the mission. Whether they were interested in the job or not, everyone at least knew which runes were used for what. ¡°They¡¯re using ¡®Harden¡¯ and ¡®Sharp¡¯ runes for their defense and offense. It may look effortless, but there¡¯s a way to get around it by chain attacking,¡± Ria took the initiative and told everyone about her plan. She was second only to Zyrus when it came to her intelligence stat. ¡°Thir unth Zal?¡± This time, everyone could guess what the native leader was screaming about. It was probably something like ¡®How¡¯s that possible?¡¯ The rune for ¡®Harden¡¯ looked like a mic of H and I. The ¡®I¡¯ was twice the size of H with protrusions like Y. The key here was that since everyone knew about the rune and its drawing method beforehand, it was easy for them to destroy it. Hundreds of natives died against the players'' onslaught. However, things got even more peculiar. The natives that looked similar to humanoids became a mercury-like liquid upon their death. It was extremely toxic to the players, so they could do nothing but watch as their enemies ¡®dissolved¡¯ into the ground. Zyrus spoke to the players and zoomed out on the map to see the overall progress. The players were doing ¡®Okay¡¯ by his standards. Since it looked like everything was on the right track, he focused his attention on what was the most important for him¨C collecting data on the runes and the effects of talismans. The rune for attack looked like a mix of inverse triangles with a sword in the middle. The talismans he shared with the players were made from the runes of Harden, Sharp, Conduct, and Bend. They were related to simple metallic properties which was easy for everyone to understand. What would one think when they see a metal plate? It''s sturdy, sharp, and malleable. To take a step further, metals are good conductors of heat, electricity, and even mana. The general laws and applications of metal were thus easy to apply. One didn¡¯t have to walk on that path to make use of it. Zyrus had no plans to learn the laws of metal. It was impossible for one to reach the end of more than one path. No one had told him as such, but he could guess it based on his experiences on the source of existence. ¡®Should I say¡­it¡¯s too simple?¡¯ Zyrus muttered to himself as he saw the players use their talismans to break the enemy¡¯s defense. The tablets would shatter when mana was applied and in turn create a blazing rune. It was flashier in appearance, but Zyrus knew that his creations were in fact inferior. Nonetheless, they did their job. The natives were being slashed in half and their weapons were no longer invincible. The players would¡¯ve won even without the talismans. The main purpose behind his investment was to collect more information and reduce the number of dead players. And it worked. ¡®A pity that it¡¯s the last time I can observe like this¡­¡¯ Zyrus took a sip of water and zoomed in on Strongfist and Kyle. The natives were different from the monsters they had faced thus far. There was a clear command structure between the different villages and the ¡®Capital¡¯. He knew that at this moment the news of his attack should''ve spread to every corner of Jindao island. Without the element of surprise, the players didn¡¯t have the luxury to treat this fight as a learning experience. This will also be the last time when they could outnumber the enemies by 10 to 1. ¡°Roger that.¡± Zyrus closed the comms and started working on the large chart in front of him. Miniature and simple diagrams of countless races were drawn on it- and besides them were the common runes belonging to five elements. This chart was the core of his grand ambitions. Chapter 154: We march Forward Zyrus knew about the history of the five islands. But only after his regression did he figure out the true extent of it. The last five islands of Pisces archipelago were ¡®man-made.¡¯ They were the result of a mad arcanist''s experiment. Or so it was written in the royal library of Kyros. Now, Zyrus very much doubted that this was done by a mad arcanist. Five entire islands filled with a total population that numbered in millions¨C sacrificed just for an experiment. The scale was too big for the work of a mad arcanist. Many past kings and historians guessed what the experiment was for. Some believed the arcanist wanted to create artificial mana attributes while others thought they were creating artificial elementals. ¡®But they were all wrong,¡¯ Zyrus had no doubts anymore. The experiment was done for the same reason as his¨C to understand the workings of laws. ¡®They most likely stuffed entire islands with a specific attributed mana while keeping everyone alive.¡¯ It was obvious what the result was. The experiment was a success considering that the natives were able to instinctively utilize the power of laws. But it was also a failure since the natives were nothing more than a husk of their past. The power of will. It was the most crucial factor in handling the laws. Zyrus was glad that his predecessor had gone above and beyond to assimilate laws with one¡¯s body. Cruel or not, it was a valuable data. It would be a win-win scenario if he could digest the ¡®experiments¡¯ and set their wills free. Doing so wasn¡¯t an easy task. But what if he used thousands of eyes to observe everything? What if different species worked together to achieve a common goal? Even the mightiest task was manageable. This was the reason why he shared the four basic runes with the players. Neither they nor the talismans made from them were the true goal. Their sole purpose was to serve as an example¨Can example of how they could use the power of runes. The runes that flashed on the natives¡¯ bodies and on their attacks weren¡¯t just limited to 4. Neither the one who created this experiment nor Zyrus knew the full extent of the elemental laws. The first and perhaps the biggest hurdle for that was their inability to interact with the laws. But now, in front of every player¡¯s eye, the laws of metal were speaking through the runes. No one understood their language. No one was able to read the meaning behind the runes. Still, this didn¡¯t prevent them from remembering the runes they saw. They memorized the patterns and came up with their own hypothesis on which runes did what. They were no scholars who spent days and nights on understanding magic. They were but simple players who knew nothing except how to kill the foe in front of them. Humans, ogres, trolls, rats, goblins, lions, monkeys¡­all of them saw a different version of runes and how they worked. Like thousands of eyes looking at the same thing, and yet, all of their perspectives were unique. ¡®And soon, they will find similarities and differences with one another.¡¯ Zyrus closed the chart and looked back at the players. The soldiers reported their findings to their superiors and they in turn would do the same. They were weak, but their instincts and intelligence weren¡¯t to be belittled. Like a giant pyramid the information on runes was getting more and more compact as it reached the top. It was simply a matter of time before it bore the fruit of success. Zyrus believed that a race shouldn¡¯t be judged based on the strongest. It was the weakest of one''s kind that showcased their true status. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The greatest example of this ideology were the dragons. Even the lowest of their kin, even the ones who possessed a mere strand of their bloodline, they weren¡¯t to be looked down upon. He knew what would happen if he was successful. The weakest player under him would have the right to held their heads high, even in front of a dragon. Ria¡¯s sudden voice brought him out of his thoughts. Zyrus had told the players to always leave a way out for the natives, and now, they were all trapped in a corner. <¡­May I ask why?> The fact that she was able to ask this question meant that the situation was in the player¡¯s favor. Zyrus decided to speak to everyone instead of just answering Ria. The players weren¡¯t too pleased despite being on the winning side. They launched a surprise attack, they outnumbered the enemy¡¯s true fighting force by dozens of times, and yet, they had this much trouble winning. It didn¡¯t require much thought to predict what would happen when they faced a true army and not a ragtag bunch of civilians. They knew by now that their leaders¡¯ words were worth their weight in gold. And sure enough, the following speech was something they¡¯d always remember. In a slightly different manner that is¡­ Zyrus spoke in a friendly tone, but the words that came out were anything but that. < Let''s ignore defense for the time being. When you¡¯re attacking an enemy camp, a village, a castle¡­there is one thing you have to remember. Don¡¯t let them give their all in a fight. Don¡¯t let them burn their lives as a pyrrhic conquest is the last thing you want. Then comes the question¨C how do you do that? How can you stop the enemies from giving their all when they¡¯re fighting for their lives? It''s quite simple if you think about it. Learn their motives for war. Understand what they¡¯re fighting for, and use it against them. Is it a righteous army fighting to protect the commoners? Grant the non-combatants a safe passage then. This will weaken their will to fight as there¡¯s nothing to protect except their own lives. Is it an army led by evil and corrupt commanders? Use the common populace against them. Using the refugees as meat shields, spreading plagues via them, food shortage¡­ use everything in your hands to break the enemy¡¯s unity. They would be at their weakest where there isn¡¯t a greater cause that binds them> Every player was quiet on the battlefield. Whether they agreed with the words didn¡¯t matter. From the start, they were trained to obey first and think later. Good soldiers didn¡¯t have to be good people. Zyrus didn¡¯t care about their response and continued, *Crrraackckk* Zyrus¡¯s words were right on time as the natives retreated from the other gate. They valiantly took the players'' attacks because there was hope for their family to survive. But he knew that this was just a fa?ade. The emotions they showcased were nothing but a mockery to life. No matter how realistic they acted, puppets would always be puppets. Zyrus zoomed in on the hundreds of natives who were fleeing like ants. He wouldn¡¯t be so cruel against any other opponents because first and foremost, he wasn¡¯t a psychopath that enjoyed needless killing. People were the biggest asset of any kingdom. No sane conqueror would mistreat them for short-term gains. He understood that using force was bound to create the seeds of rebellion. Winning their hearts was the key factor, even if it was achieved via manipulation. ¡®But none of that is relevant here,¡¯ The natives couldn¡¯t really die even if they wanted to. Capturing them was dangerous because they were ticking time bombs¨C quite literally. Thus, the conditions for victory were simple. *Booooooom* *Shuuaaa* Thousands of spells detonated in an instant. Even the natural laws of metal were rendered useless in front of the vast surge of mana. Fireballs, icicles, wind blades, mud field¡­every spell imaginable was used on the fleeing natives. The lucky few that survived the onslaught of mana were killed off by the Specter scorpions and the goblin riders. [Congratulations! You have conquered an enemy space] [Defend for half an hour to occupy this space] [Enemy king has been given the priority in using a turn] [They have forfeited their right] ¡®Oh, they¡¯re being cautious huh¡­.¡¯ Zyrus rubbed his chin as he thought over the possibilities. Things would be more difficult if the enemy took their time analyzing his troops. But it wasn¡¯t like he had no countermeasures against it. ¡®Since they want to see my cards, then I¡¯ll just show them,¡¯ Chapter 155: Path of Ascension Two days later, a projection of Zyrus was hovering inside the command camp. In the short span of 48 hours they had conquered another 7 spaces. Counting the first one, they were almost halfway towards reaching their final goal. But it wasn¡¯t as big of a victory as it sounded. 5 of the spaces were already unoccupied while the remaining two were deserted by the natives. While Zyrus managed to win over many spaces with relative ease, he also lost the advantage of surprise. He was certain that by now all of their information was in the capital''s council. ¡°So, any bright ideas?¡± Zyrus asked the group of 10 sitting in a circle. It was no longer feasible to conquer more spaces without stretching out their troops. And considering their lack of individual strength, this was nothing but suicide. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that he spent a whole month just to gather the players around 3 spaces. Ideally speaking, the shatar was supposed to be played with 16 pieces. It was just that the difference between both side¡¯s pieces was too big. To make an example, Zyrus had his chess pieces made of paper while the enemy¡¯s pieces were made up of hardened steel. Strategy was useless here when you didn¡¯t have the strength to knock down the opponent. It was a weird analogy¨Cbut it was one that was perfect for this scenario. ¡°Rooar¡­ let''s just fight them one by one,¡± a lion-headed man spoke in a gruff voice. Unsurprisingly, no one except Strongfist nodded at his proposal. The bare-chested man wearing a short kilt was none other than one of the two leaders of the beast legion. His crimson mane and flaming golden eyes made it easy to judge his temperament. ¡°That¡¯s a valid proposal despite how simple it sounds.¡± Zyrus agreed with the point, but its disadvantages were too obvious. And from the looks of it, others knew it as well. ¡°Haha¡­of course, I Maahes, have a clear plan in mind. It¡¯s just that our guys are too weak.¡± Silence once again descended on the camp. What Maahes mentioned was their biggest hurdle. The players had gained a significant amount of exp, enough for the majority to reach lv 40. Things would¡¯ve been easier if not for Zyrus¡¯s command that came right after¨C those at lv 40 were to halt their class and racial upgrades and focus on buying as many elemental seeds as they could. 1,00,000 points were no joke. It was true that saving the precious opportunity to assimilate one¡¯s strength was a good idea, but it didn¡¯t do anything to solve their issues at hand. ¡°How about a direct attack on the capital? We can pull it off if we use our turns right.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work this time,¡± Zyrus shook his head at Ria. There was no way for him to reach the capital. And without him, he didn¡¯t believe the players had what it took to pull off a blitz attack. Everyone shared their thoughts except for two. Jacob was listening with a bored face alongside Babi, the flying monkey who was also a leader of the beasts. His big baboon face made the expression of boredom even more evident. Unlike Maahes, Babi¡¯s appearance and personality were in stark contrast. His big face and crooked wings were enough to lower the enemy¡¯s will to fight. In a sense he was similar to the Nidhoggs who possessed an innate talent for causing fear in others¡¯ hearts. ¡°You two have any opinions?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ekk!¡± ¡°No? I have one. Why don¡¯t you launch a frontal charge?¡± Everyone looked at Zyrus with confusion. Wasn¡¯t that the same as spreading their numbers thin? Nonetheless, their worries were unfounded. ¡°Kyle, team up with Maahes and attack another space. You do the same as well,¡± Zyrus pointed to them one by one and gave them their tasks. It looked like they were attacking 5 spaces separately, but when one considered the timing of the attack and the route they were supposed to take, it painted a different picture. ¡°This is a brilliant idea.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Zyrus chuckled at Shi kun¡¯s wholehearted compliment and vanished from the camp. If they knew what he was planning with this move, then brilliant was the last thing they¡¯d call it. ¡®To fool your enemy you must fool your allies first,¡¯ Zyrus predicted that this game of shatar would end in the next three moves, much sooner than anyone would expect. Thus, it was time to finish his preparations on Jindao island. ¡­ A week later, at the westernmost space of the island. This was the location where Zyrus was staying from the start. Not a single player was left within miles of him. The war was going on with neither side giving an inch to the other. Still, the scales were in their favor since the players were learning about the runes at a rapid pace. ¡®This should be enough¡­.¡¯ Zyrus nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the finished scroll. This was the essence of his hard work over the past month. Countless complex runes were drawn on every inch of the scroll. No one except another arcanist could look at this without getting a headache. While he was happy with his work, he also understood that the price paid for this wasn¡¯t light. 7538 players had died since the last time he checked the reports. The grim numbers would keep on increasing as long as the fight went on. It was a situation where one side didn¡¯t have any way to replenish their numbers while the other wouldn¡¯t die no matter what. Even if they won, the loss would be too much. At most 50,000 players would survive by the end of flag march. That was, of course, if things proceeded as they were. The scroll in front of him was the key to their counterattack. [Summon] *Shattter* Dozens of cracks formed in the peaceful sky. A total of one thousand ophidian warriors were summoned to his side. This wasn¡¯t the first time this scene occurred either. Compared to the one who performed the experiment on the natives, Zyrus had a better alternative. His summons were both physically and spiritually more suited for this. ¡°Draw these runes on your body.¡± The ophidian warriors followed his words and used their nimble claws to do the task. One by one, silvery runes were inscribed on their bodies. The power was too much for their feeble bodies to handle, but this time, Zyrus didn¡¯t plan to let them die in vain. The pain both he and his summons shared was about to bear the sweet fruit of success. -Feru- Zyrus chanted in the native language and placed a metallic shard inside the ophidian warrior¡¯s chest. Hundreds of other elemental seeds followed the trajectory of his mana and lodged themselves into the 999 ophidian warriors. *Shiiiing* It was as if a gigantic sword was unsheathed from the heavens. The sharp cry of metal resounded across the entire island, alongside the tolling bells of the system. [Ding! You have found a new path of ascension] [You have made a huge contribution to the sanctuary] [Would you like to mark your name as the Creator of this path?] Yes/No Zyrus laughed out in exhilaration as the read the message. There were few things he hadn¡¯t achieved in his past life, and this was definitely one of them. The ones who had created a subclass on their own could be counted in a single hand. And today, he had joined their ranks. ¡®Still, this is far from over,¡¯ Zyrus reigned in his emotions and clicked on ¡®No.¡¯ The swords cry and the clinging bells dissipated as if someone had clicked a pause button. ¡°Tch¡­how anticlimactic.¡± ¡°Zorath, Kahl.¡± ¡°Zorath.¡± ¡°Zorath.¡± . . . The thousand ophidian warriors repeated the same word over and over. It was apparent how excited they were after talking to Zyrus for the first time. They were like children who learned to talk for the first time. Zyrus too felt like a proud leader as he looked at his subordinates. Their simple words¨C¡®Indeed, my liege¡¯ were enough to uplift his mood to even greater heights. Not only had he improved the summons strength by a whole realm, he had also given them the sentience needed to evolve even further. One had to know that apart from the abyssal legion, his summons were useless in the second ring. He couldn¡¯t go back to earth and sacrifice stronger aliens. This led to the current situation where the majority of his summons were around lv 20 by system¡¯s standards. They didn¡¯t even qualify to be cannon fodders on this stage. 1,00,000 points were nothing compared to solving this flaw. He was sure that even a stickler like Matope wouldn¡¯t have thought of such a possibility. The points were meant to be used on exp and elemental seeds. Every player would have sufficient points by the end of the flag march, enough to level up to 50 and buy a single elemental seed. And it wasn¡¯t like the players could handle two seeds anyway. So, the number of points needed for exp and seeds were fixed. Matope had ¡®generously¡¯ added additional points so that the ones who performed better could buy skill proficiency potions. But Zyrus had found a loophole in this. According to the event, the rules of Shatar wouldn¡¯t apply to the ¡®dangerous areas¡¯ on the sea. It was supposedly a restriction, but in Zyrus¡¯s eyes, it was the best place to farm exp. No matter the circumstances, the tougher monsters would give more exp when you killed them. Why would he use the precious points in buying exp then? It was much better to allow the players to convert their event points into contribution points so they could buy weapons and stuff. It was a win-win scenario for both sides. Even if some players used their points on exp and skill potions, Zyrus was bound to get enough to improve his summons strength. His Balaur summoner class was akin to a cheat in this event. The natives weren¡¯t the only ones who had undying pawns. The enemy king also realized this fact. In no time at all, Zyrus received distress calls from the Vajeers on the frontline. The main army of Jindao had made their appearance on the frontlines. Chapter 156: Checkmate Zyrus had used a unique tactic when he deployed his army a week ago. It was born from his years of experience in the sanctuary, so its effectiveness didn¡¯t have to be doubted. He first divided his troops into 5 and ordered them to target different spaces. But instead of attacking all five spaces at once, he opted for a more proactive approach. 40,000 players attacked the first space. The numbers were enough to overwhelm the natives stationed at the base, so they had to call reinforcement from the nearby villages. The Vajeers used this chance to send another 20,000 troops to one of the weakened villages and also sent a detachment of 10,000 from the first space. Despite losing a fourth of their numbers, the players attacking the first space weren¡¯t at a disadvantage. The ones who left were either the injured or the ones who had spent all their energy. Rather than resting at the frontlines, it was better if they traveled to the other village and provided support when needed. On the third day, the first group of players was at a stalemate while the second group was overwhelming the natives. What happened afterward was a repeat of the first time. Fast forward to now, the players were distributed evenly at all five fronts. All of them were at a stalemate against the natives¨C but there was a key difference. They had the initiative. Unlike the battered natives, they were full of energy. Not to mention they had achieved their biggest goal of getting a terrain advantage. The gates were broken and the towering walls were surrounded by siege ladders. It was simply a matter of time before the outcome was settled. *BUUUUUUUUUU* It was at this time that they realized the true horror of Jindao. What they were fighting thus far were local guards and militia made up of common villagers. *Clack*Clack*Clack* Thousands of metallic horses marched on the vast plains. Even the sturdy rocks were trampled to dust under their cavalry charge. And if this wasn¡¯t frightening enough, there were three more legions behind them. 5000 soldiers wielding tower shields, 5000 archers, and 10,000 swordsmen. The same lineup was dispatched to all five villages. The Vajeers didn¡¯t waste a second and sent distress signals to Zyrus. This was the worst outcome as they were now sandwiched between the village and the approaching army. To advance or to retreat¨C this was the question that would determine the outcome of war. ¡®But this isn¡¯t just a war,¡¯ Zyrus tapped his jaw as he observed the map. The biggest advantage of the shatar was in mobility. Different roles gave unique active buffs and mobilization opportunities. The key to winning this event was precisely this. He looked at the corner where eight blue flames were flickering. The default maximum number of turns was six. The cap was raised after he occupied the native villages. This made it easy to understand how shatar worked. ¡®Nonetheless, there¡¯s no need to wait anymore. 7 turns are all I need¡­¡¯ This was the beauty of intelligent warfare. This wasn¡¯t just about who was stronger or who had more manpower. There were far too many variables that determined the victor¨C at least when both sides were somewhat similar in power. [You have used a Turn] [Your enemy can also use a special power] [Turn consumption is double the previous amount for actions within the same day.] The goblin riders marched from the northern space to southwards. 4 out of 5 spaces were in a linear arrangement, so ¡®Bishop¡¯ was perfect at a time like this. ¡®Can charge in any singular direction without taking any damage¡¯¨C this was the effect of the Bishop''s role. The 100 goblin riders were enshrouded within a projection of a camel as they ran at a breakneck speed. And following them was the army of thousands of players. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. One would think that wolves were faster than camels, but when it came to burst speed, the camels had the potential to outspeed the former. Besides, the one projected here wasn¡¯t a normal camel. It had pale yellow eyes that seemed to peer through space itself. Brown fur that sliced through the wind and black hooves that didn¡¯t leave a footprint on the ground, it was a majestic creature in its own right. [Enemy king has been given the priority in using a turn] [They have forfeited their right] ¡®As I thought¡­¡¯ Zyrus''s eyes brightened as he read the text. He used his next move without wasting a single thought. Since the enemy was willing to take a one-sided beating, it¡¯d be rude of him to decline. Ria and Jacob replied one after another. They were used to orders like these after their years of fighting alongside him. [You have used a Turn] [Your enemy can also use a special power] [Turn consumption is double the previous amount for actions within the same day.] 2 turns were consumed, and as a result, 200 projections of horses appeared in the centermost space. Knights had the ability to move anywhere within 500 meters. When the power of a turn was applied, they could directly jump over to the second adjacent space. What was worthy of note here was that when a turn was used on a space, every player inside was affected. Taking the goblin rider¡¯s case¨C 15,000 players with ¡®soldier¡¯ roles and 100 players with bishop roles were present their a space, along with two Vajeers. The goblin riders can move in a linear direction anywhere within their space without taking damage. The same went for other roles as well. It went without saying that the soldiers didn¡¯t have any such special powers. But things became complicated when a turn was used. First and foremost, to use a turn on bishop, knight, mammoth, etc¡­all players with the said role had to be present in the same space. You couldn¡¯t just distribute 20 bishops in each space and use different turns on them. This meant that the Vajeers could mobilize troops anywhere within their space regardless of whether the 10 of them were together or not. They had to be together in the same space only if Zyrus wanted to use a turn on them. One had to know that this was a huge advantage. It was no wonder the players managed to get an upper hand despite their lacking strength. Second and most important part, when a turn was used on a space, everyone inside would be affected regardless of their roles. Thus, the 2 Vajeers, 100 bishops, and thousands of players could march in a linear direction without taking any damage. Why did Zyrus initially use 300 mammoths as a separate unit then? It was obviously to bait the enemy into thinking otherwise. Heck, even the normal players didn¡¯t know about this. [Enemy king has been given the priority in using a turn] [They have forfeited their right] ¡®Hehe¡­checkmate,¡¯ Zyrus used his third and last move by consuming four turns. 300 mammoths knocked back the enemies in the central space, and most importantly, they created a blockade with the trolls and ogres. The battlefield was rearranged in a way that 80% of Zyrus¡¯s army was fighting against enemy¡¯s 40%. It went without saying who had the advantage. Zyrus stored all of the documents and waited for the enemy king. If this was a game of chess, then what he had done was downright moronic. The king was all alone without a pawn in sight. Worse, he was out of turn for the next 24 hours. The goal of shatar was to conquer spaces, but there was a prerequisite that both sides had their kings. Even if you conquered dozens of spaces, even if you obliterated the enemy¡¯s pawns, you would still lose if your king was compromised. Zyrus knew that, and so did the enemy. [Enemy king has been given the priority in using a turn] [They have used the special ability of the highest order] ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Zyrus curved his lips as he looked at the sky above. He knew that his counterpart was observing his every move. The role of a king was useless in a frontal assault. It didn¡¯t give any offensive boosts, and as if this wasn¡¯t enough, the king couldn¡¯t attack outside 100 meter range. Oh, and he couldn¡¯t leave the original space without using a turn. Even the common soldiers didn¡¯t have such restrictions. |-|~Ank-Vysh-Zoran~|-| A solemn voice rang across the sky. It was akin to a declaration from the heavens that couldn¡¯t be defied. Thousands of silver chains descended from the sky and bound the 100-meter space around Zyrus. Forget about moving an inch, he couldn¡¯t even activate his mana. ¡°Lifebound prisoner? That¡¯s a strange ability you have. How envious,¡± Zyrus looked at the sky without a tinge of worry. It was impossible for him to know what special abilities the natives had. In the end, this wasn¡¯t an actual game of chess where both sides had the same pieces. Regardless, the concept of ¡®checkmate¡¯ existed here as well. Zyrus left himself vulnerable for this exact scenario as he wanted the enemy to use their strongest pieces to kill him in one go. ¡®But this is out of my expectations,¡¯ Zyrus was unable to use his mana, but his senses were as sharp as ever. It was thanks to them that he realized what these chains were for. ¡°So instead of sending your pieces over to checkmate, you are summoning me to your side?¡± This was without a doubt the best way to ensure victory. But unfortunately for the natives, the king in question was Zyrus Wymar. Chapter 157: World Resonance Zyrus felt a familiar sensation as he was dragged away by the chains. Every second seemed to stretch infinitely in his perception. [Eye of Annihilation] This was a skill he was both familiar and unfamiliar with. He had heard about the skills effect of discovering weak spots even before his regression. And it was proven true when he acquired the skill in the tutorial week. However, things took a different direction ever since he learned about laws. The effects and scope of the skill became more and more bizarre with every new encounter. Seeing the souls of his blood fusion targets, witnessing the law threads that governed the system, finding core of field bosses like the Nidhogg king¡­.the skill was growing alongside Zyrus. This moment was no exception. As a dimensional mage himself, Zyrus was no stranger to the concept of teleportation. Still, the current scene was an eye-opener for him. The ability to lock down a region of space from far away, and then teleport it back to your desired spot¨C this was the power used by the natives. It wasn¡¯t that Zyrus couldn¡¯t do this at the peak of his life. What caught his attention was how efficient this process was. If he or any arcanist he knew were to repeat this phenomenon, they¡¯d have to be near lv 200. The natives¡¯ feat of achieving this below lv 50 was nothing short of marvelous. ¡®And I¡¯m sure it has nothing to do with the experiment,¡¯ Zyrus was sure of this. This was why he was even more impressed by his enemy. ¡®The natives had a high talent for laws even before they were dragged into this.¡¯ Then again, it made sense. If someone planned to sacrifice whole five islands to achieve their goal, there was no way they¡¯d not think thoroughly. The ones living here were perhaps those who had the highest chance of getting into contact with the power of laws. Zyrus had devised a simple theory after his personal experiences with the power of laws. The composition of mana was extremely complex. Nonetheless, it was a proven fact that it contained countless laws and energy. Jormungandr had told him about the realm of order. In essence, it comprised of everything within the observable universe. According to the conjuncture he came upon, Laws in their primary forms were natural phenomena that occurred throughout the realm of order. Burning of wood, hardening of soil, and water that could douse the flame and moisten the soil. Such things were deemed as rules of nature. This was no different from something that everyone knew even back on earth. He had yet to figure out what role willpower played into this, but he was certain of another factor¨C mana. To take an example, let''s assume that a unit of mana was used to cast a fireball spell. The amount of energy in that unit of mana is fixed, so in theory, the power output of that spell should be fixed as well. But that wasn¡¯t the case. Arcanists researched about this for centuries and came up with terms like skill proficiency and attribute affinity. They were able to quantify the power through various means, and yet, they failed to answer the first question. The amount of energy in a unit of mana is fixed. Attribute affinity and skill proficiency were unable to explain where the excess energy came from. ¡®The utilization of laws¡­¡¯ A spark of inspiration lit up in Zyrus¡¯s head. Previously, he had thought that the answer to this question was related to laws. The energy in that unit of mana was used to activate the laws of fire. The difference in power was due to passive vs active utilization of laws. His theory was current in the sense that he was able to use more power via his 13 curses of void, power that someone at his level shouldn¡¯t have. But what the natives were doing was different. Zyrus used his willpower to activate the laws, so what about the natives? ¡®I was genius yet stupid,¡¯ Zyrus focused his gleaming red eyes on the approaching castle. His vision was filled by towering ivory walls and black cannons that were mounted on it. *Thwaamm* It was as if a celestial hammer was struck on the earth. Zyrus and the 100-meter space around him were slammed into the ground. The green grass was in stark contrast against the paved roads that led to the capital. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Velk.¡± A cold voice reached his ears from the faraway walls. Zyrus didn¡¯t have to take a second look to know who the man wearing the golden crown was. ¡®They sure are prepared,¡¯ Barrels of oils were released all around him. Judging from the canons that were ready to spew out fire, it didn¡¯t take a genius to guess what the enemy intended. Zyrus knew that he would be able to use his mana soon, but it wouldn¡¯t change the current predicament. The enemy king was meticulous enough to use something like grass in his plan, so it was unlikely that he¡¯d miss an obvious flaw. ¡®I planned to slip away from the start¡­but not now.¡¯ World resonance, World essence, and World core. These were the first three realms he came up with after he finished studying the records of the martial arts civilization. He thought that the first realm was achieved when one came in contact with the laws, and the second realm was when one could use the ¡®essence¡¯ of those laws. Willpower was the key to achieving the second realm, and he had long since succeeded with that. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call him a genius since he achieved the second realm in a short time. It was only today that he realized that he was mistaken. His conjuncture of world essence was correct, but he grossly underestimated the scope of world resonance. *Bang*Bang*Bang* Hundreds of cannons fired off one after another. They painted a beautiful trajectory that left no escape routes. [Shackles of Nihility] Chains arose from the ground and bound the balls of flames within. The bright balls of fire were reduced to nothing under the clasp of purple shackles. No matter how many cannonballs were fired, they could do nothing against the chains that roamed the sky like a hydra. Zyrus knew that if he wasn¡¯t restricted by the role of a king, the shackles of nihility would have reached the enemy castle by now. The power he wielded left him brimming with joy. The true purpose of the world resonance was to ¡®connect¡¯ the laws within the world. Taking the previous example of 1 mana unit, the purpose of energy wasn¡¯t to activate the laws and cast a skill. The energy was used to resonate the mana you possessed with the mana in the world around you. At the same time, the targeted law would resonate as well. Things were easier for him because he was familiar with controlling the mana around him. If previously he used mana to form shackles of nihility and used the void laws to increase their power, then now he was his mana around him to resonate with the void laws, and by extension, activate the shackles of nihility. The difference in efficiency was obvious. Not to mention the chains made by this were stronger than before. ¡°Unth Jorek.¡± *Drrrrt* Rolling sounds reverberated across the castle walls as the cannons retreated from the front. Instead of feeling relieved, Zyrus was even more cautious. There was no way the enemy didn¡¯t have a counter against something like this, and indeed, he was proven correct. ¡°Tch¡­ that¡¯ll be troublesome.¡± Zyrus muttered to himself and activated his summoning skill. Thanks to the recent breakthrough in knowledge, he was able to summon more troops compared to before. *Crrrack* The space around him cracked under the influence of mana, and at the same time, hundreds of ballistas replaced the cannons. It was arguable if they were more effective than the former, but what mattered here was something different. The arrows used by the ballista were made up of metal, something that was overflowing with the power of laws. It was without a doubt that they held the power to wreak the chains used by Zyrus, all thanks to their sheer quantity. Nonetheless, Zyrus was also prepared. How couldn¡¯t he when he planned to face the enemy¡¯s strongest force from the start? [Radiance] This was the crown¡¯s authority that he rarely used. A pale blue aura encased the abyssal legion and the group of ophidian warriors. *Sssskkk* Elsid and Zirnitra stood beside Zyrus and looked at the approaching arrows with warines. Even though they were confident in their strength, there was an innate fear that they couldn¡¯t suppress when they looked at the silver rain of metal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just like we can¡¯t use the full power of laws, the same goes for them.¡± *Clang*Clang* The blue auras that deflected the arrows proved his remark. System held the absolute power within the sanctuary. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that he was focusing so much of his time on improving his range of abilities.
  • Radiance
Creates an aura field around the wielder of the crown. Allied forces will be strengthened whereas the hostile forces will be weakened. -Field area = User¡¯s level x 10 feet. -Buff: All stats +5, HP +100 -Debuff: All stats -5, small chance to inflict ¡®Fear¡¯ effect. -Note: Buff and debuff will be enhanced depending on the user¡¯s level. This was the effect of ¡®Radiance¡¯. It was obvious that it didn¡¯t have the power to deal with a law-infused attack, but what mattered here was the HP buff. One cannot die in the sanctuary unless their HP reaches zero. If timed right, the +100 HP buff could save the lives of many. Of course, its weakness was obvious. It would be helpless against the second volley of attacks. But from the start, Zyrus needed something else from the authority¨Cnamely the bright light that it produced. ¡°Stall them for a while and then retreat,¡± Zyrus ordered Zirnitra and surveyed the surroundings. The natives were in for a surprise if they thought they could corner him this easily. [Earth Movement] In the midst of clashing metals and dying ophidian warriors, Zyrus burrowed into the ground without anyone¡¯s notice. The final phase of his plan was put into motion. Follow me on Patreon Chapter 158: Heart of Abyss (???) What were the limitations of the ''King'' role? One, they couldn¡¯t attack beyond the range of 100 meters, and two, they were unable to move out of their space without using a turn. And judging from the fact that Zyrus was ¡®moved¡¯ from his space without using any turns, it was obvious that there were ways to get around the role¡¯s restrictions. Still, some ingenious means were needed for that. He couldn¡¯t just hint his allies to ¡®carry¡¯ him out of the space. Such blatant loopholes would¡¯ve been fixed by Matope since the start. ¡®But I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t have expected this,¡¯ Zyrus was both nervous and excited as he channeled his mana. Zirnitra and others had retreated by now, and the enemy king was most likely searching every nook and cranny to find his traces. Never would they think that he was right below them. Even before the flag march began, he had his plans for the third zone. The changes that happened along the way and the recent event of shatar had done nothing to contradict them. All he had to do was slightly tweak his actions to get the best out of this. Vast amount of black mana surged around Zyrus as he chanted one incantation after another. The soil was brimming with the laws of metal, and it made him feel like he was submerged in an ocean of needles. The blood on his scales proved that it wasn¡¯t just a feeling. The sheer concentration of laws was enough to rip a normal player to shreds. How powerful would be a spell that could utilize these laws? Zyrus didn¡¯t know the answer. Nor did he intend to find that out. It would be an understatement to call their presence on this island as reckless. He knew that the second and the third rings were in the merging process. The third ring was nothing but the regions that were shrouded by a mist¨C and the capital of Jindao was one such example. To be precise, the core of the capital. That was where the experiment originated, and it was also the place that marked the doom of the entire island¡¯s populace. ¡®The changes in Jindao¡¯s environment are the result of overflowing mana¨C mana that originates from the capital.¡¯ This was something that Zyrus wasn¡¯t willing to tell the players. How devastating would it be when they realized that their greatest threat was nothing but a side effect? The terror of the capital was too much for anyone of them to bear, including Zyrus. Even he wouldn¡¯t dare to step foot on this island once the fog was lifted. No one could survive in this place without nearing lv 100. The sole exception to this rule were those who could use the laws of metal. In other words, those with an affinity towards metal attribute. Naturally, the players who had the elemental seed were included. Leaving the future things aside, there was something Zyrus always wanted to experiment on. What would happen if two laws were mixed? It was impossible to attempt anything of the sort when the mist was lifted, but the current scenario was different. The concentration of laws was just about right for his plans to work. He couldn¡¯t do this with his void laws. Why? Because the outcome was fixed. One of the two laws would cease to exist. Worse, the aftermath might make the islands ¡®disappear¡¯ as well. Such experiments shouldn¡¯t be done in one¡¯s backyard. That left him with only one option¨C one that happened to be the best-case scenario. Abyss. It was hard to pinpoint the exact effect of the laws of abyss. It was deep, sticky, and most importantly, corrosive. There were few things the abyssal mana couldn¡¯t corrupt. Zyrus planned to use the same tactic he used against Oroszlan. Spreading his mana and corrupting the very foundation of Jindao was the simplest way to achieve his goal. It was a pity that this was only temporary. Once the third ring opened, his abyssal mana would be flooded out in no time. *HZZZZZZ* Zyrus¡¯s blood and mana congregated in front of his heart. The tar-like blob was similar to a beating heart, pulsating with the abyssal mana he had released. ¡°Hahaha..it¡¯s a pity that no one¡¯s here to witness this miracle!¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Zyrus laughed aloud without a care in the world. Even if the natives noticed something was amiss, it was too late. He wasn¡¯t tooting off his horn when he spoke of a miracle. If anything, he had undermined his achievement. [Congratulations! You have achieved an unprecedented feat] [You have created a unique elemental seed] [Your assimilated achievement: The Architect of Abyss (EX), has undergone a transformation!] [Your contribution will be remembered] [|[ Please name your creation ]|] Zyrus didn¡¯t feel a lest bit tired despite his mana depletion. There was nothing better than reaping the fruits of your hard work. The Architect of Abyss was of the highest grade of achievement. It was assimilated with his existence under the blessing of order. While Zyrus didn¡¯t know what the transformation was about, he believed that it was bound to be a good thing. *HZZZZZZ* The blob of mana began to vibrate at greater intensity. It no longer needed his mana to corrode the surroundings. What he did was akin to shooting three birds with one arrow. The two limitations of the king''s role were negated since this wasn¡¯t an attack directed at anyone. To top it off, he had achieved his goal of learning about the usage of laws. The realm of world core and the elemental seeds in the event shop were related. It wouldn¡¯t be far off to call the elemental seed a pseudo world core. This was a valuable experiment as he had figured out a way to create elemental seeds from concentrated mana. While he couldn¡¯t do this for other elements due to his lacking affinity, the theory itself was the key. It would be up for Strongfist to figure things out. ¡®But what should I name it?¡¯ Zyrus rubbed his chin as he observed the seed he had created. A black blob of mana was throbbing with surges of mana, and each time, it further extended its tentacles into the surroundings. ¡°Heart of Abyss,¡± Zyrus declared the name, and in the next instance, a dark golden light erupted from the deep underground. The natives had to be blind to not notice such a scene, but as he had said before, it was too late. The golden light signified that his creation was acknowledged by the system. There was a huge difference between his experimental product and something that could use the system¡¯s power to enact its effect. [Heart of Abyss (???)] An abyssal seed created by Zyrus Wymar. It can absorb mana and spread without limits, though it could be purged with overflowing mana as well. Corrupted Veins: Consumes all forms of energy to release tendrils of abyssal mana. These tendrils will repeat the same process until everything is corroded by the abyss. [Note: This is a dangerous item. Please use it with caution] ¡°Thir unth Va?¡± ¡°Kryn unth Kahl!¡± The natives¡¯ shouts reached deep underground. Zyrus could imagine them being flustered and scurrying off to notify their superiors. ¡®Only those who have seen abyss¡¯s corruption would know how terrifying it is,¡¯ Zyrus was among the few who had survived to tell the tale. Heck, he even went a step further and gave others a chance to witness such a ''wonderous'' sight. The earth darkened faster than one could follow with their eyes. Even the metallic stones were covered by a black sheen. ¡°Aren¡¯t I a magnanimous one?¡± Zyrus asked after he felt the space around him fluctuate. It was easy to guess who the uninvited guest was. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­This will be the first and last time you win like this.¡± Zyrus gave Matope a smile which the latter was disgusted by. Imagine if two players were playing chess, and one of them just poured a bottle of ink on the chessboard and declared¨C checkmate. The current situation was pretty much like that. Matope had no choice but to temporarily evacuate the players to guarantee their safety. As infuriating as it may be, it was his responsibility as an administrator to save players from such accidents. Even if that ¡®accident¡¯ was caused by their own leader. [Spatial Shift] Zyrus saw Matope use the skill he was all too familiar with. 89,438 players were brought to the sky above the Jindao island. They took the front seat in seeing the apocalyptic disaster. The vibrant island gleaming with silver radiance was being corroded by a black mass. The highly concentrated yet uncontrolled mana did nothing but fuel the rate of corrosion. It might be a lackluster ending for the war, but still, seeing this sight was worth it. ¡°So, what do you want?¡± Matope asked with this usual calmness. However, the mana he was emitting hinted otherwise. ¡°Let him stay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Not if you help.¡± The two argued back and forth while the one in question, Strongfist, was oblivious to what they were talking about. In the end, it was decided that Matope would help the players chosen by him stay on the islands. In return, Zyrus wouldn¡¯t use the Heart of Abyss before achieving victory. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t plan to do anything excessive from now on. You should know that it was my goal to train them. Now that they have the elemental seeds, they barely pass off as pawns.¡± Matope was visibly relieved after he heard that. It wasn¡¯t like he could stop Zyrus from messing around in the first place. The arcanists were a notorious bunch due to the countless means they had. Even administrators were hard-pressed to keep them within rules. Besides, sanctuary advocated freedom for the strong. Regardless of the means and motives, what Zyrus and the one before him had done on the islands was of tremendous value. Rules and morals mattered little when the fate of the universe was at stake. [Congratulations! You have won this round] [Commencing the next round in 00:05:00] Finally, it was time to move on to the next island. All eyes were set on Zyrus who was standing before the roulette wheel. Read advanced chapters on patreon Chapter 159: Merfolk A colorful aurora enveloped the entire sky. In front of Zyrus was a wheel with 9 slots that represented the location they¡¯d be sent to. Mudao, Huodao, Fengdao, and Shuidao. These were the 4 ¡®stages¡¯ that were left. The probability was changed about whether they¡¯d be teleported directly or sent to a dangerous area that was close by. 4 stages and 5 dangerous areas. The rate would change every time they were teleported directly. They were bound to encounter a dangerous area sooner or later. Zyrus channeled his mana and flicked on the center of the roulette. A cascade of lights flashed in the players'' eyes as the familiar scene took place once again. *Tick*Tick*Riiiiinngg* ¡®Twice in a row huh,¡¯ Zyrus¡¯s eyes gleamed in excitement as he read the text. Their next destination was the most beautiful place in the third zone. [==] The stage has been selected [==] [==] The second game of Shatar will begin on Shuidao [==] [==] Initiating teleportation to Shuidao Island [==] Everyone vanished with a flash, except for Matope. The golden slime stood silent for a long time as it looked at the darkening Jindao island. In the end, the old administrator couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the treachery of fate. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready¡­.for freedom comes with a hefty price.¡± ¡­ In the eastern part of the third zone, an island floated above the starry ocean. Even the glimmering reflection of cosmos failed to outshine the beauty of the Shuidao. The island was shaped like a bowl, with a brown rim and a hollowed-out center. What made it marvelous was its crystalline interior. The water was without a speck of impurity. This allowed the lights from the night sky to shine into every inch of the island. The crystalline surface further reflected the light and illuminated the entire region. Shuidao was the island representing the water element. It was no surprise that over 80% of its volume was occupied by water. The water here was different from the saline seas. It was the result of highly concentrated water elemental energy. In a sense, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call it a lake of mana. On the center of this beautiful island was a castle made up of azure crystals. And right below it, on the deepest part of Shuidao island, lay a vast cavern that occupied over 30% of its outer surface. What was special was that this cavern was porous. It trapped the island''s mana so that the ¡®water¡¯ wouldn¡¯t leak out. There would be nothing worth of note if that was all there was to it, but such wasn¡¯t the case. *Bub* Countless bubbles rose from the bottom of Shuidao island. Their size varied from a few feet to hundreds of meters. The overflowing light made them look like pearls rising towards the sky. It was a sight the merfolk living on the surface were used to. But today, something was different. The bubbles were no longer pure. An army of vile creatures was about to invade their holy land. ¡­ At the bottom of the Shuidao island, Zyrus observed the map in front of him with keen eyes. There were many different factors to consider before he deployed his troops. First of all, the distribution of spaces. There were a total of 42 spaces, 9 of which were occupied by the enemy. It wasn¡¯t a lot of area considering they were the smallest spaces located at the top. However, having more area wasn¡¯t the advantageous factor. What mattered here was something else¨C terrain. Neither the azure castle nor the cannon located below it were for show. In a sense, the players were trapped in a bowl with no way out. What made things worse were the unpredictable bubbles. Shuidao didn¡¯t have normal water to begin with. The bubbles formed in it shared the same trait. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Shuidao was filled with concentrated water attribute mana. To maintain the balance, the rest of the elements as well as a vast amount of pure mana was stored within the bubbles. The bubbles moved up and down and even collided against one another. Some would separate into smaller bubbles while others would clump together and form a giant bubble. It went without saying that players were unable to survive outside these bubbles. ¡®This makes mobilization a nightmare¡­¡¯ Regardless of his initial placement, there was no telling where his troops might end up. And if this wasn¡¯t bad enough, there was one more thing to consider. The bubbles were the biggest energy source for mermen. As much as they were adept at using water attribute, it was impossible to do everything with that alone. Thus, they harvested the abundant mana in bubbles to fuel their castle. They installed a barrier that connected to the 9 spaces as well as the cannon. Its simple function of ¡®bursting bubbles¡¯ would become the most potent weapon against the players. Nonetheless, Zyrus was more or less prepared for this. The true variable in his plan was the changed rules of shatar. [You have gained access to the 12 spaces in the lowest layer] [You may deploy your pieces to any/all spaces as you deem fit] [New Rules have been added!] [New effects have been added!] [Victory condition: Occupy 24 spaces] [Time left for deployment¨C 00:03:00] Zyrus didn¡¯t waste any more time and opened two new tabs. The changed Rules and Effects were reflected in his yellow eyes. {|{ Rules for the second round of Shatar }|}
  • Anchors will be generated for every space
  • You can permanently anchor a bubble after occupying the space
  • To occupy a space, you must protect the anchor for 30 minutes
  • Each occupied space will generate 1 turn per day
  • Failure to obtain a new space within 10 days will result in elimination
{|{ Effects for the second round of Shatar }|}
  • Water resistance + 50% During the occupation of a neutral space (lasts till the end of this round)
  • Water affinity +5% for each space in control (lasts till the end of this round)
  • Newly occupied space will create a Safe Zone for 1 day. All wounds will be healed within the safe zone. those from the opposing faction are unable to attack the safe zone.
  • While attacking a space, the bubble will disperse at a rate proportional to the scale of battle
  • While defending a space, the bubble will strengthen at a rate proportional to the scale of battle
  • When both factions are vying for the same space, their respective event-specific effects will be strengthened by 50%
It took him a whole minute to analyze the long list of abilities. Hundreds of plans went through his head before finally, he settled on the safest option. *Bob* [==] The second game of Shatar has commenced [==] All of the players appeared inside the bubble that was almost a kilometer in radius. It was somewhat scamped compared to Jindao Island, but no one bothered to look at the ones around them. Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixated on the sparkling yet distant walls. It was a brilliant and soothing sight. Only a few were looking at the dot-like azure castle above them. And thus, they were the first who got out of their reverie. ¡°Enemies are approaching!¡± ¡°Look up ya dimwits,¡± Some screamed to get others'' attention while some scolded their subordinates via comms. It didn¡¯t take long before everyone was focused on the blue dot above them. A dot that was getting bigger and bigger. Since the water was so clear, it was impossible for the natives to not notice them. Zyrus spoke to everyone as he rushed at the anchor. The main force of the enemy will be concentrated there, so it was of paramount importance to secure it as soon as possible. He planned to win this round in a normal way, so there was no choice but to use everything to their greatest advantage. The players listened with rapt attention while getting into formations. Since they were half fish, they should be able to move unhindered unlike them. They had an overwhelming advantage in both attacking and retreating. Having a humanoid half meant that they also used weapons and other tools. Neither of which was good news. *Kreeeeee* ¡°Jingchu zhexie shuchong¡± A sonorous voice rang above the bubble¡¯s surface. The players couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the speed of mermen¡¯s mobilization. They came from one side of the island to another in mere minutes. Thankfully, Zyrus and the other also reached the anchor at the same time. ¡°Yes, your majesty¡± The players bashed their weapons and replied in unison. Their steely eyes held no fear as the enemies barged in from above. For unlike before, they were fighting alongside their King.