《The SSS Ranked Villain's Return》 Chapter 2 Storm ...Status +-----+ Status Name: Neraxis Valen Age: 16 --Stats: Rank: G Strength: G- Agility: G- Stamina: G- Intelligence: F- Mana Capacity: G+ --Secondary Stats: Luck: G Charm: D- --Skills: +-----+ All of my hard-earned skills are gone. The same goes for all my stats. Also, 16? Seriously? I was 24 before I died... Neraxisy back on his bed, nearly stumbling onto the ground. So much had happened in thest couple of minutes that he found it hard to believe what he was seeing. He picked up a nearby pencil and twirled it around. It felt real in his grip, but one could never be too sure. Here goes nothing. Neraxis took a deep breath and thrust the pencil straight into his thigh, much to his surprise, he felt pain¡ªa lot of pain, for that matter. It was a t pencil, not yet sharpened, so it did not manage to pierce through his skin. Nheless, it still hurt. Just as he was about to scream, an even louder knock came from his door, followed by his sister''s voice: "If you don''te out in the next five minutes, I am breaking down the door!" She finished with a kick to the door. She always liked to nag... It still felt unreal. He had died. ra, too... But as doubt began creeping in again, a series of system messages shed before his eyes. [Viewing System Logs...] [Evaluation Complete: SSS-Rank] [Removing Unique One-Time-Use Skill: Rebirth | Reason: Used] [Removing All Previously Acquired Skills | Reason: Ipatible] [Too Weak to Receive All Rewards: Progressive Reward System Initiated] [Would you like to ept the rewards? Yes/No] Neraxis stared nkly at the messages before him. Rebirth? Ipatible...? What the fuck... He pressed the Yes button. It did not sound like he had much of a choice anyway. This was also how he got his first skill back in the past. It had happened a few months before the academy officially started, when he passed the basic exam to get in. After a few seconds, another message popped up. Instead of his main skill, Hell Scythe, there was a new skill¡ªone he had never seen before. [Progressive Skill Received: Eve of Ruin {G-SSS}] [Eve of Ruin {G}] [Skill Description: Harness the power of Vulnerability and Decay. Due to the low rank of the skill, most options are locked.] [Skill Effects (1/2): Aura of Vulnerability: All enemies within a 5-meter radius take an extra 5% more damage from all sources. Duration: 1 minute; Cooldown: 15 minutes.]@@novelbin@@ [Skill Effects (2/2): Mark of Decay: Mark a single enemy within a 30-meter radius and inflict the Decaying debuff; Cooldown: 10 minutes.] [Debuff - Decaying: Each attack against the target has a low chance to remove a beneficial effect and temporarily disable healing. Each attack reduces the target''s Movement Speed by 1% per stack. Stacks up to 5 times. The debuffsts as long as the target is being hit; if not hit for more than 30 seconds, the debuff vanishes.] This is... pretty shit. Neraxis read through the entire skill description. While it seemed promising because it could evolve to SSS rank, it was currently somewhat useless. Even his previous Hell Scythe skill started at C rank, which he evolved to B rank just before hisst battle. The evolution had urred mainly due to his proficiency. Now, though, he had no clue how to begin evolving such an ability. This skill would be good ifbined with another skill, much like his previous main skill, but s, the system had once again let him down. While it wasn''t what I expected, at least the Decaying debuff is alright. I assume the healing stays disabled until the debuff expires? That would be pretty overpowered now that I think about it... As he immersed himself in thought, his door suddenly swung open when it nearly broke the frame. The perpetrator? "Ten minutes, you idiot! If you don''t get there in time, they''ll expel you!" ra walked up to the stunned Neraxis and grabbed him by the cor. Surprisingly, her strength was high enough to lift him. But that seemed fair. After all, he was a bit frail at the moment. Tall and frail¡ªdefinitely not the greatestbination. Still, he remembered improving his physique quite quickly after arriving at the academy; after all, it was one of the best in the country. He was already dressed, so ra dragged him downstairs, handed him a fork, and ced a meat dish in front of him. "Eat up. Try not to choke." Neraxis nodded mindlessly and began devouring the food, though his emotions were in turmoil. She''s just like I remember her. Hair and eyes the same as mine. Her fierce look while washing the dishes... funny and nostalgic. Taking a deep breath after finishing his food, he leaned back in his chair. I really am back, aren''t I? But as his mind cleared, his confusion only deepened. Why had the heroes betrayed and killed him? He wasn''t a bad judge of character. He had always ensured that those he opened up to were trustworthy. The same went for Lar. Up until thest fight, Neraxis noticed nothing wrong. Only after ying all the monsters did they show their true intentions. Then there was that system message he received before everything began crumbling down. Scrolling through the logs, he ignored the random countdowns until he found what he was looking for. [Task Failed Sessfully!] What task did I fail? And what does it mean by sessfully? Before he could delve deeper, ra hit him over the head with his own bowl. "Six minutes. If you run full speed, you might just make it." She reminded him while taking his te to the sink to wash. Understanding it was time to leave, Neraxis headed to the front door. Pausing with one leg out of the house, he turned back to ra, who was still washing dishes. "See youter?" he asked with a shaky voice. "Five minutes," she replied, scrubbing another te. Without another word, Neraxis began running. His stamina was horrible since he was out of shape. The academy was only 5 kilometers away, and since he was a superhuman, running that far in 5 minutes was definitely doable. The world had changed quite a while ago; the norms were no longer the same. It was currently the year 2367, and thest rift outbreak had been 17 years ago. He already knew when the next one would happen¡ªexactly 8 years from now. Superhumans first appeared in the year 2195. Random humans began seeing status screens right before their eyes, and then there were skills¡ªabilities that granted them immense strength. But s, with the appearance of the first superhumans also came a time of chaos. In the year 2200, the first-ever rift outbreak happened, wiping out a good portion of humanity. That continued on, the difficulty increasing each time until finally, Neraxis put an end to it¡ªor so he thought, anyway. He had no way of knowing if whatever he had done even had an impact. As he was in the middle of running, he spotted something strange in the corner of his eye. It was a perfect time to take a break since he felt like his lungs were on fire anyway. It was a good thing the academy was right ahead of him. But that was not what caught his attention. Instead, it was the massive, slender, purple tower stretching straight into the clouds. He could not even see the very top of it. There was an ominous feeling emanating from it, but he could not quite put his finger on what exactly it was. In the end, however, one thing was certain. That was definitely not there before... Chapter 3 Havenspire Academy Neraxis'' gaze was fixated on the tower; after all, it had not been there before. However, there was a single memory reying in his mind, and that was the moment he died¡ªor more specifically, the sight he saw just before he died. There was a tower rising in the distance, its design eerily simr to what he was currently seeing. But even then, he had been barely conscious at the time. For all Neraxis knew, it might have been more of a foreboding omen. He was still a bit dazed after all that had happened. Therefore, he would leave the thinking forter. First and foremost, he had to attend the academy. And ording to his phone, he was about to bete. Only 20 seconds remained until the gates of the academy closed. But as he approached the gates, he noticed another thing off¡ªthe name of the academy, which had previously been Arcanum, was instead Havenspire. Even this has changed... Am I in a different timeline or something? Neraxis felt conflicted but nheless headed inside. Although he was not exactlyte, he was certainly thest one to arrive. Passing through the gate, he saw the familiar sight of the academy grounds. It seemed like the only thing that had changed was its name. It was a pretty long structure, stretching out several hundred meters in all directions. Safe to say, it was massive¡ªenough to fit all the students inside with space left over. But despite that, the academy was not known for its high eptance rate. The only reason he had passed was because of his Hell Scythe skill. However, that was gone now. That meant his chances of retaining his spot had decreased by quite a margin. And while Neraxis did have a lot of experience, some skills tended to be a bit overpowered¡ªespecially for those in the academy. Not that he had that high of a spot anyway. Out of 1,000 students, he was pretty much down the very middle¡ª488th. "You arete," a voice came from the side. It was one of the guards stationed near the entrance of the academy, also responsible for leading everyone to the auditorium. "Sorry... the bus was full. Had to run over," Neraxis tried making a half-hearted excuse that even he could not believe, but nheless, it seemed to work. "I don''t give a shit. Follow me quickly." The guard signaled with his chin toward the academy''s wide entrance door and began leading him at a brisk pace. They were practically jogging for a few seconds until finally, they arrived at a door Neraxis remembered very well. The auditorium was a ce where the whole academy gathered whenever a student achieved something unbelievable. Normally, it was only supposed to be used once every couple of years. However, due to the sheer number of talented people who had joined this year, the congrattory ceremonies happened at least once a month. The guard whisked him forward as Neraxis stood still for a few seconds too long. Before he knew it, he was inside the auditorium, its size speaking volumes about the wealth of the academy. However, that was not the issue now. Instead, it seemed like he was now the center of attention. It was not like he hated it, but being in the spotlight on his first day with no way to defend himself from jealous students down the line? Not what he had on his agenda. His main skill was in yet had the potential to grow incredibly strong, considering most of its options were still locked. Despite that, now he was a sitting duck.@@novelbin@@ Neraxis could feel the stares of annoyance from many of the other students. Every single one of them was a first-year. Though not all of them wouldst long enough to attend the second year. While it was an academy, it was also a strict training institute¡ªone that focused more on practical application rather than theory. It was, in a way, why he liked it so much. However, it was also the reason why so many students died. But damn... it sure is quiet...? As Neraxis was in the middle of his thoughts, he heard a pair of footsteps walking up to him. Upon noticing who it was, he froze. "Do you not understand punctuality? You are four secondste." "Sorry... Miss Miranda," he tried his best to keep his voice steady. After all, the person before him was one of the senior-year teachers. And not only that, she was also one of the people who believed that the rifts were supposed to be opened¡ªto let in the outer beings of some sort. Basically an insane person. He was just happy he had the honor of ending her life eventually. She was not the only one with that kind of mindset. There were many who, after two centuries, assumed humans were the ones causing havoc, and that the rifts were meant to stop it. wed thinking for a wed individual. Her personality has always been a little off-putting. Even if some things had changed, she sure hasn''t... Neraxis chuckled inwardly and waited out her re. She would not expel him for being a few secondste. That would be the case if his rank were in the 800s, though. He would not even be able to step through the academy''s entrance before someone threw him out. As he was lost in his thoughts, her stern voice interrupted him. "Student, if I find you arete to another gathering, I will expel you on the spot. Understood?" Neraxis merely nodded and proceeded to walk to a less crowded area. He did not want to be huddled together with all those arrogant kids ring daggers at him. There were a few he recognized, some he even got along with previously. However, not many of them survived until the end. He was also thankful that the heroes were not from his academy. He did not know what he would have done to them if they were. However, as he looked around, he could not spot a certain individual¡ªthe one who was supposed to be representing the academy. When is the headmaster showing up? Shouldn''t he have been here even before everyone else? But as those thoughts surfaced, he suddenly felt his neck grow cold. His instincts told him someone was watching him. Neraxis immediately turned his head to spot the culprit. However, it seemed he was not the only one, as the majority of the students did the same¡ªsome much more spooked than he was. "All of you would have died just then, carelessly leaving your backs turned and guards down. Pathetic." An emotionless voice resounded from the podium, where a lone man sat, wearing a luxurious, pure-ck academy uniform with the crest of clouds etched onto the fabric. To say he looked intimidating was an understatement. One felt like they would die just by meeting his eyes. That reminds me... I forgot to change into the uniform. Neraxis inwardly sighed and nced at the man again. He was looking over everyone as if they were bugs¡ªseemingly wastes of life. It was not a great way to motivate the students to learn more, but at least he acknowledged when someone did something praiseworthy. "I will keep this brief. Wee to Havenspire Academy, I am the headmaster William Whiltfrow. Those who were expelled and decided to try their luck at the entrance exam once again, nothing changed. If you are trash, then stay as trash." The headmaster spoke without remorse, stood up, waved his hand to the side, and opened the back door of the auditorium. It led to the massive indoor field with many arenas scattered around¡ªits purpose? Duels or battle-royale-type battles. However, that was not the problem. Instead, it was something else entirely. What do you mean there is another entrance exam!? Chapter 5 New Skill Neraxis opted to trust his gut, so he went over and stood by William without even greeting him or introducing himself. If he thought about it, where else could the color ck appear? There were certainly no pirs in sight with that color, nor were there any objects except for the single cane, which had not been there previously. This, coupled with the fact that William was not saying anything, meant that he was right. The seconds turned into minutes as he stayed the only one standing beside him, until a girl approached and silently joined him. Neraxis could not recognize her. She had crimson red eyes and ck shoulder-length hair. She was quite a beauty; it was certainly a wonder how he did not remember her. Maybe one of those who died early on? he thought and decided not to pursue the matter further. It wouldn''t do him any good to worry about others when he himself was in an unpredictable situation. It was still unbelievable to him. He really had died ande back to the past¡ªor what he assumed to be the past anyway. So far, the only thing that had not changed since his return was his sister. As for his parents, he wasn''t sure where they were. Most of the time, they only came back for holidays. However, Neraxis had a grievance with them. When his sister had died, they did not even bother showing up to the funeral. But he decided to push aside his depressing thoughts and focus on what he could do now. The first step was passing the entrance exam. At the rate it was progressing, it was likely he had already passed. After that¡ªand most importantly¡ªhe would figure out what was going on with the world and why exactly there were so many differencespared to the past. As he was lost in thought, another person showed up, followed by yet another one, making it four people in total if he included himself. Neraxis and the others patiently waited for a few more minutes, until finally the cane William was holding disappeared, and suddenly, they found themselves encased in some sort of ck bubble, expanding several dozen meters around them. However, he quickly realized they were in a barrier that seemed topletely iste them from the outside. Suddenly, William''s voice rang out, as if it wereing from everywhere but where he was standing. "You four pass: Jay, Celina, Damien, andstly... Neraxis? What a weird name." ...Ouch?@@novelbin@@ "However, I still have another test for you. It was supposed to bepleted with more people, but out of the 36 others I gave the ck marble to, only you four managed to perceive past their foolishness and find the obvious clue in in sight," William exined as the voices around them began growing quieter. Neraxis turned and attempted to find a loophole in the barrier, but it seemed wless. It seems like you are even stronger than before I returned... This world sure is something. As he turned back around, he was met with the three other students, who had equally confused looks on their faces. William had suddenly disappeared in the moment he looked away. "Now then, I will cut the bullshit while it''s hot." William''s voice resounded all around them once again, this time much louder than before. However, his tone did not sound normal¡ªat least not how Neraxis remembered it. He had been a pretty cold-blooded man, but despite that, Neraxis had never heard him speak with such little emotion. "I will choose two of you to enter the special ss. The other two will be expelled. I will give you ten minutes to prepare. Until then, I am going to be standing by." That''s more like it. Neraxis nodded to himself. It seemed like all William wanted to do was intimidate the others¡ªa final test of wit. It even managed to fool him for a moment. Turning around, what greeted Neraxis''s eyes were two students, Jay and Damien, who seemed to already be fighting each other. Eliminating each other was a great idea¡ªif one did not think through the question. Obviously, all they had to do was stay put for ten minutes and William would pass them all. After all, he said there were 36 others who didn''t make it. But as he thought this, he suddenly froze. Unless that is also a lie? Shit. It would certainly fit the theme. He tested their perception, and now perhaps it was decision-making under unknown circumstances? There were many possibilities going through his mind. However, they were all interrupted when a kick flew straight at his head. Just before it was about tond, Neraxis quickly sidestepped, barely dodging the attack. It was Jay, and unlike the other students he had seen earlier, this one was pretty nd. However, it seemed like he was great at martial arts. Despite dodging the kick, Neraxis still felt the force behind it slightly stinging his arm. He couldn''t say for certain if it was the effect of a skill or not, but he would find out shortly. In his peripheral vision, he spotted Damien lying in his own pool of blood. It was hard to tell if he was even alive at that point. As for Celina, she was merely standing by the side, her presence greatly reduced to the point where Jay most likely forgot about her. She noticed Neraxis staring in her direction and shed a look of surprise before quickly doing something he could only attribute to being a skill. Even though he was looking at her, the presence she was emitting was slowly dimming. It felt as though he was looking directly through her instead of at her. But he could not worry about that as he still had to deal with Jay, who had grown impatient since his first attack. Neraxis didn''t have to wait long for another attack toe at him. However, this time he was ready. It was also the perfect opportunity to test out his new skill¡ªone that he considered mediocre. He immediately used Mark of Decay, putting it on a ten-minute cooldown, while simultaneously activating Aura of Vulnerability. The effects were instant, and he could see two orbs clearly orbiting around Jay, their colors ck and silver. Usually, visual cues like these indicated that the individual was under the effects of a skill. Only he could see such things, while Jay would not notice in the slightest¡ªwell, until it was toote. As before, Jay dashed in and tried sweeping his legs. However, Neraxis kicked right at his knee as he jumped up and evaded him once again. All he had to do was hit him five times to stack the Decaying debuff to its maximum. As for Aura of Vulnerability, Neraxis wasn''t sure if it was doing much. While there was a small bruise on Jay''s knee now, it was doubtful if a measly 5% increase in damage could cause that. Nheless, Neraxis kept dodging until, finally, the Decaying stacks reached their maximum of five. Surprisingly, the attacks felt a little slower, enough for him to dodge with less effort. However, one thing stood out the most: the ck orb, which had begun glowing ominously, as though begging Neraxis to reach for it. The moment he considered doing so, the ck orb disappeared, leaving only the silver orb. It seemed pretty anticlimactic. Or so he thought. In the next moment, he could see Jay slightly wobbling, a pained expression on his face, and a groan escaping his mouth. However, before he had time to process what had happened, Neraxis ran up to him without hesitation and hit him over the head with full force, knocking him out on the spot and even caving in his jaw slightly. What just happened? Neraxis thought with a raised brow. As he gazed around, he noticed a system window, oddly minimized and hard to spot. But once he maximized it, his eyes widened. [Eve of Ruin {G} New Skill Option Unlocked] [Skill Effects (2/2): Mark of Decay: Mark a single enemy within a 30-meter radius and inflict the Decaying debuff. (NEW) Detonate the Mark: Instantly triggers the cumtive damage from the 5 most powerful attacks inflicted on the marked target while the mark is active. If the mark is detonated, the Decaying debuff ends early. Mark of Decay Cooldown: 10 minutes. Detonate the Mark Cooldown: 3 Hours] Neraxis stared at the new option, trying to keep his expression steady. However, it was difficult, as a smile still managed to form on his face. After all, a skill that dealt 5 of his strongest attacks at once was pretty overpowered. Even if it had a long cooldown, it was the perfect trump card. Now this is what I call a good skill. Chapter 6 Strange Encounter Now what, though? There''s still Celina left, and well, Damien, Neraxis thought as he looked around. It only took him a few seconds to spot Celina, as she no longer seemed to be trying to hide. As for Damien, he was still lying on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he realized he was drowning in his own blood. What a good headmaster, Neraxis sighed and walked up to him, propping him up so he could cough up the blood. That was all he nned to do; he wasn''t going to help him more than that. Once Damien finished coughing up the blood, Neraxis went over and chopped him at the back of his neck. Normally, it wouldn''t be strong enough to knock anyone out, but due to Damien''s condition, it was sufficient. After that, heid Damien back down, ensuring he wouldn''t choke on his own blood again. The surroundings were finally silent. There were still a few minutes left until William came back¡ªnot that he was not already watching them. Despite that, Neraxis had done what he set out to do: secure his position. Even if the situation had spiraled a bit out of his expectations¡ªand, unsurprisingly, it had¡ªeverything seemed over now. At least, that was what he thought until he felt a presence behind him moving fast. It was Celina. Neraxis quickly turned around, and the moment he did, he saw her arm outstretched, a pair of sharp daggers aiming right for his head. Fast. He thought, attempting to sidestep, but a sudden pain assaulted his abdomen. Looking down, he saw blood dripping from a wound he hadn''t even noticed. Before he could process it further, he was suddenly lifted into the air and mmed down to the ground like a bullet. It happened so fast that all he could feel was pain. Fucking high-agility skill... he cursed in his mind as a painful groan escaped his lips. Celina seemed far more powerful than he was. Had her stats already reached F-rank? It would be rare for a student to rank up so quickly, considering most had only awakened a year ago at most¡ªsome even just a few months ago, much like him. Well, that was the casest time¡ªuntil now. Now, he had awakened only minutes before the academy even started. It was definitely a handicap. Still, due to the simplicity of his main skill, it wasn''t too bad¡ªperhaps. Though being matched up against her while most of my skills are on cooldown sure is a bust... In the past, his Hell Scythe skill had several sub-skills that could perform feats simr to his current abilities¡ªalbeit at much higher ranks. Those sub-skills also had passive functions, such as imbuing his attacks with the chance to set someone on fire. People had thought it was overpowered, and honestly, so did he. Now, Neraxis prayed that when he fully awakened his main skill, Eve of Ruin, it would surpass Hell Scythe. When someone awakened their main skill, they could typically use the concept of the skill itself. His previous skill, Hell Scythe, had literally summoned a scythe from hell, imbued with the power to burn, corrode, and even damage the soul. It was an excellent skill. But that was a concern for the future. For now, he had to focus on surviving the present. While the stab wasn''t fatal, blood loss could kill him¡ªunless William decided to step in and help, which, given his personality, was highly unlikely. Sure would be nice, but... shit. Another groan escaped his lips as the pain in his abdomen grew worse, like his adrenaline had finally run out. Even so, he had to stand. It was just a slightly faster student¡ªone who had merely awakened an agility-based skill. How could he give up then and there? Gritting his teeth, Neraxis began to lift himself, enduring the agony of the wound in his abdomen. Finally, he was face-to-face with Celina, who looked amused. "You''re a bit sturdy," she said teasingly, twirling her daggers in a yful manner. It didn''t seem yful to the one who''d just been stabbed, though. "Why did you do that?" Neraxis asked, tearing off a piece of his clothing and stuffing it into the wound to stop the bleeding. Of course, he''d need to take further measurester. Even though he had superhuman abilities, he could still fall ill. "No particr reason. I just noticed you had your back turned. You know you shouldn''t do that, right?" Celina let out a small chuckle, sending a chill down his spine. She came across as a psychopath at first nce. A pretty psychopath, though, Neraxis mused inwardly. Alice had been simr but had turned out to be a backstabbing bitch. Maybe his taste in women was what got him killed in the first ce? But despite that, Alice was someone he trusted with his heart. It was still shocking how she betrayed him¡ªno indication¡ªonly mockery filled her gaze as she looked down at him while he was dying. That was why he had already decided he''d kill all those so-called heroes at the first opportunity. Even if some were different due to irregrities, their crimes remained the same. For now, he decided to humor the girl in front of him¡ªit beat being stabbed again. "Oh yeah? Do you usually go around stabbing people in the back?" "Not really. I just thought your back looked attackable, that''s all." The second woman to stab me in the back. Not a great track record. At least this one doesn''t seem fake¡ªthat''s her actual personality. Neraxis observed her as she let out small, self-amusedughs. It was hard to tell if she was crazy or just really fond of her own joke¡ªor maybe both. He left her to her giggling and turned his attention to Jay, who was slowly getting up. It wasn''t in his best interest to have another nuisance attacking him, so he went over and kicked Jay in the face, knocking him out again. Neraxis made sure to protect his back this time, just in case Celina decided to attack on a whim. He heard anotherugh behind him¡ªso close it startled him. "Why are you so jumpy? It''s not like I''ll attack you again," Celina teased, tapping him on the shoulder before walking over to Jay and kicking him in the abdomen. What the? Neraxis raised a brow at her behavior.@@novelbin@@ "Haa... I''ve disliked him from the start. It''s nice seeing him on the ground." She sighed and kicked him again. And again. Finally, Celina stopped and began walking back to her previous spot¡ªthe only elevated area within the barrier. It lookedfortable enough to sit on. Neraxis watched as she made herselffortable. Then, to his surprise, she patted the spot beside her and gestured for him toe over. Sure? He wasn''t expecting that, but he did want to sit down somewhere. Even though he''d stopped the bleeding, he had already lost a decent amount of blood. Also, since he was still in the academy, killing him was not allowed. Quietly, Neraxis walked over and sat beside her. To his surprise, she didn''t say anything further, simply fiddling with her daggers. He didn''t interrupt her; she seemed to be having fun¡ªeven if it looked incredibly dull to him. What a strange girl... Chapter 8 Difference They had not talked much on the way back, mostly because Neraxis was busy admiring the sights around him. Now that he was no longer under the pressure of arriving at the academy on time, he could take a good look at his surroundings. The city had changed a fair bit, its previously technologically advanced look gone, now sporting what seemed like a convenient mix of simplicity and technology. As for the architecture, it leaned toward a more open, minimalist design. Most buildings and houses had their own gardens, despite the fact that he was practically in the middle of a city that was dominated by skyscrapers. It felt as though it would be easy to break into. However, a little blue holographic lock was in front of everyone''s gates, acting as some sort of deterrent against robbers. Neraxis was unsure what it did¡ªpossibly some sort of artificial mana barrier¡ªbut if people were bold enough to make such open housing, it must have been pretty damn effective. However, despite all the little changes, the most eye-catching one was the thin purple tower in the very middle of the city. It still gave off the magical, uneasy feeling he had felt earlier, though it seemed to have lessened a tad. The buildings near the tower looked simr to it in a way¡ªtheir architecture mimicked a spiraling tower reaching into the sky, and there were quite a few of them around. As for where he lived, it was pretty simr to how he had left it. It almost seemed like his house waspletely unaffected. But, just like the rest, it had that little holographic lock he saw on everyone''s gate. He wanted to know more about it but felt strange asking ra. The two entered their house, and just as Neraxis was about to research his curiosity and procrastinate on meeting his mother, she grabbed him by the cor. "Grab a broom. Your task is to sweep your own room." razily pointed to a nearby closet, the one where they kept all the cleaning necessities. "Yes¡­" He sighed inwardly. Seems like it will have to wait. Neraxis proceeded to the closet and picked out a random broom. He did not remember having that many; however, the number in the closet was much more than necessary for two people living together. Nheless, he ignored his rising suspicion and headed to his room, which was on the second floor, at the very end of the hallway. The moment he stepped through the door, his expression soured. He had never really been the kind of guy who cleaned his room often¡ªespecially when the stress of the academy''s opening ceremony was supposed to be happening today. Therefore, the only thing he could see in the horizon that was his room were piles of clothes strewn all around and all sorts of energy drink cans¡ªones that had missed the trash bin, which was surprisingly empty. ra must have cleaned it¡­ fuck, I feel bad for her having to clean up after me. He grimaced inwardly and began sorting through the clothing. He remembered that the night before the opening ceremony was supposed to happen, he had looked around for the perfect outfit. Unfortunately, due to his anxiousness, he forgot to put on the most important piece of clothing of them all: the academy uniform. It was a blessing that William was not the way he remembered. Otherwise, he might have created an academy uniform out of ice and made him wear it. A shiver went down Neraxis''s spine at the thought of that possibility. After nearly half an hour, he finally managed to sort through everything and even throw out most of the trash. But just as he was about to celebrate his little achievement, he heard a knock on the front door. Immediately, he grew uneasy. In the next moment, ra called out to him. "Neraxis! Get your ass down here; she''s here!"@@novelbin@@ Fuck... He grumbled to himself but nheless hid the broom under his bed and went downstairs. It was about time he saw this mother of his. The door was open, and he could immediately hear chattering¡ªfriendly chattering. Neraxis hesitantly turned the corner that would allow him to see the front door. Upon doing so, he saw a woman who did not look to be in her 40s at all. Instead, it seemed like she had not even hit her 30s. Her features were the same as his: pure white hair and captivating purple eyes. Yet, there was one more thing that caught him off guard¡ªa warm smile on her face. But as he stepped into view, she immediately turned her gaze onto him, the smile on her face not waning in the slightest. "Oh! Nera! Come here. I bought something for you." The excitement in her voice was clear as she began shuffling around in her purse until, finally, she pulled out a tiny envelope. Then, she walked up to him and forced it into his hands. "Congrattions on being epted!" she stated and proceeded to hug him tightly. All the while, Neraxis stood frozen, ever since first seeing her. The mother he remembered never smiled. Neither did she give anyone gifts, for that matter¡ªonly money from time to time. Added to the fact that she used to hate ra, it put him in quite the peculiar situation. "Thank you¡­?" He tried to sound as polite as possible, but he couldn''t hide the trace of uncertainty in his tone. His mother tilted her head to the side before once again going through her purse. She pulled out something he was not expecting to see. It was a bag of all sorts of snacks¡ªones he used to eat daily during his time at the academy. The reason he stopped eating them was because thepany that made those bags ran into some financial difficulties, which led them to go bankrupt. But that had not yet happened. Neraxis epted the bag of snacks without question, holding it up like some sort of trophy in one hand while holding the envelope in the other. Her cheery smile once again returned as she stretched out her hand and ced it on his head, ruffling his hair a little. "I almost forgot I bought that," she said with a chuckle and returned her gaze toward ra. "Let''s go prepare lunch, shall we? It is a day worth celebrating, after all." However, just as she began walking to the kitchen with ra by her side, she suddenly turned back around to face him. "You¡­ Did you get a girlfriend?" Neraxis was momentarily stunned. Seeing the teasing expression on her face did not make it better, either. "No¡­ it''s only my first day." "Hmm¡­ Pity. It seems I won''t be meeting my grandkids until I''m old and ugly," she remarked in a sarcastic tone before turning her attention back to ra. "Let''s go prepare the dishes. Roskaris should be back in an hour or two as well; the tower held him up a little." With those words, they finally disappeared from Neraxis''s vision. Father as well? What is this world ying at¡­ His hands shook at all of these encounters that had happened within the span of a couple of hours. It almost made him feel like he was in heaven. But heaven was a luxury for a man like him. He had killed many humans before. Even if those kills were not intended, they were a necessity. It was more realistic to think he was in hell, shown the vision of how his life could have been if he had gone to heaven, only for it to be ripped away at thest moment. However, as those obscene thoughts returned, he noticed the system window in the corner of his vision, heavily minimized. With a raised brow, he maximized it again, and upon seeing what kind of system message it was, his eyes once again widened. [Unread System Logs: 1] [Would you like to view them? Y/N] Chapter 12 A Demonic Sword? [The Fragment of Cmity wishes to form a bond with you.] [Do you ept? Y/Y] Do I ept? I don''t even have the option to decline... Neraxis sighed as he watched the red system screen hovering in front of him, seemingly tracking each of his movements. The pain went away. However, a new issue arose: the so-called Fragment of Cmity. He did not know what it was¡ªwhat kind of power it wielded. Frankly, he could see the system glitching, blurring some letters before they slowly reappeared. The red system screen was something he''d never seen or heard of, so it was only natural it was an anomaly. But it was strange¡ªit appeared at the same time as the sword disappeared and his headache started, meaning, in a way, it must be connected. "Are you the sword?" He decided to ask the text in front of him, though he thought it a foolish thing to do. However, despite his expectations, a subtle change appeared in the system screen as the text morphed, finally changing to a single word. [Yes] Neraxis was stunned for a moment, but before he could ask any other questions, the sword''s persistence continued. [Do you ept? Y/Y] [ept. Y/Y] [Y/Y] As he noticed things were getting slightly out of hand, he interjected, "Alright, alright, give me a moment to think." [Fine.] Sassy... Neraxis rolled his eyes at the red system screen and proceeded to stand up and dust himself off before taking a nce around the backyard. It was not as bad as he thought. Aside from the broken target dummies and a little bit of charred grass, everything else was intact. Or so he thought, until a nearby tree fell on top of his fence and began rolling through the ground, leaving a bunch of trash in its wake as well as sending the ash from earlier floating all over the sky. Neraxis watched in silence and tried dodging some of the iing ash, but instead, he tripped over his porch and fell down. As he did so, the wave of ash from the tumbling tree swept upon him and covered him from head to toe. [Hahaha, Press It Already Y/Y] ...Fuck. Neraxis stared at the sky. The tree had caught onto something in his backyard, but the debris still managed to reach him. It didn''t help that the red system screen was teasing him as well. But despite the ufortable situation he found himself in, he still couldn''t help but be cautious. "You, what are you anyway?" [I am a sword, obviously. Y/Y] "Yeah, a talking sword that went inside of my system. Exin yourself..." Neraxis said while putting a hand over his forehead. Even after the pain from earlier went away, talking with the sword made his brain hurt. It was like talking to a wall, one that did not want to answer. [I will tell you if you ept.] "And what assures me that I won''t be selling my soul off to some demonic sword?" he said with a scoff. While the sword did prove handy, if it had some shady side effects, he could do without it. However, the next words it said made him freeze on the spot. [I am a demonic sword, but don''t worry, your soul will be left untouched... for the most part.] "...Uh? Fuck off." Neraxis made up his mind in a mere instant and waved the red system screen away. He had a bit of work to do, starting with getting rid of the massive tree in his backyard. Having a massive burden such as a demonic sword would do him no good. But just as he began walking away, the red system screen expanded, covering his entire view and disying a single message. [W-Wait! Look, I am a demonic sword, but I am not evil. I won''t go for your soul, but I will have to assimte myself within it. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to form a connection with you.] "A demonic sword alwayses with a side effect. Then what is yours?" Neraxis asked with a tone full of suspicion. [I don''t have anything like that. I merely need your blood sometimes to refuel my strength. That is all.] He listened but, nheless, found it hard to believe. A demonic sword was something that contained evil energy, a sort of resentment from a powerful demon. Yet for it to still be a demonic sword and not contain any serious side effects seemed too good to be true.@@novelbin@@ As for blood, it was negligible. He had a lot to spare. After all, the awakened were abnormal, and so was their regeneration capability. Of course... If it sucks out blood without moderation, then... Neraxis thought as a shiver ran down his spine. However, just like before, another system message appeared, but this time, it was a bit different. [Evangeline, The Fragment of Cmity wishes to form a bond with you.] [Please ept. Y/Y] Neraxis noticed something off and spoke up. "Why are you being so desperate?" [If you don''t ept, then I will disappear permanently. The remnants of my soul are just barely holding this conversation together. So, for thest time, if you want answers to whatever you seek, ept my offer, and I shall answer them.] The text was getting blurrier and blurrier by the second, while at the same time, a small part of the red system was beginning to turn blue once again, signifying that he had limited time. It put him in quite a pinch, and he did not know whether or not he could trust the talking demonic sword, who apparently was talking to him through its soul. But from the previous text, he was able to get a name: Evangeline. It seemed like that was the name of the sword. He watched as the blue began dominating the red until, finally, there was only one part left, the single line that was there all this time. [Y/Y] Neraxis felt like the choice he was about to make would be a mistake; however, his gut was telling him to do it. He hesitated, reached for the two ept buttons, and pressed them. But even after a few seconds had passed, nothing out of the ordinary happened. He began thinking that maybe he was just a bit toote. Hmm... Neraxis stared at the now-empty blue system screen and sighed. It was a pity, but there was nothing he could do about it now. However, just as he thought it was finally over, the blue system interface began changing back to red, but this time, the transition was much smoother. He felt a stir within himself. It was a familiar feeling to mana, but it was clearly not it. He was incapable of sensing or using it so far. There was one more indication that something did indeed happen, though, as a strange ck sword symbol appeared on his wrist, as though it was a tattoo. But just a single nce told him it was nothing simple. It emanated a faint red energy, which he could only assume to be mana¡ªor, since it was a demonic sword, possibly even demonic mana. Neraxis was unsure of how it worked or what the differences were; however, if the sword did n on living up to its word, then he would know soon enough. As he was momentarily lost in his thoughts, the red system screen suddenly vanished, and immediately, he could feel something off. The connection that once required him to think of the system to make it appear was now gone. Instead, what reced it was a single name. ...Evangeline? Neraxis thought in his mind with a wary look as the ck sword symbol began lighting up in a reddish color, and in the next moment, he received a response. [Ah... I am finally free!] Just as those words dawned, the familiar sword from before emerged, the pure ck hilt and crimson de ever-present, reflecting the setting sun in the distance, as well as reflecting his disheveled appearance. However, that did notst long, as the sword flew out of his grasp and began flying around him, doing all sorts of loops and turns without stop. And all he could hear was, [I''m freeeee!] Neraxis nkly stared at the flying sword before sitting back down on his porch. I can already feel the headacheing, but... he thought and nced at his trashed backyard. I should probably clean this up first. Who knows when the others will get back... [Freeeee!] ...And there''s the headache. Chapter 13 Little Mishap A couple of hours passed as Neraxis was hard at work, dismantling the tree and throwing its pieces behind the target dummies. He managed to build a little shed to house all the trash currently present in the backyard, of course, with the help of Evangeline. She was rather persistent about him calling her that. She also got mad when he referred to her as a sword. It was a miracle that she managed to calm down. It took a solid 20 minutes until she ran out of energy and decided to drink some of his blood. The amount was not too great either¡ªsomething that would restore itself within hours. But during that time, he was able to talk to her a little¡ªin a sense, get to know her. At the same time, he wanted to find out what happened to his system and why it had turned red, to which she simply responded with: [Oh, I like the color red. Blue is no good.] Like all the things Evangeline had said to date, they never failed to make him speechless. However, she wasn''t that bad¡ªjust a bit too energetic. [Don''t ce that there. Look, give me.] As Evangeline said that, she stabbed a log through the middle, flew it upwards, and dropped it onto the rest of the logs. But, to no one''s surprise, due to the sudden shift in weight, the entire structure copsed, followed by the shed, rendering his efforts to build it worthless. On second thought, she is a bit clumsy too... Neraxis let out a sigh and walked over to the shed, beginning to fix it all over again. In just a few minutes of tinkering, it was finished. The yard looked great as per usual, and now they even had a little shed to store wood. Evangeline had swept up the dust earlier, so except for a few bruises, everything else was the same. He decided to tell his parents that the dummies were defective. No way would they believe someone like him could destroy them. Of course, if they didn''t ask, he wouldn''t bring it up. It was a terrible excuse, and he knew it. Now that everything was finished and he''d gotten his daily workout in, it was time to check his status screen, which, like before, waspletely red. +-----+ Status, made pretty by Evangeline. Name: Neraxis Valen Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {???}] Age: 16 --Stats: Rank: G -> G+ Strength: G- -> G Agility: G -> G+ Stamina: G -> G+ Intelligence: F- -> F Mana capacity: G+ -> F- --Secondary Stats: Luck: G -> G- Charm: D- -> C- --Skills: [Eve of Ruin {G}] * [Swordsmanship {G}] +-----+ His stats had increased drastically, and his main skill had be highlighted with a star. However, the most eye-catching part was the very top of the status and the fact that another option appeared¡ªthe stigmata. Since he was still viewing the status screen, the tattoo-like sword on his wrist began glowing a clear red. It didn''t take a genius to realize it was the so-called stigmata. However, Neraxis was still unsure of what it did. It seemed like a skill, but at the same time, not quite it. Therefore, he decided to speak up. Evangeline had her moment of fun; now it was time for answers. "I think it''s time we have a little chat, don''t you think? Tell me what a stigmata is and the other things you promised. Oh, and also, remove that... thing from the top of my status," he said, as the ''made pretty by Evangeline'' text was throwing him off. [Awh... do you really hate it? Fine. I will get rid of that,] she said, and immediately, the text returned to normal. Immediately after that, the sword floated down onto Neraxis''sp and calmed down. After a moment of silence, Evangeline once again spoke up, her usual yfulness gone. [The stigmata is me. I am a part of you now, and I can lend you my powers. For now, I take the form of a sword as most of my strength has dissipated. However, over time, it will return.] She paused before continuing, [As you get stronger, so do I. But besides that... I don''t really know how I ended up here. Thest couple of days are nk. All I can remember is falling from the sky and eventuallynding in your yard.] "...When exactly did you fall into my yard?" Neraxis questioned as an ominous feeling began welling up inside his chest. [Hmm? Yesterday, I believe. That was the first time I sensed your mana while you were inside your room. However, you soon left. I even thought I had imagined it until you finally came back and picked me up.] Did she arrive at the same time I came back? There''s no way. He thought, furrowing his brows. Was it possible that the two of them were somehow connected? However, before he could ask any more questions, the sword suddenly floated out of hisp, did a few circles in the sky, and finally disappeared into thin air. With that, she left him with a few words: [If you need something, just call out my name in your mind. You don''t have to always talk out loud; helps with maintaining secrecy, you know?] The moment she finished her sentence, he could see the red energy flowing straight into the stigmata on his wrist, and once again, the silence resumed. "You are an odd one..." Neraxis eximed and got up. It was time to head back into his home to rest for a moment before he would go back to train again. His goal was reaching F- in at least one physical stat. It required much more effort than jumping through G rank, as he did that pretty effortlessly. Just as he turned around and prepared to head back inside, he noticed ra standing by the side, ring at him before stating, "You look like crap. You do know we own a shower, right?" Her sarcastic remark was shrugged off as Neraxis went past her and into the house. He was unsure when she''de back, but it couldn''t have been long ago, or he''d be getting bombarded with questions about the strange sword by now. But since everything seemed normal, he went up to take a quick shower and change clothes before heading back downstairs for some food. However, as he was enjoying his little break, ra stormed back into the room with an expression filled with horror, as though she had seen a ghost. Neraxis immediately got on guard and nced at the stigmata. Evangeline, you can use mana, right? Are there any intruders around? [Yes, and no. I don''t think she''s scared per se, more like... startled by what she had seen? Perhaps?] she replied innocently. Hmm... that doesn''t sound good. "You... You..." ra finally began speaking up, her voice in a stutter, seemingly failing to find the right words to say. He put on a small yet warm smile as he tilted his head and spoke, "What''s wrong, sis?" However, in the moment where he blinked, she walked up to him and smacked him over the head before grabbing his shoulders with both her hands and letting out a patient sigh. "Neraxis." "Yes?" "You were ''training'' with those target dummies, correct?" ra asked, her expression unreadable. Neraxis flinched at those words and began rambling, "Oh... those. Yeah, I did, but they seemed to have some sort of defect. Copsing in a single hit was a bit disappointing." However, his words went on deaf ears as ra continued, "So you were training with them? Do you know how much they are worth?"@@novelbin@@ "...A lot?" he answered hesitatingly. "One of them is worth a normal household''s monthly sry, and you ''identally'' broke how many again?" "13..." Neraxis answered with a sigh. He really messed up this time. He thought they were just pieces of junk his family threw out. ra listened and finally let go of his shoulders before sending a straight kick directly at his stomach, to which he merely sidestepped. She was strong, but her fighting style was not refined. Dodging her was child''s y if he really tried. "Look, ra, I will earn enough money to rece them. Just give me a few wee¡ª" His words were interrupted as she interjected. "No, it''s fine. We are rich," she remarked before adding with an angry pout, "You destroyed the only ones I customized for myself! Don''t you have your own!?" As her words dawned upon him, Neraxis immediately understood what she meant. The electricity-infused puppets were the only ones he trained with and, for the most part, the only ones he attacked. Perhaps he was unlucky, but he didn''t notice the uncustomized bunch, which apparently belonged to him. ra walked up to him and side-kicked him in the abdomen. This time, however, he did not dodge. Instead, he epted his fate. "Guhh," Neraxis eximed as all the air seemingly left his lungs, and he crouched down onto the ground. The kick was much more powerful than he expected. "I will be taking your target dummies for myself since you destroyed mine. You can use the ones in your academy or whatever," she added and began walking back to the yard, leaving him all alone lying on the ground. This little interaction really made him think: Aren''t I supposed to be the big brother here? Chapter 15 A Little Stronger Neraxis stood his ground, waiting patiently for the horde of Scrapfang to arrive. They were each a different color, and he could not tell their strength. However, he did know one thing: he was a little stronger than they were. The t terrain andck of cover were a bit troublesome, but it worked in his favor. He kicked the nearby corpse of the Scrapfang he had killed toward the iing horde while preparing to attack. The corpse slid across the ground until finally impacted one of the seemingly mindless monsters, causing it to fall over and create a small crack in their straightforward formation. However, to Neraxis, that was enough. A single one fell, splitting the group¡ªseven up front, while the rest trailed slowly behind. Seems doable, he thought to himself while ncing at another Scrapfang corpse under him. If push came to shove, he would use it to give himself an even bigger advantage. But for now, it was enough. Neraxis began moving forward towards the iing seven monsters while keeping low to the ground, giving himself the most room to dodge. There were two closest to him that had spread out from the rest of the group, and using the limited time window he had, Neraxis quickly sped up before cleanly cleaving the heads of the two Scrapfangs off. However, he had no room to breathe as the rest came swarming in. He pushed the two corpses aside just enough to create a scenario as though he was fighting in a tight alleyway. It worked wonders since these monsters were stupid. Instead of going around the two corpses, they went straight through the narrow gap he had prepared. This, in turn, gave Neraxis more leeway, which he took hold of instantly. A Scrapfang approached, and just before it bit him, he swung himself to the side while cutting off its legs, making it helplessly slide forward while he focused on the rest of them. God... this fucking sword is sharp. He couldn''t help but express wonder as he watched the Scrapfang slightly push their fellow corpses to the side, giving them more leeway to attack. Two approached, and just like the rest, their heads were cleaved clean off. As all of this was happening, he could clearly feel himself growing stronger and faster. And he hadn''t even used his skills yet. He was saving them for an emergency. Nheless, enough time had passed for the eight others to arrive, and with now ten in total, his chances of winning lessened greatly. However, he was prepared for this. He ran back to the Scrapfang whose legs he had cut off, using it as cover¡ªlive cover.@@novelbin@@ They seemed hesitant to kill their own, and although the one below him was barely alive, it was still part of their pack. But still, that did not change the fact that a few came at him at full speed, to which he responded by dashing backward, making enough distance between himself and the iing Scrapfang. Three in total, and they seemed the exact same as the first two he had killed¡ªoverly emotional and blindly charging in. Neraxis put on a small smile as he watched them approach before positioning himself in a way that would pierce all three of their heads at once. However, much to his surprise, two were impaled while one Scrapfang managed to make its way through. Before he could fully dodge, his abdomen was grazed, drawing blood. He dashed in and shed downward, splitting the monster in half before stepping back and cing a hand over his wound. Not deep... Neraxis exhaled a relieved breath. It did not go deep enough to cause any major injuries. It did not even reach any of his organs. But still, it made his blood start pumping. It had been a while since he had suffered any kind of injury, especially one from such a low-ranked monster. In a way, it felt humiliating. Nheless, he had to suck it up and face the iing horde of seven Scrapfangs all at once, all the while making sure not to die. It was these types of battles that made him feel alive. Perhaps that was also why he didn''t run away in hisst battle. Neraxis drew out his sword once again and stood facing the iing monsters. This time, however, he had something he wanted to try. That being the sideways sh Evangeline had been talking about. So far, he had not managed to sessfully perform it even once, but he knew the fundamentals. Plus, the situation called for a miracle. [Eh, don''t bother. You are still ways away from learning it,] Evangelinemented, to which he simply ignored her and focused. Stretching the sword to his left and holding it perfectly horizontal, he waited for the seven monsters toe within range. The moment they came within range, he put all he had into the sideways swing, and before he even knew what happened, he saw four of the monsters instantly fall. What the...? Neraxis looked on, his eyes widening. However, the monsters didn''t let up as they ran up to him and attempted to bite his head off. The earlier attack had separated them enough for him to deal with them individually, and that''s exactly what he did. Exchange after exchange, the heads of the Scrapfang fell until finally, there was only one left. It seemed afraid, its eyes darting around, looking at its fallen brethren. However, in the small moment it stopped paying attention to him, Neraxis threw the sword forward, piercing the Scrapfang''s head clean through. The sword continued flying until it came to a stop in mid-air before slowly floating back into his grasp. Finally... That was a bit exhausting. Neraxis let out a sigh and sat down on one of the nearby monster corpses, one that was the cleanest. But just as he thought everything was over, a voice sted into his ears. [Idiot! Do I look like some kind of throwing knife!? Don''t ever throw me again!] Evangeline shouted in an annoyed tone while yfully smacking him over the head with the hilt of the sword. Sorry about that. He apologized with a chuckle and looked forward. It seemed like backup had finally arrived. In the distance, he could see a few Awakened thinning down the ever-growing number of Scrapfangs. That meant it was his time to leave. However, just as he turned around and was prepared to head toward the academy, a certain monster caught his eye. It was standing just a few meters away from him, and it looked simr to the Scrapfangs he had killed just mere moments ago. The only difference was its size¡ªit was at least four times bigger than them. That was to say, it was likely many times stronger than them too. ...E rank? Neraxis asked with a sour expression. The monster hadn''t moved yet since he himself was still, but he never knew when it could strike. [Not quite. It looks like it''s F+ ranked. Honestly, I''d suggest you make a run for it. While I''ve seen you do unbelievable things, like killing multiple F- ranked monsters as a G+ rank, this one is way out of your league,] Evangeline warned with concern. However, Neraxis was not exactly in a situation where he could just run away. The Awakened were far in front, while the backline was practically empty aside from him and some stupid civilians who were against evacuating. Lost in thought, Neraxis met eyes with the stronger Scrapfang. Momentster, it began growling and slowly moving toward him. Do you think I could kill it with that sideways sh I did earlier? Neraxis asked while entering his defensive sword stance. [You identally managed to perform it, so unless you do it once again and catch it off guard, then not very likely,] she answered patiently. Not a lot of options then, huh... He looked at the monster with a scowl. But it seemed like that had managed to irritate it as its pace quickened, and its eyes glistened with murderous intent. [Iing.] Neraxis rolled his eyes at her teasing tone and waited for the Scrapfang to get within the range of his main skill. It was about time he went all out. Chapter 17 Infirmary Visit "Time!?" Neraxis asked in a hurry as he jumped over the fence of an alleyway, the academy right in front of him. [9:59 You have around 30 seconds left.] He let out an exasperated breath. The fatigue from earlier had umted quite a lot, and the academy was a tad bit farther than he had initially thought. But finally, he was here. All he had to do was go to the auditorium. However, he noticed the gates were closed, and unlikest time, there was no guard present. Neraxis had no time to worry about that as he ran up to the gate and summoned his sword, shing the metal clean through to open a path. He was a bit too exhausted to jump over; in the end, it was the same result anyway. [Won''t you have to pay for that?] Probably not? He snickered to himself and arrived in front of the entrance before quickly heading in. Navigating the halls, he finally made it to the auditorium. All he had to do was go inside. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the door, but suddenly, he felt someone touch his shoulder, and upon turning around, his eyes widened. "Celina? What are you doing here?" he asked, stupefied. She looked him up and down before a small frown formed on her face as she spoke, "...Are you nning to go in there like that?" As he was about to reply, Evangeline''s voice suddenly rang out, [10:00 AM, it started.] Shit... He gulped while ncing back at Celina, who was standing across from him, dressed in the neat, pure ck academy uniform. She noticed his stare, and with a sigh, said, "Instead of ogling me, why don''t you answer my question?" Before he could answer, she added, "I dislike people who ignore me. Are you ignoring me?" Her tone was growing more and more suffocating. It felt as though he was right in front of the Scrapfang Mini-Boss again. "No, sorry... I was in a bit of a situation a moment ago. Didn''t really have much time to change," Neraxis replied as kindly as he could. She seemed like a nice girl¡ªaside from the time she stabbed him in the back. "Gosh, you really are careless. Uncle told me you''d bete, soe with me for now," Celina said as she turned around, walking away from the noisy auditorium. Neraxis followed suit, taking another good look at himself. He really looked terrible.@@novelbin@@ The two of them headed toward a flight of stairs and went up to the topmost floor¡ªthe 5th. From what he could recall, that was where the headmaster''s office was, and since she was his granddaughter, that was most likely where they were heading. However, as the two walked and passed the headmaster''s office, he grew a bit concerned and couldn''t help but voice out, "Celina... Where exactly are we going?" She turned back around and nced at him before pointing at his left arm, which had a shattered bone sticking out of it. "We need to fix that arm of yours, so we are going toward the healer," she answered and continued walking forward. [She''s a nice girl.] Evangeline remarked with a softugh. Apparently. Neraxis shrugged, but a small smile couldn''t help but form on his face as he once again followed after her. There were a couple of infirmaries in the academy; the one on the topmost floor was made for immediate emergencies. That meant if he wasn''t with Celina, he would have had to bear through the pain of the mediocre healers on the lower floors. They quickly arrived in front of the infirmary, and Celina stepped forward, opening the door without even knocking and walking inside. Neraxis peeked through the open door and saw a man wearing a whiteb coat, seemingly sleeping in the chair. All of a sudden, Celina arrived before him and pulled out a pair of daggers before shing them at the legs of the chair. The man fell down with a groan but immediately shot up with an annoyed expression. However, upon seeing who was standing in front of him, he calmed down and shed a warm smile. "Young miss, to what do I owe this visit?" he asked, to which Celina pointed behind her, straight at Neraxis, who was covered from head to toe in red. "Sal, fix him," she ordered and walked out of the room, shing a small, unreadable nce at Neraxis before going down to the other end of the hallway. The healer, Sal, stared straight at him, his eyes widening more and more by the moment as he spoke, "Student, don''t move." As his words fell, he began walking over to him before stretching out his palm and lightly touching Neraxis''s forehead. Caluses? he wondered with an amused look. All of a sudden, he began levitating off the ground, feelingpletely weightless. All of a sudden, Sal carefully grabbed him and brought him over to a nearby infirmary bed, cing him down gently. However, as he did so, Neraxis slightly flinched; he was ced on his back, after all. Sal immediately noticed the change and, with a sour expression, lifted him up again, but this time, suspending him in midair. "I''m honestly quite surprised. How are you still awake after acquiring such injuries? Most would either be passed out, or even dead already," Sal remarked, spinning him in a way so his back was visible. "Scrapfang?" he asked, to which Neraxis merely nodded. What a bbermouth. Just heal me already... he sighed inwardly and waited for Sal to finish inspecting his body. After a few minutes of being rotated around constantly, Sal finally spoke up, "Unless Willi¡ªthe headmasteres here personally, healing you would take quite some time. However, I still have to perform treatment on you." "All the bones in your left arm are fractured. Your back isn''t looking any better either. Some nerve endings are severed, some of which would make any normal awakened paralyzed... You really are made of something else, aren''t you?" he said in an amused tone, rotating Neraxis in a way where he would be sitting. Neraxis shrugged before trying to move. However, he found it difficult to do so, as if his body was not listening to him anymore. "And there goes all the adrenaline. Rx, I will get started on your treatment in a moment." Sal whistled and walked to a corner of the room, seeming a little bit out of ce. However, in just a few moments, he came back with a towel, one that could absorb any and all liquids up to a certain point, one of the many innovations the world had gone through. "What''s that for? I''m pretty sure I bled enough already," Neraxis sarcastically remarked. However, Sal''s response made a frown appear on his face. "So you speak," he chuckled before exining, "Your wounds are infected. Once I start healing you, all those impurities will head right out of the wounds, which in turn might hurt... a lot." "And how long is this so-called treatment going to take?" Neraxis questioned. "Around 10 minutes. I would put you on an anesthetic drug, but that would not really lessen your pain. Sorry." This is not going to be fun... he thought and took one more nce around the room. As he did so, he spotted a familiar face in the doorframe. It was Celina. She was peeking out with only a single eye visible. However, upon realizing that he noticed her, she quickly hid. A smile appeared on his face as he returned his gaze toward Sal, who finally began preparing everything. A row of towels was right below Neraxis. "Kid... if you endure without screaming, I''ll buy you a drink once you graduate," Sal said out of nowhere with a chuckle before adding, his tone serious, "I will start in 10 seconds, and trust me, I am not exaggerating about the pain." Neraxis nodded and began counting down inwardly. However, as the count reached 6 seconds, a searing pain shot through his body, growing more intense by the moment. "I lied." Chapter 19 The Reason [Celina''s POV] "Gramps, why did you do that?" "Celi... you knew I didn''t have a choice..." William replied, his voice strained with exhaustion. However, she was not satisfied with the answer, so she shot back, irritated, "You are the 24th most powerful Awakened in the world, yet you couldn''t tell off a few pansies?" "Celi, I know you are angry, but I give you my word, I won''t be using that boy. In fact, I am impressed by his talents. What better way was there to keep him here other than promising protection?"@@novelbin@@ The moment she heard that, her brows furrowed, and she tugged at her waist, pulling out a pair of daggers¡ªdaggers she had received from her father. However, as she thought of him, hate stirred within her, causing the daggers to emit a faint crimson glow that quickly subsided. But William noticed it, letting out a deep sigh. "Celina." As his words fell, her hands began shaking, and finally, she dropped the daggers onto the ground. You... Celina thought, miscing her hatred onto her grandfather, but upon seeing his pained expression, she began calming down. "His... stunt, it was a tough pill to swallow. Because of it, we lost a few cities... I almost lost Zeri and you too." "But..." She tried to speak but couldn''t get the words out. "Celina, his betrayal came as a surprise to us all. Even I, who had practically trained the boy, did not expect him to join up with the monsters." "But... Mom was injured..." Celina let out a voice that was barely a whisper. On that fateful day, like any other, the three of them were eating at a restaurant. However, everything suddenly changed when her father got up from his seat and unveiled his jacket. His body had been turned into miniature rifts, ones that could let out monsters of simr size, but due to the sheer number of them being present on him, it was enough to cause great mayhem. Celina, along with her mother, ran away¡ªor so they hoped¡ªbut one of the insect-type monsters bit her mother, causing her to be paralyzed. She managed to kill it and hide long enough for backup to arrive¡ªWilliam among them. But even with his abilities, he was unable to cure the paralysis, simply because her mother was a normal human¡ªan Unawakened. To this day, she could not understand what her father''s intentions were or why, a couple of weeks prior, on her birthday, he had given her a pair of daggers. For a moment, she thought he was dead¡ªhoped, in fact¡ªbut a few monthster, he reappeared on the news, terrorizing another city with his group of monsters. Unsurprisingly, she came to hate him. All she wanted to do was meet him face-to-face and kill him for what he had done to both the people and her mother. "Celina?" William''s soft voice rang out, startling her out of her thoughts. "I''m fine." She quickly replied and sheathed the daggers at her waist, her aloof expression masking her inner feelings. The two continued walking until they reached William''s office and went inside. It was separated into a few parts: the office space and Celina''s favorite part, the training room. Without sparing him another nce, she ran toward it. The style was pretty old school, with wooden floor tiles that seemed like they would break at any of her movements, as well as the mana-enhanced dummies, which she had begun cutting through as ofte. However, there was also a nearby holographic console, adding a bit of technology to this seemingly ancient training room. Celina went up to it and began pressing buttons, and soon the tiles started moving around. Each individual tile was moving in an opposite direction, making anyone standing on top of it disoriented. But she was used to it. If she didn''t constantly train with unfavorable circumstances, how would she improve? As she was about to get into it, William approached, a tray filled to the brim with food in his hands. "Celi, please eat," he said with a sigh and created a table from the Ice element before cing each dish down on it. She hesitantly stared, trying to steer clear of it. However, before she knew it, her feet started moving toward the table and she picked up a piece of steak, stuffing it into her mouth. "Orange juice?" William suddenly inquired, to which she responded with a shake of her head. "Just get me water. I will be training for a bit longer today." He raised a brow and conjured a cup made of ice before filling it with the Water element and passing it to her. Celina epted it and gulped it down. However, William''s sudden words caused her to spit the water out. "Why are you so fond of that boy?" "W-What?" she stuttered, her demeanor a stark contrast to how she usually acted. "You know what I mean... Ever since the practical exam, you''ve been awfully attached to him," he stated. Stupid... she thought. The only thing she had been doing so far was acting nice. In no way was she attached to him. But even if I was... No, I''m not. Celina fought with herself inwardly, her cheeks growing redder by the second. This did not go unnoticed by William, who had been watching the entire spectacle of her changing colors unfold with amusement. "Why didn''t you go talk to him?" he asked, to which she immediately replied, "Obviously because I have to train. I already wasted a lot of time roaming around." Just as William was about to make a snarky remark, she interrupted him. "On that note! What are you nning on doing with him? He''s strong, sure, but his skill looks weak. The Special ss is only for those who have incredible skills." "Didn''t I already exin? I was impressed by his talents, so I¡ª" Celina cut him off, "So you say. But what''s the actual reason, grandpa?" Up until that moment, he was rtively unbothered, but upon hearing the word "grandpa," he froze. "What''s wrong, grandpa?" she asked persistently in a teasing tone. However, her thoughts werepletely different. Spill your secrets already, old man. He seemed to budge every time she called him "grandpa," so she kept doing it until he finally broke. "Fine!" He mmed his hands down onto the Ice table before standing up and looking at Celina. "His skill is not what he had disyed back in the first entrance exam. Originally, it was Hell Scythe, a skill that, ording to all the data I''ve gathered, is rtively weak. It would have at mostnded him in C ss," William said before raising a single finger in the air dramatically. "However! There are no simrities between the skill he used then and now, and from what I can tell, it can weaken and slow down your opponent. And then the most important: the ability to seemingly kill anything in an instant." Kill anything instantly...? Celina stared at William, doubt clear in her eyes. "Look." He suddenly said and brought over aptop, reying the footage of Neraxis fighting the monsters, specifically, the mini-boss. He skipped to the very end of the fight, to the part where the monster copsed and exploded without him even touching it. "See? It was alive, and then it suddenly just died. Do you know how rare of a skill that is? It''s unheard of!" William shouted in excitement. Oh god... he''s going to start his skill ranting again... Celina inwardly facepalmed. She had nearly forgotten how annoying he could be when skills were involved. Though... does a skill like that really exist? She though with a small frown. "So that begs the question: What kind of skill does he have, and how did it change in the first ce?" He continued ranting about minor statistics, reying the fight over and over again. By this point, she began topletely ignore him and focus on the food as well as her own thoughts. But despite Celina trying her hardest to shove them to the back of her mind, they kept resurfacing, causing a small blush to appear on her face. I am just being nice to him... that''s all. Chapter 20 Little Detour [Neraxis''s POV] "You''re grounded," his mother''s voice resounded from behind him just as he began walking up the stairs to his room. "Okay?" Neraxis answered nonchntly, before freezing in ce and turning around to meet her fierce re. "Are you talking back to me?" "I''m no¡ª" His words were interrupted by his mother suddenly running up the stairs and winding back her arm as though she were about to hit him.@@novelbin@@ But just as he closed his eyes in resignation, he felt his cheek being caressed. "Neraxis, look at me." As soon as he heard her voice, one filled with sorrow, he opened his eyes, meeting his mother''s. They were still a bit red from crying. "Do you even know how worried we were!?" she suddenly burst out, tears forming in her eyes as she continued, "Why did you not run? We saw the live feed. There was no one around to save; you ran in as if trying to die! "If you hadn''te back, I... I..." Neraxis listened to his mother''s worried remarks, trying to muster up a few words to console her. However, he was unable to say anything. It just felt like shutting up would be the right thing to do instead. [It naturally feels shitty. Put yourself in her shoes.] I know... But... fuck. He sighed inwardly. All he could do was stand there and watch as her eyes filled with tears. All because he couldn''t refute her. She was right, and he was wrong¡ªin wrong. His previous mentality only worked because he had nothing to lose¡ªaside from a one-sided love that, in the end, betrayed him. But that had to change¡ªhe had to change. After a few minutes of constant reminders of his wrongdoings, his mother calmed down, giving him a single nce before walking back downstairs. She hates me now, doesn''t she? [Of course not, stupid. You just have to do better next time, just as I told you.] Evangelineforted him as he began heading back to his room with a glum look stered all over his face. There were a few things he had to sort out, and in the meantime, think of an apology to give his mother. Neraxis quickly changed, then headed downstairs to grab some food. His mother was by the table silently using theptop, not even paying him a nce. However, he had a purpose foring here, and that was to ask his mother for permission. Even at 16, he was grounded like a child, so it couldn''t be helped¡ªrapport needed to be built back up somehow. "I am going to go outside for a bit... I will be back by midnight." Neraxis said, not even sure himself. If all went well, he should be back sooner, but in the off chance it didn''t... "Do whatever you want," she replied, still not even taking a nce at him. ...Is that a yes? Or a no? [It''s a "do whatever you want until you apologize." Just make sure toe back before midnight. If you don''t, then you can imagine the consequences.] I can. Neraxis nodded at his mother and proceeded to walk outside, heading in the opposite direction from the academy. There was a certain building on the outskirts of the city, near the docks, where a few interesting operations were being held, and if the timeline aligned as it should, then there would be quite a few boons there. He did promise not to take unnecessary risks, but what awaited him was too good to pass up. Infiltration was not his forte, however, it would be wrong to say that he was bad at it. After all, he was once able to clear out an entire building without being caught. [So are you going to rob them? Or are you nning on killing them?] Evangeline asked as he turned a few corners. Both preferably, but depending on the circumstances, I might just rob them and leave. He exined, then suddenly stopped before turning to the nearest corner to hide. I am not even close. Why are they here? He looked on with confusion. It was a group of people; however, there were a few recognizable faces¡ªthe ones that had appeared on the news in the past. Rall and Skall... The twins who, in the future, be a bit of a problem. He thought inwardly with a scowl. They were especially memorable because he personally killed them. Never did find out which organization they were a part of, though... Neraxis decided to follow after them, holding quite a fair distance. The twins were merely E-ranked Awakened at this current point in time; they would not be able to sense him. Or so he hoped anyway; the others were unrecognizable. Seven people in total, and he could likely kill all of them if given the right opportunity. [You should hold back for now.] Obviously. After roughly 20 minutes of following them, they arrived in front of the docks where a bunch of cargo ships were floating about. They were the same docks he had seen in the news. This particr day had a few high-value items being transferred, hence why even the twins were here, even if they were rtively weak. Evangeline, is it possible for you to hide my presence? He asked just to be safe; his body held a bit of mana, enough to be detected by anyone above rank D. [I can, but the moment you attack someone, the concealment will go away.] She said, to which he simply nodded in approval. It was an auction-type event, and preferably, he would rather go in and out. There were bound to be some strong people present. However, chances were, they would just turn a blind eye to him. After all, he''s weak. That reminds me... Status. +-----+ Status. Name: Neraxis Valen Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {21%} (Seals Unlocked: 0)] Age: 16 --Stats: Rank: G+ -> F- Strength: G -> G+ Agility: G+ -> F- Stamina: G+ -> F- Intelligence: F Mana capacity: F- --Secondary Stats: Luck: G- Charm: C- --Skills: [Eve of Ruin {G}] * [Swordsmanship {G}] +-----+ Oh? I guess I did get a bit stronger after all. Though... my progress is going to be much slower now. He couldn''t help butment inwardly, because the stronger you got, the slower your progress became. That was the case, unless you were some sort of lunatic who got stronger simply by training nonstop. [There are no easy paths, there are only shorter ones. So long as you take the long and arduous path, sess will await you at the end.] Evangeline suddenly said, momentarily startling him. What''s with the poetry? [...Never mind.] Neraxis rolled his eyes at her behavior, then watched the twins and the rest head inside the building right beside the docks. It looked abandoned, therefore drawing away most of the suspicion from the people. Most did not even use vehicles to arrive, so it was much harder to track, aside from public cameras, of course. But if the people behind this were as meticulous as he thought, then they likely disabled every camera in a couple of blocks'' radius. As he was lost in his thoughts, preparing for his next course of action, Evangeline spoke. [They do sound pretty meticulous, making it so that no one can track them down. I like it. They remind me of who I was back then...] I see. I promise we will talk once I get everything sorted. [Pinky promise?] Sure. He chuckled and noticed another grouping in. Groups were arriving at 10-minute intervals. Meaning, he had to sneak in through a little gap that appeared if someone happened to bete. While he did trust Evangeline with presence concealment, breaking any code would not do him any good. [I think you should have practiced the horizontal sh a bit more beforeing...] Evangeline''s worried voice echoed. I have the gist of it now. While walking back home, I had a bit of time to rey it inside my mind. He assured her and once again began counting down. A group went in, then another, and another, until finally, he couldn''t see anyone in the distance. Neraxis waited until thest 5 seconds just to be safe, then finally made a run toward the building. As the seconds ticked down, he thought he would bete. However, the seemingly dark passage suddenly lit up, as if a door had just opened. Taking this chance, he went straight in. Immediately, the door closed behind him. He took a nce around and found himself in a damp, narrow hallway with a red carpet and all sorts of paintings strewn across the walls. What stood out the most, however, was a singr red arrow and a sign saying, "Auction #591." Neraxis smiled upon seeing this and slowly began following the arrow toward the auction. It was time to either get a massive boon or fail miserably. However, as he approached closer and closer, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. It felt as though someone was observing him. [Be careful.] Chapter 22 An Items Worth "50,000." "Uh... miss, are you sure? The starting bid is 2,000 Crowns...?" the announcer asked, his eyes wide. So far, there had been a grand total of 14 items showcased¡ªthis being the 15th. Each one had been sold to the woman sitting right by Neraxis''s side. She was practically collecting those ck boxes at this point, and yet she didn''t even pay a second nce to them, just putting them into the chairpartment before moving on to the next item. "Of course, send it my way as per usual," she said with a small giggle as the announcer packed the item and threw it her way once again. "Err... We have 4 items left and a final special item so stay tuned," the announcer got back into character before picking up a nearby ck box¡ªone that seemed much bigger than the previous ones. He quickly opened it up and revealed a ck tree branch that seemedpletely ordinary at a nce. However, as the announcer spoke, Neraxis couldn''t help but freeze in his seat. "The Branch of Life¡ªA-Rank. Any and all ailments, as well as injuries, can be healed in an instant if you mash the branch down into powder and consume it. It is a one-time-use item," he said before clearing his throat. "Bidding starts at 3 Million Crowns." The moment he announced it, the previously quiet auction turned lively¡ªwith everyone raising their hands in unison and seemingly screaming out numbers. "3.5 Million!" "4 Million!" However, just like before, the woman by his side did not miss this chance as she announced in a fairly low tone¡ªas if muttering, "50 Million, send it my way."@@novelbin@@ She sat as though she had already won¡ªbut despite everyone''s expectations, another voice resounded. "60 Million." The woman''s smile cracked for a moment as she gazed at the person who outbid her. They, too, had a mask hiding their identity. "150 Million." "160 Million." Each time the person outbid her, her previous smug smile began to slowly disappear, reced with a cold, murderous look, one that did not escape Neraxis''s eyes. Evangeline, I think I might have my work cut out for me, he thought with a small smile, letting out a sigh. [I don''t know... Chances are, one of them is going to buy the skill you are looking for. Are you confident in taking it away from either of them?] With the way she is taking care of her possessions, do you think she would notice if a single ck box is gone? [If that box contains something important, then yes. She has been buying trash so far, clearly.] Evangeline added with a tinge of concern. I have a n, I just have to wait until they finish bidding on that branch, Neraxis dered before once again paying attention to their battle. By now, the woman was gripping the armrest with enough strength to make it creak¡ªsurprisingly controlling it enough so as not to break it. "1 Billion," she stated¡ªand for some reason, a smirk began appearing on her face, which she covered with a single hand. Likest time, it did not go unnoticed by him; he was way too close, after all. The man in the mask who had been bidding against her looked visibly agitated¡ªeven from a distance. But perhaps because of pride or something else entirely, he didn''t back down. "2 Billion, fuck off already." "Hmm? But I can spend more money, you know? 2.1 Billion," she replied teasingly¡ªand immediately, the man countered, "3 Billion¡ªif you don''t stop, I wi¡ª" His words were cut off as, all of a sudden, a fierce pressure descended¡ªspanning across the entire auction¡ªmaking it difficult to even breathe for most. Even Neraxis was having a hard time; he was likely one of the weakest people present¡ªand the pressure was not even directed at him either. However, as the pressure continued to increase, the woman finally spoke. "You will do what exactly? Hm?" She began increasing the pressure further¡ªas if concentrating it all onto the spot where the masked man was. That was until his mask shattered¡ªrevealing an individual with seemingly no features, only a mouth. "Disgusting clone as usual, Valthor. How is the recoverying along?" she said, her tone containing deep malice¡ªas if she would kill the faceless man at any moment. "Hmm... A failure once again. Why do you keep meddling with us?" the faceless man spoke, his voicepletely different from the previous one. It sounded as though someone was scratching metal with each word he said. However, Neraxis''s heart began beating for a different reason entirely. Fuck... Valthor''s one of the leaders of Eternal Night¡ªthat organization is bad news... really bad news, he thought with a massive frown while slowly sinking back into his chair. He would prefer not being noticed. But seeing how the woman managed to spot him, chances were that so did Valthor. [Yeah, well... That''s what happens when you go in half-blind.] Evangeline added with a pouting voice as the two began speaking once again. "Meddle? I was merely trying to get my hands on an item¡ªthat''s all. It just so happened that our wants aligned." "Amara, you are making me regret not killing you back then," Valthor said, his voice beginning to slowly distort¡ªas if there were multipleyers to it. "We made a bet and I won. If anything, you should learn to pick your battles more wisely," she taunted as their pressure collided with one another¡ªmaking the people around them pass out. The same would have applied to Neraxis as well¡ªbut it seemed like something¡ªor someone¡ªwas cutting the pressure in two. Thank you, he expressed, seeing the seats around him being sted aside while he wasfortably sitting in the middle¡ªbeing protected by none other than Evangeline. [Yeah, yeah. Whenever youe across monsters, make sure to kill them. I want my seals to be released quickly.] She said nonchntly, making him raise a brow. Quickly? Why? [It''s a secret. Don''t worry though, it won''t harm you in any way.] Her cryptic tone did not help him understand any better¡ªbut nheless, he let it go for now. It seemed like the situation was reaching its climax. "I see... Amara, the bet is over. The next time we meet, I will kill you on the spot," Valthor spoke, rage filling up his tone¡ªseemingly blending in with the pressure he was emitting. Neraxis could hear the people choking further¡ªsome even plopping down out of their chairs or running out of the auction house. The woman¡ªAmara¡ªscoffed before replying, "I don''t care. With that damaged body of yours, you would be dead in an instant, insect." As her wordsnded, Valthor''s mouth curved into a smile as a dagger shot out of his skull and headed straight toward her. However, just before itnded, she pulled out an ethereal-looking white sword from seemingly out of nowhere and cut downwards. The sh was silent, almost as though nothing was happening. But when Valthor''s body split in two and fell to each side, it was more than a simple reminder of her skill. It looked like she had done that so effortlessly¡ªthe remaining individuals thought so as well before most of them began heading out. Amara let go of her sword, and it disappeared into seemingly nowhere before she walked back to her seat next to him and sat down. It managed to stay intact¡ªjust like his own seat. However, everything around them was strewn across the entire auction, some seats even managed tond on the stage somehow. "Uhh... there are not enough people left, so I will have to stop the auction," the announcer said with bated breath as he too sat on the ground¡ªseemingly paralyzed from the pressure the two emitted just mere moments ago. "No, you won''t," Amara stated before continuing, "I came here to get my hands on all the items¡ªand I n to leave only when I have them all. You wouldn''t want me to have a talk with your superiors, would you?" "No, miss..." he replied with resignation as he stood up and gathered the ck boxes that had all been scattered around the arena. "Since the previous highest bidder... left, you win the Branch of Life with a bid of 2.1 Billion Crowns... is that alright, miss?" "Yes, bring it over already," she said impatiently, signaling for him to move the auction along. At the same time, Neraxis sat with a frown on his face, looking at the situation unfold. [Is this going ording to your n?] Well... sort of? Chapter 23 The Red Skill Book "Thest item is th¡ª" "5 million, just get to the good part already," Amara interrupted him, taking the item along with the ck box for herself. The auctioneer looked down in disbelief and reluctance before sighing and heading to a room in the back. "Yes, give me a moment." Neraxis sat back and simply enjoyed the show. There were only two of them present in total. The rest had left when the fight broke out, while the others had backed away once she started bidding 5 million crowns for the simplest items. A G-Ranked hairb which heats up your hair... and she bid 5 million on it. She really is crazy. He observed and waited for the auctioneer toe back. However, this moment of silence was pretty ufortable. She was staring toward the stage while at the same time fiddling around with the hairb she had bought. Out of all the items she bought, it seemed that one was her favorite. Just as he thought the silence wouldst, she spoke¡ªstartling him. "So, who are you anyway? I have never seen you before," she said as she leaned backward, meeting his eyes. "An F-ranked awakened who managed to withstand my pressure and go unnoticed by most people present. I wonder¡ªare you a spy sent by Valthor?" Upon hearing those words and her usatory tone, he widened his eyes in surprise, immediately answering her, "Of course not." As the tension grew fierce, she suddenly smiled before sitting straight, taking her eyes away from him. "You can drop the act with me. I won''t do anything to you." "However... I do want to know¡ªwhy are you here?" Neraxis stared at her side for a moment before sitting straight as well, matching her posture. He seemed to be a head taller than her.@@novelbin@@ "I''m here for the same reason as you," he said before turning his gaze toward the stage. "Am I wrong?" "I suppose not," she chuckled before lying down in her seat once again. This time, however, Neraxis could feel the air around her shift. Much like when the fight against Valthor started¡ªshe had set him up as a rival, or something simr. He didn''t doubt that she knew of his identity prior but just wanted to y around with him nheless. But Neraxis was different. He was a variable that had not been here previously¡ªjust like the woman before him. It was the first time he had heard of someone like her. An ethereal sword summoned from seemingly nowhere¡ªhe had never heard of someone like that ever existing. Two variables that seemed topletely change the oue of the entire auction. I just hope my little gamble works... he thought inwardly. His n was pretty simple. The auction system seemed to work on a trust basis, you get the item first, then pay afterward. Since he had no money to his name¡ªnone he could remember¡ªhe would juste up with random numbers until eventually, Amara forfeited and backed away. Obviously, that wouldn''t be enough to get her to back off if she truly wanted that skill book. In the off chance that the skill book is different than expected, he''d just concede and go home either way. Neraxis just hoped that she wouldn''t cut him in half, like she did with Valthor''s clone. After a few minutes ofplete silence, the auctioneer returned, holding a ck box. An excited expression was stered all over his face. "I hoped to make a bit more from this, but your earlier bids more than made up for it. Mymission is going to be huge." He gave a thumbs-up and proceeded to dramatically open the box. A glowing red book began levitating out of the box. Its appearance was pretty in, aside from the fact that the skill it contained was anything but simple. Is it supposed to be red? Neraxis looked on as an ominous feeling began rising in his heart. "This is a skill book¡ªone that dropped from a decently high-ranked rift. The executives were practically screaming when they saw it," the auctioneer stated, trying to build excitement despite only two people being present. However, it did not have the desired effect, as the bad feeling in his heart grew even more. And sure enough, his suspicions were promptly confirmed. "Astral de, C-Rank. It''s a skill that doesn''t have a very long description, but it came out of an S-Ranked rift¡ªso naturally, it can''t be bad." He chuckled, but upon meeting the re from Amara, seemingly asking him to exin, he continued. "Err... It says, imbue the wielder or weapon with the Astral de''s essence." Both Neraxis and Amara waited for the extra details, but as seconds passed, none came. Noticing their confusion, he spoke, "I understand your concern. Frankly, we were cautious about such a skill as well. Who knows what kind of effects it could give you? After all, it is possible to get negative effects from positive-looking skills." "And what''s the starting bid?" Amara said, clear annoyance in her voice. She viewed the skill book as something less than the hairb she was still fiddling around with. It was the same for Neraxis. His disappointment was immeasurable. He was expecting toe in and get an extremely strong skill, yet here was an unknown skill that barely served a purpose. The fact that its description was encrypted didn''t help him either. Guess that''s that¡ªa waste of fucking time... he sighed inwardly. At least he didn''t have to try fighting against Amara for it. But just as he was prepared to throw in the towel, Evangeline''s urgent voice resounded. [You have to win that no matter what.] Hm? Is it good? [It''s better than good. It''s incredible. The mana that book is letting off is simr to one of the strongest people I knew. It can''t be a coincidence.] And if you are wrong? Do you even have an idea on how I can get out? he raised an eyebrow, his excitement that had previously died now reigniting. [I''m not wrong. If anything, that skill might be even better than what I think. One thing is for certain¡ªI would put this above the regeneration skill you were so desperately drooling for earlier.] Evangeline added in a serious tone, trailing off. [As for getting out, I have a n that should disorient her long enough for you to escape through the windows.] He considered her words for a moment before nodding. If she was that confident, then there was no way the skill could be bad. "Starting bid is only 100 million crowns. If we knew more about the skill, we would certainly ask for more," the auctioneer announced, causing Neraxis to furrow his brows in response. Even though he knew he wasn''t spending his actual money, that amount was still a lot¡ªeven in the past. "100 million," Amara stated confidently from her chair, but before she could revel in her triumph, Neraxis made his bid. "1 billion." His calm voice shocked the auctioneer, who, for a moment, looked in his direction but seemed unable to find him. However, that was not the case for Amara. With a soft smile, she raised the bid. "2 billion." But not even a secondter, he raised it even higher. "20 billion. Give up already." Neraxis taunted, believing that if he didn''t, she would suspect him even more. "Hmm... no." She replied mischievously before matching his price increments. "40 billion." She is either rich... or my perception of money is distorted, Neraxis thought with a headache. "100 billion." But like before, she countered, "200 billion." Fuck... this better note back to bite me in the ass. "1 trillion. Do you seriously want to keep going? This is only a C-Ranked skill, you know?" "Why not? 2 trillion," Amara said nonchntly before leaning her head back and whispering, "We are indeed both here for the same reason." As her words fell, the gears in Neraxis''s mind finally fell into ce as he stared back at her with widened eyes. "You..." Chapter 24 Extend An Invitation [What do you mean?] Evangeline asked with confusion, watching their exchange. What would you say I''m doing right now? he quickly asked, raising a question of his own. [Trying to scam the auctioneer?] Precisely, Neraxis said before turning his gaze onto Amara, whose smirk was now visible even to the auctioneer himself as she spoke teasingly, "40 trillion. I have more, dear, you should stop." He couldn''t help but let out a sigh. This act was beginning to feel a bit too obvious. At first, she got away with it due to her reputation, but now the auctioneer had grown suspicious. Eventually, he began closing the ck box quietly, careful not to attract their attention. However, before he could do so, Amara stretched out her arm, and before Neraxis could even tell what had happened, the auctioneer''s head flew up into the sky, the ck box following with it. "You could have just given up," he said with a frown, for a moment forgetting that they were not exactly on the same side. Amara opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly red lights began shing all around the auction. The windows were being closed and barricaded with some reinforced material. Immediately, an rm resounded, and some form of gas began closing in on them. However, before it could reach them, Neraxis headed straight for the stage, attempting to grab the ck box. s, he was the weakest one in the room, as Amara simply used mana to whisk it toward herself, holding it in her hand before shing a massive smile. "It seems like Ie out on top in this exchange...?" she began, but she stopped mid-sentence, watching in amusement as a red sword floated right above the ck box. "Is this y¡ª" Just before her wordsnded, the red sword prated the ck box before disappearing into thin air, the mana particles flying back into Neraxis''s sword tattoo. Did you get it? he asked with slight hope. [It will take a little bit to digest, but yes, I got it, but it''s still a very reckless n] Evangeline replied in an exhausted tone before continuing, [You should try to get out now. I won''t be able to protect you for long if that gas closes in¡ªor, well, if that woman attacks.] Got it, Neraxis nodded and began moving toward a nearby wall. However, the sound of something falling to the ground startled him. It was the ck box that had previously contained the red skill book¡ªbut now, it waspletely empty. Suddenly, he found himself unable to move,pletely frozen under the pressure she was emitting¡ªit was simr to what he had felt when she was going up against Valthor. But this time, it was far stronger. His lungs felt as though they were copsing on themselves, and he could feel each and every blood vessel slowly pop in his body, dyeing his skin red. However, before it could get out of hand, Neraxis saw all of that excess blood flowing toward the tattoo on his wrist, before once again flowing outwards. This time, back to where it was supposed to be. It was an excruciating process and it hurt like hell, but at the very least, he wasn''t going to die anytime soon. "Do you want to know something funny?" Amara asked as she began walking toward him, her tone growing colder. "That skill was the reason I came to this bullshit auction in the first ce, and I nned on getting my hands on it at any cost." She finally stopped, standing within arm''s reach of his face. "I don''t know what you did, but I will give you two choices." Neraxis listened attentively. The pain was bing even more severe than before¡ªhe was even beginning to feel dizzy. Just before she could speak again, a red sword shot out from his tattoo, aiming straight for her eyes. But to no one''s surprise, Amara simply smacked it away with her arm¡ªit sounded as though a bomb had gone off during that collision. However, Evangeline was flung backward and straight into a wall, embedding the sword deep within it. It created a few cracks in the wall before dispersing anding back to Neraxis''s tattoo. Evangeline? he called out, but did not receive an answer. The connection felt extremely faint, as though she was dying. As his worries increased, his vision momentarily darkened, and immediately, the connection was fully restored¡ªjust like it had been mere moments ago. [Sorry I took your blood without permission, that crack was the most I was able to do in my current form. If an opportunity arises, make your way there,] Evangeline exined with a serious tone, to which Neraxis merely nodded, cing his eyes back on the amused Amara. "Well, that was fun. Sort of. Nice artifact." She giggled, but in the very next moment, her expression turned cold, just like it had been before. Taking a deep breath, she spoke, "Two choices. The first: Die right now. Sound nice?" Neraxis narrowed his eyes as she continued, "Now, option two: Work with me." His eyes widened upon hearing those words as he began moving his mouth, mustering everyst bit of his stamina to get them across. He needed answers¡ª"What do you mean?" "It''s simple. I have a little group I formed not too long ago, and we''re currentlycking members. I was going to use that skill book to be even stronger, but I can''t do that anymore now, can I?" Amara said sarcastically with a tinge of annoyance. A hostage situation then... It doesn''t help that I don''t know anything about her either. He thought before asking another question. "What guarantee is there that I will be left alive even after I join?"@@novelbin@@ However, her answer was far from what he anticipated. "That''s the beauty of it, you don''t have a guarantee." Amara''s smile widened. "If anything, your life will be in even more danger once you join my group." [You don''t really have much of a choice, either join her or die. It''s funny...] Evangeline snickered while Neraxis was preupied with his thoughts. Who even is she? How did she even know about this ce? And how was she so confident in scamming the auctioneer the entire time... How did no one call her out...? His mind was a swirl of questions, but it was quickly interrupted as an ethereal sword materialized from seemingly nowhere. Amara grabbed a hold of the hilt and aimed the sword directly at his face, mere centimeters away from slicing him in half. Even as the sword did not touch him, he could feel the heat¡ªthe sheer sharpness of the de. Her power was no joke, and he was a fool for even thinking of being able to escape in the first ce. Ever since he arrived, everyone was already in the palm of her hand. Amara gazed down at him, her smile slowly fading away as she spoke, "Make your decision. You have five seconds." The air grew chilly at her words, as if they held her raw emotions. Neraxis frowned in reluctance, but not even after a second of thought, he decided, "I''ll join. Just tell me about the group." The moment his words were spoken, the previous pressure he felt¡ªas well as the ethereal sword¡ªboth vanished. Instead, a massive grin appeared on Amara''s face, one that entuated her already stunning beauty with the shing red lights. But before his confusion could grow further, he saw her raise her arm and ce it over his head, the grin from before widening even more. Immediately, she brought her arm down over his head, knocking him unconscious. Thest thing he heard was a giggle, followed by Amara''s mischievous voice, "Get some sleep. I''ll exin in just a moment." Chapter 25 The Obscura Neraxis groggily opened his eyes. Just a moment ago, his head had felt as though it was being crushed by a boulder, but now he felt strangely at ease. Before him was a strange ck bed frame¡ªone that was definitely not his¡ªas well as white walls embroidered with all kinds of golden designs. It reminded him of some romanceic he had identally read back in the academy; the designs and general architecture seemed the same, at least. But before he could take another look around, he felt a stinging pain in his right arm and, upon looking down, saw a red line spanning from his palm all the way to his shoulder. The line went straight through his tattoo, but it still seemed perfectly intact¡ªthe bond was as strong as ever. Evangeline? Neraxis called out nheless, and she immediately responded: [You are an idiot, you know that?] I know... He lied back down, there was no point reminiscing about his choices. However, she did not stop nagging. [All of that could have been avoided had you considered unknown variables.] I can only say I''m sorry. I tried doing it the safe way, I really did. There were just too many irregrities. But I can assure you... it won''t happen again. [You''re hopeless...] Evangeline let out a sigh before continuing, [Make me a different promise.] He tilted his head. Like what? [Promise me you''ll get strong enough to survive through these types of situations. How does that sound?] Neraxis widened his eyes. He had been expecting something along the lines of being more careful next time, or perhaps not even going near dangerous areas. But this particr promise worked around his faults and even gave him motivation to continue. All he had to do in return was use his umted experience to survive. It was doable. I promise, Evangeline. This one I will keep. Neraxis smiled at his sword tattoo as silence once again descended. However, now he had to sort through his current predicament. After all, this was neither his room nor his bed. There was also the red line that looked very concerning. Neraxis tried tapping on it, and besides a small ripple that was sent along his entire arm, nothing seemed to happen. When did this happen? He decided to raise the question to Evangeline, who, after a moment, replied in a soft yet low voice: [Shortly after Amara took you away, the skill began assimting within your body. I am not sure when it will be done, but I''d bet 3 hours is a good estimate? Probably?] He took in that information before a glum expression appeared on his face. Right, how long has it been since the auction? [4 hours, give or take a few minutes. Unless...] His head was starting to hurt at the prospect that he might actually bete. Disappointing his mother twice in two days would not be ideal. A shiver went down his spine as he thought that; Evangeline''s suspense was not helping either. [Heh... I''m just kidding.] She suddenly burst outughing, earning a re from Neraxis. However, she quickly continued, [You''ve been out for 30 minutes. You were transported pretty fast, I''d say. She used that strange sword of hers to take you to this ce.] I... Don''t do that again, please... He let out a sigh before continuing, Do you know where this ce is? [Nope.] Ah... I see. Just as he found himself growing more and morefortable, he suddenly heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and they were approaching fast. Neraxis summoned his sword and went into the corner of the room, preparing to strike if necessary. However, when the doors opened, what greeted him was something he did not expect to see. "Greetings, Veiled One, I have brought you your dinner," a soft feminine voice spoke out. It was a being with two horns on its head and the body of a little girl. The key characteristic was the miniature scales on her arms, scales that seemingly belonged to a lizard. Neraxis was unsure of how to react. His instinct was telling him to kill the monster before him, but his gut said otherwise.@@novelbin@@ [Ohh... Yeah, don''t touch her, she''s a sweetie. I can assure you she''s not here to harm you.] Evangeline''s warm voice rang out, stopping his earlier train of thought. Taking a weary step forward, he sheathed his sword. "Hey there... What''s your name?" She nced at him for a moment before cing the tray of food on a nearby table and performing a deep bow before speaking. "You may address me as Delta, Veiled One." "It''s nice to meet you, Delta¡ªbut what do you mean, Veiled One?" Neraxis replied politely while asking a question of his own. "You have joined The Obscura, therefore you have be a Veiled One. The miss will exin everything to you at ater date. For now, please eat. I wille back shortly." Delta bowed once more before exiting and closing the door behind her. Obscura huh. Never heard of it. He proceeded to put that to the back of his mind before approaching the te of food. In just a few moments, hepletely inhaled everything there was. Soon, Neraxis decided to take a closer look around the room. It was spacious, as though it was made for a king. But at the same time, it felt like a prison. There was light; however, no windows were in sight. It was as though the light of the sun was shining down at him straight through the ceiling. He found it odd but decided to ignore it. Taking another nce around, he spotted a desk with an unusual-lookingntern on top of it. His curiosity got the better of him, so he walked up to it and stared directly into it. There was a small flicker of light that kept getting more pronounced each time he blinked. Eventually, he decided to reach out his hand and touch it. However, the moment he did so, thentern shattered, and the small flickers of light that had been there previously now turned into a raging fire that circled all around him. One that was a deep red color¡ªresembling blood. However, the strangest part was no matter how close to the fire he got, it was not burning him¡ªhe didn''t even feel warm. Evangeline, what is this? Neraxis wondered as he put his hand through the fire, which fully enveloped it but did not burn him. [Looks like fire made of mana from whatever this ce is. Looks like it doesn''t have a property.] Property? You mean an affinity? He raised his brow and continued ying around with the fire until a set of footsteps resounded in the distance. [It''s simr. You can have the affinity of fire, but if your fire doesn''t have the heat or burning property, then that''s whates out.] Evangeline exined as she summoned herself and began putting out the mes. Oh... That sounds interesting. He nodded before taking the shards of the brokenntern and stuffing them into a nearby trash bin before walking back to his bed. After a few short moments, his door was opened, and Delta greeted him like earlier and spoke: "Veiled One, the miss is calling for you." "Amara, right?" He asked, just to be sure. However, Delta''s reply was cold. "Don''t refer to the First Veil as Amara. She does not use that name here." Before he could apologize, Delta suddenly twisted her body, and the te of food that had been right next to his bed turned into dust. The only thing he could see was a sh of green light. That was all. "Come, Veiled One. We are going to meet the First Veil." Chapter 26 First Impressions Neraxis followed Delta. The two were walking through some sort of hallway. It had the same white walls and golden engravings as his room, but on a muchrger scale. There were also little tables scattered around with all sorts of jewelry on them¡ªmostly gold. Nheless, it did not change the fact that he was starting to grow nervous. Just what did I sign up for? he grumbled. The hallways looked appealing to the eye, but they felt suffocating due to theck of windows. It felt like he was trapped¡ªwhich, knowing his luck, was most likely the case. The two finally arrived at a crossing, where one side seemed to widen slightly outwards. Neraxis gave up trying to perceive the distance. It felt like one huge illusion, as when he looked backward, the room he had been staying in previously was still in view¡ªjust a couple of meters away. [Spatial stuff. Wouldn''t know too much about it,] Evangeline remarked, and he merely nodded in response. However, the moment he looked back at the crossing, it disappeared¡ªreced by a massive room with a lone white throne. The ceiling seemed as though it were hundreds of meters away, yet there were a bunch of giant chandeliers scattered all around, giving it the same illusory feel as the door. "The First Veil will arrive shortly. In the meantime, get yourself acquainted with the others," Delta suddenly said before pointing toward an area right next to the throne. It was a single round table, and there sat three other people, all wearing white faceless masks that covered only half of their faces. There appeared to be two women and a single angry-looking man. He found it odd, but before he could question it further, someone grabbed his hand and ced something inside. "Put this on for now. Your identity must remain secret, Veiled One," Delta stated and let go of his hand, leaving behind a familiar half-mask. "Thank you," Neraxis expressed before putting it up to his face. Immediately, he felt a gust of wind rush through his entire body before it went away. As he snapped out of his stupor, he noticed Delta was no longer there¡ªseemingly disappeared in the slight moment he was out of it. Hmm? Neraxis nced at the three people, only to see them looking back at him and waving for him to approach. Since he had no other choice, he went ahead with wary steps. Shortly after he arrived, Neraxis decided to introduce himself. "Hel¡ª" but was immediately interrupted by a single finger on their mouths, signaling for him to be quiet. Okay... Evangeline, I didn''t join a cult, did I? A shiver went down his spine as he silently sat down at the round table. [Don''t be silly. That girl wouldn''t be with a bunch of cultists,] she remarked with a pout, rendering him confused. You mentioned that before. What did you mean? Do you know her? [No, but I know her kind. They don''t mingle with people who have lost their minds. Doesn''t change the fact that there are some evil ones, though.] Neraxis raised an eyebrow as he asked, So? Is she evil? However, her response was anything but satisfactory. [She appears to be neutral, like a guardian of sorts.] Huh... So is she guarding this entire ce? Neraxis thought while looking around. [That, or she''s guarding this little organization instead,] she added, causing his expression to grow even more glum. Before he could ask any more questions, a faint feminineughter resounded from the other side of the table. It was one of the people who had been sitting there initially. "Pfft... hahaha... You should''ve seen the look on your face," the woman said, trying her best to hold back theughter. But it was to no avail. Before Neraxis could even speak, the other two broke out inughter as well, making him feel extremely awkward. "Really funny," he scoffed before continuing. "What is this ce?" However, as his words trailed off, the table soon grew quiet, theirughs dying down. That was until his eyes locked with the woman''s. Her crystal-like green eyes made him immediately go on guard. The two stared at each other for a few moments before she spoke. "This ce is the Sanctum, but you can just refer to it as our base of operations." "The Obscura, right? Can you tell me about it?"@@novelbin@@ "No," she tly rejected him without even a second to spare. But he wasn''t discouraged. "...Then are you three the other Veiled Ones?" "We are," they all replied in unison. "I don''t suppose you can tell me what a Veiled One is?" Neraxis said with a soft smile. They could see half of it, so maybe their minds would be changed. This time, he did not even receive a response, as the table once again turned silent. [I expected you to be a social butterfly. Who knew you were so bad with people?] Evangeline teased with a chuckle. But he did not entertain her¡ªhe just sat back and waited for the supposed First Veil to arrive instead. However, his ns were interrupted when one of the people at the round table stood up and walked over to him. "Why are you so weak?" a deep voice resounded, each word carrying a certain weight. Neraxis stood up and matched the man''s re. "Why don''t you ask this leader of yours instead?" The man''s face scrunched up in disgust before he spoke. "Boy, I did not mean to insult you. However, what do you think you can do with your feeble strength? Wash the dishes? Clean?" Neraxis listened patiently as the man''s taunts grew more and more sophisticated until finally, he had enough. "Just like your m¡ª" The man''s words were cut off as a red sword materialized out of thin air and swung down at him. He looked at it as though it were some sort of toothpick, not even attempting to dodge. And that was his first mistake; Neraxis grabbed hold of the sword and immediately finished the downward swing. A barely audible rip resounded as the man''s clothes were cut in two, the mask being the only thing left on his body. "Pfft..." The two women behind him tried their best to hold back theirughs, but tiny chuckles escaped. As for the man before him, his widened brown eye stared directly at Neraxis. "You... Are you an idiot?" "Says the one who''s naked," Neraxis shot back and took a few steps backward before sitting down at the round table again. Inwardly, his heart was beating out of his chest, but if the man had really wanted to do something to him, he would have done it the moment the sword materialized. It did not take a genius to realize that he was way out of his league. The people before him were at the very least B or A ranked Awakened¡ªpossibly even higher. As for Amara herself, he could only specte. However, as he was lost in his thoughts, a pair of footsteps resounded¡ªones that seemed just as light as Delta''s but not quite the same. Soon, a familiar silhouette appeared in Neraxis''s vision. It was Amara, and she was wearing ck dress-like armor that perfectlyplemented her golden hair. She smiled upon noticing him. However, as she turned her gaze toward the man behind Neraxis, a deep frown appeared on her face. "Idiot... Put some clothes on." Chapter 27 An Unusual Group "Err... Sorry, Amara," the man said while scratching his head. In the very next moment, a ck cloak appeared, covering him. "Come on, Marcus! You told Sarah you were going to teach the new guy some manners, what happened?" the green-eyed woman teased. "Fuck off, Sophia. Who knew this kid was going to go for my clothes?" The man¡ªMarcus¡ªscoffed before sending a re directed at Neraxis. However, a sudden pressure bore down on all of them, interrupting their banter¡ªit was Amara. "Raise your hand if you were informed of the newbie beforehand," she said, her tone containing disbelief and a tinge of embarrassment. All three people, with the exception of Neraxis, raised their hands, slightly tilting their heads. "Now tell me, did I or did I not tell you all that I want this to be professional?" Amara''s tone grew more astonished as she reflected on her members'' actions. "We didn''t do anything," Sophia said as she pointed at both herself and Sarah, who was right next to her. As for Marcus, he did not hide his liability. "He ripped my clothes off... how do you expect me to stay silent?" "Why did you provoke him in the first ce!?" Amara eximed, her eyes snapping to Neraxis. "And you¡ªwhy did you tear his clothes off!?" "Sorry?" he replied without much thought as she redirected her anger toward the others, leaving him sitting by the round table quietly. This was a little... unexpected? Neraxis couldn''t help but chuckle inwardly at the development. They came off as such a serious group at a nce, but now they just seemed like an unorganized group of kids, with Amara scolding them like a mother. It put his mind a bit at ease. He was still in an unknown situation, but at least the people were not inhumane. After a few minutes of constant scolding and Marcus getting dressed, they all sat down around the round table. Neraxis watched as Amara sat along with them. He couldn''t help but ask, "What''s with the throne?" A white throne was not too far away¡ªhe half expected Amara to stride along and sit on it. "Ah, that... I am not worthy to sit on it yet," she replied without going into too many details before coughing to get everyone''s attention. "Now then, I would like to introduce our newest recruit, who you all decided to mess with on his first day," Amara said, shooting a re at the perpetrators. "I apologize on their behalf, and wee to the Obscura. I am sure we will get along nicely." He nodded, waiting for her to continue on with her introduction; however, all that hung in the air was silence. She simply stopped it there and began fiddling around with her hair. "Uh... it''s a pleasure to be here? Can you tell me about this organization I so willingly joined?" Neraxis asked with clear sarcasm. Amara swiftly replied, "This organization has not been operating for a long time... only recently have I set everything up again. However, all you need to know for now is that there are only the five of us in total." Five... in total? Neraxis''s eyes widened. "Hold on now... there are only five people in total? Are you serious?" "I''m serious," she nodded back at him with a nk look. He could feel the headache arising as he spoke. "Okay... so tell me this at the very least¡ªwhat is this organization''s goal?" As his words fell, the previously slightly yful atmosphere disappeared, followed by Amara''s serious voice. "You are too weak to know that. What I can tell you, however, is that the missions you will be going on will revolve around reconnaissance and maniption. A few assassinations as well." Her voice contained a certain chill, which did not keep him guessing for long. "That is only until you get strong enough to stop doing these menial tasks. But don''t worry¡ªI am going to be reasonable," she said as her voice began growing lower. "After all, I wouldn''t want to interrupt your studies." So she looked me up... Neraxis stared straight at her eyes with a frown. "So what, am I now your group''sckey? Is that the reason you forced me to join?" "I call them menial tasks because I am strong, but do you think investigating rifts or recing government agents is easy?" His breath halted the moment he heard those words. "The what now?" Amara continued, "There is a lot of filth in this world, and for everything to line up as it should, we need to correct it. Don''t worry about the rest¡ªI will contact you in due time." "Hold o¡ª" Neraxis began speaking but was once again interrupted. "Oh, and before I forget, those who refer to you as the Veiled One are on your side¡ªthat''s our moniker," she exined before standing up, summoning her sword, and shing downwards. "Bye, for now." With those parting words, Neraxis''s vision shifted, turning dark once more. However, in the very next instant, his eyes shot open, and in front of him was a familiar house, with the eerily familiar lock. He was back, standing just a few meters away from the entrance. I just got teleported... Neraxis sighed and reached for his pocket. To his surprise, there was a little crumpled-up note¡ªone that had the symbol of a white half mask. But before he could admire it further, the note quickly crumpled itself further before turning into dust, leaving him speechless. ...What a fucking joke. He felt conflicted but nheless headed back inside. It seemed empty; no one was in the kitchen or any rooms in particr. Neraxis concluded that they were most likely at work, and his sister was probably with her friends again. Unlike him, she was a social butterfly. Since it was empty and he had just been through hell¡ªhowever briefly¡ªit was time to rx. First... I should probably get Mother a gift... an "I''m sorry" gift, Neraxis thought before going up to his room and checking through all of his cupboards until finally, he found a wallet. Inside was a stack of money as well as a credit card, which he picked up and headed outside, his destination¡ªthe mall.@@novelbin@@ Just as he was about to head out, Evangeline''s voice rang out. [The mask¡ªyou still have it on.] Oh, right. He immediately reached out to take it off. However, before he could do that, he saw Evangeline manifest as a sword and tap on the mask, making it disappear. [I have a little storage space in that tattoo. If you find something important, store it there,] she stated in a soft tone before going back inside the sword tattoo. Thank you... Neraxis expressed and headed out, arriving at a nearby mall in just a couple of minutes. The gift he had in mind was some expensive cookies¡ªsome he even remembered trying himself in the past. There were a lot more people huddling around the streets than when he started going towards the academy. It really was an eventful yet exhausting day. Neraxis roamed through the many shops until finally, his eyesnded on a bakery. Just as he began approaching it, he noticed something in the far-off distance¡ªit was a shop like any other; however, it was incredibly small. He wanted to investigate; therefore, he started walking towards it, stopping just before he entered. Inside were a bunch of vials that had all sorts of colored liquids inside, as well as a massive sign up front. Emma''s Potions? Chapter 29 First Day [I hate to be the rm clock, but you are going to bete if you don''t wake up.] Evangeline''s voice resounded in his mind, and he immediately shot up from the bed. When did I fall asleep? He grumbled groggily, his head hurts a tad bit, and his back felt like hell. [You began bragging about the skill and fell asleep. I moved your body a bit and cleaned the bed¡ªwouldn''t want the bloodstains to be too noticeable...] She exined, her tone tinged with exhaustion. Were you watching over me while I slept? [I did... you sleep very... soundly.] Sensing the sarcasm in her tone, he decided to drop the topic and bring up a new one while dressing up. I did say we would talk the other day¡ªthough it looks like we''ll have to hold off on the big stuff for ater date. [Seems like it.] Evangeline meekly replied, still floating around in her sword form. However, he still decided to tell her about himself, even if just a little bit. In short, I was a hero, a very strong one at that, but due to a few not-so-trustworthy... individuals, I died. [I see, sorry.] It''s nothing; that''s probably the most interesting part of my life, if I''m being honest. I mostly just trained or killed monsters all day. Aside from the few from time to time, I didn''t have many friends either. He snickered to himself. However, he wasn''t expecting Evangeline''s response: [So did I. Eat, train, kill, sleep, repeat... I... I was an empress, one who was revered by the entire world... But I too died at the hands of my trusted allies.] We are a bit alike in a way, Neraxis remarked with a forced smile. Your story sounds a bit more interesting than mine, though. [Simplicity is often better... but aside from that, get going already. You are going to bete.] She said and immediately went back into his tattoo. He quickly finished everything and was ready to head out. Thankfully, just before he left the infirmary, he had a new uniform delivered¡ªone that matched the ss he would be going to. It looked exactly the same as the one he had before, except with a small ''S'' stitched on the front. Besides that, it was time to go. His house was empty as per usual¡ªhis sister still had to attend regr school after all, and since it was a bit further than the academy, she left much earlier than him. However, as he left his house, he noticed a ck limousine waiting outside, with a butler bowing right at him. "Neraxis Valen, I assume?" "That would be me." Neraxis tilted his head and immediately let out a sigh. For a moment, he forgot that he was actually rich this time around. "It is a pleasure to drive someone of your status. Please get inside." The butler said before pointing towards the already open limousine door. Without a moment''s notice, Neraxis proceeded inside. I might be a bit more important than I thought? I should have looked up my name instead. He chuckled to himself, settling into the seat. The ride was fairly quiet, with ambient music ying through the radio. It really was a pleasing experience; he felt like royalty. After a few minutes, he arrived, thanked his butler, and began walking towards the academy. For the first time since he''d gone back, he was actually early. Neraxis followed the standard procedures by going to the front desk, getting an official special ss badge, and going straight to the ssroom. Since it was the first day, he wasn''t expecting much. But still, it''s the special ss¡ªit can''t be ordinary, right? He questioned himself with doubt. His experience in ss B wasn''t exactly the most eventful¡ªall their resources were sent to ss S and A, the ones who were the most likely to make a difference. Upon entering, he noticed that few people were present. Out of the supposed 19 others, there were only 4. One of them, a guy with long red hair and weird green tattoos on his arms, caught Neraxis''s eye. He had seen something like this before¡ªenchanters, people who directly enhance their bodies with magic. And here was someone like that in front of him. Looking around, he noticed Celina wasn''t here. She was the only one he knew, but it seemed he''d have to sit by himself for now. However, as Neraxis thought he would be sitting alone, someone pushed the chair beside him and sat down. It was the tattooed kid, the one who looked the most unique.@@novelbin@@ "Yo, Neraxis, right? I saw you fight on TV. You were pretty impressive. The name''s Kael." He introduced himself, stretching out his hand for a handshake. "Thanks, nice to meet you." Neraxis epted the handshake without much thought before asking, "Are you an enchanter?" "Haha, yep, I am mainly a magic brawler. It just so happened that my main skill is Enchanting." Kael remarked with a chuckle before getting himselffortable in the seat beside Neraxis. "You don''t mind if I sit here, do you?" "Go for it, it''s not like I know anybody here." Neraxis shrugged it off and returned his gaze to the front of the ssroom. But the silence was short-lived as Kael once again spoke up, "Hey, do you want to spar sometime?" "Spar? I mean, sure, I guess?" Neraxis absentmindedly agreed, not noticing the rising smirk on Kael''s face. "How about now? We still have some time to kill, and there''s a training room right next door." A spar on the first day? Seriously? [He doesn''t seem like a bad person, probably justpetitive.] Looks like it. Neraxis looked at the time before shooting him a nce and stating, "We have 15 minutes, let''s end the spar fast, shall we?" The grin on Kael''s face increased with each word he said before standing up and saying, "Follow me." "Sure." Just as the two walked out of the ssroom, Neraxis spotted Celina in the distance, walking side by side with another girl, but before he could go and say hello, Kael began dragging him by the hand. "Come on, stop daydreaming. You''ll have time for womenter." "I... Never mind." Neraxis resolved himself to end the spar fast. He had never heard of someone like Kael before, so he must not have been exactly popr back then. But from the way Kael gripped his arm, and the cuts and bruises on his fingers, it was clear he wasn''t to be underestimated. They arrived quickly at the training room, just a couple meters across the hallway from their ssroom. It was pretty spacious, and the walls were decked out in some sort of white marble material, or that''s what it looked like at a nce. In reality, it was most likely some magic-resistant material or one which absorbs physical impact¡ªwould only seem natural in a training room. The ground was covered in simr tiles. Therefore, the two could go all out¡ªnot that their measly F ranked strength could cause damage to this room anyway. "Are you going to use only your hands?" Neraxis asked as he went to a nearby weapon rack, picking out a wooden sword. "Yup, that''s how I fight." "Why not try gauntlets? I''m sure you could enchant them and your fists at the same time." Neraxis asked and received a shrug in response. "I only use my gauntlets if the opponent is too strong. Since our strength is pretty simr, it would be unfair to you." Kael said while gesturing for him to approach. Neraxis rolled his eyes and did a couple of stretches as he spoke, "A bit cocky, huh?" "Am I? Come find out." Chapter 31 First Lecture "Now, I understand there might be some idiots questioning the tower''s difficulty. Rest assured, it is definitely doable," Magnus said, shooting a nce at everyone present before turning to the board and beginning to scribble some numbers. "The headmaster studied the statistics and power of each first year ss that came before you, and he hase to the conclusion that it''s time to increase the stakes," he added, finishing the scribbles and filling the number-covered board with three lines down the middle. Pointing at the first line, he spoke, "These are the results of the first batch¡ªnot that great. 19 failed; only 1 passed. Absolutely terrible results." Wiping away the first line, he pointed at the second. "The second was a little better: 12 failed and 8 passed¡ªa considerable improvement from the previous year." Magnus suddenly turned to look at all the students present before stating, "But it worked. Those who managed to sessfully ovee the 10th floor became much, much stronger." He took another dramatic pause, circling thest line on the board. "Now it''s your turn. If at least one of you fails, you will all be expelled," Magnus remarked in his usual emotionless voice. However, that did not stop the others from voicing their thoughts. "Excuse me!? If one of us fails, we will all be expelled? How does that make sense?" one of the students in the very back spoke up. It wasn''t anyone Neraxis knew, but from the wand on his waist, he could at least tell he was a mage. Magnus simply ignored the student''s outburst and continued providing information. "Lastly, the rankings. There are only 500 first-years in the academy¡ªan all-time low, actually. Therefore, we will be conducting ranking evaluations in a couple of months," he stated, scribbling a few dates on the board.@@novelbin@@ "You should expect to see at least one important test during this period. Now then, since I''ve gotten everything out of the way, it''s time to start the lecture." The mage student from earlier tried protesting, but not even the students listened to him. Neraxis could only inwardly chuckle at the sight. He was an instructor Neraxis remembered from the past. Despite his stern looks and the eerie energy he gave off, he was one of the kindest instructors in the whole academy. "Now then, onto the trials, specifically the first floor," Magnus said, getting everyone''s attention before writing a few words on the board. "The first floor: Arena of Beginnings." he remarked before continuing. "It is the simplest floor of them all. You appear inside an arena and have to kill as many monsters as you can within ten minutes. The more you kill, the higher your final evaluation will be." Magnus proceeded to draw a few figures, actual artpared to the scribbles he had done earlier. They depicted goblins, venomous wasps, and even some low-level demonic imps. However, Neraxis''s eyes widened as Magnus continued drawing every single monster he could recognize. Dire Wolf...? Troll scout? These are E+ and D- ranked monsters. What the... There were a couple more monsters, but none that deviated too much from their F ranked counterparts. Yet their strength, for his current self, was no joke. If he went in, he''d be dead without a doubt. But he could not understand one thing: what was stopping someone from simply going in once they were stronger? It seemed like an S-ranked individual could juste in, pass all these trials, and get the highest result. However, before he could raise his question, Magnus answered. "We will be aiming to pass the first floor in two months maximum. If you kids get too strong, the monsters will start scaling with your rank. E rank is the sweet spot for anything under floor five." Oh, that makes sense. Neraxis nodded while listening along. This kind of information was something he could have probably found online, but it was still interesting. "Now then, my main focus as your instructor will be to make you strong enough toplete all those trials¡ªand, of course, put some general knowledge into your brains." Magnus chuckled with his emotionless voice, sending shivers down everyone''s spine. Neraxis noticed that the short lecture wasing to an end, so he decided to take a look around the ssroom. It didn''t take long to spot her¡ªshe was the most eye-catching of all the women in the ss, coupled with the girl she was sitting next to. The girl seemed like aplete pr opposite of Celina, both appearance-wise and in the way she held herself. Like a meek girl who couldn''t do anything. But, obviously, since she was in the special ss, she was strong unordinary by default. Celina noticed him and waved, and he waved back before looking around some more. The ss seemed pretty proportionate¡ª10 girls and 10 boys. Neraxis wasn''t sure if that was done intentionally, but no one seemed dissatisfied with their seating arrangements. Aside from a few more individuals who seemed less ordinary than the others, nothing else really stood out. Therefore, he ced his gaze back on the board, where Magnus was writing something again. "What''s a better way to start off the year than with an outing in the first week?" Goblin rift? I guess he''s trying to prepare us for some of the monsters we''re going to be facing. "We will be going tomorrow. Try not to bete to the first lesson," Magnus added while shooting both him and Kael a look. "Yikes, you think he''s going to scold us after ss?" Kael whispered and Neraxis quickly replied, "Shut up." However, Magnus seemed to notice their little interaction as he suddenly halted and announced, "Lecture ends for now. I''ll continue in exactly 1 hour¡ªdon''t bete." As his wordsnded, the students looked around with slightly confused expressions but didn''t dawdle before heading out. That only left the two of them as well as their instructor, who, for some reason, was looking at them with a fierce re. "Why did you two spar on the first day? The special ss is supposed to be a role model for the other sses. If you walk around with charred clothes, what does that make us besides pigs?" Magnus scolded. Neraxis was about to speak up, but before he could, Kael stepped forward and spoke. "Instructor, it''s my fault. I forced him to spar with me." "And it seems like you lost? How did you manage to lose when you are the most promising candidate in this entire ss?" As soon as Neraxis heard those words, he immediately put the puzzle together. The only reason Magnus was even bothering them in the first ce was simply because Kael lost when he should have won. Though I can admit... If I didn''t use my new skill, I would have lost without even standing a chance, Neraxis thought while listening in to their discussion, which quickly turned into an argument. "So what if I lost? He was simply stronger than me, that''s all." "Kael Sylvran. You are the strongest student I''ve seen out of all the past first years. Stop spewing nonsense. You didn''t use your gauntlets, did you?" Magnus pressed. However, as soon as he said that, Kael fell silent¡ªhis yful expression vanishing, reced by a look of pure repulsion. "You should watch your tone, Instructor. You know I hate when people dictate what I do." Without sparing another nce at Neraxis or Magnus, he exited the ssroom with a sour expression. I can see where Kael ising from¡ªit did look like Magnus was pushing his buttons a bit too much. Neraxis thought as a sigh escaped from his side. He was met with the conflicted look of the instructor. "Can we have a word, Neraxis?" "...Sure." Chapter 33 Batch of New Skills [Done, you can look now,] Evangeline said with a chuckle. Finally... Neraxis had decided not to check what skills he had gotten first and to wait until thest system message appeared before reviewing them all. He had done something simr in the past and found it less nerve-wracking¡ªknowing you''ve gotten something good in a bad batch. However, as his eyesnded on the skills now disyed, he couldn''t help but widen them. [Green Skill Book Unveiled: Restorative Cut {E}] [Skill Description: Your sword strikes carry a healing aura, restoring a small amount of health to yourself for each sessful attack. Duration: 20 seconds; Cooldown: 10 minutes.] [Red Skill Book Unveiled: Sword Dash {F}] [Skill Description: A swift forward dashbined with a quick sword sh. Cooldown: 1 minute.] [Blue Skill Book Unveiled: Minor Reflect {D}] [Skill Description: A defensive skill that reflects a small portion of the damage you receive back at the attacker. Damage return threshold: 5%.] Alright... these ones are great as well. Evangeline, you really are a lucky charm, Neraxis eximed, letting out a few shortughs. The skills were more than he expected¡ªsome that would have proved useful in the past as well. Especially Restorative Cut and Minor Reflect¡ªthe two not only made him more durable but also provided great utility. There was also Sword Dash, but just from the description alone, it didn''t sound too special. It seemed like the skills were slightly altered to suit the user''s preference, which in this case, was the sword. Two active skills and one passive... He let out another bout ofughter before finally standing up and stretching. Status. +-----+ Status Name: Neraxis Valen Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {21%} (Seals Unlocked: 0)] Age: 16 --Stats: Rank: F- -> F Strength: G+ Agility: F- Stamina: F- Intelligence: F- -> F+ Mana Capacity: F- -> F+ --Secondary Stats: Luck: G- Charm: C- --Skills: [Eve of Ruin {G}]* [Swordsmanship {G}] [Ster Dominion {A}] [Minor Reflect {D}] [Sword Dash {F}] [Restorative Cut {E}] +-----+ F rank already, decent progress. Though, why did my mana capacity go up so much? He scanned the stats with a tinge of confusion.@@novelbin@@ He couldn''t control mana yet, so increasing his mana capacity by so much in such a short time was simply impossible. But as he thought that, Evangeline''s calm voice resounded: [That new Ster Dominion skill you got was likely the culprit.] Do you think it could be because of thatst skill effect? [Yup.] Neraxis considered the possibility for a few moments but dropped it in the end. Once there was a bit more time, he would use thest effect. After all, who knows what''s inside the astral ne? Anyways... it''s time to go back. He noticed the timer was basically in itsst minute¡ªhe''d spent a bit too much time checking over his skills. Heading out, he noticed a few of his ssmates walking past; however, he could see a couple of seniors in the mix. It was an area for the Special ss in the end, so he wasn''t exactly surprised. He made his way back to the ssroom and noticed that it was mostly empty¡ªaside from Magnus, who was still fiddling with his documents. Out of kindness¡ªor maybe just boredom¡ªNeraxis decided to help. "Instructor, need any help?" Magnus was momentarily startled but nodded when he turned around. "Go for it. Just make sure not to rip anything apart; it''s important." "Of course." Neraxis walked up to the podium and started helping with the documents. Despite assuming it would be easy, it wasn''t. It took the two of them until the bell rang to finally finish organizing everything. By then, the ss hadpletely filled up¡ªsome even giving him strange looks¡ªbut Neraxis ignored them all and went back to his seat. Kael still had the same sour expression as earlier, but at least he hade to the lecture. Neraxis sat right beside him and, without knowing what else to do, decided to remain silent. But the silence was short-lived as Kael began whispering, "Sorry about earlier." "It''s alright. He did act a little... annoying," Neraxis said in response, letting out a small chuckle. A moment of silence ensued, but it didn''tst long as Kael spoke up again. "Did he say anything?" "Like what?" Neraxis decided to y oblivious. "So he did say something," Kael concluded with a sigh beforepsing back into his seat. "So he told you to stop being around me." "Pretty much." "I see..." Neraxis turned to look at his face, which now held a mix of a frown and a small smile. "You look stupid." "...Huh? wha¡ª" However, Kael was interrupted by Magnus''s stern voice. "Quiet. Did you two even pay attention to a single word I said?" "Nope," Kael immediately replied, earning a sharp re from Magnus. For a moment it seemed like he wanted to say something, but decided to simply back off. "Guess you are a bit scary, aren''t you?" Neraxis teased before finally listening to the lecture. So far, the lecture was a continuation of where Magnus had left off previously. But this time, it was more in-depth¡ªthe attack patterns, the structure of the first floor''s arena, everything. It was so detailed, in fact, that there were even drawings¡ªeach brick carefully ced, each monster vividly visualized. This was the first lecture where he paid full attention¡ªjotting down notes from time to time in the notebooks they had been given at the very start. He knew most of the information regarding the monsters, but the asional mention of the other Dreamspire floors made him very interested. Before he knew it, the lecture ended, and he had written 10 entire pages worth of information. [Why did you do that? Don''t you already have incredible memory?] Evangeline asked, curiosity tinged in her voice. Of course I remember everything. It''s just... jotting everything down is less boring than simply listening to the lecture. Neraxis stated, picking up the notebook and heading out into the halls. Magnus had let everyone go home early to prepare for tomorrow''s little rift excursion, so most had already scattered. Kael stayed behind, likely wanting to resolve the conflict he had earlier with the instructor. Making his way around the halls, Neraxis arrived outside and saw a bunch of other students present. Seniors from the second and third floors. Neraxis didn''t stick around as he saw the familiar limousine from earlier, heading straight toward it and once again greeted by his butler. Just like earlier, the ride back was quiet, but at least he had his notebook to study in the meantime. They arrived at the house, and just as Neraxis was about to walk inside, the butler spoke. "Miss Sophia and Sir Roskaris will be away for the week on a business trip. And Miss ra has gone on vacation with her ss." "I see... I assume you will be picking me up at the same time as usual?" "That is correct. Miss Sophia also told me to inform you that your allowance was raised, so if you need anything, don''t hesitate to buy it," the butler said, as if quoting directly what his mother had told him. Neraxis nodded and proceeded to go back inside thepletely empty house before quickly changing and going up to hisputer. I think it''s time I find out what my family actually does... Chapter 35 Goblin Rift "Time''s up," Magnus announced, gathering their attention with a single p. "Your main objective is to kill the boss monster. It is usually between E- and E rank, so be aware that teamwork is crucial." Just as those words fell, Neraxis could hear a scoff in the distance. He didn''t even need to see who it was to know. Kael''s really confident, huh. [He''s pretty strong for his age; it''s only normal to have a big head,] Evangeline pointed out before warning, [Though be careful. Even if the rift is low-leveled and you''ve grown immensely stronger, that does not make you immune to random incidents.] I know, Evangeline. Careless as I may be, I am not an amateur. Neraxis rified before shifting his gaze back to Magnus. "Now, for your side objectives: there are multiple secrets scattered around the entire rift. Each uncovered secret will give you points," he stated as he pulled out a note. "The team that finishes the main objective first gets 50 points. However, don''t look down on secrets either¡ªsome give upwards of 10 points, and there are too many of them scattered around." Neraxis nodded, noticing one of his fellow ssmates raising her hand. "Instructor, what are the points for? Will there be awards for the top team?" Magnus nced at her for a moment and began exining, "There is indeed a ranking¡ªthere are five teams for a reason. As for the reward for the top-scoring team, it''s a secret." The girl seemed satisfied but proceeded to ask another question. "Will there be any penalties for the lowest scorers?" "Of course," Magnus nodded. "You will be evaluated based on your individual performance as well. And no, don''t worry¡ªwe will be monitoring you through a few special droids. No one will interfere with your casual rift experience." "But what about the lowes¡ª" She was about to speak but was interrupted. "Ask your questions after you are finished with the rift," Magnus''s stern voice rang out as he moved aside, opening the door. He was greeted by a familiar swirly blue liquid-like mass, which, once entered, would take you into where the goblins resided. In his time, no one knew much about the rifts, but now, it seemed like they had quite a good idea¡ªsending drones and other advanced equipment to monitor them. Aside from that, Neraxis stood beside his team, watching as Magnus began leading the teams into the rift one by one. The first team had Celina at their helm, so they confidently walked in, and right after was Neraxis''s Team 2. "Are you prepared?" Magnus questioned, his interest seeming at an all-time low. Neraxis nced around and, aside from Aurelia, who avoided his gaze, everyone appeared determined. "We are." "Very well, step through." Just as his words fell, Neraxis walked forward into the blue liquid-like mass, suddenly finding himself in apletely different ce. At least the rifts work the same... you touch it and get teleported. He nodded to himself, checking behind and noticing his team slowly appearing. Celina and her team seemed nowhere in sight. Perhaps the rift had split timings for teleportation¡ªhe wouldn''t be surprised. However, what did surprise him was the fact that the entire air stank of iron¡ªa clear sign of blood. Despite looking around, Neraxis could not spot anything out of the ordinary. The surroundings seemed ruined¡ªwhat else could one expect from a damp cave system in which he found himself? Added to the fact that he could hear faint droplets every now and then really kept him on edge. Neraxis spotted a few pointy rocks and noted them as a potential runaway spot. The cave was surprisingly lit up, as though the sun was shining down through tiny cracks in the ceiling. Nheless, that was irrelevant for now. He had to organize his team instead. Turning towards the three girls thoughtlessly chattering amongst each other, he said, "Raeny, you and I are going to be up front." He got their attention and received a nod in response before continuing, "Ae, you are a healer, right?" "Yep, a great one at that," she replied smugly, which he simply ignored. "Good. You will stay behind us. As for you, Aurelia, what is it you do?" Neraxis questioned the fidgeting blue-haired girl. "M-Me? Oh... I am a m-mage..." As her stammering words fell, she pulled a staff from seemingly nowhere. Dimensional pocket ring? Someone''s rich... Neraxis thought, tilting his head. [You''re one to talk.] Evangeline remarked, and he ignored her. "You use a staff instead of a wand?" "Yes... I am stronger with a staff," Aurelia replied, tightly gripping the staff. Taking it as his cue to not pry further, he decided to go along with it¡ªnot like this rift was too difficult anyway. "Protect Ae, and we will protect you." Receiving a slow nod from her in acknowledgment, he decided to take the helm and walk forward, his team behind him. This particr rift was oddly spacious, despite being inside a cave. From his experience, he assumed it was used for high-number battles, meaning facing a massive horde of goblins was notpletely out of the question. But they were well-prepared¡ªat least, he felt prepared. "On the left," Raeny''s voice rang out just as they were about to turn the corner.@@novelbin@@ Neraxis nodded and summoned his sword before ncing behind the corner. Four green, skinny dwarves¡ªgoblins. Looks-wise, they appeared weak, and to no one''s surprise, they actually were. He signaled with his fingers how many there were and stepped out of cover to use one of histest skills, Sword Dash. Immediately, he felt a wave of propulsion, and in the next moment, he appeared right before the four goblins. The sword he held felt as though it was boosted by the same type of propulsion he experienced. With precise control, he shed sideways and, to his surprise, performed the sh Evangeline had taught him. This time, the speed gave it a significant boost. The others didn''t even turn the corner before hepletely eradicated the upper parts of the goblins'' bodies, leaving only a pair of legs. Yet, the surprises were not over as a few red system screens appeared before him. [4x (F- Ranked Monster) Goblin in! Reward: Stigmata 21% -> 23%] And then another one. [Fragment of Cmity Series Skill Tree Unlocked!] [Skill (1/???) Simple Horizontal sh] [Skill Description: sh sideways, dealing immense damage to all foes in radius and beyond. Cooldown: 1 Minute] Oh? Is this what you wanted to teach me? he asked, resummoning the sword to remove the green blood. [It is. I didn''t expect you to get it so fast; color me surprised,] Evangeline remarked with a small chuckle before continuing, [I''ll teach you the next part after the rift.] What? Is it going to be a vert¡ª She quickly interjected, [No, I don''t like vertical shes.] Neraxis could only sigh as he turned to face his party, who had mixed expressions¡ªsome of admiration, others determined topete. You are weird, Evangeline, you know that? A smallugh resounded without her responding, and he took it as his cue to move on. After all, there was a rift to clear and secrets to uncover. "Shall we get going then?" Chapter 36 A Secret? "Honestly, why do you swing your sword that way?" Raeny''s voice rang out as she wiped the blood off her sword. "It works," Neraxis immediately replied, severing the head of a nearby goblin before kicking it towards another group, knocking a few of them down. He didn''t dawdle and immediately used Sword Dash, swiftly cleaving seven goblins in half. Immediately, Neraxis was met with the familiar red system screen, disying his kills. [6x (F- Ranked Monster) Goblin in! Reward: Stigmata 23% -> 26%] [2x (F Ranked Monster) Goblin in! Reward: Stigmata 26% -> 28%] Why are there so few goblins? He couldn''t help but wonder. In thest hour, they had only encountered two groups¡ªthe first one after entering the rift, and the one they had just in. This one was a lotrger than the previous one, numbering around 20 goblins, a stark contrast to the 4. And finally, he was able to see some of his other team members'' skills. Raeny''s swordsmanship was fluid, shing, cutting, and stabbing all at once. Her proficiency with the sword was obviously higher than his own. But what surprised him the most was Aurelia, shooting beams of light from the tip of her staff¡ªa light mage. He hadn''t known anyone with that type of affinity before, only rumors. Yet here she was, nervously pacing around, even though she was one of the strongest in the ss. She really needs to get some confidence... Neraxis concluded before turning toward Ae. So far, the only thing she had done was stand around; they overpowered the goblins too easily for her to be needed. "Holster your sword properly," Raeny once again called out to him. She had been doing this for thest hour. Neraxis rolled his eyes and said, "Sure." There was no point in arguing with a prideful woman¡ªhe tried, but it was like talking to a brick wall. Nheless, their team chemistry was much better than he expected. They followed the same path, which for some reason, began growing narrower. That was until he spotted a crack in the wall emitting light. It seemed way too exposed. Neraxis gestured to his team, and they all mutually agreed to check it out, it seemed like the secret Magnus had mentioned. It was a very tight fit¡ªfor some, however, what greeted their sight upon passing the crack was a wide-open area. They were still in the cave, but it was a bit different. There was greenery all around and blue crystals embedded in the walls, lighting up the ce further. Yet what stood out the most was the orange nests on the walls, right next to the crystals. Venomous wasps? There is another rift inside of a rift? Neraxis thought with a frown before turning to his team. "Seems like we''re in one of the secrets the instructor mentioned. Don''t let down your guard; those nests are filled with F+ ranked wasps. Some might even reach far beyond that," he warned. "It''s fine, nothing we can''t handle," Raeny said before stepping up and unsheathing her sword. Noticing this, he said, "What do you think you''re doing?" "Let''s kill them fast and get out. What? Are you afraid?" she replied, seemingly taunting him. "Raeny, you do understand this is a full-blown rift, right? We''ll be at this for hours¡ª" Neraxis was suddenly interrupted by the sound of something falling to the ground. Upon turning to the source of the sound, he noticed Aurelia standing by the crack they had just entered through, her staff on the ground. It seemed like she was trembling, so he went over to her. "What''s wrong?" However, as his gazended on what she was looking at, he froze. The entrance¡ªit had disappeared. All that was left was a pile of rocks, and even then, there was no sign of the crack from before. "Fuck..." he identally eximed aloud, attracting the attention of his two other team members as they came to check what was going on. But the moment they did, shocked expressions appeared on their faces, naturally so. After all, once you were inside of a rift, the only two ways out were through the entrance you came in from, or by killing the boss monster. And it just so happened that their situation was thetter. [Jinx.] Evangelinemented with a chuckle before continuing, [Don''t worry though, I packed you a pillow just in case you want to rx.] Evangeline... He sighed inwardly before taking a nce at the nests, especially the one at the very end of the massive lit-up cave. It was at the very least a few dozen timesrger than the rest, meaning it was the boss monster. Venomous Wasp Queen... E+ Rank, Neraxis recalled. Noticing that the morale of the team was starting to dwindle, he spoke, "Same n as usual, same positioning as well. All we have to do is kill the boss monster." "But... How?" the ever-cheerful Ae questioned, her voice sounding as though it was breaking. Clearly, the situation was affecting her too. She continued, her voice growing more and more emotional. "We are all around the F- or F rank, the boss monster is basically D- ranked... how are we meant to win?" "What do you suggest we do?" Neraxis asked with a raised brow. "Do you think anyone is going toe to save us? The only way this rift reopens is if we all die or kill the boss monster¡ªthere''s no other way out." Hearing his straightforward yet true words made the atmosphere even more glum. That was until Raeny stepped up. "Do you have any special skills that can help us? Because as things stand, the mage will be killed first, the healer second, and then the two of us."@@novelbin@@ He pondered her words for a moment before nodding. "I have something up my sleeve, yes. Whether it will be enough or not, I''m not sure." His words seemed to bring some light back into the team''s eyes as they heaved a relieved sigh. I wonder if Ster Dominion will be enough¡ªbecause if not... we''re fucked, Neraxis thought inwardly while disying a smile. "Let''s start." Chapter 37 Stirring the Venomous Wasp Nest "Aurelia." "Yes?" Neraxis pointed towards the nest right above them; a single toddler-sized wasp was sticking out from it. "Shoot that." She seemed confused for a moment, but nheless, did as she was told, aiming her staff straight at the nest and firing a single beam of light. Itnded very fast, and immediately, the nest fell apart, its piecesnding right beside them. However, despite a couple of venomous wasps caught in the crossfire, the rest remained huddled together. Before they could scatter and begin attacking the rest of his team, Neraxis stretched out his hand. Bluish-purple light converged and flew toward the Venomous Wasps as though it were some kind of aurora. And before any of the wasps could react, the aurora suddenly expanded, enveloping each and every one of them in the radius. The star-filled mes surged out but quickly died down, causing the Venomous Wasps to fall onto the cold, hard ground below them. But the moment their bodies came into contact with the ground, they turned to ash, scattering around them. [14x (F+ Ranked Monster) Venomous Wasp in! Reward: Stigmata 28% -> 56%] Neraxis heaved a sigh of relief. That was satisfying. Though, Evangeline? Why did it only increase by 2% per monster? Shouldn''t F+ be 5%? [Depends on the monster''s rarity. The Scrapfang you killed was considered a mini-boss; therefore, you got more progress. Though, in the end, the percentages only change something for me. Your progress steadily increases nheless.] Evangeline exined patiently. Oh, and here I thought you were zapping away the mana I was absorbing. Neraxis chuckled before turning to his team. However, they were all looking at him with widened eyes, especially Raeny. "I thought you were a swordsman?" She expressed with a hint of disbelief, with the rest of the team nodding after her. Since she was not being annoying, he decided to tease a little¡ªit might even get their spirits back up. "I am, though? I clearly shed in the air." "You didn''t..." "I did, right Aurelia?" He turned towards Aurelia, who had been fidgeting with her staff all this time. "Y-Yes... Huh?" She replied without even paying attention to the question, but before she could correct herself, he interrupted. "See? Raeny, you might just be seeing things." Neraxis stated with a shrug, ignoring the re that was forming on her face. Anyways... I''ll be able to unlock the seal in just a couple more nests. This progress really is something else. He thought, before opening up his status screen. +-----+ Status Name: Neraxis Valen Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {56%} (Seals Unlocked: 0)] Age: 16 --Stats: Rank: F Strength: G+ -> F- Agility: F- Stamina: F- Intelligence: F+ Mana Capacity: F+ --Secondary Stats: Luck: G- Charm: C- --Skills: [Eve of Ruin {G}] * [Swordsmanship {G}] [Ster Dominion {A}] [Minor Reflect {D}] [Sword Dash {F}] [Restorative Cut {E}] +-----+ All my stats are at least F- ranked now. He nodded to himself when Raeny suddenly spoke up. "What''s the cooldown on that skill you used?" Since Neraxis did not mind sharing, he said, "5 minutes, best to wait between each nest." But it appeared his little announcement caused more of a stir than he thought. "You can use that overpowered skill every 5 minutes!?" Ae shouted out from the side, her high-pitched voice practically piercing his innocent ears. "Don''t be so loud..." He shook his head to the side at her antics. "It''s a good skill, but I don''t doubt you all have skills that are equally as good." At his words, they all fell silent, not wanting to share their secrets with someone they did not know. As for him? He couldn''t care less; a target would be on his head by the second semester at thetest. Neraxis took a nce at the faraway nest before proceeding to nod at Aurelia. By the time they got there, his skill would be off cooldown. It was a blessing these venomous wasps were deaf, because if they weren''t, Ae''s scream would have attracted all of them. Shortly after their little walk, they arrived right below a nest. It was slightly bigger than the rest. However, Neraxis quickly noticed another nest not too far away. It was highly likely that the vibrations would cause them toe in attacking at different intervals. Therefore, he quickly devised a n. "Aurelia, do you think you could time the destruction of that nest with the one closest to us? I want the venomous wasps to be in one big group." "That... I think I can do it." She replied, with an ember of confidence arising in her eyes. "Good, give me a minute or two, the cooldown is about to finish." Neraxis stated before sitting down on the ground and taking off his bag. There was a bit of food stored inside, since he wasn''t nning on staying long; however, he only took some delicious cookies along. He hated the MREs provided by the academy. Immediately, he began munching on them, attracting the attention of the girls beside him. Noticing this, he fiddled around in his bag before pulling out 3 more packets and cing them on the ground. "Take your pick." As soon as his words fell, the least likely candidate dashed forward and picked up the chocte chip cookies off the ground, shocking those around her. Aurelia had a faint smile on her face that onlysted a few moments as her expression fell, turning to the rest of the team. "Sorry... d-did you want some too?" However, both Ae and Raeny shook their heads before saying: "You''re good." "You can have it." Hearing that, her expression immediately softened as she went to the side and began unwrapping the cookies, stuffing her mouth just like Neraxis. The rest of the team went up and picked a packet each before heading back to their respective ces and sitting down.@@novelbin@@ Pfft... I wish it was always this peaceful. Neraxis thought with a small chuckle before taking a nce toward the others and then, toward the two nests above them. I wonder? Will it be enough to unlock the seal? Chapter 38 Mutated Mini-Boss "I''m done!" Aurelia shot up from the ground, holding the wrappers of what remained of the cookies. A brown smudge covered her lips, and the moment she nced at him, he pointed it out. Immediately, she recoiled in embarrassment, turning around and wiping her face frantically. She''s too silly, he thought before tossing the packet to the side and standing up. "Is everyone ready?" Neraxis asked, and his team immediately nodded. "Good. Aurelia, do your thing," he said and walked to the side, opening up a path for Aurelia to use her magic. She confidently stepped forward, holding her staff out and aiming it at the furthest of the two nests. Without waiting for a signal, she fired the first beam of light, prating the nest and causing the Venomous Wasps to swarm toward them. Their speed was nothing special¡ªonly their poison was deadly¡ªso she had more than enough time to calcte her approach. Neraxis could see her hands shaking slightly, but nheless, she didn''t back down. Just as the Venomous Wasps entered the range of the other nest, she fired again, and her attack connected immediately. Nice, he thought with a nod before taking the helm, watching as the massive swarm of Venomous Wasps approached them. But just like before, they couldn''t get close as the bluish-purple light emerged and flowed toward the swarm. It didn''t even take a few moments before it connected, and when it did, a massive starry fire broke out, killing every single one of the Venomous Wasps on the spot. However, to his surprise, a few somehow managed to escape¡ªthose in the very back, it seemed. Before he could draw his sword to fend them off, they stopped. Neraxis looked on in confusion; however, he soon understood what was happening. Even further back, seemingly behind the two nests entirely, was apletely green Venomous Wasp. While it was the same size as the others, its colors signified a slightly higher status. A mini-boss... Great, he grumbled inwardly. It was a monster that was definitely in the E rank range, and without the use of his Ster Dominion skill, it might be a bit troublesome. [19x (F+ Ranked Monster) Venomous Wasp in! Reward: Stigmata 56% -> 94%] Fuck... It''s not even enough. The situation was growing direr by the moment. If only his skill had caught the remaining Venomous Wasps, he would have been able to unlock the seal right away.@@novelbin@@ But now, it was a problem. "I''m sorry!" Aurelia eximed, dashing right beside Ae. "Don''t worry about it," Neraxis assured her, not taking his eyes off the mini-boss. However, that suddenly changed when the remaining Venomous Wasps began heading in the direction of the mini-boss and then stopped. He looked on in confusion, but the answers soon came. The Venomous Wasp mini-boss flew around to each and every wasp nearby, cing its stinger on them. Immediately, they all fell to the ground, but what stood out was the fact that the mini-boss grew slightlyrger, increasing in size each time its stinger made contact with another wasp. Finally, all of them fell, leaving it as the only one standing. [Looks like it''s the second strongest after the boss monster. What will you do?] Evangeline questioned with amusement. What can I do except fight that thing? It''s what¡ªbarely E+ ranked now? It doesn''t change the fact that it''s a four-on-one, he replied, steadying his stance to be able to dodge at any moment. "Raeny, any long-range skills I should know about?" "Only one... but it''s weak," she answered, unsheathing her sword again. Not good... He turned to the other long-range damage dealer instead. "Aurelia, do you have a strong attack that could finish it off quickly?" "Yes, but it''s going to take a while to cast. You need to protect me," Aurelia replied immediately, the same resolute look on her face as earlier. Neraxis nodded, noticing the mini-boss finishing its transformation. Without further dy, he announced, "Good. Raeny, protect her for as long as it takes. Ae, you back her up as well. I will go up front." And with those words, Neraxis dashed forward, not waiting for their response. Venomous Wasps at that rank usually had a few tricks up their sleeves, especially since they could now use mana roughly. But even that roughness would be enough to cause massive trouble if they were grouped together. Meanwhile, being too far apart wasn''t good either. Worst-case scenario, he would take a hit and get poisoned. Then, by using a sword dash and canceling the swing, he would be able to retreat nearly instantly. Or that''s the n anyway... Neraxis ran up and positioned himself in front of the iing mini-boss, making himself the prime target of its attack. It dashed toward him, and just as he prepared to strike, it stopped mid-air and twisted its bulky body. The stinger was aimed right at him, but he wouldn''t get hit that easily. Just as it was about to pierce his heart, Neraxis used the Simple Horizontal sh. Despite his expectations ofpletely severing the mini-boss, the sh merely chipped it and redirected it to the side. There goes my second main damage skill, he thought before striking again, aiming for the weakness in the mini-boss''s defense. However, it quickly recovered and swung its entire body at him. Unable to dodge in time, Neraxis braced himself for the impact and was sent flying onto the nearby grass. Before he could dwell on the pain, he shot back up, dodging the chipped stinger. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a bright ball of light, one that kept growingrger with each passing moment. He smiled slightly and turned his gaze back to the iing mini-boss. It was too close to him, so he couldn''t manage any fancy maneuvers. A close-range battle with a foe much stronger than himself¡ªnot an ideal situation. The mini-boss smacked its body against him again, but this time, he mostly negated it with his sword. Mostly¡ªbecause the impact still traveled through the entire sword, damaging his internal organs. Fortunately, he had the perfect skill to negate that: Restorative Cut. Without wasting a moment, he used it, shing toward the mini-boss in the middle of its swing. The attack resounded as though friction was shing between metals, and at the same time, both of them were flung backward. Or rather, he was flung backward while the mini-boss chased after him. Despite the sh, he emerged mostly unscathed¡ªeven the internal injuries from mere moments ago werepletely healed. However, he still felt like a wreck, and his shaking arms were faring no better. But just as he thought things would start getting troublesome, Aurelia''s urgent voice rang out: "Neraxis! Dodge!" He turned at her words, his eyes widening at the sight. A massive ball, like a miniature sun, hovered right above her. Neraxis nodded and used the next attack from the mini-boss to propel himself backward, before finally using Sword Dash toward Raeny. The dash was instant; however, he found it difficult to stop the sword from shing down at her, so he desummoned it. Immediately, Aureliaunched the massive light sun directly at the unsuspecting Venomous Wasp mini-boss. Despite the difference in rank and strength, itpletely engulfed the monster. And In the next moment, a smile appeared on Neraxis''s face. [1x (E+ Ranked Mutated Mini-Boss) Venomous Wasp Sleeper in! Reward: Stigmata 94% -> 100%] [Stigmata: Fragment of Cmity Has Reached 100%] [Would you like to release the seal?] [Y/Y] Chapter 39 The Seal of Calamity [Stigmata: Fragment of Cmity Has Reached 100%] [Would you like to release the seal?] [Y/Y] Neraxis stared at it with a smirk, but just as he was about to click "Yes," he suddenly felt a tug on his shirt, followed by his legs giving out. "Ouch..." Aurelia''s soft voice rang out. She had fallen just to the right of him, but as she nced at him, a worried look appeared on her face. "Are you okay?" "For the most part." He chuckled, feeling a little bit out of breath. However, before he could ponder further, Evangeline spoke, her voice sounding awfully impatient. [I don''t mean to interrupt your cutesy little time, but I would highly rmend you release the seal now.] Just a moment. Neraxis said as he saw Ae approaching him with urgency stered all over her face. He was unsure of what was wrong, but nheless, he proceeded to rx. His wounds did not feel that deep; Restorative Cut dealt with most of those issues.@@novelbin@@ But the fatigue was still there, even more so after using the skill. "Idiot." Ae''s cold voice rang out as she ced her staff just a bit above his head before gently bringing it down. However, as she did so, he could immediately feel a rejuvenating flow coursing throughout his entire body, until eventually, all of the fatigue he had felt moments agopletely disappeared. "Damn, you weren''t kidding when you said you were a top-notch healer, huh?" He joked around, yet there was still a sharp feeling around his abdomen, and from the looks of the others around him, he could guess what was wrong. Looking down, he saw that a pool of ck blood was steadily rushing out of him, and on the very side of his abdomen, there was a particr green stinger sticking out. Now that he thought about it, he found it strange he couldn''t feel any pain¡ªit was a paralytic type of poison. Well, shit. He sighed inwardly while looking at his team bickering amongst each other, with Ae even smacking his head a couple more times with her staff. He was starting to regain feeling, so he didn''t mind. Instead, Neraxis took his attention elsewhere. [Would you like to release the seal?] [Y/Y] Without reaching out his hand, he thought of the "Yes" button, and immediately, his vision shifted. One moment, he was in the Venomous Wasp dungeon, and the next, he was standing in some destend with spears sticking out of the ground. It was the aftermath of war, which had likely already concluded. But among the many weapons was a sword he recognized all too well; after all, it was the same one he wielded. Thinking of it as some sort of trial, Neraxis headed toward it, and just as he was about to ce his hand on the sword, a feminine voice rang out from behind him. "Looking for something?" The yful tone, as well as the all-too-familiar voice, made him turn around, and what greeted his sight was a woman with scarlet hair and piercing crimson eyes, wearing a stunning ck suit of armor. Added to that was the vibrant pointy crimson crown she had on her head. Yet the gentle smile betrayed her fierce image, prompting him to respond in kind. "Nice to see you, Evangeline." Her eyebrows twitched upon hearing that. "Not even a ''wow, you are so beautiful''?" "Seekingpliments? Didn''t expect that from the so-called empress." He teased back, earning a pout from her. "Hmph... and here I thought you would be fawning over my good looks." Evangeline said with a sigh before walking over to the sword and sitting down. With a reminiscent nce to the side, she said, "Wee to where I died." Neraxis froze, unsure of how to reply when someone dropped that big of a bombshell on him. "I see... I''m sorry." She merely shrugged. "Don''t be, I didn''t bring you here to ask for pity." With those words, she began standing up, sword in hand. "It was more so to finally see you face to face," Evangeline said, walking closer. "And of course, I am going to give you a skill, like I promised." Suddenly, she unsheathed thepletely red sword, but instead of the usual de, there were small red system windows scattered all around. What was even more surprising, though, was that they were full of error screens¡ªones that would prohibit the use of a certain ability. Neraxis could see her chin slowly tremble as he reached out, holding the outstretched sword with his hand over hers. Immediately, the error windows disappeared, as though they had not been there in the first ce. But that was not all, as exactly three red system windows emerged, much clearer than before, even disying some sort of text. "Damn it..." Her frustrated voice rang out as she plopped down onto her knees, heaving heavy breaths. "Evangeline...?" Neraxis walked up, crouching down beside her. But he was met with the sword''s hilt to his face. "Don''t get so close... give me a moment." She slowly began stabilizing her breaths until eventually, they were back to normal. "Sorry about that." Evangeline jumped up to her feet, sheathing the sword and controlling the red system windows to fly over to him before the threebined into a single one. "I was a bit frustrated because of bad luck. I wasn''t able to get you the skill you would like." "Hmm?" He tilted his head in confusion, ncing at the single system window before him. Yet the moment his eyes fell on their contents, they widened in shock. [Crimson Dominion {A}] [Skill Description: Harnesses the user''s vampiric essence to manipte blood, creating a deadly blend of destruction and recovery on the battlefield.] [Skill Effects (1/3): Blood Rend (Active): shes at the target with a powerful blood-infused strike that deals more damage the less health you have and causes the target to suffer the Hemorrhage debuff. The user gains 50% of all damage dealt during Hemorrhage as direct healing. Cooldown: 30 minutes.] [Skill Effects (2/3): Sanguine Ascendancy (Passive): Amplifies blood-based abilities, increasing their damage and lifesteal effectiveness. Enemies struck bleed over time, taking additional damage and empowering the user''s regeneration.] [Skill Effect (3/3) Partial Vampirism (Special Passive): You are now able to drink blood to nourish yourself, temporarily increasing your cognitive abilities beyond normal. Able to freely alter your blood type. Due to the skill being Partial Vampirism, you do not suffer any debuffs of a normal vampire.] [Debuff - Hemorrhage: Enemies afflicted by Hemorrhage suffer from blood loss 5 times quicker.] "Evangeline... What the fuck?" He couldn''t help but let out a gasp. The skill before him had the same essence as his Ster Dominion skill. But upon taking another look, he noticed that the skill did not have the reduced effects penalty. And just as he was about to ask how or even why, Evangeline spoke up. "I can still read your mind. This is a skill Ibined with many others. It''s much better than it looks, trust me." She said while picking up her sword and turning on her heel. "Don''t worry about the numerical values. I can''t exactly have them in the system, or else the skill would get deleted." "Evangeline... thank you," Neraxis said with pure gratitude as he stared at her back. "Don''t thank me yet," she grinned before flicking the sword to the side, causing another red system window to appear. "...After all, the rewards are not over yet." [Main Skill¡ªEve of Ruin: Rank up avable.] [G->F] [Would you like to proceed? Y/N] Chapter 42 Unbelievable Regeneration "Detonate Mark." His voice rang out on the loud battlefield, yet the moment it did, all hell broke loose. The monsters that had been fighting just moments ago halted, allowing his team to finish them off more quickly. But what was even more surprising was the boss monster, suspended in the air, its body convulsing gruesomely. That did notst long, as the skill''s effects began to show more prominently. All the monsters that had yet to be killed by his team suddenly exploded, simr to the Scrapfang Mini-Boss. As for the Venomous Wasp Queen? Its body was as big as a balloon, yet its extremely strong skin prevented it from exploding. Even that did notst long, as he dashed toward it and attempted to swing his right arm. However, he immediately felt something off¡ªhis sword hovered beside him, his severed arm still gripping the hilt. Immediately, the pain hit, but with a groan, he bore through it. Raising his left hand, he held it out. Evangeline, other hand. [Quite bossy today, aren''t you? Oh, reckless one.] She remarked with a snicker before arriving in his arm. With a simple stab, he was able to pierce the boss monster. Just as he did that, it finally popped, its innards flying everywhere¡ªincluding onto his head. Even with his attempts at dodging, he was unsessful, but since the toughest part was finished, he could only exhale an exhausted sigh. The blood rained on him as he walked back to his stunned team and sat down right before them. "Ae... Can you reattach my arm?" Neraxis spoke with a small smile, trying to hide the pain he was currently in. However, he was met with a shake of the head. "I know I said I''m the best, but I can''t reattach something like... that," she said while pointing to his arm. It was cleanly ripped off at the elbow, yet it still hurt¡ªa lot. "It''s fine, just make the bleeding stop at least," he expressed while ncing to the side. There were quite a lot of notifications surrounding him. [156x (F+ Ranked Monster) Venomous Wasp in! Reward: Stigmata 0% -> 15.6%] [2x (E Ranked Mini-Boss) Venomous Wasp Mutant in! Reward: Stigmata 15.6% -> 30.6%] [1x (E+ Ranked Boss Monster) Venomous Wasp Queen in! Reward: Stigmata 30.6% -> 55.6%] Damn, the boss sure gives a lot, huh? He stared in amazement as Ae went up to him and began slowly healing his arm¡ªthis time, without hitting him. The gushing blood subsided, leaving him with an arm he would, unfortunately, have to go through the pain of reattaching. While it might not be as excruciating as mending bones turned to dust, you never know. "Done... I hope," Ae heaved a sigh of relief before standing back up and walking to the rest of the team, healing them. I''d say this was a good haul, right? He thought to himself, yet a sudden bonk on the head by his own sword got him out of it. [A good haul? Right. Don''t you use three skills at once again. What are you, an idiot?] She reprimanded him before continuing, [Two skills are already considered difficult, which you somehow managed to pull off. However, three is a no-go¡ªit kills most people.] I''ve used six at once before. I know what I''m doing, Evangeline. I just kind of overestimated myself a tad bit. Neraxis chuckled inwardly. Noticing he wasn''t backing off, she decided to change the topic. [The skill I gave you is very unique¡ªit descends from a Progenitor Vampire n. I tweaked it so it doesn''t turn you into a full-blown vampire, but still, you should try drinking someone''s blood.] And how exactly am I supposed to bring it up? "Hey, let me drink your blood"? Really? He questioned with disbelief, turning his gaze toward the team. It seemed like Ae and Raeny were chatting about something, with Aurelia standing by the side looking directly at him. Evangeline, what happens if I drink blood? [As the skill says, you will nourish yourself. That is to say, you''ll basically cast a heal on yourself. It might not be as effective on its own. However, Sanguine Ascendancy is a bit more overpowered than you might think.] Fuck... I''m going to sound like a weirdo. Neraxis took a deep breath before gesturing for Aurelia toe over. She looked puzzled but nheless walked up to him and sat down. "Aurelia, I have a favor to ask of you," he spoke, feeling the inner embarrassment practically welling up inside of him. "Yes?" she responded with a tilt of her head. It seemed that, after all that had happened, she was too tired to act shy anymore. Neraxis went straight to the point. "Can I have a bit of your blood? There''s something I want to try." As soon as his words fell, her expression contorted into weariness. She looked around, noticing Ae and Raeny still talking among themselves. But just as she was about to call out to them, he said, "Wait... I don''t mean it in a bad way. I have a skill that lets me heal when I drink blood." She slowly turned her head toward him. "A-Are you a vampire?" Neraxis inwardly facepalmed at hearing that but shook his head in denial. "Of course not." "But only vampires drink blood..." Aurelia shot back. Noticing this was going in circles, Neraxis decided to drop the topic. "Aurelia, it''s fine if you don''t want to do it. I''ll be healed either way when we''re back at the academy," he said while standing up and grabbing his other arm out of the air before quickly desummoning the sword. Can you store my hand in that little storage of yours? [It''s still counted as alive. I''ll be able to in a couple of minutes, though,] Evangeline answered before falling silent again. That silence was interrupted when Aurelia grabbed him by his tattered academy uniform, turning him around and stretching her wrist toward him. "H-Here, but only a little," she said reluctantly, closing her eyes. "...Did I not just say I''m not a vampire?" Neraxis replied but proceeded to go along with it anyway. Since he didn''t exactly have fangs like vampires, he opted to use his sword. "Don''t move," he warned before slightly cutting the tip of her finger. Immediately, as the blood began dripping down, he began licking it. Doesn''t taste bad... Aurelia immediately let out a startled yelp, but before the others could turn around, he was already done. The amount of blood he drew was little, and it healed quickly because of her abnormal regenerative factor¡ªone of the perks of being awakened. However, he could feel a tingly sensation in his arm, right at the stump. Noticing the opportunity, he put his severed arm there, and immediately, the blood vessels and veins all began connecting, until eventually, they were fullybined. His hand still felt cold, but he could move it freely once again. Evangeline... is this? [Yup, a budget regeneration skill¡ªone much higher in rank than the one you were bragging about in the auction house. The more blood you drink, the more you stimte the healing.] Neraxis stared at his reattached arm in wonder. No pain, and nearly instant.@@novelbin@@ Just from a single drop of blood... Chapter 43 Kind Reception "You..." Aurelia''s shocked voice resounded from beside him, and upon turning around, he saw that the rest of the team had simr reactions. But since they hadn''t seen what happened, he would rather just keep it between the two of them. Sending a wink toward Aurelia, Neraxis spoke, "Seems like it healed up just fine, no need to worry." Each of their brows furrowed, but they were already used to his avoiding personality, so they put it aside. Instead, it was about time they got out. "I don''t care anymore..." Ae said before turning to the side, specifically to where the blue liquid-like mass began forming. "Is that the exit?" Noticing the hesitant tone of hope, he affirmed, "Yeah, it''s over now." Immediately, everyone let out the deep breaths they''d been holding in ever since the start of the boss battle, with Aurelia even falling to her knees. Raeny was the least affected of the bunch, it seemed, but Neraxis could see her tightly clenching her hands, with a tad bit of blood trickling down her lips. [Seems like she is ming herself for freezing up earlier.] Evangeline remarked, and he nodded. Probably, but look on the bright side, it''s less likely to happen again. [Yep.] She replied with a chuckle. All they had to do was exit the rift, and then it would open back up again. Since they''d killed the boss monster, this rift would be done for¡ªit would disappear in just a couple of hours. It really hit him. He hadn''t been back for long, yet he''d already cleared an E-rank rift¡ªsomething he had only managed to do after two months of training back then. Stopping his reminiscing, he nced at his team. "Let''s start heading out. We still don''t know whether we''ll end up back in the goblin rift or somewhere else entirely." "Do you think they noticed we''re gone?" Aurelia suddenly asked. But before he could reply, Ae spoke. "Of course, dummy. There were at least three drones following after us the entire time." Neraxis raised his brow at thatment. "How do you know?" He hadn''t felt anything¡ªor anyone¡ªtrail after him. But her answer was not what he was expecting. "It''s because I was the one who provided the blueprints to them. I''m practically the main manufacturer," she stated, puffing her chest before going into a tad bit more detail. "They record everything in an extremelypact size, not any bigger than a fingernail. One of my many inventions." Neraxis pretended to listen to her rambling about her achievements before asking Evangeline a question. Did you feel or hear anything? [Yes, it''s a small rover, and its size is just as she described¡ªextremely small.] Huh... rich kids all around me. [You are one to talk.] She quickly interjected. He merely rolled his eyes at thatment. Even if he was rich, he didn''t exactly have anywhere to spend his money. Not yet, at least. Neraxis finally tuned back into the conversation as she began finishing up her bragging session. The others seemed to have grown tired of it as well. "And that is how, I, great Ae Farren, mechanical genius as well as a healing prodigy, made my debut!" she stated, trying to make it as dramatic as possible. Yet no one reacted¡ªmerely gathering together before walking over to the portal, leaving her behind. "Wait for me!" Her voice rang out. Soon, the four of them approached the portal, and without wasting any more time, they went through it. Neraxis''s vision shifted, and he found himself in a damp environment, one lit up by the sun shining through the little cracks. They were back in the goblin rift. However, it was not the same one from which they entered. Quickly assessing the surroundings, he found that there were multiple green blood spills scattered all around, yet no corpses were present. Leaning down and putting his hand on one of the blood puddles, he found out it was dry¡ªmeaning some time had passed. Yet from his estimates, they had definitely not been in there for a very long time¡ªa few hours at most. So this was likely another starting point one of the teams had been teleported to. "I think we should start moving toward the final boss, if it''s still alive," Neraxis turned to his team and suggested. There was a certain person who could very easily kill a boss monster, and knowing hispetitive nature, it was likely that it had already been killed. However, it wouldn''t hurt to try. Getting nods of confirmation, they made their way through the rift, not encountering a single goblin monster. But that did not mean there weren''t traps, as while he was walking, Neraxis spotted a tiny tripwire. He immediately halted, but Aurelia seemed to not notice that as she kept moving forward. Therefore, he had no choice but to pull her back by the arm. Just as he did that and she had a look of surprise, a single shabby spear shot out from the side before being imbedded into the nearby cave wall. She widened her eyes before turning to him. "Thank you..." "Don''t worry about it. Just stay behind me next time," Neraxis said while letting go of her hand and walking forward. Along the way, he detected a few traps¡ªwhether it be the spear trap from earlier or a pit with sharp spikes on the bottom. All of the traps were easily avoided, until finally, they arrived at an open space¡ªone with a massive green bloodstain spread across the entire room, as well as the cave walls. Yet again, there was no body. However, there was one thing there that got their mood back up: the portal, which obviously would lead them back out to the academy. Before he could say anything, his team dashed past him and immediately went through, leaving him behind. But he didn''t stay long either¡ªonly taking a few nces around before heading toward it and touching it. With the instant shifting of vision, he found himself in the familiar room with a closed-off door. The fuck? He raised his brows in confusion. Aside from his own party, no one else was around. Neraxis watched as Raeny excitedly headed over to the door, trying to open it. However, it didn''t budge at all. She banged her fists on it, and the sound rang out, spreading across the entire room and hopefully outwards. Did they abandon us or something? Neraxis nced around, making sure his eyes weren''t ying tricks on him. And immediately, he found a note¡ªone stuffed into the very corner of the room, very close to the portal. No one else seemed to notice it; therefore, he reached down, picked it up, unfolded it, and read it. There are certain unruly visitors around. Stay in there for a bit. I''lle fetch you soon. -W.W. This... Neraxis groaned in frustration. They were really locked in here. "Raeny, stop," he said, gathering their attention before showing them the note.@@novelbin@@ As soon as they read it, all their reactions were the same, mirroring his own. "This headmaster sucks. Not even a wee back alive? Wow..." Ae''s annoyed voice rang out, to which he responded with a nod. "I know, right?" Chapter 44 First Encounter With The Government After what felt like hours of senseless waiting, they heard someone take hold of the door, and every single one of them shot up. A frown was stered all over Neraxis''s face. What if he hadn''t healed his hand and actually gotten injured? He would have been forced to wait three more hours before seeing a healer. This had better have been the fucking government knocking. He watched as the door opened, and some unfamiliar man greeted their sight. Without introducing himself or speaking, he gestured for them to follow. Of course, even if he was an unknown person, it was still better to be out there than in the prison-like rift room. Nheless, Neraxis wanted to strike up a conversation. "How long had it been since we all entered?" And he seeded in starting a conversation. "Five hours. You were not in there for that long." He nced back at them before continuing, "The academy has faced some bacsh, which is why there''s ack of personnel to greet you. I apologize." Neraxis noticed the man''s strictly professional tone and felt an ominous sense. "Are you with the headmaster?" The man swiftly replied with a shake of his head. "I am with the Damage Assessment Department. I was tasked with going inside the rift to check whether you lived or not." A government dog, Evangeline, how strong is he? [I understand that there are some things you might be furious with them about, but hold back,] she warned in a serious tone. He grumbled inwardly, before asking a question that would determine whether he would use his special card. "Are we being taken back to our homes or somewhere else?"@@novelbin@@ "We are heading toward the Skill Assessment Department. I will be bringing you there for questioning while the headmaster deals with legal issues." Evangeline. How strong is he? Neraxis repeated himself, there was only one more nail left until he hit the coffin. [Neraxis..,] she stated with a long pause before continuing, [He''s E- ranked.] I see... Neraxis took a deep breath before asking the final question, the one that would determine whether or not he wouldplicate things for himself. "Have you ever heard of Project Z17?" He quietly monitored every gesture of his, making sure to catch any movement that might arise. But there was nothing. "Hmm? Never heard about it." "I see... Sorry." Neraxis apologized, reeling in his rising bloodlust. His team was looking at him in a strange way, but he ignored them. Still, while this person might not be corrupt, the Skill Assessment Department was no good back then, and likely even now. After all, one of the 10 heroes who had died gruesomely was first admitted to the Skill Assessment Department. For that reason alone, he would rather stall for time. "Say, Aurelia, where''s that bracelet you had on your arm?" "Huh? Wha¡ª" She asked in confusion and stopped upon seeing the look in Neraxis''s eyes that seemed to scream ''Follow along.'' Even though she was shy and a klutz, she was not stupid. But, she was not the greatest liar. "O-Oh... Yeah... I-I think I need to go back in." Ae caught on to what was happening and joined in, "Oh! And your staff¡ªyou''re sure acting silly today, Aurelia." "Haha..." All the while, the man watched on with a conflicted look, before sighing. "Ten minutes," the man said. "If you take longer, I''ll have to go back in and get you." Neraxis nodded, and, sharing a look with the team, proceeded to walk back. However, the man''s voice rang out again. "One of you stay. You don''t need all four people to search for one item." Now this is a bit unordinary. Neraxis nced at his team before saying, "Get going and find her items. I will stay behind." "O-Okay!" Aurelia said, her voice cracking a bit in the end as she began jogging back to the door, the rest of the team behind her. As for Neraxis, he was left alone with the man from the government. The atmosphere was eerily quiet, and he could clearly tell something was off, that was until the man spoke. "Why did you ask that question earlier?" Neraxis tilted his head, acting oblivious. "Which one? I asked a few." "Project Z17. Why did you ask that?" Hmm? Why is he so curio- Neraxis''s thoughts were interrupted as he looked into the man''s eyes. They were slightly blurry, but then quickly returned to their usual luster. "Sorry, forget about it. Some secrets must be kept after all," he said with a chuckle, turning his gaze to the wall. However, the moment he did that, Neraxis appeared before him, sword in hand, and by utilizing Sword Dash along with Simple Horizontal sh, he attacked him. The man was startled and attempted to dodge, but from the sheer speed and strength behind Neraxis''s attack, he was unable to do anything but watch as his body separated into two. His upper body flew a few meters away, a shocked look on his face. "W-Why!?" He shouted, choking on his own blood. But Neraxis was not amused, merely looking down at the man with a cold look. "How''s the researching along? You finished researching those chimeras yet?" The man''s eyes widened for a moment before the blurriness once again came back, stabilizing his expression into a normal one. Despite that, the shock and pain were enough to momentarily bypass his built-in code, the same one he was likely trained in ever since he was born. "H-How do you know about them?" Bingo, Evangeline. I told you something was off. Neraxis stared at the man as his eyes began to twitch, growing blurrier with each passing moment. That was when his head suddenly exploded, spewing brain matter all across the room. However, Neraxis had been prepared for that, already a fair distance away. [Hmm... Was he mind-controlled?] She mused. Sort of, they have a way of dealing with leaks. One of them was true memory altering and shaping ever since someone is born. He exined patiently, disgust clear in his tone. [Ah, so not magic, but psychology... that''s a neat solution. Though you do know problems will arise now, don''t you?] They won''t. Any type of survence would be instantly detected. He quickly answered, his tone resolute. But Evangeline did not seem convinced. [How can you be sure? His death is bound to be investigated.] Tell me this: if you had a bucket of rice and a single grain fell out, would you notice? [How is that the same?] She shot back.. However, he calmly continued his exnation. Their organization, even at its dwindled state, is in the hundreds of thousands range. You don''t understand how many children go missing each year, at least one in ten of all kids born, to be exact. Neraxis said, ncing at the body of the dead man not too far away from him. Now in this context, an operative was sent out and was unsessful in his mission. They have nearly perfect disguises and can''t be recognized by many, except the most powerful. [William.] She concluded. Exactly. The story is that he got caught by William and killed. Simple as that. Neraxis stated before preparing to use Cosmic Cascade on the corpse to disintegrate it. But a sudden pair of footsteps startled him; it was not his team. Instead, it was the person they had just spoken about. William finally appeared within view, and upon seeing the sight, furrowed his brows before turning his gaze toward Neraxis. "You know what I dislike more than anything?" Neraxis remained silent, watching as William began conjuring water and fire, enveloping the man''s body and all the blood. "It''s someone who doesn''t know how to perform a clean kill." Chapter 45 The Compensation Clean kill? Sorry? Neraxis thought inwardly as he watched William clean up the entire mess¡ªeven making the smell go away. "Neraxis," he spoke, "don''t do anything like that on academy grounds again. I had a use for him." shing a suspicious look, he continued, "I would love to know how you came to the conclusion that led you to killing him. However, we can save that forter." "Is that so..." Neraxis grumbled inwardly, finding the situation quite ufortable. It seemed like William had already been aware of the corrupt man¡ªhence why he had allowed him to get this far. But that was all gone, and all he managed to do was attract even more suspicion onto himself. However, as he was expecting to receive a nagging, something else happened. "Are you getting along with Celina?" William''s fierce voice rang out, startling him. Neraxis found it in his best interest to reply as soon as possible. "We haven''t talked much¡ªonly a gesture or two since the start." "Hmm..." William fell into thought for a moment before speaking once again. "Try talking to her a bit more." "...Sure?" Neraxis replied in a confused tone and was about to bring the conversation back to what had transpired just a few moments ago. However, William interrupted him. "Don''t speak or tell anyone about that man or his death, else you will spoil my ns further." "I won''t. You don''t have to worry¡ªI am not actively looking for his group," Neraxis stated, earning a nod from William. "Good. We will talk about this after you clear your first tower floor. Be sure to get a good record." As his words finished and Neraxis was about to speak up, a flock of footsteps resounded from behind him. It was his group. All of them had worried expressions on their faces, but they disappeared the moment they noticed William beside him. "Hello, Headmaster," they all greeted in unison with surprising formality. Now that the two of them were no longer alone, he put on his professional persona. "Wee back. I am sure the situation was stressful, and I would love to get your reports individually. Neraxis already gave his," he added. Hmm... is he giving me some time off? His team swiftly agreed, and immediately, William signaled for them to follow after him. "All of you still need toe with me for nowpensation is in order after all." They seemed to be heading toward his office, and it didn''t take long to arrive. Neraxis and the others entered, and immediately, the sight of a casual office space entered their eyes. However, to the side, there was an unusual training room¡ªone that had all sorts of different technology and a pair of daggers in the very middle. Is that where Celina trains? he mused before arriving in front of William''s desk and sitting down on a nearby couch. His team shot him strange looks, but he simply ignored them. "You three are free to getfortable as well. Don''t worry about etiquette for now¡ªyou earned a break," William said with a soft smile, sending shivers down Neraxis''s spine. He soon continued his speech. "I would like to personally apologize as the Headmaster of the academy for our oversight." A small pause ensued, letting his words sink in. "Of course, the most important thing is that you all came out alive. Therefore, my reward will be yourpensation." As his words fell, he took out four blue-colored books from his drawer and ced them on the desk. "I''ve picked out a skill¡ªone that would hopefully be of use to all of you." Neraxis raised his brow. The most he expected to get was a day off; after all, cking off was already considered a luxury in this world. Yet to get a skill from this? It wasn''t that bad. He walked up, along with his team, and picked up a book each before going back to the couch. "This is a defensive skill, and I won''t spoil its effects." He chuckled before continuing, "That is all for now. Ae, Aurelia, and Raeny, stay behind. You can go, Neraxis." Neraxis nodded and began heading out, but not before waving goodbye to his team. Exiting the office, he immediately let out a massive sigh. This entire day had been one giant roller coaster. Fiddling with the skill book in his arms, Neraxis focused, and soon after, it disappeared from his grasp, followed by a red system message. [Skill Obtained | 25 Minutes Until Assimtion] Higher-ranked this time, huh, he whistled to himself, making his way through the empty hallways.@@novelbin@@ There was a degree of expectation that the surroundings would be more hectic, yet it was rtively calm. It was already growing dark outside; therefore, he decided to make his way back home. He fiddled around in his bag, looking for the phone he had ced inside. Yet, once his hand reached inside, he noticed there was a hole clean through the bottom. Well, shit... Guess I''m walking back, Neraxis thought, trying to make light of the situation. Yet his mind was still going back to the events that transpired¡ªhe couldn''t forget them. Both the rift and the spy, two back-to-back events that he could have never predicted, happened all in the same day. But at the end of it all, there was one question that remained in his mind. Why is William constantly helping me? Just as he thought that, Evangeline''s voice rang out inside his mind. [It is hard to trust somebody, I understand. But for now, rely on him. Use him if need be. After all, you are still weak.] Thanks for reminding me. He rolled his eyes. However, upon doing so, he spotted a small red system window in the corner of his eye. And upon focusing on it and reading its contents, he froze. [1x (E- Ranked Human) in! Reward: Stigmata 55.6% -> 56.6%] Evangeline? he called out, immediately receiving an answer. [Yeah... I didn''t expect to see it either. But I suppose because he could technically use mana, he counted as a monster...] So no one below E- rank, huh... Well, this is an eerie discovery, Neraxis thought before questioning, How much of this unsealing business is out of your control? A moment of silence ensued before she replied. [...Mostly everything. The only ess I have is what skills I can give. Even then, you saw what happens if I try to overstep¡ªI get weakened way too much.] I see... Neraxis replied absentmindedly before summoning the sword and slicing open his palm. Drink to your heart''s content. I told you I''d give you plenty of blood. [Thank you...] As her words fell, he immediately began feeling light-headed, as though the simple stream of blood that had gushed out of his palm had turned into a whole fountain. Yet the sword absorbed it all at an unbelievable pace. And before long, his wound closed up, and the sword began flying all around him happily. Noticing this, he couldn''t help but voice his thoughts. You are a vampire, right? [Hmm? Yeah, I am the Progenitor of all vampires.] She nonchntly remarked, still flying around absentmindedly. Wait, wait... Of all vampires? [In my world, yes. I am not sure if any exist here, but even if they do, they are not rted to me,] Evangeline exined before disappearing back into the sword symbol on his arm. Neraxis was left speechless as he finally reached the exit to the academy, and upon getting out, was prepared to walk back home. However, a familiar limousine was off in the distance, with his butler standing still, waiting patiently outside. And upon noticing Neraxis, he shed a small smile before opening the limousine''s door. Ah... I''ll have to give him a raise... Chapter 46 Frustrations [Amara''s POV] "All in agreement, please raise your hand," she stated, looking at the rest of her members surrounding the roundtable. However, when no one raised their hand, her brows furrowed in frustration. "Look... Amara, I know how this seems, but things like that happen all the time," Marcus began, trying to persuade her, with Sophia chiming in. "What he said. We can''t just destroy the academy just because Neraxis was almost harmed." But Amara was not convinced. "And? Did you see what happened after they got sucked in? The staff didn''t react, and one of his ssmates sent a distress call to the government." Looking around, she noticed the others were still hesitant, clearly against her n. This is ridiculous, she thought, mming the table with her fist gently. One of their members nearly dying in a mere ident wasn''t what she expected to hear first thing in the morning. Better yet, it was Neraxis¡ªthe newest and most promising recruit she''d had in years. It wasn''t like she couldn''t see reason and listen to her members; however, what sort of coincidence was it that, right after she paid a visit to William, Neraxis was sent into a dangerous rift? That snarky old man still doesn''t want to cooperate. Amara snickered to herself before leaning back in her seat. Noticing the growing unease on their faces, she heaved a sigh before saying, "I want this investigated." Just as her words fell, the silent Sarah stood up, immediately expressing her willingness to proceed with the investigation. Amara did not refuse her; after all, Sarah was the most skilled scout in this world. "Go ahead. If William Whiltfrow refuses to cooperate, mention my name." With a nod, Sarah suddenly disappeared from their surroundings, heading back into the real world. Each member had a way to ess and leave this realm, except Neraxis, of course. He''s still far from earning it, she thought before taking a nce at Sophia, the one who enjoyed teasing others. Yet when serious situations called for it, her yful nature quickly disappeared. Amara stretched out her hand. "Progress report." Right as her words fell, a stack of papers appeared in her hand. cing most of them down and taking the bottom-most one, she read through it. However, the contents were not what she expected. A deeper frown appeared on her face. "They are within arm''s reach, huh... just a few more years," she said in an exhausted tone before picking up the topmost note, which detailed the progress of Neraxis. The note only had a few sentences, and most were very vague, barely providing insight. But that was enough. The main message was: He is getting stronger. "Good job, Sophia," Amara stated, putting the notes back into ce before making them disappear. She then turned toward Marcus, the misfit of their group. However, there was a very clear reason why he was with them, and that''s because¡ª "How''s your position in Eternal Nighting along?" He put on an arrogant smirk before stating, "I''m an Officer now. Just three more positions, and I can gain ess to higher-quality intel." "I see..." Amara absentmindedly nodded. "Keep up the good work." Her words fell, and immediately, both Sophia and Marcus disappeared. She was left all alone again, with the exception of Delta, who was likely still lurking around somewhere. But with loneliness also came benefits. I haven''t gone sightseeing in a while, she thought, swinging her sword vertically and materializing a small portal, through which she immediately went. There was no distortion since she was used to it, and upon getting to the other side, a massive mountain range covered entirely in snow greeted her eyes. Before her, there was a small metallic hatch¡ªone that would go unnoticed by most. But not me, she dered inwardly before pointing her sword downward and forcing it open. A narrow space came into view, followed by adder leading downwards, which she opted topletely ignore by jumping straight down. The fall took a few seconds longer than expected, but upon arriving below, she was met with another solid door, which she forced open like the hatch. Inside, she saw two green capsules and scientists inb coats injecting strange chemicals into them. They immediately panicked and started fleeing upon seeing her, but before they could get too far, their heads went flying, leaving only one alive. Amara slowly walked up to the scientist, starting at him with an icy re before saying, "How long has thisb been operational?" The moment she asked the question, the scientist''s eyes began to blur until, eventually, he looked back at her with a nk expression. Hmm... I guess they improved their mind-boggling. How vile. She scoffed, seeing that the life from the man''s eyes was starting to disappear. Deciding it would be best to end it quickly, she shed her sword, and his life came to an end. Taking a look around, she tried spotting any new irregrities, but there were none¡ªonly the morphed beings inside the green liquid capsules. "Can either of you hear me?" Amara called out, but, as always, no response came. Once again, she was toote¡ªor perhaps, notte enough. One thing was certain: the chimeras before her had their brains taken apart and tinkered with. If she had arrivedter, she might have been able to converse with them. But s, she saw no sess in any of her attempts, some even dating back two years. Since there was nothing more she could do other than let them die from starvation, Amara swung her sword horizontally, swiftly cutting the two chimeras in half. Before the green liquid could ooze onto her, she disappeared again, reappearing back near the roundtable. This time, there was a certain horned being sitting on its edge, seemingly waiting for someone. "Delta," Amara immediately addressed her with respect and received a response in kind. "Wee back, First Veil. Has your journey been fruitful?" She shook her head. "Same as usual. I just wish something was different. I am busy enough as it is." "That is the burden of the First Veil. Keep up with it, and you shall receive what you are looking for," Delta said cryptically, making Amara''s brow rise in amusement. "What I''m looking for, huh? I doubt the solution is on this world, but even if it isn''t, I can always try again next time." "You have time," Delta stated before hopping off the roundtable and walking up to her. "So much time that you can continue making mistakes." But Amara thought otherwise. "I''m tired, Delta. This time around is already different. I didn''t get the Ster Dominion skill¡ªNeraxis got it instead."@@novelbin@@ However, no constion or answer came. Instead, there was only silence. Which, knowing Delta''s nature, was unusual. Soon, she spoke again, her tone serious. "Amara, I think it''s time you stopped relying purely on yourself. While he is a weakling for now, when the time finallyes, he will be strong enough." Letting out a frustrated sigh, Amara grabbed her sword and swung at the air, opening a portal. "I''m going sightseeing again. I''ll be back soon." But just before she left, Delta''s final words resounded, "Once you are back, I will help you train." Huh? Amara''s head flicked back, her eyes wide. However, Delta had already vanished, leaving the flustered Amara behind. She''s going to do what...? Chapter 47 The Astral Tower [Neraxis''s POV] It did not take long for him to arrive back home; however, the urge to lie in bed was strong. Before he knew it, he had slept for 12 hours, with only a couple more left until it was time to head back to the academy. Yet there was also something else he could not quite forget, and that was: [Blue Skill Book Unveiled: Aegis of Eternity {C}] [Skill Description: A powerful defensive skill that summons an ethereal shield capable of blocking a single iing attack.] [Skill Effect (1/1): Eternal Ward (Active): Summons an ethereal shield that absorbs and nullifies all damage from a single iing attack, regardless of its nature. Cooldown: 12 Weeks.] Block any attack every three months? Neraxis stared at it in wonder before waving it away. It was definitely a great skill¡ªone that he would make use of in the future. However, with the free time he currently had, there was something else he would much rather try. His Ster Dominion skill had a strange final effect: "Enter the astral ne." He assumed now was as good a time as any to check it out, and immediately, he felt several pricks on his skin that kept increasing with each passing second. At the same time, his vision started to blur, and faint blue lines became visible in the surroundings. Before he could grasp what was happening, he suddenly fell forward. Just as he was expecting to hit the ground, he went through it instead, appearing on the other side in an awkward position. That was not the only strange part, as his hands sank into the substance he found himself on¡ªit was water. Yet it was very shallow, allowing him to stand up on top of it. As he did so, Neraxis finally took a good nce around himself. It was tnd with equally shallow water and stars of all colors shining brightly above him. However, the one thing that stood out the most was a specific tower¡ªone that looked eerily simr to Dreamspire. Upon closer inspection, he could immediately tell its size was nothing alike; the structure was built entirely distinct from Dreamspire as well. In the end, the only simrities the two towers carried were their slim stature. By the entrance, there appeared to be some type of golem-like sentries. Do you see this, Evangeline? Neraxis called out in amazement. [Yeah, it looks like another trial tower,] she replied, curiosity clear in her tone. Hmm... He thought about it for a moment and quickly made the decision to check it out. Neraxis quickly neared the entrance of the tower¡ªwhich appeared to be just a massive double door¡ªand stopped a few meters before it. He made eye contact with the sentries and, upon closer look, noticed they did not actually have faces but were madepletely out of starry blue mana. "Can I pass?" Neraxis asked innocently, realizing this thought might have been a little impulsive. After all, golems couldn''t be alive¡ªthey were mere constructs that followed the orders of their creators. Yet, he saw the two sentries exchange nces before grabbing hold of the door and pushing it inward, opening the path for him. Still a bit stunned, he began slowly walking forward, not letting his guard down in case the sentries reacted differently. But nothing like that happened. Instead, he entered inside, and what greeted his sight was a dimly lit room, still somehow illuminated by the stars above. Strangest of all, a grandfather clock¡ªone that spanned the numbers 1 to 12, with the hour hand pointing directly at the number 1. It alsocked a minute hand, suggesting it showed which floor he was currently on. After all, this was some sort of trial tower. The moment he thought of that, the number 1 lit up, and immediately, he felt as though he was pushed,nding onto the ground and once again falling through to the other side. This time, however, he was in a dark forest, finding it extremely difficult to see ahead.@@novelbin@@ Yet he tried, but noticed he could not move a muscle. It did not take long to find the culprit: before him was a system window, dominated purely by red, with just a tinge of blue, reflecting the starry atmosphere he had just been in. [Astral Tower - 1st Floor: The Initiation Trial] [Objective: Find the exit.] [Status: Initializing...] Just as he saw those words, the message reading "Initializing" soon vanished. What reced it was the sound of howling in the far distance. Neraxis also noticed that he had regained his ability to move. Without further dy, he jumped to a nearby tree before summoning his sword, sticking it in, and hanging on as though he were on a branch. Soon, a pack of ck wolves rushed toward where he had just been. Upon noticing he wasn''t there, they dispersed. Shadow wolves? They''re pretty weak monsters. Neraxis mused while climbing onto his sword and jumping onto an actual branch. So it really is a trial, huh¡­ He thought to himself before taking a deep breath and looking upward. Getting above the trees seemed like an option at first, so he tried. However, when he reached a certain height, he suddenly felt a wave of repulsion hit him. Neraxis attempted to resist and go higher, but the further he went, the stronger the repulsion became, rendering his efforts in vain. Well, that''s out of the bag. I guess I really do have to go down. Neraxis sighed before sliding down the tree andnding on the ground. Just as he did that, a pair of footsteps resounded in the distance, followed by a row of glowing purple eyes. He wasn''t intimidated. After all, these creatures were merely F-ranked. To him, it was just a simple walk in the park. Or so he hoped¡ªbut the number of eyes grew to an rming amount, even for him. Nheless, it was either fight back or jump through the trees like some sort of monkey¡ªsomething he would much rather not do. After all, his goal, first and foremost, was to grow strong enough to fix the way things had turned out in the past. That was¡ªby killing all the heroes, each and every single one of them. [Neraxis...] Evangeline''s worried voice rang out, which he chose to ignore as he lunged forward, slicing the foremost shadow wolf in half. Using his already built-up momentum, he used the Simple Horizontal sh skill, severing the bodies and heads of most who had been near him¡ªand even some farther away. Yet the numbers were overwhelming. All the skill managed to do was buy him time to reposition. That was enough, as he swiftly cleaved through the wave of monsters, for some reason not tiring. That was until Evangeline spoke. [My skill has the ability to make enemies bleed over time, which in turn makes them gush out a lot more blood than should be possible. Even if you kill them instantly, I can absorb their blood and share a small portion with you.] Wait... doesn''t that mean¡ª She quickly cut him off. [No. It is not the same as you directly absorbing the blood. I can''t cure your wounds¡ªonly prevent them from bleeding more. I can, however, restore a bit of your stamina.] Oh... He sighed in disappointment, but still¡ªit was an exceptionally powerful skill at the end of the day. Now, all he needed to do was finish this trial. Chapter 50 Alchemy Class "Follow exactly what I do," Liora stated, immediately picking up the nearby chemically modified water and pouring it all into the sk. At a single nce, it seemed like there was barely anything¡ªconsidering the sk''s size was unexpectedlyrge. However, she soon put the sk over the iron alchemy furnace, which was just a simple concentrated fire held together by iron handles, much like a stove. The moment she ced the sk over it, the water inside immediately came to a boil. Without even wasting a single moment, she added the first ingredient, which was just honey. But it was no ordinary honey¡ªas, just like the water, it had been modified by those capable of using mana, though in most cases, it came from a specially made farm. Nheless, the moment the honey came into contact with the water, it dissolved in an instant, turning into a gas-like state. Liora did not miss this opportunity to stir the sk, making sure the water fully absorbed the gas-like honey. She did this for a total of 10 seconds before reaching out and picking up yet another ingredient¡ªthe final one, as this was an easy-to-make potion. It was a simple piece of moss. This one did not actually contain any mana from what he remembered, but nheless, its natural properties worked wonders. She dropped it into the sk, and instead of dissolving, it began floating around, slowly melting together with the water. However, as that was happening, a bit of moisture escaped the moss, and that was the exact moment the chemical reaction began. The water, which was only a single drop, soon began expanding and filling up the entire sk. Its color turned green for a mere moment but then quickly shifted to an extremely dark shade of red. When that happened, Liora immediately put a cork on the sk and took it off the alchemy furnace. Soon, the dark shade of red began turning lighter, signifying the potion''s sess. However, a small problem arose as the color began growing too bright. Therefore, Liora picked up the lighter she had given to everyone and ced it at the very bottom of the sk. The temperature of the sk began increasing once again, causing the liquid inside to darken until, finally, the water stopped boiling. And before Neraxis and the others was a clear and perfectly made red healing potion¡ªone of slightly higher quality than should have been possible with the materials provided. She heaved a relieved breath before taking the cork out of the sk, the potion''s overwhelming aroma instantly flooding straight to their noses. Most scrunched their noses in disgust, finding the smell difficult to bear. However, Neraxis, as well as Kael and Liora, werepletely unfazed. Soon, she opened up the vials that were in pairs of 10 and began pouring the sk''s contents into them. After just a few moments, the potions were finallyplete and quickly ced into a wooden box. Just like that, a batch of perfect potions was created by none other than their instructor, who had a proud look on her face. "Did everyone catch that?" she questioned, and Neraxis immediately answered. "Yes." However, it seemed like he was the only one who replied, as the others merely stared at the instructor with awe on their faces. Oh right... I forgot this isn''t exactly easy for others. He inwardly facepalmed. "You did?" Liora said, raising her brow. "I will expect nothing but the highest quality from you then." He could sense a hint of mockery in her voice but chose to ignore it. After all, to others, Neraxis likely came off as overly arrogant. Liora took the box of potions before closing it and putting it back into her bag. Then, with a p, she stated, "Everyone to your stations." "Good luck, everyone. I''ll be back for the next lecture," Magnus announced before making his way out of the ssroom, shing Neraxis one more nce before leaving. Each student moved to their respective stations and put on the protective masks. They quickly prepared all the materials in the order Liora had shown them, and soon enough, they were ready. Do you need any help with this, or can I ck off? Kael''s whisper resounded beside him. Neraxis merely shrugged in response. Suit yourself. He picked up the sk and began ying around with it, making sure everything was the same weight-wise. And after just a few moments, he turned up the alchemy furnace and slowly began replicating the entire process that Liora had done. His, however, was a tad bit more fluent, even catching the attention of those around him¡ªas well as Kael, who was looking at Neraxis with surprise. Yet he simply ignored all those gazes and continued with his potion-making, until eventually, all that was left was to regte the colors and make sure the potion did not lose its efficiency. Since he had done this so many times before, he had no use for a lighter, only tweaking Liora''s recipe slightly while producing the same results with much less effort. And finally, he was done, pure red sk in hand. The entire ss was speechless, and even more so as he began pouring the contents into the vials and cing them inside the wooden box before closing it. That was pretty easy. Neraxis heaved a relieved sigh. It seemed like he still knew how to do alchemy at the very least. But as he turned to look at his ssmates, he was met with their puzzled faces, staring at him as though he were some kind of ghost. "Nice going, mister alchemist," Kael''s teasing voice rang out by the side, almost like he was trying his best not tough. And then, he met the gaze of Liora, who was even more shocked than his ssmates as she began walking toward him. "What is your name, student?" she questioned in a firm tone.@@novelbin@@ And he absentmindedly answered, "Neraxis." Liora nodded in response. "Good, Neraxis. What would you say about bing my personal student?" His eyes widened momentarily at her words, but he quicklyposed himself. "I would have to decline, sorry. I am pursuing swordsmanship, not alchemy." Despite the formalities he was trying to uphold, she did not feel the same. "Huh? Even so? It''s a great opportunity to have your name known across the entire continent." Neraxis raised his brows in confusion at herment, but before he could ask what she meant, she spoke. "After all, I am one of the 10 great alchemists on this continent. You being my student would naturally bring you all the glory and riches you could ever desire." She makes a solid argument, but do I really need that? My name spread across the continent? I already have enough trouble as is. [You got that right¡ªeveryone you talk to eventually brings you down an even deeper rabbit hole,] Evangeline added with a chuckle. ...Right. Neraxis turned to look at Liora, and before he could decline her offer, she countered. "If you be my student, I will provide you with a backing that wouldst even after you leave the academy or stop being my student. I greatly value talent, and if you bloom into a perfect bud that could hold its own weight, that would be enough for me." As she finished speaking, she leaned in closer. "So? What do you say?" Chapter 51 Potential Student "So? What do you say?" Liora asked, her previously stern persona gone, reced by an expectant look, waiting for him to ept. By now, he had grown a bit hesitant. The offer was certainly not bad, and in all honesty, he would much rather ept. But he didn''t know her affiliations or anything like that. The term "greatest alchemist" did not exist back in his time, since everyone knew how to make the exact same potions. In this case, she was different. It was all different. Therefore, he made a counteroffer to her existing one. "Could I be something like a trial student? Just for a month or so to see how everything functions?" He was expecting her to show some reluctance. After all, she was the one gambling with her name on the line. As it turned out, that was not the case. "Deal." Liora immediately nodded with a grin on her face as she stretched her hand out, asking for a handshake. Neraxis sighed but nheless epted the handshake, and as he did, she began exining. "I have an alchemy course avable. It''s like a club, you could say. It''s exclusive to 3rd years and up; however, for you, I will make an exception." Clubs...? Oh, right. He nodded back at her. Back then, the clubs and extracurricr activities were introduced in the second week, and everyone had to join at least a single group, or else they would be expelled. It seemed like a harsh punishment at first. However, most of these clubs contained necessities, such as alchemy, survival, and monster hunting. He himself had picked monster huntingst time, but now, it seemed like he would be picking alchemy. "Now, I know this isn''t exactly the trial student experience you were looking for, but I can assure you, the experience you would gain in the alchemy club would be very valuable," Liora finished with her short exnation. The terms seemed good enough, so he swiftly agreed. "That''s fine. This is my first time brewing potions, so don''t expect too much from me." [A sly one, aren''t you?] Evangeline snickered. First time after I came back, not exactly lying now, am I? Neraxis shrugged inwardly, watching as she let out a sigh. "Of course it''s your first time... you prodigies are all the same," she stated in an exhausted tone before turning around and heading to the front of the ssroom, his box of potions in hand. "Every group, take a single potion topare yours with. This is what it''s supposed to look like," Liora said, and the groups, still stunned, took a vial each. "As for you, Neraxis, I am sorry, but I only brought materials for the simple healing potions, so for now, you are free to go," she added while also shooting a nod in Kael''s direction. Even if he didn''t directly participate, he was a part of Neraxis''s team. There was also the chance that she knew who he was, but that''s a topic for another time. Neraxis did not dawdle and quickly left the ssroom, Kael following right behind him. It was obvious where they were going. The timing happened to be perfect. The two quickly entered the training room, and Kael wordlessly walked up to a nearby monitor before tweaking a couple of settings. Immediately, the nk room transformed into a grassy in. What surprised him most was how realistic the terrain looked. Each hole in the ground or pebble was clearly felt, adding a realistic feel.@@novelbin@@ "Are you ready?" Kael questioned, this time, he had a pair of gauntlets covering his hands. Evangeline, make yourself sharp enough to damage his gauntlets, but not sharp enough to slice him in half, Neraxis said while pulling out his sword. [Got it, good luck.] Evangeline cheered him on. "Of course, let''s go." Neraxis nodded at Kael. Just as his wordsnded, however, he felt a bit of wind envelop his abdomen, and before he could even react, he crashed into a wall. Neraxis stared at Kael, a bit puzzled by what had just happened. Yet as he did so, he noticed a faint green glow around the gauntlets, which soon disappeared. Wind magic, huh? Coming from those gauntlets? He thought with a scoff before standing upright. It seemed like, unlikest time, Kael was serious. Therefore, he decided not to hold back either. Using Mark of Decay and Aura of Vulnerability, he immediately noticed the difference as Kael''s brows furrowed. But that was not the end, as he quickly used Sword Dash, followed by a Simple Horizontal sh. Unlike their shst time, where Kael caught his sword with a single hand, this time, he was greatly pushed back, and a small dent had formed in his gauntlets. Yet before Neraxis could cheer in his moment of victory, the gauntlets oozed off a bit of smoke before quickly repairing themselves. Self-repair too... fuck. He sighed inwardly. There were few ways to win this fight fair and square. But he wouldn''t be doing this fair and square anyway. Therefore, he used Cosmic Cascade before closing in on him. However, Kael merely struck upward, and soon, his Cosmic Cascade was dispersed. That did not mean he came out unscathed; his hands were visibly trembling, and a slightly pained yet proud expression crossed his face. Neraxis didn''t miss the opportunity and quickly began building his Decaying debuff stacks. Whether it be with weak attacks or any, they slowed him down nheless. And after just a few moments and several perfectly timed sword strikes, his stacks had been maxed out. Now, the problem was, he could simply end the fight here and now, but if he detonated the mark carelessly, Kael would be killed. But while he was momentarily lost in his thoughts, Kael recovered and suddenly extended his gauntlet. In his palm, there was a wind sphere, the size of a marble. However, it soon increased in size, and in just a few moments, was sent directly at Neraxis. At a single nce, he could tell that it was unblockable, and with Sword Dash still on cooldown, it was undodgeable either. Therefore, he was left with only two options, one of which was more deadly than the other. His first option was to use Aegis of Eternity, which he obviously wouldn''t do. And the second... absorb the impact and use Vampiric Dominion''s Blood Rend. Neraxis prepared himself to take the st head-on, and once it was just about to reach him, he put the sword up to his face and shed sideways. While it wasn''t the Simple Horizontal sh, it still managed to offset a bit of the damage, specifically to his head. "Ugh..." He let out a pained groan, since most of his body was still hit, but before Kael''s surprised look could disappear, Neraxis ran forward and quickly used his skill: Blood Rend. Unlike the previous time he used it, he was able to see exactly how it looked now: a simple sh, yet in its wake, was a red trail that seemingly mimicked the sword''s power. Kael was not going to take this sitting down as he raised his gauntlets to defend. However, the sheer impact was way too much, as Neraxis''s sword cut through both of the gauntlets at once and stopped right before it could pierce the skin. Nheless, Kael was still struck as though by a blunt weapon, being sent hurtling toward a nearby virtual tree. As that happened, the injuries he had previously were healing at a pace visible to the naked eyes, even if the amount was 50%, it was still overpowered. Walking over to Kael, Neraxis couldn''t help but chuckle at the state he was in. "You look like shit." But as his words fell, an unexpected red system message popped up. [Swordsmanship {G->F}] Chapter 53 Awards Just as Magnus finished his words, he left, leaving the exhausted Neraxis and the passed-out Kael in the training room. Nheless, Neraxis decided to look around for some potions, but found none. He tried waking Kael, but it was to no avail. Therefore, Neraxis had to hoist him onto his back and carry him over to the infirmary. It was not too far away, and after a couple of turns, they arrived. But as Neraxis entered the room, the sight of a green-haired woman greeted his eyes, and without even looking at either of them, she spoke. "Two? Sit down anywhere, I''ll be with you in just a moment." He nodded vaguely andid Kael down on a nearby infirmary bed, before sitting on a stool not far from the woman. Soon, she finished whatever she was doing and stood up, walking toward Neraxis first and cing her hand on his forehead. Immediately, the minor wounds he had just moments ago began healing. The healing was faster than he expected, but before he could thank her or say anything, she went over to Kael and healed him as well. Like Neraxis, his injuries were healed nearly instantly. That healing skill really is exceptional¡­ Just as he thought that, he heard Kael groan and suddenly shoot up out of the infirmary bed. However, because he was still a bit disoriented, he fell straight to the floor, earning strange looks from both Neraxis and the woman. "What...? How did I end up here?" Kael stared around the entire room, a puzzled look on his face. Not even a couple of secondster, a frown appeared, marking the moment he began remembering what had happened. "Looks like you finally snapped out of it," Neraxis remarked with a chuckle before standing up and preparing to go back to the ssroom. But just as he approached the door, he remembered a crucial detail. His academy uniform had been torn once again. Even as durable as it was made to be, their attacks were simply too strong. Kael didn''t look great either, having taken the full brunt of the punches. "There''s a change of clothes in there," the woman stated, pointing to a nearby locker. He immediately walked up to it and opened it, revealing tens¡ªif not hundreds¡ªof stacked uniforms. Quickly, he picked one up and gestured for Kael to do the same. Closing the curtains near the infirmary bed, he changed and now looked presentable. "Thank you," Neraxis expressed to the woman before taking his leave, the grumpy Kael trailing behind him. The two walked through the halls, which were still empty, only a few instructors walking around who paid no attention to them. But one thing caught his eye on the way back¡ªa wide ss window off to the side. Through it, he could see a massive room that looked simr to the training room they had been in. However, the contents inside were a little different. In the very middle stood a hologram, slowly moving side to side. Before he could investigate further, the hologram''s eyes locked onto him, and in the very next moment, the window tinted to the point where he could no longer see through it. What was that? [Battle Simtion Chamber? I think,] Evangelinemented. Oh? That piqued his interest. Does that mean I could fight anyone I want in that room? [Not really. There are probably some preset opponents already there¡ªor simply monsters instead. There was a device like that back in my world as well.] Interesting¡­ Neraxis noted it down in his mind to check it outter as he finally arrived at the ssroom, and without waiting further, went inside. It seemed like the alchemy lesson was finishing up, as except for a few groups, most were idly sitting back in their seats. They also returned to their seats, and Neraxis decided it was time to bring up the spar. "Seems like I won," he whispered jokingly. To his surprise, Kael took it better than he expected. "You won two, I lost two. Don''t worry, our future spars will turn out much differently." "If you say so," Neraxis replied with a shrug before looking out of the window in a bored manner. After roughly 10 minutes, the entire alchemy lesson was over, and Liora swiftly departed, not showing any more favoritism. However, since the lesson took longer than anticipated, they had no break. Magnus strode back into ss with a document in his hands. Walking up to the podium, he spoke, "I am sure you are all curious about the results of your outing. Therefore, I will reveal them right away." "The team which performed the best was Team 4. Coming in second ce is Team 1," he said and wrote the teams down on the ckboard. "Third ce was Team 3. Andstly, Team 5¡ªyou did not do so great." Magnus''s voice sounded a bit disappointed as he finished, but it was not all over. In the end, there was one more team left. "As for Team 2, you were disqualified." Fair enough, I guess? Neraxis tilted his head, unsure of why Magnus was making it so dramatic. But he soon found out. "However, due to the recounts of the situation, their final evaluation came out much higher than the rest of the teams." Magnus paused before continuing. "That is why they will be getting a separate award from the team that came in first." As his words fell, the ssroom fell silent, with everyone ncing at Neraxis and the rest of his teammates. No one protested. After all, this was the special ss, and they had indeed achieved an unbelievable aplishment. Obviously, they wouldn''t be praised in the auditorium, as that would just further tarnish the academy''s name. In the end, it was a massive oversight on their part and could have led to four casualties. "I would like to personally speak to the captains of Team 2 and Team 4. Neraxis and Kael, step forward. The others¡ªa 10-minute break," Magnus announced. The students quickly spread out into the hallway, shing confused looks. However, Neraxis too had a puzzled look. Since when am I the captain? He turned to look at his leaving teammates, who merely shed him smirks as they disappeared from his vision. Now, only he, Kael, and Magnus were left. "Your rewards are simr, but a tad bit different." Magnus began fiddling with something in his pocket before pulling out two metal cards.@@novelbin@@ One was silver, the other golden. Without waiting further, he handed the golden one to Neraxis and the silver to Kael. Noticing their puzzled looks, he began to exin. "This is an ess card to anything on the first floor of the academy¡ªits facilities and all. The silver card has the same amount of ess as the golden version, but it has a time limit for facility usage, whereas the golden one does not." Neraxis nodded with satisfaction, thinking it was a pretty good reward. But it seemed like it was not over. "I was instructed to give the two of you personal rewards for your great contribution." Magnus revealed, flipping over the document he was holding and showing them its contents. Kael tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what it was. However, that was not the case for Neraxis. He simply stood frozen in shock. Is that¡­? Chapter 54 Affinities and Properties "This is an entry ticket to a certain tournament that''s being held between the academies," Magnus exined, but Neraxis did not take his eyes off the document. He already knew what this was¡ªsimply because of what one of the heroes had told him earlier. A secret top first-year student tournament, one that included only the elite of the elite. And from the looks of things, Magnus was inviting both him and Kael. "It''s being held in exactly two months, so it should be about the same time you two finish the first floor. Do you want to join?" "Only us?" Kael questioned, receiving a nod in response. "That''s right... the headmaster told me to only invite those who were especially gifted, and after that sparring session, I chose you two," Magnus borated before folding the document back and cing it in his bag. "I don''t expect to receive an answer soon, given the amount of time left. However, do consider it." Neraxis noted it down in his mind before ncing around and asking, "Is that all?" But of course, he was met with yet another document shoved right in his face. "And this is information on the first test you will be taking to determine your rankings," Magnus stated. On the document, there were several strips of information written down, some of which Neraxis had already known. But there was one distinct category that had not been there in the past¡ªthat being Virtual Reality tests. Combat, survival, and all sorts of tests that, for some reason, were conducted inside that machine. "Now, this is just vague information that I shared with only you two, and I expect you to withhold it from your ssmates for the moment." "What''s the point of showing us that, then?" Neraxis couldn''t help but voice aloud. "I want you two to pass with flying colors, so when the tournament finallyes around, you two won''t be looked down upon," Magnus exined once again and put the document back. Just as Neraxis was about to ask more questions, however, his ssmates began swarming back in. Before they got too close, Magnus added, "I wish to hear an answer by the end of this month." With those words, he stopped paying attention to the two of them and proceeded to get back into his instructor persona.@@novelbin@@ "Everyone, sit down. It''s about time we began learning the basics." Neraxis''s ears perked up at those words as he finally sat down and stored the ess card in his stigmata tattoo, listening to what Magnus had to say. "Now, many of you have likely been introduced to the basics of elemental affinities and such, but there are many who have not," he announced before scribbling four symbols on the ckboard. Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth, huh? Is he going to talk about the properties? Neraxis mused on that topic, and soon, he found out just that. "Properties. What are they?" Magnus questioned, turning to one of the more talkative male students. "Tell me." "...Properties are the characteristics that define the affinity?" Magnus nodded in response. "That is the short of it, yes. However, knowing that won''t get you anywhere¡ªyou need actual knowledge." As his words fell, he once again began scribbling down symbols, specifically under the Earth affinity. Turning his gaze back to the students, he began his exnation. "The ''Solid'' property makes it so those who wield the Earth affinity can control solid objects, like rocks and structures, in a stable manner¡ªpretty simple." He scribbled down another pair of symbols. "Now, ''Solid'' is the first state. However, you can make it ''Brittle'' by changing up the property just a tad bit, making the rocks shatter much easier¡ªwhich can also be used inbat practice." Magnus stretched out his hand in demonstration and summoned a single earth pebble that grew to the size of a football. "This is the solid property," he stated before lowering one of his fingers. Immediately, the earth ball began cracking until eventually, it was in multiple miniature pieces, its structurepletely unstable. "Brittle," he added. Suddenly, he split the miniature pieces in half, putting some to the side while letting the others drop to the ground. However, the moment they hit the ground, a loud crash resounded, as though a boulder had fallen. Yet when the ss turned their gazes to the impact, all they noticed were several small holes in the ground that were quickly patched up by the peculiar wood. "That is the ''Heavy'' property. And finally..." His words trailed off as he grabbed the remaining miniature pieces that were by the side and levitated them before everyone''s eyes. Immediately, Magnus sped his hands, causing the earth pieces topletely vanish¡ªnot even making a noise or anything of the sort. "Crushing. It is the act of applying overwhelming force to your mana. Do take note that while this specific property has the most destructivebinations, it must not be handled byplete amateurs." Magnus finished and wiped the dust off his hands before proceeding toward the ckboard andpletely wiping off the content on it. "I hope you all take this information to heart. And as for your homework, think of the possibilities the other affinities could offer, and stick to the basic ones I wrote down earlier." Hmm... this seems pretty easy. Water would be something like fluidity, vapor, and... ice? Neraxis pondered inwardly. [That''s pretty much it. Simrly to how you can turn the Earth affinity''s Crushing and Heavy properties into something akin to Gravity, you can do the same with Water too,] Evangelinemented before continuing. [But judging from what I''m seeing so far, it''s very unlikely you will awaken a normal affinity. Comes with the package of being abnormal, I would say.] I had the Fire affinityst time. Are you saying that won''t be the case this time? Neraxis asked with a raised brow. [Well, your main skill is a bit unique. I can''t really gauge it myself. But it''s mostly always the deciding factor for which affinity you''ll get,] Evangeline replied with a sigh. [You do have a few skills that might make the affinity change... but that''s still a few weeks away at the earliest. As fast as your progress is, jumping from F+ Mana Capacity to E- is as challenging as going from G- to F+.] She finished with a small giggle. Neraxis shrugged in response before turning his attention back to Magnus, who had been drawing something odd again. However, from the looks of it, this time, it wasn''t anything special like elemental affinities or the tower. Instead, it was a mathematical form that soon expanded into multiple other forms, appearing endless. That was until Magnus spoke. "Now then, it''s about time I put some general knowledge into your brains." Of course... Neraxis resigned himself and pulled out his notebook, jotting down the entire equation. It took several minutes. However, the bell soon rang, signaling the end of the lecture, without them solving the math problem. "Those who have written it down, solve it by tomorrow. Those who haven''t¡ªshame on you," Magnus stated before packing his bag and cing it on the lectern. "20-minute break. Go get your outfits ready and head to the training room next door," he said before announcing, "We will be doing a short sparring exercise. Don''t bete." Chapter 55 A Friendly Interaction Neraxis did not dawdle long; shortly after Magnus took his leave, he followed suit. His direction? The training room. It contained the outfits Magnus had asked them to wear, and since he didn''t have a custom one made, he''d have to settle for what was there. Kael had gone the other way¡ªapparently, his outfit was already prepared, and he only needed to pick it up. Neraxis was the only one heading to the training room; the rest of his ssmates stayed behind to chat or eat. They did have a private cafeteria, but it seemed like his ssmates preferred eating in ss instead. He''d already eaten a whole packet of cookies on the way to the academy, so he wasn''t hungry. Neraxis pushed the door open, revealing the spacious training room, and without wasting any time, he proceeded to what appeared to be the lockers by the side. He picked one and opened it to find an entirely ck bodysuit, which he quickly put on. It was surprisinglyfortable and didn''t feel tight at all. He decided to do some exercise in the meantime. Care to teach me some swordsmanship? he questioned, summoning his own sword and holding it straight. [I would... but...] Evangeline''s words trailed off as footsteps sounded behind him, and when he turned, he saw Celina. She, too, wore the bodysuit, but hers seemed a bit... too tight. "Celina... I thought you always stuck around with Aurelia?" Neraxis mused but was met with a chuckle. "You two have sure talked a lot, haven''t you? But I''ll have you know, I had my reasons foring here." Ignoring the clear sarcasm in her first sentence, he spoke. "Oh? And what might that be?" But before he could get an answer to his question, Celina put on a small smirk and soonpletely vanished from his sight. It was a bit different from the previous time he had caught onto her stealth¡ªsince this time, it felt like she wasn''t even present anymore. However, there were some sound cues¡ªor rather, ack of them. Evangeline, dull, Neraxis stated before shing toward the right. To his surprise, instead of his sword connecting, it was redirected back into the air. And with a swift movement, he felt a tug on his left leg, causing him to fall. Looking back at the perpetrator, he could see Celina looking down at him with a small smile before stretching out her hand. "Rematch?" "...Sure," he steadily agreed, epting her hand and standing up. But before he could let go of her hand, she twisted it, causing his form to slightly waver, while at the same time, an opening appeared. Unsurprisingly, she took advantage of it, kicking directly at his ribs and nearly shattering them upon impact. "Urgh..." Neraxis let out a groan, surprised by her behavior. She wasn''t treating this as a spar¡ªmore like an actual street fight, just without the killing. "Did Aurelia say anything about me?" Celina''s words suddenly rang out behind him, and upon turning around, he could see her head ced on his shoulder. However, the moment he made eye contact with her, she vanished, reappearing a couple of meters in front of him. "Did she say anything about me, Neraxis?" Her tone was more assertive thanst time, practically giving him no choice but to answer. Truly a unique attitude... but I don''t hate it. "She only mentioned that you talk a bit about me between you two," he exined, earning a sigh and a nod from her. Celina fiddled with the daggers for a moment, seemingly in thought before saying, "Good. I want you to keep it that way. If you want to know something, talk to me instead." "...Okay?" Neraxis replied, an uneasy feeling welling up in his chest. Ever since their first encounter, she had always been a tad bit obsessive with him¡ªor maybe he was just imagining it. [Hmm... I''d say she''s just very curious. Maybe never had a male friend?] Evangeline remarked. Neraxis shrugged, wanting to put this topic behind him for now. Instead, he decided to bring up the incident not long ago. "Celina, I forgot to thank you forst time... when you brought me to the infirmary." She seemed a bit shocked to hear that, but at the very least, it calmed her down, making her sheathe her daggers. "It''s fine. Seeing you healthy is enough." Celina''s face had not changed even though she said something so corny, earning a raised brow from Neraxis. "You really have a way with words, don''t you?" he couldn''t help butment. "What''s wrong with what I said?" she replied in a yful pout¡ªa stark contrast to her seriousness just mere moments ago. But before he could banter further, her serious expression once again returned. "Did Grandpa give you the skill book?" "The defensive skill? Yeah," he answered with a tilt of his head, watching as she shook her head to the side. "Is it the right one? Did you get Mana Barrier?" Neraxis checked his status screen just to make sure, before stating, "Aegis of Eternity. It''s C-ranked." Once his words fell, Celina walked closer to him, practically being nose-to-nose. "Don''t waste that skill. It took me a lot of nagging to get it for you." Sensing the weird atmosphere going on, he simply nodded in response, unsure of what to say. She was a strange mix of someone who cared and someone who pretended to. It was hard for him to determine which category she fell into, since, well, hisst one-sided love did not turn out so well. But even then, he would go with the flow. "Thank you, Celina." "Mhm," she replied in a soft hum before falling silent. However, the silence was soon broken with the swing of the training room door, and Kael charging through, wearing some weird outfit that revealed his bare chest and all of his green tattoos. Kael looked toward Neraxis confidently, but upon seeing who he was standing with, he froze. "...Did I interrupt something?"@@novelbin@@ Neraxis sighed before shaking his head, noticing a small frown that managed to form on Celina''s face due to their close proximity. But soon, the two departed a bit further from one another, and not even a few momentster, the rest of the ss walked straight through, Magnus standing up front. He merely nced at Neraxis and Celina before walking over to the side where the console was and typing something on it. Immediately, the training room''s door shot closed as the entire room darkened. The darkness did notst long, as it was soon reced by a few blue cubes suddenlytching off the walls and flying to where each of the students stood. Neraxis tried touching the cube, and the moment he did, it seemingly dissolved before flowing up into his bodysuit, adding blue patterns to the already existing ck color. In Kael''s case, since he did not have anything covering his chest, the blue color went into the belt he had on his waist, while the rest of the blue color traveled into the fancy ne he had on. Quickly, the colors assimted into each student, and soon, Magnus stepped forward with a miniature holographic console on his wrist. He tapped on it once, and immediately, the surroundings shifted from the darkness illuminated by blue, to a vast arena, where in the distance, there wererge mountain peaks. However, the most surprising detail was that Neraxis could feel the cold breeze as well as the smell, giving it a realistic atmospheric feel. And before long, Magnus exined what they would be doing. "I had initially thought of doing one-on-one spars. However, each of you is special in your own right, and the winners would be very clear," he cleared his throat before announcing, "Therefore, this will be a 20-person battle royale." A battle royale? Neraxis raised an eyebrow, but Magnus suddenly brought his hand down, catching everyone off guard. "Begin!" Chapter 58 More Than Expected [Celina''s POV] He''s pretty fast, but just what is this strange energy? Celina thought while phasing through another one of his shes. It was not difficult, as one of her skills essentially ced her in a mist-like state, allowing all attacks to pass through her. However, its cooldown was long, and at most, it could withstand ten attacks from someone of equal strength before dissipating. At least her invisibility skill was holding up; otherwise, more trouble would be in store. However, a single thought crossed her mind. How is he following me? She knew very well the ws of her invisibility, as it somehow cast a shadow beneath her. There was only her main skill to me, but it still worked very well at night¡ªespecially when she was out doing some contract work behind everyone''s back. After roughly twenty-five seconds, she felt the strange energy from earlier leave her body, and immediately, a frown appeared on Neraxis''s face. "Oho? Is that all?" Celina couldn''t help but tease, earning another attack that flew right by her side, narrowly missing her. "I doubt you can keep this up for long. Why aren''t you attacking?" Neraxis questioned, preparing his sword to strike once more. Why? Hmm... She fell into thought for a moment before inwardly chuckling. "It''s fun." That seemed to get a reaction out of him, as his brows momentarily rose before he shed right at her. This time, however, she decided to fight back¡ªit would be no fun if she just kept avoiding him. Reappearing before him and using both of her daggers, she redirected the sword downward. Immediately following up with a backhand dagger sh, she expected to deal some damage. But to Celina''s surprise, he managed to evade it cleanly before shing back at her with an unamused look on his face. He''s making it look so effortless... She inwardly sighed. An attack like that would have easily killed anyone below E- rank. And one thing was for certain¡ªhe was still not as strong as her, but the gap had closed considerably, to the point where if she wasn''t careful, she would actually be injured. Nimbly evading an attack, Celina sent out a fast jab with the same hand she was holding the dagger. He seemed startled for a moment but quickly moved his body backward, catching her wrist and attempting to throw her to the side. But she was trained well for such encounters. Therefore, she attempted to stab the hand holding hers. Before she could do that, however, a sharp red sword appeared in her vision, leaving her no choice but to evade or somehow¡ªby the barest margin¡ªescape his grasp. s, that wasn''t everything she had up her sleeve. As the sword was about to reach her, she nced to the side, focusing on a single pebble that had somehow appeared. Without wasting even a single moment, she used the final skill effect of her main skill, Switch. Immediately, she appeared standing in the ce of the rock, her wrist still stretched out. And as she turned back around, Celina spotted the familiar puzzled expression on his face. "You can switch ces with inanimate objects?" Neraxis said, amused. A smile appeared on her face as she replied, "What do you think?" At the same time, Celina began reducing her presence drastically¡ªone of the passive skill effects of her main skill. Noticing that Neraxis was starting to narrow his eyes, she took it as a sign the skill was working. So, simrly to invisibility, she walked behind him. But as his back finally turned toward her, something unexpected happened. Celina''s senses red out of control, practically screaming at her to dodge¡ªand she did, leaping backward to evade an attack that never came. What just happened? Her hands slightly shook as she looked at his back once more, and yet again, the same pressure was being emitted. It felt as though if she were to try attacking him, her head would go flying off.@@novelbin@@ I can''t be imagining it... right? She tried convincing herself, but the result stayed the same. She was afraid¡ªafraid to strike his back. Soon, his voice resounded as he turned his purple eyes, akin to crystals, toward her. "Are you done?" "..." Celina did not reply but revealed her presence regardless. Fooling him seemed to not work either way. "Neraxis, stop ogling," she said teasingly, and in the moment of surprise, she dashed in before delivering a straight kick to his jaw. This time, he was unable to fully dodge it, being sent back quite a fair distance. So that works... Celina let out a small giggle before taking a nce at her leg, which, for some reason, had droplets of blood falling to the ground. When did he...? Her thoughts were interrupted as her senses were once again overwhelmed by some strange energy, making her feel slightly more vulnerable. As that happened, he appeared before her with unbelievable speed. This time, however, she couldn''t dodge. Watching as the attack closed in, she could do nothing but close her eyes and wait for her body to be sliced. However, the pain¡ªor anything else for that matter¡ªdid note. When she opened her eyes, a conflicted-looking Neraxis met her sight. His sword rested on her cheek, simrly to what she had done to him with her daggers, as he said, "You lost." "Hmm? Did I?" Celina replied yfully, and in the next moment, attempted to kick his knee. But his foot met hers in the middle, sending her hurtling toward the edge of the tform. "Celina, neither of us are going all out, and since that''s the case, we should end this here." Should I just... Her thoughts raced for a moment beforeing to a halt. If she were to use her main skill¡ªor any of her other skills¡ªthe fight would most certainly end with her victory. However, what was the point? Her identity as a contracted killer would be exposed. It was a career she chose to better herself, and surprisingly, her grandpa was the one who rmended it to her. s, her reputation was starting to blossom, and if by some miracle these ssmates of hers¡ªor that pesky teacher¡ªfound out, there would be big trouble. Therefore, her decision was swift and final. With a single step backward, she walked off the tform, immediately being eliminated. "You win," Celina said before shing a soft smile. "Congrattions." For some reason, however, Neraxis was not replying, making her feel slightly uneasy. And that unease seemed warranted, as his next words made her freeze on the spot. "I''ve not paid much attention to it before, but you have killed before, haven''t you?" he spoke in a whisper, making sure no one could hear. But she couldn''t find it in herself to reply. Her efforts to steel herself¡ªto harden her resolve and refine her skills to finally finish off her father¡ªwould all be in vain if someone found out. However, she was not illogical to the point of not understanding where he wasing from. After all, Neraxis fought in a simr manner to her¡ªmeaning that to recognize a killer, one must be a killer. shing a soft yet innocent smile, Celina met his eyes and put a finger up to her lips before quickly walking away to the sidelines, soon regrouping with the rest of her ssmates. She scanned through all of them until her gazended on Aurelia. Before long, she arrived and sat beside her. "You were awesome!" Aurelia''s excited voice rang out, to which she merely shrugged. Childhood friends or not, her admiration was a bit excessive. But Celina did not point it out. "Thank you." With those words, she pooled all her attention back onto the tform, where the sweaty muscr dude, and the twig were locked in a standstill. Upon seeing that sight, she immediately nodded to herself. Yep... Neraxis is definitely going to win. However, as she thought that, Celina suddenly noticed something off about Neraxis. Why does his stare look so nk? Chapter 59 Final Fight? [Neraxis''s POV] Seems like I wasn''t wrong in my assumption. Neraxis nodded to himself as he watched the duel between Soren and Kael unfold. Celina had been an oddity from the start, but Neraxis thought nothing of it. That was until they began fighting for real¡ªonly then did he notice her precision was far too refined for a mere special-ss student. So far, he had only seen this trait in Kael, and now, another potentially troublesome person was added to the list. [Well, she seems like a little charm. I''m not sure why you''re so worried,] Evangeline remarked with a chuckle. Be that as it may, she''s even more suspicious than Kael, Neraxis replied before asking, Want to know something funny? Puzzled, Evangeline answered, [Sure?] The tournament that will happen in a few months¡ªthe so-called special secret one. One of the heroes will be there. He stated, watching as Kael gained the upper hand in the fight against Soren. She remained quiet for a moment before speaking. [Are you nning to kill the hero?]@@novelbin@@ Her tone held only curiosity, in no way discouraging him from his goal. After all, she too had died at the hands of traitors. Probably. Neraxis nodded before continuing, The hero Bale is arrogant and wields a spear¡ªquite thebo, really. But one thing, in particr, had been gnawing at him the more time he spent in this world. Will he be the same person I want to kill... or someone entirely different? Neraxis pondered with a conflicted look, until Evangeline spoke up in a worried tone. [Neraxis... look, this world is inherently different, yet at the same time, the same. People you have not met before¡ªor even heard of¡ªexist. But from what I gathered from your memories, the personalities of everyone around you remain the same.] So he''s still going to be a betraying prick, huh? He chuckled. Good to know. s, once the time came, he would find out for himself whether Bale had changed or not¡ªsince, if he hadn''t, his death would be especially gruesome. Putting those thoughts aside for now, he resumed paying attention to the fight. It was surprisingly evenly matched. Even though Kael was stronger in most areas, he could not finish off the annoying Soren, who kept perfectly countering each of his attacks. Added to that, Kael''s skills were being suppressed the moment he used them, which looked quite frustrating, to say the least. But soon, Kael found an opening¡ªpractically the same way Neraxis had done, just taking far longer to figure it out. s, two dyed jabs were all it took to send Soren off bnce, and immediately after, it was simply a beatdown. Ouch... Neraxis shivered as he watched Kael pummel Soren''s face in. After a few moments, Kael stopped, picking up the bloodied Soren and tossing him off the tform. Immediately, Kael heaved an exhausted breath before turning and walking over to Neraxis. "Why didn''t you go fight him? You could''ve probably beaten him sooner with that strange sword of yours." Neraxis tilted his head at Kael''s attitude. "How''s that my problem?" "It just is. Anyway, are you ready to fight?" Kael questioned, preparing his stance. But even at a nce, it was obvious he was roughed up quite a lot. Even more so, he wasn''t using his gauntlets, making this fight just a "beating him while he''s down" situation. Therefore, Neraxis suggested, "Kael, what would you say to a draw?" "Of course not. What do you take me for? A loser?" Kael scoffed before readying his stance¡ªand, without giving Neraxis a moment to think, he dashed forward. And... he''s going 3-0. Neraxis sighed, simply stretching out his sword and performing a simple horizontal sh at Kael''s abdomen. However, to his surprise, just as the sh was about tond, Kael''s tattoos began glowing¡ªand instead of the usual green, they were white. Neraxis didn''t think much of it at first, but the moment his sword connected with Kael''s body, he froze. All of a sudden, a massive stream of blood began spurting from his mouth, rendering him immobile as he clutched his heart. What the...? he thought with pained gasps. Is this some sort of skill recoil? However, Kael''s next words proved otherwise. "Oho, it worked," he spoke in an amused tone, before continuing. "I tried mimicking that attack you did on me back then. It seemed pretty overpowered how you could simply absorb all the damage I did to you and then attack me with it, so I tried something simr." A grin formed on his face. "A reflection shield¡ªone thatpletely reflects a single attack of an opponent back at them. So, what do you think?" Crazy bastard... Neraxis groaned, feeling his bleeding stabilize thanks to Evangeline''s help. However, the damage was done¡ªhis internal organs weren''t looking so great. At the same time, Kael''s fatigue was evident. Therefore, like any regr person would, Neraxis made it seem like he was far worse off than he actually was. Surprisingly, that seemed to work as Kael walked up to him confidently and raised his fist before bringing it down. In that short moment, however, Neraxis used his Restorative Cut skill, stabbing straight at the unsuspecting Kael. Or, that was what was supposed to happen. Instead, Kael managed to avoid it and, with a wide grin, said: "Read you like a book." As his words fell, Neraxis felt an impact on his left side thatpletely knocked the wind out of him, sending him tumbling onto his back. "Pfft..." He couldn''t help but let out a smallugh, lying just beside the edge of the tform. A former hero¡ªone with the experience to back up his strength¡ªlying on the ground at the mercy of his own ssmate. What a joke. Neraxis''s thoughts had been pretty straightforward ever since arriving back in this world, back to his family¡ªwho, all but his sister, had undergone a drastic change. That same change should have applied to him as well, but in all honesty, he was tired of it all. Revenge was on the table, it was practically his main driving force, and yet... Why am I still in denial? That lone thought had been haunting him from the very start, and now, in this moment of a seemingly zero-stakes battle, it had once again sprung up in his mind. I need a breather. Neraxis expressed as his heartbeat quickened, memories of his choices swirling in his mind. [I know I might be the wrong person to tell you this, but you should just start acting like yourself. The past defined your personality... from the bits and pieces I can make out, I can tell it was traumatic, and I understand your want for a simple, naive life,] Evangeline said, making his chest seemingly tighten. [But delusions muste to an end. You are back. You are in a different timeline, and you can start anew... Most importantly, you should stop holding back and fully utilize your battle experience. Why purposely lose to some kid?] ...Mhm. Neraxis could only nod while lying down, before letting out a deep sigh and ncing at Kael''s smug expression. I should probably end this fight now. Chapter 60 An Awakening of Sorts Neraxis took a deep breath and, grunting through the pain, stood up before nkly ncing at Kael. "Hm? Are you alright?" Kael called out, but as he did, Neraxis suddenly used Sword Dash to appear before him. Noticing the white tattoos once again envelop Kael''s body, Neraxis merely scoffed. Useless gimmick. A reflective skill like that was impossible to use in such quick session. After all, not even two minutes had passed since thest time Kael had used it. Which meant Kael was trying to trick him¡ªand, obviously, failed. "Guh!" Kael''s body was flung several meters, and a trickle of blood appeared on his chest. Neraxis nodded in satisfaction. In the next moment, he flicked the sword downward, making the blood fall next to where his sword tattoo was located. Funnel that blood into my mouth in a way where no one will notice. He nned on using his Vampiric Dominion''s Partial Vampirism skill effect. As weird as it was to drink Kael''s blood, it was either that or lose the fight. So, he sucked it up¡ªand, in just a few short moments, tiny strands of blood began traveling up his bodysuit, unnoticeable to the naked eye from such a distance. Soon, the blood entered his mouth.@@novelbin@@ Immediately, Neraxis felt a wave of relief as his injuries seemingly healed in an instant. Without wasting any more time, he made his move toward the still-startled Kael. Noticing that Mark of Decay was off cooldown, Neraxis activated it, and a ck orb appeared around Kael. As that happened, Neraxis desummoned his sword and shifted into a simple boxing stance. [Fist fight? Really?] Evangeline whistled. I don''t want to kill him, Neraxis replied with a shrug before making his way over to Kael and delivering the first punch. Unsurprisingly, it was blocked. But before Kael could counterattack with a precise punch of his own, Neraxis diverted it with a single brush of his palm and delivered a direct elbow to Kael''s ribs. Despite holding back, the blow seemed to unsettle Kael as his eyes narrowed, and he spoke. "You''re acting a bit different¡ªfinally taking me seriously?" His taunting tone went right over Neraxis''s head as he noticed there were still three stacks left before he could finally detonate the mark. So, he went back in¡ªa leg sweep to start it off, followed by a jab straight at Kael''s face. Due to sheer speed and exhaustion, Kael was unable to dodge. Pity, he dodged the leg sweep, Neraxis remarked inwardly, ncing at him again. "Surrender." His tone was cold and carried a certain weight; however, Kael refused regardless. "Nope. I told you I won''t be giving up. Besides, you haven''t won yet." Neraxis merely sighed since, at a nce, it was clear Kael was doing this purely out of massive pride. But he wasn''t one to simply wave away someone''s efforts. Therefore, he dashed back in and quickly delivered a spinning heel kick toward Kael''s shoulder, seemingly dislocating it on impact. Four stacks, but he''s not even dodging anymore¡ªjust acting like a punching bag. Neraxis thought, delivering one more kick to finish it off. Yet, as his kick was in motion, it suddenly halted. Neraxis jumped backward, dodging a fearsome wind magic attack. Kael frowned once it missed but tried again and again until, eventually, his breaths werebored. [I can''t say I like how you use the boxing stance and do weird moves like kicking, but as long as it works, I guess,] Evangelinemented with a softugh. It works because he''s expecting a punch, not a kick, Neraxis added and finally took thest few steps toward the exhausted Kael. "Surrendering or not, it''s still the same oue." Kael scoffed in response. "Well, at least it''s a fair loss." "If you say so," Neraxis replied in an unamused fashion. Instead of striking and detonating the mark, he simply grabbed Kael''s ne and threw him off the tform before stating, "3-0." With those words, he nced to the side. Magnus stood at the very center of the tform with his arms crossed, ring at both him and Kael. Finally, he spoke. "Both of you are disqualified¡ªsame with the rest of you. I expect you to follow the rules next time." "Seems like it''s a draw," Kael said sarcastically, to which Neraxis simply affirmed. "You lost. It''s still 3-0." Their bickering was quickly cut short as Magnus interjected. "Enough!" His shout rang out, freezing them in ce. "Everyone is free to go. sses are ending early. Tomorrow, we continue as usual," Magnus finished before ncing at Kael. "You and I are going to have a serious chat," he stated before turning his gaze toward Neraxis. "As for you... don''t cause any more trouble." Neraxis nodded before taking one final look at Kael. Soon, he made his way to the lockers, swiftly changed back into his uniform, and headed out. A few of his ssmates sent strange looks his way, but he ignored them as he walked through the halls and finally outside. It was empty and silent. His butler wasn''t around, so he decided to call him and patiently wait. [So? What''s the next step?] Evangeline questioned amidst the silence. Research, even more research... and finally, I should reach out to a fellow group of mine, shouldn''t I? Neraxis mused with a chuckle. What good was ying it safe? Repeating the same process just to reach the same results in the very end? Special ss was indeed a big step up¡ªas was the tower¡ªbut how was he meant to improve in the meantime aside from the Astral Tower? And that''s where The Obscura came in¡ªa way out, or more like a way in¡ªan unheard-of organization that seemed to have some malicious ties with Eternal Night. But most importantly, it was something different. That same organization could improve hisbat ability by leaps and bounds¡ªsomething the academy alone would take months, if not years, to aplish. [I see... it''s a good choice,] she affirmed in a warm tone. Soon, the butler arrived. As per usual, he drove back to his empty house, where Neraxis made some food and sat by hisptop. He had a lot on his mind, but the first thing he wanted to check out were the differences in the events that had transpired¡ªfrom the things that had happened in his pastpared to the current reality. Spending hours on theptop was usually boring, but surprisingly, the information he dug up was amusing, to say the least. The major events, excluding the emergence of Dreamspire, were all fairly simr¡ªbut not to the point where he could urately use his future knowledge. By his calctions, the chance that something would differ was around 63%. I can only use my knowledge as a rough sketch... the rest is up to chance... simrly to how Amara was a factor I didn''t ount for, Neraxis thought while leaning back in his chair. [63% differential is still good. You have general knowledge of what will happen¡ªjust not how it will happen,] Evangeline remarked as she appeared in front of him in her sword form. [Anyway, you want to contact them, right? Here.] As her words fell, a white half-mask appeared in his hands. [Putting it on might be enough to get the word across.] Neraxis stared at it for a moment before finally pressing it to his face. Immediately, his vision shifted. Colors inverted, some bing more vibrant, until finally, they stabilized and came back together. Instead of his room, he found himself seated at a round table in front of four people wearing the same white half-mask as him. "Haha...?" A puzzledugh rang out as all four of them nced at him. And the one who spoke, was Amara. "An impatient one, aren''t you?" Chapter 61 The Obscuras First Mission Amara''s voice rang out through the earpiece she had given him. "Loud and clear." he immediately answered in a whisper. she stated before continuing. Nodding at seemingly no one, he asked, "Worst case scenario?" And she swiftly replied, "I see." Neraxis straightened his luxurious suit, and without wasting any more time, began walking up to the mansion that had expensive cars scattered all around. However, he paid that no heed as he went up to the concierge by the front door and handed over a pair of documents, as well as the invitation. "Rodrick Evans?" the concierge questioned, looking at the documents provided, coupled with the identification document. "That would be me," Neraxis replied without even an ounce of hesitation. Apparently, not only was Sarah a good scout, but she also knew how to craft a perfect disguise. She had altered his facial structure as well as his appearance to make sure no one could recognize him. All they would see was a simple, below-average-looking, middle-aged rich man¡ªnothing more, nothing less. "I wish you a happy time, sir." The concierge bowed upon affirming his identity, immediately stepping aside. "Thank you," Neraxis expressed and took graceful steps into the mansion until finally, he arrived where a ballroom-like setting was being held. Tables with food and alcohol stood around, with rich people talking amongst themselves. If I didn''t have any experience, I''d stick out like a sore thumb. He chuckled inwardly before turning his face away and slightly covering his mouth as if about to cough. "Where to?" Neraxis questioned silently. He did not have theyout of this ce after all. she answered swiftly. It was surprising that the big boss herself would guide him through this mission, but since it was the first one he had ever taken¡ªof his own volition no less¡ªit was a bit of a different story. Neraxis walked up to a lengthy table and picked up a ss of wine before swirling it around and taking a sip. Immediately, his nose scrunched up as he spat everything back out into the ss, while making sure to take it with him. Amara questioned in an amused tone. However, he merely continued walking until reaching the bathroom and locking himself inside. "It''s drugged with half the shit on the market. I guess that''s our main lead, then?" she exined, causing his eyebrow to rise. "I feel like this is more of a job for the police, but I can assume there''s something else we''re looking for as well?" Neraxis sighed before pouring the ''wine'' ss into the toilet and quickly making his way back out. The mansion was massive, so scouting everything would surely take a bit of time. However, he was prepared for that. After all, it only took a few days for them to process his mission request, and now he was finally doing it. s, finishing up fast would be ideal. After all, his parents and sister should being back tomorrow. After a few minutes of walking, he finally found arge hallway filled to the brim with rooms on each side, and without further ado, proceeded to check each and every one of them. At first nce, they seemed to be merely guest rooms, but with each one he checked, he found something interesting. In every single room, and every single bed, there were four small needles¡ªone inside the main pillow, and the rest scattered across the bed so one would have no choice but to lie on them. This doesn''t seem too bad, though. I expected this group to be a little bit... different. Neraxis inwardly chuckled, getting a small giggle in response from Evangeline. [Don''t be so quick to assume. Who knows what their intentions are like?] True. He replied absentmindedly before entering one of thest rooms in the hallway. To his surprise, there was a single old man lying down on the bed, seemingly being stabbed with every single needle due to his size. Better yet, right beside the more-than-chubby man was a maid, who, for some reason, had a small scalpel in her hands as she inched ever so closer to the man''s chest. But before she could, Neraxis used Sword Dash and, in the very next moment, proceeded to smash her down onto the floor using his now blunt sword. That seemed to startle her as she attempted to get back on her feet and escape. However, he soon let out a sigh and made his sword sharp again. The moment she thought she was about to escape through the window, Neraxis used the Simple Horizontal sh, controlling it just enough so it wouldn''t impact the wall behind her. However, it was still more than enough topletely cut off her legs andpletely halt her in ce.@@novelbin@@ He watched as she began processing what had just happened to her, and before long, he closed the door behind him, entering the practically soundproof room as her screams resounded. "AHHHH! You fucker!" she shouted through gritted teeth and pulled out an array of needles from her hair before throwing them all at him. s, he had already seen them, so all he had to do was dodge, earning an even more sour expression from her. "Talk," Neraxis said in a cold tone, trying to get her to reason. But it was not going to be so easy, as soon, she began bringing down the scalpel right to her own throat. However, just as it was about to impale her, a certain masked figure appeared from the side and, before long, cut off both of her arms before nodding at Neraxis and disappearing along with the maid''s body. Amara''s voice rang out. "Sure," he steadily replied before taking a nce at the fat man on the bed. His breathing seemed fine, meaning he was simply unconscious. Therefore, Neraxis used all of his strength to push the man off the bed and onto his back before quickly removing the four needles out of his body and throwing them inside Evangeline''s storage. [What use do you have for them anyway?] Evangeline questioned with a tinge of curiosity. Doesn''t hurt to have some kind of trump card. The poison is embedded in the needle itself, so I don''t have to worry about it dissipating either. Neraxis replied before cing the man back onto the bed and quickly making his way out of the room. There were still areas he had to investigate, and considering he had already stumbled upon someone they were looking for, it meant that there were many more. However, as he entered another room, a strange sight caught his eye. What''s this? Chapter 62 Secret Laboratory What''s this? Neraxis furrowed his brows as he stared at the room''syout. So far, every single room he had entered looked identical to one another. Yet this room, in particr, had a bed that was slightly moved to the side. "Amara, has Sarah been in this room?" he asked, just to be sure. Amara affirmed, and immediately, he walked up to the bed and pushed it aside. Surprisingly, nothing stood out at a single nce, but he knew the moved bed was no coincidence¡ªthe sheets were still perfectly made, meaning no one had stayed here. Therefore, Neraxis crouched down and tapped onto the floor. Immediately, a hollow noise resounded, and as he continued tapping around, he noticed it formed a cubic area just barely big enough to fit a person. [Hidden space, eh?] Evangeline chuckled before manifesting in her sword form and quickly cutting out the entire hollow outline, revealing a downwarddder. Doesn''t look ominous in the slightest, Neraxis thought sarcastically and proceeded downwards until, eventually, he was met with some kind of tunnel. "Do you still hear me?" he questioned, receiving a response immediately. "I see. Proceeding forward." The tunnel seemed like a casual metro tunnel, but much more spacious, with flickering lights scattered along the walls. Neraxis walked forward, trying to track anything that could be of use, but aside from a few unrecognizable stains, there was nothing too suspicious. That was until he stumbled upon a small passage in the tunnel, one that seemed to narrow inwardly. But from the little he could see, there was definitely something on the other side. Evangeline, this isn''t a rift, right? he asked, rolling his fingers across the narrow walls. [It''s hard to tell from out here. Give me a second.] She replied steadily, then shot out of his tattoo in her sword form, heading into the narrow passage. After just a few seconds, she came back. [It''s fine,] Evangeline announced, earning a nod from Neraxis as he made his way through. However, what greeted his sight on the other side was not what he had initially expected. It seemed like some abandonedboratory, with vials of all kinds of different shapes and sizes scattered around on desks and miniature shelves.@@novelbin@@ But that''s not what was important. Slowing his breathing, he nced to the left side where a lone door stood. Below it, he could see a light. More importantly, there was someone moving inside, their shadow reflected out for him to see. "Not-so-abandonedboratory. I''m going to check further." Neraxis stated and took slow steps toward the door, stopping right in front of it. Any mana signatures I have to be worried about? [Nope, just seven people,] Evangeline replied curtly before voicing her worries. [Though this is getting a bit shady.] He assured her, Even so, Amara said she''d give me some missions to help improve my strength after I''m done with this one, so I just have to bear through it. [I know...] she let out a deep sigh before continuing, [I''m just afraid not all missions are going to be this peaceful.] You got that one right, Neraxis snickered before summoning his sword and preparing himself. Immediately, he ran up to the door and kicked it down, meeting the shocked gazes of the seven people inside. However, unlike the panicking bunch he was used to, these people immediately got their bearings together and soon pulled out all sorts of weapons, some of which happened to be guns. Those people were the first ones Neraxis went for. Using Sword Dash, he appeared before the first one and, with a single sh, severed the person''s torso in two. Neraxis did not stop there. With the added momentum, he shed toward the person nearby. He was met with a sword and shield¡ªthe shield attempting to block his sh. s, the sword''s sharpness, thanks to Evangeline, cut through it like butter and cleaved the man in half. But Neraxis was notpletely at ease yet, as in the very next moment, a gunshot resounded, followed by a stinging sensation in his shoulder. Locking eyes on the person who had shot him, Neraxis used Restorative Cut and shed at the man. However, just before his attack couldnd, the remaining four people huddled together, protecting the gunman. Each one of them used skills, momentarily halting Neraxis, and soon, he heard another gunshot. This time, Neraxis was better prepared. Keeping track of the pistol, he was able to tell its trajectory. Bringing the sword near his heart, he deflected the bullet to the side before finally looking onward at the five people huddled together. Perfect. He nodded to himself and, without further hesitation, used the Ster Dominion''s Cosmic Cascade. It collided with them, and unlike Kael, they weren''t as lucky. Their bodies were immediately set on fire by bluish-purple mes, disintegrating their already dead corpses. Heaving a sigh of relief, he nced at the two he had killed earlier and began inspecting their bodies. However, even after searching them both, he was unable to discern much. The only thing that stood out was the fact that the gunner had the same needles that were ced in those beds. Neraxis held the needle in front of his sses to examine it before tossing it aside, where Evangeline promptly stored it. Amara stated, to which he shrugged. "I''ll go further." Taking a few nces around the room he had broken into, he noticed there wasn''t really anything here aside from a now-broken, empty table and a single TV screen mounted on the wall. Neraxis thought about turning it on, but as he did, it suddenly fell to the ground and shattered. Ironic... he sighed, then went back, taking a few nces around theboratory to make sure he hadn''t missed anything before quickly heading back out through the narrow passage and into the wide tunnel. I wonder what the actual reason is that Amara sent both Sarah and me down here. It seems like the government is involved... but, at the same time, not exactly, Neraxis wondered as he pulled the bullet out from his shoulder and threw it onto the ground. [Careful with that,] Evangeline said in an annoyed tone as she began to stop the bleeding before continuing, [Why do you think it''s connected to anything other than the government?] While they do experiment on people, they don''t send them out to terrorize safe zones. Instead, the chimeras are used as testing dummies and, well, rift-clearing machines. Evangeline, however, did not seem convinced. [But isn''t the barrier surrounding those safe zones enough to negate any kind of monster hybrid that would trying inside?] Sighing, he answered, A safe zone is just a barrier outside a city, yes. However, that''s all there is to it. If enough force is used, it breaks. If the predominant DNA is that of a human''s, it lets you through. [So you think they''re using a mix of both?] Evangeline mused, to which he replied with a small nod. That''s my theory anyway. I could be wrong. [Well, tha¡ª] Evangeline''s words suddenly halted as he, too, froze in ce, looking down. A few droplets of blood caught his attention, falling from the ceiling of the tunnel. As he turned his gaze upward, his eyes narrowed. [Oh...] Chapter 65 Massive Main Skill Upgrades [Eve of Ruin: Rank up avable.] [F -> E] [Would you like to proceed? Y/N] Oh? Well, damn¡ª Neraxis''s thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the Demonic Imps around himbusted into silver mes. Lesser mes spread to every single imp nearby. The Elite Demonic Imp wasn''t excluded¡ªit too was caught in the range, its body engulfed in simr silver mes. However, unlike the rest, which were easily devoured and soon killed by the mes, this one somehow shed its skin, throwing the me-touched flesh to the side. The others were not as fortunate, and soon, red kill notifications began flooding in. [25x (E- Ranked Monster) Demonic Imp in! Reward: Stigmata 72.26% -> 84.76%] Neraxis nodded to himself at therge amount of progress and immediately turned toward the Elite Demonic Imp, which had been ring at him from the side. Two more seconds. He smirked, readying his sword. "SCREEEE!" The Demonic Imp suddenly screeched, appearing right before him, its white ws nearing his face. Just as it was about to reach him, however, Neraxis used Sword Dash, reappearing behind the Elite Demonic Imp, and swiftly shing vertically, severing one of its arms. However, he was not finished. With the added momentum, he twisted his body and swiftly used Simple Horizontal sh, cleaving straight through its neck. The Elite Demonic Imp dropped to the ground, unable to fight back any further, making Neraxis heave a sigh of relief. [1x (E Ranked Elite Monster) Demonic Imp Vanguard in! Reward: Stigmata 84.76% -> 92.26%] That nearly went to shit. Thank you, Evangeline, he expressed, before turning to one red notification in particr: [Would you like to proceed? Y/N] And without hesitation, he pressed yes. Immediately, a heap of text appeared before his eyes, but one thing in particr stood out... [Eve of Ruin {F -> E}] [Eve of Ruin {E}]* [Skill Description: Harness the power of Ruin. Some options have been unlocked due to the user being able to use mana.] ¡ª[Skill Effects (1/4): Mark of Decay (Active): Mark a single enemy within a 50-meter radius and inflict the Decaying debuff. -[Detonate Mark of Decay: Instantly triggers the cumtive damage from the five most powerful attacks inflicted on the marked target while the mark is active. If the mark is detonated, the Decaying debuff ends early.] - [Mark of Decay Cooldown: 5 minutes.]@@novelbin@@ - [Detonate Mark Cooldown: 3 -> 2 hours.] ¡ª[(NEW) Skill Effects (2/4): Mark of Destruction (Active)] [You can mark up to three enemies within a 50-meter radius. Each marked target is inflicted with the Decaying debuff.] [While the mark is active, all damage dealt to marked targets is increased by 20%.] - Detonate Mark of Destruction: Instantly triggers the cumtive damage from the five most powerful attacks inflicted on all marked targets. The detonation also applies a secondary explosion, dealing 50% of the total damage dealt to all other enemies within a 15-meter radius. The mark ends immediately after detonation. - Mark of Destruction Cooldown: 15 minutes (5 minutes per charge). - Detonate Cooldown: 6 hours. ¡ª[(NEW) Skill Effects (3/4): Ruinous Aura (Passive): Each strike inflicts the Ruin debuff.] ¡ª[(NEW) Skill Effects (4/4): Affinity Compiler (Special one-time use Active): Attune to your natural affinity.] ¡ª[Debuff - Decaying: Each attack against the target has a low -> moderate chance to remove a beneficial effect and temporarily disable healing. Each attack reduces the target''s movement speed by 2% -> 3% per stack. Stacks up to five times. The debuffsts as long as the target is being hit; if not hit for more than 30 -> 45 seconds, the debuff vanishes.] ¡ª[(NEW) Debuff - Ruin: Each attack against the target inflicts 1% of their total HP as True Damage.] Aura of Vulnerability is gone, and three more skill effects were added... very overpowered ones. Neraxis whistled inwardly, not exactly saddened by the missing skill. The third and fourth skill effects were the most important, however, since one of them gave him an overpowered debuff that dealt 1% True Damage with each strike, bypassing any and all defenses. While the other gave him an Affinity Compiler, which meant he would likely have a say in which affinity he would gain. [I don''t mean to ruin your fun, but you should move,] Evangeline suddenly chimed in, earning a puzzled look from him. However, he soon realized the reason, as the ground below him began crumbling toward where Sarah and the demon were fighting. From what he could tell, the fight was about to wrap up, as the demon was being pushed back significantly¡ªeven losing a limb in the process. Amara''s voice rang out. "Sure." Neraxis nodded in response, before walking to a safer ce, one where the ground would not crumble. As he did so, he decided to finally check his status. With all these upgrades and the main skill mentioning mana, he had high hopes. Status. +-----+ Status Name: Neraxis Valen Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {92.26%} (Seals Unlocked: 1)] Age: 16 --Stats: Rank: F -> F+ Strength: F- -> F Agility: F- -> F+ Stamina: F -> F+ Intelligence: F+ -> E- Mana Capacity: F+ -> E- --Secondary Stats: Luck: G- Charm: C- --Skills: [Eve of Ruin {E}] [Swordsmanship {F}] [Ster Dominion {A}] [Minor Reflect {D}] [Sword Dash {F}] [Restorative Cut {E}] [Vampiric Dominion {A}] [Aegis of Eternity {C}] --Fragment of Cmity Skill Tree (1/???) [Simple Horizontal sh] +-----+ All my stats have improved. Neraxis couldn''t help but chuckle and soon narrowed his eyes at the demon below. ording to the system, Mark of Destruction, his newest skill effect, was currently off cooldown¡ªwhich was either a bug or because it was a new skill. Nheless, that gave him the perfect chance to do something he could only dream of doing with his current strength. Focusing on the demon, he immediately used Mark of Destruction. A silver orb appeared around it¡ªthis time muchrger than before, nearly triple the size of its predecessor. His stunt did not go unnoticed by the demon, which swiftly twisted its head in Neraxis''s direction. But before it could do anything, Sarah swung her twin des down, attempting to slice the demon''s arm. Unlike before, her twin des went through its arm like butter, thanks to the effects of Neraxis''s Mark of Destruction skill. "You-!" The demon''s distorted humanoid voice rang out as its eyes darted between Neraxis and the nonchnt Sarah. In the end, it had no choice but to focus on her instead, since if it went for Neraxis, she would finish it off. Even then, the fight was practically over. It had lost both its arms and was now only iling around, defending with its legs. Sarah capitalized on that, and when it tried blocking again, her twin des glowed green. With a swift motion, she swung down, severing both of its feet in one go. While that was happening, Neraxis noticed something interesting¡ªwhile she was attacking the demon, his silvery orb was beginning to glow a brighter hue. It was as if her attacks were adding stacks. Narrowing his eyes to get a closer look, he saw her slice its torso. At the same time, he noticed that his silver orb had gotten brighter. She can stack for me? Isn''t that a bit overpowered? he eximed with a clear smile, and as Sarah finally stopped ying around, he stepped up, focusing on the silver orb. Detonate Mark of Destruction. Chapter 66 The Second Seal * Just as those words left Neraxis''s mouth, Sarah suddenly dashed back to him, and in the next moment, the entireir below was engulfed in silver mes. "AAAAAAAAAAA!" The Demon''s shriek resounded, muffled by the mes engulfing it. And not even a few secondster, the screaming died down, and what greeted his eyes was a red kill notification. [1x (B Ranked Special Monster) Shadow Demon in! Reward: Stigmata 92.26% -> 100%] [Stigmata: Fragment of Cmity Has Reached 100%] [Would you like to release the seal?]@@novelbin@@ [Y/Y] ncing to the side, Neraxis saw Sarah standing with furrowed brows, mumbling something into her earpiece. Taking that as the perfect moment to rx, he clicked Yes, and just likest time, disappeared from where he stood. However, this time, Neraxis found himself in some massive cathedral, with golden rays of light shining down through the ss ceiling. And in front of him stood Evangeline, in a casual ck dress, looking at him with a smile. "Heya, didn''t make me wait this time," she said with a soft hum, before walking over to him and stretching out her hand. "Come with me, Neraxis." Tilting his head, he readily epted, putting his hand onto hers as she suddenly interlocked their fingers. "...Evangeline," he let out a sigh, but she seemed to ignore him, merely leading him through the halls with a wide smile on her face. "Can you at least tell me where we are going?" he questioned, and she quickly turned around, her crimson eyes meeting his own. "To my room, of course. Where else?" As her words fell, his heart skipped a beat. Noticing this, she let out a giggle. "Hahaha... We''re not doing anything like that," Evangeline stated before turning around and trailing off in a whisper, "Not yet anyway..." "What was that?" he asked, but did not receive an answer. Instead, she returned to leading the way, until eventually, they arrived in front of a giant door seemingly made out of pure gold. Without waiting a moment, Evangeline waved her hand, and immediately, the door creaked open, revealing a massive bedroom, with a miniature throne by the circr bed. Taking him inside, she sat Neraxis down on the bed and soon ran into what appeared to be a walk-in closet, closing the closet door behind her. Just what is she doing...? Neraxis felt uneasy, not because he was in a woman''s room all alone and had no experience with even being in one... Damn. Realizing that it was really the case, he lied down on the bed, finding it peculiarlyfy. But before Neraxis could rest, the closet door shot open, with Evangeline appearing in his sight. His eyes widened as he looked her up and down. In the short moment she was gone, Evangeline changed into a stylish red dress, with a white ribbon tied around her waist. "How do I look?" she twirled around, showcasing her perfect body and slender legs. All the while, Neraxis was speechless. But he could indeed acknowledge one thing in particr, "You look beautiful." "Hehe..." she let out a soft giggle before turning her back to him, revealing the string holding up the white ribbon. "Pull on it," Evangeline said in a teasing tone. However, instead of doing that, Neraxis pulled her back, making hernd on hisp. "You really are testing me," he stated while embracing her slim waist, earning a surprised gasp in response. "Hey!" Evangeline began squirming in his grasp, her face visibly turning red as she twisted her body around, and now sat face to face. "Why are you so bold all of a sudden?" Neraxis rolled his eyes at herment before suddenly flinging himself back. Evangeline was caught off guard,nding right on his chest, the two practically sinking into thefy bed. But not quite, as they stared into each other''s eyes, both their hearts practically beating out of their chests. However, Neraxis proceeded to raise his hand, cing it on her delicate cheek. "Still want to tease me?" As his words hung in the air, Evangeline suddenly leaned down towards him, cing a kiss on his cheek before attempting to push off. Before she could do that, however, Neraxis grabbed hold of her arm, pulling Evangeline back in and onto the bed, with him now towering over her. Instead ofmenting on what she had done, he followed his impulses, leaning down and delivering a soft kiss on her lips. He thought that would be the end of it, but soon, Evangeline wrapped her arms around his neck, stopping him from pulling back as she clung to him, slightly lifted off the bed. "Where do you think you''re going?" her words rang out, and without a moment''s hesitation, her lips wrapped around his. Startled as Neraxis was, he returned the kiss in kind, continuing until the two of them were out of breath. Evangeline suddenly let go of his neck, falling onto the bed sheets with apletely red face, sweat dripping down, making her skin practically glow. All he could think of in this moment was her, and only her. "Evangeline..." Neraxis''s hands traveled up her thighs, with her not resisting in the slightest. However, all good things muste to an end when, all of a sudden, a red system message appeared before his eyes. [Time Until Forceful Ejection: 1 Minute] It seemed like both of them managed to see the message, and in the same manner, their disappointed expressions were clear apparent. Evangeline reluctantly sat beside him, clearing her throat before saying, "It seems like our fun time is going to have to end a bit early..." He could only nod in response, feeling awkward. "Yeah..." "Fret not! The skill is a bit better thanst time because of the excess mana!" she suddenly spoke, trying to ease the embarrassment both of them were going through as she took hold of Neraxis''s arm. Immediately, the sensation of a warm breeze passed through his body, reminding him of the many kisses the two just had. Yet instead of another kiss, he was met with a red system window, disying the new skill. And upon seeing what it was, Neraxis''s eyes widened. [Crimson Sovereignty {S}] ¡ª[Skill Description: Command the power of vampiric nobility to dominate the battlefield, blending blood maniption and shadow control to decimate enemies while healing yourself.] ¡ª[Skill Effects (1/3): Blood Dominion (Active): Manipte the blood within a 30-meter radius to immobilize weaker enemies, siphoning health from all foes and redistributing it to the user.] - Siphons 5% of max health, proportional to the user, from all enemies over 5 seconds. - Immobilizes enemies of lower rank for 3 seconds. - Cooldown: 5 minutes. ¡ª[Skill Effects (2/3) Shadow Mantle (Active): Cloak yourself in shadow, gaining a 30% movement speed boost and immunity to physical attacks. While active, attacks inflict the Blinding Curse.] - Duration: 5 Seconds; - Cooldown: 10 Minutes] ¡ª[Skill Effects (3/3): Blood Sovereignty (Special Passive): Allows the user to create blood constructs of simr rank to him. (F+ Rank Limit)] ¡ª[Curse - Blinding: Enemies afflicted with Blinding temporarily lose their sense of Sight. Base duration is 5 Seconds, with each attack restoring its duration. Lasts until 5 seconds are up, or 30 seconds have been reached in total.] "Evangeline... I don''t know what to say." Neraxis was speechless while reading the skill''s description. Just like any other skill he had, this one was overpowered, and it gave him the ability to be immune to physical attacks for a short moment. Better yet, the Special Passive allowed him to create blood constructs, so either golems or puppets made of blood. It was amazing, and he had no one but Evangeline to thank. [Time Until Forceful Ejection: 10 Seconds] The timer once again appeared, which the two of them noticed immediately. And without hesitation, they ran to embrace one another, nting a passionate kiss on each other''s lips, thatsted all the way up until thest second, to where Evangeline backed off, her face even redder than it had been before. "Let''s continue this another time," she said, and before he could even respond, his vision shifted. Immediately, he found himself back in the rancid tunnels, with Sarah ring at him. Yet the one who spoke was Amara. she praised, to which he absentmindedly nodded. "...Roger that." Chapter 67 The Obscuras Point System The two swiftly put on their half masks and, in the very next moment, appeared before the table. Instead of the full group being here, there was only Amara, with the others upied with their own tasks. But that was enough, as after all, she was the leader. "Once again, good job," Amaramended before pulling out a stack of papers and sending them Sarah''s way, saying, "Fill out the report as per usual." "Yes, Am¡ªFirst Veil," Sarah replied with a nod, nearly using her actual name here. What he had found out was that there were certain rules in this ce that Amara tried her best to uphold¡ªone of them being the usage of titles, such as the First Veil, to address her. Amara turned towards Neraxis and signaled with her chin to follow. He went after her, walking through the throne room, away from the table and into a small room with two sofas facing each other. That was the least of his ominous worries, however, as she suddenly sat down, pulled out a strange ck phone, and handed it over to him. "You don''t need to alwayse here tomunicate with us. Use that¡ªit has each and every contact of ours," she exined as he put the phone in his pocket. "This is protected heavily, I assume?" Neraxis questioned, just to be sure. Amara nodded in response. "It is. No one other than you or me can get into it. Though don''t use it for the time being unless there''s an emergency, since I will be using it to inform you of missions." "About that..." Neraxis interjected. "You promised to send me on something a bit more serious the next time around. Is it going to be rted to this goal you have been hiding from me?" She leaned back and shrugged. "Fifth Veil, what if I told you there are only a couple of years left until the world goes to shit?" Fifth Veil? I guess it makes sense since Delta isn''t a Veiled one. he raised his brow before answering, "I''d say I need to hear the full reason first." "Of course," Amara chuckled before adding, "However, I can''t tell you everything yet. The same goes for everyone else." "But the others know more than I do, so it would only be fair, don''t you think?" he mused, making Amara take out her phone and begin typing something. Not even a momentter, the phone in his pocket vibrated. Once he checked what it was, Neraxis saw an app had been downloaded. Puzzled, he swiftly opened it, and what greeted his eyes was some kind of interface that stated he had 100 points in total. Below it, there were all sorts of prompts, but they all shared onemon feature. "100 points for a... low ess answer? 1,000 for middle ess and... 100,000 points for high ess information," he attempted to scroll further, but to no avail. That was all there was to it. "First Veil, are these 100 points from the mission Ipleted?" Neraxis questioned, seemingly already knowing the answer. And he was correct. "That''s right. With each mission and its difficulty, every member gets some points that they can use to ask me or Delta questions. Since the mission youpleted was extremely easy and your role was not that big, you received 100 points¡ªthe practical baseline," Amara exined, earning a nod from him in response. "What can I do with 100 points?" She twirled her hair and answered. "Vague details of the organization''s goal that you can try piecing together if you''d like. Or just simple trivia¡ªup to you, really." I don''t really have anything to ask besides the goal for now... Neraxis thought and said, "Then I want to know this so-called vague goal of yours." Immediately, Amara narrowed her eyes and tapped a couple of times on her phone. Not even a momentter, his points were deducted and brought back to zero. "We seek to preserve a certain bnce in this world, which, in a couple of years, will be tested. For that bnce to exist, however, we must kill all who stand in our path. Hence, the next missions you will be going on will not be as friendly and peaceful as this one," Amara stated in a mysterious tone. However, he was not exactly amused by that answer, since aside from something he had already known, he did not find out anything else. "First Veil, you already mentioned all of that," he said with furrowed brows. "I indeed have," Amara chuckled, before continuing, "Here''s a little bonus then. We aim to sever the chains binding us to the higher powers that lie beyond this world." Hmm... I don''t know what I expected from a vague answer¡ªHuh? Neraxis''s thoughts were interrupted as, by the side, a red system window emerged and flew right in front of him. [Unread System Logs: 1] [Would you like to view them? Y/N] What the fuck? his eyes widened, but all of a sudden, Amara stood up, a frown stered on her face. "Sorry, Fifth Veil, but you need to head back. An emergency has arisen. I will contact you within the span of the month." As her words fell, she pulled out the familiar ethereal sword and immediately shed downward, making him disappear from both the room and The Obscura''s headquarters. Just likest time, it was instant, and all he could see afterward was the outline of his house. Evangeline... he called out, still feeling a tad bit awkward from earlier. Nheless, the answer was instant. [What''s up?] Did you feel anything off just before Amara stood up? Like any sort of mana being emitted or something? Neraxis questioned. s, that did not seem to be the case. [Nope, the only thing I felt was you being pent up,] Evangeline said with a chuckle, making his brows twitch. [Just kidding... But no, I didn''t feel anything off. However, I did feel something on your side a few moments ago,] she added, earning a puzzled look from him. What did you feel? [I don''t really know how to exin it...] she trailed off in a soft hum. [But... it''s almost like you received a tiny portion of mana from god knows where, and I can still feel it in your body.] Oh... he immediately understood what she was talking about. The system logs¡ªthey had appeared, and not even a secondter, the expression on Amara''s face worsened. That was also in line with what Evangeline had said. Therefore, the only answers he could seek were from the system message ahead. But just as he nced at it, her surprised voice rang out again. [Hey, what''s that?] She appeared in her sword form, hovering over the ept button of the system message. You can see it now? he mused with interest. [Yup, it just appeared. Wait, I can see your skill descriptions too now!] Evangeline eximed as she frantically began scrolling through each of his skills. [Wooah, they are really good!] she said with a giggle and continued reading his skills, which he simply ignored.@@novelbin@@ Meanwhile, while she was having fun, it was probably a good choice to check out the system logs. [Unread System Logs: 1] [Would you like to view them? Y/N] Yes. Neraxis was expecting to see a simr dialogue pan out, but instead, he found himself standing in a dimly lit room, the damp air making his stomach churn. And soon, the final notification descended. [System Log 2: Subject 0] Chapter 68 A Different Kind of System Log [Neraxis...] Evangeline''s wary voice rang out, as the quiet of the dimly lit room made both of them feel uneasy. It''s alright... I think, he replied, before ncing around a couple of times. Immediately, he spotted a single table, chair, bed, and finally, the way out¡ªwhich seemed to be right above him, like a trap door. There was also food scattered across the ground, mostly moldy bread, along with a bit of watered-down soup that hadn''t even been touched. From these things alone, he could gather: I''m in a prison? Or even worse... I don''t think they treat prisoners this shitty. However, since he wasn''t exactlyfortable being in this room, Neraxis summoned Evangeline before jumping to the wall and sting off right at the trap door. shing downward, he cut through it like butter, since it was merely made out of wood¡ªwhich, over time, seemed to have been waterlogged, making it extremely easy to cut through. And as he did so, Neraxis appeared on the very top, taking a few nces around. s, the sight was not pretty. He was inside some kind of abandoned city, with simr hatches scattered across the dirt ground. Walking beside the one closest to him, Neraxis looked down, and upon seeing what was inside, furrowed his brows. Two skeletons¡ªone on the bed, while the other was submerged in the watered-down soup. What is this ce? Neraxis thought, as an ominous feeling arose in his heart. [I''m not sure... but this looks like a testing ground,] Evangelinemented, sharing his unease. Testing ground? What makes you say that? he nced around, not noticing anything wrong. Using mana to feel the surroundings was pretty inurate, since he had not yet acquired his affinity; therefore, he did not even try. But in this case, Evangeline could. [Hmm...] she hummed before flying out from his hands and pointing in a particr direction. [Something is over there,] Evangeline announced, sliding back into the stigmata tattoo. Neraxis nodded gratefully and soon made his way to where she had mentioned. And once he did, he found himself in front of a shed, from which he could smell the foul stench of blood and other unsightly things. s, he had no choice but to open it. And as he did, a wave of skeletons began falling on top of him. He evaded for the most part, until a certain figure caught his eye¡ªone that still had its flesh attached to it. Better yet, it had white hair and a single eye dangling from its eye socket, which, coincidentally, was purple in color. Much like his own. Neraxis took a startled step backward, nearly tripping on a branch, as he looked at the sight in horror. What... Is that me? [Well, do you feel dead?] Evangeline remarked, trying to liven up the situation. And it certainly worked, as despite the circumstances, he let out augh. "Ha... haha... No, I guess not." Neraxisposed himself and proceeded to drag this particr corpse out, neatly inspecting it. On its chest, right below the heart, was a number written: 2885. [Subject 2885, if I were to guess,] shemented, to which he nodded. Seems like it. However, at the same time, he couldn''t shake off a certain feeling. Taking off his shirt, he said, Evangeline... sorry to ask, but can you check if I have a number on me too? [...No problem,] she replied after a bit of a pause, quickly manifesting in her sword form and checking all of his upper body until she concluded. [You look fine... but you do have a scar on the back of your shoulder¡ªalmost like a cut,] Evangeline added with a hint of worry. But he simply shrugged it off. My oh-so-kind sister decided it was a fun idea to cook like a professional chef. Let''s just say her knife throw didn''t go as nned. [Hahaha, seriously?] she let out augh and went back into his tattoo. [How old were you?] I think around seven or eight. Can''t really remember much from that time. He put his shirt back on before proceeding to search the body again, just in case he missed anything. However, after just a few moments, he gave up, simply tossing it back into the pile of bones. So I am in an actual testing ground, where the corpses look identical to me. Not ominous at all, he remarked inwardly, trying to make light of the situation. All of a sudden, he heard a pair of footsteps in the distance. [Hide!] Evangeline''s urgent shout resounded, and soon, he jumped onto the roof of the shed and from it onto a nearby tree that just barely had enough coverage of leaves to mask him. Neraxis''s nerves were at an all-time high. As he nced in the direction of the footsteps, he spotted what appeared to be a man wearing fully ck clothes and a ck clown mask. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire Beside him, a slim girl¡ªwhose face he could not make out¡ªwas levitating just slightly off the ground, resting herself on the masked man''s shoulders. The two walked through this desecrated ce, passing by each trap door and checking its contents before moving to the next. Yet, for some reason, Neraxis felt as though they were heading in one particr direction: the ce where he had been just a few minutes prior. And he was correct. The moment they spotted that the trap door was broken, they increased their pace, appearing before the makeshift room. The moment they did, the man froze, turning to the girl beside him. "You said everything is under control?" His distorted voice rang out, yet Neraxis was surprised he could even hear it in the first ce. "Clown, I told you it''s fortified. His memories have been messed with as well¡ªhe shouldn''t have been able to escape," the girl replied, unamused, before she started tapping in the air. Immediately, a blue status window appeared before her, and she began typing something. Is that...? I can see it? Neraxis was puzzled but continued to watch in silence. "Hmm..." The girl hummed with a strange look. "It seems like his data has been deleted? We might have a mole on our hands." Just as the man heard that, he grabbed hold of the girl''s neck, his tone seething with anger. "Aka. You seem to be misunderstanding the situation here," the man stated, tightening his grip. "If Subject 0 escapes, what do you think will be of us? Our entire n of descending will be for naught." "Clown, I am aware," the girl shot back, cing her hand on his, making him ease up. "I can''t find him. I have tried tracking his system binary code, and he''s not popping up anywhere."@@novelbin@@ "So you are implying someone has the same¡ªif not greater¡ªauthority than you?" the man questioned, his tone clear with doubt. These are the same people from the first log, Neraxis concluded, continuing to listen. The girl named Aka shrugged before flying just above the room Neraxis had escaped from. "I am but one of the many administrators. My authority can be contested," she said absentmindedly, before another blue status window appeared. "The spires will emerge one day, Clown, but it will have to be dyed. It is inevitable." As her words hung in the air, Neraxis''s eyes widened. But before he could confirm his thoughts, a blue light suddenly began descending from above, covering every nook and cranny of the room. Yet for some reason, the moment the blue light reached him, it suddenly bent at a weird angle,pletely avoiding him as the blue light finally hit the ground. "See?" Aka stated, turning to the man referred to as Clown. "A t zero. Subject 0¡ªNeraxis¡ªis not present." "Aka." The man took a deep breath before continuing, "Emergency lockdown protocol. Now." Immediately, Aka nodded and proceeded to tap the system interface a couple of times until, eventually, a red glow beganing down from the sky. The moment it came into contact with something¡ªwhether it be the artificial clouds or trees¡ªnothing was left untouched. That was when the man''s grim voice resounded one final time. "Restart the project. I am not going to ept a dy." As his words fell, Neraxis''s vision suddenly shifted, just narrowly avoiding the red glow as he found himself back in front of his house. And in front of him was a red system notification. [System Log 2: Finished] Shit... Chapter 70 Club Sorting Day "Pack this too¡ªyou might need it," his father, Roskaris, stated before putting a few more potion vials into a dimensional pocket ring and handing it to Neraxis as he departed. "Isn''t this too much?" Neraxis voiced out, checking the contents of the ring. There were hundreds of sks, thousands of vials, and even more debit cards scattered all around¡ªeach one more fancy-looking than the next. "Eh, don''t worry about it," Roskaris said with a shrug. "We have a lot to spare, and, if needed, you can always buy more." Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire Suddenly, he leaned in and whispered, "Also... can you tell me where you got those weird potions that make Sophia look... You know?" "..." Neraxis was speechless, but nheless answered, "Emma''s potions... It''s a small shop in the nearby mall." "Excellent!" Roskaris shouted, startling the passing neighbors before looking back at Neraxis with a sly grin. "I''ll be making a kind donation to that ce. Good find, Neraxis¡ªI''ll raise your allowance." Even more money...? Well, sure. He nodded in response and said his goodbyes, heading straight into the ck limousine. The ride to the academy was swift, though his father''s interruption had made him a tadte. After quickly thanking his butler, Neraxis stepped out of the limousine and jogged into the academy, passing students who seemed to be running at a simr pace.@@novelbin@@ His current goal was to get to his ssroom peacefully, since in just a few moments, all hell would break loose. Likely the only thing that hadn''t changed even in the new timeline. [Is there going to be some sort of activity going on?] Evangeline questioned with curiosity. Kind of... The instructors will arrive at 10:00 a.m. on the dot and hand out club application forms. The funny thing is, each club only has a limited number of slots avable, he exined before continuing. Often, there are 10 slots avable, and since there are 500 students this year, each with shing interests... you can imagine the chaos that will ensue. She let out a giggle. [Really? But you don''t have to worry about that, do you?] Nope. Seems like Liora has already taken care of everything. But still, I want to join some fun club, Neraxis stated, earning a whistle from her in response. [I see you are finally stepping up with a better mentality. Have any clubs in mind?] Three. Cooking Club, Hunting Club, and maybe the Travel Club. Out of the three, the one I''m leaning toward the most is the Travel Club, he answered while keeping track of the clock. There were only two minutes remaining, and soon, he''d have to make a run for it. [Travel Club?] Evangeline questioned with a bit of suspicion. [There was something that happened with that club in the past, wasn''t there?] However, he merely shook his head in response. I don''t know. All of these choices are ones I would have never even considered in the past. But now that I have a lot on my te, some rxing time should be in order. Just as his words fell, Magnus walked through the ssroom door, the club forms in hand. He immediately started handing them out to each student present, leaving Neraxis surprised. But before he could voice his surprise, Magnus spoke. "Special ss benefit¡ª1 minute early." As his words hung in the air, Neraxis soonposed himself and began looking through all the avable clubs. The Cooking Club had 16 slots, the Hunting Club had 7, andstly... the Travel Club had 2. Without a moment of hesitation, Neraxis jotted down the Travel Club and gave his signature before swiftly dashing out of the ssroom. His ssmates were right behind him, and from the corner of his eye, he could even see one who had also chosen the Travel Club. Therefore, Neraxis sped up his pace, practically gliding through the academy halls when, all of a sudden, the bell rang. That meant that in just a few seconds, thepetition would start arriving. It was a pity the clubs were on the other end of the academy¡ªquite literally on the other side of the building from where his ssroom was¡ªso running there without breaking the flooring or anything else was a bit difficult. But soon, Neraxis found himself in front of the club, watching as people dashed right toward it too. However, he paid no heed to them and entered the clubroom, swiftly finding the person in charge and walking up to them. It was a blue-haired girl wearing a kind smile, and she seemed just a tad older than him. Since he knew the procedure well, he didn''t bother making small talk, merely cing the club form on the table before her. Immediately, she stamped it. "Wee to the club," she stated, and suddenly, the doors practically sted open, with students rushing in. Neraxis sighed, quickly took his stamped club form, and put it in his dimensional storage ring. Yet as he did so, he saw someone he didn''t expect to see. Aurelia was practically climbing over the bodies of others, even using mild magic to send them flying into walls, until eventually, she was the only one standing¡ªaside from Neraxis. "Here!" she eximed, pping the club form down onto the desk before the recruiter. "Let me join, please!" Just like with Neraxis¡ªbut more dramatically¡ªthe recruiter stamped the club form and said, "Wee to the club." "YEAAAAAH!" Aurelia suddenly cheered, ignoring the strange looks of the disappointed students around her. That was until her gaze finallynded on Neraxis. "Uh... Are you here to apply for the club too?" she asked as her anxiety set in. Neraxis let out a chuckle before taking out his stamped club form and showing it to her. "Woah!" Aurelia eximed, her eyes widening. "You joined too!?" "Yep," he replied, when all of a sudden, a tinge of repulsive mana emanated from the recruiter, and the students who hadn''t managed to join the club were quickly flung out of the clubroom. As that happened, she finally stood up and introduced herself. "My name''s Emily, and I''m the head of the Travel Club." "Neraxis," he responded with his own name before noticing that Aurelia wasn''t doing the same. However, he soon realized why. "Emily, didn''t you say this would be a bit easier to get into?" Aurelia asked in a frustrated tone before walking up to her. But as she did so, Emily stretched out her hands and soon embraced Aurelia in a hug, startling her. "You should watch how you talk to your elders, sis," Emily stated with a grin, ruffling Aurelia''s hair. That was until they froze, slowly turning toward the still-standing Neraxis, who was simply looking around the clubroom. It was fairly spacious, but not like it mattered in the end, since it was a Travel Club, after all¡ªthey would hardly be here in the first ce. At the same time, he was trying to avoid the awkwardness between these two girls, since, apparently, they were sisters. He could kind of see the resemnce, but in the end, that''s not what mattered, since he still had some errands to run. "Could I just get the schedule?" Neraxis asked in a kind tone, but all of a sudden, Emily walked up to him. "Aren''t you that boy from the rift?" She narrowed her eyes. "The one Aurelia was talking about so much?" "Emily!" Aurelia ran up to her sister and immediately put her in a headlock, leaving the surprised Neraxis standing by. These two are pr opposites... Chapter 71 Alchemy Club Entrance Test "Let go!" Emily shouted, struggling as Aurelia tightened her grip before protesting. "No! Not until you say you will shut up!" That seemed to upset Emily as she nced at Neraxis, signaling for him to do something. But he simply pretended not to notice, earning a frustrated sigh. "Fine!" Emily shouted before grabbing Aurelia''s waist and tickling her. "Aaah! Stop!" Aurelia shouted through giggles before suddenly pulling Emily''s hair. Before long, the two of them fell to the ground, cushioned by the mana Neraxis emitted at thest moment. Emily red at her sister before grabbing hold of her shoulders. "Ugh... you idiot. I was only ying around. Do that again, and I will confiscate all the sweets in the house." As soon as her words fell, Aurelia mimed zipping her mouth shut as the two of them finally turned toward Neraxis. "I am sorry you had to see that," Emily apologized with reddened cheeks, purely out of embarrassment. Neraxis nodded, ncing at Aurelia, who seemed even more embarrassed than her sister. She did thisst time too, but just with the sweets I brought, he thought with amusement. [It looks like she''s just very shy around those she doesn''t know and way too open with those she does,] Evangeline remarked, to which he agreed. Seems like it. But I do hope they finally give me the schedule. I still need to get a schedule from Liora as well. "Right!" Emily eximed before standing up and heading over to the lone desk in the room, swiftly pulling out a sheet of paper and handing it to him. "These are the nned outings so far. As you can see, the first one is just next week," she exined before pointing at the three locations. One in particr caught his eye¡ªStradon Fortress. It was a fortress that was quite far away from his current city, yet from what he could recall, it held a gathering there every five years. Coincidentally, the gathering happens to be next week. "I see," Neraxis nodded in response before cing the schedule in his dimensional pocket and asking, "How many club members do you have?" "With you two, ten," she answered with a smile, making his brow rise. "Isn''t that a bit too low for a travel club?" Neraxis questioned, his voiceced with suspicion, but he was met with a shrug in response. "I don''t make the rules¡ªthe headmaster does. He told me to keep the numbers low, and that''s what I did. In exchange, he''d send us on more fancy trips," Emily said, excitement in her tone. Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire Neraxis understood what she meant. If it was really William''s doing, then the circumstances were truly unpredictable. "I see. Well... Emily, Aurelia, see youter?" "Yup, see you next time, Neraxis." Emily did a small wave before turning to Aurelia, who, without speaking, waved as well. He took that as his cue to leave and slowly made his way to the Alchemy club, just a few hallways down. Yet once he arrived, a mass of people greeted him, each one trying to get into the club room. However, with each person that came in, two were thrown out. Such a cycle continued until eventually, it was his turn to go in next, with people trying to push him aside but not even being able to make him budge. As he walked through, he spotted multiple sets of potions, some of which he could tell at a nce were of the highest quality. And then, at the very front, sat Liora, alongside two more people who were of simr age to Neraxis. Just as Liora finally saw who hade in, she stood up with a huge smile on her face before saying, "Neraxis! You are finally here. Come, sit." He spotted a chair by the side and picked it up, taking it over to where Liora was, and sat down. "I''vee to get the schedule, if you don''t mind," Neraxis said, earning a chuckle from her. "nning to leave so soon? Why don''t we y a little game?" she suggested, suddenly pulling out three vials and a sk, leaving him puzzled. "I thought I already joined the club. Is there some entrance test I have to pass?" Neraxis asked as she lined up each of the vials, giving one to the two students beside her and a single one to him. "You can refuse if you want," Liora said, twirling the sk in her hand. "This is a test I gave to the others, and as you can see, no one passed." Neraxis furrowed his brow. I find it hard to believe that no one passed. I saw the Alchemy club had over 40 avable slots. To not fill them would be a little... As he trailed off, Evangeline finished his thought: [A little stupid. And she is likely lying about it.] That''s probably the case. I guess she just wants to test me to make sure her investment won''t go to waste, he chuckled inwardly before meeting Liora''s gaze. "What is this so-called game?" As his words fell, a grin appeared on her face as she suddenly set the sk down, causing its contents to slightly rise in the air. However, just as the contents began to rise, Liora quickly grabbed a vial from seemingly nowhere and caught them inside. Neraxis stared at her like she was some sort of clown, before finally, she began exining:@@novelbin@@ "The three of you will be going head to head, brewing a potion with the same materials and ingredients. But there is a little twist..." Liora trailed off as she pulled out a miniature alchemy furnace. Before Neraxis could question what she was doing, the alchemy furnace''s me lit up. What surprised him the most, however, was that instead of cing a sk on top of it, she ced a vial. Immediately, the effects were visible as the potion began bubbling, swirling into various colors while boiling at a much faster speed than with the sk. Neraxis stared in wonder as she did what others could not¡ªnot even himself. Liora twirled around with the vial multiple times, moving it on and off the me nearly every second, until eventually, the potion was ready. The two students beside her stared at the golden potion with widened eyes, and Neraxis was no exception. Noticing these reactions, Liora put on a smug smile before announcing, "The test is simple. I want you three to try finishing the potion using a vial instead of a sk. The mixture is already premade, so you don''t need to worry about controlling the materials inside." As her words hung in the air, she turned toward Neraxis. "All you need to do is control the heat and finish the potion. Are you up for it?" Can I even do it? he thought, masking his inner turmoil. That was until Evangeline''s soft voice rang out. [How will you know if you can''t do it if you don''t even try? Worst case scenario, you fail. But in the off chance you don''t, your value to this woman will go up immensely.] entuating thest part, she continued: [So? Will you give it a go?] Chapter 72 The Vial Game "I''ll do it. Why not?" "Great! That''s the spirit!" Liora let out a small chuckle and immediately put the materials inside each of their vials. The students beside her seemed a little more experienced than him, but in the end, he couldn''t see himself doing this normally anyway. "Are you all ready?" Liora asked, met with the ck of vials, signifying the answer¡ªyes. And without further ado, she lit up three alchemy furnaces, each one the same in heat and size. In the end, it all depended on their skill, since without it, the vial would crack nearly instantly. Neraxis readied himself and soon ced the vial holding the materials atop the alchemy furnace, the me immediately doing its job. However, while that was happening, he noticed something strange. The entire process seemed a tad bit slower than he was expecting. His Intelligence stat was high, but it was definitely not high enough to simte something like this. So, in the end, there was only one culprit. The affinity... he thought as a faint smile formed on his face before quickly going back to controlling the vial. Even with the added advantages he had, it seemed like the two students were not having any trouble either¡ªtheir speed was even slightly higher than his own. In the end, it was not a sprint. All he had to do was finish brewing the potion without ruining it. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire@@novelbin@@ Therefore, he decided to test his limits. Instead of cautiously cing the vial atop the alchemy furnace and taking it away seconds before it would crack, Neraxis opted for the more dangerous option. That being precise control¡ªmore precise than what he was currently doing. To ruin the potion, he would need topletely shatter the vial or take it off too early. s, Neraxis could use that to his advantage. Holding the vial a few milliseconds longer than usual, he quickly took it off. To both the others'' and his surprise, that made a much bigger difference than he anticipated. If he had done it as he had before, each time he put the vial on and off the me, 5% of the potion would be finished. In this instance, however, at least 10% or even 12% was brewed in one go¡ªthe mere difference of a couple of milliseconds. Yet Neraxis did not let up and continued using the same strategy, while at the same time earning a look of amazement from Liora. Of course, the students beside her noticed what he was doing as well, and with frustrated looks, tried replicating it. But, as one would expect, they did not seed. One of their vials shattered immediately, whereas the other student managed to replicate Neraxis''s process two or three times¡ªuntil he, too, met with the cracking of his vial. As for Neraxis, he watched as the contents of the potion began mixing perfectly together, forming a clear golden color. And not even a few momentster, he was done. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he took a nce at the shocked Liora. "Is this good enough, Miss?" he questioned teasingly, but she shrugged it off without answering, merely walking toward him and picking up the finished potion. [Seems like it worked out in the end.] Evangeline''s soft voice rang out. Thank you for the encouragement. Neraxis expressed as a small smile formed on his face. Liora turned back to him with a conflicted look on her face and spoke. "I... How did you do that? I''ve checked your records multiple times¡ªyou''ve never practiced alchemy or even bought an alchemy kit in your life. Neither has your family." Neraxis raised a brow. "Oh? Are we spying on each other now?" He was met with a shrug. "I am a cautious woman. I don''t want just anyone using my reputation. But... you are a bit of a special case." As her words hung in the air, the two students beside her suddenly stood up and ced a hand on their faces. Immediately, they pulled downward, revealing themselves to be two elderly people¡ªeven older than Liora herself. A few questions popped into Neraxis''s mind, but before he could ask them, Liora spoke up again. "These two are the Alchemy Association''s instructors. Their ranks aren''t the highest, but they''re definitely enough to school some kids." Makes sense. He nodded in response. It wasn''t hard to tell these two were somebody important. "Now... I am a bit surprised they lost against you," Liora stated before ncing to her side, where the two instructors wore embarrassed looks. "Can you me us?" one of the instructors with short ck hair said in a deep voice. "We can''t preserve the integrity of the vial so many times in a row. Frankly, I thought it was impossible for anyone aside from you, Miss Liora." "Tch..." Liora clicked her tongue before shrugging. "You old coots are just trying to make up excuses. It''s fine to say that you lost." The two instructors grumbled and said in unison, "We admit defeat." "Great!" Liora pped her hands together and turned her gaze back onto Neraxis, her face immediately sporting a wide smile. "Now, what should I do with you, genius? I don''t think being a member of the alchemy club is enough for you..." she trailed off before seemingly getting an idea. "Oh! I know. Why don''t you be my assistant instructor instead? You could learn more directly, and, if need be, skip the clubroom lectures." Neraxis thought about it for a moment before nodding. "That''s fine, but how am I supposed to teach anyone? It''s just as you said¡ªI''ve never practiced alchemy before." "It''s fine," she waved dismissively before walking back to her desk and pulling out a schedule¡ªthe one he had asked for in the first ce. "Before each clubroom lecture, I want you toe in early. Since most of the clubroom activities are several hours after thest academy lesson, it should be fine," Liora said enthusiastically. Neraxis agreed right away. "That works for me." He quickly took the schedule and looked it over. Most of the lectures were around 3:00 PM, so he had more than enough time to do anything he wanted during the day, since most lessons and lectures ended around 2:00 PM. "Great. Thank you for satisfying my curiosity, by the way," she added. "I honestly expected you to be a one-trick wonder, but color me surprised. I await the day you finally decide to be my real disciple." He chuckled at her tone, which held a bit of possessiveness, and made his way out. The students had dispersed for the most part. Only a few were still trying to get into a club, though more than half of the clubs were already full. Neraxis felt a bit bad for them. After all, those who didn''t get into a normal club only had the choice to join the after-academy club¡ªwhich essentially meant doing nothing for an hour right after lectures. Nheless, he finally arrived in his ssroom, noticing that almost everyone was back, including Aurelia. Soon, Magnus came back as well, carrying a stack of papers that he plopped onto the lectern before turning to the ckboard and writing a few words. "Today we''ll be discussing the second floor of Dreamspire. Pay attention." Chapter 76 Certain Qualifications [Are you really going to go to her house?] Evangeline asked, a hint of wariness in her tone. Yep, she sounds like an interesting person. Wouldn''t hurt to learn some tech stuff as well while I''m at it, Neraxis replied with a shrug as he opened up the pod. As he did so, he nced around, noticing about five people, including himself and Ae, who had managed to finish the training this quickly. It was all thanks to her guidance when she saw the spider. Only then did their pace really pick up as they seemed to take all the right paths until, eventually, they arrived at the exit. Neraxis nced at one of the pods opening and noticed Ae get out of it before looking around as her gazended on his. She merely nodded with a soft smile and went toward a few of the other girls in his ss¡ªthose whose names he did not know. Nheless, Neraxis was a bit surprised it was taking Kael this long to finish. Just as those thoughts fell, however, the pods right behind him opened, revealing both Celina and Aurelia, who happily jumped out of the pods, shing a few looks at him before walking away. [Guess you can''t flirt with so many people in the room, now can you?] Evangeline teased, which he ignored as he walked up to Magnus, who was doing something on theptop. "Will there be more, or are we free to go?" Neraxis asked. Magnus quickly folded theptop before answering. "You can go for now," he said, but upon taking a closer look, Magnus stopped him. "Wait." Neraxis turned around with a slightly puzzled expression. "Yes?" He was met with a whisper, seemingly to avoid the others from hearing. "I see you''ve reached E- rank. Congrattions. However, you should visit the headmaster, as there are certain procedures for situations like these." Don''t tell me... Neraxis stared at Magnus with a knowing expression before whispering.@@novelbin@@ "You said E rank is ideal for the tower. Does that mean I have to do it early now?" he asked, immediately receiving a surprised nod in response. "That''s right. Aside from you, two other students have alreadypleted the first floor, and as you can see, they seeded. Now you must seed as well." Neraxis sighed and turned around. "Got it... I''ll be going there right away then." "Good luck," Magnus said as his parting words and quickly went back to browsing something on theptop. Meanwhile, Neraxis swiftly made his way to the fourth floor. It was surprisingly empty. At this time, people should have been on break, and yet, no one was around. After a few minutes of walking, he soon arrived and knocked on the headmaster''s door. As he did so, the door swiftly opened itself, revealing William sitting with his legs up on the table. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire "You''re the third one. Nice. Didn''t expect someone like you to improve so fast, though," William stated, earning a shrug from Neraxis in response. "If you didn''t expect something like this, then why bother covering for mest time?" William merely nced at him for a moment and quickly changed topics. "Doesn''t matter. Anyway, are you getting along with Celina?" This again... "Yes, we talked a fair bit recently," Neraxis stated with a smile, making William''s brows twitch. "I see..." he said and stood up, putting on his professional expression as he signaled for Neraxis to get closer, which he did. William flicked his fingers, and suddenly, Neraxis found himself being pushed back, seemingly into a wall. But before he could make an impact, he felt a breeze, followed by the surroundings morphing, andstly, the view of the purple tower¡ªDreamspire. Right behind him, William appeared, cing a hand on Neraxis''s shoulder and saying, "I expect you to perform as well as the others. If not, then at least get a good score." As his words finished, he suddenly leaned in and whispered, "We are going to have to talk about your ''affiliations'' right after you are done, so be prepared." Neraxis immediately twisted his body around with rm, yet once he did, William was already gone. He knows I''m in The Obscura... he sighed with a bit of resignation. Of course he does. Why am I even surprised? This man used to have more intel than even the government. [If he had bad intentions, he would have likely already confronted you,] Evangelinemented before continuing, [Besides that, I''d assume some of yourrades are monitoring you and possibly even protecting you. I wouldn''t be too worried.] If you say so, Neraxis agreed before proceeding toward the purple tower. William had not told him anything, but he did do a bit of his own research, and there was supposed to be a booth right before the massive gate, which he was walking to. Soon, he found it, with a lone man idly sitting by, seemingly about to fall asleep. Yet when he noticed Neraxis, he immediately stiffened before correcting his posture. Neraxis walked up and announced, "I''d like to enter the first floor." "ce your finger on here," the man swiftly replied, pulling out a device that looked like a fingerprint scanner. Cooperating, Neraxis put his finger on it, and soon, his information was disyed in a holographic format as the man began reading it while questioning him. "Neraxis Valen?" "That''s me." "Age?" "16." "...Rank?" the man seemingly finished, not expecting much. However, as Neraxis''s words rang out, he was left shocked. "I''m E- ranked." "Boy..." the man leaned in. "You do understand that lying will get you nowhere, right?" Neraxis nodded. "I''m not lying. Havenspire''s headmaster brought me here. As per the first-year regtions of having to clear the tower''s first ten floors, I''m here to clear the first floor." Immediately, the pieces seemed to click into ce as the man remembered something. He pulled out a different device that had the word "Attempts" written on it. There was a fingerprint scanner on it as well, and Neraxis soon used it, immediately bumping up the count of attempts to 1 as the man spoke. "You are free to enter. The liabilities have already been exined by the academy, I assume, so I won''t run you through that. Just go toward that massive, scaly, purple door and ce your hand on it." "Got it. Thanks," Neraxis replied and headed over to the door that was indeed massive, much bigger than the one he had seen in the Astral Tower. After cing his hand on it, his vision contorted, and soon, he found himself sitting on a sofa in apletely nk white room with a single timer in front of him, counting down from ten minutes. [9:58] [9:57] However, the timer soon stopped, and instead, a blue system window appeared in front of him before swiftly turning red due to Evangeline''s influence. Yet the content it disyed was a bit unnerving. [Climber: Neraxis Valen] [Records: Astral Tower - 1/12] [Dreamspire has taken notice of your achievements!] [Difficulty Increasing!] [Normal -> Hard] Neraxis''s eyes widened at the sequence of notifications until, finally, thest ones fell. [Dreamspire Tower - 1st Floor: Arena of Beginnings] [Objective: Survive and kill as many monsters as you can in 10 -> 20 minutes] [Status: Initializing...] Chapter 77 Dreamspires Enhanced Floor 1 As thest of the messages fell, Neraxis soon found himself positioned in the middle of a massive diator arena.@@novelbin@@ It was muchrger than the one Magnus described; nheless, he would remain vignt. That''s because the trial increased in difficulty¡ªthe time he needed to survive doubled. Moreover, it was likely the monsters had increased in rank as well. First things first¡ªhe would enable the Aura of the Abyss perk, immediately shrouding himself in that murky, obsidian-like energy that seemed to affect the space slightly. It was the perfect time to try it all out. [10 Seconds Remaining Until The First Floor''s Trial Begins] Brushing the system notification aside, he confidently summoned his sword as Evangeline cheered him on. [Go get them! If you do, I''ll prepare a special surprise the next time we see each other.] The cheering was a bit too effective, as he flinched at her words. Evangeline... you really have no filter. [Huh? I''d give you a better skill, of course.] She added in a yfully puzzled voice, [Were you expecting something else?] Nevermind... he sighed, and soon, the timer ran out. As it did, he could already spot a horde of monsters appearing, yet thankfully, there weren''t many types. Simple E-ranked Dire Wolves that looked nearly identical to the ones in the Astral Tower, Goblins¡ªwhich were, of course, just green gremlins that posed barely any threat¡ªand the troublesome Venomous Wasps¡ªquite a few of them Mini-Boss-level threats. The same went for Demonic Imps, as the sheer number of them would likely not be pleasant to deal with. Yet the most dangerous monsters were the Troll Scouts, massive dark-blue creatures that could seemingly crush anyone with their sheer size. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire And their regeneration is unbelievable too... Neraxis grumbled and took a deep breath before proceeding forward. For now, he would use some simple skills and save the more effective ones for when he actually needed them, so as to not exhaust himself early on. Neraxis steadily approached, locking onto the ones who would prove to be annoying in a drawn-out fight: the Venomous Wasps. Jumping upward, he made them shoot out their stingers while at the same time using Sword Dash to appear beside them, cleaving six of them in half. Yet it was not over, as soon, a pair of goblins nearby started barreling toward him. Before they could get too close, he extended his ckened-out arm forward and pierced through them, as if they weren''t even there. The goblins didn''t bleed¡ªtheir wounds cauterized instantly¡ªas they fell lifelessly, their bodies slowly deteriorating. [That''s a bit...] Evangeline eximed with a hint of hesitance. [It''s a bit dangerous. You should definitely not use it around people¡ªor learn how to control it, I don''t even know.] Well, that''s obvious. Neraxis nodded back at her and proceeded to stretch out his mana a tad around him, making it easier to use his Intelligence stat, which greatly increased his perception. At the current moment, his mana usage was very limited, but when he began training it, the efficiency would increase drastically. Noticing that he was starting to get circled by the Goblins and Venomous Wasps, Neraxis used Simple Horizontal sh, making a small dent in their formation. Yet it was enough for him to slip through and run to the other side of the massive diator arena. The Troll Scouts and Dire Wolves had yet to make their move, seemingly standing by as the timer ticked down¡ª14 minutes remaining. By his estimations, he had managed to kill at least 100 monsters so far, which, by his standards, was still pretty low. Therefore, it was about time he decided to try something more reckless. After all, his second perk, Unyielding Vitality, should be more than enough to guarantee his survivability. Soon, Neraxis dashed back into the crowd, vertically shing a few wasps while simultaneously using his sword as a baseball bat to send their stingers at the remaining Venomous Wasps. Even then, the numbers seemed endless, increasing with each passing moment. Nheless, it didn''t seem to matter, as each time he got hit and suffered an injury, killing ten monsters seemed to patch it up, his skin mending itself automatically. However, the most prominent perk was definitely Cosmic Sight, as he could clearly make out the monsters'' weaknesses and swiftly strike at them. As he did, their bodies crumbled as massive holes appeared in them¡ªthe aftereffect of his double vital damage effect. But for some reason, Neraxis noticed that the numbers began dwindling or simply backing away from him. That was when a boulder from seemingly nowhere approached, its speed far greater than he had anticipated. Neraxis used Sword Dash, appearing before a random Goblin and killing it instantly. Yet as the boulder made impact with the ground, it shook, causing some of the nearby monsters to lose their bnce. Troll Scout... He nced at the massive monster as it picked up another boulder and soon hurtled it at him. This time, Neraxis dodged to the side before swiftly making his way over to the monster. In total, there were three Troll Scouts present, along with a bunch of Dire Wolves¡ªyet they weren''t even attacking. Though these trolls were ranked D-, their strength likely rivaled C-, while their agilitygged far behind. Neraxis ran up to the troll and avoided a kick before quickly ducking below it and shing at the back of its knees. Immediately, it tumbled down, yet the fall didn''tst long; soon, it began standing up again, the injury he had inflicted seemingly healing. That was why Neraxis used Mark of Decay, inflicting the Decaying debuff, which he immediately began stacking. As he did so, the Troll Scout''s regeneration noticeably halted, practically letting him finish it off. And that''s exactly what Neraxis did¡ªnot detonating the mark, but instead jumping on top of the dismembered Troll Scout and bringing the sword down, slicing its head off. 11 minut¡ª His thoughts were interrupted as, all of a sudden, he felt a push, followed by a burning sensation in his arm¡ªit was caught between the jaws of a Dire Wolf. The pain onlysted for a moment, as the Dire Wolf''s mouth soon began deteriorating, and it fell lifelessly to the ground. This is a really great defense. Neraxis nodded to himself, though the downside was its high mana consumption. To block that single bite and kill the Dire Wolf, it roughly drained 20% of his total mana¡ªthe mana he was still barely essing. Safe to say, he couldn''t block such attacks frequently. However, it was starting to be a bit too quiet, as most of the monsters had backed away to the outskirts of the massive arena. He watched as the clock began counting down, nearing the ten-minute mark. [10:02] [10:01] [10:00] What now? Neraxis thought, ncing around. He soon froze as, all of a sudden, the massive door he had spotted earlier opened. From it came a single monster¡ªone even he himself would have trouble fighting. A giant monster seemed nearly identical to the troll, yet its size was at least three times greater. It was much smarter too, meaning it was a really troublesome enemy. An Ogre. Shit... Chapter 78 Fighting the Ogre [Oho, now that''s a big one,] Evangeline remarked with a whistle, causing Neraxis''s brows to furrow. This is noughing matter. I have ten minutes to kill all these monsters, as well as the Ogre, but I¡ª He suddenly froze as he remembered one of his skill effects. Crimson Sovereignty''s third skill effect, Blood Sovereignty, allowed him to create blood constructs, and it did not specify a limit. Therefore, Neraxis immediately turned toward the pile of corpses scattered in the middle of the arena and used that skill. Soon, the blood began levitating off the ground and quickly formed into a single blob. The moment that happened, Neraxis felt as though he hadplete control over the levitating blood and, without waiting further, imagined the blood pooling itself into the shape of goblins. He was shocked at the rate at which it was forming, since in just a few seconds, it was all over. [10x Blood Constructs Summoned! Type: Combat¡ªGoblin Swordsman] The red system message fell, signifying the sess of the skill. However, the sensation was a bit odd. It was almost like there was an extra 10 people connected to him, which he soonmanded to attack the nearby monsters. The red goblins he created dashed, and as they did, swords formed in their hands as they attacked the nearby monsters with great fervor. Perfect. I can cut myself some ck now, Neraxis nodded to himself. It was definitely a good skill, but due to his rank or something else entirely, the efficiency was not great, as he was only able to summon 10 blood constructs from over 200 corpses. Nheless, he proceeded with the hard part: the boss monster ahead of him, which had been staring at him as though he were a dead man. But in the end, Neraxis was confident in being able to kill him, since, after all, he still had the Mark of Destruction. Therefore, Neraxis decided not to waste any time. A mob like this was at the very least D+ ranked, but since the difficulty was increased, C- rank was notpletely out of his expectations. Using Sword Dash, he appeared in front of the Ogre, and before he could even finish swinging his sword, a boulder came flying at him from the two Troll Scouts by the side. He did not give up, however, as he swiftly made his way toward one of the Troll Scouts and soon used Mark of Destruction on it. Apletely ck-and-silver orb appeared, and Neraxis took this chance to reach maximum stacks. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire It was not a difficult challenge to avoid its attack, yet he was constantly wary of the Ogre behind him, which was slowly approaching as if taunting him. But in the end, it was perfect, since that gave him the chance to do a clean sweep of the area. As soon as Neraxis reached maximum stacks of Decaying andpletely severed all of the Troll Scout''s limbs, he moved onto the next one. A few attacks fell on him, such as the Dire Wolves dashing toward him and trying to bite his head off. However, they too were met with a precise sh of the sword that hit or even grazed their vitals. Nheless, it was enough to kill all of them. Blood started getting into his eyes, but just before it became a problem, Evangeline pushed it away. Thank you, he expressed before finally arriving in front of the other Troll Scout. Neraxis quickly marked it and began stacking up his attacks while nimbly dodging the aggressive punches being sent at him. The Swordsmanship skill was really shining currently, since he couldn''t imagine himself reaching such a swinging speed regrly, and it was even more ridiculous since it kept increasing. That was until the stacks umted to the maximum in just 10 seconds. Meanwhile, the other Troll Scout still had roughly 28 seconds remaining on its stacks. This meant Neraxis was still on time. Quickly cutting off the Troll Scout''s limbs, he turned toward the Ogre, who by now had broken off a part of the arena and held it as though it were some sort of club. Yet Neraxis did not have time to admire it, as he immediately began running toward it. However, the moment he got within its swinging range, the Ogre attacked with the club. But to his utter surprise, it did not swing it. Instead, it was sent flying right at him. And just as it was about to hit Neraxis, he recalled his remaining 10 Blood Goblins, which quickly reduced the brunt of the attack, giving him enough time to dodge. At the same time, he used Mark of Destruction, and with 21 seconds remaining for the first Troll, he had to act fast. Using Ster Dominion''s Cosmic Cascade, the entire area was lit up in an aurora-like fashion, and soon, it made impact with the Ogre''s body. Even then, it seemed like it did not deal much damage aside from scorching its body heavily. Yet Neraxis was not discouraged. He took this time to get closer and began attacking its ankles with various strikes that dealt even more damage due to his new passive Ruin debuff, which made each attack do 1% of unblockable True Damage. The Ogre did not take this lying down, and soon, it seemingly jumped up in the air. The moment it did, a frown appeared on Neraxis''s face as he awaited the Ogre''s drop back down onto the ground. But before it could, he used one of his newer skill effects, Shadow Mantle. Neraxis seemingly phased through the attack before swiftly striking the Ogre a couple of times and applying the Blinding Curse. Simr to his Decaying debuff, it had a gray orb circling around its eyes. It seemed like the Ogre began panicking a little, as it started kicking all over the ce, yet just narrowly missed Neraxis. Right as his Shadow Mantle ended, he took this chance to jump onto its erratic body and immediately use the Simple Horizontal sh. Surprisingly, the effects were instantly noticeable as its arm was lopped off, and it was not healing either. At the same time, he noticed the blood loss quickening, which immediately gave him yet another idea. Therefore, Neraxis used Vampiric Dominion''s Blood Rend. It struck directly onto the Ogre''s chest, and soon, blood began spurting out like a fountain from every single open wound. Yet Neraxis wasn''t finished. He focused his mana into his ckened-out arm until it emitted a faint white glow. And soon, he swung his arm down, punching a hole through the Ogre''s abdomen while at the same time disintegrating most of its internal organs. Neraxis nodded in satisfaction before hopping off and paying attention to the Troll Scouts he had dismembered. The first one had just 6 seconds left on its mark.@@novelbin@@ But what really intrigued him was that both of the Troll Scouts were being dragged over by the nearby monsters. The Dire Wolves were in the lead, almost in front of him. However, before they could attack him, Neraxis locked onto a faraway monster¡ªa lone goblin who was too afraid to fight back¡ªand soon used Sword Dash, appearing before it, and decapitating it in an instant. Only now could he look back at the chaos he had caused, as well as the monsters that had gathered around the Ogre and the two Troll Scouts. Neraxis took one final deep breath and spoke, "Detonate Mark of Destruction." Chapter 79 Clearing The Arena of Beginnings Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire The moment he spoke those words, the entire area suddenly burst into silver mes, expanding as far as the eye could see. At the same time, however, Neraxis could feel a massive surge of mana entering his body, essentially restoring all of his previously used mana andpletely relieving the fatigue he had felt. However, he definitely did not expect this amount of destruction. Each monster''s distorted scream resounded until eventually, it all died down. And just as he expected, a column of red system messages appeared before him, bringing a smile to his face. [469x (F+ Ranked Monster) Goblin in! Reward: Stigmata 0% -> 4.69%] [311x (F+ Ranked Monster) Venomous Wasp in! Reward: Stigmata 4.69% -> 7.8%] [95x (E- Ranked Monster) Demonic Imp in! Reward: Stigmata 7.8% -> 17.3%] [70x (E+ Ranked Monster) Dire Wolf in! Reward: Stigmata 17.3% -> 34.8%] [3x (D- Ranked Monster) Troll Scout in! Reward: Stigmata 34.8% -> 37.8%] [1x (D+ Ranked Mini-Boss) Ogre Sentinel in! Reward: Stigmata 37.8% -> 45.3%] What a great haul, though I am a bit surprised the Ogre wasn''t C- rank, he remarked inwardly before jumping back on guard. For all he knew, there could be more monsters, simply because the Ogre was a Mini-Boss. Naturally, where there was a Mini-Boss, there was also a Boss. However, even after the minutes ticked down, not a single monster appeared; the boss included. Finally, he was down to hisst minute. Only then could he feel something happening again, but this time, he definitely did not expect it. On the outskirts of the diator-like arena appeared a bunch of doors, and out of them came Troll Scouts, each holding a boulder. Shit, Neraxis expressed before ncing at the time. [0:51] There wasn''t much left, but with over 10 Troll Scouts surrounding him, it would be a tad bit difficult to avoid. Yet he wouldn''t give up; if anything, it might even be a bit easier to fight them head-on. And that''s exactly what Neraxis did, proceeding toward where the slowest of the bunch were. The boulders came flying in, but before they could make contact with him, he seamlessly dodged, even cutting a few in half. For some reason, ever since earlier, he felt his sword swings be more efficient, faster, and more precise as well. No skill rank-up notification though, Neraxis grumbled and cut another boulder in half as he finally approached one of the Troll Scouts. Waiting for the one in front of him to throw the boulder, he made a feint, tricking the stupid monster as he slid under its legs, and soon, cut its ankles. Immediately after, Neraxis proceeded to touch the parts he had cut with his ckened-out hand, and soon, the Troll Scout''s legs deteriorated, not regenerating anymore. Thank God that worked; my marks are both on cooldown, he nodded to himself, watching as the shocked Troll Scout turned its body toward him. But before it could evenplete that motion, Neraxis sent a swift cut at its neck, drawing blood. And like before, he followed it up by touching the wound with his hand, immediately killing the monster. Yet his victory did notst long, as suddenly, a rain of boulders hurtled right at him. However, as they did, he used what was left of the Troll Scout''s body to block, since despite Neraxis''s easy killing, it was pretty sturdy. Right after the impacts stopped, he saw a trickle of blood appear before him, and immediately he got an idea. Slicing through the Troll Scout''s back, Neraxis drew blood and immediately used Crimson Sovereignty''s Blood Sovereignty, creating a single construct that quickly took on a new form. [1x Blood Construct Summoned! Type: Defense¡ªBlood Shield] It was definitely not big enough to cover him entirely, but holding it in his left hand, Neraxis felt like he could at least block a single hit. And that was enough, as he headed toward the next Troll Scout beside him and repeated the process of slicing its ankles, deteriorating them, before finally delivering the killing blow. However, unlike the other times, he did not see any new boulders being hurled at him. As those thoughts fell, Neraxis suddenly twisted his body, dodging the iing fist of a nearby Troll Scout while deeply cutting into its wrist. But he could not rx, as soon, the other Troll Scouts approached, not even giving him a moment to take a breath. Despite these circumstances, however, he had a smile stered over his face. It was just as he remembered¡ªthe exhrating feeling of dancing with death, where he could be literally crushed at a moment''s notice. The same feeling that made him that much stronger in the past. I''m d I can experience it again, Neraxis expressed before attempting something new. Evangeline, is there any way you can make the ck mana on my hands travel up to the tip of the sword? [It''s definitely possible; however, the mana consumption will be immense because you don''t have the right skill for it,] she exined before adding in a cheeky tone. [But since we are sopatible, I''ll try my best to lessen it.]@@novelbin@@ ...Thank you, he said, and immediately, Neraxis understood what she meant. The mana began traveling up to the sword, turning itpletely ck. However, it also made his hand numb from the sheer amount of mana it was using. By his estimations, he could keep this up for only 10 more seconds, and with 20 more seconds left on the clock, it was definitely possible. Neraxis bore through the difort before suddenlyshing out at a nearby Troll Scout. To his surprise, its chest immediately caved in, and its entire body soon followed after, turning into ashes and mixing with the dried blood on the ground. Now this is what I''m talking about, a grin soon formed on Neraxis''s face, as instead of being on the defense, he now turned to offense, narrowly dodging each attack before delivering a precise strike straight toward the Troll Scout''s vitals. His swordsmanship was getting better and better, yet he still felt like something was missing, something he could not quite figure out. Nheless, with the skills he had, their numbers swiftly dwindled from 7 to 5, to now only 2. Yet he miscalcted a little bit, as the ckened-out parts of his arm soon disappeared, meaning his Aura of the Abyss perk automatically disabled itself. The reason? Lack of mana. Neraxis felt a bit groggy, yet he persevered, shing both of the Troll Scouts'' knees in half, making them fall onto the ground. They tried attacking him in thest moment, but he simply stepped backward before jumping into the air and swiftly positioning himself in a way where, in the next attack, he could end them both. Immediately, Neraxis used the Simple Horizontal sh, cleaving both of their heads off. But he wasn''t done, since even after having their heads lopped off, new heads soon began emerging, forming in an excruciating manner. However, before it could get too far, he used the blood that had flowed out of them and quickly made a few more constructs. To his surprise, since they constantly regenerated, it also seemed like their blood was being replenished as well. Because of that, the number of Blood Constructs he was able to summon was a bit ridiculous. [1559x Blood Construct Summoned! Type: Combat¡ªBlood Needle] Soon, Neraxis felt a massive joint connection, and without waiting further, waved his hand downward, piercing the Troll Scouts with an ever-increasing amount of Blood Needles. That was until eventually, they died, and the notifications finally dawned before him. [10x (D- Ranked Monster) Troll Scout in! Reward: Stigmata 45.3% ¡ú 55.3%] Yet that wasn''t the end of the notifications, though, as the timer finally reached zero. [0:00] [Dreamspire - 1st Floor Hard Mode: The Arena of Beginnings - Complete] [Climber: Neraxis Valen] [1st Floor Rating Generating...] Oh? he raised his brow at the unexpected stream of notifications before his eyes widened at the next set of them. [Rating Generated: SSS] [Position: 3,776,511,055 -> 1,221,559,971] [Current Progress: 1/? Floors] Positions? Oh, that''s what determines those rankings I looked up back then, he nodded to himself before looking for the way out button. Yet he stumbled upon something more interesting, which made him halt. [Dreamspire - 2nd Floor Hard Mode: Maze of Precision - Avable] [Do you wish to enter?] [Yes/No] Chapter 81 An Insight Into The Obscura "Neraxis Valen... Rank 721,994,251. That''s a new record for someone who has only cleared two floors," the guard announced. "Mhm," Neraxis mused inwardly, though the re of William could not be avoided as he finally spoke. "We''re having that talk now." As William''s words fell, Neraxis found his vision distorting, and soon, he was back in the same office he had been in earlier. "You should really ease up on the teleportation. I''m going to vomit all over your floor next time," Neraxis said, looking at the unamused William. "So, Veiled One, is it? I''m surprised you were even invited to that ragtag group of theirs. That woman, Amara, is as troublesome as always." Neraxis raised his brow before replying, "I''m sure you know more about the group than I do. I''m still a pretty new member." "Well, that''s where you''re wrong," William stated, grabbing a bottle of red wine, pouring himself a ss, and taking a sip. "This ''Obscura'' of yours¡ªI can''t find anything about it. The only reason I even stumbled upon the organization was that madwoman invited me." "And yet you declined?" Neraxismented, earning a nod from him in response. But the answer was slightly different from what he was expecting. "I declined but still ended up as a member¡ªnot officially, of course. I am what you''d refer to as the Veiled One, a person who is considered a part of the group but hasn''t gone on a single mission yet," William exined with a scoff. However, a few things did not add up. He hasn''t gone on a single mission? Someone like him? He''s much stronger than me... then why..? "Anyway..." William put the wine ss down before narrowing his eyes at Neraxis. "What is your end goal? You willingly went on a mission and became an Official Veil. What are you now? The Fifth?" "My end goal doesn''t concern you," Neraxis replied coldly and added, "I see that organization as a means to an end¡ªa way to grow stronger much quicker. I don''t exactly care about the path necessary to reach my goals. If the end result is the same, so be it." William stared at him for a moment and sighed before turning around to look out the window. However, he soon raised a question. "Have you heard of the Delihman massacre?" "Of course," Neraxis tilted his head. "That''s the neighboring city that was razed to the ground four years ago." "Mhm..." William hummed with a chuckle. "The Obscura made sure not to leave even a single person remaining, wiping the traces of civilization clean off the face of the earth." Neraxis''s eyes widened upon hearing that, but he wasn''t exactly convinced. "The Obscura wiped out an entire city? And for what exactly? I''m sure, since you so conveniently investigated them, you''d know." And indeed, that seemed to be the case, as William soon replied in a low voice, barely a whisper.@@novelbin@@ "Project Z17. Whatever it is¡ªand whatever the government is doing with it¡ªseems to be a thorn in The Obscura''s side. And for thest ten years, they''ve been hard at work ridding this nasty part of the government." "I don''t see how that''s bad," Neraxis questioned before lowering his voice as well. "I take it Delihman was their base of operations? Is that why it waspletely wiped out?" "That''s right." William nodded and affirmed. "Remember when I mentioned the rotten part was mainly culled? Ny-five percent of Delihman was corrupted by that project." Oh... I see now. Neraxis narrowed his eyes and spoke. "Your moralpass believes that the remaining five percent were all innocents, is that it?" At his insensitive remark, William sent a fierce re, and soon, the chair Neraxis was sitting in froze. "Watch your mouth," he said in a cold tone before lowering his voice again. "Do you think this group really cares about the people¡ªor anyone else, for that matter? They simply do this to reach their goals at all costs. If they really wanted to, they could have saved the remaining five percent." However, Neraxis wasn''t having any of it as he stood up from the icy chair, shattering its handrest. "Headmaster, people die because sacrifices must be made. There is no perfect world." He felt odd being the one to tell him this. After all, in the past, William had told him these same exact words. "You think an immature brat like you has the right to lecture me?" William suddenly appeared before him, sending him a cold re. However, Neraxis did not back down. "If that''s what it takes for your foggy mind to clear, then yes, I am going to lecture you." William merely stared at him before eventually letting out a sigh. "I expected you to have some semnce of a heart, yet you are the same as them." This is getting tiring. Neraxis furrowed his brows, and just as he was about to call him out, the door swung open. All of a sudden, Celina walked in, twirling her pair of daggers but halting upon seeing the two of them. "Sorry... Am I interrupting something?" she questioned, and before Neraxis could answer, William pushed him aside. "No, Celi, we just finished our talk. You''re free to train here," he said in a warm tone, a stark difference from his earlier stubbornness. "...Okay." Celina nodded in response with a hint of suspicion before taking a nce at Neraxis. "You missed the second round of training... Why did you skip?" Noticing a bit of concern in her voice, Neraxis prepared to answer but was once again interrupted by the annoyance known as William. "Ah, he reached E- rank and finished the first floor." Guess the second trial is a mystery for now. Neraxis smiled inwardly, noticing Celina''s eyes widen. "He''s E- ranked already...? But just earlier..." She couldn''t believe it¡ªor simply chose not to. "I''m going to take my leave, Headmaster," Neraxis said, shing a warm smile toward Celina, and soon left the office. That conversation was suffocating, but I did get some intel at the very least, he thought while walking down the hallways back to his ss. [Yeah... He did seem like an overly righteous person at first, but this confirmed it,] Evangeline remarked with a giggle before continuing. [I guess that''s why he never went on a mission.] Maybe, maybe not. There is still a lot I don''t know, obviously, he replied and went back into the ssroom. Surprisingly, there was only one person left¡ªAe¡ªand she was sitting in the back where she always had been. It seemed like she had dozed off a little on the table, so Neraxis silently approached, feeling a tad bit bad. He tapped on her shoulder, and she immediately shot up, ncing around with her hair slightly disheveled. But upon noticing him, she calmed down, breathing out a sigh of relief. "I left after the first part of the training. I thought you went to the ssroom... so I followed you," Ae began, trying to exin herself, making a soft smile appear on his face. "Sorry for making you wait," he expressed sincerely and took out his phone. "Could I get your phone number then?" "O-Of course!" she stammered before picking up his phone and typing her number in, while at the same time, sending herself a text. "Here..." Ae gave the phone back with slightly shaking hands that did not go unnoticed by Neraxis. However, he did not want toe off as too yful with a girl he had not even gotten to know that much, so he did not point it out. "I''ll message youter," Ae said as she skipped across the ssroom, stopping right at the door and ncing at him with a warm smile. "You better reply to me." As her words fell, she left, not even giving him time to reply. But it did not matter, as he merely chuckled. Of course I will. [What will you do now?] Evangeline chimed in, flying around in her sword form. I''ll look up the Dreamspire''s first ten floorster, just in case something like earlier happens again, but for now, I want to do some training. Neraxis stated and proceeded to walk to the Special ss training facility, entering the battle simtion chamber. Thankfully, he had the gold ess card, meaning he could stay here for as long as he wanted. And it was also about time he practiced his swordsmanship. Chapter 82 Fruits of Labor "Huaa, fuck," Neraxis eximed as he was once again thrown against a wall by the monster he had chosen. The battle simtion chamber was pretty simple¡ªall he had to do was select which monster he wanted to fight, and then it would appear in the form of a super-enhanced dummy. Thankfully, due to his golden ess card, there were no limits. Therefore, he chose a C- ranked Shadow Born¡ªan extremely fast humanoid enemypletely shrouded in shadows, just as its name implied. However, its defenses weren''t that strong, meaning if hended just a single hit, it would be possible to defeat it. But s, even after two whole hours, he was unable to do anything. Each time his sword drew nearer, the monster simply stepped back, not giving Neraxis a chance to even finish the attack before he was sent flying into a nearby wall. Evangeline, two hours have passed. Could I get some help? he asked, still lying on the floor. [Hmm...] she hummed in an amused tone before saying, [I think you can learn the Simple Stab.] Simple Stab... your naming sense sure is something, Neraxis said with a sigh, standing back up and grabbing his sword. So? How do I do it? [It''s as the name says¡ªstab perfectly, just like how you perform perfect horizontal shes,] Evangeline exined before flying out of his grasp and seemingly performing the attack. As she did so, the Shadow Born was killed instantly, even from such a distance, before it respawned a short whileter. Woah... He was in awe. Yet, just like the Simple Horizontal sh, learning this would not be easy. [Too easy??] She practically gasped at his tone. [That skill should have taken you almost a month to learn. I wouldn''t be surprised if you learn this one in a day or two.] Haha... Neraxis scratched his head and soon proceeded to take the sword, getting into a stance that would allow him to perform a perfect stab. Yet he immediately felt a bit of difort with his stance, and even after adjusting it several times, the feeling remained the same. [You''re overthinking it,] Evangeline stated with a chuckle, making his brow rise. I... Why was the Simple Horizontal sh so easy to learn? I can''t even find the right stance for this one, heined, and soon received the answer. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire [What do you think happens when aplete beginner picks up a sword? He swings it around, not caring about form or anything of the sort, until finally, hees up with something effective.] Her voice held a certain amusement that made him feel at ease. So, Neraxis listened more intently, trying to read between the lines as she continued. [Now tell me. A seasoned professional picks up a sword and is learning a skill that''s slightly above their level. How would they tackle such a feat?] Practice? he mused, receiving a giggle in response. [That''s right¡ªpractice, Neraxis. Don''t expect to learn a skill in an instant before even knowing the basic fundamentals. Take my training as the basics. After that, I''ll teach you the Intermediate Horizontal sh and even more advanced skills if you be strong enough.] Neraxis let out a sigh. I am concerned how each of your skills are named so... simply. Tell me, is there an Advanced Horizontal sh? [Huh? How did you know?] she replied, slightly startled. With a chuckle, he focused up. Since finding a perfect stance wasn''t working, he''d adapt. Therefore, Neraxis walked up to the Shadow Born and proceeded to stab at it. Unsurprisingly, he was dodged, and before he could even react, he took another hit to the face. Yet disappointingly, he did not feel any improvement in his stance. But he went on, and on, and on, until eventually, his feet felt in the right ce¡ªthen his waist, his form, andstly, the stab itself. Neraxis took a deep breath and, without wasting a single second, stabbed forward, his form seemingly perfect. An attack slightly different from his previous ones surged out. Yet it was just not fast enough to hit the Shadow Born, sending him flying again. However, there was finally progress¡ªsomething to take note of. That was why he did not let up, continuing to do it over and over again, when all of a sudden, he heard a buzzing sound at the entrance of the room. And as Neraxis nced toward it, he finally noticed the time. 8:22 P.M... fuck. He had been here for almost nine hours doing nothing but training. Checking his phone, he realized there were a few missed calls from his mother, a few texts from his sister, andstly, a voice recording from Ae. I''ll check them all out in a moment, but first... He ced his gaze on the door that kept buzzing and soon opened it. What greeted his sight was a ck-haired male instructor whose name he could not remember. "Can I help you?" Neraxis questioned, receiving a bbergasted look in response. "Help me? You can help me by getting out! The academy closed nearly half an hour ago¡ªwhat are you even still doing in here?" the instructor eximed, and Neraxis merely nodded. "Right, I''ll pack my things and get out. Give me a couple of minutes." The instructor furrowed his brows and waved his hand. "Hurry up. I need to close down since they aren''t exactly paying me overtime." As Neraxis heard those words, his interest was piqued. "Oh? Would you let me stay here longer for 500 Crowns?" "Are you trying to bri¡ª" "I misspoke¡ª2,500 Crowns. Let me stay here until tomorrow. How''s that sound?" Neraxis interjected with a smile on his face. "2¡ª2,500 Crowns?!" the instructor shouted before covering his mouth, quickly looking around, and adding with a greedy grin, "That''s half my month''s wage. You''ve got yourself a deal, young man." "Perfect. See me tomorrow. I''ll go back to training in the meanwhile," Neraxis stated and soon closed the door on the instructor''s face. [Pfft...] Evangeline tried holding in herugh but failed. [Hahaha... I didn''t think that would work in such a prestigious academy. Color me surprised.] Power of being rich, he shrugged before picking up the phone and messaging both his mother and sister that he would be staying over at a friend''s house. Simply what a good son and brother would do¡ªprobably. Lastly, he opened Ae''s message. He pressed on the voice recording, and it began to y. @@novelbin@@ There were faint tremors in her voice that brought a smile to his face as he soon replied. It felt a bit awkward typing something like that. It felt very traditional in a sense, yet nheless, he clicked send. And not even a momentter, his message was seen, followed by a lightning-fast reply. Raising a brow, he wrote, Immediately, a picture of some mechanical chalice appeared, though its design didn''t exactly make any sense as it looked like it was leaking water. "Pfft... what the hell?" He couldn''t help but let out a chuckle before replying. Again, again, and again, until several hours finally passed. That was pretty fun. Neraxis looked up at the ceiling before taking a deep breath and ncing at the Shadow Born by the side. It was about time he perfected this stabbing skill. Chapter 84 Combat Tactics Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire "Now then, everyone, you will all be in a single team, no exceptions," Magnus announced, emphasizing thatst part while shooting a nce at Kael. He soon continued, "Combat is a sacred act, and it''s our duty to improve it. Therefore, I will be teaching you allbat tactics, practically. You will learn how to use the terrain to your advantage." Sounds simple enough. Neraxis nodded. Yet Magnus was not finished. "Our academy owns a small mountain just slightly outside of this city, and that''s where you will all be going today." "Huh? What about food?" a single student eximed, only to be met with a stern exnation. "If you want food, then hunt for it. You can also find berries where we will be going, as the mountain is in the middle of a forest." Neraxis grew slightly curious and asked, "Who exactly will we be training against? I believe most of us can kill monsters now. Unless you''re nning to train us yourself?" "I am not," Magnus shook his head before nonchntly adding, "I''ve gathered prisoners and scattered them all around the mountain range as well as the forest below. Your task is to simply use the terrain and kill them all." What the fuck? Neraxis''s eyes widened as gasps resounded from all around him. "You want us to y executioner? Are you serious?" he asked. Magnus''s reply was cold. "You lot are the special ss. Therefore, I am giving you special treatment. As such, I am allowing you to get ustomed to killing, since while this city, Argon, might be peaceful, the other cities, not so much." Once everyone quieted down, he continued, "Argon is blessed to have so many individuals to defend from the constant onught of Rift Breaks, while the other regions and cities are not so lucky, most being turned into monster zones." "That is why," Magnus raised his voice, "I am teaching you to kill, so you don''t get yourselves killed." ...I find that hard to believe unless the academy is nning to send us off to those monster-infested zones. Neraxis narrowed his eyes, but s, Magnus pped his hands, gathering everyone''s attention again. "Everyone, head to the top floor and onto the rooftop, where a transport helicopter is waiting. It should have just enough room for 20 of you. I will meet you there. Good luck." As his words finished, Magnus suddenly vanished from their eyes, and soon, the entire ss was left alone with just a single instruction: go to the roof. Hmm... this is¡ª Neraxis''s words were interrupted when, all of a sudden, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Upon turning around, he saw Ae looking at him with a smile. "Did you sleep at all? Or were you actually training all night?" "Haha... No, I didn''t really have time to sleep," Neraxis responded when Kael suddenly nudged him before saying, "You sure have your focus all over the ce." His voice held a bit of disapproval, to which Neraxis merely shrugged. "At least I''m not a battle junkie who has a 3-0 loss record." "W-What did you say!?" Kael was startled by Neraxis''s boldment, but before he could respond, two other people approached. "You are grouping up, right? We are joining," Celina said while pointing toward Aurelia behind her, who waved back in response. "Sounds good to me. The bigger our group, the less work we''ll have to do," Neraxis added with a chuckle before turning toward Soren, who had been standing idly by. "Soren, do you want toe along with us?" However, Neraxis was met with a shake of the head. "No. I told you to leave me alone." Fair enough... Neraxis sighed before turning to his makeshift group and saying, "There are five of us in total, so it should be enough for most problems that could arise. Let''s go up." At his words, they all began walking, with the rest of the ss trailing not too far behind. However, Ae was being a little closer than usual, and their hands were nearly touching. But upon noticing the smile on her face, Neraxis did not push her away, walking closely until they eventually reached the rooftop, where the helicopter waited for them. A pair of instructors appeared, neatly guiding each and every student into the helicopter while, at the same time, providing a parachute in case of emergency. Neraxis was taken inside too, and after gettingfortable¡ªalongside Ae, who sat beside him, and Kael in front of him¡ªthey were off. The flight took longer than he expected. A whole hour, meaning they were actually farther from the city than Magnus had made them believe. And soon, Neraxis saw a vast mountain range appear in the distance, followed by thousands of trees rising into the sky. Zarj Encampment. He grimaced, being reminded of the past. This forest, as well as the mountain range, was nothing but a cover-up for a monster zone, and in the very middle of it all was the encampment called Zarj. It housed corrupt militia and other kinds of rotten people who were better off dead. Yet the fact that they were descending there currently was only the beginning. After just a few minutes, theynded, and soon, one of the instructors who had tagged along with them escorted each of the students out. However, as Neraxis began looking around, he suddenly felt a gust of wind, followed by the helicopter flying off, leaving them behind. Of course... He groaned and nced around this so-called encampment. There were tents, while at the same time, a few makeshift brick houses that were mostly used to build pubs where the people could get drunk. As for the streets, they were either littered with shit or with blood, mostly mixed in between. Just as he remembered. "Everyone." Neraxis turned to his group. "This is a monster zone¡ªnot very high-ranked¡ªbut still, remain on guard." "Huh? Is it really?" Ae''s puzzled voice rang out, a sentiment shared by the people around her. "Neraxis, the Zarj Encampment is a safe zone," Celinamented, making his brows furrow. This is one of the events that happens not long after the academy starts... how could I forget? Neraxis mused before turning to the mountain off in the distance. Within this week, if not tonight, there will be a mass Rift outbreak on top of the mountain, and it will unleash monsters to decimate this entire ce. He gathered his thoughts and said, "Kael, could you stick around the encampment for a little while? In the meantime, we will go look around." "Hmm?" Kael hummed with confusion before suddenly halting, a grin appearing on his face, coupled with a knowing look. "Y-You are a yer," he stammered and gave Neraxis a thumbs-up. This idiot... It did not take Neraxis long to figure out what he meant, but he did not bother correcting Kael. After all, once these Rifts appear, all the corrupt militia here will go on to kill each other instead of fighting the monsters.@@novelbin@@ And if Kael was there to prevent that from happening, then that would be perfect. As for Neraxis, he was going to set up escape countermeasures in the high chance that something goes wrong. He turned to the girls, receiving a puzzled look from Celina, an embarrassed look from Aurelia, and, well, a surprisingly obedient look from Ae. Letting out a sigh, he gestured toward the forest. "Shall we scout the area?" Chapter 85 Unexpected Discovery "Are you paranoid or something?" Celina asked as they made their way through the forest. "Not exactly paranoid¡ªmore like cautious," Neraxis replied before halting and signaling his group to be quiet. In front of them, two people were wing at the ground with their hands, seemingly digging for something. What truly caught Neraxis''s attention, however, was their clothing. Orange jumpsuits¡ªsomething only prisoners would wear. "Two prisoners up ahead, proceed slo¡ª" he whispered, but stopped upon noticing that Celina wasn''t with them anymore. In the very next moment, the sound of something hitting the ground resounded. Twice. When he turned around, Neraxis saw Celina cleaning the blood off her daggers, with the two prisoners'' bodies below her. "Celina... we need to act more cautiously," he said with a sigh, earning only a shrug in response. "They had their backs turned toward us¡ªwhy wouldn''t I go for the kill?" "...Never mind, just make sure to be careful," Neraxis dismissed her and nced at the rest of his group. Ae seemed fine¡ªamused, even. However, Aurelia was visibly shaking at the sight of blood on Celina''s daggers. So she''s afraid of blood... I''m surprised she didn''t panic in the Venomous Wasp Rift. She even gave me her own blood, Neraxis mused but didn''tment on it. His main goal here was to scout the general area and ensure the terrain was rtively the same as in the past. If that was the case, escaping after the Rift outbreak happened would be quite easy. But not even a few minutes in, he found irregrities. Near where Celina had killed those two prisoners was a ledge with a drop of a couple hundred meters below. That was not there before. Zarj is more elevated now? I guess. Neraxis noted it down and took a better look around his surroundings. After just a few more nces, he confirmed that the general area was the same, except for the ledge leading down. [Not too bad, though I think you should check up on Aurelia,] Evangeline said with a hint of worry. As he turned back toward her, he saw Aurelia stumbling over seemingly nothing. Neraxis swiftly walked up to Aurelia and tapped her on the shoulder a couple of times to get her attention. "Are you alright?" he asked, receiving an overly fast nod in response. "Y-Yup, n-never better," she stammered in a shaky voice, and immediately, Neraxis furrowed his brows. "Aurelia, I understand that you might have certain fears, but now is as good a time as any to conquer them. We are beside you, so you don''t have to worry about anything," he assured her. However, she merely looked down before saying, "T-Thank you." "Don''t worry about it," Neraxis replied with a smile before shing a nce toward Celina, who was watching all this unfold. Come console your friend already, he practically signaled with his eyes, and soon, Celina came over, taking his position while he went deeper into the forest. There were a few more interesting things in this forest bordering the Zarj Encampment¡ªnamely, theck of wildlife. A couple of trees had various berries on them, but that was all. If even one of the people from the Encampment went out and checked, they would notice something like this and immediately alert the higher-ups. s, they were greedy pigs through and through. Neraxis continued walking when, all of a sudden, he stumbled upon something. Yet that certain something made his blood boil. A spear with a golden shaft¡ªthe signature weapon of the hero who wielded a spear, Bale. However, as his heartbeat began quickening out of rage, Ae''s voice suddenly resounded from behind him. "Neraxis? Are you okay?" He kicked the spear toward the bushes and steadily replied, "...I''m fine." [So he''s here...] Evangeline said in a grave tone before adding, [A joint group outing¡ªI suppose that''s not something that happened in the past?] No, it hadn''t. It is a bit concerning how we haven''t encountered anyone yet... but the fact that he is somewhere nearby is enough. Neraxis affirmed and walked near the bushes. Can you store that spear inside your storage? [Yep,] Evangeline replied, and soon, the shaft that was barely visible disappeared. Turning his gaze back to Ae, he put on a smile. "Sorry if I worried you. I thought I had found something, but I was wrong." "Mhm..." she hummed suspiciously before pulling out a sandwich from her spatial storage ring and handing it to him. "Since you n on being all mysterious, at least do so on a full stomach," Ae said and began walking back to the rest of the girls. Neraxis was left speechless, but now, another goal had appeared while on this random expedition. Find Bale, interrogate him, and, well¡ªhe would decide how things went from there. "Neraxis!" Ae''s urgent voice rang out, and as he turned to look at them, he saw a few prisoners circling all around. However, before they could get too close, Neraxis used Sword Dash, appearing right behind one of them and cleaving them in half. That startled the few close to him, and with the added confusion, he lined both prisoners up, getting into the perfect stance before using his newest skill: Simple Stab. Immediately, two massive holes appeared where their hearts were supposed to be¡ªthe damage being doubled thanks to his Cosmic Sight perk. Yet as he looked toward the rest of the prisoners, Neraxis noticed most of them were already dead, with Celina swiftly cutting them apart and Ae caving their heads in with her staff. But that wasn''t the case for Aurelia, who was meekly standing by the side, shaking. However, as he took notice of her, Neraxis also saw a prisoner approach¡ªa bit sneakier than the rest.@@novelbin@@ Before the prisoner could do anything to Aurelia, Neraxis appeared in front of him, shing his head off. Thanks to his enhanced physique, he was able to shield Aurelia from the sight, with only a little blood sshing onto his face as he turned toward her. "Are you alright?" Just as his words rang out, however, Aurelia suddenly fell to the ground,pletely passed out. "Neraxis..." Celina walked up to him and sent a yful punch to his waist. "We had it under control. It was the perfect time for her to fight back." "Yeah, Celina had a hidden wire tied around that tree over there¡ªit would have cut that guy''s head off," Ae borated, earning an exhausted sigh from him. "Maybe next time, then. I''ll pick her up." He reached down, but before he could, Ae suddenly summoned a little cart. Immediately, Celina picked up Aurelia and tossed her inside. "I can''t feel any more prisoners around here. That makes it... 14 in total now, I believe?" "15," Neraxis corrected, pointing toward a guy he identally tossed into a tree. "15 it is," Celina agreed and redirected her attention to the ground. "I''ve analyzed their footprints and movement patterns. I know where the rest are. Follow me." Oh? "You know how to track?" Neraxis asked, receiving a nod in response. "I was taught a long time ago, yes. Every single prisoner seems to havee from the same batch, and while they aren''t strong, they are a bit trained," Celina exined, much more talkative than ever before. Neraxis listened along, yet in the very end, he added, "Not all of them were from the same batch." Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire "...What?" That seemed to startle Celina, her eyes narrowing. Therefore, he began going into more detail. "First of all..." Chapter 86 Bale, The Spear Hero "First of all, not all of them knew how to fight. It almost seemed like they were given a hands-on lesson beforeing here." Neraxis stated, earning a puzzled look from Celina. "They did seem like amateurs, but what makes you think they were trained beforehand? To me, they seemed organized enough." "That might''ve been the case for a few; however..." He walked up to the ones he had killed earlier and pulled one of the prisoner''s cors down Immediately, a sort of barcode came into view, which wouldn''t normally mean much to the naked eye. However, he could read it perfectly. "Traitors of Zara," he read, showing the barcode to Celina as her brows furrowed. He continued, walking to the next person he had in mind, and soon, read the barcode aloud as well. "Traitor of Pargonia." Neraxis dropped their bodies and dusted off his hands before turning to look at Celina right in her crimson eyes. "Each batch has a certain way they fight. Pargonians are not fighters. They dabble in agriculture more than any other country," he exined and added, "Zara is an outcast country in the heart of a monster zone. That ce iswless, hence why so many people are skilled." As thest of his words fell, Celina widened her eyes, as if enlightened. "I see... I''ll have to learn a bit more, it seems. Do you want to take the lead?" she offered, and he steadily epted. "Yes. If the majority is from Zara, I know exactly how to deal with them." He shed a nce at Ae, who had been staring at him wordlessly all this time, and was met with a nod. With that, he made his way toward where most of the footprints headed. Tracking was just one of the many life skills he had picked up during his training days, and to say he was a great tracker was an understatement. Because in just a couple of minutes, he managed to find the prisoners'' camp. Surprisingly, a fair bit of them were gathered here; he could count at least 40. Yet what really stood out were the people trapped in cages, with rocks constantly being thrown at them. However, one particr figure stood out the most. A boy, who looked no older than Neraxis, with short brown hair and golden eyes, was locked up while shouting all sorts of vulgar words at the nearby prisoners. Obviously, Neraxis knew who that was; they had met many times in the past before. Bale, The Spear Hero. He narrowed his eyes, preparing to do something drastic. But upon remembering Evangeline''s previous words, he managed to calm down, if only for a short moment. Neraxis turned to Celina, before whispering, "I am going to go and deal with them. I want you to kill the ones who try escaping." He then switched over to Ae. "Support Celina if need be, and also, protect Aurelia." "Roger that, captain." she replied in a deep voice. "..." Neraxis was speechless at her antics; therefore, he simply ignored them. Standing up and locking onto the person who seemed the strongest, he used Sword Dash, appearing right behind him and severing his head. The camp was immediately alerted, and he only managed to catch another 10 off guard before the rest suddenly entered into an arrow-like formation. "Kill him!" one of the prisoners shouted, boosting the morale of the remaining prisoners. However, before their morale could fully blossom, Neraxis used Simple Horizontal sh, cleaving all but those in the very back in half. And once they saw what had happened to their so-called friends, the prisoners scattered, just like he thought. While Zara was first known for its unfavorable location, Neraxis was fortunate enough to know about their second trait. Cowardice. Soon, he spotted Celina dashing around, flinging her daggers from one throat to another, perfectly cutting their necks so the prisoners would die instantly. Almost like a professional, Neraxis thought, noting it down in his mind. The puzzle that was Celina was slowly being pieced together. Now, while she and Ae were busy dealing with what remained of the prisoners, Neraxis approached the seven cages in total. And the loudest of them all was none other than Bale. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire "Hey, you! Let me out of here already! How long do you think I can stay cooped up in such a cramped, shitty cage, huh?" Bale said in an arrogant tone. Nheless, Neraxis was not going to act just yet, going one by one and freeing each cage, with the exception of the loudmouth. Noticing this, Bale lowered his voice and put a warm, almost believable smile on his face."Come on, man, I need to go look for my spear. I''ll pay you a bunch if you just let me out already." "Hmm," Neraxis hummed with amusement, watching the guy who was supposed to be one of the future heroes now nothing but a squabbling, immature kid. However, his personality would not go excused, since even if now, there was a very little amount of corruption, in the future, it would be even worse. "Who''s this?" Ae walked up beside Neraxis and nced at Bale, who, once again, started losing his mind, trying to break the cage open. "It''s a nuisance." Neraxis stated in a low voice, barely enough for her to hear. "...Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly, worried. He merely shook his head. "It''s nothing that concerns you, Ae. But thank you for caring, though." "I wonder, maybe it does concern us?" Celina suddenly butted in, appearing right in the middle of them. [Haha, now what will you do? Include them in your ns, or keep them in the dark and do everything yourself just like you did in the past?] Evangelinemented with a gentle chuckle." Even if her words meant no harm, Neraxis''s brows couldn''t help but flinch. If I go down that path, what makes you think I would be able to keep them safe? I might even get them killed... I don''t want that. [One way or another, they would fall into danger.] Evangeline said before adding, [You should know better than anyone, that despite how safe things appear, that is never the case.] As her words fell, Neraxis was immediately reminded of his sister ra''s death, causing his brows to furrow even deeper. And soon, he made a decision, a vague one for now, but if things don''t change, and these girls don''t start avoiding him out of nowhere, then he would tell them everything. "He is Bale." Neraxis whispered before proceeding to take a deep breath. "He is someone I am going to kill, whether now or in the future. But one thing is definitely certain: he will die by my hand." Silence immediately descended, and he could feel his stomach churn at the thought of them pushing him away.@@novelbin@@ But they didn''t. They merely red at Bale menacingly, making him freeze on the spot. "H-Huh? What''s up with you two?" His startled voice resounded. Neraxis heaved a sigh of relief, but before he could even process what was happening, Ae pulled out a strange-looking pistol, with a long barrel stretching out. Soon, she aimed it right at Bale, before moving up toward his head. "Anyst words?" Ae asked coldly. And to everyone''s surprise, especially Neraxis''s, as Bale''s arrogant face turned pale, and he suddenly tumbled and passed out. "Pfft..." Celina held back her chuckle. As for Ae, she twirled the pistol on her finger, and soon made it disappear back into her storage ring. Neraxis was speechless at the turn of events, but Ae''s serious look made him focus on her. "We are f-friends, so I''ll help you... if you don''t mind." she stammered slightly. Celina followed with her usual nonchnt look. "Me too. I don''t want my training partner to be constantly sulking." [Told you so.] Evangeline remarked, yet he was still lost in his thoughts of hesitance as well as betrayal. Why...? Why would you help me? Chapter 87 A Friendly Interrogation "Ugh... Guys...?" Aurelia''s groggy voice rang out from the side, yet as she sat up and took a look around, she quickly fainted again. "Pfft... Way to ruin the moment." Ae giggled before shooting a nce at Neraxis. "You don''t have to answer right away, but at least consider it," she added, making her way toward the passed-out Aurelia. The same went for Celina as she merely nodded at him and followed Ae. Now there was only him, his thoughts, and Bale. Why were they so easy to convince? I don''t even know them that well... and yet... Neraxis thought, conflicted. And soon, Evangeline spoke up. [You were nice to them, helped them with several things. It''s only natural they would consider you as a friend and even be willing to help you.] Yeah... Maybe, but for now I really need to think this through. I don''t know if I can give them an honest answer in my current state. He took a deep breath and swiftly turned his gaze over to Bale. It seemed like he was starting to wake up again. Therefore, Neraxis approached and sliced open the cage Bale was in before throwing him onto the grass nearby. "Kuh... What are you doing?!" Bale called out, startled. He squirmed around on the ground, his strength barely enough to defeat even the weakest of the special ss. To think that someone like him was a hero in the future made Neraxis''s blood boil. Trash incarnate¡ªa terrible person through and through. And better yet, a coward who let hisrade fight alone and eventually stabbed him in the back. Yet here he was, crawling away from Neraxis with a frightened expression on his face. This is not as satisfying as I had thought, he remarked and finally closed the distance. Putting his sword against Bale''s throat, he spoke, "I am going to ask some questions, and I want you to answer them truthfully." Getting a nod of approval, Neraxis began with the normal questions first. "What is your name?" "Bale Leahart... Son of Vince Leahart, the prominent family of¡ª" "Shut up," Neraxis interjected. "What is your rank? Also, what is the rank of your main skill?" Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire As his words fell, visible difort appeared on Bale''s face as he fidgeted around, seemingly not wanting to answer. But once Neraxis dug his sword a bit into his neck, causing blood to trickle down, that made him talk. "Wait! I''m F ranked... and my main skill is S ranked. I am an important individual in this world!" Bale said arrogantly. "If you try something, I swear my family will track you down!" He earned a sword hilt to the head. "Is there a student by the name of Lar or Alice in your academy?" Neraxis pushed forward for more answers. And soon, Bale nodded his head aggressively. "Yeah! Those two pricks are a thorn in everyone''s side. They think they are better than everyone simply because they got SS-ranked main skills. It''s ridiculous." "Oh?" That piqued Neraxis''s interest. "Do you know what those skills are?" "Yeah." Bale nodded, cooperating. "Lar has the Sword Saint skill. It''s some broken skill that makes his sword pierce through defenses and have aura or whatnot." Aura? Is that like mana? [Aura is like an exclusive reserve for those who wieldbat weapons. I''m surprised you hadn''t learned how to use Aura when you wielded the scythe,] Evangelinemented, and he merely shrugged. Hell Scythe was a skill that covered most basics. I didn''t really check for anything else, he replied before cing his attention back on Bale. "And Alice? What''s her main skill?" "Child of Light and Purity... or something." Bale scratched his head. "I remember it having some stupidly long name, but the purity part is definitely a lie¡ªshe''s a rotten bitch through and through." "I understand," Neraxis nodded,ing to a decision. "I will give you two choices. The first¡ªbe mypdog and funnel me information weekly, or daily if something interesting happens regarding those two." "What? Do you think I''m going to work like a ve for someone my age? You can fu¡ª" Before Bale could finish, Neraxis interjected. "The second choice¡ªI''ll sever each of your limbs one by one and feed them to the dogs. I''ll make it so you feel excruciating pain up until the moment you die." Neraxis leaned in ominously before adding, "What do you say?" "Huh? Are you serious?" Bale found it hard to believe as he stood back up, staring at Neraxis like he was an idiot. "I''m not going to work for you, and you can''t kill me because my family would track you down to the ends of the earth and gut you. I assume you are not an orphan? Then¡ª" Before Bale could finish his words, Neraxis reeled his sword back and suddenly thrust. Immediately, a hole appeared in Bale''s abdomen, right where his left kidney was supposed to be. And soon, he fell into panic. "AHHH! You¡ªwhat did you do!?" However, Neraxis merely looked down on him before wiping the blood off his sword. [That''s pretty smart¡ªgetting rid of a kidney in one fell swoop so he doesn''t die from blood loss. A good power move against another Awakened.] Evangeline praised softly. Yeah. This is the only time I will spare him. He walked up to Bale, who by now was puking all over the floor, his body seemingly unable to function so soon with only a single kidney. "I will ask you onest time," Neraxis said in a cold tone and ced the sword directly on Bale''s forehead, the tip drawing blood. "Work for me, or die."@@novelbin@@ That seemed to do the trick as Bale looked at Neraxis with fear clearly written on his face and spoke, "I will! Please don''t kill me!" As those words fell, Neraxis let out a sigh. "Which hand was your main one again?" "Huh? The left?" Bale asked, puzzled. And soon, Neraxis swung the sword down, slicing off Bale''s right ring finger. Immediately, his shrill scream resounded as he began twisting and turning on the ground from the pain. Yet Neraxis merely stood there and desummoned his sword before turning to the side. What met his eyes was Celina, who was sitting on a nearby table the prisoners had made, and Ae, who was simply scrolling through her phone. These girls are really something, huh? Seeing something like this would''ve sent me running, he inwardly expressed with a sigh before delivering one final kick to Bale''s face and warning, "I will get in contact with you. If you don''t reply, you die. If you don''t do your duty as I instructed, you die. If you disobey me, you die. Simple rules, and for your own sake, follow them," Neraxis exined with a smile, making Bale nod with tears streaming down his face. "Perfect. See youter, Bale Leahart." With those words, Neraxis walked back to the girls and was met with neutral looks¡ªneither the approval nor the repulsion he had anticipated, just a calm eptance that left him unsure of their thoughts. "I liked that kidney trick. I might try it sometime," Celina said with a soft giggle. Meanwhile, Ae finally got off her phone and smiled at him. "Done?" "Done. For now, at least," Neraxis replied, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off his chest before taking a nce toward the massive mountain in the distance. I wonder how long is left until the Rift outbreak happens? Chapter 88 The Encampments Shady Business [Kael''s POV] These tents all smell like shit. Why did he tell me to stay here? Kael thought with a grumpy look as he walked through the muddy ground. There was a surprising number of people present, yet all of them were gathered in the pubs. The stench of alcohol¡ªKael could smell it all the way from the helicopter. But so far, he could not spot any strong people. Most were decent, some even reaching C- rank. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire I guess that''s what I get for expecting something from a low-level encampment, he grumbled and proceeded inside one of those pubs, sitting down right by the bartender. "Can I order on credit?" Kael asked, and the bartender, upon seeing his academy uniform, nodded in response. "All drinks are on the house."@@novelbin@@ "Give me, uhh..." Kael nced at the menu and began naming every single drink, with the exception of vodka, which he hated. The bartender poured them all with hesitation, and Kael drank everything until, finally, there was nothing left. He stood back up and burped. "Thanks for the drinks," he said before heading out of the pub. Looking up at the sun, he realized only roughly half an hour had passed, and from the distant smell of blood, Kael could tell some fighting was happening. Yeah, I am not standing still, Kael thought with a sigh. He rolled up his sleeves and began walking toward the forest. However, after only a couple of steps, he halted, turning back around toward the encampment. The smell of blood. Someone just died, huh? Kael mused before focusing his mana into the tattoos on his arms. Soon, he projected his spectral body forward, leaving his actual one standing still. He didn''t dawdle, quickly flying over to where the blood was spilled and upon doing so spotted a single tent that smelled absolutely horrible. Upon entering, Kael''s brows furrowed. On the ground was a massive pool of blood, followed by the body of a fat man with his wrist severed. Yet that wasn''t what had truly caught his interest, as there were more people aside from the fat man gathered around a single table. Hahaha? Kael let out augh that no one could hear. They are ying poker. And that fat man on the ground seems to have lost a bit too much, so he killed himself. A tinge of excitement was forming in his heart as he felt the duration of his Spectral Body skill dwindling. Soon, he flew back toward his main body. Is this why you left me here, Neraxis? he thought, turning to the forest. Or did you just want to mingle with the girls without me watching? However, his thoughts were left unanswered when, all of a sudden, more blood was spilled¡ªand then ever more. While it wasn''t exactly his business to intervene, such activities in broad daylight were indecent. Even a brothel wouldn''t be as badpared to this. Not that I''ve ever been to one. Kael nodded to himself and approached one of the gambling tents, swiftly entering it. He was expecting to earn some kind of shocked reaction, yet one of the burlier men merely nced at him and signaled for Kael to sit down where the fat man from earlier had sat. Ironic as it was, the body was slightly moved to the side¡ªno one even bothered to cremate him. "What''s the buy-in?" Kael asked with a smile, sitting down and ncing at the dealer, who had multiple bloodstains on his ck suit. "1,000 Crowns, 1,500 if you are a first-timer. Are you up for it?" the dealer asked, when all of a sudden, Kael tossed down a ck card on the table. The moment everyone around saw it, they froze¡ªespecially the dealer. "Y-You are a Vita Bank VIP!? Apologies for the disrespect. The house will provide you with a 10,000 Crown buy-in." Shitheads like these know how to lick the boots of those richer than them, huh? Too bad that''s just a printed scratch card, he thought with amusement and began ying. The first turn was not the greatest, so he folded. Yet, for some reason, the next four turns were all in his favor, and he raked in quite a lot of money. Not that he was in need of any in the first ce. But it was about time he started asking questions. "Do you lot gamble here often?" Kael asked the others around him. "Only on special asions," one of the men answered before adding, "The Skryder Academy as well as the Havenspire Academy sent over their first years for killing practice or something, giving us some time off." The man narrowed his eyes on Kael. "But you seem to not care for it. Havenspire, right? Won''t you be given a bad grade?" "Beats me." Kael shrugged. "Anyway, aside from that, what''s with this killing?" He pointed to the fat man by the side. "Is thismon?" "Oh, haha, that..." The dealer suddenly stepped in, shing knowing looks to the other gamblers around the table. "We don''t usually kill people¡ªnot that we killed this guy either. He killed himself instead." Hmm... Lies. Kael mused with a hum. The man did kill himself, but not even trying toe up with a good lie is a little disheartening. He leaned back in the chair, his green eyes emitting a faint glow. After all, no lies can escape my eyes. "Anywho, I think it''s about time I wrap this up," Kael spoke to himself, earning a puzzled look from the people around. But before most of them could even react, the tattoos covering his arm lit up, shining through the academy''s uniform. Soon, several green wind des shot throughout the tent, cleaving each of their heads off. s, not everyone was as hopeless as the ones currently lying dead. A single D+ ranked individual stood before him¡ªthe dealer¡ªwhose expression was now one of panic. "What are you doing!? This is apletely legal business!" Lie. Does he think I am a six-year-old child? Kael narrowed his eyes. Soon, he enveloped his entire body in the same green mana, his tattoos spreading throughout his body, even causing his long red hair to lift into the sky. It was about time he truly finished his clean-up. [Enchanting [SS] - Lord of Wind Mode - Activated!] The blue notification dawned, and as it did, he could immediately feel all the wind in the surroundings bend to his will. His mana had fully turned into the wind affinity, and soon, he focused on the dealer, who was breathing roughly. Without wasting any more time, Kael sucked the wind out of the dealer''s lungs, making him drop to the ground. [Enchanting [SS] - Lord of Wind Mode: 30 Seconds Remaining] Hmm... Kael looked around, spotting a few more tents with simr activities going on. Like with the dealer, he emptied the wind from their lungs, and as thest of the seconds were counting down, the skill nearly about to end, Kael took in a deep breath. As he did, however, the wind he had taken out of all these scum of the earth traveled back into their lungs, swiftly expanding them. The processsted only a few seconds. Soon, their bodies burst apart, the blood and everything else imaginable flew right up into the sky, scattering across the encampment. All the while, Kael walked off to the side, back toward the pub. [Enchanting [SS] - Lord of Wind Mode - Deactivated!] His tattoos soon faded to normal, and the bartender nced at him with a slightly startled look. "Sir VIP... You drank everything on the menu. Could I offer you a dessert?" "I want seconds," Kael announced, and the bartender''s expression sank before going to the back to take out all the alcohol again. Neraxis. Just what are you nning, leaving me here? Chapter 89 Atop The Mountain [Neraxis''s POV] "Do you really want to go up there to take a single peek? Is it safe?" Ae''s worried voice rang out as she nearly tripped on the ice below. "...For the most part, just don''t fall." The two were climbing to the top of the mountain, solely because Neraxis wanted to better estimate when the rift would break. For that, he needed more information. If it was close to breaking, then anomalies would be everywhere, like a distorted environment or even a massive amount of mana, which he should feel even now. It was dangerous, sure, but if the rift was about to break, being unprepared would be worse. He needed to confirm it firsthand¡ªand if there were boons to im, all the better. Nheless, they were nearly there, a small walkway appeared, resembling an edge they could climb. It was simple for Neraxis to hold on, since he was used to fighting on ice, but as for Ae, it looked like she would trip and fall. Therefore, he grabbed her hand and proceeded until, finally, they neared the top of the mountain, entering a cave that seemed to lead up. Neraxis had considered leaving her behind, but Ae was too insistent. Leaving her behind felt impossible, so he let her tag along. "Do you think Celina and Aurelia are going to be okay?" she asked out of nowhere. He swiftly assured her, his voice steady. "Celina can handle herself, and Aurelia likely woke up by now. You have nothing to worry about." "I hope you are right..." she sighed and got closer since the ice was gone, reced by fluffy snow. "Anyway, I did something without asking you first. Sorry..." "What?" Neraxis questioned as his brows slightly furrowed.@@novelbin@@ "I injected tracking nanobots into that guy you want to kill..." Ae pulled out her phone, showing the program, as it disyed Bale slowly making his way back... She continued, "I always carry some countermeasures against all kinds of stuff, and I figured it mighte in handy for you." However, noticing his silence, Ae tried to steer the conversation off-topic. "Anyway... What do you think of my phone, huh? It has a built-in radio signal detector that works even if I am in the core of the earth. Isn''t that neat?" "Thank you," Neraxis said softly, not turning around to meet her gaze. Ae froze but soon let out a giggle. "I''ll share the program with you once we''re at my ce" "Of course," he chuckled and returned his gaze toward the exit of the cave, which was only a couple of meters away from him now. However, as he looked at what was beyond, Neraxis suddenly halted, making Ae crash into his back. "Come on, my head has hit your back like twenty times now¡ª" her words cut off as she saw the sight in front of them as well. Instead of the mountain peak either of them was expecting, there was a t in with a single castle made of ice in the very middle. It did not take long for Neraxis to notice something was off, and soon, he retraced his steps backward, attempting to leave whatever this ce was. Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire However, no matter how far he went, the ice castle in front of him did not get any further away. "What is this ce?" Ae said with wonder, looking all around. It seemed like apletely different world, as a whole sky was ahead of them, followed by icy peaks off in the distance. Neraxis soon realized that they were no longer in their world, and instead, in some sort of pocket dimension, or better yet, the rift from which all the monsters woulde out. But it was a bit difficult to believe, considering it was so peaceful. "My guess is a rift. Stay behind me, Ae," Neraxis stated, and she nodded with urgency. "Since we can''t get out, let''s go over to that castle. If things turn for the worse, make a run for it back here. I will catch up to you," he added and soon began walking over. The distance seemedrge at first, but with each step, it closed unnaturally fast, and just after 20 steps, they were by the entrance. There was a gate, yet it was already open, seemingly weing them in. He spotted a few guards, which appeared to be simple ice constructs, yet he did not let his guard down. After crossing into the castle''s courtyard, he was met with a gazebo, appearing very out of ce, and in the very middle of it was a woman wearing a ck dress with hair mirroring his own and white, almostpletely nk eyes. She was sipping on what he could only assume was tea, but soon, they locked gazes. Neraxis immediately felt a fearsome pressure envelop him, almost like the pressure he had felt when Amara forced him to join the Obscura. However, this one felt even more fearsome¡ªmuch more savage. "My dear darlings,e, sit," her enchanting voice rang out, as she gestured for them to approach. They both proceeded with caution, and the woman seemed to be enjoying what she was seeing, merely waiting until the two sat down before speaking again. "I have invited you darlings over to my world as I have a few questions. Would you mind answering them?" Neraxis kept his guard and replied, "In exchange, will you let us go?" "Hmm...?" She hummed yfully, a wide grin spreading. "I''ll consider letting one of you go, how''s that?" His heartbeat sped up, but he did not give in. "Then we won''t answer your questions. If you want to know something, promise to let us go." He knew it was a big ask, but if this woman in front of him truly meant harm, she would have done something the moment they entered. "You are an amusing little human, aren''t you?" she chuckled and stood up, approaching Neraxis and sitting on the table in front of him, before leaning inward and grabbing his chin. Ae flinched, but reading the situation, she backed down. "Tell me, darling. Do you want to y a little game?" Neraxis met her gaze, ignoring her creepy smile. "What game?" "Perfect!" The woman''s grin widened as she tapped on the table a couple of times, and soon, a confusing sight appeared. There was a small world inside the table, and people were fighting each other with all sorts of weapons. It was an all-out war. "This is a game of fate, and the rules are simple," the woman said and cleared her throat. "I will send you down into that world, and your goal is to be thest one standing. If you manage to survive, I will let the both of you leave. But if not, then I''ll interrogate the girl for as long as I want." Neraxis narrowed his eyes in disgust before nodding. "I''ll y along, miss...?" "Seraphina Montir, the Ruler of Frost. Remember me, darling, as I have many questions for when¡ªand if¡ªyou survive." She introduced herself and grabbed him by the clothes. She leaned his body over the table, almost on the verge of falling into that small world. "Oh, and no cheating." Seraphina tapped on his arm, right where the sword tattoo was, and added, "I want this human to do it with his own bare hands¡ªnot with the help of an entity like yourself." He heard Evangeline let out an annoyed groan as she left his body and floated before Seraphina in her sword form. "You are an eyesore, so send him down there already, and let''s have a chat." "dly," Seraphina replied and turned toward Neraxis before letting go of him, making him fall into the world he was overlooking. His sight immediately began contorting as the woman faded from above him while he fell. And soon, Neraxis impacted the ground,nding softly on something. Yet that something was a corpse. He furrowed his brows and took a look around. Just my shitty luck, what have I gotten myself into? Chapter 90 In The Echoes of Battle "Hey you!" A voice startled Neraxis from his thoughts, and as he turned around, he came face to face with a man in chainmail armor, a sword pointed at him. I''ll do what I have to do, he sighed, activating Aura of the Abyss. Before the man could react, his head was clean off his shoulders. Neraxis grabbed the sword from his hands and quickly evaluated the situation. He could clearly see the limits of this world¡ªit was just one big yground, with the area spanning around five by five kilometers. There was no sky either, and the terrain was extremely uneven, making it difficult to maintain his posture. Nheless, Neraxis counted the number of people he could feel¡ªaround 1,000, if not slightly more. Last one standing, huh... He heaved a deep sigh for the final time and moved toward a group of soldiers. Neraxis swiftly dashed through each one of them, cutting their throats cleanly. A few caught on, but he used Sword Dash to end their lives swiftly as well. He felt conflicted, not knowing which side was good or bad. All Neraxis knew was that he had to kill them all to save both himself and Ae. After a few dozen more shes, his sword finally broke. Without wasting a moment, he grabbed another from the ground and pierced a man''s kidney. Neraxis quickly withdrew the sword and cleaved the remaining two men in half, leaving only a grave of corpses in his wake. It wasn''t difficult, as all of them were F+ ranked or slightly lower. However, the fatigue from taking so many lives at once took a toll on his mind. With the absence of Evangeline, he felt empty. For the second time sinceing back to the past, he was truly alone. But he wouldn''t stop; he couldn''t stop. If he did, he would die¡ªand not long after, so would Ae. "Fuck," he muttered in annoyance. The path to bing the strongest was still nowhere in sight, yet here he was, facing these kinds of people. It was ridiculous. "Spare m-" A man called out, but Neraxis smashed his head in before turning to the rest of the man''s group and using a Simple Horizontal sh.@@novelbin@@ Just like all the rest and the previous groups he encountered, they were killed without putting up any resistance. Taking a look around, he reassessed the situation. The previous estimate of 1,000 people now dwindled down to just under a hundred. He could see most of them, and after these grueling minutes that felt like hours, Neraxis felt like he was finally done. Yet, as those thoughts fell, he saw a group of people appear from out in the distance¡ªan actual organized army with fancy golden armor and horses, thousands of horses. Frowning at the sight, Neraxisy close to the ground while heading in for a nk toward them. In the forefront was a burly man wielding a halberd, and behind him, severalposed swordsmen. Themander and its generals. Taking them out might prove to be troublesome, Neraxis mused as he approached the very back of the army. There was one persongging behind, and Neraxis took this as his chance to blend in. A man on horseback was strolling through when, all of a sudden, a sword pierced his neck, and his head was swiftly lopped off. In his ce, Neraxis appeared, taking off the man''s golden cloak and wrapping himself in it. At the very least, that would make the other soldiers look twice. The army proceeded forward, following after themander, and soon they stopped. "There are only a few people alive! Finish them all!" Themander shouted, raising the morale of the soldiers as they proceeded forward toward the remaining barely a hundred people. All the while, Neraxis took this chance tog behind because, at the end of the day, he had a n, and that was: Blood Sovereignty. It did not take long for the skill to activate, and it soon startled all the horses present, as the pools of blood that were formerly on the ground were now clearly raised in the air. Immediately, the blood formed into horses, andstly, a goblin on the very top. [50x Blood Constructs Summoned! Type: Combat¡ªGoblin Rider] Just as the notification resounded, he instructed his constructs to attack, while at the same time, he made his way behind themander. Unsurprisingly, the constructs were being wiped out at a rapid pace,pletely overwhelmed by the number of soldiers. However, that tiny distraction was enough, as now both the generals, as well as themander, werepletely isted. Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire "Soldier...? Oh, you are not one of us, are you?" Themander quickly caught on, letting out a chuckle. But Neraxis was not in the mood to y around. He used Cosmic Cascade, sending a bluish-purple aurora right at themander. It connected head-on; however, instead of dealing any damage, the aurora went inside themander before traveling through his arm and shooting out at one of the generals. "Oho, you made me use one of my lives, a cheeky rat, aren''t you?" Neraxis groaned at the revtion. I need to kill those generals first before I kill themander. After gathering his thoughts, he used Eve of Ruin''s Mark of Destruction, marking each of the three before proceeding to attack. Despite Neraxis''s effort, the generals easily blocked his basic attacks, but at the very least, the marks were slowly building up. Yet, the damage was not building up¡ªgrazes upon grazes, so even if he detonated the mark, not much damage would be dealt. He is forcing me to use my skills, Neraxis narrowed down the issue and proceeded to follow through. Using Crimson Sovereignty''s Blood Dominion, he immobilized the two generals, with the exception of themander. However, in that short moment, he was able to use a Simple Stab, piercing through one of the general''s heads. But before he could reach the other, themander intervened, bringing his halberd down and shattering the sword Neraxis was holding. "Hahaha! You got two. Sadly, this is where I must stop you." The air suddenly grew colder, as themander''s fierce mana burst out. But this was exactly what Neraxis was looking forward to. Picking up a nearby broken sword from the ground, he reached the conditions necessary to use Sword Dash, and that was simply having anything resembling a sword in his grasp. Immediately dashing out, Neraxis threw the sword to the side, and instead stretched his fingers out¡ªthe same ones that were covered in the Aura of the Abyss mana. And before themander could dodge, he made contact and saw the general beside him fall in agony. Yet, in the end, themander slipped past, swinging his halberd down at him. But instead of panicking, Neraxis followed the trajectory of the halberd and leaned at a precise angle to avoid being cut in half. At the same time, he grasped the halberd''s handle, destroying part of the shaft, which rendered the weapon unusable as it soon crumbled to bits. "Haha..." Themander let out a coldugh. "I''ve underestimated you." Neraxis scoffed and kicked up one of the general''s swords to his hand before getting into abative stance. "Yes. Yes, you did." Immediately, Neraxis used Vampiric Dominion''s Blood Rend,bined with the Simple Horizontal sh. Themander''s eyes widened as he raised his arms to block, but the attack was enough to prate through his bones, cutting his arms clean off. Yet it did not manage to instantly kill him, which surprised Neraxis. However, he soon walked up and ced his hands on themander''s head. "You were a nuisance to fight against. Die." With those words, Neraxis crushed his head with the aid of the Aura of the Abyss perk. But he was not safe, as after all: There is still a whole army left to kill. Chapter 93 Back in the Zarj Encampment "N-Neraxis?" Ae''s startled voice brought him out of his thoughts as he nced at the Zarj Encampment. "What the..." His eyes widened at the sight. Bodies upon bodies, blood practically spilling like a waterfall. There weren''t any student corpses; however, most of the encampment''s residents were killed. Yet as Neraxis focused on a few faces, his expression soon eased. The gambling den dealer. He looked to the side. The gamblers, human traffickers. Someone did a wonderful culling. While the sight was chilling, the people who died certainly deserved it. Therefore, Neraxis proceeded to walk toward a certain building¡ªthe only one that had not a single bloodstain on it. A bar. With the other girls following behind, he soon entered. Yet the sight that greeted him was a bit strange¡ªKael was sitting in the middle, slurping down several mugs of alcohol at once. As Kael noticed them, he waved, signaling them toe over. Neraxis was speechless but nheless sat down in front of him, with the girls gettingfortable too, before asking, "I assume the sight outside is your doing?" "Yup, correct assumption," Kael replied, stretching out the hand holding an alcohol bottle. "Want some?" "I''m good." Neraxis shook his head. "While I didn''t exactly take you for the stealthy type, Couldn''t you have killed them somewhere in the forest instead?" Kael shrugged in response. "If I had to lure each and every one of them out into the forest, this encampment would still be brimming with them. Besides, what''s the big deal? They''ll clean it up anyway." Why do I even bother... He let out a sigh and tapped his hand on the table a couple of times, causing the haggard-looking bartender toe to serve them. "Give us some brunch¡ªfour portions, please," Neraxis said, causing the bartender to heave a relieved breath. "Fifteen minutes." With that, the bartender went behind the bar counter and started fiddling with some cooking equipment. In the meantime, he wanted to rx. However, that rxation was soon interrupted as the bar''s doors swung open, and the students from the other academy came in. Most importantly, the one in the very forefront was a limping Bale, who did not even notice Neraxis was there until he arrived before him. "Y-You are here too." Bale stammered and froze up after meeting Celina''s and Ae''s gazes. "You are not wee here¡ªget out," Ae stated in a cold tone. Seeing that, Bale retreated back a couple of steps, identally bumping into his ssmates. But despite the embarrassment that was likely welling up inside him, he swiftly got out, taking his ssmates along. "That guy sure is arrogant, huh?" Ae snickered, making Celina chuckle. However, both Aurelia and Kael shared puzzled looks as they asked in unison, "Who''s that?" Neraxis did not want to go into many details, so he whispered, just loud enough for their table to hear, "An enemy of mine. You don''t need to know more." "You''ve got enemies in quite high ces, don''t you?" Kael said as he downed another bottle of beer. Neraxis raised a brow. "So you do know him?" "His reputation back in Skryder Academy is very well known. He is an arrogant yboy who has a backing that will cover up all his tracks," Kael exined, earning a nod from Neraxis. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire "Yeah, it''s not surprising that he is trash. Though that is not exactly the reason I have enmity with him." And I am definitely not going into detail¡ªnot until I know I can trust them. He nced around, meeting the faint smiles of the girls around him as well as Kael''s suspicious gaze. Ae was the prime candidate for his trust, but he would not be rash. He''d give it some time for their friendship to develop further, and only then would he tell her about his past. Not like she would believe him anyway. Before anyone could question Neraxis further, the bartender arrived with four tes of food, saying, "We''re out of the good stuff, so the meat isn''t that plentiful, apologies. As for the payment¡ª" "Put it on my tab," Kael interjected, making the bartender''s expression sink as he walked away in defeat. Neraxis watched the situation unfold with an amused look before digging in. Yet as they all ate together¡ªwith the exception of Kael, who was still trying his best to get drunk¡ªhe spotted Aurelia''s picky behavior. "Aurelia, do you not like the food?" Neraxis asked, earning a shake of the head in response. "No... It''s just..." Aurelia looked him up and down before ncing at the others. And then he understood what she had in mind. The blood was on all of them, and from what Neraxis could assume, it was ruining her appetite. Neraxis shared knowing looks with everyone present and suddenly stood up, dragging Kael along as he said, "We''ll be right back." "What''s that for?" Kael questioned, not failing to pick up a bottle of beer on the way out. "Aurelia''s afraid of blood," Celina remarked.@@novelbin@@ "Ohhh! That''s a bit of a hazard," Kael voiced out his practical thoughts. Someone like her could get them killed in battle. Fear of blood was one of the worst traits to have. Nheless, Neraxis interjected. "Hazard or not, this killing exercise the instructor sent us on is meant to ovee such fears." "What do you suggest?" Celina questioned in a testing tone. He narrowed his eyes at her antics and soon exined his n. "We''ve killed a hefty amount of prisoners; however, there are many left. Let''s capture one and create a situation where she has to kill no matter what." "Won''t that make her resent us?" Ae asked with skepticism. And he immediately answered, "Coddling her won''t aplish anything. We either take drastic measures or watch her fall apart in the future. So what do you all think?" "It''s good," Celina affirmed with a nod. "But if we do end up going through with it, how will we make her have no choice but to kill?" "I feel a bit left out of this conversation," Kael said with a sigh before adding, "But why don''t one of you act as bait instead? It will give her no choice but to kill the one trying to inflict harm on you." "That''s..." Neraxis trailed off. "That actually works. Who wants to be bait?" He looked around, expecting a show of hands, but instead, all of them were looking straight at him. "It''s obviously you," Ae stated matter-of-factly. "Yes... You are the most likely to make her ovee her fears," Celina remarked with reluctance and turned toward Kael. "Sweaty dude, can you go uproot some trees or something¡ªprepare the perfect arena for us." "Sweaty dude?" he voiced out, shocked. But upon noticing Celina''s expression of resolve, he gave in. "Fine, I''ll do that. Since we''re doing this weird n in the first ce, I expect it to seed." Neraxis shrugged before saying, "Just don''t mess up." "Haha, yeah, you''re right," Kael expressed with augh, and with a wave, made his way into the forest. "I''ll catch a prisoner," Celina dered before vanishing out of sight, leaving Ae and Neraxis alone. But the silence did notst long as she spoke up, "I have a cleaning nanobot¡ªstand still." "What¡ª" Before he could even finish his question, he felt a warm sensation cover his entire body, and soon, the dry blood began falling to the ground, leaving his skin spotless. "Much better," Ae remarked with a proud look before focusing. "But we should probably talk strategy." "Yeah." Neraxis nodded. "I want you to..." Chapter 94 Aurelias Blood Phobia "Neraxis? Where are we going?" Aurelia questioned, following him into the forest. After their little n was set in motion, both he and Ae came up with a strategy that, in the end, was pretty reckless. Nheless, it was the only thing that would give them the desired effect. "We''re going to scout the area for a bit. The rest of the group is doing the same," he answered, steadily tracking the footsteps on the ground. Celina wore t-soled shoes, so it was easy to make out which tracks were hers until, eventually, they arrived near some sort of oak tree¡ªone much bigger than he''d expected. It should be somewhere around here... Neraxis looked around and soon spotted a distant bloodstain¡ªthe signal they had agreed upon. "Do you want some cookies?" Aurelia suddenly walked up and meekly offered. "I snatched some from the bar earlier... and you guys didn''t finish your food because of me." Aurelia... "No, it''s fine. We can go get some delicious food after we''re done," Neraxis reluctantly replied, making a smile appear on her face. He felt bad¡ªafter all, that smile would soon disappear. As Neraxis approached the bloodstain, he showed it to Aurelia, who froze on the spot. However, that wasn''t the worst of it. A good chunk of the forest ahead of them was aplete wastnd, with trees decimated and uprooted, scattered everywhere. Kael... this is a bit overboard. Neraxis heaved a sigh and returned his gaze toward the trembling Aurelia. "Seems like a fight happened. Are you alright?" "I-I''m fine..." she replied in a low voice¡ªclearly not fine at all. I just hope this is worth it. Neraxis steeled his resolve and proceeded forward. Soon, he spotted a particr tripwire, which he stepped on immediately. As he did, Neraxis heard the sound of something being ejected, and in the next moment, a stinging sensation came from his thigh. Looking down, he spotted an arrow with a fiery tip. The fiery tip melted into his skin, cauterizing the wound and leaving only the pain and the arrow behind. "Neraxis!" Aurelia''s panicked voice rang out as she ran up to him, trying to support him from falling. But he decided to avoid her and fell to the ground, grabbing his thigh with a pained expression. At the same time, he spotted a man wearing an orange jumpsuit, slowly heading toward them. His eyes held a lifeless look. But this was essentially where their n started.@@novelbin@@ "B-Behind you," Neraxis said in a shaky voice, causing Aurelia to turn alert. She turned around, meeting the man''s ferocious yet lifeless gaze. However, it didn''tst long. Aurelia pulled out her staff and, without a moment''s hesitation, shot a single beam of light at the man, piercing straight through his shoulder. Huh? Neraxis stared, puzzled. Aurelia sent out one more beam of light from her staff, effectively killing the prisoner before turning toward Neraxis and stretching out her hand, a slightly nk look on her face. However, before her hand could reach him, she suddenly halted, trembling as tears started streaming down her face. "Aurelia!?" Neraxis jumped up, but just as quickly, fell back down due to the arrow in his thigh. Ae''s puzzled voice rang out in his mind. "No... Stand down. It''s a bitplicated..." he whispered and pulled the arrow from his thigh, quickly tossing it aside. [Blood vial?] Evangeline questioned, and he nodded. Immediately, a small vial of blood materialized out of nowhere, and he drank it. The injury on his thigh healed, and with that, he stood back up, walking over to the trembling Aurelia and tapping her shoulder. Startled, she turned around. "W-What? Neraxis? B-But your leg...?" "I''m sorry," he apologized, stretching his hand out. She epted and stood up. "Why would you be sorry? I-I mean, it''s not your fault you stepped on the trap," Aurelia said, puzzled. Neraxis shook his head. "We tried making you ovee your fear of blood. But you handled the situation a bit too... easily." "Oh..." she fidgeted slightly, avoiding his gaze. "Thank you for caring, but I''m fine. I ca¡ª" Before she could continue, Neraxis pulled out his sword and, with a single swipe, cut his palm, drawing blood. Once Aurelia saw the blood droplets, she froze, her eyes widening in shock. "You''re not fine," Neraxis said, raising his bloody palm to her cheek. Gazing into her eyes, he stated. "But I want you to be." However, as Neraxis did that, expecting some sort of reaction, what he got instead was her nk look as she pushed him aside. "I get that you might want to help, but I don''t need it," Aurelia said coldly¡ªa stark contrast to her earlier meek personality. "So shoo¡ª" She halted, raising a hand to her forehead and letting out a groan. "Ughh... This is so annoying." [I can say for certain this is not a split personality disorder,] Evangeline remarked before adding, [If I had to guess, blood is likely some kind of trigger for her memories.] Noticing the vagueness, he questioned, Are you implying she''s being mind-controlled? I would doubt the government or anyone for that matter did anything to her. [They didn''t.] She affirmed, before exining, [Such cases have happened before in my world. It''s either the result of alchemy or a cursed bloodline.] ...She isn''t a vampire, is she? he couldn''t help but ask. [Nope. Just observe her more frequently. It would help to determine what the actual cause is. For now, that''s all I can help you with.] Neraxis nodded in gratitude. It''s enough. I''ll figure out the rest myself. With that, he returned his gaze to Aurelia, who now was beginning to show signs of her earlier normality, coupled with a little shaking¡ªwhich he didn''t point out. "O-Oh? Neraxis? What happened? Is your leg okay?" she asked, running up to him. "I''m alright. Anyway, do you want to go back now?" Neraxis changed the topic. Aurelia tilted her head. "Um, sure? But we jus¡ª" As her gaze traveled to the man she''d killed, her legs trembled. Unlike the times she merely dropped to the ground, this time, she fainted outright. But before her head hit the cold, hard ground, Neraxis caught her, holding her in a princess carry. At the same time, the remainder of his party emerged from behind the oak tree, approaching him. Kael was the first to speak, a frown on his face. "It didn''t work. Why did you even ask me to clear out such a big part of the forest anyway? I literally wasted my time." "It wasn''t all worthless." Neraxis nced at Aurelia in his arms before looking back at the group and recited what Evangeline had told him. "Her fear of blood is a bit moreplex than I thought. It looks like it''s either the result of alchemy or something rted to her bloodline." Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire As the word "bloodline" resounded in the air, Celina noticeably stiffened, her eyes slightly widening. Neraxis caught onto that. "Celina? Do you know something?" She nced between him and Aurelia, fidgeting slightly, a conflicted look on her face. "You see... there were mentions of some sort of cursed bloodline in her family records. I found out after snooping around in her father''s office," Celina said matter-of-factly, raising her brow. "borate?" "Of course." She nodded. "ording to the books, there used to be some sort of angel who betrayed their divine order, and as punishment, the angel was banished to this world." Neraxis narrowed his eyes at her exnation. "Angels? Are you saying her light magic aptitudees from an actual angel?" "A cursed angel," she corrected before walking closer to him. "But there''s a bit more to this story..." Chapter 95 The Cursed Angel "ording to the books, the angel did share his mana with countless people of this world, but only some were able to live long enough to produce heirs." Celina began her exnation as the others remained quiet. "However, Aurelia''s family was lucky. They managed to inherit that mana and survive," she said in a joyous voice, which quickly turned cold. "But that''s only where the troubles began." Cursed angel for a reason, Neraxis remarked inwardly, continuing to listen. "The angel''s blessing soon turned into a curse¡ªone that made the individuals wielding light mana go into a frenzy upon seeing blood," Celina stated, making everyone present puzzled. "But clearly, that isn''t the case for Aurelia. Instead, she is repulsed by it¡ªapletely opposite reaction to her ancestors. Maybe it''s because her mother also has the Light affinity, just not directly bestowed upon her by an angel? I''m not sure. I wasn''t able to find out much more." "I see..." Neraxis eximed before pondering out loud. "So she sees blood, she feels repulsed by it. At the same time, her emotions dull, and she acts like apletely different person..." "Not always, though," Ae added. "She was fine in the rift, and back when we were in the academy''s cafeteria, I nicked my finger and had blood drop onto the food. Yet she didn''t react that time." "Sounds like a pain, if I''m being honest. Why do these things have to be soplicated all the time?" Kael said in an annoyed tone and headed over to the oak tree, sitting down. "Well, we''ll just have to investigate more next time. If the angel''s curse is already different than in the past, then all we have to do is find the cure," Neraxis stated the obvious, earning nods in response. It was peculiarly peaceful despite the circumstances, yet Celina''s furrowed brows said otherwise. "What''s up?" he questioned, receiving a side-eye in response as she suddenly avoided his gaze. "Uh... Hi?" Aurelia''s low voice rang out from below him as she gazed at him with a blush. Sighing, Neraxis spoke. "You were awake?" "Yeah... Right after you started talking about my..." Aurelia trailed off, and he awkwardly set her down on her feet. However, she soon turned toward Celina, a small frown forming on her face. "Celina? I thought I told you not to snoop through my stuff, and I told you that I don''t need help. I''m already taking medicine for this stuff."@@novelbin@@ "Wait a second... Medicine?" Neraxis interjected, grabbing hold of Aurelia''s shoulders and turning her to face him. "What medicine?" "Just simple potions made by my family''s alchemists. They''re probably the reason why I sometimes ck out, but at least I don''t go crazy like my grandparents..." Aurelia trailed off with a hint of sadness in her tone. "You don''t have to mention it, but could you please try to get the recipe? Or even the potion itself? I''m very curious," Neraxis asked, receiving a hesitant nod in response. "...Okay. But please drop this topic." She turned to each member of the group. "I''m just some nobody from your ss. You don''t need to worry about me so much." "That''s where you are wrong missy." Ae spoke up, startling Aurelia. "At the very least, that makes us group mates. However, I decided each of you will be my friend, so feel honored." And there''s that arrogance, Neraxis chuckled inwardly before adding, "Ae is right. We might not have known each other long, but I consider you as friends." Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire [A lie?] Evangeline mused with doubt. I don''t need to fully trust someone to be friends with them, he answered, watching as Aurelia''s expression slowly fell apart. Lastly, there was Celina¡ªher actual friend¡ªwho walked up to her and ced a hand on Aurelia''s head. "You''ve always been a little slow on the uptake, but that''s fine. You can do what you wish. Won''t change the fact that we''ll find a cure for you." That seemed to make Aurelia tear up, her tears falling inplete silence. This is a good development, I think? I never had this kind of interaction with anyone before. Neraxis thought inwardly, taking a nce at Kael, who was looking off to the side. Seems like he doesn''t exactly care, though. But it''s fine. I don''t expect him to. While he was lost in his thoughts, Ae walked up to him, grabbing his hand¡ªthe same one he had cut earlier. she nagged with a whisper, transferred directly into his mind. Neraxis responded in kind. "Well, then why are you rubbing my wound instead of healing it? O great prodigy healer?" She immediately squeezed his hand, making him flinch. She responded yfully, letting go of his now-healed hand. "Pfft..." He let out a small chuckle, and upon turning to the side, spotted Celina ring at him while consoling Aurelia. "I can hear you two. Stop," Celina said with an angry scoff as she patted Aurelia''s head more aggressively. "Hehe..." Ae giggled before making her way over to Aurelia as well. With that, the situation was over¡ªat least for now. But he doubted that many of the prisoners were left since, if both the Havenspire and Skryder academies had the same objective, it should have beenpleted already. After all, Celina and he had killed half of them already. Soon, his thoughts were corrected as a familiar strong pressure appeared beside him, walking toward them. It was Magnus, and from the looks of things, he did not seem surprised. "Neraxis and Celina, you two killed the highest number of prisoners. Congrattions," he stated in a stern voice before turning his gaze to Kael. "As for you, you killed the highest number of trash, so you''ll be getting extra points." "Hahaha, at least there''s some good news," Kael said with augh. "Right. I''ve noted down everyone''s progress, as well as the few stunts some of you pulled," Magnus turned to Neraxis especially. "But it''s not my role to intervene in such squabbles. I, however, would have stepped in if you tried killing him." I know. Neraxis nodded with a smile. An academy instructor''s role was to simply watch over the students and enhance their progress. To meddle in affairs that were not taboo was not one of their tasks. "Now then, you all are thest batch I have to pick up, so move along now. We are going back to the helicopter," Magnus finished, ncing at each one of them, and slowly walking back to the encampment. Neraxis and the rest followed suit, ready to head back and rest. But there was one promise he wanted to keep. Turning to his group, he asked, "Do you all want to grab dinner together?" "Nope. Got some stuff to sort out back home," Ae replied hesitantly. "...But we could do something fun on Saturday?" Neraxis put on a soft smile. "Sure. What about the rest of you? Anyone interested?" "Hm? Even me?" Kael pointed to himself, amused. "I''ll have to decline, though. I need an actual drink after all this unsavory bullshit." Fair enough... Neraxis chuckled inwardly, turning to Celina and Aurelia. "Sorry... But I''ll probably need to get some extra medicine made after today..." Aurelia said with reluctance. So the only one left is... "I''m free," Celina said as a small smile tugged at her lips. "Let''s go right after wend, okay?" Noticing her eagerness, Neraxis could only sigh. It''s a date then. Chapter 96 A Date "A-A Date!? Mom!" ra''s startled voice rang out as she ran straight to the kitchen. Shit... I should have just kept quiet. Neraxismented and quickly went to his room to find a spare set of nice clothes. Surprisingly, he did not have a lot of clothes despite his riches, but even then, after just a few minutes of looking around, he found a nice ck designer jacket as well as some dark jeans. Should be good enough, and I still have plenty of time to spare, he mused with a smile. At first, they wanted to go to some restaurant immediately aftering back, but after taking one good look at themselves, they soon decided on a few hourster instead. Therefore, Neraxis went directly into the shower, using the all-in-one shampoo he had picked up out of habit, and quickly changed into his date clothes. However, as his confidence was brimming and he turned the doorknob to leave the room, a fierce re met his sight. "Young man," his mother said slowly, making Neraxis flinch. "What''s this I hear about you going on a date and not even telling your mother?" "Mo¡ª" Before he could speak, she interjected, putting a finger to her lips. "Shhh. Mom is speaking. Also, what is this you are wearing? Are you nning on going to a nightclub? Do you care so little about your date?" What''s wrong with my clothes? Yet he was met with dismissal again. "Don''t you furrow your brows at me, mister." At this point, Neraxis decided to just shut up¡ªthere was no use trying to argue against his mother. And once she noticed that fact, Sophia nodded in satisfaction. "Good. ra, call over the finest tailors on the continent. Tell them it''s emergency code 05. They will understand." "Roger, Mom!" ra saluted and ran downstairs, leaving the puzzled Neraxis behind, as well as his smirking mother. I should have just kept my mouth shut... *** He chuckled, lying downfortably in the backseat of his limousine, before replying. It did not take even a moment for him to receive a reply. Raising a brow, he sent the final message. He felt a little nervous, as, after all, this would be his first date in both timelines. Even if it was unintended, he nned on making it feel special for Celina¡ªbut his clothing might be a bit overboard. The emergency code 05 his mother was referring to appeared to be the emergency code for Neraxis getting a date. [It''s pretty thoughtful, and honestly, they fixed you up pretty well. Ironed out your clothes and added a few moreyers while still keeping most of what you had on intact. They are great tailors,] Evangeline remarked with a giggle. True. I just wonder what I will even talk to her about. The only times we''ve spoken are when we sparred against each other. Or, well, when she continuously teased me. Neraxis pondered with a conflicted look. Yet his thoughts were cut short as the limousine soon stopped, with his butler stepping out and opening the door for him. The people around thought Neraxis was a celebrity, but he ignored them, waiting for Celina to arrive. However, even after several minutes of waiting, she was nowhere to be seen. Did she bail on me? But a sudden nudge in his side quickly dismissed those thoughts. "Hey, you ignored my text," Celina stated with an ominous smile, making Neraxis pick up the phone to check it. Before he could, however, she stopped him, winking at him. "Check it after we are done." "Sure," Neraxis replied with an amused look and soon took in her appearance. She had a ck, tight-fitting dress that spanned down to her ankles, entuating her curves to perfection. At the same time, the little amount of makeup she had put on made her look even more stunning than before. He was speechless at the sight, but standing around like an idiot wasn''t going to do any good. "Celina, I love yo¡ª" "You love me?" she interjected, eyes widening as her cheeks slightly reddened. Your dress... Shit. Neraxis inwardly facepalmed, unsure of how toe back from the situation he had put himself in. "I love how you look¡ªthis ck dress really suits you," he rified, but that seemed to make the blush on her face grow even more. [Pfft... A real smooth talker,] Evangelinemented, to which he paid no mind. Nheless, what was supposed to be a casual date turned out to be some luxurious rich-people outing. Therefore, Neraxis held out his hand. "Shall we?" And Celina steadily epted, cing her hand on his, as they walked into the restaurant. They were practically being escorted, with all the waiters and waitresses making way, cleaning the tables as they went, until the two arrived at their prepared table. However, the size wasn''t what he expected. "...Is this really our table?" Neraxis couldn''t help but voice out to the nearby waiter. "It is on Madam Sophia''s orders, I''m afraid. All other tables are unavable as the restaurant has been booked by an anonymous individual," the waiter steadily replied. So my mother not only got us a table that would make us sit a meter apart but also bought out the entire restaurant... just great. He sighed inwardly. "The menu has already been prepared, and we''ll bring it out in exactly five minutes," the waiter stated, cing down a clock on the small table, and the five minutes soon began ticking down. However, at the same time, the waiter lit up the lone candle that sat to the side, its aroma spreading and reaching their noses instantly. Strawberries, huh? Neraxis remarked inwardly, and as the waiters left, he went over and pulled the chair back for Celina. She silently went over and sat down, and he followed. But it seemed like the silence extended a bit longer, as neither of them said a single word for the first couple of minutes. That was until Celina''s low muttering resounded. "I love your looks too... your clothes are a bit impractical but... I mean... never mind." she finished with a massive blush on her face. "It''s awkward, right? I''ve never been on a date before either." Neraxis tried lightening up the mood, which seemed to work as they made eye contact. "Yeah... I''m not very used to being so out in the open like this¡ªit makes me feel a little vulnerable," Celina said with a slight fidget, which he didn''t expect. "Oh? Well, don''t worry¡ªyou can be as vulnerable as you want around me. Especially in this moment," Neraxis said with a soft smile, before slightly leaning in. "After all, it''s only the two of us here. The others are mere spectators." That seemed topletely make her lower her guard, which was also the first time he had seen her so... rxed. And the effortless smile, which could captivate the hearts of all. Beautiful. "Neraxis?" Celina suddenly spoke, her eyes growing softer as she leaned in as well, their noses practically touching. "Yeah?" he questioned, not backing away, meeting her crimson-red eyes. "I''m happy I had this chance to go on this... date with you." Neraxis felt like her expression was simply too cute, so instinctively, he reached over to Celina''s head and gently patted her. For a slight moment, it seemed like she would dodge, but once she realized the intent, Celina let it happen, marking thest few seconds of their five minutespletely alone. And soon, the waiters returned, wheeling around several service trolleys with food stacked on them, which they parked near their table. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire "Madam Sophia has personally prepared these dishes, with our chefs assisting her," the head waiter stated, setting a tray on their table. But when he lifted it, Neraxis froze in ce, feeling the embarrassment growing inside him.@@novelbin@@ Mother... Just what are you thinking...? Chapter 97 Peculiar "This is...?" Neraxis couldn''t help but voice his thoughts, a small frown on his face. "A strawberry smoothie," the head waiter affirmed. Yet that did not exactly ease his confusion. "Yes, I can see that," Neraxis said, grabbing a straw. "But why are there two straws and only a single smoothie?" "Oh!" the waiter said with an understanding look. "This is called a milkshake for two, one of Madam Sophia''s ideas as well." I don''t even know what to say. [Just drink it with her, it''s no big deal,] Evangelinemented with a chuckle, making his brow rise. This is a dinner that has turned into somewhat of a date, but do you think a two-straw smoothie as the first thing on the table isn''t a red g? Neraxis replied and ced his attention back on the waiter. "Can we get¡ª" However, before he could finish speaking, Celina interjected. "Thank you. Please let us drink in peace now." It was a surprising amount of authority he did not expect to hear from someone like her. "Yes, miss. We will reveal the next dish after you finish," the head waiter said with a curt bow and soon departed, the remaining waiters following swiftly behind him. "Celina?" Neraxis couldn''t help but question. But it did not seem like she was bothered that much. She still had the same beautiful smile on her face that hadn''t dimmed in the slightest. "It''s okay, I don''t mind it," she stated with a giggle, making his eyes widen. And soon, she ced her lips onto one of the straws before beginning to drink the smoothie. But not even a momentter, he could see her expression softening as she stared back into his eyes. "It''s delicious. You should try it." "I will..." Neraxis replied with an equally soft smile and soon took a sip of the smoothie. Its taste was surprisingly rich¡ªnot something he would expect from a mere smoothie. Yet while he was lost in those thoughts, Celina brought her face closer, taking a sip at the same time as him. He was flustered, but he didn''t let it show on his face, so he continued sipping until the two had finished half of the smoothie before leaning back into their chairs. "Hey, Neraxis?" Celina said, curiosity in her tone. Noticing this, he nodded back at her. "What''s up?" Despite his affirmation, she remained quiet for a moment, making his heartbeat slightly increase. "Why do you avoid me at the academy?" Her tone held a certain sadness, which he couldn''t quite understand. After all, Neraxis hadn''t thought he was avoiding her. However, as his thoughts swirled around, his eyes narrowed by the second, and soon, he could make out some moments where he might have avoided her. But in all honesty, there was not much to it. "Your grandpa, the headmaster, is a scary individual in my opinion. Plus, each time I talk with you, he mentions it back to me," Neraxis exined with an apologetic sigh. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean for it toe off as me hating you." "Don''t worry," she assured with a faint giggle. "You don''te off as a person who would hate just anyone¡ªthough I could be wrong?" "You aren''t. There are only a few people I truly hate in this world," Neraxis answered matter-of-factly. "And that guy from before was one of them?" she probed with curiosity. He was hesitant to tell her at first, but seeing the genuine interest, as well as her warm smile, put him at ease¡ªeven if only a little. "You are right. He is someone I hold a deep grudge against." "I see," Celina said with a slightly longing smile before looking off to the side. "Have you heard about the individual called Monster Warper?" Tilting his head to the side, he replied, "I believe I have heard of him. He is someone with some sort of warping skill that makes him act as a rift exit for monsters or something along those lines. Why?" "He''s my father," Celina stated, making his eyes go wide again. But then, he was unsure how to console her. Even if he did not exactly bring up such a topic, it was likely not something they should talk about during a date. Before he could say anything, she continued. "He was just an ordinary man at first. He hung out a lot with both me and Mom, but one day, it all just went to... hell." At her words, he could see her eyes slightly growing redder. "I just can''t understand... Why? Why did he do what he did? Was there some grand reason where he had to kill everyone¡ªeven his family?" "Celina," Neraxis interjected. "You sound like you are ming yourself. Why?" It was something he had taken note of thest time they talked, but even now, it was this unshakable feeling that he could not quite understand. His question seemed to startle her, as she stared back at him with a puzzled look. "Huh? Well... I''m not sure, but maybe if I were a better daughter¡ª" Enjoy new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire "Stop..." Neraxis immediately cut her off. "You are great as you are, and a situation like that couldn''t have been avoided, even if you had gotten good grades during elementary school or something." He tried lightening up the mood a bit, which seemed to work, as a faint smile tugged at her face. "People like that... while some are fueled by hatred of the world, others are driven by sheer ambition for power..." He stopped himself, letting out a sigh. "Sorry, I rambled a bit." "No, it''s fine," Celina assured him with a giggle. "I like it, and I understand what you mean as well... I just don''t really know much, I think?" "You''ll find out eventually," Neraxis added, earning a lighthearted nod from her. But her next words¡ªhe was not exactly expecting. "Will you help me? If I am ever in trouble?" she asked with curiosity. And since it already coincided with his interest, it did not take long for Neraxis to reply. "I''m someone who tends to repay my debts, and I still haven''t repaid the debt for you taking care of me before the academy started. Thank you for that, by the way." "That sounds stupid," Celina said with a low chuckle. "I didn''t help you because I wanted something in return, so you shouldn''t, either." "It sounds to me like you don''t want me to help you?" Neraxis pointed out with a raised brow. "I guess not... I don''t know if I want to involve people in my stupid revenge n..." she trailed off. "You know what? Just forget about it. It doesn''t matter." A faint smile tugged at his lips. So she''s trying to put it behind her, exactly like I did. Nheless, if she went down this path alone¡ªfacing the Eternal Night organization alone¡ªshe would die without a doubt. That was why... "Celina, I''ll help you with your so-called stupid ns¡ªif you''ll let me." "You don''t have to repay your debts, silly," she murmured, looking down.@@novelbin@@ However, his next words made her eyes shoot directly toward his. "I''m not helping you because of that. I don''t want you dying because you were too careless, so let me carry the burden with you," Neraxis stated seriously, watching as her eyes progressively widened more and more. "...Promise?" Celina muttered in a low voice. Stretching out his pinky finger and wrapping it around hers, which was holding the straw, he replied, "I promise." Chapter 98 Strawberry Ice Cream The moments passed in silence until, eventually, they managed to finish the smoothie. And soon, the waiters came back in, preparing the next dishes, which were couples-themed, much like the smoothie itself. Chocte fondue, a gold-covered heart-shaped pizza too. His mother really did go all out. But nheless, everything was delicious and definitely worth both the time and the experience. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire Since, during it all, Neraxis could admire Celina''s satisfied smile, the time felt worthwhile. However, after what felt like hours, they finished everything. Now, there was a question that hung in the air. What now...? The date is over, but do we just leave now... or what? [Why is it over?] Evangeline asked, puzzled. [It''s still midday¡ªwhy not go outside and walk around a park or something?] Really? Is that what people do on dates? Neraxis thought, tilting his head before turning to Celina. "...Do you want to go to the mall?" "Mall?" Her eyes practically lit up as she nodded back with a smile. "Now?" "Yes, if you don''t mind." Neraxis stood up, stretching out his hand. "Okay," Celina replied, and the two immediately made their way out of the restaurant. Unsurprisingly, his mother had already paid for everything in advance. However, as they left, Celina suddenly brought him into a nearby alleyway. But before he could question her, she tore off her dress, revealing casual andfortable clothing that surprisingly matched his own. Celina twirled her hair around and nced at him, slightly embarrassed. "I had this ready just in case... It''s morefortable to move in." "I see..." Neraxis responded with a stiff smile. Suddenly, she jumped up, climbing onto a balcony and then leaping to the next, until she finally reached the roof of the building, looking down at him. "What are you waiting for? Let''s go." Celina stated with a teasing smile as she slowly walked out of his view. ...I guess we''re not taking a car. Neraxis didn''t think too much about it and swiftly dashed up the wall, almost as efficiently as she did. And when he finally got to the top, he spotted her several buildings away. Fast, but... Neraxis began running, kicking off one building faster than the rest, until finally, he had caught up. And now, the mall was before them. "There''s this new virtual movie out. Let''s go there first," Celina stated, making him puzzled. "Virtual movie?" "You know, the movies you watch while inside virtual reality? The directors recorded the points of view from some of the extras, and while inside virtual reality, we can watch the movie from their perspective," she exined, an excited look on her face. His eyes widened at such technology, and soon, he agreed. "That sounds fun. Let''s go." They headed down the building and into the mall. Finding the virtual movie-watching space wasn''t difficult, as it had its own sector. Thankfully, a movie was about to start. Therefore, Neraxis paid the price for the tickets, and the two of them were escorted to a few virtual reality pods¡ªones that were practically identical to the academy''s virtual pods. "See you there," Celina said with a soft voice, her smile brimming as she closed her pod. Alright, now how do I get this to work? Neraxis thought, but in the very next moment, an interface appeared, disying two buttons. He pressed the second option and scrolled down until, finally, he found Celina''s name and clicked on it.@@novelbin@@ Nothing happened for a few seconds, but then his vision went ck, followed by the scent of gunpowder in the air. Andstly, a tap on his shoulder. Yet, as he turned around, the sight was not exactly what he was expecting. Celina was standing in front of him. However, her clothes seemed very Western, and a single cowboy hat was strapped to her waist. "...This looks too real," he couldn''t help but say with a gasp, making her let out a giggle. "Well, duh," Celinamented before suddenly pulling out a revolver from her holster belt and yfully aiming it at him. "Wanna do a standoff? The movie hasn''t started yet." "Hmm..." he hummed with amusement and pulled out a revolver of his own. "I don''t see why not. The pain is turned off, right?" "Yup," she replied with a nod and turned her back to him. "Let''s start with our backs against each other, and I think they take ten steps in the movies before shooting each other?" Neraxis chuckled and proceeded to stand with his back touching hers. "I''ll count down. When the count reaches five, we go, okay?" "Okay," she replied immediately. Therefore, he did not waste any more time and began counting. "1... 2... 3... 4... 5!" As he finished, the two started walking forward, counting the steps in their minds, until eventually, they turned around and shot at one another. However, to both their surprise, the bullets collided midair, flying off into the distance without hitting either of them. "Pfft... hahaha," Celina''sughter resounded as she looked at the revolver in her hands before ncing off to the side, where a timer was ticking down. "Seems like we can''t go for round two." "Draw it is," Neraxis remarked with a chuckle, and soon, his vision slightly contorted as his body was moving backward on its own. And after just a few more moments, all kinds of objects, people, and everything else he could imagine materialized. The textures around him changed, too, as if adding a filter and bing cartoonish. We are inside an animated movie? he thought with wonder, and soon, the movie began ying, with both him and Celina watching from the sidelines and even talking a bit in between each scene. The movie finished in what felt like the blink of an eye, with them finally stepping out of the virtual pods and making their way to another sector. But as the two looked to the sky, they noticed it was already growing darker. Therefore, it would be best if they wrapped it up. Therefore, Neraxis turned toward her before saying, "Want some ice cream?" "Sure," she replied cheerfully and walked beside him. After just a few minutes of walking, they arrived in front of an ice cream stand, which had all the vors one could imagine. "What will you get?" he questioned, watching as her eyes scanned through all the vors until eventuallynding on one in particr. "Strawberry... I liked the smoothie, so..." Celina trailed off as her ears became a little red before she turned toward him. "You?" "I''ll get the same then," Neraxis said with a soft smile. It did not take them long to get their ice cream, and they were in pretty big portions, so it would take them a bit of time to eat. But as he was about to dig in, Celina tugged on his sleeve before saying, "Wanna go up?" She pointed toward adder in the very corner of the mall, leading to the roof. "Pfft..." He let out a chuckle and nodded. "Let''s go." Taking a few good looks around to make sure there were no guards, the two jumped on a few stalls and leaped toward a nearby tree, from which they immediately ran toward thedder and climbed to the very top. And once they finally arrived, what greeted their sights was a gorgeous sunset, which was on the verge of fully disappearing. "Quickly!" She tugged on his sleeve again. Neraxis sped up his pace as he followed after the running Celina, who, after a few short moments, jumped down into a small hatch in the roof. With a puzzled look, he did the same, and once he did, a few mirrors came into view, perfectly reflecting what little sunlight there was, illuminating the miniature tile ceiling. It was almost like standing on top of clouds¡ªespecially with a beauty like Celina beside him¡ªthat left him speechless. "Is this...?" Chapter 101 One Second "Hello, littlemb," the blue dragon-headed man''s voice rang out, sending shivers down both Neraxis''s and ra''s spines. "W-Who are you? What do you want from me?" ra questioned while slowly backing away. "There is no point in running, littlemb. Everyone is already dead," the man affirmed with an ominous chuckle before continuing, "As for why I am here, it''s simply because your brother''s progress no longer meets our criteria. Therefore, we decided to nudge him a little." As his words fell, he began walking over to ra, who had begun using her mana affinity to conjure mes. An S ranked Soul me affinity¡ªmuch like the heroes¡ªher future was basically set. But s, Neraxis was witnessing its end as the masked man merely flicked his fingers, dispersing the me and sending her flying toward the other side of the ssroom. "I do not wish to inflict any more suffering upon you, littlemb. Just know that we, the Sovereigns, appreciate all the help you have provided in nurturing Neraxis into what he is now," the man said and towered over her. "After all, with someone like you, we can finally give him onest push and make him remember his task. We will descend soon, littlemb, so be not afraid, as this world will soon see bnce once more." "S-Stop!" ra''s panicked voice rang out as she scrambled to her feet, attempting to escape. But before she could, the man stretched out his hand, immediately snapping her neck. That was when he looked to the side before humming, "I wonder how he would have reacted if he had seen me? I wonder, would it have brought back the fun memories we had together?" As thest of his words,ced with amusement, fell, the man walked back to the courtyard, taking onest nce at the academy. This time, with a mere breath, the building began copsing gradually until eventually, only and of rubble was left. And before long, another zap of thunder struck the ground, taking the man alongside it as he finally disappeared. Yet Neraxis could do nothing but watch as his sister was killed before him by some masked being who called himself a Sovereign. [Are you alright?] Evangeline questioned in a worried tone. No. He simply replied, going up to where the rubble had copsed onto ra and lifting it all up. Yet what greeted his sight was not something he wished to see¡ªever. Pained gasps resounded as she tried her best to breathe, her awakened regeneration just barely able to keep her alive. But that did notst long, as eventually, she ran out of air before being suffocated to death. Just then, hurried footsteps rang out, lifting the boulder up immediately and pulling ra out. "ra! ra!? Wake up!" The man before him was Neraxis¡ªa tad bit older and riddled with a few scars¡ªbut that was not what had caught his attention. Instead, it was one simple fact. One second... If I had arrived just one second earlier, she would have lived. he thought as his heart began practically beating out of his chest, watching his past self sob while holding ra''s dead body. One second, one single fucking second! Neraxis eximed inside his mind, sending a punch at a nearby piece of rubble, demolishing it in an instant. Yet his anger could not be relieved, and not ming himself seemed impossible. After all, if only he had walked faster, if only he had left his house a second or two earlier, ra would still be alive. [Neraxis...] Evangeline called out with clear sorrow in her voice. [I am sorry you had to go through that, and I know nothing I say will change what happened, but keep in mind, self-me won''t bring the past her back to life. So please, cherish what you have, and rely on me and the other girls some more too...] Her words managed to bring him some rity. However, he began recalling the events that happened while he was on the way to the academy. Neraxis took a detour to the supermarket, buying himself an energy drink¡ªone he did not even need. Furthermore, on the way over, he kept being sidetracked by random people bumping into him¡ªeven a single person who identally spilled their coffee onto him. Who would drink coffee while walking out in the rain? The people bumping into me did so on purpose too... That blue dragon bastard set this all up, didn''t he? It made sense, since if the reason Neraxis could not see himself back in the house meant that he had already left, then he was constantly being held up by the ''random'' urrences.@@novelbin@@ The timing was soical¡ªit was almost like that masked Sovereign had predicted Neraxis would see something like this eventually. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire I''m going to kill each and every one of them. Neraxis resolved himself with an unusually clear mind. Evangeline was right¡ªas much as it pained his heart, he could not bring the past ra back. Since if his hunch was right, making it to her in time would have been impossible, even if he had sped up his pace and avoided all the obstacles. But his thoughts were still in turmoil. I... Why me? Why do I have to go through such bullshit on a daily basis? However, before he could ponder further, the tragic sight disappeared from before his eyes, morphing into apletely new image, and what reced it was some sort of graveyard. Barely a moment passed before he realized this was the day ra''s funeral was held. But this time, Neraxis hadn''t stood by the grave. Instead, he was right by the graveyard''s gates. He could see two individuals¡ªboth with white hair¡ªwho were sobbing on each other''s shoulders. My parents? They were here? he thought with widened eyes and approached closer, making sure he wasn''t hallucinating. And to his shock, he wasn''t. Tears were falling as they called out ra''s name several times. However, just as they steeled themselves and took a step forward, a skinny, mysterious man appeared before them, wearing a hyena''s mask. "I apologize on behalf of the remaining Sovereigns, but you puny ants have served your purpose. Disappear." As his cold words fell, Neraxis''s parents'' bodies suddenly twisted at weird angles, their bones being noticeably crushed. Lastly, the man sent a kick, dissolving them intoplete nothingness and taking onest nce at the Neraxis who was still crying over ra''s grave. "Serve us well, pup," he muttered before sinking into the ground, disappearing. [...] Evangeline was as equally speechless as he was. Neraxis could only tremble in ce¡ªnot out of fear, but purely out of anger. Two key events in his life¡ªhis sister''s death and the dismissal of his parents¡ªwere both orchestrated by these Sovereigns who wished to descend. Soon, the surroundings began morphing to familiar starry surroundings, until eventually, what stood before him was a single grandfather clock, with the number 2 grayed out. The main hour hand soon traveled to the number 3, and that was when the notifications descended. [Astral Tower - 2nd Floor: The Reflection of Truth - Complete] [Climber: Neraxis Valen] [Current Progress: 2/12 Floors] [Note: Each trial increases in difficulty exponentially.] [Astral Tower - 3rd Floor Hint: Mask] Neraxis stared at the notifications but didn''t jump to conclusions likest time. The hint was ''mirror'', but instead of fighting a clone of myself, I had to sit in a mirror world watching my family die at the hands of people I didn''t even know existed. he thought, heaving a deep breath as his body sunk into the water. Soon, he found himself back in his room. However, his mood waspletely sour, with his heart rate not decreasing in the slightest. Yet despite the pain and denial, his only coping mechanism was¡ª I need to get stronger... Chapter 102 An Axe? "Neraxis?" Ae''s worried voice rang out. Upon turning toward her, he noticed that both Celina and Aurelia were staring at him with the same expression as Ae. Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire "Did something happen?" Celina asked, and he responded with a shake of his head. "No, I just didn''t get to train as much as I''d like," Neraxis replied with a hollow smile which no one seemed to believe. "Really, dude? You can''t even fake a smile?" Kael said with amusement as he elbowed him in the side. But Neraxis was definitely not going to share what he had seen. "It''s nothing serious. I''ll tell you some other time." "But¡ª" Ae was interrupted by the door mming open as Magnus walked inside. The same went for the remainder of the students who were chatting. For some reason, Magnus felt a little cranky today, and yet, he hadn''t even said a single word. But soon, he spoke. "The headmaster and I have decided to bump up our ns. Therefore, those who reach E- rank will immediately attempt the Dreamspire''s first floor. Now, we''ve also made it so that if you are already F+ ranked, you have the opportunity to attempt it as well by receiving permission from me personally," Magnus exined. "Oh?" An arrogant voice came from the side. It was some ck-haired girl. "Can I try it now then, Instructor?" "Yes, you are allowed to do so at any given moment. Step up to the podium," Magnus instructed, and she did as she was told. "Veronica Lemont, are you positive you want to try to survive the first floor?" he asked, unsheathing his sword. That seemed to make Veronica flinch for a moment, but nheless, sheplied. "Of course, Instructor. I am as ready as I can be." "Good," Magnus said with a smile, and before she could even react, he appeared behind her. "Then survive against me for one whole minute," he added, shing the sword down at her. Surprisingly, she evaded it before pulling out some weird long polearm from her dimensional ring and swinging it right at Magnus. Yet he merely waited for the swing to finish and quickly reacted in kind. He''s holding back a lot, but still, it''s surprising that that girl can even dodge him in the first ce with that frail-looking body of hers, Neraxis remarked, watching the fight continue. The way she used the polearm was pretty impressive, as now, instead of attacking head-on, she opted to keep Magnus at a safe range while also dodging all of his attacks. However, Neraxis saw something amusing happen right at the 30-second mark.@@novelbin@@ Magnus circled her constantly and, while doing so, also threw down miniature pebbles on the ground, which, if stepped on, would make one slightly lose their bnce. And if an inexperienced opponent who fought with perfect bnce up until that moment did step on them, then... "Ah!" Veronica''s yelp rang out as she suddenly tripped to the ground, and before she could even recover, Magnus aimed his sword right at her throat. "Fail," he announced, her cheeks reddening as she picked herself back up and ran to her seat. "Now then." Magnus cleared his throat. "Who''s next?" *** Safe to say, out of all the F+ ranks, only two managed to earn his recognition, with one of them being Soren, Neraxis thought as he leaned back in his chair. The events from just a few hours prior were still reying vividly in his mind, and he just wished there was something that could make him forget something like that ever happened. But he couldn''t, since if he did, who else would kill those Sovereigns if not him? Anyway, now that Magnus''s tests had concluded, it was about time he started the actual lesson. "Today, we''ll be learning to wield a second weapon," he announced as gasps resounded throughout the ssroom. "Now, I know what you all may be thinking, but imagine yourself in a situation where, let''s say, your sword breaks, and beside you lies a bow. What if by using the bow, your chances of winning increase to 100%, but if you choose not to, then they are merely 50%? Do any of you like these odds?" Silence once again returned, with him continuing his exnation. "I have assigned each of you a weapon, so head to the training room," he said, walking to the door. "I will be sparring with each one of you. Prepare yourselves." At his words, a smile tugged on Neraxis''s lips. What better way was there to get stronger than fighting opponents who were much stronger than he was? He did not waste any time or even chat with Kael, as Neraxis headed straight to the training room, being the first one there. Quickly changing into the ck bodysuit, he walked over to the very middle, where the amused Magnus stood. All of a sudden, an axe materialized out of thin air,nding right in Neraxis''s hands. "You get an axe, Neraxis," Magnus stated with a pause before continuing, "I believe what you mightck is a bit of savagery in your technique." Neraxis raised his brow in confusion, but soon, Magnus exined. "An axe is known by many as a weapon of barbarians and such, but most of us merely take inspiration from their techniques. After all, it doesn''t matter how you fight as long as you manage to kill your opponent in the end." "I see." Neraxis raised the axe in his hand high up in the air, looking for afortable grip. But s, there was nothing. He felt like he was holding an unbnced stick with a lump of metal attached at the very top. "Who made this?" he asked, earning a chuckle from Magnus in response. "I don''t know. I picked it up from one of the monster zones. I didn''t have the chance to ask for the maker of such an axe, as the wielder was already dead." "Oh... my condolences then," Neraxis remarked, ending the topic as soon as he could before asking, "Are we going to have some time to train before we fight you?" He was met with a shake of the head from Magnus. "No, Neraxis. People will fight me in the order they arrive at the training room. That means, once everyone gathers, you are first." Of course... he sighed inwardly and sent out a nod before walking to the side where a couple of wooden dummies stood. Any tips? he questioned. [I only wielded a sword back in the past. I didn''t have a use for anything more. I don''t have the ability to morph into anything either, but it''s not like it matters¡ªyour proficiency with the sword is nearly equal to what you had with the scythe.] Evangeline replied in a soft voice. Hmm... he hummed. It''s weird how I don''t miss the scythe at all. It was my main weapon, but right after I died... I just kind of forgot about it? I guess? [A sword is better either way. Now go practice with this shabby axe already,] she urged with a giggle. And soon, he put his attention onto the target dummy in front of him before swinging the axe down. It felt off¡ªway more than he would like. But the power was indeed great, as even with such a shabby attack, he was able to put a scratch on this high-grade dummy. Still... Neraxis nced toward the slightly smiling Magnus. I''m a bit screwed, aren''t I? Chapter 103 Fighting With A Different Weapon [Oooh! That''s some progress!] Evangeline said, clear sarcasmcing her tone. It took five minutes for all the students to gather, and during that time, Neraxis was still treating the axe as though it were a sword. So, safe to say, he was not doing great. Soon, Magnus spoke up. "Neraxis, show me what you''ve learned." Time''s already up, huh? Neraxis thought, stretching his back before walking over to Magnus, axe in hand. "The rules are simple. I will give you the chance tond a solid first hit on me. After that, I attack you back. Most importantly, no usage of mana or skills," Magnus stated, pulling out his sword. "You may begin." At those words, Neraxis took a deep breath, preparing himself, and soon, with a kick-off from the ground, he approached Magnus rapidly. This was his one and only chance to get a decent hit in, so he pooled all his strength into this attack and swung the axe downward like a lumberjack. But to his surprise, once the axe came into contact with Magnus''s skull, it stoppedpletely. A trickle of blood dripped down, revealing a small cut that, in the same instant, healed. "One hit is up. Good luck, Neraxis," Magnus said with an ominous smile, and before Neraxis could even react, he struck him on the head with his sword''s hilt. Fuck. Neraxis eximed inwardly before picking himself back up and shing at Magnus as though he were a log of wood. "Now, everyone, pay attention," Magnus stated, slightly confusing Neraxis before continuing. "What do you all notice? Why isn''t hending a hit?" Kael was the first to speak. "Because he''s weak, probably?" "Not necessarily," Magnus said with an emotionless chuckle. "Anyone else?" "Technique? He''s using the same footwork as when he uses a sword," Celina answered. And that seemed to be the right answer, as Magnus nodded in confirmation. "That''s right. Hecks power because he swings the axe like a sword. His footwork doesn''t match someone who would be using an axe, either." As his words rang out, Magnus walked up to Neraxis and shed downward. In response, Neraxis instinctively raised his axe to block. Yet that did nothing, as Magnus''s sword went straight through the wooden axe''s handle and stopped just before reaching Neraxis''s neck. "You tried blocking it directly. That''s not how an axe works," Magnus stated. "You are supposed to use the head of the axe to block or, in a simr case, use the shaft to redirect as though you were using a staff." "As for your footwork? Well..." Magnus continued, sending a sweeping kick toward Neraxis, who evaded it by swiftly jumping upward. However, that did not do much, as soon Magnus pierced him straight through the bodysuit''s cor, holding him up in the air. "You need to work on your footwork to evade attacks like these. You yourself use a sword, so I expect you to learn how to counter a sword likewise." With that, Neraxis was put back down onto the ground, his broken axe by his side. [Well, you were one cool-looking guinea pig.] Evangeline giggled, making his brows twitch. But before he could respond, another item was tossed to him. This time, it was a shield. And soon, Magnus spoke again. "You will go right after everyone''s turn finishes. I want you to learn how to properly deflect and redirect attacks in the meantime." "Yes, instructor," Neraxis replied and headed back to where the others were. As he did, Ae walked up to him, raising her hands to his chest and suddenly healing him. "There. Now you can watch us suffer while you''re healthy," she said with a teasing smile and headed forward. Ae was holding a pair of daggers, and from the looks of it, she was next. Yet as he was nning to sit back and watch her fight, his phone''s notifications rang out, and as he went to check them, Neraxis froze. Taking a deep breath, he replied. @@novelbin@@ Another hero transferred, huh... Neraxis thought with a conflicted look before muting Bale for the moment. Asher used daggers and had a personality equal to Lar himself, so it was already a perfectbination of shitty people. However, Asher in particr, despite his arrogance and all, was a coward through and through. He was also one of the people Neraxis beat into shape, yet he betrayed him in the very end nheless. Four heroes have already appeared, so aside from me, five more should still be out there. I got along with two of them, but the rest definitely need to go. Neraxis pondered while taking a nce at Ae, who was doing even worse than him. She swung around in a circle with her daggers outstretched, yet all that managed to do was make her dizzy. "...Ae, just use this stick for now," Magnus said with an exhausted sigh and took the daggers out of her hands. "Yes, sir," she replied with a confident look and soon walked over to where Neraxis was. "How did I do? Were you impressed?" she asked, her chin held high. "I think you''d make a perfect ballerina," Neraxis responded truthfully, making her halt on the spot. "Never mind. You are being ignored until this lesson is over," Ae said, avoiding his gaze. Hearing that, he could only shrug. Now, it gave him some time to think while, in the meantime, Celina stepped up toward Magnus with a pair of gauntlets on her hands. Surprisingly, she was pretty good at fighting with them. Her movements were concise and minimal, and her footwork was nearly perfect. But still, there were many ws in her gauntlet technique, as she was making the same mistakes Neraxis had¡ªfighting as though she were wielding a pair of daggers was certainly not helping. Besides that, she got a good score¡ªmuch better than Neraxis¡ªand right after was Aurelia''s turn. She was holding a sword, sloppily swinging it around, missing Magnus when he wasn''t even moving. "Stop, stop... Aurelia, you can use a wand instead," Magnus intervened and handed her a different weapon since, clearly, she could not fight physically. Now, only Kael was left out of the entire group, and to Neraxis''s surprise, he was given a bow to fight with. But that was not even the most surprising part, as Kael seemed to be able to perfectly wield the bow, even nearly hitting Magnus''s vitals from time to time. Is he good with every weapon or something? Neraxis wondered as Magnus suddenly stopped the fight. "I''m giving you throwing knives instead. Your bow proficiency is too high." Kael rolled his eyes and picked up the new weapons before heading over to a corner and lying down, attempting to sleep again. After several more bouts between Magnus and the students, it was once again Neraxis''s turn. "Neraxis, I hope you at the very least practiced the shield techniques in your mind, because all I saw you doing this entire time waszing around and staring at the others," Magnus said sternly, but Neraxis ignored him and walked up to him, shield in hand. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire "Are you ready?" Magnus questioned, but before Neraxis could even reply, he had to raise his shield, blocking a heavy sword blow. "Rule number one of using a shield¡ªalways be prepared to block." Chapter 105 Trailing Aurelia Neraxis read the message and tapped on her shoulder, making her turn around with a shocked expression. "Really? Thanks for letting me know," he teased. "...You know stealth techniques?" she asked suspiciously. "I picked up a thing or two in the past," Neraxis said before ncing downward at Aurelia, who was walking out of the school''s courtyard. "Which car is hers?" Celina took her eyes away from him and pointed to a white sedan, which seemed much more luxurious than the other cars around. "She''s pretty rich," he remarked, to which Celina scoffed. "You''re the one talking. You can probably buy half of this city." [Modesty, Neraxis, modesty.] Evangeline clicked her tongue a couple of times, but he ignored it. Because in the next moment, Aurelia entered her car, and before long, both Neraxis and Celina jumped down from the academy''s rooftop,nding on a few light strips and making their way onto a nearby building. All the while, Aurelia''s car had just begun moving. Since they were already in a position to track her, they did. However, aside from her taking a single detour to a convenience store to get herself a bag of candy, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That was when the white sedan entered a tunnel that typically should have only a single exit on the other side. Neraxis waited patiently until, finally, the white sedan exited the tunnel. But it did not take him even a moment to notice that it wasn''t the same one, as the paint job was slightly more matte on this car. "Celina, that''s a fake. Follow me," Neraxis said urgently before jumping down, surfing along the building toward the tunnel. Yet the only thing he saw once he arrived was a row of other cars driving as though nothing had happened. "..." He skeptically looked around, trying to spot something off. It looked like any ordinary tunnel, decked out with lights to make sure it stayed lit. However, as he had that thought, he immediately focused on the lights¡ªsince even for a tunnel, they were simply too close to the ground. And soon, Neraxis managed to spot a single light that was a bit dimmer than the others. "Celina." "On it," she replied immediately, throwing her dagger at the light. The moment it made contact, a single brick appeared from the wall, and Neraxis went ahead and pushed it in. As he did, a whole secret entrance emerged, and ahead was something simr to a metro system¡ªyet instead of train tracks, there was a long cement road leading forward. "I assume you didn''t go through this entrance on the way to her house?" Neraxis mused out loud. "...No, I have no clue what this is," Celina replied with a sour look before stepping onto the paved road. Neraxis followed right after her, and soon, they began jogging ahead. Yet no matter how far they got, the metro tunnel they were in did not appear to have an end. Ten minutes, thirty minutes, an hour. Only after one hour did they reach some semnce of an exit. A single door, which Neraxis approached, exhausted. However, as he swung it open, what greeted his sight was apletely white corridor with several doors scattered across it. "What''s this?" Celina stepped forward with curiosity, approaching one of the doors. But just as she was about to put her hand on the doorknob, Neraxis stopped her. "Stop. It''s a trap. There''s only one correct door, whereas the rest are decoys." "Oh, I know." She giggled and ced her hand on the doorknob before turning it. "This is the correct one." Celina swung the door open, and what appeared before their eyes was something that made them highly concerned. It was an equally white corridor; however, there were all sorts of syringes and vials scattered all over the ground. "This is ab, Celina. Let''s hurry," Neraxis urged as a bad feeling settled in his chest. There was only a single door ahead of them, and he proceeded to quietly open it by using Aura of the Abyss to melt the door down. But now, an even more confusing sight appeared before his eyes. A mansion with a driveway, in which the white sedan from earlier was parked. "This is her house?" Celina stated, puzzled. "It definitely looks like it, but from what I can see, there are some details that are not exactly the same..." "A decoy house? Or maybe... the one you''ve been to is a decoy instead..." Neraxis thought as his eyes widened. However, before he could even ponder further, he summoned his sword, redirecting a spear that had been thrown at him from the mansion. "Are you okay?" Celina asked, worried. And Neraxis swiftly assured, "I''m fine, but that person seems to be pretty strong. Maybe a guardian. Could you enter stealth like you usually do and try to catch them off guard while I fight?" "Yes... Don''t die." Celina stated and tapped him on the shoulder before disappearing from his sight. Yet he noticed a particr shadow roaming on the ground, just barely visible due to the fake sun shining from above. "Pup, do you know this is not the ce for you to wander around?" An obnoxiously arrogant voice rang out. As Neraxis turned toward it, he was greeted by a man with unnatural height¡ªnearly twice his size. He lookednky, like some sort of skeleton, and not exactly imposing. Yet his strength was definitely the real deal. "You are?" Neraxis questioned, preparing to kill this man as soon as he could. "You don''t need to know that," the man chuckled. "But I can tell you one thing¡ªyou will not being out of here alive¡ª" His words were interrupted as a trickle of blood appeared from the back of his knees, making him nearly topple over. However, he caught himself in time, looking confused. Just as he nced at where Neraxis was a moment ago, he had already disappeared.@@novelbin@@ "Where did you go, you rat?!" Thenky man shouted, trying to draw Neraxis out. But before the man could remain enraged any further, Neraxis dropped back down from the sky, sending his sword right at the man''s neck. It cut¡ªbut did not cut it off for some reason¡ªwhich made Neraxis momentarily halt due to his sword being stuck in the man''s neck. And in that one moment, the man was able to grab hold of Neraxis, holding him with great strength as he threatened to crush his much smaller body. "Hahahaha! See? You couldn''t run around like a rat for long, now could you?" The man let out a maniacalugh. However, Neraxis did not react, merely staring at the man as though he were some sort of idiot. "Are you done?" Neraxis questioned, making a frown appear on the man''s face. "Wha¡ª!" Before the man could even speak, Neraxis covered a majority of his own body in the Aura of the Abyss, making the man''s hands deteriorate at a rapid rate. The look of pain was clear on his face as he looked up at the person who did this in horror¡ªjust to meet Neraxis''s cold eyes. "It was fun¡ªfor you, probably. Now, where''s Aurelia?" Chapter 106 Aurelias Home "Aurelia...? You mean that blue-haired child? She''s probably doing tests right about now," the man answered as a smile beamed on his face. "So now, if you kindly let me go, then¡ª" "No." Neraxis immediately rejected the idea. "You are going to die, but if you tell me all I need to know, I will make your death as painless as I can." "You! Just kill me then!" The man spasmed on the ground, hisnky body meeting Neraxis''s eyes. However, that was enough to slightly intimidate him as he spoke, adding, "...What do you want to know?" "Everything, preferably." Neraxis nodded. "What''s this ce? What is Aurelia doing here? Why are you even doing this in the first ce?" "This is a research facility... I think? I don''t get paid enough to deal with this shit other than to protect the building," the man replied with a scoff. Neraxis sent a re his way, making him flinch. "I don''t care. Answer my other questions." "Right... The girl is going through some tests to improve an alchemy form. That is all I know. As for why I''m doing this in the first ce? The money is simply too good to pass up," the man stated and stretched out his neck. "Do it fast, cut the artery or something, my hands¡ªoh right, I don''t have hands anymore." The man beganughing to himself, and Neraxis could only sigh in response. What a weirdo... "Final question." Neraxis got his attention. "How long has this been going on?" "I''ve been called here every single Wednesday for thest Sixteen years, so... it''s been around long if I had to guess," the man said after a bit of pondering. Neraxis nodded before walking up to him and cing the sword right at the base of his neck. "I see. Goodbye." With that, he shed downward, cutting the arteries and killing the man in an instant. [1x (D- Ranked Human) in! Reward: Stigmata 55.3% -> 56.3%] Nodding in satisfaction, Neraxis turned to Celina, who was now ring at him. "What''s up with you today?" she asked. "You didn''t even try to dodge that toothpick''s attack earlier. You almost got killed, do you know that?" "I lost focus. I didn''t get much sleep today." Neraxis evaded the question, but it seemed like she didn''t believe him. "I can tell when you are tired, and you are not tired, so stop lying to me," Celina said, walking over to him and cing her hands on his cheeks. "I can tell you are agitated, sad, and regretful... I don''t know what happened during the night, but remember, you can talk to me..." "I''m sorry, Celina." He ced his hands on hers, taking them away from his cheeks. "It''s not something I''m ready to share just yet. But don''t worry, I''ll make sure not to make the same mistake again." "...You better," she said after a long pause, her frown slowly vanishing as she turned on her heel and nced at the mansion. "Do you want me to scout it out first?" "No, we''ll be going in together," he stated and walked ahead. "If you want, follow me while remaining invisible. We don''t know what we might find in there." "Sure~" she hummed and disappeared from his sight. However, the tug on his sleeve assured him that Celina was still there. "I''ll watch your back, Neraxis." She whispered in a soft voice, and with cautious steps, the two headed toward the mansion. On the outside, it lookedpletely normal, aside from the fake sun above, as well as the sky and clouds. It seemed like artificial panels were ced on the walls, projecting the view of the outside. An istion chamber, or perhaps something even more... he pondered as he approached the doors. Guess I''ll find out soon enough, though. He stretched his hand out, dissolving the door and stepping inside. At a single nce, it looked like any ordinary mansion. However, he quickly found a single wire traveling from one end of the entrance to the other. "Trap," Celina warned, leaning down and cutting the wire. "Another one down there." Neraxis pointed to a tile on the ground, and it was slightly raisedpared to the rest. Safe to say, it was a trap house, but one they had to get through in order to find Aurelia. That was why they moved with silent steps, avoiding or dismantling each trap until they finally arrived upstairs, in front of a certain room. "This is her bedroom." Celina whispered and reached her hand for the door, pushing it open. What greeted their sights was Aurelia, simply eating chocte while lying on her own bed, seemingly unaware of what was happening around her. But once she noticed them, her eyes widened. "Guys? W-What are you doing here?" "I could ask the same thing to you." Neraxis walked up to her. "What are you doing here?" "I was getting my potions restocked... But how did you find me? Did Bertolt let you in?" she questioned. So that''s his name. Too bad. Neraxis thought before nodding. "Something like that. Where are the people making you those potions?" "In my dad''s room. They tell me not to enter it, though," Aurelia replied. Neraxis nced back at Celina. "I think it''s best if you go invisible again. I''ll check things out. Could you protect her?" "Are you sure you''re going to be okay?" Celina asked with slightly furrowed brows, but upon noticing his silence, she sighed. "Neraxis, be careful." "Of course." He nodded and made his way out, casting onest nce at the confused Aurelia before closing the door.@@novelbin@@ [This might be a bit dangerous,] Evangelinemented. It will be. He acknowledged and approached the only massive door in the entire mansion, which just so happened to be right next to Aurelia''s room. Evangeline continued, worried. [And if things go wrong?] I''ll use everything I have to escape along with the girls. Neraxis assured one final time and took a deep, steadying breath. cing his hands on the door, he gently opened it, and what greeted his sight were two men sitting back to back, brewing potions. However, once they noticed someone had gotten inside the room, they halted their brewing process, throwing the vials off to the side and pulling out machine guns. But before they even had a chance to use them, Neraxis used Sword Dash, appearing before one of the alchemists and slicing the gun in two. At the same time, he put his hand on the other gun, making it deteriorate. Now, all that was left were two gunless alchemists who were staring at him with caution. "What kind of potions do you make for her?" Neraxis questioned calmly. "How did you even get in here? This is a governm¡ª" Before the alchemist could even finish his words, Neraxis brought a sword to his neck, ring at him coldly. "Why is the government involved in this?" "We are looking for a cure! Her father hired us Sixteen years ago for that same purpose!" the alchemist reasoned. "Do you think I''m an idiot?" Neraxis stared down at him, bringing the sword closer and drawing blood from his neck. "In Sixteen years, you haven''t managed to find a cure?" "You see," the other alchemist spoke up, fidgeting. "We did find something, but it''s experimental, and we are not sure of the consequences yet." Neraxis narrowed his eyes. "Tell me." Chapter 108 Secret Exit They all stepped out of the mansion and began walking back through the weird corridors, finally reaching the tunnel where Neraxis and Celina had entered from. "Hey, how did that car fit inside anyway?" he asked, walking in front. "...There''s another secret door that works like a garage," Aurelia exined, her expression turning droopy. "But... did you kill them all?" Neraxis remained silent before slowly nodding, not meeting her eyes. "The guard tried killing us. As for the alchemist, they tried getting you killed¡ªI couldn''t risk it." His reasoning was sound, but Aurelia still seemed pretty naive. "But... I''ve known them for as long as I can remember..." Noticing the tears welling up in her eyes, Celina stepped up. "Aurelia, listen." She patted her hair. "They had bad intentions from the very start and wanted to take advantage of you." "I-I..." Aurelia did not know what to say, and Neraxis took this as his cue to move a bit ahead. Yet as he did, he suddenly halted. "Stop," Neraxis said with urgency in his voice, making the girls stop. There was something off, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on what. What he did know, however, was that the tunnel they hade in from was not the same as this one. [Yeah, I can''t feel what''s above ground, but the marks you made are nowhere to be seen,] Evangeline remarked. It is suspicious, but I doubt going back would do much. He turned toward Aurelia. "Is there another exit you know of, or is it only this one?" "There is an elevator... but I don''t know the passcode. I never needed to use it," she replied, avoiding his gaze. "That''s going to be a bit of a problem then. Let''s go back and take the car¡ªit might be a bit more efficient," Neraxis suggested, but Aurelia merely shook her head.@@novelbin@@ "The car won''t work since my... former guard dismantles it when we arrive," she exined, but he wasn''t discouraged. "I know how to work with cars, so I can put everything back together." "Oh right!" Aurelia sprang up. "Me too! I''m pretty good at car stuff. Did you pick up his dimensional ring? He keeps all the parts in there." The moment she finished her words, Neraxis''s expression sank. I identally destroyed it along with his arms. Fuck. He let out a sigh and gave up on the possibility of an easy escape. "I didn''t get the ring... Also, this is not the same tunnel we came in from, Celina," Neraxis warned. "I''m not sure what to expect, so stay behind me at all times¡ªboth of you." "O-Okay!" Aurelia replied, taking her staff out, followed by Celina readying her daggers. With that, the three of them began walking forward until, eventually, they reached some sort of massive metal door. It had only taken them 20 minutes, so Neraxis had his guard up as he walked to the door and ced his hand on it. Slowly, the door began deteriorating, revealing what was behind it. And to both his and the girls'' surprise, what they saw was a simple street, with cars driving around. Ahead were several skyscrapers, which meant they were in the very middle of the city. "This was a secret exit too, I suppose," Neraxis mused and stepped onto the street, with people busily walking by. "We''re in the central area of Argon. The academy is not too far away either," Celina said, walking up to him with a frown. "It was hidden in in sight," he mused out loud. "I can only imagine how many more things like this exist in the city." Obviously, there was a massive door-sized hole in one of the walls now, so the police would notice it soon. That was why he decided to make haste and get Aurelia back to her house already. Taking a taxi, they swiftly arrived, and the exterior looked almost identical to what they had seen in the tunnels. "Aurelia, do you want us to head in with you?" Neraxis asked, and she shook her head in response, a determined look on her face. "No... I want to talk to my dad privately. I... I can''t believe that they all nned on betraying us." She paused. "...I also can''t believe my dad didn''t know about it." Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire "I see." Neraxis and Celina nodded in unison as he stretched out his phone. "Could you give me your number? I''ll take the role of your alchemist until I find a cure for you, and it''s best to keep in contact." "W-What? Oh, okay." Her eyes widened, and she picked up his phone with shaky hands, typing in her number and handing it back. "I''ll go now. See you, Celina. You too, Neraxis." She waved and headed into her house. "Will you really do that?" Celina asked amidst the silence. "It took me less than 10 minutes to brew enough vials tost her 10 days, Celina. Yes, I am really going to do it," Neraxis affirmed and began walking back to his house, with Celina trailing close behind. "I can help you," Celina said. "I know how to get cheap alchemy ingredients from one of my grandpa''s friends. If you want, I¡ª" "It''s alright," he interjected. "I''m going to Liora''s alchemy club, so I have a few unused benefits I n to make use of soon." She seemed a bit downcast but nodded anyway. "I see..." However, even then, she still followed after him until, eventually, they reached Neraxis''s house. Okay... why is she still following me? he thought while taking a nce at Celina, who had an oblivious look on her face. "Is something wrong?" she asked. Neraxis let out a sigh before saying, "Do you want some tea?" "Sure." Celina immediately agreed, and the two went inside his house. Yet the first person Neraxis saw once he opened the door was his sister, ra, carrying a te of food up the stairs. As she noticed him¡ªand especially Celina beside him¡ªshe froze. "You have a girl over already...? But didn''t you just go on a date? You sure work fast," ra remarked with a whistle, making him roll his eyes. "She''s just over for some tea. Don''t look too much into it," Neraxis waved her off and led the slightly smiling Celina into the kitchen. His parents seemed to be out, so he prepared some tea and ced some sugar on the side in case she wanted to add it. In the meantime, Neraxis also prepared a couple of sandwiches, and soon, they began eating in silence. However, after a couple of bites, Celina broke the silence. "This is delicious. You should''ve joined the cooking club instead of the traveling club." "How do you know I''m in the traveling club?" he asked with a raised brow, noticing her flinch. "...Aurelia told me." "Is that so." Neraxis chuckled inwardly and continued eating his sandwiches. He just hoped such peaceful moments wouldst longer. Yet knowing his luck, peace was not on the table. Just as the two finished eating and Neraxis was about to clean the tes, the doorbell rang. "I''ll get it!" ra shouted and practically slid down the stairs, opening the door. Yet he couldn''t hear any voices, which meant that someone either rang their bell and ran, or... ra walked into the kitchen, holding a small ck note with a white half-mask on the forefront. Yet instead of handing it over to him, she threw it into the trash. "Some door-to-door salesman. You guys can continue your lovey-dovey time¡ªI''ll have my headphones on," ra said with a wide grin and ran up the stairs. However, Neraxis remained in ce, staring at the note in the trash can, a conflicted look on his face. And before long, the phone Amara had given him vibrated, indicating that he had received a message. ...Wasn''t the next mission supposed to be in about a month? Chapter 110 The Elf Archer Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire "Get that sword away from me, you bastard!" she yelled, pushing herself backward and hitting the wall. "Ouch... Can you untie me? Please? I won''t run away, promise." "I will if you tell me a bit about these monarchs," Neraxis bargained. "Ha! You want answers when you dress like them? I call bullshit, no way are you not one of them with that weird white hair of yours! You look just like their leader!" she said, squirming on the ground. "If I were their leader, you''d already be dead, idiot," he replied with a sigh and proceeded to ask questions. "What are the monarchs? How long have they been around? Why are they sporting that hyena symbol?" "You are a liar, but if you are a truthful liar, then I shall tell you," she stated, looking to the side while grinding the ropes tying her on a sharp rock. Noticing this, Neraxis chose to intimidate her. "If you try to escape one more time, I will cut your fingers off, then your hands, your legs, andstly your head. Now be a good hostage and tell me what you know." "Hmm..." she hummed in an amused tone and leaned back, stopping her resistance. "Fine. The monarchs are some cultists supporting that hyena. All I''ve heard is that it''s some kind of higher being, like a god or something thates down every now and again." After a short pause, she continued, "They''ve been around for quite a long time, but only a few weeks ago have their numbers increased drastically." "Do you have a trial tower in this world?" Neraxis asked. "Those things? We do, but barely anyone goes in since not manye out," she replied. "You''re not from here? But how... Did you find a warping rift?" A warping rift? He raised his brow. "What''s that?" "Aha... So you''re just an idiot then, I see," she said, leaning back, her head hitting the wall again. "...Ouch." [So monarchs are supporters of those Sovereign things, and they became active after you and I came back,] Evangeline deduced, and he nodded in response. That''s what I thought as well. Too many coincidences happened ever since my death and return, Neraxis thought, and sent a nce at the elf on the ground. Since she was no longer of any use, he was going to simply leave; she''d free herself on her ownter. And that''s what he did. Walking to the edge of the bell tower, Neraxis prepared to jump off. But before he could, her voice stopped him. "I wanna pee... Edgy white-haired imposter dude, can you set me free? I''m really gonna piss myself here." With a sigh, Neraxis took an empty vial from his dimensional ring, shattered it against the wall, and left behind a sharp piece of ss. He kicked it over to her, and without any more distractions, he jumped back down and put the white jacket on. She was pretty straightforward, Neraxis chuckled inwardly and proceeded to look around the streets again. [Why didn''t you ask her where the monarchs were? She might''ve known,] Evangeline questioned. If she did, she wouldn''t be camping inside a bell tower waiting for them to appear, he replied, approaching a nearby inn. Neraxis nabbed the elf''s purse on his way out, so sitting down, he bought himself a steak. Thankfully, he could understand thenguage here, so while he spent his time eating, he was also actively listening to whatever the people were saying. But aside from the asional murmurs regarding his strange appearance, mainly his hair and matching jacket, no one said anything about the monarchs. That was until the inn''s doors were swung open, with an angry elf walking in and sitting beside him. She''s... back, he felt the headacheing. "You fucking bastard! I almost shed my wrist on that ss, and you even stole my purse! Step outside, I will kill you!" she yelled, drawing her bow and aiming it straight at his face. "Calm down," Neraxis said, tossing her purse over before calling the bartender. "Get her a steak as well, it''s on me." "On you!? It''s my money!" she eximed, watching as Neraxis bought another steak with her money. But she knew it would not be wise to do anything violent in an inn, since they had the tightest security policies, and even a single fight would get her several years in prison. "It''s a good steak," Neraxis remarked, ignoring her anger as he continued listening to the people talk amongst themselves. Soon, he caught an interesting bit of information. "They will be gathering by the outskirts, some kind of honoring ceremony," one of the men said with a chuckle before shooting a quick nce at Neraxis and whispering to his friend. "Do you think that one is going to be there as well?" Outskirts... Interesting. He continued listening on as they detailed some kind of buildings. From what he could deduce, they were shabby buildings, so it was highly likely this gathering would be in the poor area. But where...? "Those pricks are talking about the encampment outside of the city," the elf girl spoke, biting into the steak. "Seems like the southwestern encampment, one of the more shabby and abandoned ones."@@novelbin@@ "I see you are enjoying your steak," Neraxismented, making her brows twitch. Nheless, her information would prove useful, since now all he needed to do was camp out and eliminate them. Neraxis stood up and proceeded to head out, leaving his half-finished steak behind. However, he could tell that he wasn''t the only one who left, as there were footsteps trailing him. Therefore, he turned off into an alleyway, and after walking a bit more, turned again. As the person trailing him finally came into view, he looked at them with a frown. Yet before he couldin, an arrow flew directly at his face, which he barely managed to evade. The next moment, another arrow shot out, then another. Evangeline... Dull, Neraxis said with exhaustion and proceeded to use {Sword Dash}, appearing right before the annoying elf and smacking her over the head with his sword, knocking her out again. [She sure is something, huh? Chasing you around like a bride chasing her groom...] Evangeline squealed. [Are you going to leave her here?] Not on the ground, Neraxis replied, ignoring Evangeline''s remark, and turned to the nearby dumpster before chucking the elf''s body inside. It didn''t have a lot of trash inside, but nheless, he had a feeling he would be seeing her again soon. But for now, he dashed onto the top of the building, and by using the general city''s outline, Neraxis traveled to where he could only assume the southwestern encampment was. Soon, he spotted a bit of smoke flying up into the sky and a massive bonfire in the very middle of the forest. Neraxis didn''t go closer simply because he didn''t need to. After all, from where he was, he could spot several white jacket silhouettes either running around or seemingly praying on the ground. If he were to go closer, he''d run the risk of being spotted way too early, so he wanted to wait until a bit more of these so-called monarchs gathered. Guess the waiting game begins... Chapter 112 A Faraway Howl "Got a n, Neraxis?" Eris asked. "Run, perhaps? You can be bait while I run away¡ªhow does that sound?" "You can run away if you want. I''m going to stay and kill them regardless." Neraxis shrugged and prepared himself. There were too many to count; therefore, he had to find a way to blitz through them all. However, as those thoughts settled, he noticed one of the monarchs stepping up and walking toward them. Neraxis returned the gesture in kind, waving for Eris to stand still while he himself approached the monarch. The two walked toward each other in silence until, eventually, they were an arm''s length away. Immediately, Neraxis could tell what Eris meant when she said he looked like the leader, since the person in front had the same-colored hair and eyes as he did. As for the facial features, they weren''t that close since... [Damn, he''s ugly.] Evangeline snickered. [Your face is much prettier than his.] Right... He shrugged it off and waited for the man to speak up. Soon, he did. "What are your intentions here? I don''t believe we managed to anger someone of your stature. We tend to act under the radar." "I''m afraid that''s where you are wrong," Neraxis corrected him. "Your actions have caught someone''s eye, and I''m here to eliminate you." "...Is that so?" The man frowned. "I had hoped you would not say that, but oh well." As soon as he finished speaking, Neraxis''s senses red, and he suddenly backed away from the man. Yet a disturbing sight greeted him as the man''s body began inting like a balloon before bursting into pieces, sending shrapnel all around. Some pieces even managed to pierce Neraxis despite him using {Aura of the Abyss,} but he did not think too much of it. However, as thest of the shrapnel disappeared, with the man now lying dead on the ground, Neraxis felt an ufortable weakness. Looking down, he spotted a piece of shrapnel embedded in his thigh. The entire area around the wound was turning green¡ªmeaning he had been poisoned. Evangeline, can {Partial Vampirism} dispel poison? he asked urgently. [If you drink enough blood, then it''s possible,] she exined. [But the amount of blood would be drastic, so¡ª] Her words were cut off as Neraxis raised his hand, immediately activating {Crimson Sovereignty''s: Blood Sovereignty}, Focusing on the corpse¡ªor what was left of it¡ªin front of him, he managed to make a construct. [1x Blood Construct Summoned! Type: Utility¡ªBlood Chalice] Is this enough? he asked, drinking all of the blood from the makeshift chalice before it suddenly shattered. But it did not take Evangeline replying for him to realize that was nowhere near enough. All it managed to do was momentarily stop the spread. "Eris, stand up. We are going to kill them all," Neraxis announced urgently. "Why? Oh... You''re pretty fucked, aren''t you?" She chuckled before growing serious. "But I''ll help you this one time, since you kinda did save my ass." She''s somewhat reasonable. Great. He remarked and took a deep breath, locking his gaze onto the ballistas in the distance. A single ballista arrow was shot, but instead of dodging, Neraxis calmly swung his sword down, shing the arrow in two and greatly startling the remaining monarchs. They were a suicidal bunch, judging from their leader. But in the end, they too had survival instincts¡ªwhich Neraxis nned to exploit. Before their eyes, he vanished as he locked onto an animal off in the distance and used {Sword Dash}. A few had taken notice, as some were just barely able to track his speed, but before they could announce anything, he ran up to them¡ªslicing upward and severing their bodies in two. Just as Neraxis did that, the rest grew alert, turning their ballistas toward him. However, before they could shoot, the ones manning the ballistas were suddenly killed¡ªsteel arrows embedded in their backs. Nice. Neraxis praised Eris inwardly, and in the moment of weakness, he went ahead and killed the people in the very front. His sword cleaved them in half far too easily, making him feel a bit strange. It was different from that time in Seraphina''s world, where he had to truly fight to survive with nothing but scraps on the ground. But he did learn one thing from that day, and it was control. The amount of strength necessary to end someone''s life¡ªwith his current sword, he overestimated, making his shes sloppy. However, with this new knowledge, Neraxis was able to urately slice through each person, deflecting attacks and redirecting them to the sides. It did not take long for their numbers to dwindle from thousands to mere hundreds. Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire From time to time, he used {Simple Horizontal sh} as well as {Simple Stab}, cutting them down even faster. But as time went on, with Eris supporting him, Neraxis noticed something was off.@@novelbin@@ They were not fighting back¡ªnot anymore, at least. Soon, he found out the reason why, as a howl echoed through the entire forest, making each and every person present freeze up. Neraxis took this chance to end their lives, absorbing their blood in the process. After just a few more kills, it seemed like the poison was fully out of his system, and the only thing left now was to find out what that howling was. However, before Neraxis could do that, he felt someone grab his leg. Looking down, he saw the person he had just killed staring up at him with dread in their eyes. That was not all¡ªas the remaining people who were supposed to be dead arose from the ground again. The same applied to those he had killed at the very start as well, as they seemed to circle Eris. They were raised from the dead? Neraxis thought with widened eyes. It would exin his Stigmata''s progress not moving at all. But he noticed one interesting thing in particr¡ªthe hyena symbol on their jackets'' backs was emitting a white hue. Temporarily alive, he deduced. With the use of mana, someone managed to revive them for a short moment. In the meantime, the one behind this would escape... I got my next target. Just as he thought that, Neraxis swung down, slicing the head off the monarch in front of him. Yet that did not seem to do much, as his head immediately regenerated, and the monarch began wing at him like some sort of zombie. Avoiding them and dashing over to Eris, he spoke. "They are all dead. We need to find the one behind this." "Hmm? Yeah? Which way did the howle from?" she asked, puzzling him. Neraxis thought for a moment before pointing west. "I''m pretty positive it''s that way." "Wrong. It was from the north," Eris corrected him with a smug smile. "Don''t worry, though¡ªI set up a few traps that would make a sound when triggered. I expected to chase you down that way, so I... Yeah." Left a bit speechless, Neraxis nodded and turned north. "Are youing? You know where the traps are, after all." "Do I have to? Ugh, fine," she replied hesitantly, and the two immediately jumped onto a tree before leaping across several branches, trying to reach the edge of the forest. Soon, they did, and what greeted their sight was a small elevated tform with a single ck throne in the middle, sending shivers down Neraxis''s spine. But even more so was the individual sitting in that throne. A man with a hyena mask, staring off into the woods, unaware of the two above him. Is that...? Chapter 113 The Apostle of The Envy Sovereign "Ah! Wee!" The hyena mask spoke with open arms, standing up from his throne and ncing at both of them. "My master did say you woulde! How magnificent!" Maniac... But... It''s not him. Neraxis deduced and jumped down, stretching out his sword. "Wait a moment, I''m not here to fight you," the hyena mask eximed, iling his hands around. "I''m only here to talk and ry some words directly from my master." "Speak up then," Neraxis urged with a frown. "You see, my master has been expecting your arrival ever since your return. He hoped to meet you personally, but given the circumstances, he was unable to," the hyena mask exined. "But some unforeseen variables made your return slightly... different." Neraxis stared at him with wide eyes. After all, there weren''t many people who knew of his return, much less approached him so directly. But the master this masked man was talking about was likely the one who killed his parents. "You are what exactly?" Neraxis asked. "A vassal? A servant? Which is it?" "I am an apostle, directly under my master. You can say I am a servant since I do everything he asks of me... So yes, you can call me that," the hyena mask replied with a smile, which made Neraxis furrow his brows. "Who is your master? And why exactly would he want toe into contact with me?" "My master is the Envy Sovereign, and he oversaw your... I can''t trante this correctly, but..." the hyena mask trailed off. "Training, I suppose? He made sure you became much stronger than you could ever be, and he was expecting some kind of debt to be repaid." "What bullshit are you spouting?" Neraxis asked, readying his sword to strike at any moment. "I don''t wish to fight against you, err... Neraxis?" the hyena mask stammered. "I value my life as much as anyone else, but I just wish to expand my master''s forces, else he would be overrun by the other Sovereigns." "If you truly wish not to fight against me, then tell me what you meant about the unforeseen variables," Neraxis pushed. "I wasn''t informed... but!" the hyena mask said with a pause. "Master had mentioned your psyche resisting your true self. That''s about all I know." "Anything else?" Neraxis asked. "Since I hope you know, that isn''t enough to let you live." "What!? But I told you so many magnificent things! How could you?" The hyena maskically crouched down, ck tears falling from his eyes. [He''s corrupting the air with those tears, be careful.] Evangeline warned, and immediately, Neraxis used {Simple Stab}, putting a hole straight through the apostle''s forehead.@@novelbin@@ However, instead of brain matter, what scattered was a slimy ck substance. "That looks disgusting," Erismented from the side. [It is disgusting... bleghh...] ...Did you just vomit? [No...] Evangeline trailed off. [Yes, but you can''t imagine how disgusting that blood is. Not even the past me would drink that!] Ignoring her tantrum, Neraxis turned his attention to the troublesome foe ahead of him. Instead of the humanoid body he was expecting to face, some kind of monster amalgamation formed instead, made purely out of the ck slimy blood. "Why must you resort to violence? All I could ever wish for is for my master to attain his goals," the amalgamation said with a distorted voice before looking down at Neraxis, its eyes hollow and white. "However, master did give me permission to kill you if the chance arises." As thest of its words fell, Neraxis suddenly felt an impact on his stomach, before being flung back into one of the nearby trees. But he only stopped flying after toppling nearly six trees; the sheer strength of the attack was way too overwhelming. Is that a C rank? Shit... can I even handle this? Status. +-----+ Status Name: Neraxis Valen Age: 16 Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {56.3%} (Seals Unlocked: 2)] Affinity: [Eclipsed Abyss {SSS}] ¡ªPerks: [Aura of the Abyss] [Unyielding Vitality] [Cosmic Sight] ¡ªStats: Rank: E -> E+ Strength: E -> E+ Agility: E -> E+ Stamina: E -> E+ Intelligence: E+ -> D- Mana Capacity: E -> E+ ¡ªSecondary Stats: Luck: H- -> I+ Charm: B- -> B ¡ªSkills: [Eve of Ruin {E}]* [Swordsmanship {F}] [Ster Dominion {A}] [Minor Reflect {D}] [Sword Dash {F}] [Restorative Cut {E}] [Vampiric Dominion {A}] [Aegis of Eternity {C}] [Crimson Sovereignty {S}] ¡ªFragment of Cmity Skill Tree (2/???) [Simple Horizontal sh] [Simple Stab] +-----+ Hmm... No, even if it''s not doable, I have to somehow do it or else I''m fucked. Neraxis thought with a frown and kicked off the tree, dodging some kind of ck ball. As the ck ball made contact with the half-bent tree he was perched on a moment ago, it suddenly dissolved. Its blood is acid, I can see why Evangeline did not like it, Neraxis mused and attempted to use {Crimson Sovereignty''s: Blood Sovereignty}, however, it seemed to not work. Mark of Decay seemed out of the picture as well, since instead of his attacks connecting, the apostle was moving its ck, slimy blood away the moment his sword approached, so he never truly dealt damage. He had managed to cushion the earlier attack, albeit just barely, so he wasn''t seriously injured. Nheless, Neraxis stepped up, jumping onto a nearby tree before leaping into the sky. Just as he did, he immediately used {Ster Dominion: Cosmic Cascade}, setting the entire monster on fire. However, that seemed to do little aside from irritate it, as it swung its massive arm right at him. But he merely swiped in the air, killing his own momentum and dropping to the ground. At the same time, Neraxis dodged the palm which was about tond on him before he cut off the entire monster''s hand. That did not seem to do much as it merely reconnected its hand back together. Is there no limit? He had a thought but immediately dismissed it. All skills had limits, no matter how overpowered they seemed. But finding that limit would be a difficult process. Or so he thought, but in the next moment, Eris shot some kind of strange arrow at it. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire The apostle tried to part its blood like with his sword strikes, however, the arrow seemingly expanded before finally reaching the apostle''s rear. Soon, a vile scream resounded. "AAAAAAAH!!! YOU BITCH! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU''RE AIMING!?" The apostle screamed, and as it turned its back to Neraxis, it was finally able to see the culprit. It was ice, and it seemed to havepletely frozen its slimy ck blood into solid form, with seemingly no hope of regenerating. [Ouch to the monster.] Evangeline said with a trembling voice. [But you know what you have to do, right?] Yeah... I can try. Not like I have many sure-fire methods anyway. Neraxis grabbed hold of the ne he had on himself and shot a nce at Eris before shouting, "Buy me one minute! Okay!?" "The fuck do you mean one minute?" She shot back. "I can barelyst 30 seconds against this freak, hurry up already!" Neraxis nodded and dashed a bit away before perching on top of a tree. Taking a deep breath, he focused, until eventually, he could feel himself slipping away, his body moving somewhere else. And in the very next moment, a sudden chill ran down his spine, the byproduct of the surroundings being extremely cold. "You''re in a bit of trouble, darling. I wonder why you''vee to see me?" Seraphina teased with a smile, but he got straight to the point. "Could you lend me your frost powers? I don''t think I can beat that monster with my current skill set, not without losing something anyway..." "Not even that deteriorating hand skill you have?" She mused, rubbing her temples. "Oh right, that thing is almost immortal, I see... You want to freeze him to death, don''t you?" "That''s right," Neraxis nodded, watching as her grin widened. "I would be willing to help if you do me one teeny tiny favor," Seraphina said, approaching him. Noticing her mischievous look, he asked, "What is it?" But that seemed to only make her grin turn more sadistic. "Hahaha... Darling, I want you to..." Chapter 114 Temporary Contract [Spirit King¡ªSeraphina Montir wishes to form a temporary contract with you.] [Do you ept?] [Y/N] "Is that really all you want?" Neraxis asked with a raised brow, hovering over the ''Yes'' button. "That''s all, darling." Seraphina replied with a soft smile. "Just make sure to survive and hold up your end of the deal." "Got it," he nodded in response and soon pressed the ''Yes'' button. Immediately, a certain coldness enveloped him, spreading throughout his entire body and finally settling in his chest¡ªright where his heart was. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire Then, before his eyes, a red notification appeared, turning half white in an instant. [Ruler of Frost {SSS}] [Skill Description: ???] [Skill Effects (1/???): Frost Maniption (Passive/Active Hybrid) ¨C Manipte all liquids and turn them into beautiful ice creations. Ability to manipte the surrounding air and turn it into frost. No restrictions upon usage due to a high-level proficiency in the skill.] [Note: The remaining skill effects are locked due to the contract being temporary.] [Note 2: The limit is your imagination.] "Oho..." She shivered, hugging herself. "I haven''t felt such an ecstatic feeling in such a long time, darling. Sorry that I can''t share more¡ªthere are plenty of restrictions thate about when someone tries sharing their main skill." "It''s fine," he waved her off, still staring at the skill''s rarity. "This is more than enough. Thank you, Seraphina." "Hehe... No problem," she replied with a giggle and turned around before making a massive castle materialize in front of them. "At the entrance, there''s a portal you can use to get back. So if you want to defeat it sooner, I suggest you move." "See youter," Neraxis said with a nod before proceeding to run toward the castle, spotting a blue portal whirling in the castle''s wall. With a wave back at Seraphina, he entered through it, appearing inside the forest once more. How do I use this... Neraxis pondered, activating {Ruler of Frost''s: Frost Maniption.} In an instant, the damp forest''s temperature began dropping. Snowkes formed in the air and fell, hitting the ground. As they did, small holes appeared, as though miniature meteorites had struck the earth. However, whenever they came into contact with Neraxis, they merely brushed past him. [Damn, she has some overpowered stuff,] Evangeline said with a hint of jealousy in her tone. Yup. Neraxis let out a chuckle before turning to where the most mana had gathered. He could see Eris fighting that amalgamation, just barely dodging its hits. Therefore, Neraxis stealthily approached behind it, focusing his mana. There was abination he wanted to try¡ª{Ruler of Frost''s: Frost Maniption} and {Aura of the Abyss.} Neraxis had noticed that the frost was being emitted from his entire body, so if he focused it directly where his {Aura of the Abyss} was located, then theoretically, it should be possible. "STOP RUNNING, YOU BITCH!" the monster''s voice rang out as it suddenly stomped the ground. "Oh, fuck off, you grease ball," Eris replied, jumping upward before drawing a slightlyrger arrow. But instead of shooting straight at the monster, she aimed for a nearby tree. Immediately, the arrow shot out, followed by a rope tying it like some sort of grapple hook that Eris used to evade the monster. As she did, she finally took notice of Neraxis, who was now mere centimeters away from the monster. Taking a slow, deep breath, Neraxis ced his hand on the monster''s foot and activated {Ruler of Frost''s: Frost Maniption} and {Aura of the Abyss.} Nothing happened at first, but in the next moment, Neraxis watched as the monster halted, frantically looking all around. Yet a trace of confusion couldn''t escape Neraxis''s face¡ªas despite the touch and activation of the skills, visually, nothing changed. Did it not work¡ª His thoughts were interrupted when, all of a sudden, ice began spreading through the monster''s entire body, turning it into a statue in an instant. Before Neraxis could process it, the ice turned ck¡ªa byproduct of both the monster''s blood and {Aura of the Abyss.} Soon, the monster''s entire body shattered, dropping down in pieces before what was left of its ck blood was reced by clear ice, as though Neraxis had frozen water instead. The frost freezes, and my Aura of the Abyss dissolves them... What an eerily overpoweredbination, he thought as a shiver went down his spine. However, despite his initial thoughts, no notification came, which made him think the monster was still alive. But as he took one nce up into the sky, he noticed a lone ck orb floating in the air. With a puzzled look, Neraxis jumped up, grabbing it. Just as he did, a faint pulse went through his body several times until eventually, it calmed down. What is this thing? Neraxis wondered.@@novelbin@@ It was emitting a bit of mana, but not enough to be some sort of artifact. [Looks like insurance,] Evangeline said before correcting herself. [I mean, like a safety device? I guess? The Sovereign, I assume, put it inside this heretic and was monitoring him the entire time.] You mean to say he watched the entire fight? Neraxis asked with a raised brow. [If I had to guess, then yes. Or it could just be some sort of device that acts like a power-up. Maybe it''s the thing that gave them immortality,] she added. I see, Neraxis replied, trailing off and bringing the orb closer to himself. "I don''t know if you hear this," Neraxis said, narrowing his eyes. "But if you do¡ªfuck you. I will find you and kill you. Send this message over to the others as well. Your time wille." As he finished, Neraxis clenched his hand, shattering the orb in an instant. [1x (C- Ranked Chimera) Apostle of the Envy Sovereign in! Reward: Stigmata 56.3% -> 71.3%] It''s done, Neraxis let out a sigh and plopped down onto the ground. [Contract Expired!] Oh? Are five minutes up already? Neraxis thought as the coldness began leaving his body. But not all of it left¡ªas a tiny portion of the frost stayed in his arms, specifically inside his Aura of the Abyss. "Hey! Mind lending a hand?" Eris called from the side. As he turned toward her, Neraxis saw her tangled in her own ropes, dangling from a tree branch. Nheless, instead of helping, he idly walked back to where the army of monarchs had been. But still, even as far away as he got, he could still hear her kind shouts. "You fucking bastard! Just wait till I find you!" Haha... I wonder if she''ll make it in time, Neraxis mused as he finally arrived back where the ballistas had been scattered. Yet to his surprise, not a single body or weapon was in sight. The silence was a bit too loud. Nheless, that meant he hadpleted his mission and could now go back home. There were still a few questions he had¡ªsuch as, how did that apostle even know he was Neraxis in the first ce? Wasn''t the mask supposed to hide his identity? [I think it only works if they don''t know you exist in the first ce. Since that apostle did, then... yeah,] Evangelinemented. I see... That does sound a bit annoying, he snickered and walked back to the city. After a little while, he made it and dashed all the way to the bell tower where he had interrogated Eris, before sitting down on the ground, overlooking the entire city. Soon, he pulled out his phone and immediately sent a single text. Immediately, he received a response. Inwardly nodding, he put the phone back into his pocket and waited patiently. After a few minutes of waiting, he saw a small crack appear in the space in front of him. Therefore, with a couple of steps, he started walking inside. However, he suddenly felt some kind of push, followed by someone grabbing his waist, clinging tightly onto it. Looking down, he noticed the green-haired elf with a bow on her back, ring at him with a victorious grin. "Got you now, motherfucker." "You idio¡ª" Neraxis''s words were interrupted when the space shifted around him. Soon, he flopped onto a cold, hard table with an annoying elf lying on top of him¡ªas well as a golden-haired beauty staring at him with a cold look. "Fifth Veil... Just what do you think you''re doing?" Chapter 115 An Oopsie "Am¡ªFirst Veil... This pest jumped on me at thest moment; I didn''t notice her," Neraxis said, pushing Eris off. "Who are you calling a pest? You tie me up, throw me into a dumpster, and then leave me hanging from a tree! You¡ªYou deserve to die!" she replied, raising her bow. But before she could do anything, Amara''s stern voice rang out, freezing both of them in ce. "Enough, Fifth Veil, who is she?" "She... Sort of helped me with this task, albeit not intentionally," he exined. "The monarchs were being led by an apostle of the Envy Sovereign." As his words fell, Amara''s brows twitched for a short moment. However, Neraxis caught on to that. "Is there something I need to know?" "Not at the moment." Amara shook her head. "Forpleting this task, you will receive 1000 points to spend however you wish." "...I see." Neraxis nodded. "Can I exchange 1000 points for you to tell me who the Sovereigns are?" "No. That is high-level information; you are still over 99,000 points short," she denied, before turning to Eris. "As for you, what do I do with you? I can''t send you back since you''re marked now..." Marked? That word caught Neraxis''s interest as she continued speaking. "Do you have family back in that world? Anything?" "No ma''am," Eris replied respectfully. "The only thing I had was my backpack, which this prick tore." "I''ll reimburse you for the backpack and give you a residence to stay in for now until I figure out what to do with you. Does that work for you?" Amara asked in a kind tone, puzzling Neraxis. She asked me to kill all those people, and now she''s offering someone a ce to stay? he thought with disbelief. Eris tilted her head. "Why can''t you send me back?" "You were marked by the people you fought. If I send you back now, you''ll be a test subject," Amara exined. "So what will it be, girl? Do you want to be a test subject, or live a carefree life in the Fifth Veil''s world?" "Fifth Veil? You mean Neraxis?" Eris asked, her expression turning sour. "I don''t mind living there as long as it means I won''t get dissected. But can you arrange for me to live further away from him? I don''t want to identally kill him." Amara chuckled. "Let''s talk a bit more, shall we?" She turned to Neraxis. "Missionplete, Fifth Veil. You may go back now." Before he could protest, she swung her sword down, immediately sending him back in front of his own house. However, one good look at the sky, and he could tell it was a bitte. Despite his exhaustion, he went inside his home, swiftly heading up to his room to wash off all the blood before heading out again. As much as he hated being left in the dark, Amara was a mystery he did not even know how to begin solving; therefore, he put it behind him for now.@@novelbin@@ He messaged Celina. After a few minutes, he received a thumbs-up, followed by: He heaved a relieved sigh before replying, It seemed like he wasn''t toote, so he dashed across the rooftops, and in less than a minute, arrived before the locked gates of the academy. But just as he was about to text Celina, the gates were suddenly unlocked, and with a small smile, he headed inside. The front entrance was unlocked as well, so he walked straight toward the training rooms. Looking around, he spotted one that seemed to have the red tag above it, meaning it was upied. Neraxis didn''t think too much of it¡ªlikely, Celina had unlocked the door for him. Therefore, he opened the door, and as the sight ahead entered his eyes, he shut the door in an instant. [Pfft... Hahaha,] Evangeline immediately let out augh. [That''s what you get for not knocking.] All the while, he was speechless. Celina was indeed inside; however, she was naked, her perfect body glistening from the umted sweat. But she wasn''t alone, as off to the side, Aurelia was resting. She was the person whose eyes widened when Neraxis entered the room unannounced. He still couldn''t get Celina''s breasts out of his mind, as despite her looking t-chested with her clothes, she was at the very least a D cup. Soon, he received a message on his phone, which he hesitantly checked. Neraxis walked up to the door again. He opened it, this time very slowly. Thankfully, Celina was fully clothed this time and looked at him with a slightly red face. "I just got out of the shower... Anyway, are you ready to train?" Celina asked in a shaky voice. All the while, Aurelia was staring off into the ceiling, not even greeting him. "Let''s start... I''ll practice my swordsmanship," Neraxis announced, putting those thoughts behind him. "Mhm." Celina nodded and pulled out her daggers. Without warning, she dashed right in, attempting to slice his wrists. However, he was able to react in time, his mind slowly clearing up. But it was a strange feeling¡ªher strikes did not feel as fast as before, and the strength behind them wasn''t that great either. Did I really get that much stronger in such a short time? he couldn''t believe it. Nheless, he was going to spar fair and square, without the usage of any skills, only pure swordsmanship. Yet as easily as he was dodging and redirecting her attacks, Celina was doing the same. Only a few were able to truly graze her, and even then, due to her supernatural healing, the wounds closed up in an instant. However, Neraxis felt like he was truly grasping onto something, with each block, with each moment, he was improving his swordsmanship at an incredibly fast rate. That was until both of her daggers headed straight for his face. He was in an ufortable position; therefore, dodging seemed impossible, and because his sword was long, parrying too. But despite all that, his body instinctually leaned down, and as Celina brought her daggers together, Neraxis tilted his sword, perfectly separating her daggers and redirecting her body to fly off behind him. How did I do that? he wondered as he nced at his hands. This was not ordinary redirection, as he managed to do it in the veryst instant, grasping at the opponent''s tiny imperfections in their technique. None of that would have been possible without the precise moments he had executed in the veryst instant either. A perfect sequence¡ªsomething that would be difficult to replicate. But he did it¡ªeven if just once, it was more than enough for the system to recognize his efforts. [Swordsmanship {F->E}] [Swordsmanship {E}] [Skill Description: Increases uracy and critical hit chance when attacking with a sword. Additionally, grants a minor boost to attack speed during sustained swordbos. (NEW) Incorporating defensive techniques and footwork bes much easier.] Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire Neraxis stared at it with satisfaction. It had not been a long time since he started using the sword, and yet, his progress was extremely fast. But it would only grow faster from here. He turned to Celina, who was lying on the ground, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "More?" Neraxis offered with a teasing smile, and she replied with apetitive look. "Of course." Chapter 116 Quick Comprehension It was now Saturday, and Neraxis had spent all of his free time training alongside Celina. Aurelia tended to join in from time to time, but it was usually just minor deflection practice, as she was much weakerpared to them. Nheless, in the past few days, his stats had increased a fair deal. +-----+ Status Name: Neraxis Valen Age: 16 Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {71.3%} (Seals Unlocked: 2)] Affinity: [Eclipsed Abyss {SSS}] ¡ªPerks: [Aura of the Abyss] (NEW) [Unyielding Vitality] [Cosmic Sight] ¡ªStats: Rank: E+ -> D- Strength: E+ Agility: E+ -> D- Stamina: E+ -> D- Intelligence: D- -> D Mana Capacity: E+ ¡ªSecondary Stats: Luck: I+ Charm: B ¡ªSkills: [Eve of Ruin {E}] [Swordsmanship {F -> E}] [Ster Dominion {A}] [Minor Reflect {D}] [Sword Dash {F}] [Restorative Cut {E}] [Vampiric Dominion {A}] [Aegis of Eternity {C}] [Crimson Sovereignty {S}] ¡ªFragment of Cmity Skill Tree (2/???) [Simple Horizontal sh] [Simple Stab] +-----+ Neraxis stared at his stats with satisfaction. Finally, he had managed to reach D- rank, and from the looks of it, his progress was not slowing down. However, there was one thing that kept nagging him, and that was his perk, {Aura of the Abyss}. It had absorbed some Frostst time and gone silent, but now, a message appeared. Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire He clicked on it, disying the perk and, surprisingly, a new option. [Perk (1/3): Aura of the Abyss: A dark, star-speckled energy surrounds them, passively eroding objects, sapping strength from foes, as well as bending light and space subtly. (NEW) Erosion hasbined with Frost, making each attack passively freeze your enemies. Toggle ON/OFF] ¡ªSapping effect: 10% less damage done by those affected. Immediately upon reading it, Neraxis activated the perk with a hint of excitement. In an instant, his hands were wrapped in a murky ck substance, streaked with flowing white, akin to water. But it was clearly ice¡ªa very small amount. Now that''s a massive upgrade, he thought and turned to the training dummy in his room before sending out a single punch. On impact, the dummy''s wooden head formed visible ice crystals. However, not even a single momentter, those crystals turned ck, and the entire dummy disintegrated, not even leaving a trace on the ground. Before his excitement could grow further, Evangeline spoke. [Your phone is ringing, by the way. Someone''s spamming you.] Oh, thanks. Neraxis toggled Aura of the Abyss off and went over to his phone, only to see a few messages sent by none other than Ae. Neraxis tilted his head before replying. She replied immediately. He wrote, and after she reacted to his message with a heart, he put his phone down. It was time he actually trained his mana, after all, he was currently at a bottleneck. All his stats had increased, but Mana Capacity had not. That was why he decided to practice it now, as he still had several hours left before he had to meet up with Ae. But practicing it would be difficult, considering the first step was to figure out the main properties of his affinity. From what Neraxis had gathered so far, the basic ones were Destruction, rity, and Resilience. Those were the basic ones he could figure out based on the perks. To reach D- rank in Mana Capacity, he had toprehend one of them to a decent degree. Therefore, Neraxis chose the easiest one, rity. He had always prided himself on his perception, but it seemed he had merely been yed all along. Therefore, this was the first concept he wanted to figure out. Cosmic Sight was rity, and judging from the perk''s description, it could be broken down into Precision, Foresight, and,stly, Guidance. Precision¡ªto obviously enhance uracy and hit vital points more easily. Foresight¡ªpredicting an opponent''s moves by reading their muscles. Andstly, Guidance¡ªsomething that would give him an instinctual feel for where his attacks were supposed tond, essentiallybining both Precision and Foresight. Even thinking about it made his head hurt, but nheless, Neraxis began attempting to grasp Precision first. For that, he would head over to Seraphina, who had promised to train him. Therefore, he grabbed his ne and soon was transported to her realm again. Yet instead of doing anything, she was merely lying on a patch of ice with a bit of snow, creating snow angels. "Huh?" She stopped, startled. "You''re here?" "Yes, I need help." Neraxis got to the point, ignoring her slight embarrassment. "What is it, darling? Need a skill again?" Seraphina asked, but he merely shook his head. "I need your help with training," he stated and slowly closed his eyes. Neraxis had a decent understanding of mana. Therefore, he was able to weave it around his body however he liked. By sending his chaotic mana to his eyes, he gained a measure of rity, greatly enhancing his perception. But the strain he felt was a bit much, the control was way too raw and unrefined, so he soon stopped the mana flow. "Aha... I see." Seraphina nodded, walking up to him. "You need help controlling your mana, is that it?" "Pretty much. I''ll do what you wanted me to do right after we finish," Neraxis said, quoting their contract. "Hahaha!" Sheughed before stretching out her hands. "Let''s get to it, then! Spread your mana across your entire body." "But I only want it in my eyes for now. It will take a bit too long if I do everything at once," Neraxis protested. But she merely shook her head with a chuckle. "You underestimate yourself, darling. I want you to try and then judge whether you can do it or not." Neraxis thought for a moment before reluctantly nodding and giving it a shot. Most of his mana was passively gathered in his heart. Therefore, he sent each little bit of it out evenly, making it course through his veins. here was some strain. However, it wasn''t as serious as he expected, only a little more than when he had tried redirecting the mana into his eyes. "Condense it a bit," Seraphinamented, and he did just that, reducing the amount of mana he was outputting into his body. Immediately, Neraxis gained greater control over it as the strain all but disappeared. Yet he couldn''t avoid the mana drain, as it was still consuming around 5% of his total mana every second just to keep his affinity covering his body. But if he could manage to do it simrly to how he did it with Aura of the Abyss, then such a big power boost could be donepletely for free. As he was lost in his thoughts, Seraphina suddenly brought her hand down, directed straight at his head. However, despite the speed, Neraxis was able to track it perfectly, seeing faint glimmers of where the attack could hit¡ªuntil finally, finding one path that made the most sense: his heart. Kicking the ground, he pushed himself backward, narrowly avoiding Seraphina''s sharp nails, which had a tiny amount of blood on them from slightly grazing his chest. I nearly died... But it worked? I used Guidance or Foresight, I think? He heaved a few exhausted breaths, just to meet Seraphina''s warm smile. And before he could question her actions, she suddenly summoned an ice mirror and held it up to his face. Neraxis''s eyes, which were supposed to be purple with tiny stars inside them, were now a nk, full-ck color. This is...? Is this supposed to happen?@@novelbin@@ [For the first few times, yes, until you get used to it,] Evangeline assured. I see... Neraxis nced at the still-smiling Seraphina. "Thank you, I wasn''t expecting to understand my affinity''s concept so fast... Though I still can''t control it that well." "I''m always here to help," Seraphina stated before forming a throne of ice and sitting on it. "Not like I can be anywhere else. Just make sure to do what you promised, okay?" "I''ll do that now. See you in a bit," Neraxis replied, and soon, she summoned a blue portal, which he went through in an instant, appearing back in his room. Less than an hour toprehend a single category''s properties, whereas he was expecting it to take upwards of a week. But now that his mind was at ease, he would finally do what he promised. Therefore, Neraxis got ready and headed outside. His destination¡ªthe mall. Chapter 118 Workshop "Yup, you guessed it," Ae said, giggling. "A 24-hour surveince on that guy you don''t like." Neraxis was in disbelief. "But... how?" On the monitor, an aerial X-ray view of Bale was disyed as he strolled around his own house. "Don''t worry about it. I made sure to spend a bit of time preparing this, and I''ll send the app to you now," Ae said, tapping on her phone a couple of times. Soon, he received an attachment, and upon clicking on it, an app was downloaded. Neraxis navigated to the map, and immediately, he was able to see what was disyed on the monitor, with a few added buttons for camera control or to simply turn off X-ray. "There should be everything you need... oh, and one more thing." She walked up and pressed a red button to the side, disying an interesting prompt. "If you click the red button, the nanobots inside him will self-destruct, immediately killing him," Ae stated with a smile. As random as this was, Neraxis couldn''t say he was disappointed. "You really have a knack for developing interesting stuff, don''t you? Thank you." This little device would sort out any extra precautions he would need to take in the high chance Bale decided to rebel one day. With the press of a button, he''d be dead.@@novelbin@@ Very convenient, Neraxis remarked, before ncing into Ae''s eyes. "Turn around, I have a surprise." A smile immediately appeared on her face as she turned on her heels, facing away from him. Even then, he could see her shaking slightly, which made him ease up a little. Nheless, Neraxis quietly took out the sapphire ne he had bought for her. "Close your eyes," he said, and after a few seconds, he gently brought the ne around her neck before finally locking it in ce. "You can look now," Neraxis finished. Ae stiffly turned around, meeting his gaze and looking past him to the mirror that was on the wall. "Wow... it''s beautiful," she eximed with amazement. The ne fit even better than he expected, as its colors perfectly matched her eyes. "You''re beautiful," Neraxis corrected with a chuckle. "I hope you like it." "Of course I do!" Ae said. "How could I not? These sapphires look pretty... I feel bad for not getting anything for you now." Neraxis shook his head. "You gave me more than enough, Ae. That little gift of yours makes me feel like I should''ve gotten you a whole dress made of sapphires, but I''ll save that for next time." "Hahaha... don''t be silly, I don''t need anything fancy," she replied with a smile before walking toward the center of her workshop. This entire room seemed incredibly well-made, almost like a small factory packed into a single space. Below them, Neraxis could see the waves hitting the ss panel, which, curiously enough, had something akin to a water slide leading downward. As for the walls, they seemed to be made of some reinforced metal that dampened sound¡ªa perfect fit for a loud workshop. Last but not least was her stash. There were teapots with mouths, guns that looked like swords, and even some kind of armor that protected everything but the vitals. "Sorry for not cleaning up too much. I thought it would be a waste considering it would be a mess right after you left anyway," Ae said with a giggle. "I respect it. I can''t imagine myself being so passionate about something," Neraxis remarked. "Though I see you''ve created a bunch of interesting gadgets, care to show me some?" Ae immediately jumped to action, putting on a proud look. "Yup. You wanted to see the nanobots, right? Look." She held out her hand, and in her palm, Neraxis could see the miniature nanobots, resembling ants. He was only able to see them because of his Cosmic Sight. "Hahaha, I know you can''t see it, give me a secon¡ª" Ae was about to walk away, but he stopped her. "No, it''s fine. I can see they have little symbols¡ªa green cross for the healing one, and a shield for the defensive one, right?" he said, making her eyes widen. "Woah... that''s some good eyesight... Wanna help me create something?" Ae asked hesitantly, and after a bit of thought, Neraxis nodded. "I don''t see why not." Ever since that moment back when he used mana against Seraphina, he was able to feel a slight passive change in the way he perceived things. Everything seemed more defined, easier to spot¡ªalmost as if he had a built-in zoom function. Nheless, the most important boon of them all was that he was really close to increasing his mana capacity to D- rank¡ªonly a few more training sessions and he would be there. Soon, Ae tapped him on the shoulder, snapping Neraxis out of his thoughts and handing him a massive hammer. "Take this," she said, making his brow rise. "We''re starting already?" he asked. Ae merely shrugged. "I mean, why not? Or do you want to grab food first?" She froze. "...I forgot about food, I''m sorry!" "Don''t worry about it, I already ate a few snacks on my way here," Neraxis assured her, making Ae ease up. Soon, she straightened her back and put on a serious expression. "In that case, we will be making a simple Fire Ring." With those words, a blueprint suddenly materialized out of thin air,nding on the massive marble table by the side. "You mean an artifact?" Neraxis widened his eyes. "You know how to make actual artifacts?" "It''s an easy process, as this artifact is merely D-rank," she turned back to him. "But it''s enough for a first-timer to craft¡ªor at least, I would hope so." Noticing the expectations Ae had seemingly ced on him, Neraxis mirrored her seriousness. "I''ll try not to disappoint." It was odd seeing this side of her, as she was usually the teasing type of girl who was really easy to get along with. But it seemed like even that same girl had a serious side when it came to her passion. The two approached the blueprint, and after just a few seconds, Ae had put it away. I didn''t finish analyzing it... Neraxis sighed. Nheless, he got the basics down¡ªas well as his role in all this. He was just the person who would hammer the smelted ring, and Ae would be the one doing the moreplex stuff. "Neraxis," she spoke, "focus. I will start the material gathering process now." Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire As her words fell, Ae brought out some sort of tablet before tapping it a couple of times. Immediately, the floor of the workshop shook, and in the very next moment, Neraxis watched as a furnace rose from what he thought was the water slide earlier. "We need a bit of iron too... hmm..." Ae muttered, seemingly lost in her own world as she tapped away at the tablet, making each item necessarye up one by one. "Alright, that should be thest of it. Neraxis, are you ready?" she asked. He replied with a nod, holding the massive hammer in his hand. "Of course. Just don''t do too muchplex stuff¡ªI''m still a newbie." "A newbie who will climb a hurdle today. Prepare yourself," Ae added, making a shiver go down his spine. All of a sudden, she lit up the fire, and in an instant, it reached a temperature capable of smelting iron. Some kind of magical forge? he mused. She put the materials in one by one¡ªcrystals, ores, and some strange dyes whose purpose he couldn''t quite grasp. Yet the process seemed a bit long, as his turn hadn''te up yet. But just as those thoughts fell, Ae suddenly took the melted materials out of the furnace and threw them into a rough circr casting mold before pushing it over to him. She shed a small smile as sweat trickled down her face. However, as he took one nce down, he noticed her clothes were practically see-through now. Instead of being flustered, Ae shed a small grin, pointed to her own eyes, then gestured down at the molten casting mold. "Neraxis, you''re up." *** A/N: Just a heads up, the next chapter is going to be a bit spicy. Chapter 120 Bathroom * "Huh? You two sure stink of sweat," Ae''s mother said as she walked through the door, seeing the two sitting on the couch. She looked around until her gaze finallynded on the now glowing red ring near the heat-resistant table. "Oooh! You guys made something together? How cute." She walked over, slipped the ring on, and admired it with wide eyes. "It''s a perfect fit. Thanks, Ae, dear." "...No problem, Mom. Did you need something?" Ae asked awkwardly. After all, she had a pillow over Neraxis to hide his boner and had only barely managed to put on her dress in time. Even then, it was stillpletely see-through, but better than nothing as even her mother did not mind. "Dinner, silly. I told you to take this boy¡ª" she nced at Neraxis. "What''s your name?" "My name''s Neraxis... Ma''am," he replied stiffly, and she nodded back with a smile. "Okay. Ae, Neraxis, please take a shower ande to the dining hall." She turned around with a smile and approached the door. However, she soon halted, shing them a sly grin. "Preferably, separate showers." With that, she left, leaving the two of them sitting dazed on the couch before letting out an exhausted sigh in unison. "...I can''t believe we just did that," Aemented. "And we were almost caught by my mom too..." "But we weren''t. Probably." He stood up, his boner still present. "Can you tell me where the shower is?" "Do you want me to take care of that?" Ae suddenly asked with the same horny look as earlier, but he hesitantly shook his head. "We can''t. In case she did find out about us somehow, I don''t want her first impression of me to be the guy who made her daughter blow him," he replied. "We haven''t even had dinner yet." "That''s true." She let out a soft breath and stood up, her juices still flowing down her leg as she did a small stretch and smelled her dress. "I really do stink... Follow me." Neraxis did just that as she covered herself with some sort of towel before heading off to the side of the workshop where a single shower was. "Ae." He facepalmed. "Is there a second shower?" She looked back with a soft smile on her face before tilting her head. "Nope." But as he was about to say something, she interjected. "It''s big enough to fit two people." Just as Ae finished her words, she grabbed the strings of her dress before pulling them down, revealing her bare back and body, with her breasts swaying to the sides. From behind her, Neraxis was able to see her juices flowing even further, and upon closer look with his {Cosmic Sight}, he could see her still quivering down there. She''s still aroused, he mused as she walked over to the ss shower panel and grabbed its frame before shooting him a nce. "Are youing?" she asked with a red face, and he wasn''t one to disagree. Therefore, he took his clothes off and followed her inside. Just as she had said, the shower was massive¡ªabout the size of his entire room back home. But it was just one massive bath, like a hot spring. Ae didn''t chat much, merely stepping inside the bath and lying down, with only her face above the water. He did the same, sitting not too far away from her on the left. Immediately, the warm sensation of the water, followed by the pleasant smell, made him rx in an instant¡ªto the point where he felt like he would fall asleep at any moment. But soon, he heard the water sshing slightly, when all of a sudden, he felt Ae cling to his right arm, putting it between her breasts. "Hey, Neraxis?" she said. "Do you like me?" He turned to her, staring into her beautiful blue eyes before letting out a chuckle and ruffling her slightly wet hair. "I like you." "I like you too!" Ae jumped up, getting even closer as she was a mere breath away from him now. As she said that, she suddenly sat on top of him, wrapping her arms around his neck. However, he could notice a bit of a strange expression on her face despite the clear excitement she was feeling. "What''s wrong?" Neraxis asked, making her flinch. "...You like the others too, don''t you?" she said, leaning in and cing her head on his shoulder. "Celina... Aurelia. You like them too, don''t you?" A moment of silence ensued, which was quickly broken by his sigh. "It would be a lie if I said I wasn''t interested," Neraxis replied gently, noticing her unease. "I don''t n on leaving you or the others behind." I''ve grown a bit attached, after all... "So you like us all then?" Ae asked softly. "Would you choose one or the other if things get tough?" "I wouldn''t," Neraxis assured her, grabbing Ae''s face and nting a kiss on her forehead. "If things get rough, then I''ll see it through to the end with all of you." "I see..." she trailed off. "I can''t say I like it... But I don''t hate it either." "Sorry." Neraxis felt a bit guilty, but it was his firm choice. In the end, what mattered was that he loved the women he chose, and they loved him back in return. Ae giggled softly. "You don''t need to apologize... It''s fine as long as you don''t abandon me or stop liking me..." "I wouldn''t," he assured her, and with a smile, she stood up before sitting down behind him and asking, "Want me to wash your back?" Noticing that the lovey-dovey and somewhat serious atmosphere had finally dissipated, he let out a chuckle before replying, "Sure." *** It took them almost ten minutes to get out of the shower, but at least now, they were clean.@@novelbin@@ "Take this." Ae said, throwing a pair of clothes from seemingly nowhere. "I prepared this for you just in case." "You know my size?" Neraxis tilted his head but still put them on. It was a casual white shirt and blue jeans, which were incrediblyfy. He nced at Ae, who was still naked, however, soon, she tapped on her phone. In the next moment, he could see tiny nanobots envelop her. Suddenly, a pair of clothes materialized¡ªthe same dress she wore earlier, just ck in color. "You look good," Neraxismented, earning a giggle from her in response. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire "You look even better." A smug look appeared on Ae''s face. "But I guess you have this genius to thank for that. Not only am I a¡ª" Before she could brag about her greatness, he interjected. "Yeah, yeah, let''s go before your mother catches on." "Oh right, I don''t want her being any weirder about it, else she''d think we did it in the bathroom or something... But I''ll save my first time for when you visit again," Ae said teasingly before making her way to the door. He froze for a moment, but after letting out a sigh, Neraxis followed suit. She guided him through the hallways, and only now could he truly appreciate the luxury she was living in. All sorts of gold and diamond ornaments were scattered across the walls. The ground was made of some type of metal he couldn''t recognize either. His guess was that Ae likely made the metal herself¡ªseeing how she found it fun to create new things. The number of rooms in her house was too many to count, but eventually, they arrived at what he assumed to be a dining hall. There was one long table with dishes scattered around, and Ae''s charming mother was sitting at the very end. Upon noticing them, she waved her hands toward the two seats on either side of her. Neraxis decided to take the left one, while Ae headed over to the right. Soon, a pair of servants walked in, bringing dishes over to each one of them. He was given arge rib-eye steak, while both Ae and her mother received a te full of sd. Are they vegan or something? Neraxis couldn''t help but muse in the silence. However, the silence was soon broken by Ae''s mother, who turned toward him with a warm smile that sent a slight shiver down his spine. "What are your ns with my daughter?" Chapter 121 Dinner "Mom!" Ae yelled, bringing her hands down onto the table. "What do you think you''re asking him!?" "What''s wrong, dear? I''m only curious to see if he''s some yboy trying to take advantage of you," her mother said, turning to Neraxis. "Are you?" Neraxis immediately shook his head. "Of course not. I only came here today to hang out, nothing more." "Hmm..." Ae''s mother hummed in amusement. "Is that right?" Noticing that she was not going to let up, Neraxis simply started eating his rib-eye steak in silence, letting Ae deal with the rest. "Mom... I already told you about him. Why don''t you just put it to rest now?" she asked, frustrated. But her mom merely shrugged, putting a piece of sd in her mouth. "If I let just any guy near you, what will be of my daughter?" "Huuuh!? Do you think I just bring any guy home!?" Ae stood up, speechless. "Do you think I''m some sort of sl¡ª" "Can it, dear," her mother interrupted with a smile. "No need to convince me. I''ll make my own judgment." "Fine..." Ae replied, sitting back down and aggressively biting into her sd. All the while, Neraxis was watching the entire scene unfold. However, a sudden yawn interrupted him. [What''d I miss?] Evangeline said groggily. A bit. Did you actually sleep? He asked with a raised brow. [Well, after you two were hitting it off, I got too aroused, so I went to bed,] she replied nonchntly, nearly making him pierce straight through the te with his fork. You were aroused, so you went to bed... Now that''s the first time I''m hearing something like that. Neraxis chuckled inwardly. [Well, I dide back when you got blue-balled by the mother. Went to bed after that, though,] Evangeline remarked. [I''m happy you two are getting along. I was honestly expecting the progress to be much slower, given how you tend not to make advances often. d you held back too.] What can I say? I can be bold and have restraint at the same time, Neraxis replied and finished thest of his steak. As he did, one of the servants brought over another dish. Once again, it was meat¡ªjust this time, it was pork. "I did say I''d make sure to feed you well, didn''t I?" Ae giggled from the side. "What about you? Do you not like meat?" Neraxis asked with curiosity. "I do. My mom does as well." She pointed toward the sds. "We just have strict diets to maintain our beautiful figures. Right, Mom?" "Yes, sweetie. Old as I may be, I want to remain stunning until the grave," Ae''s mother remarked with a nod, making him let out a smallugh. "No wonder¡ªyour skin is glistening, miss," Neraxis added some ttery. "Of course. Back in my day, men would kill just for me to nce at them," she bragged, reminding him of a certain someone. Nheless, the dinner went by smoothly, with Ae chiming in from time to time, asking if he was hungry. Surprisingly, even after eating 14 dishes, he still did not feel full. Noticing this, Ae''s mother let out a sigh. "I''m surprised you can keep that slim build with the way you eat. I wish I had that kind of figure..." He was fairly certain she could, given the technology and potions that were developed, but he wouldn''tment on it. But Neraxis was pretty puzzled about what to even talk about during such a gathering. After all, both Ae and her mother had finished their food long ago. Only he was still scarfing down different kinds of gourmet meat. However, Neraxis did not need to wonder long, as Ae''s mother spoke up. "Do you have experience? In dating, I mean." "No, ma''am. I''ve never dated anyone," he replied. It was not a lie either¡ªhe truly had no experience. "I see. Good." The mother nodded to herself. "How about your hobbies?" "Hobbies...?" Neraxis froze, falling into thought. "I guess I''d have to saybat training. Alchemy is pretty fun too, but I don''t get the chance to do it that often." "So your end goal is to die in battle then," she added coldly. "Mo¡ª" Ae was about to stand up to interfere, but he shot a nce at her, stopping her from doing so. Instead, he gave a calm response. "I''m not nning on dying, but if I do end up dying, it was simply because I am weak." Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire He had resolved himself to such a fate since he would not die from betrayal twice. "That''s a naive outlook," she said before lifting up a knife and pointing it at him. "What would you do if your loved one was about to be killed, but the only way to save them would be to give up your life? Would you let them die, or kill yourself?" "There is no correct answer," Neraxis stated, furrowing his brows. "All paths lead to the same oue. They would still die even if I killed myself. The only correct answer would be to simply attain such strength where no one could put me in a position like that." "The world is unpredictable," the mothermented before looking off to the side, a longing expression in her eyes. "My husband had to make that same choice many years ago. Want to guess which one he picked?" "..." Neraxis couldn''t give her an answer since it was obvious what she was implying. "Anyways, I''m d you took an interest in my daughter, as she did the same with you," the mother said, standing up. "I''ll head out for the night. Ae, no boys over after 8:00 P.M. It''s 7:40 P.M."@@novelbin@@ Sighing, Ae replied, "I know, Mom. I''ll show him around a bit and take him home." Her mother nodded and shot onest nce toward Neraxis. "For all our sakes and especially your own, I hope you find the right answer. Good night, Neraxis. I''ll be waiting for the next time you visit." "Night... Ma''am," he replied with a slightly sour look as she finally made her way out of the dining room. Nheless, he could no longer eat, as his appetite was ruined. That single question she asked managed to shake him much more than he expected. Is my answer truly wrong...? Even if it''s naive, there''s no other way around it, he mused as the worried-looking Ae approached. "Sorry... She tends to get a bit serious when she meets other Awakened..." she trailed off. "My dad was an S ranked Awakened, a pretty famous one at that. But with fame also came jealousy. His colleagues took Mom hostage and threatened to kill her." Neraxis could see tears forming in her eyes, which he quickly reached in to wipe. "She was still pregnant with me at the time, so using her skills was very dangerous. She could have killed me by ident," Ae added with a forced chuckle. "Still... My dad was given the choice to either take his own life or watch as they took me and my mom''s lives." "So he chose the former... and in the heat of their surprise, my mother killed all of them," Ae finished before locking eyes with Neraxis. "Anyways... Want a tour?" "You don''t need to force yourself." Neraxis stood up, grabbing her hand. "Why don''t we just go for a simple walk instead?" "Okay." She immediately agreed and took the lead, guiding him through a hidden entrance that led to the sandy beach below her house. The darkness, coupled with the sea breeze and the angelic Ae walking beside him, made Neraxis feel awfully calm. But even then, the same question was gnawing at him. If it came down to it, what would he choose? Chapter 125 Hidden Passage [...Oh,] Evangeline replied awkwardly. [I didn''t know, sorry.] No, it''s fine. I just didn''t expect to see it here, Neraxis said, separating from the group and heading over to the stall holding that familiar dagger. Neither Emily nor the others attempted to stop him, as technically, she did say they could begin exploring once they entered the Stradon Fortress grounds. As for Aurelia, she followed swiftly along. "N-Neraxis, what are you doing?" she asked. "Checking something out," he replied steadily. "Take a look around the stalls if you want. I won''t take long." "No, it''s fine." Aurelia shook her head. "I don''t want to go alone, and also... my sister is too social. I can''t be around her in a ce like this." Neraxis chuckled at herment, and soon, the two arrived before the weapon stall. He grabbed the dagger and inspected it. Sure enough, it was the same one he had bought for Alice many years ago. Of course, he had found it in some local market for cheap, not in a fancy ce like this, which led him to think that this encounter was intentional. I see the Sovereigns, or whoever they are, like ying games with me, Neraxis thought. "Are you interested in buying this dagger, sir?" the merchant asked. It was a short man with a peculiarly long mustache. Nheless, Neraxis put on a fake smile and said, "Yes, how much is it?" "1,500 Crowns¡ª1,250 since this is an event," the merchant replied. "The quality is top-notch, and it can cut through steel like butter!" "It''s ornamental," Neraxis corrected, making the man flinch. "I''ll buy it for 250 Crowns." "What!?" The merchant''s eyes widened in anger. "Are you taking me for a fool!? You know I need to make a profit too, right?" "I see." Neraxis nodded. "225 Crowns." "I¡ªI won''t sell it to you!" the merchant yelled, yet his flustered expression was obvious. After all, this ornamental dagger was not worth anything at all¡ª225 Crowns was Neraxis being generous. However, it had an interesting secret. "N-No, you know what? Fine, 22¡ª" "200 Crowns," Neraxis interjected before the merchant could even finish his words. "Fine..." the merchant conceded, and with a grin, Neraxis handed over the money before pocketing the dagger. "I didn''t know you used daggers," Aurelia said in a puzzled tone. "Unless... is it for Celina?" "It''s for me, Aurelia." Neraxis shrugged her off and nced to the side. Even though his haggling had only taken a few minutes, most of his club had dispersed¡ªonly Emily and the B-ranked girl were still roaming the area. He had to stay vignt simply because of the warnings he had received and the potential rift outbreak that could happen at any moment. "Want to check out the view?" he suggested to Aurelia, who was idly staring at the sky. "Huh? S-Sure." She stammered. I wonder why she still feels embarrassed around me, Neraxis thought before heading a bit deeper into the inner parts of the fortress. It was abandoned, with only asional cleaning keeping it from looking like a pigsty. But nheless, to humans, this was held as a popr location since it had resisted the rifts so long ago. Personally, Neraxis wasn''t that interested in history¡ªhe only really cared about what would happen. [You could''ve just gone training instead? No? I don''t think they''d force you to go if you actually didn''t want to. At most, you''d get kicked out.] Evangeline raised the question. Aurelia would be all alone then. She''s already shy around people, so I doubt she would have had a fun time... he trailed off. Also, I don''t trust them to protect her in the off chance a rift break does actually happen. After a bit of walking, they finally reached a ledge, and when they looked down, they could see the ocean, with a few inds off in the distance. "Whoa..." Aurelia eximed in amazement and leaned slightly over the guardrail. "I think it doesn''t look that bad." Neraxis nodded to himself. "But I''m surprised it looks so hollow despite all the rumors." "What do you mean?" Aurelia tilted her head, pointing off to the sky. "Can''t you see that?" "...The clouds?" "No, what?" She furrowed her brows. "There''s something shining in the sky." Evangeline? Neraxis asked as he put his guard up. [Nothing I can sense...] "Oh! It disappeared..." Aurelia said, leaning back and ncing at him. "I guess it must have been some kind of reflection, maybe? I don''t know." "Maybe..." Neraxis replied with a smile, but he noted it down in his mind. It was definitely not some reflection. Nheless, after they finished looking at the sights, Neraxis led her toward where the supposed canteen was¡ªhe was growing a tad bit hungry, after all. However, as they entered, what greeted their sight was a massive hall with long wooden tables stretching outward. There were some coats of arms as well, but he could not recognize a single one. This is one big-ass canteen. He whistled and approached the line where people were waiting for their food. "Neraxis, are you bored?" Aurelia asked out of nowhere. Noticing her glum expression, he assured her, "Not as long as you''re here. I''m just getting some food for now, then we can continue exploring." "Okay..." she replied with an embarrassed nod and stood behind him. It took nearly ten minutes for them to reach the front of the line, and before long, he ordered two steaks with mashed potatoes for both him and Aurelia before sitting down at one of the long wooden tables. Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire He quickly scarfed the food down, even if it was not the best, and so did Aurelia. "Hm?" Neraxis suddenly took notice of one of the banners on the wall. It seemed uneven and out of ce. The banner was slightly tucked in at the back as well. A secret passage? he deduced, and after bringing their tes back, they headed toward the banner. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "Not really... but..." Neraxis nced around. Even though this banner was supposed to be special like the rest, it was in the very corner¡ªtherefore, not many people paid attention to it. That was why he stretched his arm outward, and immediately, it went through the banner. "Huh? Is that a¡ª" Before Aurelia could finish her words, Neraxis covered her mouth. "Shh... I''m going inside. You wannae?" he whispered, and she nodded in response. Therefore, he released her before pushing the banner to the side and stepping inside the hidden room. Despite his {Cosmic Sight} perk granting him excellent vision and other buffs, it didn''t allow him to see in the dark. However, just as he thought about that problem, Aurelia suddenly raised a single finger, and on top of it, a miniature ball of light formed. "There, we can see now," she said with a smile.@@novelbin@@ Yet her smile froze as they took a look around. It was a room with all sorts of tools scattered around, and in the very back was a tunnel leading somewhere else. But he was more interested in the tools, since they all had one thing inmon. They''re all used for torture... Is this a torture chamber? Neraxis focused on the walls, and he was able to spot a tiny smudge of dried blood. It is. But why is it so out in the open? he wondered, when all of a sudden, an extremely faint growling noise resounded from beyond the dark tunnel in front of them. Immediately, he tensed up, whispering, "Aurelia. There is a monster in the tunnel. Be careful and stay behind me." "Yes, captain." she replied yfully, making his eyes widen. But before he couldment further, the growling noise got closer and closer, until eventually, it was practically right in front of them. However, once he noticed what kind of monster the growling wasing from, his stomach churned, and a frown appeared on his face. What is that thing doing here? Chapter 128 The Feast "Sit, don''t be shy," the Sovereign of Gluttony said, materializing a chair and pushing it over to Neraxis. "What''s your n here? You want to finish what you started?" Neraxis asked with narrowed eyes. The situation had turned out for the worse. He wasn''t even sure when he had entered this mind realm, as the change had been instant. From the looks of things, Evangeline wasn''t sure either. [I... I don''t understand. The invite was supposed to uphold the rules of the system... Even if they can manipte it to arge extent.] Evangeline muttered, trailing off. [...I don''t know.] I don''t understand it either, Evangeline. It''s already done, so no need to think too much about it, Neraxis assured. All the while, the Sovereign of Gluttony went over and sat on the other side of the giant round table before speaking. "I have genuinely invited you to talk. My curiosity has hit an all-time high, after all." "Talk about what?" Neraxis asked with suspicion. "Your return, perhaps, or maybe before that? I''m not sure. I''m just curious how you were able to retain your sense of self after what happened," the Sovereign of Gluttony replied with a chuckle. Neraxis tilted his head. "I was betrayed by my friends and died. What is so interesting about that?" "Oh?" The Sovereign of Gluttony let out an amused voice. "Is that the version you remember?" "What else am I supposed to remember? Unless you want to tell me now that you so generously invited me over to your mind realm?" Neraxis said with frustration. "Hmm... I don''t know, are you even worth the time? The current you has a veryrge memory gap¡ªyears, if not hundreds of years of missing memories," the Sovereign remarked as he reached down and picked up a fork, before suddenly digging into a dish, eating it in an instant. Neraxis grumbled. "Then what else do you want from me? Just send me back." "Not yet." The Sovereign of Gluttony shook his head. "We, the Sovereigns, can invite a user to join our mind realm once every couple of years, and I just used my ticket. Therefore, you will have to entertain me for a little while longer." As thest of his words fell, he twisted his hand and pushed a dish over to Neraxis. "I don''t want a guest to stay hungry. Eat up." "Fuck off and just get to the point." Neraxis leaned back in his chair. "What are these memories you are talking about?" "You are no fun." The Sovereign of Gluttony frowned and suddenly pped his hands. Immediately, the giant table disappeared, and the entire room, which had been white, began flickering, the colors changing.@@novelbin@@ Soon, a familiar sight appeared before Neraxis''s eyes. The ruined city and a massive rift in the sky, spewing down monsters. In the very middle was a man with many scars, cleaving each monster into several pieces with a ming red scythe. "That''s me," Neraxis said with a frown. "Why are we here?" "Just keep watching," the Sovereign of Gluttony replied with a snicker. The events yed out like he remembered. Monsters spewed out, and he killed them. Stronger monsters did the same, and after suffering some minor injuries, he killed them as well. It was a cycle that continued for several hours, yet in the heat of it all, he was able to notice something he hadn''t been able tost time. One of the monsters he killed suddenly got up after being enveloped by a golden light, a clear sign of someone using a high-ranked healing skill. In the corner of some rubble, he saw a certain someone¡ªAlice¡ªwaving her staff around and frantically healing all the monsters Neraxis was fighting. "Pfft... Hahahaha," the Sovereign of Gluttony let out a distortedugh. Nheless, the events continued, all the while Neraxis saw the heroes getting closer and closer. A monster approached, and they killed it off easily, nearly as easily as he did. But soon, they all halted as a figure appeared before them out of nowhere. A man with barely visible brown hair and a creepy grinning shark mask now stood before them. It was the Sovereign of Gluttony, and he soon spoke. "You all seem to be having second thoughts? Why? You were dead set on betraying him, and now you are hesitating?" "We''re not. We just want to get the job done a bit faster. We can handle the rest," Lar spoke up, pointing his sword right at the Sovereign of Gluttony. "That only seems to be the case for you," the Sovereign of Gluttony snickered, turning to the remaining heroes. "The others? Not so much. Hesitation is clear in your breaths, especially you, girl." Alice flinched upon hearing that, and with clear denial, began yelling, "I don''t want anything to do with him! He''s bad luck all around! Because of him, my parents, my sister... Everyone died!" Her eyes narrowed as tears began to fall. "I want him dead... For my family..." "Pfft... Really? You speak bullshit with a straight face, young one," the Sovereign of Gluttonyughed at her. "You are still obsessed with him even after he supposedly got your family killed? You still like him despite that? What a joke." Her cheeks reddened upon hearing that, which made the watching Neraxis frown. Her mind really has been fucked from the moment I met her... He trailed off. I didn''t kill her parents either. How am I supposed to predict rift appearances¡ªOh. Realization soon dawned on him as he turned to the Sovereign of Gluttony, who was watching the entire spectacle unfold with a wide grin on his face. "You killed her parents." "Hmm? No, how could I? It''s your bad luck that got them killed," the Sovereign of Gluttony replied, barely holding back augh. "Anyways, forget that for now. Keep watching, it gets more interesting." Neraxis reluctantly turned his head, and soon, the conversation, which had been paused for a mere moment, continued. Alice turned to Lar and the others. "Just keep your end of the deal... I want his body after he dies." "...Sure, you can do whatever you want with him, I don''t care," Lar replied, and the others shared the same sentiment. "Crazy bitch..." Bale''s voice rang out amidst the momentary silence. However, as Alice flicked her head toward him with anger, a sudden rumbling of the ground stopped all of them in their tracks. "Oh, your time is up, little ones. Do what you have to do, okay?" the Sovereign of Gluttony said teasingly, vanishing from their sights. "I think it''s over. Follow my lead, especially you, Alice," Lar stated, and approached Neraxis, who now was lying on the ground. "Hey Nera, good work out there." Civilians from all around began gathering, looking at Neraxis with reverence. "The hero-!!" One of them was about to speak, but Asher, the dagger hero, dashed toward the civilian, slitting their throat. Soon, that body was tossed over near the unsuspecting Neraxis, and not even a momentter, Lar spoke. And the events soon reyed exactly as he remembered, with Lar shing a disgusted look and saying, "How far you have fallen, to think you would resort to killing humans...?" "What bullshit are you spouting?" Neraxis asked, stunned. "He''s agitated, good." Lar whispered to the other heroes, who nodded in response. "What do you all think? What should we do with this traitor of humanity?" Lar turned to the remaining civilians, who were greatly intimidated by what had just happened. And soon, they all followed suit, like mere puppets, ndering him just like in the past he remembers. That continued, until Lar approached Alice and gave her a pat on the shoulder, before whispering, "You''re up." She prepared, and Lar said out loud, "Alice, why don''t youe over and heal him? He is looking a little roughed up." What is he even trying to show me... Neraxis frowned and watched the same scenes unfold, her approaching him, stabbing him in the back, and him eventually falling to the ground with the remaining heroes stabbing their weapons through him. "Fuck yeah, we got him!" Asher said with excitement, turning around. Yet as he did, a purple spire suddenly stretched from out of the ground, and as it did, each of the heroes, including the civilians, felt an intense pressure. "Phahaha! Good job, all of you!" The Sovereign of Gluttony shouted with excitement, practically skipping through the bloody battlefield and approaching Neraxis''s body. Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire "Finally... Everything fell into ce. Envy,e." At his words, a figure materialized, a man with a hyena''s mask, who soon walked after Neraxis''s body and let out a scoff. "For a mere pup, he sure did a great job. I almost feel proud." "Stop with your narcissistic shit. Check his condition," the Sovereign of Gluttony urged, and soon Envyplied, leaning down and cing a single finger on Neraxis''s forehead. "Stable..." the Sovereign of Envy stated, yet as he did, his eyes widened, fingers shaking. "I-It''s... It''s done." "What!? It worked this time?" The Sovereign of Gluttony shot up from the ground with excitement, and a tinge of fear. "When is he... You know... Coming back?" "I''d say in around¡ª" "Quiet." A cold voice rang out, as Neraxis, who had multiple holes in his body, stood up and dusted himself off. "How long has passed?" What...? [You''re... Alive?] Evangeline said with disbelief, and he too, shared the same sentiment. Nheless, they continued watching as the events unfolded. "I believe 492,000 years, give or take a few thousand," the Sovereign of Gluttony replied. "I see, it''s been a little while then," the one in Neraxis''s body remarked with a frown. "Did you do something different? I feel weaker." "No, sir, same as always... just more rage," the Sovereign of Envy replied, pointing to the shocked heroes. "You might be feeling weaker because of these bugs." "Hmm... They are peculiar¡ªso much wrath and greed, envy and lust, pride, and evenziness. How ironic: there''s one who''s stomach is gurgling too." Neraxis let out a faintugh and summoned a small white me in his hand. "But you are of no use to me." As his words fell, the white me split into seven parts, and at a speed no one could track, traveled toward their foreheads. Not even a momentter, each of the heroes fell to the ground one by one, their brain matter sttering as theynded. "Aah... So refreshing to be back." Neraxis turned to the two Sovereigns, who immediately performed respectful bows. "We wee your return, Fragment of the Eternal Sin." However, as the shocked Neraxis prepared to watch the next events unfold, everything suddenly froze. The surroundings of a ruined city soon disappeared, recedpletely by white, along with the creepy grinning shark mask staring right at him. "Ah, I''ll cut it there. I believe you''ve seen enough." "Who¡ªno, what was that?" Neraxis asked, wary. "I wonder?" the Sovereign of Gluttony replied teasingly, standing up. "My time is up, and our chat is over, Neraxis." "What do you mean, over? Right after showing me that?" Neraxis said with anger clearly present in his tone. "I couldn''t care less about answering more of your questions," The Sovereign of Gluttony remarked, beginning to walk away but soon halting before turning around. "On second thought, I''ll give you a warning instead. Noticing the ominous tone, Neraxis couldn''t help but grow even more wary. "The Sovereign of Pride is adamant about killing you once and for all for what you have done. He won''t stop at anything to do so," the Sovereign of Gluttony stated before adding, "Though this new world has many more restrictions ced upon us, meaning we can only send out apostles. Consider this my debt repaid, Neraxis." With those words, he vanished, leaving Neraxis alone. Yet not even a momentter, the white space around him began crumbling, albeit very slowly. However, during this moment of self-reflection, Neraxis realized his approach needed to change much sooner than anticipated. Soon, the hall from before reappeared in his sights, with Aurelia still standing behind him and the apostle from earlier shing a wide grin. So he really did get me at the very start, Neraxis thought, readying himself for battle. ...I need to speed things up. Chapter 129 Emergence of a Kraken "Aurelia, support me from behind," Neraxis ordered, and before she could even respond, he used {Sword Dash} right on the apostle. But to his surprise, the apostle didn''t even try to dodge, merely taking the attack head-on. Yet, the resilience Neraxis was expecting was nowhere to be seen, as his sword merely cleaved through the apostle''s neck, slicing it in two. However, even as the head was falling to the ground, that same creepy smile from earlier still remained. [1x (E- Ranked Apostle) ??? of the Gluttony Sovereign in! Reward: Stigmata 71.3% -> 71.9%] It''s a decoy... No wonder. Neraxis thought, letting out a sigh and turning toward Aurelia. "Nevermind." "But... he was strong a moment ago, and he let you kill him?" Aurelia said with curiosity, to which he merely shrugged. "Stuff happens. Maybe his morale hit rock bottom or something." Despite the lively atmosphere between them, their conversation was soon interrupted by another tremor. Neraxis remembered seeing wolves and other monsters that were shown to him by the Gluttony Sovereign himself. Even though he initially doubted the Gluttony Sovereign, the sight of wolves running and lunging at people soon confirmed his suspicions. "Let''s go find your sister," Neraxis suggested, and Aurelia, who upon taking in the sight below, nodded in response. Like earlier, he shed the sword down, making a hole appear in the ground through which both of them jumped down. However, unlike before, the B ranked girl was nowhere to be seen. Therefore, he had to deal with all the monsters down here himself. Most were simply E- ranked wolves, while the others were some kind of giant rats and kobolds. Both types of monsters were weak, so he practically sliced through them on the way to the outside. At the same time, he asked, Evangeline, could you spot Emily for me? [...Give me a moment. I''m still a bit shaken by what I saw earlier,] she replied anxiously. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire I understand. It was a bit... peculiar, so take your time, Neraxis assured. Rushing her would do no good, and at the same time, he could deal with the monsters at hand. A pair of kobolds approached, and with a single horizontal swing of his sword, Neraxis killed them all while simultaneously navigating across the halls with Aurelia tightly behind him. Yet, even as the minutes passed, he could barely see any other people around. Most were either lying dead on the ground or somewhere else. Therefore, he turned toward the window to his side and swiftly shattered it. Below was a single slope leading downward onto the ground, almost like some kind of slide. He waited for the ss to fully get out of sight before he grabbed Aurelia''s hand and soon jumped through the window. "Hey! Wha¡ª" Aurelia screamed, startled. But her screams were cut short by the air pressure as they soonnded on the slope and began sliding down. Just in case, he kept his eye out for any nearby monsters, and soon, his caution was rewarded. Off in the distance was a pigeon-like monster, yet it had a very long tail, which it used as a whip. But that whip did not mean much to Neraxis, who merely stretched out his hand, and as the monster''s tail approached, he grabbed it. In an instant, the monster''s body shriveled up, deteriorating, its ashes falling to the ground. Soon, they finally made it to the bottom of the Fortress,nding in some shallow ocean water that was dyed red from the blood. Off in the distance, he could finally see people, and they were actively fighting against much stronger monsters than those in the Fortress''s halls. Thankfully, Emily was one of the people fighting, and alongside her were the rest of the club members, each sporting different kinds of weapons and efficiently killing the monsters. They''re not half bad... But where''s that B-ranked girl? He was growing a bit suspicious. After all, how could such a strong person disappear?@@novelbin@@ Nheless, setting those worries aside, he walked over to Emily with Aurelia, who looked both relieved and excited. "Sis!" Aurelia yelled, catching Emily''s attention, who, upon looking back, immediately began running straight at Aurelia and giving her a hug. "Do you know how worried I was!?" Emily scolded. "Even after the monsters came along and we searched for the two of you, you were nowhere to be seen! Just what were you two doing together in private!?" Noticing a slight blush on Emily''s face, he sighed. "It''s not like that. We were just deeper in the castle than you guys." "Y-Yeah, we didn''t do anything weird or stupid, haha..." Aurelia added with an equally embarrassed look. Seriously. He was in disbelief at the sisters'' duo, but his disbelief was soon interrupted. In the distant ocean, some kind of water pir shot up, and inside it, Neraxis could just barely spot some sort of figure. It was a dark green monster¡ªa massive one at that¡ªalmost like a giant octopus. Therefore, It didn''t take long for him to realize what it was. A fucking Kraken. They were C ranked monsters back in the past, but due to their sheer size and strength, it was hard to truly estimate their power. There were people with inspection skills, and regr devices didn''t work. Safe to say, unlike now, when he could see a monster''s rank, such information wasn''t avable to him in the past. Nheless, he readied himself, and before the others could even react, he dashed through the shallow water, approaching the Kraken. Surprisingly, not too far away from the monster, he was able to spot the B-ranked girl desperately fighting for her life, nearly being waterboarded with each attack. He finally had a good view of the Kraken monster, and soon, Neraxis used {Sword Dash} and appeared right in front of it before simultaneously using {Simple Horizontal sh}. Despite its size, he was able to get a decent hit in, drawing blood easily since it seemed like he managed to pierce a blood vessel. Therefore, he followed up, stretching out his hand and using {Crimson Sovereignty''s: Blood Sovereignty}. [86x Blood Construct Summoned! Type: Attack¡ªSelf-Destructing Blood Slugs] Oh? I was able to summon so many. My blood usage efficiency has increased after my rank-up, Neraxis deduced with a smile, and soon, a massive explosion rang out, sending him hurtling down into the water. It was no longer as shallow, and as he looked back up, he noticed the Kraken''s look full of hatred, a portion of its ugly face missing. Shit. He was in a bad spot¡ªunable to dodge in time, therefore he raised his sword, hoping to slice the tentacle in two. However, he did not need to wonder long, as all of a sudden, the B-ranked girl dashed in, cleanly slicing off the Kraken''s tentacle. Yet, what was even more surprising was her weapon of choice. A scythe. "Hey, Aurelia''s friend, you alright?" she asked. "I''m fine. You''re pretty good with a scythe," he remarked, standing up. The water was up to his waist, which really did not help him much in the fight. "Yeah, my grandpa taught me how to use the scythe. It''s a pretty goo¡ª" "But you''re not holding it right," Neraxis cut in. She furrowed her brows. "Huh? What do you mean?" "You hold it like you''re going to cut some grass. Is that really how you''re going to fight? What''s your name?" Neraxis asked, startling her with his change in demeanor. "Sona... but could you expand on what you mean?" "Yeah, Sona. But not right now," he said before lunging backward, dodging a massive tentacle. "We have to kill this massive Kraken first." Chapter 130 Abusing the Kraken "Dodge!" Sona yelled, and with a roll of his eyes, he did just that. "You don''t need to tell me. The Kraken is literally the size of a skyscraper. I can see its attacks," Neraxis said, earning a shrug from her in response. "It doesn''t hurt to have extra information," she replied. "Besides, you got hit." "Hm?" He tilted his head and looked down at his waist. There was a clean line spanning from one end of his abdomen to the other. When did that happen? [Its natural habitat is the water, so it likely controlled its attacks to slice you.] Evangelinemented. [But it looks like an infant Kraken, so it likely doesn''t know what it''s doing.] True. If it did, I''d be split in half by now. Neraxis nodded, before turning his gaze to the Kraken. He decided to get the skills out of the way; thus, he used {Eve of Ruin''s: Mark of Destruction}, followed by {Ster Dominion''s: Cosmic Cascade}. A silver orb appeared, and alongside that, a ming starry aurora burst down right onto the Kraken, slightly knocking it off bnce. It was a great opening skill, but against stronger enemies, all it managed to do was stagger them for a moment. Nheless, that moment was enough for both him and Sona to jump up and sh down in unison. They each cut a tentacle, with Neraxis instantly aiming his sword at the next one before using {Simple Stab}. Immediately, another tentacle fell, and 8 more remained. However, he noticed something odd. With each missing tentacle, the Kraken grew stronger. "Sona, stop!" Neraxis shouted, making her halt in ce and turn to him with a puzzled look. "What''s wrong now?" she asked, and he pointed at the cut-off tentacles. Each one was still wriggling actively, but even more so, the Kraken''s dark green body was pulsating and growing lighter in shade with each tentacle they cut off. "This is a trap," he announced. "If we cut off all its tentacles, this Kraken will either evolve into something we can''t kill or literally self-destruct like a massive bomb." There were cases like this in the past, a monster with unusual regenerative properties, which, when pushed to the edge, killed itself, taking many people alongside it. And since this situation had been orchestrated by the Gluttony Sovereign, it was even more usible. "So what do you want us to do then? Let it rampage around the fortress and let it kill everyone?" Sona asked with furrowed brows. "Evacuate everyone, call the higher-ups... Or, we could try something else." He suddenly got an idea. Ster Dominion was by far his strongest single attack skill, and the way his Marks worked, especially the Decaying debuff, was that if he kept hitting the opponent, the debuff would never run out. "Let''s toy with it," Neraxis said with a smile, which seemingly startled Sona. "W-What!? I don''t¡ª" "Sorry, I meant, let''s beat it up, but not kill it," he said. "I have a certain skill that could allow us to kill it in almost an instant despite its power-up. You just have to buy me five minutes... four more times." "Seriously... That is a very unreasonable request." Sona sighed, rubbing her temples. But soon, she nced at him again, then toward the Kraken. "You know what... Fine, I''ll try not to chop it into bits. In exchange, I want you to tell me what you meant about my Scythe skills being sloppy." Neraxis chuckled before nodding. "It''s a deal then. My skill is going to be up in three minutes, and then we need to stall for five minutes right after that." "Got it." She soon agreed, and without even waiting for any more instructions, cut the water around her before leaping upward. Sona cleaved into its flesh but heavily avoided the tentacles. However, Neraxis wouldn''t let her do it alone, as despite his cooldowns, he could still help. Therefore, he dashed right after her before jumping onto the Kraken''s head and cing his hand on top of it. "Pity..." he remarked at theck of effect. His {Aura of the Abyss} was only able to make its skin solidify and crack, which, in turn, made it more vulnerable. But that was not the oue he had hoped for. Scrapping that idea, he went for a simple beatdown for the next three minutes before finally jumping off and signaling Sona to do the same. ncing at the haggard Kraken, he used {Ster Dominion''s: Cosmic Cascade}. The skill impacted like earlier, but this time, it had a bit of a greater effect as the Krakenpletely lost its bnce, falling to the floor. "You sure it''s a trap?" Sona asked skeptically. Although he had his doubts, Neraxis nodded in response. "I''m sure. It likes ying weak so people would cut its tentacles off faster." It''s just a pity I can''t directly cut this thing in half, the skin''s too tough, he snickered inwardly. "If you say so." Sona shrugged and jumped back onto the Kraken, now beating it with the back of her scythe. She soon halted, turning to him with an amused smile. "You know... Is it weird that I feel kind of bad for the monster?" "...Really now. Just keep hitting it, Sona," Neraxis replied with a sigh. They returned to their attacks, continuing to do so until eventually, his skill got off cooldown. "Move, I''m casting it again," he stated, and she soon jumped beside him. "It''s a really strong skill, I wish I had something like that." Sona whistled, to which he ignored, casting {Ster Dominion''s: Cosmic Cascade} again. However, this time, once it came into contact with the Kraken, it no longer got up. "Did you just kill it?" Sona asked with widened eyes. "No, but it''s very weak now. I think we should hold off on attacking. I''ll still need to punch it every once in a while though," Neraxis replied.@@novelbin@@ It''s not dead... Right? There''s no notification. [Nope, it''s still alive. Albeit barely.] Evangeline said with a hum. [Though I wonder, is this girl talented or what? She seems to only be in second year, and yet, she''s B ranked already.] Could be, I''ve never heard of her before though. He remarked. She, just like the rest of the girls he hade to know, Sona was nowhere to be seen in the past. "Can I pet it?" Sona said out of nowhere. "I mean, it won''t fight back, right? So like..." she trailed off, turning to him. "It should be no problem, right?" "...Go for it," Neraxis replied, watching as she walked up to the massive Kraken and actually began petting it. [She is a bit interesting. Her hair is almost the same color as mine, just a bit darker. If I had a sister, she''d likely look like her.] Evangeline said with a giggle, making him raise a brow. You really have a knack for saying weird stuff. But it''s fine, that''s why I like you. [Hey! You''re copying me!] She replied, startled. Nheless, he merely chuckled without responding and focused back on the massive Kraken. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire Each time he cast his skill, Sona kept on petting it right after. But eventually, it was finally time for him to cast the skill one final time. "Go back, you can say goodbye to this massive sashimi." "Don''t call it sashimi... You messed up its skin, and now it''s burning because of your skill," Sona grumbled, but walked back nheless. "Well, it''s going to do a lot more than burn now," he chuckled, before finally detonating the Mark of Destruction. Immediately, its body began convulsing, filling up like a balloon. The color of its skin was growing lighter too, which was a bad sign, but at the same time, his Mark of Destruction was on the verge of killing it. Yet as he thought it was all over, it suddenly lunged upward, its speed far above anything he had seen before. Soon, the Kraken''s hate-filled eyes locked onto him. "Sona, we need to move," he stated, as the massive Kraken''s body began expanding, the Mark of Destruction fighting against its expansion just barely. Nheless, one thing was certain. The Kraken was about to blow itself up. Chapter 131 Aftermath Damn it, why is it exploding now? Neraxis thought with frustration. Both he and Sona were running away as the Kraken continued to expand. It was the first time his Mark of Destruction did not instantly work, and from the looks of things, it wouldn''t work anytime soon. Therefore, his best bet was to get the others as far away as possible. Arriving before Emily and Aurelia, he said, ''We need to move. That thing is going to self-destruct." "I can see that," Emily remarked with a frown. "My question is, can we even run away from that?" "Do you want to stay and die, or run and find out?" Neraxis said. "Be my guest, but I''m taking Aurelia along anyway." "I''m not staying, genius. Everyone¡ªespecially you, Sona¡ªgrab the weakest club members and go, okay?" Emily stated, and Sona nodded in response. "Alrighty, Jack, Liz, stand still," Sona said with a smile, approaching two people and picking them up. Soon, she dashed away, and both Neraxis as well as the others followed suit. The Kraken kept expanding, but it had yet to explode, which made him a bit skeptical. It was exploding, right? [I wouldn''t be so sure...] Evangeline said in a dire tone. [I think it''s summoning other monsters.] Seriously... That''s even worse than it exploding. He nced toward the Stradon Fortress. But I guess it doesn''t matter, this is just a historical structure... Who cares if it falls.@@novelbin@@ It seemed like he had jinxed it, because the moment those thoughts formed, the ground shook, nearly making them trip in the shallow water. And not even a single secondter, he could see the elevated ind on which the Stradon Fortress sat copse on itself, the rubble heading directly toward them. This can''t get any worse... he thought with a frown. Nheless, they got away, back tond, where not even a single monster was. In addition, Neraxis spotted a few government officials standing by, along with several strike teams of strong Awakened gathered in circles. One of them made eye contact with him before turning toward the government official and telling him something. Not even a few momentster, Neraxis saw the government official approach, stopping right in front of him. "You are a student of Havenspire, correct?" the official asked. "That is right, sir," Neraxis replied respectfully. Despite his deep hatred for the government, he wouldn''t act like an idiot in public. "Could you tell me what has transpired here? We''ve gotten ten emergency reports within thest twenty minutes, and now we see that giant Kraken in the sky... Tricky stuff." The official chuckled. "My friend and I tried killing it," Neraxis trailed off, faking a look of regret. "But when we were about to deliver the killing blow... it suddenly began expanding. It even toppled the entire fortress." "I see. Don''t worry about damages," the official assured. "Everything destroyed by monsters is insured by none other than the generous government themselves." Generous my ass. Neraxis scoffed but continued listening nheless. "Anyway, the procedure is simple. I want you all to head back while we deal with this. Due to the trauma inflicted, we shallpensate you at ater date. You may go now." "I see. Good luck?" Neraxis said, earning a chuckle from the official. But soon, the government official turned serious before suddenly materializing some kind of sniper from thin air¡ªlikely taking it out from his dimensional ring. Before long, he nonchntly pointed it at the massive, expanding Kraken, and without even a single sign of doubt, pulled the trigger. Neraxis watched the scene unfold while walking away with his club members; however, he was definitely not expecting much. But the moment the seemingly regr bullet left the sniper''s chamber, it traveled at a speed Neraxis couldn''t track before impacting the Kraken. Immediately, a hole shot straight through it, stopping its expansion and making it lifelessly float down like a balloon. [1x (C+ Ranked Colossal) Kraken in! (Assist) Reward: Stigmata 71.9% -> 91.9%] [44x (E- Ranked Monster) Mana Wolf in! Reward: Stigmata 91.9% -> 96.3%] [7x (E- Ranked Monster) Kobold in! Reward: Stigmata 96.3% -> 97%] [2x (E- Ranked Monster) Ferocious Armadillo in! Reward: Stigmata 97% -> 97.2%] [1x (E Ranked Monster) Bird Monstrosity in! Reward: Stigmata 97.2% -> 97.4%] Just like that? It''s gone? Neraxis widened his eye at the firepower. However, it was not the only thing that had caught his eye, as on the side of the weapon, he spotted a faint engraving of a letter written in a unique fashion. The letter "A." While he was in Ae''s workshop, he had taken notice of her works, and each one had certain trademarks she left behind, with the letter "A" being the mostmon. Neraxis furrowed his brows. So these are the people she was talking about¡ªthe ones who had taken over a country. I see... Nheless, he could not do much currently, aside from remembering the official''s face as he went back toward the shaken Emily. "Is everyone alright?" Emily asked, and the group members all nodded in unison. But there was one in particr¡ªSona¡ªwho pointed at him. "That one isn''t. He has a wound on his abdomen from earlier." "Neraxis... We have Sarah here, she''s a healer. Show her," Emily said with a sigh, pointing toward one of the senior girls. She walked up to him before saying, "Nice to meet you, Neraxis. If it''s fine, could you show me your wound? I''ll heal it up in an instant, promise." "I don''t have any wound," Neraxis shook his head. It had healed within seconds of him being cut. "Well, doesn''t hurt to be too sure." Sarah chuckled before suddenly engulfing him in a green light. Readtest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire He felt his body''s fatigue go away in an instant before she walked back toward Emily and began talking. Yet, he was still a bit confused. Is every single healer in this new world better than Alice? Nheless, he put those thoughts behind him, ncing at the government official who had gone down toward the water and begun eliminating the remainder of the monsters that had actuallye out of the Kraken. But his job here was done. So, Emily called for a ride, and they headed back to the city in silence. The silence remained until they entered the portal room, and Emily gave him a stic bag with a thumbs-up. "Good luck. Try to vomit less this time¡ªit builds immunity." "Got it..." he replied with a sigh. Soon, they made their way through the portal, and just like before, he hadn''t felt anything off¡ªright up until his stomach began churning, and he vomited out everything he had eaten in the morning. However, despite his current suffering, he knew he was going to go through more once he actually came back to the academy. Since he''d be asking William for a small favor. "Are you alright?" Aurelia asked in the midst of his vomiting, and he merely nodded. But not even a momentter, he handed her two sets of potions, totaling twenty in total. "What''s this?" She tilted her head. "I''m going to be out for a week or two¡ªmaybe less. I don''t want your potion stockpile to run out while I''m gone," he exined, making her eyes widen. "B-But where will you go? We have sses and tests... and other stuff..." "I believe what I will be doing is more important than sses and tests," Neraxis replied, determined. "Hurry up, the ride is here," Emily said with an impatient look, staring at the two of them¡ªthe only ones still behind near the portals. Aurelia reluctantly nced at her before walking over. "Coming, sis." As for Neraxis? He had to think of a way to convince William to let him enter Dreamspire and not be expelled in the meantime. It shouldn''t be hard... right? Chapter 133 The Forge of Endurance [Dreamspire - 4th Floor Hard Mode: Forge of Endurance] [Objective: Survive in each element for 5 -> 10 minutes] [Status: Ready] [Beginning preparation countdown!] [9:59] [9:58] Neraxis found he could move and, judging from the countdown, assumed he could pick whichever element he wanted to start with. Therefore, he would start with the easiest¡ªEarth. Gravity was not too hard to resist, especially when you coated yourself in mana. The only reason it had been hard back then was simply because of the tweaks Magnus had made. Are you here now? he asked. [I am... All I saw was darkness for a solid 20 minutes,] Evangeline replied, her voice uneasy. [Was everything okay? Did... Did the voices say anything strange?] It was fine, for the most part. He nodded before adding, But you remember the one calling himself the Eternal Sin? He appeared, and it was the real him. He even gave me a system log to view. [Hm... Only the dead can talk to you there... Voices and stuff, right?] she pondered out loud. [Doesn''t that mean he''s dead?] While I don''t believe him when he said he isn''t, ra talked to me somehow... The one from the past, Neraxis said and took a nce at the countdown. [3:22] [3:21] Great... I need to prepare myself. My stats might rise a bit after all this is done, he thought before opening his status screen. +-----+ Status Name: Neraxis Valen Age: 16 Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {97.4%} (Seals Unlocked: 2)] Affinity: [Eclipsed Abyss {SSS}] ¡ªPerks: [Aura of the Abyss] [Unyielding Vitality] [Cosmic Sight] ¡ªStats: Rank: D- Strength: E+ Agility: D- Stamina: D- Intelligence: D -> C- Mana Capacity: E+ ¡ªSecondary Stats: Luck: I+ -> I Charm: B -> B+ Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire ¡ªSkills: [Eve of Ruin {E}] [Swordsmanship {E}] [Ster Dominion {A}] [Minor Reflect {D}] [Sword Dash {F}] [Restorative Cut {E}] [Vampiric Dominion {A}] [Aegis of Eternity {C}] [Crimson Sovereignty {S}] ¡ªFragment of Cmity Skill Tree (2/???) [Simple Horizontal sh] [Simple Stab] +-----+ Even after all that, most of my stats didn''t change... I guess it''s finally slowing down. He pondered, ncing at the intelligence stat. But this did increase. Perhaps because of the talk with the Gluttony Sovereign? Nheless, he had to put his thoughts on hold, as the countdown finished and the trial finally started. Immediately, the gravity bore down on him, yet as he expected, it wasn''t as bad as in the virtual world. It was bearable, and he did not even fall to his knees, holding on while ncing to the very middle. A massive tarant stood, yet there was something off about it.@@novelbin@@ The monster stared at him, then raised its body. Neraxis''s eyes widened as he barely dodged, evading a web ejected from the tarant''s body I have to dodge the boss while also surviving 10 minutes in each room... Fuck, he grumbled, the gravity finally showing its effect. But he still had eight more minutes before moving to the next area. Therefore, he tried his best to persevere. Out of curiosity, he used one of his skills {Eve of Ruin''s: Mark of Decay} Unsurprisingly, the orb popped up, and all of a sudden, the monster stopped attacking for just a few moments. Hmm? he hummed in curiosity, watching as the countdown ticked even further down¡ªuntil eventually, it was time to move on to the next element. Yet, in that short time frame of 7 minutes, the tarant did not attack once, merely staring at him with a threatening look. Out of the three remaining elements, he opted for fire, as right after, he could move on to water and, finally, wind. The moment he entered the zone of the fire element, Neraxis was immediately bombarded with immense heat, but at least this time, he was able to move properly. Nheless, the tarant moved again, but this time, the webs it shot out caught on fire, sending ming projectiles directly at him. However, this time, they were much fasterpared to when he was in the Earth element. One fireball headed straight for him, and since it was toote to dodge, Neraxis decided to try cutting it in half¡ªjust barely seeding. Yet, the toll on his hand was immense, so he merely stuck to avoiding its attacks for now. The countdown lessened as time passed, and soon, the Fire element was finished. There was a period of grace where he would not be attacked by the tarant while he headed over to the next element, so he used it as a bit of a breather. Nheless, upon entering the Water element area, the heat he had been feeling earlier was immediately cleansed, yet at the same time, his breathing waspletely halted. But unlike the Wind element¡ªwhich would likely be the most difficult¡ªWater was the easiest, since before he entered, Neraxis had taken in a deep breath and now had enough air tost 10 minutes. Of course, it wouldn''t be so easy, as all of a sudden, the tarant''s webs came flying at him again. Just this time, they appeared both heavy and on fire. Colliding with the water, the webs made it boil as they swiftly approached him. That made him panic for only a slight moment, as in the next, Neraxis used {Eve of Ruin''s: Mark of Destruction}. He expected the tarant to halt, just like in the Earth element, but it didn''t. If anything, it fired webs even faster. Nheless, Neraxis dodged them like earlier, the webs only barelying into contact with his skin. But that small contact was enough to make him flinch and nearly lose focus. Only a single minute was remaining, and yet, the breath he had taken at the very start was now gone, and he could feel himself suffocating. Wind is going to be like this... but for ten minutes straight.. Neraxis thought with a frown, just barely dodging each attack until finally, the Water element was done, and now, he could finally move on to Wind. Any ideas, Evangeline? he asked. [I think the breathing is fine... I can make you breathe without air,] she replied confidently, making his brow rise. How would that work? The wind will actively suck out the air from my lungs. [Not if you''re a vampire,] Evangeline giggled. [I can turn you into a vampire for a short moment, but right after that, you''re going to be unconscious for a bit.] He let out a sigh. What do I have to do...? [It''s simple. Just give me all your blood the moment you enter the Wind area, and I''ll deal with the rest,] she replied, when all of a sudden, the sword grew even redder. [Prick your finger with the sword''s tip whenever you''re ready.] Neraxis nodded in response before taking a few deep breaths and stepping inside. Immediately, the air was taken out of his lungs, making him gag violently. He had read a few guides on this floor and knew the transition was supposed to be gradual, but for him, it was instant. Therefore, he nced at the sword in his hands and the tarant in the distance before bringing his finger closer to the tip and drawing blood. Evangeline, do it, he signaled. [With pleasure.] Chapter 134 A Bad Vampire [Evangeline, Progenitor of the Vampires, has modified your body!] [Skill: Vampiric Dominion {A} -> Vampiric Dominion {SS}] [Skill effect: Partial Vampirism (Special Passive) modified -> Complete Vampirism (Special Passive) {Temporary}] A single upgrade was able to take the skill up to SS rank? Evangeline? Are you holding out on me? Neraxis asked, his emotions for some reason a tad bit unstable. He felt bliss, as though he could do anything he wanted, kill anyone he wanted. It was an addictive feeling, but Evangeline''s stern voice snapped him out of it. [Don''t get any funny ideas here. The only reason I held out was simply because Complete Vampirism would greatly enhance your desires. I don''t want you walking around and having sex with every girl you see before we do it first.] You have a point, I see... Neraxis replied, scratching his head. But soon, he noticed something was wrong. His heartbeat was non-existent. Simrly to other organs, it felt like they were simply not there. Even more so, his affinity''s perk, {Unyielding Vitality}, was boosted up to the max. It was the weakest of his skills, as it required a lot more mana to be fully effective, but now, his mana was practically flowing out of his body¡ªthe healing factor increased by almost a hundredfold. Is this really how strong vampires are? he wondered, before turning his gaze toward the Tarant. If that''s the case... Can''t I just¡ª [No, you can''t.] Evangeline interjected. [What you''re feeling right now is just an illusion of strength. You only grew a tad bit stronger, perhaps by a single rank or so. But that''s definitely not enough for you to deal with that strengthened tarant.] Neraxis nodded reluctantly and decided to wait it out. [8:42] [8:41] But he was growing impatient not even two minutes in. The breathing problem was fixed because his organs no longer needed to function, thanks to the Complete Vampirism. Nheless, he wanted to try something out. ncing at the tarant, who was still actively shooting incredibly fast webs, Neraxis used a skill: {Ster Dominion: Cosmic Cascade}. Immediately, a red sheen, followed by a bluish-purple aurora, emerged. It was muchrger than before, and it soon impacted the tarant, squashing it to the ground. Sadly, it did not die from that attack, but that single hit alone was enough to cause visible damage. The tarant was supposed to be a B- rank at most, but now, it was more likely to be nearing A- rank. Which is fucked. I can''t really kill it, even if I tried... Unless I could spam Cosmic Cascade ten more times. he pondered with a chuckle. But as he was doing so, suddenly, the tarant moved and began getting closer to him, before entering into the Wind element area, startling him. Uh...? Neraxis prepared himself, readying his sword in hand. Not even a momentter, the tarant swung its massive ws down on him, to which he merely redirected them back onto the ground. However, there was one interesting part about this fight so far, and that was¡ªthe tarant couldn''t breathe and was visibly struggling. His suspicions were further confirmed as, after a few shes, it went back to the very middle of the floor, recouping its breath. "Haha..." Neraxis let out a quietugh. So that''s how I beat it, huh? Seems simple enough. A taunting grin appeared on his face as he approached the edge of the Wind element zone. "Spider, why don''t youe closer? I want to show you something interesting," Neraxis started spouting bullshit, trying to make it angry. "Or wait... You can''t breathe? Is that the issue?" "Screee!" The tarant screeched at him, sending a w his way. However, instead of dodging, Neraxis let it impale him, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Oh no! I got hit..." Even he didn''t believe the bullshit, but he quickly cut off the w and walked a bit deeper into the Wind element territory. Despite his taunts seeming unrealistic, they actually worked, as the tarant began approaching him. What an idiot. Neraxis chuckled, rubbing the hole in his stomach, which healed in nearly an instant. [I don''t like what you''re doing here.] Evangelineined. [While you are stronger and there are certain benefits, you do know that after this is all over, the recoil will be that muchrger?] If I can kill the tarant, then who cares? I''ll unlock your seal. Neraxis shrugged, putting the sword on his shoulder and entering an aggressive stance. The moment the tarant got within a couple of meters of Neraxis, he immediately used {Eve of Ruin: Mark of Destruction}, followed by {Simple Stab}. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire A single stack was formed, but he wasn''t finished, as before it could react, he used {Simple Horizontal sh}. In an instant, two stacks were added, and in just a single minute, he would be able to use {Ster Dominion: Cosmic Cascade}. However, his confidence was a bit over the top, as despite the close dodges, the fight felt even more exhrating. He had a simr feeling during the first floor''s trial, but now, it was simply heightened to the maximum. Neraxis dashed in, shing off the tarant''s leg clean off, yet at the same time, losing his arm in the process. But a smile was still stered on his face as he caught the arm in mid-air and put it closer to the stump, immediately reattaching it. Soon enough, he reached max stacks and now merely held it up before finally casting {Ster Dominion: Cosmic Cascade}. The skill fell upon the monster swiftly and brought it down, practically knocking the wind out of it. However, at the same time, it suddenly began retreating to the middle. That was when he finally detonated the mark, making the tarant freeze in ce. Neraxis walked up to it with a sadistic smile, then ced his hands on each of its legs, deteriorating them in an instant. Its body began expanding, with blood trailing down from its many wounds, which he could not care less about. As after just a few moments, the tarant had no more legs and was now looking at him with fright. "Well, little spider. I suppose things did not go your way this time?" Neraxis spoke with a slightly distorted voice, his lungs contracting with each word. "But this is perfect." He turned to the side, ncing at the countdown. [0:23] [0:22] "We have twenty seconds to spare, and during that time, I can thoroughly dismember yo¡ª"@@novelbin@@ Neraxis''s words were interrupted when, all of a sudden, his sword flew out of his hands and embedded itself through the tarant''s eye. [1x (B+ Ranked Boss Monster) Ravenous Tarant in! Reward: Stigmata 97.4% -> 100%] [Stigmata: Fragment of Cmity Has Reached 100%] [Would you like to release the seal?] [Y/Y] Before he could press anything, an angry voice rang out. [You''re a terrible vampire. I can''t even imagine leaving you alone for more than a minute.] Evangeline said with an exhausted sigh. My bad, I got a bit carried away. He chuckled, attempting to dodge the subject. [Well, you''ll have to bear with your decisions for the next couple of hours...] Evangeline trailed off, and as she did, he suddenly felt his heartbeat again. However, with that came a wave of nausea, followed by him falling to the ground, vomiting out blood. But finally, the floorpletion messages arrived. [0:01] [0:00] [Dreamspire - 4th Floor Hard Mode: Forge of Endurance - Complete] [Climber: Neraxis Valen] [4th Floor Rating Generating...] [Rating Generated: SSS] [Position: 487,221,004 -> 290,117,455] [Current Progress: 4/? Floors] [Dreamspire - 5th Floor Hard Mode: Chamber of Patience - Avable] [Do you wish to enter?] [Yes/No] He held off pressing the "Yes" button for now, merely lying beside the massive tarant''s corpse. Instead, he reached for the other button¡ªthe one that would take him to where Evangeline was. But to his surprise, the button moved away, followed by Evangeline''s teasing voice. [Sorry, but I have to blue-ball you until you fix yourself up. If youe to me like that, our time will be more limited than it already is.] Kuhh... Alright. Neraxis dragged his battered body to the very center of the trial before plopping down and closing his eyes. He had to get some rest as after all... In just a few hours, they would be doing something very fun together. Chapter 135 Chamber of Patience Neraxis''s eyes shot open, and he was prepared to press the button to go over to Evangeline. However, a particr sight greeted him. He was no longer on the 4th floor and had somehow ended up lying on the ground on the 5th floor, with white walls surrounding him from all sides. Just as he thought that, the notifications, which were nowhere to be seen, had finally arrived. [Dreamspire - 5th Floor Hard Mode: Chamber of Patience] [Objective: Time does not pass outside, and the longer you stay in the room, the higher your score will be. You may leave whenever you wish.] [9:24:09] [9:24:10] Timer is going up... I slept for 9 hours? Neraxis''s eyes widened. Evangeline, are you here? [Talk about blue-balling, huh? You fell asleep, leaving me behind.] She said with a pout. [Prepare yourself for when youe here, since I will be forcefully taking you after this trial.] Suit yourself. Neraxis chuckled and sat down. This trial was by far the easiest, even in hard mode. From the guides he had seen, people needed to stay inside for 24 hours to get a decently high score, and even if they didn''t, they would still pass on to the next floor. Which, if he wanted to, Neraxis would do immediately. However, since he started off with SSS ratings, it would be most ideal if he continued with them. Therefore, Neraxis patiently stood up and began practicing his skills. Aside from {Cosmic Sight}, {Aura of the Abyss} was the second to receive any major changes to its base¡ªnamely, the frost buildup. Yet he couldn''t exactly practice that, so he simply practiced {Cosmic Sight}. Neraxis made Evangeline fly around at different speeds while he tried tracking her. Since he did not feel fatigue on the 5th floor, he kept at it until eventually, the timer hit 24 hours. [1:00:00:02] [1:00:00:03] If I left right now, I''d be getting a B ranked rating... No, since I am in hard mode, there''s a higher chance I''d get a C instead. Neraxis pondered and decided to stay a bit longer. Practicing his {Cosmic Sight} was slowly showing fruit, as now, even with his eyes closed, he could roughly predict Evangeline''s attack patterns. Sucks that this property is so hard to master, else I''d be D- ranked already. He thought with a sigh. Nheless, time ticked down, and now, he was nearly three days in. It was boring, obviously, but because of Evangeline''spany, it wasn''t that bad. And after an entire week, he felt like it was finally time to leave. [7:11:42:11] [7:11:42:12] [Do you wish to stop the timer here?] [Yes/No] Neraxis brought his finger closer toward "Yes." However, at the veryst moment, he stopped himself as another notification fell. [Warning: If the user decides to leave now, their rating will be: B-] What? After a week, my rating would be the same as someone who''s been in for a day? Fucking seriously? Neraxis thought with widened eyes. But since he had made up his mind to stay here until he reached SSS rank, he would go through with it. *** Another week passed, and by now, he was seeing very significant changes in his {Cosmic Sight}, as he was now able to perfectly predict Evangeline''s attacks. It seemed like the only thing missing was a bit more practice. And from the looks of things... [14:07:22:57] [14:07:22:58] [Do you wish to stop the timer here?] [Yes/No] [Warning: If the user decides to leave now, their rating will be: B] He would be staying here a tad bit longer. *** Another two weeks had gone by, and finally, Neraxis saw it¡ªthe perfect trajectory of all of Evangeline''s attacks, even before she moved the sword. And with that came the long-awaited upgrade. +-----+ [Status] Name: Neraxis Valen Age: 16 Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {100%} (Seals Unlocked: 2) [Ready to unseal! Y/Y] Affinity: [Eclipsed Abyss {SSS}] ¡ªPerks: [Aura of the Abyss] [Unyielding Vitality] [Cosmic Sight] (Basic) ¡ªStats: Rank: D- -> D Strength: E+ -> D- Agility: D- -> D Stamina: D- -> D Intelligence: D -> C- Mana Capacity: E+ -> D ¡ªSecondary Stats: Luck: I -> I- Charm: B+ ¡ªSkills: [Eve of Ruin {E}]* [Swordsmanship {E}] [Ster Dominion {A}] [Minor Reflect {D}] [Sword Dash {F}] [Restorative Cut {E}] [Vampiric Dominion {A}] [Aegis of Eternity {C}] [Crimson Sovereignty {S}] ¡ªFragment of Cmity Skill Tree (2/???) [Simple Horizontal sh] [Simple Stab] +-----+ [Perk (3/3): Cosmic Sight: The user''s sight is guided by the stars, increasing the damage of all vital hits by 100% -> 125%. (NEW) The user can predict the opponent''s attacks with a very high sess rate.] All my stats skyrocketed, including my mana capacity... and now my {Cosmic Sight} has a new effect as well as a proficiency tracker, meaning I''ve mastered the basics of it. Neraxis pondered with a smile. Yet as he looked down, a frown formed. ...Why does my luck stat keep decreasing? [Maybe you''re just unlucky. Who knows?] Evangelinemented inly. However, he had a different kind of feeling about it. What if it''s like a countdown... You know? Every single time something happens, it goes down further?@@novelbin@@ [It''s a shot in the dark, I feel like, but even if that''s the case, you can''t really do much about it at the moment, can you?] Evangeline said with a sigh. True... he trailed off, ncing at the timer. [1:09:07:08:44] [1:09:07:08:45] Hm? It''s already been a month and nine days? Damn... he thought, scratching his head. Nheless, he was still faced with the same problem. [Warning: If the user decides to leave now, their rating will be: B+] The amount of time he had spent was practically invalidated, and the rating was still B+, which made him rethink if this was all worth it. Coupled with that, staying in apletely white room for so long was definitely not good for his psyche, and if he did not have Evangeline alongside him, he''d have gone crazy. [Why don''t you just leave then? If you feel unhealthy, there''s no point continuing.] Evangeline said, worried. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire But he merely shook his head. This is a great opportunity, Evangeline... Even if I''m feeling like shit, I doubt many floors will have something where time ispletely halted and my body still functions. I need to get stronger immediately. Neraxis set his sights on his remaining two perks¡ª{Aura of the Abyss} with the Destruction property and {Unyielding Vitality} with the Resilience property. He would first start with {Aura of the Abyss}, and after mastering the basics of it, he''d move on to {Unyielding Vitality} next. Nheless, {Aura of the Abyss} was not that simple, as Destruction was a very vast property. Therefore, he''d focus on what would suit him best¡ª{Decay}, {eleration}, andstly, something more ominous but very necessary for his current ns, {Reality Erosion}. Neraxis knew it was a difficult thing to learn, but if he could master {Reality Erosion}, he could technically tamper with the Sovereigns themselves and, of course, alter anything he wished. But of course... This is going to take a lot of time. he groaned. [Well, all you have is time.] Evangeline giggled, floating in front of him. [Besides, I''m with you, you know?] He chuckled before straightening his back and preparing to train. Yes, yes you are. Chapter 136 Year and a half [19:04:23:58:11] [19:04:23:58:12] [Do you wish to stop the timer here?] [Yes/No] [Warning: If the user decides to leave now, their rating will be: SSS-] Hmm... Neraxis hummed in amusement, a smile on his face. It sure took a long time, didn''t it... [Well, if I hadn''t shaved your beard, you''d be looking like a homeless person, so I''m d it''s finally over,] Evangeline said with a giggle. Nheless, he aplished most of what he wanted to do during this floor, and any more would definitely harm his psyche. One and a half years was quite taxing to say the least, but in the end, the rewards were more than worth it. +-----+ [Status] Name: Neraxis Valen Age: 16 -> 17 Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {100%} (Seals Unlocked: 2) [Ready to unseal! Y/Y] Affinity: [Eclipsed Abyss {SSS}] ¡ªPerks: [Aura of the Abyss] (Basic) [Unyielding Vitality] (Intermediate) [Cosmic Sight] (Intermediate) ¡ªStats: Rank: D -> C+ Strength: D- -> C- Agility: D -> C+ Stamina: D -> C+ Intelligence: C- -> B+ Mana Capacity: D -> C+ ¡ªSecondary Stats: Luck: I- Charm: B+ -> A+ ¡ªSkills: [Eve of Ruin {E}]* [Swordsmanship {E}] [Ster Dominion {A}] [Minor Reflect {D}] [Sword Dash {F}] [Restorative Cut {E}] [Vampiric Dominion {A}] [Aegis of Eternity {C}] [Crimson Sovereignty {S}] ¡ªFragment of Cmity Skill Tree (2/???) [Simple Horizontal sh] [Simple Stab] +-----+ [Congrattions.] Evangeline praised. [Though I wish you focused a bit more on training your skills and stats instead of those affinities.] Well, I''d be A- ranked at most if I had done that; training affinities is worth more in the long run. Nheless, each of his perks underwent a drastic change. [Perk (1/3): Aura of the Abyss: A dark, star-speckled energy surrounds them, passively eroding objects, sapping strength from foes, as well as bending light and space subtly. Erosion hasbined with Frost, making each attack passively freeze your enemies.] (NEW) The user can cover objects with the power of Decay and Frost. (NEW) The user may elerate the rate at which the Decay happens. (NEW) The user can slightly interfere with thews of the world. - Toggle ON/OFF ¡ªSapping effect: 10% -> 15% less damage done by those affected. [Perk (2/3): Unyielding Vitality: Mana sustains the user''s body, healing wounds and restoring energy by absorbing life force from the environment or defeated enemies.] (NEW) Any attack that would instantly kill leaves the user just barely alive. [Perk (3/3): Cosmic Sight: The user''s sight is guided by the stars, increasing the damage of all vital hits by 125% -> 150%. The user can predict the opponent''s attacks with a very high sess rate.] (NEW) The user may nce into the opponent''s mind for a brief duration, influencing their thoughts to a small degree. (NEW) The user can now tell when someone is lying with 100% uracy. Although some changes were better than others, Neraxis was nheless left satisfied, and now, he could finally leave this ce. [Do you wish to stop the timer here?] [Yes/No] Pressing "Yes," a wave of relief immediately washed over him, making him slump down to the ground with exhaustion. [Dreamspire - 5th Floor Hard Mode: Chamber of Patience - Complete] Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire [Climber: Neraxis Valen] [5th Floor Rating: SSS-] [Position: 290,117,455 -> 172,331,771] [Current Progress: 5/? Floors] [Dreamspire - 6th Floor Hard Mode: Hollow Ascent - Avable] [Do you wish to enter?] [Yes/No] Neraxis pressed "No" without even a single doubt, and was immediately transported back outside. Yet when the light hit his eyes, he was left dazed. However, it onlysted for a moment, as soon, the guard from earlier ran over, a horrified look on his face. "Young man... Just how long did you spend inside the 5th floor? Your ranking shot up almost as much as the other floors." The guard asked. "Hmm? I think it was two weeks or so? I can''t remember." Neraxis replied and began walking away. However, the guard stopped him. "Wait! Someone came here to see you! They''re an important person... So for both our sakes, please speak with them..." "I see. Did they leave a name?" Neraxis asked, and the guard nodded. "Specter? I think?" At those words, Neraxis immediately froze. Specter was a government codename, and that particr codename belonged to one of the executives that oversaw Project Z17. It was also the person who was behind the dissection of one of the heroes. "Tell Specter I will be waiting patiently." Neraxis said with a straight face, and the guard scurried over to his booth, before making a phone call. Only a few days should have passed, right? Outside, I mean. [Yes, though you might want to go on a date with one of the girls, since you seem out of it. I guess it''s still a bit too much for humans to be in istion for more than a year.] Evangelinemented. Seems like it, but I need to figure out how to first deal with the situation at hand. Neraxis pondered before taking out a certain device from his dimensional ring. It was a phone, which he used to directly contact Amara, and soon, he sent a message. He knew it would be enough, since from the looks of things, Amara was more than aware of the project. It did not take long to receive a response. Neraxis read that, and put the phone back inside the dimensional ring. There were still things he needed to do, such as, check out the system log, as well as ''hang'' out with Evangeler. Of course, he also had to figure out how to rank up his main skill, since it was at a bit of a bottleneck. But that was forter, as now, he had to deal with the current situation at hand. "Neraxis Valen?" A familiar voice rang out from the side. He turned toward it, and what greeted his sight, was a pale man with long golden hair staring at Neraxis, a wide smile on the man''s face. "Specter, I assume?" Neraxis asked. "That''s correct. I apologize for the dy, I came as soon as I could." Specter performed a curt bow, apologizing. This snake... Neraxis thought, narrowing his eyes.@@novelbin@@ After his {Cosmic Sight} was upgraded, he could see through lies, and those words were nothing but lies. Nheless, Neraxis wouldn''t point it out, for now at least. "How could I help you?" "Ah, yes." Specter scratched his head, seemingly embarrassed. "I work with the government, and I was wondering if you would be interested in joining a division of ours?" Neraxis tilted his head. "Division?" "Haha, yes." Specter nodded. "Recently, we formed divisions which would be sent out to monster zones to retake ournd. Each division consists of strong individuals, and judging from your performance, I believe you would be a good fit." Lies. Neraxis rolled his eyes. "Were these your thoughts before or after I entered Dreamspire?" "After, of course." Specter inly nodded. "We see no use in someone who''s not special, and you, Neraxis Valen, are special." "That''s a bit bold, don''t you think?" Neraxis said with a chuckle. "But I apologize, I''m not looking for any added work as ofte. I still have the academy on my mind." "Ah, that''s a pity..." Specter replied with a sigh. "The Skryder Academy students were a bit more eager after hearing my proposal." Neraxis''s brows twitched. "If you don''t mind me asking, who were the ones selected from that academy?" "Hmm... I believe it was Bale Leahart, Alice Windsom, and Lar Hardcrest," Specter said, trailing off. "I think there was one more, but I wasn''t the one who recruited them." "I see..." Neraxis nodded with a stiff expression before saying, "I''m not interested in joining the division, but I would consider going on these monster zone clearing expeditions of yours." "Oh?" Specter''s eyes widened. "The more the merrier, Neraxis Valen. As long as you show interest, I will make sure to amodate your needs," he pulled out his phone before typing something in. As he clicked send, Neraxis''s phone suddenly vibrated, and once he reached in to check it, a frown appeared. "You have my number?" Neraxis asked skeptically. But Specter merely chuckled in response. "I have everyone''s number. I will keep in touch, see youter, Neraxis." With those words, Specter walked over to a ck SUV not too far away, and soon drove off, leaving the stunned Neraxis in front of the Dreamspire entrance. [I didn''t expect you to show interest that openly.] Evangeline said with amusement. Did ite off that way? he chuckled. This is a great opportunity to finally meet my former ''friends,'' why wouldn''t I be interested? Nheless, Neraxis woulde back to Dreamspire right after he was finished with the side tasks, therefore, he headed over to the mall where Celina''s secret hiding ce was. It was empty, with only a single note he spotted in the distance, and as he opened it up, he saw the drawing of a cute ck cat. "Pfft..." He held back hisugh and sat down on the mattress, before ncing at one of the two system messages before him. [Unread System Logs: 1] [Would you like to view them? Y/N] [Not me?] Evangeline pouted. Well, it''s better to get the bad stuff out the way first. Neraxis replied, and without waiting further, pressed "Yes." Immediately, a familiar sight materialized before him. It wasn''t a voice recording, nor was it rted to thest time. But the only reason it was familiar was simply because... "We wee your return, Fragment of the Eternal Sin." Chapter 137 Back to the Start I''m here... This is the same ce the Gluttony Sovereign showed me. Neraxis mused, his expressionplicated. In front of him, both the Gluttony and the Envy Sovereigns were kneeling down to a figure, who was none other than the Eternal Sin. Evangel¡ª [No Evangeline this time. It''s just me.] Another voice interrupted him. Neraxis immediately picked up on who this was. What exactly are you trying to show me? Why am I even seeing these past visions? The voice was none other than the one these Sovereigns were referring to as the Eternal Sin. [I want to change the oue of an event that is already set in stone. I, myself, can''t do so,] the Eternal Sin replied in a deep voice. [I''ve changed many events and have given you a great advantage over the past me.] So by showing me these visions, you want me to learn from them. Is that what this is all about? Neraxis asked with furrowed brows. It seemed like the system log wasn''t progressing, as though everything was frozen in time¡ªexcept for him. [You can think of it that way,] the Eternal Sin affirmed. [You''re much further away from my expectations, but you''re growing splendidly. I appreciate the effort.] You just want to take over my body again, don''t you? Neraxis shot back. And it seemed like the Eternal Sin wasn''t trying to hide it. [Indeed. Your misfortune makes me stronger, and there''s only so much you can endure before you finally break again] You sound like an absolute idiot. Care to show me this system log then? Neraxis said, rolling his eyes. [You have a foul tone,] the Eternal Sin eerily chuckled. [Nheless, here you go, front seat view and all.] As the Eternal Sin''s words fell, Neraxis''s body was propelled forward before colliding with the body of the Eternal Sin. In an instant, they merged together, with Neraxis eventually reopening his eyes, only to notice that the entire view of the world was much different than before. Everything was darker, and red particles were floating all around the debris. Forcefully moving his head, he spotted the bodies of the heroes, each with swirly orbs glowing around them¡ªsome even contrasting with the colors swirling around the Sovereigns. A deep red color emanated from the dagger hero, Asher, the same hue mirrored by the Sovereign of Envy. [Done sightseeing?] the Eternal Sin asked, suddenly taking control of the body. [I don''t have all day, so just watch.] He suddenly flicked his fingers, and in an instant, time seemed to resume again. This time, however, Neraxis had no control over his body¡ªhe could only watch as a spectator. [Don''t worry, I am in the same boat,] the Eternal Sin assured. [We are merely rewatching what has already transpired.]@@novelbin@@ Right. Neraxis hesitantly replied before turning his attention to the events that were about to unfold. The Sovereigns stood back up and dusted their knees off. "Sucks that you have to make us do this every single time, boss. Would much rather prefer some kind of heated mat prepared for us before we kneel," the Sovereign of Gluttony grumbled. "Suck it up. You don''t do this often," the Eternal Sin said, making a shiver go down Neraxis''s spine. This is even more realistic than thest, he thought, focusing further. "Even so, you''re finally back," the Sovereign of Envy remarked with a scoff. "Though, was it really worth it? All this time spent wasting your essence for a mere body." "It''s a gamble, but it worked out," the Sovereign of Gluttony said before turning toward the Eternal Sin, a wide grin on his face. "Boss, we reached the same rank as you when you were still alive." "Congrats. I don''t give a shit, though," the Eternal Sin replied before bringing his hand forward. Immediately, a ck wave of mana materialized, and Neraxis recognized it instantly. {Aura of the Abyss...?} But the ck wave soon made contact with the Sovereign of Gluttony, sting his head clean off. The Sovereign of Envy widened his eyes, preparing to fight, but not even a momentter, he faced the same fate¡ªkilled in an instant. However, the Eternal Sin did not seem satisfied, staring off into the distance. "Lust, you cane out now," he said, and in the very next moment, an alluring figure emerged. It was a pink-haired woman, her enchanting rainbow eyes distorted his vision. Yet that distortion did notst long, as the Eternal Sin seemingly grasped something in the air. Immediately, a loud sound rang out, as though someone had shattered thousands of nes of ss. At the same time, Neraxis, who was watching the entire scene unfold, widened his eyes. The alluring woman from a moment ago was gone, and what reced her was an incredibly ugly old witch. "Stop ying games with me, Lust. You two, stop it as well," the Eternal Sin stated, ncing around. The two Sovereigns whose heads had been blown off stood up as though nothing had happened, as their heads regenerated instantly. "Shucks, here I thought we''d make you sympathetic," the Sovereign of Gluttony said, clicking his tongue. "Anyways, boss, we are the only ones here at the moment. The others are off doing their own things." "It''s fine. Lead the way," the Eternal Sin said, and immediately, with the Sovereign of Gluttony in front, they walked toward the purple tower in the distance. They walked in silence for several minutes as the Sovereign of Lust shot nces toward the Eternal Sin. Neraxis, who was watching, could vaguely feel the emotions of this body, and it was clear the Eternal Sin was disgusted. [Yeah, I can''t say I was pleased with this bitch gawking at me the entire time.] ...Is this really what happened after I died? Neraxis asked. [The details are 1:1, yes. This is how it transpired,] the Eternal Sin replied. [Though I suppose we can skip the annoying walk.] As his words fell, time seemingly sped up¡ªtheir walking speed increasing many times¡ªuntil eventually, they arrived in front of the tower''s gate. It looked exactly like the Dreamspire gate, and soon, the Eternal Sin ced his hand onto the door. However, instead of being thrown into a trial, another interface appeared. "Aka, it is a pleasure to see you again. Send me up." Is this the Aka from the first and second logs? Neraxis wondered. And the Eternal Sin soon affirmed, [Indeed. She''s a very high-ranked life form, rivaling even myself when I was in my prime... And to think there are still more like her out there.] Yet here she is, ying elevator, Neraxis added with a chuckle. Nheless, his vision distorted once more, and this time, he found himself in front of some sort of massive white pce. "Hmm... this floor has been abandoned for far too long..." the Eternal Sin said, trailing off as the rest of the Sovereigns finally arrived. "I need you all to do something for me." "Yes, boss?" Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire "Give me back the mana I gave you." I still don''t understand what you''re trying to show me. It just looks like you''re out on some sort of stroll after being reborn again, Neraxismented with frustration. [Hahaha, that is what it seems like, right?] the Eternal Sin stated, amusement clear in his tone. [But I''d much rather you have a breather before the next part.] [After all, you are curious right? About what caused this sudden reality shift?] ...I am. Chapter 138 Compatibility "Here it is, boss," the Sovereign of Gluttony stated, handing over a glowing ck orb, while the others did the same, each orb varying in size.@@novelbin@@ The Eternal Sin nodded and pointed toward a ledge. "Good, you all go now." "Can I stay?" As that voice resounded, his body immediately tensed, and as he turned to the side, the same beautiful woman''s face from earlier greeted him. However, that beauty was nothing but a mask; deep down, she was nothing but a vile bitch. "You, in particr, can jump first. Leave me alone," the Eternal Sin stated, and without waiting for the protests, he began walking up the pce''s stairs. The glowing ck orbs spun in his palm, and soon, they merged into one before finally flying toward his heart. Immediately, a few system messages appeared. The Eternal Sin''s eyes widened. "What? 11%? Thest one was 91%. Just what could have happened?" Seems like you pulled the short end of the straw by taking over my body, Neraxis taunted. "Aka,e down here. Now." The Eternal Sin said, and not even a momentter, a slim girl appeared, floating right before him. "You called?" she asked softly. "Recalcte," he ordered. With a sigh, she floated closer to him and ced a hand on his forehead. [It just did not make sense.] The Eternal Sinmented. [I went through so much effort toe back, yet your body did not have the capabilities to hold me. I believe you can understand my frustration.] I would much rather prefer you tried doing this to some other person. Why did it have to be me? Neraxisshed out, hatred clear in his tone. You killed everyone I loved, all the actual friends I''ve made, and in the end, you''re eating shit. Serves you right. [Hahaha, I guess you are correct. It was a foresight on my part to expect the other Sins to do as they are told. They just had to rehash the same person over and over again,] he stated. [s, I am showing this to you since your body will be mine again, just like it always should have been.] We''ll see about that. Neraxis replied, and the timer soon struck 0. "Looks like it''s not your day, Lagus," Aka said with a chuckle. "Oh, sorry. I forgot we''re not supposed to be using your actual name here." "What''s done is done," the Eternal Sin, Lagus, scoffed. "How much time do I have left?" "Not long... A day? Two if you''re lucky," Aka added. "It''s a pity for us to see you gone so soon." Yet Lagus simply narrowed his eyes. "Who says I''ll be dying? I can find a new host within a few hours." She shook her head. "You can''t. Your possession skill is on cooldown." "And who is the one controlling the skills? You, Aka. Remove the cooldown," Lagus ordered. "I can''t do that, and you know it," she replied reluctantly. "If I were to do that, I''d be killed, you''d be killed... And this entire tower would be destroyed, meaning you''d have no gate of passage between the worlds anymore." "So what? Who cares about that ruined world?" he asked with a raised brow. But upon noticing her fidgeting, he couldn''t shake the bad feeling in his gut. "Aka, what did you do?" "You see... In order to bring you back... Theybined every single tower in all of the worlds and made a single one that connects everywhere. If even one is destroyed, it might copse each and every single tower across all the worlds," she trailed off. "But only you and the Sovereigns have such power, which is why I must implore you not to do this." A massive frown spread across Lagus''s face. "So let me get this straight. Those idiotsbined every single world, and if you use your rightful authority, it will backfire and destroy the tower. Are you kidding me?" Neraxis was thoroughly amused by this exchange. It felt quite satisfying. "That is right. There is nothing you can do, Lagus. I''d rmend simply enjoying thest few days you have," Aka said worriedly. "I have to go now. The other administrators are growing suspicious." "Wai¡ª" His words were interrupted by her sudden disappearance, leaving him dazed. [Now, at this point, you might be thinking, I''m screwed, right?] The Eternal Sin, Lagus, said. Neraxis inwardly rolled his eyes. Obviously not if you''re still talking to me. [Hahaha! That is true,] Lagusughed before suddenly growing serious. [I will speed it up a bit.] As his words fell, time once again sped up as the Eternal Sin raced throughout the pce¡ªseemingly slept, ate, and sat on a hill, almost as though he wanted to take his own life. But he didn''t, merely staying still for hours on end until eventually, a system message fell. <23:59:59> <23:59:58> "Pfft..." Lagus chuckled to himself, finding the situation hrious. However, that was only for a moment, as in the next, he decided to act. "You were Neraxis Valen, a rtively strong person and a good host if nurtured perfectly..." He grew silent, taking a nce at one of his skills. [Rebirth {EX} (One-time use)] [Skill Effects (1/1): Allows the user to traverse time to a selected date in the past.][Note: If the time exceeds the user''s lifespan, the skill is deemed invalid.] This is...? [The skill you used to return, correct,] Lagus added. [Now then, it should happen any moment now.] At his words, Neraxis grew tense. Yet as the moments passed and nothing happened, he grew hesitant. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire Nheless, that hesitance did notst long, as in the very next moment, Lagus jumped up before dashing to one side of this floor. Neraxis was unable to track the movements and only noticed that they had arrived before what seemed to be a gate. Soon, Lagus ced his hand on it, and what greeted his sight were several system messages. "Is that so," Lagus mused out loud before suddenly bringing his foot down onto the door, sending cracks spiraling all across. It did not take long for it to fall to tatters, and with that came another message. "Aka, I am not in the mood for ying games, and I would suggest both you and the remaining administrators don''t interfere. I want to see what is on the 100th floor." [You see, I''ve heard myths of there being something mystical on the 100th floor, and quite frankly, I held out hope that maybe, just maybe, it would allow me to survive,] Lagusmented. [But of course, there were a few thorns in my path.] So this is just your final moments type of deal? Neraxis asked impatiently. Did you find what you were looking for? After a moment of silence, Lagus replied, [I did. It wasn''t what I was expecting, but it sure was an interesting discovery.] What was it? [Wouldn''t you like to know?] Lagus scoffed. [We have all the time in the world, Neraxis. Time does not move under my control.] Feeling the ominous air, Neraxis was about to speak but was interrupted. [But of course, I won''t hold you hostage here. I''ll give you a system log each time you advance in power. You managed to get much stronger so quickly. Therefore, take whatever you are about to see as a bonus.] At those words, time resumed, and Lagus moved forward. As the system notification appeared and Neraxis nced past it, the sight ahead made him speechless. What the fuck is this? Chapter 139 Roots of Life Off in the distance, thousands of roots were sprouting from the ground, covering the entire surroundings in a woody mess. Yet Neraxis was even more confused by Lagus''s reaction. "Pfft... So all you were hiding was a simple tree? Talk about..." He trailed off, his eyes narrowing. "Or not." At those words, he lifted off the ground before approaching one of the branches and creating a small gash inside it. A mass of green mana appeared at once, traveling through the roots. Yet when it was exposed, it wilted quickly, making the entire branch Lagus had cut deteriorate. As that happened, a surprising notification descended. [1x (C+ Ranked Human) in! Reward: ERROR ###] "Oh? A branch of life?" Lagus mused out loud before approaching another root and doing the same. [1x (B Ranked Human) in! Reward: ERROR ###] "Hahaha... What a find." He nced upward, noticing a pair ofrger roots stretching across the entirety of this mess. "Why would I? Aka, you know me better than¡ª" Lagus froze. "You''re not Aka. Weaver?" "I wonder if you really can? I''ve already gone this far, and I n to go further." Lagus taunted before summoning apletely ck me and sending it toward a portion of the roots. [214,410,877x (E- Ranked Human) in! Reward: ERROR ###] [44,477,264x (C+ Ranked Human) in! Reward: ERROR ###] [18,992,042x (B Ranked Human) in! Reward: ERROR ###] [9,94-ERROR] [System ess Revoked!] "Oh, is that your grand n? To restrict this rudimentary tool? You do realize who I am, don''t you?" Lagus stated and began zipping past all the roots until eventually, he arrived at the very top. However, what awaited him were ten people, one of whom was the hesitant-looking Aka. "I would say I''m at just the perfect moment, don''t you think?" Lagus remarked while ncing off to the side. Surprisingly, the events that had happened a couple of hours ago were ying on repeat. The battle between Neraxis and the monsters, as well as his eventual death. "You''ve taken quite an interest in him, haven''t you?" "I don''t doubt it. My return sure has been a spectacle, hasn''t it?" Lagus chuckled before growing serious and using his mana, creating a ck me. He sent it right at the massive holographic screen that was reying the events, yet before it could even reach it, the me was dispersed. "Are we toote? Apologies, boss." The Sovereign of Gluttony''s voice rang out as he and six more people approached. Each one of them had a menacing amount of strength. However, Neraxis was not able to see the masks of a few of them, neither could he hear what they were saying. It was almost as though Lagus was hiding them from him. [You''ll see eventually,] hemented as the action resumed. "We will be destroying the tower today," Lagus announced, shocking both the Sovereigns as well as the administrators. "Boss, while I do get that you want to express yourself after your return, isn''t this a bit much?" The Sovereign of Gluttony said, and Lagus merely ignored him, ncing even further above.@@novelbin@@ A small beam of light shone there¡ªif he had to guess, it was likely the tower''s core. Therefore, after setting his sights on it, Lagus took a deep breath and swiftly began flying toward one of the administrators. All of them were formless beings except for Aka, so he wasn''t sure which one he was attacking. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire However, as he neared, a sudden cocoon of threads enveloped him, spinning wildly around him. "Ugh... I hate your skills, Weaver." Lagus groaned, just barely burning the threads apart. [His threads have the ability to alter fate, so you don''t exactly want to get caught in them.] I see... Neraxis replied, continuing to watch as Lagus eventually broke through their ranks with the assistance of the other Sovereigns, who, after just a few minutes, had perished. The only ones left were the Sovereign of Pride, Gluttony, and Envy. Even then, the shape they were in was horrible, and it seemed like they would die at any moment. Nheless, his system messages, which had vanished, reappeared the moment he approached the light at the top. [System functionality restored - Administrator ess granted.] "I''ll try again and again," Lagus remarked before closing his eyes. Yet as he reopened them, an eerie silence fell upon the battlefield between the Sovereigns and the Administrators. "First thing''s first." [Rebirth {EX} (One-time use)] -> [Rebirth {EXX} (Two-time use)] "Now..." He trailed off, blood seeping down his nose. [It took a lot out of me,] Lagusmented, yet Neraxis kept on watching with curiosity. None of what was happening had he ever thought was possible. Lagus tapped the air a couple of times, and soon, more system messages began appearing, just this time, they looked a bit more ominous. "Pfft... Even in the end, there''s someone higher... Comical." Lagus held back hisugh before proceeding with his second n. "As for you." Lagus sent a re toward the Sovereign of Pride. "Don''t do this..." A soothing, soft voice rang out, and as he turned toward it, he saw Aka, her sky-blue eyes staring straight at him. Despite his momentary reluctance, he would see this through. "This is my gift to you, Aka. I''m sorry." Lagus said, his vision fading. "I wish we''ll get to meet in the future again." <### ERROR: Dreamspire''s world-connecting properties have been severed... Facing immediate destruction of the tower!> As he saw that his ns wereing to fruition, he made onest edict. Lagus inhaled deeply, scanning his surroundings, taking it all. Everything was burning, turning to ash, and yet here he was, standing like a god at the very top of the tower, overlooking everyone''s life and death. "Hahaha..." <3> <2> As the ejection timer was about to hit zero, however, he suddenly used a skill. [Rebirth {EXX} (Two-time use)] Locking onto a moment in the past, he traveled back. And as he did, the sight of a ruinednd once again appeared before his eyes, with the couple of wannabe heroes stabbing their weapons through Neraxis. "Huh? Boss¡ª" The Sovereign of Gluttony''s shocked voice rang out, but Lagus quickly silenced him. "No time to exin. Just know that you owe me one," he said before taking a deep breath and focusing on Neraxis, who was lying on the ground, nearly dead. A momentter, he used his {Possession} skill which thankfully went off cooldown once he came back. Nheless, the popup was nothing short of rming. "...Yes." Lagus affirmed with a sour look, and soon, his body melted down before a single strand of mana traveled toward Neraxis''s body. In the short moment before both of their deaths, he saw the Spire off in the distance, yet it looked different¡ªbroken. Yet Lagus did not have much time to admire it before forcefully taking over Neraxis''s body and using a skill. [Rebirth {EX} (One-time use)] Due to him being greatly wounded and his consciousness fading, he could not input the correct timeline. Therefore, the system took it upon itself to do the regtions. As the sequence of events continued, Neraxis''s breathing feltbored upon seeing something like that happen. Yet that was exactly where the vision cut off, as after that, there wasplete darkness. [I hope you enjoyed the show, Neraxis. I know you have many questions, so I will be seeing you again in the future,] Lagus said with a chuckle as his voice faded away, followed by... [System Log 3: Finished] Soon, his vision returned to normal, and Neraxis found himself sitting on the same mattress as earlier, his expression pale. [Huh? Are you not going yet?] Evangeline asked, yet upon noticing his condition, she panicked. [Neraxis! What happened!? Are you okay?] Am I okay? Neraxis nced toward the mirror ceiling. I have no fucking clue. As he thought that, he saw his status window blinking a faint red color, and upon opening it, his eyes widened. +-----+ [Status] Name: Neraxis Valen Age: 17 Stigmata: [Fragment of Cmity {100%} (Seals Unlocked: 2) [Ready to unseal! Y/Y]] Affinity: [Eclipsed Abyss {SSS}] (NEW) Body Compatibility: 8% ¡ªPerks: [Aura of the Abyss] (Basic) [Unyielding Vitality] (Intermediate) [Cosmic Sight] (Intermediate) ¡ªStats: Rank: C+ Strength: C- Agility: C+ Stamina: C+ Intelligence: B+ Mana Capacity: C+ ¡ªSecondary Stats: Luck: I- -> J- Charm: A+ ¡ªSkills: [Eve of Ruin {E}]* -> [Eve of Ruin {C}]* [Swordsmanship {E}] [Ster Dominion {A}] [Minor Reflect {D}] [Sword Dash {F}] [Restorative Cut {E}] [Vampiric Dominion {A}] [Aegis of Eternity {C}] [Crimson Sovereignty {S}] ¡ªFragment of Cmity Skill Tree (2/???) [Simple Horizontal sh] [Simple Stab] +-----+ Fuck... Chapter 140 Evangeline [R-18] [What''s wrong with your status screen? Body Compatibility?] Evangeline asked worriedly. [You didn''t do something funny, right?] No... the Eternal Sin showed me what happened in the past. Neraxis replied as he stretched out on the mattress. After seeing all that, Neraxis couldn''t help but feel anxious. Even if he was strong enough, Neraxis was unsure if he would be able to defend against Lagus when the bodypatibility finally reached 100%. Since, as of now, they could onlymunicate through the tower and the system logs. Nheless, not only did he need to worry about the Sovereigns, but now also the parasite inside of his body. This is just fantastic, heughed in disbelief. Neraxis saw that his main skill was upgraded several ranks at once, yet before he could check it out, another system message fell. [Stigmata: Fragment of Cmity Has Reached 100%] [Would you like to release the seal?] [Y/Y] Evangeline...? he asked, confused. [Come over, I''llfort you.] She said softly, and upon hearing that, he simply couldn''t refuse. He immediately pressed one of the "Yes" buttons. Just like the previous times, he was teleported inside some sort of royal pce, yet instead of needing to walk to her room likest time, he was already there, lying on the bed. "Evangeline? Where are you?" he asked, looking around. Yet she was nowhere to be seen. All of a sudden, the door shot open, and Evangeline walked in with a red face, wearing pajamas. However, as he nced at it, Neraxis''s eyes widened. It was a see-through pajama, and he could see Evangeline''s perky nipples sticking out. "D-Don''t stare too much," she said with a stammer and approached closer, sitting down on hisp. "What do you think?" Neraxis stared her up and down before grabbing her waist and pulling her closer. "I think you look beautiful." "Not that, silly. The pajamas... I made them from the excess mana¡ª" He cut off Evangeline''s rambling by pinching her waist. "You''re beautiful, no matter what you wear," he said seriously before bringing his face closer to hers. "Evangeline, why do you like me?" "Huh? That came out of nowhere." She tilted her head. "I like the way you handle yourself... Despite the difficulties you face, you still don''t push me or the other girls away... Even as much as you want to." Evangeline brought her face closer. "I also love how naive and clueless you can be at times..." His heart fluttered slightly, and with that, he sent her a kiss straight on the lips, which she reciprocated. Unlikest time, when they merely kissed just to kiss, this time, there was more passion, their bodies heating up with each passing moment. "Aah~" Evangeline let out a moan as he grabbed hold of her breast, caressing it. Yet he didn''t stop there, as with his other hand, he traveled downward, reaching into her panties, and putting his finger inside her tight pussy. Evangeline trembled with pleasure, beginning to grind on him. However, the grinding didn''tst long before she suddenly climaxed¡ªwithin seconds. Immediately, an embarrassed expression appeared on her face. "S-Sorry... I was a bit too excited." Hearing that, the boner from earlier grew evenrger, practically shooting through his pants. She noticed it, and after getting off hisp, leaving a trail of her juices, she pushed him onto the bed and took his pants off, revealing his massive dick. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire Neraxis did not hold back. He stared at the seductive Evangeline before moving her body to the side, his finger still ying with her insides. She seemed like the type of girl who loved pleasure more than anything, as despite her climaxing mere moments ago, she did so again, her juices spread across a portion of the bed. Evangeline shot him a seductive nce before reaching down and cing her mouth on his dick before giving him a blowjob. He had never felt such pleasure before, therefore, he began fingering her even faster. "Aaah~" she let out a muffled moan, stifled by his dick. Yet that made him even more aroused, and soon... He shot an entire load into her mouth, which did not seem like it was going to stop any time soon. Yet Evangeline did not back away. Instead, she kept her mouth firmly ced on his dick, drinking all the cum until, eventually, she looked up at him with a smile. "Salty~" "..." Neraxis was speechless at herment and soon tossed her over, now on top of her, with Evangeline lying down submissively. Her pajama hade undone some time ago, so he merely put it to the side, revealing her perfect hourss figure and perky D-cup breasts. "Neraxis..." she said softly through a moan, and he nced at her. As he did, she suddenly grabbed hold of his dick, before cing it near the entrance of her pussy. She kept stroking it. Nheless, he saw the message she was trying to give, and soon, Evangeline affirmed. "Fuck me~" As her words fell, like a beast, Neraxis thrust forward. However, not even a momentter, he suddenly stopped, watching as a bit of blood trailed down. "You''re..." he couldn''t finish his words due to shock. "It''s my first time, Neraxis. Don''t be gentle." A seductive smile appeared on her face. "I like it." With that, he began thrusting his hips back and forth, with her letting out soft moans along the way. "Aaah~ Neraxis, go a bit faster," she said before putting her arms around his back and digging her sharp red nails into his skin. Nheless, the pleasure far outweighed the pain, as he suddenly sped up. In an instant, he could see her eyes roll back in pleasure, with the nails she had dug into his skin slowly falling back. "Out of energy?" he teased, as she did an embarrassed nod. With a chuckle, he suddenly got off the bed before picking her up and inserting his dick inside her pussy again. "W-Wait! This position is..." "Embarrassing, right?" Neraxis teased again before thrusting his hips once more. He was holding her up by her knees, therefore, everything was visible. But because he loved her embarrassed expression so much, Neraxis took her to the massive mirror she had before continuing the thrusting again. "Aa~ Aah~ Neraxis wait~" She tried protesting, covering her own eyes as she saw herself being prated in the mirror in an embarrassing position. However, he did not let up, doing so until eventually, he felt like he was about to cum. Therefore, he brought her down onto the bed with her back turned toward him. Evangeline ced her hands on the sheets, tightly gripping them. Yet at the same time, her hole was growing tighter, giving Neraxis even more pleasure. Nheless, fucking Evangeline doggy-style felt even better than the previous positions, as her plump ass kept bouncing on his dick with her juices flowing everywhere. "Aaah~ Neraxis I''m about to~" She let out a pleasured moan as her body began twitching. "Me too!" Neraxis began thrusting faster until eventually, both of their bodies twitched at the same time, and he shot an entire load inside her, reaching straight into her womb. At the same time, her juices vividly covered his dick as he finally took it out of her. Both of them were breathing roughly, but it was purely out of pleasure. Especially Evangeline, who could not even stand up anymore, merely lying hunched over on the bed, with his cum flowing out of her. "More?" He offered teasingly before walking closer. Yet as he did, the message he was not waiting for finally came. [Time Until Forceful Ejection: 1 Minute]@@novelbin@@ "Ah~" She let out her final moan before dragging her body onto the bed and toppling over. Evangeline patted beside her, and he soon walked over, expecting it all to be finished. However, instead of being finished, she began blowing him again, yet this time, much faster, to the point where he came in mere seconds. Yet again, she swallowed his cum before shing a warm smile at him, her facepletely red. "I think it''s time I give you the skill." She grabbed his dick, stroking it. Yet in the very next moment, the skill notification appeared, making his eyes widen. "This is...?" Chapter 141 New Skill And Changes "This is..." Neraxis turned toward her as she teasingly smiled at him. "You guessed it." Evangeline shrugged before standing up and putting on a robe. "It''s a skill that will allow me to be with you more often." [Body Manifestation {B}] [Skill Description: Allows the wielder to manifest any soul into being temporarily.] [Skill Effects (1/1): Manifest Body (Active): Manifest the soul''s true body into existence for a short duration. The predetermined soul is (Evangeline Noctis) and will be summoned if the wielder uses the skill.] - Cooldown: 7 days - Duration: 12 Hours "I know... but¡ª" She cut him off. "You can''t bring me back fully just yet. You would need to find my body first, and that''s nowhere to be seen. I wouldn''t be surprised if it''s burned..." "I see..." Neraxis replied sourly. Nheless, with this skill, even if only for 12 hours every week, he''d be able to be with Evangeline in the outside world. "Does this summon the body you had right before you died?" Neraxis asked. However, she merely shook her head. "If you mean strength-wise, then it''s a big no. I''ll be around the same strength as you, C+ rank. Just think of it as either summoning a decently strong ally... or, well..." She looked him up and down teasingly. "For other purposes..." [Time Until Forceful Ejection: 15 Seconds] "Looks like our time is nearly up," Evangeline said with a sigh, her legs still wobbling. "For someone who''s never done it before, you sure can move your hips, can''t you?"@@novelbin@@ Neraxis chuckled and did a short stretch. "I''ll see youter, Evangeline. I need to go clear the 10th floor now," he said, and she merely waved at him before, finally, he reappeared back in Celina''s hiding ce, sitting on the mattress. He was half-expecting it to be soaked, as though from a wet dream, but thankfully, that was not the case. Therefore, he slowly made his way toward Dreamspire again. Yet his thoughts were still a little shaken from what he had seen earlier. Since if Lagus had indeed destroyed the tower and now it was merely holding on by a thread, then what would await Neraxis once he finally climbed to the very top? Even more so, why did Lagus not use those Administrator Edicts to bring himself back to the past and fix all that could have gone wrong himself? After all, he was able toe back in his true form when he went back in time, which should likely not have been possible. Either way, as Neraxis approached the tower once again, he realized he had nearly forgotten about his main skill. Therefore, he swiftly checked it out. [Eve of Ruin {E}] ¡ú [Eve of Ruin {B}] [Skill Description: Harness the power of Ruin. Some options have been unlocked due to the user gaining ess to their origin.] [Skill Effects (1/3): Mark of Destruction (Active)] [You can mark up to 3 ¡ú 5 enemies within a 50 ¡ú 100-meter radius. Each marked target is inflicted with the Decaying debuff.] [While the mark is active, all damage dealt to marked targets is increased by 20%.] - Detonate Mark of Destruction: Instantly triggers the cumtive damage from the 5 most powerful attacks inflicted on all marked targets. The detonation also applies a secondary explosion, dealing 50% ¡ú 75% of the total damage dealt to all other enemies within a 15-meter radius. The mark ends immediately after detonation. - Mark Cooldown: 15 Minutes (5 Minutes per Charge) Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire - Detonate Cooldown: 6 Hours ¡ú 2 Hours [(NEW) Skill Effects (2/3): Dawn of Ruin (Active): Take the form of absolute ruin.] - Cooldown: 1 Second - Duration: 1 Minute - Cost: +5% Body Compatibility [Skill Effects (3/3): Ruinous Aura (Passive): Each strike inflicts the Ruin debuff.] [Debuff - Decaying: Each attack against the target has a low ¡ú moderate ¡ú high chance to remove a beneficial effect and temporarily disable healing. Each attack reduces the target''s Movement Speed by 3% ¡ú 5% per stack. Stacks up to 5 times. The debuffsts as long as the target is being hit; if not hit for more than 45 seconds ¡ú 1 minute, the debuff vanishes.] [Debuff - Ruin: Each attack against the target inflicts 1% of their current HP as True Damage.] Reading the description and noticing the new option, as well as the removal of Mark of Decay, a frown couldn''t help but appear on Neraxis''s face. So in turn for giving me great strength, he wants to progressively take my body... What a joke, he thought and walked up to the guard from earlier. "Huh? You again? I thought you¡ª" "Just scan me in. I don''t want to waste too much time," Neraxis cut him off, not paying much attention to the guard, who was startled by his change in demeanor. "Okay... here." The guard scanned him in, and Neraxis soon made his way over to the massive door before cing his hand on it. [Registered Climber: Neraxis Valen] [Position: 172,331,771] [Records: Astral Tower - 2/12] [Dreamspire - 6th Floor Hard Mode: Hollow Ascent] [Objective: Climb the mountain while fending off a horde of monsters.] [Status: Initializing...] Sounds simple enough, Neraxis thought as his vision finally focused on the surroundings. He was standing on a snowy surface, and in front of him was a massive mountain. The problem? He couldn''t even see the very top of it as it shot straight through the clouds. At the same time, Neraxis spotted a few of the monsters in question, and each was much stronger than he was expecting. Shadow Panthers, C- Rank. Goliath Worms, C Rank. And even Frost Wyverns, B- Rank. There were more monsters, but all of them were weak, and he did not even need to worry about them. After all, Neraxis was unsure of his current strength, and while it wasn''t as high as it was back in the past, it certainly came close. To think that I caught up to myself in less than a month... No, in less than two years. He chuckled. After all, he had spent a year and a half inside the Fifth Floor. Nheless, the trial would start soon, and since the enemies were scaled up to his rank, Neraxis was expecting to face at least a tiny amount of trouble. [10 Seconds Remaining Until The Sixth Floor''s Trial Begins] So all I have to do is climb the mountain and avoid some monsters, huh? Seems simple enough, Neraxis thought with a smirk, and soon, the trial started. Yet before he could even take a step, an ice javelin the size of a truck flew toward him at a speed that gave him barely enough time to dodge. It seemed to have fallen from the top of the mountain, and as Neraxis nced above, he spotted several more ice javelins raining down, narrowly missing the iing monsters. "Haha..." Neraxis let out augh. At least this floor doesn''t have a time limit. With that, he took the first step onto the mountain, feeling himself immediately slip. However, by infusing his foot with {Aura of the Abyss}, he was able to melt the ice and gain a solid foothold before stepping again. While the mountain was steep, the only reason it had been an issue was the ice. Since he eliminated that problem, Neraxis found the climb much easier. But just as those thoughts faded, one of the Frost Wyverns approached him, and he absentmindedly took out his sword before swinging down. Without using a skill, he created apact gust of air that sliced the Wyvern in half before even making contact. [1x (B- Ranked Monster) Frost Wyvern in! Reward: Stigmata 0% ¡ú 0.1%] That''s pretty low for such a monster... Evangeline? [Yeah... I told you it would be more difficult the more seals you release,] she replied inly. Neraxis could only grumble at the change before continuing up the mountain. Yet as he neared the clouds, the monsters that had been chasing him earlier soon stopped, and as he thought the trial was nearly over, a new pair of monsters greeted him. "Screee!" Chapter 142 Hollow Ascent "Screee!" A massive bird dived toward him, its beak threatening to pierce straight through his head. But before it could, Neraxis evaded the attack, and by grabbing its foot, he sent it toward one of the iing javelins, effectively impaling the bird and sending it downward. [1x (B- Ranked Monster) Corrupted Griffin in! Reward: Stigmata 0.1% ¡ú 0.2%] That''s a griffin? Neraxis thought with a raised brow. It looked like a zombie, its skin practically ripped apart and its brains sticking out. But if it had "Corrupted" in the name, then it made some sense. Nheless, Neraxis continued scaling the mountain, as more monsters began flying at him. The javelins from before had also sped up, and it was starting to be difficult to dodge them while also avoiding the monsters. Soon, a new species of monster emerged¡ªone he hadn''t seen before, not even in the past. It had an eagle head, wings, and a humanoid body, eerily crawling along the mountain toward Neraxis. Its appearance sent shivers down his spine, but nheless, he used {Simple Stab} and pierced straight through its heart. Yet in the same moment, the hole expanded, severing its entire body in two. [1x (B Ranked Monster) Eagle Amalgamation in! Reward: Stigmata 0.2% ¡ú 0.4%] His {Cosmic Sight} was really beginning to show itself now, and with that, he had already realized the true speed of those javelins. Neraxis''s perception slowed everything down significantly, mainly due to his Intelligence stat being so high, as well as the {Cosmic Sight} perk now having higher proficiency. And from the looks of things, those javelins were going at several times the speed of sound. I wish they were stronger, though. Neraxis grumbled, ncing at all sorts of monsters to the side. They feared him, as not even one managed to get close to him before he instantly killed them. But that was how the tutorial floors were supposed to be¡ªeasy. [I don''t think fighting B-ranked monsters in the first 10 floors of the tower is exactly easy,] Evangelinemented with a giggle before adding, [After all, from what I can see of your memories, there are at least 100.] True, though the floors after the 10th are different, so I''ll just have to see for myself. Neraxis replied and stabbing his sword sideways, impaling another ugly bird creature. [1x (B- Ranked Monster) Corrupted Griffin in! Reward: Stigmata 0.4% ¡ú 0.5%] Although he was unsatisfied with the rate of progress, considering something like this would haveted him around 20% usually, Neraxis bore through it. After all, fighting A- ranked monsters was not off the table now. Neraxis finally managed to reach the clouds and ran past them, yet the sight ahead made him flinch. It seemed like the mountain was split into several parts¡ªthe lower, the middle, and the highest level¡ªwith him currently entering the middle level. The only reason he figured this out because instead of snow, a raging heat assaulted him. At the same time, magma was being spewed all around him, which he swiftly dodged. Monster-wise, they had changed again, but he could recognize a few. Fiery Toad, D+ Rank. Demonic Magma Imp, B Rank. Lastly, monsters he had only fought a handful of times. Drakes. Essentially, they were young dragons, and after a couple more years, they would evolve into an actual dragon. Nheless, their strength was still high and likely even in the A- rank territory. Now that the clouds were gone, he was able to see the level above the volcanic mountainous area, and it seemed to be abination of both¡ªjust more intense. Taking a deep breath, Neraxis sped up, dashing through each and every monster, as killing them would barely give him any progress. Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire Of course, he wanted Evangeline to get the best kills, not some slop. But s, his peace of mind did notst long, as in the midst of his sprint, arge ball of magma emerged from the ground, andnded squarely on him. At the veryst moment, he used {Aura of the Abyss}; however, it was not the usual usage. Instead of covering himself, he covered the world around him, choosing instead to slightly alter thews of the world. Therefore, Neraxispletely altered the magma''sposition, turning it into slightly warm water as it flowed past him. Yet despite his sess, he clutched his heart in pain. Fuck... Even though I learned how to control it... it''s still a bit too much to use in an actual fight, he thought with rough breaths, but after a few seconds, his condition stabilized. However, as it did, the ws of a massive monster appeared before his eyes, and on instinct, Neraxis raised his arm, stopping the w in ce. But since his arm was covered in {Aura of the Abyss}, the w of the monster was soon turned to ice and then, finally, dust. And as Neraxis looked up, he spotted the pained expression of a drake, struggling as it tried flying away but couldn''t since its wings deteriorated¡ªuntil eventually, nothing was left. [1x (B+ Ranked Monster) Fire Drake in! Reward: Stigmata 0.5% ¡ú 0.8%] So not A- rank yet... Neraxis mused.@@novelbin@@ Merely touching it had made the Decay elerate even further. The additional ice property was neat, and he was now able to cycle between them¡ªthough unless he wanted to torture someone, Neraxis preferred to use Decay instead. He kept on sprinting, with the monsters once again avoiding him, until eventually, he arrived at the third and likely highest area in the entire trial. The mountainside he was on was fully encased in ice, yet at the same time, both the ice javelins and the magma began raining down on him. Just this time, it was not only from the top but also from the sides. Thankfully, there were no more monsters in sight, so all he had to do was simply make it to the top, which, from his estimations, was merely a kilometer away. But as his relief set in, the entire mountain suddenly shook, and in the very next moment, one of his fears came true. A massive winged monster¡ªseveral timesrger than the drakes. An actual dragon had appeared, and from the looks of things, it had both fire and ice affinities. That meant unless he dodged, he was done for. [It seems like a newly born dragon, though. Are you sure you can''t kill it?] Evangeline asked softly. [I don''t want to overestimate you, but I feel like underestimating you is also the wrong thing to do.] "Pfft..." He held back augh. Is that so... Gripping his sword tighter, Neraxis locked onto the dragon, who was closing the distance fast. Yet his n remained the same. When it finally came within range, Neraxis used {Eve of Ruin: Mark of Destruction}. Immediately, a swirling silver orb appeared around the dragon, and before long, he also cast {Ster Dominion: Cosmic Cascade}. Damage-wise, it dealt enough to char its wings, making it unable to fly, as it barreled down the mountain and stopped right in front of him. Neraxis put on a wide grin before raising his sword toward it tauntingly. "Well, little dragon, I''m afraid I''ll have to offer you as a sacrifice." Chapter 143 The Dragons Anti Climactic Plea [Pardon? Sacrifice?] Evangeline''s shocked voice rang out. [What do you think I am? A witch?] Noment. Neraxis chuckled before tilting his head slightly to the side. As he did, a sharp bolt of ice flew past him and down to the lower levels. Nheless, the threat he had felt from this dragon wasn''t significant, especially since it did not even know how to protect its wings. A total amateur, even I''d be a better dragon, probably, Neraxis mused, readying his sword and slowly making his way toward the dragon. It warily stared at him, but since it was much stronger strength-wise, it soon attacked. Fire swelled within its throat, and in the very next moment, it was all spewed out in one giant dragon''s breath, flying toward Neraxis. But just as it was about to hit, he used {Sword Dash}, dodging under the fiery breath and appearing near its tail. As he did, Neraxis immediately brought the sword down, cleaving off a massive chunk of its tail. However, a sudden roar made him halt for a moment. It froze his entire body, and in that time, the dragon managed to turn around to face Neraxis before pping its charred wings. Nheless, despite its injuries, the wings managed to create miniature gusts of wind, which, at a nce, seemed weak. However, Neraxis knew better than to be hit by those. Therefore, he neatly swiped his sword, countering each gust of wind and ncing toward the dragon. Just as it was about to breathe fire again¡ªbut before it could¡ªNeraxis''s purple eyes glowed, and a faint trail of ck mana appeared on the dragon''s foot. It was the Decay of his {Aura of the Abyss}, and when he used it at a range like this, ck fire enveloped his opponent. Instead of the usual decay, this one had the properties of never going out, which, in turn, made the dragon momentarily panic, desperately pping its wings in order to put the ck me out. However, it was no use since the fire would continue growing, courtesy of Neraxis''s own usage of mana. Damn... My entire mana pool is gone with just that one ck me... I''m definitely not using that often. He mused with slight fatigue. But after just a few seconds, the fatigue washed away, followed by him approaching the dragon and neatly aiming for its heart. It was too preupied with putting out the fire, and by taking advantage of that, Neraxis used {Simple Stab}. The sword pierced through the dragon''s heart like a barely visible needle. But in the next moment, it suddenly expanded to the size of a fist. With that, the dragon halted, looking down in shock at its injuries¡ªand with horror¡ªtoward Neraxis. The dragon suddenly opened its mouth, and as he was expecting a fireball, something else entirely came out. "H-Human... Spare m-me." "...What?" Neraxis''s eyes widened. "You can speak?" "Yes, human... N-now, why don''t you g-go your own way?" the dragon stammered through pained groans. "First of all..." Neraxis narrowed his eyes. "If you could speak the entire time, why didn''t you just approach for a talk instead?" "I-I did, but you suddenly p-pulled out your sword," the dragon affirmed, making Neraxis facepalm. In the first ce, I''ve never seen monsters talk. Not even dragons talked back when I fought them, he thought. "Even if I wanted to spare you now, your dragon heart is gone, and my ck mes will soon consume you. You are dead." "...E-Even so, I''ll just be back... I-I''m assigned to this floor as a g-guardian. If you leave, I''ll revive..." the dragon exined. "And if I don''t?" Neraxis asked, making the dragon flinch. "I-If you don''t... then I''ll truly die and v-vanish from the tower''s records." "I see. Good luck, then," Neraxis said with a soft smile beforepletely ignoring the flustered dragon and heading toward the top of the mountain. [Are you sparing it?] Evangeline asked, suspicionced in her tone. Of course not, the mes have nearly reached its heart already. Neraxis replied and finally arrived at the very top. It was pretty t, with only a single blue door standing in the very middle, which was likely the way to clear his trial. But Neraxis did not go through it, merely sitting beside it and waiting for that one notification. And after just two minutes, he finally received it. [1x (A- Ranked Boss Monster) Dragon of Fire and Ice in! Reward: Stigmata 0.8% ¡ú 10.8%] Neraxis smiled in satisfaction before heading over to the door and cing his hand on it.@@novelbin@@ [Dreamspire - 6th Floor Hard Mode: Hollow Ascent - Complete] [Climber: Neraxis Valen] Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire [6th Floor Rating Generating...] [Rating Generated: SSS+] [Position: 172,331,771 -> 102,966,003] [Current Progress: 6/? Floors] [Dreamspire - 7th Floor Hard Mode: Trial of Synchrony - Avable] [Do you wish to enter?] [Yes/No] He clicked the "Yes" button in an instant. However, deep down, he felt a little anxious. After all, ording to the inte, the 7th floor was the most challenging. Climbers needed to match a specific rhythm while fighting monsters. If they didn''t, they''d be killed instantly Sadly, there were no strategies for this floor either, with the only advice being: Don''t be an idiot. [How about if someone is deaf? Do they just die?] Evangeline asked. Nope, there are vibrations going throughout the arena, so even if you''re blind or deaf, it''s fair. he replied, focusing on the pop-up ahead. [Dreamspire - 7th Floor Hard Mode: Trial of Synchrony] [Objective: Match the rhythm and survive the monster horde for 5 ¡ú 10 minutes] [Status: Ready] [Beginning preparation countdown!] [0:59] [0:58] Not ten minutes of preparation? Stingy.. Neraxis sighed, stretching. The arena finally appeared within sight, and it looked very simr to the one on the first floor. It was a diator arena, yet this time, there were monsters sitting in the stands as though they were cheering. [Well, at least there''s an aesthetic now,] Evangeline remarked with a whistle, making him roll his eyes. Won''t matter much if I''m dead. Nheless, the timer soon reached 0, and as it did, a certain melody rang throughout the air. It wasn''t a song but more like mana traveling directly into his ears, attempting to influence his thoughts, and in the process, it made strange yetforting sounds. But that wasn''t what he was supposed to be focusing on. Instead, it was the vibrations below him. The first minute of the trial gave him time to adjust. With no monsters in sight, Neraxis had to make a single movement per vibration. ording to what he had read online, the vibrations should''ve been slow, but now that he was experiencing them firsthand, Neraxis realized he would not be able to stop. Soon, the one-minute mark finished, and by ident, he missed a beat. Just as he did, his body froze entirely, and Neraxis lost all control of it. But five secondster, he regained control again and was given ten seconds to readjust to the tempo. That was also when the monsters began pouring out. Thankfully, they were weak¡ªmost were simple goblins or rats¡ªbut at the same time, they were immune to the trial''s penalties, and frankly, their numbers were quite frightening. Neraxis warily looked around before letting out a sigh. Just eight more minutes... Chapter 145 Lurkers [Dreamspire - 8th Floor Hard Mode: Room of Silence] [Objective: Do not let out a sound and kill the being hunting you before it can kill you. Time limit: 15 ¡ú 5 minutes] [Status: Started] Started? No wonder. Neraxis nced to the side, seeing the faint silhouette of another person present. It''s supposed to be a lurker monster, but now I''m not even sure. If he were to go about it using the usual approach, he''d simply dash in and kill it. However, the objective was to remain silent¡ªif he made a sound, the beings surrounding this floor would eat him alive. Or that''s what I read anyway... Someone made a sound at the veryst second and was attacked but just barely managed to survive after leaving Dreamspire immediately. Neraxis pondered before taking a few slow steps of his own. Thankfully, Neraxis could eliminate most of the sound by simply covering his feet with {Aura of the Abyss}, since upon making contact with the ground, it practically nullified the sound itself. [Why don''t you just go ahead and kill it? You know where it is, and from what I''m seeing, it knows where you are too,] Evangeline asked softly. It''s a stupid trial, and that monster is way too annoying to fight. But yes, that''s my n. Neraxis replied, and as he did, he halted, nearly hitting the edge of the room. 10 meters by 10 meters... That''s very little. He thought and looked back toward the silhouette before trying to walk toward it. Yet as he did, it walked back, avoiding him. It was frustrating because it could simply drag out the time. However, Neraxis would be a bit more proactive than that. Narrowing his eyes, he used {Eve of Ruin: Mark of Destruction}. As he did, a swirling silver orb appeared around the lurker, and as it did, Neraxis proceeded to use one of the skills he hadn''t used in a while. {Crimson Sovereignty: Shadow Mantle} It made him nearly invisible while at the same time giving him a movement speed boost as well as immunity to physical attacks for 5 seconds. At the same time, each of his attacks inflicted the {Blinding} curse. Now, while Neraxis could not see the lurker''s face, he could definitely tell it was confused, as for just a single moment, it looked away from him. Therefore, he took this chance to silently approach. Appearing right behind the lurker as his skill was about to end, Neraxis brought his sword forward and neatly stabbed it through the throat. [1x (C+ Ranked Monster) Shadow Lurker in! Reward: Stigmata 11.14% ¡ú 11.17%] That''s it? Neraxis thought, watching as thepletely ck body copsed toward the ground before dissipating. He had done what he needed to do, and quite easily at that. However, for some reason, the trial hadn''t ended, and the timer was still actively ticking down. Just as that thought crossed his mind, a shiver ran down Neraxis''s spine. As he turned, he noticed a tall figure standing in the corner. In the next moment, the figure vanished, only leaving a faint trace of its glowing red eyes staring at him, but even they soon disappeared. Which monster was that? he pondered warily. [Abyss Lurker, I assume,] Evangelinemented inly. [It''s a step above the one you just killed, and frankly, its stealth is unparalleled.] I can see that. Neraxis nodded and focused deeply. If he could sense it, then he could kill it¡ªsimple as that. However, no matter how far he stretched out his mana in this 10-meter-by-10-meter room, no one triggered his senses. But for a fact, Neraxis knew someone was there. [2:04] [2:03] And I need to find them fast. Before he could search further, however, Neraxis suddenly felt a prick in his left forearm, and as he looked down, he noticed his hand waspletely lopped off at the wrist. Instead of panicking, he was overjoyed¡ªas, after all, his {Minor Reflect} skill, which was practically invisible in a fight, now showed its use. The moment the monster had attacked him, he returned 5% of the damage dealt to it. He nced down and noticed a small trail of ck blood leading to a particr corner. Found you. Neraxis smirked, and in the short moment of the monster''s surprise, he used {Sword Dash}, appearing right in front of thenky yet tall monster. It attempted to evade by slipping into the shadows, but for some odd reason, the injury Neraxis had redirected back onto the monster, made the blood not stop pouring. Therefore, as it disappeared and reappeared, Neraxis swung his sword down and, with a clean slice through its entire body, severed the lurker in half. [1x (B Ranked Monster) Abyss Lurker in! Reward: Stigmata 11.17% ¡ú 11.37%] In an instant, the system messages fell. [Dreamspire - 8th Floor Hard Mode: Room of Silence - Complete] [Climber: Neraxis Valen] [8th Floor Rating Generating...] [Rating Generated: SSS-] [Position: 69,221,028 ¡ú 58,992,337] [Current Progress: 8/? Floors] [Dreamspire - 9th Floor Hard Mode: City Defense - Avable] [Do you wish to enter?] [Yes/No] He held off on entering for now. Instead, Neraxis focused on the ck blood flowing from thenky, disgusting creature he had just killed. Is there no other... you know... solution? he asked, hesitant. [Well, unless you want to wait 30 minutes for your {Unyielding Vitality} perk to restore your hand, I suggest you take a sip,] Evangeline replied with a giggle. [Besides, your partial vampire taste buds will filter it to some kind of fruit.] I really hope you''re right, Neraxis expressed with a sigh and bent down before taking a single sip of blood off the ground. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire While it was disgusting and, frankly, he felt like he would never get used to it, the regenerative properties more than made up for it. However... "Ugh... fuck..." Neraxis nearly vomited upon drinking it, but at least his hand was healed. Fruit my ass. [Hehe...] Evangeline giggled teasingly. [Well, you will face worse in the future, so just get used to it.] Right... He straightened his back and ced his attention back on the clearing message. Without further hesitation, he pressed "Yes." [Dreamspire - 9th Floor Hard Mode: City Defense] [Objective: Defend the city of Atrios from the onught of monsters. Time limit: 1 hour ¡ú 6 hours] [Failure Condition: More than 50% ¡ú 25% of the civilians die; The Saint gets killed] [Status: Initializing...] This is a bit different than what I read? Neraxis tilted his head. So far, there hadn''t been many irregrities, only the asional minor differences. However, now there was a whole city to defend from what was supposed to be a mere vige. Added to that was the failure condition of the Saint being killed¡ªsomething that hadn''t existed in the information online either. While the trial was initializing, Neraxis was surprisingly able to walk around and take in the sights. The city was slowly loading in, and with that, he noticed how medieval it looked. Castles, massive estates, carriages. Everything one could imagine from a medieval world. But that was not all, as in the far distance, he saw a massive group of people gathered in front of one particr building. The church. Neraxis jumped onto a nearby roof and dashed closer until eventually, he overlooked the entire horde of people. In the very middle was a statue, and beside it was a beautiful golden-haired woman dressed in a white robe, seemingly praying to the statue. So that''s the Saint. Neraxis deduced, and soon, the ground began rumbling, followed by: [Status: Monster Horde Iing!]@@novelbin@@ [Protect the Saint!] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!